THE FALL ROLLS IN with NEW DISCS from MARK FELDMAN/JOHN TAYLOR/ANDERS JORMIN/TOM RAINEY, BILL FRISELL/RON CARTER/PAUL MOTIAN, GARY LUCAS' GODS & MONSTERS, HILMAR JENSSON'S TYFT w/ JIM BLACK/ANDREW D'ANGELO,

JOE FONDA/RAMON LOPEZ/BRUNO ANGELINI, THE JD PARRAN SEXTET, EDDIE PREVOST/ALAN WILKINSON DUO & TRIO, JEFF ARNAL & GORDON BEEFERMAN, TWO CDs w/ GEORGE CARTWRIGHT, JORDAN McLEAN'S FIRE OF SPACE, ESTRADASPHERE,

FIVE MORE CIMP CLASSICS: DOMINIC DUVAL STRING QUARTET, TOMAS ULRICH & MICHAEL BISIO STRING DUO, MATT MARUCCI/DOUG WEBB/KEN FILIANO TRIO, SETH MEICHT QUARTET, JIMMY HALPERIN & DOMINIC DUVAL MONK DUO,

ANTHONY BROWN'S ORCHESTRA, GYORGY LIGETI, LONDON SINFONIETTA + THE WONDERFUL WERGO CATALOGUE, SIX MORE FROM THE ROOM-40 LABEL: SAMARTZIS/INADA, RICHARD CHARTIER, GREG DAVIS & JEPH JERMAN , LLOYD BARRETT, JANEK SCHAEFER & SAMARTZIS/ENGLISH,

EMPTY CAGE QUARTET, RUST IONICS [ED CHANG/ADAM KRINEY/DOUG THERIAULT], THE JAPANESE INDEPENDENT MUSIC BOOK & CD, 3 from FALLOUT: PAT KILROY, ALAN TRAJAN & JAN & LORRAINE!

....AND A 'WERGO' LABEL RESTOCKING!!!




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THE ERSTQUAKE 3 FESTIVAL Continues at Tonic, tonight September 29th - October 1st! Co-curated by Erstwhile, Quakebasket and Little Enjoyer

Friday, September 29:
SACHIKO M/SEAN MEEHAN
MICHAEL R. BERNSTEIN/MIKE SHIFLET
ENGLISH (JOE FOSTER/BONNIE JONES)
BURKHARD STANGL/CHRISTOF KURZMANN
AARON DILLOWAY/LASSE MARHAUG

Saturday, September 30:
RADU MALFATTI/MATTIN
KAI FAGASCHINSKI/BURKHARD STANGL
COSMOS (SACHIKO M/AMI YOSHIDA)
GOD (BRYAN EUBANKS/LEIF SUNDSTROM)
AARON DILLOWAY SOLO

Sunday, October 1:
JEPH JERMAN/TIM BARNES/SEAN MEEHAN
AMI YOSHIDA/CHRISTOF KURZMANN
SACHIKO M/ENGLISH (JOE FOSTER/BONNIE JONES)
PHILL NIBLOCK/JASON LESCALLEET
JAZKAMER (LASSE MARHAUG/JOHN HEGRE)


$18 per night, $65 for a festival pass (plus one drink minimum per night) doors open at 7:30 each night at Tonic,107 Norfolk St., NYC - tonicnyc.com


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THIS JUST IN FROM JIM EIGO/JAZZ PROMO SERVICES

"Please forward...

Thought you might be able to help pass the word along about uncollected royalties held by soundexchange. A brief glance over the massive list shows that Al Hibbler, Benny Carter, Eliane Elias, Jimmy Giuffre, Joanne Brackeen, Joe Lovano, Lee Morgan, Lennie Tristano, and Ornette Coleman all have money being held in their names. It's free to apply to be a member and details are here: https://www.soundexchange.com/members/become_member.html

Musicians on the list have until Dec 15 to collect their money.

The link below takes you to a list containing the names of all reported featured recording artists who stand to lose those royalties collected from services making digital transmissions of copyrighted sound recordings pursuant to statutory license between February 1, 1996 and March 31, 2000 and first distributed by SoundExchange in November of 2001, if they do not register with SoundExchange by December 15, 2006. The following list is NOT the complete list of all those featured artists that SoundExchange is searching for but rather only those subject to lose royalties pursuant to Copyright Office regulations..

https://63.236.111.137/jsp/unpaidArtistList.jsp

If you know any of the featured artists contained on this list or have contact information for them, we would greatly appreciate it if you would notify them that SoundExchange is looking for them or provide us with their contact information so that we can reach out to them and pay them the royalties they are due. Thank you."

https://www.soundexchange.com/contactus.html


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GREAT STUFF FOR THIS WEEK STARTS OFF WITH VIOLIN MAESTRO MARK FELDMAN!!!


MARK FELDMAN With JOHN TAYLOR/ANDERS JORMIN/TOM RAINEY - What Exit (ECM; USA) Featuring Mark Feldman on violin & all compositions, John Taylor on piano, Anders Jormin on contrabass and Tom Rainey on drums. Gifted violinist, Mark Feldman never ceases to astonish us with his incredible playing. Whether playing in the Masada String Trio, Masada Recital (with his wife Sylvie Courvoisier), the Dave Douglas String Group and for John Abercrombie, there is no one who can do what he does. Mark has his own sound on violin and whenever he solos, you know something special is out to occur. His playing at the recent Masada String Trio set during the Masada Celebration at the uptown Y on September 10th was astonishing! He took one solo that was utterly perfect, he has set the standard of excellence that will be hard to beat.
Although Mark can be heard on hundreds of sessions (he worked in Nashville for a decade before moving to NY), as a leader he has been very selective with just a handful of discs under his name. He has one solo violin disc on Tzadik, one duo (w/ Sylvie) on Avant, one group disc on Enja ('Book of Tells'). That's about it except for various Masada projects and the Arcado String Trio who are no longer around. Thus, this makes his new quartet disc, 'What Exit', all the more timely. Mark has chosen a fine international quartet for this special date with two ECM all-stars, British piano great John Taylor and Scandinavian bassist Anders Jormin plus downtown drum wiz Tom Rainey. The opening piece, "Arcade", begins with some incredible acoustic bass and drums, as Taylor's gracious piano and Mark's superb violin slowly blend in. We soon move into hushed, spacious terrain with delicate, suspenseful violin and distant bowed bass. The violin and drums played some tight, heated exchanges as the piano plays freely around them. Mark has written some difficult passages for the quartet to play which are interspersed between soft free space. I dig the way the violin and bass are placed and moved in the stereo spectrum, giving them a different character at times. The droning of the string(s) sounded like an eerie organ passage at a couple of points. "Father Demo Square" has a lovely, exquisite, melancholy sound with sublime solos from Mark on violin and John on piano. "Ink Pin" has an exciting, quick, difficult line that quartet must play together tightly and they do an amazing job. Mark is dazzling with his own fireworks, yet the rest of the quartet also do short solo sprints at a breakneck pace. "Maria Nunes" and "Cadence" both have a most memorable and charming melodies, with some dynamic and lovely solos from John and Mark. The title piece is a powerful closing work with a most melodic bass solo and an intense spirited solos from the piano and violin together. So nice to hear Mark Feldman and his fabulous quartet dazzling us with their wonderful playing. - BLG
CD $17


J D PARRAN SEXTET - Omegathorp: Living City (Y'All 06; USA) "Y'All of New York, Inc. is proud to announce release of Omegathorp: Living City (Y'All 008), a new CD documenting a September 2002 Merkin Hall performance co-led by multi-reedist/composer JD Parran and string player/composer Mark Deutsch. Thomas Buckner (voice), David Darling (cello, electronics, electro-vocals), Joseph Kubera (piano) and Kevin Norton (percussion) round out the ensemble on Omegathorp: Living City, which features Parran's four-part title composition (a setting of poetry by the late Glenn Spearman), as well as Deutsch's "Kwama Okura" and an improvised piece inspired by the ensemble's unusual instrumentation.
JD Parran (heard here on alto clarinet, E-flat contrabass clarinet, soprano saxophone and bamboo flute) has appeared on more than 50 recordings over the last three decades, including collaborations with The Band, Anthony Braxton, Don Byron, Anthony Davis, Julius Hemphill, New Winds, Yoko Ono, Alan Silva and Stevie Wonder among many others. He is also a veteran educator who lectures at City University of New York (CUNY) and teaches clarinet and saxophone at Harlem School for the Arts. In addition to his teaching and performing careers, he has been commissioned as a composer by organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts, Meet the Composer, the New York State Council on the Arts, the Jerome Foundation and the Helen W. Buckner Foundation.
A professional musician since the age of 12, Deutsch (heard here on Bazantar and sitar) is a classically trained bassist with extensive experience performing in orchestral and jazz ensembles as well as a wide variety of global folk traditions. He has a degree in Classical Contrabass Performance from the St. Louis Conservatory of Music and has studied privately with Ustad Imrat Khan (surbahar and sitar), Henry Loew (classical bass) and Tito Sompa (Congolese percussion). In 1999, he was awarded a patent for an instrument he invented called the Bazantar, a five-string acoustic bass fitted with an additional 29 sympathetic strings and four drone strings that is tuned in the tradition of North Indian music. He has recently collaborated with film composer David Julyan (Insomnia and Memento), Chicago- based experimental rock band Tortoise, virtuoso erhu player Yang Ying and creative improvisers such as Roy Campbell, Hamid Drake and William Parker." - All About Jazz website
CD $15

JOE FONDA/RAYMON LOPEZ/BRUNO ANGELINI - Silent Cascade (Konnex 5170; Germany) Featuring local contrabass great Joe Fonda, Spanish drummer Ramon Lopez and French pianist Bruno Angelini. The ever exuberant, Joe Fonda, is one of my favorite bassists and I am always amazed by the number of different projects that he is involved with. I just caught the great FAB Trio (w/ Billy Bang & Barry Altschul) up at Guelph and I am consistently knocked by each and every release by the Fonda/Stevens Group (10+ discs), Conference Call (4 CDs) and the Nu Band. Plus Joe can be heard on a half dozen discs by Mr. Braxton. Drummer, Raymon Lopez, has been working with a number of other strong players over the past few years and can be heard on recordings with Ivo Perelman, the National Jazz Orchestra and a great trio with Joelle Leandre & Sophia Domancich. I was not familiar with the pianist, Bruno Angelini, before this, although he has played with Kenny Wheeler, Norma Winstone and John Betch.
Beginning with "Perpetual Motion", we know we are in store for something very special. Bruno opens the piece with harp-like cascades on the piano, as the drums and bass swirl magically in waves together. Absolutely stunning. What I dig about this trio is the focused balance of all the elements, no one ever steps on the other two. Raymon Lopez often deals in colors and textures, using brushes, bells and hand percussion and never just bashing. Considering that Bruno Angelini is a new name for many of us, he is quite extraordinary throughout this disc, spinning webs of notes, layers of lines without going to far. My man, Joe Fonda, gets his chance to shine as well, pinching out those magical harmonics and softly singing along as he weaves his lines. When Bruno uses his hand to muffle notes inside the piano, Raymon switches to wooden percussion and Joe squeezes out his own sparks, making another magical blend of the natural, acoustic elements. What is amazing is that all three of these men are from different cultures and backgrounds, yet they work together as one unified trio that has played together for a long, long while. - BLG
CD $18


GARY LUCAS' GODS & MONSTERS - Coming Clean (Mighty Quinn; USA) Featuring Gary Lucas on guitars & vocals, Ernie Brooks on electric bass and Billy Ficca on drums. Gods & Monsters is Beefheart guitar god, Gary Lucas' longtime power trio that has existed for nearly two decades. The current version features Ernie Brooks from the Modern Lovers on bass and Billy Ficca from Television on drums. Both are strong players who can keep up with and embellish Gary Lucas' monster guitar playing and diverse songwriting. - Review next week
CD $14


BILL FRISELL/RON CARTER/PAUL MOTIAN - Frisell / Carter / Motian (Nonesuch/Elektra 79897; USA) We've heard only great things about this first time meeting by this all-star trio with Frisell on guitars, Ron Carter on contrabass and Paul Motian on drums. Featuring covers of "81" (by Miles Davis & Ron Carter), "Raise Four" & "Misterioso" (Monk) and "On the Street Where You Live" plus traditional covers of "You are My Sunshine", "Pretty Polly" and "I'm So Lonesome, I Could Cry" (Hank Williams) and a few originals by Bill Frisell and Paul Motian. Since Nonesuch is too stingy to send us a promo after repeated requests (guess they don't make enough money from Wilco CDs) and ONLY SENDS THEM TO PEOPLE WHO JUST SELL THEM WITHOUT PLAYING OR REVIEWING THEM [we DO BOTH], we can only say that Frisell discs are rather inconsistent, and the final decision is up to you, the erudite consumer. - BLG
Here's an AAJ review:
"Despite his deep harmonic language and highly evolved personal sound, enigmatic guitarist Bill Frisell has often been criticized for musical choices that appear to ignore his jazz roots. But he treats jazz simply as one part of a larger musical continuum where Thelonious Monk and Hank Williams can harmoniously coexist. Bill Frisell, Ron Carter, Paul Motian presents him at his jazziest, yet it's still unequivocally a Bill Frisell record, with the broad scope and quirky mannerisms that have defined his career from the very beginning. Compare Ron Carter and Miles Davis' Eighty-One from E.S.P. (Legacy Recordings, 1965) with the version that opens this record. With one guitar, Frisell distills the essential harmonies of a quintet and delivers them without the feeling that anything has been lost. His mastery of elongated notes and seemingly infinite decays creates a rich sound that's appealing, ethereal and often ambiguous.
Mr. Frisell has been playing with Motian in various contexts for a quarter of a century, and he worked with Carter on two fine albums by drummer Joey Baron, including Down Home (Intuition-1997). So, while this is a first-time union, the shared history of the trio's members creates an inherent chemistry which was missing on on Frisell's 2001 Nonesuch collaboration with bassist Dave Holland and drummer Elvin Jones. Here Frisell is able to take a song like the traditional "Pretty Polly" and let it shift between free time and the verge of swing, all the while blending a skewed folksiness with more delineated behind-the-beat blues phrasing." - John Kelman
CD $17


EDDIE PREVOST & ALAN WILKINSON - So Are We, So Are We (Matchless 68; UK) "It is hard to think of an album of saxophone and percussion duos without thinking of John Coltrane's and Rashied Ali's Interstellar Space. It is a magnificent piece of music, and a constant challenge to those who have followed. But it also acts as a barrier, not necessarily to musicians, certainly to those who listen to and cherish music. Coltrane's late opus numbers were the product of a spiritual quest that seemed tinged with a Faustian urge to know everything. The association with Ali took him out beyond the basic time-codes of jazz, then Western music, then any other systematised metrical language. To some extent, without in any way explicitly addressing Interstellar Space, Prevost and Wilkinson have responded to it by bringing their language back into a human realm, to a space in which the specifics of making a particular sound at a particular moment is more important than the metaphysical import of those sounds, and to the excluded middle of what can only be called 'ethical' music-making. That is not to say, music with a moral function or conclusion, but rather music that addressed itself to the fundamental ethical question, which is how we address each other, how we communicate needs, desires, concerns and ambitions, and how we make that language available to others as an ongoing discourse."
CD $19

EDDIE PREVOST/ALAN WILKINSON/JOE WILLIAMSON - Along Came Joe [CD-EP] (Matchless 69; UK) Featuring Eddie Prevost: drums; Alan Wilkinson: alto and baritone saxophones; Joe Williamson: double bass. Recorded at Freedom of the City festival, London, England on 1st May 2006. This is 35-minute live session from 'Freedom of the City' festival 2006. It is in a well-printed card wallet.
CD-EP for $10


JEFF ARNAL/GORDON BEEFERMAN - Rogue States (Generate 11; USA) Featuring Jeff Arnal on drums and Gordon Beeferman on piano. Jeff Arnal runs the great Improvised & Otherwise Festival in Brooklyn every year and is one the best percussionists to emerge in the past few years. He has a handful of fine discs out including duos with Dan DeChellis, Michael Evans and Dietrich Eichmann, a trio with Gordon Beeferman & Seth Misterka and a great quartet with Rueben Radding, Nate Wooley & Seth Misterka. This is Jeff's second duo disc with pianist Gordon Beeferman. This is particularly strong and well-balanced duo excursion. Although it is freely improvised, it doesn't always sound that way. Both players sound like they are developing themes together, weaving lines of notes around one another. On "To Draw Near Us", they slow things down and suspend time. Gordon slowly layers different lines, his hands moving in different directions. They strip things down even more minimally on "Limb from Limb", creating some dark, spacious sounds, Gordon tapping on each end of the piano keyboard. The eerie sounds of bowed cymbals and stark piano open "Three-Wheeled Ride", soon both players are doing Morse-code like phrases and moving into hyper-tense section. Many of these pieces explore slow-moving and spacious textures, just a few notes at a time suspended carefully. On "Auuk", they take one small section and repeat it and slowly mutate it on the piano, as the percussion dances, rising up and down in density. Each piece deals with a different texture or pattern or movement. The percussion and piano always flowing together, sometimes in the shadows, sometimes into the (spot) light. There is a strong thread or connection that runs though al of this, both players breathing and thinking as one inter-connected force. Very well done on a few different levels. - BLG
CD $12


JORDAN McLEAN/FIRE OF SPACE - Handbasket (482 Music 1043; USA) Jordan McLean plays great trumpet with Antibalas (AfroBeat Orchestra) and is one of downtown's best unsung heroes. His band, Fire of Space, is a nine-piece unit and their previous disc was pretty cool. Jordan will be here at DMG playing with the East Coast Duo on Sunday, October 15th at 7pm for free. Review soon.
CD $15


ESTRADASPHERE - Palace Of Mirrors (The End; USA) Fifth fabulous disc from this completely unique sextet from Santa Cruz, who seem to draw from more cultures and genres than anyone else on the planet Earth. The title track features a string orchestra playing the theme from some romantic ethnic movie soundtrack. That what it sounds like. "A Corporate Merger" features an enticing middle-eastern rockin' groove with some fine violin, electric string-thing, tack piano & clavinette playing, which speeds up to a metal or fusion like sound before it ends. "The Terrible Beautypower of Meow", blends surf guitar with cheesy lounge-like strings. "Colossal Risk" reminds me of soundtrack from a James Bond movie from the sixties. "Smuggled Mutation" sounds like a twisted gypsy band mixed with prog/metal sections. What is interesting is the way they combine odd variations of instruments, styles and genres within each piece. As soon as you think you know what they are getting at, they switch directions and turn into something else, yet it all fits together so seamlessly. On the last tune, they they get heavy and thrash it out with immense bravado. Perhaps, Estrasphere are the best world music band to be found inside the US and not from another land. They are certainly in a class of their own. - BLG
CD $14


FIVE NEW RELEASE ON 'CADENCE' LABEL'S CIMP [Creative Improvised Music Projects] SERIES...

DOMINIC DUVAL QUARTET - Mountain Air (CIMP 347; USA) Featuring Dominic Duval on contrabass, Tomas Ulrich on cello, Ron Lawrence on viola & Gregor Huebner on violin. Dom Duval's String Quartet, previously known as the CT String Quartet, has been around and documented since the mid 1990s. This new edition introduces the extraordinary Gregor Huebner into the violin chair on a program which takes as its inspiration the music of Cecil Taylor's "Mountain Air." Extemporaneous and totally music of the day, yet easily accessible and rooted.
CD $15

JIMMY HALPERIN & DOMINIC DUVAL - Monkinus (CIMP 348; USA) You don't want to approach Monk's music unless you know what you are doing and have the technical ability. Duval and Halperin have all of that plus the ability to bring a fresh creativity to very defined compositions. To further add to the challenge, they do it duo. This long-time-in-the-making project is a rich and full listening experience. This duo played in our store once and were pretty great.
CD $15

MATT MARUCCI/DOUG WEBB/KEN FILIANO - 3 the Hard Way (CIMP 346; USA) Featuring Matt Marucci on drums, Doug Webb on soprano & tenor saxes & stritch and Ken Filiano on bass. Marucci & Webb have been playing together for years. Even so, when they teamed up with former associate Ken Filiano no one could have guessed that the resulting quality and quantity of music would be so great. This is the first of two CDs documenting two days of the recording of Mat's original and memorable compositions. Released in the same order they were played, this Bop/Freebop session shows that the genre need not be revisionist but freshness and creative artistic integrity can be relative to any period of music.
CD $15

SETH MEICHT QUARTET - Illumine (CIMP 350; USA) It takes a certain confidence to add another tenor saxist to your trio, but, in Matt Bauder, Seth Meicht's confidence is well founded. Not so much a tenor battle as an integrated and complementary pairing, this is gutsy assertive music that will satisfy all who like their music upfront and bold. Seth Meicht is a force coming on strong. You should know of Matt Bauder from a fine quartet disc he co-led with Anthony Braxton from a couple of years ago on 482 Music.
CD $15

TOMAS ULRICH & MICHAEL BISIO - Pulling Strings (CIMP 349; USA) For years cellist Tomas Ulrich has been electrifying every group he's been a part of and now, finally, steps out as a co-leader. Mike Bisio, the bassist's bassist, makes up the other half. There's no place to hide here as the two essay eight of Mike's compositions, four of Tomas', and one of Dom Minasi's originals. The results of this meeting of two phenomenal players are definitely up to the potential offered and the talent noted.
CD $15


RUST IONICS [ED CHANG/ADAM KRINEY/DOUG THERIAULT] - Picture Show (Quodlibet LP01/Outer Limits 05/Colour Sounds 18; USA) Rust Ionics is Ed Chang on alto sax, Adam Kriney on drums and Doug Theriault on guitars. Ed Chang is local improviser (sax & electronics) who has kept busy in a variety of projects for the past decade, playing in Spin-17 and with Luther Thomas, Ravi Padmanabha & Ed Howard. I don't know Adam or Doug, but I have known Ed for many years. Rust Ionics is a fine trio of intense, focused improv. Ed sounds like Zorn at times, specializing in high-end squeaks and squawks. Rust Ionics is free/rock, tight and intense. Guitarist Doug Theriault, sounds somewhere between Frith and Kaiser, yet not as refined. You can tell that these cats mean business, since to can start and stop on a dime, explode in sections and then wind down quickly at times. Doug employs a volume knob or pedal with care and craft, something that takes time to master. Drummer, Adam Kriney, is also pretty impressive pushing the intensely at times and then playing quite minimally when need be. Rust Ionics is a most impressive slice of local free/improv at its best. Michael Parker will be reviewing a bunch of other new discs from Ed Chang and his cohorts soon, so watch out. - BLG
LP $10


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LATEST 'PHAT' RELEASE ON CHRIS SPEED'S ''SKIRL' LABEL IS...

HILMAR JENSSON'S TYFT With JIM BLACK/ANDREW D'ANGELO - Meg Nem Sa (Skirl 04; USA) This is the splendid disc from Icelandic guitar hero Hilmar Jensson and his downtown trio with Andrew D'Angelo on alto sax & bass clarinet and Jim Black on drums & electronics. Tyft blend disparate influences and ideas. "Led Tyftelin" (what a title) actually takes a Led Zep riff and adds some fine alto sax to the that heavy-handed rock groove. Hilmar plays a nasty noisy hard rock guitar solo at the end of this post-rock shit-kicker. Hilmar does a fine job of blurring the line between hard rock and jazz, while still being crafty in the way he arranges these different fragments into a successful whole. Even the freer sections are pretty focused and change as they evolve. "International Four" opens with a section sounds like it was influenced by some chamber jazz, yet the pieces twists and turns through unexpected territories. "Ain't No Waltz" has a tight, quick riff that has some fusion influence, yet without the "show-off your chops" elements that fusion was known for. Hilmar has chosen his two partners wisely since Andrew can rock out and scream on sax when need be and Jim Black always balances his rock and jazz rhythms just right. Since there is no bassist, Hilmar often plays low end riffs, as well as doubling his lines with some device. On "Tumble Bugs", Hilmar gets his guitar to shimmer throughout the entire piece, as Jim and Andrew rock around him. There are a few pieces where the trio lay back and play some quieter sounds. On "Sezt Nidur", Andrew plays some quaint bass clarinet as Hilmar plays some delicate, minimal chords and Jim creates some soft background electronic textures. Tyft do a good job of blurring the lines between the categories of jazz and rock, making them all the more unique. - BLG
CD $14

AND THE FIRST THREE BACK IN STOCK!!

TED REICHMAN With JOHN HOLLENBECK & MARY HALVORSON - My Ears Are Bent (Skirl 02; USA) Instrumental rock music by Ted Reichman (Paul Simon, Marc Ribot, Anthony Braxton), playing everything exceptaccordion with longtime collaborator John Hollenbeck (also Grammy-nominated composer) and hotshot young guitarist Mary Halvorson (Braxton, Trio Convulsant, People). Exploring the area between Big Maceo, Augustus Pablo, and DNA.
"Featuring Ted Reichman on piano, guitar, bass & electronics, Mary Halvorson on electric guitar and John Hollenbeck on drums. Ted Reichman is one of downtown's best known accordionists, having worked with Anthony Braxton, Dr. Chadbourne, the Claudia Quintet and many others, as well as having a fine debut disc on Tzadik. Strangely enough, he plays no accordion of this disc, Mary Halvorson is one the best and most distinctive guitarists to emerge from the downtown in recent years, she continues to collaborate with Mr. Braxton, as well as being an integral part of that great trio with Trevor Dunn and a more recent duo with string wiz, Jessica Pavone. Drummer, composer and multi-bandleader, John Hollenbeck, juggles more bands and projects anyone can keep track of on two hands.
Ted's second disc is a unique and an unlikely blend of ideas. "Every Man to His Own Taste" opens with a simple, repeating line, almost gospelish in its sound. Ted repeats the main line on piano and organ with John just keeping the groove as Mary weaves in odd layers of spiky notes. There is something modestly charming about this quaint melodic tune. Ted's songs often have a dreamy, cerebral vibe, with sparse layers of keyboards floating around one another. He gives space to the guitar and percussion to add their own quirky spice, creating strange sounds that evoke images within the dream-world(s). It reminds me of the wonderful, free-floating, yet focused abstraction of Robert Wyatt's first platter, 'The End of An Ear', one of my favorite records of all time." - BLG
CD $14

CURTIS HASSELBRING'S THE NEW METAL EDWARDS With CHRIS SPEED/TREVOR DUNN/JOHN HOLLENBECK - The New Mellow Edwards (Skirl 03; USA) The debut album by Curtis Hasselbring (MMW, Bobby Previte, Roberto Rodriguez). Curtis describes the NMEXs as: "riff-rock gone bad" sharing space with "barely audible chamber music." Featuring Chris Speed (Human Feel, Bloodcount), Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Electric Masada, Melvins), and John Hollenbeck (Meredith Monk, Theo Bleckmann, Claudia Quintet)
" The New Mellow Edwards features Curtis Hasselbring on trombone, cracklebox & casios, Chris Speed on clarinet, tenor sax & casio, Trevor Dunn on acoustic bass and John Hollenbeck on drums, percussion & melodica. I recall seeing Curtis playing some fine trombone with Anthony Coleman a few years back as well as an earlier version of this band with different personnel. On this, his debut disc, Curtis has put together a fine downtown all-star quartet, with each member, a leader, composer and collaborator on their own. Curtis wrote all but two pieces here with a cover of a song by the Pixies, as well as a Fats Waller's "Mamacita". Curtis' writing does a fine job of blending the in with the out and the more serious with the more silly side of things. He works in a great deal of cross rhythms and odd harmonies, as different combinations of duos move around each other tightly. John Hollenbeck approaches each song and occasionally each section of a piece differently, tapping on different drums and percussion instruments with impressive verve and creativity. I dig Curtis' twisted sense of humor, you never know which direction any of these pieces will go through. At a number of points, I couldn't recall what CD I was listening to. Sometimes Curtis will select moments of old-school muted-trombone and clarinet quirkiness, then turn the rhythm inside-out, and wind their through unexpected genres and changes. His crack crew sounds wonderful throughout, no matter what styles he puts them through. Marvelous and fun!" - BLG
CD $14

THE CLARINETS [ANTHONY BURR/OSCAR NORIEGA/CHRIS SPEED] - The Clarinets (Skirl 01; USA) Gracefully mysterious pieces for three clarinets (Anthony Burr, Oscar Noriega, Chris Speed) recorded in an old church inSullivan County, NY. Ambient yet aggressive and spontaneous yet cohesive, The Clarinets are like no other woodwind section.
"This superb new clarinet trio features Chris Speed (Pachora, Yeah No & Dave Douglas), Anthony Burr (duos w/ Skuli Sverrisson & Charles Curtis) and Oscar Noriega (trio CD on Omnitone & Satoko Fujii NY Big Band). Over the past decade, we've seen more great clarinetists come into their own, not just playing that difficult reed instrument as a second or third alternate to ones' main axe. Nice to hear more players like John Carter and Ben Goldberg, who concentrate on the clarinets only. Recently, Vinny Golia released a fine disc for four clarinet players. This trio seems to specialize in the more restrained, modern classical sound with more attention paid to the more subtle side and more concentrated angularities. What is most amazing here is the wide range of textures and drones that the trio employs, bending and shaping their notes into both luxuriant and even prickly harmonies. I love the way they use one of clarinets as a percussive device on track 6, as another swirls quick lines and the third drones a slower harmony. The Clarinet's short set at the Skirl CD release celebration last night was on the more restrained side, forcing the audience to quiet down and concentrate, making it special for those who were able to listen closely to the rich subtleties." - BLG
CD $14


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ANTHONY BROWN'S ORCHESTRA With DAVID MURRAY et al - Rhapsodies (WaterBaby 1010; USA) This is the fourth disc from drummer/composer Anthony Brown's (Asian American Jazz) Orchestra and each previous one is special in its own way. Two of his award winning gems include Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn's 'Far East Suite' and 'Monk's Moods', a fine tribute to Thelonius Monk. 'Rhapsodies' features Mr. Brown's Orchestra covering the works of Charles Mingus, George Gershwin, Duke Ellington, as well as a few original pieces by Anthony Brown. What makes this orchestra so unique is instrumentation that includes sheng (Chinese mouth organ), shakuhachi, erhu (violin), suona (reed trumpet), guzheng (Chinese harp zither) and yangqin (hammered dulcimer). "Prelude to The Legacy Codes" opens with a short baroque-like piece for Chinese instruments and sax. "Bread & Bowie" is dedicated to the late Lester Bowie (trumpet icon of the Art Ensemble of Chicago). It is quite funky and includes "Shortnin' Bread" and some fine sax from their guest soloist, David Murray. Quite righteous and very savory. Charles Mingus' "Self Portrait in Three Colors" was recorded in 1959 and here gets a lovely arrangement with sublime guitar from Will Bernard and hammered dulcimer. The one epic-length piece features a unique version of Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue". It is unusual to hear the main theme played by a hammered dulcimer and Will Bernard contributes some fine laid back guitar as well. Mr. Brown takes the orchestra through some odd sections like the "Rumba/Recap", "Gagaku" with eerie shakuhachi, Chinese mouth organ and muted trumpet. Duke Ellington's "Tang" is taken from his suite, the "Afro-Eurasian Eclipse" and it is done most spaciously with Chinese mouth organ and strong bari sax from Mel Magdaluyo. Duke's "Come Sunday" features the touching bass clarinet of David Murray with the tasty erhu (Chinese violin) of Hong Wang. "Anthem/Baile de la Orisha" is the finale of a work (called "Never Again!") that was written to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. This piece blends Asian and Afro-American strands quite well with a strong, haunting melody and fine ethnic percussion. Anthony Brown continues to blend many worlds and cultures into a successful whole with "Rhapsodies". - BLG
CD $15


CHEMBO CORNIEL & ANDREA BRACHFELD With HILTON RUIZ/STEVE TURRE et al - Beyond Standards (Consolidated Artists; USA) Featuring Andrea Brachfeld on flutes, piccolo & piano, Chembo Corniel on congas, bata & percussion, with Hilton Ruiz on piano, Steve Turre on trombone and Sam Barfeld on violins. I don't get to hear much Latin jazz, but occasionally someone will give a disc to write about [Thanks to Glenn Leslie!]
Ms. Brachfeld - a fine flutist! - and her percussionist co-leader Wilson "Chembo" Cornial have chosen some strong material to do here. They cover some great songs by John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Eddie Harris & George Shearing. They feature a killing rhythm team with an amazing bassist named Carlo De Rosa. Andrea wrote the opening piece, "Flor De Zampona" and it is an infectious one with a pumping bass line, layers of Latin percussion and Andrea's zampona, which must be some sort of panpipe. They take Trane's "Transition" and feature some fine piano by Hilton Ruiz and strong trombone by Steve Turre and delicious flute by Andrea. A couple of these tunes have two drummers plus Chembo on percussion and the layers of rhythm are completely magical throughout. Trane's lovely song, "Naima" is given a delightful treatment, with sublime harmonies for flute and trombone and a lovely piano solo from the late Hilton Ruiz. George Shearing's "Conception" is a complex tune that goes through some unexpected twists and turns with a spirited flute and trombone solo. Billy Strayhorn's lovely "Chelsea Bridge" features some fine violin by Sam Bardfeld, delicate muted trombone from Mr. Turre and it is completely touching. Wayne Shorter's classic "E.S.P." is taken at a furious tempo, so Andrea's flute solo is at the speed of light, as is Carlo De Rosa's astonishing bass solo. Another gorgeous tune is Duke Ellington's "African Flower", which is given a slightly funky feel with layers of Latin percussion to make it even better. Another classic is "Freedom Jazz Dance" by Eddie Harris, which again features Andreas superb flute and more layers of percussion. Even a corny some like Charlie Parker's "My Little Suede Shoes" is given an uplifting treatment. There is a short "Interlude" near the end for flute and congas which is nicely done, blending both instruments into one enchanting voice. They bring things to a righteous close with a traditional piece called "Oddudua" which features some tasty chanting vocals and percussion. 'Beyond Standards" is a most appropriate name for the best Latin jazz disc I've heard in a long while. - BLG
CD $12


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LONDON SINFONIETTA - Warp Works & Twentieth Century Masters (Warp 144; UK) Featuring works from the following composers: Conlon Nancarrow, John Cage, Steve Reich, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Edgard Varese, Gyorgy Ligeti, Aphex Twin & Squarepusher! "Born at the Royal Festival on March 10th 2003, the London Sinfonietta/Warp concerts grew out of a shared desire to explore the connection between the electronic experimenters on the Warp label and the avant-garde 20th century pioneers who were their sonic grandfathers, at least on one side. New instrumental versions of Squarepusher and Aphex Twin tracks sit side by side with avant-garde classics. There is no crossover - it's the unexpected juxtaposition, in the belief that the different kinds of music shed light on each other. The relationship between human musicians and machines, both electronic and mechanical, provides a kind of idee fixe which runs through this collection of music, recorded live from packed concert halls around the United Kingdom."
CD $17


GYORGI LIGETI - The Complete Piano Music [2 CD Set] (BIS 1683/4; EEC) "This release coincides with the passing away of Gyorgy Ligeti. It consists of his complete music for piano and includes previously unrecorded works, making it the only comprehensive survey so far of a genre in which this great figure of 20th century music was active until the very last years of his life. On it Fredrik Ullen, who in Gramophone has been described as 'a pianist as stylish as he is scintillating,' combines newly recorded material with two discs (from 1996 and 1998) which at the time of their release received a number of distinctions as well as the highest possible praise by the reviewers. 'To hear Ullen fly through Die Zauberlehrling is to understand the meaning of a great over competent performance. Small wonder Ligeti trusts the man!' and 'a superb reference recording!' was the verdict for BIS-CD-783 in Fanfare and in Fono Forum. The follow-up was greeted no less enthusiastically: 'Ullen continues his series as he began it: imbued with the finest touch and rhythmic exactitude' (Diapason) and 'This is a very fine disc' (Repertoire). To this material has been added the two etudes of book three composed after the release of the previous discs, as well as the world premiere recordings 'L'arrache-Coeur' (composed in 1994 and originally intended as 'Etude no. 14') and 'Four Early Piano Pieces,' from 1941 and thus among the earliest preserved Ligeti pieces."
2 CD set for $36




SEVEN NEW DISCS FROM AUSTRALIA'S EXPERIMENTAL ROOM-40 LABEL:

RICHARD CHARTIER - Current (Room40 ED409; Australia) "Richard Chartier's sound installation and recorded pieces evoke a state of aural awareness. Working with a variety of minimal structures and refined sound sources, Chartier has been responsible for some of the most austere audio works of recent years. Aesthetically refined and creatively provocative, much of his work has focused on the edges of perception, both in frequency range and amplitude. On Current, his latest work to be released in conjunction with his upcoming performances in Australia and Japan later this year, Chartier offers a multilayered sound field. Shimmering high tones filter amid a clouded layer of dense audio mist - across the 20 minutes, he creates a potent journey through crisp yet warm sound textures, metered pulses and spacious stereo field. The piece is thematically linked to the idea of travel by airplane - the disassociation of time and location - air currents above and the oceanic currents below."
CD $15

PHILIP SAMARTZIS/KOZO INADA - h ( ) (Room40 ED406; Australia) "Australian electro-acoustic composer Philip Samartzis is an increasingly vital presence in the Australian sound community. His work over the past decade and a half has offered a prophetic vision for each of his chosen formats and aesthetic approaches. On h ( ) Samartzis is joined by minimal Japanese composer Kozo Inada, who brings with him an equally refined and austere sound sensibility. Between them, these two composers collaborate to produce a highly detailed work that juxtaposes, obscures and ultimately unites pure electronics with environmental recordings. These elements are set to work against and within one another, the results causing the listener to reconsider which sounds are emanating from the interwoven tapestry of source materials. Celebrating the rich tradition of acousmatic sound and musique concrete, this composition provides a potent reminder of the potentials of sound as a transformative and (imagined) narrative medium."
CD $15

PHILIP SAMARTZIS/LAWRENCE ENGLISH - One Plus One (Room40 ED407; Australia) "The turntable has enjoyed a varied history in the realm of performance and experimental music. From the early phonographic works of John Cage to the spliced cut-ups of Christian Marclay in the 1980s, the device has proven to be a versatile tool for the creation and transformation of sound. Following a joint billing at Brisbane's Metro Arts Space in 2002, Melbourne-based composer Philip Samartzis and sound artist Lawrence English shared a 30-minute performance that was to become the beginning of their on-going turntable duo. Both Samartzis (a member of the legendary Australian turntable group Gum) and English (a regular player with DJ Olive, Janek Schaefer and others) have long histories of live actions utilising turntables and together each of them brings a wealth of gestures and unique sonic qualities to the instrument. Recorded in early 2006, this edition captures the initial studio works from these two artists and seeks to reflect on the potential of the cyclical nature of vinyl and the surface noise that envelopes the very medium itself."
CD $15

KEITH FULLERTON WHITMAN - Track4 (2waysuperimposed) (Room40 ED408; Australia) "Over the past few years, Keith Fullerton Whitman has been responsible for producing some of the most engaging electronic music to emerge from the United States. Informed by traditional musique concrete as much as contemporary DSP, his work remains provocative without relying on overt actions or grandiose sonic statements. A bass heavy journey through processed guitar and electronics -- a refined statement of intent from one of the USA's finest. From Keith Whitman: 'Here's a 10:32 piece from 2002, re-worked, turned into a 21:04 piece in late 2005, released in spring of 2006 to correspond with my second Australian tour. Much like 'track3a (2waynice),' (the first piece on the Playthroughs album), this piece is entirely bi-directional, meaning that it plays the same forwards as backwards (just try to get your head around that...) by far the most woofer-rattling piece of music I've ever made.'"
CD $15

GREG DAVIS & JEPH JERMAN - KU (Room40 416; Australia) "The act of conjuring remarkable sound from found objects is at the very heart of this recording from American musicians Greg Davis and Jeph Jerman. Having met in Arizona some years back, Davis and Jerman commenced working together on a series of recording projects. Improvising with a range of implements and devices ranging from sticks, stones and low-fi electronics to prepared instruments, gongs and broken percussion, the pair sought to develop a personal language that reflected their individual approaches but also created a shared sensibility and aesthetic quality. Placing their work in a range of environments, most of which orbit around Jerman's ranch in Cottonwood, Davis and Jerman create a richly textured array of sounds from the most modest of sonic tools. Each of the works featured here collects together multiple improvised sessions, which have been edited to create a flowing sense of movement and space. These tempered post-concrete works resolve a joint interest from these two musicians in the act of freeform foundsound improvisation and experimentation."
CD $15

LLOYD BARRETT - Mise En Scene (Room40 418; Australia) "For well over a decade, Australia's Lloyd Barrett has been issuing all manner of intricate sound works - from diligent examinations of postconcrete sound and abstracted rhythmic projects to spacious ambient works. In 2005, he committed himself to create Mise En Scene, a work drawing on the concepts of filmic sound and exploring the possibilities of philosophies suggested by authors and theorists such as Michel Chion. The resulting album heralds a bold statement of intent from Barrett. Deeply evocative, maintaining moments of extreme intimacy and vast remoteness, this record is characterised by highly realised imagined sonic language. It speaks to the notions of acousmatic composition and delivers a document rich with decomposed found sound, unfamiliar texture and instrumental passages reflective of electroacoustic methodology."
CD $15

JANEK SCHAEFER - In The Last Hour (Room40 419; Australia) "Janek Schaefer first surfaced 10 years ago with his sound-activated tape recorder [Recorded Delivery] and then a range of turntable related projects, including the highly-praised Tri-Phonic Turntable. This was a machine spawning three arms, hand built to transform sound. In recent years, Schaefer's work has expanded into newer areas revolving around live composition, and the exploration of a variety of instrument and location recording elements. In The Last Hour is, by his own confession, Janek's favourite album and the result of years developing his approach to live composition. A deeply moving and harmonious work inspired by a sentence from an Iain Banks novel [as revealed in the track titles]. It is easily Schaefer's most accomplished solo CD, and reveals his increasing interest in the combination of live instrumentation with his trademarked textured electronics and vinyl manipulations. Commissioned as a site-specific work for the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival in 2005, the album unfolds through four distinct phases. Floating melodies glide across tense textures, while organ chord structures disperse between drifting fields of drone. The piece was recorded in the Huddersfield Town Hall with the audience lying down in the dark. The sound came from above and all around. In The Last Hour is a truly spellbinding hour that confirms Schaefer's presence as one of the most evocative of sound artists."
CD $15




BRUCE LEE GALLANTER & MICHAEL ANTON PARKER REVIEWS OF RECENT RELEASES:

J A GRANELLI & MR. LUCKY With BRAD SHEPIK/NATE SHAW/MIKE SARIN - Homing (Love Slave 109; USA) Featuring Brad Shepik on guitars, Nate Shaw on organ & Rhodes electric piano, Gerald Menke on steel guitar, J. A. Granelli on electric & piccolo basses & compositions and Mike Sarin on drums. This is the third installment by Jay Granelli's band Mr. Lucky, which used to include Dave Tronzo and Jamie Saft and Jay is the only original member. What is odd is that although (slide guitar god) Dave Tronzo has been replaced by another of downtown's best guitarists, Brad Shepik, the sound of the band has not changed that much. It is Jay's concept or vision that gives this band its own sound. Mr Lucky is much closer in sound to a roots rock band than an electric jazz band. The opening tune, "Fortunate Son", features some scorching, yet laid back lead guitar by Mr. Shepik. The repeating central riff is immensely haunting and hypnotic with Nate Shaw's organ adding just the right amount of sly spice. Gerald Menke's steel guitar adds sad and lonely lines to "Lazy Eye", a slow, drifting and eerie piece that sounds it is taking place in a desert. The closest thing that I can compare this to is a CD by Jesse Sykes, a forlorn singer/songwriter from Seattle that I love dearly. On "Hope for Junior", the ghosts are floating by as the organ swirls and the guitars swell like giant teardrops. I wish I had something strong to drink to wash away my tears, my fears and the blues of everyday life brought on by George Jr. and his clan of evil clowns. Perhaps I've found something to listen to every night to soothe myself before I fade to snoozeland. - BLG
CD $14


THE C.T. STRING QUARTET with JOE MCPHEE - Reqiphoenix Nexus (Cadence Jazz 1197; USA) It's hard to believe music this amazing has sat unreleased since 1999, but let's just celebrate the opportunity to hear it now. Recorded live at the Knitting Factory, this documents a project so potent and groundbreaking that almost every one of their rare gigs would probably be worth releasing. That's how blown away I've been by the previous recordings of the CT String Quartet and related grouping with and without Joe McPhee, not to mention the various live gigs I've caught. When you think about the four musicians (Dominic Duval on bass, Jason Kao Hwang on violin, Ron Lawrence on viola, Tomas Ulrich on cello) you realize how hard it is to reach this level of synergy between hardcore chops and creative improv experience. There's just a very small pool of musicians in the world who could make this music happen and obviously Joe McPhee is in a category of his own. The string quartet here tends to self-organize into the free-narrative-over-stable-pulses model familiar from jazz, an area of music all four players spend a lot of time at the fringes of. In fact, in some vague sense this could be considered free jazz played with unconventional instrumentation, but I tend to hear it as realization of unfulfilled potential in the entirely separate tradition of string quartet music that's been monopolized by the unnatural method of music-making involving notation. That gap between composition and performance has left huge gaps in the string quartet corpus, and these are precisely the musicians capable of filling them. It's fair to say the music tends towards an elegaic, somber mood that invokes a flood of serious emotions, but it's just as likely to make you cry from sheer joy at discovering bristling, edgy complexity of the sort that Carter or Boulez would be proud to design. When I listen to this disc, I don't hear a violin or a cello or a trumpet, just lines and shapes etched in invisible sound. The concrete qualities of the instruments disappear and all I hear is music. It's the rare real deal. I think it's been a few months since I've listened to a CD as ecstatic, sublime, surprising, and rapturous as this. I recommend it unreservedly to anyone interested in experiencing transcendental beauty through familiar Euro-American string and brass instruments. The 55 minutes of music unfolds over three long parts with McPhee's otherworldly magic in the middle part and the quartet alone for the other two parts. - Michael Anton Parker
CD $14

KATSUYUKI ITAKURA/BLAISE SIWULA/RYUSAKU IKEZAWA - Big Hearts (Cadence Jazz 1189; USA) Between this and his outstanding recent trio of heads-down slow-burn fire jazz with Adam Lane and Toshi Makihara, Blaise Siwula is getting documented on Cadence Jazz Records as a major voice in current free jazz. These 2005 recordings from Japan find him mostly in duo with pianist Katsuyuki Itakura and sometimes in trio with Itakura and drumkitter Ryusaku Ikezawa. Itakura and Siwula obviously have a lot in common. They've been honing their art for a few decades as a steady presence in grass roots creative jazz scenes (Siwula in NYC and Itakura in Japan) and have the experience and chops to dig in deep enough to satisfy the most demanding connoisseurs. They're also prototypical examples of the postmodern free jazz musician who freely moves between sentimental jazz and post-Ayler/Cecil intensity as an honest expression of a personal range of aesthetic comfort. "Mountain River" shifts into a brief ecstatic and scorching passage that hits the gut the way we hope to get hit from this kind of music, but its seven minutes float by with extended passages of relaxed and sublime harmonic interplay that reveal the masterful control of both players. Siwula can make tiny modulations of tone in the middle of an epic melody to add the throaty and raw edges that keep us on the edge of our seat feeling that every note matters. The music is taut and episodic, not jammy, with rapid-fire interplay between sax/clarinet and piano. Ikezawa sounds great on "Rose Garden at Deserted House" with sudden bursts of call-and-response that make the trio crackle and pop. The trio only needs the four minutes of "Space Time Continuum" to blow the roof off with tight and furious freebop that finds Siwula ripping through fast and mean phrases at the level of Thomas Chapin. The 12 tracks are short and cover a lot of territory, including solo spaces for Itakura and Siwula amidst the many passages of explosive and gorgeous interplay. - Michael Anton Parker
CD $14

BURTON GREENE QUINTET - Signs of the Times (CIMP 339; USA) Featuring Burton Greene on piano, Paul Smoker on trumpet, Russ Nolan on soprano & tenor saxes & flute, Ed Schuller on bass and George Schuller on drums. Legendary free/jazz piano wonder, Burton Greene, will turn 70 next year. Since moving to NY in the mid-sixties and helping to pioneer the beginning of what was called "free/jazz", Burton has continued to explore, expand and extend his knowledge of modern and ancient music. His 25+ releases over his 50+ year recording career continue to show the depth and diversity of his ongoing journey. His half dozen discs for the CIMP or Cadence Jazz stable show him to be a force to be reckoned with on the piano. For 'Sign of the Times', he has chosen a strong quintet with trumpet master Paul Smoker, an impressive young saxist named Russ Nolan and the great Schuller brothers rhythm team.
Commencing with "Afro Balkan Blue", Ed Schuller opens with strong solo bass intro. And we're off on a great journey, with rich, dark harmonic lines for the horns and piano. Ed's infectious bass groove is at the center, as Paul Smoker takes one of those intense, high-faluting solos with Burton weaving waves of notes underneath him. Russ Nolan also takes a fine tenor solo, but it is consistently creative rhythm team-work (piano/bass/drums) that keeps the spirit flowing just right. Drum wiz, George Schuller, does an incredible job of spinning his percussive spirits and navigating the currents that Burton unleashes. "Jackal-ing" is a twisted, Monk-like work that both tight and free simultaneously and reminds me of those ridiculously difficult start and stop tunes that Zorn composed for Masada. I like the way the piano pulls in it one direction as Paul's muted trumpet comes from somewhere else, yet there a many intersecting lines where the instruments meet and then it explodes in other sections. Jill McManus's "Triple Gemini" is an odd yet catchy piece with more strong solos from both horns and an off-the wall solo from Burton. "Sad Mood" is an exquisite ballad with sublime solos from Russ on flute, Paul on trumpet and especially Burton's superb piano solo at the end. "Between Iraq and a Hard Place" is a political piece that spins furiously and freely at times yet as the horns erupt together the piano, bass and drums swirl like a hurricane around them. Burton quotes a bunch or patriotic songs throughout his solo as the horn erupt again and again. Too much! Jill McManus' "When Will the Rain Gods Answer" was inspired by her time with the Hopi Indians and other "magic people" around our planet. It is quite a magical piece with a spiritual melody and some of that cosmic piano that Burton loves to evoke. Both horns again take long, flowing, thoughtful solos on this one. The final piece is George Schuller's "Tension", is an aptly titled piece with some tense, storm-like power. Russ' tenor, Paul's trumpet and Burton's piano wail together in an explosive emission as the bass and drums also ascend with power and passion. Like Burton Greene last quartet disc for CIMP, 'Isms Out', this one is one of the year's most remarkable offerings. - BLG
CD $15


THE DIPLOMATS [ROB BROWN/HARRIS EISENSTADT/STEVE SWELL] - We Are Not Obstinate Islands (Clean Feed 061; Portugal) Beautifully recorded during their October 29, 2004 gig at The Bop Shop in Rochester, NY, this captures a trio of creative jazz heavyweights taking care of business with that classic balance between tunes and collective improv. Like some of the Tim Berne projects without a bass player, there's a soulful, open, sometimes even abstractly funky groove in the horn phrasing that can breathe better in a stripped-down format. Rob Brown's alto sax and Steve Swell's trombone play off each other with vivid, compact, logical lines. Like some classic Braxton small group jazz, it feels concise and purposeful with carefully controlled passages of high-octane blowing that organically wax and wane. As usual, Harris Eisenstadt keeps the rhythms constantly shifting and active with lots of timbral variety and detailed percussive flurries instead of the aggressive drumkit tirades more common in free jazz. In "Buoyed in Great Days" Eisenstadt wiggles around and burns under sax and trombone lines as hard as diamond and clear as glass. My favorite piece here is "The Unsure of Our Answers" with its cyclical surges of energy and sax/trombone parts that stay intricately interlocked even when they reach fire-spitting intensity. Clean Feed continues to be a critical source of quality new jazz and this is a very satisfying addition to the deeply consistent and inspired discographies of Brown and Swell. It's a great way to celebrate the thriving scene that keeps jazz alive at its grass roots with no-nonsense dedication to rigorous musicianship and passionate personal creativity. The packaging is artful and distinctive as well. - Michael Anton Parker
CD $17


GEORGE CARTWRIGHT - The Ghostly Bee (Innova 206; USA) Featuring George Cartwright on saxes, Davey Williams on guitars, Chris Parker on keyboards, Adam Linz on acoustic bass and Bruce Golden on drums. Although the personnel here looks suspiciously like that of George's longtime band, Curlew, this is not really a Curlew CD, it is much freer, but it still sails and wails. 'The Ghostly Bee' includes two long suites. The first one is called "Your Test Tube Baby is Gonna Be Fine/ The Hard Wood". It begins with some spaced out effects, free electric bass and other odd sounds. The sax enters slowly as does the twisted electric guitar (the one & only Davey Williams). The bass and drums start spinning around one another as George sputters sax sounds all over, spinning freely. This is one the most intense and over the top free/jazz/rock excursions I've heard. Throughout most of this long piece, Davey on guitar, Bruce on keyboards and George on saxes all weave layers of strange sounds furiously around one another. "Even Better Than a Mockingbird" starts with George on soprano as the rest of the quintet spin intensely around him. As the rhythm team soars, Chris Parker takes a long intense electric piano solo, as Davey also plays some mutated guitar and Bruce adds haunting electronic sounds. George's swaggering yet laid-back tenor opens "Hurtin' Flea" as the rest of the band play in hushed tones underneath. Sly, Miles-like sounds simmer as the band slowly sizzles around the sax. George sounds great as his sax slowly burns from the bottom on up. Davey also plays some mighty fine slide guitar as the band ascends higher. This entire disc is like a long journey that unfolds slowly and works its way through a variety of sections. Consistently engaging throughout. - BLG
(LTD. Edition of 500) CD $14

SNAILDARTHA 6 [CHRIS STROUTH/MATT FUGATE/GEORGE CARTWRIGHT/SCOTT LeGERE/TERRY HANNAN] - Snaildartha: The Story Of Jerry The Christmas Snail [sgnd ltd ed] (Innova 205; USA) limited edition, signed and numbered
"Written by Chris Strouth, with narration & words by Matt Fugate, George Cartwright on saxes, Scott LeGere on organ and Terry Haanen on drums. This is strong sax led trio, fronted by Curlew saxist, George Cartwright. The trio features the funky organ of Scott LeGere, George Cartwright playing his most soulful sax and the fatback groove drums of Terry Haanen. The piece is one continuous work with Matt Fugate telling his strange, long Christmas story. Every other piece is instrumental and every piece is short. It takes a long while for the entire story to unfold. The story is an odd yet charming one about Jerry the snail and his pilgrims and their journey to meet Santa Claus. The music has a nice laid-back groove throughout and I would imagine it would be fun to listen to this on Christmas while sipping on some coqnac. My fingers got tired after snapping them for the entire length of this rather groovy little oddball gem." - BLG
CD $14


EMPTY CAGE QUARTET - Hello The Damage! [2 CD set] (pfMentum 040; USA) Featuring Jason Mears on alto sax, clarinet & flutes, Kris Tiner on trumpet & flugel, Ivan Johnson on contrabass and Paul Kikuchi on drums & percussion. This is the third offering by this same quartet, who used to be called The MTKJ and have two fine CDs out on Nine Winds. This CD was recorded live in L.A. in December of 2005 and each disc consists on one set. The first set/disc consists of two long suites, each over 20 minutes. The first suite has the quartet meandering together at first until they hit their stride and start swinging hard. Both Jason on alto and later clarinet, Kris on trumpet and Ivan on bass take long inspired solos. The tempo and intensity pick up in the second suite, which progresses in an organic way, moving in waves, from rambunctious to quieter seconds. The second set consist of one long suite called "Swan-Neck Deformity/The Empty Cage/Swim Swim Swim, Eat Eat Eat". The lop-sided groove is a memorable one with a long, flowing solo from Kris on trumpet, as well as a fine Ornette-meets-Zorn alto solo from Jason. The rhythm team do a fine job of moving tightly through waves together, speeding up and slowing down as one force. Whereas the first disc has some fine moments, the second disc is pretty amazing throughout. - BLG
CD $17


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'JAZZ ICONS' DVD SERIES FROM NAXOS!!!

JAZZ ICONS is an ongoing DVD series featuring full-length concerts and in-studio performances by the greatest legends of jazz, filmed all over the world from the 1950s through the 1970s. Beautifully transferred from the original masters, none of these concerts has ever been officially released on home video, and in many cases, the material was never broadcast. Each DVD is produced with the full support and cooperation of the artists or their estates. JAZZ ICONS(tm) comes to you from Reelin' In The Years Productions, GRAMMY Nominated producers of the American Folk Blues Festival DVDs 1962 - 1966


ART BLAKEY & THE JAZZ MESSENGERS - Jazz Icons: Live in '58 [DVD] (Naxos; USA) Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers features what many consider to be one of the finest line-ups in the history of jazz: Bobby Timmons (Piano), Jymie Merritt (Bass), Benny Golson (Sax) and the legendary trumpet player, Lee Morgan. Lost for nearly 50 years, this historic 55 minute concert, fi lmed in Belgium in 1958, one month to the day after they recorded their masterpiece Moanin, is the only known visual document of this influential band who were together for only six months.
DVD $20

DIZZY GILLESPIE - Jazz Icons: Live in '58 & '70 [DVD] (Naxos; USA) Dizzy Gillespie features two historic concerts from one of the founding fathers of bebop. Filmed 12 years apart, the 1958 concert features Dizzy working eloquently within the small combo structure of a quintet including such infl uential musicians as sax player Sonny Stitt and bassist Ray Brown. The second show focuses on a completely different side of Dizzy, fronting the legendary Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band. With a 16-piece big band to conduct, including two drummers, his Latin influences are revealed on "Con Alma" and "Manteca."
DVD $20

THELONIOUS MONK - Jazz Icons: Live in '66 [DVD] (Naxos; USA) This DVD, which contains Thelonious Monk's two studio television performances taped in Oslo and Copenhagen in 1966, proves that seeing Monk is as important as hearing him. He's backed by his legendary quartet: tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse, bassist Larry Gales, and drummer Ben Riley, who was forced to play with a spare borrowed drumkit. Save for the two renditions of the standard "Lulu's Back in Town" and another popular song, "Don't Blame Me," the rest of the six selections are pure Monk, including the spellbinding "Blue Monk," the algorithmic "Epistrophy," and of course, his eternal ballad "'Round Midnight," delivered here at a slightly faster tempo. Thelonious's flat-fingered touch, trancelike dancing (which Riley playfully mimics), fancy footwork at the keyboard, and wild choice of hats steal the show. In the 20-page liner notes,trumpeter, arranger, and Monk scholar Don Sickler encourages you to, "[t]ake this fantastic opportunity to get a better understanding of his distinct style, of the unique way he accompanies soloists, and the other idiosyncrasies that make Monk a musical treasure." --Eugene Holley, Jr
DVD $20


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JAPANESE INDEPENDENT MUSIC [V.A.] - Japanese Independent Music [Book + CD] (Sonore 11; EEC) The fullest picture available of Japan's explosively radical underground musical scene from the late '70s thru the '90s. This book is a comprehensive report on the exuberant activity of the Japanese independent scene at the end of the twentieth century. Structured like a dictionary with an historical introduction, it offers a vision of more than 600 artists from musical streams as varied as: electro, harsh-noise, avant-rock, free-jazz. Comes with a CD of rare and previously unreleased tracks from: Keiji Haino, Yuko Nexus6, Acid Mothers Temple, Ruins, KK Null, Sachiko M, Hoppy Kamiyama, etc. Released in 2001
CD $25



JAN & LORRAINE - Gypsy People (Fallout 2015; UK) This is British duo Jan Hendin and Lorraine Lefevre, and their superb collection of acid-tinged folk and pop has been acclaimed as one of the best female psychedelic albums of the late 1960s, with contents varying from fragile ballads to rousing rock and roll, set to complex arrangements and gorgeous vocal harmonies. Recorded in London but only released in the US and Canada, it features support from musicians including Terry Cox (Pentangle), Brian Odgers (Al Stewart, Van Morrison, Elton John), Keshav Sathe (Magic Carpet) and legendary session drummer, Clem Cattini. Amongst the most enigmatic recordings of its time and full of mostly original songs (and one song co-written by Davy Graham), it makes its long-awaited CD debut here.
CD $16

PAT KILROY - Light of Day (Fallout 2013; UK) This highly original 1966 collection, originally released by Elektra Records, has been called the first acid folk record of all time. Certainly its hippy themes and exotic instrumentation are well ahead of their time, but Kilroy died tragically young and his album has largely been neglected ever since, despite featuring legendary guitarist Stefan Grossman. This is its first CD appearance, and comes complete with explanatory liner notes, making it a must for all fans of psychedelic singer-songwriters.
CD $16

ALAN TRAJAN - Firm Roots (Fallout 2014; UK) Scottish keyboardist Alan Trajan's 1969 album is an unsettling collection of rock songs and ballads featuring prominent organ, fiery guitar, soulful vocals and acoustic picking from folk legend Davy Graham. Produced by Ray Horricks (Bread Love & Dreams, Human Beast, Davy Graham), it's well-established as one of the rarest singer-songwriter recordings of the period, and makes its long-awaited CD debut here, complete with explanatory liner notes.
CD $16

ANANDA SHANKAR - Ananda Shankar and his Music (Fallout 2011; UK) This genre-busting, critically-acclaimed 1975 album seamlessly fuses the traditional music of Ananda Shankar's homeland, India, with the heavy psych-funk of the West, where he'd spent a good deal of time. Ananda Shankar & His Music is rife with funkified sitars, rock guitars, tabla, drums and Moog synthesizers. Featuring the dancefloor killers "Streets Of Calcutta" and "Dancing Drums" alongside a handful of mellower tracks, the original, India-only LP has long been one of the world's most sought-after records, and is presented here complete with historical liner notes.
CD $16


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SOME LONG-DESIRED CONTEMPORARY COMPOSER TITLES ON THE GREAT GERMAN LABEL 'WERGO' HAVE BECOME AVAILABLE TO US AGAIN IN LIMITED QUANTITIES...

CATHY BERBERIAN - 'MagnifiCathy': The many voices of Cathy Berberian. (Wergo 60054; Germany)
CD $20

LUCIANO BERIO - Canticum novissimi testamenti, A-ronne (Wergo 6678; Germany) "The mutual passion they shared for the sound of language was the basis for the long and fruitful collaboration between writer Edoardo Sanguineti and composer Luciano Berio. Sanguineti was the leader of the Italian avant-garde movement of the 1960s and formerly, a Communist senator in the Italian parliament. He remains one of Italy's most respected thinkers, teaching literature at the University of Genoa. Sanguineti considers Berio's Canticum novissimi testamenti and A-Ronne to be the most successful musical settings of his texts. In his obituary for his friend, Sanguineti wrote in 2003: 'For me he embodies purely and simply how music can be planned and thought today.' A-Ronne begins with the biblical assertion that the word stood at the beginning of all things and concludes with the line 'in the end is my music.' In Canticum novissimi testamenti Berio traces the subtle nuances and shifting moods of the poem with elegantly homogeneous sound from eight singers and eight winds."
CD $20

LUCIANO BERIO - Circles/Sequenza I/Sequenza III/Sequenza V (Wergo 6021; Germany) Circles is a piece based on e.e. Cummings texts, performed by Cathy Berberian. Berio's "Sequenzas" are a series of pieces designed for soloists to extend the boundaries of their musical isolation as far as possible. Sequenza I performed here by Aurele Nicolet for solo flute. Sequenza III by Berberian for solo voice; "The scale of possibilities in vocal expression... from stammering to long held passages, from a wild cry to hastily articulated babbling." Sequenza V is for solo trombone, by Vinko Globokar; "...completely unexpected and unfamiliar sounds, which are unquestionably closer to electronic music... by simultaneously singing and playing different, and precisely described notes which are carefully selected by virtue of their dissonant friction..." ? Henri Pousseur.
CD $20

PIERRE BOULEZ - Structures pour 2 pianos. Books I-II (Wergo 6011; Germany)
CD $20

JOHN CAGE - 25 Year Retrospective Concert [3 CD set] (Wergo 6247; Germany) The legendary performance at Town Hall, NY May 15, 1968; previously available as a ltd. private pressing 3LP box set. "The pieces performed were written over a period of 25 years, between 1934 and 1958. Presented together, they reflect not only Cage's search for new compositional processes and means of expression, they also already contain the seed for all the technical procedures and the ideological basis of his later compositions: the interest in Eastern philosophies, the involvement with 'silence', and the introduction of chance as compositional procedure." Includes classic early prepared-piano works, "Imaginary Landscape No. 1" (a recording of constant and variable frequency records, cymbal and piano), percussion ensemble, tape music, "Concert for Piano & Orchestra," etc. Comes with a 92 page booklet, with in-depth notes, historic photos, score reproductions, etc. One of the nicest Cage items you could imagine.
CD $42

JOHN CAGE - Concert For Piano And Orchestra/Atlas Eclipticalis (Wergo 6216; Germany) Two famous orchestra pieces (from '57-62), recorded in 1992 by S.E.M. Ensemble, conducted by Peter Kotik, piano by Joseph Kubera.
CD $20

JOHN CAGE - Credo In US... More Works For Percussion (Wergo 6651; Germany) Ten years after their first highly esteemed Cage CD Works for Percussion Quatuor Helios present a second with works by the inventor of the prepared piano. In the wake of this process comes the series of the five 'Imaginary Landscapes'. 'Credo in US' is another heroic work, particularly in the ambiguity of its title: is Cage patriotically referring to the United States, or is he simply humanistically proving allegiance to the first person plural? Collages, layerings and overlaps clash with omnipresent wild and scattered piano bits, strewn with explosions and streaked with silences that are in themselves aggressive. In 'Inlets', the performers let Nature do the composing. Quatuor Helios has always been open to collaboration with composers in order to develop new contemporary percussion languages, often associating 'classical' instruments, new technologies and musical theatre." Features: 2000 recordings of: "Credo In US" (1942, for piano, cans, buzzer and records), "Imaginary Landscape No.1" (1939, for piano, 2 oscillators and a Chinese cymbal), "Inlets" (1977, for three players of water-filled conch shells), "Imaginary Landscape No. 3" (1942, for coil, gongs, oscillators, tin cans, marimbula, buzzer), "But What About the Noise of Crumpling Paper Which He Used to Do in Order to Paint the Series of 'Papiers froisses' or Tearing Up Paper to Make 'Papiers dechires?' Arp Was Stimulated by Water (Sea, Lake and Flowing Waters Like Rivers), Forests" (1986).
CD $20

JOHN CAGE - Etudes Australes [3 CD set] (Wergo 6152; Germany) A 1974 composition for solo piano, performed by Grete Sultan in 1978-82, totalling 169 minutes. The score is designed on the basis of a book of maps of stars as seen from Australia (in conjunction with the I Ching). "The crowning touch of this work -- the characteristic sound that makes it different from other Cage pieces -- is the resonating drones. Not only are the tones depressed at the beginning of each etude, but the other notes that are held as long as possible, all create overtones that resonate and combine long after the keys are depressed. And when new notes are played, fresh overtones are generated in serendipitous ways." --Richard Kostelanetz
CD $60

JOHN CAGE - James Joyce, Marcel Duchamp, Erik Satie: An Alphabet [2 CD set] (Wergo 6310; Germany) "James Joyce, Marcel Duchamp, Erik Satie: An Alphabet is a poetic, philosophical spoken piece by John Cage, based on his memories of decades of studying the works of Joyce, Duchamp and Satie. Live performances in German and English took place in 1987 at the 'NachtCageTag' of WDR Cologne to mark the 75th birthday of the composer and in 1990 at the WDR Sound Art Festival '2nd Acustica International' in New York. Both versions feature an outstanding cast, including some of the giants of 20th Century composition."
CD $40

JOHN CAGE - Sonatas & Interludes For Prepared Piano (Wergo 60156; Germany) Written in 1946-48 for prepared piano, recorded in 1975 by Joshua Pierce. "...represents the culmination of his work with the solo prepared piano, which had been his musical invention a decade before. Essentially, into the bed of piano strings he put such objects as large wooden screws, bolts of various sizes, pieces of plastic and rubber ? in short, a panoply of devices that transformed the sound of the piano strings... it, more than anything he had done to that time, showed his colleagues that Cage should be considered an important composer."? Richard Kostelanetz
CD $20

JOHN CAGE - Works for Percussion (Wergo 6203; Germany) Cage's infamous percussion works from '39 to '42, such as "First Construction (in metal)", "Imaginary Landscape No. 2", etc. Live studio performances by Quatuor Helios in 1989. Early avant garde percussion music is a joy to bask within.
CD $20

JOHN CAGE - Works For Piano & Prepared Piano Vol II (Wergo 60157; Germany) Including "Music For Amplified Toy Pianos," performed by Marilyn Crispell & Joe Kubera.
CD $20

JOHN CAGE/TOSHIO HOSOKAWA - Two (4)/In die Tiefe der Zeit (Wergo 6617; Germany) One work from each composer, performed by Julius Berger (cello) and Stefan Hussong (accordion). "The Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa describes his music as calligraphy with notes in space and time, notes that come from the world of silence and also return to it. 'In Die Tiefe der Zei' (Into the Depths of Time) is a mythic soundscape."
CD $20

JOHN CHOWNING - John Chowning (Wergo 2012; Germany) American composer who discovered the frequency modulation algorithm in the 60s. This CD features his works from the early 70s, subtle computer sound synthesis, etc.
CD $20

PHILIP CORNER/ALISON KNOWLES/GEORGE BRECHT - Fluxus (Wergo 6312; Germany) Whenever 'Fluxus' comes up, the three New York-born artists whose radio plays are collected on this CD are mentioned.They have appeared together in performances and they are also connected by their relationship to John Cage's aesthetic, working with chance operations. The intermedia artist Philip Corner pays homage to the French composer Erik Satie -- his piano piece consists of two chords. Alison Knowles' litany-like recitation of many poetic names for beans, one of the oldest 4 forms of human food, sounds like a mantra. Brecht's voice play in four languages is created by chance operations from texts by one of the great poetic and philosophical texts of Zen Buddhism, the Hsin Hsin Ming as taken down by its third Chinese patriarch, Seng Ts'an, who died in 606." Part of the Wergo Ars Acustica series.
CD $20

FIBER JELLY//ALVIN LUCIER/LUDGER BRUMMER et al - Surround Music [DVD-A] (Wergo 2058; Germany) "This DVD-Audio disc (only playable in DVD-A compatible DVD players) offers innovative works from three different musical styles that do not use surround sound for effects but as musical means. Fifty minutes of surround music were played by some of the best electronic musicians and recorded live at ZKM and are recorded here under the name Fiber Jelly. Alvin Lucier's classic 'I Am Sitting in a Room' is presented in a live production with eight rooms resonating at the same rinse. And Medusa by Ludger Brummer for two percussionists and four-channel sound synthesis was recorded and mixed at ZKMs Blue Cube, the surround-music studio par excellence." Composers: Alvin Lucier, Ludger Brummer, Justin Bennett, Kaffe Matthews, Anne Wellmer, Fiber Jelly.
DVD $22

BILL FONTANA - Ohrbrucke/Soundbridge Koln -- San Francisco (Wergo 6302; Germany) Third CD in the Wergo Ars Acustica series (prev. volumes being Henry's La Ville and Cage's Roaratorio). Fontana is an American "sound sculptor" and this is one of his amazing radio broadcasts, "Soundbridge Cologne -- San Francisco." "The 'orchestra' consisted of 18 sound sources in the city of Cologne and 18 in SF. Simultaneous events in the 2 cities, parallel but completely independent of one another, were brought together and mixed into a collage by Fontana from a mixing board at the WDR." This composition was broadcast live via satellite in both cities. Fontana's choice of sound materials would include Golden Gate Bridge fog horns and expansion joints, surf, thousands of birds and marine mammals from the Farallon Islands, underwater sounds of whales, bell towers, train stations, pedestrian streets, ships and waves on the Rhine river, exotic birds in the Cologne zoo, etc. The mixture is a subtle and unique variation on environmental sound, the art of ambient sound, simultaneous acoustical perspectives, and surreal collage technique.
CD $20

GIROLAMO FRESCOBALDI/JOHN CAGE - Anarchic Harmonies (Wergo 6655; Germany) Performed by Stefan Hussong (accordion) and Mike Svoboda (trombone). "Frescobaldi and Cage. More than three hundred years separate them. Three hundred years of music. Neither rises out of the universal murmuring unaided. Frescobaldi's predecessors are found among the Spanish composers of lute and keyboard music, such as Trabaci, Mayone, and Milan, and in the great Monteverdi. Cage picked up on many things that began in the work of Satie, yes, and Cowell. Cages 'Forty-Four Harmonies' is part of a substantial series of works that Cage wrote between 1974 and 1979 -- all works that make use of models taken from the musical traditions of the United States. Cage's intention was to push the notes so far apart that they would be free of any reminiscence of the place and historical situation of their origin. In this way they could escape the laws of tradition and yet retain the spirit of harmony. Frescobaldi's Canzoni are autonomous instrumental works. The genre grew out of vocal models: first the French chanson and then the Italian madrigal. Their richness of contrast, their juxtaposition of polyphonic and homophonic sections, of changes of tempo and beat, their principle of dialogue of upper and lower registers are all features of the canzone. The present recording lives from the relationship of tension between these two woridviews turned into sound: Frescobaldi's vivacita contrasts with the gravita of the Cagean Harmonies in a surprisingly affecting way, and at the same time demonstrates a connection between them that bridges centuries. -- Rolf W. Stoll.
CD $20

GEORGE IVANOVICH GURDJIEFF/THOMAS DE HARTMANN - Music For The Piano Vol 1: Asian Songs And Rhythms [2 CD set] (Wergo 6284; EEC) Pianists Linda Daniel-Spitz - Charles Ketcham - Laurence Rosenthal
A special kind of cooperation between two composers was practiced by Gurdjieff and de Hartmann in the 1920s. The result was a large oeuvre for piano which will be released on the WERGO label - many of the pieces are first recordings. The music of "Asian Songs and Rhythms" is an homage to the peoples of the Near East and Central Asia, and to Gurdjieff's own Armenian and Greek ancestry.
CD $40

GEORGE IVANOVICH GURDJIEFF/THOMAS DE HARTMANN - Music For The Piano Vol 2: Music Of The Sayyids And The Dervishes [2 CD set] (Wergo 6292; EEC) Pianists Linda Daniel-Spitz - Charles Ketcham - Laurence Rosenthal
The second album of the complete works for piano by the composers Georges Ivanovitch Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann is dedicated to the music of the Sayyids and the Dervishes. These compositions - reflecting the musical idiom of the Middle East - occupy a special place in the entire body of works by Gurdjieff and de Hartmann. The Dervish pieces are often characterized by powerful dance rhythms, full of spiritual fervor. The music of the Sayyids, on the other hand, presents more of a mystery.
The intention of the composers was clearly to evoke the spirit of the Sayyids and Dervishes, rather than to transcribe their music. As in all of the Gurdjieff/de Hartmann works, one finds here their unique blend of Eastern and Western musical idioms.
CD $40

GEORGE IVANOVICH GURDJIEFF/THOMAS DE HARTMANN - Music For The Piano Vol 3: Hymns Prayers And Rituals [3 CD set] (Wergo 6225; EEC) Pianists Charles Ketcham - Laurence Rosenthal The documentation on CD of the fascinating co-operation of the two composers Georges Ivanovitch Gurdjieff and Thomas de Hartmann, which took place mostly in the 1920s, continues as a wonderful 3-CD set. In considering the complete musical works of Gurdjieff/de Hartmann, we find in "Hymns, Prayers, and Rituals" undoubtedly the most profound reflection of Gurdjieff the Master. Although quite varied in form and somewhat in style, these pieces all share the unmistakable mark of the depth of his inner feeling and sensitivity. It is surely this quality which gives Volume III its unique tone.
CD $42

GEORGE IVANOVICH GURDJIEFF/THOMAS DE HARTMANN - Music For The Piano Vol 4: Hymns From A Great Temple and Other Works [2 CD set] (Wergo 6643; EEC) Pianists Charles Ketcham - Laurence Rosenthal
It is in the sacred hymns that one finds, remarkably, the most inward and, at the same time, the most nearly objective expression in all of this body of music. Pianist and conductor Charles Ketcham and his colleague, pianist and composer Laurence Rosenthal, are also among the team of editors for the Definitive Edition of Gurdjieff's and de Hartmann's music for the piano.
CD $40

HANS WERNER HENZE - Boulevard Solitude (Wergo 6663; Germany)
CD $20

HANS WERNER HENZE - Ein Landarzt, Das Ende Einer Welt (Wergo 6666; Germany) "At the beginning of the 1950s, Hans Werner Henze wrote two radio operas for the former North West German Radio. The genre was developed in the 1930s and comprises a form of opera without visual elements and hence without a stage. Under such circumstances, the plot has to reach the listener's ears by other means - by making the text exceptionally easy to follow, and by means of acoustic special effects like echo or sound collages. Featured works on this disc are the oppressive, surrealist Ein Landarzt (A Country Doctor) with texts by Franz Kafka and the scathing satire of Das Ende einer Welt (The End of a World), written by Wolfgang Hildesheimer. In this recording of Das Ende einer Welt, Henze himself plays the role of the narrator. In addition to a huge cast of singers and performers, the WDR Sinfonieorchester Koln is conducted by Marcus Stenz." Packaged with 92 page libretto.
CD $20

HANS WERNER HENZE - Orchestral Works Vol.2 (Wergo 6657; Germany)
CD $20

HANS WERNER HENZE - Orpheus Behind the Wire (Wergo 6680; Germany)
CD $20

HANS WERNER HENZE - Pollicino [2 CD set] (Wergo 6664; Germany)
CD $40

HANS WERNER HENZE//ARDITTI QUARTET - String Quartets 1-5 [2 CD set] (Wergo 60114; Germany)
CD $40

PAUL HINDEMITH - Die Harmonie der Welt [3 CD set] (Wergo 6652; Germany)
CD $42

PAUL HINDEMITH - Long Christmas Dinner (Wergo 6676; Germany)
CD $20

TOSHIO HOSOKAWA - Deep Silence (Wergo 6801; Germany) "'Music,' says Toshio Hosokawa, 'is the place where notes and silence meet.' This identifies his aesthetic concept as a genuinely Japanese one. It is found both in Japanese landscape painting and is the music, such as the courtly gagaku, in which audible sound always stands in relation to nonsound, i.e. to silence. In their rhythmic proportions Hosokawa's compositions are oriented around the breathing methods of Zen meditation, with their very slow breathing in and very slow breathing out: 'Each breath contains life and death, death and life.' Mayumi Miyata (sho -- the instrument of the universe or of tradition) and Stefan Hussong (accordion - the human or contemporary instrument) are among the most important interpreters of Hosokawa's music which here is framed by four traditional gagaku pieces."
CD $20

GEORGE KATZER - George Katzer (Wergo 6274; Germany) Another former East European composer with ReR connections. Includes works for chamber orchestra, piano & small ensemble, an electroacoustic piece made of bass clarinet sounds produced by Wolfgang Fuchs, a string quartet performed by Arditti, and a confusing choral work.
CD $20

GYORGI LIGETI - Cello Concerto. Lontano. Double Concerto (flute & oboe) (Wergo 60163; Germany)
CD $20

GYORGI LIGETI - Chamber Concerto for 13 instruments. Ramifications. Lux Aeterna. Atmospheres (Wergo 60162; Germany)
CD $20

GYORGI LIGETI - Continuum. 10 Pcs for Winds.Artikulation.Glissandi.Volumina (Wergo 60161; Germany)
CD $20

GYORGI LIGETI - Le Grand Macabre (Complete Opera) [2 CD set] (Wergo 6170/71; Germany)
CD $40

GYORGI LIGETI - Requiem. Aventures/Nouvelles Aventures (Wergo 60045; Germany)
CD $20

GYORGI LIGETI - Trio for Violin, Horn & Piano. Passacaglia Ungherese. Continuum (Wergo 60100; Germany)
CD $20

ALVIN LUCIER - Nothing Is Real (Wergo 6660; Germany) "The focus of the pieces by composer Alvin Lucier on this new Wergo CD is the phenomena of resonance -- sympathetic vibration -- in many variations. 'Time and again, I find myself having to pare away any musical gestures in a work in order to uncover the true idea in a piece,' says Lucier. The composer knows which ideas he wants to liberate. But the process of causing the environment to resound is always a collaborative, interactive project. It needs someone who is creatively engaged, even obsessed, to make Lucier's music of ideas a music of the ears. Percussionist Matthias Kaul is just such a person, and this new disc, Nothing Is Real..., will open up many ears to Lucier's compositional brilliance."
CD $20

MESIAS MAIGUASHCA - Reading Castaneda (Wergo 2053; Germany) Latest releases in a new Wergo-sponsored electronic/computer music series: Edition ZKM. Maiguashca's CD is a beautiful document of subtly altered sound transformations, based around recordings of metal objects performed in a sound installation environment. [And by the way, there are no spoken texts in this work, if you are a bit scared off by the title]. An excellent work within the realm of contemporary electro-acoustic production. "A journey through a sound land-scape: a dream world of bizarre sounds. The ear can take a walk through it just as the feet find their way through a rugged mountain region. Everything is highly distinct and yet stamped with the same character. The musical component of the 'terribly beautiful' sounds that the composer especially likes is noise in its most multifaceted sense. They are changeable sounds with a depth of perspective in which the microscopically fine inner life of the sounding object becomes loud and clearly audible. In principle, Mesias Maiguashca does not differentiate musically between traditional instruments, metal objects that can be played on and electronic devices. The sounds of bowed or struck metal objects (metal plates, coils, pipes, etc.) are the focus of his interest: variations of these sounds are produced, on the one hand by cello, flute and the whispering voice and on the other hand, by a software that synthesizes timbre according to models of metal sounds."
CD $20

LIANG MINGYUE - Yangguan San Die (Wergo 1706; Germany) The chordophone instrument qin occupies a principal position in classical Chinese music. Not only does it express the essential views and the cultivation of Chinese music, but it is also firmly rooted in the traditional philosophical worldview of ancient China. The booklet is extensive and richly illustrated
CD $20

MEREDITH MONK - Songs From The Hill/Tablet (Wergo 1022; Germany) Recordings from '76/77, originally released in 1979. "Songs..." is a suite of solo voice pieces, showcasing her various extended techniques. Some excellent experimental vocals, some a bit too whimsical perhaps. "Tablet" is a 23 minute ensemble work for 4 female voices, piano & soprano recorder.
CD $20

MEREDITH MONK With COLIN WALCOTT - Our Lady Of Late: The Vanguard Tapes (Wergo 1058; Germany) Colin Walcott produced this [unreleased until 1987] version of Our Lady Of Late in 1973 at the Vanguard studios, a year before the other recording of it was released on Minona label LP "Fantastic and largely forgotten work of hypnotic music for voice and glass, recorded in 1973. "'Our Lady Of Late' begins with Collin Walcott playing a rhythmic, tapping introduction to the commonplace object -- a goblet of water -- that will provide the backbone of the work. The suite then opens with one of the most transfixing sections. Monk coaxes a ringing vibration from the water glass by rubbing a finger along its rim, as she will do throughout the piece. Then she matches the tone with her voice, joining its timbre and texture to that of the droning crystal. The contrast and kinship of the two sounds -- one living and organic, the other fixed and implacable -- are equally striking. They become more vivid as Monk tests here own harmonic flexibility against the goblets unchanging ring, playing a subtle game of semitones and overtones... She swoops and soars, skyrockets and nosedives, passes from guttural stops and strangled screeches to lyrical glissandos and the keening ululations of a lullaby... it's hard to encounter the purity and single-mindedness of this piece without thinking of the vibrant 'minimalist' style of composition...[it] recalls the drone of Indian music and the overtonal experiments of composers as different as La Monte Young and Alvin Lucier." --David Sterrit.
CD $20

MUSIC! [V.A.] - 100 Recordings/100 Years Of the Berlin Phonogramm-Archiv [4 CD box set + Book] (Wergo 1701; Germany) Over 5 hours of music from the Berlin Phonogram Archiv of the Berlin Museum, recorded over the 100 year period of 1900 to 2000! Packaged with a sprawling 284 page CD sized booklet of detailed notes and historical information/photos (in English). The first CD features wax cylinder recordings (actually dating back to 1893 thru 1954); the second CD features monophonic tape recordings (1951 thru 1974); 3rd CD features stereophonic field tape recordings (1967 thru 2000); the fourth CD features stereophonic concert tape recordings (1973 thru 2000).
Recordings are from all 5 continents (Europe, Asia, Africa, Americas and Oceania) are featured throughout. Javanese Gamelan from 1923,Uzbekian fiddle dance from 1905, Japanese folk from 1911, vessel flute music from the Congo in 1906, a Sorbian spinning room song from Germany in 1907, a Jew's Harp piece from New Guinea in 1958, a boat song from Uganda in 1970 -- just a few small examples of the 100 tracks found on this impressive compilation. Over a hundred years ago, the Berlin Phonogram Archiv was established in order to attempt to 'draw a musical map of the world'. With over a 150,000 recordings in the archive's collection, this sampling is a most interesting worldwide overview of mankind's possibilities for musical expression.
CD $48

CONLON NANCARROW - Studies and Solos for Piano (Wergo 6670; Germany) Composer: Conlon Nancarrow; Interpreter: Helena Bugallo - Amy Williams. "It turned to be a magical event to listen to these sometimes romantic or jazzy, abrupt or wild, but always deeply original pieces full of wit and surprises. [...] The two ladies understood it perfectly, to bring the mechanical element to light but with incredible charm and a furioso technique." The Bugallo-Williams Piano Duo --Helena Bugallo and Amy Williams -- plays works by Conlon Nancarrow, one of the most unusual and yet most influential American composers in the history of twentieth century music. In addition to works originally written for piano two-hands there are transcriptions for piano four-hands of works written for two hands, as well as eleven 'Studies for Player Piano' transcribed for piano four-hands on this wonderful CD.
CD $20

CONLON NANCARROW - Studies for Player Piano Vol. 1-5 [5 CD set] (Wergo 6907; Germany) This set brings together the complete five volumes of Nancarrow's prize-winning player piano recordings in one deluxe, slipcase package. With their dazzling acrobatic complexities, well beyond the technique of any human, Nancarrow's works are both amazingly beautiful and strangely unsettling. Wergo's recordings were made in 1988 at Conlon Nancarrow's Mexico City studio, using the composer's own custom-altered Ampico reproducing piano. The 140-page booklet includes numerous unpublished photographs, an essay by producer Charles Amirkhanian and a probing musical analysis by James Tenney." This set replaced the now deleted individuals sets that were previously issued by Wergo (60165, 60166, 6168). Priced as 5 CDs for the cost of 3 (in Wergo terms), so a bit more attractive than the original versions in that sense
CD $65

LUIGI NONO - Composizione per Orchestra No. 1 - Der rote Mantel (Wergo 6667; Germany) Luigi Nono called his "Composizione per Orchestra" a kind of 'dodecaphony with nine notes'. The music plunges the listener into a whirl of intensity so panicked that the entry of the percussion finale is like the cutting of the Gordian knot: release and judgment in one. Nono's ballet 'Der rote Mantel' on Garcia Lorca's Erotic Hallelujah is a bizarre kind of chamber play that seeks intensifications of Garcia Lorca's intangible, poetic images. In addition, at the same time it pays homage to Garcia Lorca, who was murdered by the Falangists. A parable of irreconcilability.
CD $20

LUIGI NONO - Polifonica-Monodia-Ritmica (Wergo 6631; Germany) The term 'song' -- whether written as canto, canionces or Lied -- can be found throughout the entire compositional output of Italian Luigi Nono. Particularly clear on this CD is the seam between Nono's early and late sound world, and how closely related they are to on another. This is music from the beginning of a reality beyond our own." Includes: 'Polifonica-Monodia-Ritmica' (1951; for six instruments and drum kit); 'Canti Per 13' (1955), 'Canciones a Guiomar' (1962/3, for soprano solo, female chorus and instrument). Recorded by Ensemble UnitedBerlin
CD $20

MARTIN OLBRISCH - FM 099.5 (Wergo 2054; Germany) Selections from a Radiophonic Installation piece, originally broadcast for 48 hours in Donaueschingen in 1993, a streaming sampling of electronically processed sound & richly developed. "From the very beginning, it was a network of references between music, commentary and Horspiel, of sound, noise and voices. Because its material is gleaned from diverse acoustic situations, paradoxes arise. A string harmonic can be louder than an orchestral tutti, the sharp breathy sound of a flute can blow away an entire woodwind ensemble. Music can suddenly change into a concrete description of a situation or vice versa. All of these moments join to create a virtual sound space which only apparently reproduces the picture of a real event in its totality."
CD $20

HARRY PARTCH - The Wayward (Wergo 6638; Germany) Recorded by Newband/Dean Drummond, Dec. 1999. "'The Wayward' is a collection of musical compositions based on the spoken written words of hobos and other characters -- the result of my wanderings in the Western part of the United States 1935-1941." --Harry Partch. Performed by Newband on original Harry Partch instruments: Dean Drummond (conductor, surrogate kithara, kithara II), Stephen Kalm (baritone), Robert Osborne (bass-baritone), Nelson Padgett (chromelodeon I), Michael Lipsey (kithara II, cloud chamber bowls), Tom Kolor (surrogate kithara), Nina Kellman (harmonic canons), Dominic Donato (diamond marimba, spoils of war), Frank Cassara (bass marimba, bamboo marimba), Bill Ruyle (bamboo marimba), Gregory Hesselink (cello).
CD $20

KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI - Seven Gates of Jerusalem- Symphony No. 7 (Wergo 6647; Germany) For five soloists, speakers, three mixed choirs and orchestra. Performed by the National Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir Warsaw. "Krzysztof Penderecki first passed through the seven gates of Jerusalem in 1974 during an unofficial visit to Israel, which at the time was off limits owing to military conflicts with the Arabs. The Holy Land impressed the composer deeply, especially because he felt he was retracing Christ's steps. In 1995, Penderecki received a commission to compose a work for the celebration of the third millenium of Jerusalem. Penderecki, who had already composed five symphonies and planned out his sixth in concept, decided in favor of a new vocal work and chose for its theme and title Seven Gates of Jerusalem. It was premiered on January 9, 1997 in Jerusalem, and subtitled Symphony No. 7. The number seven has long fascinated Penderecki. For The Seven Gates he wrote seven movements. The main theme of each of the respective movements II and IV has seven different notes that serve as the motif for their passacaglia-like structures. Again and again, one finds in the score distinctly emphasized groups of seven notes, repeated on a single pitch. Finally, there are the seven powerful fortissimo chords that end the seventh and final movement. Wergo's CD is accompanied by lavish and extensive liner notes, including an essay by Wolfram Schwinger, biographies of the performers, and a full libretto. This world premiere recording was made during a live concert that took place in Vienna on November 16, 1999."
CD $20

KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI - Viola & Orchestra (Wergo 60172; Germany)
CD $20

KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI/SILESIAN STRING QUARTET - Chamber Music (Wergo 6258; Germany)
CD $20

STEVE REICH/LIEPZIG ENSEMBLE AVANT GARDE - Phase Patterns (Wergo 6630; Germany) "Contemporary recordings (1997-98) of these seminal live-instrument-hocket works, recorded by the Leipzig Ensemble Avant Garde (Michael Obst, Stefan Sopora, Klaus Steffes-Hollander, Josef Christof) under the direction of noted 20c repertoire pianist Stefen Schleiermacher. Any new recording of classic Reich is reason alone for rejoice; here we've not only gotten full-bandwidth recordings (and bang-up performances) of the under recorded (at least in the last 20 years or so) 'Piano Phase' (1966, for two pianos), 'Phase Patterns' (1970, for four electric organs)and 'Four Organs' (1970, for four electric organs and maracas) (with an average time of 17 minutes each), but THREE separate takes of 'Pendulum Music' (1968, for microphones, amplifiers, loudspeakers and performers). Nifty new design for Wergo (w/fonts nicked out of the DR oeuvre) to boot. Completely necessary." -- Hrvatski.
CD $20

TERRY RILEY - In C (Wergo 6650; Germany) The new interpretation of Terry Riley's legendary minimalist piece 'In C' -- a coproduction of the European Music Project with the electronics duo Zignorii++ -- is neither a modern remix nor a reproduction of the first recording of the late 1960s. The European Music Project was formed in 1995. Its members work as soloists, teachers, or in leading positions in renowned symphony orchestras. The electronic arrangement and the production are the work of zignorii++, a collaboration by Joachim Glasstetter and Jurgen Grozinger, who create electronic realizations that fall between the concert hall, the sound installation and the club scene
CD $20

TERRY RILEY & STEFANO SCODANIBBIO - Diamond Fiddle Language (Wergo 6675; Germany) Composer: Pandit Pranh Nath - Terry Riley - Stefano Scodanibbio; Interpreter: Terry Riley - Stefano Scodanibbio; booklet writer: Sarah Cahill. Recorded over a period of a year and a half in three separate locations around the globe, this album highlights a pair of musicians at the height of their powers. Terry Riley and Stefano Scodanibbio have mastered their instruments to the point of tran-scending them, so that it would be simplistic to define their work together as duets for contrabass and keyboards. Each of them coaxes such a complex range of timbres, hues and textures from their instruments that it's hard to believe such a variety of sounds are created by only two interpreters. European avant-garde meets American minimalism; an 18th-century double bass teams up with a 21st-century synthesizer; jazz, Indian raga and extended techniques are inextricably linked. Riley and Scodanibbio each bring a wealth of diverse experiences from their very separate backgrounds.
CD $20

ERIK SATIE//JOHN CAGE - Socrate/Cheap Imitation (Wergo 6186; Germany) Satie's 1918 piece for piano and voice, and Cage's 1969 rearrangement of the same piece via the I Ching.
CD $20

GIACINTO SCELSI//STEFANO SCODANIBBIO/MIKE SVOBODA/MICHAEL KIEDAISCH - Suono Rotondo: Solo Works and Trio Improvisations (Wergo 6672; Germany) composer: Giacinto Scelsi interpreter: Michael Kiedaisch - Stefano Scodanibbio - Mike Svoboda; booklet writer: Frank Hilberg
Giacinto Scelsi would have celebrated his hundredth birthday in January 2005 - an occasion for an homage, which would bring us close to Scelsi by taking up his principles of self-effacing improvisation and dressing them up in individual clothing. A living homage in the sense that it tries to get close to Scelsi, but only to play freely in a very personal way. The three well-wishers are Michael Kiedaisch (percussion), Stefano Scodanibbio (double bass), and Michael Svoboda (trombone). Mike Svoboda remarks, "The improvisations should sound like composed music, with well-rounded form, a clear concept, and balance. We played an improvisation, and then we pursued a promising idea."
CD $20

KURT SCHWITTERS/DIE SCHWINDLINGE - What a Beauty/Die Ursonate (Wergo 6313; Germany) A year after deleting the original, historic Schwitters recordings of "Ursonate", Wergo release these new recordings (from 2004) by Die Schwindlinge (a women, Silke Egeler-Wittmannn, plus 2 guys who look like they just got back from the lipstick factory). Well, there's tragedy all around us and this CD is pure cabaret nonsense. I know that we could all extend our "sense of humor" and just "enjoy" the wackiness, but the only sentence that complements the conclusion of this CD is: "Please Kill Me." "The members of the ensemble Die Schwindlinge present the 'Ursonate,' 'An Anna Blume,' 'what a b what a b what a beauty,' 'Ribble Bobble Pimlico,' 'From dawn to dark' and further sound-poetical works by Dadaist composer Kurt Schwitters. These works exemplify Schwitters' motto, 'May my humorous laughter be a sign that we will have an entertaining time together.' Schwitters (1887-1948) was an exceptionally gifted reciter and lecturer - although less as someone who forms language than as someone who deforms it. As an artist-clown, the bourgeois Schwitters was capable of giving free rein to his anarchistic and chaotic tendencies. As a performing artist he took the goals of the modern architect, 'light, air, and sun' and added another, laughter."
CD $20

KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN - Klavierstucke I-XI [2 CD set] (Wergo 60135; Germany) Pioneering piano studies, composed throughout the 1950s, recorded in 1985-86 by Herbert Henck. "Stockhausen experimented with different modes of attack and pedaling which modify the vibration of the strings and with silent depression of the keys which frees particular strings to resonate. In this way he achieved a 'filtering' of the sound spectrum that comes after the attack... the result was a rich palette of overtones and echo sounds which emphasized as never before the piano's characteristic resonance and its unique ability to suggest sound effects in perspective." - Herbert Henck.
CD $40

KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN - Kontakte (Wergo 6009; Germany) Kontakte is a Stockhausen classic from 1959, for electronics, percussion and piano (played here by David Tudor). One of his "moment form" compositions, which "...lead up to no climax, nor do they have prepared, and thus expected, climaxes, nor the usual introductory, intensifying, transitional, and cadential stages which are related to the curve of development in a whole work; they are rather immediately intense and -- permanently present -- endeavor to maintain the level of continued 'peaks' up to the end; forms in which at any moment one may expect a maximum or a minimum, and in which one is unable to predict with certainty the direction of the development from any given point... leading to timelessness."
CD $20

KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN - Mantra (Wergo 6267; Germany) A 1970 piece for 2 pianos, performed here by Andreas Grau and Gotz Schumacher in 1993. "The unified construction of 'Mantra' is a musical miniature of the unified macro-structure of the cosmos, just as it is a magnification into the acoustic time-field of the unified micro-structure of the harmonic vibrations in notes themselves." -- Stockhausen.
CD $20

KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN - Tierkreis, Zodiac (Wergo 6659; Germany) As part of the celebration of Stockhausen's 75th birthday, Wergo is proud to release an exceptional new recording of "Tierkreis" and "Zodiac", under the direction of Mike Svoboda. "Zodiac" is one of Stockhausen's most beautiful and accessible compositions. He created several different arrangements, allowing each interpreter to create his or her own version by using special formulas. With regard to the first of his two realizations on this recording, Svoboda says, "I approached the composition the way jazz musicians approach a standard: take inspiration from the melody and harmonic sequences and then express themselves spontaneously and very individually." In his second realization, Svoboda gave the musicians just a few structures and asked them to improvise freely on Stockhausen's melodies. These two versions of one of Stockhausen's most important works are a fitting tribute to this controversial master of contemporary composition.
CD $20

MORTON SUBOTNICK - Silver Apples Of the Moon/The Wild Bull (Wergo 2035; Germany) Infamous electronic classics from '67/68, performed on Buchla's Electric Music Boxes. "...we are transported to a sound garden under the regime of voltage control, amidst the chirping and warbling of sequencers, gates, and sample-and-hold circuits... it is not just the colors that are distinctive, it is the gestures: jittering lines, sweeping glissandi, sudden interruptions, and sound objects scattering like colliding particles."
CD $20

MORTON SUBOTNICK - Touch/Jacob's Room (Wergo 2014; Germany) Subotnick is one of the earliest pioneers of electronic music composition; "Touch" is a classic all-analog synthesizer piece from 1969. "Jacob's Room" is a more recent piece for soprano (Joan La Barbara) and cello.
CD $20

JAMES WOOD - Stoicheia (Wergo 6194; Germany) Long piece for percussion ensemble, from 1990 (Wood's most recent CD was on the Mode label). Many unusual resonant materials are used within the ensemble: slabs of brittle, metamorphosed rocks, cloud chamber bowls, Javanese log-drums, whistles from Java & Brazil, etc.
CD $20

IANNIS XENAKIS - Palimpsest/Epei/Dikhthas/Akanthos (Wergo 6178; EEC) Four pieces for various sized ensembles, from the late 70s by the Greek mathematician/complex-composer.
CD $20





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THE DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY RECOMMENDED NYC GIGS:




The DMG Free In-Store Weekly Music Series Continues With:


This Sunday October 1st-
ARNETT THE ARTIST/DANIEL CARTER/ON DAVIS/JULIANN CARNEY!
Synth/multi-horns/guitar/violin duo from another planet!

Next Sunday October 8th-
JAMES BEAUDREAU - Solo electric guitar DMG debut!


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THE STONE IS LOCATED AT THE NW CORNER OF AVE. C & 2ND ST.

September 2006 at the Stone is curated by Cyro Baptista and Billy Martin

9/29 Friday
8 and 10 pm - Irene Chigamba (mbira) & Erica Azim (mbira)
Irene Chigamba of Zimbabwe and Erica Azim join for an unusual concert of Zimbabwe's over 1000-year old mbira music, often played to call ancestors to earth to give advice.

9/30 Saturday
8 pm - Dave Eggar (cello) Daniel Mintseris (keyboards, electronics)
10 pm - Tremolo of Joy w/ Kato Hideki (bass) Marco Cappelli (electric guitar) Briggan Krauss (reeds) Dougie Bowne (drums, electronics)



The October Schedule 2006 at the Stone

Tusedays thru Sundays curated by AYAKA NISHINA and MIKE PATTON

Mondays curated by R. NEMO HILL presents ACTIVE INGREDIENTS
Five Evenings of radical poetry, performance and music at the Stone.


10/1 Sunday
8 PM - THEAIRBAND IS JENNIFER STOCK, LANGDON C. CRAWFORD, LAURA M. SINNOTT, WILLIAM DAVID FASTENOW
TheAirBand gets its name from the first instrument built for the band. The midi air guitar was designed to allow an air guitarist to actually control the music(s) he was playing. Over time controls became refined and simultaneously diversified. New gestures and sounds were added to create instruments such as; air drums, motion-synthesizer and shaky shaky. Eventually an ensemble took hold of these instruments, wrote music for them and formed TheAirBand:www.theairband.com
10 pm - SPANISH FORCE FEATURES: RUSSELL SILBER, SERGIO NAPALETANO and JUSTIN MARINO and special guests. During the performance, each musician of Spanish Force will switch between drums, guitars, electric bass, keyboards, synthesizers, mandolin, melodica, in no particular order.

10/2 Monday
8 pm - WHEN POETS ATTACK w/ Jane Omerod, Jee Leong Paco and Thomas Fucaloro (poets). Reading their own work and what just might be the world premier of the duet WHEN POETS ATTACK.

10/3 Tuesday
8 pm - SMOP() w/ Brendan Adamson, Derek Muro, Kyle Hillbrand (electronics)
NYC's electronic music trio smop() unleashes their arsenal of gadgetry, including vintage video gaming hardware both for control and synthesis of music; this performance will feature various game controllers, a live Nintendo Entertainment System and more.
10 pm - KATHLEEN SUPOVE (piano) - Kathleen SupovØ is one of America's most acclaimed and versatile contemporary music pianists, known for continually redefining what it means to be a pianist/keyboardist/performance artist in today's world. Her program will include selections from INNER CITIES by Alvin Curran and a concert theater work SUTRA SUTRA by Randall Woolf/Valeria Vasilevski. www.supove.com / myspace.com/supove

10/4 Wednesday
8 pm - JODY REDHAGE (cello/vocal). Cellist/composer/vocalist Jody Redhage presents works from her upcoming CD, "All Summer in a Day," a collection of commissions for her voice and cello. Works performed will include compositions by talented emerging composers Judd Greenstein, Paula Matthusen, and a world premiere by Anna Clyne. www.jodyredhage.com
10 pm - DAISY PRESS. Daisy Press (soprano) and special guests
A New York-based soprano, Daisy Press specializes in contemporary music. She will perform "Socrate" by Erik Satie and music of composers who were directly inspired by this piece.

10/5 Thursday
8 pm - SATORI w/ Eliot Gattegno (saxophone) Richie Barshay (percussion)
The program will include improvisations on the music of Berio and Scelsi. www.eliotgattegno.com
10 pm - VIEWS OF COMPLEXITY - Second Instrumental Unit-David Fulmer, Eliot Gattegno (directors) - www.secondinstrumentalunit.com

10/6 Friday
8 and 10 pm - JOHN ZORN'S IMPROV NIGHT-A STONE BENEFIT
John Zorn (sax) Ayaka Nishina (piano) and many special guests - Come support The Stone.
TWENTY DOLLARS

10/7 Saturday
8 and 10 pm - MATT BREWER QUARTET w/ Tony Malaby (saxophone) Frank LoCrasto (piano) Rodney Green (drums) Matt Brewer (bass)
www.mattbrewerbass.com

10/8 Sunday 8 pm - THE BLUEPRINT TRIO - Steve Lehman (saxophone) Matt Brewer (bass) Eric McPherson (drums) - www.stevelehman.com / www.ericmcpherson.com
10 pm - LOGAN RICHARDSON QUARTET - Logan Richardson (saxophone) Matt Brewer (bass) Eric McPherson (drums) Mike Pinto (vibraphone)


Performances take place at 8 & 10pm from Tuesday - Sunday nights
There are no advance tickets, first come, first served, there is no phone
There is no food or beverage served, just a serious listening environment
Admission for each set is $10, unless otherwise indicated
Check out the website for The Stone at thestonenyc.com


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HEUNG-HEUNG CHIN (illustrations) / IKUE MORI (video) / KYUNG JEON (paintings)

Both Heung-Heung Chin & Ikue Mori have designed cover art for hundreds of CDs on Tzadik

At The Proposition Gallery
Saturday Sep. 16
Opening - 6-8 pm
Closes Oct 28

559 West 22nd Street - between 10th and 11th Avenues
New York, NY 10011 - T: 212-242-0035


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Tonic is located at 107 Norfolk Street between Delancey and Rivington Streets in Manhattan's Lower East Side, around the corner from Delancey F train stop
Here's some recommended gig(s) for the upcoming week-

THE ERSTQUAKE 3 FESTIVAL Continues at Tonic, tonight September 28th - October 1st! Co-curated by Erstwhile, Quakebasket and Little Enjoyer.
See the schedule at the top of this newsletter

Mon Oct 2nd at 8 & 10pm:
HAINO KEIJI SOLO! Tonic is honored to present one of the great musical enigmas of our time, Japan's legendary poet of noise & space, Haino Keiji. His solo performances have showcased his shattering vocal, percussion, or guitar pieces. Tonight, the 8pm set will be classical guitar and vocal; the 10pm electric guitar and vocal.


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Dee Pop presents: Freestyle Jazz Jimmy's Restaurant
43 East 7th Street * NYC * 212-982-3006
Only on Sundays

Oct 1
7pm Eddie Gale, Dick Griffin, Dee Pop, Hilliard Greene
9pm Tony Malaby, Marcus Rojas, John Hollenbeck

Oct 8
8-11pm Tony Malaby, William Parker, Nasheet Waits

Oct 15
7pm Attention Screen
9pm Marc Mommas, Ben Monder, Tony Moreno

Oct 22
7pm Jason Hwang Edge Quartet
9pm Bern Nix Trio

Oct 29
7pm Radio I-Ching CD Release Party
9pm Dave Sewelson, David Hofstra & Steve Moses

$10 door * 1 drink minimum
Great and reasonably priced food & Large Selection of Beer on tap

www.freestylejazz.com
www.myspace.com/98022575
deepop@earthlink.net


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ROULETTE is now located at 20 Greene St (between Canal and Grand St)
8:30 PM Admission TICKETS/RSVP: 212.219.8242
contact: press@roulette.org
https://www.roulette.org/

ROULETTE IS THRILLED TO ANNOUNCE OUR MOVE INTO OUR NEW HOME: 20 GREENE STREET in SOHO. With this new space, Roulette will be expanding their activities, theater and other large productions such as the "Avant Jazz - Still Moving" festival and the annual "Festival of Mixology." For our expanded events calendar go to: https://www.roulette.org/

Please check out the new ROULETTE BLOG for excerpts of our artists' music, podcasts featuring interviews with the artists and Roulette TV clips, and musical discussion: https://www.roulette.org/blog/index.php


Friday, Sept. 29nd - SHELLEY HIRSCH & SIMON HO
Hirsch (voice) and Ho (keyboards) have composed an evocative & playful suite of pieces, filled with sonic pictures, kooky autobiographical tales & beautiful orchestrations. Their collaborative work will be performed by an extraordinary ensemble of musicians, who bring the written music to life ... and augment it with their unique talents as improvisers. With Stephanie Griffin (viola), David Hofstra (bass, tuba), David Simons (percussion, theremin) & Tomas Ulrich (cello.) *Name the group after you hear the music and win 2 CDS!!!*

Saturday, Sept. 30th - KENNY WOLLESEN - WOLLESONIC
WOLLESONIC is an acousto-electro multi-instrumental vibrational outfit of skilled musicians adept at spontaneity and sonics, featuring Kenny Wollesen (percussion), On Davis (guitar) and many special guests. Their performance tonight will be accompanied by multiple super 8 projections and rotorific projections.Wollesen is renowned as an artist of astonishing versatility, skill, and ingenuity. He has recorded and toured with all kinds of musicians, from Tom Waits (w/William S. Burroughs), to Sean Lennon, to Ron Sexsmith. A founding member of the New Klezmer Trio, Wollesen is all over NYC's downtown jazz and avant-garde scene, touring with Bill Frisell & Myra Melford, recording for Tzadik and improvising at major venues throughout the city.

Saturday, Oct. 1st - MIGUEL FRASCONI
Miguel Frasconi will present solo works using his unique collection of glass and "de-evolved" musical instruments. His glass instruments, which have been called "a beautiful menagerie of pealing contraptions" (Time Out NY), will be augmented this evening by a ten-string zither, toy piano, mbira, and other unusual acoustic and electronic sound making devices.

Coming Weeks: Mark Howell & Rick Brown, Gordon Beeferman & Jeff Arnal, Kenta Nagai, Ricardo Arias & Alessandro Bossetti, Nate Wooley, Evan Parker & Ned Rothenberg and Alain Kirili, Joe McPhee & Clifton Hyde! see https://www.roulette.org/events/ for more details


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Dave Douglas, Roy Campbell and Jon Nelson Present

FONT - THE 4TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF NEW TRUMPET MUSIC
September 15 - October 15, New York City
https://fontmusic.org/schedule.html


FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29 - Joe's Pub
The Rodriguez Brothers Group featuring Michael Rodriguez and Brian Lynch.
Located at The Public Theater at 425 Lafayette St., showtimes are 9:30 PM, TKTS are $15.00, for more info and to purchase TKTS click on www.joespub.com, or call Tele-charge at 212 239 6200

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 1
Yamaha Seminar Days - Free Masterclasses & $10 Concerts Every Sunday The Yamaha Artist Services Center is at 689 5th Ave, masterclasses are from 3:30-5 PM, concerts at 6 PM.
Masterclass: Atlantic Brass Quintet
Concert: The Contemporary Brass Quintet
Performers: The Atlantic Brass Quintet
Works by: Sam Headrick, Jan Bach, Bernard Rands, John Manning, Silvestre Revueltas


FONT Music Commissions - New Trumpet/New Music/New York at MAKOR
Made possible with generous assistance from the Greenwall Foundation
35 West 67th Street, between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue. Showtimes are 7:30 & 9:30 PM, TKTS are $15.
For more information about Makor, call 212 601 1000 or click on www.makor.org

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 3 - MAKOR
Peter Evans (7:30 PM)
Cuong Vu (9:30 PM)
The Peter Evans Quartet features Evans (trumpet/piccolo trumpet), Brandon Seabrook (electric guitar, amplified banjo, analog electronics), Tom Blancarte (double bass) and Kevin Shea (drums).

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4 - MAKOR
Du Yun with Micah Killion and The Practical Trumpet Society (7:30 PM), Mark Gould and the New York Trumpet Ensemble (9:30 PM)

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5 - MAKOR
Amir El Saffar (7:30 PM), ElSaffar (trumpet, santur, vocals) performs with: Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto saxophone), Carlo DeRosa (bass), Nasheet Waits (drums), Zaafer Tawil (percussion, oud, violin), Tareq Abboushi (buzuq, percussion), Hakan Ali Toker (qanun, accordion), Dmitri Mikelis (oud).
Jonathan Finlayson-Common Thread (9:30), Shane Endsley-trumpet, Tim Albright-trombone, Marcus Gilmore-drums, Matt Brewer-bass

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7 - TONIC
8pm - Thomas Heberer & SSH Group: Norbert Scholly (electric guitar, computer), Thomas Heberer (trumpet, e - piano), Frank Schulte (electronic keys, turntables, soundmanipulation)
9:30 - Flex Unger, trumpet, DJ and dance.
10:00 - Rob Henke and The Washington Street Players, playing the music from "Footnotes" - original music by Rob Henke
Tonic. 107 Norfolk St., between Delancey & Rivington, showtimes are 8 & 9:30 PM, TKTS are $12, for more information and TKTS call tel 212 358 7501 or click on www.tonicnyc.com

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8 - TONIC
7pm - FREE Panel discussion on trumpet and new music with Dave Douglas Nate Wooley, Ralph Alessi, Jonathan Finlayson
8pm - Ralph Alessi and School For Improvised Music (www.ralphalessi.com)
9:30 - David Weiss Point of Departure Quintet
Tonic. 107 Norfolk St., between Delancey & Rivington, showtimes are 8 & 9:30 PM, TKTS are $12, for more information and TKTS call tel 212 358 7501 or click on www.tonicnyc.com

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8
Yamaha Seminar Days - Free Masterclasses & $10 Concerts Every Sunday The Yamaha Artist Services Center is at 689 5th Ave, masterclasses are from 3:30-5 PM, concerts at 6 PM. Masterclass: Panel Discussion on Through Composed and Improvised Music for Large Ensembles - with David Sanford, Dave Douglas, Dave Ballou, and others TBA
Concert: The Music of David Sanford
Performers: The Pittsburgh Collective, Meridian Arts Ensemble
Works: Selections for Big Band written for the Pittsburgh Collective and Directed by David Sanford, Corpus for Brass Quintet and Drum Set.
This concert will announce the release of the Pittsburgh Collective's debut CD, and the CD release of Sanford's work entitled Corpus, recorded by the Meridian Arts Ensemble.


"New Trumpet Underground" at The Cornelia Street CafØ, OCTOBER 10-14 29 Cornelia Street, call 212 989 9319 or click on www.corneliastreetcafe.com

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10 - Cornelia Street
Amy Horvey - The Perspective of Disappearance-solo trumpet (8:30 PM), Bart Miltenberger (9:30 PM), Jordan McClean (10:30 PM)
29 Cornelia Street, call 212 989 9319 or click on www.corneliastreetcafe.com

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 11 - Cornelia Street
Jacob Varmus Quintet, www.jacobvarmus.com (8:30 PM), Jacob Varmus (trumpet, cornet), Nate Radley (guitar), Toru Dodo (piano), Yoshi Waki (bass), Brian Woodruff (drums), John McDonough & Brilliant Coroners (10 PM), www.libertylakedaycamp.com/BC/ Punk, funk, heavy metal, trip-hop, techno - not words typically used when describing Thelonious Monk's music. However, these are words used to describe Brilliant Coroners. More of a "Thelonious Monk cover band" than a jazz outfit, this NYC based sextet takes Monk's music and updates it for the 21st Century.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12 - Cornelia Street
8:30 PM Madness from LA! Jeff Kaiser (quarter-tone trumpet, processing)/Tom McNalley (electric guitar)
10:00 PM Gordon Allen & Nate Wooley Quartet with Ruben Radding and Andrew Greenwald.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13 - Cornelia Street
John McNeil & Ron Horton, with special guest Dave Douglas (9 & 10:30 PM) with Reut Regev, Adam Dotson & Gerald Cleaver.
Two contemporary jazz masters come together for the first time to create an exciting new brass project!
www.mcneiljazz.com, www.ronhorton.net

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14 - Cornelia Street
Butch Morris & Trumpet Nation (9 PM)
with Steven Bernstein, Taylor Ho Bynum, Ted Daniel, Dave Douglas, Sarah Ferholt, Jonathan Finlayson, Graham Haynes, Thomas Heberer, Nabate Isles, Ingrid Jensen, Kirk Knuffke, Reut Regev, Jesse Selengut, Matt Shulman
Ted Daniel International Brass and Membrane Corp. (10:30 PM)
Joe Daley - Tuba, Charles Burham - Violin, Warren Benbow - Percussion, Ted Daniel - Trpt, Flugelhorn, Cornet and assorted brass

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15 - St. Mark's Church In The Bowery
Benefit Concert for The Fund For Public Schools
2:00-5:00 PM, reception following in The Parish House.
Suggested Donation. 131 East 10th Street (at 2nd Ave.) Tel 212 674 6377
Featuring 2006 FONT Music artists and special guests including Henry Grimes, John Zorn, Andrew Cyrille, Dave Douglas, Steven Bernstein, Jonathan Finlayson, Peter Evans, Marcus Rojas, Zlatne Uste Balkan Brass Band, The Practical Trumpet Society, and many others.
All proceeds will be donated to the Fund for Public Schools and directly benefit music programs in New York City schools.


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AVANT-GARDE AND EXPERIMENTAL MUSIC SERIES
THURSDAYS AT SPOKEN WORDS
226 4TH AVE (AT UNION ST.), PARK SLOPE, BROOKLYN
SUBWAYS: R, M TO UNION - $5 PER SET


OCTOBER 5TH 2006
8:30PM - BONNIE KANE
9:30PM - DANIEL CARTER - REEDS, BRASS + DEMIAN RICHARDSON - TRUMPET + FEDERICO UGHI - DRUMS

OCTOBER 12TH 2006
8:30PM - DISSONANZEN (FROM NAPLES, ITALY): CIRO LONGOBARDI - PIANO; TOMMASO ROSSI - FLUTES; MARCO CAPPELLI - GUITARS; ENZO SALOMONE - SPEAKER
9:30PM - RAS MOSHE, RASHIED BAKR, DAVE ROSS, SHAYNA DULBERGER

OCTOBER 19TH 2006
8:30PM - MARIANNE GIOSA
9:30PM - STEVE SWELL


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C.O.M.A. ----citizen's ontological music agenda
The no frills improvised music series continues @ ABC No-Rio -156 Rivington St, NYC
near the Essex/Delancey J & F train station

this Sunday October 1st, 2006 8:00PM
Drummer Paul Hession from Leeds England https://www.softdrum.com/
with...Blaise Siwula, Adam Lane, Chris Welcome, Michael Evans and ........


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The Vision Club Series presents the Fall 2006 series
Clemente Soto Velez SEA Theater - 107 Suffolk Street, 2nd Floor
$20 per set / $10 students and seniors

Friday October 6th, 7:30 & 9:00 PM Peter Brotzmann / Han Bennink Duo
On Friday, October 6 we will present a powerhouse duo: saxophonist Peter Brotzmann and drummer Han Bennink. The two free music masters have a long history, first in Brotzmann's large projects, notably the 1968 "Machine Gun." A trio with Belgian pianist Fred Van Hove grew out of these collaborations. But in 1976 the two free music masters began work as a duo releasing a series of recordings, concluding with 1980's "Atsugi Concert." They weren't heard from again "on wax" until Brotzmann booked a series of performances in early 2004 with the explicit intention of capturing the performances for later release. The result, "Still Popular After All Those Years" was issued on vinyl on Brotzmann's own resurrected BRO label later that same year.

Saturday October 7th, 7:30 & 9:00 PM
Marshall Allen / William Parker / Cooper Moore / Roy Campbell
On Saturday, October 7 we present the premier performance of the unique collective, featuring an irresistible combination of avantJazz masters: Marshall Allen (alto sax & E.V.I. - Electronic Valve Instrument), William Parker (bass, donson ghoni and double reeds), and the multi-instrumentalist Cooper Moore (percussion). The second set will be the same group with the addition of special guest, premier trumpet player Roy Campbell. With such a surprising collective of versatile artists, we can only hope that this will be the first of many performances.

Saturday October 14th 14, 2006
7:30 PM
Cooper Moore Trio: Cooper-Moore - Handcrafted Instruments; Darius Jones - Alto Sax; Juma Santos - Percussion
9:00 PM
Matana Roberts Quartet: Matana Roberts - reeds; Matt Bauder - Tenor Saxophone; Tom Abbs- bass; Tomas Fujiwara - drums

Saturday October 21st 21, 2006
7:30 PM
Whit Dickey Quartet: Nate Wooley - trumpet; Daniel Levin - cello; Joe Morris - bass; Whit Dickey - drums

9:00 PM
William Hooker Quartet: Todd Nicholson - bass; Matt Lavelle - trumpet, Joe Rigby - tenor sax; William Hooker - drums


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