1.TISZIJI MUNOZ-Live! Great Sacrifice (Anami 014) Finally! Monster electric jazz guitar god Tisziji Munoz returns with three completely mind blowing, spiritually invigorating releases in one short blast of time!! First, there is this astounding live set from the Knit from March 5th of this year presented by DMG; second there is a new studio date with a double rhythm team pounding the spirits behind our man Munoz and soon there will be a Bob Moses' Coltrane tribute called 'Love Everlasting' on Billy Martin's Amulet label. The live cd is completely transcendent - no doubt the electric jazz release of 1999! It was Henry Kaiser who introduced me to Tisziji's music and who introduced Munoz's phenomenal quintet from the stage that night. What I find odd is that the that the sound in the room of that set was just not right, but the sound, balance and playing on this cd is just incredible. Tisziji's firey ensemble features the extraordinary playing of Bernie Senensky on piano, Don Pate on contrabass, Bob Moses on drums & special guest synth seasoning from Paul Shaffer. The quintet explode the spirits on each of the eight pieces - four of Tisziji's originals and four standards, including two Coltrane tunes. Tisziji's originals are fueled by possessed, haunting melodies - that same cosmic vibe found in Pharoah's "The Creator has a Master Plan." Munoz has special way of taking a standard - corny ("So Near, So Far") or cool (Jobim's "Dindi") and torturing the melody with distortion & speed that still sounds possessed. Lesser known Canadian piano wiz - Bernie Senensky is amazing throughout, with his McCoy-like thunderous solos, he deserves more credit. Paul Shaffer has also been a long-time friend, supporter & musical cohort for Munoz and is often not taken seriously because of his long-term gig as band-leader on the David Letterman Show, but his sonic synth seasoning on this cd is great spice - oft sparse with that Sun Ra-like cosmo-ambiance. Both Don Pate's bass & Bob Moses' drums continually join forces and weave power & rhythmic energy from the bottom on up - they too are gods! What really pushes this over the top is each massive electric jazz guitar solo that Tisziji unleashes - going for the jugular, where the heavens part - notes exploding at lightning speed, torrential rains, overwhelming us all. Munoz claims Coltrane as a main inspiration, this makes perfect sense with same level of intensity, devotion of spirits, sheets of sound…It's all too much! Witness the powerful force of the 'Great Sacrifice'! As always, this and all other Anami single discs for $10.

2.TISZIJI MUNOZ-Alpha-Nebula/The Prophecies (Anami 013) Very much different in various ways than the above live date, but just as amazing!! On this unbelievable studio date, Tisziji assembles an incredibly inspired and throttling double rhythm team - John Lockwood (for Joe Morris) & Don Pate on double basses and Bob Moses & Franklin Kiermyer on double drums fury! Franklin is an incredible Elvin Jones-like thunder-force drummer, great composer and bandleader . 'Alpha-Nebula' is one long continuos and cosmic suite in which every other track is a cosmic synth salad by Munoz himself, giving us time to rest from the guitar soloing onslaught of every other track - that builds to more of a frenzy as the suite unfolds. There are many moments when the spew of guitar notes is just too much, so hold on for dear life! Tisziji wrote the spiritual explanations of this music on the inside booklet and our friend Henry Kaiser wrote the illuminating liner notes for this outstanding treasure of potent spirits! $10.

3.THE SCIENCE GROUP-A Mere Coincidence (ReR Science 1) Featuring Chris Cutler, Fred Frith, Stevan Tickmayer, Amy Denio, Bob Drake & Claudio Puntin. Although this looks to be a progressive supergroup, it is more a solid project in which percussionist Chris Cutler wrote the lyrics, keyboards-violin-zither player Tickmayer wrote the music and bassist/multi-instrumentalist Bob Drake produced. Saxist/bassist Amy Denio (EC Nudes, Billy Tipton Memorial Sax Qt.) just sings lead while clarinetist Claudio Puntin, who has worked with Fred in the past, also just plays his clarinets. It is so good to hear Cutler & Frith playing in an ensemble again, since the demise of Henry Cow & the Art Bears- the ultimate progressive bands of the 70's & 80's! The music itself is often dark and haunting, as is Amy's austere voice and Chris' concise yet enigmatic lyrics, which always leave us with puzzles to ponder. Since Stevan is the main composer, most of the pieces are keyboard based, it is nice to hear some harpsichords at the center of some of these works. There is little soloing going on, this is more about quirky tunes that layer parts and switch directions rather quickly. Bob Drake's el. bass often matches the keyboard's flourishes in tight sections, even singing in his Jon Anderson-like voice at times or pounding his Chris Squire-like el. bass. The Science Group are often difficult to figure - avant/prog/pop, certainly a challenge to penetrate their darker side and are most worthy of our time and patience. Will they ever play live?!? Only time will tell. $14.

4.ANTHONY BRAXTON-Four Compositions [Washington, D.C.] 1998 (Braxton House 009) 2 cd set - Our favorite composer/multi reed player/visionary - Anthony Braxton - is at it once again with another splendid treasure from his ever-evolving body of work on his own label. 'Four Compositions' was recorded and commissioned by & at the Library of Congress on May 1st, 1998. Consisting of two older works (No. 46 & No. 70) and two newer pieces (No. 222 & No. 223) from Braxton's 'Ghost Trance Music' series. Informative liner notes from Bill Shoemaker help us to fathom the complexities of these brilliant excursions. What I find most fascinating is that Braxton has created a living, evolving body of work - all pieces are connectable, each part of his compositions is autonomous, all tempos are relative and all volume dynamics are relative. In other words, all of Braxton's works are inter-connected - with time and work, serious listeners can search for & find some of these connections. "Comp. No. 46" is for ten horns with Anthony conducting and deals with multiple events simultaneously happening. While Braxton acknowledges Webern's influence, there is even more going on than just minimal leaves rustling - a somber but rich palate of chamber horns & reeds blending streams. While reading the notes for "Comp. No. 70", I begin to realize just how many incredible ideas, strategies and structures, Braxton comes up with in each piece - to liberate and fascinate both the listener and performer. This piece is dedicated to trumpet great Bill Dixon and was premiered in '76 at the Newport Jazz Fest with an all-star unit of Muhal Richard Abrams, George Lewis, Dave Holland & Barry Altschul. Braxton uses a fine septet of mostly students for this piece and they do an impressive job of rising to Anthony's intense level of cosmic flow. This music has that spiraling, busy, churning, static, free but focused, storm of activity that eventually ends up in avant chamber clouds. Do I hear some early mutated "Ghost Trance" like repetition near the end of this epic? Fucking brilliant! "Ghost Trance" has been Braxton's main direction for the past five years and has created some controversy! Some folks hate the endless (and almost imperceptibly changing) repetition, which seems to go on forever, while some of us bathe nicely in the trance vibe… There has been entire week-long festivals of this development at the Knit - the troops remain divided! On this release we get two very different groups of "Ghost Trance" phenomena - "Comp. No. 222" is a duo of violin & piano - a tart, refreshing, fragile to fragmented to close-knit weaving & waving and that ridiculous, unnerving, overwhelming & repeating line takes hold again. The second cd is one long piece entitled "Comp. No. 223" featuring an astounding 13 piece Ghost Trance all-star unit with reed specialists Braxton, JD Parran, Chris Jonas, Brandon Evans, Andre Vida, James Fei, Jackson Moore, Seth Misterka & Richard McGhee, plus Jonathon Zorn on accordion, Kevin O'Neill on el. guitar, Joe Fonda on bass & Kevin Norton on drums. This piece is almost funky in an odd way, there are so many sax lines snaking around each other with dense textures that gradually slow all the way down to static charges. What I feel is so great about this work is how all these sub-groups of 4 or 3 players continually shift and bend the densities. An amazing adventure is at your disposal… A two cd set for $28.

5.HAN BENNINK & DEREK BAILEY-Post Improvisation/When We're Smilin' (Incus 34) The grand-master of Euro improv free/jazz guitar - Derek Bailey - came to NYC for his annual trip and did four diverse gigs at the end of November - duos with Susie Ibarra & Min Xiao-Fen, a trio with Jamaaladeen Tacuma & Calvin Weston (studio date as well) and improv with Zorn, Ikue, Staley & Cyro Baptista. What never fails to amaze me is how Derek can maintain his unique approach and still work so well in any context he chooses to challenge himself within. Both Derek & Han Bennink are guiding lights of Euro improv, longtime friends that haven't recorded in quite some time. They decided to do something different this time - they each sent the other some solo work through the mail (post improv) and then improvised on top of the solos to make two different duo cds. Both Derek & Han are obvious masters of this style of improv, following each other all over the map with suspense, humor, subtly & rambunctiousness. There are times when Han's explosive antics tend to overwhelm those around him, especially in the live situation, (he was at Tonic with the ICP Orchestra in November also) but here the balance is just right. Selective bird calls and other found sounds also find their way into this exploration. This is a most welcome treat from two masters of surprise. This and all other Incus single cds are $16. each.

6.DEREK BAILEY & HAN BENNINK-Post Improvisation 2/Air Mail Special (Incus 35) On this other duo release, Derek must have sent Han his solo guitar improv first and then Han played along with it. The sections here are much shorter and seem to flow in a most natural way. Are those bird sounds or the rubbing of cymbals or strings? Derek enjoys talking while improvising nowadays (something Henry Kaiser seems to dig doing nowadays) and this adds the human factor into their excursions, making the entire exchange more conversation-like. These duo improvisations are often more dense and frantic, intense and free-flowing, with only occasional moments of restraint. The balance and flow of ideas back and forth is also rich & focused once again, often sounding like these two are together in the same room, instead of improving through the mail. Both of these gentlemen are at the heights of their mighty improv powers. Sensational! $16.

7.SONIC YOUTH with-Goodbye 20th Century (SYR 4) I have been both a fan and eventually a friend of Sonic Youth since their early days of violent post-punk noise rock through waves of inspiration from free-jazz, psychedelic, downtown improv and modern classical sources. Both guitarists Thurston Moore & Lee Ranaldo have embraced the history & musicians of free-jazz and the European improv scene. Both guitarists have become better improvisers through years of jamming with the likes of William Hooker, Christian Marclay, Ikue Mori, Evan Parker and even with the Cecil Taylor trio. Sonic Youth also have a long history of letting important giants of avant-jazz play on their bill with them - Sun Ra Arkestra, David S. Ware Quartet, Marc Edwards Unit and last summer - the New York Art Quartet. Thurston has played for Merce Cunningham's dance company in recent years and has utilized the talents of great classical percussionist - Will Winant.

So it should come as no surprise that the Sonics should close this year & century with a two cd tribute to and music of their favorite avant-classical composers - John Cage, Christian Wolff, Pauline Oliveros, Yoko Ono, James Tenney, Cornelius Cardew, Steve Reich, Takehisa Kosugi, George Maciunas & Nicolas Slonimsky. The guest musicians include Will Winant, Jim O'Rourke, Christian Wolff, Christian Marclay, T. Kosugi, Wharton Tiers and a wee vocal piece by Coco - Thurston & Kim's little girl! Since Sonic Youth have always been sonic explorers most often on retuned guitars - the adventurous music found on this 'serious' release is not much different from they do anyways (except forthe obvious - rocking drums). Fellow composer & friend of John Cage, Christian Wolff is involved both by playing with and having this unique ensemble play two of his compositions. The opening work is Christian's "Edges" and it deals nicely with cosmic textures and is filled with space and suspense. Pauline Oliveros' "Six for New Time" was written for Sonic Youth this year and they give it a calm and lovely treatment except for the recurring psych-guitar freak outs. A few of these pieces like Kosugi's "+ -" are metallic, other-worldly, alien transmissions - certainly this is the right ensemble for this end of the 20th century noise/music. Even the ever tedious & ever popular Steve Reich gets a twisted rendition with a mutated feedback version of his early piece "Pendulum Music". Let's hope that both the young & impressionable and old & cranky fans of Sonic Youth, as well as some well-intentioned curiosity seekers get inspired by the choice of composers found on this release and go out hunting for records & cds by James Tenney, Christian Wolff or John Cage! You could find some of these composers here at DMG. This is a nice way to say 'Goodbye 20th Century', hello new millenium of opportunity. Two cd set for $17.

8.JIM O'ROURKE-halfway to a threeway (Drag City 178) Renaissance pop wizard - Jim O'Rourke reinvents his area of exploration each year, slowly evolving through genres - ambient, electric & acoustic guitar improv, electronic sounds and more recently elegant pop music. This year, his superb pop treasure - "Eureka" remains one of 1999's best, he also produced the latest Stereolab release in a grand fashion, his duo improv cd with Loren Mazzacane is quite lovely, he played with Sonic Youth on their engaging tribute to 20th century classical composers and is helping to produce their next rock release. Last night (12/14) his pop unit opened for Stereolab and he claims this will be the last tour that he will be singing his own tunes on. Lucky for us lovers of quaint pop, he leaves us with this fine four song ep to help us through the cold, hard winter into the next century. 'halfway' was recorded over 8 months this year with a number of Jim's regular pals - Rob Mazurek, Tim Barnes, Darin Gray, Glenn Kotche & Sam Prekop. Even moreso than 'Eureka', the overall vibe here is one of melancholy, delicate, laid back, touching, beauty - somewhere between the charming pop of Burt Bacharach, the Beach Boys and Belle & Sebastian. This precious music is mostly the quiet strumming of acoustic guitars, the ultra-melodic ringing of Darin's bass and the moody elegance of Rob's cornet. Even the "da, da, da" choruses feel just right. As we enter the next century, Jim O'Rourke remains one of the few to capture the innocent spirit of days long gone from our youth. For me and hopefully for you, this is yet another wonderful pop gem to be savored. This delightful 4 song ep clocks in at 21 ½ minutes and costs only $10.

9.BILL LASWELL-Permutation (Ion 2010) w/ Nicky Skopelitis on guitar, Lance Carter on drums, Hassan Ibn Ali on samples & Bill on everything else and probably recorded about the same time as the 'Broken Vessels' soundtrack released a few months back. This release opens with a funky drum n' bass groove, Nicky's ethnic-sounding acoustic guitars and subtle exotic samples. On "Acid Test" the groove slows down and Bill's ultra-phat el. bass throbs hypnotically at the center with some (uncredited or sampled) violin hovering about. The aptly titled "Coma" has that Laswell ambient spookiness about it. Overall most of "Permutation" has a somewhat slowed down drum n' bass groove, with Bill's bass ultra-thick, brooding and providing the main mesmerizing vibe. "Iron Black" sounds like another variation of that burning, hard-rocking, funk storm power trio also from 'Broken Vessels'. Another highlight is Bill's ringing, harmonic bass playing & Nicky's eerie sustain guitar buzzing on "Enhanced". That mysterious Indian drone sample on "Scatter" also enhances the spirits. Some critics complain that Bill can and does do some of these releases in his sleep, but I find that his production & distinctive sound to be pretty powerful on certain recordings, this one included. Due to the fact that Bill has had to find numerous (new) labels to put out the wealth of material from his ever-busy recording schedule, his releases for this year have been fewer and perhaps more well selected. This one is pretty great, but we all look forward to that mind-blowing full length release from that one-off quartet with Zorn, Frith & Dave Lombardo, somewhere in the future. $13.

10.EARL HOWARD/DENMAN MARONEY-Fire Song (erstwhile 003) One of the first Stockhausen records I ever bought & dug was performed by the Negative Band (on Finnadar)- a trio of musicians who were attending Cal Arts in the mid-seventies. Two members - Earl Howard (alto sax & synth) and Denman Maroney (piano innards or hyperpiano ) eventually found their way into the downtown scene. Sadly, both of these truly adventurous players have been under-recorded. Denman, who specializes in playing inside the piano with various objects, can be heard on two fine cds for Mark Dresser and also released an outstanding solo piano cd earlier this year. Earl Howard, who has also done engineering for a number of sessions, has collaborated with Gerry Hemingway & Ernst Reijseger in recent memory and has a solo cd on Random Acoustics. "Fire Song" consists of four long tacks, two duets and two solos - one for each player. The title piece is 17 plus minutes of dark, rumbling, low end inside-the-piano manipulations and equally ominous synth seasoning. It does seem as if both of these musicians have been collaborating for quite a long time, since they follow each other into well blended terrain, shadowing each other most effectively. "UnCaged Bacchanal" is for solo piano manipulations and Denman continues to expand his palette of other-worldly sounds by playing both inside the piano and the keyboard often simultaneously, deal with both fascinating and scary textures. The other duo piece - "Pulse Field" is for hyperpiano & alto sax and both players once more flow together in well matched streams, commencing with more restrained sounds, eventually building and interweaving into denser & darker waters. The final piece is "Orchid" for solo alto sax - a first recording of this endeavor for Earl. Earl takes his time, playing with a softer tone early on, before he begins to unfurl layers of quicker lines, never screaming or squealing, but letting things erupt slowly into more & more complex streams. More challenging sounds from the great Erstwhile label. $13.

11.DOUG HENDERSON/GUY YARDEN -an ear for a leg/Music from Dance (Zoar 18) w/ Zeena Parkins, Leslie Ross, David Linton, Jim Coleman & Lauren Weinger. This two cd set documents a decade of collaborations between a host of modern dancers with some of downtown's best musicians in solo & group encounters. The informative liner notes describe the interesting stories behind each of the collaborations. Like a successful soundtrack, each one of these 32 pieces evokes different moods, feelings, tensions and releases - one can often picture the dancers in their mind's eye, due to the descriptions and one's own imagination. Doug Henderson you may recall from his tenure with that wacky downtown art-rock-noise unit - The Spongehead Experience; Zeena we all know of; David Linton from his drumming work with Elliott Sharp & percussion based solo projects; bassoonist Leslie Ross from her work with Dr. Chadbourne and Guy Yarden from many dance projects through the years. Jim Coleman & Lauren Weinger seemed like new names for me, but Jim used to be in that disturbing post-apocalyptic rock unit - Cop Shoot Cop, who I used to dig before they split up. Unexpectedly, Jim's piece "One Other Thing" is the most melodic & endearing of the lot, so one never knows… Although Leslie Ross both plays & constructs bassoons, here she uses some very strange instruments of her own making like The Tentacled Bellows - a foot powered drone machine. Zeena utilizes her entire Gangster Band sextet from '97, but still evokes a more somber alien landscape. The overall vibe of both of these cds is one of mostly restrained yet weird sound manipulation, moving through evocative mood-scapes. Nice to see/hear the work for the local downtown dance scene finally documented. Transport yourself to other worlds of sound with this fine two cd set for only $14.

12.ORI KAPLAN TRIO PLUS-Realms (CIMP 190) It would seem that there is a constant flux of new jazz talent coming into & out of NYC, trying to find their way into different points of entry - Tonic, the Knit, Roulette, the Internet Café and even our humble store's Sunday night free music series. A few months back, I met Israeli born alto sax player Ori Kaplan, who just played for poet Steve Dalachinsky in his Washington, D.C. debut gig. I kept hearing good things about Ori's playing and now that his first release as a leader is out, the proof as they say is in the pudding. Ori's trio consists of Tom Abbs on bass & tuba and Geoff Mann on drums & trumpet All three met at the New School in NYC and have been playing as a unit since 1993 - and yes, they are all new names to me, but this is a most impressive debut nonetheless. Ori has composed all ten tunes on 'Realms', which was recorded just about one year ago. Despite the fact that all three of these players were in their 20's when this recording was made, they do sound as if they are playing well beyond their years - a most solid trio of serious listeners & reacters. The trio explodes from the very first cut, fire-breathing spirits spinning their quick web. On "Drift" the pace slows down to an almost snake-charming groove with Ori still doing the slow-burn up towards the heavens. That freedom spirit is apparent on pieces like "Phase In", but the trio does a fine job of holding it all together as one force. Ori has written some nice harmonies for the tuba, trumpet & alto sax to come together on the title piece, quite a nice departure. I really dig the way the trio plays ultra-tight on those stop-on-a-dime parts of "Green Jean" - erupting intensely and then slowing it back down in cycles of descent. A strong debut from the Ori Kaplan Trio, perhaps we will get them to play here at DMG soon. This and all CIMP cds cost $14.

13.PHILLIP JOHNSTON & THE TRANSPARENT QT.-The Merry Frolics of Satan (Koch 7885) Former co-leader of the fun-loving Microscopic Septet, Phillip Johnston has put out some half dozen quirky jazz cds since the demise of (decade plus long history of ) the Microscopics. Phillip's dry wit and composing always shines through on the more subtle side of most downtown units. This cd is a follow-up to Phillip's score for 'The Unknown' (on Avant) - music for another silent film from the same era. 'The Merry Frolics of Satan' is also a silent film by director George Melies, which Phillip refers to as a brilliant, iconoclastic & hilarious work. This time around, the Transparent Quartet is Phillip on soprano & tenor saxes, Joe Ruddick on piano & baritone sax, Mark Josefsberg on vibes & Dave Hofsta on bass & tuba. There is no drummer. Phillip has a knack for telling little stories, casting quaint spells, with minimal ingredients - often soprano sax, piano, vibes & acoustic bass only - with charming results. "The Damnation of Faust" goes from thunderous piano melodrama to the corny charm of the swell soprano & vibes sections - could this really be the same piece?!? There are, of course, a few unexpected moments of odd twists like the short but out (bow tapping on string) bass solo in the middle of "Trip to the Moon" - with it's more somber sections balancing it's goofy parts. This entire work is very cinematic, creating scenes to be imagined, as the story unfolds before us. Although this work does stand on its own, it would be cool to watch the movie with this music. $14.

14.CHRIS CUTLER & THOMAS DIMUZIO-Quake (ReR CCTD1) In March of this year I was most fortunate to be able to present a Chris Cutler & Charlie Noyes solos & duo concert at Context Studios. Chris is an amazing & completely distinctive drummer & percussionist from the ultimate progressive ensemble - Henry Cow (Art Bears, News from Babel…) He has authored a splendid but difficult book on music and philosophy and founded Recommended Records - label & distributor. Although I never had the chance to witness Henry Cow, I have seen Chris play with Fred Frith, Cassiber, David Thomas, Pere Ubu, LA 1919, EC Nudes and for Peter Blegvad. Just watching him play is a unique experience. He is also a wonderful improviser and wanted to do a short solo/duo tour of the east coast & I was too happy to oblige. Over the past decade, Chris has been working more with electronics and electrifying his drums & cymbals. He had a whole table of devices, including a cd player to improvise with. Charles Noyes - an original percussionist from the very early (80's) downtown scene, played only one cymbal with a wooden ball & mic. A most odd combination, but the concert really worked.

'Quake' is from another pair of duo gigs in Maine & Massachusetts from this same tour in March with Thomas Dimuzio on samplers, processing, radio & cd player. Thomas I recall from a gig at New Music America in Montreal & a set at the Victoriaville Fest. His solos records are completely engaging electronic landscapes and there is also a hard-to-find live cd with Cutler & CW Vrtacek from a few years back. So, what we get on 'Quake' is quite a dynamic electronic/percussive duo! Clanging, clinking, sailing electronic ghosts, spooky rhythmic sections appear, electric bells buzzing, metals rubbed & struck softly, the cosmic drone of well crafted static, at times getting dense and scary, but always evoking positive freed spirits! Another treasure to savor from the fine folks at Recommended. $14.

15.PETER CUSACK-Where is the Green Parrot? (ReR PC1) Guitarist & bouzouki player - Peter Cusack- remains a rather shadowy figure in the British avant scene. I can only recall a cut on Fred Frith's 'Guitar Solos - Volume 3' and a few obscure records with Steve Beresford or David Toops. It turns out that Peter is more of sonic explorer of natural sounds, especially birds and that is what is featured on this unique sonic offering. This fascinating excursion requires much patience and concentration, sounds are stretched out for us observe, time is suspended so we can hear/see/feel the environment. The title track is quite long and does feature an enchanting extended bouzouki solo accompanied by birds, a stunning combination. It kinda reminds me of Steve Tibbetts-like graciousness. On "Pets" the high-pitched non-stop ringing does feel like a nice cage, the delicate bird chirps are punctuated by the unrelenting coaxing of a human voice to speak or sing. There is a wonderful piece which takes place in a toy shop and has that wide-eyed innocent wonder that only children are supposed to enjoy. Equally fun (for the kids?) and ridiculous is the trip to "the guitar shop" piece, where pickers get to check out (stroke) their many axes. This cd works as journey through different natural environments and remains engaging throughout. $14.

16.MARTY EHRLICH-PETER ERSKINE-MICHAEL FORMANEK-Relativity (enja 9341) Multi-reed specialist - Marty Ehrlich - leads numerous ensembles working simultaneously and also plays with other units led by Muhal Richard Abrams, Ned Rothenberg, Bobby Previte & Julius Hemphill. Marty is an ever busy and ever resourceful musician. This year we were treated to the superb 'Sojourn' (Tzadik) from his Dark Wood Ensemble and in early December Marty unveiled a new version of his Traveler's Tales quartet with Tony Malaby, Jerome Harris & Bobby Previte. 'Relativity' features yet another new (trio) project with two players from much different backgrounds who sound just right together. Michael Formanek is a great contrabassist for Tim Berne's Bloodcount and has both a duo with Tim & a solo bass release on Screwgun plus a number of fine cds as a leader on enja also. Excellent drummer & composer - Peter Erskine - was the longest-lasting drummer for the ultra-successful Weather Report and now records great work for ECM. All three musicians have played with each other in different contexts, but Don Grolnick's band was where all three played together and the only non-original tune here is Don's "Taglioni." In common with 'Sojourn' is the wonderful relaxed and often spacious vibe both of these trios specialize in. What is so great here is how each piece is a challenge for this trio to flesh out. The pace moves in waves on Peter's "Eloi Lament" slowing down, speeding up in a natural flow that even the short drum solo can't break its spell. Peter goes after a swell island groove with mostly rimshots on toms on Marty's "Lucky Life" where his thick tenor tone glows warmly. The trio remind me of mid-seventies Braxton (NY '75) on the clarinet led "The Pivot" with its playful groove. The tension seethes most effectively on "Jiggle the Handle" at the beginning and ending, with Marty's tenor (and the rest of the trio) erupting at the center of this piece. Peter's "Relativo" is a delightful light-hearted flute piece which adds some sunshine to the more reflective vibe, as is Michael's "In a Child's Eyes" - a nice way to commence this excellent gem. $14.

17.DEATH CUBE K-tunnel (tdrs music 1025) A somewhat mysterious release, with no info at all except for a website address?!? I've been informed that this third Death Cube K cd is a mere Buckethead solo project with no help from his partner on the two previous DCK cds - Bill Laswell. Still, the overall dark ambient mutant soundscape is quite similar. What is also a mystery is how inconsistent the oft dazzling speed/metal guitar hero can be on his own recordings. His 'Pieces' cd on Avant certainly won him no new fans, but 'Cobra Strike' on Ion was somewhat better. Buckethead finally released his most riveting, best work yet cd called 'Monsters & Robots' on Cyber Octive a couple of months back, thanks to the help of his pals in Primus. Which brings us back to this questionable, spooky, solo effort. Buckethead pours on the distortion mud thick and ominous, with tortured post-apocalyptic industrial manufactured cheesy sounds oozing from his mutant electro-geetars and sick el. basses. This is some truly scary shit at times! Ripe for a twisted science friction movie soundtrack - maybe?!? The title track is quiet & relaxing - echo-guitar clouds from the other side of the wilder extremes. Buckethead does have a way of exploring sounds - with (sometimes cheesy) effects, layers of echo and the strange sounds that his guitars & basses can make. There are some obvious moments like when he does his lightnin' speed tapping on the guitar neck stuff - mixed with the sound of (random?) gunfire. The overall vibe here is one of brooding, desolation and disturbing, ominous soundscapes. Most effective and unnerving. $14.

18.THOMAS LEHN & GERRY HEMINGWAY-Tom & Gerry (Erstwhile 004) Powerful, perplexing and challenging duo improv from two masters of much different backgrounds - recorded live on a tour of Germany from three dates in May & June of 1997. Percussionist/composer/bandleader Gerry Hemingway needs no introduction, with 3 or 4 other releases out this year, but analogue synthesizer specialist Thomas Lehn is an equally outstanding improviser, just much less recorded it. Thomas will be playing at Victo for the first time in May of 2000 in a trio with Tim Hodgkinson & Roger Turner. Gerry is quite an exotic and ever-evolving percussionist - bowing cymbals, blowing into a tube attached to his drums, exploring sounds more than dealing with a established pulse. Thomas also takes his time to explore electronic sounds as they unfold into well selected layers of woven tapestry. Tom & Gerry work well together in a similar sonic area, subtly blending their sounds into one stream of events, sometimes unfolding at a snail's pace. So good to hear Thomas's analogue synth work, an instrument not used much these days in the time of mostly digital technology that tends to make too many synth players sound alike. This 100 plus minute two cd set, takes us on a long & winding journey through corridors of mirrors, altered sounds and cosmic nuances. Come along and be dazzled with these two cds for $18.!

19.PRESENT-No. 6 (Carbon 7-043) When I brought Present to Brownies last year with Dr. Nerve & New Ghost, little did I know that local prog lovers would remember Present's performance as one of greatest progressive sets ever in NYC! With some luck, they will return to our shores next year. Present is led by Roger Trigaux once guitarist for (prog legends) Univers Zero. On drums for that tour and this cd is Dave Kerman from Thinking Plague, 5UU's & too many other progressive units to mention. Tour manager & roadie for that tour was an old friend of mine Keith Macksoud, who used to bass for an amazing local prog outfit called Devil's Breakfast. Keith was also invited to play bass on this outstanding release as well. Roger's son Reginald plays powerful lead guitar, Pierre Chevalier plays piano & mellotron and special guest Yuval Mesner plays cellos. Interestingly enough, this cd was recorded in Israel. This, their sixth release is comprised of two suites and two other shorter pieces in between. Present's music is well crafted & composed, intricate and strongly played by its solid double el. guitar team, a bit Frippish with their sustained tone finesse, fine piano parts and especially spirited cellos. The second suite is a powerful and complex with well integrated guitars & keyboards and an equally propulsive & ultra-tight rhythm section. It builds in a way like much European modern classical music and features Roger's haunting vocals with the ominous refrain "Give the people what they want"!?! Present continue to amaze all who dare ride their dark and powerful spirit! One of the year's finest progressive treasures for $14.

20.EVAN PARKER + GHOST-IN-THE-MACHINE-New Excursions (9th World Music 019) World class avant/jazz Euro sax wonder - Evan Parker - constantly puts himself in different contexts, with different musicians from all over the map. Although this is the second (?) Ghost-in-the-Machine release, the personnel is different once again, this time with an odd (and unknown to me) quintet from Copenhagen, using instrumentation that Evan rarely uses like el. bass, keyboards & someone who plays toys, tapes & amplified objects and a drummer. Listening to these live excursions, I am reminded of the ground-breaking sessions of the Music Improvisation Company lp (ECM) from 1970, when this type of British & European style of improv was being invented. Some thirty years later - Evan is still spewing forth those spiraling sacred squawking tenor fragments, with a similar sounding Euro unit - Paul Lytton like fractured percussion and an impressive variety of weird sounds from normal rock instruments, sometimes un-identifiable in sound source. There is a good deal of swirling, fire-breathing intensity and rare moments of calm. The big question is - is this an essential Evan Parker release?!? I would say yes. Evan Parker shocked avant-purists (I'm joking) earlier this year by doing a trio record with Thurston Moore!?! Who will he play with next - Borbetomagus!?! Actually, Evan will be at the Knit for four nights a few months from now including two duo nights with fellow sax traveler - Ned Rothenberg! $15.

21.BIGGI VINKELOE TRIO-slowdrags & interludes (LJ Records 5219) with Peter Kowald & Peter Uuskyla. For the second year in a row, little known Swedish alto sax & flute player - Biggi Vinkeloe visited our store and left us with two more fine self-produced cds. It wasn't until I had the good fortune to check out Biggi live at the Pink Pony with three of NY's finest (Steve Swell, Ken Filiano & Jackson Krall) the other night, that I realized that Biggi was a woman and a superb improviser as well. Biggi's partner is drummer Peter Uuskyla, who has both a solo cd on their own label and a new trio cd with German sax blaster Peter Brotzmann. The trio on 'slowdrags' features FMP all-star contrabass great - Peter Kowald and Uuskyla on drums. Biggi's tone is luscious, thick, breathy (like an old tenor style) and very tasty. Kowald's contrabass is also a thick, humming, pushing force, always balancing the other two parts of the triangle. Each one of the 19 pieces confronts different & difficult challenges of structure, texture and emotive spirit. All three members of this trio contribute tunes and set up directions to navigate the ever changing rapids. Kowald's bass vibrates a thick slab, while Uuskyla taps out a taunting march and Biggi's flute like the last breath of a fleeting ghost on "Interlude 2". Kowald composed half of these tunes and his large and distinctive bass sound is often at the center of the proceedings. The alto sax & drums are often connected in a way that comes from working hard & listening closely to each other for a long time. Some of the "Interludes" sound as if they are moving in slow motion, stretching them notes out in a relaxed way. Completely inspired stories to be told again & again! A most impressive offering from a fine avant/jazz cosmic couple that even Bob Rusch hasn't heard. We only have a few of these left until Biggi comes to town again next year for $10.

22.JOE MORRIS & DKV TRIO-deep telling (Okkadisk 12027) The DKV trio are an all-star unit from Chicago who consist of Ken Vandermark on tenor sax, Hamid Drake on drums & Kent Kessler on double bass. Fronted by MacArthur Grant winner Ken Vandermark, they presently have five cds out on Okkadisk and sound as if they have been playing together for a long time. On this disc, they meet gnarly avant-jazz guitar hero from Boston - Joe Morris - for the first time, but it doesn't sound that way. It sounds like this quartet has been working together forever, establishing their own language, a tight-knit tapestry. There is an elastic pulse that Hamid & Kent excel at holding together, while Joe & Ken work their magic solos on top - separately and together. Sometimes the rhythm section lays out while the guitar & sax skronk, comp & squawk their telepathic stories as one tale told. 'deep telling' includes two duos, three trios and three quartet pieces to keep everyone on their toes. The two duos with Joe & Kent show their dense, buzzing and burning side. The trio of guitar, bass & drums - sails & spins in tight spiraling lines and is ever exciting! The quartet pieces cover a wider range of textures, directions and combinations. "Narrative" shows an ultra-subtle side, very spacious and minimal. The trio piece without a bassist "breathe easily" has Joe playing somber & playful bass-lines on his guitar, while Hamid does a great balancing act by both tapping quick rhythms behind Ken's tenor and holding down the bottom's slower pulse with Joe's guitar. The final piece is the "telling suite" and it is pretty long, covering a few different sections of jazz direction, from a slow bluesy groove through a spirited acoustic bass solo onto more minimal sections and then some great tenor blasting from the ever-inspired Ken Vandermark and the equally ecstatic guitar world of Joe Morris. $14.

23.BOB DRAKE-Medallion Animal Carpet (ReR CTA7) Although Bob Drake has played bass for a slew of fine progressive bands both here and in Europe like Thinking Plague, Hail, the EC Nudes and currently the Science Group (reviewed above), he keeps quite a bit of odd surprises up his sleeve to keep us all guessing. Bob is also a multi-instrumentalist, singer & songwriter and fine engineer as well. This is his third solo effort and it is filled with more unexpected twists & turns, genre-hopping fun & insanity to try to fathom. This cd is mostly a solo work by Bob doing almost everything, but does include some help from a half dozen friends like Chris Cutler & Stevan Tickmayer (both from the Science Group). 'Medallion' is broken down into 25 tunes, but actually has three main continuous parts, filled with many surprises seamlessly connected to each other. Although this does have the sound of a charming/weird solo project, Bob's magic is the way he piles up layers of guitars, synth, strings, basses, drums & vocals - occasionally into a dense warped solo symphony. Nothing last too long - since there are only two tunes over three minutes, but Bob does a great job of finding ways to almost invisibly connect parts/genres to the next one. One of the highlights is when Bob blends a number of naked strings in a Fred Frith/Robert Wyatt-like twisted string fashion. Bob often throws in the monkey wrench unexpectedly - like when he has a country/rockabilly type of steel guitar toon buried in thick drones or when a tribal groove piece ("Slab") gets thicker, the production more psychedelic and Bob manipulates textures/layers of desired density. Mostly marvelous surprises are in-store for the adventurous listener(s). $14.

24.NORMAND GUILBEAULT-Riel Musical Plea (Ambiances Magnetiques 073) An immense under-taking, this brilliant French-Canadian modern jazz/folk/avant opera of sorts - two cd set with 72 page booklet in French & English. Organized and composed by contrabassist Norman Guilbeault leading a superb 14 piece ensemble featuring some of Quebec's finest - Jean Derome, Tom Walsh, Pierre Tanguay, two narrators and a host of other voices. This work is about Louis Riel - visionary, mystic, poet and founder of Manitoba - one of the most controversial figures in Canadian history. It took Normand four years to put this historical epic together, so it take a while to absorb this entire musical endeavor. The music here is quite diverse - fine jazz & classical ensemble writing and playing, with melodies from a variety of folk themes, a rather Ivesian blend with occasional marching sections and many an interesting poltical speeches to ponder through history. There are times when the passions are set free - both the fire of the narration and the fire of freer-jazz horns spewing come together in a powerful stew. Sometimes a delicate native-American chant will provide a respit from the more intense parts. My friend - Jean Derome - is a consistently inspiring sax & flute player and here he is adding his unique spice to a long and winding journey. There is too much offered here to discuss briefly, but I impressed with vastness & seriousness of this entire epic, this musical plea. Do you have the time to take it all in?!? Two cd set for $20.

25.NEW JAKARTA ENSEMBLE-Commonality (Siam 50005) The NJE are currently an octet led by Indonesian new music composer - Tony Prabowo. The ensemble consists mostly of Indonesian musicians with traditional backgrounds, but does include Canadian violist - Stephanie Griffin. The NJE perform on instruments from all around the world and what also makes them unique is the way they blend Tony's western classical approach with their own more traditional backgrounds. "The Moss Covered Pond" opens with magical layers of numerous chanting vocalists weaving their lines into somber bliss mixed with cosmic drone of a sarunai (wind instrument) and talempong pacik (Indonesian steel drum). "Mantra to Ward Off Evil Spirits" also features more swell but weird layered vocals, dramatic tension from the flute, viola and zheng (Chinese zither) and infectious but reflective percussion. "Broken Piece" is another delightful vocals only gem with beautiful & haunting layers of numerous vocal lines. Tony's "Flea Market" was originally written for a percussion unit, but here features the soprano vocalist Nyak Ina Raseuki who sings in Schoenberg's "song-speech" style and overall is rather spacy and spooky in its ambiance and includes more hypnotic percussion as well. The title track comes in two parts and does an amazing job of combining electronic sounding (or sampled) parts with acoustic instruments in a seamless blend/buzz of quiet streams. Rare, precious and often beautiful in its own unique way. $14.

26.WARBURTON-FUCHS-GUIONNET-PERRAUD-Return of the New Thing (Leo 280) I am often overwhelmed by the endless flow of interesting characters who contact me here at DMG through the miracle of e-mail. I been trying to catch up with the hundred plus e. messages from musicians, distributors, demanding music fanatics, journalists and other eccentrics worldwide over the past few months. It makes it all worthwhile when I discover some unrecognized pool of talent in some distant port. Dan Warburtan is a British born, NY schooled and now living in Paris musician/writer and recent e-mail buddy. The "New Thing" of the title refers to free-jazz of the sixties and the cd cover has a child sitting among free-jazz classic lps by Sam Rivers, Paul Bley, Marion Brown, Han Bennink & Misha Mengelberg. This Paris-based quartet includes piano/violin, alto sax, bass & percussion and each member has diverse backgrounds in avant jazz and modern classical musics. The stimulating music on this cd blends both of those modern strands in a mostly free situation. The magic of close listening and quick response and both inspired, centered freedom - holds this together as one stream of events. The four pieces are all long and evolve through a myriad of densities and combinations of players, constantly exploring different terrain, from stark sections to explosive (Cecil Taylor-ish) areas. I am much impressed by the often powerful intensity that Dan's piano and Jean-Luc's alto sax unleash during some of the more exciting moments here, the rhythm team also does a fine job of following and pushing the spirits to new heights. The aptly titled "Y2K" is where the intensity erupts into hyper-drive, eventually hard-charging the beat to the extreme. Whoa! More buried treasure from the audio-explorers over at the Leo label. $14.

GOODBYE & HELLO DEPARTMENT-A very special thanks to all of you out there who take the time to read these long-winded, but informative newsletters each month and to anyone who has visited our humble store in the past nine years of our existence. As our thousand person plus e-mail subscriber list continues to grow, work becomes more complex, challenging and time consuming. This means more after-hours work for yours truly and less gigs to attend, so much changes are in store for all who work hard at DMG. Both Emperor Mike and now Dean Roberts are gone, so Kat, John Hall and myself must work more to keep DMG afloat and on top of adventurous music from all corners of the planet. Here's hoping that the promise of what we have learned and discovered in the 20th century, continues to grow and surprise us in the next century and that greed and/or bitterness doesn't get in the way. Peace from Bruce Lee Gallanter

All reviews above by your pal - Bruce Lee Gallanter from Downtown Music Gallery, while the reviews below were penned by our webmaster David Beardsley.

Music for Violin and Piano - James Tenney (Hat [now] Art 120)

Stylistically, James Tenny has been all over the map and this cd is no exception. From serious 20th century to electronic music to minimalism, he's been there.

Ergodos II with Instrumental Responses is just that - Marc Sabat (violin) and Stephen Clarke (piano) responding, playing along with a 1964 vintage abstract electronic music tape. Clarke polishes off the 3 Pages in the Shape of a Pear (1995), a nod to Erik Saties Pieces in the Form of a Pear, although it doesn't really sound like Satie. The title is a reference to the graphic score. Diaphonic Toccatta (1997) whips by with a busy piano part while the violin plays a slow melody. The slower Chorale (1974) has a thoughtful mournfulness to it. Koan (1971) is in the previously mentioned minimalist vein - solo violin slowly microtonal slides around, gradually rising in pitch over a long period of time. Diaphonic Trio (1997) is a quiet mellow end to the disc, modern but not terrifying. Of course the performances by Sabat and Clarke live up to the quality I expect from Hat Art. If you're curious about Tenney's music, this is a good place to start. $17

Solstice Spirit - James Nyoraku Schlefer (Sparkling Beatnik spr 0001)

All the shakuhachi (Japanese bamboo flute) I've heard has been solo so I was very surprised when I heard the stunning opening track Solstice Spirit for 18 overdubbed flutes. Flute ensembles are way cool but this one seems to be tuned in an obviously non-western way. Worth the price of the cd alone, this track clocks in at 18 minutes and makes the tiny little hairs in my ears dance in ecstasy. Five other tracks of solo shakuhachi round out this cd. $14

Kyoto Spirit - Yoshio Kurahashi (Sparkling Beatnik sb 0007)

In the west, at least in the "classical" music world, techniques like over blowing to get multiple notes at once (harmonics) and bent notes (microtones) are "extended techniques" and considered a bit outside and wild. Not so with the ancient Japanese shakuhachi tradition. The music is both chilled out and far out at the same time. I love it. Eight traditional compositions, this is the first commercial CD release by shakuhachi master Yoshio Kurahashi. $14

Samurai Spirit - Ronnie Nyogetsu Seldin (Sparkling Beatnik sbr001)

New Yorker Ronnie Nyogetsu Seldin is one of only a few masters of the Nezasa-ha school of shakuhachi flute performance. Eight tracks - seven traditional pieces and one original composition by Seldin. The Nezasa-ha tradition seems to be obviously different from other shakuhachi styles, more pulsating, more rhythmic. Very interesting, I might have to go on a shakuhachi binge in 2000 and expose myself to more of this music! $14

Have a happy new year folks!

David Beardsley
Juxtaposition Ezine & 49/32 Radio
http://www.virtulink.com/immp/jux/j_index.htm

Spamming The Globe, 

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