WOW! AN AVALANCHE OF GEMS:
ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO 2CD set! BRIDGE 61: KEN VANDERMARK/JASON STEIN/NATE McBRIDE/TIM DAISY! PETER BROTZMANN / ALBERT MANGELSDORFF / GUNTER SOMMER'S "PICA PICA"! STEVE BERNSTEIN's SEX MOB'S...and MILLENNIAL TERRITORY ORCHESTRA! SAMSARA SOUND SYSTEM With BILL LASWELL,!

FOUR from EMANEM & PSI: SPONTANEOUS MUSIC ENSEMBLE! FREE ZONE APPLEBY 2005 (w/ EVAN PARKER & PAUL DUNMALL), JOHN OSWALD /ROGER TURNER/ MICHAEL KEITH! PETER EVANS!

SIX from LEO: NAUSEEF/COURVOISIER/MORI/QUINTUS, SIMON NABATOV & TOM RAINEY, MARK O'LEARY/STEVE SWALLOW/PIERRE FAVRE, JOHN WOLF BRENNAN SOLO, MICHEL WINTSCH / CHRISTIAN WEBER / CHRISTIAN WOLFARTH & MATTHEW MITCHELL & DUNCAN HAYNES

SONNY SIMMONS' ARCHIVE PROJECT VOLUME 2, PAUL MOTIAN TRIO 2000+ONE, A GREAT MISHA MENGELBERG DVD, ROVA SAX QUARTET, TREVOR WATTS DUO, SPARK TRIO [MATT LAVELLE/RAS MOSHE/TODD CAPP], LEE KONITZ NONET & LEE KONITZ-OHAD TALMOR STRING PROJECT, TWO from FLAHERTY / CORSANO / YEH,

EIGHT from GUNTER HAMPEL'S BIRTH LABEL: GUNTER HAMPEL'S EUROPEAN/NEW YORK SIX, GUNTER HAMPEL EUROPEAN TRIO 1 & 2 + FIVE GREAT REISSUES: SOLO, 3 TRIOS w/ JEANNE LEE, ANTHONY BRAXTON, PERRY ROBINSON & TONI MARCUS & AN AMAZING DISC from GUNTER'S GALAXIE DREAM BAND from 1972!

PLUS HISTORIC DISCS from CONLON NANCARROW, GLAXO BABIES, MARK FOSSON, AFRICAVISION 1 & 2 plus THE NAI HTAW PAING ENSEMBLE!

...anD MOOORRRE!


**********************************



ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO - Non- Cognitive Aspects of the City/Live at Iridium [2 CD set] (Pi Recordings 20; USA) This is the debut disc from the new Art Ensemble of Chicago and it features their current line-up: Roscoe Mitchell on sopranino, soprano alto & tenor saxes, flutes & percussion, Joseph Jarman on sopranino, alto & tenor saxes, flutes, percussion & vocal, Corey Wilkes on trumpets, flugelhorn & percussion, Jaribu Shahid on acoustic & electric basses and Don Moye on drums & percussion.
It's been nearly forty years since the legendary Art Ensemble of Chicago gathered their forces and arrived on the world stage. Their theme, "Great Black Music/Ancient to the Future" continues to show that they have long embraced the great history of Black Music(s). In the past decade, the Art Ensemble has lost two original members, Lester Bowie & Malachi favors, yet their creative flame continues. This marvelous double disc captures the current version of the Art Ensemble in full flight and sounding wonderful throughout this long and diverse double disc set. "Song for My Sister" is the title track from a Roscoe Mitchell disc from a few years back and it is features some fine laid back solos from Roscoe and Joseph. There are three group improvs and each provides mystery and suspense with different combinations of instruments. I dig the swirling soprano & sopranino saxes, melodica, bass and percussion on "The Morning Mist", completely cerebral. The AEC show that even playing "free", there are always levels of interaction going on that make these segments so magical. Mr. Shahid plays a super-quick bass-line on "Song for Charles" while the horns plays slow, sumptuous harmonies on the opening and closing theme. The furious rhythm team pushes the irrepressible Roscoe to launch into a sax solo that quite astonishing in intensity and spirit, leaving that feisty young whippersnapper, Corey Wilkes, to take an incredible solo as well. On another of their improv segments, "On the Mountain" the quintet are in constant flux, swirling through different genres, free and funky, as the horns play with, in and around one another, rarely stopping to catch their breath. What really amazes me and anyone else who listens is that nearly forty years after their birth, they continue to soar and explore their own world and provide the magic we each need to have faith in the future. - BLG
2 CD set $20


SONNY SIMMONS - Live At The Cheshire Cat [2 CD set; ltd ed of 85 copies] (Hello World 02/03; EEC) Disc 1 features Sonny Simmons on alto sax and Irvin Lovillette on drums and was probably recorded at the Gnu Deli in Olympia, Washington in early 1980. Disc 2 features Sonny Simmons with Richard Clements on piano, Freddie Williams on bass and Larry Hancock on drums and was recorded live at the Chesire Cat Club in San Francisco, also in 1980.
The first disc features an epic-length (43 minutes) version of the standard, "It's the Talk of the Town" for just a trio with Sonny and drummer Irvin Lovilette with an unknown hand percussionist added. Sonny begins a lovely, sad, laid back version of this tune as the percussionist(s) play and slowly build simmering grooves alone and underneath Sonny's streams of notes. The drummer reminds me of Dennis Charles, with that infectious and sly groove repeating the rhythm hypnotically as Sonny soars, slowly varying his layers of quick lines. The conga player also plays some African percussion at the beginning and some cool cowbell in the first ten minutes. Sonny seems to develop one o two theme(s) at a time, taking a phrase and turning it inside-out as he varies and shifts the lines. There is jubilant spirit here, as he navigates the currents and accentuates certain fragments of melodies. What is incredible is that he continues to dig deep and come up with an endless supply of long lines for the entire 43 minutes of this powerful, story-like work.
Disc two was recorded a few months later with a quartet (Richard Clements, Freddie Williams & Larry Hancock), back at the Chesire Cat Club in San Francisco, Sonny's hometown for many years. This disc is not as well recorded but it is spirited throughout. The quartet does two long pieces, an original called, "Lost Village of Um Tombey" and a fine version of "Body and Soul". "Lost Village" is an inspired modal piece with a transcendent melody. The quartet swings hard and there is a joyous vibe at the center. The pianist has that McCoy-like sparkle and Sonny rides the waves as the quartet burns and sounds as if they are about to erupt. Sonny takes a long Dolphy-esque solo that is simply amazing, spurred on by the powerful drums of Larry Hancock. All three rhythm team players take strong, intense solos on this piece. The quartet sounds fine on the closing chestnut, "Body and Soul", Sonny's tone is sublime, his playing superb. This is a perfect way to bring this fine double disc to a happy ending. We have 25 of the 85 limited-edition CD-R's left as of 7/28/06 and that is all we are going to get, so don't hesitate. - BLG
2 CD-R Set for $25


ROVA [SAXOPHONE QUARTET] - Totally Spinning (Black Saint 120206; Italy) Featuring Larry Ochs on tenor & sopranino saxes, Jon Raskin on bari sax, Bruce Ackley on soprano sax and Steve Adams on alto & sopranino saxes. 'Totally Spinning' is different from most Rova discs as all but one of the eight pieces are relatively short (under nine minutes). Only two members, Adams & Raskin, contribute pieces, with a couple of collective works and one piece by Fred Frith. The title piece opens with some fine, slighty funky repeating lines and a great bari sax solo. Rather World Sax Quartet-like and very cool. I dig the way the bari sax plays that fat walking bass groove on "Stiction", in the center section all four saxes solo together in layers, staggered and coming in at different times, much like a heated discussion. Both group pieces are called "Radar" followed by different numbers. Both are group improvisations based on different strategies or instant compositions. "Radar 11/19/01" has all four playing hushed lines, slowly spinning in and out of the silence. "Cueranavaca Starlight for Charles Mingus" features a long, spirited bari solo from Jon Raskin rising high above the solemn saxes underneath. Frith's "Kick It" is s gem, tight, spiraling lines with some great Zappa-like intricate parts. The one epic-length work is Raskin's "It's a Journey, Not a Destination" and it is indeed a tour-de-force. It starts with the tenor and bari soloing intensely, at the same time, then a great soprano solo appears, as the other saxes later come in playing charted parts. Each section overlaps with the next section, so that everything remains connected with solos turning into focused group activity. The occasional short blasts of solo/duo excursions are balanced just right within the overall flow. On "Preshrunk", each member plays this twisted funk riff starting at different times, all four spinning at slightly different points with unexpected intersecting connections. "Radar, Version 731" is filled with layers of lines spiraling in and around one another in different orbits, it takes time to get used to the alien harmonies and bent notes, but there is some strange thread or logic that holds it together, even if it is not so obvious. You got to work to hear what is truly unique and fascinating here, the rewards are great once you get there. - BLG
CD $16


SEX MOB [STEVEN BERNSTEIN/BRIGGAN KRAUSS/TONY SCHERR/KENNY WOLLESEN] - Sexotica (Thirsty Ear 57170; USA) This is the fifth fabulous disc from Steve Bernstein's Sex Mob and each previous one has had some sort of theme. 'Sexotica' is a tribute to Martin Denny, one of the kings of kitsch, who combined Hawaiian & jungle sounds with assorted exotica from the fifties and sixties. Commencing with "Pygmy Suite", we know we are in store for some incredibly sly and silly shit. A fine, funky groove with an assortment of scratching and other oddball samples plus the ridiculous singing of "yah yah" by some local natives. Producer, Good & Evil, adds "exotic" samples and other sonic seasoning. Steve Bernstein's charming, yet twisted trumpet and Briggan Krause's sax are the featured players, yet the sly production and layers of subtle percussion are selectively utilized throughout. As no one really solos here, it is the producer who selects snippets and then alters them with echo and other devices. Like them old Martin Denny records of yesteryear, it is more the exotic mood that is evoked throughout, but with a more updated sound. What's interesting is the way everything is altered somewhat, so that it is difficult to tell who is doing what. Selective amounts of drum machine and/or programming are used, just to create the occasional groove, yet the grooves are often slippery and not constant. What is great about this is that this music sounds like a soundtrack to a (spy?) movie, always evoking different images. Very nifty overall and not what one might expect from the personnel involved. - BLG
CD $15

STEVEN BERNSTEIN'S MILLENIAL TERRITORY ORCHESTRA - MTO Volume 1 (Sunnyside 1158; USA) Featuring Steven Bernstein trumpet & slide trumpet & arrangements, Doug Weiselman, Peter Apfelbaum & Erik Lawrence on saxes & clarinet, Clark Gayton on trombone, Charlie Burnham on violin, Matt Munisteri on guitar, banjo & vocal, Ben Allison on bass and Ben Perowsky on drums plus Doug Wamble, guest guitar & vocal for one track.
This marvelous, fun-filled little big-band has been together and playing regularly since 1999. Multi-bandleader, local trumpet ace and all 'round good guy, Steve Bernstein was inspired by working on the music for Robert Altman's film about Kansas City with Hal Wilner and decided to explore the same sort of olden jazz with this band. Anyone and everyone who has a chance to check out their weekly gigs, knows that the Millennial Territory Orchestra rules the roost. All of us real hipsters have been waiting quite a while for their disc and yessiree, it is finally here! They start off with the delectable "Boy in the Boat", the five horns rocking nicely together, them plungers and mutes in hand, giving that delightful human (voice-like) quality that the early Duke Ellington band excelled at. They end the tune with an old-fashioned violin solo from Charlie Burham, also a member of Blood's Odyssey Band. They follow this with a tasty version of the Beatles' "Cry Baby Cry", the bari sax pleading, proving that a great melody is a universal gift. Another splendid cover is a bluesy version of (Little) Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered", which features the righteous voice and slide guitar of Doug Wamble. So good! I dig the way "Happy Hour Blues" jumps between the corn and the crazy stuff, with a fast, high-flying solo from Steve's trumpet, in between sections of goofy stuff. One of the fine things about this disc is the crafty, old-fashioned sounding semi-acoustic guitar of Matt Munisteri, who plays superbly throughout, as does Mr. Burham's splendid acoustic violin. Another well-selected cover is a charming version of "Pennies from Heaven" with some swell vocals by an unnamed dame. More fun than barrel of monkeys, so put on your favorite zoot-suit and get down with the Millennial Territory Orchestra or else... - BLG
CD $16



JUST RELEASED ON ATAVISTIC...

BRIDGE 61 [KEN VANDERMARK/JASON STEIN/NATE McBRIDE/TIM DAISY] - Journal (Atavistic 172; USA) "Given the logistical hiatus that Spaceways Inc. has found itself occupying, Ken Vandermark was seeking to create another mode of expression for those groove-centric hunks of sound. Ergo: the birth of Bridge 61, featuring KV, Spaceways Inc. bassist Nate McBride, V5/SIA trapman Tim Daisy, and newcomer Jason Stein on bass clarinet. Utilizing its existing histories as a source for new potential in musical exploration, the combination of instruments at Bridge 61's disposal allows them to utilize a startling range of sound and tactics with the material, easily moving from the character of an austere chamber ensemble to that of radical electric noise - or to a kinetic energy hymn in any given set during a performance. Most importantly, the band makes the connection between these varied aesthetics, giving them a formal sense & structure. With tunes crafted by these stalwarts, and dedications to This Heat, Jackson Pollock & Sonny Sharrock - how can Bridge 61 miss?"
CD $15

PETER BROTZMANN/ALBERT MANGELSDORFF/GUNTER SOMMER - Pica Pica (UMS/Atavistic 258; USA) Recorded 9/18/82, a reissue of FMP 1050. "A sweet period piece from the FMP Archive, on Atavistic's Unheard Music Series - featuring Brotz, Albert Mangelsdorff & Gunter 'Baby' Sommer." Excerpted from Brotzmann's liner notes: "I remember at one period when Han Bennink couldn't make the gigs - he was playing with Misha most of the time - Albert and I had a trio with Fred Van Hove, and we used to play in a little bar in Cologne which was run by the son of Paffgen brewery, a famous little brewery where Kolsch is brewed. It was equipped with an upright piano and a 20-liter barrel of fresh beer, which was empty after the gig. Albert's generosity and open-mindedness, compared to many other jazz musicians in the period, was remarkable. When he started working with crazy Brotzmann and Bennink, some of his colleagues gave him a very hard time. But I think he profited from our work the same way we did from his experience and musicality." - Peter Brotzmann, Chicago, October 2005.
CD $15



NEW ON EMANEM & PSI...

SPONTANEOUS MUSIC ENSEMBLE [JOHN STEVENS et al] - Biosystem (PSI 06.07; UK) [1977] JOHN STEVENS (percussion & cornet), NIGEL COOMBES (violin), ROGER SMITH (guitar), COLIN WOOD (cello). The first recording of the 'string' version of the SME, that lasted (minus Wood) until 1992. "We had a willow tree in the back garden and I used to look at the willow tree and the grass and think, well we could be like this. We could be very close to nature if we learned how to just purely interact..." John Stevens. Reissue plus 35 minutes of extra material from the same session. 78 minutes.
CD $20

FREE ZONE APPLEBY [EVAN PARKER/PAUL DUNMALL/GERD DUDEK /KENNY WHEELER/PAUL ROGERS/TONY LEVIN...] - Free Zone Appleby 2005 (PSI 06.06; UK) KENNY WHEELER (trumpet), GERD DUDEK (tenor sax), PAUL DUNMALL (soprano & tenor saxes), EVAN PARKER (tenor sax), PHILIPP WACHSMANN (violin, electronics), JOHN EDWARDS (bass), PAUL ROGERS (bass), TONY LEVIN (drums), TONY MARSH (drums). The acoustics of Ancient Space and Chris Trent's engineering sensibilities bring a more free jazz orientated combination of some of Evan Parker's favourite musicians in a full programme of open playing. Three trios, a quartet and a nonet. 75 minutes.
CD $20

MICHAEL KEITH/JOHN OSWALD/ROGER TURNER - Number Nine (EMANEM 4129; UK) (2005) Two Toronto musicians and a visitor from London formed this trio that has worked on both sides of the Atlantic. Group improvisations on acoustic guitar, alto saxophone and percussion that cover the whole gamut from dense high-energy to sparse interactions. 51 minutes.
CD $20

PETER EVANS - More is More (PSI 06.08; UK) (2005) Peter Evans is an astonishing new voice on that most demanding of instruments - the trumpet. This set of solo improvisations locates Evans at the centre of the next generation of players. 45 minutes.
CD $20



NEW FROM 'LEO' RECORDS!

MARK NAUSEEF/IKUE MORI/SYLVIE MORI/WALTER QUINTUS - Albert (LEO 465; UK) This recording by Mark Nauseef (percussion and cheap Cassio), Ikue Mori (computer), Sylvie Courvoisier (piano & prepared piano), and Walter Quintus (recording and mixing) is a tribute to Albert Hofmann who celebrated his 100th birthday on January 11, 2006. Albert Hofmann is the alchemist who discovered the philosopher's stone in the form of LSD. A unique opportunity to hear Albert's voice emerging from the music just to disappear into music again.
CD $17

JOHN WOLF BRENNAN - Pictures In A Gallery: Solo Piano (LEO 464; UK) The first solo piano CD by John Wolf Brennan in Leo Records catalogue. It's been recorded live in two different museums in Switzerland and Russia. 27 instant compositions have been inspired by the great paintings exhibited in these museums. As Stuart Broomer writes in his notes, John Wolf Brennan is blessed with a very quick mind, so his improvisations are always stretching to and from form to such an extent that we can readily confuse the spontaneous with the pre-formed.
CD $17

SIMON NABATOV/TOM RAINEY - Steady Now (LEO 463; UK) Simon Nabatov and Tom Rainey have been playing together in different bands since 1990 -- trios with Mark Helias or Drew Gress, quintet including Mark Feldman, Herb Robertson and Mark Helias, Matthias Schubert Quartet, NDR Big Band and Klaus Konig Band. In August 2005 they made a recording produced by the NDR Radio in Hamburg. It was a joyous reunion after a two-year break, and the very first time the two played in duo. The result is a set of free improvised pieces with concise dramaturgical inclination and a wide variety of modi operandi, all stemming from the long-term musical bond between them.
CD $17

MARK O'LEARY/STEVE SWALLOW/PIERRE FAVRE - Awakening (LEO 460; UK) Mark O'Leary continues to excite imagination by recording with new and new partners of the highest caliber. His previous recordings with Matthew Shipp, Mat Maneri, Tomasz Stanko, Uri Caine, Ben Perovsky got outstanding reviews. This time he took to the studio two veterans of new music Steve Swallow and Pierre Favre. The music is very different from what you've heard before, and Mark's writing is much more subtle and melodic.
CD $17

MICHEL WINTSCH/CHRISTIAN WEBER/CHRISTIAN WOLFARTH - WWW (LEO 467; UK) Featuring Michel Wintsch (piano) and Christian Wolfarth (drums) have been featured on quite a few CDs in Leo Records catalogue, but it is the first time they joined forces and invited Christian Weber (bass) to form WWW trio. The rapport between these three is so fantastic that nine improvised pieces sound like notated compositions while none of the musicians lose their identity.
CD $17

MATTHEW MITCHELL/DUNCAN HAYNES - The Urban Choreographic (LEO 466; UK) The second CD by Matthew Mitchell (guitar, electronics) and Duncan Haynes (piano) in Leo Records catalogue. Recorded in London in June 2005 The Urban Choreographic is a result of total immersion into the diversity and intensity of urban survival in a city that is, at it's best, an example of how humankind can exist in uplifting harmony and, at it's worst, a murderous soup of disaffected and conflicting needs and ambitions.
CD $17




MISHA MENGELBERG with ICP ORCHESTRA/ANTHONY BRAXTON/DAVE DOUGLAS - Afijn [DVD] This is a fascinating documentary about Misha Mengelberg & the ICP Orchestra with guests Anthony Braxton & Dave Douglas. We begin with baby pictures of Misha and an ongoing interview (in Dutch with English subtitles) about his life, his parents, who spent time in Russia and his discovery of Duke Ellington in 1948 and the lifelong importance of Monk to him. There are snippets of Monk playing and comments by Misha and other members of the ICP Orchestra about Monk, which then cut to their version of a Monk tune. It is a revelation to hear both versions spliced together. ICP members discuss what is so special about Misha's playing and writing. There is a wonderful section about an avant-garde piece done in 1969 with contributions by five composers that Misha was involved with, Plus a piano piece that he wrote that we nearly impossible to play. The ICP Orchestra prepares for a 70th birthday celebration for Misha with Peter Van Bergen playing the piano part, an old friend of Misha's. In the middle of one of the pieces, a small car wheels on the stage, some men get out saw a chair with an electric saw as Mr. Braxton and Misha watch. Why?!? Think about it. We get one of the magical, ridiculous duos with Han Bennink & Misha. As well as a couple of extraordinary duos with Dave Douglas and Misha and a couple of wonderful pieces by the incomparable ICP Orchestra. What more could you want? - BLG (ICP 44; Netherlands)
DVD $30


TREVOR WATTS/JAMIE PARIS - Live in Sao Paulo (HI 4 Head 05; UK) Featuring Trevor Watts on alto and soprano saxes & Jamie Harris on congas and hand percussion. Legendary British saxist, Trevor Watts, has had a long and diverse career. Although he can be heard on some 50+ discs starting in the mid-sixties, he has been in basically three bands. First there was the Spontaneous Music Ensemble (mid-60's to mid'70's), which he founded with drummer John Stevens. SME were the pioneers of "free/jazz" in the UK. Then there was Amalgam, which also included John Stevens at the beginning of their reign, eventually turning into a free/fusion band of sorts. For comes his most recent group the Moire Music Drum Ensemble, which has featured up to four African percussionists and a rhythm section. I caught them up at Victo in the early days and they were great. Last year, Trevor contacted me about having this group play in NY, but I couldn't afford to put an eight-piece ensemble up. So what did Trevor do, he toured with just one conga player, named Jamie Harris. A bunch of us were lucky enough to catch them at the CB's Sunday night series last year. They were incredible and yes, just sax and conga with a bit of voice.
The first thing is that, the sound is captured superbly. Jamie's congas sound warm and inviting with Trevor's sax riding the groove, both locking into one dancing vibe. This is not mere improv, but lyrical songs that reach out and caress our hearts, souls and bodies. They repeat the phrases over and over so that it is easy and fun to sing along. There is something ancient and ethnic sounding going on here. Give and take, back and forth, both getting into that infectious groove. Trevor plays his soprano and alto with dizzying dexterity, It is rare that music this dazzling is so much fun to listen or just groove to. I love when they lay back on "Eastern Eyes" and softly caress out tired bodies with soothing sounds. Trevor gets a more Middle-Eastern sound when he plays soprano sax on "Sopata", holding on and stretching those notes out until the duo pick up speed and twist the notes inside-out, a powerful, intoxicating segment. Too much! They slow things down to a sublime simmer on "Anna B", where Trevor's sax spews out some those dynamic, lyrical lines ever so righteously. "Ancestry" closes this gem with another infectious groove and a delightful, dancing, joyous sax solo. Jamie sings along in the middle of the last piece and we all feel the need to join in. Perfect party music for those of us with who love to jump and groove like dancing fools who don't care what others think. - BLG
CD $17


SAMSARA SOUND SYSTEM With BILL LASWELL - Tales Of The Red Dawn (Baboon 006; USA) The latest project from Professor Shehab (a/k/a Sassan Ghahri) and Alan Kushan, Tales of the Red Dawn continues to push the boundaries of electronic world music, building on the worldwide critical acclaim garnered by Samsara Sound System's first release, Ritual of Carousel.Tracks from Ritual of Carousel have been featured on many international comps, including Arabian Travels 2 (Six Degrees Records) This new album features guest contributions from the legendary Bill Laswell, Grand-Mixer DXT (the first time Laswell and DXT have appeared together in over five years) and Mark Pistel (Meat Beat Manifesto), and introduces the mighty talents of Mark Deutsch on the bazantar. The rhythms and grooves on Tales of the Red Dawn are unlike anything heard from the underground world electronic music scene, and will cement Professor Shehab's reputation as one of its leading innovators!
CD $14


SPARK TRIO [MATT LAVELLE/RAS MOSHE/TODD CAPP] - Short Stories In Sound [ltd ed of 200 #'d copies] (Utech 044; USA) Featuring Matt Lavelle on trumpet & bass clarinet, Ras Moshe on tenor & alto sax and Todd Capp on drums. The Spark Trio feature three prominent members of the downtown free/jazz underground, each a leader on their own and each a fine player who works in a variety of other bands/projects. You can tell that these cats have eaten their free/jazz wheaties for breakfast as they sound as if they've absorbed the long history of avant/jazz. While Todd Capp was an under-recognized drummer who worked with William Parker & Daniel Carter in the seventies, he resurfaced in the last decade as a part of the current free/jazz underground. Matt and Ras are close friends and a generation younger than Todd, yet sound much older than their years. There is strong balance between the three musicians involved as Todd keeps the rhythm flowing, firing sparks underneath either Ras' sax or Matt's trumpet, apart and together. "Launch" starts with some angular bass clarinet and tenor sax speaking in tongues, before the drums enter. Both Matt and Ras stretch out those low-end notes before Todd plays a fine slow motion drum solo. Both Ras (on tenor) and Matt (on bass clarinet) take fine long solos without backing and show their considerable vocabulary. A strong date from three of downtown's best local heroes. The Spark Trio will be playing here for free on Sunday, August 20th at 6pm. Be there or be skware. - BLG
CD $12


OUTRIO [ALBEY BALGOCHIAN/SABIR MATEEN/JACKSON KRALL] - Slight Return [DVD] (self-produced; USA) Featuring Sabir Mateen on reeds, Albey Balgochian on acoustic bass and Jackson Krall on drums. No doubt that you should recognize the rhythm team here since Albey and Jackson have been working with Cecil Taylor for the past few years. This is a well-recorded session layers of shifting colors on display that match the improv nicely. Images of the trio fade in and out slowly as the pastel colors shift and shimmer like the sounds we hear. Each member of the trio gets a fair amount of solo space. There are almost nonstop images of waves of water, buildings and the sun and clouds in the horizon with the trio floating and in and out of the screen. Albey is a bit louder than the other members of the trio and is in especially fine form, bowing, plucking and consistently coming up with a large array of creative sounds from his stand-up electric bass. The flow of the currents of the water that we see throughout this disc match the flow of sounds and events just right. Sabir solos on one reed at a time and does some fine work on his tenor sax, alto clarinet and flute. Jackson Krall often lays back and creates subtle dialogue to match his cohorts just right. Even the video feedback is varied enough to keep things interesting most of the time. A well-done and certainly worthy (inexpensive) DVD of free/jazz at its best. - BLG
DVD $14

ANDY McWAIN/ALBEY BALGOCHIAN/LAURENCE COOK - Vigil (Fuller Street 2166; USA) Featuring Andy McWain on piano, Albey Balgochain on bass and Laurence Cook on drums. I can't say that I've heard of Massachusetts-based pianist, Andy McWain, before this, but I've known of the great avant/jazz drummer Laurence Cook through his work with Bill Dixon, Thurston Moore, Joe McPhee, Daniel Carter and Paul Flaherty. Mr. Balgochian has been playing in the Cecil Taylor Trio & Orchestra, as well as a having a fine trio of his own with Sabir Mateen. This is a free piano trio and a strong one at that. Beginning slowly, but taking off quickly for the stratosphere. Albey's bass is in the center and is the busiest, quickly buzzing fleet, fast streams of notes as the piano and drums take their time and building together ever upwards. There is an organic connection and development in the way this disc unfolds. The playing is often streamlined and suspenseful and spacious. They do not play songs or do charted terrain, yet they work so well together, sailing and soaring together. In a blindfold test, you might mistake them for Herbie, Ron and Tony when they played with Miles in the mid-sixties. They occasionally erupt and reach for the stars. Which is pretty amazing considering few of us have heard of this trio before this very endeavor. It would be a shame for them to go unnoticed, so, dig in. - BLG
CD $14


PAUL MOTIAN TRIO 2000+ONE - On Broadway Vol. 4: The Paradox Of Continuity (W&W; Germany) Paul Motian [drums]; Masabumi Kikuchi [piano]; Rebecca Martin [vocals]; Chris Potter [tenor sax]; Larry Grenadier [bass]
CD $15


LEE KONITZ NONET With OHAD TALMOR/BEN MONDER/OSCAR NORIEGA /MATT WILSON - New Nonet (Omnitone 15214; USA)
CD $15

LEE KONITZ-OHAD TALMOR STRING PROJECT With SPRING STRING QT - Inventions (Omnitone 15215; USA)
CD $15


BILLY HART QUARTET with MARK TURNER/ETHAN IVERSON/BEN STREET - Quartet (Highnote 7158; USA)
CD $15



NEW & REISSUED RELEASES FROM GUNTER HAMPEL ON HIS 'BIRTH' LABEL... FIRST THREE NEW DISCS

GUNTER HAMPEL EUROPEAN - NEW YORK SIX - Celestial Travellin' ...And Other Ways To Get Around (Birth 50907; Germany) [CD-R] 2005 studio recording featuring Gunter Hampel on vibes, bass clarinet & flute, Roy Campbell on trumpets, Perry Robinson on clarinet, Johannes Schleiemacher on tenor sax, Lou Grassi on drums and Hersch Silverman - poetry. Gunter has provided some fine writing for his strong sextet. "Smiling Energy Revisited" blends free and Dixieland jazz strains together into a near seamless spinning sound. "Workout" is a workout for drummer Lou Grassi who must play a constantly shifting drum part as the rest of the sextet play their skeletal parts around him. Gunter's vibes and Lou's drums spin their rhythm web together as the horns flutter above them. Hersh's poetry is used sporadically and selectively making interesting observations on the life in the downtown scene. Sometimes the swirling horns and drums become a thick soup that is a bit unnerving, just like our lives are at times. Soon the vibe shifts back down to a more spacious refrain and we feel much better. This is the surreal thing. - BLG
CD $16

GUNTER HAMPEL EUROPEAN TRIO - Choices: 1st set [CD-R] (Birth 51122; Germany) Featuring Gunter on bass clarinet, vibes, flute and compositions, Johannes Schleiemacher on tenor sax and Bernd Oezsevim on drums. Recorded live at The Loft Studio in Cologne on November 22nd of 2005.
CD $16

GUNTER HAMPEL EUROPEAN TRIO - Choices II: 2nd set [CD-R] (Birth 51112; Germany) Featuring Gunter on bass clarinet, vibes, flute and compositions, Johannes Schleiemacher on tenor sax and Bernd Oezsevim on drums.
CD $16

AND FIVE RARE REISSUES IN NEW SLIMLINE PLASTIC CASES:

* GUNTER HAMPEL & GALAXIE DREAM BAND - Broadway + Folk Song (Birth 11; Germany) 1972 studio recording featuring Gunter Hampel on vibes, clarinets, flute, (instant) compositions & conducting, Jeanne Lee - voice, Perry Robinson - clarinet, Mark Whitecage - alto sax & flute, Allan Praskin - alto sax, Toni Marcus - violin & viola, David Eyges - cello, Paul Boulet - guitars and Jack Gregg & John Shea - basses. An outstanding offering that I don't recall ever having seen on vinyl. Starting with strings, flute and voice floating freely on top of some fine written reeds, cello, acoustic guitar and bass below. Strong and well-written, similar to modern classical writing. Boisterous bass clarinet, acoustic guitar, clarinet and voice swirl together with mesmerizing results. Jeanne Lee's incredible free-form voice spins around in the mix, dancing back and forth in the stereo pan-scape. I love when a sub-group breaks into a hummable melody on the second piece while other float freely around the sides. Eventually they move into an epic-length works with complex layers on charted material that evolves though waves of freer terrain. There are rich harmonies at the center and you never when they will break into that theme again. This is like a fairy tale from the future without a storyline, yet it still tells a tale that is difficult to forget. - BLG
CD $16

GUNTER HAMPEL - Dances (Birth 02; Germany) For solo flute, vibes, bass clarinet & piano from Paris 1969!!
CD $16

GUNTER HAMPEL-JEANNE LEE-PERRY ROBINSON - Spirits (Birth 07; Germany) [new packaging 2006] Splendid trio date; Live from Columbia University's WKCR on 8/26/71! [CD-R]
CD $16

GUNTER HAMPEL/ANTHONY BRAXTON/JEANNE LEE - Familie (Birth 08; Germany) [new packaging 2006] Another fine date! Live from Paris on 4/1/72 [CD-R]
CD $16

GUNTER HAMPEL/JEANNE LEE/TONI MARCUS - Waltz For 3 Universes In A Corridor (Birth 10; Germany) Live at WKCR in NYC 1972.
CD $16



GORDON GRDINA/GARY PEACOCK/PAUL MOTIAN - Think Like The Waves [H-SACD] (Songlines 1559; Canada) [This is a hybrid/multi-layer SACD which will play on any CD player] The young, Vancouver guitarist and oud player Gordon Grdina sought out Gary Peacock after a Keith Jarrett concert in San Francisco in 2000, and for the next five years Gary became his mentor and teacher. At their last meeting at Gary's house in upstate New York there was virtually no discussion, they just sessioned together for an hour or so, and the next day Gordon asked Gary if he would do a trio record. Gary agreed, and helped bring Paul Motian (another of Gordon's musical heroes) into the picture. Recorded in Brooklyn in January, Think Like the Waves is a remarkable international jazz debut, full of compelling original tunes by Grdina and deep interaction by the trio. The record combines Grdina's primary musical interests: mainstream jazz, free-form improvisation, and Arabic classical music. But diversity for its own sake was not his aim: "I wanted to bring together the oud and the guitar because I could hear the oud working so well with these two, and theres something in the way they improvise which reminds me of the Arabic taqasim, the free-time improvised introduction to the melodic material of a piece. But Ive tried to make the oud part of my complete musical experience, so that I can take it with me on any musical exploration without any preconceived idea about its musical role." Many of the guitar tunes tap into a range of emotions on the melancholy and tender side while suggesting a tensile inner strength, which is then developed in different ways in the improvisations "I've found that the simpler and clearer the composition, the more room the improviser has to develop it. I wanted the pieces to be full statements in themselves that we as improvisers could comment on but not necessarily have to stay faithful to."
CD $17


VITTORIO GHIELMI & IL SUONAR PARLANTE With ERNST REIJSEGER - Full of Colour (W&W 119; Germany) Il Suonar Parlante: Rodney Prada, Cristiano Contadin, Fahmi Alqhai [viola da gamba] and Ernst Reijseger [cello]
CD $15


PAUL FLAHERTY/CHRIS CORSANO/C SPENCER YEH - A Rock In the Snow (Important 95; USA) Together Chris Corsano and Paul Flaherty have re-written the concept of modern free-jazz with their post-hardcore punk style approach of euphoric togetherness. Ferocious, spontaneous, explosive and aggressively lyric they've established their groundbreaking duo with loads of shows and a host of tremendous recordings. When tales of C. Spencer Yeh's Burning Star Core project reached Corsano/Flaherty the duo were eager to see him jam. Fortunately, fate brought them together at the DeStijl/Freedom From festival where Corsano/Flaherty were playing in the Dream/Aktion Unit (with Thurston Moore) and Yeh was there with Burning Star Core. His performance caught the Corsano/Flaherty duo on fire and Yeh's temperature was raised (literally) when he suddenly came down with the flu following his show. Fortunately for Yeh, Flaherty packed him in ice down in the festival hall basement and a solid relationship was forged.
CD $14

PAUL FLAHERTY/CHRIS CORSANO/C SPENCER YEH - Snow Blind Avalanche [LP only] (Important 95; USA) "Snow Blind Avalanche is a completely different album than A Rock In The Snow also being released on Important though the two records were made during the same sessions. Snow Blind Avalanche finds the Flaherty/Corsano/Yeh in more abstract free dimensions with Yeh's presence in the sound even more firmly established. Recorded as the snow fell. 'No overdubs. Live in studio. Free-noise-punk-jazz with bent-sick-burning vocals. Amen.' - Paul Flaherty.
LP $14


CRAIG McIVER - A Horse Of A Different Rhythm (Dreambox 1097; USA) Featuring Bobby Zankel on alto sax, John Swana on trumpet, Schacter on bass and Craig McIver on drums. We know ace drummer, Craig McIver, from his work with Odeon Pope and Philly alto sax great, Bobby Zankel's recent CD on this label is one of this month's best discs.
CD $14


LIMITED QUANTITIES OF THESE 'LEO' TITLES BACK IN STOCK...

ANTHONY BRAXTON With KEVIN O'NEIL/KEVIN NORTON/ANDY EULAU - 23 Standards (Quartet) 2003 [Ltd Ed 4 CD set] (Leo 402-405; UK) The 4-CD set (4.5 hours of music) was recorded during a series of concerts in 2003 by the new Braxton's quartet with Kevin O'Neil on guitar, Kevin Norton on percussion, Andy Eulau on bass and Anthony Braxton on saxophone. The set is destined to make jazz history not only for Braxton's discovery of the most remarkable guitarist to emerge in a decade, but for its special quality of performing standards in an entirely new way and reinventing the tradition. Braxton's work becomes even more valuable and necessary in view of the forces of reaction in jazz. As Stuart Broomer writes in his remarkable liner notes, while a conservative performer merely echoes and diminishes the tradition, Braxton makes known the social, moral, and historical imperatives that drive this music and are embedded in the tradition. He makes known the spirit of spontaneity, community, change, freedom, life and creation. He makes it as new and vital as the original forms. "Our thanks, then, to Anthony Braxton. In an era when the jazz past is regularly Bowdlerized, trivialized and travestied .... reduced to little more than a marketing plan .... Braxton presents it in much of its true potentiality as the authentic discourse of its time, making both the past and the present (even the future) that much richer than it was before". Limited edition of 1000 copies.
4 CD set for $68

ANTHONY BRAXTON With KEVIN O'NEIL/KEVIN NORTON/ANDY EULAU - 20 Standards [Quartet] 2003 [Ltd Ed 4 CD set] (Leo 431-434; UK) The previous 4-CD set "23 Standards (Quartet) 2003" was an unprecedented artistic & "commercial" success (printed as a limited edition of 1000 copies, it is completely sold-out). The new edition is the rest of those two famous European tours in 2003 with the same line-up: Kevin O'Neil on guitar, Kevin Norton on percussion, Andy Eulau on bass, and Anthony Braxton on saxophone. What you have here is 20 different standards (no repeats), 5 hours of music, and notes by Stuart Broomer. Limited edition of 1000 copies.
4 CD set for $68

ACTIS BAND [CARLO ACTIS DATO] - Allende (Leo 462; UK) What is it? Funk? Punk? Avant-rock? Free jazz? Reckless drive? Some kind of mad Mediterranean wedding? No, it's everything blended together into one tight snowball by the leader Carlo Actis Dato. Actis Band plays Carlo's compositions the way that only Italian musicians can do. Carlo Actis Dato - tenor & baritone saxes, Massimo Rossi - alto and soprano saxes, Karsten Lipp - guitar, Federico Marchesano - electric & acoustic bass, Dario Bruna - drums.
CD $17

STEVE LACY/JOELLE LEANDRE - One More Time (Leo 422; UK) This extraordinary duo set was performed at the Caf Belga in Brussels, Belgium on July 28th of 2002. Mr. Lacy had decided to return to the U.S. and his way of saying farewell to Europe (his home for 30+ years), was to do a series of ten concerts which took place in different parts of Belgium with different partners or done solo. Although both of these musicians are master improvisers, they've chosen much different paths. Joelle was classically trained and has recorded the music of composers like John Cage and Giancinto Scelsi in the early seventies. Since then she's become one of the best contrabassists on the planet, collaborating with other strong musicians from around the world. She loves to do duos (Derek Bailey, William Parker & India Cooke) and trios and has more than fifty recordings in her discography. Mr. Lacy has a long history as a jazz musician, specializing in the difficult music of Thelonius Monk. He has had his own band since the early seventies, mostly playing his own compositions as well as his own interpretations of Monk. Although he has done a number of solo records and concerts, his improv only dates are much more rare, especially in the decade before his recent death. 'One More Time' consists of four pieces, each one shorter than the previous piece. The live recording is superbly done, perfectly balanced and close-miked. Steve's enchanting tone is playful, warm, mostly melodic and often haunting. Joelle's bowed bass is equally enchanting, rich, deep and quite beautiful. This sounds like a perfect match and they play so well together weaving their notes around one another in a stunning combination of talents. The CD concludes with a quaint phone message from Steve to Joelle mostly in French but ending with "I hope your heart is OK". Thanks to Steve and Joelle for touching all of our hearts. - BLG
CD $17

JOELLE LEANDRE With IRENE SCHWEIZER/WILLIAM PARKER/MARK NAUSEEF/MAGGIE NICHOLS/PAUL LOVENS - Europa Dgaz: At The Le Mans Jazz Festival [2 CD set] (Leo 458/459; UK) in April/May 2005 Joelle Leandre was a resident artist at the Le Mans Jazz Festival. She performed with Les Diaboliques (Maggie Nicols - voice, Irene Schweitzer - piano), William Parker - bass, India Cooke - violin, Markus Stockhausen - trumpet/Mark Nauseef - percussion, electronics, Paul Lovens - drums/Sebi Tramontana - trombone/ Carlos Zingaro - violin. These magic performances are documented on the double CD that contain over two hours of music. There is no question this is the strongest CD by Joelle Leandre in the Leo Records catalogue. Liner notes provided by Art Lange.
2 CD set for $28


AND LIMITED RESTOCKS FROM THE RUSSIAN 'LONG ARMS' LABEL

CHARLES GAYLE - No Bills (Long Arms 5057; Russia) Charles GAYLE - piano, tenor saxophone; Recorded live on April, 2003, Moscow & Arkhangelsk, Russia
CD $17

PETER BROTZMANN - Petroglyphs (Long Arms 4051; Russia) Peter BROETZMANN tarogato (1), alto saxophone (2), tenor saxophone (3, 4) Ed SIVKOV - baritone saxophone (4), Nick RUBANOV - bass saxophone (4). Recorded live on April 27th, 2002 at DOM Cultural Center (Moscow)
CD $17

JOHN CAGE - Four Walls (Long Arms 2048; Russia) Performed by: Alexei Lubimov (piano), Marianne Pousseur (soprano). Live performance at Lockenhaus Chamber Music Festival, Austria In the night of July 8/9, 1994, recorded by WDR Koeln. Music for the Dance Drama, choreographed by Merce Cunningham, New York 1944, for piano solo and voice. "What are 'Four Walls'? Is it no so that the four noble truths comprise a series of four sounds? Incidentally, when there are four, there always will be a place for a fifth. However when there are more than seven -- it starts to be dangerous. A piece begins with a chord -- the sound emblem of the name joHn CAGE (the letters correspond with the Latin names for the notes) and is all constructed on diatonic permutations of the motto, derived from the name, with the addition of the notes D and F, which add up to an octave. (If one has the wish, one could assemble other words from this set of notes-letters.)"
CD $17

GENDOS CHAMZYRYN - Kamlaniye (Long Arms 4070; Russia)
CD $17

MORTON FELDMAN//ANTON BATAGOV - Triadic Memories (Long Arms 3049; Russia) Anton Batagov, piano. Recorded in February 1992 at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. Russian-only release, in clear-acetate cover. Performed by Anton Batagov, piano. Recorded in February 1992 at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. "Morton Feldman, whose only technical comment on 'Triadic Memories' was that grace notes were to be played not crisply, but somewhat delayed, each with its own isolated ring, described his work as "probably the largest butterfly in captivity concerned with the shape of a leaf and not the tree"? Batagov's performance of 'Triadic Memories' is an extraordinary combination of sensuality, tenderness, virtuosity, and almost unbelievable concentration on the part of the performer for longer than one-hour period of time."
CD $17

DJIVAN GASPARYAN [JIVAN GASPARIAN] - Nazani (Long Arms DOMA 101; Russia) JIVAN GASPARYAN - duduk; GRACHIK MURADIAN - kemancha; ALVARD MIRZOYAN - kanoon; GIRAIR MELKONIAN - dhol
CD $17

SERGEY KURYOKHIN & DAVID MOSS - Two for Tea (Long Arms 980101; Russia) The strange thing is that I attended the New Music America Fest in Miami in December of '88, where this duo gig took place, but this seemed to have been a mystery gig, that the overall organizer (Joseph Celli) tried to stop, so I didn't even know about it until now. I have long been a fan & friend of percussionist/vocalist/odd character David Moss, since the early days of the downtown scene almost 2 decades back. He has been living in Berlin since '91, records infrequently and comes back to the US to play even less. In the past year, there is that wacky release on Intakt called "Time Stories" featuring five avant singers we all dig and a fun gig at the Kitchen where David improvised with Min Xiao-Fen & Anthony Coleman while the audience consumed food & drink that was cooked in front of us. So he is certainly no stranger to weird gigs! The late Sergey Kuryokhin was an amazing Russian pianist, brilliant/demented big band leader and someone I'm much less familiar with. I can only recall seeing/hearing him once live (duo with Zorn?) at the old Knit and not knowing what to think of his over-the-top piano playing. I dug his duo cd with Henry Kaiser on Ryko, but once again, they both try to hard to do too many different things. Which brings us to this...
Sergey commences the gig with a very long solo piano piece that seems to cover a myriad of styles, genres, from Russian folk music themes to dizzyingly quick Nancarrow like passages. Holy shit(!) is about the only response we can make. Does this guy ever come up for air?!? Sergey even reaches into his bag of tricks and pulls out turn-of-the-century songs/segments, a boogie woogie section, romantic pastoral classical episodes, cartoon chase scenes, Khachaturian inspired silliness - one continuous, ridiculous ride through the mountains and valleys of Russian humor and seriousness on solo piano. The duo with David Moss is much shorter and more fun - vocal insanity in which David conjures a variety of bizarre voices-characters. This recording is especially meticulously clean and warm for a live set. Of course, there is a hilarious hip-hop segment, fake opera lunacy and surprises too difficult to describe. A consummate magical offering for all us fine folk who dig this absurd type of prize. - BLG
CD $17

SERGEY KURYOKHIN - Just Opera (Long Arms 97030; Russia)
CD $17

SAINKHO NAMCHYLAK [NAMTCHYLAK] & MOSCOW COMPOSERS ORCHESTRA - The Gift (Long Arms 9708; Russia)
CD $17

THE NECKS [CHRIS ABRAHAMS/LLOYD SWANTON/TONY BUCK] - Photosynthetic (Long Arms 3053; Russia) Chris Abrahams - piano; Tony Buck - drums; Lloyd Swanton -- double bass. Recorded live at DOM Cultural Center on March 29, 2002. Without a doubt, the greatest space/ambient/jazz piano trio to exist.
Russian-only release! The Necks are from Australia with a series of 5 highly revolutionary albums on the ReR label. This CD was released in 2003, but has generally been in state of neglect. Musician(s): Chris Abrahams - piano; Tony Buck - drums; Lloyd Swanton -- double bass. Recorded live at DOM Cultural Center on March 29, 2002. One 43-minute live piece, in their signature style of minimalist buildup.
CD $17

KAZUTOKI UMEZU & VLADIMIR VOLKOV - Play Time (Long Arms 4062; Russia) Kazutoki Umezu - alto saxophone; Vladimir Volkov - double bass. 2003 studio recording in Russia
CD $17

OTOMO YOSHIHIDE & KESHAVAN MASLAK [KENNY MILLIONS] - Without Kuryokhin (Long Arms 99021; Russia) Originally this was supposed to have been a trio tour of Russia with Sergey Kuryokhin on piano, Otomo on turntables & samples and Keshavan on reeds, mini guitar & voice. Sergey's untimely death in 1996 forced the trio to become a duo for two special gigs in St. Petersburg & Moscow in November of '96. This release is from the Moscow gig, half live and half live & remixed by Otomo. Keshavan is also known as Kenny Millions and has that twisted sense of humor that Sergey also loved to dip into. Otomo also seems to be inspired by Sergey's odd & unexpected ever-changing approach, with piano samples possibly from Sergey himself. The live tracks show a thoughtful, minimalist approach which blends silly wordless vocals and funky sax with suspenseful samples and an appreciative audience to egg them on. The remixed live tracks are much wackier, with Otomo's diverse manipulations of Kehavan's sax, clarinet & voice samples. It sometimes sounds as if my cd player is skipping, but this is just Otomo's doing. There is one track of noise explosions for those who need these extremes, but not for too long. Overall, this sounds more like an Otomo excursion, with all of its layered samples weaved together. A piano was placed on stage at both of these gigs in respect for Sergey, his spirit seems to inhabit this fine release. - BLG
CD $17



A FEW HISTORIC RECORDINGS FOR THIS WEEK:

CONLON NANCARROW - Studies for Player Piano Vol. 1 (MDG 1003; Germany) 2005 recordings, using Nancarrow's original player piano from 1927."One of the most fascinating chapters in the history of the piano of the 20th century were Conlon Nancarrow's studies for player piano. After American-born Nancarrow returned from the Spanish Civil War, fighting the fascists in the thirties, he emigrated to Mexico and began to compose for the already out-of-style player piano. Tempos of 200 beats per second are not unusual, or chords made up of dozens of notes, all impossible for a human to play but as a result of his innovative use of player piano rolls he could make the impossible possible. The instrument used was Nancarrow's own Bosendorfer Ampico grand piano."
CD $17


MARK FOSSON - The Lost Takoma Sessions (Drag City 322; USA) "Ladies and gentlemen, presenting 1977's newest discovery - the best guitar player John Fahey has heard since Leo Kottke - Mark Fosson! You didn't hear it then, but that's no reason it shouldn't be said after all these years. The CD being hawked here is the work of the last artist ever signed to Takoma Records by John Fahey. Mark's sound will not be unfamiliar to anyone who's heard an album of solo acoustic guitar or two in their life. On The Lost Takoma Sessions, Mark plays his style with the same individual personality that former Fahey discoveries such as Kottke, Robbie Basho and Bola Sete had - not to mention lesser known Takomen like Peter Lang, Richard Ruskin, and Tom Akstens. The Fosson sound is light and smooth, perhaps best represented by the bright and melodious 'Sky Piece' - though the entire album is a sweet listen."
CD $14


NAI HTAW PAING ENSEMBLE - Mon Music of Burma (Fire Museum 04; USA) "The rarely recorded traditional music of the Mon people is vanishing and endangered, highly developed, and barely known even to Asian traditional music connoisseurs. Historically the Mon were a dominant, highly cultured, and influential people in Burma more than a thousand years ago. There are several instruments peculiar to the Mon. Most recognizable is the Kyam (crocodile zither), a 3-string long zither with frets that are shaped like a crocodile. Another is the Batt Kine, a row of 14 or so pitched gongs that is upturned at both ends like a crescent. Also, there is the Mon violin, a 3-string fiddle with a western-like body played upright. This is incredible music with an unique character! Nai Htaw Paing, The leader of this ensemble, currently serves as an assistant lecturer at Yangon Cultural University. He started studying Mon traditional musical instruments, singing, and dance from his father in 1965. He regularly performs on Mon National Days, Mon State Day, Union Day, and other important receptions. He occasionally teaches the new generation of musicians but has difficulty finding time given the economic situation of the profession. He would like more Mon nationals to be aware of their own music, Myanmar traditional music and other world musics. He is passionate about rediscovering and preserving the endangered arts of the Mon culture. Recorded in Yangon, Burma by noted musicologist Rick Heizman (previous collections of his Burmese recordings have been released on Shanachie, Pan and Smithsonian), the Nai Htaw Paing Ensemble are recognized as masters of traditional Mon music. There is currently an effort by concerned Mon people to revive and preserve Mon culture, language, and identity, and this recording will help further this effort."
CD $13


AFRICAVISION: MUSICAL ANTHOLOGY OF AFRICAN CINEMA [V.A] - Vol 1: Francophone African Cinema 1975-2005 (Buda Musique 3017624; EEC)
CD $15

AFRICAVISION: MUSICAL ANTHOLOGY OF AFRICAN CINEMA [V.A] - Vol 2: 50 Years Of African Cinema (Buda Musique 3017625; EEC)
CD $15


GLAXO BABIES - Dreams Interrupted: The Bewilderbeat Years 1978-1980 (Cherry Red 291; UK) "Glaxo Babies were the forerunners of a wave of Bristol music that spawned The Pop Group, Rip Rig & Panic, Maximum Joy & Pigbag, who all became household names as the jagged edged angst movement quickly gathered respect throughout the world. A firm favourite with John Peel, the Glaxo's soon notched up their first session following on from the highly acclaimed first release -- the 12" This Your Life EP which included the classic 'Who Killed Bruce Lee.' Always underrated but never dismissed, they fought back with the blistering 'Christine Keeler' 45 often sighted as the band's finest moment. This collection spans their career, illustrating just how unique and original the Glaxos were, and how their relevance seems ever present with today's jagged edged sounds."
CD $16


FREDERIC RZEWSKI//JOHN ADAMS - Four Pieces / Phrygian Gates (Stradivarius 33735; Italy) Frederic Rzewski, born in 1938, is a major American composer as well as virtuoso pianist Ø A student of Virgil Thomson, Roger Sessions, Walter Piston, and Milton Babbitt at Harvard and Princeton, he later studied in Italy with Luigi Dallapiccola. After co-founding Musica Elettronica Viva with Alvin Curran and Richard Teitelbaum, Rzewski returned to New York in 1971. He is especially famous for his set of piano variations on "The People United Will Never Be Defeated", written in 1974.The Four Pieces on this recording came the next year. John Adams, born in 1947 in Worcester, Massachusetts, is a much-honored American composer with strong roots in minimalism. His opera "Nixon in China" won the 1989 Grammy for Best Contemporary Composition Adams's work On the Transmigration of Souls, a choral work comemorating the victims of the September 11 attacks, won the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for Music. "Phrygian Gates" is a piano piece written by Adams in 1977-1978.The piece, together with its smaller companion China Gates, is considered Adams's "opus one. "They are, according to his own claims, his first compositions consisting of a coherent personal style. Italian pianist Emanuele Arciuli performed a program at the Italian Academy in 2003 that was described by Anne Midgette in the New York Times as "an excellent recital of contemporary music."
CD $15

BELA BARTOK//RUSSELL SHERMAN/SWR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA - Orchestral Works (Arte Nova; USA) BARTOK: Concerto For Piano and Orchestra No 3; Music For Strings, Percussion and Celesta; Two Portraits For Orchestra. Since its foundation in 1946, the main aim of the SWR Symphony Orchestra has been to increase audience awareness not only of the symphonic repertoire of the previous two centuries, but also of the music of the twentieth century. Born in Dresden in 1927 but reared in Argentina, Michael Gielen began to gain a reputation as a conductor of both the Viennese classics and contemporary music in the fifties. In addition to his many outstanding conducting assignments in Europe, Gielen was Music Director of the Cincinnati Symphony until recently. Pianist Russell Sherman was born and educated in New York, beginning piano studies at age six. By age eleven, he was studying with Eduard Steuermann, a pupil and friend of Ferruccio Busoni and Arnold Schoenberg. Sherman graduated from Columbia University at age nineteen with a degree in the humanities. He was a Visiting Professor at Harvard University and is currently a Distinguished Artist-in-Residence at the New England Conservatory. With a brilliant career and creative imagination, Sherman has long been called "a thinking man's virtuoso." Budapest-born Zolton Peska has been the General Music Director of the Deutsche Oper am Rhein since 1996. The conductor's uncommon versatility is documented in his many recordings for disc and radio. He was awarded the German Record Prize in August 1993. German organist, conductor, pedagogue, and composer Hanns-Martin Schneidt has conducted major German orchestras including the Berlin Philharmonic, but is best known for his many years with the famed Munich Bach Choir. The present recording features these estimable artists in some of Bartok's greatest orchestral works, including his masterpiece, the "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta".
CD $10


*******************************************************


DMG RECOMMENDED NYC GIG LIST FOR JULY 21st & BEYOND:

The DMG Free In-Store Weekly Music Series Continues

This Sunday July 30th-
TATSUYA NAKATANI Solo Percussion Performance!
One of downtown finest and most distinctive percussionists!

Next Sunday August 6th at 6pm:
AARON SIEGEL - Solo Percussion & CD release celebration! Aaron holds the percussion chair in the current Anthony Braxton Ensemble!


******************************


THE STONE IS LOCATED AT THE NW CORNER OF AVE. C & 2ND ST.


July, 2006 at The Stone has been curated by Matthew Welch

7/28 Friday
8 pm - Jason Cady - Post-Madonna Prima Donna / Odi et Amo w/ Erin Flannery (soprano) Mary Halvorson (guitar) Emily Manzo (piano) Deanna Neil (soprano) Jessica Pavone (bass guitar) Sara-Jane Ripa (flute) Aaron Siegel (vibraphone & percussion) Jason Cady (synthesizer & composition); New York premiere of a one act opera with a libretto by Jason Cady, and world premiere of a cantata based on the works of the ancient Roman poet Catullus, which will be sung both in the original Latin and in English translations by the composer.
10 pm - Loren Dempster and the Bushwick String Quartet w/ Erik Carlson (violin) Karen Waltuch (viola) Jessica Pavone (viola) Loren Kiyoshi Dempster (cello)

7/29 Saturday
8 pm - Monika Heidemann Band: Matt Moran (vibraphone) Khabu (guitar) Take Toriyama (drums) Derek Layes (bass) Monika Heidemann (voice/songs)
10 pm - Matt Welch, Sam Amidon and Shahzad Ismaily
Matt Welch (voice) Sam Amidon (fiddle, banjo) Shahzad Ismaily (guitar, percussion)

7/30 Sunday - 8 pm and 10pm
John Cage - Sonatas and Interludes for prepared piano with video
Emily Manzo (prepared piano) Paul Rowley (video)


August, 2006 at The Stone is curated by Kenny Wollesen

8/1 Tuesday - 8 and 10 pm
John Zorn Improv Night-A Stone Benefit
John Zorn (sax) Kenny Wollesen (drums) Ikue Mori (electronics) Shanir Blumenkranz (bass) Sylvie Courvoisier (piano) and many special guests
Support freedom of expression by supporting The Stone - Twenty Dollars

8/2 Wednesday
8 pm - Mike Dillon (percussion, vibraphone, tablas) & Skerik (saxophones)
10 pm - Richard Marriott and Fawzia Afzal Khan-Hocketed Brass Structures
Richard Marriott (trombone, Balinese suling, compositions), Christopher McIntyre (trombone) Peter Zummo (trombone) Fawzia Afzal Khan (North Indian singer) Special guests on tuba & percussion. A new sound for hocketed brass based on Indonesian and Central African models

8/3 Thursday
8 pm - Reut Regev R*Time w/ Reut Regev (trombones, percussion) & Igal Foni (drums) "Explosive Brass and Percussion In Your Face"
10 pm - Jonathon Finlayson (trumpet) musicians TBA

8/4 Friday
8 pm - Jeff Ballard (drums) Mark Turner (tenor saxophone)
10 pm - The Ras Trio w/ Ras Moshe (tenor saxophone) Dafna Naphtali (vocals, electronics, electric vocals) Rashied Bakr (drums)

8/5 Saturday
8 pm - Addi Somekh-Balloon Drums w/ Addi Somekh (balloon bass), Danny Frankel (balloon drums) & Kenny Wollesen (balloon drums)
Master balloon twister creates one-of-a-kind instruments for this performance
10 pm - Unpoppable w/ Addi Somekh (balloon bass) Briggan Krauss (alto saxophone) Henry Bermudez (guitar) Kenny Wollesen (drums)

8/6 Sunday
8 pm - Dan Weiss (drums) Thomas Morgan (bass) Jacob Sacks (piano)
10 pm - Jonathon Haffner (alto saxophone)


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


**********************


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 July 28th-
8 & 10pm - MARC RIBOT'S CERAMIC DOG!!

Sat July 29th-
8pm - CATHERINE JAUNIAUX, MARC RIBOT & TATSUYA NAKATANI!

Tues Aug 1st-
8 pm - JACK ROSE PLUS SOULED AMERICAN
Jack Rose: accomplished east-fluenced rag-trance-time steel guitar virtuouso in tradition of John Fahey and Sandy Bull: "While the new century's novel folk has already seen significant definition, Rose is largely alone in talking new century ideas with the old language." (Pitchfork Media)

Wed Aug 2nd -
7:30 pm - THE OTHER HALF: HA-YANG KIM + ANGELICA SANCHEZ + MARY HALVORSON & JESSICA PAVONE + JUDITH BERKSON + MATANA ROBERTS!

Fri Aug 3rd -
8pm - Michael Gregory 3 With Kermit Driscoll (bass), Michael Gregory (guitar) & Will Calhoun (drums). Michael Gregory has successfully straddled the pop and improvised music worlds since the beginning of his career in the 70s, working with Julius Hemphill, Oliver Lake, David Murray, Wadada Leo Smith, Nona Hendryx, Marty Ehrlich, Henry Threadgill, Vernon Reid, Anthony Braxton...
10pm - STEVEN BERNSTEIN'S MILLENNIAL TERRITORY ORCHESTRA!

Sat Aug 4th -
8pm - ARTO LINDSAY, ANTON FIER, MICAH GAUGH & MICHAEL LEONHART!

Sun Aug 5th-
8pm - EHRAN ELISHA'S KINETIC MUSIC With Sam Bardfeld (violin), Ken Filiano (bass), Roy Campbell Jr. (trumpet / flugel horn / pocket trumpet), Ehran Elisha (percussion), David Bindman (tenor sax) & Bill Lowe (tuba). Ehran Elisha's primary ensemble enters its fifteenth year with this special show that will include master musician Bill Lowe, a frequent member of the group who was featured on Elisha's last recording, The Lowdown, on the CIMP label. The nucleus of this longtime New York band has been constant for over a decade, and includes some of the city's most versatile and diverse improvisers.


**************************


Dee Pop presents:
Freestyle Sunday's @ Jimmy's Restaurant
43 East 7th Street Ø NYC Ø 212-982-3006
www.freestylejazz.com
July 30
Freestyle Medicine Show: Hosted by Radio I-Ching.
Performances by Attention Screen (Bob Reina, Chris Jones, Mark Flynn, Don Fiorino), Deerfrance, Aron Guy and more.

$10 door & 1 drink minimum
Great and reasonably priced food & Large Selection of Beer on tap


***************************


ERNESTO DIAZ-INFANTE & CHRIS FORSYTH!
Holy crap! 1st duo show since 2003!
12-string bajo sexto guitar vs 6-string acoustic

this Saturday, 7/29 @ Eat Records at 2pm for free!
124 Meserole St, Greenpoint, Brooklyn, NY


******************************


August 1st 2006 Sunday at 10 pm

Daniel Carter - winds, William Parker - bass, Federico Ughi - drums, Eri Yamamoto - piano, Anders Nilsson - guitar

plus: Premier of Robert O'Haire's new film at 8 PM
"Spiritworld" Screening at Zebulon. This film is a documentary about "musicWitness(r)" painter Jeff Schlanger and includes appearances by Joe McPhee, William Parker, Lisa Sokolov and Oluyemi Thomas

at Zebulon - 258 Wythe Avenue in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
http://www.zebuloncafeconcert.com
subways: L to Bedford Ave.


********************


thursday aug 3 at 7 pm

steve dalachinsky + yuko otomo + tom savage
plus open reading

lalita java - 210 e. 3rd street (b and c)
hosted by dorothy freidman in august
plus readings at lalita every thursday thru august


*********************************


IF YOU'RE ALREADY SUBSCRIBED TO OUR NEWSLETTER, BUT SOMEHOW YOU'RE NOT RECEIVING THEM IN YOUR INBOX..

Many of your incoming emails are being blocked and you don't know it! Many emails like our newsletter are frequently blocked by aggressive spam filters being used by nearly all email services.

To help avoid this problem and get our newsletter:

Hotmail Users: Place the domain " downtownmusicgallery.com " on your Safe List, so that you can receive our emails. The safe list can be accessed via the "Options" link next to the main menu tabs. Also place the email address dmg@downtownmusicgallery.com in your address book.

AOL: Place the domain " downtownmusicgallery.com " in your Address Book. Also add the email address dmg@downtownmusicgallery.com to your address book.

Yahoo! Mail: If one of our e-newsletters is filtered to your 'bulk' folder, open the message and click on the "this is not Spam" link next to the "From" field. The same goes for any other e-mail you receive that doesn't belong there. Add the address dmg@downtownmusicgallery.com to your address book.

Other email services [Earthlink, GMail et al]: Place the domain " downtownmusicgallery.com " on your email filter's whitelist. You may need to search your email help menu for details on how to do this. Depending on software/version, they may call it a "whitelist," a "good list" or similar name. Adding the address dmg@downtownmusicgallery.com to your address book will help too.