Rejoice and Dig In... Romantically attach yourself to theses New Discs from:


John Zorn's The Alchemist & Zorn/Abraxas Book Two: Blumenkranz/Maoz/Bajakian /Grohowski! Matthew Barnson! Han Bennink & Uri Caine! Jeremiah Cymerman/Chris Hoffmann/Brian Chase! Joe McPhee/Fred Lonberg-Holm/Michael Zerang! East-West Collective: Ochs/Petit/Kassap/Masaoka/Fengxia! Elliott Sharp & Scott Fields DVD!

Sabir Mateen Blood Trio & Jubilee Large Ensemble! Mark Dresser/Gerry Hemingway/ Assif Tsahar! Diane Moser/Marty Ehrlich/Ben Williams Quintet! Tetuzi Akiyama & Anla Courtis! Marty Belcher/Jason Bivins Double Quartet! Ewald Hugle/Michael J. Stevens Qt! Alvin Lucier! Machine Mass: Tony Bianco/Michel Deville/Dave Liebman!

Diane Moser/Marty Ehrlich/Ben Williams/Mark Dresser/Gerry Hemingway! Mumpbeak with Roy Powell/Bill Laswell/Tony Levin/Shanir Blumenkranz/Pat Mastelotto! Luciano Biondini/Michel Godard/Lucas Niggli! Bob Belden's Animation! Objets Trouves (Friedli/Streiff/Schegel/Ulrich)! Brainkiller!

Double Trio de Clarinettes! Michael Jaeger's Kerouac! Gato Loco! Scott Fields String Feartet! Leap of Faith! Los Toscos + Tony Malaby! Mula! Tristam Cary! Daniel Goode! Camille Norment! Arthur Levering!

Plus Historic Discs from: Manfred Schoof/Alex Von Schlippenbach/Gerd Dudek/Buschi Niebergall/Jaki Liepezeit! Officer: Mick Hobbs/Tom Cora/Tim Hodgkinson/Catherine Jauniaux!

Remaining King Crimson Club Recordings .. and Collectable King Crimson double-CD sets! Selected Cuneiform titles 40% OFF! Hopscotch Baccatalog SALE!

Rune Grammofon Rarities 10" Box Set!! Intakt Backcatalog Sale! The Bristol Sessions! And Even More!




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

Sunday, February 16th:
6pm: LOUISE D.E. JENSEN & TIM DAHL - Alto Sax & Electric Bass!

Sunday, February 23rd:
6pm: DISSIPATED FACE REUNION: DANIEL CARTER/KURT RALSKE/STEPHEN POPKIN/ ROBERT MUSSO/WILL DAHL! In Support of the Release: "Live at CBGB 1986"

Sunday, March 2nd:
6pm: DANIEL CARTER/KURT RALSKE/JONATHAN WOOD VINCENT/MIRIAM ATKIN - Reeds & Trumpet/Trumpet/Accordion/Text!

Sunday, March 9th:
6pm: KRESTEN OSGOOD & MARTIN PHILADELPHY - Drums & Guitar!

Sunday, March 16th:
6pm: FEDERICO UGHI & YONI KRETZMER - Drums & Tenor Sax!

Sunday, March 23rd:
6pm: OMAR TAMEZ & ANGELICA SANCHEZ - Guitar & Keyboard!


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New on Tzadik!

JOHN ZORN//ABRAXAS [SHANIR EZRA BLUMENKRANZ/EYAL MAOZ/ARAM BAJAKIAN/KENNY GROHOWSKI] - Psychomagia (Tzadik 8313; USA) Psychomagia is the new album by the fabulous quartet of Abraxas, the acclaimed Moroccan Rock arrangements for the Book of Angels series. Here they perform a complex new suite of music written expressly for them by Downtown alchemist John Zorn. Drawing inspiration from the magical writings of Giordano Bruno and Alejandro Jodorowski and others, Zorn has written a bold collection of compositions that challenge the musicians to the breaking point. With a program ranging from some of the most intense ritualistic sounds you are likely to hear to tender minimalistic odes, this is a surprising new volume in Zorn's mystic series that matches the intensity and power of Moonchild, PainKiller and Naked City. Recorded at Orange Music and mixed by Bill Laswell. Essential. TZADIK ARCHIVAL SERIES
CD $14

JOHN ZORN - The Alchemist (Tzadik 8314; USA) [special packaging] Zorn's string quartets are some of the most important modern contributions to the canon and a new Zorn quartet is truly a cause for celebration. His sixth quartet is inspired by the hermetic Angelic actions of John Dee and his mystical medium Edward Kelley and contains some of the most intense contrapuntal writing he has yet achieved. Replete with the procedures of distillation, calcination, crystallization, sublimation, purification, rotation as well numerology, prayers, canons, contrapuntal complexity and the ghost of a familiar fugue, this music is part sEance, part science, and all Zorn - in short, a trip through an alchemist's laboratory! Performed here by Zorn's own Quartet, this is the definitive recording of this important and powerful string quartet, already considered a modern classic. Also included is Zorn's mystical response to the ancient Newgrange sacred site in Ireland, a beautiful and evocative setting of Amergin, one of the oldest Celtic sacred texts, written for three female voices. TZADIK ARCHIVAL SERIES
CD $16

MATTHEW BARNSON - Sibyl Tones (Tzadik 9005; USA) Utah-born composer Matthew Barnson has studied at Eastman, the University of Pennsylvania and Yale, and now resides in New York City. His work is expressive and dramatic, and touches on both the European and American traditions. This CD presents three powerful and original pieces for string quartet, brilliantly preformed by both the Arditti Quartet from London and the JACK quartet from New York City. Three exciting string quartets by a thrilling new American compositional voice. TZADIK COMPOSER SERIES
CD $14

..and we found one box of these VERY LAST COPIES!..

NAKED CITY [JOHN ZORN/BILL FRISELL/WAYNE HORVITZ/FRED FRITH/JOEY BARON et al] - Naked City: The Complete Studio Recordings (1988-1993) [5 CD + Book set]: Naked City/Heretic/Grand Guignol/Radio/Absinthe/Leng Tch'e/Torture Garden (Tzadik 7344 B; USA) 2nd limited pressing of 400 copies, exact same contents and packaging as the first (but with a couple of typographical errors corrected). NAKED CITY: The quintet of John Zorn, Bill Frisell, Wayne Horvitz, Fred Frith, and Joey Baron; with Yamataka Eye, Mike Patton guest vocalists. "I have radically remastered this music with exacting and loving attention to every last detail. Mistakes have been corrected, balances adjusted and thanks to the latest in digital technology the music is louder, clearer, more in your face and exploding with more energy than ever before. Even if you already own all of the original discs, I strongly urge you to pick this set up and experience Naked City as it always should have sounded. " -John Zorn Probably Zorn's most popular and most controversial musical project, the music of Naked City has been debated, analyzed, adored and reviled by fans, critics and academics alike, but nothing can replace the experience of hearing it in all its frightening glory. Most people know this music from the single domestic release on Nonesuch, but the major portion of their studio recordings were issued from 1989 - 1993 on the hard to find Japanese labels Avant and Toy's Factory. This long awaited set pulls together all of their recorded output - seven studio releases (including four previously released only in Japan) - on 5 CDs in beautiful new packaging, with a special 100+ page scrapbook of Naked City ephemera, including photos, posters, designs, scores, musical sketches, written tributes by members of the Naked City family and pages from Zorn's original notebooks showing the development of the music that drove so many people out of their minds. Zorn's music at its most brutal and uncompromising best. BONUS TRACK CREATED EXCLUSIVELY FOR THIS SET: A spectacular new vocal version of the 18' composition Grand Guignol featuring the charismatic singer from Fantomas, Mr. Bungle and Faith No More, Naked City alumni Mike Patton. A tour de force concerto for voice and ensemble, finally realizing Zorn's long form composition as it was originally conceived. [PLEASE NOTE: All of the material from TORTURE GARDEN IS INCLUDED ,on the 'Naked City' & 'Grand Guignol' CDs, from which the TG mini album was compiled] shipping charges for the NAKED CITY BOX will be greater than normal outside the U.S. as this weighs the equivalent of individual 7 CDs TZADIK ARCHIVAL SERIES
5 CD + BOOK Box Set for $85


HAN BENNINK/URI CAINE - Sonic Boom (816 Music 1201; USA) Featuring Uri Caine on piano and Han Bennink on drums. This set was recorded live at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam in April of 2010, during a European tour that Uri and Han were on that month. Founding member of the ICP Orchestra and drummer, extraordinaire, Han Bennink also has been involved in a series of great duos with Myra Melford, Dave Douglas and his long-time partner Misha Mengelberg. Uri Caine is also a wonderful, diverse and ambitious pianist, composer and arranger, as well as the most popular and prolific artist on the prestigious Winter & Winter label. I attended a few nights of Mr. Caine's recent week residency at The Stone and caught some superb sets, each one completely different. I've caught Uri as a collaborator with an earlier Dave Douglas Quintet as well as playing solo versions from the Masada catalogue and again he never ceases to knock me out. This live set features mostly duo improvisations plus one swell cover of " 'Round Midnight" by Thelonius Monk. What is most apparent here is that the duo sound like they are having blast and effortlessly draw from the long history of jazz with its different streams of improv. The opening piece which is also the title piece, explodes with infectious energy from abrupt tidal waves to bluesy asides. I've seen Mr. Bennink play just a snare drum only at several gigs and know that he knows how to provide the perfect accompaniment to anything thrown his way with minimal tools. This disc is well-recorded and sounds almost like a studio date except for the occasional applause from the obviously happy audience. In Europe, Uri Caine, is well regarded for covering classical composers like Mahler, Bach, Mozart and (more recently) Gershwin. He also draws from those sources as well yet we never know where the duo will end up. Bennink has a great way of turning the rhythm inside out and/or adding unexpected detours or references to other styles. One piece, "As I Was", has a great older soul/jazz sort of theme while another piece is free with different lines criss-crossing, starting and stopping, swinging and then becoming angular. When I talked to Uri about his tour with Han, he said that really enjoyed traveling with Mr. Bennink. When traveling together by train, Uri would work on arrangements while Han looked out the window and say, "fantastic" when he saw something that moved him. He advised Uri to not work so hard but sit back and enjoy the sights. Good advise since we often do get caught up in whatever we have to do to survive and miss the things that life often provides unexpectedly. Quite a marvelous duo encounter from the beginning until the very last note. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
[Ltd time Price!]
CD $10


MANFRED SCHOOF QUINTET With ALEXANDER VON SCHLIPPENBACH/JAKI LIEBEZEIT/GERD DUDEK/BUSCHI NIEBERGALL - The Munich Recordings 1966: Previously Unreleased! (Sireena 2094; Germany) "These never released before recordings of the Manfred Schoof Quintet featuring Can drummer Jaki Liebezeit, which only existed from 1966 to 1968, are definitely milestones in the history of free jazz. With this album a precious document of the period is reawakened and made available. Unbridled, wild, yet controlled."
CD $18


New on RareNoise!
[In stock next week]

MUMPBEAK [ROY POWELL/BILL LASWELL/TONY LEVIN/SHANIR EZRA BLUMENKRANZ/LORENZO FELICIATI/PAT MASTELOTTO] - Mumpbeak (RareNoise 35; UK) English-born but norwegian resident pianist/keyboard player/organist Roy Powell, whose recent releases on RareNoiseRecords count two full length albums with Naked Truth (with Lorenzo Feliciati and Pat Mastelotto) and his organ trio InterStatic with Jacob Young and Jarle Vespestad, creates astonishing near-symphonic progressive rock-fuelled compositions in MUMPBEAK. Using a heavily modified set of pedals and clavinet, he successfully fuses the sound and textures of organ, keyboards and touch-guitar into a dark, relentless sonic maelstroem, at times reminiscent of King Crimson, Rush and Stickmen. He is supported in this endeavour by a four magnificent bass players, Bill Laswell, Shanir Blumenkrantz, Lorenzo Feliciati and Tony Levin, all overdubbed by Laswell himself and by master King Crimson and Naked Truth drummer Pat Mastelotto. Thick and fast microtonal keyboard streams dance and wrestle with babelic bass voicings carried forward by relentless grooves and oblique drum fills; odd time signatures so typical of Progressive rock are here coated by an unheard-of gluttonous lick of bass, as they dance to the tune of and in support of the wonderful keyboard (guitar-like) melodic lines. This album, recorded in Norway, Texas and New Jersey and mixed by Bill Laswell in New Jersey, marks the first time Bill Laswell can be heard on tracks with King Crimson alumni Tony Levin and Pat Mastelotto. Uniting the worlds of Laswell, King Crimson, and Downtown Music we have: Roy Powell - modified clavinet/touch guitar / Bill Laswell, Shanir Ezra Blumenktrantz, Lorenzo Feliciati, Tony Levin - electric basses (on different tracks, but Bill Laswell, overdubbing across all tracks) / Pat Mastelotto - drums
CD $17

ANIMATION [BOB BELDEN/PETE CLAGETT/ROBERTO/VERASTEGUI/JACOB SMITH/MATT YOUNG] - Transparent Heart (RareNoise 28; UK) Following on the heels of Animation's 2010 RareNoiseRecords debut, Asiento, and 2011's Agemo, saxophonist-composer-bandleader Bob Belden tells his own story on Transparent Heart. With his new Animation lineup consisting of young musicians hired from his alma mater, the University of North Texas (23-year-old keyboardist Roberto Verastegui, 24-year-old bassist Jacob Smith, 29-year-old trumpeter Pete Clagett and 20-year-old drummer Matt Young), Belden unveils a dark narrative as heard through the musical diary he has composed over 29 years of living in Manhattan. An imposing electronic noir masterwork, Transparent Heart travels from Belden's initial awestruck impressions of New York City (Terra Incognito) to his feelings of foreboding (Urbanoia) and hope (Cry in the Wind) as a city dweller on Manhattan's Upper West Side, to the pervasive angst of post- 9/11 Manhattan (Seven Towers, Provocatism). He also addresses the mass exodus of artists from the city (Vanishment) and concludes his musical memoir with the clash of the social classes manifested in the Occupy Wall Street movement (Occupy!). Belden has concocted a powerful, provocative suite of music that is charged by the intensely driving, highly intuitive playing of his young energetic Animation band mates.
CD $17

BRAINKILLER [BRIAN ALLEN/JACOB KOLLER/HERNAN HECHT] - Colourless Green Superheroes (RareNoise 33; UK) At the creative forefront of the instrumental music scene, artfully blending jazz, classical, rock, electronica and the avant garde, the renegade trio Brainkiller of Brian Allen on trombone, Jacob Koller on piano and Hernan Hecht on drums, has been flying under the radar with a potent sound that is steeped in structure while pushing the envelope on audaciousness. With Colourless Green Superheroes, the band that continues to defy easy categorization is back with more epic compositions bursting with energy and compelling grooves, intricate time-shifting passages and odd rhythms, raucous interludes, touches of humor and various ingenious applications of keys, bone and drums. The brainchild of trombonist Brian Allen and keyboardist Jacob Koller, Brainkiller began 13 years ago as an experimental duo. The two composers and kindred spirits explored their indelible chemistry and complimentary compositional styles together for years before adding a third permanent member, drummer Hernan Hecht (of Mole) in 2007. The following year they recorded The Infiltration, which was released on RareNoise Records in 2010. Colourless Green Superheroes continues the saga of this potent and restless creative trio. And there's something new this time out - the addition of seductive vocals by enigmatic Japanese chanteuse Coppe on one track, the atmospheric and mellow Empty Words. This is just one of 13 dynamic and wholly distinctive tunes on Colourless Green Superheroes. From Koller's epic The Vindicator Returns, which reaches King Crimson-esque levels of bombast on the strength of the composer's distortion-laced Fender Rhodes work and Hecht's thunderous backbeats, to Allen's subdued and lyrical Orange Grey Shade or his mournful dirge A Piedi Verso Il Sole, to Koller's anthemic Top of the World and Allen's quirky-bluesy plunger showcase, Noodlin, which shifts abruptly to an uptempo chops-busting groover, Brainkiller covers a remarkably wide stylistic gamut. Add in Koller's engaging trance-groover Plates, Allen's strident jam Secret Mission, Koller's kinetic Okatu Goes to a Rave and Allen's slow-grooving mysterioso closer To Be Continued, and you have a universe of sound that Brainkiller explores on their sophomore outing.
CD $17


EAST-WEST COLLECTIVE [DIDIER PETIT/LARRY OCHS/MIYA MASAOKA/XU FENGXIA/SYLVAIN KASSAP] - Humeurs (RogueArt 54; EEC) This fabulous international quintet played at the Vision Fest in 2012. Here is my review from that festival, as both that set and this disc are very similar. "The next two sets were referred to as "A French American Connection" and both were highlights of the entire fest. The first ensemble was called the East-West Collective and it featured Larry Ochs on sopranino & tenor sax, Sylvain Kassap on clarinets, Didier Petit on cello & voice, Xu Fengxia on guzheng & voice and Miya Masaoka on koto. Everyone in this quintet came a from a different background or culture. Larry from the Bay Area, Sylvain & Didier from different parts of France, Xu from China and Miya from NY/Bay Area/Japan. I hadn't heard either French musician play live before this but have heard them on record a bit. This was truly an international collective where the common language of free/improv provided a magical bond and connection between all of the players. Cellist Didier Petit was often astonishing on cello, sometimes reminding me of the late Tom Cora, my favorite improviser of the early Downtown Scene. Clarinetist Sylvain Kassap was also consistently amazing and played each clarinet well and in different styles. Starting with hushed koto and tenor fragments with bass clarinet and cello slowing ascending. Sometimes the cellist did some strange vocal sounds in amost natural way as well as Ms. Fengxia also doing odd vocals at times. Different combinations of players would emerge and work together, combining forces with others coming in and adding to the cosmic flow. There were a few humorous moments as well like when the cellist was banging his bow on the guzheng of Ms. Fengxia or when some unexpected vocal sounds erupted from Didier and/or Xu. An incredible set that was hopefully recorded and should be released ASAP!" - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16


JEREMIAH CYMERMAN With CHRISTOPHER HOFFMANN/BRIAN CHASE - Pale Horse ('5049' 03; USA) "The real killer album is without a doubt the newest one - "Pale Horse", with Cymerman on clarinets, Christopher Hoffmann on cello and Brian Chase on drums. The trio weaves long horizontal tones through each other. The one note is vibrating, changing color and timbre, strangely being flexed somehow, getting more resonance and echo from the other instrument. Other horizontal lines follow, shift, mix, disappear, and reappear, slightly altered, modified.. The effect is stunning. The effect is dramatic. Never has music sounded more desolate than this. The most worrying thing is that it sounds human. It sounds like - again - inner voices emphasising something deep and universal, but without escape, without a chance of resolution or redemption or salvation or .... It is at the same time deep underground and high in the sky, it is about deep internal emotions and about a great sense of space. Cymerman drives his vision to extremes here, more minimal maybe, but not really, because the sounds can be dense and rich at moments, with sudden dramatic explosions of sound, increasing levels of intensity and tension, gradually building up expectations of a change, of a release, which doesn't come, which doesn't come .... until ... until ... This was the first track, called "Dancer". The second track, "Ghost", starts with the barely audible, with all three instruments electronically modified into layers of low-volume repetitive patterns, again with the dark and low rumbling bass tones adding the most amazing effect, ...then intensity increases with cello and clarinet sawing the same note maddeningly, and not only the intensity, but also the volume - which in the meantime you had already turned much higher to hear what's going in the silent part - creating a stark contrast. Then strangely, the instruments get a kind of normality, with the cello sounding like a cello, the clarinet playing some phrases as if a chamber ensemble had emerged, and you think something is improving, something is changing for the better, something is emerging out of the darkness, out of this dark cesspool of angst and fear ... and then everything goes quiet .... and your expectations are shattered again. The strongest aspect of this album is that Cymerman, Hoffmann and Chase manage to create a universe, that - although desolate and built up around a monotonal core - is at the same time full of surprises, of little things happening under the surface, of shifts of focus between instruments, of sudden changes that remain unexpected, yet without altering the overall line of sound, keeping things tightly under control and coherent, while at the same time really driving something deep into the listener's being. And it's really the latter that counts. Deep into the listener's being." - FreeJazzSteph
CD $13


New and Recent on Not Two! - NOW at LOWER PRICES!

JOE McPHEE SURVIVAL UNIT III With FRED LONBERG-HOLM/MICHAEL ZERANG - Game Theory (Not Two 907; EEC) Featuring Joe McPhee on alto sax & pocket trumpet, Fred Lonbgerg-Holm on cello & electronics and Michael Zerang on drums. This was recorded live in concert in October of 2010 at Instants Chavires in Paris. Although Mr. McPhee has been using the name Survival Unit for many years, this is the third version and this is their third CD. Survival Unit III include two of Chicago's finest players: Fred Lonberg-Holm (last version of the Vandermark 5) and Michael Zerang (Brotzmann, Scott Fields & several Vandermark projects). This is an amazing trio and each of their previous CDs have been extraordinary. The first piece, "Ever eat Anything Bigger Than Your Head" starts with a great suspense-filled intro of just cello and drums. From his first note on alto sax, Joe gives that warm clarion call to wake up the spirits, telling a majestic story with his solo. Fred's cello sounds like a background chorus of chanting vocals, waking up the dead with a sigh of relief as we enter the spirit world. This piece winds down to silence and then builds back up again with McPhee on pocket trumpet for the second half but eventually ending on alto again as the trio ascend slowly together into a more mysterious setting. There are some truly sympathetic vibrations that flow well between the sax or trumpet and the cello and drums. Mr. McPhee has long been influenced by Albert Ayler and hence, parts of this remind me of the times when Ayler used bowed strings (violin &/or contrabass) to his cosmic sound. Mr. Lonberg-Holm uses electronics on occasion but very selectively as some minimal sonic seasoning, more often he bows and bends strings in his own distinctive way. Mr. Zerang also deals with odd textures as much as rhythmic structures, rubbing and scraping drums and cymbals while Fred also makes similar twisted sounds. A strong combination of talent and sonic exploration. On the last piece McPhee does a short, strong spoken word poem talking of the injustice of feeding those who need it with some heavy screaming to evoke the energy we need to overcome universal apathy. Powerful music with equally power words, short but most effective. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $17

ELLIOTT SHARP/SCOTT FIELDS - Ostryepolya [DVD] (Not Two 908; EEC) NTSC
DVD $18

PAUL GIALLORENZO TRIO With INGERBRIGT HAKER FLATEN/TIM DAISY - Pg3 IHF & tD (Not Two 864; EEC) Featuring Paul Giallorenzo: piano; Ingebrigt Haker Flaten: bass; Tim Daisy: drums. Mr. Giallorenzo recorded this Chicago session in 2007. Since then, individual members have joined other bands and associations, but this disc documents a short lived yet musically significant project. Giallorenzo has previously released the quintet session 'Get In To Go Out' (482 Music, 2009) and he also plays in electric/acoustic improvised settings in Chicago. Employing the standard piano trio format, Giallorenzo's compositions bounce between composed melodies and improvised freedom. His left hand often playing the trickster, that is when it isn't tracked by his right. The music smudges the lines between the tradition and the avant-garde. After Flaten and Daisy open the disc with the bluesy walk-"All Together Now," the pianist takes an Oscar Peterson stroll before (about the 3 minute mark) breaking the music apart with his two-handed attack. Daisy and Flaten respond, swiftly and smartly. This mini-maelstrom lasts until the blues is reestablished by the bassist. That signature sound, of threatened chaos and assured preservation percolates throughout. The music can start as a Keith Jarrett introspective wandering "Interlockin," and progress through Erroll Garner's orchestrated swing and into Cecil Taylor's freedom. Daisy and Flaten are committed to play along, adding swing to the crooked path. The march "Across The Pond" is quickly broken into confusion and a maelstrom of sound. Not to worry. The trio returns to the March after Daisy's solo and a quiet interlude. The instant communication between these three players begs for a reunion of sound. - Mark Corrotto, AllAboutJazz
CD $17

BLOOD TRIO [SABIR MATEEN/MICHAEL BISIO/WHIT DICKEY] - Understory (Not Two 882; EEC) We've reviewed albums before with the core trio of saxophonist and clarinetist Sabir Mateen, bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Whit Dickey - as leaders in their respective bands, and in bands like Frode Gjerstad's Circulasione Totale, William Parker's orchestras, the David S Ware bands, or in albums with Joe Morris, Matthew Shipp, Joe McPhee, Daniel Carter ... and many more. And now we get all three in a trio, and a real trio, with all three musicians shaping the sound. Is it all improvised? It's hard to say, because most of the tracks have a clear and identifiable sound or even a theme, that, vague as it may be, creates the focus for the ensuing free development, with an underlying boppish element that is never far away. You have plenty of sax trios, yet few get to the high level of this trio. The musicianship, the interaction, the variation and the drive make this a trio you really want to listen to. The album starts ferociously, working on a boppish theme that is soon dropped for some more free power, with hard hitting rhythm section and a soaring sax. Yet it's not all fire and power, "Ancient Tree" starts as a quiet ballad, with arco bass and quiet sax, but with this trio intensity and drive are at the core of their being, so it doesn't take long before the tempo and the volume are turned up a notch or two, "Arachnia" too, starts quietly, with clarinet and pizzi bass, sparsely supported by the drums, yet it keeps its mysterious open-ended phrases, a moment of calm in the center of a storm. The title track is clearly the center piece, with Mateen on tenor, and initially the trio keeps the pace almost contemplative, but again the trio explodes, with the sax screaming and howling over the deep sound of the bass, and the magnificent pulse of the drums, only to collapse into silence suddenly, as an intro for Dickey to give a long drum solo, followed by an intimate conversation of bass and sax, just beautiful. But my favorite piece is the closing track, again ferocious from beginning to end, full of raw power and deep expressivity. This is free music, energetic, focused, soulful, raw and with a maddening drive, with sparks flying off in all directions, while at the same time offering variety and subtlety too. - FreeJazz Steph
CD $17

SABIR MATEEN JUBILEE ENSEMBLE With MASAHIKO KONO/DARIUS JONES/RAS MOSHE/LEWIS 'FLIP' BARNES/MATT LAVELLE/RAYMOND A KING/CHARLES DOWNS [RASHID BAKR] et al - The Sabir Mateen Jubilee Ensemble (Not Two 862; EEC) Sabir Mateen - Tenor & Alto Saxophones, Bb & Alto Clarinets, Flutes, Poetry, Compositions; Clif Jackson - Bass; Jane Wang - Bass, Cello; Shiau-Shu Yu - Cello; Derek Washington - Violin; Raymond A. King - Piano; Ras Moshe - Tenor Saxophone, Flutes; Joe Rigby - Soprano & Baritone Saxophones, Flute; Darius Jones - Alto Saxophone; Mike Guilford - Tuba; Masahiko Kono - Trombone; Matt Lavelle - Trumpet, also on Bass Clarinet; Lewis 'Flip' Barnes - Trumpet; M' Nadar - Vocal Colourturist; Charles Downs (formerly Rashid Bakr) - Drums Most of these folks are also members of William Parker's Little Huey CM Orchestra. Sabir claims that the Jubilee Ensemble is not a "big band' but an extension of the Sabir Mateen Ensemble. Mr. Mateen wrote all of the pieces, directed and played various reeds as well. Sabir Mateen spent a number of years in L.A. playing with Horace Tapscott's Arkestra and obviously learned how to lead and arrange for a large ensemble. Rather than deal with too much freedom or chaos, these pieces are stripped down to smaller subgroups at times which evolve through sections. Most if not all of the members of the 15-piece ensemble get a chance to solo and stretch out so there a number of inspired solos. Some solos lead into sectional eruptions as well. Robert O;Hare has done a fine job of recording this disc and at more than 70 minutes it is a long journey through various connected tales. A couple of years ago Sabir Mateen moved to Italy after losing his apartment in Brooklyn. We are sad to see him go and discs like this show how much we lose when he is not around to rouse the spirits. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $17

ZLATKO KAUCIC TRIO With STEFANO BATTAGLIA/PAOLINO DELLA PORTA - December Soul (Not Two 886; EEC) Featuring Zlatko Kaucic on drums, Stefano Battaglia on piano and Paolino Dalla Porta on bass. Slovenian drummer Zlatko Kaucic has worked with Steve Lacy, Peter Brotzmann and more recently in a duo with Evan Parker. For this disc, he has put together a fine trio with the great Italian pianist Stefano Battaglia, who has some two dozen discs as a leader on the Splasch and ECM labels. Bassist Dalla Porta has worked with Battaglia for many years, mostly in a trio setting. Six of the nine pieces written by Mr. Kaucic with the others being trio improvs. The title track is first and it is sublime, the sound warm and ECM-like but without any reverb. Most of these songs have a rich, tranquil sound yet there are a few intense pieces as well. The three improv pieces are called "Jacob #1, 2 & 3" and are sound just as strong as the written pieces but without any obvious plan. Mr. Dalla Porta has nice touch and rich tone on his contrabass, always balancing things superbly between the piano and percussion. A very tasty trio effort indeed. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $17

RESONANCE ENSEMBLE [KEN VANDERMARK/DAVE REMPIS/STEVE SWELL/MAGNUS BROO/TIM DAISY/PER-AKE HOLMLANDER/MARK TOKAR/MIKOLAJ TRZASKA/MICHAEL ZERANG/WACLAW ZIMPEL] - Head Above Water [2 CD set] (Not Two 910; EEC)
2 CD set for $26

DKV TRIO [HAMID DRAKE/KENT KESSLER/KEN VANDERMARK] - Past Present: Live 2008-2011 [7 CD Box Set] (Not Two 900; EEC) Chicago concerts 2008-2011. Bonus 7th disc, DKV Plays Don Cherry in Sardinia, August 2008. The recordings in this collection on Not Two Records represent the second phase of the DKV Trio, one that began in Sant'Anna Arresi in late August of 2008 and continues now into the second decade of the current millennium. In a sense, the "career" of the group so far is bracketed by significant concerts at the "Music Unlimited" festival in Wels. The first is mentioned above, the second took place 13 years later during the "Long Story Short" edition of the festival curated by Peter Brotzmann in November 2011. DKV made a short surprise appearance before a blistering set of music performed by a sextet that included Mats Gustafsson, Paal Nilssen-Love, and Massimo Pupilo. It felt great to be back on that stage with Hamid and Kent, I hope it won't be the last time. Based on the final concert included with this box set- the band's gig at the Hideout in Chicago on December 28th, 2011 - I know there is much more music to be explored during the group's future. The show was way oversold, the audience was SRO from the stage to the street, and the Chicago police and fire department showed up to shut down the performance until enough of the audience left to make the venue safe for those in attendance. There were many, many fans who had come in from out of town to hear the music that night, and some listeners from Chicago were generous enough leave to give the visitors room to stay and hear the rest of the show. While waiting for the crowd to thin out after hearing the music, one of the policemen went up to Hamid and said, "Great set"! If you can convince a member of the Chicago police force that music like this should continue, I think it's safe to say that it's time for the DKV Trio to get back on the road - there is so much more for the band to do. This collection of music isn't an attempt to "trap" a past that "constantly slips away" (to use Giacometti's words), it's a way to show the willingness of Hamid, Kent, and I to keep looking forward. - Ken Vandermark
7 CD Box Set for $95



New on Hopscotch!
[now at lower prices!]

MARK DRESSER/GERRY HEMINGWAY/ASSIF TSAHAR - Code Read (Hopscotch 48; USA) Recorded in Israel, 2011. Code Re(A)d is a live recording of this trio from Levontin 7. The Trio is hard Blowing and free flowing. Their music is totally improvised but with their big ears and strong sense of composition - at times turning on a dime - they move into new musical territories. Gerry Hemingway And Mark Dresser have been playing together for more then 20 years since their days with Anthony Braxton and their rapport is telepathic, Assif enjoy the honors but does not hold back and it's give us the rare joy of pushing them into some territories we rarely hear them go to!
CD $13

DIGITAL PRIMITIVES [ASSIF TSAHAR/COOPER-MOORE/CHAD TAYLOR] - Lipsomuch/Soul Searching [2 CD set] (Hopscotch 51; USA) This is only Digital Primitives' third recording, released four years after Hum Crackle & Pop (Hopscotch), but the trio sounds as if its three members have been playing together for ages. This double disc is comprised of two sets: Lipsomuch and Soul Searchin'. The trio - reed player Assif Tsahar, multi-instrumentalist Cooper-Moore and drummer Chad Taylor - have created their own aesthetics: concise, collaborative storytelling compositions, respectful for the blues and modern jazz legacies but fascinated by rock, folk and world music, inventive and imaginative in its sound vocabulary but always with rooted in an effective rhythmic envelope. Few of the compositions on Lipsomuch demonstrate the trio's unique methods. "India" attempts to find a meeting place between psych country-blues and modern jazz, where Cooper-Moore's self-invented banjo, the diddly bo, balances Tsahar flights on the tenor sax, while Taylor disciplines it in a gentle, funky groove. "Ballad for Butch" is an intense and powerful piece, driven by the the tough rhythm dictated by Taylor and Cooper-Moore, now on his self-invented bass instrument, the twinger. "Flat Footing" features Tsahar on the African thumb-piano, the m'bira, and is an arresting exploration of new and invented world music traditions. Taylor's infectious drumming pushes Tsahar and Cooper-Moore on "Drunken Fools." Soul Searchin' continues where Lipsomuch ended. "Ol' Blu" is a soulful and moving blues. The title piece is the freest piece on both discs, muscular, raw and confrontational. The rock steady drumming of Taylor on "Spider's Sap" ties Tsahar's passionate, soaring sax flights and Cooper-Moore's tough twinger playing in a focused rhythmic structure. "Talking in Tongues" is the new world music here, a weird yet arresting interplay of Tsahar's soft sounds produced from the m'bira, Cooper-Moore's buzzing mouth bow and Taylor's clever strokes and knocks on the cymbals. Digital Primitives, again, find its own common ground between the old and the futuristic, the traditional and the inventive, the intuitive and the disciplined. - Eyal Hareuveni
2 CD set for $14

MAYA DUNIETZ/JOHN EDWARDS/STEVE NOBLE - Cousin It (Hopscotch 23; USA) This freely improvised meeting brings together Israeli pianist Maya Dunietz and British master free players, bassist John Edwards and Steve Noble - an experienced and powerful rhythm section. The trio celebrated the release of this recording at a live concert at Cafe OTO in London in December, 2011. Dunietz is one of the leading voices on the Israeli alternative scene, capable of freely improvising on piano and many other instruments, playing in art-rock outfits, and singing and leading choirs. She is also gifted with a sharp sense of dadaist humor; it is clear that this humor and her affinity to invent and test boundaries are characteristic of her playing in this format, but such fast and responsive collaborators as Edwards and Noble demand even greater challenges. They can both expand and reflect immediately with a broad and varied sonic vocabulary, turning it upside down and taking it down many other avenues. Edwards and Noble keep Dunietz on her toes, pushing her to the edge of inventive creativity without leaving a second to rest. It's clear that Dunietz sounds more assured when Edwards and Noble lock in on a certain groove or relax and swing for short segments, as on "Number Five" and "I call you to order and a little bit of chin chin Jidwin," but elsewhere, on "Goose" and "Soleri," they push for a more adventurous, in-the-moment stream of ideas. Here, the musical language of Edwards and Noble sounds much more creative and sophisticated - often, even, more elegant. A promising beginning for such a unique trio. - Eyal Hareuveni
CD $13

SOLO DJA KABAKO - Solo Dja Kabako (Hopscotch 101; USA) Singer Solo recorded in Burkina Faso by Assif Tsahar. Accompanying himself with occasionally strummed guitar, and joined by two percussionist, Solo sings powerfully in his native tongue, sometimes using his mouth to imitate a trumpet! "To anyone who loves African music this is a hidden Gem. This CD was recorded by Assif Tshar in Solo Dja's home which they turned turned into an improvisatory studio. He is joined by a D'jembe player and another percussionist playing Dundun (a big bass horizontal drum) on half the track. The trio is tight and Solo Dja voice and delivery are perfect his rhythm and delivery are amazing. The music is African pop soul played acoustically and un-produced as we rarely get to hear, with no bad synths and electric rhythm guitar covering the music."
CD $13

see further down for our list of reduced-in-price remaining Hopscotch backcatalog CDs!



New on Intakt!

LUCIANO BIONDINI/MICHEL GODARD/LUCAS NIGGLI - Mavi (Intakt 226; Switzerland) Mavi is the title of the Biondini-Godard-Niggli trio's new CD. It refers to a clear blue, the colour seen when looking at the earth from outer space. And it says a lot about the sounds it offers us. We hear music which seems to emanate from the spheres while remaining wholly worldly, emotional and sensual. The trio formed by Luciano Biondini, Michel Godard and Lucas Niggli is unusual in various senses. Firstly the musicians' nationalities: Biondini (born 1971) comes from Spoleto in the Italian province of Perugia, Michel Godard (born 1960) comes from Hericourt near Belfort in the Franche-Comte in France, and Lucas Niggli (born 1968) is Swiss, a native of the Zurich Oberland who spent the first seven years of his life in Cameroon. So this is a meeting of various cultures and languages. A further particularity of the trio is its instrumental make-up. Biondini plays the accordion, Niggli the drums and all manner of percussion instruments; Michel Godard plays the tuba and the serpent - an ancient, serpentine wind instrument with a mouthpiece like a brass instrument but side holes like a woodwind instrument. Sometimes Godard also takes up the bass guitar. Thanks to this highly individual and fascinating instrumental arsenal the trio has a truly spectral palette of sounds at their disposal. The music of Biondini, Godard and Niggli thrives on its poetry, the beauty of its sounds, the depth of its ideas, and also on its tension. This is generated by the weave between composition and improvisation. Which is how they succeed in making that connection be-tween form and freedom which constitutes the core of jazz. We see the earth, clear and blue.
CD $18

OBJETS TROUVES [GABRIELLA FRIEDLI/CO STREIFF/JAN SCHLEGEL/DIETER ULRICH] - Fresh Juice (Intakt 225; Switzerland) Two women and two men form this quartet - all distinctive individualists, ranking among the most distinguished musicians on the Swiss scene. Gabriela Friedli is the top-class pianist who penned all these compositions. Her playing shows a mastery of ingenious twists and turns, journeying from delicate, dreamy elegies to powerful rolling thunder. Saxophonist Co Streiff plays with panache, warmth and spirit. In her strongly melodic solos one note evolves from another with an almost logical consistency. Percussionist Dieter Ulrich moves with elegance and agility through a kaleidoscope of sound spaces. Jan Schlegel provides a solid foundation with his eloquence on the six string bass guitar, but he also imports into the otherwise purely acoustic proceedings an entirely different world of electronic sounds. Whether he's attaching clips or springs to strings, or foot-stamping on his collection of distortion boxes, Schlegel's electronics repeatedly paint different colours on the music, making it sizzle with electric energy. Founded in 1999, the group has been refining its concept continuously over the years. Fresh Juice is the third CD of Objets Trouves.
CD $18

MICHAEL JAEGER'S KEROUAC With VINCENT MEMBREZ/LUCA SISERA/NORBERT PFAMMATTER - Dance Around In Your Bones (Intakt 219; Switzerland) Kerouac plays with rhythms and sounds and spaces. A door within a door opens up into a new space of experience. And so it goes on - much to the surprise of the listener and to the musicians themselves. Without a doubt, the band Kerouac has already reached a high plateau but is still 'on the road', writes Bert Noglik in his liner notes. 'Groove is the key concept for this album - a kind of physical kinetic energy, which gets minds and body going. The rhythmical element combines with a kind of magic, at times with the ecstatic, in conjuring up a ritual'. Michael Jaeger's playing takes its origins from the spirit of black ballads. It is present day stories which are being told here and which then fan out. If there is an echo of John Coltrane here, a hint of Evan Parker there and finally also a tiny tribute to Jimmy Giuffre, it is neither about borrowing idioms nor about playing quotes, it is about playing with a wealth of experience.
CD $18



DIANE MOSER QUINTET With MARTY EHRLICH/BEN WILLIAMS/MARK DRESSER/GERRY HEMINGWAY - Music For The Last Flower (A Suite For Jazz Quintet) (Planet Arts 3013-25; USA) Featuring Diane Moser on piano with Marty Ehrlich on alto sax & clarinet, Ben Williams on trombone, Mark Dresser on contrabass and Gerry Hemingway on drums. I've known Ms. Moser for more than a decade mostly as a longtime supporter of DMG. I know that she is originally from Southern California and worked with Mark Dresser and Diamanda Galas way back when. I've also heard her fine duo CD with Mr. Dresser (on CIMP) and know that she has an ongoing big band which includes a number of fine musicians who also live in New Jersey where the band plays semi-regularly. Considering that she has so few recordings and is vastly under-recognized, I was surprised how much work was put into this disc. Ms. Moser has put together an amazing quintet with a number of Downtown greats like Marty Ehrlich, Ben Williams, Mark Dresser (currently in San Diego) and Gerry Hemingway (currently in Switzerland). This disc is a jazz suite inspired by a book by James Thurder called, "The Last Flower, A Parable in Pictures". This book was written in 1939 and deals with the hopelessness of war and the hope for peace. I was playing Ed Palermo's (another Jersey-ite like myself), recent tribute to Frank Zappa the other day at the store and played this disc next. The opening of this disc has a short blast of strange vocals which reminded me and other folks at DMG of the Mothers of Invention, Zappa's main band in the 1960's. It is a powerful opening leads quickly into a strong, tight, full quintet onslaught. This is a long piece which evolves through sections with solo bass into a somber chamber clarinet section. Ms. Moser plays some lovely, tranquil unaccompanied piano on "She Finds a Flower", which evolves into the next piece "Love is Reborn" which features the great harmonious horns of Mr. Ehrlich on alto sax and Mr. Williams of trombone. Later in this piece the entire quintet and especially both horn blast off into some dizzying rapids with amazingly spirited interplay between all five members. The last piece is another elegant chamber like piece in which all members are utilized perfectly, playing with more restraint and than is usually the case for their more regular further out offerings. This entire suite works well as a whole and tells a handful of connected short stories. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
[Ltd time price; normally $17]
CD $12

also available..

DIANE MOSER/MARK DRESSER - Duetto (CIMP 387; USA) Contrabass virtuoso Mark Dresser and the criminally unheralded pianist Diane Moser first met in San Diego in the 1970s, where they began a long, deep musical communion that continues to this day (2012). Versatility is one of Dresser's strongest attributes, and being a sensitive duo partner is another. There is a simpatico going on here that navigates the sublime. These two musicians seem to live in each others heads, because everything is perfectly balanced--from the tune authorship to the remarkably even distribution of melodies and solos. Opening with Moser's "Hello," dark, ruminative piano harmonies support Dresser's violin range harmonics and ponticello bowing before branching out into heady lyricism after a vamp is settled upon. Moser has a deft, pastoral touch that can turn into highly intuitive rhythmic agitation at the drop of a hat. Beautifully recorded in the reverberant Central Presbyterian Church in Montclair, New Jersey, each note draws its own breath, and the vibrantly clear stereo mix was achieved the old-fashioned way: by the musicians adjusting their individual volumes in real time, as per CIMP's mission statement: no compression, mixing or other studio techniques were in play.
The duo tackle Dresser's intricate, odd-meter "Parawaltz," in unison lockstep. The bassist's solo is yearning, grainy and over too soon. Moser follows with sumptuous voice-leading and quiet intervallic development while Dresser's back-story becomes increasingly frenetic, with amplified overtones and tortuous two handed slapping. "If You Call Me, Then I'll Call You," by the pianist contains a knotty, chromatic theme full of Monk-ish intervals framed by Dresser's full-toned walking bass lines. Moser integrates clusters and jarring single-note runs in a long narrative--trading thematic ideas and crashing accents in a telepathic exchange with the bassist. "For My Mother," written to honor the pianist's mother's passing is suitably reverent, yet it contains a palpable joy as well, a sonic tribute to a life well lived. Moser's piano implies gospel music at times--while Dresser's arco bass implies almost everything else. It's a gorgeous piece, full of feeling without ever becoming maudlin. Dresser wrote the impossibly ecstatic "Big Mama Heart," for Moser the night before the session, and it is clearly the highlight moment in an album full of them. Powered by the bassist's curious double-stops and drop-time pedal tones, the theme staggers about with jangled clusters and wicked repetitions. There is always a blues component in everything Dresser plays--and Moser takes an astonishing solo that places her in the elite of improvising pianists working today. Dresser's solo reflects his endless sense of wonder and play, while Moser tracks his every idea like a bloodhound. Heady, serious fun. Highly recommended! - Robert Bush
CD $16


TAYLOR HASKINS With BEN MONDER/BEN STREET/JEFF HIRSCHFIELD + STRING TRIO - Fuzzy Logic (Sunnyside 1296; USA) Trumpeter Taylor Haskins is a composer with expansive influences. His work has regularly crossed the boundaries of jazz, classical, electronic and rock music. Haskin's quartet follows up their previous recording, American Dream, with Fuzzy Logic, expanding on his singular style of Americana jazz with eight new compositions and arrangements of pieces by Thomas Dolby and Tom Waits, all scored with strings. Review once we get a promo.
CD $16


OFFICER! [MICK HOBBS] With FELIX FIEDOROWICZ/TOM CORA/BILL GILONIS/CATHERINE JAUNIAUX/TIM HODGKINSON/ZEENA PARKINS et al - Ossification (Megaphone 25/Knock 'Em Dead; USA) Officer! is either Mick Hobbs (The Work, Family Fodder, Half Japanese) alone or Mick Hobbs with friends. Ossification is like an amazing party held at This Heat's Cold Storage Studio, with friends like Felix Fiedorowicz, Tom Cora, Tim Hodgkinson, Bill Gilonis, Zeena Parkins, Patrick Q, and Catherine Jauniaux. The output of this party is one of the most unusual, pleasurable, and character-filled "pop" records anyone has heard. Fourteen songs that contain the spirit of pop, rock, classical, medieval, avant garde, R.I.O., The Work, Family Fodder, This Heat, Look de Bouk, Legendary Pink Dots, Henry Cow, and more. Ossification is a timeless anomaly in the history of recorded music. Limited to 700 copies on 180 gram vinyl with an insert. Remastered by Tom Dimuzio. Recorded in This Heat's Cold Storage Studio in 1984.
LP $21


New on Between The Lines!

DOUBLE TRIO DE CLARINETTES [ARMAND ANGSTER/MICHAEL THIEKE/GEBHARD ULLMANN/SYLVAIN KASSAP/JEAN-MARC FOLTZ/JURGEN KUPKE] - Itineraire Bis (Between the Lines 71231; EEC) This is an extraordinary sextet of great clarinetists, five of whom I know from various collaborations. Gebhard Ullmann is perhaps the most well-known here with more than fifty discs with Conference Call, Basement Research, clarinet trios, big bands and more. Michael Thieke from the Magic I.D., International Nothing and a great quartet with Guillermo Gregorio, Jim Baker and Michael Zerang. Jean-Marc Foltz has a great duo disc with Bruno Chevillon and a trio with Bill Carrothers & Matt Turner. I caught Sylvain Kassap live at the Vision Fest last year (2013) with a great band featuring Larry Ochs, Didier Petit, Miya Masaoka and Xu Fengxia. And, of course, Arman Angster is a member of the original Trio De Clarinettes - the also did a recording in collaboration with the Arcado String Trio!
CD $16

SCOTT FIELDS STRING FEARTET - Kintsugi (Between the lines 71235; EEC) Featuring Scott Fields on guitar & compositions, Elisabeth Fugemann on cello, Axel Lindner on violin and Vincent Royer on viola. "Guitarist Scott Fields String Feartet's Kintsugi has fiery avant-garde explorations from his violin-viola-cello quartet. Guitarist Scott Fields was born and raised in Chicago. He originally played with both rock and avant-garde groups for several years, doubling on saxophones. Fields actually stopped active performing for 15 years starting when he was 23, working outside of music in Madison, Wisconsin while gaining degrees in journalism, economics and mass communications. However he was drawn back to music, moving to Cologne, Germany and becoming a major force in European jazz. He has mostly performed with top American and European greats in avant-garde music ever since including Michael Bisio, Marilyn Crispell, Hamid Drake, Michael Formanek, Gerry Hemingway, John Hollenbeck, Rob Mazurek, Myra Melford, Elliott Sharp and many others. Scott Fields String Feartet is a well named quartet that also features violinist Axel Lindner, Vincent Royer on viola and cellist Elisabeth Fugemann. Fields contributed the five compositions which include such intriguing song titles as Sexual Perversity In Chicago, The Tragedy Of Spade Cooley and Snail Fight. The music on this unique set may not always be fearful but it is certainly quite avant-garde, with the written sections leading logically to the free group improvisations. Violinist Lindner and Royer on viola are the lead voices, creating dense ensembles that include Fields' tonal distortions and feedback along with Fugemann's always stimulating cello. These are spontaneous and innovative performances that become more logical with each listen." - Scott Yanow
CD $16


STEFAN ZENIUK'S GATO LOCO With CLIFTON HYDE et al - The Enchanted Messa (W&W 211; Germany) Gato Loco are a New York-based 10 piece ensemble and this is their third album (second for Winter & Winter). Gato Loco are consistently fun and crafty live and on record. The New York street band "Gato Loco" strikes up for Giuseppe Verdi. Without false shame and incredible easiness and verve Verdi's Requiem is enchanted by the 'crazy cat'. Not a trace of the Day of Wrath, Gato Loco celebrates the 'Dies Irae' with fiery brass sections, brilliant arrangements, Caribbean rhythms and re-names the piece 'Die, You Sucka!'. Thrilling sounds, ideally suited to honour a beloved dead at his funeral in New Orleans or Havanna with stirring grooves. The Enchanted Messa unleashes a party; where this brass band appears, people dance: Pure fun. Leader Stefan Zeniuk surprises with an ingenious new version of the Requiem in Verdi's bicentenary year. Long live Verdi!
CD $17


New on Public Eyesore!

TETUZI AKIYAMA & ANLA COURTIS - Naranja Songs (Public Eyesore 127; USA) Tetuzi Akiyama - acoustic guitar and Anla Courtis - acoustic guitar. This is an odd combination of players from much different backgrounds. Japanese guitarist Tetuzi Akiyama has played onkyo/lower case improv with a wide variety of players like Gunter Muller, Jozef Van Wissem, Tom Carter and Toshimaru Nakamura. From the other side of the planet, Anla Courtis was a member of strange Argentine band Reynols.This disc was recorded at a studio in Argentina in September of 2008. While Mr. Akiyama has recorded with a number of other guitarists, Mr. Courtis has worked with Okkyung Lee, Daniel Menche and C. Spencer Yeh, as well as working with tapes. This disc consists of four long tracks and begins quietly with "Mind Mochileros" which unfolds very slowly, just a few notes at a time. Single notes and selective chords float in a dream-like state. On "Springs & Strings", it sounds as if someone is bowing the guitar to provide an eerie drone while the other guitarist taps on the strings creating a buzzing sound. The slow pace and subtle, careful note placement makes this exquisite minimalist journey which feels just right if you take the time to just let it happen. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12

MARTY BELCHER/JASON BIVINS DOUBLE QUARTET With PHILIP ANDERSON/DAVID MILLER/CHRIS RAIL/MICHAEL RINGS/JOE STONE/DAN WICK - EXO (Public Eyesore 118; USA) "We've learned to expect the unexpected from releases on the strangely-named Richmond, California-based label Public Eyesore. This disc arrived with no press release, no publicity photo, and no explanations...which is usually a good thing because it forces lazy writers like us to actually focus on the music instead of extraneous details. This 58 minute plus album features fourteen tracks of experimental modern classical music that is moody and thought provoking. Playing on the album are Philip Anderson (electronics, vocals, fx), Marty Belcher (sopranino, soprano, tenor saxes), Jason Bivins (electric guitar, fx), David Miller (trumpet, pocket trumpet, flugelhorn), Chris Rail (tenor sax, percussion), Michael Rings (synthesizers, vocals, electric guitar, fx), Joe Stone (drums, samples), and Dan Wick (piano, drums). With so many artists taking part, you'd think that these tracks would be thick and muddy.. but instead the exact opposite is true. There are plenty of wide open spaces between the instruments.. and the players don't seem interesting in overplaying. There are no songs listed on the sleeve. Provocative and compelling stuff." - Don Seven The personnel on this disc features: Philip Anderson - electronics, vocals, fx; Marty Belcher - sopranino, soprano, tenor saxes; Jason Bivins - electric guitar, fx; David Miller - trumpet, pocket trumpet, flugelhorn; Chris Rall - tenor sax, percussion; Michael Rings - synthesizers, vocals, electric guitar, fx; Joe Stone - drums, samples; Dan Wick - piano, drums
CD $12

MASSIMO FALASCONE - Variazioni Mumacs: 32 Short Pieces About Macs (Public Eyesore 126; USA) Massimo Falascone - alto & baritone saxophones, live electronics, field recordings, voice, sounds-samples-effects-noises; Bob Marsh - violin, cello, narrating voice; Eugene & Lidia Darredeau - speaking voices; Alberto Braida - piano; Giancarlo Locatelli - clarinet, bass clarinet; John Hughes - double bass; Emanuele Segre - classic guitar; Leonardo Falascone - electric & classical guitar; Marcello Magliocchi - percussions, sound sculptures; Filippo Monico & Fabrizio Spera - drums; Paolo Falascone - double bass; Giovanni Falascone & Valentina Steffenoni - children voices; Anna Coffetti - laughters This is a concept disc which was organized by Massimo Falascone on saxes & compositions with lyric by Bob Marsh. There are more than a dozen mostly Italian musicians involved most of whom I don't know except for Alberto Braida on piano and Giancarlo Locatelli on clarinets. Bob Marsh, who I recall from his work with Jack Wright, plays violin, cello and narrates as well. There are some 32 shorter pieces here which flow into one another seamlessly. There are also layers of sounds, static and soft voices swirling together. Bob Marsh has a strong, serious voice (Ken Nordine-like) but only speaks a few lines at a time. There are a few other voices who speak in French and Italian and are well-woven into the ongoing tapestry of sounds. This more like a radio play and is successful at creating a mood and story although I don't know what the voices are saying when they are not in English. Rubbed strings, an ancient typewriter, tapes and sound sculptures are involved and well-selected to create the overall tale. What I dig about this is how well it works even though it is not so much about the music as it is about the way it speaks to us. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12

AURIS [ERIC LEONARDSON/JULIA MILLER/CHRISTOPHER PREISSING] + GINO ROBAIR - Rub (Public Eyesore 125; USA) Eric Leonardson - springboard, electronics; Julia Miller - guitar, electronics; Christopher Preissing - flute, electronics; Gino Robair - percussion, electronics. Auris is a Chicago-based trio who play experimental music with invented instruments & electronics, as well as guitar and flute. They are joined here by Bay area percussionist Gino Robair who has evolved from playing drums to working with "activated surfaces" over the past few years. Here Mr. Robair plays both percussion and electronics. The blend of real instruments and (often homemade) electronics is well-integrated so that it is hard to tell who is doing what at times. It sounds as if Gino has found some truly kindred spirits here as the entire quartet has a unified sounds. Some of the sounds from what I think are homemades are rather strange or at least difficult to figure out, yet everything fits. A strange yet wonderful offering that might take a bit of getting used to unless of course you live in an alien landscape. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12


MACHINE MASS [TONY BIANCO/MICHEL DELVILLE] + DAVE LIEBMAN - INTI (Moonjune 060; USA) Machine Mass features Michel Delville on guitar & Roland GR09 (guitar synth) & electronics, Tony Bianco on drums & loops and Dave Liebman on soprano & tenor sax & wooden flute. The great saxist Dave Liebman has appeared on more records than just about any other New York based saxist since starting with Miles Davis & Elvin Jones in the early seventies. Drummer Tony Bianco is an ex=pat American who has been living in Europe since the mid-nineties and has worked with Paul Dunmall, Evan Parker and Dave Liebman on several dates. Belgian guitarist Michel Delville is a member of the great progressive band The Wrong Object, who have four fines disc out (three on Mooonjune). All of the pieces on this disc were written by members of the trio except for one cover of "In a Silent Way". All three members of this trio are masters at what they do and cover a variety of styles. Although Mr. Liebman has long been associated with the jazz world, he is open to stretching out and taking chances. Like a number of the better disc on Moonjune, this one combines the best of different worlds. It is somewhere in between jazz, rock and prog, extremely well-balanced. There are those (jazz snobs) who have no use for guitar synths and often I feel the same way but here Mr. Delville uses his in strong, well-selected ways, creating textures to make the trio fuller and more unified. Delville is also awesome electric guitarist and takes a number of inspired solos without ever playing the fusion game of showing (or jerking) off. Delville also sets up situations for Mr. Liebman to soar and take a number of outstanding solos. Besides being a powerful drummer, Mr. Bianco creates a series of loops which add bass parts to the bassless rhythm team. In some ways this disc is a throwback to the mid-seventies before the term "fusion" was used and abused. Hence, this is jazz/rock at its best. Refreshing and exciting! Another gem from the Moonjune treasure chest. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12


OF COURSE, many of our customers are themselves serious musicians. One of our longtime mail-order faves is David Peck, who recently came to visit us in person and mentioned that he some dozen+ discs on his own label. Naturally I was interested in hearing. Here's the first three I reviewed - More to follow!

LEAP OF FAITH [PEK/GLYNIS LOMON et al] - Out Of Zeit (Evil Clown 04; USA) This version of Leap of Faith features the core duo of PEK [David Peck] on clarinets, saxes & bassoon and Glynis Lomon on cello & voice with Craig Schildhauer on bass for the first long piece, and just the duo Pek & Glynis on the second piece. Both pieces were recorded in February of 1999 a couple of days apart. The one name here that you might recognize is Ms. Glynis Lomon who has played live with Bill Dixon and Anthony Braxton. Leap of Faith is a long surviving trio from the Cambridge, MA area who have some dozen self-produced discs and add guests like drummers Sydney Smart or Laurence Cook at times. The original trio (Pek Lomon & Schildhauer) sound like they have been playing together for many years and this is indeed the case. This set was recorded live at the Zeitgeist gallery and the trio take their time unfold, communicate and evolve together. There is a great deal of intense and often explosive interplay going on here, some of which is a bit scary. Although it is kept to a minimum, Ms. Lomon lets out some harrowing vocals during a section of the title piece. Somewhat disturbing, but not for very long. The one thing that I notice throughout is that the strings and reeds sound great together, often playing with similar textures and timbral qualities. Of the half dozen Leap of faith discs I've checked out so far, this in one is the most intense, riveting and the furthest out. Are you ready to be knocked out? Then take this Leap of faith and dive into the unknown... - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10

LEAP OF FAITH [PEK/GLYNIS LOMON et al] - Linear Combinations and Transformations (Evil Clown 06; USA) Featuring PEK [David Peck] on clarinets, saxes, bassoon; Glynis Lomon on cello, voice; Mark McGrain on trombone, brass; Craig Schildhauer on bass; Rob Bethel on cello; Forrest Larsen on viola; Sydney Smart or Laurence Cook on drums and Yuri Zbitnov on percussion. The only folks I know from this version of Leap of Faith is Ms. Glynis Lomon who has worked with Bill Dixon and Anthony Braxton and both drummers: Syd Smart, from his work with Jimmy Lyons, Raphe Malik and Frank Wright and Laurence Cook from his collaborations with Jemeel Moondoc, Paul Flaherty and Daniel Carter. This disc consists of three long (23+ minute) tracks. The trio of Dan Peck (reeds), Glynis Lomon (cello) and Mark McGrain (trombone) are the only players on all three pieces with different guests on strings and/or percussion on different tracks. This disc was recorded at two sessions in October of 1996 at . This is intense, focused free improv with a few layers of inter-connected lines. Occasionally sparse but most of more dense. Everyone involved gets a chance to stretch out and push things into a frenzied dialogue, while these long journeys unfold organically and balance things in well-measured ways. It does take some time to absorb these long works. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10

LEAP OF FAITH [PEK/GLYNIS LOMON et al] - Unified Fields (Evil Clown 03; USA) One long piece features: PEK [David Peck]- clarinets, saxes, bassoon; Glynis Lomon - cello, voice; Craig Schildhauer - bass and Sydney Smart - percussion, while the other piece features Pek & Lomon with James Coleman on theremin and Yuri Zbitnov on percussion. The core of Leap of Faith is the trio of David Peck, Glynis Lomon and Craig Schildhauer. One of two percussionists (Syd Smart or Yuri Zbitnov) are added often on different pieces. The two long pieces which make up this disc were recorded in October of 1997 and August of 2000 in the Cambridge, MA area. The only names here you should be familiar with are cellist Ms. Glynis Lomon who has worked with Bill Dixon and Anthony Braxton in recent times and drummer Sydney Smart who has recorded with Jimmy Lyons, Raphe Malik and Frank Wright. You might also recognize James Coleman from BSC, part of the Boston music underground. I get the feeling that most of the dozen Leap of Faith discs are minimally edited and taken from longer sessions. The title piece is nearly 37 minutes long and features the quartet (Pek, Lomon, Schildhauer & Smart). David Peck plays clarinets, saxes & bassoon while Ms. Lomon plays cello. Both are strong improvisers who push and pull, working well with the bass and drums, who know when to lay back and let reeds and cello take over. On rare occasion, Ms. Lomon provides some strange vocals which only add to the spirited improv. There are moments when both the cello and acoustic bass are bowed together in a frenzy of intense activity that is nearly over-the top with the rest of the quartet erupting powerfully together. Theremin player James Coleman adds his own odd sounds to a different quartet on the second piece with Pek, Ms. Lomon and drummer Yuri Zbirnov. Long but engaging throughout. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10


New from Colombia's Matik-Matik!

LOS TOSCOS + TONY MALABY - Kalima (Matik-Matik 2; Colombia) Featuring Tony Malaby on soprano & tenor sax, with Los Toscos: Kike Mendoza on guitar, Santiago Botero on upright bass, Juan David Castano on percussion and Jorge Sepulveda on drums. There is an impressive scene developing in Columbia, South America as we have seen due to a dozen discs which has been dropped off or sent to DMG over the past few years. Los Toscos are a quintet, two members of whom, Kike Mendoza and Jorge Sepulveda, can be found on a couple of discs that I've previously reviewed. (Mr.?) Mendoza does have a fine trio disc on this same label (Matik-Matik) that I reviewed in December of 2012. Starting with "Abuelo El", the quintet feature Mr. Malaby on sly, soft soprano with smoky backing from the rest of band. The mood continues on "Dolores" with slow-burning yet dreamy soprano & guitar interweaving over a fine web created by the rhythm team. On each of the five pieces, the energy ascends higher. Mendoza, who still sounds a bit like Marc Ducret, starts to soar with long, somewhat twisted lines on "Gamin", pushing the rest of the quintet into high gear. This disc deals with more of a mood or vibe rather than solos or complete structures. There is a great deal of connected spirit that keeps this music flowing especially between the guitar and sax. Just over 30 minutes in length, so this is more of an extended EP than a full-length CD. Well done, no matter what. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10

MULA - De Carga Pesada Y Patada Fina (Matik-Matik/Festina Lente 19; Colombia) Mula features Ricardo Narvaez on tenor sax, Maria Angelica Valencia on alto sax & clarinet, Enrique Mendoza on electric guitar, Ricardo Gallo on electronics & processing, Santiago Botero on electric bass & Casiotone and Camilo Bartelsman on drums & percussion. The only name I recognize from this sextet is Ricardo Gallo who usually plays piano and had several discs of his own on the Clean Feed and La Distritofonica labels. This seems to be some sort of concept disc as there are some sampled spoken voices utilized as well as a TV screen with static on the back cover indicating what, I am not so sure. The first song, which mentions "Afro-Beat") in its title sounds more like quirky, funky jazz/rock with snips of hot guitar fragments. The overall vibe or mood is more like a film music with minimal spoken word used to set a scene or tell part of a story. One piece translates to "Barack Obama, reptiles have cold blood". Not sure what they mean by that. The bassist, Santiago Botero, wrote all of the music here and does a good job of composing strong harmonies for both saxes and the guitar. His electric bass is often at the center of these pieces, holding tings together. The music itself is in between jazz and rock and not really one or the other. Guitarist Enrique Mendoza is often leading the band or soloing on occasion. His playing is consistently inspired although he often plays through complex sections without soloing too much. What is interesting about this music is that it is the writing that is progressive or complex without having to prove its own ingenuity very much. More than an hour long and consistently absorbing. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10

ANDRES GUALDRON Y LOS ANIMALES BLANCOS - Ciervo De Dos Caezas (Matik-Matik; Colombia) Featuring Diego Rozo on soprano & tenor sax, Santiago Jimenez on electric guitar & vocals, Sergio Gonzalez on bass & vocals and Andres Gualdron on drums, percussion & electronics. This is the third disc from the Columbian Matik-Matik label that we have gotten in this week (2/7/14) to review and sell. I can't tell you much about this band or disc since the liner notes are in Spanish and none of the names are familiar to me. "Braulio" kicks things off with some infectious, oddly funky hip hop with the words in Spanish. There are two vocalists who sing with and around one another in a most charming way. The music is both oddly crafty and charming in its own way. Since I currently listen to no hip-hop, I can't compare this to anything I know, but I still find this enjoyable. The voices often do not dominate, occasionally sing harmonies with each other while the music is compelling enough to focus and enjoy. Each of the fifteen songs are relatively short and never overstay their welcome. I get the feeling that these players are enjoying themselves and not taking themselves too seriously. When you least expect it, the creative arrangements shine through and show that some time and thought went into making this music. Plus a few of the choruses had me singing along although I didn't know what I was singing about. Not too bad and much better than I thought when I first dropped it in the CD player. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10


Misadvertised for $16 last week, the following Ramboy CDs are actually $10!

Here they are - now with reviews from BLG!

ACHIM KAUFMANN & MICHAEL MOORE//HERBIE NICHOLS - Furthermore: Play Herbie Nichols (Ramboy 31 C; Netherlands) Featuring Achim Kaufmann on piano and Michael Moore on alto sax & clarinet. Pianist Achim Kaufmann and reeds player Michael Moore first recorded together with Dylan Van Der Schyff as well as playing in Achim's quartet who have a couple of discs out on the Leo and Red Toucan labels. Amsterdam-based US ex=pat, Michael Moore, has been a longtime member of the ICP Orchestra and runs this, the Ramboy label, which just released three somewhat different duo CDs with Moore and Kaufmann playing both written and improvised material in different amounts. 'Furthermore' features all written music with eight songs from Herbie Nichols, one by Andrew Hill and one by Mr. Kaufmann. Along with his contemporary and friend, Thelonius Monk, Herbie Nichols was one of the most distinctive pianists and composers to emerge during the bop and post-bop era. Unlike Monk, whose songs have long remained popular and covered by a wide variety of jazz & non-jazz musicians, Herbie Nichols tributes are much harder to come by. This disc has an infectious, playful vibe that makes me feel good inside now that I am not trudging through the snow to get to the store. Mr. Moore has a luscious, warm tone and sounds consistently charming tone throughout, occasionally adding some slight bent note spice here and there. I was listening to a Gerry Mulligan/Johnny Hodges disc last night and I can hear some of that superb Hodges/Ellington magic in Mr. Moore's tone/playing. Both musicians play with a certain elegant touch which I find most enchanting. It is hard to tell that Mr. Kaufmann's "De Glazen Muur" was not written by Herbie Nichols since it has a similar sound. Even on clarinet, Mr. Moore has an exquisite, delightful tone. I really dig when the duo stretch these songs beyond their regular structure like they do on "Wildflower". Although this disc is consistently charming, I look forward to checking out the other two duo discs that we got in the same time as this one. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10

ACHIM KAUFMANN & MICHAEL MOORE - Nothing Something (Ramboy 31 A; Netherlands) Achim Kaufmann on piano and Michael Moore on alto sax & clarinet. Twelve improvised compositions by Moore & Kaufmann and one by Kaufmann himself. Unlike the other two duo discs released at the same time as this one (31A & 31B), this disc was recorded over a few days at two different studios in February or 2012 and May of 2011, both studios are in Berlin. This disc is also different since it is almost exclusively improvised in the studios. The duo get to stretch out more and push each other further out at times. Mr. Moore's golden tone (often warm and always thoughtful) and Mr. Kaufmann's elegant, focused piano keep each other within a certain sympathetic compatablity. There is a balancing act of sorts going on with one member of the duo providing a center while the other harmonizes or adds odd spice. For "As eavesdroppings in a story", Mr. Moore plays his alto with a ghost-like bent-tone which makes things feel scary for a bit. I noticed that certain notes which are carefully bent have a way keeping things off-balance or unpredictable to where things will end up. Similar to a play unfolding with two characters exchanging ideas or having a dialogue that makes sense but we still don't know what the ending will bring. Quietly (at times) fascinating, nonetheless. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10

ACHIM KAUFMANN & MICHAEL MOORE - Something Nothing (Ramboy 31 B; Netherlands) Featuring Achim Kaufmann on piano and Michael Moore on alto sax & clarinet. For this disc, there are 11 compositions by Moore and 3 by Kaufmann. Both Michael Moore and Achim Kaufmann are fine composers and have done a good job of providing strong material for this session. Although neither men have recorded very many duo records (Kaufmann & Thomas Heberer and duos with Alex Maguire & Fred Hersch), they sound quite perfectly together here, weaving their luxurious playing together. Mr. Moore's warm, thoughtful tone often stands out and reaches deep into our hearts, pulling delicately at the strings. Mr. Kaufmann is a perfect partner as he is also a mature, thoughtful and quietly dynamic player. After a long walk in the cold, this music has a way of warming me up and making me smile and feel good. If I were to name this disc, I might call it "Something Special' because to me, it is quite endearing. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10

..and now, lowered in price..

AVAILABLE JELLY [MICHAEL MOORE/WOLTER WIERBOS/TOBIAS DELIUS/ERIC BOEREN/ERNST GLERUM/MICHAEL VATCHER] - Set 1: Plushok, Baarie Nassau, NL, 3 March 2007 (Ramboy 28 A; Netherlands)
CD $10

AVAILABLE JELLY [MICHAEL MOORE/WOLTER WIERBOS/TOBIAS DELIUS/ERIC BOEREN/ERNST GLERUM/MICHAEL VATCHER] - Set 2: Plushok, Baarie Nassau, NL, 3 March 2007 (Ramboy 28 B; Netherlands)
CD $10


VINNY GOLIA/URS LEIMGRUBER - Empiricism In The West (Relative Pitch 1016; USA) Featuring Vinny Golia on bass flute, soprillo, sopranino & bass saxes, B-flat & contra-alto clarinets and Urs Leimgruber on soprano and tenor saxes. I love to hear music that challenges me and this date is a fine example of difficult music. This is the first time that this duo has recorded they brought out an arsenal of reeds, digging deeply into various explorations. Swiss saxist, Urs Leimgruber, is well-regarded as a great improviser working with a large cast of greats: Marilyn Crispell, Joe McPhee, Joelle Leandre, Evan Parker and a great early jazz/rock quartet called OM. L.A.based multiple-reeds wiz, Vinny Golia, juggles leading several projects/bands at the same time, runs the often-prolific Nine Winds label, is a college professor and works with many other great improvisers and composers. We (DMG) has been lucky to have Mr. Golia play here on several occasions with Oliver Lake, Ross Hammond and Adam Lane. Many of Vinny's records on Nine Winds deal with compositions or concepts (like 'the music for like instruments' series). So, it is great to hear both of these reeds wizards working hard at testing the limits (theirs and ours). This is an all acoustic duo, the sounds very concentrated. There is a fine balance between knowing exactly who is playing what (bass flute & soprano at first) and not being sure which reed is producing which sound. There are the occasional breath-like or quietly vocalized sounds, as well as bent and percussive sounds. At times it sounds like two birds chirping together, creating a convincing dialogue without the repeating patterns that birds often deal with. When Vinny switches to bass sax and Urs to tenor, the entire picture changes, with both men erupting more intensely before they slow down once more. You can't just listen to this music in passing since it remains fascinating throughout and demands attention. Test your limits today! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14


MAX ROACH QUINTET With STANLEY TURRENTINE/TOMMY TURRENTINE/JULIAN PRIESTER /BOBBY BOSWELL - Swiss Radio Days Vol 35: Lausanne 1960 (TCB 2352; EEC) PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED! Featuring Stanley Turrentine on tenor sax, Tommy Turrentine on trumpet, Julian Priester on trombone, Bobby Boswell on bass and Max Roach on drums.
CD $16


RAJASTHAN STREET MUSIC [V.A.] - 2007-2008 [2 LP set] (Sublime Freq 087; USA) "Swathed in hundreds of miles of snaking hinterland, the northwestern Indian state of Rajasthan is a giant canvas for the imagination of the wanderers it gives home to. Through the stark reaches of the vast Thar Desert, Rajasthan shares borders as well as bloodlines with the Pakistani provinces of Sindh and Punjab to the west and the Indian state of Gujarat to the south. The state's rough history and harsh environment is heavily reflected in the Rajasthani people and Marwari tribal culture; centuries of continuous invasions, epic battles, brutal slaughterings and various rulings by Scythians, Mauryans, Satraps, Gurjars, Mughals, Rajputs and the British have left their traces in local folklore in the shape of storytelling, songs and plays. In Rajasthan's modern-day avatar, daily life is controlled by power failures, lasting droughts, dried-out or diverted rivers and an ever-advancing desertification. These hardships of the past and present have equipped the Rajasthani people with their notoriously resilient and proud character and are clearly voiced in the music of the region. This compilation has been recorded in various cities, villages and remote regions of Rajasthan as part of a two-month road trip seeking found folklore, of which one month was spent in the holy town of Pushkar, where we experienced different aspects of Rajasthani cultural and Hindu religious life. Flexible improvisation, good chance and often pure luck allowed these recordings to happen when musicians of different ages and castes crossed our path along the way. This collection does not focus on the contextual technicalities of musical lineage, castes or styles, and is neither an exhaustive folkloric research project nor an ethnomusicology study; rather, it presents the musical landscape of contemporary Rajasthan on the street level as it was found in 2007-2008, a cross-section of aural environment outside of the academic approach to Rajasthani music that many Western and Indian scholars have already covered in intricate detail. The most important criteria for recording these musicians in their homes (or on the streets) was the personal beauty of raw power in their music." --Seb Bassleer; Limited edition 2LP in a full-color heavy gatefold jacket with images of the musicians and detailed liner-notes by compiler and producer Seb Bassleer.
2 LP set for $28


LAL WATERSON - Teach Me to Be a Summer's Morning: A Portrait of Lal Waterson [CD + BOOK] (Fledg'ling 3095; UK) Fledg'ling Books in association with Topic Records present Teach Me to Be a Summer's Morning, a portrait of the late Lal Waterson through a collection of her writings, drawings, paintings, stained glass, and a 15-track CD of very rare home demos. Known primarily as a singer and songwriter, Lal Waterson is shown, through this beautiful new book, to be much more: a versatile and vibrant artist. The 15 songs on the CD confirm her stature as a songwriter of rare imagination, depth, and rich beauty; combine this ability with the many drawings, paintings, thoughts and poems illustrated in the book and a clearer picture emerges of Lal's individual, tender, intense, complex, but ultimately very human talents. Teach Me to Be a Summer's Morning is curated by Lal's daughter Marry Waterson and offers a unique, intimate portrait of Lal, through a wonderful selection of her work, from a life lived making sense of the world through music, words, and pictures. 72-page hardback book with CD -- which features tracks from two reels of demo tapes from 1971 of songs written for her debut recording Bright Phoebus -- some never previously released).
CD + BOOK for $40


ARVE HENRIKSEN - Chron + Cosmic Creation [2 CD set] (Rune Grammofon 2152; EEC) Cosmic Creation follows and expands upon Arve Henriksen's 2013 album Places of Worship (RCD 2147CD/RLP 3147LP), a series of tone poems and mood pieces located around religious buildings and ruins. With Cosmic Creation he has gone beyond physical place to an audio exploration of pure rapture, contemplation and universal origins. His latest piece, in eight parts, enters deep space and time to convey a powerful sense of the eternal. Born in Norway and currently living in Sweden, Arve Henriksen was known for many years as a distinctive trumpet player and improvisor. He played in various jazz ensembles in his youth before co-forming Supersilent in 1997, a prolific free music group with Helge Sten (Deathprod) and Stale Storlokken, which is still ongoing. His trumpet, augmented with effects and electronics, has appeared with David Sylvian, Terje Rypdal, Nils Petter Molvaer, Jon Balke, Terje Isungset and Iain Ballamy's Food. With Supersilent he recently collaborated with former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones. In parallel he has created a series of exquisite and distinctive solo recordings since 2001 (released on Rune Grammofon and ECM), which feature a combination of electronic textures, digital treatments and a dazzling collection of horns, woodwinds, ethnic instruments, percussion, keyboards and occasionally his mournful, yearning singing voice. Henriksen's music reflects both the stunning beauty of virgin wilderness and the shifting, cosmopolitan environments experienced by the 21st century traveler. Cosmic Creation is released in a double set with Chron, an album which was first released as part of 2012's Solidification (RLP 2137LP) retrospective box set on Rune Grammofon. If Cosmic Creation is about timelessness, Chron is very much rooted in the modern world and the here and now, with most of its source material derived from field recordings Arve made while touring the globe, or recordings made in hotel rooms, airports and other urban locations. Taken together, the two albums give a full picture of Arve's extraordinary breadth of vision as an artist.
2 CD set for $22

SAILING TO BYZANTIUM [RUNE GRAMMOFON V.A.] - Rune Grammofon's 150th Release! [Ltd Ed 4x10" LP Box set] (Rune Grammofon 2150; EEC) Rune Grammofon celebrates 150 releases and counting with a selection of tracks showing just where the label is now, some label mainstays, personal favorites, hidden treasures, and to round it off; a beautiful exclusive from Arve Henriksen. No expenses have been spared to make this a sublime and highly-desirable collection: four 10" records -- a format loved by collectors -- different colored vinyl for each record, a big two-sided poster and a long, unedited and frank interview with label founder Rune Kristoffersen and house designer Kim Hiorthoy by UK music writer Rob Young. And all beautifully designed by Kim and individually numbered by stamp in a strictly one-off edition of only 500 copies. The title is borrowed from William Butler Yeats' meditation on art and immortality and follows in the tradition of previous compilations where Rune Grammofon have borrowed from song lyrics and poems; Love Comes Shining Over the Mountains (Jimi Hendrix), Until Human Voices Wake Us and We Drown (T.S. Eliot) and Twenty Centuries of Stony Sleep (W.B. Yeats). Finally, after deciding on the music selection, the label realized that out of the 17 tracks, almost half (eight) of them feature female artists, either as a solo artist, leader, or main singer. Needless to say, the label is quite proud of having championed so many prominent and talented women through the years.
01. Hedvig Mollestad Trio - Sing, Goddess
02. Bushman's Revenge - As We Used to Sing (Live)
03. Scorch Trio - Kjole Hole
04. Motorpsycho - Year Zero (A Damage Report)
05. FIRE! - Your Silhouette on Each (Without Noticing)
06. Elephant9 - Hardcore Orientale
07. Phaedra - Honeydewed Autumn
08. Jenny Hval - Blood Flight
09. The Last Hurrah!! - The Lonely Whistle Call
10. Hilde Marie Kjersem - That Day in the Shower
11. Tove Nilsen - Jordan
12. Sidsel Endresen & Stian Westerhus - Drawing an Arc
13. Maja Ratkje - Intro
14. Alog - Baklandet
15. Espen Eriksen Trio - In the Woods
16. Nils Okland - Blond Bla
17. Arve Henriksen - Silver Box
Ltd Ed Box Set of 4x10" LPs for $80



STEIN URHEIM - Stein Urheim (Hubro 2529; EEC) The Bergen-based guitarist Stein Urheim (b. 1979) made a profound impression with his album Kosmolodi, which was released in an extremely limited edition on vinyl in 2012. Now he is back, with a playful and cohesive eponymous album where he takes his very idiosyncratic instrumental music to new and subtle heights. On this album, in addition to guitars, Urheim plays a wide variety of stringed instruments from different corners of the world. Urheim's music is permeated by a kind of exoticism. It is thoughtful without losing its sense of humor. The influences of jazz, North American and West African blues, and folk music from all over the world are obvious. Urheim himself says that among his sources of inspiration are the American composers Lou Harrison and Steve Reich, Chinese gu qin music, langeleik (Norwegian zither) music from Valdres, and Ornette Coleman. While Kosmolodi was recorded over a period of time in a number of different places, Urheim decided to take a different approach this time. Much of the album was recorded with sound technician Audun Strype in LysOen, the magnificent home of the legendary violinist Ole Bull outside of Bergen, in January 2013. The wooden house, ice-cold at that time of year, has a fantastic atmosphere and warm acoustics. The recording was later completed and mixed at Duper Studio in Bergen with technician and producer Jorgen Traeen. Stein Urheim has already released two critically-acclaimed albums on Bugge Wesseltoft's Jazzland label together with singer and musician Mari Kvien Brunvoll. He has been a member of Gabriel Fliflet's band Aresong and HP Gundersen's highly-respected drone band The Last Hurrah. Stein Urheim: guitars, flutes, harmonica, slide tamboura, fretless bouzouki, gu qin, mandolin, langeleik, charango, banjo, analog synths and effects.
CD $17


REBEKKA KARIJORD - Music for Film and Theatre (Control Freak Kitten 18; EEC) Music for Film and Theatre provides a gorgeous, frequently lush experience. It's one to which Swedish musician/composer Rebekka Karijord herself often accurately applies the label "ambient": within the repetition of tracks like "Madrigal," "Salhus," "Migratory Birds" and "Morula" there's an undeniable Eno-esque quality, though inevitably Karijord moves in different directions from the godfather of the ambient movement. Elsewhere there are other comparably experimental excursions: the angelic choral vocals and Arvo Part violin of "Nowhere Home," the ethereal, mystical "The End," and "Kjaere Gud," which conjures up the remarkable ghosts of Le Mystere des Voix Bulgares. There are also airier tracks, like the placid, moving, yet strangely tense "Sno," the gentle piano strains of "Waltz for Norma," and "Anchor Boy," as delicately melancholic as anything Danish singer Agnes Obel has delivered. There will be more to come, too. Now that Music for Film and Theatre has been compiled, Karijord is currently working on a further three film projects, and has also begun work writing for her next album. For the time being, however, Music for Film and Theatre is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy another mesmerizing side to an extraordinary artist's talents.
CD $17


'A' TRIO [MAZEN KERBA/SHARIF SEHNAOUI/RAED YASSIN] - Live in Nickelsdorf (Roaratorio 32; USA) "If the city of Beirut doesn't leap to mind as a hotbed of avant-garde musical activity, listen up: since 2005, the Al Maslakh label (translation: The Slaughterhouse) has been documenting far-thinking sounds from the small but vital Lebanese scene. The 'A' Trio's first release, Music to Our Ears, was one of the most startling debuts of 2011; now, Roaratorio is proud to present their second album (and first vinyl release): Live in Nickelsdorf, recorded at the Konfrontationen Festival in 2012. While far from the first to employ extended techniques on their respective instruments, Mazen Kerbaj (trumpet), Sharif Sehnaoui (acoustic guitar), and Raed Yassin (doublebass) create a music that bears little relation to others who traffic in the same outer realms. Heavily textural, frequently perplexing, sometimes unsettling but always suffused with a provocative intelligence, this is the sound of a collective ur-mind that favors the long gesture over pointillistic strokes. Their capacity for generating aural illusions -- one would be hard-pressed to identify the instrumentation as three acoustic instruments, with no electronics or overdubs whatsoever -- is astounding, but it's their skill at harnessing these uncanny tones into a consistently engaging and powerful sound-world that elevates the 'A' Trio into the front rank of contemporary improvisational groups. A limited edition of 350 copies. Download coupon included."
LP $20


AZIZA BRAHIM - Soutak (Glitterbeat 09; Germany) Voiced with passion and grace, Aziza Brahim's music adeptly travels the expanse between her Western Saharan roots and Barcelona, the European cosmopolis where she now lives. Aziza is both a contemporary sonic poet and a prominent and eloquent spokesperson for the Saharawi people and their ongoing struggle for recognition and justice. Born and raised in the Saharawi refugee camps lining the frontier between Algeria and Western Sahara, Aziza's life has been marked by both daunting hardship and inspired will. Fleeing from these camps and the regime of political oppression that followed Morocco's 1975 invasion of Western Sahara, as a young teenager Aziza travelled to Cuba for her secondary school studies. There she experienced first-hand the deep Cuban economic crisis of the 1990s and the subsequent denial of her request to pursue a university degree in music. Music had been Aziza's passion since she was a small girl and despite this setback, she returned to the Saharawi camps in Algeria and began singing and playing in different musical ensembles, a process that continued when she moved to Spain in the year 2000. There she founded the eclectic Saharawi/Spanish band Gulili Mankoo with whom she released two acclaimed self-produced recordings: the EP Mi Canto (2008) and an album Mabruk (2012), both on Reaktion. In recent years Aziza has performed extensively, appearing at major festivals and venues including WOMAD Caceres (2012) and Queen Elizabeth Hall in London (2009). Aziza's album Soutak (trans. "Your Voice"), her debut for the Glitterbeat label, is her first recording to predominantly focus on the cadence of her majestic voice and the soulful critique of her lyrics. The album was produced by Chris Eckman (Tamikrest, Ben Zabo, Dirtmusic) and was recorded live and direct in Barcelona in June of 2013. In the liner notes to the album, Aziza describes her vision for Soutak: "Feeling the need to make an acoustic record, I imagined a somewhat modest musical outline, which would not involve too many instruments and in which the voices would take the expressive emotional lead. I wanted to further explore the range of possibilities found in the Haul, the Saharawi's traditional rhythmic sources, played on the tabal and a source of inspiration for the desert blues." The hand-picked band she assembled for the album consists of Spaniards Nico Roca (percussion) and Guillem Aguilar (bass), Malian Kalilou Sangare (acoustic lead guitar), Aziza's sister Badra Abdallahe (backing voice) and in addition to singing, Aziza contributes acoustic rhythm guitar and the tabal, the traditional Saharawi hand-drum. The music on Soutak is a powerful and nuanced mixture of musical cultures and features Malian, Spanish, Cuban and contemporary Anglo-European motifs all held together by Aziza's deeply rooted knowledge of traditional Saharawi song and sound. Though the songs on Soutak can be unsparing in their details of oppression, Aziza Brahim has delivered an empowered flight to freedom; an alternative world where hope is imminent and dancing is justified.
CD $17

SAMBA TOURE - Albala (Glitterbeat 04; Germany) When you meet Samba Toure in person, he comes off as a soft-spoken man, a man who easily charms you with his abundant smile and optimistic gait. But on his third album, Albala, which in the Songhai language means "danger" or "risk," a weighted and at times defiant side of his personality emerges. To call Albala his darkest album is an understatement, but it is not a self-absorbed darkness. The cause of Toure's worry is the crashing world around him, and more specifically the troubles echoing out from his beloved northern Mali homeland. The last year has brought cataclysmic change and upheaval to northern Mali. The tragic details of this have been globally reported, so there is little point in sensationalizing them here. But the cumulative effect of these events on Samba's music seems palpable. There is an added gravity to his voice and his words, an additional sting to his electric guitar; there are sharper edges and more complex undertones in his musical arrangements. On "Fondora (Leave Our Road)" Samba sings with indignation: "I say, leave our road/All killers leave our road/Thieves leave our road/Looters, leave our road/Rapists, leave our road/Betrayers, leave our road." And on the haunting "Ago Djamba (Life Betrays Us)" Toure warns: "We do not all have the same opportunities/Here, nobody is born rich but we all have the same value/Life betrays us." As a band member, and valued collaborator of the late Malian legend Ali Farka Toure, Samba established a significant reputation, and through his first two solo albums Songhai Blues and Crocodile Blues (World Music Network) his confidence and musical prowess grew proportionately. But Albala is a new flash point. There is more power, there is more grit, the mood is deeper, and aptly, given the album's title, Toure takes more musical risks. Recorded at Studio Mali in Bamako in the autumn of 2012, Samba is joined by his regular band members Djime Sissoko (n'goni) and Madou Sanogo (congas, djembe) and guests such as the legendary master of the soku (a one-stringed violin) Zoumana Tereta and the fast-rising Malian neo-traditional singer Aminata Wassidje Traore. Additionally, Hugo Race (The Bad Seeds, Dirtmusic, Fatalists) contributes an array of subtle atmospherics on guitar and keyboards. On the opening song, "Be ki don," Samba sings: "Everybody welcomes Samba Toure." With an album as soulful and captivating as Albala, that might not be an over-statement.
CD $17


New on New World!

DANIEL GOODE - Annbling („ew World 80744; USA) "Daniel Goode (b. 1936) is a fan of (in his own words) 'minimalist thinking and process thinking,' the 'longform,' and 'the trance effect that repetition brings about.' Comprising solo, chamber, and orchestral works, these four pieces span his career as a composer. The earliest, the 'Sonata for Clarinet and Piano' (1959 - 60),reflects his early interests and influences. Using the harmonically enhanced vocabulary of neoclassicism, the sonata is a fast-slow-fast, three-movement tour-de-force similar in many ways to 'the neoclassic sweetness and pizzazz' of Poulenc's three-movement clarinet sonata composed two years later. Goode later learned circular breathing and developed his own approach to minimalism and 'process music.' 'Circular Thoughts' (1974) for solo clarinet, a twenty-minute guided improvisation, is also a process piece with specific scales and suggestions about tempo, articulations, timbre, and dynamics. Representing both the ideas of gradual process and resultant patterns commonly associated with the music of Steve Reich, 'Circular Thoughts' highlights the trance-like quality of relentlessly repeating melodic patterns and cyclic ostinatos. 'Annbling' (2006, rev. 2007), was composed for the Flexible Orchestra, a new concept in orchestral sound designed by Goode in 2004."
CD $15

ARTHUR LEVERING - Parallel Universe („ew World 80750; USA) "Arthur Levering (b. 1953) is a musical mosaicist, creating patterns within patterns whose meanings change with the perspective of the listener. Moments of piquant color and gesture engage us on one level, but over time, and in combination with other such ideas they spin out the broad narrative, the winsome or lacerating or warm or athletic trajectory of phrase and episode. The works on this new collection -- for orchestra, string orchestra, large mixed ensemble, small ensemble with voice, and for two pianos -- cover a wide expressive and technical range, but the composer's elegant and rigorous use of patterns and their transformations is a consistent source of rich and vibrant energy. Various influences can be felt: rock music, with its ever-present pulse and energy, but also Baroque music, minimalism, and Indonesian gamelan. Particular composers, too, might be cited -- Franco Donatoni, Luciano Berio, Gyorgy Ligeti. Still, Levering's work has its own distinctive sense of wit, its own pacing, and particular tendencies of instrumental color -- its own voice."
CD $15


CAMILLE NORMENT - Toll (Prisma 717; EEC) Camille Norment (b. 1970) is an American-born artist, composer and musician living and working in Norway. For her debut album Toll she assembled an ensemble consisting of electric guitar, Norwegian hardingfele (Hardanger fiddle), and the rare glass harmonica to explore the instruments' collective sensual and contextual psychoacoustics. Toll resonates through a tantalizing union of its instruments' voices and their often paradoxical cultural histories. Each of the instruments were simultaneously revered and feared or even outlawed at various points in their histories. In a slipstream of warping time and abrasive textures, the music levels beauty with noise, and the consonant with the dissonant, as it embraces scratches, squeals, and taunting microtones as equals to the purest of tones. Forming earworms and wooing songs, simple melodic phrases reference one another throughout the tracks -- the echo is like the conjuring and re-forming of a memory that is at once psychological and somatic. The album was recorded at the Henie-Onstad Kunstsenter in Norway during the crystalline resonance of February 18-21, 2013. Besides Camille Norment, the album features the musicians Havard Skaset and Vegard Vardal.
CD $16


TRISTRAM CARY - Soundings: Electroacoustic Works 1955-1996 [2 CD set] (Tall Poppies 139; Australia) "Tristram Cary has been working in the field of electroacoustic music for half a century. This set of 2 CDs presents a personal selection of his landmark contributions to the genre, spanning his career as a composer in London and Australia. Best known for the original music for the Dr. Who television series, Cary here shows what an astonishingly versatile composer he is." The first disc features all early analog works, from 1955 to 1978, including: "Continuum" (for stereo tape, 1969; "Continuum' is about time, seen as stretching endlessly in both directions from our position as we move through it. The continuum sound is a mesh of over forty pitches, undulating at different amounts and speeds, and all the material from the piece is extracted from this dense and flexible cluster."); "Suite -- Leviathan'99" (for stereo tape, 1972); "3 4 5 -- A study In Limited Resources for Stereo Tape" (1967); "Suite -- The Children of Lir" (for mono tape, 1959/66); "Birth is Life is Power is Death is God is..." (for stereo tape, 1967); "Suite -- The Japanese Fishermen" (recreated for stereo tape from 78 RPM mono acetate discs, 1955/96); "Narcissus" (for flute and two tape recorders, 1968); "Steam Music" (for quad tape, 1978). Disc 2 features computer music from 1979-1996: "Nonet" (1979); "Soft Walls" (1980); "Sine City II" (1979/96); "Black, White & Rose" (for marimba, gongs, woodblocks and tape, 1991); "Three Clockpieces" (1983/96); "Trellises" (1984); "The Impossible Piano" (for sequencer and samples piano, 1994; "a small tribute to the astonishing player piano works of Conlon Nancarrow, using precisely calculated durations in a computer sequencer as a substitute for Nancarrow's punched paper rolls")
2 CD set for $30


THE BRISTOL SESSIONS [V.A.] - 1927-1928: Country Music's 'Big Bang' [4 CD set] (JSP 77156; UK) A couple of weeks ago (1/31/14) I caught a tribute to the Bristol Sessions in the Allen Room at the Lincoln Center Jazz building with Bill Frisell, Buddy Miller and Carrie Rodriguez. The set was superb, heartfelt and enchanting on several levels. The trio played songs from the legendary Bristol Sessions, as well as songs inspired by these sessions. It turns out that these sessions were organized in Bristol, Tennessee in 1927 in a hotel with dozens of singers and early country, folk and future bluegrass musicians, many of whom were recorded for the first time. There were dozens of little known names but these sessions did include the a few (future) stars like the Carter Family and the Stoneman Family. There are upwards of 100 songs in this collection over four long CDs and I have been listening to these all week and can't enough of this. Nothing is over-produced and everything here sounds real and directly from the heart and soul of these down-home southern folks. The instrumentation is often stripped down to just acoustic guitar, fiddle, banjo, accordion and/or harmonica. It is the vocals, lead and chorus both that really touch me throughout. It seems hard to believe that these sessions are nearly a century old and still ring true today. Yes, I know that there is an expensive Bear Family version of the Bristol Sessions with an impressive large book included but that goes for a couple of hundred dollars. So, if you are in the 99% like us poor folk here at DMG, then this is the one to go for. If you dug Harry Smith's 'Anthology of Folk Music', then you deserve to check out this collection as well. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
4 CD set for $28



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


UNreleased Recordings - and Out-Of-Print Crimson Club releases - NOW on the Bargain 'Collectable King Crimson' 2 CD series!

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/BILL BRUFORD/ADRIAN BELEW/TONY LEVIN/TREY GUNN/PAT MASTELOTTO] - Collectable King Crimson Vol 5: Live In Japan October 5 & 6 1995 [2 CD set] (DGM 5010; USA) [soundtrack to the Deja Vrooom DVD, now with extra cuts from those nights that were not on the DVD!] This is the first official release of the stereo audio mixes of material featured on the Deja VROOOM DVD. Previously only available on CD via poorly copied bootlegs & pirate editions, this release is derived entirely from the original master tapes & expanded to include two tracks not featured on the DVD plus a bonus recording of the complete Robert Fripp Soundscape used as a prelude to the concert.
2 CD set for $16

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/ADRIAN BELEW/TREY GUNN/PAT MASTELOTTO] - Collectable King Crimson Vol 4: Live In Warsaw [2 CD set] (DGM 5008; USA) [a general market release of the now out-of-print Collectors Club #28] Fourth in the series which captures live King Crimson at their finest, live in Warsaw, Poland, 2000 will appeal to both Crimson enthusiasts and music lovers alike. Live in Warsaw 2000 showcases one of the very first live shows by the four piece line up of Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Pat Mastelotto and Trey Gunn and includes an encore rendition of David Bowie's 'Heroes'.(It was Robert Fripp after all who created the ultra distinctive guitar part on the original David Bowie record)
"I love Poland. And I'm not entirely sure why. I remember this feeling when we were here with the double trio. There was an incredible warmth. Perhaps it is Chopin, one of the classical composers who's music I most identify with. I don't know The venue tonight was doing a long run of Peter Pan. We just came in for the two nights and then they would go back to their Peter production. What this meant was that all of the stage props were behind us and just off the stage. There was the giant crocodile and the pirate ship and all sorts of other strange things"- Trey Gunn
2 CD set for $16

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/BILL BRUFORD/ADRIAN BELEW/TONY LEVIN/TREY GUNN/PAT MASTELOTTO] - Collectable King Crimson Vol 3: Live In London - Shepherds Bush, London July 1 1996 [2 CD set] (DGM 5006; USA) Volume three is a PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED recording of the double trio line up of Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, Bill Bruford, Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto as they concluded a six-week European tour with two nights at the historic Shepherds Bush Empire.
Compiled from the band's stereo tapes of the concert, this two CD set houses the complete show from the second night in London. One of the biggest surprises of the evening was the inclusion on the set list of '21st Century Schizoid Man", the first time played live in London since 1973. This was also the only show on the tour to open with a Robert Fripp solo soundscape, also included on this two CD set. Rolling Stone described the double trio's sound as akin to "well-wrought sonic violence", noting that the band could keep pace with any of the younger bands of the 90's. 2 CD set for $16

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/BILL BRUFORD/ADRIAN BELEW/TONY LEVIN] - Collectable King Crimson Vol 2: Live in Bath 1981/Live In Philadelphia 1982 [2 CD set] (DGM 5003; USA) Combining the now out-of-print Collectors Club releases #s 11 & 26 into one low priced package!
Disc 1: The VERY FIRST LIVE PERFORMANCE by the Discipline lineup (April 30th, 1981), and therefore in Crimson terms the very next gig from - after almost 7 years - the July 1st Central Park recording (the last by the 74 lineup). Embryonic versions of material that was to be later recorded for the Discipline album! Disc 2: "...to this pair of ears, of all the 80s, this performance from Philadelphia is the best yet. Why? Well, in a team-band like Crimson it might seem unfair to single out individuals but if pushed, I would have to say it was down to Adrian Belew. It's difficult to avoid his dazzling fiery presence on this outing.... Thela Hun Ginjeet packs a devastating punch; a knockout collision between on-the-fly improvisation and the canny judgement of what makes a good story great....Another highlight in this package is the inclusion of The Howler. This song didn't get too many public outings, so it's a pleasure to hear how blistering it is with Belew at his rat-scratching best. It'll come as no surprise when I say this version knocks spots off its studio counterpart".......Sid Smith A complete show, 79+ minutes!
2 CD set for $16

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/JOHN WETTON/BILL BRUFORD/DAVID CROSS] - Collectable King Crimson Vol 1: Live in Mainz March 30 1974/Live In Asbury Park June 28 1974 [2 CD set] (DGM 5001; USA) Combining the out-of-print Collectors' Club release # 15 (Mainz) with the [up until Road To Red Box] download-only Live In Asbury Park, NJ, June 28th 1974 David Cross - Violin, Mellotron, Electric piano, Robert Fripp - Guitar, Mellotron, Electric piano, John Wetton - Bass Guitar, Vocals, Bill Bruford - Drums, Percussion
Disc 1: King Crimson Live in Mainz, Germany, March 30th 1974. "As a performing group, we had been developing a style of improvisation which I believe was unique to this quartet. Most of the improv bands at the time would have been Jazz, but we were the only artists to operate in a "rock" environment. Our beefy rhythm section was crowned by an outstanding soloing team of Robert and David, and my monitors were inevitably de-throned by the firepower of the band." - John Wetton 'Mainz is a MUTHFUGGA!" - MannyLunch
Disc 2: This is the raw unmessed-with recording that in its fiddled-with form yeided all but one cut [Schizoid Man] on the USA album. Finally we get to hear the Schizoid Man from this concert [killer], as well as the rest of it in its entirety, but more importantly, with what actually was played that night, including electric piano, violin, et al, parts that were removed/replaced from the mix of USA. That makes this release essential - All Thumbs Skyward! - MannyLunch
2 CD set for $16


also available - the most recent King Crimson Collectors' Club release..

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/BILL BRUFORD/ADRIAN BELEW/TONY LEVIN/TREY GUNN/PAT MASTELOTTO] - Live In Argentina: Teatro Broadway, Buenos Aires, October 8 1994 [2 DVD Set] (DGM KCCC 47; USA) As any fan fortunate enough to have seen the double trio lineup will tell you - even by King Crimson's high standards - this was a spectacular live band. While a return of King Crimson had been planned as early as 1990, it was only in 1992 that the idea of a double trio line-up emerged as the ideal and it took until 1994 to get all the necessary musicians and plans sufficiently in place. The new band recorded the mini album VROOOM in the Spring of 1994 and, following further rehearsals in the summer and early autumn, performed a series of concerts in Argentina, including a run of shows at Teatro Broadway, Buenos Aires in October. This 2 disc set features the full matinee [disc 1] and evening [disc 2] concerts from that venue on October 8th. Taking in material from as far back as 1972, with pieces from Larks' Tongues in Aspic, the title track from 1974's Red, songs and instrumentals from each of the 1980s album trilogy and new material from VROOOM and THRAK (which was recorded soon after these gigs), the shows present a band with an abundance of material old & new, eager to perform and with the full support of an audience ready to celebrate King Crimson's return to the stage.
* Simultaneous audio/video playback DTS 4 channel (quadraphonic) surround sound & LPCM stereo (DVD video players)
* Additional audio playback in MLP lossless 4 channel (quadraphonic) surround sound available on DVD-A compatible players.
* Packaging as per King Crimson's 40th anniversary series with gatefold digipak, booklet with sleeve-notes, technical notes & photos in slipcase
2 DVD set for $26


and VERY LAST COPIES of these older Club releases..

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/MEL COLLINS/BOZ BURRELL/IAN WALLACE] - Live In Denver, CO, March 13 1972 (DGM KCCC 35; USA) The 35th Collectors' Club release (May 2007). Live at The Soundtrack, March 13th 1972, the day after the Summit Studio broadcast (found on Club 9). So here we are in Denver, Colorado March 13, 1972. Another town, another gig and yet another King Crimson line-up due to go their separate ways at the end of an American tour. Though this particular gig was chosen for the KCCC well before the loss of Boz and Ian, it somehow seems a fitting tribute to them, and in particular, their resilience as players and people. - Sid Smith
CD $16

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/BILL BRUFORD/ADRIAN BELEW/TONY LEVIN] - Live at the Pier, NYC, August 2 1982 (DGM KCCC 37; USA) The 37th Collectors' Club release (March 2008). From the 2nd night at The Pier 84 in NYC (August 1 & 2, 1982) At the end of the summer day, the boisterous young NYC area rockers lined up to file onto Pier 84, jutting out hundreds of feet into the Hudson River. As we faced the stage, and Hell's Kitchen and Midtown Manhattan, the sun was setting behind our backs over the New Jersey Palisades. - Larry Snead (interviewed by Sid Smith)
"I was at this show - absolutely BURNIN'!" - MannyLunch
CD $16

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/BILL BRUFORD/ADRIAN BELEW/TONY LEVIN] - Live in Munich, September 29 1982 (DGM KCCC 32; USA) Tight, complex, startling and sonically ambitious, this was a King Crimson full of energy, the embodiment of what Rolling Stone magazine critic Chip Stern had in mind when he declared "Crimson creates a new kind of electronic string music that achieves an orchestral density without resorting to ersatz art-rock bombast." Sid Smith "Professionally taped for German TV [only 42 minutes were broadcast - hopefully it'll be on the DVD of the upcoming 40th Anniversary Beat CD/DVD package], this is the audio of the whole set with 4 more tunes not broadcast. The version of Sheltering Sky is particularly notable here - skeletal and frightening! - MannyLunch
CD $16

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/BILL BRUFORD/ADRIAN BELEW/TONY LEVIN] - Live in Philadelphia, PA, July 30 1982 (DGM KCCC 26; USA) The 26th Collectors' Club release (May, 2004). King Crimson Live in Philadelphia, PA, July 30, 1982 "...to this pair of ears, of all the 80s, this performance from Philadelphia is the best yet. Why? Well, in a team-band like Crimson it might seem unfair to single out individuals but if pushed, I would have to say it was down to Adrian Belew. It's difficult to avoid his dazzling fiery presence on this outing.... Thela Hun Ginjeet packs a devastating punch; a knockout collision between on-the-fly improvisation and the canny judgement of what makes a good story great....Another highlight in this package is the inclusion of The Howler. This song didn't get too many public outings, so it's a pleasure to hear how blistering it is with Belew at his rat-scratching best. It'll come as no surprise when I say this version knocks spots off its studio counterpart".......Sid Smith
CD $16

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/BILL BRUFORD/ADRIAN BELEW/TONY LEVIN/TREY GUNN/PAT MASTELOTTO] - Live at Wiltern Theater, Los Angeles, CA, July 1 1995 [2 CD set] (DGM KCCC 31; USA) The 31st Collectors' Club release (Dec 2005). King Crimson: Live at Wiltern Theater, Los Angeles - 1995. Fripp believed the Wiltern gig to be a major show and wanted to release it straight away. Belew agreed and a mix was partially completed but the tapes were lost. The planned record was shelved; superseded by B'Boom and the all-improv album, THRaKaTTaK.
2 CD set for $18

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/BILL BRUFORD/ADRIAN BELEW/TONY LEVIN/TREY GUNN/PAT MASTELOTTO] - Live in Chicago, Il - Nov. 29, 1995 [2 CD set] (DGM KCCC 43; USA) [ORIGINALLY ANNOUNCED AS #42; NO #42 HAS BEEN RELEASED YET] A truly GREAT set by the 'double trio' lineup!
2 CD set for $18

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/BILL BRUFORD/ADRIAN BELEW/TONY LEVIN/TREY GUNN/PAT MASTELOTTO] - Live in Philadelphia, PA, August 26 1996 [2 CD set] (DGM KCCC 38; USA) The 38th Collectors' Club release (September, 2008). Despite having played over 150 gigs, and released four albums it was all over far too soon as the double-trio King Crimson came to Philadelphia - a city which had seen some storming performances in the past - to give its final performance in front of an audience.
2 CD set for $18

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/BILL BRUFORD/ADRIAN BELEW/TONY LEVIN/TREY GUNN/PAT MASTELOTTO] - The VROOOM Sessions, April-May 1994 (DGM KCCC 8; USA) The 8th Collectors' Club release (December, 1999 / January, 2000). This is a series of snapshots from the VROOOM rehearsals at Applehead Studios, Woodstock, New York, April-May 1994, which lead to the VROOOM EP. This release consists mostly of unreleased compositions (no vocals) that were never finished or used on the ensuing albums.
CD $16

KING CRIMSON: PROJEKCT FOUR [ROBERT FRIPP/TONY LEVIN/TREY GUNN/PAT MASTELOTTO] - Live in San Francisco, CA, November 1 1998 (DGM KCCC 7; USA) The 7th Collectors' Club release (September, 1999). The November 1, 1998 performance at The 7th Note, San Francisco.
CD $16

KING CRIMSON: PROJEKCT THREE [ROBERT FRIPP/TREY GUNN/PAT MASTELOTTO] - Live in Alexandria, VA, March 3 2003 (DGM KCCC 34; USA) The 34th Collectors' Club release (October, 2004). ProjeKct Three Live in Alexandria, VA, March 3, 2003. This was originally ticketed as a King Crimson concert, but Adrian became ill the night of the show, so by default this became the last-ever ProjeKct Tree show! "Almost always Robert, Trey and I soundcheck before Adrian. He likes to get in and out of the venue as soon as possible so he comes just before. The rest of us would come early, rehearse and practice all the way through. So it wasn't that peculiar that Adrian wasn't there right away. Then as it got closer to the end of soundcheck and he still wasn't there, that's when the decision was made to offer a refund or have P3 play. It was fairly last minute." - Pat Mastelotto
CD $16

KING CRIMSON: PROJEKCT THREE [ROBERT FRIPP/TREY GUNN/PAT MASTELOTTO] - Live in Austin, TX, March 25 1999 (DGM KCCC 27; USA) The 27th Collectors' Club release (October, 2004). ProjeKct Three Live in Austin, TX March 25, 1999 "Yesterday's rehearsals went gently, & well. We have some titles and key areas from earlier ProjeKct work, but they're only meaningful to Trey & myself. Pat continues to amaze me: he moves forward all the time. Trey has the responsibility for tonight's "set list". This provides only the guarantee that when we get lost we'll know that we are lost." RF
CD $16

KING CRIMSON: PROJEKCT TWO [ROBERT FRIPP/ADRIAN BELEW/TREY GUNN] - Live in Chicago, IL, June 4 1998 [2 CD set] (DGM KCCC 33; USA) The 33rd Collectors' Club release (December, 2006). ProjeKct Two, Recorded June 4, 1998 at Park West, Chicago, IL. Adrian plays drums in this outfit! "Good solid show tonight. Park West is a fantastic venue. The sound is always great. Plus, Chicago audiences are always very up-to-date with what we're doing. When we walked on stage tonight we had the feeling that everyone was with us. And in fact, I think a lot of the audience had already heard the CD." Trey Gunn
2 CD set for $18

KING CRIMSON: PROJEKCT TWO [ROBERT FRIPP/ADRIAN BELEW/TREY GUNN] - Live in Northampton, MA, July 1 1998 (DGM KCCC 17; USA) The 17th Collectors' Club release (August, 2001). ProjeKct Two, Live in Northampton, MA, July 1st 1998. "It was a standing audience with people pushed right up close to the stage. I get the feeling that a show like this is so intimate that it can't but help to catch people on fire. You could see it in their eyes. I have no doubt that we made a lot of fans for life tonight." - Trey Gunn
CD $16

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/ADRIAN BELEW/TREY GUNN/PAT MASTELOTTO] - Live in Milan, June 20 2003 [2 CD set] (DGM KCCC 39; USA) The 39th Collectors' Club release (January 2009). King Crimson Live in Milan, Italy June 20th 2000. "That is what makes this such a great show. The light and shade within the set, the dynamics within the numbers themselves and the thoughtful pacing of the different numbers. This isn't a band going through the motions. This is a band with no passengers, actively listening to each other, taking risks and working with each other to push boundaries" - Sid Smith.
2 CD set for $18

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/ADRIAN BELEW/TREY GUNN/PAT MASTELOTTO] - Live in Nashville, TN, November 9 & 10 2001 (DGM KCCC 19; USA) The 19th Collectors' Club release (February, 2002). King Crimson, Live in Nashville, TN, November 9 & 10 2001. "We sounded fantastically powerful, that much I know. But, we did have some spectacularly sour moments. We wouldn't want to let Nashville down by leaving out the 'brown moments', now would we? Nashville has always seen the beginning shows of our tours, so they are especially privy to our first meanderings within these pieces. We have a new stage set-up. Pat on the left up front. Robert on the right up front. Me, next to Pat slightly back center. Adrian, next to Robert slightly back center. This has radically changed our interactions as a band." - Trey Gunn
CD $16

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/ADRIAN BELEW/TREY GUNN/PAT MASTELOTTO] - Live in Warsaw, June 11 2000 [2 CD set] (DGM KCCC 28; USA) The 28th Collectors' Club release (January 2005). King Crimson Live in Warsaw, Poland June 11th 2000. One of the very first live shows by the last quartet line-up! "I love Poland. And I'm not entirely sure why. I remember this feeling when we were here with the double trio. There was an incredible warmth. Perhaps it is Chopin, one of the classical composers who's music I most identify with. I don't know The venue tonight was doing a long run of Peter Pan. We just came in for the two nights and then they would go back to their Peter production. What this meant was that all of the stage props were behind us and just off the stage. There was the giant crocodile and the pirate ship and all sorts of other strange things"- Trey Gunn
2 CD set for $18


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40% OFF on these selected Cuneiform titles!!!

[..or all 7 for $54 !!! - save $9 !!! ]

POSITIVE CATASTROPHE [TAYLOR HO BYNUM/ABRAHAM GOMEZ-DELGADO/MATT BAUDER/MICHAEL ATTIAS et al] - Dibrujo, Dibrujo, Dibrujo (Cuneiform 336; USA) [these sale copies have a drillhole over the bar code]
The 10 piece strong 'little big band' Positive Catastrophe was founded in 2007 by cornetist/composer Taylor Ho Bynum and percussionist/vocalist/composer Abraham Gomez-Delgado. Uniquely fusing Latin and avant-garde jazz, the group enlists many of New York's most adventurous jazz and salsa musicians: Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet); Abraham Gomez-Delgado (percussion, vocals); Kamala Sankaram (accordion, vocals); Mark Taylor (french horn); Reut Regev (trombone); Matt Bauder (tenor saxophone); Michael Attias (baritone saxophone); Pete Fitzpatrick (electric guitar); Alvaro Benavides (electric bass); Tomas Fujiwara (drums) Dibrujo, Dibrujo, Dibrujo... is Positive Catastrophe's second album. Here, the group combines salsa-derived groove with the intensity of modern jazz for a mix that is both artistic (dibujo = drawing) and magical (brujo = sorcerer). It features new music by both Bynum and Gomez-Delgado, including an extended suite by each.
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

CARLO DE ROSA'S CROSS-FADE With MARK SHIM/VIJAY IYER/JUSTIN BROWN - Brain Dance (Cuneiform 317; USA) [these sale copies have a drillhole over the bar code]
"Great writing and ensemble playing. Deep thoughtful solos." - Jack DeJohnette Proficient, creative, a first-call, in-demand bassist, Carlo De Rosa has earned a reputation of very high standards. As a composer and band-leader of the quartet Cross-Fade, he also has very high standards, but outside of New York City clubs, this work has not been widely recognized. Brain Dance is set to remedy that situation! Cross-Fade is a band of top-drawer musicians. In addition to Carlos' work on bass, the band features the constantly inventive saxophone work of Mark Shim, who released three albums on Blue Note and who plays here with a an amazing fire and fervor, playing fast and intricate melodic lines as if cutting butter. Drummer Justin Brown is the youngest member of the group and the least known at this time, but his playing here is agile, assured and quite mind-boggling. Pianist Vijay Iyer should need no introduction; he is the rising young piano star of jazz today. Iyer was named the 2010 Musician of the Year by the Jazz Journalists Association and he is up for a Grammy in February for 'best instrumental jazz album'. These are obviously all great players, but great players deserve great material and one of the notable things about Brain Dance is the writing. The compositions give the players malleable material with which to work with; there's plenty of thematic material, but also plenty of room for them to add their individuality. The end result is greater than even the sum of their musical talents and the compositions. The music constantly moves between the modern, avant-garde and electric jazz worlds, never standing still, but taking the most interesting and attractive elements of these worlds and combining them into a new whole. For the listener who appreciates modern, cutting-edge jazz as well as cutting-edge jazz/rock, this album will be a hugely enjoyable musical revelation!
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

JOEL HARRISON/LORENZO FELICIATI With CUONG VU/ROY POWELL/DAN WEISS - Holy Abyss (Cuneiform 334; USA) [these sale copies have a drillhole over the bar code]
Holy Abyss is a collaborative effort between guitarist/composer Joel Harrison and bassist/composer Lorenzo Feliciati. Joining them are trumpeter Cuong Vu, Roy Powell on Hammond B-3 organ and piano, and Dan Weiss on drums. A masterful electric jazz outing from five great players, this group personifies the worldwide nature of jazz today. Joel Harrison grew up in D.C., moved to the west coast in the late 80s and moved to New York City in the mid 90s where he still resides. Lorenzo Feliciati lives in Rome, Italy but travels the world and has collaborated with Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson), Bob Mitzer and Donovan and many others. Cuong Vu was born in Vietnam, lived for a number of years in New York City and made his name as a member of the Pat Metheny Group in the 2000s. He is currently a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. Roy Powell is from England and resides in Norway, where he works in a wide range of music, including mainstream, jazz piano, avant-garde and electric, funky jazz. Dan Weiss lives in New York City where he has recorded with many of the brightest, upcoming names there. Harrison and Weiss have played together for many years while Feliciati and Powell also are longtime allies. Vu has recorded and toured with Feliciati and Powell, so even though this is the first recording by these five musicians together, there is a lot of built in chemistry. All share a love of modern jazz that is devoid of stylistic limitations, inclusive of sounds from around the world, infused with electronics, odd meters, and deeply hued, uncommon timbres and tonal palettes. There is a wonderful symbiosis between Harrison's and Vu's sounds. Both favor piercing, gorgeous tones mixed with raw, nasty electronics, and that sound, mixed with Powell's piano and Hammond B-3, is at once jubilant and hallucinogenic, crackling with energy, and then gently subdued. Weiss delivers his signature mix of driving groove punctuated by pithy, unpredictable asides, and the ever-solid accompaniment on upright bass keeps everything grounded. This is a marvelous program of modern, tasty, tuneful and occasionally haunting electric jazz, reminiscent of some aspects of classic electric ECM work of the 70s and 80s.
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

PIP PYLE'S BASH With PATRICE MEYER/ALEX MAGUIRE/FRED THELONIOUS BAKER + ELTON DEAN - Belle Illusion (Cuneiform 193; USA) [these sale copies have a drillhole over the bar code]
Drummer and composer Pip Pyle is widely recognized as the drummer of the Canterbury school of progressive rock. As the drummer for Hatfield and the North and National Health, as well as stints with Gong, In Cahoots, Soft Heap and many, many others in both England and France, Pyle is one of the great drummers of both progressive rock and jazz-rock/fusion. His newest project, Bash!, is a modern electric jazz fusion/Canterbury outfit that integrates all of his past musical experiences while showcasing his compositional skills. In 2002, Pyle formed the group Bash! to perform his own jazz-infused, rock-energized compositions. Besides Pyle, the virtuoso ensemble includes guitarist PatriceMeyer, keyboardist Alex Maguire and bassist Fred Baker. Saxist Elton Dean guests on two tracks. Belle Illusion, despite it being this group's first release, is an organic and remarkably mature work. Its success is in part due to the player's high level of skill, and in part due to the fact that Pyle penned his compositions with these specific players in mind. According to Pyle, BelleIllusion "is the nearest to writing for specific musicians that I've ever done". Featuring excellent sound, the CD was recorded live at two festival shows,allowing the excitement that musicians bring to good live performances to be captured here. Bash! is sure to please fans of Pip's work and also to bring new fans to an appreciation of his music.

CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.
AHLEUCHATISTAS [SHANE PERLOWIN/RYAN OSLANCE et al] - Even In The Midst... (Cuneiform 261; USA) [these sale copies have a drillhole over the bar code]
Leaving audiences slack-jawed in amazement at South by Southwest, punk-rock dives across the USA and jazz festivals in Europe, the Ahleuchatistas and their unique, high-energy, instrumental, technical, undefinable trio music for guitar, bass and drums continue to reach new heights as a performing and a recording unit. If they come to your town, you must see them; there is no one - and I mean no one - who can match them at what they do. Even in the Midst... is their fourth album and the years together playing hundreds and hundreds of shows have created one of the most amazingly tight ensembles that you will ever hear or see. This album widens their sound a little bit; there's plenty of the insane, over-the-top playing that we've come to expect, but there's more room for improvisation here and also for more quiet moments as well. The CD contains an 8 page, full color booklet of Courtney Chappell's beautiful and disturbing artwork. With this album, both in terms of the sonics of the album and the performance itself, the band have made their best recorded statement yet
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

FAR CORNER - Far Corner (Cuneiform 194; USA) [these sale copies have a drillhole over the bar code]
A most impressive blend of classical and progressive elements, quite majestic and enchanting. - BLG This is an exciting and auspicous debut release by a chamber rock quartet from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Far Corner play carefully honed compositions, composed in a style that reflects influences from 20th century composers, such as Stravinsky and Bartok conbined with classical/chamber rock greats like Univers Zero , early ELP, Present and more, combined in their own fashion. In addition to their compositions, Far Corner also perform purely improvised music. Their music maintains the energy level and power of rock, but in an extremely sophisticated way. Their music is mysterious, sometimes dark, and always intriguing. Far Corner uses a relatively small palette of instrumental colors to achieve a big sound: Grand piano and Hammond organ, cello (played both 'classically' and with amplification and fuzzboxes to give it a metal edge ala Alamaailman Vasarat), electric bass (by the very excellent Bill Kopecky) and drums. Their fusion of classical and rock instrumentation is untraditional; occasionally it even inverts the instruments' roles, using rock instruments in a classical context and manner and treating classical instruments as though they were rock. Most notably, eachinstrument in the quartet is treated as an equal, and all instruments are assigned melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic roles. The four musicians are all extremely accomplished players, and this is sure to get the attention it deserves from fans of chamber/progressive rock.
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

UZ JSME DOMA [MIROSLAV WANEK/PEPA CERVINKA/ADAM TOMASEK/TOMAS PALETA/MARTIN VELISEK] - Caves (Cuneiform 312; USA) [these sale copies have a drillhole over the bar code]
Uz Jsme Doma (pronounced "Oozh (rhymes with 'rouge') Smeh Dough-Ma) (in English, Now I Get It) seemed to appear out of nowhere in the early 1990s, but it was a little more complicated than that. When the group came together in the small border town of Teplice in Czechoslovakia in 1985, rock was freedom and freedom was illegal. Via Western radio and smuggled tapes, however, the band came into contact with punk rock as well as more avant-garde bands. It wasn't until the fall of the Communist government that they were able to record and tour, which they then proceeded to do with a vengence; the group have toured the US a remarkable 17 times and have played nearly 2,000 gigs during their lifetime! The group has won a strong following with their great releases and their constant, high energy tours. 25 years after their founding, their music combines the energy of punk rock - their original inspiration - while ignoring genre walls and adding more complex structures taken from avant-garde and avant-progressive bands and even from folk music of their native land. They are living, fire-breathing, alternative rock legends: one of 'the two great Bastions of the Czech alternative scene' said the Prague Post, who ranked them in importance beside the Plastic People of the Universe. They are a singular, powerful group whose shows win them instant fans for life and whose musical voice is the voice of joy and freedom. Currently the group is made up of leader Miroslav Wanek on lead vocals, guitars and piano, Pepa Cervinka on bass and vocals, Adam Tomasek on trumpet and vocals, Tomas Paleta on drums and Martin Velisek who designs all the band art work, and is a full band member whose 'instruments' are brushes and paints. The album comes with a 12 page, full color booklet with Martin's artwork. UJD are a group I have long had my eyes on; I saw them for the first time in the mid 1990s and several times since then and I am very pleased that we are able to work together on this, their seventh studio album.
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.



LAST COPIES of these rare treasures!

HORACE TAPSCOTT With JOHN CARTER/CECIL McBEE/ANDREW CYRILLE - The Dark Tree Vol 1 & 2: Live At The Catalina Bar & Grill, December 14-17, 1989 [2 CD set] (Hat ology 630; Switzerland) This was an important, revealing release when it was first issued in 1991. Now, with both Tapscott and John Carter having passed on, it takes on even more significance with our knowing that they are beyond the vagaries of man and Fate, and cannot contribute any more to our lives. On The Dark Tree they created music of power and drama, beauty and spirit. It's a shame we had to wait so long to hear it, and now we should treasure it. - Art Lange
[special ltd time price; normally $26]
2 CD set for $22

KEITH TIPPETT/JULIE TIPPETTS [DRISCOLL]/TREVOR WATTS/COLIN McKENZIE - Warm Spirits, Cool Spirits (FMR 140; UK) limited CD-R edition. December 1976 recording. ONly previous release was as a 1976 LP on the German 'Vinyl' label.
CD $16

CARLOS WARD With WILLIAM PARKER/PHEEROAN AkLAFF - Live At The Bug & Other Sweets (Peull 02; USA) 1994 album.
CD $16

PANDIT PRAN NATH With TERRY RILEY et al - Midnight: Raga Malkauns [2 CD set] (Just Dreams 03; USA) Just Dreams is the label of La Monte Young and Marian Zazeela. This Pandit Pran Nath double CD was released in 2002 and features two long live performance ragas from 1971 and 1976 by this legendary Indian vocalist, now reissued for 2012. The first version of "Raga Malkauns" is from 1971, and was recorded in SF with accompaniment by: Terry Riley (tabla), Ann Riley (tambura) & Simone Forti (tambura). The 1976 version of "Raga Malkauns" on disc 2 was recorded in NYT and features: K. Paramjyoti (tabla), La Monte Young (tambura) & Marian Zazeela (tambura). Sensational, timeless music preserved in the finest detail, at last. There's a lot of celestial hype in the world of music, but the music of Pandi Pran Nath travels all corridors of the universe. "Two full-CD recordings of 'Raga Malkauns' by Pandit Pran Nath, accompanied by full texts of the vocal compositions presented in Devanagri script, phonetic English, word-by-word translation, and poetic interpretation by Sri Karunamayee, a longtime senior disciple of the Master."
2 CD set for $25



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LAST COPIES of Strange and Weird New Musics on MIE and Nashazphone!

DANIEL MENCHE & ANLA COURTIS - Yagua Ovy (MIE 07; UK) Yagua Ovy is the first collaboration between the sublime noise artist Daniel Menche and Anla Courtis, the Argentinean experimental guitarist and founder of Reynols. Based around the Argentinean mythology of the werewolf, or "the blue dog" that lives on the "land without evil" of Mbya-Guarani, Yagua Ovy shows Menche and Courtis at their commanding best, whipping up a cacophony of primal and natural noise from all manner of objects and instruments. Menche draws out the sound and resonances found lying in snow and rocks while Courtis bewitches pizza sauce cans and his guitar, creating this mind-flaying homage to the mythical wolf. Alan Courtis (aka Anla Courtis) was born in 1972 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he still lives. He was a founding member of Reynols and has many releases on labels all across the world. He has toured extensively internationally and has collaborated with musicians such as Pauline Oliveros, Otomo Yoshihide, Jim O'Rourke, Mats Gustafsson, Rick and Alan Bishop, Toshimaru Nakamura, and Lasse Marhaug. Courtis' music always has strong experimental sense and is based on high-skilled techniques of prepared sound, tape manipulations, processing of field recordings, live electronics, objects, cymbals, synthesizers, computer tools, playing traditional (both acoustic and electric) instruments as well as self-built, strange and unusual instruments (unstringed guitar, for example). In a genre known for its randomness and chaotic structure, Daniel Menche has established himself as a musician with an uncharacteristic sense of focus and determination. Rather than creating "noise," he strives for order and cohesiveness. Aural intensity is not a representation of confusion or the chaotic, but a concerted effort to provoke and stimulate the listener's imagination by generating intensely powerful sounds and music. Daniel Menche's work originates from the idea that there is no restriction to potential sound sources, especially in terms of a sound's potential sonic energy. Self-made recorded sound sources, instruments, and percussion can all be equally harnessed in creating a living and emotional feeling within Daniel Menche's contemporary work. Any and all sounds are possible conduits to music. There are absolutely no barriers or biases in what can be used. In Yagua Ovy these two unique artists have come together for the first time and have made a record of stunning primordial beauty. Pressed on 180 gram vinyl in a limited run of 500 copies for the world. The long-time Menche collaborator and artist Eric Stotik did the stunning artwork. Pressed on 180 gram vinyl.
LP $25

BLACK DIRT OAK - Wawayanda Patent (MIE 24; UK) The epic Wawayanda Patent by Black Dirt Oak is the Black Dirt Studio-affiliated supergroup with members of Pelt, No Neck Blues Band, Desert Heat, Rhyton, Pigeons, and more. Wawayanda Patent is available in a limited edition of 500 LPs with a download code. "MIE has cast a harvest wreath upon our season's door, a deceptively intricate record woven like a spell by many interlocked arms and voices: a welcome hex. Featuring Steve Gunn (GHQ, Desert Heat, Violators), Nathan Bowles (Pelt, Black Twig Pickers), Jimy SeiTang (Rhyton, Stygian Stride, Psychic Ills), Justin Tripp (Georgia, Steve Gunn), Margot Bianca (Flown, Key Demo), Dave Shuford (Rhyton, D. Charles Speer, NNCK), and Wednesday Knudsen (Pigeons, Sea Donkeys), Black Dirt Oak's Wawayanda Patent is a song sung from a splintered Ouija board, a mass Shaker gift-drawing, a truly exquisite corpse. All these musicians have been fixtures at this rural studio west of New York City for years, but never so integrated as in this bizarre working. With songs that seem both plant and animal, this music splices many logics into a trembling unity. Without a doubt, an alkaloid-laden root is cellared down in Jason Meagher's Black Dirt Studio. To drop the needle onto this record is to slice across its concentric spheres. The fumes instigate fever dreams: Arco banjo strings and horns spiral like vines and gently strangle steeples erected by drum machines, leaving a skyline of electrified maypoles twinkling in the dark. Hands clasp and graft synthetic and old-world strains into an agrarian wish. The plant leafs out, flowers, fruits, and then sinks silvery seeds back into the rot. Someone plucks a song out in processional cadence only to fall backwards into a seance, channeling creation myths aloft in winds of disembodied voices. The harmonics float down and shroud the earth in breathable fabrics, tenderly draped over dead electronics like stainless skeletons half-buried in dirt, grinning to expose a circuitry of gold fillings amidst the teeth. To describe this music is to clog a drain with hair. You can see what repeated listenings do. I've flooded my bath. To be sure, each musician has left her telltale fingerprints all over this record; however, the patterns are spun around an entirely different magnetic north, or maybe an underworld passage where the pole should be: Bowles blankets SeiTang's synthesized landforms in wet forests of frailed banjo, wooded hollows haunted by Bianca's porcelain song. Their impossible horizon melts with a setting inner sun that turns out to be Knudsen's sax. Meagher spins the whole like a glass witch ball, the distended interior described by Tripp's geomantic figures, the crystalline surface etched by Shuford's acid. Gunn delicately suspends the microcosm by a golden thread... and then they all trade places without us even noticing. Familiar sounds are put to unfamiliar tasks. While the music was germinated in the protected warmth of this cellar, pressing up against those walls are ten-thousand hectares of soaked earth, the drained and fertile remainder of ancient swamplands known as the Wawayanda Patent: soil fat with sulfuric allums, tubers, and now this occult growth, uprooted from below Orange County's sun-soaked surface. Ingest with care." --Rob Smith (Pigeons, Rhyton); Artwork and design by Georgia. Mastered by Patrick Klem.
LP $25

TROUBLE BOOKS - Love at Dusk (MIE 22; UK) The follow-up to 2012's well-received Concatenating Fields, Love at Dusk finds the Ohio-based husband/wife duo of Keith Freund and Linda Lejsovka further developing their enchanting approach to songwriting, one which juxtaposes highly-detailed sound design and synthesis techniques with beguiling pop sensibilities. After a brief but labyrinthine opener, "Profile of Woman in Silk Hood" blooms seductively into being, with Lejsovka's vocals set adrift over a bed of constantly evolving synths that surround a driving bass line and propulsive drum machine arrangement. It's simultaneously airy and dense, abstracted and familiar -- and it's a prime example of what makes the Trouble Books sound so unique and arresting. Later, "Unfolded" conjures a plaintive atmosphere from panning oscillations and a hopeful piano refrain. The instrumental masterfully navigates a space between optimistic and chary, a tension which plays out throughout the record and encapsulates well the feelings of excitement and uncertainty that characterize pregnancy and childbirth (Lejsovka was pregnant with the couple's first child during the gestation of the album). With Love at Dusk, Trouble Books present what is arguably their finest work to date, an album of songs that feels both honest and matured and wears its influences (both musical and lived) proudly on its sleeves. Trouble Books are Keith Freund and Linda Lejsovka. The album was mastered by James Plotkin. Artwork was designed by Jacob Feige. Includes a download code. Released in a run of 400 copies.
LP $25

RICHARD YOUNGS - Regions of the Old School [2 LP set] (MIE 21; UK) The first-ever solo double LP by Richard Youngs. After the mind-erasing and shamanic Amaranthine released in January 2012, MIE is ecstatic to be working with Richard again on a true magnum opus of the Youngsian experimental catalog. Regions of the Old School is an epic and proudly sprawling collection of instrumentals and songs. In a conceptual nod to the long out-of-print Festival, released in 1994 by Table Of The Elements, it features five extended tracks scored for a diverse array of instruments with guest vocals by Madeleine Hynes and additional synthesizer by Neil Campbell. Regions of the Old School plunges you into the deep with the incredibly claustrophobic and tense "Insomniac Takeover." Youngs declaims three words over and over while gongs and hand drums skitter over synths and long arcs of guitar feedback. The intense opener is a merciless ode to its namesake. The following track's opening chimes and undulating synths are sublime in their contrast to their predecessor, instead forming a gorgeous tune on a Moog Source with deep and sustained bass throughout. "Celeste" sees Madeleine Hynes on manipulated vocals alongside high-end frequencies contrasted with subdued percussion and gongs. This beautiful little paen brings the record to its epic focal point, "The Thoughtlife." The track slowly reveals a mesmerizing piece with incredible juxtaposition of styles. Gongs, shakuhachi flute, and Neil Campbell's synthesizer weave in and out in perfect symbiosis and the arrival of a long drawn-out and stuttering sub-bass kick solidifies the zen-like quality of the track. "My Love Holds the Galaxy in Her Heart" is a perfect end to this incredible record, a tender and sweet song over metronomic percussion and glockenspiel at the other side of the musical spectrum to the first track. This sprawling yet flowing piece comes to a climax as Youngs' vocals give out suddenly to an extended caustic feedback-riddled guitar solo before falling silent. Regions of the Old School is available in a run of 500 2LPs with stunning gatefold artwork by Madeline Hynes.
2 LP set for $30

RICHARD YOUNGS - Amaranthine (MIE 09; UK) MIE are delighted to be releasing the excellent Amaranthine by prolific UK experimental musician Richard Youngs. Bringing rhythm to the fore, Amaranthine is built around layered percussion and Youngs' ever-present vocals. The asymmetrically patterned underlay is scored for drums, household objects and handheld percussion; at points scything fuzz guitar cuts through the sense of ritual with abandon and deep synths bubble up out of nowhere before dissipating into solo shakuhachi. Amaranthine is another typically atypical Youngsian release in which he ventures deep into uncharted musical space, all the while retaining his essential Youngs-ness.
LP $25

NATHAN BOWLES & SCOTT VERRASTRO - Polar Satellites (MIE 19; UK) MIE releases Polar Satellites, the stunning collaboration by Nathan Bowles (Pelt/Black Twig Pickers) and Scott Verrastro (Kohoutek) on LP. Polar Satellites is a mesmerizing collection of percussion improvisations performed in duo by Nathan and Scott deep in the winter of 2009 and 2010 with absolutely no overdubs. Building on the starkness of Effigy by Pelt, (recently repressed on MIE), the duo have recorded an even bleaker, more minimal and hermetically-vibed record together. Unnerving and hypnotic, Polar Satellites is an intense journey into the unknown, awash with uncategorizable percussive instruments, kalimbas, and banjo. Nathan and Scott first met in Washington D.C. when Nathan would sit in on Kohoutek sets. They were brought together as a duo on a track recorded for Three Lobed Records' Jack Rose tribute album and were so struck by the results that they went down to Black Dirt Studios and laid down these tracks with Jason Meagher on engineering, recording and mixing duties. James Plotkin has again done an excellent job on mastering duties.
LP $25

HEY COLOSSUS - Cuckoo Live Life Like Cuckoo (MIE 18; UK) Presenting Cuckoo Live Life Like Cuckoo, the eighth album from the London/Somerset eight-piece, Hey Colossus. Now in their 10th year, the band have been gathering plaudits and accumulating new fans with every release, and after playing to thousands at Supersonic Festival, things are accelerating at an even faster pace. As with each album release, Hey Colossus continue to mutate and for their eighth album they have enlisted the support of a new drummer, Part Chimp guitar/vox man, Tim Cedar, who has undoubtedly brought a whole new kind of energy that has reinvigorated the band. When the rhythm section takes a shot to the bow it's only natural for the game to change. But long-term supporters need not worry, they're still heavy, still got the same vibe, only now they are focused in a fresh way. Cuckoo Live Life Like Cuckoo was recorded live to tape throughout 2012 in Dropout Studios, South London, by Mr. Westminster Brown, mastered by James Plotkin. For this recording, Hey Colossus opt for a hefty hi-fi sound when previously they were drenched in lo-fi fuzz. Now there is room to breathe, when before they were utterly unrelenting. Tape loops and walls of noise created by bass and drum, rhythmic klang, dual vocals, and three guitars are supplemented by a variety of instruments including the baglama saz, turntables and synths -- adding a whole new dynamic to their sound. These are signs of a band who are playing with their ears open and it's all systems go. Cuckoo Live Life Like Cuckoo comes on CD and in a run of 500 LPs with artwork by the band.
LP $25
also available on CD for $14

ALASTAIR GALBRAITH - Cry (MIE 17; UK) Cry was recorded in a shed at Taieri Mouth between 1998 and 2000 and then released by Emperor Jones on CD in 2000. Alastair Galbraith has always been one of the most admired yet paradoxically ignored musicians from the New Zealand underground since he first started out in The Rip on Flying Nun Records in the early 1980s. Having already worked with the incredibly talented New Zealander otherwise known as Michael Morley, it seemed natural for MIE's next step to go on to work with Alastair on getting one of his finest records issued for the first time on vinyl. Listening to the immensely personal and intimate Cry is like looking directly into the furthest recesses of Galbraith's mind. Weaving the fabric of the record with guitar, violin, organ, and vulnerable murmurs, frequently reversing and inverting instruments through four-track manipulations, Cry is at once haunting and unsettling. Alastair creates an incredibly complex mindscape with tenebrous drones, hushed, lilted words and a sense of deep warmth, pulling you further and further into the innermost intricacies of his world. Submerged deep within this world you start to see the faint rays of light and hope which have earned this record its place in New Zealand's musical landscape. Issued on vinyl for the first time in a run of 500 LPs. Original artwork by Alastair Galbraith. Mastered by Craig Stewart.
LP $25

PELT - Effigy [2 LP set] (MIE 15; UK) Effigy by Pelt, the first album recorded since 2007 by the acoustic-only droners. Recorded live in June 2011 in an old yoga studio in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin and a decommissioned synagogue called the Gates of Heaven in nearby Madison, the band have laid down their most accomplished and fully-realized work to date. Epic in every sense of the word, Effigy is a sprawling journey through their singular plan on the musical map. Layer upon layer of droning strings melt over never-ending harmoniums which threaten to engulf you while peals of gongs ring out to mesmerizing effect. Effigy sees Pelt reaching their blissful sonic enlightenment. Effigy is a testament to the ancient animal-shaped mounds called "effigy mounds" which dot the landscape in and around Madison, Wisconsin. No one has yet managed to work out who built these creations. Over the centuries they have greatly reduced in size but still the largest can measure up to 400 feet in length, and the outlines of birds, lizards, deer and bears are all clearly visible to the observer. Soil would have been carried from afar to construct these huge monuments with only crude implements at hand. The erection of the monuments would have surely been carried out by practically an army of workers or inhabitants and taken a very long time to build, indeed. Effigy comes as a 2LP with stunning gatefold artwork by Jake Blanchard. Mastered by James Plotkin. The first edition was limited to a run of 500 2LPs. Repressed in 2013 in a second run of 500 2LPs.
2 LP set for $30

SARIN SMOKE [TOM CARTER/PETE SWANSON] - Vent (MIE 13; UK) Psych-folk titan Tom Carter and distortion alchemist Pete Swanson reprise their Sarin Smoke guise for a noxiously hazy follow-up to the 2007 debut 'Smokescreen'. 'Vent' was recorded in the wake of a successful Sarin Smoke concert in Oakland, 2010, which prompted the pair to get back in the studio and shred up this banking swell of oscillator sweeps and manhandled feedback, paring down to the most elemental and affective sort of psychedelic potency. It takes form as six cuts, a intriguing dialogue of melodic two-chord simplicity which Swanson attributes to "more neanderthal attempts at VU/Roy Montgomery inspired simple melodicism" shot through with sky-reaching solos struggling to be discerned beneath an ocean of speaker melting fuzz. Notably, all label profits from the record go towards Tom Carter's ongoing medical bills as he recuperates from a severe bout of pneumonia contracted on tour in Europe. Really strong stuff!
LP $25

HALLOCK HILL - The Union/A Hem of Evening [2 LP + Book set] (MIE 12; UK) Named one of the ten best solo acoustic guitar albums of the year by The Out Door and a top ten album of the year by The Liminal, Tom Lecky's debut album as Hallock Hill elicited a powerful response when it was first released on CD by Hundred Acre Recordings in 2011. The album's unique assembly of stacked and layered acoustic, electric and lap steel guitars delivered a new kind of studio improvisation: pieces that were spontaneously made, yet feel composed, pieces that glide from harmonious to dissonant in the instances where their improvisations swerve around one another and occasionally collide. MIE Music brings The Union to vinyl for the first time as a double LP, paired with Hallock Hill's album A Hem of Evening: six interlocking acoustic pieces that extend the structural themes of The Union's central acoustic tracks. Lecky again builds a range of overlapping improvisations and twisted melodic weavings, but here within a more naked and spare atmosphere. Where some of the tracks on The Union were structured by continually stacking great density of sound and involutions, the tracks on A Hem of Evening work with a different geometry. Air and space: expansion of themselves within themselves, rather than an expansion coming from additional voices. In the words of Fluid Radio's Andy Gillham, A Hem of Evening shows "a canny ability to build meaningful musical structure from free-form composition." A book of prose poems and photographs based on these pieces accompanies the LP. The Union and A Hem of Evening are released as a double LP in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with the A Hem of Evening book in an edition of 300 copies.
2 LP + Book set for $30

CHORD - Gmaj7 (MIE 11; UK) Chord, previously released on Neurot Recordings and Important Records, are a drone collective based in Chicago, IL, featuring members of Pelican, X-Bax, and Sacred Cities, who explore the minutiae of single-chord compositions. On this release, they approach the G-major 7 chord over the two sides of an LP with radically different styles. "Stasis" (one approach), and "Kinesis" (and the other). "Kinesis" also features Pat Samson, the former drummer for Chicago noise rockers US Maple, and is the first time Chord have recorded with a drummer. About Gmaj7: This G-rooted non-dominant seventh chord presents itself as a major/major seventh consisting of root (G), major third (B), perfect fifth (D), and major seventh (F#). The appearance of movement is created here by emphasizing different dyads present in various voicings of the chord, yet the chord itself is always used harmonically rather than melodically. Gmaj7 was arranged and performed by Kyle Benjamin, Phil Dole, Jason Hoffman, Sean McCarthym, and Trevor Shelley-de Brauw. Drums on "Kinesis" by Patrick Samson. It was recorded and mixed by Greg Norman at Studio Greg Studios, and mastered by Carl Saff. The LP is limited to a run of 300 copies and packaged in a deluxe screen printed cover designed by Delicious Design League and printed by Heavy Rock Printing.
LP $25

PART WILD HORSES MANE ON BOTH SIDES - Poisson (MIE 08; UK) MIE Music is extremely proud to be reissuing on vinyl one of the finest gems in Part Wild Horses Mane on Both Sides' astounding back catalog. Poisson was originally released by Rayon Recs in a run of 50 cassettes in 2009, hardly seeing the light of day before it sold out, and it is now released in a run of 500 180 gram LPs with striking artwork by the band. This edition comes with an extra track, "Seven Seasons of Weeping," recorded with Harappian Night Recordings. Droning and looping flute, scattering drums, cyclical patterns, and inaudible mutterings.
LP $25

CATH & PHIL TYLER - Dumb Supper (MIE 06; UK) Originally released on CD in 2008 by No-Fi Recordings. Cath & Phil Tyler have been stars of the Northeast underground scene for the past three years, sharing stages with Six Organs Of Admittance, Papa M, Charalambides, and many more. Dumb Supper was originally released to critical acclaim in 2008 by No-Fi Recordings and the record now sees a re-release on 180 gram vinyl by MIE Music. Cath is a renowned teacher on the Sacred Harp singing circuit. Sacred Harp is vigorous community singing of a particular collection of four-part harmony hymns (from the 19th century book The Sacred Harp) usually for closed as opposed to public performances. It has been described as "a cross between Gregorian chanting and bluegrass" and elements of its stylings appear in the duo's recordings. Cath and Phil's music beautifully blends the hard-edged traditions of primitive Americana and English folk, using guitar, banjo, fiddle and more, all topped with their searing vocals and sublime harmonies. Their songs speak of grit, blood and guts, tenderness, love and death. Cath and Phil believe in folk retaining its original storytelling function, passing on tales through the centuries. In their words, "These songs came to us by way of Lena Bourne Fish, Hattie Hicks Presnell, Homer Cornett, Eleazar Tillett, and Martha Etheridge (Anne and Frank Warner Collection); the Sacred Harp... We changed some of the words and wrote some of the tunes." All the songs on the album are adaptations of songs they have unearthed or which have been passed on to them through family members, musical collaborators, and their own love of the original information highway, folk music. Cath and Phil Tyler's take on folk sees a refreshing return to traditional folk at its rawest; reinstating grit, virtuosity, authenticity and mesmeric, powerful performance to this timeless genre. Pressed on 180 gram vinyl and housed in a heavy duty sleeve. Includes inner card. Edition of 300 copies only.
LP $25


ALIQUID [JEAN-MARC FOUSSAT/SYLVAIN GUERINEAU] - Kriegspiel (Nashazphone 11; Egypt) Kriegspiel is the latest sonic excursion by this Parisian free improvisation duo that features prominent scene veterans Jean-Marc Foussat (VCS3) and Sylvain Guerineau (tenor sax). The former was responsible for what some consider as one of the greatest French improvisation LPs -- the totally twisted Abattage (1983) -- while the latter has been very active since the early 1970s and has collaborated in the past with the likes of Sunny Murray, Henri Grimes, Joe McPhee and Francois Tusques. Limited to 250 copies.
LP $26

SUNROOF! [MATTHEW BOWER/MICK FLOWER] - Rock Power (Nashazphone 13; Egypt) Reissue of an extremely rare and essential Sunroof! CD-R released during a European tour in 2003 on Matthew Bower's own imprint, Rural Electrification Program (REP). On this LP, Bower is joined on guitar by Mick Flower (Vibracathedral Orchestra and Flower-Corsano Duo) and the result was once qualified as Sunroof's rock record and its tribute to Neil Young and AC/DC (hence the title). Rock Power is a very singular record because it documents a very short time period in the M. Bower/Sunroof! evolution; between the dream-like psychedelia of releases such as Cloudz or early Hototogisu, and the brutal sonic assault of later records such as Panzer Division Lou Reed, Spitting Gold Zebras or the more recent Skullflower outings. 500 copies.
LP $26

EEK [ISLAM CHIPSY/KHALED MANDO/ISLAM TATA] - Live at the Cairo High Cinema Institute (Nashazphone 12; Egypt) "I saw him at a street party in Giza where a few hundred people had amassed to dance and scream into the night. Flanked by Khaled Mando and Islam Tata, his two drummers pounding furiously as the signature tone of his synth intensified for almost two hours, Islam Chipsy demonstrated his completely revolutionary take on modern Egyptian Shaabi. The sound was raw and distorted, the volume was deafening, and the energy was high. Thirty minutes into the set, the trio pulled out blindfolds and put them on, only to continue their virtuosic performance without missing a beat, synced to the max, playing forwards, backwards, sideways, psychedelic noise and showmanship projected through the distortion of a jet engine taking flight for some unknown location in the distant future of Shaabi sound. They were smiling and are very nice cats indeed, but when the PA system is blazing with their audio explosions, you best get up off your ass to dance or get the hell out of the way!" --Alan Bishop; 500 copies pressed on red vinyl.
LP $26

SMEGMA & BLOOD STEREO - Guff Vout Mulch (Nashazphone 10; Egypt) Trans-Atlantic collaboration LP between Smegma and Blood Stereo: "It sounds like what happens when Blood Stereo's re-imagined, 1,000 year old Druid chants are invaded by Smegma's looped, psychedelic-folk-stomps circa early 2009." --Ju Suk Reet Meate. Limited to 450 copies with an insert featuring liner notes by John Olson.
LP $26

ASHTRAY NAVIGATIONS [PHIL TODD] - Six Imaginary Scenes From The Life Of Muhammad Al Aqil (Nashazphone 09; Egypt) "This newest candle burning outing from the long going UK psych project headed by Mr. Phil Todd continues the quest for the farthest possible cosmic frequencies through FX, guitar, synth, and saz on a bed of field recordings. Some tracks in here almost enter the pantheon of NEW AGE MUSIC! Edition of 200 copies.
LP $26

SLITHER [CHRIS POTTINGER/HEATH MOERLAND] - Alien Column (Nashazphone 08; Egypt) Alien Column is the first full length LP by the thick-smoke-filled-Michigan-basement duo of Chris Pottinger (Odd Clouds, Cotton Museum and the Tasty Soil label) and Heath Moerland (Sick Llama, Cygnus, Drug Abuse and the Fag Tapes label). Often described as a post-Wolf Eyes combo, Slither offer a mutant take on free jazz through their multiple electronics manipulations and dual horn tandem (alto saxophone and clarinet). Additional proof of why Michigan is currently (supposedly) the BEST place to be on Earth. Edition of 240 copies.
LP $26

ASTREINTE - C'est Pourquoi Il Importe, Aux Epoques D'adversite De Demeurer Interieurement Fort Et Sobre De Paroles (Nashazphone 07; Egypt) No one knows or will ever know who Astreinte are and what their story is. If ever told, they'll be immediately elevated to cult status considering their personal backgrounds and live shows. Astreinte is a five to nine member collective delivering a totally deafening sonic wall assault directly inspired by Japanese legends such as Hijokaidan or CCCC. The group mainly consists of hippies, crust punks, industrialists, garage rockers and a jazz fanatic. Dwelling in and around Pau, in the south west of France, near the Pyrenees and the Spanish border, their very scarce and violent live appearances have been greeted with comparatively aggressive and emotionally charged reactions. This is their debut LP as a nine piece (vocals, guitar, bass, trumpet, drums, two synths, electronics). Edition of 190 copies with insert.
LP $26

WASTELAND JAZZ UNIT [JON LORENZ/JOHN RICH] - Space Denial (Nashazphone 05; Egypt) Wasteland Jazz Unit is Jon Lorenz and John Rich on saxophone and clarinet. The first full length of this apocalyptic Cincinnati, OH duo is simply akin to the sonic equivalent of pouring molten silver (at 700 C) inside an ear. Space Denial is a powerful destructive trip pushing all the limits of reed electronic manipulations to areas and heights only explored by the mighty Borbetomagus. Edition of 190 copies.
LP $26

BIRDS OF DELAY [LUKE YOUNGER/STEVEN WARWICK] - A Living Room At The Bottom Of A Lake (Nashazphone 04; Egypt) Birds Of Delay, the duo of London-based Luke Younger and Berlin-based Steven Warwick, who have since gone on to individually release work under their solo projects Helm and Heatsick, respectively. As Birds Of Delay, releasing on labels such as Chocolate Monk, American Tapes, Troniks, Hospital Productions and their own Alcoholic Narcolepsy, they had been crafting and sculpting their psychedelic-electronic-noise-drone sound for over half a decade. But who cares and what does that sound description mean anyway? If you ask them, they'll simply tell you A Living Room At The Bottom Of A Lake is a projection into a total rainbow bliss zone. Edition of 240 copies.
LP $26

PENGO [JOHN SCHOEN/R NUUJA/JASON FINKBEINER] - Counterfeit Memories (Nashazphone 02; Egypt) "Rochester's Pengo is John Schoen, R. Nuuja and Jason Finkbeiner. 2/3 of them have previously played with Arthur Doyle. Hailed as the world's most psychedelic band, they come back with Counterfeit Memories which could be their darkest statement so far. A departure from 1970s Ugandan extravaganza into possibly the synapses of its then leader." Limited to 300, last copies.
LP $26


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Back in Stock!


NOAH HOWARD With ARTHUR DOYLE/EARL CROSS/LESLIE WALDRON/NORRIS JONES [SIRONE]/MUHAMMAD ALI/JUM SANTOS - The Black Ark (Bo Weavil 24; UK) CD re-issued by the request of Noah Howard's family and estate. Noah sadly passed away suddenly on the 3rd of September, 2010 - and Arthur Doyle just this month (Feb 2014). Born in New Orleans in 1943, Noah was a key player in the U.S. free jazz scene from the late '60s. He recorded albums for ESP and numerous other labels, including his own Altsax label. Many see 1969's The Black Ark as Noah's defining statement, so it is only fitting that it should be available once again. "It's no understatement that The Black Arc is one of the most sought-after underground free jazz releases of all time. The original Freedom vinyl LP and the brief Japanese CD reissue were criminally out-of-print and impossible to find. Both versions popped up on internet auction sites once in a blue moon but when they did they always fetched insanely astronomical prices This record simply is THE BOMB -- a perfect combination of Noah's soulful compositions and playing, infused with plenty of sweet/sour/in/out forms and shapes from the incredible line-up assembled for this release. Plus we get to experience Arthur Doyle's outrageous debut on a recording session, increasing the playing and feeling to an intense level throughout. And dig the spaced out afro-delay on Juma's percussion (yes, that Juma Santos from Hendrix's killer Woodstock show of the same year, and Coltrane's Olatunji concert disc). All of the players on this record- including Earl Cross trumpet, Leslie Waldron piano, Sirone bass, and Mohammed Ali drums - combine to make it a CLASSIC and its esteemed reputation IS well earned." --Oren Ambarchi
CD $17

ROBBIE BASHO - Bonn Ist Supreme (Bo Weavil 29; UK) Another in the Wooden Weavil series, this time an unreleased live Robbie Basho recording from Germany in 1980. This program appears to have been recorded in one go. Robbie scatters his Americana numbers throughout, beginning with 'Redwood Ramble,' ending with 'California Raga.' This date finds Robbie in fine fettle, his playing sharpened by the intensity of touring, his mood seems ebullient, at times (as on 'Fandango') he comes off like John Lee Hooker's sun-kissed cousin, stomping furiously along to his playing. There is sweetness to his material, yes, but this is not, as Jack Rose put it, 'music for wineries.' There is the galloping muscularity of Basho's playing, coupled with the sheer hugeness of his sound; the fearless employment of dissonance as part of his musical make-up; a love for the unexpected chord change. Robbie was a voracious and uncompromising player. Basho's singing was as integral to who he was as his guitar playing, and when he opened his mouth, he filled the room with sound. Say what you like about his lyrics, no one can accuse Basho of dilettantism, of dabbling, or of trying something on merely for effect. Whatever bag he was in, he was in all the way. Liner notes from Glenn Jones & Stephen Basho-Junghans, and beautifully remastered by Glenn Jones.
CD $17


FOR A FEW FUZZ GUITARS MORE [V.A.] - More Fuzz-Drenched Obsurities From Late '60s America (Particles 4030; UK) Originally issued in a tiny edition well over a decade ago, this outstanding compilation maintains the sky-high quality of its legendary predecessor A Fistful of Fuzz. Gathering 20 of the most fuzz-drenched obscurities to have emerged from late '60s America and beyond, it's a feast for fans of psychedelic garage rock, and comes complete with background notes and rare photos. Remastered sound. Artists include: The Purple Sun, Velvet Haze, The Golden Grass, Bare Facts, The Ritual, Sherman Marshall, Smith Vinson, Rochelle Rosenthal & The Kickball Queen, Goodly Rubenson, The Living End, Super Band, Peacepipe, The Dystraction, Fowl, White Lightnin', Twiggs, The Attack, Sounds Synonymous, The Sub, and The Outrage.
CD $17

A FISTFUL OF FUZZ [V.A.] - Fuzz-Drenched Obsurities From Late '60s America (Particles 4020; UK) Originally issued in a tiny edition in 1998, this legendary compilation assembles some of the most fuzz-drenched obscurities to have emerged from late '60s America. From Arizona to New York, Rhode Island to Texas, there's enough attitude here to fuel teenage angst for centuries to come. This mindblowing set comes complete with background notes and rare photos, making it truly essential for garage psych addicts. Remastered sound. Artists include: John Doe & The Acetates, The Sound Apparatus, The Ruins, The Prodigal, The Journey Back, Sounds Synonymous, Pretty, The Aliens, The Ritual, The In-Keepers, Loos Foos & The Fiberglass Cornflake, Flying Circus, The Denims, Don Malena & The Dry Ice, Thackeray Rocke, Tapestry Garden, The Green Slime, and Peabody Company.
CD $17


CORTEX [ALAIN MION/ALAIN GANDOLFI] With LUC SOLAY - Pourquoi (Trad Vibe 03; France) Pourquoi is the third and the rarest album recorded by the French legends of jazz funk, Cortex. Trad Vibe Records presents a new edition, using the original master tapes. Pourquoi was initially recorded in 1978. It sounds like a new side of Cortex: songs are mainly composed around the voice and keyboards of band leader Alain Mion, who also played bass lines on synthesizer. Also, the band gave up live recording to use the beloved Stevie Wonder/Quincy Jones technique of "re-recording." But, in spite of these changes, their groove remains as spontaneous and powerful. The band collaborated with great backing vocalists and other session musicians, such as the great Italian trumpet player Giulio Didio, who performed the funky horn arrangements. There is plenty to enjoy on every track: the ending chorus of "Sans Toi" (which was written by Alain Mion for his wife, Mireille, and is probably the flagship track of the album) comes with a brilliant Rhodes solo that is one of the most emotion-loaded moments of the recording. Meanwhile, "Le Visionnaire" resounds with disco echoes and "Pourquoi" dips into melancholy. "Pauvre Star" rides high with its clavinet bass and drum rhythms, recalling George Benson. A favorite of funk collectors and French jazz lovers for years.
CD $16

CORTEX [ALAIN MION/ALAIN GANDOLFI] - Vol. 2 (Trad Vibe 05; France) Vol. 2 is the second and rarest album recorded by the legendary Cortex, the obscure French jazz and funk group that's been a favorite of collectors for years. Originally released in 1977 and reissued last in 2002 by Follow Me Records, it's now back in stock in a final limited repressing of 500 copies, reissued by Trad Vibe Records under official license from band leader Alain Mion. It really is an absolutely killer album, filled with dope jazz-funk tracks. Unlike their first album, it's all instrumental (save for a few chants on "Poxa"), and it leans even more heavily on the groove side, in a funky Blaxploitation kind of way. The group's got a strong fusion-driven groove on this set -- with plenty of tight drumming, hard riffing, and spacey keyboards that give the tunes a nicely soulful finish. The best tracks are actually the mellower ones, which have a nice use of space and sound -- creating strong little patterns of groove that stand out from the rest of the tracks. Lots of work on Fender Rhodes, mini Korg, Hammond, and clavinet -- and titles include "Poxa," "Datura," "Regina," "Mister J," "Efficace Swing," "Oh Lord," and "Devil's Dance."
CD $16



Remaining Hopscotch titles - now only $13 !!!

COOPER-MOORE & ASSIF TSAHAR - America (Hopscotch 18; USA)
CD $13

COOPER-MOORE & ASSIF TSAHAR - Tells Untold (Hopscotch 30; USA)
CD $13

COOPER-MOORE With DAVID S WARE/MARK GOULD/KENWOOD DENNARD/ABIGAIL GOLDMAN - Outtakes 1978 (Hopscotch 16; USA)
CD $13

STEVE DALACHINSKY & MATTHEW SHIPP - Phenomena Of Interference (Hopscotch 19; USA)
CD $13

DIGITAL PRIMITIVES [ASSIF TSAHAR/COOPER-MOORE/CHAD TAYLOR] - Digital Primitives (Hopscotch 39; USA)
CD $13

DIGITAL PRIMITIVES [ASSIF TSAHAR/COOPER-MOORE/CHAD TAYLOR] - Hum Crackle & Pop (Hopscotch 42; USA)
CD $13

AGUSTI FERNANDEZ/PETER KOWALD - Sea Of Lead (Hopscotch 17; USA)
CD $13

SUSIE IBARRA TRIO With CHARLES BURNHAM/COOPER-MOORE - Radiance (Hopscotch 2; USA)
CD $13

SUSIE IBARRA/ASSIF TSAHAR - Home Cookin' (Hopscotch 1; USA)
CD $13

JAM [J.A.M.: JIM BLACK/ASSIF TSAHAR/MAT MANERI] - JAM (Hopscotch 21; USA)
CD $13

YONI KRETZMER TRIO With JASON AJEMIAN/MIKE PRIDE - Nevertheless (Hopscotch 22; USA)
CD $13

HUGH RAGIN - Sound Pictures for Solo Trumpet (Hopscotch 13; USA)
CD $13

HAROLD RUBIN/BARRE PHILLIPS/TATSUYA NAKATANI - # On A Thin Line (Hopscotch 25; USA)
CD $13

ASSIF TSAHAR - Ayn Le-Any (Hopscotch 7; USA)
CD $13

ASSIF TSAHAR & NEW YORK UNDERGROUND ORCHESTRA With MARY HALVORSON/NATE WOOLEY/JESSICA PAVONE/CHARLES WATERS/AUDREY CHEN/TATSUYA NAKATANI et al - Fragments (Hopscotch 27; USA)
CD $13

ASSIF TSAHAR & NEW YORK UNDERGROUND ORCHESTRA With MATT LAVELLE/JESSICA PAVONE/REUT REGEV/OSCAR NORIEGA/OKKYUNG LEE/TODD NICHOLSON/NATE WOOLEY/TATSUYA NAKATANI et al - the labyrinth (Hopscotch 12; USA)
CD $13

ASSIF TSAHAR & TATSUYA NAKATANI - Come Sunday (Hopscotch 24; USA)
CD $13

ASSIF TSAHAR & TATSUYA NAKATANI - I Got It Bad (Hopscotch 45; USA)
CD $13

ASSIF TSAHAR & THE ZOANTHROPIC ORCHESTRA With STEVE SWELL/TAYLOR HO BYNUM/OSCAR NORIEGA/CRAIG TABORN/MATT LAVELLE/ALEX HARDING/TOM ABBS/ANDREW BARKER et al - Embracing the Void (Hopscotch 9; USA)
CD $13

ASSIF TSAHAR'S BRASS REEDS ENSEMBLE With HERB ROBERTSON/CUONG VU/ROB BROWN/SUSIE IBARRA et al - The Hollow World (Hopscotch 3; USA)
CD $13

ASSIF TSAHAR'S PROJECT With TATSUYA NAKATANI/KJLA STRING QUARTET - Solitude (Hopscotch 36; USA)
CD $13

ASSIF TSAHAR/COOPER-MOORE/HAMID DRAKE - Lost Brother (Hopscotch 33; USA)
CD $13

ASSIF TSAHAR/RASHIED ALI/PETER KOWALD - Deals Ideas and Ideals (Hopscotch 6; USA)
CD $13


INCREDIBLE 4 CD SET BARGAINS on Real Gone Jazz!

BOB BROOKMEYER - Seven Classic Albums: Brookmeyer/Stretching Out/Kansas City Revisited/The Blues Hot and Cold/Recorded Fall 1961/7 x Wilder/Trombone Jazz Samba [4 CD set] (Real Gone Jazz 375; EEC)
4 CD Box set for $17

SONNY CLARK - Seven Classic Albums: Dial S for Sonny/Sonny's Crib/Sonny Clark Trio (1956)/Cool Struttin'/My Conception/Sonny Clark Trio (1960)/Leapin' And Lopin'/ [4 CD set] (Real Gone Jazz 348; EEC)
4 CD Box set for $17

LEE KONITZ - Seven Classic Albums: Konitz/Jazz At Storyville/With Warne Marsh/Inside Hi-Fi/Tranquility/Very Cool/Motion [4 CD set] (Real Gone Jazz 355; EEC)
4 CD Box set for $17

HAROLD LAND - Six Classic Albums: Harold in the Land of Jazz/Montgomeryland/The Fox/Eastward Ho - In New York/West Coast Blues/Here Ye! [4 CD set] (Real Gone Jazz 360; EEC)
4 CD Box set for $17

JACKIE McLEAN - Eight Classic Albums: McLean's Scene/New Soil/Swing Swang Swingin'/ Capuchin Swing/Jackie's Bag/Bluesnik/Inta Somethin'/A Fickle Sonance [4 CD set] (Real Gone Jazz 290; EEC)
4 CD Box set for $17

ART PEPPER - Seven Classic Albums: Surf Ride/Art Pepper Meets the Rhythm Section/Mucho Calor/Art Pepper + 11/Playboys/Gettin' Together/Smack Up! [4 CD set] (Real Gone Jazz 368; EEC)
4 CD Box set for $17

CECIL TAYLOR - Seven Classic Albums: Jazz Advance/At Newport/Looking Ahead/Hard Driving Jazz (aka Stereo Drive aka Coltrane Time)/Love for Sale/The World of Cecil Taylor/New York City R&B/ + Gil Evans' Into the Hot [4 CD set] (Real Gone Jazz 363; EEC)
4 CD Box set for $17

MAL WALDRON - Seven Classic Albums: Mal 1/Mal 2/Mal 3 - Sounds/Mal 4 - Trio/Left Alone/Impressions/The Quest [4 CD set] (Real Gone Jazz 354; EEC)
4 CD Box set for $17




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