NEWSLETTER 52 NEW RELEASES FOR FEBRUARY 2001!!

1.OREN BLOEDOW-JENNIFER CHARLES-La Mar Enfortuna (Tzadik 7146) I have been friendly with this couple for more than a decade, since Jennifer was a coy and sexy waitress at the old Knit and before Oren had joined the Lounge Lizards. The Knit label has since released two fine pop cds by Oren and together the couple have a wonderful band called Elysian Fields - whose second cd was released a few months back. Elysian Fields can also be found on Tzadik's 'Great Jewish Music of' series. Seeing this band live is where Jennifer's exotic and erotic charm really comes forth. This luscious release shows yet another side to this couple's alluring sound by featuring mostly Sephardic melodies and a handful of originals in a similar vein. While Oren plays a dozen or so instruments here, they also utilize the talents of many of downtown's finest like Ted Reichman, Kenny Wollesen, Danny Blume, Jamie Saft and Jane Scarpantoni. What I dig most about this release is the blend of middle-eastern-European melodies with a simmering psychedelic haze that surrounds it. On "La Rosa" there is a dark and chilling vibe which is punctuated by distant sampled screams, Ted Reichman's somber accordion and Jennifer's mesmerizing voice. Oren's voice, backwards guitar and/or saz also do a superb job on the hypnotic gem "Ayyu-Ha S-Saqi". Another charming thing about this cd is how many of the tunes are quite skeletal, with just a minimum of instruments surrounding the delectable voice(s). There are two groovy instrumentals written by Oren which also have that same winning middle-eastern vibe that feels just right. "Salome" was written by the couple and has the only English lyrics here, making it the closest to that Elysian Fields sound and Jennifer exudes a certain sexiness is her voice which can be intoxicating. "Porke Yorach" is the longest piece here and it is a sort of slow dance number with the horns softly murmuring at the sides and Jennifer's voice soothing us into an almost trance-like state. Word is that this Jennifer & Oren's music is big in France and we can see & hear why - check out these exotic, sensuous and enchanting sounds with some fine wine or cognac and your partner of choice. $14.

2.AIKO SHIMADA-Blue Marble (Tzadik 7231) Can't tell you too much about Japan-born, Seattle-based songwriter/vocalist Aiko Shimada, except that I caught her at Tonic last year with Eyvind Kang and was intrigued by her unique songs, voice and presence. Enigmatic world traveler, violin hero and impossible-to-peg down - Eyvind produced this gem in Seattle with mostly local musicians including Bill Frisell on a couple of cuts. This release begins gently with a delightful solo piece called "Mezame (Morning, part1)" which is a quiet, reflective beauty with soft, sad vocals and shimmering el. guitar. On "Toki Wa Sugi" the four acoustic strings are have that sort of haunting and lonely "Eleanor Rigby"-like quality, that Scott Walker-like melodrama. Eyvind does a great job of adding a certain haze to Aiko's voice on "Wakare" which also features dub-like echoes to the processed violins and drum loops. "Busy Rabbit" also has a unique, inventive and charming drum machine groove with odd strings thrown in to keep things slightly off-balance. Aiko's enchanting voice is bathed in a haze of somber, hypnotic echoes on the solo piece "Hikari (Morning, part 2) which reminds me of David Sylvian's elegant sound. Actually, the title piece sounds like it came from a later Japan release with some distant Frippian guitar - no small feat. "Silent" is an instrumental interlude which consists of Eyvind's ghostly violin and viola just setting a melancholy mood before a quartet with Frisell's minimal grace takes over and continues the sad, quaint vibe. The final piece is "Asa (Morning, part 3)" and once more we get layers of Aiko's echoed vocals, Frisell's backwards guitar loops, plus more spacey sound fragments sewn into the subtle blend - eventually the opening tune reappears as a perfect way to close this elegant treasure. $14.

3.YVES WEYH-Zakarya (Tzadik 7148) Although this French post-klez quartet is led by an accordion player named Yves who composed all but one of these pieces, it is often the electric guitarist Alexandre Wimmer who pushes these tunes beyond any traditional klez sound. The rest of the quartet is fleshed out by the acoustic bass of Gautier Laurent and the drums of Pascal Gully as the rhythm team. Both the accordion and the guitar spin quick, tight lines together on "Sirbazarbi" - quite a fast and intricate work for the entire quartet. "Le Trou (The Hole)" was inspired by the story of a woman who hid in a hole for two years to avoid being deported during WWII and there is an air of desperation and courage at the center of this piece which is most uplifting. "Everything's OK for Mister Jacques" was inspired by a hypocritical European politician and it is another quick spinning piece for the first half but then breaks down to a sparse and suspenseful section which eventually turns playful and spunky. The guitarist is featured on "Tar and Feather" and plays a rather rambunctious, bluesy solo which gets noisier and noisier and more downtown-like. "La Chevre (The Goat)" is quite eerie with a distant slowly beating drum which throbs like heartbeat with minimal guitar, accordion and percussion fragments. I dig the up-tempo humor of "Wolf's Gang" which doesn't last long enough. "The Debt" is the only tune written by the guitarist and it once more features him playing a rather sharp and twisted solo which builds an exciting note-bending conclusion. One of things that this quartet does so well is deconstruction a more traditional tune and turning it inside out - on "Paul K." they take an Alsatian (section of France) folk tune and play it in a deranged way and then play it almost normally at the end. "Curfew" was inspired by the Strasburg cathedral bell which has rung for centuries to signal to the Jews to return to their ghetto every night at 10pm - once again, the dread of this centuries old ritual throbs at the center of this dark and powerful rocking dirge which also features more passionate and explosive electric guitar angst. The last piece is called "Bonus Trac" and it features the sounds of a coffee machine brewing, a distant accordion folk tune, sampled voices and fragmented acoustic guitar - sort of an audio-verite work - hmmmm - it works. At times 'Zarkaya' reminds me of that Russian/German/Australian punk/klez outfit Kletka Red and that is certainly a good thing. $14.

4.DAVID MAHLER-Hearing Voices (Tzadik 7064) At first I thought that Zorn had dug up yet another unknown composer, but as it turns out I actually own a cd by David Mahler on the bay area electronics based label Artifact and he composed a piece on one of Guy Klucesvek's polka compilation cds. The Artifact cd is called 'Voice of the Poet' for tape pieces from '72 to '86 and it seems Mr. Mahler also has recordings out on the Frog Peak label. On 'Hearing Voices' Mahler has taken the spoken voices of four artists who work in different media discussing their work and transformed their voices in different ways. "The Priest From Cape Breton" features the voice of dancer Sandy Silva which David alters and makes dance like her feet would normally do. He takes on line of text at a time chops it up into smaller rhythmic fragments, like a skipping cd player but in very focused sections. Mahler has done a fascinating job of making these words and fragments into an engaging musical/rhythmic soundscape. The piece seems to move in waves which flow smoothly when the text is not broken up but becomes hyper rhythmic when fragments are chopped up. "A Chorale That Ludvig Lindeman Wrote" features the voice of composer Thomas Peterson who has been working with quarter-tones for the past fifteen years. David also works with the quarter-tones of Thomas' spoken words in an odd yet most affective way. Thomas often describes the effect of pitch while David illustrates these ideas by altering the pitch of the words - most successfully. "Wagnerian Opera" features the voice of novelist Matthew Stadler along with typewriter as punctuation. David creates a variety of characters by speeding up and slowing down the words which also change pitch and sound like different people. A host of inter-connected ideas seem to flow in different streams as groups of words illustrate different lines of thought - like the varied worlds that this novelist creates in his books. Visual artist Sherry Markovitz is featured on "Who I Just Adored" in which Mahler once again takes the animal imagery of her work and illustrates it by extracting the animal and insect like sections of her voice and creates an enticing, yet somewhat alien world which is nicely balanced with Sherry's spoken affection for many creatures of the world. David Mahler has really created a captivating world of sounds based on often reanimated words. $14.

5.LEE KONITZ-GREG COHEN-JOEY BARON-Some New Stuff (DIW 939) Zorn tells me that this was initially supposed to be on Tzadik's Radical Jewish Culture series, but when it was done, it didn't really have the Jewish connection - so it was released on DIW home to ten Masada studio cds and it does feature the ever amazing Masada rhythm team. Legendary alto saxist - Lee Konitz - has been following his own muse since the 'birth of cool' sessions some fifty years ago and continues to plot his own path today. Mr. Konitz' studied and played with the enigmatic pianist and composer Lennie Tristano in the fifties and their names will forever be connected - hence the opening tune here is called "Lennie's" and the closing tune "L.T." After a career of often re-interpreting standards, Lee has been doing more composing in recent years and did compose all tunes on this marvelous cd. Not that surprisingly, this date sounds nothing like Masada. Where Zorn comes from the fire-breathing sound of Ornette, Eric Dolphy or Jackie McLean, Mr. Konitz definitely comes from the cool school in which things are often more slowed down and spacious, each note seems to glide and sing like the lyric of a heartfelt tune. On "5th Avenue" Lee consistently paces himself, each note round and warm and lovely, often reminding me of those elegant Johnny Hodges-like sighs that really touch the heart of the romantics in each of us. Both Greg and Joey also do a beautiful job of laying back and supporting Lee with elegance and grace. Even the more up-tempo bop pieces like "A Noble Tune" seem to flow with refined ease. "Folktune" is something of a departure where the Greg and Joey play more forcefully, the melody is outlined more by them than be Lee - Joey really punches it hard. "Valeska" seems to balance between two sections - one where the trio plays with subtle reflective taste, but then it is the bass and drums only that continue the tune without the sax never missing a beat. Lee plays relaxed and lovely solo sax on "Soundlee" which is always a treat, that tone is so pure and fresh. The rhythm team really vibrate quickly on "Rumblin' " while Lee takes his time to build to their propulsive undercurrent. Some new and great stuff from this first time trio. $18.

6.MATTHEW SHIPP'S-New Orbit (Thirsty Ear 57095) This is Matt's fourth fine release from his 'Blue Series' and it might just be the best one yet, it certainly is the most understated of anything he has ever done. It features a new quartet with Wadada Leo Smith on trumpet, Matt on piano, William Parker on contrabass and Gerald Cleaver on drums. They have yet to play live, so this is a special date. Beginning with "New Orbit" the muse is so subdued and quite beautiful, an enchanting opener. Matt plucks gently inside the piano on "Paradox X" while Gerald also quietly caresses with those mallets - time is suspended as the sounds just float in a stream of space. The lovely opening theme is returned to on "Orbit 2" which would sound right on harpsichord as well - this elegant version is for solo piano and it is a gem - quite touching. Leo Smith is at his most relaxed and lyrical on "Chi" which seems to move in slow motion as Matt's dark chords/clouds provide undercurrent of sinister apprehension as Leo's ghost-like spirits sway slowly above. William Parker gets a solo feature on "Orbit 3", but even he tends to lay back somewhat and not buzz the bowed bass too densely. The rhythm section finally take off for the stratosphere and Leo really blows his way to glory on the "U Feature" which is short but intense. Both Matt and Leo continue to show off their calm and tranquil side on "Syntax" once more which is ever so melancholy. William's arco bass gets dizzyingly dark on "Maze Hint" while Leo takes jabs with both muted and unmuted trumpet notes. This entire cd has a suite-like feel to it, since Matt goes back to the "Orbit" theme throughout and this works so well since that theme is so haunting, both soothing and disturbing us simultaneously as all great modern art/music should. $14.

7.GUY KLUCEVSEK and ALAN BERN-accordance (Winter & Winter 058) Guy we all know and love from his almost two decades of work with many members of the downtown scene - certainly the first and foremost accordionist in these parts which now also include the likes of Andrea Parkins and Ted Reichman. The other accordionist from this wonderful duo is someone I am much less familiar with but seems to have been around as long as a member of the well-revered Klezmer ensemble - Brave Old World. Many of Guy's solo cds are filled an array of strange covers, but here it is only Guy and Alan who compose all of the tunes. It would seem that humor is a big part of what both of these composers have in common, since many of the 17 tracks have silly titles. Commencing with "Life, Liberty and the Prosciutto Happiness" by Guy, the swirling and uplifting quick spinning keys of both players delight us with their web of beauty. Alan's "Angel Blue" has a pleasing, eastern-Euro folk melody - a smile-inducing treat from klez-land. Guy composed a sort-of suite of four short tracks with odd titles like "Social Securities", "Birthdays", "Telephones" and "The Gunks" which appear like cute little pastries - one somber idea or reflection at a time. What I feel is most splendid about this duo is the balance between the two accordions, one will often begin the groove or theme while the other one can embellish and solo amazingly on top! Alan also plays melodica and fortepiano nicely, especially on "Bar Talk" with its happy-go-lucky tack piano sound. "Starting Over" is a long, sad, romantic dirge which slowly builds into an elegant conclusion. Guy's other suite includes "Mr. Glime-Glide", "Mug Shots", "Wild Coffee" and Decaffinata", which also show his more quaint and endearing side with charming little tunes to marvel at, some of which I definitely recognize from previous gigs or cds. Guy's "Astor Place" (which is a subway stop near DMG) is another enchanting duo for pianoforte and accordion with quite a hummable melody. "Hegel's Fantasy" by Alan has those fingers flying once more with both accordionists spiraling nimble layers of notes in a flurry of activity. The final tune is "Happy" and that it is with both players weaving lines in and out of a quick and heartwarming groove-fest. We are always pleased to see and hear new offerings from the ever-wonderful Guy Klucevsek and with two new releases over the past year, we couldn't be tickled any more. We still have a few copies left Guy's long out-of-print 'polka compilation' cds, both volumes are $25. each and they won't last long. Why pay big bucks on eBay?!? This and all other single cds on W&W still cost $14.

8.MARK DRESSER & MARK HELIAS-The Marks Brothers (W.E.R.F. 022) Contrabass duo releases are definitely a rarity, but not impossible to find. I can think of a few - the recently released compilation of Peter Kowald bass duets on FMP, the Barry Guy-Barre Phillips on Maya and the William Parker-Joelle Leandre duo on Red Toucan. So here we go again with another colossal effort from two of downtown's best - the Marks brothers Dresser and Helias! I must admit that both of these players/composers impress me with any and all projects they work on, so my expectations are pretty high and I am blown away once again. Although both are master improvisers, they work on written pieces which push them and us even further. On "Zeppo" (the little known Marx Brother) there is an intricate string popping theme that is ultra-tight and well conceived. Both players show off their superb bowing abilities on "Short" with long, warm lines that glide so well as one radiant sound. There is a consistent balance between these two giants throughout this release, they appear to know each other's abilities so well that it hard to tell who is doing what or who starts a phrase or idea and who completes it. Both Marks explore the lower regions of bowed bass sonics on "Transwarmo" which is where the grumbling and rumbling basses hover and glow together in cosmic waves which swirl and levitate upwards. "The Comb Over" has that finger-snapping groove which sounds even better with two bassists doing it together at once. Both bowed basses create strange harmonies and textures on "Chico" but become more familiar as the piece progresses. Helias wrote an enchanting melody on "Pentahouve" so both basses can pluck it together in a delightful fashion. Perhaps the high point here is Dresser's "Un Chien Andalou" which is so cinematic - both basses create different worlds and textures, yet still work as once force. At one point they are playing blues lines, at another they are bowing frantic ghosts, while they also play highly charged harmonics which also work their magic in mysterious ways. An excellent endeavor from two bass wonders. $14.

9.NATIONAL HEALTH-Playtime (Cuneiform 145) The first wave of so-called Canterbury bands consisted of Soft Machine, Caravan and then Gong - all from the late sixties. There were other groups from this era whose members would be future members of this scene like Egg, Khan and Delivery. The next wave from Canterbury included solo careers Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen, Robert Wyatt as well as bands like Matching Mole, Isotope, Hatfield & the North and eventually National Health. Henry Cow - who were obviously not from Canterbury, but were quickly adopted by members of this scene by working with Robert Wyatt, Hatfield and National Health. And when Fred Frith (formerly of Henry Cow) moved to NY in 1980, it was he who introduced many of us to the early members of the downtown scene. You might be asking why DMG is always mentioning and promoting music from 'Canterbury' - simple, it is our favorite music and holds a special place in our hearts forever. This why we get so excited when any new or unreleased Canterbury releases come our way. Unfortunately, only a few of these special bands made it to our shores - Soft Machine (four tours), Caravan (twice in the mid 70's), Isotope (one short tour), National Health (a few dates in '79) and Kevin Ayers (also later). No Gong (until much later), no Hatfield and no Henry Cow. Matching Mole were Robert Wyatt's last band before his tragic accident. They recorded two marvelous records and out of their ashes rose Hatfield & the North who were perhaps even better and included Mole guitarist Phil Miller, keyboardist Dave Stewart from Egg, bassist/vocalist Richard Sinclair from Caravan and Pip Pyle once of Gong on drums. They recorded two magical records for Virgin ('73 & '75) which me and my college buddies played every day for months. They too also broke up, but soon National Health was born with three of Hatfield's four members. National Health were more ambitious (often a double quartet on record) and mostly instrumental, one of the last of intelligent 'fusion' bands. They also recorded two fine lps in '77 & '78 and lucky for us, they played NY twice in 1979 as a quartet at the Bottom Line and Squat Theatre. They also recorded two posthumous releases as well, both well worth seeking out.

Which brings us to 'Playtime' - their first-ever live release recorded 1979 in France and at the Main Point near Philly & close to where I went to college. This version of the band was a quartet once again with the same personnel that I heard in NYC - Alan Gowen on keyboards (replacing Dave Stewart), Phil Miller on guitar, John Greaves on bass and occasional vocals (formerly of Henry Cow) and Pip Pyle on drums. The first (French) half of this astounding cd also includes guest guitarist Alain Eckert. While their studio records often utilized twice as many players to flesh out their complex pieces, as a live quartet/quintet they are somewhat looser but even more on fire! The extensive liner notes by Canterbury website (Calyx) coordinator Aymeric Leroy are almost too much to take in, but this music is a true joy! The first tune is Gowen's "Flanagan's People" which flies and soars at an impossibly fast pace, the band is ever so tight - the piece is so intricately laid out yet actually has short freer sections which are completely focused and sharp. Gowen is a master of prog/jazz/rock compositions which are filled with many changing sections, hairpin turns with burning solos on top of inspired rhythm team work-outs. Alan plays a strong, long and winding synth solo on "Nowadays a Silhouette" which tells an interesting story from an intense first half to a more mellow ending. I recognize "Dreams Wide Awake" from the second National Health lp with its explosive beginning, ever-inventive synth, el. piano and el. guitar soloing in and around the quick and spunky rhythm section. It doesn't get much better than this. Pip's "Pleaides" also goes through a variety of difficult short sections which constantly shift between busy parts and even some sparse and mellow bits. John Greaves get a short vocal on "Rose Sob" showing what a fine voice he has which leads into Alan's "Playtime" one of the classic fusion salvos and truly magnificent tunes that this classic electric quartet ever played. Wow!! Greaves' "Squarer for Maude (parts 1 & 2)" closes out this incredible live offering by this amazing Canterbury all-star quartet and of course the piece is a throttling mini-epic which goes through a variety of well-connected hills and valleys - jazz-rock el. guitarist extraordinaire Phil Miller plays a number of outstanding solos throughout this entire cd and should be applauded for his unflagging energy and taste! What else can I say?!? $13.

10.JOHN LINDBERG ENSEMBLE-A Tree Frog Tonality (Between the Lines 008) Featuring Wadada Leo Smith on trumpet, Larry Ochs on sopranino & tenor sax, Andrew Cyrille on drums and John Lindberg on contrabass. Although two marvelous cds were released by this excellent all-star quartet at about the same time, the other cd from Black Saint seems to have disappeared already due to distribution problems. John Lindberg has always been an extraordinary bassist and composer, who you should recall from his fine work with Anthony Braxton and numerous releases as a leader on Black Saint/Soul Note and CEM. For the past decade, he seems to have disappeared somewhat, but has played at Tonic a couple of times over the past year with John Zorn & Susie Ibarra. This outstanding quartet has toured in recent years, but has yet to play NY. This release makes us realize what we have been missing. Commencing with the long "Thanksgiving Suite" which opens with an exquisite, hushed duo for sopranino sax and arco bass on part 1. The second part is a somber duo for drums and bowed/banged on bass which builds in flurries of activity and leads into the third part where Leo's lush muted trumpet glows with John's sterling bass beauty. 'Four Fathers" begins in another calm and reflective mood - a rather bluesy march/dirge with the tenor sax and trumpet so laid back that it is the rhythm team that really plays the entire tune through. John composed some rather quirky parts for the horns on "Drifter" which navigates through quick and slow sections, keeping the entire on their toes as they stay sharp and tight. The title track starts with a steady and hypnotic bass groove which Leo blasts on top of, but soon slows down as both horns weave their inspired lines together. "Good To Go" has an older jazz feel to it, with more muted trumpet, restrained tenor sax, walking bass and brushes - a finger-snapping delight that we can hum along to. The final piece "Little m and Big M" reminds me of one of those great cuts from Braxton's mid-70's Freedom series where the spacious composing sound more like contemporary classical than jazz, but doesn't stay in that mode for long - it slowly builds in tempo going through lyrical and bittersweet sections. What makes this release so fine is the thoughtful and quiet fire beneath the nimble undercurrent. $15.

11.HAMSTER THEATRE-Carnival Detournement (Cuneiform 146) The fabulous and bizarre Hamster Theatre feature Dave Willey and Jon Stubbs, who play some 25 instruments between them, composed most of and produced all of this excellent and strange progressive treasure. They also utilize the talents of another ten musicians including Thinking Plague mainman Mike Johnson with whom Mr. Willey is also a member, both bands coming from the Boulder/Denver axis. This is their third release if one counts Willey's solo project "Songs from the Hamster Theatre" as their second and it is marvelous, but not easy to pin down since it moves between a wealth of genres/worlds. The first track begins with a rather shocking dub intro, but doesn't last for long since ominous bass and mutated horns take over - soon Mike Johnson's Frith-like guitar(s) enter and its off to Thinking Plague/Henry Cow-land. By the time we get to the second track, everything shifts and changes direction pretty quickly - tentative piano, accordion and guitar often at the center with intricate horn parts layered on top. Both Willey and Stubbs play and switch off on all the keyboards, so often the keyboard is at the center of many of the pieces. Much like Von Zamla, Willey's main instrument - the accordion always adds some enchanting, eastern European folk qualities. Most of these pieces run together, so the flow is constant - but there are many unexpected twists and turns and there is minimal recitation on two tracks only. What stands out throughout this entire work is the topsy-turvy, ever-changing horn parts. If I didn't know better I would swear that this is one of those great European progressive bands. It ends with a quaint Penguin Café Orchestra-like ditty called "A Reluctant Farewell" which is utterly charming. $13 12.THE KEITH YAUN QUARTET-Amen Improvisations on Messiaen (Boxholder 010) Featuring Bern Nix & Keith Yaun on el. guitars, Mat Maneri on el. baritone violin and Johnny McLellan on drums. Keith Yaun is a Boston-based avant-jazz guitarist whose previous release was on Leo. Bern Nix is another fine, but under-recorded jazz guitarist who played with Ornette's Prime Time band for more than a decade. Mat Maneri is the most challenging violinist in years and now lives in Brooklyn and plays often - blowing minds at each and every gig. Johnny McLellan is also from the Boston area and has a duo cd out with Joe McPhee. On this demanding release, Keith takes five works from contemporary classical composer Olivier Messiaen and rearranges them for this quartet as a basis for extended improvisations. From the first piece "La Ville Qui Dormait, Toi" which moves at a snail's pace into cerebral territories, ever so delicate and spacious, both guitars are almost acoustic-sounding, with their pick-ups turned down low - both the violin and drums also floating in cloud-like formations taking their time to fill in the long suspense-filled spaces. With "Amen de la Creaton; the pace slowly picks up - things get a bit dense and gnarly - there is a great deal of swirling interplay between all four members of the cast - duo and trio combinations carefully unfold - Mat's bari violin often plays long and dark notes which hover in drones. Everything here seems to move in slow motion - dream-like, hushed and flowing organically like the breeze or in a somber stream. Fragments of Messiaen's pieces seem to be only hinted at, submerged in a spacious quilt of cautiously inter-connected ghosts. More mood than substance?!? Perhaps, yet still engaging on an ultra-subtle level of activity. $14.

13.DIANE PETERS-Archaeopteryx (New Market Music 3069) The title refers to the first flying bird from the dinosaur era and this fine Australian band features Diane on harp and voice, Ben Carr on tenor sax, James Wilkinson (from Bucketrider) on trombone, Mark Sheperd on double bass and Rajiv Jayaweera on drums. Melbourne-based new music harpist - Diane Peters stopped in our store a few months back and gave me two of her cds to check out - one of her own music and one of a Klezmer band she is in - both were great. Although the popular myth is that angels in heaven play harp - the instrument is more often associated with classical music, but it is modern players like Zeena Parkins, Carol Emmanuel and now Diane that show how diverse that instrument can really be. Diane's writing is especially warm, melodic and rich - the tenor, trombone and harp work wonderfully together, always swirling brightly - a perfectly balanced jazz quintet. Diane has a lovely voice as well and sings wordless vocals along with her harp on the themes of some of these tunes in an endearing manner. On "Green Tea" she takes the first expressive solo on harp, which is followed by an equally tasty solo by guest trumpeter Cam McAllister. I dig the way she adds depth and slightly skewered counter-melodies to the two horns on "Jason Man" - both Ben's tenor & James' trombone take especially uplifting solos here, although later Diane also pushes the energy up a notch higher on her harp solo. Diane's swell vocals and lyrics open the two part "Picasso's Weeping Woman" which has another haunting theme that gets even more seductive and touching in the second part. "Duo in Seven" is an enchanting duo for harp and contrabass with another sunny, memorable melody and strong story-telling solo from Diane. The final piece is a trilogy called "Mother Song" in which Diane's voice ushers in more soothing spirits - both horns also take elegant solos with the harp and voice creating lovely waves as a cushion underneath. Excellent! This release would fit perfectly on John Schaefer's nightly 'New Sounds' radio show. Well worth it at only $10.!

14.RON ANDERSON-Anything is Possible (Megaphone 022) I met this gonzo guitar/bass improviser almost 20 years ago right after he was in NY's Rat at Rat R (no wave-punk-improv-etc.) when he began jamming with friends of mine like Steve Buchanan and played in U-Rang. He eventually tired of the NY scene and moved to the bay area where he formed The Molecules (over-the-top improv-rock-etc.) who toured & recorded relentlessly. He later hooked up with Ruins leader/drummer Totsuya Yoshida with whom he has recorded & toured in Europe and Japan. He is finally back here and has another new band called PAK - Ron is an irrepressible spirit and still an engaging player - so it is great to have him around here once more. A few months ago, he did a surprise set with Totsuya and Zorn at the Knit of all places!?! Which brings us to his new release - a collaboration with some 25 musicians from Ron's varied past which includes Daniel Carter, Shelley Hirsch, Michael Evans, Gino Robair, 99 Hooker, Elliott Levin, Dave Slusser, Al Margolis (If, Bwana), John Myers and of course Totsuya. Ron also plays keyboards, giant guitar harp (?), pocket trumpet and drum machine. This crazed 23 track cd was recorded from 1996-1999, in Oakland, San Jose, Osaka and NYC. The opening track is avant-funk-rocker with some twisted violin and synth weirdness which sets the pace for the strange brew coming up. Nice to hear Michael Evans's quavering theremin on "Talk it All Out" which is partially free but filled with explosive rockin' noise and alien child-like vocals. Totsuya-like ultra-tight drum insanity is featured on many tracks, always giving the noisy sections shape and structure. The are many hilarious bits as well, like the full throttle shouting match on "Osaka" and mutant Residents-like vocals on "Jac's Bicycle...". Ron has done a great job of selecting the song-like sections from noisier bits and often using a drum machine in more inventive ways to help focus the more extreme tendencies of the other crazed players. A number of the strange tunes and especially "Dharma Bums" reminds me of Chrome - another former bay area favorite. Ron's tortured and ferocious guitar get a chance to wail on a number of these excursions, nicely done on the intricate prog/noise rocker - "Crank". A fun journey through a variety of mutant twists and turns for $12.

15.ALAN SILVA & OLUYEMI THOMAS-Transmissions (Eremite 027) During the sixties Alan Silva was the foremost acoustic bassist for many an essential free-jazz recording and concert with heavies like Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, Sunny Murray and Albert Ayler. He moved to Paris in 1969 and played with even more greats like Archie Shepp, Jimmy Lyons, Grachan Moncur III, Dave Burrell and led his own Lunar Surface and Celestial Communication Orchestra. He has been living in Europe ever since leading his own units and collaborating with Frank Wright, Bill Dixon, Cecil Taylor, ICP and Globe Unity Orchestras. He has been coming back to the US once more over the past few years and has played at the Vision Fest- although many would rather hear him playing his phenomenal bass, rather than his sampler/synth - his conductions are still amazing! West Coast reeds specialist Oluyemi Thomas was/is a more shadowy figure for many of us east coasters, but has recorded on some half dozen releases since 1992 with Gino Robair, Marco Eneidi and on Henry Kaiser/Leo Smith's 'Yo Miles' cd. This colossal live duet was recorded at The Fourth Annual Fire in the Valley Festival in October of 1999 with Alan Silva playing a borrowed contrabass (hooray!) and Oluyemi Thomas on bass clarinet, c-melody sax, wooden flute and percussion - a rather rare reeds collection. There is an incredible and cosmic communication that this duo brings forth - the bowed bass and bass clarinet rise as their spirits combine as one force - levitating all who listen. Both musicians work in the same sonic area - erupting and unleashing their magic of ultimate release. Alan's arco bass playing has an immense sound and presence as Oluyemi's bass clarinet also squawks, shrieks, screams and tells tales which are hard to forget. It is great to hear someone really playing bass clarinet at length, since we can never hear enough of the special reed. The c-melody sax is one of the rarest of reeds and I can't recall ever seeing someone play one - although here it does sound like a combination of tenor sax and bass clarinet, perhaps a bit darker. On "Root & Branch" both bass and bass clarinet slowly build rich textures which evolve through ominous shades and shadows - the womb-like drone and the cries of life itself caressing our hearts and producing tears of sorrow, joy and hope. Surely a transcendent experience - concert and this release as well! $14.

16.ROBERT CREELEY-DAVID TORN-STEVE SWALLOW-Have We Told You All You'd Thought to Know? (Cuneiform 144) This release maybe something of a departure for the progressive-based and consistently engaging Cuneiform label, but it is nonetheless worthy of our attention. It features a performance by one of America's finest living poets - Robert Creeley - backed by David Torn's trio of David Cast on saxes & bass clarinet, Chris Massey on drums plus el. bass wonder Steve Swallow. Torn's trio released an interesting cd a few years back, which seems to have gone unnoticed. While some progressive listeners seem to have a problem with poetry or spoken word, it has always intrigued me since my days at Glassboro State College when I was checking out poets-writers like Ginsberg, Ferlinghetti, Ken Kesey, W.S. Merwin and Robert Creeley. I still go to poetry readings from time to time and am close with great local scribes Steve Dalachinsky and Elliott Levin. I also write poetry when inspired & have been known to read it in public on rare occasion.

This release is from a concert performance in Buffalo, NY in September of 1998. Creeley's words and voice speak with layers of meaning and depth - the spacious music behind him never intrudes too much, but does create somber, alien worlds as a sort-of soundtrack. Former fusion guitar hero David Torn has in recent years become a master of subtle textures, loops, samples and using the el. guitar more as a sonic palette than as a soloing instrument. This music takes us on an exotic journey - swaying soprano sax, waves of mallets, humming el. bass and guitar note fragments & samples. Creeley takes his time to read one stanza at a time so that each thought or idea can be considered and savored. There is contemplative aura which surrounds these words/poems, a hushed and respectful vibe that slowly unfolds as each poem is allowed to breathe. There are very solos here because this is more about creating atmosphere(s), yet David Cast does take a fine, restrained with soft fire tenor solo on "Upon Reflection". Some of these poems are song-like, the rhythm and melody of the words are translated by the musicians into a song - noticeably on "I Like the Way". On the longest piece "Words Scattered" the band really takes off, the tenor sax and guitar begin to soar together toward the heavens but eventually calm down once again into a more spacious terrain. Later Swallow lays down a soothing, yet hypnotic groove while David's bass clarinet plays that hip melody. Robert Creeley asks in the final poem "Is wisdom just an empty word?" I think not. This is a splendid and provocative endeavor worth contemplating more than once. $13.

17.RAJESH MEHTA-Reconfigurations (between the lines 010) The Mehta-Metric Ensemble consists of Rajesh on trumpets & hybrid trumpets, Vlatko Kucan on clarinets, soprano & tenor saxes, Aleksander Kolkowski on violin & viola, Peter Niklas Wilson on double bass and Ray Kaczynski on percussion. Indian-born former Braxton student and mutant trumpeter - Rajesh Mehta now lives in Berlin and is fascinated by number systems. His Metric Ensemble fill the skeletal architecture of these systems to create a new language and music - the results of which are the three parts of 'Reconfigurations' which make up this challenging release. This music has that Braxton-like clarity of thought and design - closer to classical music's focus than jazz's abstraction and expressed on all acoustic instruments which are playful yet serious. During "Part 1", there is a rather unnerving section where all the players are bending their notes up and down together in opposite directions. Although I often dig the overall sound and textures, it is difficult to discern any underlying structure or connection between the players. This is often quite minimal and rarely does anything get too dense - although "Part 2" finally gets busier near the end when Rajesh's trumpet begins to hit the smear and stutter zone for a bit and the entire ensemble heads for a section high note flutters. By "Part 3" rhythmic fragments start to work their way into some patterns, or so it seems. The activity slowly gets busier and the underlying structure becomes more apparent. The soprano sax starts spiraling quickly and both the violin and trumpet also start scurrying. There are also times when it is difficult to tell who is doing what since some of instruments are played in unconventional ways - but this makes for rewarding detective work. During some of the quiet parts, I couldn't tell if it was my refrigerator or the cd which was making those faint humming sounds. Does it matter? $15.

18.ANTHONY BRAXTON QUARTET-ten compositions [2000] (CIMP 225) This features Kevin O'Neil on guitar, Andy Eulau on bass, Kevin Norton on drums and Mr. Braxton on alto sax & flute only. Contrary to what we thought, this is an all jazz covers program with six pieces by Andrew Hill, two by George Coleman, one by Wayne Shorter and one by Billy Lester. In the past, I have had mixed feelings about some of Braxton's jazz standards projects, for me he seems to work best with his own compositions and other more modern jazz composers, but here this is not the case. The quartet begins with Wayne Shorter's "Virgo" (from his 'Nightdreamer'lp/cd) and from the outset Braxton's alto solo leaps forward with lightning quick flashes, which seems to push Kevin's guitar solo also into amazingly fast and spiraling runs - the rhythm also swinging hard and uplifting the spirits as well. George Coleman's "New Arrival" has that 60's modal sound and Braxton playing soprano or sopranino in a vibrant snake-charming fashion once more spinning them notes with quick waves and Kevin's guitar also burnin' it down in both single note runs and then gnarly chord comping too. The first Andrew Hill tune is "McNeil Island" and it is a dreamy ballad, hushed and spacious, delicate yet still impassioned, with some of the warmest soprano I've heard Braxton play. Billy Lester's "C-Bop" also is taken a moderate tempo, but Braxton once more let those quick bopping lines flow in a rush of cascading spirits as does Kevin's ever nimble & ultra-quick jazz guitar flourishes. Hill's "Pumpkin" has that dark fire that made his mid-sixties Blue Note lps so special - it is the superb rhythm team that add that probing, suspense filled undercurrent throughout so both the alto sax and guitar constantly push and pull each other into the dense waters underneath. "Alfred" is another quaint Hill ballad with Norton 's elegant glockenspiel adding soft spice to the lush and haunting piece. The final tune is Coleman's "Lo Joe" - another boppin, finger snapping gem with Anthony's alto slowly burnin' ever skywards and O'Neil's guitar also answering the call to push the vibe higher and higher! Bravo, bravo, bravo!!! The second part of this Andrew Hill tribute session should be out pretty soon, in the meantime spin this great offering! $14.

19.IVO PERELMAN TRIO-The Eye Listens (Boxholder 012) After a flurry of activity and almost a dozen cds, Brazilian-born & NY-based tenor sax hero - Ivo Perelman became ill didn't record for almost two years. Lucky for us, he is back and blowing his immense free-jazz spirits our way once more. Ivo consistently chooses strong musicians to inspire him and us even further and here uses the colossal local rhythm team of Wilber Morris on contrabass and Michael Wimberley on drums, both of whom we recently witnessed at a completely insane set with Borah Bergman, Louie Belogenis and both Maneris at Tonic! Each of the five tracks on "The Eye Listens" is over ten minutes and each is a long journey of cosmic forces being unleashed and ascending towards the heavens. "A Night at the Opera" explodes from the very first note - this is a most balanced trio, each member guiding and focusing the inner forces and slowly setting the spirits free. Although William Parker often gets much of the (well-deserved) recognition as the king of free-jazz contrabass, it seems to me that Wilber Morris has also been a part of this scene for quite a long time and has an equally powerful presence and sound on his bass - his solo spot on "The Solution" is one of the high points here. His ongoing trio sets with Rashied Ali & Louie Belogenis are still astonishing to witness! This trio also works in waves of intensity - sometimes screaming and occasionally holding back, but never for too long. I recall Michael Wimberley from his intense and free-spirited drumming with the early Charles Gayle Trio and he still adds fire to this ever-shifting mammoth trio. The title track starts ever so quietly and builds in slow spiraling intensity with strong mallet work, before Ivo's squealing sax and Wilber's string rubbing starts to match the churning inner power. I dig how the trio is able to maintain their constant level on intensity without having to scream all the time. Even on "The Solution" the inner turmoil is kept below the explosive level much of the time, at least until the central storm erupts once again. There is much listening and reacting going on, each part of the trio comes together in one solid triangular system/network/body. There is a rather mysterious opening on "Give Them the Spiritual" with Ivo and Wilber speaking in tongues and then the trio moves in waves of dense and then more brooding rumbling before it escalates into nirvana. Commencing with "Dance of the Infidels" which opens with more of Wilber's sonic spirits and then the trio is held down by slow marching throb which then softly takes off for the stratosphere once more. Like a blessing from the free-jazz gods to soothe us all into limbo state - this is a suave for our woes. $14.

20.DAVID ROSENBOOM-Invisible Gold (Pogus 21022) Mr. Rosenboom is a composer, author, educator and has been an acclaimed pioneer in American experimental music since the sixties. He has "investigated the workings of the human brain by inventing musical circumstances in which the brain's electrical activity was integrated into the interactive dynamics of self-organizing, electronic music systems". This cd illustrates some important examples of this exploration. Its three long works are fascinating to fathom. "Portable Gold and Philosophers' Stones" is the first and earliest piece from 1972 and deals with an invisible symbol - the original substance, timelessness and spacelessness. Although this piece begins with one drone, it evolves into layers of drones which slowly emerge, collide, shift and wiggle in waves which are both soothing and engaging. "On Being Invisible, Part 1 & Part 2" are both from 1976-'77 and deals with "a potpourri of brainwave analysis techniques which are used to track shifts of attention and changes in states of consciousness". "Part 1" sounds like quickly shifting electronic spurts which move in layers from 1 or 2 to a few at a time in different tempos eventually getting more dense in spots. This piece would fit nicely with most releases on the Erstwhile label. As the tempo gets quicker and more regular it starts to sound like the opening track on Herbie Hancock's 'Sextant' lp - which was/is a perfect marriage of avant-jazz, electronics and funk riffs. It gradually gets even more dense and provocative. On "Part 2" the performer initiates change by making small sounds into the microphone instead of the brainwaves as a source of change. A bell opens "Part 2" and resonates with an electronic accompaniment, the tinkling slowly being mutated into something else. The electronic sounds here are minimal - buzzing a bit and taking their time to develop into a just a few layers of mutant sounds, never getting too dense or too demanding. This and all other two dozen or so ever-challenging Pogus cds always cost a mere $10.

21.HEINER GOEBBELS-Surrogate Cities (ECM 1688) German new music composer and keyboard player/multi-instrumentalist Heiner Goebbels has certainly had a long, varied and successful career. I would love to see a discography of his, since I own about a dozen releases he is on and I am sure there are more. There's those early duo recordings with Alfred 23 Harth from the mid-eighties with Dagmar Krause guesting, four releases from the brilliant/disturbing progressive/political unit Cassiber also with Harth and Chris Cutler. At least a half dozen adventurous releases on ECM which begins with "The Man in the Elevator" from 1988 and featured a cast of downtowners like Arto Lindsay, Fred Frith, Ned Rothenberg, Don Cherry & George Lewis! He employs both exotic vocalists and musicians from around the globe like Sussan Deihim, Christoph Anders, Boubakar Djebate, Rene Lussier and Yves Robert, as well as the amazing Ensemble Modern on numerous releases. He utilizes texts from diverse sources like Heiner Muller, Joseph Conrad and Edgar Allan Poe. The three times I have witnessed his works in concert, I was always been knocked out. Which brings us to his new one:

"Surrogate Cities" is another serious work in two parts - a "Suite for Sampler and Orchestra" is performed by the Junge Deutsche Philharmonic plus six more pieces for the orchestra with guest vocalists David Moss and Jocelyn B. Smith. The "SuiteŠ" features samples of the David Moss Dense Band, Otomo, Third Person and Karl Biscuit. The "Suite" mixes these samples with the large 80 piece orchestra in many powerful ways - from the ancient sounds of a Jewish cantor's chanting mixed with austere strings and piano arrangements to many odd samples too difficult to identify (is that a Third Person sample I hear?), but with consistently sharp and probing writing for the orchestra. The "Suite" is superb, a perfect mix of powerful and rich composing never too over-wrought or extreme and just the right amount of samples as spice or punctuation. The second part begins with "The Horatian-Three Songs" sung by Jocelyn B. Smith and it reminds me of the soundtrack of an epic film, filled with bravado and the immense, proud jazz/blues voice of Jocelyn! The story - an ancient and sad tale from Roman times concerning a conflict between two neighboring cities - the outcome a tragedy and a triumph at the same time. "D & C" is an orchestral piece inspired by Kafka's "The City Coat of Arms" and it is a harrowing, resounding and deeply profound piece which reminds me of Stravinsky's "Rites of Spring"! Both of the two final pieces feature former downtown-associated vocal (and percussion) legend David Moss who has resided in Berlin for more than a decade. David has a completely distinctive voice that can be both hilarious and serious and often just too much! On "Surrogate" he exclaims "She has been running, what for?" and I must laugh at the absurdity of the situation described and the sound of David's wacky voice. Recently Mr. Moss can be heard on Uri Caine's "Goldberg Variations" release and word is that Luigi Nono has also utilized his vocal talents. An outstanding release from beginning to end, time to do some research to find out what Heiner Goebbels cds I am missing! Well worth the expensive price of $16.

22.MARIA KALANIEMI & ALDARGAZ-Ahma (Northside 6053) This is the third fabulous release from the Finnish accordion wiz Maria Kalaniemi. The last time we heard her play was with the excellent Accordion Tribe who include Guy Klucevsek, Lars Hollmer (Von Zamla) and Bratko Bibic (Nimal) - nice company! Maria's band Aldargaz is a mostly acoustic quintet of piano, guitar, double bass, mandolin and violin. The opening and title track is a quick spinning and sunny one, which the group plays with a restrained fury and the added horn section really pushes it into an expansive ending. "Angskar" was written by their pianist - Timo Alakotila and it is a lovely, melancholy ballad which will melt your heart if you are not too much of a sourpuss. "Huuma" has that uplifting, swirling, multi-layered accordion, mandolin, guitar and violin playing in quick and intricate harmonies together. "Kaamos (Polar Night)" is an elegant duo/trio for accordion and piano and eventually violin - it is another quaint and touching tune for the sad romantics in all of us - with wistful gypsy-like flourishes. There is an amazing amount of rich and intricate interplay between the accordion, guitar, violin, mandolin, bass and piano - with various threads constantly swirling and inter-connecting - sometimes two players against three - bouncing ideas back and forth - rather jazz-like in spirit. Occasionally the wordless vocals of Mia Simanainen also shine through and add some glowing grace. A few of the pieces like "Lovina" have that sad and dream-like quality - ever so elegant. There even seems to some bluegrass influence in (t)here, when the acoustic guitar, mandolin and violin pick quickly together. The sparks really fly by rather quickly on "Kamppi" which keeps everyone on their toes as it almost spins out of control. This is a completely enchanting affair through and through from the fine folks at Northside, who continue to find many treasures from all over Scandinavia! $14.

23.MARCO ENEIDI-WILLIAM PARKER-DONALD ROBINSON-cherry box (Eremite 025) I remember seeing and hearing alto sax blaster Marco Eneidi on various occasions when he was living in NY and often playing in William Parker's Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra and I was always being blown away by his hard hitting playing and throttling sound. He has been working and teaching in the bay area for the last few years and has numerous recordings with the late, great tenor sax giant Glenn Spearman. Also based in the same area is the fine drummer Donald Robinson who also played much with Spearman as well as with Larry Ochs' What We Live trio. Contrabass god-composer-bandleader William Parker certainly need no intro, soŠ This ferocious cd was recorded live at Mills College in September of 1998. The opening and title track begins quietly as the mood is first established. Short and to the point. Soon the second piece "Slashing the Bird" explodes into view and the intensity begins to rise. Marco's slash and burn alto sax is completely focused and sharp like a master gem-cutter - screaming, burning, lightning flash attack - yet each note is articulated and distinct! There is a great deal of empathy within this ultra-tight trio - each note counts - the elastic rhythm team continually reinvents itself as they spin, levitate, blast, erupt and explode in flurries of notes - yet never miss a beat as they soar together into skies like a triangle of birds. The track actually slows down right before it ends, sort-of a backwards tactic that works in an odd way to let us down slowly. "Forget It" (the closing words from Suzy Creamcheese in "It Can't Happen Here") is a sort-of ballad which unwinds in slow motion and in a dream-like haze of somber beauty - slowly building in spacious drama, yet never going over the edge, yet it is still quite engaging. "Barbequed Brahms" begins at a mid-tempo pace, while William Parker's buzzing bass begins heating things up from underneath - nudging the alto and drums to constantly bring up the intensity one notch at a time until the well controlled fury escalates to the heavens once again. Marco's alto starts spewing them whiplash flurries that ignite the inner flame of all present and listening. Donald's mesmerizing mallets start off "One More Thing" as William's bowed bass creates slowly drifting ghosts - Marco also slowly unleashes the delicate, yet sinister spirits - eventually erupting once more until the heavens part and a ray of sunshine shines though. You can always save yourself for $14.

Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG owner and Downtown Scene Underboss.

24.WENDY CARLOS - Beauty In The Beast (East Side Digital ESD 81552) I remember when the ground breaking 1968 album Switched On Bach came out. My dad listened to classical music and probably intrigued by the thought of synthesized Bach, bought a copy. Wendy Carlos took an instrument known for academic abstract music and showed how the Moog synthesizer could be used for any kind of music. It was a hit around the house, my older sisters even dug it. I was about 9 and brought it to an elementary school class party. As soon as the record hit the turntable, it was removed, apparently SOBs coolness lost on my peers. AwŠwhat did they know! Fast forward to 1987. Wendy Carlos releases Beauty In The Beast, another ground breaking innovative release. Using advanced modeling synthesis techniques and exploring different microtonal tunings, Beauty In The Beast is a lush, colorful journey. The zing of non-12-tone equal temperament tunings is obviously apparent on first listening and Carlos tries 'em out on her original compositions evocative of Tibet, Bali, Mid-Eastern, Bulgarian, African and non-terrestrial music. The results are amazing but the recording went out of print six months later when the record company went out of business. Fortunately for us, Beauty In The Beast has been recently re-released by East Side Digital. Remastered (warmer with no hiss, not so harsh) with extra liner notes and spiffed up art work. It's about time! $15

25.CHARLES CURTIS - Ultra White Violet Light/Sleep (Beau Rivage/Squealer 029) Charles Curtis is an amazing cello player. He's been principal cellist of the North German Radio Orchestra and has long been associated with minimalist composer La Monte Young. In Europe, he has maintained the Charles Curtis Trio while in New York City he's worked with Kramer, Alan Licht, The Donald Miller Trio and King Missile. Previously released only on vinyl and now on CD, Ultra White Violet Light/Sleep features four tracks. Track A features his raga influenced cello over a bed of droning guitars and sine tones. On Track B, a guitar and drums with spoken word are added to the mix (can you say "Velvet Underground"?). Track C is just sustained guitars and sine tones while Track D gives us the instrumentation on Track B with the addition of more raga cello. In the rambling liner notes, Curtis suggests ways of simultaneously playing back the tracks to create new works. Solos, duos, trios and the obvious quartet of all four tracks are suggested as well as ways of pulling all this off. Boom boxes arranged around the room. Four cars, all playing versions of the cd on random play. Multiple stereos. I managed with a cd player, the cd drive off my laptop computer and a few mp3 files. Since each tracks chordal drone is different, they form a bigger chord when played together. The spoken word disappears into the background and becomes a murmur, while the combined drones dance around the room. Amazing. 2 CD set $17

26.VITO RICCI - Musique D'Ameubient (Saynomore Music) Cool analog synthesizer drones from Vito Ricci. Over driven filters fluttering through long drones on three tracks. The fourth track features singer Lise Vachon on Warm Up, a pointillistic landscape. I'm surprised, I've heard Vito play the American Festival of Microtonal Music on wrench guitar and didn't know what to expect. This very happening ambient! $12

27. Andrew Poppy - Time At Rest Devouring It's Secret (Source Research sR:com:1 CD) Andrew Poppy is an English minimalist composer and musician who has been associated with bands like Coil, Strawberry Switchblade, The The, Erasure, Psychic TV & Nitzer Ebb. Time At Rest Devouring It's Secret evolves slowly, plucked strings vs. sustained tones, bells, strings and harp as if in a dream. Electronic tones shadow behind and around the main action. The resulting composition has a bit of a Morton Feldman vibe about it with the bells and plucks but there is no steady pulse, everything just floats along. $13

David "more hits than those other minimalists" Beardsley is the guest reviewer of the moment for DMG.

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