Killer Week!

Braxton/Parker/Graves! Medeski Martin Wood do Masada! Teiji Ito! [+ 3 more Tzadiks!] Paul Dunmall! John Cage! Morton Feldman!

Have we got your attention? And there's so much MORE!

Plus a DVD SALE - for newsletter subscribers only!




***********

The Downtown Music Gallery FREE IN-Store Sunday Music Series continues with:

Sunday, August 17th, at 7pm for FREE!

FRODE GJERSTAD & PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE!! Amazing Scandinavian reeds & drums duo!


Sunday, August 24th at 6pm -
CASPEROUS VINE - progressive sounds from another planet!

FREE at our store on de Bowery!


***********


'Clean Feed Fest NY III'

at the Living Theatre, 21 Clinton St, Manhattan
212- 792-8050


September 19th [Fri]

9:00 - Adam Lane / Mark Whitecage / Lou Grassi "Drunk Butterfly"
Mark Whitecage - alto saxophone and clarinet, Adam Lane - double bass, Lou Grassi - drums

10:30 - Michael Dessen Trio "Between Shadow and Space"
Michael Dessen - trombone, Christopher Tordini - double bass, Tyshawn Sorey - drums


September 20th [Sat]

9:00 - Stephen Gauci "Basso Continuo"
Stephen Gauci - tenor saxophone, Nate Wooley - trumpet, Ken Filiano - double bass, Mike Bisio - double bass

10:30 - Dual Identity
Steve Lehman - alto saxophone, Rudresh Mahanthappa - alto saxophone, Liberty Ellman - guitar, Matt Brewer - double bass, Damion Reid - drums


September 21st [Sun]

8:00 - The Empty Cage Quartet "Stratostrophic"
Jason Mears - alto saxophone, clarinet, Kris Tiner - trumpet, flugelhorn, Paul Kikuchi - drums, percussion, electronics, Ivan Johnson - double bass
(Co-sponsored by the Festival of New Trumpet Music (FONT))

9:30 - Dennis Gonz‡lez / Rachiim Ausar Sahu Duo
Dennis Gonzalez - trumpet, Rachiim Ausar Sahu - double bass
(Co-sponsored by the Festival of New Trumpet Music (FONT))


September 22nd [Mon]

8:00 - Elliott Sharp / Scott Fields "Scharfefelder"
Elliott Sharp - acoustic guitar , Scott Fields- acoustic guitar

9:30 - Tony Malaby's Tamarindo with William Parker and Nasheet Waits
Tony Malaby - tenor and soprano saxophones, William Parker - double bass, Nasheet Waits - drums


September 24th [Wed]

8:00 - Sean Conly's Re:Action
Joe Fiedler - trombone, Michael Attias - alto and baritone saxophones, Sean Conly - double bass, Pheeroan Aklaff - drums

9:30 - Michael Blake "Hellbent"
Michael Blake - tenor saxophone, Marcus Rojas - tuba, Charlie Burnham - violin, Calvin Weston - drums


*************


You should also make plans for

Sixth Annual 'Festival of New Trumpet' (FONT) Music_NYC

September 14 - 28, 2008

Featuring:
*Ambrose Akinmusire*Ralph Alessi*Eddie Allen*ANALOG Arts*Anti-Social Music*Flip Barnes*Steven Bernstein*Randy Brecker*Cecil Bridgewater*Taylor Ho Bynum*Roy Campbell, Jr.*Avishai Cohen*Chris DiMeglio*Dave Douglas*Amir ElSaffar*Dennis Gonzalez*Mark Isham*Nabate Isles*Ingrid Jensen*Sean Jones*Frank London*John McNeil*Jeremy Pelt*Reut Regev*Michael Rodriguez*Phil Slater*Ian Smith*Kris Tiner*Scott Tinkler*Trumpet Nation*James Zollar* and many more...

EVENTS AT:_Louis Armstrong House Museum_Le Poisson Rouge_The Jazz Standard_The Living Theater_St. Mark's Church in the Bowery

We will post schedule when it is finalized


*************


The Changing Of The Guard; Mikey IQ Jones moves on..

Friday 8/8/08 was the last day for DMG's longtime employee, musician and musicologist Mikey IQ Jones, who, for over five years, ran our mail-order department, handling the packaging for thousands of orders from around the world. Mikey's great way of dealing with difficult needs and demands of the varied customers who found their way to DMG will be hard to replace. He also wrote the occasional review for our newsletter and helped [in addition to record detective MannyLunch] find obscure and unknown discs and artists for DMG to offer.
But the thing that we will miss most is Mikey's spikey hairdo and great sense of humor, a necessity here at DMG, when things get too serious.
Mikey will continue to write reviews for us as well as volunteer at The Stone, so our fates are still linked. We had a going away party at La Palapa last week for Mikey and raised a toast to our favorite bubby.
Another regret is he won't be in da house in October when that Brown Wing Overdrive album "ESP Organism' featuring Mikey, Chuck Bettis (the DMG manager) and Derek Morton will be released on Tzadik. However, have no fear that your orders will be handled just right - Mr. IQ spent several weeks training our newest crew member, Joe Merolla, former bass player,whom you will be hearing from in the days to come.

- Bruce, Manny, Chuck


*************




Six [count 'em] Six AMAZING [really AMAZING!] New Tzadik releases!

ANTHONY BRAXTON/MILFORD GRAVES/WILLIAM PARKER - Beyond Quantum (Tzadik 7626; USA) Anthony Braxton, Milford Graves and William Parker are quite literally three of the most important virtuoso instrumentalists in new music, each a vivid conceptualist as well an influential composer/perf o rm e r. This intense improvisational outing features them at their best: excited, inspired and in complete communication. Recorded and mixed by musical alchemist Bill Laswell, sparks fly in this important and historic meeting of creative music masters. TZADIK KEY SERIES
"So John Zorn comes into DMG a few months ago and says, "I have some exciting news! Tomorrow I go to Laswell's studio to record your friend Anthony Braxton with Milford Graves and William Parker!" All of us here at DMG were amazed to hear this news and now the disc is here, in our hands. It is quite extraordinary and perhaps one of the best CD's of the year! Avant drum legend, Milford Graves, performs live and records on very rare occasion. This is the first time that he has worked with either Anthony Braxton or William Parker, but you wouldn't know that from listening to this incredible recording. The overall sound here is magnificent, perfectly balanced and all of the elements flow just right. Mr Braxton is in incredible form as he balances between two streams, his more spiritual side and his more fractured note side. Those distinctive fractured notes actually remind me of Roscoe Mitchell (an old collaborator of Braxton's) or John Zorn (no doubt influential to John's early sax explorations - see the Roscoe reissue below for proof). William Parker keeps up a constant flow of cosmic ideas on his trusty contrabass, organically connecting with Milford's ever-swirling layers of drums. Milford Graves is something else entirely. He is one of the grand-masters of rhythmic dialogue. Milford keeps up a constant flow of spinning layers, weaving a web that brings everyone he plays with closer together, closer to the source of true inspiration. Anthony chooses one reed at a time and explores each fully before moving on. Alto sax, sopranino sax and bass or concert bass sax are all utilized. On "Second Meeting," Milford uses his voice for a bit and thus adds another layer to the thread. While Braxton plays some amazing sopranino, Milford spins magically underneath occasionally using his voice as punctuation and speaking in tongues of his own universal language. There is one section where Anthony and William both play reeds (a double reed for Parker) at the same time and some real sparks start to fly. This entire disc is magic music, perfect for those just beginning their journey into the world of "free jazz" or those who have listened to these explorations for many years." - BLG
"My ten cents: ALL THUMBS WAY, WAY UP!" - MannyLunch
CD $14

JOHN ZORN MASADA BOOK TWO: JOHN MEDESKI, BILLY MARTIN, CHRIS WOOD - Zaebos: 'Book Of Angels' Vol. 11 (Tzadik 7368; USA) The long awaited release of Medeski Martin and Wood performing Masada material is one of their tightest and most imaginative CDs ever! Playing to packed houses from Budokan to Bonaroo and back again, MMW is one of the most popular and vibrant modern instrumental ensembles around. Original members of the earliest Masada family units (reaching back to 1993), they are keenly in tune with Zorn's musical world, and a natural choice to interpret the lyrical Book of Angels. Returning to the fold like three prodigal sons, they have created twelve exhilarating arrangements that alternately groove, loop, shred and burn with a fiery passion. TZADIK ARCHIVAL SERIES
CD $14

TEIJI ITO - Watermill (Tzadik 8058; USA) The fifth CD in Tzadik's initiative to make available the music of Teiji Ito presents his undisputed masterpiece Watermill. Created in 1971 for the controversial ballet by Jerome Robbins and named for the town on Long Island where Robbins had a peaceful country home, Teiji draws upon Chinese, Tibetan, African, Native American and Japanese ceremonies in creating what many consider his most profound compositional achievement. Based on the ideas of cycles - years, moons, ages and seasons, Watermill is brilliantly brought to life by Teiji colleague Steve Gorn and a brilliant ensemble that includes Teiji's daughter Tavia Ito. This is music of deep spirituality composed by a pioneer of the New York Underground who is finally getting the recognition he has long deserved. TZADIK COMPOSER SERIES
"No one should be without the complete library of Ito's works - a unique, fantastically creative and important voice amidst so much crap we think of as important. Much thanks to Zorn for making it possible to do so. ALL THUMBS UP!" - MannyLunch
CD $14

MARYANNE AMACHER - Sound Characters Vol 2 (Tzadik 8055; USA) One of contemporary music's greatest and most elusive mavericks returns to Tzadik with yet another CD of ear bending electronic sounds. A student of Stockhausen and close collaborator of John Cage and David Behrman, Amacher has been creating acoustic art, electronic soundscapes and site-specific installation work since 1967. A new CD of Amacher compositions is a true cause for celebration and Teo! Is one of her greatest works. The winner of Prix Ars Electronica in the Digital Musics category, Teo! premiered in the Esplanade of the Palacio de Bellas Artes in Mexico City and is a collaboration with scientists at the Sun Pyramid of Teotihuacan. An absolutely stunning electronic masterpiece! TZADIK COMPOSER SERIES
"I have to admit, I was really psyched once I heard that Maryanne Amacher was going to do a follow up to her Tzadik debut. Let me tell you, my enthusiasm was matched with the sheer intensity of the music contained on this disc. This is not a typical softmore follow up, this is a kick ass sequel (like Empire Strikes Back)! Starting off with time-stretched squelches that scare the shit out of you; Amacher sets the pace of this subterranean world which draws you deeper into her cavernous tones . Creeping along and striking out, you know its coming but you don't know when, so you are stunned with such aural delight you can not move, you don't want to move. With each listen (that's right, you will be returning to this record over and over) I wish i was in the caves where she had these sound installations. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!" -Chuck Bettis/DMG
CD $14

BERANGERE MAXIMIN - Tant que les Heures Passent (Tzadik 8056; USA) Berangere was born on the remote French colonial island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean and moved to France at the age of sixteen. A resident of Paris since 2002, she has performed as a singer in rock and world music bands and also studied electroacoustic music with Denis Dufour at Perpignan conservatory. Working out of her own Home Sweet Home Studio in Paris, her work is seductive and beautiful. This, her debut CD presents six environmental landscapes that pull you in and hold your attention with a keen sense of detail and subtle sense of surprise.
CD $14

ANTHONY PATERAS - Chromatophore (Tzadik 8057; USA) Anthony Pateras is a composer/performer based in Melbourne who is as comfortable writing for full orchestra as he is performing in intimate improvisational groupings. Pateras represents the best in the new generation of musicians combining the spontaneity of improvisation with the formal logic of composition and for his second Tzadik CD he has chosen an eclectic mix of ensemble pieces that blend instrumental virtuosity and electro acoustic sonorities in startling new ways. Sound, texture and surprise from this marvelous new voice from Australia.
TZADIK COMPOSER SERIES
CD $14


Another "we been waitin' for it" reissue [of the year!]

ROSCOE MITCHELL With ANTHONY BRAXTON/HENRY THREADGILL/JOSEPH JARMAN/GEORGE E LEWIS/MALACHI FAVORS/MUHAL RICHARD ABRAMS/WALLACE McMILLAN - Nonaah.. plus! [2 CD set] (Nessa 09/10; USA) [pronounced No Nay Ah] Originally a double-LP, this is one of Mitchell's best solo statements - it's tough, so many of his records are amazing - and it's never been on CD! And it now has 5 previously unreleased BONUS cuts - 35 minutes of solo recordings, effectively making this 3 LPs on 2 CDs! Ye Gods! It includes a full-side [old-school LP lingo] treatment of the title cut, solo works, duos with Anthony Braxton (sopranino sax) & Malachi Favors (bass), a trio with George Lewis (trombone) & Muhal Richard Abrams (piano), and an incredible sax quartet with Mitchell, Henry Threadgill (as), Joseph Jarman (reeds), and the undervalued/underrecorded Wallace McMillan (bass). Whew! This truly historic double album was released in 1977 and has long been out-of-print. Don't even bother to vacillate - this BELONGS at your home, in your player. Period! - BLG & MannyLunch
[In stock Monday]
2 CD set for $24


PAUL DUNMALL/JEAN-MICHEL VAN SCHOUWBURG/PHILIP GIBBS/PETER BRANDT - Bionic Beings' Beginnings (Duns 061; UK) Limited edition CD-R. Featuring Paul Dunmall on soprano sax & bagpipes, Jean-Michael Van Schouwburg on voice, Philip Gibbs on guitar, ukelele banjo & kantele and Peter Brandt on double bass. Like many of the discs on DUNS, this was recorded at the Victoria Rooms in Bristol, UK by Jonathan Scott. I can't say that I've heard of experimental vocalist, Jean-Michael Van Schouwburg, before this disc. However, the amazing improvising guitarist, Philips Gibbs, is one of Dunmall's most constant collaborators and can be found on more than forty previous Duns discs. Bassist, Peter Brandt, has worked with Dunmall on two other discs plus he can be found on a few other CD's on Slam and Leo.
While some folks might have a problem with improvised vocals, I am not one of them. For me, the stranger the better. I have long loved the work of Makigami Koichi, David Moss, Jaap Blonk, Sainko Namchylak, Phil Minton and more recently Maja Ratkje.Jean-Michel on this disc, occasionally reminds me of the inspired lunacy of Phil Minton. His strange yet affective vocal antics incorporate operatic outbursts, cartoon characters and other twisted vocal sounds, which fit perfectly with other acoustic explorations of Dunmall's reeds, Gibbs quick and intense acoustic guitar and Brandt's nimble contrabass. The soprano and guitar sound as if the have been playing together for a long while as the wind their way around one another with ease. At the beginning of the second piece, it is difficult to tell who is doing what, since their is an air of mystery. Jean-Michel sounds as if he playing a didjeradoo, somewhere between Popeye, Donald Duck and a demented mental patient. While playing this in the store, me and Joe (Merolla, the new DMG guy), couldn't help but join in and crack up. Philip Gibbs does a marvelous job of tapping percussively on his guitar or banjo, coming up with a diverse array of sounds and approaches. Peter, their bassist, often holds the melodic/rhythmic center together without playing too many notes, just the right ones. Dunmall's soprano sax is consistently strong as he reaches for stars, spinning and bending his notes and matching wits with Jean-Michel's voice. I can't think of any other voice and bagpipes improvs, so this sounds like a first and all four players work together most magically. The bagpipes seem to bring an earthy, more traditional vibe to the proceedings, a warm, human quality. On the final piece, "Bionic Beings being Made," Philip does an amazing job of tapping out streams of notes in the center while voice and soprano play more slowly on the sides. Jonathan Scott's incredible recording captures this quartet magnificently throughout, as he always does. It sounds as if Mr. Gibbs is playing an acoustic harp, perhaps that is what a "kantele" is. This piece is quite extraordinary and most other-worldly. Many of the sound are most delicate and float like images in dreams or on our eyelid movies. This is another jewel from the DUNS limited edition treasure chest of wonders. We have only 10 copies as of 8/13/08 and that is all we will get. - BLG
CD $15


Z'EV & PITA [PETER REHBERG] - Colchester (Editions Mego DE 04; Austria) This is the debut collaborative release by Z'EV and Pita, recorded live. Both of these artists barely need any introduction: Z'EV is basically the high-guru of industrial music and Pita (Peter Rehberg) is the Austrian co-director of the Editions Mego label. These two heavyweights of experimental music have been associates for two decades. This creative collaboration called Colchester came about after a meeting in 2004, which led to a monthly file exchange program in 2005. Instead of releasing results immediately, they decided to test the material in a live setting. Performances were held in Vienna and throughout the UK during 2006. Colchester is the final result of this process. A mesmerizing and intense collision of Z'EV's acoustic percussion work and Pita's computer manipulation. This is one absolutely thunderous, continuous track, split into 11 parts. Recorded at the Colchester Arts Centre in 2006, mixed by Z'EV in London in 2008. Mastered at Piethopraxis in Cologne. Designed by SOMA. Limited edition of 500 copies.
CD $17


A few more copies - the LAST we can get - of this important and limited William S Burroughs CD set! You will kick yourselves if you don't snap it up

WILLIAM S BURROUGHS - Real English Tea Made Here [3 CD set] (Audio Research 301; USA) A 3CD anthology of cut-up tape pieces by William Burroughs. A remarkable collection of recordings made at various locations in Tangiers and New York between 1964-1965. Containing rare and unpublished material, over three hours duration, the collection provides a valuable insight into Burrough's methodology and constitutes an important document of his expansion from cut-ups on paper to vocal permutations and sonic experimentations. Booklet contains informative essay by Barry Miles, author of The Beat Hotel, and a number of period black and white photographs. Project curated by Colin Fallows. "The cut-up tape experiments of William S. Burroughs has long been an influence of musicians as diverse as Frank Zappa, The Beatles, Soft Machine, Brian Eno, David Bowie, Patti Smith, Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson. It turns out that a number of later pieces were recorded by Burroughs at Paul McCartney's small experimental recording studio in Montague Square in 1965. The enclosed liner notes explain where and when each of the tape cut-ups have been done and often what texts were utilized. A variety of sounds: voices, music, radio transmissions and other audio oddities are used throughout. It is important to listen closely as the different layers of texts collide and interrupt one another at times. Things are not as random as they seem after you listen to this a few times and pick up the different threads. Burroughs reads from his play, "The Last Words of Dutch Schultz" and discusses his cut-up experiments in essays or stories like "The Job," "The Adding Machine" and "The Third Mind." I found much of this fascinating, disturbing, disorienting and most illuminating. As a big fan of many of William S. Burroughs books, this set helps to explain some of the mystery of Burroughs voices, words and ideas. These are limited editions and we have about a dozen left as August 13th, 2008." - BLG
3 CD set for $40


2 New ones from Winter&Winter
[both in-stock Monday]

URI CAINE - The Othello Syndrome (W&W 135; Germany) The task of shaping the music programme for the Venice Biennale 2003 inspires Uri Caine to engage with one of Verdi's most important works, adapting it and recomposing it in terms of his 21st century musical mentality. Verdi's "Otello" becomes Uri Caine's The Othello Syndrome. Composed and arranged by Uri Caine, inspired by Giuseppi Verdi. The Uri Caine Ensemble features Ralph Alessi on trumpet, Chris Speed & Achille Succi on clarinets, Nguyen Le on guitar, Joyce Hammann on violin, Uri Caine on piano & keyboards, John Hebert & Tim Lefebvre on basses, Stefano Bassanese & Bruno F. Sorba on electronics, Jim Black & Zach Danziger on drums plus Sadiq Bey, Bunny Sigler, Julie Patton, Josefine Lindstrand, Marco Paolini & Dhafer Youssef on vocals. Uri Caine continues his series of adaptations with Verdi's Otello. For the first time, Caine arranges a dramatic work with a mixture of stage and concert elements. Verdi's operatic story is the central thread through the composition, but Uri Caine equally cites from Shakespeare's original play. Arias are juxtaposed with R&B elements, bebop, and electronic sounds, but Verdi's famous melodies never lose their authenticity.
CD $17

GEORGE KUO - O Ke Aumoe: Night Of The Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar (W&W 142; Germany) George Kuo is known as one of Hawaii's premiere slack key guitar artists, playing in the traditional nahenahe (sweet, soothing) style and bridging today's generation with older generations. He has released two very successful CD's on Dancing Cat Records.
CD $17


DEGENERATE ART ENSEMBLE - Rinko (Unit Circle Rekkids 73; USA) I can't recall who convinced who to order copies of this fine disc, but I'm glad they did. It is strange that I hadn't heard of this group before now since they have a half a dozen discs and have done some touring around the world. This CD is from 2001 and features a nine-piece version of DAE. The personnel includes Kendal Seager on violin, Ben McAllister on electric guitar, Josh Stewart & Steve Lohrentz on trumpets, Greg Sinibaldi on sax & clarinets, Brad Hartman on bass, Erick Cohn & Robert Walker on percussion and Haruko Nishimaru on vocal. This fine ensemble hails from Seattle, Washington and is led by Joshua Kohl, who composed and conducted all of this music. The music is based on "Rinko" which is a Butoh dance. "Hibernation" is first and features some rather eerie sounds, similar to the way Butch Morris sculpts sound from his ensembles. The title seems most appropriate since it feels as if we have awoken from a long winter of hibernation. "The Woman Awakes..." is stark and suspense-filled with skeletal percussion and haunting strings. The pieces are mostly continuous and flow together just right. On "The Hunt," the electric guitar skronk and ghost-like muted trumpets are focused and selectively utilized along with Ms. Nishimura's odd child-like spoken-word voice. What I dig most about this is that Mr. Kohl's writing and conducting are so streamlined. Even with nine musicians, most of the music is stripped down to the barest of essentials, nothing is overdone or superfluous. Kohl does a wonderful job of creating startling textures and often mesmerizing music. Most of this music is closer to modern classical, each piece evoking an ongoing scene or theme with no solos necessary to keep things interesting or weighted down. I find the name of this ensemble to be somewhat misleading since there is nothing "degenerate" about them, just strong, evocative music consistently well-played and well thought-out. - BLG
CD $8


NISENNEN MONDAI - Negi/Tori (Smalltown SS 149; EEC) 1st & 2nd releases on 1 CD! Nisennen Mondai, which I am told means "2000 problems", will rock you! Ma-chan (guitar), Zai (bass), and Hime (drums) make up the vivacious instrumental (with very sparse vocalizations on one track) trio known as Nisennen Mondai from Tokyo, Japan. "Tori/Nejii" is their first release outside of Japan and it combines their first two, hard-to-find EPs. These three 20 something year old ladies present an intense, tight, and raw rock sound that is fuses Punk, Krautrock, Psych, and Jazz. They are so bold to wear their influences on their shoulders for "Neiji" (their very first recording) having tracks called Pop Group, This Heat, and Sonic Youth; giving you a closer glimpse of where they have jumped off from. Yet on "Tori" they expand and tighten up their sound and take it further out than the debut. You can hear them mature through out this disc. Their playing is impeccable! They have played with Keiji Haino, Afrirampo and others of that ilk. They definitely continue the rich tradition of imaginative music coming out of Japan. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! - Chuck Bettis/dmg
CD $15


BELONG - Same Places (Slow Version) (Table of Elements 96; USA) "With Same Places (Slow Version), Belong evinces a slow-motion transformation -- plate tectonics, wired for sound. Aural mountains melt into seas; yet icy barrens yield to breathing jungles of detail. The single, sprawling track may evoke decay, dissolution and destruction, but underfoot are tendrils of inexplicable joy. Belong sings a lullaby of obliteration, and the paradox it embodies would make both Kevin Shields and Tony Conrad proud: crushing melancholia and shuddering euphoria, inexorably intertwined." Pressed on etched sea-foam green vinyl, artwork by Savage Pencil, London 2008.
LP $18


JOHN CAGE/HANS OTTE - Orient/Occident (Wergo 6706; Germany) Performed by Philipp Vandre and Elmar Schrammel. Recorded 2006. "For this 'Orient / Occident' program, a selection of John Cage's ground-breaking Sonatas & Interludes (Nos. 2, 3, 5-8, 11, 16) for prepared piano was interwoven with selections from Hans Otte's piano cycles Das Buch der Klange (The Book of Sounds) and Stundenbuch (The Book of Hours). This concert experiment paid quiet homage to the 'beautiful piano sound' also found in 20th-century music, within which Oriental (Cage) and Occidental (Otte) worlds of thought find their way to contrasting commonalities. This generously-filled live recording captures the 2006 piano recital given by Philipp Vandre and Elmar Schrammel in Stuttgart in honor of the composer Hans Otte's 80th birthday." Includes a 30-page booklet.
CD $25

MORTON FELDMAN - For Philip Guston [4 CD set] (Wergo 6701; Germany) Performed by Julia Breuer (flutes), Matthias Engler (vibraphone, marimba, glockenspiel, tubular bells), Elmar Schrammel (piano, celesta). Recorded 2007. One of Feldman's classic long-term late works, written in 1984. "Wergo is proud to present Morton Feldman's four-hour-long trio For Philip Guston, performed by the ensemble Breuer-Engler-Schrammel. Feldman disagreed with those who regarded his works since the 1970s as being too long. 'In music, it's very difficult to distinguish between a thing's proportions and its form,' he wrote. 'My pieces aren't too long -- they seem to fit the temporal landscape I provide. Would you say that 'The Odyssey' is too long?' Feldman wrote this gossamer work in memory of his best friend of more than 20 years, the Canadian-born painter Philip Guston (1913-1980). The initial motive, C-G-A-fl at-E-fl at, refers to John Cage, who had introduced the two men to each other in 1950, and the sound world evokes the methods used by Guston and other Abstract Expressionists in their art."
4 CD set for $68

IGOR STRAVINSKY/GEORGE CRUMB//BELLI PIANO DUO - Mythical Dances (Wergo 6807; Germany) Performed by the Belli Piano Duo. "With Mythical Dances -- a recital devoted to two of the most important and challenging works for piano four hands -- Wergo presents the recording debut of the Belli Piano Duo. For the second of four volumes which make up George Crumb's 'Mahrokosmos.' Enrico and Olivia Belli juxtapose the music of this American composer (b. 1929) with that of a predecessor who has influenced him most profoundly. Given that 'Makrokosmos IV' was both conceived and written for piano duet, it made perfect sense to couple it with Igor Stravinsky's 'The Rite of Spring.' The composer's original version for piano duet heard here saw its 1912 Paris premiere when he partnered with no less a figure than Claude Debussy."
CD $25

BERND ALOIS ZIMMERMANN - Die Soldaten [2 CD set] (Wergo 6698; Germany) Wergo's original-cast recording of Bernd Alois Zimmermann's opera Die Soldaten (premiered 1965, Cologne) was a signal event of the analog era. With the reissue of this legendary recording on CD, we can re-live the birth of a path setting masterpiece of 20th century music. The completely new perspective on the possibilities of musical theater manifested by Zimmermann, who extended the unifying ideas of serialism as far as the scenic and spatial aspects of the piece, have given the work a level of vitality and endurance matched by only a few other operas from the same half-century. In spite of its immense performance difficulties, the work went on to conquer opera stages not only throughout Germany but also around the world." Includes a 196-page booklet.
2 CD set for $50

HANS WERNER HENZE - El Cimarron [2 CD set] (Wergo 6710; Germany) Performed by El Cimarron Ensemble, under the direction of Michael Kerstan. Recorded 2005. "El Cimarron (1970) is a milestone of politically-engaged music theater, and a key event in Hans Werner Henze's career. In this 'recital for four musicians,' the composer tells the story of Esteban Montejo (sung here by bass-baritone Angelo De Leonardis) -- an escaped Cuban slave who, at the remarkable age of 104, was interviewed extensively about his life (and taped) by the Cuban ethnologist Miguel Barnet. A German-language libretto by Hans Magnus Enzensberger was translated into English by Christopher Keene and is heard in this version. Henze's composition incorporates echoes of Montejo's speaking style -- observed by the composer during their 1969 encounter. The score includes free improvisation as well as aleatoric components and composed fields, in which pitches and sounds are specified but the tempi and dynamics are determined by the performers. Henze also makes effective use of popular forms such as the habanera. Writing about a 1999 performance by the El Cimarron Ensemble, the composer praised the chamber group's 'energy, artistic brio, and personal commitment ... In Michael Kerstan's staging, this performance becomes a highly impressive, touching, and captivating action.'"
2 CD set for $50


TARIK O'REGAN//GAVIN BRYARS//GUILLAUME DUFRAY - Scattered Rhymes//Super Flumina//Ave Regina Coelorum (Harmonia Mundi 807469; EEC) Performed by Orlando Consort and Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir, Paul Hillier. "On this fascinating recording, Paul Hillier leads the Orlando Consort and the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir in the world premiere recording of 'Scattered Rhymes' -- a vibrant and powerful new work by Tarik O'Regan (born 1978). O'Regan, a two-time British Composer Award winner, was educated at Oxford University and completed his postgraduate studies at Cambridge, where he was subsequently appointed Composer in Residence at Corpus Christi College. O'Regan now divides his time between Trinity College, Cambridge and New York City, where he has held the Fulbright Chester Schirmer Fellowship in Music Composition at Columbia University and a Radcliffe Institute Fellowship at Harvard. In 'Scattered Rhymes' (2006), the composer combines two 14th-century texts that toy with the ambiguities of intertwining sensuous and divine love. To reinforce the work's medieval connections, 'Scattered Rhymes' is designed to be framed or paired with Guillaume de Machaut's 'Messe de Notre Dame' (circa 1364). This seminal work is brilliantly performed here by the Orlando Consort. Completing this inventive program are two motets: 'Ave Regina Coelorum' by Guillaume Dufay (c. 1400-1474) and the haunting 'Super Flumina' by Gavin Bryars (born 1943)."
CD $22


PHILIP GLASS//RASCHER SAXOPHONE QUARTET - The Concerto Project Vol 3 (Orange Mountain 42; USA) Performed by Rascher Saxophone Quartet, Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, conducted by Dennis Russell Davie. "The Concerto Project Vol. III is the penultimate installment in a series documenting the eight Glass concertos. Each movement of the Concerto Grosso -- performed by the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn led by Dennis Russell Davies -- is written for a distinctive group of instruments: the winds, the brass, the strings, which together make up a symphonic ensemble. The Concerto for Saxophone Quartet was commissioned by the internationally-renowned Rascher Saxophone Quartet who performs the work here in an alternate version Glass conceived to be played without the orchestra." CD $19

PHILIP GLASS - Archive Vol 3: Jenipapo [sndtck] (Orange Mountain 48; USA) "Philip Glass's original score to Monique Gardenberg's 1995 political thriller Jenipapo, starring Henry Czerny, brought the composer another opportunity to write against the backdrop of the Brazilian landscape and the tumult of political upheaval. The story of the film follows a reporter in his search to track down an influential priest who has gone silent during a political battle over Brazil's forests. Glass' score reflects the political implications of the film as well as the vast canvas against which it is set. With this release, Orange Mountain Music continues its 'From the Philip Glass Recording Archive' series which seeks to document and expand the composer's recorded legacy."
CD $19


DAVID HANEY/DOMINIC DUVAL/ANDREW CYRILLE - Conspiracy A Go Go (CIMP 369; USA) Featuring David Haney on piano, Dominic Duval on double bass and Andrew Cyrille on drums. This is pianist, Davis Haney's 5th disc for CIMP, Andrew Cyrille's second for CIMP, while Dominic has played on more than sixty CIMP or Cadence dates. This is a first time meeting for this particular trio. Mr. Haney wrote six of the eight pieces here with group improvisations. "Red Saigon" is a powerful opening track with some powerful pumping bass from Dominic at the center, while the piano and drums swirl tightly but rambunctiously around him. Although Dominic and Andrew both played with Cecil Taylor for more than a decade each, this is the first time they played together and sound wonderful together. This is a most forceful, intense and focused trio that is not afraid to erupt together. I dig the way "Two Year Trial" moves in spurts, the players circling around one another, coming together in tights spirals. "Five Folk Blues" is ballad-like with the bass as the lead instrument and piano hovering softly on the sides. Dominic's contrabass is most astonishing here as he revs up and spins quick streams of notes in waves. He continues to amaze on "Plague on Wheels" with an incredible bass solo at the beginning and the rest of the trio slowly entering later on, we are in for a most organic and an exciting ride. It seems impossible to tell that this is the first time that this trio played together since they play so inventively throughout and are so well-matched. Although I can hear each of their distinctive styles, what I hear is a unified group sound, a great focused trio that works together and seamlessly explores together as one strong force. The two group improvs are the highlights here since there is a daredevil vibe of not knowing what will come next as the excitement builds and evolves. This fine disc was recorded at Gilbert Recital Hall and has superb, well-balanced sound, bringing the trio's sound close to perfection. - BLG
CD $16

ESATrio [BILL GAGLIARDI/KEN FILIANO/LOU GRASSI] - Kenbillou (CIMP 370; USA) Featuring Bill Galiardi on alto, tenor & soprano saxes, Ken Filiano on bass and Lou Grassi on drums & percussion. Although this is the 7th disc CIMP disc that Mr. Gagliardi has appeared on, last night (8/12/08) was the first that I heard him live. Bill was part of the large reeds section (along w/ Dave Sewelson, Ras Moshe, Saco Yasuma & Guiseppi Logan) of Steve Swell's Nation of We Orchestra at Roulette. Although this powerful band played Steve's songs, many sections were pretty free and quite intense. Bill took one amazing long solo that brought things down to a slow simmer while he wailed a great slow burning solo. The Nation of We will be at Roulette for two more nights, so I hope we both get a chance to hear them once or again.
All members of the trio have contributed compositions with three collective improvisations as well. This is a most impressive trio, all of whom have worked on dozens of CIMP sessions. "Back to Congo Square One, Part 2" opens and right away the trio is doing a swell, slow burning romp with Trane-like toned tenor from Bill. Right on, this feels so good to me! "Written in Water" features some fine, simmering soprano sax from Bill over that great, laid-back groove. Bill's soprano solo has that eastern sounding mysterious vibe and Ken takes a superb, tasty solo. "SSCMFOIKYA" is one of the free group improvs and it is indeed intense, explosive and completely focused. Ken's powerful and inventive bass is front and center on "Narrows" which also features Bill's warm, contemplative tenor. Lou's "The Last of the Beboppers" is his one original song here and it is a hard swinging boppish tune with a burning tenor solo. The final piece, "Kenbillou" has Ken both banging on his bass and slapping the strings simultaneously to good effect. The bowed bass and soprano sax sound again perfect together, along with the minimal percussion, performed a most haunting final prayer-like song. A righteous ending to another fine CIMP delight. - BLG
CD $16


CANDLESNUFFER - Apsomeophone (Lexicon Devil 17; Australia) Originally released by Lexicon Devil in 2005. Candlesnuffer aka David Brown is one of the lynchpins of Australian experimental music, a man whose discography and involvement in the local avant/jazz/rock circuit stretches back to the late '70s and the famed "little bands" scene which spawned such notables as the Primitive Calculators, Essendon Airport and Tch Tch Tch. In the past ten years we've seen a bevy of releases featuring Brown in various guises: there's the Bucketrider CDs on Dr. Jim's, his project with Sean Baxter; his duo with Japanese guitarist KK Null, Terminal Hz, and on and on. Apsomeophone is Candlesnuffer's second CD release, and the title is taken from the name of one of French musique concrete pioneer Pierre Henry's studios -- Apsome -- and it's fitting, as Apsomeophone is, in a sense, a tribute to the groundbreaking works of the great concrete musicians of yore -- a series of irreverent odes to contemporary classical composers. However, Apsomeophone brings together the worlds of "composition" and rock, a meeting point of low- and high-art, a collision of the electric and the acoustic (and the occasional electro-acoustic). In it ye shall find moments of Derek Bailey-esque guitar destruction, looped guitar twangs, repetitive, percussive chimes, drones, Japanese film samples, doom-laden power chords and out-of-nowhere noises leaping and disappearing in a moment's notice -- all cut and spliced with a masterly precision. If this was released in '68 with a Wergo label stamped on its LP sleeve, you'd probably skip a few meals to grab it. It's spiced up with some handsome, minimalist artwork with liner notes by Anthony Pateras.
CD $14

F/I - Paradise Out Here (Lexicon Devil 18; Australia) originally recorded in 1989 for the Human Wrechords label, and was reissued on CD by Lexicon Devil in 2006. This CD edition was fully remastered by the band and with all new artwork and Includes two previously unreleased bonus tracks! Paradise Out Here has long been the most elusive and sought-after recording from Milwaukee's space-rock giants, F/i. Having once again gained a substantial cult following after the other F/i reissues Lexicon Devil has released over the last 5 years, the band came back together. The time is right to get the one non-RRRecords LP from the '80s back into the public eye, and since the LP was only released in an edition of 300 copies, there'll be plenty who will want to hear this. Recorded between the Why Not? and Blue Star LPs, it captures the band in peak form. The opener, "From Poppy With Love" is one of the band's strongest numbers, a surging collision of '80s punk rock energy dosed in clouds of cosmic guitar fuzz. It slays. The drive of the following two songs, "The House Of The Pharaoh's Daughter" and "The Ninth Corner," never lets up until the band sets the controls for the heart of the sun with the nigh-on 20-minutes tribal dirge of "Om 21." The holy combination of amp-destroying guitar noise, anchored, low-end bass, rock-steady drumming and other-worldly synth whoops and bleeps is a beauty to experience. To finish it off, the band has whacked on two bonus tracks, "Satellite Surfer" and "Five Crowns Of The Saxon King," both recorded around the same period, as a taster for the bounties they have sitting around in dusty tape boxes. Paradise Out Here could just be F/i's best recorded work, and Lexicon Devil is pleased to get it out once again for a whole new generation of fans. Fully remastered by the band with all new artwork.
CD $14

F/I - Blanga (Lexicon Devil 16; Australia) Blanga was originally released in 2005 on Lexicon Devil. Milwaukee space/psych-rock veterans F/i saw original member Richard Franecki (Vocokesh) return to the fold and the results are here to behold. With a string of highly-praised reissues from the band under Lexicon's belts, ranging from the years 1983-1991, they figured it was high time to release some of their contemporary recordings. Also returning are Brian Wensing, Grant Richter with Rick Hake and John Frankovic. Most of all, Blanga (apparently an in-joke within the group and something to do with Amon Duul and Hawkwind) rips out some of the most awe-inspiring, trance-inducing and speaker-destroying psychedelic space-rock of the last 25 years. All the crucial pieces are in place: the metronomic drum beats, the Eno/Hawkwindesque synth swirls and, most of all, the overwhelming cloud of fuzzbox guitar distortion coating the proceedings. You get a mere 5 songs in 47 minutes; from the raga-drone of "An Extremely Lovely Girl Dreams of Blanga" to the stunning blips 'n' whirls of the keyboard/sitar track, "Blanga's Love Song," right on through to the closer, "Grandfather Blanga and His Band Light It Up," a Flipper-y dirge with one foot on Earth, one on Mars.
CD $14


THE FIERY FURNACES - Remember [2 CD set] (Thrill Jockey 202; USA) "The Fiery Furnaces are one of the most unique experiences in live music. Remember captures the high energy, intricate complexity, amazing vocal acrobatics of Eleanor and the technical musicianship that defines a Fiery Furnaces performance. Collecting songs from their entire catalog and performances across the globe starting in 2005, Remember is a unique document. The Fiery Furnaces reconstruct and re-arrange their songs for each tour. They go to great lengths to create versions that vary greatly from the recorded versions in tempo, instrumentation and arrangements. The band go through this process for each tour, never repeating themselves, and often combining songs in a musical collage that creates a new song made up of several -- or even of bits of an entire album! These are not your mother's medleys. We know of no other band that goes to such great lengths to reinvent and re-imagine for every tour. As a result, Remember is unique as a live record. More than two hours of music appears on Remember as it appears no place else. Featuring 51 tracks, Remember is issued as a double CD in a deluxe 6-panel digipack and includes a coupon to download a bonus song."
2 CD set for $17
also available as 3 LP set for $24


RAY RUSSELL QUARTET - Turn Circle (Vocalion SML8436; UK) Turn Circle is the debut album of the quartet led by guitarist and composer Ray Russell. Recorded in 1968 for CBS's Realm Jazz series and arguably Ray's finest jazz album, it mixes compositions by such notable figures as Wayne Shorter (Footprints) and Charles Lloyd (Sombrero Sam) with Ray Russell originals. The best known of these is the suite in three movements A Day in the Working Life of a Slave of Lower Egypt. This remarkable work blends modal writing and free collective improvisation to stunning effect while showcasing the individual talents in the quartet, which are Roy Fry (piano), Ron Mathewson (double bass) and Alan Rushton (drums).
CD $20


ARUNA SAIRAM - Divine Inspiration (World Village 468074; Germany) "Making her World Village debut, Indian sensation Aruna Sairam offers us a chance to discover the Carnatic music of South India, until recently overshadowed by Northern India's better known tradition of Hindustani classical music. Deeply rooted in the region's temple culture with its emphasis on devotional song, Carnatic music stretches back to ancient times and is organized around the system of melodic 'ragam' and rhythmic 'talam' (equivalent to the ragas and talas of Hindustani music). During a performance, much of the excitement lies in how a virtuoso soloist puts these organizing principles to their most stunning use. On this extraordinary album, Sairam unites poetry, language, and music from across centuries and from across India itself. These nine songs vary in structure, pace and mood, while the nine poets belong to different periods and speak many tongues. But they are as one in denouncing the distinctions of caste, creed, gender, and sectarianism. At the center of a line-up comprising violin, tampura, hand cymbals and a variety of hand drums, reigns Sairam, whose rich and concentrated voice is a pure pleasure to listen to."
CD $20

JUSTIN ADAMS/JULDEH CAMARA - Soul Science (World Village 468076; Germany) "With fat, buzzing bass lines, no-holds-barred guitar licks, playful yet virile rhythms, searing fiddle riffs, pounding, viscerally percussive ground-swells and vocals that feel as old as the ages yet fresh as the dawn, Soul Science is less of a cross-cultural collaboration than an arresting, endlessly fascinating dispatch from a new nation entirely. The tracks evoke a garage band from a place where automobiles are completely irrelevant because whenever the inhabitants decide to travel, they are already there. Transitioning and overlapping amongst blues from several continents, American rock 'n' roll of sock-hop vintage, shadowy respites amid the heat mirages of a Sahel afternoon and desert evenings when the moon seems well within reach, Justin Adams (electric and acoustic guitars, Tamashek lute, percussion, banjo, vocals) and Juldeh Camara (lead vocals, one-string fiddle, West African banjo, percussion) along with their inspired back-up team of Salah Dawson Miller (percussion) and Billy Fuller (bass), have achieved a white-hot synthesis instigated by centuries of history refracted through the kaleidoscope that is the information age."
CD $20


KEYVAN CHEMIRANI - Battements Au Coeur De L'Orient (Accords Croises 121; USA) "From the time Keyvan Chemirani picked up the Iranian zarb at the age of 16, he was also captivated by the Indian tabla. With its metric precision, endless melodic variations, and multiplicity of timbres, the musical tradition of India has always been a percussionist's paradise. Soon after, he began devoting himself to the zarb and its Persian repertoire, Keyvan became fascinated with the prodigious Indian tabla player Anindo Chatterjee, one of the world's greatest percussionists, whose meticulous artistry is notable for its remarkable clarity. On this hypnotic new recording, packaged in a hard-cover CD-book, Chemirani and Chatterjee engage each other and their fellow musicians -- Maryam Chemirani (voice), Ken Zuckerman (sarod), Bijan Chemirani (saz), Sokratis Sinopoulos (kemenche fiddle), Stelios Petrakis (lyra), Henri Tournier (bansuri flute) -- in a musical dialogue between the age-old Hindu and Persian traditions." Includes a 30-page booklet.
CD $22

GNAWA HOME SONGS [V.A.] - Gnawa Home Songs (Accords Croises 117; USA) The village of Tamesloht is a holy place in the arid lands south of Marrakech. In the moonlight, its walls resound with evocation of protective gnawa spirits. Between the call to prayer and the humming of insects, its sound universe is inhabited by sub-Saharan Africa and age-old migrations. This intimate tribute to the power of an ancient tradition divests the healing melodies of their ritual drumming. Instead, Gnawa Home Songs shines the spotlight on a number of exceptional soloists -- stirring vocalists or virtuoso players of the three-stringed guembri lute. Listen in as the old masters Hamid Kasri (who, incidentally, has played with Joe Zawinu) and Amida Boussou join forces with young stars such as Hassan Boussou, founder of the band Sewarye. Beautifully packaged, this is a unique document of an extraordinary living tradition."
CD $22


THE PEACE - Black Power (Groovie 01; EEC) "The Peace were an obscure band from Copperbelt, Zambia. According to some rumors, they were in fact a band from the Zambian Air Force. Before they became The Peace the band was called The Boyfriends, a popular local band featuring Ted Makombe and Emmanuel Chanda from another legendary band from Zambia, The Witch. Recorded at Malachite Studios, Chingola in the mid '70s, Black Power is one of the rarest psych-rock records ever released in Africa. Killer afro-psychedelic rock sound, the missing piece from the weird and amazing African afro-rock '70s puzzle along with other rare as hell records like The Witch, Amanaz and Question Mark. Limited, first time ever reissue with only 500 copies in papersleeve mini-LP replica."
CD $17


MAN [DEKE LEONARD et al] + JOHN CIPPOLINA - Maximum Darkness (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2061; UK) Originally released in 1975, Maximum Darkness was the final album by Welsh rock legends, Man for United Artists records. Recorded live in 1975 at the Roundhouse as part of a UK tour, Man were at the top of their game on stage. For this concert they were joined by John Cippolina from San Francisco s legendary Quicksilver Messenger Service. A triumphant concert, the album has become legendary return to the USA early the following year. As part of Esoteric s reissue programme of the Man catalogue we are proud to present the re-mastered album and with two previously unreleased live tracks recorded in California in May 1975. With superbly re-mastered sound and lavish booklet with notes by Man's Deke Leonard, this is yet another essential release for fans of Man.
CD $20


SNAKEGRINDER - ..and the Shredded Fieldmice..Plus! (Obscure Oxide 2602; USA) "Every burg in the '70s that had a steady supply of weed and electricity undoubtedly provided a birthing ground for the formation of bands influenced by the likes of Jerry Garcia and Lowell George, and the Delaware area was no different. What was different was that our subjects-at-hand got it together and in 1977 released an unassuming document for posterity, containing nothing but original, winding (dare we say 'snake-like?') compositions and good vibes throughout. Since then, the album has garnered accolades from the Acid Archives crowd and so we felt the time was right to give the group's efforts a proper (and properly licensed from the band) presentation, with an 'old-style' heavy mini-LP sleeve and thick booklet containing pics, gig posters, song lyrics and liner notes by producer and long-time fan, Gregor Alligator. In addition, we've added a half-hour of unreleased live tracks from the same era, and everything you hear (album and 4 bonus cuts) was transferred from the mastertapes '...with love and anarchy!'"
CD $17


THE AGGREGATION - Mind Odyssey (Erebus 13; UK) "Containing 12-page booklet with band info and photos. The Aggregation -- Mind Odyssey. This group of talented and diverse musicians played Disneyland in the late '60s and was picked up for this one excellent Concept album by Lee Hazlewood on his LHI label in 1968. 'Unusual and atmospheric early art-rock/psych item based on an acid trip amusement park concept from classically trained band who held a residency at Disneyland! This LP could be seen as a precursor to those extraordinary 1970s private press artefacts, and reveals its classiness and coherence over time. Worth investigating for anyone -- better than Hunger, as an example' --Patrick the Lama. This is the first time this legendary album has been available on CD."
CD $19


**************


DVD Overstock SALE! (Through August '08 only)
(newsletter subscribers only)

Good while supplies last, so hurry - only 1 to 3 copies in many cases!


ETHIOSONIC - MAHMOUD AHMED & EITHER/ORCHESTRA - Tsedenia Gebre-Marqos [DVD] (Buda Musique 860154; EEC) Ethiogroove recreates the atmosphere of Ethiopian star Mahmoud Ahmed's first encounter with the Either/Orchestra, an American big band famous for its renditions of Ethiopian standards. Approx run time: 67 min. Two versions on one disc: one in English and one in French!
DVD Normally $16, NOW $13

LUCIANO BERIO//GUSTAV MAHLER//FRANK SCHEFFER, dir. - Voyage To Cythera//Attrazione D'Amore [DVD] (Juxtapositions/Ideale; EEC) [NTSC region '0'; two films on 1 DVD] In 1968, composer and pioneer of electroacoustic music Luciano Berio created Sinfonia, a memorable orchestral piece and harmonic journey through references to composers such as Stravinsky, Boulez, Schoenberg, Stockhausen and most of all, Mahler.
DVD Normally $25, NOW $20

IVA BITTOVA & BANG ON A CAN ALL STARS - Superchameleon [DVD] (Indies 3209; Czech Republic) [NTSC edition!] 150 minutes long: 90 minute concert + 60 minutes of TV archives + video collage by Ms. Bittova. Considering that this fantastic DVD is 2 & 1/2 hours long, it is certainly well worth the price. - BLG
DVD Normally $30, NOW $25

BUCKETHEAD - Secret Recipe [2 DVD set] (Shriek Show 606; USA) SECRET RECIPE a demented double-disc set featuring over 3 hours of mutant music, chromatic chills, thrills and unhinged humor! It's a delirious, roller-coaster chronicle celebrating more than a decade of the mysterious masked musician's career and theme park antics. The first-ever Buckethead DVD compiles highlights of the guitarist's first 13 years as a performer and theme park proprietor. Disc 2 includes 2 full-length solo Buckethead live concert performances!
DVD Normally $20, now $16

BUCKETHEAD & DELI CREEPS//JAS OBRECHT, dir. - Young Buckethead Vol 1 [DVD] (Avabella 01; USA) Vol. 1 features a complete 1990 Deli Creeps concert and soundcheck in San Francisco, an insane keyboard performance in a SF basement, and a stunning extended guitar solo performed at a Buckethead family reunion.
DVD Normally $14, NOW $11

BUCKETHEAD & DELI CREEPS//JAS OBRECHT, dir. - Young Buckethead Vol 2 [DVD] (Avabella 02; USA) Vol. 2 features two complete Deli Creeps concerts in San Francisco, unrehearsed backstage footage, and a very rare interview in a park.
DVD Normally $14, NOW $11

DON CHERRY'S MULTIKULTI QUARTET With PETER APFELBAUM/BO FREEMAN/JOSHUA JONES - Multikulti: Live At The Theatrehaus '90 [DVD] (Kultur 4007; USA) This 60 minute performance at the Theatrehaus in Stuttgart, Germany, 1990, includes "Walk To The Mountain", "Rhumba Multikulti", "When The Rain Comes", "Bemsha Swing", and "Trans Love Airways".
DVD Normally $18, NOW $15

DUKE ELLINGTON - The Classic Hollywood Years [DVD] (Efor 2869028; EEC) [complete program on each side of the disc: one side NTSC all region, other side PAL all region!] Total Time: 102 mins This video compiles different short and medium-length films starring the great Duke Ellington and his orchestra: Black And Tan (1929), Symphony in Black (1935 - featuring the famous sequence with Billie Holiday), plus assorted different musical sequences from other motion pictures, including the three scenes starring Mae West in the 1934 movie Belle Of The Nineties.
DVD Normally $20, now $16

DUKE ELLINGTON - London Concert 1964 [DVD] (Impro-Jazz; EEC) [complete program on each side of the disc: one side NTSC all region, other side PAL all region!]. For the first time ever on DVD! Includes only version of "Harlem Suite" on film and an Ellington piano solo!
DVD Normally $25, NOW $20

ANDY EMLER/CLAUDE TCHAMITCHIAN/ERIC ECHAMPARD TRIO + MARC DUCRET - Andy Emler: On Air [DVD] (In Circum Girum 906; EEC) [PAL format only] Featuring Andy Emler on piano, composer & conductor, Claude Tchamitchian on double bass, Eric Echampard on drums plus Marc Ducret guest guitarist,Mederic Collignon on flugel & cornet, Laurent Dehors on reeds & bagpipe, Thomas de Pourquery & Philippe Sellam on saxes, Francois Thuillier on tuba and Francois Verly on percussion.
DVD Normally $15, NOW $12

ELLERY ESKELIN/ANDREA PARKINS/JIM BLACK - On The Road With... [DVD] (Prime Source 3010; USA) [double sided DVD with NTSC and PAL formats - playable anywhere!] Now you can join Ellery Eskelin, Andrea Parkins and Jim Black on their 2003 European tour with this homespun and engaging video tour diary.
DVD Normally $20, now $16

FISHBONE - Critical Times: Fisbone's Hen House Sessions [DVD] (MVD 4408; USA) In 2001, the legendary, influential and voraciously eclectic band Fishbone arrived to record their newest material at the Hen House, a free community recording studio - fully wired for digital sound and video.
DVD Normally $18, NOW $15

ERIK FRIEDLANDER'S TOPAZ With ANDY LASTER/STOMU TAKEISHI/SATOSHI TAKEISHI - Skin [DVD] (Siam; USA) Erik Friedlander and his sensational band Topaz were captured live in a beautiful set-decorated studio with guest artists and beautifully costumed dancers including Amira Mor and Marlon Barrios. This DVD also features stunning computer animation as well as in-depth interviews.
DVD Normally $12, NOW $9

EDDIE GALE - Trumpet & Water: Up Close And Personal [DVD] (Creative View 200501; USA) There are shots of Eddie walking down to the beach with the sound of the waves as the soundtrack. He plays "When the Saints Come Marching In" as well as other tasty snippets and tunes on the beach as the sun sets. There is something quite enchanting about watching Eddie play his haunting ballad directly to the sun. A touching solo version of "Remembering John (Coltrane)" is followed by a number of different solo trumpet excerpts, each unique in showing an idea or feeling. When Eddie does an exercise with two sticks, it looks as if he conducting the ocean's waves.
DVD Normally $20, NOW $14

GREATEST JAZZ FILMS EVER [V.A. With MILES DAVIS/BILLIE HOLIDAY/CHARLIE PARKER/THELONIOUS MONK/LESTER YOUNG/DIZZIE GILLESPIE/JIMMY GIUFFRE/HARRY EDISON et al] - Great Jazz Films Ever [2 DVD set] (Idem 1059; EEC) [complete program on each side of the disc: one side NTSC all region, other side PAL all region!] DISC 1 [also available separately as Great Performances (Idem 1057)] includes the only two surviving films of Charlie Parker, one featuring his acceptance of the Down Beat Award [1952] playing "Hot House" with a 5tet incl. Dizzy Gillespie, Dick Hyman; and the other a two reel movie with the JATP troupe: five tunes [1950] with a band incl Coleman Hawkins, Lester Young, Hank Jones, Buddy Rich, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Brown, Flip Phillips, Harry Edison and Bill Harris!!! This also has the exemplary half hour [ 4 tunes] CBS television program featuring the classic late '50 Miles Davis Quintet [John Coltrane, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb] and the Gil Evans Orchestra - an absolute historic masterpiece in perfect sight & sound [rely on poor quality bootlegs no longer!] ..as well as the complete material from the "Jammin' The Blues" filmed sessions of August-September 1944 with Lester Young, Illinois Jacquet, Harry Edison, Barney Kessel, Red Callender [or John Simmons], Jo Jones [or Sid Catlett], Marlowe Thomas, [7 tunes including 4 - with Dicky Wells and Garland Finney added - not originally in the released short feature!]
DISC 2 [also available separately as Sound OF Jazz (Idem 1058)] includes the complete version of 'The Sound Of Jazz' film: 9 tunes featuring Bilie Holiday, Count Basie, Thelonious Monk, Jimmy Giuffre and many others; and a shorter film 'Jazz From Studio 61' with Ahmad Jamal, Ben Webster, et al.
2 DVD set Normally $42, NOW $33

NICOLAS HUMBERT, dir//FRED FRITH score - Wolfsgrub: Portrait Of My Mother [DVD] (W&W 915005; Germany) In the film Wolfsgrub, Nicolas Humbert is on the trail of his own history. Wolfsgrub is the name of the house where Humbert's mother lives, and through she is getting on in years, she becomes young again as she answers her son's questions. Nicolas Humbert allows his mother the space and time to tell her story, portraying her everyday life through the use of concentrated images. From the bits and pieces of these narrative fragments, a stunning portrait of a freethinking woman emerges.
DVD Normally $30, NOW $25

MAURICIO KAGEL, dir - Ludwig Van: A Report by Mauricio Kagel [DVD] (W&W 915006; Germany) "Ludwig Van" is a 90-minute film directed by Mr, Kagel. A person is walking around with camera filming things about Beethoven: a statue, books in a store window, people staring at the film-maker, folks listening to Beethoven records, going to a Beethoven museum, seeing coins and different busts of Beethoven, a jukebox, a bathtub filled with small casts of Beethoven heads, paper sculptures made from Beethoven's written music, traveling on a boat, silhouettes of musicians on the boat, discussions of Beethoven and much more. It gives one quite a bit to think about. All in all, this is an extraordinary celebration of the great Argentina-born composer Mauricio Kagel and his many facets. - BLG
DVD Normally $30, NOW $25

RAHSAAN ROLAND KIRK - In Europe 1962/1967 [DVD] (Impro-Jazz; EEC) [complete program on each side of the disc: one side NTSC all region, other side PAL all region!]
This DVD brings together two complete previously unissued concerts. The first, filmed in Milan in 1962, presents Kirk in the company of another famous blind musician, Catalonian pianist Tete Montoliu, who had recently recorded with Kirk at the Cafe Montmartre, in Copenhagen: Roland Kirk (multiple reeds), Tete Montoliu (p), Tommy Potter (b), Kenny Clarke (d). Live in Milan, Italy, November 15, 1962.
The second concert presents Kirk's regular 1967 quartet in Prague, and contains songs they were rehearsing live in order to include them in their subsequent album: "The Inflated Tear", which they recorded just a few days after this European tour. Roland Kirk (multiple reeds), Ron Burton (p), Steve Novosel (b), Jimmy Hopps (d). Live at the Fourth Mezinarodni Jazz Festival, Prague, Czech Republic, October 19, 1967.
DVD Normally $25, NOW $20

LEE KONITZ Featuring HAROLD DANKO - Portrait Of An Artist As Saxophonist [DVD] (Rhapsody 2869013; EEC) 1988 Color 83 min. A Film by Robert Daudelin. Features the songs "Stella by Starlight," "Struttin With Some Barbecue," "Hi Beck," "Kary's Trance," "Subconscious-Lee" and "She's as Wild as Springtime"
"If only more jazz docs were as good as Montrealer Robert Daudelin's 1988 LEE KONITZ: PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A SAXOPHONIST. Devoid of narration, this film lets the altoist reveal himself in conversation, in duets with pianist Harold Danko and in a workshop with students. Konitz talks of the lasting impact study with Lennie Tristano made on his music. Konitz is a man obsessed with line and rhythm, insisting on the importance of playing melodies straight, and singing old Armstrong solos in unison with Danko (who strums piano strings, autoharp style, on 'Struttin' With Some Barbecue')." -- Kevin Whitehead, DOWNBEAT [complete program on each side of the disc: one side NTSC all region, other side PAL all region!]
DVD Normally $25, NOW $20

STEVE LACY//PETER BULL, dir. - Master Of The Soprano Sax [aka Lift The Bandstand] [DVD] (Efor 2869051; EEC) [complete program on each side of the disc: one side NTSC all region, other side PAL all region!] Total Time: 102 mins
1985 documentary featuring Steve Potts, Jean-Jacques Avanel, Bobby Few, Oliver Johnson, et al AS a subject for a jazz documentary, Steve Lacy makes things easy. He is both an important musician - the first soprano saxophonist in modern jazz - and an articulate one. In the 50 minute film, ''Steve Lacy: Lift the Bandstand,'' the film maker Peter Bull lets him tell his own story, illustrating it with remarkable archival footage and live performances from a 1983 Public Theater concert by Mr. Lacy's sextet. Indispensable for anyone interested in Steve Lacy - and that should be ALL of you!
DVD Normally $25, NOW $20

CHARLES MINGUS/THOMAS REICHMANN - Mingus In Greenwich Village [DVD] (Rhapsody 2869032; EEC) 1968 B&W 58 min. A Film by Thomas Reichman. MINGUS is an excellent portrait of this great bassist/composer and some of the hard times that came his way. [complete program on each side of the disc: one side NTSC all region, other side PAL all region!]
DVD Normally $25, NOW $20

REMEMBER SHAKTI With JOHN McLAUGHLIN/ZAKIR HUSSAIN/U SHRINIVAS [SRINIVAS] - The Way Of Beauty [DVD] (Sunnyside; USA) Features: The Way of Beauty Documentary (62 minutes); Live in Bombay, 2001 (Remember Shakti plus guests, 57 minutes); Live in Montreux, 2004 (Remember Shakti, 10 minutes); Sound Check in Paris, 2004 (Remember Shakti, 45 minutes); Live in Montreux, 1976 (Shakti, 15 minutes).
DVD Normally $17, NOW $14

WARREN SMITH - WIS On Monk: Solo Percussion [DVD] (Freedom Art; USA)
DVD Normally $18, NOW $15

SPIRITWORLD [OLUYEMI THOMAS/WILLIAM PARKER/JOE McPHEE/LISA SOKOLOV]//JEFF SCHLANGER// ROBERT O'HAIRE, dir. - Spiritworld Live At The Cue Art Foundation//Jeff Schlanger musicWitness: Genesis & Testimony [DVD] (Witnissimo; USA) NEW OFFICIAL 2007 GLASS MASTERED DVD EDITION WITH BOOKLET! Two wonderful films - a 75 minute concert by Spiritworld AND a 30 minute documentary on painter/sculptor Jeff Schlanger - and directed by Robert O'Haire!
DVD Normally $18, NOW $15

THE VELVET UNDERGROUND [LOU REED/JOHN CALE/STERLING MORRISON/MAUREEN TUCKER/NICO/DOUG CALE et al] - Under Review: An Independent Critical Analysis [DVD] (Sexy Intellectual 501; USA) "Velvet Underground Under Review is a 75-minute film reviewing the music and career of one of rock music's most influential collectives; a band which esteemed music journalist Lester Bangs claims started modern music. It features rare musical performances never available before as well as obscure footage, rare interviews and private photographs of and with Lou Reed, Andy Warhol, Sterling Morrison and John Cale. The film also features rarely seen promo films; material from Andy Warhol's private film collection; interviews with colleagues, producers, musicians and friends; TV clips; location shots and a host of other features."
DVD Normally $20, now $16


*****************


IF YOU'RE ALREADY SUBSCRIBED TO OUR NEWSLETTER, BUT SOMEHOW YOU'RE NOT RECEIVING THEM IN YOUR INBOX..

Many of your incoming emails are being blocked and you don't know it! Many emails like our newsletter are frequently blocked by aggressive spam filters being used by nearly all email services.

To help avoid this problem and get our newsletter:

Hotmail Users: Place the domain " downtownmusicgallery.com " on your Safe List, so that you can receive our emails. The safe list can be accessed via the "Options" link next to the main menu tabs. Also place the email address dmg@downtownmusicgallery.com in your address book.

AOL: Place the domain " downtownmusicgallery.com " in your Address Book. Also add the email address dmg@downtownmusicgallery.com to your address book.

Yahoo! Mail: If one of our e-newsletters is filtered to your 'bulk' folder, open the message and click on the "this is not Spam" link next to the "From" field. The same goes for any other e-mail you receive that doesn't belong there. Add the address dmg@downtownmusicgallery.com to your address book.

Other email services [Earthlink, GMail et al]: Place the domain " downtownmusicgallery.com " on your email filter's whitelist. You may need to search your email help menu for details on how to do this. Depending on software/version, they may call it a "whitelist," a "good list" or similar name. Adding the address dmg@downtownmusicgallery.com to your address book will help too.