Exciting Mid-July Releases!

Christian Marclay With Elliott Sharp et al! Laurie Anderson with Rob Burger/Eyvind Kang/John Zorn! Night Time: Martin Stuckey with Dudu Pukwana/John Marshall/Phil Lee!

So Percussion & Matmos! Evan Parker/Sten Sandell! Anthology Of Noise & Electronics Vol 6! Karlheinz Stockhausen! John Cage! Morton Feldman! Daniel Johnston Box-Set! Big Blood! Thomas/Strid/Thomas!

Tristan Perich Electronic 'Music Box'! Metronome The City! Faruq Z Bey Limited Editions! Tony Marsh/Veryan Weston! Saigon Rock & Soul! John Russell! And Lots More Treasures...!




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Downtown Music Gallery FREE In-Store Performance Schedule Continues with:


This Sunday, July 18th at 6pm:
TOMCHESS - oud, ney, morsing & composer & WILL McEVOY - upright bass
7pm: MACROSCOPIA CD Release Celebration featuring:
KEN SILVERMAN - Guitar & Oud / DANIEL CARTER - Reeds & Trumpet / CLAIRE deBRUNNER - Bassoon / TOM ZLABINGER - Bass!


Sunday, July 25th at 6pm:
JACOB ZIMMERMAN - alto sax, JOE MOFFETT - trumpet, RANDY PINGREY - trombone, JESSE WARD - electric guitar!


Sunday, August 1st at 6pm:
NICK ROSEN! Porter Records CD Release Celebration!
With MICHELLE JOO - Violin & SAM BARSH - Keys!


Sunday, August 8th at 6pm:
The Serious Duo Featuring:
STEVE SWELL on Trombone! JAMES ILGENFRITZ on Contrabass!


Sunday, August 15th at 6pm:
XANDER NAYLOR!


Sunday, August 22nd at 6pm:
6pm - RAS MOSHE ALL-STARS!
7pm - LORENZO SANGUEDOLCE & MICHAEL BISIO!
Great Sax & Bass Duo with a Fine LP on NoBusiness!


Sunday, August 29th at 6pm:
BRIAN ALLEN - Trombone from Texas + TONY MALABY - Tenor & Soprano Sax Great + COREY FOGEL - Drums from L.A.!



Sunday, September 12th at 6pm:
THE SERIOUS TRIO Featuring:
STEVE SWELL - Trombone! GARRISON FEWELL - Guitar! ANDREW RAFFO DEWAR - Sax!


Sunday, October 3rd at 6pm:
BEN STAAP- Tuba, KENNY WARREN - Trumpet, DUSTIN CARLSON - Guitar, JUAN PABLO CARLETTI - Drums


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TULI TULI TULI! The Great Tuli Kupferberg, of the Fugs, passed away this week..

"The mighty Tuli Kupferberg, a charter member of the Fugs, has moved on the other realms. Tuli was 86, in very poor health, and essentially blind, the aftermath of a couple of strokes over the last few years. Tuli was an outspoken poet, anarchist, illustrator, publisher of poetry books and a unique personality.
The Fugs were formed by Ed Sanders & Tuli in 1964 and their first album was released in 1965 on Broadside & later reissued by ESP and Fantasy. Nothing was sacred to the Fugs, so they poked fun at just about everything they saw as questionable in American society. Tuli wrote Fugs' classics like "CIA Man" (which closed the Coen Brothers' film 'Burn After Reading'), "Kill For Peace", "Supergirl" and "Nothing". Towards the end of the sixties, the Fugs strangely enough ended up on the Reprise/Warner Bros label for four albums, although it didn't really change their barbed-wire satire and ridiculous well-informed humor.
I caught a Fugs reunion gig at the Bottom Line in the early eighties and was delighted by their performance and surprised when Tuli whipped it out on stage at the conclusion of one of their songs. Tuli recorded an obscure solo record for Shimmy Disc around the same time, produced by Kramer and played at one of the annual Shimmy Fests at the old Knitting factory. The last time I saw Tuli was in the audience at Tonic for a movie night where they showed an early Fugs film. Tuli seemed restless in the crowd and taunted the folks running Tonic for making us wait while they tried to fix the projector. After a couple of strokes, Tuli's health was deteriorating and was in need of help. Hence, the was a benefit gig at St. Ann's warehouse in January of this year (2010) where John Zorn, Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, Patti Smith, Philip Glass and members of Sonic Youth performed to raise money for Tuli's medical bills. Earlier this year a new Fugs CD called 'Be Free' was released and it is another gem. I'll leave you with some words of wisdom by Tuli from that record: 'This is a hit song, you son-of-a-b*tch, why don't you buy it & make me rich.'" - Bruce Lee Gallanter


"When I first started my own store Lunch For Yor Ears in 1985 - after working at the world-class Golden Disc collectors' shop on Bleecker St - its first location was inside another venerable institution of a bygone era - SohoZat on West Broadway, just north of Canal. International newspapers, every imaginable magazine, underground comix and leftist monographs, vintage sci-fi and mystery books, used clothing, biker jewelry, any and every odd and rare gee-gaw from every venue of real folk culture you could imagine - and I was the anti-commercial record store at the back of that huge sprawling space.
Getting nearer the point, at least 5 nights of each week there would be a little social gathering in the back for a couple a'hours, with all kinds of comestables/combustables better left unsaid. The members of this loose-knit rollicking counter-cultural 'Algonquin Round Table'? Stan Bobrof and Darryl Mendelson (the hipster-hippie owners, also of Monkeys Retreat in Columbus OH which sadly just closed in June), along with Art Spiegelman [Raw, Maus], Tuli Kupferberg [F*gs], Steven Ben-Israel [Living Theatre], Art Neville [Bros], whatever notable creative types who happened to breeze in, and a wet-behind-the-ears youngun, namely me. At that time, Tuli was in his early 60s, ten years older than I am now.
Tuli always had some of the tallest tales; they would get your blood raging with injustice and your legs weak with fall-down funny, but regardless of the foul-mouthed ire he displayed towards the villains of his very-true stories, he was a gentle, kind to-a-fault man - and did I mention funny? I'd run into him occasionally on the street since those years, and he always reached out with a warm hello and a bon mot.
That said, if you looked up irreverent in the dictionary, you could find his picture. A man after my own heart. IF there is an another realm beyond this one, their bureaucracy better start running now!
That's how I remember him, and always will .. and, oh yeah, the east village Barnes & Noble Christmas window display [bet the window-dresser is still looking for another job] of his book Teach Yourself F*cking, with a cover showing pictures of a naked-from-the-waist-down Tuli seated alone on couch with his hands clutching a faux phallus at his groin! Wonder what the little kids thought, or their parents who took them X-mas shopping? Spill For Peace?" - Manny 'Lunch' Maris



From Tuli Kupferberg's family -

"We have arranged to hold a service for Tuli at St. Marks church from 12-3 on this Saturday, with a reception following shortly thereafter. There will be a viewing in a separate room at the beginning of the service for anyone who wishes to see him. We are still working on the details for the reception and will let you know shortly. There will be no religious element to the service and Fugs Coby Batty, Steve Taylor and Ed Sanders will be the main speakers, after which anyone who wants to can talk, sing, recite poetry or whatever they like. Tuli will be buried at Greenwood cemetery in Brooklyn on Monday morning at 9 am. You are welcome to tell anyone who asks, the funeral is open to whoever wishes to attend. Greenwood Cemetry is on 5th Ave and 25th Street Brookyn, (kind of Bay Ridge - Bensonhurst, interdenominational - Henry Ward Beecher, Michael Basquiat and Leonard Bernstein all rest there)."


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And at the top of this week's list IS:

CHRISTIAN MARCLAY//ELLIOTT SHARP/VERNON REID/MARY HALVORSON/LEE RANALDO/MELVIN GIBBS - Graffiti Composition: MOMA Performance 2006 (Dog With A Bone 06; USA) Dog With a Bone, the recording label established by the Paula Cooper Gallery, is pleased to announce the CD release of Graffiti Composition by American visual artist and composer Christian Marclay. In 1996, Marclay plastered more than 5,000 posters of blank sheet music in public places throughout Berlin during a month-long sound festival. The posters functioned as an open invitation to the public to scribble musical notes, or any other type of graffiti. Marclay photographed the graffiti-ed sheets, selected 150 from the group, compiled them into a portfolio intended to be interpreted and performed by musicians. (A box set of these prints was made available in 2002.) Graffiti Composition is the live recording of a one-time performance at the Museum of Modern Art, New York in 2006. Led by Elliott Sharp, it features five world-renowned guitar players: Melvin Gibbs, Mary Halvorson, Lee Ranaldo, Vernon Reid, and Elliott Sharp.
The release of Graffiti Composition coincides with the opening of Christian Marclay: Festival at the Whitney Museum of Art, a ground-breaking exhibition highlighting the interplay between the visible, audible and performance that is the hallmark of Marclay's work. The show will focus on the artist's graphic scores: art works with visual cues to be interpreted by musicians in performance. Some of the musicians include: John Butcher, Ned Rothenberg, Nate Wooley, Ikue Mori, Sylvie Couvoisier, Mark Feldman, Mark Nauseef, Zeena Parkins & many others. The exhibition will feature select musicians' daily live performances of Marclay's scores and runs from July 1st through September 26th, 2010. You can check out the great schedule here: https://whitney.org/Exhibitions/ChristianMarclay/Events
CD $15

[see further down for Dog With A Bone backcatalog]



New on Emanem and Psi!

EVAN PARKER & STEN SANDELL - Psalms (Psi 10.05; UK) A sequence of six duo improvisations on tenor saxophone & church organ recorded at St Peter's, Whitstable in 2009
CD $18

TONY MARSH With VERYAN WESTON - Stops (Psi 10.07; UK) TONY MARSH (percussion) & VERYAN WESTON (church organ). An improvised sequence of eleven duos and four percussion solos recorded at St Peter's, Whitstable 2009.
CD $18

JOHN RUSSELL - Hyste (Psi 10.06; UK) A sequence of three solo acoustic guitar improvisations recorded at St Peter's, Whitstable 2009.
CD $18

PAT THOMAS/RAYMOND STRID/CLAYTON THOMAS - Wazifa (Psi 10.04; UK) PAT THOMAS (piano and synthesizer), CLAYTON THOMAS (double bass), RAYMOND STRID (percussion) recorded in concert at the 2009 Perspectives Festival, Vasteras, Sweden.
CD $18

RIVIERE COMPOSERS' POOL [KENT CARTER/THEO JORGENSMANN/ALBRECHT MAURER/ETIENNE ROLIN] - Summer Works 2009 [3 CD set] (EMANEM 5301; UK) KENT CARTER (double bass), THEO JORGENSMANN (clarinet), ALBRECHT MAURER (violin, viola), ETIENNE ROLIN (clarinet, basset horn, alto flute)
The meeting of four of the most experienced musicians in Europe, all of whom have worked with each other in various groups, except that this was the first time that Jorgensmann and Rolin had met. The totally improvised music shows their individual strengths as well as their ability to work together. The first CD contains the results of a studio session that was the first time that Carter, Jorgensmann and Maurer had worked as a trio. On the following day, the quartet played a concert, which can be heard on the third CD. They also made some music, preserved on the second CD, just before the concert. The rest of the second CD contains the results of a later studio duo session by Carter and Rolin. It was not originally intended to issue a 3-CD set, but even though some editing took place in all four groups of recordings, there was still far too much superb music to fit onto just 2 CDs - so be prepared for three hours of excellence. 182 minutes.
3 CD set for $35


NIGHT TIME IS THE RIGHT TIME: BOB STUCKEY With DUDU PUKWANA/PHIL LEE/JOHN MARSHALL / & With TERRY SMITH/MARTIN HART - 60s' Soho Sounds (Cadillac 07; UK) Recorded at Ronnie Scott's Old Place 1967-68; 1st nine cuts as a quartet [Pukwana, Lee, Marshall, Stuckey], tracks 10-14 Smith-Stuckey-Hart trio A valuable musical and historical document of a glorious era in British jazz, with young organ wiz Bob Stuckey in quartet and trio line-ups recorded live at Ronnie Scott's Old Place (the original incarnation of the now world famous club). South African alto sax legend Dudu Pukwana was a regular cohort and is heard here in the quartet tracks, along with Phil Lee on guitar, and John Marshall drums. The trio recordings following involve Stuckey, guitarist Terry Smith, and drummer Martin Hart.
Excellent sound quality and inspired musicianship on this first time issue from the archives. The 18 months of the Old Place saga left many indelible marks on the development of jazz in Britain and from them into the international scene. It was an open-ended laboratory for Mike Westbrook and his cohorts, especially John Surman and Mike Osborne. Chris McGregor could stay there all night after hours brewing his Brotherhood charts and testing them on the gig maybe next evening. And so it roared along.... little bread but lots of sustenance. The memories of it, the privilege to have played a role in it, are in themselves priceless jewels but best of all are the forty years of friendships that have endured from it. Thus I was overjoyed to have the chance to resurrect at least a little taste of some of our Saturday Night soirees.
CD $20


LAURIE ANDERSON With JOHN ZORN/ROB BURGER/EYVIND KANG/PETER SCHERER/SKULI SVERRISSON/OMAR HAKIM et al - Homeland [CD + DVD] (Nonesuch 524055; USA) Calling Laurie Anderson "the most important multimedia artist of our time," the Los Angeles Times recently noted the "rare, profound maturity" of her latest songs. Thirty years into her recording career - in which she has simultaneously remained busy as a visual artist, composer, poet, photographer, filmmaker and internationally touring live performer - she has applied her craft to a new studio album, her first in ten years. The collection of songs is at once personal and political, equally focused on love and American identity.
Homeland is produced by Anderson with Lou Reed and Roma Baran, and engineered by Anderson, Pat Dillett, Mario McNulty, and Marc Urselli. The music is instantly recognizable as Anderson's, though it draws on a broad scope of styles: She sings throughout and plays newly developed sounds on violin, as well as contributing keyboards and percussion. Her vocals are often mediated by the vocal filter she long ago invented to perform her signature 'audio drag', this time voicing Fenway Bergamot, the male alter-ego who appears on the album's cover and narrates the song Another Day in America.
On Homeland, Anderson is joined by a diversity of collaborators, from the Tuvan throat singers and igil players of Chirgilchin to New York experimental jazz and rock players including Rob Burger (keyboards), Omar Hakim (drums), Kieran Hebden of Four Tet (keyboards), Shahzad Ismaily (percussion) Eyvind Kang (viola), Peter Scherer (keyboards), Skuli Sverrisson (bass), Ben Witman (percussion and drums) and John Zorn (saxophone). Antony Hegarty contributes additional vocals.
The essential Americanness of Anderson's work is epitomized by Homeland. The new songs touch upon US foreign policy, torture, economic collapse, the erosion of personal freedom, medical malpractice, religion and cynicism. In this sense they echo Anderson's early landmarks, especially her politically charged multimedia piece United States I-IV. In form as well as subject matter, there are also resonances of Anderson's seminal album Big Science, which Nonesuch reissued in 2007.
The songs comprising Homeland were developed over two years on the road, while Anderson was touring an intimate, constantly evolving live show of the same name. In a four-star review of the concert at the Barbican Centre, The Times of London called it "a passionate and erudite work whose references range from Thomas Paine and Kierkegaard to Aristophanes and Oprah Winfrey." The Guardian called Homeland "her finest show in more than a decade," adding, "It also represents some of the most purely beautiful music she has ever made." The album includes a DVD featuring the 41-minute film "Homeland: The Story of the Lark" and the shorter piece Laurie's Violin, both directed by filmmaker Braden King. The DVD is formatted for Region 0 (region-free).
CD + DVD for $24


FARUQ Z BEY WITH NORTHWOODS IMPROVISERS - Infa'a [Ltd Ed of 100] (QBICO/Entropy; USA) Cover by Mark Rudolph. Faruq Z. Bey - tenor & alto sax; Mike Carey - tenor, alto sax, flute, kalimba; Skeeter Shelton - tenor, soprano sax; Mike Gilmore - vibes: Mike Johnston - bass; Nick Ashton - drums. Live studio rec. from August 2006. 'Mystic jazz.'"
CD $16

FARUQ Z BEY & NORTHWOODS IMPROVISERS - Rwanda [Ltd Ed of 100] (QBICO/Entropy; USA) Faruq Z. Bey: tenor & alto sax, flute, zola phone; Mike Carey: flute, bass clarinet; Skeeter Shelton: tenor sax; Mike Gilmore: vibes, marimba, bone guitar; Mike Johnston: bass, shenhai, percussion; Nick Ashton: drums. Live studio rec. from June 2005. "Musician, composer and poet Faruq Z. Bey is a kind of legendary figure in the Detroit free music scene. Back in 1972 he founded Griot Galaxy (two LP, one CD and one track on Phil Ranelin's Vibes From The Tribe historic LP), but his career as a professional musician started in the late '60s. Since then he has performed with such greats as Abdullah Ibrahim, Leroy Jenkins, Roscoe Mitchell, Anthony Braxton, Roy Brooks, Archie Shepp, etc... On Rwanda, he rec. with the Northwoods Improvisers some extended Africanesque, Afro-jazz grooves...Sun Ra, Egypt..."
CD $16

FARUQ Z BEY - Hymn Book Of The Anciency: Poetry 2001-2005 [Ltd Ed of 100] (Codex/Entropy; USA) Back-up musicians include Skeeter Shelton, Mike caret, Mike Gilmore, Nick Ashton, Mike Johnston, Len Bukowski and Mike Khoury. Besides being a great saxist & composer, Faruq Z. Bey is also a fine poet and spoken word orator. The music is sublime & spacious and supports the words superbly. Thoughtful, impressive words and observations to ponder with somber sounds floating around his voice.
CD $16



METRONOME THE CITY [PATRICK CONDON/BRAD THEARD/MARC LAPORTE/WILLIAM GILBERT] - Object To Be Destroyed (MTC 02; USA) Pat Condon, Brad Theard, Marc Laporte and William Gilbert. This is the second disc from the little-known New Orleans prog band, whose first disc was praised here when they left us with copies a couple of years back. Great, sort-of tight Crimsonesque math/progressive interlocking guitar lines with strong XTC-like vocals (on a few tracks) which then warps into a dub section. Like Naked City, this band keeps surprising us by with numerous changes in direction: post-surf, hard rock, inventive Dr. Nerve-like precision and even some Devo-ish humorous aspects. The final piece is a long epic that features a fine sitar introduction which builds into an impressive progressive jam. It's rare to hear acoustic sitar and electric guitar interweaving their lines but this is what makes this piece special. It eventually weaves back down to a somber raga-like section, then erupts with an intense Crimson-like conclusion. Metronome the City have again provided us with an overlooked treasure. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music
CD $13


BIG BLOOD - Dead Songs (Time-Lag 51; USA) Colleen Kinsella & Caleb Mulkerin are at it again or to be more precise, they have never stopped their flurry of releases! The opening track titled "Dead Song" starts off with a lo-fi PJ Harvey "Rid Of Me" guitar romp which is equally as catchy. From there they continue to puruse around the inner workings of their psychedelic gospel to bring you closer to that dayglo mushroom. "Curtain Call" takes you into Julie Cruise dreamy terriorty but you dont' necessarily feel safe and cozy; your gut rightly tells you that you wanna keep looking over your shoulder knowing that something is coming for you. "Lay Your Head On The Rails 2" is what is waiting to get you! Garage rocking with Neil Young's crazy horse riding amongst 'dem storm clouds. Overall this is much heavier rock leaning Big Blood recording, but warmly added to their timeless repertoire. This is the first time they have released a full length on any other label besides their own great "Don't Trust The Ruin" label. Although I do miss the homemade vibe their self-releases put forth (don't worry Colleen's artwork is still there, just glossy this time), any release by this magnicifient group is always enthusiastically welcomed! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! -Chuck Bettis/DMG
CD $15


STEVE TIBBETTS With MARC ANDERSON - Natural Causes (ECM 1951; USA) Steve Tibbetts's first ECM recording since 2001's Man About A Horse is keenly awaited by his dedicated following. Natural Causes features the Zen-guitarist of Minnesota and his trusty sidekick Marc Anderson in an all-acoustic programme, a first in the Tibbetts discography.
CD $17



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TRISTAN PERICH - 1-Bit Symphony (Cantaloupe 21054; USA) READ CARFULLY - THIS IS NOT A CD! But it is a FASCINATING electronic recording with self-contained playback [minus earphones]
Tristan Perich's 1-Bit Symphony is an electronic composition in five movements on a single microchip. Though housed in a CD jewel case, 1-Bit Symphony is not a recording in the traditional sense; it literally "performs" its music live when turned on. A complete electronic circuit programmed by the artist and assembled by hand plays the music through a headphone jack mounted into the case itself.
Hand-built inside this clear CD jewel case is a battery [replaceable] holder, volume knob, headphone jack, next-track skip button, on/off switch, and of course the chip that holds the recording.
A return to the format of Perich's lauded 1-Bit Music (described by the Village Voice as "technology and aesthetic rolled into one"), 1-Bit Symphony further reduces the hardware involved while simultaneously expanding its musical ideas. 1-Bit Symphony utilizes on and off electrical pulses, synthesized by assembly code and routed from microchip to speaker, to manifest data as sound. The device treats electricity as a sonic medium, making an intimate connection between the materiality of hardware and the abstract logic of software.
While 1-Bit Symphony is purely electronic in its execution, its contents reflect Perich's long-standing interest in orchestral composition. Since the release of 1-Bit Music in 2006, Perich's compositional work has combined 1-bit audio with acoustic classical instruments, providing insight into the conceptual and aesthetic relationships between physical and electronic sound. With 1-Bit Symphony, Perich brings this insight back into the digital realm, juxtaposing the grand form of a classical symphony with the minimal nature of 1-bit circuitry.
The symphony has 5 movements [tracks], the first four totaling ~33 minutes, and the fifth is infinite - until you stop it. A visual -and aural- art object to treasure!
ELECTRONIC CD-JEWELCASE MUSIC BOX $30


SO PERCUSSION & MATMOS - Treasure State (Cantaloupe 21065; USA) "Treasure State is a startling collaboration between two rogue American groups. So Percussion are renowned virtuoso performers of classical and avant-garde music for percussion. Baltimorean electronic duo Matmos are infamous for turning bizarre sound sources (from plastic surgery to live snails) into shuffling rhythmic pop. They are musique-concrete oddballs, brought into the mainstream by their collaboration with Bjork. Bridging the gap from the conservatory to the laptop screen, Treasure State features a selection of So Percussion and Matmos compositions in which the ensembles reinforce each other's techniques and methodologies. The core of the record is series of studies based on everyday materials that are not generally used as musical instruments: ceramic planters, pails of water, aluminum cans and cactus needles. The result is a richly diverse yet highly listenable record that flows across a range of genres, sound sources, objects and styles to create an elemental American landscape."
CD $15


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AN ANTHOLOGY OF NOISE & ELECTRONIC MUSIC [V.A.] - Volume 6: A Chronology 1925-2009 [2 CD set] (Sub Rosa 290; Belgium) Sub Rosa presents the sixth volume and penultimate installment of the highly-acclaimed and successful Anthology Of Noise & Electronic Music series. As usual, it culls old historical pieces, little-known gems, and even a few previously unreleased tracks from the greatest Japanoise bands, a few representatives of the younger generations (from all around the world), and some rare tracks from the '80s, and it all ends with a lull that lets transpire what may be felt as a kind of indefinable mystery. The avant-garde ushered in the possibility of a new music, then it scattered into small communities whose best-known protagonists are totally unknown to people outside that particular circle. We are facing this fragmentation, and one form of avant-garde ends up scattered into several (not exclusively musical) forms. It is not in avant-garde's nature to create one elementary form for each individual. Other phrases used include "forays," "breakthroughs," "pushing the envelope," and then, of course, "going too far." Tracks on this sixth volume comprise more than 2 1/2 hours of music, with many rare and unpublished tracks. Housed in a 2-CD digipack sleeve, including a 52-page booklet full of notes and biographical info. Artists include: Tetsuo Furudate, Stephen O' Malley (Sunn O)))), Pain Jerk, Z'ev, Hijokaidan, John Duncan, Manuel Rocha Iturbide, Robert Piotrowicz, Incapacitants, Sachiko M, Torturing Nurse, Israel Martinez, Ata Ebtekar/Sote, Daniel Menche, John Wiese, Joseph Nechvatal, Henry Cowell, Pain Barrier, Julie Rousse, Dick Raaymakers, Ultraphonist, Tzvi Avni, Else Marie Pade, ILIOS, Bird Palace/Cristian Vogel + Pablo Palacio, and Stummer + Liesl Ujvary.
2 CD set for $18


JOHN BERGER/JOHN CHRISTIE//GAVIN BRYARS - I Send You This Cadmium Red (GB 06; UK) Writer/painter John Berger and his friend artist/film maker John Christie exchanged letters for several years on the subject of color. The letters include drawings, photographs, and handcrafted books--all reproduced in a now out-of-print limited edition book --as well as provocative discussions on Van Gogh's yellow and the blue of the ocean.
"This CD contains the radio piece, produced by the independent company Somethin' Else for BBC Radio 3. It uses the book reproducing the correspondence between John Berger and John Christie which began when John Christie sent John Berger a single colour (Cadmium Red) and the correspondence developed from there in an increasingly elaborate way. The radio piece does this as an extended conversation to which I have written accompaniments, almost like a third voice, focusing on themes within their conversation. John Berger and I had met several times through my work with Juan Munoz and I met John Christie for the first time when he attended the recording session in London." - Gavin Bryars, composer.
Gavin Bryars:double bass (I Send You This Cadmium Red), electric keyboard (The Island Chapel)
I Send You This Cadmium Red: John Berger and John Christie: speaking voice, James Woodrow, electric guitar, Roger Heaton, bass clarinet, Bill Hawkes, viola
The Island Chapel: Melanie Pappenheim, voice, Sophie Harris, cello
CD $17


MORTON FELDMAN//LOUIS GOLDSTEIN - For Bunita Marcus (Nuscope 1024; USA) On June 1, 2010, nuscope releases Morton Feldman's For Bunita Marcus by pianist Louis Goldstein. Frank Martin of Media Production Associates, who also engineered Goldstein's acclaimed recording of Feldman's Triadic Memories, remained behind the desk as Goldstein recorded For Bunita Marcus on a recently-acquired Steinway D at Brendle Recital Hall on the campus of Wake Forest University late last fall.
Goldstein's interpretation of Feldman's Triadic Memories is considered one of the best of all of the currently available versions. According to Grant Chu Covell at the La Folia website, "This has got to be 2000's best piano recording. These two discs (Triadic Memories coupled with John Cage's One5) had better garner prizes and commendations throughout the industry or else Western Civilization is coming to an end. Everything comes together in this phenomenally well-recorded 2 CD set. The piano is rich and closely miked, and the piano's tuning is superb. Louis Goldstein plays with control and delicacy."
This version of For Bunita Marcus, which will soon be available on HD-tracks as a download and audiophile (44.1/24 FLAC) download, includes an 8-page booklet with liner notes from Dallas-based musicologist Laurie Shulman and abstract expressionist artwork from the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth by the controversial Philip Guston, one of Morton Feldman's long-time friends.
CD $15


KARLHEINZ STOCKHAUSEN//JOHNNY AXELSSON/FREDERICK ULLEN - Zyklus, Kontakte, Klavierstucke V & IX (Caprice 21642; EEC) 2000 release. Performed by Jonny Axelsson, percussion; Frederick Ullen, piano. Featured works: Zyklus ("The piece is composed as a cycle of seventeen periods, characterized by nine dominant timbral groups: marimba-glissandi, guiro, tam-tam/gong, vibraphone, cowbells, triangle, high-hat, snare drum and tom-toms. Each group reaches a climax, and thereafter slowly disappears."); Kontakte ("Stockhausen worked on Kontakte for piano, percussion and 4-track tape, for more than two years (1958-60) at the West German Radio's electroacoustic studio in Cologne. The tape part can also be played by itself as a separate composition, which on its own can be seen as one of the greatest technical and artistic triumphs of early electroacoustic music"); Klavierstucke V and Klavierstucke IX.
CD $18


JOHN CAGE//FRIEDERICH GAUWERKY/MARK KNOOP - Etudes Boreales/Harmonies/10'40.3'' (Wergo 6718; Germany) Friedrich Gauwerky - cello, Mark Knoop - piano. "The enormous technical challenges presented by Cage's Etudes Boreales demand careful coordination of fingers, instrument and intellect. On this CD, the work is presented twice, in versions for piano solo and for cello and piano. As in its sister works, Etudes Australes and Freeman Etudes, Cage based his composition on a star chart, in this case, one of the northern sky created by Czech astronomer Antonin Becvar in 1962. Apartment House 1776 for four singers and any number of instrumentalists was written for the American bicentennial. It consists of 14 Tunes, 4 Marches, 2 Imitations and 44 Harmonies. On this disc, Friedrich Gauwerky plays his own arrangements for cello and piano of four of the Harmonies."
CD $24

MUSIKFABRIK - Vom Himmel Zur Holle (From Heaven To Hell) (Wergo 6853; Germany) "This new collection from MusikFabrik focuses on three composers' imaginings of music from heaven or hell. In the Old Testament, the musical praise of God was imagined as an overpowering roar, a concept depicted in Martin Smolka's 'Rush (Hour in Celestial Streets).' Mauricio Kagel's 'Orchestrion-Straat' celebrates a joyous earthly resurrection while Louis Andriessen's 'Racconto dall'Inferno' ('Tale From Hell') proposes that hell has a soundtrack, and anyone caught in its repetitive loops will find it difficult to escape."
CD $24

PETERIS VASKS - The Seasons (Wergo 6734; Germany) "The Seasons (Gadalaiki) is not program music in the classical sense, but rather an expression of feelings. Vasks says, 'When I first heard Vestard Shimkus playing I instantly understood -- he is just the right interpreter. The notes turned into colors, scents, started to breathe, and The Seasons came into being.' Shimkus' performance received the Great Latvian Music Award, the highest national distinction in the field of music."
CD $24



Backcatalog for Dog With A Bone label!

MARCEL DUCHAMP//JOHN CAGE/BEN NEILL et al - The Entire Musical Work Of Marcel Duchamp (Dog With A Bone 01; USA) New 20th century composer's label, based out of the Paula Cooper gallery in NYC, in association with Petr Kotik's S.E.M. Ensemble. This Duchamp CD is a similar release to the CD on the Ampere [Ampersand] label (same title, same general selection of Duchamp's major musical pieces); the main difference is that this DWAB version features one additional piece, "Sculpture Musicale" (a mesostic performed by John Cage) & features improved sound/performance according to Kotik. This CD was recorded in 1987 by S.E.M. (including Ben Neill on trumpet); the Ampere version was recorded in 1976. "Duchamp's often overlooked musical work was composed for the most part between 1912 and 1921. His method was based on chance and represented a radical departure from the way music was done at the time. Music by Marcel Duchamp includes the artist's complete ouvre, namely 'Erratum Musical' (for three voices), La Mariee mise a nu par ses celibataires meme, 'Erratum Musical' (in two different versions for player piano and chamber ensemble), and the conceptual piece 'Sculpture Musicale' (with a special version performed by John Cage). The liner notes contain reproductions of Duchamp's handwritten scores, as well as photographs of the instrumental 'apparatus' used to create the second version of 'La Mariee mise a nu par ses celibataires meme (a funnel, seven open top cars and six sets of balls)'. Also included is a mesostic (a poem legible both horizontally and vertically) by John Cage."
CD $17

MORTON FELDMAN//S.E.M. ENSEMBLE [PETR KOTIK et al] - For Philip Guston [4 CD set] (Dog With A Bone 02; USA) Performed by Kristine Scholz and Mats Persson. This fine release presents Morton Feldman's complete production of his music for two pianists, including the previously unrecorded piece "Work for Two Pianists" (1958). In the booklet you will find Mats Persson's essay: "To Be In The Silence - Morton Feldman and Painting." Packaged in hardcover sleeve (ala the Kairos label), with 72 pages of binlingual (Swedish/English) notes.
4 CD set for $40

MORTON FELDMAN//S.E.M. ENSEMBLE ORCHESTRA [PETR KOTIK et al] - Turfan Fragments/For Samuel Beckett (Dog With A Bone 04; USA) For Samuel Beckett, The Turfan Fragments. The Orchestra of the S.E.M. Ensemble. Petr Kotik, Conductor. "For Samuel Beckett and The Turfan Fragments are Feldman's only chamber orchestra compositions. Both were commissions: The Turfan Fragments by the Swiss-Italian Radio Orchestra in 1980, For Samuel Beckett by the Schonberg Ensemble, Amsterdam, in 1987. Both titles are descriptive and suggest how Feldman arrived at a particular concept for each piece. The Turfan Fragments is a succession of short sections, which could indeed be described as fragments. The title relates the composition to manuscripts from Turfan (the southwest region of present-day China), which are in the collection of the Preussischer Kulturbesitz in Berlin. These calligraphic remnants, going back to the ninth century, were brought to Germany before World War I and Feldman must have seen them while living in Berlin in 1971. In contrast, For Samuel Beckett is based on a single idea of several chord progressions unfolding continuously for almost an hour. In 1977, Beckett wrote a text for Feldman, to be used as the libretto for his opera Neither. Feldman's description of Beckett's writing most eloquently suggests what was on his mind when composing For Samuel Beckett: ?here's something peculiar about it [the Beckett's text]. I can't catch it. Finally I see that every line is really the same thought said in another way. And yet the continuity acts as if something else is happening. Nothing else is happening. What you're doing, in an almost Proustian way, is getting deeper and deeper saturated into the thought."
CD $15

PETR KOTIK & S.E.M. ENSEMBLE//GERTRUDE STEIN - Many Many Women [3 CD set] (Dog With A Bone 03; USA) "Digitally remastered from the original 1981 Labor Record release, Kotik's Many Many Women has long been considered a masterpiece of 1970s underground music. The polyphonic composition sets Gertrude Stein's entire novella Many Many Women to music and marks the crystallization of Kotik's musical aesthetic. Described by Richard Kostelanetz as 'continually austere and yet engaging, realizing a musical reinterpretation of Stein's text,' Many Many Women highlights both the musicality of Stein's poetry and Kotik's distinctly personal treatment of melody. The liner notes include essays by Kostelanetz and Village Voice critic Kyle Gann."
3 CD set for $24

S.E.M. ENSEMBLE [PETR KOTIK et al] With JOHN CAGE/JACKSON MAC LOW/ANNE TARDOS/DICK HIGGINS - Spoken Music Concert at Paula Cooper Gallery (Dog With A Bone 05; USA) "The S.E.M. Ensemble's Spoken Music Concert took place on Tuesday, February 6, 1990, at the Paula Cooper Gallery in New York, then on Wooster Street in Soho. It was performed by members of the S.E.M. Ensemble: Petr Kotik (Director), Chris Nappi, and Joseph Kubera, and Den Neill (sound mix); and four guests: John Cage, Dick Higgins, Jackson Mac Low, and Anne Tardos... 'Empty Words', written in 1973-74, is arguably the most musical of John Cage's texts. Made up of fragments from the journals of Henry David Thoreau, it consists of four parts. The first is a chance-derived mix of phrases, words, syllables, and single letters; subsequent parts each eliminate one of these textual elements from the mix. By the fourth part (performed here), there is nothing left but single letters. As the text becomes simpler and simpler, silences become more and more prominent."
CD $15


DAVE STAPLETON QUINTET - Between The Lines (EditionRecords 1017; UK) With Dave Stapleton on acoustic & Fender Rhodes pianos & compositions, Ben Waghorn on saxes & bass clarinet, Jonny Bruce on trumpet & flugelhorn, Paula Gardiner on double bass and Elliot Bennett on drums. This is British piano wiz Dave Stapleton's six fine disc for his own Edition Records label as well as his third quintet date. Although Mr. Stapleton & his formidable cohorts have yet to receive the recognition he or they deserve, he has again pulled a gem out of his hat. "Horn" features a great, funky & most memorable riff played the bass clarinet/trumpet front-line with spirited solos from both horns and the electric piano. The quintet winds down to an eerie Miles-like muted trumpet-led simmer before building back up to that infectious riff. "Dry White" is a gorgeous piece with superb harmonies for the horns and an elegant "Maiden Voyage"-like theme written by Stapleton. "Wig Wag" is a swell funky piece that keeps shifting tempos and dynamics throughout with a lush electric piano solo midway, then back to that theme with layers of horns on top. One of the things I dig about Mr. Stapleton is that even his funkier tunes involve complex ideas and spirited interplay. Another of his surprising ideas is that a number of these pieces stop and start and switch direction midstream. The overall vibe of this disc is one of melancholy beauty with subtle yet stunning solos from Mr. Waghorn on tenor, soprano & bass clarinet, Mr. Bruce on trumpet & flugelhorn and Mr Stapleton on electric & acoustic piano. Extremely mature and often superb music from some of England's finest up & coming musicians. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16


JACAM MANRICKS With GARY VESACE/ALAN FERBER et al - Trigonometry (Posi-tone 8064; USA) Featuring Jacam Manricks on alto sax & compositions, Alan Ferber on trombone, Scott Wenholt on trumpet, Gary Versace on piano, Joe Martin on bass and Obed Calvaire on drums. This is the second splendid disc from saxist Jacam Manricks and his great sextet. I knew nothing about Jacam Manricks when his first disc was released last year, but I was knocked out nonetheless by the playing and arrangements. Once again I recognize just a couple of the names here like Gary Versace & Alan Ferber, both of whom can be found on a handful of previous discs from Sunnyside (Mr. Ferber) and other labels. Mr. Manricks wrote all of the pieces here except for one cover of Eric Dolphy's "Miss Ann".
The title track is first and it is a spirited opener with some tight, complex rhythm team connections and a calm yet intense alto solo. "Cluster Funk" is a twisted sort of funk tune with inspired solos from Scott on trumpet and Jacam on sax. What stands out on many of these pieces is Jacam's gifted arrangements, especially complex harmonies for the horns and dynamic rhythm section support. Dolphy's "Miss Ann" is a favorite of mine and it is taken at a brisk pace with a great bass solo from Joe Martin and an inventive alto solo by Jacam. On Manrick's first disc, the interplay between the drummer (Tyshawn Sorey) and Jacam was pretty amazing. For this disc, new drummer Obed Calvaire also pulls off some impressive work throughout, whether navigating the difficult charts or taking a short, crafty drum solo on "Sketch". Jacam's relaxed yet rich, warm-toned sax is often at the center of each piece, leading the way for the complex, ever-shifting arrangements to flow, swirl and ride in waves bringing the sextet together. "Micro Gravity" closes this disc and is a kind of march with an exquisite, haunting solo from Mr. Manricks, that just keeps getting better as it rises up to touch all who take the time to listen. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $15



Back in stock!

MATTHEW SHIPP - Creation Out Of Nothing: Live In Moscow [2 CD set] (United/SoLyd 401/2; Russia) For the past few years Matt Shipp has been concentrating on mostly solo, duo or trio performances & recordings. This is Matt's first double CD set and it was recorded live in Moscow in February of 2009. What is different from most of Matt's previous solo recordings is that Matt covers five standards, "Angel Eyes", "Summertime", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "Yesterdays" and "On Green Dolphin Street". Matt approaches each of these standards in his own distinctive way and shows how much he cares about the essence of each. "Angles Eyes" balances between somber and explosive moments with some of those haunting chords that Matt accentuates by holding the sustain pedal down and let those chords resonate richly. Matt's originals are often more intense, probing and explore different themes - some charted and some free yet always seem connected by an underlying logic or development. These discs are recorded superbly so that when Matt hits certain chords, a powerful current erupts and sweeps us along with it. I love the way Matt works his way through a handful of inter-related themes while keeping his eye on the subliminal current that holds each entire set together. Every chapter in Matt's ongoing novel reveals a different mood or scene. Matt plucks the strings inside the piano throughout the pensive "Blue in Orion" which gives the piece a most mysterious vibe. It seems like a perfect introduction to what comes next, Gershwin's classic "Summertime". This version is perhaps the most nightmarish one I've heard yet Matt knows just when to let the light poke through the dark clouds that hover over the piece. The balance between the originals and standards is perfect as they blend into one another with a fine sense of connected extremes. It sounds to me that Matt Shipp had spent a good deal of time planning this concert as both sets reveal a mature vision of what it is that makes Matt a master of the solo piano offering. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
2 CD set for $28

CREATIVE MUSIC STUDIO [LEE KONITZ/ANTHONY BRAXTON/CHICK COREA/PAT METHENY/JACK DeJOHNETTE/MIROSLAV VITOUS] - The Song Is You: Woodstock Jazz Festival Vols 1 & 2 [2 CD set] (Douglas 09; USA) This is a double disc compilation of the Creative Music Studio's Woodstock Jazz Festival, a tenth-anniversary celebration for the upstate New York progressive "world music" study center of Karl Berger and friends, which took place during a stormy day on the Oehler Lodge Olympic soccer field next to the CMS studios, classrooms and living quarters, on Sept. 19, 1981.
The day long festival, organized by DeJohnette and his wife Lydia as a benefit for CMS, captures the better portion of a dead-on tour-de-force presentation featuring Chick Corea on acoustic piano with drummer DeJohnette, bassist Vitous, and duets with alto saxophonist Lee Konitz and Corea. As concert pieces, they are naturally lengthy and stretched. Precedent-setting events and brilliant musicianship combine forces. The sound quality is well above average, and an intimate feeling is evident. The opener, "Waltz," has the trio dancing, probing and swinging, as only the quicksilver Corea and the lunging, animated DeJohnette can inspire. It's also the first-ever public performance for this Corea piece. At nearly 19 minutes long, "The Temple of Isfahan" follows, with Corea introducing the piece introspectively, then poignantly muting strings with fingers to a staccato effect, thus evoking stark, abstract echoes of Iran/Persia, especially during Vitous' haunting bowed bass solo. Corea is possesed with a Cecil Taylor-like spirit, a reminder of his days with Circle. The Corea/Konitz duet pieces are "Stella by Starlight" and "'Round Midnight." "Stella" struts in its own conversational way, these two geniuses turning the standard into a composition of their own over a beautiful 16 minutes. Corea is even more playful, with Konitz spare, droll or whimsical. Monk's "Midnight" is captured as if it were an orchestral suite, utilizing a "circle the wagons" approach to hinting at, teasing, and seducing the widely practiced classic melody; it's a big sound for two people. An important musical and archival document, and probably just the tip of the iceberg for what other musical magic was conjured up on that special day in the rain. The second disc continues with an augmented combo on three long selections. An upbeat "Impressions" has alto saxophonist Braxton joining Corea/Vitous/DeJohnette. He plays impassioned, lemon-tart, sometimes frenetic, challenging lines, and the trio is even more energized by Braxton's musings as the 12 minutes go by, especially on Corea's bold, out-of-body solo. "No Greater Love" a mere 13 minutes, sports the quartet plus Konitz; he and Braxton provide shining moments as individualists and foils for each other. Konitz's burnished bronze tone questions Braxton's brittle, mercurial approach. A true delight. A 23-minute "All Blues" empties the well, with help from Pat Metheny on an ultimate workout with Corea and DeJohnette; Konitz's saxophone inquiries and Braxton's abject wail ignite fierce tension and release from the rhythm section. Corea is even more forceful and Mad Hatter-ish during all of the saxophonist's solos. Landmark music, made on the spot, in the rain, for 1600 enthusiastic listeners who could sense they were a part of a historical event, and a one-of-a-kind meeting of jazz minds. - Michael G. Nastos, AMG
CD set for $20


Two copies found of this out-of-print classic:

RUSSELL MILLS UNDARK With BRIAN ENO/BILL LASWELL/DAVID SYLVIAN/HAROLD BUDD et al - Pearl And Umbra (Instinct; USA) Russell Mills' Pearl & Umbra [1999], the follow-up to 'Undark', fuses world music, electronic, and rock influences into intense, predominantly instrumental songs like the droning, percussive "Swallow Crystals," the tribal, passionate "Canyon: Split Asunder," and the jazzy, brass-driven "All Wise Fly (Pneuma)." The album also features contributions from like-minded musicians such as Bill Laswell, Harold Budd, Roger Eno, Paul Schutze, Robin Guthrie, and Brian Eno. David Sylvian's world-weary vocals add to the delicate unease of "Rooms of Sixteen Shimmers," while Susan Deyhim's warm, passionate vocals add another layer of mystery to "Heaven Dips," and Clodagh Simond's brogue adds a Celtic tinge to the cover of Syd Barrett's "Golden Hair." "Causes, Causes, Causes" and "Cage of Air" pit winding, wailing guitars against pummeling polyrhythms and pulsing basslines. Every bit as intricate and engaging as Undark, Pearl & Umbra adds warmth and resonance to Mills' musical chiaroscuro. ~ Heather Phares, AMG
CD $16



SAIGON ROCK & SOUL [V.A.] - Vietnamese Classic Tracks 1968-1974 [2 LP set] (Sublime Freq 060; USA) The long-awaited foray into the Vietnamese rock, pop and soul sound of the late 1960s and early 1970s is finally here. Saigon Rock & Soul delivers the goods international retro collectors have been searching for in vain for many years -- and it delivers beyond belief. Every song is a mini-masterpiece, be it heavy acid-rock psychedelia, horn- and guitar-drenched funk grooves, or gripping soul ballads reflective of life during wartime. The tracks that form this collection cut a window into a rich musical Vietnamese music scene that has long been obscured, and for the most part, forgotten. As the scope of electrified Vietnamese music from the 1960s and 1970s begins to be revealed, it becomes evident that this was among the heaviest and most eclectic musical scenes of Southeast Asia at the time. These songs tell of war, love and what war does to love. All of them were recorded in makeshift studios and even U.S. army facilities while the Vietnam War raged -- and were issued by a handful of Saigon record companies on vinyl 45s and reel or cassette tapes. Westernized forms of music in Vietnam had appeared during the latter 19th century, and especially during the early 20th century, under the influence of the French colonizers. Tan Nhac (trans. "modern music") always incorporated both domestic and international sounds, and continued to develop alongside Western musical trends. During the 1960s and 1970s, pulp ballads were being recorded by leading crooners of the time who alternated between modern and traditional forms of regional music. When the electric guitar hit the streets of Saigon, Vietnamese renditions of contemporary instrumental trends such as surf-rock, beat and twist soon emerged, followed by some pretty deep soul sounds inspired by Motown radio hits as well as funk grooves brought on by James Brown and his contemporaries. By the mid-1960s, Vietnam had been ravaged by war for years. American G.I.s had become a standard fixture in Saigon, as did many of the cultural artifacts they brought with them. This certainly included the music. The sounds of rock and roll dominated the radio waves, and Saigon nightclubs were teeming with new sounds. Musically, The Shadows and The Ventures soon gave way to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones as an enthusiastic set of young Vietnamese rockers signed on to the lifestyle, always eager to hear the latest musical trends the G.I.s would bring in on LP or tape. This era saw the birth of a vibrant rock scene, yet rock music and anything that came close was commonly referred to as "soul" in the Vietnamese genre-listings. Like many cultures in Asia, Vietnamese music is recorded, marketed, listened to and disposed of in a relatively quick manner. This level of advanced ephemera ensures a degree of difficulty when trying to unearth and discover cultural histories. Literally, most of the music heard here has been brought back from the dead. Artists featured include some of Vietnam's most popular at the time: Elvis Phuong, Hung Cuong, Mai Lei Huyen, Le Thu, Thai Thanh, Giao Linh, Mai Lei Huyen and the CBC Band. This limited edition 2LP vinyl release features 70 minutes of classic original recordings compiled by Mark Gergis housed in a beautiful full-color gatefold jacket with extensive liner notes.
LP $28

THE WORLD ENDS [V.A.] - Afro Rock & Psychedelia In 1970s Nigeria [2 CD set] (Soundway 23; UK) The World Ends is the latest title from Soundway Records showcasing a wave of guitar-driven and psychedelic groups that sprung up in Nigeria during the early 1970s. Featuring 32 electrifying and funk-laden grooves, this is the sound of a generation attempting to pick up the pieces after the devastation of the Nigerian civil war. Spread over 2 CDs, this bumper collection is brimming with youthful exuberance, fuzzed-out guitar and cosmic organ vibes and owes much to the psychedelic sounds of Jim Morrison, Santana, Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane and James Brown. As the Summer of Love was blossoming in London and San Francisco, Nigeria was imploding into civil war. Also known as the Biafra War of 1967, it was a grisly conflict taking over three million lives, yet at the same time the country was being pulled apart, there was a new world beginning. The tracks featured represent a forgotten chapter in Nigeria's musical history when the youth threw their varied morsels into the pot, from hard rock to psychedelic soul, when guitars were cherished instruments, symbolic of a new movement, when highlife and Afrobeat played second fiddle to "the beat." Includes a 44-page booklet packed with rare photos and extensive liner notes.
2 CD set for $23


DEBAA [V.A.] - The Singing Of Sufi Women [CD + Book] (Ocora 560229; France) "'Debaa' is a term used for the singing of mystical poetry within Sufism, more specifically it grew from the singing of the poems and narratives of Abdurahman al-Dayba, a Yemeni writer from the 15th century. Debaa has evolved on the island of Mayotte, part of the Comoros chain in the Indian Ocean, into a female choral practice, accompanied by drums, bells and tambourines and choreographed with dance movements. Several debaa groups (known as Madarassati) perform on Mayotte, and internationally (including WOMAD 2008). This album presents five Madarassati, which commonly have between 50-80 members each." Deluxe oversized hardbound packaging with a 36-page booklet with French and English liner notes.
CD + Book for $20

EN CHORDAIS - Music Of Asia Minor & Constantinople [CD + Book] (Ocora 560223; France) "For centuries, the interaction between Greek, Turkish and many ethnic groups gave rise, in the cosmopolitan atmosphere of the great cities of Asia Minor, to a musical culture which could be qualified as a perfect example of intercultural integration. The Oriental style called smyrnaika, played on violin, oud, qanun and santoor had a strong influence on rebetiko, today acknowledged as Greece's national music. This recording by the Greek group En Chordais illustrates to perfection this musical tradition of Asia Minor." Deluxe oversized hardbound packaging with a 28-page booklet with French and English liner notes.
CD + Book for $20


MUSIC FROM UGANDA: BIG FIVE - Vol 3: Modern Echoes Of Kampala (Caprice 21555; EEC) 1996 release. "James Muwanga, drummer; Giles Warugaba & Ded Majoror, guitar; Master Musicians of Uganda Group directed by Albert Ssempeke. Kampala, the capital of Uganda, is a city that is now throbbing with life again after many difficult years. And once again it has plenty of music, with bars, clubs, discos and hotels rhythmically vibrant with everything from modern rap to traditional folk music. Much of the music is rooted in two of the Country's many fantastic musical cultures: Baganda, from the south, and Teso, from the northeast."
CD $18

MUSIC FROM VIETNAM [V.A.] - Vol 3: Ethnic Minorities (Caprice 21479; EEC) 1995 release. "Vietnam's long history at the point of intersection between different political and cultural spheres is reflected by the large number of minorities living in different parts of the country, especially in the highlands to the north and west. Today, these regions present an extraordinary linguistic and cultural mosaic of immense variety. The present CD is a sample from that copious treasury, most of which, regrettably, has yet to be documented. The contents include a number of examples of the fantastic rhythmic music played on tuned gongs by the E De people in the central highlands, as well as other exciting instrumental and vocal instruments."
CD $18

MUSIC FROM GUATEMALA [V.A.] - Vol 2: Garifuna Music (Caprice 21631; EEC) 1999 release. "In a way, one can say that the music on this CD derives its origin from dramatic events that took place more than two hundred years ago. For it was then that the British family conquered the island of St.Vincent in the West Indies and moved by force practically the whole populace. The Garifuna's music is unique and irresistible, swinging, and characterized by the African heritage and the soft rhythms of the West Indies."
CD $18

MUSIC FROM HONDURAS [V.A.] - Vol 2: Garifuna Music (Caprice 21638; EEC) 2000 release. "Lainiqi Mua; baruda; Farm Boys Trio, et al. Featuring traditional music from the village of Triunfo de La Cruz, as well as the modern dance music 'punta rock,' which is a celebration of rhythm based on traditional rhythms. Lastly, West Indian calypso rhythms can be heard to an even greater degree. Music from the English-speaking island of Rotan, located off the coast, is presented by the informal musicianship of the Farm Boys Trio."
CD $18

JOHAN HEDIN & GUNNAR IDENSTAM - Latar II: Swedish Folk Tunes (Caprice 21807; EEC) "A large church organ with an infinite number of celestial sounds, colours, and moods; a nyckelharpa, this genuinely Swedish folk instrument, as if sprung from the earth -- an old being in itself. These instruments, played by two of our foremost conjurors of the instruments in question, in a wild but tender dance where earth meets sky, the ancient meets the brand new, and hardship meets joy. The prominent conjurors in question are of course the nyckelharpa player Johan Hedin and the organ virtuoso Gunnar Idenstam, and this album, Latar II, is the duo's second -- their first album was released in 2004, also on the Caprice label -- and is yet another innovative mixture of old Swedish folk tunes and newly written material. Their music is rooted in Swedish folk music but feels brand new, as the music is created and shaped in the encounter between these two innovators; it twists and turns along mysterious paths, dresses up in symphonic clothing, invokes sacred moods, swirls about in danceable polskas, and sings its lyrical melodies. In short, it is an invitation into a fantastic new world, or as the BBC writer Fiona Talkington writes in the album's liner notes, 'So step into this world of gothic shadows, baroque elegance, fiery furnaces and frozen summits, broken hearts and laughter, of tunes which were hummed by our grandparents, of sounds which they would flee from, but most of all give yourself up wholeheartedly to this inspired creation and dance and weep along the way.'"
CD $18


I'M GOING WHERE THE WATER DRINKS LIKE WINE [V.A.] - 18 Unsung Bluesmen: Rarities 1923-1929 (Sub Rosa 287; Belgium) LP version. Sub Rosa presents another volume in their "Fundamental" collection, devoted to rare and lost recordings from the '20 to the '60s. While artists such as Robert Johnson, Charley Patton, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Bukka White, Sleepy John Estes, Skip James, etc. became legendary in their lifetime (due in part to their discovery by the 1960s British rock scene), the musicians highlighted here are the ones that didn't become major figures, either constructed by myth or defined by history. Artists include: Sylvester Weaver, Bo Weavil Jackson, Richard Rabbit Brown, Andrew Baxter, Willard Ramblin' Thomas, Luke Jordan, Buddy Boy Hawkins, Ishman Bracey, Arthur Petties, Rube Lacey, Tom Dickson, Freddie Spruell, Jesse Babyface Thomas, Willie Baker, Kid Bailey, Willie Blind Joe Reynolds, Henry Townsend, and Noah Lewis.
LP $17


DANIEL JOHNSTON - The Story Of An Artist [6 CD box set] (Munster 298; USA) Limited edition 6CD box set of the very early recordings by Daniel Johnston, one of the most gifted American songwriters of the last three decades. Includes Daniel's six cassette-only albums recorded between 1980 and 1983, packaged in individual sleeves, plus a two-sided A2 poster and a 64-page booklet with Daniel's artwork from those years and extensive notes by music journalist Everett True.
"When I first met Daniel in 1985, he was already quite well known. He had been giving away homemade cassettes for months and his live performances were attracting enthusiastic crowds. He had even been on MTV. The cassettes were his business cards and he used them well, with Hi, How Are You, Yip/Jump Music, Retired Boxer, Respect and Continued Story finding their way into the hands of seemingly every band in town. As the attention increased, so did the need to keep making and handing out cassettes. It reached a point where much of his paycheck from McDonald's would be spent on blank tapes, so I began talking to him about ways to at least break even. By the time Daniel left Austin a year later, things had changed considerably. I was finding national distribution for the tapes, but he wasn't well, and didn't wish to continue in the music business. He gave me a couple of tapes I hadn't heard before throwing most of his remaining possessions into a dumpster. By the time I found out about the dumpster incident and frantically dug through it, trying to salvage any tapes that I could find, it was too late. What was lost in that dumpster is something we'll never know. The two unreleased tapes he had given me were More Songs Of Pain and Don't Be Scared (ironically misspelled Don't Be Scarred). Both were unlike anything I had previously heard. Recorded in the semi-privacy of his parents' basement in the early 1980s, before he'd moved to Texas, the sound was slightly better than the tapes I was already distributing, and the material so strong that I knew he deserved a place among the all-time great songwriters. Both were and are fully realized masterpieces to my ears ... I was able to borrow a tape he had given Glass Eye's Kathy McCarty titled The Joker -- it turned out to be one of several versions of the Songs Of Pain tape that he had given out to his friends in West Virginia before moving to Austin. I knew it had to be the first of the 'new' releases, so I began distributing Songs Of Pain in 1987. A few months later, I borrowed another tape he had given to one of his friends. This led to the release of The What Of Whom. In 1988, I released More Songs Of Pain and in 1989 Don't Be Scared. In 1990, Daniel found some tapes under his bed (!) called The Lost Recordings, and these were released in 1991. Most of Daniel's early recordings were done on a $59 Sanyo jam box using the cheapest tape he could find. The term 'lo-fi' was still a few years away and I never gave the low fidelity of these recordings a second thought. It was about the music and the story of an artist. Songs Of Pain, More Songs Of Pain, The What Of Whom, Don't Be Scared and The Lost Recordings tell the story of that artist. They may have been 'just' cassettes, but Daniel owned his own publishing and these releases led to more songs being published, and ultimately more songs being covered by other bands. I'm very grateful that Munster Records has chosen to package the recordings from Daniel's West Virginia years as a box set. I hope you enjoy it." --Jeff Tartakov, Stress Records
6 CD box set for $78


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