13 Monroe St., New York, NY 10002-7351
Phone: (212) 473-0043 * Fax: (646) 781-9846
Email: dmg@downtownmusicgallery.com
If you don't see it, ask for it!
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NEW RELEASES, REISSUES & HISTORIC GOODIES FOR NOVEMBER 30th , 2001 -
NOW IN STOCK!
1. SPIRITUAL BEAUTY - imaginal orient / music for peace (Meta 012)
Finally! This delectable world music treasure was conceived and
compiled by our dear friend Janet Rienstra - Meta label head & close
Laswell associate. It features three tracks produced by BILL LASWELL
featuring participants - Sussan Deyhim, Zakir Hussain, Aiyb Dieng,
Bill Buchen, Hamid Drake and Simon Shaheen, plus tracks from dj Cheb
i Sabbah, Jah Wobble & Temple of Sound, Raz Mesinai, Omar Faruk
Tekbilek, U-CEF and Micheline Abdel Karim with Amer Ghandour.
Completely enchanting throughout! $13.
2. BARRY GUY - MARILYN CRISPELL - PAUL LYTTON - Odyssey (Intakt 070)
This incredible contrabass-piano-percussion trio has emerged from
ashes of the London Jazz Composers Orchestra to perform Barry's new
music works. Fascinating and provocative! $15.
3. ANTHONY BRAXTON - Composition No. 169 [+186+206+214] (Leo
320/321) Recorded live at a new music festival in Slovenia in June of
last year with the four saxes of James Fei, Chris Jonas, Jackson
Moore & Mr. Braxton, plus string players from the Slovenian Radio
Orchestra. Some "Ghost Trance" structures and some not. Marvelous
and evocative! Released at the end of the month. Two cd set for $28.
4. IRENE SCHWEIZER & CO STREIFF - Twin Lines (Intakt 073) Irene
Schweizer continues to surprise and engage us all as one of the
finest new music/avant jazz pianists in Europe for over thirty years.
Here she combines forces with another fine musician, a saxist from
Zurich named Co Streiff. $15.
5. SIMON NABATOV QUINTET - Master and Margarita (Leo 322-323)
Featuring a downtown all-star cast of Mark Feldman on violin, Herb
Robertson on trumpets, Mark Helias on bass, Tom Rainey on drums and
Simon Nabatov on piano! Inspired by the novel by the great Russian
writer Mikhail Bulgakov of the cd's title and ranging in moods from
free to swinging to cool jazz and more. Due in stock by the end on
the month. Two cd set for $28.
6. MARK DRESSER - GERRY HEMINGWAY - DAVID MOTT - Reunion Live at the
Guelph Jazz Festival (Intrepid Ear 002) The amazing Guelph Jazz
Festival in Ontario began in 1994 and has continually presented
diverse and challenging modern jazz and new music each year. They
have just started their own label and this is their first cd - it is
certainly an outstanding one at that! Recorded at the '99 Guelph
Jazz Fest in a church and captured with great sound - the excellent
set features Mark Dresser - contrabassist supreme, Gerry Hemingway -
drums & percussion expert and the immensely talented Canadian
baritone sax wonder - David Mott! I have had the good fortune to
check out Mr. Mott on a few occasions, usually in duo situations and
he is an extraordinary player who you should being hearing more from.
$14.
7. BORAH BERGMAN - CONNY BAUER - MAT MANERI - The River of Sounds
(Boxholder 024) I have lucky enough to see/hear FMP trombone hero
Connie Bauer on a few occasions and each one was special. His
amazing trio with Peter Kowald and Gunter Sommer played at an early
Victo fest, as well as at the Vision fest in recent years and were
spectacular. His incredible double trombone double guitar quartet -
Doppelmoppel - were the highlight of Victo a few years back as well.
He seems to record infrequently, so this is a special treat
improvising with two of downtown's most challenging players - Borah
Bergman on piano and Mat Maneri on electric 6-string violin.
Difficult music for difficult times. $14.
8. PETER HERBERT - bassooka / music for one to sixteen basses (Aziza
1003) This is a phenomenal solo bass project in which Peter Herbert
takes us on a journey in which we hear his contrabass played often in
overdubbed layers from one to sixteen parts - dazzling, breathtaking
but never overdone. A superb offering with more elegant cover art &
packaging and informed liner notes by fellow contrabass hero - Mark
Dresser. Once again, no US distribution. $14.
9. RAPHE MALIK - speak easy (Le Systeme Records) Solo trumpet
tour-de-force by one of the giants of high energy, avant jazz,
trail-blazing intensity and undeniable spirit-force. Recorded in
Toronto in Spring of 2000. Fabulous! Thin white cardboard slipcase
for $12.
10. AKI TAKASE- Le Cahier Du Bal (Leo 319) Superb Solo Piano.
Special thanks to Evan Parker $14
11. THE BEVIS FROND - Valedictory Songs (Rubric Records 11) The Nick
Saloman trio returns with another magical, psychedelic, melodic hard
rocking gem! Nick plays consistently mind-blowing Hendrixian lead
guitar and composed 17 memorable tunes with his delightful Elvis
Costello-like voice. Now distributed through the Knit, along with
two other long-gone Bevis Frond classics - 'Miasma' and 'Inner
Marshland', both of which have 7 bonus tracks. All three sell for
$13. each.
12. IF, BWANA - I, Angelica (Pogus 21024) The legendary and
extremely bizarre If, Bwana is back with a treasure chest of
electronic sounds and manipulated weirdness - two cds worth!?! If,
Bwana is mostly Al Margolis who plays computer, synths, steel cello,
tapes, guitar and is also a part of a strange chorus. Two cd set for
only $15.
13. THOMAS BUCKNER / TOM HAMILTON - jump the circle, jump the line
(mutable music 17507) Engaging improvised music for the voice of
Thomas Buckner (longtime Roscoe Mitchell collaborator) and the
analogue electronic music of Tom Hamilton. $10.
HISTORIC RECORDINGS, REISSUES AND RESTOCKED ITEMS:
14. THE ART ENSEMBLE OF CHICAGO & HARTMUT GEERKEN - Zero Sun/No
Point [Dedicated to Sun Ra] (Leo 329-330) Based on two radio plays by
Geerken, this complex performance involves pre-recorded texts &
voices of Sun Ra, Amiri Baraka and Ezra Pound. This was one of
Lester Bowie's final performances and it features one of the world's
largest gong collections from Geerken! In stock by the end of
November. Two set for $28.
15. DON PULLEN - Solo Piano Record (Sackville 3008) Over a month
late but we have finally gotten our hands on these fabulous reissues.
Don Pullen was an incredible pianist who played on ESP in the late
sixties, worked for Charles Mingus longer than any other piano great
in the 70's, worked with David Murray & Kip Hanrahan and co-led a
colossal quartet with George Adams! This was his first and perhaps
finest solo recording and was originally released on vinyl only. All
new Sackville reissues are available in limited editions of 1,000.
Note price change to $18.
16. KARL BERGER & DAVE HOLLAND - All Kinds of Time (Sackville 3010)
Karl Berger plays piano and vibes, also recorded for ESP in the
sixties and was one of the first European modern jazz players to move
to the US and eventually founded the Creative Music Studio school in
Woodstock - an immensely influential program where of many future
downtown players began studies and made connections. Former British
contrabass hero Dave Holland also was involved in CMS and moved here
to play with Miles Davis, Circle, Sam Rivers, Anthony Braxton and has
had a long association with the ECM label. An excellent duo effort.
$18.
17. GEORGE LEWIS - Solo Trombone Record (Sackville 3012) I recently
caught George Lewis playing in a trio for Muhal Richard Abrams with
Thurman Barker and George was extraordinary on his trusty trombone -
incredible and endlessly inventive! This was his first solo effort
and it is still an outstanding classic of restless spirit! $18.
18. JULIUS HEMPHILL - Roi Boye & The Gotham Minstrels (Sackville
3014/15) This is a long awaited legendary solo effort by the late,
great sax giant - Julius Hemphill! Recorded in Toronto in May of
1977, Julius considered this an audiodrama - archiving show business
in America with New York City as the setting. Julius plays all of
the instruments and conceived all of the sounds involved. A
brilliant achievement! Two cd set for $26.
19. ANTHONY DAVIS - Of Blues & Dreams (Sackville 3020) Featuring
Leroy Jenkins on violin, Abdul Wadud on cello, Anthony Davis on piano
and Pheeroan akLaff on drums! Anthony Davis has long been one of the
finest pianists and composers of modern jazz and new music, but has
unfortunately recorded rarely in recent years. This is an a super
quartet date with a stellar cast which has been out-of-print for too
long! $18.
20. JOHN CALE - Dream Interpretation: Inside the Dream Syndicate -
Vol. II (Table of the Elements 79). Second Volume in this trio of
releases. Featuring: "Dream Interpretation" (from 1969, w/ Cale on
viola & Tony Conrad on violin); "Ex-Cathedra" (from 1968, w/ Cale on
Vox continental organ); "[untitled] for piano" (early/mid 1960s);
"Carousel" (from 1967/8, w/ Cale on electronics sounds); "A Midnight
Rain of Green Wrens at the World's Tallest Building" (from 1968 w/
Cale on viola & Conrad on violin), "Hot Scoria" (from 1964/5 w/ Cale
on guitar & Angus MacLise on cimbalom). $15.
21. JOHN: CALE - Stainless Gamelan: Inside the Dream Syndicate Vol.
III (Table of the Elements 80) Third volume featuring: "Stainless
Steel Gamelan" (from 1965, w/ Cale & Sterling Morrison on
cembalet/fretless guitar); "At About This Time Mozart Was Dead And
Joseph Conrad Was Sailing the Seven Seas Learning English" (from
1967, w/ Cale on wollensak; Cale & Morrison on viola, guitar);
"Terry's Cha-Cha" (from 1967, Cale on wollensak & Angus MacLise on
hand drums, tambourine; Terry Jennings on soprano saxophone); "After
The Locust" (from 1968, w/ Cale on electric piano; Tony Conrad on
thunder machine), "Big Apple Express" (from 1965 w/ Cale on viola &
tape; New York Fire Dept.: vocal) $15.
22. ETHIOPIQUES - Volume 10: Ethiopian Blues & Ballads (Buda Musique
82222) This is the tenth volume in this highly acclaimed series of
Ethiopian music from the archives of this country's lone independent
label - Ahma Records (1969-78). This volume focuses on "tezeta"
style: "Emptiness, melancholy, nostalgia; doom and gloom, morbid
musings; heartache or homesickness" such is the stock in trade of the
misery and mournful memories expressed by the song "Tezeta" -
Ethiopia's majestic hymn to the blues. Etymologically, the word
itself means memory, nostalgia, and several Ethiopian authors have
used Tezeta as the title for their memoirs. Featuring tracks from
Mahmoud Ahmed, Alèmayèhu Eshèté, Fréw Haylou, Tèsfa-Maryam Kidané,
etc. From the years 1970-74. Some background about this series in
general: "For many years the little we knew of Ethiopian music was
pretty much limited to Mahmoud Ahmed's cult album 'Erè mèla mèla'. It
was the first Western breakthrough for the country's brassy,
electric, urban pop: swinging and hypnotic, poignant yet funky. So
unique, so different from anything else coming out of the African
continent. This amazing, headspinning groove was celebrated the world
over, and hailed as one of the finest releases of 1986. Precisely
because Ethiopian music remains virtually unknown on our western
shores, Buda Musique acquired exclusive rights to the Amha Records
(1969-1975) and Kaifa Records (1973-1977) catalogs, two major
repositories of the music of the golden age: around 150 singles and
over a dozen albums, the highlights of which are being reissued in
the 'Ethiopiques' collection. 'Éthiopiques' aims to present a
panorama of this missing link in Africa's music, to become a
reference point, both lively and informative, a sort of audio
emissary for Ethiopia's musical heritage. The collection will focus
on the golden age of modern Ethiopian music but will also present
other archival material as well as recent recordings, both modern and
traditional, urban and 'ethnic'. - Francis Falceto $15.
23. ETHIOPIQUES - Volume 11 - Alemu Aga - The Harp of King David
(Buda Musique 82232) Solo album by Alèmu Aga for voice and bèguèna,
an oversized lyre with ten strings. A rich, seductive,
drone-inflected sound, with completely mesmerizing parameters. "For
more than twenty years, Alemu Aga has been recognized as one of the
masters of the bèguèna. He was recorded as early as 1972 by Cynthia
Tse-Kimberlin, an American musicologist specialized in the Ethiopian
string instruments, for UNESCO collections. Kassa sings songs of
religious inspiration as well as a tale, or traditional folk stories.
Meditative, devotional or uplifting for some, simply 'mind-blowing'
for others, bèguèna music is without doubt an otherworldly experience
for Western ears. First released in 1995, this CD remains the sole
album dedicated exclusively to the Bèguèna." -- Francis Falceto. $15.
24. MARZETTE WATTS - s/t (ESP 1044/Get Back) Marzette Watts recorded
this album for ESP-Disk during December of 1966 with SONNY SHARROCK
(guitar), Henry Grimes (bass), Byard Lancaster (alto sax, flute and
clarinet), Clifford Thornton (trombone and cornet), Karl Berger
(vibes), Juney Booth (bass) and J.C. Moses (drums). The adventurous
combo is jamming through three of Watts' originals and the
performances really live up to their potential (especially the
opening 18-minute 'Backdrop For Urban Revolution'). Original artwork.
Digitally remastered from the original tapes. Available on CD and LP
for $15.
25. SONNY SIMMONS - Staying On The Watch CD (ESP 1030/Get Back)
During the '60s altoist Sonny Simmons was one of the most promising
avant-garde players and his debut as a leader, recorded for ESP-Disk
in the summer of 1966, still sounds advanced and powerful over 30
years later. Performing in a quintet with Barbara Donald (trumpet),
John Hicks (piano), Teddy Smith (bass) and Marvin Pattillo (drums),
Sonny Simmons stretches out on four intense and mostly free-form
original compositions. Original artwork. Digitally remastered from
the original tapes. Available on both CD and LP for $15.
26. CLIFFORD THORTON - Freedom & Unity (Atavistic 225) Beautifully
melodic soul jazz sessions from '67, featuring the Coltrane Quartet's
Jimmy Garrison on bass. This is Joe McPhee's first appearance on LP,
prior to his own quartet's release in 1969. Includes 2 previously
unheard/unissued bonus tracks from Joe McPhee's personal archive.
Original liner notes by Ornette Coleman & Archie Shepp! Clifford
Thornton should be one of the best-known figures of the free jazz
era. That he has lapsed into relative obscurity stands as a
testament to the way that the availability of recordings shapes our
sense of history. A brass player in a world of saxophonists, he
recorded a handful of fantastic records under his own name for BYG,
America and JCOA. He was an outspokenly political person in a
politically charged atmosphere (in 1970, he was barred entry into
France on suspicion of being a Black Panther), and he was an
independent record company owner. Third World Records, on which he
issued 'Freedom & Unity' and later 'Communications' (1972), was his
own label. Available on cd only for $14.
27. BYRON MORRIS & UNITY - Blowing Thru Your Mind (Universal 17)
Byron Morris released 'Blow Thru Your Mind' originally in the US in
1974. The LP was recorded a year earlier at Minot Sound Studios in
White Plains, New York. This studio was a favorite of many
independent Jazz groups at this time -- for instance, many recordings
for the independent Strata East Records, co-owned by Stanley Cowell
and Charles Tolliver, were made here. Unity was formed with similar
values, aims and objectives of many similar groups at the time, as
the name suggests. Uniquely, it managed to match the musical and
spiritual searching of John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders and Ornette
Coleman alongside an equally experimental New York art-music
dimension that was brought into the group by vocalist Jay Clayton,
who has performed with, amongst many others, Steve Reich & Jerry
Granelli. Bassist Milton Suggs played in Sun Ra's Arkestra, and
Byron Morris studied with Ornette Coleman and Rahsaan Roland Kirk It
is possible to see the path that makes up "Kitty Bey" is twelve
minutes of musical intensity, that sounds like nothing else ever
recorded. "Kitty Bey" was originally featured on 'Universal Sounds of
America' on Soul Jazz. Originally released on Unity's own EPI label
and distributed by hand, this record has remained an underground
classic recording for over 25 years. Available on cd & lp for $17.
28. BIG BLACK - Ethnic Fusion (Mutable Music 17404) Impressive,
earthy and subtle duo offering with Big Black on congos & tumbas and
Anthony Wheaton on classical guitar, originally recorded in the
winter of '81/'82 in Berkeley, CA. Rhythms from around the world,
somber yet mesmerizing. $10.
29. CLEARLIGHT SYMPHONY - s/t (Spalax 14592) Splendid reissue of the
first Clearlight album, originally released on Virgin in 1975.
Excellent French progressive outfit led by Cyrille Verdeaux, with
Gilbert Artman from Lard Free, Christian Boule, plus three members of
GONG - Steve Hillage, Didier Mahlherbe & Tim Blake. Their music was
electronic and symphonic with rich arrangements and deep atmospheres.
I saw Clearlight open for Gong in London late in 1975 and they were
mind-blowing! $14.
30. BEACH BOYS - Surf's Up & Sunflower (Capitol/EMI import) The two
last great Beach Boys albums from 1970/'71. 'Surf's Up' has the last
few tracks from the aborted classic 'Smile' which was never
officially released. Not currently available in the US, two complete
albums for $14.
31. FRED NEIL - Bleeker and MacDougal (Sundazed 5107) Influential,
brilliant, folk/psych/blues gem and first solo effort from the
legendary Fred Neil - recorded and released in 1965 and until now
only in print in Japan on cd. His deeply resonant, blues drenched
voice and 12 string acoustic guitar were at their apex here and it
still sends shivers up my spine, no matter how often I listen to this
treasure! Exact reproduction from the analogue masters on high
quality vinyl now in stock on lp for $15.
32. TOWNES VAN ZANDT - Live at McCabe's (Return to Sender 032) This
recording is live from McCabe's Los Angeles, Feb 10, 1995. Van Zandt
on guitar and vocals, with Kelly Joe Phelps on dobro. The songs of
Townes Van Zandt are destined to be for folk artists what the works
of Gershwin are to saloon singers...the quintessence of troubadour
music, thanks to the somber grace of the late Lone Star legend's
language and the engaging simplicity of his melodies. The recently
released 'Poet: Tribute To Townes Van Zandt' album, featuring
performances of his most historic tracks by the likes of Nanci
Griffith, Emmylou Harris, Cowboy Junkies, Steve Earle, Guy Clark, &
Willie Nelson raises the interest in Van Zandt to an all-time high.
McCabe's is a fine performance from the later years; a nice,
semi-rare 'Pueblo Waltz', 'Shrimp Song', and 'Snowin on Raton'. Other
highlights are 'Katie Belle Blue' and 'A Song For', and 'The Hole'.
This album best captures an intimate latter day concert by Townes --
sounding old, sage, funny and dear. Limited to 2000 copies. $14.
33. JAPANESE PSYCHEDELIC MUSIC - Love Peace & Poetry (QDK Media 040)
Fourth volume in this phenomenal series of compilations focussing on
the weirdest and most uncommon records from the late 60s/early 70s.
After volumes of 'American' (QDK 021), 'Latin American' (QDK 022) and
'Asian' (QDK 029) obscurities, here comes Japan. "Right up front I
think it's only right to note that anyone allergic to heavily
distorted blues-based psychedelic lead guitar may very well not
survive this disc. Japanese psychedelic music of the 1960s & 1970s is
very heavily invested in a hard rock aesthetic and much of what we've
chosen to include here features some phenomenal over the top electric
guitar excess. Many Japanese records from this period are either
very heavy psychedelic rock, or they are very experimental and avant
garde with little in the way of classic UK & US Sixties 'underground'
psychedelia to be found. As a result, while Japan and the United
Kingdom released a comparable number of records during this period,
there are a great many rare and expensive Japanese records that
remain virtually unknown on this side of the globe. A few of the top
rarities are only now finding their way to these shores. The LP by
Ceremony creates a musical trip based upon a Buddhist mass, employing
exotic instruments and building to a guitar-assault but is impossible
to really excerpt a small piece of for our purposes here. Only two or
three Japanese collectors own the $4,000 original album. My American
and European friends who have visited Japan almost unanimously
describe the experience as what they imagine visiting another planet
might be like. A very friendly and inviting planet, but
disorientingly different in many ways. I think what they are
describing is really the experience of a first encounter with a
non-Western culture and imagine the experience of a Japanese
traveler's first encounter with, for example, Arizona or New Mexico,
would resemble an even greater interplanetary experience. Unlike most
compilations which focus on rare singles tracks, the 'Love, Peace &
Poetry' series collects tracks from the world's rarest and most
obscure psychedelic albums believing that, no matter how passionate a
music fan you might be, you shouldn't be too surprised to find that
you may have missed at least a few things along the way. Our intent
is to make the claim that the world is a bigger place than you first
thought, and to provide some convincing evidence to back that up.."-
Stan Denski. Artists included: The Mops, Yuya Uchida/Flowers, The
Happenings Four, Foodbrain, Apryl Fool (Haruomi Hosono), Speed, Glue
& Shinki, Blues Creation, Shinki Chen & Friends, The Jacks,
Tokedashita Garasubako, Justin Heathcliff, Masahiko Sato & Sound
Breakers, Kuni Kawachi & His Friends, The Beavers. $14.
34. BRITISH PSYCHEDELIC MUSIC - Love, Peace & Poetry (QDK Media 041)
Fifth volume in this phenomenal series of compilations focussing on
the weirdest and most uncommon records from the late 60s/early 70s,
this time focussing on underground UK releases."Not just another
collection of rare singles tracks, this series is designed to
introduce you to a large box of albums you may have heard of but have
never heard; designed to show you that there was a bit more 'Love,
Peace and Poetry' around than you might have thought." - Stan Denski.
Artists include: Red Dirt, Gary Walker & The Rain, Andwellas Dream,
Dark, Dogfeet, Tony, Caro & John, Candida Pax, Pussy, Mark Fry,
Motherlight, Light Years Away (Astral Navigations, aka Bill Nelson),
Bodkin, Forever Amber, Oliver, Parameter. $14.
35. IVA BITTOVA & DORATHEA KELOVERA - Bela Bartok "44 Duets for Two
Violins" (Czech import) Exquisite and enchanting and difficult to
locate copies to sell! $18.
36. IVA BITTOVA & VLADIMIR VACLAVEK - Bile Inferno (Indies / Czech
import) Superb duets with the wonderful acoustic guitarist Vladimir,
who is also part of Iva's current quintet, plus the final recordings
with cellist supreme - Tom Cora! An excellent two cd set in a lovely
little box for $30. A perfect holiday gift for your loved one.
Hours: Sunday though Thursday noon `till 9pm, Fri. & Sat. noon to 10pm. Sundays we have in-store concerts from 7 to 8:30, please don't call then. We're now located on Bowery, between Bond St. and Great Jones St., three blocks south of our old location on E. 5th St. Ask to get on our emailing list for up-to-date announcements and reviews of our favorite new music (and new re-releases of old classics too!) |