A SHORT BIT OF INDIAN SUMMER WITH NEW DISCS FROM ROBERT WYATT (LIVE '74!), 2 from EVAN PARKER (not 3), VANDERMARK'S FME, ALTERED STATES, LABROSSE/TETREAULT/HACO, ELIANE RADIGUE, ROBERT ASHLEY, TERRY RILEY, GORDON MUMMA, GUILLERMO GREGORIO, ETHIOPIQUES 20, GILLES LAHEURTE, OOIOO, JOHN PARRISH, FREAKWATER, HAREL SHACHAL, D'ARCANA, YURA YURA TEIKOKU plus LOTS of HISTORIC DISCS from JULIAN PRIESTER, DON CHERRY, JAMES JABBO WARE, JOHN STEVENS, TOM VERLAINE, LaMONTE YOUNG, BEGNAGRAD, RODD KEITH and even more goodies! And the reprinting of JOHN ZORN'S ARCANA BOOK!



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COURT TAVERN BENEFIT FOR RICHARD "BEAR" GRAHAM TONIGHT FRIDAY OCTOBER 7TH IN NEW BRUNSWICK, NEW JERSEY. Former resident, local percussion hero and member of the LUNAR BEAR ENSEMBLE, FROZEN CONCENTRATE & YOUNG TURKS, has lost his home and all of his possessions due to Hurricane Katrina. Music & words provided by TEA BAG (w/ SLUGGO) & WHITEY 5-0 (w/ TOM DIELLO) & JOHN "LUNAR" RICHEY (all 3 from the Lunar Bear Ensemble) and TINA MASCHI (from Frozen Concentrate). The Lunar Bear Ensemble were one of the greatest band to emerge from N.J. I've caught them many times and love them dearly - Bruce Lee Gallanter


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OK, Y'ALL MUSTA HEARD BY NOW - THE MILES DAVIS 'CELLAR DOOR' BOX WAS PULLED AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE BY SONY, WHO'VE PUSHED BACK THE RELEASE DATE TO 2006, SO WE WILL AGAIN SOLICIT PRE-ORDERS WHEN WE HAVE A NEW DATE.. [all pre-orders from the last two weeks have been cancelled]


HOWEVER, HERE'S ANOTHER ITEM THAT WE DEFINITELY WILL BE SHIPPING OUT BY OCTOBER'S END

YES!! THE MUCH IN-DEMAND 'ARCANA' BOOK, EDITED BY JOHN ZORN, IS BEING REPRINTED!!!
TAKE YOUR FINGER OFF THE 'BUY BUTTON' AT AMAZON, WHERE IT IS BEING SOLD FOR OVER $100 A POP FOR OUT-OF-PRINT COPIES - OUCH!!!

SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE OF $28 ['til OCT 28th, then $35]

ARCANA [JOHN ZORN, Editor] - Arcana: Musicians On Music (Granary Books) New 2005 edition, originally published in a limited run 5 years ago [2000]. Answering a need for critical attention towards experimental and avant-garde music, Arcana is a ground-breaking work -- as far-ranging and dynamic as the current generation of musicians. Through manifestoes, scores, interviews, notes and critical papers, performer/composers address composing, playing, improvising, teaching, and thinking in and through music. Rather than an attempt to distill or define musicians' work, Arcana illuminates with personal vision and experience. Subjects as diverse as "the historical sociobiology of downtown music, an American's reaction to the study of Gagaku, the sampling, deconstruction and reconstruction of pop books, extended contrabass techniques, and a savvy take on ear plugs, amplifier distortion and pain" [Steve Reich] and a whole universe of ideas more!
Contributors include: Chris Brown, Anthony Coleman, Marilyn Crispell, Mark Dresser, Stephen Drury, Bill Frisell, Fred Frith, Peter Garland, Gerry Hemingway, Scott Johnson, Eyvind Kang, Guy Klucevsek, George Lewis, David Mahler, Miya Masaoka, Myra Melford, Ikue Mori, Larry Ochs, Bob Ostertag, John Oswald, Mike Patton, Marc Ribot, David Rosenboom, John Schott, Elliott Sharp, David Shea, Frances-Marie Uitti, Lois V. Vierk, Z'ev, John Zorn. this has over thirty Chapters/Essays written by musicians as diverse as Fred Frith, George Lewis, Myra Melford, Mike Patton, Scott Johnson, Gerry Hemingway, Marilyn Crispell, Peter Garland, Miya Masaoka, Ikue Mori, Larry Ochs, John Oswald, Bob Ostertag, Z'ev, David Shea, Elliott Sharp, Marc Ribot, Guy Klucevsek, Eyvind Kang, Mark Dresser, John Zorn, and many, many more.
"Mr. Zorn has edited this important book in which some thirty composers discuss their personal visions and experiences about their music. ARCANA is 375 pages and quite well designed, each composer contributes a chapter which ranges from two to forty pages and can write about any subject they wish. Zorn has worked hard on collecting and editing this book because of the marketing and labeling of new music and the laziness of journalists in attempting to write seriously about this music. Why not let the composers speak or write for themselves?!? I have been reading only one chapter or composer at a time, since each one reveals so much in their own way. Fred Frith presents extracts from his notebooks covering 18 years of observations, Bill Frisell deals with new fingering techniques for the guitar, Guy Klucevsek explores how we experience the same melody in different contexts, George Lewis writes an essay on the teaching of improvisation while Marilyn Crispell tries to unravel its magic, Elliott Sharp describes his musical adventures (bands & invented instruments) since moving to NYC and John Zorn gives us a treatment for a film which lists objects & shots so that we can fill in the blanks to make our own eye-lid movie. The other contributors include John Oswald, David Shea, Mark Dresser, Miya Masaoka, Gerry Hemingway, Marc Ribot, Mike Patton, Bob Ostertag, Lois V. Vierk and Ikue Mori. It will take a while to absorb all of this stimulating reading from the wide/wild world of new music composers, so if you are truly interested in a better understanding of the varieties and complexities of this music - we need this book to help guide us." - BLG
"Arcana is a vibrant testimony to the continuing vitality of New Music...as idiosyncratic and eloquent with words as they [the musicians writing] are with music" - Meredith Monk
380 page oversize softbound book
BOOK ...Normally $35...
AT A SPECIAL PRE-ORDER PRICE OF $28 [20% OFF THE COVER PRICE OF $35] TILL OCT. 28TH


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ROBERT WYATT & FRIENDS - Theatre Royal Drury Lane 8th of September, 1974 (Hannibal 1507) 78 minutes. Fantastic live gig featuring Robert Wyatt, Julie Tippetts & Ivor Cutler on vocals, Fred Frith on guitar & strings, Gary Windo on tenor sax, Mongezi Feza on trumpet, Dave Stewart on keyboards, Mike Oldfield on guitar, Hugh Hopper on bass guitar, Laurie Allen and Nick Mason on drums. This was a famous bootleg cassette that many of us Robert Wyatt fan-addicts have cherished for the past thirty years. The sound quality is much better than that old cassette and at 76 minutes long, this is a real gem. What makes this extra special is hearing the entirety of Wyatt's classic album, 'Rockbottom' done live. Wow! For many of us, 'Rockbottom' is the greatest of all Canterbury treasures. Just ask Carla Bley, Jack Bruce, Elvis Costello or even me, since it is my favorite record of all time.
Besides that, we also get spirited versions of "Dedicated to You but You Weren't Listening" (from Soft Machine 'Vol. Two'), "Memories" (an early Softs single), "Instant Pussy " & "Signed Curtain" (Matching Mole), "Calyx" (Hatfield & the North) and a long, rousing version of Wyatt's hit, "I'm a Believer"! Another treat is Julie Tippetts' solo rendition of "MInd of a Child", what an incredible voice she has! It just doesn't get any better than this! - BLG "It might have been really nice to get this band on the road (totally impractical though, sadly). We don't have the complete tapes of the second set, but I hope that what we have already conveys the overall feeling of the concert. These musicians followed up disciplined preparation with the kind of restless adventurousness I was looking for. Thanks Everybody!
I'd like to dedicate this to John Peel [who MC'd this concert], Mongezi Feza and Gary Windo, who live again every time you play it.
Paz y Amor, Robert"
CD for $16



FME [KEN VANDERMARK/NATE McBRIDE/PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE] - Cuts (Okka Disk 12061) "New studio recording from the Free Music Ensemble. Recorded in Oslo Norway in October 2004. This is the groups second studio recording for Okkadisk." Ken Vandermark: reeds; Nate McBride: bass; Paal Nilssen-Love: drums. Currently on tour and sounding grea
t CD $14

LAST COPIES AVAILABLE OF THIS VANDERMARK TREASURE..

VANDERMARK 5 [KEN VANDERMARK/DAVE REMPIS/JEB BISHOP/KENT KESSLER/TIM DAISY] - Alchemia [12 CD box set] (Not Two 750; EEC) "I consider the five night stand by the Vandermark 5 at Alchemia in Krakow, Poland from March 15 -19, 2004, to be one of the highlights of my career. The fact that record producer / presenter, Marek Winiarski, documented the series and is now releasing the material as a box set is truly remarkable, and I am very thankful to him and everyone who was involved in realizing this project; particularly the musicians, Jeb Bishop, Tim Daisy, Kent Kessler, and Dave Rempis. As always, they worked extremely hard during this residency, which came at the end of a three week European tour.
During our concerts at Alchemia, the Vandermark 5 performed 2 different sets of music with at least one encore every night, a total of 55 pieces: 32 compositions from 8 different albums, including 3 world premiers - "Camera", "That Was Now" and "Pieces Of The Past". 10 live CDs + 2 studio CDs recorded during that week!
12 CD box set for $130


DIANE LABROSSE/MARTIN TETREAULT/HACO - Lunch in Nishinomiya (IMJ 527; Japan) "In the trio album Lunch in Nishinomiya, Haco (contact microphones, oscillators, effects) joins forces with two leading Montreal improvisers known for their innovative playing - Diane Labrosse (sampler) and Martin Tetreault (turntable, surfaces, small electronics). When Labrosse and Tetreault came to Japan in 2003, they found a kindred spirit in Haco. The three recorded an improvised music session at Haco's studio in Nishinomiya (near Osaka), and later completed the construction and mix through an e-mail exchange between Canada and Japan. This is not Haco the songstress. With exquisite balance, the trio combines a variety of grating, explosive, scraping, vibrating sounds (noises) with precise breathing and dynamism, tension and relaxation. The result is extremely delicate electro-acoustic sound."
CD $18


FOUR+ NEW ECM DISCS!

ENRICO RAVA With STEFANO BOLLANI/PAUL MOTIAN - Tati (ECM 1921) music inspired by the filmwork of Jacques Tati.
CD $17

ARILD ANDERSEN GROUP - Electra (ECM 1908; USA) Arve Henriksen trumpet; Eivind Aarset guitars; Paolo Vinaccia drums, percussiom; Patrice Heral drums, percussion, voice; Nils Petter Molvaer drum programming; Savina Yannatou vocal; Chrysanthi Douzi vocal; Elly-Marina Casdas chorus vocal; Fotini-Niki Grammenou chorus vocal; Arild Andersen double bass, drum programming
CD $17

ANDERS JORMIN - Xieyi (ECM 1762; USA) Jormin, hailed by Down Beat as "a treasure everything a bassist should be", has excelled on numerous ECM recordings with Bobo Stenson, Charles Lloyd, Don Cherry, and Tomasz Stanko. Solo pieces and compositions for brass quartet feature on"Xieyi", his first album under his own name for the label. The songs for bass mine the widest possible sources: Scandinavian religious hymns by Sibelius and Soderblom, Ornette Coleman's "War Orphans","Gracias a la vida" by Chile's Violetta Parra, tone poems by Swedish composers, a children's song, and improvisations by Anders.
Anders Jormin double-bass; Robin Rydqvist trumpet, flugelhorn; Krister Petersson french horn; Lars-Goran Carlsson trombone; Niclas Rydh bass trombone
CD $17

[see further below for the much-awaited ECM reissues of JULIAN PRIESTER 'Love, Love' and the DAVE HOLLAND/BARRE PHILLIPS duet!]

EVAN PARKER ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC ENSEMBLE - Shadow Play/The Eleventh Hour , Part 1-5 (ECM 1924/987 0854) Fourth fabulous disc from Mr. Parker's evolving Electro-Acoustic ensemble, recorded live in Glasgo, Scotland in November of 2004 and featuring Evan Parker on soprano sax, Philipp Wachsmann on violin & electronics, Agusti Fernadez on prepared & unprepared piano, Adam Linson on double-bass, Paul Lytton on percussion & electronics plus Lawrence Casserley, Joel Ryan, Walter Pratti, Richard Barrett and Paul Obermayer all doing some sort of electronics or sampling. We find five fine acoustic improvisers playing and often being manipulated by another five electronic wizards. I recognize Evan's spiraling soprano sax as it shimmers and is expanded and manipulated by the electronics. As the eerie layers of electronics slowly expand, the other instruments quietly fade in, first rubbing inside the piano, but mostly electronic manipulations within other sonic collages. Yet never too dense, but building into shimmering clouds. Things really take off for the stratosphere on "The Eleventh Hour", which swirls acoustic and electronics sounds right from the first note. This is an intriguing combination of improvised sounds and electronics. Lytton's unique electrified percussion, Wachsmann's odd string sounds, Fernandez's prepared piano snippets and Parker's soprano sax spirals. Their playing is slowly modified and manipulated as different electronic sounds float in and out of the mix. From slow moving and suspenseful drifting sounds to more dense and carefully crafted improvisations. It feels like we are entering another somewhat alien world where mirrors show twisted versions of what we think we recognize but don't really. Superbly recorded to hear every intricate detail. - BLG
CD for $17


CHARLES FARRELL/EVAN PARKER - Glossolalia (World Tribe/UK) Featuring Charles Farrell on piano and Evan Parker on tenor and soprano saxes. All I can tell you about Charles Farrell is that he more famous as a boxing promoter, having worked with Leon Spinks and has played piano with Sonny Rollins and Buddy Guy. It would seem that World Tribe is his own label, since he is on all three of their discs. The liner notes by Brian Moore deal mostly with comparisons to boxing matches. Strange, but the bottom line is that Mr. Farrell is a formidable pianist and sounds great sparring, I mean playing with Evan Parker. There is just two long pieces on this release, each with Parker playing a different sax. This was recorded at Gateway Studios in London, where other Evan Parker and Emanem dates have been recorded, so the sound is pretty great. Neither tracks have titles, the first features Evan on tenor sax is 45 minutes long. They are off from the starting gate and spinning them notes out furiously quick. Farrell has that restless, often unrelenting spirit that Cecil Taylor often employs. He is actually a good match for Parker, who also to likes spin his notes carefully, yet powerfully. As I listen to this I am sipping hot coffee and that caffeine rush sounds perfect with this hyper-tense music. You can tell who the leader is here since he rarely lets up, yet Evan knows how to balance his time between the streams of notes that Farrell unleashes. "Track 2" is about half the length of the first bout and the duo do slow down a bit and stretch things out. Evan does a wonderful job of sailing above the layers of lines that Charles lays down. The duo often weaves lines of notes without getting in each others way yet connect in the stream that erupts. Farrell sounds like Keith Tippett here and in a blindfold test, most would guess this to be the Dartington Duo with Paul Dunmall. Considering few (none?) of us had heard of Charles Farrell before this, this is a most impressive and dynamic duo. - BLG
CD for $14


PLEASE NOTE THE CHARLES FARRELL/EVAN PARKER CD LISTED BELOW IS NOT WHAT WE THOUGHT IT WAS WHEN WE LISTED IT LAST WEEK, DUE TO SOME DIS-INFORMATION. JOHN STEVENS IS NOT ON THIS DISC, SOMEONE NAMED JOHN STEPHAN IS. IF YOU HAVE A JOHN STEVENS 'JONES', BE SURE CHECK OUT HIS DISC 'BLUE' LISTED BELOW

CHARLES FARRELL - Hope Springs Eternal (World Tribe/UK) This strange concept disc features Charles Farrell on piano & answering machine, John Stephan on guitar feedback and programming and Evan Parker on saxes. The majority of this unusual offering features an answering machine tape discussing an upcoming fight at the Taj Mahal in Atlantic City. Evan Parker's soprano sax and Charles Farrell's piano play somber sounds as layers of voices, gangsters and a fighter leave messages for Mr. Farrell. A story unfolds as different voices discuss the upcoming fight, the voices often sound like ghosts from a previous era. Strands of conversations are repeated over and over, yet the voices are often bent into different shapes. For me it works as a piece of avant-garde audio theatre, but some might find this a bit tedious. If you are expecting a lot of Evan Parker, you would probably be disappointed. For Evan Parker complete-ists or those who dig this sort of audio verity. - BLG
CD for $14



AUDIOFILM: NOEL AKCHOTE/STEVE BERESFORD/ERNST REIJSEGER/HERB ROBERTSON - Der Kastanienball: The Fall of Lucrezia Borgia [2 CD set] (W&W 107; Germany) Wolfram Berger [story teller]: Nicolo Machiavelli; Jean-Louis Costes [vocals, piano]: Alexander VI.; Cristina Zavalloni [vocals]: Giulia la Bella; Sabrina Khalil [vocals]: Lucrezia Borgia; Jim Thirlwell [theremin, electronics]: Cesare Borgia; Sadiq Bey [voice]: Girolamo Savonarola,Theo Bleckmann [vocals]: Martin Luther; Musicians: Noel Akchote [musical director, guitar]; Steve Beresford [hammond organ, electronics, pocket trumpet, voice]; Lorenzo Ghielmi [church organ]; Alan 'Gunga' Purves [drums, percussion, tubes]; Ernst Reijseger [cello, percussion, voice]; Herb Robertson [trumpet]; Fumio Yasuda [piano, melodica] Gamba quartet 'Il Suonar Parlante' with Vittorio Ghielmi, Rodney Prada, Fahmi Alqhai, Cristiano Contadin
2 CD set for $25

ETHIOPIQUES - EITHER/ORCHESTRA With MULATU ASTATKE et al - Vol. 20: Live in Addis [2 CD set] (Buda Musique 860121; EEC) The 20th in the critically acclaimed Ethiopiques series, Live in Addis Ababa takes Ethiopiques - and Ethio-jazz - to a new place. The Either/Orchestra, a 10-piece jazz orchestra based in Boston, are among the first non-Ethiopian artists to become serious interpreters of Ethiopian music over the last eight years. Recorded live at a historic concert - the first performance by a U.S. big band in Ethiopia since Duke Ellington in 1973. The results blend state-of-the-art playing and an exotic, captivating Ethiopian program into a kind of Buena Vista Social Club Addis-style, featuring several Ethiopian elder statesmen performing with a big band for the first time since the 1960s, and two younger singers doing so for the first time. Inspired by the great Ethiopian pop and jazz of the '60s and '70s, the E/O has brought the full array of modern jazz and Afro-Cuban innovations to an Ethiopian repertoire.
FEATURED ARTISTS: Russ Gershon, bandleader, tenor & soprano sax/Tom Halter, trumpet/Colin Fisher, trumpet/Joel Yennior, trombone/Jeremy Udden, alto sax, flute/Henry Cook, baritone sax, flute/Gregory Burk, piano, keyboard/Rick McLaughlin, bass/Harvey Wirht, drums/Vicente Lebron, congas, percussion GUEST ARTISTS: Mulatu Astatke, vibraphone, timbales, percussion/Michael Belayneh, vocals/Bahta G. Hewot, vocals/Tsedenia G. Markos, vocals/Getachew Mekurya, tenor sax; BTW- Either/Orchestra and Mulatu Astatke [who was recently featured in the new Jim Jarmusch movie Broken Flowers with a soundtrack that is as beautiful as the film itself] will perform at Joe's Pub on Oct 13th. All reports are: DON'T MISS IT!
2 CD set for $17

GILLES MARIE-PAUL LAHEURTE - Dreams: Spontaneous Music 2005 (Selfgratifying GMPL 9646) Gilles is a good friend of DMG and one of the few folks who supported the CB's Free-Style Series as often as was possible. Born in France, he has been living here for many years as a diplomat for the U.N. He was a close friend of Steve Lacy. He always brings a positive vibe when he comes to the store and has a deep passion for modern jazz. I didn't know that he also played soprano sax until he mentioned it in passing last year. This is Gilles' debut disc and it is a "humble tribute to Steve Lacy", who passed away last year and there is a tribute concert for Mr. Lacy tonight (10/6/05) at Merkin Hall. Gilles contributed to the program notes for this tribute. On 'Dreams', Gilles plays solo soprano sax and cymbals, as well as playing over recordings of solo percussion discs from Mark Sanders and Masahiko Togashi, who Lacy also recorded with. Inside the liner notes, Gilles quotes six poets or authors on what "dreams" mean to them. Opening with a duo with Mark Sanders from his solo percussion disc from last year, 'Swallow Chase' on Treader, Mark's subtle drumming and Gilles sublime soprano sound perfect together. Hard to believe that this wasn't recorded live. Gilles performs two solo soprano pieces, both of which I find enchanting: delicate, melancholy, contemplative, his tone, warm and tender with the right amount of natural echo. Gilles also has two pieces of solo percussion that are carefully crafted and evoke organic spirits or restless ghosts. The duet with drum legend Masahiko Togashi is the highlight of this disc, as Togashi is one of the true masters of percussion. He pushes Gilles to work harder and come up with more ideas, bending notes and twisting them to fit the rambunctious drumming. A mighty fine debut disc from a truly fine fellow. - BLG
CD $14

RIPPLE EFFECT [JACK DeJOHNETTE With FODAY MUSA SUSO/JOHN SURMAN] - Hybrids (Golden Beams 1114) Blending shades of African jazz, reggae and dance music into DeJohnette's already groove-heavy rhythmic patterns, The Ripple Effect's Hybrids is an eclectic foray into numerous disciplines that works as a whole. Borrowing heavily from 'Music from the Hearts of the Masters', his 2005 release alongside Gambian kora master Foday Musa Suso, the African influence is tempered by the gorgeous vocals of Marlui Miranda, the most acclaimed and recognized performer and researcher of Brazilian Indian music. Multi-instrumentalist John Surman adds lilting strains of clarinet, saxophone and recorder, while Big Al polishes the project with effervescent guitar riffs. The ingenuity of each song lends itself to a broad audience.
CD $15



NEW MUSIC RELEASES FROM MODERN COMPOSERS:

TERRY RILEY - Assassin Reverie (New World 80558) "'Assassin Reverie' (2001), for saxophone quartet and tape, is a piece in a single movement, but structured in three different sections differentiated by sound material and stage direction. It is one of the more disturbing pieces written by Riley; the second section features an extremely aggressive audio track - gunshots and helicopter sounds are heard throughout it. Written right after 'In C, Tread on the Trail' (1965) (this version for 12 saxophones is by the ARTE Quartett) is in fact based on similar construction principles. The music in both pieces is a ludus, a game in which Riley re-injects into western music a newly found vitality. Through a free exploration of the score, musical performance recovers here its true essence as a playful collective ritual."
CD for $15

GORDON MUMMA - Electronic Music of Theatre and Public Activity (New World 80632; USA) "Beginning with his classic 'Megaton for Wm. Burroughs' of 1963, Mumma's live-electronic and cybersonic works of the 1960s and 1970s, especially 'Medium Size Mograph' (1963) and 'Hornpipe' (1967), display his resourceful use of both live-electronic processes. 'Cybersonic Cantilevers' (1973) extends them to include the active participation of audience members, many of them children and teenagers who were quick to grasp the artistic potential of cybersonic technology, while 'Conspiracy 8' (1969?70) is an early example of live interaction between performers and computer. A major addition to the contemporary music discography, this is essential listening for anyone interested in the history of electronic music."
CD $15

GUILLERMO GREGORIO - Coplanar (New World 80639) "Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1941, Guillermo Gregorio has lived variously in Europe and the United States since 1986. He was an active participant on the Argentine music scene throughout the 1960s, '70s, and early '80s. 'What affects me more than any other thing,' Gregorio says, 'is my involvement in visual arts, and my architectural and design experience.' In his compositions, a reinterpretation of the fundamental and structural concepts of Constructivism converges with the historical experiences of Argentinean Conceptualism, Fluxus, intermedia synthesis, certain aspects of serialism, and graphic music."
CD for $15

ROBERT ASHLEY - Celestial Excursions [2 CD SET] (Lovely 1007) "After the ground-breaking work, Dust, godfather of experimental opera Robert Ashley returns with Celestial Excursions. Ashley's latest endeavor explores remarkably uncharted territory - the kind of language that is common among 'old' people who talk all the time or not at all, to anyone passing by or to themselves. Celestial Excursions delves into the wild intermingling of reminiscence, regret, love, nightmare, old sayings, and songs on the radio - all seemingly to no purpose, except for the operatic end of relentless speed and precision in ensemble singing and the possible stage magic inherent in illusion, hallucination, and a physically changed state of the senses. The opera's originality lies in a use of a new vocal technique Ashley has built over the last 20 years, which enables several stories to be heard at the same time. In an intricate vocal system, a principal voice is 'chased' by other voices whose parts rotate in sequence in a given order. The result of this technique creates a complex jungle of voices, delivered with an extraordinary rhythmic intensity rarely heard in ensemble singing. As for all of Ashley's latest works, the orchestra music of Celestial Excursions was composed in the computer-synthesizer studio. And for this CD release, Ashley went back to the studio with live recordings to rework the piece, extending the orchestra in the final act. 2-CD jewel box and 104-page libretto in slipcase."
2 CD set for $28 (price lowered from $35 for a limited time)

ELIANE RADIGUE - L'ile Re-sonante (Shiin 1/France) There is a fascinating and most informative article on the controversial minimalist composer, Eliane Radigue, in the October copy of The Wire magazine. They discuss this work and review this disc in the August issue. For myself, this sounds like a drone that glows, resonates rather slowly and adds subtle layers of electronic waves as it evolves. Quite beautiful and delightfully haunting. - BLG
"Eliane Radigue is a French composer associated with Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre Henry. While her music is minimal, a better description would be music that slowly evolves. Slowly evolves-ism, evolutionism? Deep drones from her trusty ARP analog synthesizer rise up and blanket the room, phantom tones appear and exit. Early in the composition a choir and/or maybe an organ loops in one channel only to fade away a while later and we are again drifting on a sea of drones. After a while sweeping wave sounds show up like slow wind on Saturn. Fans of Eliane's previous work will not be disappointed, other's should get acquainted ASAP. Also be sure to check out the interview with her in the Wire #260 and Charles Curtis performing Naldjorlak at the Tenri Cultural Institute on December 5th at 9 pm." - Art Gumm, guest reviewer.
CD for $17

ANEKDOTEN - Waking The Dead: Live In Japan 2005 (Arcangelo 1094; Japan) "This excellent and excellently recorded live album, initially available in a limited edition mini-lp sleeve, mostly consists of high energy versions of tracks from Gravity and From Within. Their current sound consists of a mesmerizing hard rock sound with lots of dark mellotron and other keyboards; as on Gravity, Anna Sofi no longer is playing cello here, but is strictly working as a keyboardist here, and the effective addition of eerie keyboards while the 'power trio 3' rock hard is what gives this a special sound."
CD $20

D'ARCANA - As Worlds They Rise And Fall (Lemuria 402; USA) "For their sophomore effort's leadoff track, progressive-rock group D'arcana moves through three distinct sections before ending with a reprise of the first. Over the course of Sunrise, they call to mind King Crimson's industrial-melodic Three of a Perfect Pair, Pink Floyd's jaunty Free Four, Anthony Phillips' sentimental Birdsong and Thunderclap Newman's insistent Something in the Air - all within the space of five minutes! Which begs the question: If the band can incorporate multiple structures and cover a wide range of influences in a standard-length song, what can they do with a full-blown epic? The answer is the masterfully executed 24-minute title track, which pulls out all the stops and is bold enough to include slide guitar flavors during a few of the movements..."-GoodNewMusic.com
CD $14

HAREL SHACHAL & ANISTAR - Esh (Common Ground 01) This fine local nonet is led by an Israeli saxist named Harel Shachal. The instrumentation includes oud, darbuka, dumbek, frame drum, cello, violin, accordion, bass and assorted percussion. I am not familiar with any of these players, but I am most impressed by this disc. Harel plays alto & soprano sax & clarinet and wrote all but one of these tunes. The music reminds me of Ivo Papasov's high-speed Bulgarian Wedding Band. It sounds like there is no trap drummer here, leaving it up to the three hand percussionists, acoustic bassist and oud player to provide the great, driving groove. Harel's reeds, Skye Steele's violin, Chris Hoffman's cello as well as Harvey Valdez' oud all take a number of spirited solos. When the band slows down, Harel's charming, sly melodies really stand out. Uri Sharlin's accordion and both string players provide great simmering harmonies with whoever is soloing. Harel's wonderful clarinet has a distinctive mid-eastern sound, coming from a much different background than most of the jazz clarinetists one often hears. This was recorded live in February of this year and has rich, devilish sound. I could see/hear this band playing at your favorite Middle-Eastern restaurant and have a belly-dancer doing her thing along to this great music. - BLG
CD $15


TWO NEW DISCS & TWO GREAT REISSUES FROM THE FINE FOLKS AT THRILL JOCKEY:

TOM VERLAINE - Warm and Cool (Thrill Jockey 162) "This historic reissue was recorded with the help of Television band-mates Fred Smith and Billy Ficca (also of Verlaine's earlier band, Neon Boys), as well as Jay Dee Daugherty (Patti Smith Group) and Patrick A. Derivaz, who helped engineer Television's 1992 self-titled album. Verlaine and his collaborators created the album mostly by improvisation and recorded the tracks with a minimum amount of rehearsal.
Unlike most of Verlaine's work, 'Warm and Cool' is entirely instrumental, with guitars often filling the traditional role of a voice in the melody. For instance, speaking of the track "Harley Quinn", Verlaine says, "I had a vocal melody for that but liked it more without a voice. And 'Boulevard' that one is a song played faster than if it had someone sing on it. And actually I think 'Spiritual' might be at least partially an old Irish song." The bonus tracks were produced with Fred Smith at Punjab Studios. Fred also played bass on the recordings. "They're improvised mostly, like everything else. They're pieces that could have been much longer but for me had a charm being brief."
The album was initially released in 1992 in the wake of a short-lived Television reunion and the rise of Nirvana into a musical environment that clearly favored loud guitars and walls of sound. Warm and Cool's sparse sound scapes represent a clear rebellion from that. Now in 2005, Warm and Cool is being reissued in the midst of another Television reunion and a music scene overstuffed with Television wannabes." One of the great instrumental rock epics! - BLG
CD for $14

OOIOO - Gold & Green (Thrill Jockey 160) "OOIOO is Yoshimi Piwi from the Boredoms and her selected friends. OOIOO's 'Gold and Green' reveals the group's hard-to-categorize and refreshing avant-garde rock music, which adeptly incorporates elements of punk and more traditional tribal music. Their rhythms are unique and the organic interplay with the vocals is compelling. The music is complex and challenging and playful and childlike. Previously released only in Japan, Gold and Green includes guest appearances including Seiichi Yamamoto (Boredoms), Yuka Honda (Cibo Matto), and Sean Lennon. The album packaging, designed by Yoshimi, is a beautiful miniature gatefold album jacked filled with drawings and photographs by Yoshimi and other artists. "
CD for $14

JOHN PARISH - Once Upon a Little Time (Thrill Jockey 157) "John Parish's first record with vocals in fifteen years. Once Upon A Little Time is really a band record. The core group of John Parish, Marta Collica, Giorgia Poli and Jean-Marc Butty developed a musical vocabulary and conversational tone that only a band can have. Most of the tracks were cut live in the studio and you can hear the trust the four have in each other as they waver between intense emotional fragility with 'Choice,' and recklessness with 'Even Redder Than That'. Some friends including Adrian Utley (Portishead), Jeremy Hogg (PJ Harvey), and Hugo Race (Bad Seeds, Sepiatone), dropped in to add their own personal touch."
CD for $14

FREAKWATER - Thinking of You (Thrill Jockey 150) "Using their own uniquely askew take on honky-tonk, bluegrass, and country-politan, Freakwater invariably make records easily distinguishable from one another while maintaining their signature sound. On Thinking of You they join together with Thrill Jockey label mates Califone, creating an album both modern and timeless in its instrumentation and sentiment. Lyrically, Freakwater continue to write about heartache and sadness, yet also touch on subjects not often broached in traditional country music. Thinking Of You, a phrase not usually weighted with menace, takes on an increasingly ominous, compelling tone with each new listen."
CD for $14

YURA YURA TEIKOKU - Na.Ma.Shi.Bi.Re.Na.Ma.Me.Me.I (MIDI 1452; Japan) Over-the-top Japanese psych/noise power trio that I hadn't heard of prior to this, but whoa, are these dudes for real!?! From heavy rockin' high speed garage insanity to dub/rock groovin'. And yes they sing in their native tongue instead of imitating English. Their lead guitarist, Shintaro Sakamoto, is pretty crafty and has come up lots of infectious riffs. He also has a charming voice and knows how to use it. Not amazing but certainly a lot of fun. Yura Yura Teikoku will be playing at North Six in Brooklyn on October 11 and will be at Tonic on Oct. 14th. - BLG
CD $12 (limited edition of 700)

AMERICAN PRIMITIVE VOL 2 [V.A.] - Pre-War Revenants (1897-1939) [2 CD set] (Revenant 214) Second release in this series, long awaited, over-the-top packaging. "Revenants. Phantoms. Biographical ciphers who have emerged from their anonymous dark, made 78 rpm recordings, and were promptly swallowed up by darkness again. Yet their recordings have made an indelible place for themselves in our world by dint of their capacity to inspire wonder. At once a collection of secret blueprints for a raw music revolution and a testament to the enduring power of great art to shock, confound, inspire and sustain. John Fahey's final curated work for Revenant. Revenant's long-awaited follow-up to 1997's much-saluted American Primitive Vol. I."
2 CD set for $28

RODD KEITH - Saucers In the Sky (Roaratorio 10) "Rodney Keith Eskelin, aka Rodd Keith, aka Rod Rogers, would've certainly found the recognition during his lifetime that his talent demanded, if he hadn't chosen to work in the lowest depths of the music industry: the 'send us your lyrics' field, known today as the song-poem genre. Saucers In the Sky gathers together twenty-six previously uncollected Rodd Keith gems from the hundreds upon hundreds of songs that he recorded before he leapt from a highway overpass in 1974. It would be inaccurate to call this a collection of forgotten pop classics. 'Forgotten' implies that they were known in the first place. Outside of the aspiring lyricists who bankrolled the proceedings, plus a few of their friends and relations, none of Rodd Keith's records registered the slightest blip on the musical radar of their time. The irony runs deep: the song-poem business was a stylus' breadth away from being an outright scam, capitalizing on the dreams of would-be songwriters and filling their heads with visions of breakout hits and fame and fortune. In reality, if the lyrics themselves weren't unwieldy or strange enough to hobble any chances of entering the charts with a bullet, the assembly line production style of the recording insured that the majority of the songs were musically undistinguished. The best of Rodd Keith's work, however, easily transcends its lowly, no-hope origins, and therein lies the kicker: if the pressing runs for songs like 'Magic In Her Eyes' or 'Go Go Girlie' had broken the triple digit mark, or found their first point of sale in a Sam Goody rather than a thrift shop, they could've undoubtedly attained some measure of the popular success that their hapless creators were led to believe would follow. And while such tunes as 'Ravens' or 'Sawdust' were too lyrically bent for Billboard glory, they remain prime examples of Rodd's brilliance as a singer, composer and arranger. Saucers In the Sky also includes two never-before-released tracks: a cover of 'Here Comes The Judge' from a soul-soundalike session, and 'Get On My Honda, Rhonda,' written as a birthday gift for Rodd's best friend's son. Packaged in a mini-LP gatefold sleeve, with liner notes from Del Casher, inventor of the wah-wah pedal and guitarist on many of Rodd's early recordings, and Stacey Keith, Rodd's daughter [and yes, Ellery Eskelin is his son!]."
CD $14


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LIMITED TIME PRICE BREAK - NOW $12 [usually $15]:

SOFT MACHINE LEGACY [HUGH HOPPER/ELTON DEAN/JOHN ETHERIDGE/JOHN MARSHALL/SOFT WORKS] - Legacy Live: In Zaaandam, Holland May 10 2005 (Moonjune 006) SPECIAL SALE - Normally $15. NOW $12 FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY! Featuring Elton Dean on alto sax, saxello & Fender Rhodes electric piano, John Etheridge on electric guitar, Hugh Hopper on electric bass and John Marshall on drums. This new gem was recorded live in Holland on May 10th of 2005, just a few months ago. Unlike the other discs from various Soft Machine alumni that have surfaced recently, this one was recorded very recently and contains no older Soft Machine material, except for an updated version of Hopper's great "Kings and Queens" from Soft Machine 'Four'. Soft Machine Legacy is a new band (and not a tribute band) with alumni players that hadn't played together in the original, ever-changing personnel. Etheridge, who took over for Alan Holdsworth, never played with Elton or Hugh and Elton only played with Marshall on Soft Machine 'Five' and with Hugh on Softs 'Five' and 'Six'.
'Live in Zaandam' features mostly new material written for this splendid jazz/rock/progressive quartet, all veterans and sounding particularly inspired to be playing with one another. Etheridge's "Ash" opens with that sly, laid back and cerebral groove. As Hugh's liquid el. bass, Marshall's slow burning drums, Elton's sax and electric piano swirl together, Etheridge takes his time to play a fine, thoughtful (free from cliches) fusiony solo. Hopper's "1212" is a slightly funky tune that shifts gears and tempos a few times with great playing from Elton's snakish saxello and a powerful solo from Etheridge on guitar. John Marshall remains one of the greatest of all British jazz/rock drummers and sounds wonderful throughout this disc. Hugh Hopper, who is currently featured in a long article in the August Wire magazine, is also in fine form, his signature electric bass at the center of all of these pieces, ever hypnotic, melodic and rhythmic at the same time. Elton's sublime "Baker's Street" features an enchanting solo from his distinctive saxello, as well as a touching solo from Etheridge on guitar. Hugh's classic "Kings and Queens" one of my favorite Song Machine pieces and gets a completely mesmerizing rendition here, the chills running up and down my spine, a perfect quartet as one strong spirit. "Two Down" is an intense, super quick duo for Etheridge and Marshall, certain to bring a smile to those fusion-lovers amongst us. Etheridge's mighty "Big Creese" closes our journey with a great, rockin', sorta funky groove that feels just right. As I type this up, Soft Machine Legacy are in the studio this week, recording their first studio date. And so, the legacy continues to grow. - BLG
NOW $12 FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY!


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HISTORIC RECORDINGS, REISSUES, RESTOCKS & SALE ITEMS:

**JULIAN PRIESTER PEPO MTOTO With BILL CONNORS/PAT GLEESON/ERIC GRAVATT et al - Love, Love (ECM 1044) This recording from 1974 is a still powerful historic artefact from the dawn of the so-called Fusion Era. Having just left Herbie Hancock's Mwandishi Band, Priester rounded up some of the most explosive talents in electric jazz, including musicians from Weather Report, Return To Forever, and the bands of McCoy Tyner and Bobby Hutcherson, and let them loose on his powerful riff-based compositions which suggest some new amalgamation of Afro-Funk, Jazz-Rock and Minimal Music. Featuring: Julian Priester trombones, horns, whistle flute, percussion, synthesizers; Pat Gleeson synthesizers; Hadley Caliman flute, saxophones, clarinet; Bayete Umbra Zindiko pianos, clavinet; Nyimbo Henry Franklin basses; Ndugu Leon Chanceler drums; Mguanda David Johnson flute, saxophone; Kamau Eric Gravatt drums, congas; Ron McClure bass; Bill Connors electric guitar. "My favorite reissue of the year!" -BLG
CD $17


JOHN STEVENS ENSEMBLE - Blue (Culture Press 2008/France) An incredible 76 minute live set from May of 1993, a year before the tragic passing of legendary British drummer and composer, John Stevens. Featuring Evan Parker & Ed Jones on tenor & soprano saxes, Iain Bellamy on alto & soprano saxes, Byron Wallen on trumpets, Paul Rutherford on trombone, Phil Lee on guitar, Mike Pyne on piano, Ron Matthewson & Jeff Clyne on basses and John Stevens on drums and direction. This is an astonishing release and a wonderful, unheralded treasure that I found used last year and have savored ever since. John Stevens was an amazing drummer and a most influential bandleader. He led the ground-breaking Spontaneous Music Ensemble for a couple of decades and the great free/fusion band John Stevens' Away for a handful of historic records. He embraced the vast diversity of modern jazz, from free music to heavy swinging and was a master of both. He knew how to bring out the best in whatever situation he was in. 'Blue' consists of one long piece, broken into two parts, yet continuous and completely organic in the way that it unfolds. Stevens' ten-piece band remains completely focused throughout this long, epic work. Stevens doesn't even play his drums in sections of this work, as he directs the flow and energy with careful creativity. The first section is laid back and spacious, with the saxes taking relaxed, elegant solos as the guitarist comps exquisitely like Jim Hall. The piece builds slowly in momentum for the first 15-minutes, until the horns swirl in layers and the tempo picks up and begins to take off with an amazing soprano solo from Evan Parker as the bands escalates and starts swinging hard yet free. The next section has all the horns swirling together in a massive haze. There are stark sections, yet the piece remains intriguing throughout, giving just above everyone a chance to stretch out and solo in spots. An immensely provocative and highly unpredictable treasure. - BLG
CD $18 (Out-of-print, as far as we can tell & we have just a dozen copies)


JOHN CALE/TONY CONRAD/ANGUS MACLISE/LAMONTE YOUNG/MARIAN ZAZEELA - Inside The Dream Syndicate Vol I: Day Of Niagara (1965) (Table of Elements 74) Finally reprinted edition of this controversial item, which all participants claim to "own", LaMonte, Conrad and Cale, at least. As with anything on this unpredictable label, know one seems to know what is in or out of print. We have a dozen only at present (10/7/05), so who hows how long they will last. Don't wait and end up bidding big bucks on eBay.
CD $15


NO NEW YORK [V.A with DNA/JAMES CHANCE & THE CONTORTIONS/MARS/TEENAGE JESUS & THE JERKS; Prod. by BRIAN ENO] - No New York (Lilith 102; Russia) One of the records that becomes more & more definitive with each passing decade, perhaps reissued legitmately only once in Japan. Now? Well, this one is licensed from Universal Music Plc., Russia - a company that does seems to exist - you tell me. Probably no-noised from vinyl, but sounding acceptable. This record is simply - IT. "One of the brightest and most famous projects of the entire punk/new wave scene, No New York was released in 1978 on Island's sub-label Antilles and became a total cult in the indie scene. Featuring some of the most incredible rule breaking bands of the underground New York art and music scene, the project - strongly pursued by Brian Eno - is a genuine snapshot of the massively creative NYC scene, from which innumerable trends started and became part of the modern pop music as we know it. Influential, powerful and ground breaking, this collection features four of the top icon shattering Gotham City no-wavers like James Chance (Contortions), Arto Lindsay and Ikue Mori (DNA), Lydia Lunch (Teenage Jesus) and Sumner Crane (Mars). If you missed the original it's time to get your hands on this reissue. The CD digipack version includes a detailed booklet." Booklet contains lyrics to all songs, in English and Russian [Cyrillic]!
"After seeing a series of benefit shows held for the Artist's Space in Soho, producer Brian Eno convinced Island Records to release an anthology album featuring several bands from New York's experimental no wave scene of the late 1970s. He reportedly considered ten groups for the album: the Contortions, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, Mars, DNA, Theoretical Girls with Glenn Branca, the Gynecologists with Rudolph Grey, Tone Death with Rhys Chatahm, Boris Police Band, who used police radio calls for vocals, Red Transistor, and Terminal. The final album, however, featured four bands performing four songs each and was released on Antilles, a sub-label of Island.
The first band on the album, the Contortions, play dissonant funk-punk that melds Albert Ayler, the Stooges, and James Brown with Jame Chance's shouted vocals, Jody Harris's slashing guitar solos, Pat Place's open-tuned slide guitar chords, Adele Bertei's hammered Acetone organ, the late George Scott's steady bass lines, and Don Christensen's soul-influenced drumming. All four of their selections are strong, including "Flip Your Face," which Steve Albini once cited as his all-time favorite song.
Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, a group of art and music hangers-on led by songwriter/vocalist/guitar-user Lydia Lunch, is perhaps the least accessible band on the album; the squalling, droning, abrasive way that Lunch and her bandmates, Gordon Stevenson on bass and Bradley Field on snare drum, put across lyrics such as "personality down the drain/after all who needs a brain" and "the dishes are cracked/the forks are plastic/the food is in cellophane/I puke elastic" makes it unclear if she is baring the darkest corners of her soul or trying to put one over on the audience.
Mars featured [the late] Sumner Crane, Nancy Arlen, Mark Cunningham and China Burg [aka Lucy Hamilton aka Constance...] and created interesting music out of apparent chaos; the vocals are babbled and the guitars, bass and drums sound like they're weaving in and out of the song while going in several different directions at once, yet the band is oddly compelling in its crazed, cacophonous way. A recently released Mars CD/EP from this period is also well worth owning.
The fourth band, D.N.A., features Arto Lindsay's bluesy vocals and seemingly uncontrolled bursts of guitar, as he rakes his strings and refuses to play conventional chords; the trio, which also includes keyboardist Robin Crutchfield and drummer Ikue Mori, create the most engaging music in the collection other than the opening numbers by the Contortions. [A long awaited DNA compilation cd appeared on No More records last year - hooray! ] Some listeners may be fascinated by the music on No New York while others may find it unbearable; in either case, this seminal album remains the definitive document of New York's no wave movement, the original LP fetching upwards of $100 today." -- Todd Kristel
CD $17
LP also available for $17


DAVE HOLLAND & BARRE PHILLIPS - Music From Two Basses (ECM 1011) First U.S. CD issue of this classic ECM album from 1971, the label's 11th release overall. Recorded: February 15, 1971, Tonstudio Bauer in Ludwisburg, Germany; David Holland (bass, cello); Barre Phillips (bass). CD $17


DON CHERRY With PHAROAH SANDERS/HENRY GRIMES/ED BLACKWELL - Where Is Brooklyn? (Blue Note) Featuring Pharoah Sanders, H Grimes, E Blackwell. Connoisseur series 2005 remaster 'Where Is Brooklyn' was Don Cherry's final album for Blue Note, and it returned to the quartet format of Complete Communion, this time featuring Pharoah Sanders on tenor sax along with bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Ed Blackwell. Here, Cherry abandons his concept of recording all the album's compositions as side-long medleys; rather, each is treated separately, with spaces in between the tracks. There wasn't a need to integrate the compositions by periodically returning to their themes, so perhaps that's why Cherry doesn't really focus as much on bringing out his compositions this time around. Where Is Brooklyn is much more about energy and thoughtful group interaction than memorable themes, and so there's just a little something missing in comparison to Cherry's prior albums, even though they did also emphasize the qualities on display here. Nonetheless, it's still a fine record for what it does concentrate on; Sanders is in typically passionate form, and the rest of the ensemble members have already honed their interplay to a pretty sharp edge. It's worth hearing, even if it isn't as essential as Complete Communion or Symphony for Improvisers. ~ Steve Huey, AMG
CD $16

ANDREW HILL - Andrew! (Blue Note) 2005 Connoisseur remstr. Anyone familiar with Andrew Hill's music will find the cover to Andrew!!! a little bizarre, to say the least. Hill was one of the most intense and cerebral musicians on Blue Note's roster, incorporating avant-garde and modal techniques into his adventurous post-bop. The cover to Andrew!!! apparently is an attempt to humanize Hill -- it's a soft-focus close-up of a smiling Andrew Hill, who looks more like a teen idol than a serious jazz musician, and the first-name title is adorned with no less than three exclamation marks and a subtitle, "The Music of Andrew Hill," which suggests that it's an album of romantic, easy-listening standards. It's not. Andrew!!! is just as adventurous and challenging as any of his other albums, which is to Hill's credit. The pianist leads tenor saxophonist John Gilmore, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Richard Davis, and drummer Joe Chambers through a set of six original songs. Often, the music has a floating, hypnotic quality, which only makes Hill's dissonance, unusual voicings, and complex arrangements more compelling than usual. Andrew!!!, if anything, is even less accessible than the previous Point of Departure, but its restless, searching quality and endlessly provocative music makes it just as successful. [The 2005 reissue of the record includes alternate takes of "The Griots" (or "The Groits" as the back cover mis-spells it) and "Symmetry."] - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG
CD $16

JACKIE McLEAN - Consequence (Blue Note; USA) 2005 Connoisseur remstr. This 1965 session pairs Jackie McLean with Lee Morgan in the front line and features a rhythm section of pianist Harold Mabern, bassist Herbie Lewis, and drummer Billy Higgins. Right -- a powerhouse band. Originally recorded in 1965, it wasn't released on LP until 1979, and then on CD as part of the Mosaic box set (The Complete Blue Note 1964-1966). This is its first release as a separate title on CD. The music here is much more straight-ahead than on other McLean dates from the 1960s. The presence of Morgan puts McLean in the position of having to be at his best, as on the stellar opening cut, "Bluesanova," which combines bossa, soul-jazz, and hard bop. Another tight moment on the set is McLean's "Tolypso," a sideways take on calypso that reaches over into hard bop. The interplay between the saxophonist and trumpet player is air-tight and rousing. Other cuts of note are Morgan's fine swinging ballad "Slumber" and the steaming title cut. This is a welcome addition to the McLean catalog on disc. Thom Jurek, AMG
CD $16

BOOKER ERVIN - Tex Book Tenor (Blue Note; USA) 2005 Connoisseur remstr. Tex Book Tenor was recorded in 1968 as a follow-up to Booker Ervin's debut date for Blue Note, The In Between, which was released in January of the same year. (Ervin had made two records for Pacific Jazz, which is now owned, like Blue Note, by EMI.) The album remained unreleased until 1976, when it was issued with an also unreleased Horace Parlan date on a double LP called Back from the Gig. This is its first appearance on CD. The lineup is stellar and includes Billy Higgins, Woody Shaw, Kenny Barron, and bassist Jan Arnet from Czechoslovakia. Barron and Ervin had worked together before, and Arnet had worked with Ervin three years earlier as a touring partner in Germany. The music here includes three Ervin originals, Barron's wonderful "Gichi," and Shaw's "In a Capricornian Way." The Afro-Latin-influenced grooves of "Gichi" display Ervin playing his solo in prime snake-charmer mode. His own "Den Tex" is classic hard bop with Barron and Ervin going head to head throughout. "Lynn's Tune" is a beautiful midtempo ballad with wonderful work by Arnet and a loping solo by Shaw. The closer is "204," a steaming hard bop tune with a killer head featuring the two horns just pushing the tempo before Ervin goes off the map into his solo. Barron's playing is totally inspired, pushing huge chords at both players as they dig into the changes and come out breathing fire. This is a wonderful addition not only to the Blue Note catalog on CD, but to Ervin's own shelf as well, and should be picked up by anyone interested in him as a bandleader and composer. - Thom Jurek, AMG
CD $16

ELMO HOPE - Trio & Quintet (Blue Note; USA) 2005 Connoisseur remstr. Of the collections of Elmo Hope's '50s recordings, Trio and Quintet is the one to get. It includes his prime Blue Note sessions and features a stellar cast of hard bop musicians including Art Blakey, Frank Foster, Philly Joe Jones, and Harold Land. The majority of the tunes are Hope originals which, in their angular introspection, bear the influence of both Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk. Things begin with ten mostly hard bop swingers from a trio date in 1953. Prominently featured is Hope's Powell like, single line attack. Solos stay brisk and straightforward on uptempo numbers like "Hot Sauce," but turn a bit mercurial on slower pieces like "Happy Hour." Standout tracks include Hope's "Mo Is On" with its "off to the races" opening statement and "Carvin' the Rock," which falls somewhere between Powell's "Parisian Thoroughfare" and "So Sorry Please." Percy Heath and Philly Joe Jones provide sympathetic support throughout. The Quintet tracks start with an East Coast session featuring Foster and Blakey. The opening number is the convoluted, yet hard swinging original "Crazy"; it causes some problems for trumpeter Freeman Lee, but finds Foster in command with a vigorous solo statement. The remainder of the session impresses with a series of rhythmically rich Hope compositions which, like the majority of Monk's tunes, stay memorable in spite of their complexity. Three more Hope tunes from a West Coast date round out the quintet tracks and close the CD. Land contributes strong tenor work while bassist Leroy Vinnegar and drummer Frank Butler do a fine job keeping things anchored. This Blue Note release is great not only for its cross-section of Hope compositions, but also for the many fertile ideas they've inspired in top-drawer soloists. - Stephen Cook, AMG
CD $16

IKE QUEBEC - Complete 45 Sessions [2 CD set] (Blue Note; USA) Influenced by Coleman Hawkins and Ben Webster but definitely his own person, Ike Quebec was one of the finest swing-oriented tenor saxman of the 1940s and '50s. Though he was never an innovator, Quebec had a big, breathy sound that was distinctive and easily recognizable, and he was quite consistent when it came to came to down-home blues, sexy ballads, and up-tempo aggression. Originally a pianist, Quebec switched to tenor in the early '40s and showed that he had made the right decision on excellent 78s for Blue Note and Savoy (including his hit "Blue Harlem"). As a sideman, he worked with Benny Carter, Kenny Clarke, Roy Eldridge, and Cab Calloway. In the late '40s, the saxman did a bit of freelancing behind the scenes as a Blue Note A&R man and brought Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell to the label. Drug problems kept Quebec from recording for most of the 1950s, but he made a triumphant comeback in the early '60s and was once again recording for Blue Note and doing freelance A&R for the company. Quebec was playing as authoritatively as ever well into 1962, giving no indication that he was suffering from lung cancer, which claimed his life at the age of 44 in 1963. This two-disc set contains all the fabulous singles sides that Ike cut for Blue Note!
2 CD set for $26


PHAROAH SANDERS With NORMAN CONNORS/PHYLLIS HYMAN - Love Will Find A Way (Arista/Collectors' Choice) Once you've heard the sound of Pharoah Sanders' tenor saxophone, you never forget it; impossibly rich and full of overtones, it wrings every bit of emotion out of each note. Pharoah has gained a devoted following since his days with John Coltrane, and his work for Impulse during the early '70s in particular has been lovingly reissued; however, his albums for Arista in the late '70s have been out of print for years. One big reason for that is that they are the most controversial of his career; that same devoted fan base could not believe its ears when this free jazz icon went the jazz-funk 'quiet storm' route! But the blend - some would say collision - of the two aesthetics produced, on 'Love Will Find a Way', a unique album that has gained quite the cult following over the years; that it features two other legends in their own right, drummer/producer/singer Norman Connors and vocalist Phyllis Hyman, certainly doesn't hurt! This lost classic has been reissued with original art and new liner notes! Includes 'Love Will Find a Way; Pharomba; Love Is Here; Got to Give It Up; As You Are; Answer Me My Love', and 'Everything I Have Is Good'.
CD $14




MS. MELFORD IS SUPPLYING THE LAST FEW COPIES OF THESE NOW OUT-OF-PRINT 'ARABESQUE' LABEL RELEASES TO US - GRAB NOW OR WEEP LATER!!!

MYRA MELFORD SAME RIVER TWICE With DAVE DOUGLAS/CHRIS SPEED/ERIK FRIEDLANDER/MICHAEL SARIN - Above Blue (Arabesque 142) This is the third release by Myra's all - star quintet featuring Dave Douglas, Chris Speed, Erik Friedlander & Michael Sarin. It captures their wonderful chemistry even better than their last Gramavision release. Myra wrote all of the pieces here and co - produced it to perfection with the ever amazing Dave Douglas. It is her composing and the balance of the strong talents involved, that makes this cd so wondrous. Erik has the difficult job of both being the bass pulse of the rhythm team, as well as bowing difficult lines that support and push the piano & horns to new heights, on his cello! Just last night, he knocked me out once more backing vocal improviser Makigami Koichi. On "Yet Can Spring," Myra provides a finger snapping 60's Blue Note like subdued funk groove, so both Chris & Dave can play simmering Jazz Messengers like solos, while Myra plays a great Don Pullen - like solo tribute. Pieces like "Be Melting Snow" can begin dense and dark before the light shines when Chris's clarinet breathes free, Dave starts to unleash a storm once again. Myra often composes tunes in an episodic way, with duos & trios well interspersed with full quintet sections, solos are often accompanied by rich interplay between all participants. Excellent drummer - Michael Sarin continues to show his prowess on all fronts, from nimble & delicate, to propulsive & swinging hard, fleshing out all the levels of rhythmic inventiveness needed. A mighty effort by all involved! - BLG
CD $15

MYRA MELFORD'S THE TENT - Where The Two Worlds Touch (Arabesque 159; USA) Featuring Myra Melford on piano, Chris Speed on tenor sax & clarinet, Cuong Vu on trumpet, Stomu Takeishi on electric & acoustic basses and Kenny Wollesen on drums. It is great to finally hear from Myra's evolving quintet once more. Once known as The Same River Twice with Dave Douglas and Erik Friedlander as members, no doubt Myra's composing and playing has continued to grow and flourish with this great downtown all-star ensemble.
CD $15

MYRA MELFORD/MARTY EHRLICH - Yet Can Spring (Arabesque 154; USA) Myra plays piano only here and Marty switches on alto sax, bass clarinet and regular clarinet. Duo releases are always a challenge of balancing two strong spirits into a more inter-connected whole. Both have done duo projects before - Marty with Muhal Richard Abrams and Anthony Cox and Myra with her old partner Marion Brandis on flutes (my first experience of seeing/hearing Myra was this very duo). Both of these fine musicians are gifted players, composers and bandleaders in the their own right. They each wrote three tunes apiece and do two covers from Robin Holcomb and Otis Spann. The first piece is also the title tune and it is Myra's tribute to late piano master Don Pullen. It blasts open with a powerful bass clarinet and piano eruption, the gospelish theme is reverberates as Marty takes a passionate bass clarinet solo followed by Myra's marvelous piano solo complete with some Don Pullen-like ecstatic two-handed action. Marty's "Duiloquy" is next and is a haunting and serious duo for bass clarinet and piano - contemporary classical in sound with a great deal of silence surrounding each note so that each sound must resonate by itself. The somber mood continues on Myra's "Here is Only Moment" which the alto sax and piano gently blend in an elegant ballad-like wonder - both taking a pure and breath-taking solos. I recognize the endearing melody of "The Open Return" from Marty's excellent Tzadik release 'Sojourn' - which gets another splendid rendition here for enchanting bass clarinet and piano. Marty's "March Fantastique" pushes the alto sax & piano duo to darker waters - Marty and Myra both taking strong unaccompanied solos and then sailing nicely together for the song's conclusion. Robin Holcomb's "The Natural World" is taken from her wonderful offering - 'Rockabye' from '92 and it is a perfect choice - an immensely touching piece of elegant American roots music. Another melancholy gem is Myra's "Yellow Are Crowds of Flowers, I" with stately bass clarinet and piano - mysterious, cautious and minimal. The final song is blues pianist - Otis Span's "Don't You Know" - Myra and Marty show their blues roots nicely - swaggering in that old-fashioned blues style so fine. Another dynamic duo effort! - BLG
CD $15

MYRA MELFORD'S CRUSH - Dance Beyond the Color (Arabesque 147; USA) Crush is Stomu Takeishi on basses, Kenny Wollesen on drums & sampler and Myra on piano & harmonium. When Myra Melford started out a decade ago she recorded two fine piano trio releases for the now defunct Enemy label. She then put together a great quintet called The Same River, Twice who now have three releases out and continue. She received that magical instrument - the harmonium as a present a few years back and plays it in an excellent trio with Dave Douglas, as well as another fine trio - Equal Interest with Joseph Jarman & Leroy Jenkins. Crush is Myra's new trio with two in-demand players - Stomu whose Klein fretless electric bass in the centering magic for Henry Threadgill's Make a Move and Kenny who appears in more bands that I can ever recall. It is interesting how Myra is the youngest member of Equal Interest, but probably the oldest member of Crush, the balance seems equal either way. "Like Rain Whispers Mist" is the opener and is an apt title, it is quiet, elegant, graceful, quaint and touching. The title piece does "Dance Beyond the Color" by allowing the rhythm team to provide waves of charming colors underneath Myra's swirling piano. Things begin freer and spookier on "Orange", with Myra playing inside the piano, before the cool , blusey head emerges and eventually a storm erupts. The harmonium glows with transcendent spirit on "Equal Grace" while the bass repeats a hypnotic riff at the center, the pulse begins to quicken and Myra takes an uplifting Harmonium solo! Things start out with understated tension on "Chalk Sandskrit" but continues to build majestically as the drama unfolds and explodes. "Always Chant Could One" has that rather gospelish groove/vibe that Myra is so good at evoking while her solo splashes a more dense eruption. The closing theme "In Memorium" is also tranquil mediation for harmonium, eerie sampler, dreamy mallets and hovering el. bass. Superb. - BLG
CD $20 (Out of print, but we have a handful of copies)


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JAMES JABBO WARE'S ME WE & THEM ORCHESTRA - Something is Coming (Y'All 04) Another buried treasure form the great James Jabbo Ware, composer, arranger and conductor par excellence. When Mr. Ware dropped off his new disc with us a few weeks back, little did I know what an important legacy he has gathered with the five discs under his name that we all now have in stock. 'Something is Happening' features his mostly all-star NY Orchestra from 2001 with J.D. Parran, Jimmy Cozier, Peter Hess, Paavo Carey & Alex Harding on reeds; Eddie Allen, Cecil Bridgewater & Chris Albert on trumpets; Clifton Anderson, Richard Harper & Bill Lowe on trombones; Hilton Ruiz on piano, Leon Dorsey on bass and Thurman Baker & Warren Smith on drums & percussion. Like his inspirations, Duke Ellington, Count Basie & Charles Mingus, Mr. Ware deals with the rich and vast history of jazz. His big band swings hard, dips into the blues and provides tasty charts for a number of great soloists to wail with. Ware's orchestra is tight, swings just right and plays these wonderful charts with insight and passion. I love the sound of those muted trumpets, glowing trombones and harmonious saxes on "Echoes of Duke", superb! The funny thing that most of this gem could have been recorded at any time over the past fifty years, yet it remains timeless, since it so grand throughout. There just too many excellent solos to mention here, but I will mention a few: Alex Harding & Leon Dorsey on "Echoes of Duke", J.D. Parran (e-flat contra-bass clarinet) on the title track and Cecil Bridgewater & Peter Hess on "Going Again- Crazy". Both drummers/percussionists, Warren Smith and Thurman Barker, play most creatively and Hilton Ruiz shows off his pianistic gifts often. Outstanding! I will the other three when I have some more time, so far, so great! - BLG
CD for $15

JAMES JABBO WARE And THE ME WE & THEM ORCHESTRA - Heritage Is (Soul Note 121259; Italy) JJ Ware.(cond.);E Preston.(tp) P Higgins, G Ghee,J D Parran(sax)C Anderson.(tbn);D Smith.(p)..
CD $15

JAMES JABBO WARE And THE ME WE & THEM ORCHESTRA + STRINGS AND HORNS With HILTON RUIZ/J D WARE/BILL LOWE - Vignettes In The Spirit Of Ellington (Y'All 05; USA)
CD $15

JAMES JABBO WARE And THE ME WE & THEM ORCHESTRA With CECIL BRIDGEWATER/J D PARRAN - Today's Move (Y'All 01; USA)
CD $15


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ROGER POWELL - Cosmic Furnace (Wounded Bird) There are two ways to look at keyboardist Roger Powell's debut album, Cosmic Furnace. It is either a visionary work as one of the first rock albums recorded entirely on synthesizer, or it's a prog rock artifact for that very reason. The facts tend support the former -- it is based on the ARP synthesizer, which was uncommon for 1973 -- but the music itself tends to support the latter, since it's a bunch of spacy, vaguely spooky and mystical art-rock that functions primarily as atmosphere, not as structured compositions. Each of the six cuts establishes its mood immediately and then meanders for upward of eight minutes, never really going anywhere, but treading that same patch of ground rather effectively. In other words, it's not a lost classic -- not even for devoted fans of Powell's later group Utopia -- but for fans of synths and '70s art-rock, it's a reasonably interesting footnote to electronic rock history - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG
CD $14

NEKTAR - Magic Is A Child (Eclectic/Dream Nebula 1211; UK) Nektar's 1977 studio album is presented for the first time remastered from the first generation master tapes. By the time of its recording guitarist Roye Albrighton had departed the fold to be replaced by Dave Nelson. Featuring stand out tracks such as 'Away From Asgard', 'Listen' and 'Magic is a Child', the Dream Nebula reissue also includes a bonus track in the form of an alternate version of 'Train to Nowhere' featuring background frippertronics from King Crimson guitarist Robert Fripp.
CD $17

BEGNAGRAD - Begnagrad (MIO 006; Israel) Recorded in 1982, this is a seminal, unsurpassed holy grail of the postmodern pan-European-folk-based avant-rock that defined a major thread of development in the area of activity widely known as RIO (Rock in Opposition). The group formed in the mid 70s and released an ultra-rare homebrew recording in 1977. Their self-titled 1982 album reissued here is their definitive statement as first-generation East European postmodernist rock artists synthesizing pre-20th century European classical music, 20th century academic avant-gardism, 60s and 70s guitar rock, fusion, free jazz, ECM jazz, Zappa, and all sorts of subliminally known local and not-so-local European folk traditions only partly associated with the group's native Slovenia. Driven by the same wild creative impulses that accordionist Bratko Bibic brought to his later project Nimal (known for their towering, landmark work with Tom Cora, Pippin Barnett, etc and an untouchable legacy of Voix de Surface and Dis Tanz on compact disc--but good luck finding those at this point and just be extremely grateful to have this chance to get this equally essential Begnagrad disc!!). The East European folk element comes out very strongly through the dominant accordion and clarinet parts, and at times it's similar to the manic Bulgarian wedding band music of Ivo Papasov and others, but this music is just as rooted in the avant-rock impulses that shaped Henry Cow, Aksak Maboul, Etron Fou Leloublan, etc. The full instrumentation and personnel is: Bratko Bibic (accordions, melodica, Faninger Klavier, voice), Bogo Pecnikar (clarinet, sogra, baritone sax, ocarina, whistling, voice), Nino de Gleria (electric bass guitar, double bass, mandoline, whistling, screaming), Ales Rendla (drums, violin, conga), Boris Romih (percussion, tiny instruments, guitar, whistling, voice, double bass). While essentially instrumental music, some of the greatest moments come when voices are used in creative, and even bizarre ways. These musicians were truly drawing from every instrumental and compositional possibility that lit their imaginations. Each track here is immediately distinctive in mood, coloration, and arrangement. What's more, this a seminal example of jump-cut compositional ideas, with sudden and exhilarating transitions within individual pieces. There's an amazing amount of ideas packed into the album, and it rewards both as a high-energy rock extravaganza worth playing loud and dancing around spasmodically with and as an intricately detailed slice of post-rock rehearsal-based avant-garde music that reveals tiny unrepeated fragments of inscrutable inspiration with each listen.
This is a perfect example of an album that's held in the highest esteem by connoisseurs of its genre. You simply can't find a more legendary and revered album of RIO than this, so it's essential even for people without a particular interest in RIO under the principle that hardcore music aficionados generally treasure the peak achievements of any genre, even the ones they don't have a special attraction for. This is one of those albums that transcends borders and categories. In its radical blend of ideas from folk traditions, jazz, and rock, it's a precursor to a lot of the "Downtown New York" music made later in the 80s, and anyone looking for that tight, crazy, wild uncategorizable kind of music of the Downtown glory days seriously needs to hear this masterpiece from another time and another place. Slovenia, to be exact. But of course this music wasn't made in a vacuum, just in a somewhat "exotic" place with a music scene embroiled in all kinds of social and political transformations associated with the successes and failures of communism. Reissued in 2004 by the Israeli label MIO, this is a stunning example of why MIO sets the standard for properly reissuing lost masterpieces. The album was originally reissued on CD in 1990 by AYAA, an edition hopelessly unavailable for many years, so this was one of the most desperately needed reissues in all of avant-rock music. MIO's version is as definitive as you could ask for: fantastic, detailed liner notes from Mark Jung and Bratko Bibic, four killer bonus tracks (one of which totally blows away everything on the original album!), and even a fabulous 20-minute video clip of a 1983 concert discovered in a private archive in 2003!!! This could be the reissue of the decade. It's nearly sold out and not likely to be repressed, so act now as DMG gets its hands on some of the last remaining copies, or feel the way I did for many years when I would read about this legendary album and desperately try to find a copy with no luck. Seminal, mind-blowing, mythical, and beyond essential for any fan of rehearsal-based instrumental avant-rock, this is a disc we will all treasure and play frequently for decades. -Michael Anton Parker
(This amazing label from Israel is closing down, so grab this gem soon!)
CD $12

MR. TOAD - Trench Art (MIO 028; Israel) "The Israeli band Mr. Toad was formed by Maor Arbitman and Shimry Mesica in 1998. The band started its way named 'Katross'. All the musicians are mostly classical trained. The lyrics written in English while as the music was characterized as British folk-rock reminding of Nick Drake , Gryphon, After Crying and Fairport Convention. The band decided to try and combine baroque reminiscence along with the original material. For that matter Dana Eizen, a baroque flute player came along. With Dana's arrival and her McDonalds like flute playing, the group established it's music as progressive rock in the early King Crimson spirit. The music material was rearranged and the band started recording it's debut album. The musical substance in the album Trench Art included along with the progressive basis classical music and jazz influences. The best references to compare the band are: Early King Crimson, Celeste, Lalo Schifrin, Gryphon, After Crying but Mr.Toad is not a clone but truly unique."
(This amazing label from Israel is closing down, so grab this gem soon!)
CD $12


PETER SYKES/MAX STEUER/PINK FLOYD - The Committee (Basho/MVD) AVAILABLE NOW AS A DVD FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME SINCE ITS ORIGINAL CINEMA RELEASE IN 1968!
"The Committee is directed by Peter Sykes and based on a chilling fable by Max Steuer. Although discernably influenced by Harold Pinter, R.D.Laing and recent Czech movies, the film has a savage narrative life of its own. - Kenneth Tynan, The Observer, 9 June 1968
Thought to have been lost for the past 35 years this 1968 arthouse movie, written by Max Steuer and directed by Peter Sykes, is a surreal, slightly chilling exploration of the individual, society and alienation, that's loosely based around the thoughts of radical sixties psychiatrist RD Laing. Atmospherically shot in black and white, there's more than a whiff of Antonioni's early sixties films as the central character ex-Manfred Mann singer and former Jazz FM presenter Paul Jones' haunted presence is framed by long lingering camera pans and tracked by an eerie improvised Pink Floyd soundtrack [never before released in any form, LP CD or bootlegs!], that's among their most obscure and sought after unreleased recordings. Featuring early outlines of 'Careful With That Axe Eugene' and the final part of 'Saucerful of Secrets', among other random sonic sketches, it was recorded weeks after guitarist David Gilmour replaced Syd Barrett and still exhibits their early fascination with the work of AMM and John Cage. The movie also features underground compatriots The Crazy World of Arthur Brown performing the jazzy, jarring 'Nightmare' and a Jimmy Smith-like Hammond organ groover filmed at a party scene in the LSE, while a bonus CD features a recent arrangement of the song 'The Committee' by saxophonist Tim Whitehead, with vocals by Paul Jones, plus two tracks from Whitehead's Homemade Orchestra. Brilliant to some and bonkers to others, it's a brave move for Basho and one of their most intriguing projects to date." - Jon Newey
Mojo Review of THE COMMITTEE: "Sounds like the kind of hoax rare video sellers make up and list for sale to amuse themselves. Yet this slightly less than an hour-long impenetrably surreal black-and-white film really was made, and in its most infamous scene, Jones really does decapitate (and reattach) the head of the bore who gives him a lift. That's the main action here, for the film is mostly a talky, tense, and artfully shot look at a man nudged back into line by a benignly Orwellian 'committee' during a weekend retreat in the country. The rather heavy, ponderous ambience is long on dialogue, with both answerless philosophical discussions and briefer non sequiter quips. It's given a lift, though, by the electrifyingly off-the-wall insertion of a fire-helmeted Arthur Brown performing Nightmare at a party scene, as well as spooky incidental sound-track music (never issued on record) by the just-post Syd Barrett Pink Floyd. Lengthy interviews with director Peter Sykes and producer-writer Max Steuer are illuminating DVD extras." - Richie Unterberger
DVD $20.00 AVAILABLE



NEW ADDITIONS TO OUR '7 for 6' CD SALE LIST

DON CHERRY - "Mu" Second Part (Actuel 31/Sunspots 544; Italy) 2nd volume of recordings at Studio Saravah in Paris on August 22, 1969 by Don Cherry (pocket trumpet, piano, Indian flute, bamboo flute, voice, bells, percussions) with Ed Blackwell (drums, percussions, bell). 'His duets with Ed Blackwell, a drummer whose playing Cherry was very conversant with through a shared history in the Coleman group, were the first recordings released in the Actuel series. Here it is on CD in a Miniature replica of the original BYG-Actuel LP gatefold cover.
CD $12.00 7 for 6 SALE.

JACQUES COURSIL UNIT - Way Ahead (Actuel 19/Sunspots 535; Italy) This album was recorded at Studio Saravah in Paris on July 7th and 8th, 1969. Trumpeter Jacques Coursil recorded these 3 tracks with the help of Arthur Jones (alto sax), Claude Delcloo (drums) and Beb Guerin (bass). Original artwork. Here it is on CD in a Miniature replica of the original BYG-Actuel LP gatefold cover.
CD $12.00 7 for 6 SALE.

SUNNY MURRAY - An Even Break [Never Give A Sucker] (Actuel 32/Sunspots; Italy) "Avant-garde jazz drummer Sunny Murray was a major player in the experimental jazz community throughout the 1960s. After three years as a member of Albert Ayler's band (1964-1967), Murray traveled to France where, after releasing two lps on the BYG label, he recorded An Even Break, (recorded on November 22, 1969) for Affinity. Although his first release for the Affinity label, this was Murray's third release of the year! Featuring Byard Lancaster, Malachi Favors and Kenneth Terroade. "Here it is on CD in a Miniature replica of the original BYG-Actuel LP gatefold cover.
CD $12.00 7 for 6 SALE

HENRY THREADGILL & VERY VERY CIRCUS - Carry The Day (Columbia 66995) Produced by Bill Laswell and featuring Mr. Threadgill on alto sax & flutes, Mark Taylor on French horn, Brandon Ross & Masujaa on guitars, Marcus Rojas & Edwin Rodriguez on tubas and Gene Lake on drums with guests Wu Man on pipa and Jason Hwang on violin. Bill Laswell produced three discs for Henry Threadgill and each one was great. Long out-of-print and worthy of your attention if you don't own it already. - BLG
CD $12. 00 7 for 6 SALE

PETER HAMMILL - Room Temperature: Live [2 CD set] (Enigma) Excellent live set from Hammill featuring both old favorites and (then) current tracks. And photography is by my friend Gary Fick! "With his 1990 in-concert, two-CD set Room Temperature Live, Peter Hammill took an approach similar to his earlier The Margin -- Live -- it contained few overdubs and very little audience applause. Recorded during a month-long winter tour (which includded the United States, Canada, and England), the band consisted of Stuart Gordon (violin), Nic Potter (bass), and Hammill on keyboards, guitar, and vocals. The performances are for the most part stark and haunting, no doubt due in part to the absence of a drummer. But this may be the closest the listener will ever get to the heart and soul of Peter Hammill, since there is nothing to hide behind on such bare tracks as "The Wave" and "Something About Ysabel's Dance." Also, the stunning emotion contained in Hammill's vocal delivery has been captured on tape flawlessly throughout (perhaps the ultimate showcase for Hammill's vocals). Other standouts are "Cat's Eye/Yellow Fever (Running)," "Hemlock," and one of Hammill's best-known songs, "The Future Now." Each disc runs over the 70-minute mark, while the intensity and consistency of performance never dips. Certainly one of the more unconventional live albums in recent times, Room Temperature Live is sure to please just about any Hammill fan."-All Music Guide/Greg Prato
2 CD set for $14.00 7 for 6 SALE.

KENSO - In The West (Musea; France) Kenso are the best known Japanese progressive/fusion band, a band that has built their reputation their gifts of melody and their musicianship. This is a 1997 live recording - with Yoshihisa Shimizu, Kenichi Ogushi, Kenich Mitsuda, Shunji Saegusa, Masayuki Muraishi - which includes many of their best compositions performed with energy and fire and captured in excellent sound. A great place to start with them.
CD $12.00 7 for 6 SALE.


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DMG RECOMMENDED CALENDAR FOR THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 7TH, 2005


This week here at Downtown Music Gallery's Free Music Series

This Sunday October 9th at 6pm:
TYSHAWN SOREY & BENJAMIN GERSTEIN! - Drums & trombone duo
Tyshawn is one the best drummers to emerge here in recent years (and he also plays great piano and trombone!)

Next Sunday October 16th at 6pm-
YOON SUN CHOI & JUDITH BERKSON!
An inventive vocal duo of two wonderful singers!


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THE BIG DON CHERRY CELEBRATION AT THE STONE CONTINUES THROUGH OCTOBER 23RD, HERE'S THIS WEEK'S SCHEDULE:


10/7 Friday

8 pm - Bob Steward's "Don Cherry and Friends"
Bob Stewart (tuba) Jerome Harris (guitar) Abdou Mboup (kora and percussion) James Zollar (trumpet) Carlton Holmes (piano) Buddy Williams (drums)

10 pm $20 Dewey Redman & Friends


10/8 Saturday
8 pm & 10pm - Peter Apfelbaum & Friends (Billy Bang's set has been canceled)
Peter Apfelbaum (tenor sax, flute, piano) Jessica Jones (tenor sax) Tony Jones (tenor sax) David Phelps (guitar) Patrice Blanchard (bass) Dafnis Prieto (drums)


10/9 Sunday
8 pm - Invocation: Mu - Graham Haynes (cornet) Adam Rudolph (handrumset, percussion, voice)
10 pm Bern Nix & Joe Morris Duo
Bern Nix (guitar) Joe Morris (bass)


10/11 Tuesday
8 pm - Berber Bahia Bluesn - Brahim Fribgane (oud, dumbek, vocal, percussion) Dende (Brazilian percussion) Adam Rudolph (hand drums, cajon & percussion)
10 pm - Speak in Tones - Bai Koro Kouyate (tama) Bala Koro Kouyate (balafon) Yakouba Sissoko (dusu'ngoni) Daniel Moreno (percussion)

10/12 Wednesday
8 pm - Full Moon -Badal Roy (tabla) Steve Gorn (bansuri bamboo flute, soprano saxophone) Kenny Wessel (guitar) Daniel Moreno (pecussion)
10 pm - Jai Uttal and Friends
Jai Uttal (vocal, harmonium) Steve Gorn (bansuri bamboo flute, soprano saxophone) Charlie Burnham (violin and mandolin) Daniel Paul (tabla)


10/13 Thursday
8 pm - Invocation: Mu with Joe Chambers (marimba, vibraphone, drums) Adam Rudolph (handrumset,, percussion, voice)
10 pm- Cameron Brown presents "Don in Copenhagen, March '66."
Dave Ballou (trumpet, cornet and flugelhorn) Jason Rigby (tenor and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet) Tony Jefferson (drums and cymbals) Cameron Brown (bass)


10/14 Friday
8 and 10 pm $20
Hassan Hakmoun: Gift of the Gnawa
Hassan Hakmoun (vocal, sintir) Brahim Fribgane (dumbek, guitar) Adam Rudolph (cajon, hand drums)
Graham Haynes (cornet) special guest at 8 pm
Vishal Vaid (ghazal vocalist) special guest at 10 pm

10/15 Saturday
8 and 10 pm
Adam Rudolph's Moving Pictures
Graham Haynes (cornet) Steve Gorn (bansuri bamboo flute, soprano saxophone), Brahim Fribgane (oud, dumbek, vocal, percussion) Shanir Blumenkrantz (bass, oud) Tani Tabbal (drums, percussion) Adam Rudolph (handrumset, percussion, voice)


10/16 Sunday
8 pm & 10 pm - "Don Cherry's Gifts "
Bill Dixon (trumpet(s)) and (im)possible surprises
Henry Grimes (bass) and (im)possible surprises
$2O ($15 for elders & students) or $35 for both sets ($25 for elders & students).

"From the time he was a very young man, Don Cherry was one of the greatest pioneers of our music, and he always will be. A magnificent musical aesthete, his gifts led many other musicians in that category to develop and display their own natural gifts. I and many others are forever indebted to Don Cherry. His music continues to live in us all." -- With love and respect, Henry Grimes
"I met Don shortly after he came to NY with Ornette. While I never knew him as well as I would have liked, his work on the instrument served as a repository of information and a source of inspiration. In my opinion, Don's best work has to be included with the work of the innovational performers on the instrument." -- Bill Dixon




0000 The Stone is located at the NW corner of Avenue C & 2nd Street
Performances take place at 8 & 10pm from Tuesday - Sunday nights
There are no advance tickets, first come, first served, there is no phone
There is no food or beverage served, just a serious listening environment
Admission for each set is $10., unless otherwise indicated
Check out the website for The Stone at thestonenyc.com


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Friday & Saturday October 7 & 8, 2005
At The CLEMENTE SOTO VELEZ, MILAGRO THEATER (107 Suffolk St. at Rivington) 7:30pm
Dance Words Speak Peace
DANCE & MUSIC BY PATRICIA NICHOLSON
Structured Improvised score for dance/music by Patricia Nicholson
Dance by Yoshiko Chuma, K.J. Holmes, Patricia Nicholson
Music by Billy Bang, violin & Joe Morris, bass, guitar
Video animation by Bob Craddock
Art is a healing response to the world. It speaks from and to the intuitive in all of us. But Art does not deal with the literal. It deals with the Intuitive" - Patricia Nicholson


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NOW THAT DEE POP ENDED HIS FREESTYLE SERIES AT CBGBS, HE'S BACK WITH A NEW CONTINUING PROGRAM..

Begining in Oct...The Listen Loud Series:
Every Sunday from 7pm - 9pm
5C CAFE (5th street & Avenue C, NYC)
$5 admission for all shows

October Program 1: features 5 different pianists accompanied by the rhythm section of Reuben Radding and Dee Pop

Oct 9 - Kris Davis

Oct 16 - Ursel Schlicht

Oct 23 - Dan Dechellis

Oct 30 - Judith Berkson (piano and vocals)


November Program 2 features the music of guitarist Dom Minasi. He will be accompanied by Borah Bergman, Perry Robinson, Tomas Ulrich, Ken Filiano and Jackson Krall

December Program 3 will host electronic sets by Lukas Ligetti, Adam Lane, Yvette (Birdbrain) & Mike (DMG), Matt Hannafin and Chaos Butterfly (feat: Joanthan Segel of Camper Van Beethoven) please stay tuned for further details!


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TONIC is located at 107 Norfolk St. (bet. Rivington & Delancey Sts.), around the corner from the F train at Delancey. Here are some recommended sets for this week:


Fri Oct 7th-
8pm - DAVE BURRELL & BILLY MARTIN DUO! Dave Burrell is one the heaviest of all free-jazz pianists and Billy Martin one of downtown's best drummers!


Tues Oct 11th-
MATT SHIPP & STEVE DALACHINSKY PLUS ASSIF TSAHAR, JIM BLACK & MAT MANERI


Mon Oct 17th- 8pm
TOBIAS DELIUS QUARTET W/ TOBIAS DELIUS (TENOR SAX), TRISTAN HONSINGER (CELLO), VALDI KOLLI (BASS) & HAN BENNINK (DRUMS)
This is an all-star off-shoot qt. from the ICP Orchestra - you know they are gonna be great!


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AACM NEW YORK CHAPTER PRESENTS:

THE REGGIE NICHOLSON PERCUSSION TRIO w/ D.D. JACKSON & ELI FOUNTAIN!
THE ROSCOE MITCHELL TRIO w/ JARIBU SHAHID & TANI TABBAL!

Friday October 7th at 8pm at The Community Church of NY - 40 E. 35th St. (bet. Madison & Park Aves.)


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TEXT OF LIGHT with WILLIAM HOOKER, LEE RANALDO, CHRISTIAN MARCLAY, ALAN LICHT & ULRICH KRIEGER at The Kitchen -512 W. 19th St. at 8:30 - Thur & Fri Oct 6th & 7th - Oct. 7th special guests: ZEENA PARKINS & MARINA ROSENFELD!


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ROULETTE at Location One - 20 Greene St. (between Canal and Grand St) - For more info on each artist, check out: http://www.roulette.org


Fri Oct 7th-
PHIL FRIED & COREY DARGEL


Sat Oct 8th-
Eric Nauman & Douglas Cohen
David Means & Steve Goldstein


Sun Oct 9th-
INSTRUMENTS OF COLOR / AUTUMN CEREMONIES
Jerome Cooper & William Parker!
Jerome Cooper - cherimia, balaphon, keyboards; William Parker - double reeds, doson ngoni, bass shakuhachi


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BOBBY FEW AND CHRIS CHALFANT PIANO DUO!
Friday, October 7, 7PM
Faust Harrison Pianos Concert Hall
205 W. 58th St @7th Ave - 718-748-0484


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"WHITNEY LIVE" with DJ SPOOKY, PRINT & TILT - Friday October 7th at 7pm at The Whitney Museum of American Art (Madison Ave. at 75th St.) is giving the Metropolitan Museum some competition as a concert venue-an appropriate move, since Gertrude Whitney was a major supporter of the "ultra-modern" composers of the nineteen-twenties. The rock band Print, the horn group Tilt, along with the headliner, mix-master DJ Spooky, will present their versions of VarØse's "Ionisation" and "Hyperprism" and Ruggles's "Angels," among other works.


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Click this link for upcoming FREE INSTORES at DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY [NYC]


Click this link for upcoming events at THE STONE [NYC]

Click this for upcoming events at BOWERY POETRY CLUB [NYC]

Click this link for events at TONIC [NYC]