Annette Peacock has supplied us with whatever few copies she had left from the releases on her own IRONIC RECORDS label that she operated in the Eighties out of the UK. We and she are aware of the heady prices these releases have been commanding on eBay and in collectors stores and we suggest you not hesitate to snap these up now! The prices have been set in accordance with how few she had. This material will not see re-issue anytime soon, if at all. Ms. Peacock plans to revive her IRONIC imprint in the near future and strong candidates for the first two releases are the unreleased 1990 album and a CD-length version of BEEN IN THE STREETS TOO LONG with even more unreleased material!

SKY SKATING (Ironic 2) A solo album of delicate songs, A. Peacock does all the instrumentation [acoustic and electric pianos, drum programming and percussion]; daughter Solo accompanies her on the title track. Released 1982

LP - $16.99
Signed LP - $35.00
Signed CD - $35.00 

BEEN IN THE STREETS TOO LONG (Ironic 3) was an LP-only release of unreleased sessions from the mid 70's to the early 80's with players such as Evan Parker, Roger Turner, Rob Schwimmer, Pete La Rocca, Sol Nastasi, David Terry, Sam Phipps, Brian Godding, Bill Bruford, and Chris Spedding. Unfortunately THERE ARE NO MORE COPIES LEFT in any format, signed or unsigned. 

I HAVE NO FEELINGS (Ironic 4) More songs of introspection and desire. Annette (vocals and keys) accompanied throughout by Roger Turner on percussion. Cover by Alfreda Benge. Released 1986

LP - $14.99
CD - $19.99
Signed LP - $35.00
Signed CD - $30.00 

ABSTRACT CONTACT (Ironic 5) Trio record with Annette - voice and keys, Ed "Slam" Poole - bass and Simon "Diamond" Price - drums. Contains the famous "Elect Yourself" cut. CD has 3 extra cuts: one each from the 3 previous Ironic albums. Released 1988

LP - $16.99
CD - $19.99
Signed LP - $35.00
Signed CD - $30.00

Also in stock:

AN ACROBAT'S HEART (ECM 1733) The new album from Annette, 12 years since the last one. Annette on voice and keys accompanied by the Cikada String Quartet from Oslo. A new step forward in the song format. Tender, emotional and intimate in a way that's never been heard before. Released 2000

CD - $15.99

X-DREAMS (SeeCD 451) A. Peacocks 2nd solo album. Players include Mick Ronson, Brian Godding, Chris Spedding, Jim Mullen, Jeff Clyne, Stu Woods, Bill Bruford, John Halsey, Rick Marotta, George Khan, Peter Lemer. Incredible songs including a unique cover of "Don't Be Cruel". Released 1978

CD - $14.99

Marilyn Crispell/Gary Peacock/Paul Motian - NOTHING EVER WAS, ANYWAY: THE MUSIC OF ANNETTE PEACOCK (ECM 1626/27) Double CD set. 14 of Ms. Peacocks compositions played by this great trio; Annette sings on "Dreams (If time weren't)" . Released 1997

2CD set - $23.99 

Bill Bruford - FEELS GOOD TO ME (EGCD 33) With Allan Holdsworth, Dave Stewart, Jeff Berlin. Annette sings three great songs, two of which she wrote for this album - "Seems Like A Lifetime Ago" & "Adios A La Pasada (Goodbye To The Past)" - and one written by Bruford for her, "Back To The Beginning" Released 1977

CD - $11.99

Visit the ANNETTE PEACOCK WEBSITE - I'M THE ONE www/geocities.com/zoom14st/ap.html for bio/interviews/major articles/complete discography/and discography of Paul Bley plays Annette.

And now for this months reviews:

1.JOHN ZORN-Filmworks IX: Trembling Before G-d (Tzadik 7331) This will no doubt be quite a controversial film - a full-length documentary about religious Jews who come out exposing their gay identities in Hasidic communities. It was shot over five years in five cities around the globe in English, Hebrew and Yiddish. Mr. Zorn was honored to provide the score and chose mostly the duo of Jamie Saft on organ and piano and Chris Speed on clarinets, with Cyro Baptista playing percussion on only two tracks. The title track opens and shows how far Chris Speed's clarinet playing has matured into a refined, warm, spacious and elegant toned spirit while Jamie's organ creates ominous, stark shades underneath. The director Sandi Simcha Dubowski had already chosen one piece from the first Bar Kohkba release which helped set the tone for entire score. Zorn chose another Masada piece as well - "Mahshav" which gets a lovely, somber, haunting solo piano version. In "Tashlikh" and throughout this enchanting endeavor, the organ and clarinet play long, melancholy, deeply evocative tones which are mesmerizing and beautiful. Even Masada's "Idalah-Abal" is slowed down and given a suspense-filled reading. There is one break in all these serious sounds, the hilarious "S'men Tov/Mazel Tov" with it's goofy circus organ & drum machine and ridiculous Zappa-like vocals by the composer himself. Keyboard wiz Jamie Saft recently played here at DMG with Dorgon and is master of moods with his well-selected layers of funky keyboards and samples. Throughout this release his playing is a marvel, perfect for creating austere and ponderous moods. Zorn also chooses a few traditional prayer-like pieces ("Sholom Aleichem") which also seem to serve the overall spirit just right. Cyro's exotic Brazilian percussion adds just the right rhythmic spice to Chris' clarinet on "Desert Montage" and even playing an endearing, festive groove on the "End Titles" sequence. John Zorn has done it once again - creating an enchanting world of both soothing and haunting sounds which will help heal the displaced souls amongst all who listen. $14.

2.JOHN ZORN-Cartoon/S&M (Tzadik 7330) This splendid and often riveting double cd collects some six works from John Zorn's classical or concert music series plus two different versions of the Masada piece "Kol Nidre". The first cd is titled 'Cartoon' and it features three pieces from the late 80's/early 90's which was Zorn's quick-cutting or cartoon era, while the second cd is titled 'S&M' fearturing three pieces from the early 90's during the period in which Zorn's fascination with certain cultural taboos came to the forefront. Both cds end with enchanting versions of Masada classic "Kol Nidre". The one question remains - why do these pieces again since most of them can be found on earlier Zorn cds (two were covered by Kronos as well)? We can only imagine that Mr. Zorn must like these versions even better than the originals and by placing them together, the themes or connections between these pieces becomes all the more apparent. Both The Mondriaan Quartet and The Asko Ensemble, both Belgium-based I believe, do an extraordinary job with this difficult music.
'Cartoon Music': I recall the Kronos Quartet performing and recording "Cat O' Nine Tails" almost a decade ago - around the same time Naked City was together and it was/is quintessentially Zorn-like - filled with familiar quotes and flashes of numerous styles/genres from many worlds - classical, noise, rock, jazz, some corny and soundtrack-like - from quiet to explosive, silly to serious and often in short bursts. The Mondriaan Quartet do a fine job of making the piece even more streamlined, no small feat. "Carny" is from 1991 for solo piano and here it is performed by Tomoko Mukaiyama. This work also moves through a variety of landscapes and quotes - sometimes quiet and introspective, sometimes stark, dark and probing, always restless and ever-changing. "For Your Eyes Only" is from 1989 and is for the large Asko Ensemble and is even more remarkable - the bursts of ideas, fragments, quotes are more extreme and even more seamless. This work is one of Zorn's finest as each section is so refined, the flow of ideas so natural, the excitement and humor so perfectly enmeshed. "Kol Nidre" was first heard with the Masada Chamber Sextet and then recorded for Zorn's 'String Quartets' release. The piece is named after the Jewish prayer for the dead and is a favorite of many Masada fans. It is a haunting, melancholy and deeply beautiful work, which seems to reveal the healing quality of certain Masada tunes. 'S & M': begins with "The Dead Man [13 Specimen for String Quartet]" from 1990 was also performed by the Kronos Quartet. This work also gradually moves through many different sections but at a slower pace with large portions of intricate restrained almost invisible insect sound and less intimidating flashes of intense outbursts. "Music for Children" is from 1996 and is for a trio of violin, piano and percussion and was recorded for Zorn's cd by the same name. It the most delicate work here, yet it is also quite busy in places without getting too loud, Zorn seems to have left the quick-cutting abruptness behind by this point. Although each member of the trio comes from a different place dynamically, they always end up in the same soft spirit-world. "Mememto Mori" is also for string quartet from 1992 and it is quite eerie with much spiraling strings, highly charged moments which appear and disappear into the undercurrent and a few explosive sections near the end. The final "Kol Nidre" is for clarinet quartet and it is best version yet - it resonates more deeply and is more warmly defined with wooden harmonies and its close miked sound. The final Masada shows of this year will take place at the Center for Jewish History (15 W. 16th St.) this Saturday, December 9th at 8pm & 10pm. Spiritual healing time is here again. Two cd set for $20.

3.MARK DRESSER-Marinade (Tzadik 7063) This immensely engaging work features familiar downtown players Mary Rowell on violin, Denman Maroney on piano, Skuli Sverrisson on 5-string el. bass, Michael Sarin & Gerry Hemingway on drums, plus European flute virtuoso Matthias Ziegler, a marvelous Swiss chamber quartet led by downtown contrabass master and composer Mark Dresser. I just caught Mark in an impromptu trio with pianist Yuko Fujiyama and alto saxist Earl Howard at the Stephanie & Irving Stone anniversary celebration at Tonic last night and this cat's extended bass playing never ceases to blow minds! Every other cut on this demanding release features Mark's solo contrabass and each is an amazing showcase! "Richochet" is recorded in its immense splendor and full dynamic range with those throttling wood and string vibrations richocheting between extremely high and low areas. I can hear and recall Mark's unique approach to rubbing his strings with large wooden grooved dowels on "Bundy", as well as live. Each solo bass piece is short and seems a perfect bridge between the longer, more involved works. "Air to Mir" is for a piano and violin duo was inspired by the (malfunctioning) Russian Mir Space Station and its race against time as played by the two instruments struggling with pitch/no-pitch and time/no-time. Denman has worked with and for Dresser for many years now and often works inside the piano, rubbing the strings with bowls and other objects. Both he and Mary Rowell on violin push hard at their extended techniques, creating bizarre sounds together. "Spin X" is for an odd quartet of two basses (acoustic & electric) and two drummers (one on steel drums). The steel drums add a calm buzzing sound to the fluttering waves of humming basses and percussion. "Althaus" is for a Swiss quartet of tuba, clarinet, alto sax, cello with Mark's bass added and it begins as a dark journey for much low-end rustling, bowing, rubbing, swirling with contemporary classical, chamber-like focus. The tuba is often the lead voice here and the work pretty extraordinary! The title piece features the powerful solo piano work of Denman Maroney and it is a tour-de-force of sinister forces played both inside and on the keyboard as well - extremely challenging for the listener and performer both. I dig the way this piece becomes less dense and more restrained in the middle section and builds to a peaceful conclusion. The final work is "Subtonium X" for Mr. Ziegler's contrabass flute, Denman's piano and Mark's bass and it is another marvel of extended sounds from another dimension - all three musicians are well matched in a vast array of cosmic tones. Each of Mark Dresser's half dozen releases seem to capture his distinctive vision/world better and better. This is the best one yet. $14.

4.FRANK LONDON-Invocations (Tzadik 7147) This is something of a departure for king Klezmatic, Hasidic New Waver and local trumpet hero - Frank London. 'Invocations' features Frank's passionate trumpet playing backed by Anthony Coleman and Myra Melford on harmoniums, transplanted west coast wonder Ken Filiano on acoustic bass and Kamikaze Ground Crew main-person Gina Leishman on glass harmonica. Frank has chosen to play traditional cantorial songs and record them live in the Community Synagogue of the lower east side and record them from a distance so that there is feeling of spaciousness, warmth and the reverence of being in a hall which is usually filled with prayer. It opens with "Hod: T'Kias Shofar" for solo trumpet, blown to signal the end of the Jew's exile and it is ever so elegant, filled with hope, a gentle dreamscape. Both harmoniums provide an enchanting cushion, weaving their somber drone underneath Frank's stirring trumpet channeling communication, aimed at the Lord. Ken Filiano's contrabass also does a fine job of probing deeply below the floating trumpet excursions. Each of these 'Invocations' have a specific and special purpose which is stated in the liner note and as we listen, each has an uplifting, healing spirit as well. I find these songs both soothing and sad, filled with hope and sorrow, joy and fear, transcendence and exultation, triumphant yet cautious - with 5000 years as wandering Jews still searching through the past and into the future. $14.

5.TISZIJI MUNOZ-Auspicious Healing! (Anami 018) This wonderful release features an all-star quintet of Tisziji and Henry Kaiser on guitars, Marilyn Crispell on piano, Mark Dresser on contrabass and Lukas Ligeti on drums. This first time quintet of five kindred spirits was organized by our pal and West coast guitar god - Henry Kaiser and he chose these players extremely well. This powerful cd begins and ends with a glowing, lovely duo of Marilyn and Tisziji on piano and guitar, although they had never heard each other's music, they work as a perfect duo - both heavily inspired by John Coltrane's heavy vibrations. "Auspicious!" the opener, is a touching ballad - somber and elegant, just the right way to begin our journey. The flood gates open wide on "Shenia Letticia Munoz" with a powerful trio erupting out of Trane-land, Marilyn building in harp-like waves, Mark's dense thumping, throbbing, slapping bass and Lukas' fierce rhythmic storm ever expanding as Munoz begins them spiraling, cascading lines reaching up higher and higher into the clouds and beyond. Eventually Marilyn takes over soloing also in McCoy-like waves with devastating results! This must be the most lyrical and most jazz-like of many Munoz cds, the pace is more calm than usual. On "Teardrop" the quartet once again begin with a slower pulse as Tisziji's guitar starts to build and levitate, the notes quickening to lightning-like flashes. Henry doesn't enter our journey until the fourth piece - "Prayer for Tolerance" in which Tisziji opens with a strange reed sound or sample, once more that calming vibe is at the center of this tune and Munoz takes the first tale-spinning solo as the heavens part, Henry continues the same vibration with his own distinctive (processed) sound as group winds down to more peaceful terrain, another work of luscious warmth and beauty. Both guitars and even some synth by Munoz weave frenetic bliss on "Orange Chocolate Mint Medicine in G Humor". The high point here is "Brahms' Lullaby" which has a gorgeous, old fashioned melody to start and reminds me of what Coltrane did to "My Favorite Things" or "Chim Chim Cheree". Tisziji takes the first mind-blowing solo - fragments of lines burning, blurring, buzzing and ascending ever upwards! Both Henry and Marilyn also take astounding solos as the heavens open up and the sun shines through. The final piece "Healing " is another piano and guitar duo and it is a refreshing, rare and precious lullaby to help us glide into a somber, peaceful dream-like world. The new Anami price for this treasure is $12.

6.ELLIOTT SHARP'S TERRAPLANE-Blues for Next (KFW 285) This is Elliott's second version of Terraplane and his third great blues release, which many might find surprising considering the variety of gnarly and difficult music he often is associated with. The first Terraplane release was an instrumental, blues-rock el. guitar power trio and it kicked butt! His second blues endeavor was a superb and sublime duo with vocalist Queen Esther and Elliott on national steel acoustic guitar. Both were on Homestead and both are sadly out-of-print. This version of Terraplane is a quartet with the same bassist and longtime downtown ace bottom end - Dave Hofstra (The President, etc.), drummer and electronic percussionist great Sim Cain (Ribot projects & Rollins Band) and sax blaster Sam Furnace. The first few times I caught this version of Terraplane, I was somewhat disappointed - they just didn't capture that fire that I know Elliott is capable of. The great news is that they have obviously gotten better & better and this double cd is a marvelous blues-blasting dynamo! The second cd features just the Terraplane quartet with just a bit of that downtown weirdness thrown in, while the first cd features two powerful guest vocalists - Dean Bowman (Screaming Headless Torsos) and Eric Mingus, as well as blues guitar legend Hubert Sumlin! This cd does capture that funky, blues spirit in all its earthy glory! The first cd begins with the only non-original and it is that blues standard "Rollin' & Tumblin'" with both E. Sharp & Hubert Sumlin both snaking their snarly slide guitars into the cauldron of da blooz. Both Eric Mingus' strong world-weary voice and Elliott's slithery guitars send shivers up and down our spines on "Long Dark Sky" - yeah - I do believe in the healing rain! I dig that old-time funky marching beat on "As It Falls" with them honking horns of baritone sax and tuba. Eric & Elliott pull off a fine duo of el. guitar and vocals on "Baptism of Concrete" which also makes one wanna watch out for the harsh realities of life. Hubert Sumlin & E. Sharp play with possessed authority on "S-Boogie" both guitars slamming, sliding and boogieing into the heart of darkness. Many of these pieces are stripped down to bare essentials, skeletal yet riveting - most affective, but never overdone. The feeling, the vibe, the shit that hold us all down to mother earth - it is allthere. Both vocalists do a great job of expressing the frustrating side of life by not just singing words, but often singing wordless sounds, screaming, mumbling and just getting down and dirty. The second cd is just the quartet and it is all instrumental. Beginning with "Work or Leave" them funky horn are at it again and Sim's slapback, fatback rhythm is also a joyous groove. Sounds like Elliott's rarely heard tenor sax is squawking nicely with Sam's fonky baritone sax. E. Sharp gets down with some incredible, nasty, psych/wah-wah slide guitar on "Twistin'" while Sim kicks it with some well placed drum machine fills. On "Rails" Sim turns the beat around after the lowdown intro and we end up in drum n' bass land while Elliott's sleazy echo guitar and Sam's bari boogie together like possessed spirits - a unique and most successful hybrid with one of E. Sharp's scariest guitar solos ever! Sim even uses poppin' tabla samples to great effect on "Like Showers of Rain". All in all, an amazing blues-drenched fest of heavy vibes and twisted party music for all. Two cd set for $22.

7.CUONG VU-pure (KFW 266) This is local trumpet ace Cuong Vu's second release, the first was a rather funky Miles-like quartet date with el. keyboard wiz - Jamie Saft from earlier this year. This release is much different and features a trio with Stomu Takeishi on el. bass and John Hollenbeck on drums. Stomu plays a fretless Klein bass and is the lynchpin groove-meister of Henry Threadgill's Make a Move band, has a most distinctive slippery sound, does a fabulous job of cosmic bass string manipulation and even some fuzz-bass behind Cuong Vu's equally elastic, echoed electric trumpet smears and mutated meanderings. On "Faith" both the trumpet and bass constantly swerve and melt in slow motion layers of echoes while the drums provide lumbering tribal rhythms. Stomu's slippery bass slides and glides while punctuating the horizon with lovely harmonics on "vina, all grown up" while Cuong's quaint trumpet plays a graceful, melancholy melody sailing softly on top - sometimes playful breathy, ghost-like notes in a hushed reverie. The trumpet echoes eventually get thicker, hovering in a dense cloud from which an endearing melody finally reappears, bringing smiles once again. A flash of flying notes from the horn opens "patter-patter" while the rhythm team slowly come in doing their funky groove thing until all three lock into the fractured funky beat while the trumpet spins off an inspired solo. "child-like" has one of those immediately memorable bass line melodies that is supremely touching, so that when the trumpet finally comes in , we know we're in store for something purely magical. An eerie opening of free trumpet fluttering starts "i shall never come back" which is soon fueled by an ominous, sludge-like fuzz-bass groove which makes for an odd mix with the sentimental horn melody on top of a King Crimson type of rhythm stomp. The final tune is also the title piece and it drifts in quietly with Cuong playing long distant drones while Stomu bubbles suspense-filled throbs underneath - dark and spooky mood music to bathe in. $13.

8.CHRISTIAN MARCLAY-THURSTON MOORE-LEE RANALDO-Fuck Shit Up (Victo 071) The CBC has already threatened Michel from the annual Victoriaville New Music Festival in Quebec because of the title of this brain-melting, festival closing, noise/improv trio of New York's finest!?! The title actually comes from some knucklehead in the audience. I thought they were more open-minded up there in French speaking Canada, perhaps not. Anyway, I attended the Victo fest in May of last year, as I do every year, since it is the most adventurous new music festival in North America and it is the one vacation I look forward to the most. The schedule for the next one should be out in January, Len & I can barely contain ourselves. This particular set did close the 1999 Victo fest with the ever-adventurous turntable explorer Christian Marclay plus both Sonic Youth electric guitar & noise manipulators Thurston Moore and Lee Ranaldo. The trio was in fine form! For a change, I got permission to tape this set, as opposed to the occasional stealth recording, so one of the two tapes from which is this cd's source material came from yours truly. The music or sonic attack itself is much more diverse and evocative than most jazz snobs would have us believe. Lee plays a kracklebox noise making device besides his usual el. guitar scenery, both he and Thurston also deal with layers of feedback, who know what sort of records Christian is playing and abusing. It is often hard to tell who is doing what, not that it matters when the results are so rich in textures and story-like in themes. On occasion I hear records of recognizable sounds like classical music sped up and slowed down. Sometimes the morass of feedback and unknown record sounds blend in a cauldron of thick soup, but never for too long, as things continually mutate in waves of densities. The balance between the light and the dark, what is too much or too little, often seems just right as these cats have been working at their thing for almost 20 years and have become strong improvisers. Surprisingly, there are long stretches of quieter, more reflective soundscapes, hushed alien transmissions, the skeletal remains of the various cultures clashing and unraveling, eventually erupting into a twisted sound mass. The concert ended with an appropriate encore of Christian smashing 100's of records, one after the other. A most unnerving act for those vinyl junkies amongst us. Still, it was a most exhilarating experience and set, a perfect ending for a week of 25 new music concerts. You can take home your own souvenir of this colossal gig for $14.

9.MARTY EHRLICH-MARK DRESSER-ANDREW CYRILLE-C/D/E (Pao 10480) This superb all-star downtown trio formed in June of 1996 for a set at the Knit's What is Jazz Festival. Their common link is that they all played with the great West coast cornetist and composer Bobby Bradford and hence the trio dedicate their music to him. Each of the three players compose three tunes here, the only cover comes from Marty's late pal - saxist/flutist/hero Thomas Chapin. Marty's "View from the Point" opens with stark alto sax & bass smears, but soon Cyrille's drums kick in and push the level of intensity up a notch - there is a consistent balance of direction which all three strong forces/musicians weave in their own way, yet always play as one. Chapin's "Aeolus" has a haunting melody for the flute and it was the last piece Thomas played for an audience before he passed. The trio do a beautiful job of capturing this touching, fleeting spirit. Marty plays his trusty and tart clarinet on Mark's "BBJC" which swings in a most natural way - a smokin' clarinet trio which levitates the spirits upwards. Andrew's "A Simple Melody" is a late night blues thang which the trio plays with just the right spirit - so laid back and greasy. So nice to hear these out-jazz cats playing the blues with such authority! Mark's "For Bradford" is another clarinet led trio which moves through a number of tempo-changing sections, though mostly quick and tight. Andrew wrote the elegant "Aubade" which is somewhat Oriental-sounding and streamlined, yet still enchanting. Marty composed the title track and it explodes from the first note, but then breaks down to short, intense solos. "Point of View" is a more contemplative clarinet trio piece even more skeletal and suspenseful. Andrew wrote "AM 2 ½" for his daughter and it has a sly memorable melody, something that Marty might write for his Travelers Tales quartet. The closing piece is Mark's "2 for Cyrille" which does feature Andrew's ever expressive drums with his mallet expertise as well as a poignant solo from Marty's clarinet. This entire release is well thought out, diverse and never just a free-blowing session. This Austrian (?) based label has no US distribution at present, so if you are interested in purchasing this fine cd, do it soon. $14.

10.KEVIN O'NEIL-"Sous Rature" (Barking Hoop 003) Modern jazz guitarist Kevin O'Neil wowed all of us who attended Anthony Braxton's 'Ghost Trance' festival at the Knit a few years back. He played Braxton's challenging, repeating note music with deep concentration and inventive soloing - no small feat! He can be heard on adding his special spirit to five of Braxton's releases so far and on Braxton's CIMP debut out shortly. Kevin's quartet consists of Braxton associates Steve Lehman & Jackson Moore on alto saxes, Barking Hoop label head Kevin Norton on drums and Mr. O'Neil on guitar and compositions. The cd title comes from Jacques Derrida's method of placing a word "under erasure" to highlight its opposite meanings - that gray area which is so well illuminated by master composer/improvisers like Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, Coltrane and Braxton. The one thing I dig most about Kevin is that he uses little or no devices to alter his guitar tone, which is a very dry jazz guitar sound, so it is only the notes & placement which shines through. This cd consists of only one 47 minute work, with no indexing -so one must jump in head first and go with the flow! Although this music sounds free, it also sounds completely focused - amazingly fast lines are shared between the two saxists and the guitar and drums, with no bassist in sight. Kevin's guitar does sound a bit like early John McLaughlin, but even more free-flowing and just as alert and riveting! Often the level of intensity is just too much, it is difficult to hold on without drowning. The drums and guitar are especially hooked up, spinning out lines ultra-quick and impossible to fathom. It takes about 15 minutes before things finally slow down to a more spacious section which feels just right - the saxes lay out while the drums play quietly as Kevin's guitar begins building lines faster and faster, yet with immense restraint - the drums & guitar duo locking their quick lines as one stream of notes together. Once again the quartet builds to a frenzied conclusion - wow, erupting and really taking of for the stratosphere. Too much! Are you ready to take off?!? Not for the timid. For $14.

11.CIRCLE-Pori (Feldspar 4) Can't tell you too much about this band except that they are from Finland, are managed by my pal Stephanie Oxley from the Knit and that they got rave reviews when they played in town last month. I believe this is not their first release here, but their first with US distribution. What I can tell you is that I really dig this cd, which seems to fall between categories of progressive, ambient, rock, world and even more. The opening piece is filled with ominous strings, piano rubbing, echoed flute and maybe some bowed cymbals - all acoustic sounds so far. This is followed by a hard rocking groove with ringing guitars, hypnotic synth and slamming drums - extremely catchy! A great way to begin our journey. By the third tune - "Back to Pori" - we are back to another hypnotic slamming groove with some deep voiced chanting monk-like vocals and majestic synth lines. On "Kartano" it is that mesmerizing repeating groove once again with somber, endearing, chanting vocals - the groove is sort-of dub-like but the guitar solo & synth burbling is right out of Ozric Tentacles - ripping and intense! The formula for Circle is great, hypnotic rocking grooves with minimal echoed word-less vocals on top mostly. On a few of these songs, the repeating grooves are played quietly and are still enchanting on a more subtle level. My favorite piece is "Seisomakatsoma" where the vibe is much darker, like a dinosaur taking a stroll almost through Crimson-land. The final piece is a more restrained one with some fine growling sax throughout. Circle is supposed to be back here for another tour sometime soon, check them out if you can. You can also check out this groovy cd for $13.

12.ELTON DEAN-QED (Blueprint 339) This is Elton's first release of this year I believe and it features many of our favorite British musicians - Paul Dunmall, Nick Evans, Alex Maguire, Paul Rogers, Jim Dvorak, Roberto Bellatalla, Mark Sanders & Tony Bianco. It is half studio, half live and all improvised & recorded in January of this year. Each cut has different personnel from duo, trio, quartet to quintet. What's different about this release is that Elton plays electric piano, something he hasn't done since his days with Soft Machine almost 30 years ago. He also plays straight alto sax, which is as rare as the saxello he usually plays. The first track begins with the odd instrumentation of hammond organ, el. piano & drums and is quite long and rambling - the two keyboards making it somewhat Soft Machine-like. Elton eventually picks up the alto sax and begins spinning his web of notes with the burnin' hammond organ & drums. The second piece is "Quartered" and features Elton backed by an acoustic trio of piano (Alex), bass (Roberto) and drums (Mark) - a free quartet that flies from the first note and really takes off with Alex burnin' down the house on piano! This same quartet gets one other cut called "Altored Straight" which is also free but more laidback and spacious. There is one piece for sax quartet with Paul Dunmall, Simon Picard, Jason Yarde & Elton and it is really well done with all four saxes bending their notes together creating wonderful harmonies - an entire cd of this quartet would be a great thing! The one duo is with contrabass great Paul Rogers and it is another strong endeavor with both sax & bass weaving their lines together in a perfect blending of spirits, both players in top form. The one quintet piece features Elton's old pal from Nick Evans on trombone (early Tippett bands) and Jim Dvorak on trumpet (In Cahoots) - all three horns swirl together in luminous colors with the free-flowing rhythm team of Rogers & Sanders. The final work is another trio for el.piano, organ & drums and it is seems to pick up where that first trio left off - burnin' organ and el. piano pumping together while the drummer also swings hard - all three flying high through the heavens! When Elton's alto finally breaks through, the sparks really begin flying - yowsah! A classic slice of British out-jazz splendor for $17.

13.OTOMO YOSHIHIDE/VOICE CRACK-bits, bots and signs (erstwhile 011) Otomo is both a good friend and one of our favorite improvisers/sound manipulators. He originally played mostly home-made guitar, turntable(s) & sampler in his ever-changing ensemble - Ground Zero and has been concentrating mainly on quieter sampler & electronics in recent years with the trio I.S.O. and even mixing his sampler with Japanese traditional instruments on his Tzadik cd from last year - 'Cathode'. Voice Crack are a Swiss duo who have been around since '72 and even recorded for FMP way back when. They play "cracked everyday-electronics" (as in cheap) amplifying small household tools to produce their unique sound and have collaborated with local sonic terrorists Borbetomagus on a few occasions. This is the first collaboration between Otomo and Voice Crack and it does sound as if they were destined to meet. None of the five pieces have titles just @@@ and the time. The first piece starts off quietly with just minimal blips, whirring, chirping and buzzing atmospherics and slowly builds in density - glowing and throbbing textures, very organic in the way it unfolds. Many of these sounds are high-pitched and there is an extreme attention to detail and focus as if one can see and hear each nuance. The grinding and buzzing gradually gets thicker, but never too dark or extreme. The second piece starts more abstract, there are larger spaces between the sounds and I dig the way the sounds are coming from different areas of the mix - panned in intricate placement. The stew gets even thicker on the third piece, the buzzing is in layers, filled with more suspense as if the machines we depend on are beginning to overload, the high-end sounds become more nerve-wracking. The fourth piece is more restrained with some low-end droning, like taking a spin inside a washing machine, the sounds seem to hover in the distance. The final piece also consists of more low-end buzzing, droning and flashes of inspired electronic sculptures - there are themes or repeating phrases, which add an overall structure to this most successful selection. Both the well-selected mysterious cover art and strange yet concentrated sounds inside show Erstwhile Records to remain at the cutting edge of contemporary electronics. $13.

14.TRIO 3 [OLIVER LAKE-REGGIE WORKMAN-ANDREW CYRILLE]-Encounter (Passin' Thru 41212) This is the second release by this marvelous all-star trio, the first was a live date on the little known Dizim label. This release is a sort-of parallel to the above reviewed 'C/D/E' trio which also includes master drummer Andrew Cyrille, as well as covering tunes from west coast composers Bobby Bradford and John Carter. Each trio member contributes one tune apiece and they also cover songs by Andrew Hill and AACM pianist Ade Steve Colson. Beginning with Bradford's Monkish "Crooked Blues" , a most apt title since Monk's tunes do have that crooked rhythmic thing and Oliver spins off a Dolphy-like solo of burnin' bent lines in soaring flashes. Lake plays his snake-charming soprano sax on Colson's "Leaving East of Java" with its vibe of Eastern mystery, haunting bowed bass and sizzling cymbals & exotic cowbells - Oliver plays an exciting and explosive soprano solo as we enter an ecstatic state. The late clarinet hero and teacher John Carter composed the title tune and it has a quick pumping bass line and more smokin' alto sax from Oliver with great squeaks and intense fractured notes. Mr. Lake composed "Reminds Me" and it is one of his fine, bluesy, melodies which fluctuates between the melancholy melody and Oliver's sputtering waves of alto shrieks and cries. "Ode to a Living Tree" was also the title track from an outstanding Andrew Cyrille (All-Star) Quintet cd which came out on Evidence a few years back and it features Andrew's wonderfully natural hands-on-drums technique at the center of this fine tribute to his first trip to Africa. Acoustic bass giant and professor Reggie Workman wrote the longest piece here "Suite Tristan" - which features some excellent flute from Oliver and more somber and reflective with each member getting a short story-like solo, it goes through a bunch of different moods. The last piece is Andrew Hill's "Nicodemus", which has a cool groove, memorable melody and swings just right. 'Encounter' is another nugget from Oliver Lake's consistently fine Passin' Thru label. $14.

15.THOMAS LEHN/MARCUS SCHMICKLER-Bart (erstwhile 012) This release has already been chosen by some as thee best electronic cd of the year, so we all had better watch out! Thomas Lehn plays analogue synthesizer (only) and has a duet cd with Eugene Chadbourne and a trio cd with Tim Hodgkinson & Roger Turner, both on Grob from this year. Marcus Schmickler plays digital synth & computer and has recorded under the names Pluramon & Wabi Sabi and is notorious from his extreme electronics. Both Lehn & Schmickler are also members of Keith Rowe's M.I.M.E.O. electronic ensemble, which is most likely where they met. Beginning deceptively with "Gelb" the textures are intriguing, but not imposing electronic fragments and there is much space between the sounds at first, as the blips, pops and occasional bursts assemble into larger islands of activity. Things heat up on "sichernals/ziege" where the duo really explode with dense, chattering, rather abrupt sound masses. "os" is back to quieter, shimmering, glowing drones taking their time to slowly unfold. The main piece is the almost half hour "du funktion" with intricate layers of stuttering, mutant but highly focused electronic textures - well defined and even calm in places, this is as great as it gets, there is so much to take in, but never headache material. The are large sections of spaciousness so the densities move in slow waves building to thick, rich, swirling tapestries of wonderfully weird worlds. It eventually erupts to dizzying heights of frantic, molten, sonic climaxing, which is the just the right way to bring us all off and into never-never land. The last piece is "tempcloe" which helps bring us back down to mother earth once again by hovering through the shadows of gentle charms. $13.

16.KEVIN NORTON-"In Context/Out of Context" (Barking Hoop 002) This features David Bindman & Bob DeBellis on soprano & tenor saxes & flutes and Kevin Norton on drums, vibes, percussion & compositions. Kevin mentioned in the liner notes to be specifically inspired by Charlie Parker solos and by Cecil Taylor in his 'Unit Structures' period (mid-sixties) - pretty diverse historical references, some twenty years apart. This cd was also recorded in Context Studios which is now closed. We enter Kevin's world with "Tabula Rasa" for solo percussion, which is well balanced, intensely focused and certainly more like a composition than an improvisation. Kevin does a most impressive job throughout this cd with structuring and holding together this often double-sax trio. His drums are usually at the center of each piece, the saxes playing twisted harmonies well written and continually challenging to all. On "Variations in Bflat" Kevin swings profusely while both saxes begin spinning faster and faster, bebop licks explode into free-jazz intensity. Things quiet down and both soprano saxes play tightly structured parts on "Invision, Facing Up" but soon one soprano begins to squeal as Kevin adds suspense with his vibes in his solo piece "Tinkle Sport" with a hypnotic droning effect. This turns into "Meditations in Fall" for two flutes and vibes which is delicate and playful and rarely moves above a whisper. This eventually turns back into "Variations in Bflat" which has those two tenors burning down the house once more, but breaks down into fragments by the tune's end. The finale is "Where?" which features more crisp and dynamic drums and dark shades on the tenors. A fascinating blend of in & out. $12.

17.BRANDON EVANS/ANTHONY BRAXTON-Elliptical Axis 15 (Parallactic 28-30) Considering that our store DMG has sold a half dozen copies of this triple cd of duo reeds music from Mr. Evans & Mr. Braxton in the past few weeks, one could say that anything is possible. Brandon has also released three other duo cds (at least) this year, as well as (get this) a 15 cd solo sax box set on his own Parallactic label. It would seem that Mr. Braxton has truly inspired his former students to really refine and document their own visions. As I check out many of the cds that Brandon, Kevin Norton and other Braxton collaborators have released, and it is a wonderful thing. Just last month I reviewed another great release from the Braxton/Evans duo with Anthony as the composer. This month we have another even more challenging endeavor from this duo in which each reed specialist plays some ten saxes, clarinets & flutes a piece. This time Brandon did the composing, capturing almost 3 hours of music up at Wesleyan University where Braxton still teaches and inspires more musicians each year. In the liner notes, Brandon discusses his Elliptical Axis notation system and its invention helped him define a new way of describing his composition/improvisation parameters with kaleidoscopic results. Although this music is not like Braxton's "Ghost Trance" music, it does have a similar quality of taking a phrase and repeating it, but here those phrases are constantly shifting into something else. On the first disc of "Elliptical Axis 15" there seems to be two strong spirits which develop both apart and together, the pace is a moderate tempo so things can take their time grow - never too busy or too rushed, often minimal and easy to digest. The shapes of the notes and their placement in the space seems of the utmost importance here. On the second disc things begin slowly, softly and are well balanced and controlled like a modern classical piece. The notes get more angular and the tempo increases in very small increments. The squeaks and squawks begin to appear after a while, quietly at first, but then someone starts grumbling on the bass sax. The music has a sort-of scientific vibe to it, as if it were well planned in advance and well executed here. Eventually the textures get thicker and more engaging, but never too much. None of it gets too dense or harsh or overwhelming. Three cds might seem like too much to deal with, but this is not the case as the overall vibe is just right. A three cd set for $40.

18.LARS HOLLMER-utsikter (Krax 11) Lars plays accordion, harmonium and keyboards and used to lead the Swedish progressive band whose name and personnel changed with each release from Samla Mammas Manna to Von Zamla to - you get the picture. Over the past year, the Von Zamla version reformed to make a new studio cd called 'Kaka' and Cuneiform also released an excellent live cd from their heyday. Lars has gone on the record some half dozen solo-efforts through the years and was also a member of Accordion Tribe, which featured five accordionists from different countries. 'Utsikter' is Lars' newest release and it features a half dozen other musicians including two from the Samla community - Michel Berckmans on bassoon, oboe, English horn & recorder and Coste Apetrea on 6 string banjo. Each of Lars' solo efforts has a charming side, which is more folky and melodic than the quirkier prog side of the various Samla bands. This is one is no different, a sunny and delightfully uplifting vibration runs throughout. A luscious blend of accordion, bassoon, oboe, violin, flute & trumpet make this a pure gem. On "Nat" Lars whistles a lovely tune, while the violin and bassoon caress our heart-stings. Lars' silly side comes out on "Drums..mmm." where he plays drum machine and tells us not to be afraid of the drums. On "Denglad" and throughout, Lars writes fun, quirky, old-timey songs, which have a mild Zappa-like inventive quality to them. Since Lars loves to record at home in his Chickenhouse studio, he also utilizes the cute background vocals of his daughters(?) Alva & Rinda Strand. This entire 17 track collection is splendid from beginning to end and it is something one could share with their parents, girlfriend, boyfriend or any other loved ones - perfect for this holiday season, so don't get depressed, get 'Utsikter' for $15.

19.ROLAND DAHINDEN TRIOS-Naima (Mode 62) Featuring Anthony Braxton on alto and sopranino saxes, Joe Fonda on bass, Art Fuller on drums and Roland on trombones. No, this is not a new cd, but we just recieved a promo and it was overlooked the first time around and speaking of Braxton collaborators’ Roland Dahinden is a Swiss trombonist who has worked with John Cage, Christian Wolff and Alvin Lucier. "Free Lines, part one" was composed by Roland, but it has that Ghost Trance like thematic thing where the trombone and sax play their lines together, but alter their timing slowly so that they are slightly off the mark at times. The drums play minimally outlining the patterns and there is no bass here, so this must be the trio referred to in the title. The horns start to get more frenzied as time goes on and Roland takes a spirited 'bone solo. Soon both the trombone and alto sax are spiraling the lines more quickly and intensely, yet they both go for odd multiphonic sounds - breathes, squawks, high-end squeaks and then it is back to more Ghost Trance-like following each other repeating lines. Things gradually move into slow motion and the trombone and alto sax notes get more elongated and elastic and then slowly speed up again. Coltrane's "Naima" is also taken at a snail's pace, the trio is the trombone, bass & drums, it is hard to tell what tune is being done at this below slow crawling tempo. Braxton's "Composition 136" seems a good choice for this trio of trombone-bass-drums once again in which the trombone and drums spin quick lines together as the bowed bass fills in the holes - some amazing trombone at that. The final piece is "Free Lines, part two" and it is another long excursion for Anthony, Roland and Art with more cerebral spaciousness - the sopranino and the trombone playing their long drifting notes together, Braxton really stretching those notes out. We are asked to play this music loud on the liner notes, but I think patience is required much more than volume. $14.

20.HERB ROBERTSON-PHIL HAYNES 5TET-Brooklyn-Berlin (CIMP 218) Featuring Ned Rothenberg & Vinny Golia on various clarinets, Herb Robertson on cornet and trumpet, Ken Filiano on double bass and Phil Haynes on drums. I caught the ever-amazing trumpeter Herb Robertson with Tim Berne last week at the Old Office for one tune only and of course he knocked us all out. Sadly for us, Herb moved to Berlin a few years ago for better opportunities and hasn't been back until now- for shame! This quintet features a number of my favorite musicians and pals, playing together for the first time and it is a grand affair. Both Ned Rothenberg & Vinny Golia never cease to amaze me and here neither play alto sax which is Ned's main horn. Since moving (back) here from the LA scene, Ken Filiano has become one of the best and in demand bassists in NYC. I have always dug drummer Phil Haynes, but he doesn't seem to play around here very often - our loss. After a quick intro on "Kiss Principal" it is off to the stratosphere with all three horns spinning quickly their dense web up front which later turns into an old-school jazz groove as the bass clarinet solos and cornet gets silly. Things quiet down and get freer on "Inner-lude" where the horns play their small, intricate and twisted harmonies together - ghostly spirits adrift, the bass buzzing down beneath, the drums tapping out floating animated patterns. The title tune has Phil pushing the percussion into dense areas as Vinny's clarinet erupts with intense force, Herb seems to hang in between balancing the two extremes with his fat notes reaching for the skies. Things quiet down on the ballad-like "Intending Heart" and even get cornier still on "Chompin' at the Bit" with its finger snappin' groove and swinging clarinet solo, it eventually explodes into high flying freak-out with an even more intense clarinet solo. "Waltz for Gerry" concludes this cd with more softly spinning horns only at first, creating rich yet slightly skewered harmonies, the rhythm team softly enter later, the waltz even later and nicely done, quaint and laid back and a fine way to end this grand cd. $14. 

All above reviews by your musical explorer & pal, Bruce Lee Gallanter

LYDIA KAVINA - Original Works for Theremin (mode 76) The Theremin continues its rise in popularity. For those folks who don't know about this invention of the 20th century, the Theremin is a box with two antennas, one controls volume, the other pitch. The performer doesn't actually touch the instrument, the antennas senses hand movements. Examples in pop music range from the Beach Boys Good Vibrations to Led Zeppelins Jimmy Pages performance on Whole Lotta Love in the film The Song Remains The Same. Lydia Kavina is the granddaughter of instrument inventor Leon Theremin's 1st cousin and the inventor's last protegee. On this cd, material ranges from the outside: Percy Grangers Free Music #1 for four Theremins (all performed by Kavina), Theremin and tape pieces by Jorge Antunes Mixolydia, and Vladimir Komarovs Voice of Theremin. And inside pieces like Joeseph Schillingers Melody and Movement electrique et pathetique. Other composers represented on this disc: Friedrich Wilckens, Bohuslav Martinu, Isidor Achron, and virtuoso Kavina performing her own Suite. $14

For a brief period in the 1980's Cold Blue released a series of eps and lps featuring mostly West Coast composers. Cold Blue is back and here are reviews of the first three releases:

JIM FOX - Last Things (Cold Blue Music, cb0001) Los Angeles composer Jim Fox presents two soundscapes on this CD. The Copy of the Drawing uses text from letters addressed to scientists at the Mt. Wilson Observatory. Janyce Collins reads breathy text fragments over an evolving electronic soundscape by the composer. The second piece on the cd, Last Things is scored for bass clarinet, pedal steel guitar, glass guitar (!), piano and keyboards. A dark and moody composition, Marty Walker (bass clarinet) solos over a lush forest of rumbling sounds. $13

MICHAEL BYRON - Music of Nights Without Moon or Pearl (Cold Blue Music, cb0002) New York - New Jersey based composer Michael Byrons music has beautiful minimalist textures. Like the wind blowing gently through the trees, Music of Nights Without Moon or Pearl (1998) has a loose rhythmic quality, with the instruments not phrasing their parts together. Pizzicato strings ebb and flow with repeated piano arpeggios. During Invisible Seeds for James Tenney (1998), strings sustain while the piano takes occasional stabs. The static yet changing material in these two pieces have a dream like quality. Entrances (mid-1970's) for four pianos evolves into a knotty thunderous series of waves that still have a repeating quality but more dissonant than the previous works on this collection. All four mind-numbing piano parts are performed by David Rosembloom, who also conducted the CalArts New Century Players on the other two pieces. My fave new Cold Blue Music disc, I haven't heard minimalism like this before! $13

CHAS SMITH - Nikko Wolverine (Cold Blue Music, cb0003) Chas Smith builds his own instruments. The booklet contains full color photos of these amazing instruments. Copper Box and Bass Tweed are big resonator boxes with metal rods sticking out the top. PezEater and Tio are similar but lack the box. On other instruments like the Adkins, Lockheed, Mantis and Dado, it isn't too obvious what kind of sounds they make but I see springs and plates.

Ah! But what does it sound like? A beautiful wall of sustaining metal! The first part of the three-movement title track moves along quietly enough. The second is somewhat ominous with a dark foreboding that eventually changes into something lighter, while the third features Thundersheets for a cool backgroung rumble. Tons Tons Macoutes also has a dark feel with more sustainging metal sounds. The last two tracks feature Chas on the Pedal Steel Guitar, an instrument normally associated with Country music. On the track Genus, Sho-Bud, he gets away from the Country sound, getting a great sustaining strings in the sky sound. The short Near the Divide has a bit of a twang, but it's a beautiful sound and a great way to end an amazing album. $13

Last four reviews by David Beardsley

Happy Holidays and a Happy New Ear folks!
db

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