New! Long, Lost Chris McGregor Septet - Up to Earth! 'Imagine the Sound' DVD w/ Cecil Taylor, Bill Dixon, Archie Shepp & Paul Bley! Brainville Live at the Knit!

Two Hat Rarities - McPhee and Westbrook - reissued! Olivia Block/Gibson /Recoder DVD! Annette Krebs & Toshimaru Nakamura CD! Rail!




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Just added to the DMG Sunday Free New Music Series: This Sunday, July 27th at 6pm here at DMG, we will have: SUSAN ALCORN - Solo pedal steel - In a Rare performance for free!


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Never EVER before released! - the album for the group that became Brotherhood Of Breath

CHRIS McGREGOR SEPTET With DUDU PUKWANA/MONGEZI FEZA/EVAN PARKER/JOHN SURMAN/LOUIS MOHOLO/BARRE PHILLIPS or DANNY THOMPSON - Up To Earth (Fledg'ling 3069; UK) In 1969 the Chris McGregor Group were riding high on the London jazz scene, playing and hanging out with all the rising stars of British free jazz. Sessions for the previously unreleased Up To Earth brought together a dream team of South African exiles and some of the finest young players on the British scene - Chris McGregor piano, Dudu Pukwana alto saxophone, Mongezi Feza trumpet, Louis Moholo drums, John Surman baritone saxophone and bass clarinet, Evan Parker tenor saxophone with Barre Phillips or Danny Thompson on double bass.
Up To Earth was produced by Joe Boyd and engineered by John Wood at Sound Techniques studio in London, during the same months they were also working with several other luminaries of the Witchseason stable - Fairport Convention, Nick Drake and the Incredible String Band. The album was mastered and test pressings produced before the project was shelved. The group morphed into the spectacular big band - the Brotherhood of Breath - and all energies were transferred to recording the Brotherhood's debut album. Fledg'ling Records are very proud to release this remarkable album as part of our campaign to reissue Chris McGregor's wonderfully creative recordings from the late '60s and early '70s.
CD $19

Last copies still available of..

CHRIS McGREGOR With DUDU PUKWANA/MONGEZI FEZA/RONNIE BEERS/JOHNNY DYANI/LOUIS MOHOLO [aka THE BLUE NOTES] - Very Urgent (Fledg'ling 3059; UK) In 1968 the Chris McGregor Group - essentially The Blue Notes, but with Ronnie Beers instead of Nick Moyake - and with an enlarged vision that embraced free jazz - were riding high on the London jazz scene, playing and hanging out with all the rising stars of British out-jazz. Very Urgent, their eagerly awaited debut recording, was a joyful call of intent. The album mixes simple but utterly unstoppable tunes and exhilarating horn charts - immediately establishing a vitality and exuberance that would continue to define the group. Forty years later, Fledg'ling Records are very proud to bring this splendid album back into print. The passing years have not diminished its impact. Re-mastered from the original master tapes.
"First track is like The Bluenotes, the rest of the record could have been an early FMP release - First Class freak-out! All THUMBS UP!" - MannyLunch
CD $19

CHRIS McGREGOR'S BROTHERHOOD OF BREATH - Brotherhood (Fledg'ling 3063; UK) "The long-overdue release on CD of Brotherhood - the classic 2nd album from 1972 by Chris McGregor's magnificent big band Brotherhood Of Breath. Never before officially reissued this wonderful album continues the ground-breaking music of their debut album (now on FLED 3062). Mighty music for the head, the heart and the feet." The Brotherhood of Breath is the kind of band you want to tell people about. It's not for private enjoyment, or for worship by an elitist cult. The Brotherhood's music is for sharing with the world, and that's what makes its name so apt: the musicians and the audience are brothers (and sisters), and they share the same breath, becoming merely parts of the same giant metabolism. Chris McGregor came out of South Africa in 1964, leading a band called the Blue Notes. Three of those Blue Notes can be heard on this record, and the fact that Mongezi Feza, Dudu Pukwana and Louis Moholo are still with Chris is some tribute to the fantastic empathy they share, both personally and in the music they make together. - Richard Williams
CD $19

CHRIS McGREGOR'S BROTHERHOOD OF BREATH - Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath (Fledg'ling 3062; UK) "Fledg'ling Records proudly present the long-overdue release on CD of a classic title from 1971 by Chris McGregor's magnificent big band - Brotherhood Of Breath. Arguably one of the most influential albums to emerge from the London jazz scene of the early 1970s. The Brotherhood of Breath was an exuberant big-band created by South African born pianist and composer Chris McGregor. In South Africa, McGregor had formed the racially mixed Blue Notes in the early 1960's. By 1964, finding it very difficult to work at home, they left for Europe, finally settling in London in 1966. The Blue Notes -- Chris McGregor, Dudu Pukwana, Mongezi Feza, Johnny Dyani and Louis Moholo -- made a huge impact on London's jazz scene and befriended many in London's emerging avant-garde jazz community. The Brotherhood Of Breath was essentially the expatriate Blue Notes augmented by a large number of their friends from the British jazz community. The ensemble played an energetic mixture of Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Sun Ra but retained a unique feel due to the South African influences and the intelligent arrangements. McGregor dreamed of keeping the band together 'not as an institution, but as a community.' Unfortunately the economics of touring with such a large ensemble made that impossible. The group with a varying line-up continued to perform and record sporadically until McGregor's untimely death in May 1990.""
Joe Boyd-produced first album originally released in 1971 by the RCA subsidiary Neon. South African McGregor formed the racially mixed Blue Notes in the '60s and later settled in London where soon formed a big band to work with on a regular basis called The Brotherhood Of Breath (essentially the Blue Notes augmented by musicians they befriended in the British jazz community). One of the truly legendary modern jazz big bands, the Brotherhood Of Breath had a tremendous impact on future European big bands. They incorporated the true spirit of Afro music into an ecstatic trance of jazz and rock stylings. The culmination of the explosive group's sound reaches a majestic peak of the 20 minutes 'Night Poem'. This is a great studio release with excellent compositions (particularly 'The Bride'). Featuring John Surman, Dudu Pukwana, Harry Miller, Louis Moholo, Harry Beckett, Marc Charig, Alan Skidmore, Mongezi Feza, Mike Osborne, Ronnie Beer, Nick Evans and Malcolm Griffiths.
CD $19

Also new on Fled'ling

ROBIN WILLIAMSON & HIS MERRY BAND - Journey's Edge: Deluxe Expanded Edition (Fledg'ling 3071; UK) In 1975 as the Incredible String Band dissolved Robin Williamson relocated to Los Angeles. He soon began work recording a tremendous body of new songs and a backlog of material that didn't fit the repertoire of the late period String Band. These songs hark back to the glory days of the Incredible's; based around the majestic acoustic ensemble playing of the Merry Band, this long out-of-print album is a highlight of Williamson's career.
The album marked the beginning of a very creative period for Robin - leading the Merry Band, beginning his interest in the Celtic harp and ancient bardic poetry. Journey's Edge was released in 1976 on the Flying Fish label in the USA. This deluxe Fledg'ling edition will see the album's first official European release. With TEN splendid previously unreleased bonus tracks. CD $19


IMAGINE THE SOUND: CECIL TAYLOR/BILL DIXON/ARCHIE SHEPP/PAUL BLEY//RON MANN, dir. - Imagine The Sound [DVD] (Sphinx; USA) The first feature documentary [90 minutes] by Ron Mann (director of Grass and Comic Book Confidential) is an eloquent tribute to a group of highly celebrated artists that helped forge the avant-garde jazz of the 1960s.
Critic and film historian Jonathan Rosenbaum has said IMAGINE THE SOUND "may be the best documentary on free jazz that we have." The film features articulate interviews and dramatic performances by pianists Cecil Taylor and Paul Bley, tenor saxophonist Archie Shepp, and composer/trumpeter Bill Dixon.
Coming Up includes a special appearance of Jonas Mekas, the godfather of American avant-garde filmmaking, and music by Bobby Beausoleil, Steven Brown, Nikolas Klau, Tuxedomoon, Trevor Tureski & Richard Sacks.
Not since Scorsese's The Last Waltz has a music documentary been so thorough and compatible with its subject. Alongside the dynamic performances, the fi lm captures the diverse history and politicized roots of this unique musical genre. IMAGINE THE SOUND is an important chapter in the history of the jazz documentary; the film was digitally restored from its original 1981 release format in 16mm, mono (optical) sound to HD (High Definition), 5.1 stereo.
DVD $20


BRAINVILLE [DAEVID ALLEN [GONG]/HUGH HOPPER/KRAMER/PIP PYLE] - Live in NYC '98: Knitting Factory (Voiceprint 427; UK) Brainville is the band initially formed by Daevid Allen, Hugh Hopper and the late Pip Pyle - all revered musicians within the Canterbury Scene. The band has been a going concern sporadically when the three members have a gap in their otherwise busy schedules. When founding member Pip Pyle died in the late summer of 2006, Daevid and Hugh decided to continue playing concerts as Brainville 3 with the equally legendary, if stylistically different, Chris Cutler in the drum seat.
This album is sourced from a concert that took place, with the addition of the multi-talented Kramer, at the Knitting Factory venue in New York in 1998 (a couple of days before the recording of their only studio album - in the same building - which was released on Kramer's Shimmy Disc label). This live recording will be a valuable addition to the catalogue of what is in Daevid Allen's own words "The Most Eccentric 3 piece jazz rock outfit of the Canterbury school". Recommended!
CD $18



Two gems re-released on HAT!

JOE McPHEE/LISLE ELLIS/PAUL PLIMLEY - Sweet Freedom! Now What? (hat ology 602; Switzerland) "A Timeless Protest, Updated. 14 years have passed since the recording of Sweet Freedom - Now What? Today the world is a very different and infinitely more dangerous place. The Berlin Wall has fallen only to have new ones rise up in Israel and along the US southern border with Mexico (to name a few). Physical walls separating people (for what ever reasons deemed legitimate) pale before psychological walls caused by economics, politics and wars spanning generations. Civil and human rights fall prey to expediency, caught up in a meat grinder of opinion, while the revolution is being televised in full, bloody and horrific color daily...hourly. Ends justify means with manifesto, bravado and claims of responsibility. The words from Janis Joplin's song: Me And My Bobby McGee "... Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose", give pause for reflection. Still, at the end of the day "TOMORROW IS THE QUESTION", and the question is...NOW WHAT? - Joe McPhee, August 2007
CD $20

MIKE WESTBROOK/ROSSINI - Westbrook Rossini (hat ology 661; Switzerland) There are few who claim middle ground when it comes to the Westbrooks. They have been both celebrated and maligned for their dry humor and novel approach to albums or genres (from rock & roll, theater music, and traditional big-band dates, etc.), and have also been criticized for their overly produced and polished approach to large orchestral original compositions of "new jazz." But, from whatever camp you happen to listen to this recording of the Westbrook septet based on themes and arias from Rossini, all arguments about this work of great innovation in the world of arrangement -- and an homage not above poking fun at its inspiration -- are transcended. This is a huge work, with spiraling Italian tarantellas played by Westbrook on the tuba, gorgeous arias sung by Kate, outlandish improvisational episodes where Lindsay Cooper gets to shine on her sopranino saxophone andPeter Whyman on his alto, and wildly contrapuntal flowing swing from Andy Grappy's tuba and Westbrook's piano. Peter Fairlough's drumming, Kate's tenor horn, and Paul Nieman's trombone usher in -- along with Mike's tuba -- a New Orleans read of the William Tell Overture; there are five different "takes" on it here. Actually, even though they are purposely unordered, the William Tells are the meditation for the entire work, as Westbrook weaves complex blends of musics, periods, instruments, and modalities through his gorgeously tonal and melodic arrangements that pay homage to both Gil Evans and Duke Ellington. There is nothing extra -- no bombast or academic seriousness. Only joy, wondrous innovation, and a truly accurate ear to bring the modernism in the original works to a postmodern audience. -- Thom Jurek
CD $20


OTOMO YOSHIHIDE - Core Anode (Meenna 332; Japan) Core Anode is the roaring-sound project of the versatile and multifaceted Otomo Yoshihide, who works in genres ranging from free improvisation to jazz to rock to movie and TV music. The CD contains 3 pieces recorded live at concerts in Tokyo (2002), Copenhagen (2006), and London (2006). The players/numbers of players differed at each performance. In all cases the musicians were outside the audience area, surrounding the listeners, and in all cases they put out nothing but roaring sound.
In Tokyo the players were Otomo Yoshihide (guitar), Atsuhiro Ito (optron), Masahiro Uemura (drums), and Itoken (drums); in Copenhagen, Otomo (guitar), Ryoichi Saito (guitar), Mads Heldtberg (guitar), Nis Bysted (guitar), Yasuhiro Yoshigaki (drums), Andreas Hauer-Jensen (drums), and Toke Tietze Mortensen (drums); and in London, Otomo (turntable, guitar amp), Andrea Neumann (inside piano, mixing desk), Uemura (drums), Sachiko M (sinewaves), Rhodri Davies (harp), Yoshimitsu Ichiraku (drums), Stefano Tedesco (vibraphone), Tim Barnes (timpani, tam-tam, cymbal), Sarah Washington (electronics), Ko Ishikawa (sho, electronics), Matt Davis (trumpet), Angharad Davies (violin), Tom Chant (tenor sax), and Mark Sanders (drums).
CD $20


OLIVIA BLOCK/SANDRA GIBSON/LUIS RECODER - Untitled [DVD] (SOS Editions 804; USA This untitled work presents the first digital collection of visual work by the collaborative artists Sandra Gibson and Luis Recoder and what may be described as a "site specific" musical composition by Olivia Block. The footage documents a version of a performance piece that was later presented and experienced as an installation. An earlier, different incarnation of this work was premiered at the Kill Your Timid Notion festival located in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2006. Audio Mastering by Salvatore Dellaria; Packaged in a distinctive large silver paper envelope. Although I had not heard any of Olivia Block's four discs on the Sedimental label, I had heard great things about her music from reliable sources. The music here is a deep slowly evolving rumble with a layer of eerie static/electronic sounds on top. Slowly, layers of high-end drizzle is heard with the sound of an approaching thunder storm. In the center of black screen is a television set with a blurred grey screen. As the slow ever so slowly shifts and rumbles ominously, the screen within a screen becomes more blurred. Eventually the screen is transformed by layers of fast moving black and white weirdness. The fast pace of the spinning images and top layer of high-pitched sounds work together marvelously in sync. Unlike some of the more difficult visual processing that I've checked out, I found this both the visual and audio portion of this disc to be easy to watch and hear. Like watching the birth of the universe - or an amoeba - in black and white. - BLG
DVD $28

ANNETTE KREBS/TOSHIMARU NAKAMURA - Siyu (SOS Editions 804; USA) Featuring Annette Krebs: guitar, mixing board, tapes, and objects and Toshimaru Nakamura: no-input mixing board. Originally self-published within a series of artist produced CD-R's created by Krebs, this document of the duo Annette Krebs and Toshimaru Nakamura - both of whom, it must be said, were (and are implicitly still) engaged with the sounding object known as a guitar at some point in their musical lives - features a newly re-mastered version of the longer track" wrr", and the addition of an extra track, "bsb", that further extends the trajectory of their narrative. Both improvisations were recorded during 2005, in Berlin. Presented in a lovely white-on-white custom-made, high-quality wraparound cardboard package. In the past, Ms. Krebs has worked with other like-minded lower case improvisers like Taku Sugimoto, Andrea Neumann, Burkhard Beins & Alessandro Bosetti. Toshimaru Nakamura, who can be found on more than 30 discs has also collaborated with a more diverse cast of characters: John Butcher, Keith Rowe, Axel Dorner and Sachiko M. This disc features two long pieces and each is fascinating to spend time with. The first piece, "Wrr", is nearly 30 minutes and is very carefully crafted. Subtle static, quiet feedback, short snips of radio sounds, hums and drones that float sublimely through space. The hums and static slowly and constantly shift, they move in waves that drift into silence and then softly erupt into some more intense electronic episodes. Although Ms. Krebs is listed as playing guitar, she often just coaxes odd sounds from her strings with assorted objects. I hear what sounds like test patterns or distant electronic effluvia. The texture of the sounds are consistently engaging, sometimes delicate, sometimes intense, but always rich in details to behold. - BLG
CD $15


RAIL [ANDY ALLEN/RUSS FYNN/PETER KRAG/PETER NEGROPONTE] - Rail Rail Rail Rail (Railsound; USA) Featuring: Andy Allen - saxes, Russ Fynn - guitars, synths & (all but one) compositions, Peter Krag - keyboards and Peter Negroponte - drums. Excellent Brooklyn-based rock/jazz quartet led by guitarist, Russ Flynn and admittedly influenced by Jim Black's Alasnoaxis. Russ Flynn is a new musician in town and just left us with this fine new disc from his quartet. Although there is no bassist on this disc, the quartet sounds fine just the way it is. "Ana Crusis" has a great groove and a most memorable melody. There is a most hypnotic bassline at the center, perhaps played by the guitar or keyboard. Drummer, Peter Negroponte, is powerful and propulsive, odd that I haven't heard of until now. Russ has written some wonderful jazz/rockin' songs that occasionally sound like Radiohead, a major influence on Jim Black's Alasnoaxis. Solos are spirited but often short so that the songs themselves shine through. Mr. Krag mostly plays fuzzy electric piano or organ and always sounds great playing his rambunctious and intricate parts. There is something joyful about this music that makes me smile and want to dance around. One of the things that I dig about this disc is that even without taking too many solos, Russ Flynn, always comes up a variety of interesting ways to play his guitar, his tone is always changing to play the different parts of each song. He does take a couple of great solos, but this is not what this disc is about. Quite a crafty disc without any of those show-off-your-chops type of jazz wanking. - BLG
CD $11


U SRINIVAS [SHRINIVAS] With JOHN McLAUGHLIN/GEORGE BROOKS/ZAKIR HUSSAIN et al - Samjanitha (Dreyfus/Koch; USA) For fans of South Indian (Karnatic) music, U Shrinivas is the last word - in electric mandolin playing! But this album - a suite of 11 distinct themes - shows that he is also a first-rate composer and arranger. The glittering line-up of musicians includes George Brooks saxophone, Dominique Di Piazza bass, John McLaughlin (in whose 'Remember Shakti' Srinvas was explosively introduced to western musc fans) on guitar, Zakir Hussain tabla, Vikku Vinayakram on ghatam (a water-pot like drum) and younger brother U Rajesh, alongside several others.
All the music on this album is unmistakably drawn from the traditional Indian classical repertoire (both North and South) but is entirely re-orchestrated to create a new listening experience. (One piece, `Riversong', was composed by Nitin Sawhney and has a clear melodic theme in `Raga Desh'.) There's something tremendously intriguing here: paradoxically familiar yet intensely surprising, it provokes a sense of deja vu. Some starkly contrasting material, for instance, the rather sedate `Sindhu', inspired by `Raga Bhairavi', and the overt blues and Latin jazz veneer of `Wildfires'. The biggest twist of all is saved for last: the final track, `Sarvaani' is an alap in the haunting `Raga Hamsadhwani', a style which would, in the normal scheme of things, have formed an introduction, not a conclusion, to an album. But hearing it this way is a deliciously surreal experience, and it puts you in a dreamlike state from which you're reluctant to return. That alone might explain the album's addictive quality. As the blurb on the back of the CD aptly puts it, this is music that `takes us to places where we begin to know ourselves again.' - Jameela Siddiqi, Songlines magazine
CD $16


BASS COMMUNION [STEVEN WILSON] - Molotov and Haze (Important 193; USA) "Molotov and Haze is packaged in a deluxe, tip-on style heavy-duty gatefold jacket with the CD slipped into a Japanese inner bag. Design by Carl Glover. Bass Communion is a project dedicated to Porcupine Tree founder Steven Wilson's recordings in an ambient, drone, and/or electronic vein. Most of the pieces are experiments in texture made from processing recordings of real instruments and field recordings. The atmosphere of the music has tended towards the dark and melancholic, but expressed with an almost zen-like beauty. More recently, Wilson has also started working with a guitar and laptop configuration -- the first material in this style is contained on this album."
CD $14

ASTRO/HIROSHI HASEGAWA - The Echo From The Purple Dawn (Important 197; USA) "The Echo From The Purple Dawn is a brand new full length from C.C.C.C. member Hiroshi Hasegawa's solo project, Astro. Using a battery of oscillators, ring modulators and field recordings, Hasegawa has created an engaging and versatile album that masterfully drifts between spaced-out analog dream drone and a more extreme form of harsher droning. As Astro, Hasegawa is able to combine some of the harsher influences of C.C.C.C. into the world of analog space music to create the signature sounds of Astro. Included is a live track recorded at a festival at the Tokyo Keizai University organized by Tetsuo Kogawa. Cover art designed by Important. Born in 1963, Hasegawa began his improvisation with his voice and drums. In 1990, he made the group C.C.C.C. around the concept of improvised mass-noise with a very loud sound. Members included Mayuko Hino, Ryuichi Nagakubo, Fumio Kosakai. Hasegawa began his solo unit Astro with analog synthesizers in 1993 and continued playing in C.C.C.C. Though C.C.C.C. is no more, Hasegawa has continued with Astro and his numerous collaborations drifting between dreamy spaced-out bliss and full-on waterfalls of beautiful noise."
CD $14

ASTRO/HIROSHI HASEGAWA - Live At Muryoku Muzen Temple (Important 197; USA) "Live At Muryoku Muzen Temple is limited to 500 copies with the first 100 on color vinyl. This is the companion release to the Astro CD titled The Echo At The Purple Dawn, released on Important Records. Astro, of course, is the analog/space project of Hiroshi Hasegawa of the legendary Japanese group, C.C.C.C. This limited vinyl-only release was created using ring modulator and vocals which are rare these days in Astro recordings. Cover art designed by Important. Astro is Hiroshi Hasegawa's solo project. He is a founding member of the Japanese noise group C.C.C.C. Born in 1963, Hasegawa began his improvisation with his voice and drums. In 1990, he built the group C.C.C.C. around the concept of improvised mass-noise with a very loud sound. Members included Mayuko Hino, Ryuichi Nagakubo, Fumio Kosakai. Hasegawa began his solo unit Astro with analog synthesizers in 1993 and continued playing in C.C.C.C. Though C.C.C.C. is no more, Hasegawa has continued with Astro and his numerous collaborations drifting between dreamy, spaced-out bliss and full-on waterfalls of beautiful noise."
LP $18


HANS TAMMEN THIRD EYE ORCHESTRA With BRIGGAN KRAUSS/MARTY EHRLICH/MARK FELDMAN et al - Third Eye Orchestra: Live At Roulette (Innova 225; USA) Featuring Mari Kimura, Mark Feldman, Stephanie Griffin & Tomas Ulrich on strings; Briggin Krauss, Marty Ehrlich & Robert Dicks on reeds; Detlef Landeck on trombone, Ursel Schlicht & Denman Maroney on piano & keyboards, Stomu Takeishi on bass, Satoshi Takeishi on percussion and Dafna Naphtali on voice & processing. Recorded live at Roulette in December of 2006. I've known of endangered guitar specialist Han Tammen for many years mostly as an experimental guitarist whose approach to playing is distinctly his own. I was surprised to hear him at the Victo Fest last year accompany a dancer, playing mostly guitar-on-table and sampler and rarely using any "normal" guitar-like sounds. I couldn't even tell he was playing guitar until I watched closely. For this disc, perhaps' Hans finest moment yet, he has dispensed with his guitar altogether and he plays or directs an amazing downtown all-star orchestra. At first I was surprised that I missed this dynamite concert, but realized later that it was the same month that Manny & I curated at The Stone, hence I was there every night but Mondays, when The Stone is closed.
This disc is split into two halves with 6 parts in each. The first six parts are called "Antecedent" and the second are called "Consequent." Hans brought together a most impressive downtown all-star orchestra for this concert and session. Right from the beginning of "Opening," the great microtonal specialist violinist Mari Kimura is dazzling us with her beyond-the-limits of normal range playing. I love the minimal, haunting background suspense while Marty Ehrlich plays his cautious bass clarinet. Each section features a different soloist or handful of soloists playing an inspired solo(s) over Hans' consistently engaging charts and/or direction. I dig the bent and barbed music that Hans has written, sections often don't last too long before they are transformed into another quirky section. Hans' wife, Dafna Naphtali is an extraordinary experimental vocalist and performs a few short but exciting solos. There are a number of superb solos from Mark Feldman, Detlef Landeck (a new name for me), Briggan Krauss, Robert Dick and Denman Maroney. This entire piece sounds well-planned, well-recorded and well-executed. Plus it is nearly 80 minutes long and it is consistently riveting for that long duration. Quite a great of big bang for your ($14) buck. Again, the good folks at Innova have provided us with another modern day classic. - BLG
CD $14


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It may seem hard to believe, but we have yet another fine Italian label with some ten discs from mostly young Italian jazz musicians plus a few downtowners like Marc Ribot & Jim Pugliese. The only other names that I recognize from the ten discs are Marco Cappelli and Gianni Gebbia, both of whom appear on two discs each. I've already reviewed the Jim Pugliese CD, so now for the rest..

FRANCESCO CUSA'S SKRUNCH - L'Arte Della Guerra (Improvvisatore Involontario 06; Italy) Second great disc by drummer/composer Francesco Cusa and his band "Skrunch" who consist of Paolo Sorge on guitar, Carlo Natoli on baritone guitar, Tony Cattano on trombone, Beppe S on bari sax and Riccardo Pittua on trumpet and Dario De Filippo on percussion. The introduction and conclusion of this CD features a serious sounding spoken word male voice, spoken in Italian. Again, Cusa has written some strong, tight, complex and exciting music. "Afrodionisiaco" has layers on interconnected lines going on simultaneously. While the rhythm team of baritone guitar, percussion & drums play their intricate line, the three horns swirl intensely around them and Paolo Sorge takes an amazing guitar solo. "Escape from Pussyland" features just the three horns playing tightly together at the beginning, soon the rhythm section re-enters with more complex guitar lines woven within the layers of lines. I love the way Francesco always has a few different lines moving around one another simultaneously. Guitarist Paolo Sorge is consistently inspired throughout, taking great solos and playing his intricate parts just right. His own disc on this label is good but he gets a chance to shine on this disc in particular. You just have to dig that great hypnotic repeating line that he plays on "Quel Giorno", which features some superb trombone and bari sax solos. I found that this disc is the best of the bunch that I just reviewed, it is outstanding throughout on various levels. Time to get some more copies from Marco cappelli, since I know that we will sell out sometime very soon. - BLG
CD $15

FRANCESCO CUSA'S SKRUNCH - Psicopatologia Del Serial Killer (Improvvisatore Involontario 01; Italy) Featuring Carlo Natoli on baritone guitar & electronics, Paolo Sorge on guitar, Tony Cattano on trombone, Gaetano Santoro on tenor sax and Francesco Cusa on drums & compositions. Quite a strange concept for an avant/jazz disc titled "Psychopathology of a Serial Killer". The cover features a man sitting in a chair, handcuffed, looking down and distraught, his head in hand and his shirt splattered with blood. The woman lieing down behind him on the bed might just be dead or sleeping. There are also four actors (three serial killers and the dead woman) involved and the autobiography of Frank Zappa is mentioned as an inspiration. Hmmm, what a set-up!?! The opening piece features some spooky whispering and creepy samples. "Blatta" features a great M-Base groove with the slamming drums of Francesco Cusa at the center and a fine, spiky guitar solo from Paolo Sorge. Carlo samples an eerie music box on "Nonsense" with more creepy whispering. I dig the sly tenor and trombone harmonies over that infectious groove. Since there is no bassist, the baritone guitarist seems to take this role, playing those great repeating grooves. Mr. Cusa does a great job of composing these twisted, complex rhythms that give the soloists a chance to sketch out and take inspired solos, especially the tenor sax and trombone. Guitarist Paolo Sorge, who also has his own fine CD out on this same label, plays a series of tight and intricate riffs that make the rhythm team sound even better. The voices of the actors are used minimally yet most effectively, the detective story music adding to their collective and ongoing tale. The music does a great job of evoking a eries of scene from this imaginary film. A movie for your mind?!? Yes, indeed. - BLG
CD $15

FEET OF MUD [FEDERICO SQUASSABIA/STEFANO SENNI/FRANCESCO CUSA] - Feet Of Mud (Improvvisatore Involontario 09; Italy) Featuring Federico Squassabia on keyboards & devices, Stefano Senni on double bass & devices and Francesco Cusa on drums. I hadn't heard of the keyboard player before this disc but the bassist can be heard with Zeno De Rossi on two discs from the El Gallo Rojo label. Their ubiquitous drummer, Francesco Cusa, is on most of the releases on the great II label, as well as leading his own band "Skrunch". The opening track, "Anarconirico" features some fine, simmering electric piano with wah-wah and eerie distortion. Very 70's sounding and somewhat Soft Machine-like, especially the drums. Mr. Squassabia" appears to have a bunch of vintage analog keyboards which he uses quite well, offering layering a few different keyboards like an electric piano and organ and adding those old devices like fuzz, wah and other selective goodies. What I dig about this disc is that it is alot of fun and doesn't take itself too seriously. All of the songs are well-crafted yet they are never very far out. This is like a long-lost treasure from the early fusion/jazz/rock era without any of the usual high speed or funky cliches. - BLG
CD $15

NAKED MUSICIANS - A Sicilian Way Of Cooking Mind: Music For 24 Musicians (Improvvisatore Involontario 04; Italy) Subtitled: "Music for 24 Musicians," conducted by Francesco Cusa, the drummer who can be found on most of the ten discs that we have on this same great Italian label. The musicians include many of the same players that Cusa collaborates with on those other II discs. Cusa claims that he conducted these musicians in his own way, based on workshops that he was involved with. All eight pieces are relatively long, from 5 to 20 minutes each. The instrumentation consists of 2 trumpets, 4 saxes, trombone, oud, 4 guitars, 2 basses, cello, percussion, voice, sampler and live noise.
The first piece features two fine voices, one sung (Theo Bleckmanish), one spoken with swirling oud, cello, guitars, trumpets and subtle percussion. The ensemble repeat this swell riff over and over, adding more instruments as it builds. It is most delightful and rather hypnotic. It evolves through sections of just layered percussion, guitar, some dynamite trombone and tenor sax solos. What is most amazing about this is the way it works, everything unfolds and develops in a most logical way with all solos a part of the ongoing dialogue. I love the way the band takes an old standard like "Caravan" and twists it into some unexpected shapes, yet keeping the old melody in the center, eventually winding its way through a silly, funky drum machine section that soon is altered through even more unexpected changes. There quite a few unexpected twists and turns and I hear strains of Xenakis, Butch Morris, Morricone, John Zorn, way too many influences or composers to mention here. I am sure you will other composers as well. Over 70 minutes long and consistently engaging throughout. - BLG
CD $15

NURSERY FOUR [MAURO SCHIAVONE/MARKO BONARIUS/FRANCESCO CUSA] - Improvised Music For Imaginary Films (Improvvisatore Involontario 03; Italy) The Nursery Four are actually a piano trio featuring Mauro Schiavone on piano, Marko Bonarius on double bass and Francesco Cusa on drums. Although I hadn't heard of any of the members of this trio before getting the ten discs on this label, the rhythm team are also in Paolo Sorge & the Jazz Waiters and the drummer, Cusa, has two discs out as a leader also on this same II label. "That's All Falks!" sounds like crazy cartoon music which is apt since the title is taken from the ending of an old cartoon. Crazed and quoting a variety of classical and pop themes, this is a hilarious piece played at a furious pace. "La Casa di Rosa Maria" is an especially well-recorded piece, spacious one moment and then featuring some intense piano pounding in the next part. Quite adventurous and evolving in an unexpected way. The title of this disc does seem to be most appropriate since each piece sounds like it comes from a different soundtrack, evoking a series of scenes. Although all three members of the trio composed these pieces together, they often use familiar melodies or progressions to give something to hold on to. There are moments when I am reminded of Anthony Coleman's Sephardic Trio and times when I recall some of Carla Bley's more quirky melodies. Drum wiz, Francesco Cusa, always keeps things off balance by often playing in less than conventional ways, like just using his cymbals or playing on the sides (or rims) of his drums at times. This trio seem to constantly surprise each other by switching directions midstream and remaining tight no matter where they end up. More fun than barrel of Stanley Crouch reviews. - BLG
CD $15

PAOLO SORGE & THE JAZZ WAITERS - Slow Food (Improvvisatore Involontario 05; Italy) Featuring Paolo Sorge on guitar & compositions, Tony Cattano on trombone, Marko Bonarius on double bass and Francesco Cusa on drums. Paolo Sorge has a fine jazz guitar tone, but writes somewhat quirky songs. "Clessidra" has an odd structure, tight but hard to predict. Swinging through one section then moving through difficult rhythmic changes in the next. Both Paolo on guitar and Tony on trombone take strong solos, but it is the way the song changes that is so unexpected. Tony does some strange singing through his trombone at the beginning of "Linera," which then features some elegant toned down (nearly acoustic) jazz guitar and warm trombone harmonies. The interplay between the guitar and trombone is consistently inspired and varied. Both players are often adventurous and alter their sound/tone much of the time. "Blue" is a lovely, laid back ballad with some exquisite soloing from the guitar and trombone. The quartet swinging hard on "Spring Changes" and Paolo provides a swell melody that is unforgettable, while the rhythm teams spins quickly and tightly throughout. One of the things that I dig the most about this quartet is the way they straddle more straight ahead styles, yet still inject humor and adventurousness. On "Paranatole" they play this older style goofy rhythm yet the guitar solo goes pretty and then the bassist sings along with his bass in that Slam Stewart sort of way. This disc ends oddly enough with a lovely version of Scriabin' s "Prelude Opus 48, No. 2", which is especially quaint. This is one of those discs that I play in the store for the not-too adventurous listeners who are always surprised that they haven't heard of any of these musicians before. - BLG
CD $15

SWITTERS [GIANNI GEBBIA/VINCENZO VASI/FRANCESCO CUSA] - Current Trends In The Contemporary Italian Music Disaster - Vol III (Improvvisatore Involontario 11; Italy) This is the second disc from Switters, a trio featuring Gianni Gebbis on alto sax & flute, Vincenzo Vasi on theremin, electric bass & voice and Francesco Cusa on drums & lyrics with Xabier Iriondo on table guitar & synth for three pieces. The title of this disc was most likely inspired by a Butch Morris disc called "Current Trends in Racism in America". Switters have a twisted sense of humor, a look at some of their song titles can attest to this: "Afro Groove Masturbation" and "Paris Hilton's Fundaments of Economy". Like their previous CD, this disc consists of some 18 pieces, most under five minutes. The liner notes to this disc by Wu Ming are some of the most honest, rudest and most direct of anything I've ever on a so-called jazz disc. Totally hilarious and totally ridiculous, yet completely appropriate. The "disaster" they refer to in the title is the state of Italy, the state of jazz and the current state of the world. On four of these pieces Vincenzo sings in his swell, silly yet cool voice. I just wish the lyrics were translated into English, no doubt we'd get some more laughs. On each track, the trio twist their songs inside out, with fascinating and diverse results. On "Call Center Woman" the rhythm team shifts tempos throughout while the sax goes off in other directions, yet there is a unique interconnected tightness. "Why Ornette Would Be Unknown Today" sounds like a variation on "Dancing in Your Head" by Ornette, with some Prime Time references thrown in as well. Not bad for just a trio to move through the different worlds of Ornette. These cats are hard to take too seriously but I must admit that I did often smile and even laugh out loud a few times. Their often crafty playing and composing is beyond reproach but the humor does overwhelm the music at times. While an insensitive cretin might want to just say, "Shut up & play your guitar or sax," I know we all need a bit more humor to help us make it through these troubling days. Right on, Switters, right on! - BLG
CD $15

SWITTERS [GIANNI GEBBIA/VINCENZO VASI/FRANCESCO CUSA] - The Anabaptist Loop (Improvvisatore Involontario 02; Italy) Switters is a trio featuring Gianni Gebbis on alto & sopranino saxes & flute, Vincenzo Vasi on electric bass & theremin and Francesco Cusa on drums. Gianni Gebbia is one of the best and most distinctive saxists to come from Italy in the past decade and can be hard on some 16 discs from labels like Rastascan, Victo, 482 Music and CMP. The other two rhythm section members I am not previously familiar with, although their drummer, Francesco Cusa, has two discs out as a leader on this same II label. There are some 17 tracks on this fine discs and all are under 5 minutes in length. Each track sets up a different challenge for the trio. Both their bassist and drum are consistently creative through and work their way through a variety of styles and challenges. On "Domino," Cusa plays many great skeletal rhythms on the drums. Often, as in the past, Gianni's tone on alto sax is similar to John Zorn's. On "Langley" the trio strips the piece down to its bare essentials with just minimal hand percussion and soft squeaks on the sax. It works since they make each note count and part of a bigger picture. Each piece involves a different style or approach. The drummer seems to at the center of many of these pieces creating odd rhythms and structures to deal with. I like that this trio has a twisted sense of humor and that you never know which way each track will develop. This disc was inspired by the works of two novelists, Tom Robbins and Wu Ming, an odd pairing no doubt. I also dig that this disc is consistently interesting and adventurous without really going to far out. It each seems to have a sense of purpose and/or a subliminal thread. - BLG
CD $15


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FREDERIC BLONDY/THOMAS LEHN - Obdo (Another Timbre 07; UK) Featuring Frederic Blondy on piano and Thomas Lehn on analogue synth.Fench pianist Frederic Blondy plays with Hubbub and Grosse Abfahrt, as well as collaborating with Le Quan Ninh and Dan Warburton. British analogue synth wiz Thomas Lehn has worked with many different improvisers like Konk Pak, MIMEO, Keith Rowe, John Butcher, Johannes Bauer and Scott Fields. I can't quite think of another duo with the instrumentation of piano and analogue synth, thus making this a unique collaboration. For this disc the piano's audio signal is being altered by the synth. Often sparse and spooky with suspense-filled space in between the occasional flurries. Blondy most often plays minimally and inside the piano, just hitting one dark note at a time while Lehn creates layers of electronic synth sounds. The sounds are well selected so that every sound counts and stands by itself. It does sound as if Blondy is rubbing the strings of the piano with some object like Denman Maroney does. Sometimes the piano will trigger a sound which will then be altered and turned into something else. Hard to tell who is doing what at times, except when we hear a familiar piano note. Most of the time what we hear is some of spookiest and most intense improv in recent memory. - BLG
CD $17

LONDON IMPROVISERS ORCHESTRA - Improvisations for George Riste (Psi 08.06; UK) The London Improvisers Orchestra was founded in 1998 and features some of the finest modern musicians from the UK. The LIO are featured on seven discs on the Emanem label and each is worthy of our attention, their standard is that high. This disc features four long pieces, three from 2003 and one from 2007, taken from the LIO's monthly appearances at the Red Rose. The personnel ranges from 17 to 20 musicians and includes such luminaries as Harry Beckett, Evan Parker, John Butcher, Steve Beresford, Pat Thomas, Marcio Mattos, Simon H Fell, Lol Coxhill, Mark Sanders and Tony Marsh. I quite enjoyed the thoughtful liner notes by Evan Parker which explained the difficulties of keeping this large ensemble together in these harsh and hostile times in London town. I feel the same pride and stress in keeping the DMG ship afloat on the now bum-free Bowery. As for the dedication..."For about a decade starting in 1981 British Columbia's power company, BC Hydro, had owned most of the block where they planned to build their new office tower. The Del Mar Hotel, owned by George Riste, occupied the missing piece. The Del Mar is a small, unassuming building providing clean, affordable housing for the poor. Despite all the weight brought to bear by the Hydro Goliath, including what must have been enormous amounts of money, Riste refused to sell. Hydro eventually had to redesign to build around the hotel." An inspiration to us all.
"Improvisations for George Riste 1" is from February of 2003 and does not sound like 20 musicians when it begins, there is a lightness the evolves but never gets too dense or difficult. Amy Denio's accordion and the voice of Filomena Campus float on top of layers of different swirls. Although this music is wholly improvised, what we hear is evolving combinations of players and the intricate connections made between them. The closer that I listen, the more sounds, textures and connections I hear. Rather than large stretches of loud cacophony, there is a good deal of more restrained sounds. At one point, I hear those intense, bent Xenakis/Penderecki-like strings and horns. "Improvisations 2" is from July of 2003 and includes 4 brass, 6 reeds, 5 strings, el. guitar, piano, amplified objects, electronics and percussion. The sounds is restrained yet quite intense. There is so much going on, yet no one gets in anyone else's way. This music is consistently fascinating and filled with surprises, we never know when those magical connections will take place but they do time and again. Sections do sound as if someone is conducting when tight parts erupt and emerge from from the occasional focused chaos. "Improvisations 3" is from August of 2003 and this is the smallest version of LIO and the shortest piece here. This piece is begins quite minimally with just a few sprinkles of sounds, evolving slowly and spaciously. Once again, if you listen closely you hear more in the little details. This piece is delicate in part, yet it reveals a great deal below the surface of calm and eventually erupts in spurts. "Improvisations 4" is from June of 2007 and this time it is one trumpet, six reeds, four strings, two el. guitars, piano, vibes, 2 percussionists and Adam Bohman on amplified objects, once again. The final piece is the longest and most playful in parts. I dig the way certain subsections emerge from the constant churning ocean of sounds. It sounds as if certain parts were charted as combinations of players are brought into focus. It rarely if ever gets too chaotic as there is a balance or thread that seems to hold it all together. This piece, for me, brings back the ghost/influence of John Stevens who had his own wonderful way of directing varying sized ensembles into a unified conglomeration. This piece is the most successful as different scenes evolve and interact and begat stories within stories. In conclusion, this is a particularly wonderful gem. BLG
CD $20


ZBIGNIEW KARKOWSKI & TETSUO FURUDATE - World As Will III (Sub Rosa 282; Belgium) "Three compositions by Polish ex-pat Zbigniew Karkowski and Tetsuo Furudate, commissioned and performed by Zeitkratzer (an ensemble which includes some names you are familiar with seeing in the newsletters at DMG). Zeitkratzer is Reinhold Friedl - piano, Burkhard Schlothauer - violin, Anton Lukoszevieze - cello, Uli Phillipp - bass, Frank Gratkowski - clarinet, Franz Hautzinger - trumpet, Melvyn Poore - tuba, Marc Weiser - electronics, Maurice de Martin - percussion, and Ralf Meinz - sound. Karkowski is known for his bone crushing power electronics such as his collaboration with Merzbow (MAZK), but is unfortunately not that well known for his compositions (on this side of the pond at least), yet "World As Will III" is about to change that. The cd starts off very quiet (I actually had to turn off my fan and turn up the volume). Slowly fading up haunting harmonies that swing back and forth like waves against the sand. As the fog horn frequencies progress in the distance, I brace myself for full aural attack which I would expect from Karkowski but not knowing the music of Furudate, I anticipate how these two will affect one another. My expectations are fulfilled only for a second, with the passion of the Arditti Quartet doing a Penderecki piece, slowly evolving frantic electronics bubbles amidst the fog horn melody of the tuba and cello which comes to an abrupt stop. On the edge of my seat I await what is behind my speakers. Karkowski and Furudate have my full attention. "World As Will III" would make a perfect horror movie soundtrack with its suspenseful pacing, ominous tones, and spot on aural story telling. They both get the musicians in Zeitkratzer to expand their instruments and create a whole new sound world, one which I have been waiting for a long time. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!" - Chuck Bettis/DMG
CD $15

ASIAN FLASHBACK [V.A.] - Underground Music From Asia (PSF 170; Japan) Asian underground compilation with 13 groups. Featuring Li Jianhong, Narita Munehiro, Hano Shoji, Mustangs, Kiyasu Orchestra, Mafeisan, 10, Xiao He, D!O!D!O!D!, Sato Yukie, Yoshiteru Koga Jizo, Kim Young Jin, Li Daiguo, Amature Amplifier, Soonie.
"A rare compilation uniting young avant musics from Japan, Korea, and China which is referenced in Julian Cope's 'JAPROCK Sampler' book. As the press release states: "Politics and history had long prevented exchanges between the three countries, but in recent years increasing trade and cultural linkages have revealed exciting new synergies."Unlike many other compilations, this one is compiled to flow with ease, emphasizing those synergies; music ranging from psychedelic punk inspired rock that flows into strangely inviting cacophonous noise then tapering off in the outer realms of free folk. For those already convinced, jump to the last two sentences of this review. For those who need a kick in the ass, here is a blow by blow take on the tracks. First up: Li Jianhong, Narita Munehiro, Hano Shoji create a punk infused improv that has its moments, then followed by Mustangs which do a brand of psychedelic rock incorporating elements of Televisions "Marque Moon". Don't be dissuaded, as usual, the best usually resides at the core. Kiyasu Orchestra bring to the table a very compelling free jazz freak out that nods to Masayuki Takayanagi combined with a rawer Lounge Lizards approach, presenting us with a controlled chaos. Next up is Mafeisan, creating an intense raw no-wave influenced improv reminding me of the Scissor Girls in their later days or even Teenage Jesus. The playful group known simply as 10 are the shining stars on this cd. Combining electronics, toys, and vocals to create a joyous noise not in the temperament Merzbow, but more so in a strange kinship with early shaman music, Haco and Tolerance, which leaves me craving more! Xiao He creates a minimalist loopy folky guitar line which he lets go for a bit before he comes in with his Nick Drake meets Gilberto Gil style vocals. D!O!D!O!D! surprised me on this one. I have not been compelled by their previous recordings, but this track makes me want to revisit their other records. Another favorite on this disc is Sato Yukie a noise group from Japan that doesn't try to blow your ear drums as much as they try to energize your brain, complete raw energy! Yoshiteru Koga Jizo presents ethereal drone from cascading feedback. Kim Young Jin, combines rock and Korean sanjo to give us a Teiji Ito blend of genius. Li Daiguo, another great gem on this disc who defies categorization, for some reason reminds me of Lol Coxhill doing Panasori music via Fat Boys. Amature Amplifier is some straight folky elements with some vocals that sounds like one person in a bedroom. Closing the mix is Soonie covering John Lennon's "Imagine". If you made it this far in the review, just buy it, you will not be disappointed! This entire mix reminds of the great mixes that I received from friends in the past. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!" - Chuck Bettis/DMG
CD $20

PRURIENT - Arrowhead (Editions Mego 091; Austria) "Dominick Fernow should need not introduction - he is perhaps New York's hardest working man in noise. With 100+ releases and unrelenting tour schedule, he has continued to shock and awe the experimental community. Here he does it again, spilling blood into the music with this powerful release for the world reknowned Editions Mego label. Usually reserving his Prurient moniker for his solo output exploring extreme uncharted sonic territory, this time he is joined by occasional collaborator Kris Lapke. "Arrowhead" kicks it off with a piercing mic feedback that washes over you, while sitting on top of random bursts of punching percussion (literally sounds like someone punching a garbage can). The unrelenting feedback remains as your body is immersed in the sound. Then you hear Dominick bellow below the high-pitched frequencies; focusing in on a intense harsh ambience that is a tight rope walk between both focused and chaotic white noise. You can imagine the raw intensity of him wrestling with the mic in front of the speaker (ok, just go see him perform, it is a ritual within itself). Fans of Prurient and/or recent Editions Mego releases will not be disappointed. RECOMMENDED!" - Chuck Bettis/DMG
CD $16


PANDIT PRAN NATH With TERRY RILEY/LA MONTE YOUNG/MARIAN ZAZEELA - The Raga Cycle, Palace Theatre, Paris 1972: Ragas - Shudh Sarang and Kut Todi (Sri Moonshine 003; USA) "Pandit Pran Nath - Raga Cycle (Shri Moonshine 003) Hindustani raga master Pandit Pran Nath (1918-1996) is well known in the West because of high profile students like composers Terry Riley, La Monte Young, artist Marian Zazeela, jazz musicians Don Cherry, Lee Konitz and others. His focus was on alap, the early slow section of a raga with special attention to intonation. There are not many commercially available recordings of this vocalist, most are out of print, so the release of these concert recordings have been highly anticipated. It's about time! Recorded in 1972 at the Palace Theater in Paris, Ragas Shudh Sarang and Kut Todi unfold gently and gradually with simple tabla hand drum accompaniment and the rich hypnotic drone of the tamboura strings. His singing is timeless and sublime. - CD review by Sarasvati"
CD $16


BIXOBAL - Special Stomu Yamsh'ta issue (Bixobal 4; USA) 56 pages, 5.5" by 8.5", 20 lb. paper, b&w. "A massive overview of the life and work of avant garde percussionist Stomu Yamash'ta, including his first English-language interview in over 30 years. A child prodigy, his meteoric rise in the classical world spawned a new world of improvisation and avant classical in the late '60s and early '70s before melding Eastern concepts with jazz fusion via his more well-known outfits Come to the Edge, East Wind, and Go. Includes never-before-revealed insight into collaborations with Toru Takemitsu, Takehisa Kosugi, Masahiko Sato, the Baschet brothers, and others. Years in the making, this exhaustive survey corrects misinformation and apocrypha carried down for decades, and opens a new window to Yamash'ta's current projects featuring instruments made from resonant stones. Akio Suzuki's UK travelogue translated by the expert on Japanese underground, Alan Cummings. Michael Griffen, one half of Noggin, remembered by Aaron Gorseth. Andrzej Zulawski's films. A history of the beautiful limited edition releases by Raymond Dijkstra. Patrick Marley (former publisher of Muckraker magazine) with his column Nickels and Dimes. Reviews of vinyl, cassettes, compacts disc, DVDs and books, both new and old."
MAGAZINE $5



Three more important reissues from the great MPS catalogue:
[Bruce's reviews next week]

JOHN TCHICAI AND CADENTIA NOVA DANICA - Afrodisiaca (MPS/SPV; Germany) (24 bit re-mastered/mini-lp sleeve) (24 bit re-mastered/mini-lp sleeve) Ex-New York Art Quartet member John Tchicai goes wild with 25 fellow musicians on this Free Jazz masterpiece from the year of the moon landing. Sonic Youth's Thurston Moore comments: "beautiful, baby. BEAUTIFUL!" Originally released in 1969
CD $21

BARNEY WILEN And HIS AMAZING FREE ROCK BAND - Dear Prof Leary (MPS/SPV; Germany) (24 bit re-mastered/mini-lp sleeve) Dear Prof. Leary is not only a super-rare and highly touted collectors item but also one of the earliest and strangest examples of the upcoming Jazz/Rock Fusion recordings that would soon transform the Jazz world. Originally released in 1968 on MPS, Barney Wilen And His Amazing Free Rock Band's Dear Prof. Leary l.p. was a sextet of two trios, one playing the more Rock style and the other in the Jazz idiom, complete with two drummers, producing what can only be described as psychedelic Free-Jazz. Highlights include covers of The Beatles The Fool On The Hill , Ornette Coleman's Lonely Woman and Bobbie Gentry s Ode To Billie Joe , scattered amongst the originals
CD $21

JASPER VAN'T HOF'S PORK PIE With CHARLIE MARIANO et al - Transitory (MPS/SPV; Germany) (24 bit re-mastered/mini-lp sleeve) Originally released in 1974 and often regarded as the cream of multi-keyboardist Jasper van't Hof's Pork Pie's releases, the Transitory album is a blend of noodly, ethnic Jazz/Rock Fusion featuring Charlie Mariano on saxophones and Phillip Catherine on guitar!
CD $21



Back in stock - finally!

SALAH RAGAB AND THE CAIRO JAZZ BAND - Present Egyptian Jazz: Ramadan In Space Time (Art Yard CD06; UK) "Salah Ragab formed the first jazz big band in Egypt (The Cairo Jazz Band) in 1968, he was also the leader of the Military Music Departments in Heliopolis. Some of the best musicians in Egypt of that time were members of the band such as Zaki Osman: trumpet, Saied Salama: tenor sax, Khamis El-Kholy: piano and Ala Mostafa: piano. On this recording, the band consists of five saxophones, four trumpets, four trombones, piano, bass, drums and percussion. These recordings present Salah Ragab and The Cairo Jazz Band's definitive work, recorded in Heliopolis, Egypt between 1968 and 1973. Western jazz musicians have been fascinated with the world of Islam for many years, for religious/spiritual, musical and sociological reasons. It was therefore inevitable that musicians of the Arabian North African area would play a part in the interaction of these two musical cultures. The compositions correspond to the crossover of musical styles at the time of the recording, 5000 miles away across the Mediterranean and Atlantic in New York with releases on Moodsville by Yusef Lateef and RCA by Ahmud Abdul-Malik. This record represents The Cairo Jazz Band responding to the American jazz scene of the '60s and '70s with influences from Mongo Santamaria to Randy Weston and Sun Ra. These tracks were first presented by The Ministry Of Culture in Cairo as a Prism Music Production and released with an additional disk by the composer Soliman Gamil 'Musical Images.' This release marks the first time Salah Ragab and The Cairo Jazz Band's definitive works are presented to the West."
CD $20



Copies found of this Out-Of-Print gem!

MICHAEL FORMANEK With TIM BERNE/MARK FELDMAN/WAYNE KRANTZ/JEFF HIRSHFIELD - Extended Animation (Enja 7041; Germany) Bassist Michael Formanek's second album from 1992 continues the pattern established on his debut. He features mostly originals and keeps things moving with varied rhythms and arrangements that don't emphasize any particular style. His band of all-stars includes saxophonist Tim Berne, guitarist Wayne Krantz, violinist Mark Feldman, and drummer Jeff Hirschfield.
CD $16

and also..

GATO LIBRE [NATSUKI TAMURA/KAZUHIKO TSUMURA/SATOKO FUJII/NORIKATSU KOREYSAU] - Nomad (No Man's Land 0634; Germany)
CD $19



Rare Bernocchi/Laswell/Zu releases - Back in stock - but not for long!

BLACK ENGINE [ERALDO BERNOCCHI/ZU] - Ku Klux Klowns (Wallace 88; Italy) Conceived by Eraldo Bernocchi, Massimo Pupillo, Jacopo Battaglia and Luca Mai aka Zu, Black Engine is form/non-form. Shape deconstruction, harmonic and sonic plastic surgery.Too late emergency care unit. Malformed patient, but alive. Genetic manipulation of jazz, rock, dub, electronics and noise, itself for itself, thus, Black Engine. Self generating interference. Refuses the genre, even the simple "genre" word.. It doesn't need any reason to exist because of its engine essence.
The meeting of 4 sonic navigators with a long experience. 4 minds who, project after project, interfaced their creativity with different sound worlds every time, just following the path of research and evolution. Without compromise or rest. Fast blasts leave space to ambient openings, metal and hard-core echoes open in silent wounds. Self sufficient sonic hypnosis. Giant, merciless, and noisy Black Engine sometimes uses videos or/and special guests. It deconstructs itself event after event mutating toward sonic forms more and more intense; unknown consequences for a sonic experiment. From jazz to hip pop, from industrial to ambient, during all these years Bernocchi and Zu explored new territories playing and improvising with an endless series of italian and international artists. Enriching themselves with experience, estimating each others from a distance, Until today, deadly meeting. Black Engine is sonic catharsis longing for a planned derailing in border-less spaces.
CD $20

MANUAL [ERALDO BERNOCCHI/THOMAS FEHLMANN] - Manual ('21st' 200704; Italy) Eraldo's collaboration with Thomas Fehlmann of the Orb - Recorded Live at Palazzo delle Papesse, Siena and at Le Reggiane, Reggio Emilia, Italy, during 2005.
CD $20

SIGILLUM S [ERALDO BERNOCCHI/PAOLO BANDERA/LUCA DI GIORGIO] With BILL LASWELL/ZU et al - 23/20 [2 LP Version] (Verba Corrige 09LP; Italy) [This 2 LP edition has 9 of the 16 tracks found on the CD PLUS: 7 tracks only found here!!! In reverse, the same is true of the CD edition]
The long-awaited Sigillum S release '23/20' is out now. Marking the group's 20th Anniversary, this gorgeous set features all three original Sigillum S members, as well as contributions from Bill Laswell, Raiz, members of Crisis, Thomas Fehlmann, Toshinori Kondo, Skiz Fernando/WordSound Massive, Prof. Shehab/Baboon Massive and more. VCP has released two versions in gorgeous deluxe packaging by Petulia Mattioli/PM.KOMA
LP $36

SIGILLUM S [ERALDO BERNOCCHI/PAOLO BANDERA/LUCA DI GIORGIO] With BILL LASWELL/ZU et al - 23/20 [CD Version] (Verba Corrige 09CD; Italy) [This CD edition has 9 of the 16 tracks found on the 2LP above set, PLUS: 7 tracks only found here!!! In reverse, the same is true of the 2LP edition]
CD $20

SOMMA 1 [SACRED ORDER of MAGIC MUSIC and ART: BILL LASWELL/ERALDO BERNOCCHI/TOSHINORI KONDO/HAMID DRAKE/TIBETAN MONKS] - SOMMA Live [ltd 1000 copies] (Verba Corrige 10; Italy) Limited edition of 1000 copies in 7" square linen envelope with prints - part of the proceeds going to Associazione Italia-Tibet. Recorded live at Auditorium Santa Chiara Trento, Italy, June 26, 2001 on the occasion of the visit of H.H the XIV Dalai Lama.
Eraldo Bernocchi: guitars, electronics; Bill Laswell: bass; Tibetan Monks: vocals, traditional instruments; Hamid Drake: drums; Toshinori Kondo: trumpet; Raiz: vocals; Gigi: vocals.
CD $20



LYDIA LUNCH/TEENAGE JESUS AND THE JERKS - Shut Up And Bleed (Cherry Red 367; UK) The seminal no-wave band Teenage and Jesus and The Jerks were lead by primal screamer and guitarist Lydia Lunch, an individual who has fought her artistic way through the decades, always true to her own vision and always brutally honest. In early 1978, artist and producer Brian Eno attended a series of shows put on to benefit the Artist's Space in Soho and influenced Island Records to finance an anthology LP featuring the four strongest bands -- Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, The Contortions, Mars and DNA. The resulting recording, entitled No New York and produced by Eno, remains as one of the most impressive and extraordinarily bold debuts of the time. Here we compiled all Teenage Jesus and The Jerks recordings, alongside some NEVER previously released live material. Simultaneous to Teenage Jesus, Lunch formed Beirut Slump, released one single and recorded an album's worth of material, which is also included on this remarkable release."The seminal no-wave band Teenage and Jesus and The Jerks were lead by primal screamer and guitarist Lydia Lunch, an individual who has fought her artistic way through the decades, always true to her own vision and always brutally honest. In early 1978, artist and producer Brian Eno attended a series of shows put on to benefit the Artist's Space in Soho and influenced Island Records to finance an anthology LP featuring the four strongest bands -- Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, The Contortions, Mars and DNA. The resulting recording, entitled No New York and produced by Eno, remains as one of the most impressive and extraordinarily bold debuts of the time. Here we compiled all Teenage Jesus and The Jerks recordings, alongside some NEVER previously released live material. Simultaneous to Teenage Jesus, Lunch formed Beirut Slump, released one single and recorded an album's worth of material, which is also included on this remarkable release."
CD $17

SABICAS - Flamencan Guitar Solos (Cherry Red/El 149; UK) "Virtuoso guitarist Sabicas exported flamenco in its most thrilling and uncompromising form. What the public heard and responded to was his astonishing artistry -- the rhythmic drive, the dizzying speed of his runs, the sheer ferocity of his attack coupled with the sensitivity and poise of his touch. Sabicas' dedication and perfectionism established the yardstick against which both his contemporaries and the next generation of guitarists were obliged to measure themselves. He almost single-handedly established the right of flamenco to stand among the world's greatest musical traditions. Made four albums for Elektra and a rock collaboration with Joe Beck."
CD $17

GABOR SZABO & GARY McFARLAND - Sketch For Summer (Cherry Red/El 148; UK) "Though they came from radically different cultures and found their way into jazz via widely divergent routes, Gabor Szabo and Gary McFarland formed an all-too brief working relationship that produced a spectacular range of solo and collaborative works spanning jazz, bossa nova, psychedelia, Indian raga, Hungarian folk, orchestral and film music. Focusing on the mid-'60s years with Prestige, Verve and Impulse, this edition comprises highlights from Gypsy 66, Spellbinder, Jazz Raga, The Sorcerer, Simpatico, The In Sound, Scorpio and Other Signs and McFarland's score for Eye of the Devil and includes such impossible rarities as Gary's characteristically serene performances of Margo Guryan's Rivergirl and The Dreamer by Antonio Carlos Jobim."
CD $17


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