A great list of groovy discs this week from:

Robert Wyatt's 'ComicOpera', Albert Ayler Tribute w/ Henry Kaiser, Vinny Golia & Mike Keneally, Richard Leo Johnson & Gregg Bendian, Larry Ochs Sax & Drumming Core, Mostly Other People Do the Killing w/ Moppa Elliott & Peter Evans, 4th Sun Ra (2-CD) Rarity from Transparency, Robert Ashley 2-CD Set,

Greg Burk Trio, Two from The Sun City Girls, 2 More from Sublime Frequencies: North Vietnam & Southern Laos, Persian Electronic Music, Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni Ba, The Fiery Furnaces, Ethan Rose, LSD March, Suishou No Fune, Mohammed "Jimmy" Mohammed, 3 Duos & A Trio with Andy 'Ex' Moor,

Restocks from ICP, Data, Terp and Unsounds, Historic Discs from Dinosaur L (w/ Arthur Russell), Richard & Linda Thompson, Syd Barrett DVD, Bill Fay, 3 by Out of Focus, Icarus, Chimera, Morning Glory & Blue Mountain Eagle!





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Attention Miles Davis Fans! Those of you who have pre-ordered THE MILES DAVIS COMPLETE ON THE CORNER BOX-SET, we are still waiting for Sony to cough up the goods.
It has been delayed once again, like many of the previous Sony box-sets and we don't know exactly when it will arrive. So, please be patient, we will ship them as soon as we get them in stock.

Any of you that haven't pre-ordered this highly anticipated multi-disc box-set (saving $10 in advance), well, what are waiting for?


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ROBERT WYATT - Comicopera (Domino; UK) "It's really about the unpredictable mischief of real life - its sort of chaotic our life. It's about humans and the things we turn to, and looking for fun and stimulus and meaning and stuff." - Robert Wyatt.
Comicopera, divided into three Acts - 'Lost in Noise', 'The Here and The Now', and 'Away with the Fairies', continues where these albums had left off, but it is initially less dense than Cuckooland, and more light and live sounding. Robert says he was keen to have the sound of a group of musicians playing in the room together, but more importantly, to have friends (furthermore than musicians who play these particular instruments), playing together:
"Music isn't just an abstract pleasure, it is company, when you play a record. Why I like Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus, the Big Bands - is because every character in the band is identifiable as that person - there's this group of humans in a room." (Wyatt)
That gives this record its sense of spontaneity, despite its deliberate pacing and construction as something of a three Act 'Opera': "Musically, the changes are quite abrupt. And the narrator actually shifts. At the end of the second section I'm both the euphoric bomber ('A Beautiful War'), and the apoplectic bombed person ('Out of the Blue'). It shifts about in a way that I haven't consciously done in the past."
In Act One, the album opens with a plea for patience - Anja Garbarek's 'Stay Tuned', and as stated, a fair amount of light has crept in (from which end of the tunnel is it not clear...). We are treated to love songs (of sorts), before Act Two threatens to brighten further, with a community and carnival-esque feel pervading the mood; before at the close of the Act, the bombing takes place. Act Three, 'Away with the Fairies', the darkest, and most noisy, recalls some of the unsettling mood of his 80s productions, where odd synths underpin the voice and minor chords are wedged next to each other in close chromatic proximity. Act Three also marks the shift from songs in English language to Italian and Spanish - a pivotal moment in the record from which point onwards Robert claims he refused to sing in English, as a protest:
"After the bombing - it's to do with feeling completely alienated from Anglo-American culture at that point. Just sort of being silent as an English-speaking person, because of this fucking war. The last thing I sing in English is "you've planted all your everlasting hatred in my heart". I then wander off round the world searching for different kinds of meaning - whether its avant-guard, or revolution, or serialist fantasy, or religion, or all those things. Pretentious or what?! Well I don't care anymore."
Before you reach that final segment (the inverse of the traditional Comic Opera light and uplifting ending), this feels like it could even be Robert Wyatt's 'pop' album. He's openly a fan of 'tunes', and the deep influence of songs such as 'Raining in My Heart', covered on his last record, has perhaps had an impact on the melodies and compressed structures of these new performances. But the depth of the journey here, from start to finish, is magnificent, and stopping off along the way for the sublime steel pan and sax battle of 'On the Town Square'; or for the frantic song of bomber versus bombed, featuring Brian Eno's sampled voice replayed by Wyatt on synthesizer, 'Out of the Blue', seems only to be expected in an album as enjoyable and ambitious as this.
"Greeks divided things into Comedy and Tragedy, and Comedy didn't mean funny, it meant just, 'about human foibles', as opposed to tragedy which is about Gods and Destiny. So this is about human foibles. I want to emphasise that because I do end up singing a kind of hymn to Che Guevarra, but I'm talking about human foibles, I'm not looking for new Gods."
"When I'm writing I write completely on automatic - actually a better word is composing, meaning putting together, because I didn't write the first song or the last one - so when I'm putting together a record I do it completely instinctively, like an animal hunting for food or whatever. And only once I've done it do I work out what I was up to. I don't think beforehand, I think afterwards. I find that plans ahead, concepts ahead limit you."
Whether or not the concepts that help elevate this record above a mere loose collection of songs came before or after, it is clear that the editing process, the composition here, and the songwriting itself, is quite astounding. There is so much to find, and to return to, in the generous 'company' of this record. - Alexis Taylor, Hot Chip
CD $15


HEALING FORCE [VINNY GOLIA/AURORA JOSEPHSON/HENRY KAISER/MIKE KENEALLY/JOE MORRIS/DAMON SMITH/WEASEL WALTER] - The Songs Of Albert Ayler (Cuneiform 255; USA) Seven major figures from the art-punk, free-jazz, brutal prog, improvisational and modern jazz world come together for a ROCKING tribute to the unfairly ignored, misunderstood and vilified late period works of Albert Ayler. These late period songs have always seemed to me like they may have been some of the most personally spritually resonant for Ayler, but the musicians and the culture of the late 1960s were possibly not able to successfully translate and perform his concept of spirituality, free jazz, boogaloo, nursery rhythms, marching bands, blues and r'n'b, and certainly the free-jazz following public was not ready to accept it. Now, 40 years and many stylistic mash-ups later, perhaps these works can be better enjoyed.
"Albert Ayler's later works (Love Cry, New Grass and Music is the Healing Force of the Universe) seem to be generally reviled. Through meditations, dreams, and visions, the players on this project were given the message to once again attempt to send the people of earth a message of love, peace, and spiritual understanding. We selected a representative set of tunes for this material and essentially let it play itself through us. We hope you will be as surprised as we still are by the results of this invocational experiment. We hope you will like this record." - Henry Kaiser, producer and guitarist
Vinny Golia - reeds; Aurora Josephson - voice; Henry Kaiser - guitar; Mike Keneally - piano, guitar and voice; Joe Morris - guitar and double bass; Damon Smith - double bass; Weasel Walter - drums "This is an auspicious septet, here to play the spiritual music of the late Albert Ayler. Commencing with a heartfelt spoken word introduction where all members of his crew speak the righteous words together and soon take off for the stars. Except for Henry, Damon and Walter, the rest of these well-chosen players had not played together before this. "Music is the Healing Force of the Universe" features Ms. Josephson's enchanting (partially sung, partially spoken) voice with eerie piano, percussion and bowed bass. Vinny Golia, who rarely plays tenor, sounds just right for bending his notes in a most Ayleresque way and concluding with a burning free solo from Henry's warm, psych-toned cosmic guitar. On "Japan/Universal Indians" Golia takes a long, over-the-top and powerful tenor solo with some superb acoustic guitar, piano and strange, spirited bird-like vocal sounds from Aurora. On the original Ayler recordings, some folks complained of the weird vocals of Mary Maria Parks, while here I find Aurora's vocals are used most selectively and add a true human quality to this music. Many of these pieces use two acoustic bassists which add another special dimension to the proceedings, the way two bassists add something striking to certain Trane records. "New Ghost" has a Beefheartian flavor to it, which must be the influence of Mr. Kaiser. And like all other discs by Henry Kaiser, this is filled to the brim with great music (79 minutes!), which will take some time to fully absorb and of course is well worth the time and long strange trip.' - BLG
CD $15

RICHARD LEO JOHNSON & GREGG BENDIAN - Who Knew Charlie Shoe (Cuneiform 258; USA) Richard Leo Johnson's style on the acoustic guitar is marked by emotional depth, complexity and hauntingly unfamiliar harmonies. Percussionist Gregg Bendian is the leader of The Mahavishnu Project and Interzone. They have toured together in the past, opening for King Crimson, among others, but this is their first recording together.
This record is an extension of the music and story of Vernon McAlister and his music's influence on the people he encountered, which started on Richard's last record, The Legend of Vernon McAlister. As on that album, Richard has taken on a character's role in order to 'get inside' of the music. Charlie is a self-taught guitarist from Marked Tree, Arkansas who has developed his own way of playing the guitar, after a chance encounter with Vernon. "Junk Fish" was a successful drummer in the 1970s, but was eventually a casualty of the rock and roll lifestyle. He sold his drums, moved to Marked Tree and works in the salvage yard where he and Charlie met.
Richard and Gregg work with "junk" percussion, cheap guitars purchased off eBay, field recordings and simple tape effects to make a kaleidoscopic, down-home, psychedelic experience. In a few spots, Gregg's non-standard percussion instruments are reminiscent of the Harry Partch instruments, and the music that resembles the imaginary meeting of Harry Partch and John Fahey!
CD $15


LARRY OCHS SAX & DRUMMING CORE - Out Trios Volume Five: Up From Under (Atavistic 182; USA) The fifth installment in Atavistic's Out Trios Series configures a triad of West Coast heavies on sax & double-drums: Larry Ochs (Rova, What We Live & Frith) on tenor & sopranino saxes, Scott Amendola (Nels Cline Singers & solo projects); and Don Robinson (Cecil Taylor, Wadada Leo Smith, George Lewis, Raphe Malik & Glenn Spearman) both on drums. With absolutely lovely cover art by Emilie Clark & photos by Scott Campbell, Out Trios Volume Five kicks hard, while maintaining an omniscient cool.
This is the second disc from Larry Ochs' great Drumming Core trio, the first was on Black Saint. Larry remains the most active member of the Rova Sax Qt, with some dozen plus discs out as a leader and another dozen plus as a collaborator. 'Up from Under' erupts open with the title piece, with a stomping, somewhat funky groove as both drummers beat hard and Larry wails on tenor. That fat bass-drum beat fills in for the missing (and unnecessary) bassist. "Dragons Fly" features some somber hand percussion and hushed tenor. There is certain fragile magic found here where the sopranino and high-pitched sounds of the cymbals and snare drum connect with each other on "X-10". Both drummers work together extremely well, creating interconnected webs of rhythms, weaving together and providing an inner pulse from time to time. On "NeoNawi" the drummers flow together, spinning and shifting as one force while Ochs' sly sopranino sails high overhead. A completely splendid and inspired project from the beginning to the end. Amen! - BLG
CD $15

BRIAN HARNETTY - American Winter (Atavistic 181; USA) American winter = holler music woven with archival field/radio recordings, meeting the 21st century. The Berea College (Kentucky) Sound Archives holds non-commercial recordings documenting more than 75 years of Appalachian history and culture. In late 2005, the Berea College Appalachian Music Fellowship Program was made possible by a grant from the Anne Ray Charitable Trust, established by the late Margaret Anne Cargill. The Fellowship program supports scholarly research in Berea's collections of traditional music. Brian Harnetty was among the first Appalachian Music Fellows. Initially overwhelmed by the collection's richness, he quickly immersed himself in field recordings, radio programs, and oral history interviews. We conversed daily about what he'd heard, the concept of tradition, and collections as a type of composition. The resulting pieces take the known, unknown, and forgotten, reworking them into new cloth and exposing new layers of humanity. - John H. Bondurant, Sound Preservation Archivist, Berea College
CD $15


SUN RA - Dance Of The Living Image: The Lost Reel Collection Volume 4 [2 CD set] (Transparency 304; USA) "Sun Ra rehearsals have always been known to be legendary - marathon sessions from which a variety of space-age gem could and would emerge." This mysterious 2-CD set contains rehearsals from the San Francisco area in December of 1974. Personnel is thought to include: Sun Ra, John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Danny Thompson, James Jacson, Damon Choice, Akt Tal Ebah, Eloe Omoe, Dale Williams and Clifford Jarvis. Being a rehearsal tape, Sun Ra will record excerpts of these pieces, stop the tape and move to something else. Sun Ra is playing some sort of clavinet on much of the first disc. There are three unidentified titles here that Sun Ra is teaching the Arkestra. First we hear the clavinet and vibes, then later the horns come in as Sun Ra adds to the layers. Sun Ra sings this rather poignant ballad called "Sometimes I'm Happy" which as some funny contrary lyrics. Next there is a great song called "Astro Nation" which is like an early rap or spoken piece tune with a fine sly groove. The next unknown tune is another gem with intricate el. guitar, horns and drums slowly swirling around one another. Disc one ends with an amazing 17-minute work with some extraordinary writing and playing. Although some of these pieces are unfinished or excerpted, there is enough fascinating playing and compositions here to make this a worthy release for Sun Ra fanatics worldwide. - BLG
2 CD set for $17

SUN RA - Shadows Took Shape: The Lost Reel Collection Volume 3 [2 CD set] (Transparency 303; USA)
2 CD set for $17

SUN RA - Intergalactic Research: The Lost Reel Collection Vol 2 (Transparency 302; USA) As Transparency continues to dig up these long lost gems from the Sun Ra Arkestra, some are not that well recorded and many have little information as to personnel and exact dates of recording. This volume is the best on yet as it captures some incredible moments from two great sets. The first half of this disc comes from someplace called Native Son in Berkeley, CA in the summer of 1971. Opening with a strong tenor sax (John Gilmore no doubt), double reed and Sun drum intro, Gilmore soon launches off into one of those hard-to-believe solos that can scare most mortals on the planet earth. It sounds as if there are two bassists, one bowing and one plucking, both intensely. The sound of those squealing saxes and double-reeds is quite distinctive and unique to the Sun Ra Arkestra. A few flutes eventually mellow the tension out a bit. The next section features a medley of those classic Sun Ra vocal chants that we all love so well, "It's After the End of the World", "Outer Spaceways Incorporated" and more. "Why go to the moon? Try Sun Ra!" The second excerpt is from an unknown location in 1972 and features a bizarre Moog synth from Mr. Ra, more great singing from June Tyson and truly cosmic free/space music from the Sun Ra and his Arkestra. The sound quality is pretty great throughout and the performance consistently fascinating. - BLG
CD $15

SUN RA - The Creator Of The Universe: The Lost Reel Collection Vol 1 [2 CD set] (Transparency 301; USA) Disc one: June 10th 1971 live in San Francisco
Disc two: Sun Ra teaching class at UC Berkeley May 1971!
2 CD set for $17


ROBERT ASHLEY - Now Eleanor's Idea [2 CD Set] (Lovely Music 1009; USA) "At long last, the complete Now Eleanor's Idea quartet of operas is available on CD with the release of the final opera in the quartet, also called Now Eleanor's Idea. This release includes a booklet with the libretto and several pages of fantastic color photographs from Chimayo, NM, the town that helped inspire the story (well, that and Low Rider magazine). 'Opera likes to simplify and enlarge its characters to make them fit grand themes. Mr. Ashley goes in the opposite direction and arrives at the cosmos just as easily. Mundane chitchat about good eating habits or car repair turns to metaphysics, ontology, epistemology, not to mention psychiatry, before we know it.' --Bernard Holland, The New York Times. Robert Ashley's Now Eleanor's Idea is a quartet of short operas based on the notion of a sequence of events seen from four different points of view. At the same time, each opera is an allegory, like Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, for an individual's self-realization within the context of a major religion found in the United States. Improvement takes its imagery and plot from Judaism, 'Foreign Experiences' from Pentecostal Evangelism, 'eL/Aficionado' from Corporate Mysticism, and 'Now Eleanor's Idea' from (Spanish) Catholicism. While working at The Bank, the title character, Now Eleanor, has a sort of 'religious experience' that fills her with an 'approach of the end of the world feeling.' This feeling compels her to leave her job in the Midwest, move to New Mexico, and become a newscaster to try to discover the point where the religions of America -- Judaism, Protestantism, Business and Catholicism merge. But there is more in store for her than she realizes."
2 CD Set $25


MOSTLY OTHER PEOPLE DO THE KILLING [MOPPA ELLIOTT/PETER EVANS /JON IRABAGON/KEVIN SHEA] - Shamokin!!! (Hot Cup 63; USA) This is the second splendid disc by Moppa Elliott's wonderful, diverse quartet Mostly Other People Do The Killing or MOPDTK. The personnel still features Peter Evans on trumpet, Jon Irabagon on alto sax, Moppa Elliott on double bass & compositions and Kevin Shea on drums. The first thing one notices about this disc is that the cover artwork is based on (stolen from?) a number of Blue Note covers from sixties and that the liner notes were inspired by various Blue Note albums from the same period of time and are completely hilarious to read. The music is something else as well, a complete blast of fresh air and fun. "Handsome Eddy" has a great, slightly funky, twisted riff and features an explosive (Herb Robertson-like) trumpet solo from Peter Evans, the most talked about young trumpeter in the downtown currently. Alto saxist Jon Irabagon also takes a completely over-the-top solo while the great rhythm team spins tightly underneath speeding up and then slowing back down effortlessly. Mostly Other People have that great ability to blend the old and the new seamlessly. On "The Hop Bottom Hop" they outdo themselves with Moppa's warm and wooly bass slappin', the tempo slides from funky to free in the same section over and over, so that we never know where they will mutate to next?!? These cats are just too much! The title tune continues to accelerate more and more quickly at an astonishing pace with a number of hard-to-believe high falutin' solos from Jon's alto and Peter's trumpet. Like whoa! What is most amazing about this quartet is the way the rhythm team often shifts tempos from medium to lightning-like speed whenever someone solos and always end up an the right beat when the solo is over. Mostly Other People Do The Killing are one of the most exciting, exhilarating and impossible to deny their immense charms type of quartet to emerge from here in a quite long time. - BLG
CD $15


GREG BURK - Ivy Trio (482 Music 1038; USA) Featuring Greg Burk on piano, Jonathan Robinson on bass and Luther Gray on drums. This is Rome-based pianist, Greg Burk's fifth disc as a leader, having done solo, trios and quartet dates so far. It is called the "Ivy Trio", since it was recorded in a stuffy lounge of a dorm at Harvard University, an Ivy League school. Greg's last trio disc featured two other leaders/masters Steve Swallow and Bob Moses, but this time Greg two other longtime collaborators from the Boston area, Jonathan Robinson and Luther Gray. No doubt you know Luther Gray from his work with Joe Morris and Rob Brown.
"Look to the Neutrino" opens with the strange and unexpected sound of a Moog synthesizer over a most hypnotic groove. If I didn't know better I would have thought that I was still reviewing a Sun Ra disc from the earlier seventies. "Blink to Be' starts with a spacious drum intro flowing into some majestic piano and bass flourishes. I dig the way the right hand on the piano spins with sizzling cymbals while the bassist flows with low end of the piano and bass drums. Similar to waves crashing in opposite directions and eventually erupting together powerfully. Six of the seven songs were composed by Mr. Burk with just one standard (Bird's "Billie's Bounce") and each piece moves organically into the next one. "Hupid Stumid" is a more forceful piece with a dark theme that slowly unfolds as the drums build more intensely throughout. "Ducks and Gulls" begins with some hushed bird-like percussion sounds, slowly building spaciously like distant waves viewed from a beach. Quite breathtaking. This disc ends with a stirring version of "Billie's Bounce". Although they quote the theme quickly at the beginning, they soon move into a few layers of spinning lines with the bass burning at the center while the piano and drums spin tightly together. This is another stimulating, intense and creative piano trio date from Greg Burk and his two great collaborators. - BLG
CD $15


SUN CITY GIRLS - Juggernaut [sndtck] (Abduction 002; USA) Originally released as a limited edition LP by Abduction Records in 1994, and released on CD for the first time ever, this is an essential yet overlooked Sun City Girls recording consisting of various electric and acoustic tracks with a few compositional ideas rarely heard or revisited in their immense back catalog. And when we say compositional, we mean improvisation as composition which was basically the SCG method of operation in the studio. The record opens with two patented SCG stretched electric guitar/bass/drum works of dark beauty and then things become weirder as odd keyboards, acoustic instrumental and percussive pieces, and strange vocals start to dominate the rest of the album, setting the mood for Piasa... Devourer of Men which was recorded directly after Juggernaut. These tracks were exclusively created for a short film project by Mark Roman Bodnar and Kyrill Kazemirovitch Protsenko (a Ukraine/USA co-production) which resulted in a limited promo VHS release and a few festival screenings before the film was buried and forgotten. Segments from many of the ten tracks were actually used in the film, although there is much more to hear on the original full-length cuts found here. Some of the most unusual SCG studio recordings are contained on Juggernaut, all recorded live to 4-track cassette in 1993 in Seattle by Scott Colburn.
CD $15

SUN CITY GIRLS - Piasa... Devourer of Men (Abduction 003; USA) One of the strangest and most overlooked Sun City Girls recordings, Piasa... Devourer of Men was originally released on vinyl in 1994 and went out-of-print almost immediately. The record contains a series of short, folk-based tracks of raw beauty and intense moods. Most of the tracks were recorded in 1993 right after the completion of the Juggernaut soundtrack and some of the same ideas carried over into this project. A young and enthusiastic Italian director by the name of Antonio Pomola contracted SCG to create these recordings for his new film. The film was never completed and perhaps it was only an idea, but if it were to ever manifest, this music would certainly seem to fit the story line and the director's vision; the legend of a giant pre-historic flying reptilian terrorizing an early 1800s Indian tribe in Midwest America. Most of the tracks were created with acoustic instruments and voice and, with the exception of two tracks, the entire score was improvised. Recorded live to 4-track cassette by Scott Colburn, there is a strange, cohesive feel that runs throughout the album including several ceremonial and pan-ethnic tracks. Some cuts are completely indescribable. Reissued here on CD for the first time on Abduction, here is your chance to finally hear the cigarette played as a percussive instrument in an ashtray on the track "Nighthunting," among many other highly unique SCG tracks.
CD $15


SOUTHERN LAOS [V.A.] - Ethnic Minority Music of Southern Laos (Sublime Freq 036; USA) This is a collection of landmark recordings by Laurent Jenneau, documenting music created by the Harak and various Brao ethnic groups in Southern Laos. This is the second release in a series of spectacular field recordings from some of the more remote ethnic minority communities in Southeast Asia. On this release, you can hear the true historic roots of Molam music (now a venerable popular music style in Laos and Thailand) played on the khaen along with vocal styles from this region. Also featured here are gong ensembles, various stringed instruments, cymbals, drums and sung poetry all captured live on location with the ambient sounds of the surrounding villages. These recordings were made in Xekong, Champasak and Attapeu provinces and because much of this music is unknown, this is probably the first time recordings have ever been released of indigenous music from these remote areas of Southern Laos. Features insightful liner notes by Laurent Jenneau and an extended track listing with added information about each track recorded.
CD $15

NORTH VIETNAM [V.A.] - Ethnic Minority Music of North Vietnam (Sublime Freq 037; USA) This is the third volume in a series of tribal village music compiled by Laurent Jenneau from his continual journeys into the more remote tribal areas of Southeast Asia, featuring field recordings of the Giay, Lu, Red Zao, and Black Hmong peoples from North Vietnam. The five selections presented here by the Red Zao are of an unusual vocal style called Baozoo. The Baozoo singing technique can either be a responsive song, or canon singing where a lead singer has his or her words repeated with delay by one, two or three singers. You've never heard anything quite like it before. The instruments used in other selections include kheng (bamboo mouth organ), jew's harp, bamboo sticks with coins, and the piem zat (a reed instrument or oboe affiliated with Baozoo singing). Recorded in and around Sapa, this CD includes an extended track list with added information about each track recorded along with insightful liner notes by Laurent Jenneau with an excerpt included here: "The Lu are the most mysterious to me. First I'm easily impressed by people who have radically different beauty criteria; their way to blacken their teeth with a thick layer of black stuff makes every smile special. They seem to have been established in northwest Vietnam since the 12th century. The Giay, like the Lu or Lao, belong to the Tay Kadai language group. They are well established in northern parts of Vietnam and Laos, but emigrated from China 200 years ago. They have three styles of singing for different occasions; for a feast, for night drinking or to sing farewell to someone."
CD $15


BASSEKOU KOUYATE & NGONI BA - Segu Blue (Out Here 07; USA) Segu Blue introduces the first solo album from Malinese ngoni player, Bassekou Kouyate. Ngoni is the Bambara name for an ancient traditional lute found throughout West Africa that is plucked with the thumb, much like a 5-stringed banjo. Bassekou was born in a village called Garana about 60 kilometers from Segu, in the remote countryside on the banks of the Niger River. He was raised in a traditional musical environment, his mother a praise singer and his father and brothers exceptional ngoni players. He moved to Bamako when he was 19 years old where he met the young Toumani Diabate. By the late 1980s, Bassekou was part of Toumani's trio and they recorded their first albums together, Songhai and Djelika. Bassekou has collaborated with many musicians in and outside of Mali. He played in the Symmetric trio with Toumani Diabate on kora and Keletigui Diabate on balafon. He was part of the Kulanjan project recorded with Taj Mahal. He is one of the key musicians on Ali Farka Toure's posthumous album Savane that was released July 2006. Now he has put together his own band: Ngoni Ba; the big ngoni: Mali's first ngoni quartet. The ngoni is one of Africa's still-undiscovered secrets: it is the key instrument for Griot culture. Unlike the kora, whose history goes back only a few hundred years, the ngoni has been the main instrument in Griot storytelling way back into the days of Sundiata Keita. The repertoire Bassekou plays is from the region of Segu, the heart of Bambara culture. Unlike mandenka griot music, Bambara music is pentatonic in nature -- music as close to the blues as you can get in Africa. Segu Blue features artists Kassemady Diabate, Lobi Traore, Lassana Diabate and singer Zoumana Tereta. By the way, there is no kora or djembe on the album. Taj Mahal describes Bassekou as "a genius, a living proof that the blues comes from the region of Segu."
CD $16
Also available as 2 LP set on the Open House label for $30


ALIREZA MASHAYEKHI & ATA EBTEKAR/SOTE - Persian Electronic Music: Yesterday and Today 1966-2006 [2 CD Set] (Sub Rosa 253; Belgium) The Sub Rosa label presents the work of Alireza Mashayekhi and Ata Ebtekar/Sote, two essential, key luminaries in the so far very unknown electronic music scene as composed in Iran from the '60s until today. These Iranian music masters work on ancestral structures to create something radically new, travelling around the world as vivid creators, working through the hazards of history. Alireza Mashayekhi (b. 1940) is a pioneer Iranian avant-garde composer whose ideas and works have been performed in his home country and abroad for more than 35 years. Ata Ebtekar aka Sote (b.1972) is an electronic composer, sound artist and recording engineer who is interested in recasting the tuning of Persian classical scales (radif) and melodies from old Persian folk songs within a new electronic framework. Since he has a firm conviction that rules and formulas have to be deconstructed and rethought, he alters some of these modal systems from their original tonality and rhythm. He has released several CDs and vinyls on Dielectric/RLR, Spundae and Warp. Sub Rosa offers you a Persian history lesson that finally exposes this region's rich and significant contribution to the realm of electronic music.
CD $17


JOOKLO DUO - Free Serpents (QBICO 65; Italy) Virginia Genta -- tenor and baritone sax. David Vanzan -- drums. "They find me, last summer... and I was lucky, very lucky! David Vanzan on perc & dr and Virginia Genta on tenor & baritone sax, simply put, are the most talented musicians Italy ever had! And you got Qbico's word. Their music comes from their heart (not from the mind), they play with soul, fierce power (can't still understand how such a minute woman can play tenor, not to say baritone sax so aggressively!?), they are angry, they are young, in their early 20s and their energy is so pure and crystalline, like a diamond. The first time we met in Dec. 2006 we immediately hit-off/tune in and strange magical coincidences happened since then... we're pretty close now, they are my pupils, they can't rest more then one week, they'd tour, play, confront themselves, start new groups: I had seen them live with at least 5 different groups, and not a single one disappoint me, on the contrary! I love their attitude, really Qbico's style: they speak straight to yr face, no faked smiles, no-art galleries/suck schools/conservatory up-types, they are real, they are natural! The stage & the road are their teachers and for their age they toured a lot already all over Europe... they also got a small but very promising label called Troglosound and by the same name they sign their artworks that are simply astonishing! Bobby Beausoleil saw one of their posters and wrote me saying it's one of the best he had ever seen in years... of the older generation, Makoto Kawabata and Hartmut Geerken played with them already and they remained pretty impressed (Hartmut added that they are very humble too, a rare thang nowadays)... here you can hear eight raw duets of spontaneous and free music played in complete nakedness; the future is theirs!"
LP $23

NEOKARMA JOOKLO OCTET - Infinity (QBICO 66; Italy) "This mind-blowing session was organized the day after the Qbico U-nite VIII which happened @ DobiaLab near Gorizia, Italy on Feb. 11, 2007. Neokarma started from an idea of David Vanzan's vulcanic mind and with time, from a trio evolved into a 7et. Here they are with the complete line-up with special guests Giorgio Pacorig on Fender Rhodes and Makoto Kawabata on electric guitar. I had no doubt about the fact that Acid Mothers Temple Gurus would fit like a glove in this cosmic unit... nothing was planned... after three minutes David switched off the light and they are gone into deeeeeeep space... the void... the black hole... and I lived into the future. Their music reminds me a bit of Taj Mahal Travelers but of course with a new millennium feeling. I remember I played them TMT once in my place and they smiled and nodded their head... but they had never heard about TMT before. Virginia & Paolo's wind instruments float, Andrea throws some aqueous meteors which he directly intercepts from other galaxies, Giorgio has some electricity, Makoto & Christian add some magical make-up, Maurizio adds that Eastern groove and David holds it all in his hands. For me, Neokarma is the most revolutionary, powerful and futuristic group that Italy has ever had." Pressed on light-blue marbled vinyl.
LP $40

NEOKARMA JOOKLO TRIO - Meditative (QBICO BETA; Italy) "Rec. Nov. 30, 2006 by Maurizio Abate. Virginia Genta (tenor sax), Maurizio Abate (tanpura & harmonica), David Vanzan (percussion). 'Neokarma's delicate & mystical seed.'" Pressed on marbled red vinyl.
LP $32


THE FIERY FURNACES - Widow City (Thrill Jockey 189; USA) "There are few things in life as exhilarating as a new album by The Fiery Furnaces. Establishing themselves as one of rock music's most consistently engaging, exciting and thought-provoking bands, The Fiery Furnaces -- made up of core brother/sister duo Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger -- are well-versed in creating an album that manages to balance melody, originality, and a seemingly endless arsenal of instrumental ideas. Since their debut, Gallowbird's Bark, was released in 2003, The Fiery Furnaces have challenged the notion of what makes a song, weaving aural fragments into ten-minute-long opuses that take any number of melodic turns. Their songs often transcend categories redefining the pop song through their rapidly changing tempos and inventive sound selections -- almost as quickly as Eleanor can spit out proper noun-laced lyrical gems, often so otherworldly, that they border on magical realism. While the band's sixth LP, Widow City, is rooted in the Furnaces' aesthetic of challenging conventional notions of timing and song structure, the record is absolutely unlike any other LP in their expansive and brilliant repertoire. In fact, Widow City, their first for Chicago's renowned Thrill Jockey Records, features some of the finest, catchiest Furnaces compositions to date."
CD $14


ETHAN ROSE - Spinning Pieces (Locust Music 96, USA) Ethan Rose takes cues from minimalist ambient masters and spins a web to call his own. Three compositions positioned carefully alongside each other to bring the listener into deep relaxation. "Singing Tower" utilizes the carillon as a sound source. Which comes off more akin to Terry Riley or Microstoria than Mike Oldfield's "Tubular Bells". The carillon sound is stretched, overlayed, and pitched, creating an ethereal ambience. "...The Dot And The Lines" is based on a sampled player piano. Continuing on the theme of non-intrusive music ala Erik Satie via Brian Eno; revisiting the sonic lullaby carved out by the aforementioned masters. "Miniature & Sea" is one for music boxes and optical film reader and is my favorite of the three. The music box's clunky notes along with the scratchy optical film reader actually sounds like Richard Crandell's mbira heard underwater. For fans of Oval, Matmos or Brian Eno. - Chuck Bettis / DMG
CD $14


LSD MARCH - Constellation Of Tragedy (Important 164; USA) "Constellation Of Tragedy is the sixth full length album from Japan's LSD March. Apt comparisons are often made of LSD March being a cross between The Velvet Underground and Les Rallizes Denudes. Constellation Of Tragedy is their most well-recorded and refined album to date, coming to a climactic close and featuring leader Shinsuke Michishita playing guitar, Theremin, music box, bass, harmonium, & harmonica."
CD $14

SUISHOU NO FUNE - The Shining Star - Live (Important 165; USA) "Suishou No Fune [soo-ee-sho no foo-nay] was formed in 1999 by guitarists Pirako Kurenai and Kageo. They were quickly acknowledged in Japan for their unique take on Japanese psychedelic traditions but it wasn't until their inclusion on PSF's Tokyo Flashback Volume 5 that their international prominence began to grow. Heavy lyrical emotion transcends linguistic barriers and Pirako's blown-out fuzzy free-dream guitar work is an alternate universe psychedelic Japanese shoegaze. They are a forest at night drenched in echoing reverb and soaked with deeply spiritual/emotional melodies. Awash in waves of fuzz, Suishou No Fune's control of detail amidst chaos and heavy emotions is their deepest asset. Here's to the past. Here's to the future. Somewhere between Fushitsusha and Windy & Carl, there is Suishou No Fune."
CD $14


[KEN VANDERMARK'S] TERRITORY BAND [with FRED ANDERSON] - 6: Collide (Okkadisk 12090; USA) Featuring Fred Anderson, Frederik Ljungkvist, Dave Rempis & Ken Vandermark on saxes & clarinet, Axel Doerner on trumpet, Per-Ake Holmlander on tuba, Lasse Marhaug on electronics, Jim Baker on piano, David Stackenas on guitars, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello, Kent Kessler on bass and Paul Lytton & Paal Nilssen-Love on drums. The Territory Band is Ken Vandermark's ever-evolving large ensemble that is an extension of the Vandermark 5. The personnel and concept change on each disc, as Ken works his way through a myriad of ideas, inspirations and challenges for a large unit. Ken's lengthy liner notes do a fine job of explaining the long development of this project and how Fred Anderson fit in. It was recorded live in concert at the Jay Pritzker Pavillion in Chicago in August of 2006.
"Collide" is a 5 part composition dedicated Fred Anderson, Bruno Johnson (who runs Okkadisk) and Michael Orlove. "Part 1" swings hard when it begins, giving numerous horn players a chance to solo. Axel Doerner takes the first solo and sounds swell, none of that lower case stuff, just clear, hard swinging with a great tone. Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and David Stackenas on guitar solo together subtly while the band play cautiously underneath. Ken does the conducting for this band and sections sound like a Butch Morris conduction, no small feat. Even when the entire band swirls together densely, there is a certain clarity of expression that Ken has obviously worked on and succeeds with well. Fred Anderson starts "Part 2" with an unaccompanied solo and a tone that stands above as the old tenor titan that he embodies. Hard to believe that Fred is soon joined by Lasse Marhaug's dark electronic soundscape for a short bit that sounds right within the scheme of the piece. Frederik Ljungkvist takes a spirited bari solo with some great, tight horns swirling around him. Marhaug's brittle electronics open "Part 3", creating a mysterious, uneasy vibe that runs throughout this piece as the different horns weave layers of rich textures. The flow abruptly changes when the electronics drop out at the beginning on "Part 4," while both drummers spin powerfully together with some great piano interconnected the tight-knit layers of sailing horns that erupt together in the second half of this explosive piece. Things eventually wind down yet remain equally fascinating on a quieter level as the percussion interact with the strings and horns simultaneously. Finally on "Track 5," the drummers work together creating layers of rhythms (like they did recently at the Globe Unity Orchestra gig here in NYC). Things soon erupt when all four saxists come in wailing together in a mind-blowing free-form fest with the other horns soon joining in. A most perfect conclusion to an already colossal set. When the horns join forces for the charted regions, it sounds like 'Dedicated to You, But You Weren't Listening" by the Keith Tippett Group, one of my & Manny's favorite jazz records of all time. Again, the great Territory Band show that are a force to be reckoned with! - BLG
CD $15


JOACHIM KUHN / MAJID BEKKAS / RAMON LOPEZ - Kalimba (ACT 9456; Germany) A surprisingly diverse and creative trio featuring three men from different cultures & musical backgrounds: Joachim Kuhn on piano & alto sax, Majid Bekkas on gimbri, oud, kalimba & voice and Ramon Lopez on drums. Although German jazz piano master, Joachim Kuhn, has had a long and diverse career, starting in the 1960's, here he has put together a unique world music/fusion trio that is phenomenal throughout this entire disc. I hadn't heard of Morrocan musician Majid Bekkas, but it turns out that he has been collaborating with European musicians for a while, like Klaus Doldginger and Ramon Lopez. All but one of the songs on this disc were written by either Kuhn or Bekkas or co-written by both. "A Live Experience" opens with a most memorable vocal refrain and lovely piano by Kuhn. Majid plays a guembri (or gimbri), a four-string bass-like instrument that William Parker also plays. Joachim plays the first of many dazzling McCoyish piano solos here, accompanied perfectly by Majid's bass and Ramon's rhythm grooves. Majid starts "Hamdouchi" with a Gnawan groove on his guembri and his enchanting voice. Raymon keeps the groove going while Joachim plays another haunting yet melodic solo as the tempo increases faster and faster until it fades away. Kuhn's "Good Mood" is slow and mysterious and it reminds me of walking in an Arabian desert, as the sun simmers. "Kalimba Call" does in fact begin with delicate kalimba, piano and cymbals and soon with Majid's charming voice and delightful melody. Each and every song on this disc is immensely enchanting and often engaging as well. - BLG
CD $15



New from the Subterranean group of Netherlands labels:

SPEEQ [LUC EX/HASSE POULSEN/MARK SANDERS + SIDSEL ENDRESEN] - Or / Live in Strasbourg (Red Note 13 SBT; EEC) This is an impressive improv date recorded at Le Pole Sud at Strasbourg in France in November of 2006. Speeq is quartet featuring Luc Ex on acoustic bass, Hasse Poulsen on guitar, Mark Sanders on drums plus guest Sidsel Endresen on vocals. All four members of this quartet come from much varied backgrounds. Luc Ex was once a member of Dutch punk band The Ex and has since worked with Tom Cora in the Roof, which then turned into Four Walls, when Cora passed away. Hasse Poulsen has worked with Frode Gjerstad in Calling Signals, with Joelle Leandre and has a duo disc on Leo with Frederick Soegaard. Mark Sanders is one the UK's best drummers who has worked with Evan Parker, Jah Wobble and Paul Dunmall. Norwegian vocalist, Sidsel Endresen, has a couple of fine discs out on ECM, as well as working with ECM artists Nils Petter Molvaer, Jon Balke and Tryge Seim.
'Or' consists of 13 pieces, all are less than eight minutes. Commencing with "Clean" we are in for some fine spastic, quietly frenetic improv. Sidsel sounds as if she is stuttering as she spits her percussive vocal sounds out with the rest of the quartet quickly spinning around her. On "Young", Mr, Poulsen has that pure-toned jazz guitar sound yet he plays with that Beefheartian bent note spaz guitar noodability. As the pieces evolve, Hasse, slowly alters his tone with various devices, first adding echo and then subtle distortion effects. The pieces flow into one another organically and often don't sound completely improvised. Subtle grooves are established by any one of the three instruments so that the other instruments just fall into groove/flow as it develops. What makes this disc/gig special is that it often quiets down to spacious and spooky sections without having to become too much or too intense very often. Anyone who has had the good fortune to hear Four Walls play live, knows how incredible they are. This quartet is equally magical and seems to do everything just right. - BLG
CD $17

ANDY 'EX' MOOR - Marker (Unsounds 14 SBT; EEC) The guitar player from the Ex first solo record. Fifteen tracks in all, overdubbed, multitracked, and solo, showing the virtuosity of this esoteric guitarist. "Uganda Fly" contains propulsive sonic barrage for those who love his playing in the Ex this is your delectable treat. In contrast, "3 a.m." presents us with harmonic chords plucked and muted. Taking one further into his bag of tricks, "Stop/pause" brings forth the string mutilation he helped pioneer in the punk world. These are just some of the highlights on this beautiful record. Andy Moor makes his guitar scream, moan, sing in such a timeless and memorable way . A guitar record for guitar players and aficionados alike. For fans of Fred Frith, Marc Ribot, or Eugene Chadbourne. - Chuck Bettis / DMG
CD $22
YANNIS KYRIAKIDES / ANDY 'EX' MOOR - Red V Green (Unsounds 08, EEC) Andy Moor takes the first step in the danse macabre of guitar interspersed with electronics by Yannis Kyriakides. Carefully chosen guitar notes interweave between the open spaces that the various electronically manipulated sounds leave. Moor's signature percussive scrapes are not highlighted on this disc, if you want more of that buy one of the The Ex records (which are great!). What is prominent is his chord clusters and atmospheric scales. Yannis uses his sine tones and various manipulated lower case sounds, that are highlighted on his solo track "In Dreams I Talk About You". Something about his approach reminds of a Die Schachtel recording. "Red V Green" cover photo is the cryptic clue to what to expect, a man standing with a parachute in a very open area (sparse artwork reminiscent of Eno's "Discreet Music"). Mastered by Colin McLean (Dog Faced Hermans). For fans of AMM, Brian Eno, or Curtis Roads. - Chuck Bettis / DMG
CD $22

MOHAMMED 'JIMMY' MOHAMMED - Hulgizey In Concert (Terp 14 SBT; Belgium) Second and perhaps final disc from the incredible blind singer from Ethiopia backed by members of The Ex. He passed away in December of 2006 and had a very special voice that will be sorely missed.
CD $20

..and restocks onÉ You will find reviews for many of the below discs on our website

https://www.downtownmusicgallery.com


4 WALLS [PHIL MINTON/VERYAN WESTON/LUC EX/MICHAEL VATCHER] - And The World Ain't Square (Red Note 09 SBT; EEC)
CD $18

4 WALLS [PHIL MINTON/VERYAN WESTON/LUC EX/MICHAEL VATCHER] - Which Side Are You On? (Red Note 11 SBT; EEC)
CD $18

APA INI [TOBIAS DELIUS/HILARY JEFFERY/WILBERT DeJOODE/SERIGNE C M GUEYE] - Apa Ini (Data 33 SBT; Netherlands)
CD $19

AB BAARS & TERRIE EX - Hef (Terp 02 SBT; Belgium)
CD $20

AB BAARS/ROSWELL RUDD/WILBERT DE JOODE/MARTIN VANDUYNHOVEN - Four (Data 12 SBT; Netherlands)
CD $19

BASSDRUMBONE [MARK HELIAS/GERRY HEMINGWAY/RAY ANDERSON] - March Of Dimes (Data 21 SBT; Netherlands)
CD $19

HAN BENNINK [BENNINK H.J.] - Tempo Comodo (Data 823 SBT; Netherlands)
CD $19

HAN BENNINK & TERRIE EX - Zeng! (Terp 13 SBT; Belgium)
CD $20

TSEHAYTU BERAKI - Selam [2 CD set] (Terp 07/08 SBT; Belgium)
2 CD Set CD $23

STEVE BERESFORD/HAN BENNINK - B + B In Edam (ICP 37 SBT; Netherlands)
CD $22

SEAN BERGIN/ERNST REIJSEGER - Mistakes (Data 11 SBT; Netherlands)
CD $19

SEAN BERGIN QUINTET With CURTIS CLARK - Nansika: Plays The Music Of South African Composers (Data 53 SBT; Netherlands)
CD $19

JOOST BUIS - Astronotes (Data 41 SBT; Netherlands)
CD $19

JOHN BUTCHER - Thirteen Friendly Numbers (Unsounds 07 SBT; EEC)
CD $22

DJIBRIL DIABATE - Hawa (Terp 06 SBT; Belgium)
CD $20

THE EX - Blueprints for a Blackout (Ex 018/019 SBT; Holland)
CD $16

THE EX - Too Many Cowboys (Ex 031/032 SBT; Holland)
CD $17

THE EX - Joggers & Smoggers [2 CD set] (Ex 040/041 SBT; Holland)
CD $18

THE EX - Aural Guerrilla (Ex 036 SBT; Holland)
CD $17

THE EX - History Is What's Happening (Ex 008 SBT; Holland)
CD $16

THE EX + TOM CORA - Scrabbling At The Lock (Ex 051 SBT; Holland)
CD $16

THE EX + TOM CORA - And The Weathermen Shrug Their Shoulders (Ex 057 SBT; Holland)
CD $16

THE EX & GUESTS [HAN BENNINK/TRISTAN HONSINGER/AB BAARS /WOLTER WIERBOS/MICHAEL VATCHER/DOLF] - Instant [2 CD set] (Ex 063/064 SBT; Holland)
CD $22

THE EX & GUESTS [HAN BENNINK/TRISTAN HONSINGER/AB BAARS /WOLTER WIERBOS/MICHAEL VATCHER/DOLF] - Instant [2 CD set] (Ex 063/064 SBT; Holland)
CD $22

[THE EX ORCHESTRA] EX ORKEST With MICHAEL MOORE/JAAP BLONK /WOLTER WIERBOS - Een Rondje Holland (Ex 086 SBT; Holland)
CD $17

COR FUHLER/HAN BENNINK/WILBER DeJOODE - Tinderbox (Data 31 SBT; Netherlands)
CD $19

COR FUHLER NONET With AB BAARS/TONY BUCK/TOBIAS DELIUS/WILBERT DE JOODE - Corkestra (Data 44 SBT; Netherlands)
CD $19

ROZEMARIE HEGGEN & TERRIE EX - Fiets (Terp 02 SBT; Belgium)
CD $20

MAARTJE TEN HOORN QUARTET - Sparkles (Data 43 SBT; Netherlands)
CD $19

ICP ORCHESTRA [INSTANT COMPOSERS POOL: MISHA MENGELBERG /STEVE LACY/GEORGE LEWIS/HAN BENNINK/TRISTAN HONSINGER /MICHAEL MOORE] - Two Programs: Perform Herbie Nichols & Thelonious Monk (ICP 26 SBT; Netherlands)
CD $22

GUUS JANSSEN/WINNYFRED BELDMAN/DAVID KWEKSILBER - Futeristische Historie (Data 52 SBT; Netherlands)
CD $19

LANAYA - Soun Soun (Terp 01 SBT; Belgium)
CD $20.00

MISHA MENGELBERG - Mix: Solo 1994 (ICP 30 SBT; Netherlands)
CD $22

MISHA MENGELBERG With ICP ORCHESTRA/ANTHONY BRAXTON/DAVE DOUGLAS - Afijn [DVD] (ICP 44 SBT; Netherlands) review by BLG on line
DVD $30

MISHA MENGELBERG/TRISTAN HONSINGER/AB BAARS/HAN BENNINK /ALESSANDRA PATRUCCO - Circus (ICP 45 SBT; Netherlands)
CD $22

GETATCHEW MERKURIA & THE EX With JOOST BUIS/COR FUHLER - Moa Anbessa (Terp 11 SBT; Belgium)
CD $20

MOHAMMED 'JIMMY' MOHAMMED With HAN BENNINK- Takkabel! (Terp 10 SBT; Belgium)
CD $20

ANDY 'EX' MOOR & KAFFE MATTHEWS - Locks (Unsounds 02 SBT; EEC)
CD $22

MARY OLIVER - Witchfiddle (ICP 38 SBT; Netherlands) Solo violin/viola
CD $22

BOB OSTERTAG With MARK DRESSER/GERRY HEMINGWAY/PHIL MINTON - Say No More Vol 3: Verbatim (Red Note 06 SBT; EEC)
CD $17

ERNST REIJSEGER/ALAN 'GUNGA' PURVES - Cellotape & Scotchtape (Data 822 SBT; Netherlands)
CD $19

ROOF [TOM CORA/PHIL MINTON/LUC EX/MICHAEL VATCHER] - Untraceable Cigar (Red Note 04 SBT; EEC)
CD $17

ROOF [TOM CORA/PHIL MINTON/LUC EX/MICHAEL VATCHER] - Trace: Live (Red Note 07 SBT; EEC)
CD $17

MICHIEL SCHEEN QUARTET With AB BAARS/HAN BENNINK/ERNST GLERUM - Dance, My Dear? (Data 42 SBT; Netherlands)
CD $19

WALTER WIERBOS - Wierbos: Solo Trombone (Data 824 SBT; Netherlands)
CD $19


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


All the below discs from the legendary French progressive/art rock/classlcal band ART ZOYD, are now out-of-print as their label has gone under. These are the last copies, hence this is your final opportunity to get them, so here goes:

ART ZOYD - Le Champ des Larmes (In-Possible; France) "Electronic oratorio for 4 musicians surrounding the public and 5 video sources", I bet this is amazing to experience in the flesh. Less sure of how I feel it works as a CD alone; as has been the case with them for the last 20 years, it gets more and more minimal.
CD $22

ART ZOYD - Berlin (In-Possible Records; France) This was a 1987 album and is the beginning of the band's heavy electronic influenced period. But a goodly amount of the acoustic instruments still remain; not a classic but still really good. This comes in a new digipack and was remastered in 2003.
From 1987, the quartet version consisted of Gerard Hourbette on strings & keyboards, Thierry Zaboitzeff on cello, bass & keyboards, Patricia Dallio on keyboards only - all three are longtime members with Andre Mergenthaler on cello & alto sax. The pace is more sped up here, the spirits dancing more quickly, but when things slow down the elegant and austere vibes begins to soothe. Still spooky and ominous in sections.
CD $22

ART ZOYD - Le Mariage du Ciel et de L'Enfer (In-Possible; France) The marriage of heaven and hell; this 1984 work was Art Zoyd's sixth album and was the music for a ballet by Roland Petit. This is their last that is pretty much in their old 'chamber rock' style, before their interest shifted into something much more electronic. The band is Patricia Dallio-electric piano, grand piano, keyboards, Gerard Hourbette-viola, violin, electric piano, keyboards, percussion, Didier Pietton-soprano sax, Jean-Pierre Soarez-trumpet, percussion and Thierry Zaboitzeff-bass guitar, cello, voices, tapes, keyboards, percussion. A really good work, this comes in a new digipack and was remastered in 2003.
One of the grandest, most sophisticated and long-lasting of all European progressive bands - Art Zoyd - have been around for over thirty years. They are originally from Belgium and their members have swelled from upwards of seven members in 1979 down to only three in 1992, including Gerard Hourbette on strings & keyboards, Thierry Zaboitzeff on cello, bass & keyboards, Patricia Dallio on keyboards. Their instrumentation covers keyboards, strings, saxes, guitar, bass and percussion, but often no drummer. 'Le Mariage' is from '84 & '85 and it is one of their finest moments. Their music here is filled with suspense, it is spacious, yet dark, has a hypnotic pulse, without a drummer to drive it, a spooky, almost gothic vibe - quite majestic in part - rarely dense. Often rather soundtrack-like, always evoking images of ghosts and floating spirits - this music was composed for a ballet by Roland Petit. [4 Thumbs Up! - MannyLunch ]
CD $22

ART ZOYD - Nosferatu (In-Possible; France) Newly reissued & remastered in 2002 on the band's own label. One of the original R.I.O. (Rock-In-Opposition) groups, later adding minimalism & electronics. This is one of their first albums that showcased their growing interest in electronics & in working with other artforms [dance, theatre, film]. This is a soundtrack to the famous Murneau film from the early 1920's.
The quartet consists of Gerard Hourbette on strings & keyboards, Thierry Zaboitzeff on cello, bass & keyboards, Patricia Dallio on keyboards only - all three are longtime members with Andre Mergenthaler on cello & alto sax, perform the music for the F. W. Murnau's classic silent film "Nosferatu" - an early horror film that once seen, will never be forgotten. The enclosed booklet includes pictures from the film and it was actually shown at Lincoln Center in NYC more than a decade ago with Art Zoyd accompanying the film. This cd also contains "Vorange" for a ballet by the Salzburg Bewegungstheatre.
CD $22

ART ZOYD - Faust (In-Possible; France) One of the original R.I.O. groups. A mid 80's release that showcases their growing interest in electronics & in working with other artforms [dance, theatre, film]. With Theirry Zaboitzeff, Gerard Hourbette, Patricia Dallio, Daniel Denis.
Faust is a new composition on a movie 70 years older. This 72-minute cycle composed and recorded in 1994-1995 was devised as a soundtrack to the 1926 silent movie by F.W. Murnau. Art Zoyd performed this music live to accompany screenings of the movie on a few occasions, but it stands on its own very well. It follows the general esthetics the group developed throughout the 1970s and 1980s: rhythmical, processional music with simple repetitive melodies and dark atmospheres. But during the 1990s, the group turned more and more to synthesizers and samplers, leaving acoustic instruments behind. Therefore the music on Faust relies heavily on keyboards and samplers, along with acoustic and electronic percussion, and a pinch of cello. One finds in "Gates of Darkness I" all the basic elements that made Art Zoyd an icon of gloomy art rock. Most of the pieces relate to specific atmospheres, but their power of evocation is strong enough to compensate for the absence of the images. Guttural voices, harpsichord, orchestral cues, and lots of tympanies come together to create a very convincing horror movie soundtrack. On some superficial points, Faust is quite different from key albums such as Phase IV or Symphonie pour le Jour ou Bruleront les Cites, but on a deeper compositional level (writing was split between founding members Gerard Hourbette and Thierry Zaboitzeff) it can satisfy the fans and attract a few film buffs too. -- Francois Couture
CD $22

ART ZOYD - Metropolis [2 CD Set] (In-Possible; France) Metropolis sets the record straight. Complex, dense, and percussion-heavy, it takes us back to the group's finest works of the '90s. Gerard Hourbette (samplers, electronics), Patricia Dallio (samplers, keyboards), and Kasper T. Toeplitz (electronics, bass) form the core of the unit, both composition- and performance-wise. They are joined by Didier Casamitjana and Laurence Chave on percussion, Serge Bertocchi on saxophones, and Yukari Hamada-Bertocchi for extra keyboard and sampler tracks. The piece de resistance of this two-CD set is a one-hour-48-minutes soundtrack to Fritz Lang's classic science-fiction movie Metropolis. It follows a scene-by-scene breakdown of the scenario but is by no mean an aural illustration of the moving pictures. Each one of the 33 sections consists of an amalgam of separate pieces written by Hourbette, Dallio, and Toeplitz. The themes battle for a place in the stereo spectrum, one briefly eclipsing another before a third one enters with an apocalyptic drum pattern. It results in a complex music threatening to break away into chaos, yet remaining cleverly ordered. "Metropolis" can stand the comparison with the group's previous silent film trilogy (Nosferatu, Faust, Haxan) and it has very few weak moments. The second CD is rounded up with two more works. Hourbette's "Le Chat de Schrodinger" (24 minutes), written for a ballet by Karole Armitage, is typical Art Zoyd: simple bleak themes backed by doomsday percussion and arranged into a suite of contrasting movements. Kasper T. Toeplitz's "Appars" (18 minutes) is completely different. Performed by the Ensemble Musiques Nouvelles, it is a droning dark ambient composition for string and percussion ensemble and relates much more closely to the material on Experiences de Vol than the other pieces on this album. -- Francois Couture
The latest from Art Zoyd is this double set in a handsome digi-pack that includes the 1:48' soundtrack to Fritz Lang's famous silent film, plus 2 additional tracks that make this CD weigh in at over 2 and a half hours of music. The current band features: Serge Bertocchi-saxes/tuba, Didier Casamitjana and Laurence Chave- electronic and acoustic percussion, Patricia Dallio, Gerard Hourbette and Yukari Hamada-Bertocchi-samplers, keyboards and electronics and Kasper T. Toeplitz-bass guitar and electronics. This reminded me a lot of some of Peter Frohmader's records.
2 CD Set for $30

Art Zoyd - u-B-I-Q-U-e (In-Possible; France) Latest from AZ is this LARGE scale work for the band (Mireille Bauer, Patricia Dallio, Daniel Denis, Gérard Hourbette & Emma Stephenson Poli) plus a "orchestra" of 13 guitars, 3 basses, 6 saxes, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba & 11 drums. Composed by Gerard, & based on or inspired by the writings of Philip K. Dick, this is pretty obviously a major work, with the guest musicians providing a nice balance to the heavily electronic tilt of the band.
It seems that the symphony orchestra becomes a temptation for every aging rock group, even one so unique and avant-gardist as Art Zoyd. Ubique (or "u.B.I.Q.U.e.," to reproduce the title's spelling) is a symphonic poem composed by Art Zoyd leader Gerard Hourbette for the quintet augmented by a 41-piece orchestra led by ex-Univers Zero Michel Berckmans. For this occasion, Art Zoyd consisted of Hourbette, Patricia Dallio, and Emma Stephenson Poli on samplers and keyboards; original drummer Daniel Denis; and percussionist Mireille Bauer, best known for the years she spent in Pierre Moerlen's Gong. The "Orchestre d'u.B.I.Q.U.e." is a gigantic beast comprising 13 guitarists, three bassists, a big horn section, and ten drummers! Despite all that, the music seems to lack power. In fact, the orchestra adds nothing noticeable to Art Zoyd's sound, which already drew heavily on orchestra samples. Live, it must have been totally different, but on record, Ubique is less in-your-face than group-only effort Metropolis, which came out two years later. If the music is not as powerful as the extravaganza promised, the writing remains pure Hourbette: creepy, martial, progressive. The symphonic poem consists of two movements. Some sections of "Glissements Progressifs du Plaisir" had been included in the group's 1997 soundtrack for the silent film Haxan. Here it is featured in an extensively revised version.
CD $22



HISTORIC & ARCHIVAL RECORDINGS:

DINOSAUR L [ARTHUR RUSSELL] - 24->24 Music (Sleeping Bag/Traffic 76530; USA) Dinosaur L is an alias donned by Arthur Russell, a man whose contribution to dance music from the late seventies and through the eighties was formidable but only quietly acknowledged. His innovative and left field dance records were way ahead of what people were used to hearing at the time.
He was a cellist who studied classical and Indian music. As well as his great strides in dance music he was also involved in the New York downtown avant-garde music scene and produced some albums in a more avant-garde/experimental vein as well as trying his own unique approach to pop. He scored several hits on the underground New York dance scene at clubs like The Paradise Garage (Larry Levan was a huge supporter). His biggest tunes, Go Bang! and Is It All Over My Face? were worldwide club hits and are still played today as classics. His records have influenced the scene from his first dance record in 1979 to the present day and his work has been much sampled. Sadly Arthur died in 1992, but his music lives on and his influence is still felt on the dance music scene, his tunes still sound great and are still moving many dancers around the world, so his spirit lives on.
Sleeping Bag Records and Traffic Entertainment Group is proud to present Dinosaur L's 24->24 Music for the first time ever on compact disc in a deluxe digipak with extended artwork (based on the original sleeve) and liner notes. Includes the original album tracklisting plus rare 12" remixes and edits. Produced By Arthur Russell with Mixes By Francois Kervorkian
A. #1 (You're Gonna Be Clean On Your Bean) B. #5 (Go Bang) C. #2 (No, Thank You) D. #7 E. #3 (In The Corn Belt) F. #6 (Get Set) G. Clean On Your Bean #1 H. Go Bang! #5 I. Go Bang! (Thank You Arthur Edit) CD $15


RICHARD And LINDA THOMPSON - In Concert November 1975 (Island 327; UK) Exciting 2007 archive release featuring an entire show from November '75 including encores. All but two of these tracks are previously unreleased. 15 tracks including 'I Want To See The Bright Lights Tonight', 'Calvary Cross', 'Night Comes In', 'Together Again' and more!
CD $20


SYD BARRETT//JOHN EDGINTON, dir. - The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story [2 DVD set] (Zeit 02; UK) John Edginton's documentary tells the full bizarre, tragic and celebratory story of Syd Barrett with contribution from friends, managers, and band members Roger Waters, Dave Gilmour, Nick Mason and Rick Wright. The film includes rare early television appearances of Pink Floyd and home movies too. In this new definitive edition DVD, the full unedited interviews conducted by the director with Pink Floyd are now made available raw and unedited, alongside the original documentary. The three hours of DVD extras also include acoustic performances of Syd's songs by Robyn Hitchcock and ex-Blur member Graham Coxon. Oyster box includes 10 items of retro memorabilia in a special printed envelope." DTS & 5/1 Surround Sound; NTSC; 4:3 Aspect Ratio; English 5:1; Dolby Digital.
2 DVD set for $28


MORNING GLORY - Two Suns Worth (Fallout 2066; UK) This overlooked acid pop treat has been compared to albums by Jefferson Airplane and The Mamas and the Papas, though it's less experimental than the former and more psychedelic than the latter. Originally released in May 1968, it was engineered by John Cale (fresh from The Velvet Underground) and produced by Abe "Voco" Kesh (familiar to psych fans for his work with Blue Cheer, Savage Resurrection and others). A solid collection of West Coast hippie rock featuring the hypnotic psych classic, "Jelly Gas Flame," it makes its long-overdue CD debut here.
CD $16

BLUE MOUNTAIN EAGLE - Blue Mountain Eagle (Fallout 2080; UK) This superb collection of acid-influenced guitar rock originally appeared in 1970 and has languished in under-served obscurity ever since. Produced in L.A. by legendary engineer Bill Halverson (Crosby, Stills & Nash, Cream, the Grateful Dead), it's heavily imbued with West Coast influences and features superb musical interplay throughout. The band supported acts including Jimi Hendrix and Pink Floyd, but proved sadly short-lived. The album makes its long-awaited CD debut here, complete with both mixes of their sole non-LP 45, making it an obligatory purchase for all devotees of U.S. psychedelia.
CD $16


BILL FAY - From The Bottom of an Old Grandfather Clock (Wooden Hill 12; UK) From The Bottom Of An Old Grandfather Clock (WHCD012) recently described by MOJO magazine as "Britain's pop Salinger", the reclusive Bill Fay cut the classic Screams In The Ears/Some Good Advice single in 1967 before making two dark singer-songwriter albums for Decca, at which point he opted for public silence. This CD features 25 stunning demos and works-in-progress that were cut between 1966 and 1970: apart from three tracks that were included on Tenth Planet's vinyl-only Peter Eden compilation a few years back, everything is previously unreleased. Amongst the highlights are a handful of tracks with Honeybus as backing band, including Warwick Town and Maxine's Parlour. Baroque 60s pop at its finest, this important release includes previously unpublished photos and extensive liner notes, with new quotes from Bill.
CD $22

CHIMERA - Chimera (Wooden Hill 13; UK) "Legendary lost masterpiece of late '60s acid folk/baroque psychedelia, the unreleased 1969 album by Chimera -- featuring future Fleetwood Mac guitarist Bob Weston -- was partly produced by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason who, like Rick Wright, makes a cameo appearance. First released a few years ago in vinyl-only format, this first-ever CD issue adds an extra eight pre-album demos to provide the definitive Chimera anthology. 12-page booklet with lots of photos and the full story behind the band's astonishing adventures in Swinging London."
CD $22

FOREVER AMBER - The Love Cycle (Wooden Hill 15; UK) "First-ever official reissue of the great lost British pop psych album, recorded in the summer of 1968 and released in a total quantity of 99 copies. A magnificent 16-track song-cycle widely compared to a basement version of the Zombies' Odessey & Oracle, this release features the original restored artwork, a 12-page booklet with quotes, photos etc., and eight bonus tracks: re-recordings of The Love Cycle material from an aborted 1978 rewor
king of the LP. The definitive release of an album that even The Times recently hailed as 'a lost classic!'"
CD $22

ICARUS - The Marvel World of Icarus (Wooden Hill 16; UK) "First-ever official, master tapes reissue of 1972 British psych/prog concept album, allegedly withdrawn at the time due to pressure from Marvel Comics. The full story is told in the lavish 16-page booklet, which also includes previously unpublished photos and band quotes. Five bonus tracks: a U.S.-only single that was an outtake from the LP, the band's 1968 pop-psych debut single and, most impressively of all, both sides of a fantastic unreleased 45 from 1969. This release also doubles as the complete recorded works of one of the most elusive, mysterious bands active during the British psychedelic/progressive era."
CD $22


OUT OF FOCUS - Wake Up (Kuckuck 11006; Germany) "Debut album of Munich psychedelic Krautrock masters. Existing for ten years or so, Out Of Focus was amongst the finest of German rock fusion bands. Formed in late 1968 in Munich, they rapidly established a stylish and refined blend of rock and jazz that drew in psychedelic overtones and also a profound socio-political awareness in Moran Neumuller's songs. The early albums exhibited that unique character of Krautrock (akin to Xhol, Thirsty Moon, etc.) with pure invention in a music that transcends boundaries, taking the rock song beyond its normal format with extended instrumentals featuring an abundance of solos and surprises. I would argue that Out Of Focus started excellent, and got even better with each album. Probably the finest of all their albums was the monumental double Four Letter Monday Afternoon, almost certainly a dedication to Soft Machine's revolutionary double Third, it similarly had mainly instrumental and lengthy tracks, although the first LP is a little more down to earth, the unprecedented surprise is the extended suite that encompassed the whole of the second LP. lt seems amazing that a band were able to start off with a masterpiece and better it with each subsequent album, yet that's what Out Of Focus did!"
CD $16

OUT OF FOCUS - Out of Focus (Kuckuck 11010; Germany) Reissue of the 2nd album by this group, originally issued in 1971. "Second psych rock album/rock from Germany/guitar, flute, organ/long tracks."
CD $16

OUT OF FOCUS - Four Letter Monday Afternoon [2 CD set] (Kuckuck 12032; Germany) Double CD reissue of their third album, originally issued in 1972. "Final double album by more jazzy underground rockers/bonus track.
2 CD set for $26


OS MUTANTES - Mutantes (Tanthe Foth 11; EEC) Gray-area repro. "The second album stands today, just like their debut, as a very important part of the Tropicalia movement. Released in 1969, more tropicalist fuzz-psych to blow your mind away!
LP $28

OS MUTANTES - Os Mutantes (Tanthe Foth 10; EEC) Gray-area reproductions of these first 2 LPs by Os Mutantes. Relatively poor quality cover repros, probably mastered from previous CD versions. "Absolutely brilliant debut from 1968 with a wild & crazy mixture of psychedelia & Brazilian music, with killer fuzz guitars, effects, Beatles influences. An incredible set of great songs that sound today even more fresh and modern than in 1968!!! Includes an astounding fuzzed-out cover of Jorge Ben's 'A Minha Menina.'
LP $28


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HAPPY BIRTHDAY, OCTOBER 10TH, TO DMG'S CHUCK BETTIS!

He may put in hours at DMG, but Chuck's a longtime recording artist and touring musician, playing laptop, allsorts electronics...oh yeah, and that weird vocal stuff.
[MannyLunch went outside the Stone at one of his performances looking for a wounded animal! Not very bright, that boy.]

Here's a list of some of the discs [the ones we have!] that feature the multi-talented Mista Bettis:

WWIII [WORLD WAR III: CHUCK BETTIS/JOSH BLAIR/JERRY LIM] - WWIII (Poggpony 15; USA) World War 3 was a trio featuring DC underground stalwarts Josh Blair (now of Orthrelm, once of Companion Trio & Supersystem) on drums & electronics, Jerry Lim (once of Companion Trio and Pithot) on guitar, and DMG's own new recruit Chuck Bettis (once of All Scars, Metamatics, Devastation Duo, Measles Mumps Rubella, and numerous Zorn-instigated NYC improv throwdowns) on bass and Fender Rhodes. They were active for just about 2 years, from 1996-98, during which time they played with groups like Ruins, To Live & Shave in LA, Royal Trux, and the Make-Up. During their brief existance, they explored the possibilities of growth, ritual, and exploration outward from the punk roots from which they'd all come up into a darker, hairier, and altogether nastier experimental beast born from a diet of free jazz, improv, and experimental electronic music. While the recordings on this self-titled CD date back to that fertile two-year period, they were not released until nearly 10 years later, and with hindsight comes the delight in hearing the roots of where these guys would end up musically. This record is the sound of a band trying to kick, claw, and bludgeon its way out of the punk box while still trying to hold on to the spirit of their origins - and for teh most part, it's largely successful. Deep, muddy drones, smears of atonal guitar, and rough and tumble clusters of drums and bass all collide and intersect into a real punk-jazz hybrid that would make Jaco crap his pants. Nice work, guys - better late than never. - Mikey IQ Jones.
CD $10

CHUCK BETTIS & FRIENDS With IKUE MORI/TIM BARNES/AUDREY CHEN/DJ TOSHIO KAJIWARA - Community Of Commotion (North East Indie 36; USA) Featuring Chuck Bettis on laptop & vocals, Ikue Mori, DJ Toshio Kajiwara, Audrey Chen (cello & vox) and Tim Barnes, plus another eight players. Chuck is a new member of the downtown network, having worked with Ikue Mori and done a few of Zorn's monthly improv nights at The Stone. This is mostly a studio recording, with three lives pieces (two recorded at Tonic). The majority of musicians here play electronics/synth, vocals or the odd percussion instrument. Colleen Kinsella does some charming sung/spoken vocals on "Playful Moaner" with subtle electronics swirling around her voice. "Mood Orifice" features a fascinating trio with Chuck, Ikue Mori and DJ Toshio on laptops, electronics and/or turntables. All tracks are either duos or trios with Chuck on laptop and his own weird vocals on three tracks. You got to love a title called, "Deathmetal Dancehall", where Chuck does some twisted (manipulated) screaming over some great drum machine beats. On "Atheist Revolt", Chuck takes some drum n' bass grooves and high speed metal guitar and turns them inside out. On each piece the main instrument is improvised laptop and on each piece Chuck explores a different sonic approach. Hence, each piece is interesting in different ways, nothing is too dense or cluttered. Let's welcome Chuck Bettis to the ever-evolving downtown scene and pat him on the back for a fine new disc. - BLG
CD $10

CHUCK BETTIS - Sonic Sigils (Scarcelight 22; USA) "A word of warning: if it's a hungover morning, skip opener "Night On Fire (for Nick Bohn)". It will hurt you. In fact, it might be a good idea to skip the disc altogether if you're in a fragile state; make yourself a cup of tea, add a shot of whiskey to it and listen to some nice Belle & Sebastian while you curl up on the couch and wait for the liquor to work. If you're feeling adventurous, however, Bettis has a little trip for you. Sonic Sigils begins with the aforementioned "Night On Fire"'s aural assault, all low-pitched whine and digital shuffle, punctuated by rapid-fire layers of hard-panned tape rewind. It tapers from there... all the way down to the subterranean radar of "Neuromancy" and the disconnected, barely audible mutter of the untitled track that follows it. Bettis's work falls into that category of "ambient" that is decidedly not background music. "Blipitle Flimalfa"'s watery squiggles and piercing sonic needles, "Light in Extension"'s space-robot effects-mongering, the machine-like but strained cycling of different rhythmic lines in "Faith is Fear" -- all demand your attention. It ain't pretty, but it's strangely beautiful." - Sarah Zachrich
CD $10

THE TRANCE AND THE ARCADE [CHUCK BETTIS] - Harmonic Architecture (Mass Particles 04; USA) "First full length solo electronic record by Chuck Bettis before T.A.T.A. became a multimedia duo; utilizing guitar pedals, sampler, keyboards, and a archaic drum machine. Harmonic Architecture is a varied electronic recording from 1997-98 that still sounds fresh today. Mastered by Josh Blair of Orthrelm. Limited to 500, each one hand made and colored by Mr. Bettis.
CD $10

THE TRANCE AND THE ARCADE [CHUCK BETTIS/JORGE CASTRO] - Oven Tiger [DVD] ( Mass Particles 10; USA) [NTSC all region] "Oven Tiger is a 24 minute looping DVD, intended as multimedia instrument for trance inducing states, via multiple projections at off sync times or singular viewing. The DVD starts as soon as you load it in your machine and never stops until you take it out! Audio by Chuck Bettis-electronics, video by Jorge Castro a/k/a Fisternni-electronics. Recorded in 2002 in Baltimore, MD. Fans of Harry Smith take note!"
DVD $12

BROWN WING OVERDRIVE [CHUCK BETTIS/MIKEY IQ JONES/DEREK MORTON] - We Have Issues: live at Issue Project Room 8/15/07 (Living Myth 01; USA) [limited #'d edition of 50] Brown Wing Overdrive (BWO) feature Mikey IQ Jones on percussion & samples, Chuck Bettis on laptop & vocalizations and Derek Morton on electronics & banjo. If two of those names sound fairly familiar, well they should since Mikey & Chuck work here at DMG five days a week. Mikey, the thin dude with the pointy hair, has worked here for years running our shipping department and helping us to select certain music so that we occasionally look cool. Chuck has been here since February, taking over the job of Emperor Mike, manning the e-mail-based sales, selecting noisier sounds for our bins and telling folks to leave their bags at the counter. Both of these fine lads make my life here at DMG easier and we all try to keep each sane and smiling.
BWO have been around about a year, playing gigs as often as they can, recently playing in DC and Baltimore. You might recognize Chuck Bettis, the one with the goggles on this discs' cover, from improv sets he has born with Zorn or from the night he volunteers at The Stone. This disc captures one complete set at the second Issue Project Room just last month. It sounds like a particularly strong and focused set. Chuck does a great job of singing sounds into his laptop and then manipulating those sounds into strange fragments. Mikey plays percussion most selectively, occasionally adds vocals and also manipulates the results. Derek also plays some ancient electronic devices and occasionally plucks on his banjo. I dig the way they swirl their electronic and vocal-processed sounds into a fascinating and rarely too dense brew. Some of vocal sounds are hilarious, so it is fine to laugh when you listen. At 31-minutes, this disc is the perfect length, since it remains completely enchanting throughout. Great music to play loud in your apartment so that your neighbors know that you are f**king nuts. - BLG
CD-R $10 (Limited Edition of 50)





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



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

This Sunday, October 7th
T.J. TROY - Solo tabla & percussion

Next Sunday, October 14th
6pm - RAS MOSHE / KYOKO KITAMURA / SHAYNA DULBERGER!


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THE STONE is located at the NW corner of Avenue C & 2nd St.
September, 2007 is curated by Theo Bleckman

October, 2007 curated by Paola Prestini / Steven Bernstein


10/5 Friday
8 pm - David Cossin (percussion) - A specialist in new & experimental music, Cossin stretches the boundaries of percussion performance by incorporating new media across a broad spectrum of musical and artistic forms. 10 pm - Vijay Iyer and Rudresh Mahanthappa-Raw Materials w/ Vijay Iyer (piano) Rudresh Mahanthappa (alto saxophone); This innovative duo offer an evening of music in a chamber-like setting, their original music blurring the boundaries between composition and improvisation, drawing from African-American jazz and experimental music, South Asian and African musics, and modern composition.

10/6 Saturday
8 pm - New Voices-a Visual and Vocal Journey - Paola Prestini and Milica Paranosic (composer/performers) and ensemble; Frequent collaborators, composer-performers Milica Paranosic and Paola Prestini offer an exciting evening of multimedia that travels from Mexico to Serbia and beyond. Guests include Trinidadian poet Lynne Procope, Mexican filmmaker Erika Harrsch, German filmmaker Carmen Kordas, and VisionIntoArt artists Erik Carlson, Duncan Cutler, Richard Mannoia and Pablo Rieppi.
10 pm - XAMBUCA presents"Dicentra"-A Poisonous Flower in Two Parts
Chandra Shukla (electronics) Larry Thrasher (Psychic TV) and RK Faulhaber (Nurse With Wound)(multi-instrmentalists, sonic specialists) Jon Weber (video artist); In from San Francisco, XAMBUCA presents"Dicentra", a story about the life of a flower who's anatomy appears to be split into two, its journey through its growth, its inevitable lament, and the potentially poisonous hallucinations rendered by its consumption.

10/7 Sunday
8 pm - Cornelius Dufallo with members of Ne(x)tworks w/ Cornelius Dufallo (violin) Joan La Barbara (voice) Miguel Frasconi (glass and electronics)
Violinist/composer Cornelius Dufallo and members of Ne(x)tworks present music by Wadada Leo Smith, Cornelius Dufallo, Joan La Barbara, and Miguel Frasconi.
10 pm - Kathleen SupovŽ with Special Guest: Charles Woodman w/ Kathleen Supove (piano) Charles Woodman (interactive video artist); Pianist Kathleen SupovŽ performs new multimedia creations for piano, including the 2007 work INNER CITIES #13 by Alvin Curran. This special performance uses hand sensors and video processing in real time by Charles Woodman (University of Cincinnati).

10/9 Tuesday
8 pm - More Viola, Please... - Nadia Sirota (viola) - Fearless interpreter and commissioner of music, Nadia Sirota offers an evening that features the viola and electronics with premieres by Caleb Burhans and Nico Muhly.
10 pm - Blues in Space w/ Rubin Kodheli (cello) Garret Brown (drums) Justin Sabaj (electric guitar) - Rubin Kodheli, the multi-talented young cellist, brings together a mixed ensemble band in an evening of music spanning hard rock to heavy metal, with chaotic improvisations on electric cello.

10/10 Wednesday
8 pm - Matthew Burtner and friends w/ Matthew Burtner (sound artist) Haleh Abghari (vocals) Morris Palter (percussion) Michael Straus (saxophone)
A multimedia chamber music evening that combines video and computer-generated sound with live acoustic instruments. This special set features "Kuik (aria) which tells the story of the Kvichak River in Alaska, the scattering glitchy electroacoustic saxophone and video piece, "(dis)Locations," and the suspended icily precise "Prismic Generations" for struck and bowed pitched instruments.
10 pm - Will Holshouser Trio w/ Will Holshouser (accordionist) Ron Horton (trumpet) Dave Phillips (bass); An evening of arranged and improvised works by Holshouser offers a broad palette of trumpet timbres, rich bass bow sounds, and rhythmically driving accordion pulsations.

10/11 Thursday
8 pm - Christine Southworth and Evan Ziporyn - Christine Southworth & Evan Ziporyn (Balinese gamelan gender wayang) - Traditional Balinese duets from the repertoire of the late I Wayan Loceng, Sukawati Village. Gender wayang is commonly used to accompany the the shadow puppet plays (wayang kulit) of Bali; it is also used for major life rituals such as funerals and tooth filings.
10 pm - Metasax&DRUMthings w/ Matthew Burtner (metasaxophones, polyrhythmicon, computer, composer) and Morris Palter (percussion and computer) ThinkThank Media (video) Spacecraft (design) Metasax&DRUMthings merges intense human/computer polyrhythms with live signal processing using sensor-based gestural technologies. From structured, experimental works to free improvisation with rhythmic signal processing machines, to ambient pulse-based sound art, Metasax&DRUMthings performances present a high-energy, rhythmic show combining experimental, electronic, free jazz and punk influences

10/12 Friday
8 pm - The New York Miniaturist Ensemble w/ Erik Carlson (violin) Josh Rubin (clarinet) Michael Caterisano (percussion); The New York Miniaturist Ensemble performs works of 100 notes or fewer by composers from around the globe.
10 pm - Steve Piccolo and Gak Sato w/ Steve Piccolo (voice, bass, guitar and electronics) Gak Sato (theremin, percussion and electronics)
Steve Piccolo, in a rare appearance at the Stone, comes from Milan, Italy to bring us "Unreliable Sources", an evening of songs and stories.

10/13 Saturday
8 pm - Moo, Squeal & Scratch: In the Garden of Shadows
Haleh Abghari (voice) Michael Douglas Jones (voice) Benjamin Kreith (violin) Keith Carrol (Sound Design) - Excerpts from Moo, Squeal & Scratch: in the garden of shadows, a bilingual music-theatre work with text from classical Persian poetry, created and performed by Haleh Abghari, Michael Douglas Jones, Benjamin Kreith and Keith Carrol.
10 pm - 'CELLI w/ Felix Fan (cello) ; Felix Fan, the exciting versatile cellist, offers an evening with multiple cellistic perspectives in a program that includes 'Metamorphosis' by Philip Glass for two celli, 'We shall Fight' by Yoav Gal, and 'Cello Counterpoint' by Steve Reich.

10/14 Sunday
8 and 10 pm - Improv Night-A Stone Benefit featuring: John Zorn (sax) Steven Bernstein (trumpet) Kenny Wollesen (drums) Shanir Blumenkranz (bass) Cyro Baptista (percussion) Special Guests TBA
Come out and support The Stone! Twenty Dollars.


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 or allowed, 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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Thursday November 1st at 7:30 PM

ROBERT FRIPP solo, & with The League Of Crafty Guitarists

at The Concert Hall at the Ethical Cultural Society
2 West 64th Street, New York, NY 10023

Mr Fripp will play the first set with electric guitar going through his 'Lunar Modue' tower of electronics

Mr Fripp will play the second set on acoustic guitar with The LOGC. This is the first NY appearance of LOGC in over 15 years!


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Dance Theater Workshop presents
DONNA UCHIZONO COMPANY
In the world premiere of
THIN AIR
Music by Fred Frith
OCTOBER 9 - 13, 2007

In the world premiere of Thin Air, Donna Uchizono's point of departure is her fascination with how human perception shapes and obscures our sense of reality. Hailed by Ms. Magazine's end of the century issue as "a choreographer making great leaps forward into the 21st century," Donna Uchizono is known for bringing emotional depth to inventive work spiced with wit, rich invention and unexpected beauty. In Thin Air, she draws from the Buddhist tenet of "emptiness" as well as concepts of quantum physics to create a landscape that is both real and virtual. Juxtaposing projected video and shifting soundscapes with the visceral power of dance, Thin Air ultimately emphasizes the emotional impact of "real" physical contact and intimacy. As Uchizono stretches space and time with a language of minimal movement and compelling visual imagery, Thin Air emerges as a performance that exposes the complexity and fragility of the human psyche and once again, "plays with our expectations at every turn." (The Washington Post) Thin Air features dancers Hristoula Harakas, Antonio Ramos and Julie Alexander, an original score by the iconic composer Fred Frith, video by artist Michael Casselli and lighting by Jane Shaw.


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j a z z a t t h e s e a p o r t - Fridays at 8pm

october 5
borah bergman, piano
louie belogenis, tenor saxophone

october 12
shoko nagai, piano
louie belogenis, tenor saxophone
satoshi takeishi, drums

october 19 angelica sanchez trio
angelica sanchez, piano
chris lightcap, bass
chad taylor, drums

october 26 berger, lindberg, belogenis & kugel
karl berger, piano and vibes
john lindberg, bass
louie belogenis, tenor saxophone
klaus kugel, drums

seaport district cultural association performance space
Front Street at Beekman Street (South Street Seaport)
rsvp: 1.212.393.9191
subway: 2,3,4,5 to Fulton Street or A to Broadway/Nassau


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Dee Pop presents: The Freestyle Creative Music Series
EVERY SUNDAY @ Jimmyâs Restaurant
43 East 7th Street, NYC - 212-982-3006
Sets are at 7pm & 9pm $10 PER SHOW (cheap!)

OCTOBER: CURATED BY AMIR ELSAFFAR

October 7
7:00 Tareq Abboushi Trio
9:00 Gaida and Ilham, featuring Rufus Cappadoicia, Brahim Fribgane, Dimitri Mikelis, and Amir ElSaffar

October 14
7:00 Mitz, with Dimitri Mikelis, Julian Ougier, Allan Bjorklund, Alex Dewrier, Pascal Niggembenker
9:00 Safaafir Iraqi Maqam ensemble, with Amir ElSaffar, Dena ElSaffar, and Tim Moore

October 21
7:00 Radio I-Ching
9:00 Gaida and her ensemble, featuring Amir ElSaffar, Dimitri Mikelis, Tareq Abboushi, Arturo Martinez

October 28
7:00 Carlo DeRosa Trio with Justin Brown and Mark Shim


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ROULETTE presents
20 Greene St (between Canal and Grand St)
8:30 PM Admission TICKETS/RSVP: 212.219.8242
Roulette 228 West Broadway New York, NY 10013

Friday, October 5th
Kyoko Kitamura with Valeria Vasilevsky & ok|ok [Mike McGinnis: reeds, Khabu: guitar, Kyoko Kitamura: voice and laptop]:
Nihon Anime Night. In tonight's work, conceived by Kyoko Kitamura & Valeria Vasilevski and performed by ok|ok (Mike McGinnis on reeds, Khabu on guitar & Kitamura on voice and laptop), several Japanese silent animations from the 1920s and 1930s will merge with a live performance. ok|ok's performance will honor the original content and add an English translation as well as original music both composed and improvised. Theater director/writer Valeria Vasilevski and vocalist Kyoko Kitamura first started exchanging creative ideas informally at a cafe in Brooklyn in the beginning of 2007. The purpose: to come up with ideas, no matter how strange or unrealistic, for multi-media projects which incorporated music, visuals, and Japan. Since then, the meetings have given birth to several possible projects, from small and light to big and heavy, based on classic Japanese animation from the 20s, 30s and 40s. Tonight's performance is the first realization of these ideas.


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From Lukas Ligeti:

FRIDAY, OCT. 5:
BURKINA ELECTRIC!!! For the first time in the US, voila! My African-electronica band - all the way from Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso! This concert will be a warm-up gig for our upcoming tour: we will hit Norwich, NY; Troy, NY; Pittsburgh; Charlottesville, VA; Boston; and on OCTOBER 20 we will be at JOE'S PUB!

If you can't make it on October 20, the Oct. 5 concert is the chance to see us straight out of the woodshed. We will be rehearsing for a couple of days at the Bushwick Starr, a beautiful space in my hood of Bushwick, Brooklyn, and to celebrate the end of our rehearsal phase, we will open our doors to you and play this semi-secret, very informal concert.
I assume the starting time is 8 pm but I'm really not sure, it may be 8:30 or 9 so

PLEASE check the Starr's calendar at https://www.thebushwickstarr.org/CALENDAR.html a few days beforehand. The location is: The Bushwick Starr, 207 Starr St. #4, (between Wyckoff Ave. and Irving Ave.), Bushwick, Brooklyn - a 2-minute walk from the Jefferson St. stop on the L train. https://www.thebushwickstarr.org, info@thebushwickstarr.org

Burkina Electric is: Mai Lingani (vocals), Wende K. Blass (guitar), Pyrolator (electronics), As Zoko (dance), Vicky Kafando (dance) and as you can see, our shows are not only music but also feature African-modern dance and live video!

ALSO...very shortly, we will be releasing REEM TEKRE, a double EP featuring some of our songs plus remixes by DJ SPOOKY, PAUL DE JONG OF THE BOOKS, RUPERT HUBER OF TOSCA, BADAWI (RAZ MESINAI), and MAPSTATION (STEFAN SCHNEIDER OF TO ROCOCO ROT).
I will soon send out another email with information about this CD and how to purchase it, and about our Oct. 20 concert at Joe's Pub. Until then: https://www.myspace.com/burkinaelectric


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KEVIN NORTON'S COUNTERPOINT THREE featuring:
Kevin Norton - vibraphone, compositions; Jesse Stern - electric bass; Garrett Brown - drums

October 10th at BARBES
376 9th St. at 6th Ave, Brooklyn
718 965 9177 www.barbesbrooklyn
f train to seventh ave in park slope
shows at 8pm and 10pm-12am, $10 each

After composing music for a dozen or so CDs and for various chamber groups, the TILT brass band and the Sound Vision Orchestra, Norton now turns to a decidedly jazz orchestration. Like the Steve Lacy trio, the Sonny Rollins trio or the Ornette Coleman trio ö a lead melody instrument with bass and drums (functioning on a higher level of interaction, rather than subordinate accompaniment roles) this trio features a new transparency of sound, yet is connected to Nortonâs other composition work by counterpoint: both emotional and technical.


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October 9, 2007 (this Tuesday)
Dog Day CD release party

Aaron Dugan - guitar, Jeff Arnal - percussion
with special guests: Amy Carrigan, Reid Taylor & Seth Misterka


Zebulon - 258 Wythe Ave (near North 3rd)
Williamsburg - Brooklyn, NY
8:30 pm - Free!


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Thursday October 11th

Matana Robertsâ Gens De Couleur Libre
(chapter 1 of the Coin Coin Continuum)

featuring: Matana Roberts-- reeds, Jessica Pavone - viola, Amelia Hollander--viola Shoko Nagai-piano, Thomson kneeland- bass, Tomas Fujiwara- drums Daniel Givens÷ Visual Projections

Short post concert Q and A discussion with Matana Roberts after performance.


ISSUE PROJECT ROOM
The (OA) Can Factory
232 3rd Street, 3rd Floor
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(closest public transport) F train to Carroll Gardens


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Tuesday Oct. 16th, 10 pm at Spike Hill

Angelica Sanchez Trio

Angelica Sanchez, piano - Lisle Ellis, bass & Michael Sarin, drums
Creative Music Tuesdays at Spike Hill * October curated by Harris Eisenstadt

$10 cover per set
184 Bedford Avenue (@ N7) * Brooklyn, NY 11211 * (718) 218-9737
www.spikehill.com * Located on the corner of Bedford and North 7th, with delectable pub food, gold-standard Guinness, pristine sound and two full bars, Spike Hill has flourished into a staple among the area's clubs while still maintaining its intimate atmosphere.

Directions: L Train to Bedford Ave., walk west on Bedford


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AACM NEW YORK CITY CHAPTER PRESENTS:

Friday, October 12th at 8pm at The Community Church of NY
40 E. 35th St (between Madison & Park Avenues)

REGGIE NICHOLSON PERCUSSION TRIO PLUS ONE featuring: Warren Smith, Don Eaton & Reggie Nicholson - percussion & Salim Washington - woodwinds

THE INTERNATIONAL BRASS & MEMBRANE CORP. featuring: Charles Burnham - violin, Joseph Daley - tuba, Ted Daniel - trumpet, flugel & cornet & Newman T. Baker - percussion


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CLAUDIA QUINTET EAST COAST TOUR!

October 8th-13th
"More Hair" Tour
with special guest Gary Versace-organ bass


Monday, Oct. 8 - Harrisonburg, VA
Tuesday, Oct. 9 - Charleston, SC
Wednesday, Oct. 10 - Richmond, VA
Thursday, Oct. 11 - Philadelphia, PA
Friday, Oct. 12 - New Haven, CT
Saturday, Oct. 13 - NYC

(Please note that tour dates are subject to change; for updated tour information visit www.johnhollenbeck.com or HYPERLINK "https://www.cuneiformrecords.com" www.cuneiformrecords.com)


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TREVOR WATTS & JAMIE HARRIS DUO!

Amalgam, SME & Moire Music legendary saxist with a great percussionist!
A rare stateside appearance

October 28th, 2007 at 5pm

At The Lounge at Hudson View Gardens
116 Pinehurst Ave at West 183rd St.

For more info, call 212-923-7800 ex. 1941


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ROB REDDY TO UNVEIL NEW WORK, NEW ENSEMBLE THIS OCTOBER in BROOKLYN, NY

Saxophonist/composer Rob Reddy and his new ensemble, Rob Reddy's Tenfold, will be in residence at

Brooklyn's Jalopy Theater every Friday night in October to perform his latest and most ambitious extended work, Episodes and Antinomies. The world premiere of this ten movement suite, commissioned by the American Composers Forum,

Friday, October 5th at 9:00 p.m. Three other performances will follow on October 12th, 19th and 26th respectively, further exploring the nuances and possibilities of this diverse music.

The opening acts will be the
Taylor Ho Bynum Sextet (10/5)
Jon Margulies: Stone Tablet Interface (10/12)
Sarah Bernstein Unearthish (10/19)
Jessica Lurie Ensemble (10/26).

Admission to each of these four concerts will be $15 at the door. The Jalopy Theater is located at 315 Columbia Street in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Venue information is available at (718) 395-3214

Episodes and Antinomies, which takes roughly an hour and a half to perform, was written for Reddy's newly formed ten-piece ensemble featuring Douglas Yates (clarinets), John Carlson (trumpet), Mark Taylor (French horn), Charles Burnham (violin and mandolin), Rubin Kodheli (cello), Brandon Ross (guitars), Bryan Carrott (vibraphone and marimba), Dom Richards (double bass), and Pheeroan akLaff (drums). The music further explores many of the hallmarks of Reddy's most acclaimed musical projects, including a variety of time signatures, co-existing melodies, alternating through-composed and improvised movements, and the influence of genres ranging from traditional marches to modern rock to avant-garde jazz.

Episodes and Antinomies, the second of three commissioned Reddy works to receive its world premiere in New York this year, will be followed by the debut of a new book of music for his sextet, Rob Reddy's Gift Horse, at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center (TPAC) in late November.


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MATT SHIPP & THE NU-BOP QUARTET
Featuring: MATT SHIPP / DANIEL CARTER / WILLIAM PARKER / GUILLERMO E. BROWN
Saturday, October 27th at 8pm
At Miller Theatre at Columbia University - 2960 Broadway at 116th St.


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IRENE SCHWEIZER US & Canadian Tour Schedule for November, 2007:

November 5th - Solo - EUROJAZZ MEETS CHICAGO, USA

November 6th, Trio w/ FRED ANDERSON and MICHAEL ZERANG at VELVET LOUNGE, CHICAGO

November 9th - Trio with Jean Derome, jazz club MONTREAL

November 10th - Solo concert in Montreal, La chapelle historique du bon pasteur.

November 12th - Solo at ROULETTE, New York City


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