N E W S L E T T E R3 0The excitement is building for the gigs we are presenting coming up soon—MUNOZ, ELLIOTT SHARP TRIO, HENRY KAISER & JOHN OSWALD, RICHARD (HELDON) PINHAS w/ NICK DIDKOVSKY & LARVAL. The exact dates & times listed below & on our website—wwwDTMGallery.com. I’ve been asked to help with some other gigs as well. Chris Cutler, drummer extraordinaire for Henry Cow, Art Bears, News from Babel will be in NY in mid March doing a duo gig at the Knit with Zeena Parkins. He has asked me to get him a solo gig of percussion & electronics, his first ever in the US, so I will try, perhaps at Tonic. I also just booked koto wonder Michiyo Yagi (on Tzadik) with Carbon bass giant-Marc Sloan here at DMG on Tues March 16th at 7pm. Tomorrow is the world premiere of the solo bass sax of J.D. Parran also here at DMG. And the Victoriaville & Vision fest schedules are now out!! So, the excitement continues… DMG is currently promoting about a half dozen upcoming gigs, the excitement continues to build with: (1) Fri March 5th at 8pm at the Knit main space-the first NY appearance of guitar god----
(3) Sun March 14th at 8pm at the Knit main space—the very first NY gig by French progressive legend—
1.FRED FRITH GUITAR QUARTET-Up Beat (Amb. Mag. 063) Amazing live performances from their 1997 Euro tour! With Rene Lussier, Nick Didkovsky & Mark Stewart. Their third superb release. $14. (available in about a week) 2.ZEENA PARKINS-The Opium War (Einstein 010) Zeena calls this a radio play. It tells a story which is both fascinating and disturbing, as it feels so real to behold. It features the help of Ikue Mori, Tenko, David Shea, DJ Olive, Chris Cochrane, Margaret Parkins, Joe Trump and a host of voices in English, Spanish and Chinese. The story involves a Cuban-American family who own and run a butcher shop on the lower east side in 1913. Amalia is the owner whose husband is killed in the war for independence against Spain. Her two sons-Manuel & Louie secretly begin smoking opium, fantasizing a history of heroes and honor, eventually selling the drug to rich whites uptown, and creating a flourishing drug trade. Dreams turn to nightmares as they lose touch with reality, one goes mad, is hospitalized, comes back cured, only to murdered by his brother in an opium haze. Zeena creates a rich tapestry of swirling sounds and voices-angry, arguing, scheming, dreaming out loud, complex love/hate relationships amongst the family. Move the hands of time to the other end of this century and this could be about my old boss Manny and those currently involved in the local drug trade. Some things do not change, there is a lesson to be learned. Zeena and all musicians involved are quite successful in creating environments for the story to flow. Over 70 minutes long, but well worth the provocative journey. A movie for our mind’s eye. $14. 3.ANDREA PARKINS-Slippage (KFW 229) This is the second release for Andrea’s swell trio, it seems the trio format seems to work best for her. She is also a member of Ellery Eskelin’s great trio with Jim Black, who have three fine cds under their belt and a recent gig at the Internet Café showed them to be getting better all the time. The same goes for her trio with the ubiquitous Briggan Krause (Pigpen, Sex Mob & his trio w/ Wayne Horvitz) on alto & bari saxes & clarinet and the even more ubiquitous Kenny Wollesen (too many to name but recent qt. w/ Zorn, Ribot & Medeski was amazing!) on drums. This release features both solo pieces for Andrea’s accordion, sampler & piano, as well as diverse trio cuts. Andrea’s solo pieces range from dark & mystical Sun Ra like sampler magic to the minimal suspense filled modern classical like acoustic piano episodes. The trio pieces are usually longer and even more involved. The title cut begins and ends with Monk like twists & turns, but erupts into Euro style freejazz in the middle. On "Local Cosmography" the slurring alto & somber accordion hover together in a melancholy haze which turns into twisted circus like music. This is an incredibly well balanced trio which always seems to anticipate each other’s moves, Andrea’s writing helping them to navigate through dark and quirky waters. Andrea lives in the vicinity of our shop & often floats by & gives us a smile, uplifting our spirits. This cd will do the same for you. $13. 4.ERIK FRIEDLANDER-Topaz (Siam 50003) After two fine releases of Erik’s classical quartet for both of Zorn’s labels, Erik has put together another excellent quartet called Topaz, more jazz-like in their instrumentation and sound. Topaz features the bittersweet alto sax of Andy Laster, the ever resourceful and warm toned wonder of Stomu Takeishi’s 5 string electric bass (linchpin member of Henry Threadgill’s Make a Move), Stomu’s brother Satoshi on infinite ethnic percussion and Erik’s consistently delightful cello playing. While Erik has composed seven of the ten wonderful pieces here, the covers include Miles’ "Tout De Suite", as well as two fine Eric Dolphy numbers-"Something Sweet, Something Tender" and the delicious and difficult "Hat & Beard" from Dolphy’s last studio treasure-‘Out to Lunch’. In recent years, it has been Erik’s breathtaking & daredevil cello playing in the Masada String Trio, that makes this trio so special, whereas in both his Chimera & Topaz quartets, it is his composing that really shines through. The cello and alto sax are constantly weaving lines of beauty, grace and occasionally churning rapids, while the Takeishi bros. anchor and uplift the flow from the bottom on up. An excellent endeavor on all counts! $14. 5.JIM STALEY with BORAH BERGMAN & PHOEBE LEGERE-Blind Pursuits (KFW 011) Jim Staley is the founder for Roulette-NY’s long running loft space for experimental music, which recently celebrated its 20 year anniversary and also runs the Einstein label. He is also an exceptional trombonist, one of the best improvisers on that instrument. Here Jim performs a series of duets with two very different improvisers. Borah Bergman is also an immensely demanding piano giant, who has been recording since the 70’s. After a few powerful & dense solo piano releases, he has in the past decade been doing duo & trio performances with a number of equally demanding partners-Thomas Chapin, Roscoe Mitchell & Peter Brotzmann. He is currently a member of Prima Materia-the Coltrane/Ayler tribute project. On this cd, both Jim & Borah match wits nicely, without exploding too often. Borah seems to be in a more reflective mood, Jim also taking his time with warm passages before quiet storms take place. Pheobe is someone I am not that familiar with, but I do recall a few wacky trios with Jim at Roulette in recent years. I believe she plays accordion, but here her duets with Jim are of her vocals. She rarely screams or goes too far like some avant vocalists, her voice has also has a warm sound which fits well with Jim’s trombone. Mostly Pheobe sings wordless, somewhat operatic vocals throughout, except for "Stafford’s Luck" in which she describes a rather orgiastic sex scene with another female composer. Fiction maybe? $13. 6.URI CAINE TRIO-Blue Wail (W&W 034) After two best selling tribute (Mahler and Wagner) releases for the lusciously packaged Winter & Winter label, here comes Uri’s first piano trio date and what a grand thing it is! This time around Uri has composed all but the opening track-a hard hitting solo piano rendition of Fats Waller’s "Honeysuckle Rose." He has chosen the solid rhythm team of James Genus on bass, often Dave Douglas’ bassist of choice and the boisterous, hard swinging drums of Ralph Peterson who played with Uri for Don Byron. And boy, do these cats burn, swirl & swing their asses off! Don Byron has utilized Uri’s many pianistic talents in his jazz, klez, Latin & funk units, but on this cd, Uri gets to show off his diverse jazz chops and his trio can both fly and lay back beautifully. There is a constant tension and release, as all three members of this perfect trio flow together as one force of nature. The excitement level remains high throughout, most impressive and often remarkable. Uri tells me he is presently working on an Al Jolson and Scott Joplin tribute, will wonders never cease? $14. 7.CECIL TAYLOR QUARTET-Qu’a Yuba/Live at the Iridium Vol.2 (Cadence 1098) Closing in on 70, Cecil Taylor is still thee master of free/jazz piano! He has been at it for forty years, he helped invent the idiom and he remains on the top of the mountain. His current quartet and occasional trio has been together about five years, constantly searching, refining their thing, getting stronger with each outing. This quartet includes Harri Sjostrom on soprano sax, plus two prominent members of the downtown scene-Dominic Duval on bass (CIMP bassist of reknown) and Jackson Krall on drums. Unfortunately, they have recorded only on rare occasion. This is the second release from a live gig at the Iridium uptown across the street from Lincoln Center and it is again quite wonderful, powerful and often devastating. Jon Rosenberg has done a fine job of recording this set, all players of equal balance, hence the exploratory magic an incredible quartet. Everyone seems to be listening closely, the ebb and flow of a cosmic force slowly erupting into a dynamic storm and then dissipating back into the tense/calm. Another jewel for your Cecil Taylor collection, no doubt! Certainly, a masterwork. Bravo! $14. 8.JOHN LURIE-African Swim/Manny & Lo-OST (SBM 17) Another great soundtrack from Loung Lizard leader &many current Lizards, with Marc Ribot and Medeski, Martin & Wood. $14. (pushed back about a month) 9.DORGON & WILLIAM PARKER-Broken/Circle (Jumbo 3) Dorgon is Gordon Knauer - saxist from Dim Sum Clip Job-( cd on Avant), who are now in limbo. William Parker is an avant-jazz bassist supreme. This is Gordon’s third release for his own Jumbo label and he plays the ultra rare c-melody sax, last seen in the hands of Carla Bley some twenty years back. Opening with some multiphonic sax screech, enough to make your dog run & hide, Gordon quotes a few standards along the way, but it his out playing that continues to make advances. Parker’s bass buzzes, hums, bows & wails all over the place. He is featured on many of the pieces. Once more Gordon’s liner notes are hilarious. This should do well in Europe. $12. 10. DAGMAR KRAUSE & MARIE GOYETTE-A Scientific Dream and a French Kiss (Resurgence 139) Utterly enchanting, luscious, fascinating & a pure delight. Dagmar was the lead vocalist for Slapp Happy (their recent reunion cd is superb pop), Henry Cow (the greatest progressive group of all), the Art Bears and News from Babel. She also recorded two fine releases of the words & music of Weill, Brecht & Eisler. Although she is German, all of these bands/projects have been based in England. Both Dagmar & sampler wiz - Marie Goyette have appeared on cds by Chris Cutler. Dagmar’s voice has continually knocked me out, whether singing pleasant, but quirky pop with Slapp Happy or spewing (even screaming) the political lyrics of Henry Cow or the Art Bears. Finally get a chance to hear her & Marie at Victo doing this material a couple of years back was a revelation, all of my friends were touched deeply! This cd captures that magic exquisitely, with just vocals & sampler only. Marie also joins in on spoken word vocals on three tracks, as well. While Dagmar has written most of the lyrics here (a first), she also chooses the words of Frederico Lorca Garcia, Laurens Van der Post, Robert Southey & even some newspaper clippings. Marie samples a wide variety of sources-often classical works from Prokofiev, Mahler, Rachmaninoff, Bartok, Ravel and Bernard Herrmann. I can hear a few other samples like the Doors and other pop references. Each piece is a wondrous vignette to ponder, odd dreams to pluck at our heartstrings, the autobiographical stories especially endearing. Quite magical on many levels, a vast treasure. Will they ever come here? $14. 11.BILL LASWELL-Hashisheen-The End of Law (Sub Rosa 154) A marvelous spoken word oddyssey inspired by a sect called ‘The Assassins’ & the smoking of hashish. The spoken word artists involved include William S. Burroughs, Sussan Deyhim, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith & Lizzy Descloux, Hakim Bey, Jah Wobble, Genesis P. Orridge, Nicol Blackman, Percy Howard, Ann Clark and Hassan. Bill Laswell compiled this collection, and provided much of the music, but the other music is by Nicky Skopelitis, Jah Wobble, Anton Fier, Paul Schutze, Techo Animal, Helios Creed and Eyeless in Gaza. Some people have problems with spoken word releases, but here I find both the words and the music create fascinating moods and stories to ponder and get lost within. It all seems to fit just right together, completely enchanting. The booklet also was done with immense care. $15. 12.DAVID SHEA-An Eastern Western Collected Works (Sub Rosa 134) With Dave Douglas & Jim Pugliese and dedicated to Scelsi, Takemitsu, Schnittke, Herrman, Morton Feldman, Mario Bava & more. Most of this was done in 1997, often combining varied sampler use with acoustic traditions both east and west. Shea’s work continues to get more focused, more serious and more fascinating wit each release. Here he often expands on ideas he began with his previous Sub Rosa release-‘Satyricon.’ On "Dangerous Ground" Shea combines loops of Herrman, Scelsi & Schubert with layers of pianos, blasts of horns and pounding tympanies. "A Spiral" shows quite the opposite and deals with delicate acoustic percussion material. "Lines" foreshadows Shea’s chamber work for the Ictus Ensemble of Brussels which was captured on his Tzadik of last year and is filled with quiet and mysterious piano & vibes. No matter what the source or sample is, Shea does a fine job of manipulating it in captivating ways. The trio of jaw harps on "il siciano" slowly buzz and bend into a liquid hive, the Tibetan vocals on "Harmonies" drone and expand into a nice peaceful stew. Dave Douglas appears on three pieces here, solo/duos for trumpet(s), where Dave’s warm, lush tone is surrounded by shifting clouds of his own and other well selected samples. The final piece "Elegy for Mario Bava" is a long and evolving tribute to the films of Bava, which builds from a single repeating note into a bewitching haze of mesmerizing synth waves. A total groove. $15. 13. JULIUS HEMPHILL-Blue Boye (Screwgun 70008) Some music snarls. Some music simmers. Julius Hemphill's music was often eloquent enough to do both at once. Manipulating elemental blues motifs into intricate webs of sound, the saxophonist-composer caught the attention of almost everyone devoted to jazz during the last quarter of the century. Through his successes with the mighty World Saxophone Quartet and his own sextet Hemphill transcended fringe status before dying in 1995. And both the sum of his work and the power of his legacy make it clear: he was a determined progressive, one of the most fertile writers jazz has produced. This long-out-of-print solo recording Blue Boye was originally released in 1977. It's one of the most enchanting discs in Hemphill's considerable canon. 2-cd set for $24 14.MELT BANANA-MxBx 1998/13000 Miles at Light Velocity (Tzadik 7219) Recorded live in the studio by Bob Musso. 29 tunes in 39 minutes of full raging hardcore punk assault, totally intense and in your face. Short blasts of nutty cartoon vocals and tight, fast brain numbing insanity. It has been a while (at least a decade) since I shaved my head and went slamming punks half my age, but it sure feels good to hear this ridiculously crazy & fun stuff. A non-stop explosion from beginning to the end. Hilarious song titles like "Picnic in Panic," "Bad Gut Missed Fist" & "Iguana in Trouble." Toons to piss off your neighbors and a cover of "Surfin’ USA." What more could you want!?! A mohawked lover? $14. 15.MARYANNE AMACHER- Sound Characters (Tzadik 7043) Marianne Amacher is one of electronic music's truly legendary mavericks. Working mostly in large space and installations for the past twenty years, this diverse collection of electronic soundscapes and "ear-dances' was chosen by the composer especially for Tzadik to work in the more intimate settings of compact disc. Spectacular acoustical effects take you to expansive worlds of dancing difference tones and psychedelic sonorities. A rare release by one of the most reclusive and elusive of today's musical visionaries. $14. (taken from Tzadik solicitation sheet) 16.PSAMIM-Abi Gezint! (Tzadik 7132) Psamim are a heartwarming klezmer ensemble from Belgium who formed in 1992 to back vocalist Zahava Seewald. Their instrumentation consists of a string quartet with accordion and guest percussionist. Zahava does lovely guest vocals on three songs, making this is a mostly instrumental offering. This music is hauntingly beautiful, with a seductive melancholy eastern European lilt with no klez clarinet or much jazz influence to be found. Most of the pieces are traditional Ashkenaz and Sephardic tunes, often arranged by their accordionist - Martin Weinberg. I believe I can hear some of these spirited melodies within certain Masada tunes, it could be that they are coming from a similar tradition, ancient and pure. This is a breathtakingly beautiful release that could be shared with out parents or sweethearts. $14. 17.SATOKO FUJII-Kitsune-bi (Tzadik 7220) With Mark Dresser, Jim Black & Sachi Hayasacha. Satoko is a wonderful new pianist, who came to town last summer to play for the Knit jazz fest, introduced herself to Zorn & myself, and now has her Tzadik debut at hand. She gave me a copy of a cd she has out with fellow pianist Paul Bley, which is also great. She is presented here in different contexts and in each she succeeds most impressively. She plays solo, duos with Sachi on soprano sax and an excellent trio with Mark Dresser on bass and Jim Black on drums. Her solo playing is a superb mix of Japanese folk melodies and the darker currents of suspenseful modern classical styles. Her duos with Sachi on soprano are quite lovely, sad, retrospective and subtly provoking. But it is her trio with Mark and Jim where the real exploration takes place. Although I can’t recall when these two players have ever played together, they both have played with Tim Berne in different projects, they work incredibly well together. Mark’s warm, thick, solid tone and arco bass extensions continually push the elastic pulse to new areas, as does Jim’s increasingly self assured array of small percussion sounds and bowed cymbals. Satoko always meets the challenge in many areas, both in the dense and probing sections, as well as in the more restrained and delicate parts. A most impressive debut by this relatively unrecognized talent. I hopes she returns this year. $14. 18.DION McGREGOR-Dreams Again (Tzadik 7404) In 1964 ten of McGregor’s sleeptalking dreams were actually released on lp, of course to be out of print rather quickly. Only Zorn would release a sequel to this bizarre lp & put it on Tzadik’s lunatic fringe series. "Dreams Again" collects twenty excerpts from Dion’s weird dreamtalks, recorded between 1960 & 1967, with lengthy and serious liner notes from McGregor scholar - Phil Milstein. Dion also was a mostly failed songwriter, who had co-written only one hit for Barbara Streisand in 1965. This cd is another thing entirely, his sleeptalking dreamworlds completely different than his wakeful state. His dreams often end in fits of screaming, laughter or sneezing. It often reminds me Lord Buckley or some other twisted comedian. He even speaks in invented languages and has a perverse sense of humor. It often seems hard to believe that these are actual dreamtalks, but they are. This is just too much, but can be yours for $14. 19.HENRY KAISER & EUGENE CHADBOURNE-The Guitar Lesson (Victo 064) First improv release from our pals Henry & Eugene in over 20 years. A rare treat & dedication to Derek Bailey. $14. (available in about a week) 20.EUGENE CHADBOURNE-Wild Partner (HoCP 006) Duos with Davey Williams, Duck Baker, Tony Trischka & Loren Mazzacane Connors. Extreme diversity is the key, as Eugene teams up with four other string wizards, three of whom go back over twenty years in their early collaborations with Dr. Chad. Each partner has his unique approach, Eugene always find a common area to bond. Davey Williams is quite an extremist, consider his duo LaDonna Williams in Trans Museq as well as his often frenetic solos in Curlew. Here, his two duos with the good doc really push the envelope - twisted, demented, guitar freak outs and even some cool el. bass backing Eugene’s banjoing. Duck Baker is a finger style nylon string acoustic jazz guitar hero, brings Eugene back down to earth on his quieter banjo side, well sort of. Nice jazzy noodling pushes Duck further out than his Monk tribute (on Avant) would have us believe. This piece is a lament for Sonny Sharrock. The two duos with bluegrass/jazz banjo great-Tony Trischka provide the only covers amongst the improvs, covering two Monk tunes-"Epistrophy" & "52nd St. Theme". These readings are banjo duets and of course, they are stretched & mutated in often funny ways that might have Monk giggling in his grave. The duo with blues/noise/fuzz/wah el. guitar mystery man-Loren Mazzacane Connors provides his own dark troubled waters, while Eugene lays back and plays some equally cosmic banjo drone. As always, good story like liner notes from the nutty doctor. This new label-House of Chadponk will be putting out a new Chadbourne cd each month until the end of time. Lucky us! $14. 21.EUGENE CHADBOURNE-Worms With Strings (Leo 264) Although Eugene uses the talents of Tony Trischka (banjo), Barry Mitterhof (mandolin), Ted Reichman (accordion), Brian Ritchie (acoustic bass guitar), Leslie Ross (bassoon), Carrie Shull (oboe), Rik Rue (tapes) and others, this is mostly a solo affair for usually acoustic guitar, banjo, dobro & mandolin in layers, but never too thick. It is a two-fold tribute to worms-fecal worms and low-life human worms. Much of it was recorded live - in Greensboro, at Roulette, at the Knit and in San Fran. It flows together in swirling mass of acoustic insanity, yet always has a thread which holds it all together due to the often seamless editing of Dr. Chad. Free jazz & old jazz mixes with bluegrass and even music concrete and other sounds float around the brew. Eugene’s funny liner notes take Senator Jesse Helms to task, as he yet another political worm worthy of exposing. Sometimes Eugene has a tendency to go overboard, but not here. There is a nice dream-like calm to much of this. Could this be a sign of maturity, settling down, old age?!? Knowing Eugene, I doubt it. His recent gigs in the store & at the Knit were filled with lots of wacky surprises. A nice change of pace. $14. 22.EUGENE CHADBOURNE-Horror part one (HoCP 004) This is Eugene’s tribute to the horror movies, with pieces inspired by Hitchcock, Godzilla, Witches & Devils, a slasher, The Thing, vampires & Lucio Fulci. He collaborates with some lesser known players like Joe Conroy on violin, bass, dulcimer, koto, mandolin & bazouki; Norman Minogue on theremin & drums, plus reed players - Steve Good, Dan Plonsey & Walter Malli. Pieces range from scary free form group freak-outs to up-tempo solo banjo bluegrass type of flailing. There are some quiet moments of restrained free acoustic ensemble playing, too. Eugene has always good job of imitating the sounds of scary monsters, so here he gets to indulge a bit & come up even more monstrous sounds, somber rumbling, volcanic eruptions and layers of unrecognizable sound source noise. A soundtrack for a monster movie in your disturbed mind, sort of. An appropriate cover of dolls coated with blood. $14. 23. EUGENE CHADBOURNE’S INSECT & WESTERN-The Intellectual and Emotional World Of The Cockroach (HoCP 008) Most of the same personnel as the Worms With Strings CD. Review in the next newsletter. 24.GUNTER HAMPEL QUINTET-"Heartplants" Quintet (Birth 045) A 35 year reunion featuring Alexander von Schlippenbach on piano and Manfred Schoof on trumpet & flugelhorn. Gunter Hampel is an important member and survivor of the European avant/jazz scene whose career goes back to the birth of modern jazz in Germany in 1958. Gunter, who turns 60 this year, has led ensembles constantly since the mid 60’s, plays flute, bass clarinet & vibes. In 1969, he moved to NYC and still comes to town once a year to lead an ensemble of NY’s finest avant jazz players like Anthony Braxton, Steve McCall, Jeanne Lee (his ex-wife), Bill Frisell, Mark Whitecage & Perry Robinson. A visionary like Sun Ra, Gunter records all of his concerts and has released some 35 lps for his own Birth label, most of which we carry at DMG. About ten of these have been reissued on cd in the past few years, as well. Gunter’s long & varied history is included in the liner notes for this release & it is amazing how much he has done, how far he has gone. "Heartplants" is once again a historic live recording reunion of Gunter’s great 60’s unit with FMP master pianist Alex von Schlippenbach, grand ECM trumpet & flugel hero Manfred Schoof, Arjen Gorter on bass and Pierre Courbois on drums. Opening with a rich & highly melodic flute solo by Gunter, before moving into quirky composed themes for vibes, flugel & piano and eventually sailing into breathtaking flights for all members of the quintet to shine. Gunter’s bass clarinet also wails and weaves dream-like excursions in and around the never-ending cross pollination of modern jazz/contemporary classical stream of Alexander’s piano prowess. You can tell that they players have been doing this for decades, since there is always an undertow, a magic flow that binds even the freest sections together. Most impressive! $14. 25.JEAN DEROME & DANGEREUX ZHOMS-Torticolis/Live at TLC (Amb. Mag. 061) Jean Derome is a wonderful saxist/flutist and composer from Montreal who I have long admired. From the first time I heard his grand quirky duo with guitarist Rene Lussier - Les Granueles at my first Victo fest over a decade ago, through his work with Fred Frith’s Keep the Dog, his excellent Monk tribute and many other projects often with Rene, I knew that both of these players were special. Now that both Jean & Rene have about ten releases a piece on their Ambiances Magnetiques label, my Victo buddies & me look forward to each new project with much anticipation. This is the third release by Jean’s band -DZ and is also part of a three cd set. This is an all-star Canadian ensemble that includes Rene on daxophone & el. guitar (he is also found in Frith’s Guitar Qt.), Tom Walsh on trombone, Guillaume Dostaler on keyboard (a new name to me), Pierre Cartier on el. bass & Pierre Tanguay (from many projects) on drums. Both Walsh & Cartier have had their own units play at Victo in the past. Both Jean Derome’s playing & composing are always on a high level. The music here is a fine blend of progressive/jazz/rock, both stimulating compositions & improvised sections. I hear bits of the best of Frith in there at times. So nice to hear the rarely utilized daxophone from Rene, with its twisted vocal-like presence. This music has a most uplifting, positive quality to it, never the darker side of prog. His sly sense of humor never hurts, either. Check out Quebec’s finest. $14. 26.THE "NOT FOR SALE" TRIO-My Heart is in the East, and I’m Far West-Live in Tel Aviv (BilBill) The NFS trio is fronted by Israeli alto saxist & new player in town-Danny Zamir. I met Danny at a recent Masada gig and am quite impressed with this fine first effort. His trio includes Zeev Dvir on bass & Shahar on drums. Danny composed the opening "Overature" and in between "Poems". The "Poems" are short connections to the three well selected covers of Ornette’s "School Work", Sam Rivers’ "Beatrice" and Joe Henderson’s "Isotope". Danny has a nice bittersweet tone, the trio a nice laid back feel. On "Overature" Danny unfurls dark and somber beauty while the arco bass drones and mallads rise & fall with grace, his tone occasionally reminds me of Thomas Chapin without the urgency. Ornette’s "School Work" has that "Dancing in You Head" riff that Zorn loves to quote and a buoyant infectious groove. Sam Rivers’ "Beatrice" is lovely ballad, which shows the quiet side of a melancholy piece. "Isotope" is quick boppin’ rush of slow fire burning, where things finally ignite. Danny’s new trio will be at DMG on Sunday, March 28th at 7pm for free, so come on down and check them out. They are worthy of your attention! $12. 27.PETER McCANN-Parable (Palmetto 2041) Peter is a newer hot shot guitarist in the jazz/fusion vein whom I’ve been knocked out by on a number of occasions in Bobby Previte’s The Horse big band tribute to el. Miles, Lifetime & early Weather Report. Originally from Wisconsin & schooled at North Texas State, Peter has been in NY for almost a decade and has played in a Tom Varner trio, subbed for Ben Monder in Maria Schneider’s demanding big band and in a quartet with Bruce Huron at the Knit Tap Bar for the past year. On this cd Peter has both Huron & Peter Epstein on saxes, Tim Lefebyre on bases and the great & ubiquitous Matt Wilson on drums. McCann has composed all twelve tunes on his fine first cd. He writes really sunny cool melodies throughout, often luscious and memorable, that push all members of his quintet to fly along. There’s even some pretty, nimble acoustic guitar to refresh the savage beast. The excitement factor finally erupts on "Hoedown" when the pace spins by at a quick rate. On "Victim Sweep-stakes" McCann whips out that powerful distortion tone and pulls off a heavy twisted solo, while Huron wails on some smokin’ tenor sax. More of this sort of grit & grime would’ve made them fusion lovers smile, guess we will have to wait for Previte’s Horse release. $14. 28.KOCH-SCHUTZ-STUDER & MUSICOS
CUBANOS-Fidel (Intakt 056) Fucking amazing!! My favorite Swiss trio
is back and once again they collaborate with 20 plus musicians from Cuba,
blurring the lines between avant-jazz-improv and traditional world musics
in their own daredevil way! Their 1995 trip to Egypt resulted in their
first brilliant & bizarre release of "Heavy Cairo Traffic." The trio
is comprised of Hans Koch on various clarinets, saxes & sampler; Martin
Schutz on el. 5 string & acoustic cello and Fredy Studer on drums &
infinite percussion. This cd begins with "Vertigo" which sounds like el.
Miles via ‘Big Fun’ complete with hypnotic voodoo groove, sensuous Cuban
percussion and swirling vocals & samples. The center of most of these
pieces is the constant buzz of the mass of Cuban percussion & chanted
vocals. The trio drop in & layer their own instruments & samples
to the cosmic brew, at times shifting the direction, going backwards and
into other dimensions. They have even found one Bobby Carcasses to do some
out there experimental vocals, as well as Juan Antomarchi’s incredible
avant tres playing! Schutz often provides a deep & dark groove on his
(fuzz?!) electric cello and Koch shines on his Braxton-esque duo of contrabass
clarinet & timbales. This is an intoxicating adventure from beginning
to end, are you ready for this demanding spirited affair?!? The Koch-Schutz-Studer
trio tour the US every couple of years, don’t miss them in they come your
way! $15.
DAVE DOUGLAS UPCOMING RELEASES:
2)Tiny Bell Trio-Songs for Wandering Souls (W&W) in May 3)Dave Douglas Magic Triangle Qt.- (Arabesque) in September 4)Live Sessions Compilation (Soul Note) one session w/ Larry Ochs Trio w/ Dave other session w/ Larry Ochs Trio w/ Leo Smith 5)Live at Birdland Compilation-2 cuts w/ Dave’s Magic Triangle Qt.-out soon supposedly LASWELL-LAND RELEASES COMPLETED DURING
1998
2)’The Abstract Depressionists’ compilation on APC 3)’Excavation’ drum n’ bass compilation w/ Mad Professor & Jah Woosh (thru Caroline) 4)Praxis-Live in Poland (Inner Rhythmic thru Caroline) 5.Buckethead-Cobra Strike (ION?) 6)Third Rail-2nd studio release thru Polygram 7)DJ Disk-one live Praxis track on lp version only (on Bomb) 8)Shakra’-(on Meta) 9.Bill Laswell- Invisible Design. solo effort (Tzadik) in mid March MIKESSPACE MIKESSPACE MIKESSPACE MIKESSPACE MIKESSPACE MIKESSPACE
First up to bat is Germany’s finest Black Metal export. Now I know I don’t keep my ear to the (under)ground like I used to, but how this little gem snuck up on me I’ll never know. In my humble opinion… this disc kicks ass. A perfect blend of Cradle of Filth’s considerable songwriting ability mixed with Immortal’s Pure Holocaust era fury. Production is first rate as is the execution. This will not sit around if you buy this- expect much and be rewarded. 4 Crowns The Gathering- How to Measure a Planet <Century Media> (RIYL: Within Temptation, 3rd and the Mortal) Holland’s biggest selling act have sold out a little bit. Actually, they’ve refined their sound (too much, if you ask me). Gone are the truly pounding guitars juxtaposed against angelic vocals. Gone are the soaring, epic ear paintings that used to thrill me when I listened (which was often). Instead we find The Gathering going the way of Metallica, Paradise Lost, Moonspell, Tiamat, My Dying Bride, etc. which is commercially successful while blowing the edges off with the diamond dust left over from the sale. 2 ½ Crowns Dusk- Atmospherea <Freakadelic> (RIYL: Trance/Ambient) I like this but there’s not much to say about it. Nothing stands out about it. It is, however, consistently good from start to finish. If you like this style of music and need a good addition to your collection I recommend this as a solid release, just not a brilliant one. Thank you Al for finding this for me… cheap. 3 Crowns Lungbrush- Old School New School <Pavement> (RIYL: Buzz*oven, Pantera, Soilent Green) Kinda crusty, kinda metal, kinda hardcore, kinda good. Better than average skate/crust/metal-core from this band. Again a very good release, but I can’t help but feel that I’ve heard this before. If you have the cash this won’t disappoint but if you’re saving up for something that something should be… (2 ½-3 Crowns) Skinlab- Disembody: The New Flesh <Century Media> (RIYL: Machine Head, Fear Factory, Sepultura) I like this disc. Now I’ve said it before- Machine Head clones, but dammit, that just ain’t the worst dis in the world. I’ve come to realize that I like the burgeoning style of music populated by the likes of Meshuggah, Machine Head, Fear Factory, Sepultura and Soulfly. That it’s nothing to apologize to my more "hardcore" friends for liking because it ultimately leads one towards the "heavier" stuff. That it’s OK to sell a lot of your record and make a decent living at music making. That I don’t have to answer to anyone for giving this pummeling, double barrel assault of a disc… 4 Crowns Grip Inc.- Solidify <Metal Blade> (RIYL: Metal) see the Dusk review above and apply. Points lost for lack of growth over the course of 3 albums. Soldify-ing their reputation as an average band. 2 ½ Crowns April March- Chrominance Decoder <Ideal/Mammoth> (RIYL: Pizzicato Five, Autour De Lucie) Lovely pop gem (damn that was so… Bruce!) from this ye ye stylist. Totally enjoyable lounge-like fluff from this progenitor of French pop and 60’s French film sdtks. Suddenly it’s Spring 1966 and you’re in Paris, tilt your beret, sip your wine, chew your fresh bread and bop. Keep the flame bright! 4 Crowns Vader- Live In Japan <Pavement> (RIYL: Slayer, Malevolent Creation) Death Metal pure and simple, played live (very well) recorded well and presented in a killer package. This live document captures Poland’s Vader in peak form doing what they do best- shredding! 18 tracks covering stuff from Ultimate Incantation to Black to the Blind. Damn, they bombed Japan again!!! 3 ½ Crowns Black Tape For A Blue Girl- As One Aflame Laid Bare By Desire <Projekt> (RIYL: depression, Lycia) Sam Rosenthal (label head and Black Tape mastermind)is still depressed. Either that or he fakes it well. If life is so painful why don’t Goths just kill themselves? Maybe I’m just getting too healthy and happy for my own good but damn… if I’ve progressed from this type of slit-wrist moaning why haven’t these guys? Anyway, about the music- pretty good stuff and consistent with BTFABG’s best along with the usual high quality output of the label. If this is where you’re at in life, here’s your soundtrack. Feel better. 3 ½ Crowns Krabathor- Orthodox <Pavement> (RIYL: old school Death Metal) Chaotic, pounding Death Metal from the Czech Republic. Fair-to middling songwriting, drum tempos are a bit too unvaried for my tastes and the production doesn’t achieve that cohesive, fused-mass-of-aggression that I need. The drums are too forward most of the time and the vocals rarely get away from the Cookie- Monster-on-crack register to be interesting. Decent still, I mean- it’ll get you through the night. 2 ½ Crowns That’s it from the Emperor. As Salaam Aleykum. |