So let's go and drink to the death of a clown
Won't someone help me to break up this crown?
Let's all drink to the death of a clown
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Let's all drink to the death of a clown
The old fortune teller lies dead on the floor
Nobody needs fortunes told anymore
The trainer of insects is crouched on his knees
And frantically looking for runaway fleas
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Let's all drink to the death of a clown
So won't someone help me to break up this crown?
Let's all drink to the death of a clown
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
Let's all drink to the death of a clown
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la
I recall getting a copy of 'Kinks Kronikles', a 2 LP set of Kinks songs which included many of their hits as well as some album tracks, singles and B-sides. I remember enjoying every song on that 28 song collection and realizing that I was a Kinks freak. I ended acquiring just about every Kinks album from their long reign, 1964 - 1993. Ray Davies was the leader of the Kinks and wrote most of their songs. His brother Dave however also wrote an occasional song and was a great, influential rock guitar player. Check out his playing on 'Sleepwalker'. As far as I can tell Dave Davies songwriting talents began on 'Something Else', with which he wrote 3 songs. Dave Davies solo career started in 1980 and he has created around a dozen albums, only a few of which I've heard. The above song, "Death of a Clown", is something special for me and other Kinks fans. There is a most poignant vibe going on in this song, a sad sweetness which is not so easy to capture. Even the chorus of "La-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la"'s feels just right at plucking out heart-strings. The job of a clown is to make us laugh and feel better and forget about all of the things that bring us down. Let's all drink to the other great Kink, Dave Davies! - Oh yes he is! - MC-BruceLee at DMG
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THE DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY 35th ANNIVERSARY IN-STORE CONCERT SERIES Continues with:
Tuesday, February 10th:
6:30: PATRICK GOLDEN / KEVIN SHEA Drum Duo
7:30: SYLVAIN LEROUX - Fula flutes - reeds / HILL GREENE - Contrabass / DAN KURFIRST - Drums
8:30: HILLIARD GREENE - Contrabass / JAMES KEEPNEWS - Guitar / ROSI HERTLEIN - Violin
Saturday, February 14th, 2026: GauciMusic Series:
6:30: IGOR LUMPERT - tenor sax / BILLY MINTZ - drums
7:30: STEPHEN GAUCI - tenor sax - flute / SHOGO YAMGISHI - bass / JAMES PAUL NADIEN - Drums
8:30: JONATHAN HAFFNER - tenor sax / DALIUS NAUJO - drums - percussion
Tuesday, February 17th: Relative Pitch Presents: 6:30 - 8:30 Plus
Set 1: CHUCK ROTH - Guitar / ELIZA SALEM - Drums
Set 2: CHUCK ROTH - Guitar / NORA STANLEY - Alto Sax
Set 3: CHUCK ROTH / NORA STANLEY / ELIZA SALEM
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THIS WEEK'S DYNAMIC DISCS BEGIN WITH:
DAVE DOUGLAS with MARTA WARELIS / NICK DUNSTON / JOEY BARON - Four Freedoms (Greenleaf GRE-CD 1118; USA) On Four Freedoms, trumpeter and composer Dave Douglas convenes a remarkable new quartet including the brilliantly inventive pianist Marta Warelis, propulsive bassist Nick Dunston, and the wildly swinging Joey Baron on drums.
Douglas channels President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1941 “Four Freedoms” speech - freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, and freedom from fear - into a compelling new musical project. The ensemble serves as an analogy for a functioning society: four distinct voices coexisting, conversing, and creating through improvisation. Balancing urgency with playfulness and joy, Four Freedoms is a celebration of freedom and collaborative spirit.
Four Freedoms was recorded during the Getxo Festival in the Basque Country of Spain, in July 2025. The group recorded a live concert, then reconvened the next day on the same stage to capture focused, intimate versions of the music without an audience.
“I wanted to capture both the excitement of a live performance and the focus and intensity of a studio session. Four Freedoms: Roosevelt’s words feel more relevant than ever - humanities will be essential as we face the challenge of cohabiting on this singularly gorgeous planet.” – Dave Douglas
CD $16
JULIUS HEMPHILL with BAIKIDA CARROLL / ABDUL WADUD / HAMIET BLUIETT / PHILIP WILSON - Dogon A.D, (New World Records 80850-2; USA) If I have anything to contribute to this art form . . . It’s a voice of our culture. This is a voice right out of them cotton fields—this ain’t out of the conservatory. This is out of the neighborhood. And that’s where my impetus comes from . . . I have seen it from the bottom up.” — Julius Hemphill
Meticulously remastered & includes a 28-page booklet with new notes by Marty Ehrlich, complemented by several stills from a 30-minute film of an early ’70s dance performance featuring complete performances of Dogon A.D. and Rites with Hemphill, Baikida Carroll, Phillip Wilson, and John Hicks.
"'Dogon A.D.' marks the now classic debut by saxophonist, flutist, and composer Julius Hemphill; it was recorded in St. Louis in December 1972 with cellist Abdul Wadud, drummer Philip Wilson, and trumpeter Baikida Carroll as accompanists. Originally issued with three selections on the musician's Mbari label (the complete session wouldn't fit on an LP), it was re-released by Arista Freedom, which relegated the fourth track, "The Hard Blues," to the 1975 follow-up Coon Bid'ness as its opening cut. The track was restored to Dogon A.D. during the CD era. The "A.D." in the album's title stands for "adaptive dance," drawn from the spiritual creation story of the Dogon people of Mali, in West Africa.
At the time of its original release, the recording drew laudatory reviews from jazz critics for its seamless escape from the trap of jazz's then dominant binary: fusion or the free, post-Ayler/Coltrane vanguard. Hemphill attempted to reconcile aesthetic differences between the New Thing, fusion, and "people's music." It's one of the first records of the era that reflects a jazz artist melding the emotional candor of popular Black musical traditions -- blues, soul, R&B, and gospel -- with the vocabulary and spirit of free jazz without compromising either in the process.
The title track offers an earthy groove created by the rhythm section as the horns erect a hip vamp via time, stretching circular phrasing and vamps to the point of near hypnosis. Hemphill solos first, testifying in the musical labyrinth across R&B and gutbucket blues. His gritty alto is framed by Wilson's eternally loose groove and Wadud's playing arco and plucking his cello. At nine-and-a-half minutes, Carroll, with a vampy pulse, asserts his own groove before tearing open the track's seam in a passionate solo.
"Rites" offers an incendiary interplay of counterpoint and the call-and-response affirmations so present in the Black church. Wadud bows frantically, while Wilson (ex of the Butterfield Blues Band and the Art Ensemble of Chicago), clatters, rolls, accents, and fills the spaces between. Carroll and Hemphill are tight, expressive, and explosive in a lopsided groove. "The Painter," dedicated to multi-disciplinary visual artist Oliver Lee Jackson, initially sounds speculative as Hemphill's flute whispers, sings, and floats between plucked cello and slippery brushed and hammered drums. He enters a dialogue with Carroll as Wadud plays a poignantly strummed bassline. The flutist offers complex sprawling lyricism as Carroll plays in a free, yet focused solo before conversing with his bandmates. The 20-minute closer "The Hard Blues" bookends the title track with uninhibited raw expression and buoyant improvisational power. The conversation between Hemphill, Carroll, and guest baritone saxophonist Hamiett Bluiett (the leader's future bandmate in the World Saxophone Quartet) is creatively heightened. They frame blues in rhapsodic form amid back and forth interplay as the rhythm section creates a fluid musical frame that cuts through dirty blues, swinging improv, and fingerpopping post-bop jazz. Dogon A.D. not only lives up to its rep but continues to influence jazz musicians internationally." - Thom Jurek, AllMusicGuide"
CD $16 [Release date: 2/23/2026 / you can pre-order now & we will ship with goodies from next week's DMG newsletter]
BACK IN STOCK, LAST COPIES OF THESE:
MUJICIAN with KEITH TIPPETT / PAUL DUNMALL / PAUL ROGERS / TONY LEVIN - In Concerts (Jazz in Britain 80-S; 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 my 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 boxset! I've only listened to 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 [Sold out last month, remanufactured & certain to sell out again soon]
TONY COE'S AXEL with PHIL LEE / GORDON BECK / CHRIS LAURENCE / BRYAN SPRING - What Say We Play Today? (Jazz in Britain 68-S-CD; UK) Featuring Tony Coe on clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano & tenor saxes, Phil Lee on guitar, Gordon Beck on piano, Chris Laurence on bass and Bryan Spring on drums. Recorded at the Camden Festival, Shaw Theatre in London in March of 1977. British multi-reeds wizard, Tony Coe, is well known for his consistently inspired playing as well as the multiple genres/disciplines that he has long succeeded at. Although he famous for playing the tenor sax solo on Henry Mancini's "Pink Panther Theme", he has worked in bands like Johnny Dankworth, the Clarke/Boland Big Band and Stan Tracey Orchestra, he has also worked with Derek Bailey, Kenny Wheeler and Lee Konitz, His dates as a leader are also relatively rare, drawing from a whole host of other players from the UK and elsewhere. For this session, Mr. Coe has organized a great British quintet, whose personnel come from varied backgrounds. Jazz piano giant Gordon Beck has worked with Tubby Hayes, John McLaughlin, Alan Holdsworth and John Stevens. British guitarist Phil Lee is much less lauded but has played in bands: Paz, Gilgamesh (Canterbury) and the Trevor Tomkins Sextet. The great British bassist Chris Laurence has worked with Tony Coe in several bands as well as with John Surman, Kenny Wheeler and Norma Winstone. Aside from playing on the seminal Keith Tippett Group's 'Dedicated to You, But You Weren't Listening', Bryan Spring has drummed for Joe Harriott, Alan Skidmore and Stan Tracey. The set here was recorded in March of 1977 at the Camden Jazz Fest in London. I wasn't sure what to expect when this disc showed up last week but I am most pleased nonetheless. This disc is quite long (71 minutes) and features four long pieces. "Cela" opens and is laidback with simmering el guitar and el piano swirling together in lush waves. Gordon Beck has that mid-seventies Herbie Hancock-like echoed electric piano sound, with Phil Lee adding another layer of buzzing guitar counterpoint. This quintet is tight and united as one force. Tony Coe takes a long, cerebral, outstanding clarinet solo here. Everyone in this quintet is/are fabulous at what they do. Bassist Chris Laurence takes an extraordinary bass solo in the second half of this piece. "Love Song" from the "Zeitgeist Suite" comes from a great yet obscure Tony Coe album called 'Zeitgeist' from 1977. Mr. Coe is featured here on soprano sax and takes another long, classic solo. Phil Lee is an under-rated guitarist who never ceases to amaze me on the handful of albums he can be found on. Mr. Lee takes several long, expressive solos here. If you are a jazz guitar freak, I urge you to give him a listen. "Your Dancing Toes" was written by Phil Lee, a strong piece coming from a gifted guitarist who never recorded a leader date (just a duo with bassist Jeff Clyne. While Mr. Lee takes a long, inventive solo, the rest of the quintet plays feverishly and tightly with him, ever so fluidically. Pianist Gordon Beck is also rather under-recognized and here takes a number of astonishing solos. The last piece, "What Say We Play Today?" was written by Gordon Beck and it is a long and winding masterpiece (almost 28 minutes). It begins with Mr. Beck strumming the strings inside the piano while the rest of the quintet soars freely along with him. This piece evolves organically with a number of great solos from each member of the quintet. The year that this disc was recorded, 1977, was a couple of years past the point of when fusion (a/k/a jazz/rock) had long steam and had become rather predictable and commercial. This disc however shows that jazz/rock could still be fresh, inspired, inventive and beyond expectations. Outstanding throughout so do not overlook this great gem! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD $17
TONY COE ENSEMBLE with THE DELME STRING QUARTET - The Buds of Time (Jazz in Britain 70CD; UK) This is the first ‘lost’ album Jazz In Britain has discovered. We’ve released albums that were only previously released on vinyl, or even cassette tape, ie never on CD, or albums produced from sessions by groups that never made a record, or we’ve included unreleased tracks that never made it only albums… but this is a real first for us. In 1979 Tony Coe and Bob Cornford composed pieces for an unusual, and unrepeated, combination of a six-piece jazz ensemble (two reeds, bass trombone, piano, percussion and double bass) with a string quartet. The main piece Tony called The Buds of Time. The music was rehearsed, pieces for an album were recorded and, under the auspices of an Arts Council Contemporary Music Network tour, concerts took place at six venues around the UK. We had read about this in John Wickes’ book Innovations in British Jazz Volume One 1960-1980. Early in 2024 we were given lists of recordings in the Bob Cornford tape archive and spotted references to a number of Buds of Time recordings in there. We secured consent from Tony Coe’s family to release those recordings and also acquired (from Tony’s and Bob Cornford’ archives) memorabilia from the Arts council tour, photographs from some of the concerts, examples of the musical scores plus contemporaneous reviews. We’ve included as much as we could of this in a comprehensive booklet which tells the complete story of this remarkable and unique album. In terms of the actual music, it’s very different from anything you’ll have heard on a ‘jazz’ label but we’ll leave you to discover that and make your own mind up! "Reeds wizard Tony Coe is one of the eclectic, diverse and successful of all British reeds players! Who else has worked with this diverse list of giants: Derek Bailey, Neil Ardley, Steve Beresford, Kenny Clark Big Band, Franz Koglmann, the Melody Four and many others. Plus he was the featured soloist on the "Pink Panther Theme" for Henry Mancini!." - BLG at DMG
CD $17
SAROST with LARRY STABBINS / PAUL ROGERS / MARK SANDERS - Aurora (Jazz in Britain JN 03; UK) SAROST is a new trio comprising three veteran, virtuoso improvisors, all of whom have worked with countless renowned improvising musicians, and who have worked together in various combinations over the last 40 odd years, but only recently started to play together as a trio. MARK SANDERS has worked with Wadada Leo Smith, Roswell Rudd, Evan Parker and Howard Riley as well as tutoring at many of the UK’s finest music schools and conservatoires. PAUL ROGERS plays an AAL 7 string bass of his own design and has been active on the European and US jazz and improv scenes for more than 40 years. He was a member of MUJICIAN alongside Keith Tippett, Paul Dunmall and Tony Levin for many years. LARRY STABBINS has worked with a diverse array of people, including Keith Tippett, Robert Wyatt, Peter Brözmann and Jerry Dammers and formed WORKING WEEK with guitarist Simon Booth. As well as SAROST, Larry is currently a member of the quartet 137 alongside Adrian Uttley, Jim Barr and Sebastian Rochford. Recorded in a single session, the day after a triumphant performance at the 2025 Bath Jazz Weekend, Aurora is a dazzling example of the finest in British improvised music, performed by three masters of the genre. Both live and in the studio, the music includes everything from wild saxophone screeches to the deftest of arco basslines, with percussion keeping step throughout. Bath Jazz Weekend promoter Nod Knowles described the trio’s performance at this year’s event as “absolutely spectacular” and the trio’s studio performance is no different. Aurora is a dramatic statement from three of the best and most respected improvisers of the last 50 years; this recording breaks new ground while doffing its hat to those who have gone before, particularly Bristolian pianist and composer Keith Tippett. "There was recently a trio effort with Keith Tippett, Larry Stabbins & Louis Moholo on the Ogun label which was recorded in 1985. It is an astonishing live date and bristles with intensity and creativity. British saxist Larry Stabbins (currently retired) is an under-recognized giant amongst great saxists. The rhythm team here rank among the best of British creative musicians: Paul Rogers (bassist for Mujician & many Paul Dunmall projects) and Mark Sanders (drummer for Evan Parker, Paul Dunmall & Jah Wobble). I am listening to this disc now on bandcamp and it sounds phenomenal! - BLG at DMG
CD $17
MIKE WESTBROOK ORCHESTRA with LINDSAY COOPER / BRIAN GODDING / ALAN WAKEMAN / CHRIS BISCOE / FIACHRA TRENCH / GUY BARKER / MALCOLM GRIFFITHS / et al - The Cortege Live At The BBC 1980 (Cadillac 023024; UK) Featured musicians include: Guy Barker, Dick Pearce (trumpets, flugelhorns), Malcolm Griffiths (trombone), Chris Hunter (alto and soprano saxes, flute), Alan Wakeman (tenor and soprano saxes, flute), Lindsay Cooper (oboe, bassoon, soprano and sopranino saxes, and Brian Godding (guitar great from Blossom Toes, BB Blunder & Mirage). Starting in 1967, British jazz pianist and composer, Mike Westbrook, has had a series of collaborators, from duos to orchestras and has recorded around 30 releases of his varied projects. From free jazz through jazz/rock (fusion) and modern classical, his music and personnel has continued to evolve over his long career. Some time in the late 1970's, Mr. Westbrook's large ensemble toured with Henry Cow, and members of Henry Cow (Lindsay Cooper & Georgie Born), joining his ensemble due to the mutual respect that both bands had for one another. Mr. Westbrook has long worked with the cream of British modern jazz and rock as well in his ensembles, hence this band has some heavy hitters like Phil Minton, Malcolm Griffiths, Alan Wakeman, Chris Biscoe and Brian Godding. There is a studio version of the same music called 'The Cortège' (on Enja, currently out of print), which was released two years after the concert in 1982. The first performance of this piece was in July of 1979, the year that Henry Cow broke up and Fred Frith moved to the East Village.
There are vocals mostly by Phil Minton and Kate Westbrook on most of these pieces for those like to complain about the singing on serious music recordings. Ms. Westbrook selected the texts to these pieces, utilizing the poetry of Arthur Rimbaud, Herman Hesse, William Blake, as well as some English and Swedish folk songs. Throughout this work, British rock/jazz guitarist Brian Godding (from Blossom Toes, BB Blunder & Mirage) is featured and an important part of many of these songs. Disc 1 begins with "It Starts Here" and Mr. Godding takes an impressive first guitar solo with the entire band playing fascinating ensemble passages around him. Alto saxist Chris Hunter (from future bands by Gil Evans & Mike Gibbs) takes a lovely David Sanborn meets Johnny Hodges-like solo in the second half of this piece. Ms. Westbrook sings the words to Arthur Rimbaud's "Demcratie" next, her voice austere with sublime oboe and other floating reeds and brass providing a quaint cushion underneath. Mike Westbrook has a gift for arrangements which is one of the most impressive things about his music. He often blends jazz, folk, modern classical and even German Brecht/Weill-like influences in a seamless way. Oddball vocalist Phil Minton sounds especially charming on "Berlin 16.2.79", as if he were singing one of those Brecht/Weill classics. Next is "Knivshule/Ash Wednesday" which is based on a Swedish folk song, with eerie spinning reeds in the first section. Although Ms. Westbrook changes her voice on "Ash Wednesday" and sounds like an old lady, it is the playing of the ensemble (especially Chris Biscoe's soprano-like alto sax) that is so compelling here. There is a burnin' bari sax solo (by Chris Biscoe) which drives the entire band into a fury of waves, still tight and on target! If you look at the song & soloists listing on Disc 1, you can hear that the listings are not entirely accurate. Oh well. Brian Godding's distinctive guitar playing & tone kicks things off on "July '79', which opens Disc 2. Godding is featured and takes a long, inventive jazz/rock guitar solo with some solid backing from the rest of the large ensemble. Alto saxist Chris Hunter also takes a long, impressive sax solo on this long and winding piece. There is way too much great music here to comment on here. Every time I listen, I hear more and more great playing, singing and arranging. A true gem and long lost treasure. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
2 CD Set $25
BOB BROOKMEYER with TEDDY CHARLES / AL COHN / JIMMY ROWLES / JIMMY RANEY / et al - The Brookmeyer Bands: Early Years 1954-56 (Acrobat CD3579; UK) Bob Brookmeyer, born in 1929, was a jazz trombonist, a renowned exponent of the valve trombone, who came to the fore during the 1950s with the Claude Thornhill Orchestra and in the Stan Getz group, before starting his career leading his own bands, as well as playing with the likes of Gerry Mulligan, Clark Terry and others. His compositional style drew on contemporary classical writing, incorporating atonality, chromatic harmony and other techniques to develop distinctive themes and structures. This 32-track 2-CD set comprises the titles from several of his early albums, on which he is leader, co-leader or featured performer. They comprise "Teddy Charles New Direction Quartet feat. Bob Brookmeyer" on Prestige (later released on the Prestige LP "The Dual Role Of Bob Brookmeyer"), "Bob Brookmeyer Featuring Al Cohn" on Storyville, "The Bob Brookmeyer Quartet" on Pacific Jazz, "Bob Brookmeyer Plays Bob Brookmeyer" on Clef and "The Bob Brookmeyer Quintet" on Prestige (also part of "The Dual Role Of Bob Brookmeyer"). It features performances with Teddy Charles, Teddy Kotick, Ed Shaughnessy, Al Cohn, John Williams, Bill Anthony, Frank Isola, Henri Renaud, Jimmy Gourley, Red Mitchell, Jimmy Rowles, Buddy Clark, Mel Lewis and Jimmy Raney. Capturing him in the early years of his career, it's an enlightening introduction his music and an enjoyable showcase for distinctive style of playing and composing.
2 CD Set $20
EITHER ORCHESTRA & ETHIOPIAN GUESTS - Ethiopiques 32: Nalbandian The Ethiopian (Buda Musique 860412; France) Here we are in the mid-1950s and early 1960s, on the eve of the blossoming of Swinging Addis. By the Bostonians of the Either/Orchestra, Kevork Nalbandian was an Armenian emigrant who had become deeply Ethiopianised, Nersès Nalbandian: Moussié Nersès, Nalbandian the Ethiopian.
This is Ethiopia in the mid-1950s & early 1960s, on the eve of the blossoming, or rather the explosion, of Swinging Addis. Rock'n'roll, rhythm and blues, soul and twist had not yet burst onto the scene, and the atmosphere was still steeped in the post-war big band era, with Glenn Miller's In the Mood enduring as a global anthem on a par with the Latin wave which was also popular at the time. But post-war joie de vivre was already there, with peace restored after the terrible Italian-Fascist invasion of 1935-1941. The redeployment of modern music was an integral part of the reconstruction. It was the young generation, parents of baby-boomers, who had the first taste of this resurrection before the baby-boomers themselves took over, definitively electrifying the soundtrack of the end of the imperial reign. It was stateless persons of Armenian origin, Kevork Nalbandian and, above all, his nephew Nersès, who contributed to revolutionizing modern Ethiopian music. The great historical godfather of this music, it must be strongly emphasized, was an Armenian emigrant who had become deeply Ethiopianised.
A riot of brass instruments, well-integrated discipline, relentless innovation and revolutionary teaching methods took care of the rest, starting in 1955. These outsiders, who composed two Ethiopian national anthems and a continental anthem (no less than the anthem of the OAU, the Organization of African Unity), were also and above all the true origin of what would become the Swinging Addis of the 1960s. Nersès was granted Ethiopian nationality in 1957 for services rendered to Ethiopian music.
With the essential contribution of Russ Gershon and the Bostonians of the Either/Orchestra, this recording represents the crucial modernist link that until now had been missing in the Ethiopiques.
CD $16
ILK MUSIC SERIES CONTINUES with:
JOGUJO CIRCUIT with JOAKIM FROYSTEIN / GUNNAR HALLE / JON MEINILD - A New Tide (Ilk Music 154; EEC) Featuring Joakim Froystein on laptop, guitars, el bass & vocals, Gunnar Halle on trumpet synth & electronics, Jon Meinild on vibes, laptop & electronics and Wetle Holte on drums. "The new wave of Jogujo Circuit, a Norwegian project composed and led by Joakim Frøystein, Gunnar Halle, and Jon Meinild (with guest appearances by Wetle Holte and Kirsti Huk), and now on its second album after their debut "Close Up Magic," represents a new possible direction born from the collision of jazz and electronic music. The musical landscapes designed and crafted on "A New Tide," with its minimalist artwork, are the result of hours of experimentation with laptops, trumpets, and synthesizers. The result can be heard in 40 minutes of music often indebted to the pioneering experiences of the Bristol Sound, but also to Tortoise and Sigur Rós.
Ambient and electronic music are the starting point for a reinterpretation that takes into account celebrated past combinations of digital sounds and instrumental music. Those familiar with such sounds will find echoes and references, but also a marked sensitivity for experimental jazz. Jazz (understood in the broadest and most expansive sense of the term) intervenes here with trumpets and vibraphones, alongside vocals, coloring that soft and muffled sonic horizon delineated by digital beats, electronic interference, electrical rustling, indistinguishable echoes, and distant feedback.
A Nordic album at heart, alternative and independent in its approach. Recommended, above all, to those who already have a certain familiarity with electronic music combined with a certain melancholy rooted in European sensibilities. If this background resonates with you, then perhaps in "A New Tide" we have truly found a possible and precious soundtrack for the coldest evenings of the coming winter." - AllAboutJazz, Italian Staff
CD SALE $10
SOREN KJAERGAARD TRIO with JONAS WESTERGAARD / FRANDS RIFBJERG - Amfebia (Ilk Music 101; Denmark) The double release Amfebia and Akustika was SK’s recording debut as a leader. The two albums feature his former trio with drummer Frands Rifbjerg and bassist Jonas Westergaard with whom he played intensively in the years 2003 to 2007 until forming the trans-Atlantic trio with drummer Andrew Cyrille and bassist Ben Street in 2007. These two early trio recordings are charged with youthful vigour and excitement, and the trio was a creative nest for the trio concepts that later on were to be further developed with Andrew Cyrille and Ben Street.
Akustika and Amfebia also highlight the early stages of talented bassist Jonas Westergaard and the unique drumming style of Frands Rifbjerg. A true musicians’ musician.
CD Sale $10
KOSTCIRKELN with STEPHAN SIEBEN / QARIN WIKSTROM / SIMON TOLDAM / ANDERS BACH - Kostcirkelin (Ilk Music 133CD; Denmark) Kostcirkeln features Qarin Wikstrom on vocals, uke, guitar & song, Simon Toldham on harmonium & Hammond organ, Stephan Sieben on guitars, Thomas Caudery & Lars Soberg Andersen on trumpet & flugelhorn, Niklas Antonson on trombone, Kevin Christensen on euphonium, Oivond Slaatto on tuba, Jakob Falgren on bass and Anders Provis on drums. Kostcirkeln are a Danish/Swedish avant/pop band with two full length discs and two EP's on the Ilk Music label. The only musician here whose name I readily recognize is keyboardist Simon Toldham who was a member of the Han Bennink Trio and Eggs Laid by Tigers.
Organ player, Simon Toldam, also plays in Eggs Laid by Tigers", an odd Danish and that put poet Dylan Thomas' words to music, a quaint sort-of chamber pop sound. Ms. Qarin Wikstrom leads Kostcirkeln, sings, plays ukelele & guitar and wrote the songs here. Her voice is child-like, rather lovely and a bit eerie. Although she has a 10-piece ensemble, the music is often stripped down yet charming. The lyrics are in Swedish and written out on the enclosed poster. "Spegelbild Skild" (separated reflection), starts out slowly and builds in tempo throughout and ends with the men in the band chanting "Happy Ending". "Sju Minuter" (Seven Minutes), pulsates quietly over a tapping on the bass line and reminds me of Young Marble Giants, a British minimalist pop trio from the 1980's. Minimalist pop music was in vogue for a short period of time in the mid-1990's with bands like Low, Ida and earlier Hugo Largo. Kostcirkeln seems to be coming from a similar place. I find this music to be immensely enchanting with some occasional surprises as far as the arrangements go. If you dig the charm of this sort of minimalists pop, then you should grab this disc. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD Sale $10
LITTLE RED SUITCASE with ELENA SETIEN / LARS SKINNEBACH / AUGUST WANGRENN / JOHANNA BORERT - Enhver Betydning Er Også En Mislyd (Ilk Music 165CD; Denmark) Little Red Suitcase features Lars Skinnebach on poetry, alto sax & flute, Johanna Borchert on piano, Elena Setién on vocals, violin & percussion and August Wanngrenn on mandolin (for 1 song). This is the third release from Little Red Suitcase and it features the poetry & recitation of Danish poet Lars Skinnebach and the music of Elena Setien. Poet Lars Skinnebach has a distinctive, forthright speaking voice and his poetry is in Danish. The music is often stripped down to violin, sax, piano and cello. Since the words are in danish, I can't tell what they are about although Skinnebach's voice is compelling and expressive. Ms. Setien also sings or speaks at times, double tracking herself adding the quaint charm of the music. Although the music is stripped down, there is a serious musical vibe going on which accompanies the 2 voices. Overall, I must admit that I found this disc to be austere yet somehow charming. The final piece, has a sort of religious, prayer-like vibe which feels just right as an ending. There is a short burst of free/jazz tail-spinning which fades in after the past piece ends and a short poetic recitation to follow. I can't think of any other recording which captures the same odd spirit as this one does. A rather quaint gem. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
CD Sale $10
FRANCESCA REMIGI - Witchess (Hora Records 021-2511CD; Italy) Witchess is an experimental concept album by drummer and composer Francesca Remigi, which blends music, spoken words, and political concepts together to explore themes of feminism, social justice, and historical memory. Drawing on the radical voices of Angela Davis and Silvia Federici, the album confronts the intersections of gender, race, and capitalism, tracing the roots of gender violence from witch-hunt to today's systemic economic inequalities. Through edgy compositions and spoken excerpts, the music calls for a feminism that is deeply intersectional and transformative, not merely inclusive. Each track becomes a sonic essay -- reflecting on the erasure of women, the colonial legacy of patriarchal violence, and the role of art and music in revolutionary movements. Combining improvisation with political urgency, Witchess offers not only a listening experience but a space for critical reflection and collective liberation.
CD $20
LP SECTION:
HARRY PARTCH - And On The Seventh Day Petals Fell In Petaluma (New World Records NW 90002; USA) Performed by The Gate 5 Ensemble: Harry Partch (director), Danlee Mitchell, Harry Partch, Michael Ranta, Emil Richards, Wallace Snow, Stephen Tosh. Limited edition LP release (180 gram vinyl) with previously unpublished bonus tracks free download card. "'In late 1962 Harry Partch returned to California and began a project that would not only become the bones of a masterwork, Delusion of the Fury, but have a life of its own. In a too-small space within an abandoned Petaluma chick hatchery, Partch gathered the instruments he had designed and built -- new and old -- eager to once again expand the boundaries of his compositional fabric. He learned each individual part as he composed, establishing that it could be played. And On The Seventh Day Petals Fell In Petaluma (1963-64, rev. 1966) was born of his exploration and assembled with that 'minimum of players' over a three-year period. In spite of rough conditions and meager resources Partch's dogged persistence, along with the efforts of his dedicated assistants, eventually succeeded in realizing the 34 verses of expanded duets. With this album we revisit an important work and turning-point, guided by the original 'Statement' Partch wrote for the first commercial release of the piece. Previously only excerpted, it is a voicing of his beliefs that transcends one project to illuminate an entire purpose. We also reprise exquisite notes by the late Bob Gilmore, who distills and explains the story of Petals so clearly and eloquently. No one wants a dead reissue, so by digging into the archives, I am pleased to offer hidden gems. First, The Petals Sessions is an aural glance into the cramped quarters of the recording space, as composer and players labor to bring new notes to life, Harry himself giving direction. The montage ends with a 'test take' by Danlee Mitchell and Michael Ranta that could have easily been a keeper! Finally, we present the original Verse 17. In 1964 Partch wrote two duets that used the Adapted Viola; by the time the piece was finished in 1967, he had excised them. The ending track -- never before released -- brings Harry back to life, playing and recording Adapted Viola for one of the last times. I was completely unaware of this recording until I examined the outtakes and it glows, fifty years on. That Petals ever came to be, like much of Partch's story, stands somewhere between determination and miracle.' --Jon Szanto, The Harry Partch Foundation"
LP $22
ANTHONY MOORE - Monkey's Birthday (Paradigm Discs PD 042LP; UK) The collaboration between Anthony Moore and filmmaker David Larcher began in the late '60s, at the start of both their respective careers and lasted many years. Following on from the 2024 release of the soundtrack to Mare's Tail (PD 041LP) (the first collaboration with Larcher) comes the release of the soundtrack to his second film, Monkey's Birthday. This LP is a condensation of the essence of this six-hour film. The sound is partly taken directly from the existing soundtrack and partly from stereo masters that have survived through the decades. Shot and edited between 1973 and 1975 this epic film moves through a variety of landscapes, both physical and abstract. It was filmed in various locations, starting in Germany and moving through Hungary, Romania and most substantially in rural Turkey. In large part this is a road movie that takes the filmed events and locations and uses them as sources for further experimentation. In much the same way, the location recordings made by Anthony Moore are used as raw material for creating much of the soundtrack, working from a battery powered studio in the back of his truck in this east bound convoy. The previously released excerpt, "Plains Of Hungary (ReR Quarterly Vol.2 No.1)" is included on this album in its rightful place among the collages of Islamic chant, field recordings, tape loops, jam sessions etc. Heathcote Williams is also in the mix reading from esoteric texts. Also feature, alongside various voices from the crew and general public, is a repeated theme using the looped cut up voice recordings from the two other members of Slapp Happy (Dagmar Krause and Peter Blegvad), who took to the road for part of this grueling journey. Comes with large four-sided insert. Numbered edition of 500.
LP $30
THE VELVET UNDERGROUND - Live at End Cole Ave 1969 (Room on Fire 182LP; Italy) In March 1969, the Velvets (with Doug Yule now on bass) embarked on a nationwide tour. One of these dates included a stint at the "End Of Cole Avenue" club in Dallas, one of the Velvets' few live performances where a professional sound engineer was actually on hand to record the sets. Some of the songs recorded over those few nights showed up in 1974 on their 1969: Velvet Underground Live album, but the sound quality was not great due to the use of third or fourth generation tapes. However, the first-generation tapes have since resurfaced, and the difference in sound quality (heard here) is a welcome one.
2 LP Set $30
FOTHERINGAY with SANDY DENNY / TREVOR LUCAS / et al - Two Sessions For The BBC (1960'S Records Randb 176LP; UK) (UK) Trevor Lucas and Gerry Conway were members of the folk-rock group Eclection, who released an album in August 1968 on Elektra Records. After the group disbanded in 1969, they formed Fotheringay with Lucas's girlfriend Sandy Denny, who had recently left Fairport Convention. The Fairports were recording mostly traditional folk material at this time and Denny left the group so that she could perform more of her own compositions. The BBC session on side one of this LP features songs from the first Fotheringay album and took place at the Playhouse Theatre on April 13th 1970. The songs on side two were recorded at BBC's Maida Vale Studios in November 1970. They are "off-air" recordings but the sound quality is still very good.
LP $30
ECLECTION - BBC Top Gear Sessions (The 1960's Records Randb 177LP; UK) Eclection's lack of commercial success remains a mystery to this day. This selection of BBC Top Gear recordings demonstrates their song-writing strength and musical prowess. Only three tracks appeared on the band's sole studio LP: the remaining nine songs suggest what a second LP might have sounded like. Highly recommended to fans of Fairport Convention, with whom Eclection share some musical DNA. Comes with full recording credits and extensive sleeve notes. Recording quality very good/excellent throughout.
LP $30
STEPHAN MICUS - Behind Eleven Deserts (Intuition 30421LP; Germany) "Stephan Micus is a musical globetrotter and multi-instrumentalist who has been exploring the diversity of sounds on the planet for almost five decades. Since the release of his debut album in the 1970s, he has recorded nearly 30 albums -- always on his own and with an impressive range of wind, string and percussion instruments from all over the world. As a self-taught musician, he has always been passionate about traditional and exotic instruments, which he not only explores in their original playing style, but also places in a completely new context using unconventional techniques. Over the years, Micus has developed an unmistakable musical language that has long since become his trademark. His soundscapes transport listeners to distant places and open up meditative spaces full of beauty and depth. They show that instruments from different cultures can blend together in harmony -- a musical vision that conveys hope and connectedness. With Behind Eleven Deserts, Stephan Micus presents a work of exceptional radiance. Originally composed in 1978, it combines the Balinese bamboo flute suling with the Indian sarangi, whose warm timbre is reminiscent of a cello. The sound spectrum is complemented by the Indian sitar and the Irish frame drum bodhran. The result is a multi-layered and timeless soundscape that transcends cultural boundaries and at the same time leads deep into meditative spheres. Now, Behind Eleven Deserts is being released for the first time in the INTUITION Master Series as a carefully remastered 180-gram vinyl edition by Intuition Music -- a masterpiece that, more than four decades after its creation, has lost none of its intensity and relevance."
LP $36
Magazine Section:
WE JAZZ MAGAZINE - We Jazz Issue 17 Winter 2025/26: Weathering for Aja Monet (We Jazz
We Jazz Magazine, Issue 17, Weathering for aja monet. 128 pages, 170 x 240 mm in size and printed on 140g Edixion paper with laminated 300g Invercote covers. All articles presented in English. aja monet by Ayana Contreras, Azymuth by Ben Lee, Henry Threadgill by Bret Sjerven, Sven-Åke Johansson by Magnus Nygren, Anna Webber by Stewart Smith, Rafiq Bhatia by Florent Servia, Talk Show (Steph Richards & Qasim Naqvi) by Andy Cush, Ganavya by Tina Edwards, Cosmic Tones Research Trio by Blake Gillespie, Quincy Jones by Rob Garratt, Devin Daniels by Samuel Lamontagne, album design essay by Alex Coles, Discaholic column by Mats Gustafsson, album reviews, live reviews, photo essay and more.
Magazine $28
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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
THE STONE RESIDENCIES / SALLY GATES / FEB 4-7
2/4 Wednesday
8:30 pm - TRIO - Sally Gates (guitar) Lesley Mok (drums) Alex Zhang Hungtai (trumpet, electronics)
2/5 Thursday
8:30 pm - TRIO - Sally Gates (guitar) Brian Chase (drums) Alex Skolnick (guitar)
2/6 Friday
8:30 pm - TRIO - Sally Gates (guitar) Carla Kihlstedt (violin) Ches Smith (drums) Christian McBride (bass)
2/7 Saturday
8:30 pm - TITAN TO TACHYONS
Sally Gates (guitar) Matt Hollenberg (bass VI) Kenny Grohowski (drums)
THE STONE RESIDENCIES / TOMAS FUJIWARA / FEB 11-14
2/11 Wednesday
8:30 pm - Duo: Darius Jones (saxophone) Tomas Fujiwara (drums)
2/12 Thursday
8:30 pm - Duo: Craig Taborn (piano) Tomas Fujiwara (drums)
2/13 Friday
8:30 pm - Duo: Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet) Tomas Fujiwara (drums)
2/14 Saturday
8:30 pm - The Out Louds: Ben Goldberg (clarinet) Mary Halvorson (guitar) Tomas Fujiwara (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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THE RECIRCULATION SERIES CONTINUES:
Thursday, February 12, 7pm
Uptown Out Presents
Implicit Arches -
Miguel Frasconi (electronics), Kurt Gottschalk (guitar)
Will Glass (drums) w/ Claire de Brunner (bassoon) guests
Recirculation
876 Riverside Dr @ 160th St, NY, NY
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NEW VIDEOS from GUITAR MASTER HENRY KAISER:
New one as of 1/19/2026:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyjcwHu5_1E
The above new Henry Kaiser show features Henry & friends using a variety of guitars, tremelo bars & effects and it is around 2 hours long!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KGp0VH4yQo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWn5MRUOTAc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ste9pdLiz_0
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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:
This is a new one as of 1/19/2026:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/simian-podcasts/id1754730297
https://rwm.macba.cat/en/research/probes-37
https://rwm.macba.cat/en/research/probes-36