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NEWSLETTER - February 5th, 2016
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DMG Newsletter for February 5th, 2016:
The Days Go By So Fast, We Turn Around and They're Past
Music is Our Salvation, Our Food, Our Fuel, Our Hope and Inspiration,
The Search Continues to Find Those Sonic Treasures Wherever They Are
Deeper and Deeper, Upwards and Onwards, Myths and Mysteries from These
Folks:
William Hooker 4 CD Set: David Murray/David S Ware/Jemeel Moondoc/Roy Campbell + William Hooker Big Sale! Jaimeo Brown Transcendence! Kamasi Washington 3 CD Set! Gary Lucas/Max Fleisher Project! Ergo! Empirical! Jack Dupon!
Anais Maviel! Lajos Dudas Quartet + German Chamber Academy! Philip Corner! Plus Historic Recordings from: The Residents! Captain Beefheart! Frank Zappa! Patti Smith! Stephen Stills & Manassas! Herbie Hancock & Jaco Pastorius! Klaus Schulze! Rare Vinyl and Much More!
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The DMG FREE Weekly In-Store Concert Series Continues With:
Sunday, February 7th:
6pm: DEEP ECOLOGY TRIO: CRISTIAN AMIGO - Guitar / JD PARRAN - Winds / ANDREW DRURY - Percussion
7pm: JORGE ESPINAL - Guitar / MICHAEL FOSTER - Sax / KEVIN SHEA - Drums
Sunday, February 14th - Valentine's Day Special Event with:
6pm: TAMIO SHIRASHI & LOUISE DE JENSEN - Alto Sax Duet!
Sunday, February 21st:
6pm: ALVARO DOMENE & BRIGGAN KRAUSS!
7pm: SARAH BERNSTEIN & CHRISTIAN WEBER
Sunday, February 28th:
6pm: CHRIS PITSIOKOS & JON IRABAGON - Alto Sax & Sopranino Sax Duo! Wow!
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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RARE BILL LASWELL SOLO PERFORMANCE!
BILL LASWELL Performs
Godfrey Reggio's KOYAANISQATSI
Solo Bass / Alternative Score for Original Film
Friday, February 5th, 2016 at 7pm
At The Drawing Room - 212-219-2166 - www.drawingcenter.org
35 Wooster Street, New York, NY, 10013
Basement Performances Curated by John Zorn
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DMG Newsletter Readers Please Note 2 Things:
1) SHIPPING PRICES have gone up again! We are working on a chart for what the rate increases have become. We do know that there is a large increase between 4 & 6 jewel cased CDs outside of the US, Canada and Mexico. Although there are very few labels still using jewel cases (like Intakt, Cuneiform & Leo), you can always ask for the generic jewel cases to be removed. In the US, we usually ship three jewel case CDs (under 13 oz.) first class. Above 13 oz or 4 jewel cases & more, orders ship priority mail. For order above 13 oz, if you live outside of the NY/NJ/PA area, you can also ask for media mail with delivery confirmation to save some money. Shipping record albums is always above the 13 oz weight, so using media mail/delivery confirmation should be considered for that as well.
2) Instead of regular newsletter or sales list, we sent out a dozen TOP 10 RECOMMENDATIONS of 2015 lists last week (in one e-mail) from musicians & other serious listeners like: Henry Kaiser, Mary Halvorson, David Fricke, Glenn Kenny, Phil Zampino and yours truly. Response was pretty great from many of you, thanks! If any of you do not remember seeing those lists, please write to us and ask. We will be happy to resend them to any & all. All participants took this task seriously and so I was as fascinated by the lists as well. Those lists are now up on our website so click on this: downtownmusicgallery.com/Main/news/Newsletter-2016-01-19 to check them out.
- BLG
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This Week's Treasures Begin with this Monumental Box Set!
* WILLIAM HOOKER With DAVID S. WARE/DAVID MURRAY/JEMEEL MOONDOC/ROY CAMPBELL, JR., BOOKER T WILLIAMS/ALAN BRAUFMAN/LEWSI BARNES/RICHARD KEENE/ et al - Light - The Early Years 1975-1989 [LTD Edition 4 CD Set] (No Business 82-85; Lithuania) Featuring William Hooker on drums, percussion, vocal & direction with David S. Ware, David Murray, Jemeel Moondoc, Alan Braufman, Booker T. Williams, Hasaan Dawkins, Les Goodson & Richard Keene on saxes & flutes, Roy Campbell & Lewis Barnes on trumpets, Mark Hennen on piano and Mark Miller on bass. This massive 4 disc set compiles more than a half dozen sessions between 1975 and 1989, solo, duos, and trios. Some of the early sessions come from a long out-of-print double album called "...Is Eternal Life" which featured a couple of spirited sets with David Murray & Mark Miller and a colossal duo with David S. Ware, both early in their respective careers. Much of this set is unreleased and all of it is worth checking out. William Hooker is one of the most riveting, creative and intense drummers to come to New York, forever on the lookout for inspired collaborators. I've caught him dozens of times through the years and he always leads great bands, pushing his fellow musicians hard so that they must dig deep to come with equally powerful resources.
4 CD Box Set $45 (these were shipped more than 2 weeks ago & should be here soon!)
* William Hooker will do his week-long residency at The Stone next week, February 9th-14th. He has put together an incredible line-up of gifted musicians: Ted Daniel, JR Parran, Michael Attias, Dick Griffin, Bruce Eisenbeil, Louie Belogenis, Andrew Lamb, Lee Rozie, William Parker, Bern Nix and many more. The schedule is below. You know where I will be so get your tush down there, too! We are having a special William Hooker sale so check below for that as well!
JAIMEO BROWN TRANSCENDENCE With JALEEL SHAW/JD ALLEN/ et al + LESTER CHAMBERS - Work Songs (Motema 191; USA) Transcendence features Jaimeo Brown on drums & arrangements, Chris Sholar on guitar, Jaleel Shaw on alto sax, JD Allen on tenor sax, Marcia Miget on flute, Brandon McCune on organ, Big Yuki & James Francies on keyboards plus guest vocalists: Lester Chambers, Falu and Marisha Rodriguez. A few years ago, I got a promo disc featuring drummer Jaimeo Brown's band Transcendence. I recall enjoying it since he blended jazz with assorted roots influences. For the new Transcendence disc, Mr. Brown has put together an even more intriguing concept: work songs, "the living tapestry of our human story" is how he puts it. About half of the songs here features different singers: Lester Chambers (of the great sixties rock/gospel/funk band: the Chambers Brothers), Marisha Rodriguez and Falu. Mr. Brown did a good deal of research so each song is well chosen and well-handled. The blend of the layers of chanting vocals & clapping of prisoners, the lone alto sax (by Mr. Shaw), drums and samples of outdoor sounds evokes a rich, solemn and hypnotic vibe. "Mississippi" features the ancient, earthy voice of Lester Chambers, sly guitar of Chris Sholar and captures a late night, bluesy session in a folksy, neighborhood bar just right. There are a couple of songs which feature the Asian voice of Falu or a sample a traditional Japanese folk song. Once again, the spirit of earthly delights is caught splendidly. This disc is sounds more like a soundtrack with each track setting a different yet related set of scenes: a prison yard, a rice field, a gospel chorus, clapping hand and marching together. There are two spirits who stand out here throughout: the righteous and often spiritual sax of JD Allen and the soulful, taunting, bent-note blues/rock guitar of Chris Sholar, who occasionally pulls off a few inspired Hendrix-like licks. Neither take any long solos yet make each note count when stirring the emotions. This entire disc works at casting a sly, dark spell over all who listen. About the only other band//project I can compare this to is Little Axe who remain one of most under-recognized treasures around. Totally transfixing! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
KAMASI WASHINGTON - The Epic [3 CD Set](Brainfeeder; USA) "'The Epic' is the title of the new recording from 34-year-old saxophonist and composer Kamasi Washington, a musician you may have heard but not heard of. That's his horn all over the newest releases by fellow Southern Californians Kendrick Lamar and Flying Lotus. (The Epic is being issued by Brainfeeder, the record label Lotus co-founded.) Washington has toured with Snoop Dogg, Raphael Saadiq and Chaka Khan; his jazz credentials include work with elders like Gerald Wilson, Stanley Clarke and Kenny Burrell. The singing electric bassist Thundercat (Stephen Bruner) and his brother, drummer Ronald Bruner Jr., are lifelong friends; in fact, Washington has known most of his bandmates since high school in in South Central Los Angeles. The confluence of those experiences - of participating in a huge and diverse LA jazz scene, of making music people actually dance to, of working with like-minded peers for years - emerges here as scope and grandeur. The Epic swims in rhythmic crosscurrents, with two bassists, two keyboard players, two drummers. It's made tall and wide by the presence of strings and voices, made forceful and direct by horn solos and singer Patrice Quinn. It seems intentionally to overwhelm, in an immersive way; it's music to be swept up by and revisited after the wave subsides. In working with so many future-forward musicians, you might expect Washington's music to be equally slippery and resistant to categorization. Surely it is to some extent, as his band pulls from a huge bag of tricks. It also likes a driving modal swing groove or a knotty post-bop horn melody; it plays the blues and the standard "Cherokee." They execute these ideas with such bigness, and such a wide color palette, and a mission to remake the word "jazz" in the image of their own generation. That's the feat here. You wouldn't be wrong to call that ambition epic." - Patrick Jarenwattanon, NPR
3 CD Set $24
JACK DUPON - Tete de Chien (Musea Fgbg 4797; France) Jack Dupon are a French progressive/art rock quartet who have been around since 2004. I had never heard of them until attending the Victoriaville Festival last year (2015) and was completely blown away by their utterly unique and often bizarre performance. Here is their personnel: Gregory Pozzoli & Philip Prebet on guitars & vocals, Arnaud M'Doihoma on bass & vocals and Thomas Larsen on drums. "Tete de Chien" is their fifth disc effort and it is one last year's most surprising and unexpected delights. Live, each member looked like they came from a different story, background or culture and then evolved through different eras as the music evolved. Their drummer sat sideways on the right side, watching the rest of the band and unobtrusively directing the rhythmic undertow.
Even on this disc, it is hard to figure which direction each piece will take since they are constantly shifting somewhere else. "Margaretha" opens with two very different guitar parts, one with some wah-wah and the other using other odd devices. A striking combination at that. There two twisted cartoon-like vocalists on "Ulysse", each one rather charming in their own strange way. I wish I knew what they were singing about (in French), since there seems to be an often humorous side to what is going on. There is a great Gong-like psych guitar solo on this song which is short and to the point. There are a number of short triple vocal bits which recall those charming harmonies that Acid Mother Temple occasionally break into. What I find most interesting about this band is that they are endlessly creative without any need to show off. No boring noodling yet they keep reinventing themselves and move in surprising ways. They sound as if they have been a lot longer than just a decade since their bag of tricks seems endless. I must get the universal translator online since I want to find our just what they are singing about. Marvelous on several levels, can't wait to play it again and again and... - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $17
Three More Gems from Cuneiform:
GARY LUCAS' FLEISCHER Featuring SARAH MILES + JEFF LEDERER/MICHAEL BATES/ROB GARCIA - Music From Max Fleischer Cartoons (Cuneiform 405; USA) "Captain Beefheart/Jeff Buckley collaborator and prominent solo/session guitarist, Gary Lucas, rekindles his love of soundtracks with an enthusiastic tribute to the Betty Boop and Popeye the Sailor cartoons that so shaped his upbringing.
Music from Max Fleischer Cartoons celebrates the songs that accompanied Fleischer Studios' early 1930s animation. Joined by trombonist/co-arranger Joe Fiedler, Jeff Lederer on woodwinds, bassist Michael Bates and drummer Rob Garcia - all experienced jazz veterans - Lucas interprets the songs with the same goofy exuberance that characterizes the original recordings. Vocalist Sarah Stiles fully embodies the spirit of Mae Questal, the original voice of Betty Boop and Olive Oyl, seamlessly shifting from the former's sexy flapper squeak to the latter's neurotic wooing as the tracks unfold. Lucas, however, completely steals the show with his incredibly fluid, dexterous fingerpicking, which sounds at times like he has more than two hands attacking his guitar. It all culminates in a full recreation of an entire Popeye cartoon, Beware of Barnacle Bill, complete with dialog and musically channeled sound effects.
The best art comes from passion, and, listening to these songs, there can be little doubt that Gary Lucas and his Fleischerei absolutely love what they are doing. Become a kid again, if only for three quarters of an hour." - Chuck Foster, The Big Takeover
CD $15
ERGO (BRETT SROKA/SAM HARRIS/SHAWN BALTAZOR] - As Subtle as Tomorrow (Cuneiform 419; USA) This is the fourth disc from New York-based trio Ergo, who were founded by Brett Sroka. The current version of Ergo consists of Brett Sroka on trombone, computer & compositions, Sam Harris on acoustic, Rhodes electric & prepared pianos and Shawn Baltazor on drums. Considering the instrumentation here (trombone, pianos & drums), Ergo do a fine job of expanding their sound and evoking different diverse moods and scenes. Somewhere between the subtle, hypnotic keyboard sounds of early Soft Machine and the Necks, Ergo forge their own mesmerizing soundscape. Ergo take their time to let the suspense build, tweaking each sound bit by bit. On occasion, I am reminded of the quaint charm of the Penguin Cafe Orchestra with those near child-like melodies floating through. It is as if we opened a jewelry box and a magical melody crept out. There is an elegant, dreamy vibe at the center of some these songs which feels just right. On "A Conviction" the trombone & keyboards play in slow motion while the drums speed up and slow down, creating several currents at once. There are few solos on this disc since the music is more about conjuring moods. The overall somber yet mysterious vibe take patience to adjust to compared to the more neurotic pace of life in NYC so when you want to chill, give this unassuming gem a spin. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
EMPIRICAL - Connection (Cuneiform 416; USA) "Forward-looking sax/vibes-led quartet Empirical are set to unveil their fifth album, Connection, in radical fashion as they set up a pop-up Jazz Lounge at Old Street Station on the London Underground for six days, from 22 to 27 February 2016. Connection will also be the band's first album for US label Cuneiform and was recorded after a week of free gigs developing the music at London's iconic Foyles book shop in January 2015.
Bringing their music live and direct to commuters, listeners will be invited into the Jazz Lounge for lunchtime and evening commuter free-entry live sets and also play a mid-week early bird 8am set for bleary-eyed office workers. They will also be inviting school and community groups from Hackney and Islington to sign up to free-of-charge jazz workshops to demonstrate the principles of improvisation.
Having won a MOBO in 2010 for Best Jazz Act, Empirical have established themselves through a sharply defined sound revolving around vibist Lewis Wright's probing chords and melodies, saxophonist Nathaniel Facey's cutting alto lines and the propulsive interaction of bassist Tom Farmer and drummer Shaney Forbes.
While previous albums have featured several guests, Connection focuses on the core quartet delivering a dynamic set of originals that match an updated take on the angular 1960s New Thing sound with modern-day themes hinting at the tensions and stresses of modern life. Track titles include "Mind Over Mayhem", "Card Clash", "Stay The Course" and "It's Out of Your Hands", indicating the confrontational and reflective results on their most multi-faceted set to date. Connection is set for release on Cuneiform in early 2016." Mike Flynn, JazzWise Magazine
CD $15
ANAIS MAVIEL - Houle (Self-produced; USA) Featuring Ms. Anais Maviel on voice and surdo (hand-made floor tom drum, often used in Brazilian music). Last Sunday, (2/1/16) French/Haitian vocalist/percussionist Anais Maviel plated a solo set at DMG. It was one of the most enchanting sets I have ever witnessed here, completely mesmerizing the small crowd of DMG regulars and friends. I've caught Ms. Maviel on several occasions, once or twice with William Parker as part of his Martin Luther King tribute chorus. Although Ms. Maviel was still an integral part of Mr. Parker's group of singers, nothing prepared me for her solo debut live!
There is something ritualistic sounding going on here with just a voice and a drum. No words, just hypnotic vocalese, ancient sounds. This disc is superbly recorded, warm and enticing. Like hanging out with a special friend who is calm and comfortable to be their-selves. Ms. Maviel uses her voice like an instrument to bathe us in splendid waves which work well with her equally charming subtle drumming. There is a joyous vibe of innocence at the center of this, like children playing, carefree and without the worries that seem to plaque most of us adults. Although it is gray and raining outside today, all day, there is some sunshine glowing from this disc which helped me to feel better. Amen to that! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12
LAJOS DUDAS QUARTET/GERMAN CHAMBER ACADEMY//ANTON VON WEBERN/BELA BARTOK/LAJO DUDAS - Bruckenschlag/Bridging (JazzSick 5088; Germany) This disc features the Lajos Dudas Quartet (Dudas: clarinet, Philipp van Endert: guitar, Martin Gjakonovski: bass & Kurt Billker: drums) plus the German Chamber Academy. It is often problematic to combine the talents of a jazz quartet with a chamber orchestra, but this the type of challenge in which Lajos Dudas thrives. The three pieces here were composed by Anton von Webern, Bela Bartok and Mr. Dudas himself and conducted by Leo Siberski. Webern's "Five Sets for String Orchestra" is first and it takes a short while before the clarinet comes in, at first by itself. This piece is often restrained with the clarinet playing equally delicate. The rest of Dudas' quartet comes in, a seamless extension of the chamber orchestra's flow. The pizzicato playing and sweeping strings also work well with the rest of the quartet, the balance just right, all superbly integrated. Bartok's "Hungarian Pictures" is another strong choice and also starts out with ultra subtly with the lush strings, elegant guitar and slow burning swing of the swell rhythm team. The last piece is by Mr. Dudas and it is called "Ballet Music in Four Sets". The quartet is more exuberant here and even more well-ingrated with the string orchestra. As the rhythm team gets into a gallop groove, there are a couple of fine solos from the guitar band clarinet. The entire builds to a strong, spirited conclusion. The piece by Mr. Dudas is the highlight here and shows well his writing, arranging and playing has gotten for the unlikely combination of a jazz quartet and chamber orchestra. I hope he gets the opportunity again. soon. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
BLOODMIST [JEREMIAH CYMERMAN / TOBY DRIVER / MARIO DIAZ De LEON] - Sheen (005 5049 Records; USA) Bloodmist features Jeremiah Cymerman on clarinet & manipulations, Toby Driver (from Kayo Dot) on multi instruments (guitar, bass, etc.) and composer Mario Diaz de Leon on guitar, synth & electronics. Bloodmist came together in 2011 and have been slowly developing this own mysterious sound/world. Each member of the trio has had a release on Tzadik and each one has carefully worked with some sort of sonic manipulations. "Sheen" was recorded by Jamie Saft, produced by Mr. Cymerman and mastered by James Plotkin, all marvelous at what they do. Hence, the sound is extremely dynamic and works on several levels. The opening track, "The Owl That Calls Upon the Night" sounds like it was recorded in a submarine, somewhere in the depths of the ocean since the sounds seem to float in a liquid state. Jeremiah's clarinet sounds like a ghost as it hovers in the center with some immensely eerie guitar or bass and synth/electronics drifting around the edges of the space we are in. Since each sound is cautiously manipulated, it is hard to tell the clarinet from the guitar or whatever it is being bent into another shape. Although this music is mostly improvised, each sound seems to be meticulously placed and shaped, all to great effect. On "Bare Arms, Black Dresses", there is an ominous vibe with what sounds like dark metal guitar(s) shredding in the distance as other guitars slow down and provide a dream-like haze. The cover of this disc has an equally ominous light green and black drawing of perhaps an ancient temple from some sort of Mexican mythology. It fits the music inside perfectly as both audibly and visually the dark spirits of the underworld are captured and put on display. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
DRE HOCEVAR With CHRIS PITSIOKOS/LESTER ST. LOUIS/BRAM DE LOOZE/PHILIP WHITE - Collective Effervescence (Clean Feed 360; Portugal) This is the second disc from Slovenian-born/NY-based drummer Dre Hocevar and he has expanded his trio into a quintet. The personnel is Chris Pitsiokos on alto sax, Lester St. Louis on cello, Bram De Looze on piano, Philip White on electronics & processing and Dre Hocevar on drums & composition/direction. Mr. Hocevar's first disc for Clean Feed was a trio with Belgian pianist Bram de Looze and a relatively new (to NYC) cellist named Lester St. Louis. By adding saxist Chris Pitsiokos (leads several bands & works Weasel Walter, Max Johnson & Jon Irabagon) and Philip White (great duo disc w/ Pitsiokos) on electronics, the band has evolved further. I caught a live set by Dre Hocevar with an even more expanded version of this ensemble, adding Joe Morris & Nate Wooley (June of 2015). It was one of the best sets last year with little attendance. It was Mr. Hocevar's unique approach to playing gongs which stood out that night.
This is a studio recording and the sound is superb, close mic'd and well-balanced. The first track, "Unknown Unknowns" begins quietly with much space and suspense, minimal notes unfurling like wisps of smoke. With each piece the tension and restlessness increase. Rubbed & bowed strings, hushed manipulated drum surfaces, sprinkles of piano and sax squeaks, minimalist but ever expanding. You must listen closely since it sounds as if the music is being magnified at times. I dig the nervous energy of "Imaginary_Synthesis Within Sublime Inside" since the pace and energy are increased and simmering nicely. There is some spirited sax, cello and piano interplay here, which gets better and better throughout this piece. Although these pieces do not sound composed, they do sound directed and often focused. Alto saxist Chris Pitsiokos, who is currently on tour in Europe (early Feb, 2016), can often be quite explosive. Here he calms down and sounds great playing more restrained yet equally compelling sounds, bending and twisting those notes without erupting too much. The balance and interaction moves into hyperspace on the last few pieces and is richly rewarding. Don't miss Dre Hocevar's group live if you have the chance, they remain one of NY's best kept secrets. Those outside the tristate area, grab this disc and enjoy the ride. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
Back in Stock After Being Listed in August of 2015 & Sold Out Since:
SLD TRIO [PAULA SHOCRON/GERMAN LAMONEGA/PABLO DIAZ] - Anfitrion (Self-Released; Bolivia) "The SLD Trio features Paul Shocron on piano, German Lamonega on contras and Pablo Diaz on drums. This trio hails from Argentina and were in town playing some gigs last summer (2015) with local favorites like Daniel Carter, Ras Moshe, Matt Lavelle & Steve Dalachinsky (who wrote the liner notes/poem for this disc)."
The music of this trio moves between more or less free terrain with occasional written or directed sections. Ms. Shocron often plays quietly inside the piano, coaxing mysterious sounds as she plucks or strums the strings. I get the feeling that free improvisation has become an international language that is shared by many musicians from around the world. Unfolding in a most organic way with burst of controlled yet frenetic activity, It sounds rather difficult to tell where these folks are from by just listening but the results are amazing nonetheless with many moments of intense eruptions, extraordinary clarity of ideas and unpredictable twists and turns. Although all three members look fairly young from the pictures on the cover, they sound as if they have been working together for a long time, creating their own unique language or sound-world. Moments of this gem remind me of the magic of The Necks or Dawn of Midi yet they seem to go their own way and rarely stay quiet for very long. The Clean Feed label often comes up with little known (and often European bands) who turn out to be quite incredible. The SLD Trio fit perfectly in this magical mold. Music like this give me/us hope that there is much more undiscovered wonders than we could ever hope to check out. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10
Historic, Archival and Rare Live Recordings:
THE RESIDENTS - Gingerbread Man (Cryptic Corporation MVD 8139; USA) "The Gingerbread Man is the story or, maybe more accurately, one of the many journeys of an entity that visits the minds of human beings, and spies upon their thoughts. In the center of these personalities, the Gingerbread Man finds each person's individual 'brain song,' an infectious piece of pop music that floats around in their mind. The Gingerbread Man recognizes this 'brain song' as a human's unconscious attempt at creating order in the quagmire of chaos constantly confusing its mental condition. Because of his ultimately detached position, The Gingerbread Man has no real emotional stake in the lives of these people, but they do represent an ongoing sense of amusement for him. In the end he sums up his feelings toward humanity with a brief song of his own. Bonus tracks: instrumental arrangement, edited condensation."
CD $14
CAPTAIN BEEFHEART - Plastic Factory (Go Faster 057; UK) "Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band had supported Love at the Avalon Ballroom a month before, but they returned on June 17th 1966 as headliners. Then seen as a blues musician with a big voice, rather than the avant-garde experimentalist he would become, Beefheart didn't disappoint, performing no fewer than four Howlin' Wolf numbers in amongst a number of other blues covers and a smattering of originals. The Magic Band at this time were Doug Moon and Alex St. Clair on guitars, Jerry Handley on bass and Paul Blakely on drums. The Oxford Circle supported on the night, and coming from a Them/Yardbirds impulse as they did, they were well received by the blues enthusiasts in attendance. This Avalon show is augmented here by a number of bonus cuts from radio sessions and demos recorded between 1966 and 1968, all originals and all in surprisingly good quality for material of this vintage. The CD is completed with a rare radio interview (well, more of a chat really) between veteran Brit DJ John Peel and Beefheart, recorded one night in 1973 when the Good Captain joined Peel on his radio show, while touring the UK."
CD $15
FRANK ZAPPA - The Muffin Man Goes to College (featuring Captain Beefheart) (Smokin' 315; Germany) "Of all the Frank Zappa tours, the spring of 1975 is the most unusual and frustrating. The performances could range from absolutely exhilarating to rather drab with slopping renditions of composed 'core' pieces like 'Advance Romance' and 'Willie The Pimp' played in the midst of brilliant improvisations by Zappa, Captain Beefheart and the other musicians in the band. Add to this the paucity of really good recordings, and the frustration is obvious. As a radio broadcast however this is the best sounding show from the tour, it's a tight and enjoyable performance. Capturing the chaotic, eclectic turns in the set starting off with an atonal cacophony of noise in the beginning improvisation, Zappa comes on stage at about a minute and a half in, and beginnings playing at about five minutes, starting the band off with 'Camarillo Brillo.' It is performed as in other tours with the first half at normal tempo and the second slowed down. 'Pound For A Brown' is the big monster song of the tour. Stretching close to ten minutes, Fowler and Duke take solos before Zappa, all in a jazz/funk vein. It segues right into the long 'Why Doesn't Someone Give Him A Pepsi?' (a.k.a. 'The Torture Never Stops'). The long improvisations after "Montana" begin with Zappa pointing out Brock who plays the little cymbal and pretends to cry when hitting himself. During the improv they play bits of 'Chariot' and 'Moon Trek.' The strangeness continues with 'Sam With The Showing Scalp Flat Top' before the segue into 'Penguin In Bondage.' 'Poofter's Froth Wyoming Plans Ahead' speaks about the cynicism of marketing the bicentennial celebrations due the following year. The closing section of 'Echidna's Arf' segues into the final song of the set, 'Advance Romance.' 'Just like a rock and roll concert,' Zappa quips before they rip into a wild 'Willie The Pimp' with more blues jams, Denny's slide guitar, and Beefheart's Howlin' Wolf vocals."
2 CD Set $20
PATTI SMITH - Bicentenary Blues: Boarding House - San Francisco 1976 (Good Ship Funke 005; UK) "She'd been a New Yorker since moving to the city in 1967, aged 21. She had a child that she gave up for adoption, met and started a relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe - with whom she shared a room at the infamous Chelsea Hotel for some time - and she discovered the work of French symbolist poet Arthur Rimbaud. She appeared in Warhol Superstar Jackie Curtis's play Femme Fatale with Wayne County, and - for one night only - in Cowboy Mouth which she co-wrote with Sam Shepherd. She was considered for the role of lead vocalist in Blue Oyster Cult, but instead contributed lyrics to many of the band's songs, and she started a relationship with BOC keyboardist Alan Lanier. She contributed articles to rock journals Rolling Stone and Creem. By 1974 she was performing rock music herself, initially with guitarist, bassist and rock archivist Lenny Kaye, and later with a full band comprising Kaye, Ivan Kral on guitar and bass, Jay Dee Daugherty on drums and Richard Sohl on piano. The group released the self-financed single 'Hey Joe'/'Piss Factory' the same year and in 1975 recorded their debut album Horses for the label to which they were by then signed, Arista; the album was released in December '75 to near unanimous high praise. Two months later, on February 15th 1976, the group played at the Boarding House in San Francisco - a performance which was broadcast live on FM radio. This CD captures this concert in its entirety and illustrates perfectly the strange power of this pioneering band and its dynamic, talented and foresighted lead singer and main songwriter. 1976 was also the year that the United States of America celebrated 200 years of independence from the British Empire, a celebration that culminated on July 4th - the date in 1776 on which the Declaration of Independence was adopted. Whether or not this event had any impact or bearing on Patti Smith is not recorded."
CD $15
STEPHEN STILLS & MANASSAS - Bananafish Gardens, NY (Air Cuts 8008; UK) Following the summer 1970 split of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Stephen Stills quickly formed Manassas with former Byrd and Flying Burrito Brother Chris Hillman, as well as guitarist Al Perkins, fiddler Byron Berline, keyboardist Paul Harris, singer and percussionist Joe Lala, bassist Calvin "Fuzzy" Samuels, and drummer Dallas Taylor. Playing a potent blend of blues, folk, country, Latin, and rock, they were an instant success. This superb set at the Bananafish Garden in Brooklyn on April 16, 1973, took place shortly before the release of their second album, Down the Road, in May of that year, and features material from both of their LPs, as well as material by Buffalo Springfield, The Byrds, and CSNY. The complete WBCN-FM broadcast is presented here in digitally remastered sound with background notes and images.
CD $17
HERBIE HANCOCK FEATURING JACO PASTORIUS + BENNIE MAUPIN - Live in Chicago 1977 (Hi Hat 3034; UK) By 1977 Herbie Hancock was firmly established as America's leading purveyor of jazz-funk. This superb performance at the Ivanhoe Theater in Chicago on February 16, 1977, finds him playing with Weather Report's legendary bassist Jaco Pastorius, as well as Bennie Maupin (tenor sax, bass clarinet) and James Levi (drums). Broadcast on the local WXRT-FM, it offers a setlist anchored in Hancock's Head Hunters (1973) era, but also includes a track from Maupin's superb Slow Traffic to the Right album (1977). It's presented here in digitally remastered sound with background notes and images.
CD $17
KLAUS SCHULZE - In Blue [3 CD Set](Made in Germany 1432; Germany) "When In Blue was released, many fans thought that this was the most typical Schulze record for a long time. They were probably right because Klaus did the songs a little bit with the fans in mind for whom the sound of the previous album were too modern. In this respect In Blue is a more traditional Schulze record because it featured Manuel Goettsching on 'Return Of The Tempel'. However he didn't plan it. Somehow it came to his mind to ask Manuel if he won't feel like playing a bit again. When we are playing live we just have to look at eachb other, and everything flowes! Manuel is not only a great guy but also a gifted guitarist. Since the days with Ash Ra Tempel Klaus and Manuel never lost touch with each other."
3 CD Set $27
KLAUS SCHULZE & PETE NAMLOOK - The Dark Side of the Moog Vol. 1-4 [5 CD Set](Made in Germany 1382; Germany) "Complex re-release of the most remarkable and worldwide sought after series The Dark Side Of The Moog by German electronic pioneers Klaus Schulze and Pete Namlook (aka Peter Kuhlmann) in three slip lid boxsets, each with 5 CDs, incl. bonus material and new linernotes. The first box contains Vol. 1 to Vol. 4 and the Best Of-Album The Evolution Of The Dark Side Of The Moog. Their relationship between Klaus and Pete and the exchange of ideas was unorthodox from the beginning of their co-operation, in that they rarely met personally. The most remarkable contacts they had were outside of their studios, for instance their concert of April 1999 at the Jazz Festival in Hamburg , which was released as an edited version on Dark Side Of The Moog, Vol.8 (will be released in the second Boxset) - the interplay and chemistry between them is clearly evident, and it becomes even clearer on the un-edited version of the concert (which will be released as bonus CS on the third boxset). The influence Namlook had on Klaus's music in the middle of the nineties should not be taken lightly, because although Klaus dearly loved those early-analogue elements from his own music, they had become, to an extent, lost. It was Pete who fortified him to go back to the analogue charm of his early albums and it was Pete who supported him in the modification of his analogue instruments, leading finally to the epoch-making Schulze album from 1996 - Are You Sequenced? And so a legendary series of recordings was born. Dark Side Of The Moog grew more or less unplanned to a sprawling, stately-sized series of eleven volumes recorded between 1994 and 2008, only ending with the early, tragic death of Pete on November 8th 2012."
5 CD Set $35
BAUMANN/KOEK - Baumann/Koek (Bureau B 217; Germany) Baumann/Koek is another hitherto undiscovered treasure of German electronic music, the only album by the electronic music pairing of Wolfgang Baumann and Ata Koek, both from Kempten, Bavaria, Germany. It was mixed in Conny Plank's studio and distributed, without a label, by the duo themselves in 1978. The music owes much to the Berlin School; layered sequencer patterns, swirling chord tapestries, a computer beat here and there. Eastern elements or hints thereof add a particular charm to Baumann/Koek, reissued here for the first time. Rumors persist that Peter Baumann of Tangerine Dream is behind the Baumann/Koek project. But in actual fact, Baumann/Koek can unequivocally be identified as Wolfgang Baumann (no, not the MPS Records cover artist), born in Kempten in 1950, and his friend Ata Koek (Kokturk, to be precise), born in Istanbul in 1956. In their mid-20s, the pair made the trip from Kempten to Bonn with the singular aim of visiting the legendary Synthesizerstudio Bonn, the very same store where Kraftwerk and countless other electronic icons went shopping for their equipment. They purchased a secondhand ARP 2600, began experimenting, and realized that they needed more gear. Before long they had added an ARP sequencer, a Solina String keyboard, and an EKO Compurhythm drum computer to their arsenal. Last but not least, they acquired a four-track recorder and were ready to commit their music to tape, before going to the expense of booking Conny Plank's studio for the mix. They pressed up 1000 LPs and paid the production costs themselves. The album was well-received and the Swabian wholesaler Jaguar Records stepped in for worldwide distribution, but unfortunately went bankrupt shortly afterward. Baumann and Koek were disinclined to take on any further financial risk and decided against a follow-up record. The music clearly references the Berlin School, with a hypnotic maelstrom of sequencer patterns and swirling tapestries of mostly minor chords, underpinned at times by a computer beat. What really sets the music apart from comparable productions is the subtle influence of Arabian tonality, which saw Koek consciously introduce just a hint of Eastern flavor. If Baumann and Koek considered their "modest" equipment to be a hindrance, their music sounded all the better for it. There is a raw, unpolished quality to the tracks, a clarity that draws the listener closer, far more so than the bombastic productions of contemporaries like Tangerine Dream, Klaus Schulze
CD $17
EDDIE BAIRD - Hard Graft (Prog Temple 8048; UK) Lincolnshire, England-born multi-instrumentalist Eddie Baird is best known as a member of Amazing Blondel. This solo album is, however, far removed from that band's renaissance folk style. A classy set of concise pop rock songs played entirely by Baird, it was recorded in Cornwall, England, in the summer of 1975 and released in 1976. It makes its long-overdue CD debut here.
CD $17
The Ever Growing Vinyl/Record Section:
DON CHERRY & JON APPLETON - Don/Jon [7" Single] (Cacophonic 4506EP; USA) Rare, previously unreleased outtakes from electroacoustic pioneer and Synclavier developer Jon Appleton and experimental jazz outrider Don Cherry's controversial electronic jazz experiments, recorded during the sessions for their 1970 Human Music LP at the Bregman Electronic Music Studio at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire. Released with the blessing and encouragement of Appleton himself, this absolutely essential record combines the creative technology that directly coincided with the dawn of Bob Moog and Don Buchla's synthesizer revolution with the homecoming of outernational free jazz -- two strains that, in tandem, spearheaded America's most radical music developments in the subsequent two decades and beyond.
7" Single $14
UNIVERS ZERO - Univers Zero [2 LP Set](Sub Rosa 399; Belgium) Univers Zero's 1977 debut album, reissued as a double LP with a bonus track "La Faulx" spread over sides C and D. Long-running Belgian chamber rockers and avant-garde pioneers led by drummer and composer Daniel Denis, Univers Zero formed in 1974 with co-composer and guitarist Roger Trigaux (who left the band in 1980). This is their first album, recorded between August 2 and 5, 1977. "The rhythmic energy and dissonant riffs, the distinctive sound of the bassoon and strings, and the tricky, fragmented time signatures make for a challenging and highly distinctive listening experience." - AllMusic
2 LP set $24
TAKEHISA KOSUGI & TAKASHI KAZAMAKI - Enban Live at the Strange Fruit (Fool 002; Japan) "Avant-primitive improv from the duo of Takehisa Kosugi (Violin, Recorder, Voice) and Takashi Kazamaki (Percussion, Harmonica). Recorded in 1983, Kosugi shows yet another side of himself, trading his drone for a more free-hillbilly style, which meshes perfectly with Kazamaki's masterful tumbling and clattering. Euro Import with paste-on covers. Limited edition of 250."
LP $22
PHILIP CORNER - OM Entering. and Once Enterd (Kye 039; USA) "The latest LP from veteran fluxus composer Philip Corner. OM Entering. and Once Enterd comprises four previously unreleased recordings with the Barton Workshop, taken from performances in the Netherlands, and South Korea, between 2000-2007. 'OM ENTRANCE. OM ENTERTRANCE. which one does....because the performance is a real "passage from the material to the spiritual" unless the "real" world is just as spiritual already which i like to think it is. As perhaps an everyday awareness is already to be entranced which i have been told it is, really. To the facts: musicians' coming-in already the performance of everything has to be done to get ready from unpacking to tuning and all that is done in the concentrated and exalted spirit of real music. Multiplicity moves noise to instrument possibilities with virtuosity show-offs slowing down to a perfect tuning in a quiet circle from where there is nowhere else to go but the sustaining of a quiet long tone. My old friend and colleague also great composer Jim Fulkerson is there as he has be, as he was even at the first performance way back must be almost 50 years by now joining the Creative Associates at the University of Buffalo on his initiative as likewise these performances in Holland with his group he calls The Barton Workshop and for sure he is there playing trombone too. The movement from SANG/TEH (SITUATIONS). Guard duty in a cold Korean winter. This piece was a major turning-point in my work. My life too you-could-say. "Of Ancient Times and Modern Sounds" i wrote then: a better world---much much better---than being in the American Army. The heterophonic melody-only texture learned from their "Ah Ahk" court music ("Soo Je Chun" the most beautiful music in the history of the world!) imposed on a thoroughly modern chromatic note structure.
LP $18
MUSIC OF XINJIANG - Kazakh and Uyghur Music of Central Asia (Sublime Frequencies 101; USA) Limited-edition LP with full-size insert of text and photographs by compiler Laurent Jeanneau. Xinjiang (Eastern Turkestan) is China's biggest province. The musical landscape here is one of the world's richest. The Uyghur and the Kazakh are the two main ethnicities represented on these recordings made by Laurent Jeanneau and Shi Tanding in June of 2009. The Kazakh (nomadic) and Uyghur (agricultural) have multiple linguistic ties. Much of this music shares many influences from the Arab world, Turkey, and Persia. The sound is that of the Islamic tradition stretching from Turkey to the most eastern frontier of the Chinese empire. These recordings and performances feature some of the area's greatest musicians playing instruments like the satar, tanbur, dotar, rawab, rushtar, and dongbra, among many others. These tracks represent ecstatic examples of the region's rich musical voice. Buzzing plucked strings and epic tales of the life and legacy of one of the oldest (2500 years) and richest cultural areas of central Asia. Performers include Kurban, Pa Hat, Adengr, Kali, Jaymanur Ajabek, Kurmanjiang Zaccharia, and Jaymanur Ajabek.
LP $18
OUTLIER - Recordings from Madagascar/Various (Sublime Frequencies 102; USA) Limited-edition LP with full-size insert of text and photographs by compiler Charles Brooks. This collection is an impeccable and crystalline assortment of beautiful music from the deep southwestern provinces of Menabe and Tulear in Madagascar, recorded and assembled by Charles Brooks. Brooks has made many friends in these lesser-travelled regions since the 1990s. Outlier: Recordings from Madagascar represents a compilation of his encounters from 2011-2012. "Madagascar is an island that would bleed into obscurity if not for the rhythm of its name and the mysterious tailwind that follows it. Filled with natural wonder, it's a land where places, conversations, and names are spoken with a liquid tongue, where people and setting come together to create a unique array of music and culture. Sites can become extraordinarily charged with an unseen presence where heavy air, summoned spirits, and a transformative energy collapse natural constraints of place. The Malagasy call this mingling of forces 'maresaka' -- a permeating vibrational aura. Maresaka pulls you in and places you in the moment, to participate through a saturation of sounds, smells, and colors. When caught inside this kind of atmosphere, levity comes; you release your anchors of self-control. Beautiful unfettered music surfaces. Here, that is to say where I've been brought to listen, music lives and moves. The artists represented in this compilation play, and their music has many different roles -- both natural and supernatural. Music can be performed as much as it can be recorded, but here it's mostly played. These exceptional artists share within such practice" --Charles Brooks, 2015. Performers include Manatsoa, Tanka, Angeline, Tafara Justin, Justin Velonjoha, Masy Germaine, Mony, Mahavita, Leonel, Lisa, Jean-Francois, Marinette, Vincent, Alvine, Tsingezo, and Taomanana.
LP $18
MOONSICLES - Bay of Seething (Feeding Tube 230; USA) "Lovely, mysteriously canted debut LP by the new Austin-based quartet put together by Aaron Russell (ex-Cherry Blossoms, Weird Weeds, etc.). The music on Bay of Seething is instrumental, and rolls with a very cinematic feel, as though it were the soundtrack for some sort of rather sad, but highly psychedelic, movie. Sonically, if you need easy handles, the sounds are probably closer to Weird Weeds' than to Cherry Blossoms', perhaps because bassist Lindsey Verrill is a Weeds alum as well. But perhaps not. The blend of Aaron's guitar -- sometimes raw and heavy, sometimes more in the electro-folk mode -- with Sheila Scoville's synth, Verrill's bass, and Carolyn Cunningham's drums creates a dynamic and surging whole that's hypnotic and rapturous. Curiously, Moonsicles grab neither of the easy tropes that have lately been the stock-in-trade of instrumental units -- orientalia and spaghetti westernism. Their approach is straighter in a way, more based on proggy rock-qua-rock without nodding to either the far east or the faux west. The more the record plays, the deeper you'll sink. So grab yr duvet and prepare thyself for a solid ride" --Byron Coley, 2016. Limited edition of 300.
LP $18
BURNT ENVELOPE - Alien Nation: Collected Singles Thus Far (Feeding Tube 237; USA) "Vinylization of the first cassette released by Tony Pasquarosa's incredible scuzz-punk project Burnt Envelope. Tony is well known for his multifarious guises (Crystalline Roses, World Domination, Gluebag, etc.) and membership of Frozen Corn, Aerosols, and whatever else might have happened this past week. Alien Nation documents the first imaginary seven singles by the 'band,' ranging from garage-spew in the proto-punk vein to brutalist groin thunder. Version Sound's Bob Moore has compared Burnt Envelope to Electric Eels at their snarliest. Regardless of labels, the music here is a brilliant mock-trio throb that ranges from neolithic suburban psych pulse of a Lazy Smoke cover right on through to blabbermouth pre-core lockjaw. Burnt Envelope's LP is a significant addition to Tony's discography, a discography that may well prove to be one of the most important blurts of New England's sub underground" --Byron Coley, 2016. Limited numbered edition of 300. LP $19 THE ELECTRONIC HOLE - The Electronic Hole (Radich 002; USA) Limited repress. Two foundational documents of American private-press psychedelic rock emerge from decades-long shadows, deeply illuminated chapters authored by prototypical "terminally unique" Southern California artist/seeker Phil Pearlman and two of his early, briefly extant bands.
The Electronic Hole (1970) is a raw, noisy, droning, and completely mesmerizing album recorded by Phil Pearlman between the first Beat of the Earth album (RAD 001LP) and Relatively Clean Rivers (ASH 3007CD). Pearlman assembled The Electronic Hole in 1969. Recorded in local studios during off-hours, the album is entirely different from Beat of the Earth, as it abandons a free-form improvisational approach in favor of "compositions," including a wild cover of Frank Zappa's "Trouble Every Day." Pearlman plays sitar to great effect on the album, and another track has the thickest wall of fuzz guitars imaginable. It stands as the closest approximation of the West Coast version of what The Velvet Underground were doing with their first two albums. This is deep, brain-frying psychedelia in its purest definition. Limited edition of 300 copies.
LP $24
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Quick Sales List - Limited Quantities, Few or No Back-Orders, First Come, First Served!
JIMI HENDRIX - Jimi Plays Berkeley - Berkeley Community Theatre, Saturday May 30, 1970 (Sony 93319; USA) This DVD is a great demonstration of the hard, cold fact that Jimi Hendrix is the greatest guitar player of all time. He truly amazes. Hendrix's control of his instrument, the power he wields when he plays his guitar, is inspiring. Many people who play their guitars let the guitar play them, but Jimi Hendrix plays his guitar. Whenever I watch this concert, I fall into a trance watching him play. Mitch Mitchell is an amazing drummer an I don't think he's appreciated enough - he really gives power to the songs, especially Machine Gun. Voodoo Child (Slight Return) is amazing. Hendrix does an excellent rendition of Machine Gun. Hey Baby (New Rising Sun) sounds beautiful. Hendrix alone makes this DVD worth buying.
DVD $12
PAUL BLEY TRIO With MARK LEVINSON/BARRY ALTSCHUL - Ramblin'(Actuel 13/Sunspots 528; Italy) This is an excellent studio effort from RCA studios in Rome on July 1st of 1966 and it features Mark Levinson on bass [yes, the high-end audio guru played magnificent bass back in the '60s], Barry Altschul on drums and the incredible piano of Paul Bley. A brilliant trio that used melody and space in endlessly inventive ways. Mini-LP replica cover. With the recent passing of Paul Bley (1/3/16), it is even more unfortunate that so few of his 100+ records are in print. If you own few or none of his discs, this is great place to start. - BLG
CD $12
THINKING PLAGUE - Upon Both Your Houses (NEARfest Records; USA) In 1999 and 2000, for the first time, Thinking Plague hit the road, playing clubs and festivals outside of the Denver area. With the stupendous line-up of: Mike Johnson - guitar, Dave Kerman - drums, Mark Harris - saxes, clarinets and flute, Dave Willey - bass and accordion, Matt Mitchell (yes, the future Tim Berne collaborator) - piano and keyboards and Deborah Perry - vocals. Their final show was professionally recorded at NEARfest 2000 and this is that show. The band were a dynamo, fusing great subtlety to emotionally devastating and powerful musical material. It includes a large number of pieces from their release In Extremis, as well as tracks from In This Live (the stunning Love being a particular highlight for me), The Early Plague Years and even a track by Hamster Theatre (3 members of Thinking Plague also are in Hamster Theatre). The orginal multi-track tapes were mixed and mastered by Bob Drake and this is about as definitive a modern-day live Thinking Plague experience as there can be! Recommended!
CD $12
SEX MOB [STEVE BERNSTEIN/BRIGGAN KRAUSS/TONY SCHERR/KENNY WOLLESEN] - Plays Fellini/Cinema, Circus & Spaghetti - The Music of Nino Rota (Royal Potato Family 1296; USA) 17 years strong, Sexmob are a venerable New York City music institution. The band's four founding members - Steven Bernstein, Briggan Krauss, Tony Scherr and Kenny Wollesen - defy genre, instead replacing it with their own inimitable musical language. It's fitting then that for their first new album in over seven years, Sexmob would choose to re-imagine the music of Nino Rota. It was Rota's imaginative compositions that set the tone for the surrealist films of the legendary director Federico Fellini. The Italian filmmaker once said, "My films, like my life, are summed up in circus, spaghetti, sex, and cinema." Accordingly, Sexmob have dubbed their tribute, Cinema, Circus & Spaghetti. The 13-track collection is a welcome return to form by these giants of the NYC downtown scene as they dive headlong into Rota's iconic Fellini film melodies. The quartet fearlessly blows apart musical parameters whether steering the arrangements through gutbucket swing or igniting them with New Orleans brass band second-line fervor; dubbing them out into ether or blasting them with punk jazz abandon. These classic themes are the perfect foil for Sexmob's improvisational psychedelia, old world beauty and hypnotic groove.
CD 12
MAMAN- In and Out of Life (RES 148; France) Maman are a French trip-hop band. This disc was released last year (2015) and the guests include: John Greaves (vocals) and Vincent Courtois (cello) with lyrics by Chris Cutler, Peter Blegvad, John Greaves and Charles Trenet. I wasn't sure what to expect from this since I hadn't heard much of trip-hop. Hmmm. Quirky, laid-back, somewhat funky grooves with scratchy record samples and sly spoken words in French and English. Although this disc does have its own odd charm, I am not so sure who it will appeal to since it has little in common with anything else from the John Greaves/Chris Cutler/Peter Blegvad side of things. However, there is one unexpected cover that does sound fine, Mr. Blegvad's "How Beautiful You Are", which gets a rather sinister reading. Very odd indeed! - BLG
CD $12
SLAPP HAPPY - Sort Of (BP318; UK) The much wanted & anticipated reissue of Slapp Happy's extremely rare debut from 1972 by Peter Blegvad, Dagmar Krause & Anthony Moore, recorded at Wumme (Faust's studio) with backing by some of Faust (Gunther Wusthoff, Werner "Zappi" Diermaier and Jean-Herve Peron). The band's charming naivete was never as pronounced as here. And if hearing these formative recordings wasn't enough, you even get the non lp b-side (Jumping Jonah) of their single as well! Subtle, unlike anything else (especially anything else being done in 1972!) and highly recommended. This is now out of print, but which we have a great price!
CD $12
ESTRADASPHERE- Palace of Mirrors (TE077; USA) "If you enjoy the music of bands like Mr. Bungle, Farmers Market, Charming Hostess and other great fusion bands along those lines, then you'll definitely want to buy this album." - Unearthed.com. Not sure how this cool, wacky band ended up on The End, which is basically a metal label, but this is really good and features some great violin playing and a lot of Eastern European influences along with crunchy metallic guitars and much more!!
"On the new album Estradasphere brings together elements from a wide-range of styles (gypsy metal, 60's foreign cinema rock, jazz arrangements, expansive orchestrations) with such perseverance and major focus on the aesthetic of their sound. About the new material, the bassist comments, 'The new album by Estradasphere distills the elements in the group that are clearly the strongest, while trimming the fat of our previous efforts.'"
CD $10
*****
Nine Dynamite Discs Featuring WILLIAM HOOKER Now on sale, Most are last copies!
WILLIAM HOOKER STRINGS 3 With DAVE ROSS/EDWARD RICART/GLEN HALL - A Postcard From the Road (New Atlantis 004; USA) William Hooker with not one but two great guitarists plus a fine Toronto-area based saxist.
CD $10
WILLIAM HOOKER With ELLIOTT SHARP/THURSTON MOORE - Shamballa: Duets (KnitWorks 151; USA) Powerful series of intense drums and guitar duets from two of downtown's best noise/improv guitar heroes and that incredible drum monster.
CD $13 (Out-of-print!)
WILLIAM HOOKER With SABIR MATEEN/LEWIS BARNES/MARK HENNEN/ et al - The Distance Between Us (KnitWorks 231; USA) Although writers would often tag William as an energy drummer/leader, this has never been the whole story. Musicians of note include Sabir Mateen & Charles Compo on saxes, Lewis Barnes on trumpet, Mark Hennen on piano, and Jesse Henry, Brian Doherty, Ed Flynn & Dan Lilly on guitars and/or basses. Explosive & dense in parts, William always does a fine job of pushing each player to his or her best. Immense waves of piano, sand-blasting saxophones, insane trumpeting. William even pulls out short melodic fragment compositions for the players to occasionally meet, an island in the storm. - BLG
CD $13 (Out-of-print!)
WILLIAM HOOKER/LEE RANALDO - The Celestial Answer (Table of Elements/Xeric 102; USA) As individual performers, William Hooker and Lee Ranaldo are explosive. As collaborators, they are thermonuclear. With The Celestial Answer, Hooker and Ranaldo have created a work of blindingly brilliant, elemental force. Rays of white guitar noise penetrate clouds of analog synth; molten drumming blasts across free-form poetics. The dynamic is beautiful and inspired -- a simple cold-fusion of intuitive interaction and boundless sonic freedom. These are thoughtful and emotionally attuned artists. Open your ears and they'll take you on a soaring voyage through an ecstatic firmament, into the howling mouth of infinity."
CD $14 (Out-of-print!)
WILLIAM HOOKER & LIUDAS MOCKUNAS - Live at the Vilnius Jazz Festival (NoBusiness CD 68; Lithuania) Featuring William Hooker on drums and Liudas Mockunas on soprano, alto and tenor saxes. Both men have a powerful, larger-than-life sound and work well together. Tossing ideas back and forth, building a tower of colossal sounds, powerful forces erupting. A truly dynamic duo! - BLG
CD $14
WILLIAM HOOKER QUARTET With WILLIAM PARKER/MASAHIKO KONO/ALAN MICHAEL/CLAUDE LAWRENCE /CHARLES COMPO/MARK HENNEN - Lifeline (Silkheart 119; Sweden)
CD $15 (Out-of-print!)
WILLIAM HOOKER ENSEMBLE With WILLIAM PARKER/MASAHIKO KONO/ et al - The Firmament/Fury (Silkheart 123; Sweden)
CD $15 (Out-of-print!)
TEXT OF LIGHT [LEE RANALDO/ALAN LICHT/CHRISTIAN MARCLAY/DJ OLIVE/WILLIAM HOOKER/ULRICH KRIEGER/TIM BARNES] - ToL [Ltd Ed Metal Box edition; 3 CD set] (Dirter 58; UK) "Incredible 3 CD set from Text of Light, which was founded in 2001 by the core group of Lee Ranaldo, Alan Licht, Ulrich Krieger, with Christian Marclay (sometimes with DJ Olive and/or Marina Rosenfeld) and William Hooker (sometimes with Tim Barnes and/or Steve Shelley). The music was freely improvised and their sets/recordings were performed live to a projected film backdrop, usually of Stan Brakhage films, and no set is ever the same. Needless to say, given the collective participants, this is some of the most extraordinary aleatoric music you'll ever hear - at times passive, and other times dense and chaotic! NO wonder the Nurse With Wound label Durtro went out of their way to release this special package! The first 1000 copies of this lavish set were issued in a special metal 'film can' box with the 'ToL' logo embossed on the lid, as both a tribute to, and a pastiche of PiL's Metal Box."
3 CD Set $20
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BLG / DMG Recommended Performances - End of January/February 2016:
THE STONE Is located at the NW corner of Avenue C & East 2nd Sts.
THE STONE RESIDENCIES - DITHER - FEB 2-FEB 7
2/5 Friday
8 pm - Dither plays Zorn: Game Pieces - Taylor Levine, Joshua Lopes, James Moore, Gyan Riley (guitars) Ikue Mori (electronics) Michael Nicolas (cello) Dither and friends play Zorn's seminal improvisational game pieces, featuring Hockey, Fencing, Curling and Rugby.
10 pm - Dither plays Zorn: The Bagatelles - Taylor Levine, Joshua Lopes, James Moore (guitars) plays solo, duo an trio realizations from Zorn's newest book of music.
2/6 Saturday
8 pm - The Blasted Heath - Joshua Lopes (guitar) Jon Lango (drums) James Ilgenfritz (bass) Mike Sperone (electronics, pitched percussion)
10 pm - Taylor Levine (guitar) Kevin Shea (drums) Philip White (electronics)
2/7 Sunday
3 pm - JOHN ZORN'S BAGATELLES: GYAN RILEY AND JULIAN LAGE
Gyan Riley (guitar) Julian Lage (guitar) TWENTY DOLLARS
8 pm - Dither plays Tenney & Polansky - Giacomo Fiore, Stephen Griesgraber, Taylor Levine, Joshua Lopes, Grey McMurray, James Moore, Larry Polansky, Geremy Schulick (guitars); Special guests Larry Polansky and Giacomo Fiore join Dither and friends for James Tenney's complete guitar ensemble works and the world premiere of Polansky's "Canons and Rounds."
10 pm - Dither plays Niblock - Taylor Levine, Joshua Lopes, James Moore, Robert Poss (guitars) Special guests; Dither and friends perform Phill Niblock's epic drone piece "Stosspeng."
THE STONE RESIDENCIES / WILLIAM HOOKER'S RADIANCE / FEB 9-FEB 14
2/9 Tuesday
8 pm - GREEN I - David First (guitar) Eri Yamamoto (piano) Reut Regev (trombone) William Hooker (drums)
GREEN II - JD Parran (reeds) Edward Ricart (guitar) Luke Stewart (bass) William Hooker (drums)
2/10 Wednesday
8 pm - BLUE I - Ted Daniel (trumpet) Dick Griffin (trombone) Hill Greene (bass) Larry Roland (bass) William Hooker (drums)
10 pm - BLUE II - Michael Attias (reeds) Chris Welcome (guitar) David Soldier (mandolin) Shayna Dulberger (bass) William Hooker (drums)
2/11 Thursday
8 pm - INDIGO I - Steve Dalachinsky, Lisa Sokolov (voices) AR'BRAF (rapper) Jesse Henry, Dave Ross (guitars) William Hooker (drums)
10 pm - INDIGO II - Louie Belogenis (reeds) Bern Nix, Cristian Amigo (guitars) William Hooker (drums)
2/12 Friday
8 pm - RED I - Tom Hamilton (electronics) David Soldier (mandolin, guitar) Bruce Eisenbiel (guitar) William Hooker (drums)
10 pm - RED II - Andrew Lamb (sax) Mark Hennen (piano) William Hooker (drums) Adam Lane (bass)
2/13 Saturday
8 pm - ORANGE I - Jessica Pavone (viola) Chris Pitsiokos (alto sax) Kyoko Kitamura (piano) William Hooker (drums)
10 pm - ORANGE II - Mixashawn Lee Rozie (sax) Alan Licht (guitar) William Parker (bass) William Hooker (drums)
2/14 Sunday
3 pm - JOHN ZORN'S BAGATELLES: MARY HALVORSON QUARTET - Mary Halvorson, Miles Okazaki (guitars) Drew Gress (bass) Tomas Fujiwara (drums) TWENTY DOLLARS
8 pm
YELLOW I - Matt Lavelle (trumpet) Mike Noordzy (bass) Ras Moshe (reeds) Tor Snyder (guitar) William Hooker (drums)
10 pm - YELLOW II - Anthony Pirog (guitar) Jon Irbagon (reeds) Luke Stewart (bass) James Brandon Lewis (sax) William Hooker (drums)
There are no refreshments or merchandise at The Stone.
Only music. All ages are welcome.
Cash Only at the door. There is no phone.
There is no food or beverage served or allowed
just a serious listening environment.
The Stone is booked purely on a curatorial basis.
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The CORNELIA STREET CAFE - 212-989-9319
29 Cornelia St in the heart of the West Greenwich Village, NYC
Friday Feb 05
9pm & 10:30pm: JULIAN SHORE QUINTET, CD RELEASE: WHICH WAY NOW - Gilad Hekselman, guitar; Dayna Stephens, tenor sax; Julian Shore, piano; Jorge Roeder, bass; Colin Stranahan, drums
Sat Feb 6th:
9:00PM & 10:30PM GEORGE GARZONE & THE FRINGE - George Garzone, sax; John Lockwood, bass; Bob Gulloti, drums
Sunday Feb 07
8:30PM JANE IRA BLOOM TRIO - Jane Ira Bloom, soprano sax; Mark Helias, bass; Dominic Fallacaro, piano
Tuesday Feb 09
8:01PM THE DAVE SCOTT QUINTET, CD RELEASE: BROOKLYN AURA - Dave Scott, trumpet; Rich Perry, tenor sax; Jacob Sacks, piano; Peter Brendler, bass; Satoshi Takeishi, drums
Wednesday Feb 10
8:00PM MICHEL REIS TRIO - Michel Reis, piano; Aidan O'Donnell, bass; Eric Doob, drums
9:30PM VINNIE SPERRAZZA QUARTET - Vinnie Sperrazza, drums; Loren Stillman, alto sax; Ben Monder, guitar; Eivind Opsvik, bass
Thursday Feb 11
8:01PM JOHN RAYMOND TRIO, CD RELEASE: REAL FEELS - John Raymond; Gilad Hekselman; Colin Stranahan
Friday Feb 12
9:00PM & 10:30PM ELLERY ESKELIN TRIO - Ellery Eskelin, tenor sax; Christian Weber, bass; Michael GreenAir, drums
Saturday Feb 13
9:00PM & 10:30PM LUCIAN BAN & MAT MANERI TUBA PROJECT FEATURING BILLY HART Mat Maneri, viola, comp.; Bruce Williams, alto sax; Lucian Ban, piano, comp.; Bob Stewart, tuba; Billy Hart, drums
Sunday Feb 14
8:30PM SHEILA JORDAN TRIO, CD RELEASE: BETTER THAN ANYTHING - Sheila Jordan, vocals; Alan Broadbent, piano; Harvie S, bass
10:00PM SHEILA JORDAN TRIO, CD RELEASE: BETTER THAN ANYTHING - Sheila Jordan, vocals; Alan Broadbent, piano; Harvie S, bass
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Shapeshifter - February 2016 Schedule:
Feb 5
7p - Electric Red
8:15p - Harvey Valdes Trio
Music for the eclectic listener, the dance floor, as well as the stark raving mad, Electric Red's creation of groove oriented thought provoking music dipped in a shallow but potent bed of psychedelia is uncompromising, unrelenting, and unprecedented.
Feb 8
8pm: The Franky Rousseau Large Band & The Keio Light Music Society Franky Rousseau (conductor, composer) Rhythm Section Arthur Hnatek (drums) / Michael Valeanu (guitar) / Martha Kato (piano) / Alex Weston (keyboard) / Matt Rousseau (bass) Saxophones Remy LeBoeuf / Dillon Baiocchi / Levon Henry / Yacine Boulares / Sarah Safaie Trumpets Kyla Moscovich / Cody Rowlands / Maz Maher / Carou Johnson Trombones Andy Clausen / Andy Sharkey / Nick Grinder / Felix Del Tredici
Feb 9
7pm - David Smith Quintet
David Smith - Trumpet
Dan Pratt - Tenor Sax
Nate Radley - Guitar
Gary Wang - Bass
Anthony Pinciotti - Drums
8:15pm - John Yao & His 17-piece Instrument - Personnel:
Saxes:
Billy Drewes
Alejandro Aviles
Rich Perry
Jon Irabagon
Frank Basilie
Trumpets:
John Walsh
Jason Wiseman
David Smith
Andy Gravish
Trombones:
Luis Bonilla
Matt McDonald
Kaji Kajiwara
Jennifer Wharton
RhythmSection:
Jesse Stacken - Piano
Bob Sabin - Bass
Vince Cherico - Drums
Feb 10
7p / 8:15p - Fabian Almazan & Rhizome - The Alcanza Suite
Feb 12
ShapeShifter+ Presents: Julian Kirshner's New York Trio
7p Andrew Smiley (solo guitar) - cancelled
7:30p Welcome, Branch Weinberg
8:00p Julian Kirshner's New York Trio
Feb 13 at 7pm:
ShapeShifter+ Presents: John Menegon's "Three for All" + Oakwood Underground
Oakwood Underground
Maddie Chilton - voice
Nick Summers - trumpet
Kyle Lashley - saxophone
Kevin Quinn - guitar
Jon Francke - bass
Mike Schott - drums
8:15pm - John Menegon's "Three for All"
John Menegon - bass
Aquiles Navaro - trumpet Travis Sulivan - alto sax
Mark Dzuiba - guitar
Tcheser Holmes and Dave Berger - drums
Feb 14
4p / 5:15 - ShapeShifter+ Presents: NY Japanese Women Jazz Composers (NYJWJC)
NY Japanese Women Jazz Composers (NYJWJC) is aiming for a cultural exchange and understanding through the presentation of a mixture of Japanese culture and the American music of jazz interpreted by five Japanese women composers. The concert will feature five award winning NY-based female Japanese jazz composers, Miho Hazama, Asuka Kakitani, Migiwa Miyajima, Meg Okura, and Noriko Ueda. The 17-piece Sakura Jazz Orchestra, comprised of some of New York's most established modern big band musicians, will be conducted by several of composers while others will play in the ensemble.
Shapeshifter is located at:
18 Whitwell Place in Brooklyn, NY
R train to Union stop
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Spectrum - January-2016
Friday 5 February
7 PM - Giacomo Fiore, Guitar - Italian guitarist Giacomo Fiore presents an
evening of U.S. music for solo electric guitar, with and without
electronics. Fiore is a performer and musicologist based in San Francisco,
whose main performance and research interests converge on the American
experimental repertoire and alternative tuning systems. Program:
Eve Beglarian: Until it Blazes
Morton Feldman: The Possibility of a New Work for Electric Guitar
Christian Wolff: Another Possibility
Nick Didkovsky: I Kick My Hand
Anthony Porter: hair of the thing that bit you
Larry Polansky: freeHorn
Friday 5 February
8:30 PM - Guitarist Paul Grimstad / WAMS & BAMS in Spectrum Friday Prog Series - Grimstad (guitar, voice) and his band-Jeremy Blackman (bass, voice) Aaron Mendholson (drums, electronic percussion, voice) and Kirk Miller (synth, voice)
Saturday 6 February
7 PM Spectrum HP: Clay Zeller-Townsend on dulcian - The dulcian is an early-music period instrument related to the bassoon.
Clay Zeller-Townson, dulcian
Patrick Jones, harpsichord
Featuring works by Giovanni Antonio Bertoli (fl. 1645) and Bartolome de Selma (c. 1595-1638) 7 New works for dulcian by Brad Balliett, Thomas Dempster, and Max Graffe And an improvisation by the performer
Sunday 7 February
3 PM - John Clark, French horn, in David Whitwell's "Radical Brass" series For the program on 7 February 2015, John Clark will perform a few short pieces for solo French Horn and some duets with Rubens Salles on piano.
Sunday 7 February
7 PM - 10 PM - Dre Hocevar Coding of Evidentiality
7 PM - Lester St. Louis, Solo cello, etc.
8 PM - Bram De Looze, piano, Henry Fraser, bass, Dre Hocevar, drums
9 PM - Aaron Larson Tevis, trumpet / Bryan Qu, sax / Joe Morris, guitar
Brandon Lopez, bass & Dre Hocevar, drums
Friday 12 February
7 PM - Rakete bee bee? Rakete bee zee! A Monster Celebration Of Dada's 100th Anniversary At Spectrum - Spectrum commemorates this event with a 3hr evening of performances, sound poetry, music, and visuals. Curated by Hans Tammen, the evening will feature works by Andrea Parkins, Briggan Krauss, Cristian Amigo, David Morneau, Melissa Grey, David Simons, Lisa Karrer, Denman Maroney, Dafna Naphtali, Django Voris, Steve Bull, Francois Grillot, Gisburg, Louie Terrier, Jess Rowland, Josh Sinton, Kevin Ramsey. Miguel Frasconi, Sarah Bernstein, Terry Dame and many others. Lectures provided by Professors David Hyman and Kurt Ralske.
Saturday 13 February
7 PM - Valentine Carette, Electric Guitar
Valentin Carette is a French Guitarist/composer and plays in YOLK
(experimental rock), Scathodick Surfers (surf rock) and IDIOT SAINT CRAZY
Orchestra (crossover masked show).
9 PM - The City of Tomorrow (woodwind quintet)
Elise Blatchford, flute / Stuart Breczinski, oboe/electronics sounds/composer
Rane Moore, clarinet / Nanci Belmont, bassoon / Leander Star, horn
Untitled (2016), Stuart Breczinski (b. 1986)
Daedalus (2015), John Aylward (b.1980)
Hero and Leander (2015), Hannah Lash (b. 1981)
Spectrum NYC
121 Ludlow #2
New York, NY 10002
*****
I-Beam Presents - January 2016 Schedule:
Friday, February 5th 8:30 PM
8:30pm - DUENDE + DESVELO
DUENDE: Josh Sinton - bari sax / Jason Ajemian - bass 10:00pm - DESVELO: Alvaro Domene - guitar and compositions Briggan Krauss - alto sax / Josh Sinton - bari sax & bass clarinet / Mike Pride - drums
Saturday, February 6th 8:30 PM $15 Suggested Donation
Vinnie Sperrazza - Solo Drums
Brian Drye / Rob Curto Duo
Brian Drye - Trombone
Rob Curto - Piano
Goldberg / Coleman / Atwal Trio
Ben Goldberg - Clarinet
Michael Coleman - Piano
Hamir Atwal - Drums
Friday, February 26th 8:30 PM
The NOVA Project
Ayumi Ishito - tenor sax
Matthew Albeck - guitar
Michel Maurer - drums
I-Beam is located at"
168 7th Street in Brooklyn, NY 11215
Directions: SUBWAY: Take the F or R trains to 4th Ave & 9th Street. Walk down 4th ave to 7th street. Make a left on 7th and walk past 3rd ave. We are located on the ground floor, the grey doors to the right of the stairs of #168.
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The Firehouse Space Presents:
February 5, 2016 8:00 pm
Face The Music
February 6, 2016 8:00 pm
Iktus Percussion Presents:
Ford Fourqurean, Clarinet
Ryan Howard, Composer/Percussion
Joe Fee, Glockenspiel
Elder Ones Band, Vocal/ Saxophone/Bass/Drums
Florent Ghys, Composer/Double Bass
February 7, 2016 7:00 pm
Final Vinyl: Vintage Music for the Future
A performance by Heroes Are Gang Leaders
The Firehouse Space
246 Frost Street
Brooklyn, NY, 11211
************
Upcoming at Roulette:
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2016
8:00 PM - Peter Evans Quintet plus special guests Aaron Burnett and Ingrid Laubrock
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2016
8:00 PM - New Movement Series, Curated by Jennifer Lafferty: Shandoah Goldman, Sarah White-Ayon , Kristopher K.Q. Pourzal
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2016
8pm: New Movement Series, Curated by Jennifer Lafferty: Lisa Fagan, Christiana Axelson, Meg Weeks
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2016
8:00 PM - New Movement Series, Curated by Jennifer Lafferty: Tatyana & Hadar, Abigail Levine, Stuart Shugg
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2016
8pm: New Movement Series, Curated by Jennifer Lafferty: Renee Archibald, Moriah Evans, Larissa Velez-Jackson
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2016
8pm: New Movement Series, Curated by Jennifer Lafferty: Netta Yerushalmy, Emily Wexler, EmmaGrace Skove-Epes
ROULETTE INTERMEDIUM, INC
509 Atlantic Avenue
Entrance at the corner of 3rd Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11217
Subway - Train lines 2, 3, 4, 5, D, N, R, B & Q and the LIRR arrive at
Atlantic Avenue-Barclay's Center; G train to Fulton Street
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