Well, there's thirteen hundred and fifty-two
Guitar pickers in Nashville
And they can pick more notes than the number of ants
On a Tennessee anthill
Yeah, there's thirteen hundred and fifty-two
Guitar cases in Nashville
And any one that unpacks his guitar could play
Twice as better than I will
Yeah, I was just thirteen, you might say I was a
Musical proverbial knee-high
When I heard a couple new-sounding tunes on the tubes
And they blasted me sky-high
And the record man said every one is a Yellow Sun
Record from Nashville
And up North there ain't nobody buys them
And I said, "But I will"
And it was
Nashville cats play clean as country water
Nashville cats play wild as mountain dew
Nashville cats been playin' since they's babies
Nashville cats get work before they're two
Well, there's sixteen thousand eight hundred 'n' twenty-one
Mothers from Nashville
All their friends play music, and they ain't uptight
If one of the kids will
Because it's custom-made for any mother's son
To be a guitar picker in Nashville
And I sure am glad I got a chance to say a word about
The music and the mothers from Nashville
Nashville cats play clean as country water
Nashville cats play wild as mountain dew
Nashville cats been playin' since they's babies
Nashville cats get work before they're two
Pick it
Good time music! This is what they used to call songs like the above one. And bands like The Lovin' Spoonful were full of good time music. Back before I started buying full length psych gems in the summer of 1967, I bought 7" 45rpm singles with one song per side. Usually 1 or 2 a week at the local record store in Linden and later Elizabeth, NJ. I listened constantly to AM radio (Top 40) when I wasn't at public school and played those singles over & over & over. I bought several singles by the New York quartet, Lovin' Spoonful, and really loved that band. Their music was a righteous blend of rock, folk, pop, blues and other times of good time music.
I recall being attracted to two main things about pop music then, protest lyrics and humor/comedy music/lyrics. After purchasing the first Mothers of Invention album, 'Freak-Out!' in the summer of '67, I became hooked on humor and socio/political commentary found in bands like the Mothers, Bonzo Dog Band, Liverpool Scene and bay area bands like Jefferson Airplane and Country Joe & the Fish, who often had lyrics well worth thinking about. Plus I've always dug those completely silly songs which make fun of those who take themselves too seriously. "They're Coming to Take Me Away" was a hoot. Although I am staggered at the ridiculous political situation that we are all drowning in here in former Land of the Free, we all need to laugh at the absurdity of our current situation. I often feel like Nero fiddling away while the USA is burning to the ground, but I will continue to dance the night away inside my kitchen and on the streets until the next cavalry arrives. Peace & Love from MC-BruceLee
***********
THE DMG 34th ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE CONCERT CELEBRATION CONTINUES with:
Saturday, October 25th - The GauciMusic Series Presents:
6:30: SARAH BERNSTEIN - Violin / DAFNA NAPHTALI - Voice-Electronics / CHRIS COCHRANE - Guitar
7:30: STEPHEN GAUCI - Tenor Sax-Clarinet / MATT HOLLENBERG - Guitar / PATRICK GOLDEN - Drums
8:30: SEAN ALI - Contrabass / FLIN VAN HEMMEN - Drums
Tuesday, October 28th:
6:30: LUCIANO PAGLIORINI - Sax / TODD CAPP - Drums!
7:30: SUNJAY JAYARAM - Viola / STAN ZENKOV - Reeds / CAROLINE MORTON - Contrabass / PAUL SAKAI - Percussion
8:30: SPIRIT CLARINET CHOIR: Directed by Dr. Paul Austerlitz - Clarinetists: James Elmore III, D. Zizl Slepovitch, David Stokes, Seth Myers, Michael Moss, Ras Moshe, Charlie Waters, Don Slatoff & Dave Sewelson
Tuesday, November 4th:
6:30: Sketchbook Series #12 - rōnin phasing: patrick brennan – solo alto saxophone
7:30: MIKE McGINNIS - Clarinet / DAVALOIS FEARSON - Dance
8:30: STEVE HIRSH - Drums / DANIEL CARTER - Woodwinds / MATT LAVELLE - Woodwinds / HILLIARD GREENE - Bass
***********
THIS WEEK'S SONIC TREASURES BEGIN WITH AN AMAZING, RARE TRIPLE LIVE FROM KEITH TIPPETT'S MUJICIAN:
MUJICIAN with KEITH TIPPETT / PAUL DUNMALL / PAUL ROGERS / TONY LEVIN - In Concerts (Jazz in Britain; UK) Featuring Keithh Tippett on piano, Paul Dunmall on tenor sax, Paul Rogers on contrabass and Paul Levin on drums. Over three hours of in concert performances from Mujician - the improvising quartet of Paul Dunmall, Keith Tippett, Paul Rogers and Tony Levin. The triple CD comes in an 8-panel digifile with a 20 page booklet with notes from Paul Dunmall and illustrated with material from Mujician's archives.
Ever since hearing British piano giant Keith Tippett play that ridiculously cool piano solo on the King Crimson song "Catfood" (from 'In the Wake of Posiedon", 1970), I have been completely enchanted by anything that Mr. Tippett has done on record and in concert. I bought a copy of the second Keith Tippett Group album, 'Dedicated to You But You Weren't Listening' (released also in 1970) while I was attending college in London on an exchange program in the fall of 1975. To me that record is a masterwork of free/spirit jazz and it still sounds just as amazing today, more than a half century later. I feel fortunate to have caught Mr. Tippett play live in London during me 1975 trip, once in a quartet with Elton Dean and another quartet with Trevor Watts & John Stevens. I kept searching for and acquiring each Mr. Tippett's large catalogue of gems, from solo efforts on FMP, an incredible duo effort with his wife Julie Tippetts, his trio Ovary Lodge, assorted trios, quartets and large ensembles like Centipede, the Dedication Orchestra and his own Tapestry. Sadly for his American fans, Mr. Tippett has played in the USA once, at the original Knitting Factory in the mid 1990's in duet with Andy Sheppard. Thanks to Victo Festival founder Michel Levasseur, I've caught Mr. Tippett play solo, in the Mujician Quartet as well as in his own Tapestry Orchestra in Quebec. Thanks to mike old friend Mike Panico, I also caught Mr. Tippett play two incredible solo sets at Cafe Oto a decade or so ago.
Starting in the early 1990's, Mr. Tippett organized a colossal quartet with Paul Dunmall on tenor & soprano saxes, Paul Rogers on contrabass and Tony Levin on drums. I caught them at the Victo Fest and have savored each of their 8 releases, most of which are all out of print. Aside from their one & only large ensemble disc, all of the quartet Mujician discs are completely improvised and absolutely brilliant! Thanks to our good friends at Jazz in Britain, we now have a three CD, live in concert(s), all unreleased box set! I've only listened to a a partial set so far on bandcamp and can't wait to hear the rest. According to the label all 500 copies are/were already sold out. We just got 10 of them and as far as I know, they will not be reissued so only downloads are available for anyone who misses out on the initial physical copies. Do not delay, order today! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
3 CD Set $35 [Pre-sold out at Jazz in Britain & not to be reissued, we just got in 10 copies & that's all we will get!]
PATRICIA BRENNAN with MILES OKAZAKI / SYLVIE COURVOISIER / JOHN HOLLENBECK / KIM CASS / MODNEY / PALA GARCIA / KYLE ARMBRUST / MICHAEL NICOLAS / ARKTUREYE - Of the Near and Far (Pyroclastic PR 43; USA) Featuring Patricia Brennan on vibes with electronics, marimba & compositions, Miles Okazaki on guitar, Sylvie Courvoisier on piano, Modney &* Pala Gracia on violins, Kyle Armbrust on viola, Michael Nicolas on cello, Arktureye on electronics, Kim Cass on bass and John Hollenbeck on drums & percussion. Over the past five years, I've watched vibist/composer/bandleader evolve quickly with two fine earlier releases, numerous lives sets of solo, duos, trios & larger units as well as lots of sideperson efforts with Mary Halvorson, Dave Douglas, Matt Mitchell, Tomas Fujiwara and Anna Webber. After two impressive solo and trio efforts, Ms Brennan has assembled an ambitious tentet which includes a string quartet. We certainly know Downtowner leaders like Sylvie Courvoisier, John Hollenbeck and Miles Okazaki, as well as cellist Michael Nicolas (a John Zorn collaborator) and Joshua Modney (who had an impressive 2 CD set also on Pyroclastic from last year - 2024).
According to the liner notes, Ms. Brennan gazed upon the skies and was inspired by five constellations from the Summer Triangle. Ms. Brennan mapped the constellations, translating them to a musical symmetry. The music she composed for this disc blended ideas & inspiration from her background in classical, new music, jazz, free improvised musics and popular rock music from the 1990's. In the notes, Ms. Brennan explains how each of the five constellations inspired certain patterns or ideas. "Antlia" (a/k/a the Air Pump) is first and it is supposed to have a mechanical vibe, which is a large part of its sound. There are several layers going on here with some cerebral interlocking rhythms dancing around one another. Ms. Brennan claims that the inner groove was inspired by Afrobeat and electronic dance music which makes this music even more infectious. Downtown guitar great, Miles Okazaki, who often sounds like he was raised on math rock, progressive and M-Base-like streams, sounds like the perfect candidate for this music. "Aquarius" (The Water Bearer), is a large water-themed constellation and is associated with humanitarianism, idealism and innovation. Over time, Ms. Brennan has become a master of using electronics with her vibes to extend their range. Ms. Brennan's hypnotic vibes often ring with echoes while the main theme is played by Okazaki's guitar with shimmering strings buzzing along. "Andromeda" (The Chained Woman) is a large constellation from the northern sky. Ms. Brennan's intention is to create a sense of harmonic dizziness with several shifting parts. This piece is most fascinating and played at a furious pace. It features an astonishing solo from Ozaki's guitar backed by several shifting rhythmic layers with pizzicato strings adding to the rhythmic undertow. "Citlalli" (which means star in a native Mexican language), is an electroacoustic track with eerie shimmering vibes, electronics and muted (or prepared) piano. Midway, the strings kick in and the piece sounds like some of the better progressive rock from the early 1970's. "Lyra" (The Lyre, an ancient harp-like instrument), is inspired by the store of Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus' lyre playing enchants everyone who hears it including the other gods. The music here is most mesmerizing and casts a spell on those who listen. "When You Stare into the Abyss" is a phrase from the philosopher Nietzsche. It reminds us to not look too deeply into the abyss but also to look inside of ourselves to examine the human condition. The music shimmers with bowed vibes, subtle electronics and an eerie pulsating core. Although Patricia Brennan is a young master at playing the vibes, she takes few if any solos here. The music itself is most effective at placing us somewhere with the cosmic waves that life and music often wash over us, as long as we take the time listen closely. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
THE NECKS - Disquiet Triple (Northern Spy 174; USA) “On Disquiet, The Necks stretch their immersive, shape-shifting sound across three discs and more than three hours of labyrinthine, patient intensity. This is their twentieth studio recording and it marks the 39th year of the band’s existence. Meticulously recorded and sculpted, the four extended pieces on Disquiet see Tony Buck, Chris Abrahams, and Lloyd Swanton pushing at the outer edges of their collective intuition, building and unraveling hypnotic structures with microscopic focus. Present is the usual arsenal of piano, double bass, and drums, and all the in-between of sounds undefined and sources obscured.
The music of The Necks has always carried a profound sense of shared responsibility –– between the players, of course, in their utter commitment to the improvisational –– but also between the work and its audience. With music so open, there are profound opportunities to choose: what to focus on, whether to focus at all, etc. Disquiet takes this further: there is no particular listening order prescribed. There is no “Disc 1, Disc 2, Disc 3.” The music itself seems to stretch time, and this presentation challenges ideas of sequencing. The Necks, one may argue, are a mode of discovery as much as they are a band. Regarding the sound itself, The Necks’ signature restraint and textural depth remain, with subtle tonal shifts, evolving motifs, and roiling phases of keen and propulsive clatter, strains of subdued surprise and unmatched intentionality –– as ever, expansive and absorbing.”
3 CD Set $28 [In stock next week]The Necks
THIRD MIND with DAVE ALVIN / JESSE SYKES / DAVID IMMERGLUCK / VICTOR KRUMMENACHER / MICHAEL JEROME - Right Now! (Yep Roc; USA) Last Saturday (10/18/25), I had the good fortune to check out an incredible double bill featuring Third Mind and Garcia Peoples, which took place at White eagle Hall in Jersey City, NJ. Both bands were marvelous, psych/jam/rock at its very best! I had been checking out Jersey's own Garcia Peoples since acquiring their 2nd album in 2018. I've been digging each of their half dozen releases but have yet to see them live. They rule live! Check them out!
I've been a longtime fan of Seattle-based singer/songwriter Jesse Sykes and her band, the Sweet Thereafter, after getting a copy of their first album in the mail in 2002. It became my fave record of the year and I played it every night before going home from the store to help me unwind from my day. Jesse & her band recorded four albums from 2002 to 2011, all great and each one more rockin' than the previous one. Ms. Sykes and her boyfriend/collaborator, Phil Wandscher, broke up as did the band after their last record, 'Marble Son' was released in 2011. And then Ms. Sykes left the music scene with no idea if or when she might return. I was bummed out by this turn of events.
Around 2020, Dave Alvin (from the Blasters & the Guilty Men), Victor Krummenacher & David Immergluck (both from Camper Van Beethoven), decided to jam in the studio and recorded a great version of the original psych/blues/raga epic "East West" by the Butterfield Blues Band (circa 1966). They added drummer Michael Jerome (from the last Richard Thompson Band) and decided they need a lead singer, bringing in Jesse Sykes, who hadn't recorded in nearly a decade. The band was called The Third Mind and they soon recorded 3 albums, two studio and one live album, all for Yep Roc records. What's interesting about this band is that they do mostly covers and they love to jam. Their jamming seems to come from that era when the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers and other Bay Area bands would take an old traditional blues, folk or country song and turn it inside out. Not only that but they love to cover mostly 60's & 70's message songs, longtime favorites of old freaks like your truly... Fred Neil, Alice Coltrane, The Dead, the Electric Flag, the 13th Floor Elevators and the Great Society. When I caught Third Mind last Saturday, guitarist David Immergluck was replaced by Bay Area great Mark Karan (from the Other Ones).
The new studio record by The Third Mind must've been recorded before their live record since Mr. Immergluck is still in the band here. Like their previous albums, all but one of the songs here are well selected covers. Starting with "Shake Sugaree" (by Elizabeth Cotton, a blues/folk singer/guitarist, whose version of this song was recorded in 1967, the year that Jesse Dykes was born). The song starts off acoustically with Ms. Sykes' fragile voice quivering backed by solemn, spooky slide guitar(s). I love the sound of the varied, layered guitars and distant organ simmering together underneath. What I find most interesting is that Dave Alvin, who used to play more rockabilly-like guitar in the Blasters has become an incredible psych lead guitarist, taking one great solo after the other. "Pretty Polly" is another traditional song which was covered by Judy Collins in 1968. Again, it starts acoustically and rather laid back in vibe. The bluesy guitars build in intensity throughout with more great soloing going on, adding some strong distortion to the brew. There is one original song on the first three Third Mind albums and it is "Doralee" from the first Jesse Sykes album. For this album Ms. Sykes and Mr. Alvin co-wrote a new song called "Before We Said Goodbye", a sad yet resilient song which sounds like it comes from an earlier record of Jesse's. "Reno, Nevada" was written by Richard Farina and performed by Richard & Mimi (Joan Baez' sister) in 1965. I've heard it covered by Fairport Convention but this version is more of blues/rocker, with strong singing by both Jesse and Dave together. It's those stinging guitars that really make this so fine. "Reap What You Sow" was written by Mike Bloomfield & Nick Gravenites, both members of Electric Flag. It is an ancient sounding blues/rock song, sung convincing by Ms. Sykes with some added gritty, powerful blues-drenched guitars wailing on top. "Darkness, Darkness" was written by Jesse Lee Young and recorded by his band the Youngbloods. This song is longtime favorite of many rock freaks from the late 1960's and once you hear it, you will not forget it. This version is a powerful one, blowing the song up to a larger than life stomper with more stunning guitars used to a righteous effect. This disc ends with "The Greator Has a Master Plan", written & performed by Pharoah Sanders and Leon Thomas. It is another favorite many since it contains the ultimate hippie aesthetic lines: "The creator has a master plan, Peace and happiness for every man!" A sentiment that we can all embrace in these troubling, divisive times. I listened to this disc for the first time earlier this week and thought that it already rings true for those of us who still embrace the positive Spirit which flowed in the 1960's. - MC-BruceLee at DMG
CD $16 / LP $25
JOELLE LEANDRE / EVAN PARKER - Long Bright Summer (Rogue Art 0146; France) Supported by experience and mastery of their instruments, Parker and Léandre work together through acute listening and lightning-quick communication. Eight tracks, as different from one another as they are coherent as a whole. Without a net or chance for revision, the pair dive right into the heart of the dialogue. Parker reacts with spontaneous simplicity - to borrow a title from Sun Ra & his Arkestra - to the impulses and suggestions of the bassist, who initially favors tense and haughty arco playing. At times, we get closer to the fibber of the sounds, alternatively granular and silky, and on a more reflective piece, Parker's swirling motifs land on Léandre's long-held notes in the low register. Extended techniques are used on the central and longest improvisation, Parker again reacting without delay to his partner's thunderous strikes on the strings. The artists are in a trance, connected to each other and to the music, soaring in full flight. In yet another direction, the last piece has Léandre adding mostly wordless vocals to her bass playing, as she likes to do in her solo work, an example of which can be seen in Christian Pouget's "Duende - Joëlle Léandre solo" 2023 film. With Parker's comments on tenor, the duo becomes a trio. "No writing, no conductor, no leader, man or woman, style or age... Improvisation is about the risk that we take and what we have to say, here and now", Joëlle Léandre says, with which Evan Parker's quotation is smartly tuned "Certain kinds of speed, flow, intensity, density of attacks, density of interaction... Music that concentrates on those qualities is, I think, easier achieved by free improvisation between people sharing a common attitude, a common language."
CD $16
ZEENA PARKINS / CECILIA LOPEZ - Redshifts (Relative Pitch RPR1249; USA) Featuring Zeena Parkins on electric harp, acoustic harp & ebow piano and Cecilia Lopez on Red, electronics and synthesizer. Zeena Parkins is a longtime member of the erarly Downtown Scene, original playing in bands like Skeleton Crew, Carbon and No Safety, as well as collaborating with many other Downtown elders and younger members as well. She is a gifted and adventurous improviser whose own work has involved a variety of different concepts over her long musical journey. She also taught at Mills College and has worked with a number of younger, more promising musicians. I am unsure of when electronics wiz Cecilia Lopez moved here but she has recorded and collaborated with Brandon Lopez, Ingrid Laubrock and Forbes Graham.
The music here was recorded at Roulette (in Janury of 2025), a performance place which has been around for more than four decades and is located in Brooklyn, not far from the Brooklyn Academy of Music. The music begins with eerie, pulsating electronic sounds and perhaps some plucked strings, although it is hard to tell. Ms. Lopez's electronics are more prominent here than what I've heard from her on past records. Since Ms. Parkins often plays a handmade electric harp with a whammy bar and utilizes assorted electronic effects, it is difficult to tell whose sounds are whom. Considering that I've heard Ms. Parkins' playing over the past 50 years, I do recognize certain distinctive sounds that she makes. Ms. Lopez electronics change somewhat from piece to piece, yet I am starting to recognize her distinctive sounds as well. Much of the music here is slow moving and carefully created. Ms. Parkins plays her acoustic harp on "Dogs Have Big Souls", plucking each note with subtle grace which Ms. Lopez adds haunting ghost-like electronics. On "Gatitos De Tripa" what we hear is layers of pulsating drones. Although the drones change slowly, the effect they have on us is like being submerged in a vat of dense air or liquid. Although the electronics take center stage here, they are still sparse and carefully created, never overwhelming or alienating as some electronic music can be. The central calm and subtle sounds feels good overall so take some time to absorb these precious sounds. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13
ELLERY ESKELIN TRIO NEW YORK with GARY VERSACE / GERALD CLEAVER - About (Or On) First Visit (Hat Ezz-Thetics 117-2; Switzerland) Reuniting for two powerful studio sessions recorded in 2011 and 2013, tenor saxophonist Ellery Eskelin, organist Gary Versace, and drummer Gerald Cleaver form Trio New York, navigating an intuitive path between free improvisation and jazz standards with soulful depth, rich allusions, and a shared language that reimagines the classic organ trio.
"By embracing the tenets of free improvisation - experimentation, discovery, and, on a good night, elucidation - Trio New York has transformed the history-saturated sound of tenor, B3, and drums, one that for decades exuded Saturday Night Function, a sound that is secular yet congregational, brimming with traditional jazz messages of conviviality and connection. They serve up a new recipe for cooking with grease." - Bill Shoemaker, September 2024
2 CD Set $20
JAMES NEWTON QUARTET with GERI ALLEN / ANTHONY COX / ANDREW CYRILLE - Live in Willisau Switzerland 1983 (Rhythm N' Flow 8004; EEC) In the spring of 1983, a newly conceived version of the James Newton Quartet appeared on the European jazz scene. After four decades, producer Stephan Meyner contacted James Newton. They realized that, unfortunately, the quartet had never released a recording. This changed when he unearthed a 1983 recording of the quartet from Willisau in Switzerland. A few months before the tour, James Newton had heard about a fantastic young pianist, composer and scholar from Detroit who was completing her master's degree in ethnomusicology at the University of Pittsburgh - Geri Allen. The members of the James Newton Quartet for this European tour included Geri Allen on piano, Anthony Cox on bass and Andrew Cyrille on drums. The recording from Willisau is one of the first recordings in Geri Allen's long, historic and outstanding career. Bassist, composer and bandleader Anthony Cox has immense, highly virtuosic mastery of his instrument, plays with great sensitivity, contributes to every nuance of the ensemble with incredible technical skill and responds to it with confidence, switching skillfully and fluently between different styles. Andrew Cyrille is one of the most respected drummers jazz has ever produced. His ensembles and compositions have contributed greatly to the tradition he embodies. He is known for his enthusiastic collaborations with modernists such as David Murray, Muhal Richard Abrams, Mal Waldron, Horace Tapscott, Peter Brötzmann and Oliver Lake.The recording's repertoire includes Charles Mingus' loving tribute to Charles Christopher Parker, 'Reincarnation of a Lovebirds,' Geri Allen's masterpiece 'The Printmakers,' and two originals by James Newton: " Forever Charles,' dedicated to Mingus, and 'Pinkie Below," the nickname given to my then young son James III by one of his uncles because he was the youngest grandson in the family and was born with light skin.
CD $16
MARIA VALENCIA / BRANDON LOPEZ / MATT MORAN - Tarabita Espiral (Relative Pitch RPR1229; USA) Featuring Maria "Mange" Valencia on B-flat clarinet & alto sax, Brandon Lopez on contrabass & percussion and Matt Moran on vibraphone. Recorded live at IBeam in Brooklyn in May of 2024. Maria Valencia hails from Bogota, Columbia and works with the Meridian Brothers. Ms. Valencia came to visit us here at DMG in 2023 and left us with a handful of different projects that she was involved with, all quite different from each other. Downtown contrabass great, Brandon Lopez, certainly needs no intro from us since he can be founds on dozens of great discs as well as performing at DMG regularly. Vibesman Matt Moran has worked with a number of Downtown's best players: Claudia Quintet, Nate Wooley, Daniel Levin and Ivo Perelman.
This set took place at IBeam in Brooklyn, a small, intimate room which is a collective run by musicians and holds around 20 folks. Soon after this disc begins, the trio begin playing quickly and freely, spinning out lines together, with Ms. Valencia erupting on her clarinet. I am unsure of how much this trio played together previously if at all, but they work well together, listening closely, reacting and combining forces as one stream. When things slow down, the bowed bass, eerie clarinet and simmering vibes (bowed & otherwise) create an aura of suspense which soon becomes more agitated and intense. All three members of this trio utilize some extended techniques, hence it is difficult to tell who is doing what at times. There are a number of quiet moments here, which are stark yet focused. This entire session/concert unfolds in a most organic or natural way. Bassist Brandon Lopez is a master improviser and he is often at the center of what's going on here, playing a bass throb at times, walking quickly, holding things down with his centering sound. This is free form/improv at its best, another feather in the large Relative Pitch cap. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13
SOFIA BORGES / ADA RAVE - The Unseen Pact (Relative Pitch RPR 1233; USA) Featuring Ada rave on tenor & sopranino saxes and Sofia Borges on drums & percussion. Recorded at Hal5 Studio in Amsterdam in July of 2024. Argentinian saxist Ada Rave has been living in Amsterdam for more than a decade. She has collaborated with Paula Shocron, Onno Govaert and Marta Warelis. Percussionist Sofia Borges has worked with Carlos Zingaro, João Madeira and SORBD. The first thing I noticed about this disc is how well it is recorded. The drums, percussion and sax are all close mic'd and in our faces or ears. Ms. Rave is playing her tenor sax on the first piece, ripping it up but not too much. Ms. Rave switches to sopranino sax for the second piece, a smaller sax favored by Anthony Braxton, Roscoe Mitchell and Larry Ochs. I reaaly dig Ms. Borges free-wheeling percussion excursions with both players working closely together. "Trance of Epiphany" starts out quietly with Ms. Borges on her floor toms which sound like a tympani. The music here is mostly close-knit, free yet focused, thoughtfully balanced between quieter and louder extremes, expanding and contracting organically. I am unsure of how much Ms. Borges and Ms. Rave have played together in the past yet here they sound like they've been doing this for a long time. The free spirit of communal conversation runs throughout. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $13
MORTON FELDMAN // ANTTI TOLVI - Intermission 6 (Another Timbre AT241; UK) Finnish composer Antti Tolvi's 72-minute realization of Morton Feldman's Intermission 6 transforms the brief 1953 piano score into an extended meditation on sound and silence, his patient, quietly unpredictable interpretation revealing the work's subtle randomness and serene depth, evoking Feldman's later explorations of duration and near-stillness.
CD $16
INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN (EXIT) KARR with AMALIE DAHL / MARTA WARELIS - Drops (Sonic Transmissions Records STRCD 43; EEC) For their third studio release, bassist and composer Ingebrigt Håker-Flaten leads his (Exit) Knarr septet through graphic scores that blend visual art, mythology, electronics, and free jazz into a vivid collective process, the ensemble — now including Amalie Dahl and Marta Warelis (CD's on Relative Pitch) — shaping long and short forms alike into explosive, texturally rich works of improvisational energy and imagination.
CD $18
INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN (EXIT) KARR with METTE RASMUSSEN / OSCAR GRONBERG / et al - Breezy (Sonic Transmissions Records STRCD25; EEC) Bringing together his Knarr ensemble for a second recording, bassist and composer Ingebrigt Håker Flaten leads Mette Rasmussen, Karl Hjalmar Nyberg, Erik Kimestad Pedersen, Oscar Grönberg, Jonathan F. Horne, Olaf Moses Olsen, Oddrun Lilja Jónsdóttir, and Joakim Rainer Petersen in an exuberant homage to Jaimie Branch, weaving spirited improvisation, textured arrangements, and collective joy into a vibrant and heartfelt statement.
CD $18
THE YOUNG MOTHERS with INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN / FRANK ROSALY / STEFAN GONZALEZ / JAWWAAD TAYLOR / JASON JACKSON / et al - Better If You Let It (Sonic Transmissions Records STRCD26; EEC) After a six-year hiatus, The Young Mothers return with their third album as Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Jawwaad Taylor, Jason Jackson, Stefan Gonzalez, Jonathan F. Horne, and Frank Rosaly merge jazz, hip-hop, experimental rock, electronics, and free improvisation into a restless and unpredictable collective statement, balancing cinematic flair with raw immediacy in their most dynamic release to date.
CD $18 / LP $32
GENE TORCHIA / JOHN STOWELL DUO - self/titled (Genetorchia.com; USA) Featuring Gene Torchia on amplified, classical, acoustic guitar and John Stowell on electric guitar. I recall getting several albums from jazz guitarist John Stowell which were released on the Inner City label in the late 1970's. Mr. Stowell as working with Dave Friesen, Claudio Roditi, Jim McNeely, Uwe Kropinski, mostly in assorted duos. Since Stowell's first album in 1977, he has recorded more than 30 discs of solos, duos & trios. I hadn't heard of classical guitarist Gene Torchia before this disc arrived here early this month. For this ambitious 2 CD set, Mr. Torchia chose a large variety of modern classical works by Lou Harrison, Ruth Crawford, Dusan Bogdanovic, Francis Poulenc and many other composers that I hadn't heard of before now. With Mr. Torchia playing the written pieces, Mr. Stowell improvises his parts on top. With some 56 pieces performed over two long discs, many of the pieces are on the shorter side. Starting with "On Joe's Deck" (by Tunisian guitarist Roland Dyens), Mr. Torchai plays slow, lush chords with Mr. Stowell adds some lovely jazz guitar chords over the top. Many of these pieces are by modern classical composers and although short in length, each one sounds like a complete work. Each piece was well chosen and I like each one. Mr. Stowell does a fine job of adding his own often stripped down response, fitting his melodic fragments into the flow of each piece. Mr. Stowell's tone is similar to early John Abercrombie when he used a small amount of sustain on his tone, often keeping the overall sound melodic with a small amount of grit. Considering that there are some 56 tracks spread over two discs, this is quite a bit of material. Still, it all works, the balance between these two musicians is just right. Listening to an entire 65 plus minute CD is a bit too much for one listening session so you might want to listen this in shorter spurts. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
2 CD Set $20
JIM WHITE - Inner Day (Drag City 967CD; USA) "In March 2024, Jim White released his first-ever solo album, All Hits: Memories. Coming forty years into his career, it felt like some kind of breakthrough happening. His second solo album confirms it: Jim's deep percussive intuition is fueling a new musical vehicle in his life. Inner Day finds him dancing ever more deftly with himself on an expressionistic set of drum kit and keyboard duets. Developing meditations on his personal arcana into expressive keyboard feels, he crafts parts as he would on the kit, further interacting with them on drums as well. Jim takes another big step on Inner Day, singing on two standout tracks, 'Inner Day' and 'I Don't Do / Grand Central,' his words and voice in the mix for the first time. A drummer of exquisite powers, great and small -- his Dirty Three compatriot Warren Ellis contends his playing long ago 'split the atom' -- Jim's capable of driving a band one minute, then slipping past accompaniment and into the cracks of the subliminal in the next breath. Inner Day is a state of nature: peace and tension, rest and disquiet aloft on the wind of Jim's inspiration. Working in conversation with his long-time collaborator Guy Picciotto on Inner Day, Jim travels further into the hypnotic relationships that they captured on All Hits: Memories. Here's another old friend, filmmaker Jem Cohen: 'I drove around listening to Jim's new record. It fit so well, even when the things themselves didn't: the straights and turns of the road, fields and houses and industrial parks, the possible rain, deep spring greens and the greys of a parking lot, the rain when it finally came. It goes where it will, quite fearlessly but never demonstrative or showy about its risk-taking. I'd say the record's a conversation Jim's having with the world, one that isn't about drums or being a drummer but, more expansively, about music as the spillway for feeling and experience.' Jim himself adds: 'On my first album All Hits: Memories, I wanted to have a keyboard sound to keep the drums company as together they celebrated why some things just 'hit' the psyche, why some memories stick. Later, I found the notes wanted to move more and so on my second album Inner Day, that is what they do.'"
CD $15
DON LETTS - The Rebel Dread at Echo Beach (Echo Beach EB 223CD; Germany) Echo Beach presents: Don Letts: The Rebel Dread -- legendary film and video director, disc jockey and musician. Don Letts, in his capacity as a selector (it's not for nothing that he hosts his own show on BBC6 radio), enthusiastically accepted the invitation to create a compilation from Echo Beach's extensive catalog to mark its 30th anniversary. A splendid and crisp selection. Featuring Dubinator, Martha And The Muffins, Dubmones, Earl 16 & Oku Onuora, Dubblestandart, Dubxanne, Claire Parsons, Dub Stax, Don Letts Dub Cartel, Aaron, Dubblestandart, Marcia Griffiths, Toogah, Fila Brazillia, Ari Up, Lee Scratch Perry, Noiseshaper, Kid Loco, Soul Sugar, RSD, Ammoye, and Dub Spencer & Trance Hill.
CD $17
DUB SPENCER & TRANCE HILL - Synchronos (Echo Beach EB 215CD; Germany) Dub Spencer & Trance Hill once again realize their musical vision with their new release Synchronos. The perfect hybrid of dub and trance -- analog, danceable and at the forefront of sound technology. With Synchronos, Dub Spencer & Trance Hill present an album that defies conventional categories. The new tracks surprise and guide the listener into a colorful world of sound -- an acoustic kaleidoscope in which diversity becomes a principle. Musical components -- dub, trance, dance, techno, rock, jazz -- are put together by the musicians in new and unexpected ways. Experimental, multi-layered and always good for surprises, yet inevitably club- ready: That's Dub Spencer & Trance Hill.
CD $17
LP Section:
BRIAN AUGER, JULIE DRISCOLL & THE TRINITY - BBC Broadcasts 1966-68 (The 1960's Records Randb 172LP; UK) Brian Auger, Julie Driscoll and The Trinity are today best known for their hit recording of Dylan's then-unreleased "This Wheel's On Fire" which is included here, together with covers of songs by the Staple Sisters, Nina Simone, Donovan, Mose Allison and David Ackles. Add in some band-written originals and you have twelve cool tracks mixing jazz, r'n'b, psyche and pop. All songs were specially recorded for the BBC, sound quality is excellent throughout. Comes with full sleevenotes.
LP $42
ETHNIC HERITAGE ENSEMBLE with KAHIL EL'ZABAR / HENRY 'LIGHT' HUFF / ED WILKERSON - Impressions (Red Records RR 123156; Italy) Originally released in 2023. "At the beginning of its formation, the ensemble functioned as a jazz group with a wide variety of instruments. During a tour of Europe, the group's line-up was reduced to just three members, with El'Zabar on percussion and two wind instruments. This line-up, born out of necessity, became the ensemble's signature sound. 'We were very scared, having such a unique instrumentation. But we were far from home, we were 20 years old and we had to survive. And we developed a language and a formula that allowed us to play with non-traditional instrumentation all these years,' El'Zabar recounted. 'I didn't realize this until last year when someone said, 'You started the band in 1973,' and I said, 'Yes.' ' And they said, 'Well, won't it be 50 years next year?' reports Zabar, laughing. 'I feel very grateful for the experiences I've had and the musicians I've been lucky enough to work with. If your work is of value to others, then you feel you have served. That has been the main thing for me as an artist.'"
LP $42
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ATTENTION ALL CREATIVE MUSICIANS OUT THERE, Around the world.
If you have a link for some music that you are working on and want to share it with the folks who read the DMG Newsletter, please send the link to DMG at BLGallanter@gmail.com
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THE STONE RESIDENCIES / JOHN MEDESKI / OCT 22-25
10/22 Wednesday
8:30 pm - Angelic Brothers play the music of Sun Ra
John Medeski (piano) Kirk Knuffke (trumpet)
10/23 Thursday
8:30 pm - SOLO
John Medeski (piano)
10/24 Friday
8:30 pm
DUO - John Medeski (piano) Ikue Mori (electronics)
10/25 Saturday
8:30 pm
DUO - John Medeski (piano) Billy Martin (percussion)
THE STONE RESIDENCIES / MARK DRESSER / OCT 29-NOV 1
10/29 Wednesday
8:30 pm-QUARTET - Gerry Hemingway (drums) Earl Howard (sax) Mark Dresser (bass) and a surprise guest
10/30 Thursday
8:30 pm - TRIO M
Myra Melford (piano) Matt Wilson (drums) Mark Dresser (bass)
10/31 Friday
8:30 pm - QUARTET - Amir El Saffar (trumpet) Alec Goldfarb (guitar) Michael Sarin (drums) Mark Dresser (bass)
11/1 Saturday
8:30 pm - QUARTET - DoYeon Kim (gayageum) Cory Smythe (piano) Sara Schoenbeck (bassoon) Mark Dresser (bass)
THE STONE is located in
The New School at the Glass Box Theatre
55 West 13th Street - near 6th ave
LIVE MUSIC
wed-sat - music at 8:30pm
ADMISSION - $20 per set
unless otherwise noted
cash only payment
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THE BEN GOLDBERG FESTIVAL OF MUSIC: In Oakland, CA - Oct 23rd - Oct 29th
Thursday October 23 Wyldflowr Arts
INVISIBLE GUY (Michael Coleman, Hamir Atwal, Ben Goldberg)
BEN GOLDBERG’S GLAMOROUS ESCAPADES plays Porch Concert Material with Spencer Hoefert, Will Bernard, Mat Muntz, Dillon Vado, Michael Coleman, Hamir Atwal, Ben Goldberg
Friday October 24 Wyldflowr Arts
THINGS THAT MOVE (Nate Brenner, Tim Bulkley, Hamir Atwal, Ben Goldberg)
ARCHIMEDES LULLABY (Andrew Conklin, Kasey Knudsen, Nate Brenner, Michael Coleman, Hamir Atwal, Ben Goldberg)
Saturday October 25 Wyldflowr Arts
INSECT LIFE (Ben Davis, Raffi Garabedian, Danny Lubin-Laden, Ben Goldberg) with special guests Myra Melford and Hamir Atwal
BEN GOLDBERG’S BRAINCHILD (everyone)
On Sunday October 19 Ben will present SO LONG ROB — in memory of our dear friend Rob Reich — at SF Music Day, at 12:30 pm. With Kasey Knudsen, Will Bernard, David Ewell, & Tim Bulkley.
Sadly, Babette, a Berkeley institution, is closing at the end of the month.
That leaves two Wednesdays of music:
Wednesday October 22 6 - 8 pm
Michael Coleman keyboards Spencer Hoefert electric guitar Hamir Atwal drums Ben Goldberg clarinet
Wednesday October 29 6 - 8 pm
Ben Goldberg clarinet with various people
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NEW VIDEOS from GUITAR MASTER HENRY KAISER:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWn5MRUOTAc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ste9pdLiz_0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgcxTkoIgQI
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From CHRIS CUTLER:
Formerly of HENRY COW, THE ART BEARS, NEWS FOR BABEL & RECOMMENDED RECORDS (ReR) has been creating an ongoing series of podcasts called the Probes series. I am often fascinated at listening to each of these as Mr. Cutler does an incredible job of showing a deep history of Creative Music in the 20th century & beyond. I usually listen to these on the train to NYC that I take to get to work each day. The most recent Probes (#37) was released earlier this year, here are the links:
https://rwm.macba.cat/en/research/probes-37
https://rwm.macba.cat/en/research/probes-36