Newsletter 33

Here it is. If you're gonna order from it please call or fax it in. DON'T Email because there will be no response until Thursday.  

The Victoriaville & Vision fests are finally over and your truly is still reeling from all the fine sounds I have heard in the past few weeks!! This was my 11th year of driving up ten hours to Victo in the lovely countryside of Quebec. Although it rained all the way up & some of the way back, the weather was perfect for all five days of this adventurous avant festival. Although attendance was fine overall, a number of my friends from all over decided not to attend due to the programming. Their loss since most of the sets were great. Nice to see a car load of WFMU djs attending due to my pal Donna B's instigation, as well as journalist Howard Mandel covering the fest for the Wire & Jazzis. The two blow away-feel good sets were Milford Graves-John Zorn (where Milford came into the audience & picked me up & carried me down the row-too much!) and the always delightful Iva Bittova-Vladimir Vaclavek! For me, the most amazing set of the fest was Keith Tippett's Mujician-totally cosmic Euro free/jazz improv. Also outstanding was Peter Brotzmann's Chicago All Star Tentet with two sets of throttling partially composed madness!! The other amazing avant-jazz sets were Ivo Perelman & CT String Quartet, the Paul Plimley Trio & John Oswald-Dominic Duval Qt. Many complained that their were too many electronic sounds at Victo, but there were two incredible electronic sets - Otomo's I.S.O. trio and Jim O'Rourke-Gunter Muller duo. Well done!!  

Unfortunately I missed the first half of the ten day Vision fest, due to the overlap with Victo, a problem for those who attended both fests. The 4th Annual Vision Fest has been expanded to ten days, with about five sets per night, including dance & poetry. The St. Nicholas church worked out rather well, with its minimal but working ac and only occasional sound problems. The overall vibe of the fest was one of the 60's avant art freeing us all from tedium of modern life & commerce. Amazing solos & sets were greeted by screaming & standing ovations throughout. Outstanding sets included Peter Brotzmann's Die Like a Dog Qt., Milford Graves & John Zorn (even more intense!!), the Fred Anderson Trio w/ William Parker & Hamid Drake, Raphe Malik Qt. and Andrew Cyrille Qt.. Although some of the avant-jazz purists might complain, I felt the poetry added some special spice to the fest-especially stimulating were MC Steve Dalachinsky, David Budbill, Nadine Mozon & Louis Reyes Rivera. The diversity of this fest should also be applauded, with one day beginning with David Fathead Newman and ending with Staley/Mori/Legere! Patricia Parker Nicholson did a wonderful job of organizing this vast & wonderful festival-special thanks!!  
 

• 1.JOHN ZORN'S MASADA-Live in Taipei 1995 (Tzadik 7323) With ten stellar studio cds and another 'Live in Jerusalem" 2 cd set released just last month, one might think - how can they possibly top this!?! Well, this is MASADA, thee jazz/klez band of the 90's and 'Live in Taipei' from their second year does capture their magic spirit from a three day stand in Taiwan. You can tell this is a special set of concerts by the way they take their tunes from their first 7 releases and push them further from their original studio versions. On "Shebuah" from Masada Six, both John and Dave's horns extend their solos through a history of jazz styles - Dave's flight goes through Freddie Hubbard-like flurries and Lee Morgan-like lyricism, while John's solo constantly builds from one peak to another. The adrenalin rush of those short explosive tunes like "Shilhim" are as intense as it could possibly get. There a number of points where Zorn's alto reaches up from the luscious beauty of one of the lovely pieces and shrieks with immense force, causing a joyous release that can't be beat. The Masada rhythm team is a wonder throughout, of course, dancing, swinging, tastefully embellishing those quiet parts with quaint grace and erupting in a whirlwind. There are many moments of delicate beauty as well like "Yoreh," where the heart of Masada can soothe us all. Once again, a perfect balance of elements to make even those sarcastic sourpusses amongst us smile! Another wonderful cover to ponder as well. Another two cd gift from the heavens for $20. 

 
• 2.HALLELUJAH, ANYWAY-Remembering Tom Cora (Tzadik 7602) A dazzlingly beautiful, provocative and heartfelt tribute to the wonderful cellist Tom Cora, who died of cancer last year, leaving many of us friends of the downtown scene devastated. The sad thing is that many of Tom's recordings are currently unavailable, his completely outstanding & unique solo cello playing nowhere to be found (except here). This superb and long double cd helps set things straight by including pieces from various ensembles Tom played with - Curlew, Skeleton Crew, Third Person, The Ex & Roof. Also included are many historic & rare Cora collaborations with John Zorn & Fred Frith, Leo Smith & Richard Teitelbaum, the Chadbournes & Iva Bittova. This gives us an amazingly well rounded view of Tom's distinctive sound, the continually blurred the boundaries between avant/folk/jazz/rock improv & songs. We also get a nice dose of Tom's fine songwriting, besides versions by the bands he played in, there's Umezu's klez large klez unit doing a delightful "The Gospel of Gone," as well as The Ululating Mummies doing an uplifting version of the Nimal/Curlew tune "Jim." What really makes this entire endeavor so incredible are the numerous tributes done by Tom's friends since his passing. Lesli Dalaba's enchanting solo trumpet, Wayne Horvitz's delicate & haunting solo piano, a calm cosmic tape collage by Tom's neighbor & artist Thierry Azam, from the adventurous improv of Miya Masaoka/Larry Ochs/Bob Ostertag and Elliott Sharp/Frances-Marie Uitti to the melancholy beauty of Zeena Parkin's trio with her two sisters Sara & Margaret. This is an outstanding two & a half hour journey, an obvious labor of love, capturing the vibrant spirit that made Tom Cora a giant part of the downtown community for two decades, even after moving to southern France. Soothe yourself in these sounds as you remember or just get to know Tom Cora. Double cd for $20. 

 
• 3.MARC RIBOT-Yo! I Killed Your God (Tzadik 7134) Considering how much I have grown to love just about anything guitarist supreme Marc Ribot does, Shrek was often one project which seemed pretty much hit or miss. Some gigs were great, some gigs sucked, and even their studio effort on Avant didn't seem to capture their occasional unique brutal brilliance. Maybe we were wrong, this live release seems to prove how how powerful they could really be!! It is a quite long & ramblin' journey through five live gigs and one studio track from '92 & '94 only, covering the beginning & end of this quirky unit. Shrek was a odd double post-punk/rock band with either two guitars (J.D. Foster or Roger Kleier) and/or two drummers (Dougie Bowne, Jim Pugliese and/or Christine Bard). Although this is mostly a live recording, the sound is powerful and in your face, thanx to Zorn & Ribot. Shrek here is tight & twisted, fractured el. guitar & off-kilter rhythms that seem to come from Beefheart-like bravura! Ribot even sings his righteous & sarcastic lyrics in a striking deadpan, perfect for this gnarly ensemble. Shrek covers Hendrix's "Wind Cries Mary" in a completely fragmented way, sick yet effective, with Marc singing through a telephone-like mic. They also a funny job of obliterating the jazz standard "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise" with lounge-like rhythm provided by garbage can lids. It is a good idea to include a somber rendition of "Requiem for What's His Name", title tune from the out-of-print & impossible to find second Rootless Cosmopolitans release, as it breaks up the frenzied guitars. Other covers include a psycho version of Howlin Wolf's "Somebody in my House" and even a Los Cubanos like tune by Felipe Valdes, pointing the way of things to come. Albert Ayler's bro Donald's "Change has Come" get a post/punk/noise avant/jazz treatment which makes complete sense considering it's source. Even the funky studio closing tune fits just right. An unexpected delight from a master of surprise. $14. 4.JOHN ZORN-1977-1981 (Materia Sonori) Superb 140 page book & 45min cd (unreleased & early) of rare interviews, articles, pictures, charts for game pieces, discography in English & Italian both. $23. 

 
• 5.FRED FRITH & HENRY KAISER-Friends & Enemies (Cuneiform 117/118) Two of the greatest explorers of extended techniques for guitars finally get the entirety of their two long out-of-print lps (from Metalanguage '79 & '83) reissued, plus a forty minute live duo set from '84 and a short studio set from January of this year. At 2 1/2 hours, Henry loves to fill up both of these cds to the brim. They both also play bass, with Fred also on violin, drums, piano & casio and Henry also on el. sitar, banjo, piano & drums too. It is their guitar explorations that really constantly open up new worlds of sound. Each long cd is split up into four chronological sections, showing how their interactions have developed over their 20 year friendship. It all sounds amazingly fresh today, since so few guitarists had tried these ideas when these duos commenced in 1979. Seeing & hearing Fred's amazing guitar quartet last week, one can see/hear how much Fred & Henry's sounds/playing has influenced a large group of international guitarists, redefining how they approach their guitars. On their second lp the two do some acoustic blues rather nicely and even pull off some duos with a drum machine with quirky effect, a good decade before drum'n bass baloney became popular. The live set also has some drum machine, giving the duo an odd rhythmic center to layer more unusual guitar sounds & effects. The studio set of pieces from this year, in which the duo refer to themselves jokingly as "two old men", show a more restrained and melodic side to their more noisy bouts of the past, before diving into avant weirdness once more. A most impressive long & winding journey. Two cd set for only $17. 

 
• 6.MATTHEW SHIPP with WILLIAM PARKER-DNA (Thirsty Ear 57067) I look forward each day to a visit from local hero, piano giant, gentle spirit and good friend Matt Shipp. He checks stock on his numerous cds and we discuss the absurdity of the music business, the hope that shines through the cracks. Matt has recently announced that after a couple more cds this year (one duo with Mat Maneri), he is going to retire from recording, give the world time to absorb his dozen plus releases. Not a bad idea since each of his cds seem to unleash a torrent of swirling ideas, waves, densities and tapestries. 'dna' opens and closes most appropriately with subdued traditional gems-"When Johnny Comes Marching Home" and "Amazing Grace." Matt takes his time, letting the currents slowly rise to the surface on "Cell Sequence." William's spiraling bowed bass begins to descend into the depths, as Matt also provides heavy low-end rumbling in "Genetic Alphabet." The fog slowly gets more dense on the title cut, slowly building to a majestic storm. Little here shows off the occasional frenzy that Matt often explores, the closer even shows off a gospelish delight of "Amazing Grace" - a great way to end things. More good cheer as Matt tickles the ivories and William buzzes on bass. $14. 

 
• 7.BILL FRISELL-Good Dog, Happy Man (Nonesuch 79536) This is Bill's 11th release for Nonesuch in the past decade, he has come full circle...from ECM subtlety to Naked City intensity, through a quartet and mostly covers down to the essential trio doing soundtracks for silent flicks to the restrained chamber qt. without a rhythm team back down to Nashville before returning with a new trio of session drummer supreme & bluegrass acoustic bassist...then two duo cds with piano and violin doing standards too mature (boring?) for many of Bill's old fans. And now here's Bill's fine new trio again of Viktor Krauss (bro to young bluegrass princess-Alison) on bass and Jim Keltner on drums. There are two other guests whose sound permeates much of this groovy cd, Wayne Horvitz on organ and session string wiz - Greg Leisz on dobro, steel & mandolin. Once more, many of Bill's old fans will complain that this work to is too mellow, melodic, smooth and/or laid back. This music is pure Americana - a mix of soulful grooves, nimble, delicate & tasty acoustic and occasionally electric guitars, lovely folky melodies and country/jazz guitar licks. Wayne's ever present ultra soulful organ blends perfectly with Greg's refined dobro picking. Bill wrote all but one of the delightful, sunny tunes found here. He only turns his guitar up once for one great wah-wah solo, often playing acoustic rather then electric. This often reminds me of instrumental passages by the Band, an earthy unit that once set the standard for their rootsy blend American influences. Bill's even newer all acoustic quartet with banjo & violin (the Willies) will be at the Knit Jazz Fest this week. I'm game, are you?!? Major label product costs more so smile & cough up $15.

 
• 8.EUGENE CHADBOURNE-"Normalized" (HoCP 010) Eugene seems to be entering the David Murray-Steve Lacy-Anthony Braxton sweepstakes for the ridiculous number of recent releases he has done in recent years. This cd is the fifth one on House of Chadponk in the past few months. This cd is a complete solo live gig from Normal, Illinois on March 5th of this year-just 2 months ago! Sixteen bloody tracks and all but two are covers of the usual suspects-from Gram Parsons, Capt. Beefheart, Jimi Hendrix, the Kinks, Johnny Paycheck to Monk, Eric Satie and Rogers & Hart. Dr. Chad plays his customary banjo, acoustic guitar and sings in his distinctive country twang-on-acid or speed style. One gem of recent gigs is included here- a bluegrass version of Beefheart's spoken word piece-"Dust Blows Forward"!! A rake solo gives us some funny/demented noise to bathe in, followed by two Thelonius Monk covers, done in a reflective way. Eugene even throws in a couple of great psych/garage gems for all of aging hippies to dig-"Sometimes Good Guys Don't Wear White" & "Are You Experienced?" on fuzztone acoustic! This was a particularly focused & successful set, where all of these extremely different covers flow together as one solid stream of consciousness performance. I just got back from more yet another great evening of Chadbourne lunacy with two members of Camper van Beethoven at the Knit OO, never ending fun. Dr. Chad is curating Tonic in August, so be prepared for mucho surprises like four bluegrass nights & a guitar fest with dozens of amazing pickers. Where does it end?!? Check out this fine collection of "Normalized" grooviness, in the meantime for $14. 

 
• 9. PONGA- s/t (Loosegroove 018) Ponga is Wayne Horvitz, Bobby Previte, Skerit (on el. saxes) and Dave Palmer on keyboard bass. Ponga is hard-core-electro-funk/Miles-like-deepspace-darkgroove/ultrafat- electric-bass- mostly live/pumpin' acid-jazz/frenzied beat insanity to Weather Report on acid grooves. With mutated electric sax a la early Mothers Of Invention to boot... a dense transmission. Ponga is $14. 

 
• 10.MATT DARRIAU PARADOX TRIO-Source (KFW 237) The Paradox Trio was a never a trio, is this part of the paradox? They are a fascinating quartet which bridge the gap between klezmer & Balkan musical sources. Led by Matt Darriau on reeds, once of the Klezmatics, plus Brad Shepik on guitars & el. saz from the Tiny Bell Trio & Pachora, Rufus Cappadocia on 5-string cello and Seido Salifoski on dumbek & percussion. This is their third release and it also features the yiddisha vocals of Lorin Sklamberg, currently with the Klezmatics. What I dig most about this release is the way it has a somber, unrushed yet no less intoxicating vibe, that slowly gets under one's skin, I can smell the delicious middle eastern scents in the distance. Lorin sings in Turkish on "Uskudar", a traditional tune once covered by klez star Naftule Brandwein, in a nasal tone that fits just right with the aching melody. Things build to frenzy on "Hora/Honga" as both Matt & Rufus swirl their reed & cello around the opening groove, followed by a burning solo from Brad's guitar. The other thing that makes this unit so great is the way they combine numerous cultures-Turkish, Greek, Romanian, Yemenite, Sephardic, Yiddisha, both ancient and modern, all cooked delightfully into one savory stew, with just the right amount of special spices. Completely delicious and available for $13.  

 
• 11.STEVE LACY + SIX - The Cry (Soul Note 121315) This is soprano saxophonist supreme Steve Lacy's jam (jazz) opera, which he obviously worked long and hard at. The remarkable texts were written by the outspoken, fugitive woman writer from India - Taslima Nasrin, whose life paralleled Salman Rushdie because of her graphic exploration of female sexuality and her scathing criticism of Bangladeshi society. Her books were considered blasphemous by Islamic clerics, and she was eventually forced into hiding with 24 hour police protection. Lacy, his wife Irene and Nasrin became friends when they lived in the same building in Berlin, seeing her political prisoner treatment first hand. Lacy has taken her texts on sad treatment women in society and turned them into a work that combines avant jazz with opera like vocals and classical instrumentation. Except for long-time Lacy collaborator & bassist Jean-Jacques Avanel, the other musicians are mostly female and Berlin based. There are those who don't care for Irene Aebi voice, but here it seems to fit nicely between the cautious yet harrowing (English & French) words - a melodramatic voice surrounded by an odd, haunting ensemble. The instrumentation includes harpsichord, accordion, a second soprano saxist and percussion besides the aforementioned voice, soprano sax and acoustic bass. The music often reminds me of Anthony Braxton's ghost trance gnarliness, but without the non-stop repetition. The music often floats between dark and lighter sections, somewhere between hopeless nightmares and inwardly triumphant dreams. Both the words & the music flow and fit together in a most effective way, giving the listener a good deal ponder, serious themes constantly explored. $20. 

 
• 12.DAVID C. GROSS-Theorcolus (144 Music 001) David is a six string el. bassist extraoardinaire, who has plays in Bob Musso's Transonic unit, has played wild improvised duos with guitarist Tor Snyder at DMG, leads a variety of units at the Knit and writes for Bass Frontiers magazine. This is his first release and it is unlike anything I have heard him do previously. He has gathered an unlikely cast that includes trumpeters Erik Jakobson & Lewis Barnes (Little Huey Orch.), saxists Daniel Carter (Other Dimensions & Test), Will Connell (Little Huey Orch) & Patience Higgins (Muhal units), Toby Kasavan on keys (Transonic), plus Num Amun-tehu on percussion & Warren Benbow (Blood's Oddyssey trio) on drums. There are few solos found here, mostly it is David's strong composing for these players that rings true. With no guitarist in sight, it is often the wondrous rhythm team that provides a melodic center for the horns to sail together in delightful harmonies-reminding me of Herbie Hancock's Sextant unit before the funk took over or even Zappa's Grand Wazoo ensemble without the weirdness. These are actually beautiful pieces, with luscious horn parts, especially the parts for bass clarinet & trumpet. David interviewed fuzz-bass god Hugh Hopper for an upcoming BF issue and pays tribute to Hugh with some fine fuzz bass on "Seitan Takes a Solo." Toby's synth spins webs of sound that fly around the mix, freeing things from the internal pulse. While the music here is adventurous but not out, the production here is smooth, perfect for some radio play - here's hoping it gets some its well deserved recognition. $12. 

 
• 13.JOEL FUTTERMAN-WILLIAM PARKER-JIMMY WILLIAMS -Authenticity (Kali Records 109) Joel Futterman is an amazing free/jazz pianist from Chicago who has been living in Virginia for over a quarter century. Although his recordings are rare, I do recall a great quartet session with Jimmy Lyons on lp only from the 70's, as well as a swell cd with Kidd Jordan from recent vintage. This new trio release features our own local legend and acoustic bass god William Parker, as well as a fine electric guitarist-Jimmy Williams, a name previously unknown to me. Joel is actually a burning soprano saxist too, as he shows in his dense and spiraling solo at the opening of "authenticity". Both Joel and Jimmy constantly respond to each other's flurries of activity, while William also provides dense clouds of acoustic bass propulsion. Joel has those Cecil-like piano explosions at his disposal, but builds up to them. This music has focus and much power at it's source. The energy and exchange of ideas remains impressive throughout, with moments of startling intensity. When I check out a Cadence catalogue, I find that Joel has about a dozen releases through the years, with a cast that includes Barry Guy, Raphe Malik, Karen Borca and Alvin Fielder. He is certainly an under-recognized giant of this music, so take a chance and give a listen. $16. 

 
• 14.BURTON GREENE TRIO-Throptics (CIMP 182) An outstanding piano trio and first date for CIMP for Burton Greene with Wilber Morris on bass and Lou Grassi on drums. This is also a first for CIMP as well, their first date with a piano and the first date recorded outside of the spirit room. Burton is of course a 35 year veteran of the free/jazz scene of the mid 60's and has been living, playing and recording in Europe for the past few decades. He has been coming back to the US more often in recent years, both with Klezmokum and in a variety of challenging musical situations. Burton has composed six of the eight pieces here, with dedications to Johnny Dyani, Lennie Tristano and Charles Mingus. The Dyani piece has that great South African type of groove that feels so good, the Tristano piece has those advanced two handed complexities that Lennie loved and the Mingus tribute features Wilber's bass out front leading the trio through a variety of excursions - in & out, up & down, all over the musical map-Lou Grassi also explodes all over the second half of this piece. Another great date from the fine folks at CIMP! $14. 

 
• 15.JOSEPH JARMAN-Pachinko Dream Track 10 (Music & Arts 1040) w/ Glenn Horiuchi on piano & shimsen, Francis Wong on tenor, flute & erhu and Elliot Humberto Kavee on percussion, recorded live at the Annual Asian-American Jazz Festival in San Francisco. Both Glenn and Francis claimed to have been influenced immensely by the AACM & the Art Ensemble, both of which Joseph had once been a part of. Joseph had quit music for three years beginning in 1993 and had become a Buddhist, this concert was recorded just months after his return to music making with a completely new attitude towards playing. This release consists of four long pieces that all unfold slowly. All flows in a natural way, like fish swimming in a clean, clear river. Both reed players have a purity of tone, a relaxed quality often shines through. Elliot's frenzied section for gongs, never pushes things too far, keeping the balance from erupting too far. On the title track, we get a hilarious spoken vocal by Jarman about the winning of a pachinko (gambling) game in which the audience members are called down to pick up their prizes. The music finally soars as the horns, piano and percussion swirl like spirits being set free. This cd is the real prize here for $14. 

 
• 16.HUGHSCORE-Delta Flora (Cuneiform 110) Caveman Shoestore were an a fine but mostly unrecognized unit from the Seattle area, who featured Fred Chalenor el. bassist supreme from the Tonedogs, the Boodlers, Wayne Horvitz's Pigpen & Zony Mash. They recorded two cool cds before hooking up with another el. bass god Hugh Hopper from Soft Machine... and recorded two more even better cds, changing their name eventually to Hughscore. 'Delta Flora' is their third release and it is their best yet - a Canterbury gem from the west coast!?! Guests include saxist Elton Dean, plus a host of other horn players. Besides the incredible double el. basses of Hugh & Fred, the band also features the various keyboards & swell vocals of Elaine di Falco and the drums & production of Tucker Martine (Wayne Horvitz collaborator). Hugh wrote the music for six of the nine tunes, which include remarkable covers of Robert Wyatt's "Was A Friend" from his epic of last year 'Shleep' and "Facelift" from Soft Machine 'Third', often considered their best offering. Elaine's vocals on the Wyatt tune are especially endearing, tranquil, sad and lovely, she also contributes two other hypnotic & beautiful songs of her own. For us Canterbury lovers, there can be nothing more joyous than the mesmerizing melody and cosmic fuzz bass fury of "Facelift" - it doesn't get much better than this! While Fred's bass throbs a thick pulse, Hugh's fuzztone growls, groans, mutates the ultimate release from the planet earth. A solid disc. $13. 

 
• 17.DJAM KARET - Live at Orion (Rune 119) In September, 1998, Djam Karet were invited to play their 1st ever East Coast shows, during a two night stand at Baltimore's Orion Sound Studios. The shows were recorded, & this excellent sounding release is the result. The vital playing of Djam Karet's instrumental dual guitar, bass and drums instrumental attack is perfectly captured here, & the performances are really exemplary, capturing a band at their absolute peak! Released on the band's 15th anniversary, this is an excellent summation of their work, & a perfect introduction to the band. "The near telepathic chemistry displayed by these four musicians was dead-on and they proved themselves masters of their chosen instruments"-Progression (taken from Cuneiform solicitation sheet) $13 

 
• 18.PHILARARMONIE - The Last Word (Rune 124) After 10 years of work, Philharmonie disbanded 10/97. The music features the amazing, instantly recognizable string interplay that all their albums feature, with the performances generally slanted towards the heavier sound of their last, Rage, which performed well at retail. With an all instrumental line-up of guitar Warr guitar and drums, this will appeal to fans of bands such as King Crimson and Gordian Knot. A great record that gives their many fans a chance to say a final farewell to a band with "...a very fresh & different twist on the borderline King Crimson/Rock In Opposition genre "-Audion (taken from Cuneiform solicitation sheet) $13 

 
• 19.DELIVERY - Fools Meeting (Rune 115) This reissue's a very rare 1970 album, out of print for at least 25 years, which was the first professional band by musicians who would find fame in a number of other bands: Steve Miller (Caravan), Phil Miller (Matching Mole, Hatfield & The North, National Health), Roy Babbington (Soft Machine), Pip Pyle (Gong Hatfield, National Health), Carol Grimes + Lol Coxhill. Contains the original album, a non-lp single, a great alternate take & a couple of live tracks, all sounding unbelievably better than the rather poor sounding original lp on the wall of your favorite collector shop with a $250.00 price tag. Also includes a full history of the band, written by author Mike King & rare photos from Steve Miller's personal archives. An unusual & appealing blend of blues-rock, psychedelia, & strong traces of Canterbury-style progressive. (taken from Cuneiform solicitation sheet) $13 

 
• 20.JOE McPHEE-DOMINIC DUVAL-JAY ROSEN -The Watermelon Suite (CIMP 183) Joe McPhee calls the unit Trio-X because after their subtle set at the Vision fest last year no critic mentioned them in print. He is wrong in that your truly mentioned their wonderful set in my review of the last Vision fest last year in our monthly newsletter. Dominic and Jay are of course the house rhythm team for dozens of CIMP releases, but this is their first cd with the always inspired Joe McPhee. Joe usually plays a host of reed instruments & trumpet, but here concentrates only on soprano sax. Dominic's bass playing is constantly evolving and exploring, getting better all the time. His playing at Victo last week was a consistent joy to behold in both John Oswald's quartet and Ivo Perelman w/ the CT String Qt. There is a soft spoken quiet unrushed vibe that surrounds this recording, There are points when the bowed bass and soprano become one sound, weaving similar strands into one whole stream. $14. 

 
• 21.OS MUTANTES-Os Mutantes (Omplatten 001) Our collective past continues to haunt us, especially that which we might have missed the first time around. In the last five years, there has been a large resurgence in interest in obscure psychedelia from the 60's and overlooked progressive music from the 70's. Close friends spend much time reading books and combing the cd/record bins in search of that lost psych or prog gem. With major labels not even knowing what lurks in their vaults, dozens of small label have sprung up to unearth these treasures-labels like Sundazed, Cuneiform or Lazer's Edge come to mind. It would seem that these unlikely gems can & do come from just about every country on earth!?! I can recall selling records by Os Mutantes-legendary Brazilian pop/psychedelic band from the late 60's for $50., a few years back. Thanks to Jeff from Other Music & an old palomine-John Kugelberg, the first three albums by these Mutants are back in print on an inexpensive local label. Lucky us!! 

 
• Their self-titled first release was released in June of '68 and is a classic of breezy Brazilian pop mixed well with layers of selective psychedelic studio effects. Influences seem to come from everywhere from fleeting Beatles-like trumpets to Lee Hazelwood-like cheesy grooves to cute Harper's Bizarre-like vocal harmonies to Sopwith Camel-ish goofy sections. We even some nifty fuzztone guitar adding some angst. Before session musician perfection & smooth production took over in the 70's, bands often experimented in the studios, it was an anything goes attitude that made some of these old records so special & odd! The best pieces here are kaleidoscopic, swirling out of lilting pop and inter weirder terrains. "Bat Macumba" may be about an exotic Afro-Brazilian religion, but here they repeat the title over & over while the twisted guitar wails & sails into the next world. "Ghost Train" is a mini-epic that goes through a variety of changes and has some unusual lyrics as well, translated into English. Nifty old spice for $13. 

 
• 22.THE ALTERNATIVE SCHUBERTIADE (CRI 809) w/ Nick Didkovsky, Annie Gosfield, Roger Kleier, David First, Kitty Brazelton and five more composers. Considering I have never knowingly listened to any music by Schubert and that Voice new music critic and occasional scumbag -Kyle Gann (he has dissed Sharp & Zorn in the past)- wrote the lengthy liner notes to this cd, I do find much of this homage to be fascinating. The idea here is that ten composers get a chance to deconstruct, reinvent and even torture the music of Franz Schubert. It is much more interesting than I would have imagined. It is hard to tell what has been altered on some of these tracks, since I can't compare them to the originals. I dig how Annie's version of Schubert's "Quintet in C Major" starts normally before it gets warped like a broken record and fuzzy. Phil Kline also does a fine job of magnifying the dark elements and even throwing in a scary drum machine passage. Roger's take is my favorite with its Frippish electric guitar parts looped into a thick cosmic tapestry. Kitty's "Fishy Wishy" is absurdly silly and very cool with its wacky added lyrics. 

 
Minimalist composer & guitarist David First does a hypnotic treatment with layered drones that works quite well. DJ Firehorse's "Shoebird" mixes Schubert samples with bird songs into ambient collage. John Myers, a member of both Glenn Branca's & Elliott's Sharp guitar ensembles, honestly admits to not even liking Schubert before he did his piece, yet his guitar ensemble-Blastula do great job of transmuting the "Unfinished" into a somber landscape of e bow drones. Pretty good overall, perhaps I should check Schubert sometime soon. This twisted homage goes for $14.  
 
• 23.FRED NEIL-The Many Sides of ... (Collector's Choice 70) Legendary, reclusive, enigmatic & powerful 60's folksinger & songwriter who was revered & covered by Jefferson Airplane, Tim Buckley, Buzzy Lindheart, Youngbloods, HP Lovecraft, Nilsson and many more. He disappeared in to the wilds of Coconut Grove in 1971 & remains unreachable! This is the first time any of his long out of print recordings have been available on cd in the US!! Includes 8 unreleased tracks & hefty liner notes. It's about time! Two cd set for $26. 
• 24. BUCKETHEAD - Cobra Strike (ION 2009) $12
• 25.MIROSLAV TADIC & VLATKO STEFANOVSKI-Krushevo (MA 044) Outstanding double acoustic guitar virtuoso monsters from eastern Europe. Captivating! $15.
• 26.FANTOMAS-s/t (Ipecac 1) Mike Patton's (Naked City, Tzadik solos) scary new band w/ Buzz Osborne (Melvins), Trevor Dunn (New Klez Trio & Mr. Bungle) & Dave Lombardo (X-Slayer). Intense. $14.
• 27.AFRICA NORTH-compilation (World Class 11307) Outstanding comp of exotic, cosmic, ecstatic music from various north African countries w/ many oud giants-half instrumental-recommended!! $14.
• 28.VOCHES DE SARDINNA-s/t (W&W 23) breathtaking Sardinian choral music & improv w/ Ernst Reijseger. Includes a 112 page booklet, recorded in a cathedral. 2 cd set, price available soon
• 29.MAURICIO KAGEL-Solowerke for Accordion & Piano (W&W 35) rare works from Zorn inspiration and influential modern classical composer. $14.
• 30.KEVIN COYNE-sugar candy taxi (Polygram) legendary British vocalist & weirdo, first US release in many moons & supposedly touring here this summer. Yeah!! $14.
• 31.JOE HARRIOTT QUINTET-Abstract (Polygram 538 183) legendary British alto sax giant who help invent modern Euro avant jazz parallel to Ornette-way ahead of it's time in '61/'62-import reissue for $17.! 
• 32.DEREK BAILEY & EVAN PARKER-Arch Duo (Rastascan 45) rare studio date from Oct. '80! $14.
• 33.OTOMO YOSHIHIDE/GUNTER MULLER/SACHIKO M-Filament 2 (For 4 Ears 1031) $14. 34.DAVID TOOP-Museum of Fruit (Caipirinha 2022) Sound explorer & Wire mag contributor. $14. 

Downtown Music Gallery 
13 Monroe St. 
New York, NY 
10002-7351  

212 473 0043 
212 533 5059 fax  

Store Hours: 
Sun-Thu 12-10pm (Wed 9-ish) 
Fri-Sat 12-11pm  

Web: http://DownTownMusicGallery.com 
E-mail: dmg@downtownmusicgallery.com  

"Eschew Obfuscation"