DMG NEWSLETTER FOR APRIL 28TH, 2006 DEREK BAILEY MEMORIAL FESTIVAL (MAY, 2006) & VISION FESTIVAL 2006 (JUNE 13-18) SCHEDULES NOW ANNOUNCED! ANOTHER AMAZING WEEK of NEW DISCS from MARC DUCRET TRIO, HOWARD RILEY SOLOS, BENNY MAUPIN'S RETURN (!), FOUR RARE JAPO REISSUES: ELTON DEAN QUINTET, GLOBE UNITY ORCH, GUY-WATTS-WACHSMANN-STEVENS QT & MAL WALDRON'S ELECTRIC QUARTET!

HERB ROBERTSON-FRANK GRATKOWSKI TRIO, BEN ALLISON, ADRIAN BELEW, SONNY SIMMONS, THE MP-THREE (MIKE PRIDE, MARY HALVORSON & TREVOR DUNN), ROY NATHANSON,

POLWECHSEL, PHILL NIBLOCK, HENRI POUSSEUR, SUPERMODEL (BRAND, SHIURBA, SPERRY, ROBAIR & PERKIS), CHES SMITH, SHOT X SHOT, DESIRING MACHINE, PAUL HARTSAW TENTET,

PLUS HISTORIC DISCS FROM JOE McPHEE SURVIVAL UNIT, WARNE MARSH, ALLEN GINSBERG, THE DEVIANTS, LASWELL/NAMLOOK'S PSYCHO III, SWELL MAPS, LUCIO BATTISTI, RANDY HOLDEN, ERKIN KORAY, LIZZY MERCIER DESCLOUX, ORIENTAL SUNSHINE & SOUTHERN COMFORT (w/ BIG WALTER HORTON & MARTIN STONE)!


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WE WILL BEGIN SELLING ADVANCE PASSES ON MAY 1st FOR

THE NYC 'VISION FESTIVAL FOR PEACE' June 12 - 18, 2006

Advance Passes $28 per night or $133 for Advance 'Entire Festival' Pass

A Separate Email from us will go out this weekend with exact details on how to purchase...SEE THE INCREDIBLE SCHEDULE AT THE END OF THIS NEWSLETTER!


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...AND, SPEAKING OF IMMINENT ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE SCHEDULES, READ THE LIST OF MOMENTOUS ONE-TIME ONLY PERFORMANCES AT
'THE STONE' IN NYC DURING THE MONTH OF MAY TO COMMEMORATE THE PASSING OF DEREK BAILEY

DON'T MISS THESE GIGS!

[schedule at end of newsletter]


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WE RECEIVED THIS EMAIL RECENTLY..

"
Congress is selling out the Internet

Hi,

Do you buy books online, use Google, or download to an Ipod? These activities will be hurt if Congress passes a radical law that gives giant corporations more control over the Internet.

Internet providers like AT&T and Verizon are lobbying Congress hard to gut Network Neutrality, the Internet's First Amendment. Net Neutrality prevents AT&T from choosing which websites open most easily for you based on which site pays AT&T more. Amazon.com doesn't have to outbid Barnes & Noble for the right to work more properly on your computer.

Politicians don't think we are paying attention to this issue. Many of them take campaign checks from big telecom companies and are on the verge of selling out to people like AT&T's CEO, who openly says, "The internet can't be free."

The free and open Internet is under siege--can you sign this petition letting your member of Congress know you support preserving Network Neutrality? Click here:

http://www.civic.moveon.org/save_the_internet

A list of all the ways you might be affected by Net Neutrality is located on the bottom of this link:
http://civic.moveon.org/alerts/savetheinternet.html

Thanks!
"
[Obviously, valid signatures for this particular petition can only come from U.S. citizens, or U.S. residents with voting privileges]

WE CERTAINLY THINK THIS BRINGS UP IMPORTANT ISSUES TO CONSIDER...MORE IMPORTANT THAN JUST THAN JUST UNFAIR COMPETITON AMONGST RETAILERS (WHICH OBVIOUSLY WOULD AFFECT GREATLY THE ABILITY OF DMG TO SURVIVE)...

HELL! IT WOULD AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN BEING PRESENTED WITH AND/OR SIGNING ANY PETITIONS OF ANY KIND!...

AND GREATLY INCREASE THE ABILITY OF PRIVATE CORPORATIONS TO AFFECT AND CONTROL THIS LATEST & BEST FRONTIER OF DEMOCRATIC EQUALITY

- AS ALWAYS, BEFORE PUTTING YOUR NAME TO ANY PETITION, YOU SHOULD SPEND SOME TIME LOOKING AROUND FOR INDEPENDENT SOURCES OF INFORMATION WHICH CONFIRM THE CLAIMS AND MOTIVES OF THE HOST SITE IN WANTING YOUR SIGNATURE..

AND, ALTERNATELY, BE AWARE THAT THERE IS A LOT OF PUBLICITY AT MAJOR NEWSITES FOSTERED BY THE P.R. DEPARTMENTS OF MAJOR CORPORATIONS TRYING TO DOWNPLAY THIS PROBLEM AND THEIR POSSIBLE ROLE IN IT.

By the way, AS FURTHER PROOF OF MAJOR ON-LINE PROVIDERS TRYING TO CONTROL WHERE YOU VISIT, YOU WILL FIND THAT SITES LIKE MSN HOTMAIL WON'T PUT YOU THROUGH TO THEM EVEN WHEN YOU CLICK YOUR PERMISSION! YOU WILL HAVE TO CUT & PASTE THE URL INTO A NEW WINDOW.


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AND, FOR A BIT OF COMIC RELIEF..

"EVERYBODY'S SMOKED ROT"

WE RECEIVED THIS LINK FROM SEVERAL TRUSTED FRIENDS -JUST REMEMBER TO HAVE YOUR SPEAKERS ON WHEN CLICKING IT

http://decider.cf.huffingtonpost.com

FOOL ON THE HILL, INDEED!


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AND NOW, THIS WEEKS AMAZING RELEASES...

MARC DUCRET TRIO with BRUNO CHEVILLON/ERIC ECHAMPARD - Live #2: Katowice/Pont de la Croix (self produced; France) "L"ampleur des degats" was recorded at Le Menteur in Katowice in June of 2005, while "Tarot" was recorded in 2004 at Pont de la Croix in France. This is the third fine CD from French guitar great Marc Ducret's fabulous trio with Bruno Chevillon on contrabass, Eric Echampard on drums and Mr. Ducret on electric guitar. His last self-produced trio disc is now sadly out-of-print, although his first trio disc on Tim Berne's Screwgun label is back in print.
This is a monster trio, tight, rambunctious and always exciting. They perform three epic-length pieces here, two at about 17-minutes and one at 25 minutes. The first untitled piece has the bass and drums playing their complex lines together as Marc solos spectacularly around and tightly with them. The piece blends jazz, blues and rock into one seamless brew. Marc takes a long and somewhat twisted solo that keeps changing as it moves through different sections. Perhaps a bit of Chet Atkins or some other inventive
country/jazz/rock/fusion hybrid is taking place here. Bassist, Bruno Chevillon, who plays his acoustic bass through some distortion pedals & other devices matches Marc for inventiveness, dynamics and has lots of ideas. In many ways this reminds me of Altered States, whose tight and ever-changing fusion/improvisations never cease to astound. This music is way too tight to be completely improvised, but who really knows. Drummer, Eric Echampard, is all nothing short of amazing as he constantly shifts between various changing sections of each piece. The third piece starts slowly, with a sly, cool groove. The guitar and bass switch roles time and again, playing tightly together, then around one another and then tossing ideas back and forth. When the bassist solos midway he plays ever so quietly with the drummer also playing skeletally. Even when Marc uses his distortion pedal, he just uses it for one freer solo section before they launch off once more for some super-tight and twisted, fusion-like insanity. An incredible, ever-inventive trio that should keep guitar freaks, fusion fan-addicts and everyone else feeling great! - BLG
CD $16 (limited edition of a few hundred with simple hand-made covers)

HOWARD RILEY - Two is One (Emanem 4127; UK) For his first overdubbed piano recording in 25 years, Riley recorded one part as if he were playing a solo, then immediately overdubbed a second part while the first was still fresh in his mind. The end result is nine duo improvisations, plus a jazz tribute to Monk. Howard Riley remains one of the best modern jazz pianists to emerge from the British scene since his first trio discs on CBS/UK in the late sixties with Barry Guy & Alan Jackson or Tony Oxley.
CD $20


THE BENNIE MAUPIN ENSEMBLE - Penumbra (Cryptogramophone 129; USA) Featuring Bennie Maupin on bass clarinet, tenor & soprano saxes, flute & piano, Darek Oleszkiewicz on bass, Daryl Munyungo Jackson on percussion and Michael Stephans on drums. It was beautiful to meet the great Bennie Maupin last week at our store, thanks to our Ryko rep, Rob Teft, and Jeff Gauthier, head of Crypto. Bennie is one of the greats, he plays on many of my favorite jazz records of all time. From Miles Davis' 'Bitches Brew' to the Herbie Hancock Sextet's incredible electric records ('Crossings', 'Mwandishi' & 'Sextant') to work with Lee Morgan, Horace Silver & McCoy Tyner.
Mr. Maupin's sly and distinctive bass clarinet is at the center of many of the pieces on this superb disc. Right from the opening tune, "Neophilia", we know we are in store for something special. As the quartet plays this hypnotic, repeating groove, Bennie's haunting bass clarinet speaks in tongues. Bassist, Darek "Oles" holds down the bottom with that fine constant throb. On a tune called "Walter Bishop Jr.", Bennie's tenor sizzles with somber tension, his tone, warm and sublimely hypnotic. Although there are percussionists on this disc, both play with delicate restraint, just adding enough subtle spice where needed. Each piece seems to deal with a different mood or vibe and each one has a memorable theme. Bennie's flute & bass clarinet and Darek's bowed bass sound perfect together on "Mirror Image", which is a most apt title. I love the way Bennie's bass clarinet evokes the swagger of Lester Young's tenor on "Message to Prez". So gentle and so fine. Darek's superb double bass and Bennie's bass clarinet swirl around one another quick layers of notes, completing each other's lines as the percussionists spin the groove underneath on "Tapping Things". Bennie plays some excellent solo bass clarinet on "One for Eric Dolphy", the first jazz player to really do incredible things on that same instrument. Bennie was also a member of Herbie Hancock's (funky) Headhunters and get a chance to stretch out on soprano while the rhythm team plays this infectious groove on all acoustic instruments for a change. I dig the way Bennie writes these pieces that are both complex and laid back at the same time, songs that seamlessly blend funky elements with complicated changes. Mr. Maupin brings things to a close on "Equal Justice" by playing some gorgeous, melancholy piano. He uses a minimum of notes and makes each one count with an exquisite, haunting late night melody that is quite touching. A perfect ending for a most enchanting disc. - BLG
CD - $16


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WE USUALLY DON'T PUT REISSUES NEAR THE TOP OF THE NEWSLETTER BUT WHEN SPECTACULAR RECORDINGS FROM ECM'S SISTER LABEL 'JAPO' FIND THEIR WAY ONTO CD IT IS CERTAINLY A MOMENTOUS EVENT...
OF COURSE, ONLY IN JAPAN, friends...WE HAVE LIMITED QUANTITIES & LIKELY WON'T EVER HAVE THESE TO OFFER THESE AGAIN, SO... WHY WAIT?!?

ELTON DEAN QUINTET With KEITH TIPPETT/MARC CHARIG/MARCIO MATTOS/LOUIS MOHOLO - Boundaries (JAPO/UCCE 9074; Japan) Previously unreleased-on-CD from the JAPO/ECM label! Beautifully produced by Elton Dean and Steve Lake at recording sessions of February 1980 Elton Dean alto & saxello; Keith Tippett piano and marimba; Marc Charig cornet; Marcio Mattos bass; Louis Moholo drums
"Oh, I've been waiting for this a lo-o-o-ng time! One of the Crown Jewels [admittedly there are many - Ninesense, Isipingo, Tippett's Ark] of the British Jazz/Dean-Tippett-Moholo axis! There just aren't ENOUGH THUMBS UP TO INDICATE IT'S TRUE GREATNESS!!!" - MannyLunch
CD $28.

GLOBE UNITY ORCHESTRA [ALEXANDER VON SCHLIPPENBACH/MANFRED SCHOOF/ALBERT MANGELSDORF/STEVE LACY/PAUL RUTHERFORD/PAUL LOVENS/KENNY WHEELER] - Compositions (JAPO/UCCE 9072; Japan) previously unreleased-on-CD from the JAPO/ECM label! Featuring Enrico Rava - trumpet; Kenny Wheeler - trumpet, flugelhorn; Manfred Schoof - trumpet, flugelhorn; Albert Mangelsdorff - trombone; Gunther Christmann - trombone; Paul Rutherford - trombone, euphonium; Steve Lacy - soprano saxophone; Evan Parker - tenor and soprano saxophones; Gerd Dudek - tenor and soprano saxophones, flute; Michel Pilz - bass clarinet; Alexander von Schlippenbach - piano; Bob Stewart - tuba; Buschi Niebergall - bass; Paul Lovens - drums, percussion, etc. "For all those who bought the Japanese CD issue of 'Improvisations' 3 years ago, here' the sister release on CD for the very first time. ONE OF THE SUPERSTAR EXTRAVAGANZAS OF ALL TIME - NOT TO BE PASSED UP [even if you didn't get the first one]! - MannyLunch
CD $28

BARRY GUY With TREVOR WATTS/HOWARD RILEY/JOHN STEVENS - Endgame (JAPO/UCCE 9073; Japan) Previously unreleased-on-CD from the JAPO/ECM label! Barry Guy: double bass; Howard Riley: piano; John Stevens: drums, cornet; Trevor Watts: alto and soprano saxophones. Recorded April 1979 at Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg. "OUTSTANDING in its GREATNESS and NOT TO BE MISSED"! - BLG
CD $28

MAL WALDRON - The Call (JAPO/UCCE 9070; Japan) Previously unreleased-on-CD from the JAPO/ECM label! Featuring Mal Waldron: electric-piano; Jimmy Jackson: organ; Eberhard Weber: electric-bass; Fred Braceful: drums Recorded February 1, 1971, Recorded at Tonstudio Bauer in Ludwigsburg.
"The music of Mal Waldron, as well as that of Paul Bley/Annette Peacock, Music Improvisation Company, Dave Holland, Terje Rypdal, et al, kicked-started ECM/JAPO records as a home for pioneering jazz in the '70s. This is one of their finest - and rarest - offerings!"
CD $28


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SONNY SIMMONS - Live At Rive De Gier [ltd ed of 70 copies] (Hello World 01) Rhino Jazz Festival, October 17, 2001. Solo alto sax.
Sonny left us with only 4 copies...
CD $20


HERB ROBERTSON & THE SPACE CADETS with FRANK GRATKOWSKI & JULIAN PETIT - Sketches From The Other Side, For A.I. (Ruby Flower 01; USA) Featuring Herb Robertson on trumpets & voices, Frank Gratkowski on alto sax, clarinet & voices and Julien Petit on saxes.
"Sketches are part of every entity alive. Just like in the music world, a sketch represents another term, another way, another side. I must confess that when I first listened to the music Herb created for me, I was amazed by ...his other side. Now, I have the confirmation that Herb never plays the same, he is truly an innovator. The compositions and voices that Herb creates with his cornet and trumpet as a leader and the bright touch of lyricism that Frank Gratkowski on saxes and clarinets and Julien Petit on saxes deliver in exchange, totally filled my passion for free jazz. That said, I'm just too proud to offer to our audiences our first CD totally avant-garde!
The photography input of Raymond Clement, the design work of Julio Villar, the cooperation of Jang Linster and Aaron Baustert and as well as the enormous support from our friends on this musical adventure prove once again that music and emotions can get transformed into sonic or printed images and that life is a sweet suite of images walking always together. Thank you! Improvisation is just...life. - Ana Isabel Ordonez, February 2006
"I am not familiar with Julian Petit, but Herb Robertson never ceases to amaze me on whatever trumpet or disc he is playing on. Frank Gratkowski is another wonderful musician who seems to keep quite bust playing with numerous bands with Michiel Braam, Gerry Hemingway, Achim Kaufman, Simon Nabatov and Michael Moore. This is Herb's new label, hooray for Herb Robertson! " - BLG
CD $14


SUPERMODEL SUPERMODEL [GAIL BRAND/TIM PERKIS/GINO ROBAIR/JOHN SHIURBA/MATTHEW SPERRY] - Supermodel Supermodel (Emanem 4126; UK) Featuring GAIL BRAND (trombone), TIM PERKIS (laptop), GINO ROBAIR (percussion, etc), JOHN SHIURBA (electric guitar) MATTHEW SPERRY (double bass, etc)]. 13 pieces recorded during three visits that Gail Brand made to the San Francisco area. Duo, trio, quartet and quintet free improvisations. As Gino Robair says: "The music on this CD is an excellent example of what I like most about free improvisation: that musicians can meet for the first time and, without much more than a simple introduction, make exciting and unusual music."
CD $20


[MIKE PRIDE/MARY HALVORSON/TREVOR DUNN] THE MPTHREE - Sleep Cells [ltd ed; 200 #'d copies] (Utech 036; USA) Finally we have a document of one of New York's underground treasures, Mike Pride's barnstorming post-jazz power trio with archtop electric guitarist Mary Halvorson and contrabassist Trevor Dunn. With the countless other projects these three musicians pursue, The MPThree has sometimes languished in the background, but this vividly-recorded live set from November, 2003 captures Pride in peak form as a drumkitter and a composer and offers a much-needed slice of the stupendous fractured jazz-rock attack that Halvorson and Dunn mastered on Trio Convulsant's Sister Phantom Owl Fish (one of the most elegant, sublime, and visceral albums I've ever heard and the crowning achievement of their careers, at least so far!). While Pride is cozy in musical situations ranging across punk, death metal, avant-prog, free jazz, and FMP-style free improv, I think his real forte is revealed here, a kind of playful groove deconstructionism a la Jim Black with an aggressive punkish edge. While the compositional style is quite different for each group, there's no question that this will hit the same pleasure buttons (e.g. bristling, jagged, spiky, fast-changing, uncluttered, energetic, melodic, etc) as Trio Convulsant, the Nels Cline Trio, and the Marc Ducret Trio. In other words, yes, this is the hot stuff (with one excursion into light-heartedness and another into textural noise). Be advised that it's is a limited edition of 200 copies that will probably disappear overnight. The trio has seen some recent activity with Ken Filiano replacing Trevor Dunn, so hopefully we'll hear some of that one day too. - Michael Anton Parker
CD $12


BEN ALLISON - Cowboy Justice (Palmetto; USA) Featuring Ben Allison on bass & acoustic guitar, Ron Horton on trumpet & flugelhorn, Steve Cardenas on electric & acoustic guitar and Jeff Ballard on drums. This is a departure for bassist/composer Ben Allison with a smaller group than usual, a quartet that rocks. Ben has written some new songs as well as rearranging some older ones. A few of the new songs were inspired by the dastardly deeds of the Bush administration and the liner notes include criticism of these evil politicians. The opening piece is called "Tricky Dick", named after the new Dick (Cheney). This tune has a sunny, jazz/rock groove and tasty guitar from Steve Cardenas. Ron Horton's exquisite flugelhorn is featured on "Talking Heads", which has an odd hypnotic twist by tapping an acoustic guitar repeatedly with a hardwood doll, as well as some tricky rhythm section work underneath. I really dig the shuffle/reggae-like groove on "Hey Man", which also features some sublime guitar and trumpet work and a soulful bass solo. "Emergency" is a twisted sort of blues tune led by the bass, with shifting rhythms and a fine, quietly distorted guitar solo from Mr. Cardenas, as Mr. Horton's trumpet sails above. John Barry's film theme for "Midnight Cowboy" seems like an odd choice, yet it does get a lovely rendition and feels like a reprieve from anger and frustration buried within the other songs on this disc. "Weazy" reminds me of those country-ish tunes that Bill Frisell specializes in, it features some lovely picking from Steve's el. guitar. "Ruby's Roundabout" is a haunting lullaby for Ben's daughter, with more sublime flugel from Ron and Ben on acoustic guitar. There is some superb interplay between Ben's bass and Steve's throughout this fine disc, especially on the final piece, "Blabbermouth", where drum wiz Jeff Ballard plays a short, great solo and kicks Ron's feisty trumpet into the stratosphere interweaving so well with Steve's superb guitar. The striking cover has Ben Allison wearing a yellow & red paper suit with musical notes on it and a metal sculpture ladder with pictures, branches and an Arabian dollar attached, which seems to sending out some mixed signals. Rather appropriate for the troubling times we are all living in. - BLG
CD $15


ROY NATHANSON - Sotto Voce (AUM 37; USA) An extraordinary album manifest by the sheer grace of will toward beautiful expression, and that is achieved above and beyond here by Roy Nathanson-alto, soprano, text, vocals / Sam Bardfeld-violin, singing / Curtis Fowlkes-trombone, singing / Tim Kiah-bass, singing / Napoleon Maddox-human beatbox, singing.
"Sotto Voce is the brand new concept/group/album from the extraordinarily gifted, and wide-open mind of saxophonist/composer/songwriter Roy Nathanson. The group features his fellow Jazz Passengers Curtis Fowlkes and Sam Bardfeld, along with 'wunderkind' bassist/singer Tim Kiah and human beat-box/singer Napoleon Maddox of the Cincinnati hip-hop/jazz outfit Is what?! The album features six infectious new songs and/or stories by Nathanson, as well as an interpolation of Bobby Hebb's mid-'60s R&B/pop smash 'Sunny' and a gorgeous reading of great jazz composer Rahsaan Roland Kirk's 'The Inflated Tear' with new lyrics by Roy Nathanson. Roy Nathanson has spent the last 25 years composing and performing free & post-bop jazz with/for an assortment of odd punk, world and 'new' music projects coming out of the downtown NYC scene. He and Curtis Fowlkes formed the Jazz Passengers in the late '80s, mostly with members of John Lurie's late-period Lounge Lizards."
CD $14



NEW RELEASES [AND 3 SEMINAL REISSUES] FROM HAT ART!!!

POLWECHSEL [WERNER DAFELDEDECKER/JOHN BUTCHER/MICHAEL MOSER/BURKHARD BEINS/MARTIN BRANDLMAYR] - Archives Of The North (Hatology 633; Switzerland) The Polwechsel project has been exponential in defining new approaches to the composition/improvisation paradigm and in doing so have created a music that defined, examined and radically reassessed its own genre. Each phase of Polwechsel has been marked by a defining document and the releases of their recordings have frequently book-ended trends and movements in improvisational and experimental music. Polwechsel has had a direct and profound influence on the agenda of a genre coined 'electro-acoustic improvisation' for example. On Archives Of The North, Polwechsel has switched again. The unit has transformed itself by adding the two percussionists, and these works all deal the application of percussion as centrifuge. This is a generative music which stems and blooms from a controlled and deliberate structural center. This work ascends from common notions of musicality and sound production, where obliteration, feedback and the extraneous are emancipated into a fully blown dialect that could be defined as expanded technique. - Dean M. Roberts
CD $20

CHRIS WEISENDANGER/CHRISTIAN WEBER/DIETER ULRICH [WWU] - We Concentrate (Hatology 626; Switzerland) Featuring Chris Wiesendanger piano, Christian Weber double bass & Dieter Ulrich drums. When a piano trio plays 'Great American Songs', it is usually like a more or less amusing party with old friends. WWU, however, are different. Their interpretations of standards are actually downright metamorphoses. The compositions by Cole Porter, George Gershwin and Victor Young have been subjected to an extensive, though never malicious transformation process. Nevertheless, the basic substance of the pieces their DNA, so to speak, or intense flavour, as Ulrich puts it will always remain intact. With reference to the French philosopher Deleuze, Wiesendanger explains that the point is to create a foreign language out of a mother-tongue. Uncovering the unfamiliar in the well-known, WWU do not content themselves with exploring the songs' beautiful surface, but delve into the psyche, so to speak, and coax secrets out of them nobody even knew about before: Stella on the couch. Just as much as the three musicians like to explore things they also enjoy playing, so they do a musical backward somersault every now and then, with a big wink of course, and try to outmatch each other in swinging. - Tom Gsteiger
CD $20

NORIKO HISADA - Prognostication (hat [now] 163; Switzerland) I'm Japanese and write music the same way other people do!" she disarmingly remarks as we talk about any possible connections to the Japanese music tradition ... Noriko Hisada does not let herself be pinned down as to whether or not Japanese tradition clashes with the Western dominance of the music establishment. Only the first impression of her music sounds like Western European New Music that does not reject tonality and follows strict methods of musical organization.
In addition, there is Hisada's predilection for extended as well as microtonal melodic patterns and her antenna for the dramaturgy of extremes. Toru Takemitsu, the most renowned Japanese composer of the 20th century, once took a critical view of the "Japanisation" of the avant-garde and made a statement that could apply to Noriko Hisada too: in the painful tension between East and West all one can do is to find oneself and deal with the irreconcilable by way of one's compositions. - Corinne Holtz
CD $20

WARNE MARSH - Ne Plus Ultra (Hatology 603; Switzerland) It's hard to understand why Warne Marsh was so neglected during his lifetime. It's harder still to substantiate the charges with which his music was branded cerebral, cold, unemotional, uninvolving. This album alone, one of his best, should been enough to put such absurd slurs to rest. The music on Ne Plus Ultra is intimate, warm, passionate, risky. There is much beauty to be shared. - Art Lange
CD $20

JOE McPHEE SURVIVAL UNIT II With CLIFFORD THORNTON - N.Y.N.Y. 1971 at WBAI's Free Music Store (Hatology 624; Switzerland) Featuring Byron Morris, Mike Kull, Harold E Smith Producers note: I first heard these tapes during my visit to the U.S.A. in 1974. The occasion was my first meeting with Joe McPhee and Craig Johnson of CJR Records. That meeting and the impact the music of these and other unreleased tapes had on me, are the reason I became a record producer. Originally this release was planed for 1988 on LP's. Due the rapid rise of the CD medium, the original plan was postponed and was eventually forgotten. 1996, 25 years later, this music/concert has been made available in a limited edition for the collectors of Joe McPhee's creations. 2006, 35 years later, this newly re-mastered version is the sole release to celebrate the 30th year of Hat Hut Records. - Werner X. Uehlinger
CD $20

PAULINE OLIVEROS - The Roots Of The Moment (Hatology 591; Switzerland) For more than 50 years, Pauline Oliveros has been on a continuing mission: "... to explore new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before." If those words bring to mind the voyages of the Starship Enterprise from the television series Star Trek, the parallels are more than coincidental. In fact Pauline would be as able a captain of any Starship in the fleet of the United Federation of Planets. A bit of a difference here though, for Pauline Oliveros, space is not necessarily the final frontier and the barrier at the end of the universe is just another interesting challenge. For Pauline Oliveros, like Sun Ra, "Space is the place." - Joe McPhee
CD $20


PHILL NIBLOCK - Touch Three [3 CD set] (Touch 69; UK) This is Phill Niblock's third release on the Touch label. Phill Niblock is a New York-based minimalist composer and multi-media musician and director of Experimental Intermedia, a foundation born in the flames of 1968's barricade hopping. He has been a maverick presence on the fringes of the avant garde ever since. In the history books Niblock is the forgotten Minimalist. His influence has had more impact on younger composers such as Susan Stenger, Lois V. Vierk, David First, and Glenn Branca. Touch Three is minimalism in the classic sense of the word, if that makes sense. Niblock constructs big 24-track digitally-processed monolithic microtonal drones, and the result is sound without melody or rhythm. Movement is slow, geologically slow. Changes are almost imperceptible, and his music has a tendency of creeping up on you.
The vocal pieces are like some of Ligeti's choral works, but a little more phased. He says: "What I am doing with my music is to produce something without rhythm or melody, by using many microtones that cause movements very, very slowly." These nine pieces were made from March 2003 to January 2005. They were all made (except "Sax Mix") by recording a single instrument with a single microphone. The recordings were direct to the computer/hard disk, most of them using a Powerbook G4, Pro Tools, an M-box and an external firewire drive. The resulting mono sound files were edited to remove breathing spaces, leaving the natural decay of the tone, and the attack of the subsequent iteration of the same tone. Each note was represented by several repetitions, perhaps ten for each tone, of about 15 seconds duration each. Each piece uses a few tones. A simple chord, perhaps. Additional microtonal intervals were produced in Pro Tools using pitch shift. The pieces were assembled in multitracks, usually either 24 or 32 tracks. The recording environment varied from a simple apartment in Berlin (Ulrich Krieger's) to a very large hall used for symphony orchestra performances and recordings, with a sizable audience space. The recordings were generally done quite closely miked. One hears only the sound of the instrument. There is no electronic manipulation in the recording, the editing of the tones, or in the mix. The only changes to the recorded tones are the pitch shifts to create microtones...the microtones are doing the work.
3 CD for $22

HENRI POUSSEUR - Musique Mixte 1966-1970 (Sub Rosa 231; Belgium) This is the fourth Henri Pousseur CD in Sub Rosa's Early Electronics series, exploring the work of this Belgian theoretician and experimental/avant garde composer. Along with previous releases in this series, Musique Mixte will cover all his electronic music and his most radical works between 1953 and 1988 -- 35 years of research and experiments. These recordings are a continuation of Sub Rosa's earlier releases, namely: Liege a Paris (a piece composed thanks to Luciano Berio and premiered at the grand opening of the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris, in 1977), the 8 etudes Paraboliques box set (over 220 minutes of music realized in Cologne, 1972, at the WDR's studios -- the last etude featuring Stockhausen's participation) and 4 Parabolic Mixes, (four takes on the work by Henri Pousseur himself, Robert Hampson, Philip Jeck and Markus Popp). The two pieces featured on Musique Mixte (voice, pianos, various electro-acoustic devices) are magnum opuses in Pousseur's body of work, though they are seldom heard -- "Jeu de Miroirs de Votre Faust" has been unavailable for a long time, while "Crosses of Crossed Colors" is released here for the first time ever. "Already for 'Couleurs croisees,' my initial idea was to add an amplified voice to the orchestra, a voice that could stand up to it and would clarify and explain the meaning of the piece, in the form of a black Baptist minister-style preach. So, besides the voice ('black,' if possible), we have: five pianos, whose assembled parts re-use almost all the harmonic-rhythmic contents of the orchestral piece." --Henri Pousseur
CD $15


CHES SMITH - Congs For Brums (Free Porcupine Society 15; USA) "Drummer and percussionist for Secret Chiefs 3, Treveor Dunn's Trio-Convulsant, Marc Ribot's Ceramic Dog, 7 Year Rabbit Cycle and Good For Cows. Over the years Smith has performed under the direction of John Zorn, Pauline Oliveros, and Wadada Leo Smith, worked with Tom Waits, Annie Gosfield, Nels Cline, Fred Frith and Ben Goldberg and collaborated with Mr. Bungle, Carla Bozulich and Xiu Xiu. Smith brings his vast and varied experience to the table on Congs for Brums to create a fully unified collection of dark, lyrical percussion pieces.
CD $16

SHOT X SHOT - Shot X Shot (High Two 007;US) From the same diverse label that issued Dave Burrell's Full-Blown Trio disc and Sonic Liberation Front's "Ashe A Go-Go" disc comes another serious avant-jazz gem scooped from the cream of the Philly jazz scene. Shot x Shot is a precocious quartet of young guys finding their place in the tradition of jazz as creative improvised music and not beating a dead bop horse. These are the kind of musicians whose formative influences are 90s jazz peaks like Tim Berne's Bloodcount, Human Feel, New and Used, Tony Malaby's Open Loose, John Zorn's Masada, Thomas Chapin, etc as much as the Ornette Coleman's classic quartet. The game is to write clever charts but let them destabilize in the face of collective improvisation that deals with group dynamics more than individual solo narratives.
Saxophonists Dan Scofield and Bryan Rogers will often nurse slow harmonies while drumkitter Dan Capecchi and contrabassist Matt Engle independently move around at contrasting tempos. Parallel lines drop and in out of alignment. Like so much great avant-jazz, they're always in search of a pulse, but like a cat who's not hungry chasing a mouse, letting it go as easily as they grab it. Capecchi is a restless groove tinkerer in the tradition of Jim Black and Lou Grassi, keeping the rhythms ambiguous while the others work through the logic of long, slow semi-dirges. When the ensemble erupts it feels organic and purposeful; their lanquidity is restraint for the sake of nuance, not a rut for the sake of a concept. It's the kind of jazz where structural experimentalism is matched by an unfailing devotion to melody of the achingly tender, wandering Berne variety even when it works its way into bark and bluster. In his enthusiastic liner notes Francis Davis goes as far as comparing the horn frontline to Konitz/Marsh. The spacious, open feeling is magnified by the recording conditions, a large church with cavernous reverb. I went to see this group play a record release gig last night and they had my rapt attention from start to finish. This record also casts a spell with its bristling tapestry of introspection. These guys have the elusive group chemistry and personal depth that deserves the attention of serious jazz fans. - Michael Anton Parker
CD for $14

DESIRING-MACHINES - Is Heaven Secret? (Metastable Sound 10; USA) Featuring Jim Baker on ARP synth & piano, Paul Hartsaw on soprano & tenor saxes, Anton Hatwich on bass and Brahm Fetterman on percussion. One of the great things about DMG's free Sunday in-store performance series is when even I am knocked out by some local or traveling musicians that I know little about. This past Sunday (4/23/06) was one such set. It featured Clifton Hyde on guitar & mandolin, Paul Hartsaw on soprano & tenor saxes plus a fine percussionist and another guest saxist. The improvisations were pretty far "out" and certainly blew the minds of those in attendance. I know of Clifton, since he has become a customer and friend of the store. The set sounded more like Euro-style free/improv, focused and well done. Chicago based saxist, Paul Hartsaw, really shined.
Which brings us to this quartet CD, recorded in a Chicago studio just one year ago. The only musician I know here is Jim Baker, who has worked with Ken Vandermark and other Chicago players. Baker's ancient ARP synth has an older sold, somewhat like Sun Ra's otherworldly synth excursions. The synth and Paul's saxes work well together swirling around one another like busy bees buzzing around the hive. The bassist and drummer also work well together, spinning in waves when not being more minimal. What I dig about this is that this quartet sounds like they are not coming from the jazz or blues tradition, yet their improvisations are still fresh and creative and free of cliches. When Jim switches to piano on "Is Heaven Secret?", it moves closer to free/jazz, with the quartet spiraling furiously together. I like when they way they play those fractured rhythms on "Eleatic Riddles", balancing some of the more dense and intense sections. In a blindfold test, I would probably guess that this was some of the better (known) free improvisers from England or the rest of Europe. Certainly a compliment to these lesser-known greats. - BLG
CD-R for $10

PAUL HARTSAW TENTET with JEB BISHOP/DAVE REMPIS/CLIFTON HYDE/JIM BAKER - Chicago 2004 (Metastable Sound 08; USA) Featuring Jim Baker on ARP synth & piano, Josh Berman on coronet, Jeb Bishop & Nick Broste on trombones, Clifton Hyde on electronics & Chapman stick, Paul Hartsaw on saxes, Dave Rempis on alto sax, Anton Hatwich on bass and Frank Rosaly on percussion.
2 CD-R Set for $15


ADRIAN BELEW with LES CLAYPOOL/DANNY CAREY - Side Three (Sanctuary; USA) The final chapter of Adrian Belew's trilogy sums up one of the most ambitious musical journeys in recent memory. Once again joined by Danny Carey (Tool) and Les Claypool (Primus) Side Three is the final piece of the saga and follows a 2005 Grammy nomination for best rock instrumental performance for Beat Box Guitar from the Side One album.
CD $16



5 NEW RELEASES ON THE 'pfMENTUM' LABEL... Reviews Next Week

MICHAEL VLATKOVICH With ROB BLAKESLEE/JEFF KAISER - Across 36 Continents (pfMentum 030) Featuring Michael Vlatkovich-Trombone & Percussion; Rob Blakeslee -Trumpet/Flugelhorn; Jeff Kaiser -Trumpet; Jill Torberson - French Horn; Michael Powers - Bass Trombone; Mark Weaver-Tuba; Rich Halley-Tenor Saxophone; Kurt Peterson-Alto Saxophone/Tenor Saxophone; Alan Lechusza-Bass Clarinet; Chris Lee-Drum Set/Vibes/Percussion; Mark Weber-Narrator.
CD $12

ELLEN BURR With STEUART LIEBIG/ANDREW PASK - Duos (pfMentum 034) Ellen Burr: Flutes. Duos with [variously] Sara Schoenbeck: Bassoon; Jeanette Kangas: Percussion; Andrew Pask: Clarinet; Steuart Liebig: Contrabass Guitar
CD $12

THE CHOIR BOYS [JEFF KAISER/ANDREW PASK] With G E STINSON & STEUART LIEBIG - The Choir Boys With Strings (pfMentum 037) Jeff Kaiser: Trumpet, Quarter-Tone Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Electronics; Andrew Pask: Clarinet, Bass Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Bass Penny Whistle, Electronics. With guests G.E. Stinson: Electric Guitars, Electronics; Steuart Liebig: Contrabass Guitars, Electronics
CD $12

SCOTT FRASER/BRUCE FRIEDMAN - Landscape With Figure (pfMentum 031) Scott Fraser - electric guitar, reverb springs; Bruce Friedman - trumpet
CD $12

ALAN LECHUSZA/CHRISTOPHER ADLER DUO - Mineralia (pfMentum 032) ALAN LECHUSZA e-flat clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano and baritone saxophones, ryuteki; CHRISTOPHER ADLER Piano
CD $12



TOWN AND COUNTRY - Up Above (Thrill Jockey 165; USA) This is the fifth fabulous release by Chicago's wonderful Town and Country quartet. Their personnel includes James Dorling, Benjamin Vida, Liz Payne and Joshua Abrams. Their current instrumentation now consists of autoharp, tambura, harmonium, celeste, karkabas, kalimba, guimbri, mbira, string bass, accordion, mandolin, guitar and assorted percussion. I've following this instrumental band for a while and have enjoyed what I've heard so far, but I must admit that 'Up Above' is their finest moment and one of the year's undiscovered gems. They don't quite sound like anyone else, either. Their music has rich, Eastern, transcendental, quaintly psychedelic feel. They blend various drone instruments (harmonium, tambura, strings) into a mystical hurdy-gurdy-like dreamscape. A jaw-harp (like), kalimba, tambura and subtle percussion float together into a rather hypnotic haze. Urban tribal music or ritual music from the inner-city, this is swell stuff and perfect for the groovy Spring weather that we're having this week. And yes, they even sing (nicely) on one song. - BLG
CD $14

HOWE GELB [GIANT SAND] - 'Sno Angel Like You (Thrill Jockey 167; USA) 'Sno Angel' is an ambitious undertaking with Giant Sand frontman Gelb backed by a full gospel choir, Voices of Praise, as well as Arcade Fire drummer Jeremy Gara. Howe Gelb & his band Giant Sand have been around for more than twenty years and have some 30+ discs out between the two entities. I've been a fan since the beginning (1985), but I certainly haven't gotten (or really need) every disc. This one features mostly Howe on guitar, organ, piano, vocals & songs with Jeremy Gara on drums and the Voice of Praise Gospel Choir, plus a few guests on guitars & bass. Very stripped down, yet just enough to evoke life and its hardships. Howe has a fine, well-worn, laid back voice and writes melancholy, somewhat bluesy roots-rock songs. His lyrics cover earthly concerns, the demons we all fight: worry, fear, getting older, love and the lack of love. I love the way the gospel chorus sounds, singing the truths and observations that Howe lays out. This is the sort of disc that I used to listen to in my car over & over (when I still had a car), sing along and revel in the difficulties of modern life. No doubt, that some of you can relate to this. - BLG
CD $14



RECENT RELEASES REVIEWED BY BLG or MAP...

DAVE DOUGLAS QUINTET - Live at The Bimhuis [2 CD set] (Greenleaf Music P-01) Featuring Dave Douglas on trumpet & compositions, Rick Margitza on tenor sax, Uri Caine on Fender Rhodes electric piano, James Genus on double-bass and Clarence Penn on drums. This is a superbly recorded live double disc containing two sets from the legendary Bimhuis in Amsterdam, where the ICP Orchestra and their offshoot projects often play. This is ace trumpeter, Dave Douglas' amazing electric quintet, with three fine studio discs under their belt, with a couple of different saxist in the frontline. Chris Potter on the first two and Donny McCaslin on the other recent release. Here Dave utilizes the talents of Rick Margitza, someone with whom I'm not familiar, although he has three discs on Challenge and has been compared to Stan Getz in reviews.
On the 'Live at The Bimhuis' two disc set, Dave's mighty quintet gets a chance to stretch out, playing just four or five songs per set. Dave wrote six of the nine songs with selective covers by Rufus Wainwright, Bjork and Beck. The band is in strong shape, burning right from the start with "Penelope", Dave's opening solo quite marvelous. Dave and Rick on tenor sound superb together, both have enchanting tones and create warm, soulful harmonies. Rick takes a spirited, laid back solo with his golden tone and wealth of ideas. The great rhythm team also and flows together organically moving in waves, tight and loose at the same time. "The Infinite" is the title track for one of the previous quintet discs and again Dave, Rick and Uri all play long tasty solos. Rufus Wainwright's "Poses" is a lovely tune. It reminds me of the way Miles chose to do pop songs like Cyndi Lauper's "Time After Time" in the last part of his long career, perhaps as a way to reach out to a larger audience. I like the way Dave follows it with "Caterwaul", which is a short, tight and tricky piece that shifts tempos throughout its entirety. The second set begins with "Waverly", which again has Dave sailing superbly with that incredible rhythm team, all swirling together as one tight force. It sounds as if the group has been on the road for a while as they play together supremely well. Dave's solo is another marvel, making each note count and telling a short story in each song. The great el. piano, acoustic bass and drums rhythm team push Rick to dig deeper and stretch his smooth tone on tenor into darker waters. Uri Caine's incredible electric piano playing is outstanding through, often holding things together as he weaves layers of lines connecting the dynamic duo underneath on bass and drums with both horns who work as one strong, solid team. Dave has quite the perfect band here with two complete sets and superb sound as well. And the price is right. Formerly, only available as a download, now you can own this gem for yourself. Very simple cardboard sleeve packaging. - BLG
2 CD set for $16

CRAWLING WITH TARTS - Grand Surface Noise Opera, Nr. 7 (Pogus 21039; USA) Crawling With Tarts consists of a duo with Michael Gendreau and Suzanne Dycus, from the Bay area. This appears to be their fourth release, although information about them is sketchy. This disc features two long 34+ minute pieces. The first is called, "Ochre Land, Blue Blue Skies". What we hear is distant sounds (samples?) of tinkling percussion and somber electronic buzzing or static. The sounds build slowly, becoming more dense and disturbing as they evolve and expand. The thick electronic sound slowly develops as the static mutates finally mellowing out after 11 minutes. It sounds likes layers of scratchy records and the scraping the needle against the grooves of the vinyl. The static sound are stretched and brittle in places, the overall sound becoming ominous until they finally wind down to metal sheets banging in the winds. Eventually becoming a high-pitched and distant drone.
"The Grand Surface Noise Opera, Nr. 7" begins with eerie drones and toy piano. The toy piano is played and turns into a great groove piece. Again, the electronics get more soup-like at they build, with layers of voices (from a radio?) punctuating mish-mash. The various voices tell different stories or explain different exercises, like language-learning tapes. It gets more dense as it evolves and blends in other streams of static. In some ways this is similar to what Christian Marclay or Otomo do on multiple turntables. Weird scenes in the gold mines, my friends. - BLG
CD for $12

BATTLES - EP C/EP B (Warp) We can add Battles to the short list of bands (e.g. You Fantastic!, Brise Glace, Zar) who've successfully conjured the spirit of This Heat, with anti-narrative undanceable groove fixations and sounds that straddle the boundary of factory machinery and human warmth. In this case, the spirit is filtered through 90s math rock and IDM (including the hypnotic fringes of Plastikman, Clicks 'n Cuts, etc). It's quite non-accidental since Battles is a quartet (John Stanier, David Konopka, Ian Wiliams, and Tyondai Braxton) of drumkit, bass guitar, guitars, keyboards, and samplers with a resume including Helmet, Tomahawk, Don Cabarello, Storm and Stress, and Lynx. The present two-disc release from Warp reissues two EPs, giving each its own disc and a bonus track, totalling a bit over an hour of fairly incredible music with only one misstep (the naive and tedious loops of "Fantasy" that echo Braxton's solo work). The heart of the group is stunning drumkit work with breakbeats and asymmetrical looping beats worthy of Charles Hayward and Jaki Liebezeit, but equal credit goes to the fresh, oblique timbres that almost entirely avoid guitar conventions and presumably owe much to samplers and processing. At times the pointillistic repeating fragments have a vague flavor of horns or electric organs, but they generally retain the detached anonymity of the computer music milieu. The stark, uncluttered textures and insistent rhythms echo a late 70s art-punk sensibility exemplified by Gang of Four, and sometimes feel like PIL at much faster tempos with the ugliness and depravity happily replaced by an emotional neutrality slightly leaning towards the cheerful and upbeat feeling of Stereolab, Philharmonie, etc. This is immersive, visceral, sonically huge, immaculately produced, crystalline music that makes a perfect companion to other elite current ensembles like Zs and Ahleuchatistas exploring different approaches to post-rock loop music. -Michael Anton Parker
2 CD-EP set for $20

TOM VERLAINE - Around (Thrill Jockey 174) Featuring Tom Verlaine on electric guitar, Patrick A. Derivaz on bass and Billy Ficca on drums. Television was the most creative, unique and un-punk-like of all the great bands to emerge from the New York Punk scene centered around CBGB's in the mid-to-late seventies. Their debut record, 'Marquee Moon', is still considered a masterwork, yet sadly they burnt out quickly, released one more record and split up. They have gotten together a few times for reunion gigs, as recently as last year and many are still waiting for the fourth studio disc. What made Television so special was the incredible guitar playing of both Verlaine and Richard Lloyd, both their solos and interplay. Verlaine has recorded a half dozen great solo records throughout the years, with one fine instrumental disc called 'Warm & Cool', which was just re-released last year.
This is Tom Verlaine's second instrumental disc and it features Television drummer Billy Ficca, currently playing in Gary Lucas' Gods & Monsters. Mr. Verlaine has unique tone and approach to playing electric guitar, completely distinctive. 'Around' consists of 16 songs, all but one is under 5 minutes. This music is moody, laid back, spacious, elegant in a most mysterious way. It recalls spaghetti western soundtrack music with a bit of post-surf twang. This music is inventive without being too complex. Tom layers little sounds, using a slide and subtle distortion like selective spice. Often his notes shimmer and are quietly haunting like playful guests at a friend's funeral. There is a feeling of sadness or loneliness in this music, as if we are waiting for something bad to happen. Tom Verlaine does a fine job of helping to forget about things that bother us by providing us with somber mood-scapes to get lost within. - BLG
CD for $14


O SIRHAN, OSIRHAN/ OSOS MAGAZINE - Issue One [70 pages] A rather strange magazine featuring articles on Henry Flynt, tour diary by Deerhoof, Interviews with Animal Collective, Mary Halvorson (from various Braxton units & Trevor Dunn Trio) & 7 Year Rabbit Cycle, drawings by Devendra Banhart, a free CD-R by Oakland's Core Ogg the Coalman plus interviews with folks I've never heard of like Jorge Boehringer & David Waldorf and poetry by Melissa Weinstein & other stuff too weird or obscure to describe. Your move.
70 page magazine for $12




HISTORIC REISSUES & RESTOCKS:

AFTER DINNER [HACO] - Editions: After Dinner/Live Editions (ReR ADCD; UK) After Dinner was the Japanese group from the late 80s, led by vocalist Haco. This reissues their original self-titled ReR studio album from 1984, plus tracks from the live cassette release - recorded from 1986-1990 - that followed, etc.. "...bizarre experimental 3D surround-sound, backwards/sped up/slowed down tape technique (before the days of sampling), complex but charming arrangements featuring a huge cast of Japanese instrumentalists. The influences are many: John Cage, nursery rhymes, cabaret, free-jazz, traditional folk music..."
'Imagine a classical composer writing a gothic symphony for a multi-faceted electronic musician, who in concert was aided by Mayan musicians, a haunting, often operatic singer, & a psychic intermittently channeling the spirits of the dead - that pretty much sums up this fascinating album.''- Goldmine. CD $15

SWELL MAPS - Wastrels and Whippersnappers (Overground Records 108; UK) Swell Maps - proudly primitive, transcending genre barriers from the start of their career, instinctively experimental. These home-recordings bear testament to six teenagers in the mid-1970s displaying their adventurous attitude with confident, unself-conscious glee. Some of the influences come across in odd combinations of glam, krautrock, the scuzzy end of progressive rock and early glimpses of punk.
It shows how ahead of the game they still seem even now in the following century, anticipating punk rock, alt-rock, ambient music(s). One track even seems to use hip-hop techniques! They have been recognized as influences on bands as diverse as Sonic Youth, Blur, Pastels and Pavement. They were even featured on a t-shirt worn by one of the characters in a Gorrillaz video!
On these recordings they have typically made use of trashy fuzz-tone guitars and wild drums, as well as zither, flutes, home-made instruments and found objects. Of the 23 tracks here all but 4 tunes will be new to even rabid Maps collectors. There are early versions here of their second single Dresden Style, as well as Harmony In Your Bathroom, Vertical Slum and Full Moon/Blam, all later to appear on their first album, 'A Trip To Marineville'. They show, too, their irreverent attitude with versions of the National Anthem and the theme tune from the Batman cartoon series. All these performances are previously unreleased, even on bootleg.
CD for $16

MICK FARREN & THE DEVIANTS - #3/Fragments of Broken Probes (Mason 56446; Germany) Two-fer reissue of these two Mick Farren outputs on one CD. #3 was The Deviants third and final album, originally released in 1969. 3 has future Pink Fairies members Paul Rudolph, bassist Duncan Anderson and drummer Russell Hunter on it, and the future influence is definitely felt. Featuring Mick Farren classic wacky vocals, this release is a classic example of underground psychedelia with a punk/blues edge. "Fragments of Broken Probes is an all-encompassing roundup of the myriad nooks and crannies that have punctuated Mick Farren's career since he launched the Deviants in 1966. It is also one of the most essential releases in his entire catalog. Vocals scream, guitars keen, and rhythms race by with speed metal density; though the performance pre-dated punk with barely minutes to spare, Farren's claim to godfatherhood could have no better witness. The earliest tracks date from the dog days of the Deviants in 1968-1969; sound collages, interludes, and a clutch of recent recordings take the story up to 1996 and the group's reinvention as aural terrorists for a new generation."
CD $18

ALLEN GINSBERG - Kaddish: Allen Ginsberg Reads Kaddish A 20th Century American Ecstatic American Narrative Poem (Water 170; USA) This 1966 release was recorded in front of a live audience at Brandeis University in Boston in 1964. Based on the traditional Hebrew mourning prayer ('kaddish'), this poem is dedicated to Ginsberg's mother Naomi, who died in 1956 in a mental hospital. Written in 1958 in one non-stop 40-hour marathon session fueled by dexedrine, a tiny hit of LSD 25, and many cups of coffee, Kaddish stands as an epic testament to Ginsberg's literary talent. Original artwork featuring the cover photo by Richard Avedon. Original liner notes by Ginsberg and new in-depth notes by noted Beat-era scholar and writer Harvey Kubernik. First time on CD!"
CD $15

LUCIO BATTISTI - Amore E Non Amore (Water 171; USA) "Considered one of the greatest Italian songwriters for his ability to reach the primal core of emotional matters, Battisti is held in the same regard in Italy as John Lennon is in the English-speaking world. Aided instrumentally by members of PFM (progressive Italian rockers named oddly enough for a bakery) and guitarist Alberto Radius of Formula Tre, Lucio Battisti made this much-adored 1971 cult masterpiece. Imagine Brazilian psych-pop combo Os Mutantes fronted by Southern soul legend James Carr and you'll get a glimpse of this inexplicably accomplished and adventurous album."
CD $15

BILL LASWELL/PETE NAMLOOK - Psychonavigation 3 (Fax/Ambient World 38; Germany) "This time Laswell and Namlook join forces to produce the soundtrack for a journey through a telepathic mind. Riding through endless soundscapes on Bill's dubby bass filled with drones and morphing fields in combination with Namlook's spheres makes you feel at one with the universe. The musical fields are Space Music, Dub, Ambient, Electroacoustic ...with beats...and without beats....for the first time Pete Namlook uses a Trautonium which is prominently featured on the track 'Trautoniolo'. Pete Namlook: '...this instrument seems to work like a 'mind to music' interface...it is incredibly interactive and gives me the possibility to directly form tones and sound without any delay in the musical creation process. ...' The results are sounds that work on your subconsciousness."
CD $18

LIZZY MERCIER DESCLOUX - Zulu Rock (ZE 026; EEC) This is the third record Lizzy Mercier Descloux recorded, originally released by CBS Records (France-only) as Gazelles in 1984, now repackaged by Ze Records, including five bonus tracks. After having spent the previous few years promoting the Mambo Nassau album, Lizzy became enamoured of her trips to Africa and its music: highlife, Zairian rumba, Manu Dibango's makossa, King Sunny Ade's Juju music and Fela Kuti's Afrobeat and Julius Levine's African pop. The music you will hear on Zulu Rock is as diverse as the blend of ethnic groups in South Africa itself: it is mbaganga -- which literally means "the poor South-African stew," a musical blend of different local styles and Anglo-Saxon pop. A heavy and emphatic bass line characterizes this sound, with a technique inspired by Zulu guitars. Against all expectations, the record was very well received in France, both by the critics, who awarded it Best Rock Album of the Year, and by the public. "Mais oet Passe Les Gazelles?" went on to be the unlikely hit single of summer 1984.
CD $16

ORIENTAL SUNSHINE - Dedicated To the Bird We Love (Sunbeam Records 5013; UK) A sitar-kissed cruise through the gentler side of psychedelia, this flawless gem combines beautiful melodies, thoughtful lyrics and immaculate instrumentation to hypnotic effect. Originally released only in Norway, where it sold in minute numbers in 1970, this is its first official reissue and comes complete with a 12-page, full-color booklet incorporating rare photographs and detailed liner notes by the band's leaders, Nina Johansen and Rune Walle. Soaring female vocals, gently lifting psych, light as a feather. 1970 was ground zero for the genesis of underground folk and this album stands up with the absolute best of that year (which included legendary albums from Mellow Candle, Trees, Linda Perhacs, Emtidi, Forever, Siloah, Agincourt, Incredible String Band, Vashti Bunyan and many more)
CD $16

SOUTHERN COMFORT [BIG WALTER HORTON/MARTIN STONE/JEROME ARNOLD] - Southern Comfort (Sunbeam Recods 5014; UK) Featuring Big Walter Horton (also known as Walter "Shakey" Horton) is one of the most legendary Chicago blues harmonica players of all time, and a pioneer in the field of amplified harmonica. Recorded in the UK in 1968, and released in 1969, Southern Comfort is a superb showcase for his talents, as well as those of bassist Jerome Arnold (the Butterfield Blues Band), drummer Jessie C. Lewis (Otis Rush) and trailblazing guitarist Martin Stone (Savoy Brown and Mighty Baby). Though mostly a superb blues set, it's best-known today for the epic closing track -- one of the most mind-blowing psychedelic workouts ever recorded.
CD $16

ERKIN KORAY - Erkin Koray (World Psychedelia 8494; S. Korea) "First proper reissue of Koray's first album, an absolutely over the top debut album by the Turkish psychedelic guitar guru, which is not only the rarest of all of his albums, but also the rarest Turkish psychedelic album of them all; the record was released in 1973, but is actually culled from Koray's singles from the previous five years. This wide range of dates (1968-73) encompasses a pretty potent period in music, and makes for great variety; some tracks have a kind of pre-psychedelic vibe, while others have the swirling hashish heaviness of that most elusive thing, a sound that one might deem 'pure psychedelia'; in any case, every track has that unique Eastern feel that Koray brings to all his recordings. The end result is definitely on a par of greatness with 'Elektronik Turkuler,' which makes this a must-have album for any psychedelic head! And as if that wasn't enough, there are eight incredible bonus cuts from the same period as the album tracks, only ever released as singles, that include some of the most blistering material Koray ever recorded. Wow! Liner notes have plentiful information on Erkin Koray's early career, as well as lyrics for some songs... alas, only in Turkish."
CD $17

RANDY HOLDEN With CHRIS LOCKHEED - Population II (Progressive Line 523; Australia) Latest grey area CD version of his absolute monster heavy guitar album by the one-time Other Half/Blue Cheer guitarist. Randy's work with Blue Cheer (limited to side 2 of New, Improved!) is the stuff of legend, but with Population II, he re-wrote the books on what it means to be "heavy". Bootlegged many times (since it's famous re-release on Line Records in the 1980s), this version features 8 bonus tracks (most of the tracks from the 1996 Guitar God album issued by Captain Trip - which are more contemporary hard rock tracks from 1993). Briefly available in 1970Population II was his only solo recording until the resurrection album on Captain Trip. Population II is merely the heaviest rock record of all time, deserving of it's own genre: monster-plod, power-surge sonic deconstruction - like nothing else before or since (forget about "doom"). A duo only recording, featuring: Holden (guitar, bass, vocals) & Chris Lockheed (drums). Special guest stars: Sunn Amps!
CD $20




GEE, WE LOOKED AT THE SHELVES WHERE WE DISPLAY SUN RA, AND NOTICED WE WERE OUT OF ALMOST EVERYTHING - WE ONLY HAD TWENTY OR SO TITLES! - ALMOST NOTHING WHEN IT COMES TO MR BLOUNT!
SO WE RESTOCKED ON THESE CLASSIC REPUTATION-MAKING TITLES - MANY OF THEM THANKFULLY KEPT IN-PRINT ON THE EVIDENCE LABEL. HERE NOW...

SUN RA - Monorails And Satellites [vol 1] (Evidence 22013; USA) Monorails & Satellites finds Ra at the piano in a rare solo setting. This recording proves that, despite his many tags, Ra was an inventive pianist first and foremost. For more than 40 years, he piloted his ensemble from the keyboard console in the tradition of such pioneers as Duke Ellington, Earl "Fatha" Hines, Count Basie, Fats Waller, Gil Evans and Ra's mentor, Fletcher Henderson. In his appreciation, critic Howard Mandel (who wrote the CD liner notes) exclaims there is only one word for Ra's piano playing: "Marvelous!"
"Although Sun Ra's catalogue of available recordings numbers into the hundreds, there are very few solo entries. Monorails And Satellites (1966) is among the earliest -- if not the first -- long player to consist of strictly piano solos. While Ra's various Arkestras became infamous for their highly skilled and emotive bombast, these recording prove that the bandleader easily retains his highly advanced and passionate echelon of intensity. The vast majority of the disc consist of original compositions with the sole exception being the Alan Jones' pop standard "Easy Street". Right out of the gate Ra's trademark aggressive and highly advanced arrangements drive the motorized churn of "Space Towers" which features some distinct improvisations that build off of the central repetitive and industrial feeling progression. "Cogitation" provides a playful contrast with projecting a more scattered counterpoint which transmutes the melodic direction into an ethereal noir of childlike staccato. Both "Skylight" and "Blue Differentials" are entrancingly beautiful blues. Here Ra demonstrates his keen sense of melodic and harmonic structures. The former contains some of this efforts' most hauntingly memorable progressions, while the latter is equally captivating as it centres on a potent walking or stride style of blues delivery which at times borders on barrelhouse. Particularly notable is the charming resolution that concludes "Blue Differentials" with a grace that forgoes the otherwise slightly askew tune. The interpretation of "Easy Street" is relative straight forward and retains much of song's amicable nature. About halfway through the performance Ra breaks into a lilting swing that complements the roly-poly nature featured in the introduction. The title track is one of the more introspective and pensive pieces on the album, sounding more like a personal statement rather a musical projection or interpretive effort. The chords build incrementally weaving a languid sonic pastiche of varying styles and temperaments. For both the seasoned listener as well as the interested enthusiast, Monorails And Satellites allows a wide variety of sonic horizons to explore." ~ Lindsay Planer, AMG
CD $15

SUN RA - The Singles [2 CD set] (Evidence 22164; USA) This treasured collection, The Singles, took three years to produce, collecting virtually every 45 released by Sun Ra from 1954 through 1982. It is considered the holy grail for Sun Ra collectors. It was pieced together from the contributions of private collectors around the world, and sonically cleaned up far beyond the audio capabilities of the original vinyl they were pressed on. It also features a 36 page booklet, with liner notes written by four respected Ra experts, and contains historically significant photos.
"Back in the mid-'50s, bandleader Sun Ra decided to get his music to his audience through a more direct process by starting his own label, Saturn Records. Equal parts creative futuristic vision and small-time Southern R&B bandstand hustle, these 45s were pressed in unbelievably small quantities (sometimes in runs of only 50 copies), making them the holy grail of Sun Ra collectibles. The collection of singles runs a neat 30-year time-frame and features everything from Sun Ra with an embryonic form of his Arkestra doing backup duties behind doo-wop groups and R&B slopbucket singers like 'Space Age Vocalist' Yochannon to wild-ass sonic experiements from the late '70s into the early '80s that would have atmospherically fit on any of his avant-garde albums. Pieced together for this release from the contributions of private collectors around the world -- and sonically cleaned up far beyond the audio capabilities of the original vinyl they were pressed on -- these 49 three-minute opuses will alternately confuse, astound, confound, delight, and illuminate Sun Ra fans of all stratas of involvement. A major piece of puzzle that is the man, now in place." ~ Cub Koda, AMG
2 CD set for $30

SUN RA & His ARKESTRA - Great Lost Sun Ra Albums: Cymbals/Crystal Spears [2 CD set] (Evidence 22217; USA) This 2-CD box set is comprised of 2 brilliant albums that were slated for release on LP in the early 70s by Impulse Records, but were never issued! After Impulse ended a licensing arrangement with Sun Ra's company Saturn Records, the two unreleased album masters were boxed up, returned to Saturn's president Alton Abraham, and forgotten for the next twenty-seven years. Evidence has remixed from the original four track tapes down to two-track stereo. Extensive liner notes by the former head of Impulse Records include a history of Impulse Records and their strange association with Sun Ra.
"Sun Ra entered into an licensing agreement with Impulse! in the early '70s to distribute both old and new LPs from his own Saturn label. This was his first association with something like a major record company, and though it resulted in ten actual releases, it didn't last long; another 12 planned releases were cancelled. Among these were two newly recorded albums, Cymbals and Crystal Spears, both of which were shelved (though three tracks from the former were later released on the Saturn LP Deep Purple). The Evidence label's extensive Sun Ra reissue program brought these two albums into release for the first time in 2000 as the double CD The Great Lost Sun Ra Albums: Cymbals & Spears, a mere 27 years after they were recorded. Cymbals turns out to be a small band session on which no more than six and usually only four musicians are playing on any one selection. Sun Ra is mostly heard on organ, and his understated playing sets the tone for a group of moody, low-key tracks. No matter who is soloing, this is mostly a quiet, introspective session. It's last-set-of-the-night stuff. From the opening miniMoog solo by Sun Ra, Crystal Spears is something else again: a full band album. Its tunes feature as many as seven horn players on a track, with most of them contributing percussion when they're not blowing. The stretched-out arrangements allow plenty of room for solos, duos, and even periods of near-cacophony. It's doubtful that Cymbals and Crystal Spears would have altered Sun Ra's overall career had they been issued by Impulse! in 1973 as intended, but his work is so extensive and so varied that each individual record provides another valuable piece in the puzzle; here are two more." ~ William Ruhlmann, AMG
2 CD set for $30

SUN RA & His ARKESTRA - Jazz In Silhouette (Evidence 22012; USA) Jazz In Silhouette is a 1958 recording which features one of Ra's greatest hits, "Enlightenment," a tune that Ra and the Arkestra later popularized by chanting as they frolicked at the end of their shows. Tenor saxophonist John Gilmore (who was with Ra since the Arkestra's birth in 1956) has a number of inspired outings here, most notably in a stimulating exchange with the late bassist Ronnie Boykins on "Blues at Midnight."
"Throughout their mid-to-late-'50s stay in Chicago, Sun Ra (piano) and his Arkestra established themselves as formidable purveyors of a new strain or sub-genre of jazz. Having evolved from elaborate reworkings of familiar standards, Jazz in Silhouette (1959) presents a collection of originals, building upon Ra's abilities as a consummate multi-tasker -- writing, arranging, scoring parts for his band, in addition to performing. He stretches the boundaries of the music to suit the Arkestra, simultaneously progressing his distinct sound. Seminal readings of the quick and complex "Saturn" and "Velvet" are offered with unmatchable dexterity and precision. The latter title comes off like a confused version of "Jeepers Creepers" as Hobart Dotson (trumpet) prominently displays his unquestionable tonality. "Ancient Aiethopia" is one of the more involved works, both in terms of length -- running over nine minutes -- and the Arkestra's capacity for Ra's compositions. "Blues at Midnight" is another expansive (nearly 12 minutes) outing that, by contrast, is for the soloists rather than full ensemble. John Gilmore (tenor sax), Ronnie Boykins (bass), Pat Patrick (baritone sax), and Marshall Allen (alto sax) all shine behind William Cochran's (drums) solid contributions. Equally significant is the running dialogue Ra maintains during other musicians' leads, directing the ebb and flow with an uncanny fusion of melody and rhythm. Undoubtedly, this is a factor in the freshness the material retains. It is also a prime example of Ra and company in a transitional phase, prior to their full-fledged explorations into the avant-garde." ~ Lindsay Planer, AMG
CD $15

SUN RA & His ARKESTRA - Lanquidity (Evidence 22220; USA) Lanquidity is the most valuable of all Sun Ra albums, with vinyl copies selling for more than $400. This 1978 album has become so highly sought-after because it is used by Acid Jazz DJs throughout the world. Liner notes contain focus on Sun Ra's years in Philadelphia. For audiophiles, Evidence has used the HDCD A/D converter to bring this recording to compact disc. A Sun Ra first!
"While one can't quite call it the Sun Ra dance album, this 1978 recording, made for a tiny Philadelphia record label, finds the Sun Ra Arkestra's rhythm section settling into a steady groove on each of the lengthy tracks, while horns, reeds, guitars, and Sun Ra's keyboards solo in overlapping patterns on top. The title number recalls Charles Mingus' "Goodbye Porkpie Hat" in its slow pace and elegiac tone, while the middle three tracks have livelier beats with playing that often answers to the style of fusion played by many jazz groups in the late '70s. "There Are Other Worlds (They Have Not Told You Of)," the nearly 11-minute concluding tune, is the closest to more familiar 1960s and early-'70s Sun Ra, with its less cohesive lead work and the "ethnic voices" that speak, sing, and whisper about outer space. Lanquidity was extremely rare in its original vinyl pressing. It was reissued by Evidence Music on September 26, 2000, with liner notes in which John Dilberto discussed Sun Ra's 25-year residence in Philadelphia and Tom Buchler, who organized the recording session, discussed the making of the album." ~ William Ruhlmann, AMG
CD $15

SUN RA & His ARKESTRA - Soundtrack of 'Space Is The Place' [sndtck] (Evidence 22070; USA) Although there was an LP released by Blue Thumb in the 70s called Space Is The Place, this is not it! This is the soundtrack to a full-length Sun Ra film. Recorded in 1972, all of this music is by Ra and his Arkestra.
"Space Is the Place is the soundtrack to a film that was made but never released [finally the film itself is on DVD as of 2004], and the tunes are among his most ambitious, unorthodox, and compelling compositions. Between June Tyson's declarative vocals, chants, and dialogue and Ra's crashing, flailing synthesizer and organ fills, and with such songs as "Blackman/Love in Outer Space," "It's After the End of the World," and "I Am the Brother of the Wind," this disc offers aggressive, energized, and uncompromising material. Ra's pianistic forays, phrases, and textures were sometimes dismissed as mere noodling when they were part of a well-constructed multimedia package. This comes as close as any of Ra's releases to being not only a concept work but a blueprint for his live shows from the early '70s until the end of his career. Features some previously unissued cuts." ~ Ron Wynn, AMG
CD $15

SUN RA & His ARKESTRA - Space Is The Place (Impulse 249; USA) Primo early 70's Arkestra with Danny Davis, Marshall Allen, John Gilmore, Eloe Omoe, Danny Thompson, et al! Completely different recordings/materials than the Evidence label CD "Soundtrack To 'Space Is The Place'"
"Space Is the Place provides an excellent introduction to Sun Ra's vast and free-form jazz catalog. Typical of many Sun Ra recordings, the program is varied; earthbound songs, like the swing number "Images" and Egyptian exotica piece "Discipline 33," fit right in with more space-age cuts, like the tumultuous "Sea of Sound" and the humorous "Rocket Number Nine." Sun Ra fuses many of these styles on the sprawling title cut, as interlocking harmonies, African percussion, manic synthesizer lines, and joyous ensemble blowing all jell into some sort of church revival of the cosmos. Throughout the recording, Sun Ra displays his typically wide-ranging talents on space organ and piano, reed players John Gilmore and Marshall Allen contribute incisive and intense solos, and June Tyson masterfully leads the Space Ethnic Voices on dreamy vocal flights. This is a fine recording and a must for Sun Ra fans." ~ Stephen Cook, AMG
CD $15

SUN RA/JOHN CONEY, dir. - Space Is The Place [DVD] (Plexifilm 010; USA) Directed by John Coney. Science fiction, blaxploitation, cosmic free-jazz and radical race politics combine when Sun Ra returns to earth in his music-powered space ship to battle for the future of the black race and offer an 'alter-destiny' to those who would join him. Intentionally created as an homage to the low-budget science fiction films of the 50's and 60's, 'Space Is The Place' became a visual embodiment of Sun Ra's Afro-Egyptian myth of salvation in outer space. The special effects, outrageous plot line and apocalyptic message harmonize with the otherworldly score and a climactic live performance by one of the most innovative and profound groups in jazz history. After having traveled through space in a yellow spaceship propelled by music, Sun Ra finds a planet he believes could serve as a new home for the black race. Returning to earth, he lands in Oakland, California circa 1972 and has to battle the Overseer, played by Ray Johnson (from 1971's 'Dirty Harry'), a supernatural villain exploiting the black people. The Overseer, the FBI, and NASA -- who are after Sun Ra's Black Space Program -- attempt to assassinate Mr. Ra, who escapes into space with his followers before the destruction of Earth. Cosmic blaxploitation cum sociological critique, 'Space Is The Place' defies categorization. It is at once a platform for Sun Ra's radical racial philosophies, an indictment of the government's policies in Vietnam-era U.S., cult camp flick, sci-fi movie and concert film with unforgettable performances by the Intergalactic Solar Arkestra. Since its extremely limited release in 1974 -- the film played very briefly in San Francisco and New York - 'Space Is The Place' has become an underground legend spoken about but never seen, and if so, in poorly dubbed bootlegs or in the severely adulterated 1992 VHS version. Plexifilm is proud to present Space Is The Place for the first time in its original uncut form. The original director's cut plus over 20 minutes of restored footage, never-before-seen home movies of the Arkestra in Egypt, deluxe booklet with informative liner notes by Sun Ra biographer John Szwed and a groovy introduction by Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore . 82 minutes/color/16mm/1.78:1/NTSC format/region 1
DVD $20

SUN RA & His ARKESTRA - Super-Sonic Jazz [aka Super-Sonic Sounds] (Evidence 22015; USA) Supersonic Jazz provides early evidence that Ra is a primary shaper of the modern twists on traditional jazz that began to blossom in the 1960's. For example, the blues, "Super Blonde, " is swinging, yet gloriously unglued, light years away from the typical flatted-third blues cliches. This 1956 recording also features Ra on electronic piano, reaffirming his position as the first jazz musician to explore the use of electronic keyboards. The vinyl debut for his now famed Arkestra.
"Sun Ra had only been heading his Arkestra for a couple of years when they recorded the 12 songs featured on this 1956 session. But while the arrangements, ensemble work, and solos are not as ambitious, expansive, or free-wheeling as they became on later outings, the groundwork was laid on such cuts as "India," "Sunology," and one of the first versions of "Blues At Midnight." Ra's band already had the essential swinging quality and first-class soloists, and he had gradually challenged them with compositions that did not rely on conventional hard bop riffs, chord changes, and structure but demanded a personalized approach and understanding of sound and rhythm far beyond standard thinking. You can hear in Ra's solos and those of John Gilmore, Pat Patrick, Charles Davis and others an emerging freedom and looseness which would explode in the future." ~ Ron Wynn, AMG
CD $15

SUN RA & His ARKESTRA - When Angels Speak Of Love (Evidence 22216; USA) Recorded in 1963 and released in 1966, this is the rarest of all "Saturn" Sun Ra albums, manufactured in very small quantities. Only a handful of the original LPs still exist. Recorded during Sun Ra and the band's residence in N.Y.C., and considered by many to be his richest musical period, this reissue is a lost artifact from the peak period of the "New Thing" revolution in jazz in New York City's Greenwich Village in the mid '60s.
"Sun Ra's music is often described as being so far outside the jazz mainstream as to be less a challenge to it than a largely irrelevant curiosity. But When Angels Speak of Love, an album recorded with his Myth Science Arkestra during rehearsals at the Choreographers Workshop in New York in 1963 and released on Ra's own Saturn label in 1966, is very much within then-current trends in jazz as performed by such innovators as John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman. John Corbett, annotator of the 2000 CD reissue on Evidence, points out Ra's disdain for the term "free jazz," but this is music that fits into that style and even harks back to bebop on occasion. Walter Miller's trumpet playing on "The Idea of It All," for example, clearly indicates that he's been listening to Miles Davis, even as John Gilmore's squealing tenor suggests Coltrane, and, on "Ecstacy of Being," what Corbett calls Danny Davis' "excruciated alto" suggests Coleman. Ra himself frequently plays busy, seemingly formless passages that are reminiscent of Cecil Taylor. An even closer approximation of a traditional approach can be found on the relatively brief title track, a ballad that, while not exactly sweet, is surprisingly sober and expressive. Of course, that's followed by the band chanting "Next Stop Mars" and going off in all directions on the 18-minute final track. The album's rarity on vinyl may be not only because few copies were pressed initially, but also because this is a Sun Ra album that is more conventionally unconventional than most, with tracks you could program next to those of his 1960s contemporaries and have them fit right in." ~ William Ruhlmann, AMG
CD $15

SUN RA & His ASTRO INFINITY ARKESTRA - Atlantis (Evidence 22067; USA) Atlantis, in addition to The Magic City, is known as one of Sun Ra's "epic" works. On this album, Sun Ra plays wild and dark organ music that reflected and further influenced the trends in rock music at the time of the recording (1967). It is this album in particular that endeared Sun Ra to the legions of rock fans and influenced such artists as Sonic Youth and George Clinton.
"Featuring the Astro Infinity Arkestra, Atlantis reveals two very distinct sides of Sun Ra's music. The first consists of shorter works Ra presumably constructed for presentation on the Hohner clavinet. Not only is the electric keyboard dominantly featured, but also it presumably offered Ra somewhat of a novelty as it had only been on the market for less than a year. The second side consists of the epic 21-minute title track and features an additional seven-man augmentation to the brass/woodwind section of the Astro Infinity Arkestra. Tracks featuring the smaller combo reveal an almost introspective Arkestra. The stark contrast between the clavinet -- which Ra dubbed the "Solar Sound Instrument" -- and the hand-held African congas on "Mu" and "Bimini" reveal polar opposite styles and emphasis. However, Ra enthusiasts should rarely be surprised at his experiments in divergence. "Mu" is presented at a lethargic tempo snaking in and around solos from Ra and a raga-influenced tenor sax solo from John Gilmore. "Bimini" is actually captured in progress. The first sound listeners hear is the positioning of the microphone as a conga fury commences in the background. Likewise, on "Yucatan (Impulse Version)" a doorbell quickly impedes what might have been a more organic conclusion to the performance. The original issue of Atlantis was on the small independent Saturn label. Thus the composition titled "Yucatan (Saturn Version)" appeared on that pressing. When the disc was reissued in 1973 on Impulse!, the track was replaced by a completely different composition -- as opposed to an alternate performance of the same work. The second side contains one of Ra's most epic pieces, which is free or "space" jazz at its most invigorating. While virtually indescribable, the sonic churnings and juxtaposed images reveal a brilliant display of textures and tonalities set against an ocean of occasional rhythms. Its diversity alone makes this is an essential entry in the voluminous Sun Ra catalog." ~ Lindsay Planer, AMG
CD $15

SUN RA & His ASTRO INFINITY ARKESTRA - Holiday For Soul Dance (Evidence 22011; USA) Holiday for Soul Dance is notable for Ra's exquisite arrangements of standards like "Body and Soul" and "I Loves You, Porgy." It also works well in revealing his grasp of traditional forms and ideas. Although the exact album date is uncertain, most discographies estimate its recording to have occurred in the late '60's. However, Holiday has no stylistic kinship with other Ra LPs from that period. In a sense, Holiday takes Sun Ra back to his roots as a young pianist in '40s Chicago, where he served apprenticeship with musicians like Fletcher Henderson and Coleman Hawkins.
"This collection is somewhat of an oddity in that there are no original compositions from Sun Ra. That said, cornet player Phil Corhan contributes "Dorothy's Dance." As the album initially surfaced in the early '70s, many presumed the recordings reflected Ra's concurrent combo and sound, which couldn't have been further from the truth. Scholars have since placed 1960 or 1961 as a closer estimation of when these sides were documented, using the rare inclusion of Ricky Murry (vocals) as sonic evidence, coupled with the fact that the effort was cut prior to the band's relocation to New York City from Chicago at the beginning of the decade. The primary (and most notable) Arkestra centered on Ra, Marshall Allen (alto sax), John Gilmore (tenor sax), Phil Corhan (cornet), Ronnie Boykins (bass), and Jon Hardy (drums). The bounty of pop standards and memorable melodies showcase Ra's spectacularly intricate and often underappreciated arrangements. The spry take of George Gershwin's "But Not for Me" is rephrased to spotlight the soloists' remarkable improvisational skills behind tight support from the compact and swinging rhythm section. Boykins and Hardy's brooding introduction to "Day by Day" immediately suggests the uneasy and inquisitive score that has been completely overhauled to express Ra's newly adopted sense of the avant-garde as well as his free jazz leanings. Seemingly disparate tunes and time signatures fuse into a free-wheeling affair that contains all the flair of Sun Ra with much of the same romantic charm of more familiar readings, such as Jo Stafford's (vocals) hit version. "Holiday for Strings" can also be recommended because of the highly stylized rendering. Rather than the mile-a-minute staccato "plinking" that often identifies the piece, Ra gives it a cool post-bop workout that discerns it for those otherwise unfamiliar with the song. "Early Autumn" is interesting from the perspective of the dearth of singers that Raaccompanied. Murry's robust voice proves a bit overwhelming, as if he might break into an operatic vocalization at any moment. Arguably the most memorable selection on Holiday for Soul Dance is the gorgeous take of "I Loves You, Porgy," incorporating a languid swing that gently drives the backbeat, ably supporting the scintillating adaptation." ~ Lindsay Planer, AMG
CD $15

SUN RA & His ASTRO INFINITY ARKESTRA - My Brother The Wind Vol II [aka Otherness] (Evidence 22040; USA) This extremely rare LP was never available in record stores and was only sold at Sun Ra's gigs in 1971. My Brother the Wind Vol. II captures Sun Ra in 1969-70 at the height of his outrageously staged performances with all the psychedelic elements of a traveling space show. This LP is a consolidation of all of Ra's music that came before; particularly interesting is his organ work and his early, pioneering work on Moog.
"Considered a classic by some of his fans, this CD release of music originally put out on Sun Ra's Saturn label is actually more erratic. The band numbers (utilizing a 15-piece group with eight horns, two drums and three percussionists) are generally worthwhile and more melodic than one would expect from Ra during the 1960s; he was just beginning his updated swing period. Several selections essentially feature Ra fooling around on his Moog synthesizer and "intergalactic" organ...Overall, this is a mixed bag..." ~ Scott Yanow, AMG
CD $15

SUN RA & His ASTRO INFINITY ARKESTRA - Pathways To Unknown Worlds/Friendly Love (Evidence 22218; USA) This CD combines 2 albums on one CD, Pathways To Unknown Worlds + Friendly Love. Pathways was originally released on LP in the mid 70s on Impulse Records, remaining in print for less than one year. Evidence has remixed from the original four track tapes, and added a bonus track. Friendly Love is an early '70s album that is being released for the very first time. Extensive liner notes by Ra biographer, John Szwed, are included, reviewing Sun Ra's recording and Evidence's mastering techniques
"Sun Ra is often cited for a highly improvised style characterized by atonality and aleatoric performances made by treated instruments, resulting in previously unheard timbres and sometimes clashing juxtapositions. Not all of his large body of recordings really sound that extreme, but this one does. In the early 1970s, Sun Ra had a distribution deal with Impulse! Records, which released or reissued ten albums before the agreement was abruptly terminated. Pathways to Unknown Worlds actually achieved release (at least, three of its four tracks did), but Friendly Love was one of several recordings returned to Sun Ra and shelved. This CD combines both albums. Annotator Robert L. Campbell notes that Pathways to Unknown Worlds "is all guided improvisation," made up on the spot by the musicians under Sun Ra's direction; the same is true of Friendly Love. Though the improvisations are cued, they are for the most part formless, and range from raucous passages of overblowing squawks by the horns to quieter passages carried on repetition and variation. On the title track of the first album and on "Friendly Love III," Akh Tal Ebah plays "space dimension mellophone," a mellophone played with a contrabassoon reed, and also on "Friendly Love III," Danny Ray Thompson plays "Neptunian libflecto," which Campbell describes as "a bassoon that has suffered a hostile takeover." Much of Pathways to Unknown Worlds suggests the kind of music Miles Davis was playing around the same time, although except for his own keyboard instruments, Sun Ra eschews electric instruments. It's challenging listening, but the calmer Friendly Love, which follows, is more accessible. Nevertheless, this is Sun Ra at his most experimental." ~ William Ruhlmann, AMG
CD $15

SUN RA & His ASTRO INFINITY ARKESTRA - Sound Sun Pleasure!...Plus (Evidence 22014; USA) Sound Sun Pleasure is a CD which combines the 1958 recording, Sound Sun Pleasure with the first sides Ra ever recorded in 1955 (released in 1973 as side A of Deep Purple). Those who've only heard Sun Ra's explosive flights of satellite fancy or his recreations of Fletcher Henderson tunes will be pleasantly surprised with these recordings, especially upon hearing the opening cut: a haunting vocal rendition of "Round Midnight" by vocalist Hatty Randolph.
"The first half-dozen cuts on Sun Sound Pleasure!! (1970) are thought to have been documented between 1958 and 1960, during Sun Ra and his Astro-Infinity Arkestra's residency in Chicago. Although Ra's arrangements are as intricate and involved as any from the era, the song list draws heavily upon standards. That said, it might be recommended as a starting point for parties not acclimated to the artist's later and exceedingly aggressive free and avant-garde leanings. Hatty Randolph (vocals) joins the combo for a pair of refined vocals on the covers of "'Round Midnight" and "Back In Your Own Backyard". The Arkestra complement Randolph's full-bodied delivery with such finesse, it is a wonder there isn't evidence of more frequent collaborations like this. She adds a bluesy melancholia that nicely offsets the instrumentation. "You Never Told Me That You Care" -- co-written by Ra and Hobart Dotson (trumpet) -- stunningly demonstrates Ra's unmatched scoring and superlative sense of melody. The sweeping and languid tempo allows the tune to unravel organically. "Enlightenment" -- another co-composition by the pair -- is slightly more indicative of Ra's complex approach, as well as the style that would inform his later work, noted by the band's stridency around the comparatively progressive harmonics. When Sun Sound Pleasure was issued on compact disc in 1992, an additional seven selections were included. Chronologically, they are among the earliest known from Sun Ra, recorded at various times and locations between 1953 and 1956, yielding understandably sporadic sound quality. "Deep Purple" -- from a session held in Ra's apartment -- features contributions by Stuff Smith, while Wilbur Ware (bass) duets on an emotive "Can This Be Love". Art Hoyle (trumpet) makes one of his first Arkestra appearances on the bouncy post-bop original "Dreams Come True" that also sports a rare Clyde Williams vocal." ~ Lindsay Planer, AMG
CD $15

SUN RA & His MYTH SCIENCE ARKESTRA - Angels And Demons At Play/Nubians Of Plutonia [aka Lady With The Golden Slippers] (Evidence 22066; USA) This CD combines two different, complete albums. One contains material from 1956 (some of Sun Ra's earliest known recordings) and 1960, while the other contains material from the years 1958 and 1959. These recordings are of great historical significance to the legions of Ra collectors.
"Sun Ra ambles between vigorous hard bop, ambitious, adventurous free jazz, and African and Afro-Latin material on the 15 selections featured on this set of '50s and early '60s tracks. The first half was recorded in 1956 and 1960 and includes originals from Ronnie Boykins and Julian Priester, plus futuristic organ from Ra on "Music From the World Tomorrow" and hard-blowing solos from John Gilmore and Marshall Allen. The second half, Nubians Of Plutonia, consists of rehearsal tapes from 1960 with The Arkestra steadily progressing and moving beyond conventional jazz modes into multiple rhythms, chants, and twisting, roaring arrangements spiced by vividly expressive solos. Plus, like every other disc in the series, it is superbly remastered." ~ Ron Wynn, AMG CD $15

SUN RA & His MYTH SCIENCE ARKESTRA - Fate In A Pleasant Mood/When Sun Comes Out (Evidence 22068; USA) This CD combines two different, complete Sun Ra LPs, the well-known Fate In A Pleasant Mood, coupled with When Sun Comes Out, one of Sun Ra's two rarest and most sought after recordings out of a catalogue of over 100 LPs. It includes a previously unreleased track.
"Fate in a Pleasant Mood/When Sun Comes Out is a pairing of two early-'60s Saturn LPs that catch the Arkestra in an interesting transitional phase. Fate in a Pleasant Mood is one of the final recordings from the Chicago phase, while When Sun Comes Out is one of the first recordings made after the band relocated to New York. The Chicago period had Ra forging a personal sound using elements of swing and bop, with stellar horn arrangements and propulsive timpani drums. By the time they settled in New York, the swing and bop elements had fallen by the wayside and the percussive elements figured more prominently, with solos taking a more outside tack. Sun Ra and John Gilmore, in particular, play much more aggressively, with Gilmore really expanding his vocabulary. While it's not as musically cohesive as other Evidence two-fers, Fate in a Pleasant Mood/When Sun Comes Out does a nice job of summarizing the Arkestra's first major stylistic shift. This makes it an important document for collectors and, in providing a look at two early phases of the Arkestra, it also gives the Sun Ra novice a guidepost to these two distinct periods." ~ Sean Westergaard, AMG
CD $15

SUN RA & His MYTH SCIENCE ARKESTRA - We Travel The Spaceways/Bad And Beautiful (Evidence 22038; USA) Two complete albums on one CD. Covering the years 1956-60, Spaceways samples various bands from the Chicago years. In contrast, Bad and Beautiful features the core band upon its arrival in New York City, before adding new members. This sextet recording shows Ra in transition from the show tunes and standards of his nightclub past, and his ongoing search for new sounds.
"Much like Evidence's Fate in a Pleasant Mood/When Sun Comes Out two-fer, We Travel the Spaceways/Bad and Beautiful also features one album from the Chicago period and one from the New York period. The difference is that this New York session (Bad and Beautiful) is probably the first recording made in New York, and the overall sound is more closely tied to the Chicago sound than the later New York material, where rhythm and percussion dominated any melodic elements. The late Chicago period had the Arkestra still swinging, but moving beyond their swing and bop origins into more uncharted territory. We Travel the Spaceways marks the first appearance of the Space Chant, songs that would practically define the Arkestra in later decades. The pairing of We Travel the Spaceways and Bad and Beautiful captures an important transitional phase for the Arkestra, and makes a good starting point for the novice interested in Sun Ra." ~ Sean Westergaard, AMG
CD $15

SUN RA & His MYTH SCIENCE SOLAR ARKESTRA - Cosmic Tones For Mental Therapy/Art Forms Of Dimensions Tomorrow (Evidence 22036; USA) Two complete albums on one CD. Cosmic Tones is the LP that helped to build the Ra legend and later made him the cosmic icon of San Francisco "be-ins". Recorded in New York City in 1961-2, Art Forms is an early look at the Intergalactic Arkestra in its new terrestrial home in New York City.
"There has always been some controversy revolving around Sun Ra, but few of his albums ever generated more discussion than Cosmic Tones For Mental Therapy, which covers half the 12 numbers on this two-LP, single-disc outing. Ra played "astro space organ," and the array of swirling tones, funky licks and smashing rhythms, aided and abetted by John Gilmore on bass clarinet, Marshall Allen on oboe, and arrangements that sometimes had multiple horns dueling in the upper register and other times pivoting off careening beats, outraged those in the jazz community who thought Eric Dolphy and John Coltrane had already taken things too far." ~ Ron Wynn, AMG
CD $15

SUN RA & His SOLAR ARKESTRA - Other Planes Of There (Evidence 22037; USA) Recorded in 1964, this CD shows Sun Ra's brilliance as a composer. His 22 minute suite, "Other Planes of There", features the Arkestra at its improvisational best, yet never veering outside Ra's solid compositional structure.
"Other Planes Of There (1964) presents Sun Ra (piano) and His Solar Arkestra once again pushing the boundaries on five Ra originals. The exceedingly experimental works are marked by the performers as much as they are by the compositions. The opening title track is an expansive suite of sounds adhering only to the boundless limits of the combo's sonic canvas. Each soloist is given ample room to propel the piece between the inspired Arkestra interjections, which in turn clears the way for the next one. This isn't exactly call-and-response, however there are correlations between the respective and (at times) disparate juxtapositions. John Gilmore's (tenor sax) maniacal wails are matched by Marshall Allen (oboe) and Danny Davis (alto sax) -- the latter of whom quickly establishes the cut's moody and schizophrenic nature. By contrast, "Sound Spectra/Spec Sket" commences with the percussive pairing of Roger Blank (drums) and Lex Humphries (drums) asserting unified rhythmic patterns that are countered by a compact melody from Walter Miller (trumpet}. His regal nuances are tentatively met by Ronnie Boykins (bass) and then Ra, who weave their lines considerately, rather than a flurry of impassioned abandon. "Sketch" bops freely as Gilmore forges a seemingly straight-ahead tune, until Ra's frenzied and ardent runs overpoweringly steer the number further out. Pat Patrick's (baritone sax) sublime contributions are at the centre of "Pleasure", smouldering with a measured and dreamy sense of portents. The long player concludes in much the same way that it began, sporting a full ensemble blow out on "Spiral Galaxy". Granted, the selection is certainly not as abrasive and demanding as later efforts, although there is strident involvement from everyone within the dense arrangement. The brass and reed sections provide emphasis behind an off-kilter and loping waltz backdrop. All the more impressive is how well the material has held up over the decades. Even to seasoned ears, the music is pungent and uninhibited, making Other Planes Of There a highly recommended collection." ~ Lindsay Planer, AMG
CD $15

SUN RA & His SOLAR ARKESTRA - The Magic City (Evidence 22069; USA) Sun Ra's other "epic" recording, and one of his best known. Within a suite-like structure, Sun Ra permits his various soloists to play "free" within this well-defined composition. This particular album has always been recognized as a milestone in the career of the Ra Arkestra.
"The boundaries of Sun Ra's self-proclaimed "space jazz" underwent a transformation in the mid-'60s. The Magic City is an aural snapshot of that metamorphic process. Many enthusiasts and scholars consider this to be among Ra's most definitive studio recordings. Although the "city" in the album's title was thought to have been New York -- where the disc was recorded -- it is actually Ra's earthly birthplace of Birmingham, AL. The Magic City consists of four free jazz compositions: the album side-length title track, "The Shadow World," "Abstract Eye," and "Abstract I" -- two variants of a common work. These pieces are essentially ensemble improvisations recorded live. Any direction from Ra, indicating the order of soloists for instance, would be given either through his playing or with hand signals. Sun Ra & His Solar Myth Arkestra took up residency in Manhattan's East Village in the early to mid-'60s. Their neighbors included Pharaoh Saunders as well as Babatunde Olatunji. In fact, "The Shadow World," "Abstract Eye," and "Abstract I" were actually recorded in Olatunji's loft. The title track begins with weaving distant and frenetic lines from Ronnie Boykins (bass) and Ra (piano, clavoline), connected by intermittent eruptions from Roger Blank (drums). All the while, Marshall Allen's dreamlike piccolo randomly maneuvers through the sonic haze. The piece also contains an ensemble onslaught that abruptly contrasts with everything experienced up through that point. In the wake of the innately earthbound "Magic City" are three comparatively shorter pieces with subtle undercurrents that return Ra to space motifs. For example, the importance of sonic contrast defines "The Shadow World" by juxtaposing the lightly churning bass and cymbal into some surreal keyboard interjections from Ra. The Magic City also comes with an insightful liner notes essay from Ra scholar John F. Szwed, aiding in understanding the circumstances surrounding this piece of free jazz genius." ~ Lindsay Planer, AMG
CD $15

SUN RA & His SOLAR MYTH SCIENCE ARKESTRA - Visits Planet Earth/Interstellar Low Ways [aka Rocket Number Nine] (Evidence 22039; USA) Two complete albums on one CD. Planet Earth features very early tracks from 1956-60 tracing the evolution of Ra through three Chicago bands. Recorded at the end of the Chicago period, Interstellar Low Ways represents the end of an era, showing him poised for the big changes that would follow after Ra's move to New York City.
"Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth/Interstellar Low Ways is a great pairing of two classic Saturn LPs from the Chicago period. Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth was recorded in two sessions, one in late 1956 and the other in 1958. The first four tracks (from the 1956 sessions) are firmly grounded in bop and swing. The next three tracks are from the 1958 session, and find the Arkestra creating a more personal sound, with prominent tympani and elements of dissonance beginning to enter the picture. By the time of the 1960 sessions for Interstellar Low Ways, there was no one else in the Arkestra's league. Not only have the bandmembers picked up such instruments as the Solar Bells, Solar Drum, and Space Lute (!), but Space Chants like "Interplanetary Music" and "Rocket Number Nine Take Off for the Planet Venus" are being performed and recorded. Sun Ra Visits Planet Earth/Interstellar Low Ways shows the rapid development of the Arkestra during the Chicago years, and serves as an excellent summary of that period." ~ Sean Westergaard, AMG
CD $15

SUN RA & His ARKESTRA With DON CHERRY/TOMMY TURRENTINE et al - Somewhere Else (Rounder 613036; USA) Sun Ra (piano, keyboards, synthesizers); June Tyson (vocals, violin); Michael Ray (vocals, trumpet); Tani Tabbal, Jaribu Shahid (vocals); Marshall Allen (alto saxophone, flute, oboe); John Gilmore (tenor saxophone); Don Cherry, Tommy Turrentine (trumpet); Tyrone Hill, Julian Priester (trombone); Rollo Radford (bass); Buster Smith (drums).Recorded in New York, New York in 1988 & 1989.
"Four different groups led by Sun Ra are featured on this intriguing if generally ragged set. Although Ra's usual band members of the period appear on most of the cuts (including singer June Tyson, trumpeter Michael Ray, altoist Marshall Allen and tenor saxophonist John Gilmore), this CD also has many musicians one would not expect in this setting during 1988-89: drummer Billy Higgins, trombonist Julian Priester, Don Cherry on pocket trumpet, altoist James Spaulding and (briefly out of retirement) trumpeter Tommy Turrentine. The ensembles perform some typically eccentric Ra compositions, including "Stardust for Tomorrow," "Love In Outer Space" and "Hole In the Sky," in bands ranging from four (the unusual quartet of Cherry, Spaulding, Ra and singer Tyson) to 22 pieces. Due to the variety and very interesting personnel, plus many examples of the keyboardist/leader stretching himself, this somewhat obscure effort is easily recommended to Sun Ra collectors." ~ Scott Yanow, AMG
CD $16


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DMG RECOMMENDED NYC GIGS FOR APRIL 28th & BEYOND:



DMG's Free Weekly In-Store Music Series Continues Every Sunday at 6pm:

This Sunday April 30th at 6pm:
RADIO I-CHING! - They rule! ANDY HAAS/DON FIORINO/DEE POP!
WINDS/STRINGS/PERCUSSION!

Next Sunday May 7th at 6pm:
MATT LAVELLE/KEN FILIANO/ANDREA WOLPER!
Trumpet & bass clarinet/contrabass/vocals!


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The Stone is located at the NW corner of Avenue C & 2nd Street
Performances take place at 8 & 10pm, Tuesday through Sunday nights


April 2006 at The Stone is curated by Eyvind Kang and Jessika Kenney

4/28 Friday
8 pm - E.M. Azoth - A discussion by E.M. Azoth, with some musical accompaniment. Cosmology above the abyss of speculative concurrence: Configurations of spatial fixity (cube, pole, cord) in doctrines of initiatory birth.
10 pm - How Odd to H-ear from Me w/ Seraphim (voice), Jessika Kenney (voice) Billy Martin (percussion) Chris Miller (Gender) Tikka Sears (mask theater) Eyvind Kang (electric guitar)

4/29 Saturday
8 and 10 pm - Vishal Vaid (voice, harmonium) Ole Mathisen (clarinet) Jamshied Sharifi (synthesizer) plus Special Guests

4/30 Sunday
8 pm - Aki Onda (cassettes, electronics)
10 pm - Diamond w/ Rachel Diamond. "The shifting worlds.... with Rachel Diamond, shamanic practitioner and one-lady-band".




MAY, 2006 AT THE STONE IS A MEMORIAL TO DEREK BAILEY

Derek Bailey loved New York City. He loved playing here and he loved being here. It was his hope to come back to New York to both curate and play at The Stone for the month of May. Alas, it was not to be. Drawing largely from his original list, Karen Brookman has helped realize his vision. Many of the players are traveling great distances to participate in this month long tribute to one of the greatest musicians of the twentieth century-a man who helped change the world through improvisation. We all miss him. - from The Stone's website


Here's the entire May, 2006 schedule at The Stone:

5/2 Tuesday -
8 pm - Christian Marclay (turntables) & John Zorn (alto sax)
10 pm - Erik Friedlander (cello) & Ikue Mori (electronics)

5/3 Wednesday
8 pm - Alan Licht (guitar)
10 pm - Tim Barnes (percussion)

5/4 Thursday - 8 and 10 pm
Richard Teitelbaum (electronics) & George Lewis (trombone, electronics)

5/5 Friday
8 pm - William Parker (bass)
10 pm - Shaking Ray Levi Society: Dennis Palmer (voice, synthesizer) & Bob Stagner (drums)
5/6 Saturday
8 pm - Cyro Baptista (percussion) & Billy Martin (percussion)
10 pm - Cyro Baptista (perc) & Billy Martin (perc) and special guests

5/7 Sunday
8 and 10 pm - John Zorn Improv Party to Support The Stone
John Zorn (alto sax) Shanir Blumenkranz (bass) Cyro Baptista (percussion) Ikue Mori (electronics) Anton Fier (drums) Tim Barnes (percussion) Erik Friedlander (cello) and special guests - A Stone benefit-TWENTY DOLLARS

5/9 Tuesday
8 pm - Julian Kytasty (bandura)
10 pm - Jennifer Choi (violin) Shelley Burgon (harp)

5/10 Wednesday
8 pm - Thurston Moore - Solo (guitar)
10 pm - Thurston Moore (guitar) and special guests

5/11 Thursday
8 pm - Lisle Ellis's Audible Means: Pamela Z (voice) Rudresh Mahanthappa (saxophone) Kathy Supove (piano) Guillermo E Brown (drums, electronics) Lisle Ellis (bass and circuitry)
10 pm - J.D.Parran (flute, clarinet, percussion) Mary Halvorson (guitar) Stephen Haynes (trumpet)

5/12 Friday
8 pm - George Lewis (electronics, trombone)
10 pm - Joe Morris (guitar) Michael Evans (percussion, electronics) Daniel Levin (cello) Daniel Blacksberg (trombone) Michael Winograd (clarinet, alto sax) Joe Moffett (trumpet) Jeff Kimmel (bass clarinet) Dana Jessen (bassoon) Adam Dotson (euphonium)

5/13 Saturday
8 pm - Wadada Leo Smith Solo Trumpet
10 pm - Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet) and special guests

5/14 Sunday
8 pm - Eugene Chadbourne (guitar) & John Zorn (alto sax)
10 pm - Eugene Chadbourne (guitar)

5/16 Tuesday
8 pm - Jim O'Rourke - Solo Guitar
10 pm - Marc Ribot Solo Guitar

5/17 Wednesday
8 pm - Carla Kihlstedt (violin) Zeena Parkins (harp)
10 pm - Zeena Parkins (harp)

5/18 Thursday
8 pm - Susie Ibarra (drums), Min Xiao-Fen (pipa) & Okkyung Lee (cello)
10 pm - Ikue Mori (electronics)

5/19 Friday
8 pm - Robert Musso (guitar), Shanir Blumenkranz (bass), Jackson Krall (drums) & Billy Atwell (percussion); Machine Gun guitar ace, Bob Musso, rarely plays live nowadays, so don't miss this rare opportunity to hear his new QT!
10 pm - Remembrances of Derek
Karen Brookman and friends: Stories, music and remembrances about Derek by his friends and colleagues. Many surprises and many special guests.

5/20 Saturday
8 pm - Mark Dresser Solo Bass
10 pm - Mark Dresser (bass), Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto sax) & Gerry Hemingway (drums)

5/21 Sunday
8 pm- Fred Frith Solo Guitar
10 pm - Fred Frith (guitar) and special guests

5/23 Tuesday
8 pm - Duck Baker Solo Guitar
10 pm - Duck Baker (guitar) and special guests

5/24 Wednesday
8 pm - Stephanie Stone (piano, voice)
10 pm - Sylvie Courvoisier (piano)

5/25 Thursday
8 pm - Elliott Sharp - Solo acoustic and electric guitars
10 pm - Chad Taylor (drums)

5/26 Friday
8 pm - Henry Kaiser (guitar) John Zorn (alto sax)
10 pm - Invite the Spirit featuring: Henry Kaiser (guitar), Sang-Won Park (kayagum) & Charles K. Noyes (percussion)

5/27 Saturday
8 pm - Shelley Hirsch (voice) Ikue Mori (electronics) Okkyung Lee (cello)
10 pm - Arto Lindsay (guitar, vocals) and special guests

5/28 Sunday
8 pm - Annie Gosfield (keyboards) & Roger Kleier (guitar)
10 pm - Kramer (keyboards, guitar, bass, tapes, voice)

5/30 Tuesday
8 pm - Steve Dalachinsky (poetry) Loren Connors (guitar)
10 pm - Trevor Dunn's Double Guitar Quartet featuring: Charlie Looker (guitar) Hilmar Jensen (guitar) Trevor Dunn (bass) Mike Pride (drums)

5/31 Wednesday
8 pm - Jim Staley (trombone)
10 pm - Miguel Frasconi (glass instruments)


This is a most incredible month that brings together some of the greatest musicians from across the US and beyond. Thanks to Derek Bailey's wide ranging influence and guidance, a number of these wonderful musicians will play together for the first time in many years. The Stone can't squeeze in more than 100 listeners for any one set, so... plan those vacations right now! -
Bruce Lee Gallanter

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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Tonic is located at 107 Norfolk Street between Delancey and Rivington Streets in Manhattan's Lower East Side, around the corner from Delancey F train stop
Here's some recommended gig(s) for the upcoming weeks-

Fri May 5th-
Midnite: THE HANUMAN SEXTET - With Andy Haas (shofar, raita (Moroccan oboe), sax, electronics), Don Fiorino (banjo, lotar (Moroccan lute), lap steel guitar), Mia Theodoratus (electric harp), Matt Heyner (bass), David Gould (drums) and Dee Pop (percussion). "The unique instrumentation combined with the musicians' backgrounds in classical, experimental, jazz, blues and rock immediately points to something special, but what really makes this group combust is its fearless spirit and open-minded ears."--All About Jazz

Tues May 9th-
8pm - PAUL SHAPIRO'S MIDNIGHT MINYAN! With Paul Shapiro (saxophone), Steven Bernstein (slide trumpet), Peter Apfelbaum (saxophone / piano / percussion), Booker King (bass), Brian Mitchell (keyboard) & Tony Lewis (drums). CD Release Show for It's in the Twilight (Tzadik). Paul brilliantly greets the Sabbath bride, capturing the joyous feeling of a Friday night Shabbat service with his all-star band of downtown luminaries. Down home Jazz and Rhythm and Blues meet Jewish Music in this dynamic meeting of the secular and the spiritual.
10pm - JESSICA LURIE ENSEMBLE! With Todd Sickafoose (bass), Jessica Lurie (accordion / flute / saxophone / voice), Erik Deutsch (keyboard), Allison Miller (drums) & Brandon Seabrook

Sat May 13th-
7pm - A Mother's Day Concert: Lois Vierk plus Gisburg plus Miya Masaoka plus Mari Kimura plus Kitty Brazelton plus Daphna Naphtali!

Tues May 16th-
8pm - JOHN HOLLENBECK'S CLAUDIA QUINTET!
10pm - MANDARIN MOVIE with Alan Licht (guitar), Rob Mazurek (cornet), Jason Ajemian (bass) & Frank Rosaly (drums).


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Dee Pop presents: FREESTYLE JAZZ
Every Thursday @ Jimmy's 43 Restaurant
43 East 7th Street - NYC - 212-982-3006
WWW.FREESTYLEJAZZ.COM

April 27
8pm Joe Fiedler Trio, John Hebert, Mark Ferber
10pm Frank Lacy Trio with Hakim Jami & Malik Washington

May 4 8pm & 10pm
Michael Attias, Tony Malaby, John Hebert, Gerald Cleaver

May 11
8pm David Aaron's Short Memory: David Aaron, Rob Ritchie, Matt Wigton, Greg Ritchie
10pm Gene Ess Quartet


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WALTER THOMPSON - SOUNDPAINTING
THE NEW YORK SOUNDPAINTING ORCHESTRA
2 performances

Sunday, April 30, 2006 - 8:00PM
The Bowery Poetry Club - 212.614.0505
308 Bowery - at Bleecker Street, across from CBGB's

Tuesday, May 2, 2006 - 8:00PM
Galapagos Arts Space - 718 782-5188
70 North 6th Street - between Kent and Wythe, Williamsburg, Brooklyn,

The NYSO: Walter Thompson, Evan Mazunik, Gil Selinger, Ratzo Harris, Jane Rigler, Mike Fortune, Caitlin Jemison, Lorenzo Sanguedolce, Christian Pincock, Diana Wayburn, James Ilgenfritz lll, John O'Brian, Jay Foote, Bruce Holmburg, Lev Ljova Zhurbin, David Grunberg, Sam Kulik, Eric John Eigner, Jeremiah Cymerman, Jay Berckley, Jeremy Danneman, Kevin Sims, Sebastian Noelle, Michael Bates, Lily Maase, Chris Carroll, Elena M. Park, Anting Lee, Josh Sinton, Anne Guthrie, Mike Maher, Olivia De Prato

Soundpainting is the sign language for live compositions created by New York composer Walter Thompson for musicians, dancers, actors, poets, and visual artists working in the medium of structured improvisation. At present the language comprises over 750 gestures signed by the composer/conductor indicating the type of improvisation desired of the performers. Direction of the composition is gained through the parameters of each set of signed gestures.


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Free Zone Music Series @ Cafe Grumpy

Friday, April 28
8pm: theSuiteUnraveling: Lily Maase (guitar/compositions), Rob Mosher (oboe/soprano), Evan Smith (tenor), Matt Wigton (bass), Fred Kennedy (drums)
9pm Chris Chalfant's and Lifetime Visions Orchestra with Joseph Jarman


Cafe Grumpy - 193 Meserole Ave. @ Diamond St., Greenpoint, Brooklyn
718 349 7623 - Subway: G to Nassau Ave. or Greenpoint Ave.
Bus: B61 & B43 (to Manhattan Ave.) B24 (to McGuiness Blvd.)

For more info about Free Zone: tcumbie@nyc.rr.com,
visit freezoneny.org
More info about Cafe Grumpy: caroline@cafegrumpy.com,
visit cafegrumpy.com


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GET YOUR TICKETS NOW!!!...

The Tzadik Label New Music Series
Presents "New Voices from Japan"
Curated by John Zorn and featuring

HAINO KEIJI, MAKIGAMI KOICHI, YAMATAKA EYE, MIKE PATTON, JIM O'ROURKE, IKUE MORI & JOHN ZORN

Friday & Saturday, May 12th & 13th, at 7:30pm
at The Japan Society - 333 East 47th St. in NY, NY
Box Office: 212-715-1258 (M-F, 10am - 4:45pm)
Website: www.japansociety.org

John Zorn Curates New Vocal Music From Japan in NYC

Japan Society's 2005-2006 performing arts season concludes with two separate concerts that represent an unprecedented meeting of Japan's avant-garde vocal-music masters and U.S.-based experimental musicians. Curated by renowned composer-musician John Zorn and presented in collaboration with his independently operated record label, the Tzadik Label Music Series: NEW VOICES FROM JAPAN #148; features a brilliant kaleidoscope of sounds from the boldest vocal works in Japan's new music scene. The roster includes underground noise guitar-hero and Japanese superstar Haino Keiji; vocalist-composer and theremin pioneer Makigami Koichi, known for leading the long-running underground band Hikashu; and disquieting iconoclast Yamataka Eye, who first garnered public attention with his violent noise group Hanatarash and later as the front man vocalist for the Boredoms. Dynamic American-based musical guests include voice-master and leader of Fantomas Mike Patton, post-classical compose! Plus Jim O'Rourke, breath-taking laptop pioneer Ikue Mori and John Zorn himself.

Performances run Fri. & Sat., May 12 & 13 at 7:30 pm. Two day passes are $46 / $38 for Japan Society members, and single tickets are $35 / $30 for Japan Society members. Call 212-715-1258 or visit www.japansociety.org to purchase tickets or for more information. Japan Society is located at 333 East 47th St. (accessible by the 4/5/6 at 42nd St. or E & V at 53rd St.-Lexington).


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Monday, June 12
VISION FESTIVAL FILM SERIES 2006
at Anthology Film Archives (32 2nd Ave @ 2nd St)
Tix at the door: $8, $6 students & seniors (NOT included in festival pass)

Session #1 - 7pm
1.) MusicWitness(r): GENESIS & TESTIMONY (2006 - on the work of Jeff Schlanger) Directed by Robert O'Haire. Edited by Jeff Burns (30 min).
2.) DAVID S. WARE: A PORTRAIT (2000) Directed by Arthur Cemin & Romain Wentzo (53 min).
3.) RAPHE MALIK: REFLECTIONS (2006) Directed by Michael Lucio Sternbach (15 min).

Session #2 - 9pm
SAM RIVERS RETROSPECTIVE
Films celebrating the life and work of saxophonist Sam Rivers
Concert footage and interviews from throughout his 40yr career
approx. 105 min



VISION FESTIVAL XI at the ANGEL ORENSANZ CENTER FOR THE ARTS

At Orensanz Art Center -172 Norfolk Street (South of Houston)
June 12 - 18, 2006

Advance Passes $28 per night or $133 for Advance 'Entire Festival' Pass




VISION FESTIVAL XI - Complete Schedule :


Tuesday, June 13
6:30pm Opening Invocation: David Budbill, William Parker and Joseph Jarman
7pm Raphe Malik Memorial Tribute: Sabir Mateen (rds), Roy Campbell (trpt), Lewis Barnes (trpt), Marshall Allen (rds), Dave Burrell (p), William Parker (b), Warren Smith (dr)
8pm Klaas Hekman Trio: Klaas Hekman (bass sax), Fred Longberg-Holm (cello) Veryan Weston (p)
9pm Borah Bergman (p) / William Parker (b) / Rashied Ali (dms)
10pm Dave Burrell (p) / Billy Martin (dms)


Wednesday, June 14 - Sam Rivers Lifetime Achievement
7pm Rivbea Orchestra - Sam Rivers (tnr and sop sax, fl, pno, comp.) Lyman Brodie, John Castleman, Tom Parmenter, Mike Iapichino (trpts); Jeff Rupert, George Weremchuk, Rex Wertz, David Pate, Chris Charles (rds) Keith Oshiro, Dave Sheffield, Andrea Rowlinson (tmbs) Mike Roylance (tuba), Doug Mathews (elec bass, bass) Anthony Cole (dms)
8:30pm Grachan Moncur III Quartet + Guests: Grachan Moncur III (tmb),Calvin Hill (bs), Noriko Kamo (pno), Richard Pearson (dr) With The Philly Connection: Khan Jamal (vibes), Byard Lancaster (tnr)
9:30pm Warren Smith's Studio WIS Alumni Band: Warren Smith (dr), Roy Campbell (trpt), Andrew Lamb (tnr, fl), Jack Jeffers (bs trb), Howard Johnson (tuba), Jaribu Shahid (bs)
10:30pm Sam Rivers Trio: Sam Rivers (winds), Doug Matthews (b), Anthony Cole (d)


Thursday, June 15
7pm Paul Rutherford Trio: Paul Rutherford (tmb), Torsten Muller (b), Dylan van der Schyff (dms)
8pm John Coltrane Tribute Band: Roy Campbell (tpt), Louis Belogenis (sax) Andrew Bemkey (p), Reggie Workman (b), Rashied Ali (dms), Steve Dalachinsky (poet)
9pm Maria Naidu (dnc) / Dennis Gonzalez (trpt)
9:30pm Day & Taxi: Christoph Gallio (sop), Christian Weber (b), Michael Griener (d)
10:30pm Bill Dixon (trpt, elec) / George Lewis (tmb, elec): Videosonic Projections


Friday, June 16
7pm Donald Byrd Spectrum Dance Theater w/ Hamid Drake (perc.)
7:30pm Hamid Drake's Bindu: Hamid Drake (dms), Sabir Mateen (rds), Daniel Carter (rds), Greg Ward (rds), Ernest Dawkins (rds)
8:30pm Rob Brown Quartet: Rob Brown (as), Craig Taborn (p), William Parker (b), Gerald Cleaver (dms)
9:30pm Billy Bang Quintet: Billy Bang (vln), James Zollar (trpt), Andrew Bemkey (p), Todd Nicholson (b), Newman Taylor Baker
10:30pm Henry Grimes (b) / Sekou Sundiata (poet)


Saturday Afternoon, June 17 - The New Generation
1pm Ras Moshe and The Music Now Unit: Ras Moshe (rds), Matt Lavelle (trpt, bs clar), Tor Yochai Snyder (gtr), Matt Heyner (bs), Todd Nicholson (bs), Jackson Krall (dr)
2pm Yusuke Yamamoto Ensemble: Yusuke Yamamoto (vbs)
3pm Matana Roberts' Mississippi Moonchile: Matana Roberts (rds), Matt Bauder (tnr), Thomson Kneeland (bs), Tomas Fujiwara (dr),
4pm Lafayette Gilchrist (pno) / Hamid Drake (perc)


Saturday Evening, June 17
7pm Slammin' The Infinite: Steve Swell (tmb), Sabir Mateen (reeds), Matthew Heyner (bs), Klaus Kugel (dms), w/ guest John Blum (pno)
8pm Roscoe Mitchell & the Chicago Quartet: Roscoe Mitchell (rds, perc), Corey Wilkes (tpt), Harrison Bankhead (b), Vincent Davis (dms)
9pm Joe Morris (gtr) / Barre Philips (b)
10pm Jason Kao Hwang's EDGE: Jason Kao Hwang (vln), Taylor Ho Bynum (crnt), Ken Filiano (b), Andrew Drury (dms)
11pm By Any Means: Rashied Ali, Charles Gayle & William Parker


Sunday Early Evening, June 18
5pm Miya Masaoka (koto, laser koto, elec.), Sylvie Courvoisier (pno), Peggy Lee (cello)
6pm Kidd Jordan Quartet: Kidd Jordan (ts), Joel Futterman (p, sax), William Parker (b), Alvin Fielder (dms)
7pm Patricia Nicholson (dnc), William Parker (b, sintir), Hamid Drake (dms) Jo Wood Brown (vis art)
8pm Whit Dickey Ensemble: Whit Dickey (dms), Daniel Levin (cello), Mat Moran (vbs)
9pm David S. Ware Quartet: Final US Performance Ever!!! David S. Ware (ts), Matthew Shipp (p), William Parker (b), Guillermo E. Brown (dms)




VISUAL ARTISTS AT VISION FESTIVAL XI
Anne Humanfeld, Alain Kirili, Margaret Lampe Kannenstine, Ariane Lopez-Huici, Bill Mazza, Victor Melamed Yuko Otomo, Jorgo Schafer, Jeff Schlanger, Maura Sheehan, Zak Sherzad, Marilyn Sontag
Photographers: Jacques Bisceglia, Stefania Errore, Ziga Koritnik

This schedule is subject to change. For most recent scheduling information, please visit our website at www.visionfestival.org.


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Saturday, May 6th, 'O6: Henry Grimes workshop, "Known to the Unknown: Secrets of Improvisation," 1:3O-5:3O p.m. (minus lunch break), $6O, +

Henry Grimes Trio featuring Andrew Lamb & Newman Taylor Baker in concert at 8 p.m., $12, School for Improvisational Music at the Gowanus Arts Building, 295 Douglass St. betw. 3rd & 4th Ave's, Brooklyn, 212-631-5882 (Voicemail), www.schoolforimprov.org/live (click on "calendar"), info@schoolforimprov.org, tickets at the door or online. By subway, take the R to Union St., A/ C/ G to Hoyt-Schermerhorn, or 2/ 3/ 4/ 5/ B/ Q to Atlantic Ave.


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