For I will bring you silver and gold
And I will bring you treasure
And I will bring a widowing flag
And I will be your lover
And I will show you grotto and cave
And sacrificial altar
And I will show you blood on the stone
And I will be your mentor
And night will be our darling
And fear will be our name
It's hi, ho, hey
I am the bold marauder
And hi, ho, hey
I am the white destroyer
For I will take you out by the hand
And lead you to the hunter
And I will show you thunder and steel
And I will be your teacher
Then we will dress in helmet and sword
And dip our tongues in slaughter
And we will sing a warrior's song
And lift the praise of murder
And Christ will be our darling
And fear will be our name
It's hi, ho, hey
I am the bold marauder
And hi, ho, hey
I am the white destroyer
For I will sour the winds on high
And I will soil the river
And I will burn the grain in the field
And I will be your mother
And I will go to ravage and kill
And I will go to plunder
And I will take a Fury to wife
And I will be your father
And death will be our darling
And fear will be our name
I didn't know much about Richard & Mimi Fariña until I heard the above song covered by Kendra Smith for her one & only solo effort from 1995 (on 4 AD). Kendra Smith was the original bassist for Dream Syndicate and left the band after they had recorded their first couple of albums. After leaving Dream Syndicate, Ms. Smith hooked up with David Roback (from Rain Parade) and formed Opal & Clay Allison. There is something about this song which still spooks me to this day, so I understand why Ms. Smith covered it. Who is the Bold Marauder?!? I found out that this song was written by Richard Fariña and performed by his duo with Mimi, who also was Joan Baez's sister. Mimi & Richard recorded two albums for Vanguard in 1965, both of which are longtime favorites of mine, haunting folk/rock at its best. Mr. Fariña was a great songwriter (with a rare solo effort from 1963) as well as the author of one novel called, "Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me". On the day (April 30th, 1966) that there was a book release party in Carmel, CA, Mr. Fariña took off with a friend on a motorcycle, which crashed and Fariña was instantly killed. Bob Dylan, who also dated Joan Baez, was friendly with Mr. Fariña and is said to have influenced Dylan, as far as adding rock elements to folk music that both Dylan and Fariña both started out doing. Along with folk guru Fred Neil, I still cherish both albums by Richard & Mimi Fariña, as well as a third post-humous release. I am still searching a copy of Fariña's early solo/duo album with Eric Von Schmidt which goes for $30-$90. A toast to Richard & Mimi Fariña, under-recognized heroes of old folkies like yours truly.... Bruce Lee Gallanter at DMG
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THE DMG 34th ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE CONCERT CELEBRATION CONTINUES with:
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
Monday, November 24th: GIAN PEREZ BIRTHDAY GIG!
6:30: BUZ DONALD - Drums / GIAN PEREZ - Guitar
7:30: MARC EDWARDS - Drums / CAROLINE MORTON - Contrabass / GIAN PEREZ - Guitar
8:30: HANS YOUNG-BINTER - Keyboard / VIVEK MENON - Violin / ORCHID McRAE - Drums / GIAN PEREZ - Guitar
Tuesday, November 25th:
6:30: NICK NEUBERG - Solo Drums - CD Release Set
7:30: CHRIS GRUDA - Guitar / JAMES McKAIN - Bari Sax / EVAN PALMER - Contrabass
8:30: GIACOMO MEREGA - Electric bass / HARVEY VALDES - Guitar
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FOR ANYONE WHO ORDERED THE RECENT MUJICIAN 3 CD Set on Jazz in Britain...
We got 27 orders but were only able to get 20 copies. Practically all of the 300 copies were pre-sold to subscribers of the label through their own website. You can still get download versions here: https://jazzinbritain1.bandcamp.com/album/in-concerts. Our second batch of 10 copies will be here in the next few days and we will process & send them out asap. We've kept a list of the orders chronologically. Sorry to anyone who ordered and will not received. So far, Jazz in Britain, has never reissued any of the sold out titles, but all of them can be ordered as downloads from the bandcamp site.
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THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES BEGIN WITH A GREAT DOWNTOWN TRIO:
JIM STALEY / IKUE MORI / JOHN ZORN - Alchemical Theatre (Tzadik 4058; USA) Friends and musical cohorts since the early 1980s, these three master improvisers come together to perform a freewheeling set of outrageous and mind-blowing improvisations. Recorded at Roulette, founded in 1978 and one of New York’s most adventurous venues, the music is full of surprising twists and jumps from one mood to another with mercurial synchronicity. Dedicated to the memory of Downtown theatrical genius Richard Foreman, “Alchemical Theatre” presents nine pieces of telepathic, counter-intuitive New York improvisation by three legendary figures of the Downtown scene.
Featuring Jim Staley on trombone, Ikue Mori on laptop and John Zorn on alto sax. This disc was recorded in May of 2025 at Roulette in Brooklyn, NYC. The Downtown Scene emerged in the mid 1970's and was a mostly truly underground scene noticed by a handful of curiosity seekers. Around 1979 & 1980, a handful of musicians like John Zorn, Eugene Chadbourne, Polly Bradfield, Tom Cora, Wayne Horvitz, Robin Holcomb, Phillip Johnston, Elliott Sharp & Dave Sewelson, as well Fred Frith, started playing together, improvising and creating New Music in their way. Within a year or two even more musicians arrived: Ned Rothenberg, Bob Ostertag, Ikue Mori, Arto Linday, Kramer, Jim Staley, Zeena Parkins, Bill Laswell & Anton Fier were all working together in a variety of bands & groupings. I first heard this musicians at a basement space called Studio Henry in the West Village, thanks to Fred Frith, who had recently moved here when Henry Cow broke up. Although it took a year or so, I noticed that a new way of playing Creative Music was evolving. Aside from a few lofts, new performance places like the Public Theatre and Roulette became a home for these musicians. I soon became a big fan of all of these musicians, befriending many and helping to promote their music. I started going to Roulette, on West Broadway, south of Canal, around 1981 as there was a stream of new Creative Musicans playing there weekly. Trombonist Jim Staley founded Roulette in 1980 and was/still is an integral part of this scene. Ikue Mori, who was originally playing drums on No Wavers DNA, soon switched to drum machine and became a close friend of John Zorn's. These three musicians have been playing together for 45 years and you can hear a connection within their music. The music here is pure Downtown sounds, created in the moment with no overdubs or editing. The cover art comes from a collage by John Zorn with help from his longtime designer cohort Hueng-Heung Chin. The cover is marvelous and the music is wonderful, unique, fascinating, demanding and a true treasure which was created over a long period of experimentation. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16
SATOKO FUJII QUARTET with NATSUKI TAMURA / HAYAKAWA TAKEHARU / TATSUYA YOSHIDA - Burning Wick (Libra 204-082; Japan) Featuring Satoko Fujii on piano, voice & compositions, Natsuki Tamura on trumpet, Hayakawa Takeharu on electric & acoustic basses and Tatsuya Yoshida on drums & voice. Legendary Japanese drummer, Tatsuya Yoshida, has been around for three plus decades, founded The Ruins and has worked with Acid Mother Gong, Derek Bailey, Haino Keiji and Kazuhisa Uchihashi. Mr. Yoshida has also worked pianist Satoko Fujii and her partner Natsuki Tamura with this being the tenth disc with Fujii and.or Tamura. Bassist Hayakawa Takeharu used to play in Kazutok nUmezu's Kiki Band as well as with this quartet for this previous disc from last year (2024).
Ms. Fujii is a gifted composer who writes for several of her different bands, which range from duos to large ensembles. "Solar Orbit" starts off quietly with Mr. Yoshida spinning his lines on mallets and Ms. Fujii also plays powerful waves on her piano. Each piece shows a different side to this quartet, "Rain in the Wee Small Hours" is a is lovely ballad with a most memorable melody and a stunning unaccompanied trumpet solo near the end. "Walking Through the Borden Town" begins with swirling, spooky ghost-like vocals, so eerie and unsettling. It breaks into a prog-like, mellow rocker, which has several different sections. The prog-like sections are something that Mr. Yoshida has long excelled in with Ms. Fujii & Mr. Yoshida exchanging challenging lines for good measure. On each piece, Ms. Fujii draws from different styles or genres to keep things interesting. "Neverending Summer" starts off quietly but has a long we;;written progish mid section with some great drumming from Yoshida at times. Bassist Takeharu gets a chance to stretch out and take a scary electric bass solo on "Mountain Gnome" which turns into a powerful duo with the drums. One of the things I most like about this is that the music here doesn't draw from jazz but rather rock or other more popular types of music yet still remains creative, carefully crafted and played. Satoko Fujii and Natsuki Tamura release upwards of ten discs a year, which is quite prolific. These releases are consistently fascinating and unpredictable direction-wise. This is yet another treasure from my/our favorite couple of creative musicians. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16
NATSUKI TAMURA / SATOKO FUJII - Ki (Libra Records 102-081; Japan) Featuring Natsuki Tamura on trumpet & compositions and Satoko Fujii on piano. Satoko Fujii and Natsuki Tamura have been married partners and music collaborators for more than three decades and often work on each other's projects. They've worked together in assorted duos, trios, quartets, quintets and several large ensembles as well. Although they's have several different trios and quartets (Kaze rules!), their duo efforts are relatively rare. For many of Ms. Fujii's (100 ) recordings, she composes and directs her varied ensembles. For the duo, Mr. Tamura composed all of the pieces on this disc. The first piece, "Keyaki" is lush, sparse and filled with suspense. While Ms. Fujii plays a couple of chords, slowly, one at a time, Mr. Tamura plays a poignant lullaby on top. Ms. Fujii plays a series of solemn lines in the final section of this piece, the pedal is down as esch note or chord is suspended and resonant. This piece is long and time seems to be stretched out. The next track, "Sugi", is also slow and spacious, with each note or chord floating in space. Tamura is featured and is concentrating on each note, taking his time and often stretching his notes out most carefully. Ms. Fujii is framing each his notes with exquisite chords underneath. The overall sound of this disc is rather solemn and moving slowly. While listening to this disc, I had to slow down my expectation pulse to a more relaxed, calming vibe. Once I did this, I was able to better appreciate the subtle ways that this music unfolds and the careful way that each note or sound is used. There is something quite lovely and rather sad going on here and I am reminded of the inner calm that we occasionally feel after dealing with whatever stressful that surround or affect us. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $16
ELIJAH SHIFFER with KEVIN SUN / DMITRY ISHENKO / COLIN HINTON / BRUCE ACOSTA - City of Birds - Volume 3: Fly By Night Blues (Star Jelly 005; USA) Featuring Elijah Shiffer on alto sax & compositions (all but one), Kevin Sun on tenor sax, Bruce Acosta on guitar (for 3 duo tracks), Dmitry Ishenko on bass and Colin Hinton on drums. This is the third volume by Elijah Shiffer's ongoing tribute to certain birds found in NYC. Each of the ten pieces is based on a different birdcall from 10 different birds. Three of the pieces here are duets with guitarist Bruce Acosta. "Scops" opens this disc as a ballad for clarinet and guitar. It is a lovely, haunting, rather forlorn sounding piece for war, exquisite clarinet and sublime guitar. I'm not so sure how this was inspired by a screech owl, although the first phrase from the clarinet does have an owlish sound. According to notes, the male & female Great Horned Owls sing in different keys, hence Shiffer's alto sax and Kevin Sun's tenor sax, lead the quartet on "I Know I'll Find Her", trading tasty lines back and forth. I get the feeling that both the alto and tenor sax lines are based on fragments of the what the male and female sound like when they exchange lines. Both Mr. Shiffer and Mr. Sun are well matched and shadow each other just right. "Big John's Pond" features the sound of a Black-crowned Night-heron. Although inspired by certain bird calls, none of the music here is actually experimental or avant. I found all of the playing and the music to be lovely, warm and often thoughtfully played. This is a most quint sounding gem. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $12
* NICK NEUBERG - For 1 and 2 Surfaces (Empty Stage Records; USA) Featuring Nick Neuberg on solo drums. One of the great things about organizing our weekly Free music series at the store is that I've become familiar with dozens (hundreds?) of musicians, who are local, from around the US or from South America or across the great pond. Five times a month, we have three sets per night with different musicians from a variety of places, each of whom gets a chance to express themselves with chosen collaborators in front of a sympathetic audience and surrounded by thousands of CD's, LP's, cassettes, DVD's, books & t-shirts. Over the past few years, there has been a number of new drummers or percussionists who are finding new ways of playing. I've caught Nick Neuberg play here at DMG more than half dozen times and I've come to realize that he is one of the best of the current batch, especially when he plays just one floor tom with some objects on top on the drum. This is Mr. Neuberg's second solo offering and I admit that I didn't hear or even know about the first one. Mr. Neuberg was in the store earlier this week and left us with copies of his new solo effort.
One of the first things I noticed about Neuberg is that unless you watch him closely, you won't be able to figure out what he is doing. He often puts cymbals, gongs or other pieces of petal on top of his drums, each of which resonate in different ways since they are bouncing on a drumhead. Neuberg also rub his drum heads with assorte4d objects which also makes for odd, eerie or disorienting results. It almost sounds like his drums are breathing heavily while he rubs or bangs on them. Even when I hear an object that I recognize (like a vibraslap), Neuberg alters its sound in his own unique way. After a short time, I gave up trying to identify which drum, cymbal or object that he is playing and just concentrate on the resulting sounds. Each of the fifteen pieces here creates its own sonic world like a scene from a strange yet fascinating film. One thing I noticed is that whenever Neuberg bends, twists or manipulates a certain sound, it feels as if he is also altering reality or at least the way we hear things. We have a cutomer here at DMG that orders the majority of things that we list in our weekly newsletters which is quite a bit every week. One of things he does avoid is solo efforts. I have no problems with most solo efforts, some are amazing and some not so much. This one is particularly strong and i remained at the edge of my seat throughout. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $10
* On Tuesday, November 25, Nick Neuberg will be performing solo percussion set here at DMG at 6:30
CLAK with AARON EDGCOMB / ALEX KOI / YUMA UESAKA / ANDRES ABENANTE / ISAAC LEVIEN - appetite of nature (Endectomorph Music; USA) Featuring Aaron Edgcomb on drums, vibes percussion, electronics & compositions, Alex Koi on vocals & electronics, Yuma Uesaka on sax & clarinet, Andres Abernante on guitar and Isaac Levien on electric & acoustic basses. There was/is a trio called Trigger who met while attending school in Boston, moved to New York and recorded a strong, post-punk CD of John Zorn's Bagatelles series. Since moving here, all three members (Aaron Edgcomg, Simon Hanes & Will Greene), have been working on their own projects apart as well as performing as Trigger from time to time. Trigger drummer, Aaron Edgcomb came to visit us earlier this week and left us with two of his own self-produced CD's, each one with different personnel and concepts.
I know of a couple of the members of Clak from pervious connections: vocalist Alez Coi played here at DMG ion a trio with Sally Gates while Yuma Uesaka has worked with Marilyn Crispell and Lesley Mok. On bandcamp, there are notes by Mr. Edgcomb discussing how all us are bound by the fact we all have different appetites for different things, we all have the need to consume certain things. "Plum" opens this disc with a tight, sort of math rock quintet fronted by the sly, deadpan vocals by Ms. Koi. For "Teach Me, Oh Teach Me", the quintet keeps switching tempos and structures throughout with some thoughtful spoken word vocals by Ms. Koi. "Honey Jar" is a quirky sorta math rock song with strong clarinet and coy, Young Marble Giants like vocals and a long, story-like clarinet solo in the second half at a moderate tempo before speeding up again near the end. "IHSM" begins quietly with just vocals and vibes before it erupts into a more rambunctious prog-like section. "Up Disco" features some intense, tight, well-written ensemble playing keeps shifting through various connected sections. The writing and playing here is rather quirky and unpredictable, we never know which direction the quintet will go. I would think that a label like Cuneiform (mostly a variety of different prog bands) would be a great home for this disc. I can't really compare this disc to anyone else since it seems to capture its own sound-world. Noyjhong like the 'Art of Surprise' to engage our imaginations. - Bruce Lee Gallanter at DMG
CD $15 [$20 includes Art Booklet]
TROPOS with AARON EDGCOMB / LEDAH FINCK / YUMA UESAKA / PHILLIP GOLUB - Switches (Endectomorph Music; USA) Featuring Ledah Finck on violin, Yuma Uesaka on clarinet & bass clarinet, Phillip Golub on piano and Aaron Edgcomb on drums & percussion. Aside for drumming in the post-punk, power trio, Trigger, Aaron Edgcomb has been busy for the last few years working on his own projects. Mr. Edgcomb recently (11/10/25) left us with two newer releases of his own bands. Each member of this quartet has worked with others like: Ms. Finck (in the Bergamot Quartet), Ms. Uesaka (duo disc with Marilyn Crispell) and Phillip Golub (duo with Lesley Mok). It turns out that this is the second disc from Tropos, the first one was released in 2020 and had completely different personnel (aside from Mr. Golub).
Each member of Tropos has composed one or two songs for this disc. "Witchess" opens with what sounds like all rubbed surfaces, hand-muted piano, plucked strings and reed clicks. The piece quirky, tight and mostly written out in fragments. This music reminds me of Braxton's Ghost Trance Music sped up and even explosive at times. Ms. Finck's "Best Donuts in Pennsylvania" is also rather like fractured Ghost Trance with some solo sections interspersed from the violin and clarinet. The piano and drums play their lines tightly linked together while the clarinet dances on top. The music here blends elements from modern jazz, chamber music and other progressive influences which makes it surprising, challenging and nearly impossible to pigeonhole. Mr. Golub's "Mother in Lieu" is played tightly yet it keeps on switching rhythmic and melodic fragments. "Lukan" slows things down yet remains unpredictable as it also each member of the quartet playing a different yet connected part, the harmonies keep changing as well each player navigates a different thread. Occasional explosive moments give way to other more calm chamber like sections. The clarinet and violin are pushed to extremes at the beginning of the titles track which also some exciting, explosive parts. Pretty much every week I review a disc which knocks me out although the personnel are mostly lesser known musicians. This week's buried treasure is this disc, a mind-blowing mystery that is well worth your time and listening abilities. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD-R $15
SUN RA & HIS ARKESTRA - Supersonic Jazz (Cosmic Myth Records 009 CD/LP; USA) "Official expanded edition of Sun Ra's Saturn debut features an additional fourteen tracks of alternate versions and studio takes. The CD also contains four CD only bonus tracks. Liner notes were penned by avid fan Ira Kaplan of Yo La Tengo, as well as an essay from longtime Ra blogger Rodger Coleman (NUVOID Sun Ra Sundays). Vinyl gatefold jacket includes a 12x12 insert reproduction of the original LP jacket art. Recorded in 1956 and released in 1957, Supersonic Jazz is arguably the first long-playing album by Sun Ra and His Arkestra on his Saturn label. However, it was not recorded as a debut. Rather, the album was assembled from tapes recorded during a number of sessions at two Chicago studios (RCA Victor and Balkan), and several tracks had been released as singles before their inclusion on this album. (Sunny's first fully realized commercial album was 1957's Jazz by Sun Ra, produced by Tom Wilson on his short lived/soon to be defunct Transition label.) Prior to these sessions, Sunny was still arranging for the Red Saunders Orchestra and singer Joe Williams, in addition to arranging for and coaching doo-wop ensembles. As Sunny's ambitions achieved liftoff, the Arkestra coalesced, began building a repertoire (mostly of Ra's originals), and making forays into studios. Deciding it was time for commercial releases, Sunny and business partner Alton Abraham launched Saturn (sometimes called El Saturn) as a record company in 1956. As a first offering, Supersonic Jazz is a pinnacle Sun Ra release. While reflecting many prevailing bebop, Latin, and R&B conventions of the mid-1950s, it's evident that Sun Ra's musical voice and vision were starting to propel him away from the jazz mainstream. Biographer John Szwed finds on these recordings 'characteristics which seemed alien to swing, bebop, or the new, more soulful and hard-edged music which was coming to be called hard bop.'"
2 CD Set $17 / 2 LP Set $34
MELAINE DALIBERT & DAVID SYLVIAN - Vermilion Hours (Ici D'Ailleurs IDAMT 022CD; France) "Scattered notes stretch time, their repetitions evoking the infinite iridescence of dawn -- a ritual as inevitable as it is unpredictable. Melaine Dalibert's Musique pour le lever du jour, composed over two years and completed in 2017, was envisioned as 'an infinite piece,' without beginning or end. Subtle, intangible, both complex and minimal, this hour-long work -- dedicated to pianist Stéphane Ginsburgh -- lets silence and resonance blossom into shifting colors. Released by Elsewhere Music (run by Yuko Zama), the album was among France Musique's 100 best of 2018. Its abstract cover was created by David Sylvian. Dalibert has since performed the piece in varied settings, from dawn to dusk, leading him to craft a condensed 20-minute version more suited to live performance. During this period, he released three more albums on Elsewhere, each featuring artwork by Sylvian -- an artist Dalibert first admired through his experimental works like Blemish and Manafon. Sylvian, best known as the voice of Japan (1974-1982), has also built a significant ambient legacy, collaborating with Holger Czukay, Jon Hassell, Robert Fripp, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Christian Fennesz, and Stephan Mathieu. Their connection naturally led to his contribution on two tracks of Dalibert's 2021 Night Blossoms, subtly enriching its piano textures with electronic color. The two new pieces of Vermilion Hours mark a culmination. With a generational bridge -- Dalibert (b. 1979), Sylvian (1958), Czukay (1938) -- this project reinterprets Musique in a slower, more resonant form, allowing Sylvian's restrained electronics to gently 'baroquize' the texture. Dalibert's Arabesque, also featured, embodies his systematic yet humanized approach."
CD $15 / LP $25
BILL ORCUTT - Another Perfect Day (Palilalia PAL 094CD / LP; USA) "Another Perfect Day is Bill Orcutt's first solo electric guitar record since 2017's eponymous Bill Orcutt. While that eight-year gap might not seem like a ton of time on the cosmic scale, it nonetheless represents a busy half-decade plus for Orcutt projects: a raft of improv collaborations, an acclaimed run of chopped and looped albums on Fake Estates, and the collision of Orcutt's computer and guitar music on Music For Four Guitars and How to Rescue Things, both on Palilalia. The undeniable alchemy of those latter mashups inspired not only a wider appreciation of Orcutt-as-composer, but also the resurrection of Orcutt-as-bandleader, as the Bill Orcutt Quartet hit the road in support of Four Guitars, Orcutt's first work with a proper score (courtesy of Shane Parrish). Here, he is wielding his trademark four-string rather than a mouse, running the neck rather than shuffling waveforms, blasting through Cafe Oto's tattered Fender Twin (the cover model for the aforementioned How to Rescue Things) rather than a pair of ancient NS-10s. Indeed, this 2023 performance at Oto, East London's finest music establishment, boomerangs back into the slashing chords and frenzied double- picking of the Harry Pussy years, tossing the gentler melodic glow of the last few solo records into the dustbin. In other words, this may be Orcutt's most overtly punk-rockist record since Gerty Loves Pussy, his first solo electric LP from a decade ago. It's an affirmation that Orcutt is above all a lead player -- angular runs scaling the heavens, ricocheting back to ground zero before climbing again. Orcutt builds tension with short phrases, repeated with slight variability until it seems like they'll never stop, finally slamming into a fresh line like the dawning valley at the crest of the mountain pass. Another Perfect Day is, ultimately, something of a solo guitar Nouveau Roman, an exhilarating run through melodic reiteration, impossible crescendos breaking into -- a moment rarely found on an Orcutt record -- soft, whisper-quiet tracer notes at the end of 'A Natural Death.' Another Perfect Day returns Orcutt to the immediacy of his earliest records while maintaining the melodic complexity, phrasing, and flow of a player, who's been going, what -- four-plus decades now? And when he taps his roots, it's a reminder of exactly what was so exciting about Orcutt's playing in the first place." - Tom Carter
CD $17 / LP $28
RIE NAKAJIMA DAVID TOOP - Is Spring A Sculpture? (Room40 RM 4241CD; Australia) Rie Nakajima and David Toop recorded at Dave Hunt's studio, 6 May 2022. Mastered by Lawrence English at Negative Space. A note from David Toop: "These are two conversations we had by emails when we all had to stay inside quietly five years ago. We have always enjoyed chatting on art, music, food and shared what we observed in life since we met but this period of lockdown, we couldn't see each other so somehow we found a way to continue this habit. Also, this extreme situation persuaded us to be 'thoughtful' and 'creative' not in a normal or natural way. Though the way we try to be thoughtful and creative is always with humor and laughter. This part is so important in what we share through art and music. Like sculpture, like music. Some thoughts in spring. Emerging in spring we made a studio recording. Many things had floated away in the time of lockdowns and isolation. Other things became fixed in unfamiliar ways. It's a long time since Lucy Lippard wrote about the dematerialization of the art object but it seems that the word 'sculpture' still has connotations of a solid thing, with weight and mass. Early on in our conversations, maybe 12 years ago, we thought about this word and its weight. What if sculpture was just a duration, an empty cup held in the hand until it disappears, leaves that fell from a tree in autumn, a collection of sounds that one person heard but the other person ignored, a closed suitcase full of objects and then later on the suitcase has been opened and the objects have been stuck to a window, or a season and its transitions, its colors and scents, its feeling of vigor and renewal. The thoughts were sculptures, you could say, but you couldn't touch them. They looked after themselves."
CD / BOOK $24
LP Section:
CHUCK ROTH - Watergh0st Songs (Palilalia PAL 088LP; USA) Chuck Roth's music wanders. The New York-based guitarist's inquisitive style builds from rippling patterns that center the physicality of his instrument, roaming wherever they take him. Watergh0st Songs, his Palilalia debut, collects songs from the past half-decade, presenting an intimate snapshot of his music that draws from an eclectic background in classical guitar, electronic music, and improvisation. The mark of Watergh0st Songs is its exploratory nature. Roth began his musical journey as a classical guitarist studying the canon works for the instrument, but he was never interested in playing fast or flashy. Instead, he wanted to roam down musical paths and see where they led him. He eventually became more interested in electronic music, where he found inspiration in subtractive properties and patterning. When writing music, Roth wants melodies to feel comfortable in the body, focused less on setting a structure and more on letting music unfold how it happens in any given moment. His songs are fluid and his melodies are clear, plucked with careful attention but never too deterministically. His is the music of a traveler, floating around the strings of the guitar. It is about embracing the banal, or the everyday moments that shape a life. Though Roth's music often feels quite direct, there is a dreaminess that lives inside of it. His lyrics don't feel too hot or cold, instead they have a wistfulness and melancholy of what it feels like to live through every passing day. His exploratory style bolsters these lyrics, giving the music its sense of ennui, as does his focus on texture. Each track takes on a different structure: 'Bunny Hop' unfolds like a squirrel jumping from branch to branch of a tree, while 'Private Boy' has a slower approach, growing from delayed harmonics that almost sound like bowed strings. His textures range from metallic and bristling to soft and feathery, evolving with gentleness. It is about ending up somewhere different than where it started, and watching the notes that fall in-between. The embrace of the routine colors Roth's music. In it, there is a sense of presence, of admiring the smallest details and moments. Roth loves to take walks and look around, observing the beauty of his surroundings. Similarly, Watergh0st Songs feels like moving through the world at the pace of a comfortable trot and soaking in every sound as it emerges. It is a quiet evolution -- but one that stays." Vanessa Ague
LP $28
JEB LOY NICHOLS - The Music Maker (Be With Records 188LP; UK) Jeb Loy Nichols is a bonafide country soul legend. The Music Maker presents 21 incredibly deep, grooving and soulful songs from the cream of Jeb's catalogue; from its earliest days to his latest unreleased gems via countless rare and unbelievably good lost-classics. This 2LP set is presented in a gatefold sleeve complete with freshly commissioned artwork courtesy of Jeb himself. In collecting these uncut, under-heard gems, Be With hopes to do justice to Jeb's jaw-dropping artistic brilliance. A man who, in working with Adrian Sherwood, Dennis Bovell, Dan Penn, Larry Jon Wilson, and countless other legendary characters, has crafted some of the most deeply affecting folk, country, soul, funk, blues, dub, reggae, gospel, rap and electronic music, ever heard. This compilation features hand-made, lo-fi, ramshackle, stripped down, real deal music. Heartworn and funky. Music made in the kitchen, not in the studio. A combination of all his loves; country, reggae, soul. The name of this compilation comes from a time when Jeb lived in Peckham, south London and he used to DJ and sometimes perform at a local bar: "The owner of the bar, a Jamaican named Count Percy, once asked me what I called my music. I told him I wasn't sure, I guess just pop music. He thought about it for a minute and then said, 'no, more like mom and pop music.' Rather than call me a country singer or a folk singer he always referred to me as The Music Maker." With the long overdue deluxe overview of his beloved music, Be With hopes to finally shine a light on the unheralded genius of Jeb Loy Nichols. RIYL Larry Jon Wilson, Townes Van Zandt, Bobby Charles, country got soul artists, dub, deep soul, disco, dancing, heartbreak. This deluxe collection, spellbinding from beginning to end, should hopefully go some way to ensuring Jeb reaches an ever bigger, ever more appreciative crowd of followers. Mastering for this special double vinyl edition was overseen by Be With regular Simon Francis and it was cut by the esteemed Cicely Balston at Abbey Road Studios to be pressed in the Netherlands by Record Industry. The artwork has been lovingly put together by The Music Maker, himself, Jeb Loy Nichols.
2 LP Set $48
THE BEACH BOYS - Pet Sounds - The Vocals Only (No Label SW 113LP; EEC) Beautiful, fan-made album of acapella versions of The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds classics on one disc. Be able to hear and appreciate their intricate harmonies like never before. Sit back, close your eyes and have a listen to the isolated vocal tracks of one of the greatest albums ever made. "God Only Knows", "Wouldn't It Be Nice", "That's Not Me", "You Still Believe In Me" and so on and on... It also contains some rare audio clips Carl Wilson and the Boys at their finest.
LP $25
YUSEF MUMIN - Journey To The Ancient (WeWantSounds WWSLP 113LP; UK) Wewantsounds collaborates with cult musician Yusuf Mumin of the Black Unity Trio to unveil previously unreleased music from his personal archive. Following 2024's acclaimed Black Artist Group release, this new instalment continues to unearth hidden treasures from the Great Black Music tradition. Although the exact recording dates remain unknown, the music here is a powerful blend of serene spiritual jazz and fiery sonic intensity. All tracks have been remastered for vinyl by Colorsound Studio and the release also includes a two-page insert featuring new liner notes by Mumin and Pierre Crépon. In 1968, Yusuf Mumin was the blistering alto saxophone voice of the Black Unity Trio, who recorded the cult privately pressed album Al-Fatihah, one of the most sought-after albums in the genre. After extensive but unsuccessful searches for additional material by the group, Journey to the Ancient finally offers more unheard music from Yusuf Mumin. The album presented here draws from a selection of recordings preserved in Mumin's private collection, revealing previously unheard layers of his experimental vision. Mumin performs under both his own name and, when multitracking revelatory double bass parts, the pseudonym Dan Nuby. Born Joseph W. Phillips in 1944, Mumin became a key figure in Cleveland's radical free jazz underground of the 1960s. Deeply influenced by spiritual and esoteric traditions, Mumin was originally drawn to "outside" playing by the sonic explorations of Yusef Lateef. Shortly after Albert Ayler's U.S. recording debut with trumpeter Norman Howard, Howard and Mumin were co-leading a group in Cleveland. Mumin's legacy was cemented through his collaborations with Abdul Wadud and Hasan Shahid as the Black Unity Trio. The release includes a two-page insert featuring interview-based liner notes by Mumin and Crépon, offering fresh insight into the great history of the Cleveland scene. Journey to the Ancient continues Wewantsounds' mission to unearth the hidden treasures of such visionary jazz musicians, and it's an honor to finally present Yusuf Mumin's cutting-edge work for the first time after it remained unheard in the vault for decades.
LP $35
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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 / 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