342 Bowery, New York, NY 10012-2408
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Email: dmg@downtownmusicgallery.com
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NEW BOOTY FROM JIM BLACK, BROTZMANN/ENEIDI QT., TREVOR DUNN, MICHAEL WHITE, THE MANERI TRIO, VINNY GOLIA, MORE DUTCH TREATS, PHILLIP GREENLIEF & A COUPLE OF HAT CLASSICS REISSUED!
but first...please show up to
SIM CAIN BENEFIT Saturday July 24th at Tonic 8PM w/ John Zorn, Vernon Reid, Chocolate Genius, Melvin Gibbs, Hubert Sumlin, Marc Ribot, David Poe, Elliott Sharp, Eric Mingus, Anton Fier and many others - Sim hurt his leg, is laid up & needs help w/ medical expenses. He is one of the greatest drummers of all, an old friend of mine and has worked with dozens of incredible bands - Rollins Band, Gone, Regressive Aid, Scornflakes & in many Zorn, E. Sharp & Ribot bands!!!
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OUR ON-LINE DATABASE HAS PASSED THE 10,000 MARK! Over 10,000 different avant jazz/progressive/contemporary compositional/and otherwise 'new music' items are now listed in our search engine, the vast majority of which no other online retailer lists or bothers to carry/service! We've averaged an inputing of 100 items every week for the last two years... but we still have another 6K [by the time we're finished it'll be another 10K at least!] of items which can be found on our shelves when visiting...so we're not through yet. The rewards are phantasmagorical if you should visit us when in town!
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AND NOW, THE FUN NEW STUFF!!!
JIM BLACK/ALASNOAXIS - Habyor (Winter & Winter 73) Third fabulous release from that lovable and consistently in-demand local drum wizard and composer Jim Black. Featuring the same great line-up of Chris Speed on tenor sax, clarinet, Wurlitzer, accordion & casio; Hilmar Jensson on guitars; Skuli Sverrisson on basses and Jim on drums, melodica, Wurlitzer & Handsonic. Pachora are one of downtown's best longtime ensembles and Pachora members' Chris Speed & Jim Black each has a new CD out this summer. More reasons to be cheerful. Review next week and in stock shortly
CD for $15
BUCKETHEAD - Cuckoo Clocks of Hell (Disembodied 8561; USA) Cuckoo Clocks of Hell is a full return to Buckethead's blistering, super-heavy guitar heroics after releases that focused on different parts of his multiple musical personalities. About two-thirds of the way in, when he slows things down a bit and opens up the form on songs like "Woods of Suicide," "Yellowed Hide," and "The Black Forest," that one starts to hear the scope of Buckethead's abilities. Fans of his heaviest guitar work will enjoy Cuckoo Clocks of Hell.
CD $15.00
PETER BROTZMANN CLARINET PROJECT With JOHN ZORN/TOSHINORI KONDO/LOUIS SCLAVIS/JOHANNES BAUER/WILLIAM PARKER/TONY OXLEY et al - Berlin Djungle (UMS/Atavistic 246; USA) At JazzFest Berlin in 1984, Peter Brštzmann convened a once-in-a-lifetime ensemble, aiming to put a spotlight on the clarinet. The six (!) hand-picked clarinetists - not all of them always thought of as clarinetists - constitute one of the great "strange bedfellows" groupings of all time. Simply to hear Brštzmann and John Zorn on the same stage requires quite an imagination (and this is the only such recording), but add to that the stupendous British jazzman Tony Coe (well known as the tenor saxophonist on Mancini's "Pink Panther"), East German Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky, French sophisticate Louis Sclavis and Lower Eastsider J.D. Parran, and you've got quite a volatile cocktail. Sit them atop Cecil Taylor's rhythm section, Tony Oxley on drums and William Parker on bass, and add Toshinori Kondo (of Die Like a Dog fame) on trumpet, Johannes Bauer and Alan Tomlinson on trombones, and the lineup is unstoppable. The Brštzmann Clarinet Project performs a single, lengthy score by Brštzmann, and the results are as sensitive and poetic as they are incendiary, as befits the black wooden horn. Remastered from the original tapes, with Brštzmann's original cover design, Berlin Djungle is proudly presented as part of the FMP Archive Edition.
CD for $15
GERD DUDEK/BUCSHI NIEBERGALL/EDWARD VESALA - Open (UMS/Atavistic 247; USA) In 1977, in Berlin, three masters of European free music convened for a triumvirate summit. Finnish drummer Edward Vesala, known in later years for his fiery big-band outings on ECM, was one of the pioneers of free jazz in Scandanavia, a tremendously sensitive percussionist and highly inventive kitsman who passed away 1999. Buschi Niebergall also died much too young (in the '80s), but he was a key bassist in the emergent German free jazz scene, playing with Peter Brštzmann, Manfred Schoof, Alex Schlippenbach, and many others. His German colleague, Gerd Dudek (here playing not only tenor sax, but also flutes and soprano saxophone), is a quiet hero of German jazz, a transitional figure on the cusp of free music with the Manfred Schoof Quintet in the mid-60s. He's sometimes compared to Clifford Jordan, a reference that makes sense, but he's also as wide open as the title of this great record suggests. This entry in the FMP Archive Edition, never before on CD, was remastered from the original tapes, with the original cover art. A little-known gem gets the polishing it deserves.
CD for $14
PETER BROTZMANN / MARCO ENEIDI / LISLE ELLIS / JACKSON KRALL - Live at Spruce Street Forum (Botticelli 1015) Brotzmann plays tenor sax & taragato, Marco plays alto sax, Lisle plays contrabass and Jackson plays drums. Word is that this is a smoking set and no doubt that we believe that fact. Marco Eneidi's recent trio disc with Paul Murphy & Kash Killion (on Cadence) was one of this year's best free/jazz gems, so...
CD for $15
TREVOR DUNN'S TRIO CONVULSANT - sister phantom owl fish (ipecac 52) This is the second splendid Trio Convulsant effort from Electric Masada & Fantomas bass great Trevor Dunn. This one features Mary Halverson on guitar, Ches Smith on drums, Trevor on basses and special guest Shelley Burgon on harp. Trevor's first date as a leader was from 1998, when he was still living in the bay area and featured Adam Levy on guitar and Kenny Wollesen on drums. Although the new disc has completely different personnel, the overall sound hasn't changed, since Trevor's writing is just a diverse, encompassing a wealth of influences from the jazz, punk, prog and hard rock worlds. I am unfamiliar with Ches Smith, but Ms. Halvorson is becoming one of the best new guitarists to check out, since she moved here after studying and collaborating with Anthony Braxton a few years back. Trevor has written all of the pieces here except for covers by Ellington and Andre Previn. Trevor's marvelous music shows a healthy dose of that tight, death-defying, Naked City or even Fantomas-like, stop-on-a-dime, multi-genre splatter. It is a great blend and in between all those ridiculous categories. Trevor seems to keep pretty busy since moving here, appearing in many different bands, projects and improv situations. He has that restless spirit that keeps folks on their toes guessing where he'll be next. So far, in the half dozen times I've heard Mary playing, I've only heard her do her unique approach to improv, it is great to hear her playing Trevor's hair-raising and ever intricate pieces. The lovely song, "The Single Petal of a Rose" (Ellington & Strayhorn) features another newcomer, Shelley Burgon on acoustic harp and is a delicate and beautiful work, with some superb harp, bowed bass and tasty laid back guitar, but deconstructs just right in the center section. Trevor's first trio never really got a chance to play their great material more than once or twice live, especially since Adam Levy has been on a never-ending tour for Norah Jones. Chances are that Trevor's current Trio Convulsant should have dates in the not too distant future. Let's hope so, since his new CD is such an outstanding one...once again! CD for $15 (in stock next week)
MICHAEL WHITE - Voices (Izniz Recordings 001) Featuring the legendary Michael White on violin, Timothy Young (from Zony Mash) on guitar,Cecil McBee on bass, Kenneth Nash on percussion and Leisei Chen onvocals. Mr. White was one of the first and best avant-jazz violinistsduring the sixties and has a most impressive resume. He was a part ofthe incredible John Handy Quintet whose 'Live at Monterey' albumremains one the true modern jazz gems (with Jerry Hahn on guitar) andthey reunited recently for a new cd and were at the Iridium just lastweek. White was also a member of the Fourth Way with electric pianist Mike Nock, another incredible band whose three albums from the early 70's also retain their legendary status as pioneering avant/electric jazz and has yet to be reissued on CD. White can be heard on a few essential albums from Pharoah Sanders during the 70's and also released a number of albums as a leader on Impulse. He seemed to have disappeared during the eighties, moving to the Pacific Northwest, but eventually resurfaced with a duo disc with Bill Frisell. This is his first album as a leader on more than two decades and it is a precious one at that. He composed all but one of the songs, with one standard, "My One and Only Love". Both Michael and former Zony Mash guitar wiz, Tim Young play with elegance and grace throughout on this most impressive laid back, bluesy, lovely and cosmic journey.
CD for $13 (no distribution deal at the moment)
JOE MANERI/BARRE PHILLIPS/MAT MANERI - Angles of Repose (ECM 2620002; USA) One has to hand it to this trio. Joe Maneri (alto, tenor and clarinet), his Mat Maneri (viola) and Barre Phillips (double bass) understand something about essential about improvisation that seems to have been lost by all but a handful or so of those currently practicing this art: they seek convey the complexities of honest emotion first and foremost by any means necessary, secondly, they seek to relate the discoveries of sonic inquiry -technique and other theoretical concerns come last. They could give a toss if what they are playing is "jazz" or not. That comes after last What Maneri, Phillips, Maneri trio are about then is not theoretical music, but discovering and conveying feelings in music. Angles of Repose is a suite of 10 parts, that runs a bit over 71 minutes. Recoded without headphones in a small church in France-next to Phillips's home. The elder Maneri certainly has theories about music, but it's in the paying and connection with other musicians that they are realized. His microtonal inquiries along his notion of octave-that contains no less than 72 subdivisions -would be useless academic twaddle if they didn't result in such an intimate, and in a sense, accessible communication with other players and of course to the listener. The interplay between the viola and double bass--bowed and plucked-is where the recurrent ideas come home to be extrapolated upon, dissected and re-emphasized by Joe's horns and voice which jumps in when the instruments won't get him where he needs to go. In this sense, this music sings. It's true the singing is balladic and dirge-like much of the time, but it is pastoral too, and gentle and sweetly elegiac. It bears repeated listening ad meets the listener readily, offering a standard-bearing effectiveness in how the poetry of collective improvisation should be realized and articulated. Thom Jurek, AMG
CD for $16
2ND OUTLET [LUC HOUTKAMP/COR FUHLER/MARTIN BLUME] - Burnt Sienna (Nuscope 1015; USA) This new electroacoustic disc, the first on the nuscope recordings label, features the trio 2nd Outlet with saxophonist/electronics master Luc Houtkamp, pianist Cor Fuhler, and percussionist Martin Blume. This CD was recorded at the LOFT in KŘln, Germany during two different sessions in 2002 and 2003. According to Thomas Lehn in the liner notes, "The resulting identity of 2nd Outlet is their finely balanced, but not too serious, act of playing with both of their identities. The traditional elements are on one hand, and the timbre work is on the other. The traditional idioms are set into the light of reflection, questioning their idiomatic meanings, by letting them co-exist with very imaginative timbre emanations, which you can hear across the entire disc in multiple shades and shapes." In the Summer 2004 issue of Signal to Noise magazine, Bill Meyer says, 2nd Outlet's "...billing as a band is telling, for nothing about this music speaks of overweaning ego. Which isn't to suggest that they're overly reserved; each player proceeds decisively, and the collective musters a vigor that any self-respecting energy music ensemble would be glad to claim for its own." This release features an 8-page booklet with liner notes from German synthesist Thomas Lehn and very original art from Dallas, Texas resident John Pomara.
CD for $14
SOME NEW THINGS FROM THE VINNY GOLIA'S WONDERFUL NINE WINDS LABEL:
THE WALTER THOMPSON ORCHESTRA - PEXO - A Soundpainting Symphony (Nine Winds 234) Featuring Todd Reynolds on violin, Rolf Sturm on guitar & synth, Gil Selinger on cello, Steve Rust & Jim Whitney on basses; Rob Henke, Chris Washburne * Sarah Weaver on brass; Michael Attias & Jody Espina on reeds and Andrea Pryor & Greg Stare on percussion plus Leese Walker, Michael Gordon & Christian Brandjes as the actors. This is a large downtown ensemble, as one could tell with a few of the more recognizable names. I haven't heard from Walter Thompson in nearly a decade, when his last large unit included the late Thomas Chapin and Mark Feldman. He has been working hard on his "soundpainting" system, which is a medium for structured improvisation involving some 700 gestures. 'PEXO' is based on a variety of games - board games, sports, TV quiz shows and mind games. In some ways, this music reminds me of Butch Morris' conductions that also involve the thematic development of different phrases or ideas. Walter does a great job of selecting certain sound or vocal snippets and either repeating them or twisting into odd shapes, yet thereremains a cohesive spirit throughout. Solos are kept short so that the direction change rapidly and themes can develop quickly. I had this on recently and a young man who was looking for more normal rockmusic, was intrigued by this. He dug the humor of the voices and obvious focus, the way it unfolded was rather story-like and he ended up buying a copy. I love when this happens, because this is an unexpected result of just playing music that challenges whoever visits our wacky store. The way this work pokes fun at the usual game show shenanigans is what makes it fun to hear.
CD for $14
VINNY GOLIA - A Gift for the Unusual / Music for Contrabass Saxophone(Nine Winds 239) Featuring Vinny on Tubax, Michael Vlatkovich ontrombone, Wayne Peet on various keyboards, Jessica Catron on cello (1 track), Bill Barrett on chromatic harmonica (1 track) and Bill Casaleon contrabass. LA based multi-reeds hero, Vinny Golia, keepsimmensely busy with a wide variety of musical situations - from soloto duo to trio to his well-recorded quintet and his large ensemble. He has nearly 25 CDs in print as a leader, running the vast Nine Winds label as well as recording for Leo, Music & Arts, CIMP and more. He loves to play those unusual reed instruments, many types of clarinets, flutes and saxes. On 'A Gift for the Unusual' he is featured on the newly developed Tubax that is a type of contrabass sax, an incredibly low-pitched sound with the power of a saxophone. Each of the eleven pieces explores a different idea or theme for this colossal growling, grumbling monster. One strong trio features Vlatkovich on trombone and Casale on bass, groaning, droning and erupting quietly together. There is long duo with hand percussion that is most mysterious sounding and story-like. On "Eye My" a duo with Wayne Peet on piano swings nicely, no doubt hard to do on that unwieldy horn. The solo Tubax pieces again explore certain regions of that saxes' unique sound, showing that Vinny works hard at pushing the limits of its odd sound range. Vinny's unique composing is also on display here as he has written some odd trio pieces with intricate, yet open-ended parts for the trombone, keyboard, bass and bass sax. Another successful work is for chromatic harmonica, organ and bass sax, that has a nice cinematic quality. Vinny and his cohorts have done a great job here, showing some diverse colors, connections and compositions throughout.
CD for $14
VINNY GOLIA - feeding frenzy / Music for Woodwinds & String Quartet (Nine Winds 229) This Golia project features Vinny on numerous flutes and clarinets with Harry Scorzo & Ludwig Girdland on violins, Jonas Tauber on cello and Ken Filiano on bass. I once went to a fish hatchery when I was Boy Scout and got to see what a "feeding frenzy" actually is during feeding time. Although the inside photo of this CD has a picture of these frenzied fish, I'm unsure of what this has to do with the more serious music on this CD. Although Vinny has composed all the music for this work, he is not the only soloist and thus is of equal presence with the rest of the quartet. This music is much closer in sound to modern classical than to jazz, with Vinny doing a great job of weaving his inspired clarinet or flute solos within the ever-challenging music of the string quartet. I am unsure of what is more extraordinary here, the playing or the composing, since both are truly impressive and thought-provoking and seem inseparable from each other. This music requires time (actually nearly 78 minutes) and concentration, since there is so much going on. Sometimes the strings create (fractured) mirror images of Vinny's engaging flute or clarinet playing, sometimes the string play twisted harmonies with or against the solos. I found this entire project to be consistently fascinating, although it did take some work to really dig in and uncover all that is going on within the layers or web of activity.
CD for $14
PHILLIP GREENLIEF - stalking andrei / solo (evander music 023) This is Bay area reedsman, Phillip Greenlief's first solo sax effort. He is playing B-flat clarinet, soprano, alto & tenor saxes. Featured here are a couple of original pieces, dedicated to Marion Brown & Sarah Taylor Boehm plus pieces by Joelle Leandre, Frank Gratkowski, Roscoe Mitchell and Pauline Oliveros. We know of Phillip from the five CDs he has done on Evander & Nine Winds, where he has collaborated with Nels & Alex Cline, Vinny Golia, Trevor Dunn and Scott Amendola. Although solo sax efforts are not that uncommon by now, they are still a challenge for anyone who tries. Think of Braxton, Evan Parker, Steve Lacy or Lol Coxhill. Each of the seven pieces here is dedicated to another artist or inspiration. On "deconstruction meditations", Phillip does indeed rearrange bits of Berio, Monk and Stravinsky for clarinet, carefully weaving one section at a time in a string of connected fragments. Joelle Leandre, French contrabassist supreme who is teaching at Mills College also in the Bay area, composed "untitled composition" and Phillip twists the quirky, playful lines on his soprano into lots of odd shapes. Phillip's own "improvised miniatures" is dedicated to Marion Brown, sixties free-jazz sax legend who has been very ill for the past few years. The tapping of pads on the tenor sax is just as loud as the fractured notes that come in select spurts, giving the piece some rhythmic undertow. German sax great Frank Gratkowski's "epitasis" is filled with notes that are slightly stretched out, before the more intense squawking begins and ends again with flutters of elongated notes. Roscoe Mitchell's "rs3" is quiet, sorta melodic piece, with a nice hypnotic repeating line. "portrait of phillip greenlief" was composed by Pauline Oliveros and it is the longest track here. Phillip slowly stretches out notes on his soprano, concentrating on and bending one or two notes at a time. This piece has a fine balance of both somber and slightly twisted turns and eventually spinning quickly into more Braxtonian terrain. It sounds as if Phillip is walking around at certain points, perhaps notated by ever questioning spirit of Pauline. The closing piece is his own "stalking Andrei", a haunting work for slow moving tenor sax. A strong and varied program that requires a bit of patience for its subtle yet rich rewards. Phillip Greenlief will perform his solo sax improv here to DMG on August 1st at 8pm. Please come on down and check out our crafty west coast friend.
CD for $14
BOB FELDMAN - Triplicity (One Soul Records 2004.03.02) Featuring Bob on tenor sax & bamboo flute, Ken Filiano on bass and Walter Perkins on drums. Bob Feldman is a veteran saxist who left us with a fine more straight ahead cd last year that included Michael Marcus as a guest. His new release consists of all original tunes and a strong rhythm team who work beautifully together, although they are several generations apart. Ken Filiano moved here from LA a few years ago and remains one of our best contrabassists, performing and recording a great deal, last caught with Dom Minasi. Walter Perkins was 72 when he passed away earlier this year and had a long career as a great jazz drummer. In recent years, Walter recorded a duo album with Peter Brotzmann and a trio cd with Perry Robinson and William Parker, interesting company considering he has been recording for over fifty years. 'Triplicity' opens with the title track which sounds rather free, yet very focused, Bob's warm tone singing and soaring, but never screaming. Walter does a great job of providing inventive grooves that are always swinging, but never too obviously. Bob plays some lovely, haunting bamboo flute on a couple of these pieces, adding a nice laid back touch. On "Further Notice", Walter sounds like he is playing on his drums with his hands, giving this delightful tune a more earthy vibe, including a fine bowed bass solo from Ken. I really dig the two longer pieces here, especially "Imprints" which has some slow and suspense filled vibe, wandering like ghosts around a graveyard, building into a march in the middle, it is Bob's golden tone that really shines perfectly. There a is great duo of sax and bass where Ken plays some great percussive effects on his bass, taking the lead and keeping everything moving just right. The last piece, "Tell Me About It" was composed by Walter Perkins and is like a story of evolving jazz styles, from the blues through more swinging eras. There is a quaint quality to this cd, a great balance between the old and the new worlds of jazz coming together as one solid trio. I guess this is what Bob means by "triplicity".
CD for $12
NIKOLA KODJABASHIA - Reveries of the Solitary Walker (ReR NK1) Nikola is a Macedonian composer with a unique voice, moving easily here between tape manipulation, ensemble and choral composition both contemporary and soaked in national folk influences to form a complex minimal, tangled music that answers to no genre but short-circuits straight to the 21st century ear combining the best qualities of melodic and developmental writing with ear-centered composition and a contemporary concern with collage, stasis and unaccustomed juxtaposition. 'Reveries Of The Solitary Walker' is an oddly beautiful mixture of contemporary, Balkan-esque folk aesthetics, Byzantyne-age leanings, and just enough shards of avant-gardism to make it appeal to those who like things a tad 'different'. Joining him on this disk is his latest group, the Project Z'lust Ensemble, who augment his piano work with an arrangement of brass, upright bass, percussion and a violin duo. Strictly speaking, this wonderful song cycle adheres to the melodic principles of Eastern Orthodox chant music as composed by the 18th-century Macedonian cantor, St. Joan Harmosin-Ohridski, but this ensemble's interpretations display an up-to-date twist, which eschew the rigorous routine of classical theorems while pushing forwards in a stylistic way.
CD for $14
MICHIEL SCHEEN QUARTET - Dance, my dear? (Data 042) Featuring Ab Baars on tenor sax & clarinet, Michiel Scheen on piano, Ernst Glerum on bass & Han Bennink on drums. This is another of those Dutch gems, which features three members of the ICP Orchestra led by a fine pianist with who I am previously unfamiliar. Turns out that Mr. Scheen was a longtime member of the Maarten Altena Ensemble and that this is his fourth CD as a leader, his first was a solo piano release. This CD does have that quirky, fun, rather Monk-like approach to fractured swing. There seems to be a unique dialogue going on within the quartet, the piano, bass and drums swing consistently in waves, accelerating and then slowing down and accelerating again, as Ab Baars navigates the more charted regions, with his fine, warm toned tenor sax. I love the way Michiel's piano solo on "Idols" is both minimal and free as Han spins quickly around him, similar to the special magic that Han and Misha Mengelberg have long shared. The title track has that great Monk-like fractured swing and again the running dialogue between the piano and drums is quite marvelous, with some of Ab Baars finest playing sailing on top of the inspired rhythm team just right. "Non-circle agreeable" features some Morse code-like fragmented layers of notes that bounce back and forth in tight-knit lines as the sax creates a more restrained counter-point. On "Patience" they slow down to a freer, suspenseful vibe, with Ab's mysterious clarinet floating over free-flowing rhythm team, fragments connecting here and there. What makes this (Dutch) magic so special is the way these releases (ICP, Data, Geestgronden, etc.) seem to by tight and loose simultaneously, occasionally breaking into frenzied sections yet always retaining a thread at the center which holds it all together.
CD for $19
GUUS JANSSEN - Hollywood O.K. Pieces (GeestGronden 08) Featuring Guus on piano and all compositions, Peter van Bergen on clarinet, Vincent Chancey on french horn, Michael Rabinovitch on bassoon, Ernst Glerum on bass and Wim Janssen on drums. Great hear two of downtown's players sitting in with this marvelous Dutch sextet. Vincent Chancey has been around for more than two decades, once playing with Sun Ra Arkestra and the Carla Bley Band in the seventies. I once met bassoonist supreme Michael Rabinovich over at Thomas Chapin's apartment and only know of a few recordings with him, Dave Douglas' old Mosaic Sextet and a couple as a leader. Guus himself has some six CDs in print and has long worked with members of the ICP Orchestra, like Ernst Glerum. Peter van Bergen is another great Dutch player with a few CDs as a leader as well. "Angelicanzone" swings furiously with burning solos from the clarinet, French horn, Guus' feisty two handed piano and Ernst's bass. Wim Janssen plays some swell brushes on "Slow-Step", a delightful, playful piece with moves into fine freer terrain in the mid-section, which contains a superb bassoon and piano duo. "Havank" features some more spacious, rather modern classical-like writing with eerie clarinet, blustery bassoon and inside-the-piano sprinkles and swirls, most carefully arranged. "Konitzology" does have that cool school, lovely, laid back vibe, with some fine clarinet and French horn. "Passage" is an austere, lovely piece with some glowing French horn and bassoon elegantly soloing. Guus' sublime composing is featured on a few of these pieces, gentle, tasty and exquisitely performed by this fine sextet. I dig the way "Tricot" moves between a few shifting sections, intricate and classical-like one moment with sections of solos woven well in between. "April" also sounds playful and free when it begins, has composed sections sown into the tapestry. Quite a delight.
CD for $19
A COUPLE OF REISSUES FROM THE HATOLOGY LABEL, FORMERLY HAT ART:
ANTHONY BRAXTON & MAX ROACH - One in Two - Two in One (Hatology 601) Recorded at the Willisau Jazz Festival in August of 1979 and 75 minutes long. Max plays percussion, gongs & tunes cymbals and Anthony plays alto, soprano & sopranino saxes, clarinet, contrabass clarinet, regular clarinet and flute. Long out-of-print and pretty marvelous. "An intersection of planned chance and fortuitous contrivance. Two scheduled concerts-the Archie Shepp/Max Roach duo and the Anthony Braxton Quartet-frame a third, spontaneous collaboration: Roach and Braxton. The gods smiled on these circumstances and the tapes were rolling. These are the goods." - Art Lange
CD for $17
JOE McPHEE PO MUSIC - Oleo (Hatology 579) Featuring Joe McPhee on pocket cornet & tenor sax, Andre Jaume on clarinet, bass clarinet & alto sax, Francois Mechali on double bass and Raymond Boni on electric guitars. Recorded in Switzerland in 1982 and one of Joe McPhee's best ever. The two standards include Sonny Rollins' "Oleo" and Benny Golson's "I Remember Clifford". Long out-of-print [originally under the title 'Oleo & A Future Retrospective] and highly desirable if you are as big a fan of Joe McPhee as we are here at DMG "The word PO, as used in Po Music, comes from Dr. Edward de Bono's concept of Lateral Thinking. Derived from words like possible, positive, poetry and hypothesis, Po is a language indicator to show that the process of provocation is being used to move from a fixed set of ideas in an attempt to discover new ones. Po Music represents ideas as provocation rather than as an accurate description of what things are: a positive, possible, poetic hypothesis." Joe McPhee
CD for $17
...AND A COUPLE OF HARD-TO-GETS FROM AACM REEDMAN ROSCOE MITCHELL OUT OF ITALY...
ROSCOE MITCHELL - Live At the Muhle Hunziken (Cecma 1008; Italy) Live at the Muhle Hunziken is an interesting 1986 solo performance by Roscoe Mitchell at Muhle Hunziken Rubigen in Switzerland, reissued by the Cecma label in 1999. During this September concert, Mitchell unwraps musical thoughts at a consistent, unhurried tempo, and sometimes he simply meanders. Although he plays alto for the majority of the concert, his soprano sax chops are heard on the opening cut "Circle 3," while "Dance Two" finds him on bass saxophone.
CD $20.00 STOCK
ROSCOE MITCHELL - More Cutouts (Cecma 2; Italy) 1981 recording with Hugh Ragin and Tani Tabbal; reissued as CD with two alternate cuts added
CD $20.00 STOCK
AND FOR THOSE MANY WHO WERE ASKING ABOUT THIS...
ROBERT FRIPP & BRIAN ENO - The Equatorial Stars (DGM 0402; UK)
It is out and we have ours...it's a modern day Pt 3 [recorded in 2003!] to the kind of material they did on those first two duo albums 30 years ago, and no less vital than those works, even though the boat's been overloaded/capsized by dozens of - mostly weaker and derivative - entries from others these last three decades.
All we can say is try stopping by the store in the very near future...
...or mail order from Robert Fripp's DisciplineGlobalMobile.com [U.S.] or Eno's Opal website, Enoshop.co.uk [U.K.]
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SHORT NYC GIGS LIST for the coming weekend:
Friday July 23rd-
BUCKETHEAD'S GIANT ROBOT at Bowery Ballroom - big gig for our favorite guitar hero!
HANS TAMMEN / DAPHNA NAPHTALI / MARTIN SPEICHER / ROBERT DICK / URSEL SCHLICHT / RUEBEN RADDING at the Brecht Forum - 122 W. 27th St. (10th floor) at 9pm!!
Saturday July 24th -
SIM CAIN BENEFIT at Tonic at 8 w/ John Zorn, Vernon Reid, Chocolate Genius, Melvin Gibbs, Hubert Sumlin, Marc Ribot, David Poe, Elliott Sharp, Eric Mingus, Anton Fier and many others - Sim hurt his leg, is laid up & needs help w/ medical expenses. He is one of the greatest drummers of all, an old friend of mine and has worked with dozens of incredible bands - Rollins Band, Gone, Regressive Aid, Scornflakes & in many Zorn, E. Sharp & Ribot bands!!!
MYRA MELFORD/JENNY SCHEINMAN DOUBLE RELEASE PARTY- 9 PM at Joe's Pub 425 Lafayette St
Myra Melford performs with her quintet The Tent to celebrate her cd Where The Two Worlds Meet (Arabesque), with Kenny Wollesen (drums), Chris Speed (reeds) and Stomu Takeishi (bass.)
Jenny Scheinman plays music from her recent release Shalgaster (Tzadik) with Myra Melford (piano and harmonium), Russ Johnson (trumpet), Trevor Dunn (bass) and Kenny Wollesen (drums.)
Sunday July 25th-
NATE WOOLEY / STEVE SWELL / TATSUYA NAKTANI at 7pm here at DMG for free!! And..
DOM MINASI solo el. guitar at 8pm here at DMG for free! - an amazing double bill!!!!!
FREESTYLE JAZZ Series at CB's Lounge - 313 Bowery - starts at
7pm w/ - joe giardullo & susan alcorn (steel guitar legend from Texas!);
8pm - chris dingham, steve lehman, tyshawn sorey, john hebert;
9pm - rob brown, lewis barnes, gerald cleaver, jason dimatteo;
10pm - ras moshe, jackson krall, matt heyner, matt lavelle, steve swell - yet another amazing line-up at Dee Pop's cavalcade of stars!!!
Thursday July 29th-
CECIL TAYLOR - FREE! 7 PM at the Castle Clinton stage in Manhattan's Battery Park [but you must wait on line during the day to get the ducats, which are given out at 5 PM, and then wait on line again to get in] Cecil's worth the hassle...and the price is right!!!
http://www.entertainment-link.com/event_details_music.asp?evs_id=176347
but first...please show up to
SIM CAIN BENEFIT Saturday July 24th at Tonic 8PM w/ John Zorn, Vernon Reid, Chocolate Genius, Melvin Gibbs, Hubert Sumlin, Marc Ribot, David Poe, Elliott Sharp, Eric Mingus, Anton Fier and many others - Sim hurt his leg, is laid up & needs help w/ medical expenses. He is one of the greatest drummers of all, an old friend of mine and has worked with dozens of incredible bands - Rollins Band, Gone, Regressive Aid, Scornflakes & in many Zorn, E. Sharp & Ribot bands!!!
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OUR ON-LINE DATABASE HAS PASSED THE 10,000 MARK! Over 10,000 different avant jazz/progressive/contemporary compositional/and otherwise 'new music' items are now listed in our search engine, the vast majority of which no other online retailer lists or bothers to carry/service! We've averaged an inputing of 100 items every week for the last two years... but we still have another 6K [by the time we're finished it'll be another 10K at least!] of items which can be found on our shelves when visiting...so we're not through yet. The rewards are phantasmagorical if you should visit us when in town!
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AND NOW, THE FUN NEW STUFF!!!
JIM BLACK/ALASNOAXIS - Habyor (Winter & Winter 73) Third fabulous release from that lovable and consistently in-demand local drum wizard and composer Jim Black. Featuring the same great line-up of Chris Speed on tenor sax, clarinet, Wurlitzer, accordion & casio; Hilmar Jensson on guitars; Skuli Sverrisson on basses and Jim on drums, melodica, Wurlitzer & Handsonic. Pachora are one of downtown's best longtime ensembles and Pachora members' Chris Speed & Jim Black each has a new CD out this summer. More reasons to be cheerful. Review next week and in stock shortly
CD for $15
BUCKETHEAD - Cuckoo Clocks of Hell (Disembodied 8561; USA) Cuckoo Clocks of Hell is a full return to Buckethead's blistering, super-heavy guitar heroics after releases that focused on different parts of his multiple musical personalities. About two-thirds of the way in, when he slows things down a bit and opens up the form on songs like "Woods of Suicide," "Yellowed Hide," and "The Black Forest," that one starts to hear the scope of Buckethead's abilities. Fans of his heaviest guitar work will enjoy Cuckoo Clocks of Hell.
CD $15.00
PETER BROTZMANN CLARINET PROJECT With JOHN ZORN/TOSHINORI KONDO/LOUIS SCLAVIS/JOHANNES BAUER/WILLIAM PARKER/TONY OXLEY et al - Berlin Djungle (UMS/Atavistic 246; USA) At JazzFest Berlin in 1984, Peter Brštzmann convened a once-in-a-lifetime ensemble, aiming to put a spotlight on the clarinet. The six (!) hand-picked clarinetists - not all of them always thought of as clarinetists - constitute one of the great "strange bedfellows" groupings of all time. Simply to hear Brštzmann and John Zorn on the same stage requires quite an imagination (and this is the only such recording), but add to that the stupendous British jazzman Tony Coe (well known as the tenor saxophonist on Mancini's "Pink Panther"), East German Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky, French sophisticate Louis Sclavis and Lower Eastsider J.D. Parran, and you've got quite a volatile cocktail. Sit them atop Cecil Taylor's rhythm section, Tony Oxley on drums and William Parker on bass, and add Toshinori Kondo (of Die Like a Dog fame) on trumpet, Johannes Bauer and Alan Tomlinson on trombones, and the lineup is unstoppable. The Brštzmann Clarinet Project performs a single, lengthy score by Brštzmann, and the results are as sensitive and poetic as they are incendiary, as befits the black wooden horn. Remastered from the original tapes, with Brštzmann's original cover design, Berlin Djungle is proudly presented as part of the FMP Archive Edition.
CD for $15
GERD DUDEK/BUCSHI NIEBERGALL/EDWARD VESALA - Open (UMS/Atavistic 247; USA) In 1977, in Berlin, three masters of European free music convened for a triumvirate summit. Finnish drummer Edward Vesala, known in later years for his fiery big-band outings on ECM, was one of the pioneers of free jazz in Scandanavia, a tremendously sensitive percussionist and highly inventive kitsman who passed away 1999. Buschi Niebergall also died much too young (in the '80s), but he was a key bassist in the emergent German free jazz scene, playing with Peter Brštzmann, Manfred Schoof, Alex Schlippenbach, and many others. His German colleague, Gerd Dudek (here playing not only tenor sax, but also flutes and soprano saxophone), is a quiet hero of German jazz, a transitional figure on the cusp of free music with the Manfred Schoof Quintet in the mid-60s. He's sometimes compared to Clifford Jordan, a reference that makes sense, but he's also as wide open as the title of this great record suggests. This entry in the FMP Archive Edition, never before on CD, was remastered from the original tapes, with the original cover art. A little-known gem gets the polishing it deserves.
CD for $14
PETER BROTZMANN / MARCO ENEIDI / LISLE ELLIS / JACKSON KRALL - Live at Spruce Street Forum (Botticelli 1015) Brotzmann plays tenor sax & taragato, Marco plays alto sax, Lisle plays contrabass and Jackson plays drums. Word is that this is a smoking set and no doubt that we believe that fact. Marco Eneidi's recent trio disc with Paul Murphy & Kash Killion (on Cadence) was one of this year's best free/jazz gems, so...
CD for $15
TREVOR DUNN'S TRIO CONVULSANT - sister phantom owl fish (ipecac 52) This is the second splendid Trio Convulsant effort from Electric Masada & Fantomas bass great Trevor Dunn. This one features Mary Halverson on guitar, Ches Smith on drums, Trevor on basses and special guest Shelley Burgon on harp. Trevor's first date as a leader was from 1998, when he was still living in the bay area and featured Adam Levy on guitar and Kenny Wollesen on drums. Although the new disc has completely different personnel, the overall sound hasn't changed, since Trevor's writing is just a diverse, encompassing a wealth of influences from the jazz, punk, prog and hard rock worlds. I am unfamiliar with Ches Smith, but Ms. Halvorson is becoming one of the best new guitarists to check out, since she moved here after studying and collaborating with Anthony Braxton a few years back. Trevor has written all of the pieces here except for covers by Ellington and Andre Previn. Trevor's marvelous music shows a healthy dose of that tight, death-defying, Naked City or even Fantomas-like, stop-on-a-dime, multi-genre splatter. It is a great blend and in between all those ridiculous categories. Trevor seems to keep pretty busy since moving here, appearing in many different bands, projects and improv situations. He has that restless spirit that keeps folks on their toes guessing where he'll be next. So far, in the half dozen times I've heard Mary playing, I've only heard her do her unique approach to improv, it is great to hear her playing Trevor's hair-raising and ever intricate pieces. The lovely song, "The Single Petal of a Rose" (Ellington & Strayhorn) features another newcomer, Shelley Burgon on acoustic harp and is a delicate and beautiful work, with some superb harp, bowed bass and tasty laid back guitar, but deconstructs just right in the center section. Trevor's first trio never really got a chance to play their great material more than once or twice live, especially since Adam Levy has been on a never-ending tour for Norah Jones. Chances are that Trevor's current Trio Convulsant should have dates in the not too distant future. Let's hope so, since his new CD is such an outstanding one...once again! CD for $15 (in stock next week)
MICHAEL WHITE - Voices (Izniz Recordings 001) Featuring the legendary Michael White on violin, Timothy Young (from Zony Mash) on guitar,Cecil McBee on bass, Kenneth Nash on percussion and Leisei Chen onvocals. Mr. White was one of the first and best avant-jazz violinistsduring the sixties and has a most impressive resume. He was a part ofthe incredible John Handy Quintet whose 'Live at Monterey' albumremains one the true modern jazz gems (with Jerry Hahn on guitar) andthey reunited recently for a new cd and were at the Iridium just lastweek. White was also a member of the Fourth Way with electric pianist Mike Nock, another incredible band whose three albums from the early 70's also retain their legendary status as pioneering avant/electric jazz and has yet to be reissued on CD. White can be heard on a few essential albums from Pharoah Sanders during the 70's and also released a number of albums as a leader on Impulse. He seemed to have disappeared during the eighties, moving to the Pacific Northwest, but eventually resurfaced with a duo disc with Bill Frisell. This is his first album as a leader on more than two decades and it is a precious one at that. He composed all but one of the songs, with one standard, "My One and Only Love". Both Michael and former Zony Mash guitar wiz, Tim Young play with elegance and grace throughout on this most impressive laid back, bluesy, lovely and cosmic journey.
CD for $13 (no distribution deal at the moment)
JOE MANERI/BARRE PHILLIPS/MAT MANERI - Angles of Repose (ECM 2620002; USA) One has to hand it to this trio. Joe Maneri (alto, tenor and clarinet), his Mat Maneri (viola) and Barre Phillips (double bass) understand something about essential about improvisation that seems to have been lost by all but a handful or so of those currently practicing this art: they seek convey the complexities of honest emotion first and foremost by any means necessary, secondly, they seek to relate the discoveries of sonic inquiry -technique and other theoretical concerns come last. They could give a toss if what they are playing is "jazz" or not. That comes after last What Maneri, Phillips, Maneri trio are about then is not theoretical music, but discovering and conveying feelings in music. Angles of Repose is a suite of 10 parts, that runs a bit over 71 minutes. Recoded without headphones in a small church in France-next to Phillips's home. The elder Maneri certainly has theories about music, but it's in the paying and connection with other musicians that they are realized. His microtonal inquiries along his notion of octave-that contains no less than 72 subdivisions -would be useless academic twaddle if they didn't result in such an intimate, and in a sense, accessible communication with other players and of course to the listener. The interplay between the viola and double bass--bowed and plucked-is where the recurrent ideas come home to be extrapolated upon, dissected and re-emphasized by Joe's horns and voice which jumps in when the instruments won't get him where he needs to go. In this sense, this music sings. It's true the singing is balladic and dirge-like much of the time, but it is pastoral too, and gentle and sweetly elegiac. It bears repeated listening ad meets the listener readily, offering a standard-bearing effectiveness in how the poetry of collective improvisation should be realized and articulated. Thom Jurek, AMG
CD for $16
2ND OUTLET [LUC HOUTKAMP/COR FUHLER/MARTIN BLUME] - Burnt Sienna (Nuscope 1015; USA) This new electroacoustic disc, the first on the nuscope recordings label, features the trio 2nd Outlet with saxophonist/electronics master Luc Houtkamp, pianist Cor Fuhler, and percussionist Martin Blume. This CD was recorded at the LOFT in KŘln, Germany during two different sessions in 2002 and 2003. According to Thomas Lehn in the liner notes, "The resulting identity of 2nd Outlet is their finely balanced, but not too serious, act of playing with both of their identities. The traditional elements are on one hand, and the timbre work is on the other. The traditional idioms are set into the light of reflection, questioning their idiomatic meanings, by letting them co-exist with very imaginative timbre emanations, which you can hear across the entire disc in multiple shades and shapes." In the Summer 2004 issue of Signal to Noise magazine, Bill Meyer says, 2nd Outlet's "...billing as a band is telling, for nothing about this music speaks of overweaning ego. Which isn't to suggest that they're overly reserved; each player proceeds decisively, and the collective musters a vigor that any self-respecting energy music ensemble would be glad to claim for its own." This release features an 8-page booklet with liner notes from German synthesist Thomas Lehn and very original art from Dallas, Texas resident John Pomara.
CD for $14
SOME NEW THINGS FROM THE VINNY GOLIA'S WONDERFUL NINE WINDS LABEL:
THE WALTER THOMPSON ORCHESTRA - PEXO - A Soundpainting Symphony (Nine Winds 234) Featuring Todd Reynolds on violin, Rolf Sturm on guitar & synth, Gil Selinger on cello, Steve Rust & Jim Whitney on basses; Rob Henke, Chris Washburne * Sarah Weaver on brass; Michael Attias & Jody Espina on reeds and Andrea Pryor & Greg Stare on percussion plus Leese Walker, Michael Gordon & Christian Brandjes as the actors. This is a large downtown ensemble, as one could tell with a few of the more recognizable names. I haven't heard from Walter Thompson in nearly a decade, when his last large unit included the late Thomas Chapin and Mark Feldman. He has been working hard on his "soundpainting" system, which is a medium for structured improvisation involving some 700 gestures. 'PEXO' is based on a variety of games - board games, sports, TV quiz shows and mind games. In some ways, this music reminds me of Butch Morris' conductions that also involve the thematic development of different phrases or ideas. Walter does a great job of selecting certain sound or vocal snippets and either repeating them or twisting into odd shapes, yet thereremains a cohesive spirit throughout. Solos are kept short so that the direction change rapidly and themes can develop quickly. I had this on recently and a young man who was looking for more normal rockmusic, was intrigued by this. He dug the humor of the voices and obvious focus, the way it unfolded was rather story-like and he ended up buying a copy. I love when this happens, because this is an unexpected result of just playing music that challenges whoever visits our wacky store. The way this work pokes fun at the usual game show shenanigans is what makes it fun to hear.
CD for $14
VINNY GOLIA - A Gift for the Unusual / Music for Contrabass Saxophone(Nine Winds 239) Featuring Vinny on Tubax, Michael Vlatkovich ontrombone, Wayne Peet on various keyboards, Jessica Catron on cello (1 track), Bill Barrett on chromatic harmonica (1 track) and Bill Casaleon contrabass. LA based multi-reeds hero, Vinny Golia, keepsimmensely busy with a wide variety of musical situations - from soloto duo to trio to his well-recorded quintet and his large ensemble. He has nearly 25 CDs in print as a leader, running the vast Nine Winds label as well as recording for Leo, Music & Arts, CIMP and more. He loves to play those unusual reed instruments, many types of clarinets, flutes and saxes. On 'A Gift for the Unusual' he is featured on the newly developed Tubax that is a type of contrabass sax, an incredibly low-pitched sound with the power of a saxophone. Each of the eleven pieces explores a different idea or theme for this colossal growling, grumbling monster. One strong trio features Vlatkovich on trombone and Casale on bass, groaning, droning and erupting quietly together. There is long duo with hand percussion that is most mysterious sounding and story-like. On "Eye My" a duo with Wayne Peet on piano swings nicely, no doubt hard to do on that unwieldy horn. The solo Tubax pieces again explore certain regions of that saxes' unique sound, showing that Vinny works hard at pushing the limits of its odd sound range. Vinny's unique composing is also on display here as he has written some odd trio pieces with intricate, yet open-ended parts for the trombone, keyboard, bass and bass sax. Another successful work is for chromatic harmonica, organ and bass sax, that has a nice cinematic quality. Vinny and his cohorts have done a great job here, showing some diverse colors, connections and compositions throughout.
CD for $14
VINNY GOLIA - feeding frenzy / Music for Woodwinds & String Quartet (Nine Winds 229) This Golia project features Vinny on numerous flutes and clarinets with Harry Scorzo & Ludwig Girdland on violins, Jonas Tauber on cello and Ken Filiano on bass. I once went to a fish hatchery when I was Boy Scout and got to see what a "feeding frenzy" actually is during feeding time. Although the inside photo of this CD has a picture of these frenzied fish, I'm unsure of what this has to do with the more serious music on this CD. Although Vinny has composed all the music for this work, he is not the only soloist and thus is of equal presence with the rest of the quartet. This music is much closer in sound to modern classical than to jazz, with Vinny doing a great job of weaving his inspired clarinet or flute solos within the ever-challenging music of the string quartet. I am unsure of what is more extraordinary here, the playing or the composing, since both are truly impressive and thought-provoking and seem inseparable from each other. This music requires time (actually nearly 78 minutes) and concentration, since there is so much going on. Sometimes the strings create (fractured) mirror images of Vinny's engaging flute or clarinet playing, sometimes the string play twisted harmonies with or against the solos. I found this entire project to be consistently fascinating, although it did take some work to really dig in and uncover all that is going on within the layers or web of activity.
CD for $14
PHILLIP GREENLIEF - stalking andrei / solo (evander music 023) This is Bay area reedsman, Phillip Greenlief's first solo sax effort. He is playing B-flat clarinet, soprano, alto & tenor saxes. Featured here are a couple of original pieces, dedicated to Marion Brown & Sarah Taylor Boehm plus pieces by Joelle Leandre, Frank Gratkowski, Roscoe Mitchell and Pauline Oliveros. We know of Phillip from the five CDs he has done on Evander & Nine Winds, where he has collaborated with Nels & Alex Cline, Vinny Golia, Trevor Dunn and Scott Amendola. Although solo sax efforts are not that uncommon by now, they are still a challenge for anyone who tries. Think of Braxton, Evan Parker, Steve Lacy or Lol Coxhill. Each of the seven pieces here is dedicated to another artist or inspiration. On "deconstruction meditations", Phillip does indeed rearrange bits of Berio, Monk and Stravinsky for clarinet, carefully weaving one section at a time in a string of connected fragments. Joelle Leandre, French contrabassist supreme who is teaching at Mills College also in the Bay area, composed "untitled composition" and Phillip twists the quirky, playful lines on his soprano into lots of odd shapes. Phillip's own "improvised miniatures" is dedicated to Marion Brown, sixties free-jazz sax legend who has been very ill for the past few years. The tapping of pads on the tenor sax is just as loud as the fractured notes that come in select spurts, giving the piece some rhythmic undertow. German sax great Frank Gratkowski's "epitasis" is filled with notes that are slightly stretched out, before the more intense squawking begins and ends again with flutters of elongated notes. Roscoe Mitchell's "rs3" is quiet, sorta melodic piece, with a nice hypnotic repeating line. "portrait of phillip greenlief" was composed by Pauline Oliveros and it is the longest track here. Phillip slowly stretches out notes on his soprano, concentrating on and bending one or two notes at a time. This piece has a fine balance of both somber and slightly twisted turns and eventually spinning quickly into more Braxtonian terrain. It sounds as if Phillip is walking around at certain points, perhaps notated by ever questioning spirit of Pauline. The closing piece is his own "stalking Andrei", a haunting work for slow moving tenor sax. A strong and varied program that requires a bit of patience for its subtle yet rich rewards. Phillip Greenlief will perform his solo sax improv here to DMG on August 1st at 8pm. Please come on down and check out our crafty west coast friend.
CD for $14
BOB FELDMAN - Triplicity (One Soul Records 2004.03.02) Featuring Bob on tenor sax & bamboo flute, Ken Filiano on bass and Walter Perkins on drums. Bob Feldman is a veteran saxist who left us with a fine more straight ahead cd last year that included Michael Marcus as a guest. His new release consists of all original tunes and a strong rhythm team who work beautifully together, although they are several generations apart. Ken Filiano moved here from LA a few years ago and remains one of our best contrabassists, performing and recording a great deal, last caught with Dom Minasi. Walter Perkins was 72 when he passed away earlier this year and had a long career as a great jazz drummer. In recent years, Walter recorded a duo album with Peter Brotzmann and a trio cd with Perry Robinson and William Parker, interesting company considering he has been recording for over fifty years. 'Triplicity' opens with the title track which sounds rather free, yet very focused, Bob's warm tone singing and soaring, but never screaming. Walter does a great job of providing inventive grooves that are always swinging, but never too obviously. Bob plays some lovely, haunting bamboo flute on a couple of these pieces, adding a nice laid back touch. On "Further Notice", Walter sounds like he is playing on his drums with his hands, giving this delightful tune a more earthy vibe, including a fine bowed bass solo from Ken. I really dig the two longer pieces here, especially "Imprints" which has some slow and suspense filled vibe, wandering like ghosts around a graveyard, building into a march in the middle, it is Bob's golden tone that really shines perfectly. There a is great duo of sax and bass where Ken plays some great percussive effects on his bass, taking the lead and keeping everything moving just right. The last piece, "Tell Me About It" was composed by Walter Perkins and is like a story of evolving jazz styles, from the blues through more swinging eras. There is a quaint quality to this cd, a great balance between the old and the new worlds of jazz coming together as one solid trio. I guess this is what Bob means by "triplicity".
CD for $12
NIKOLA KODJABASHIA - Reveries of the Solitary Walker (ReR NK1) Nikola is a Macedonian composer with a unique voice, moving easily here between tape manipulation, ensemble and choral composition both contemporary and soaked in national folk influences to form a complex minimal, tangled music that answers to no genre but short-circuits straight to the 21st century ear combining the best qualities of melodic and developmental writing with ear-centered composition and a contemporary concern with collage, stasis and unaccustomed juxtaposition. 'Reveries Of The Solitary Walker' is an oddly beautiful mixture of contemporary, Balkan-esque folk aesthetics, Byzantyne-age leanings, and just enough shards of avant-gardism to make it appeal to those who like things a tad 'different'. Joining him on this disk is his latest group, the Project Z'lust Ensemble, who augment his piano work with an arrangement of brass, upright bass, percussion and a violin duo. Strictly speaking, this wonderful song cycle adheres to the melodic principles of Eastern Orthodox chant music as composed by the 18th-century Macedonian cantor, St. Joan Harmosin-Ohridski, but this ensemble's interpretations display an up-to-date twist, which eschew the rigorous routine of classical theorems while pushing forwards in a stylistic way.
CD for $14
MICHIEL SCHEEN QUARTET - Dance, my dear? (Data 042) Featuring Ab Baars on tenor sax & clarinet, Michiel Scheen on piano, Ernst Glerum on bass & Han Bennink on drums. This is another of those Dutch gems, which features three members of the ICP Orchestra led by a fine pianist with who I am previously unfamiliar. Turns out that Mr. Scheen was a longtime member of the Maarten Altena Ensemble and that this is his fourth CD as a leader, his first was a solo piano release. This CD does have that quirky, fun, rather Monk-like approach to fractured swing. There seems to be a unique dialogue going on within the quartet, the piano, bass and drums swing consistently in waves, accelerating and then slowing down and accelerating again, as Ab Baars navigates the more charted regions, with his fine, warm toned tenor sax. I love the way Michiel's piano solo on "Idols" is both minimal and free as Han spins quickly around him, similar to the special magic that Han and Misha Mengelberg have long shared. The title track has that great Monk-like fractured swing and again the running dialogue between the piano and drums is quite marvelous, with some of Ab Baars finest playing sailing on top of the inspired rhythm team just right. "Non-circle agreeable" features some Morse code-like fragmented layers of notes that bounce back and forth in tight-knit lines as the sax creates a more restrained counter-point. On "Patience" they slow down to a freer, suspenseful vibe, with Ab's mysterious clarinet floating over free-flowing rhythm team, fragments connecting here and there. What makes this (Dutch) magic so special is the way these releases (ICP, Data, Geestgronden, etc.) seem to by tight and loose simultaneously, occasionally breaking into frenzied sections yet always retaining a thread at the center which holds it all together.
CD for $19
GUUS JANSSEN - Hollywood O.K. Pieces (GeestGronden 08) Featuring Guus on piano and all compositions, Peter van Bergen on clarinet, Vincent Chancey on french horn, Michael Rabinovitch on bassoon, Ernst Glerum on bass and Wim Janssen on drums. Great hear two of downtown's players sitting in with this marvelous Dutch sextet. Vincent Chancey has been around for more than two decades, once playing with Sun Ra Arkestra and the Carla Bley Band in the seventies. I once met bassoonist supreme Michael Rabinovich over at Thomas Chapin's apartment and only know of a few recordings with him, Dave Douglas' old Mosaic Sextet and a couple as a leader. Guus himself has some six CDs in print and has long worked with members of the ICP Orchestra, like Ernst Glerum. Peter van Bergen is another great Dutch player with a few CDs as a leader as well. "Angelicanzone" swings furiously with burning solos from the clarinet, French horn, Guus' feisty two handed piano and Ernst's bass. Wim Janssen plays some swell brushes on "Slow-Step", a delightful, playful piece with moves into fine freer terrain in the mid-section, which contains a superb bassoon and piano duo. "Havank" features some more spacious, rather modern classical-like writing with eerie clarinet, blustery bassoon and inside-the-piano sprinkles and swirls, most carefully arranged. "Konitzology" does have that cool school, lovely, laid back vibe, with some fine clarinet and French horn. "Passage" is an austere, lovely piece with some glowing French horn and bassoon elegantly soloing. Guus' sublime composing is featured on a few of these pieces, gentle, tasty and exquisitely performed by this fine sextet. I dig the way "Tricot" moves between a few shifting sections, intricate and classical-like one moment with sections of solos woven well in between. "April" also sounds playful and free when it begins, has composed sections sown into the tapestry. Quite a delight.
CD for $19
A COUPLE OF REISSUES FROM THE HATOLOGY LABEL, FORMERLY HAT ART:
ANTHONY BRAXTON & MAX ROACH - One in Two - Two in One (Hatology 601) Recorded at the Willisau Jazz Festival in August of 1979 and 75 minutes long. Max plays percussion, gongs & tunes cymbals and Anthony plays alto, soprano & sopranino saxes, clarinet, contrabass clarinet, regular clarinet and flute. Long out-of-print and pretty marvelous. "An intersection of planned chance and fortuitous contrivance. Two scheduled concerts-the Archie Shepp/Max Roach duo and the Anthony Braxton Quartet-frame a third, spontaneous collaboration: Roach and Braxton. The gods smiled on these circumstances and the tapes were rolling. These are the goods." - Art Lange
CD for $17
JOE McPHEE PO MUSIC - Oleo (Hatology 579) Featuring Joe McPhee on pocket cornet & tenor sax, Andre Jaume on clarinet, bass clarinet & alto sax, Francois Mechali on double bass and Raymond Boni on electric guitars. Recorded in Switzerland in 1982 and one of Joe McPhee's best ever. The two standards include Sonny Rollins' "Oleo" and Benny Golson's "I Remember Clifford". Long out-of-print [originally under the title 'Oleo & A Future Retrospective] and highly desirable if you are as big a fan of Joe McPhee as we are here at DMG "The word PO, as used in Po Music, comes from Dr. Edward de Bono's concept of Lateral Thinking. Derived from words like possible, positive, poetry and hypothesis, Po is a language indicator to show that the process of provocation is being used to move from a fixed set of ideas in an attempt to discover new ones. Po Music represents ideas as provocation rather than as an accurate description of what things are: a positive, possible, poetic hypothesis." Joe McPhee
CD for $17
...AND A COUPLE OF HARD-TO-GETS FROM AACM REEDMAN ROSCOE MITCHELL OUT OF ITALY...
ROSCOE MITCHELL - Live At the Muhle Hunziken (Cecma 1008; Italy) Live at the Muhle Hunziken is an interesting 1986 solo performance by Roscoe Mitchell at Muhle Hunziken Rubigen in Switzerland, reissued by the Cecma label in 1999. During this September concert, Mitchell unwraps musical thoughts at a consistent, unhurried tempo, and sometimes he simply meanders. Although he plays alto for the majority of the concert, his soprano sax chops are heard on the opening cut "Circle 3," while "Dance Two" finds him on bass saxophone.
CD $20.00 STOCK
ROSCOE MITCHELL - More Cutouts (Cecma 2; Italy) 1981 recording with Hugh Ragin and Tani Tabbal; reissued as CD with two alternate cuts added
CD $20.00 STOCK
AND FOR THOSE MANY WHO WERE ASKING ABOUT THIS...
ROBERT FRIPP & BRIAN ENO - The Equatorial Stars (DGM 0402; UK)
It is out and we have ours...it's a modern day Pt 3 [recorded in 2003!] to the kind of material they did on those first two duo albums 30 years ago, and no less vital than those works, even though the boat's been overloaded/capsized by dozens of - mostly weaker and derivative - entries from others these last three decades.
All we can say is try stopping by the store in the very near future...
...or mail order from Robert Fripp's DisciplineGlobalMobile.com [U.S.] or Eno's Opal website, Enoshop.co.uk [U.K.]
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SHORT NYC GIGS LIST for the coming weekend:
Friday July 23rd-
BUCKETHEAD'S GIANT ROBOT at Bowery Ballroom - big gig for our favorite guitar hero!
HANS TAMMEN / DAPHNA NAPHTALI / MARTIN SPEICHER / ROBERT DICK / URSEL SCHLICHT / RUEBEN RADDING at the Brecht Forum - 122 W. 27th St. (10th floor) at 9pm!!
Saturday July 24th -
SIM CAIN BENEFIT at Tonic at 8 w/ John Zorn, Vernon Reid, Chocolate Genius, Melvin Gibbs, Hubert Sumlin, Marc Ribot, David Poe, Elliott Sharp, Eric Mingus, Anton Fier and many others - Sim hurt his leg, is laid up & needs help w/ medical expenses. He is one of the greatest drummers of all, an old friend of mine and has worked with dozens of incredible bands - Rollins Band, Gone, Regressive Aid, Scornflakes & in many Zorn, E. Sharp & Ribot bands!!!
MYRA MELFORD/JENNY SCHEINMAN DOUBLE RELEASE PARTY- 9 PM at Joe's Pub 425 Lafayette St
Myra Melford performs with her quintet The Tent to celebrate her cd Where The Two Worlds Meet (Arabesque), with Kenny Wollesen (drums), Chris Speed (reeds) and Stomu Takeishi (bass.)
Jenny Scheinman plays music from her recent release Shalgaster (Tzadik) with Myra Melford (piano and harmonium), Russ Johnson (trumpet), Trevor Dunn (bass) and Kenny Wollesen (drums.)
Sunday July 25th-
NATE WOOLEY / STEVE SWELL / TATSUYA NAKTANI at 7pm here at DMG for free!! And..
DOM MINASI solo el. guitar at 8pm here at DMG for free! - an amazing double bill!!!!!
FREESTYLE JAZZ Series at CB's Lounge - 313 Bowery - starts at
7pm w/ - joe giardullo & susan alcorn (steel guitar legend from Texas!);
8pm - chris dingham, steve lehman, tyshawn sorey, john hebert;
9pm - rob brown, lewis barnes, gerald cleaver, jason dimatteo;
10pm - ras moshe, jackson krall, matt heyner, matt lavelle, steve swell - yet another amazing line-up at Dee Pop's cavalcade of stars!!!
Thursday July 29th-
CECIL TAYLOR - FREE! 7 PM at the Castle Clinton stage in Manhattan's Battery Park [but you must wait on line during the day to get the ducats, which are given out at 5 PM, and then wait on line again to get in] Cecil's worth the hassle...and the price is right!!!
http://www.entertainment-link.com/event_details_music.asp?evs_id=176347
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