Great New Sh*t from Stephen Haynes & Taylor Ho Bynum, 2 from Greenleaf: Michael Bates & Donny McCaslin, Magnus Broo & Paal Nilssen- Love, Cuong Vu, Jim O'Rourke, Eliane Radigue, Merzbow, Faun Fables plus the Big Samla Mannas Mamma Box-Set, 15 Amazing ECM Budget Reissues, Patti Smith DVD, 6 ESP CD's and more great psych reissue boxes!




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The Downtown Music Gallery Free In-Store Music Series continues with:

Sunday, August 24th at 7pm
CASPEROUS VINE - progressive sounds from another planet!

"Mr. Koslowski plays numerous guitars, fretless bass, accordion, oud, mandolin, vibes, percussion, samples, flute, cello, violin, etc and composed, arranged and produced this odd little treasure. On the CD he is joined by another ten musicians on a variety of ethnic instruments.. What I dig is that it has a minimal yet kaleidoscopic quality with selective layers of acoustic, electric and sampled sounds seamlessly woven together into an endless story that changes scenery every few minutes." Bruce's review of Casperous Vine CD from last year


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BOOK YOUR TRANSPORTATION & LODGINGS NOW!

What more reasons could you need?.. to visit NYC in September than..


The 6th Annual Festival Of New Trumpet Music (FONT)

September 13-28, 2008 in NYC


Dave Douglas (director & curator)
with Taylor Ho Bynum + John McNeil+ Jeremy Pelt (curators)

In 2005, "this gathering (a.k.a. FONT Music), co-curated by Dave Douglas, Roy Campbell, Jr., and Jon Nelson, has grown from a few nights at Tonic into a month long multi-venue event encompassing the worlds of jazz, new music, classical, rock, and hip-hop. An international lineup of trumpeters strides into town, bringing specially commissioned works, inventive interpretations of old standards, and blistering feats of improvisation." - The New Yorker

* The festival launches with a benefit concert on September 13 at Medialabs, celebrating trumpet master Wadada Leo Smith.

* Opening day features trumpeters Cecil Bridgewater, James Zollar, and Eddie Allen celebrating Louis Armstrong at the The Louis Armstrong House in Flushing.

* Acclaimed film score composer and trumpeter Mark Isham makes a rare NYC appearance at Le Poisson Rouge with an electronica rendition of the main themes from his recent films, including Crash and In The Valley of Elah.

* Amir ElSaffar and Avishai Cohen double bill-two of the leading exponents of including non-western sounds in jazz lead small groups especially created for this festival performance.

* For the third year in a row, FONT Music commissions composers for new trumpet works/premieres. Chris DiMeglio, Nabate Isles, and Reut Regev are the 2008 recipients.

* Two of Australia's top trumpet innovators, Phil Slater and Scott Tinkler, present groups at the Cornelia Street Cafe.

* An afternoon of trumpet solos by five unique and creative trumpeters takes place at the Eldridge Street Synagogue.

* FONT partners with Clean Feed for an evening of music at Living Theater with Kris Tiner and Dennis Gonzalez.

* Roy Campbell and Dennis Gonzalez lead a big band workshop, a jam session, and a performance in one night at BRIC.

* An all-brass night at BRIC includes a performance by the legendary conductionist Butch Morris and Trumpet Nation.

* FONT at the Jazz Standard includes: rare appearances by European trumpet masters Paolo Fresu (Italy) and Eric Vloeimans (Netherlands); a Woody Shaw tribute band organized by Shaw's son, Woody III, including young trumpet masters Sean Jones, Nick Roseboro, and Ezana Edwards with longtime Shaw collaborator, drummer Victor Lewis as music director; the first public collaboration of Dave Douglas and Randy Brecker; special tributes organized by Ingrid Jensen, Tim Hagans, Brian Lynch, and Josh Evans.

* Two leading contemporary chamber music groups, Analog Arts' "dung" Brass Ensemble and Anti-Social Music, present an afternoon at St. Mark's Church including music by Karlheinz Stockhausen, Elliot Carter, the Who, Peter Hess, Dan Lasaga, Andrea La Rose, and Pat Muchmore.

+++



The FONT CALENDAR:


September 13, 6:00-9:00PM [Sat.]
FONT Honors Wadada Leo Smith: Benefit for the Festival of New Trumpet Music

@58 North 6 Media Labs,
58 North 6th Street, Brooklyn ~ www.myspace.com/58northsix

A gala concert and celebration of Wadada Leo Smith, benefiting the Festival of New Trumpet Music. Leo Smith performs with Pheeroan akLaff, Dave Douglas, John Zorn, and others. Please help support FONT Music by joining us in a celebration of trumpet and music pioneer Wadada Leo Smith.

+++

September 14 at 2:00PM [Sun.]
Louis' Legacy

@ Louis Armstrong House and Museum
34-56 107th Street, Corona ~ 718 478 8274 ~ www.satchmo.net

FONT Music kicks off the season with a celebration of Louis Armstrong and a look ahead. Eddie Allen and 3hree For Louis [Eddie Allen (leader/trumpet), Cecil Bridgewater (trumpet), James Zollar (trumpet), Bruce Barth (piano), Kenny Davis (bass), Carl Allen (drums)] reexamine and reflect on the modern legacy of trumpet genius Louis Armstrong.

Tickets are $15.00. This price includes the concert PLUS a tour of the Louis Armstrong House and Museum. House opens at 12 Noon. Also, Michael Cogswell's official Louis Armstrong House & Museum book, "Louis Armstrong, The Offstage Story of Satchmo," will be on sale for $24.99, 40% off usual retail price of $39.99. All proceeds from sales of the book go directly to the Louis Armstrong House Museum.

+++

September 15-17 at 7:30PM each night [Mon. - Wed.]
New Music

@Le Poisson Rouge,
158 Bleecker Street ~ 212 796 0741 ~ www.lepoissonrouge.com

September 15 [Mon.]
Jeremy Pelt (trumpet), Ralph Alessi (trumpet), Scott Colley (bass), Darrel Green (drums)

September 16 [Tue.]
Mark Isham (trumpet): An electro-acoustic ensemble plays some of his well-known film scores.

September 17 [Wed.]
Avishai Cohen Triveni: Avishai Cohen (trumpet), Joe Martin (bass), Nasheet Waits (drums); The Amir ElSaffar Quartet: Amir ElSaffar (trumpet), Vijay Iyer (piano), Francois Moutin (bass, Eric McPherson (drums)

+++

September 18-20 [Thur.-Sat.]
New Trumpet Underground

@Cornelia Street Cafe,
29 Cornelia Street ~ 212 989 9319 ~ www.corneliastreetcafe.com

September 18 [Thur.]
8:00PM, Hooper Piccalero: Lauren Strobel (trumpet), Danilo Henriquez (trumpet), Matt Plummer (trombone/bass trombone), Derek Beckvold (bari sax)
9:30PM, Up the Turret Mil: Rich Johnson (trumpet/laptop), Aaron Jennings (guitar), Eivind Opsvik (bass)
11:00PM, Hampton Roads: Lewis Barnes (trumpet), Rob Brown (alto sax), Darius Jones (alto sax), Todd Nicholson (bass), Warren Smith (drums)

September 19 [Fri.]
8:00PM, Chris DiMeglio's Imaginary Sextet (*FONT commission*): Chris DiMeglio (trumpet), Jason Kao Hwang (violin), Dave Miller (drums), Ras MoshŽ (tenor saxophone/flute), Todd Nicholson (bass), Catherine Sikora (tenor & soprano saxophones)
9:30PM, Antripodean Collective: Scott Tinkler (trumpet), Carl Dewhurst (guitar), Ken Edie (drums)
11:00PM, John McNeil/Bill McHenry Quartet: John McNeil (trumpet), Bill McHenry (tenor sax), Joe Martin (bass), Jochen Rueckert (drums)

September 20 [Sat.]
8:00PM, Nabate Isles + 5 (*FONT commission*): Nabate Isles (trumpet/flugelhorn), Jaleel Shaw (alto saxophone/flute), Stacy Dillard (tenor & soprano saxophones), Manuel Valera (keyboards), Matt Clohesy (bass), Johnathan Blake (drums)
9:30PM, Phil Slater (trumpet), Jim Black (drums), Chris Tordini (bass), Carl Dewhurst (guitar)
11:00PM, John Carlson (trumpet)

+++

September 21 at 3:00PM [Sun.]
Mystic Trumpeter - Solo Presentations

@Eldridge Street Synagogue,
12 Eldridge Street ~ 212 219 0888 ~ www.eldridgestreet.org

For the second year, the Eldridge St. Synagogue hosts a day of solo performances by remarkable innovative trumpeters
Featuring: Frank London, Nate Wooley, Natsuki Tamura, Mark Harvey, and Pam Fleming

also

September 21 - co-sponsored by Clean Feed Festival [Sun.]
"Traditional Avant Garde"

@The Living Theatre,
21 Clinton Street ~ 212 792 8050 ~ www.livingtheatre.org

8:00PM, The Empty Cage Quartet: Kris Tiner (trumpet), Jason Mears (woodwinds), Ivan Johnson (bass), Paul Kikuchi (percussion)
9:30PM, Dennis Gonzalez (trumpet), Rachiim Ausar-Sahu (bass)

+++

September 22 [Mon.]
Traditional Avant Garde - Performances and Workshops at BRIC

@BRIC,
647 Fulton Street, Brooklyn ~ 718 8557882 ~ www.celebratebrooklyn.org/bric/

5:30PM, Roy Campbell and Dennis Gonzalez lead a masterclass with the York College Blue Notes
7:30PM, York College Blue Notes: Tom Zlabinger (director)
8:00PM, Roy Campbell/Dennis Gonzalez Quartet
9:00PM, FONT Jam Session hosted by Roy Campbell and Dennis Gonz‡lez

+++

September 23 [Tue.]
Traditional Avant Garde - Brass Night at BRIC

8:00PM, Reut Regev and the Brassix Ensemble (*FONT commission*): Reut Regev (trombone/other brass instruments/percussion), Taylor Ho Bynum (cornet/other brass), Mark Taylor (French horn/other brass), Frank London (trumpet/other brass), Jay Rozen (tuba), Igal Foni (drums/brass percussion)
9:00PM, Butch Morris and TRUMPET NATION

+++

September 25-28 [Thur.- Sun.]
In Memory of Woody Shaw - This series will be the culmination of the two-week Festival of New Trumpet Music with sets at 7:30 and 9:30 PM, add'l 11:30 PM set on Friday and Saturday nights.

@ The Jazz Standard,
116 East 27th Street ~ 212 576 2232 ~ www.jazzstandard.net

September 25 [Thur.]
Ingrid Jensen with Tim Hagans and Eric Vloeimans (trumpets), Gary Versace (piano and Rhodes), Matt Clohesy (bass), Jon Wikan (drums)

September 26 [Fri.]
Brian Lynch with Terell Stafford and Paolo Fresu (trumpets), Orrin Evans (piano), Essiet Essiet (bass), Ignacio Berroa (drums)

September 27 [Sat.]
The Woody Shaw Legacy Ensemble: Brass Knightsª: Victor Lewis (drums/music director), Sean Jones, Nick Roseboro, and Ezana Edwards (trumpets), Mulgrew Miller (piano), Dwayne Burno (bass)

September 28 [Sun.]
Dave Douglas with Randy Brecker and Josh Evans (trumpets), Uri Caine (piano), James Genus (bass), Clarence Penn (drums)

also

September 27-28, 2:00PM [Sat.-Sun.]
Contemporary Brass Music

St. Mark's Church,
131 East 10th Street ~ 212 674 6377 ~ www.stmarkschurch-in-the-bowery.com

September 27 [Sat.]
Analog Arts' "dung" Brass Ensemble, "a cutting-edge arts collective grounded in the classics with a futurist sensibility" performs the music of Karlheinz Stockhausen, Elliot Carter, the Who, and others.

September 28 [Sun.]
Anti-Social Music: Tim Byrnes, Geoff Chirgwin, Jon Malko, and Nate Wooley (trumpets). The chamber group, in which "5 out of 11 wear combat boots and 2 don't own a single suit," will perform the music of Peter Hess, Dan Lasaga, Andrea La Rose, and Pat Muchmore.

+++

For more information about FONT Music and its curators please visit www.fontmusic.org

To schedule an interview with the curators and to receive a press kit on

The Festival of New Trumpet Music 2008, please contact:

Jason Paul Harman Byrne - Red Cat Publicity, Tel 347 578 7601,

Email: Redcatjazz@mac.com, Website: www.Redcatpublicity.com


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AND ONE MORE REASON TO VISIT New York in September -

'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 Gonzalez / 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


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



And Now for this week's goodies:


STEPHEN HAYNES/TAYLOR HO BYNUM With MARY HALVORSON/ALLEN JAFFE /WARREN SMITH/TOMAS FUJIWARA - The Double Trio: Live At The Festival Of New Trumpet Music (Engine; USA)Ê Two trios apart, together, and all over! Taylor Ho Bynum: Trumpet, cornet; Stephen Haynes: Trumpet; Allen Jaffe: Guitar; Mary Halverson: Guitar; Warren Smith: Drums; Tomas Fujiwara: Drums. Trumpet hero Stephen Haynes has collaborated at length with Bill Dixon and plays in the Vision Orchestra. Recordings with Stephen as a leader have been rare until now. Haynes co-leads this marvelous sextet with that ambitious whippersnapper & Braxton collaborator, Taylor Ho Bynum. Haynes and Bynum both composed tunes on this fine disc with a couple of covers by Ornette Coleman and Dizzy Gillespie. The rest of this double trio features two fine guitarists, Allan Jaffe, (who has worked with Bobby Previte & Ray Anderson) and the ubiquitous Mary Halvorson who has also worked with Mr. Braxton & Taylor in other contexts. The legendary percussionist, Warren Smith, has worked on hundreds of sessions in different genres for more than forty years while Tomas Fujiwara plays in a couple of Taylor's projects. A stellar crew!
This disc was recorded live at the Jazz Standard in NYC during the 2006 Festival of New Trumpet Music. "HeBeSheBeWeBe 1" begins with eerie trumpet and stark percussion but soon the sextet kicks in with some tight ensemble playing. Both guitars and both drummers swirl intricately around one another. Eventually both horns also sail on the top. Mary (?) plays a great Sharrock-like solo before the lone trumpet spins together with the percussion. "Yx 6c" splits the band evenly with one trio playing one theme while the other trio plays an interconnected theme with them. Both horns spin layers of lines, bouncing notes back and forth. What makes this ensemble so intriguing is the way the different styles or approaches of each player is utilized most fully. Both guitarists have much different sounds, yet they work so well together since the pieces seem to use them just right. Ornette's "Broken Shadows" is covered and done spaciously with a couple of different lines swimming around one another in waves. Both horns play the theme together yet slightly off center. Taylor composed the "Miscellaneous Suite" in three parts, starting with "Triple Duo" which features three different duos intersecting. When somebody says, "fortune cookie, my ass" Joe & I just cracked up. On "mm (pf)" the melody is split between each player in fragments, yet it still works with an overall thread or logic that holds it together somehow. Original modern jazz trumpet hero, Dizzy's "Kush" is deconstructed a bit, yet retains a certain charm. Commencing with "Notes from an Autumn Diary," a long, intense yet freer work that has charted passages and focused freer sections as well. Without a doubt, this is one of this year's most thoughtful and stimulating releases. - BLG
[In stock Monday]
CD $12



Two new ones on Dave Douglas' Greenleaf label:

MICHAEL BATES' OUTSIDE SOURCES With RUSS JOHNSON/QUINSIN NACHOF/JEFF DAVIS - Clockwise (Greenleaf 09; USA) Taking equal inspiration from jazz, western classical music, and lasting modern acts as disparate as the Bad Brains and Ornette Coleman, Clockwise offers a panoramic view of the engaging musical mind of Michael Bates, and will prove to be a watershed for enthusiasts of cutting-edge composition and improvisation. This dynamic collection of nine original works (the latest additions to an oeuvre bulging with more than 200 compositions) blurs the line between composition and improvisation and leaves the listener in a vertiginous space where tradition teeters at the knife-edge of a modern zest for experimentation and evolution. Dave Douglas on Michael Bates' Outside Sources and Clockwise: "I whole heartedly recommend taking special note in Outside Sources! Michael Bates is a fantastic bassist and an engaging composer."
CD $16

DONNY McCASLIN TRIO With HANS GLAWISCHNIG/JONATHAN BLAKE - Recommended Tools (Greenleaf 08; USA) Recommended Tools is the 7th release for Donny McCaslin, and also his first for Dave Douglas' Greenleaf Music label. (McCaslin has been performing with Douglas' highly publicized Quintet since 2005.) His latest release, Recommended Tools finds McCaslin for the first time working in a trio setting. With bassist Hans Glawischnig (Ray Barretto, Steffon Harris, Miguel Zenon) and drummer Johnathan Blake (Tom Harrell, Jaleel Shaw, Russell Malone), McCaslin has made this highly emotive format a vehicle for his virtuosic blowing and distinct compositional voice. Trenched in free-flowing arrangements with dynamic interplay between the band, this work harkens back to the classic trio recordings of Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson. And while a classic format, McCaslin retains his progressive approach and inventiveness, citing Bill Frisell, Hermeto Pascoal, Stravinsky and Messiaen as inspiration for these compositions.
CD $16



MannyLunch's prescription for an all-natural cure - for any ills: 4 nights of King Crimson in concert, and take one Samla box the morning after!

SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA/ZAMLA MAMMAZ MANNA & With GREGORY ALLAN FITZPATRICK/BILDCIRKUS - Samla/Zamla Box: Samla Mammas Manna /Maltid/ Klossa Knapitatet/Schlagerns Mystik/For Aldr Nybegynnare/ Familjesprickor/ Snorungarnas Symfoni/Bildcirkus [8 CD Box Set] (DIW/Arcangelo 3017; Japan) Now that the entire Samla catalog has otherwise gone out of print elsewhere, here is this beautiful LIMITED EDITION box set that has the complete works of the Samla/Zamla crew 1971-1980 [before they morphed into Von Zamla] including their two collaboraion albums with composer Gregory Allan Fitzpatrick. Each recording is newly re-mastered, with lots of (mostly live, nicely recorded) bonus tracks! And each of the six albums and one double album come in mini-LP sleeves that accurately reproduce the amazing covers, including the pop-up fold-outs of the Bildcirkus album, perfectly, and with wrap-around Japanese obi cards, of course.
"Although little known in the U.S., the experimental and quirky jazz-fusion & progressive rock outfit Samla Mammas Manna [associated since the '70s with other R.I.O. bands such as Henry Cow, Aksak Maboul, The Muffins, and Etron Fou Leloublan] has enjoyed a following in Scandinavia since the early 1970s. Samla was formed in Uppsala, Sweden in 1969, when its original lineup consisted of keyboardist/accordionist Lars Hollmer, bassist Lars Krantz, drummer Hans Bruniusson and percussionist Karl Henrik "Bebben" Berg. Samla called its studio the Chicken House, which was so-named because it really was built on a former chicken house that had belonged to Hollmer's mother. It was at the Chicken House that Samla recorded its self-titled debut album of 1971 for Silence Records. Berg left the group that year, and Samla spent several months as a trio before guitarist Coste Apetrea came on board in 1972. Samla's second album Maltid (Meal Time), came out on Silence in 1974 and was followed by Klossa Knapitatet (also on Silence) in 1975 and the MNW release Snorungarnas Symfoni (Symphony of the Brats), a collaboration between American composer Gregory Allan Fitzpatrick and the Samlas, in 1976. Fitzpatrick and the Samlas also collaborated under the group name Bildcirkus. In 1977, Apetrea left the group and was replaced by Eino Haapala, who is featured on the Silence double-LP For Aldre Nybegynnare/Schlagerns Mystik. Samla, which continued to go through personnel changes, changed its name to Zamla Mammaz Manna in the late 1970s, and in 1980, it recorded Familjesprickor (Family Cracks) before breaking up, and a few years later Lars formed Von Zamla to carry on the torch" - Alex Henderson, AMG
"Those of you who know me, and can trust my recommendations - I don't make many - TRUST ME NOW! Like all the best things I like, these recordings, individually or taken together, veer you on a queer-take journey through many musical landscapes, from Nordic folk to circus music to the most bizarre art-fusion, traipsing through (and sometimes trashing.. Hee! Hee!) the most modern of compositional advances. If you're not dead, my friends, you will love this! ALL THUMBS UP!" - MannyLunch [only six copies at this price - if we can even get them again]
6 CD [Very] Ltd Ed box set for $220



Want more vintage Joe Maneri? If you, like us, loved that Paniots Nine album, you'll no doubt want..

JOE MANERI / PAT DOLGER - Peace Concert (Atavistic UMS 267; USA) A long-lost '60s treasure from the east coast rescued and produced by Ken Vandermark's father, Stu! The "Peace Concert", as performed in 1964 by living legend Joe Maneri (alto) and Peter Dolger (drums) has finally been exhumed and properly buffed for public consumption. This never-before released recording has been mastered from the original tapes, and includes an in-depth interview with Boston's elder statesman of improv, conducted by Stu Vandermark.
For those caught unawares, Mr. Maneri is the father of violinist Mat Maneri, and is highly regarded as one of the true pioneers of the "language" of the alto saxophone (in fact- Joe has also created a surreal, intense spoken dialect all his own as well that often accompanies his musical performances). Mr. Vandermark is a long-time co-conspirator, contributor and fixture on Boston's jazz & improvised music scene; he possesses a formidable "lifetime of listening" knowledge base on these matters. Check into this outer-orbiting destination in the Unheard Music Series galaxy (and find out why these two men's sons turned out so well).
CD $15



New on Paal Nilssen-Love's PNL own label..

MAGUS BROO/PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE - Game (PNL 03; EEC) Featuring Magnus Broo on trumpet & Paal Nilssen-Love on drums & percussion. Norwegian drum wiz, Paal Nilssen-Love excells in the duo situation and has recorded duos with Ken Vandermark, Mats Gustafsson, Lasse Marhaug, Hakon Kornstad & last Sunday (8/17/08) in a great duo with Frode Gjerstad here at DMG. Norwegian trumpet ace, Magnus Broo, also keeps busy performing with Brotzmann's Chicago Tentet, Atomic, Angles and Ken Vandermark. This is Paal's third duo disc for his own PNL label and again he has chosen a most worthy collaborator. "Marching" opens and does start with military-like drum roll. Both of these musicians bring a host of ideas, styles and genres to the proceedings. Their playing is organic and tightly connected. Magnus' trumpet is at times lyrical, brittle and explosive with Paal being a perfect match of wits. Paal's mallet playing on "Stomping" is haunting and filled with suspense while Magnus plays quietly yet most expressively on top. Although "Cut Loose" starts freely, it soon slows down to a lovely ballad-like song that swings with sublime restraint. "CodA" bristles and goes back and forth between explosive moments and more cautious parts, the melody line that Magnus plays midway sounds somehow familiar. "Mas" is long and moves through various sections. What I dig about this duo is that is often feels like a conversation between equally talented musicians and a history of jazz and improv spirits. "Brown Sugar, Sweet Rice" brings things to close with some righteous, bluesy trumpet and sly drums, sort of like a New Orleans funeral procession. This is an excellent duo offering on all levels. - BLGÊ
CD $16

and restocks on

LASSE MARHAUG & PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE - Stalk (PNL 01; EEC)Ê Marhaug and Nilssen-Love create a phantasmagoria of sounds as diverse as the films they named the tracks after. With tracks titled "Paranoia Agent" (Japanese animation), "Satanico Pandemonium" (B-grade Euro horror), "The Last Exile" (Japanese animation), "Tenebrae" (named after one of the films by Dario Argento, the master of horror), "The Lodger" (presumably the Hitchcock film), and "I Will Walk Like Crazy Horse" (French art house film) one can only assume that cinematic references the titles allude to had a profound influence on their compositions. Even the disc is named after Tarkovsky film! From free jazz freak-outs, to wall-of-noise, to sparse electronic interplay, Marhaug & Nilssen-Love use everything they have at their disposal to create a soundtrack unlike no other. As an added bonus, "Stalker" is graced by the presence of special guest Hild Sofie Tafjord (Fe-mail, Spunk) who also recorded and mastered this disc. This CD is definitely worth checking out [as well as the films mentioned]. - Chuck Bettis/dmg
CD $16

PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE & NILS HENRIK ASHEIM - Late Play (PNL 02; EEC) Featuring Nils Henrik Asheim on organ and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums & percussion and recorded in Oslo in April of 2006. Paal Nilssen-Love is without any doubt, one of the finest improvising drummers to emerge in the past decade. He can be heard playing his own distinctive brand of dynamic percussion/drums in a variety of bands from the Scorch Trio, The Thing, Brotzmann's Chicago Tentet to a variety of projects with Ken Vandermark. Paal excels at the duo situation and has done duos with Frode Gjersdtad, Mats Gustafsson, Ken Vandermark, Lasse Marhaug and Anders Hana. For this fine disc, Paal has teamed up with an organist, not your obvious choice for a partner. As Nils makes those spooky organ sounds, Paal provides equally suspense-filled and ritualistic-sounding percussion. Paal does a great job of evoking strange spirits by rubbing his cymbals and drums in his own way. Most of these pieces begin with Paal's distinctive percussion sounds, which are most expressive, but not consistently rhythm-based. The entire CD is feels like a dream-like journey through a graveyard and other disturbing places that angels fear to tread. - BLG
CD $16

And, also from Paal Nilssen-Love: Final copies of this Limited Edition CD:

SCORCH TRIO [RAOUL BJORKENHEIM/INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN/PAAL NILSSEN -LOVE] - Live in Finland [Limited Edition CD-R] (SCD 001; USA) Featuring the amazing Raoul Bjorkenheim on electric guitar & electric viola da gimbri, the incredible Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on electric bass & electronics and the colossal Paal Nilssen-Love on drums & percussion. An unbelievably intense Finnish/Norwegian power trio at their best, taken from three dates during their tour of Finland in December of 2006. Edited & mastered by Bob Musso with a great cover by Jeff Schlanger, Music Witness. Clocking in at about 60 minutes.
It begins with eerie guitar drones and spacious percussion, slowly building into a haunting, free space jam. "Roh" features some strange bowed electric viola da gimbri, an instrument custom-made for Raoul. Paal's dynamic percussion is closed mic'd, well-balanced and is blended perfectly with Raoul's simmering gimbri, as the trio builds to an intense, cosmic conclusion and then it glides back down once again. On "Kurnutus", Raoul makes his guitar growl with a wah-wah while Paal plays his propulsive drums and Ingebrigt makes some dark, twisted sounds on his bass with some electronic noises hovering. They eventually evolve into a great rocking groove that is both majestic and orgasmic. Yeah, go ahead and get it on! When they finally hit their stride, it is truly a joyous moment and release of pent-up energy! "Ulvoo" also begins slowly and spaciously and builds to a grand and intense series of waves, higher and higher. The mighty Scorch Trio are about begin their fall European tour and will make it to Japan as well. You don't want to miss them if they come close to your town.
CD $20


JIM O'ROURKE - Long Time [2 CD set] (Streamline 1023; Germany) "Long Night, a ~2 hour electronic drone work produced by Jim O'Rourke in 1990 around the time of his graduation from music school had been buried in the archives along with several other electronic music pieces Jim had created before he went about to explore other musical territories. Unearthed, re-mastered and now released for the first time, its ageless qualities shine as brightly as ever." "...the tower was not a tower; it was a needle. Standing on top a high hill, it jabbed a finger heavenward. At the base it measured a good six feet across, tapering to a sharp point a hundred feet or more above the ground. It was of a rather nasty pinkish color and was made of a substance that appeared similar to the substance of which the cube had been constructed. Plastic, he thought to himself, although he was fairly sure it was not plastic. When he laid his hand flat against its surface, he could feel a slight vibration, as if the wind out of the west, playing upon it, was causing it to vibrate along its entire length as a freestanding, tapering, most unlikely violin string would vibrate to the bow. It was not generally loud, although at times it became a little louder. Despite the fact that more often than not it was a soft music, it had fantastic carrying power."
2 CD set for $20


MERZBOW [MASAMI AKITA] - Rainbow Electronics 2 (Dexter's Cigar 06; USA) 1996 release on Jim O'Rourke's old label, surprisingly repressed for 2008. First non-reissue on this label -- an unreleased companion to the 1990 Alchemy label masterpiece. "The designation 'Rainbow' contrasts with the odd colorlessness of the many noise records. Like Voice Crack, this is power electronics at its most detailed, most subtly varied, and most exhaustively kinetic. It doesn't stop. It's a thrill every two seconds, for seventy-five minutes... It splits into halves, quarters, and more unwieldy f(r)actions. It splits prime numbers... it's the closest we've found to an infinite palette."
CD $14


NOAH CRESHEVSKY / IF, BWANA - Favorite Encores (Pogus 21045; USA)Ê "'Creshevsky's music is cosmopolitan and streetwise post-modern expression. I do not exaggerate when I say that I have never heard anything like Creshevsky's music before. If you're up for an aural adventure, here's your ticket.' --Josh Mailman, American Record Guide. 'If, Bwana is some sort of evil genius working with raw materials which are never adapted to a genre or a context, because they create one in that very moment. Those sources are radically altered up to an utterly unrecognizable state, anarchic manifestations moving in compact determination.' --Massimo Ricci, Touching Extremes. A split CD of works by Noah Creshevsky (4 tracks) and If, Bwana (3 tracks). While on the face of it this may seem a somewhat odd pairing, the pieces recorded here comment on and highlight each other. And as the above quotes suggest, an aural adventure is indeed in the offing. Trained in composition by Nadia Boulanger in Paris and Luciano Berio at Juilliard, Noah Creshevsky has taught at Juilliard, Princeton University, and Brooklyn College. He was director of the Center For Computer Music (1994-2000) and is currently Professor Emeritus at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York. His musical vocabulary consists largely of familiar bits of words, songs, and instrumental music that are edited but rarely subjected to electronic processing. The result is a music that obscures the boundaries of real and imaginary ensembles though the fusion of opposites: music and noise, comprehensible and incomprehensible vocal sources, human and superhuman vocal and instrumental capacities.
Creshevsky's most recent hyper-realist compositions explore the fragmentation and reconstruction of pre-existing music in combination with original synthetic and acoustic materials. Moments suggest musical environments of indeterminate ethnicity --simultaneously Western and non-Western, ancient and modern, familiar and unfamiliar. Hyperrealism is an electroacoustic musical language constructed from sounds that are recognizable parts of our shared environment ('realism'), handled in ways that are exaggerated or excessive ('hyper'). Hyperrealist music exists in two basic genres. The first uses the sounds of traditional instruments that are pushed beyond the capacities of human performers in order to create superperformers -- hypothetical virtuosos who transcend the limitations of individual performance capabilities (e.g., 'Mari Kimura Redux,' 'Intrada,' 'Favorite Encores'). Hyperrealism of the second genre aims to integrate vast and diverse sonic elements to produce an expressive and versatile musical language. Its vocabulary is an inclusive, limitless sonic compendium, free of ethnic and national particularity (e.g., Shadow of a Doubt). Hyperrealism celebrates bounty, either by the extravagant treatment of limited sound palettes or by the assembling and manipulating of substantially extended palettes. Al Margolis has been working under the musical pseudonym If, Bwana since New Year's Day 1984. 'There are often collaborators in this project -- both knowingly and unknowingly. Both are represented on this recording. 'Xyloxings' was a concept-based work that in the end had the concept discarded for compositional considerations. Lisa Barnard's vocals were recorded with her direct knowledge. 'Scraping Scrafide' uses a portion of Tony Scafide's piano part from a prior work of mine '3 Out of 4 Ain't Bad' and processes it. 'Cicada #4: Barnard Mix' is part of my 'discipline' series, an open set of works, and uses Barnard's vocals from other sessions to create one of many possible versions of this work.'"
CD $12


NIELS PRAESTHOLM & EMBLA - Aircondition (Gateway Music 701; Denmark) Featuring Simon Spang-Hanssen & Anders Banke on reeds, Peter Dahlgren on trombone, Tobias Wallin on cello, Mark Solborg on guitar & effects, Soren Norbo on piano, Niels Praestholm on acoustic bass & compositions and Jonas Johansen on drums. I previously reviewed Niels' 'Imagic' CD [on the Curling Legs label] but had no pipeline to his other releases, but thanks to Lawrence from All About Jazz NY another superb CD has found its way to our hallowed shelves. Even with the magic of Google, very little is to be found on Niels or his Embla group [at least in English].
Right from the opening salvo, Neils crafty acoustic bass is burning and leading his tight ensemble. Superbly recorded & balanced, the horns and guitar swirl tightly around him. Niels' writing is complex, the band intense in a post-M-Base like way. Guitarist, Mark Solborg, takes one of those great jazz/noise solos with some focused, fractured notes. I dig how "Dreams; Events In" is completely different, an eerie dream/haze with simmering bowed strings and ghost-like slide guitar. Like a soundtrack for a suspense-filled European movie. Although "Sweet Birds Suite" sounds free, there is a tight thread which seems to hold it together. Superb harmonies for the flute, trombone, bass clarinet, guitar and bass make this piece unique and special. There are intricate layers within layers swirling around one another. Although the drummer's name is not mentioned with the rest of the personnel, he is a perfect match for their leader and bassist, Niels Praestholm. The second part of "Dreams; Rooms & Spaces" is sparse, somber, delicate and a bit dark and a perfect way to split up the more adventurous themes. "Forventningens Glaede" has another burning M-Base-like theme, tight and sassy with revolving clarinet, sax and trombone lines. Considering that all members of this fine ensemble are new names to all of us, it is surprising how amazing this gem really is. - BLG
CD $15


ELIANE RADIGUE - Pour Charles Curtis - Violoncelle (Shiiin 03; EEC) Since 2004 Eliane Radigue has dedicated herself to composing works for purely acoustical instruments. For the American cello player Charles Curtis, the work Naldjorlak was created in December 2005. Longer review next week.
CD $20



A Great New Recording from ESP!

STEPHANE FURIC LEIBOVICI/CHRIS SPEED/CHRIS CHEEK - Jugendstil (ESP Disk 4048; USA)Ê Composed by bassist/composer Stephane Furic Leibovici (The Twitter Machine, Crossing Brooklyn Ferry, Kishinev, and Music For 3, all on Soul Note Records) this "trio music is based on compositional material which is developed through organic means (not repetitive means)." This session was recorded with long time collaborators Chris Speed and Chris Cheek, produced by Jim Black and recorded by Joey Marciano in NYC on June 20th, 2006.
CD $12

And newly remastered - for the first time from the original masters - ESP Rarities..

LOWELL DAVIDSON TRIO With GARY PEACOCK/MILFORD GRAVES - Lowell Davidson Trio (ESP Disk 1012; USA)Ê Brought to the attention of ESP-Disk by Ornette Coleman, Lowell Davidson recorded this singular session on July 27th, 1965 with Gary Peacock and the ever amazing Milford Graves.
"Sadly, the only recording ever released by Davidson, it remains fresh and exciting 40 plus years later. A unique piano trio recording in the tradition of Cecil Taylor and Herbie Nichols. "Recorded in 1965 with Milford Graves (percussion, drums), Gary Peacock (bass), Davidson (piano)." "This recording is the only one made by Lowell Davidson that is commercially available. The beauty of the music on this CD is only a snippet in a long career of beautiful music created by this great, but elusive artist... Jackie McLean once described Monk and Bud Powell as being 'in a state of grace'. That is how I would describe Lowell. He was extremely brilliant, his sincerity and commitment to creativity was profound. The rhetoric he used to describe his music was very rarefied and reflected his background in church music and science (and perhaps hallucinogens). He talked about the upper partials of a tone, his desire to manipulate them and their effect on the biochemisty of the brain. Lowell felt that if you could expand the consciousness of people with music it would have a molecular effect and cause their brain matter to evolve. He also described hallucinations he had as if they were real and seemed fearless about peering into the darkest parts of his own thoughts." -- Joe Morris
CD $12

GUNTER HAMPEL GROUP With WILLEM BREUKER/PIET VEENING/PIERRE COURBOIS - Music From Europe (ESP Disk 1042; USA)Ê Recorded in Baarn, Holland, on December 21st, 1966, Music From Europe was a strong statement of European free jazz from one of it's first and strongest leaders, Gunter Hampel. Over the beautifully structured compositional suites are strong blowing and improvising by both reedmen (Hampel, Breuker) and the elastic rhythm section (Veening, Courbois).
CD $12

KAREL VELEBNY - SHQ (ESP Disk 1080; USA)Ê Jiri Stivin: alto sax, flute, recorder; Karel Velebny: tenor sax, bass clarinet, vibes; Ludek Svabensky: piano; Karel Vejvoda: bass; Josef Vejvoda: drums. Early recording (1967) of eastern European free improvisation, which maintained a strong tension between restraint and the all out blowing of it's western relatives. Though more traditional post-bop inspirations are evident, there is the beautiful sound of struggle and attainment of a very free, individual sound. A must for anyone interested in European jazz and the history of it's relationship with the 60's American New Thing movement.Ê"Belongs squarely alongside the best '60s Free Music! The Thumbs, The Thumbs UP!" - MannyLunch
CD $12

MIJ [JIM HOLBERG] - Yodeling Astrologer (ESP Disk 1098; USA) When MIJ, aka Jim Holmberg was found by ESP-Disk's Bernard Stollman, yodeling by the fountain in Washington Square Park, on a hot, summer Sunday afternoon IN 1969, he explained that an auto accident had fractured his skull and impaired his hearing. But it had also altered his perceptions and enabled him to do things that he did not understand, but which worked musically. The next day ESP sent him into the studio. With Onno Scholtze's help, MIJ explored the possibilities of multiple reverb to provide a series of echoes for his yodeling. When the project was completed, both participants continued to reverberate. They may be reverberating still. An original freak folk classic.
CD $12

CHARLES MANSON - Lie: Charles Manson Sings (ESP Disk 2003; USA)Ê Digipak edition Charles Manson visited New York City in the early 60's with his guitar and his songs in a vain search for recognition. In Beverly Hills, famous musicians gave him their studio to produce this album. He has vocal backup from the women of the "family". During a stay in a San Francisco prison, he met a fellow inmate, and gave him the album to release. While Manson was being tried and convicted of participation in the murder spree, the government attempted to discredit the hippie movement by citing him as an example, hoping to defuse the rising tide of anger among the population over the war in Viet Nam.Ê- Lao Che, Amazon
CD $12 ÊÊÊÊ



We forgot to mention the FIVE BONUS CUTS on last week's Amazing first-time [finally!] CD issue of..

ROSCOE MITCHELL With ANTHONY BRAXTON/HENRY THREADGILL/JOSEPH JARMAN /GEORGE E LEWIS/MALACHI FAVORS/MUHAL RICHARD ABRAMS/WALLACE McMILLAN - 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!
2 CD set for $24


HELENA ESPVALL & MASAKI BATOH - Helena Espvall & Masaki Batoh (Drag City 359; USA) "Helena Espvall and Masaki Batoh are known to open-eared music listeners for their collaborations with other artists -- artists with names such as Ghost, Espers, Damon & Naomi, Fursaxa, Tom Rapp, Lukas Ligeti, Bert Jansch, among many others. By collaborating with each other, they've made one of the most beautiful recordings either one of them has yet participated in. They first met at a festival in the United States in 2006. Batoh presented Helena with a handmade bamboo instrument; short on spare celli, she gave him a copy of her solo CD. Afterwards, they stayed in touch. At some point Helena suggested an improvised musical collaboration. Batoh wrote back and said: 'Actually I'm too busy now to think about music... if my idols Moondog, Henry Cowell or Toru Takemitsu wanted me, I'll refuse their orders.' Several weeks later, he had a change of heart. He contacted Helena and said that he felt they should record not improvisations only, but songs as well. Helena made a demo of some Scandinavian folk songs that she remembered in her spirit from growing up in northern Sweden, thinking that maybe they'd record one. The recording session was held in Tokyo over four days in December 2007. For instruments fans, this session might be a treasure. So many strings were used: 6- and 12-string guitar, banjo, cello, hurdy-gurdy, harp, contra bass, chappa Tibetan bells, Kin (Buddist metallic bowl), timpani, bass marimba, vibraphone, thunder sheet & on & on. Six of the Swedish traditional tunes were reconstructed, along with Batoh's arrangement of 'Death Letter,' a classic Son House delta blues song. Additionally, a European medieval tune was addressed in its own arrangement and expression. 'Zeranium,' a dreamy folk tune that Batoh wrote for Damon & Naomi (they didn't use it), was re-arranged for this session as well. The improvisations were done on the last recording day, with no overdubs. 'Completely Free' was the essential concept. For one of them, they were joined by Batoh's fellow Ghosts Takuyuki Moriya (contra bass), Kazuo Ogino (piano,Celtic harp) and the santur player Mayumi Nagayoshi. The same morning, Helena had received notice that her grandmother suddenly had died, and that a dear friend had chosen to end his life. Two death letters in one day? There is great emotion reflected in the improvisations. And great depth and beauty throughout the whole Helena Espvall & Masaki Batoh album."
CD $14

FAUN FABLES [DAWN McCARTHY] - A Table Forgotten (Drag City 370; USA) "A Table Forgotten is the first taste in an ongoing series of projects by Dawn McCarthy on a theme that's been largely unexplored in recent times: the age-old practices of tending a home and its immediate impact upon our day-to-day lives. It is an invitation to return to our kitchens and homes with reverence, to enjoy a largely overlooked sanctuary in the modern age. After the Faun Fables record release of The Transit Rider in 2006, Dawn was invited to be Artist-In-Residence with Idyllwild Art Academy's Interdisciplinary students in the San Jaciento Mountains of southern California, where she began delving into this longstanding theme of interest. Drawing from her own personal experience and research into historical patterns, plus the students' concerns about family and home, a musical theater performance debuted on the Idyllwild Arts campus in May 2007. Since that production, she has continued developing and performing this material plus other new songs with the Faun Fables band. Within this theme, the music is largely shaped by the spirit, tools and movement of physical kitchen work- and by dimensions of housekeeping that are positive, pivotal, even revolutionary. The tools of basic chores become instrumentation and choreography: the opening track 'With Words and Cake' takes place at a table with bells to ring, kettles to whistle and dishes and utensils to hit. But along with McCarthy & long-time collaborator Nils Frykdahl's guitars, percussion and wind instruments, the recording features the talents of new members, violinist Meredith Yayanos, and multi-instrumentalist Kirana Peyton on harmonium, vocals, and the Irish bodhran drum. This new release is also imbibed with the additional delightful sounds and manipulations of Matt Waldron (Irr.App.(ext), Nurse With Wound) who co-produced the EP with McCarthy and Frykdahl."
CD $14


JEAN COCTEAU & LES SIX - Once Upon A Time (Cherry Red/El 152; UK) "Paris 1919. Playwright, novelist, poet, surrealist, filmmaker and self-publicist Jean Cocteau was the literary spokesman for Les Six. With his endorsement, and the inspiration of Erik Satie and fired by the principles of Dada and surrealism, the group, comprising Francis Poulenc, Arthur Honegger, Darius Milhaud, Georges Auric, Germaine Tailleferre and Louis Durey, expressed their irreverence towards the twin spectres of lifeless tradition and bloodless modernism. They embraced the previously forbidden worlds of popular song, 'primitive' music and jazz and in so doing, helped purge the classical music establishment of its deeply ingrained snobbery and pave the way for generations of iconoclasts -- in classical, jazz and rock music -- still to come. Our edition comprises famous examples of the work of this group of composers who so scandalized twenties Paris: Pacific 231, Les Biches, Le Boeuf sur le Toit and La Creation du Monde, along with themes from Georges Auric's scores for Cocteau s the very influential surrealistic film fantasies; Orphee (Orpheus), La belle et la bete (Beauty and the Beast) and L'aigle a deux tetes (The Eagle has Two Heads)."
CD $17

Or, you may want this item which we've previously offered [some material is repeated]

JEAN COCTEAU, ERIK SATIE & LES SIX - L'Album Des Six (LTM/Salon 2402; EEC) The celebrated L'Album des Six of 1920 is now recognised as a landmark in 20th Century modern music. Similarly the artful relationship between the composers who formed "Les Six" and their mentors Erik Satie and Jean Cocteau forms an important cornerstone of the inter-war avant garde. This 74 minute anthology also includes music composed by Satie and Les Six for spectacles staged by Cocteau between 1917 and 1920, as well as Arthur Honegger's futuristic Pacific 231, and music by Georges Auric for five Cocteau films made between 1930 and 1959: Le Sang d'un Poete, La Belle et la Bete, L'Aigle a Deux Tetes, Orphee, Le Testament D'Orphee. Full tracklist: JEAN COCTEAU Introduces Les Six (1953) L'ALBUM DES SIX (1920) 11.30 Georges Auric Prelude Louis Durey Romance sans Paroles Op 21 Arthur Honegger Sarabande Darius Milhaud Mazurka Francis Poulenc Valse Germaine Tailleferre Pastorale FRANCIS POULENC Cocardes (1920) ERIK SATIE Parade (1917) DARIUS MILHAUD Le Boeuff sur le Toit (1919) ARTHUR HONEGGER Pacific 231 (1923) JEAN COCTEAU two jazz poems (1929) GEORGES AURIC five Cocteau film themes All material on this definitive collection has been digitally remastered. The deluxe booklet features many rare images, as well as detailed historical notes by noted author James Hayward.Consider this a companion volume to LTM's Futurism & Dada Reviewed (LTMCD 2301) Surrealism Reviewed (LTMCD 2343), and Musica Futurista (LTMCD 2401)
CD $17


And, from Cuong Vu..

CUONG VU With STOMU TAKEISHI/JOHN HOLLENBECK - This, This And That: The Knitting Factory Recordings (ArtistShare; USA)Ê CD length compilation of tracks from the two out-of-print Knitting Factory CDs: 'Pure' and 'Come Play With Me' Highest recommendation!
CD $13

and restocks on..

CUONG VU TRIO + BILL FRISELL - It's Mostly Residual (ArtistShare; USA) "Featuring Bill Frisell on guitar, Cuong Vu on trumpet, Stomu Takeishi on electric bass and Ted Poor on drums.. Cuong's drone-like trumpet sounds more like an organ, as Frisell weaves layers sonic tones into the blend. When they finally morph into an actual song, it sure feels good as both Cuong and Bill take great solos. "Blur" is a perfect closing piece: melancholy, luscious, haunting, touching and quite tasty. Another of 2006's best discs is found right here." - BLG
CD $13

CUONG VU VU-TET With CHRIS SPEED/STOMU TAKEISHI/TED POOR - Vu-Tet (ArtistShare 73; USA)Ê Featuring Cuong Vu on trumpet & electronics, Chris Speed on tenor sax & clarinet, Stomu Takeishi on fretless bass & effects and Ted Poor on drums. Distinctive trumpeter, Cuong Vu, leads a double musical life. Cuong has played trumpet and even sang for the Pat Metheny Group for the past few years, making him a good deal more visible. Yet, for each of Cuong's five discs as a leader he loves to experiment and alter the sound of his trumpet with effects. Fretless bass great, Stomu Takeishi's distinctive and often massive sounding fretless bass is often at the center of most of these pieces and does a wonderful of holding the tunes together with flashes of brilliant playing here and there added as spicing. Cuong takes a number of incredible solos as well, reaching for the stars and erupting with unlimited ideas and layers of notes across the spectrum. Outstanding, once again! - BLG
CD $13


Z'EV & PITA [PETER REHBERG] - Colchester (Editions Mego DE 04; Austria) "I sit here still trying to grasp the monumental meeting of the mysterious Z'ev, king of clattering chains and things, collaborating with Pita, the pioneer of the laptop as a versatile instrument; both whom are known for the sheer physical inertia of their music. Makes sense on paper, but does it transcend mere thought into action? Yes it does and quite explicitly so. 35 minutes of naked slithering frequencies that crawl up your spine and keep you at a standstill, hypnotized by their haunting tones. Pita's work with Stephen O'Malley seems to pay off here with ominous droning sine waves that mesh really well with Z'ev's acoustic ambience of metal percussion. Imagine a one person gamelan playing on an airport runaway. RECOMMENDED! -Chuck Bettis/dmg
CD $17


DECIBEL - El Poeta Del Ruido (MIO 022; Israel) Decibel were an extraordinary Mexican progressive band that started in the late seventies. They were a unique chamber quartet with guests whose music seems to have been influenced by the RIO (Rock in Opposition) axis, similar to Henry Cow, Art Zoyd, Univers Zero and Nazca. "El Poeta del Ruido" was their first album and it was recorded in 1978. This disc features their first album plus numerous live and studio bonus tracks, clocking in at some 78 minutes. The instrumentation most often features two synths & piano, violin, alto sax or clarinet, bass and percussion. The title piece is first and is a unique progressive blend. Consistently intricate and complex in a Zappa or Henry Cow-like way, with Art Zoyd-like instrumentation. There is a quirky and playful vibe that runs through this music, reminding me of the sunnier side of Samla at times. "Orgon Patafisico" sounds like layers of synths and (sampled?) acoustic harp or guitar, which is a particularly fascinating blend. "Fakma" features two synths, prepared piano and percussion and it is quite a mesmerizing blend of eerie sounds. What I like most about this band is the way they create textures that evoke cinematic images. On "Manati," it is like walking through the jungle as well as walking through a deserted cityscape with spooky ghosts floating by. The use of synthesizer(s) is always well-selected and diverse, changing on each track. Four tracks were recorded at the first 'Rock in Opposition Festival' in Mexico City in June of 1978. Who knew that such a festival ever existed outside of Europe where most of the bands are from? Certainly not me. Now that the MIO Records label is long gone, we have a handful of their wonderful progressive gems on sale for as long as our supply lasts. You certainly can't beat this sale price of only... - BLG
CD $12

Above also available as part of this set..

DECIBEL - Fiat Laux - Complete Recordings 1977-2000: El Poeta Del Ruido/Furtuna Virilis/In Concert/ Plus.. [3 CD set] (MIO 022-24; Israel) [originally $50!]
3 CD set for $30


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ECM Rarities - either out-of-print or previously available as $28 imports - NOW as U.S. mid-line editions for only $12 each - while supplies last!
Each and every one of these is a choice gem from an era when ECM was consistently a label to hear!
In stock on Tuesday (August 26th)

JOHN ABERCROMBIE/RALPH TOWNER - Sargasso Sea (ECM 1080; USA)
ÊÊÊ CD $12

PAUL BLEY - Open To Love: Solo Piano (ECM 1023; USA) Paul Bley piano
CD $12

GARY BURTON QUINTET With PAT METHENY/MICK GOODRICK/STEVE SWALLOW/BOB MOSES - Dreams So Real: Music Of Carla Bley (ECM 1072; USA)ÊÊÊ
CD $12

CHICK COREA/MIROSLAV VITOUS/ROY HAYNES - Trio Music: Live In Europe (ECM 1310; USA)Ê
CD $12

JACK DeJOHNETTE'S SPECIAL EDITION With DAVID MURRAY/ARTHUR BLYTHE/PETER WARREN - Special Edition (ECM 1152; USA)
CD $12

BILL FRISELL With HANK ROBERTS/KERMIT DRISCOLL/JOEY BARON - Lookout For Hope (ECM 1350; USA)
CD $12

DAVE HOLLAND QUARTET With STEVE COLEMAN - Extensions (ECM 1410; USA) Dave Holland bass; Steve Coleman alto saxophone; Kevin Eubanks guitar; Marvin Smitty Smith drumsÊ
CD $12

KEITH JARRETT/GARY PEACOCK/JACK DeJOHNETTE - Standards Live (ECM 1317; USA)Ê
ÊÊ CD $12

KEITH JARRETT - Facing You (ECM 1017; USA)
ÊÊÊ CD $12

MARC JOHNSON'S BASS DESIRES With BILL FRISELL/JOHN SCOFIELD/PETER ERSKINE - Bass Desires (ECM 1299; USA)
CD $12

PAT METHENY GROUP With LYLE MAYS - American Garage (ECM 1155; USA) Pat Metheny 6- and 12-string guitars; Lyle Mays piano, oberheim synthesizer, autoharp; Mark Egan bass; Dan Gottlieb drumsÊ
CD $12

OREGON [GLEN MOORE/RALPH TOWNER/COLLIN WALCOTT/PAUL McCANDLESS] - Oregon (ECM 1258; USA) Oregons 1st album for ECM - after their Vanguard period - and the late Collin Walcott's last with them.
CD $12

JOHN SURMAN - Private City (ECM 1366; USA) John Surman bass clarinet, recorders, soprano and baritone saxophones, synthesizerÊ
CD $12

RALPH TOWNER SOLSTICE With JAN GARBAREK/EBERHARD WEBER/JON CHRISTENSEN - Solstice (ECM 1060; USA)
ÊÊÊ CD $12

KENNY WHEELER With KEITH JARRETT/DAVE HOLLAND/JACK DeJOHNETTE - Gnu High (ECM 1069; USA)ÊÊ
Ê CD $12


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Historic Recordings & Reissued discs:

PATTI SMITH - Under Review [DVD] (Sexy Intellectual 1043; USA)Ê 87 minutes. "This film is the first full-length documentary about Patti Smith and the astonishing music she has been making for three decades. With rare and previously-unseen performance footage, interviews with Patti, location shoots and lengthy contributions from friends, colleagues and esteemed experts, this program is not just the only such documentary ever produced about Smith; it will surely remain the standard work on its subject. Features live and studio performances of Patti Smith classics such as: 'Gloria,' 'Easter,' 'Because The Night,' 'Dancing Barefoot,' 'Frederick,' 'Ask The Angela,' and many many more. Includes interviews with Patti Smith; her first publisher and biographer, Victor Bockris; her ex-songwriting partner, Blue Oyster Cult's Albert Bouchard; engineer on Horses, Frank D'Augusta; producer of Radio Ethiopia, Jack Douglas; engineer on the Easter sessions, Shelly Yakus; author of Horses and the Remaking of Rock n'Roll, Mark Paytress, English music journalist and author, Jon Savage; Rolling Stone magazine's ex-editor, Anthony De Curtis; New York's Village Voice music editor, Robert Christgau; Patti Smith biographer, Nick Johnstone and more. 'Extras' include Special Feature: Horses For Courses, The Making Of A Landmark Album; Interactive Gaming Feature, 'The Hardest Patti Smith Quiz In The World, Ever,' full contributor biographies and Beyond DVD section." All Regions; Screen Format 4:3
DVD $20


AGITATION FREE - Malesch (Revisited/SPV 42782; Germany) This CD edition includes 2 BONUS cuts: Music Factory Live (15 min.) and a Quicktime video Agitation Free At Sakkara (6 min.)] Agitation Free were a great, relatively underrated German psychedelic rock band who released 2 albums in their time, this being the first from 1972 (plus the live albums below). Great raw Karoli-like guitar sound, and medium length Can/Guru Guru style songs, with weird electronic/tape interludes, etc.
ÊÊ "The debut album by Agitation Free followed a somewhat different path than your average Krautrock band, veering unexpectedly toward the Middle East, specifically Egypt, in search of atmosphere and material. Underneath the dueling guitars and spacy synth work, desert rhythms and taped sounds of dusky cities percolate, adding depth and spice to the otherwise smooth, Teutonic grooves. It's a tribute to the apparent sincerity of the band that the use of these motifs does not sound at all contrived, instead integrating quite well. The delicate, intricate percussion that concludes "Ala Tul," for instance, sounds as lively as anything by Steve Reich from around the same period. Tapes of street songs emerge surprisingly and effectively toward the end of the otherwise stately march "Khan El Khalili," providing a bridge to the Terry Riley-ish organ trills that begin the title track. "Malesch," like many of the tracks, spins off into a leisurely stroll, sounding unexpectedly close to some Grateful Dead jams. Even when it picks up pace, there's an unhurried quality that fits in nicely with the Saharan undertones of the album. Malesch is a solid, even inspired recording that stands somewhat apart from the usual clichŽs of the genre. Fans of German progressive rock from this period will certainly want to hear and enjoy it." - Brian Olewnick / AMG
CD $17

AGITATION FREE - 2nd [Second] (Revisited/SPV 42792; Germany) [This CD edition contains the BONUS cut Laila '74 (8 min.)] Long awaited reissue of the space-jamming 2nd A. Free album. Adds bouzouki, mellotron, 12-string guitar to their classic twin guitar, heavy Krautrock sound. "Recorded and released in 1973, few months after the first and incredible Malesch, Second is at the frontiers of experimental, progressive, jazz. If Malesch was experimental recording with a touch of progressive, Second just appears as a progressive recording with experimental touch, revealing the incredible music of the band in an 'easier,' HIGHER way."
"Agitation Free's 2nd stands as one of Germany's finest instrumental rock albums of the 1970s and a classic for fans of progressive rock and Krautrock. Despite the fact that the group had problems keeping its cohesion at the time, these troubles never affect the music. 2nd presented a daring blend of Krautrock-type extended jams, laid-back attitude, and experimentation. The music remains very psychedelic in nature, more early Can than Faust. The presence of acoustic guitars and bouzouki emphasizes the easygoing nature of the music, along with Stefan Diez's elegant guitar soloing, while occasional free-form passages keep things on the edge. The opener, "First Communication," is pure Krautrock and the hardest-driving tune. It belongs on every anthology of German rock. Michael Hoenig's synthesizer experiment "Dialogue and Random" provides an interlude before the two-part "Laila" kicks in. The latter juxtaposes prog rock and fusion jazz sections with beautiful audacity. Side B of the original LP is a lot quieter. Birds chirp at the beginning of "In the Silence of the Morning Sunrise" and the pastoral mood carries over to the nine-minute "A Quiet Walk." "Haunted Island" ends with a mid-tempo rock number featuring a recitation of Edgar Allan Poe's "Dreamland." Filled with Mellotron and guitar jamming, it has often been hailed as a highlight by prog rock fans who had a hard time digesting the less immediate material, but it's actually weaker than what came before it -- without lessening the appeal of this album. - Franois Couture / AMG
CD $17


NEVER EVER LAND: 'INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS' LABEL V.A. - Never Ever Land: 83 Texan Nuggets From International Artists Records 1965-1970 [3 CD box] (Charly; UK) Outstanding package documenting the history of the world's greatest psychedelic label, packaged in a deluxe box with 48-page book edited by Jon Mills (including contributions from Patrick Lundberg & Jon Savage's old Lelan Rogers interview reproduced). "One of the most innovative and influential independent record companies of its time, International Artists has gained cult status over the years, particularly amongst fans of prime American psychedelic and garage rock. Based in Houston, Texas the label thrived under the expert guidance of its driving force, Lelan Rogers, brother of country legend Kenny Rogers. This 3CD set collects classic tracks from the label's flagship acts like The 13th Floor Elevators, The Red Crayola, The Bubble Puppy and Golden Dawn alongside a host of sought-after lesser known gems from the likes of Thursday's Children, The Chaynes, The Rubayaat, Sterling Damon and The Shayds. Quite a number of these tracks are here making their CD debut, several not having seen the light of since their first release forty years ago."
3 CD set for $30


WE CAN FLY [V.A.] - Vols 1-5: 128 Tracks of Psych Rarities from the '60s & '70s [5 CD box set] (Psychic Circle BOX 01; UK)Ê Following constant demand, the Psychic Circle label is delighted to announce the forthcoming numbered, limited repressing of the legendary We Can Fly series in a 5-CD boxed set. Amongst the best psych and beat compilations ever put together, each volume is a mind-blowing treasure trove of mod, beat, acid rock and pop from the 1960s, and comes housed inside a slipcase card replica of its original artwork. Featuring familiar names such as The Smoke, Shocking Blue and Eire Apparent alongside obscure heroes such as The Mickey Finn, Cherry Smash and the Gnomes of Zurich, each volume has been compiled and sequenced by the legendary psych musician and Psychic Circle label-head, Nick Saloman (The Bevis Frond). Presented here complete for the first time with a detailed booklet, featuring updated band histories, rare photographs and full discographies, the series is a byword for the best in swinging psychedelia. Please note that only 1000 numbered copies are being pressed.
Other artists include: The Penny Peeps, The Loot, The Moving Finger, Anan, The Peep Show, The Glass Menagerie, The Bunch, The Neat Change, The Movement, Sands, Kippington Lodge, Infantes Jubilate, The QPR Supporters, Trash, The Orange Machine, Serendipity, The Kytes, Portobello Explosion, The Fox, The Mooche, The Fruit Machine, The Image, Episode Six, Peter Cook & Dudley Moore, Shy Limbs, Brainbox, The Cedars, Pugh, The Lords, Nite People, The Montanas, The Julian Kirsch, Blonde On Blonde, Avalanche, West Coast Consortium, The Tages, The Mirage, The Petards, The Bystanders, A.P. Dangerfield, The Blinkers, Danny McCulloch, Joy Unlimited, Moonshine, Magicians, O'Hara's Playboys, St. John & The Crew, Murray Head, Tales Of Justine, I Corvi, Made In Sheffield, Mecki Mark Men, The Afex, Jackie Lomax, Los Brincos, The Excelsior Spring, Daddy Lindberg, Pesky Gee, Mick Softley, Callan & John, Brut, The Washington D.C.'s, The Sugarbeats, The League, The New Generation, The Fox, Bulldog Breed, Brass Tacks, Neo Maya, Russell Morris, The Rokes, Wimple Winch, Keith Shields, "14", Lucas Tyson, Hopscotch, The Truth, The Bunch, Griffin, Five Steps Beyond, Tangerine Peel, Los Canarios, Strange Fox, Mint, The Orange Machine, The Ferris Wheel, The Beatstalkers, The Mindbenders, Les Baroques, Terry Reid, Magnet, Circus, Harsh Reality, The Iveys, Old Gold, The Human Instinct, Keith Relf, Episode Six, Saker, Kim Fowley, The Loot, The Bunch, The Montanas, Groep 1850, Chris McClure, The Fruit Machine, Giorgio, East Of Eden, I Corvi, Elmer Gantry's Velvet Opera, The Gibsons, Orange Peel, The Mirage, The Cedars, Cuby & The Blizzards, Silver Eagle, Nite People, The Nocturnes and Danny McCulloch.
5 CD Set for $60


TRIP IN TIME [V.A.] - Vol 3: Psychedelic Adventures On Planet Earth (World in Sound TIT 2503; Germany)Ê "This is the third chapter of the 'Trip In Time' psychedelic series, and it's at least as interesting as the previous ones, with only unreleased material! It presents 18 of the recent top Hard-Psych-Garage- Kraut- Underground bands (several from Scandinavia and Germany, but also bands from Spain, France, US, and Peru). Listening to this compilation you will not believe that all these songs are contemporary recordings (most are very well produced but reflect a very intense retro spirit -- nearly unbelievable). The music itself ranges from a hard and heavy Doors sound, Pink Floyd style, blues hard rock a la Mountain, true '60s garage beat but also early Amon Duul 2 of Brainticket flashes. A running time of 78+ minutes and a 12-page booklet will guide the way to the music of tomorrow." Artists include: Electric Mystical Soul Vibration, The People, Ginger, Jenda Wight, Jarvis Jay, Fuzz Mantra, Mother and Sun, Psychoine, The Magnificent Brotherhood, Crystal Caravan, Living Room, The Flying Eyes, Black Box Massacre, Serpentina Satelite, Aqua Nebula Oscillator, Space Debris, Fantasyy Factoryy, Zaphire Oktaloque.
CD $19

TRIP IN TIME [V.A.] - Vol 1: Delighted by Psychedelic Rock (World in Sound TIT 2501; Germany)Ê Somewhat budget comp of contemporary psych bands (most tracks from 2005/6; plus a previously released Dragonwyck track from 1968 just to throw you off!). Features: Siena Root, Vibravoid, Stoned Circus, La Ira De Dios, Treacle People, Loxley Beade, Fantasyy Factoryy, i-H8 Camera, Ma-Nia, Karmic Society. 72% previously unreleased. "Music for the Mind and Body... while music industry continuously looks for 'new' concepts, trends and music styles to serve the mainstream, Trip in Time ventures a look to the past. We present the artistic, emotional and intensive side of music, the concept of progressive psychedelic rock. It appeared in the public consciousness for the first time in 1966, created by the 13th Floor Elevators. By 1956, the English psychiatrist Humphrey Osmond had already formulated: 'To fathom hell or soar angelic, just take a pinch of psychedelic.' Fifty years later, we invite you to join the bride uncensored spektrum of music with a fine feel for intensity and a variety of interesting influences. On Trip In Time events, www.tripintime.de, we build an audio-visual bridge from 1969 to today, creating by a sensitive choice of artists, an electrifying, mesmerizing ambience. Trip In Time, a sub-label of World In Sound (Germany) presents their first CD-issue, an 11-track compilation (73 mins), 12p. color booklet, containing some of the hottest acts from the international rock underground. It features, well remastered, fresh live-recordings as well as non-album tracks and other exclusive material."
CD $19


VINEGAR JOE [ROBERT PALMER/ELKIE BROOKS] - Vinegar Joe (Lemon 108; USA)Ê "Overdue reissue of the self-titled debut album from the seminal British R&B band, Vinegar Joe. Vinegar Joe were fronted by the vocal talents of Robert Palmer and Elkie Brooks, who formed the band after the demise of the experimental jazz rockists, Dada. The album was originally released in 1972 on Island Records. This CD includes one bonus track 'Speed Queen Of Ventura,' the flip side of the single taken from this album 'Never Met A Dog.' The CD booklet features sleeve notes and UK discography, including images of the 3 albums that the band released before their split in 1973."
CD $17


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