September starts with a BANG!

Blue Notes: McGregor/Feza/Pukwana/Moyake/Dyani/Moholo 5 CD Box! Wayne Horvitz! Frode Gjerstad Circulasione Totale All-Star Orchestra! Anker/Courvoisier/Mori! Oliver Lake! Eri Yamamoto! Gordon Mumma! Out-Of-Print 'Between The Lines' Titles! .. and more as udjual!


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What tops this week's list? The BLUE NOTES of course!!!

BLUE NOTES [CHRIS McGREGOR/LOUIS MOHOLO/DUDU PUKWANA/JOHNNY DYANI/MONGEZI FEZA/NICK MOYAKE] - Complete Ogun Recordings: Blue Notes For Mongezi/In Concert/Blue Notes For Johnny/Legacy: Live in South Afrika 1964 [5 CD box set & bklt] (Ogun 024-28; UK)
A box set containing ALL the music recorded for or released by Ogun by the legendary BLUE NOTES (LOUIS MOHOLO-MOHOLO, DUDU PUKWANA, JOHNNY DYANI, MONGEZI FEZA, NICK MOYAKE and CHRIS McGREGOR):
* Blue Notes for Mongezi (1976) - with Chris, Dudu, Johnny, and Louis - never before on CD (2 full length CDs with the entire double LP PLUS previously unreleased material)
* Blue Notes In Concert (1977) - with Chris, Dudu, Johnny, and Louis - never before on CD (PLUS previously unreleased material from that concert)
* Blue Notes For Johnny (1986) - with Chris, Dudu, and Louis - never before on CD (PLUS previously unreleased extra material from the studio recording)
* Blue Notes Legacy-Live In South Afrika (1964) CD - with Chris, Dudu, Mongezi, Nick, Johnny, and Louis - previously on CD from Ogun but out of print for many years.
AND a booklet with contributions from an international collection of writers, and musicians with photos collected from various archives! [in stock next week, sometime]
5 CD Box Set for $90


Two new releases from one of DMG's Favorite Musicians!
[both in stock next week]

WAYNE HORVITZ & SWEETER THAN THE DAY [aka ZONY MASH ACOUSTIC] - A Walk In The Dark (WH; USA) Wayne Horvitz (piano), Timothy Young (guitars), Keith Lowe (acoustic bass), Eric Eagle (drums) A Walk In the Dark is the first studio release from Sweeter Than the Day since its' eponymous CD from 2002. Wayne Horvitz notes, "I've been wrapped up in a lot of other works, including some large ensemble projects, an opera of sorts, and CDs including Solos and two CDs from my other ensemble, The Gravitas Quartet. That being said, Sweeter Than the Day has been consistently touring and performing, and remains one of my favorite projects of all time."
The CD features 11 new originals, showcasing Sweeter Than the Day's signature blend of Horvitz' unique and understated harmonic language, Tim Young's brilliant and beautiful solos, and the group interplay that the band is so well known for. "This is more of a playing record", says Horvitz. "It isn't live, but it's a lot closer to that feeling than Forever or Sweeter Than the Day - a little looser and a little edgier: it's got more up-tempo tunes and we stretch more. Tim does some things that just knock my socks off. We actually recorded this the same week I recorded the new Gravitas CD, and we do three or four of the same tunes. The contrast is fantastic between the two bands, and I am blessed to have not one, but two ensembles bringing so much life to my pieces."
Some of that edge can be heard on The 29th Day of May, despite its gentle theme, as well as on A Moment for Andrew (for pianist Andrew Hill), and Between The Floors, both featuring a mutated swing feel driven by newest member Eric Eagle (drums). Other highlights include Tim Young's blues groove on A Walk in the Rain, two gorgeous ballads, Good Shepherd and Undecided, and the lovely Waltz from Woman of Tokyo, excerpted from a score for the silent film of the same name by the iconic Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu.
CD $15

VARMINT [WAYNE HORVITZ/ROBIN HOLCOMB/DANNY BARNES/TUCKER MARTINE/TIMOTHY YOUNG/STEVE MOORE/KEITH LOWE] - Mr. Man In The Moon (WH; USA) VARMINT came into being on New Years Eve 2005 as a one time only covers project. It featured Robin Holcomb and Danny Barnes as the principal singers, along with Tucker Martine - drums, Tim Young - guitar, Steve Moore - wurlitzer piano, Wayne Horvitz - Hammond B-3, and Keith Lowe - bass. Shortly thereafter, Tia Freeborn (ex-O.K. Hotel) opened a small bar called Lottie's Lounge in Columbia City. Lottie's was just a few minutes from the home of Horvitz and Holcomb who approached Tia with the idea of leaving the Hammond B-3 there and doing a weekly gig each Tuesday. Shows began with the members of Zony Mash/Sweeter Than the Day in addition to Holcomb on vocals and Jon Hyde on pedal steel, and lasted for almost 2 years. Each week featured special guest vocalists and the band maintained a strict rule of "no original material, and no rehearsals." Guests over the years included Reggie Garrett, Karen Pernick, The Tallboys, Dave Keenan, Nova Devione, Arni Adler, Grant Dermoday, Orville Johnson, Laura Veirs, Joe Miller, Casey MacGill, Del Ray, Garfield High Horns, Jed Jedrzejewski, Jim Burns, Paul Hiraga, Terri Moeller, and many more, including two Christmas shows where the entire bar sang along. A typical night with VARMINT might include renditions by Holcomb of Black Jack Davey and Cluck Old Hen (traditional), Mister Man on the Moon (Michael Hurley), Enlightenment (Sun Ra), Dues (Ronee Blakley from the movie Nashville), the Al Green version of I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (Hank Williams) and Close To You (Burt Bacharach), with Tim Young singing Solitary Man (Neil Diamond) and It Won't Be Long (Johnny Paycheck), as well as Jon Hyde singing Last Date (Floyd Cramer) and rippin' through the instrumental Bar Hoppin. Dave Keenan would sit in on Reuben's Train (trad), Laura Veirs would sing Frieght Train (Elizabeth Cotton), and Arni Adler would guest on If He Swings on a String (made famous by Marlene Dietrich). In the summer of 2006, the core band went to Montana to record at Snowghost Studios with engineer Brett Allen. In just 2 1/2 days the band burned through 20 tunes with a "catch it live while it's hot" attitude. With very few fixes or overdubs, it is now finally released by Wayne himself in 2008!
CD $15


FRODE GJERSTAD & CIRCULASIONE TOTALE ORCHESTRA With BOBBY BRADFORD/SABIR MATEEN/ANDERS HANA/KEVIN NORTON/NICK STEPHENS/INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN/LOUIS MOHOLO/PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE - Open Port: Yellow Bass & Silver Cornet (In Memory of Johnny Mbizo Dyani and John Stevens) (Circulasione 09; EEC) ) Featuring Frode Gjerstad & Sabir Mateen on reeds, Bobby Bradford on cornet, Anders Hana on electric guitar, Borre Molstad on tuba, Nick Stephens & Ingebrigt Haker-Flaaten on basses, Louis Moholo, Paal Nilssen-Love & Morten J. Olsen on drums and Kevin Norton on vibes & conduction. "Stavanger, my home town, is European cultural capital in 2008 along with Liverpool. Stavanger 2008 have given me a chance to present a band at the MaiJazz festival here in May 2008. This CD is from our first performance at the MaiJazz festival. The Circulasione Totale Orchestra is some of my musical friends from over the years. It is an acoustic-electric band. Which to me, means that there will be many influences put together: some well known acoustic sounds and some sounds very far from the acoustic area. I have in the past mostly worked from an acoustic platform, but I am also looking for other musical avenues to explore and have worked with electronics. In the CTO I would very much like all these influences to come together as one. And I need musicians who would bring their own identity to the table so we can cook a great meal together. This is a celebration of the free improvised music". - Frode Gjerstad
CD $15



Three new releases from Intakt!

LOTTE ANKER/SYLVIE COURVOISIER/IKUE MORI - Alien Huddle (Intakt 144; Switzerland) Of the three, Anker has the deepest background in jazz; after studies at Copenhagen University Rhytmic Conservatory, where she came in contact with composers and saxophonists as diverse as Bob Brookmeyer and David Murray, she came up in the Scandinavian jazz scene during the late 1980s, initially playing in ensembles led by Marilyn Mazur, Pierre Dorge and others. She soon assumed leadership roles in several ensembles, a trio with Craig Taborn and Gerald Cleaver, and the 12-piece Copenhagen Art Ensemble. The later is particularly pertinent, as the CAE's collaborations with Tim Berne provide insight into Berne's influence on Anker.
Steeped in post-serial composition and non-idiomatic improvisation, Courvoisier's music has a more glancing relationship to the jazz tradition. Although she is cogent in open loose settings like Herb Robertson's NY Downtown Allstars, her own projects such as Abaton and Lonelyville emphasize a compositional formalism and improvisational rigor as commonly associated with the frontiers of classical music as it is with the jazz circuit. This is even the case when the terms of improvising are as wide-open as with Mephista, Courvoisier's collaboration with Mori and Susie Ibarra.
Mori first made her mark during the late 1970s as the drummer of the No Wave band, DNA,whose embrace of noise has a living legacy in groups such as Sonic Youth. During the late 80s, a period in which Mori was establishing what have become enduring relationships with Downtown musicans like Zorn, Mori transformed the drum machine, then an annoying novelty in pop music, into a viable instrument for new music. During the past decade, Mori's main ax has been the laptop.
Throughout the album, these three trajectories alternately collide and commingle. A groan fromdeep within the bell of jazz tenor saxophone archetypes scrapes against laptop textures; the shimmers of directly excited piano strings hover about kindred digital specters; a double-tongued soprano phrase flutters in the grand decay of the piano. It is a mercurial dialogue in which voices rise and recede unexpectedly, fragments suddenly elongate into flowing verse and rapid-fire repartee abruptly atomizes. It is propelled by inscrutable impulses; unlike some long-observed forms of improvised music, where quiet murmurings groundswell as if on cue, and then ebb on schedule, these improvisations take shape in unexpected ways. The trio's tactical stealth in this regard is often startling, even when the resulting music has subtle shadings.
CD $20

INGRID LAUBROCK With LIAM NOBLE/TOM RAINEY - Sleepthief (Intakt 146; Switzerland) Recorded August, 30, 2007 at Radley College, London. Over the past years Ingrid Laubrock has gradually come to the limelight of the current jazz scene. She has won several awards and prizes with a jazz that is boldly modern yet deeply rooted in tradition. The music of her trio Sleepthief is born from the very moment, yet the compositional consciousness of form seems to guide the free improvisations here. Born in the Munsterland region in a musical family Ingrid Laubrock took off to Berlin as soon as she finished school. In Berlin she eked out a living on odd jobs and went to London. Jean Toussaint was her first saxophone teacher. A book by David Liebmann made Laubrock travel to the USA where she attended a one week masterclass with the Miles Davis saxophone player. The impact was overwhelming. Laubrock took a 6 months sabbatical, she practiced frenetically to take in all the new impulses. After this she went to study jazz for one year. The polystylistics of the 1990 jazz have formed Laubrocks musical view of the world. "Even today I try to listen to many different styles and to absorb as many new influences as I can. You have to be receptive, all sensors ready to pickup. That opens one's senses for new sensations" says Laubrock. With her trio Sleepthief she acts on this maxim.
CD $20

RAFIK SCHAMI/GUNTER BABY SOMMER - Abbara: Von Damaskus nach Dresden (Intakt 140; Switzerland) Rafik reads his text piece whilst Gunter acreatively accompies on his percussion kit. Review soon..
CD $20


ERI YAMAMOTO TRIO - Redwoods (AUM 49; USA) Eri Yamamoto's growth as a jazz player and composer over the last 10 years is truly phenomenal. Having deeply impressed us (anew) last year, AUM Fidelity quickly recorded two albums with her in early 2008. The first was the exquisite Duologue, released in June, which featured her in duo with established masters of the music (William Parker, Hamid Drake, Daniel Carter). And now on Redwoods, with her regular working trio of longtime compatriots, bassist David Ambrosio and drummer Ikuo Takeuchi, Eri's distinctly invigorating approach to the jazz trio and remarkable gift for indelible melodies reaches yet another track-for-track high. (BTW - When she is not busy touring the world with her own group and/or with William Parker, the Eri Yamamoto Trio performs every Thursday/Friday/Saturday at Arthur's Tavern, a/n historic jazz club in New York's Greenwich Village.)
CD $14


OLIVER LAKE ORGAN TRIO With JARED GOLD/JONATHAN BLAKE - Makin' It (Passin' Thru 41225; USA) On his newest release the great alto saxophonist Oliver Lake is in a trio format with organ sensation Jared Gold and drummer Johnathan Blake. 10 tracks: 7 tunes written by Oliver, 2 by Malachi Thompson and the traditional tune "I Want To Walk To Jesus."
"The organ trio, of course, also comes from a place where funk is never a bad word, especially when the funk swings, hops and bops as loudly and proudly as it does here" - Greg Tate - writer/musician.
CD $15



The latest Paul Motian release!

PAUL MOTIAN TRIO 2000+TWO - Vol 2: Live At The Village Vanguard (W&W 143; Germany) Paul Motian [drums] Chris Potter [tenor saxophone] Larry Grenadier [bass] + Greg Osby [alto saxophone] Mat Maneri [viola] Masabumi Kikuchi [piano]. Review soon..
CD $17

Also available

PAUL MOTIAN TRIO 2000+TWO - Vol 1: Live At The Village Vanguard (W&W 133; Germany) By the beginning of 21st century, some forty years after he initially gained fame as a part of the legendary Bill Evans Trio, Paul Motian had long been established as an important bandleader in his own right, recording prolifically for both ECM and Winter & Winter. The group heard on this recording, referred to as "Trio 2000 + Two," includes pianist Masabumi Kikuchi and bassist Larry Grenadier (the latter long associated with Brad Mehldau), plus saxophonists Greg Osby and Chris Potter. One well-known work, Tadd Dameron's "If You Could See Me Now," opens with Kikuchi's subdued, extended solo, though the character of the piece quickly becomes turbulent with the full band's entry, sounding little like the usual arrangements of this jazz favorite. The remaining tracks are all Motian originals, demanding pieces that border on avant-garde jazz and keep the players on their toes. Motian has long stated a preference for playing for the band as opposed to soloing himself and he excels throughout in powering his musicians to reach the summit of their abilities. This is easily some of Paul Motian's most challenging music as a leader, while the Village Vanguard audience was obviously transfixed with the performances, as they remain very quiet to soak in every nuance of them. - Ken Dryden, AMG
CD $17



Two new releases from the not-for-profit New World Records composer label!

GORDON MUMMA//DAAN VANDEWALLE - Music for Solo Piano 1960-2001 [2 CD set] (New World 80686; USA) Gordon Mumma (b. 1935) is best known for his pioneering role in the development and evolution of electronic and live-electronic music. The piano has played a significant if underestimated role in his career. With a few notable exceptions, this collection by pianist Daan Vandewalle marks the first commercial recordings of Mumma's music for solo piano composed over more than a forty years span. It provides an important new perspective on his work as a composer.
The spare textures, irregular rhythms, and pungent dissonances of Bartok's Mikrokosmos echo in Mumma's piano music. The keyboard music of Bach and Haydn, of Schoenberg, Webern, Ives, Ernst Krenek, Carl Ruggles, and Ruth Crawford also shaped his early piano ideal, as did the experience of superb recitalists in Detroit and Ann Arbor, including Walter Gieseking, Dame Myra Hess, and Glenn Gould. The works of the early 1960s were written for the concert hall, but much of the later piano music is more personal-the solitary dreams of a long musical life. And like dreams it filters memories-of music of the distant and recent past, of artistic friendships and loved ones living or dead-to create a uniquely contemporary approach to the piano. In contrast to Mumma's epic electronic works, his keyboard music is predominantly poetic in its brevity, concentration, and psychological depth. It is music of high specific gravity, each piece a microcosm of finely etched ideas that unfold without literal repetition. For Daan Vandewalle, it is also "music of dialogue" that communicates-both with the listener and within itself-through its deep concern with sound, phrasing, color, dynamic range, and rhetorical nuance.
DISC 1: Jardin (1997), Songs without Words (1990s), Suite for Piano (1960), Graftings (1990-96), Four Pack Ponies (1996), Basket of Strays (1970-2001)
DISC 2: 19 from the Sushibox: 5 Sushiverticals (1996), 3 Perspectives (1966-96), 11 Sushihorizontals (1986-96); Sixpac Sonatas (1985-97), Threesome (1996), Eleven Note Pieces & Decimal Passacaglia (1978), Large Size Mograph 1962
2 CD set for $28

MICHAEL BYRON//JOSEPH KUBERA - Dreamers of Pearl (New World 80679; USA) Michael Byron (b. 1953) was a pupil of James Tenney, and later, of Richard Teitelbaum. The body of music he has composed over the past thirty years has been harmonically rich, rhythmically detailed, and increasingly virtuosic. Dreamers of Pearl (2004-05) evinces a sensitivity for the sound of the piano, a sensibility of extended playing/listening, and an interest in repetition and change through gradual and seemingly clandestine processes that transform and extend what we hear. Despite the lyrical (and, one might assume, programmatic) titles of the three movements ("Enchanting the Stars," "A Bird Revealing the Unknown to the Stars," "It Is the Night and Dawn of Constellations Irradiated"), Dreamers of Pearl is a self-contained piece of pure ("absolute") music without obvious quotation or extra-musical references. Dreamers makes its case within a classically-balanced architectural design: three extended "fast-slow-fast" movements of roughly equal length (263, 199, and 226 measures, respectively). The notation is meticulous, specific, precise. Much of the work's texture could be characterized as Baroque, given the perpetual motion of the consistent two-voiced polyphonic layering-some of it cryptically and distortedly imitative.
Dreamers belongs to a rare class of recent piano music-monumental compositions of great length, beauty, and depth-all self-consciously bound to tradition-oriented genres and their deeply ingrained structures, yet inventive and thrilling in ways that inspire a few brave pianists to dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to these often mercilessly difficult pieces. Joseph Kubera, the tremendously gifted pianist for whom Dreamers of Pearl was written, is one of those brave few.
CD $15


WOLFGANG RIHM - Streichquartette Nr. 1,4,8,5 [H-SACD] (Cybele 261101; Germany) [This is a HYBRID SACD, which means it will play in any ordinary DC player!] "The string quartet takes a prominent place among Wolfgang Rihm's immense output. Already in his earliest compositional phase, at the age of 14, 15, 16, Rihm, born in Karlsruhe in 1952, wrote his first quartets, although the scores of these works were not published. In 1970 he published his First String Quartet which was given the opus number 2. This piece, whose tonal language is akin to that of the Second Viennese School with an orientation toward twelve-tone structure and with a predominance of sevenths, ninths and tritones, has a texture which is at times quite thinned out and which then suddenly breaks apart all together: 'As if suddenly destroyed: eradicated' is written above measure 109 in the score, after which the final five bars continue, bearing the marking: 'tense!' Fermata rests, hesitating echos of previous material and the abruptly erupting last chord. Following the Second String Quartet, also written in 1970 and bearing the marking 'opus 10,' and the Third String Quartet, 'im innersten' (with utmost intimacy), which was written in 1976, Rihm in the Winter of 1980/81 turned his attention to his Fourth String Quartet in three movements: I. 'agitato, allegro alia marcia, allegro ma non troppo'; II. 'con moto, allegro andante, allegro molto'; III. 'adagio,' Rihm noted, 'It is at once a straggler and at the same time a hint of things to come.' On the one hand it condenses the confrontation with tradition which was addressed in the first three quartets and is reminiscent of works such as the late Beethoven Quartets, of Mahler, of Shostakovitch and of Janacek's Second Quartet, 'Intimate Letters' (1928). On the other hand however, it also anticipates aspects which later became the subsequent quartets. For example, the first bar of the Eighth String Quartet followed by a general pause, echoes the softly floating final repetitions in the viola and cello from Rihm's Fourth Quartet. Also Rihm's Fifth through Seventh Quartets seem to be drawn from the Fourth, although the music of the later quartets employs more fissured textures and is more gestural than its older relatives. Nonetheless, the Fourth Quartet is not merely a transitional piece or a hinge-composition, but a work with its own integrity and which in addition is a turbulent piece with many riddles which only in the future will (perhaps?) be unrivaled." Stereo/multichannel hybrid SACD that can be played on any CD player.
CD $20


E.A.R. [EXPERIMENTAL AUDIO RESEARCH] With PETE KEMBER/EDDIE PREVOST/KEVIN MARTIN/KEVIN SHIELDS et al - Beyond The Pale (Space Age/Orbit 031; UK) "Originally recorded way back in 1992, Beyond The Pale was E.A.R.'s first album, although it remained unreleased until 1996. Pete Kember, working with Eddie Prevost (AMM), Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine) and Kevin Martin (God) recorded six tracks at Far Heath Studios, Northampton and mixed the resulting audio at MBV Studios, London. This release for 2008 features artwork from the highly collectable artist Kozick, with design overseen by Pete Kember."
CD $17



10 (ITTA & MARQIDO) - UFO ('10' 01; So Korea) An amazing duo known simply as 10 from the two lands of extremes, Itta (from Korea) on vocals and toys with Marqido (from Japan) on electronics. Together they make two worlds collide and transform into a very welcoming alien territory (making the title of this debut CD apropo, "UFO"). Marqido's distorted lo-fi pulsing noises serve as a bedrock for Itta's voice and toy instrument accompaniment. Each musician allows enough space for the other to breath. The end result is very trance inducing bliss that will have you returning to this disc over and over! So simple yet so complex, like the hidden history of the Japanese people originating from Koreans. This music unites it all as one. Words will not suffice, you must hear it! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! -Chuck Bettis/dmg
CD $14

ITTA - 11 (Pastel/Pink Flag 9023; So Korea) The artist known as Itta (which translates to "exist" in english), is the toy whelding vocalist half of the mighty duo from Korea/Japan known simply as 10. She whips up a experimental pop cd filled with joy and wonder. Her catchy siren songs have a tint of Haco style inventiveness to them combined with a bit of Bjork style quirkiness alongside with some french pop chanteuse sprinkled in there as well; yet always staking out ground that is all her own! Itta is from Korea and shines a bright light on the experimental music coming out of this country. Hope to hear more from this artist. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! - Chuck Bettis/dmg
CD $18

MARQIDO - Democritus 2 (Dharma Doll 2; Japan) Marqido is the electronics half of the Japanese/Korean duo known simply as 10. As his website states "Democritus is collaborated works by Marqido and a japanese phychedelic illustrater Yunico Uchiyama who is known as T-shirt designer." With the second installment of the Democritus series, his solo sound adventures expand upon the adventures taken by 10 but on an even more intimate and minimal nature. Speaking of, his noise leans more towards the sounds of nature than the wall of noise that is stereotypical of the noise world. Such as utilizing white noise in the form of running water and sine wave squeaks in fashion of bird songs. As he creates his music with care, caterwauling a unique sound world all on his own. He is one of many of the younger experimental musicians coming out of Japan to look out for (he has already collaborated with some of the older generation such as Magical Power Mako and Li Jianhong). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! -Chuck Bettis/dmg limited edition of 100!!!
CD $20

MARQUDO - Democritus 3 (Dharma Doll 3; Japan) The third installment in the Democritus series and as it turns out my favorite of the three. As stated before, the second edition of "Demorcitus" seemed to have a synthetic nature influence, the third in this series alludes to more of human presence. A presence being the sound of contact mic recording the insides of a human body. When I was 15 I punctured my eardrum with a q-tip. It was painful to say the least, but what I had to ease my suffering was the benefit of experiencing all my inner body sounds amplified! What an experience! Imagine the sound of swallowing spit run through a distortion pedal, the nervous system as a natural modulating flanger, and of course the heart beat as a throbbing pulse (all this plus room for breath). This recording fondly brings back the gift my tragedy brought me. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! -Chuck Bettis/dmg limited edition of 100!!!
CD $20


JOHN BAKER TAPES - Vol 2: Soundtracks, Library Home Recordings, Electro Ads - Rare & Unreleased Workshop Recordings 1963-1975 (Trunk 029; UK) "The second volume of the wonderful John Baker Tapes presents us with all the unheard recordings of his soundtrack work, jingles, and recordings of his jazz group. We finally get the chance to hear, on one disc, the soundtrack he did for Raymond Scott's short film and the medley used in The Beatles "Help!" alongside his inside jazz group, home recordings of his tape music, plus innovative commercial jingles and themes. Making music from rulers, bottle caps and whatever else is the common story of those who participated at the Radiophonic Workshop. What makes Baker stand out is his swing; from his jazz groups to his tape music. His 'modus operandi' for tape music was so unique, the BBC Radiophonic Workshop coined it as the "Baker Technique", one which all the workshop members (and now all of us) would come to know and and love. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!" - Chuck Bettis/dmg
CD $16



Out-of-print Between The Lines CDs available for a limited time!
[while quantities last]

BILL DIXON/FRANZ KOGLMANN/STEVE LACY - Opium (Between the Lines 11; EEC) Bill Dixon, trumpet (track 3); Franz Koglmann, trumpet, flugelhorn; Steve Lacy, soprano saxophone (all tracks except 3); Josef Traindl, trombone (tracks 1 & 2); Cesarius Alvim Botelho, bass (tracks 1 & 2); Aldo Romano, drums (tracks 1 & 2); Steve Horenstein, tenor saxophone (track 3); Alan Silva, bass (track 3); Walter Malli, cymbals (track 3), percussion (tracks 4-7); Toni Michlmayr, bass (tracks 4-7); Gerd Geier, electronics (tracks 4-7).
"Originally released in the 1970s as two separate LPs (Flaps and Opium/For Franz) on the tiny Pipe Records label, the sound on this single CD reissue is generally decent (with only selected rough spots), especially considering that the original tapes were lost and these recordings had to be remastered from the records. Actually, there are three separate groups represented on the seven tracks, with trumpeter Franz Koglmann performing on all and soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy on all but one. Curiously, trumpeter Bill Dixon, whose name appears first on the CD, appears only on one cut, "For Franz," the longest and perhaps most impressive one on the recording. Each track is filled with treasures. The rare opportunity to hear Lacy and Koglmann together is an absolute treat, fulfilling expectations, while the unusual pairing of Dixon and Koglmann on trumpet, along with string bass giant Alan Silva on the very Dixon-esque "For Franz" is also a treasure. Koglmann's stamp is heard throughout, with the compatible horns playing to his cue. Gerd Geier's effective and tasteful use of electronics on several of the numbers adds a timeless touch." - Steven Loewy, AMG
CD $16

FRANZ KOGLMANN With TONY COE/BRAD SHEPIK/TOM VARNER/PETER HERBERT - Make believe: six musical scenes based on Jean Cocteau's novel "Les enfants terribles" (Between the Lines 01; EEC Largely inspired by a novel by the iconoclastic Jean Cocteau, Make Believe brings together an extraordinary quintet to perform trumpeter/ flugelhornist Franz Koglmann's provocative and even controversial compositions and arrangements. Koglmann has always rejected popular paths and instead forged a sort of chamber jazz, often focusing on slow and carefully drawn lines that seem to gently disappear or dissipate. The horns grasp the trumpeter's ideas well, as Tony Coe is a joy on reeds while French hornist Tom Varner adds lots of color (and some nice solos) to the mix. Rounding out the group are marvelously pointillistic guitarist Brad Shepik and the wonderfully energetic bassist Peter Herbert. While the individual solos fit handsomely, it is the trumpeter's vision that ultimately takes the cake. - Steven Loewy, AMG
CD $16

MICHAEL MOORE With COR FUHLER/TRISTAN HONSINGER - Monitor (Between the Lines 03; EEC) Dutch clarinetist Michael Moore has participated in a wide array of ventures, his best known are likely Clusone 3, Available Jelly, and Jewels And Binoculars. He has shown a propensity for unusual colors, original sounds, and offbeat rhythms. This one is no different in its originality, though it is entirely new and exciting in its results. Joined by cellist Tristan Honsinger and pianist/keyolinist/organist Cor Fuhler, the three impress with their low-key and virtuosic pummeling of convention. At times it sounds like chamber jazz, but these free-wheeling exercises in free improvisation surprise and impress with changing combinations, altered directions, mixed time signatures, and explosive riffs -- all that suggest new ways of building on old traditions. Fuhler stuns with his "keyolin" -- a homemade contraption, which is described in Kevin Whitehead's liners as "a two-string viola suspended over a three-octave keyboard" that is bowed with the right hand. It meshes nicely with the cello, and the recording succeeds exceptionally well as a whole. - Steven Loewy, AMG
CD $16

GEBHARD ULLMANN With CARLOS BICA et al - Essencia (Between the Lines 71212; EEC) Gebhard Ullman's many projects have made him a hard man to pigeonhole. While he sometimes prefers combinations of instruments just off the beaten track (as on his Clarinet Trio recording), this one uses the conventional grouping of reeds, piano, and string bass with uncommonly delightful results. Perhaps not unexpectedly, Ullman transforms the potentially ordinary into something just a little bit different. To be sure, most of the pieces are freely improvised, and there is little sense of anything definitive being created. Yet, with very slow tempos and a quiet beauty (for example, on the stunning title piece, during which the bass clarinet and bass gently caress), Ullman succeeds admirably in crafting a delicate construct that is uniquely his own. There are times, on "Gospel," for example, when the intensity invigorates, but these are the exception. Even on this piece, repetitive 16th notes draw in the listener with a mesmerizing, hypnotic pull. Throughout, all three musicians play as if every note is the last. There are no accommodations to cliche, and conventional assumptions are dismissed. Thus, the listener is always left guessing and is therefore surprised by the turns and curves, however slight. While melody, per se, is not a large part of the equation, there is often a profound sense of melodic invention, improvised on the spot. Neither Ullman nor his colleagues are interested in impressing with acrobatic displays of technique, yet all three at one time or another show their mettle. The results incorporate some of Ullman's best work, a transition perhaps, but a harbinger, too, of more to come. - Steven Loewy, AMG
CD $16

JOHN LINDBERG - Two By Five [2 x 5] (Between the Lines 19; EEC With Gabriel Bolsky, Rebecca Ansel, Wendy Richman.. "This is the first recording of bassist John Lindberg's works for string quintet, and it is a splendid collection by any standard. The first piece, "The Arrival," which incorporates tracks one through three, was written in 1986, and is a musical description of the birth of his son. The second composition, "Basement of Desires," includes tracks four through seven, and was written for this recording 15 years later. While most of the music is composed, there are ample opportunities for individual interpretation and expression, and Lindberg improvises magnificently on "Basement of Desires," which is a showcase for his abilities. This is beautiful music at heart; while the bassist is best known for his considerable work as a sideman with Anthony Braxton and as a member of the String Trio of New York, as well as with his own small groups, he is an accomplished modern composer with classical music influences, and these difficult works for strings are among his best. Both of the compositions are largely melodic, though they each contain so-called avant-garde elements. "Basement" shifts direction in its greater emphasis on individual expression, but the bold contrapuntal lines, counterpoint, and strong rhythmic force of "Arrival" powerfully reflect Lindberg's vision. The quintet performs the difficult parts with considerable precision and clarity." - Steven Loewy, AMG
CD $16

JOHN LINDBERG - Ruminations Upon Ives And Gottschalk (Between the Lines 25; EEC) Featuring trumpeter Baikaida Carroll, bansuri flutist Steve Gorn, percussionist extraordinaire Susie Ibarra and Mr. Lindberg on contrabass. Naturally, there is no way a contemporary composer can avoid exploring his roots and reflecting on his musical background. In Lindberg's case, this involves not only the history of jazz, but also American contemporary classical music, which dates back mainly to Charles Ives. Whereas Ives' works can be compared in their collage-like character to his Viennese contemporary Gustav Mahler, they also contain many references to popular American dance and march music. To this day, his use of dissonant harmonies, polyrhythmic structures and chromatic counterpoint make him a trailblazer. A concert-goer, however, once told Lindberg that his music reminded him of another early father of modern American music, Louis Gottschalk (1829 - 1869), who was influenced by Spanish and Latin American music, which he superbly assimilated into his operas and symphonies. In 'Ruminations', it was not Lindberg's intention to arrange or re-compose the works of his great predecessors, but to harness the power emanating from these two masters for his own creations. The irony of Charles Ives and the Latin idiom of Gottschalk presented Lindberg with new, fascinating possibilities, which found their expression in inspired "world music" coloration using Indian bansuri flutes and Chinese gongs. Lindberg's superb crew performs with verve and elegance, as they transfer the art of two modern classic composers into the pluralist and eclectic world of the 21st century.
CD $18

JAMES EMERY With MARTY EHRLICH/CHRIS SPEED/GERRY HEMINGWAY - Luminous Cycles (Between the Lines 15; EEC) This one features an excellent line-up with Marty Ehrlich & Chris Speed on saxes & clarinets, Drew Gress on bass, Kevin Norton on percussion, Gerry Hemingway on drums and James Emery on acoustic guitar only. I have dug every release that James' has worked on since each one is well thought out and well performed - he obviously takes his time with each release. The opening piece is also the title track and it features two clarinets and the acoustic guitar up front - with the marimba adding some nice spice - the piece is broken into a series of fragmented sections which flow perfectly due to the fine percussion of both Kevin and Gerry - James casts off flashes of quick fleet lines throughout. I especially dig the way the guitar melodies are often doubled by marimba on many of these tunes. On "One Red Thread" there is a great duo section for Chris' tenor and James' guitar playing with and around each other. "Beyond Words" is a delicate, somber affair for elegant clarinet and alto sax softly glowing like embers - soothing harmonies for the horns and an equally elegant guitar solo and clarinet solo floating on top of the marimba's drone. James has written more engaging acerbic parts for the reeds on "En Rapport", but it is his gnarly, fractured guitar solo that really catches fire. James seems to favor slightly twisted, modern classical like cerebral themes on "Exit to Nowhere" - where the flute, clarinet and marimba swirl together in provocative combinations. Both the composing and playing get even thornier on "Across the Water" which reminds me of Zappa in the way that intricate structure slowly evolves throughout and we get a fine vibes solo from Mr. Norton and nifty clarinet solo from Chris Speed. Both the guitar and Chris' tenor sax push through the difficult waters of "Cardinal Point" - James plays an especially inspired and tricky solo. The final tune is "Violet into the Blues" which has a playful, quirky melody and has a superb bluesy solo from James. This is an another inspired offering from the great under-recorded guitarist and composer James Emery. -BLG
CD $18

JAMES EMERY With FRANZ KOGLMANN/TONY COE - Transformations (Between the Lines 27; EEC) This is no doubt a remarkable album, and if not, then at least a wondrous or perhaps curious one. It showcases the rapidly developing skills of guitarist and composer James Emery, whose career has traversed a not altogether straight line from the pure avant-garde of his early years to this highly detailed third stream symphonic work that incorporates a light (though not unserious) touch that defies categorization. The first eight tracks are part of Emery's suite entitled "Transformations (Music for 3 Improvisers and Orchestra)," the three soloists being Emery and Between the Lines regulars Tony Coe (saxophone and clarinet) and Franz Koglmann (flugelhorn). The compositions are the sort of nimble, though intricate, pieces sometimes explored by classical composers such as Lucas Foss, with the emphasis on the written note, punctuated by "Interludes" that provide moments of contemplative free improvisation. The final five selections are grouped together under the heading "4 Quartets," and include the three soloists plus bassist Peter Herbert in largely uninhibited, though nonetheless "cool" settings that are probably more consistent with what the listener might have expected from Emery at this stage in his career. The revolutionary part of the recording and that most likely to be spoken about and debated is, of course, the symphonic section. Perhaps to the composer's credit, it is also the portion that is most difficult to evaluate, for even more than most music of the third stream, it does not fit easily in any genre. Is it jazz? Well, not exactly, and certainly the non-improvised "Movements" are not. Is it classical music? To be sure, substantial portions of it are, but as strictly classical music it is unlikely to be judged as extraordinary. However, the blend and the bending of genres through a lens unique to the composer are intriguing, and whether Emery has produced a work that will stand over time, well, only time will tell. There are, though, enough strong segments featuring Koglmann, Emery, and Coe that their admirers might wish to explore them in this slightly different context. ~ Steven Loewy, AMG
CD $18



MICHAEL BATES' OUTSIDE SOURCES With RUSS JOHNSON/QUINSIN NACHOF/JEFF DAVIS - Clockwise (Greenleaf 09; USA) Featuring Quinsin Nachoff on tenor & soprano sax & clarinet, Russ Johnson on trumpet, Michael Bates on bass & compositions and Jeff Davis on drums, Dave Douglas producing. This is Mr. Bates second disc as a leader and again, he has delivered the goods. Both Michael and Quinsin are Canadian-born musicians and both play on Michael's first disc. Local trumpet wiz, Russ Johnson used to play with The Other Quartet and has a few discs out as a leader on Omnitone. Jeff Davis is yet another local drum great who works with his wife, Kris Davis in different projects, as well as with Eivind Opsvik. 'Clockwise' opens with "Great Expectations" which some great clarinet and muted trumpet interplay while the bass and drums also spin and connect tightly at they same time. "Damasa" blasts opens with a dynamic, burnin' Masada-like start and stop type of structure. The rhythm section is just astonishing on this piece, especially their drummer, Jeff, who is in fine, robust form. Both horn players, on tenor and trumpet, takes impressive solos here with Russ Johnson sounding a bit like Freddie Hubbard on those great Blue Note dates. "Rideau Medals" is a sublime, smokey piece with superb, laid-back clarinet and trumpet solos. I dig he way this quartet is split in two parts yet always come together. The rhythm-team is ever intricate and inventive, expanding and contracting and constantly shifting tempos with seeming ease. There are times when I swear I am hearing the Miles Davis Quintet of the mid-sixties, minus the piano. No small feat, I assure you. Both Mr. Nachoff's clarinet and tenor playing is outstanding throughout, whether playing cautiously on clarinet or wailing on tenor. I love the delicate, sparse, fairytale-like grace of "Lighthousekeeping", perfect for the soundtrack of a quaint cartoon. There is nothing less than stunning and stellar on this disc so why wait, grab this treasure right now! Don't say that I didn't tell I didn't tell you so. - BLG
CD $16


SOLID EYE - Voyage To See What's On The Bottom (Melon Expander 01; USA) First release on this label, originally released in 2003. Melon Expander is a impressive sounding label, keeping up w/ the modern developments of the post-L.A.F.M.S. (Los Angeles Free Music Society). "With an ear for unsettling detail, Solid Eye leave you suspended in a lurching, oozing, hallucinatory river of sound that unfolds with its own peculiar sense of internal logic. The members of this trio (Joseph Hammer, Rick Potts & Steve Thomsen) have each spent 25+ years exploring various avenues of music coined by their 1970s collective, the Los Angeles Free Music Society (LAFMS), as 'avant-schmaltz.'"
CD $15

JOSEPH HAMMER - Dynasty Suites (Melon Expander 02; USA) "Joseph Hammer cites AM radio station mixing (receiving more than one station at the same time) and an episode of the '70s TV show Land of the Giants, where astronauts used tape loops to thwart alien tyrants as a couple of his musical influences. He has developed his own way of making music utilizing consumer audio technology, tape loops, samplers and analog synthesizers to create compelling and varied musical expressions. Dynasty Suites was Joseph's first solo CD, 51 minutes of real-time tape loops certain to scramble your eggs."
CD $15

POINTS OF FRICTION - Afterlife DNA Finger-Painting (Melon Expander 03; USA) 2007 release. "Points of Friction formed in January of 1981, shortly after witnessing Captain Beefheart & his Magic Band perform live. Joseph Hammer, Damian Bisciglia, Tim Alexander, and Kenny Ryman were the core quartet though sometimes LAFMS (Los Angeles Free Music Society) founder Rick Potts would sit in, among others. T After a 20 year hiatus, Points of Friction reformed in June 2004 and recruited L.A. native Mitchell Brown to the goon squad. Afterlife DNA Finger-Painting, their 3rd official release, is the result of this reunion."
CD $15

DIMMER - The Shining Path (Melon Expander 04; USA) 2007 release. "Dimmer is a duo comprising live sampling pioneer Thomas Dimuzio and tape-loop maestro Joseph Hammer. Swallowing audiences with their dark explorations of sound, Dimmer specializes in a symbiotic sound process as they continually loop, reloop, sample and resample within an interactive feedback circuit linking both artists. For their debut CD, Dimmer melds their recursive circuits into rich and seething sonic masses with subtle waves pulsing sound within sound. Co-release between Melon Expander and LAFMS."
CD $15

DINOSAURS WITH HORNS - Return Of The Disco-Aristo-Sarcophagus (Melon Expander 05; USA) "Since 1983's self-titled cassette release on The Solid Eye label, Rick Potts and Joseph Hammer have delicately dispensed laughing-gas-balloon -animals- go-pop-music as Dinosaurs With Horns. The cryptic LAFMS-related group occurred during and in between periods of playing with Points of Friction, Steaming Coils and Solid Eye. Spencer Savage and/or Tom Recchion jammed with them in the mid '80s and continued intermittently since. While a smattering of material has appeared on various compilations and very limited cassette and CDR releases, Return of the Disco-Aristo-Sarcophagus is the first full-length CD release. It was recorded November 2000."
CD $15


PETER IVERS - The Untold Stories (K2B2 3769; USA) Featuring Peter Ivers on voice, harmonicas, keyboards, songs, production & arrangements, Marty Krystal on saxes, Paul Lenart & Warren Klein on guitar, Buell Neidlinger on bass & cello, Van Dyke Parks on piano, Richard Greene on violin, Robert Greenidge on steel drums, Jeff Eyrich on bass and Art Wood, Harold Mason & Buddy Helm on drums. A collection of rarities from the one & only Peter Ivers, one of the oddest singer/songwriter/instrumentalists known. Although born in Boston and was once a member of the psychedelic Bosstown band, Beacon Street Reunion, he moved to LA and recorded four rather quirky albums in the 70's and early 80's. Fans of the Mothers and Captain Beefheart should enjoy his weird nasal voice and bizarre songs. Peter Ivers was one of the first influential V-J's for the USA network, introducing many of LA's early punk bands to the airwaves, before his untimely murder in 1983. The only other disc currently in print is the reissue of 'Knights of the Blue Communion,' his first album, now on HUX. - BLG
CD $15



We mentioned the following LP item last week as having extra material over the forthcoming CD version. It DOES NOT!

RICHARD PINHAS & MERZBOW [MASAMI AKITA] - Keio Line [Ltd Ed 3 LP set] (Dirter 57; UK) [To be issued on CD by Cuneiform containing all the material found here, contrary to earlier reports] This is the complete recording of an incredible collaboration that sweeps across the generations of electronic music. Richard Pinhas is internationally recognized as one of France's major experimental musicians: the "father" of French electronic music. He was the founder of seminal space-rock band Heldon, a band whose violent fusion of electronics and guitar in the '70s rivalled the German electronic school. As a guitar player, he has been compared to Robert Fripp. Cited as an influence by many electronic musicians, Pinhas has helped to define the space music genre. Since founding Heldon in 1974, Pinhas has released over 15 albums, had involvement in dozens more and shaped the way we listen to music today. Masami Akita aka Merzbow is the forerunner of Japanese electronic music, and for the last 20 years plus, has been at the top of his game ploughing more and more extreme sonic territories. This release, recorded in Tokyo in October 2007, will surprise a lot of people in its sheer beauty. This is a collaboration that works in the true sense of the word, with each artist complimenting the other over six long, sprawling tracks, each occupying the whole of each side. The set comes housed in a gloss-laminated sleeve and is limited to just 1000 copies.
3 LP set $39



KRAFTWERK - Kraftwerk And The Electronic Revolution [DVD] (Sexy Intellectual 541; USA) "As innovative as they are influential, Kraftwerk's contribution to the development of electronic music since their formation in 1970 remains unsurpassed. Having inspired everyone from Bowie to Coldplay, Siouxsie to Radiohead, this bizarre collective have also proven partly responsible for entire genres to develop -- electronica, techno and synth-pop to name but three. This DVD reviews the career and music of Kraftwerk, from their inception in the late 1960s (as pre-Kraftwerk ensemble Organization), through their most celebrated period in the mid 1970s, and culminating with their resurgence during the 1980s with the popularity of synth-pop and techno. The film further explores how Kraftwerk both fitted in and pulled away from the electronic wing of what is often lazily referred to as 'Krautrock.' Sparing time also for many of the groups' contemporaries from the same field, and tracing the unfolding of electronics in German contemporary music generally, this program presents a fascinating story previously untold on film. It features rarely seen live and performance footage of Kraftwerk and of other electronic and 'Krautrock' bands -- much from private collections, rare photographs of Kraftwerk and others, exclusive and extensive interviews with ex-Kraftwerk members and other German ambient and electronic musicians, contributions and enlightenment from German academics, writers and journalists, live and studio recordings of many of Kraftwerk's pivotal tracks, plus live and studio recordings of many other bands from the 'Krautrock' movement. Bonus materials: Special feature 'The Dusseldorf Scene vs. The Hamburg Scene,' extended interviews, full contributor biographies." Main feature running time: 180 mins.; All Regions; Screen Format 4:3; Stereo Sound Mix.
DVD $20



ETHIOPIAN LEGENDS SERIES: MAHMOUD AHMED - Tizita Vol 1 (Ait 24; USA) If there is a single artist who personifies the rich history of Ethiopian music, it must be Mahmoud Ahmed. This collection of his greatest hits includes many of the songs that have made Mahmoud a legend on the world music scene. Mahmoud's journey began in Addis Ababa in 1963, when he joined the Imperial Body Guard Band. In 1972, he released his first solo recording. Since then, he has come to define the Ethiopian sound. Demand for his music has brought him to North America, Europe, and Asia, where his name is synonymous with Ethiopian music. In more recent years, Mahmoud has worked on behalf of Nelson Mandela's struggle for South African freedom and unity. Mahmoud Ahmed truly is the voice of Ethiopia - the only African country that was never colonized.
The song Tizita (Memory) is an Ethiopian classic, a stirring ballad that embodies the nostalgic spirit of the Ethiopian soul. Although many great Ethiopian singers have performed it, no other artist has so precisely captured the song's essence as Mahmoud Ahmed.
CD $14

ETHIOPIAN LEGENDS SERIES: ALEMAYEHU ESHETE - The Best Of Alemayehu Eshete (Ait 13; USA) A true Ethiopian legend, Alemayehu Eshete has toured all over the world, and was one of the first to record music to vinyl in Ethiopia. In 1984 he won a Tchaikovsky composition award at the International Music Festival in Dresden, Germany. AIT Records considers it a great pleasure to present his most recent recording - a snapshot of the greatest work from his vast repertoire. All the music has been masterfully produced and rearranged by Ethiopia's leading producer and musician, Abegasu Kibrework Shiota.
CD $14


ASTER AWEKE - Aster's Ballads (Kabu; USA) Aster Aweke was born in Gonder, near Lake Tana, in Northern Ethiopia and raised in the capital city of Addis Ababa. At a very young age, Aster realized her passion for singing.
Aster launched her professional singing career at Hager Fikir Theater in the late 1970's, beginning her recording career in Ethiopia with two 45 vinyl record releases, followed by nine cassette releases. Her last cassette, Munaye, was released in 1981, coinciding with her departure from Addis Ababa to the United States. Believing that she had left her musical career behind her in Ethiopia, she focused on continuing her education. Clearly, this decision was very difficult for her, as she truly loved the profession of music. Of this period in her life, Aster says, "I was miserable!" Luckily, her friends persuaded her to return to the stage and 20 seconds into her first song, she recognized her true calling. "I found my happiness was in singing," Aster recalls, and she moved across the country to the Washington D.C. area, which has a large and well-established Ethiopian community. There, she began singing in various Ethiopian restaurants. Aster not only performs, but also writes and arranges music in her own unique style. Her songs have become anthems to her fans in Ethiopia, as well as to Ethiopians living abroad. To date, Aster has released a total of 20 albums, six of them on CD - Aster, Kabu, Ebo, Aster Aweke Live in London, Hagere, and Sugar.
This CD is a compilation of timeless songs recorded over a 25 year period.
CD $16



MORGAN FISHER/HYBRID KIDS - The Hybrid Kids Vols. 1 & 2: Two Collections Of Classic Mutants/Claws (Cherry Red 362; UK) "Before Miniatures, there was Hybrid Kids. Take a collection of classics by musical behemoths The Beatles, Kate Bush, The Sex Pistols, The Righteous Brothers, Brotherhood Of Man and suchlike, and perform them in a style as diametrically opposite to the original as one can imagine. Therein lies the manifesto that brought the world the wonderfully twisted take on pop music that is Hybrid Kids. Being the first album recorded in Fisher s own Pipe Studios (actually his Notting Hill bedsit, fact fans), Hybrid Kids was conceived as a compilation album featuring a variety of spoof 'bands' hailing from the very real but somewhat obscure Peabody (a town in Kansas, USA) each would perform their own take on a well known number, with wildly unpredictable results. Equally predictably, when the self styled Collection Of Classic Mutants was announced and discussed in the press, a large number of hipsters and music buffs believed every word and eagerly anticipated its release Phrases such as terrifying work of genius, downright creepy and nearly obscene were commonplace in reviews of the record, and it quickly passed into folklore as a work of unique originality and the kind of sonic experimentation rarely applied to such mainstream material. A true classic a fact highlighted by the media interest in its imminent reissue in combination with its equally intriguing sister album. So, having caused something of a stir with a warped compilation of material performed by non-existent acts from a far off town nobody had ever heard of, where does one go next? The answer, in retrospect, seems obvious the tried and tested Christmas album, performed by the self same Hybrid Kids. Claws (released a year after its predecessor), saw Morgan tackle such Xmas favorites as Deck The Halls, Good King Wenceslas and Happy Xmas (War Is Over) in his own inimitable style, with equally unorthodox results. Perhaps not one to play when Granny drops by for her pre Xmas lunch glass of sherry, but definitely something any discerning audio adventurer should find a few moments for amongst their festive celebrations. Both albums are accompanied by bonus tracks and have been retouched for 2008 by Morgan himself."
CD $20


JEFFERSON AIRPLANE [MARTY BALIN/PAUL KANTNER/GRACE SLICK/JORMA KAUKONEN/JACK CASSIDY/SPENCER DRYDEN] + JERRY GARCIA - At The Family Dog Ballroom: September 1969 (Charly/Snapper 293; UK) Recorded in September 1969 when the group was at the peak of its considerable power. Only recently unearthed from the archives, this release is sure to be most welcomed by all fans of prime West Coast psychedelia from one of its finest exponents. It is arguably the finest of the three in terms of the inspired performances here, the featured songs, and the fact that it has remained virtually unheard for so long. It features the classic group line-up of Paul Kantner (guitar, vocals), Grace Slick (vocals), Marty Balin (vocals), Jorma (lead guitar, vocal), Jack Casady (bass) and Spencer Dryden (drums). For the closing 26-minute 'Jam' they are joined by the Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia, whose distinctive guitar sound adds a new and unique dimension to the group's sound
CD $15

JEFFERSON AIRPLANE [PAUL KANTNER/GRACE SLICK/JORMA KAUKONEN/JACK CASSIDY/PAPA JOHN CREACH/DAVID FREIBERG/JOHNNY BARBATA] - Last Flight: At Winterland September 1972 [2 CD set] (Charly/Snapper 555; UK) The first authorized release of the Airplane's historic last show from September 1972 at the Winterland Arena, San Francisco. A Double CD-set of the complete show with Grace Slick, Paul Kantner, Jack Casady, Papa John Creach, Johnny Barbata and David Freiberg. The first official, re-mastered, authorized and complete version of the historic show, long featured on inferior bootlegs. A much more complete and satisfying souvenir of the last days of one of the West Coast's greatest bands than the original RCA live set Thirty Seconds Over Winterland.
2 CD set for $18

QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE [JOHN CIPOLLINA/DINO VALENTE et al] - At The Kabuki Theatre: December 31st 1971 [2 CD set] (Charly/Snapper 556; UK) The first official, re-mastered, authorized and complete version of an historic show, long featured on inferior bootlegs, of the final show from Quicksilver's classic line-up with John Cipollina & Dino Valenti, from San Francisco on December 31st 1970. A Double CD set with bonus studio tracks. An exhilarating view of one of the great San Francisco hippie bands at their peak, featuring founder member Dino Valenti (vocals), David Freiberg (bass, vocals), Greg Elmore (drums), and the driving twin lead guitars of John Cipollina and Gary Duncan.
2 CD set for $18


THE BYRDS [ROGER McGUINN/CLARENCE WHITE/SKIP BATTIN/GENE PARSONS] - Live At The Royal Albert Hall, May 13th 1971 (Sundazed 11177; USA) From their earliest days as 12-string-wielding folk-rockers, to the thrilling psychedelic excursions of their raga-rock period to their 1968 birthing of country-rock, the Byrds were always accorded a hero's welcome in England.What better place to record founding Byrds member/guitarist/singer Roger McGuinn's new version of the band - featuring fretboard ace Clarence White, bassist Skip Battin and drummer Gene Parsons - than London's Royal Albert Hall! Rescued from a tape that had sat forgotten in McGuinn's climatized garage for decades, this stellar 1971 set, featuring live versions of the current band's studio faves (Lover of the Bayou, Chestnut Mare) as well as adventurous reworkings of Byrds classics (Mr. Tambourine Man, My Back Pages, Eight Miles High, So You Want to Be a Rock'n'Roll Star) might be the most accurate and stirring live performance yet of the legendary Los Angeles combo. By 1971, the guitar interplay of McGuinn andWhite had become a jaw-dropping highlight of their live performances,as had their stripped down, acoustic mini-set and peerless four-part vocal harmonies. As McGuinn, in typically understated fashion, says of this new Sundazed release: "It was a great night, so I'm happy there's a record of it!"
CD $17


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