1.JOHN ZORN-Xu Feng (Tzadik 7329) This is the first volume in a series which will document Zorn's demanding "game pieces". So far "The Parachute Years" which consists of a half dozen "game pieces" and three versions of "Cobra" have been released. There are some 25 "game pieces" which date back to 1974 through 1992. Each piece has a different set of rules, number of players and distinct sonic quality overall. When one of my musical heroes Fred Frith -moved to NY in 1980 and began participating in some of these "game pieces", he told me he felt that this was the work of a genius by coming up new sets of rules to guide improvisers from much different backgrounds into new ways of music making that didn't just deal with the usual tricks or cliches of improv. Zorn mentions in the liner notes that it is not just the rules which define the piece, but the selection of players and the way the prompter or conductor guides the players with sets of cardboard signs and hand signals. 

Xu Feng was composed in 1985, just after Cobra and was a departure from Zorn's most popular and most often played piece. Exact instrumentation of two guitars Fred Frith & John Schott, two electronics players Chris Brown & David Slusser and two percussionists Dave Lombardo & William Winant has been employed. The piece was inspired by Martial Arts actress Xu Feng and Zorn has created a fast-moving, energetic environment. This west coast version was prompted by Zorn himself in May of this year. Although this release consists of eleven tracks, it also involves three conditions yellow, red and blue or concerto instigated by downbeats and qualifiers with spy or renegade soloists and challenge duos. It is the outcome or extreme sounds which we will be entertained, challenged and maybe even confused by at times. Holy shit, this music kicks butt from the opening blast! Dave Lombardo is a powerful drummer who has played with Slayer & the Fantomas as well as downtown supergroup with Zorn, Frith & Laswell. Another interesting choice is guitarist John Schott who has done a Jewish chamber opera for Tzadik, quiet (chamber?) jazz with Ben Goldberg & funk guitar trio with TJ Kirk. William Winant also runs the gamut as Zorn's percussionist of choice for his modern classical works and recently toured with Mr. Bungle. This music constantly moves through incredibly tight, fast, hardcore punk/jazz sections into more restrained and focused noise sections. That Zorn sound of swirling styles, shifting textures, non-stop eruptions keeps both players on their toes and the listeners on the edge of their seats. The focus seems to shift between duos and trios, with short solo explosions breaking through. What amazes me is how tightly constructed everything sounds, moving together through sections with broken mirrored hallways and ending up in the same place as one force. The only thing missing is being able to watch Zorn prompt or push his well selected group through the hoops. If you have never seen Zorn do a version of Cobra live, I urge you to do so there is a visual aspect to this magic which should be reckoned with! Zorn will be prompt another all-star version of Cobra at Tonic on October 26th, the last one in September featured Fred Sherry world renown modern classical cellist. Do not miss it! Until then, you can challenge yourself with "Xu Feng" for $14. 

2.TIM SPARKS-Tanz (Tzadik 7144) Featuring Tim on acoustic guitar, Masada bassist Greg Cohen and Brazilian percussion wizard Cyro Baptista. The title of this cd "Tanz" is Yiddish for "Dance" and it is the second release of Jewish music that virtuoso acoustic guitarist Tim Sparks has done for the grand Tzadik label. Once again Tim has selected a wide variety of tunes from Yiddish, Sephardic and even Oriental sources. Four of these songs have come from legendary klezmer clarinet hero Naftule Brandwein and each is has an enchanting melody. The opening piece is Naftule's "What Were You Doing Before Prohibition" and it has a tasty lilting Latin feel. "Min Khatrat" (Do Not Walk at Night) has an elegant, dreamy touch while Cyro's percussion adds a subtle mystical grace. "Bolgarskii Zhok" (Bulgar Dance) was recorded by the fine early klezmer group Budowitz and it's crooked meter is transformed by Greg's soulful shuffle on bass. The trio play Naftule's "Araber Tanz" with a rather lush enticing funky groove that would fit perfectly in Bar Kokhba Chamber Masada set. Tim creates layers of inter-connected lines on the solo piece "The Most Conceited of All" with elegant harp-like flourishes of notes. Tim calls Naftule's "Fifteen Years Away from Home" a minimalist masterpiece and I must agree that this solo work is also filled with complex lines which build in waves through dense and quiet sections. I dig the way the trio add a bluesy flavor to the Persian-like tune "Hila Wasa". "Where are You My Lover" is another solo piece with a touching melody and only a minimum of notes to warm our souls and ring true. The translated title "Dance Little Yid" is quite apt since that's exactly what it makes me feel like doing with it's uplifting groove. Tim takes a traditional Yemenite chanted tune "The Holy Presence Awakens the Sleepers" and improvises bluesy licks with startling mastery! Tanz' concludes with another enchanting solo guitar piece called "The Rose in Bloom" which is a bittersweet delight with more harp-like strumming. Superb! $14. 

3.JENNY SCHEINMAN QUARTET-Live at Yoshi's (Avant 045) Former bay area violin great Jenny Scheinman moved here last year and has been an essential part of the downtown network ever since. She has been playing with a variety of downtown's best and wowed us in Zorn's Cobra last month. She was & is also an important part of the bay area musical community and her name keeps popping us on cds we sell I noticed she has played on cds by two fine vocalists in recent memory Noe Venable & Shweta Jhaveri. This is her debut release for Avant as a leader of a well chosen quartet featuring bay area greats Dave McNab on guitar, Todd Sickafoose on bass and Scott Amendola (from the Paul Plimley Trio) on drums. I am unfamiliar with Dave as of yet, but Todd recently sent us a fine cd by his own unit. Jenny composed all the pieces here and each is wonderful. "Junius Elektra" opens the cd with an elegant, gracious melody and Jenny's voice lusciously enhancing lovely melody, the rest of the band slowing soaring with her. "Sensitive New Age Caveman" has a subtle, funky groove and enchanting melody that makes me wanna hum along and both the violin and guitar play superb inspired solos. What I find really stands out here is that Jenny has found a way to make her violin sing like a vocalist who knows how to reach out and touch us with warmth and passion. I dig the way her violin stretches the notes out with hypnotic and haunting results on "Weighing Water" - Dave's guitars follows with another fine solo which continues the vibe perfectly. Considering this is a live release, there is no applause and it has excellent sound. This is a stunning debut from a delightful quartet playing endearing songs which I would hope might even be embraced on WBGO. Stranger things have happened. $18. 

4.THE CRACOW KLEZMER BAND-De Profundis (Tzadik 7143) I had not realized the vast and ever-growing amount of the klezmer bands world-wide, until I finished reading the highly recommended Essential Klezmer' book recently. There are hundreds of diverse klez bands out there, each with their own approach to traditional, adapted and original material. The Tzadik label continues to bless us with more lesser known klez gems like this excellent Polish quartet. This is an acoustic quartet with the instrumentation of violin, two accordions (one doubling on clarinet) and double bass. Two of the seven pieces are traditional and the others were written by the band. The first tune is "Balkan Dance" and both accordions create mesmerizing lines, building and weaving while the violin dances on top like a gypsy ghost set free incredible! "Sher" is a traditional piece which begins with a slow, swaying, melancholy tango-like melody which later picks up speed in a joyous embrace of spinning spirits and the violin, accordion and bass each play a short impassioned solo! On the title piece, as well as throughout this cd, the violin (or maybe arco bass?) is recorded from a distance which adds a mysterious spacious quality which is most captivating. This piece moves in slow motion while one accordion throbs a hypnotic pulse throughout, the other instruments drift in and out with hushed tension. The appropriately titled "Devil Circle" swirls and casts an intoxicating spell of lively gypsy demons building to an intense conclusion. "Awaiting" is once more slow and sad, the clarinet and violin softly pleading for help, eventually the tempo increases a quick and abrupt finale. The last piece is "Secrets of Life " and the violin and one accordion embrace and play an immensely moving melody while the other accordion wails on top for the first half, the tempo then quickens to dizzying dance of crazed flames! Yeah! $14. 

5.FRANKLIN KIERMYER QUARTET-sanctification (SunShip Records 99002) Featuring Michael Stuart on saxes, John Esposito on piano and Fima Ephron (Hasidic New Wave) on bass. It continues to amaze me that master drummer and composer Franklin Kiermyer still has not received the attention he well deserves. This is his fifth jazz release as a leader and each previous cd (two for Konnex, two for Evidence) has been outstanding! He started his own label last year and this is his second cd, along with two others in his chanting monks series. He can also be found kicking some thunderous tubs on Tisziji Munoz's "Alpha-Nebula" release. An obvious big inspiration and the same instrumentation is found in the classic John Coltrane Qt. and this is no small feat considering that the Trane Qt. was often viewed as thee most influential avant-jazz group of the sixties! Hence, these are some heavy shoes to fill! The opening track is also the title tune and it is a long, flowing, cosmic journey which is both calm and storm-like simultaneously. Franklin has chosen each member of his quartet wisely, since they work a one dynamic force! Franklin continually spins the rhythm around and around, tenor saxist Michael Stuart is an old school mate of Franklin's from Quebec and he is a real find - burning, erupting and breathing fire in passionate streams. He sounds like a man possessed by heavy spirits! Pianist John Esposito also has that powerful McCoy-like waves-of-notes approach that works wonders. This piece begins with a storm force and then winds do to silence, building from the bottom once more creating a peaceful presence and then building to dense storm once more. "aspiration" drifts in mallets and soft bells/cymbals, haunting tenor and calm, gracious piano trance-inducing beauty. "purification" explodes with fire-breathing drums and blasting tenor a powerful duo in which both players become one blur of activity ever tight and transcendent! If I didn't know better, I would think that this is Interstellar Space. "invocation" shows that the quartet can play a lovely, bluesy, ballad with somber grace Michael's tenor tone especially warm. "illumination" has that "Giant Steps" like complex head difficult to pull off, but no problem for these dudes an eruption of quick spinning spirits flying! A swirling, two-handed piano solo also kicks the intensity up a notch. Pretty fucking amazing from beginning to the end! $14. 

6.GILGAMESH-arriving twice (Cuneiform 140) For us Canterbury fan-addicts, anything new or even unreleased from our heroes is like manna from heaven! The late Alan Gowen was the other keyboard wiz from National Health, along with Dave Stewart. Gilgamesh was Alan's main outlet as a bandleader & composer and they had two albums released in 1975 and 1978. Besides his work with National Health, Gowan did a duo & trio album with Hugh Hopper and quartet record with Phil Miller, Richard Sinclair & Trevor Tomkins. There was not much else recorded by this fine keyboardist/composer, so this compilation of unreleased material from 73-'75 is indeed a treasure worth savoring! From the very first note, it has that wonderful Canterbury jazz-rock sound! That Hatfield/National Health el. piano and fuzz-tone el. guitar fusion sound when it was still fresh and not filled with the funky super-quick cliches of much late 70's lame fusion. From the opening tune onwards Alan's keys & Phil Lee's guitar are constantly soloing or just playing together, swirling in and around each other in complex and highly charged ways. The longest piece is the almost 18 minute tour-de-force "You're Disguised" which goes through a half different sections each extremely well written and flowing perfectly through hills and valleys of sharps turns at varying tempos and styles subtle blues, funk and prog licks, but never staying in one genre too long. The great rhythm team of Neil Murray (National Health) on bass and Mike Travis on drums also must navigate through the complex ever-changing sections. For the middle three pieces Peter Lemer (ESP release from '68) is added on second keyboards and their sound is even more National Health like with an even more assured and somewhat denser web of activity. "Extract" is laid back and elegant (a ballad?) and shows a rather quaint side to this effort with a warm & lovely solo from Mr. Lee. There is much joy and honest uplifting spirits bubbling from within this music, the long pieces tell tall tales which take us all on great journeys. In the final section from "Worlds of Zin" both the guitar and synth solo together and just keep pushing the vibe up towards the heavens. This entire 68 minute endeavor is excellent throughout. The superb lengthy and informative liner notes covering Alan Gowen's history were written by Canterbury archivist and Calyx webhost Aymeric Leroy. Rejoice! $13. 

7.URI CAINE ENSEMBLE-The Goldberg Variations (W&W 054) Brilliant and bizarre! Uri has done it again expanding his vision and ensemble(s) to over forty musicians, four groups jazz, classical, opera and even hip-hop players adapting, arranging and composing some 70 variations of Bach's keyboard masterwork spread over two long cds in that classic Winter & Winter packaging! Some of the star musicians include Don Byron, Greg Osby, Ernst Reijseger, Todd Reynolds, Milton Cardona, Ralph Alessi, Bob Stewart, Josh Roseman, Ralph Peterson, DJ's Olive & Logic. The vocalists include David Moss, Dean Bowman and Vinicius Cantuaria. With over 2 _ hours of music it is a long and winding trip through many diverse lands. Uri opens with the "Aria" on forte piano, which sounds like a harpsichord and it is quite quaint. It is followed by a duo with gamba (classical instrument) and more forte piano and then harpsichord itself pretty normal classical sound so far. "The Dig It Variations" feature the soulful crooning of Dean Bowman (Screaming Headless Torsos) and Uri's equally bluesy piano. DJ Logic ads dub beats and samples to his "Invention", while Uri's jazz quintet do a fluttering "Stuttering Variation". Throughout the entire work a classical quartet with harpsichord, gamba, baroque trumpet and violin appear many times doing only slightly quirky variations. Uri's jazz quintet and sextet also keep coming back to a variety of jazz variations from dixieland to further out excursions. There are even moments of drum n' bass wackiness from Boomish. All the variations are under 5 _ minutes, so nothing goes on too long. There are of course some silly moments like "The Dr. Jeckyll & Mr. Hyde Variations" which feature David Moss' goofy vocals. There is a fine balance between the jazz/blues and the classical variations which fit together in an odd yet natural way and all the pieces flow together just right. Some of the highlights include a tale spinning duo for piano and alto sax (Greg Osby), Uri's solo variations which explore a wealth of styles, the groovy gospel vocals of Barbara Walker on "The Nobody Knows Variations' and the sly latin-jazz vibe on "The Contrapunto Variation". Another cool thing about this work is that Uri will get the jazz cats to play some of the classical variations and will mix members of the different ensembles to come up with a fresh way of approaching the odd variation. Even the hip-hop variations work and fit into the scheme or flow. Bravo to Uri Caine and his long list of collaborators! A two cd extravaganza for $25. 

8.ANDY LASTER'S HYDRA-soft shell (KFW 281) Featuring Herb Robertson on trumpet and cornet, Drew Gress on bass, Tom Rainey on drums and Andy on alto sax. Andy Laster is a fine sax player and composer who records infrequently, taking his time between each release and making each one count. This is a solid, strong quartet of all local greats, especially trumpet monster Herb Robertson who has been living in Berlin for the past few years. This recording is about two _ years old, but certainly worth the wait. Andy writes quirky tunes which move in different directions, always keeping his quartet on their toes. The title track opens and goes through quite a variety of changing sections - hair-pin turns, starts and stops. Herb, of course, pulls off one of his high-falutin solos which always brings a smile. Drew & Tom also fly through these daredevil turns with ease. The only cover is Kurt Weill's "Here I'll Stay/Go" which shows Andy's bittersweet alto tone in fine form with Drew & Tom also playing wonderfully inspired story-telling-like solos. I dig the way they push this standard in new and unexpected directions. Andy seems to enjoy writing tunes with fractured rhythmic schemes - on "Horripilate" the tune keeps jerking forward in weird (spastic) ways, always on the brink of falling apart - but it doesn't a sort of Monk-like trick which works. "Floating" is an apt title for a tune which employs much space, the horns playing long, somber tones. The tempo of "No. 16" is in constant flux fast-slow-fast-slow-fast-slow two pieces rolled into one an almost invisible thread holding it together. The oddly titled "South Shore Reform Experience" comes in two parts and is funky in a twisted sort of way, but then falls apart abruptly at the end. Andy plays a more jagged solo on "July Song" which is also episodic, moving through a number of slyly connected sections. It is often Herb Robertson whose solos have the most surprises filled with absolutely nutty charm. We can only hope that we won't have to wait for so long for more buried treasure from this fine quartet. $13. 

9.THE DANUBIANS-s/t (Cuneiform 138) Amy Denio is always ending up in some wonderful ensemble somewhere on this crazy planet mixing genres, cultures and always with other great musicians. She is an extraordinary bassist, alto saxist & vocalist from Seattle who has play with the Tonedogs & Billy Tipton Memorial Sax Qt. in the early part of her long musical journey, but over the past decade she has spent much time collaborating with European players like the EC Nudes (w/ Chris Cutler), the Science Group (w/ Frith & Cutler) and word is that she has toured in an accordion trio w/ Hans Reichel and Rene Lussier! The Danubians is her latest collaboration with some of Eastern Europe's finest players Pavel Fajt Czech drummer who has worked with Iva Bittova and is in Dunaj, guitarist Csaba Hajnoczy and violinist/vocalist Gabi Kenderesi both of whom are from a fine Hungarian progressive unit Kampec Dolores who I caught at the Victo fest. The completely charming, quirky cd was recorded live on tour in Europe over two months last year. Amy seems to concentrate on accordion on much of this cd and what is most endearing is the combined voices of Gabi and Amy together. On the delightful opening tune "Mirror Talk" Pavel plays a delicate, enchanting drum machine groove while both voices caress us with their warm beauty. "Hanana" is also a low-key lullaby-like beaut with dreamy accordion and more lovely vocals. On the mostly sax & drums duo "Odpoledne" the melody line is more Euro folk music in sound it begins calmly but gets a bit more intense as the piece unfolds. Pavel does a great job of creating hypnotic grooves on his varied percussion, without ever bashing hard. On "Heavy Heaven" two parts seem in perfect balance echoed vocals and a quietly funky world music rhythmic groove. Even better on "Tebit" both voices get weirder while Pavel's percussion also builds while adding strange samples to the mix, the bass also throbbing below. Amy sounds as if she is playing her accordion through a blender on "Karouselika" the lines start to mutate slightly like the awkwardness of an inexplicable dream. The Danubians even try out a twisted funk groove on "Palm Tree" with more wacky vocals added to the mix and some space-age slide guitar. Amy plays some snake-charmer sax on "One Train" which builds to a scary conclusion. The final tune is "Night Train" and it is a somber, drifting piece for distant, ghost-like vocal sounds and a subtle mesmerizing haze an enchanting treat. $13. 

10.THINKING PLAGUE-Early Plague Years (Cuneiform 141) Thinking Plague were and still are an outstanding, distinctive and by now legendary progressive outfit from Colorado. They have been around since 1983 and have made only four releases, with many years and changes in personnel in between. Their first release A Thinking Plague' came out in 1984 and their second lp Moonsongs' in 1986. Both of these lps were nearly impossible to find and still go for big bucks from prog collectors worldwide. Most folks know them from their first cd In This Life' (ReR) which sounded very Henry Cow influenced and even had a guest appearance from Fred Frith. Almost a decade later they reformed once more and released last year's wonderful "In Extremis" for Cuneiform and toured for the first time playing an amazing set at the Knit last summer and also at the Near (Prog) Fest a few months ago. 

The great news is that Cuneiform has just reissued many of the best tracks from their two early long-gone lps on this here cd. Guitarist Mike Johnson is the leader and main composer still and only bassist & multi-instrumentalist Bob Drake has been on all of their releases. Their quirky lead singer for Moonsongs' was Susanne Lewis, who eventually moved to NY forming Hail (with Drake & Chris Cutler) and still puts out engaging solo cds. 'Early Plague Years' contains two tracks from 'In This Life' one of which - "Moonsongs" appears in its original mix. This release begins with their second release first. "Warheads" the opening track reminds me of Henry Cow's disturbing and exhilarating manifesto from 'In Praise of Learning'. It deals lyrically with those corporations who push war for profit and how religion tries to soothe us. The music has that dark ever-changing Euro-prog style that we know and love so well. "Etude for Combo" is an instrumental in which sections constantly collide, very tightly knit and filled with dread. Suzanne's voice is heard from a distance on "Inside Out" with ominous sounds surrounding her. "Moonsongs" is a long and winding epic which still knocks me, the mid-section features Susanne's intense vocals answered by a chorus of band members to great affect. Guests saxists and Chris Cutler-like drums also add much to this strong brew, as does the marching beat and demented guitar solo later on. On their first lp, the vocalist was Sharon Bradford and she also sings Mike's dark words, her own and other found poetry with probing ability. "Possessed" also has that Henry Cow/Art Bears-like disturbing/triumphant/all too real version of life's pains. Bob Drake bows a balalaika on "Four Men in the Rain" with weird hypnotic results. The final piece "Thorns of Blue and Red/the War" is another lengthy epic with haunting words by an obscure poet named Katie Floyd. This piece is often more sparse, but no less effective in its chilling resolve. We are mighty glad to see & hear these two progressive classics back in print once again. $13. 

11.CLAUDIO GABBIANI-nightnursing (Auditorium 01) Featuring Chris Cutler on percussion & electronics, Jon Rose on cello & tenor violin, Roberto Musci on synth & sampler, Roberto Zorzi on el. guitar and Claudio on guitars & electronics as well. Although I am previously unfamiliar with Claudio Gabbiani, Musci I recall from his duo cds with Venosta on Cuneiform and I just saw/heard and met Roberto Zorzi last night in an amazing trio with Elliott Sharp & Joey Baron at Tonic & they are in the studio today. Zorzi used to be in Italian progressive bands NAD & LA 1919. Percussionist extraordinaire Chris Cutler needs no intro and originally Australian string wonder Jon Rose is curating a two week string festival at Tonic in October. "nightnursing" consists mostly of quartets, trios and two duos with Gabbiani & Musci. Each piece is very different and it is hard to tell who is doing what with many samples & electronics involved. The opening track is also the title piece and it is a duo listing samplers & guitar, but I hear violin & sampled percussion. Hmmmm. Are the liner notes wrong? Both Gabbiani & Zorzi like to alter their el. guitars with various devices and on "Persistence of Vision" sampled voices, fragments of violin & guitar sounds weave a mysterious, spacious cloud. Jon Rose's cello also has been altered and sounds like an alien transmission. Much of this has a dark and rather unnerving quality, nothing is what it seems - strange sampled voices in different languages appear and then disappear. On "Antique Toys" Chris Cutler's distinctive percussion is used minimally and selectively while layers of eerie samples create a dark and often spooky world. In some ways this reminds me of Tim Hodgkinson's work with another Italian electro-acoustic ensemble Ossatura, but not as alien-sounding as their release, a bit gentler. "Persistence of Vision III" is my favorite selection since it is so calm - the samples and guitars quietly create an enchanting web of whispers. Although I dig the suspense-filled world of interwoven sounds that Claudio has created, it seems as if the contributions by Chris Cutler & Jon Rose are well selected but minimal. $15. 

12.MAT MANERI QUARTET-Blue Deco (Thirsty Ear 57092) Featuring Craig Taborn on piano, William Parker on bass, Gerald Cleaver on drums and Mat on violin. Although the ever challenging violinist Mat Maneri has most often done difficult and thorny improv on most of his recordings so far, this release is something of a departure - it features local piano sensation Craig Taborn, who has played with leaders as diverse as Roscoe Mitchell & Tim Berne and Mat does some unique covers this time around tunes by Duke Ellington & Matt Shipp, as well as a traditional lullaby!?! Opening with "Hush Little Baby" - Mat still plays the head with his skewered touch before Craig pushed the pace to an ultra-quick flash and then the entire quartet explodes together like lightning! "It #2" is a duo for violin & bass and with Mat flying on top of William's more somber arco bass bottom. The title tune starts out almost blues-like and minimal but constantly builds as the violin & piano follow each other into somewhat denser and darker terrain. The quartet cover (Blue Series producer) Matt Shipp's "The New Lord's Prayer" in a hushed, mysterious way ghosts lurking in the shadows, ultra minimal yet powerful. Mat's violin often takes its time, leaving ample space between the notes to savor each and every sound one at a time, often requiring extreme patience to see/hear the connection which lies underneath. The piano seems to underline the violin's oblique strategies on "Mute" both moving in slow motion, but as soon as Mat finishes his first solo, Craig double-times the rest of the group and the tension gets more dense until Mat comes back in to play the lengthy head again. This exceptional cd concludes with Duke's "I Got it Bad" an odd choice some would say?!? Actually, the quartet play it in a sleepy, drifting sort of way, like it might fall apart at any second - like Johnny Hodges meeting Monk in an oasis. $14. 

13.GUY KLUCEVSEK-Free Range Accordion (Starkland 209) Guy has long been the downtown legend of that unwieldy, wheezing, squeezebox - the accordion! His never-ending search for new and unusual music for his trusty accordion has taken him far and wide and each of his numerous releases show the extreme diversity of approaches and cultures where the accordion is found. He has done both solo and group recordings, has collaborated with Zorn on many occasions, more recently did a duo with Chadbourne and was (is?) a member of the great European collective - Accordion Tribe. We still get asked about his long out-of-print Japanese polka compilation cds and he records most infrequently so that each release gets much preparation. 'Free Range Accordion' is his first solo effort in many years and it features a number of distinguished and diverse composers, as well as a few of Guy's originals. The cd cover is a hoot and shows Guy riding a large accordion like a horse with Guy dressed as a cowboy. Part of what makes Guy so lovable is his wacky sense of humor. The composers here include Stephen Montague, Lois V Vierk, Somei Satoh, Burt Bacharach & Lars Hollmer. I recall a solo piano piece composed by Stephen Montague and performed by Margaret Lang-Ten at New Music America in Montreal which was one of the most startling works I have ever heard and I have tried to search out his other pieces. Guy plays Montague's "Aeolian Furies" here and it is another marvel of breath-taking speed and agility, lines building furiously in waves. Jerome Kitzke's "Breath and Bone" is ridiculously cool and off-the-wall, with hilarious Marx Bros. like vocal sounds and a twisted mix of corny gags and other funny shenanigans. Somei Satoh's "Recitative" is a drone piece which unfolds ever so slowly, creating a tension which gets under one's skin. Another even more haunting drone work is Lois V Vierk's "Blue Jets Red Sprites" which breathes mesmerizing lines moving in different directions, colliding and combining and building to a suspenseful conclusion. Guy's own "Three of a Kind" was written for a dance piece and is in three parts. It is a thoroughly enchanting, somber and rather sentimental work which I find quite beautiful. Burt Bacharach certainly need no intro due in part to the renewed interest in his works (thanks to the Zorn comp) and I have heard Guy perform these two pieces live. "The Blob" was Burt's first hit from 1958 and is also hilarious with whistling, clapping, mouth percussion and silly lyrics. The longest piece is "Hymn" by the well respected uptown composer Aaron Jay Kernis and it deals with the issues of war and suffering around the war. From its solemn beginning it grows more and more dissonant and troubling as time moves forward through the horrors of war's devastation - harsh clusters of notes erupt and exhaust all who listen and comprehend. The final song comes from Lars Hollmer once of the various Von Zamla bands and later in Accordion Tribe with Guy. His piece "Boeves Psalm" is an endearing, folk-like tune, a perfect way to touch all of our hearts and a perfect conclusion for a wonderful cd. $13. 

14.RASHIED ALI-PETER KOWALD-ASSIF TSAHAR-Deals, Ideas & Ideals (Hopscotch 6) German avant-jazz bass giant Peter Kowald recently drove across the US playing solo and with local improvisers in over 30 cities! He stopped in NY for a couple of nights and played at the Pink Pony. The first set each night was a tour-de-force solo contrabass offering and he played in a trio for the second set. The first night the trio included local drum legend Rashied Ali and Israeli whirlwind tenor sax & bass clarinet great Assif Tsahar. The second night the trio included the ever-amazing William Parker also on his trusty contrabass and Assif Tsahar once more. The first trio went into Rashied's Survival Studio during the day and recorded this mind-blowing cd! Each member of the trio has a thick sound, propelling us in waves of notes, powerful and well balanced. "isotopes" opens with Kowald's massive bowed bass sound which soon connects with Assif's bass clarinet contemplation covering a similar wooden sound focus and brooding quiet fire from the drums as well. On "freedom train" the trio goes for the gusto and erupts with thunderous force, burning, blasting, bleeding, pleading, wailing, smoking, stomping - there is no turning back! The vibe goes back down to solemn introspection on "hereafter" showing that this trio can also lay back and not overwhelm. Eventually the piece builds to a frenetic upheaval. Kowald chants a low end vocal drone on "walking shadows" which is reminiscent of the Mongolian throat singers and with Assif's howling tenor and Rashied's bells it is a cosmic communion of the spirits which brings this trio to an appropriate finale. $14. 

15.DEAN ROBERTS/WERNER DAFELDECKER-Aluminum (erstwhile 009) Some of you might recognize Dean Roberts from his tenure with New Zealand noise/rock band Thela or maybe from one of his three fine solo releases filed under the name White Winged Moth or possibly from his time spent working here at DMG last year helping us write reviews for our newsletters and also for The Wire. He is back in NY again this year, working at Rocket Scientist part time and doing the occasional gig at Tonic. Werner Dafeldecker is part of that new electro-acoustic improv scene from Austria which was recently featured in Signal to Noise and has collaborated with Christof Kurzmann and Burkhard Stangl. Dean and Werner both play guitars often on tables, electronics and percussion. Aluminum' is their first duo collaboration and Erstwhile Records was/is wise enough to release this subtle alien trance-mission. It consists of only two pieces entitled "Rock and Roll Parts 4 & 5". There are sounds of a high pitched drone and selective sporadic noise splotches which are quite eerie - as if a signal is trying to break through from another dimension. The drone expands and begins to mutate as occasional sound fragments float in and out of the bubbling stew. This was the ten minute excursion of "Part 4". The second piece is much longer (30 minutes) and takes its time to unfold with no drones in the early stage, but consists of much electric string manipulations which often sound like Fred Frith's guitar-on-table sonic universe softly banging on the strings with smooth objects and scraping them as well. The guitars are often used as percussion instruments and also cymbals are employed - rubbed, tapped and scraped. This duo do a fine job of creating suspense filled environments or moods which will haunt us like dreams which only make partial sense. Erstwhile continues to slowly get under our skin and quietly into the depths of our brains with each rewarding release. $13. 

16.LEO CUYPER'S QUARTET-Heavy Days are Here Again (Atavistic 207) Featuring Han Bennink on drums, soprano sax & trombone, Willem Breuker on saxes & clarinet, Arjen Gorter on bass and Leo Cuypers on piano. Mr. Cuypers is a phenomenal Dutch avant/jazz pianist who once played in the Willem Breuker Kollektief. Outside of the mention of him in Kevin Whitehead's great book 'New Dutch Swing', I wouldn't have recalled his name either. He did put together one helluva quartet for this long out of print Bvhaast album with two members who still play in Kollektief twenty years later and our favorite drummer & lunatic - Han Bennink who recently toured the south with Eugene Chadbourne and played for a week at the Iridium with Dave Douglas, Misha Mengelberg and Brad Jones!?! The title tune was inspired by our fun-loving president Ronald Reagen, since the Republicans actually believed that those were "Happy Days". There is a silly charm to the opening theme, but soon the quartet explodes into hyper-drive with Leo burnin' down keyboard with a hurricane force and the rest of the quartet also flying, whipping out streams of notes at breakneck speed! "Alsadat de Olifantstand" recalls those down home, funky tunes that Chris MacGregor's Blue Notes were so fond of playing. These tunes often start off normally enough, yet explode with crazed energy in the middle. "Misha" is dedicated to Mr. Mengelberg and does have that off-kilter charm that Misha and the ICP often use. Han really behaves himself by adding just the right amount of punctuation to the affectionate piano & sax duo. "Be-Bach" is a sort of bebop tune turned on its side - once more it begins at a medium bobbin' tempo, but soon Leo's piano goes wilder & wilder, but then a bass solo brings it back down to earth, later the piano and sax begin wailing together, heading for the stratosphere. Too much! "Blue Tango" is a tango and is played relatively straight with Breuker on clarinet, but then turns into a duo with the drums (and scissors?). The final piece is "Couperin" and is filled with more hijinks and is broken into wacky sections Han plays some wild trombone and the quartet once again explodes at tempos beyond belief!! Totally nuts!!! A winner! $13. 

17.ROSS BOLLETER-Crow Country (Pogus 21021) The wonderfully bizarre Pogus label consistently releases incomprehensible music (?) from around the globe that most labels wouldn't touch. A odd mix of contemporary classical, electronic, manipulated sounds and instruments that fall between the cracks of categorization. This is why some of us look forward to each and every Pogus release. Can't say much about Ross Bolleter except that he is from Australia and had a track on a New Albion compilation cd called 'Austral Voices'. On that comp, as on this new release Ross plays a Ruined Piano which was stored in the Nallan Sheep Station and is disintegrating as he plays it. "Unfinished Business" features this Ruined Piano and the sounds of nature surround it - notes vibrate, keys crack, break into fragments and turn to dust - there are only a handful of working keys left, but it doesn't matter since each sound sets a spirit free. The warped notes slowly get thicker like a wind-up toy breaking down. This is followed by "Under Rookwood" for two solo contrabasses layered on top of each other. It is also dark and filled with mysterious bowed and plucked bass sound masses. "That Time" is for two musicians (prepared piano and double-bass) playing at opposite ends of Australia who can't hear each other and whose playing is transmitted by radio signals. Both musicians play haunting, ominous, low-end, sustained, bass drones and pedal-down piano suspense. "Labyrinth Tango" is for solo accordion and it mixes numerous tangos together in an improvised continuous stew from darkness to light the textures wheeze through melodic and weird shapes. "Piano Dreaming" is for a Ruined Pianola with tape manipulation recorded late at night in darkness and once again the landscape is filled with strange and somber meandering muses. All this and all other Pogus cds for a mere $10. 

18.MICHAEL BISIO-Undulations (Omnitone 15001) This Seattle based quintet features Bob Nell (cd on New World) on piano, Rob Blakeslee (many Nine Winds cds) on trumpet, cornet & flugelhorn, Jim Nolet on viola (former Jazz Passenger), Ed Pias on drums and Michael Bisio (for Joe McPhee, Wayne Horvitz & on CIMP cds) on contrabass. Over the past few years I have been hearing the fine Seattle based bassist popping up in a number of great musical situations from a recent duo & an older quintet cd with Eyvind Kang, as well as a great two bass group with Joe McPhee & Dominic Duval. You may not know any of these fellows, but they cook right from the starting gate. On "Doesn't Really" they're off and running with quick, inspired and spinning solos from the trumpet, viola and piano with the rhythm team pushing these guys hard. Great to hear the incredible Bob Nell dazzling us on piano, his old New World cd is an unrecognized gem. Each member of this quintet gets a chance to compose a tune and all do a fine job of challenging the other members. Jim Nolet's "Golden Blue" has the drummer playing with hands, using mallads and constantly revving up the rhythm and pushing each soloist ever skywards. Bisio has a nice touch on bass and begins Blakeslee's "Give Up the Chair" with a solemn intro, the trumpet (flugel?) and viola do a fine job of gliding together and playing the melancholy theme with soft passion, Bob Nell also pulls off another amazing solo with the drummer shadowing him perfectly throughout. Nell's own tune "Injury or Malpractice?" seems to come from an older tradition, sort of a bluesy show-tune melody that sounds familiar with delightful solos from Michael & Bob both. Bisio's dedication to 60's bass great "Grimes, Henry Grimes" seems to have a couple of threads coming from different (Monk-ish) sources moving through a quirky web of changing sections with Nolet's spunky viola swerving in and around the piano flourishes like Mat Maneri often does. The title track moves in slow motion on top while the drummer spins quick, flowing and ebullient down below - soon the piano, viola and flugel start cascading in ever quickening swirls and slowing down gracefully once more. The drummer Ed Pias' "Legends" flies by pretty quickly and also features his spinning drums at the center of the hurricane, with short fast trading of the viola and trumpet. Omnitone continues to astound us with each and every cd. $14. 

20.Randy Hostetler- Happily Ever After (Frogs Peak Music) Friends of the late Randy Hostetler continue to celebrate his life with the release of this cd. 45 minutes of many people telling stories reminds me of other text based pieces like Steve Reichs Come Out or Alvin Luciers I Am Sitting In A Room except we hear fragments of the stories overlapping in a collage of sound. All the stories start with "Once apon a timeä" and end with "Happily ever after..." Strange unsettling music. Be sure to visit http://livingroom.org a site dedicated to the memory of this composer. $14 

1.CHRISTIAN MARCLAY & OTOMO YOSHIHIDE-Moving Parts (Asphodel 2001) Long delayed titans of the turntables do their distinctive improv insanity! $14.

2.HOWARD RILEY-BARRY GUY-TONY OXLEY-Synopsis (Emanem 4044) Graphic scores interpreted by this British all-star trio with Howard on piano, Barry Guy on amplified basses and Tony Oxley on drums & electronics. Reissue of their Incus lp with extra material included. $17.

3.STEVE LACY-Hooky (Emanem 4042) An entire Montreal solo concert from 1976 including the title piece which is not found anywhere else and 50 minutes of previously unreleased solo soprano sax from the same gig! $17.

4.EUGENE CHADBOURNE-FRANK LOWE-Don't Punk Out (Emanem 4043) Essential reissue of an incredibly rare lp from 1979 and early meeting of two gods of free/jazz/improv from very different worlds. Frank could still play that tenor sax back then and Eugene was playing/torturing that guitar like no-one else. Also includes much unreleased material. $17.

5.BUCKETHEAD- Cobra Strike 2 (ION 2012) More deft-fingered techno/metal guitar shenanigans from... the new lead guitarist for GUNS n ROSES?!?

6.PAUL DUNMALL-SIMON PICARD-TONY BIANCO-Utoma Trio (Emanem 4040) Dunmall is one of England's finest avant-jazz sax heroes from Keith Tippett's Mujician and this in an outstanding trio for two tenors and percussion! $17.

7.ALEXANDER VON SCHLIPPENBACH QUARTET-Hunting the Snake (Atavistic 213) Featuring EVAN PARKER, PETER KOWALD & PAUL LOVENS!! Amazing reissue of this incredible all-star session by four giants of Euro-avant-jazz! $14.

8.IRENE SCHWEIZER-JOHN TCHICAI QUARTET-Willi the Pig (Atavistic 210) Another wonderful reissue from Atavistic's ongoing "Unheard Music Series"! $14.

9.JULIE TIPPETTS-Shadow Puppeteer (La Cooka 101) Superb solo effort for voice and numerous instruments from one of finest avant-jazz vocal heroines of all time! $14.

10.ELTON DEAN-HUGH HOPPER QUARTET-The Mind in the Trees (Blueprint 274) Newer unreleased studio gem from two members of Soft Machine circa Vol. 2 - 6!! $14.

11.ANTHONY MOORE-Reed, Whistle and Sticks (Blueprint 281) Very early solo effort from Pre-Slapp Happy founder from 1972 - extremely weird explorations of repetition in 99 trax! $14.

12.MACBETH [soundtrack from the Roman Polanski flick] (Blueprint 312) Legendary soundtrack improvised in the studio featuring Glen Sweeney on percussion, Paul Buckmaster (cellist & famous arranger), Simon House on violin & synth (Hawkwind), Paul Minns on oboe and Denim Bridges on guitars. $14.

13.SONGS FROM THE HYDROGEN JUKEBOX (Blueprint 283) Live at the Art Lab at Drury Lane in 1969 and featuring the rare six piece version with Lyn Dobson (pre-Softs) $14.

14.ABELARD AND HELOISE (Blueprint 310) Recently released soundtrack for 1970 German TV film directed by Fuchs - quartet for oboe, viola, cello & drums! $14.

15.NEW AGE MAGIC MUSIC (Blueprint 257) Ecstatic, alchemical repetition, drones, cosmic, psychedelic, etc. $14.

16.BRAIN WAVES (Materiali Sonori 90045) Voodoo-ragas-dance-trance continues from 1993 for violin, guitar, soprano sax and percussion. 14.

17.MAGIC MUSIC (Materiali Sonori 90016) Sun Ra raga, space-travelling drones' etc.$14.

18.LIVE GHOSTS (Materiali Sonori 90004) Live in Italy from 1988 with 1 bonus track. $14 

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