Thaw yourself out with Hot Stuf' from:

Full Blast: Brotzmann/Pliakas/Wertmuller Ltd 2CD Ed! Mats Gustafsson solo LP and Quintet CD! Gerald Cleaver/Willam Parker/Craig Taborn! Mcphee's 'Trio X' 2 LP set!

Luc Ferrari/Otomo Yoshihide! Roger Kleier! Bernstein/Rojas/Osgood! Ran Blake! Christy Doran's New Bag! Brad Shepik! Charles Evans! Loren Connors! Norman Savitt!

Thomas Lehn/Markus Schmickler! Cornelius Cardew! ..and 12 new releases on Konnex!



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A VERY SPECIAL EVENT!

Richard Foreman is one of the most important theatre directors in the world, and has been a personal hero of John Zorn's for over 30 years. This theatre/music piece is the historic first-time collaboration for two masters of the bizarre (both MacArthur geniuses) who individually have challenged, enlightened and entertained adventurous audiences for decades.

ASTRONOME: A NIGHT AT THE OPERA is a work dominated by ecstatic groans, grunts and babbling, and explores the initiation of a group of people into a world where ambiguous behavior alone leads to freedom--perhaps under the tutelage of the necessary "false messiah." This is one of those events that can only happen downtown - culminating from a chance meeting in the street - independent of any special grants, funding, institution or administration.

Based on ASTRONOME, the intense second CD of a series featuring Mike Patton, Trevor Dunn and Joey Baron, Richard Foreman's staging of it is absolutely stunning!

Please make a special effort to see this once in a lifetime event, opening FEBRUARY 5th and RUNNING FOR ONLY TWO MONTHS through APRIL 5th at the ONOTOLOGICAL-HYSTERIC THEATRE @ St Marks Church in the East Village, 131 East 10th St on Second Ave!


to purchase tickets, go to:

https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/633735


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A JOHN ZORN WEEKEND!


John Zorn: New Masada Sextet
Friday, February 6th at 8 pm

John Zorn returns to the Abrons with the US premiere of his hot new Masada ensemble. The classic quartet of Zorn, Dave Douglas, Greg Cohen, and Joey Baron are augmented by the spectacular pianist Uri Caine and percussionist extraordinaire Cyro Baptista. The evening features two sets of Masada material old and new by this dynamic super band.


John Zorn: The Dreamers/O'o
Saturday, February 7th at 8 pm

Featuring: Marc Ribot, Jamie Saft, Kenny Wollesen, Trevor Dunn, Joey Baron, Cyro Baptista, John Zorn.

Two sets of music presenting The Dreamers and the World Premiere of The Dreamers Volume 2 (O'o) in one exciting concert! Named for an extinct Hawaiian bird whose delightful song will never be sung again, O'o is the exotic and charming follow up to The Dreamers, one of Zorn's most appealing projects. Featuring the same dynamic band of masters from Zorn's inner circle, O'o presents more lyrical and adventurous instrumentals exploring World Music, Surf, Exotica, Minimalism, Film Soundtracks and more.

Tickets are now on sale. To purchase go to:
www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/635675

The Abrons Arts Center at Henry Street Settlement 466 Grand Street, NY, NY, 10002
212-598-0400 / www.henrystreet.org/arts


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FULL BLAST [PETER BROTZMANN/MARINO PLIAKAS/MICHAEL WERTMULLER] - Black Hole [Ltd 2 CD edition with Live At Tampere] (Atavistic 187X; USA) The FIRST 1000 copies come replete with a full-length limited-edition bonus CD entitled LIVE AT TAMPERE, recorded live in November of 2005 at Tampere Jazz Happening in Finland - guaranteed to stretch the cortex! Featuring Peter Brotzmann on b-flat clarinet, tarogato, alto & tenor sax, Marino Pliakas on electric bass and Michael Wertmueller on drums. Shades of LAST EXIT (sans guitar) are evident, and FULL BLAST also frequently conjures the essence of Brotzmann's landmark early Free recording "MACHINE GUN" in it's visceral intensity. Herr Bro himself refers to FULL BLAST as "THE TRIO". BLACK HOLE, recorded in March of 2008 at Studio Zurich in Germany, lives up to it's moniker- and as such, is not recommended for the faint of heart. And after sensational performances at Brotzfest Tokyo and the hallowed Berlin & London Jazz Festivals, more high voltage is on undoubtedly the way.
"The first disc is the studio date and it is extremely well recorded. Most of the pieces are shorter (less than 6 & 1/2 minutes), hence Brotzmann gets a chance to explore each of his four reeds on separate pieces. Electric bassist Marino Pliakas is just incredible and articulates each note no matter how fast and furiously he plays. Equally colossal is their amazing powerhouse drummer Michael Wertmueller, who has played with Brotzmann on a number of occasions in the past. Contrary to what you read in the above blurbs, not every piece is at "full blast". The pieces where they are blasting are powerful and immensely throttling. The bassist and drummer work extremely well together as each locks in and tightly weaves their waves of notes intricately as one long flow. Almost too much at times and just when you begin to think this, they lay back and drop to a more restrained level for certain sections. The live disc is even more extreme and intense but no less tight and immense in sound. Brotzmann is back to his fire-breathing, riveting and explosive sax playing, for which there is no match, no contender. There are a few solo sax sections that are truly wonderful and distinctive to Brotzmann's unique sound. Hard to believe that it is only the end of January and already we have a contender for the best free/jazz disc of the year!" - Bruce Lee Gallenter, DMG
Ltd Ed 2 CD set for $16


MATS GUSTAFSSON With LIUDAS MOCKUNAS et al - The Vilnius Explosion: Quintet (NoBusiness CD 01; EEC) [Limited Edition of 1000 CDs] Mats Gustafsson : baritone and slide saxophones, alto fluteophone; Liudas Mockunas : soprano, tenor and baritone sax, bass clarinet; Eugenijus Kanevicius : bass; Arkadijus Gotesmanas : drums; Marijus Aleksa : drums. recorded feb 9th 2008 at Vilniaus Mazasis Teatras.
This CD is not an ordinary recording of an ordinary music event. You are about to listen to a spontaneous collaboration between one of the most innovative artists of the Scandinavian modern jazz stage Mats Gustafsson and Lithuanian masters of free improvisation. Together they create a number of unique soundscapes of ultimate beauty, tenderness and yet capable of emitting streams of energy. A project which aroused from Mats' passion for vinyl and a casual acquaintance on the web has developed into a marvellous music feast which once again proved that dedication to music along with improvised approach can bring to reality even the most fabulous ideas. The concert which took place in a cosy premise of Vilnius "Small" theatre became a remarkable event of the city cultural life. Aura of unity in the concert hall and the perfect contact with the audience can be sensed even on the recording.
CD $17

MATS GUSTAFSSON - The Vilnius Implosion: Solo (NoBusiness LP 01; EEC) [Limited Edition of 500 full-length 45 rpm LPs] Mats Gustafsson : baritone and slide saxophones, alto fluteophone
recorded feb 9th 2008 at Vilniaus Mazasis Teatras
LP $40

TRIO X [JOE McPHEE/DOMINIC DUVAL/JAY ROSEN] - Live In Vilnius [2 LP set] (NoBusiness LP 02; EEC) [Limited Edition of 500 full-length 45 rpm double-LPs] Joe McPhee : pocket trumpet, tenor saxophone; Dominic Duval : bass; Jay Rosen : drums
A fantastic musical performance took place on 27th March 2006 at Vilniaus Congress Hall. Three musical giants - Joe McPhee, Dominic Duval and Jay Rosen (also known as TRIO X) made that evening unforgettable for their fans. Rich, colourful, intense, played almost on a telepathic level, this music is a true masterpiece of this amazing group.
NoBusiness Records is proud and happy to announce that this performance has been released as a double limited edition LP.
2 LP set for $50


GERALD CLEAVER/WILLIAM PARKER/CRAIG TABORN - Farmers By Nature (AUM 53; USA) "A fully improvised communion of three of America's masters of music. The manifest intent: sowing seeds of sound and bringing them to full blossom. Abstract, organic and fully inviting in the process. Recorded live at NYC's new music venue The Stone, Farmers By Nature presents the entire concert of June 19, 2008 which was the third improv meeting of drummer Gerald Cleaver, bassist William Parker, and pianist Craig Taborn. The three of them were specifically brought together by Cleaver with the express intent of making a singular new music. Following their second communion, William Parker was glowing as he told us of the performance in the midst of which his bass began to levitate. We needed to capture their next one! An immersive experience yielding magic and inducing a calming mystical ambience. What an arc! They are tapping into the nexus of regeneration here."
CD $14


KASBAH ROCKERS With BILL LASWELL - Kasbah Rockers (Barbarity 28; EEC) Kasbah Rockers is the new project of Pat Jabbar and different guests from the Barraka label, having combined chilling Trip Hop beats, Rai'n'B, Dub and progressive Dance sounds with traditional Moroccan influences and instruments. Bill Laswell who is playing the bass on 11 tracks, grooves along with eclectic artists such as Youssef El Mejjad from Amira Saqati (Marrakech-Morocco), Abdelaziz Lamari and Abdelkader Belkacem from Maghrebika (Oran & Skikda-Algeria) or Kadir & Erdem from the Swiss-Turkish Hip Hop crew Makale. Their distinctive musical identities, are all fully integrated. For instance to the improvised recording sessions of the 'bad girls' from B-Net Marrakech, or to the great and evocative voice of the young Turkish singer Oezlem Ylmaz. Another new artistic discovery were Hamza & Anass, the two brothers from the crew HS, rappin' in French and Arabic about Moroccan street reality or moral and social issues.
The lyrical content of most of the other songs is much committed to the daily examinations of young Muslims in the western world, or on the other hand, to the confrontation with 'western values' in an Islamic world.
Anti Iraq-war song Falludjah Car is sung in Turkish and Arabic, Bledstyle in Turkish only. But also more romantic lyrics as in Shta do aerate the whole atmosphere. Bledstyle and Shta, by the way, were chosen as a part of the soundtrack for the new Ridley Scott film 'Body Of Lies' (feat. Russell Crowe & Leonardo DiCaprio). CD $18


STEVEN BERNSTEIN/MARCUS ROJAS/KRESTEN OSGOOD - Tatoos And Mushrooms (Ilk 150; EEC) Featuring Steven Bernstein on trumpet & slide trumpets, Marcus Rojas on tuba and Kresten Osgood on drums. Multi-bandleader, arranger and trumpet hero Steve Bernstein never seems to rest. Besides running Sex Mob and the Millennial Territory Orchestra, he has four fabulous discs on Tzadik and has worked with Lounge Lizards, Kamikaze Ground Crew, Max Nagl's Big Four, Satoko Fujii and Mario Pavone. He was also a member of an early downtown trio called Spanish Fly with Dave Tronzo and Marcus Rojas, who still get together on occasion when Tronzo is in town. Since Mr. Tronzo has relocated to the Boston area, Spanish Fly plays gigs with guest members like Ned Rothenberg. Hence this new trio with Marcus Rojas and Danish drum wiz Kresten Osgood, who seems to get around and appears on more discs than I can count. It is Kresten who is the main composer on this disc.
The very first sound you hear on this disc is Marcus playing his tuba like a dijeradoo, making this spooky hum/growl. Besides four originals by Kresten, there are a few select and diverse covers by Charles Brackeen, Thelonius Monk, Charles Mingus and Hank Williams. Charles Brackeen's "Prince of Night" starts things off and is a perfect opening piece. It has a peaceful, spiritual vibe and a delicate, somber melody. Kresten's skeletal yet seductive "Hope for Denmark" shows how to set the scene with a minimum of notes. It reminds me of how the blues works best with a handful of select notes, where each one counts. Marcus Rojas is a master tuba player with his own distinctive sound and approach. He starts Monk's "Thelonius" by rubbing and tapping on his tuba while he hums of just plays a certain eerie notes. When he switches to the bass line, he sounds totally old school and filled with friendly swagger. "Scaramanga" is an eerie, spacy improvised trio that floats freely and thoughtfully. Kresten's drums are recorded with breathtaking care and are at the center of "Abington". His mallet use is sublime and works well with Steve's haunting muted trumpet and Marcus cosmic droning tuba. Initially I thought that there is nothing that connects Mingus' "Eastcoasting" with Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry". Both were written in the fifties and played next to each other, they both evoke a certain timeless quality, especially the way the trio turn Hank's song inside out and sent it to the outer space. The feeling that I get from this gem is that it is Kresten that called the shots and organized to session. This is indeed a wonderful job from all three members of this phenomenal trio. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $17


CHRISTY DORAN'S NEW BAG - The Competence Of The Irregular (Between The Lines 72199; EEC) Featuring Christy Doran on guitar, Bruno Amstad on voice, Hans-Peter Pfammatter on keyboards, Wolfgang Zwiauer on bass and Dominik Burkhalter on drums. This is the sixth disc from Swiss guitar god Christy Doran's impressive, progressive rock band, New Bag. Although I listen to so little rock these days (Radiohead, Yo La Tengo & Wilco), I always give a listen to Christy Doran's ongoing rock quintet. This band is tight, adventurous and consistently engaging. On the opening piece, "Roaming", their vocalist, Bruno, uses his voice like an instrument, making weird sounds and being well-integrated into the group sound. The vocals sometimes recall those singers that Pat Metheny used on occasion, but not as cheesy. The band rocks hard , while the songs evolve through different sections. When the band strides into the brand of rock, they are very exciting even with the occasional guitar or piano solo featured. I dig the way some of these songs switch directions and mutate into other challenging sections. Quite Zappa-like at times. I can't think of a better or more adventurous rock record I've heard in a long while, at least not since the last New Bag disc from a few years ago. - BLG
CD $16


BRAD SHEPIK [SHOEPPACH] With RALPH ALESSI/GARY VERSACE/DREW GRESS/TOM RAINEY - Human Activity Suite (Songlines 1576; USA) Featuring Brad Shepik on guitars, tambura & electric saz, Ralph Alessi on trumpet, Gary Versace on organ, piano & accordion, Drew Gress on bass and Tom Rainey on drums. This is Brad Shepik's sixth disc as a leader and it is perhaps his most ambitious and certainly his most diverse. He has organized a great downtown all-star quintet with each member an integral part of the 'Human Activity Suite'. The title comes from the point that it is the sum of human activity that causes the (current) problems of the world and that it is up to us to make things better for the future. Based by a global view, each piece was inspired by a different country's ethnic music. Our journey begins with "Lima" (inspired by certain music from South America), with Drew's rubbery bass, Gary's uplifting accordion, Ralph's lovely trumpet, Tom's crafty drums all swirling righteously around Brad's nimble acoustic guitar. Complex yet still charming. "Blindspot" has a few different lines being weaved at the same time with haunting organ underneath all of the activity. This piece has an M-Base like complicated groove that keeps all of the players as it shifts through different sections. Both Brad on guitar and Ralph on trumpet take inspired solos here, as well as some fat and funky organ from Gary. The title track is especially warm and beautiful with some most lyrical trumpet, piano and acoustic guitar, that builds to a powerful conclusion. Brad's elegant writing on "Not So Far" is sparkling and superbly played by Gary on piano and Ralph on trumpet with another dynamite solo from Brad on electric guitar. Brad switches to a middle-eastern instrument called the saz on "Current", which has a fine blend of Mediterranean cultures with sublime trumpet and accordion. "Carbonic" recalls the excitement of fusion without the excess with another fine trumpet solo from Ralph. One thing that Brad does so well here is the perfect blend of the trumpet, organ or accordion and different guitars. Each track finds a way for these instruments to complement one another. The other great thing is that Brad has taken us a trip around the globe without having to spnd time in airports, going through borders and being treated like... Excellent on various levels at the same time. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $15

THE OCTOBER TRIO + BRAD TURNER - Looks Like It's Going to Snow (Songlines 1575; USA) Featuring Evan Arntzen on tenor sax, Brad Turner on trumpet & flugelhorn, Josh Cole on acoustic bass and Dan Gaucher on drums. Upcoming Canadian trio joins forces with acclaimed Vancouver trumpeter for a set of compositions equally inspired by Wayne Shorter and Bjork. The special empathy of the Turner-Arntzen frontline anchors vital four-way conversations. The playing is free-fl owing, deeply felt, and strong on storytelling qualities. "A mature piece of soundcraft - with such economy of expression, there is an understanding of the importance of silence in this music, the superfluous boiled away in the process of its creation." - Coda
CD $15


CHARLES EVANS - The King of All Instruments (Hot Cup 84; USA) Amazing solo effort featuring Charles Evans on multi-layered baritone saxes. The king of all instruments is said to be the baritone sax, that large, heavy and hard to maneuver big sax that is difficult to play and takes some stamina to blow for long periods. Charles Evans originally hails from Philly and I only know of his work from a previous disc on the same label, Hot Cup with Moppa Elliott and Peter Evans (no relation). Charles claims that this music comes from the harmonies of 20th century classical music, as well as being inspired by two of his teachers, David Liebman and Richie Beirach.
It took Charles more than six months to record and overdub all of the parts for this gem. Starting with a suite called "On Tone Yet?", it is hard to believe that we are hearing just bari(tone) saxes as they are played orchestrally in layers. The rich tones of the saxes sounds like a big organ or an accordion. On the second part, there are two lead saxes with both weaving their way around one another while there are a rich cushion harmonious saxes underneath. On "Junie Parts 1 & 2", the layers are rich and well constructed, reminding me of the wonderful writing of my favorite British jazz composers in the seventies (like Graham Collier or Mike Westbrook). The lead saxes are again powerful, the background harmonies dark yet majestic. "It's the Right Toe, Bro" is dedicated to Dave Liebman, Charles' main teacher, it is mainly a solo tour-de-force with more bari saxes eventually being inserted and sounding somewhat alien in tone yet becoming more melodic as it evolves. "A Deya in the Life of a Mulligan" probably refers to Gerry Mulligan, one of the greatest bari players of all with Charles adding layers of rich, warm bari saxes to the blend. Charles has written for many layers of bari saxes, the dense and diverse harmonies shine through on each and every piece. This disc is indeed a true treasure and must for all baritone sax fans as well as other serious listeners. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $15



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ROGER KLEIER With ANNIE GOSFIELD/JOAN JEANRENAUD - The Night Has Many Hours (Innova 685; USA) The Night Has Many Hours completes the trilogy New York-based guitar-wizard/composer Kleier began with "KlangenBang" and "Deep Night, Deep Autumn". For this episode he is joined by Annie Gosfield and Joan Jeanrenaud.
He writes: "I have always enjoyed the works of fiction writers who have main characters that reappear in sequential novels, especially noir masters like Raymond Chandler, Walter Moseley, and William Gibson. For these three CDs, I have thought of my own guitar playing and the sound world it occupies as a "character" who shows up repeatedly in a myriad of musical situations, with each variation somehow related to the last one. "For the first part of the trilogy, "KlangenBang", my musical character dealt with concert performance, improvisation, and song form. In "Deep Night..." this character explored a dark world of electronic manipulations and sinister development. For this final episode, the guitar player character investigates the concept of variations in ambience. These ambiences might include those found in urban chaos, cold and icy winters, deserted alleyways, dark subway tunnels, rolling California hillsides, or even an occasional quiet pool of beauty.."
Roger Kleier is a composer, guitarist, and improviser who began playing electric guitar at age thirteen after discovering Captain Beefheart and Jimi Hendrix on the radio airwaves of Los Angeles. He studied composition at North Texas State University and the University of Southern California, and has developed a unique style that draws equally from improvisation, contemporary classical music, and the American guitar traditions of blues, jazz, and rock. Much of his compositional work involves the development of a broader vocabulary for the electric guitar through the use of extended techniques and digital sound manipulation.
CD $14

and go see..

Roger Kleier's "El Pocho Loco" Project
Tuesday, February 17, 8:30 PM
Roulette (at Location One)
20 Greene Street, between Canal & Grand Streets, in Soho

This concert is the premiere performance of "El Pocho Loco", Roger Kleier's new quartet and celebrates the release of his new CD "The Night Has Many Hours". Featuring: Roger Kleier (guitar), Annie Gosfield (keyboards), Trevor Dunn (bass), Ches Smith (drums and percussion)


also available..

ROGER KLEIER - Deep Night, Deep Autumn (Starkland 211; USA) "Roger Kleier, an experimental guitarist, is an important part of New York's downtown new music scene. He regularly performs and records with a variety of leading-edge musicians, including Kato Hideki, Ikue Mon, David Moss, Phill Niblock, Marc Ribot, Elliott Sharp, La Donna Smith, Carl Stone, Davey Williams, John Zorn, and others. Kleier's unique style draws equally from improvisation, contemporary classical music, and the American guitar traditions of blues, jazz, and rock. Kleier seduces listeners by mutating his guitar in various ways, ranging from the hallowed techniques of Jimi Hendrix and Captain Beefheart, through the extended techniques of avant-garde guitar-mangling, to the recent technological innovations of sampling, layering, and digital sound processing."
CD $14

and last copies of this on Fred Frith's long-defunct Rift label..

ROGER KLEIER - Klangenbang (Rift 18; USA) I've seen Roger perform with David Moss, Elliott Sharp's el. guitar quartet Dyner's Club (on Intakt label), Marc Ribot's Shrek, John Zorn's Xu Feng & a cool improv trio with Annie & Kato Hideki on bass. His playing consistently knocks me out - this cd is a fine example. - BLG
CD $14


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LUC FERRARI With OTOMO YOSHIHIDE - Les Archives Sauvees Des Eaux (Callithump 01; Japan) Recorded live at Super Deluxe Concert Series in Tokyo, Japan on October 19th of 2003 and featuring Luc Ferrari on CD-J's of his own compositions with Otomo Yoshihide on turntables, records and prepared cartridges. This important meeting of two great composers from very different periods and cultures was no mere easy improv event to pull off. A great deal of preparation was involved and Otomo had to gather records to use since he had abandoned this method of playing earlier in his evolvement. Although this music often sounds freely improvised, Otomo says he followed the score laid out by Ferrari completely, interpreting it in his own way. There is something special, magical about the sound of crackling records, like ancient voices from the past calling out to us. Like the best electronic music, Ferrari's distinct sonic world emerges here in all of its magnificence. There is an incredible balance between all of the sounds that Ferrari and Otomo create together. Mr. Ferrari was one of the pioneers of music-concrete, having worked with electronic music from the fifties onwards. Through tape-splicing and long hours in the studio, he was able to compose unique electronic sounds that still sound fascinating today, more than fifty years later. For this concert Ferrari has selected the sounds he had invented through the many years of experimenting and used them as a basis for a new living composition that Otomo contributes to in his own distinctive way. The results are remarkable. Every time I listen to this wondrous disc, I am flabbergasted for the entire length. Luc Ferrari passed away in 2005, leaving us with a long legacy of recordings. This one sounds to like a crowning achievement, so I urge you to grab it soon and spend some time listening to it closely and completely. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $25


RAN BLAKE - Driftwoods (Tompkins Square 2097; USA) Ran Blake is an iconoclast. Since his 1961 collaboration with Jeanne Lee on RCA, Ran Blake has released 35 albums on such labels as ESP, Soul Note, Arista and Hatology. His 2006 album on Tompkins Square, All That Is Tied, received 4 stars in Downbeat and earned the top award for excellence in the 2007 Penguin Guide to Jazz. Penguin's editor Brian Morton and Wire Magazine hailed the record as a 'masterpiece.' For his new solo piano album, Driftwoods, Ran salutes his favorite singers, interpreting songs popularized by Billie Holiday, Mahalia Jackson, Hank Williams, Nat King Cole and more.
"Ran Blake remains one of the most enigmatic and eclectic of all jazz pianists. His approach is completely singular. Blake has long been influenced and inspired by movies, both their soundtracks and the way movies touch us. He mentions in the liner notes the pleasure he derives from "the sound of the orchestra, the noir of the film and the timbre of singers" in movies. This disc is dedicated to his favorite vocal performances (memories) from the films he cherishes. Ran explains in the notes why he has selected each piece, where the songs came from and often what is unique about them. While listening to "Driftwood", the first piece, I got the feeling that Blake was slowly, ever so carefully painting his notes on upon a spacious, blank canvas. Making every note, chord and silence count and breathe. "Dancing in the Dark" gets two versions and each one is different yet related. The second version which appears first (naturally) is utterly stark, delicate and sounding as if it is about to break into pieces. At times it seems as if Ran is slowing down time so that we may observe the marvelous way that certain melodies are shaped and affect our moods, magnifying our emotions. Although I recognize some of these songs like "Strange Fruit" and "I Love You, Porgy", listening to this entire disc, the song selection is less important to me than the distinctive way the Mr. Blake plays, alters and makes new all of these songs. I find that there is a magical jewel in each piece as he carefully plucks the gems from oysters tight grip. Perfect late night listening if you are patient enough to let it just sink in with the cognac in hand." - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $14


DENNIS GONZALEZ QUINTET With DON MOYE - Renegade Spirits (Furthermore 1; USA) Featuring Dennis Gonzalez on cornet, C-trumpet & percussion, Tim Green on tenor sax, Aaron Gonzalez on acoustic bass and ethnic percussion, Stefan Gonzalez on drums, bass clarinet, balafon & percussion and Famoudou Don Moye on drums & percussion. Recorded on June 19th (my birthday!), 2008 at the Royal Lane Baptist Church. Since the amazing Dennis Gonzalez takes his time with each release, all discs with Dennis as a leader are extraordinary. Although Dennis' two sons, Aaron & Stefan, are also consistently inspired and creative, Dennis loves to add a special guest to many of his releases. On this gem, we find master-drummer Don Moye from the Art Ensemble of Chicago, as well as saxist Tim Green, who has worked with Dennis on a few previous CD's.
"In the Blink of a Hat" opens with Dennis' haunting trumpet & Tim's rich-toned tenor in the center of two swirling drummers and Aaron deep bowed bass. Both drummers sound wonderful together which is great considering they are about 40 years apart in their ages. Both Tim on tenor and Dennis on trumpet take long inspired solos on this fine opening work. "Skin and Bones" has one of those strong, haunting themes played by bass clarinet (Stefan), tenor and cornet. Aaron's "Evil Elixir" shows that Dennis' youngest son is becoming a fine composer as well with strong drums and congas (Moye) interplay. There are five group improvisations here which often don't sound so improvised since they are so strong and focused. Dennis' "Flesh and Blood" is a long and thoughtfully composed piece with rich horn harmonies, solid acoustic bass and two colossal drummers. With Dennis on trumpet, Jim on tenor and Aaron on bass taking long, spirited solos, both drummers swirl around one another in magnificent circles of invention. "Zarabanda" is a cosmic piece for layers of spiritual percussion like a balafon, gong, cymbals, congas and bells, played by the entire ensemble. What I truly love about this and all other Dennis Gonzalez discs (and gigs) is that everything always flows just right. Like some of those amazing Art Ensemble gigs of yesteryear, this disc and gig was a very special one. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16

AZAR LAWRENCE QUARTET - Prayer for My Ancestors (Furthermore 2; USA) Featuring Azar Lawrence on tenor & soprano saxes, Nate Morgan on piano, Henry Franklin on bass and Alphonse Mouzon on drums plus guests Nolan Shaheed on trumpet, Tony Dumas on bass, Amadou Fall on kora, Ibrahima Ba on guitar & voice and Roy McCurdy & Reagae Clark on drums & percussion. I was pleased to hear from the great Azar Lawrence, whom I heard with the amazing McCoy Tyner Band at the Village Vanguard during the seventies. Besides McCoy, Azar recorded a couple of fine solo offerings way back and then seemed to disappear from the public's view. For this fine disc he has gathered some other LA-based musicians that we should recognize like drummer Alphonse Mouzon, who played powerful drums with Larry Coryell's 11th House. Both Nate Morgan and Henry Franklin have recorded for the Nimbus West label and have been associated with Horace Tapscott. Drummer Roy McCurdy worked with Cannonball Adderley for many years during the sixties.
Not so strangely enough, this music has a wonderful, spiritual, McCoy/Trane-like sound. "Open Sesame" is first and it is indeed a perfect, passionate opening piece. This is a marvelous quartet, each member perfect in their specific roles. Although this sound has been around since the early sixties, it still sounds fresh, spirited today, nearly fifty years later. Pianist Nate Morgan takes a solo, sparkling the keys magically while great rhythm team soars underneath. Acoustic bassist Henry Franklin takes the first a number of amazing bass solos that are quite astonishing. "Under Tanzanian Skies" features Azar on his superb, mystical soprano sax, the melody is eastern sounding and most memorable. Nate Morgan also takes a fine, sparkling piano solo. Although a departure in terms of sound, "Thokole" features the voice & acoustic guitar of Ibrahima Ra and the precious kora of Amadou Fall. Azar's soprano fits just right with the kora and sunny melody that rings true and is lovely.
The title track sounds like one of those sublime, spiritual ballads that are found on later Trane albums. Trumpeter Rasheed Shaheed takes a fine solo on "The Baker's Daughter" as does Nate Morgan on piano. "Swinging in Exile" has one of those marvelous, instantly memorable themes that you can never forget and while "Ode to a Pharoah" features another elegant, peaceful song with Azar on pure-sounding soprano. Though and through, this wonderful disc sounds like a long lost gem from an earlier and more spiritual era. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16


NILS PETTER MOLVAER - Re-Vision (Universal Jazz; EEC) Nils Petter Molvaer: trumpet, all other instruments (1-3, 5, 8, 12), all instruments (10), duduk (4), soundscapes (4, 9, 11); Eivind Aarset: guitars (1-3, 5, 8, 12); Nizamettin Aric: voice (1, 12); Anders Engen: drums (2, 3, 8); Jan Bang: beats and soundscapes (6); Paolo Vinaccia: percussion (12)
The music of Norwegian trumpeter/Nu Jazz progenitor, Nils Petter Molvaer, has always been cinematic. Call it music for a non-existent movie or a film of the mind, Molvaer's albums, beginning with the groundbreaking Khmer (ECM, 1997), have always been about aural landscapes evocative of highly personal imagery and plenty of club-ready grooves. Even in performance, the lighting provided by Tord "Prince of Darkness" Knudsen is intended to provoke the imagination rather than focus attention on the musicians. It's no surprise, then, that Molvaer has been recruited to provide music for film. His score for the 2005 French film Edy already saw limited release on Molvaer's Sula imprint the same year. Re-Vision culls four pieces from Edy and, by combining them with music from two other films -the 2007 German film Hoppet and 1999 Norwegian documentary Frozen Heart - and one non-soundtrack piece, fashions a continuous 46-minute suite that stands independently as yet another highly visual piece, incorporating Molvaer's ever-expanding frames of reference.
Re-Vision is also Molvaer's first release in years to not primarily feature members of his touring band, but guitarist Eivind Aarset remains a fundamental part of its overall soundscape. Aarset's Sonic Codex (Jazzland, 2007) possesses some of his most overtly recognizable guitar tones in years, but here he's in full-out textural mode; an essential if rarely recognizable sonic contributor to half of Re-Vision's sometimes dense, other times spacious twelve tracks. Punkt Festival artistic co-director/Molvaer touring group member Jan Bang also shows up on the non-score "Perimeters," providing ambient textures and beats which are ethnic rather than dance floor in nature. - John Kelman, AAJ
CD $20


THEO BLECKMANN/KNEEBODY [ADAM BENJAMIN/SHANE ENDSLEY/KAVEH RASTEGAR/BEN WENDEL/NATE WOOD] - Twelve Songs by Charles Ives (W&W 147; Germany) Featuring Theo Bleckmann: voice, effects, Adam Benjamin: Fender Rhodes, piano, effects, Shane Endsley: trumpet & effects, Ben Wendel: tenor sax, melodica, bassoon & effects, Kaveh Rastegar: bass & effects and Nate Wood: drums. Charles Ives goes jazz! In Summer 2007, singer Theo Bleckmann and postmodern creative music group Kneebody collaborated to create a new song cycle based on compositions by one of the very first American composers. Kent Nagano invited that project to the Munich Opera Festival to debut the live performance. This recording has been adapted, arranged, and completely re-conceptualized to involve elements of jazz, electronica, and more.
CD $17


KEITH JARRETT/GARY PEACOCK/JACK DeJOHNETTE - Yesterdays (ECM 2060; USA) 2001 was a vintage year for the Jarrett trio, as three outstanding live albums - The Out-of-Towners, Always Let Me Go and My Foolish Heart - have already shown. Yesterdays, registered at Tokyo's Metropolitan Festival Hall, is a fourth 2001 concert recording, with an all-standards programme and a strong emphasis on bebop, including Charlie Parker's Scrapple from the Apple, Shaw'nuff by Parker and Dizzy Gillespie, and Horace Silver's Strollin'. There is also an exhilarating splash of ragtime in the shape of You Took Advantage Of Me, and beautiful ballads including the title track and Smoke Gets In Your Eyes (both from Jerome Kern's pen). As a bonus: the album concludes with a radiant Stella by Starlight captured at a soundcheck: Jarrett, Peacock and DeJohnette playing just for the joy of it...
CD $17

ENRICO RAVA With STEFANO BOLLANI/MARK TURNER/LARRY GRENADIER/PAUL MOTIAN - New York Days (ECM 2064; USA) Enrico Rava trumpet; Stefano Bollani piano; Mark Turner tenor saxophone; Larry Grenadier double-bass; Paul Motian drums
A new transatlantic quintet headed by Italian trumpeter Rava, recorded in New York in 2008 and a first ECM appearance for US tenorist Mark Turner, whose distilled, lean sound references Coltrane, Warne Marsh, Wayne Shorter and others. Turner's searching, analytical tone is in marked contrast to Enrico's lyrical flourishes, but the two make a fascinating pairing - especially with the resolutely musical pianist Stefano Bollani finding points of contact, and making his own statements. Add in the gifted bassist Larry Grenadier (last heard on ECM with Charles Lloyd) and that most unpredictable of all drummers, Paul Motian, and you have here a truly remarkable band.
CD $17


LOREN MAZZACANE CONNORS - The Curse Of Midnight Mary (Family Vineyard 64; USA) In 1981 guitarist Loren Connors took his tape recorder to the graveyard where the legendary Midnight Mary's grave lies in New Haven, Connecticut. The curse is: Anyone who gets caught in her graveyard past midnight will die the next day. But Connors, like a young fool, taped in that place, making this album.
Lost and forgotten, a cassette of this music -- made at Evergreen Cemetery -- was found by chance in 2008. Recorded between Connors' eight volume Unaccompanied Acoustic Guitar Improvisations LP series and the folk albums he would make with Tom Hanford and Kath Bloom, these nine pieces meld those distinct, haunting styles. Connors, singing in a trance like moan, reforms the Mississippi Delta blues on acoustic guitar with flashes of melodic hooks and a percussive guitar style that erupts into boogie-woogie riffs and other world spirituals.
It's an album for followers of Connors' spine tingling solo albums and his collaborations with Suzanne Langille or Jandek. Devotees of early 20th Century blues artists such as Blind Willie Johnson or Charley Patton will be equally enthralled. A rare and essential peak into the still mysterious early years of this American guitar master.
CD $14


NORMAN SAVITT & FRIENDS - Contemporary Acoustic Guitar (Balkan Samba 04; USA) Featuring Norman Savitt on acoustic guitar & compositions, Howard Levy on harmonica, Eugene Friesen on cello, David Amram on pennywhistle and Susan Mitchell on violin. I've known Norman Savitt for the past decade, and I recall his set of acoustic guitar music here at DMG with affection - it wasn't very "out", something anomalous for our Sunday night series. This is his first disc and it is a long time a'coming. He utilizes the talents of a few heavy friends who you should be acquainted with. Harmonica wiz, Howard Levy, is a legendary musician who has played with Bela Fleck & the Flecktones, amongst his many sessions. Howard produced this disc and it appears on his own label. Cellist Eugene Friesen has played with the Paul Winter Consort for many years and modern composer David Amram is well known for a variety his talents, from composing (in varied genres) to playing to working with Jack Kerouac.
The first things that stands out is Howard Levy's superb production, Norman's acoustic guitar sounds warm, wonderful and enchanting. Listening to "Waterfall", the opening song, made me smile. It has a superbly melodic presence that just feels right like a fresh breeze on cool Spring day. Howard's haunting harmonicas add a sublime charm to "Looking Back", a lovely, melancholy song that I find most soothing. Eugene's tasty cello does add a rich glow to "Final Farewell", another somber piece worth washing over us. "Alone" features the heartwarming pennywhistle of David Amram and kinda reminds me of Jorma mixed with Pentangle. There are 15 songs on this fine disc and each one I found to be compelling and quietly engaging. As a longtime fan of Howard Levy, the four tracks that he appears on are even better. For those of us that appreciate great acoustic guitar music, this is indeed a treasure with searching for. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $15


PRURIENT - The Black Post Society (Cold Spring 85; UK) "The Black Post Society embraces and accepts the depression of not having anything left to hunt. The mask without a face to hold. The depression of the hunter after the deer is killed. It is better to be hungry than to have eaten. As fantasy shatters under the whip of reality, erotic malaise settles in the nest of the mind inverting this dormant fuel to rekindle the endless cycle of sexual chaos. Black industrial / power noise from this highly respected US act!"
CD $16


THOMAS LEHN/MARCUS SCHMICKLER - Navigation Im Hypertext (A-Musik 34; Germany) "Lehn and Schmickler 's 1st recording BART is considered one of the best synth improv albums ever made. Since BART, dating back to 2000, the duo has toured frequently through Europe, Japan and the USA.This double-release features some of the best performances the duo recorded over the course of 15 live concerts. A brilliant amalgam of the two musicians' strengths, Navigation im Hypertext utilizes both improvisation and studio post-production techniques to create a lasting work, combining the feel of a classic composed electronic music record with the raw, crackling energy of a free improv-session. Exciting and destabilizing, Navigation im Hypertext will surprise even the most hardcore Lehn fan: intertwined with Schmickler's, his art never sounded this rich. If anything, Navigation im Hypertext takes electronic improvisation one step further. The arrangements range in tone from softer clusters of sound to more abrasive movements. Comes in digipack, CD-only release."
CD $16

THOMAS LEHN/MARCUS SCHMICKLER - Kolner Kranz (A-Musik 31; Germany) "Kolner Kranz sees a return to a thick molasses of digital smears welded to an ever-present system that unfolds over a staggering 36 minutes which, despite its sheer length, never rests. This music is really quite dense and difficult, Heavy on detailing and spontaneity, which means that listening to these tracks takes some effort to get through. Left/right tones cascade in waves over bitmapped crackles as Lehn and Schmickler add layer after layer of events into a seductive audio landscape. Bewilderingly acute and brilliantly played, this release is compulsory listening for those interested in the state of modern electronics." Vinyl-only release, limited to 300 copies.
LP $24


CORNELIUS CARDEW//QUaX ENSEMBLE - Treatise (Prague 1967) [2 CD Set] (mode 205/206; USA) "This performance of Cardew's monumental 193-page graphic score 'Treatise' was recorded live in Prague in 1967 by the Czech QUaX Ensemble, directed by composer/flutist/conductor Petr Kotik. This historical recording offers a unique perspective to hear 'Treatise' as interpreted by Cardew's contemporaries. Kotik met Cardew in Warsaw in 1962, and they began exchanging scores by mail, including 'Treatise,' which was a work in progress. Upon meeting again in London (1966), Cardew provided Kotik with additional portions of the score and insights. Fresh from this encounter, Kotik started the QUaX Ensemble upon his return to Prague in 1966. The first thing QUaX did was to rehearse 'Treatise,' working through the pages Kotik had: 'The piece was very important for getting all of us together, musically speaking, besides having a lot of fun working out individual pages by having all the musicians contribute ideas and suggestions. We worked regularly over a long period of time, ending up with a 2-hour version of the piece?only performed once, at the concert on October 15, 1967 in Prague.' It is presented here. Cardew said: ''Treatise' is a continuous weaving and combining of a host of graphic elements (of which only a few are recognizably related to musical symbols) into a long visual composition, the meaning of which in terms of sound is not specified in any way. ? Any number of musicians using any media are free to participate in a 'reading' of this score? and each is free to interpret it in his own way. Liner notes by Petr Kotik and Cardew's friend and colleague John Tilbury. Tilbury says of this performance: 'There is much to admire in this 1967 version of 'Treatise' by the QUaX Ensemble from Prague: the feeling of spontaneity, its uninhibitedness, the rough-hewn sounds, the accidental, the half-intended, the blurred.' High resolution 96khz, 24-bit remastering from the original analog tape."
CD $28


OBSCURE TAPE MUSIC: TOSHI ICHIYANAGI - Vol. 8: Electronic Field (Omega Point 08; Japan) This is volume 8 in Omega Point's Obscure Tape Music of Japan series, featuring the recorded live performance of Japanese avant garde maestro Toshi Ichiyanagi. He has stood out from the other more moldy academic groups of composers due to his groundbreaking and mindblowing work during the '60s. Thus, he was invited to perform as part of the concert series "Japanese Experimental Music 1960s" at the Art Tower Mito in Ibaraki in 1997. The noisy and radical sound of this performance shows the composer has not changed the tone of his experimentalism one bit. Ichiyanagi improvised on a prepared piano and the sound was modulated by live-electronics. Painter Sadamasa Motonaga (b.1922, a member of Gutai) projected abstract figures on the walls of the performance space. Limited edition of 700 copies.
CD $25

OBSCURE TAPE MUSIC: JOJI YUASA - Vol. 4: Music for Theatrical Drama (Omega Point 04; Japan) This is volume 4 of Omega Point's newly-reissued Obscure Tape Music of Japan series, featuring two early works of music concrete composed for theatrical drama by legendary Japanese composer Joji Yuasa. The sounds on this recording, especially of "Oen" is so experimental and strange, but this music was not for avant-garde theater. "Mittsu No Sekai" contains elements of a mechanical beat (suggestive of a machine civilization) that could be the precursor to industrial music. Composed for the Tokubei Hanayagi Dancing Troupe for the play Three Worlds (1959), the piece was constructed from orchestral composition and tape sound: music concrete. As the composer explains, "While my engagement in the work of music concrete started in 1953 in the earlier time of tape music, the instrumental section of this work is my first composition for orchestral music. Most of the section was composed with the twelve tone technique; however, one may find some shadows of Edgard Varese and Olivier Messiaen." "Oen" was composed for A Woman Named "En" (1963), and is a work of music concrete for a theatrical drama with choreography. "All the metamorphosed sound made from concete sounds are used and combined for the tragic story of a woman in the Edo era, named 'En' who was put in prison for forty years. This work aims not only at depicting the situation, but also at lighting up the heroine's dark passion, her conscious and subliminal mind, and the psychological dimension." --Joji Yuasa. Limited edition of 300 copies.
CD $25

OBSCURE TAPE MUSIC: JOJI YUASA - Vol. 7: Music for Experimental Films (Omega Point 07; Japan) This is volume 7 of Omega Point's Obscure Tape Music of Japan series. Many avant-garde composers made soundtracks for experimental film-maker Toshio Matsumoto. This CD consists of Joji Yuasa's three musique concrete works for his 1960s and 1970s short films. The first track features a heavily broken and meaningless narrator for the short film Andy Warhol: Re-Reproduction (1974); "Document Of The Long White Line" is an obscure, early electronic sound collage with chamber orchestra, and "Autonomy" is pure musique concrete with the inside of a piano, bird-song, the sound of steel springs, etc. "I have been convinced that the role of music for film must be accompaniment for the images. Consequently, the music here is sort of incomplete as independent music. However, I think that this CD is a document of how and what I had tried to explore in the field of film music in the '60s and '70s." --Joji Yuasa. Limited edition of 700 copies.
CD $25


CLAUDE DEBUSSY//IGOR STRAVINSKY - Le Sacre [H-SACD] (Neos 20805; Germany) [Stereo/multichannel SACD is HYBRID that can also be played on any CD player.] Featured works: "En Blanc Et Noir" (1914/15) for two pianos and "Six Epigraphes Antiques" (1915) for piano four hands by Claude Debussy (1862-1918); "Sonata For Two Pianos" (1943/44) and "Le Sacre Du Printemps" (1912) (version for piano four hands) by Igor Stravinsky (1882-1971). Performed by: GrauSchumacher Piano Duo (Andreas Grau & Gotz Schumacher). "Igor Stravinsky and Claude Debussy, although contemporaries, followed very different musical paths. Whereas Stravinsky went on the attack with shocking new rhythmic and metric devices, Debussy revolutionized music in a much more subtle way: with harmonic schemes that are no longer rooted in tonality, and a musical language that offers a freedom not found in the cold logic of Stravinsky, banning herewith constructivist moments via an approach to open form never previously encountered. That gainsaid, the two composers influenced each other strongly and even learned from each other during a short phase of their creativity. This was the Europe of the post-1914 era, with all its portentous outcomes. Debussy was fascinated with the explosive power of 'Sacre'; Stravinsky -- for his part -- recognized around this time Debussy's modernity, to which his groundbreaking cantata 'Le Roi Des Etoiles' was dedicated, a work composed as early as 1911. And even if both composers finally went their own way, for a short moment in time their ideas augmented each other and led to a kind of cross-fertilization despite the fundamentally dissimilar nature of their musical vision."
CD $20



New on Konnex!

HORNSTROM - Endlich Sinnfrei (Konnex 5210; Germany) TOBIAS WEMBER trombone KLAUS HEIDENREICH trombone MARKUS BRAUN bass SILVIO MORGER drums
CD $18

ALI HAURAND & JIRI STIVIN - The Two Of Us ..Just More (Konnex 5200; Germany)
CD $18

BENEDICT JOCH - Conspiracy (Konnex 5205; Germany)
CD $18

HOLGER MANTEY - My Piano Love Affair, Vol 5 (Konnex 5218; Germany)
CD $18

TERRENCE NGASSA - Ngassalogy Vol. 2 (Konnex 5217; Germany) TERRENCE NGASSA trumpet, flugelhorn; MAXIM BEGUN alto sax; FRANCOIS DE RIBEAUPIERRE tenor sax; THORSTEN HEITZMANN trombone; VITALY ZOLOTOV guitar; LAIA GENC piano; DANIEL SPEER bass; JOE HERTENSTEIN drums; CHRISTIAN FEHRE congas
CD $18

PASCAL NIGGENKEMPER TRIO With ROBIN VERHEYEN/TYSHAWN SOREY - Pasapas (Konnex 5214; Germany)
CD $18

MICHEL PILZ/BURKHARD KUNKEL/WILLI KAPPICH - Day On Earth (Konnex 5204; Germany)
CD $18

JEFF PLATZ QUINTET With BLAISE SIWULA - Live at Internationales Jazz Festival Munster 2007 (Konnex 5216; Germany)
CD $18

HOLGER SCHEIDT QUARTET - Half a year in half an hour (Konnex 5211; Germany) TOBIAS WEMBER trombone KLAUS HEIDENREICH trombone MARKUS BRAUN bass SILVIO MORGER drums
CD $18

BLAISE SIWULA & CARSTEN RADTKE - Projection Zero (Konnex 5206; Germany)
CD $18

DANIEL SPEER TRIO - Spaces (Konnex 5207; Germany) ANNETTE MAYE clarinet, bass clarinet MIREK PYSCHNY drums DANIEL SPEER double bass
CD $18

MICHAEL JEFRY STEVENS TRIO With PETER HERBERT/JEFF 'SIEGE' SIEGEL - For Andrew (Konnex 5212; Germany)
CD $18

CLAUDIUS VALK TRIO - At Work (Konnex 5208; Germany) CLAUDIUS VALK saxophone, bass clarinet MARTIN GJAKONOVSKI acoustic bass ROLAND HOEPPNER drums
CD $18



MILES DAVIS QUINTET With JOHN COLTRANE - Kind Of Blue: 50th Anniversary Deluxe 2 CD set (Columbia Legacy 27105; USA) Originally released in 1959, Miles Davis's magnum opus Kind of Blue is still considered by many to be one of the greatest albums of all time. Starring Davis, John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Wynton Kelly, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb, Kind of Blue has held onto its status as an album that crosses genres, speaks to generations, and is one of the first (if not the first) album that any new jazz acolyte purchases. Kind of Blue (Legacy Edition) offers the complete studio sessions on 2 CDs, including false starts, alternate takes and a 17-minute 1960 live version of "So What."
2 CD set for $20


MICHELE ROSEWOMAN & QUINTESSENCE With CRAIG HANDY/STEVE WILSON et al - Guardians Of The Light (Enja 9378; Germany) Featuring Michele Rosewoman on piano, compositions & vocal, Craig Handy on tenor sax, Steve Wilson on alto & soprano saxes, Kenny Davis on acoustic & electric basses and Gene Jackson on drums. Great reissue from 2000. Received 5 stars from DownBeat. Ranging from Afro-Cuban chant and danceable funkiness to boppish two-horn complexities and remodeled tunes by Monk and Mingus, 'Guardians of the Light' proves that proves that Rosewoman pursues musical visions of her very own that have "the exciting immediacy of hard bop and the unfolding depth of Santeria ritual" (JazzTimes).
CD $13

ARCHIE SHEPP/MAL WALDRON - Left Alone Revisited...A Tribute To Billie Holiday (Enja 9141; Germany) Featuring Archie Shepp on tenor & soprano sax & vocal and Mal Waldron on piano. From 2002.
CD $13


CLUSTER [DIETER MOEBIUS/HANS-JOACHIM ROEDELIUS: aka KLUSTER] - Grosses Wasser (Water 235; USA) "Originally released in 1979, Grosses Wasser is Cluster's last great album. Combining the ambient space rock of early albums on some songs with a more updated, beat-driven, (dare I say space-disco?) sound on others, it at times sounds like the best of both worlds. Cluster were probably the most influential and ground-breaking group to come out of Germany in the '70s (no small feat) and every one of their records is pure trailblazing musical history." Includes a 12-page booklet.
CD $15


PAUL HIBBETS - Childhood Dream (Erebus 20; UK) "Paul Hibbets hailed from Rome, Georgia and had a childhood dream to release an album by the time he was 25. The resulting private pressing album, originally released in 1974, is a superb slice of dreamy Christian folk/psych rock with fuzz and keyboards and has been favorably compared to Azitis and Joe Peace. There is plenty of huge swirling organ reminiscent of Focus especially on 'How To Love You' and 'Resurrection Perfection.' That West coast country Allman Brothers / CSNY feel on 'On The Way Back Home' and 'A Better Day.' However there is a strong commercial folk rock feel throughout which would have provided some good AOR FM plays with 'Glory Lady,' 'Echoes' and especially the excellent Doobie Brothers-influenced 'Manifestations.' There are plenty of fuzz licks and breaks throughout, especially on the standout track 'Love God's Little Children.' The musicianship also has a high degree of consistency throughout and these factors all add up to make this album stand out as one of the very best Christian rock albums. It is presented here for the first time on CD."
CD $17

POWERHOUSE - Powerhouse (Erebus 45; UK) "Perhaps the most legendary of all Japanese rock musicians, Shinki Chen is Japan's most celebrated guitarist. Before going on to form Food Brain, Speed, Glue & Shinki et al, Shinki worked with vocalist Eiji Takamura, who took the stage name 'Chibo' under several different band names (Midnight Express Blues Band, Bebes). As the Bebes, they recorded their own version of The Beatles' 'Back in the USSR' for Toshiba Records, slowing it down to a crawl resulting in the longest song ever to make it on to 7" single. And in the process, Shinki's friend George Yanagi (Strawberry Path, Flied Egg) joined as bass player as the band changed its name yet again, this time to Powerhouse. Shinki and Chibo prided themselves on having hair as long as that of their English heroes, and refused to sing in Japanese or wear the de rigueur Beatles-inspired Group Sounds uniforms of the day. Powerhouse played no original songs, but their cover versions were enormously long and unfolding things, their version of The Yardbirds' 'Good Morning Little Schoolgirl' and the inevitable 'Spoonful' both clocking in at over a quarter of an hour each. Presented here is their sole LP, which was originally released in April 1969."
CD $17


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Limited restock quantities of these IMPORTANT Steeplechase titles!

DAVE BALLOU QUARTET - Rothko (Steeplechase 31525; EEC) George Colligan (piano); Dave Ballou (trumpet); Mike Sarin (drums); Cameron Brown (bass)
CD $17

DAVE BALLOU With TONY MALABY/BILLY DREWES/MICHAEL FORMANEK/TOM RAINEY - On This Day (Steeplechase 31504; EEC) Billy Drewes (tenor sax, alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet); Michael Formanek (bass); Dave Ballou (trumpet); Tony Malaby (tenor sax); Tom Rainey (drums) CD $17

JOE BONNER & JOHNNY DYANI - Suburban Fantasies (Steeplechase 31176; EEC) Johnny Dyani ( bass ); Joe Bonner ( piano )
CD $17

JOE BONNER TRIO With JOHNNY DYANI/BILLY HIGGINS - Parade (Steeplechase 31116; EEC) Featuring Joe Bonner on piano, Johnny Dyani on acoustic bass and Billy Higgins on drums, a studio date from 1979. Mr. Bonner played piano for Pharoah Sanders, Max Roach, Billy Harper & Woody Shaw in the sixties and early seventies and later moved to Copenhagen. For his first date for Steeplechase, he put together an incredible all-star trio with Blue Notes bass wonder Johnny Dyani and the swingingest west coast jazz drum sensation - Billy Higgins! This cd reissue includes three previously unreleased tracks, not found on the original album version.
CD $17

WALT DICKERSON & SUN RA - Visions (Steeplechase 31126; EEC) Sublime studio date from July of 1978 featuring Sun Ra on piano and Walt Dickerson on vibes. Dickerson is (was?) a legendary vibes player from Philly who worked with Sun Ra's Arkestra for a short bit around this time. He composed all the pieces on this recording, which do have Sun Ra-like titles, "Astro", "Space Dance" and "Light Years". Could this be the only Sun Ra duo record in existence? Both spaced out and reflective as well. Includes another 24 minutes of music not found on the original album!
CD $17

JOHNNY DYANI With JOHN TCHICAI/DUDU PUKWANA et al - Witchdoctor's Son (Steeplechase 31098; EEC) Johnny Dyani (bass); Mohamed Al Jabry (congas); Alfredo Nascimento (guitar); Dudu Pukwana (alto sax); Chuim de Sequeira (drums); John Tchicai (tenor sax, alto sax)
CD $17

JOHNNY DYANI - Afrika (Steeplechase 31186; EEC) Johnny Dyani (bass); Thomas Dyani (congas, percussion); Ed Epstein (alto sax, baritone sax); Gilbert Mathews (drums); Rudy Smith (steeldrum); Thomas Ostergren (bass)
CD $17

JOHNNY DYANI QUARTET - Angolian Cry (Steeplechase 31209; EEC) Johnny Dyani (bass); Billy Hart (drums); Harry Beckett (trumpet); John Tchicai (tenor sax, alto sax)
CD $17

JOHNNY DYANI QUARTET - Mbizo (Steeplechase 31163; EEC) Johnny Dyani (bass); Ed Epstein (alto sax, baritone sax); Churchill Jolobe (drums); Dudu Pukwana (alto sax)
CD $17

BILLY HARPER QUINTET With EDDIE HENDERSON - Destiny Is Yours (Steeplechase 31260; EEC) Billy Harper (tenor sax); Newman T. Baker (drums); Eddie Henderson (trumpet); Clarence Seay (bass); Francesca Tanksley (piano)
CD $17

BILLY HARPER QUINTET With EDDIE HENDERSON - Live: On Tour In The Far East, Vol 2 (Steeplechase 31321; EEC) Billy Harper (tenor sax); Newman T. Baker (drums); Eddie Henderson (trumpet); Clarence Seay (bass); Francesca Tanksley (piano)
CD $17

BILLY HARPER QUINTET With EDDIE HENDERSON - Live: On Tour In The Far East, Vol 3 (Steeplechase 31366; EEC) Billy Harper (tenor sax); Newman T. Baker (drums); Eddie Henderson (trumpet); Clarence Seay (bass); Francesca Tanksley (piano)
CD $17

KHAN JAMAL/JOHNNY DYANI/PIERRE DORGE - Three (Steeplechase 31201; EEC) Johnny Dyani (bass); Pierre Dorge (guitar); Khan Jamal (vibes, marimba)
CD $17

KHAN JAMAL TRIO With JOHNNY DYANI/LEROY LOWE - The Traveller (Steeplechase 31217; EEC) Johnny Dyani (bass); Khan Jamal (vibes, marimba); Leroy Lowe (drums)
CD $17

JACKIE McLEAN QUARTET - A Ghetto Lullaby: Live At Montmartre Jazzhus, Copenhagen 1973 (Steeplechase 31013; EEC) With Kenny Drew, Niels-henning Orsted Pedersen, Alex Riel. Live at Montmartre Jazzhus, Copenhagen, July 18 & 19, 1973
CD $17

ARCHIE SHEPP/JASPER VAN'T HOFF - Mama Rose: Live In Concert (Steeplechase 31169; EEC) Jasper van't Hof (keyboard); Archie Shepp (tenor sax, soprano sax)
CD $17


Also, found while sorting out for our impending move, these rarities from American Clave

CONJURE [ISHMAEL REED et al] - Music For The Texts Of Ismael Reed (American Clave 1006; USA) Compositions written and performed by TAJ MAHAL, ALLEN TOUSSAINT, DAVID MURRAY, STEVE SWALLOW, CARLA BLEY, LESTER BOWIE, KIP HANRAHAN, CARMAN MOORE, OLU DARA, JAMAALADEEN TACUMA, PUNTILLA, MILTON CARDONA, KENNY KIRKLAND, EJAYE TRACEY, DON JAY, JEAN-PAUL BOURELLY, BILLY HART, FRISNER AUGUSTIN, OLUFEMI CLAUDETTE MITCHELL, ROBERT JASON, MOLLY FARLEY, BRENDA NORTON, ELYSEE PYRONNEAU, ANDY GONZALEZ, PETER SCHERER, SAL CUEVAS, ARTO LINDSAY "One of the year's best records (1985) ... To hear Taj Mahal, David Murray, and Allen Toussaint playing not alongside, but with one another is really something... Hail Ishmael Reed, whose pan Afro-American modernism was the occasion for these miracles." -Village Voice
CD $16

CONJURE [ISHMAEL REED et al] - Cab Calloway Stands In For The Moon (American Clave 1015; USA) With ISHMAEL REED, ALLEN TOUSSAINT, DON PULLEN, LEO NOCENTELLI, STEVE SWALLOW, ROBBIE AMEEN, OLU DARA, EDDIE HARRIS, DAVID MURRAY, BOBBY WOMACK, CLARE BATHE, ROBERT JASON, FERNANDO SAUNDERS, GRAYSON HUGHES, MILTON CARDONA, HAMIET BLUIETT, GIOVANNI HIDALGO, FRISNER AUGUSTIN, IGNACIO BERROA, ELYSEE PYRONNEAU, JOHNNY WATKINS, LENNY PICKETT, DIAHNNE ABBOTT, TENNESSEE REED, SHAUNICE HARRIS
"...just your basic, everyday smoky-bluesy-swinging-funky-literate-jazzy-tight improvised-crafted-ensemble thing. In short, a model for intelligent, creative pop music." -Don Snowden, Los Angeles Times
"...'Cab Calloway...' exudes pleasure. ...Put a selection of talented black musicians into the studio with poet Ishmael Reed and producer Kip Hanrahan and the result is magic... This is an important record, which no one interested in any form of black music can ignore." -Robert Lyng, Music and Media
".This is truly an original record... This is one of the best cases for music without boundaries." - Cadence
CD $16

PAUL HAINES - Darn It! Poems By Paul Haines [2 CD set] (American Clave 1014/1018; USA) Musics and voices for the 32 performances of the late Paul Haines writings found here provided by (hold onta yo muthafuggin' hats!) Evan Parker, Robert Wyatt, George Cartwright, Bobby Previte, Wayne Horvitz, John Oswald, Melvin Gibbs, Derek Bailey, Don Pullen, Carla Bley, Jack Bruce, John Tchicai, Roswell Rudd, Gary Lucas, Steve Swallow, Yale Evelev (!), Mary Margaret O'Hara, Andrew Cyrille, Alva Rogers, J T Lewis, Marvin "Smitty" Smith, Henry Threadgill, Peter Scherer, Greg "Iron Man" Tate, D D Jackson, Leo Nocentelli, D K Dyson, Dave Hofstra, Paul Bley, Ignacio Berroa, Lewis Barnes, Carmen Lundy, Fernando Saunders, Tim Wright, Paul Dutton...
Way out of print, we just have a handful sealed with that custom silk-screened jewel case
2 CD set for $30

KIP HANRAHAN With JACK BRUCE/RICKY FORD/GEORGE ADAMS/JOHN STUBBLEFIELD/JAMAALDEEN TACUMA/ANTON FIER et al - Desire Develops An Edge (American Clave 1009/1008; USA) [LP and EP on 1 CD] With JACK BRUCE, KIP HANRAHAN, STEVE SWALLOW, PUNTILLA ORLANDO RIOS, ARTO LINDSAY, ELYSEE PYRONNEAU, RICKY FORD, IGNACIO BERROA, JERRY GONZALEZ, JOHN STUBBLEFIELD, JAMAALADEEN TACUMA, ANTON FIER, MILTON CARDONA, TEO MACERO, TiPLUME RICARDO FRANCK, FRISNER AUGUSTIN, SERGIO BRANDAO, JOHN SCOFIELD, JODY HARRIS, others "Mr. Hanrahan often gets something deeper and more structural on Desire. Instead of writing a tune and lyrics, then deciding on a beat, he has taken a lesson from his Haitian and Cuban colleagues and learned to work his way up from the rhythm. Not just any rhythm, either: he's after a fusion of Haitian, Cuban, Brazilian, salsa, rock and jazz syncopations that will register as none of the above" - Jon Pareles, New York Times
"One of the 60 jazz records of the 20th Century for people who think they hate jazz... These albums changed me..."- Actual (France)
CD $16

KIP HANRAHAN With JACK BRUCE/GEORGE ADAMS/DON PULLEN/STEVE SWALLOW et al - All Roads Are Made Of Flesh (American Clave 1029; USA) With JACK BRUCE, DON PULLEN, CHARLES NEVILLE, CARMEN LUNDY, ALLEN TOUSSAINT, LEO NOCENTELLI, ALFREDO TRIFF, ROBBIE AMEEN, JT LEWIS, GEORGE ADAMS, MILTON CARDONA, ANTHONY CARRILLO, CHOCOLATE ARMENTEROS, DINO SALUZZI, RENAUD GARCIA-FONS, MICHAEL REISLER, WOLFGANG PUCHNIK, ANDY GONZALEZ, GIOVANNI HIDALGO, JERRY GONZALEZ, ELYSEE PYRONNEAU, STEVE SWALLOW ".With it's subtle evocations of the sexual melodrama of ---go, subdued guaguanco rhythms, wisps of Haitian compas and passages of improvisational flair merging together (so that organist Don Pullen's off-kilter keyboard runs heighten the pulse of the 3/2 clave used throughout), Hanrahan's new album All Roads are Made of the Flesh is greater than the sum of its parts.... Where much of the new global fusion is rhythm as an intellectual exercise, the rhythms of Hanrahan's music evoke the many textures of desire and sensuality..." - Peter Shapiro, Wire (London)
CD $16

KIP HANRAHAN With JACK BRUCE/DON PULLEN/HENRY THREADGILL/STEVE SWALLOW et al - Red Nights: A Thousand Nights And A Night (American Clave 1036; USA) With DON PULLEN, ROBBY AMEEN, CARMEN LUNDY, CHARLES NEVILLE, JACK BRUCE, BRANDON ROSS, EL NEGRO HORACIO HERNANDEZ, HENRY THREADGILL, SILVANA DELUIGI, MIKE CAIN, DD JACKSON, ANTHONY CARRILLO, PUNTILLA ORLANDO RIOS, MILTON CARDONA, ALFREDO TRIFF, ERIC SCHENKMAN, ANDY GONZALEZ, STEVE SWALLOW, ABRAHAM RODRIGUEZ
"Outrageously evocative [it] is unlike anything else in the sonic universe... The effect is erotic, obscene, streetwise and jazz-like. Propelled by da riddum, Hanrahan's words groove like the hottest, wildest saxophone you could ever imagine. Wanna dance!" - Joe Vanderford, Independent Weekly
CD $16

PIRI THOMAS - Every Child Is Born A Poet (American Clave 1032; USA) Poet/writer/activist Piri Thomas is considered one of the preeminent figures of Nuyorican literary culture, as well as a forefather/precursor to the rap MCs & poetry slammers of a more recent vintage. Most well known for his 1967 autobiography Down These Mean Streets, he was recently the subject of a fantastic Jonathan Robinson documentary also entitled "Every Child is Born a Poet." This record is in essence an original score to that film and an excellent stand-alone album in its own right, with Thomas reciting his poetry and prose over (mostly) new arrangements by Kip Hanrahan and his always-incredible usual stable of players - Milton Cardona, Andy Gonzalez, Jerry Gonzalez, Robby Ameen, Alfredo Triff, Billy Bang, JT Lewis, Fernando Saunders, Chocolate Armenteros providing the core - with results that come off gritty yet optimistic, the flipside to the Last Poets' streetcorner nihilist nickel. As with any American Clave project, performances and production are top-notch, as is the writing. Any of you Clave fans who've hesitated thusfar (*ahem Graham Taylor*) should get off their bottoms and do the right thing. Highest Recommendation!! - Mikey IQ Jones.
CD $16


...and also LAST COPIES of these Uchihashi Kazuhisa imports

ALTERED STATES [KAZUHISA UCHIHASHI/NASUNO MITSURU/YOSHIGAKI YASUHIRO] - 6 (Zenbei 005; Japan) ZEN 005 The trio of Uchihashi Kazuhisa (guitar), Nasuno Mitsuru (bass, vocals) & Yoshigaki Yasuhiro (drums), with their intricate, Crimson edge. "The 6th album from Altered States. Whole studio recording album featuring more of Mitsuru Nasuno's vocal. Psychedelic and rock."
CD $20

ALTERED STATES [KAZUHISA UCHIHASHI/NASUNO MITSURU/YOSHIGAKI YASUHIRO] - 4: Live At The Knitting Factory (Zenbei 003; Japan) The trio of Uchihashi Kazuhisa (guitar), Nasuno Mitsuru (bass, vocals) & Yoshigaki Yasuhiro (drums), with their intricate, Crimson edge.
CD $20

ALTERED STATES [KAZUHISA UCHIHASHI/NASUNO MITSURU/YOSHIGAKI YASUHIRO] - Altered States [1] (Innocent 001; Japan)
CD $18

HACO/ZEENA PARKINS/SAMM BENNETT/KAZUHISA UCHIHASHI - Kam-Pas-Nel-La (FBI Works/Innocent 101; Japan) Quartet w/ Masahiko Kono
CD $18

PHANTASMAGORIA [KAZUHISA UCHIHASHI et al] - Phantasmagoria (innocent records 007; Japan) Uchihashi guitar with Iwata Kou alto sax, Eazki Masafumi trumpet, Ando Makiko trombone, Kojima Takashi sampler, Inada Makoto contrabass, Ichiraku Yoshimitsu drums
CD $18

THIXOTROP [KAZUHISA UCHIHASHI/FRANZ HAUTZINGER/HELGE HINTEREGGER] - Comfort Of Madness (innocent records 010; Japan) With Helge Hinteregger's sampler, Franz Hautzinger's extended techniques on trumpet and microphone, and Kazuhisa Uchihashi's daxophone and processed electric guitar, this music is filled with strange and wonderful sounds. The way they're arranged is equally surprising, including careful sparse passages in which simple ideas are repeated to build logical and clean large-scale structures as if one musician is a set of wood planks, another is a set of nails, and the third is a bucket of paint, as well as slightly crazed passages with shards of exotic sounds sticking out of unexpected places like the debris scattered about a construction site. Uchihashi splits his time here between his two main axes, and it's a rare example (virtually the only one I know of besides Rene Lussier's disappointing duo disc with Martin Tetreault) of daxophone being used in an experimental electroacoustic improv context. There's a magical balance between the untamed zoological sounds of the daxophone and the mechanical, electronic feeling of some of Hautzinger's elegant grey amplified trumpet gestures and Hinteregger's bleeps and textures, and the balance is retained as the musicians shift roles: Hinteregger's admirably restrained and line-based sampler emissions sometimes become a biological mystery; Hautzinger sometimes plays normal, but always anti-expressive, trumpet tones; and Uchihashi's electronic guitar sometimes become a sweet and sour electronic mystery. The overall energy and density levels here tend towards the low-medium range; the interaction is both sensitive and uninhibited; the timbres are worthy of any improv gourmet. This is truly non-idiomatic free improv unconstrained by any style or trend and elevated by advanced instrumental vocabularies and intense focus. The one exception to what I've said above is the last track, in which Hinteregger dominates with avant-IDM electronic beats and the others make coloristic pokes in his interstices, but I really like this track too and it's a fun finale to one of my very favorite recent improv discs. - Michael Anton Parker
CD $18

KAZUHISA UCHIHASHI/TASUYA YOSHIDA - Improvisations [2 CD set] (Magaibutsu 24/25; Japan)
2 CD set for $25

KAZUHISA UCHIHASHI - Flect: Solo Electronic Guitar [#4] (innocent records 009; Japan) Kazu is one of Japan's finest electric guitarists, has played in the legendary Altered States and Phantasmagoria, as well as working with downtowners Shelley Hirsch, Ned Rothenberg and Samm Bennett. He came to town last year, played a solo/duo set at DMG and did a wonderful downtown all-star improv set at Tonic. He also sent us a dozen of his previous releases - solos, duos & trios plus a few of the Alter States titles. We still have a few of these left and they will be listed below. 'Flect' is Kazu's fourth solo el. guitar release and it was recorded at Bridge and Big Apple in May of this year. Here Kazu is playing a Godin electric guitar with an Electro-Harmonics delay, Digitech whammy pedal and bass loop station. He calls this 'solo electronic guitar' due to the devices he employs and much of this does sound rather electronic, often it is hard to tell that he is actually playing a guitar. He does come up with a fascinating array of sonic soundscapes which are lusciously recorded and float over the silence without getting too busy. I like the way he loops certain strange patterns and then will improvise an appropriate solo on top. Each piece paints a different often pensive mood and due to the spaciousness, everything has time to breathe and slowly evolve. The devices he uses provide an interesting variety of textures which are never too harsh, giving this entire release an endearing, somber aura. Gently rich and somewhat beautiful in it's own mildly alien way. - BLG
CD $18

KAZUHISA UCHIHASHI & HANS REICHEL - King Pawns (Zenbei 006; Japan) Outstanding duo improv from two masters - Hans on daxophone/home-made guitar, Uchi on two guitars!
CD $18


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