Here's a chance to dance our way
Out of our constrictions
Gonna be freakin'
Up and down
Hang-up alley way
With the groove our only guide
We shall all be moved
Ready or not here we come
Gettin' down on
The one which we believe in (one nation under a groove)
Gonna get in on my good foot, good God (gettin' down just for the funk)
'Bout time I got down one time (one nation and we're on the move)
(Nothin' can stop us now) ay, ay, ay, ay, ay, ay-ee!
Feet don't fail me now
Givin' you more of what you're funkin' for
Feet don't fail me now
Do you promise to funk?
The whole funk, nothin' but the funk
Ready or not here we come
Gettin' down on the one which we believe in
Here's my chance to dance my way
Out of my constrictions
Yeah...
(You can dance away)
Feet don't fail me now (ha ha)
Here's a chance to dance
Our way out of our constrictions
Gonna be groovin' up and down
Hang up alley way
Groove our only guide
We shall all be moved
Feet don't fail me now (ha ha)
Givin' you more of what we're funkin' for
Feet don't fail me now
Here's my chance to dance my way
Out of my constrictions
Givin' you more of what you're funkin' for (feet don't fail me now)
(Feet don't fail me now)
Do you promise to funk, the whole funk
Nothin' but the funk
One nation under a groove
Gettin' down just for the funk of it
One nation and we're on the move
Nothin' can stop us now
(Nothin' can stop us now)
(One nation)
One nation under a groove
Gettin' down just for the funk of it
One nation (one nation) and we're on the move
Nothin' can stop us now
Do you promise to funk?
Do you promise to funk? Hah
Do you promise to funk? Hah
Do you promise to funk, the whole funk?
One nation under a groove
Gettin' down just for the funk of it
One nation and we're on the move
Nothin' can stop us now
One nation under a groove
Gettin' down just for the funk of it
One nation and we're on the move
Nothin' can stop us now
(Nothin' can stop us now)
One nation under a groove (here's my chance to dance my way)
Gettin' down just for the funk of it (out of my constriction)
One nation and we're on the move
Nothin' can stop us now
Uh hah hah hah
Do you promise to funk, the whole funk?
Nothin' but the funk
You can't stop us now (one nation under a groove)
Gettin' down just for the funk of it
(One nation under a groove)
One nation and we're on the move
(Gettin' down just for the funk of it) nothin' can stop us now
One nation and we're on the move
One nation under a groove
(Nothin' can stop us now)
Gettin' down just for the funk of it (feet don't fail me now)
One nation and we're on the move
Nothin' can stop us now (feet don't fail me now)
One nation under a groove
(One nation under a groove)
Gettin' down just for the funk of it
(Gettin' down just for the funk of it)
One nation and we're on the move (one nation and we're on the move)
Nothin' can stop us now
You can't stop us now
Giving you more of what we're looking for
(Giving you more of what you're looking for)
Feet don't fail me now
Gotta keep it on the good foot, good God, ha!
One nation under a groove
Gettin' down just for the funk of it
One nation and we're on the move
Nothin' can stop us now (one time)
One nation under a groove (givin' you more of what you're lookin' for)
Gettin' down just for the funk of it...
For as long as I can remember, I love to watch people dance and eventually join in the spirit of musical Celebration/Inspiration myself. I recall watching young women & a few lads dancing around the jukebox at Ashbrook Swim Club in the early 1960's to the music of the Beach Boys, the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and lots of Motown & other 60's hits. I watched rock & soul bands on TV on shows like Ed Sullivan, American Bandstand and Hullabaloo, and was particularly intrigued at the way young folks danced to this music, from dozens of different dance crazes to more free form dancing during the Summer of Love & Psych (1967). I was shy at first and didn't dance in public much around 1970 when i discovered how much fun can be had by dancing and forgetting about anyone who might be watching. As much as I always took most music seriously (both lyrically & musically), I was also a dancing fool at times as well. Dancing often seemed to be a way of expressing myself and feeling what it means to be free of gravity or whatever else is holding us down.
I remember reading a review of a Funkadelic record in Musician magazine in the mid-1970's and was intrigued by their music, artwork, often silly yet somehow honest lyrics and the fact they consumed quite a bit of acid in their early days, making them some sorta Free Form Freqs for life. I started buying their records, as well as their other offshoot band, Parliament, and became a big fan of P Funk (their combined outfit). The great thing was that practically all Funkadelic and Parliament albums could be found in the cut-out bins for $2.00 each. Hooray! Those were the days for record collecting! I now proudly own each & every album by both bands as well as the many offshoots like Brides of Funkenstein, Parlet, Phillipe Wynne, Fuzzy Haskins, Eddie Hazel, Space Cadets, Quazar, etc. I caught P Funk 3 times in 1979 at the Apollo in Harlem when they did a month-long residency and had a blast at each gig. During the first gig I went to, I went to the bathroom. While I was at the urinal, a few of my black brothers came up to me and one of them asked, "Hey white boy, what you doing at a P-Funk show?" I smiled and said, "You gotta lick my funk to P-Funk, I wanna get funked up!" and danced around while i sang. They smiled & said, "You OK, for a white dude". The above song is from an album called "One Nation Under a Groove" and it is from my fave Funkadelic album. I still smile and get up to dance whenever I put it on the stereo. I want to make a big hearty toast and a toke to the ultimate Groove Meisters, George Clinton & all members of P-Funk around the world! - Who Loves Y'all!?! Me, MC-BruceLee
***********
THE DMG 34th ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE CONCERT CELEBRATION CONTINUES with:
Tuesday, November 11th:
6:30: TONY ORZANO - Sax & Clarinet / AARON QUINN - Guitar
7:30: NEW REED TRIO: DAVID AARON / ANDY HAAS / DANIEL CARTER
8:30: RICH ROSENTHAL - Guitar / LOUIE BELOGENIS - Tenor Sax / DAVE SEWELSON - Bari Sax / KEN FILIANO - Bass / NICK NEUBURG - Drums
Saturday, November 15th: The Gauci-Music Series:
6:30: SAMANTHA KOCHIS - Flutes / HANS YOUNG BINTER - Keyboards
7:30: STEPHEN GAUCI - Tenor Sax, Flute, Clarinet / ANDREW DRURY - Drums
8:30: CHRISOPHER HOFFMAN - Cello / JEONG LIM YANG - ContraBass / TIMOTHY ANGULO - Drums
Tuesday, November 18th: RELATIVE PITCH Presents: 6:30 - 9pm:
1st Set: CHUCK ROTH - Guitar / ANA LUIS de COSSIO - Violin
2nd Set: CHUCK ROTH - Guitar / ANNA ABONDOLO - Contrabass
3rd Set: CHUCK ROTH / ANA LUIS de COSSIO / ANNA ABONDOLO
***********
THIS WEEK'S SONIC DELIGHTS BEGIN with:
ERIK FRIEDLANDER with WENDY EISENBERG / MARK HELIAS / SARA SERPA - Origami (ArconomX Music 83971 4083931; USA) Featuring Erik Friedlander on cello & compositions, Wendy Eisenberg on guitar, Mark Helias on contrabass and Sara Serpa on vocals. Downtown cello master, Erik Friedlander, has been recording and working with a series of ensembles since 1990, with more than 30 releases under his belt. Many of us know his work from his varied collaborations with John Zorn: solo, duos, trios and larger units. Check out his work with the Masada String Trio and the Bar Kokbha Chamber Ensemble. Each of Friedlander's varied projects involves different personnel and instrumentation, which tends to keep his fans always waiting for what comes next. All of the members of this new quartet have worked with Mr. Friedlander in previous projects: Mark Helias (Dark Woods ensemble & a trio with Uri Caine), Wendy Eisenberg (Dirty Boxing CD) and Sara Serpa (trio CD on Clean Feed with Ingrid Laubrock).
What's unique about this disc is that all of the music here has been cut up, remixed and redone at ArconomX Labs, which I assume was done by Mr. Friedlander. The first five pieces here feature loops created from the different members of the quartet. "The Dove" has several layers of looped vocals, ethereal guitars, bass and cello reverberations. Ms. Serpa's haunting voice swirls in rich waves: no lyrics, just her singing the word "ahhhh". Mr. Friedlander has always had a strong, spirited, larger-than-life sound on his cello. His rich sound is expanded here even further with effects. On "The Primordial Chaos", Ms. Serpa's voice is also layered in several waves to a most mesmerizing effect, reminding me of Kate Bush or Bjork at times. "The Tree of Knowledge" has what sounds like a piano sample but it just might be Eisenberg's sly guitar. The vocals and guitar(s) are chopped up and sewn back together over what sounds like some sampled, ritualistic drumming. The music here often sounds like Mr. Friedlander spent a lot of time listening closely and then reshaping certain samples so that all of the music has the most mesmerizing sound, a sonic dreamscape of shifting audio and/or visual spirits. "Eros" is the most dreamy of all and fades into a great groove piece which is somewhat funky, most infectious and completely unexpected. The second section here is called "Our Cats" and might actually be Friedlander's trio with Uri Caine on piano although he isn't listed. "Cleo 1", has several layers of sweeping cellos and another infectious, subtle groove. All of the music here sounds like a soundtrack or soundscape which produces images of soaring through the skies or floating in dreams. While listening to this transformational disc, it was reminded of the way that Eno's ambient music also did a fine job creating moving images in our mindscapes. This disc is completely different from anything else that Erik Friedlander has done in the past and a triumph for him and his collaborators. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
KEN VANDERMARK - October Flowers for Joe McPhee (CvsD 125CD; USA) It's not a stretch to say that saxophonist and clarinetist Ken Vandermark's path into creative music was paved by Joe McPhee. In particular, McPhee's landmark 1976 LP Tenor -- recorded casually in a Swiss chalet and featuring four new compositions that effortlessly combined experimentation and lyricism -- was Vandermark's ear-opener. The two musicians would go on to begin a fruitful working relationship in 1996, a partnership that continues today, and now Vandermark has paid homage to his friend and mentor with a suite of compositions and improvisations. These solo works, performed on an array of horns (clarinet, bass clarinet, baritone and of course tenor saxophone), are as melodious and unapologetically beautiful as anything in Vandermark's oeuvre, interweaving tremendous swells of emotion and ingenious linear inventions. Vandermark played the six pieces in the suite in front of an invited audience at Corbett vs. Dempsey, the gallery's natural acoustic drawing out every nuance of his playing. He augmented the suite, each part of which is named for a flower with significance to McPhee or Vandermark, with several powerful free improvisations, all titled after "filler flowers," making the entire program a bouquet for Mr. McPhee. Exquisitely documented by Alex Inglizian, with cover art by Arch Connelly and liner notes by Vandermark.
CD $15
CHRIS LiBUTTI / TETE LEGUIA / JAMES PAUL NADIEN - Strategically Chosen for Size and Shape (JPN004; USA) Featuring Chris LiButti on prepared guitar, Tete Leguia on prepared electric bass and James paul Nadien on drums & percussion. Recorded at Seizure's Palace in March of 2024. Over the several years that James Paul Nadien worked here at DMG, I've watched him become of the most creative percussionists to emerge from the Downtown Scene in recent times. Currently Mr. Nadien is drumming for the Flying Luttenbachers, playing in his old band Toadal Package and popping up in a variety of sideman projects (for Elijah Shiffer, Allen Lowe and Yuhan Su). I don't know much about guitarist Chris LiButti but he did record with sax extremist Tamio. Mexican bassist Tete Leguia has worked with another sax extremist known as Martin Escalante in a trio with Weasel Walter (founder of Flying Luttenbachers). You get the picture as far as the more extreme side of intense improv goes.
The first track is called "Who the F*ck is Chris LiButti?", which makes sense since even a seasoned creative music journalists like myself doesn't know much about Mr. LiButti. The first sound we hear is some harrowing feedback which is being carefully manipulated. There seems to a few layers of feedback or noise coming from the prepared guitar and prepared bass along with Mr. Nadien's massive free drumming. On the second piece, the drums and el bass begin pounding together tightly, intensely with some howling feedback droning underneath. Soon the guitarist erupts and sounds like he scraping his strings in a violent fashion which is well matched by the ferocious bass & drums throttling force. On "A Beautiful Woman (Part Deux)", the piece starts off with the mainly free scraping of strings, a pretty brutal sound with JPN's drumming going from sparse to pounding and ending with the bent-note scraping of strings again. Much of the sound here is the focused and oft intense scraping and twisting of guitar and bass strings, at times over-the-top and in our faces. One of the things I like most about this is the that JPN matches every sound that both the guitar and bassist makes from a more restrained to a more explosive side. Are you ready for some immense brutal free/improv? Hell yes! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12
SUSS with PAT IRWIN / BOB HOLMES / JONATHAN GREGG / GARY LIEB - Birds & Beasts (Northern Spy 167; USA) Featuring Pat Irwin on guitars, ebow, bass, keyboards, pedal steel & mixing, Bob Holmes on acoustic guitar, mandolin, violin, keyboard & harmonica, Jonathan Gregg on pedal steel, and Gary Lieb synths & good vibes plus all members using loops. This is the fifth disc from local instrumental outfit called Suss. Suss are led by Pat Irwin, an early No wave musician who played in the Raybeats (post surf/punk band) and in 8 Eyed Spies (with Lydia Lunch). The other members of Suss used to work with: Mr. Holmes (Rubber Rodeo), Mr. Gregg (Lonesome Debonairs) and Mr. Lieb (Rubber Rodeo, passed in March of 2021).
Over the past few weeks, we have been playing a variety of drone-based music(s) by The Necks, Natural Information Society and now a new disc from NYC's Suss. Suss seem to come from the Radian, Trapist and/or Town & Country side of roots rock/ambience space music. "Birds" opens this disc with haunting acoustic & electric guitars, spooky el piano and hypnotic pedal steel. The group do a good job of capturing a forlorn, ghost-town like vibe, a feeling many of us often have as we worry about our immediate future. On "Restless", the pedal steel, humming keyboard and sparse guitars create a dream-like vibe which shimmers like a mist slowly coating our skins. What I find most interesting here is that although the instrumentation is similar on each track, the vibe changes somehow, no matter how subtle the changes may be. That "high lonesome" sound which was used to describe the voice and music of Bill Monroe is at the center of this music as well. On "Flight", strings (violin actually) are added to the sound, which blends sublimely with the exquisite acoustic guitar and weeping steel guitar. On each track, the sound of the pedal steel(s) seems to expand and become more suspense-filled, adding another ghostlike vibe to the spooky room where the Spirits meet and hang. The sounds build and become somewhat more dense on the last piece, "Migration" with mysterious harmonica and radio samples also added as sly sonic spice. There is a calm center going on throughout this entire disc, "Slow down, you move too fast, you gotta make the morning last...". - Bruce Lee Gallanter at DMG
CD $15
PAT THOMAS - Hikmah (Tao Forms 19; USA) "Hikmah is the astonishing new [studio] solo piano work from virtuosic and far-ranging sound scientist; deep and compassionate thinker; UK (and world) musical treasure: Pat Thomas. It is a singular work in his singular and now substantial body of work, and his first for the TAO Forms label. Pat Thomas was Born in Oxford, UK to Antiguan parents on July 27, 1960. Interestingly, just over 4 months separate his birth to that of fellow modern piano master Matthew Shipp (Dec 7, 1960) -- whose The Piano Equation was TAO Forms inaugural release. Thomas is most certainly among the Black Mystery School Pianists of which Shipp elucidates in the title essay of his recently published first book. Eight thoroughly focused improvised and otherwise compositions recorded at Fish Factory studio in London. The album's title, Hikmah, means 'wisdom' in Arabic. The title is also presented in two different forms of Arabic calligraphic script on the cover artwork. This album does indeed bring the information. The vibrantly living jazz tradition and new modes of expression in abundance are brought forth from a lifetime of work and Thomas' decades-long devotion to Sufism, understanding that the practice and performance of this music is an elemental form of spiritual practice. As William Parker writes in the liner notes, '[the] music becomes the prophet and the prayer all in one gesture.' And, 'If you haven't yet heard the music of Pat Thomas, get hip to it quickly.' Attuned American audiences are most likely to have become familiar with Pat Thomas through his work with the quartet [Ahmed], whom over recent years have amazed with their mesmeric, long-form explorations on the compositions of Ahmed Abdul-Malik, and more recently, Thelonious Monk. Their debut US performance took place in March 2025, and TAO Forms were lucky members of the rapt audience at Roulette in Brooklyn that night; the group flew to Knoxville the next day to perform to a equally rapt audiences at Big Ears."
CD $14 / LP $25
SoSaLa with MUTSUHIKO / HITOSHI USAMI - 1983 - Live at the Montreux Jazz festival and the Rathausplatz Bern (DooBeeDoo Records 005; USA) Featuring SoLaLa (a/k/a Sohrab Saadat Ladevardi) on tenor & soprano saxes, harmonic, Fender Rhodes & vocals. Mutsuhiko Izumi on electric guitar & bass and Hitoshi Usami on drums & Rhodes piano. Iranian born saxist and activist, SoSaLa, has been releasing discs on his own label since 2011. Although he continues to perform live, he has released both newer and older titles from his lengthy career. This new CD was actually recorded live in 1983 at two sessions, one at the Montreux Jazz Festival and the other at a performance in Bern, also in Switzerland. Guitarist Mutsuhiko Izumi used to play in the Japanese prog band After dinner with Haco. "Confusing World" opens with what sounds like ancient space rock, somewhat scary echoplexed, wah wah guitar and mutated electric piano. When the drums kick, the trio kicks into gear of roaring space rock. Eventually the groove gets into a more throbbing rock beat. Next up is "MJF's When I'm Crazy, I'm Normal", which sounds like No wave with an atonal rock riff and screaming sax over the top. Although the sound quality here is not that great, this session does capture the sound of No Wave in all its scary, mutant glory. "Let's Have a Good Time" features sprawling guitar and screaming sax wailing together and then it breaks into a throbbing heartbeat-like groove. Sohrab switches to soprano sax here and sounds better on his note-bending solo. On "Ningen in Africa, Ningen in Nippon", guitarist Izumi turns up his wah wah and wails along with SoLala's impassioned, frenzied singing over the pounding drums of Usami. I found this disc to be rather disturbing, noisy, brutal, intense and even scary at times. Better than some of the No Wave live sets that I caught in the late 1970's. Sohrab recently played at the Cutting Room in NYC, more than 40 years after these sessions were recorded. He is still at it and still doing his own musical activism for just causes. He is still true to his original vision of poking fun at the powers that hold us down. He remains a brave soul. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $15
JOHNNY HUNTER / DEE BYRNE / CHRIS SHARKEY / MICHAEL BARDON - Now It Can Be Told (Discus 195CD; UK) Featuring Johnny Hunter on drums & compositions, Dee Byrne on alto sax, Chris Sharkey on guitar, Michael Bardon on bass guitar plus Anton Hunter on additional guitar and everyone using FX. Drummer Johnny Hunter has played on more than a dozen discs including projects run by Martin Archer and Ron Caines. Saxist Dee Byrne I know from a band called Ydivide with a disc out on Intakt. Guitarist Chris Sharkey has worked with Pat Thomas, Shiver, the Geordie Approach and other projects by Martin Archer. Bassist Michael Bardon can also be found on a half dozen different Discus CD's by Martin Archer, Ron Caines and Hi Res Heart.
"Part 1" opens and it is the longest piece here. It starts with a suspenseful throbbing bass line and soon breaks into a King Crimson like prog sound with the guitar and sax playing their lines tightly together. After that great opening riff, the quartet calms down to a more spacious vibe. Over the long run, both alto saxist Dee Byrne and guitarist Chris Sharkey do a fine job of trading licks with the tight, solid el bass & drums providing a solid jazz/rockin' undertow. This long piece keeps building as the tempo and intensity increases. This section reminds me of the great jazz/rock sound that sections of the first King Crimson had yet without the large bombast. In the last section of "Part 1", the pace is still slow & eerie at first, soon the quartet break into a strong, hypnotic prog/jazz/rock riff. I like the way the sax, guitar and even drums use subtle eerie effects to make the music a bit more mysterious and spaced out. This piece is an epic-length piece which goes through various successfully connected sections. "Part II" is another slower, moody, more moderate paced piece with the guitar and sax playing tightly around one another. In some ways, this quartet sounds like jazz/rock when it was still fresh in the early 1970's, before the chops-oriented fusion took over the airwaves. Both guitarist Chris Sharkey and alto saxist Dee Byrne take a number of inspired solos without resorting to any histrionics. "Part 4" was remixed and has a more haunting, simmering, effects-laden sound. The vibe is like a somewhat darker, dream-like haze, like the calm dawn after a storm has passed through our village. The is a certain, joyous, early prog-like vibe here that I like quite a bit which recalls the music scene a half century past. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $14
GUANO PADANO with ENRICO RAVA / ZENO DE ROSSI / DANILO GALLO / GUANO PADANO / ALESSANDRO STEFANA - La Giostra (Hora Records 020-2510CD; Italy) Recorded during a spellbinding performance in Italy at Jazz a Forlì in November 2024, La Giostra captures the magic of an unexpected yet natural meeting between two unique musical worlds. On one side, Guano Padano, Alessandro "Asso" Stefana, Zeno De Rossi, and Danilo Gallo -- known for their evocative blend of cinematic desertscapes, western dust, and psychedelic jazz. On the other, Enrico Rava -- a poetic and visionary composer who has graced the global jazz scene for decades with his unmistakable lyricism and fiery spirit. The album unfolds like a circular journey, suspended between reality and imagination. Slow, meditative passages give way to sudden bursts of energy; Rava's luminous trumpet lines weave seamlessly through Guano Padano's richly cinematic textures. The result is a sonic fresco of rare beauty -- steeped in dust, nostalgia, and glimpses of the future.
CD $20
KRAUTROCK DISCOVERY - A Journey From Jazz To Prog Rock (Bacillus 962323CD; Germany) When rock music from Germany gained international recognition under the label "krautrock" in the 1970s, it was far more than a mind-expanding phenomenon. In basements, youth centers, and improvised studios, a vibrant scene emerged-shaped by fearless curiosity and a strong will to transcend traditional musical structures. Some bands produced only a single recording; others became experimental platforms for established musicians or transient fixtures in local underground milieus. What united them was a desire to cross boundaries: rock met jazz, folk merged with electronics, soul touched the avantgarde. These intersections produced soundscapes that remain powerful documents of a creatively restless era. The recordings collected here reflect that spirit-not only from the krautrock period, but also from the decades that followed, including contributions from both Germany and Austria. Featuring Skyline, Psi, Toto Blanke, Ragawerk, Lychee Lassi, Abadie, Zoppo Trump, Epsilon, Radio Noisz Ensemble, Mocolage, Dschinn, Frob, Emotion, Join In, Morpheus, Opossum, Zyma, and The Terrible Two.
CD $17
GIOBIA - X-AEon (Heavy Psych Sounds 363CD; Italy) With X-ÆON, Giöbia push their signature blend of mesmerizing neo-psychedelia and space rock into uncharted territory. Echoes of the '70s meet a bold, forward-looking vision, shaping an album that feels timeless. Each track offers a glimpse into a parallel reality, a plunge into a new era brimming with tension and mystery. Also available on black vinyl (HPS 363LP), blue vinyl (HPS 363LTD-LP), and splatter color vinyl (HPS 363ULTRA-LP).
CD $17
LP SECTION:
JOE McPHEE - Defiant Jazz: a Joe McPhee Taster (CvsD 016LP; USA) Who was that masked man? This question is on many lips having seen and heard the Defiant Jazz episode of the hit TV show Severance, the one in which the show's protagonists are allowed a company dance party, accompanied by a light show and increasingly wild, funky, saxophone-driven music. The masked man? None other than Joe McPhee, Poughkeepsie, New York's best kept secret, one of the great figures of contemporary improvised music. A living legend looming large, you might say. And now a presence in households around the globe. This "taster" is more than a "best of" record. Defiant Jazz includes "Shakey Jake," the dance party track, a funky upsetter from 1970 that shimmies and rolls at the same time it builds and explodes. The vinyl-only compilation then moves across time, touching on another early track, the spiritual jazz classic "Astral Spirits," from the 1972 CJR LP Trinity and a 1983 version of the Sonny Rollins tune "Oleo" from the hat Hut LP of the same name, with psychedelic guitar outbursts courtesy of Raymond Boni. The second side opens with "I See You Baby Shakin' That Ass," a self-proclaimed "throwdown" with McPhee as emcee and flamethrowing saxophonist, fronting two bands, Cato Salsa Experience and The Thing. A dance floor jack-in-the-box for anyone unlucky enough not to have heard it yet. The program concludes with a sensitive tenor/drum duet between McPhee and Paal Nilssen-Love. The cover features previously unpublished vintage photos of McPhee. If you already know Mr. McPhee's music, this compilation is designed to fulfill, and if you're new to him, it will thrill and chill. Win-win.
LP $28
MOOR MOTHER with ARCHIE SHEPP - One For Archie (Enjoy Jazz Records EJR 003LP; Germany)
A duo concert featuring universal artist and activist Moor Mother and Archie Shepp was planned for October 19, 2023, at the Enjoy Jazz Festival. However, a spinal disc operation on the then 86-year-old saxophone legend led to the cancellation of this eagerly awaited world premiere -- and to a spontaneous demonstration of respect. To honor the great Archie Shepp, one of the most influential intellectuals in jazz, an Enjoy Jazz all-star cast spontaneously recorded a tribute song during the festival -- organized by festival director Rainer Kern. The line-up consisted of Nicole Mitchell, the most important flutist in the history of jazz, as well as the Enjoy Jazz "Artists in Residence" for 2023 and 2024, Moor Mother (spoken word) and Nduduzo Makhathini (piano). In her lyrics, the poetess creates a powerful linguistic monument to Archie Shepp, whom she greatly admires, by playing with the titles of the saxophonist's legendary recordings (instead of with him himself). The title One For Archie is an allusion to Shepp's 1964 Impulse debut, Four For Trane, which, according to Jazzwise, is one of the "100 Jazz Albums That Shook The World." In her moving text, Moor Mother also celebrates Shepp's political and social commitment. The way Moor Mother rhythmically and aesthetically picks up on Shepp's unique playing style, which oscillates between rugged clarity and deep humanity, begins to improvise on it, and thereby creates new connections, is impressive proof of her masterful artistry. Her recitation is peppered with haunting dramatic climaxes that give listeners goosebumps due to their authenticity. The B-side features "They've Got A Plan," a song that is like a beacon. An intense and powerful invocation of "Agenda 2063," a master plan of the African Union to transform the continent socially, economically, and politically. Both tracks are available on vinyl for the first time.
LP $25
GRATEFUL DEAD - All Eyes (No Label PP 010LP; Poland) "Four live versions of 'Eyes Of The World' pulled from wonderful quality audience tapes: 6/8/74, 2/3/78, 6/9/76, and 5/13/83. Hand screen printed psychedelic sleeves. Super limited press of 200 copies."
2 LP Set $45
THE TRAVEL AGENCY - The Travel Agency (Life Goes On Records 063LP; Italy) During the summer of love and all across the Vietnam protest marches there was a mysterious object flying the non-safety zone. The sole album from Los Angeles psych combo The Travel Agency was released in 1968 and produced by James Griffin of Bread fame. Full of incredible proto-garage leaks and more lysergic crescendo, the album opens with the scary organ intro of "What's A Man," which then reveals an unbelievable resemblance with "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
"As obscure as they were, The Travel Agency were/are one of my favorite oddball psych albums of all. Produced by James Griffin, future member of Bread, the Travel Agency doesn't quite sound like any other band from their eras: L.A. in the Summer of Love (1967!). I recall hearing "Cadillac George" on FM radio at the time, as well as "That's Good" and thinking what a strange band this was. The production here, which adds some sly psych effects to the guitars & keyboards, adds some fascinating sonic seasoning. Even the hippie-like anti-war lyrics add the mysterious and unpredictable between-categories of their eclectic sound. This album still sounds singular today, nearly 60 years after it was first released. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
LP $25
STUART BAKER - Freedom, Rhythm & Sound: Chapter Two: Revolutionary Jazz Original Cover Art 1965-83 (Soul Jazz Records 9781916359840; UK) Hardcover. 208 pages. "Album sleeve art from a transformative era in America's radical jazz culture, plus covers for recordings by Black poets, civil rights activists and experimental musicians. Just over 15 years ago, Soul Jazz Records' Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker published Freedom, Rhythm & Sound, showcasing the stunning graphic works of independently published jazz record cover designs of the 1960s and 1970s from radical jazz musicians such as Sun Ra, John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and more. These artists reshaped the cultural landscape for African American musicians in the US, transforming the role of jazz musician from nightclub entertainer to artist. The artwork of their often self-produced record cover designs reflected their radical agenda, spiritual awareness and singular search for musical and personal freedoms. Following the success of the first volume, Freedom, Rhythm and Sound: Chapter Two features hundreds more of these beautiful and rare jazz record cover designs from the 1960s to the 1980s. In addition to spotlighting the radical jazz musicians of this time, this second volume branches out to feature record cover art of recordings by Black poets, civil rights speechmakers and other experimental pioneers."
BOOK $45
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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 / BASYA SCHECHTER / NOV 5-8
11/5 Wednesday
8:30 pm - DARSHAN—Basya Schechter and Eden Pearlstein
Basya Schechter (guitar, ukulele, vocals) Eden Pearlstein (vocals) Shai Wetzer (drums) Yoshie; With Fruchter (guitar, vocals) Micha Gilad (keyboards) Shanir Blumenkranz (bass) Eleonore Weill (flutes, vocals) Chaia Berman Peters (accordion, vocals, electronics)
11/6 Thursday
8:30 pm - KHUMESH LIDER—Avi fox Rosen and Basya Schechter - Featuring: (vocals) Chaia Berman Peters (electronics) Shai Wetzer (drums)
11/7 Friday
8:30 pm
MEG OKURA PROJECT
Meg Okura (violin) Sam Newsome (soprano saxophone) Angelica Sanchez (piano)
11/8 Saturday
8:30 pm
KABBALAH KIRTAN - Basya Schechter (shrutivocals, percussion) Deep Singh (tabla) Jessica Lurie (flutes, sax, vocals) and special guests
THE STONE RESIDENCIES / PATRICIA BRENNAN / NOV 12-15
11/12 Wednesday
8:30 pm - TALAMANTI
Patricia Brennan (vibes) Sylvie Courvoisier (piano)
11/13 Thursday
8:30 pm - Percussion QUARTET - Patricia Brennan (vibes) Melissa Almaguer (tap dance) Mauricio Herrera (percussion) Noel Brennan (percussion)
11/14 Friday
8:30 pm - TRIO - Patricia Brennan (vibes) Kim Cass (bass) Noel Brennan (drums)
11/15 Saturday
8:30 pm - TRIO - Patricia Brennan (vibes) Josh Modney (violin) Dan Weiss (drums)
THE STONE is located in
The New School at the Glass Box Theatre
55 West 13th Street - near 6th ave
For more info: https://thestonenyc.com/calendar.php?month=1
LIVE MUSIC
wed-sat - music at 8:30pm
ADMISSION - $20 per set
unless otherwise noted
cash only payment
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Upcoming events at Recirculation:
Thursday, November 13, 7pm
Uptown Out
Ben Stapp (tuba)
Claire de Brunner (bassoon), Matt Lambiase (trumpet), Stephanie Griffin (viola), Will Glass (drums)
Recirculation
876 Riverside Dr NY NY 10032 (@160th St)
Thursday, December 11, 7pm
Uptown Out
Thomas Heberer (trumpet), Joe Fonda (bass)
Claire de Brunner (bassoon), Matt Lambiase (trumpet), Stephanie Griffin (viola), Will Glass (drums), Hilliard Greene (bass), Mary Cherney (flute)
Recirculation
876 Riverside Dr NY NY 10032 (@160th St)
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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