The Summer is Sizzling,
Can You Feel the Heat?
Its Another Newsletter
And Its Filled with Treats... from:
Barry Guy Blue Shroud Large Ensemble 4 CD Set! Generations Quartet: Oliver Lake/Michael Jefry Stevens/Joe Fonda/Emil Gross! Jason Roebke Octet: Greg Ward/Keefe Jackson/Jason Stein/Josh Berman/Jason Adasiewicz/Mike Reed! Two from Peter Brotzmann: William Parker & Hamid Drake & Defibrillater! Laurie Anderson! Dave Douglas’ Dark Territory! Herb Robertson Trio!
Aaron Bennett/Darren Johnston/Lisa Mezzacappa/Frank Rosaly! Three from MIA Legend Peter Kuhn: Toshinori Kondo/Arthur Williams/William Parker/Denis Charles! Greg Ward & 10 Tongues! Idris Ackamoor & the Pyramids! Jeff Parker Trio! Pauline Oliveros & Musiques Nouvelles! Chris Brown! Merzbow! Daniel Higgs LP & Much More..!
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The DMG FREE Weekly In-Store Concert Series Continues With:
Sunday, July 10th:
6pm: DISSIPATED FACE 2016: Steve X Dream/Kurt Ralske/Daniel Carter/Will Dahl/Bill Milkowski/Michael Lublin/Jonathan Wood Vincent!
7pm: KEN ALDCROFT & WILLIAM PARKER!
Sunday, July 17th:
6pm: PAULA SHOCRON / DANIEL CARTER / PABLO DIAZ!
7pm: HOME OF EASY CREDIT: TOM BLANCARTE & LOUISE DE JENSEN!
Sunday, July 24th:
6pm: ROCCO JOHN IACOVONE/RICH ROSENTHAL/FRANCOIS GRILLOT/TOM CABRERA!
7pm: JEFF LEDERER & BROOKLYN BLOWHARDS!
Sunday, July 31st:
6pm: ALAN BJORKLAND / KIM CASS / SAM OSPOVAT - Trumpet/Bass/Drums!
Sunday, August 7th - Rare Triple Bill:
6pm: NICOLAS LETMAN-BURTINOVIC & KEN-YA KAWAGUCHI - Contrabass & Shakuhachi!
7pm: NICO's SPLIT CYCLE!
8pm: XUAN YE / SEAN ALI / JASON DOELL - Voice & Electronics / Contrabass / Laptop!
DMG is located at 13 Monroe St. (between Catherine & Market Sts) in a basement below a former Buddhist temple & beauty salon. Take the F train to East Broadway or the 6 train to Canal or the B or D to Grand, or the M-15 bus to Madison & Catherine. Come on Down, the Music Always Free & the Vibes are Quite Cosy!
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Starting off with Two Amazing Discs from the Mighty Not Two Label:
BARRY GUY BLUE SHROUD BAND With AGUSTI FERNANDEZ / PETER EVANS / TORBEN SNEKKESTAD / MAYA HOMBURGER / LUCAS NIGGLI / RAMON LOPEZ / SAVINA YANNATOU / et al - Tensecrity [4 CD Box Set](Not Two 938; Poland) Barry Guy’s Blue Shroud Orchestra, the 14-piece band created to perform the English bassist’s Blue Shroud, gathered for the final week of Jazz Autumn from Ireland, Greece, Spain, France, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Sweden and America, some members meeting for the first time, then spent the next three days rehearsing the piece eight hours a day, only to spend each night in three sets of small ensemble improvisations, getting to know one another’s musical personalities at the granular level. The musicians were drawn from Guy and partner/baroque violinist Maya Homburger’s diverse worlds of jazz and contemporary classical, free improvisation and period instrument performance, all possessed of remarkable skills and a willingness to test and extend them in fresh contexts.
Over 20 different groupings would appear between Agustí Fernández creating a storm of original sound in the piano’s interior to begin Tuesday’s program and the final quintet on Thursday, which expanded the Aurora trio of Guy, Fernández and drummer Ramon Lopez with trumpeter Peter Evans and mercurial Greek singer Savina Yannatou. In between one encountered a range of stunning musical voices, from the solo pieces by Homburger on baroque violin and Irish composer/classical guitarist Ben Dwyer to a remarkable group of saxophonists whose reputations are only beginning to reach beyond Europe: Michael Niesemann has the previously unknown capacity to play both fire-breathing free alto and virtuoso baroque oboe d’amore; Torben Snekkestad’s doubles are just as unusual: in addition to tenor and soprano, he plays a reed-trumpet hybrid that sounds like a roar from the dawn of time. The young Julius Gabriel plays ferocious baritone while Per Texas Johansson doubles tenor and clarinet, sometimes with distinctive humor: during one improvised dialogue, a black balloon emerges and expands from the bell of his clarinet. In addition to various duos and trios, the reed players performed as a quintet, the fifth member Michel Godard, a virtuoso of the tuba and the medieval serpent, sounding on the latter like a modern trombonist. The violist Fanny Paccoud, another ancient music specialist, played skittering free improvisations in assorted ensembles while another incongruous component of this assembly—the two contrasting drummers, Lopez, loose and unpredictably propulsive, and Lucas Niggli, a demon of precision—performed as a duo and in a quartet with Fernández and Evans.
This unique collection of musicians and their compound skill sets were matched together for a special vision, one crisscrossing past and present, combining seemingly contrary views, voices and methodologies to create a new kind of composition, one that reached beyond collage to a polysemous musical discourse, born at once in a score and the accelerated evolution of free improvisation.
The debut of the 75-minute Blue Shroud brought these contrasting virtuosities together. Inspired by Picasso’s Guernica, Guy named the piece for the blue shroud that was placed over a tapestry copy at the UN building during Colin Powell’s 2003 declaration of war against Iraq. As vast as Picasso’s painting, Guy’s work is equally ambitious, a great musical meditation on the horrors of war and the quest for compassion. Constructing songs on poems by Irish poet Kerry Hardie, Guy employed methods ranging from atonality and Spanish flamenco to a gorgeous chorale of high-pitched reeds, contrasting lyrical passages with bursts of violent energy and lacing passages of free improvisation through and over both, with Yannatou singing text in four languages, blending formal declaration with speaking in tongues. One uncanny component was the dramatic inclusion of pieces by the 17th century composer H.I.F. Biber and Bach, images of compassion and respite, beautifully realized and continuous with Guy’s own lyrical episodes. It’s a major work, bridging musical chasms, and should be widely heard. - Stuart Broomer, New York City Jazz Record, January 2015
4 CD Set $50
GENERATIONS QUARTET [OLIVER LAKE / MICHAEL JEFRY STEVENS / JOE FONDA / EMIL GROSS] - Flow (Not Two 942; Poland) Featuring Oliver Lake on alto sax, Michael Jefry Stevens on piano, Joe Fonda on double bass and Emil Gross on drums. Just came in and will review next week.
“The Generations Quartet stands for the clash of generations on the highest imaginable level of musical creativity. It is the reappraisal of fusion and difference regarding the life concepts and styles of the artists as well as their very different, but not contradictory, approaches towards music. The creative resources of the music of Trio Generations are defined by the musical concepts of the three musicians on the very basis of their originality and their traditions. The performance is based upon firmly composed music as well as free improvisation. The quartets’ audible output is a crisp, fresh, modern sound; indefinable somewhere in-between Jazz, Avant-garde, Funk, Rock, Reggae, etc. establishing a thrilling tension from the first to the last minute. The Generations Quartet is a multi-generational, multi-cultural and multi-genre based acoustic musical trio built on the rhythm section foundation of bass, piano and drums. From funk to fusion - from rock to jazz - from reggae to classical: Trio Generations has absorbed an eclectic blend of musical and cultural influences. Still in his early 20's, our Austrian drummer Emil Gross lives on the border of Austria/Hungary and is firmly rooted in the music of his generation as well as past generations. The influence of African American music is international in scope and pervades most societies and countries that exist on the planet. From spirituals to blues to jazz to gospel to rock to soul… Each generation builds on each succeeding generations’ achievements and learns from their mistakes. As an ensemble the Generations Quartet exists to celebrate these different musics and cultures.”
CD $17
HERB ROBERTSON / RICH MESSBAUER / TOM SAYEK - Diablo en Musica - Improvisations (Out/In: Space Music; USA) Featuring Herb Robertson on trumpets, Rich Messbauer on bass and Tom Sayek on drums. Trumpet ace Herb Robertson has long been one of the creative and diverse members of the Downtown Scene, playing on more than a hundred discs, with a long career stretching back some four decades this year. I hadn’t heard of NJ-born bassist Rich Messbauer before now, although he just left us with some 6 discs from his own Out/In: Space Music label. Drummer Tom Sayek is yet another new name for me although he can be found on another disc with Herb Robertson that I reviewed a few years back.
This disc is broken into three sections: “Parts 1 & 2” and an “Epilogue”. “Part 1” consists of a series of solos, duos and trios. This disc is long (nearly 75 minutes) and superbly recorded. The opening duo of bass and drums is strong and swings hard. The first trio section has Mr. Robertson playing some mighty fine muted trumpet, similar to the way Miles Davis sounded on the Black Hawk dates, spinning out those quick lines in a most laid back way. All of the sections/songs on “Part 1”, are continuous and evolve in a most organic way. “X-Rays” is an extraordinary duo for trumpet and drums, in which both players soar tightly together at a furious tempo before a solemn bowed bass and trumpet duo sections comes in. Robertson takes his time and shapes each note carefully, some bent, some muted but each note sounds connected. Mr. Robertson also utilizes toys or other odd blowables for his arsenal, always creating fascinating sounds no matter what he plays. Sometimes silly-sounding, sometimes serious, yet… “Part 2” is the trio and they are in fine form here. Seamlessly connected and spinning a series of thigh lines with and around one another. The mood or vibe of each section/song changes from piece to piece, some somber, some intense, but always engaging. There are dozens of great trumpet players in the NY area at present, but there is only one Herb Robertson and this trio captures him at his best. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10
New from NoBusiness in Lithuania:
JASON ROEBKE OCTET With GREG WARD / KEEFE JACKSON / JASON STEIN / JOSH BERMAN / JEB BISHOP / JASON ADASIEWICZ / MIKE REED - Cinema Spiral (NoBusiness 86; Lithuania) Featuring: Greg Ward on alto sax, Keefe Jackson on tenor sax, Jason Stein on bass clarinet, Josh Berman on cornet, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Jason Adasiewicz on vibes, Jason Roebke on bass and Mike Reed on drums. Over the past few years the ever-evolving Chicago creative music scene has erupted with dozens of great bands recording and traveling. This year alone we’ve seen & heard bands led or featuring: Nicole Mitchell, Ken Vandermark, Dave Rempis, Mike Reed, Jason Stein, Rob Mazurek, Greg Ward and Jason Adasiewicz (with Peter Brotzmann). Three most impressive mid-sized bands have new records out and will be soon: Greg Ward & 10 Tongues (at the Jazz Gallery this weekend: 7/8 & 9/16), Mike Reed’s Flesh & Bone (at the Vision Fest 6/12/16) and now the Jason Roebke Octet.
Besides being one of the most in-demand bassists in Chicago, Jason Roebke has recorded a half dozen discs as a soloist, in duos and in trios. This is Mr. Roebke’s second disc for his all-star octet, the last one was on Delmark. The opening piece, “Looking Directly into the Camera”, starts quietly with the lone bass at the center, the rest of the octet playing skeletally. Several layers of lines emerge with the horns, vibes and rhythm team all swirling tightly together. Mr. Roebke’s writing is evolving and seems to involve several overlapping strategies. “Getting High” balances seemingly free sections with short thoughtful, connected solos. While Jason Stein soars on bass clarinet, the rest of the ensemble tightly erupts around him in different layers. Different trios emerge (bass clarinet, vibes & drums) while the rest of the octet erupt tightly around them. Jason Stein, who recently did a stadium tour with his trio opening for his sibling Amy Schumer, as well as playing here at DMG with Thomas Heberer, is in truly fine form here, taking a number of inspired, crafty solos. Vibesman, Jason Adasiewicz also sounds great throughout this disc, leading the rhythm team through many twisting rapids. Towards the end of this piece, all of the horns solo at the same time and provide a great, tight swirl of activity that is joyous to hear. This is another one of those great discs of the month so trap your copy today. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16
AARON BENNETT / DARREN JOHNSTON / LISA MEZZACAPPA / FRANK ROSALY - Shipwreck 4 (NoBusiness 87; Lithuania) This quartet features both members of the West Coast and Chicago scenes: Aaron Bennett on tenor sax, Darren Johnston on trumpet, Lisa Mezzacappa on acoustic bass and Frank Rosaly on drums. You should no doubt know three members of this quartet from several previous connections: Mr. Johnston (work with Fred Frith, Larry Ochs & Adam Lane), Ms. Mezzacappa (6 discs as a leader) and Mr. Rosaly (Dave Rempis & Josh Abrams). We’ve heard much less from saxist Aaron Bennett, who has been a constant member of several groups led by Ms. Mezzacappa. This disc is an all improvised date and it sounds pretty strong and focused throughout. On the first piece the tenor sax and trumpet spin a powerful, tight web with the bass & drums providing a solid cushion of energized waves. Tenor saxist Aaron Bennett is in extremely fine form throughout, listening closely and matching wits with the rhythm team and Mr. Johnston’s equally expressive & diverse trumpet flurries. Bennett’s tone is warm yet intense with bits of Trane-like depth. Midway, the quartet slowdown to more restrained sense of calm with some tight, crafty improv which builds to a more intense conclusion. As this disc unfolds, the players become more familiar with each other and the exchanges are tighter and richer. This is a particularly inspired quartet who sound as if they have been playing together for many years. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16
PETER KUHN with TOSHINORI KONDO / ARTHUR WILLIAMS / WILLIAM PARKER / DENIS CHARLES - No Coming, No Going. The Music of Peter Kuhn, 1978 - 1979 (NoBusiness 89-90; Lithuania) Featuring: Peter Kuhn on clarinets & tenor sax, Toshinori Kondo & Arthur Williams on trumpets, William Parker on bass and Denis Charles on drums. This great 2 CD set consists of a reissue of the original LP session “Livin’ Right”, long out-of-print and an earlier never-before released session with Denis Charles. Peter Kuhn was one of the more mysterious early Downtown musicians who recorded on a few early Downtown sessions (like Frank Lowe’s ‘Lo & Behold’ from 1978) and had three albums under his own name on Hat Hut, Soul Note and his own Big City label, all released in the late seventies, around the same period of time. After that Mr. Kuhn seemed to disappeared from the Downtown scene for many years. Thanks to the lengthy liner notes here, which Mr. Kuhn wrote, we find out more about his life then and since. The original LP was recorded in December of 1978 at WKCR-FM and Mr. Kuhn organized a formidable quintet mostly with musicians we know well by now but weren’t well-known at this point.
The first disc is the reissue of ‘Livin’ Right’, with a clarinet led, two trumpet & rhythm team quintet. I was fortunate to have caught Japanese trumpet madman. Toshinroi Kondo, on several occasions in the early eighties with Fred Frith, Henry kaiser and others. The other trumpeter here, Arthur Williams is much less well known although he did work with William Parker & Jemeel Moondoc. This was the early days of William Parker who was then involved with several seminal bands like Muntu and Commitmnent. The legendary drummer Denis Charles moved to the US in the fifties and worked with Cecil Taylor, remaining in NY ever since. He is a most well-regarded yet under-recorded drummer. Other than Perry Robinson (& Gunter Hampel), who was a friend of Kuhn’s, there were not very many great clarinet improvisers on the Downtown scene at that point. Mr. Kuhn plays clarinets only on this album. This disc opens with a great drum solo from Denis Charles who always had his own unique sound: exuberant but never flashy. The quintet sounds like they were inspired by the original Ornette Quartet although that clarinet & 2 trumpet frontline doesn’t quite sound like any other. The interplay between the clarinet and bass & drums is especially tight and free-flowing, expanding and contracting with ease. The trumpets also sail in and out, creating a great dialogue with several lines moving tightly together. Midway through “Manteca, Long Gone…”, there is a haunting section for bass clarinet, muted trumpets, arco bass and hushed drums which sounds like we are emerging from a dream. There is also a long duo section for bass clarinet and bass which unfolds slowly and tells a long, fascinating story. Eventually the trumpets reappear and begin or add to the heated discussion already taking place. This album was/is a long-forgotten classic from the early Downtown days. So glad it is back in print for all us music freaks to hear.
The second disc here is another long lost gem, a duo concert from September of 1979 featuring Mr. Kuhn on B-flat & bass clarinets & tenor sax and Denis Charles on drums. Right from the gitgo, the clarinet and drums play together perfectly, matching each others notes, spinning lines tightly and quickly. Mr Charles, who was born in the Virgin Islands, brought his own Caribbean style of drumming into the free jazz domain. Mr. Charles takes a long, wonderful drum solo on the first piece, showing that he is integral to the success of this spirited duo. In the late senates when this was recorded there were few musicians featured on bass clarinet. Both Gunter Hampel and Peter Kuhn had their own, distinctive approaches. Mr. Kuhn plays quietly and thoughtfully at times, while occasionally bending and twisting notes into odd shapes. Just 12 years after John Coltrane recorded his seminal sax & drums duo album, ‘Interstellar Space’ (1967), this duo also show how much a formidable duo can do, exploring several spirited orbits together. Extraordinary! This is one of the best historic recordings of the year! Not to be missed. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
2 CD Set $20
PETER KUHN TRIO With KYLE MOTL / NATHAN HUBBARD - The Other Shore (NoBusiness 88; Lithuania) Recorded in June of 2015 in San Diego. Featuring Peter Kuhn on B-flat & bass clarinets, tenor & alto saxes, Kyle Motl on bass and Nathan Hubbard on drums. After reading the long (24 page) booklet inside of the other newly released Peter Kuhn @ CD set on No Business, you get the full picture of the long & winding life/career of Mr. Kuhn who created some wonderful, creative music (3 albums) in the late seventies, succumbed to a long stretch of heroin addiction and giving up on music. And finally returning to music after some thirty years with two new discs this year (2016). Mr. Kuhn raised a family after being out of the limelight for three decades and currently lives in San Diego. While I hadn’t heard of the bassist Kyle Motl before this disc, I am familiar with drummer Nathan Hubbard from his work with Cosmologic, one of the best avant/jazz bands to emerge from San Diego in many years. Mr. Hubbard also has several discs out as a leader on the Circumvention label. Considering how long that Mr. Kuhn has been off the scene (more than 30 years), his playing still sounds strong and spirited, focused and thoughtful. This disc was recorded in a studio at UC San Diego in June of 2015. Kuhn’s splendid bass clarinet is a bit more restrained and well-worn, calm at the center for the first piece. Each member of the trio is impressive and integral to the solid group sound. When Mr. Kuhn switches to B-flat clarinet, the trio really take off and sail together. Later Kuhn moves to tenor sax, the trio slowly building in intensity, eventually soaring. Perhaps ‘The Other Shore’ of the Cd’s title refers to the West Coast where Mr. Kuhn has resided since leaving NY in 1981. After some three decades, Peter Kuhn is back and sounding better than ever. This trio is marvelous and play together with an assured organic grace, free-flowing music at its best. Why does some of the greatest music always come from those who rarely get the recognition they long deserve?!? - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16
Sold out & back in stock:
PETER KUHN / DAVE SEWELSON / LARRY ROLAND / GERALD CLEAVER - Our Earth/Our World (pfMentum 0096; USA) Featuring Peter Kuhn on alto & tenor saxes & B-flat clarinet, Dave Sewelson on bari & sopranino saxes, Larry Roland on bass and Gerald Cleaver on drums. There are handful of Downtown musicians who were a part of the early scene (late 70’s/early 80’s) who appeared for a few years and seemed to have disappeared for good. Violinist Polly Bradfield is one and reeds player Peter Kuhn, both come to mind. Peter Kuhn appears on just a few records like Frank Lowe’s ‘Lowe & Behold’ (from 1978) as well as a couple of albums as a leader: ‘Living Right’ from 1979 (w/ Toshinori Kondo & Arthur Williams on trumpets) and ‘The Kill’ from 1982 on Soulnote (w/ Wayne Horvitz, William Parker & Dennis Charles). After that, Mr. Kuhn seemed to have disappeared. Plus an early Hat Hut LP from 1980. Which brings us to…
Last year, in April of 2015, Mr. Kuhn found his way back to NYC and played at an Arts For Arts concert series with a new quartet of Downtown’s best: Dave Sewelson, whose career stretches back to the same early DT period as Kuhn’s, plus Larry Roland and Gerald Cleaver. There are three pieces here, each relatively long for stretching out. Starting with Mr. Kuhn on clarinet and Sewelson on bari sax, the quartet is off and soaring tightly, profusely. Although you most likely know the great Gerald Cleaver, one of Downtown’s finest drummers, you might not recognize the equally great Larry Roland, who has played bass for Charles Gayle and Giuseppi Logan, plus has been doing great spoken word performances for William Parker and others. Mr. Cleaver is the secret weapon here since he listens so closely and supports the rest of the quartet with serious aplomb. Both reed players hit their stride midway through the first piece, erupting at times, squealing yet never stepping on each other as they soar. Dave Sewelson has long been one of the unsung heroes of the Downtown Scene, having played with the Microscopic Septet and the Little Huey CM Orchestra for many years. Both saxists are well-matched and switch of between several reeds to keep things interesting. Towards the end of “Our Earth”, the quartet slows down for a free, bluesy exchange that winds down just right. There is a warm, organic quality to the way things unfold here. This is a strong, spirited and solid session which sounds like old friends getting together after many years. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10
DAVE DOUGLAS HIGH RISK With JONATHAN MARON / MARK GUILIANA / SHIGETO - Dark Territory (Greenleaf; USA) “Dave Douglas's second release with his electronic/jazz group High Risk is true to form of the trumpeter's modus operandi to avoid repeating the same thing twice. While Dark Territory is of similar species to 2015's High Risk; it is a completely different animal. Shades of Miles Davis's azure tone permeate the project but there are also a menagerie of hues, shapes and rhythms reminiscent of trumpeter Rob Mazurek's eclectic works.
Even with the return of the High Risk crew: Jonathan Maron (Groove Collective) on electric and acoustic bass, Mark Guiliana (Beat Music, Heernt, David Bowie) on electric and acoustic drums and DJ, producer and beatmaker Shigeto (Ghostly International) on electronics—the vibe this time is totally different, proving the group's music diversity.
The debut's sweeping vistas are replaced with the warm breeze of "Celine" where Douglas's flourishing trumpet dances over a catchy vamp. Yet the waters get murky in "All The Pretty Horsepower" with peculiar noises: static, funky beats, sampled voices, and keyboards that morph into copacetic flow at the track's culmination. Tunes such as "Ridge Hill" are totally wild as the group works in a frenzied energy with Douglas's trumpet plugged in as well.
From art-noise to spastic dub tempos curious themes run the gamut with each track presenting something unique. While some work better than others the common thread is Douglas's strong lead playing in a sonic ocean of changes. Jazz purists will probably not change their minds about High Risk's new electronic playground but Dark Territory is certainly an interesting excursion.” - Mark F. Turner, All About Jazz
CD $15
GREG WARD & 10 TONGUES With KEEFE JACKSON / RUSS JOHNSON / MATT ULERY / et al - Touch My Beloved’s Thought (Greeleaf; USA) “Charles Mingus said he wrote his suite, The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady (1963, Impulse!) “for dancing and listening.” Alto saxophonist Greg Ward has achieved that goal with Touch My Beloved’s Thought (taken from a line of poetry Mingus wrote for the 1963 album), composing and performing it in collaboration with the Onye Ozuzu Dancers in Chicago. Ward’s work is inspired by the seminal Mingus album, drawing themes and motifs from figures heard in fleeting passages, including from piano and trombones. But Ward isn’t just inspired by the earlier work, he’s also created a piece imbued with the Mingus aesthetic, full of such tropes and gestures as dynamic and tempo acceleration; multiple lines creating polyphony; solos building and being supported by growingly insistent, muscular ensemble backgrounds; and the controlled cacophony of ‘free’ group improvisation.
Like the Mingus inspiration, Ward’s suite coheres—with echoing themes and motifs—and flows along inexorably from the opening horn chorale prelude introducing the first riffy, rocking theme, “Daybreak”, to the final wailing calibrated saxophone chaos of the conclusion, some 50 minutes later, “Gather Round, The Revolution Is At Hand”. The nine dances/tracks range stylistically from a short burst (:46 seconds) of brass and drums free soloing, “Smash, Push, Pull, Crash”, to a compact 3:26 neo-hardbop ensemble piece with rhythm drop-outs and swinging baritone saxophone solo (Keefe Jackson). Along the way, Ward employs some of Mingus’ favorite time signatures, such as gospelly triple meters and even the flamenco rhythm Mingus injected into The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady. However, Ward’s tentet, unlike the 11-piece unit on the Mingus album, does not include a guitarist. Admirably filling in and creating the flamenco feel is bassist Jason Roebke and drummer Marcus Evans. The latter is a standout throughout, his snare- and tom-dominated work as distinctive with 10 Tongues as Dannie Richmond’s was with the Mingus Jazz Workshop.
While this is indubitably an ensemble triumph, there are plenty of solo highlights: Dennis Luxion’s acappella piano on “Singular Serenade”; Ward’s alto, especially on “The Menacing Lean” and the final track; Tim Haldeman’s tenor saxophone romp through “Round 3”; and Beau LaMar Gay’s plunger-inflected cornet wails on “Dialogue of the Black Saint”. - George Kanzler, NY City Jazz Record
CD $15
LAURIE ANDERSON - Heart of a Dog (Nonesuch; USA) Laurie Anderson’s refractive musing on matters of life and death revisits the Tibetan Book of the Dead via her relationship with her beloved dog Lolabelle and the lost mother whom she worries she did not love. Animation and Super 8 footage lend personal texture to the documentary’s dreamy, healing fragments, with Anderson’s soothing narration providing poetic perspective on childhood trauma, the nature of storytelling, the transience of life and the release of love. Watching a small dog picking out accidental tunes on an electronic keyboard is a squealy delight, but it’s the haunting recognition that (as David Foster Wallace wrote) “every love story is a ghost story” that strikes the most affecting chord. Kierkegaard, Wittgenstein and 9/11 are all thrown into the mix with a lightness of touch at once ephemeral and profound.
CD $16
IDRIS ACKAMOOR & THE PYRAMIDS - “We All be Africans” (Strut 144; UK) Our story begins at Antioch College in Ohio in 1970. Cecil Taylor was teaching there and members of his Cecil’s Black Music Ensemble formed a band called the Pyramids, which was led by saxist Idris Ackamoor. In 1971, the Pyramids moved to France before moving to Africa, living, playing and studying in Morocco, Senegal and eventually to Ghana. The Pyramids collected instruments in Africa but chose to play them in their own way. The Pyramids moved back to Ohio and performed their unique blend of jazz/funk/African/spiritual music and recorded three great records in the seventies, eventually moving to the Bay Area. Those three albums, ‘Lalibela’, ‘King of Kings’ and ‘Birth/Speed/Merging’ have all gained legendary status over the many years and were reissued on vinyl a few years back but are now out of print.
Idris Ackamoor reformed a new version of the Pyramids in the late aughts and ’They Play to Make Music Fire!’ was released in 2012. Idris Ackamoor & the Pyramids have a new record this year called “We Be All Africans” and it is another treasure worth savoring. The current line-up features Idris Ackamoor on tenor sax, Sandra Poindexter on vocals & violin, Max Weisenfeldt on electric piano & marimba, Hashima Mark Williams on acoustic bass, Kimathi Asante on electric bass and Babatunde Lea on drums plus several vocalists. Thanks to a long article in the current Wire magazine (July of 2016) and one hard to find collection (2 CD set) on EM Records from Japan, the true story has emerged. The new album is one of the most infectious, uplifting, groove-oriented gems I’ve heard in a long while. Mr. Ackamoor’s soulful tenor is at the center with righteous harmonious vocals, thumb piano, violin, electric piano, acoustic bass, drums and layers of percussion. Some of the songs are instrumental and each one is enchanting in its own way. The Pyramids wear their own African-inspired clothes, looking and sounding like no one other than themselves. Although many of the members studied and played with several important jazz pioneers, their music has a more universal, jubilant vibe which is in between most established categories. If music is magic or medicine for the soul, then Idris Ackamoor & the Pyramids are the soundtrack to a better vision of the future. I play this disc every day to help me get in a better mood. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
JEFF PARKER - The New Breed (International Anthem 0009; USA) “The New Breed is Tortoise guitarist Jeff Parker's first solo album since 2004's The Relatives. It's also his first solo work since relocating from Chicago to Los Angeles, a city with a highly productive music scene blending jazz, hip-hop, soul, and electronic music, as represented by labels such as Brainfeeder and Alpha Pup and weekly club events such as Low End Theory. Parker has experimented with samples, loops, and hip-hop production for a while, but he hadn't really explored these techniques in his own music before. On The New Breed, Parker builds improvisations around wobbly loops sourced from scratchy old vinyl records, nodding to underground hip-hop producers such as J Dilla but never trying to replicate their style. The album is still clearly focused around Parker's guitar playing, which is free and spontaneous yet tightly controlled, experimental without being challenging, and easy to listen to without coming close to sounding like "smooth jazz." Most of the drums are live, and while they're fluid and never stick to one beat pattern, there are certainly moments when they seem influenced by hip-hop or neo-soul rhythms. "Here Comes Ezra" is built atop a ticking drum-machine beat, but even with a tighter rhythmic structure, it still feels loose and comfortable, especially when it breaks free at the very end with live drums and additional instruments. "Jrifted" seems appropriately free-spirited, not "free jazz" but floating along with a tranquil rhythm and ending with a brief bit of beat science. "Get Dressed" is built around a gritty drum loop and handclaps, and features cheerful conversation in the background. The album's artwork is adorned with family photos, and Parker's daughter Ruby sings on the final song, "Cliche," so the album seems highly personal. The New Breed is a warm, inviting album of reflection and inspiration that finds Parker easily adapting new techniques to his signature style.” - Paul Simpson, AMG
CD $15
PETER BROTZMANN / WILLIAM PARKER / HAMID DRAKE - Song Sentimentale (Otoroku 016; UK) Song Sentimentale, featuring unique material on each format, was recorded on January 27-29, 2015, at Cafe OTO. Outside of the 2CD release Never Too Late But Always Too Early (2003) there has been scant documentation of one of the most dynamic pairings in all free jazz. Song Sentimentale rectifies this anomaly with a full-blown audio account of the breathtaking communicative heights obtained by these three legends of the living. Over three nights in January 2015, the trio seduced a winter-worn crowd with the kind of organic interplay only these three can conjure. Warm and urgent, the material unveils a wide range of techniques and emotions. This is music on the edge of itself; a living, breathing and existing force documented for repeated visits. Peter Brötzmann - tenor saxophone, B flat clarinet, tarogato; William Parker - double bass, guembri, shakuhachi, shenai; Hamid Drake - drums, frame drum, voice. Recorded Live at Cafe OTO on the 27th, 28th and 29th of January 2015. Recently released on LP.
CD $17
DEFIBRILLATOR & PETER BROTZMANN - Conversations About Not Eating Meat (Border of Silence 001; Switzerland) “Imagine the fight posters we could create for the various musical boxing matches organized for saxophonist Peter Brötzmann. His profile picture would be facing a fellow competitor with all the relevant statistics—height, weight, reach, and age. The boxing poster image often comes to mind when he grapples with plugged-in artists and those dealing with electronics, as we have here.
His newest collaborations signal a bit of a shift from the now defunct Chicago Tentet, to spread his sound into various satellite outfits, duos with Heather Leigh, Jason Adasiewicz, or Peeter Uuskyla, trios with Steve Swell and Paal Nilssen-Love or John Edwards and Steve Noble, and also a renewed interest in solo performance.
With Defibrillator, the great man squares off against drummer Oliver Steidle (Peter Van Huffel's The Scrambling Ex), the e-trombone of Sebastian Smolyn and the electronics of Artur Smolyn. The poster would read Brötzmann, height: 5'9," weight: heavyweight, reach: all genres, age: eternal.
There is, of course, the obligatory noise here, and by noise I mean the convergence of heavy weights. The thunderous electronics of both Smolyns act as a wall of sound on the opener "Anthropozoophilia," which Brötzmann endeavors to blow down. Same for "Fuckir," which comes at the ears more like Keiji Haino's guitar than a trombone sound. Steidle's hardcore free drumming lays down a thick emollient layer of vibration. But he also applies a salve of brushes and ticks to a piece like "Uterine Prolapse," which opens with Brötzmann's plaintive call. The eerie soundscape that follows equates to a post- apocalypse soundtrack. For all the burn and tumble of "The Man With One Ball," there is a bluesy touch to "Cellulite Guru" with Sebastian Smolyn's e-trombone solo inviting Brotzmann to deliver a fire brand sermon on the album's knockout collaborative centerpiece.” - Mark Corroto, AllAboutJazz
CD $16
ARASHI - AKIRA SAKATA / JOHAN BERTHLING / PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE - Semikujira (Trost 146; Austria) Arashi presents Semikujira. Arashi is: Akira Sakata - alto saxophone, clarinet, voice; Johan Berthling - double bass; Paal Nilssen-Love - drums & percussion. The Wire about Arashi (TROST 130CD/LP), the trio's first release: "there are moments on this album when the energy is so furiously intense it feels like it's going to spin out of control and take someone's eye out. Sakata delivers wry alto phrases, as though from the corner of his mouth, before digressing into urgent flights of fancy, and finally launching into screaming, red-faced declamation - fueled by Nilsen-Love's boiling pulse-time drums and the low bounce of Berthling's double bass." Cover image - "Black Submarine" by Sagaki Keita. Photos by Micke Keysendal. Recorded at Atlantis Grammofon, Stockholm by Janne Hansson, on May 20th, 2015. Mixed at Oodion, Göteborg by Mikael Werliin in December of 2015.
CD $17
1.P.A. [MAGNUS BROO / ATLE NYMO / MATTIAS STAHL / INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN / HAKON MJASET JOHANSEN] - I Just Did Say Something (Cuneiform 422; USA) Personnel: Atle Nymo on tenor sax, Magnus Broo on trumpet, Mattias Stahl on vibes, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on bass and Hakon Mjaset Johansen on drums. There is a great deal of excellent creative music coming out of Norway nowadays, thanks to labels like ECM, Run Grammofon, Hubro and Cuneiform. The promo for this Norwegian quintet showed up a couple of weeks ago and I am amazed at how good it is. I knew of two of these musicians well, the others hardly at all. You should be well aware of trumpeter Magnus Brooo since he is in a number of great groups: Atomic, Angles, Fire! Orchestra and Vandermark’s Resonance Ensemble. Bass master, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, is another force to be reckoned as he is also all over the place: The Thing, Scorch Trio, Atomic and many more. Vibesman Mattias Stahl is also a member of Angles, but the other two players are new to me. It turns out that both Mr. Atle and Mr. Johansen are are/were members of a band called Motif (with discs on Clean Feed & Jazzland). It turns to that an earlier quartet version of this band has been around since 2009 and has three obscure discs out.
All of the pieces here are originals except for one traditional Balinese song. Starting with Nymo’s “Kort Hilsen”, the quintet is tight and on fire with a screaming horns intro and a furious, inspired vibes solo, as well as a superb trumpet solo by Mr. Broo. Mr. Nymo’s writing reminds me of the way Angles also deal with a similar swagger in their sound. The interplay between the frontline horns is exuberant. “Sayembara” is a traditional Balinese song and it is grounded on one of those sly groove, hands-on-the-drums & marimba patterns with a most hypnotic, ethnic melody. The entire piece slowly increases in speed, building to a grand conclusion. Each piece shows off a different side of this diverse quintet, from rather catchy melodies to swinging hard to free flying exuberance, ever song is worth checking out. Both frontline horns players, Nymo on tenor sax and Broo on trumpet are consistently spirited and inventive. Since there is no piano, they are still expertly underpinned by the great work of their vibes player. I.P.A. are yet another Scandinavian treasure well worth checking out time and again! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
PAULINE OLIVEROS + MUSIQUES NOUVELLES - Four Meditations/Sound Geometries (Sub Rosa 422; Belgium) Pauline Oliveros surrounded by Belgian ensemble Musiques Nouvelles, performing two long pieces for orchestra. "Sound Geometries for Chamber Orchestra, Expanded Instrument System and 5.1 Surround Sound System" by Pauline Oliveros was premiered in Brussels. The 3 sections metaphors of the piece are intended to guide the players in their feelings and approaches to conducted, guided and improvisational music making to create differing atmospheres for each of the three sections. Players sounds are picked up during the performance by microphones, processed in one of ten geometrical patterns by the Oliveros designed Expanded Instrument System (EIS) to transform and move the player's sounds in space in the 5.1 surround sound system. "Meditation for Orchestra" asks the performers to listen then sound. Listen means to include all that is sounding and to find a space for each sound that is made. Pauline Oliveros and Ione are guests of Ensemble Musiques Nouvelle in this studio performance of "Meditation".
CD $15
CHRIS BROWN - Six Primes (New World Records 80781; USA) Chris Brown (b. 1953) composes music for traditional instruments, acoustic instruments with interactive electronics, improvisers, and computer networks. With Six Primes (2014), for retuned piano in 13-limit just intonation—drawing on the Rhythmicana ideas of Henry Cowell, the pure keyboard focus of Conlon Nancarrow, the affection for just intonation of Lou Harrison, and the unadulterated clarity of mathematical process of James Tenney—Brown is staunchly positioned, aesthetically, as a West Coast American experimentalist.
“Six Primes is composed using the first six prime numbers 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, and 13 to govern both its tuning and temporal structure, including harmony, rhythmic subdivisions, and form. I wrote this music to explore the limits of using the same integer ratios to simultaneously provide melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic materials. The piano must be retuned in just intonation using the tuning system factor of 2, three ratios with highest prime of 3, and two ratios each with highest primes of 5, 7, 11, and 13. This creates a great diversity of interval relationships: whereas 12-tone equal temperament has just twelve distinct intervals, this tuning has 75.
“I employed this algorithmic control over form in part to evoke the egalitarianism of twelve-tone music, and to divert from monocentric tendencies of modal musics. Within that form, however, I allowed myself to compose freely, using a diversity of melodic, harmonic, and polyphonic ideas. Lou Harrison’s endlessly branching melodies, Cowell’s polyrhythms and tone clusters, Cage’s equanimity and Stockhausen’s deterministic force, the complex minimalism of Morton Feldman, and the harmonious buzz of Ellen Fullman . . . all provided influence and inspiration. I discovered that playing asymmetrical rhythms in odd numbered subdivisions of a strong pulse can evoke a bebop-like swing. And although I never thought about it during the composing process, I think I hear in its mixture of styles an influence of Ives.” — Chris Brown
CD $15
MERZBOW - Life Performance (Cold Spring 218; UK) Over an hour of the best analog material from the King of Japanese noise. Reissue of an extremely rare cassette, dating back to 1985, originally released in Japan by Merzbow's own ZSF Produk and in France by Le Syndicat. All tracks made for "Nil-Vagina Mail-Action February 85." Recorded at Merz-bau Studio, and not "live" as the title would suggest. All material taken from the original master tapes and remastered for 2016.
CD $17
ANDREW CHALK/RALF WEHOWSKY/ERIC LANZILLOTTA - Yang-Tul (Cold Spring 220; UK) A legendary sound collaboration formed of two lengthy pieces. The first track features Andrew Chalk (Mirror, Ora, Ferial Confine) gently reworking the sound materials of Ralf Wehowsky, a hypnotic, slowly-evolving drone with waves of mysterious sounds, static and glitches. The second piece, on the other hand, finds Ralf Wehowsky composing a frenzied journey into otherworldly realms using sound material from Andrew Chalk and Eric Lanzillotta (Eye Music). These pieces reflect a sound unique from the work of any of the three individual participants, but clearly related. Subtle, but full of detail for the willing listener. Originally issued on Lanzillotta's label Anomalous Records in 1998. Cover painting by Andrew Chalk. Remastered for CD from the original master recordings. Digipak.
CD $17
HAIL BE YOU SOVEREIGNS, LIEF AND DEAR - Various Artists (Cold Spring 178; UK) [2 CD Set] Cold Spring Records presents the fourth release in their folk series, Hail Be You Sovereigns, Lief And Dear. This release features 30 tracks from the cream of current dark British folk music. The three other releases in the series are John Barleycorn Reborn (CSR 084CD, 2007), We Bring You A King With A Head Of Gold (CSR 100CD, 2010) and John Barleycorn Reborn: Rebirth (CSR 150CD, 2011) John Barleycorn, a character in British folk songs, is king of the fields, gloriously robed in green and crowned with sheaves of golden wheat. He reigns all summer long, but is cut down and deposed at harvest-time, only to be reborn and reinstated the following year. He relies on no arid theory to justify his rule, but only his endless generosity to his subjects. The King is dead - long live the King. Features: The Hare And The Moon, The Elder Tree, Foxpockets, Venereum Arvum, Mary Jane, Andrew King, Earthling Society, David Kidman, The Rowan Amber Mill, Steve Tyler, Andy Clarke, Xenis Emputae Travelling Band, Sixpenny Wayke, Heed The Thunder, Galley Beggar, Hills Have Riffs, A Tiding Of Magpies, Thornland, Colossloth, Beneath The Oak, David Whitwell, David Kidman, Tim Graham, Woodwose, The Transmutations, Finglebone. Nathaniel Robin Mann and Lost Harbours.
2 CD Set $20
COMMON EIDER, KING EIDER - Extinction (Cold Spring 219; UK) A new ritual from this long running doom/drone/ambient collective, Common Eider, King Eider offering up modern manifestations of ancient energies, channelled into smouldering swathes of ceremonial hypnosis and explosive gouts of blood-red radiance. Extinction is an extended ceremonial rite conducted below ground at the Wisp House (R.I.P.). A song suite of psychedelic devotionals assembled from reverb drenched industrial drones, billowing clouds of metallic throb, and churning, rhythmic bombast. Fields of ghostly incantations suspended in the ether, draped over metallic murmurs and moaning melancholia. The low end rumble of monk-like chants beneath the soft tangle of keening lamentation. A slowly evolving sensory sacrament, tense and harrowing, punctuated by dense dramatic swells and aching, mournful mantras.
CD $17
MICHAL WOLSKI - La Mer (Recognition 003; Poland) Michal Wolski is a Polish musician, music journalist, radio DJ and tireless promoter of dub techno aesthetics. Eight extended compositions on his new record La Mer (Sea) recall those special moments when sound becomes a movement of a kinetic sculpture, an abstract painting, or a cinematic report from the Arctic solitude. Personal and introverted, yet simultaneously carrying certain universal message (cosmic loneliness? molecular life?), sound space created by Wolski manages to seduce the listener and inhale her/him for the whole 75 minutes. Associations with sculptural work with matter are not purely arbitrary. On his fourth full-length, Wolski consciously shapes complex and saturated forms, further developing - on evidence on his earlier releases - penchant for exploring darker alleys of synthesis and sound design. In his varied and consistent narration, one can find a whole range of references to noblest protoplasts such as Pan Sonic, Rhythm & Sound, or even Vatican Shadow's desert manipulation. However, the key to the albums consistency does not rely on the power of quote, it rather manifests itself in sheer scale and depth of imagined atmospheres and non-existent geographies. But Wolski's constructs are much more than a set of sea sound fantasies. La Mer is a highly individualist vision of new worlds of listening and hearing, truly deep acoustic ecology in time of overall hiss.
CD $17
JACEK SIENKIEWICZ - Hideland (Recognition 004; Poland) Jacek Sienkiewicz presents Hideland. Sound and rhythm are effective means of individual's self-defense in face of chaotic steamroller of everyday life. Hiding in a familiar yet simultaneously hardly recognizable parallel space does not have to result from the need to escape the world or nurture one's ego. Too many times to mention, music appearing under Recognition imprint served as a peculiar type of a vehicle of survival and a tool for internal transformation. Hideland, the new record by Polish electronic music producer Jacek Sienkiewicz is released precisely a year after Drifting (2015), which largely explored tropes of classical club techno sound. It is Sienkiewicz 's expedition into the unknown, exploration of topographical margins, both possible and impossible. The nine tracks comprising this album go beyond easy-to-pigeonhole genres, creating a microcosm of utopian sound constructs. This surprisingly unobvious and precisely composed release could be fascinating both for loyal fans and for new listeners looking for threads of experimentalism. In "Desert Plan" and "Kingdom of Lo" one can hear references to extra-temporal Detroit harmonies, while the minimalism of the title track or the alchemic trippy house of "Radionist" provoke questions rather than serve ready-to-use answers. Melancholic compositions of mosaic-like structure ("Gone") are distinctly contrasted with miniatures saturated with distant galaxy hum like "Summer 2016". From enigmatically rhythmic opener "Hide Away", to 12-minute-plus "Last Run" which sets obsessive percussion against impressionistic sound splashes, the constantly morphing and the self-contained 3D landscape of Hideland is a perfect place of seclusion, refuge, and hiding for lost souls and seasoned listeners alike. It's another intriguing proposal in Jacek Sienkiewicz's growing discography, but above all, it is a laboratory where dreams and artistic visions metamorphose into concrete reality.
CD $17
Last copies of these Two:
WILLIAM PARKER / JOE MORRIS / HAMID DRAKE - Eloping with the Sun (Riti 007; USA) William Parker, Joe Morris, and Hamid Drake are three of the most surprising and adventurous musicians in the world of improvised music. On Eloping with the Sun, they all together step into a completely different musical realm again. Performing respectively on the sintir (a Moroccan bass lute usually associated with Gnawa music), banjo & banjouke (a ukelele hybrid), and frame drum, these remarkable musicians create a sound that is both ancient and totally new. Parker's pounding, repetitive, though always morphing (and distinctly wicked) bass lines provide the bottom. Morris' swirling, rapid, rhythmic lines cover the top and Drake's dark, lush hand drumming moves the body between. Eloping with the Sun is hypnotic, contemplative, completely rhythmic music that would truly mess heads if it ever made rotation on the army of mobile subwoofing systems in the nation's inner and outer cities. Let the revolution begin at home!
CD $16
DAVID S. WARE - Saturnian [Solo Saxophones, Volume 1](Aum Fidelity 060; USA) "Recorded live in concert at the Abrons Arts Center, NYC on October 15, 2009, Saturnian documents master saxophonist David S. Ware's triumphant return to performance following his kidney transplant in May 2009. This performance prompted features in The New York Times and on NBC Nightly News. Ware, in full peak of form, performed three extended pieces, each one on a different horn. 'Methone' is on the saxello and 'Pallene' features the stritch. David has played these lesser-known members of the saxophone family for many decades and recorded with them in the late 80s, but this was the first time he has performed with them live on stage. The final piece, 'Anthe' is performed on the tenor sax. 'To perform solo saxophone is who I have always been,' writes Ware in the liner notes. 'This is the way I've practiced all of these years, as though I am performing a solo. It is just as satisfying as playing in any other context. The freedom allows you to witness and solidify what is passing through. There's a voice inside each saxophone, expressing different orders of Being. When you listen, learn to open your third ear. Listen for the voice inside the music. It will expand who you think you are.' Listening to this recording of profound solo performances, we decided to put it out as soon as possible. 2009 was David's 50th year of playing saxophone (he started at age 10 and never stopped!) and we planned to celebrate that auspicious fact with a new saxophone-focused trio session featuring him on all his horns. The studio was booked and the record was scheduled for a Fall 2009 release, but, of course, the universe had other plans. When David was well enough to perform again, he wanted to present a solo concert, returning to that idea of celebrating his anniversary by playing all three saxophones. That concert is Saturnian."
CD $18
LP Only Section:
DANIEL HIGGS - The Fools Sermon, Part 1 (Ideologic Organ 026; France) Part 1 of The Fools Sermon as composed by and recorded by Daniel Higgs. Features Eli Winograd on bass and bass keyboard and Fumie Ishii on drums & voice and Higgs on banjo and voice. "Daniel Higgs once told me that the Earth is actually in its 34th life cycle. That everything has been conceived, created, grown, withered and ultimately been destroyed a grand total of thirty three times to date. As for quite how long this ourobouros-esque pattern will continue, he never enunciated. For enunciation is at the very heart of The Fools Sermon. Or I should say 'Ee-nun-see-a-she-on', as language in the hands of Higgs becomes a play-thing; syllables coil and retreat as if in eternal competition over the course of this 35 minute address. Anyone versed in Higgs' vocabulary over his 30 year-plus career as musician, poet and orator, The Fools Sermon will feel like a worthy distillation of his other-world view: a raw vision of the sacred and the profane, the physical and the metaphysical, The Proterozoic and the present. At points, the results conjure a Flannery O'Connor penned pulpit-bound preacher elucidating as a huddle of Tribe Records personnel channel Amiri Baraka's 'Black Dada Nihilismus'; at others the narcoleptic exotica of Eden Ahbez shakes hands with Blind Joe Death. One imagines Gene Roddenberry's 'Captain' turning his attention to the Philosopher's Stone, to boldly go where no man and everyman has been before and forever will go again." - Anthony Sylvester, 2016. Cut by Christoph Grote-Beverborg at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin. Cover photo by Fumie Ishii. Back cover photo by Micke Keysendal.
LP $21
MILES DAVIS & JOHN COLTRANE - Stockholm - March 22nd 1960 (Doxy 2065; Russian Federation) Doxy release a great show from the legendary Miles Davis and John Coltrane 1960s European tour. Spring of 1960 was a major turning point for the Miles Davis Quintet. Seven months after the release of Kind of Blue (RUM 2011129LP) in August 1959 and just days after Miles recorded Sketches of Spain (DOG 904LP) on March 10 and 11, 1960, the quintet departed for a breakneck tour of Europe. Tensions ran high even before the quintet left, and major changes would take place upon the group's return, including the departure of John Coltrane. Coltrane's solos are at times playful and harmonically complex as is his signature, stretching the boundaries of the themes and in fact the genre, and always interesting. There are clear signs of the direction he would soon take on his own as a leader. Miles Davis himself plays some of his finest breaks in this set and clearly is inspired by the material and the band and very probably the rapt audiences. It's clear they knew they were witness to giants in their land and showed due respect and generosity. What makes these recordings so special is that you can hear Coltrane starting to break away musically, taking extended "sheets of sound" solos on Miles Davis Quintet standards. Whistles of admiration and encouragement go up from the audience during Coltrane's solos, and you get the sense from Miles's playing that he was being topped and wasn't quite sure how to respond musically.
LP $21
MILES DAVIS & JOHN COLTRANE - Deutsches Museum, Munchen - April 3rd 1960 (Doxy 2064; Russian Federation)
LP $21
MILES DAVIS & JOHN COLTRANE - Den Haag - April 9th 1960 (Doxy 2063; Russian Federation)
LP $21
HUGH TRACEY - Malawi Grooves 1950, '57, '58 (SWP Records 051; Netherlands) Malawi Grooves 1950, '57, '58 compiled by Hugh Tracey shows Malawi's rich groove culture. Despite Madonna's adoptive meanderings, Malawi is still not fashionable. Her crystal-clear recordings of incredibly hip music show that it should be for all music lovers, especially world music and African music fans; In fact for anyone looking for inspiration and beauty. This album with grooves by Cewa, Mang'anja, Tumbuka and Tonga musicians represents only some of Malawi's many rich musical cultures. Eight of the fifteen tracks on this album feature the bangwe board zither, an amazing seven-stringed instrument that is sometimes strummed and sometimes plucked. Also features pure wizardry by a tuned drum ensemble, a magical xylophone duet, an extraordinary big band of kazoos and exquisite acapella singing by both men and women. Recordings by Hugh Tracey. Features: Beti Kamanga, Limited Mfundo Phiri, Women At Visanaza, Elefala Jeremiah Mbewe, Bifi Phiri & Friend, Dedza Secondary School Boys, Benson Phiri & Band, Lonesi Chewane & Joni Hetera, Afredi Phiri and Tankadi Mbuluwundi & Friends.
LP $18
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Bruce Lee Gallanter’s Recommended Gig List for July of 2016:
THE STONE is located at the NW corner of Avenue C & East 2nd Sts.
THE STONE RESIDENCIES - TYSHAWN SOREY - JULY 5 – 10
The legendary Tyshawn Sorey returns to The Stone with six nights of exceptional music. NOTE: ONLY ONE SET AT 8PM EACH NIGHT!
7/8 Friday
8 pm - BIRTHDAY WEEKEND - BANFF/NYC IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA conducted by Tyshawn Sorey - Bryan Qu (tenor saxophone) Dre Hocevar (percussion) Jessica Ackerly (guitar) Kalia Vandever (trombone) Nadav Remez (guitar) Phil McNeil (electronics) Jonathan Saraga (trumpet) and many special guests!!!
7/9 Saturday
8 pm - BIRTHDAY WEEKEND - BANFF/NYC IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA conducted by Tyshawn Sorey - Bryan Qu (tenor sax) Dre Hocevar (percussion) Jessica Ackerly (guitar) Kalia Vandever (trombone) Nadav Remez (guitar) Phil McNeil (electronics) Jonathan Saraga (trumpet) and many special guests!!!
7/10 Sunday
8 pm - BIRTHDAY WEEKEND - BANFF/NYC IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA conducted by Tyshawn Sorey - Bryan Qu (tenor sax) Dre Hocevar (percussion) Jessica Ackerly (guitar) Kalia Vandever (trombone) Nadav Remez (guitar) Phil McNeil (electronics) Jonathan Saraga (trumpet) and many special guests!!!
THE STONE RESIDENCIES - MATTHEW SHIPP - JULY 12–17
7/12 Tuesday
8 pm - Ivo Perelman (sax) & Matthew Shipp (piano)
10 pm - Nate Wooley (trumpet), Whit Dickey (drums) & Matthew Shipp (piano)
7/13 Wednesday
8 pm-William Parker (bass) Daniel Carter (sax) Matthew Shipp (piano)
10 pm - William Parker (bass) Rob Brown (sax) Matthew Shipp (piano)
7/14 Thursday
8 and 10 pm - Matthew Shipp Trio
Matthew Shipp (piano) Michael Bisio (bass) Newman Taylor Baker (drums)
7/15 Friday
8 pm - Steve Dalachinsky (poetry) & Matthew Shipp (piano)
10 pm - Darius Jones (sax) & Matthew Shipp (piano)
7/16 Saturday
8 pm - Michael Bisio (bass), Mat Maneri (viola) & Matthew Shipp (piano)
10 pm - Charles Waters (reeds) Andrew Barker (drums) Matthew Shipp (piano)
7/17 Sunday
8 and 10 pm - Matthew Shipp Trio
Matthew Shipp (piano) Michael Bisio (bass) Newman Taylor Baker (drums)
There are no refreshments or merchandise at The Stone.
Only music. All ages are welcome.
Cash Only at the door. There is no phone.
There is no food or beverage served or allowed
just a serious listening environment.
The Stone is booked purely on a curatorial basis.
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The CORNELIA STREET CAFE - 212-989-9319
29 Cornelia St in the heart of the West Greenwich Village, NYC
Friday Jul 08
8:00PM & 10:30PM MARTY EHRLICH, PHILOSOPHY OF A GROOVE - Marty Ehrlich - alto sax, clarinet & flute; James Weidman, piano; Jerome Harris, bass; Ben Perowsky, drums
Saturday Jul 09
9:00PM & 10:30PM GILAD HEKSELMAN TRIO
Gilad Hekselman, guitar; Rick Rosato, bass; Jonathan Pinson, drums
Sunday Jul 10
6:00PM WILLIAM HOOKER QUARTET - Mark Hennen, piano; Larry Roland, bass; Chris DiMiglio, trumpet; William Hooker, drums
8:30PM RICHARD SEARS QUARTET - Richard Sears, piano; Roman Filiu, alto sax; Rick Rosato, bass; Craig Weinrib, drums
Tuesday, July 12th
8:00PM MAX HATT/EDDA GLASS - Max Hatt, guitar; Edda Glass, voice
9:30PM SARAH KHAN - Sarah Khan, piano, voice; Dan DelVeccio, guitar
Wednesday Jul 13
8:00PM JASON YEAGER GROUP - Jason Yeager, piano; Danny Weller, bass; Jay Sawyer, drums
9:30PM MIKE BONO GROUP - Mike Bono, guitar; Christian Li, piano; Andrew Mulherkar, tenor sax; Josh Crumbly, bass; Jimmy Macbride, drums
Thursday Jul 14
6:00PM ANNIE CHEN TRIO - Annie Chen, voice; Marius Duboule, guitar; Jarrett
8:01PM STEPHAN CRUMP'S ROSETTA TRIO - Liberty Ellman, acoustic guitar; Jamie Fox, electric guitar; Stephan Crump, acoustic bass, comp.
Friday Jul 15
6:00PM SOLOFEST: ARTURO O’FARRILL - SOLO PIANO
Solofest: Arturo O’Farrill - Solo Piano image
9:00PM & 10:30PM VENADO TUERTO TRIO - Leo Genovese, piano; Tony Malaby, tenor sax; Francisco Mela, drums
Saturday Jul 16
6:00PM SINGER SONGWRITER ALEXANDRA LEFF - Alexandra Leff, vocals, guitar; Luke Marantz, piano; Alex Feldman, drums; Rus Wimbish, bass
9:00PM & 10:30PM - PETER BRENDLER QUARTET, CD RELEASE: MESSAGE IN MOTION -Peter Brendler, bass, comp.; Rich Perry, tenor sax; Ben Monder, guitar; Vinnie Sperrazza, drums
Sunday Jul 17
8:35PM NEW BRAZILIAN PERSPECTIVES: HELIO ALVES QUARTET - Helio Alves, piano; Vic Juris, guitar; Edward Perez, bass; Alex Kautz, drums
*****
I-Beam Presents - July 2016 Schedule:
Friday, July 8th 8:30 PM
Miguel Frasconi / The Chutney’s
Miguel Frasconi -solo (set 1)
The Chutney’s (set 2)
Fast Forward / Gelsey Bell / Chris Cochrane
Tuesday, July 19th 8:30 PM
Jooklo Duo & Friends: Duos and Trios
Virginia Genta – Tenor Saxophone
David Vanzan – Drums
with Bill Nace, Jaimie Branch, Michael Foster, Leila Bordreuil
Friday, July 29th 8:30 PM
Eva Novoa Ditmas Quartet Live Recording!
Michael Attias – Alto Saxophone
Eva Novoa – Piano
Max Johnson – Bass
Jeff Davis – Drums
Friday, August 12th 8:30 PM
Nick Fraser Trio feat. Tony Malaby and Kris Davis
Nick Fraser: drums, compositions
Tony Malaby: tenor and soprano saxophones
Chris Hoffman: cello
Eivind Opsvik: bass
Thursday, August 25th 8:30 PM
Billy Mintz Quintet
John Gross – tenor saxophone
Tony Malaby – tenor saxophone
Roberta Piket – piano
Hilliard Greene – bass
Billy Mintz – drums
I-Beam is located at
168 7th Street in Brooklyn, NY 11215 - Directions: SUBWAY: Take the F or R trains to 4th Ave & 9th Street. Walk down 4th ave to 7th street. Make a left on 7th and walk past 3rd ave. We are located on the ground floor, the grey doors to the right of the stairs of #168.
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The Owl Parlor: Presents:
THU July 14
Elliott Sharp plays Monk // Anthony Coleman
7:30 Doors $10.00 Suggested Donation
FRI July 15
Dana Lyn's Mother Octopus
Ben Perowsky, Tim Berne and Matt Mitchell
SAT July 16
Ned Rothenberg // Karen Mantler Trio
7:30 Doors $10.00 Suggested Donation
WED July 20
Elysian Fields
7:30 Doors $15.00 in adv / $18 at door
THU July 21
Kris Davis and Ingrid Laubrock Thursday
7:30 Doors $10.00 Suggested Donation
FRI July 22
Tanya Kalmanovitch, Anthony Coleman & Ted Reichman Trio / The By and Bys
7:30 Doors $10.00 Suggested Donation
THU July 28
Ted Reichman Trio // Birthing Hips Thursday, July 28
7:30 Doors $10.00 Suggested Donation
FRI July 29
Sue Garner // Sue Garner and Ted Reichman Duo Friday, July 29
7:30 Doors $10.00 Suggested Donation
The Owl Parlor is located at:
497 Rogers Ave. (@ Midwood St.) in Brooklyn, NY 11225
(718) 774-0042