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NEWSLETTER - November 13th, 2015
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DMG Newsletter for Friday, November 13th, 2015!
Another Week's Worth of Dynamite Discs from Around the Planet Earth:
Wadada Leo Smith & John Lindberg! New from Emanem/PSI: Steve Lacy Quintet Last Tour! Veryan Weston/Jon Rose/Hannah Marshall! Anthony Braxton & Derek Bailey! Evan Parker/Alex Von Schlippenbach/Paul Lytton 2003! Steve Swell Solo! Four from Trio X!
Andrew Barker Trio! Jacob Garchik/Mary Halvorson/Brandon Seabrook/Jonathan Goldberger..! Brian Drye's Bizingas! Ches Smith Solo LP! Rich Halley 4! George Crumb! Silvestre Revueltas! Bela Bartok! Igor Stravinsky for Four Hands!
Historic Discs from: Charles Mingus 1971! Lou Reed Ohio 1984! DVDs: Jaco Pastorius! The Monks! Faust & Klangbad Fest! Bali 1928! Volcano the Bear! Rare LPs from Roscoe Mitchell! The Girls! Marianne Nowottny and Heather Leigh!
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The DMG FREE Weekly In-Store Concert Series Continues With:
Sunday, November 15th:
6pm: OMAR TAMEZ & ANGELICA SANCHEZ!
7pm: SAGI KAUFMAN / TAL YAHALOM / MATT WILSON - Sax/Guitar/Drums Trio!
Rare Thursday, November 19th Set:
6pm: KAPPA MAKI / TODD NICHOLSON / YOSHI SHUTTO - Trumpet / Bass / Drums!
Sunday, November 22nd:
6pm: BEN GOLDBERG / INGRID LAUBROCK / TOM RAINEY!
7pm: PLAINSPHERE 5Tet: GUILLERMO GREGORIO / NICOLAS LETMAN-BURTINOVIC / NICK JOWIAK/ CHARLOTTE MUNN / MARIA HADGE - Clarinet & 5 Strings!
Sunday, November 29th
6pm: MATT LAVELLE & REGGIE SYLVESTER - Trumpet/Alto Clarinet & Drums!
7pm: DISSIPATED FACE 2015: STEVE X DREAM/KURT RALSKE/DANIEL CARTER/BILL MILKOWSKI!
Sunday, December 6th:
6pm: GORDON GRDINA!
7pm: BEN GOLDBERG Residency Night 3!
Sunday, December 13th:
6pm: TAMIO SHIRASHI - Solo Sax Legend!
7pm: CHRIS PITSIOKOS!
Sunday, December 20th:
6pm: BEN GOLDBERG / CHARLES BURNHAM / ELLERY ESKELIN / STEPHAN CRUMP!
Sunday, December 27:
DMG ANNUAL HOLIDAY/NEW YEARS CELEBRATION!
DMG is located at 13 Monroe St. (between Catherine & Market Sts) in a basement below a Buddhist temple. Take the F train to East Broadway or the 6 train to Canal or the B or D to Grand, or the M-15 bus to Madison & Catherine. Come on Down, the Music Always Free & the Vibes are Quite Cosy!
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WADADA LEO SMITH & JOHN LINDBERG - Celestial Weather (TUM 046; EEC) Featuring Wadada Leo Smith on trombone and John Lindberg on contrabass. Two part piece dedicated to Malachi Favors Maghostut, formerly of the Art Ensemble of Chicago and original bassist for Wadada's Golden Quartet. With Celestial Weather, the focus of trumpeter and composer Wadada Leo Smith's collaboration with bassist and composer John Lindberg shifts to open duo improvisation, something they have often done in live performances but never before on a recording. The album opens with Smith's composition dedicated to the great, late AACM bassist Malachi Favors Maghostut and closes with Lindberg's "Feathers and Earth". The five-part suite that gives the collection its name, "Celestial Weather Suite", was spontaneously created in the studio.
CD $18
New From Emanem & PSI, Now at Lower Prices:
STEVE LACY QUINTET [With GEORGE LEWIS/IRENE AEBI/JEAN-JACQUES AVENEL/JOHN BETSCH] - Last Tour (Emanem 5039; UK) Featuring: STEVE LACY (soprano saxophone), IRENE AEBI (voice), GEORGE LEWIS (trombone), JEAN-JACQUES AVENEL (double bass) and JOHN BETSCH (drums). After a long tour of North America, this quintet concluded by playing two concerts in Boston - most of the first one being included here. The material is five of the Beat poems featuring Irene Aebi, plus three instrumentals, including one (Baghdad) that has not been on record before as it had only just been written. After a lot of working together, this group was really both loose and together with everybody playing magnificently. Even Lacy plays superbly, so there is no need to make any allowances for his ill health. In fact, the evening sounds like a very enjoyable occasion, making this CD one of the best of the quintet's latter recordings - an appropriate farewell to a major musician. 79 minutes.
CD $16
VERYAN WESTON / JON ROSE / HANNAH MARSHALL - Tuning Out [2-CD Set] (Emanem 5207: UK) Improvised pieces for tracker action organs and strings recorded in five English churches. Because these organs are entirely mechanical, there is a more direct physical relationship between the instrument and the player. When each stop is very carefully and slowly pulled while a key is pressed, a myriad of uncertain transitional stages of sound is produced. Thus organist Veryan Weston has a much wider of range of tones than he would have if he were playing a piano or electric organ. Violist Jon Rose and cellist Hannah Marshall adjust the tuning of their instruments to fit in with the particular environment, resulting in music not usually heard in churches (or anywhere else). 155 minutes.
2 CD Set $20
Newly Reissued:
ANTHONY BRAXTON & DEREK BAILEY - First Duo Concert (Emanem 5038; UK) Their earliest meeting on record - the complete London (Wigmore Hall) concert (organized by Emanem), featuring them both at the top of their form. Highly acclaimed by both enthusiasts and critics. Reissue of 4006 which contained the concert section of Emanem 601. 77 minutes.
CD $16
EVAN PARKER / ALEX VON SCHLIPPENBACH / PAUL LYTTON - America 2003 [2-CD Set] (PSI 04.06/7: UK) Featuring: Evan Parker (tenor & soprano saxes), Alexander Von Schlippenbach (piano) and Paul Lytton (percussion). Concert recordings from the Contemporary Arts Center New Orleans and the Seattle Asian Arts Museum. This is being reissued in time for the 2015 Winterreise tour of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands this December.
2 CD Set $20
Back in stock at lower prices:
STEVE LACY - Avignon and After Volume 2 (Emanem 5031; UK) More highlights from solo soprano saxophone concerts, starting off with the three short versions of Billy Strayhorn tunes which opened his first solo concert (Avignon 1972). Excellent versions of 'Moms', 'Pops' and 'The Dumps' were performed two years later at the same venue. A 1975 Paris concert resulted in the only known recording of 'Slabs', a second recording of 'The Wool', and definitive performances of 'Torments' and 'The New Duck'. From Edmonton in 1976 comes an unusual performance of 'Coastline', and a fine one of the rarity 'Hooky'. In conclusion, there is a definitive 1977 version of 'Snips' from Koln. 75 minutes - all previously unissued.
CD $16
JOHN RUSSELL - With EVAN PARKER / JOHN EDWARDS / HENRY LOWTHER / PHIL MINTON /THURSTON MOORE / SATOKO FUKUDA - With (Emanem 5037; UK) All of the music from guitarist JOHN RUSSELL's 60th Birthday Gig - a packed out event at the Cafe Oto in London. Aside from the large shadow that Derek Bailey casts over the longtime British Improv scene, there are a few other elders of free guitar in the UK: Ray Russell, Roger Smith and John Russell. John Russell has only a dozen discs out as a soloist, in duos or trios. This disc shows several different sides to this great and often under-recognized guitarist. If you little or nothing by John Russell, this is the perfect place to start. - BLG
CD $16
JOHN RUSSELL/PHIL DURRANT/JOHN BUTCHER - Conceits 1987/1992 (Emanem 5036; UK) A reissue of the first LP by the exceptionally fine improvising trio of John Russell (guitar), Phil Durrant (violin and trombone) and John Butcher (saxophones). This group came into being in 1984 after Russell and Durrant had spent the previous two years performing in private with another saxophonist. For this debut LP, made in 1987, they performed eleven short pieces. This CD has been expanded by the inclusion of a previously unissued extended concert performance made a few years later. The strong beginnings of one of the best improvising groups of the 1980s and 1990s. Reissue of Acta LP 1 with extra material. 54 minutes.
CD $16
OKKYUNG LEE / PETER EVANS / STEVE BERESFORD - Check for Monsters (Emanem 5002; UK) Cellist Lee organised this trio with Evans on trumpets and Beresford on piano for a mini-tour. This CD contains music from two of their four concerts - in New York City and Philadelphia. Although they had not played together before as a trio, they manage to sound like a long-standing improvising group, with much togetherness and listening to each other - finding numerous ways to complement each other. The music is often very dense or fast, but they do frequently come back down to earth. Anyone who either likes or dislikes any of the participants is bound to enjoy this music which showcases both the individuals and the group. - 58 minutes.
CD $16
ISKRA 1903 [PAUL RUTHERFORD/DEREK BAILEY/BARRY GUY] - Chapter One 1970-1972 [3 CD Set](Emanem 5311; UK) Iskra 1903, named after a newspaper founded by Lenin, has had several incarnations. This one, as befits a disc entitled Chapter One, was the first: Paul Rutherford (trombone and piano), Derek Bailey (guitar), and Barry Guy (double bass). The first revelation is that Rutherford plays piano, and that he's a worthwhile improviser on that instrument. The second is that this music, for all its uncompromisingly unpremeditated and atonal character, contains a great deal that beguiles and fascinates.
3 CD Set $30
* STEVE SWELL - The Loneliness of the Long Distance Improviser/Solo Trombone Improvisations (Swell Records 001; USA) This disc features Steve Swell on solo trombone. Although I have caught Mr. Swell playing many times over the past thirty years, I can only recall seeing him play solo a few times more recently. A few months back, I heard Steve play a fine solo in between sets from & with Leap of Faith at New Revolution Arts in Bushwick. He also played a strong solo here more recently as well as with Thomas Heberer & Aaron Shragge. Solo trombone recordings are relatively rare, I can recall just a few from giants like Paul Rutherford, George Lewis (recently reissued), Jen Baker (recently released) and Albert Mangelsdorff. This is no easy task for any trombone player but as Mr. Swell will soon turn sixty, he has decided to push himself and show some even more ambitious projects. His two-CD set on Not Two which was released last month (October of 2015) on Not Two, has Mr. Swell playing in seven different settings from solo to sextets, each with different personnel, each one fascinating. Mr. Swell will also have a week at The Stone soon (November 24 - 29th), so write to down on your calendars.
What is most interesting about this disc is that right from the first sound, the bent breath-like swirls of "Sonorifics", it is hard to tell exactly what I am hearing. Whales in the distance, radiators hissing, birds flying in the sky above our heads..? One of the things that I notice is depending on how close Mr. Swell is to the mic, the timbre of the trombone changes: warmer, clearer, brittle or expanding sonically at times like different players spread across the room, we can hear where each one is in the stereo spectrum. When Mr. Swell uses a mute, the sound again changes into a series of other characters. There are some 15 pieces here and each one shows a different side or another scene or story. Even when Swell plays a long drone/note, he slowly twists it into odd shapes, changing the way we hear it as it contracts and expands. It often sounds as if Mr. Swell is having a stimulating dialogue going on between several different folks, covering a wide range of topics and/or feelings: humor, seriousness, joy, contemplation, craziness, a series dance movements' slow, fast, jerky or smooth. There is a great deal more going on here than one might imagine from a solo trombone offering. I was riveted throughout and you will be as well. - Bravo! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
* Steve Swell will have a week's residency at The Stone from November 24th - 29th, 2015 to help celebrate his 60th Birthday!
Four from the Amazing Trio X [Joe McPhee/Dominic Duval/Jay Rosen]- On sale Today, we only have a half dozen of each before prices go back up:
TRIO X [JOE McPHEE/DOMINIC DUVAL/JAY ROSEN] - Live in Kerrytown (CIMPoL 5037; USA)
CD $13
TRIO X [JOE McPHEE/DOMINIC DUVAL/JAY ROSEN] - Live at Craig Kessler & Janet Lessner's (CIMPoL 5039; USA)
CD $13
TRIO X [JOE McPHEE/DOMINIC DUVAL/JAY ROSEN] - Live at Sugar Maple (CIMPoL 5038; USA)
CD $13
TRIO X [JOE McPHEE/DOMINIC DUVAL/JAY ROSEN] - Live in Green Bay and Buffalo (CIMPoL 5040; USA)
CD $13
ANDREW BARKER TRIO [With MICHAEL FOSTER/TIM DAHL + JAMES ILGENFRITZ] - Barker Trio (Phantom ear 02; USA) Featuring Michael Foster on saxes, Tim Dahl on electric bass & Andrew barker on drums plus James Ilgenfritz added for 1 track. As a longtime fan of the Gold Sparkle Band, which included Mr. Barker & Charles Waters, originally from Atlanta and transplanted to Brooklyn, I keep my eye on whatever Mr. Barker or Mr. Waters does. Both were members of William Parker's Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra and barker involved in many diverse sessions with Daniel Carter, Rob Brown, Virginia Genta (Neo Kharma) and Sonny Simmons. Mr. Barker recently organized a new trio which includes a couple of younger players: Michael Foster on saxes (from Zombi Jazz) and Tim Dahl on bass (Ava Mendoza Trio, The Gate, Pulverize the Sound & Barr/Shea/Dahl). Over the past couple of years, Mr. Foster has played here at DMG several times, always surprising me with his inventiveness and quirky spirit. I am equally impressed by electric bassist Tim Dahl, whose playing is consistently intense and focused. Although it seems that Mr. Foster is not really a "jazz" player, he is no less inventive on his sax. Mr. Dahl, who plays in the punk rock band Child Abuse as well as in other rock-oriented bands, also comes from a different background but sounds fine playing freely in this trio. Mr. Foster is consistently bending and twisting his notes inside-out, as Mr. Barker and Mr. Dahl match his flights no matter where they go, no matter how far they sail or wail. I caught this trio live at New Revolution Arts in Bushwick earlier this year and knocked out by their performance. This disc does a fine job of capturing their free yet fully infused spirit! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12
Back in stock, last copies of this:
ROB BROWN & ANDREW BARKER DUO - Live in Chicago (Ruby Red 17; Portugal) Recorded live at the Empty Bottle, June 6th 2000 by the late, great archivist Malachi Ritscher.
CD $15
Two from Trombonist & Composer Jacob Garchik:
JACOB GARCHIK With BRANDON SEABROOK/MARY HALVORSON/JONATHAN GOLDBERGER/VINNIE SPERAZZA - Ye Olde (Yestereve Records 05; USA) Featuring Jacob Garchik on trombone, alto & tenor horn & compositions, Mary Halvorson, Brandon Seabrook & Jonathan Goldberger on guitars and Vinnie Sperrazza on drums. This is Mr. Garchik's fourth disc as a leader and he has continually confounded his listeners with each release. For this disc, Mr. Garchik has put together an unusual line-up with three amazing guitarists, each one a young master and completely unique. You no doubt know Ms. Halvorson since I consistently praise her for each & every project she is involved in. Over the past few years, I have also been talking at length about guitar & banjo player Brandon Seabrook, another picker who keeps us guessing and is filled with surprising twists, turns and runs. Jonathan Goldberger has become more visible (to me) in recent times as well with diverse characters like Shoko Nagai, Jason Mears and a band called Bizingas. Drummer Vinnie Sperrazza has a recent trio CD on Fresh Sounds as well as playing with Hush Point, Noah Baerman and Ben Holmes.
Right from the gitgo, Garchik uses the three guitars to play an impressive opening salvo of progressive strumming with his trombone soaring over the top and the drummers sounding like galloping horses. Mr. Garchik does a fine job of having the guitars play different interlocking parts, while each guitar still has their own distinct sound. The music itself does not quite sound like anything else I've heard since it is in between jazz, prog and rock, borrowing bits of each. This disc features some strong, unique writing from Mr. Garchik and few solos. I love the way Garchik overdubs layers of horns on some of these pieces, making some impressive orchestral brass parts shine. Towards the end of this disc, there are a few pieces which have some brilliant yet quirky arranging which is difficult to explain. Somewhere in-between renaissance melodies and post-rock lies this odd beast with no name as of yet. The last song is called, "The Throne Room of Queen Anne" and that sort of sums up what this sounds like. It is always great to hear a disc that completely defies categorization. Sadly, I missed the CD release set a couple of weeks ago. I won't make that mistake again. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13
JACOB GARCHIK/THE HEAVENS - The Atheist Gospel Trombone Album (Yesterve 04; USA) "Brooklyn-based Jacob Garchik's The Heavens (The Atheist Gospel Trombone Album) recalls the prose of author James Weldon Johnson's famous 1927 book of poetry, God's Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse. where Garchik's stunning trombone work is likened to the poem's protagonist: a charismatic preacher with the ability to deliver awestruck messages. Garchik's trombone is the messenger, yielding powerful orations that are spirited and persuasive, like a sentence taken from Weldon's book that reads: "He intoned, he moaned, he pleaded-he blared, he crashed, he thundered. I sat fascinated; and more, I was, perhaps against my will, deeply moved."
This solo project is fitting to that description; Garchik's horns exhibit a wide range of emotions and timbres ,with a nine-part suite inspired by his love for gospel and religious music, with diverse influences such the Golden Gate Quartet, a groundbreaking African American vocal group in the 1930s. The recording features up to eight trombones, two baritones, two sousaphones, and a cameo by a pint-sized-sounding slide trumpet, all performed and recorded by Garchik. His horn's soliloquy is sweet harmony in "Creation's Creations," hearkening back to the days of tent meetings and backwoods churches, as well as a nod to a quote by British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, who provoked the question of whether creation needed a creator. Or the horn shouts of "The Problem with Suffering," where the sounds include muted horns, growls, and sirens, in a bouncy gyration that's totally hip. Whether or not the suite serves as food for thought, its results are sumptuous.
Garchik's mastery of these instruments is superior. In each part and movement, he exploits their intricacies with exhausting detail with charts that are vibrantly deep. There's sweetness in "Dialogue with my Great-Grandfather" and determination in "Digression on the History of Jews and Black Music" that is sonorous and emotive, as well as the "Holy Ghost" revival in "Glory/Infinity/Nothing" where the bass horn leads the others into frenetic yet controlled dance.
The music seems be an almost lost art form, yet thankfully still heard at times on the streets corners of New Orleans, or venues and events where musicians still carry forth the tradition. One listen to the recording's heavenly title track and it's clear that Garhick has not forgotten. This suite is the result of an artist who has listened, studied, and put in the hard work; one that culminates into a joyous listening experience.
Track Listing: Creation's Creation; The Problem Of Suffering; Optimism; Dialogue with my Great-Grandfather; Digression on the History of Jews and Black Music; This Song is the Center of the Universe; The Heavens; Glory/Infinity/Nothing; Be Good." - Mark F. Turner, AAJ
CD $12
BIZINGAS [BRIAN DRYE/JONATHAN GOLDBERGER/KIRK KNUFFKE/CHES SMITH] - Eggs Up High (NCM East 40140; USA) Bizingas is Brian Drye on trombone, synth, organ, piano & compositions, Jonathan Goldberger on guitar, Kirk Knuffke on cornet and Ches Smith on drums, percussion & electronics. Brian Drye leads Bizingas and this is their second CD. Mr. Drye is also a member of Four Bags, a great yet under-recognized quartet who have four fine discs as well as being in a duo with Kirk Knuffke. Both Mr. Knuffke and Ches Smith are ubiquitous playing is way more bands/projects than I could list here. Mr. Goldberger is another up & coming guitarist who also seems to getting around, working with Jacob Garchik, Shoko Nagai and his own Surface to Air Trio.
Commencing with a hypnotic repeating synth line which is soon joined by both brass players playing lovely harmonies, while the guitar and drums play tight intricate lines underneath. On "Plant-Based", Mr. Drye again begins with a charming repeating line on the piano, the two horns (trombone & cornet) play lush parts with subtle punctuation from the guitar and Ches Smith tapping out the groove on a calm conga drum. There is something quite enchanting about this that shows that Mr. Drye can be both inventive and mellow simultaneously. Each piece shows that Mr. Drye has thought of ways to combine the unique talents of each member in odd and/or unexpected ways. On "Cancale", Ches Smith plays a marching beat while the cornet & guitar play one line and trombone & organ play another interlocking line. Very shrewd yet it sounds easy. On a long piece called, "Once" things go through different sections with an impressive, crazed guitar solo from Mr. Goldberger and assorted shifting rhythmics from Ches. Bizingas do not quite sound like any else and involve a number of unique strategies and inventive arrangements. If progressive rock was made by children or folks with nothing to prove, it might sound like this. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10
CHES SMITH'S CONGS FOR BRUMS - Psycho PreDictions [LTD Edition LP-only] (Preposterous Bee; USA) Featuring Ches Smith on drums, percussion and electronics. "What might sound to the casual ear like goofing around in the studio is actually a drumming genius at work. Ches Smith, recording for the third time under the guise of "Congs For Brums," is once again in an experimental mode and worked out an extended piece in front of audiences before recording it in the studio 13 times live without any overdubs. The product, Psycho Predictions, is his third or so take of that baker's dozen of attempts.
Smith constructs his organic and complex drums and vibes around simple repeating, sparse and artificial electronic motifs. Broken up nominally into three longish tracks, "Death Chart," "Birth Chart" and "Conclusion: That's Life," Smith takes the listener through an odyssey of ideas not necessarily connected but usually hypnotic. Also chock filled with virtuosic percussional performances that he does a great job with bonding to what might normally be totally incompatible electronic sounds. The ringing vibraphone finds an unlikely sonic cousin in those buzzes and zaps. Drum solos take on a new meaning when coupled with robotic, synthesized twerps, blurps and bleats.
Bringing it all together - at once, without a safety net - is the fascinating thing about Psycho Predictions, and his mind expanding approach to his music makes it easy to understand why he's in bands led by Marc Ribot, Tim Berne, John Tchicai and Mary Halvorson. But the band boss he most emulates here is minimalist pioneer Terry Riley. Psycho Predictions is a record Riley can dig, as well as his fans." - S. Victor Aaron, SomethingElse
LP $16
RICH HALLEY 4 - Eleven (Pine Eagle 008; USA) Featuring Rich Halley on tenor sax & compositions, Michael Vlatkovich on trombone, Clyde Reed on bass and Carson Halley on drums. Tenro saxist, Rich Halley, is based in Portland, Oregon and has recorded for the Nine Winds, Louie and Pine Eagle labels. The Rich Halley 4 have been around for a while now with a half dozen discs under their belt. Trombonist Michael Vlatkovich is another West Coast player (L.A.perhaps) with some four dozen discs out with Vinny Golia, Rob Blakeslee, Jeff Kaiser and an ever-increasing catalogue of his own. Clyde Reed hails from Vancouver, north of Portland and Carson Halley is the son of Rich. Considering that this quartet has been around for the better part of a decade, releasing a CD about once a year, Mr. Halley works hard on each one. This disc begins with the three part "Reification Suite". This suite is long and well-written, each section different yet it is all connected. You can tell that this quartet has been around a long while since their music explores a variety of styles or strategies. Mr. Halley keeps the quartet on their toes by having the pieces go through a series of unexpected or unpredictable changes. Both Rich Halley and Mr. Vlatkovich are strong, spirited soloists who revel in the varied changes in direction. In some ways this is a normal jazz release yet it is still diverse, inventive and consistently well-played. The quartet plays with an infectious, earthy swagger, as if they have been at it for a long time. Each time I listen to this disc I discover another layer or gem buried beneath the surface. This sort of magic only comes with maturity and working together over a long period of time. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $11
New from the hard-to-get French Van'Oeuvre Label:
FRED FRITH / MICHEL DONEDA - Fred Frith / Michel Doneda (Vand'Oeuvre 1440; France) Featuring Fred Frith on guitar and Michel Doneda on soprano & sopranino sax. Last December (2014), I asked Mr. Frith about upcoming releases and he mentioned that he should have some six duo CDs out in the next year or- So far, there has been duos with saxists Evan Parker, John Butcher and Lotte Anker, as well as a fine duo with Barry Guy. Each duo very different. French saxist, Michel Doneda, is an extraordinary improviser who thrives in new and challenging situations. Besides several strong solo discs, Doneda has worked with a diverse cast: Lol Coxhill, Bhob Rainey, Le Quan Ninh, Jack Wright and Tatsuya Nakatani.
I was most excited to hear what these two master musicians would come up with and the results are marvelous. This set was recorded live at Swissnex in San Francisco in February of 2009, hence the sound is superb. This was the first time that this duo had played together, although listening to it, it is impossible to tell since they work so well together. There is a good deal of ultra-subtle sounds, breath-like hissing, quietly bending and stretching notes on the sax as well as Frith's rubbed, plucked, bowed or bang on strings. There is a rather magical, suspense-filled quality to much of this, the sounds being woven into a mesmerizing tapestry. A relaxed sense of calm is often at the center of this set, no one is in a hurry so the sounds unfold in a most organic way. Each duo that Fred Frith has recorded has been a marvel, this one just might be the best. Now that is really saying something. -
CD $16
BOUGE [JOHANNES BAUER/ISABELLE DUTHOIT/LUC EX] - Bouge (Vand'ouevre 1138; France) Featuring Johannes Bauer on trombone, Isabelle Duthoit on voice & clarinet and Luc Ex on acoustic bass quitar. I've caught Ms. Duthoit on a few occasions, in a duo with Frantz Hautzinger in New York last year and in a quartet with Dieb 13, Martin Tetreault and Mr. Hautzinger at the Victo Fest earlier this year (2015). Ms. Duthoit is one of the most adventurous, uncompromising and challenging vocalists any of us have heard in many years. She is joined by two splendid improvisers: the great German trombonist Johannes Bauer (brother to trombone wiz Conny) and the equally impressive bassist from the Ex, Luc who has been working with many others over the last few years: Phil Minton, Ingrid Laubrock, Ab Baars and many others.
This disc was recorded both in a studio (4/2012) and live at the Musique Action Festival (5/2012), both in France. There are some 21 pieces here and each one is pretty short. Keeping the pieces short is makes for more focused improv that is consistently exciting and often exhilarating. Ms. Duthoit has an extraordinary voice that she pushes to extremes time and again. Here she is well-matched by Mr. Bauer's expressive trombone and Luc Ex's intense acoustic bass guitar eruptions. Mr. Ex sets up the occasional groove while the trombone sails on top and Ms. Duthoit bends and twists her voice into all kinds of strange and scary shapes. Is she a witch? Is she crazy? She is unafraid to dig deep and expose voices that few are able to unleash. Bouge is, without any doubt, one of the robust and challenging improv sessions I've heard in a long while. If you get an opportunity to check out Isabelle Duthoit live, do not miss it! In the meantime, let this disc blow your mind! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16
A Recently Released Clean Feed Disc Highly Recommended by BLG:
SCOTT CLARK 4TET - Bury My Heart (Clean Feed 347; Portugal) Featuring Jsaon Scott on sax, Bob Miller on trumpet, Cameron Ralston on double bass & Scott Clark on drums & compositions plus guests JC Kuhl on bass clarinet and Bryan Hooten on trombone. The Scott Clark 4Tet hail from Richmond, VA and I hadn't heard of them before this disc appeared last week. According to the liner notes, Mr. Scott is of Native American ancestry and has written a suite based on the trials and tribulations of Native American history. Starting with "Broken Treaties", there is a warm, focused and part free swirling vibe/structure going on. The three horns which include the guest trombonist, sound swell as they play in tight circles together. "Wounded Knee" has a hypnotic, bass-led pulse that throbs throughout, giving this piece a haunting, reverent quality that is most heartfelt. Mr. Clark often keeps his drumming simple and central so that the horns can play his tasty, inventive charts with ease. The overall vibe of this disc is often somber and contemplative with bursts of energy here and there. Bob Miller's trumpet recalls a bugle in the distance, calling to action or signaling a mass of Native Americans as they ride into a new frontier. Bassist Cameron Ralston is also one of the highlights of this quartet, whether bowing or plucking he stands strong keeping the quartet spirited and tightly wound. This is certainly one of the best debuts I've heard from a previous unknown band. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
MINGUS DYNASTY/BIG BAND CHARLIE MINGUS With CRAIG HANDY/JIMMY KNEPPER/RANDY BRECKER/JAMES NEWTON/SIR ROLAND HANNA/DANNIE RICHMOND/RICKY FORD/ et al - The Complete Remastered Recordings on Black Saint & Soul Note [4 CD Set] Cam BXS 1040; Italy) Repertory Bands like this often get a bad rap or rep. I think this is unfair since important music like this should be kept alive. Charles Mingus died in 1979, leaving behind a wealth of amazing music he worked on for more than three decades. the Mingus Dynasty formed the year he died by his widow Sue Mingus with several Mingus alumni in their ranks: Jimmy Knepper, Ricky Ford, John Handy, Jon Faddis... Originally a seven piece band, it has expanded through the years into Big Band Charlie Mingus and the Charles Mingus Orchestra. The Mingus Dynasty and Big Band has had a weekly gig in NYC for many years so that Mingus fans worldwide can still hear live versions of Mingus' classic catalogue. It is certainly true that no band can capture what was so distinctive about much of Mingus' seminal recordings (more than thirty), as I listen to these discs I am impressed with the fire, inventiveness and spirit to these recordings. I was fortunate to have seen Charles Mingus live perhaps a dozen times in the seventies at the Village Vanguard, Village Gate, Carnegie Hall and the Bottom Line. What I dig about this box is being able to hear some Mingus rarities that he was no longer playing when I finally got to hear him live. I had heard the two Mingus Dynasty CDs here but never the two live Big Band Cds, both of which have some wonderful, inspired playing from many of the soloists involved. The personnel features some heavies like: David Murray, Clifford Jordan, John Handy, Jaki Byard, Nick Brignola and Billy Hart. A word to the wise: I have also collected several Mingus Big Band discs in the past and feel these discs should not be overlooked. The ones on Dreyfus Jazz are especially engaging and worthy of your search and time. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
4 CD Set $38
RAN BLAKE With RICKY FORD/DAVID FABRIS/HOUSTON PERSON/JAKI BYARD/ et al - The Complete Recordings on Black Saint & Soul Note (Cam BXS 1034; Italy) Albums included: 'Duke Dreams', 'Epistrophy', 'Unmarked Van', 'Indian Winter', 'Suffield Gothic' and 'Improvisations'. Unmarked Van CD: "This is certainly an off-the-wall tribute. Ran Blake, a very individual pianist who often emphasizes the melodies and emotions of standards while stripping the songs of their chord sequences, pays homage to Sarah Vaughan. While Blake is an introverted improviser prone to surprise explosions at the piano, Sassy was extroverted and never shy about show off her incomparable technique. Blake simply plays in his own distinctive style, giving such songs as "Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child," "My Man's Gone Now," "Whatever Lola Wants," "Moonlight on the Ganges," "Stompin' at the Savoy" and four versions of "Tenderly" very unusual and haunting treatments; drummer Tiziano Tononi, although listed as only being on one song, actually helps out on several tracks. This moody and melancholy yet strangely celebratory set will stay in one's memory long after the CD has been played." - Scott Yanow, AMG
'Improvisations': "At the time of this recording, both Jaki Byard and Ran Blake were music professors at the New England Conservatory. Blake's Third Stream background provides an interesting foil for the eclectic Byard. The wild introduction to "On Green Dolphin Street" signals a departure from the common paths, with dissonance playing a key role. They co-composed several pieces during the date, including the ear-stretching blues "Chromatics." This is a very lively session worth repeated hearings." - Ken Dryden, AMG
7 CD Set $42
Three New Jewels from the Neos Label:
GEORGE CRUMB//MARKUS STANGE - Makrokosmos I & II (NEOS 10815; GERMANY) There are a number of cyclically arranged piano works in music history that have assumed the significance of "bibles" for pianists, including Johann Sebastian Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier (48 preludes and fugues in two volumes), Frederic Chopin's 24 Preludes, Claude Debussy's Preludes (24 in two volumes), Dmitri Shostakovich's 24 Preludes and Fugues, and Gyorgy Ligeti's Etudes. This "genre" is inconceivable today without the first two (of four) cycles by George Crumb comprising 24 tone-pictures: Makrokosmos I & II, performed here by Markus Stange. Composed in 1972 and '73, they very rapidly became a classic of modernism and the most immediately enchanting and popular piano cycle of the last third of the 20th century. Almost incidentally, they unfold a comprehensive panorama of the techniques and sonorous manipulations of the modern grand piano. Crumb has thus succeeded in creating a work that does more than justice to both the explorative claims of the avant-garde and the untrained ear of the amateur. Pianist Markus Stange was born in Ludwigshafen, Germany. He studied piano with Jurgen Uhde in Stuttgart, Roland Keller in Lubeck, and Frantisek Rauch and Valentina Kamenikova in Prague, then attended master courses with Ditta Pasztory-Bartok and Aloys Kontarsky. He is currently Professor of Piano at the Music Academy in Karlsruhe.
CD $16
SILVESTRE REVUELTAS - Ensemble Works (Neos 10945; Germany) Silvestre Revueltas (1899-1940) is considered, alongside Carlos Chavez, the most important and quintessentially Mexican composer of his country from the first half of the 20th century. With the liberation of Mexico from the dictatorship of Porfirio Diaz, artists strove to create a culture marked by national identity. In contrast to other composers, however, Revueltas did not quote from the folk and dance music of his country; nor did he attempt, like Chavez, to reconstruct the music of the original inhabitants. Far more than that, Revueltas discovered the purely Mexican character within himself and his surroundings: present-day Mexico with its festivals and markets, its street music, landscapes, the habits and customs of its people. These are reflected in the titles of many of his compositions: Caminos (Streets), Ventanas (Windows), Esquinas (Street Corners), Colorines (named after the flaming trees that brighten up the otherwise dark landscape of Mexico). Thus Revueltas arrived at a highly original and powerful musical language with complex polyrhythms, brilliant melodies, extraordinary harmonies, fascinating timbres, and terse, dense structures. His most important work is considered to be Homenaje a Federico Garcia Lorca for chamber orchestra, which is also one of his most Mexican and modern pieces (performed here). Revueltas achieved this connection between nationalism and modernism especially in his chamber works, in which the smaller ensembles allowed him to focus more sharply on timbre, dynamics, rhythmic articulation, and contrast. His pieces are performed here by the Ensemble KNM Berlin: Rebecca Lenton, flute; Gudrun Reschke, oboe; Winfried Rager and Helge Harding, clarinets; Theo Nabicht, bass clarinet; Roman Reznik, bassoon; Daniel Costello, horn; William Forman and Naama Golan, trumpets; Daniel Ploeger, trombone; Robin Hayward, tuba; Angela Gassenhuber, piano; Dirk Rothbrust and Alexandre Babel, percussion; Ekkehard Windrich and Elfa Run Kristinsdottir, violins; Ringela Riemke, violoncello; and Arnulf Ballhorn, double bass; with Gabriel Urrutia, baritone/speaker and Roland Kluttig, conductor.
CD $16
IRINA EMELIANTSEVA - Piano Pieces (Neos 10901; Germany) The pianist and composer Irina (Alexandrovna) Emeliantseva was born in 1973 in Seltso, Bryansk Oblast, Russia, where she completed her preliminary studies in piano at the local music school (1988-1992) and won a prize for the best performance of Prokofiev. From 1992 to 1997 she studied piano with N. Eismont and composition with Sergei Slonimsky at the Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory in Saint Petersburg, after which she became an assistant in Professor Slonimsky's composition class. She has given many world premieres and first Russian performances of works by Dittrich, Messiaen, Roslavets, Humel, and Lutostawski, as well as her own music. Emeliantseva ranks as one of the best young Russian pianists setting priorities on contemporary music. Here, she performs several of her own works, composed between 1991 and 2009.
CD $16
BELA BARTOK//IREN MARIK - Bartok in the Desert: The Art of Iren Marik [2 CD Set](Arbiter 143; USA) The first release of a legendary Bartok pupil's private recordings. After finding a coverless vinyl record on the floor of a dark, dingy used record store, Arbiter initiated a hunt to trace Iren Marik, whose Liszt playing dwelled above everyone else's, even those of his own pupils. As the first notes played, a vision arose of a serious middle-aged woman seated at a piano, playing with an impeccably straight back as Bartok stood by her, commenting while he listened. After five years of fruitless searching and dead ends, another LP suddenly appeared in a music shop, this time bearing a cover (her photo closely resembled the vision); this LP had a letter tucked inside via a slit cut in the plastic sealing, which had not been read by a prominent New York Times critic who received it a decade earlier and had no idea of its presence when he decided to clear his desk. Her town of Independence, California listed Marik in their phone directory. Arbiter reached her, and she acknowledged that she was playing, teaching, and, yes, had studied with Bartok. A week later Arbiter flew from New York to LA and caught a Greyhound bus to head into a six-hour traversal of desert and rocky terrain. Marik played like a goddess, cooked like a goddess, and opened her home and archives. Arbiter eventually gained access to a collection of over 100 hours of recordings and chose the most extraordinary for Marik's first CD release. If one compares her playing with Bartok's, the conception is extremely similar, with differences in stylistic flourishes. This set covers her finest Liszt and Bartok, as well as compositions by Brahms, Beethoven, Bach, Debussy, Ravel, Chopin, Schubert, Haydn, Zoltan Kodaly, and Jean-Baptiste Lully. It's as if we reached Bartok himself in the desert, channeled through Marik. "Just the range of repertoire is impressive: Marik spins blithely through Bartok's Rondo No. 1 on Folk Themes, devours Beethoven's Piano Sonata No. 30, and plays Liszt's 'Apparitions' in bursts of hyperclarity, as if she's trying to pin down an elusive ghost. ... Discovered by Allan Evans, the founder of Arbiter Records, a label that specializes in obscure pianists, Marik symbolizes something truly rare: an artist pursuing music not for fame or fortune or other external rewards, but for the all-consuming love of it." - 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die
2 CD Set $20
IGOR STRAVINSKY//PAUL JACOBS/URSULA OPPENS - Music for Four Hands [2 CD Set](Arbiter 155; USA) The complete Stravinsky recordings made for Nonesuch by pianists Paul Jacobs and Ursula Oppens are coupled with a New York recital Jacobs gave to illustrate the influence of jazz in 20th century classical music. With Aaron Copland present, Jacobs plays his "Four Piano Blues" and, with the composer, both give his "Danzon Cubano." Original text by Jacobs and spoken commentary make this a unique view of how he witnessed up close many great influences on contemporary music. Paul Jacobs, a Bronx native, left the repressive USA of the 1950s for the intellectual and freer climate of Paris, where he mingled and championed contemporary music. Back in New York, he was the New York Philharmonic's pianist and made groundbreaking recordings of old and new music. A familiar of Stravinsky's, he and Oppens play his Petrushka ballet's orchestral score as a piano four hands work. Jacobs's career was put to an end when he was among the first great musicians to die with the outbreak of AIDS in 1983. Arbiter keeps his art alive by offering these long out-of-print recordings with rediscovered live performances. Also includes performances of compositions by Debussy, Schoenberg, William Bolcom, and Frederic Rzewski.
2 CD Set $24
Historic & Archival Recordings, Essential Box Sets & DVDs
JACO PASTORIUS - Jaco (Iron Horse 1002; USA) "A compelling story of prodigious talent, personal adventures and raw human vulnerability, Jaco presents the world of the bass guitar phenomenon Jaco Pastorius through the eyes of his family and various musical collaborators. Produced by the Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, and directed by Paul Marchand and Stephen Kijak, this blistering biopic contains incredible unseen footage and photography from the Pastorius family archive, and takes viewers into the heart and soul of this hugely influential cross-genre artist. Featuring interviews with an array of artists (Flea, Joni Mitchell, Sting, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Geddy Lee) and friends, Jaco unveils the story of his music, his life, his demise, and ultimately the fragility of great artistic genius. Disc 1 features the full length film with Dolby 5.1 surround sound. Running time: 1 hr. 57 min. Disc 2 features DVD Extras - Outtakes, Anecdotes, and Stories - with more than 20 never-before-seen interviews with Flea, Joni Mitchell, Carlos Santana, Mike Stern and many more, who discuss Jaco's incredible contributions to music, the art of the bass and the boundaries of music, as well as Jaco the person. Hear stories about Jaco's earliest bands and classic recordings. Includes special footage used during the historic Hollywood Bowl (Jaco's World) Tribute Show 2015, plus many surprises. Running time: 1 hr. 40 min."
2 DVD Set $18
JAMES BLOOD ULMER - Solos: The jazz Sessions (Original Spin Media 5012; Canada) James "Blood" Ulmer is one of the few guitarists to have forged a style based largely on the traditions of African-American vernacular music. Ulmer is an adherent of saxophonist/composer Ornette Coleman's vaguely defined Harmelodic theory and plays with a stuttering, vocalic attack; his jagged lines speak with the authority of a free jazz improvisor and the accent of a soul-jazz tenor saxophonist. His solo guitar work is an expressive, hard-edged, loudly amplified hybrid. But Ulmer isn't limited in his musical scope. in these sessions he reveals himself to be an instant inventor of repute on the flute and a memorable songwriter and blues singer with the now classic Are you Glad to be in America. James "Blood" Ulmer: dynamic, dedicated, never to be duplicated - an original.
DVD $13
CHARLES MINGUS With JOE GARDNER/HAMIET BLUIETT/JOHN FOSTER/ROY BROOKS - Live at the Jazz Workshop, Boston, October 11th, 1971 (Hi Hat 3031; UK) Following his relentless creativity in the 1950s and '60s, Charles Mingus was slowing down by the early '70s, having combated financial hardship and health issues in recent years. In 1971 he served as the Slee Professor of Music at the State University of New York at Buffalo, and performed intermittently. This superb set was taped at Boston's Jazz Workshop that October, for broadcast on WBCN-FM, and captures him in fiery form, backed by John Foster (piano), Joe Gardner (trumpet), Hamiet "Bunny" Bluiett (baritone sax), and Roy Brooks (drums). The complete broadcast is presented here in digitally remastered sound with background notes and images.
CD $17
LOU REED - Coffeebreak Concert: Agora, Cleveland, Ohio 1984 (Klondike 5039; UK) Lou Reed's momentary departure into cheery pop with the mold-breaking New Sensations (1984) was naturally made with bold intentions and dark wit intact, but not ironically. It was simply pop in the hands of a master craftsman. As well as marking Reed's 13th solo studio album, New Sensations was also a statement of intent while bearing the trademark parallels of transgressive wit and intelligence that accompanied his historic path to solo artist. The album was a potent mix of anxious pop that found little room for the distorted, exotic mongo that guitarist Robert Quine had honed in on with previous works with Reed. Accompanied by Fernando Saunders on bass (bassist on the 1982 classic The Blue Mask), Peter Wood on keyboards, and drummer Lenny Ferrari, Reed's perverse new structure in steroid-sound was taken on the road, including a midday show at the Agora Ballroom in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 3, 1984. Klondike proudly celebrates the performing career of the late Lou Reed with the entire WMMS-FM broadcast from his "coffeebreak" performance at the Agora. Professionally remastered sound; includes background liners and rare archival photos.
CD $17
PICCADILLY SUNSHINE - Volumes 1-10: A Compendium of Rare Pop Curios from the British Psychedelic Era [11 CD Set](Rubble 003; UK) Serving to embrace the floral heavens of British pop, this edition combines the first ten prized volumes of the acclaimed Piccadilly Sunshine series, originally released from 2009 to 2012. Celebrating the obscured artifacts of illustrious noise that emerged from the Great British psychedelic era and beyond, it is the essential guide to the quintessential sound of candy-colored pop from a bygone age. Includes over 200 tracks from 1964-1971, with an enhanced bonus disc containing rare tracks and images. Includes 84-page full-color booklet with rare photos, detailed biographies, and full discographies. Includes rare tracks from: Episode Six, Barry Ryan, Philamore Lincoln, Rising Sons, Graham Bond Organisation, Cartoone, Elmer Gantry's Velvet and way too many to list here.
11 CD Set $90
MONKS - The Transatlantic Feedback [DVD](Play Loud! 004; Germany) The Monks were five American GIs in Cold War Germany who billed themselves as the anti-Beatles; they were heavy on feedback, nihilism, and electric banjo. They had strange haircuts, dressed in black, mocked the military, and rocked harder than any of their mid-'60s counterparts while managing to basically invent industrial, punk, and techno music. The award-winning 100-minute documentary The Transatlantic Feedback not only illustrates the pop music phenomenon in its political, social, and cultural contexts, but also reveals the Monks project as the first marriage between art and popular music, coming months before the The Velvet Underground. The five protagonists of the film came to Cold War Germany in 1961 as soldiers and left the country in 1967 as avant-garde monks. In the film they recount their adventure for the first time. This DVD release (DVD-9; all-region; NTSC format) contains 81 minutes of bonus features, including "Biographies" (Dave Day, Eddie Shaw, Gary Burger, Larry Spangler, and Roger Johnston talk about their origins and musical backgrounds), "A Date with Dave Day" (an introduction to the concept of Monks' banjo-playing with Elvis fan Dave Day, the first rock 'n' roll banjo player in history), Monks' 1960s appearances on German television (the only '60s performances preserved on film presented in their entirety for the first time), "Live In New York 1999," the documentary's trailer, and live footage of Martin Rev and Doc Schoko. Includes subtitles in English, German, Spanish, French, Italian, and Polish. Includes eight-page booklet containing liner notes by Allison Anders and filmmakers Dietmar Post and Lucia Palacios.
DVD $24
DIETMAR POST & LUCIA PALACIOS//FAUST - Klangbad: Avant-Garde in the Meadows/Faust: Live at Klangbad Festival (Play Loud! 018-019; Germany) From the award-winning filmmakers behind Monks: The Transatlantic Feedback (PL 004DVD, 2006), Dietmar Post (USA/Germany) and Lucia Palacios (Spain), come two direct cinema documentaries, Klangbad: Avant-Garde in the Meadows (85 minutes, 2009) and Faust: Live at Klangbad Festival (70 minutes, 2010). The first takes as its subject the pop avant-garde music festival Klangbad, curated by Hans-Joachim Irmler (founding member of the seminal krautrock band Faust). Since 2004, the picturesque German village of Scheer has hosted an innovative musical journey crossing various genres. In today's profit-oriented event scene, it is hard to find anything comparable. The festival is small but growing constantly. Despite this fact, it abandons commercial sponsoring, unlike normal open-air festivals. Post and Palacios paint a portrait of this fine festival in the style of such direct cinema pioneers as Murray Lerner (Festival!, 1967), Albert and David Maysles (Gimme Shelter, 1970), and D. A. Pennebaker (Monterey Pop, 1968). Klangbad: Avant-Garde in the Meadows follows that tradition of carefully chronicling an event, with appearances by Minit, Jutta Koether, Steven W. Lobdell, Kammerflimmer Kollektief, Cpt. Howdy, Circle, Faust, The One Ensemble of Daniel Padden, and Nista Nije Nista. Faust: Live at Klangbad Festival captures a rare live performance by Faust (Steven Wray Lobdell, guitar; Michael Stoll, bass and flute; Lars Paukstat, percussion and vocals; Hans-Joachim Irmler, organ; Ralf Meinz, drums and FX; and Arnulf Meifert, percussion). This DVD also contains 25 minutes of bonus material, including trailers for the films Klangbad: Avant-Garde in the Meadows, Faust: Live at Klangbad Festival, Monks: The Transatlantic Feedback, FM Einheit + Irmler: Live at Berghain, Doc Schoko: Oktopus im Pentagramm, A Summer Evening with Floating di Morel, and Martin Rev: Electronic Pioneer, as well as the art film "Pesadilla" by Baseline. Includes eight-page color booklet with detailed liner notes, track listings, photographs, reprint of original Klangbad poster, and a list of every band to play at the festival from 2004-2009. Drawings by German painter Daniel Richter. Concept, artwork, compilation, and production by Dietmar Post and Lucia Palacios. DVD is all-region; NTSC format.
DVD $24
BRIAN HARNETTY - Rawhead & Bloodybones [2 CD Set] (Dust-to-Digital 050; USA) The third in composer and artist Brian Harnetty's series of recording projects stemming from the Berea College Appalachian Sound Archives, Rawhead & Bloodybones combines samples of music and folk tales with live instruments. The historic archival recordings of children recounting folk tales were made by Leonard Roberts in the 1940s and '50s. The combination of the children's youthful voices and the often gruesome stories they tell offers a striking and dramatic contrast. These recordings, along with other archival samples from Berea, are woven into a larger musical world, with additional instrumental parts added as a counterpoint to the stories. Working closely with archivists, historians, musicians, and the families of those sampled, Rawhead & Bloodybones respectfully re-contextualizes traditional music and folk tales into a unique, beautiful, playful, and haunting whole. Six-panel foldout case.
2 CD Set $15
NORMAN WESTBERG - 13 (Room40 472; Australia) Room40 inaugurates its series of works by American guitarist and composer Norman Westberg with 13. Best known for his work with the seminal outfit Swans, Westberg's output beyond that group is sprawling and restless. His name recurs and ripples through many interconnected micro-histories surrounding New York City's music and art scenes. From appearances in film works associated with the Cinema of Transgression to his participation in bands such as The Heroine Sheiks and Five Dollar Priest, Westberg's name is woven deeply into the fabric of New York from the early '80s on. His debut release with Room40 is 13. Originally recorded in 2013, 13 has previously only been available in an ultra-limited handmade edition of just 75 copies. The Room40 edition of 13 has been completely remastered and edited and is available in an elegant physical edition. A note from Lawrence English: "Norman Westberg's guitar playing with Swans has influenced a generation of musicians across genres. I can personally attest to how his particular approaches to that instrument, in creating both harmony and brute force, have challenged and ultimately influenced my own sonic preoccupations. What Norman has created with his solo works is an echoing universe of deep texture and harmonic intensity. His solo compositions generate an affecting quality that drives the listener towards reductive transcendence. His guitar, as singular source, becomes transformed through a web of outboard processes. He transforms vibrating strings completely, taking singular gesture and reshapes it through webs of delay, reverb and other treatments. To me, these works echo many of the concerns of American minimalism and sprawl towards the work of bands such as Stars of the Lid. Norman has created a very dense and powerful statement of intent with these recordings and I couldn't be more pleased to have some small part in helping to share them."
CD $16
NORMIL HAWAIIANS - Return of the Ranters (Upset the Rhythm 076; UK) Normil Hawaiians have always operated as a collective of musicians rather than a band per se, and for this third album, the group comprised Guy Smith, Simon Marchant, Alun "Wilf" Williams, Noel Blanden, and Jimmy Miller. Recorded at Dave Anderson's Foel Studio in Wales (sonic home of Amon Duul II and Hawkwind) in the winter of 1985 and '86, a time and a place triangulated from political, social, and geographical aspects, Return of the Ranters extended their free experiments in compelling arrhythmia and seemingly organized sound, taking a loose trajectory from their previous albums and earlier, more confrontational approach. The release of this album marks the first step in Upset the Rhythm's plans to produce expanded reissues of the band's other two epic albums, More Wealth Than Money (1982) and What's Going On? (1984). It was during the austere years of the post-punk permafrost that Normil Hawaiians' third album, Return of the Ranters, was written, recorded, and shelved. The album opens amid vast clouds of atmosphere before the tape-looped violin of "Sianne Don't Work in a Factory" starts to drag the song out of itself and into a sparse yet tender love song, full of hope, exalted synths, and mechanized drum patterns. Acoustic guitars and walls of keyboard drone provide a fitting acre of space for the raw polemics of "Slums Still Stand," while "The Search for Um Gris" follows in full head-down, motorik mode with a miraculously hypnotic drum beat and whirling mood. "The Battle of Stonehenge" is a powerful and emotive recording detailing the band's personal experience of the police ransack of the Peace Convoy on June 1, 1985, and as a result provides the rallying point of album. Beginning bravely as a solitary spun-out voice, the song eventually becomes awash with choruses of guitar and reverberating synth, joined finally by adornments of violin and an entrancingly agile beat. "Mouldwarp's Journey" concludes the album with ten minutes of epic improv, drawing on field recordings, murmured vocals, slowly phasing tonal clusters, a miasma of percussion, and wordless rapture. Lucid, candid, politically engaged, rarely metronomic but always humane, tired but still fighting, Normil Hawaiians' third album has waited patiently for 30 years.
CD $15
New from the Great Italian Label AUAND:
SIMONE GRAZIANO FRONTAL + DAVID BINNEY - Trentacinque (Auand 9053; Italy) Italian pianist and composer Simone Graziano's third album, Trentacinque ("thirty-five") marks his second recording as a leader of his quintet, Frontal, featuring Gabriele Evangelista on double bass, Stefano Tamborrino on drums, and David Binney on alto sax, with the addition of Dan Kinzelman on tenor sax. The album's title refers to the number of years Graziano has spent around Florence, his native city, which is one of the main inspirations for this work; it also refers to the number of recordings he's made (three), the number of members in Frontal (five), and the meter of most compositions (five). Graziano's tracks are made up of elaborate structures and improvisation, with his ensemble looking back at traditional jazz while working on a signature collective sound. The improvised "B-Polar" analyzes bipolarity in music and expresses the wish to reconnect distant ends. "White Piano" is a cold ballad highlighting Graziano's classy approach. Unlike his previous album, Frontal (2013), the Italian jazz pianist -- who studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston -- now adds rhythmic allusions to electronic music, as in "Falk the Bow," with upbeats and downbeats mixed up again and again. A short divertissement on a groove, "Give Me Some Options" is pure improvisation, while the counterpoint on "Window on a Better World" underlines a polyphonic dialogue. As additional proof of his powerful narrative writing, "Blu Piano" and "Killcoal" take different approaches to descriptive music. "Intro K.B." unveils a taste for an unpredictable use of electronics, while "Kamennaya Baba" faces hip hop.
CD $17
FRANCESCO DIODATI YELLOW SQUEEDS - Flow, Home (Auand 9056; Italy) Italian guitarist Francesco Diodati's third album as a leader, Flow, Home, is conceptually grounded in the exploration of emotional focal points. It's also the debut of Diodati's Yellow Squeeds quintet, featuring Enrico Zanisi on piano, Enrico Morello on drums, Glauco Benedetti on tuba, and Francesco Lento on trumpet. Diodati is also a member of the Enrico Rava Quartet, and has an ongoing duo project with the Italian trumpet player. The band formed around the union of many approaches and styles, thus enriching Diodati's originals with a timbric range and countless expressive possibilities. The opening track, "Split," is all about the moment one feels split in two -- a division here translated in music through both Lento's anxious trumpet and Benedetti's nervous tuba. The long ostinato in the ballad "Ale" holds the immanence of a feeling that mixes up strength and tenderness. And then "Lost" comes, and Diodati's subtle guitar-swarms express a sense of confusion and loss, sealed by an intensely acoustic final moment. "Believe" starts as a game, with the piano playfully disturbed by Burmese gongs and ping-pong balls and helped by Morello's clean drumming, and then opens up to fascinating harmonic choices and a sudden elegance. "Folk Song," "Flow," and "Home" are three compositions that seem linked by a stream of consciousness. "Folk Song" is the ideal introduction, with a minimal melody focused on an easy guitar line and strengthened by a no-frills approach. In "Flow," this turmoil finds its final shape, turning into an imaginary dialogue between trumpet and tuba underlined by Morello's nervous drumming. "Home" is the perfect union of lyricism and technique, highlighting Diodati's inner melodic taste and, at the same time, the intention of defying the six-string boundaries. There is also a tribute to Thelonious Monk, Diodati's musician of choice, here celebrated with a daring reinterpretation of "Played Twice," which shows the interplay skills of this young yet wise quintet. Pensive closer "Casa do Amor" is the happy landing of a restless path, magnificently reflected in Benedetti's euphonium solo.
CD $17
MATTEO BORTONE TRAVELERS - Time Images (Auand 9052; Italy) Two years after his 2013 debut album, and marking his comeback to his home country, Italian double bass player and composer Matteo Bortone presents his second album as a leader, Time Images. The Otranto-born, Paris-raised, and Rome-based musician leads his French-Italian quartet Travelers (Antonin-Tri Hoang, Francesco Diodati, and Ariel Tessier), who also appeared on his debut album. Following the critical success that welcomed his first album (awarded "Revelation Jazzman" and "Jazz Decouverte" in France, and named one of "2013 Best Records" by Italian magazine Jazzit), Bortone confirms the musical direction he showed in his previous work, exploring all the connections between improvisation and avant-garde rock with electro-acoustic moments and rarefied atmospheres, always emphasizing the collective sound over the individual. The album title hints at Bortone's love for film (the idea of "image-temps" in neorealistic cinema was first introduced by French philosopher Gilles Deleuze). The album's energetic and well-structured pieces ("Sunday Supermarket," "Just Play," "Broskar") and introspective ballads ("Crackle", "Olvidao") are enriched with more instruments, such as electric bass, synth, and clarinet (in addition to alto sax and bass clarinet), adding new shades to improvisations ("Intro Crackle" was written for four voices with double bass, synth, clarinet, and bass clarinet). The synth has a co-leading role in some improvisations ("Sunday Supermarket" and "Locked Room") and it also acts as a main voice in "Tourne" and "Olvidao #1." With the exception of Led Zeppelin's "Houses of the Holy," these pieces are all Bortone's compositions.
CD $17
VAINIO & VIGROUX - Peau Froide, Leger Soleil (Cosmo Rythmatic 003; Germany) Peau froide, leger soleil is the result of a three-year recording process initiated by Mika Vainio and Franck Vigroux after a series of shared live experiences, beginning with a show in Paris in 2012. Their collaboration is an exercise in sensitive intensity, drifting through the whole space between minimalist meditations and maximalist kinetics. Vainio's signature brutalist production resonates throughout the album, constructing a psychic scenario for Vigroux's researches in spatial abstraction and tonal radicalism. Densely built through free-from structural limitation, this intense nine-track album is the third installment in the catalog of Berlin-based label Cosmo Rhythmatic, and acts as new chapter in the label's construction of an uncompromising sonic identity. Mastered by Denis Blackham at Skye Mastering. Lacquer cut at D&M, Berlin. Front cover photograph by Umut Ungan.
CD $15
BALI 1928 - Vol. V: Vocal Music in Dance Dramas (World Arbiter 2017; USA) Vol. V of the Bali 1928 recordings contains various emergent theatrical dance and dance-opera forms with translations of the dramas' texts. We hear the first recordings of women participating in dance dramas, making this disc a major cultural repatriation of primary Balinese art forms that had been lost for nearly a century. An extensive essay is included as a PDF (accessed by computer) with links to 1930s silent films and a photo library are hosted online by World Arbiter. Some of these recordings come from discs that existed in only one known copy, and now their erotic, subtle, innovative styles are available for everyone to experience. Performances by Tembang Arja & Kidung with the Gamelan Geguntangan of Belaluan, Denpasar; Tembang Arja with the Gamelan Geguntangan of Sesetan, Denpasar; Janger of Kedaton, Denpasar with lead singer Ni Wayan Pempen; Janger of Abian Timbul, Denpasar with lead singer Ni Lemon; Cepung Monyeh Sasak from Lombok; and Topeng of Kaliungu: Ida Boda, Ida Bagus Purya & I Nyarikan Seriada.
CD $13
LP Only Section:
VOLCANO THE BEAR - Commencing [5 LP Set] (Miasmah 032; UK) Leicester, England - mid-1990s. Aaron Moore, Nick Mott, Clarence Manuelo, and Daniel Padden create a freeform group called Volcano the Bear out of their frustration with standard musical limitations. Now, in 2015, after 20 years of experimenting with improvisation, folk, Dada, post-punk, krautrock, noise, surreal comedy, pure avant-garde, and more, the group has obtained a cult following and high critical praise across the globe. Renowned for their highly theatrical and obscure live performances, as well as their mind-blowing catalog of releases, Volcano the Bear truly is a one-of-a-kind group, consistently pushing forward with their own unique, experimental approach to sound making. Commencing manages to be both a retrospective of the group's 20-year history since their formation in 1995 as well as its own unique release filled with vast amounts of material. The five LPs presented here, each in individual covers with liner notes for each track on the back and housed together in a deluxe silkscreened box, contain 64 tracks and clock in at over four hours in length. Expect an abundance of previously unreleased material, alternate versions, tracks from early cassette albums never before released on vinyl, live recordings, pieces from forgotten compilation appearances, and more, all mixed and compiled together to form five standalone albums. The set also includes a 50-page book of writings, photos, artwork, and flyers from the band's long history, along with a download code for the complete set plus a bonus album of ten tracks that didn't make the final cut. This is the ultimate Volcano the Bear release for fans of the group and of surreal, experimental musical history in general. "Listening to the wealth of mainly unreleased and live material presented here, one's mind boggles at the wonderful, extraordinary and frankly bizarre pallet these guys have to offer. They take us on a sure fire journey into some of the most healthy and unambiguous, crazed and deadly, astonishing and timeless music to push our pleasure buttons up to 13!" --Steven Stapleton, Cooloorta, May 25, 2015
5 LP Set $105
ROSCOE MITCHELL - The Solo Concert (Tizona 010; USA) Reissue from 1973/1974. "Presented here are parts from three solo concerts from the early 1970s. Roscoe Mitchell plays soprano, alto, tenor, and bass saxophones. One of the tracks on this LP reissue includes an early version of 'Noonah,' a composition that many of his followers will recognize. Originally released on Sackville recordings in 1974 as The Roscoe Mitchell Solo Saxophone Concerts, this historical reissue has been remastered and contains the same material as the original, which is primarily solo concerts from Montreal, Michigan, and Pori, Finland recorded in 1973-1974. It captures Roscoe Mitchell in a very important period in his development as a musician, as he started exploring his own solo voice again after a very productive period with the Art Ensemble of Chicago. It beautifully displays his virtuosity and range on the different horns in the saxophone family, and many of the melodies he explores in these recordings were expanded on in his later works. It is truly a peek into how some of his elaborate compositions may have begun."
LP $17
THE GIRLS - Punk-Dada Pulchritude (Feeding Tube 220; USA) "Pretty much everybody you'd ever trust in such matters has, at one time or another, stated clearly that The Girls were the best band Boston ever produced. Their 1979 'Jeffrey I Hear You' single on Pere Ubu's Hearthan label is one of the high points of American art-punk by any standards you can imagine. Everyone who ever saw them play live was floored by the sheer craziness of their approach. And their songs were strange, great, and uniquely their own. Mark Dagley, Daved Hild, Robin Amos, and George Condo came together in dribs and drabs over the course of two years. Slowly growing in number as their material became more complex and zoned, they were a quartet by the time they packed it in at the end of the '70s. But this album presents swabs of their earliest work. Some of it is just Mark and Daved. Then Robin joins. Then George. And you can hear and feel their palette expand and mutate. Some of the songs here are protean versions of subsequent classics. Others are the first evidence of experiments that came and went before they could even be played at gigs. And it's all goddamn incredible. Just as Pere Ubu -- a band that was The Girls' most important booster -- created entirely new sounds and approaches to their material in order to get the stuff across, so The Girls blasted through Boston's late-'70s underground with a fully weaponized art-punk approach that destroyed minds with regularity. Massive stuff. Enjoy" --Byron Coley, 2015. Limited edition of 800.
LP $20
FARMERS - August 11, 1984 (Feeding Tube 199; USA) "This is listed as a Farmers LP, but it's actually a survey of Daved Hild's earliest work after the dissolution of Boston's best-ever band, The Girls. Chronologically, the earliest recording here is 'The Fear,' recorded at Sorcerer Sound in NYC for a proposed Lust/Unlust EP called A Dog's Prayer. Daved is joined by another ex-Girl, Robin Amos, and ex-Mission of Burma multi-tasker Roger Miller. After that come the Farmers tracks, recorded in Cambridge. Daved had been doing solo work in NYC, dressed as a Mennonite farmer, but when he was up north the Farmers were a duo with Roger, who'd add trumpet, keys, and whatnot to the mix. Finally, there are a couple of demo tracks recorded in Boston with Roger, David Minehan (of The Neighborhoods), and Dan Salzmann (ex-Maps, then in Christmas). Daved, of course, played in a vast array of different units and configurations after The Girls, but this album is a solid survey of his early output. His approach to songwriting (perhaps best known for 'Jeffrey I Hear You,' from The Girls' Hearthan single) is amazing and cuts into personal flesh no matter whether he knows anything about yr history or not. Singing like a pro wrestler trying to get all sensitive, he manages to convey huge vistas of hurt and strangeness without coming off like either a fop or a thug. It is a sheer pleasure to present this album of Daved's purist inventions" - Byron Coley, 2015. Edition of 350.
LP $20
MARIANNE NOWOTTNY - Dark Souls Need Light (Feeding Tube 221; USA) "When Jersey teen Marianne Nowottny arrived on the scene in the late '90s, she had the looks of a typical NJ gum-snapper but possessed a voice that was way beyond what you'd expect to find hanging out in the parking lot of White Castle trying to bum cigarettes. Her vocals had the rich, smoky maturity of Marianne Faithfull's late-'70s work, hauled into an off-center bedroom pop universe that was almost impossible to decode. Her subsequent studio recordings have investigated magnificent nooks of post-naif construction, but it was in live performance that she created some of her most staggering sonic edifices. We are very pleased to finally present two sides of her explosive and surprising avant-lounge meditations. The first side was recorded at the Knitting Factory in '99, with an improvisational trio composed of Mark Dagley (The Girls, Hi Sheriffs of Blue, etc.); Mark's visual arts pal, the late Steven Parrino (whose work with Jutta Koether in Electrophilia was unbelievably savage); and Scott Jarvis (Workdogs, Th' Cigaretz, 1/2 Japanese, etc.). The fully toasted coil of Marianne's keys and voice blends into the sound-sheets rustled up by her collusionists like an unholy meeting between one of Sun Ra's small ensembles and Robin Crutchfield's Dark Day. Messy, smudged, long-format song distention with amazing shifts in tonal center and a truly crazed heft. The flip, recorded with just Dagley in '02, is even more extreme. Built around a pummel that sounds like the L train blasting straight through Union Square station, Marianne channels broken Simone-tones and broadcasts them into the maw of chaos. Even in those instances when she chooses to use her her volk-voice the results are dastardly, with a feeling so deeply drugged it'll make yr head heavy. If you've never sampled the Nowottny sound, this is a pretty amazing place to start. Don't be afraid. She was just a kid" - Byron Coley, 2015. Limited edition of 300.
LP $20
HEATHER LEIGH - I Abused Animal (Ideological Organ 023; France) 'I Abused Animal' is Heather Leigh's first solo album for Ideologic Organ, following solo albums on Kendra Steiner Editions, Golden Lab Records, Not Not Fun, Fag Tapes, Wish Image, Volcanic Tongue's label, and more. Renowned as a fearless free improviser, Leigh showcases her songwriting prowess on I Abused Animal, foregrounding her stunning voice and her innovations for the pedal steel guitar. Warmly recorded in a secret location in the English countryside, the album transports the power of her captivating live performances to a studio setting, capturing her tactile playing in full clarity while making devastating use of volume and space. Leigh explores themes of abuse, sexual instinct, vulnerability, memory, shadow, fantasy, cruelty, and projection. I Abused Animal is a personal, idiosyncratic, and deeply psychedelic work, ranging from almost Kousokuya-scale black blues through the kind of ethereal electro-ritual of Solstice-era Coil. At times the intimacy of the recordings makes you feel like she's singing directly into your ear, playing just for you. Leigh has performed and released music since the 1990s as a solo artist and with a wide range of uncompromising collaborators including Peter Broetzmann and Jandek, and has toured extensively throughout the US, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Her playing is as physical as it is phantom, combining spontaneous compositions with a feel for the full interaction of flesh with hallucinatory power sources. With a rare combination of sensitivity and strength, Leigh's steel mainlines sanctified slide guitar and deforms it using hypnotic tone-implosions while juggling walls of bleeding amp-tone with choral-vocal-constructs and wrenching single-note ascensions. She's played, performed, and released music with Ash Castles on the Ghost Coast, Charalambides, Scorces (a duo with Christina Carter), Dream/Aktion Unit (a group with Thurston Moore, Paul Flaherty, Chris Corsano, and Matt Heyner), Taurpis Tula, Jailbreak (a duo with Corsano), Termas (a duo with Lynda), Annihilating Light (a duo with Stefan Jaworzyn), Richard Youngs, Blood Stereo, MV & EE, Robbie Yeats of The Dead C, John Olson of Wolf Eyes, Smegma, Jutta Koether, Kommissar Hjuler & Mama Bar, and many others. I Abused Animal was composed and performed by Heather Leigh. Recorded and engineered by Joe Gubay in Surrey, October 2014. Cut by Rashad Becker at Dubplates & Mastering in Berlin, July 2015. Photographs by David Keenan. Spiritual adviser: Dean Roberts. Ideologic Organ curation and art direction by Stephen O'Malley; manufactured and distributed by Editions Mego.
LP $21
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