A Short but Intense List of Gems from:

John Zorn's 'The Crucible'! 2 from Anthony Braxton! Free Jazz Soft Machine '71! Harry Miller's Isipingo! Command All Stars: Evans/Tippett/Dean/Dyani/Miller/Charig! Downes/Godding/Rutherford/Guy/Stevens!

Eskelin/Courvoisier! Grdina/Houle! Davey Williams! Cavallanti, Tononi & Scheinman! Federico Ughi/Daniel Carter! Byard/Eyges! David Sylvian!

MEV (Lacy/Rzewski/Teitelbaum) Box-Set! Pauline Oliveros! Anthology of Dutch Electronic Music Vols. 1 & 2! The Jeweled Antler Collective Box-Set! 4 from Elvis Costello! & the return of the Robert Crumb cards just in time for Christmas, Hanukah or Kwanzaa!




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


TWO DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY BENEFITS PLANNED FOR DECEMBER!

Wednesday December 17th - 10pm at Bowery Poetry Club!
Featuring:
TISZIJI MUNOZ HEART-BURN TRIO with BOB "RA-KALAM" MOSES & DON PATE & Special Guest Rebazar Munoz!
THE ROBERT MUSSO/RAOUL BJORKENHEIM EXPERIENCE with ELLIOTT LEVIN, KEITH MACKSOUD & ERIC SLICK!
ELLIOTT SHARP'S BOOTSTRAPPERS With MELVIN GIBBS & ANTON FIER!

Saturday December 20th - 8:30 at Roulette!
Featuring:
JOHN ZORN, LOUIE BELOGENIS, SHANIR BLUMENKRANZ & KENNY WOLLESEN!
a MYSTERY BAND [?] FOR THE 2ND SET!

Stay tuned...


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


Tzadik Music Label - Concert Series Presentation IV

TRIBUTE TO TEIJI ITO

Curated by John Zorn and Presented in association with Tzadik

Featuring Guy Klucevsek Ensemble & Steve Gorn Ensemble

Friday December 12 2008, 7:30 PM - 11 PM
$35 for non-members

@ The Japan Society
333 East 47th Street, New York City
Box Office: 212.715.1258

The late Japanese American composer Teiji Ito (1935-82) was known as the founding composer of the experimental new music scene and for his scores for the avant-garde films by his former wife, Maya Deren. The fourth in the Tzadik Music Label series curated by John Zorn, this is the first ever large-scale tribute to the music of Ito, one of the pioneering composers who incorporated musical instruments from many world cultures into his work. Creating an innovative combination of sounds, Ito had a diverse career composing music for stage and film, including the original Broadway production of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. The evening will be divided into three programs, music for theater, film and dance, exploring the range of Ito's music as studied, arranged and performed by Guy Klucevsek and Steve Gorn and their ensembles.

The marathon concert will include:

Music for Theater
The Coach with the Six Insides & music from King Ubu Performed by Guy Klucevsek and ensemble, including Rinde Eckert, Steve Elson, Todd Reynolds, Michael Sirotta, and Yukio Tsuji.

Music for Film
Lifelines (Ed Emshwiller, 1960)
Meditation on Violence (Maya Deren, 1948)
Arabesque for Kenneth Anger (Marie Menken, 1961)
Moonplay (Marie Menken, 1964-66)

Music for Dance - Watermill Directed by Steve Gorn and performed by Watermill Ensemble, including Ito's daughter Tavia Ito, Mara Purl, Yukio Tsuji, Ralph Samuelson, Zishan Ugurlu and Gorn.

Plus a discussion with John Zorn and musicians who worked with Ito himself.

"I make it to very few shows nowadays, but I can't miss this! Thanks to Zorn for making the recordings available on Tzadik, and curating this event ..and waking me up" - MannyLunch


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


ASTRONOME: A NIGHT AT THE OPERA!

Director Richard Foreman and musician John Zorn team up for "Astronome: A Night at the Opera" opening next year [2009] at Ontological-Hysteric Theater.

WATCH VIDEO FEED of rehearsals and see how Foreman develops this production..

EVERY WEDNESDAY from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Nov. 26, 2008-Jan. 21, 2009 live from the Ontological-Hysteric Theater in Manhattan!

[No rehearsals Dec. 24, 2008]

Tune in at http://www.free103point9.org

http://www.ontological.com/


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



And now...........!


JOHN ZORN//MIKE PATTON/TREVOR DUNN/JOEY BARON With Guest MARC RIBOT - The Crucible (Tzadik 7372; USA) The legendary Moonchild trio returns for another intense journey into the worlds of magic, alchemy and witchcraft. Following one of Zorn's true masterpieces Six Litanies for Heliogabalus, this fourth volume streamlines and simplifies the music with new melodic elements bringing Zorn's sax and the lyricism of Masada into the power and structural complexity of the patented Moonchild sound. With Patton using his prodigious voice to sing melodies in addition to his preverbal screams and howls, The Crucible is another bold step from mad alchemist John Zorn. Including special guest guitarist Marc Ribot on one Led Zeppelin influenced track, this is a rocking new installment to the Moonchild-Astronome-Heliogabalus legacy.
TZADIK ARCHIVAL SERIES
CD $14


ANTHONY BRAXTON/KYLE BRENDERS - Toronto (Duets) 2007 [2 CD set] (Barnyard 308; Canada) Legendary saxophonist and composer Anthony Braxton releases the first saxophone duet recording of two Ghost Trance compositions. Braxton is joined by Toronto saxophonist Kyle Brenders in this double cd studio recording. "To call a musical duet a 'dialogue' implies that the music functions the way language does. The comparison is particularly tempting in the case of Anthony's music and the 'language' types that are its building blocks. Any comparison here, however, has little to do with the well-worn paths of call-and-response that may remind us superficially of conversation. It's better, perhaps, to think of duet music in general as a historical language and of Anthony's pieces as a beautifully original dialect in which to say what he and Kyle need to say, to each other and - thankfully - to us." - Scott Thomson, October 2008.
2 CD set for $24

ANTHONY BRAXTON & THE AIM TORONTO ORCHESTRA - Creative Orchestra (Guelph) 2007 (Line 29/Spool 130; Canada) Anthony Braxton, conductor & soprano sax; Christine Duncan, voice; Parmela Attariwala, violin; Tilman Lewis, cello; Ken Aldcroft, guitar; Justin Haynes, guitar & harmonica; Nicole Rampersaud, trumpet; Scott Thomson, trombone; Rob Piilonen, flute; Ronda Rindone, Eb & bass clarinet; Kyle Brenders, soprano sax; Evan Shaw, alto sax; Colin Fisher, tenor sax; Tania Gill, piano; Victor Bateman, bass; Rob Clutton, bass; Brandon Valdivia, xylophone; Nick Fraser, drums; Joe Sorbara, drums. Works: Compositions No. 306, No. 307 & No. 91 with three Language Improvisations. Recorded September 7, 2007 in Guelph, Canada.
CD $16



Four incredible unearthed treasures [read: Never Before Out!] from the Golden Age of British New Jazz - Thanks to Mike King!
"all of'em get ALL THUMBS UP!! - MannyLunch

COMMAND ALL STARS [NICK EVANS/MARC CHARIG/ELTON DEAN/KEITH TIPPETT/HARRY MILLER/JOHNNY DYANI/KEITH BAILEY] - Curiosities: Lost 'Guilty But Insane' Recordings (Reel Recordings 10; Canada) This is the first chance to hear a recently discovered recording from Command All Stars, a project involving widely recognized musicians from the Keith Tippet Group, Soft Machine and King Crimson, among others. In February 1972, a group of young jazz musicians gathered in London's Command Studios with King Crimson figurehead/guitarist Robert Fripp as producer [who had just done similar chores for Keith Tippett's legendary Centipede sessions] to record a double album intended for Ronnie Scott's productions. The cast, headed by trombonist Nick Evans and trumpeter Mark Charig, included pianist Keith Tippet, saxophonist Elton Dean, bassists Harry Miller & Johnny Dyani, and drummer Keith Bailey - unquestionably qualifying the moniker All Stars. The resulting recordings were to be released as a double LP under Evans & Charig's name with the title 'Guilty But Insane'. However, the label rejected the results as having "no commercial potential," and the master tapes were reused [recorded over] and the project forgotten ...until Nick Evans, prompted by Reel Recordings, found copy reels for two of the four sides.
What was discovered were diverse collective improvisations in a variety of group settings occasioned with unlikely instrumentation (Tippet -- electric piano, Dean -- sopranino, Miller -- African flute). These tracks amount to much more than a series of curiosities as its title suggests, and open-hearted listening to this spontaneous music-making reveals a plethora of riches. Of special note is the emotionally deep playing and interaction from South African bassists Harry Miller and Johnny Dyani. Recorded documents that add to the important history of British jazz do not surface very often, and this rare All Star session commands its cultural recognition!
CD $17

HARRY MILLER'S ISIPINGO With MONGEZI FEZA or MARC CHARIG/MIKE OSBORNE/NICK EVANS or MALCOLM GRIFFITHS/KEITH TIPPETT or STAN TRACEY/LOUIS MOHOLO] - Full Steam Ahead! (Reel Recordings 12; Canada) Reel Recordings presents a collection of newly discovered recordings from Harry Miller's Isipingo -- originally recorded 1975-78. South African bassist Harry Miller (1941-1983) retains stature as an internationally recognized player who possessed both technical virtuosity and limitless musicality. One needs to only consider his gorgeous bass playing within the Mike Westbrook Concert Band and the legendary Brotherhood of Breath, to cite but two. During the mid-'70s, Harry Miller formed Isipingo, a sextet crucible for his joyfully infectious kwela-inspired compositions. The musicians of the fray of these previously unreleased studio recordings read as a "who's who" of classic British jazz; alto saxophonist Mike Osborne (1943-2007), pianists Stan Tracey or Keith Tippett, trumpeters Mongezi Feza (1945-1975) or Mark Charig, trombonists Nick Evans or Malcolm Griffiths, with the other half of Harry's heartbeat, drummer Louis Moholo, stoking the fiery coals. These men stampede through Harry Miller's vibrant compositions, two of which appear here for the first time. Born out of numerous sweaty nights in London's Peanuts, Phoenix and 100 Club, these undeniably exhilarating recordings of Harry Miller's Isipingo remain a proud clarion for the present generation of jazz lovers. Reel Recordings, in cooperation with Hazel Miller's Ogun Records unfurl the legendary Isipingo banner and march proudly into the 21st century -- Full Steam Ahead!
CD $17

BOB DOWNES OPEN MUSIC With BRIAN GODDING/PAUL RUTHERFORD/BARRY GUY/JOHN STEVENS et al - Crossing Borders (Reel Recordings 11; Canada) This is a previously unreleased recording from the late '70s by Bob Downes Open Music. Bob Downes is a multi-instrumentalist composer possessing a distinctive musical personality and prowess. Through bodily breath emanates sublime sounds from an array of flutes, poignant patterns from his alto and tenor saxophone performances, and engaging expressions of complimentary vocalizations. Open Music is the moniker under which Bob has produced an eclectic range of records since 1968. However, none of the above prepares the listener for the profoundly engrossing experience that is Crossing Borders. Composed during an extended tour throughout South America in 1973, and evocative of the exotic locales encountered, Crossing Borders is a compendium of musical precision, mysticism, and tranquility. During the late '70s Bob Downes produced a beautifully warm analog recording of his programmatic vision, colluding with contemporaries guitarist Brian Godding, trombonist Paul Rutherford , bassists Barry Guy, Mark Meggido and Paul Bridge, and drummers Denis Smith and John Stevens. Thirty years later, this unreleased record finally sees the light of day, and it has aged like a fine wine. A recording this special comes deservedly wrapped with our highest recommendation for everyone prepared to cross musical borders!
CD $17


SOFT MACHINE [MIKE RATLEDGE/HUGH HOPPER/ELTON DEAN/PHIL HOWARD] - Drop (Moonjune 023; USA) This CD documents an often overlooked phase in the long and complex history of Soft Machine - Australian drummer Phil Howard's five-month interim behind the drum stool between Robert Wyatt's departure and his eventual long-term replacement John Marshall. It did last long enough to record half of the studio album "Fifth" (1972) and a couple of BBC radio sessions, but until now no official document of that line-up in its preferred environment - the stage. Howard was brought into Soft Machine by saxophonist Elton Dean, both being members of Elton's side project Just Us, and under their combined influence the band became freer and wilder than ever before (or after) in its existence, pushing longtime leaders Mike Ratledge and Hugh Hopper into unchartered areas of electric madness. Before long they'd decided this wasn't the way to go, but meanwhile the line-up had antagonised audiences throughout extensive tours of the UK and Europe.
This CD documents the German leg of the tour and, as veteran music journalist Steve Lake notes in his detailed liner notes, is a revelation - a glimpse of a highly exciting alternative route Soft Machine decided not to explore further.
"Holy Smokes! The FREE JAZZ side of Soft Machine!" - MannyLunch CD $15


ELLERY ESKELIN/SYLVIE COURVOISIER - Every So Often (Prime Source 5010; USA) Featuring Ellery Eskelin on tenor sax and Sylvie Courvoisier on piano. Although this extraordinary duo has not play in New York very often, they have done a bit of touring, playing in Vancouver, the Oregon Festival of Music, Baltimore, the Earshot & Penofin Jazz Fests, Baltimore, Hell's Kitchen Fest and of course, The Stone. Both Ellery and Sylvie remain amongst downtown's finest musicians and composers with a variety of projects and bands that they work with. The also have a trio disc with Vincent Courtois being released on CAM in Italy which we still await. I expected great things from this duo and I was completely knocked out by the results.
There is some immense concentration going on here, a dialogue that goes back and forth and combines/blends ideas. On "Moderato Cantabile" the duo play a series of magical cascades, waves of notes building, caressing and slowly ascending, finally fading into silence. A superb beginning. Sylvie is quite a musical sorceress, she makes every note count. Whether she is playing inside the piano or on the keyboard, nothing is ever superfluous. On "A Distant Place" Sylvie seems to playing a few different inter-connected lines simultaneously while Ellery shifts between the lines providing a focal point of entry into ever-changing logic that holds this piece together. I love how on the title piece, the duo strip things down to a more skeletal approach so that each sound shimmers in the space between the notes. This duo exchange is a treasure chest of successfully contained ideas that just keeps getting better each time that I listen to it. I hope to see them live someday, but this disc still blows my mind in the meantime. - BLG
CD $15


DAVEY WILLIAMS - Antenna Road (Trans Museq 18; USA) Veteran guitarist Davey Williams has had a 35-year career as an improviser, best known for his collaborations with string player LaDonna Smith under the name Trans Museq and also his long-term residence in the guitar-seat of the avant-jazz outfit Curlew. His latest solo offering, Antenna Road, is a briskly paced 30-track album that colorfully expounds his off-center guitar language. Although he uses multi-track recording, all sounds were recorded live with no studio processing, using a variety of guitars (electric, acoustic, and steel-body resonator) and even a plugged-in sitar and an electric screwdriver. A few songs are tuneful ditties with a standard rhythm or make a tip of the hat toward genres, like with some slide guitar licks, but mostly the album is wildly capricious, demonstrating a playful curiosity.
Expressing a sense of humor in music without using words is typically limited to just a few methods; playing with dynamics and tempos in a volatile way, like Spike Jones or the cartoon-music composer Carl Stalling, or ironic genre mash-ups (say, Led Zeppelin songs in a bluegrass style) are among the most common. Avoiding these techniques, Williams has his own unique kind of musical absurdity conveyed in the sounds themselves, which is more in line, for example, with what the Residents were doing in the '70s. Williams can make an electric guitar sound like it's gargling (Friendly Synapse Junction) or chuckling (Hubris), and on The Shaman's House, it sounds like he's dragging a wet finger across a guitar to make it whinny, while he beats a guitar's body like a hand drum.
The song titles on Antenna Road vividly evoke little stories or various settings, such as At the Air Show which apparently tries to recreate the sound of jet engines by running an electric screwdriver placed near electric guitar pickups. Factory Interior With Pep Song has a perfect title, combining vaguely industrial noises with a warped approximation of a marching band song, while Snafu In The Finale is a jaunty 21-second circus tune. One oddball track is The Street Is An Empty Knife, which is the only track on which Williams sings, and his vocals have a touch of Captain Beefheart, evoking a kind of beatnik noir. Some may find his fickle approach to be confounding and his style to be inaccessible and possibly deranged, but Antenna Road is a lively, scattered, and unabashedly eccentric album, overflowing with unusual and stimulating sonic moments. - Ernie Paik
CD $14


DANIELE CAVALLANTI/TIZIANO TONONI With JENNY SCHEINMAN et al - Rings Of Fire (Long Song 110; Italy) Tenor/baritone/composer Daniele Cavallanti and drummer/percussionist/composer Tiziano Tononi, from Milano, Italy, have been playing together for the last thirty years. Since 1980 have been co-leading the band Nexus. Considered an historical avant-garde Italian band, Nexus has been voted a number of times best band by critics in the annual jazz magazine Musica Jazz "Top Jazz Referendum". They are also founding members of the celebrated Italian Instabile Orchestra. Both with Nexus and the Italian Instabile Orchestra, Cavallanti and Tononi performed all over Europe, United States, Canada and Japan and during their career they have been playing and recording with some of the most representative Italian jazz musicians such as: Enrico Rava, Gianluigi Trovesi, Giancarlo Schiaffini, Giorgio Gaslini and with a number of international jazz masters such as: Raphael Garrett, Radu Malfatti, Barre Phillips, Oliver Lake, Leroy Jenkins, Glenn Ferris, Mark Dresser, Herb Robertson, Steve Lacy, Dave Liebman, Stuart Copeland, Andrew Cyrille, Maggie Nicols, Dewey Redman, Muhal Richard Abrahms, Cecil Taylor, Anthony Braxton, Roswell Rudd, Nels Cline, Elliott Sharp, William Parker, Hamid Drake, Willem Breuker, Wolter Wierbos, Jerry Granelli, Evan Parker, Paul Lytton, Jean-Jacques Avenel, Oliver Johnson, Michel Godard. On this brand new CD, produced by Fabrizio Perissinotto, who originally conceived and commissioned the project to the two musicians, Cavallanti and Tononi present two long and ambitious suites ("Faces" by Daniele Cavallanti and "Phases" by Tiziano Tononi) for an extraordinary high level octet that features American violin rising star Jenny Scheinman, Emanuele Parrini on viola, Achille Succi on alto saxophone and bass clarinet, Massimo Mariani on guitar, Giovanni Maier on double and electric bass and Pacho on percussion. CD $16 FEDERICO UGHI/DANIEL CARTER/GENE JANAS - People's Resonance ('577' Records 8; USA) Federico Ughi drums; Gene Janas upright bass, percussion, voice; Daniel Carter alto sax, tenor sax, flute, trumpet. Recorded May 7th 2008 in Brooklyn, New York. Although most of us know local free/improv wizards, Daniel Carter & Federico Ughi from numerous sessions previous to this on 577 and other homemade labels, no doubt few of you know Brooklyn bassist Gene Janas. I've known Gene through the years more as an informed listener with a deep love of British progressive and free/jazz. Although I've yet to hear Gene play live, his playing on this disc is just fine, fitting perfectly with the free-flowing organic approach that Federico and Daniel most often adhere to. I dig the relaxed vibe of this session, it unfolds slowly and ascends higher as it evolves. On "Talk in Play..." while Gene keeps a quick and steady pulse, Federico spins more quickly and intensely as Daniel slowly burns on top. Federico & Gene start "Flowers Reach Clouds" with hushed percussion while Daniel plays quiet flute, building slowly and sounding like a ritualistic ceremony. This piece is actually quiet beautiful, restrained and often sublime. The final piece is called "Protecting Cosmos" and this is a most apt title, since the trio does sound quite "cosmic" with Daniel playing some of his finest, Trane-like tenor sax while the rest of the trio swirls supremely around him. For me, this amazing 30-minute work is the quintessential free/jazz opus, uncovering the long history of modern. Daniel Carter rises to heavens and even quotes a couple of slivers of standards. It is the smokin' rhythm team that is consistently strong throughout this epic work. Closing in on the end of 2008 and we have another contender! - BLG
CD $14


GORDON GRDINA'S BOX CUTTER With FRANCOIS HOULE et al - New Rules For Noise (Line 29/Spool 129; Canada) Box Cutter is well-named: the multifaceted Gordon Grdina's "jazz" band is a small, sharp unit, capable of intricately detailed air-carving, but just as likely to offer knife-edged excursions into abstract terrain. Here, though, the focus is primarily on concise, melodic playing, no matter what this record's title might imply.
Two benign deities preside over New Rules for Noise, in the form of saxophonist Ornette Coleman and clarinetist Jimmy Giuffre. In fact, if guitarist Grdina has a fault, it's that he sometimes hews too closely to their templates; at first, I mistook his original Burning Bright for a Coleman composition, while the waltzlike Yellow Spot Into The Sun would be quite at home on one of Giuffre's pioneering trio recordings from the early 1960s.
But don't get me wrong: I love Coleman's tunes and Giuffre's records, and Grdina shares their ability to mix singable melodies with freer forms. His elegant writing is beautifully interpreted by this unit, which features clarinetist Francois Houle, bassist Karlis Silins, and drummer Kenton Loewen -and the band proves it can rock out too, on the spiky Plan Of Attack. That track is modern jazz for metalheads, and no less compelling than this disc's quieter delights. - Alexander Varty, straight.com
CD $16


EDDIE GALE With KIDD JORDAN/DICK GRIFFIN/WILLIAM PARKER et al - Bach Dancing And Dynamite Society Presents (Creative View; USA) NTSC; 1 hour 35 minutes. Eddie Gale trumpet and flugelhorn, Kidd Jordan sax, Dick Griffin trombone, William Parker and Marcus Shelby doublebass, Joe Hodge drums
DVD $20

EDDIE GALE With PRINCE LASHA et al - Historically Yours: A Salute To President Obama [CD ep] (Creative View; USA) Jazz and spoken word; part of the proceeds will be donated to Jazz Foundation Of America for Musicians Healthcare. Players include Gale, Prince Lasha, Marcus Shelby, Darrell Green, Howard Wiley, and David Boyce.
CD $5


MUSICA ELETTRONICA VIVA [MEV: ALLAN BRYANT/ALVIN CURRAN/FREDERIC RZEWSKI/RICHARD TEITELBAUM et al] - MEV 40 (1967-2007) [4 CD box set] (New World 80675; USA) This 4-CD set, covering the years 1967-2007, comprises the best surviving recorded documents from four decades of performances, personally curated by its three core members-Alvin Curran, Frederic Rzewski, and Richard Teitelbaum. As such, it is an invaluable historical anthology of one of the pioneering and truly legendary exponents of live-electronic music. Included here are: SpaceCraft (1967), Stop the War (1972), Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, Pts. 1 & 2 (1982), Kunstmuseum, Bern (1990), New Music America Festival (1989), Ferrara, Italy (2002), Mass. Pike (2007)
Musica Elettronica Viva (MEV) was begun one evening in the spring of 1966 by Allan Bryant, Alvin Curran, Jon Phetteplace, Carol Plantamura, Frederic Rzweski, Richard Teitelbaum and Ivan Vandor in a room in Rome overlooking the Pantheon. MEV's music right from the start was also totally open, allowing all and everything to come in and seeking in every way to get out beyond the heartless conventions of contemporary music. Taking its cue from Tudor and Cage, MEV began sticking contact mics to anything that sounded and amplified their raw sounds: bed springs, sheets of glass, tin cans, rubber bands, toy pianos, sex vibrators, and assorted metal junk; a crushed old trumpet, cello and tenor sax kept us within musical credibility, while a home-made synthesizer of some 48 oscillators along with the first Moog synthesizer in Europe gave our otherwise neo-primitive sound an inimitable edge. In the name of the collectivity, the group abandoned both written scores and leadership and replaced them with improvisation and critical listening. Rehearsals and concerts were begun at the appropriate time by a kind of spontaneous combustion and continued until total exhaustion set in. It mattered little who played what when or how, but the fragile bond of human trust that linked us all in every moment remained unbroken. The music could go anywhere, gliding into self-regenerating unity or lurching into irrevocable chaos-both were valuable goals. In the general euphoria of the times, MEV thought it had re-invented music; in any case it had certainly rediscovered it. - Alvin Curran
4 CD set for $56

SETH JOSEL - The Stroke That Kills: Works by Eve Beglarian, Alvin Curran, David Dramm, Michael Fiday, Tom Johnson, and Gustavo Matamoros (New World 80661; USA) Over the past twenty-plus years, Seth Josel has established himself as a leader in helping to shape the electric guitar's burgeoning future as a "classical" instrument. This album is a statement not only of his artistry as a performer, but also as a curator of new music for the guitar. The six pieces on this recording demonstrate a variety of means and approaches spanning the reified electric flamenco of David Dramm to the sound-art abstractions of Gustavo Matamoros. David Dramm's (b. 1961) The Stroke That Kills (1993) is rooted in the fierce rhythmic strumming of the flamenco style, but its translation to the electric guitar propels the music to a harder, more vicious place. Michael Fiday's (b. 1961) Slapback (1997) is inspired by a live recording of The Who in which the guitarist Pete Townsend plays a duet with himself as his sound echoes off the arena wall. In Slapback, the guitar performance-heard in the right stereo channel-is repeated, by means of an electronic delay unit, one eighth-note later in the left stereo channel. Like Slapback, Eve Beglarian's (b. 1958) Until It Blazes (2001) utilizes an electronic delay to augment the guitarist's performance, but unlike in the Fiday, Beglarian's use of echo does not create a separate contrapuntal line. Rather, it helps create a soundspace in which the delay effect promotes a sense of ambient depth and a more subtle sense of syncopation. Tom Johnson's (b. 1939) Canon for Six Guitars (1998) is a process piece where rigorous adherence to its initial conditions of pitch and rhythm ultimately produces something of a commentary on itself.
The idea of building a composition around a formalized exploration of the guitar as a harmonic medium is also taken up by Alvin Curran (b. 1938) in Strum City (1999). The first movement is relatively straightforward and presents a long series of chords, not unlike a chorale, through the aural gauze of the strum. While Strum City's first movement is uncritically and unabashedly strum-centric, the second and third movements break apart the strum's dual temporal nature, each focusing on one of the strum's dual aspects. Gustavo Matamoros's (b. 1957) Stoned Guitar (2005) comprises two separate sub-pieces: Stoned Guitar and TIG Welder. TIG Welder is a recording of the eponymous device that is played simultaneously with the performance of the Stoned Guitar score. The balance between guitar and recording is determined by means of external electronics as stipulated by the composer.
CD $15


CHICAGO SOUND MAP//OLIVIA BLOCK/ERNST KAREL - Perform Compositions By Olivia Block and Ernst Karel (Kuro Neko 03; USA) 1. Stop the Sound of the Big Bell (Olivia Block); 2. & 3. Heard Laboratories (Ernst Karel) Stop the Sound of the Big Bell mixes traditional and graphic notational techniques leaving open spaces for structured improvisation for each player at different times. It is designed so the improvised segments fit within the larger framework of the piece, instead of driving the form of the composition. Heard Laboratories, performed uses as its score an edited phonographic work consisting of recordings of scientific research environments at Harvard University: parts one and two are direct interpretations of tracks one and two of Heard Laboratories
The Ensemble: Dudley Bayne - piano; Todd Carter - electronics; Kevin Davis - cello; Michael Hartman - percussion; Boris Hauf - saxophone; Keefe Jackson - saxophone; Brian Labycz - electronics; Jen Clare Paulson - viola; Jason Roebke - bass; Jason Stein - bass clarinet
CD $14



MUSICWORKS - Explorations In Sound [Deluxe 'Magazine + CD' edition] (Issue 102/Winter 2008; Canada) Toronto-based New Music magazine returns with articles on Yvat, Ed Osborn, Jody Redhage, Linda Catlin Smith, Robin Minard, I Have Eaten the City and the Sonic Geography of Bologna, Italy plus excellent, informative reviews of the Vision Fest in NYC, Suoni Per Il Popolo in Montreal, FIMAV in Victoriaville and record reviews of Brotherhood of Breath, Daniel Levin Qt, Lisle Ellis, Miller/Coxhill, Larry Ochs, The Necks & DMG/ARC's Stone Quartet. The enclosed CD features sounds from the first six sonic explorers mentioned above. Certainly the most fascinating and engaging journal of its kind, a must-read for those who like to challenge their ears and minds. - BLG
MAGAZINE + CD edition for $17



Limited Edition vinyl from Qbico!

ACID BIRDS [ANDREW BARKER/JAIME FENNELLY/CHARLES WATERS] - Acid Birds (QBICO 85; Italy) Limited Edition. "Recorded by Jeremy Wilms and Torbitt Schwartz at I.T.S. studio, Brooklyn; November 14, 2007. Andrew Barker (drums, percussion, jaw-harp); Jaime Fennelly (electronics, harmonium); Charles Waters (alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet)." Pressed on yellow & black-striped vinyl
LP $24

ARTHUR DOYLE/WILBER MORRIS/RASHID BAKR - Live At The Alterknit (QBICO 84; Italy) Limited Edition. One-sided LP, white vinyl, artwork by Jeff Koons, two cut corners. Recorded August 9, 1997 in NYC. Arthur Doyle (tenor sax, recorder); Wilber Morris (bass); Rashid Bakr (drums). Doyle at his craziest with a mutant rhythm section, totally far-out and insane! Glossy or sophisticated ears?! Stay away from this shit! Free punk yo!"
LP $24

DENNIS GONZALEZ With FARUQ Z BEY & NORTHWOODS IMPROVISERS - Hymn For Tomasz Stanko (QBICO 82; Italy) Limited Edition. "180gr. orange vinyl with gold, cover by Mike Rudolph. Recorded 11/04/04 and 3/13/05 by Mike Johnston & Dennis Gonzales. Dennis Gonzalez (rumpet, percussion); Faruq Z. Bey (tenor, alto sax, gon); Mike Carey (tenor sax, bass clarinet); Skeeter C.R. Shelton (tenor, soprano sax); Mike Gilmore (vibes, marimba, saz, tamboura); Mike Johnston (bass, percussion); Nick Ashton (drums, percussion). 3rd vinyl release on Qbico by this great ensemble. Here, as a 7et with special guest trumpeter Dennis Gonzalez, they play homage to one of the most underrated trumpet players ever! Back to the roots..."
LP $24

MURUGA/PERRY ROBINSON - Dyad - Bubble Waves (QBICO 83; Italy) Limited Edition. "Artworks by Muruga. Recorded in 2007 at Sage CT. Studio, Michigan. Muruga (drums, bells, shaker, Nada drum, conga, jimbay, synth); Perry Robinson (clarinet, wood whistles). This magical duo is the result of more then 30 years of playing together/friendship... two side long tracks, Muruga on side A is on drums/synth, while on side b on various perc. instruments. the bubble waves bring you closer to the light, while the bubble beat makes you wanna dance... the preacher met the magician."
LP $24


DAVE SEWELSON And The 25 O'CLOCK BAND With WAYNE HORVITZ/MARK E MILLER/ROBIN HOLCOMB/CAROLYN ROMBERG - Synchro-Incity (Theatre for Your Mother 02; USA) Robin Holcomb: piano; Wayne Horvitz: contrabass; Mark Edward Miller: percussion; Carolyn Romberg: alto, flute; Dave Sewelson: alto, baritone. This is an rare gem from early downtown scene (circa 1980) from Wayne Horvitz' important little label, none of which has ever been put on CD. Recently, when Stephanie Stone was curating The Stone, Mr. Sewelson played some of this music from nearly three decades ago. Word is that it was a blast. We have just a half dozen sealed copies left.
LP $10


LUNAR ENSEMBLE [aka LUNAR BEAR ENSEMBLE: LUNAR [JOHN RICHEY]/DAVE 'SLUGGER' VIZTHUM/TOM DiELLO/ROBERT MUSSO/DAVE DREIWITZ et al] - Acts Of Love (self released; USA) The Lunar Ensemble are a legendary ensemble from New Jersey that have been around for nearly three decades. They are still led by John "Lunar" Richey, one of our favorite poets and a former member of the equally awesome Machine Gun. The rest of the ensemble features Doug "Slugger" Vizthum on el guitar & mandolin, Greg D on guitar & synth, Tom DiEllo on basses & Chris McKenna on drums & percussion plus guests Dave Dreiwitz on cornet & flute and Bob Musso on electric sitar and production. Strangely enough, "Dreaming of Tamara" features some surprisingly somber synth, mellow mandolin, echoed muted cornet & skeletal percussion backing John's righteous voice and incisive words. Slugger's sly slide guitar is featured on "Cultured Mannequins," an old Lunar Ensemble piece that still sounds fresh and intense today. The swirling percussion and guitars are immensely hypnotic on this piece. The images that John conjures up are worthy of the great words spoken by inspired poets around the world. Next is a suite called "Three Car Collage" which again features a couple sizzling slide guitar parts. Again another old poem from Mr. Richey is brought into the present with strong, well selected backing. The consistently superb production by Laswell-collaborator Bob Musso is another plus here as he does another great job of placing John's voice in the center of this splendid ensemble. Although John's words and voice are central to this disc, the music is also constantly engaging and memorable. On "Hitchhiking Dark Cliffs," Tom DiEllo's electric bass magical and somewhat dub-like in the groove. I dig the way John effortlessly speaks his words, words that make you think and ponder the ridiculousness of life and everything we have to put up with in our sad but modern world. What has continuously amazed me abut the Lunar Ensemble is that they are no duds here, everything is provocative and engaging and well-written and well-played. At more than an hour, this is no small feat. I am proud of these lads since they always pull rabbits out of their collective hats each and every time no matter how much time passes... - BLG
CD $10


HEIMATLIEDER [MANFRED SCHOOF/MATTHIAS SCHRIEFL/CONNY BAUER/HANS REICHEL/UTE VOLKER/WOLFGANG SCHMIDTKE/CHRISTIAN RAMOND/PETER WEISS] - Heimatlieder: Live November 2007 (Jazzwerkstatt 30; Germany) This disc was recorded live in Wuppertal & Berlin in November of 2007 and featuring Manfred Schoof & Matthias Schriefl [alternating] on trumpets, Conny Bauer on trombone, Hans Reichel on daxophone, Ute Volker on accordion. Wolfgang Schmidtke on sax & bass clarinet, Christian Ramond on bass and Peter Weiss on drums. Since I only knew 3 of the 8 musicians involved, I wasn't quite sure what to expect except for a couple of odd covers, the theme from "Bonanza" and the theme from "Dallas". The accordion player, Ute Volker, also appeared on a handful of discs that we've offered over the past few years with Gunda Gottschalk & John Russell. The one thing that does stand out is the strange vocal-like sound of Hans Reichel's daxophone, an instrument which played by bowing various pieces of wood that are held by a small vice on a stand. All of these tunes are odd cover songs, often corny or at least humorous. What is great is arrangements and instrumentation: a quirky combination of brass, accordion, dax, sax, bass and drums. There are inspired solos from every player at various times! It is great to hear Conny Bauer playing more inside and tuneful than usual. Hans' ghost-like daxophone has a unique sound and blends well with accordion and horns. He takes a few hilarious solos that must be heard to be believed. Much of this music is just plain fun and would be perfect for getting drunk to. - BLG
Special Limited Time Promotional Sale; normally $17
CD $12 !!!

ERNST-LUDWIG PETROWSKY With HARRY MILLER/JOE SACHSE/TONY OXLEY et al - Ein Nachmittag in Peitz (Jazzwerkstatt 18; Germany) This disc was recorded live from April of 1981 and it features two different groups. There are two long (26 minutes) duos with Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky on clarinet, alto & bari saxes & flute with Brotherhood of Breath's Harry Miller on bass and cello. The other longer (41 minutes) session features Petrowsky's fine quintet with Heinz Becker on trumpet, Joe Sachse on guitar, Klaus Koch o bass and Tony Oxley on drums. We know German reeds wiz, Ernst Petrowsky, from his work with Globe Unity Orchestra, Ulrich Gumpert, Zentralquartett, as well as his own discs on FMP and Konnex. The duos with Harry Miller are especially noteworthy, since the late, great South African-born, British-based bassist, Harry Miller, was rarely heard with outside of his small circle of associates. This is a truly amazing duo and it is superbly recorded. Ideas flow back and forth at high speeds and Harry is often flabberghastingly great. On "Relaxing with Harry" the duo do not sound like they are relaxing but rather burning together, rarely if ever letting up and giving them or us some time to breathe. An outstanding duo performance! There is one piece in which Petrowsky speaks in German and gets some laughs from the assembled crowd. Too bad I don't know German since the universal translater is currently off-line. The quintet with Petrowsky (reeds), Becker (trumpet), Sachse (guitar), Koch (bass) and Oxley (drums) is long, free and intense throughout. I know all of these names from a variety of different sessions, many on FMP, West Wind and/or Hat Art. At 41 minutes, this quintet is consistently crafty, spirited and engaging. - BLG
CD $17


JAKI BYARD & DAVID EYGES - Night Leaves (Brownstone 9708; USA) Featuring Jaki Byard on piano and David Eyges on (electric) cello. When I woke up today, I was listening to WBGO and they were playing some smoking song from a great Booker Ervin Quartet record from the mid-sixties with Jaki Byard on piano. The late Jaki Byard was on of the greatest of all modern jazz pianists, having played at length for Charles Mingus, Booker Ervin, Roland Kirk and Joe Farrell, as well as recording a number of his own great albums. Jaki also knew the history of jazz and you could hear that depth of his knowledge in many of his piano solos. David Eyges is/was of the premiere loft jazz legends and he played an instrument that was rarely heard during the loft jazz days of the seventies, the cello. Instead of doing covers, Jaki and David composed each of the eleven songs on this fine disc, although many of these songs do sound somewhat familiar. The title track has an elegant melody written and played exquisitely by Jaki and David. It is short and sweet and a perfect opener for things to come. "Gimme Some/Cinco Quatro Boogie Woogie" is a sly sort of boogie woogie that the duo plays so swell and then takes apart with some fine plucked cello from Mr. Eyges. David's song "The Chase" has a strong, forlorn melody that the duo plays sweetly bending their sentiments into one delicate theme. "Reflections" has an aptly titled melancholy melody with some lovely, dream-like flourishes by that sublime cello and touching harp-like piano. I dig the way David plucks his (slightly) electric cello on "Why It Is' while Jaki swirls elegantly around him. In many ways, this is a perfect duo that doesn't really need a rhythm section, since they cover all of the roles themselves. I was genuinely moved by David's solo on on "Waltz for Louise" which was poignant and superbly played. No doubt that both of these men know their jazz history since most of these pieces seem to deal with the summation of jazz' long and winding tale. - BLG
CD $14

JAY ROZEN/VERN NELSON DUO - Killer Tuba Songs (TTT; USA) Featuring Jay Rozen on tuba and Vern Nelson on piano. I first heard the other Jay Rozen (not the Trio-X drummer) playing various brass instruments with Anthony Braxton 12+1tet at the Iridium and at Victo. Jay has also performed the music of Virgil Thomson, David Lang and Aaron Kernis. Pianist Vern Nelson lives in San Francisco and has performed the difficult music of Gyorgi Ligeti, Milton Babbitt and Louis Andriessen. For this fine disc, the duo perform the music of German composer, John White, as well as Vern's own "Killer Tuba Songs". John White's "Concert Duos" is from 1975 and is a suite in 7 parts. It is indeed a challenging yet not too obtuse work. The tuba keeps changing its sound and becomes a series of different characters. The piano part is warm, elegant and somewhat majestic. I love the sound of Jay's tuba, it is big and sounds as if the heavens will part when he hits certain notes. Vern Nelson's "Killer Tuba Songs" is in four parts and each is quite different. "Polka" is the first part and is boisterous and it doesn't sound like a polka. "Reggae" is only slightly reggae-like and has some muted piano weirdness with seesawing tuba. "Barcarolle" is stark, yet somewhat dark and a bit disturbing. "Piece for John Merrick" has some intense rather violent piano with eerie whale-like sounds from the tuba. Very strange. John White's "Three Movements from Basingstoke" is named for one of the most boring towns in England. The music though is far from boring, it is quite exciting and engaging. Both the piano and the tuba must play quick cascading lines around one another in the first section. The second part is called "Ballade" and it features some more majestic music. The final section is "Rondo" and it is austere and rather tasty too. I can't say that I've heard (m)any tuba & piano duos before this on, but I was mostly impressed. - BLG
CD $15


PAULINE OLIVEROS - Four Electronic Pieces 1959-1966 (Sub Rosa 185; Belgium) Sub Rosa presents Pauline Oliveros' early and definitive tape and electronic music of the late fifties and sixties -- all released for the first time ever! Born in Texas in 1932, Pauline Oliveros is more than ever an important American composer. Her accomplishments speak to an array of disciplines: her pieces for accordion; the creation of the Deep Listening Institute, a center dedicated to fostering artistic creativity through workshops, performances, and new technologies; her approach to improvisation in relation to meditation; and her numerous and varied collaborations with, among others, John Cage, Morton Subotnick, Terry Riley, Sonic Youth, Erold and Andrew Deutsch. Each piece on this release exemplifies her systematic exploration of electronic sounds, which was fundamental to this period. "Mnemonics" prefigures her meditative and breathing pieces. "V of IV" structures sound as noise. "Time Perspectives" is among her first variations on silence. Finally, "Once Again" develops a wild energy that out-strips itself, a frenzy the likes of which is hard to find even to this day. As Oliveros explains, the detailed methodology behind her work offers a unique inquiry into the process of artistic invention itself. "My work with electronic music began in 1959. My first tape piece was an ambitious four channel work called 'Time Perspectives.' The piece was made by recording small sounds from objects resonated on a wooden wall and changing the tape speed. I used cardboard tubes as filters by inserting the mic into the tube and recording sources through the tubes. I used my bath tub as a reverberation chamber. Sections of the piece were improvised and then subjected to speed changes. When the San Francisco Tape Music Center was established together with Ramon Sender and Morton Subotnik there was a pool of equipment to use and I began to work with electronic sound. Rather than cut and splice small pieces of tape together to make a composition I chose to work in real time. I used two tape machines with the tape running across both machines to make a delay system. I used two or more oscillators at high frequencies to produce different tones. These tones would also interact with the bias frequencies of the tape recorders. I would play the oscillators into the tape recorders improvising my way through the piece. My system of composing in this manner was my own invention." -- Pauline Oliveros
CD $16


THE JEWELED ANTLER (COLLECTIVE) - Library [4 CD Set] (Porter 1013; USA) "With 13 groups, 59 tracks and over 4 hours of music and sounds, The Jewelled Antler Library box set brings together experimental music from the U.S., Finland and New Zealand that ranges from psychedelic, abstract drone, soft psych, noise, folk and field recordings, to the outright strange and bizarre. This set collects together the entire 12 volume set of the limited edition Jewelled Antler CD-R Library, plus the limited edition recording of The Ways of God to Man and also 12 new field recordings by Loren Chasse. Musicians include: Fursaxa, Uton, Tomes, The Ivytree, Hala Strana, Dead Raven Choir, The Famous Boating Party, Claypipe, Muons, Thuja, Kemialliset Ystavat, The Ways of God to Man. Limited edition box set of 1000 copies."
4 CD set for $70


ANTHOLOGY OF DUTCH ELECTRONIC TAPE MUSIC [V.A.] - Volume 1 1955-1966 [2 CD set] (Basta 9182; EEC) "The two-volume Anthology of Dutch Electronic Tape Music was originally released in the late 1970s on limited edition vinyl by the Donemus Composers' Voice label. Compiled by electronica pioneer Dick Raaijmakers, the series offered an authoritative survey of electronic tape music composed in the Netherlands from 1955 to 1977. Those LPs are long out of print and highly sought by collectors. Basta has now reissued this historic series on CD. In 2004, Basta collaborated with NEAR (the Nederlands Elektro-Akoestisch Repertoirecentrum) and Donemus on Popular Electronics: Early Dutch Electronic Music from Philips Research Laboratories. This 4CD boxed set with seven booklets presented vintage tape music recorded from 1956 to 1963 by Dutch composers Dick Raaijmakers (aka Kid Baltan), Tom Dissevelt, and Henk Badings. In Holland, as in other countries, electronic music produced up to 1966 was often prepared for concerts. After 1966, electronic music expanded as advanced computer technology was developed, live electronic music received more attention, electronic music was accorded a place in conservatory and university curricula, and private studios were set up by and for groups of improvising musicians. Therefore 1966-1967, a pivotal period in the history of Dutch electronic music, marks the dividing line of these collections. Volume 1 includes tape music from 1955 to 1966, and Volume 2 documents tape music from the 'open studios' from 1966 to 1977. The new Anthology reissues were compiled from the original source tape recordings, which have been well-preserved and meticulously remastered. The packages (each contains two CDs) include the original liner notes from the Composers' Voice releases, including an extensive historical overview by Raaijmakers. These releases launch a series of new anthologies spotlighting electro-acoustic music composed and recorded in the Netherlands during this seminal era. Electronic musicians have been intensely active in the Netherlands since 1955, and the variety of this activity is reflected in the large number of studios devoted to electronic music. Anthology Vol. 1 illustrates both the work of legendary studios and of individual composers -- the latter represented by their earliest and most characteristic pieces. The majority of the works are exercises and etude-style compositions." Artists include Hans Kox, Ton de Leeuw, Jan Boerman, Jaap Spek, Rudolf Escher, Henk Badings, Dick Raaijmakers, Ton de Leeuw, Frits Weiland, Tom Dissevelt, Axel Meijer, Robbert Jan de Neeve, Peter Schat, Ton Bruynel, Bilthoven, Will Eisma, Klaus Gorter, Luctor Ponse and Berend Giltay.
2 CD set for $22

ANTHOLOGY OF DUTCH ELECTRONIC TAPE MUSIC [V.A.] - Volume 1 1966-1977 [2 CD set] (Basta 9183; EEC) "This second volume of the Anthology of Electronic Tape Music contains works composed after 1966, when electronic music broadened its horizons and established links with other disciplines, as studios opened their portals to influences and involvement from outside. Although electronic music after 1966 became very fragmented and took many new forms in Holland, Volume 2 of the Anthology aims to provide an overall survey of pure tape music. Other movements, such as computer music, and their links with each other are discussed in the liner notes. We have attempted to offer groundbreaking and influential works as well as first electronic works by pioneering composers. Volume 2 presents composers not represented on Volume 1." Jacob Cats, Tera de Marez Oyens, Jos Kunst, Gilius van Bergeijk, Frans van Doorn, Thomas Arras, Simeon ten Holt, Victor Wentink, Louis Andriessen, Peter Smith and Tony van Campen.
2 CD set for $22


Last copies back in stock of this limited edition:

DAVID SYLVIAN With CHRISTIAN FENNESZ/ARVE HENRIKSEN/AKIRA RABELAIS/CLIVE BELL - When loud weather buffeted Naoshima (SamadhiSound 011; USA) A beautiful composition from David that was commissioned as an installation piece by the Naoshima Fukutake Art Museum Foundation on the island of Naoshima, Japan as part of the NAOSHIMA STANDARD 2 exhibition which ran from Oct 2006 to April 2007. The recording was performed by an ensemble of musicians: Clive Bell, Christian Fennesz, Arve Henriksen, Akira Rabelais, and David Sylvian. David composed, recorded, and produced the work at samadhisound studio 2006. A final mix of the material for this edition was completed in Jan 07.
'When loud weather buffeted Naoshima' was commissioned by the Naoshima Fukutake Art Museum Foundation on the island of Naoshima, Japan as part of the NAOSHIMA STANDARD 2 exhibition which ran from Oct 2006 to April 2007. The composition is site specific. In fact Sylvian has said that the work isn't really complete until the sounds of the town Honmura are incorporated into the listening experience. For the samadhisound release of 'when loud weather,' Sylvian has incorporated some of the sounds of the island into the final mix. Whilst this obviously doesn't compare to the experience of listening to the work in situ it goes someway towards creating an echo of it. In the process Sylvian's created a piece which might find new and interesting interpretations in a variety of unanticipated contexts.
This release is only available in a limited edition format (a DVD digipak beautifully designed by our own Chris Bigg with cover art by Sachiyo Tsurumi) for a limited time after which it will be deleted from the catalogue. As the Foundation have decided to make the audio a part of the permanent collection on the island it will be there that the work will remain accessible once the samadhisound edition is ended.
CD $16


ELVIS COSTELLO And THE IMPOSTERS - Momofuku (Lost Highway; USA) Originally Momofuku was going to be released only on vinyl and digital download, an expression of Elvis Costello's frustration with the State of the Record Industry in 2008, but those plans soon changed, turning the album into a standard release yet not removing a sense of confusion surrounding its sudden appearance, as it arrived just after Costello publicly swore off ever recording again (or performing in the U.K., but that's another matter for another time). The very title of the record was a source of mystery, as it was suggested that it could perhaps be named after David Chang's string of N.Y.C. restaurants, but Costello clarified the situation by explaining that he and Chang shared a similar love of Momofuku Ando, the man who invented cup noodles. Such squawking over foodie arcana leaves little question that Momofuku the album exists where the air is rarefied but, as always with Elvis, words have meaning -- as this record sprang to life in an instant, just like a bowl of ramen noodles. Invited to sing on Jenny Lewis' follow-up to Rabbit Fur Coat, an album he praised publicly, Costello arrived in a studio where half of his Imposters were already working on the record -- along with Tennessee Thomas, the daughter of longtime Costello drummer Pete, and Lewis' boyfriend Johnathan Rice -- and before long a couple of new Elvis originals were cut alongside the planned songs for Jenny, and that snowballed into the quickly written, quickly recorded, quickly released Momofuku.
That quicksilver speed is the key to Momofuku, and what separates it from all the albums Elvis Costello has cut in the decade since he signed with Universal. Almost every record from 1998's Painted from Memory on has had a conceptual thrust -- even 2002's When I Was Cruel was designed as a back-to-basics record -- but not this. It's merely a collection of 12 songs, all bashed out in a matter of weeks, not an album that's been labored over for months. Ironically enough, that rush of creative energy gives Momofuku a unified feel so it holds together as well, if not better, than such recent records as When I Was Cruel, which felt too deliberate in its classicism, or The Delivery Man, which was only wanting for the kinetic energy that this has in spades. That dynamic energy is down entirely to the speed of conception, how the record was cut in a short enough span so that Lewis, Rice, and Dave Scher (of Beachwood Sparks and All Night Radio) could lend harmonies throughout the record, lending a grace to the clattering "Turpentine." As the only female here, Lewis naturally stands out from the pack, but she's also given the opportunity to stand toe to toe with Costello, such as on the superb closer, "Go Away," as simple and addictive a song as he's written in years. Much of Momofuku is indeed this direct, at least in its construction -- applying equally to the old-fashioned ballad "Flutter & Wow" as it does to such lean rockers as "American Gangster Time" -- but the lyrics are as expertly crafted and wryly sophisticated as any latter-day Costello record. This sophistication can creep into the music as well, as the loungey puns of "Harry Worth," the clenched, dense rhythms of "Stella Hurt," and the cabaret shuffle of "Mr. Feathers" all recall a Spike recorded sans accoutrements. Again, that's where the speed of this whole enterprise works in its favor, as it makes these digressions seem funny, not fussy, and that's ultimately the charm of Momofuku: it captures a loose, natural Elvis Costello, somebody who hasn't been captured on record in years. It's still a Costello who plugs Lexus, writes operas, and plays jazz festivals, but here he's not trying to prove anything; he's just making music, and that's why it's one of his most enjoyable latter-day records. - Stephen Thomas Erlewine, AMG
CD $15

ELVIS COSTELLO With CLOVER & JOHN McPHEE - My Aim Is True: Deluxe Edition with Live At The Nashville Rooms and The Pathway Demos 1977 [2 CD set] (Hip-O; USA) The most stunning songwriter debut album since the first Bob Dylan album - and first of three-in-a-row "Album Of the Year"s both here in the U.S. and abroad! What more needs to be said about the opening line "Now that your picture's in the paper being rhythmically admired..." or the too-well known "Allison" which remains one of his top hits among a world populace lulled by the trappings of a heartbreak-over-lost-love song but is really a sociopathic statement of desire to murder an ex-lover? Elvis is backed by members of the country-rock group Clover (later the "News" of Huey Lewis And.. fame) and pedal steel maestro John McPhee . Bonus cuts on the first disc are the 8 Pathway Studios demos from 1977, never before issued!
The heart of the second disc is a legendary 17-song live performance by Elvis Costello and The Attractions from The Nashville Rooms in London on August 7, 1977, just a little more than two months after their first-ever performances. The complete concert is followed by five songs from the show's soundcheck earlier that day, all available on CD for the first time. These have never been commercially available before, except for three songs issued as the B-side to the 1977 release of the Watching The Detectives single. Other than the limited-release 'Live At The El Mocambo' [available only in the Ryko box set of two decades ago], this marks the first official release of a complete Costello concert!
Extreme recommendation! - MannyLunch
2 CD set for $30

ELVIS COSTELLO And THE ATTRACTIONS - This Year's Model: Deluxe Edition with Warner Theatre 1978 + Demos [2 CD set] (Hip-O; USA) The second [1978] of three-in-a-row "Album Of the Year"s both here in the U.S. and abroad, this was the first to feature the powerful-in-all-styles backing group assembled to tour the first album, that would come to be known as the Attractions [Bruce Thomas, Steve Nieve, Pete Thomas].
Darker and more intense than the first, with razor edge humor from Hell. This incredible package's first disc includes 10 bonus tracks: B-sides, demos, live tracks and alternate takes including - the B-sides 'Big Tears' and 'Tiny Steps' - the soundtrack-only, 'Crawling To The USA'- the demos 'Running Out Of Angels', 'Green Shirt' and 'Big Boys' - the live recordings 'Neat Neat Neat 'and 'Roadette Song' - the alternate versions of 'This Year's Girl' and (I Don't Want To Go To) 'Chelsea' .
The second disc features the complete legendary February 28, 1978 performance from Washington, DC's Warner Theater featuring 17 performances, 16 of them never before issued! Expanded packaging features rare photos, memorabilia & lyrics. Extreme Recommendation! - MannyLunch
2 CD set for $30

ELVIS COSTELLO And THE ATTRACTIONS et al - The Right Spectacle: The Very Best Of Elvis Costello - The Videos [DVD] (Rhino; USA) This DVD, a unique collection of the visual works of Elvis Costello, boasts a grand total of 27 videos and includes material rarely seen since the original release of the singles they supported. From his first Radar Records single in 1978, "I Don't Want To Go To (Chelsea)," to his final video for Warner Bros., "13 Steps Lead Down" (from 1994's Brutal Youth), this is a must purchase for all serious Elvis Costello enthusiasts and fans alike.
"Elvis Costello is the guy who, in 2003, reissued a recording (Get Happy!!) containing no less than 50 tracks, including 30 that weren't on the original release. So it should come as no surprise that The Right Spectacle, a compilation of Costello videos spanning the years 1978 to 1994, is a similarly generous offering from an artist with one of the longest and most prolific resumes in contemporary pop music. And "generous" is putting it mildly. There are 27 videos (arranged in chronological order), along with an additional 18 live performances, with a TOTAL RUNNING TIME OF NEARLY THREE HOURS! Quantity alone won't cut it, of course, but there's a lot of quality material here, especially considering that by his own admission, making videos was never exactly a high priority for Costello and his band the Attractions. The early, geeky stuff is pretty primitive, but Costello is such a great songwriter that the sheer number of quality tunes overrides most quibbles one might have about the videos themselves. And there are some real gems along the rest of the way, like "New Lace Sleeves," filmed in elegant black & white; the surreal and emotionally raw "I Wanna Be Loved"; and "Veronica," which brilliantly brings to life Costello's song about his grandmother's battle with Alzheimer's Disease. Every track includes Costello's wry, witty commentary (available as an audio track and/or as subtitles), filled with tales of bad fashion choices and drunken high jinks. Meanwhile, the 18 "TV archive selections" range from '77-'83, all of them live and of varying degrees of interest; Costello adds thousands more words about them in the accompanying booklet. All in all, Elvis Costello fans could hardly ask for more than this terrific collection."- Sam Graham
DVD $20


Visually oriented musical gifts - back in stock!

ROBERT CRUMB, Artist - Early Jazz Greats [36 trading cards box set] (Denis Kitchen; USA) Thirty-six color portraitures of classic jazz musicians by the legendary underground comix artist R Crumb with biographies on the reverse! Packaged in a nifty box, the musicians featured include such luminaries as Louis Armstrong, "Bix" Beiderbecke, "Jelly Roll" Morton, Duke Ellington, King Oliver, Jack Teagarden, Sidney Bechet, Mary Lou Williams, Benny Goodman, Fletcher Henderson and 26 more!
This is a new printing - they were originally published in 1982 - so don't spend $40+ on eBay! It's different in several respects from the earlier editions: the card backs have been re-designed and the information has been updated; along with a new box bottom and, for the first time ever, the set contains two brand new bonus promo cards!
SET OF CARDS for $11

ROBERT CRUMB, Artist - Heroes Of The Blues [36 trading cards box set] (Denis Kitchen; USA) Thirty-six color portraitures legendary blues artists - originally published in 1980 -by the celebrated underground comix artist R Crumb with biographies on the reverse! Packaged in a nifty box, the musicians featured include such legendary artists as Charley Patton, Son House, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Mississippi John Hurt, Memphis Minnie, and early groups such as Cannon's Jug Stompers and the Mississippi Sheiks. The back each card contains a short biography of the performer. Complete set of 36 cards each beautifully drawn in full color, and a nifty box with cover art all by Crumb.
SET OF CARDS for $11

ROBERT CRUMB, Artist - Pioneers Of Country Music [40 trading cards box set] (Denis Kitchen; USA) originally published in 1985. Color portraitures by legendary underground comix artist R Crumb in his perfectly suited old-timey style, with biographies on the reverse! Packaged in a nifty box, the thirty-six early 20th century country/pre-country artists featured include musical groups that blazed the trail for what was to become country and western music--from Jimmie Rodgers, "The Singing Brakeman," and the Carter Family, to more obscure groups such as Gid Tanner & His Skillet Lickers or Al Hopkins & His Buckle Busters! Extensive background information and discography on the backs. Illustrated two-color box
SET OF CARDS for $11

JIMI HENDRIX/BILL SIENKIEWICZ/MARTIN I GREEN - Voodoo Child: The Illustrated Legend Of Jimi Hendrix [Book & CD] (Kitchen Sink/Viking; USA) Out of print for several years - and impossible to find when it was 'in-print' - we've found a handful of these [original price $35]. If you're thinking this is a very special [hardcover with dustjacket] book, you are correct. And we didn't even mention the contents: Bill Sienkiewicz's [award winning artist of the graphic novel that revived The Batman's career in the '80s, 'The Dark Knight Returns'] breathtaking art brings to life the tragic saga of psychedelic musician Hendrix. And if the fantastic artwork isn't enough, then consider this: It contains a special CD [appx 30 minutes] of previously unreleased/unheard, excellent quality, home-recorded solo demos, with Jimi singing and accompanying himself on guitar, that as of this writing - 6/4/04 - have appeared absolutely nowhere else! Tracks are: "1983 (A Merman I Should Turn To Be)", "Angel", "Hear My Train A'Comin'", "Gypsy Eyes", "Voodoo Chile/Cherokee Mist", and "Cherokee Jam".
"Mannylunch All-Thumbs UP!" BOOK & CD for $25



GONG: DAEVID ALLEN/GILLI SMYTH - Magick Brother (Actuel 5/Charly/Snapper 199; UK) The very first Gong album - The mythology began here! Recorded in 1969 and originally released on the legendary French BYG label, this CD reissue beautifully replicates the original's artwork on a nice fold-out digipak and thankfully rescues this work into public visibility. Led by Daevid Allen and Gilli Smyth, Gong's debut album presented their spiked vision of "The Kingdom of the Pothead Pixies" into truly illustrious fashion. The spiritual heirs to the fractured throne of Syd's Pink Floyd, this is space-whisper genius from the peak days of the psychedelic dream. "Originally released by cult French label BYG in early 1970 under the joint names of Daevid Allen and Gilly Smyth, Magick Brother has long been recognized as being the first Gong album and it clearly displays the true beginnings of what was to come. The album was recorded in September of 1969, a couple of months before the official formation of Gong, Daevid Allen played guitar and took vocal duties on it, while his wife Gilly wrote all the songs and added her distinctive 'space whisper' vocals. This core duo were supported by a group of highly-accomplished musicians which included Earl Freeman, a jazz bass player who had worked earlier with Albert Ayler, Didier Malherbe playing flute and sax, pianist Burton Green and drummer Rachid Hoari. Containing some great songs such as 'Rational Anthem' and 'Gong Song' and featuring some fine distorted and processed guitar playing by Allen, Magick Brother has more than stood the test of time and still sounds fresh and full of charm. Presented in an attractive digipak gatefold packaging with Daevid Allen's now-classic 'Ph.P' original drawings and wacky liner notes in addition to authoritative new sleeve notes and only available intermittently over the years in the UK, this timely re-issue will be welcomed by fans of the group and '70s prog rock alike."
CD $15


Killer compilation ..Back In Stock!

AFRICAN SCREAM CONTEST [V.A.] - African Scream Contest - Raw & Psychedelic Afro Sounds From Benin & Togo '70s (Analog Africa 63; USA) Just like with the label's first two releases -- albums by Zimbabwean '70s bands the Green Arrows and Hallelujah Chicken Run Band -- the essence of Analog Africa is clear yet again: searching in dusty warehouses for forgotten music to keep it alive. All the tracks have been officially licensed, usually from the artists who Ben Redjeb also met with for detailed research. He conducted 16 interviews in various cities in Benin and Togo with artists, producers and sound engineers to reconstruct the history of the '70s music scene for the 44-page booklet which also includes many rare photographs directly received from the artists. Like most modern music in French-speaking West African countries, the music of Benin and Togo was influenced by a few main musical currents: Cuban, Congolese and local traditional music, as well as Chanson Francaise. Additionally, the geographical location of Benin and Togo -- sandwiched between Ghana and Nigeria -- exposed Beninese and Togolese musicians to Highlife music. The cultural and spiritual riches of traditional Beninese music had an immense impact on the sound of Benin's modern music. Benin is the birth place of Vodun (or, as it is known in the West, Voodoo), and some of the rhythms used during traditional rituals -- Sakpata, Sato, Agbadja, Tchenkoume and many others -- were fused to soul and Latin music as early as the mid-1960s and later to funk. That fusion is the essence of this compilation. In the late '60s and early '70s rock and soul music started creeping into the region. In particular, the music of James Brown and Johnny Halladay became immensely popular with university students. It was then that the music scene in Benin really started to take off. What made this musical revolution even more interesting is that most of the musicians could not read music. Often the music they made sounded one semi-tone away from being out of tune, but somehow they always managed to bring all the elements together into something new and exciting. One of the greatest bands of their era, Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou, who are of course featured on this compilation, took the Afro sound to another level by showing their musical versatility in many forms. Although they were consciously copying western artists, they would always inject a dose of psychedelic Afro grooves that would make their music unmistakably Beninese. Their biggest song, 'Gbeti Madjro' is believed to have revolutionized the music industry in Benin in the '70s when the country went through a period of political turmoil. The song is full of raw breaks and the hypnotic rhythms as well as screams - la James Brown -- after this song many bands in Benin started screaming on their recordings, hence the title of this compilation. Latin-influenced sounds are present on this compilation, too. Ouidah, a city on the Atlantic coast of Benin, is home to a large Brazilian community, or, as they are called in Benin, 'Agoudas.' Members of that community are descendents of slaves who returned from Brazil at the end of the 19th century. Their dances (such as Kaleta and Buriyanj) and songs are still being performed and fused into the traditional Beninese rituals. That, too, can be heard in modern Beninese music. The proximity of the giant neighbor Nigeria can be heard on the track 'Djanfa Magni' which features the amazing trumpeter/ saxophonist Tidjani Kone fronting the Orchestre Poly-Rythmo. Kone whose career started in Mali as the founder and band leader of the Rail Band de Bamako, had played with Fela Kuti for a short while hence the strong Afrobeat influence. There are countless stories to be discovered in the extremely well-researched booklet and the music is truly mind-blowing. So delve into the forgotten raw and psychedelic Afro sounds from '70s Benin and Togo and experience the African Scream Contest."
CD $22

ORCHESTRE POLY-RYTHMO DE COTONOU - Vol 1: The Vodoun Effect 1972-1975 - Funk & Sato From Benin's Obscure Labels (Analog Africa 64; USA) Following the highly-acclaimed African Scream Contest: Raw & Psychedelic Afro Sounds from Benin & Togo '70s -- which featured several tracks by Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou, including the ground-breaking "Gbeti Madjro" -- this new Analog Africa collection now focuses entirely on Orchestre Poly-Rythmo. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou is arguably West Africa's best-kept secret. Their output, both in quantity and quality, was astonishing. During several trips to Benin, label-head Samy Ben Redjeb managed to collect roughly 500 songs which Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou had recorded between 1970 and 1983. With so much material to choose from, he decided to split it into Volume 1 and 2. While Volume 2 will be material the band recorded under an exclusive contract with the label Albarika Store, the band also "secretly" recorded with an array of smaller labels based around Cotonou, Benin's largest city, and the capital city of Porto Novo. It is those tracks (all officially licensed) that are presented here on Volume One. The producers of those labels were genuine music enthusiasts, some of them ran these labels as a part-time occupation, with very limited budgets. They couldn't afford high-quality recordings -- all they had to work with was a Nagra (a Swiss made reel-to-reel recorder) and a sound engineer -- courtesy of the national radio station. These sessions were recorded in private homes using just one or two microphones. The cultural and spiritual riches of traditional Beninese music had an immense impact on the sound of Benin's modern music. Benin is the birthplace of Vodun (also Vodoun, or, as it is known in the West, Voodoo), a religion which involves the worship of some 250 sacred divinities. The rituals used to pay tributes to those divinities are always backed by music. The majority of the complex poly-rhythms of the Vodun are still more or less secret and difficult to decipher, even for an accomplished musician. Two Vodun rhythms dominate the music of Orchestre Poly-Rythmo: Sato, an amazing, energetic rhythm performed using an immense vertical drum, and Sakpata, a rhythm dedicated to the divinity who protects people from smallpox. Both rhythms are represented here mixed in with funk, soul, crazy organ sounds and psychedelic guitar riffs. In the 44-page booklet, full of rare photographs and record covers, Analog Africa introduces three important producers who were collectively responsible for some of the most amazing music released in Benin: Gratien K. Aissy, of the Echos Sonores du Dahomey label, Bernard Dohounzo, of Disques Tropiques, Lawani Affissoulayi, of Aux Ecoutes, the label behind El Rego & Ses Commandos' fame, as well as an encounter in Niamey with Honliasso Barnabe, Poly-Rythmo's producer in Niger. Samy Ben Redjeb also interviewed Vincent Ahehehinnou, the man responsible for composing some of the funkiest stuff ever to come out of Benin, and Kineffo Michel, the sound engineer of Poly-Rythmo's legendary Nagra "home" recordings. None of these tracks (except one -- track 14) have been distributed outside Benin before. Because of financial considerations, most, if not all, of these recordings had very limited pressings that rarely exceeded 1000 copies total and many labels rarely produced more than 500 copies of any given record. The music on this compilation is not only rare, but illustrates how Orchestre Poly-Rythmo, with the support of a number of local record labels, thrived by mixing the coolest parts of funk, soul, Latin and vodun rhythms into a new sound that not only reflected the musical culture and heritage of Benin, but also transformed it and turned the small country into such an incredible musical melting pot. Packaged in a super deluxe slipcase, with a large 44-page illustrated booklet.
CD $22


DANCEHALL [V.A.] - The Rise Of Jamaican Dancehall Culture [2 CD set] (Soul Jazz 196; UK) "100% essential jam-packed monster dancehall double-pack compilation on Soul Jazz Records released to coincide with Beth Lesser's amazing dancehall book also published by Soul Jazz Records! This is an A-Z of dancehall's finest moments. A mammoth 2CD pack and two heavyweight double-album vinyl additions featuring killer tracks back-to-back from the finest dancehall artists ever! Gregory Isaacs, Tenor Saw, Sugar Minott, Sister Nancy, Eek A Mouse, Sly & Robbie, Yellowman, Frankie Paul, Lone Ranger and many more. Dancehall is an absolutely essential guide to the music featuring classic tracks and classic artists. If ever you wanted a party album of stone-cold floor-filling party classics -- this is it. As well as the stellar line-up and tracklisting, the album comes complete with a selection Beth Lesser's amazing, unique, never-seen-before photos throughout the CD and album booklets (all of which also feature in the new book published at the same time) as well as concise newly written sleeve-notes and Soul Jazz Records' distinctive packaging."
2 CD set for $23


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


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

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

To help avoid this problem and get our newsletter:

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

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

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

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