An Array of Outstanding New Discs from:


Anthony Braxton Diamond Wall Qt! John Zorn: Ribot/Dunn! Klezmerson! The Thing with Otomo ..and with Jim O'Rourke! Lean Left V2: Andy Moor/Terrie Ex/Vandermark/Nilsson-Love!

Joel Futterman! Nonoko Yoshida Pet Bottle Ningen! Blondy/Denzler Hubbub 2CD! Jon Hemmersam/Michael Jefry Stevens! Chris Dingman/Loren Stillman/Ambrose Akinmusire! Ambarchi/O'Rourke LP! Phillip Greenlief Lost Trio! Lemos' Controlled Bleeding!

Marc Urselli/Vincenzo Pastano! LP's from Don Cherry/Krzysztof Penderecki, Albert Ayler, Brute Force, Pinhas/Merzbow! Popol Vuh classics! Erma Franklin! Harry Smith's Anthology on LP!

..and Much More, of course!




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


The DMG Free Weekly In-Store Performance Series Continues With:


Sunday, June 26th - ELI KESZLER - postponed!
6pm: From D to Z - DAVE SCANLON & ZACH PRUITT - Guitars!


Saturday, July 2nd at 6pm: Rare Saturday Duo Set The Wolves!
Featuring: DANIEL LEVIN on cello & Mystery Guest!


Sunday, July 3rd Double-Header:
6pm: BEN STAPP - Solo Tuba with Devices!
7pm: ERIKA DAGNINO - poetry/JEAN CARLA RODEA - voice/SARAH BERNSTEIN - violin!


Sunday, July 10th Double-Header
6pm: Crepuscular Activity - YUKARI- Flutes & CARLO COSTA - Drums!
7pm: KYOKO KITAMURA & JEN BAKER - Voice & Trombone!


Sunday, July 17th at 6pm:
SIMON JERMYN / CHRISTOF KNOCHE / JOE HERTENSTEIN!
Electric Bass / Alto & Soprano Sax / Drums - New Collective Trio!


Sunday, July 24th at 6pm:
RAS MOSHE & THE MUSIC NOW ENSEMBLE!


Sunday, July 31st at 6pm:
JAMES FALZONE - Solo Clarinet!


Sunday, August 7th at 7pm (please note new time):
GL DIANA/BEN GERSTEIN/MIKE PRIDE! - New Laptop/Trombone/Drums Trio!


Sunday, August 14th at 6pm:
DAVID AARON - Solo Sax & World Premier of New Work!


Sunday, August 21st at 6pm:
THOMAS HEBERER - Solo Trumpet & 1/4 Tone Trumpet!


Sunday, August 28th at 6pm:
ANDREA PENSADO & ADRIANA DE LOS SANTOS - Argentinian Duo Performing:
Solos & Duos of Voice, Laptop, Amplified Ethnic Violin & Electronics!


Rare Tuesday Gig - Tuesday, August 30th:
6pm: MURAL with KIM MYHR / JIM DENLEY / INGAR ZACH!
Norwegian/Australian Tabletop Guitar/Extended Sax/Unusual Percussion Trio!


Sunday, September 4th at 6pm:
Music on the Edge (UK Duo w/ CD's on FMR) Featuring:
SUSIE HODDER-WILLIAMSS - Flute/Alto Flute/Bass Flute & CHRIS CALDWELL - Soprano Sax/C Clarinet/Bass Clarinet!


September 18th at 6pm:
BONNIE KANE & CHRIS WELCOME - Great Sax & Guitar Duo!


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


CANADA POST Strike still in effect as of this writing; orders from our Canadian customers will still be set aside and reserved, until USPS will again accept shipments bound for Canada


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




Three New KILLER releases from Tzadik!

JOHN ZORN//MARC RIBOT/TREVOR DUNN - Enigmata (Tzadik 7391; USA) Twelve bizarre compositional miniatures for the blazing duo of Marc Ribot and Trevor Dunn combining classical 12-tone lyricism with rock intensity and improvisational madness. Jumping from composition to improvisation so seamlessly that it is often impossible to tell what is what, this is some of the craziest music he has ever created. An amazing CD of instrumental madness: Captain Beefheart's Magic Band meets Arnold Schoenberg! TZADIK ARCHIVAL SERIES
CD $14

KLEZMERSON - Siete (Tzadik 8162; USA) A remarkable band out of Mexico City taking the Jewish tradition to some fresh and uncharted new places! Charanga, rock, norteno, cha cha, son, searing electronics, klezmer clarinet and driving rock beats are never out of place in their dynamic mix. Featuring a large ensemble including sax, flute, requinto and Veracruzan Huapago guitar, Klezmerson is one of the most creative and unique bands in Jewish music today, and Siete is their best CD to date. TZADIK RADICAL JEWISH CULTURE SERIES
CD $14

PET BOTTLE NINGEN [NONOKO YOSHIDA/DAVE SCANLON/DAVE MILLER] - Pet Bottle Ningen (Tzadik 7802; USA) The second release in the new Tzadik Spotlight Series features another wild cutting edge group out of the youngest generation of the NY downtown scene. This freewheeling sax-guitar-drums trio performs startling stop and start compositions that mix genres and jumps from moment to moment with energy, speed and precision. The trio blends contemporary compositional techniques with improvisation, allowing the textures to morph and change with kaleidoscopic brilliance. TZADIK SPOTLIGHT SERIES
CD $14


ANTHONY BRAXTON DIAMOND CURTAIN WALL QUARTET With TAYLOR HO BYNUM /MARY HALVORSON/KATHERINE YOUNG - Quartet (Mestre) 2008 (Caligola 2135; Italy) Anthony Braxton (soprano, sopranino and alto sax, contrabass clarinet, live electronics), Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet, flugelhorn, piccolo and bass trumpet, valve trombone), Mary Halvorson (electric guitar), Katherine Young (bassoon). I've caught this project twice, once as a trio at Victoriaville (in 2007 on Victo 107) and at the Guelph Festival in 2008 as a quartet with guest saxist from the AIM Toronto Orchestra. Both sets were amazing! In between both of these sets, Mr. Braxton performed with yet another version of the Diamond Wall Quartet at the Candiani Summer Fest in Mestre (Venezia), Italy in July of 2008. This disc features the complete set from this festival and was released on yet another newer Italian label called Caligola.
For this set, Mr. Braxton chose two longtime collaborators who have worked with him in numerous collectives, Taylor Ho Bynum (brass) & Mary Halvorson (guitar) plus an occasional collaborator, Katherine Young (bassoon). Like many of the later Ghost Trance (GTM) pieces, an hourglass is turned upside down at the beginning of the piece and when the sands run out, so the piece concludes. This piece does not sound like a Ghost Trance work, since there are little or no repeating lines. For this piece, Braxton controls the tempo or pulse, the music is based on one of those Braxtonian diagrams. Mr. Braxton also plays a bit of live electronics or computer in addition to his usual group of reed instruments. This performance was superbly recorded, the balance for all four musicians is perfect. The piece unfolds slowly with different combinations of duos, trios and quartet. All four musicians are equally accomplished, hence the interaction is often stunning. You can tell that these musicians have a history together since so many ideas flow superbly back and forth. I love when the sax and bassoon play one evolving harmonic line together while Taylor soars on top and Mary creates counter-lines which fit perfectly between the brass and reeds. This music has that edge-of-your-seat sort of excitement as one section fades into the next in a most natural way. All four musicians get a chance to stretch out, solo and interact the consistently engaging results. Hence, fans of each of the four sonic wizards should be overwhelmed with this great gift of the gods. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16


New on Smalltown Superjazz!

THE THING [MATS GUSTAFSSON/INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN/PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE] + JIM O'ROURKE - Shinjuku Growl (Smalltown SJ 201; EEC) Smalltown Superjazzz is very proud to present two new albums by The Thing. And this time it is The Thing with guitars! And none others than two of the best guitar players in the improv world today; Otomo Yoshihide and Jim O`Rourke. Both albums are recorded live at Pit Inn in Tokyo, Japan. Shinkjuku Growl with Jim O`Rourke was recorded the 4th of February 2008 and Shinkuju Crawl with Otomo Yoshihide was recorded the 2nd of October 2007 (and was also recorded by Jim O`Rourke).
"Recorded live by Tokyo's own Jim O'Rourke at Pit Inn in Tokyo, Japan, Shinjuku Growl features the return of The Thing, only this time, they return with the guitar heroics of Jim O'Rourke (Wilco, Sonic Youth, Gastr Del Sol)! The Thing is a rare flower in the world of jazz. They have managed to reach out far beyond jazz & avant garde audiences to those of rock, punk, hip-hop & electronica as well."
[in stock Monday]
CD $16

THE THING [MATS GUSTAFSSON/INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN/PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE] + OTOMO YOSHIHIDE - Shinjuku Crawl (Smalltown SJ 169; EEC) Smalltown Superjazzz is very proud to present two new albums by The Thing. And this time it is The Thing with guitars! And none others than two of the best guitar players in the improv world today; Otomo Yoshihide and Jim O`Rourke. Both albums are recorded live at Pit Inn in Tokyo, Japan.
"This time, The Thing return with guitars (gasp!) from none other than Otomo Yoshihide. Recorded by Jim O'Rourke live at Pit Inn in Tokyo, Shinjuku Crawl documents the different aspects of The Thing & how they are shaping & melting together with the wonderful guitar magic of Yoshihide. Otomo Yoshihide first came to international prominence in the 1990s as the leader of the noise rock group Ground Zero, & has since worked in a variety of contexts, ranging from free improvisation to noise, jazz, avant-garde & contemporary classical."
[in stock Monday]
CD $16

EX GUITARS [ANDY MOOR/TERRIE EX] + KEN VANDERMARK/PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE - Lean Left Vol 2: The Ex Guitars meet Nilssen-Love/Vandermark Duo (Smalltown SJ 186; EEC) The Ex Guitars meet Nilssen-Love/Vandermark Duo - ANDY MOOR, TERRIE EX, KEN VANDERMARK & PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE come together as a new monster. This is the second part of the live documentation, recorded in concert on March 19th, 2008 at Bimhuis, Amsterdam. The music is extrovert, energetic, powerful & inclusive but also confrontational & provocative, where rhythm, noise, melody & harmony melt together in perfect union.
[in stock Monday]
CD $16


JOEL FUTTERMAN - Perception (Creation Music 18; USA) Considering that Joel Futterman has close to fifty - all amazing - discs as a leader or collaborator, which includes more than a dozen solo piano discs, you would think he would be more widely celebrated. This is the newest of his self-produced solo piano offering and it is indeed a gift from one of the most riveting of all pianists. This disc consists of three pieces, the first of which is nearly 53 minutes. This piece is called "Perception, Part One" and Mr. Futterman starts with a short theme that expands as it evolves. The theme reminds me of a tale from the Arabian Nights and I dig the way it develops. With his left hand Futterman paints slow, rocking, melodic waves. With his right hand, he spins those often furious, lightning-like lines that sound like Cecil Taylor at times. There is a strong balance of ideas and waves which go back and forth, erupting and then calming back down. Mr. Futterman also plays soprano sax on occasion and begins "Perception, Part Two" on soprano before switching back to piano, slowly, spaciously adding notes and phrases, a few at a time, creating a peaceful dreamscape. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $14


LOST TRIO [PHILLIP GREENLIEF/DAN SEAMANS/TOM HASSETT] - Mysterious Toboggan (Evander 054; USA) Phillip Greenlief - Saxophones; Dan Seamans-Bass; Tom Hassett-Drums. The Lost Trio's 5th recording on Evander Music features a few original compositions by Phillip Greenlief and Dan Seamans, a rarely played Monk tune, and songs by PJ Harvey, Steve Lacy, Dave Holland and Jimmy Van Heusen. Recorded at SF Waldorf High School in SF by Phil Perkins.
CD $15


HUBBUB [FREDERIC BLONDY/BERTRAND DENZLER et al] - Whobub: Studio/Live [2 CD set] (Matchless 80; UK) Performed by Frederic Blondy - piano; Bertrand Denzler - tenor saxophone; Jean-Luc Guionnet - alto saxophone; Jean-Sebastien Mariage - electric guitar; Edward Perraud - drums & percussion. "Since 1999, Hubbub has played in France, England, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada, USA, Portugal, Serbia and Austria, at Festivals like FIMAV (Victoriaville), VTO (Toronto), Freedom of the City (London), NPAI (Parthenay), Fruits de Mhere (Brassy), Densites (Fresnes-en-Woevre), Jazz a Mulhouse (Mulhouse), Jazz em Agosto (Lisbon), Ulrichsberger Kaleidophon (Ulrichsberg) or Ring Ring (Belgrade) and has released the CDs UB/ABU on For 4 Ears (Gunter Muller's label), Hoop Whoop and Hoib on Matchless Recordings (Eddie Prevost's label) as well as a DVD-R on ? dans l'O (Patrick B?uf's label). The new Hubbub album is a double CD called Whobub with a live recording and a studio recording."
2 CD set for $32


JON HEMMERSAM & MICHAEL JEFRY STEVENS - Dear Jonas (Konnex 5269; Germany) Featuring Jon Hemmersam on acoustic guitar & all but one composition and Michael Jefry Stevens on piano. Danish guitarist Jon Hemmersam has sent us some four or five discs over the past few years, each one is quite different both as far as the personnel-wise and musically. For this disc, Mr. Hemmersam plays just acoustic guitar and teams up with former downtown (now living in Nashville) pianist Michael Jefry Stevens. I am not sure how much these two musicians have played together in the past but they certainly sound superb here. The first half of this disc is a three part suite called "The Amber Suite". Both acoustic instruments are superbly recorded and the balance is perfect. Tentatively at first the guitar and piano delicately swerve around one another in a magical dance. Hemmersam plays a series of exquisite harmonics which ring and bounce off similar notes on the piano. The playing evolves as the the tempo and interplay increases, like a gathering storm the inner vibration escalates as the two spirits soar upwards. This music is often quite beautiful and the sympathetic interplay is often stunning. Perfect music for calm introspection and thoughtful reflection. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16

EASTERN BOUNDARY QUARTET [MIHALY BORBELY/MICHAEL JEFRY STEVENS/JOE FONDA/BALAZS BAGYI] - Icicles (Konnex 5258; Germany) This is the second disc by the Eastern Boundary Quartet and it was recorded live in Budapest, Hungary (where two of these members are from) in October of 2009. The personnel remains Mihaly Borbely on sax & tarogato, Michael J. Stevens on piano, Joe Fonda on bass and Balasz Bahyi on drums. Each member of the quartet contributes a song or two plus there is one cover by another (relatively well known) Hungarian jazz guitarist & composer - Attila Zoller. Joe Fonda is one of the best bassists I know, his infectious groove and tone kick off this spirited disc in the best way possible. The first tune is called "Fish Soup" and it Joe's piece with his bass pumping at the center. The interplay between the soprano sax and piano is just incredible, both spinning together tightly while the rhythm team provides intense propulsion underneath. The title track was written by Michael Jefry Stevens and it is laid back and lovely with some exquisite soprano and piano. "Soft Balkan Wind" features some mellow snake-charming-like tarogato over a a hypnotic sort-of middle-eastern groove. Attila Zoller's "Hungarian Jazz Rhapsody" is a most enchanting song with a sly note-bending solo from Mihaly on soprano sax and a magical harp-like solo from Mr. Stevens on piano. This disc concludes with another somber work called "Transylvania Blues" which is not that blues-like yet it is calm and lovely. I am not so sure that Michael J. Stevens and Joe Fonda are mellowing out as elders in the jazz world, but it does seem that way when we listen to this superb and often sublime disc. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16

MILES GRIFFITH/MICHAEL JEFRY STEVENS QUARTET With DOMINIQUE GIROD/DIETER ULRICH - Only Love ((US) ARC 2185; USA) The 17 year collaboration between vocalist Miles Griffith and pianist Michael Jefry Stevens culminates in this magnificent 2009 recording of 10 original vocal compositions. Recorded live at Swiss Radio in Zurich.
For the past decade vocalist Miles Griffith and pianist Michael Jefry Stevens have been working together in a variety of projects including "The Songbook Project" and "New Ting" both of which feature a combination of original music and arranged jazz standards. This new quartet project builds on this long-standing musical relationship and includes the brilliant Swiss drummer Dieter Ulrich and one of the premier bassist/composers on the scene today, Peter Herbert from Austria. This mulit-cultural quartet performs a combination of original music, improvised music, and standard jazz repertoire. The group toured Europe in 2007, 2008 and 2009. In 2010 the quartet made their debut USA tour in support of their ARC debut CD "Only Love".
CD $15


CHRIS DINGMAN With LOREN STILLMAN/AMBROSE AKINMUSIRE/FABIAN ALMAZAN et al - Waking Dreams (Between Worlds 01; USA) Personnel: Loren Stillman on saxes, Ambrose Akinmusire on trumpet, Fabian Almazan on piano, Chris Dingman on vibes & most compositions, Joe Sanders on bass and Justin Brown on drums. This is the debut disc from local vibes wiz Chris Dingman who has been popping up on numerous sessions over the past few years. You should recall his work in Harris Eisenstadt's Canada Day project, one of the best bands to emerge from this scene in recent memory. 'Waking Dreams' is an apt title for this disc since much of it has a more cerebral, dreamy vibe. "Vijayanagara" is a lovely, haunting song with sublime, subdued trumpet and equally enchanting sax from the ever-ambitious Loren Stillman. "Jet Lag" recalls those great Bobby Hutcherson Blue Note sessions with Freddie Hubbard from the mid-sixties. The band is tight & burin' and trumpet-man Ambrose Akinmusire is soaring high with some inspired electric piano from Fabian Almazan and intense vibes from Mr. Dingman. A number of these songs are laid back and delightfully lyrical. Dingman has obviously worked long and hard on this disc as each of the fourteen songs is memorable and/or engaging in one way or another. Although I am not familiar with the rhythm team members here, each one is well chosen for this excellent sextet. The title track features an extraordinary vibes solo as well as superb sax and some exciting, intricate rhythm team work. Dingman mentions in the liner notes that special care was put into the making of the entire disc, so it does feel as if each piece naturally flows into the next one. This is a consistently enchanting disc from beginning to the end and at 74 minutes, this is no small feat. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $14


PAST THE MARK [VINCE PASTANO/MARC URSELLI] - Hakhel Tribulation (Nu-Jazz 311; UK) Past the Mark is Marc Urselli on electronics, programming & production and Vincenzo Pastano on all guitars. This is the second disc that we've had from Marc Urselli, a name you might recognize since he does a great deal of engineering work for John Zorn and Tzadik records. This disc is a trans-Atlantic collaboration, all files were sent through the internet and worked on in separate locations. Mr. Urselli sets up a series of great grooves with assorted samples dropped in at selective points. Mr. Pastano is a strong electric guitarist who plays tasty leads over Urselli's different grooves. Marc uses a sly tabla sample on "Tablasity" which also features some funky keyboard & string samples as well as various guitar parts. "Yell Low & Good By" is a laid-back Eno-esque piece with drifting synth sounds and soothing guitar. Each groove that Urselli uses has a rhythm hook that pulls you in while Pastano uses a variety of effects to change the approach and sound of his guitar on each piece. In some ways this music sounds like a series of short scenes from different films illustrating certain motions or emotions. Pretty tasty overall considering that this is much different anything we usually list. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
[limited time price; normally $16]
CD $10


JEFFREY SHURDUT/MARCUS CUMMINS - Cannibal Love: The Field Recordings (JMJ; USA)
CD $14


CONTROLLED BLEEDING [PAUL LEMOS/JOE PAPA] - Odes To Bubbler (Soleilmoon 172; USA) "Controlled Bleeding was formed in 1978 in Boston. Over the years members have come and gone and the band has transformed and reinvented itself numerous times. Odes to Bubbler contains the first new recorded work by Controlled Bleeding in the last five years. There are two live tracks and four recorded with Martin Bisi in the summer of 2010. The remainder of the album consists of rare tracks spanning the band's very musically diverse last decade, some featuring Joe Papa's signature vocal work, others including guest players like Ruins drummer Tatsuya Yoshida or Weasel Walter. Then, of course, there are some meditative textural pieces and harsh sonic caterwauls, but it somehow all ties together. Odes to Bubbler is presented in a deluxe screen-printed sleeve made from textured paper with a metallic silver finish. The CD is packed inside a golden inner sleeve. The packaging is stunning inside and out, and will have pride of place in collections. Limited pressing of 500 copies."
CD $17


NOVELLER [SARAH LIPSTATE] - Glacial Glow (Saffron 02/Weird Forest 68; USA)"With her second release on her own label, Sarah Lipstate refines her ever growing palate of momentous sounds and I've been loving every minute of it! Skillfully crafted songs for solo guitar with extremely tasty use of guitar effect pedals has this listener chilling out while staring into the clouds. An instance soundtrack to a daydream; Noveller may be without any jagged corners, but each track will cut into your brain and live in that incision. Whether "Glacial Glow" is a sonic commentary on the warming of the planet or just a title I will never know; but what I do know is that her deceivingly clear compositions are actually complex structures worth the heavy dose of listening. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!" -Chuck Bettis/DMG
CD $13


OREN AMBARCHI/JIM O'ROURKE - Indeed (Editions Mego 21; EEC) While Oren Ambarchi and Jim O'Rourke have collaborated in a number of forms, from remixes to their acclaimed trio with Keiji Haino, Indeed is their first duo album. Presented as two side-long, electroacoustic explorations, what Ambarchi and O'Rourke proffer up here is also melodic and approachable, bringing to mind the warm post-minimalism of composers like Alvin Curran, David Behrman and Luciano Cilio. Indeed, it sounds a bit like the collective textural and melodic personality of their respective solo albums filtered through the highpoints of the Lovely Music catalog. Beginning with a sequence of analog electro-acoustic crunch before settling into a warm synth glow highlighted by the occasional melodic or percussive detail, it sounds like the music that two guys who have honed their skills through years of composition, pop songwriting and rigorous improvisation make when they're having fun in the studio. Oren Ambarchi: guitar, synth, percussion; Jim O'Rourke: strings, synth, percussion. Recorded and mixed at Steamroom, Tokyo, Jan. 2011. Cut at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin, May 2011. Photographs by Shunichiro Okada. Design by Takashi Site.
LP $22


JURGEN MULLER - Science Of The Sea (Digitalis 034; USA) Jurgen Muller was a self-taught amateur musician who, while studying oceanic science at the University of Kiel, purchased some electronic instruments and set up a mobile studio on his house boat, docked along the town of Heikendorf, on the North Sea. He held a life-long fascination with the ocean, the expansive and endless inner-space of the deep, where he felt many ecological miracles had yet to be discovered, and which kindled a love for the unknown. This love of all things nautical started early in his youth and eventually led him to study the oceanic sciences. For one week in 1979, Jurgen took up with a film crew on a mission to document some sea-water toxicity testing that was being performed by a couple of notable biologists, only a few kilometers offshore. At the end of the expedition, he decided that he would make music to capture the strange feeling conjured by these experiences. Utilizing only a handful of barely-remembered childhood piano lessons, Jurgen set about creating his marine-influenced vignettes with some electronic instruments he had gathered through friends, as well as borrowing some new equipment from a local school's music department. As a general music lover, earlier in the '70s he had taken note of several avant-garde electronic composers who he felt simultaneously captured a purity of sound and sense of wonder that was lacking in other music. He dreamt of fusing this ideal with the synthetic recreations of nature. In a sense, one could say he stumbled onto an early "new age" aesthetic through pure ignorance and coincidence. Mixing relaxing ambient tones and spooky, otherworldly sounds, he came up with a unique approach. After filling several reels of home recordings, he held ambitions of becoming a film composer. He decided to start his own publishing company, Neue Wissenschaft, and hoped to compose albums to sell as production music to various film companies for use in documentaries and television programs. As he was simultaneously hard at work on his studies to finish school, he had to work on his music in short intervals, and often had to put it aside altogether. As a result, it took several years for him to actually realize his sole full-length recording, Science Of The Sea, the sessions for which began in late 1981, before finishing a year later. Less than 100 copies were pressed, and few of them were even sent out to potential clients. Most copies were eventually given to friends and family. Jurgen's musical gamble never quite paid off as he had hoped, and without any outside interest or connections in the music world, he soon abandoned any dreams of a musical existence and instead chose to further his oceanographic career. Remastered from the original tapes by Brad Rose. Cut to vinyl at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin and pressed in Germany.
LP $20


RICHARD PINHAS [HELDON] & MERZBOW [MASAMI AKITA] - Paris 2008 (Cuneiform 329; USA) In 2007, guitarist and rock electronics innovator Richard Pinhas performed in Tokyo and then performed a duo concert with notorious 'noise' artist Merzbow. Both men were so excited by the duo concert, they immediately booked studio time to make the recordings that became their first duo release Keio Line. The duo continue to perform together; this concert performance and recording was their first meeting together after Keio Line. It was recorded at Les Instants Chavires in Paris on November 12, 2008. Even though they had only worked together for a very short time the year before, the duo had already established a recognizable sound with Richard's metronic and spacey guitar figures being worked over by Merzbow's electronic mayhem in a glorious, psychedelic death spiral. Paris 2008 is a vinyl-only release; the first vinyl released by Cuneiform in over 20 years! There are only 500 copies made and there will not be a repress; this lp edition is the only way to buy this in a physical format. The lp comes with a digital download card for the music and if you buy it from us, your copy will be on beautiful blue vinyl.
LP $20

also available as the limited DVD half of this..

RICHARD PINHAS [HELDON] & MERZBOW [MASAMI AKITA] - Rhizome + Paris 2008 [Ltd CD + DVD Ed] (Cuneiform 328/329 Ltd Ed; USA) "In 1973, a rock guitarist and an electronic knob-twiddler released a revered and trail-blazing document in contemporary ambient music: Robert Fripp and Brian Eno's No Pussyfooting. Thirty-five years later, guitarist Richard Pinhas and noise artist Masami Akita (aka Merzbow) have formed the 21st century version of the concept." - Brandon Wu/Washington City Paper
It's interesting that Brandon Wu compares the work of Richard Pinhas and Merzbow to Fripp and Eno. At the time it was recorded, No Pussyfooting was considered to be practically 'noise' (sound familiar?) and Robert Fripp has gone on record about how the record label didn't want to release the album because it would affect the commmercial impact of these artsts. Yet, with time, the work the duo did was absorbed into the greater musical universe - if not into the mainstream - and its influence continues to this day.
While it's never safe to predict the future, perhaps the unlikely but also quite logical meeting of Richard's billowing clouds of guitarwork with Masami's well considered sonic assault will also prove to be influencial upon the larger musical universe. In any event, this recording from September, 2010, expands upon their first studio meeting, Keio Line and offers an obvious follow-up, as well as new twists to the sound.
The first pressing of Rhizome also includes a number of bonuses not available after the initial pressing and all included at regular single-CD pricing!: a bonus DVD of a generous excerpt of the duo's performance at the 2010 Sonic Circuits festival as well as a download coupon for their performance in Paris, November 12, 2008.
CD + DVD set for $16


KAZE [CHRISTIAN PRUVOST/NATSUKI TAMURA/SATOKO FUJII/PETER ORINS] - Rafale (Libra/Circum Libra 201; Japan) Christian Pruvost & Natsuki Tamura on trumpets, Satoko Fujii on piano and Peter Orins on drums. "Rafale' was recorded live in November of 2010 at the Manggha Museum in Krakow, Poland. For this disc, Satoko Fujii has formed an alliance with two fine French musicians - Christian Pruvost (trumpet) and Peter Orins (drums). In the liner notes, Satoko mentions how she got to work with both of these fine musicians and how rare it is for her to play someone else's music. Drummer Peter Orins wrote 3 of the six songs with two by Satoko and one by Natsuki. The longest piece, "Noise Chopin" opens with both trumpeters playing with one another, each with their own distinct sound, repeating certain lines and with ideas flowing back and forth, the piano and drums playing some written lines as they build to a strong conclusion. On Mr. Orins' "Anagramme" both trumpets exchange a good deal of extended sounds (some muted, some not) while Satoko plays eerie sounds inside the piano, slowly adding certain repeated fragments. Satoko's "The Thaw" starts with mutated trumpets but soon turns into reflective piano piece with both trumpets quietly blending their notes together. Each piece employs a different strategy or structure and each is fascinating in one way or another. Both trumpet players work extremely well together, consistently pushing each other and exchanging ideas. What is interesting is that the drummer writes much of the best material, often without the use of drums yet the pieces most often deal with evolving textures. This is yet another chapter in the long list of successful projects that Satoko Fujii and Natsuki Tamura have been involved in. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16


DuH [FRANK GRATKOWSKI/SZILARD MEZEI/ALBERT MARKOS/MARTIN BLUME] - In Just (Red Toucan 9341; Canada) DuH personnel include Frank Gratkowski on alto sax & clarinets, Szilard Mezei on viola, Albert Markos on cello and Martin Blume on drums. This quartet was organized by German drummer Martin Blume and it is indeed an intriguing line-up. I am a big fan of viola player Szilard Mezei who has more than a dozen discs out different labels (Leo, Slam, Not Two) as well as Frank Gratkowski, another great player with dozens of discs also on many labels. I am unfamiliar with cellist Albert Markos, although he has worked with Mezei in different projects.
Recorded at the Loft in Cologne in May of 2010 during a five concert tour by the DuH quartet. This is a strong improv session with excellent, thoughtful interplay. Some of this sounds like lower case improv but with a bit more quirky interaction. All of the instruments are acoustic and closely mic'd. When I take the time to concentrate on this music, I hear so much elastic interplay with intricate sounds and ideas flowing back and forth quickly. There are moments when it is difficult to tell who is doing what - is that a bowed cymbal or a bowed string or slightly twisted reed sound? It takes some patience to hear the arc or the almost imperceptible connection between all of the members of the quartet. The thing is that you know it's there sometimes hidden, sometimes not so much. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $15

JOE HERTENSTEIN/THOMAS HEBERER/JOACHIM BADENHORST/PASCAL NIGGENKEMPER - Polylemma (Red Toucan 9342; Canada) Thomas Heberer on trumpet & 1/4-tone trumpet, Joachim Badenhorst on bass clarinet, Pascal Niggenkemper on bass and Joe Herterstein on drums. All four musicians here should familiar to you as each has been on various discs over the past few years. ICP trumpeter, Thomas Heberer has remained busy since moving to NY a couple of years ago with discs on JazzWerkStatt and a new solo LP on NoBusiness. Three of these men are in a trio called HNH who have a fine disc out on Clean Feed. Mr. Badenhorst also lives here some of the time and has appeared on a dozen discs of the past few years with Han Bennink, Equilibrium, Mogil & Red Rocket. Bassist, Pascal Niggenkemper, has two fine trio discs out on Konnex & JazzHausMusiik.
Drummer, Joe Hertenstein produced, wrote the liner notes & half of the songs and led this session. On the title track, the trumpet and clarinet swerve around one another in sublime circles while the bass & drums create circular rhythms underneath. The restraint and skeletal playing give the trumpet and bass clarinet a chance to breathe and slowly weave their lines with subtle results. "Sugar's Dilemma" has a playful, dreamy vibe until Joachim takes a thoughtful, slow-burning bass clarinet solo and Thomas plays mysterious long notes in the distance. On "Stratigraphy" Joachim plays those talkative notes on his bass clarinet while the trumpet and bowed bass shadow one another closely. The quartet provide different strategies on each piece, while different combinations of players and assorted techniques bring things together into a connected series. Hertenstein's superb drums spin quickly and effortlessly on "One Ocean at a Time", providing the glue that holds this complex, ever-shifting piece together. Even at just 46 minutes, this disc is completely successful, ultimately crafty and often surprsing in direction throughout. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $15

MARIANNE SCHUPPE/HANS TAMMEN/GEORG WOLF/MICHAEL VORFELD - Karpf (Acheulian Handaxe 1002; USA)"Marianne Schuppe on voice, Hans Tammen on endangered guitar, Georg Wolf on bass and Michael Vorfeld on percussion & strings. I've known experimental guitarist Hans Tammen for many years, through a variety of different situations, from solo or duo gigs (with Dominic Duval & Denman Maroney) to a guitar quartet to an orchestra CD (on Innova). This disc was recorded live in 2000 & 2001 in Wiesbaden, Germany. I can't say that I was familiar with any of the other members of this quartet before this, although each of them has recorded for labels like Rossbin, Clean Feed,Leo & Konnex. This is very carefully crafted improvisation which unfolds organically. Since Hans often plays his guitar on a table or in his lap and he uses various devices, it is often hard to tell what he is doing. Vocalist Marianne Schuppe uses her voice selectively, creating minimal sounds and never stepping on any of the other instruments. Portions of this are quite sparse, hence I hear the sounds of birds outside my window which fit perfectly with sounds coming out of my speakers. Some of this is filled with suspense as things unfold slowly and take their time to evolve. Hans often looked like a scientist as he selectively coaxes sounds from his tabletop guitar and that is the way things sound on this disc. Percussionist Vorfeld sounds as if he is playing a timpani at times, adding the right amount of punctuation here and there. This is a solid date of focused improv that sounds as if it were being directed at times, the balance is just right". - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $12



DMG Welcomes A New Reviewer - Bert Yaeger!

NATE WOOLEY/TAYLOR HO BYNUM QUARTET - The Throes (CIMP 384; USA) "Named for drummer Tomas Fujiwara's graceful and articulate composition, and headlining brass tyros Nate Wooley and Taylor Ho Bynum, The Throes shows that great leaps have been taken in the three years since the April 2008 documenting of this quartet. This year, for instance, saw the release on Clean Feed of (Put Your) Hands Together by a spectacular Wooley-led quintet, in which sidemen, while shining in their solo moments, are clearly realizing a single vision--that of the trumpeter-leader. Meanwhile, on Book of Three (RogueArt), free improv reigns supreme with the dynamic trio of Bynum, the formidable John Hebert on double bass, and Gerald Cleaver on drums. Here, in a diffuse collaboration with the aforementioned Fujiwara and veteran bassist Ken Filiano, there seems to be a quiet power struggle. Nevertheless, Bynum and Wooley, individually, showcase their own compositional sensibilities and, for the most part, steal the show, while Filiano turns in the lengthiest number, the not surprisingly bass-dominated 'Narrows.' Although, as writers, they each collaborate with Filiano and Fujiwara, nothing is the result of a Wooley-Bynum team.
A personal favorite, evoking a nostalgia for classic bop, is the relatively up-tempo 'Face to the Sun' by Wooley, a piece in which his trademark sound grabs the listener's attention instantly. Equally demonstrative of a singular voice are Bynum's "Ish" and ".. on a Stamp!?." On the latter, Bynum's cornet and Wooley's trumpet trade spirited commentary until, framed by an inquiring Filiano solo, the two meander into monologues that ultimately resolve themselves in a powerful synthesis. Wooley, however, has the last word with 'Back to My Steel': anchored by Filiano's grave and bluesy bass line, trumpet and cornet weave complexity and what becomes a sort of funereal chant driven to an unquiet conclusion by Fujiwara's ominous drums. One thing seems certain: the recording session that produced The Throes affords jazz listeners an insight into a kind of laboratory for ideas that are already showing up on the scene." - Bert Yaeger, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16

ANNE LA BERGE - Speak (New World 80717; USA) "Back when vinyl really did rule, this reviewer's mom gave him, when he was a college freshman, the 1975 Nonesuch record Twentieth-Century Flute Music, a selection of modernist works performed by Harvey Sollberger. It may very well have been around this time that a young American flutist, Anne La Berge, began to be influenced by Sollberger, a champion of composers such as Luciano Berio, Edgar Varese, and Charles Wuorinen. After studying and performing in the United States, she was on the path to becoming a composer. By 1989, La Berge was living in Amsterdam, where she has resided ever since. Speak is a further iteration of an idiom that includes the composed and the improvised, the acoustic and the electronic, and, in particular, the voice. Spoken word and computer are central to the pieces that are perhaps best categorized as sound art, with spoken text being softly embellished with electronica as well as, of course, the flute. Speak, comprised of five pieces, the first two of which are twenty-five and twenty minutes, respectively, is a demanding work. The first track, 'Drive,' unfolds sequentially from a stormy prefatory flute solo, to computer blips, to an extended narrative in the form of an interview with an Alabaman named Mary Anderson. The preoccupations are feminist, by and large, and deal with the intersection of capitalism, gender, and, overarchingly, the machine as it apparently is reflected in the functions of the human (chiefly female) body and in religious belief. For Mary, people are literally "God's machines." This motif of the machine also is suggested in 'Brokenheart,' which features Dutch pianist Cor Fuhler, and is about the 'broken heart syndrome,' described by a female speaker (La Berge) as an actual medical condition that resembles a heart attack. The usually post-menopausal victim of broken heart syndrome is merely stunned, we are told, not killed. Once again, music and text are presented in a linear manner, with nearly half of the piece made up of a grainy mix of Fuhler's Dadaist piano and La Berge's electronics. Amid all the deliberately clinical alienation, there is the poignant 'ur_DU,' which finds a sickened Madame Curie confessing in a letter to her fascination with the radioactive element that is slowly killing her. By the time we reach the comparatively brief '800 Speakers,' the theme of the machine and technology remains intact as La Berge's text praises "black boxes that feed sounds to the world."" - Bert Yaeger, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $15

JEREMY UDDEN'S PLAINVILLE with BRANDON SEABROOK/PETE RENDE/EIVIND OPSVIK/R J MILLER - If the Past Seems So Bright (Sunnyside 1277; USA) "In 1959 the British historian and jazz aficionado Eric Hobsbawm wrote, "Jazz is thus players' music and music directly expressing emotions, and its technical forms of creation and musical possibilities reflect both facts." On this new disk, Jeremy Udden's Plainville meets these criteria, and on that basis you can dispense with ruminations over the music's authenticity as jazz or the authority of its conceptualizer, Jeremy Udden. (The New York Times's Ben Ratliff worried recently that Udden ceded too much musical space to his bandmates.) However, on the extended and dreamy 'Film,' for example, Udden's alto saxophone, for all its reserve, is the steely force that keeps us attentive to the piece's jazz integrity as well as to the ever-surprising guitar work of Brandon Seabrook, whose atmospherics beautifully support Udden's solo on 'Sad Eyes.' But Udden freely points out, anyway, in his liner notes, that "the greatest influences come from the strong personalities found within the band."
A folk-rock concept undoubtedly pervades the ten songs on If the Past Seems So Bright. Fundamental to Plainville's unorthodoxy is the old-timey melancholy of Seabrook's banjo interpolations on pieces such as 'Bovina,' and in fact wherever he plies the instrument. While Udden and Fender Rhodes player and all-around keyboardist Pete Rende hold down the structural bona fides of jazz, Seabrook and the ubiquitous double bass player Eivind Opsvik, along with Nathan Blehar and Justin Keller on vocals, add the elements of folk rebellion. With Opsvik and drummer R. J. Miller providing the thunder behind Seabrook's fierce guitar, 'Stone Free' is a straightforward blues-rock construct. But the gossamer 'New Dress' establishes a gorgeous interplay between Udden's saxophone line and Seabrook's postmodern Stephen Fosterisms on banjo. Additionally, it is hard not to wonder whether the bassist's chamber-pop duo of Opsvik and Jennings (Commuter Anthems, 2007; A Dream I Used to Remember, 2009) may have been one of the influences on this fusionist quintet." - Bert Yaeger, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16



DON CHERRY/KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI With THE NEW ETERNAL RHYTHM ORCHESTRA [MANFRED SCHOOF/ALBERT MANGELSDORFF/PETER BROTZMANN/WILLEM BREUKER/GERD DUDEK/PAUL RUTHERFORD/KENNY WHEELER et al] - Actions (Klimt 318; EEC) Don Cherry; The New Eternal Rhythm Orchestra; Manfred Schoof; Kenny Wheeler; Tomasz Stanko; Paul Rutherfrod; Albert Mangelsdorff;Gerd Dudek; Peter Brotzmann; Willem Breuker; Gunter Hampel; Terje Rypdal; Loes; MacGillycutty; Mocqui Cherry "This recording documents a live performance at the Donaueschingen Music Festival in 1971, but the co-crediting is somewhat misleading. While the New Eternal Rhythm Orchestra (named for Cherry's magnificent album from a few years prior, Eternal Rhythm) appears throughout, the first two pieces are by Cherry, the last by Penderecki. The two "principals" don't actually come into contact with each other. The orchestra is truly an all-star cast of the cream of European improvisers, each and every one having gone on to significant achievements. Cherry's "Humus - The Life Exploring Force" is a suite not too dissimilar to those he performed on both Eternal Rhythm and the ensuing Relativity Suite (including an early version of "Desireless"), ranging from raga-inspired lines to bluesy refrains, to jaunty modal riffs. If the performance is a little on the ragged side and if vocalist Loes Macgillycutty proves somewhat overbearing, it more than makes up for it in enthusiasm and joy. This is followed by a brief encore in which Cherry gets the audience to sing along on a complex (for Westerners) Indian scale; it's quite enchanting before exploding into a short, orchestral free-for-all. Penderecki's "Actions for Free Jazz Orchestra" is another kettle of fish entirely. The composer had often used jazz elements in his previous works, though always sublimated to his overall classical (if avant-garde) direction. Here, he makes a good attempt to meet this "foreign" genre halfway, allowing the orchestra much latitude for improvisation while supplying dark and brooding borders to keep things corralled. The problem is, that's basically all there is to the piece: alternating written parts (fine in and of themselves) and free improv (also energetically performed) with little to conceptually bind them. It's not a bad performance by any means, and is of some degree of historical import if only to document a relatively rare meeting of the jazz and classical avant-garde, but it doesn't quite hold together as a solid work. Fans of Cherry, though, will definitely want to own this disc as a significant addition to his stellar work of the late '60s and early '70s."- Brian Olewnick, AMG
LP $26

ALBERT AYLER With CALL COBBS/HENRY GRIMES/SUNNY MURRAY - Swing Low Sweet Spiritual (Klimt 319; EEC) 7 cuts from 2/24/64 Atlantic Studios session with Call Cobbs, Sunny Murray and Henry Grimes.
"Following a few years spent living and playing in Scandinavia, an unknown saxophone player by the name of Albert Ayler returned home to the USA to begin imposing his revolutionary style of jazz on the world. Having recorded his debut album, My Name Is Albert Ayler for the Danish label, Debut Records, this session (which took place in New York City on 24 February 1964) was his first American effort, resulting in the eventual release of two albums: Spirits (released in 1964 on Debut) and Swing Low, Sweet Spiritual, which remained unissued for 30 years. Here, a quartet featuring Ayler on tenor and soprano sax, Call Cobbs on piano, Henry Grimes on bass and Sunny Murray on drums, provide a fresh reading of five well-known African American spirituals and gospel hymns, plus 'Old Man River,' taken from the 1927 musical Show Boat. This is an extremely rare album from Ayler's early period."
LP $26

ALBERT AYLER With NORMAN HOWARD/HENRY GRIMES/EARLE HENDERSON/SUNNY MURRAY - Spirits [aka Witches & Devils] (Klimt 317; EEC) "Originally released on Debut in 1964, Spirits is Albert Ayler in his prime mid-Sixties period, recorded in NYC in February '64. Features Sunny Murray on drums, bassists Henry Grimes and Earle Henderson, and trumpeter Norman Howard." "After a few years spent living in Sweden and touring with Cecil Taylor's Jazz Unit, Ayler moved to NYC to begin imposing his revolutionary style of jazz on the world through a number of groundbreaking records. Spirits, recorded at Atlantic Studios in New York City on 24 February 1964, was his first effort. Recorded a few months prior to his landmark album for ESP-Disk, Spiritual Unity (but only released in Europe on Denmark's Debut Records), for the occasion Ayler recruited Norman Howard (a Cleveland-based trumpeter), well-known bassist Henry Grimes, drummer and right-hand man Sunny Murray and the then-unknown bassist Earle Henderson. This historic early disc is essential Ayler."
LP $26


BRUTE FORCE [RICHARD & TED DANIEL/SONNY SHARROCK et al] - Brute Force (Embryo; USA) Brute Force were a soul jazz group formed by brothers Richard and Ted Daniel, who invited childhood friend and free jazz guitarist Sonny Sharrock to join the band some time before the recording of their sole album which was released in the summer of 1970. The album, produced and originally released by Herbie Mann, credits Sharrock on three of the seven tracks (a mistake Sepia Tone replicated exactly despite better judgement), while the unmistakable Sharrock can actually be heard on six of the seven songs.
"Brute Force was a soul-jazz band (slanted toward the soul end) that released a single self-titled album in 1970, produced by Herbie Mann. The band had a solid soul sound, which could head into slightly more out territory, as well. The band and Mann had a stroke of genius when they decided to recruit the band's childhood friend and Mann bandmate Sonny Sharrock (who had also played with Pharoah Sanders at that point) to add some extra spice to the sessions. The results are so righteous and groovy, you'll wonder where this album has been for the last 30 years. Imagine the Black Panthers recording Memphis Underground and you're somewhere in the ballpark. Strong vocals on about half the tunes, great horn playing, dirty electric piano, killer two-bass grooves, and Sharrock's ultra-aggressive soul playing make this album a solid winner. Sharrock fans will flip at this forgotten session, and DJs and crate-diggers everywhere would be well-served by picking this up." -- Sean Westergaard
LP $15


IRA COHEN, dir./ANGUS MACLISE, music - The Invasion of the Thunderbolt Pagoda [DVD] (Boo-Hooray IC; USA) Special limited edition DVD-R of Ira Cohen's 1968 film The Invasion of Thunderbolt Pagoda, featuring the legendary score from NYC avant gardist Angus Maclise. Fully restored director's cut; NTSC, all region format. Features: "High-quality transfer from the original 16mm film, with color correction supervised by the director (22 min) with soundtrack remastered by Tim Barnes, featuring The Universal Mutant Repertory Company (Loren Standlee, Ziska Baum, Angus MacLise, Hetty MacLise, Raja Samayana, Tony Conrad, Henry Flynt and Jackson MacLow). 'From The Mylar Chamber,' an original slideshow of 60 mylar photographs with soundtrack by Angus MacLise and original poetry by Ira Cohen. Directors commentary audio track."
DVD $20


New on Monitor..

MARK STEWART//TONI SCHIFER, dir - ON/OFF: Mark Stewart (Pop Group to Maffia) [DVD] (Monitor Pop 28; Germany) Mark Stewart first made his presence felt as the front man for The Pop Group in the late 1970s. They were pioneers of the post-punk dance sound and had success with singles such as "She Is Beyond Good And Evil" and "We Are All Prostitutes." When the band split in 1980, Mark joined the emerging On U Sound crew as a part-time member of The New Age Steppers. He then went on to form his own band with Keith LeBlanc and Doug Wimbish, the rhythm section of the Sugar Hill Gang and guitarist Skip McDonald. With Adrian Sherwood and his production magic at the controls, The Maffia unleashed an awesome mix of styles that sounded like Bootsy Collins jamming over a bootleg Jah Shaka tape in an urban warzone. This incredible mix of funk, dub and electronic overload pre-empted techno and drum n' bass by years. Mark Stewart, often copied, never bettered. This film retraces the singer's steps and paths from the early days of The Pop Group right up to the present. Director Toni Schifer, who followed Mark around for a full 3 years, has crafted a detailed, often intimate portrait of the artist, supplemented by interviews with, amongst others, Mark Stewart himself, Adrian Sherwood, Daniel Miller (Mute Records), Nick Cave, Mick Harvey, Doug Wimbish, Skip McDonald, Keith LeBlanc, Douglas Hart (The Jesus And Mary Chain), Fritz Catlin (23 Skidoo), Mike Watt (Minutemen, The Stooges), Gareth Sager (The Pop Group, Rip Rig And Panic), Dan Catsis (The Pop Group), John Waddington (The Pop Group) Janine Rainforth (Maximum Joy), Massive Attack, Keith Levine (Public Image Limited) and many others, plus never-seen live recordings and music clips. Film: 82 mins; bonus material: 70 mins. Director: Toni Schifer; Format: DVD10; Audio language: English; Subtitles: German, English; Format: PAL + NTSC, 16:9, Color, Region 0; Sound: Stereo.
DVD $28

and, last copies of these..

EINSTURZENDE NEUBAUTEN - On Tour With Neubauten.org [DVD] (Monitor Pop 20; Germany) The legendary German band Einsturzende Neubauten, known since the '80s for their uncompromising approach to music has come up with yet another groundbreaking project far ahead of its times, enabling them to work on their endeavors without needing to bow to the music industry's rules and regulations. What impact this cheeky use of modern technology has had on the band, their fans and the music industry is portrayed in this documentary Einsturzende Neubauten - On Tour With Neubauten.Org by Danielle De Picciotto. Danielle De Picciotto, an American artist living in Berlin since the fall of the wall, has influenced Berlin's cultural scene since 1985 in many ways as the co-innovator of the Love Parade, the Ocean Club with Gudrun Gut and Kunst oder Konig, the club-cultural exhibition series presenting Berlin's creative cross-culture internationally. Also an active member of Berlin's music scene (former singer of the Space Cowboys) she has known Einsturzende Neubauten personally for almost twenty years, following their development with interest. After becoming a member of their new project Neubauten.org, in 2003 she was asked to document the ensuing tour in 2004 by Blixa Bargeld, singer of the band, to provide material for future concert documentaries. Besides filming every show, she interviewed countless "supporters" worldwide, ending up with this documentary -- a courageous example of how following an individual, courageous path can change people's lives worldwide. Includes fascinating bonus material such as: "Die Intonatore," a short film from the supporter "Dihcar and Ste van Holm," a "Making Of" interview with Alexander Hacke, a Blixa Bargeld live track, as well as two slideshows. NTSC format DVD, 4:3, DVD 9, stereo, digipack. Running time: 90 mins.
DVD $22

The MPS LABEL//ELKE BAUR, dir - Jazzin' the Black Forest [DVD] (Monitor Pop 24; Germany) Elke Baurs' documentary MPS - Jazzin' the Black Forest is an affectionate portrait of the MPS label and its founder Hans Georg Brunner-Schwer who died tragically in a car crash two years ago. The Label MPS (Musik Produktion Schwarzwald) is known as the German "Blue Note." >From the label's beginnings in the early 1960s up to its sale to Polygram in 1983, more than 600 records were put on the market by one of Europe's pioneering jazz labels. Brunner-Schwer's exceptional recording technique and the sheer musical quality of MPS records made the vinyl discs sought-after rarities. In addition to the most important German artists such as Albert Mangelsdorff, Wolfgang Dauner, The Kuhn Brothers, Volker Kriegel and others, many of the international greats made their way to the Black Forest, too: Oscar Peterson, George Duke, Jean Luc Ponty, Duke Ellington, Monty Alexander, Baden Powell, Dizzy Gillespie -- to name only a few. MPS received an excellent reputation for its high-quality progressive recordings, and their "jazz meets the world" series is considered as fundamental to world music. This film was mainly produced by legendary "pope of jazz" Joachim-Ernst Behrendt who played a decisive part in moulding the image of MPS with his avant-garde-orientation and occasional flights into almost all areas of jazz. In the last 15 years, DJs like Oliver Korthals (Mojo Club) and Rainer Truby made their younger audience aware of the MPS originals -- a generation not even born when the records first came out. Interviews with musicians and former MPS staff plus rare live and archive documents give an inside account of an era and the "Most Perfect Sound." DVD content: 87 min. documentation, plus bonus features, interviews, two slide show galleries, and one bonus film (MPS Revisited 1999); Director: Elke Baur; Format: DVD 10; Format: PAL/NTSC; (double sided for worldwide play), 16:9, Color; Sound Format: Stereo; Region: 0; Time: ca 107 min. In German with optional English subtitles.
DVD $22


THE LIVING THEATRE//MARTY TOPP, dir - Paradise Now: A Collective Creation of The Living Theatre [DVD] (Arthur 03; USA) "The screams the unchained soarings of a sincerity which is on its way to this revolution of the whole body without which nothing can be changed." -- Antonin Artaud. "Arthur Magazine proudly presents our newest release Paradise Now: The Living Theatre in Amerika DVD featuring rare, never-before-distributed films and a bacchanal of revolutionary multimedia documents from The Living Theatre's historic and influential '68-'69 American tour. A fulminating art-meets-life installation brought to you in collaboration with The Living Theatre, The Ira Cohen Akashic Project and Saturnalia Media Rites of the Dreamweapon. Transform your living, work or performance space... hit play, but don't say we didn't warn you!
DVD includes: Paradise Now: The Living Theatre in Amerika (1969) a film by Marty Topp, produced by Ira Cohen for Universal Mutant; Emergency (1968) a film by Gwen Brown, featuring precious footage of Living Theatre productions Mysteries and smaller pieces, Paradise Now, and Frankenstein; rare photographs of Paradise Now at Brooklyn Academy of Music by Don Snyder; the map of Paradise Now, a 14'' x 19'' double-sided, commemorative poster + 'zine including texts by Antonin Artaud, Julian Beck, Judith Malina, Ira Cohen and Don Snyder. In 1968, The Living Theatre, led by Julian Beck and Judith Malina, triumphantly returned to America from years of self-imposed exile in Europe with their theatrical breakthrough Paradise Now. The play introduces the practice of collective creation, dissolving the boundaries of human interactions and forging a harmony between the actors and audience. Of this process, Julian Beck writes, 'Collective creation is the secret weapon of the people ... This play is a voyage from the many to the one and from the one to the many. It's a spiritual voyage and a political voyage, a voyage for the actors and the spectators. The play is a vertical ascent toward permanent revolution, leading to revolutionary action here and now. The revolution of which the play speaks is the beautiful, non-violent, anarchist revolution. The purpose of the play is to lead to a state of being in which non-violent revolutionary action is possible.' The result of this shared voyage is the spontaneous creation of a temporary anarchist collective -- free from the enslavements of war, violence, the State, money and the self."
DVD $28



LARRY YOUNG'S FUEL - Larry Young's Fuel (Get On Down 51287; USA) Much-needed reissue of this landmark Larry Young album, with Santiago Torano (g), Fernando Sanders (b), Rob Gottfried (d), and Laura "Tequila" Logan (vcl), recorded just a few years after the notorious Love Cry Want sessions that ultimately caused the downfall of the Nixon administration. "By the time Larry Young hit the studio with group Fuel to track this 1975 release he was already a seasoned jazz pro despite being in his 30s (young for jazz cat). His organ work in the 50s with Jimmy Forrest, Tommy Turrentine, Hank Mobley and others lead to being signed to Prestige as a leader and a string of incredible projects for both the Prestige and Blue Note labels throughout the 60s. His work with Tony Williams Lifetime on the 1969 album Emergency set the stage for the fusion movement even ahead of that genre's landmark release Bitches Brew (where he appeared with Miles). By the 1975 Young was signed to Arista and ready to fire up a full on 70s style jazz fusion assault with his group Fuel. The sessions found Young behind the boards as producer and behind the keyboards as a player, utilizing everything from a Mini Moog to a Hammond B3, a Fender Rhodes to a traditional acoustic piano. The resulting project is thoroughly funky and often called the absolute best of his post-Blue Note recordings. Get On Down is pleased to put this classic, remastered from the original sessions, in front of a new generation of listeners hungry for a solid groove."
CD $15

THE POWER OF ZEUS - The Gospel According To Zeus (Get On Down 54039; USA) "When one thinks of Motown Records, heavy guitar riffs and psychedelic rock is not the first thing that comes to mind. Perhaps that's why Power of Zeus's The Gospel According to Zeus, the debut rock release by Motown subsidiary Rare Earth Records and the Detroit band's first and only full-length album, has achieved mythological status in the years since its release in 1970. Marked by the virtuoso guitar work of Joe Periano, Power of Zeus create an album that merges the high-concept songwriting of Pink Floyd with the tight, powerful arrangements of Black Sabbath; see the slow psychedelic dirge 'Green Grass & Clover' or the raw energy of 'Sorcerer of Isis' for examples. Initially disregarded by critics and audiences, Gospel has since been recognized as a classic album and become a much sought-after collector's piece, representing the lone, great effort from a band later torn apart by drug abuse and in-fighting. Get On Down is proud to present this forgotten gem as it was intended to be heard, with a new digital audio transfer from the original analog tapes."
CD $15

TOM SCOTT With THE CALIFORNIA DREAMERS [BILL PLUMMER/GLEN CAMPBELL/CAROL KAYE et al] - The Honeysuckle Breeze (Get On Down 54037; USA) "Before he developed into a star composer and arranger, Tom Scott was an ambitious 19 year-old saxophonist looking for his big break in 1967. The opportunity came when legendary jazz label Impulse paired Scott with 9-piece vocal group The California Dreamers and allowed the young musician to take the helm as a band leader, with The Honeysuckle Breeze as the spectacular result. This rare and long out-of-print album features Scott leading a stellar lineup of sessions players -- Bill Plummer (sitar), Glen Campbell (guitar) and Carol Kaye (bass) among them -- through warm, smooth versions of songs by The Beatles ('She's Leaving Home'), Donovan ('Mellow Yellow'), Joan Baez ('North') and Jefferson Airplane ('Today'), which many will recognize from it's sampling in the Pete Rock & CL Smooth classic 'T.R.O.Y.' Resurrected, refurbished and remastered by the talented folks at Get On Down, Scott's debut record sparkles with a high quality digital audio transfer from the original master tapes and is packaged in a gatefold paste-on case with a dust sleeve and obi strip. Don't let this 'Breeze' pass you by."
CD $15


ERMA FRANKLIN - Super Soul Sister (VampiSoul 29; EEC) To some, Erma Franklin (1939-2002) is simply known as Aretha Franklin's older sister or as the woman who originally sang "Piece Of My Heart" (released as a single on Columbia; not included here). But those in the know realize her brief recording career highlights some of the most impressive soul performances ever to be pressed on hot wax! Super Soul Sister contains Soul Sister, the last album Erma recorded from Brunswick, which had many of the successful singles she had recorded the previous years, plus 3 bonus tracks (14 tracks total). This set had never been available before on CD -- and it was about time. Here you'll find an amazing collection of soul classics, such as her first Brunswick single "Gotta Find Me A Lover," her equally popular cover of the Jackie Wilson hit, "I Get The Sweetest Feeling," and Erma's amazing renditions of classics such as "Son Of A Preacher Man." Simply, some of the best soul performances ever. A real must.
CD $12


TO WHAT A STRANGE PLACE [V.A.] - The Music of the Ottoman-American Diaspora (1918-1929) [3 CD set] (Tompkins Square 2608; USA) "Before the Golden Age of Americana on Record, immigrants from the dissolving Ottoman Empire were singing their joys and sorrows to disc in New York City. The virtuosic musicians from Anatolia, the Eastern Mediterranean, and the Levant living in the U.S. who recorded between WWI and the Depression are presented here across two discs along with a third disc of masterpieces they imported as memories on shellac-and-stone. The intermingled lives and music of Christians, Jews, and Muslims represent Middle Eastern culture as it existed within the U.S. a century ago. A fascinating, new view of American Folk Music. Compiled by Ian Nagoski." Aritsts include Marika Papagika (also released on Mississippi Record's The Further The Flame, The Worse It Burns Me, MR 051LP), Markos Sifnios, Kosroff Malool, Harry Edwards, Kemany Minas, Karekin Proodian, D. Perperian, Naim Karakand, Andrew Mekanna, Kanuni Garbis and more.
3 CD set for $36


WATCH THE CLOSING DOORS [V.A.] - A History Of New York's Musical Melting Pot Vol. 1 (1945-59) [2 CD set] (Year Zero 07; UK) Legendary journalist Kris Needs' frighteningly-ambitious project aims to capture the fast-vanishing magic of New York City, documenting major musical landmarks and developments, decade by decade over a series of double-CD sets. The first volume focuses on the 1940s and 1950s, setting the scene for a further five sets, straddling the '60s, '70s, '80s, '90s and 2000s, each accompanied by a 72-page book containing the relevant musical and social history, artist biographies, illustrations and Needs' own stories and recollections of the city that once never slept. For some local perspective and occasional advice on inclusions, Needs pesters names he has encountered during his 35 years as a writer, starting with Suicide's Martin Rev. For the covers, he applies the graffiti techniques he picked up in New York in the early '80s. The first volume includes jazz giants such as Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Cozy Cole, Horace Silver, Miles Davis and Thelonius Monk, mambo king Machito, the burgeoning activism-fired folk and blues movements represented by Pete Seeger and the Almanac Singers, Harry Belafonte, Josh White, Dave Van Ronk, New Lost City Ramblers, Allen Ginsberg heading up the Beats, John Cage and Raymond Scott the avant garde and Cab Calloway the Harlem street-slicker, before Big Joe Turner ushers in the rock 'n' roll revolution along with Clyde McPhatter, Drifters and the Honeycones. Singing the blues are Danny "Run Joe" Taylor, Sonny Terry and Big Maybelle. The female singers which the city became renowned for are beautifully represented by Nina Simone, Faye Adams and Billie Holiday, while the mighty cavalcade of vocal groups who, for many, define New York City, include the Paragons, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers, Five Satins and The Embers. Explains Needs, who compiled and annotated two volumes of the highly-successful Dirty Water: The Birth Of Punk Attitude: "There hasn't really been a project which brings together all the different ingredients in New York City's musical melting pot as they happened in parallel scenes and neighborhoods since the war. The sets will aim to reflect the different forms of music which gestated in local scenes, often before exploding onto the world stage; jazz, folk, mambo, rock 'n' roll, soul, avant garde, psychedelia, electronic, punk, hip-hop, disco, electro, house and post-punk."
2 CD set for $22


HARRY SMITH'S ANTHOLOGY OF AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC [V.A.] - Vol 1: Ballads [2 LP set] (Doxy 625; Italy) On clear vinyl with insert. Volume 1: Ballads. "The importance of Harry Smith's work can not be overstated. Not only did he single-handedly save much of American folk music from extinction, but when he handed his record collection over to Smithsonian Folkways in 1952, he opened the floodgates for the American folk revival of the following decade. Not since John and Alan Lomax had anyone paid so much attention to saving the American folk song from extinction, but unlike the Lomaxes, Smith was not a government worker armed with a tape recorder, he was just a guy from Portland, Oregon armed with a love for music and an insatiably curious mind. So, when the U.S. Government began melting down old records to be used as shellac during WWII, Smith kicked into high gear, buying up as many old 78s from the '20s and '30s as he could find. Much of the music found here then, comes from a time before television, arm-in-arm with rock & roll, began beaming its uber-culture into every household in America erasing much of what had grown up locally in each area. As can be heard so beautifully on these ballads, prior to WWII America was in many ways no more than a patchwork of territories, with local cultures and musical traditions reaching both far into the immigrant past of each area's inhabitants, but also into the future to create something wonderful and firmly rooted in the newness and adventure of life on this new continent."
2 LP set for $34

HARRY SMITH'S ANTHOLOGY OF AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC [V.A.] - Vol 2: Social Music [2 LP set] (Doxy 626; Italy) On red vinyl with insert. Volume 2: Social Music. "The 'social music' that grew up in this time period was both 'social' in the sense of 'social gathering' (barn dances, religious gatherings, etc.), but also in the sense of 'social issues' (labor rights, migration, money troubles, etc.). Their music was, therefore, a reflection of their lives, serving both as respite from their troubles (these were desperate times: the dust bowl, the depression, tenement housing, sweat shops, etc., were all part of the these people's everyday lives), but also as a vehicle for their discontent." Tracks - Side A: 1. Sail Away Lady - Uncle Bunt Stephens 2. The Wild Wagoner - Jilson Setters 3. Wake Up Jacob - Prince Albert Hunt's Texas Ramblers 4. La Danseuse - Delma Lachney And Blind Uncle Gaspard 5. Georgia Stomp - Andrew & Jim Baxter 6. Brilliancy Medley - Eck Robertson 7. Indian War Whoop - Hoyt Ming And His Pep-Steppers (3:13) Side B: 1. Old Country Stomp - Henry Thomas 2. Old Dog Blue - Jim Jackson 3. Saut Crapaud - Columbus Fruge 4. Acadian One-Step - Joseph Falcon 5. Home Sweet Home - The Breaux Freres 6. Newport Blues - The Cincinnati Jug Band 7. Moonshiner's Dance Pt.1 - Frank Cloutier And The Victoria Cafe Orchestra Side C: 1. Must Be Born Again - Rev. J.M. Gates 2. Oh Death Where Is Thy Sting - Rev. J.M. Gates 3. Rocky Road - Alabama Sacred Harp Singers 4. Present Joys - Alabama Sacred Harp Singers 5. This Song Of Love - The Middle Georgia Singing Convention No. 1 6. Judgement - Sister Mary Nelson 7. He Got Better Things For You - Memphis Sanctified Singers 8. Since I Laid My Burden Down - The Elders Mcintorsh & Edwards' Sanctified Singers Side D: 1. John The Baptist - Rev. Moses Mason 2. Dry Bones - Bascom Lamar Lunsford 3. John The Revelator - Blind Willie Johnson 4. Little Moses - The Carter Family 5. Shine On Me - Ernest Phipps & His Holiness Singers 6. Fifty Miles Of Elbow Room - Rev. F.W. Mcgee 7. I'm In The Battlefield For My Lord - Rev. D.C. Rice & His Sanctified Congregation
2 LP set for $34

HARRY SMITH'S ANTHOLOGY OF AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC [V.A.] - Vol 3: Songs [2 LP set] (Doxy 627; Italy) On blue vinyl with insert. Volume 3: Songs. "In this volume we see songs by legends like: The Carter Family, Dock Boggs, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Mississippi John Hurt, and we gasp in horror when we remember that had it not been for Harry Smith, this great music may have very well ended up as shellac!" Tracks - Side A: 1. The Coo Coo Bird - Clarence Ashley 2. East Virginia - Buell Kazee 3. Minglewood Blues - Cannon's Jug Stompers 4. I Woke Up One Morning In May - Didier Hubert 5. James Alley Blues - Richard "Rabbit" Brown 6. Sugar Baby - Dock Boggs 7. I Wish I Was A Mole In The Ground - Bascom Lamar Lunsford Side B: 1. Mountaineer's Courtship - Ernest And Hattie Stoneman 2. The Spanish Merchant's Daughter - The Stoneman Family 3. Bob Lee Junior Blues - The Memphis Jug Band 4. Single Girl, Married Girl - The Carter Family 5. Le Vieux Soulard Et Sa Femme - Cleoma Breaux And Joseph Falcon 6. Rabbit Foot Blues - Blind Lemon Jefferson 7. Expressman Blues - Sleepy John Estes And Yank Rachell Side C: 1. Poor Boy Blues - Ramblin' Thomas 2. Feather Bed - Cannon's Jug Stompers 3. Country Blues - Dock Boggs 4. 99 Year Blues - Julius Daniels 5. Prison Cell Blues - Blind Lemon Jefferson 6. See That My Grave Is Kept Clean - Blind Lemon Jefferson 7. C'est Si Triste Sans Lui - Cleoma And Ophy Breaux And Joseph Falcon Side D: 1. Way Down The Old Plank Road - Uncle Dave Macon 2. Buddy Won't You Roll Down The Line - Uncle Dave Macon 3. Spike Driver Blues - Mississippi John Hurt 4. K.C. Moan - The Memphis Jug Band 5. Train On The Island - J.P. Nestor 6. The Lone Star Trail - Ken Maynard 7. Fishing Blues - Henry Thomas
2 LP set for $34

HARRY SMITH'S ANTHOLOGY OF AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC [V.A.] - Vol 4: Country Music & Bluegrass [2 LP set] (Doxy 647; Italy) "The great lost volume to Harry Smith's legendary Anthology of American Folk Music! Although these songs were compiled at the same time as the original volumes (famously released on Smithsonian Folkways in 1952), Volume 4: Country Music & Bluegrass remained mysteriously unissued for almost 50 years! Like the previous volumes these recordings come mostly from the late '20s and '30s, with the central focus being on old time country and bluegrass music by artists like the Monroe Brothers, the Carter Family, Robert Johnson, Bukka White, Leadbelly, Uncle Dave Macon, Sleepy John Estes and more! The importance of Harry Smith's work cannot be overstated. Not only did he single-handedly save much of American folk music from extinction, but when he handed his record collection over to Smithsonian folkways in 1952, he opened the floodgates for the American folk revival of the following decade and beyond."
2 LP set for $34



Last copies of these private editions..

BOBBY PREVITE & BUMP THE RENAISSANCE With LENNY PICKETT/TOM VARNER/RICHARD SHULMAN/DAVID HOFSTRA - Verge [aka Threshold]: Bump The Renaissance ..Plus! (self released; USA) Bobby's 2nd album from 1985, plus 3 tracks from his first 1979 album, remastered by him in 2007, and released as an AUTOGRAPHED ltd CD-R with new artwork in a picture sleeve. [This was originally scheduled to come out on Previte's defunct Depth Of Field label under the name Threshold] Bump The Renaissance: [1985] Bobby's 2nd album from 1985, originally released on LP by Sound Aspects in Germany, with his gropu Bump The Renaisance: Lenny Picket tenor, bass clarinet; Tom Varner French horn; Richard Shulman piano; David Hofstra bass; Robert Previte drums.
And, 3 tracks from Pull To Open: [1979] Previte's first album, originally released in 1979 on Elliott Sharp's Zoar label as an LP, with David Alderson: horns, vocals; Peter Piccirilli: bass, vocals; Dave Schiavone: reeds, vocals; Robert Previte: drums, vocals.
CD $10

PONGA [WAYNE HORVITZ/SKERIK/BOBBY PREVITE/DAVE PALMER] - Psychological (self released; USA) This is the 2nd and last Ponga album [not counting the remix album Amontobincapsule150filabrazilliasoacetimecontinuum] released 2000. Recorded at Aleph Studio, as well as live at O.K. Hotel (Seattle) and Showbox (Seattle)
A keyboardist and composer, Wayne Horvitz's sound is parallel with the eclectic, artistic, and experimental music lab of N.Y.C.'s Knitting Factory, where he did much of his earlier performances. Horvitz has played with a wide range of musicians and lead the President and New York Composer's Orchestra. Ponga-mate Bobby Previte played in a trio with Horvitz, has lead several projects, composed for the Moscow Circus, and in 1991, was recognized in Rolling Stone Magazine's Hot Jazz Artist list. Leaving New York and Previte behind, Horvitz moved to Seattle to spend time with a new combo called Zony Mash. During a regular visit to his old trio-mate, Horvitz introduced Previte to Skerik, a saxophone player and a key musician in the Seattle jazz community. Skerik had played with groups such as Critters Buggin, Tuartara, and Motel 6. With Skerik on sax and sampler, Previte on drums, Horvitz on keys, the trio played jam sessions at local clubs. After several performances, Skerik invited friend Dave Palmer to sit in on a couple performances. Palmer, up to that point, had been the pianist for such projects as MC 900 Ft. Jesus, Fiona Apple, and Chris Isaak. Palmer eventually became the fourth in a group of two 40-something New York jazzheads and two 30-something West Coast funk addicts, which fuses together classic and avant-garde jazz with traditional jungle beats to form a sound a little left of center. Originally Ponga called themselves Swammie Late Plate and then Vog, finally resting on a word whose literal meaning is a type of fern that originates in New Zealand.
CD $12


A handful of SALE copies of this gem..

BILL LASWELL Vs. ROOTS TONIC - Roots Tonic Meets Bill Laswell (ROIR 8297; USA) You may have already heard Roots Tonic. In fact, you may love Roots Tonic and not even know it. Roots Tonic is Hasidic reggae superstar Matisyahu's band. Matisyahu's star has risen dramatically in this past year, culminating in the recent release of Youth on Sony/Epic (currently #4 on Billboard's Top 200) and the certification of Live at Stubbs as a Gold Record. One cannot underestimate the importance of Roots Tonic to Matisyahu's success. Roots Tonic bassist Josh Werner co-writes many of Matisyahu's songs, and Roots Tonic brings those songs to stage, to record and to life, making them pop with the drama and dynamics you'll hear on this album.
It is no coincidence that world class bassist and producer Bill Laswell is involved in this project. For one, it is Laswell who produced Matisyahu's Youth. Laswell, the world music genre-fusing genius, has worked with so many notable artists: Mick Jagger, Afrika Bambaataa, Yoko Ono, Brian Eno, Fela Kuti, John Zorn, Peter Gabriel, George Clinton, Herbie Hancock, Iggy Pop, Laurie Anderson, Motorhead, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Sly & Robbie, Swans, Last Poets, and has remixed the work of Santana, Bob Marley & Miles Davis. As one writer puts it, "Bill Laswell is god. Can you prove he's not?" He is a true maverick and a perfect match for Roots Tonic and Matisyahu's blend of reggae, hip hop, soul and traditional Jewish music. Their chemistry was so perfect, in fact, that after the Youth sessions were completed, Laswell invited Roots Tonic back to his Orange Studios to record this album, Roots Tonic Meets Bill Laswell, which is NOT to be confused with the dub version of Matisyahu's Youth.
With no Matisyahu, Roots Tonic was forced to stand and deliver on an album without vocals or lyrics on which to rely. Deliver they did. With Laswell serving as studio lion Lee "Scratch" Perry to Roots Tonic's Aggravators, Josh, Jonah and Aaron have created a living, breathing disc of instrumental reggae, as funky as, say, the classic "Macka Dub" by the Barrett Brothers (Aston "Family Man" Barrett & Carlton Barrett, The Wailers' rhythm section). The grooves are so loose and lively you can tell they were having a blast recording. At the mixing board, Laswell economically weaves in everything from synth stabs to phone touch tones to unrecognizable sound splatters. He stays out of the way of the bass, and heaps echo on the drums and guitar, allowing the high end to spiral out from the music. [punchole in corner of jewel case]
CD $10.00 7 for 6 SALE.



Florian Fricke and Popol Vuh!

POPOL VUH [FLORIAN FRICKE et al] - Das Hohelied Salomos (SPV 70162; Germany) 6th album, from 1975. Features Florian Fricke: piano; Daniel Fichelscher: E and A guitars, percussion; Djong Yun: vocal with guests Al Gromer: sitar and Shana Kumar: tabla. One of their really high-water marks of inner-space beauty. By this time the band had reached their ultimate peak of acoustic trance inner-space! - Steve Feigenbaum, Cuneiform.
The first of two for United Artists. This takes the sound and line-up of the previous album, adds sitar and tabla and creates even more of a cosmic-power universe of transcending sound. Includes three previously-unreleased bonus tracks: "In den Nachten auf den Gassen III," "Schon bist Du vor Menschensohnen (alternative Session)" and "Mitten im Garten (alternative Piano Version)."
CD $17

POPOL VUH [FLORIAN FRICKE et al] - Letzte Tage Letzte Nachte (Last Days Last Nights) (SPV 70172; Germany) 8th album, from 1976. Features Florian Fricke: piano; Daniel Fichelscher: guitars, percussion; Djong Yun: vocal; Renate Knaup: vocal; Al Gromer: sitar and Ted DeJong: tamboura.
Includes three previously-unreleased bonus tracks: "Wanderschaft - Wanderings," Gib hin (session version)," "Haram Dei Ra (alternative version)." "Daniel Fichelscher, who was Fricke's main collaborator in Popol Vuh and also the ex-drummer of Amon Duul 2, really makes his presence known here. This is in both a compositional (he co-wrote three of the songs) and instrumental sense, as his spindling guitar lines and jagged percussion are all over this one, arguably even overshadowing Fricke." -- Ground And Sky
CD $17

POPOL VUH [FLORIAN FRICKE et al] - Bruder Des Schattens - Sohne Des Lichts (Brother Of The Shadow - Son Of The Light) [Nosferatu sndtck demos] (SPV 70212; Germany) 12th album, from 1978, Bruder des Schattens Sohne des Lichts is the previously unreleased 'demo' version of the Nosferatu soundtrack, coupled with the bonus track Sing, For Song Drives Away The Wolves. Sing... is a new version of the original song from the Werner Herzog film Herz aus Glas and has been revised and re-arranged by Guido Hieronymus with powerful guitars and a full sound which gives the track a special new touch.
CD $17

POPOL VUH [FLORIAN FRICKE et al] - Die Nacht Der Seele (The Night Of The Spirit): Tantric Songs (SPV 70232; Germany) 13th album, from 1979. Features Florian Fricke: piano, vocals; Daniel Fichelsccher: guitars, percussion; Djong Yun: vocal; Renate Knaup: vocal; Susan Goetting: oboe and Al Gromer: sitar. This is getting a little towards the end of their 'reign', but even so, this is another absolutely wonderful gem of acoustic-based inner beauty/outer space music. - Steve Feigenbaum, Cuneiform.
Contains four previously-unreleased bonus tracks: "'Mantram der Stirnberuhrung I," "Zusammenkunft," "Mantram der Stirnberuhrung II" and "Im Garten der Ruhe (Piano session version)."
CD $17

POPOL VUH [FLORIAN FRICKE et al] - Sei Still, Wisse Ich Bin (Be Quiet, You Know I Am) (SPV 70242; Germany) 14th album. Recorded in 1980 and produced by Klaus Schulze, Sei Still, Wisse ICH BIN (Is quiet, knows I AM) is one of Popol Vuh's sacred music offerings. Like Hosianna Mantra nearly a decade before, this set is regal in its solemnity and in its intensity. Utilizing the Chorensemble der Bayerischen Staatsoper and the soprano saxophone stylings of Chris Karrer, Popol Vuh -- down to a three-piece with vocalist Renate Knaup fronting the choir, Fricke on piano and voice, and guitarist Daniel Fichelscher holding down the drum chair as well, this is a huge recording . Schulze's immediate mix, which brings the vocals into complete balance with the undulating, mantra-like instrumentation, is nothing less than stunning; from Tibetan-style prayer chants to Eastern Orthodox choral scales, from thundering bass drums and cymbals to snaky, elusive, sparse electric guitar lines and Fricke's trademark shimmering piano, each of this album's seven selections is its own kind of masterpiece. It is the perfect marriage of world music utilized in rock & roll fashion, and of both being placed at the service of the Sacred. It is nothing less than awe-inspiring. - Thom Jurek AMG
This reissue of Popol Vuh's Sei Still, Wisse Ich Bin contains the rare and previously unreleased bonus track King Minos III from the original studio session to the cycle (part I-III) in 1976. The recording descended from the most rock orientated phase of Popol Vuh and is a historical document of the German 70s Krautrock.
CD $17


Past 'Movie Gold' reissues found..!

AUTONOMOUS ZONE [GINGER BAKER/AKIRA SAKATA/PETER BROTZMANN/BILL LASWELL/HIDEO YAMAKI/ANTON FIER/TOSHINORI KONDO et al] - The Map Is Not The Territory (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art
CD $15

HAN BENNINK/MISHA MENGELBERG/PAUL RUTHERFORD/MARIO SCHIANO - A European Proposal: Live In Cremona [2 CD set] (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art.
2 CD set for $25

CARLA BLEY/STEVE LACY/MICHAEL MANTLER/KENT CARTER/ALDO ROMANO - Jazz Realities (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art [Marte Roling]
CD $15

PAUL BLEY QUINTET With ORNETTE COLEMAN/DON CHERRY/CHARLIE HADEN/BILLY HIGGINS - Complete Live At The Hillcrest Club 1958 [incl. Coleman Classics Vol 1] (Movie Gold; EEC) All 8 cuts from both albums - 5 Ornette originals and three covers. CD-R with all cover art. Though billed as a Paul Bley date, this features altoist Ornette Coleman live in concert shortly after making his first studio sessions. Musicians from what would be the Coleman Quartet (with trumpeter Don Cherry, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Billy Higgins) are heard at a live gig in Los Angeles under the leadership of pianist Paul Bley. Bley's piano is mostly pretty sparse, and Coleman is the dominant force, particularly on his melodic "The Blessing" and the well-titled "Free." It is particularly interesting to hear Coleman and Cherry improvising freely on Charlie Parker's "Klactoveesedstene" and Roy Eldridge's "I Remember Harlem." Ornette Coleman's epic 1959 LPs The Shape of Jazz to Come and Change of the Century were pivot points in modern post-bop jazz and early creative music. This recording is a prelude to those epics, a live two-night engagement in October of 1958 at the Hillcrest Club in Los Angeles. This quintet, with trumpeter Don Cherry, bassist Charlie Haden, and drummer Billy Higgins, plus a the young but already recorded pianist Paul Bley, sets up that new shape of jazz. This eight-selection set features three of Coleman's signature originals, two standards, and three lesser-known, fairly rare pieces that Coleman did at the time. The program kicks off with Charlie Parker's "Klactoveedsedstene," an on-fire free bopper where Coleman's alto sax in tandem with Cherry reflects a quest for cleanliness and innocent, alive freshness, well transferred, balanced, and reproduced digitally. Whoever tagged this music unlistenable needs to revisit the symbiosis of the front-line horns present. Three of Coleman's all-time immortal compositions on call are the relaxed and easily swung harmolodic dream "The Blessing" accented by Ornette's piquant alto, the call-and-response-laden "When Will the Blues Leave?," and the post-bop evergreen "Ramblin'." The stairstep ascending and descending melody for "Free" also remains arresting, taking no prisoners. It's interesting how alleged rebel Coleman pays reverence to two ballad standards, Roy Eldridge's pensive "I Remember Harlem" and Cherry's trumpet-led "How Deep Is the Ocean?" Closing is the frantic, scattershot two-minute improvisation "Crossroads." There's no doubt as to the historical and musical significance of this date, and it belongs in the collection of any follower of Coleman, as well as the others on this date - Michael G Nastos, AMG
CD $15

PAUL BLEY TRIO With MARK LEVINSON/BARRY ALTSCHUL - Blood (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art [Marte Roling]
CD $15

LESTER BOWIE/ARTHUR BLYTHE/AMINA CLAUDINE MYERS/MALACHI FAVORS - African Children [2 CD set] (Movie Gold; USA) CD-R with all cover art
2 CD set for $25

MARION BROWN SEPTET With GRACHAN MONCUR/ALAN SHORTER/DAVE BURRELL/BENNIE MAUPIN/REGGIE JOHNSON/BEAVER HARRIS - Juba-Lee (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art [Marte Roling]. Recorded only a month before his classic Impulse debut, Three for Shepp, this much overlooked session, though quite different, is more than reputable in its own right. The reason for its obscurity is pretty simple. Juba-Lee, as of May 2003, had yet to see formal release anywhere in the world other than its original Dutch pressing and subsequent reissues in Japan. Otherwise, it bears a good deal of resemblance to his Marion Brown Quartet date on ESP, so listeners familiar with that session should know what to expect here. Among other reasons, this is because both sessions share the talents of Alan Shorter and bassist, Reggie Johnson. Also on hand were tenor man Bennie Maupin, pianist Dave Burrell, drummer Beaver Harris, and trombonist Grachan Moncur III. All but Maupin and Shorter would also appear on Three for Shepp. It should go without saying that any free jazz session featuring either Shorter or Moncur is going to be heavy. Both men, as soloists and as composers, tend to dramatically alter any recording upon which they appear. They usually contribute at least one tune to the repertoire -- here it's Shorter -- and both have a very deliberately paced and immediately recognizable delivery as soloists. Unfortunately, this would be the only session upon which the two appeared together, making the historical relevance of this date even more pronounced. The opening tune is a free-for-all, but the title track is reminiscent of Brown's wonderful "Capricorn Moon," employing a playful and spirited head. Both "The Visitor" and "Iditus" are deep and pensive, very much what one would expect from a session featuring Moncur or Shorter. Highly recommended.! - Brandon Burke, AMG
CD $15

TIM BUCKLEY - Blue Afternoon/Starsailor (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art; 2 albums on 1 CD! After his beginnings as a gentle, melodic baroque folk-rocker, Buckley gradually evolved into a downright experimental singer/songwriter who explored both jazz and avant-garde territory. Blue Afternoon was Tim Buckley's first self-produced record and his debut for Herb Cohen and Frank Zappa's Straight label. Buckley's first two albums were very much of their time and place, with their psychedelically tinged folk-rock compositions; naive, romantic lyrical content; and moments of earnest protest. The introduction of acoustic bass and vibes into the arrangements on Happy Sad signaled a change in direction, however, and Blue Afternoon displayed similar jazz tendencies, using the same group of musicians plus drummer Jimmy Madison. Several tracks on Blue Afternoon are songs Buckley had intended to record on earlier albums but had not completed. The brooding "Chase the Blues Away" and the lighter, more upbeat "Happy Time," for instance, are numbers he had worked on in the summer of 1968 for possible inclusion on Happy Sad. (Demos can be heard on Rhino's Works in Progress album.) Here, as he did on Happy Sad, Buckley takes the folk song as his starting point and expands it, drawing on jazz influences to create new dynamics and to emphasize atmosphere and mood. This approach can be best appreciated on the mournful "The River," as simple acoustic guitar, cymbals, and vibes build a fluid, ebbing, and flowing arrangement around Buckley's beautiful, melancholy vocals. The period between 1968 and 1970 was an intensely creative one for Tim Buckley. Remarkably, during the same four weeks in which he recorded Blue Afternoon, he also recorded its follow-up, Lorca, and material for Starsailor. It's not surprising, then, that Blue Afternoon hints at Buckley's subsequent musical direction. While not in the experimental, avant-garde vein of the more challenging material on those next two albums, "The Train" foregrounds Lee Underwood's quietly intense, jazzy guitar and Buckley's vocal prowess, prefiguring the feeling of tracks like Lorca's "Nobody Walkin'" and Starsailor's "Monterey."
Starsailor is the culmination of his experimentation and alienated far more listeners than it exhilarated upon its release in 1970. Buckley had already begun to delve into jazz fusion on late-'60s records like Happy Sad, and explored some fairly "out" acrobatic, quasi-operatic vocals on his final Elektra LP, Lorca. With former Mother of Invention Bunk Gardner augmenting Buckley's group on sax and alto flute, Buckley applies vocal gymnastics to a set of material that's as avant-garde in its songwriting as its execution. At his most anguished (which is often on this album), he sounds as if his liver is being torn out -- slowly. Almost as if to prove he can still deliver a mellow buzz, he throws in a couple of pleasant jazz-pop cuts, including the odd, jaunty French tune "Moulin Rouge." Surrealistic lyrics, heavy on landscape imagery like rivers, skies, suns, and jungle fires, top off a record that isn't for everybody, or even for every Buckley fan, but endures as one of the most uncompromising statements ever made by a singer/songwriter.
CD $15

DAVE BURRELL With RIC COLBECK/GRACHAN MONCUR III/KENNETH TERROADE/BEB GUERIN/CLAUDE DELCLOO/ELEANOR BURRELL - La Vie De Boheme (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art. Joining Burrell on this adaptation of Pucinni's La Vie de Boheme are a number of fine players who should prove familiar to those already acquainted with the BYG Actuel series. This cast would include trombonist Grachan Moncur III, drummer Claude Delcloo, reedman Kenneth Terroade, bassist Beb Guerin, and Ric Colbeck on both trumpet and piano harp. Eleanor Burrell is on hand as well and provides periodic vocal accompaniment. This session should serve as a fine example of the similarities between the free jazz and classical worlds. While it would be difficult to argue that Pucinni's original opera had anything to do with avant-garde jazz, the performances found here clearly display a reverence for the aesthetic of the original. There is a great deal of improvisation on this record, to be sure, but the major themes from each act -- when referenced -- are performed in a way that is neither ironic nor overly strict. In this sense, one could consider this an extended improvisation influenced by La Boheme rather than a straight performance. Otherwise, listeners unfamiliar with the original opera should find this to be an enjoyable listen as well. Like most sessions featuring Grachan Moncur III, this set is highly recommended for those who like the quieter, reflective side of free jazz. - Brandon Burke, AMG
CD $15

CAPTAIN BEEFHEART & THE MAGIC BAND - Lick My Decals Off Baby (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art. The follow-up to Trout Mask... and another classic album! Mannylunch's favorite of the Captain's albums.. [okay, tie with Trout Mask]
CD $15

DON CHERRY With BENGT BERGER/OKAY TEMIZ/MOKI et al - Organic Music (Society) (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art
CD $15

DON CHERRY With JANNICK TOP/RAMUNTCHO MATTA et al - Homeboy - Sister Out: Complete (Movie Gold; EEC) The entire 1990 alternate recordings/mix French release; with an additional 5 alternates - including one cut not on the newer version - added from the original 1985 version. CD-R with all cover art. Vocals, Harp [Doussn' Gouni], Trumpet [Trompinette], Piano, Synthesizer, Melodica - Don Cherry; Backing Vocals - Elli Medeiro; Bass - Jannick Top; Bongos, Congas, Talking Drum, Drum Programming [Rhythm Box] - Negrito Trasante; Drums - Claude Salmieri; Guitar - Ramuntcho Matta [also the Producer of this album]
CD $15

DON CHERRY/JAZZ COMPOSERS ORCHESTRA With FRANK LOWE/DEWEY REDMAN/CHARLES BRACKEEN/LEROY JENKINS/CARLOS WARD/CHARLIE HADEN/ED BLACKWELL/CARLA BLEY/SHARON FREEMAN/PAUL MOTIAN et al - Relativity Suite (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art. Don Cherry appeared on the first two releases by JCOA, albums under the leadership of label founders Carla Bley and Michael Mantler, so their decision to commission him for the third album seemed a wise move, as indeed it was. Using many of the same musicians who contributed to those records and were then established as the loose collective called the Jazz Composer's Orchestra, Cherry molded into a suite a string of the pieces he'd been composing and performing in the previous few years. Under the tutelage of Pandit Pran Nath, Cherry had been studying and increasingly using Indian karnatic singing in his recordings and concerts; he begins this album with a similarly derived chant. As the energy heats up, the orchestra launches into the captivating "Mali Doussn'gouni," featuring a raging tenor solo by Frank Lowe and delightful vocal acrobatics by Cherry. When it slowly dissolves into his achingly beautiful "Desireless," the first half of the album comes to an extremely satisfying conclusion. The remainder of the session is somewhat more of a mixed bag, succeeding off and on. Highlights include Selene Fung's lovely work on the ching, a Chinese koto-like instrument, and Ed Blackwell's exuberant New Orleans marching patterns on the concluding number. While not as breathtaking or cohesive as his Eternal Rhythm, Relativity Suite almost matches that release in its first half and contains many a worthwhile joy. Recommended! - Brian Olewnick, AMG
CD $15

ORNETTE COLEMAN & PRIME TIME [BERN NIX/CHARLES ELLERBEE/JAMAALADEEN TACUMA/DENARDO COLEMAN/CALVIN WESTON] - Of Human Feelings (Movie Gold; EEC) 1979 recording originally released in 1982. CD-R with all graphics. The most stunning of all Prime time recordings - and so few have heard it!
CD $15

ORNETTE COLEMAN TRIO With DAVID IZENZON/CHARLES MOFFETT - Who's Crazy? [sndtck; 2 CD set] (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art. This two-LP set contains the soundtrack Ornette Coleman and his trio contributed for the obscure Belgian film of the same name. Coleman (switching between alto, trumpet and violin), bassist Dave Izenzon and drummer Charles Moffett did not merely provide filler music but full-blown improvisations that stand very much on their own. Fans of Coleman's very explorative music are advised to pick this up!
2 CD set for $25

ORNETTE COLEMAN With DEWEY REDMAN/CHARLIE HADEN/DENARDO COLEMAN - Ornette At 12 (Movie Gold; EEC) 2 bonus cuts: both sides of the rare 7" 45rpm single 'Man On The Moon'; CD-R with all cover art.
Ornette Coleman had always retained a childlike sense of innocence about his music, so his choice for a drummer on this date may have been, in retrospect, not a surprise -- but it was a decision that stirred major controversy in jazz circles at the time and continued to do so for decades afterwards. That drummer was his son, Ornette Denardo, at the time 12 years old. Jazz fans and critics, accustomed to a level of professionalism even in the freest playing situations, found his crude, flailing drum style just this side of ridiculous and also complained that it gave ammunition to conservative observers who had always proclaimed about free jazz that "anyone could do it." Listened to anew, however, one is impressed with the freshness of his sound, as well as his avoidance of the ruts (perhaps because of his inability to do so?) of other drummers who were more content to follow an easy lead and play by rules buried deep enough that they were unaware of obeying them. Which is to say that Ornette Denardo sounds just fine. If anything, the controversy obscured other fine aspects of the session, including the superb playing of recent Coleman associate Dewey Redman, whose vocalized sound on tenor sax provided a wonderful, gritty foil for the altoist. Mirroring somewhat his son's task, Coleman also makes early use of trumpet and violin where, like his protege, he succeeds in creating deeply beautiful sounds without the benefit of "standard" technical ability. Don't be put off by the critics; Ornette at 12 is a fine, enjoyable album. - Brian Olewnick, AMG
CD $15

ORNETTE COLEMAN With DEWEY REDMAN/CHARLIE HADEN/ED BLACKWELL - Paris Concert (1971) [2 CD set] (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all graphics. November 1971 Paris show with these cuts: Second Fiction; Summer-Thang; 14 Juillet; Fantasy 77; Reminiscence; All Day Affair; Silhouette.
2 CD set for $25

ORNETTE COLEMAN With DON CHERRY/DEWEY REDMAN/CHARLIE HADEN/DENARDO COLEMAN - Crisis! : Live at New York University 1969 (Movie Gold; EEC) bonus cut: Ornette at Coltrane's gravesite; CD-R with all cover art.
A superb and under-recognized recording, Crisis is one-third of a trilogy of extraordinary albums -- the others being Broken Shadows and Science Fiction -- by Coleman's small groups of the late '60s and early '70s. A rendition of the piece "Broken Shadows" itself, a dirge of astonishing beauty second only to his "Lonely Woman," opens the live performance and offers solos of deep and poignant probity from Coleman and tenorist Dewey Redman, whose earthy growled tones counterbalanced the leader's so well for so long. "Comme Il Faut," with its own plaintive melodic thrust, provides the base elements from which Charlie Haden excavates gold, setting the stage for his own classic composition "Song for Che," which is given one of its very finest readings. Don Cherry is in wonderful, sandblasting form throughout, bringing in thematic material from his own recent investigations into Indian and African music, and Coleman's son, Ornette Denardo, has audibly matured both in technical prowess and comfort level. Crisis somehow lacks the reputation of the revolutionary Coleman albums from early in his career, but on purely musical grounds it ranks among his most satisfying works. - Brian Olewnick, AMG
CD $15

JACQUES COURSIL With ANTHONY BRAXTON/ARTHUR JONES/BURTON GREENE/BEB GURRIN/CLAUDE DELCLOO - Black Suite (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art. This amazing trumpeter led two album sessions for BYG, both highly respected projects. This might be the one to take off to the desert island, as the presence of Anthony Braxton as part of the band really makes for an intoxicating brew, if abstract free jazz is the cup of tea on order. Braxton is just fantastic in a collaboratory role, cutting loose with even more of an edge than when leading the band and adding texture with his contrabass clarinet that brings to mind the fog rolling into the forest right before the scene where the villagers storm the evil castle. Arthur Jones cuts loose on alto sax in the manner that makes all his appearances on this label so delightful -- fiery, full of spirit, always an exciting presence. As kind of the lost voice of the trumpet in modern jazz, Coursil is not only a great discovery for the modern jazz fan, but a fine creative vintage that holds up to repeat visits over the years. His control of the difficult horn and totally original melodic thinking really makes his playing stand out among the admittedly thin ranks of avant-garde trumpet players. None of the players who have Coursil's technical mastery play with as much heart and soul. He also proves himself a great bandleader, passing some of the key tests of this distinction with the music featured on this album. One composition after which the record has been titled takes up the entire slab of vinyl, clocking in at a bit over a half-an-hour. Only a good bandleader can pull off an epic of this sort, and only a good bandleader can pull together a rhythm section that on paper promises the excitement of the local newsboys sitting in. The French bassist and drummer featured here were this label's Grade Z rhythm section, and sound better playing quietly than they do when hitting loudly. That's because of the recording, which distorts the drums and bass after a certain level of attack. On the other hand, the quiet sections are not picked up as well by the microphones -- assuming there were microphones -- and, as a result, the horns have even more room to maneuver. Let's allow the artist to serve as his own critic in the case of pianist Burton Greene, who would later publicly dismiss all of his playing from this era as being claptrap. Like another much more famous and prolific modern jazz trumpeter and bandleader, Coursil takes even questionable music contributions, such as the entire existence of this rhythm section, and turns it into a highly useful musical function. Jazz scholars who feel rhythm sections are unimportant can, of course, gloat over the musical success of this particular album. At any rate, it is one of the best examples of just how beautiful modern jazz can be. - Eugene Chadbourne
CD $15

TED CURSON With BOOKER ERVIN/JIMMY WOODE/EDGAR BATEMAN - The Urge (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art [Marte Roling]
CD $15

THE DEL-BYZANTEENS [PHILIPPE HAGEN/PHIL KLINE/JIM JARMUSCH/JAMES NARES/DAN BRAUN/JOSH BRAUN] - Lies To Live By + Girl's Imagination EP (Movie Gold; EEC) LP + 3 cut EP; CD-R with all cover art. A New York-based post-punk band, the Del-Byzanteens comprised Don Braun (percussion), Josh Braun (percussion as well), Philippe Hagen (bass), Phil Kline (guitar and vocals), and a budding director by the name of Jim Jarmusch (vocals and keyboards). Author Luc Sante wrote some of the band's lyrics, and artist James Nares (who also played guitar with the Contortions) contributed occasional percussion. The Del-Byzanteens made their recorded debut in 1981 with the 12" single Girl's Imagination, which featured a B-side called "My Hands Are Yellow (From the Job That I Do)." The full-length Lies to Live By followed the next year, and their final release, the 7" Draft Riot single, was also out by the end of 1982. Despite being from the U.S., all of the band's releases were through Don't Fall Off the Mountain (also true for labelmates The Raybeats), which -- at the time -- was one of the three affiliates of the U.K.-based Beggars Banquet shop and label (Situation 2 and 4AD were the other offshoots). After the Byzanteens broke up, the Braun brothers (who had previously played with Swans leader Michael Gira in Circus Mort) formed Deep Six. Kline became further immersed in the New York art/post-modernist composer scene, and Jarmusch became a deeply admired independent movie director.
CD $15

JOHNNY DYANI/OKAY TEMIZ/MONGEZI FEZA - Music For Xaba Vol 1 (Movie Gold; EEC) recorded just after Johnny and Okay had done six sides of material with Don Cherry. CD-R with all cover art
CD $15

JOHNNY DYANI/OKAY TEMIZ/MONGEZI FEZA - Music For Xaba Vol 2 (Movie Gold; EEC) recorded just after Johnny and Okay had done six sides of material with Don Cherry. CD-R with all cover art.
CD $15

FLYING MIJINKO BAND [AKIRA SAKATA/BILL LASWELL/NICKY SKOPELITIS/MICHIHIRO SATO/ANTON FIER et al] - Central Asian Tour [2 CD set] (Movie Gold; Japan) [CD-R with all cover art including foldout 2-sided poster]
2 CD set for $25

GREENLINE [SONNY SHARROCK/MIROSLAV VITOUS/DANIEL HUMAIR/STEVE MARCUS] - Greenline (Movie Gold; EEC) 1970 studio album. CD-R with all cover art
CD $15

JERRY HARRISON With ADRIAN BELEW/NONA HENDRYX/BERNIE WORRELL/YOGI HORTON et al - The Red And The Black (Movie Gold; EEC) 1st solo album [1981] from Talking Heads' guitarist/keyboard man. CD-R with all packaging
CD $15

ALBERT "TOUDIE" HEATH With MTUME/HERBIE HANCOCK/DON CHERRY/ED BLACKWELL/BUSTER WILLIAMS/JIMMY HEATH/BILLY BONNER] - Kawaida (Movie Gold; EEC) 1969 recording with James Mtume, Don Cherry, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Heath, Ed Blackwell, Billy Bonner, and Buster Williams! CD-R with all the original cover art/text
CD $15

CHRISTOPHER HOBBS/JOHN ADAMS/GAVIN BRYARS With DEREK BAILEY/CORNELIUS CARDEW/BRIAN ENO et al - Ensemble Pieces (Obscure 2/Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art. Christopher Hobbs: composer, tubular bells, triangles, cowbells, toy piano, reed organ, piano
Gavin Bryars: composer, reed organ, triangles, wood blocks, cymbals, double bass, composer
John Adams: composer, and directing the New Music Ensemble of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
With Derek Bailey: guitar; Cornelius Cardew: cello; Stuart Deeks: violin; Andy Mackay: oboe; Paul Noeman: trombone; Mike Nicolis: drums; John White: reed organ, toy piano, triangles, drums; Celia Golin: vocals; Brian Eno: vocals, producer
CD $15

NOAH HOWARD With FRANK WRIGHT/BOBBY FEW/ART TAYLOR or MUHAMMAD ALI - Space Dimension (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art
CD $15

IN PRAISE OF SHADOWS [V.C./V.A. produced by BILL LASWELL] - In Praise Of Shadows: Laswell Remixes Classical Recordings (Movie Gold; USA) CD-R with all cover art
CD $15

JAZZ COMPOSERS ORCHESTRA [CARLA & PAUL BLEY/STEVE LACY/ARCHIE SHEPP/JOHN TCHICAI/ROSWELL RUDD/MILFORD GRAVES/KENT CARTER/JIMMY LYONS/BARRY ALTSCHUL/ROBIN KENYATTA/EDDIE GOMEZ et al - Communications (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art [Marte Roling]. A note to people looking for a review - AMG's review of this record is ACTUALLY a review of a much later SELF-TITLED JCO record that involved a different line-up [Cecil Taylor, Don Cherry] and is NOT to be relied upon. Nonetheless, this album is its equal in every way, perhaps even surpassing that later release!
CD $15

ARTHUR JONES With BEB GUERIN/CLAUDE DeCLOO - Scorpio (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art. Arthur Jones had one of the warmer and more romantic styles in "energy music," making this, his debut as a leader, a highly enjoyable set. While the late-'60s avant-garde jazz scene is typically associated with heated and furious solo flights, Jones managed to fuse his love of older bop and blues players with the prevalent tendencies of the day. In this way, Jones was as adept at caressing a ballad as he was at shredding apart a fast one. Both of these sides are in evidence -- quite literally -- on this disc. The searing "C.R.M." opens the session with a relentless frenzy of notes; cutting and slashing everything in it's path. It is one of four Jones originals. The evocative and gritty ballad "Sad Eyes" begins the second on a much different note. This piece as well as the opening bars of the album's closer, "Brother B," provide a wonderful example of an avant-garde player digging into his blues roots. Where Archie Shepp incorporated a soulful Ben Webster swagger into the New Thing, Jones applies the style of another elder statesman, particularly that of Johnny Hodges. The result is also reminiscent of Ornette Coleman's mid-'60s trio sessions with David Izenzon and Charles Moffett, only Jones had the tendency to employ more squeaks and growls than did Coleman. Bassist Beb Guerin and drummer Claude Delcloo round out the trio and both are given a good amount of solo/duet time on each side's opener. Scorpio was recorded only a month after the trio supported Jacques Coursil on his first Actuel date, the quartet session, Way Ahead. This is a very warm and firmly rooted free jazz record. Highly recommended. - Brandon Burke
CD $15

CLIFFORD JORDAN With DON CHERRY/KENNY DORHAM/WYNTON KELLY/ED BLACKWELL et al - In The World (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art. Clifford Jordan-ts; Julian Priester-tb; Kenny Dorham-tp; Wynton Kelly-p; Wilbur Ware-b; Richard Davis-b; Roy Haynes-d; Ed Blackwell-d.
Whether at the helm of a record date or as a sideman, Clifford Jordan was known for giving his all. These studio recordings were originally made for Strata East, a label known for its adventurous spirit. The tenor saxophonist leads two separate groups. The sextet selections include trombonist Julian Priester, pianist Wynton Kelly, bassists Wilbur Ware and Richard Davis, drummer Albert Heath, and trumpeter Don Cherry. Jordan's pensive "Vienna" is given an extended workout, with Cherry's somewhat abstract playing fitting in rather well. The second piece, Jordan's "Doug's Prelude," is also a bit brooding, showcasing the leader, Priester, and Kelly. - Ken Dryden, AMG
CD $15

ROLF KUHN JAZZGROUP With ALAN SKIDMORE/ALBERT MANGELSDORFF/JOACHIM KUHN/WOLFGANG DAUNER/EBERHARD WEBER/TONY OXLEY - Devil In Paradise (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover artwork
CD $15

LABORATORIO DELLA QUERCIA [FREDERIC RZEWSKI/EVAN PARKER/STEVE LACY/STEVE POTTS/PAUL LYTTON/IRENE AEBI/KENT CARTER/ROSWELL RUDD et al] - Laboratorio Della Quercia [2 CD set] (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art
2 CD set for $25

THE LAST POETS [UMAR BIN HASSAN/SULIAMAN EL HADI/JALALUDDIN MANSUR NURIDDIN (aka ALAFIA PUDIN aka LIGHTNIN' ROD)] - At Last (Movie Gold; EEC) The Poets' fourth album from 1973 is set against a backing of abstract free jazz provided by Brother Juice on tenor sax, Claude Lawrence on alto sax, Casa Burak on piano, Duke Cleamons on bass, and Philip King on drums!
CD $15

BILL LASWELL UNAUTHORIZED CUT-UP [V.A. mix With ORNETTE COLEMAN/WILLIAM S BURROUGHS/PHAROAH SANDERS/TONY WILLIAMS et al] - Vol 1: Excavation (Movie Gold; USA) CD-R with all cover art
CD $15

HOWARD PHILLIPS LOVECRAFT//ERIK BAUERSFELD - The Rats In The Walls/The Outsider/The Haunter Of The Dark [2 CD set] (Movie Gold; EEC) Serious and chilling dramatized readings by Erik Bauersfeld from early 1970s of these H P Lovecraft classic horror tales, privately produced; CD-R with all graphics
2 CD set for $25

JOHN McLAUGHLIN/CARLOS SANTANA BAND With LARRY YOUNG/BILLY COBHAM/DOUG RAUCH/ARMANDO PERAZZA - Live In Chicago Sept 1st, 1973 [2 CD set] (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art CD-R with all cover art. 2 and a half hours, mostly 20 minute Coltrane covers - must be heard to be believed!
2 CD set for $25

MUSICA ELETTRONICA VIVA [MEV: ALVIN CURRAN/FREDERIC RZEWSKI/RICHARD TEITELBAUM/STEVE LACY/KARL BERGER] - United Patchwork [2 CD set] (Movie Gold; EEC) 1978 show; CD-R with all cover art
2 CD set for $25

NEW YORK ART QUARTET [ROSWELL RUDD/JOHN TCHICAI/LEWIS WORRELL/MILFORD GRAVES] - Mohawk (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art [Marte Roling]
CD $15

NEW YORK CONTEMPORARY FIVE [ARCHIE SHEPP/DON CHERRY/JOHN TCHICAI/DON MOORE/J C MOSES] - Consequences (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art [Marte Roling]
CD $15

TOM PHILLIPS/GAVIN BRYARS/FRED ORTON With MICHAEL NYMAN/JOHN WHITE/ROY BABBINGTON et al - Irma: An Opera by Tom Phillips (Obscure 9/Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art. Tom Phillips: composer, chorus voice; Gavin Bryars: composer (music), conductor; Fred Orton: composer (libretto) With Michael Nyman: piano, marimba, glockenspiel; John White: tuba, marimba; Rory Allam; clarinet, bass clarinet; Roy Babbington: bass violin; Gavin Wright: treble violin: Adam Skeaping: alto violin; Roddy Skeaping: sopranino violin; Mark Caidle: tenor violin; Rodney Slatford: contrabass violin; Tim Kramer: baritone violin; Stuart Deeks: descant violin; Dave Smith: tenor horn, vibes; Jo Julian: vibraphone, marimba; Angela Bryars: chorus voice; Lucy Skeaping: Irma; Howard Skempton: Grenville; Brian Eno: producer
This 1976 version predates the 1988 AMM version.
CD $15

DAVID POMERANZ With CHICK COREA/JOE FARRELL/BILLY COBHAM/EDDIE GOMEZ/JAN HAMMER/JOHN TROPEA et al - Time To Fly (Movie Gold; EEC) 1970; 19 year old singer/songwriter Pomeranz backed by Chick Corea, Joe Farrell, John Tropea, Billy Cobham, David Spinoza, Jan Hammer, Eddie Gomez, Airto Moreira, Randy Brecker, Tom Mitchell, Jim Buffington, John Hall... CD-R with all cover art
CD $15

RADEBE [DUDU PUKWANA/JOHN STEVENS] - Radebe: They Shoot To Kill (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art
CD $15

RIP RIG & PANIC [GARETH SAGER/SEAN OLIVER/MARK SPRINGER/BRUCE SMITH/NENEH CHERRY] + DON CHERRY - I Am Cold ..plus (Movie Gold; EEC) 2nd Album + singles tracks from this punk-funk-avantjazz wedding of the Pop Group and The Slits. Singer Neneh's stepfather Don Cherry prominent on several cuts
CD $15

SAM RIVERS BLACK AFRICA With JOE DALEY/SYDNEY SMART - Perugia [2 CD set] (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art
2 CD set for $25

SAM RIVERS BLACK AFRICA With JOE DALEY/SYDNEY SMART - Villalago (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art
CD $15

AKIRA SAKATA With BILL LASWELL/NICKY SKOPELITIS/AIYB DIENG - Silent Plankton (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art
CD $15

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE//ORSON WELLES & THE MERCURY THEATRE - Julius Caesar: Excerpts from the 1937 Broadway Play (Movie Gold; EEC) Shockingly staged in modern day/facist government dress/settings! [of course you can't HEAR that]. This is NOT the radio broadcast - instead it is the cast of the play recorded In the theatre itself! If you've seen the movie "Orson Welles And Me", NOW you can hear the actual play depicted in the film. Bonus track of Welles' speech from the end of 'Compulsion'; CD-R with all packaging
CD $15

ARCHIE SHEPP With LESTER BOWIE/ALAN SHORTER/JOSEPH JARMAN/CLIFFORD THORNTON/BOBBY FEW et al - Coral Rock (Movie Gold; EEC) Shepp big band with Al Shorter, Lester Bowie, Bobby Few, Bob Reid, Clifford Thornton, Mohamed Ali, Koseph Jarman, Lester Bowie, Djibrill, Ostaine Blue Warner; from '71. CD-R with all cover art.
Coral Rock features an absolutely monster free jazz lineup. Fans of other releases on America or the BYG Actuel series should be familiar with a number of these sidemen: Bobby Few, Clifford Thornton, Muhammad Ali, Joseph Jarman. Particularly of interest, though, might be the under-recorded Alan Shorter, who contributed the title track. This piece is especially reminiscent of "Mephistopheles," a tune that appeared (in different capacities) on his brother Wayne's similarly great Blue Note album The All Seeing Eye and certain reissue pressings of the self-titled Marion Brown record on ESP. Like "Mephistopheles," "Coral Rock" features a lumbering, march-like bassline and incredibly dissonant head. "Coral Rock," however, is much looser and, for this reason, it would be difficult to imagine it on a Blue Note release of any kind. This is free jazz straight out of the late-'60s/early-'70s Paris scene. Very serious stuff. That having been said, the inclusion of the standard "I Should Care" may come as a surprise, but one should keep in mind that no matter how far out Archie Shepp got, his roots have always been firmly planted in the past. It is seemingly presented here more as a vehicle for pianist Bobby Few than anything else and, within Shepp's catalog, might be compared to the free blues of "Damn If I Know (The Stroller)" from his 1968 Impulse LP, The Way Ahead. - Brandon Burke, AMG
CD $15

ARCHIE SHEPP/JOHN TCHICAI/DON MOORE/J C MOSES - Rufus (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art [Marte Roling] NY Contemporary Five minus Don Cherry [who arrived the next day to record Consequences]
CD $15

SPONTANEOUS MUSIC ENSEMBLE [JOHN STEVENS/TREVOR WATTS/JULIE TIPPETTS [DRISCOLL/TIPPETT]/RON HERMAN] - Birds Of A Feather (Movie Gold; EEC) recorded Herouville, July 27th, 1971. CD-R with all cover art.
CD $15

JAN STEELE/JOHN CAGE With FRED FRITH/STEVE BERESFORD/ROBERT WYATT/CARLA BLEY et al - Voices and Instruments (Obscure 5/Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art. Jan Steele: composer, flute, piano; John Cage: composer. With Fred Frith: guitar; Steve Beresford: bass guitar; Stuart Jones: solo guitar; Richard Bernas: piano, percussion; Kevin Edwards vibraphone; Utako Ikeda: flute; Martin Mayes: piano; Dominic Muldowney: viola; Robert Wyatt, Carla Bley: voice; Janet Sherbourne: voice, piano; Phil Buckle, Arthur Rutherford: percussion; e e cummings and James Joyce: lyrics used in John Cage compositions; Brian Eno: producer
CD $15

JOHN STEVENS SPONTANEOUS MUSIC ENSEMBLE With TREVOR WATTS/DEREK BAILEY/JOHNY DYANI/KENNY WHEELER/MAGGIE NICHOLS et al - Spontaneous Music Ensemble [aka Oliv] (Movie Gold; EEC) Kenny Wheeler (fh), Trevor Watts (as), Johnny Dyani (b), Derek Bailey (g),John Stevens (perc), Peter Lemer (k), Maggie Nicols (voc), Pepi Lemer (voc), Carolann Nicholls (voc). Rec. by Eddie Offord at Advision Studio, London, February 7th, 1969. CD-R with all cover art
CD $15

SUN RA & His ARKESTRA - Unity [2 CD set] (Movie Gold; EEC) includes John Gilmore,Marshall Allen, Danny Thompson, Ahmed Abdullah, Vincent Chancey, June Tyson, Danny Davis, Eloe Omoe, James Jackson, Michael Ray, Luqman Ali et al . CD-R with all cover art
2 CD set for $25

SUN RA & His BLUE UNIVERSE ARKESTRA - Universe In Blue (Movie Gold; EEC) includes Gilmore,Marshall Allen, Danny Thompson, June Tyson, Danny Davis, Eloe Omoe et al . CD-R with all cover art
CD $15

SUN RA QUARTET With JOHN GILMORE/MICHAEL RAY/LUQMAN ALI - New Steps (Movie Gold; EEC) double LP on one disc; with Gilmore, Michael Ray, Luqman Ali. CD-R with all cover art
CD $15

SUN RA QUARTET With JOHN GILMORE/MICHAEL RAY/LUQMAN ALI - Other Voices, Other Blues (Movie Gold; EEC) double LP on one disc; with Gilmore, Michael Ray, Luqman Ali. CD-R with all cover art
CD $15

TECHNOVOODU [HERBIE HANCOCK/BILL LASWELL] - Astral Black Simulations: Electronic Music 1973-1988 (Movie Gold; USA) CD-R with all cover art
CD $15

THIRD WORLD [DON CHERRY/DOLLAR BRAND/CARLOS WARD] - Underground (Movie Gold; EEC) '72 Japanese concert. CD-R with all cover art
CD $15

FRANCOIS TUSQUES With ALAN SHORTER/SUNNY MURRAY/ALAN SILVA/STEVE POTTS et al - Intercommunal Music (Movie Gold; EEC) Free orch w/Alan Silva, Sunny Murray, Alan Shorter, Steve Potts, Bob Reid, Beb Guerin, Louis Armfield, and Tusques on piano/guitar. CD-R with all cover art
CD $15

MIROSLAV VITOUS With JOE ZAWINUL/JOHN McLAUGHLIN/BILLY COBHAM - Purple (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art. Rare 1970 album originally released only in Japan
CD $15

JOHN WHITE/GAVIN BRYARS With FRED FRITH/DEREK BAILEY/CHRISTOPHER HOBBS et al - Machine Music (Obscure 8/Movie Gold; USA) CD-R with all cover art. John White: composer, tuba, metronome, percussion, piano, jew's harp, bottle Gavin Bryars: composer, double bass, metronome, jew's harp, bottle, concert guitars; With Derek Bailey: steel stringed acoustic guitars; Fred Frith: double-headed electric guitar; Brian Eno: bottle, electric guitars, producer; Susan Dorey: bottle; Sandra Hill: double bass; Christopher Hobbs: bassoon, percussion, piano, jew's harp, bottle; Michael Nyman: jew's harp
CD $15

HIDEO YAMAKI With BILL LASWELL/TOSHINORI KONDO/GINGER BAKER/YASUAKI SHIMIZU/BERNIE WORRELL et al - Shadow Run (Movie Gold; EEC) CD-R with all cover art
CD $15


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


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

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

To help avoid this problem and get our newsletter:

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

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

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

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