(Near) Summer's End births more Summer Gems:

Carla Kihlstedt! Berthiuame/E#! Ambrosetti/Caine! Fantomas/Melvins DVD! Hugh Masekela/Dudu Pukwana! Normal Love! Mo' Blue Note RVG remasters! The Enja catalog available again!

..and tons more!




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FREE CECIL TAYLOR TICKETS!!!
YOU MUST PICK THEM UP AT THE STORE TODAY!!

Yes, that is right - you heard right!
DMG has been given 50 free tickets to each set of this show!

Any DMG Newsletter subscriber reading this who wants to attend, please come down to DMG between 12-noon & 7pm today (Friday, August 29th) and pick up 2 tickets per person. First come, first serve. Who loves you...?!? Your friends at DMG, of course!

TONIGHT Friday, August 29th at 8pm & 10:30pm


CECIL TAYLOR at The Highline Ballroom!
Solo Piano & Poetry

431 W 16th St, New York, NY
between 9th and 10th Ave
(212) 414-5994
Doors open 6:00 PM
$30.00 at door / $10 min per person at tables


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Probably sold out by the time you read this, but if not, HURRY!


September 2nd, 2008
JOHN ZORN & LOU REED plus PHANTOM ORCHARD (IKUE MORI & ZEENA PARKINS)
at 8pm

September 4th, 2008
JOHN ZORN / BILL LASWELL / MILFORD GRAVES TRIO!
7pm show & 9pm show, [separate admissions]

@ Le Poisson Rouge (formerly The Village Gate)
158 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10012

Tickets at
http://www.brownpapertickets.com


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'n' now for the Great Stuff!

CARLA KIHLSTEDT/MATTHIAS BOSSI/DAN RATHBUN - Ravish And Other Tales For The Stage (Twelve Cups 01; USA) 'Music Written for Dance & Theatre' and featuring Carla Kihlstedt on violin, piano, Hammond organ, zither, charango & voice, Matthias Bossi on drums, piano & organ, Michael Mellender on trumpet & guitar, Dan Rathbun on bass guitar and Sam Bass on cello. The wonderful Carla Kihlstedt stopped by the store earlier this week and left us with this gem. We talked about the two incredible performances that she was involved in up at Victo earlier this year with Fred Frith's new band Cosa Brava and with the incredible Art Bears Songbook project. Cosa Brava will be playing at the Knitting Factory in December and will record their debut disc that same month. Word is that ReR will release the Art Bears performance in the not-too-distant future.
'Ravish' consists of music from four different dance or theatre projects in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008. 'The Live Billboard Project' was done in 2006 for Jo Kreiter and has a dark and mysterious sound. Layers of marching percussion, suspense-filled drones, eerie guitar, majestic piano and later a distant spoken/sung voice. The music is an intense blend of Carla's best efforts somewhere between Two Foot Yard and Sleepytime GM. There are a couple of short, intense sections called "Auction Block 1 & 2," which features some auctioneers speaking incredibly quick. The effect is surreal, since their voices are moving too fast to actually distinguish the words. The title track is a great sort of prog rock ditty, occasionally harrowing and most memorable. "A Private Grace" reminds me of the delightful magic of Tin Hat, Carla's other band. The way they evoke so much with such minimal instrumentation. Orchestral and cinematic with just skeletal piano, strings, trumpet and a bit of voice. The magic continues on "Confession" from 'Ame to Ame'. Carla and Matthias create a cerebral, fairy tale-like world with layers of zither, charango, toy guitar, musical sax, bass harmonica, glass and water. The most recent work is called 'Wonderboy' and it was written for Joe Goode's Performance Group. It is another splendid duo by Matthias and Carla playing their unique, wistful, lush, elegant, sublime music. The final piece was written for 'Heaven's Radio' by InkBoat. It is a most enchanting vocal duo by Carla and Dan Rathbun with words in Latin. It is most melancholy and rather touching with somber piano and layers of mysterious samples. It reminds me of the Art Bears at times. Carla Kihlstedt and her cohorts never cease to amaze me. Now it is your turn to be amazed... - BLG
CD $14


ANTOINE BERTHIAUME/ELLIOTT SHARP - Base (AM 178; Canada) Or "Eleven Improvisations for Two Guitarists" featuring Antoine Berthiaume and Elliott Sharp. Quebec-based guitarist, Antoine Berthiaume, excels in duo situations, having recorded with master guitarists Derek Bailey and Fred Frith as well as with another guitarist, Takumi Seino and Maryclare Brzytwa on flute & electronics. NY guitar hero, composer, producer and multi-bandleader, Elliott Sharp, also thrives in duo settings with guitar greats like Nels Cline & Scott Fields, as well as with Bobby Previte, Zeena Parkins and Franck Vigroux.
Both of these guitarists have their own, distinctive and diverse approaches to playing their guitars, so some of their sounds are not always that guitar-like. Layers of strange electronic sounds, manipulated feedback, bent-note e-bow drones, shimmering static, difficult-to-describe noise, howling ghost-like voices, weird sonic mutations, warped string fluctuations and ancient sounding electro-acoustic music is how I would explain some of these fascinating sounds. It does sound as if Elliott is using his laptop and Antoine, his devices to alter many of these sounds beyond their recognizable string-induced sounds. Each of the eleven pieces evokes a different mood and sets up different scenery. I was consistently blown away by the diverse results and sonic textures that both of these magicians/musicians have given to us worthy and demanding listeners. - BLG
CD $15


FANTOMAS/MELVINS BIG BAND [BUZZ OSBORNE/DALE CROVER/MIKE PATTON/TREVOR DUNN/DAVE LOMBARDO et al] - Kentish Town Forum, London, May 1st 2006 [DVD] (Ipecac 102; USA) If you're a FANTOMAS fan, you'll love it. a MELVINS fan - you'll probably like it, if you enjoy some of their more experimental stuff (there are a few classics on here though).
Dale Crover and King Buzzo, Trevor Dunn, Mike Patton, Dave Lombardo, and David Scott Stone crammed on a stage together. 2 drummers, a bassist (sometimes 2), and a guitarist (mostly 2), oh and also samples, noise, and vocals. all at the same time, a meshing of MELVINS and FANTOMAS simultaneously. songs from both bands performed by all.
if you liked the CD they put out a few years back, you'll definitely dig this DVD. Hell, I would've paid $20! - Mr Penguin, Amazon
DVD $12



Finally! We have a new pipeline to the great German jazz label Enja once again
Here are four new releases..

FRANCO AMBROSETTI + URI CAINE TRIO With DREW GRESS/CLARENCE PENN - The Wind (enja 9514; Germany) "The Wind", trumpeter Franco Ambrosetti's thirteenth ENJA album as a leader, is named after its opener, an outstanding Russ Freeman composition that Chet Baker made famous in 1952. "I was then 11 years old", Ambrosetti says, "and ever since I thought of recording it one day. So here it is, played Latin style, not as a ballad." Other bows to fellow musicians include a new version of Sonny Rollins' 1954 classic "Doxy" and the leader's own "Mike On Wings", a re-working of his collaboration with the late Mike Brecker back in 1984. "He was a dear friend", Ambrosetti explains, "whose influence on my music has been and still is dominant in many ways." After three leader albums in a row featuring Franco's son Gianluca on soprano sax and Italian Dado Moroni on piano, "The Wind" presents the trumpeter in a new surrounding, accompanied by the current all-American trio of pianist Uri Caine who also contributed two great tunes to the album ("Otello" and "Stiletto"). For the first time in 10 years Ambrosetti is the only horn player on one of his albums. Concentrating on the trumpet (no fluegelhorn this time) and fuelled by the cooking energy of Uri Caine, Drew Gress and Clarence Penn, Ambrosetti's playing radiates a power and youthfulness that betray his age of 66.
CD $16

RABIH ABOU-KHALIL With MICHEL GODARD/LUCIANO BIONDINI et al - Em Portuges (enja 9520; Germany) After recording with jazz greats, with traditional Arab musicians, with classical string quartets or Armenian musicians, after writing symphonic orchestral works for the BBC Orchestra in London and the Ensemble Modern in Germany - what would a Lebanese composer do next? Of course he would go to Portugal, put music to Portuguese poetry and record the songs with a young fado singer from Lisbon! Ricardo Ribeiro vocals; Luciano Biondini accordion; Michel Godard tuba, serpent, bass; Jarrod Cagwin drums, percussion
CD $16

DHAFER YOUSSEF With MARKUS STOCKHAUSEN/NGUYEN LE et al - Malak (Enja 9367; Germany) Born in Teboulba, Tunesia in 1967, composer, singer and oud player Dhafer Youssef has been living and working in Vienna, Austria since 1990. During this time he had the opportunity to perform his music on stages in Austria, France, Germany, Switzerland and other European countries as well as his native Tunesia (where he started singing in the Islamic tradition at age 5). Dhafer has been working with Sainkho Namchylak, Paolo Fresu, Arto Tuncboyacian, Linda Sharrock, Wolfgang Puschnig, Christian Muthspiel, Jamey Haddad, Iva Bittova, Tom Cora and other great improvisers influenced by world music concepts. He also formed his own ensembles with whom he recorded two previous CD's in 1993 and 1996.
Dhafer's music is rooted in the Sufi tradition and other mystical music but has always been wide open to ideas from any other musical culture as well as the jazz scene. With his poetic approach on the oud (the Arabic lute), his complex Arab-colored compositions and especially his deeply affecting singing, Dhafer Youssef is one of the most impressive voices to emerge in this musical field for several years. Testifying a wide range of sound colors, stylistic facets and musical ingredients, the list of musicians involved on "Malak" includes German lyrical trumpeter Markus Stockhausen, Vietnamese guitar wizard Nguyen Le, French bass virtuoso Renaud Garcia-Fons ("Oriental Bass"), Indian percussion master Jatinder Thakur, Indian bansuri player Deepak Ram, Italian tambourine professor Carlo Rizzo, Hungarian violinist Zoltan Lantos and other colorful players. A thrilling statement made of Arabic lyricism, rhythmic power, visionary strength, multi-cultural influences and jazz-oriented improvisation, "Malak" opens the way to a new definition of East-Western crossover.
CD $16

LEE KONITZ AND MINSARAH - Deep Lee (Enja 9617; Germany) There is no sign of a generation gap in this album. Recorded September 2007, three weeks before Lee Konitz turned 80, it puts Lee with a trio of young students from the Berklee College of Music who make up the trio called Minsarah - a Hebrew word that means "prism". Lee Konitz - Alto sax; Florian Weber - Piano; Jeff Denson - Bass; Ziv Ravitz - Drums
CD $16

Also, Recent 24-bit remasters of these Enja classics:

CHARLES TOLLIVER/MUSIC INC With STANLEY COWELL/RON MATTHEWSON/ALVIN QUEEN - Impact (Live) (Enja 2109; Germany) 1972 quartet version of "Impact"; New 24 bit remaster! + Two bonus cuts!
[Hell! We didn't know this recording EVER existed! - BLG]
CD $16

ERIC DOLPHY With IDREES SULIEMAN/KNUD JORGENSEN/RUNE OWFERMAN/JIMMY WOODE/STURE KALLIN - Stockholm Sessions (Enja 2115; Germany) New 24 bit remaster! + One bonus cut!
CD $16

BENNIE WALLACE With CHICK COREA/EDDIE GOMEZ/DANNIE RICHMOND - Mystic Bridge (Enja 2108; Germany) New 24 bit remaster!
CD $16

McCOY TYNER With AVERY SHARPE/AARON SCOTT - Remembering John (Coltrane) (Enja 2112; Germany) New 24 bit remaster!
CD $16

KENNY BARRON With DAVE HOLLAND/DANIEL HUMAIR - Scratch (enja 2011; Germany) New 24 bit remaster!
CD $16

CHET BAKER With DAVID FRIEDMAN/BUSTER WILLIAMS/JOE CHAMBERS- Peace (Enja 2123; Germany) New 24 bit remaster! + Two bonus cuts!
CD $16

and, see FURTHER BELOW for over a hundred other ENJAs - including more recent ones that never made it here ever! - or otherwise unavailable for many years. Hard-to-find releases by Cecil Taylor, Mark Feldman, Marty Ehrlich, Dollar Brand/Abdullah Ibrahim, Mark Helias, Arthur Blythe, Albert Mangelsdorff, Wayne Krantz, Elvin Jones, Scofield, Dolphy, Mingus, Rabih Abou-Khalil,..

[so, don't complain about how LONG our newsletters are - we have valid info to impart! Do you think The Times should be a smaller paper - with less info - just 'cause you can't/won't read it all?]



STEVE SWELL'S FIRE INTO MUSIC With JEMEEL MOONDOC/WILLIAM PARKER/HAMID DRAKE - Fire Into Music [ltd ed CD-R] (self released; USA) recorded Oct 2004
CD $ 16

Also available..

STEVE SWELL'S NATION OF WE With ROB BROWN/SABIR MATEEN/ROY CAMPBELL Jr/PETER ZUMMO et al - Live At The Bowery Poetry Club, January 15th 2006 [Ltd Signed Ed] (Ayler 05; EEC) Limited edition CD-R copy autographed By Steve Swell. Featuring a stellar cast: Saxes: Rob Brown, Will Connell, Saco Yacusma, Sabir Mateen, Ras Moshe; Trumpets: Roy Campbell, Lewis Barnes, Matt Lavelle; Trombones: Dick Griffin, Peter Zummo, Steve Swell, Dave Taylor; Piano: Chris Forbes; Bass: Matt Heyner, Todd Nicholson and drums Jackson Krall.
CD $20


New titles from The Netherlands!

BIK BENT BRAAM [MICHIEL BRAAM et al] - Extremen (BBB 10 SBT; Netherlands) Jan Willem van der Ham - altosax and bassoon; Bart van der Putten - altosax and clarinet; Frans Vermeerssen - tenorsax; Frank Gratkowski - altosax; clarinet and bassclarinet;Angelo Verploegen - trumpet; Eric Boeren - cornet; Walter Wierbos - trombone; Peter Haex - tenortuba; Carl Ludwig Hubsch - tuba; Michiel Braam - piano; Wilbert De Joode - double bass; Michael Vatcher - drums; et al
CD $19

TRIO CONTINUO [JAN WILLEM VAN DER HAM/WIEK HIJMANS/ERNST GLERUM] - Authentic Basics (WLJWC 01; Netherlands)
CD $19

GUUS JANSSEN - Out Of Frame: Solo Piano (GeestGronden 26 SBT; Netherlands)
CD $19

kREEPA [HILARY JEFFERY/JOHN RICHARDS] With PAUL DUNMALL et al - Inside-a-sekt (Monium 03 SBT; EEC)
CD $20

SEAN BERGIN'S SONG MOB With PHIL MINTON/MAGGIE NICHOLS/TOBIAS DELIUS/WOLTER WIERBOS et al - Fat Fish (Data 61 SBT; Netherlands) Recorded live at The Bimhuis and featuring Maggie Nicols, Phil Minton & Mola Sylla on vocals, Sean Bergin, Tobias Delius & Jan Willem van der Ham on reeds, Eric Boeren & Felicity Provan on cornets, Wolter Weirbos on trombone, Franky Douglas on guitar, Mary Oliver on violin, Alex Maguire on piano, Ernst Glerum on bass and Han Bennink on drums. With six members of the great ICP Orchestra, you know we are in for some inspired musical lunacy. This Sean Bergin's first disc to feature three vocalists and it is a most wonderful treat. - BLG
CD $19

PLAYSTATION 6 [TOBIAS DELIUS/ACHIM KAUFMANN/ERIC BOEREN/MAARTJE TEN HOORN/MEINRAD KNEER/PAUL LOVENS] - Play Station 6 (Evil Rabbit SBT 03; Netherlands) Maartje Ten Hoorn: violin; Eric Boeren: trumpet; Tobias Delius: tenorsax; Achim Kaufmann: (prepared) piano; Meinrad Kneer: double bass; Paul Lovens: drums
CD $20


HUGH MASEKELA With DUDU PUKWANA/LARRY WILLIS/EDDIE GOMEZ/MAKAYA NTSHOKO - Home Is Where The Music Is (Blue Thumb/Verve; USA) Released as a double LP on Chisa/Blue Thumb in 1972, Hugh Masekela's Home Is Where the Music Is marked an accessible but sharp detour from his more pop-oriented jazz records of the '60s. Masekela was chasing a different groove altogether. He was looking to create a very different kind of fusion, one that involved the rhythms and melodies of his native South Africa, and included the more spiritual, soul-driven explorations occurring in American music at the time on labels like Strata East, Tribe, and Black Jazz as well as those laid down by Gato Barbieri on Bob Thiele's Flying Dutchman imprint. The South African and American quintet he assembled for the date is smoking! It includes the mighty saxophonist Dudu Pakwana and drummer Makaya Ntshoko, both South African exiles; they were paired with American pianist Larry Willis and bassist Eddie Gomez, creating a wonderfully balanced, groove-oriented ensemble. Produced by Stewart Levine and composer Caiphus Semenya, this is a near mythic date that was reviewed favorably but infrequently back in the day.
The ten tunes here range between five and 11 minutes; half were written by Semenya, Masekela and Willis wrote one apiece, and the balance were covers -- including a gorgeous arrangement of Miriam Makeba's "Uhome." "Part of the Whole" opens the set with Willis on Fender Rhodes piano, with a lazy rolling blues groove that is equal parts soul-jazz and South African folk melody. The horns enter behind him playing a vamp before they ramp it up in the chorus twice before Pakwana takes his solo against the rhythm section. Willis' sense of time is indomitable and the funky breaks laid down by Ntshoko are beautifully balanced by Gomez's woody tone. Pukwana wails emotionally, swerving between post-bop and more free explorations. Masekela answers his solo on his flugelhorn in tight, hard blues lines. His flight remains inside with the rhythm section offering this deep groove-laden backing. It's merely a taste of things to come however, as the following cut, Sekou Toure's "Minawa," makes clear. Willis opens it with his own solo backed by the rhythm section; his touch is deft, light, elegant, and deeply melodic. It feels like a different band until the horns enter. When they do, they open that intricate lyric line into waves of passion and restraint. Semenya's "The Big Apple," feels like a tune written by Ramsey Lewis with a horn section backing him. It's all bass note groove, hypnotic repetition, and soulful blues before the horns get to move around one another and solo above Willis' beautiful fills on the grand piano. This set marks the first appearance of Willis' tune "Inner Crisis," the title track of his debut solo LP which would appear a year later on Groove Merchant -- only this time with an acoustic piano intro before moving to the Rhodes. This track is a funky spiritual jazz classic and this version may be better than his -- largely due to this killer horn section. Other standouts include Kippie Moeketsi's loping "Blues for Huey," the ballad "Nomali," and Masekela's knotty, joyous "Maseru." In sum, Home Is Where the Music Is, is a stone spiritual soul-jazz classic, that melds the sound of numerous emerging jazz schools in its pursuit of musical excellence; it succeeds on all counts and is one of the greatest recordings in Hugh Masekela's long career. In a year full of amazing titles, this is still a standout. - Thom Jurek, AMG
"Highest recommendation!" BLG and MannyLunch
CD $12


KEVIN AYERS With MIKE OLDFIELD/DAVID BEDFORD/ROBERT WYATT/ARCHIE LEGETT - What More Can I Say.. (Reel Recordings 09; Canada) Kevin Ayers is one of UK rock's greatest contributors, both as a key member of Soft Machine as their original bassist/vocalist, and later as a collaborator with noted prog musicians Mike Oldfield and Steve Hillage. This is a collection of recently-discovered private demo recordings and out-takes straight from Kevin Ayers' personal archives -- a refreshing reminder of a musical innocence unique to the 1970s. Much more than nuggets from a golden era, these songs remain compellingly personal in their simplicity, and sit alongside sunny instrumentals featuring friends David Bedford, Mike Oldfield, Archie Leggett (1944-1997) and Robert Wyatt. Of special note is the 14-minute private demonstration for the "Doctor Dream"suite, a stunning "audio letter" synopsis with acoustic performances and wry commentary. Never has Kevin Ayers' voice and guitar been captured in such natural intimacy. These beautifully recorded reel-to-reel tapes are an indispensable portrait of an artist as a young man. Or to convey the response from manager Tim Shepard, "this is Kevin's Holy Grail!" What more can we say?
CD $16


JOHN FRENCH/FRED FRITH/HENRY KAISER/RICHARD THOMPSON - Invisible Means (Fledg'ling 3072; UK) Fledg'ling reissues Invisible Means, the second oddball masterpiece from four of the world's finest experimental master musicians, originally released in 1990 on Windham Hill Records. This was the follow-up (and only other release by this group) to the much better-known Live, Love, Larf & Loaf album, released on Rhino Records in 1987. John French was the original drummer with Captain Beefheart's Magic Band, Fred Frith is an experimental composer and founder of the art-rock ensemble Henry Cow, Henry Kaiser is an innovative experimental guitarist and composer, and Richard Thompson is a founding member of Fairport Convention. Together, these legendary musicians from the U.S. and the UK conjure up a heady mix, covering a bewildering variety of genres, from folk and R&B to avant-garde and comic opera. Underpinning the whole album is the extraordinary level of their musicianship. Amongst the highlights are John French's hilarious "Now That I Am Dead," in which a deceased musician discovers death is the career boost he's being waiting for, and Richard Thompson's remarkable "Begging Bowl" and the simply stunning "Killing Jar." Fledg'ling Records is proud to present this newly re-mastered CD, and asd a bonus includes a previously-unreleased live cover of The Rolling Stones' "Play With Fire.
CD $19

also still available..

JOHN FRENCH/FRED FRITH/HENRY KAISER/RICHARD THOMPSON - Live, Larf, Larf & Loaf ..plus (Fledg'ling 3067; UK) 1st of 2 albums by this line-up. This carefully re-mastered and packaged edition adds four previously unreleased live tracks.
CD $19

BLUE BLOKES 3 - Stubble (Fledg'ling 3068; UK) This is the debut release by Blue Blokes 3: old pals Ian Anderson (English Country Blues Band, Hot Vultures, Tiger Moth, etc.) on vocals, guitar & slide guitar, Lu Edmonds (Mekons, Billy Bragg's Blokes, PiL, The Damned, Kirsty MacColl, etc.) on vocals, cumbus, saz, guitar, and Ben Mandelson (Billy Bragg's Blokes, 3 Mustaphas 3, Tiger Moth, Orchestre Jazira, etc.) on vocals, mandolin, baritone bouzouki, banjo, tenor guitar, guitar and more. Past social twanging and banging apart, this crew came together one dark and rainy night in the spring of 2007 to pay tribute to English folk sweetheart Shirley Collins on the occasion of a celebratory evening to mark her receipt of the MBE from another queen. Their wonky take on old time nomadicized English country blues and death folk seemed to appeal and one thing led to another. Within days, Fledg'ling invited them to make an album, and then came offers to appear at other events. Produced by Hijaz Mustapha and Jamie Orchard-Lisle, Stubble is the result. Blues standards go willingly on trips through the Balkans, the Steppes or the South Downs, old English folk songs from the family closet get newly-clothed in subtle tones of vintage Congolese guitar and space saz, and certain participants' greatest hits get revisited with instruments they'd not suspected existed at the time they were originally recorded. The album's title could be a subtle allusion to it having taken little more than a week to effortlessly grow, but actually -- like the trio -- it also just looked good on paper.
CD $19


JOE LOVANO With WDR RADIO BIG BAND & ORCHESTRA - Symphonica (Blue Note; USA) Saxophone maestro Joe Lovano has enjoyed a stellar career recording for Blue Note Records, launching into new territory with different sized ensembles from album to album while rarely retreading the steps of his past musical adventures. Whether he's been in a trio fascination, a quartet marvel, or a killer nonet setting, Lovano has upped the ante with each album, not only furthering his reputation as one of the world's premiere saxophonists but also forwarding jazz expression with imaginative might.
With his 20th album for Blue Note album, Lovano delivers a milestone recording with Symphonica, a bold and beautiful orchestral project recorded largely in concert with the WDR Radio Big Band and Orchestra from Cologne, Germany. With music arranged and conducted by the big band musical director, Michael Abene, Symphonica marks the first time in Lovano's career that he has recorded an entire album with a full symphony. All of the music consists of Lovano compositions save for one piece (Charles Mingus's 'Duke Ellington's Sound of Love,' where Lovano sustains his tenor saxophone lines to hover over the haunting melody). In that sense, Symphonica stands as a full-sound, best-of collection that traces the breadth and plumbs the depth of Lovano's career.
CD $17



New on Jessica Pavone's Peacock label!

JASON CADY - Post-Madonna Prima Donna (Peacock 12; USA) Post-Madonna Prima Donna (2001) is a one-act opera, for which I wrote both the music and the libretto. The subject of the opera is language. This is reflected in the word play of the title, the content of the libretto, the conversational vernacular with which those ideas are discussed in the recitatives, and the 'language' of tonality as it develops throughout the opera.
When I composed this work I was more interested in opera as a form than as drama or spectacle. Consequently, I used the classical operatic forms of overture, recitative, aria and finale. However, I organized those units into a structure of nested palindromes embedded within an overarching palindrome in order to critically reexamine tradition through rigorous methodology. - Jason Cady
CD $12

JUDITH BERKSON - Lu-Lu (Peacock 11; USA) Lu-Lu, the solo debut by Brooklyn based composer, vocalist and pianist Judith Berkson, features four originals, four standards and a Schubert lied played and sung in a unique and intimate way
CD $12

RESISTANCE BLUE DUO [JEREMY STARPOLI/BEN KARETNICK] - Resistance Blue (Peacock 10; USA) The Resistance Blue duo celebrates ten years of music-making together with their first official album, coming soon from Peacock Recordings. Comprised of Jeremy (phloyd) Starpoli on trombone and Ben Karetnick on drums, Resistance Blue has cultivated a unique bond based on their common interests in sound exploration, time as a multi-layered phenomenon, the relationship between rhythm and melody, and creative activity through improvisation. The CD features their original music plus material from the free-jazz and hip-hop traditions. Follow the Resistance Blue duo on their quest to express the abstract essence of the infinite in music
CD $12


New on High Two!

NORMAL LOVE - Normal Love (High Two 015; USA) These are five mid-20-something guys from Philadelphia (though Lipson and Freidlin recently moved to Brooklyn) who exemplify the current generation of committed postmodern avant-garde musicians that have the conceptual and technical resources to seriously deal with a huge range of music. Outside of this group, the members are variously immersed in Babbitt/Ferneyhough notationalism, black metal, death metal, free jazz, free improv, partial improv, no wave, avant-fusion, and miscellaneous quirky, twisted, or extreme musical aesthetics. With this group they join the ranks of The Flying Luttenbachers, Zs, Ruins, Pak, Orthrelm, Rich Woodson's Ellipsis, Ahleuchatistas, Present and Upsilon Acrux by playing deeply creative, original, unclassifiable, intricate, convoluted, brutal music that adapts timbral and rhythmic aspects of the rock/punk/metal continuum unbeholden to the associated compositional constraints. It's also as mind-blowing and great as anything by those groups! The music is not eclectic or poly-stylistic; there are almost no references to existing styles of music. Normal Love can't be reduced to a category of music other than their instrumentation (drumkit, bass electric guitar, two electric guitars, violin) and their methodology (elaborate notation and rehearsal, hardly any improvisation); each composition is a separate musical project and all five members contribute compositions. This disc features a composition by non-member Dustin Hurt (of Philly's Bowerbird fame); it was their first piece and it was so hard to play that they rehearsed for the bulk of a year before their first public performance. With its irregular rapid jabs of tightly orchestrated electric bravado, it works well as an opening salvo in this program of five very distinctive compositions. Evan Lipson's "The Signal's Coming from Pittsburgh..." is flowing, strangely catchy (I had it stuck in my head like a pop song one day after seeing the band live!), occasionally bone-crushing, occasionally blindingly fast, and has an amazing extended cymbal solo. Amnon Freidlin's "Ndugo" is concise, pointillistic and sprightly. Eli Litwin's "The Final Sarcophagus of Darkness" is drenched in blastbeats and slightly Zappaesque pomp and stutter. Alex Nagle's "Hooks" is probably the most dense and complicated of the batch (which is saying a lot!), neutralizing the distinction between rhythmic roles and melodic roles with dozens of brief fragments running in rectangles around each other. - Michael Anton Parker
CD $14

SHOT X SHOT - Let Nature Square (High Two 019; USA) Shot X Shot is a wonderful Philadelphia post-jazz quartet of tenor sax (Dan Scofield), alto sax (Bryan Rogers), bass viol (Matt Engle), and drumkit (Dan Cappechi), with primary inspiration from Ornette Coleman's 60s quartets and Tim Berne's Bloodcount. The handful of times I've heard this group live I've always caught some magic. Dan Cappechi is a seriously hot drumkitter in the vein of Tom Rainey, Jim Black, Michael Sarin, etc, and all four players have impressive creative and technical chops. Most importantly, after several years of committed work, they've achieved the intangible, precious chemistry of a group, which befits their emphasis on collective improvisation over solo/accompaniment. Whereas their debut was an understated gem with the hazy acoustics of a large church, this second disc from these actively developing 20-something musicians is a more explosive, immediate recording that highlights the visceral punch they can deliver with their slippery groove. Speaking of visceral, they've included an uncharacteristically short 4-minute barnstormer "Triple Double", which is great for those times when you need a quick fix of Berne-style riff and groove collapsing climaxes. "Overlay" is a great example of how the group often balances a taciturn, contemplative feeling with unstable, fidgety rhythms and occasional fire-play; they never get too polite or predictable. In "Scans", the two saxophones glide through a long phase-shifting passage independent of the multi-directional rhythm section, gradually merging with it and digging into their riffs until they arrive at the classic format of narrative solos dancing with the bass viol and drumkit. This is a group that likes to subvert conventional foreground/background relationships between melody and rhythm, create sublime simultaneous slow/fast contrasts, and generally sustain several layers of structure at once, which does a great job of sustaining my attention! With its poignant melodies and harmonies, rhythmic nuances, and elliptical forms, this music rewards plenty of repeated listening. - Michael Anton Parker
CD $14

MAKE A RISING - Infinite Ellipse and Head with Open Fontanel (High Two 016; USA) When I ecstaticly proclaim with a tear of all possible emotions dropping onto my wagging tongue that this is one of the 20 greatest "rock" albums ever made, you have to consider the enormity of my personal bias, my own life inseparably intertwined with the epic creation of this epic album by very dear friends, a two-year process of myriad obstacles overcome by an invincible sense of purpose and explosive creativity. Alongside Akron/Family, Alec K. Redfearn and the Eyesores, The Dirty Projectors, Animal Collective, The Fiery Furnaces and Beat Circus (to cite only the American examples I'm familiar with), I think Make A Rising is in a small elite group of current groups that are boldly experimenting with song form, contextualizing songs within all sorts of instrumental adventures and stylistic hybrids, but not at the expense of the irreducibly personal and human expression available through a voice and a melody. Like The Eyesores, they labor over intricate passages that could be independently taken as contributions to the lineages people call "modern classical". Like Akron/Family, they drastically shift between raucous and delicate passages, but more frequently and like Tchaikovsky as much as Naked City. Like Animal Collective, they exude a romantic and naive homespun cosmology, but taken closer to the ambitious and quasi-religious heights of Yes. Make A Rising's first album gripped my soul the first time I heard it and hasn't let go in many dozens of subsequent listens, but everyone agrees that this new one has far eclipsed that brilliant and eccentric debut. The tender parts are more confident and exuberant; the instrumental joyrides are more aggressive and convoluted; the orchestration is denser, warmer and tighter; the production is cleaner; the harmonies are thicker and bolder. Enlisted were various guests on cello, marimba, bass violin, trombone, saxophone, flute, male vocals and female vocals to augment their core sextet of male vocals, piano, synth, violin, clarinet, electric guitar, bass electric guitar, trumpet, drumkit, accordion, melodica and percussion. These guys are coming from an idiosyncratic and un-hip parallel universe where their obsessive love of ELO, 10CC, Van Dyke Parks, The Beach Boys, Van Morrison, Cat Stevens, Erik Satie, Gabriel-era Genesis, Alice Coltrane and Claude Debussy is kept in check by their passion for Cheer-Accident, Ruins, Henry Cow, News from Babel, Zs, Normal Love, Cardiacs, Robert Wyatt and Magma. As a quick gloss that could be useful, my best suggestion is "Brian Wilson meets Samla Mammas Manna". In an era where many people hesitate to purchase the "physical object" of a CD, this is a rare case where the artwork is seriously worth acquiring; it's a delirious and mind-blowing set of scenes from a photography session involving the band members and a cast of friends in the woods freely mingling ancient, extraterrestrial, and yachting themes. It captures the essence of the band: whimsical, ambitious, slightly incoherent, and infinitely charming. -Michael Anton Parker
CD $14


THE YOUNG EQUESTRIANS [SHAYNA DULBERGER/CHRIS WELCOME/MIKEY FREEDOM HART/RICHIE VINSON] - Beware Of The Hurry Sickness (self released; USA) "The Young Equestrians" is a band that I've been playing with for the past two years. We put together a recording called "Beware of The Hurry Sickness". It's mostly Mikey Hart's brainchild because he was in charge of recording, mixing and mastering (and it's probably best to have one band member in charge of this sort of thing). He did an amazing job. The music on the album is based on semi-organized improvisations and is partially constructed with overdubs. Although the primary sound is Mikey Hart's keyboard/electronics, Chris Welcome's accordion, my upright bass bowing, and Rich Levinson's drums, other great things happen on this recording. Key points are Chris Welcome's melodic cello playing on "Swimmer Who Confused Himself With A Fish" and guitar playing on "Ran Tab's Balloon", Rich Levinson's patient beat entrances and sudden pulses on "Devil's Doorknob", Mikey Hart's use of looping, droning, distortion, reverb and tape sounds on nostalgic "The Flood Downtown", and I get to make long arcos on the double bass, sudden whale sounds, twinkling/acidic harmonic noises on "20 Foot Man on Gold Street". - Shayna
CD $12


MONIKA H BAND [MONIKA HEIDEMANN] - Disguised As Umbrellas, We Slept (MH 2008; USA) Her critically acclaimed 2006 indie debut Bright, which was chosen one of the Top Ten albums of the year by the Boston Phoenix, earned her praise from many corners of the indie music community, but she has long preferred to think compositionally in forms and shapes rather than styles. Plus, she's always evolving, always digging deeper into her upbringing that also included folk and classical music. All of which brings us to Disguised As Umbrella, We Slept, her latest project whose cryptic title adds to the mystery of a collection of tracks we can tentatively call bizarre rock. Or avant-garde rock. Even dreamy psychedelic avant rock with jazz fringes. Someone once described the sensation of listening to Heidemann's music as being perched on a high cliff at a perfect angle of repose, where the fall is visible but not inevitable, sitting just outside of dissonance, barely safe from chaos.
Adjective groping aside, the emotionally compelling 11-track collection recorded and mixed by Joel Hamilton (Book of Knots, Giraffes, Dub Trio, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum) at Studio G in Brooklyn boasts a darker sound than Heidemann's first album. Good thing, too because her prosey, deeply poetic lyrics are deeper and heavier too. "I wrote most of the songs on Disguised As Umbrellas in New York, and the way they unfolded lent itself to a moodier and edgier feeling once I took them into the studio and began vibing with Joel," she says. "Many of them are highly emotional pieces that deal with relationships and the pain that comes out of searching for yourself. But they're not completely gloomy - there's a lot of humor and playful sexuality in the mix as well."
CD $13


IRMIN SCHMIDT & KUMO - Axolotl Eyes [CD/DVD] (Spoon/Mute 9391; UK) "Irmin Schmidt, founding member of the legendary German avant-garde rock group Can, and breakbeat pioneer, producer and Professor Of Popular Music, Kumo (aka Jono Podmore) release a brand new album, for your listening enjoyment. Schmidt & Kumo's latest album of electronic experimentalism features Kumo's shimmering grooves, subterranean bass, Theremin and violin providing the perfect foil for Schmidt's peerless and enduringly adventurous playing. Unlike their 2001 debut -- Masters Of Confusion, largely put together by extrapolating snatches of music from Schmidt's opera Gormenghast -- Axolotl Eyes is very much a studio recording. As a bonus, the studio album is accompanied by a 5.1 surround sound DVD of the sound installation Flies, Guys, and Choirs, first conceived for London's Barbican Centre in 2001. The work combines surreally creating images from nature with subtle, quietly forceful environmental music." 112 mins video and audio.
CD/DVD for $18


ACID MOTHERS TEMPLE & THE COSMIC INFERNO - Hotter Than Inferno: Live In Osaka 2007 [DVD] (AMT 004; Japan) "A complete document of the final Osaka date on the summer 2007 'Hotter Than Inferno Western Japan Tour' by Acid Mothers Temple & The Cosmic Inferno (featuring Pikachu from Afrirampo). The miraculous injection of power provided by the addition of grenade-girl Pikachu to the ranks, and the special guest appearance by Yamazaki Maso (aka Masonna) meant that this date at Bears was insanity on an unprecedented scale. By the end of the group's set there was so little oxygen left in the venue that no one's lighter would work! This date became an instant legend - and here's your chance to witness it on DVD!! Edition of 500 copies. NTSC/Region Free."
DVD $20

KAWABATA MAKOTO & MICHISHITA SHINSUKE - Basement Echo (Important 196; USA) "Basement Echo is the historical meeting point of two generations of the Japanese underground. Kawabata Makoto, leader of The Acid Mothers Temple, and Michishita Shinsuke, leader of LSD March, are together here for the first time in a guitar duo. Though Kawabata and Michishita are from the same scene, the fact that they are from different generations means that they bring different energy to the collaborations. This fact is extremely exciting for Kawabata, who refers to Michishita as 'one of the most promising musicians in the Japanese Underground.' Both artists agree that Basement Echo was a step into the unknown with neither really knowing what the resulting sounds would be. For Michishita, the collaborations have been a dream come true. He describes Kawabata as having a 'soul of rock that never burns out.' After the recordings were complete, the two friends sat down and raised a triumphant toast. Recorded at Snowflake Sound in Sapporo in October of 2007. Totally improvised with no editing/overdubbing. Designed by Darryl Norsen."
CD $14

MERZBOW [MASAMI AKITA] - Dolphin Sonar (Important 205; USA) "Author, activist, painter and sound artist Masami Akita had been at the foreground of experimental music for over 25 years. Inspired by psychedelic rock, free jazz, early electronic composition as well the physical arts, especially Kurt Schwitters' Merzbau, Masami Akita has created a musical language all his own. Dolphin Sonar is Merzbow's full length protest album against the annual brutal slaughtering of some 2,500 dolphins in Taiji, Wakayama Prefecture Japan. This is an angry album full of beats, blasts and broken glass. Clattering smashes are pursued by pulsing analog whirls like the heart of a dolphin being chased through the bloodied waters of Taiji. Filtered blasts of pummel and sound slaughter. Another Merzbow classic with the finest cover art money can buy by Jenny Akita. Liner notes from the activist group Sea Shephard."
CD $14

RICHARD PINHAS & MERZBOW [MASAMI AKITA] - Keio Line: Expanded Edition [Ltd Ed 3 LP set] (Dirter 57; UK) Keio Line is to be issued on CD by Cuneiform, but this 3LP vinyl version has an extra LP of material not included on the CD version -- this is the complete recording of an incredible collaboration that sweeps across the generations of electronic music. Richard Pinhas is internationally recognized as one of France's major experimental musicians: the "father" of French electronic music. He was the founder of seminal space-rock band Heldon, a band whose violent fusion of electronics and guitar in the '70s rivalled the German electronic school. As a guitar player, he has been compared to Robert Fripp. Cited as an influence by many electronic musicians, Pinhas has helped to define the space music genre. Since founding Heldon in 1974, Pinhas has released over 15 albums, had involvement in dozens more and shaped the way we listen to music today. Masami Akita aka Merzbow is the forerunner of Japanese electronic music, and for the last 20 years plus, has been at the top of his game ploughing more and more extreme sonic territories. This release, recorded in Tokyo in October 2007, will surprise a lot of people in its sheer beauty. This is a collaboration that works in the true sense of the word, with each artist complimenting the other over six long, sprawling tracks, each occupying the whole of each side. The set comes housed in a gloss-laminated sleeve and is limited to just 1000 copies.
3 LP set for $39


ANGLES [MAGNUS BROO/MARTIN KUCHEN et al] - Every Woman Is A Tree (Clean Feed 112; Portugal) Angles features Magnus Broo trumpet, Martin Kuchen on alto sax, Mats Aleklint on trombone, Mattias Stahl on vibes, Johan Berthling on double bass and Kjell Nordeson on drums. This gem was recorded live in March of 2007 at Ugglan in Stockholm, Sweden for Swedish Radio. This appears to be some sort of Scandinavian all-star sextet with members drawn from Atomic (Magnus Broo) and Exploding Customer (Martin & Kjell), as well as collaborating with Sten Sandell, Steve Gauci and Mats Gustafsson.
The song titles are referred to in the liner notes by Martin Kuchen, which discuss the hopelessness and absurdity of war. "Peace is Not for Us" is a tight, explosive piece with a burning vibes, bass & drums rhythm team and burnin' solos from Mats on trombone while the sax and trumpet play their passionate lines around him. Although this is only a sextet, it seems as if it has the power of a big band. Johan's uplifting acoustic bass kicks off "Don't Ruin Me" with a solemn bass solo. Martin's alto sax plays a most poignant solo while the other horns and vibes simmer underneath playing rich, laid-back harmonies. Martin's sax solo is just so righteous, lyrical and touching, that it brought tears to me eyes, with Mats' trombone not far behind. "My World of Mines" has one of those incredible, slightly funky, sort-of South African grooves that once you hear it, you will never forget it. It had me jumping around my kitchen getting down! Once the groove submerges, Mattias takes a great vibes solo while the bass and drums swirl tightly and intensely around him. The title track has an amazing Masada-like quick-tempo structure with some smokin' (Zorn-like) sax from Mr. Kuchen, while the vibes and other horns play intricately underneath. "The Indispensable Warlords" has a great, slow and simmering rhythmic pulse and some excellent, passionate alto sax from Kuchen, bending those notes inside-out! Besides being a great saxist, Mr. Kuchin has written a half dozen songs each with breathtaking melodies and challenging arrangements. This disc, without a doubt, is one of the this year's best and is certainly an unexpected delight. - BLG
CD $16


OMIT [CLINTON WILLIAMS] - Interceptor [Ltd Ed 2 CD Set] (Helen Scarsdale Agency 012; USA) "Omit is the nom de plume for Clinton Williams, an electronic musician who has been quietly toiling in New Zealand for a good portion of the past two decades. His work has appeared alongside such luminaries of the NZ free noise community as Birchville Cat Motel, The Dead C, Flies Inside The Sun, Dean Roberts, Surface Of The Earth, etc.; however, Omit's home-spun constructs widely detour from the sculpted grit and mottled distortion found in the work of his countrymen and women. In listening to his masterful Quad (a 3CD opus released in 1998 through Corpus Hermeticum), one gets the very palpable sense of an artist in a contentious argument with his own unwieldy mousetrap of tape-loops, modular electronics, effects pedals, drum machines, and the creaking sounds of his house. That internal debate with himself through his machine exudes an existential melancholy, which could be applied to any number of grander metaphors of the dependency of electronics, cybernetics, and technology upon mankind. Interceptor is the result of an experiment whereby Williams worked with a portable studio away from his longtime home of Blenheim. He possessed two suitcases of drum machines, effects, and analog synths; and, Williams recalls being 'pissed off with myself wasting time recording this stuff when I was trying to find a job.' His frustrations stripped away much of the grandiose sweeps of ambience and shadow, leaving behind a life-support system grid of overlapping, phase-shifted blip and click. An undertow of hypnotic tonalities pulls those rhythms towards a crepuscular gloom. Williams has always been at odds with his own work, yet his self-doubt continues to deliver magnificent albums which thrive in a symbiotic struggle with mechanical disintegration. Interceptor conjures the best offered by Mika Vainio, Klaus Schulze, and the Throbbing Gristle tracks authored by Chris Carter. Always the pessimist, Williams grumbles, 'In many ways, it's a document of my failure to do the most simplest things in life.' If only all of our failures could be this brilliant. Interceptor is a double CD published in a edition of 600 copies."
2 CD set for $18


GERALD ECKERT/DIRK REITH/LUDGER BRUMMER - Ex Machina: Le Son Qui S'Arrete Le Son Éclate (Cybele 960101; Germany) Gerald Eckert, (electroacoustic composition); Dirk Reith, (electroacoustic composition); Ludger Brummer, (electroacoustic composition). "'lis voudraient avoir un corps' (They would like to have a body) -- this line from a poem by Paul Eluard could characterize the works on this CD, for they have one thing in common -- the attempt to come to terms with body, space and time. The basic material consists of synthetically generated sound points, sound complexes or an existing composition, and this is given the impression of depth (by means of reverberation and a special distribution over several loudspeakers). Sound processes are thus created which distance themselves from their basis and even alienate themselves, and whose very being is led from the concrete to the abstract."
CD $20

ENSEMBLE GELBER KLANG - Farben Der Stille [SACD] (Cybele 361201; Germany) Toru Takemitsu (1930-1996): 'Rain Spell'; Scott Roller (1959-) 'Serraval'; Morton Feldman (1926 1987): 'For Frank O'Hara'; Kaija Saariaho (1952 -): 'Nymphea for String Quartet and Live Electronics.' Ensemble Gelber Klang: Klaus Dreher (percussion); Albrecht Imbescheid (flute), Michael Kiedaisch (percussion); Jurgen Kruse (piano); Gareth Lubbe (violin); Axel Porath (viola); Thomas Reil (clarinet); Scott Roller (violoncello); Maria Stange (harp); Ulrike Stortz (violin); Bryan Wolf (live electronics). "Were it possible to portray music in hues, white would offer us the most generally applicable coloration. Like no other color, white enables us to visualize the very aesthetical idea, which contemporary composers of the last decennia have explored: the dissolution of the distinction between sound and silence. Thus we can regard many contemporary compositions to be acoustical representations of what Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) described as the relationship of White and Silence, in his poetics The Spiritual in Art (1910): 'When considering White more closely, which is often seen as a non-color ( ... ) it appears to be a symbol of a world, where material properties and substances have disappeared altogether. Such a world is high above us, so we do not perceive its sound. Thence a great Silence comes towards us, resembling a cold and endless wall, indestructible and impassable. White therefore affects our psyche as a great Silence that is absolute. We perceive it as a non-sound, very much like a pause in the middle of a musical piece; the pause that temporarily halts the development of a certain piece or content, not being the conclusion of a certain development. This is a Silence which is not dead, but full of possibilities. White resonates like a silence that can suddenly be understood. It is a youthful nothingness, or more precisely: a void that exists before the beginning, before birth.'"
CD $20


ELIANE RADIGUE - Naldjorlak Pour Charles Curtis - Violoncelle (Shiiin 03; EEC) "Student of Pierre Schaeffer, assistant to Pierre Henry, legendary composer Eliane Radigue (1932) has long been known for lengthy drone compositions like Adnos I-III and Kyema, Intermediate States using analog synthesizers. Recently she has been writing for acoustic instruments including this piece for solo cello, Naldjorlak (2005). Especially composed for cellist Charles Curtis (La Monte Young, Alvin Lucier) the microtonal tuning is based on the natural resonant frequency of the instrument. Usually the wolf tone of a string instrument is to be avoided or under emphasized; here it's central to the work. Like much of her previous works, Naldjorlak is a humming breathing meditation of resonant sustained pitches, sometimes rumbling, sometimes drifting in the distance. The Tibetan title refers to the motion of all life toward unity." - guest review by David Beardsley
CD $20


JOHN BAKER TAPES - Vol 2: Soundtracks, Library Home Recordings, Electro Ads - Rare & Unreleased Workshop Recordings 1963-1975 (Trunk 029; UK) This is volume two of Trunk's John Baker Radiophonic retrospective. The legendary BBC Radiophonic Workshop, one of the sound effects units of the BBC, was created in 1958 to produce effects and new music for radio. Sounds for programs were created by using recordings of everyday sounds such as voices, bells, gravel and other raw materials for "radiophonic" manipulations, in which audio tape could be played back at different speeds, pitches, cut and joined, or processed. The Workshop's innovations in manipulative sound are akin to those used in musique concrete, and has had a profound influence on the evolution of modern electronic music. The 39 tracks on volume two represent the major body of important work John Baker produced while moonlighting for other companies (under the pseudonym of John Matthews), and most tracks have remained unissued, until now. This CD brings together the most complete overview of his work outside of the BBC, his freaky library music (for Southern and Peer), incredible electro-advertising commissions, rare soundtracks, and private home recordings, nearly all of which have also remained unissued. This CD also includes the first-ever release of the soundtrack to Boy On A Bicycle, the debut film by Ridley Scott from 1965. The album also comes with his test tone experiments, feedback loops and the first-ever recording made by John Baker (pressed originally on a 78 RPM record) from 1954. There's also the original obituary broadcast on BBC Radio 5 back in 1997. None of these recordings have been released until now. This is another essential release for followers of British electronic music, British electronics, and of the Workshop output.
CD $16

and still available..

JOHN BAKER TAPES - Vol 1: BBC Radiophonics - Rare & Unreleased Workshop Recordings 1963-1969 (Trunk 028; UK) "John Baker is one of the top three well known BBC Radiophonic workshop musicians, alongside Delia Derbyshire and David Cain. Besides the tons of tv show themes, wacky commercial sound designs, and musical projects for himself, Baker also worked on film scores for Ridley Scott's first film and he also contributed to the soundtrack on The Beatles "Help". His abstract sound collages are so strange yet so comforting, giving you what is expected from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and then some. His stylistic cut-up approach differs from his peers, Derbyshire and Cain, by incorporating traditional instruments in conjunction with the musique concrete built sound approach that the BBC Radiophonic Workshop were known for. In this first ever retrospective dedicated entirely to a single composer from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, the Trunk label captures the quirky, jazzy, and sometimes outright insane rare & unreleased recordings from 63-74. RECOMMENDED!" - Chuck Bettis/DMG
CD $16


JONATHAN HARVEY - Body Mandala (NMC 141; UK) Anu Komsi, soprano; BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/llan Vokov/Stefan Solom. "This disc is a culmination of Jonathan Harvey's highly successful residency with BBC SSO and includes the works commissioned during that time, Harvey has a truly global reputation, particularly for his work in the field of electro-acoustic music (he has been commissioned by IRCAM on eight separate occasions), where he is considered as one of the most skilled and imaginative composers using the electronic medium today. He is also an influential and important teacher of younger generations of composers. The works on this disc explore Harvey's fascination with Eastern philosophies from the ecstatic Indian text of 'White As Jasmine' to 'Body Mandala.'"
CD $20



Blue Note rarities Newly Released on CD!!

LOU DONALDSON With SONNY CLARK/DONALD BYRD/CURTIS FULLER et al - Lou Takes Off (Blue Note RVG; USA) [2008 RVG rmstr] This December 1957 date is one of Lou Donaldson's most unusual albums in that it was an all-star blowing session with Donald Byrd, Curtis Fuller, Sonny Clark, Jamil Nasser, and Art Taylor. They stretch out and burn on four great bebop tunes, including classics by Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. It's a delight to hear Lou kick back and dig into his Charlie Parker roots. DONALD BYRD, trumpet; CURTIS FULLER, trombone; LOU DONALDSON, alto sax; SONNY CLARK, piano; JAMIL NASSER, bass; ART TAYLOR, drums
CD $12

CURTIS FULLER With HANK MOBLEY/BOBBY TIMMONS/PAUL CHAMBERS/ART TAYLOR - The Opener (in Stereo!) (Blue Note RVG; USA) [2008 RVG rmstr] When Curtis Fuller visited New York in early 1957 with Yusef Lateef's Detroit-based group, he decided to stay. His incredible technique and vivid, fiery playing soon came to Blue Note's attention. A flurry of sessions that summer resulted in Fuller being the only trombone soloist to record with Bud Powell, Jimmy Smith, and John Coltrane, and his debut album as a leader. The Opener was recorded on June 16, 1957 with some of Blue Note's finest: Hank Mobley, Bobby Timmons, Paul Chambers, and Art Taylor. This Rudy Van Gelder remaster uses the original stereo tapes rather than the mono LP master. CURTIS FULLER, trombone; HANK MOBLEY, tenor sax; BOBBY TIMMONS, piano; PAUL CHAMBERS, bass; ART TAYLOR, drums
CD $12

HANK MOBLEY With ART FARMER/HORACE SILVER/DOUG WATKINS/ART BLAKEY - Hank Mobley Quintet (Blue Note RVG; USA) [2008 RVG rmstr]. Mobley and Art Farmer are backed by the original Jazz Messengers rhythm section - Horace Silver, Doug Watkins, and Art Blakey - on this March 8, 1957 masterpiece. The album offers two Mobley classics in the soulful, swinging "Funk in Deep Freeze" and his gorgeous ballad "Fin de L'Affaire." This Rudy Van Gelder remaster is superb from start to finish, and includes two alternate takes. ART FARMER, trumpet; HANK MOBLEY, tenor sax; HORACE SILVER, piano; DOUG WATKINS, bass; ART BLAKEY, drums
CD $12

J R MONTEROSE With IRA SULLIVAN/HORACE PARLAN/WILBUR WARE/PHILLY JOE JONES - J R Monterose (Blue Note RVG; USA) [2008 RVG rmstr] J.R. Monterose (not to be confused with fellow tenor Jack Montrose) is most famous for a gig that he personally did not enjoy, playing with Charles Mingus in 1956 and recording on Mingus' breakthrough album Pithecanthropus Erectus. After leaving Mingus (whom he did not get along with), Monterose played with Kenny Dorham's Jazz Prophets and recorded this strong set for Blue Note as a leader. J.R. Monterose's first session as a leader was a thoroughly enjoyable set of swinging, straight-ahead bop that revealed him as a saxophonist with a knack for powerful, robust leads in the vein of Sonny Rollins and Coleman Hawkins. With a stellar supporting group of pianist Horace Silver, trumpeter Ira Sullivan, bassist Wilbur Ware, and drummer "Philly" Joe Jones, Monterose has recorded a set of bop that swings at a measured pace and offers many delightful moments. Throughout the session, Monterose sounds vigorous, whether he's delivering hard-swinging solos or waxing lyrical. With his bluesy vamps and soulful solos, Silver is equally impressive, while Sullivan's spotlights are alternately punchy and skilled; similarly, the rhythm section is tight, letting the music breathe while keeping the groove. In fact, the quality of the music is so strong, J.R. Monterose qualifies as one of the underappreciated gems in Blue Note's mid-'50s catalog. -Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG
CD $12

JIMMY SMITH TRIO//FATS WALLER - Plays Fats Waller (Blue Note RVG; USA) [2008 RVG rmstr] The trio of Hammond organ pioneer Jimmy Smith, Quentin Warren, and Donald Bailey was one of the longest-lasting and most prolific groups in modern jazz. This January 23, 1962 session stands out for its concept: the father of the modern organ saluting one of the men who introduced the pipe organ in jazz. Smith is the only soloist and he visits seven songs written by or associated with Fats Waller. His versions balance reverence with his own unique style. This album is on CD for the first time!
CD $12

EDDIE HENDERSON With PATRICE RUSHEN/HADLEY CALIMAN/PAUL JACKSON/MIKE CLARKE/MTUME - Heritage (Blue Note; USA) Fourth album as leader, after Realisation, Inside Out, and Sunburst. Trumpeter Eddie Henderson beamed the hard bop vocabulary of Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard up to a sleek, space-age frontier, prefiguring the nu-jazz movement with his innovative use of effects and electronics. This is the album with the revelatory Inside You, a future funk-DJ favorite which has been often sampled. Groove obsessives note: rhythm section grease is courtesy of Paul Jackson and Mike Clark from Herbie Hancock's Headhunters.
CD $12

JEREMY STEIG - Howlin' For Judy: Anthology '60s-'70s (Blue Note; USA) Jeremy Steig's stone-funky intro run on 'Howlin' for Judy' is the most recognizable flute sample in history, most notably as the hook for the Beastie Boys' Sure Shot. Steig is an eclectic virtuoso with a refreshingly panoramic approach to recording and a wonderfully 1960s-liberated sense of composition. This compilation includes Howlin' For Judy and other rare-groove delicacies from this fertile era like Alias and Permutations.
CD $12

BOBBI HUMPHREY - Fancy Dancer (Blue Note; USA) Flutist Bobbi Humphrey was a Duke-and-Dizzy approved, straight-ahead player when she inked with Blue Note in 1971 during the label's crushed velvet groove era. This is her final '70s Blue Note album, completing her soul jazz-transformation via the fly, white-gloved production of the Mizell Brothers. Heads will recognize Please Set Me At Ease sampled by Bahamadia for the intro to Kollage and The Roots for Distortion To Static.
CD $12



Restocks on two important limited editions..

PETER BROTZMANN/YAGI MICHIYO/PAAL NILSSEN LOVE - Head On (Idiolect 02; Japan) Featuring Peter Brotzmann on alto & tenor saxes, Michiyo Yagi on 21-string & 17-string kotos and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums & percusssion. Recorded live in Germany in September of 2007, mixed & mastered by Jim O'Rourke.
CD $20

YAGI MICHIYO/INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN/PAAL NILSSEN LOVE - Live At Super Deluxe (Idiolect 01/Bomba 26002; Japan) Featuring Michiyo Yagi on 21 and 17-string kotos, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on contrabass & electronics and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums. [T]he buzz of activity, bowed strings, spinning cymbals, submerged bass & electronic sounds, all moving together into a wonderful yet alien world. Strange sounds from a colossal trio. - BLG
CD $22



Short-term SALE on four Mikko Innanen titles on the TUM label !
[normally $20 each]

DELERIUM [MIKKO INNANEN/KASPER TRANBERG/JONAS WESTERGAARD/STEFAN PASBORG] - Eclexistence (TUM 010; Finland) Mikko Innanen, alto, soprano and baritone saxophones; Kasper Tranberg, cornet; Jonas Westergaard, bass; Stefan Pasborg, drums.
Delirium is a quartet made up of Finnish saxophonist Mikko Innanen and his three Danish colleagues whom he met while studying in Copenhagen in 1998 and 1999. This second album of Delirium can be characterized by a sense of adventure combining the tradition of modern jazz with their own fresh take on that tradition filled with joy of freedom and experimentation. New elements, such as increased ethnic influences, have also enriched the music even further since the previous recording.
Eclexistence was recorded in February 2004 at Mango Studios in Magnusborg, Porvoo, Finland and live at Ylivieskatalo Akustiikka in Ylivieska, Finland. The recording was mixed by Miikka Heiskanen at Neo Music in Helsinki, Finland and mastered by Henrik Otto Donner and Esa Santonen at DER in Tammisaari, Finland.
CD $15

MIKKO INNANEN/JAAK SOOAAR/HAN BENNINK - Spring Odyssey (TUM 015; Finland) Featuring Han on drums, Mikko on sax and Jaak on guitar.
CD $15

MIKKO INNANEN & INNKVISITIO - Paa-Da-Pap (TUM 019; Finland) Featuring Mikko Innanen on alto, soprano & bari saxes & bird sounds, Timo Lassy on tenor, bari & flute, Seppo Kantonen on organ & synth and Joonas Riippa on drums & percussion. This is the second disc from Mikko Innanen on the TUM label and Mikko composed all but one tune. I haven't heard the first disc, since the TUM label is so stingy with promos, but I am glad to have heard this one. "Attac" opens and has an eerie organ line that shimmer while both saxists their own unique groove together. Both saxists take spirited solo backed by Seppo's minimal organ and Joonas' constantly shifting drums. The organ at times gives the tune a goofy quality, it doesn't hold back either saxist from wailing often enough. On "The Grey Adler Returns," both saxists play a serious of tight bent-note blasts in a fierce force with the drums kicking hard down below. It is odd that the organ/synth player rarely solos, but he does often provide a series of sounds more for ambiance or texture. What often stands out here is Mikko's writing, providing the quartet with unexpected twists, turns and strange song structures. On "Knuf-Aharupa," the rhythm team (organ & drums) plays at frantic, hyper peace while both saxists take frenetic solos. Part of the charm of this disc is the way Mikko writes these songs that have playful melodies, with thoughtful, warm harmonies for both saxists while the rhythm team plays their own warm grooves. "Berber" has a most memorable Afro-beat sort of melody with a funky bari sax line underneath a great, spunky tenor solo. Each piece here seems to be influenced by a different era of jazz or sound/genre. "Anselmus & Serpentina" features some fine flute and bird sounds, as does the title track with again crafty flute and a quick, twisted skeletal melody. Innkvisitio certainly have a good sense of humor, with a few songs rather silly yet no doubt fun. A strong balance between the serious and the sly. - BLG
CD $15

JOHN TCHICAI With TRIOT - Sudden Happiness (TUM 008; Finland) Featuring Mikko Innanen on alto, soprano & bari saxes, John Tchicai on tenor sax & bass clarinet, Nicolai Munch-Hansen on bass and Stefan Pasborg on drums. Danish alto sax great, John Tchicai moved to NY in 1962 and soon co-founded two seminal free-jazz units - the NY Contemporary 5 and the New Art Quartet, as well as playing on historic records by Coltrane, Archie Shepp and Albert Ayler. He returned to Denmark in 1966 and became an integral member of the European avant-jazz scene. He switched to tenor in the eighties and moved to Davis California in 1991, where he became a professor. He recorded and toured for the 35th Reunion of the NY Art Quartet and moved to Claira in France. Tchicai seems to have a knack for finding and playing with great musicians, no matter how young they may be. Check out young bassist, Adam Lane's Quartet date on CIMP (w/ Paul Smoker & Barry Altschul) and you will see what I mean. On 'Sudden Happiness', Tchicai once again is working an extraordinary Danish/Finnish trio whose average is under thirty. Although still young, these cats have already worked with Han Bennink, Barry Guy, Derek Bailey, Marc Ducret and Herb Robertson. All but three of their songs were written by their saxist Mikko, as well as a Johnny Dyani cover, a standard/medley from "Samson and Delilah" and one group improv. Mikko is a strong writer and has composed some great, challenging double sax themes. "Good Company", which opens, shows where Ornette and Braxton meet, the rhythm team doing an impressive duo section together, this sounds like an out-take from Ornette's 'New York is Now' album. It is difficult to single out any one player here since each member of the quartet is amazing on their own, each seem to draw on the best elements of many great well schooled elders. "Berber" has one of those infectious, sort of Afrobeat grooves and melodies that really sticks with you, the same can be said for the righteous groove of Johnny Dyani's "Appear". "Samson & Delilah" is a haunting, hypnotic ballad for some fine tenor and baritone saxes with some dark, throbbing acoustic bass at the center. This entire quartet is mature and well-seasoned beyond their youthful appearance and would certainly stump the jazz scholars amongst us. The wonderful Helsinki-based TUM Records label has unleashed only (little known) gems so far!
CD $15


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QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE!

The first five classic albums by West Coast psych-rock legends Quicksilver Messenger Service, packaged as mini-vinyl CDs -- each title faithfully reproduced using original LP artwork including the inside sleeve. All titles are the most recently mastered audio versions [2008]. Limited editions specially imported from Japan.


QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE [JOHN CIPOLLINA et al] - Quicksilver Messenger Service (Toshiba/EMI 67731; Japan) This is the first album by West Coast psych-rock legends Quicksilver Messenger Service, reproduced as a mini-vinyl CD faithfully reproduced using original LP artwork including the inside sleeve. "The band that became Quicksilver Messenger Service originally was conceived as a rock vehicle for folk singer/songwriter Dino Valente (b. Nov. 7, 1943, d. Nov 16, 1994), author of "Get Together." Living in San Francisco, Valente had found guitarist John Cipollina (b. Aug. 24, 1943, d. May 29, 1989) and singer Jim Murray. Valente's friend David Freiberg (b. Aug. 24, 1938) joined on bass, and the group was completed by the addition of drummer Greg Elmore (b. Sep. 4, 1946) and guitarist Gary Duncan (b. Sep 4, 1946). As the band was being put together, Valente was imprisoned on a drug charge and he didn't rejoin Quicksilver until later. They debuted at the end of 1965 and played around the Bay Area and then the West Coast for the next two years, building up a large following but resisting offers to record that had been taken up by such San Francisco acid rock colleagues as Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead. Quicksilver finally signed to Capitol toward the end of 1967 and recorded their self-titled debut album in 1968 (by this time, Murray had left).
Quicksilver Messenger Service's debut effort was a little more restrained and folky than some listeners had expected, given their reputation for stretching out in concert. While some prefer the mostly live Happy Trails, this self-titled collection is inarguably their strongest set of studio material, with the accent on melodic folk-rock. Highlights include their cover of folksinger Hamilton Camp's "Pride of Man," probably their best studio track; "Light Your Windows," probably the group's best original composition; and founding member Dino Valenti's "Dino's Song" (Valenti himself was in jail when the album was recorded). "Gold and Silver" is their best instrumental jam, and the 12-minute "The Fool" reflects some of the best and worst traits of the psychedelic era." - Richie Unterberger, AMG
CD $25

QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE [JOHN CIPOLLINA et al] - Happy Trails (Toshiba/EMI 67732; Japan) Limited edition release specially imported from Japan. This is Quicksilver Messenger Service's second album, originally released on Capitol in 1969. Live portions recorded at Fillmore East and West. Consists mainly of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love" over a span of 25 minutes, and divided into several parts. "Calvary" was conceived in the studio during an acid trip. Includes lyrics in Japanese and English.
"Without question, this follow-up to Quicksilver Messenger Service's self-titled debut release is the most accurate in portraying the band on vinyl in the same light as the group's critically and enthusiastically acclaimed live performances. The album is essentially centered around the extended reworkings of Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love?" and "Mona," as well as the lesser lauded -- yet no less intense -- contribution of Gary Duncan's (guitar/vocals) "Calvary." This album is the last to feature the original quartet incarnation of QMS. The collective efforts of John Cippollina (guitar/vocals), Greg Elmore (percussion), David Freiberg (bass/vocals), and the aforementioned Duncan retain the uncanny ability to perform with a psychedelic looseness of spirit, without becoming boring or in the least bit pretentious. The side-long epic "Who Do You Love?" suite is split into an ensemble introduction and coda as well as four distinct sections for the respective bandmembers. The perpetually inventive chops of QMS are what is truly on display here. The musicians' unmitigated instrumental prowess and practically psychic interaction allow them to seamlessly weave into and back out of the main theme. Yet all the while, each player takes center stage for uncompromising solos. "Mona" and its companion, "Calvary," continue in much the same fashion. Here the members of QMS play off each other to form a cohesive unit. This track also contains some of Cippollina's finest and most memorable fretwork. He is able to summon sonic spirits from his guitar in a way that is unlike any of his Bay Area contemporaries. A prime example of his individuality is the frenetic "Maiden of the Cancer Moon" -- ascending from the remnants of "Mona." The angst and energy in Cippollina's guitar work and line upon line of technical phrasing could easily be considered the equal of a Frank Zappa guitar solo. The brief title track, a cover of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans' "Happy Trails," seems almost insignificant in the wake of such virtuoso playing. It clears the sonic palette and also bids adieu to this particular fab foursome of psychedelia." - Lindsey Planer, AMG
CD $25

QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE [JOHN CIPOLLINA et al] - Shady Grove (Toshiba/EMI 67733; Japan) Limited edition specially imported from Japan. This is Quicksilver Messenger Service's third album, originally released on Capitol in 1969. Includes additional member and pianist Nicky Hopkins. Includes lyrics in Japanese and English.
"The third long-player from San Francisco psychedelic icons Quicksilver Messenger Service (QMS) is a direct contrast from their previous discs. Shady Grove (1969) is comprised mostly of shorter and self-contained pieces as opposed to the long and extended jams that were so prevalent on their self-titled debut (1967) and Happy Trails (1968). Ironically, the one stretched-out instrumental is courtesy of their latest acquisition -- Brit recording session guru Nicky Hopkins (keyboards). Another possible reason for the shift in style as well as personnel is the conspicuous absence of Gary Duncan (guitar) -- who is rumored to have been a "guest" of Bay Area law enforcement at the time. The band incorporate a number of different styles on the album. Kicking off the disc is an up-tempo rocking version of the traditional Appalachian folk song "Shady Grove." The QMS reading is highlighted by John Cipollina's trademark fluid fretwork and a familiar "Bo Diddley" backbeat -- reminiscent of both "Who Do You Love" and "Mona" from the live ensemble LP Happy Trails. The slow and dark "Flute Song" is a trippy minor chord masterpiece that is augmented by the shimmering effect of Hopkins' airy piano lines which mingle throughout the light orchestration. Additionally, QMS try their hand at the same country & western-flavored sound that was making the rounds with their San Fran contemporaries the Jefferson Airplane ("The Farm") and the Grateful Dead ("Dire Wolf"). However, the down-home cowboy waltz "Word's Can't Say" never gets out of the stable, unfortunately. This somewhat uneven effort would sadly foreshadow QMS's journey from psychedelia and into a much more pop-oriented sound on their follow-up, Just for Love (1970). However, enthusiasts of those albums will find much more to revisit on Shady Grove than those who favored the first two records." - Lindsey Planer, AMG
CD $25

QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE [DINO VALENTI/JOHN CIPOLLINA et al] - Just For Love (Toshiba/EMI 67734; Japan) Limited edition specially imported from Japan. This is Quicksilver Messenger Service's fourth album, originally released on Capitol in 1970. QSM's return to traditional ornately mellow rock flecked with piano that heralded the return of founding member Dino Valenti, who had just been released from a prison-stint on drug charges. Includes lyrics in Japanese and English.
"With the return of Gary Duncan and the recording debut of founder Dino Valenti, Just for Love, Quicksilver's fourth album, marked their debut as the band they were intended to be. The ironic thing about that is that, led by singer/songwriter Valenti, they were a much more pop-oriented band than their fans had come to expect. On Just for Love, Quicksilver finally was Valenti's backup group (he wrote all but one of the songs), and while this gave them greater coherence and accessibility, as well as their only Top 50 single in "Fresh Air," it also made them less the boogie band they had been. And it meant the band's days were numbered." - William Ruhlmann, AMG
CD $25

QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE [DINO VALENTI/JOHN CIPOLLINA et al] - What About Me (Toshiba/EMI 67735; Japan) Limited edition specially imported from Japan. This is Quicksilver Messenger Service's fifth album, originally released on Capitol in 1970, during the same sessions as Just For Love. Includes lyrics in Japanese and English.
"Musically, there is little to delineate the fifth long-player from Quicksilver Messenger Service, What About Me, from their previous effort, Just for Love. Not surprisingly, material for both was initiated during a prolific two-month retreat to the Opaelua Lodge in Haleiwa, HI, during May and June of 1970. The quartet version of Quicksilver Messenger Service -- which had yielded the band's first two LPs -- expanded once again to include Dino Valenti (aka Chester A. Powers, Chet Powers, and most notably on this album, Jesse Oris Farrow) as well as British session keyboardist Nicky Hopkins. The additional talents of Mark Naftalin (keyboards) were incorporated when Hopkins was unavailable. This began his short stint with Quicksilver Messenger Service, which lasted through their sixth LP, Quicksilver (1972). The most apparent change in Quicksilver Messenger Service's sound can be directly attributed to the return of Valenti. The group has departed the long, free-flowing improvisations that prevailed on both their self-titled debut and follow-up, Happy Trails. The songs are now shorter and more notably structured, with an added emphasis on Valenti's compositions. The title track, "What About Me," became an ethical and sociological anthem with challenging and direct lyrical references to the political and social instability of the early '70s. Valenti, whose songwriting credits on this disc are both numerous and attributed to his Farrow persona, also comes up with some passable introspective love songs, such as "Baby Baby" and "Long Haired Lady," as well as a couple of interesting collaborations with Gary Duncan (bass/vocals). The psychedelic samba "All in My Mind" also highlights the often overlooked percussive contributions from Jose Reyes. Two of the more distinguished entries on What About Me are John Cipollina's raunchy blues instrumental "Local Color" -- replete with a driving backbeat reminiscent of their take on the Robert Johnson standard "Walkin' Blues" -- as well as Nicky Hopkins' emotive "Spindrifter."" - Lindset Planer, AMG
CD $25

Also, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for those who like QMS's psych period..

QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE [JOHN CIPOLLINA et al] - The Unreleased: Lost Gold And Silver [2 CD set] (Collectors' Choice 109; USA) Here on one 78 minute disc is live Quicksilver as you've never heard them, a collection of hi-fi tracks taken from various 1968 performances that blow away their live album Happy Trails. John Cipollina is absolutely on fire. And, we've added a bonus disc with rare soundtrack cuts, single-only sides, and yes, eight unreleased tracks, all of them dating from the prime 1967-1968 years. Live tracks include: 'Light Your Windows', 'Dino's Song', 'The Fool', 'Who Do You Love', 'Back Door Man', 'Codine', 'Mona/Maiden of the Cancer Moon/Mona', 'Gold and Silver', 'Smokestack Lightning'. The bonus disc features unreleased studio versions of: Who Do You Love, Calvary. Plus unreleased songs: 'I Hear You Knockin', 'Back Door Man', 'Your Time Will Come', 'Walkin Blues'. Also, unreleased alternate takes of: 'Dino's Song',' Gold and Silver' (entitled 'Acapulco Gold and Silver'), 'Babe I'm Gonna Leave You', 'Codeine' (in stereo). And finally the single sides: 'Bears' and 'Stand By Me' - BLG
By licensing these previously unreleased live and studio tracks (plus some previously released but rare material) from the Special Markets division of EMI-Capitol Music, the mail-order company Collectors' Choice Music has legitimized Quicksilver Messenger Service recordings that had floated around on bootlegs and quasi-legal discs for many years. The performances all date from 1967-1968, a period during which Quicksilver consisted of lead guitarist John Cipollina, rhythm guitarist and singer Gary Duncan, bassist David Freiberg, and drummer Greg Elmore. As Richie Unterberger points out in his liner notes, "They were not so much singer-songwriters as they were virtuoso players and creative interpreters and stylists. They were not the greatest of vocalists or composers." True, but in Cipollina, with his tremolo-laden leads, they had one of the great San Francisco guitarists of the '60s. The first disc, titled "Studio," finds them struggling to pull together original songs for their debut LP, Quicksilver Messenger Service (May 1968), while the second disc, "Live from 1968," finds them playing some of these same songs in concert. By their second album, Happy Trails (March 1969), they had given up trying to get across in the studio and just recorded live, where they were far more comfortable. They were also more comfortable using blues and rock standards like "Back Door Man," "Smokestack Lightning," and "Who Do You Love" as jumping-off points for extended jams, or extrapolating the jazz standard "Take Five" into "Gold and Silver." Some performances age better than others -- many will find the long drum solo in the concert version of "Gold and Silver" uninspired -- but by and large, Quicksilver's live reputation stands up well. The second disc's studio outtakes are more problematic, but nevertheless interesting, notably a horn-filled arrangement of "Back Door Man." Tacked on at the end are the group's two contributions to the soundtrack to Revolution, their one-off novelty single "Bears" (all previously reissued on the 1991 Rhino compilation Sons of Mercury), and the B-side of "Bears," the pretty acoustic ballad "Stand by Me" (an original penned by erstwhile bandmember Dino Valente, not the Ben E. King song), which has not been reissued since the single was released in 1968. - William Ruhlmann, AMG
2 CD set for $28


FIVE OR SIX - Acting On Impulse: The Best Of Five Or Six (Cherry Red 324; UK) "A timely retrospective of one of the less heralded groups of the classic Cherry Red era of the early '80s but one in whom interest is growing. Musically akin to such contemporaries as Wire and This Heat, Five or Six had the distinction of providing the opening track ('Portrait') to Cherry Red's historic Pillows and Prayers compilation and this little masterpiece is duly featured on this Best Of collection. Also featured are such stellar singles as 'Another Reason' (produced by the late and very legendary Kevin Coyne) and 'Polar Exposure' and also the outstanding cuts from their impossibly rare and greatly sought after Spanish import album, Play Me That Song That Goes Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. After the group disbanded, its members went on to a multifarious range of artistic occupations, such as members of Spring Heel Jack, the Shock Headed Peters, at Factory Records and 4AD Records and in the drama department of the BBC."
CD $17


BLOW YOUR COOL [V.A.] - Vol 2: Cosmarama - 20 Top Prog/Psych Behemoths from the UK and Europe (Psychic Circle 7024; UK) Seems like only yesterday (probably because it was) that the Psychic Circle label explored some of the uncharted depths of British and European psycho-prog on the first volume of Blow Your Cool. Well, here's another voyage into that dazzling star system. Once again, legendary psych musician and Psychic Circle label-head, Nick Saloman (The Bevis Frond) has pulled in tracks from the UK and across Europe, and once again, this series will thrill you with as-yet unheard treasures from the patchouli-scented vaults of freaked musical excess. You'll find a splendid UK three-piece band who only issued records on the Continent, and then you'll find another! You'll meet the band who would evolve into the German prog monsters, Wind. There's an Irish show-band illustrating that the prog scene had not passed them by, plus an Essex band who released music on their own label, and a whole lot more besides. Swoon! Artists include: Distant Jim, Carriage Company, Kingdom, The Tower, Back Street Band, Big Wheel, Bismarck, CWT, Silence, Ginger Ale, Pussy, Tenderfoot Kids, Electric Food, Mr. Albert Show, The Petards, Castle Farm, The Pebbles, Corporal Gander's Fire Dog Parade, Chips, and Richard St. Clair & Forum.
CD $16


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An incredible trove of Enja releases can now once-again be offered to you,
many at lower prices than ever before!

A.D.D. TRIO [ROBERT DICK/CHRISTY DORAN/STEVE ARGUELLES] - Sic Bisquitis Disintegrat [That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles] (Enja 9361; Germany)
CD $13

RABIH ABOU-KHALIL - Il Sospiro: Solo (enja 9440; Germany)
CD $16

RABIH ABOU-KHALIL With CHARLIE MARIANO/GLEN MOORE et al - Between Dusk and Dawn (enja 9371; Germany)
CD $16

RABIH ABOU-KHALIL With CHARLIE MARIANO/KENNY WHEELER/MILTON CARDONA/STEVE SWALLOW et al - Blue Camel (enja 7053; Germany)
CD $16

RABIH ABOU-KHALIL With DOMINIQUE PIFARELY/VINCENT COURTOIS et al - Yara [sndtck] (enja 9360; Germany)
CD $13

RABIH ABOU-KHALIL With ELLERY ESKELIN/DAVE BALLOU/TOM VARNER/MICHEL GODARD et al - The Cactus of Knowledge (enja 9401; Germany)
CD $16

RABIH ABOU-KHALIL With GLEN MOORE et al - Tarab (enja 7083; Germany)
CD $16

RABIH ABOU-KHALIL With GLEN MOORE/GLEN VELEZ et al - Roots & Sprouts (enja 9373; Germany)
CD $16

RABIH ABOU-KHALIL With MICHEL GODARD/HOWARD LEVY/MARK NAUSEEF et al - Odd Times (enja 9330; Germany)
CD $16

RABIH ABOU-KHALIL With MICHEL GODARD/KENNY WHEELER/STEVE SWALLOW/HOWARD LEVY et al - The Sultan's Picnic (enja 8078; Germany)
CD $16

RABIH ABOU-KHALIL With MICHEL GODARD/NABIL KHAIAT/BALANESCU STRING QUARTET - Arabian Waltz (enja 9059; Germany)
CD $16

RABIH ABOU-KHALIL With SONNY FORTUNE/GLEN MOORE et al - Al-Jadida (enja 6090; Germany)
CD $16

RABIH ABOU-KHALIL With SONNY FORTUNE/GLEN MOORE et al - Bukra (enja 9372; Germany)
CD $16

PEPPER ADAMS With WALTER NORRIS/GEORGE MRAZ/MAKAYA NTSHOKO - Pepper (enja 9079; Germany)
CD $13

EDDIE ALLEN - R'n'B (enja 9033; Germany)
CD $13

EDDIE ALLEN - Summer Days (enja 9388; Germany)
CD $13

RAY ANDERSON LAPIS LAZULI BAND - Funkorific (Enja 9340; Germany)
CD $13

RAY ANDERSON POCKET BRASS BAND - Where Home Is (Enja 9366; Germany)
CD $13

RAY ANDERSON With JOHN SCOFIELD/MARK DRESSER et al - Blues Bred in The Bone (Enja 5081; Germany)
CD $13

ARCADO STRING TRIO & TRIO DE CLARINETTES DOUBLE TRIO [MARK FELDMAN/MARK DRESSER/ERNST REIJSEGER & LOUIS SCLAVIS/ARMAND ANGSTER/JACQUES DI DONATO]] - Green Dolphy Suite (Enja 9011; Germany)
CD $13

DAVID AZARIAN - Hope (Enja 9354; Germany)
CD $13

BENNY BAILEY - Satchmo Legacy (Enja 9407; Germany)
CD $13

CHET BAKER - Legacy Vol 1 (Enja 9021; Germany)
CD $13

CHET BAKER - Legacy Vol 2: I Remember You (Enja 9077; Germany)
CD $13

CHET BAKER With NDR BIG BAND - Straight From The Heart: The Great Last Concert Vol 2 (Enja 6020; Germany)
CD $13

KENNY BARRON QUINTET - Live At Fat Tuesdays (enja 5071; Germany)
CD $13

KENNY BARRON QUINTET - Quickstep (enja 6084; Germany)
CD $13

BASSDRUMBONE [MARK HELIAS/GERRY HEMINGWAY/RAY ANDERSON] - Hence The Reason (Enja 9322; Germany)
CD $13

KARL BERGER With PETER KOWALD/INGRID SERTSO/ALLEN BLAIRMAN - We Are You (Enja 6060; Germany)
CD $13

ED BLACKWELL PROJECT With GRAHAM HAYNES/CARLOS WARD/MARK HELIAS + DON CHERRY - "What It Be Like?": Vol 2 Live At The 3rd Annual Eddie Moore Festival (Enja 8054; Germany)
CD $13

ARTHUR BLYTHE With HAMIET BLUIETT/DON MOYE et al - Hipmotism (enja 6088; Germany)
CD $13

ARTHUR BLYTHE With JOHN HICKS/CECIL McBEE/BOBBY BATTLE - Calling Card (enja 9051; Germany)
CD $13

ARTHUR BLYTHE With JOHN HICKS/CECIL McBEE/BOBBY BATTLE - Retroflection: Live At The Village Vanguard (enja 8046; Germany)
CD $13

MICHAEL BOCIAN With DEWEY REDMAN - Reverence (enja 8096; Germany)
CD $16

MICHAEL BOCIAN - Premonition: Solo Debut For Nylon String Guitar (enja 9118; Germany)
CD $16

DOLLAR BRAND [ABDULLAH IBRAHIM] With CARLOS WARD, CRAIG HARRIS et al - At Montreux (Enja 3079; Germany)
CD $13

ABRAHAM BURTON - Cause And Effect (Enja 9377; Germany)
CD $13

ABRAHAM BURTON - Closest To The Sun (Enja 8074; Germany)
CD $13

ABRAHAM BURTON - Magician (Enja 9037; Germany)
CD $13

PHILIP CATHERINE/NIELS-HENNING ORSTED PETERSEN - The Art Of The Duo (Enja 8016; Germany)
CD $13

MARTY COOK GROUP With JIM PEPPER - Nightwork (Enja 5033; Germany)
CD $13

VINCENT COURTOIS With NOEL AKCHOTE/MICHEL GODARD/YVES ROBERTS - Translucide (Enja 9380; Germany)
CD $13

SYLVIE COURVOISIER'S OCRE With PIERRE CHARIAL/MICHEL GODARD - Y2K (Enja 9383; Germany)
CD $13

PAQUITO D'RIVERA - Habanera (Enja Nova 9395; Germany)
CD $13

ROBERT DICK With SOLDIER STRING QUARTET - Jazz Standards On Mars (Enja 9327; Germany)
CD $13

ERIC DOLPHY - Berlin Concerts (Enja 3007; Germany)
CD $13

MARC DUCRET/BOBBY PREVITE - In The Grass (Enja 9343; Germany)
CD $13

MARTY EHRLICH - New York Child (Enja 9025; Germany)
CD $13

MARTY EHRLICH With URI CAINE/MICHAEL FORMANEK/BILLY DRUMMOND - Song (Enja 9396; Germany)
CD $13

MARTY EHRLICH/MICHAEL FORMANEK/PETER ERSKINE - Relativity (enja 9341; Germany)
CD $13

MARTY EHRLICH With WAYNE HORVITZ/MARK FELDMAN/BOBBY PREVITE/MARK DRESSER/NED ROTHENBERG et al - The Long View (Enja 9452; Germany)
CD $16

JAMES EMERY SEPTET With MARTY EHRLICH/MARK FELDMAN/CHRIS SPEED/MICHAEL FORMANEK/GERRY HEMINGWAY/KEVIN NORTON - Spectral Domains (Enja 9344; Germany)
CD $13

JOHANNES ENDERS With INGRID JENSEN/GEORGE COLLIGAN et al - Bright Nights (Enja 9352; Germany)
CD $13

JENNY EVANS - Gonna Go Fishin' (Enja 9403; Germany)
CD $13

ANTONIO FARAO - Black Inside (Enja 9345; Germany)
CD $13

ANTONIO FARAO - Thom (Enja 9399; Germany)
CD $13

ART FARMER With GEOFF KEEEZER et al - Soul Eyes: Live At The Blue Note (Enja 7047; Germany)
CD $13

GLENN FARRIS - Refugees (Enja 9108; Germany)
CD $13

MARK FELDMAN STRING QUINTET With ERIK FRIEDLANDER et al - Book of Tells (Enja Nova 9385; Germany)
CD $13

TOMMY FLANAGAN - Ballads & Blues (enja 3031; Germany)
CD $13

TOMMY FLANAGAN - Confirmation (enja 4014; Germany)
CD $13

TOMMY FLANAGAN - Giant Steps (enja 4022; Germany)
CD $13

TOMMY FLANAGAN - Let's Play The Music Of Thad Jones (enja 8040; Germany)
CD $13

TOMMY FLANAGAN - Super Session (enja 3059; Germany)
CD $13

TOMMY FLANAGAN With GEORGE MRAZ/ELVIN JONES - Eclypso (enja 2088; Germany)
CD $13

MICHAEL FORMANEK With TIM BERNE/MARK FELDMAN/WAYNE KRANTZ/JEFF HIRSHFIELD - Extended Animation (Enja 7041; Germany)
CD $16

SATOKO FUJII ORCHESTRA [WEST] With ELLERY ESKELIN/TONY MALABY/HERB ROBERTSON/NATSUKI TAMURA/STEVEN BERNSTEIN et al - The Future Of The Past (Enja 9457; Germany)
CD $13

SATOKO FUJII TRIO With MARK DRESSER/JIM BLACK - Toward, To West (Enja 9382; Germany)
CD $13

RENAUD GARCIA-FONS - Fuera (Enja 9364; Germany)
CD $13

RENAUD GARCIA-FONS - Oriental Bass (Enja 9334; Germany)
CD $13

MICHEL GODARD - Castel Del Monte I (Enja 9362; Germany)
CD $13

JERRY GONZALEZ & THE FORT APACHE BAND - Obatala (Enja 5095; Germany)
CD $13

JERRY GONZALEZ & THE FORT APACHE BAND - The River is Deep (Enja 4040; Germany)
CD $13

DUSKO GOYKOVICH - Balkan Blue: A Night In Skopje/Balkan Blues [2 CD set] (Enja 9320; Germany)
CD $16

DUSKO GOYKOVICH - Bebop City (Enja 9015; Germany)
CD $13

JERRY HAHN With DAVE LIEBMAN/ART LANDE et al - Time Changes (Enja 9007; Germany)
CD $13

EDDIE HARRIS - Dancing By A Rainbow (Enja 9081; Germany)
CD $13

ANTONIO HART - Ama Tu Sonrisa (Enja 9404; Germany)
CD $13

MARK HELIAS With ELLERY ESKELIN/TOM RAINEY et al - Loopin' The Cool [aka Groove Is Universal] (Enja 9049; Germany)
CD $13

MARK HELIAS' OPEN LOOSE With TONY MALABY/TOM RAINEY - New School (Enja 9413; Germany)
CD $13

MARK HELIAS With MARTY EHRLICH/HERB ROBERTSON et al - Desert Blue (Enja; Germany)
CD $16

MARK HELIAS' OPEN LOOSE With TONY MALABY/TOM RAINEY - New School (Enja 9413; Germany)
CD $13

FRED HERSCH With DAVE DOUGLAS/RICH PERRY/DREW GRESS/TOM RAINEY - Point In Time (Enja 9035; Germany)
CD $13

ABDULLAH IBRAHIM [DOLLAR BRAND] - African Dawn (Enja 4030; Germany)
CD $13

ABDULLAH IBRAHIM [DOLLAR BRAND] - African Sketchbook (Enja 2026; Germany)
CD $13

ABDULLAH IBRAHIM [DOLLAR BRAND] - African Suite: For Trio And String Orchestra (Enja/TipToe 88832; Germany)
CD $13

ABDULLAH IBRAHIM [DOLLAR BRAND] - African Symphony (Enja Nova 9410; Germany)
CD $13

ABDULLAH IBRAHIM [DOLLAR BRAND] - Desert Flowers (Enja 7011; Germany)
CD $13

ABDULLAH IBRAHIM [DOLLAR BRAND] - Mindif (Enja 5073; Germany)
CD $13

ABDULLAH IBRAHIM [DOLLAR BRAND] - South Africa (Enja 5007; Germany)
CD $13

ABDULLAH IBRAHIM [DOLLAR BRAND] - Zimbabwe (Enja 4056; Germany)
CD $13

ABDULLAH IBRAHIM [DOLLAR BRAND] & EKAYA - African River (Enja 6018; Germany)
CD $13

ABDULLAH IBRAHIM [DOLLAR BRAND] With JOHNNY DYANI - Echoes From Africa (Enja 3047; Germany)
CD $13

ABDULLAH IBRAHIM [DOLLAR BRAND] With JOHNNY DYANI - Good News From Africa (Enja 2048; Germany)
CD $13

ITALIAN INSTABILE ORCHESTRA - Litania Sibilante (Enja 9405; Germany)
CD $13

INGRID JENSEN With GARY BARTZ/GEORGE COLLIGAN et al - Here On Earth (Enja 9313; Germany)
CD $13

INGRID JENSEN With GARY THOMAS/DAVID KIKOSKI et al - Higher Grounds (Enja 9353; Germany)
CD $13

INGRID JENSEN With STEVE WILSON/GEORGE GARZONE et al - Vernal Fields (Enja 9013; Germany)
CD $13

ELVIN JONES With SONNY FORTUNE/RAVI COLTRANE et al - In Europe (enja 7009; Germany)
CD $13

ELVIN JONES With SONNY FORTUNE/NICHOLAS PAYTON et al - It Don't Mean A Thing (enja 8066; Germany)
CD $13

ELVIN JONES JAZZ MACHINE With RAVI COLTRANE/NICHOLAS PAYTON/JAVON JACKSON et al - Going Home (enja 7095; Germany)
CD $13

JOHNNY KING - Meltdown (enja 9329; Germany)
CD $13

JOHNNY KING QUINTET With JOSHUA REDMAN - Notes From The Underground (enja 9067; Germany)
CD $13

LEE KONITZ With MARK FELDMAN/ERIK FRIEDLANDER/MICHAEL FORMANEK et al - Strings For Holiday (Billie) (Enja 9304; Germany)
CD $13

LEE KONITZ/STEVE SWALLOW/PAUL MOTIAN - Three Guys (Enja 9351; Germany)
CD $13

WAYNE KRANTZ - 2 Drink Minimum (Enja 9043; Germany)
CD $13

WAYNE KRANTZ - Long To Be Loose (Enja 7099; Germany)
CD $13

PRINCE LASHA With HERBIE HANCOCK/CECIL McBEE/JIMMY LOVELACE - Inside Story (Enja 9131; Germany)
CD $13

[DAVE] DAVID LIEBMAN - Time Immemorial (Enja 9389; Germany)
CD $13

JOE LOVANO With ED BLACKWELL/ANTHONY COX - Sounds Of Joy (Enja 7013; Germany)
CD $13

LUCKY FOUR [DAVID MURRAY/DAVE BURRELL/WILBER MORRIS/VICTOR LEWIS] - Lucky Four (Tutu/Enja 888108; Germany)
CD $13

ALBERT MANGELSDORFF QUARTET - Diggin': Live at DUG Tokyo (Enja 2006; Germany)
CD $13

ALBERT MANGELSDORFF/LEE KONITZ - Art Of The Duo (Enja 5059; Germany)
CD $13

CHARLES MINGUS QUINTET With ERIC DOLPHY - Mingus In Europe [Vol 2] (Enja 3077; Germany)
CD $13

MOVIN' ON [ALBERT MANGELSDORFF/BRUNO SPOERRI/CHRISTY DORAN/RETO WEBER] - Shake Shuttle And Blow (Enja 9374; Germany)
CD $13

SUNNY MURRAY With ODEAN POPE/WAYNE DOCKEY - 13 Steps On Glass (Enja 8094; Germany)
CD $13

JIM PEPPER - The Path (Enja 5087; Germany)
CD $13

[HANNIBAL MARVIN PETERSON] HANNIBAL - The Angels of Atlanta (Enja 3085; Germany)
CD $13

DEWEY REDMAN - Choices (Enja 7073; Germany)
CD $13

MAX ROACH QUINTET With STANLEY TURRENTINE/JULIAN PRIESTER/TOMMY TURRENTINE/BOBBY BOSWELL - Long As You're Living (Enja 4074; Germany)
CD $13

ALDO ROMANO QUARTET - Canzoni (Enja 9102; Germany)
CD $13

DAN ROSE - Water's Rising (Enja 9116; Germany)
CD $13

DAN ROSE/STEVE SWALLOW/JOHN BETSCH - Conversations (Enja 8006; Germany)
CD $13

MICHELE ROSEWOMAN & QUINTESSENCE With CRAIG HANDY/STEVE WILSON et al - Guardians Of The Night (Enja 9378; Germany)
CD $13

CHARLIE ROUSE - Upper Manhattan Jazz Society (Enja 4090; Germany)
CD $13

ALEXANDER VON SCHLIPPENBACH With SUNNY MURRAY/INO NOBUYOSHI - Light Blue: Schlippenback Plays Monk (Enja 9104; Germany)
CD $13

LOUIS SCLAVIS & BERNARD STRUBER JAZZTET - Le Phare (Enja 9359; Germany)
CD $13

JOHN SCOFIELD - Live (Enja 3013; Germany)
CD $13

JOHN SCOFIELD - Rough House (Enja 3033; Germany)
CD $13

ARCHIE SHEPP - Soul Song (Enja 4050; Germany)
CD $13

ARCHIE SHEPP & RICHARD DAVIS - Body & Soul (Enja 7007; Germany)
CD $13

JOHN STUBBLEFIELD - Morning Song (Enja 8036; Germany)
CD $13

THE STYRENES//TERRY RILEY - In C (Enja Nova 9435; Germany)
CD $13

SUN RA and HIS OMNIVERSE ARKESTRA - Destination Unknown (Enja 7071; Germany)
CD $13

AKI TAKASE With FRED FRITH/RUDI MAHALL/NILS WOGRAM/PAUL LOVENS - St. Louis Blues (Enja 9130; Germany)
CD $13

AKI TAKASE/DAVID MURRAY - Blue Monk (Enja 7039; Germany)
CD $13

AKI TAKASE/SUNNY MURRAY/REGGIE WORKMAN - Clapping Music (Enja 8090; Germany)
CD $16

CECIL TAYLOR - Air Above Mountains (Enja 3005; Germany)
CD $13

CECIL TAYLOR With JIMMY LYONS/DAVID S WARE/RAPHE MALIK/MARC EDWARDS - Dark To Themselves (Enja 2084; Germany)
CD $13

CLARK TERRY/RED MITCHELL - Jive At Five (Enja 6042; Germany)
CD $13

CLARK TERRY/RED MITCHELL - To Duke & Basie (Enja 5011; Germany)
CD $13

MAL WALDRON With CLIFFORD JORDAN/CECIL McBEE/DANNIE RICHMOND - What It Is (Enja 4010; Germany)
CD $13

BENNIE WALLACE - Free Will (Enja 3063; Germany)
CD $13

BENNIE WALLACE - In Berlin (Enja 9425; Germany)
CD $13

BENNIE WALLACE - Plays Monk (enja 3091; Germany)
CD $13

BENNIE WALLACE - Someone To Watch Over Me (Enja 9356; Germany)
CD $13

BENNIE WALLACE - The Talk Of The Town (Enja 7091; Germany)
CD $13

BOBBY WATSON - Advance (Enja 9075; Germany)
CD $13

BEN WEBSTER/GENE AMMONS - Live At Pio's: In Sweden (Enja 2038; Germany)
CD $13

KENNY WERNER - Beyond The Forest Of Mirkwood (Enja 9121; Germany)
CD $13

NILS WOGRAM QUARTET With SIMON NABATOV - Speed Life (Enja 9346; Germany)
CD $13

PHIL WOODS/TOMMY FLANAGAN/RED MITCHELL - Three For All (Enja 3081; Germany)
CD $13

DHAFER YOUSSEF - Electric Sufi (Enja 9412; Germany)
CD $13

ATILLA ZOLLER With TOMMY FLANAGAN/GEORGE MRAZ et al - The Last Recordings (enja 9349; Germany)
CD $13


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