The [un]Usual suspects help to cheer MannyLunch up [I'm missing Victo! Waa-aah!]:

Anthony Braxton Piano Compositions BX! Dennis Gonzales! Sun Ra! Ab Baars/Vandermark! O'Leary/Kang/Van der Schyff! Bobby Previte! Jamie Saft! Noonan/Ribot/Tacuma! Miller/Prevost/Dean! Soft Heap! Mo' ESP rmstrs! CDs and DVDs from McLaughlin and Zappa! ... and so much more!




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


The Downtown Music Gallery Free Sunday In-Store Series Continues with:


This Sunday, May 18th -

6pm - HEATH WATTS & DAN PELL - CD Release Performance
Fabulous Philly soprano sax & drums duo w/ new disc on Leo!
[see the 2nd listing below]


Sunday, May 25th -

6pm - AB BAARS & IG HENNENMAN! A rare treat! Ab Baars plays tenor sax & clarinet for the ICP Orchestra and Ig Hennenman plays viola for the Queen Mab Trio!


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




ANTHONY BRAXTON//GENEVIEVE FOCCROULLE - Piano Music 1968-2000 [9 CD Box Set] (Leo 901-909; UK) A monumental edition of 9 CDs by composer Anthony Braxton entitled "Piano music 1968 - 2000". The edition is a 9-CD box with notes by Stewart Broomer.
The music has been performed by the Swiss piano player Genevieve Foccroulle and recorded in New York by Jon Rosenberg to complete satisfaction of Mr. Braxton himself.
Limited edition of 500 copies
9 CD set for $110

HEATH WATTS/DAN PELL - Breathe If You Can (Leo 506; UK) "Philadelphia residents, soprano saxophonist Heath Watts and drummer Dan Pell, improvise with relentless passion here. But they uncannily combine a tight-knit vibe while simultaneously expanding their repertoire via an angular, intuitive and muscular gait. Inspired by visual artists such as Kandinsky and Picasso, the saxophonist coins his method of playing and composition NODOT (Non-Objective Dynamically Ordered Tones). Watts believes that art, including music, does not have to represent anything tangible in the real world. When Watts improvises, he focuses on pure sound and how tones fit together, resulting in 'Dynamically Ordered Tones'. Dan Pell is a perfect partner for Heath Watts. With their inaugural release for Leo Records, the artists delve into quite a bit of give-and-take exercises, supplanted by multihued free-form excursions that pack a hearty punch.
At times, Watts surfaces as a whirling-dervish, maintaining a fluid mode of attack. And to complement that notion, Pell helps drive the flow with punishing blows to his modest drum kit. It's partly about polyrhythmic fury that seamlessly morphs into vivid expressionism. Nonetheless, the musicians' breadth and scope of execution is founded upon extended solos and contracting motifs during variable metrics and a forthright game plan.
On 'However', they summon real life experiences thru the voices of their instruments by pronouncing asymmetrical sentiments consisting of angst and humor. They even crank out a mock military-progression to further entwine a sense of realism into the grand schema. Pell's prominent drumming more than compensates for the lack of a bassist.
Breathe If You Can is one of the more absorbing free-jazz releases of 2008, especially when considering the non-chordal framework. These situations do not always provide fruitful results, yet these gents perpetuate an underlying sequence of kaleidoscopic designs that spawn gobs of interest. - Glenn Astarita, AAJ
(This duo will be playing in the store this Sunday for Free- come be blown away!)
CD $17

MARK O'LEARY/EYVIND KANG/DYLAN VAN DER SCHYFF - Zemlya (Leo 507; UK) Zemlya is the coming together of three cutting edge experimental improvisers in a series of extemporizations that encompass the essence of post free jazz. Elements of prog rock, classic free jazz, korean court music and electronics, the Vancouver-Seattle-Cork axis evoking the vast expanse of Zemlya (zemlya is a Russian word meaning "planet"). Zemlya is the 8th CD by Mark O'Leary in Leo Records catalogue. Mark O'Leary - guitar, electronics, Eyvind Kang - viola, processing, Dylan Van Der Schyff - drums, percussion, laptop
CD $17

[MARK HARVEY] AARDVARK JAZZ ORCHESTRA - American Agonistes (Leo 508; UK) This is the fifth CD by The Aardvark Jazz Orchestra on Leo Records. American Agonistes is a testimony to the fact that the Aardvark Jazz Orchestra goes from strength to strength. The conductor and composer Mark Harvey writes: "Agonistes comes from the Greek word 'agon' and conveys a sense of contest, struggle, even painful experience. American Agonistes is about the struggle for the soul of our constitutional democracy amid world tension and conflict; and it stands within the long tradition of music addressing larger social and political issues".
CD $17

LAUREN NEWTON/PARK JE CHUN - 2 Souls in Seoul (Leo 509; UK) Recorded in Seoul in 2006, the CD is the result of Lauren Newton's first visit to South Korea to perform at the Seoul's Free Music Festival. As Stuart Broomer writes in his notes: "There is a genre in Korean music called Pansori, a kind of folk opera that involves two performers, a singer and a percussionist. It alternates spoken narrative with songs, and its performances can last for hours....
Here the drama of Pansori is echoed in the spontaneous songs and vocal/percussion episodes of the two performers..., the improvisory dialogue elicits performances that belong equally to West and East..., the music touches on definitive (primal) human experience...".
CD $17



AB BAARS TRIO + KEN VANDERMARK - Goofy June Bug (Wig 15 SBT; EEC) Featuring Ab Baars on clarinet & tenor sax, Wilbert De Joode on double bass and Martin Van Duynhoven on drums, and making it a fourth: Ken Vandermark! Do you actually need to wait for a review?!?! [one will be forthcoming]
CD $20


DENNIS GONZALEZ JNAANA SEPTET With ALVIN FIELDER/CHRIS PARKER et al - The Gift Of Discernment (Not Two 791; EEC) On the first, 15-minute long track, small percussion and gong sounds lead you into a hypnotic African-tinged music, a great bass vamp, with the piano playing some inviting chords, a female voice rejoicing after some ten minutes, accompanied by a background trumpet of twice 10 seconds. And yes, you're right, this is trumpeter Dennis Gonzalez for you : all for the music, even if it means a self-effacing approach. On this percussion-heavy band he is joined by Leena Conquest on vocals, Alvin Fielder on drums, his sons Aaron on bass and Stefan on drums, Robby Marcado on percussion and Chris Parker on piano and percussion. In fact, this is the sequel to Alvin Fielder's A Measure Of Vision which appeared last year on Clean Feed. The African mood and rhythms of the first track are further expanded on the rest of the album. And it is excellent : Gonzalez's warm bluesy tone is recognizable out of a million, the rhythmic support is an ongoing stready groove, rich because of its wealth of percussionists, with Parker's superb piano-playing to put the harmonic layers and counterpoint to the trumpet. The band does not go too far into unchartered territories, remaining in the free bop zone, using many of the musical effects that have been used successfully by others before, yet this band purifies it and lifts it to a higher level than many of their colleagues did. Listen to the third track "Ganesha The Spy", again a 16-minute long track with a steady almost funky beat, but there is no exuberance, no extravagance, the whole thing is so sparse, functional, with slow trumpet phrasing and isolated piano chords, Gonzalez building tension by repeating the same motif several times and then releasing it by launching a high plaintive note, or somewhat later, Parker improvising with his right hand only, building the same kind of tension over a repetitive bass vamp and economical drumming, and these little single piano tones tell a whole story, the whole track conjuring up worlds, full of drama, pathos even. Even on the more uptempo pieces, as on "Tamazunchale 1", Gonzalez keeps his melancholy tone, almost like Tomasz Stanko would, although they sound quite different of course. On "Portugal", which is without a doubt the most electrifying piece, Leena Conquest joins again, adding a spiritual and deeply bluesy feeling to the music. The last track has a reverse structure of the first track, ending with percussion by all band members, with rhythmic moments interspersed with percussive sound effects, fading in and out again and back. This is unpretentious, deeply emotional and spiritual jazz, brought by skilled, but more importantly, by inspired musicians. Highly recommended! - FreeJazz Blogspot.com
CD $17


SEAN NOONAN BEING BREWED BY NOON With MARC RIBOT/MAT MANERI/JAMAALADEEN TACUMA et al - Live From New York And Beyond.. [CD + DVD] (Innova 686; USA) What comes after "fusion?" The brewing process maybe. Sean Noonan's New York includes West African, Irish, and Armenian friends, musicians and storytellers. It is no wonder that his music is equally steeped in global flavor.
Brewed by Noon is a fermentation of wandering folk music from the New York progressive jazz scene. Sean Noonan's goal is to adapt folklore into a modern jazz context, merging storytelling and folk music from the Bardic and Griot traditions. Like old wine in new bottles, his mission is to ultimately understand and preserve these ancient traditions by re-interpreting folklore from a modern perspective. Brewed by Noon is a global village band comprised of Thierno Camara (bass/vocals,) Aram Bajakian (guitar,) Abdoulaye Diabate (guitar/vocals/percussion,) Susan McKeown (vocals,) Mat Maneri (viola,) Marc Ribot (guitar,) and Jamaaladeen Tacuma (bass.)
Sean has developed as an astute band-leader, something in the eccentric tradition of Sun-Ra, rallying his band-mates in his boxer's robe, or showing up to rehearsal in the Russian gangster look he's been cultivating of late (mono-color tracksuit, big chains, sunglasses), coalescing his style and ideas into the music, directing an eclectic group of musicians from a variety of different cultures. Through his unique persona, the sincerity of his ideas and--more than anything--his stunningly original music, Sean has managed to put together a band in Brewed by Noon that bridges both generations and cultures.
innova's Being Brewed by Noon is a live CD with DVD. The audio disc includes live performances from Brewed by Noon's spring 2007 tour in New York and throughout Europe. The bonus DVD features a full documentary and extra live music video footage of Brewed by Noon's performances on the New York underground scene. Beginning in 2003, filmmaker Tom Asma compiled footage of Sean Noonan's various projects, demonstrating how he organizes, produces, composes, and rehearses his one-of-a-kind ensemble. Brewed By Noon
CD $17


BOBBY PREVITE & THE NEW BUMP With ELLERY ESKELIN/STEVEN BERNSTEIN/BILL WARE/BRAD JONES/JIM PUGLIESE - Set The Alarm For Monday (Palmetto 2133; USA) For his third release on Palmetto Records, composer and drummer Bobby Previte brings us The New Bump, a logical musical extension of Previte's original Bump The Renaissance and more recent Bump bands. Sonically intriguing and cinematically centered, Set The Alarm For Monday grooves as only Previte can. [review forthcoming]
CD $15


New on Jamie Saft's Veal label!
Downtown jazz-meisters switch to Killer Metal !?! and Succeed!

THE BETA POPES [SKERIK/BOBBY PREVITE/JAMIE SAFT] - White Hate (Veal 03; USA) Skerik - vocals & saxophone, Jamie Saft - guitar, Bobby Previte - drums. Crushing studio debut from the Brooklyn Metal Underground!
CD $15

THE BETA POPES [SKERIK/BOBBY PREVITE/JAMIE SAFT] - Live Hate (Veal 04; USA) Skerik - vocals & saxophone, Jamie Saft - guitar, Bobby Previte - drums. 60 minutes of live Pain from the Subtone, UK.
CD $15

KALASHNIKOV [JAMIE SAFT/MIKE PRIDE] - Bang! Bang! [2 CD set] (Funhole/Veal 05; USA) Kalashnikov is: Mike Pride - drumset & vocals, Jamie Saft - bass, minimoog, and circuits. 154 minutes of aggro-noise-metal!
CD $22


JOHN LINDBERG & RAHMAN JAMAAL With TANI TABBAL - JazzHopRevolution: Tha Sound Of Truth [CD + DVD] (Planet Arts/Lindy 300175; USA) Bassist/composer John Lindberg (String Trio Of New York) and lyricist/hip hop artist Rahman Jamaal have come together with the drumming artistry of Tani Tabbal to form a collaboration that weds creative jazz with cutting-edge hip hop. These artists have created a unique musical vocabulary within a compelling multi-genre inclusive project that connects with listeners of all kinds. It blends the dynamic elements of jazz improvisation and contemporary composition with a hip hop attitude and compelling lyrics, delivering strong messages that resonate with all audiences. By also utilizing aspects of world music (odd and mixed meters), and rock (electronics and driving rhythmic impetus), this group truly speaks a universal language.
The CD album features ten original pieces that take the listener on a journey though a maze of grooves and messages of keen perception. The DVD features the film, The Making of JazzHopRevolution, a candid look at the creative process of the artists as the album was recorded, and a music video of the album selection The Myth. The film and video were directed by John Bongiorno
CD $15



Two more NEVER BEFORE RELEASED treasures on Mike King's Reel Recordings!

STEVE MILLER TRIO With TONY MOORE/EDDIE PREVOST + ELTON DEAN - Steve Miller Trio Meet Elton Dean (Reel Recordings 07; Canada) Pianist Steve Miller (1943-1998) formed his trio in the mid-eighties after a lengthy hiatus for technique reevaluation. With young bassist Tony Moore and AMM drummer Eddie Prevost, Steve was now able to improvise freely sans traces of his deep roots in blues and boogie. With time spent in Delivery and Caravan well behind him, Steve's new path lead to a weekly series of concerts billed as "Meetings with Remarkable Saxophonists". At London's Bull & Gate, the diverse talents of Lol Coxhill, Harrison Smith, Elton Dean (1945-2006) and Bobby Wellins rose to meet the spontaneous challenge of improvised music making, with all performances professionally recorded on high speed tape. The special success, in our opinion, was the splendid meeting of altoist Elton Dean and the Steve Miller Trio. Two extended sets of continuous collective improvisation, strongly rooted in the powerful modern jazz aesthetic, comprise this nearly hour long CD. With rare concert photos and notes from Steve complimenting this important document, the Steve Miller Trio "Meets Elton Dean" is indeed a musical meeting to be treasured.
CD $16

SOFT HEAP [HUGH HOPPER/ELTON DEAN/ALAN GOWEN/PIP PYLE] - Al Dente (Reel Recordings 08; Canada) Soft Heap was the personal acronym for an assemblage of old friends throughout 1978. Bass guitarist Hugh Hopper and saxophonist Elton Dean (1950-2006) began their long musical partnership during their days with the classic Soft Machine quartet. Keyboardist Alan Gowen (1947-1981) and drummer Pip Pyle (1945-2006) became friends when their respective bands, Gilgamesh and Hatfield & The North, coalesced for special concerts in 1973. Apart from their eponymous record, Soft Heap only gave two concerts in London prior to Alan and Pip reconvening to carry on as National Health. Fortunately, their appearance at London's then premier jazz club, The Phoenix, was recorded onto reel-to-reel tape by audience member Roy Wilbraham. It preserves a striking set of compositions played with panache, beginning with a tender reading of Elton's "Fara" and climaxing with an exhilarating chase through "One For Lee". The recording also reveals a hitherto unreleased composition, Alan Gowen's "Sleeping House". This full length CD is one tasty listening experience, for those with a soft spot for Soft Heap, to sink their teeth into ~ Al Dente style!
CD $16.



SUN RA - The Universe Sent Me: The Lost Reel Collection Vol 5 (Transparency 305; USA) Tracks 1-3: July 9, 1972 - South Street Seaport Museum, NYC
Tracks 4-7: September 8, 1973 - Paris, France
Imagine the suspense and anticipation one would feel when loading a 1970s Sun Ra reel onto a deck for the first time in more than thirty years, not knowing what to expect. And then, as the tape starts, familiar sounds of the Arkestra begin to be heard again, from that magical time period so long ago. There is a great sense of relief and accomplishment to know that music that laid dormant for far too long, and was from one of the most original creators ever, would now be preserved for all to hear.
Volume Five of The Lost Reel Collection features music from two separate tapes. The first tape is from a 1972 short recording at the Seaport Museum in New York City. The acoustics sound like it is an outdoor concert. The featured track is Discipline 27-II, which is purely instrumental and may be the earliest recording of this particular version. In 1973, Ra declamations like 'Life is Splendid' and 'What Planet is This?' were added on top of the music theme.
The second tape is from a 1973 recording in Paris, France. Although the acoustics are quite different, it is a natural segue from the Seaport Museum tape, opening with the Discipline 27-II theme and the by-now more familiar declamation theme which we title as The Universe Sent Me with this release. The beauty of the reed section is clearly heard during this track due to the apparent close proximity of the tape machine and microphone setup.
Once again, as with the first four Volumes of The Lost Reel Collection, the listener is in for a treat with this release. It is with great pride, joy, and dedication to the Sun Ra legacy that this material be made available to you.
CD $15

And in case you blinked last week..

SUN RA & ALL STARS With DON CHERRY/LESTER BOWIE/ARCHIE SHEPP/MARSHALL ALLEN/JOHN GILMORE/RICHARD DAVIS/DON MOYE/PHILLY JOE JONES et al - Milan, Zurich, West Berlin, Paris: October 27, 1983 - November 1, 1983 [5 CD box set] (Transparency 311; USA)
5 CD box set for $45



Four more ESPs Remastered FROM ORIGINAL MASTER TAPES [not from vinyl EQ'd safeties]!

HENRY GRIMES TRIO - The Call (ESP Disk 1026; USA) Born in 1935 in Philly, Henry Grimes was one of the most remarkable bassists of the 1960s free jazz movement. This historic session, recorded for ESP-Disk' in 1965, is one of Grimes' few recordings as leader and features the extraordinary Perry Robinson on clarinet.
CD $12

MILFORD GRAVES With SUNNY MORGAN - Percussion Ensemble (ESP Disk 1015; USA) This is drum legend Milford Graves' first solo album originally released in 1965 and recorded with percussionist Sunny Morgan as a duo. Milford Graves has been one of the main drummers in the free-form mode scene and known for skillful inclusion of Asian and African rhythmic ingredients into his solos. He worked with the New York Art Quartet, Giuseppi Logan, Albert Ayler, Don Pullen, Andrew Cyrille and many more. Great liner notes, photos and re-mastered from the original tapes.
CD $12

GIUSEPPI LOGAN QUARTET With DON PULLEN/MILFORD GRAVES/EDDIE GOMEZ - Giuseppi Logan Quartet (ESP Disk 1007; USA) "Originally released in 1964 as ESP 1007. This is the very fine debut album (featuring Don Pullen, Eddie Gomex and Milford Graves)."
CD $12.00

HOLY MODAL ROUNDERS - Indian War Whoop (ESP Disk 1068; USA) The Rounders first electric outing from '67 and the only one to feature their most cosmos-expanding lineup (including playwright Sam Shephard). This is the sound of speed-shooting hillbillies discovering the secrets of life in the sewers below the Peace Eye Bookstore. Loose, psych-out, folkish stumble, a perfect period piece. One of the strangest and coolest albums I've ever encountered.
CD $12



FREE KITTEN [KIM GORDON/JULIE CAFRITZ/YOSHIMI P-WE] - Inherit (Ecstatic Peace 22 C; USA) "What difference does a decade and a year make? We all live between then and now. Generally, most of us treat then as a movie we demand final cut over, a series of scenes we arrange and re-arrange according to the narrative we prefer to present to the world: I was happy. Cut to: My family was whole and happy. Fade to black. The status quo presumes a number of things, too, chief among them being the power of facade. The family home looks perfect, so -- perforce -- the family is perfect, and that separates us from 'them.' Take a picture. Better yet, make a movie of us in our pique perfection. Cut to The Wife. Cut to The Wife and the family dog. Fade to black. A decade and one year ago, Free Kitten released their third album, Sentimental Education. On it, one heard Kim Gordon's vocals and guitar. One also heard Pussy Galore's Julie Cafritz's vocals and guitar. Drums were played by the Boredom's Yoshimi; bass: Mark Ibold, formerly of Pavement. There were guest stars, too, but for the post-punk, indie, noise uninitiated, the draw of this album -- and 1994's UnBoxed, and Nice Ass after it -- was less its pedigree than the music's ability to challenge or even stop the movie lies that generally play in all our heads, such as: I am happy. Cut to: my family is whole and happy. Fade to black. Free Kitten's music suggested otherwise. Free Kitten liked fading to black -- and, in the process, drawing a curtain over the status quo. Free Kitten told stories about the family dog as well, less in their lyrics than in their sound, which brought Mom to mind, too, but Mom wielding a knife near the neck of the family dog that refuses to run away -- or shut up. But that was then.
As to now: Free Kitten is releasing its fourth studio album. Titled Inherit, it reacquaints us with Gordon, Cafritz and Yoshimi. On the disc, then and now are collapsed into the present. And it is our present that is most effected by songs like 'Erected Girl,' which reminds one of bossa nova rhythms run through a Kosher meat grinder. And then there's 'Free Kitten on the Mountain,' which amounts to a travelogue of sorts -- but through a Lord Buckley-like subconscious mind. In short, the thematic eclecticism evinced in Free Kitten's present work is a movie that doesn't lie, because truth is its standard." --Hilton Als, March 2008
CD $12


ALAN LICHT & AKI ONDA - Everydays (Family Vineyard 58; USA) "Debut collaboration of New York artists and long-time duo partners Alan Licht & Aki Onda, whose combined history connects artists straddling the pop and experimental worlds, including Fennesz, Loren Connors, Takemura Nobukazu, Lee Ranaldo, and Toriko Nujiko. In the past decade their montage-inspired solo work -- Licht's permutational guitar and tape pieces on Rabbi Sky and A New York Minute, Onda's field recording recontextualizations on Bon Voyage! and Ancient & Modern -- has co-existed with their experimental sound/visual projects Text of Light (Licht) and Cinemage (Onda). Everydays is five grandly formed soundscapes that mix Onda's poetic/textural cassette sounds and the rhythmic/lyrical pull of Licht's guitar. Morphing from recognizable structures to dissonant hammered chunks and rapid cut-ups, the album perfectly weaves their signature applications of sound diaries, minimalism, grainy fidelity, looping and free blues into a dynamic and ambitious statement."
CD $14



Finally on CD!

JOHN CALE & TERRY RILEY - Church Of Anthrax (Wounded Bird; USA) A one-time-only collaboration between former Velvet Underground co-founder John Cale and minimalist composer Terry Riley, 1971's Church of Anthrax doesn't sound too much like the solo work of either. Around this time, Riley's works were along the lines of "A Rainbow in Curved Air" or "Poppy Nogood and the Phantom Band": pattern music with an obsessive attention to repetition and tricks with an analogue delay machine that gave his music a refractory, almost hallucinogenic quality. Though Cale was trained in a similar aesthetic (he played with La Monte Young, surely the most minimal of all minimalist composers), he had largely left it behind by 1971, and so Church of Anthrax mixes Riley's drones and patterns with a more muscular and melodic bent versed in both free jazz and experimental rock. Not quite modern classical music, but not at all rock & roll either, Church of Anthrax sounds in retrospect like it was a huge influence on later post-minimalist composers like Andrew Poppy, Wim Mertens, and Michael Nyman, who mix similar doses of minimalism, rock, and jazz. On its own merits, the album is always interesting, and the centerpiece "The Hall of Mirrors in the Palace at Versailles" is probably the point where Riley and Cale approach each other on the most equal footing. - Stewart Mason, AMG
CD $15




McLaughlin and Zappa goodies !
[in stock Monday]

JOHN McLAUGHLIN - Floating Point (Abstract Logix; USA) 2008 release from guitar legend John McLaughlin. John has already said Floating Point 'may be the best record I ever made.' That's really saying something when you consider McLaughlin's prolific and trailblazing career. The guitarist and composer has appeared on some of the most important jazz-rock and world music albums in the last 40 years. For Floating Point, which was recorded in India, McLaughlin used several of the best Indian musicians in the world. McLaughlin calls these players the 'young lions' of India. They include keyboardist Loiuz Banks, drummer Ranjit Barot, electric sitarist Niladri Kumar, flautists Shashank and Naveen Kumar, percussionist Sivamani, vocalist Shankar Mahadevan, electric mandolinist U.Rajesh, and Hindustini slide guitarist Debashish Bhattacharya. Joining them were other Western stars, saxophonist George Brooks and bassist Hadrien Feraud. With a line-up like that, you would expect a very Indian experience. But, McLaughlin says not necessarily so.
'Now while this CD features predominantly Indian musicians, we are in quite another form compared to the group Shakti,' McLaughlin says. 'The music is for the most part 'Jazz-Fusion' if a label has to be put on it. But with the musicians involved in this project, it has also a 'world' kind of atmosphere.'
McLaughlin adds, 'I really am happy with the outcome of this CD which actually came about quite spontaneously and without any real planning. You can hear in the music where I am in my development, and in which directions I'm moving. It was a real thrill to play with these players, and I offer my thanks to them for their unique contributions. I truly wish and hope that it brings something to the listeners. I also offer my deep thanks to them for their continued support to my dedicated work.'
CD $17

JOHN McLAUGHLIN - Meeting Of The Minds: The Making Of Floating Point [DVD] (Abstract Logix; USA) Filmed in India, McLaughlin used several of the best Indian musicians in the world, including keyboardist Loiuz Banks, drummer Ranjit Barot, electric sitarist Niladri Kumar, flautists Shashank and Naveen Kumar, percussionist Sivamani, vocalist Shankar Mahadevan, electric mandolinist U.Rajesh, and Hindustini slide guitarist Debashish Bhattacharya. Joining them were other Western stars, saxophonist George Brooks and bassist Hadrien Feraud. This DVD shows, for the first time, an intimate view of what happens at a John McLaughlin recording session. Filmed over a period of 5 days, during the making of John's new record Floating Point, you can see how great musicians work together with spontaneity and vitality. For this 'meeting of the minds' John invited some of the most outstanding instrumentalists including Indian vocalist Shankar Mahadevan. Through the interviews of all musicians, you will get to know how they approach John's compositions. In addition, there is an extra audio track with John commenting on the entire recording. This movie lifts the curtain on the making of music today.
DVD $24


ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA [DWEEZIL ZAPPA With NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK/STEVE VAI/TERRY BOZZIO/JOE TRAVERS et al] - Zappa Plays Zappa: 'Fan Pak' Deluxe Edition [2 DVD + 3 CD set] (Razor & Tie 82995; USA) 2008 release of Amaray/fan pack two DVD/three CD set of Zappa Plays Zappa which is the name of a concert tour and band led by Dweezil, the oldest son of the late composer and musician Frank Zappa. The band debuted in 2006 with shows in Europe, Canada and the US. The shows is a collection of Frank Zappa's rock-oriented compositions from 1960s to 1980s. Apart from Dweezil on lead guitar, the band consisted of a mix of relatively unknown young musicians and older musicians who previously played with Frank. Among those, Napoleon Murphy Brock (sax, flute, vocals) was an integral part of the band, while drummer/singer Terry Bozzio and electric guitarist Steve Vai performed as guests. At several shows Frank performed a song posthumously via synchronized audio/video technology, notedly solos in Chunga's Revenge. Filmed/recorded over 4 nites at the Portland OR and Seattle WA shows. The 3 CDs are the audio tracks of the songs on the DVDs.
2 DVD + 3 CD set for $36

if you don't need the redundant CDs, then we recommend..

ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA [DWEEZIL ZAPPA With NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK/STEVE VAI/TERRY BOZZIO/JOE TRAVERS et al] - Zappa Plays Zappa: Brilliant Box Edition [2 DVD] (Razor & Tie; USA)
2 DVD set for $24

or, if you only want to dip yer ear in the water..

ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA [DWEEZIL ZAPPA With NAPOLEON MURPHY BROCK/STEVE VAI/TERRY BOZZIO/JOE TRAVERS et al] - Zappa Plays Zappa: Audio Highlights (Razor & Tie; USA) 12 tracks include 1. Tell Me You Love Me; 2. Florentine Pogen; 3. Cheapnis; 4. Cosmik Debris; 5. I'm The Slime; 6. Don't Eat The Yellow Snow; 7. St. Alfonzo's Pancake Breakfast; 8. Father O'Blivion; 9. Black Page #2; 10. Peaches En Regalia; 11. Zomby Woof; 12. The Torture Never Stops
CD $17


CLUSTER [DIETER MOEBIUS/HANS-JOACHIM ROEDELIUS: aka KLUSTER] - Berlin 2007 (Important; USA) "Cluster was formed around 1971 when Roedelius and Moebius left Conrad Schnitzler's group Kluster [or vice versa]. Along with Neu, early Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk, they have had a tremendous influence on the development of contemporary electronic music. Julian Cope has placed 3 Cluster albums in his Krautrock top 50 and The Wire included the first Cluster album in their list of 'One Hundred Records That Set The World On Fire.' Along with Neu! co-founder Michael Rother, Cluster formed the remarkable group Harmonia. Between 1976 and 1979 one of Cluster's most frequent collaborators was Brian Eno. Berlin 2007 was a monumental performance for the duo as it marked the first time that they had performed live in Berlin since their 12 hour concert in the Galerie Hammer in the Europacenter in 1969. The performance was a massive success as a sold out crowd cheered loudly for Cluster to return to the stage. Fortunately, the concert was preserved for posterity and is proudly presented here on Important Records."
CD $14


The watershed Embryo releases on Brain get the remastering they desrve!

EMBRYO - Steig Aus (Inside Out/Revisited; Germany) Founded by Christian Burchard ( drums, marimba, vibraphone) and still going strong almost 38 years later, this excellent example of fusion music from 1973 further demonstrates the vision of diversity the Brain label founders had.. This is another 'must own' record, not only for Krautrock collectors, but for lovers of good music in general.
Aided by Dave King and Joerg Evers on bass, the famous Mal Waldron on electric piano, Roman Bunka on guitar, Jimmy Jackson on organ and Mellotron and Edgar Hoffmann on violin, this release has 3 long and wonderful tracks.
CD $17

EMBRYO - Rocksession (Inside Out/Revisited; Germany) Released in 1973, Rocksession was the second of two Embryo releases on the Brain label, again combining their strange crossover of Space Rock and ethnic sounds. Compared to Embryo's later recordings, Rocksession still betrayed European influences, while already revealing obvious hints of the ethno style that was to make Embryo internationally renowned following their first African tour.
This journey, which took the group on a four week tour of Northern Africa and Portugal in May 1972, came close to a culture shock for (Embryo frontman) Christian Burchard: "It was like being on another planet. We didn't understand anything and discovered only later that they have a different tonal system and sense of rhythm." The four expansive, sweeping numbers on Rocksession went down well with the German press, Wilfried Trenkler commenting in Sounds magazine in 1972: "It's seething and throbbing under a hot sun in a wide, peaceful landscape." Suddeutsche Zeitung described this unusual phenomenon even more aptly a few years later: "Embryo are not only a band, Embryo are a trademark for world music." Rocksession is remastered and lavishly packaged in digipak format with all original artwork and new liner notes.
CD $17


MARTIAL SOLAL TRIO With FRANCIS MOUTIN/LOUIS MOUTIN - Longitude (CAM 5029; USA) On this wonderful record, Martial Solal navigates the longitudes and latitudes of music with supreme command and assurance. There are few greater pleasures in life than listening to this master at work. Here he is heard in a trio setting, in the company of his long-time collaborators, Francois and Louis Moutin. - Dan Morgenstern
CD $15.


JAMIE BAUM SEPTET - Solace (Sunnyside 1193; USA) The Jamie Baum Septet performs original jazz compositions and arrangements by Jamie Baum and includes the leader who plays flute and alto flute, Ralph Alessi shares the chair with Shane Endsley on trumpet and flugelhorn, Doug Yates on alto sax and bass clarinet, Vincent Chancey on French horn, George Colligan on piano, Jeff Hirshfield on drums and Johannes Weidenmeuller on bass.
Solace, includes Baum's commissioned work by the 2003 New Works: Creation and Presentation Award, (a component of the Doris Duke/ Chamber Music America Jazz Ensembles Project) entitled Ives Suite; The Time Traveler. This work was influenced by Charles Ives' 4th Symphony and The Unanswered Question
CD $16


AVISHAI COHEN TRIO - Gently Disturbed (Razdaz/Sunnyside 4607; USA) While to outward appearances the trio would seem to be the standard piano-bass-drum formula, the music they've created on Gently Disturbed is far from the standard jazz trio repertoire. Featuring eight original compositions (written either by Cohen or by the trio collaboratively) and one traditional Israeli song, Gently Disturbed is an amalgamation of melody and groove, complexity and simplicity that nearly redefines the concept of jazz. The trio is, Avishai Cohen on bass, Mark Guiliana drums and Shai Maestro, piano.
CD $15


TETUZI AKIYAMA - The Ancient Battle to Control Death (Western Vinyl 49; USA) "Tetuzi Akiyama's contribution to the Western Vinyl portrait series is a departure in a career of departures. In addition to Akiyama's trademark improvised, blues-infused, guitar work, The Ancient Balance to Control Death also features intense multi-layered vocals. Much like his guitar work, the vocals flow with a sharp primal urgency. The end result is a collection of unique and tense Japanese blues that could only have come from one of Japan's most distinct and creative improvisers."
CD $12


ROBERT ASHLEY - Concrete [2 CD set & book] (Lovely Music 1010; USA) This 2CD set comes packaged with a 96-page booklet. Premiered in January 2007 at the legendary La Mama Theater, Concrete is Robert Ashley's newest masterpiece. Though it is not made explicit in any way, the libretto concerns itself with the 'musings' of an old man alone. He thinks about strange questions and even as the questions are asked, they are answered in various forms of sarcasm, indifference, questions about the questions and explanations. In other words, he is talking to himself. The opera takes the form of five 'discussions' about matters he wonders about: why do people keep secrets about themselves? Why do the buildings in the city all line up perfectly (vertically) when the surface of the planet is round? Why is it that so many things that people do as recreation are played counter-clockwise? What has happened to the many women friends ('lovers') he has had and 'left behind' and why were they left behind? And, finally, he ponders the incident in which he recently saw a 'flying carpet' in his bedroom.
Music & libretto, orchestra samples, design and live mixing by Robert Ashley. Voices: Joan La Barbara, Sam Ashley, Thomas Buckner, Jacqueline Humbert. Voices and orchestra live mixing and processing: Tom Hamilton
2 CD set for $25


DAVID DEL TREDICI - Vintage Alice/Dracula (Innova 669; USA) At first blush there may not seem to be much of a connection between the worlds of Alice in Wonderland and Dracula. Geographically speaking they are as far apart as Oxford and Transylvania; Hormonally, there is no comparison. Even their beverages of choice - tea and blood respectively - celebrate different themes.
Yet both legends deal with the curiosity of nineteenth century young virgins, and, pertinent to the present case, both have been set to music by the grandmaster of gothic Neo-Romanticism himself, David Del Tredici (b. 1937).
In these settings for soprano-narrator and chamber orchestra he conducts the Cleveland Chamber Symphony with the emotionally charged Hila Plitmann as soloist.
Vintage Alice - so named because it was commissioned by the Paul Masson Winery - dates from 1972 and is the fourth of his treatments of Lewis Carroll's Alice books. It focuses on the Mad Hatter's Tea Party scene and you will hear delicious parodies of God Save the Queen and Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star, more chaotic than a room full of Suzuki students could ever achieve.
Dracula is a setting of the poem by Alfred Corn, My Neighbor The Distinguished Count, which tells the story from the point of view of the young woman next door. She goes through the usual stages of your typical romance: disinterest, gradual seduction, degradation, rejection, and vampiristic transformation.
There are rich undertones to both these stories that make them suitable for audiences of all ages. Del Tredici has captured their innocence and experience both charmingly and creepily.
CD $14


ERIC LEONARDSON & STEVE BARSOTTI - Rarebit (Transparency 125; USA) Rarebit is the culmination of a four-year project by sound artists and instrument inventors Steve Barsotti and Eric Leonardson. Taking their cues from 20th Century sound artist-inventors Luigi Russolo and Harry Partch, the self-built instruments of Barsotti and Leonardson use coil springs, eyebolts, various pieces of wood, and other familiar materials These objects are amplified by contact microphones, which produce sounds of incredible depth and texture, and an amazing richness and variety that belie their humble origins. Given these novel sounds, Leonardson and Barsotti's music retains human-level gestures as one expects from traditional acoustic music, yet with an emphasis on texture and timbre instead of melody or meter. Listeners may draw comparisons between Rarebit and the sounds and music of fellow instrument inventors Hal Rammel, Bob Rutman, and Hugh Davies. Nine pieces on the CD (9 tracks, 72 minutes total) are improvised and two were composed (tracks 1 and 9). Streams of sound are created that move fluidly from scene to scene with a communicative style and a dramatic sense of presence and dynamic range, from effervescent burbling, animal-like whines, and grunts to gritty metallic drones that transform into forlorn hissing and ethereal soundscapes. Some passages are nearly silent, breathy, and tranquil.
CD $15.


ECSTASY MULE [CASEY G/LEN 37] - Hunting And Drinking When The Rainbow Is Enuf [CD ep] (Batterrie 04; USA) our favorite local duo featuring Len37 (Siegfried) and Casey G (a/k/a Kurt Gottschalk).
CD $8


FORBES GRAHAM - I Won't Stop (Blaq Lghtn 01; USA) solo electronics with trumpet. Self-produced CDR. Combining material from "Everybody's Gone" and new tracks "Drowned", "Echoes", and "Ghost Howls", avant trumpeter Forbes Graham's newest release "I Won't Stop" successfully traverses Modern improvisation meets noise, glitchy electronics, noise, and more on this album.
CD $10

BURNING STAR CORE - Challenger (Hospital 216; USA) C.Spencer Yeh presents a surprisingly gentle pulsing ambience in the vain of Brian Eno or even early Tangerine Dream....but wait, there is some elements of chaos in this "Challenger" as well. Yeh has basically compiled a disc worth of his most melodic harmonies on synth & violin interspersed with 'field recordings,' with the additional guests (on a few tracks) Trevor Tremaine on guitar and Robert Beatty on mouth harp (and artwork). The artwork harkens back to 70's psychedelia, so perhaps, for this recording, C.Spencer Yeh is utilizing that decade a musical jumping point to bring it all back into the future. Definitely a recording you will keep on checking on the date it was released. Compelling! RECOMMENDED!! -Chuck Bettis/DMG
CD $12

JASON CRUMER - Ottoman Black (Hospital; USA) Jason Crumer huffs and puffs into a growling world of feedback without lament nor relaxation. With the assistance of the cover photo of a hotel bedroom, you get a glimpse into the very personal yet estranged psychosis he is dealing with. His demons are very intriguing indeed. Like an animal distress call sounds once you enter its nest, Crumer's "Ottoman Black" is unrelenting and fierce, yet very dynamic like a monkey chant, taking time to breath and build up again. Limited to 500 copies, get it while you can! -Chuck Bettis/DMG
CD $12

SUTCLIFFE JUGEND - The Fall Of Nature (Ground Fault/Hospital 213; USA) The first half of this hour long journey into sound presents an eerie ambience, by Sutcliffe Jugend, introducing the nature of this disc as it evolves into welcomed warmth of sonic light, flanging the air about with cascading tones exceeding to the space realm with cosmic collision of tonal clouds and overtones. Momentary smiles and transcendence is in the air with a nod to the minimalist forefathers such as Terry Riley and Tony Conrad. Yet the attention is then turned to exploiting the duality of nature with the second half of disc showing the uglier side of nature; erosion (of sound), death (music as ritual violence), humanity (anti-nature). Slowly drifting off into an abyss of a menacing frequencies that linger and haunt. Sutcliffe is also featured on the "Anthology of Electronic and Noise Vol. 5". RECOMMENDED! -Chuck Bettis/DMG
CD $12

PRURIENT - Point And Void (Ninth Circle 21406; USA) The early musique-concrete school probably never would have fathomed that the musical tools they created would be used with such intensity. "Point And Void" employs distorted tape cut ups, urban field recordings, with the expected harsh-insanity yelps of Prurient. Yet presentation is always key to listening. If this was presented as a sound installation, which oft times it reminds me of, it would be heard differently than it would be if I told you are listening to one of the young bucks of noise. Also, I am compelled to point out that the scariest thing on this disc is a christian prayer, which is used as lyrics that are belted out in horror. Not to say that the prayer itself is scary but what is scary is how it has became integrated with this noise release. To spare the theological debate, it appears that Prurient is defiling the so-called "sacred words" to release the beast, (666 = the number of man). Noise has always been one to unabashedly explore taboos, but if you made it this far in the review, you already knew this. This release is no different in that respect. A rerelease of previous Hospital album limited to 30! Now only a few copies left of this reissue. You blink, they're gone! Get it now! RECOMMENDED! -Chuck Bettis/DMG
CD $10



AMOS GARRETT - Get Way Back: A Tribute To Percy Mayfield (Stony Plain 1330; USA) "GET WAY BACK" (A Tribute to Percy Mayfield) marks guitarist Amos' return to the blues, with a powerful classic west coast R&B tribute to his favorite and most influential singer and composer. Recorded with the cream of the crop of Canada's best classic R&B musicians
CD $16


PETER WALKER - Echo Of My Soul (Tompkins Square 1752; USA) "Peter Walker came up in the Cambridge, MA and Greenwich Village folk scenes of the '60s. He recorded two albums for the Vanguard label in the late '60s in a style best described as American folk-raga. He studied with Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan, and was Dr.Timothy Leary's musical director, organizing music for the LSD advocate's 'celebrations.' A Raga for Peter Walker was released by Tompkins Square in 2006, featuring four new tracks from Peter along with original, previously unreleased compositions by revered contemporary guitarists Steffen Basho-Junghans, James Blackshaw, Greg Davis, Shawn David McMillen, Thurston Moore, and Jack Rose. In recent years, Walker has developed an intense interest in flamenco guitar and, through regular trips to Spain, has been accepted into flamenco's exclusive musical elite. Peter states, 'the music on this CD was reviewed and acclaimed in Andalucia by some of the "old guard" who have encouraged its release. With its roots in ancient East Indian music, "flamenco" has influenced much of the world's music. These Spanish-inspired pieces reflect my passion for this musical rubric.' Maverick guitar master, Peter Walker's first album in 40 years!"
CD $14



MASAYUKI TAKAYANAGI - Independence: Tread On Sure Ground (Tiliqua 5008; Japan) "New release in Tiliqua Records' ongoing Archival series is this quintessential album by Takayanagi Masayuki. It was his debut recording as a leader with his newly erected unit The New Directions, a trio consisting out of bassist Yoshizawa and drummer Toyozumi 'Sabu' YoshisaburO. Recorded at the Teichiku Kaikan studios on 18 September 1969 (released in 1970), Independence - Tread on Sure Ground, is largely regarded as the first true classic of Japanese free jazz. The group thrashes out an entirely new Japanese methodology for improvisation based on Takayanagi's theories about progressive art. As Alan Cummings explains in his liner notes, the group's sonic outburst is pregnant with an urgent intensity similar to a violent rotating windstorm. 'An electric guitar string is pinged with a sour and markedly unlovely resonance. It is left to fade away naturally, its dying whisper replaced with a wavering feedback tone that grows steadily in volume and thickness. Against the slow feedback wave, a sudden loud percussive crash, urgent staccato rolls across the toms, and the dry rasp of a rattle. A choppy, non-sequential series of chords from the guitar, still mouth-puckeringly bitter is set against the warmer resonance of an alternately bowed and plucked double bass. Each instrument sounds self-contained, like lunar bodies spinning on their own axes at different tempos, but locked together by unfathomably complex rules of motion. Additional percussive rattles and scrapes have been overdubbed to fill in the blank space. Tendrils of feedback snake in and out, like cosmic dust from some cataclysmic celestial event. The playing is exploratory and deliberate, technically adept and keenly judged, easily sustaining interest and motion across the track's eleven minutes. Its sense of focused concentration is more akin to the European free improvisation of AMM or The Spontaneous Music Ensemble than the violent ecstasies of American fire music.' The CD reissue includes also the bonus track 'Mass Projection' which was originally issued on the compilation album Guitar Workshop (Teichiku, 1970). This CD is housed in a high quality mini-LP styled gatefold sleeve, completed with obi and extensive 4-paged illuminating liner notes by Alan Cummings. Original artwork is faithfully reproduced. One time only limited pressing."
CD $28


JA SEAZER [J A CAESAR] - Den-en Ni Shisu [sndtck] (Showboat/Sky Station 57; Japan) First reissue of this 1974 J.A. Ceasar-performed theatrical underground classic. "The early '70s in Japan are often painted as an era of political and artistic disillusionment. On the one hand, the state rode roughshod over widespread opposition by renewing a mutual security treaty with the US, forcibly purchasing farming land near Tokyo for the construction of a new airport and stamping down hard on student occupations of universities. In the face of the implacability of state power, the protest movements' fluffy dreams of peaceful revolution were viciously scalpel-sculpted into new and violent forms by Red Army hijackings, lynchings and hostage taking. The sense of confusion and lost innocence was further emphasized by teenage thrill killers, coin locker babies and the bizarre coup d'etat-cum-public suicide of novelist Yukio Mishima. Against this background Japanese youth music began to discard the perky Western imitations of the Group Sounds boom and the college folkies, and slide into more appropriately brutal forms of self expression. Folk turned angry and personal, while rock groups like Las Rallizes Denudes, Flower Travellin' Band and Keiji Haino's Lost Aaraaff discovered bad acid, dissonance and heavy electric blues.
Some of the most exciting and evocative music of the time, however, was born out of the avant garde theatre groups that had played such a central role in the '60s ferment. One of the most important was the Tenjo Sajiki Company (its name taken from Marcel Carne's wartime occupation fantasy Les Enfants Du Paradis), formed by poet, film maker, boxing fan and all-around agent provocateur, Shuji Terayama. Renowned for Living Theatre-inspired audience participation happenings and extreme street theatre designed to shock the bourgeois, by 1970 the group had already become a haven for runaway teens, and a focus for police investigation. Terayama was canny enough to realize that co-opting their music was an ideal way to hijack adolescent energies, and he consistently used heavy amplified rock to jump-start his chaotic, socially critical acid operas.
Heard today, even independent of their lyrical message, they're astonishingly powerful as pieces of music, deploying huge Magma choruses alongside juggernaut organ, guitar, bass, drums and fully out-there vocalizing. The pick of this bunch is the soundtrack to Terayawa's 1974 film Den-en Ni Shisu (Death In The Country). Described as a fictional autobiography, it tells of a sensitive adolescent poet who later becomes a film director, stuck with his neurotic mother in a rural northern backwater, who dreams of running off first with a neighbour's wife and then with a traveling freakshow. The film's fractured narrative of awakening sexuality and severing of parental bonds is captured in hallucinatory imagery and an equally ambitious soundtrack by J.A. Caesar, which binds the whole film together with a subtle, subconscious logic.
The deployment of disparate elements in an all-consuming flow, which works even independently of the images, is masterly. The familiar psych guitar, organ and choral chanting are heavy enough in places -- as on the disc's definitive reading of Caesar's massive and haunting 'Wasan' -- to approach Sabbath levels of dense pounding, and there's also a frighteningly visceral vocal turn from folk singer Kan Mikami. But the score also sees Caesar expanding his instrumental palette, scoring some tracks for sideshow brass band or gently plucked guitar, weeping violin and chant. The weird intervals of his sparse, medieval-influenced melodies linger in the memory with the force of nostalgia for a past not directly experienced. It's an amazing performance: from street hippy who'd never picked up an instrument to film soundtrack composer in five years. Caesar's soundtrack for Den-en Ni Shisu lost out by a single vote to Toru Takemitsu for the best film soundtrack of 1974." -- Alan Cummings, The Wire.
CD $28

JA SEAZER [J A CAESAR] - Saraba Hakobune [sndtck] (Showboat/Sky Station 63; Japan) "Another rarity is this original soundtrack album to Terayama Shuji's last movie with music by JA Seazer (Tenjo Sajiki, JA Caesar). Released in 1984, it was Terayama's last completed movie and Seazer's last contribution to his visionary and reactionary world. Saraba Habobune's soundtrack is just stunningly beautiful, far removed from Seazer's trademark bombastic scores. Instead it ventures into more pastoral and almost meditative psychedelic realms filled with traditional string plucking, eerie flute, shahuhachi flirtations, esoterically floating beneath-the-surface female Orff-like choruses and ethereal shamanistic sense of poetry that create memory flashes towards a forceful nostalgia of a past not directly experienced. The whole is endowed with beauty and an austere intimacy spiced up with occasional echoes of circus side show callers that seem to recall aspirational surges out of a concealed depth of former delinquent activities. A deceptively intense, casual in feel, yet meticulous in its musical detail and lyrical transmigrative eclectic beauty. A true astonishingly beautiful and ear-filling piece of consummate art that is so hard to come to terms with. Housed in eye-popping hard cover mini-LP styled gatefold sleeve art, complete with reproduction of the original inserts."
CD $28

TEKEHISA KOSUGI - Catch-Wave (Showboat/Sky Station 502; Japan) Official CD reissue (more recently repro'd by World Psychedelia), licensed from Sony Japan. Originally issued by CBS in Japan-only in 1975, this album has been as difficult to find as either of the original Taj Mahal Travellers' LPs. The descriptive text on the back jacket of this exact repro gives an insight: "sounds speeding on lights, light speeding on sounds, music between riddles & solutions." A devastating, drone-intense record (unlike Kosugi's later solo recordings for Lovely Music or P-vine; Catch-Wave is the closest follow-up recording to his Taj Mahal Travellers group in the form of group improvisation), finally accessible.
CD $28

KAN MIKAMI - Yuyake No Kioku Kara: Aomori Live (Showboat/Sky Station 75; Japan) "Originally released in 1976 on the legendary Victor SF series documenting outsider folk activities in Japan, this is one of the hardest Mikami LPs to track down, apart from his first two albums. This record sees Mikami returning to his home base, the northern prefecture of the bone-chillingly cold and weather beaten Aomori, delivering an intimate performance where he accompanies himself just on guitar with no back-up. A stunning and blood curdling live performance that proves once again that he is the ultimate acid folk/rural beatnik guttural hero. He wails out elegiac songs with enough conviction to strip the paint of the walls. But at the same time it is possibly -- partly due to his return to the motherland after having spent so much time in the concrete jungle of the capital -- his most private statement to date, loaded with cries of sorrow and grief, introspective mind trips and venomous laments that suggests he cries his heart out for dead souls and lost memories. In other words, his performance squeezes the last whiff of air out of your longs, leaving you exhausted and emotionally distressed. Great, only superlatives do him justice, all time possible highest recommendation. By the way, the audience response in the small theater is great and provides at times the ideal backup for his songs. You have to hear it in order to believe it... again quality reissue job, complete with mini-LP style gatefold jacket, obi, etc, all the works... it makes you drool just to hold it in yer hands."
CD $28

TAJ MAHAL TRAVELLERS - July 15, 1972 (Showboat/Sky Station 501; Japan) Official CD reissue of the first Taj Mahal Travellers album, licensed from Sony Japan. Originally issued by CBS in Japan in 1972, this has been incredibly in-demand for quite some time (this Showboat edition was first issued in 2001 or thereabouts and is now more widely available again). The precursor to the 2nd and final Taj-Mahal Travellers album, August 1974 (reissued on P-vine in the late '90s and still available), this represents Fluxus-inspired drone and improvisation at its peak. The line up for this album is: Takehisa Kosugi (electronic violin, radio oscillators & voice), Ryo Loike (electronic contrabass, suntool, harmonia & sheet iron), Yukio Tsuchiya (vibraphon, suntool), Michihiro Kimura (electronic guitar & percussion), Seiji Nagai (electronic trumpet, harmonica & castanet), Tokio Hasegawa (vocal), Kinji Hayashi (electronic engineer), Go Hamada (producer). Recorded live at Sohgetsu Hall, Tokyo on 7/15/72.
CD $28

TENJO SAJIKI - Baramon (Showboat/Sky Station 99003; Japan) "This is a limited reissue of the ultra rare privately released Tenjo Sajiki record Baramon. This identical reissue dates from 2003 and was released in a tiny edition of 500 copies, which sold out in a matter of weeks. But about the music: 'Some of the most exciting and evocative music of the early '70s in Japan was born out of the avant-garde theatre groups that had played such a central role in the '60s ferment. One of the most important was the Tenjo Sajiki Company formed by poet, film maker, boxing fan and all-around agent provocateur Terayama Shuji. Renowned for Living-Theatre inspired audience participation happenings and extreme street theatre designed to shock the bourgeois; by 1970 the group had already become a haven for runaway teens, and a focus for police investigation. Terayama was canny enough to realize that co-opting their music was an ideal way to hijack adolescent energies and he consistently used heavy amplified rock to jump-start his chaotic, socially critical acid operas. By 1972, Baramon saw J.A. Seazer and Kuni Kawauchi (of the Happenings Four and Kirikyogen) splitting the compositional scores on a bizarre musical manifesto for sexual liberation. So far so Hair, but rather than a tribute to free love, Terayama instead composed an eloquent plea for the liberation of the sexual underclass suffering discrimination, in the form of a 'gay revolution.' It wasn't Terayama's first engagement with the Tokyo queer scene -- one of the earliest plays he wrote for the Tenjo Sajiki was a vehicle for transvestite actress and chanson singer Akihiro Miwa, who was rumored to have had a dalliance with Yukio Mishima. Baramon's opening is a blast -- a densely narrated and impassioned call to arms set to a Nazi military march that links sexual second class citizenship to imperialist social control and warmongering. Featuring the actual voices of numerous smutty, cross-dressing scene queens, the record's content was deemed so subversive that it was only sold under the counter of Tokyo gay bars. Like a biker backstage at the Cage Aux Folles, fuzzed out guitar riffs and heavy swelling organ-based psych rock tracks rub shoulders with the lachrymose ballads and tawdry, mascara smudging chanson still favored in certain Shinjuku nighteries.'" - The Wire, Alan Cummings.
CD $28

TENJO SAJIKI - Hatsukoi Jigoku Hen (Showboat/Sky Station 69; Japan) "Top notch and bang up identical reissue job by the high quality label Sky Station; gatefold mini-LP style sleeve complete with inserts and obi. This was originally a private pressing on Terayama Shuji's own Tenjosajiki label. The disc is a soundtrack to his like-named movie, of which the title can be roughly translated as 'Volume of First Love Hell.' Psychedelic insanity, spoken word insertions and has included great vocal participations by sublime vocalist Carmen Maki of Blues Creation. Great disc that rarely surfaces with everything intact. Meaning obi, gimmick jacket that folds open in triple parts once you open the album. Comes with pictures of Terayama, Carmen Maki and nude photographs of the main actors."
CD $28

TENJO SAJIKI - Throw Away The Books, Let's Go Out On The Street (Showboat/Sky Station 62; Japan) "Typical of the company's early, crazed style is the recently reissued Throw Away The Books, originally released on their own label in 1970. Confusingly, there is a film soundtrack of the same title, but this is the extremely rare original theatrical version and contains entirely different material. Subtitled 'A High-Teen Symphony,' the performance centers around untrained adolescents reading out their own tortured, angry (and in one case, stuttering) texts and poems. Their stories of family disintegration and mother-hate, dreams and hopes for the future, and love songs to teen murderer Norio Nagayama and Mick Jagger are set to an attractively rough and ready pounding psych-rock soundtrack largely composed by organist Kuni Kawachi. Kawachi had been a member of pioneering Prog group Happenings Four and his brooding organ riffs feature throughout. As well as heavy rockers like the great opening 'Lets Go Ornette', with its ripping fuzz lead, Orff-style choral chants and motorbike effects, Kawachi was also capable of delicate, folkish pieces ideally suited for some of the company's outstanding female vocalists, several of whom developed successful singing careers outside of Tenjo Sajiki. Also of note is a track composed by a young design school dropout, Shinjuku street hippy and winner of a nationwide longhair competition, by the unlikely name of JA Caesar (Tenjo Sajiki also had its own Sinatra and Salvador Dali). Set to a simple handclap rhythm, Caesar's tale of the panhandling life possessed a subtle melodic strength and depth that hinted at the minor keys of traditional folk song. Caesar soon came into his own, composing all the music for Terayama's performances and films for the next decade, and finally inheriting the remnants of the troupe after Terayama's death in 1983." -- Alan Cummings, The Wire.
CD $28

KAZUKI TOMOKAWA - Yatto Ichi Mai Me (Showboat/Sky Station 81; Japan) Faithful official reproduced reissue housed in the always top notch mini-LP styled gatefold jackets, obi and inserts. This was Tomokawa's first record, released in October 1975. He is undoubtedly the unequaled master of possessed song-spirit. Here the young Tomokawa wails and screams emotionally hard enough in order to strip the paint of the walls. Nevertheless at times he gets quite emotional and laid back in order to hush his haunting demons to sleep. Just a splendid piece of Japanese acid folk and chant exorcism. Tomokawa's music is violent, emotionally charged with insane screaming modes, piercing sensitivity, cathartic rhythmic purge, thrashing acoustic guitar aesthetic and harsh, reflecting the atmosphere of the bleak northern prefecture of Aomori. Hardly turns up these days. Stunningly great psychedelic-acid-avant-outsider folk music. For fans of Mikami Kan, Jandek, acid folk, Iuchi Kengo, J.A.Seazer, psych heads all around and adventurous music geeks. If you are interested in acid folk, well look no further cause it will not get any better than this. Highly recommended official top notch high quality reissue of this rare early (1st) Tomokawa disc.
CD $28

HIRO YANAGIDA - Hirocosmos (Showboat/Sky Station 68; Japan) "Top quality eye-popping reissue housed in hard cover mini-LP style gatefold sleeve complete with obi and liners of this rare 3rd album by psychedelic maverick Hiro Yanagida. Another totally vanished and ear bleedingly rare gem out of Japan's psychedelic history, this was Hiro Yanagida's (ex Apryl Fool, Food Brain, Sato Masahiko & Soundbreakers, Floral, etc) second solo album released in 1973. Original copies hardly ever surface anymore so this reissue is more than a welcome feast. The music is also just stellar and can be best described and as a mixture between Miles Davis electric mid-'70s electric period (minus the horns) cross-breeding with fusion and psychedelic elements, some snippets of unbridled improvisational jams and extended spun out instrumental tracks. Swirling key changes, synth driven organic whirlpools of exotic bliss, rigid time changes, swift communicative interplay that touches on freak-out jams as well as on sweet oozing interludes. A real sonic gem, and probably the best disc ever made to accompany your autumnal feelings of fleeting summer lust and last upsurge of vitality before winter settles in. One of the key recordings out of Japan 's psychedelic and progressive rock history and much in demand."
CD $28

JOAKIM SKOGSBERG - Jola Rota (Tiliqua 5011; Japan) "First time official reissue of one of Sweden's greatest and sadly unknown psychedelic treasure is this sole album by Joakim Skogsberg out of 1971. Tiliqua acquired the exclusive rights to this gem and this reissue comes with a remastered sound taken directly from the original master tapes and with the kind assistance of Mr. Joakim Skogsberg himself. The album Jola Rota is about Joakim Skogsberg's love for the grandiose Swedish landscapes, which has put its imprint upon his songs. On Jola Rota Joakim single-handedly created a minimal psychedelic and acid folk masterpiece infused with incredible soundscapes of derailed fuzzed out violins, soaring guitars, rattling hand percussion, droning vocals and pulsating bass rhythms, complimented by Joakim's 'jolor,' a special singing style with roots in an ancient Swedish tradition of folk music. The album was for the most part recorded out in the woods, with a portable Nagra reel-to-reel tape recorder and a simple Philips cassette recorder. Upon completion it was suggested for the album to appear on Gump Records, a subsidiary of Metronome. The music was just too underground and weird to be in Metronome's register. Apart from Joakim's original recordings, some overdubs and effects were done in the studio during the autumn of 1971. Some of the droning sounds on the record were recorded in a tiny closet in Karrtorp; a suburb to Stockholm where Joakim was living at the time. The album was pressed into approximately 1000 copies and only about 300 to 400 copies were actually sold. The rest of them were melted down and used in the pressing of other Gump records, making Jola Rota a much rumored and sought after Swedish droned-out and mesmerizing psychedelic artifact. This edition Jola Rota comes housed in high quality sturdy hard card mini-LP styled gatefold sleeve. Original artwork is faithfully reproduced and previously unpublished archival pictures can be found within the liner notes and gatefold. The liner notes are by the hand of Adam Gustafsson. Digitally remastered from the original master tapes and graced with faithfully reproduced artwork and obi. One time only limited pressing."
CD $28

THE TREE PEOPLE - The Tree People (Tiliqua 5003; Japan) "Tiliqua Records is psyched about being able to present a whole new audience and generation with the lysergic beauty of the Tree People's sole recorded artifact, a privately released acid folk gem out of 1979. In times when people are all getting excited about media-created scenes like 'New Weird America' and 'Freak Folk,' they seem to overlook the fact that such music was already being created decades ago. The Tree People is evidence of such a splash of creativity that sadly enough was doomed to disappear within the cracks of obscurity. Until now. Tiliqua was granted the opportunity to restore this gem and with the kind collaboration of Mr. Stephen Cohen of the Tree People, who provided me with the master tapes and a seemingly unlimited support, Tiliqua was able to prepare this reissue. To me, this album is one of the singular most beautiful gems to have crossed my path and words always fall short in an attempt to describe the aural sensation it unleashes. 'Upon listening today this hushed and intimate feeling still resonates through the music - the record possesses an extraordinarily potent atmosphere that still intoxicates the senses after so many years. Over a combustible backing dominated by shimmering strings, bone-shaking hand percussion rhythms, and quivering sensuous threads of eastern-toned flute playing, the group succeeded in concocting up a syncretic combination of meditative Indian raga, western folk stylings and idiosyncratic melodic ideas. The music breathes out intimacy and communicates with a rare directness - hooking you instantly with sheer aural bliss derived from the melody, from the flowing beat, from the sound of the words and syllables and of all those separate elements interacting with each other, rendered into a concentrated, gracious flow of lunar notes. The album's compositions have so many hidden qualities, all breathing out deep and affectionate sentiments that reveal, just like a lotus flower centered on the axis with its petals unfolding towards the circumference, a streamlined adhesion towards the group's own singular creed. Listen to it and you may feel like awakening from a deep slumber, your unconsciousness leaking away as aspects of reality slowly mix in with the rest of your already blurred mindset.' First time ever official reissue, housed in a sturdy mini-LP styled gatefold sleeve. Original artwork with reproduction of a rare Tree People concert poster opening up in the gatefold. Comes with salacious obi strip and 4 pages of extensive liner notes. Limited pressing and bound to move fast."
CD $22



Five new BLUE NOTE limited Connoisseur editions:

ART FARMER With BENNY GOLSON/LEE MORGAN/PERCY HEATH/PHILLY JOE JONES/ELVIN JONES et al - Brass Shout/The Aztec Suite (Blue Note CNSR; USA) 2008 CONNOISSEUR Rmstr. 2 albums on 1 CD! This 67-minute CD reissues for the first time two undeservedly overlooked 1959 United Artists LPs by Art Farmer. Brass Shout, the first seven tracks, features a tentet with eight all-star brass players fueled by vivid Benny Golson arrangements, Percy Heath's bass, and the drums of Philly Joe Jones or Elvin Jones on two standards and five jazz standards. The Aztec Suite is a tour de force by the great Afro-Cuban arranger Chico O'Farrill which puts Farmer in front of a full big band with three Latin percussionists. Brilliant writing and playing throughout!
Featuring: Art Farmer, Lee Morgan, Ernie Royal (tp), Jimmy Cleveland, Curtis Fuller, Wayne Andre (tb), James Haughton (bar-hrn), Julius Watkins, Bob Northern (frhn), Don Butterfield (tu), Bobby Timmons (p), Percy Heath (b), Philly Joe Jones, Elvin Jones (d)
CD $15

BOBBY HUTCHERSON With HAROLD LAND/OSCAR BRASHEAR et al - Head On (Blue Note CNSR; USA) 2008 CONNOISSEUR Rmstr. This is the first appearance on CD of this fascinating 1971 album that mixes grooves with artful orchestration. Most of the material is written and arranged by pianist Todd Cochran. Besides his keyboard and Hutcherson's vibes, tenor saxophonist Harold Land and trumpeter Oscar Brashear are the featured soloists. Three previously unissued bonus tracks bring the CD to 78:30.
CD $15

LOUIS SMITH With CHARLIE ROUSE/SONNY CLARK/PAUL CHAMBERS/ART TAYLOR - Smithville (Blue Note CNSR; USA) 2008 CONNOISSEUR Rmstr. 2008 CONNOISSEUR Rmstr. The recent release of Horace Silver - Live at Newport '58 has brought new attention to the brilliant work of trumpet Louis Smith, an amazing soloist and technician who left jazz for music education in late-1958, but not before making two albums for Blue Note and joining Silver's quintet. This second album has never been issued on CD until now and never issued in stereo in any format. Leading an exceptional quintet with Charlie Rouse, Sonny Clark, Paul Chambers, and Art Taylor, Smith blazes his way through eight excellent performances, including two bonus tracks from the session, which were never issued in the US.
CD $15

STANLEY TURRENTINE With DUKE PEARSON/McCOY TYNER et al - Return Of The Prodigal Son: The Complete Sessions (Blue Note CNSR; USA) 2008 CONNOISSEUR Rmstr. On CD for the first time are two 1967 tentet sessions by Stanley Turrentine, soulfully arranged by Duke Pearson, with the locked-in rhythm section of McCoy Tyner, Bob Cranshaw, and Ray Lucas. Seven of the ten selections have been previously issued in the LPs but they are now brought together in complete form here, totaling 59 minutes. Turrentine's soulful tenor sax is the prime voice throughout this program of hip bossa novas, blues, standards, and pop tunes. His reading of Aretha Franklin's Dr. Feelgood (heard here in two takes) is an absolute killer.
CD $15.

DIZZY GILLESPIE & JAMES MOODY With GIL FULLER/MONTEREY JAZZ FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA - Gillespie & Moody With Monterey Jazz Festival Orchestra (Blue Note CNSR; USA) 2008 CONNOISSEUR Rmstr. 2 albums on 1 CD! Gil Fuller's jazz credentials date back to the late-forties when he was the principal architect of the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band with James Moody. In 1965, arranger Gil Fuller pulled together the cream of LA's jazz and studio scenes to form the Monterey Jazz Orchestra, which performed at that year's festival and recorded two Pacific Jazz albums, one spotlighting Gillespie and the other Moody. Fuller pulls choice tunes from be-bop, tin pan alley, and contemporary originals to create beautiful canvases for his old friends. The result is some exceptional playing from Gillespie and Moody. Both albums, newly remixed from the original three- and four-track master tapes, are complete on this 75-minute CD.
CD $15



JULY - July (Cherry Red/Rev-Ola 243; UK) "Having started out as a skiffle act from Ealing and called The Playboys, they then became an R&B combo, The Tomcats. John (Speedy) Keen, (Thunderclap Newman) was in them for a while and then in 1966, The Tomcats went to Spain with a new line-up (one which became the future July one). As Los Tomcats, they got in the charts with four EPs, one of which was all in Spanish! They then returned to the UK in 1968, still basing themselves in Ealing and changed their name to July. As July, they recorded what later became one of the most sought-after British psychedelic '60s albums of all time. One that was originally released in the UK on Major Minor in 1968 and also issued in the USA/Canada on Epic and even released in Brazil. The album's main appeal is its haunting brand of psychedelia and Rev-Ola are delighted to announce that this special CD issue has four bonus tracks. The gorgeous package is also enhanced by a quantity of previously unpublished photographs and some highly-informative CD booklet notes by '60s pop-sike expert David Wells."
CD $17

THE YARDBIRDS - Happenings Ten Years Time Ago: 1964-1968 (Raven 263; Australia) Great cross-label compilation with 27 improtant cuts involving either Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and/or Jimmy Page.
CD $20

MC5 - Anthology 1965-1971 [2 CD set] (Cleopatra/Purple Pyramid; USA)
2 CD set for $20

THE McCOYS - Infinite McCoys/Human Ball [2 CD set] (BGO 796; UK)
2 CD set for $22

AL KOOPER - I Stand Alone/You Never Know Who Your Friends Are [2 CD set] (Raven 269; Australia)
2 CD set for $26


GRAHAM PARKER & THE RUMOUR - The Vertigo Singles Collection (Lemon 104; USA) "First-ever round-up of EVERY [!] A and B-side issued by Graham Parker & The Rumour for the seminal Vertigo Records. Includes the UK National hit singles 'Hold Back The Night' and 'Hey Lord, Don t Ask Me Questions.' Booklet features pictures of every single sleeve including many rare European issues alongside informative track notes. Totally remastered by Tim Turan."
CD $17


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


IF YOU'RE ALREADY SUBSCRIBED TO OUR NEWSLETTER, BUT SOMEHOW YOU'RE NOT RECEIVING THEM IN YOUR INBOX..

Many of your incoming emails are being blocked and you don't know it! Many emails like our newsletter are frequently blocked by aggressive spam filters being used by nearly all email services.

To help avoid this problem and get our newsletter:

Hotmail Users: Place the domain " downtownmusicgallery.com " on your Safe List, so that you can receive our emails. The safe list can be accessed via the "Options" link next to the main menu tabs. Also place the email address dmg@downtownmusicgallery.com in your address book.

AOL: Place the domain " downtownmusicgallery.com " in your Address Book. Also add the email address dmg@downtownmusicgallery.com to your address book.

Yahoo! Mail: If one of our e-newsletters is filtered to your 'bulk' folder, open the message and click on the "this is not Spam" link next to the "From" field. The same goes for any other e-mail you receive that doesn't belong there. Add the address dmg@downtownmusicgallery.com to your address book.

Other email services [Earthlink, GMail et al]: Place the domain " downtownmusicgallery.com " on your email filter's whitelist. You may need to search your email help menu for details on how to do this. Depending on software/version, they may call it a "whitelist," a "good list" or similar name. Adding the address dmg@downtownmusicgallery.com to your address book will help too.