October Begins with Colossal Discs from

Henry Threadgill Novus-Columbia Mosaic Box Pre-Orders! Mary Halvorson Quintet! Exploding Star Orchestra! Harris Eisenstadt Nonet! 2 from Haino Keji Trio! David Sylvian! Univerz Zero Reissue! Richard Pinhas! Kahil El' Zabar/Lester Bowie/Malachi Favors Trio!

Pierre Dorge NJO Box-Set! Alvin Curran Book! Raymond MacDonald Big Band! Stefano Pastor & Kash Killion! Uz Jsme Doma! Plus Historic Discs from: Warne Marsh & Lee Konitz Qts! Acid Mother Temple! Spider John Koerner!

..and Another Deluge of Prog Gems from the Esoteric label - now at lower prices!




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


Downtown Music Gallery FREE In-Store Performance Schedule Continues with:


THIS Sunday, October 3rd Double Header
6pm: BEN STAPP- Tuba / KENNY WARREN - Trumpet / DUSTIN CARLSON - Guitar / JUAN PABLO CARLETTI - Drums!
7pm: PETER EVANS & NATE WOOLEY!
Amazing Trumpet Duo - Their Last Set Before European Tour!


Sunday, October 10th Double Header
6pm: BEN SYVERSEN TRIO!
7pm: YONI KRETZMER TRIO Featuring:
YONI KRETZMER - Tenor Sax / SEAN CONLY - Bass / MIKE PRIDE - Drums!


Sunday, October 17th at 6pm:
KRESTON OSGOOD & OLIVER LAKE DUO! Return to DMG!


Sunday, October 24th at 6om:
DEE POP / CATHERINE SIKORA / DAVID AARON!


Sunday, October 31st/Halloween at 6pm:
JACOB WICK & NATE WOOLEY! - Two Titanic Trumpeters Exploring New Sounds!


Sunday, November 7th Double Header
6pm: JESSE DULMAN - Tuba & JASON CANDLER - alto sax & electronics!
7pm: PATRICK BRENNAN - Rare Alto sax Solo!


Sunday, November 14th at 6pm:
KIRK KNUFFKE & KENNY WOLLESEN! Great New Trumpet & Drums Duo!


Sunday, November 21st at 6pm:
ANNETTE GUH Featuring:
EVAN GALLAGHER on Keyboards & ANDERS NILSSON on guitar!


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


Need a FRIPP FIX?

Robert Fripp doesn't play all that often, so it's especially great to see him for FREE at

World Financial Center [across from where the new WTC is going up..]

December 3rd and 4th - 12PM and 7 PM sets, each day, of solo guitar soundscapes!


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


ORDER NOW for pre-order price - THE Henry Threadgill Box you've all been salivating for!


HENRY THREADGILL With AIR/SEXTETT/VERY VERY CIRCUS/MAKIN' A MOVE et al - The Complete Novus & Columbia Recordings of Henry Threadgill: Air Lore/Montreux Suisse Air/Open Air Suit/X-75 Vol 1 & 2/Easily Slip Into Another World/Rag Bush and All/You Know the Number/Carry The Day/Makin' A Move/Where's Your Cup? [8 CD + BOOK Box Set] (Mosaic LTD ED; USA) [Special PREORDER PRICE - when this item is released in October 2010, the price will raise to $165] Henry Threadgill was among the first wave of distinctive and utterly original artists to emerge from Chicago's Association for The Advancement of Creative Music along with Muhal Richard Abrams, Anthony Braxton and the members of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago: Lester Bowie, Joseph Jarman, Roscoe Mitchell..
As a saxophonist, he delivers his unique style with a big, dry sound and precise articulation. As a composer, he was an American original, influenced by the entire spectrum of music. He creates distinctive sonic canvasses for a variety of ensemble. And his work is infused with a wonderfully dry, almost absurdist sense of humor.
This set covers three important eras in Threadgill's career, beginning with the 70's-80s group Air. In 1971, Threadgill was asked to arrange some of Scott Joplin's songs for a production at Columbia College, Chicago. He teamed up with bassist Fred Hopkins and drummer Steve McCall as the trio Reflection. In 1975 they came together under the name Air to record the first of nine albums of mostly original material (New Air, with Pheeroan AkLaff instead of McCall, made an additional two later). Included here are the three albums that Air made in 1978-79 for Arista-Novus including the celebrated 'Air Lore' with those unique reinterpretations of the music of Scott Joplin and Jelly Roll Morton, as well as 'Montreux Suisse Air' and 'Open Air Suit'.
In 1979, Threadgill made his first album as a leader for Arista Novus. 'X-75. Volume 1' featured the unique ensemble of four reeds/winds (Threadgill, Joseph Jarman, Douglas Ewart, Wallace McMillan), four basses (Fred Hopkins, Rufus Reid, Brain Smith, Leonard Jones), and the voice of Amina Claudine Myers. A 'Volume 2' was made BUT NEVER ISSUED. It is RELEASED FOR THE FIRST TIME in this set!
In 1981, Henry formed his Sextett, which consisted of seven musicians total, not six, thus the extra T. This unique ensemble consisted of trumpet (Rasul Siddik or Ted Daniel), trombone (Frank Lacy or Bill Lowe), Diedre Murray cello, Fred Hopkins bass, and two sets of drums (Reggie Nicholson and either Pheeroan AkLaff or Newman Baker) as well as Threadgill. Beginning in 1986, the group recorded three albums for RCA-Novus - 'Easily Slip Into Another World', 'Rag Bush and All' and 'You Know the Number' - all of which are included here.
Threadgill closed out the century with three albums, produced by Bill Laswell [who also produced the previous Threadgill VVC album Too Much Sugar For A Dime for Axiom, which is not in this box], on Columbia - 'Carry The Day', 'Makin' A Move' and 'Where's Your Cup' - recorded between 1994 and '96 with varying lineups of the Very Very Circus and Makin' A Move ensembles - of unusual instrumentation including guitarists Brandon Ross, Masuuja, Ed Cherry, and James Emery; tubaists Edwin Rodriguez and Marcus Rojas; French horn Mark Taylor; accordionist Tony Cedras; bassist Stomu Takeishi; cellists Michelle Kinney, Akoura Tourre, and Murray; drummers Gene Lake, J T Lewis, and AkLaff; pianist Myra Melford; Jason Kao Hwang violin, et al
This set covers three distinct and fertile peak periods in Threadgill's long and ever creative career - 11 albums complete on 8 CDs!
Preorder Price 8 CD Box & Book for $145


Price goes to $160 when this box arrives in about two weeks! SO ORDER NOW!!!


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




MARY HALVORSON QUINTET With JON IRABAGON/JONATHAN FINLAYSON/JOHN HEBERT/CHES SMITH - Saturn Sings (Firehouse12 04-01-013; USA) Saturn Sings is guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson's highly anticipated follow-up to her acclaimed 2008 debut, Dragon's Head (Firehouse 12). It documents a new book of music written for her latest ensemble, the Mary Halvorson Quintet, which adds fellow New Yorkers Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet) and Jon Irabagon (alto saxophone) to her longstanding trio with bassist John Hebert and drummer Ches Smith. These compositions, her first for a band with horns, employ harmonies influenced by such diverse inspirations as Clifford Brown, Sam Cooke and The Soul Stirrers, Marvin Gaye, Thelonious Monk, Alexander Scriabin, Archie Shepp, Dmitri Shostakovich and Robert Wyatt. "Saturn Sings is a continuation of the concepts and ideas heard on Dragon's Head," Ms. Halvorson explains. "My interest in harmony has grown and I'm attempting to build on the foundation of guitar, bass and drums while writing a lot of close-knit and often dissonant horn lines. There are now many other directions to go in, and the horns push the trio into different realms and vice-versa. The more we perform, the more the music gets both looser and tighter; tighter because we are working on developing a band sound, and looser because we are comfortable and trust each other, which allows us the freedom to take chances and to explore within the framework of the piece."
CD $14



New on Chicago's legendary Delmark label!

EXPLODING STAR ORCHESTRA [ROB MAZUREK/NICOLE MARGARET MITCHELL/JEB BISHOP/MATT BAUDER/JASON ADASIEWICZ et al] - Stars Have Shapes (Delmark DE 595; USA) Jazz cornetist Rob Mazurek has created a sound world that is uniquely his own, sculpting a TOTAL sound environment, by fully utilizing the beautiful instrumentation of the Exploding Star Orchestra and sounds from a variety of sources, including: rain from the Brazilian Amazon, insects at the turn of an eclipse, the hammering overdrive of bicycles in Copenhagen, stacked muted cornets run through various filters, drones built from electric eels and piano feedback, hi-frequency sinuous lines from tone generators, pitched bass guitars, and other prepared instruments.
CD $15

JASON ADASIEWICZ With NATE McBRIDE/MIKE REED - Sun Rooms (Delmark DE 593; USA) The Jason Adasiewicz Trio features Jason on vibraphone, Mike Reed on drums, and Nate McBride on bass. The Chicago jazz group formed in 2008, first experimenting as a free improvising trio, and later focused attention on arranging tunes that Adasiewicz wrote during his wife's first pregnancy in the summer of 2009. In addition, the trio plays homage to Sun Ra, Duke Ellington, and Hasaan Ibn Ali - a pianist that was only documented once in his life, in 1964 with Max Roach. Sunrooms is Adasiewicz's first release on Delmark as a leader, but he is not a stranger to the label. He is currently a member of bands lead by Josh Berman, Rob Mazurek, and Nicole Mitchell. "Adasiewicz has a tone and sense of phrasing that is unlike anyone on the instrument currently active, his sense of melody wistful and attack pelting with equal parts Milt Jackson and Khan Jamal. " -The Austinist
CD $15

BRAD GOODE With ADREAN FARRUGIA/KELLY SILL/ANTHONY LEE - Tight Like This (Delmark DE 594; USA) Jazz trumpeter Brad Goode is back with his fourth Delmark CD, Tight Like This (yes, the same "Tight Like This" recorded by Louis Armstrong's Hot 5). He is accompanied by Adrean Farrugia, piano; Kelly Sill, bass; Anthony Lee, drums. A review of Goode's previous Delmark CD said: "Goode's command of the trumpet allows for plenty of risk-taking moments, drenched with technical astonishment and raw emotion. With an abundance of melodic ideas, the Chicago native walks a musical tightrope, creating a rush of improvised suspense. His free-flowing approach, most notably on "I Remember You" and "No Idea", is playful and refreshingly unsentimental.
CD $15



Three Monsters from Cuneiform!

UNIVERS ZERO [DANIEL DENIS/ROGER TRIGAUX/MICHEL BERCKMANS et al] - Heresie: Expanded Edition (Cuneiform 313; USA) New remastered and rvised edition includes the previously unreleased 12 minute cut Chaos Hermetique. 2nd album. Univers Zero play fascinating, modern, chamber music-influenced rock. Simultaneously gothic & futuristic, they are somewhat like the very best of Magma or Crimson, but infinitely darker, with helpings of Eastern European folk melodies added. This band and these discs are completely deserving of the mystique & legendary status that have grown up around them. Incomparable! Scored for bassoon/oboe, harmonium/guitar, violin, bass & drum, this is absolutely one of the darkest lps ever made. ''...a must for lovers of adventurous music''-Keyboard. ''A remarkably subtle weaving of rock, classical, & avant garde tactics...''-Alternative Press. ''If Stravinsky had a rock band, it would sound like this. Blazing, white hot, medieval''-Advocate Newspapers. ''The fall of Rome? The parting of the Red Sea? What else can compare with the monumental occurrence of a new slab of Univers Zero?''- Mike Ezzo/Expose #18. ''Univers Zero's vision (is) pretty much unique & for those touched by it, nothing else will quite do...a sound that really couldn't be any other band in the world.''-The Rough Guide To Rock. ''Daring & delightful...their music has mystery and power...''-Focus.
CD $15

RICHARD PINHAS [HELDON] With MERZBOW [MASAMI AKITA]/WOLF EYES - Metal/Crystal [2 CD set] (Cuneiform 308/309; USA) In Metal/Crystal, French experimental guitarist and electronic musician Richard Pinhas summons the assistance of noise artists Merzbow (Masami Akita) from Japan and Wolf Eyes from USA to weave a spellbinding aural web that spans 2 CDs.Over the years, many artists in the 'noise arena' have expressed interest in his pioneering use of synthesizers and electronics in rock and contemporary music. Pinhas has likewise been intrigued by various areas of the 'noise' scene and Metal/Crystal, recorded "during these two worst years of my life" reflects these influences strongly. Metal/Crystal also intertwines some of the most radical electro-acoustic sonic innovations to emerge from three different continents: Europe, Asia and North America. Pinhas has been ceaselessly innovative in a career spanning more than 30 years, and recently has been exploring areas of the international 'noise' scene. His newest release shows him working with two of that scene's highest profile artists; Merzbow and Wolf Eyes are considered to be the premier 'noise artists' of their respective countries. Metal/Crystal is Pinhas' second collaboration with Merzbow, the originator of Japanese noise music. It is Pinhas' first release with Michigan's Wolf Eyes, whom he's worked with since 2007. In addition to Merzbow and Wolf Eyes, Metal/Crystal features several of Pinhas' longtime collaborators: Antoine Paganotti (drums), Didier Batard (bass), Patrick Gauthier (mini-Moog) (all ex members of Heldon and/or Magma); Jerome Schmidt (electronics), whom Pinhas has recorded and toured extensively with for 2 decades; and his son Duncan Pinhas (electronics), who also helped mix the album with Laurent Peyron and Francis Gernet. The album's artwork, by Yann Legendre and Joy Burke, features intricate, back-and-white cartoon-like drawings, with images hidden inside larger forms. The 6 lengthy tracks on Metal/Crystal features some of Pinhas' most melodic guitar riffs in recent years, as well as his 'noisiest' sonic abstractions ever.
2 CD set $17

UZ JSME DOMA - Caves (Cuneiform 312; USA) Uz Jsme Doma (pronounced "Oozh (rhymes with 'rouge') Smeh Dough-Ma) (in English, Now I Get It) seemed to appear out of nowhere in the early 1990s, but it was a little more complicated than that. When the group came together in the small border town of Teplice in Czechoslovakia in 1985, rock was freedom and freedom was illegal. Via Western radio and smuggled tapes, however, the band came into contact with punk rock as well as more avant-garde bands. It wasn't until the fall of the Communist government that they were able to record and tour, which they then proceeded to do with a vengeance; the group have toured the US a remarkable 17 times and have played nearly 2,000 gigs during their lifetime! The group has won a strong following with their great releases and their constant, high energy tours. 25 years after their founding, their music combines the energy of punk rock - their original inspiration - while ignoring genre walls and adding more complex structures taken from avant-garde and avant-progressive bands and even from folk music of their native land. They are living, fire-breathing, alternative rock legends: one of 'the two great Bastions of the Czech alternative scene' said the Prague Post, who ranked them in importance beside the Plastic People of the Universe. They are a singular, powerful group whose shows win them instant fans for life and whose musical voice is the voice of joy and freedom. Currently the group is made up of leader Miroslav Wanek on lead vocals, guitars and piano, Pepa Cervinka on bass and vocals, Adam Tomasek on trumpet and vocals, Tomas Paleta on drums and Martin Velisek who designs all the band art work, and is a full band member whose 'instruments' are brushes and paints. The album comes with a 12 page, full color booklet with Martin's artwork. UJD are a group I have long had my eyes on; I saw them for the first time in the mid 1990s and several times since then and I am very pleased that we are able to work together on this, their seventh studio album.
CD $15


HARRIS EISENSTADT NONET With MARK TAYLOR/SARA SCHOENBECK/JASONMEARS et al - Woodblock Prints [Ltd #d Ed of 300] (NoBusiness LP 18; EEC) [special ltd time price - normally $30] Drummer Harris Eisenstadt is an artist with many approaches to music. Two years ago he released the fantastic "Guewel" with two trumpets and free african rhythms, last year "Canada Day", which received general acclaim, and now he's back with music that really defies categorisation. First of all the line-up is quite unusual with Michael McGinnis on clarinet, Jason Mears on alto saxophone, Sara Schoenbeck on bassoon, Mark Taylor on french horn, Brian Drye on trombone, Jay Rozen on tuba, Jonathan Goldberger on electric guitar, Garth Stevenson on acoustic bass, and of course Harris Eisenstadt on drums.
Second, the music is inspired by Japanese woodblock prints, as depicted on the cover, yet contrastingly, whereas the Japanese art is purposely created against empty space, the density and complexity of Eisenstadt's arrangements are high, with no space for silence, but that is easily compensated by the overall warmth coming from the horn section. Third, the compositions are tight, with influences even from classical music in some parts, especially so when Schoenbeck's bassoon comes to the foreground, playing in pure chromatic scales without dissonants, but it is equally big band jazz and rock music. The music can be sweet as Glenn Miller yet as raw and wild as free jazz, which it certainly isn't.
Fourth, Heisenstadt's lets the band play his music. Although there are rhythmic subtleties galore, this is not a drummer's album: it's all about the music: gentle, compelling, expansive, inclusive, refined, but equally hard at moments, full of power and drive, with sound explorations and sonic expressivity that are only to be found in the most adventurous forms of jazz.
Since the music cannot be described, ranging from solemn classically sounding chamber jazz full of counterpoint, to exuberant jazz, I will refrain from doing so. I can only say that Eisenstadt again shows what real creativity means. Surely the result of hard work and many, many try-outs before chiseling this music out of the hard block of musical tradition. It was in there all the time, only nobody saw it ..until now. .. and man, these horns sound so wonderful ..! - freejazz-stef.blogspot.com
LP $23


JEFF DAVIS With EIVIND OPSVIK/JON GOLDBERGER/KRIS DAVIS/TONY BARBA/KIRK KNUFFKE - We Sleep Outside (Loyal 08; USA) Jeff Davis on drums & (all but one) compositions, with Jon Goldberger on guitar, Tony Barba on tenor & soprano sax & clarinet, Kirk Knuffke on trumpet, Kris Davis on acoustic & electric pianos, Eivind Opsvik on acoustic bass. This is Jeff Davis' first disc as a leader and it is a powerful debut from one of Downtown's best drummers. I've played this a half dozen times over the past month and I am still blown away by the energy and craft that went into this gem. This first piece is called "Bruce and Brunost Suite" and it recalls the creative fury and sound of that amazing Miles Davis Quintet of the late sixties, with Tony Williams kicking up the energy another notch and Herbie Hancock playing some eerie electric piano. I wasn't very familiar with saxist Tony Barba before this but his dark tone and controlled fire-breathing sound are perfect for this group. The rhythm team work by Mr. Davis and Mr. Opsvik is consistently intense and focused, you can tell that they've been playing together for a while with Tony Malaby, Jesse Stacken & Kris Davis' bands. While the electric piano-led rhythm team swirls tightly together, the horns & guitar play simmering jabs around one another on top. The total effect is astonishing! I also didn't know of guitarist Jon Goldberger before now, except for his playing on a recent release by another downtown drummer, Harris Eisenstadt (reviewed above), but I dig the angular & well-placed notes that Mr. Goldberger adds to this great sextet. What makes this group special is that they have this way of sounding both tight and loose at the same time. On "Talk to Me" the interplay between the tenor sax and guitar is especially intriguing as they trade notes back & forth while the piano, bass & drums spin furiously underneath. "Black Beard" reminds me of one of those great mid-seventies jazz/rock/fusion records with blisterin' guitar, wailin' sax, and an incredible rhythm team kicking it from below. For "Fred Ullmann", Jeff has written some lovely, somber harmonies for the clarinet, trumpet, piano and guitar, spacious and exquisitely played. I dig the way the piano and drums play in different tempos on "Slipper Hero" and then come together by the time the horns jump in. Kris plays a great out piano solo that keeps changing direction as the song evolves through different sections. Jeff Davis' composing is consistently engaging and it keeps his marvelous sextet on their toes throughout. Another one of this month's under-appreciated masterworks. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $13



Keijo Haino sent Seijaku out into the world as his permanent band. At the time of recording, this was to be a single album, but the combination of Haino's overflowing musical ideas and the unlimited improvisational abilities of the three members quickly led to the decision to release two works with different concepts. Keiji Haino calls them "20th-century blues and 21st-century blues." Both albums contain fiercely spiritual music offered up to the spirit of the blues. This is nothing like ordinary rock. It's real rock! And blues! [perhaps not recognizable as such by calcified purists, however -ye DMG ed.]

SEIJAKU [HAINO KEIJI/NASUNO MITSURU/ICHIRAKU YOSHIMITSU] - Mail From Fushitsusha (Doubt 136; Japan) Haino Keiji is an enigma. Listeners either love or hate what he does with a passion. Haino plays guitar and sings (or screams) in his own unique way. Fushitsusha were his colossal power trio, their sets were often brutal, unrelenting and devastating. I caught them perhaps a half dozen times and watched them clear the room of all jazz sobs or critics at Victo and elsewhere. Fushitsusha broke up a few years back and Haino has done solo sets & has collaborated with Merzbow, Tatsuya Yoshida and other like-minded extremists. Seijaku are Haino's new power trio so watch out, they have two new discs not for the faint-hearted. 'Mail from Fushitsusha' is a message from those now dead & gone, yet it is also a message from the future. The opening track is mostly just the soft, slow pounding of a distant drum, the suspense is building. The trio explode on the second track with that throbbing, primal beat and scary vocals from Mr. Keiji. Haino screams as if in pain and repeats this nasty riff on the guitar over & over. This music has a brittle quality as if it is about to break apart at any minute. On "Seijaku #2", Haino hits this one note on the guitar that is as frightening as one could imagine. The song is filled with immense tension, like an acrobat balancing on thin wire high above the crowd with no safety net below. Although Haino plays what is commonly known as "noise" guitar, he knows exactly how to use it so that each note or fracture counts. The electric bass & drums often play slow and lethargic, giving Haino a dark throbbing cushion to balance upon. They also know what they are doing and give the right shape to these brutal, stark exhibitions. Haino is the master of that tortured, electric guitar tone and shows throughout this disc how to use his weapon in a way that no one else could possibly imitate. His vocals are also extreme yet in perfect tandem with his guitar. This is extreme music for desperate times. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $20

SEIJAKU [HAINO KEIJI/NASUNO MITSURU/ICHIRAKU YOSHIMITSU] - You Should Prepare To Survive Through Even Anything Happens (Doubt 137; Japan) This is a real blues album created as an expression of devotion to 20th-century blues. But not blues as a style--the object of devotion here is the blues spirit. You might even say this album is the successor to authentic blues. Those who get it, get it!
CD $20

HIROSI JUNJI - The Elements: Tenor Saxophone Solos (Doubt 135; Japan) Innovator of saxophone, living legend, Junji Hirose [b.March 29, 1955 Tokyo] began to play in his twenties. He pressed his first solo LP called "solo saxophone" independently in 1981. Afterwards he participated Fujikawa Yoshiaki's EASTASIA ORCHESTRA, TOGASHI MASAHIKO's group, Fuwa Daisuke's SHIBUSA-SHIRAZU (the forepart), Otomo Yoshihide's GROUND-ZERO, Uemura Masahiro's P.O.N. and so on. After an absence he began playing saxophone along with a hand-made noise machine in recent years. Now he plays regularly in a duo with Yoshigaki Yasuhiro (drums), and trio with Yoshigaki and Nakamura Toshimaru (no-input mixing board), and trio with Yoshida Tatsuya (drum) and Ito Atsuhiro (optron) etc.
This latest release on Doubt is another solo, coming full circle. His saxophone tones have strength, odd taste, noisy and excitement. We would like you to feel his one and only sax sound. Sometimes he plays multi-phonic blowing, sometimes he plays only saxophone pads, sometimes he controls undertone when he blows in multi-phonic tones, etc., always discovering various new approaches to saxophone. You should be amazed at his music!
CD $20


PIERRE DORGE & NEW JUNGLE ORCHESTRA With JOHN TCHICAI/HARRY BECKETT/HARRISON BANKHEAD/HAMID DRAKE et al - The Olufsen Years 1988-1994: Different Places Different Bananas/Peer Gynt/Live In Chicago/Karawane/Absurd Bird [5 CD set] (Steeplechase 30020-24; EEC) Pierre Dorge and his New Jungle Orchestra are celebrating their 30th anniversary this month [October 2010]. To commemorate this milestone of the NJO history, SteepleChase is proud to announce the special release of this 5-CD set of material recorded originally for Olufsen Records during the period 1988 to 1994. The original tapes were used for re-mastering to improve the sound quality. The set includes 7 previously unissued tracks!
Disc One: Different Places.. - Pierre Dorge (guitar, gong) Harry Becket (trumpet) Kenneth Agerholm (trombone) Morten Carlsen (tenorsax, basssax, taragot) John Tchicai (tenorsax, sopranosax, vocal) Jesper Zeuthen (altsax, bass clarinet) Irene Becker (keyboards) Bent Clausen (vibraphone, percussion) Hugo Rasmussen (bass) Thomas Dyani (percussion) Aage Tanggaard (drums). Includes 4 previously unissued tracks
Disc Two: Peer Gynt - Pierre Dorge (guitar, gong, gangsa, leader) Morten Carlsen (tenorsax, basssax, taragot, clarinet, bretoniam bombarde, ney flute, jublag) John Tchicai (tenorsax, sopranosax, bassclarinet, reong) Jesper Zeuthen (altsax, bass clarinet, music saw, kempli) Irene Becker (keyboards, vocal, big tom tom, reong) Bent Clausen (vibraphone, drums, march drum, gangsa) Thomas Dyani (conga, talking drum, bata, african djembe, gongs & many other percussion instruments) Berit Miland (solo soprano, gongs) Lennart Fessel (kura ceng ceng (turtle with small cymbals). Includes 3 previously unissued tracks
Disc Three: Live In Chicago - Pierre Dorge (conductor, guitar) Harry Becket (trumpet) John Tchicai (tenorsax, sopranosax) Jesper Zeuthen (altosax, bass clarinet, bambooflute) Irene Becker (keyboards) Harrison Bankhead (bass) Hamid Drake (drums)
Disc Four: Karawane - Pierre Dorge (guitar, leader, bike-horns) Harry Becket (trumpet, flugelhorn) Jorg Huke (trombone) Jesper Zeuthen (altosax, clarinet) Volker Schlott (sopranosax, altosax) Morten Carlsen (clarinet, taragot, tenorsax) Jacob Mygind (clarinet, sopranosax, tenorsax) Charlotte Halberg (piccoloflute) Irene Becker (keyboards) Hugo Rasmussen (bass) Ayi Solomon (percussion) Bent Clausen (drums)
Disc Five: Absurd Bird - Pierre Dorge (leader, guitar, tibetan trumpet) Morten Carlsen (taragot, clarinet, tenorsax) Jesper Zeuthen (altosax, bassclarinet) Jacob Mygind (soprano & tenorsax) Kenneth Agerholm (trombone) Irene Becker (piano, keyboards, vocal) Hugo Rasmussen (bass) Bent Clausen (drums) Ayi Solomon (percussion, vocal). Guests: Ensemble Semera Ratih
5 CD Box Set for $65


DAVID SYLVIAN - Sleepwalkers: Works 2000-2010 (SamadhiSound 020; EEC) David Sylvian recently completed work on a compilation cd featuring some of the best of his collaborative work of the last decade or so. Entitled 'Sleepwalkers' it contains fresh remixes and a new composition with classical composer Dai Fujikura. "As many of you will already be aware, despite relatively continuous work on solo albums, I've maintained strong ties with a number of musicians throughout my life and have continued to produce collaborative work in one context or another. The most important of these in recent times has been the Nine Horses project with Burnt Friedman and Steve Jansen. On this new collection, Sleepwalkers, a selection of collaborative work produced over the last decade or so, I've included compositions by Nine Horses as well as more fleeting flirtations and one offs. Neglected offspring. Represented also is long term friend and writing partner, Ryuichi Sakamoto, as well as more recent, but potentially equally productive, partnerships such as Christian Fennesz, Jan Bang and Erik Honore, Arve Henriksen and contemporary classical composer Dai Fujikura. (Dai and myself are currently putting the finishing touches on a radically reinterpreted version of Manafon that features original orchestration by Dai and a number of fresh compositions which extend the themes of the original album (after one has abandoned a belief in god, poetry is that essence which takes its place as life's redemption: wallace stevens), to be released early 2011.)
In the meantime, I hope you enjoy the work presented here, personally selected, remixed and sequenced and entirely remastered. These are the orphans, abused, estranged, exotic, migrating from diverse corners of the globe, brought together under one roof which they're learning to share despite their differences.
We contain multitudes. We're nothing if not contradictory.
(Consistency is contrary to nature, contrary to life: Aldous Huxley) - David Sylvian
CD $16


RAYMOND MacDONALD INTERNATIONAL BIG BAND With SATOKO FUJII/JIM O'ROURKE/YAGI MICHIYO/TATSUYA YOSHIDA/LLOYD SWANTON et al - Buddy (Textile 24; UK) Featuring the some of the most respected musicians on the Japanese improvised music scene (Satoko Fujii, Michio Yagi, Tatsuya Yoshida ect etc ) alongside Australian innovator Alistair Spence and Necks bassist Lloyd Swanton plus Jim O'Rourke and English Tuba player Gideon Jukes this album takes MacDonald's approach to new levels. conventionally notated pieces where musicians get the option to play was is written or play anything they want sit alongside conducted improvisations, text based pieces, free improvisations and a pieces devised by the great American trombonist George Lewis for the Glasgow improvisers orchestra. All players let their individuals voices shine while MacDonald personality can be heard in the overarching themes, melodies, and structures. The CD explores the boundaries and ambiguities between what is conventionally seen as improvisation and composition and moves effortlessly from delicate intricate textures to exuberant, joyous free jazz full of passion and intensity. passionate, spontaneous and breathtakingly beautiful. Described by The Wire as "a completely distinctive voice" Raymond MacDonald is increasingly active on the international stage and is a key player within a resurgent Scottish improvised music scene.
CD $16


STEFANO PASTOR/KASH KILLION - Bows (Slam 524; USA) Featuring Stefano Pastor on violin, flugelhorn & percussion and Kash Killion on cello & sarangi. Two very different string players from different backgrounds. Italian-born, London-based violin virtuoso Stefano Pastor has worked with George Haslam, Borah Bergman & Harry Beckett. Originally based in St. Louis and now living in L.A., Kash Killion has worked with Horace Tapscott, JD Parran, Joel Futterman & Paul Murphy. This disc was recorded in Genoa, Italy in November of 2007 and the duo performs four improvisations and two Thelonius Monk covers. String duos are pretty rare, although I do remember checking the duo of Dierdre Murray & Fred Hopkins (cello & acoustic bass) a couple of times. The opening piece is called "Obstinacy" and while Kash plucks a droning bass line, Stefano sails on top, his violin playing a somber solo. Although Kash plays this repeating line, he speeds up and slows down while Stefano solos. When Mr. Killion switches to sarangi (Indian multi-stringed instrument) for "Shanti", Mr. Pastor switches to flugelhorn. This is certainly an odd combination yet there is a similarity of textures & tones in the middle register of each instrument. The duo overdub other parts and the results are even more exotic, engaging and twisted. On "Bows" both string players are of course bowing and what is interesting is that their sounds are so different and distinct. The strings are close-mic'd, their sound most impressive and intense. You might think that Thelonius Monk would be a strange choice for violin & cello but somehow it works. Monk's slightly skewered melodies sound even more perverse than usual. Kash does a good deal of walking bass on his cello while Stefano plays the theme in his own bent way, both taking inspired, unique solos. Their take of Monk's "Ruby My Dear" reminds me of the way Eric Dolphy did "Music Matador", I am not sure how serious to take it yet it is still a poignant ballad done in its own weird way. The longest piece a great improv called "Ahimsa" which explores more strange terrain with then sarangi and violin. What makes this piece and this disc so special is the sympathetic way these two musicians work together. This piece is raga-like and builds organically towards a grand conclusion. The sarangi is also plucked and sounds like a sarod or oud at times. This piece is an outstanding example of two musicians from different backgrounds coming together in a strong united force. Stefano adds some hand percussion as the piece evolves and the central theme that they build to halfway is stunning. An unclassifiable and successful cultural exchange. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16

ARIBAND [ANTONIO CORTADO & PAOLO PACCIOLLA] - Free Dot (Slam 525; USA) Featuring Antonio Cotardo on flutes and Paolo Pacciolla on mbira, daire, jemback, bells & voice. The thing that amazes me about George Haslam's great Slam label is that it continually presents new musicians from both the United Kingdom (where the label is based) and from around the world (South America, Italy & other parts of Europe in particular). With more than 120 releases, they consistently surprise all of us sharp listeners. Both of these musicians are Italian which is also where this disc was recorded in February & March of 2009. This is a splendid, well-balanced recording of mostly flutes and hand percussion or thumb piano. The hand percussion includes a daire which is a large tambourine and a jembak is a large hand drum played with a brush or just hands. The daire is featured on "Rengil" and it sounds much like a frame drum, the sound is similar to Steve Gorn and Glen Velez, who play similar instruments. At times Paolo sounds as if he is playing thin sticks or rustling leaves giving the duo a most enchanting, sublime afterglow. Antonio over-dubs another flute or two thus adding an eerie, ghostlike vibe to their sound. The persistent use of bells sounds like chimes being moved by the wind, thus also adding a dream-like quality. One of the great things about this disc and duo is that Paolo often plays his percussion in a most melodic way, the way a great tabla player also assumes more than just the rhythmic role when he or she solos. Ariband is/are one of those enchanting duos I've heard in a long while, occasionally soothing yet consistently mesmerizing - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16



7K OAKS [MASSIOM PUPILLO/ALFRED 23 HARTH/FABRIZIO SPERA/LUCA VENITUCCI] - 7000 Oaks (Die Schachtel ZEIT8; Italy) A fierce and hypnotic music that wildly combines free jazz with elements of contemporary music, electroacoustic and microtonal interplays. 7k OAKS -- Massimo Pupillo (Zu, Original Silence) Luca Venitucci (Zeitkratzer, Ossatura) Alfred 23 Hart (Cassiber, Otomo Yoshihide New Jazz Quintet) Fabrizio Spera (Ossatura, Blast) -- manage to build up and maintain a feverish tension of uncompromising intensity.
CD $18

ANDREA BELFI - Knots (Die Schachtel ZEIT6; Italy) Drummer Andrea Belfi's solo release takes the listener into a poly-rhythmic drum circle that sounds like it is coming from another dimension. His strong spatial sense, characterized by a crystal clear cymbal tone, a warm bass drum, drone-like electronica and a never ending groove, makes everything sound just beautiful.
CD $18

MANUEL ZURRIA - Repeat [3 CD set] (Die Schachtel ZEITC1; Italy) he restless experimentation and creativity of Manuel Zurria (of Alter Ego fame) has resulted in a brilliant series of collaborative works with legendary composers such as Luc Ferrari, Alvin Lucier, Arvo Part, John Cage, Morton Feldman, Laszlo Sary, Louis Andriessen, Aldo Clementi, Zoltan Jeney, Stefano Scodanibbio, Salvatore Sciarrino, Jonathan Harvey and Kevin Volans. A truly stunning mixture of electronic and longform electro-acoustic pieces, repetitive ethnic rhythms, drones and delay, field recordings, flute and the human voice.
3 CD set for $32

ALVIN CURRAN -Live In Roma (Die Schachtel 904873; Italy) Although Alvin Curran is almost universally recognized as one of the leading figures of the late 20th century musical avant-garde, he has never received the recognition he deserves in the form of a proper publication. This is, in fact, the first book ever to present a complete and coherent picture of this gigantic figure of experimental music. A radical experimentalism and a kind of innate volatility have, in fact, long kept the person and the work of Alvin Curran, one of the historic founders of the group Musica Elettronica Viva (MEV), at the margins of contemporary musical historiography. His vast and all-inclusive experience refuses to fit into the common schemas and cubbyholes, excluding him from the conceptual straitjackets of current Western musicology. Lavishly produced and conceived, this book is centered around extensive descriptions of the most important works and compositional techniques, providing a historical account of Curran's musical concerns and changing style: in permanent flux between two distinct cultural geographies (Italy and USA), sensitive to an infinity of pressures, encounters, transformations, and provocations, Curran's artistic voyage is presented here through a comprehensive historical and critical study that avoids buzz-word definitions and gives great respect to his otherness -- an otherness clearly and happily a part of the variegated musical universe of our time. Gathered for the first time in a single monograph, the contributions of several of the foremost Italian and international scholars -- enriched by an astounding "travel log" by Alvin Curran himself and by unpublished images from his private archive -- confirm the role of this composer-performer-teacher-writer as a major contributor to the evolution of artistic languages in the late 20th century and beyond. Edited by Daniela Margoni Tortora. 300 pages, softcover, in Italian and English.
BOOK $30


DIANA WAYBURN And ENSEMBLE - Forces Of Nature (self released; USA) Featuring Diana Wayburn on piano, flute & compositions, Arthur Moeller on violin, Hamilton Berry on cello, Rich Russo on double bass and Enrique Haneine on percussion. This is the second disc from Diana Wayburn that I've reviewed and I was glad to hear this after the last sublime gem she left us with last year. I wasn't familiar with any of the members of Ms. Wayburn's quintet before this, but according to the liner notes, they all have prestigious backgrounds in both jazz and classical music. Like her last CD, much of this music is based on West African rhythms and each piece casts a different rhythmic spell. "Cello" has a great hypnotic groove with superb cello & violin swirling together and complementing each other. "Piece for 5C" has another swell skeletal groove with a mesmerizing blend of piano, cello & violin playing spirited inter-connected lines together. One of the great things about this group is that their percussionist plays with restraint (often using brushes) yet the central pulse is consistently alluring throughout. Diana has written a series of strong melodies as each piece glows in an uplifting manner. The strings, flute and piano have a way of balancing each theme so that we feel the healing power of these enchanting songs. On "Mendiani" the strings and piano gradually become freer after the theme is repeated a few times, which is used to great effect before the theme is played again towards the end. On the final piece, "Domo Sunnu" the strings and then the piano both play this charming melody with a spirited solo from the cello. Again, Diana Wayburn has provided us with a fine feast of intoxicating songs. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $12


KAHIL EL'ZABAR RITUAL TRIO With LESTER BOWIE/MALACHI FAVORS - The Ancestors Are Among Us (Katalyst 10053; USA) This is a very special recording of historical importance. The Ritual Trio in it's original configuration (featuring Lester Bowie and Malachi Favors) recorded live in Saafelden in 1987. This recording brings back to life the vibrant sounds of Lester Bowie and Malachi Favors in a way unlike many other recordings that have surfaced since each of their deaths. Since they are playing together and this was during a very active period for the Art Ensemble, they are able to have a stripped down conversation on similar lines with Kahil kind of directing the flow and interpreting this unique musical language in his own way. It is certainly interesting and at times quite magical.
CD $13


DAVID BOYKIN EXPANSE With NICOLE MARGARET MITCHELL/JIM BAKER/JOSH ABRAMS/MIKE REED - Ultra Sheen (Sonic Healing Ministries 07; USA) Saxophonist David Boykin has long embraced a fiercely independent ethos - he releases his own recordings, books his own concerts, and plays only as a bandleader. (The exception: he'll be a sideman to his partner, jazz flutist Nicole Mitchell.) Unfortunately, that MO has prevented him from getting more widespread recognition. The new Ultra Sheen (on Boykin's Sonic Healing Ministries label) is his first proper album since 2003 (he released a few CD-Rs in the interim) and the first recording I've heard where he incorporates rapping the way he does live. His dry, syllable-crammed flow reminds me a bit of the late rapper Guru, but the music's not hip-hop flavored with jazz like Gang Starr - it's jazz flavored with hip-hop. Boykin's sturdy original tunes leave plenty of space for his rhymes; pianist Jim Baker, bassist Joshua Abrams, and drummer Mike Reed bang out cycling grooves as Mitchell improvises accents and lines that nicely interact with Boykin's delivery. His lyrics are as complex as his solos, and not at all constrained by bar lines. The second half of the album offers some extended, instrumental versions of the same tracks, with crisp performances and lovely arrangements that recall David Murray's primo 80s work on Black Saint Records. [warning for the cost-conscious - this is basically a CD-ep, weighing in at only 29 minutes]
CD $15


This Week's Unknown Treasure Award Goes to:

CHRISTIAN RAVAGLIOLI - Una Frase Un Rigo Appena (Splasch/Pushin 1003.2; Italy) "Local multi-reeds wiz Michael Marcus brought Mr. Ravaglioli last week (Sept. 2010) down to DMG and introduced him to us. Christian left us with this disc which is one of this week's most unexpected surprises. The only name here that sounded familiar to me was Achille Succi who has discs on both the Leo & El Gallo Rojo labels. The personnel is listed at the end of this review. Considering I knew so few of the musicians here, I were surprised by the fabulous, diverse music found within. The first piece is called "Listen to Your Sand" it features just duduk (an ancient double reed instrument), English horn, electric guitar & glockenspiel. It is an enchanting, hazy fragment of just spacious sounds, yet it is mesmerizing. "EscodaunMito" features prepared piano & sonic manipulation and it is a most haunting piece of ethereal inside-the-piano sounds. The title piece features English horn, bass clarinet, violin or viola & cello and although it is mostly acoustic, Christian has a way of coaxing other-worldly sounds out of his musicians through odd combinations of players or writing music which unexpected twists & turns. The harmonies for reeds and strings are unlike anything I've heard in recent memory and closer to modern classical than modern jazz. Just when you think you know what to expect, "Melody Comes from..." appears and sounds very much like a John Zorn/Mike Patton collaboration complete with bizarre vocals in English. It is a complete gas! There are two sort-of classical pieces here, one by Maurice Ravel and one by Antonio Gramentieri (who plays guitar on this piece) and both are for duos. Both are also enchanting with "Shawn" for duduk & acoustic guitar and Ravel's "L'Enigme Eternelle" for oboe w/ electronics & voice. Christian plays solo oboe & English horn and solo piano on two pieces and these are just as fascinating and effective as anything else on this marvelous disc. The group pieces are equally amazing, showing Christian's gift for crafty arrangements and odd combinations of instruments. This incredible disc is a strong as anything that Mr. Zorn has released on his composer series and it should meet the Tzadik seal of approval. Zorn did write some strong words of praise on the back page of the liner notes. Outstanding! The personnel features Christian Ravalioli on oboe, English horn, duduk, piano, synth & most compositions; Achille Succi on bass clarinet, Marco La Manna on bassoon, Antonio Gramentieri on guitars, Barbara Savioli & Elisa Segurini on strings, Vincenzo Vasi on theremin, Massimo Selvi on double bass, Diego Sapignoli & Ciro Montanari on percussion plus John De Leo & Rosita Frisani on occasional voices." - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16


ANNE LeBARON With LEROY JENKINS/PAUL RUTHERFORD/WOLGANG FUCHS et al - 1, 2, 4, 3 [2 CD Set] (Innova 236; USA) "These are harpist Anne LeBaron's solo, duo, trio & group improvisations featuring: Wolfgang Fuchs on clarinets, Leroy Jenkins on violin, Georg Graewe on piano, Chris Heenan on alto sax, Paul Rutherford on trombone, John Lindberg & Torsten Muller on basses and others. Anne LeBaron has been exploring and improvising on the harp since the early seventies when she lived in Alabama and worked with Davey Williams & LaDonna Smith. She has a half dozen discs as a leader on labels CRI, New World & Mode. These are her more composed works, her improvised music has rarely been documented except for an early trio record with Davey & LaDonna and with Derek Bailey, Fred Frith & others on a Company disc on Incus.
Ms. LeBaron plays acoustic, prepared & amplified harp with & without electronics and she is a most gifted improviser, as this long, double disc shows. On "Heat Wave", she plays amplified harp with electronics and the results are bizarre & hypnotic as she uses a wooden screw/peg on her strings. The performances here cover eight years of solos & collaborations with musicians from seven countries, at different festivals, as well as in different studios. There are a couple of duos with the late violinist Leroy Jenkins both of which are intriguing whether acoustic or electric. They seem to anticipate each other's sounds and work well at bending their notes together. Like sweet & sour food, where the opposite combination becomes something richer and more tasty. The electric duo is even more intense yet the contrasts work just right in another outer zone. Another great improviser who has passed away in recent years and is found here is the legendary British trombonist Paul Rutherford. Mr. Rutherford is featured on three tracks and plays in a fine quartet with Chris Heenan on alto sax, Torsten Muller on acoustic bass and Ms. LeBaron on harp. This quartet plays in that great, focused Euro-improv mode, a most distinctive way of improvising. Other highlights include a trio with Georg Graewe on piano, John Lindberg on contrabass and Ms. LeBaron on harp, as well as a trio with shakuhachi (Kiku Day), koto (Kanoko Nishi) & harp. Both of these trios are quite different yet spirited in their playing The nuanced exchanges and tight interplay are often revelatory. Although many of the musicians here speak different vocal languages and come from different cultures, there is a common dialogue between all of the participants that unites them and us together throughout this adventurous double disc set." - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
2 CD set for $16


JON MUELLER - The Whole [LP + CD] (Type 74; UK) LP version. Includes an exclusive bonus CD of 30-minute album, The Whole -- mixed by Olivia Block. The Whole might be avant-percussionist Jon Mueller's first album for the Type imprint, but it's far from his scene debut. Working in a plethora of bands for many years (including Collections Of Colonies Of Bees and Volcano Choir with Justin Vernon aka Bon Iver), Mueller has honed his sound to a distinct peak, and over the course of umpteen solo albums and collaborations has cemented his status as one of experimental music's most revered drummers. Following his epic works Metals (a collection of classic heavy metal rhythms) and the expansive and surprisingly beautiful Physical Changes, both for the esteemed Table Of The Elements label, Mueller embarked on the heady process of creating a "defining" work. Intrigued by ideas of simplicity and acoustic sound, Mueller's research drew him to Shaker crafts and quilt-making, both deceptively simple practices rooted in the transmission of ideas. Over time, these experiences were interpreted in many different ways, almost certainly inaccurately, and this miscommunicated simplicity is at the very center of The Whole. Through a rolling, unamplified snare drum (a piece of kit perfected over a year of intense practice), booming low toms, hammered dulcimer and his own voice, Mueller creates a sound that is wholly original and totally beguiling. There are traces of folk traditions and lines drawn to the avant garde idiom, but Mueller's sound is so singularly perfected, it is hard to connect him to specific peers. The Whole is an album that sounds like both a relic of the past and an echo of the future. The ideas are anchored in memory and tradition, yet the sound is alien and sometimes impenetrable. Over time, as the messages are stripped back, an unabashedly gorgeous piece of work is revealed. Like a good book, it requires patience and contemplation to show its beating heart.
LP + CD for $22


ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE & THE MELTING PARAISO U.F.O. - Absolutely Freak Out (Zap Your Mind!): Expanded Edition [2 CD set] (Static Caravan 004; UK) Double CD reissue of the deleted 2002 LP (originally released 2/01), with 3 bonus tracks (approx 44 extra minutes). "Who are Acid Mothers Temple? A freak-out group for the 21st century, founded in 1996 by members of the Acid Mothers Temple soul-collective. Led by Kawabata Makoto (Musica Transonic. Toho Sara, etc.) a 100% genuine cult band that are on a mission to give you massive frontal lobe damage. Imagine spending an acid tinged weekend up a Japanese mountain with only a battered tape player for company. The sounds emanate as and when they wish, it might be a snatch of ear shredding guitar noise, an ambient electronic pulse, traditional folk or the sweet sound of a handmaiden warbling ..whatever you hear it's never boring and you never guess what's coming next. Take two labels: Resonant (Do Make Say Think, Tarentel, Jessica Bailiff, Kepler) and Static Caravan (E-Vax, Isan, Magnetophone, Sonna, Tarentel, Sybarite), a love of Japanese underground music, and what do you get? A brand new 124 minute trip through the coolest weird and wonderful sounds from the AMT mothership."
2 CD set for $18


WARNE MARSH-LEE KONITZ QUINTET//WARNE MARSH QUARTET & TRIO - Two Not One - Copenhagen December 1975: Jazz Exchange, Live At Montmartre Vols 1-3//Complete Rosenberg Studio Quartet & Trio Recordings [4 CD box set] (Storyville; EEC) Five albums complete on 4 CDs, all recorded December 1975, when 100 Danish musicians pitched in monies to bring over Warne Marsh for 1 month!
4 CD set for $26


SPIDER JOHN KOERNER - March 1963 (Nero's Neptune 06; USA) A major archival discovery, taped March 24, 1963 for a Milwaukee, Wisconsin radio program, on the eve of the very same day that the seminal Blues, Rags & Hollers LP by Koerner, Ray & Glover was created. Spider John Koerner is the man who first introduced a young Bob Dylan to the 12-string guitar, a bona fide legend who is acknowledged as an influence by artists as diverse as John Lennon, Beck, The Doors & Dylan himself. Nearly 50 years ago, Paul Nelson, writing in the Little Sandy Review and Sing Out respectively, said that "Koerner's art is like Chaplin's, as great and lasting as it is entertaining," while calling him "the most innovatively brilliant acoustic blues musician of his generation." In the year 2010 -- seldom performing and now in his 70s -- the reclusive Koerner is "one of the world's greatest living practitioners of traditional American folk music." It is with enormous pride that Nero's Neptune presents this long-lost piece of American musical history.
CD $15

SPIDER JOHN KOERNER - Music Is Just A Bunch Of Notes/The Secret Of Sleep [CD + DVD] (Nero's Neptune 13; USA) Music Is Just A Bunch Of Notes was cut in 1972 in an upstairs storefront building above a coffee house on Minneapolis' West Bank. One of the counterculture's first entirely DIY efforts, it was engineered by 12-string guitar legend Dave "Snaker" Ray and released on his fledgling Sweet Jane label. All of the songs are Koerner originals; the tunes are sequenced with a cinematic eye and interspersed with weird spoken-word bits. The album includes several mainstays of John's repertoire, including the timeless "Everybody's Goin' For The Money," a song that sums up the uniquely Koernerian brand of existentialism as tidily as any. This CD is mastered from the original tapes and is reissued for the first time since the rare 1972 release. The DVD disc features a previously unreleased 16mm movie made by Bruce Rubenstein, David Rubenstein & The Secret Of Sleep. In it, Percival (John Koerner) gets a call in which he's told to go on a mysterious quest. Percy and his buddy (Willie Murphy) wander around in various utopian settings, but in the end, they return to the city to contend with reality. Digitally restored in 2009, released on DVD for the first time, this is a tremendous bit of lost holy grail for Koerner enthusiasts. NTSC region 1 DVD (run time: 60 minutes; audio: mono; black & white; aspect ratio: 4x3 letterbox).
CD + DVD for $23

CHARLIE PARR - When The Devil Goes Blind (Nero's Neptune 16; USA) The legendary Charlie Parr's spellbinding finger picking and slide techniques on guitar and banjo place him front & center among the world's foremost string-benders. His blood & guts songs are infused with an originality, integrity and heart rarely (if ever) displayed by contemporaries operating in or around pre-war blues traditions. Further, Parr's performing career (which began in 1988) has taken him from Twin Cities bars and coffeehouses -- studying resident greats like Dave Ray and Spider John Koerner -- to the year 2010, where he's enjoying an ever-growing fan base comprised of folk-blues purists, American Primitive beard-scratchers, jam band-lovin' neo-hippies, and, well, just about every type of person imaginable. Charlie's songs betray (in the words of one writer) a "sense that the gamblers, union workers, criminals and sinners that wander around his songs are peering right over your shoulder." His late father grew up during the Depression, riding freight trains through places like the Piedmont region of North Carolina, rendering the music of that area all the more visceral to Charlie. Charlie's parents were union workers and picket line fixtures during bitter labor strikes in the mid-1980s at Austin, Minnesota's Hormel plant, and Charlie got himself a first-hand view of what those old songs were talking about. When The Devil Goes Blind is his first release on Nero's Neptune Records. Produced by Bo Ramsey (former guitarist with Greg Brown and Lucinda Williams), Charlie's first nationally-distributed record is easily his most fully-realized effort to date. Buy it, and then go see Charlie when he comes to your town. Find out why Greg Brown has compared him with Dave Van Ronk, and even the inscrutable Spider John Koerner has given him the proverbial thumbs up. As everyone seems to say about Charlie, he's "the real deal."
CD $15

THE ORIGINAL HARMONY RIDGE CREEK DIPPERS [MARK OLSON/VICTORIA WILLIAMS/MIKE 'RAZZ' RUSSELL] - The Original Harmony Ridge Creek Dippers (Mark Olson Desert Field Recordings Vol 1) [LP + CD] (Nero's Neptune 07; USA) The Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers is a trio consisting of former Jayhawks leader Mark Olson, his wife, singer/songwriter Victoria Williams, and multi-instrumentalist Mike "Razz" Russell. Olson founded the group after leaving the Jayhawks in 1995. The Original Harmony Ridge Creek Dippers is a low-key effort that takes a distinctly homemade approach. On these informal tracks, Olson strums his acoustic guitar -- augmented by a varying combination of harmonica, fiddle, bass, and mandolin, with touches of percussion here and there -- and he sings in a plaintive voice, accompanied here and there by his wife, Victoria Williams. The result is somewhere between Gram Parsons and Nick Drake, a country/folky sound on songs of personal meaning delivered offhandedly. As commercial releases go, one would have to call it underperformed and under-produced, with the feel of late-night exhaustion and dreamlike expression. Recorded in February 1997 "When the Original Harmony Ridge Creek Dippers' self-distributed inaugural CD first appeared in 1997, fans of Jayhawks-founder Mark Olson had to work pretty hard to find it. Now, Nero's Neptune Records presents this overlooked masterpiece on vinyl for the first time. Pressed at RTI on 180 gram virgin vinyl (with deluxe packaging that includes a free CD), a new era of discerning music-lovers can now discover what a devout few have known all along: Mark Olson is one of this country's very finest songwriters, and this LP is as fine a representation of his poetic vision as has ever been bestowed upon the world. Olson, together with multi-instrumentalists Mike "Razz" Russell and Victoria Williams, offers 10 tunes that revolve around his gently strummed acoustic guitar. Lovingly woven background vocals (courtesy of Ms. Williams) and tasteful, sparse use of piano, mandolin, fiddle and banjo flesh out Olson's heartbreakingly sincere and affecting songs. Pure and simple, this is a desert island-level classic. As No Depression magazine gushed, "it's the kind of music that's impossible to strive for, to fashion from careful study or conscious effort; the only way it happens like this is when it flows straight out from the soul.""
LP + CD $22



FINALLY BACK IN STOCK - Here's an album we've sold on average of 5 copies ..EVERY SINGLE WEEK since 1991 when we opened the store!
Jeez - you do the math .. better yet, get yours and know the reason!

KEITH TIPPETT GROUP With ELTON DEAN/ROBERT WYATT/MARC CHARIG/GARY BOYLE/NICK EVANS/ROY BABBINGTON/JEFF CLYNE/PHIL HOWARD/BRYAN SPRING - Dedicated To You But You Weren't Listening (Repertoire 5127; Germany) [ltd digipak edition] Keith Tippett's name is probably familiar to those who are fans of '70s British jazz OR bands like King Crimson, the Soft Machine and Blossom Toes (all whom benefited from Tippett's ivory mastery on some of their greatest albums).This is a legendary all-time classic of '70s Avant-British Jazz, and a long time high-priced rarity on LP! Keith's (and his Group's: Elton Dean, Marc Charig and Nick Evans) 2nd album from 1971 is augmented by Robert Wyatt, Phil Howard (both members at different times in Soft Machine) and Bryan Spring on drums, Roy Babbington and Neville Whitehead on bass, Gary Boyle on guitar, and Tony Uta on percussion - on all tracks! Brilliantly structured and arranged compositions from Tippett [3], Evans[3], Dean [1] and the [mutated by Dean and Charig] Hugh Hopper/Soft Machine title tune allowed for plenty of free expression from the indivdual players and gave birth to a personalized new-jazz style that put Tippett in a class of his own.
A tour de force, this energized treasure is one of our (Bruce and Manny's) favorite Euro-jazz recordings of all time and should be owned and known by avant-music freaks around the world!!
CD $20


IF [DICK MORRISSEY/TERRY SMITH et al] - Fibonacci's Number-Mor (Repertoire 1096; Germany) This album features newly discovered 'live' recordings from 1972 by one of the finest British jazz-rock groups of the 1970's. If starred tenor sax men Dick Morrissey and Dave Quincy with lead guitarist Terry Smith, and they all play at their best on these sparkling in-concert performances. Although the British band released a succession of excellent studio albums, there is no doubt that these live recordings from Europe have the edge. You can hear the audience shouting encouragement and the horn solos are delivered with extra punch as the tunes take on new life. Strong vocalist J.W. Hodkinson interprets the lyrics with great spirit and shows why If were so popular among rock as well as jazz fans. Former If founder Dave Quincy talks about the origins of the group and the tracks on this recording in a new interview for the CD liner notes. Two rare bonus tracks - which were released as singles in the early 70's - are included on this CD: studio versions of What Did I Say About The Box Jack? and Forgotten Roads.
CD $20

ZOOT MONEY With ANDY SUMMERS et al - Transition (Repertoire 5168; Germany) When Zoot Money was moving on from his soulful Big Roll Band and heading towards the more psychedelic Dantalion's Chariot, he took time out to record an excellent solo album. Transition was devised in 1966, but it didn't get released until 1968, some time after the only album recorded [but not issued at the time either] by the mighty Chariot. Now Transition is being released on a new Repertoire CD. It is enlivened with great vocals and organ playing from Mr. Money. It also features Andy Summers on all the tracks, revealing what a great guitarist he was - even before his days with the Police.
As well as the familiar guitar and organ sound, a sitar makes it presence felt, evoking the mysterious mood of the late Sixties. Nine splendid remastered tracks, include such ear-catching titles as Let The Music Make You Happy, the groovy River's Invitation and a reference to Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, called Soma. Watch out for What Cha Gonna Do 'Bout It and Stop The Wedding, not to mention the highly appropriate Recapture The Thrill Of Yesterday. Now we can all do that, with this much sought after thriller from the Money archives.
CD $20

STEAMHAMMER [MARTIN PUGH/KIERAN WHITE et al] - Reflection (Repertoire 5187; Germany) One of the most exciting bands of the British Blues Boom era, Steamhammer was powered up by guitarist Martin Pugh and vocalist Kieran White. After gaining a reputation for steaming 'live' performances they were signed to CBS and released 'Reflection' their debut album in 1969. It's packed with dynamic performances, including 'Junior's Wailing' - a track released as a Steamhammer single that became a hit in Germany. It was also successfully covered by Status Quo. Also among the 11 tracks on the CD are versions of B.B.King's 'You'll Never Know' and Eddie Boyd's 'Twenty Four Hours' and a two part arrangement called 'Water', that introduces and completes a satisfying album. There were more albums and tours to come from Steamhammer and quite a few personnel changes before they finally broke up in 1975. 'Reflection' gives us a chance to reflect on the origins of these fondly remembered Bluesicians.
CD $22




NEW RELEASES from master transfer-man/prog-rock fan supremo Mark Powell and his Esoteric label!

SOFT MACHINE [MIKE RATLEDGE/JOHN MARSHALL/ROY BABBINGTON/KARL JENKINS/JOHN ETHERIDGE/ALAN WAKEMAN] - Softs (Esoteric 2202; UK) At this point in the band's history, the Soft Machine was a little bit like the original axe that George Washington used to cut down the cherry tree -- original except that the head had been replaced three times and the handle twice. On Softs, Mike Ratledge, the only remaining original bandmember present on Bundles, the group's preceding Harvest LP, was relegated to guest status, contributing synthesizer to only two tracks, "Song of Aeolus" and "Ban-Ban Caliban." Otherwise, keyboard duties now fell completely to Karl Jenkins, who joined the band prior to the recording of Six and had gradually taken over the conceptual reins as the Softs finished their tenure with Columbia and moved over to Harvest. On Softs more than ever before, the Soft Machine was Jenkins' band; he composed fully seven of the LP's 11 tracks, making the album a vehicle for his own artistic conception. And yet, as Soft Machine albums go, this one is just fine, thank you. ~ Dave Lynch, AMG
CD $18

SOFT MACHINE [KARL JENKINS/JOHN MARSHALL/ALLAN HOLDSWORTH/JACK BRUCE/DICK MORRISSEY/ALAN PARKER/JOHN TAYLOR/RAY WARLEIGH] - Land Of Cockayne (Esoteric 2208; UK) Very last studio record from '81, basically a contractual obligation album. Most 'dyed in the wool' Softs fans hate it; yet there is a cult of fusion people who have only heard this Softs album and wanna take it to the moon with 'em! Go figure! By the time the album was recorded Soft Machine comprised keyboard player/saxophonist/composer Karl Jenkins and drummer John Marshall. The duo were joined by musicians such as Jack Bruce, the returning Allan Holdsworth, Dick Morrissey and Ray Warleigh among others to produce a different, but polished album. This official Esoteric CD edition has been re-mastered from the original master tapes and features an essay by Sid Smith.
CD $18

BRAINTICKET - Celestial Ocean (Esoteric/Reactive 1006; UK) Esoteric Recordings continue with releases on their new Reactive imprint, (dedicated to reissues of classic German rock),with the first ever UK CD release of Celestial Ocean by Brainticket. Formed in 1968 by Belgian born keyboard player Joel Vandroogenbroeck, the band released their debut album, the extreme psychedelic Cottonwoodhill in Germany in 1971.
Breaking apart soon after, Vandroogenbroeck formed a new incarnation of the group with drummer Barney Palm comprising Swiss and Italian musicians. Celestial Ocean, the third Brainticket album, was recorded in Rome in 1973 and was an impressive Psychedelic rock album inspired by the Egyptian Book of the Dead, later much sampled by European Trance DJs. Celestial Ocean is one of THE essential albums associated with the German Psych & Prog scene of the early 1970's.
CD $21

BRAINTICKET - Psychonaut (Esoteric/Reactive 1005; UK) Esoteric Recordings continue with releases on their new Reactive imprint, (dedicated to reissues of classic German rock), with the first ever UK CD release of Psychonaut by Brainticket. Formed in 1968 by Belgian born keyboard player Joel Vandroogenbroeck, the band released their debut album, the extreme psychedelic Cottonwoodhill in Germany in 1971. Breaking apart soon after, Vandroogenbroeck formed a new incarnation of the group with drummer Barney Palm comprising Swiss and Italian musicians.
Psychonaut was recorded in Milan in 1972 and was less intense than Cottonwood Hill but was more cohesive and was an impressive Psychedelic rock album, later much sampled by European Trance DJs. Psychonaut is one of THE essential albums associated with the German Psych & Prog scene of the early 1970's.
CD $21

PFM [P.F.M.: PREMIATA FORNERIA MARCONI] - Photos Of Ghosts (Esoteric/Manticore 1006; UK) A successful act in their home land, they came to international attention when they signed to EMERSON, LAKE and PALMER s label MANTICORE in 1973, recording the album Photos Of Ghosts the same year.
With English lyrics, some penned by King Crimson/ELP lyricist Pete Sinfield (who also produced the album), this edition of PFM's debut album for Manticore has been re-mastered from the analogue tapes and includes previously unreleased six bonus tracks of early mixes from the album sessions, a lavishly illustrated booklet, new essay and fully restored artwork.
CD $21

BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO - Banco (Esoteric/Manticore 1009; UK) Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso, better known in English speaking countries as Banco, were one of the finest Italian Progressive rock band s of the 1970 s and along with compatriot s P.F.M. were one of the better known Italian groups.
A successful act in their home land, they came to international attention when they signed to Emerson, Lake and Palmer's label Manticore in 1975. Their first album for the label, Banco was a fine work and featured reworked material with English vocals that had originally featured on their earlier Italian albums.
This new edition of the album has been newly remastered and marks the albums British debut on CD and continues the comprehensive series of releases of the classic Manticore catalogue.
CD $21

BANCO DEL MUTUO SOCCORSO - As In A Last Supper (Esoteric/Manticore 1010; UK) Banco Del Mutuo Soccorso, better known in English speaking countries as BANCO, were one of the finest Italian Progressive rock bands of the 1970 s and along with compatriot s P.F.M. were one of the better known Italian groups. A successful act in their home land, they came to international attention when they signed to Emerson, Lake and Palmer's label Manticore in 1975. Their second and final album for the label, As In A Last Supper was the English language version of their classic Come In Un Ultima Cena and featured the impressive track Slogan. A classic Progressive album, this new CD edition has been newly remastered and marks the albums British debut on CD and continues the comprehensive series of releases of the classic Manticore catalogue.
CD $21

PETER BANKS With JAN AKKERMAN/STEVE HACKETT/JOHN WETTON/PHIL COLLINS et al - Two Sides Of Peter Banks (Esoteric 2165; UK) Upon his departure from YES following the release of their 2nd album Time And A Word, guitarist Peter Banks formed the Progressive band FLASH (whose self-titled debut album is also issued by Esoteric this month). The band enjoyed a degree of success in the USA which afforded BANKS the chance to record this solo album with a cast of guest musicians which included Jan Akkerman, Phil Collins, Steve Hackett and John Wetton
CD $18

FLASH [PETER BANKS/COLIN CARTER/RAY BENNETT/MICHAEL HOUGH] - In The Can (Esoteric 2201; UK) Upon his departure from Yes following the release of the album Time and a Word , guitarist Peter Banks formed this excellent Progressive outfit featuring Ray Bennett (bass, guitar), Colin Carter (vocals) and Mike Hough (drums).
Signing to the Sovereign label in the UK, Flash recorded their eponymous debut album in 1972, enjoying much popularity in the USA. In The Can was the band's second album offering from the group and was released in 1973, featuring such excellent material as Lifetime , Black And White and Monday Morning Eyes.
CD $18

FLASH [PETER BANKS/COLIN CARTER/RAY BENNETT/MICHAEL HOUGH] - Out Of Our Hands (Esoteric 2200; UK) Upon his departure from Yes following the release of the album Time and a Word, guitarist Peter Banks formed this excellent Progressive outfit featuring Ray Bennett (bass, guitar), Colin Carter (vocals) and Mike Hough (drums). Out Of Our Hands was the third and final offering from the group and was released in 1973, featuring such excellent material as Dead Ahead , None the Wiser , Psychosync and Manhattan Morning.
CD $18

APHRODITE'S CHILD [VANGELIS O PAPATHANASSIOU/DEMIS ROUSSOS/LUCAS SIDERAS] - End of the World (Esoteric 2205; UK) Originally issued by Mercury in Europe only. "Surprise hit album that resulted when the hyper-talented Vangelis Papathanassiou, Demis Roussos and Lucas Sideras fled from the Greek military junta to the relative safety of Paris and the 1968 student uprisings; the single 'Rain and Tears', based on Pachelbel's famous 'Canon' became the song of the year... and careers outside of Greece became real for two of the three Aphrodite's members; beautiful and strange album -- dream-like, baroque, carefully crafted pop/psych; very much in the style of English bands of the era, but with that little twist that makes it all even more special
CD $18

APHRODITE'S CHILD [VANGELIS O PAPATHANASSIOU/DEMIS ROUSSOS/LUCAS SIDERAS] - It's Five O'Clock (Esoteric 2206; UK) "Second of three albums from Vangelis Papathanassiou, Demis Roussos and Lucas Sideras (Aphrodite's Child), who fled from the Greek military junta to the relative safety of Paris and the 1968 student uprisings; the surprise success of the band's first album End of the World called for the release of another record, so the band began to prepare a return to the studio. What did not seem possible a year before now finally was, and the three Greeks traveled to London to record It's Five O'Clock in Trident Studios. The first single, 'Let Me Love, Let Me Live,' released in October 1969, made it to a number one position in the French charts, but it was the B-side 'Marie Jolie' that was most popular in the rest of Europe. The title track 'It's Five O'Clock' quickly followed the same path; released in December 1969, it did well in the charts of many European countries. Dream-like, baroque, carefully crafted pop/psych with English lyrics, in some ways very much in the style of English bands of the era, but with that little twist that makes it very special
CD $18

ARTHUR BROWN & KINGDOM COME - Journey [2 CD set] (Esoteric 2 2187; UK) Issued on Polydor in 1973, the album was coproduced by Dave Edmunds and is arguably their most well known work. Touching on the musical territory of fellow travellers Hawkwind, Journey was a masterwork and is now rightly regarded as a classic.
This newly remastered edition includes a bonus CD featuring 8 bonus tracks of rare single material, alternate mixes and three recordings from a BBC Radio One John Peel session from 1972. Journey joins a new re-mastered edition of Kingdom Come in the continuation of Esoteric's Arthur Brown re-mastered series.
2 CD set for $23

ARTHUR BROWN & KINGDOM COME - Kingdom Come (Esoteric 2186; UK) Kingdom Come, the second album by Arthur Brown's Psych / Space Rock outfit Kingdom Come. Issued on Polydor in 1972, the album enhanced the notoriety of the band. Touching on the musical territory of fellow travellers HAWKWIND, Kingdom Come was a masterwork and is now rightly regarded as a classic.
This newly re-mastered edition includes bonus tracks of three alternate mixes, together with two recordings from BBC Radio One John Peel sessions from 1971 (previously unreleased on CD). Kingdom Come joins a 2CD edition of Journey in the continuation of Esoteric's Arthur Brown re-mastered series.
CD $21

CLARK-HUTCHINSON [ANDY CLARK/MICK HUTCHINSON] - Free To Be Stoned - The Complete Decca Recordings: A=MH2/Retribution/Gestalt [2 CD set] (Esoteric 2 2195; UK) New remastered 2 cd compilation of the entire decca recordings by underground stars CLARK-HUTCHINSON. One of the first signings to Decca's underground imprint NOVA, the duo of Andy Clark and Mick Hutchinson recorded the album A=MH2 in 1969, soon to become the biggest selling album on NOVA.
Championed by JOHN PEEL, the duo's first album highlighted the extraordinary talent of guitarist Hutchinson. The 1970 follow up album Retribution saw the band augmented by Del Coverley and included the classic Free To Be Stoned, earning the group numerous live spots alongside cohorts the EDGAR BROUGHTON BAND and HAWKWIND. Gestalt, the band's final album appeared in 1971 on the Deram label.
This anthology has been re-mastered from the original master tapes and comprises all the recordings released by Decca Records between 1969 &1971. It is essential part of the story of British underground rock at the turn of the 1970's.
2 CD set for $23

EELA CRAIG - One Niter (Esoteric/Reactive 1007; UK) Formed in 1971 by keyboard Wizard Hubert Bognermayer, by 1976 this Austrian band had fully adopted a progressive rock persona, utilising the Mellotron to great effect and developing their own symphonic rock style.
One Niter was the band's first album for the European division of Vertigo Records and was issued in 1976 to great acclaim. Featuring the Epic Circles, this Esoteric reissue has been re-mastered from the original master tapes and is certain to appeal to all lovers of progressive rock.
CD $21

ASHLEY HUTCHINGS & ERNESTO PASCALE - My Land Is Your Land (Esoteric 2078; UK) Born in 1958, Ernesto de Pascale is an award-winning musician, disc-jockey and writer in his homeland. This is his first collaborative album with Ashley Hutchings, legendary member of Fairport Convention, Albion Band, Rainbow Chaser and a respected icon of British folk. My Land Is Your Land is the product of recording sessions in Tuscany with many respected Italian musicians and noted folk musician Ken Nicol. Inspired by Hutchings' love of all things Tuscan and driven by Ernesto De Pascale's enthusiasm, the resulting album is a wonderful fusion which at its best reflects Hutchings' superb musical pedigree and is certain to appeal to aficionados of Fairport Convention, the Albion Band and Hutchings' solo work.
CD $18

JADE WARRIOR [JON FIELD/TONY DUHIG] - Floating World (Esoteric 2210; USA) Digitally remastered reissue of the 1974 debut album for Island Records featuring extensive liner notes, slipcase packaging and restored artwork. The duo of guitarist Tony Duhig and virtuoso flautist and woodwind player Jon Field were signed to Island records in 1974, following the recent break up of the four piece Jade Warrior (who recorded three albums for Vertigo Records between 1970-73). Island founder Chris Blackwell signed the duo upon the recommendation of Steve Winwood, declaring Jade Warrior to be "an ornament to my label". Blackwell gave Duhig and Field access to unlimited studio time to create four albums that were later hailed as instrumental masterpieces, all of which fused ethnic African and Far Eastern influences with superbly innovative rock guitar. 10 tracks including 'Fruit And Flowers' and 'Monkey Chant'.
CD $18

JADE WARRIOR [JON FIELD/TONY DUHIG] With STEVIE WINWOOD - Waves (Esoteric 2211; USA) Digitally remastered reissue of the 1976 album, the first time this album has been released in it's unedited form, featuring extensive liner notes, slipcase packaging and restored artwork. The duo of guitarist Tony Duhig and virtuoso flautist and woodwind player Jon Field were signed to Island records in 1974, following the recent break up of the four piece Jade Warrior (who recorded three albums for Vertigo Records between 1970-73). Island founder Chris Blackwell signed the duo upon the recommendation of Steve Winwood, declaring Jade Warrior to be "an ornament to my label". Blackwell gave Duhig and Field access to unlimited studio time to create four albums that were later hailed as instrumental masterpieces, all of which fused ethnic African and Far Eastern influences with superbly innovative rock guitar. Two tracks. Features Steve Winwood on piano and synthesizer throughout.
CD $18

BLONDE ON BLONDE - Contrasts (Esoteric 2218; UK) Esoteric Recordings is pleased to release this new remastered edition of the classic Psych / Progressive album Contrasts by Blonde On Blonde. Formed in 1967, the group signed to Pye Records the following year, following a series of legendary appearances at the Middle Earth club and a support slot for Jefferson Airplane on their first UK tour. The single All Day, All Night released in November 1968 was to become a sought after classic of the genre. The band's 1969 debut album was an equally fine work with many classic tracks such as Ride With Captain Max.
With original vinyl copies now reaching astronomical sums among collectors, this reissue is most welcome. This edition fully restores the original album artwork and adds both sides of the bands first single as bonus tracks
CD $18

ASGARD - In The Realm Of Asgard (Esoteric 2209; UK) Signed to the MOODY BLUES' Threshold label in 1971, the band comprised James Smith (vocals), Rod Harrison (vocals, guitar), Dave Cook (bass), Peter Orgil (violin) and Ian Snow (drums). Rod Harrison had previously been a member of BULLDOG BREED before forming this more progressive outfit. Long in demand as a CD release by collectors of the Threshold imprint, this official ESOTERIC CD edition has been remastered from the original master tapes and fully restores the artwork of this rare album.
CD $18

HARVEY BAINBRIDGE - Dreams, Omens & Strange Encounters (Esoteric/Atomhenge 1020; UK) ATOMHENGE, the home of HAWKWIND's catalogue, is verypleased to announce the release of a new studio album by the long time HAWKWIND synthesiser visionary and bass guitarist HARVEY BAINBRIDGE. Harvey's compositions and musical ideas were integral to the sound of HAWKWIND on albums from "Hawklords 25 Years On" in 1978 to "Palace Springs" in 1991.
A regular live performer, Harvey now returns with a new album which features his unique music and synthesiser soundscapes that will be familiar to all followers of Hawkwind. Covering ambient and rock styles, "Dreams, Omens and Strange Encounters" is a marvellous new album that is sure to appeal to all Atomhenge label devotees.
CD $21

BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST [JOHN LEES et al] - A Concert For The People (Berlin): 30th Anniversary Edition (Esoteric 2217; UK) On August 30th 1980, Barclay James Harvest performed the most legendary concert of their career on the steps of the Reichtag in West Berlin. This free concert took place in front of an audience of 250,000 people next to the Berlin Wall which divided the city at that time. The event was filmed and recorded, spawning the band smost successful album in the UK and a film and video release which was also screened on television. In Germany, the album was released with two extra tracks in a limited edition package.
This 30th Anniversary edition of A Concert for the People (Berlin) features the two bonus tracks of the original German release. The first 2000 copies will be released as a Limited Edition Digi Pack. This Esoteric Recordings reissue has been re-mastered from the original tapes and fully restores the original album artwork and coincideswith the DVD release of the concert film this month.
CD $18

ALAN BOWN - Listen (Esoteric 2193; UK) classic 1970 album Listen by celebrated Jazz and Rock trumpeter and arranger Alan Bown and his band. This album was Bown's first for Island Records and featured the unique vocal talent of ROBERT PALMER. Listen was Palmer's final album as vocalist for the band and was a fine set which demonstrated the musical excellence of Bown's group, including future SUPERTRAMP saxophonist JOHN HELLIWELL.
CD $18

ALAN BOWN - Stretching Out (Esoteric 2194; UK) classic 1971 album Stretching Out by celebrated Jazz and Rock trumpeter and arranger Alan Bown and his band. This album was Bown's second and final offering for Island Records and featured new vocalist Gordon Neville who had replaced Robert Palmer (recently departed to DADA). Stretching Out was a fine set which demonstrated the musical excellence of Bown's group, including future SUPERTRAMP saxophonist JOHN HELLIWELL. This new edition has been re-mastered from the original master tapes and fully restores the original album artwork. It includes the rare bonus track Thru the Night, Robert Palmer's final recording for the band, which featured on the 1971 Island Records sampler El Pea.
CD $18

ALAN BOWN - The Alan Bown! (Esoteric 2190; UK) Released 29/03/10. Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of the debut classic 1969 album The Alan Bown! by celebrated Jazz and Rock trumpeter and arranger Alan Bown and his band. This album was recorded during his group's transition from one of Britain's finest Soul outfits to a leading Jazz Rock band with Progressive influences. The band would later be noted for two of the finest vocalists of their generation, namely Jess Roden and Robert Palmer, passing through their ranks, along with Saxophonist John Helliwell who would later be a key member of Supertramp.
CD $21

CAFE JACQUES - International (Esoteric 2214; UK) Formed in 1973 by guitarist Chris Thomson and keyboard player Peter Veitch, they signed to CBS Records in 1976. With drummer Mike Ogletree they recorded their debut album the following year with producer RUPERT HINE, who also produced this, their second album. International also featured guest appearances by Caravan alumni Geoffrey Richardson and John G. Perry.
Fusing influences as diverse as Caravan, Steely Dan, and Genesis, the band s debut album was an impressive work. Never issued on CD in the UK before now
CD $18

CAFE JACQUES - Round The Back (Esoteric 2213; UK) Formed in 1973 by guitarist Chris Thomson and keyboard player Peter Veitch, they signed to CBS Records in 1976. With drummer Mike Ogletree they recorded this debut album the following year with producer Rupert Hine. The sessions featured guest appearances by Phil Collins and Caravan alumni Geoffrey Richardson and John G. Perry. Fusing influences as diverse as Caravan, Steely Dan and Genesis, the band s debut album was an impressive work. Never issued on CD in the UK before now.
CD $18

FIELDS - Fields (Esoteric 2207; UK) This US power trio's sole album was released on both sides of the Atlantic in 1969, but sank without a trace. Equally influenced by blues, soul and acid rock, it's an enjoyable mixture of snappy hard rock songs and the lengthy "Love Is The Word" suite, which occupied a whole side of the original LP. Featuring backing vocals from Northern Soul legend Brenda Holloway and production by former Merry-Go-Round guitarist Bill Rinehart, it's a must for fans of bluesy psychedelic rock
CD $18

GERD FUHRS/HEINZ FROHLING - Ammerland (Esoteric/Reactive 1003; UK) ESOTERIC RECORDINGS continue the launch of their REACTIVE imprint in April 2010 with the first ever UK CD release of the stunning instrumental album Ammerland by FUHRS and FROHLING. Keyboard player GERD FUHRS and guitarist HEINZ FROHLING were two thirds of the trio SHICKE, FUHRS & FROHLING (SFF), whose first two albums are also released by REACTIVE this month. With the demise of SFF, Gerd Fuhrs expanded the musical focus of the duo to great effect utilising Synthesisers, Mellotron and Grand Piano to great effect, complimenting Heinz Frohling's versatile guitar playing perfectly.
Dominated by the gorgeous Every Land Tells a Story, Ammerland is the equal of the finest ambient progressive music and its release as a re-mastered CD is long overdue.
The REACTIVE reissue includes liner notes by Heinz Frohling. CD $21

CLAIRE HAMILL - The Minor Fall, The Major Lift - The Best Of Claire Hamill (Esoteric 2024; UK) The possessor of one of the finest voices in popular music, Claire Hamill signed to Island records at the age of 16, recording two albums which featured contributions from John Martyn, Free & Terry Reid.
She then signed to Kink's founder Ray Davies' Konk label recording two more classic albums. In the late 70's she collaborated with Wishbone Ash, Steve Howe & Jon & Vangelis before recording a series of albums for Beggar's Banquet collaborating with Gary Numan on one track.
In 1987 the "Voices" album was the soundtrack to a successful BBC TV series and reached the top of the new age chart. This was followed by the release of "Love in the Afternoon". In the 1990's Claire returned to recording with albums "Lost & the Lovers" and "Summer" and Songstress Eva Cassidy covered Claire's "You Take My Breath Away" gaining her a new audience. Cited by Kate Bush as an influence, this compilation precedes the reissuing of Claire's work by Esoteric Recordings.
CD $18

HAWKWIND - Church Of Hawkwind (Esoteric/Atomhenge 1021; UK) Deluxe official expanded remastered edition of this classic album all tracks newly remastered from the original master tapes. Includes 5 previously unreleased bonus tracks & a lavish booklet with fully restored artwork, lyrics, photos, memorabilia & essay.
The album, originally released in 1982 by RCA Active, began life during sessions for "Sonic Attack" in 1981 and continued into the first months of the following year. The resulting album was a very different HAWKWIND release which utilised synthesisers and electronic music to great effect. Fused with Hawkwind's unique space rock style, the album gave the band another Top Thirty UK hit album and laid the ground for the "Choose Your Masques" album later in the year.
CD $21

HAWKWIND - The Xenon Codex (Esoteric/Atomhenge 1022; UK) The album, originally released in 1988 by GWR Records, was the last Hawkwind studio album to date to feature Huw Lloyd Langton on Lead Guitar and Danny Thompson on Drums. Featuring fine material such as The War I Survived , Heads and Sword of the East , this re-mastered Atomhenge reissue includes five live recordings from 1988 and fully restores the limited edition fold out artwork featured on initial pressings of the original album.
CD $21

HOME - The Alchemist (Esoteric 2191; UK) Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of the classic 1973 Progressive rock album The Alchemist by Home. The band featured a line up of Mick Stubbs (guitar, piano, lead vocals), Laurie Wisefield (lead guitar, vocals), Cliff Williams (bass, vocals) and Mick Cook (drums) and had recorded two previous albums in a more conventional style before recording an album cited by many as a lost classic of the Progressive genre.
Although critically acclaimed, the album failed to sell in quantities it deserved and Home disbanded the following year. With the addition of guest Jimmy Anderson on Mellotron and Synthesiser, the conceptual work also brought the guitar playing of Laurie Wisefield to the fore, eventually leading to his joining WISHBONE ASH soon after the demise of Home
CD $21

JUICY LUCY - Juicy Lucy (Esoteric 2215; UK) Esoteric Recordings are pleased to release a newly remastered edition of the classic 1969 debut album by Juicy Lucy. Formed out of the ashes of the legendary group The Misunderstood, the band featured Ray Owen (vocals), Glen Campbell (steel guitar), CHRIS MERCER (saxophone), Neil Hubbard (guitar), Keith Ellis (bass) and Pete Dobson (drums).
One of the first signings to Vertigo Records, Juicy Lucy's debut album was a fine work and spawned their classic interpretation of Bo Diddley's Who Do You Love?, a top ten UK hit.
CD $18

JUICY LUCY - Lie Back And Enjoy It (Esoteric 2216; UK) Formed out of the ashes of the legendary group The Misunderstood, by the time the band recorded this, their second album, the group featured Paul Williams (vocals, piano), Glen Campbell (steel guitar), Chris Mercer (saxophone), Mickey Moody (guitar), Keith Ellis (bass) and Rod Coombes (drums).
One of the first signings to Vertigo Records, Juicy Lucy's second album was a fine work and spawned their classic interpretation of Frank Zappa's Willie the Pimp. This Esoteric Recordings reissue has been remastered from the original tapes and fully restores the original album artwork and features the bonus track I'm a Thief.
CD $18

THE PARLOUR BAND - Is A Friend? (Esoteric 2191; UK) Is a Friend? by THE PARLOUR BAND. Issued by Decca's Deram imprint in 1972, this highly sought after release has never been issued on CD in the UK until now. Featuring Craig Anders (guitar, vocals), Mark Anders (bass, vocals), Peter Filleul (keyboards, guitar, vocals), Pix (lead vocals) and Jerry Robins (drums), The Parlour band was a melodic Progressive outfit who excelled vocally and toured extensively as support act to bands such as Caravan and Khan, but failed to make a commercial impression, despite the excellence of their work, leaving behind their sole album for Deram as their recorded legacy.
CD $21

EDUARD SCHIKE/GERD FUHRS/HEINZ FROHLING - Sunburst (Esoteric/Reactive 1002; UK) ESOTERIC RECORDINGS are pleased to launch their new REACTIVE imprint, dedicated to reissues of classic German rock, in April 2010 with the first ever UK CD release of the stunning Sunburst by SCHIKE, FUHRS & FROHLING. Drummer EDUARD SCHICKE, Keyboard player GERD FUHRS and guitarist and bassist HEINZ FROHLING were a uniquely gifted trio who blended ambient synthesiser music and space rock with jazz rock to create a style all of their own.
Sunburst was their second album, originally released on the BRAIN label in 1977. A classic of the genre, this REACTIVE CD reissue has been newly re-mastered and includes liner notes by Heinz Frohling.
CD $21

EDUARD SCHIKE/GERD FUHRS/HEINZ FROHLING - Symphonic Pictures (Esoteric/Reactive 1001; UK) ESOTERIC RECORDINGS are pleased to launch their new REACTIVE imprint, dedicated to reissues of classic German rock, in April 2010 with the first ever UK CD release of the stunning Symphonic Pictures by SCHIKE, FUHRS & FROHLING. Drummer EDUARD SCHICKE, Keyboard player GERD FUHRS and guitarist and bassist HEINZ FROHLING were a uniquely gifted trio who blended ambient synthesiser music and space rock with jazz rock to create a style all of their own. Symphonic Pictures was their debut album, originally released on the BRAIN label in 1976. A classic of the genre, this expanded CD reissue has been newly re-mastered and also includes a bonus CD of a rare live performance by the band recorded in 1975.
CD $21

EDUARD SCHIKE/GERD FUHRS/HEINZ FROHLING - Ticket to Everywhere (Esoteric/Reactive 1004; UK) Esoteric Recordings continue with releases on their new Reactive imprint, (dedicated to reissues of classic German rock), with the first ever UK CD release of Ticket to Everywhere , the final album by SCHICKE, FUHRS& FROHLING. Drummer Eduard Schicke, Keyboard player Gerd Fuhrs and guitarist and bassist Heinz Frohling were a uniquely gifted trio who blended ambient synthesiser music and space rock with jazz rock to create a style all of their own. Ticket to Everywhere was originally released on the Brain label in 1979. A classic of the genre, this expanded CD reissue has been newly re-mastered and also includes three bonus tracks of rare live performances by the band recorded in 1978.
CD $21

STEVE SWINDELLS - Fresh Blood (Esoteric/Atomhenge 1015; UK) Atomhenge, the home of Hawkwind's catalogue from 1976 1997 continue their series of reissues with the solo album by Hawklords keyboard player Steve Swindells. Recorded in 1980 for Atco Records, the album featured Steve's version of Shot Down In The Night (a hit for Hawkwind) and musical contributions from Hawkwind members Simon King and Huw Lloyd-Langton with former Van Der Graaf Generator bassist Nic Potter also contributing. The album was a powerful work which promised much in commercial terms but failed to chart in the UK (despite radio play). Long sought after by Hawkwind fans, the album is now finally available on CD for the first time on Atomhenge.
CD $21

TRIFLE - First Meeting (Esoteric 2212; UK) Esoteric Recordings announce the first ever official UK re-mastered CD release of First Meeting by Trifle. Formed in late 1969 the band comprised George Bean (vocals, guitar), Patrick Speedy King (bass), Barry Martin (saxophones), John Pritchard (trumpet) and Rod Coombes (drums). Trifle signed to Pye's Dawn imprint in 1970 and their only album was recorded for later that year, by which time the band were joined by trumpet player Dick Cuthell for the recording sessions. In the vein of similar acts such as Manfred Mann Chapter Three and Colosseum, Trifle sought to fuse jazz and rock, also touching on folk styles (as evidenced by the fact that Trifle covered The Dubliners Dirty Old Town as the B-side to their Old fashioned Prayer Meeting single).
CD $18



Also available - the Esoteric back catalog - most single CD items NOW AT LOWER PRICES, originally $21, now $18!


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


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.