Good Golly Miss Molly! Another DMG Newsletter Filled with Dynamite Treasures!


Pre-orders reservations being taken for the Ltd. Ed. KING CRIMSON 'Road to Red' 24 DISC Box-Set!

Suphala with Mazz Swift/Vijay Iyer/Bill Laswell! Jessica Jones & Connie Crothers! Meredith Monk live DVD! Marco Cappelli Acoustic Trio! K.K. Null & The Noiser! Radhika Philip Downtowners NYC Book!

Jorge Sylvester/Nora McCarthy ACE Collective! Born of Six: Catherine Christer Hennix/Werner Durand/Amelia Cuni! Charle-Eric Charrier! Duane Pitre! HIgh-Quality Funkadelic LP Reissues!

Gary Lucas' Cinefantastique! Amir ElSaffar's Alchemy! Yoni Kretzmer/Daniel Levin/Eyal Maoz/Andrew Drury! Hans Tammen & Denman Maroney! Alex Weiss' Fighter Planes & Praying Mantis!

Sean Moran/Michael McGinnis/Chris Dingman/Reuben Radding! Gordon Grdina/Mark Helias/Tony Malaby! Harris Eisenstadt/Nicole Mitchell/Sara Schoenbeck/Mark Dresser! Scott Neumann/Michael Blake/Mark Helias!

Keefe Jackson Sax Septet! DKV Trio+Mats Gustafsson/Paal Nilsson-Love/Massimo Pupillo! Thurston Moore & Mats Gustafsson! John Tilbury & Oren Amarchi! Alavius B! Eliane Radigue 3 CD Set! Harold Budd! Cabaret Voltaire Archival Live Box!

Rare Moondog Imports! Last Copies: MIO label! Complete available Albert Ayler catalog - inlcuding found copies of the RARE Holy Ghost Box!




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The DMG Free Weekly In-Store Performance Series Continues in 2013 With:


Sunday, October 20th Double-Header - Two Great Trios:
6pm: DANIEL LEVIN/IGOR LUMPERT/JUAN PABLO CARLETTI - Cello/Tenor Sax/Drums!
7pm: JESSE DULMAN/RAS MOSHE/WILL CONNELL - Tuba/Saxes/Alto Sax!

Sunday, October 27th Double-Header:
6pm: NICK DIDKOVSKY/HAN-EARL PARK/CATHERINE SIKORA!
7pm: Downtown Legend SAMM BENNETT Will Perform on Mouthbow & Jawharp!

Sunday, November 3rd Double-Header:
6pm: ADAM LANE / VINNY GOLIA / VIJAY ANDERSON - Bass/Multi-Reeds/Drums!
7pm: JAMES BRANDON LEWIS/ERI YAMAMOTO/MAX JOHNSON/ JUAN PABLO CARLETTI - Tenor Sax/Piano/Double Bass/ Drums!

Sunday, November 10th Double-Header:
6pm: ROSS HAMMOND & AVA MENDOZA -2 Great Guitarists from California!
7pm: OMAR TAMEZ & ANGELICA SANCHEZ - Guitar & Keyboards!

Sunday, November 17th Double-Header: (Bruce on vacation in Florida)
6pm: CHERYL PYLE/DANIEL CARTER/CLAIRE deBRUNNER-Flute/Horns/Bassoon!
7pm: MICHAEL FOSTER & MICHAEL EVANS - Sax & Drums Duo!

Sunday, November 24th
6pm: MAMA NU Featuring: Jeffrey H. Shurdut/Kevin Shea / Harvey Valdes/ Nicolas Letman-Burtinovic/Lester St. Louis/Sana Nagano/Matt Luczak!

Sunday, December 1st:
6pm: NICOLAS LETMAN-BURTINOVIC & KYOKO KITAMURA - Double Bass & Vocals!


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Pre-Order this AMAZING SUPER-PACKED LIVE CRIMSON BOX from the CLASSIC '74 ERA! THAT MEANS NOW! ..TO GET THE LOWER PRE-ORDER PRICE! KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/JOHN WETTON/BILL BRUFORD/DAVID CROSS] + IAN McDONALD/MEL COLLINS/EDDIE JOBSON - The Road To Red: Live April to July 1974 + 2013 Fripp Stereo Mix of Red [21 CD + DVD + 2 BLU-RAY DISC + BOOK Boxed Set] (DGM/Inner Knot KCSP; USA) Between April and July 1974 King Crimson embarked on a tour of Canada and America which has come to be recognised as one of the most powerful series of concerts performed not just by Fripp, Cross, Wetton and Bruford but by any band of the era. The band, who had been rarely off the road - except to record studio albums - chose to perform a selection of recent material from the then newly released Starless And Bible Black, older fan favourites, newly written/then unrecorded material & nightly improvisations at a level described by many eye-witnesses and observers as 'the most intense' gigs they'd ever attended.
A single live LP 'USA' was issued in 1975 (comprised of material taken from the Asbury Park, NJ show (with the exception of "...Schizoid Man" which was from the Providence, RI show that same week), a year after the band split but failed to convey the full extent of how ferocious a beast King Crimson was in full-flight. No other band blended powerful rock with an ability to turn in epic improvisations of immense subtlety or strength.
Many of the shows on this final tour had been recorded, either professionally to multi-track tape, or on the band's stereo cassette feed from the mixing desk. These remained unheard until 1992 when selected highlights were released in 1992 on the 4 CD boxed set, The Great Deceiver. Now The Road To Red offers a comprehensive overview of this final tour and at last does justice to a group who were operating at the very height of their powers.
Every soundboard quality recording known to exist is presented with audio fully restored, all released on CD for the first time. There are also five complete concerts, drawn from multi-track recordings, alongside the restored audio bootleg of the band's final show (New York's Central Park on July 1st of which Robert Fripp notes this was the first gig gig "since the 1969 Crimson where the bottom of my spine registered 'out of this world' to the same degree"), and a new stereo mix of 'Red' by Robert Fripp and Steven Wilson undertaken in 2012.
A total of 16 concerts are featured across 20 discs, with the studio Red as the 21st CD.
The set also features:
A DVD containing a high resolution stereo presentation of USA (in all mixes) and the new stereo mix of Red
2 Blu-Ray discs containing the five full length multi-track concert recordings (newly transferred at the highest resolution available from the original analogue Dolby SR source mix-down tapes & presented in 24/192
DTS-HD master sound), new & original stereo versions of Red and the existing 5.1 multi-channel mixes of the album presented in 24/96 DTS-HD also feature on Blu-Ray.
With a fully illustrated album sized booklet featuring previously unseen photos & a wealth of newly written material + postcards, replicas of hand-written set lists, album prints of the USA & Red covers & other memorabilia, this is an essential release for King Crimson fans
The Tale of the Tapes: The sixteen concert recordings in this box fall into three basic types: one bootleg (an unofficial audience recording), ten board mixes (recordings of the sound sent to the PA system on the night) and five professional recordings (all by George Chkiantz from a mobile recording studio outside the venue). These last five concerts are presented in both conventional CD resolution and in Blu-Ray high resolution 192 khz. All have their merits and each has good claim to be the most "realistic".
The professional multi-track recordings offer the best audio quality. They were originally mixed in 1991 at the time of The Great Deceiver (although only selected parts were included in that box set). At the time, the various mixes were recorded both onto analogue half inch tape and into a Sadie computer system, one of the first digital editors, running on Windows 3.0. As Fripp wrote in his original liner notes: "Digital equipment remains in its infancy and computers crash - not if but when. Both formats have advantages - a properly balanced Ampex with Dolby SR is maybe unbeatable for a sweet, true sound. But with the amount of compiling on this project, let's hear it for digital assembly!" Given the huge advances in digital equipment since the early 1990s, I proposed in a rash unguarded moment that for this project we (or rather I) should return to the "properly balanced Ampex with Dolby SR" and recompile these mixes in super high resolution. I had somehow chosen to forget that the practice at the time, pre-automation, was to mix each section of each song three or four times and to then select and compile the best. And that Robert Fripp's acute interest in the stereo architecture of pieces meant that he would continuously reposition players. So we were faced with roughly two hundred separate mixes to be auditioned and recompiled, often trying to join segments with violently differing tonal qualities and musicians seemingly leaping around the stage. It became the work of months, not the days I had foolishly imagined.
I make no claim that the high resolution versions on the Blu-Ray are "better" than the original versions presented on the CDs. They are different, wider in their stereo image and brighter with extended high end (which, despite the trends of mastering engineers over many decades, is not necessarily better). The editing particularly in matters such as the audience links is however undoubtedly more faithful to the exact flow of the original concerts.
The ten "board mixes" presented different challenges. These were recorded each night by Peter Walmsley, the sound engineer, and faithfully capture the sound sent to the PA system. They are inevitably heavily biased towards the voice and drums, as the other instruments were already amplified onstage. DGM has become an unwilling world leader in the dark arts of audio necromancy, rescuing the semblance of a listenable concert from such unprepossessing starting points (not a life-skill any of us wanted or expected). In this instance, Peter Walmsley added an additional challenge through his habit of pausing the cassette machine between songs - frequently forgetting to switch it back on until just after the downbeat of the next piece. Where audience links existed, we have kept them, where they were missing, we have recreated them to maintain continuity. The music is, however, with the exception of those odd errant downbeats, exactly as it was played. In just one instance (the Talking Drum on the 7th June) we have completed the performance by inserting a section from the night before. As such fabrication is a mortal sin to lovers of authenticity, we have PQ'd the inserted section, so that purists can take the bumpy road and bypass it.
The recording of the final concert from Central Park on July 1st is of unknown provenance. It seems too well-balanced to be the usual illicit cassette player smuggled into the venue, and yet the presence of chatter during one of the pieces shows that neither is it a properly mixed recording. Possibly it is a bootleg recorded on a pair of microphones over the stage. The audience links jump around (as does one section of Fracture), but in its way, it is possibly the closest to the actual sound of a venue. It is significant in that it captures the last live performance of this line-up. Concert recordings are frequently incomplete (lovers of The Great Deceiver box set will recall The Law of Maximum Distress Parts 1&2, where a section was missing from the middle of the improvisation). In the unusual case of Fort Worth on 6th June, we had two recordings of the same night, one being a board recording and the other an audience bootleg, and we were able to accurately complete the performance by flying in the missing opening and closing sections from that alternative source. Sadly, that is not often possible. Where songs are obviously incomplete and either leap in half way through, or cut off before the end, they have been marked with an asterisk, so that it is clear this is not a CD error, but a failure of some poor tape operator or his machine at the time.
David Singleton, DGMHQ August 2013


Disc 1: April 28, 1974
Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Columbus, OH
1 The Great Deceiver *
2 Lament
3 Improv I
4 Exiles
5 Fracture
6 Easy Money
7 Improv II
8 The Night Watch
9 RF Announcement
* incomplete recording
Disc 1 taken from a band cassette soundboard recording. Audio restored at DGM by David Singleton and Alex R Mundy. Previously available as a download only from www.dgmlive.com (2007)


Disc 2 & 3: April 29, 1974
Stanley Warner Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
1 Walk On: No Pussyfooting (tape; Fripp/Eno)
2 The Great Deceiver
3 Lament
4 Improv: Bartley Butsford
5 Exiles
6 Fracture
7 Easy Money
8 Improv: Daniel Dust
9 The Night Watch
---

1 Doctor Diamond
2 Starless
3 Improv: Wilton Carpet
4 The Talking Drum
5 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
6 21st Century Schizoid Man
Disc 2 & 3 mixed by Robert Fripp, Tony Arnold and David Singleton at the Courthouse, Cranborne, Dorset. Previously released in part on "The Great Deceiver"(1992). Selected tracks previously available as a download from www.dgmlive.com (2009)


Disc 4: June 5, 1974
Hofheinz Pavilion, Houston, TX
1 The Great Deceiver *
2 Lament
3 Improv
4 Exiles
5 Fracture
6 Starless
7 The Talking Drum
8 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II) *
* incomplete recording Disc 4 taken from a band cassette soundboard recording. Audio restored at DGM by David Singleton and Alex R Mundy. Previously unreleased.


Disc 5 June 6, 1974
Tarrant County Convention Centre, Fort Worth, TX
1 Walk On: No Pussyfooting
2 Easy Money
3 Lament
4 Fracture
5 Improv
6 The Talking Drum
7 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
8 21st Century Schizoid Man
Disc 5 taken from a band cassette soundboard and audience bootleg cassette recording. Audio restored at DGM by David Singleton and Alex R Mundy Previously available as a download only from www.dgmlive.com (2010)


Disc 6: June 7, 1974
Fairground Arena, Oklahoma City, OK
1 The Great Deceiver *
2 Lament
3 Improv I
4 Exiles
5 Fracture
6 Starless
7 Improv II
8 The Talking Drum *
9 The Talking Drum insert **
10 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II) *
* incomplete recording
Disc 6 taken from a band cassette soundboard recording. **To maintain continuity a missing section of Talking Drum & LTIA has been added from Forth Worth, June 6th. Audio restored at DGM by David Singleton and Alex R Mundy. Previously available as a download only from www.dgmlive.com (2010)


Disc 7: June 8, 1974
Civil Auditorium, El Paso, TX
1 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II) *
2 Lament
3 Improv I
4 Exiles
5 Easy Money
6 Fracture
7 RF Announcement
8 Starless (Part I) *
9 Starless (Part II) *
* incomplete recording Disc 7 taken from a band cassette soundboard recording. Audio restored at DGM by David Singleton and Alex R Mundy. Previously unreleased.


Disc 8: June 16, 1974
Coliseum, Denver, CO
1 The Great Deceiver
2 Lament
3 Exiles
4 Easy Money
5 Starless
6 The Talking Drum *
* incomplete recording Disc 8 taken from a band cassette soundboard recording. Audio restored at DGM by David Singleton and Alex R Mundy. Previously unreleased.


Disc 9: June 22, 1974
Performing Arts Centre, Milwaukee, WI
1 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II) *
2 Lament
3 Improv I
4 Exiles
5 Improv II
6 The Night Watch
7 Starless
* incomplete recording Disc 9 taken from a band cassette soundboard recording. Audio restored at DGM by David Singleton and Alex R Mundy. Previously available as a download only from www.dgmlive.com (2012)


Disc 10: June 23, 1974
Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, MI
1 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II) *
2 Lament
3 Improv I
4 Exiles
5 Easy Money *
6 Improv II
7 Great Deceiver
8 Fracture
9 Starless
* incomplete recording Disc 10 taken from a band cassette soundboard recording. Audio restored at DGM by David Singleton and Alex R Mundy. Previously unreleased.


Disc 11 & 12: June 24, 1974
Massey Hall, Toronto, Ontario
1 Walk On: No Pussyfooting
2 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
3 Lament
4 Exiles
5 Improv: The Golden Walnut
6 The Night Watch
7 Fracture
---

1 Improv: Clueless And Slightly Slack
2 Easy Money
3 Starless
4 21st Century Schizoid Man
Disc 11 & 12 mixed by Robert Fripp, Tony Arnold and David Singleton at the Courthouse, Cranborne, Dorset. Previously released in part on "The Great Deceiver"(1992) and via mail order as part of King Crimson Collectors' Club series 45 (2011)


Disc 13: June 25, 1974
Convention Center, Quebec City, Quebec
1 21st Century Schizoid Man *
2 Lament
3 Improv I
4 Exiles
5 Easy Money
6 Improv II
7 Fracture
8 Starless *
* incomplete recording Disc 13 taken from a band cassette soundboard recording. Audio restored at DGM by David Singleton and Alex R Mundy. Previously available as a download only from www.dgmlive.com (2012)


Disc 14: June 27, 1974
Kennedy Centre, Washington, DC
1 Lament
2 Improv I
3 Exiles
4 Easy Money
5 Improv II
6 Fracture
7 Starless
Disc 14 taken from a band cassette soundboard recording. Audio restored at DGM by David Singleton and Alex R Mundy. Previously available as a download only from www.dgmlive.com (2006)


Disc 15: June 28, 1974
Casino Arena, Asbury Park, NJ
1 Walk On: No Pussyfooting*
2 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)*
3 Lament*
4 Exiles*
5 Improv: Asbury Park*
6 Easy Money -> *
7 Improv*
8 Fracture*
9 Starless*
10 21st Century Schizoid Man (earlier mix previously issued only on the 5-track 'Schizoid Man' CD Ep, 1996)
Disc 15 mixed by Robert Fripp, Tony Arnold and David Singleton at the Courthouse, Cranborne, Dorset. Previously unreleased. *Earlier mixes appeared on the 30th Anniversary USA CD


Disc 16: June 28, 1974
Casino Arena, Asbury Park, NJ
1 Walk On: No Pussyfooting*
2 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)*
3 Lament*
4 Exiles*
5 Improv: Asbury Park*
6 Easy Money ->*
7 Fracture*
8 Starless*
9 21st Century Schizoid Man (earlier mix previously issued only on the 5-track 'Schizoid Man' CD Ep, 1996)
Disc 16 mixed by Ronan Chris Murphy at DGM. Previously released on "The Collectable King Crimson Vol. 1"(2006) and available as a download from www.dgmlive.com (2005) *Earlier mixes appeared on the 30th Anniversary USA CD


Disc 17: June 29, 1974
Penn State University, University Park, PA
1 Walk On: No Pussyfooting
2 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
3 Lament
4 Exiles
5 Improv: Is There Life Out There?
6 Easy Money
7 Improv: It Is For You, But Not For Us
8 Fracture
9 Starless
Disc 17 mixed by Robert Fripp, Tony Arnold and David Singleton at the Courthouse, Cranborne, Dorset. Previously released in part on "The Great Deceiver"(1992). Selected tracks previously available as a download from www.dgmlive.com (2008)


Disc 18 & 19: June 30, 1974
Palace Theatre, Providence, RI
1 Walk On: No Pussyfooting
2 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
3 Lament
4 Exiles
5 Improv: A Voyage To The Centre Of The Cosmos
6 Easy Money
7 Improv: Providence
----

1 Fracture
2 Starless
3 21st Century Schizoid Man (appeared on USA with Eddie Jobson dubbed in for David Cross)
Disc 18 & 19 mixed by Robert Fripp, Tony Arnold and David Singleton at the Courthouse, Cranborne, Dorset. Previously released on "The Great Deceiver"(1992).


Disc 20: July 1, 1974
Central Park, New York, NY
1 Walk On: No Pussyfooting
2 21st Century Schizoid Man
3 Lament
4 Improv
5 Exiles
6 Improv: Cerberus
7 Easy Money
8 Fracture *
9 Starless
10 The Talking Drum
11 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
* incomplete recording Disc 20 taken from a bootleg cassette recording. Audio restored at DGM by David Singleton and Alex R Mundy. Previously available via mail order as part of King Crimson Collectors' Club series 10 (2000)
Discs 1 - 20 above - audio restored at DGM SoundWorld February - August 2013.


Disc 21: Red (studio album) - 2013 Stereo Mix
1 Red
2 Fallen Angel
3 One More Red Nightmare
4 Providence
5 Starless
Produced & mixed from the original multi-track tapes by Steven Wilson & Robert Fripp

Disc 22 - DVD
AUDIO CONTENT
LPCM Stereo (24/96)
Casino Arena, Asbury Park, NJ
2013 Mix
1 Walk On: No Pussyfooting
2 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
3 Lament
4 Exiles
5 Improv: Asbury Park
6 Easy Money
7 Improv
8 Fracture
9 Starless
10 21st Century Schizoid Man
LPCM Stereo (24/48)
Casino Arena, Asbury Park, NJ
2005 Mix
1 Walk On: No Pussyfooting
2 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
3 Lament
4 Exiles
5 Improv: Asbury Park
6 Easy Money
7 Fracture
8 Starless
9 21st Century Schizoid Man
LPCM Stereo (24/48)
USA
30th Anniversary Remaster
1 Walk On: No Pussyfooting
2 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
3 Lament
4 Exiles
5 Improv: Asbury Park
6 Easy Money
7 21st Century Schizoid Man (from Providence RI show, but with Eddie Jobson dubbed in for David Cross)
8 Fracture
9 Starless
LPCM Stereo (24/96)
USA
Original UK Vinyl Transfer
1 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
2 Lament
3 Exiles
4 Asbury Park
5 Easy Money
6 21st Century Schizoid Man (from Providence RI show, but with Eddie Jobson dubbed in for David Cross)


Disc 23 - Blu-Ray Disc 1
AUDIO CONTENT LPCM Stereo (24/192)
Stanley Warner Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA
1 Walk On: No Pussyfooting
2 The Great Deceiver
3 Lament
4 Improv: Bartley Butsford
5 Exiles
6 Fracture
7 Easy Money
8 Improv: Daniel Dust
9 The Night Watch
10 Doctor Diamond
11 Starless
12 Improv: Wilton Carpet
13 The Talking Drum
14 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
15 21st Century Schizoid Man
Massey Hall, Toronto, Ontario
1 Walk On: No Pussyfooting
2 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
3 Lament
4 Exiles
5 Improv: The Golden Walnut
6 The Night Watch
7 Fracture
8 Improv: Clueless And Slightly Slack
9 Easy Money
10 Starless
11 21st Century Schizoid Man
Penn State University, University Park, PA
1 Walk On: No Pussyfooting
2 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
3 Lament
4 Exiles
5 Improv: Is There Life Out There?
6 Easy Money
7 Improv: It Is For You, But Not For Us
8 Fracture
9 Starless
Palace Theatre, Providence, RI
1 Walk On: No Pussyfooting
2 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
3 Lament
4 Exiles
5 Improv: A Voyage To The Centre Of The Cosmos
6 Easy Money
7 Improv: Providence
8 Fracture
9 Starless
10 21st Century Schizoid Man


Disc 24 - Blu-Ray Disc 2
AUDIO CONTENT
LPCM Stereo (24/192)
Casino Arena, Asbury Park, NJ
2013 Mix
1 Walk On: No Pussyfooting
2 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
3 Lament
4 Exiles
5 Improv: Asbury Park
6 Easy Money
7 Improv
8 Fracture
9 Starless
10 21st Century Schizoid Man
LPCM Stereo (24/48)
Casino Arena, Asbury Park, NJ
2005 Mix
1 Walk On: No Pussyfooting
2 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
3 Lament
4 Exiles
5 Improv: Asbury Park
6 Easy Money
7 Fracture
8 Starless
9 21st Century Schizoid Man
LPCM Stereo (24/96)
USA
30th Anniversary Remaster
1 Walk On: No Pussyfooting
2 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
3 Lament
4 Exiles
5 Improv: Asbury Park
6 Easy Money
7 21st Century Schizoid Man (from Providence RI show, but with Eddie Jobson dubbed in for David Cross)
8 Fracture
9 Starless
USA
Original UK Vinyl Transfer
1 Larks' Tongues In Aspic (Part II)
2 Lament
3 Exiles
4 Asbury Park
5 Easy Money
6 21st Century Schizoid Man (from Providence RI show, but with Eddie Jobson dubbed in for David Cross)
DTS-HD Master Surround
LPCM 5.1 Surround
Red
The 2009 Surround Mix
1 Red
2 Fallen Angel
3 One More Red Nightmare
4 Providence
5 Starless
Bonus studio track
1 Fallen Angel Trio Version (instrumental)
Bonus live tracks
1 Providence
2 A Voyage To The Centre Of The Cosmos
LPCM Stereo (24/96)
Red
30th Anniversary Remaster
1 Red
2 Fallen Angel
3 One More Red Nightmare
4 Providence
5 Starless
Red
2013 Stereo Mix
1 Red
2 Fallen Angel
3 One More Red Nightmare
4 Providence
5 Starless
Bonus studio tracks
1 Red Trio Version
2 Fallen Angel Trio Version (instrumental)

24 Disc (21 CD + DVD + 2 BLU-RAY DISC + BOOK) Boxed Set for $210 Pre-Order Price [after Nov 5th will be $225]


And, YES! EVERYONE who pre-orders this new KC Box from us and receives confirmation in advance WILL DEFINITELY be sent one - both the label and its U.S. distributor have made an Iron-Clad Promise!


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Three New Ones from Tzadik!

SUPHALA With MAZZ SWIFT/AMIR ELSAFFAR/VIJAY IYER/BILL LASWELL et al - Alien Ancestry (Tzadik 7729; USA) Suphala is one of the most creative and innovative musicians in Indian music. A student of Ustad Allarakha and Ustad Zakir Hussain, she has performed with many of the greatest names in Indian Classical music as well as pop musicians like Norah Jones, Sean Lennon and Vernon Reid. Her work reflects a diverse background and touches upon jazz, pop, soul, Western and Indian Classical music and more. This CD is a fascinating collection of grooves, compositions and improvisations with some of her most illustrious collaborators and features a fabulous remix by Downtown legend Bill Laswell! TZADIK ORACLES SERIES
"Featuring Suphala on tablas, sonic effects & compositions, Mazz Swift on violin, Hadi Elderbek on oud, Amir ElSaffar on trumpet, Kinan Azmeh on clarinet, John Hadfield & Matt Kilmer on ethnic percussion, Vijay Iyer on piano & remix, Jose James on voice and Bill Laswell - alien translation. Although female tabla players are certainly a rarity, this seems to be the third disc Suphala. Suphala has already worked with vocalists Norah Jones, Sean Lennon and Edie Brickell, as well as collaborating with Bill Laswell and Vernon Reid. Suphala studied with tabla masters Ustad Zakir Hussain and Ustad Allarakha, but this is not classical Indian music by any means. This disc is a superb blend of varied cultures, styles and genres with Suphala's crafty tablas at the center. Each piece is trance-like with Suphala's tablas providing a special rhythmic/melodic core that rings true throughout. Each piece has a different groove which evokes a different culture or vibe. Iraqi trumpeter Amir ElSaffar plays with an assured yet somber elegance on two tracks as does clarinetist Kinan Azmeh. Suphala is joined by two other percussionists, Matt Kilmer on frame drum and John Hadfield on cajon & garhand, on several tracks, in which the two or three musicians play some hypnotic interlocking rhythms. At times I am reminded of Laswell's 'Tabla Beat Science' project but perhaps less dense. The one long track that Mr. Laswell "translates" (adding his magical sonic spice) is last and is a mesmerizing conclusion to an already excellent release. The production is consistently superb, perfectly balanced and occasionally sublime." - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

MARCO CAPPELLI ACOUSTIC TRIO With KEN FILIANO/SATOSHI TAKEISHI - Le Stagioni Del Commissario Ricciardi (Tzadik 7644; USA) A musician of remarkable skills and versatility, Marco has been a vital member of the Downtown scene since 2004. This exciting trio project inspired by the popular crime novels of Maurizio de Giovanni brilliantly synthesizes minimalism, jazz, Italian folk music, contemporary classical, film soundtracks and more into a dramatic and evocative new music. Featuring two of the most talented and original musicians in the downtown scene: Ken Filiano and Satoshi Takeishi, this is a fantastically imaginative program of music filled with catchy melodies, fiery solos, unusual textures, virtuosity, humor and more. TZADIK KEY SERIES
"This is the second disc this week to feature an acoustic guitarist as the leader. The other new disc is led by Sean Moran and both are outstanding! Italian guitarist, Marco Cappelli, is a gifted musician, each of his previous four projects have been completely different. From modern classical compositions written by Downtown's best to surf music inspired by Spaghetti Western soundtracks to jamming with members of Area (legendary Italian prog from the seventies), Mr. Cappelli is not bound by any one style. For this disc, Cappelli has put together a dynamic acoustic trio with contrabass great Ken Filiano and diverse percussionist Satoshi Takeishi, who often sits on the floor blending several percussive streams. Although the music on this disc has been inspired by the crime novels of Maurizio de Giovanni, it remains in between established categories as far as any style. This trio is tight and can stop on a dime as they shift through difficult changes effortlessly. At times I am reminded of Ralph Towner backed by Glenn Moore (bass) and Collin Walcott (tablas), from one of those great seventies ECM records, no easy feat. The pieces sound mostly written as far as the themes with ample room for inspired solos from all three members. Besides being an amazing guitarist, Cappelli has become an even better composer as each of these pieces show. His arranging keeps the trio on its toes throughout navigating an ever-evolving series of compelling songs, each one better than the previous one. This batch of Tzadik discs is the best one in recent memory!" - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

MEREDITH MONK - Solo Concert 1980 [DVD] (Tzadik 3014; USA) This DVD presents a rare and powerful solo performance by one of the most important and original artists in the world. Recorded in 1980 at a studio out on Long Island, Meredith is in full voice, relaxed and creatively inspired by a small audience of Monk cogniscenti. Recorded with a 3-camera shoot and then put on the shelf, Tzadik is proud to present the first release of this astonishing virtuoso solo performance. Featuring acappella compositions as well as pieces where she accompanies herself on the piano, this is an intimate view of this remarkable and sensitive Renaissance woman. TZADIK DVD SERIES
DVD $23


GARY LUCAS - Cinefantastique (Northern Spy 043; USA) This is an amazing solo guitars offering that has been a long time in coming. Mr. Lucas has been one Downtown's must exciting and creative guitarists for more than two decades, often playing solo guitar(s) performances that always knock his audiences out. Lucas has also been a longtime film fanatic who went on to play live and recorded soundtrack music for many flicks throughout his long career. 'The Golem', 'The Edge of Heaven' which was inspired by female Chinese singers/actresses and more recently: Federico Garcia Lorca's "La Casa de Bernarda Alba" are just a few of the soundtracks that Lucas has provided music for.
For this fabulous disc, Mr. Lucas takes us on a journey around the world and through time, playing the music of sixteen film, TV and cartoon composers, from 1919 to 2001. He selectively chooses composers both well known: Burt Bacharach, Richard Rogers, George Gershwin & Nina Rota to lesser knowns. Mr. Lucas composed a couple of these pieces himself and the entire disc fits together into a compelling mosaic. What I dig most about this disc is that it uses the same magic: which great soundtracks utilize by sneaking into our memories, no matter how good or bad a certain film is and painting a picture in our minds. Listening to Gary perform each of these songs evokes a kaleidoscope memories and feelings. Mr. Lucas plays both acoustic and electric guitars, with and without devices, just what is needed for each piece. It doesn't matter if I've seen the films or have heard any of these songs before, each one has a way of transporting us somewhere else. This disc is some 76+ minutes long and by the end I did feel as if I had been around the world (in 80 days), which is of course the name of the final song here. 'Cinefantastique' is a wonderful treasure chest of superb cinematic jewels. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13


New on Pi!

AMIR ElSAFFAR With OLI MATHISON/JOHN ESCREET/FRANCOIS MOUTIN/DAN WEISS - Alchemy (Pi 51; USA) Featuring Amir ElSaffar on trumpet & compositions, Ole Mathisen on tenor & soprano (?) sax, John Escreet on piano, Francois Moutin on bass and Dan Weiss on drums. This is Iraqi composer and trumpeter, Amir ElSaffar's fourth disc as a leader and again he has expanded his vision with two more suites. Every disc I've heard from Mr. Saffar has been marvelous, you can tell he has put a great deal of thought and work into each one. I know of all of the musicians here from previous projects and recently heard Mr. Escreet with Evan Parker. The saxist, Mr. Mathison, is the only I don't know so well although I have noticed his name at an upcoming gig at Shapeshifter, as well as playing on a previous disc by Mr. ElSaffar. All three members of the rhythm section are leaders on their own as is Mr. Escreet. The ubiquitous drummer & tabla player Dan Weiss seems to appear on more discs than most percussionists in NY. The "Ishtarum Suite" is a magnificent opening work, three parts and 24 minutes in length. The music has a majestic quality and reminds me of film music for an epic adventure movie of yesteryear. What I dig most about this suite is that it is moderately paced so that each soloist takes their time to build into thoughtful conclusions. So the trumpet, tenor sax and piano each take superb story-like solos. What this reminds me of is one of those classic Blue Note albums from late sixties where everything lines up perfectly with the usual Blue Note all-star quintet instrumentation. "The Alchemy Suite" is next and it is another moderate tempo yet majestic epic-length work. Again, the solos are strong, long and winding and well-paced. Both the mature writing and playing here is often sublime and dream-like at times, haunting and hypnotic in part. On the last part of this suite, "Five Phases", Amir has the trumpet and soprano play these intricate spiraling lines together, shadowing each other just slightly off the mark while Mr. Escreet adds quick lines of notes underneath to both enhance and break up the flow or current at the same time. If any disc I've reviewed this month deserves 4 or 5 stars in Downbeat magazine, this is the one! Outstanding on all counts! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15

also available..

AMIR ElSAFFAR TWO RIVERS ENSEMBLE With OLI MATHISON/ZAFER TAWIL/TAREQ ABBOUSHI/CARLO DeROSA/NASHEET WAITS - Inana (Pi 41; USA) Amir ElSaffar on trumpet, santour, vocals & composition, Ole Mathison on tenor & soprano sax, Zafer Tawil on oud & percussion, Tareq Abboushi on buzuq, Carlo DeRosa on bass and Nasheet waits on drums. "The Inana Suite", named after the Sumerian goddess of love and warfare.
CD $15

AMIR ElSAFFAR TWO RIVERS ENSEMBLE With RUDRESH MAHANTHAPPA/ZAFER TAWIL/TAREQ ABBOUSHI/CARLO DeROSA/NASHEET WAITS - Two Rivers (Pi 24; USA) Amir ElSaffar on trumpet, santoor & vocals, Rudresh Mahathappa on alto sax, Zafer Tawil on violin, oud & dumbek, Tareq Abboushi on buzuq & frame drum, Carlo DeRosa on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums. "Two Rivers Suite", which "invokes the Tigris and Euphates (Rivers), whose floods were the forces of creation and destruction in the world's first cities." This music is "meant to recall Iraq's history, both glorious and tragic".
CD $15

AMIR ElSAFFAR & HAFEZ MODIRZADEH With MARK DRESSER/ALEX CLINE - Radif Suite (Pi 32; USA) Amir ElSaffar on trumpet and Hafez Modirzadeh on tenor sax, Mark Dresser on contrabass and Alex Cline on drums. The CD is a cross-cultural exchange between the Iraqi maqam, the Persian dastgah, and American jazz.
CD $15

HAFEZ MODIRZADEH With AMIR ElSAFFAR/VIJAY IYER/KEN FILIANO/ROYAL HARTIGAN et al - Post-Chromodal Out! (Pi 44; USA) Hafez Modirzadeh on sax, Amir ElSaffar on trumpet, Vijay Iyer on piano, Ken Filiano on bass and Royal Hartigan on drums. with guest artists Danongan Kalanduyan on the Filipino kulintang, Faraz Minooei on santur and Timothy Volpicella on electric guitar.
The post-chromodal concepts were first put into practice by Modirzadeh with Iraqi-American trumpeter Amir ElSaffar in their co-led project Radif Suite (Pi 32), which the New York Times called "scintillating.. a radical cultural exchange" and "thick with ideas and inspiration" by the Los Angeles Times. Here, as on Radif, Modirzadeh and ElSaffar utilize extended technique to achieve intervals between major and minor. Through the use of alternate fingerings and changes in embouchure, they are able to subtly manipulate pitch, allowing them to break free of the boundaries of equal temperament into new tonal orientation.
CD $15


New from ESP:

THE EAST VILLAGE OTHER [V.A.] - The Electric Newspaper Collage: Expanded Edition (ESP 1034; USA) Featuring Allen Ginsberg & Peter Orlovsky, Ed Sanders, Ishmael Reed, Yuli Kupferberg & Ken Weaver of the Fugs, Steve Weber of the Holy Modal Rounders, the Velvet Underground, Marion Brown/Scott Holt/Ron S. Jackson, Gerard Malanga, Andy Warhol and others. In August, 1966, a horde of East Villagers traveled uptown to RLA studio on West 65th Street, (later torn down to build Lincoln Center) to record an album which was intended to raise funds for the EAST VILLAGE OTHER, the underground newspaper. This is the first time this album has been reissued in its entirety. Although this is indicative of the times, it was and still is one of weirdest records in the ESP catalogue. Strange chanting, found sounds, poetry from former beat-nicks, feedback from the Velvet Underground and free jazz all blended into this bizarre electric newspaper. At this point, in 1966, only a couple of years after the Beatles & Byrds changed everything, did anyone other than the Mothers of Invention and the Fugs, have the nerve or chutzpah to unleash such a twisted vision of a troubled world. United mutations indeed! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12
The Electric Newspaper Collage: Expanded Edition Also available as LP for $18


Two new Fab releases from Jorge Sylvester!

JORGE SYLVESTER ACE COLLECTIVE With NORA McCARTHY/WALDRON MAHDI/PABLO VERGARA/DONALD NICKS - Spirit Driven [2 CD set] (unseenRainRecords 001; USA) Jorge Sylvester, alto saxophone, producer, arrangements; Nora McCarthy, vocals, producer, graphic design; Waldron Mahdi Ricks, trumpet; Pablo Vergara, acoustic piano; Donald Nicks, electric bass; Kenny Grohowski, drums.
Alto saxophonist Jorge Sylvester and singer Nora McCarthy have been collaborating musically for at least 12 years, and their collaboration continues to yield excellent results on Spirit Driven. This two-CD set (which contains about 87 minutes worth of music) underscores the unpredictable, risk-taking nature of the Jorge Sylvester ACE Collective, which includes not only Sylvester and McCarthy, but also, trumpeter Waldron Mahdi Ricks, pianist Pablo Vergara, electric bassist Donald Nicks and drummer Kenny Grohowski. The music ranges from avant-garde jazz to post-bop, and Sylvester's alto playing is soulful, heartfelt and convincing whether he is playing inside or outside. McCarthy's contributions to Spirit Driven are extensive. In addition to producing Spirit Driven with Sylvester, she wrote all of the lyrics and poetry. She also composed "The Light of Truth's High Noon Is Not for Tender Leaves," and did the arrangement on "To Be With You."Sylvester composed the bulk of the music on the CD-"Construction No.2" and "Paulina's Prayer" "Masouc," "Construction No.1," "Remember Haiti" and "Cycle of Life" by himself. On Spirit Driven, McCarthy's vocals can be divided into three main categories: (1) singing with lyrics, (2) wordless scat singing, and (3) spoken word poetry. And in all three, McCarthy has no problem getting her points across emotionally. It's easy to understand why this double-disc is titled Spirit Driven: the ACE Collective's performances have a very spiritual quality. That spiritual outlook is as evident on "Cycle of Life," "Masouc" and "Obeahman" as it is on "The Light of Truth's High Noon Is Not For Tender Leaves." The latter has a spirituality that recalls the late Abbey Lincoln, and McCarthy really soars with that Lincoln -ish mood. "Remember Haiti," one of the more avant garde offerings on Spirit Driven, is a gem. Sylvester and McCarthy wrote that piece in remembrance of the victims of the earthquake that devastated Port-Au-Prince, Haiti in January 2010, and McCarthy expresses herself with a combination of spoken word poetry and wordless scatting. One of the appealing things about Sylvester's albums is his ability to incorporate a variety of world music and make it all fit together. Sylvester, who is originally from Panama but now lives in New York City (also the home of Cleveland native McCarthy) has had no problem showing audiences the relationship between African, Caribbean and Latin music. And he does exactly that on the exuberant "Obeahman," which is full of world music vitality. Another one of Sylvester's strong points is his determination to be consistently musical no matter how outside a particular song might become."Masouc," "Remember Haiti" and"Construction No.2" are among the more outside offerings on Spirit Driven, yet all of those selections are quite musical. Some free jazz favors atonality for the sake of atonality: instead of venturing outside, the musicians stay outside. But that isn't the approach that Sylvester is going for on this album. Sylvester, even on the most abstract parts of this album, thrives on musicality, melody and composition. He also thrives on rhythm, savoring the rhythmic traditions of the Caribbean, Latin America and Africa while maintaining his improvisatory jazz focus. - Alex Henderson
2 CD set for $17

A SMALL DREAM IN RED [JORGE SYLVESTER/NORA McCARTHY] - The Language Of Dreams (Red Zen; USA) The musical relationship between alto saxophonist Jorge Sylvester and vocalist Nora McCarthy dates back12 years to their first performance as the duo A Small Dream in Red (which takes its name from the 1925 masterpiece by Russian abstract painter Wassily Kandinsky). Each is a complete and free thinking performer in their own right, but it's hard to deny that together they have developed a particularly powerful sense of interplay. This year, Sylvester and McCarthy are back as A Small Dream in Red, with a new record called In The Language Of Dreams, which they dedicate to both Kandinsky and Ornette Coleman, as "leaders of the avant garde movement". The 12-track, 70-minutealbum covers plenty of ground, including several diverse duo originals, two of Coleman's tunes (with poetry by McCarthy) and a decidedly trippy take on"April in Paris".
The album opener, an original called "Dizzy Bird",is a perfectly paced starting point, as Sylvester bounces nimbly through bop-tinged riffs and McCarthy pays lyrical homage to Coleman and the historical context of his innovations. Both performers are really in their element on Coleman's "The Blessing" and "The Sphynx", stretching out into abstract territory and channeling their spiritual perception of the alto saxophonist's forward-thinking messages while also maintaining their own confidently probing voices.Another original worth highlighting is the unsurprisingly loosely structured "Composition VIII", an especially minimalist free improvisation in which the pair beautifully explore longer held notes and more deliberately jarring choices in tonality. McCarthy returns as a compositional collaborator and performing member of Sylvester's Afro Caribbean Experimental (ACE) Collective, for that group's hefty two-disc, nine-track, 87-minute album Spirit Driven. The sextet - with includes trumpeter Waldron Mahdi Ricks, pianist Pablo Vergara, electric bassist Donald Nicks and drummer Kenny Grohowski - skips ably across the spectrum between ethereal free improv and tight, funky beats while often sticking with the typically dense harmonies of Sylvester and McCarthy's writing, as well as pursuing unexpected paths within the rhythmic terrain of Afro Caribbean traditions. Nicks and Grohowski form a particularly strong backbone on"Construction No. 2" and "Construction No. 1", which open the first and second discs, respectively. Both tunes are refreshingly accessible from an improvisational standpoint, beginning with relatively straight ahead grooves that gradually morph and reach farther outside the changes, with spontaneous yet/ swinging solos and McCarthy's strong vocal presence. Sylvester's somber tune "Paulina's Prayer" is a great addition, featuring sensitive ensemble playing and a moving solo by the leader, as well as some good mute work from Ricks.And the creative duo of Sylvester and McCarthy come to the forefront once more on "Remember Haiti", a jointly written and extremely inspired tune, which begins with chaos and coalesces into a unique verbal and aural documentation of the societal troubles faced by that nation.
CD $15


New on Israel's OutNow!

YONI KRETZMER 66 BOXES With DANIEL LEVIN/EYAL MAOZ/ANDREW DRURY - Graceless (OutNow 14; Israel) Featuring Yoni Kretzmer on tenor sax, Daniel Levin on cello, Eyal Maoz on guitar and Andrew Drury on drums. This is a new quartet, all of whom are bandleaders and collaborators with diverse resumes. Mr. Kretzmer runs this the Out Now label with three other discs out under his own name; the ever ambitious cellist Daniel Levin can be heard on more than two dozens discs from the Clean Feed & Hatology labels; guitar great Eyal Maoz has a couple of great discs on Tzadik as well as being a member of Shanir Blumenkranz's Abraxas and former Pacific Northwester Andrew Drury has worked with Jason Hwang, Jessica Lurie, Myra Melford and Frank Lacy. Mr. Kretzmer wrote or directed all of the pieces on this disc so it doesn't sound like a complete group improv, although there is an open-ended feeling to the proceedings. "Basement Song" starts out quietly but soon erupts into an intense, free-wheeling, group improv with all four members swirling together like a torrential storm until they settle back down to a more somber outro. Mr. Maoz is an usual (electric) guitarist who uses noise and fractured sounds in his own unique way. At times I am not so sure what he is doing or where he is going but then the music coalesces into a fuller picture which only then makes sense. It sounds as if Mr. Kretzmer has come up with just short skeletal fragments or themes in between episodes of free terrain, giving the quartet a chance to work in duos or trios at times before they sail into a tight, intense, solid quartet segment. Eventually brings into an over-the top post-surf, jazz-rock eruption which feels like a good release for any of the restraint shown earlier and then moving to a ghost-like quieter conclusion. "One One" starts off with Mr. Levin's ominous cello softly weeping while Mr. Drury bows or rubs a cymbal in an equally disorienting way. The tenor and guitar play a slow, eerie theme together throughout the rest of the piece adding an aura of forlorn introspection. Yoni has a gift for elusive yet fragile themes (played by one or two members of the quartet) which wind their way through a long piece while the other members add embellishments or punctuation in unexpected ways or at unlikely times. I especially like the way the last piece, has several lines evolving at the same time which slowly come together and connect in a shrewd way. This is one of those gems where you have to remember what disc you slipped into your CD player earlier since where you end up is not where you might think you will be. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

ALEX WEISS With EYAL MAOZ/MARK HODOS/DMITRY SHENKO/CHES SMITH/RICK PARKER - Fighter Planes & Praying Mantis (OutNow 12; Israel) This is a reissue of a CD that Alex Weiss previously released privately a few years back - now with nicer packaging! I caught this band live earlier this year at Bowery Electric and they were astounding in concert. Here's my review: Featuring: Alex Weiss on tenor & bari saxes, Eyal Maoz on electric guitar, Rick Parker on trombone, Mark Hodos on birimbau, Dmitry Ishenko on electric & acoustic basses and Ches Smith on drums. Over the past couple of years, I've caught John Tchicai's Ascension ensemble a handful of times live and they were wonderful each time. Fighter Planes & Praying Mantis includes three members of Ascension, Alex Weiss, Dmitry Ishenko & Ches Smith. While Ascension plays mostly original material, FP & PM perform music by hardcore/punk bands Black Flag & Minor Threat as well as one by Hank Williams!?! I've reviewed couple of avant-jazz discs from other projects by Alex Weiss but this is something completely different. The other name here you should be aware of is guitarist Eyal Maoz who has a couple of discs out on Tzadik and is a member of Shanir Blumenkranz's Abraxas. "Whale" opens with a powerful punk/jazz rocker which is not played too fast but still has that throbbing groove at center. As some of you may know, I went through a hardcore/punk loving phase in the mid-eighties and caught great bands like Dead Kennedys, Minutemen, Husker Du, Black Flag and DC's finest Minor Threat. I haven't listened that music in a while but I still appreciate its power and attitude. It seems odd at first but now makes some sense to hear some squealing sax & trombone blasting along to the melody of Black Flag's "You Last Affront". I dig the way Eyal's guitar playing bends notes in his own distinctive way giving this music some unexpected twists and turns. Alex Weiss composed about half of the songs here and blends strands of free jazz, punk and noise into a potent brew with occasional melodic riffs played by the trombone to help pull it all together. While the two horns play the warm melody to a standard called "Wonderful", Eyal turns the melody inside-out by playing a middle-eastern counter theme. I can't say that this disc sounds like anything else I've heard in along while, I will say that those with open minds should dig this unexpected breath of fresh air. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14

HANS TAMMEN/DENMAN MARONEY - Arson (OutNow 13; Israel) Featuring Denman Maroney on hyperpiano and Hans Tammen on endangered guitar & sound processing. Both of these men have long been involved with extended techniques on their respective instruments and hence, they take what they do seriously. It makes perfect sense that they would end up playing together since their experimentation comes from a similar area or spirit of exploration. I've caught both Denman and Hans in a variety of situations and always dig they way they are so focused on what they do, the results of which makes for some serious sounds and listening. Although this music is alien sounding, it seems to make sense in the way it is organized. Mr. Maroney is often playing two sounds at once: one inside the piano with an object as well as muting certain strings and playing on the keyboard. Mr. Tammen also manipulates both his and Maroney's sounds selective twisting certain sounds inside-out. Each piece seems to involve one mood or theme which is then explored by manipulating the sounds and then adding bits of electronic sounds all of which are connected in a thoughtful sonic tapestry. Often, Mr.Maroney lays back and plays those skeletal, music box-like melodies which adds an enchanting somewhat melodic oasis to the more dense or dark part of the short stories or overall journey. Although this disc is quite long (nearly 70 minutes), the balance is just right and I found myself captivated throughout its duration. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14


SEAN MORAN SMALL ELEPHANT BAND With MICHAEL McGINNIS/CHRIS DINGMAN/REUBEN RADDING/HARRIS EISENSTADT - Tusk (NCM East 40136; USA) The Small Elephant Band features Sean Moran on nylon string guitar & songs, Michael McGinnis on clarinets, Chris Dingman on vibes, Reuben Radding on acoustic bass and Harris Eisenstadt on drums. I reviewed a disc by a trio called Bassoon not too long ago who were a heavy metal-like power trio that I actually dug although I don't listen to very much other heavy music like it. It turns out that the guitarist that band is no other than Sean Moran who is also a member of the Four Bags and Bift as well as working with Federico Ughi. Once I heard this disc, it seems hard to believe it is the same guitarist who plays (nylon string) acoustic guitar only here. The rest of this fine quintet includes Mike McGinnis who is also a member of Four Bags and a leader of his own. No doubt you should recognize the names of Chris Dingman (solo effort from last year), Reuben Radding (too many sessions to mention) and Harris Eisenstadt (an equally ambitious leader & collaborator). This is an all-star Downtown quintet. Besides being a gifted acoustic guitarist, Mr. Moran is a superb composer of chamber jazz. He has put together an excellent quintet, each member integral to the unified sound. Over the past couple of years, I have been noticing the playing of reeds player Mike McGinnis more and more: with Rob Reddy recently as well as having a couple of new discs out under his own name. These pieces are complex and quirky, odd and distinctive without showing off. When any member (guitar, vibes & clarinet) solos, the rest of the quintet has to play these difficult lines as support. Although this music is mainly acoustic, it is closer to fusion or progressive jazz/rock than anything else. It takes a great deal of work to both compose and play these charts with those effortless sounding abilities. Who says that 'Third Stream Music" is dead or that it never truly combines the best of both worlds (jazz and classical)? Here is a perfect example of the best blend of several streams into a unified whole. Can't wait to see this unit live! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
[limited time price; normally $15]
CD $13


New on Canada's Songlines!

HARRIS EISENSTADT With NICOLE MITCHELL/SARA SCHOENBECK/MARK DRESSER - Golden State (Songlines 1602; EEC) "Toronto-born drummer, composer Harris Eisenstadt is headquartered in the fertile artistic environs of New York City, and each new release divulges his thirst for ingenuity. He's emerged as an important voice within progressive jazz circles while gathering the creme de la creme of artists to help support his visions. Thus, Golden State is a polyrhythmic presentation that unites jazz and an ultra-modern chamber perspective, featuring poll-winning flautist Nicole Mitchell, flute and bassoonist Sara Schoenbeck. Recorded in California, the album title refers to Eisenstadt's residency at CalArts in 2012 and other factors that led to this engagement. Eisenstadt's compositions are enacted with odd-metered pulses and regimented interactions. However, he affords the soloists plenty of room to improvise, sparking a loose, open-air vista that parallels the modern jazz aura. At times these pieces take on a maze-like impetus, engineered with false endings and subtle shifts in the dynamic. It's a fluid endeavor, but tightly structured as contrabass luminary Mark Dresser bass, acoustic tightly coordinates the rhythmic component with Eisenstadt but also harmonizes with the soloists, establishing polytonal contrasts. Interestingly enough, the flute and bassoon combo often spark a hybrid emotive sensibility residing somewhere between joy and lament. Yet "Dogmatic In Any Case" is designed with a peppery pulse and concise unison choruses. However, Eisenstadt frequently tweaks the rhythms throughout the program, laced with the soloists' alternating currents and sizzling breakouts. The quartet operates within an opaque space between classical, jazz and free-jazz type improvisation, but the drummer's firm odd-metered beats reinforce the structural aspects. They shift gears a bit on Dresser's arco driven ballad "Sandy," and the next track "Especially Preposterous Assertions" is launched by his walking lines, segueing into a medium-tempo swing motif. Moreover, the rhythm section speeds up the pace providing ammo for Mitchell's fluent and shrewd improvisational jaunts, integrated with a harmonious theme and Schoenbeck's Eric Dolphy-like attack. Golden State is an album that discloses newfound surprises on additional listens. Nevertheless, Eisenstadt's prolific compositional prowess continues to yield significant rewards. His flourishing discography expands into a broader realm with the advent of this first-class musical statement." - Glenn Astarita, All About Jazz
CD $15

GORDON GRDINA/MARK HELIAS/KENTON LOEWEN/TONY MALABY - No Difference (Songlines 1603; EEC) Featuring Gordon Grdina on oud, regular & bowed guitar, Tony Malaby on tenor sax, Mark Helias on double bass and Kenton Loewen on drums. This is a cross-cultural quartet with two members from Vancouver, BC (Grdina & Loewen) and two well-established Downtowners (Malaby & Helias). Mr. Grdina is a fine guitarist, oud player, composer and bandleader with more than a half dozen discs out. Drummer Loewen has worked with Grdina on several previous discs. Mr. Grdina is difficult to pin down stylistically since every disc he has done is so different. He also chooses to utilize the talents international players like Mats Gustafsson, Gary Peacock and Paul Motian, on earlier discs.
This disc was recorded in a studio in Hoboken, NJ as well as live at Shapeshifter in Brooklyn, NY. Mr. Grdina composed all of the pieces on this disc and once more any sort of style or pigeonhole remains elusive. Grdina has a wonderful quartet called Sangha, which is an acoustic, middle-eastern sounding unit. He plays just oud in this group. Hence, when Mr. Grdina plays the oud, whatever group he is in has gets sound. "Hope in Being" opens this disc with Gordon on oud and Helias on contrabass. Mr. Helias is one of Downtown's finest and most reliable bassists. This duo plays the first piece by themselves, effortlessly playing their tight, complex lines together. Quite an auspicious introduction. Once again the interplay between Grdina's guitar and Helias' bass is extraordinary on "Limbo" with inspired solos from both masters. "The Throes" is more of a fine slow-burning, electric jazz guitar quartet piece with some smoky, laid back tenor from Mr. Malaby and strong solos from the guitar and tenor. "Fast Times" is another duo piece for oud and acoustic bass and again the duo play incredible well, completing each other's lines with craft and grace. "Nayeli Joon" is yet another duo but this time it is el. guitar and contrabass and again this duo plays incredibly well together. On "Cluster" it sounds as if Grdina has overdubbed oud and bowed guitar together with Helias equally eerie bowed bass which makes for a mesmerizing concoction. Saxist Malaby appears on just a couple of these tracks adding his restrained yet still eruptive tone to the proceedings when you least expect him to appear. The majority of these pieces are duo efforts with Gordon Grdina and Mark Helias and each one of them is excellent! The other pieces are equally engaging in their own way. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15


SCOTT NEUMANN NEU3 TRIO With MICHAEL BLAKE/MARK HELIAS - Blessed (Origin 82645; USA) As it is written, in the end we will all stand naked before our God. Be it Yahweh, Gitchi Manitou, Sam Walton or, in drummer Scott Neumann's case, Elvin Jones, there is no time better than right now to make preparations. His bags get packed to meet the his maker on Blessed. The denuded state can be referred to, in musical terms, as his stripped-down saxophone/bass/drums trio with saxophonist Michael Blake (who also plays melodica) and bassist Mark Helias. All the requirements are met for a post-bop ceremony. Neumann, who has played with everyone from Woody Herman's big band to Jazz Mandolin Project and Brother Jack McDuff, penned eight of the set's ten tracks. His loose, open style favors hip swing and catchy melodies; and it doesn't hurt that he can unbutton each tune with the assurance of Helias' rock-solid timekeeping. Blake's horns fit nicely into Neu3 Trio's open platform. On "Ebb And Flow," the Ed Blackwell/Old And New Dreams dedication piece, maintains that New Orleans/post-Ornette Coleman Quartet sound that isat-once unconfined but also built upon its intrinsic swing. Blake, a master of outside playing, always ties loose ends up into coherent statements. He plays with bits of Rahsaan Roland Kirk's sound on Roswell Rudd's "Keep You Heart Right," vocalizing through his tenor and spilling bluesy notes. He switches to soprano for a couple songs: "Ama Dablam," which opens with a modest drum solo before soaring with an Eastern edge; and "Hymn For boB," featuring Helias as cantor, commanding the piece by casting chest reverberations over the brush work of Neumann and Blake's high notes. Neumann's pieces range from the tarantella-inspired "Garbanzo," with Blake playing melodica, the Sonny Rollins-inspired bebop of "Blessed" and the funky/folk bluegrass muster, "The Syracusian," that shuffles Americana from the bayou to the Northeast Appalachian Mountains. With Blessed, Neumann's trio makes a worthy pilgrimage to the jazz holy land. - Mark Corroto, AAJ
"Reminds me of a great trio record by Bennie Wallace, Big Jim's Tango, with Dave Holland and Elvin Jones - this is great as well!" - BLG
CD $15


KEEFE JACKSON'S LIKELY SO With MARS WILLIAMS/WACLAW ZIMPEL/MARC STUCKI/PETER A SCHMID/DAVE REMPIS/THOMAS K J MEJER - A Round Goal (Delmark DE 5009; USA) Likely So is a seven piece sax ensemble of Chicago and Polish musicians featuring: Keefe Jackson on tenor sax, bass clarinet & compositions, Mars Williams on alto, soprano & sopranino saxes, Dave Rempis alto & bari saxes, Waclaw Zimpel on clarinets, Peter Schmid on bari, bass & sopranino saxes & clarinets, Marc Stucki on tenor sax, bass clarinet & harmonium and Thomas KJ Mejer on contrabass & sopranino saxes. Sax quartets have become more common since the seventies when the World Sax & Rova Sax Quartets formed. Larger sax ensembles are much more rare occurrence with Odean Pope's Sax Choir being one of the few ongoing units. This disc was recorded live at the Jazzwerkstatt Festival in Switzerland in February of this year (2013). Polish reeds wiz, Waclaw Zimpel, has already recorded with Ken Vandermark in the Resonance Ensemble as well as with Bobby Few and Perry Robinson in a project called Undivided. Keefe Jackson is one the most ambitious players from Chicago and can be heard on nearly two dozen discs over the past decade. The other three European players are Swiss with Peter Schmid being the one I've heard before with Evan Parker, Ned Rothenberg and Vinny Golia.
Mr. Jackson has done a momentous job of writing for and directing this unique ensemble. "Overture" is aptly first and I love the way the different reeds are scored in harmonious yet thorny layers. From sopraninos down to bass & contrabass saxes, the sound is rich, well-balanced. There are two fine solo sax pieces (by Mr Jackson & Mr. Rempis) which bridge the larger ensemble pieces and both are great! I am not so sure who is soloing on many of these pieces but the writing and playing is consistently fascinating and well conceived. There is a piece called "Pastorale" which is actually laid-back with some tasty harmonies for the various clarinets. Composing for reeds only is much differently than writing for a band with a rhythm section so Mr. Jackson must be more adventurous have the different reeds doing different roles, stretching the time and concentrating on the various layers of lines with occasional solos. At times I am reminded of Rova who are a sax quartet that has been around for more than three decades, using guest saxists on occasion and expanding their palette with an ever-evolving array of diverse arrangements. There is an an amazing solo on the title track by Mars Williams that is something entirely. It is just one of the delights of this consistently engaging treasure chest. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15


DKV TRIO [HAMID DRAKE/KENT KESSLER/KEN VANDERMARK] + MATS GUSTAFSSON/PAAL NILSSON LOVE/MASSIMO PUPILLO - Schl8hof (Trost 125; EEC) Trost presents Chicago's premier live band, DKV Trio: Hamid Drake (drums), Kent Kessler (bass) and Ken Vandermark (clarinet and tenor sax), plus Mats Gustafsson (tenor and baritone sax), Paal Nilssen-Love (drums), and Massimo Pupillo (electric bass).
CD $17
also available as LP for $24


JESSICA JONES & CONNIE CROTHERS - Live At The Freight: New Jazz At The Legendary Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse (New Artists 1056; USA) Featuring Jessica Jones on tenor sax and Connie Crothers on piano. This disc was recorded live at the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse in Berkeley, CA in August of 2011. Both of these women spent a great deal of time in California before moving to New York and hence they returned to play a special date at a legendary coffee house in Berkeley. There is an obvious bond between these two women with Ms. Crothers (moved here in the sixties) and Ms. Jones (who moved here in the nineties) being a few generations apart. Although both of these musicians lead bands, they also like to collaborate with a wide variety of great musicians: Crothers works with Jemeel Moondoc, Max Roach and Lenny Popkin, while Mr. Jones has worked with Don Cherry, Steve Coleman and Cecil Taylor. This set consists of a few standards, an original by Ms. Jones and three improv pieces. Starting with a standard, "All the Things You Are", the duo plays the theme reverently but soon takes off. Both women play with elegance and grace, adding a sublime sparkle to this old chestnut but slowly take it further out, bit by bit. While Jessica plays the theme with a fine, warm tone tone on her tenor, Connie adds several waves underneath keeping things a bit off balance. The three improv pieces here are where these women go further out, pushing each other in different directions and taking chances where it ends up. Each one is captivating in its own way. Duke Ellington's lovely "In a Sentimental Mood" starts out tenderly and is slowly deconstructed, simmering at first and then wandering through the clouds, like slow moving skeletons. Haunting and quite lovely as well. "There Will Never Be Another You" is also done a certain sublime lyricism that is touching while slowly becoming freer as it evolves. This is a marvelous duo playing at their best. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13


RADHIKA PHILIP - Being Here: Conversations on Creating Music (Radhio.org; USA) 461 page Book. This is an excellent book featuring relatively short (20+ pages) interviews with 25 Downtown and/or New York-based modern jazz musicians, composers and bandleaders. Here's a partial list: Bill Frisell, Butch Morris, Henry Threadgill, William Parker, Steve Coleman, Dafnis Prieto, Dave Douglas, Uri Caine, Vijay Iyer, Greg Osby, Brian Blade, Billy Hart, Maria Schneider, David Binney, Ben Monder, Chris Potter, Jason Moran, Kenny Wollesen, Mark Turner, Jane Ira Bloom, Andy Bey and Robert Glasper. Ms. Philip has done a fine job of getting a solid assortment of New York's finest musicians to talk about their inspiration, how they create music, choose musicians and reality of surviving in an often hostile or at least uncaring environment. Every interview, no matter if I was interested in that person's music or not, had something interesting to offer. I love books written by obvious fans who are articulate and help to give a new perspective to the way we see or hear the music we care about. Outside of a few misspelled names, like Steve Joerg from Aum Fidelity, this is an impressive first offering.
[ltd time price; normally $30]
BOOK $25


ERIK FRIEDLANDER With SYLVIE COURVOISIER/IKUE MORI - Claws & Wings (Skipstone 16; USA) "Featuring Erik Friedlander on cello & compositions, Ikue Mori on laptop and Sylvie Couvoisier piano & spinet. I went to the CD release set for this disc last night (10/16/13) at The Stone and was deeply moved by the music. Mr. Friedlander lost his wife Lynn to cancer in November of 2011 and shortly thereafter had a bicycle accident which put him out of commission for three months. These were tough times for him and his daughter but Erik decided to take his grief, pain and introspection and try to put it into something else constructive. This music is the result and it is something special. I've caught this trio before as a unit as well as part of a larger group of improvisers and their improvisations are always marvelous. The music is mostly written or directed and has a different sound. It is often stripped down, bare, sad and quite lovely. Ms. Mori plays laptop computer and it a gifted improviser who knows how to add mystery and unexpected changes in direction into the flow. Here, she is at her most subtle, often just adding subtle shades and electronic shadows. The trio play what sounds like their own type of chamber in a skeletal way making each note count. Both Ms. Courvoisier and Mr. Friedlander play with the utmost delicacy and grace. The music is elegant without any excess sentimentality. Friedlander is a master of the pizzicato (plucking technique) and here balances perfectly between plucking and bowing the strings. Sylvie is also a master of playing inside the piano, muting certain notes and putting masking tape on the strings. Here she does this very selectively, just enhancing an occasional note of phrase. The music here is more melodic than much of Friedlander's usual far out improvisations with short bursts of sly punctuation. It sounds as if Mr. Friedlander has chosen the perfect trio to bring his music to sharp focus. There are a few themes or melodies that occur from time to time adding a unifying structure to this wonderful work. Sylvie plays some spinet (harpsichord-like sound) which adds to the overall charm when it appears, giving it a more ancient ghostlike sound. This is a landmark disc for Erik Friedlander and his trusty trio, completely different from anything else he has done." - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12


STEVE LUGERNER With DARREN JOHNSTON/MYRA MELFORD/MATT WILSON - For We Have Heard (NoBusiness/Primary 13; USA) "Featuring Steven Lugerner on double reeds, clarinets, flutes, saxes & compositions, Darren Johnston on trumpet, Myra Melford on piano and Matt Wilson on drums. Mr. Lugerner is a New York City-based musician who plays in two lesser-known local bands, the Chives and Killer Bob, both of whom I dig and whose discs I've reviewed. This is Mr. Lugerner's second disc as a leader and it is based on the Book of Joshua from the Torah (the central concept or written word in Judaism). The quartet that Mr. Lugerner is a bi-coastal unit with Bay area-based brassman Darren Johnston, piano master & Mills College professor Myra Melford with Downtown drum great Matt Wilson (Myra & Matt are both members of Trio M). Each member of the quartet is a leader as well as side-person for numerous projects. The music here has a chamber-like sound with odd harmonies for both horns and the piano. Mr. Wilson plays a slow, steady marching beat on "When a Long Blast is Sounded", while the rest of the quartet play the music at a slow, steady pace. The music often sounds serious and quirky in ways not so easy to explain. It all sounds written with little if any solos to speak of. The writing for the horns is completely unique, so much so that it is hard to tell who is playing what and which instrument is which. The slow pace and often hushed sound make this seem as if the music was coming from a dream or from a distance. Although the instrumentation (trumpet/reeds/piano/drums) looks like a jazz quartet of sorts without a bass, the ensemble doesn't sound like any other unit I've heard. I had to listen to this a few times, wide awake without any distractions to figure out what I dug about this so much... The pieces seem more like well-crafted paintings or sonic architecture created to give us better peace of mind or sense of balance. Anyway, it will take some time to figure this one out as it is in a class of its own." - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14


THURSTON MOORE & MATS GUSTAFSSON - Vi Ar Alla Guds Slavar (Otoroku 07; UK) "Vi Ar Alla Guds Slavar is the latest missive from the long-running duo pairing of Mats Gustafsson (The Thing, Peter Brotzmann Chicago Tentet, etc) and Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth, Chelsea Light Moving, Dream/Aktion Unit, etc). The recordings presented here are continuous excerpts taken from the heavyweight, high volume duo sets that topped off each night of their two day residency at Cafe OTO in September 2012. Mats mostly plays a selection of amplified table-top electronics as well as some knotty soprano saxophone at the beginning of the second side whilst Thurston offers a fine example of the kind of liminal intensity he is capable of generating from his guitar complete with the low frequency/octave doubling dive-bombs that have had us replace the speakers in our fender twin twice since he relocated to London last year. The title Vi Ar Alla Guds Slavar translates as 'We Are All Slaves Under God' and is taken from the painting by Edward Jarvis that also serves as the three colour screenprint for the LP sleeve. Printing by Patrick Wells at Heavyrock on archival quality card stock. Mixed by Robert Harder. Mastered by Andreas 'LUPO' Lubich @ Calyx. Pressed on high quality 180 gram vinyl at Record Industry in The Netherlands. First pressing of 1000."
LP $30


ONE COPY ONLY!

THURSTON MOORE - Built For Lovin' [Ltd Ed of 500] (Lost Treasures Of The Underworld 06; USA)
LP $45 (Out of print, but we have it!)


New on Important!

BORN OF SIX [AMELIA CUNI/CATHERINE CHRISTER HENNIX/WERNER DURAND] - Svapiti (Important 387; USA) Born of Six, featuring Amelia Cuni, Catherine Christer Hennix, and Werner Durand, create exemplary drone compositions rooted in the traditions of Dhrupad, early minimalism and just intonation. Composed by Durand, Cuni, Hennix, Svapiti is one long composition measuring 55 minutes in length. 'A solid foundation is the best basis for the fundamental.' Narada's exposition of the seven notes begins as follows: because Sadja (the tonic) arises from the combination of nose, throat, chest, palate, tongue, and teeth, it is known as 'six-born.'
CD $14

DUANE PITRE - Bridges (Important 390; USA) Duane Pitre's Bridges, features two pieces taken from a suite of analogous compositions by the same name, and was composed by Pitre in 2012. The two pieces that comprise the album are meant to work together in sequence as a composite work; or they can be isolated and listened to on their own. The title derives its name from the original concept for this work, which was to bring together aspects of traditional Eastern music (such as compositional form and tuning) with Western musical traditions (such as in the church music of the Middle Ages and modern classical music). The result is an album that merges the ancient with the new, while creating a sound that is wholly its own.
CD $14


New on Monotype!

CHARLES-ERIC CHARRIER - C6 GIG (Monotype 59; EEC) Charles-Eric Charrier is one of those musicians for whom it is difficult to sum up the career process with just a few lines; there are curves, digressions, great jumps, doubts, daring. Since his beginnings with Dreta Lorelie, he has never ceased to explore new horizons, to open up to the world, to look behind the scenes, to question his music, and music in general -- and thanks to all this, he has drawn the map of his inner world. We will avoid talking about rock, jazz, ambient, contemporary music, post this and that, we would be worried to lack certain labels. Charles-Eric is not an instrumentalist in the strict sense of the term. Obviously, the bass is central in his music, but neither in terms of a display of technical skills, nor in terms of musical theory, or through notes in excessive quantities; he rather searches for the perfect line between improvisation and composed music; depending on the context.
CD $17

K.K. NULL [KAZUYUKI KISHINO] + THE NOISER - KK Null + The Noiser (Monotype 54; EEC) For a few years now, KK Null and The Noiser have been playing together throughout Europe, giving their best version of a new noise and contemporary music mixing critical beats, electroacoustic composition combined with improvised sound poetry and extreme post-punk. This first album of their collaboration, released by Monotype Records, is a glimpse of their live act and studio recordings, as it has been composed and played in both situations. KK Null (computer, Kaoss Pad, voice - Japan - member of Zeni Geva); The Noiser (machines, Kaoss Pad, voice - France - member of Formanex).
CD $17


JOHN TILBURY & OREN AMBARCHI - The Just Reproach (Black Truffle 10; Australia) The Just Reproach documents the second concert given by John Tilbury and Oren Ambarchi as a duo. When they first performed together in Reykjavik, Iceland in March 2012, the aptness of the pairing was evident. When they reprised the duo at London's Cafe OTO in September the same year in the concert presented here, the city was in the midst of a heatwave. With the air-conditioning turned off to accommodate the low volume of the performance, the uncomfortable squirming of the audience members in their sweaty chairs becomes, alongside the occasional dropped glass and cough, an additional sonic element in the duo's performance, providing a randomized accompaniment to the duo's careful exploration of tonal and textural minutiae. As always, Tilbury displays a remarkable sensitivity and inquisitiveness, investigating the unique character of specific harmonic intervals through iteration and slight variation in a way that displays the same remarkable care for the individual sonic event that he found many years ago in Webern's Variations for piano. In Webern, Tilbury found a freedom from harmonic context that allowed normally jarring dissonances to appear "warm, even sensuous" because they were transformed into timbres, into pure sounds rather than relational harmonic values. This same concentration on every individual sound allows Tilbury to breathe new life into a tap on the piano's strings, a simple sequence of descending notes or even a commonplace consonance.
Indeed, there are moments of simple beauty in The Just Reproach that remind us that, in addition to his devotion to the work of Morton Feldman, Tilbury is also the major interpreter of the piano music of Howard Skepton, with its reduced folk-forms and static airs. Ambarchi's guitar does not simply provide the steady backdrop for Tilbury's articulations that we might expect, but rather engages in a more complex interaction. Gentle swells of tones, sometimes supporting Tilbury's iterations, at other times complicating them, alternate with occasional bursts of abstract electricity. Ambarchi constantly moves his sounds around between multiple amplifiers and a Leslie cabinet to produce a subtle yet environmental whole, interacting both with Tilbury and the sound of the room, edging forwards into a clear sonic presence before dispersing back into silence. Despite the hushed nature of the performance, Ambarchi's signature sub-bass tones are not absent, but in fact form an essential part of the texture woven by the two musicians, taking on an ominous quality like the distant rumblings of a helicopter through the night sky. Far from a simple exercise in reductionism, the reduced volume of the duo's performance acts like a microscope focusing the audience on an incredibly rich palette of sonic details. As in the late works of Morton Feldman, a seeming homogeneity to the proceedings reveals itself on closer inspection to be a ceaseless investigation and reconfiguration of sonic events, allowing the listener to move freely between the lushness and warmth of the sounds themselves and the questioning, non-linear forms Tilbury and Ambarchi spontaneously construct from them. Deluxe limited edition vinyl designed by Stephen O'Malley with stunning artwork by Shunichiro Okada.
LP $22


ALVARIUS B. [ALAN BISHOP] - Fuck You and the Horse You Rode In On (Abduction 052; USA) The album title pretty much says it all. A brain-splattered document of pre-Sun City Girls weirdness by Alvarius B. (Alan Bishop) from 1981-1983, consisting of raw, live and unfiltered home recordings on acoustic and electric guitar with effects, vocals, flute, harmonica, and other miscellaneous odd instruments. Extremely limited one-time pressing of 400 LP copies.
LP $24


VAX [LIZ KOSACK/DEVIN GRAY/PATRICK BREINER] - The Sooner We Jump The Better (Vax; USA) Vaz is the trio of Biz (Liz Kosack), Vone (Devin Gray), Trix (Patrick Breiner)
LP $25


TAKESHI NISHIMOTO - Lavandula (Sonic Pieces 18; Germany) Takeshi Nishimoto comes from a background as a guitarist, receiving classical training from some of the world's premier guitar players, while on the other hand, he has been steadily growing into the more electronic music scene with a bunch of albums on CCO as I'm Not A Gun alongside John Tejada. Takeshi appeared solo on record first in 2007 through CCO offset label Buro and returns now with his second album, this time for sonic pieces. Although you could say Lavandula is a guitar solo record -- that really does not do it justice if you dive deeper into the sounds that resonate within it. At times, Takeshi uses some really fine electronic methods to bend and shape the guitar and background atmospheres, like the beautifully perceived "Strassenlaterne." Other times it feels like you are in the middle of a still picture from a forest lake in the Japanese countryside, slowly waking up together with the sun. The track "Tone Water," on the other hand, sounds like Squarepusher's classic acoustic masterpiece Music Is Rotted One Note played on the guitar instead of bass and comes off as a fresh change of direction in the middle of the album. Lavandula is a very personal and beautiful album that brings to mind the film music of Gustavo Santaolalla (21 Grams, Babel, Biutiful) or Tape's classic albums for Hapna, but traveling through Japanese, North American, and European traditions. A great record to bring while traveling, wake up to in the morning, or simply enjoy on a quiet evening.
CD $18

F S BLUMM & NILS FRAHM - Music for Lovers Music Versus Time/Music for Wobbling Music Versus Gravity [2 CD set] (Sonic Pieces 08/16; Germany) Combined version of Music for Lovers Music Versus Time (2010) and Music for Wobbling Music Versus Gravity (2013). A duo can be the most magical of things, and it seems like the meeting of minds between Morr Music veteran F.S. Blumm and contemporary classical darling Nils Frahm was a match made in heaven. The ease with which they perform together is the first noticeable thing on Music for Wobbling Music Versus Gravity -- there is a discernible weightlessness to their sound as they circle around each other, moving and meeting, touching with their musical fingertips. This is lighthearted music, certainly, but Frahm's effortless melancholy pulls it back to the real world before there is any danger of things getting twee. The album is a selection of overdubbed and edited improvisations, and every sound was recorded with microphones, giving an indescribable air to the music that is a product of the space in the room. Breaths, fingers on keys and strings, chairs and feet -- everything can be heard plainly and this becomes a defining part of the compositions themselves. It almost becomes an experience akin to listening to an aging folk recording, but instead of a group of locals, this is merely two friends creating their own homespun instrumentals. The perfect record for the winter months, Music for Wobbling Music Versus Gravity is a generous gift from two of Germany's most hard-working talents, and it is guaranteed to warm even the coldest of hearts.
2 CD set for $32


ELIANE RADIGUE - Adnos I-III [3 CD Set] (Important 028; USA) [originally released on the Table Of The Elements label] Eliane Radigue's Adnos trilogy was composed between 1973 and 1980 and is among her finest compositions. Adnos is a deeply meditative work of infinite depth and sensitivity; one of the high points of modern minimal electronic composition. Packaged in a heavy duty 3CD jacket much like the recent Eleh releases and containing extensive archival materials. "Eliane Radigue has composed for magnetic tape and electronic media since the late 1950's, when she studied with both Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre Henry. From her independently built Paris studio, Ms. Radigue creates an organic ambience within which sound moves in a continual flow around the listener. Composed between 1974-1982 and previously unreleased, the Adnos cycle presents a delicately continuous transformation, a fragile sonic texture. Ms. Radigue, inspired by the idea of moving water as metaphor for sound in motion, writes, 'In the conch formed by sound waves, the ear filters, selects and emphasizes some areas of hearing, just as one's eyes would look at the shimmering of water: at the same time absent and multiple, oriented toward an outside whose image lives reflected in the inner universe.' 'A lot of the best new music can't be captured in sound bites -- you have to listen for a long time. Of no one is that truer than Eliane Radigue, who lives in France, but whose unarticulated time sense brings her closer to La Monte Young in sensibility than to anyone in Europe. Listen to her exquisitely-sculpted electronic works for two, three, even seven minutes, and you may hear nothing but a drone. But over a far longer period, her electronic drones thicken, begin to pulse, and change into complexly gritty textures so gradually that you suddenly wonder why you didn't notice the change. Over the long haul her works crescendo into glacially slow climaxes, bristling with harmonics, inducing in the listener an altered state of ecstatic spirituality." - Kyle Gann
3 CD set for $36


HAROLD BUDD - Perhaps (Root Strata 96; USA) Recorded live on December 8, 2006 at a memorial event for James Tenney at California Institute of the Arts, Perhaps is Harold Budd sublimely distilled. Striking in its restraint and simplicity yet profoundly resonant in its depth and message, it is both eulogy to a departed friend and defining statement from an artist at the apotheosis of his career. Originally available only digitally (and only from Samadhisound's web site), Perhaps sees its first-ever and much-deserved physical release, mastered and cut at Dubplates & Mastering in Berlin. Engineered by Justin Jones (at CalArts), Clay Chaplin and Aaron Drake. Edited by Justin Jones. Layout by Vicky Fong. "Some 35 years ago, Jim Tenney and I were half of the composition faculty at the brand new California Institute of the Arts -- CalArts. He was in those five years (1970-1975) my best friend. We lived in an out-of-the-way rural area at the fringes of the Mojave Desert and were often to be found drinking beer and playing pool in one of a number of local cowboy bars. We never agreed about music. Jim was a champion of early 20th century modernism; I was an anti-vanguard sensualist, at least in music. In the early 70s, Jim set about writing a series of 'Post Card Pieces' -- short aphorisms for dozens of friends. The one for me was called '(night)', as I recall: asking for something that's 'very long ... nearly white' ... My performance, in Jim's memory (75-minutes, non-stop and improvised) was, thus, not a composition but a provocation, and one I whole-heartedly addressed: I loved every moment. The 'titles' were conjured a month after the performance. Mostly, they don't refer to any aspect of the music they're joined to. The final task was to edit out some (but not all) extraneous noise and to shorten some gaps (as I pondered very quickly what to do next)." --Harold Budd, January 31, 2007
CD $16


YOKO ONO PLASTIC ONO BAND + NELS CLINE/LENNY KRAVITZ/ANDRE WYATT et al - Take Me to the Land of Hell (Chimera 19; USA) Gatefold LP version. "The 13 tracks on Take Me to the Land of Hell were recorded in NYC and produced by Yoko, Sean Lennon, and Yuka Honda. Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band includes members of Cornelius and Cibo Matto, plus special guests for this album: tUnEyArDs, ?uestlove, Lenny Kravitz, Nels Cline, and Andrew Wyatt. The album includes remixes by Mike D & Adrock and Keigo 'Cornelius' Oyamada."
LP $18
also available as CD for $15



Hard-to-Get import-only Moondog recordings!

MOONDOG [LOUIS HARDIN] - A New Sound Of An Old Instrument (Kopf 133017; Germany) Originally released in 1979 by Kopf and reissued in 1999. By the time A New Sound Of An Old Instrument was released, Moondog (Louis Thomas Hardin) had made his home in Germany for 5 years, and decided to compose this suite of pieces in honor of "The King Of Instruments," the pipe organ. "The organ has not been called the 'King of Instruments' for nothing, because of all instruments, it has the widest range of possibilities, lending itself to any mood or style. In suffering the organ to emit secular and even profane music, namely dance music, I do not find it out of place, since I am fully aware of the organ's pagan beginnings, the pipes of Pan." Playing upon this notion, Moondog matches several of these organ pieces with shakers and other forms of knocking percussion which lends an organic feel to what is traditionally thought of as a formal, unbendable instrument. On the contrary, Moondog emphasizes the percussive and contrapuntal/staccato tones the organ is capable of producing, rather than drones, although those are also used here to provide a background for what does feel like decidedly vernal, lilting, woodland pipes. He also explains in the liner notes his "logrundrs," a canonical method of counterpoint. A New Sound Of An Old Instrument is a true Moondog oddity, but his mastery of illustrating the neverending nature of patterns in melodic tone and sequence are especially prominent here, focused as it is on one instrument. Organs played by Fritz Storfinger and Wolfgang Schwering. Package includes liner notes written by Louis T. Hardin himself.
CD $17

MOONDOG [LOUIS HARDIN] - Elpmas (Kopf 123314; Germany) Originally released in 1991, Moondog's Elpmas is a landmark late-period work by the legendary composer. After a prolonged period of silence while living in Germany, Louis Thomas Hardin (aka Moondog) returned to America in 1989 to partake in a highly-praised performance at the 10th New Music America Festival, sharing the program with John Zorn and Butch Morris. Although returning to his home in Oer-Erkenschwick, Germany shortly after the performance, the sudden attention and renewal of interest in his work prompted Moondog, then in his late-70s, to record new material. Elpmas is the stunning result of a revitalized legend still at the peak of his vitality and innovation. On Elpmas, Moondog uses a sampler for the very first time, complementing his compositions with field recordings, and explaining, "The sampler is ideal for my kind of music, which is mostly contrapuntal, specifically canonic." The percolating marimba patterns on opening track "Wind River Powow" recalls the type of pure, luscious tone-studies that once deemed Moondog "the founder of minimalism" by Philip Glass and Steve Reich, but Elpmas is a varied, thematic work, epic in scope and dedicated to the aboriginal peoples of the world. "Westward Ho!" is an 8-part canon depicting the western migration from Europe to the New World, and features guest musicians Gotz Alsmann and Andi Toma (Mouse On Mars). "Suite Equestria" is the most energizing piece on the album, its intricate marimba pattern carried to epic heights by the incursion of a valiant male chorus. Elpmas also introduces Moondog's "Overtone Continuum," an ambitious compositional system in which a 4-part male chorus is overdubbed 12 times, resulting in the disorienting 144-voice experiment "The Message." The album ends with "Cosmic Meditation," a 24-minute expanse of hazy warmth and melancholic, Eno-esque ambience intended to suggest the rising and falling waves of the Siderial Sea. As Moondog concludes in the liner notes, "Its unworldly sound brings one close to the essence of things, to the 'peace that passeth all understanding.'"
CD $17

MOONDOG [LOUIS HARDIN] - H'Art Songs (Kopf 330160; Germany) This is Kopf Records' 1999 CD reissue of Moondog's H'art Songs, originally released in Germany in 1978. In 1974, New York City's famous "Viking Of Sixth Avenue" travelled to Europe to produce a concert of his works with the Frankfurt Radio Orchestra. Afterwards, Moondog (Louis Thomas Hardin, 1916-1999), who once told an interviewer that he considered himself a "European in exile," felt compelled to stay on the continent in order to realize the imagined European identity he invoked with his clothing and music. Moondog felt culturally and artistically closer to Europe and it was here where he spent the rest of his life, developing some of the most unique and surprising, if not lesser known developments in his vast body of work. H'art Songs is one anomaly in the composer's output during this period, as each of the songs are considerably traditional in form with a sing-song, almost pop-oriented mentality. All the songs consist of Moondog singing to minimal, catchy piano accompaniments and occasional percussion. Moondog sings with a quavering sincerity in his voice that recalls Robert Wyatt while the pathos and humor in the lyrics to songs like "Enough About Human Rights" ("What about hog rights?/What about frog rights?") and "I'm Just A Hop Head" ("...and so I'll be, till I'm dead/I started hopping when first I hopped into bed") suggests the innocent despair of Daniel Johnston. The simplicity in these songs, however, is misleading, as the repetitive melodies are blessed with subtle chord structures that gradually take on an epic, even otherworldly, feel. This singular quirkiness and radiant uniqueness in approach makes this music distinctly Moondog. Highly accessible yet criminally overlooked, H'Art Songs' music reveals a fascinating stage in Moondog's artistic development, blessed with the understated beauty that makes his work so timeless.
CD $17

MOONDOG [LOUIS HARDIN] - In Europe (Kopf 330140; Germany) Originally released by Kopf in 1977, and reissued in 1999, Moondog In Europe was visionary composer Louis Thomas Hardin's (aka Moondog) first release after moving to Germany. Perhaps reflecting the historicity of his new environment, this album is more structured and formal than most of his previous releases; however, his layered song-cycles are just as circular and experimental, and still backed by a fair amount of tribal percussion. There are moments of whimsy, as on "In Vienna," with its bouncing, music-box like celesta, or on "Viking I," also reflected with a snappy celesta melody, but there are also moments of parlor-room somberness, as on the string arrangements for "Romance In G" or the last 20+ minutes of the album, which is comprised exclusively of extremely heavy pipe-organ suites. Moondog In Europe, though less playful than other of his albums, displays Moondog's virtuosity as a classical composer, with elegantly stylized pieces that see Moondog embracing a grandiosity he hadn't approached previously.
CD $17

MOONDOG [LOUIS HARDIN] - Rare Material [2 CD set] (Roof 2633272; Germany) Released in 2006, this double CD collection compiles an expansive body of songs from throughout Moondog's vast and eclectic body of work. For almost 50 years, Moondog (Louis Thomas Hardin, 1916-1999) impressed and influenced artists such as Benny Goodman, Leonard Bernstein, The Beatles, Charlie Parker, Igor Stravinsky, Frank Zappa, and others. Fascinated by the canon form as well as composing principles of tonality and counterpoint, Moondog's music always existed between the classical and the jazz world without ever belonging to any of them. He has composed over 80 symphonies, numerous chamber works, over 300 madrigals, as well as scores for brass bands, string orchestras, and organ pieces. While most of the material Moondog recorded is documented in great detail, there are also many recordings that, despite their artistic importance, were only available for a very short period of time. Rare Material is a collection of that material and reveals a remarkable musical spectrum. It extends from rather minimalist works of the early '50s, to arrangements for string quartet of the '80s, to opulent orchestrated big-band productions of the '90s. Reissued here on CD for the very first time are four tracks from Bracelli, released on Kakaphone in 1986, and two tracks from Instrumental Music, released on Musical Heritage Society in 1978. This collection comes with a detailed 24-page booklet that includes notes from Moondog about each of the tracks, excerpts from his biographical poetic impressions, and a chronology of his life. This is a lovingly compiled selection of music that provides an expansive, widescreen portrait of one of America's most compelling and unique composers.
2 CD set for $22

MOONDOG [LOUIS HARDIN] - The German Years 1977-1999 [2 CD set + Book] (Roof 2433221; Germany) [NEW MOUCH LOWER PRICE!] Originally released by Roof Music in 2004, this is a 2CD compilation of recordings from the last 20 years of visionary composer Louis Thomas Hardin's (aka Moondog) life, when he lived in Germany and composed, arguably, perhaps the most vibrant and eclectic music in his whole canon. When Louis Hardin moved to Europe in 1974, he was received as visiting royalty -- unlike his home country who treated him as some sort of one-joke street-performer. For the next 25 years, until his passing in 1999, he produced an astonishing variety of music for organ, brass band, voice, piano, percussion, small chamber ensemble, and string quartet.
Disc One of this collection contains an anthology of his German recordings, and presents a clear advantage over the originals in that every track is on a different instrument. The listener never gets a chance to grow weary of any one style, allowing you instead to concentrate on the commonalities running through all of Hardin's music. As a sampler of the work done in his senior years (ages 61-83) it's a remarkable collection showing verve, inventiveness and playful iconoclasty. It includes 5 tracks that are taken from "Sax Pax for a Sax" - an album that was recorded in England and performed by English musicians, and consists mainly of material that was written while Moondog lived in New York. Other albums that songs have been taken from are "H'art Songs" (4 tracks,) "In Europe" (4 tracks,) "Elpmas" (4 tracks,) "A New Sound of an Old Instrument" (3 tracks,) "Big Band" (1 track) and "Bracelli" (1 track.) Disc Two presents his last concert, previously unreleased and consisting of both rare and recent material, from Arles France on August 1st 1999, just five weeks before his death. Pianist Dominique Ponty, who I believe is the daughter of famed violinist Jean-Luc Ponty, plays 34 of his pieces for piano or arranged for piano. Louis 'Moondog' Hardin himself accompanies her on tambour, a big skin drum, on several of the tunes, and recites six couplets in his rich ageless baritone. But as always, when it comes to live recordings of solo piano performances, we occasionally have to deal with intruding sounds; aside from applause we get a few hundred coughs, a squeaking door that repeatedly opens and closes, at one point the barking of a distant dog, at one point the sirens of an ambulance driving by the recording location, and believe it or not - audience members trying to clap along to one of the solo piano canons! ...but overall the sound quality is very good and clear.
Also included, a 44-page booklet of valuable information about Moondog, such as a detailed biography, discography, Moondog's own words about the recordings, personnel listings, photos, notes, lyrics, critical comment, and a poem that Leonard Bernstein wrote to and about Moondog. This is a first-class production for one of the last century's most enduring and original composers - Robert Carlberg, Amazon 2 CD set for $22



COSMIC MACHINE [V.A.] - A Voyage Across French Cosmic & Electronic Avantgarde,1970-1980 [2 LP + CD] (Because 5161471; France) Double LP version. Comes in a replica gatefold sleeve with a CD copy of the album. At the start of the '70s, France had no petrol, but it had ideas and artists that managed to tip them into the 21st century a full 30 years in advance. Cosmic Machine compiles 20 rare tracks put together with passion and erudition by Uncle O (who previously did the Shaolin Soul compilations) and throws together a collection of stars, a few free-spirits, and also shooting stars. This group of people don't form a scene per se, they're more like a collection of individuals who, through sheer ingenuity and with all their singularity, managed to break down the barriers between pop and experimental to give birth to a mutant variety of electronic music that owes as much to mobile discos as sound illustration, to the GRM, to the Bogdanoff brothers, to Metal Hurlant, and the European Space Program. Cosmic Machine is a panoramic dive into this epic era when the synthesizer was man's best friend and when the future had a future: our present time. Daft Punk, Air, Justice, Zombie Zombie, or Add N To (X), Stereolab, and Broadcast weren't born in incubators. The electric fairy stood above their cradle and they're all the children of these French pioneers who were among the first to celebrate the union of flesh and circuits. Androids, robots, humans and other celestial creatures, now board the Cosmic Machine. Artists include: Patrick Juvet, Didier Marouani, Droids, Francois De Roubaix, Space, Universal Energy, Pierre Bachelet, Space Art, The Atomic Crocus, Jean Michel Jarre, Bernard Fevre, Cerrone, Frederic Mercier, Quartz, Rene Roussel, Serge Gainsbourg, Dvwb, Alain Goraguer, Jean-Jacques Perrey, and Rockets.
2 LP + CD set for $40


VERY LAST COPIES of these Amazing Releases on the Defunct MIO Label from Israel!
[only 1 to 3 copies of each]

PHILIPPE BESOMBES - Cesi est Cela (MIO 010; Israel) Quite, quite rare album of electronic and electro-acoustic music from this composer, written for theatrical performances and originally released in 1979. The material here was recorded between 1972-1979 and there is a lot of interesting bonus material that was left off of the original album's release due concerns about sales in 'the market'. "Besombes, the French musique concret composer and electro-acoustic musician, supported himself for a number of years in the 1970's writing music for ballet, dance, and theatrical performances. This incredibly rare album has been reissued with phenomenal, unreleased bonus material to comprise a suite of accessible, electronic avant-garde and musique concret compositions that blend the contemporary classical composers (Pierre Henry, Luc Farrari, Pierre Schaeffer) of the time to rock music."
CD $17 (Out of print, but we have it!)

JEAN-JACQUES BIRGE/FRANCIS GORGE/SHIROC - Defense De [CD & DVD] (MIO 026/27; Israel) 2 discs, one CD, one DVD. First ever reissue of this cult album from 1975, on the famous Nurse With Wound List! "Jean-Jacques Birge and Francis Gorge began to play together in 1970 and produced the first rock concert of their high school, at Lycee Claude Bernard in Paris. Gorge was composing the music and playing the guitar, Birge was writing the words and singing. Defense de was their first album, before founding Un Drame Musical Instantane, in 1976, with Bernard Vitet. Two bonus tracks were intended to be index 2 and 4 before Birge and Gorge met Shiroc a few weeks later. These two tracks were replaced with new tracks recorded with Shiroc and so they were forgotten until today.
The four initial pieces were recorded in the family apartment of Sebastien Bernard, a free jazz producer, where his father kept a lot of beautiful instruments (a pipe organ, an electric piano, a xylophone, a cello, etc.) and a 8-track tape recorder. Antoine Duvernet, another schoolmate who was playing with Urban Sax at that time, passed by on a sunny afternoon and added the tenor sax parts. The two new pieces with Shiroc and Bucchi were recorded live in studio four months later. During the following year, Birge and Gorge played a lot of concerts as a trio with Shiroc, and sometimes as a quartet with Gilles Rollet (also on percussion). All their repertoire was recorded and it will be included on the DVD as 'June Sessions' (Over 6 hours of music). Over the years, the LP Defense de became a cult object people would buy a fortune, as well as appearing on the Nurse With Wound famous holly recordings list. So we are very pleased to have it finally available as a CD, specially with the four previously un-issued bonus tracks which were discovered recently in the Drame's archives. The band took it from this point to become Un Drame Musical Instantane. Un D.M.I (in short) who is considered to be one of the top avant-garde / experimental acts ever to emerge from France and the entire world as well.
The audio CD will include the complete Defense De LP plus 4 bonus tracks (approx 80 minutes of music in total). The DVD will include the experimental movie La Nuit Du Phoque made by Jean-Jacques Birge and Bernard Mollerat in 1974. The movie is a mix between avant-garde French movie and experimental ambience which takes the viewer back in time to 1974. The second part of the DVD will include 'June Sessions' which are very long pieces made by the trio (or quartet at times). Total of about 7 hours of music and 40 minutes movie in a double CD & DVD set."
CD + DVD set for $32 (Out of print, but we have it!)

DECIBEL - Fiat Laux - Complete Recordings 1979-2000: El Poeta Del Ruido/Furtuna Virilis/In Concert/ Plus.. [3 CD set] (MIO 022-24; Israel) [originally $50!] The complete recordings by this legendary Mexican chamber/rock group "...who made original, complex and structured music in the vein of Art Zoyd, Univers Zero, Henry Cow and Nazca..." This includes the 3 CDs "El Poeta Del Ruido", "Furtuna Virilis" and "In Concert" See the individual listings for more information about the 3 CD's included in this box. Includes a really nice full color booklet with photos and history of the band as well as comments from the individuals involved, which is only available in this box.
"... As a response to the cultural malaise of the time, RIO also reached backwards into musical roots that subsequently insured their limited financial success. Stockhausen, Cage, Kagel, and Boulez were drawn from, as well as the radical strains of European and American jazz. As with most avant-garde movements in the 20th century, this led to an international communion of sorts, both in and out of Europe. Bands that had existed in solitude found an idiom and, most importantly, a small market for their efforts. It was in this era that the Mexican group Decibel achieved a small amount of success and produced some stunning music. All the studio work and some live material by this band are collected on the 3-CD MIO Records set Fiat Lux, featuring their 1979 full length El Poeta del Ruido, a track contributed to a 1982 Recommended Records quarterly LP, and several albums recorded in the 1990s by a revamped lineup. While Mexican psych rock goes back to bands such as The Spiders and Los Dug Dugs, the 1970's brought more symphonic groups like Nueva Mexico and Al Universo. Decibel were a rare exception to the prog acts of this period in Mexico, and were well versed in European groups such as Faust, Magma, Gong, and the Italian prog masters Il Balletto di Bronzo. The lineup centered around keyboardist Carlos Robledo, bassist Walter Schmidt, and percussionist Jaime Casteneda (Scmhidt and Robledo began playing together as Decibel in 1974). Three months after the original 1978 RIO festival in England, Decibel performed at a RIO festival at the National Autonomous University of Mexico in Mexico City, which can also be heard on the Fiat Lux set.
3 CD Box set for $50 (Out of print, but we have it!)

MR. TOAD [MAOR ARBITMAN/SHIMRY MESICA] - Trench Art (MIO 028; Israel) The Israeli band Mr. Toad was formed by Maor Arbitman and Shimry Mesica in 1998. The band started its way named 'Katross'. All the musicians are mostly classical trained. The lyrics written in English while as the music was characterized as British folk-rock reminding of Nick Drake , Gryphon, After Crying and Fairport Convention. The band decided to try and combine baroque reminiscence along with the original material. For that matter Dana Eizen, a baroque flute player came along. With Dana's arrival and her McDonalds like flute playing, the group established it's music as progressive rock in the early King Crimson spirit. The music material was rearranged and the band started recording it's debut album. The musical substance in the album Trench Art included along with the progressive basis classical music and jazz influences. The best references to compare the band are: Early King Crimson, Celeste, Lalo Schifrin, Gryphon, After Crying but Mr.Toad is not a clone but truly unique "Trench Art is the debut album from the Israeli band Mr. Toad. The sound that they are going for is interesting and unusual; sort of a cross between early UK progressive folk/rock ala Gryphon, Fairport Convention, or early Nick Drake combined with a more orchestrated symphonic rock ala early King Crimson's most spacious moments (as in "I Talk To The Wind"). This actually reminds me of what White Willow's first demo and album were doing as well. The main instrumentation used is acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, bass, flute, piano and vocals, but there are a lot of musical guests, including clarinet (which fits in beautifully), bassoon, trumpet, recorder, cello, violin and drums." - Steve Feigenbaum
CD $17 (Out of print, but we have it!)

MOSAIC - Ultimatum (MIO 029; Israel) [originally $17!] A lost jewel in the crown of the French underground. Mosaic made this, their only album, in 1978. You'll hear similarities to Zeuhl bands, Hatfield and the North, King Crimson, National Health. The music is mostly instrumental fusion/progressive performed on acoustic and electric guitars, synths, cello, double bass, electric bass, keyboards, drums and percussion. This reissue includes their 1977 demo tape Cuve 77 and two additional bonus tracks. "I owned this French fusion album in the late 70's and never really thought much about it, but when I read that this was coming out, I listened to it again, and it really grabbed me. Why now and not 25 years ago? Dunno. Mostly instrumental fusion/progressive with a definite French air performed on acoustic and electric guitars, synths, cello, double bass, electric bass, keyboards, drums and percussion. This excellent reissue includes all of their only album from 1978, of which only 500 were made, all of their 1977 demo tape and two additional bonus tracks. This will appeal to those who like their fusion music on the 'out' side of things, and especially to avant/proggers who enjoy fusion as well. Excellent stuff; don't you wait 25 years to discover this highly recommended album!" - Steve Feigenbaum
CD $14.00 AVAILABLE (Out of print, but we have it!)

THE PLATINA - The Girl with the Flaxen Hair (MIO 030; Israel) [originally $17!] A popular jazz group (think Perigeo, Dedalus, Wolfgang Dauner, ECM) whose members were Israel's biggest names in jazz, The Girl With The Flaxen Hair (1976) was The Platina's third album (recorded two years after their Newport Jazz Festival appearance). Unreleased until now, this 78-minute disk has the original mix-downs from the master tapes, live versions of the lost masters, and additional bonus tracks. Their best effort, the CD was released for a memorial concert for wind player & leader Roman Kunsman (1941-2002). Energetic, well-played, yet pastoral fusion. With their pianos (Fender Rhodes & acoustic), flute and wordless female vocals, Platina sound most like the mid-70's work of Hubert Laws on CTI. Fans of Kornet, Finnforest and Camel should like this.
CD $14.00 AVAILABLE (Out of print, but we have it!)


SUN RA QUARTET With JOHN GILMORE/MICHAEL RAY/LUQMAN ALI - Disco 3000 (Art Yard KS 001; EEC) Wonderful 1978 El Saturn recording in first-class reissue. The songs include "Disco 3000"; "Third Planet", "Friendly Galaxy", "Dance Of The Cosmo Aliens". The personnel features Sun Ra on keyboards & electronics, John Gilmore on tenor sax, Michael Ray on trumpet and Luqman Ali on drums) From the liner notes: "This whole Sun Ra Quartet project from Italy in early 1978 has a particularly 'experimental' feel, unique in a particular way in Sun Ra's huge and varied recorded output. Innovation is hardly unexpected from Sun Ra -- his music regularly pushes the envelope. However, this project represents a tryout for a different kind of music altogether, a small-group music. In the end it was a musical path Sun Ra left unexplored, it has little in the way of precedent or sequel on record. It has stood the test of time well.
Limited edition
LP $20


LP restocks from 4 Men With Beards!

JOHN CALE - Paris 1919 (4 Men With Beards 125; USA) "Originally released in 1973, Paris 1919 is Cale's fourth solo release following his departure from the Velvet Underground. Cale's songs on Paris 1919 are hyper-literate numbers filled with political intrigue and shady characters loosely based around the Versailles Conference alluded to in the album's title. Recorded with help from Lowell George and Richie Hayward of Los Angeles southern-rockers Little Feat and the UCLA Symphony Orchestra. Pitchfork called Paris 1919 'the most accessible and most purely beautiful record of Cale's storied, multi-faceted career.'"
LP $20

FAUST - So Far (4 Men With Beards 174; USA) "Faust's second album moves closer to actual song structure than their debut, but it still remains experimental. Songs progress and evolve instead of abruptly stopping or cutting into other tracks. The opening song "It's a Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl" begins as a repetitive 4/4 beat played on toms and piano with the title sung over the top. But for seven minutes the song adds instruments, including a lush analog synth line, and ends in a memorable sax riff. Faust's lyrical side appears on the acoustic "Picnic on a Frozen River" and "On the Way to Adamae," whereas its abrasive side pops up on "Me Lack Space." "So Far," a jam shared by guitar, horns, and tweedy keyboard, rolls along with a funky hypnotic beat and wailing processed synths. And on "No Harm," the crazed delivery of such lines as "Daddy, take the banana, tomorrow Sunday" makes one want to believe something profound is going down. In terms of scope and the wealth of ideas, this is probably the most balanced of their first four albums. - Ted Mills / AMG
LP $24

FUNKADELIC - Tales Of Kidd Funkadelic (4 Men With Beards 208; USA) eighth album from 1976 [and last one on Westbound] "1976's Tales of Kidd Funkadelic is the last Funkadelic album on Westbound Records and it was actually released after George Clinton and company had left the label for Warner Bros. Just before leaving, Clinton (as a contractual obligation) delivered to their original label a collection of recently recorded outtakes (some leftover jams, songs, and funk pieces) which were released as the album Tales of Kidd Funkadelic (the LP did significantly better commercially than their first album for Warner Bros., Hardcore Jollies, and included 'Undisco Kidd,' an R&B Top 30 single)." 180 gram vinyl housed in a gatefold sleeve.
LP $20

FUNKADELIC - Let's Take It To The Stage (4 Men With Beards 207; USA) seventh album from 1975. "Originally released in April of 1975, Let's Take It To The Stage is George Clinton's pioneering combo's seventh album for Westbound Records. Let's Take It To The Stage was the work of a group that had turned a corner, a combination of all the disparate aspects of Funkadelic's music up to that point: the extended jams, abrasive guitars, smooth ballads, direct vocals, psychedelic ingredients, sexual lyrics and dirty funk into the most short and to-the-point songs they'd ever recorded. Let's Take It To The Stage is cool music made by cool people for cool people." 180 gram vinyl housed in a gatefold sleeve.
LP $20

FUNKADELIC - America Eats Its Young [2 LP set] (4 Men With Beards 179; USA) "The 4th album from George Clinton's funk/psych/rock outfit, originally released in 1972, is a double LP of epic proportions. Deep and heavy grooves propelled by the always amazing guitar, bass and keyboard work of Eddie Hazel, William 'Bootsy' Collins, and Bernie Worrell, respectively. Among other great tunes, it also features the ignored gem 'If You Don't Like The Effects, Don't Produce The Cause' - which lit up the switchboard at K-ROCK when MannyLunch was DJ'ing the music for Eric Bogosian's anti-war call-in special during Desert Storm! Equally sleazy, political, heartfelt, and just plain bizarre, America Eats Its Young was, and remains, one of the few double albums of the 1970s that warranted every single minute of wax.. and THAT cover with the Statue Of Liberty as a blood-sucking vampire in the middle of a dollar bill..!" Deluxe gatefold sleeve; 180 gram vinyl
LP $26

FUNKADELIC - Cosmic Slop (4 Men With Beards 173; USA) Classic 5th album by the premier underground black rock/funk group of all time!"Another classic LP from the P-Funk camp, originally released in 1973. The title track is an absolute stone classic funk jam and 'Nappy Dugout' is another heavily sampled nugget (most notably on A Tribe Called Quest's 'Ham And Eggs'). George Clinton gets heavy too, in the harrowing Vietnam War spoken word 'March To The Witch's Castle.' Get down with another killer Funkadelic title." 180 gram vinyl. Deluxe gatefold sleeve.
LP $20


PSICOMAGIA [BRIAN ELLIS/TYLER DAUGHN/TREVOR MAST/PAUL MORROW] - Psicomagia (El Paraiso 14; EEC) Despite the rumors, pre-fusion acid jazz-rock is alive and well, living it up in Southern California. Psicomagia is the joint forces of leading members of noted prog and stoner-rock outfits Astra and Radio Moscow. The band serves up a mixture of the same essence that Soft Machine, Tony Williams Lifetime, and Magma pioneered during that magical period just seconds before progressive electric jazz was grabbed by the institutional jazz scene. A formula thought lost until this day, when seemingly out of the blue, the relentless force of Psicomagia appeared. Spearheaded by multi-instrumentalist and producer Brian Ellis' roaring saxophone, constantly interplaying Tyler Daughn's franticly screaming organs and synthesizers, the soul of Psicomagia is in the endlessly permutated bursts of energy of the two. The relentless heart, however, is kept going by drummer Paul Marrow (Radio Moscow), who carves out a constantly brooding and shifting rhythmic base along with the heavy, travelling bass of Trevor Mast. Together they balance a line between an insanely tight and rhythmic notion of progress, as well as transgressing each instrument's carved path on this cataclysmic journey of musical events. Imagine, on top of that, two poets, repeating obscured mantras, rumbling bells and gongs, and you're getting closer to playing your own Jodorowsky-does-jazz movie playing in your head via Psicomagia. If Psicomagia sounds like a thing of the past, it's simply because they have inherited a unique quality lost in music today: grabbing onto a wide array of genres, and permuting them into their own distinct musical landscape. Roaring with the same neverending energy of SoCal brothers Earthless, Psicomagia opens up a dimension thought lost in music, reshaping a new possible outcome of progressive rock, building their own present time. It is beyond doubt that Psicomagia is not a pastiche retro band -- they are the real deal. True to original formula, the album is produced with a grace and warmth, maintaining a full dynamic range. Mastered on analog tape by Causa Sui's Jonas Munk.
CD $17

CAUSA SUI [JONAS MUNK/JESS KAHR/RASMUS RASMUSSEN/JAKOB SKOTT] - Euporie Tide (El Paraiso 13; EEC) Since they formed in 2004, Danish instrumental four-piece Causa Sui has become a much-revered act on the fertile European psych scene. The soil planted in festivals like Roadburn, Roskilde, Burg Herzberg, has been harvested with praise by Uncut, Julian Cope, and Mojo, as well as growing a dedicated fanbase -- paying top Euros for a first edition vinyl of any of the band's seven past LPs. Many psych and stoner-rock bands aim for the perfect imitation of that vintage heavy psych sound circa 1970, but Causa Sui have forged their own distinct path. Causa Sui draws on a larger pool than the usual derived exploration of Sabbath riffs and cliched Krautrock jamming. Collaborations include members of Tortoise and Chicago Underground Collective (under the name Chicago Odense Ensemble) and Sunburned Hand Of The Man (released as Pewt'r Sessions,) and the band always adds untraditional flavors, past and present, into their seething experimental sound. Causa Sui has been described as "the sound of a giant wave rolling up through the last four decades of rock," which is truer than ever for their most ambitious album to date, Euporie Tide. Yes, the heavy riffs are certainly here, but it's apparent that it does not tread the waters of retro rock. There's a different depth here. Whereas previous albums were brewed with spontaneity, and flickers of complete improv, Euporie Tide was meticulously perfected over years of work. Opening track "Homage" pays tribute to the early/mid-1990s American grunge and stoner-rock bands the band grew up with. From that point of departure, Causa Sui goes on to weave a rich and complex textile, with threads coming from early 1970s electric jazz, post-rock, exotica, heavy rock, raga, and all kinds of psychedelia. Whether the band goes for straight-up rock or ventures into freeform territory, there's always that certain warmth and atmosphere present, which is so characteristic for Causa Sui. When one reaches the multigenre-influenced grooves on the album's D-side, it's obvious that the band has arrived at something that is very relevant in the present day. The album was recorded and produced by Jonas Munk, crafting a sound that is simultaneously naturalistic in approach, yet strangely detailed. The album was mastered in a way as to maintain the full dynamic range of the recordings.
CD $17

SUN RIVER [MARTIN RUDE/JONAS MUNK/JAKOB SKOTT] - Sun River (El Paraiso 10; EEC) Hailing from Denmark, Sun River is a three-piece consisting of Martin Rude, Jonas Munk and Jakob Skott. Their music is based on finely-woven guitar compositions and Martin's gentle vocals. With thorough eclecticism, Sun River picks up various threads from the last 45 years of guitar music -- from the experimental open-tuning fingerpicking of John Fahey and Leo Kottke, through the sound of late '60s Los Angeles (think Tim Buckley and Love, especially), to the more present genre-blending of Chicago post-rock (Jim O'Rourke & The Sea And Cake). There's a free-flowing, almost jazzy vibe present on this debut album -- no doubt in part due to the fact that guitar player and producer Jonas Munk as well as drummer Jakob Skott normally spend their time in respected instrumental psych outfit Causa Sui. But the group also finds the time to indulge themselves in delicate pop tunes throughout the album, where Martin's sun-drenched songs are bathed in chiming guitars, multilayered vocal harmonies and put into motion by Jakob Skott's distinctive and animated drumming. Overall, the album is saturated by a dreamy, chilled-out atmosphere, with the production emanating a warm and natural glow, allowing the room it was recorded in a prominent place in the mix. One can almost smell the wood of guitars and drums and feel the warmth of glowing amplifier tubes when listening to this album. This is the kind of music that's perfect for summer afternoons, or for driving somewhere, or nowhere, in twilight. These nine compositions invite the listener to join the flow and roll gently towards the sun.
CD $17

JONAS MUNK - Pan (El Paraiso 09; EEC) This is the first solo effort from Jonas Munk released under his own name. Jonas Munk is a musician and producer from Odense, Denmark who has been active in a wide range of musical styles for the past decade. In the European psych-rock community he is mostly known as the guitar player in the respected stoner/jazz/Krautrock-outfit Causa Sui as well as related projects such as Chicago Odense Ensemble, a joint session project featuring members of Causa Sui, Chicago Underground Collective and Tortoise, which resulted in a 2LP released in 2011. Outside of these circles, Munk is best known as a producer of electronic music, most recently with a full-length collaboration with German synth-meister Ulrich Schnauss. Munk also holds a masters degree in philosophy with a thesis on music and consciousness. Pan simultaneously betrays his connections to the European stoner-rock community and the world of electronic ambient music -- this album combines ideas from both worlds, while the result really doesn't belong to either of them. With Pan's motorik analog synthesizer patterns and its warm, fuzzy drones, the influence from 1970s German synthesizer and new age music, such as early Kraftwerk, Ashra and Popol Vuh, is apparent from the first note. But there's also definite traits of American styles running through this album, from the flowing optimism of Alice Coltrane and Terry Riley to the modern-day psychedelia of Comets On Fire and Bardo Pond. While large parts of Pan have been programmed on electronic equipment, there's a jam-like quality emanating from the album's seven tracks. The album reflects the idea of giving up rationality and control with the purpose of letting the music flow towards it own ends. The compositional ideas are incredibly simple while still carrying a certain depth. Soundwise, Pan is all about analog machines, 30+ year-old synthesizers, detuned guitars and heavily-cranked vacuum tube amplifiers weaving together in fuzzy, pulsating glory. The title Pan refers to the ancient Greek word meaning "all" or "everything."
CD $17


CABARET VOLTAIRE [RICHARD H KIRK et al] - Archive #828285 Live [3 CD set] (Intone 008; UK) The Intone label was originally founded back in 1992 as a vehicle for Richard H. Kirk's Sandoz project, initially a series of three 12" singles. Richard H. Kirk is perhaps best-known as co-founder and now sole member of the hugely influential Cabaret Voltaire. The Intone label is now re-launched with a 3CD boxed set of Cabaret Voltaire live recordings from 1982 and 1985: Live in Liverpool (1982), Live in Sheffield (1982), and Live in Toronto (1985). Further releases are planned for 2014, including a new album by Kirk and also a 3CD boxed set of previously-unreleased Kirk recordings from the mid-'90s. Cabaret Voltaire circa 1982 was kind of post-Rough Trade, pre-Some Bizarre/Virgin. Following on from and with the same line-up as the successful dates in Japan (Tokyo, Osaka), resulting in the live album Hai, the two live recordings from 1982 on these CDs come from what was referred to as the "2x45" tour. The performances here are unique in that they show Cabaret Voltaire in a period of transition, following the departure of co-founder Chris Watson, and had more studio recordings been made of this phase (see record 2 of "2x45"), it could have well developed into something very different from the subsequent albums made during the Some Bizarre/Virgin period of 1983-1985. The recording from Toronto was the next-to-last date of a North American tour from April/May 1985. The Cabaret Voltaire live concerts of the '83-'85 period were much more anarchic than the studio recordings and arguably just as interesting in their own way, like some kind of soundclash going on in real time. This release will be a good primer for the forthcoming Cabaret Voltaire boxed set, #8385 (Collected Works 1983-1985) out on Mute in November 2013.
3 CD set for $36

BLACWORLD [RICHARD H KIRK et al] - Subduing Demons in South Yorkshire Part 2 (Intone 007; UK) Recorded in the summer of 2000 by prolific UK electronic musician/producer Richard H. Kirk, this is basically a long, open-ended track, mixed live in Western Works Studios, Sheffield, UK, which utilizes as extra sound sources, urban birdsong, the sound of scaffolding being erected, a gang of builders singing "we're all going on a summer holiday" and a loud-mouthed neighbor. Subject to much processing and sonic manipulation, this piece of soundscape/Satanic dub has been used on two occasions as the soundtrack to Kirk's video installations. Clocking in as a single track at a staggering 53 minutes 52 seconds, IDs have been added at relevant points throughout to enable the listener to easily access into the body of the track should they so desire. Due to the hypnotic nature of the soundscapes, it is a genre-defying composition that soon draws in the listener to terrifying effect, creating the impression of being stuck in a nightmare that you can't escape from.
CD $11

RICHARD H KIRK - URP Vol. 3 (Intone 005; UK) Third release in the Intone unreleased project series. Chilled beats, ambient funk and low-flying dub brings together nine previously-unreleased cuts, written, arranged and produced by Richard H. Kirk, known for his work as the architect of the Cabaret Voltaire sound. Recorded between 1995-1997 and edited, post-produced and sonically overhauled, URP Vol. 3 has all the elements that are needed to create good chill-out, and draws as its sources soundtrack/cinematic elements, classical music, dub and some lazy, funky grooves. Bringing together Kirk identities old and new, including some early Orchestra Terrestrial tracks alongside the more well-known Sandoz project. With design by The Designers Republic, this is a must-have for anyone who has the two previous pieces in the collection. Other aliases include: The Third Man, Dark Magus, Destructive Impact, Extended Family, and Nine Mile Dub
CD $11

RICHARD H KIRK - URP Vol. 2 (Intone 004; UK) A retrospective collection of previously-unreleased spiky beats/joints circa 1995-1997 written and produced by UK electronic producer Richard H. Kirk. Old school break and electro with a difference, the beats embellished with cheeky Latin grooves and shed-splitting dub interventions welded to some serious head-pounding rhythm. Difficult to fit into any category, this one stands in a realm totally on its own. Tastefully suited and booted by long-term Kirk collaborators The Designers Republic.
CD $11


CURRENT 93 [DAVID TIBET et al] - Like Swallowing Eclipses (Dreamt By Andrew Liles) [6 LP box set] (Dirter 76; UK) New lower pricing!! For the first time on vinyl, the complete, highly-acclaimed Andrew Liles remixes of the first five classic Current 93 albums. Andrew Liles has re-imagined Nature Unveiled (1984), Dogs Blood Rising (1984), In Menstrual Night (1986), Dawn (1987) and Live at Bar Maldoror (1985). Also exclusive to this set is a sixth LP, Haunt Invocation (Apadno), which is a remixed version of Faust (2000) and A Special Plan (2000). These influential albums by Current 93 are regarded by many as ground-breaking and innovative -- building upon this, Andrew Liles has re-dreamt and re-imagined these pieces with the flare and vision that he is renowned and respected for. All the records in this 6LP set come in individual covers in a beautiful spot-varnished box and are adorned with astounding artwork by David Tibet and photographs by Simona Dalla Valle
6 LP Box set for $42


CLASSROOM PROJECTS [V.A.] - Incredible Music Made by Children in Schools (Trunk 049; UK) Trunk presents a beautiful compilation of rare and brilliant music made by children in schools. The album features some incredible sounds -- from charming folk songs to full blown avant-garde experiments. Many of these recordings are exceptionally scarce (some selling for close to L 1000 these days) and it's unlikely anyone will have heard any of these since they were first recorded. Recordings made by British children are hardly ever heard. Over the last few decades some schools went to the trouble of privately pressing their own LPs for plays, concerts or celebration -- and with very mixed results. Jonny Trunk has collected these scarce UK recordings and compiled the very best ones for Classroom Projects, the first collection of its kind, presenting recordings made between 1959 and 1981. As well as excellent small group versions of traditional songs, there are specially written instrumentals, covers of Italian composer Scarlatti and even songs about drunk driving. Also, we have work encouraged by John Paynter, a free-thinker, educator and true maverick. Part of the University Of York music department, he not only believed that music lessons at school were of the upmost importance, but he also introduced pupils to the modern composers of the post-war period (such as Stockhausen). So instead of music lessons with a group of pupils all blowing the same basic tune on recorders, he encouraged experimentation with tape machines, haiku and creative thought. As a result, some of the recordings on this album sound like conceptual music from Paris in the late '50s, and not from secondary schools in Bedford in 1969. Overall the compilation brings together some inspired musical moments, some unexpected oddness as well as a warm rush of nostalgia as the small choir from St. Brandon's School (now closed) sing "Bright Eyes." The CD comes with extensive notes and images of the original albums in an 8-page full-color booklet.
CD $16

VERNON ELLIOTT - The Clangers: Original Television Music [sndtck] (Trunk SOUP 01; UK) Both beautiful and charming, this is the long-lost music from one of the UK's most popular and important children's TV shows. Started in 1969 and produced by Smallfilms, The Clangers is a series about a small planet and the little woolen creatures who inhabit it. It ran for just 26 episodes, and grew organically as a show, with the little eco-friendly Clangers discovering music on "Music Trees," learning how to make flying machines and being aware of any space junk crashing into their planet. The music was written (like most of the Smallfilms productions) by Vernon Elliott, a composer and established bassoonist. His pastoral space music is at times slightly abstract, and builds throughout the album from small passages to larger, more complex musical sequences. On its original release (in 2001), the album gained a stunning 10 out of 10 from the NME: "Created in 1969 by Oliver Postgate, the genius who also made landmark kids TV like Bagpuss and Ivor the Engine, The Clangers was an enchanting animated program about a gang of pink alien mice who lived on a blue planet and had friends called the Soup Dragon, the Froglets and the Skymoos. Even now, it's a joy to watch. Fuck The Magic Roundabout and Pigeon Street. One of the best things about the series was the music, and this lovingly packaged collection of original material collects it and revels in its slightly sinister, otherworldly, even free jazz, feel. Sure, there's cute little oboe flourishes and sweet, clinky clanky noises, but underneath all that, there's a definite sense of being lost and alone in a vast, awesome universe, with only pink mice and a flying metal chicken for company. There's 47 minutes and 22 tracks of undiluted Clangers magic on this CD as well as some excellent, illuminating sleeve notes and the cutest 'behind the camera' picture of The Clangers you're ever likely to see. Like the best things in life, it's warm, fuzzy and makes you feel slightly nauseous." The CD version comes with a 12-page full-color booklet with archive extracts, pictures from the TV series and more.
CD $13


THE YOUNG TRADITION [PETER BELLAMY/ROYSTON WOOD/HEATHER WOOD] - Oberlin 1968 (Fledg'ling 3094; UK) The live reputation of the mighty Young Tradition lives long in the memories of all who heard them during their brief career. Live recordings were thought not to exist until, 45 years later, an American fan remembered the reel-to-reel recording he'd made at Oberlin College on November 17th, 1968. Carefully restored, these tapes are now released by Fledg'ling Records on CD. The Young Tradition formed on April 18th, 1965 by Peter Bellamy, Royston Wood, and Heather Wood -- with a repertoire from the British folk tradition, style from Carnaby Street and lashings of attitude, they soon firmly established themselves on the folk scene. They recorded for Transatlantic Records and international tours soon followed. Record companies will always make extravagant claims for their releases, but Oberlin 1968 really is a rare and truly wonderful historical release.
CD $16


TWINK [JOHN ALDER] And THE TECHNICOLOUR DREAM - You Reached For The Stars (Sunbeam 5098; UK) Having played with Tomorrow, the Pretty Things and the Pink Fairies, Twink should need no introduction to fans of underground rock. Following the ecstatic reception of Sunbeam's release of his legendary 1969 album Think Pink (SBR 5095CD/LP), the label is delighted to announce a brand-new Twink record -- the mind-expanding You Reached for the Stars, which finds him collaborating with highly-regarded Italian psychedelic outfit the Technicolour Dream. Recorded in Rome and mastered at Abbey Road in the summer of 2013, it comes complete with eight superb bonus tracks, and is sure to delight all lovers of psychedelic rock.
CD $17

TWINK [JOHN ALDER] With PINK FAIRIES MOTORCYCLE CLUB AND ALL-STAR ROCK AND ROLL BAND [PAUL RUDOLPH/DUNCAN SANDERSON/RUSSELL HUNTER] - Think Pink + 8 (Sunbeam 5095; UK) Recorded in London in July 1969, and featuring members of Tomorrow, The Pretty Things, The Deviants, and Tyrannosaurus Rex, the legendary Think Pink is one of the hallowed relics of British underground rock. Masterminded by John "Twink" Alder, who fully participated in this comprehensive reissue, it is presented here with detailed background notes, eight bonus tracks and rare pictures, making it truly essential for all fans of true psychedelia.
CD $17


THE SEMI-COLON - Ndia Egbuo Nida (Afro-Jigida) [2 CD set] (Comb & Razor 1002; USA) "The long-lost masterpiece of Afro-rock n' roll. Reissued for the first time on two compact discs. Ndia Egbuo Ndia (Afro-Jigida), recorded by the Nigerian rock group Semi Colon in 1976, was an experimental response to Fela Kuti's then-dominant afrobeat sound, substituting Fela's sophisticated horn charts and jazz leanings with wiry electric guitar work and a passion for vintage rock 'n' roll. Long fabled and coveted amongst collectors and DJs alike, the album has remained one of the rarest of the Nigerian 1970s 'afro' cycle. Comb & Razor Sound is proud to be reissuing this lost gem of Afro-rock for a new audience. The original LP reissue was the second release from Comb & Razor Sound, following up the success of its inaugural offering, 2011's Nigerian disco and boogie compilation Brand New Wayo, which was spotlighted on NPR's All Things Considered and received favorable mention on its 'Song of the Day.' This new edition of Afro-Jigida continues Comb & Razor's exploration of rare, cutting-edge popular music produced in Nigeria in the 1970s and '80s, now for the first time on compact disc, bundled in a deluxe book with assorted photos, liner notes, and lyrical translations."
2 CD set for $22

BRAND NEW WAYO [V.A.] - Funk, Fast Times and Nigerian Boogie Badness 1979-1983 [CD + BOOK] (Comb & Razor 1001; USA) "With this release, Comb & Razor Sound launches its exploration of the colorful world of popular music from Nigeria, starting with the post-disco era of the late 1970s and early 80s. The years between 1979 and 1983 were Nigeria's Second Republic, when democracy finally returned after twenty-three years of uninterrupted military dictatorship. They were also the crest of Nigeria's oil boom, when surging oil prices made the petroleum-producing country a land of plenty, prosperity and profligacy. The influx of petrodollars meant an expansion in industry and the music industry in particular. Record companies upgraded their technology and cranked out a staggering volume of output to an audience hungry for music to celebrate the country's prospective rise as global power of the future. While it was a boom time for a wide variety of popular music styles, the predominant commercial sound was a post-afrobeat, slickly modern dance groove that retrofitted the relentless four-on-thefloor bass beat of disco to a more laidback, upbeat-and-downbeat soul shuffle, mixing in jazz-funk, synthesizer pop and afro feeling. At the time, it was still mostly locally referred to as 'disco' but has since been recognized as its own unique genre retrospectively dubbed 'Nigerian boogie.' A Brand New Wayo: Funk, Fast Times and Nigerian Boogie Badness collects 15 pulsing Nigerian boogie tracks in a lovingly compiled package, featuring over 80 pages of rigorously researched liner notes and photographs chronicling one of the most progressive and creative eras in the history of African popular music." CD packaged in a mini-LP cardboard sleeve with an enormous book, all housed in an impressive outerbox.
CD + BOOK for $22


UNCLE DOG - Old Hat (Prog Temple 8011; UK) A short-lived collaboration between cult singer Carol Grimes and songwriter David Skinner (formerly half of pop duo Twice As Much), Uncle Dog formed in London in the autumn of 1971. Their rare album was recorded at various times over the ensuing year, and features musicians including guitar legends Paul Kossoff, David Lindley, and Paul Rudolph, as well as Plastic Ono Band/Yes drummer Alan White. A blend of prog-rock with rural and soul influences, it has sold for hundreds of dollars, and makes its long-awaited return to CD here. Background notes included.
CD $17

DR K'S BLUES BAND - Dr K's Blues Band (Prog Temple 8012; UK) Named after pianist Rick Kay, this North London band featured Fairport Convention's Ashley Hutchings in its first line-up. By 1967 they were one of the busiest bands on the burgeoning British blues scene, playing up and down the country (as well as on the continent) and sharing stages with underground stars such as Pink Floyd and Tyrannosaurus Rex. Their sole album was taped in the autumn of 1968, and produced by Peter Eden (who'd overseen Donovan's early sessions). A superb set of Chicago-style blues with fine slide guitar and boogie-woogie piano, it makes its long-overdue return to CD here. Includes background notes.
CD $17


HELP - Help (Relics 3026; UK) This unfairly obscure rock trio consisted of Jack Merrill (guitar, vocals), Bob Rochan (bass, vocals) and Chet McCracken (drums). Recorded in Hollywood in 1970 and issued at the start of the following year, their debut was recorded by the legendary Dave Hassinger (best-known for his work with the Rolling Stones). Packed with concise songs, great hooks and edgy guitar, it makes its long-overdue return to CD here.
CD $17


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



Possibly the Most MIS-UNDERSTOOD and simultaneously one of the GREATEST REVOLUTIONARY FREE-JAZZ ICONS, ALBERT AYLER!

WHAT IS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE:

FIRST, WE FOUND 5 copies of this Out-Of-Print box - SEALED - in our backrooms, already selling for up to $300 on Amazon, and that's open/used copies!:

ALBERT AYLER - Holy Ghost; Trane was the Father. Pharoah was the Son. I was the.. [10 CD Box Set and Large Book] (Revenant 213; USA) By 1958, Albert Ayler and his horn had made some rounds: from boy prodigy to teenage member of Little Walter's Blues Band, from 'Little Bird' of Cleveland to featured U.S. Army Band soloist. Then he resolutely set out to forget everything he ever learned about how to properly play the sax so he could channel symphonies to God out of his horn. Seeking nothing short of Truth in music, Ayler shortly became THE catalytic force in defining the sound of the tenor in Free Jazz, and was a heavy influence on John Coltrane's later work. Holy Ghost is the first comprehensive attempt to construct a monument in sound to Albert Ayler, including his never-before-heard first and last recordings, book-ending rare and unissued music from every stage of his career. 9 CDs of rare and unissued recordings, 208 page full color hardbound book, new essays by Amiri Baraka, Val Wilmer, and other Ayler scholars, 10th bonus disc with Ayler as a member of the U.S. Army Band, all housed in a lavish 9.5" square by 3" deep Spirit Box cast from a hand-carved wooden original." [Shipping charges will be above our normally stated guidelines for this item, as you can well imagine].
DISC 1 -
A) Herbert Katz Quintet w/Albert Ayler, Tuevo Suojarvi, Heikki Annala, Martii Aijanen - June 30, 1962 in Helsinki, Finland: 1. Sonnymoon for Two; 2. Summertime; 3. On Green Dolphin Street
B) Cecil Taylor Quartet w/Albert Ayler, Jimmy Lyons, Sunny Murray - November 16, 1962 in Copenhagen, Denmark: 4. spoken intro; 5. Four
C) Albert Ayler Trio w/Gary Peacock, Sunny Murray - June 14, 1964 in New York City: 6. [untitled] ends with "Spirits"; 7. Saints; 8. Ghosts
DISC 2 -
A) Albert Ayler Trio [as above] - June 14, 1964 in New York City: 1. The Wizard; 2. Children; 3. Spirits
B) Albert Ayler Quartet w/ Don Cherry, Gary Peacock, Sunny Murray - September 3, 1964 in Copenhagen, Denmark: 4. Spirits; 5. Vibrations; 6. untitled; 7. Mothers; 8. Children; 9. Spirits
C) Burton Greene Quintet w/Albert Ayler, Frank Smith, Steve Tintweiss, Rashied Ali - February, 1966 in New York City: 10. untitled
DISC 3 -
A) Albert Ayler Quintet w/ Don Ayler, Michel Samson, Mutawef Shaheed [aka Clyde Shy], Ronald Shannon Jackson - April 16, 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio: 1. spoken intro; 2. Spirits Rejoice; 3. D.C.; 4. untitled; 5. Our Prayer; 6. spoken intro; 7. untitled; 8. Ghosts
B) Albert Ayler Quintet [as above] - April 17, 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio: 9. Spirits Rejoice; 10. Medley: Prophet-Ghosts-Spiritual Bells; 11. Our Prayer
DISC 4 -
A) Albert Ayler Quintet [as above] - April 17, 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio: 1. untitled/Truth Is Marching In; 2. Spirits; 3. Medley: Zion Hill - Spirits - Spiritual Bells; 4. untitled
DISC 5 -
A) Albert Ayler Quintet w/ Don Ayler, Michel Samson, Bill Folwell, Beaver Harris - November 3, 1966 in Berlin, Germany: 1. spoken intro; 2. Ghosts/Bells; 3. Truth Is Marching In; 4. Omega; 5. Our Prayer
B) Albert Ayler Quintet [as above] - November 8, 1966 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands: 6. spoken intro: 7. Truth Is Marching In; 8. Bells; 9. Spirits Rejoice; 10. Free Spiritual Musics Part IV
DISC 6 -
A) Albert Ayler Quintet w/ Don Ayler, Michel Samson, Bill Folwell, Milford Graves - June 30/July 1, 1967 in Newport, Rhode Island: 1. Truth is Marching In/Omega; 2. Japan/Universal Indians; 3. Our Prayer
B) Albert Ayler Quartet w/ Don Ayler, Richard Davis, Milford Graves - July 21, 1967 ("Coltrane Funeral") in New York City: 4. Love Cry/Truth Is Marching In/Our Prayer
C) Pharoah Sanders Ensemble w/Albert Ayler, Dave Burrell, Chris Capers, Sirone, Roger Blank, + - January 21, 1968 in New York City: 5. Venus/Upper and Lower Egypt
D) Albert Ayler w/ Call Cobbs, Bill Folwell, Bernard Purdie, Mary Parks, Vivian Bostic - ca. late August, 1968 in New York area: 6. untitled blues; 7. untitled sermon; 8. Thank God for Women; 9. New Ghosts [demo fragments]
DISC 7 -
A) Don Ayler Sextet w/Albert Ayler, Sam Rivers, Richard Johnson, Richard Davis, Muhammad Ali, ++, - January 11, 1969 in New York City: 1. Prophet John; 2. Judge Ye Not
B) Albert Ayler Quartet w/ Steve Tintweiss, Call Cobbs, Allen Blairman - July 28, 1970 in Village Vacances Tourisme, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France: 3. Mothers/Children; 4. untitled; 5. untitled; 6. untitled
DISC 8 -
A) Albert Ayler - Interview with Birger JXrgensen, ca. early December 1964 in Copenhagen, Denmark
B) Albert Ayler - Interview with Birger JXrgensen, November 11, 1966 in Copenhagen, Denmark
C) Albert Ayler - Interview with Daniel Caux, July 27, 1970 in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France
DISC 9 -
A) Albert Ayler - Interview with Kiyoshi Koyama, July 25, 1970 in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France
B) Don Cherry - Interview with Daniel Caux, unknown date, 1971 in Paris, France
DISC 10 -
Bonus Disc w/Ayler as member of U.S. Army Band!
AND THERE YOU HAVE IT - ALL THIS PLUS A 200+ PAGE HARDCOVER BOOK, TWO OTHER BOOKLETS, ASSORTED OTHER PAPER ARTIFACTS, A CUSTOM MOLDED BOX...
Limited Edition of 5000 copies [and we are near the end of our allotment!]
10 CD + BIG BOOK BOX SET FOR $95 (Out of print, but we have it!)


Next, this is what is currently available in roughly chronological recording order:

[Sadly, some key albums - like Prophecy + Bells, Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe, The Complete Live In Greenwich Village, Copenhagen Sessions with Don Cherry, and Sonny's Time Now - are currently out-of-print, and several of the below titles are as well - we have last copies!]


1962

ALBERT AYLER With TORBJORN HULTCRUNTZ/SUNE SPANGBERG - Something Different!: First Recordings (1962) Vols 1 & 2 (Movie Gold; EEC) [CD-R] Albert Ayler (ts), Torbjorn Hultcruntz (b), Sune Spangberg (ds). studio recordings October 25th 1962; all 8 cuts from the previous separate volumes 1 and 2, originally released on LPs by the 'Blue Notes' label in Sweden. "This LP helps toward understanding the way that Ayler has set about hedging-in his freedom, the restraints he devises for himself, his own particular struggle between form and content. Nobody would describe it as his best record - there is, for a start, little genuine rapport between Ayler and his accompanists - but it occupies a fascinating and perhaps a significant niche in jazz history." - Charles Fox
"What Albert does to these tunes is analogous to Jeff Goldblum's final trip through the dematerializing machine in The Fly - he turns them inside out, virtually unrecognizable, a perhaps frightening trip through an alternate universe. Really, NO Ayler record is a minor one!" MannyLunch
CD $15


1963

ALBERT AYLER With NIELS-HENNING ORSTED PEDERSEN/NIELS BRONSTED/RONNIE GARDNER - My Name Is Albert Ayler [aka Free Jazz] (Movie Gold; EEC) [CD-R] Albert Ayler's studio recordings January 14th 1963 for Danish radio; with Niels-Henning Orsted Peterson, Niels Bronsted, and Ronnie Gardiner. "Hearing the soft-spoken voice of Albert Ayler at the beginning of this 1963 recording is spooky. Not because he's gone, but because he's so calm, so young, and so hesitantly articulate: Nothing like the voice of his saxophone playing at all. This session is a reissue of a Fantasy recording, and one which pairs Ayler up with a Scandinavian rhythm section that includes the 16-year-old Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass. After the weirdly wonderful spoken intro, Ayler goes for the throat on soprano in "Bye Bye Blackbird." It's difficult to tell if Ayler's tonality on the horn is intentional or the rhythm section is just so stick-in-the-butt rigid that he sounds more out of tune than he is. Ayler plays tenor on the rest of the program, which includes "Summertime," "Billie's Bounce," "On Green Dolphin Street," and "C.T." The session becomes irritating in that the rhythm section refuses to give Ayler the room he needs: they play straight bop no matter what, as if they couldn't play anything else. Only on "Summertime" does he connect with the inner voices of his emotions and lets loose in what would be come his trademark wail. Born equally of gospel, R&B, and early jazz phrasing, Ayler lets loose a torrent of emotion on the tune, making everything -- and everyone on the bandstand -- else seem nonexistent in comparison. This is a strange record, like a soloist mismatched with the recording of another band, but nonetheless there is that singular tenor voice to contend with, and, on "Summertime," it is unfathomably beautiful." - Thom Jurek, AMG
"I have to disagree with Thom - this is an amazing entry point for the fearless, as Ayler turns these known standards on their head AND inside-out, rhythm section in the act of providing a pedestrian launching pad is besides the point." - MannyLunch
CD $15


1964

ALBERT AYLER With NORMAN HOWARD/HENRY GRIMES/EARLE HENDERSON/SUNNY MURRAY - Witches & Devils [aka Spirits] (Movie Gold; EEC) [CD-R] "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." Amazing! On February 24, 1964, the tracks for both the Goin' Home AND the Witches And Devils albums were recorded. "Witches & Devils is a compelling listen because of its situational framework rather than its artistic achievement. Ayler had already had the experience of playing with Cecil Taylor in Europe two years before this. The rhythm section there, Sunny Murray and Henry Grimes, also appear here. Though Grimes plays on only one of the two sessions -- the other bassist was Earle Henderson -- Murray is present throughout, and what a difference it makes in the sound of Ayler's confidence, tone, and overall musical presentation. Previous outings featured Ayler with well-meaning but incapable European musicians trying to play his music. Here, though the trumpet chair -- Norman Howard, a friend from Ayler's hometown of Cleveland -- is a weak link in the chain, this situation allows Ayler's music to shine through, more or less. Needless to say, the quartet with Grimes and Murray, which yields two tunes here -- the title track, which also features Henderson, and "Holy, Holy" -- offers the first real glimpse of Ayler in command. His statuesque take on the tonal and timbral fronts comes from both Ornette Coleman and the honking R&B bar-walkers. And in looking inside the various registers on the title cut, he explores the emotions inherent in timbral modulation without refracting the notes themselves too much. He moves from a whisper of great tenderness to a bloodcurdling scream, and it all sounds natural. On "Holy, Holy," the arco bass work by Grimes complements the intensity with which Ayler is playing. He goes for the upper register buoyed up by Murray's triple time, timberline beats and cross-handed polyrhythms, screeching to the point of sounding like a crying child, quoting hymns and blues tunes throughout. Howard's trumpet playing is no great shakes, but he moves through note displacement very well, opening up the harmonic registers for Ayler and Grimes to break through unencumbered. This is a revealing if not completely satisfying recording.- Thom Jurek, AMG
CD $15

ALBERT AYLER With CALL COBBS/HENRY GRIMES/SUNNY MURRAY - Goin' Home [aka Swing Low Sweet Spiritual..plus!] (Movie Gold; EEC) [CD-R; All 7 cuts from Swing Low Sweet Spiritual PLUS 3 alternate takes.] Albert Ayler was confronted with a spiritual anxiety that both plagued and comforted him throughout his life. This is frighteningly clear listening to the highly intense musical yin and yang that was present February 24, 1964, when the tracks for the Goin' Home AND the Witches And Devils albums were recorded.
"Ayler plays tenor and soprano saxophones on "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot," "Deep River," "Goin Home," "Down by the Riverside," "When the Saints Go Marchin In," and "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen." These traditional compositions are treated with reverence and a lack of improvisation, played in a quietly passionate but respectful manner. They reveal a sensitivity that was obscured with the emotionally charged tenor screeching of the Ayler originals that were also recorded at this session: "Witches and Devils," "Spirits," "Holy, Holy," and "Saints." This edition of Goin' Home bonus 2nd takes of "Down by the Riverside," "Ol' Man River," and "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." The Goin' Home rhythm section is held together by the gospel-influenced piano style of Call Cobbs. This was the first time the saxophonist had played with Cobbs, who, like Ayler, was from Cleveland and had recently moved to New York. Free jazz stalwarts Henry Grimes' bass and Sunny Murray's drums rounded out the proceedings, following Ayler and Cobbs lead, sounding more accessible than they had on previous recordings. While Goin' Home and Witches and Devils haven't been released together on one compact disc, obtaining both and playing them back to back makes for an amazing comparison in moods and styles." - Al Campbell, AMG
CD $15

ALBERT AYLER With GARY PEACOCK/SUNNY MURRAY - Spiritual Unity (ESP Disk 1002; USA) Albert Ayler - saxophone; Gary Peacock - bass; Sunny Murray - percussion; studio recordings July 10th 1964. "The first recording issued by the iconoclastic ESP-Disk, and considered by many to be Ayler's finest studio work, Spiritual Unity is a giant of free jazz. In the 40 years since its release, Spiritual Unity has become a 'classic' and Ayler has become a legend." Remastered from the original tapes for the first time! Manufactured in the USA by the original label. Package includes numerous unreleased pics of the trio in the studio.
CD $12

[ALBERT AYLER/DON CHERRY/JOHN TCHICAI/ROSWELL RUDD/GARY PEACOCK/SUNNY MURRAY] NEW YORK EYE AND EAR CONTROL - New York Eye and Ear Control [sndtck] (ESP Disk 1016; USA) "A collaborative soundtrack project for Michael Snow's film of the same name. Studio recordings July 17th 1964 by Albert Ayler, Don Cherry, Roswell Rudd, John Tchicai, Gary Peacock and Sunny Murray. "This is a very interesting set, music that was freely improvised and used as the soundtrack for the 34-minute short film New York Eye and Ear Control. Tenor saxophonist Albert Ayler leads the all-star sextet (which also includes trumpeter Don Cherry, altoist John Tchicai, trombonist Roswell Rudd, bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Sunny Murray) on two lengthy jams. The music is fiery but with enough colorful moments to hold one's interest throughout. - Scott Yanow/AMG
CD $12

ALBERT AYLER With DON CHERRY/GARY PEACOCK/SUNNY MURRAY - Vibrations [aka Ghosts; aka Mothers And Children] (Movie Gold; EEC) [CD-R] 1964 was a busy year for Albert Ayler, who recorded at least seven albums worth of material. This particular September 14th 1964 session, a quartet date with trumpeter Don Cherry, bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Sunny Murray, was probably his most significant of the period. Switching between tenor and alto, Ayler is often ferocious on the six performances, jumping from simple melodies (of which "Ghosts" is the most memorable) to intense sound explorations overflowing with emotion; he even makes Cherry seem conservative. It helps greatly to have open ears to appreciate this music, although Ayler's jams would become a bit more accessible the following year. Recommended! - Scott Yanow, AMG
CD $15

ALBERT AYLER With DON CHERRY/GARY PEACOCK/SUNNY MURRAY - The Hilversum Session (ESP Disk 4035; USA) Featuring Albert Ayler on tenor sax, Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on acoustic bass and Sunny Murray on drums. Recorded at Hilversum in The Netherlands on November 9th, 1964. "The Hilversum session by Albert Ayler is one of those legendary recordings in free jazz. It was recorded in a Netherlands radio studio in front of a small invited audience, at the end of the Ayler Quartet's European tour on November 9, 1964 in front of a small invited audience. The band-Ayler, Don Cherry, Gary Peacock and Sunny Murray-had been playing Ayler's tunes for months and were uncanny in their ability to hear one another and improvise together at that point. It was also the last time the group would record together under Ayler's name as a quartet and then went out at a peak. The recording itself remained unissued until 1980 w when it appeared on an LP on the long defunct Osmosis label. It made a brief appearance on CD on the Coppens imprint before the most recent edition-and likely its final home on the ESP-Disc label (who have also acquired the rights to the Holy Ghost: Rare And Unissued Recordings, 1962-70 box set originally released by Revenant. Most of the tunes were, and remain fairly common Ayler creations "Ghosts," was recorded numerous times in 1964, and "Spirits" first appeared on Witches And Devils but appeared on a record with the same title; both appeared on Spiritual Unity; (the tune "C.A.C," is actually the original title for the cut "the Wizard," also from Spiritual Unity).
According to the liner notes, the closing number "No Name" was added as a coda to the infamous "Bells" issued in 1965, and in its relatively melodic beauty reveals another dimension to the fierce but inspiring improvisation by this quartet who would take Ayler's skeletal melodies and move them to the margins of musical language itself. "Infant Happiness" by Cherry, is the only piece not authored by Ayler. The saxophonist kicks it off before he is joined by the trumpeter near the end of bar four in a knotty but wonderfully nursery rhyme-like melody that is reminiscent of the music Cherry had played with his former and future boss Ornette Coleman. This set is a defining moment, not just historically, but musically. The intense listening and interplay that goes on here is inspiring. Gary Peacock and Sunny Murray may have played better elsewhere, but they never played with the kind of deep communication they enjoyed together as a rhythm section and other front line players than they do here. Ayler is no longer striving to find the outer limits of spiritual expression in his music: it's all on display here, and Cherry, the inveterate and outrageously talented listener/musician is in full bloom here, untethered as a soloist, yet, like the other three, remain an inextricable part of a BAND. These cats play together with the kind of intuition and foresight only a seasoned group can; they understand the nuances of the language they are speaking and k know how to offer those to the listener emotionally, musically, and even culturally. Finally, as for the sound of the recording, it has never been better. The remastering job is excellent, providing excellent fidelity and balance-not always true on the ESP-Disc offerings in the past. Included in the package are fine liner notes by Russ Musto, and a neat poster of Ayler. If someone would take the same care with Ayler's Lorrach, Paris 1966, recordings (owned by Hat is Switzerland) and reissue those in this fashion, we have have a definitive recorded portrait of the great saxophonist. This is a welcome issue." - Thom Jurek / AMG
CD $14


1965

ALBERT AYLER With CHARLES TYLER/DONALD AYLER/CALL COBBS/GARY PEACOCK/HENRY GRIMES/SUNNY MURRAY - Spirits Rejoice (ESP Disk 1020; USA) [new 2006 transfer!] "Recorded live at New York's Judson Hall on September 23 1965, Spirits Rejoice is one of Albert Ayler's wildest, noisiest albums, partly because it's one of the very few that teams him with another saxophonist, altoist Charles Tyler. It's also one of the earliest recordings to feature Ayler's brother Don playing an amateurish but expressive trumpet, and the ensemble is further expanded by using bassists Henry Grimes and Gary Peacock together on three of the five tracks; plus, the rubato "Angels" finds Ayler interacting with Call Cobbs' harpsichord in an odd, twinkling evocation of the spiritual spheres. Aside from that more spacious reflection, most of the album is given over to furious ensemble interaction and hard-blowing solos that always place in-the-moment passion above standard jazz technique. Freed up by the presence of the trumpet and alto, Ayler's playing concentrates on the rich lower register of his horn and all the honks and growls that go with it; his already thick, huge tone has rarely seemed more monolithic. Spirits Rejoice also provides an opportunity to hear the sources of Ayler's simple, traditional melodies becoming more eclectic. The nearly 12-minute title track has a pronounced New Orleans marching band feel, switching between two themes reminiscent of a hymn and a hunting bugle call, and the brief "Holy Family" is downright R&B-flavored. "Prophet" touches on a different side of Ayler's old-time march influence, with machine-gun cracks and militaristic cadences from drummer Sunny Murray driving the raggedly energetic ensemble themes. For all its apparent chaos, Spirits Rejoice is often surprisingly pre-arranged -- witness all the careening harmony passages that accompany the theme statements, and the seamless transitions of the title track. Spirits Rejoice is proof that there was an underlying logic even to Ayler's most extreme moments, and that's why it remains a tremendously inspiring recording." ~ Steve Huey, AMG
CD $12


1966

ALBERT AYLER With DONALD AYLER/RONALD SHANNON JACKSON/LEWIS WORRELL/MICHAEL SAMPSON - The Actual Complete Live At Slugs' Saloon 1966 [aka Truth Is Marching In + Black Revolt..plus!] [2 CD] (ESP Disk 4025; USA) The May 1 1966 Slug's Saloon sets among the recordings that established Albert Ayler's reputation as the iconoclastic legend he was. This May Day performance featured Albert on tenor saxophone, brother Donald on trumpet, Lewis Worrell on bass, Michael Sampson on violin, and a very young Ronald Shannon Jackson on drums. While the recording quality may not be up to some modern-day stereo fascist's standards [it has been immeasurably improved on this edition] there's plenty of fidelity here for most listeners. This is Ayler at his most beguiling and powerful. The set opens with "Truth Is Marching In," which begins with the refrain line from "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" and turns it inside out into a gospel chant before Ayler just turns his saxophone on the audience like he's some Old Testament prophet, screaming and screeching through the middle as Jackson sticks with him every step of the way, triple timing his bull-roaring wail. The theme is one note played in various cadences; each member begins his solo in turn and soon the entire process of music-making has been reversed -- speaking in tongues has been realized, although everyone on the bandstand and in the audience realizes what's happening. Next up is Donald Ayler's "Our Prayer," which begins with a beer polka theme crossed with a carnival song and turns into marching band music, before becoming unglued in an atonal fury of pure gospel shouting and blues hollering to the heavens. Vol. 1 (the stronger of the two) closes with the truly astonishing "Bells." It's true that Ayler only had a few compositions to his name, but it didn't matter since they were all so open they could be reinterpreted a thousand ways. "Bells" is Ayler's masterpiece, beginning with a mournful violin line that's doubled by Donald and then harmonically amended by Worrell and Albert. This is an offering, a funeral march about to happen. The end of the world has already come and the dead are being mourned. The one phrase is repeated over and again, changed little by little, until at five minutes it is a song of joy. And at nine minutes it's a free jazz blowout that is so thunderous there are dropouts in the mikes. By 16 minutes the cover has melted from your skull and the sun is shining from within and without and you have been transformed forever. Then comes long versions of "Ghosts" (over 23 minutes) and "Initiation"! The music is both futuristic (with extroverted emotions expressed in free improvisations) and ancient (New Orleans marching band rhythms, group riffing, and folkish melodies). Yeah, you need this that bad...what are you waiting for? ~ Thom Jurek (and Scott Yanow) AMG
2 CD set for $16

ALBERT AYLER With DONALD AYLER/MICHEL SAMPSON/BILL FOLWELL/BEAVER HARRIS - Berlin and Stockholm 1966 (Hat ology 717; Switzerland) NEVER PREVIOUSLY RELEASED IN ANY FORMAT! Albert Ayler on tenor sax, Donald Ayler on trumpet, Michael Sampson on violin, William Folwell on bass and Beaver Harris on drums. Albert Ayler's 1966 fall European tour produced several of the most inspired concerts of his sadly abbreviated career. Of the surviving tapes from the tour, those from Berlin have been the most abused, while those from Stockholm are all but unknown.This ist the first release of these performances, in digitally remastered sound, to be approved by and officially and legally licensed from the Ayler Estate and the copyright holders of these tapes - John Litweiler
CD $19


1967-1969

ALBERT AYLER With GARNETT BROWN/BURT COLLINS/JOE NEWMAN/CALL COBBS et al - New Grass (Impulse! 426902; USA) Possibly the most notorious Albert Ayler release and universally misunderstood (i.e., hated) by fans and critics alike. When New Grass was released in 1968 it received a hostile outcry of sellout. Listening to New Grass in hindsight it must be taken into account that even though commercial elements are apparent -- a soul horn section, backup singers, boogaloo drumming from Bernard Purdie, and electric rock bass -- Ayler's vocals and tenor playing could hardly gain commercial radio exposure at any time. It's likely Impulse prodded Ayler to move into a more pronounced blues-oriented sound and he went willingly. Ayler wasn't a stranger to R&B or gutbucket blues; he had started his career playing saxophone with Chicago bluesman Little Walter in the '50s. Ayler's screeching tone remains intact on New Grass but it's mixed with definite R&B riffs like the obvious honkin' nod to "Slippin and Sliddin" on "New Generation." Ayler's attempt to explain himself on the opening track "Message From Albert Ayler" reveals his impending dread over controversy concerning the material. It is a problem many artists face at some point in their careers when trying to move in a different direction, no matter what the reason; they may end up losing a majority of their audience by taking a foreign approach. The fact that this material remains out of print in the United States speaks volumes for the lasting commercial contempt still attributed to this album, not only by fans and critics but the record company. Proving that New Grass wasn't commercial when it was first released and remains less so decades later. ~ Al Campbell, AMG
CD $12

ALBERT AYLER With DONALD AYLER/CALL COBBS/ALAN SILVA/MILFORD GRAVES// & With BOBBY FEW/HENRY VESTINE/BILL FOLWELL/STAFFORD JAMES/MUHAMMAD ALI/MARY MARIA PARKS - Love Cry/The Last Album (Impulse 2o1/Verve 699; EEC) Booklet contains COMPLETE graphics & text from both LP releases! Originally released separately on Impulse, this two-fer combines saxophonist Albert Ayler's 1967 release Love Cry, and The Last Album, which came out three years later [New Grass and Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe came out inbetween]. On Love Cry, Ayler s second release on Impulse, the songs are shorter, and the ferociousness that listeners experienced on his daring ESP dates is slightly toned down, but not much. Recorded at the same final studio sessions, August 26, 27, and 29, 1969 [which also yielded 'Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe'] , The Last Album, released posthumously, is very similar in content to '..Healing Force..', with Ayler delving into R&B, and utilizing the poetry and vocals of Mary Maria. The first track is an untitled duet between Jimi Hendrix-inspired guitarist and Canned Heat member Henry Vestine and Ayler on bagpipe, alone worth the price of admission! The ideal two-fer would have combined Healing Force with Last Album. The music has been remastered and, while there are no bonus tracks or new liner notes, Impulse had the good taste to restore the original packaging: front and back cover art and liner notes. ~ Al Campbell, AMG
CD $16


1970

ALBERT AYLER QUARTET With MARY PARKS/STEVE TINTWEISS/ALLEN BLAIRMAN - Live on the Riviera July 25 1970 (ESP Disk 4001; USA) New 2013 remaster! Featuring Albert Ayler - tenor saxophone, soprano, musette, vocal; Mary Maria [Parks] - vocal; soprano saxophone, Steve Tintweiss - double bass and Allen Blairman - drums. "Albert Ayler's beautiful 1970 (July 25th) COMPLETE FIRST SET [before Call Cobbs arrived for the next set - the recordings with Cobbs are found on the Water label CD] on his first day at the Maeght Foundation in France. Liners include bass player Steve Tintweiss' comments on the performance. Available commercially for the first time, and recorded the first night [when Call Cobbs, pianist of the quintet, was stranded at the airport] of Ayler's final concert series. "Truly an historic concert, atop a mountain, in a geodesic dome, captured a by French radio and broadcast to those lucky enough to listen. Both Mary Maria and Ayler are hooked up and wailing together when "Birth of Mirth" begins, out vocalizing and free sax, but not too far out. Ayler's tone is warm and almost tender, the trio playing beautifully together, strong yet somber bowed bass and floating percussion. Ayler goes further out on his soprano on "Masonic Inborn" twisting them notes inside-out, as the rest of the group levitates with him, notes like sparks igniting into flames. Turns out that it was Mary's soprano sax playing that was so out there, as she and Ayler wail their (s)axes together on "Oh! Love of Life". It sounds as if Ayler has come back down to the earth, he is playing with more restraint and even singing softly yet strangely on this same piece. "Can you hear the angels singing?" he extols in his wavering voice. Mary Maria does some fine spoken/sung word vocals on just three tracks and she does indeed fit well with this band, no complaints here. For those of you who have yet to hear Albert Ayler, this would be a perfect place to start as this is his least "out" effort, but it is still a strong testament to a most creative spirit who is still with us, thanks to recordings like this. The final tune is Ayler's old classic, "Ghosts", which shines like a jewel in the sky, that perfect blend of a salvation army/marching band melody, coming directly from the heart and soul and pouring all over us like cosmic molasses and washing away the evil spirits." - BLG
CD $12

ALBERT AYLER QUINTET With MARY PARKS/CALL COBBS/STEVE TINTWEISS/ALLEN BLAIRMAN - Complete Nuits de la Fondation Maeght July 27 1970 [aka Fondation Maeght Nights] (Water 103; USA) A fantastic CD reissue featuring two classic late Albert Ayler's album volumes (both originally released on the French Shandar label). COMPLETELY DIFFERENT TUNES than found on the ESP RIvera CD without Cobbs! Albert Ayler on tenor sax, with Mary Maria on vocals, Call Cobbs on piano, Steve Tintweiss on bass and Allen Blairman. Recorded live in France at the Fondation Maeght in St. Paul de Vence (July 27th, 1970). Stellar live performances capturing his two last gigs ever. Contains new exclusive liner notes by Wire contributor David Keenan.
[Ltd time price; normally $16]
CD $13




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