FROM WINTER to SUMMER in ONE WEEK ONCE AGAIN w/ NEW DISCS from

ELTON DEAN & THE WRONG OBJECT, JIM O'ROURKE, ELLIOTT SHARP, GUY KLUCEVSEK/ALAN BERN, THEO BLECKMANN & BEN MONDER, NUBLU ORCHESTRA w/ BUTCH MORRIS, MATS GUSTAFSSON & YOSHIMI P-WE, MYRA MELFORD & TANYA KALMANOVITCH, DAVID WATSON,

TERRY RILEY, EARL BROWNE, CONLON NANCARROW, HANS WERNER HENZE, 2 from PAULINE OLIVEROS, MELT BANANA, COLD BLEAK HEAT, ZENO DE ROSSI' SHTIK, LUCIO CAPECE/AXEL DORNER/ROBIN HAYWARD, SMEGMA, VIBRACATHEDRAL ORCHESTRA, MERZBOW + CARLOS GIFFONI

PLUS ARCHIVAL DISCS from PAUL SCHUTZE, DEREK BAILEY, ARCHIE SHEPP, DON CHERRY, MIKE TAYLOR, HARUMI, BUZZY LINHART, FLOWER TRAVELLIN' BAND & A BUNCH OF JAPANESE RARITIES + VINYL-ONLY COPIES OF CARLA BLEY & MICHAEL MANTLER'S WATT CATALOGUE!


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ELTON DEAN & THE WRONG OBJECT - The Unbelievable Truth: Live In Paris October 2005 (Moonjune 009; USA) Featuring Elton Dean on saxello & alto sax, Fred Delplancq on tenor sax, Jean-Paul Estievenart on trumpet, Michel Delville on guitar, Damien Polard on bass and Laurent Delchambre on drums. This is perhaps the last live offering featuring the beloved Canterbury sax-god, Elton Dean, before his untimely passing in February of the is year, 2007. It was recorded live in Paris in October of 2005 and it features a fine Belgian prog/jazz/rock band called The Wrong Object. Although it is difficult to tell from listening to this gem, Elton played with this band for the first and last time. The band did rehearse without Elton and learned to play three of his songs and Elton had been sent charts by the band before the gig to learn. The results are truly inspired, the writing and playing exemplary throughout.
Elton's sly gem, "Seven for Lee", is a perfect opener, with some Elton's wonderful saxello taking one of those great distinctive, snake-charming solos that we love so dearly. One of the great things about this disc is that it is warm sounding and inventive at the same time, without being too "far out". J.P. Estievenart's trumpet solo is slow, yet majestic in tone, as is Mr. Delplanq's restrained, yet Trane-like tenor solo. "Millennium Jumble" begins with a fine Hugh Hopper-like fuzz-bass solo, sublime freer drums and subtle wah-wah guitar spice. Elton's poignant piece "Baker's Treat," shows a more eloquent side to Elton's playing and writing, something we didn't get to hear from him very often. Damien's powerful fuzz-bass is at the center of "The Unbelievable Truth", with both the tenor sax and guitar swirling cerebrally around one another in a mesmerizing fashion. Another unexpected surprise is guitarist, Michel Delville's rather Robert Wyatt-like voice at the beginning of "A Cannery Catstrophe", absolutely charming. This entire disc is engaging, spirited and most inventive through its nearly 80 duration. This is a most fitting way to recall the late, great Elton Dean, as both he and the rest of the band bring their own special magic to the proceedings. Bravo, old friend! - BLG
CD $15


ELLIOTT SHARP/TECTONICS - Solo Beijing (KwanYin 21; China) "With his 1986 project 'Virtual Stance', E# pioneered use of the computer in improvisation and loop-based music mixing guitars and horns with samples, drum machines, and synths. By 1992, he was one of the first to use a laptop to produce real-time electroacoustic music in his Tectonics performances and recordings which married his wide-ranging invented vocabulary of extended techniques and sounds with the rhythmic innovations of jungle and electronic dance music. Tectonics continues to be the name for this project and he has performed it throughout Japan, Europe, the Brazilian Amazon rainforest, and now Beijing, China. Recorded live during a concert at the Yugong Yishan club in February 2006 and with a duration of 60 minutes, "Solo Beijing" stresses the sounds produced by interfacing E#'s self-designed 8-string guitarbass with his laptop using custom software but also visits his cliche-free grooves and beats. It ranges from sparse and delicate to raging. With notes in English and Chinese. On the Kwanyin label from Beijing, run by Subjam, China's leading producer of underground rock, noise, and improv."
CD $15


JIM O'ROURKE - Corona: Tokyo Realization (Columbia 53573; Japan) Japanese only release of two studio performances of Toru Takemitsu's "Corona", performed by Jim O'Rourke. "Corona for pianist(s)" (1962), played by O'Rourke on piano, Hammond organ & Fender Rhodes. Recorded in Tokyo, 2006. "To be performed, Takemitsu's score must be 'realized,' either ahead of time or improvisationally; what O'Rourke plays here is his own 'Tokyo realization' of the piece; there is also a well known 'London version' recorded by Roger Woodward in 1973, reissued on CD in 2006 by Explore Records." -Seth Tisue. Booklet includes a 34 x 48 cm foldout print of a 1969 painting by Fumio Nambata. An eloquent recording, one of the most crystalline of O'Rourke's serious works; with packaging to match.
"Wow! Jim O'Rourke returns from a brief recording silence since recently moving to Japan, where he's done some production work with Kahimi Karie and a few others, with an absolutely stunning CD of two recordings of Toru Takemitsu's 1962 composition "Corona" for pianist(s). The only other recording of this piece that I've heard is from a 1973 Decca recording by Roger Woodward, which was also recently reissued on CD by Explore Records. In the notes to the Explore reissue, the score to this piece is described as consisting "of five differently colored circles containing instructions and symbols which may be fitted together or overlapped in any combination É each of the five circles concerns a different aspect or parameter of the music: articulation, vibration, expression, conversation."
In a move similar to Woodward's performance of the piece (dubbed the "London version") on piano, harpsichord, and organ, O'Rourke creates his two "realizations" (each around 25 minutes) of the piece with piano, Hammond organ and Fender Rhodes. The results are gorgeous - layers of soft Hammond drones lay the groundwork for tuneful, percussive prepared piano and the scrapes, buzzes and squeaks of Jim playing the piano's innards. As the first realization progresses, the drones begin to build and we hear some chords on the Rhodes before some very gnarly amplified piano clatter adds a nice bit of tension throughout. The second realization focuses more on layers of drones and dissonance after a prepared piano percussion section in the first six minutes of the piece. The performances on display here are well-balanced, with all elements coming together to create what may be O'Rourke's finest recording thusfar. Japan's obviously been doing great things for O'Rourke - let's hope to hear some more from him soon!" - Mikey IQ Jones.
CD $28


GUY KLUCEVSEK/ALAN BERN - Notefalls (Winter & Winter 131; Germany) The most attention-getting instrument on Dave Douglas's superb Charms of the Night Sky was Guy Klucevsek's accordion. In 2000, Klucevsek recorded Accordance featuring his partner Alan Bern, widely known through the Jewish group Brave Old World. In 2006, the two met again to play original compositions written for dance companies and found common ground in such genres as tone poems, songs with folk and jazz elements, and sound sculptures that play with reverb and special room reflections.
CD $15


THEO BLECKMAN & BEN MONDER - At Night [H-SACD] (Songlines 1561; Canada) [this is a Hybrid SACD (H-SACD) which means it is playable on ordinary CD players as well] Featuring Theo Bleckmann on voice and live electronics, Ben Monder on guitar and Satoshi Takeishi on drums, percussion & laptop. Vocalist extraordinare, Theo Bleckmann, has been working with the distinctive guitarist Ben Monder for nearly a decade, this being their 5th collaboration on disc. Most of the previous discs have featured a quartet with electric bass and drums, while here it is mainly a duo or a trio with Satoshi Takeishi added on a few tracks. While the duo or trio wrote most of the pieces, there are a couple of covers by Joni Mitchell and the Beatles. On the first piece, "Late, By Myself", Monder sounds as if he is playing layers of slightly mutated acoustic guitars in a harp-like fashion, drowning supremely in cosmic echoes with Theo's transcendent voice floating on the clouds above. What is most amazing about this duo/trio is the way Monder gets all sorts of orchestral colors out of the his layers of guitars, often the notes shimmer and wash over us like warm waves of the ocean. Joni Mitchell's "Sunny Sunday" gets a most sublime, delicate reading that is quite dream-like in the way it drifts breathlessly. There are a few trio tracks that feature eerie, manipulated vocals, strange, dark electric guitar sounds and hypnotic percussion. There are a few songs where Theo's vocals a rather angelic and quite lovely, like "Hymenium" or "Animal Planet". John Lennon's eastern-tinged acoustic song, "Norwegian Wood", is done as a guitar rave-up with no drums and with Theo's swell, slightly twisted vocals, turning this mellow tune inside-out. Often very strange, but still most effective. Both Theo and Ben are masters of creating vast colors and textures with their respective instruments and once again show their limitless creativity on every piece. - BLG
H-SACD $17


MATS GUSTAFSSON & YOSHIMI P-WE - Words On The Floor (Smalltown SJ 114; EEC) Gustafsson (THING, GUSH, DISKAHOLICS ANONYMOUS TRIO) a long time fan of Yoshimi's work (BOREDOMS, OOIOO), teamed up with her for a duo show at Malmo Konserthus in Sweden in April 2005. The show was recorded & here is the result. A mighty piece of music. A monumental zen like psychedelic drone piece for saxes & voice. The sound on the CD was created by slide saxophone (Mats being of the few in the world today to play this instrument), tenor sax, baritone sax, alto fluteophone & electronics, all by Mats, as well as Yoshimi's voice plus electronics. - Jenny852
CD $15


MYRA MELFORD & TANYA KALMANOVITCH - Heart Mountain (Perspicacity 03; USA) The duo of violist Tanya Kalmanovitch and pianist Myra Melford came together literally by accident. Both were performing separately at the 2003 Guelph Jazz Festival, but when circumstances prevented Kalmanovitchs quartet performance, festival artistic director Ajay Heble suggested a duet with Melford. Never having played together before, they decided to improvise freely, using a few simple frameworks discussed before they went on stage. An inspired concert resulted from this serendipitous encounter. In early 2005, the Canadian string player and American pianist recorded their debut CD Heart Mountain (Perspicacity). Melford and Kalmanovitch draw on their respective backgrounds to create improvised duets with an entirely original vocabulary. Their spontaneous compositions possess formal elegance infused with the urgency of improvisation. Each piece builds from an initial idea, reworked and extended with lyrical economy and intense focus. They perform complex melodic counterpoint in one piece, then explore timbre and texture in the next. They exchange roles effortlessly, moving seamlessly between leader and accompanist. Theirs is a carefully balanced music, with close attention to dynamics, inflection, and phrasing. It is a multi-faceted conversation between equals that depends on an intimate chemistry, intuitive responses, and conscious manipulation of form.
CD $14


NUBLU ORCHESTRA/LAWRENCE 'BUTCH' MORRIS, conductor - U123 (Nublu; USA) With this recording Nublu, in its fourth year as an alternative music venue here on New York City's Lower East Side presents its eponymous orchestra under the ubiquitous baton of renowned conductionist Lawrence d. "Butch" Morris. Known for his method of composing in real time through a system of signals of his invention that allows him to organize a vocabulary of sound and rhythm coaxed extemporaneously from an orchestra into coherent compositions as they are imparted (much like skywriting, where puffs of seemingly indiscriminate smoke become language under the amazed eye, or action painting), Mr.Morris herein directs a protean assembly culled from the personnel of various Nublu repertory bands such as Wax Poetic, Love Trio, Kudu and Brazilian Girls. What ensues is a genre-bending landscape of collaborative composition that at times brings to mind the free jazz collaborations of Ornette Coleman and Eric Dolphy, while at others that electronic music of Oliver Messien or Scriabin Seasoned with more than a hint of funk. Imagine all the serialists under one tent with George Russell. - John Farris, NYC
CD $12


DAVID WATSON With SHELLEY HIRSCH/MAKIGAMI KOICHI - Throats (Ecstatic Peace 89; USA) David Watson (bagpipe) w/ Shelley Hirsch (vocals), Makigami Koichi (vocals & jaw harp). "The writhing and resolving glissandos, so familiar to East Village ears by now, were still edgy enough to send a few Lincoln Center new-music wimps dashing for the exits. It's my feeling that the bagpipe is an inherently avant garde, push-the-envelope type of instrument anyway." --Kyle Gann; "From 1981-86, Watson was active in the New Zealand music and art scene, as a member of Primitive Arts Group, appearing in the first N.Z. International Arts Fest, and co-founded Braille Records to record the local improv music scene (which released 12 LPs in the '80s). He released three LPs on Braille, and did much to create an improv/noise-music scene where previously there was none."
CD $10


COLD BLEAK HEAT [PAUL FLAHERTY/CHRIS CORSANO/GREG KELLEY /MATT HEYNER] - Simitu (Family Vineyard 41; USA) "Simitu is the second album from Cold Bleak Heat, the dream-team, East Coast avant jazz line-up of alto/tenor saxophonist Paul Flaherty (Dream/Aktion Unit), drummer Chris Corsano (Vampire Belt, Six Organs of Admittance), trumpeter Greg Kelley (Nmperign, Heathen Shame), and acoustic bassist Matt Heyner (No Neck Blues Band, Test). While explosive as their 2005 debut, Simitu brings a melancholic, even sensitive feel to these improvisations. Yet, no need to worry about these four wipin' tears on their sleeves. CBH wages between the melodic centers/ghostly solos of Flaherty/Kelley and loose, downhill, free blow outs you'd expect, all while maintaining the grand swell of a hardcore jazz symphony. Features liner notes and drawings by Christina Carter (Charalambides)."
CD $14


OUR THEORY [ILHAN ERSAHIN/ERIK TRUFFAZ/THOR MADSEN/JACHEN RUECKER/MATT PENMAN - Our Theory (Nublu; USA) Erik Truffaz: trumpet; Ilhan Ersahin: saxophone and samples; Thor Madsen: guitar, keyboards, programming; Matt Penman: bass; Jachen Rueckert: drums. While out on tour, Turkish saxophonist Ilhan Ersahin ended up in a jam somewhere with French trumpet player and Blue Note recording artist, Erik Truffaz. The two clicked immediately and decided to go into the studio to record a few sessions together. What Resulted was a statement of sounds that resonates with a cinematic tone, an orchestral feel and soothing darkness.
CD $12


ZENO DE ROSSI SHTIK - Me'or Einayim (El Gallo Rojo 314-12; Italy) We usually don't think of Italians, when we think of those who work with the traditions found in Klezmer music. Zeno De Rossi, who is a fine drummer and bandleader, would be a most worthy exception to that rule. Zeno has long had a passion for Jewish and jazz music and this project, Shtik, is the culmination of his search, combining both musical streams. Zeno has chosen some 13 fine players to explore traditional Klez songs, as well as covers by Ornette Coleman, Cecil Taylor, Ennio Morricone and Cole Porter. Zeno has picked each piece for personal reasons that resonate within himself and hence, they all seem to work together to evoke some sort of spiritual, Jewish vibe. The opening piece, "Unused Theme" by Morricone is features some rather poignant bass clarinet by Achille Succi, while "Tradition" from 'Fiddler on the Roof' gets a version that balances between free/jazz and meditative tenor sax from Francesco Bigoni. Zeno covers three songs from 'Fiddler' and each is well done. Achille Succi again plays some superb bass clarinet on "Chavalah", which features some enchanting harmonies for the rest of the horns. What I find most interesting is that even Ornette's "I Heard It Over the Radio" gets a version that sounds rather klez-like with its middle-eastern melody and two harmolodic acoustic bassists holding it together. Another unlikely and obscure gem is Cecil Taylor's "Little Louise", which has a righteous, slightly bent Monk-like theme and another fine bass clarinet solo. "Sabbath Prayer", also from 'Fiddler' is done in a most lovely, melancholy way with some tasty pedal steel from Alessandro Stefana. That classic Jewish wedding song, "Hava Nagila" is also in an most exuberant jazz style, similar to the way Cannonball Adderley did 'Fiddler on the Roof', which was another inspiration for this disc. This piece was also covered by Umezu's own Klez band not too long ago, both versions are most spirited and which is odd since both are done right by non-Jews who truly dig this music. This disc is yet another example of some wonderful post/klez songs done with immense spirit and creativity. - BLG
CD $12


LUCIO CAPECE/AXEL DORNER/ROBIN HAYWARD - Kammerlarm (Azul Discografica 05; USA) Featuring Lucio Capece on soprano sax & bass clarinet, Axel Dorner on trumpet and Robin Hayward on tuba. Distinctive and diverse trumpeter, Axel Dorner, really does get around. He can be found on 30+ discs and has worked with the likes of Alex Von Schlippenbach ('Monk's Casino'), Vandermark's Territory Band and The Electrics and has collaborated with John Butcher, Tony Buck, Fred Lonberg-Holm and Keith Rowe. The other two fine musicians here are completely unfamiliar to me. Commencing with the first of three unnamed tracks, we are in the land of acoustic lower-case improv, so turn up the volume and sit back. This often sounds like a recording of quiet percussion sounds, like the rubbing of drum-heads or the rattle of radiators during the winter. I must admit that thanks to labels like Erstwhile, I am a sucker for this type of highly concentrated minimalist improvisations with extreme attention to detail and the slowly changing textures. All it takes is some patience and an undistracted listening environment. In a blindfold test, it would be difficult to tell what instruments are being played, not that it matters very much, since what we hear is just as engaging no matter what it is. There is a most organic vibe at work here as if we are listening to nature just do her thing, it sounds as if we are outside and listening closely to the environment. I must admit that I like this disc, there is just enough space/silence between the sounds so that it is easy to observe the textures of each sound often one at a time. The way the sounds slowly evolve often provides enough detail to think about and consider. - BLG
CD $14


PAUL HARTSAW QUARTET - Trinkets (MetastableSound 09; USA) Featuring Paul Hartsaw on saxes, Tobias Kaemmerer on trumpet, Matt Ulery on bass and Frank Rosaly on drums. Over the past couple of years, I've become friendly with Clifton Hyde, a fine guitarist, vocalist and mandolin player who was raised in Mississippi and moved to Chicago before ending up here. Clifton has played at DMG a few times in the past year and is always an inspired improviser and often brings some new folks along with him to play at our weekly in-store series. Last Sunday, April 22nd, Clifton had a great quartet with Paul Hartsaw on sax (from Chicago) and Jerome Bryerton on percussion.
Like the last time that Mr. Hartsaw played here with Clifton, Paul left us with a couple of his discs to sell. The only member of this quartet that I am previously familiar with is their drummer, Frank Rosaly, who has played with Rob Mazurek (in Mandarin Movie), Fred Lonberg-Holm & Keefe Jackson. This is much more straight ahead then the free/jazz outings that Paul played here last Sunday. The quartet swings hard and both Paul and trumpeter Tobias play inspired solos. I like the way "Legend Has ItÉ" is both free and focused simultaneously, with Paul's soprano and Tobias' trumpet spinning their lines around one another tightly as the bass and drums also spins tightly below, circles within circles. "Pllop" reminds me of Ornette'a original quartet, with Paul on tenor, it has that same playful, quirky sort-of structure that breaks down to duos in part, tenor and bass at one point. The quartet even cover Ornette's "The Blessing" and do a fine job with Tobias on muted trumpet, perhaps a bit more laid back than Ornette's version. "Rising" is a great uniquely structured piece that has a quick repeating, nervous bass-line that speeds up as the horns sail intensely on top. "Snupae" brings things to fine close with an odd, tight. spastic construction that is filled with lots of twists and turns. A fine disc that could have been more amazing if they went further into the outer regions more often. - BLG
CD $10

SOCIO-CYBERNETIC MUSIC MACHINE [SCMM: GUILLERMO GREGORIO /CAROL GENETTI/PAUL HARTSAW] - For Fall 2006: 26 Moments For 13 Instruments (-1) (MetastableSound 11; USA) This is a most ambitious project featuring a 12-piece ensemble from Chicago including Guillermo Gregorio on clarinets, Jason Stein on bass clarinet, Carol Genetti on voice and Jerome Bryerton on percussion. It was conducted and produced live by Paul Hartsaw in November of last year (2006). This piece is dedicated to the late Malachi Richter, who had just killed himself in protest to the war in Iraq and was a close friend to many of the Chicago musicians involved here and elsewhere. This disc consists of one nearly 46-minute piece, "Rift filamentÉmoments aimedÉunder the flat night wentÉquieting flightÉlastly." Rather than the usual cacophony of freer large ensemble offerings, this piece is more stripped down and spacious. It does sound as if someone is directing and keeping the beast subdued. Although I am only familiar with a few of these musicians I do hear a number of inspired players throughout: trombone (Nick Broste), electronics (Paul Giallorenzo), cello (Lilianna Wosko and trumpet (Jaimie Branch). The piece often deals with long drones and selective textures and it unfolds slowly, often in hushed fragments. Although not quite as sparse as Boston's BSC, I am impressed with the restraint and mysterious vibrations that take their time to evolve just right. - BLG
CD $10


TERRY RILEY - Les Yeux Fermes & Lifespan (Elision Fields 101; USA) "After changing the world in the late '60s with "In C" and "A Rainbow in Curved Air", legendary American composer and father of minimalism Terry Riley abandoned tape manipulation and written composition to concentrate on longform keyboard cycles and improvisations. In the early '70s, while in Europe, he was invited to create scores for two films. The first, in 1972, was Joel Santoni's Les Yeux Fermes, a feature-length art film that instantly became a cult classic by virtue of its never having screened in the USA. The second, Lifespan, directed by Alexander Whitelaw in 1974, featured Klaus Kinski. Both soundtracks were released in limited editions on LP and have long been out-of-print. This first-ever CD release of these two classic Terry Riley soundtracks - both on one disc - was remastered from the original tapes, the hypnotic songs sounding far superior to the below-average vinyl pressings."
CD $16


EARLE BROWN//NE(X)TWORKS With CHRISTIAN WOLFF/JOAN LaBARBARA - Tracer (mode 179; USA) Performed by the Ne(x)tworks Ensemble, conducted by Christian Wolff. The pieces include: "Folio & Four Systems" (1952-53); "Octet" (1952) for eight independent tracks of tape; "Music for Violin, Cello & Piano" (1962); "String Quartet" (1965); "New Piece" (1971-72) for spatially distributed ensemble, first recording; "For Neil" (1975) for violin solo. Written for Cornelius Dufallo, first recording; "Tracer" (1982) for ensemble and 4-channel tape, first recording and "Special Events" (1998-99) for cello and piano.
Earle Brown first encountered the work of Alexander Calder in 1948, whose mobile sculptures Brown saw as a visual embodiment of the variable (impermanent) aesthetic that he was striving to create. This Calder aesthetic stayed with Brown throughout his several stylistic shifts. Whether he was writing twelve-tone serial music (Music for Violin, Cello, and Piano), conceptual graphic scores (Folio and Four Systems), composed material/open form scores (String Quartet, New Piece and Tracer), or spontaneously composed music (Special Events), all of his music shares Calder's sense of integral but floating variations, which Brown described as, "the construction of units and their placement in a flexible situation that subjects the original relationships to constant and virtually unpredictable, but inherent, change (the movement of the units as well as the movement of the viewer)."
Brown belonged to a group of composers that today is referred to as the The New York School (the group active in New York in the 1950s that included Brown, John Cage, Morton Feldman, and Christian Wolff.)
The works recorded on this disc represent several of Brown's compositional styles. At least one piece was selected from every decade of his career, from the 1950s to the 1990s. The ensemble size varies from one player to fourteen.
Performers include Christian Wolff and vocalist Joan La Barbara, both of whom knew and worked with Brown for many years. Several works call for spatialized ensembles spread throughout the hall, perfect for the surround-sound medium. The classic tape piece Octet is presented in new high-resolution transfers from analogue tapes provided by The Earle Brown Foundation in its 4-channel mix by the composer.
The release of this recording marks Ne(x)tworks recorded debut. Ne(x)tworks is a collaborative ensemble of musicians creating and interpreting work that features a dynamic relationship between composition and improvisation. In performance and recordings, the group locates pathways into various types of notation systems and interfaces, striving for a meaningful dialogue with the past, present, and future of creative music.
CD $15
Also available on Surround Sound 5.1 DVD for $22


CONLON NANCARROW - Player Piano 3: Studies 13-32 Vol. 2 (MDG 1403; Germany) "Nancarrow fans have been waiting for the definitive Canonic Studies CDs for quite a while. The wait is officially over. Conlon Nancarrow's player piano studies are famous for their physically un-playable by human hands sounds and counterpoint. All 'written' on a piano roll. Jurgen Hocker was able to find the perfect piano for this project, a Bosendorfer with an Ampico Forsetzer."
CD $17


PAULINE OLIVEROS - Accordion & Voice (Important 140; USA) "Pauline Oliveros (b. 1930) is an accordionist and composer who currently resides in Kingston, New York. Her instrument is tuned in just intonation and she often includes it in her meditative improvisational music. Her music is not meditative in the sense that it is intended for listening to while meditating, rather each piece is a form of meditation, such as her aptly titled 'Sonic Meditations.' 'Accordion & Voice was the first of my recordings as a soloist. I was living in an A-frame house in a meadow just below Mount Tremper at Zen Mountain Center. I had a wonderful view of the graceful saddle mountain-top. When away on a performance trip I would imagine the mountain as I played 'Rattlesnake Mountain.' I followed the feelings and sensations of my many experiences of the mountain -- the changing colors of the season, the breezes and winds blowing through the grasses and trees. 'Horse Sings From Cloud' taught me to listen to the depth of a tone and to have patience. Rather than initiating musical impulses of motion, melody and harmony I wanted to hear the subtlety of a tone taking space and time to develop. The tones linger and resonate in the body, mind, instrument and performance space. My thanks to Important Music for bringing these pieces to be heard again.' --Pauline Oliveros, 2007
CD $14

PAULINE OLIVEROS - The Wanderer (Important 141; USA) "The Wanderer is based on a single modal scale (B C# D D# E F# G#) and rhythmic modes based on a meter consisting of 3/4 and 3/8. Part I, 'Song,' is intended to explore the unique resonant qualities of accordion reeds through long sounds. Subtle variations come about from differences in tuning and air pressure. Part II, 'Dance,' demonstrates the sharp accenting power of the accordion bellows in a mixture of cross rhythms characteristic of jigs, reels, batucadas, Bulgars, Klezmer forms, Cajun dances, and music of other diverse cultures. The Wanderer was composed in November, 1982 especially for the Springfield Accordion Orchestra, directed by Sam Falcetti. This recording documents The Wanderer's world premiere, as it was performed 27 January, 1983 at Marymount Manhattan Theatre. The orchestra consists of twenty accordions, two bass accordions, and five percussion, with Pauline Oliveros as soloist, Sam Falcetti conducting. 'Horse Sings From Cloud,' written in 1975, is one of Oliveros' best known works. Like most of her Sonic Meditations, it can be performed vocally and/or instrumentally, solo or in collaboration. A solo version of 'Horse Sings From Cloud' has been recorded on Accordion & Voice. An early version of the score reads, 'Sustain a tone or sound until any desire to change it disappears. When there is no longer any desire to change the tone or sound, then change it.' This time, 'Horse Sings From Cloud' is performed in ensemble. Joining Pauline Oliveros on bandoneion are Heloise Gold on harmonium, Julia Haines on accordion, and Linda Montano on concertina. This quartet version incorporates the microtonal differences in tuning of the selected instruments, creating shimmering reed sounds somewhat similar to the shimmering of a Balinese gamelan."
CD $14


HANS WERNER HENZE - El Cimarron (Stradivarius 33733; Italy) Rare complete recording of Henze's 1972 "recital for four musicians", (Nicholas Isherwood: bass, Magnus Andersson: guitar, Mario Caroli: flute and Rodolfo Rossi: percussion) "El Cimarr—n", which means "runaway slave." This dramatic piece features a baritone portraying the real-life drama of a Cuban ex-slave named Esteban Montejo. Bass Nicholas Isherwood is one of today's leading singers of both early and contemporary music. He has worked with Joel Cohen, William Christie, Paul McCreesh, and Nicholas McGegan. "The music strikes a fine balance between the austerity of the scenic 'actions' so popular in the '60s with the lusher traditions of full-scale opera - powerfully effective." - New York Times
CD $15


THROBBING GRISTLE - Part Two: the endless not (Mute 1393; USA) What more can be said about such a group whose influence has spread across imaginary musical boundaries? Although this is the regular edition of the disc, sans totemic gift, it still bares the magick that Throbbing Gristle as a group has gestated all these years to awaken for a brief reunion of beauty. The disc starts off with a semi-typical Gristle sound but then quickly takes a pleasantly unexpected turn. Surprising piano samples and cabaret-esque crooning alongside the familiar puberty trumpet sounds mingle well on the disc's second track "Rabbit Snare". The use of acoustic samples should not alarm true TG fans, since they have always been about the physicality of their music to create their musical alchemy. Although this is the most digital release TG has done to date, one would not know it once "Almost A Kiss" arrives, with the tears in Genesis's voice that gravitates into a strangulated scream s/he has honed through the years. The eerie ambience created echoes advancements, culminating from years of solo/ duo musical projects and computer-enhanced software, since TG's first cancelation of their mission, all the way to the beginning of this new one. The most varied Throbbing Gristle release to date. - Chuck Bettis, DMG
CD $16


MERZBOW + CARLOS GIFFONI - Synth Destruction (Important 131; USA) "Over 60 minutes of total analog destruction by noise king Merzbow and Brooklyn noise boss Carlos Giffoni, this live collaboration was recorded during Giffoni's Synth Destruction Japan tour in September of 2006. This is Sound Totalism and is as heavy as it comes: totally brutal, totally ugly, totally beautiful, totally intense, totally classic, totally analog, total synth and total destruction. Intense artwork by Jenny Akita. Author, activist, painter and sound artist Masami Akita had been at the foreground of experimental music for over 25 years. Inspired by psychedelic rock, free jazz, early electronic composition as well the physical arts, especially Kurt Schwitters' Merzbau, Masami Akita has created a musical language all his own. Carlos Giffoni, despite his young age, has been an in-demand Brooklyn collaborator for many years. He has worked with Jim O'Rourke, Thurston Moore, Nels Cline, Chris Corsano, Fe-Mail, and many others. In 2005 he released his first solo record titled Welcome Home on Important Records. This is Merzbow and Giffoni's first collaborative release."
CD $14

SMEGMA - 33 1/3 CD (Important 145; USA) " 33 1/3 is Smegma's tribute to their 20th century avant-garde and out-jazz influences. The title is one part reference to the happy revival of passionate vinyl listening in the 21st century and one part celebration of their long hard slog of 33 1/3 years of being one of the most free thinking and original American underground groups. Their focus, ideas and determination has brought them through more than three decades and to this day they remain unparalleled, original and highly influential. 33 1/3 is enhanced with live videos of 'Happy Holidays' live at End Times Festival (with Spencer Yeh and Twig Harper) as well as 'Grubsteak' live at the Three Million Tongues festival in Chicago. Smegma. Seriously. Their lineup here includes sometimes member 'Victor Sparks' [aka our pal Tom Recchion]. They've been at it for so long now that you can't really even say they sound like anyone else. You can only say that others sound like them. They're all here on 33 1/3: Oblivia, Ju Suk Reet Meate, Burned Mind, Conroy, Dr. Id. The core group drumming up their influences and pulling off another burning album of magnificent proportions. While Smegma has never really fit in anywhere their influence on the modern avant garde and improvised noise scene is absolutely undeniable. However, it's essential to remember that Smegma has never been noise for noise's sake. While they've had two feet firmly planted in avant-garde & free jazz, one must not forget their rock roots as well. For this reason alone they're bound to not fit in anywhere. Influences aside, no matter how much everyone else sounds like Smegma, you can bet that Smegma is always going to sound like nobody else. Nobody else channels so much energy, effort, influence or sound into their work. They may just be the greatest American band. Ever."
CD $14
Also available on ltd ed of 1,000 on red, black and mixed color vinyl which includes a bonus cut NOT FOUND on the cd
LP for $15


CURRENT 93 - Inmost Light [3 CD set] (Jnana 33; Canada) Durtro Jnana is proud to re-release of one of Current 93's most ambitious and enduring projects: the Inmost Light trilogy. Originally issued in 1995 as Hallucinatory Patripassianist Song, this set includes in their entirety the mini-albums Where The Long Shadows Fall, The Stars Are Marching Sadly Home, and the full-length All The Pretty Little Horses. The band at the time of these recordings included David Tibet, Steven Stapleton, Michael Cashmore and Joolie Wood with guests Nick Cave, Jhonn Balance (Coil), Andria Degens (Pantaleimon) and Shirley Collins contributing vocals. This series was inspired by visionary painter Louis Wain and author Thomas Ligotti (to whom a track is dedicated), nursery sing-songs and Christian heresies, most notably Patripassianism. In Current 93's hands, the traditional lullaby of the album title sparks an explosive torrent of bittersweet childhood memories and apocalyptic prophecies. The musical setting for Tibet's narrative is exquisite - kaleidoscopic compositions featuring 12-string guitar, piano, string arrangements, flutes, bells, massed drones, children's voices and ecstatic recitations. Together, the three movements make Inmost Light a powerful and extremely moving listening experience. The three discs have been newly remastered and are housed in a deluxe eight-panel digipack with a 24-page full-color booklet of photos of the group as children, a complete set of lyrics and liner notes
CD $45


MELT BANANA - Bambi's Dilemma (A-Zap 07; USA) "On their sixth full-length studio release Melt Banana exercise a hitherto undetected area of their musical musculature: the 'rock' region. Summing up an entire album, and one as diverse as Bambi's Dilemma, with such a pedestrian qualifier is risky business, agreed, but it seems to fit like never before. The band, of course, refuses to accommodate any such pigeonholing: 'Maybe it is rock, but maybe not. We just make whatever we want. We just follow our own instincts!' The truth is Melt-Banana make music as they please, relying solely on their own maverick talent to get them where they need to be.'"
CD $15


VIBRACATHEDRAL ORCHESTRA - Wisdom Thunderbolt (VHF 102; USA) "Wisdom Thunderbolt marks the triumphant return of Vibracathedral Orchestra after more than three years in the wilderness of intermittent performance, tangential projects, and unfindable limited editions. The seven tracks on Wisdom are the VCO's most rocking dispatch ever, neatly combining the Ra-like collage of tracks like Wisdom Thunderbolt with the insistent pulsing jams of 'A Natural Fact' and 'Order of the Broad Eraser.'"
CD $14


SUNBURNED - Z (Ecstatic Peace 58; USA) "Z is about infinity and the double dimension we all live in yet don't fully understand. Z is the sound of that feeling you get when you think you're being watched or followed by the omnipotent one. Z is for believers and followers of the 'Ecstatic Truth' that fuels this mysterious universe. Z has always existed and here is as remembered and transfered solid by the people under the sun, the Sunburned..." --John Moloney, Sunburned
CD $10


L-R & RADIOMENTALE - I Could Never Make That Music Again (Sub Rosa 249; Belgium) 'I Could Never Make That Music Again' is a choral album, a sound collage crafted out of interviews, where artists, musicians, DJs and sound-makers talk openly about their work, their visions, their hopes, their moments of doubt and their regrets in a loosely constructed narrative. Including contributions from a diverse roster of electronic musicians: Derrick May, Stacey Pullen, Fred Judd, Tom Dissevelt, Steve Reich, The Residents, DJ Shadow, Coldcut, Ryoji Ikeda, Richie Hawtin, Autechre, A Guy Called Gerald, Aphex Twin, Mad Mike, David Toop and Matthew Herbert. Even though most of the people interviewed here have just met on a few occasions, they have all participated in the making of the history of electronic music; from the early tape experiments in the 1950s to the latest trends in techno. Derrick May and Stacey Pullen reply to an audio letter recorded in 1966 at the Phillips Research Laboratory in Holland by Fred Judd talking to a certain Tom Dissevelt about the lack of commercial interest in electronic music. Steve Reich and The Residents swap anecdotes, DJ Shadow chats with Coldcut, Ryoji Ikeda to Richie Hawtin. Autechre reflect on the beauty of machines, A Guy Called Gerald ponders on the cosmic realms of sound, Aphex Twin remembers his dreams, and Mad Mike from Underground Resistance marvels at the forces of nature.
The musician and author David Toop reflects on the act of listening, and Matthew Herbert plays around with everyday sounds. The music that accompanies, underlines, perturbs and enriches this flow of words, mirrors the sonic environment that surrounds us. Everyday sounds, samples from hit records, disturbing frequencies and banging machines converse with this polyphonic chorus of voices and memories.
CD $15


BADGERLORE - We Are All Hopeful Farmers, We Are All Scared Rabbits (Table of Elements/Xeric 114; USA) "Badgerlore is the great tribal council of the so-called 'freak folk' movement. The supergroup features Rob Fisk (Deerhoof, 7-Year Rabbit Cycle) and Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance, Comets On Fire), with Tom Carter (Charalambides), Pete Swanson (Yellow Swans), Glen Donaldson (Blithe Sons, Jewelled Antler) and Liz Harris (Grouper). Together they proceed with masterful nuance and inexorable tension; We Are All Hopeful Farmers, We Are All Scared Rabbits is the sound of effigy mounds slowly rousing from prehistoric slumber."
CD $15


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LAST COPIES OF THESE O.O.P. CDs - HURRY!

PAUL DUNMALL/DANIEL CARTER/ROY CAMPBELL/PHILIP GIBBS/PAUL ROGERS/WILLIAM PARKER/HAMID DRAKE - Blown Away: Live At The Sage [2 CD set] (Duns 053; UK) Limited Edition CD-R. The first disc is a series of duos, trios and other smaller group improvisations, which are all well-selected and spirited. The second disc is a long, large group improv that is consistently inspired. Featuring Paul Dunmall on saxes, Daniel Carter on reeds & trumpet, Roy Campbell on trumpets, Philip Gibbs on guitar, Paul Rogers on contrabass, William Parker on contrabass & other stuff and Hamid Drake on drums and percussion. Although these are limited editions, we have convinced Paul Dunmall to make enough copies to keep his growing fan-base happy. Hence, we just got another 25 copies, 15 of which are spoken for.
2 CD Set $25

DEREK BAILEY With KAORU ABE/TOSHINORI KONDO/MOTOTERU TAKAGI/MOTOHARU YOSHIZAWA/TOSCHI TSUCHITORO - Duo & Trio Improvisation (Kitty/UCCU 9021; Japan) New issue of this 1978 Japanese session (supervised by Aquirax Aida), originally released by Kitty Records (and later reissued on CD by DIW -- now long unavailable). With 4 bonus tracks not found on the prev. issues. Mini-LP style Japanese packaging, 24 bit remastering. Derek Bailey went to Tokyo and recorded this session [as well as the quartet session Aida's Call] with all the Japanese free music heavy weights of the time: Toshinoro Kondo (tp, alto horn), Kaoru Abe (alto sax), Mototeru Takagi (tenor, alto saxes), Moto Yoshizawa (bass), Toshi Tsuchitoro (drums). All of these guys are much better known today in the West, due to expansive documentation on the PSF label.
CD $26

DON CHERRY With SONNY SHARROCK/ALBERT MANGELSDORFF/BERNT ROSENGREN/KARL BERGER/JOACHIM KUHN - Eternal Rhythm (MPS/ Universal UCCU 5184; Japan) 1968: Eternal Rhythm is a masterpiece on several levels. It was one of the earliest major examples of the idea that it was possible for any and all musical cultures to exist simultaneously, a philosophy that rejected any innate musical hierarchy and had no trouble placing the earthiest blues alongside the most delicate gamelan. It was also a summit meeting between representatives of the American and European jazz avant-garde, black and white, dismissing as meaningless both the cautious attitude of American jazz musicians toward Europeans edging onto their turf and the tentative stance of Europeans playing a music that was not "theirs." More importantly, Eternal Rhythm exists as an utterly spectacular, movingly beautiful musical performance, one of the rare occasions where the listener has a visceral sense of borders falling and vast expanses of territory being revealed for the first time. Cherry balanced compositional clarity, wild free improvisation, and a totally inclusive musical consciousness in a manner seldom achieved, resulting in a cohesive, spellbinding session. His own playing throughout on both trumpet and flute is at his highest levels, but the contributions of his fellow musicians are just as amazing. Special mention should be made of guitarist Sonny Sharrock, whose "glass shards" approach is in full bloom here, and vibraphonist/pianist Karl Berger, who throws himself with sublime abandon into both the gamelan and blues aspects of the piece. If only the pallid "world music" of the succeeding decades had followed this model! Eternal Rhythm is Don Cherry's masterwork and one of the single finest recordings from the jazz avant-garde of the '60s. It is required listening. ~ Brian Olewnick, AMG
CD $22

ARCHIE SHEPP - The Magic Of Ju-Ju (Impulse!/UCCU 5240; Japan) Recorded April 26, 1967. On this 1967 Impulse release, tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp unleashed his 18-minute tour de force "The Magic of Ju-Ju," combining free jazz tenor with steady frenetic African drumming. Shepp's emotional and fiery tenor takes off immediately, gradually morphing with the five percussionists -- Beaver Harris, Norman Connor, Ed Blackwell, Frank Charles, and Dennis Charles -- who perform on instruments including rhythm logs and talking drums. Shepp never loses the initial energy, moving forward like a man possessed as the drumming simultaneously builds into a fury. Upon the final three minutes, the trumpets of Martin Banks and Michael Zwerin make an abrupt brief appearance, apparently to ground the piece to a halt. This is one of Shepp's most chaotic yet rhythmically hypnotic pieces. The three remaining tracks, somewhat overshadowed by the title piece, are quick flourishes of free bop on "Shazam," "Sorry Bout That," and the slower, waltz-paced "You're What This Day Is All About." ~ Al Campbell, AMG
CD $20

PAUL SCHUTZE - Deus ex Machina (Extreme 001; Australia) Although Schutze had already made a name for himself in his native Australia as a member of the group Laughing Hands, and was a successful film composer, this exhibition soundtrack is his first solo release. And all things considered, it's a remarkably mature and sophisticated piece of work, which uses a variety of sampled sounds and voices within musical contexts as a means of exploring psychological expectations and mental space. What Schutze has done, in effect, is to create a film score for an imaginary film, and with his prior soundtrack experience, he's not at a loss for ideas. As Schutze indicates in his thoughtful notes, the musical backgrounds which he creates here are essentially static, and they serve as a foundation of natural and man-made sonic events (rain, dripping water, thunder, sirens, jet engines, squealing brakes, church bells), and mysterious narratives in either French or Italian, which are meant to stimulate the imagination without yielding any concrete meaning. (Schutze's assumption was that most Australians would have no working knowledge of these languages, and the same should hold true for the majority North American audience.) Of course, it's one thing for Schutze to say, modestly, that his musical backgrounds are "static," but they are also rich, dense, haunting and extremely intricate, ranging from riff-oriented funk to brooding orchestral strings. And unlike many other ambient composer & musicians who never get much beyond synthesizer drones, Schutze actually uses contrapuntal lines and multiple instrumental voices with considerable expertise. Instrumentation is not always obvious, but Schutze's main instrument is clearly the synthesizer, augmented by bass and percussion. The static sequences follow one another (in cinematic fashion), as if the director is moving from one scene to another, and if you punch the repeat button on your CD player, you can conjure up various images for the music and have a very entertaining movie playing in your head for hours. ~ William Tilland, AMG
CD $16




FOUR CLASSIC RESIDENTS REISSUES FINALLY BACK IN STOCK:

THE RESIDENTS - Meet The Residents (Euro Ralph 018; EEC) New reissue of the startling debut Residents album. "In 1974 the first official Residents Album was released. It was subtitled 'The First Album By North Lousiana's Phenomenal Pop Combo' and featured John Crawfish, Paul McCrawfish, George Crawfish and Ringo Starfish. In the first year after release Meet The Residents sold only around 40 copies. It is probably one of the first home recorded albums ever and it's use of tape loops may mark the start of the sampler area. It took until 1977 for the sales to finally pick up and in 2003 the track 'Rest Aria' was used as a musical basis for international TV advertising campaigns for both T-Mobile and Levis.
CD $15

THE RESIDENTS - Not Available (Euro Ralph 034; EEC) Finally, the long awaited Euroralph version of the 2nd Residents album, originally recorded in 1974. "In 1978, the 'official' word was that The Residents had stated Not Available could never be released. The group claimed that they had recorded their musical film noir masterpiece in secrecy as a way of exercising their 'theory of obscurity' to its fullest, and, in strict accordance with the theory, the work could never be released until its creators no longer recalled its existence. Well, from NOT available to NOW available was only a small step in early 2005. The vinyl version comes as a part of 'The Residents Classic Vinyl Series'." From AMG: "This is one of the strangest and most interesting recordings in rock history, which speaks volumes coming from one of the strangest and more interesting bands in rock history. Not Available used what was referred to as 'the theory of obscurity' (which called for the album to not be released until its makers literally forgot about its existence). A highly underrated and forgotten achievement in the Residents' body of work... this album achieves like no other. A surreal rock opera resulting in an incredibly weird circus of sound, it is one that simply must be heard to be believed." - Michael Breece.
CD $15

THE RESIDENTS - Duck Stab / Buster & Glen [2 x 3" CDs] (Euro Ralph 007/8; EEC) This audio-only twin 3" cd release in a spectacular gatefold digipak cover is the ultimate deluxe edition of 'Duck Stab / Buster & Glen'. Digitally re-mastered and nicely cleaned up. It was with this album that the Residents perfected, for one brief moment, the dark, mysterious twisted pop song that raised their profile in the experimental music scene and college radio world. The songs contained here (a combination of two EPs of earlier that year, Duck Stab and Buster and Glen) are short, the lyrics obscure but precise, the analog synth sounds masterful. Like Brian Eno, the Residents' lyrics were more about the sound of the words than the meaning, and what is here on 'Duck Stab' is in the tradition of such absurdists as Odgen Nash or Lewis Carroll.
2x 3" CD set for $16

THE RESIDENTS - Eskimo (Euro Ralph 016; EEC) Essential re-release of the classic avant-garde album from 1979. The most rewarding, the most difficult, and the most accomplished of all Residents' albums, this was their departure into the field of imaginary ethno-musicography. Ostensibly a musical documentary on the Eskimo, this is an album of icy atmospheres, poetic electronics, and imaginary landscapes. The idea for the album is supposed to have come from the band's former collaborator, the mysterious N. Senada, who had disappeared in the early 70s to search for music among the Eskimos (legend has it that he re-appeared during the making of the album with a tape of sound samples and a jar of arctic air to record). The Residents teamed up with drummer Chris Cutler and Don Preston (formerly a keyboard player for the Mothers of Invention), as well as their regular collaborator, Snakefinger. Inspired by such pieces of pop culture as the famous Santa Claus Coca-Cola ads, The Residents set about inventing an anthropological background for their Eskimos which didn't bear much resemblance to reality, but instead was based on pop perceptions of the northern peoples (nevertheless, the USSR release was classified as a 'cultural documentary'). Each track relates a story that was told in writing on the inside of the album's gatefold cover.
CD $15



MORE ARCHIVAL RECORDINGS, REISSUES and RESTOCKED DISCS:

MIKE TAYLOR - Pendulum (Sunbeam 5034; UK) Featuring Mike Taylor on piano, compositions or arrangements, Dave Tomlin on soprano sax, Ron Rubin on double bass and Jon Hiseman on drums. The enigmatic pianist Mike Taylor drowned at a mere age 30 in 1969, leaving behind him just two startlingly original albums. The first, 'Pendulum', stunned his contemporaries on the British jazz scene when it appeared in 1966, and it makes its long-awaited CD debut here. Re-mastered from original tapes at the legendary Lansdowne Studios where it was recorded, it comes complete with detailed historical sleeve notes and some previously unseen photographs, making it a must for all fans of British jazz. Although Mr. Taylor's short life was filled with tragedy, drugs and madness, both of his albums show him to be a genius, a brilliant and unique pianist and composer in his own little world, well respected by his fellow musicians but mostly unknown to the rest of the world. Early on he worked with Graham Bond, Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker and later collaborated with Ginger Baker, writing the music for three of Ginger's songs from Creams' 'Wheels of Fire' album. Each time I play this disc another layer of mystery unravels and I find another pearl inside. It is going to take some time to absorb this gem and I look forward to each and every listen. We still have a few copies of Mike Taylor's second splendid album on CD at present, but they won't last for very long. - BLG
CD $16

RICK HAYWARD - Rick Hayward (Sunbeam 5032; UK) Having played lead guitar for psychedelic legends The Accent, formed a late incarnation of The Zombies with Rod Argent, collaborated with Christine Perfect (later of Fleetwood Mac), joined boogie rockers Jellybread and recorded innumerable sessions, Rick Hayward finally recorded this solo album for the Blue Horizon label in 1971. An off-beat collection of psychedelic-tinged folk songs and instrumentals on which he plays all instruments, it was produced by Mike Vernon (David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, Ten Years After) but sank without a trace upon original release.
CD $16

HARUMI - Harumi (Fallout 2042; UK) This extremely obscure and somewhat legendary album was released in 1968 on Verve/Forecast and was produced by the great Tom Wilson (Mothers of Invention, Velvet Underground & Bob Dylan). This was a double album by an unknown entity called Harumi, who the liner notes say he was from Japan. I bought this long, lost psychedelic gem when it was released, after hearing a song on FM radio and seeing that great psych cover with a cosmic pastel butterfly and infer-red flowers. I also remember seeing Harumi on singing a song on either American Bandstand or that other rock show that preceded it. That song opens this disc and is called "Talk About It" and it is filled with swirling, psych strings and horns and Harumi's mesmerizing voice. There is that phasing effect that was so popular during that era, liberally used on his voice, the drums, strings and horns. A few of these songs are close to that psychedelic bubblegum sound that was also all over the airwaves, yet there is also a good deal of inventive arrangements and surprising things like (electric?) sitar, Ultimate Spinach-like jazz/psych/blues rambling ("Hello") and Jefferson Airplane-like vocal harmonies. The second record featured two side-long epics that must be heard to be believed. "Twice Told Tales of the Pomengranate Forest" features the enchanting spoken word voices of Harumi and Rosko, a famous FM DJ from the sixties and seventies telling their tales together. Mystical vibes and other Eastern sounds drift through the landscapeÉ This CD is 79-minutes long and is certain to be one of those holy grail treasures that has been quietly ignored for the past forty years. - BLG
CD $16

BUZZY LINHART - Buzzy (Fall Out 2045; UK) A veteran of the New York coffee house circuit, guitarist, vibraphonist and singer who recorded with Jimi Hendrix, Buzz Linhart recorded this classic debut in London in 1968. Featuring backing from Welsh psychedelic favorites Eyes Of Blue, it's a superb collection of acid-influenced folk and pop, including the epic, sitar-tinged raga "Sing Joy," and is sure to appeal to all fans of hippie singer-songwriting.
CD $16


PENTANGLE - The Time Has Come 1967-1973 [4 CD box set] (Castle BX 664; UK) This 40th anniversary box set, lavishly illustrated and exhaustively annotated, features the best of their album tracks, singles and b-sides. Sixty-Five tracks, all newly re-mastered, achieving the best sound to date - including no less than 30 previously unreleased live, broadcast and studio tracks. Among these lost gems are: their very first recording session from 1967; outtakes from The Pentangle (1968) and Reflection (1971); three 1968 BBC radio session tracks newly in stereo; live concert and television tracks spanning 1968- 73; and rare film soundtrack contributions.
4 CD set for $56


DANDELION - The Complete Dandelion Records Singles Collection [3 CD Box Set] (Cherry Red 001; UK) 1969-1972. "The complete singles collection of the late and legendary DJ John Peel's beloved Dandelion Records, compiled and brought to you for the very first time by Cherry Red Records 3CD box set, individual CD wallets and a 48-page booklet containing the story of Dandelion with original artwork, images, memorabilia and heart-warming, revealing contributions from Clive Selwood and the artists themselves. In 1969, in the face of the entrenched attitudes of most of the major record companies, the late and legendary DJ John Peel launched his own record label with manager Clive Selwood called Dandelion. They would oversee 18 acts, release 27 albums plus a sampler compilation before the label was brought to a close in 1972. They also released a similar number of singles, compiled here for the very first time by Cherry Red Records. Lovingly restored and beautifully packaged, with contributions from the artists and Clive Selwood himself, this wonderful 3CD box set will astound many and bring joy to collectors and John's listeners and fans alike." Artists: Beau, Bridget St. John, Principal Edwards Magic Theatre, Clague, Gene Vincent, Medicine Head, Mike Hart, Bill Oddie, Stackwaddy, Siren, The Way We Live, The Yamasukis, The Coxhill/Bedford Duo, Will Dandy & The Dandylettes, Supersister, Tractor, Kevin Coyne and Clifford T. Ward.
3 CD Set $35





A BIG BATCH OF RARE JAPANESE CD REISSUES:

AKIRA SAKATA - 20 Personalities (Columbia/Jroom; Japan)
CD $22

FLOWER TRAVELLIN' BAND - Satori (Warner Bros 8425; Japan) 1998 remastered version of the 2nd album by this early 70s Japanese underground rock legend. Flower Travellin' Band were a Japanese psych/hard rock quartet from the 70s. Their pants flared most excellently, vocalist "Joe" had a shreik to match his Atlantic label counterpart across the ocean, and there was a certain Zep-edge to their sound that nobody wants to admit to today. Satori was their 2nd album from 1971, a heavy-rock concept album in the grand tradition, and is generally acknowledged as their masterpiece. This version features somewhat more extensive graphic detail, with a fold out booklet.
CD $23

FLOWER TRAVELLIN' BAND - Anywhere (Universal UPCY 6343; Japan) Second CD reissue of the debut Flower Travellin' Band album (previously issued by Hagakure), originally issued in 1970 by Warner Bros. Japan (predating their defintive opus, Satori). Includes' loosely formed "covers" of "Black Sabbath", "House of the Rising Sun" & "Twenty-First Century Schizoid-Man". Famous naked biker cover tops off the ridiculousness factor by a very long & wide yard.
CD $20

MIKI CURTIS & SAMURAI - Kappa (Universal UPCY 6345; Japan) An early 70s underground blues-derived psychedelic rock band led by Miki Curtis (vocals and flute), with Joe Dunnel (guitar) and Tetsu Yamauchi (bass; he later played with Shoji Hano in the Poly Breath Percussion Band, with Brotzmann on Dare Devil, and Werner Ludi; we won't mention the fact that inbetween he had joined bands like Free or the Faces!). Kappa was recorded in Tokyo and released by Philips Japan in 1971. It is the heavier of the 2 albums, featuring 4 long tracks, lyrics sung in English, including the side-two long "King Riff And Snow Flakes" (which has a free-form breakdown and drum solo even!).
CD $20

MIKI CURTIS & SAMURAI - Samurai (Universal UPCY 6346; Japan) Reissue of the 2nd and final Mickey Curtis & Samurai album, also released by Philips Japan in 1971. This was recorded in the UK upon the band's move to Europe and again features songs written/sung in English, this time with 7 shorter tracks. "The band played a varied kind of psychedelic progressive rock, occasionally a bit hard-rocking, with jazzy and exotic Asian touches. They've been compared by Vernon Joynson to Andwella's Dream and early Traffic." - Chris McLean.
CD $20

MICKEY CURTIS [MIKI CURTIS] - Mimi (Universal UPCY 6347; Japan) This is the third Miki Curtis album, no longer with Samurai as his official band. Originally release by Japanese Vertigo in 1972. Relaxed, UK-flavored progressive rock sounds (but w/ Japanese vocals), not far off from the previous Samurai album.
CD $20

FLIED EGG - Dr. Siegel's Fried Egg Shooting Machine (Universal UPCY 6351; Japan) Reissue of the first Flied Egg album, originally issued by Japanese Vertigo in 1972. An offshoot of the short-lived Strawberry Path, Flied Egg were a trio of Shigeru Narumo (guitar, keyboards), Hiro Tsunoda (drums, vocals) and Masayoshi Takanaka (bass). They played a hogwash of progressive hard rock with pop-like flourishes all featuring English vocals. Semi namby at times, but the album have a very nice psuedo Dali-cover painting. And what band to ever appear on the Vertigo roster had a better name than Flied Egg?
CD $20

FLIED EGG - Good Bye (Universal UPCY 6352; Japan) The 2nd and last album from Flied Egg, also originally released in 1972 on Japanese Vertigo. It's a theoretical live album, with a miraculously heavier "rockin" sound than Dr. Siegel's Fried Egg Shooting Machine. Number of tracks with the word "woman" in the title? A mere one. But don't let that lessen the sensational experience of your your brain cells slowly killing themselves off one by one as this stoner-magnet spins in your player.
CD $20

STRAWBERRY PATH - When the Raven Has Come to the Earth (Universal UPCY 6350; Japan) 1971 Japanese hard rock album, originally issued by Philips (later reissued by P-vine, and more recently, Radioactive) - the one & only album by the duo of Shigeru Narumo and Hiro Tsunoda. Similar in style the group these two would form immediately thereafter: Flied Egg (also related in one way or another to: Jacks, Foodbrain, Sadistic Mika Band and Captain Hiro & Space Band). Narumo played guitars and organ, Tsunoda sang and played drums. The sound is a thunderous post-Purple mess of tubs, riffs and blues-approximation. The lyrics are sung in almost-English and most concern the illustrious concerns of "woman" (at least they don't seem to use the word "lady"). "I Gotta See My Gypsy Woman" is the first track, "Woman Called Yellow 'Z'" is the second, by the time you get to "Mary Jane On My Mind" you'll probably need to empty the tear-bucket.
CD $20

FOOD BRAIN - Social Gathering (Universal UPCY 6349; Japan) Legendary Japanese underground rock item, first released by Polydor Japan in 1970. Has been reissued a couple times before, including on P-vine. Social Gathering is the lone album by the quartet of Shinki Chen (pre-Speed, Glue & Shinki), Luis Kabe (ex-Golden Cups), Hiro Yanagida (ex-April Fool, pre-Love Live Life +1) & Hiro Tsunoda (ex-Jacks, pre-Strawberry Path). Musically they were an instrumental quartet led by the guitar histrionics of Shinki Chen and the organ swoosh of Hiro Yanagida, gusting forth with a sub-bass low-ball thunder. Progressive-psych jamming with a similar enthusiasm for the attributes of "heavy" as their contemporaries, Guru Guru. There also some free-form excursions and unexpected insanity at the end. "The drugs must have been pumping fast and furious. This is a heavy over the top psychedelic extravaganza." -Ken Golden, The Laser's Edge.
CD $20

SHINKI CHEN - Shinki Chen (Universal UPCY 6344; Japan) First authorized CD of this in a decade+ (also previously reissued on LP by Shadoks). Originally issued in 1971, this post-Food Brain/pre-Speed Glue & Shinki album features wasted fuzz and extreme underground vibes, one of the freakiest Japanese '70s releases.
CD $20

KIMIO MIZUTANI - A Path Through Haze (Universal UPCY 6348; Japan) Classic Japanese underground rock album, previously reissued on P-Vine (and more recently, Walhalla). Kimio Mizutani (not the Rallizes dude) was the guitarist in the excellent Japanese freak out group Love Live Life +1 and this is a reissue of his first solo album from 1971, originally issued by Japanese Polydor. Mizutani plays electric and 'folk' guitar, leading a largish rock ensemble (bass, drums, organ, Moog, vocals, etc.) through the paces of what is widely regarded as the true psychedelic masterpieces of the early '70s Japanese scene. Sensitive interludes (with accompaniment by the Toyama String Quartet and Etoh Wood Quartet), tasteful nods to progressive/fusionist extension and lovely psych guitar hoverings by Mizutani dominate the proceedings. A nice merger of hard rock conceptualization and the complexities that would evolve from it.
CD $20

DISCIPLE - Come And See Us As We Are! (Fallout 2044; UK) This New York quintet's sole album is a neglected pop-psych treasure. Boasting catchy melodies, lush vocal harmonies, killer pop hooks and one of the best Beatles covers of its time, it was originally issued in 1970 but quickly disappeared, despite the band's frenetic gigging schedule. It makes its CD debut here, complete with its original press release, and is a must for fans of acid-tinged power pop.
CD $16





OUR GOOD FRIEND KAREN MANTLER HAS GIVEN US THE FILE COPIES OF ORIGINAL PRESSINGS OF HER MOM & DAD'S [CARA BLEY & MIKE MANTLER] JCOA AND WATT LABEL RELEASES.
THESE ARE THE VERY LAST COPIES - SOME ARE UNSEALED BUT ALL ARE UNPLAYED, AND ALL ARE ORIGINAL PRESSINGS!


MICHAEL MANTLER/JAZZ COMPOSER'S ORCHESTRA FEATURING CECIL TAYLOR With DON CHERRY/PHAROAH SANDERS/ROSWELL RUDD/GATO BARBIERI - Jazz Composer's Orchestra [2 LP box] (JCOA 1001/2; USA) Mind-ripping big band out-jazz insanity composed by Michael Mantler, led by Cecil Taylor and featuring Pharoah Sanders, Don Cherry, Gato Barbieri, Roswell Rudd & Larry Coryell!!! (copies may be unsealed but are new and unplayed) currently not available on CD
2 LP set for $40

CARLA BLEY/PAUL HAINES With DON CHERRY/JACK BRUCE/JOHN McLAUGHLIN/PAUL MOTIAN/JIMMY LYONS - Escalator Over the Hill [3 LP Box Set w/Libretto] (1003/4/5); USA) Classic all-star 'chronotransduction' or avant/jazz/opera, music by Carla Bley, words by Paul Haines featuring Don Cherry, Gato Barbieri, Jack Bruce, John McLaughlin, Paul Motian, Jimmy Lyons, Leroy Jenkins, Roswell Rudd, Linda Rondstadt [!] & more!!
3 LP set & Libretto for $45

CARLA BLEY BAND With ELTON DEAN/HUGH HOPPER/ROSWELL RUDD /ANDREW CYRILLE/GARY WINDO - European Tour 1977 (Watt 8; USA) Wonderful all-star band feat. Elton Dean, Gary Windo, Hugh Hopper, Roswell Rudd & Andrew Cyrille! An amazing album & not currently available on CD.
LP $12

CARLA BLEY/PAUL HAINES With JULIE TIPPETTS [TIPPETT, DRISCOLL] /DAVE HOLLAND/PAUL MOTIAN - Tropic Appetites (Watt 1; USA) A continuation of the work begun by Carla Bley with poet Paul Haines on "Escalator over the Hill". "The world view 'Appetites' conveys is diametrically opposed to Marshal McLuhan's vision of the global village. Its sinister jungles, incurable diseases, and ultimately insoluble conflicts between full stomachs and empty ones are more reminiscent of Paul Bowles's bleak, despairing, but exquisitely crafted third world travelogues. A challenging work with a jumpy, eccentric surface and murky depths." - The New York Times. Very hip band: Julie (Driscoll) Tippetts voice; Gato Barbieri tenor saxophone, percussion; Howard Johnson voice, clarinets, saxophones, tubas; Dave Holland cello, double-bass, bass guitar; Michael Mantler trumpet, valve trombone; Toni Marcus violin, viola; Carla Bley voice, recorder, pianos, organ, marimba, celeste, percussion; Paul Motian drums, percussion
LP $12

MICHAEL MANTLER With JACK BRUCE/DON CHERRY/CARLA BLEY - No Answer (Watt 2; USA) Featuring Jack Bruce, Don Cherry & Carla Bley - the words from Samuel Beckett's 'How It Is'!
LP $12

MICHAEL MANTLER With ROBERT WYATT/CARLA BLEY/STEVE SWALLOW - The Hapless Child (Watt 4; USA) A masterpiece feat. Robert Wyatt's voice, Terje Rypdal on lead guitar, Carla Bley on organ, Steve Swallow on electric bass & Jack DeJohnette on drums w/ words & drawings by Edward Gorey!!
LP $12

MICHAEL MANTLER With ROBERT WYATT/KEVIN COYNE/CHRIS SPEDDING/CARLA BLEY/RON McCLURE - Silence (Watt 5; USA) Featuring Robert Wyatt & Kevin Coyne on vocals, Chris Spedding, Ron McClure, Carla Bley doing an adaption of Harold Pinter!
LP $12

CARLA BLEY BAND With CARLOS WARD/MICHAEL MANTLER/STEVE SWALLOW - Social Studies (Watt 11; USA) 1981 big band feat. Carlos Ward, Steve Swallow, Michael Mantler, D Sharpe, Gary Valente, Tony Dagradi, Earl McIntyre!
LP $10

CARLA BLEY BAND With GARY WINDO/ROSWELL RUDD/CHARLIE HADEN /EUGENE CHADBOURNE - Musique Mecanique (Watt 9; USA) Carla Bley organ, piano, toy piano; Michael Mantler trumpet; Alan Braufman alto saxophone, clarinet, flute; Gary Windo tenor saxophone, bass clarinet; John Clark French horn; Roswell Rudd trombone, vocal; Bob Stewart tuba; Terry Adams piano; Steve Swallow bass guitar; D. Sharpe drums. Guests: Charlie Haden bass; Eugene Chadbourne guitars; Karen Mantler glockenspiel
LP $10

CARLA BLEY BAND With HIRAM BULLOCK/STEVE SWALLOW - Sextet (ECM/Watt 17; Germany) Carla Bley organ; Hiram Bullock guitar; Larry Willis piano; Steve Swallow bass; Victor Lewis drums; Don Alias percussion
LP $10

CARLA BLEY BAND With MICHAEL MANTLER/ARTURO O'FARRILL/STEVE SWALLOW et al - Live (ECM/Watt 12; Germany) Featuring Michael Mantler trumpetl; Steve Slagle saxopones, flute; Tony Dagradi saxophone; Gary Valente trombone; Vincent Chancey French horn; Earl McIntyre tuba, trombone; Carla Bley organ, glockenspiell, piano; Steve Swallow bass; D. Sharpe drums
LP $10

CARLA BLEY BAND With MICHAEL MANTLER/HIRAM BULLOCK/KENNY KIRKLAND/STEVE SWALLOW et al - Heavy Heart (ECM/Watt 14; USA) Carla Bley organ, synthesizersl; Steve Slagle flute, saxophones; Hiram Bullock guitar; Michael Mantler trumpet; Gary Valente trombone; Earl McIntyre tuba; Kenny Kirkland piano; Steve Swallow bass; Victor Lewis drums; Manolo Badrena percussion
LP $10

CARLA BLEY BAND With STEVE SWALLOW - Night-Glo (ECM/Watt 16; USA) Carla Bley organ, synthesizers; Steve Swallow bass; Larry Willis electric piano, piano; Hiram Bullock guitar; Victor Lewis drums; Manolo Badrena percussion
LP $10

CARLA BLEY With ROSWELL RUDD/CARLOS WARD/MICHAEL MANTLER /STEVE GADD - Dinner Music (Watt 6; USA) Roswell Rudd trombone; Carlos Ward alto and tenor saxophones, flute; Michael Mantler trumpet; Bob Stewart tuba; Richard Tee piano, electric piano; Eric Gale guitar; Cornell Dupree guitar; Carla Bley organ, piano, voice, tenor saxophone; Gordon Edwards bass guitar; Steve Gadd drums
LP $10

MICHAEL MANTLER With CARLA BLEY/STEVE SWALLOW/MIKE STERN/ NICK MASON - Something There (ECM/Watt 13; Germany)
LP $10

MICHAEL MANTLER With DON PRESTON - Alien (ECM/Watt 15; Germany)
LP $10

MICHAEL MANTLER With LARRY CORYELL/CARLA BLEY STEVE SWALLOW /TONY WILLIAMS - Movies (Watt 7; USA)
LP $10

MICHAEL MANTLER With GARY WINDO/PHILIP CATHERINE/CARLA BLEY STEVE SWALLOW/D SHARPE - More Movies (Watt 10; USA) w/ Gary Windo, Philip Catherine, Mike Mantler, Carla Bley, Steve Swallow & D. Sharpe - another winner!!
LP $10





************* RECOMMENDED NYC GIGS****************


THE DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY 'FREE IN-STORE MUSIC' CONTINUES:

This Sunday, April 29th -
6pm - RADIO I-CHING! - Downtown's best-kept secret!
ANDY HAAS/DON FIORINO/DEE POP!

Next Sunday, May 6th -
6pm - RAS MOSHE & FRIENDS!


***************


THE STONE is located at the NW corner of Avenue C & 2nd St.

April is curated by Alicia Svigals


4/27 Friday
8 pm - Alicia Svigals and Marilyn Lerner: Klezmer Unfettered
Alicia Svigals (violin) Marilyn Lerner (piano) Iliya Magalnyk (accordion)
Alicia Svigals is klezmer's most celebrated violinist; Marilyn Lerner is a jazz keyboard virtuoso who resides in Canada. They join forces at the Stone to take on the klezmer tradition and twist it into shapes hitherto unimagined, spinning symphonies on the fly out of sounds from the Eastern European Jewish past. With special guest accordionist Iliya Magalnyk.
10 pm - Shake My Heart Like a Copper Bell-the poetry of Anna Margolin
Adrienne Cooper (voice) Marilyn Lerner (piano) with special guests
Lerner's song cycle to amazing Yiddish poet Margolin, translations and vocals by the legendary Adrienne Cooper with everything from lieder to freeform...

4/28 Saturday
8 pm - ANDY BISKIN AND FRIENDS - Andy Biskin (clarinet, compositions) Shane Endsley (trumpet) Eivind Opsvik (bass) Take Toriyama (drums) New compositions for a new quartet! www.andybiskin.com
10 pm - Terry Dame's Electric Junkyard Gamelan w/ Terry Dame, Lee Frisari, Mary Feaster, Kim Garey, Julian Hintz (invented instruments) Original rhythm driven music on invented instruments. Funky basslines, searing modal melodies and layers of interlocking rhythms played on musical contraptions such as the Rubarp, Sitello, Kacapitar and the Big Barp. It's far out and in the pocket! www.terrydame.com

4/29 Sunday
8 pm - Romanian Bent-Yale Strom & Hot Pstromi featuring Elizabeth Schwartz
Yale Strom (violin) Sprocket (bass) Peter Stan (accordion) David Licht (drums) Elizabeth Schwartz (vocals); Schwartz is fresh from her concert tour of Romania and Hungary (singing with Muzsikas), which was filmed for an upcoming documentary by Radu Gabrea.
10 pm - Grassi/Filiano/Lerner - Lou Grassi (drums) Ken Filiano (bass) Marilyn Lerner (piano)


May, 2007 has been curated by Fred Frith


May 1-3
Northern Lights I - Three exciting groups from Scandinavia performing in New York for the first time!

5/1 Tuesday
8 pm - Art Directors w/ Guro Moe (double bass and vocals) Havard Skaset (electric guitar) Jacob Willersrud (drums and electronics) Intense improvisations from the vibrant Oslo music scene
10 pm - Little Red Suitcase w/ Johanna Borchert (piano and others) Elena Setien (voice and others) Songs and others from Copenhagen

5/2 Wednesday
8 and 10 pm - The PeŠrls Before Sw•ne Experience w/ Sara Hammarstršm (flutes) George Kentros (violin) Mats Olofsson (cello) MŒrten Landstršm (piano)
New music from Stockholm, including works by David Lang,Tristan Murail, Maja Ratkje, Annie Gosfield, and Anders Hillborg www.swinepearl.com

5/3 Thursday
8 pm - Little Red Suitcase w/ Johanna Borchert (piano and others) Elena Setien (voice and others) More songs and others from Copenhagen
10 pm - Art Directors w/ Guro Moe (double bass and vocals) HŒvard Skaset (electric guitar) Jacob Willersrud (drums and electronics) More intense improvisations from the vibrant Oslo music scene


May 4-5
Death Ambient's first ever New York concerts, celebrating the release of their 3rd Tzadik CD Drunken Forest

5/4 Friday
8 and 10 pm - Death Ambient w/ Fred Frith (guitar) Ikue Mori (electronics) Kato Hideki (bass) "evil, decadentÉamoral, intoxicated, and uncontrolled"

5/5 Saturday
8 and 10 pm - Death Ambient w/ Fred Frith (guitar) Ikue Mori (electronics) Kato Hideki (bass) - "playful and enchanting...beautiful and absorbing"


5/6 Sunday
8 and 10 pm - The Chaddom-Blechbourne Experience
Kevin Blechdom (banjo) Eugene Chadbourne (banjo) featuring Lumberob and Ching Chong Song - A double banjo performance from two extraordinary contemporary icons clearly made for each other - beyond mayhem

Performances take place at 8 & 10 pm 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


******************************


Dee Pop presents:
THE Freestyle MUSIC SERIES
"All types of creative music"
Every Sunday @ Jimmy's Restaurant
43 East 7th Street * NYC * 212-982-3006


April 29
8pm * 2 SETS
Michael Attias, Jeff Davis, Kris Davis, Eivind Opsvik, Kirk Knufke


*******************


RADIO I-CHING will be performing in Brooklyn at Freddy's Bar and Backroom * 485 Dean Street (corner of Dean & 6th Ave.) * (718) 622-7035 TUESDAY APRIL 24 8PM Radio I-Ching:
Dee Pop......drums
Andy Haas...sax, morsing, piri, electronics
Don Fiorino..guitar, lapsteel, banjo, glissentar

www.freestylejazz.com / deepop@earthlink.net


********************


TONIC PRESENTS: JOHN ZORN'S [MINI] BOOK OF ANGELS FESTIVAL!

Friday & Saturday, May 4th & 5th at 8pm each night BLURRING BOUNDARIES: JOHN ZORN

The best of today's Downtown music scene comes to the Abrons with Blurring Boundaries, a new concert series of acclaimed experimental and avant garde musician-composers. Curated by Tonic's Melissa Caruso-Scott, the series presents some of the most adventurous genre-blending artists working today. To launch the series, we welcome the astonishingly prolific composer, arranger, record producer, saxophonist and MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant winner John Zorn. Blurring together every conceivable musical style and influence in his signature high-energy style, Zorn just might blow the roof off the Playhouse!

466 Grand Street, New York, NY 10002 (212) 598-0400, ext. 220


*******************


SOME OF THE GIGS THAT WERE SCHEDULED FOR TONIC IN APRIL ARE BEING RE-SCHEDULED AT THE SOTO CLEMENTE CENTER:

VISION TONIC
Sets at 7:30pm and 9:30pm
At The Clemente Soto Velez LES Gallery
107 Suffolk Street, New York, NY
F or J,M,Z to Delancey-Essex Street
$10 per set / one drink minimum
More Info: https://www.visionfestival.org or 212.696.6681

New York, NY - Arts for Art responds to the closing of Tonic with a concert series based on Tonic's cancellations. On seven nights in April and May, musicians who were scheduled to play at Tonic, will now be playing one block east, at the Clemente Soto Velez LES Gallery. The number of venues where this music is consistently presented in Manhattan is deteriorating to a dangerous low. Arts for Art and the Vision Festival will be working with CSV to address this issue by hosting these concerts, as well as seeking a way to continue to present this music on a regular basis. The April schedule follows, and the May concerts will be announced soon. It is imperative to have places where artists of this caliber can be heard in Manhattan on a regular basis.


****************************


ROULETTE presents
20 Greene St (between Canal and Grand St)
8:30 PM Admission $15 Students $10 MEMBERS FREE
TICKETS/RSVP: 212.219.8242

APRIL 2007 EVENTS [including the 'AVANT JAZZ - STILL MOVING' festival]


Friday, April. 27th (ASJM Event)
BERN NIX TRIO WITH FRANCOIS GILLOT & JACKSON KRALL (8:00 PM) Guitarist Bern Nix has well-honed harmolodic chops, having played in Ornette Coleman's Prime Time Band for over a decade É but as a leader he bends all the rules, showing an impressive array of jazz and blues influences, and pouring forth tunes that pop "like grease on a skittle." (Village Voice). Tonight's show will consist of an array of original takes on work with a traditional past É with Francois Grillot (bass) and Jackson Krall (drums).

BRANDON ROSS: FOR LIVING LOVERS (9:30 PM) For Living Lovers is Brandon Ross (guitar, banjo, vocals) & Dom Richards (bass guitar). Ross's compositions for the duo explore the timbre and resonance of strings and the convergence of "world music" traditions with modern chamber music. The result is a music of introspection & revelation, an illumination of the present moment. www.myspace.com/brmuse


Saturday, April. 28th (ASJM Event)
WILLIAM HOOKER: WIND FOR MIND (8:00 PM) "An artistic whole, a vast circle of vision and execution", Hooker (drums, words) brings dramatic tension and human warmth to avant-garde jazz. Tonight he presents a new work for music and poetry in which the accompaniment happens to be the lead artist himself É With: David Soldier (violin & banjo) and Sabir Mateen (reeds). williamhooker.com & myspace.com/williamhooker

FAY VICTOR: THE FAY VICTOR ENSEMBLE (9:30 PM) The Fay Victor Ensemble is Victor (voice), Anders Nilsson (guitar), Ken Filiano (bass) & Michael 'TA' Thompson (drums). They are a collectively outrageous, diva-free musical unit in which structure and chaos find a symbiotic home. Tonight, they perform work from their new CD, "Cartwheels through the Cosmos", with new original pieces. www.fayvictor.com & www.myspace.com/fayvictorensemble


Sunday, April. 29th (ASJM Event)
AYAKA NISHINA WITH GREG OSBY - Composer/pianist Ayaka Nishina presents her new duo project with saxophonist Greg Osby. Nishina is active internationally, having performed with everyone from John Zorn to the Canadian Opera Company and at venues such as Spoleto and the Electronic Music Foundation. She has been an associate composer for Muse no Yume (Japan), and will release her debut album on the Tzadik label this year. Tonight's performance will include improvisation with live electronics and special guests Gretchen Parlato (voice), Eliza Fernand (sculptor/performance artist) and smop(), a NYC-based electronic improvisation team. The show will include multi-media collaboration conjoining vocals, unconventional electronic instruments and sculptural performance.

contact: press@roulette.org https://www.roulette.org/


*********************


This is from Briggan Krause & Kato Hideki:

Hello this is a reminder that there are two Saturdays left to come by and check this out. "Zure" is a very special sound and video installation that will be up at Diapason Gallery one more Saturday in April 28th from 6pm to midnight.
There are six different pieces that run altogether about three hours. They will be played in series twice over the course of the evening. The space is open and comfortable (carpets and pillows to lounge on) and you can come and go as you please. It's FREE so come on by. - Briggan and Kato

ZURE ("Gap" in Japanese) is a collaborative installation work by Kato Hideki and Briggan Krauss. For source sounds, the duo used analog synthesizers, laptop computers, recordings of "found" environments and other electronic devices and objects. For visual materials, turntables and other moving objects were used. The intent of the work is to create a composition based on an experience of perceiving individual events or shapes that move, interact and evolve. Sound sources and visual materials will be placed in a non-linear time and space. Ever changing series of works that are never the same from an installation to another. ZURE is a dynamic installation piece that reflects our "time of everything". The pieces in this installation will grow and evolve from week to week; exploring possibilities inherent in the space and system at Diapason Gallery.

Diapason Gallery
1026 Sixth Avenue, # 2S - (between 38th and 39th Street)
New York NY 10018 - (212) 719-4393
info@diapasongallery.org / https://diapasongallery.org/


**********************


THE SUN RA ARKESTRA
UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MARSHALL ALLEN

will appear in a free outdoor concert on Friday, April 27, 6:30 p.m. at the Pratt Institute, 200 Willoughby Ave. (between Hall St. & Classon Ave.), Brooklyn, NY.
For additonal information on this event, visit:
https://brooklyn.untilmonday.com/event/lightning_bolt_sun_ra_arkestra


****************


THE TAYLOR HO BYNUM SEXTET - CD RELEASE CELEBRATION!

Friday, April 27, 9 & 10:30pm
The Jazz Gallery - 290 Hudson St, between Spring and Dominick
Taylor Ho Bynum Sextet (THB, cornet; Jessica Pavone, viola & electric bass; Loren Kiyoshi Dempster, cello; Mary Halvorson & Evan O'Reilly, electric guitars; Tomas Fujiwara, drums).

The label launch event is actually a two-day affair, on Thursday night you can also check out the new quartet from drummer/composer Tyshawn Sorey, who will be recording a new CD for Firehouse 12 Records the following week, so make it to that too if you can!

for more info on the venue: www.jazzgallery.org
for more info on the CD: https://taylorhobynum.com/applications/wordpress/?p=37
for more info on the label: www.firehouse12.com


And some other particularly cool gigs coming up: On Wednesday, May 2nd, as part of the Secret Science Club Series at Union Hall in Park Slope, Brooklyn (502 Union Street between 5th and 6th Ave), Katie Down (on a variety of beautiful glass instruments) will lead an improv group with myself on cornet, Caleb Burhans on electric violin, and Rachel Bernsen on movement. It should be much fun, and if you get there early, you can hear a lecture on the music of frogs! for more info: https://secretscienceclub.blogspot.com

On Friday and Saturday, May 11th and 12th, I'll be performing a new piece by composer Laura Andel at the Kitchen (512 W. 19th St, between 10th and 11th). I've been playing with Laura for almost ten years now, and she always writes intensely fascinating music and brings together great ensembles, this should be no exception, with Matt Bauder on clarinets, Stephanie Griffin on viola, Raul Jaurena on bandoneon, Carl Maguire on rhodes and accordion, Ursel Schlicht on piano, Ken Filiano on bass, Danny Tunick on vibraphone & gamelan instruments, and David Simons also on gamelan instruments. You can also go around the corner from the Kitchen, and get the best carrot cake in the world at Billy's Bakery, so no excuse to miss this one! for more info: www.lauraandel.com


**********


J A Z Z A T T H E S E A P O R T s e a p o r t d i s t r i c t c u l t u r a l a s s o c i a t i o n p e r f o r m a n c e s p a c e

f r i d a y s a t 7 : 3 0 p m '5 2 s e t s '5 a d m i s s i o n $ 1 0

m a y 4 - e x u b e r a n c e r o y c a m p b e l l , t r u m p e t s a n d f l u t e l o u i e b e l o g e n i s , t e n o r s a x o p h o n e h i l l g r e e n e , b a s s m i c h a e l w i m b e r l y , d r u m s

m a y 1 1 - o l d d o g - l o u i e b e l o g e n i s - t e n o r s a x , m i c h a e l b i s i o - b a s s & j a y r o s e n , d r u m s

m a y 1 8 - m a g i c a l l i s t e n i n g h o u r - n a t e w o o l e y , t r u m p e t m i c h a e l a t t i a s , a l t o s a x o p h o n e l o u i e b e l o g e n i s , t e n o r s a x o p h o n e s t e v e s w e l l , t r o m b o n e

m a y 2 5 - h e a r t - f e l d - b o b f e l d m a n , t e n o r s a x o p h o n e l o u i e b e l o g e n i s , t e n o r s a x o p h o n e m i c h a e l b i s i o , b a s s w a r r e n s m i t h , d r u m s

F r o n t S t r e e t a t B e e k m a n S t r e e t ( S o u t h S t r e e t S e a p o r t ) r s v p : 2 1 2 -3 9 3 - 9 1 9 1 s u b w a y : 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 t o F u l t o n S t r e e t o r A t o B r o a d w a y / N a s s a u


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Neues Kabarett music series presents

Matana Roberts, World Premiere Brecht Forum Commission Concert

Performance Saturday, May 19, 2007--9:00 pm--$10
at The Brecht Forum - 451 West Street between Bank and Bethune

www.brechtforum.org - 212-242-4201

April 26, 2007-New York--- Neues Kabarett music series at The Brecht Forum is pleased to present the music of Matana Roberts, who explores her Choctaw, Cherokee and Chickasaw heritage in a mixed media performance piece entitled "Trail of Tear." This is a new chapter in her ongoing musical blood narrative - Coin Coin. The concert will feature Roberts on reeds, Chad Taylor on drums and percussion and visual artist Daniel Givens on projector. "Matana Roberts, a fearless and charismatic Chicago-born saxophonist who can reconcile all sorts of saxophone languages." - The New York Times


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