So much NEW Stuff!

Jean Derome et les Dangereuse Zhoms! Dennis Gonzalez/Joao Paulo! Collective 4tet! Dunmall/Bourne/Kane/Davis! Sievert's Symmetry with Speed/Hollenbeck! John O'Gallagher Trio! 5 from Bob Musso & Friends! Darren Johnston! Sweet Billy Pilgrim! Inner Space: pre-Can Czukay/Karoli/Schmidt/Liebezeit!

Sun Ra: Chicago '75! Gordon Grdina! Flatlands Collective! Ron Horton Qt! Mysterium: Soundpainting! Adams/Filiano/Amendola! Knuffke/Ughi/Welcome! Joel Harrison With Dave Binney! Fredrik Nordstrom Qnt! Andreas Willers! Lucky 7s! Broo/Vandermark '4 Corners' DVD! New Crimson release and Fripp Rarities!




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We will be resuming a regular schedule of Free In-Store shows every Sunday [and occasionally other days] year-round!

We'd like to hear from our musician friends from Europe, Japan, and other far-flung places, who'd like to play here at DMG, with dates you might be in the NYC vicinity so we can nail it down, and start promoting these shows well in advance.

so far we have confirmed for the..

Downtown Music Gallery FREE In-Store Performance Schedule:

Friday, May 22nd at 6pm:
WADADA LEO SMITH / JACK DeJOHNETTE'S 'AMERICA' CD RELEASE SIGNING!
Wadada Leo Smith will talk about the making of this historic disc and will sign copies of this newly released disc on Tzadik. So please come on down & greet the great Wadada Leo Smith!

Sunday, May 31st at 7pm:
JD PARRAN & ANGELO BRANFORD!
BAG Legend meets Downtown Guitar Great!

Monday, June 8th at 6pm for free:
HUMANIZATION QUARTET are Clean Feed Recording artists featuring Rodrigo Amado on tenor sax, Luis Lopes on guitar, Aaron Gonzalez on basses & Stefan Gonzalez on (quiet) drums!


As you can see, most of our Sundays for this year need booking/confirmation [we prefer 6 PM start times]..

Now, THAT'S an invitation!


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Note for our local in-store customers:

PLEASE send us an email with items you're sure you'd like to pick up from us - we can set them aside so there won't be any disappointment when you do come in [lots of stuff sells out to mail order customers and has to be restocked]. Also mention when you think you can pick up - we're flexible [ouch! my back!]


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JEAN DEROME ET LES DANGEREUX ZHOMS + 7 - Plates-Formes Et Traquenards (Victo 114; Canada) Featuring Jean Derome on saxes, flutes & direction, Tom Walsh on trombone, Guillaume Dostaler on piano, Pierre Cartier on electric bass and Pierre Tanguay on drums. The seven guests include Joane Hetu on voice, Lori Friedman on clarinets, Gordon Allen on trumpet, Nadia Francavilla & Jean Rene on violins, Bernard Falaise on electric guitar and Martin Tetreault on turntables. The Victo Festival & the Ambiances Magnetiques label both celebrated their anniversary in 2008, the year this concert took place. The Ambiances Magnetiques label, which has about 150 releases and the Victo label which this disc is number 114, are both from Quebec and have nurtured & supported each other since the label and festival began. Hence, the 2008 Victoriaville New Music Festival began with this extraordinary performance.
For long time fans of Jean Derome and his partner Joane Hetu (who runs the AM label), we notice how their pieces become involved, focused and successful, whenever we get a chance to experience their works. Mr. Derome's ensemble Et Les Dangereux Zhoms has been around since 1992, with four fine disc on AM. For Victo 2008, Derome composed a new work for an extended ensemble. The ensemble performed two long works, each about 35 minutes. "Plates-Formes" refers to the shifting on continents or structures. After so many years, Jean has gathered an incredible cast of seasoned musicians who can capture his sound/vision perfectly. Commencing with stark and suspense-filled sounds, the sublime, melodic written material soon emerges and with superb, warm and flowing harmonies for all. Derome takes a lovely flute solo with elegant rhythm team support and marvelous backing from the horns and strings. One of the things that stands out is the use of voice, turntables and guitar mainly for subtle sonic seasoning. Derome also inserts a good deal of unexpected twists and turns, shifting into some joyous noisy sections for short bursts that feel well-placed. During the performance I wasn't quite sure how or why certain things fit together, but listening now, I can hear an underlying theme that is evolving. Parts of this work remind of some of John Zorn's game pieces when he conducts and pulls surprising sounds and combinations of players into fascinating areas. Other sections of this work remind me of the playful and complex structures that Zappa is so famous for. The other piece is called "Traquenards" which means "ambush" and again the shifting sounds are consistently engaging. What makes this music special is the seamless balance between the written and improvised sections. The ensemble is in fine form here, the music is progressive in its own way with some nutty voices used as occasional seasoning. "Traquenards" has a more cinematic sound, moving between the tranquil countryside near Victoriavile and hustle & bustle of Montreal. And of course like all discs on the Victo label, the sound is perfect, capturing the performance in all of its glory. Another gem from Jean Derome and his wonderful ensemble and another winner from our good friends up north at Victo. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $15


GORDON GRDINA TRIO - ..If Accident Will (Plunge 82; Canada) Featuring Gordon Grdina on guitar, oud & compositions, Tommy Babin on bass and Kenton Loewen on drums. This is the fifth disc from Vancouver-based guitarist and oud player Gordon Grdina, if you count his ethnic/improv quartet called Sangha. What amazes me about Gordon is that he approaches each project differently, reinventing himself with each project. Commencing with "The Monk" this trio is soaring in a John McLaughlin/Bruce Eisenbeil sort-of way. Very intense, free yet completely focused. When the trio breaks into an incredible jazz/rockin' groove during the last minute of the opening piece, you just want to shout, "Holy sh*t!". This music blurs the line between fusion and freedom, it is fast and furious and tight at the same time.Contrabassist Tommy Babin, whom I remember from playing at the Guelph Fest is also a splendid bassist and is an integral part of this trio. Gordon is also a fine oud player and gets a chance to stretch out on a few of these pieces. Gordon takes him time on "Cobble Hill/Renunciation" with stark oud, minimal bass and delicate hands-on-drums. "Peripheral" keeps shifting between a quick tempo and a twisted, complex shape-shifting structure that is hard to believe. Sometimes it is difficult to believe that music as great as this is not so well distributed or even noticed by the unwashed masses. Anyway, this is the guitar trio jazz/rock disc of the year so far! Maybe you thought that John McLaughlin was going to win for a change, well think again! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $15



Eleven New Clean Feeds!

SCAPEGRACE [DENNIS GONZALEZ/JOAO PAULO] - Scapegrace (Clean Feed 144; Portugal) This music is the result of an encounter between two great musicians living in two very distant parts of the world: Texan trumpeter/cornetist Dennis Gonzalez and Portuguese pianist Joao Paulo Esteves da Silva had never met before this recording session (and then just a couple of concerts in Portugal to prepare for it). They weren't even much aware of each others' musical projects - only the jazz format and the practice of improvisation could enable such a meeting to take place, and the resulting CD is a wonder of musicality, togetherness and joy. The fact that their respective activities developed away from the principal centers where the music 'happens' is sufficient explanation for the reasons that they're not widely recognized as the masters they really are, but that circumstance also explains the individualistic voices they present to us. Gonzalez has played with legends such as Famoudou Don Moye, Charles Brackeen, Reggie Workman, John Purcell, Oliver Lake, and Malachi Favors, and that says much about his profile. A virtuoso on the piano, Esteves da Silva is an undeniable figure in his country, with standing requests coming from artists from genres other than jazz. In duo, Gonzalez and Joao Paulo play a delicate, beautiful music full of spirituality, nuance and drive, with roots in the post-bop tradition but free flowing and universal in dimension. Something very, very special..
CD $16

LUCKY 7s [JEB BISHOP/KEEFE JACKSON/JEFF ALBERT/JOSH BERMAN et al] - Pluto Junkyard (Clean Feed 141; Portugal) Jeb Bishop, trombone (guitar on The Dan Hang) / Jeff Albert, trombone, bass trombone / Josh Berman, cornet / Keefe Jackson, tenor saxophone / Jason Adasiewicz, vibraphone /Matthew Golombisky, double bass (electric bass on The Dan Hang) / Quin Kirchner, drums The fact that this Chicago-based septet includes a trombonist from the very particular scene of New Orleans says much about their intentions turned to practice. At this point we know how Jeb Bishop (trombone), Josh Berman (cornet) and Keefe Jackson (tenor saxophone) sound together, because it's not the first time we find them, or some of them, in the same frontline, but here Jeff Albert (trombone, bass trombone) has the clear function to put everything upside down. And he does it either connecting the music to a certain jazz essentiality, or enabling his partners to go to comfortable situations they have explored previously. He really is a wild card here, and he knows how to influence developments without getting in the way. There's another player with a key role here: vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, well supported by contrabassist Matthew Golombisky and drummer Quin Kirchner, makes sure that the Lucky 7's aren't just another 'avant' brass band. How? Furnishing the colors we don't expect to hear in this context. And how beautiful and graceful the results are! The liner notes by Kirchner about his composed contribution, Pluto Junkyard, mention the purpose of this piece to be 'exciting, scary, fun, and unusual', but truth is those adjectives apply to the entirety of the CD. Brilliant!!
CD $16

4 CORNERS [MAGNUS BROO/KEN VANDERMARK/ADAM LANE/PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE] - Alive In Lisbon [DVD] (clean feed 134; Portugal) Only to listen to a 4 Corners performance is not enough to experience all the emotional level of the music created by the quartet. You have to be there to understand not only how Ken Vandermark, Adam Lane, Magnus Broo and Paal Nilssen-Love interact, but also how they communicate with the audience in subliminar, telepathic ways. And if you can't be physically present in one of their concerts, the next thing is to view them on the screen. Live In Lisbon is the video recording of a gig played (March 2007) in the capital of the country where this project was born, Portugal. The quality of the images (five cameras were used) and of the sound is astonishing, contributing to enhance the pleasure of the viewer/listener. The music was captured in all its strength: live. A mix of free jazz and hard bop with the driving energy of rock and funk, plus incredible solos (the bass with a distortion pedal, by the way) and the beautiful melodies composed by contrabassist Adam Lane and saxophonist/clarinetist Ken Vandermark. Alfama (For George Braque), Spin With The EARth; Lucia, Tomorrow Now (For Lester Bowie) and Sanctum are the pieces chosen - you may have heard one or another in other contexts (for instance, Lane recorded Spin... before with Vinny Golia and Vijay Anderson), but they live an entirely new existence with this transnational superband. There's something of Ornette Coleman here, but also of Black Sabbath. Strange? You have to check it yourself, but one thing is for sure: this is the best jazz video in years..
DVD $20

FREDRIK NORDSTROM QUINTET - Live in Coimbra (Clean Feed 119; Portugal) Inspired in the American jazz of the Sixties, but with a North European perspective of inquestionable modernity, Fredrik Nordstrom imposed himself already as one of the most powerful and intriguing saxophonists in the tenor variant coming from the Old Continent. His prestige as a performer is extensive to the compositional work he's developing, such is the richness of ideas in terms of harmony and rhythm presented by his quintet. With trombonist Mats Aleklint replacing Magnus Broo and his trumpet and Torbjorn Zetterberg ocupying the position of the double bass instead of Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, but keeping Mattias Stahl (vibraphone) and Fredrik Rundqvist (drums) at their posts, this live CD recorded in Coimbra, Portugal, presents a renewed band with the same objectives defined since the beginning: elasticity of style and afirmative drive. Adding a new voice to the lineage of tenors with robust sound, it's nevertheless in the Ornette Coleman heritage that we can place Nordstrom. And that even if Live In Coimbra has more connections with the Blue Note catalogue and the Bobby Hutcherson groups in the golden period of this master vibraphonist than with the harmolodic concepts. The album includes two pieces never recorded before, Yakiniku and Mister Barista, and a version of a song by none other than the pop singer Bjork, Cocoon, and it's a blast, showing this project in the ideal of contexts when the music in question is jazz: a concert. Bravo.
CD $16

STEVE ADAMS TRIO With KEN FILIANO/SCOTT AMENDOLA - Surface Tension (Clean Feed 131; Portugal) A member of the celebrated Rova Saxophone Quartet, saxophonist and flutist Steve Adams develops his own personal projects in the jazz and contemporary music fields with equal praise from both the media and listeners. His trio with Ken Filiano (double bass) and Scott Amendola (drums) is one of the best examples of group improvisation, the pieces seamlessly blending the spontaneous and the composed. This is something only possible when there's a shared concept, extraordinary skills to realize it precisely, and flexibility to create music which is more, much more, than the combination of each part. In his liner notes for Surface Tension, Adams writes about "the mysterious but vital chemistry that is crucial to making music like this really happen", and it's totally true. Nobody can explain the kind of interaction achieved here, but you only have to listen to it to believe it. When the three musicians perform written music, it is so organic and fluid that it seems improvised, and that makes one thing clear: we're in the presence of extraordinary artists. Do yourself a favor and spend some time with this energetic, liberating music from the frontline of today's jazz.
CD $16

TRANSIT [JEFF ARNAL/NATE WOOLEY/REUBEN RADDING/SETH MISTERKA] - Quadrologues (Clean Feed 143; Portugal) Quadrologues is the second Clean Feed release by the New York based quartet Transit. This collection of pieces integrates the tradition of jazz and the never obvious approaches to music. Each piece reveals an intelligent design with a clarity of purpose. Static and the hyper activity of free-jazz are equal partners in Transit's compositions. Falling in and out of tradition - Transit has created it's own "thumbprint" that reveals an individual sensitivity within a group consciousness.
Jeff Arnal (percussion), Seth Misterka (alto saxophone), Reuben Radding (double bass) and Nate Wooley (trumpet) contribute choices in the moment - Impulse - Silence - Response - from a rich palette of individual style within a non linear structure. Each moment is unique and unpredictable. Quadrologues can count itself as apart of a new emerging music - unknown sounds of the 21st century. This collective is informed by decades of experimentation in the trenches of the Avant Garde. Full of risk but quick to reveal the importance of cooperation and the synergy of true dialogue. In conclusion: this music creates an innovative landscape that mirrors the complexities of the environment from which it emerged.
CD $16

DARREN JOHNSTON With BEN GOLDBERG/SHELDON BROWN/DEVIN HOFF/SMITH DOBSON V - The Edge Of The Forest (Clean Feed 133; Portugal) Down Beat Magazine listed Darren Johnston as one of the '25 Trumpeters of the Future' but in the measure that he is bringing the future to the present. Canadian of origin, but one of the most interesting musicians of the Bay Area scene, Johnston is involved in the best new jazz and creative music coming from the West Coast of the United States. Fred Frith, the members of the Rova Saxophone Quartet, and pianist Myra Melford have been some of his partners, and this curricular information only gives an idea of his accomplishments. Johnston is also very active as a composer for dance companies, and that kind of vision is sensed in 'The Edge of the Forest'. With companions like Ben Goldberg, Sheldon Brown, Devin Hoff and Smith Dobson V (also accordionist Rob Reich on one track), this new album offers a project in which the compositional work is developed in order to ignite improvisation of the finest order. But if the written part of these tunes is functional, the beauty we perceive is immediately suggested by the melodies. Some have an introspective, meditative configuration, almost like sound-scapes; others are blasts of energy, with argumentative and eloquent solos. You can't find more refreshing music than this.
CD $16

JOHN O'GALLAGHER TRIO - Dirty Hands (Clean Feed 132; Portugal) You always get your hands dirty with hard work and indeed the John O'Gallagher Trio does just that. The music played by the alto saxophonist, with Masa Kamaguchi on bass and Jeff Williams on drums, is one of effortless beauty as a result of years of working together. For O'Gallagher, a composition is much more than a vehicle to improvise on; it is the source of the improvisation. Whether playing free improvisations or original compositions, the truth is that everything here is meticulously structured. So, we have a composer in the good-old Duke Ellington way: he writes for the musicians who play with him, partly knowing by anticipation what to expect, and partly challenging them (and himself) to always go further. Very influenced by contemporary classical music, its solutions and ideas are used by the leader of this trio with a nod to the past in a genre known for its assimilation of elements coming from other musical languages. O'Gallagher speaks of 'opening new doors', and that's something jazz always did. Another particularity of this music is its visual character - the pieces function audibly like moving abstract images. The sense of space, line, color and density we find in painting is what this band translates to the art of sounds. "There definitely are parallels in painting and playing. When I improvise and compose, I'm influenced by a visual sense of trying to create objects and color," John O'Gallagher said in an interview to All About Jazz. Dirty Hands is the clear confirmation of that statement and is a recording not to be missed.
CD $16

AVRAM FEFER/ERIC REVIS/CHAD TAYLOR - Ritual (Clean Feed 144; Portugal) The Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi poem that you'll find in the booklet of the new album by the Avram Fefer Trio reminds us: 'don't think all ecstasies are the same!' and 'drink the wine that moves you'. If you are ready for some potent new 'wine' from New York City, then the music inside Ritual will bring you to another state of consciousness and ecstasy. Saxophonist Avram Fefer possesses that 'undeniable spiritual feel for the music', to quote what was written about this extraordinary musician by the online journal All About Jazz. Always positioning himself in the sequence of the jazz tradition, Fefer is more a visionary than an experimentalist in the scientific sense. That circumstance alone means that his music is not laboratorial, but deeply ritualistic. You don't need to be mystical or religious to really feel that it connects you with the Great Spirit of all things terrestrial, an achievement few before (among them John Coltrane and Albert Ayler) were able to accomplish. With a personal style fed by blues and gospel, you can recognize his roots and at the same time understand that what makes his voice so distinctive must come from something else---a spiritual restlessness, an ability to listen and feel his band mates, and a soulful intellect. On Ritual, he got a big help from his friends Eric Revis and Chad Taylor--- like him globetrotters of musical idioms and aesthetics. Fefer's trajectory included work in the areas of triphop, acid jazz, jungle, funk, world music and rap; Revis is committed to both mainstream jazz (he works regularly with Branford Marsalis) and the avant-garde; and Taylor is equally recognized in the domains of creative jazz, electro-acoustic improvised music and alternative rock, in projects like Chicago Underground Duo, Trio, Quartet and Orchestra, Iron and Wine, and Isotope 217. What a trio!
CD $16

FLATLANDS COLLECTIVE [JORRIT DIJKSTRA/JEB BISHOP/FRED LONBERG-HOLM et al] - Maatjes (Clean Feed 127; Portugal) After establishing his name in the rich avant-jazz and improvised music scene of the Netherlands, and now located in Boston, saxophonist and electronics manipulator Jorrit Dijkstra is becoming one of the most interesting voices of the present American creative music scene. With the Flatlands Collective, he pairs up with some of the finest musicians from Chicago: James Falzone, Jeb Bishop, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Jason Roebke, and Frank Rosaly. In consequence, Maatjes may well be the most 'jazzy' of all Dijkstra's recordings, but you'll find here, as usual, the concepts that made his music so personal and unique. Exquisite collective interplay, reminiscent of the most radical non-idiomatic European music is mixed with meditative textures inspired by the minimalist compositions of Terry Riley, LaMonte Young, and James Tenney, and with melodies resulting from a particular care for pitch, timbre, counterpoint and lyricism, not far from the cool jazz tradition. Overtones and layers of sound, using Dijkstra's Lyricon (an analog electronic wind synthesizer from the seventies) and Lonberg-Holm's array of effect pedals, are combined with the use of spaces and a great variety of colors, very much in reference to Dutch painting and design traditions. The perspective is innovative, strongly rooted in the histories of both American and European creative music. Remarkable.
CD $16

HERCULANEUM [PATRICK NEWBERRY/JOHN BEARD/NICK BROSTE/DAVID McDONNELL/NATE LEPINE/GREG DANEK/DYLAN RYAN] - Herculaneum III (Clean Feed 140; Portugal) Nick Broste, trombone / John Beard, guitar / Greg Danek, bass / Nate Lepine, flute / David McDonnell, alto saxophone and clarinet / Partick Newbery, trumpet and flugelhorn / Dylan Ryan, drums and vibraphone.
The density of the "assemblages of sound" of this septet can achieve orchestral dimensions, but the ensemble is more concerned in deconstructing its timbral and pitch possibilities in duos and trios, and even when everybody is active the focus is on space, not layering. In that respect, nothing new here: Duke Ellington and Charles Mingus had both the same objectives when dealing with big bands. The difference lies in other aspects: Herculaneum mixes the jazz idiom with contemporary classical music and with the appealing melodies of the Romany gypsy brass bands. But there's more: the project was born when drummer, vibraphonist and composer Dylan Ryan decided to do something in a jazz-rock context with his love for the music of Captain Beefheart. Things developed radically from there (sometimes the music seems composed by Messiaen, with arrangements by Gil Evans), but that identity remained. And that's why Herculaneum associate musicians coming from the avant-jazz and avant-rock scenes of Chicago. So, be warned: you've never heard anything like this before.
CD $16



Five new Leo CDs!

SUN RA & His ARKESTRA - Live in Cleveland, 1975 (Leo GY 029; UK) Amazing performance by the Sun Ra Arkestra almost 35 years ago in Cleveland, USA. Fifteen musicians, seven compositions, tremendous drive, everybody singing and dancing and the crown of the one hour long gig is Sun Ra's crazy solo on synthesizer. A must for every Sun Ra follower.
CD $18

COLLECTIVE 4TET [HEINZ GEISSER/MARK HENNEN/ARTHUR BROOKS/WILLIAM PARKER] - In Transition (Leo 529; UK) This is the sixth CD by the Collective 4tet on Leo Records with Arthur Brooks (trumpet) taking the place of the late trombone player Jeff Hoyer. William Parker, Mark Hennen, Jeff Hoyer and Heinz Geisser have been playing together for 15 years and Jeff's death was a shock to everybody. On this recording one hears Collective 4tet reassembling itself and brilliantly creating its identity anew. As Stuart Broomer writes, "The Collective 4tet has been one of the great bands of free jazz, .."
CD $17

LAPSLAP [MICHAEL EDWARDS/KARIN SCHISTEK/MARTIN PARKER] - Scratch: 11 Improvisations For Instruments And Live Electronics (Leo 531; UK) "Scratch" is the companion album to lapslap's debut CD "Itch" released in 2008 to a high critical acclaim. Michael Edwards (tenor sax, computer, midi wind controller), Martin Parker (french horn, computer), Karin Schistek (piano) freely combine computer solos with instrumental trios and any combination in between. The music draws from traditions ranging from avant-garde classical, free improv/free jazz through to improvised electroacoustic/glitch.
"Scratch, Lapslap's sophomore release, steps away from the "all in the pool" approach they had with their debut Itch, favoring instead a fierce restraint as exemplified within the three opening tracks of separate solo improvisations for acoustic instruments (piano, french horn, tenor saxophone), slowly progressing into a trio of the aforementioned acoustic instruments to finally laying down the brass and incorporating electronics within their set. [Let it be known that I have a problem with their choice of subtitle for this disc and bear with me as I say my two cents (or skip the next three sentences). It is a big pet peeve of mine when people try to imply a paradox by separating electronics from the rest of the vast array of fruit bore by the diverse musical instrument tree. 'Come on; it is a tool like anything else, it is how you use it! If Ikue Mori is not a perfect enough example for you, then my breath is wasted upon your ears. My nit picking aside, we move on and so do they.] The disc becomes denser in sound as the tracks progress. They create an interesting array tonal clouds which blossom with dissonance, leaving you in a fog of wonder when it is over. RECOMMENDED! -chuck bettis/dmg
CD $17

ANDREAS WILLERS - Drowning Migrant (Leo 532; UK) The Berlin-based guitarist Andreas Willers presents a series of challenging and highly innovative tracks that focus on the fascinating realm between improvised and composed musical structures. By means of multitracking or real time delay-based devices Willers crafts dense, sometimes dark and bewildering musical landscapes with the witty and virtuosic side of his playing shining through for good measure.
CD $17

SZILARD MEZEI WIND QUARTET - We Were Watching The Rain (Leo 530; UK) Is it jazz? Or perhaps avant-garde, European folk-jazz with elements of Chamber embedded within free-jazz style improvisation? Hence, the challenge of attempting to classify music that generally defies rigid borders. In turn, Serbian violaist Szilard Mezei stands mightily as a supreme genre-buster, which is trait that luminously resonates on this persuasive session. (Glenn Astarita).
CD $17



3 New Slam CDS!

THE BIG SAX CD [V.A. With CARLO ACTIS DATO/CHARLES EVANS/MIKKO INNANEN/GEORGE HASLAM] - Contemporary Baritone Saxophones (Slam 279; UK) What a mammoth task this was but great co-operation from some great players - I even went to Havana and got Zalba in the studio for a special session. A new compilation of contemporary baritone saxophonists from around the world with Carlo Actis Dato, Italy, Charles Evans, USA, George Haslam, UK, Mikko Innanen, Finland, Sergey Letov, Russia and Javier Zalba, Cuba. 18 original tracks in solo and small ensembles, mostly recorded exclusively for this compilation. Amazingly different artistic approaches to creation on the big sax by 6 masters of the instrument.
CD $16

STEFANO PASTOR - Chants (Slam 519; UK) Stefano Pastor ~ violin, viola, vocals, mandolin, guitars and percussion. Incredible solo and overdubbing by the Italian master. Slam Productions presents the new CD of Italian violinist and multi-instrumentalist Stefano Pastor, showcasing Pastor totally alone with his instruments and his voice. A moving challenge, if solo violin works are very rare, a work exploring the standard repertoire with just a bow instrument is probably unique. This disc in which converge the different experiences of Stefano, represents a significant point in his career. A collection of originals and standards, including - Naima, I'll remember April, Caravan, Easy Living, The song is you and There is no Greater Love.
"I think Stefano Pastor is the best thing that's happened to the violin in our music since Stuff Smith" - Connie Crothers
CD $16

PAUL DUNMALL/MATTHEW BOURNE/DAVE KANE/STEVE DAVIS - Moment To Moment (Slam 279; UK) Paul Dunmall tenor saxophone, Matthew Bourne piano, cello, Dave Kane acoustic bass and Steve Davis drums. The legendary powerful saxophonist Paul Dunmall teams up with the incredibly inventive trio of Bourne/Davis/Kane. The results sound like they have been playing together for years, creating music of great depth and sincerity. Recorded University of West England 22 June 2008. Both the Slam and Duns labels do a fine job of introducing us the (mostly) British musicians who we might have heard of yet. It turns out the Matthew Bourne is one of the more prominent UK jazz pianists leading various trios, acoustic & electric, performing solo and even playing broken pianos for a project.
This set was well recorded by Stephen Allan and sounds more like a studio date due to the superb balance and warm sound. Although this is freely improvised, there is an immense empathy between all of the players. Like Dunmall's other quartet Mujician, there is no leader here, all of the players are of equal importance, all are immensely talented, intense performers. Mr. Bourne plays inside the piano to good effect on "Voluntary Expressions" while Kane taps on his bass with his bow and Mr. Davis plays the drums with his hands. The piece builds organically with the utmost suspense as the tension and excitement grows. The quartet weaves an incredibly well connected tapestry that just keeps getting better and better. It seems impossible that this trio hadn't really played together before this, but that is the case. This is another one of those colossal dates that Paul Dunmall excels at, words can't truly match the storm-like force that this quartet erupts into at times. This is what true freedom is all about, moment to moment. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16

Just 5 (more) copies of this:

DEEP JOY TRIO [TONY LEVIN/PAUL DUNMALL/PAUL ROGERS] - Deep Joy [4 CD set] (Duns 041; UK) [Limited 2nd edition CD-R set]. Featuring Paul Dunmall on tenor, soprano & alto saxes, Paul Rogers on bass and Tony Levin on drums. An immense effort that features three of the four members of Mujician [minus pianist extroadinaire Keith Tippett], our favorite current British improv quartet. Consisting of three trio CDs recorded at three different studio sessions in March of 1995 and February of 2004, plus a colossal sax & drums duo set from July of 2000. As Paul Dunmall's fantastic Duns Limited Edition label passes their 40th release in the past decade, we are astounded by the consistent excellence of performances and sound. This is grand and powerful sax trio that pushes hard and explores the free/jazz realm with ferocious spirit. All three of these men are masters of their instruments and blend their adventurous explorations into one massive, yet focused sound. Each gets a number of chances to solo at length and show that their creative juices continue to flow without end. British jazz drum legend Tony Levin (not the American bassist for Crimson), is one of the unsung greats of the modern jazz drumming. He is a true master, flowing effortlessy between styles as it suits the music, sometime as little as one stroke implying the direction or its change! The duo disc here shows how special his playing actually is, both Dunmall and Levin work marvelously together throughout the entirety of this great duet. You can tell that they have been playing together for many years as they swirl and spin around one another, volcanic spirits erupting dynamically. We were so very lucky to book them at The Stone here in the U.S. for a week in Dec 2006 .. and subsequently Blown Away! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, DMG
4 CD set for $60


HENNING SIEVERTS SYMMETRY With CHRIS SPEED/JOHANNES LAUER/ACHIM KAUFMANN/JOHN HOLLENBECK - Blackbird (Pirouet 3040; Germany) Featuring Henning Sieverts bass, cello & (all but 2) compositions; Chris Speed clarinet & tenor saxophone; Johannes Lauer trombone; Achim Kaufmann piano and John Hollenbeck drums. Henning Sieverts draws on the immense possibilities of the systematic and masterfully exploits these possibilities. With his ear attuned to continual change, Sieverts has made subtle use of symmetric material in the pieces on this CD. The music grooves, twitters, warbles, frazzles, and dazzles, absorbing and impulsive as only the most vibrantly-played jazz can be.
This is the second disc from Henning Sievert's Symmetry and this is another impressive disc. "Wingswing" starts off this disc with some strong writing and playing from this fine transoceanic quintet with two of downtown's finest: Chris Speed and John Hollenbeck. Although only a quintet, the group sounds larger due to Henning's layered charts. While the tenor and trombone play one line, the piano, bass and drums swirl underneath, slowly changing tempos throughout. On "Dribs and Drabs", the cello, clarinet and trombone play rich harmonies while the piano and drums play intricately under them. I dig the way the thin sounding clarinet and fat sounding trombone contrast each other yet sound so good together on many of the tunes. The ever-incredible John Hollenbeck sounds incredible, especially his crafty solo on the second song. Another thing that makes this disc special is that it is often calm yet with rich, quirky harmonies. Sort of inspired by third stream but never showing off or being too difficult to comprehend. Even when they play rather freely on Wenn Ich Ein Voglein War", you get the feeling that this piece is partially planned. The two cover tunes here, "Blackbird" by the Beatles and Charlie Parker's "Blues for Alice" show the diverse sides to this fine quintet and get inspired readings. This is one of the more intelligently crafted and creative discs of the month, so don't miss out on this treasure. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16


JOEL HARRISON With DAVE BINNEY et al - Urban Myths (Highnote 7194; USA) Featuring Joel Harrison on guitar & (all but one) compositions, David Binney on alto sax, Christian Howe on violin, Daniel Kelly on piano, Stephan Crump on bass and Jordan Person on drums plus guests Amrose Akinmusire on trumpet, Corey King on trombone, Jerome Sabbag on tenor sax and Fima Ephron on electric bass. A couple of things never cease to amaze me about downtown guitar great Joel Harrison: one is that every one of his ten releases is completely different and the second is that his personnel changes on each disc, always choosing his collaborators wisely. Each of his discs has a concept or theme, this one was inspired by jazz/rock (or fusion) of the mid & late 70's. "You Must Go Through a Winter" does have a fine, slightly twisted rhythmic theme with strong solos from the violin and sax with Joel smokin' on guitar underneath. I really dig the funky groove on "125 and Lenox" and tasty harmonies for the sax, violin and guitar. Daniel Kelly's electric piano solo is particularly inspired and dreamy (like George with Grand Wazoo). "Mood Rodeo" shifts between a stark, suspenseful section and a more slamming groove with a riveting, dark, sustained-tone guitar solo from Joel. "Last Waltz for Queva" starts out laid back and lovely and later features a great soulful, bluesy guitar solo that must be heard to be believed. Joel takes Monk's "Straight No Chaser" and turns it inside out with a great solo from rising star Ambrose Akinmusire on trumpet. I dig the crafty arrangement on "Between the Traveler and the Setting Sun", the various lines are tight and interconnected throughout. What makes this disc is special is the Joel Harrison has taken some complex structures found in the fusion era, selected many of the best aspects and left any excess noodling or showing off behind. This is no small feat and a consistently engaging disc all the way around. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16


RON HORTON With ANTONIO ZAMBRINI/BEN ALLISON/TONY MORENO - It's A Gadget World (aBeat 67; Italy) Ron Horton's newest CD, is a collaboration with Italian pianist Antonio Zambrini, Ben Allison on bass and Tony Moreno on drums. The CD features compositions by Ron, Antonio, Paul Motian and Andrew Hill. This is ace trumpeter Ron Horton fourth disc as a leader and again he has made strides in his playing, composing and selection of collaborators. Ron first met Italian pianist Antonio Zambrini while touring Italy on 2005 with Will Holshouser, the developing a special rapport that shines throughout this disc. Downtown bass great and bandleader Ben Allison can be heard on a couple of dozen releases, while Tony Moreno has played Frank Kimbrough, Dave Phillips and OK/OK.
Ron and Antonio split the writing chores here with one piece by Paul Motian and one by Andrew Hill. The title piece is first and sort of funky with great solos from Ron, bassist Ben and Tony the drummer. Antonio's "Gaia" is a lovely, elegant gem with Ron on flugelhorn, his solo one of the most lyrical and joyous ones that I've heard. Antonio's piano solo another beaut as well. "Shorter" is another rather poignant gem with stunning, majestic piano from Antonio and more sublime trumpet. Antonio's "Shorter" has a rich, complex theme which inspires some intricate layered solos for the piano and trumpet. Another great thing about this disc is that the rhythm team plays with finesse, creativity and subdued propulsion throughout. Tony Moreno's mallet playing is especially wonderful on Paul Motain's "9X9" where he and Ron swirl in waves around one another hypnotically. Ron's "Toeing the Line" is a haunting, nimble piece with another perfect, flowing solo from Mr. Horton. Even better is Ron's fabulous trumpet solo on "Old West", it is just astonishingly good... in the future music historians will point to it as one of the major achievements in the first decade of the 21st century. Tony's mallet work on "Chorale" is another highlight in a truly mesmerizing, dreamlike song. It is not too often that you find yourself with what I would call a perfect "jazz" record, but this disc certainly sounds like a righteous example. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $15


KIRK KNUFFKE/FEDERICO UGHI/CHRIS WELCOME - Garden Of Gifts ('577' Records 9; USA) Kirk Knuffke: trumpet; Federico Ughi: drums, percussion, flute; Chris Welcome: guitar
CD $14


MYSTERIUM [ERIC JOHN EIGNER/JAMES ILGENFRITZ/ADAM CAINE/SAM KULIK/JEREMY DANNEMAN/LORENZO SANGUEDOLCE/EVAN MAZUNIK] - An Electric Soundpainting Septet (Eavesdrop 003; USA)
CD $14


GATO LOCO [STEFAN ZENIUK/CLIFTON HYDE et al] - CocoNino (GatoLocoMusica; USA) Gato Loco put it's first show together, Coconino, as part of the BAM Brooklyn Next Wave fest in feb. of 2008. Later that summer the 12-piece avant-mambo band went into the studio to lay this epic suite down to tape for their second CD. An 8-song single-composition, Coconino incorporates salsa, mambo, son, and plenty of NYC funk and grit. Quickly making waves throughout NYC, the cd was released in April 2009. Featuring Stefan Zeniuk on reeds & arrangements, Jesse Selengut & Eric Biyondo on trumpets, Kevin Moehringer & Rick Becker on trombones, Joe Exley on tuba, Clifton Hyde & Mike Gamble on guitars, Ari Folman-Cohen on bass and Greg Stare, Brett Tyson & Rich Stein on drums & percussion.
"Over the past few years, I've become friends with and enjoyed the playing of Clifton Hyde, one of the better local guitarists who can be hilarious live, due to his cool voice and humorous lyrics. Gato Loco is one of the bands that Clifton plays with and he produced this fun CD. The question here is this: does a Latin (sounding) band need to contain any Latinos?!? I guess in the melting pot of NYC, anything is possible. This band has a joyous, Latiny, somewhat funky groove at the center and it is mostly instrumental. It is great to hear Clifton play some truly funky guitar but it is the horns that sound so cool: tuba, trombones, trumpet and saxes are playing those funky arrangements with verve and fire. I dig the arrangements, the way the (layers of) percussion swirl together to an infectious beat and the way the horns exclaim and ride high, tight and hot on the great grooves. Since I listen to so little Latin music, I can't really compare this to anything. I can say this though: this music does make me feel great and want to dance and sway and groove. It shouldn't surprise that Clifton is a member of this band since he is creative, inspired and diverse at whatever project he choose to be involved with. The compositions and arrangements are by Stefan Zeniuk and he has done an amazing job of writing, shaping and directing this music. It is rare to hear music that makes you want to dance and whose arrangements are also a marvel of invention." - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $13


Five New Live Discs from Bob Musso's Legendary MuWorks Label:

Former leader of the legendary and explosive Machine Gun band (with Thomas Chapin), head of MuWorks records and engineer/co-producer to Bill Laswell for hundreds of sessions, Robert Musso, is a restless spirit, a talented guitarist, bandleader, engineer and producer. Over the past few years Bob has put together a new band with a revolving cast of great players and has been playing in the tri-state area. Bob is wise enough to record each set and has released a half dozen gem so far. The next batch has just arrived and again Bob has pulled more rabbits out of his multi-colored hat!

NEW TRANSONIC BAND [ROBERT MUSSO With CALVIN WESTON/ELLIOTT LEVIN/DAVE DREIWITZ et al] - At John & Peter's, New Hope PA - December 19 2007 (MuWorks 62 CR; USA) Ltd Ed CDR


BOB & FRIENDS [ROBERT MUSSO With ELLIOTT LEVIN/DAVE DREIWITZ/CLAUDE COLEMAN] - @ The Media Bureau Network, WYHH Philadelphia - December 29 2007 (MuWorks 63 CR; USA) Ltd Ed CDR
CD $12

BOB & FRIENDS [ROBERT MUSSO With ELLIOTT LEVIN/DAVE DREIWITZ/ERIC SLICK] - At The Black Lodge, School Of Rock, Philadelphia - September 27 2008 (MuWorks 65 CR; USA) Ltd Ed CDR
CD $12

BOB & FRIENDS [ROBERT MUSSO With JAIR-ROHM PARKER WELLS/ERIC SLICK] - At The Brighton Bar, Long Branch NJ - May 23 2008 (MuWorks 64 CR; USA) Ltd Ed CDR
CD $12

BOB & FRIENDS [ROBERT MUSSO With RAOUL BJORKENHEIM/ELLIOTT LEVIN/KEITH MacSOUD/ERIC SLICK] - Bowery Benefit (For Downtown Music Gallery) At The Bowery Poetry Club - December 17 2008 (MuWorks 66 CR; USA) Ltd Ed CDR. This set took place last December at a benefit for us, DMG, with Bob & Friends playing in-between Tisziji Munoz and the Elliott Sharp Power Trio. It was an extraordinary night and the proof is in the pudding, so starting savoring... The newest addition to this quintet was/is bassist Keith MacSoud, an old friend of mine (& bandmate w/ Elliott Levin) who I suggested to Bob and fit perfectly, adding some special spice to an already amazing group. To those of you who need that their fusion fix, all of Bob's bands show that great fusion is still happening! Both Bob and Scandinavian legend, Raoul Bjorkenheim, trade series on amazing guitar solos and work so well together. Young drum wiz, Eric Slick, is currently playing with Adrian Belew and both he and Keith are one of the best, most creative and inspired rhythm teams around. Not bad considering that this was their first gig together. Philly legend, Elliott Levin from New Ghost, plays strong tenor sax, flute and is one of the best poets/speakers around. Elliott always adds a certain bohemian magic to any project he is involved with and recently has been getting more exposure/recognition thanks to ESP & Porter Records. The free parts of this set are actually, tight, focused and never superfluous. Now that I don't have to MC, I can sit back, relax and enjoy another treasure from Bob Musso & Friends. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $12

also available..

BOB & FRIENDS [ROBERT MUSSO With RAOUL BJORKENHEIM/ELLIOTT LEVIN/DAVE DREIWITZ/JOHN 'LUNAR' RICHEY/ERIC SLICK] - DMG 16th Anniversary At The Bowery Poetry Club - September 22 2007 (MuWorks 60 CR; USA) Ltd Ed CDR. Wow! Despite the fact that yours truly did the on-stage intro to this set, listening back to it now, it sounds truly f**king amazing! This not just jam session, this band has obviously rehearsed and is playing mostly original material by Machine Gun head, Bob Musso, as well as a couple of well-chosen covers, like that great Sonny Sharrock song at the end of the set. - BLG
CD $12


So super-rare ..we'd never heard it!

THE INNER SPACE [CAN: HOLGER CZUKAY/IRMIN SCHMIDT/MICHAEL KAROLI/JAKI LIEBEZEIT] - Agilok & Blubbo (Wah Wah 10; Germany) "The Inner Space is the stuff of legend. This obscure outfit is best known as the antecessor band of Can and not much is known about them except it featured the core members of Can (Irmin Schmidt, Holger Czukay, Michael Karoli and Jaki Liebezeit) and lasted just a few months before renaming themselves The Can and releasing Monster Movie. They left two ultra-obscure seven inches as their only recorded legacy and only the first of them is credited to The Inner Space, it contained two songs taken from the soundtrack of 1969's underground film Agilok & Blubbo. Originally released by the German Vogue label in 1969, it currently fetches prices around the 300 euro mark in the collector's circuit. Given the obscurity of both the band and its recorded output, we're proud to present, for the first time to the public, not only the aforementioned singles but the complete soundtrack to Peter F. Scheneider's offbeat political satire Agilok & Blubbo. Previously unavailable until now, the original master tapes of this soundtrack have been stored in the archives of legendary German producer and music publisher Hans Wewerka who produced the recording sessions back in 1969. Here you can hear history in the making, the first step of a group of musicians who'll go on to achieve fame, success and recognition over the '70s, helping define a sound (often called Krautrock) that has been highly influential to this day. Those familiar with Can's output will recognize some of the band's characteristic sound, albeit in an embryonic form. Songs like 'Agilok & Blubbo' or 'Kamera Song' already hint at their later pop brilliance whereas the short cues and extended free jams found elsewhere in this soundtrack reminds us from the heterogeneous roots of a bunch of musicians coming from rock, jazz and avant-garde backgrounds. All in all, an excellent glimpse into the early stages of an innovative band developing its own musical language. This reissue includes detailed liner notes by Wah Wah's very own Raul G.Pratginestos and comes illustrated by original b/w shoots from the movie production. CD issue contains two bonus tracks: 'Memographie,' plus Irmin Schmidt's 1967 composition 'Hexapussy.' In all, over 28 minutes of bonus material!"
CD $20


SWEET BILLY PILGRIM - Twice Born Men (SamadhiSound 015; USA) Tinkering about somewhere between the earthy and the ethereal, Sweet Billy Pilgrim scrape strings and tap away at laptops trying to make beautiful things with steady hands and empty pockets. With the release of their second album, 'Twice Born Men' on Samadhisound label following recent collaborations with folktronica luminary Adem (for BBC Radio 3), Norwegian electronicists Punkt, and successful shows at the Royal Opera House, King's Place as well as festivals in Spain and Norway, Sweet Billy Pilgrim are building fires to warm their little musical corner while they wait for planning permission to build their ramshackle beach huts on those tiny, storm-bruised plots inside us all. Should it not be granted, they're prepared to settle for a gazebo.
"The sleeve for Twice Born Men offers considerably more information about the album's artwork than it does about the music. Fair enough. The images of an old sailing ship ploughing through a stormy sea (chalk on blackboard, since you ask), as well as being beautiful, provide as good a handle as you're likely to get on a sound that does indeed come at you in waves. Sweet Billy Pilgrim (Anthony Bishop, Tim Elsenburg and Alistair Hamer) are masters at creating the kind of music that won't reveal its origins. Occasionally, you pick out a piano or a banjo, but, for the most part, it's hard to work out what's doing what. Perhaps that's not surprising: the instrumentation allegedly includes a 'tuned dishwasher'. On top of this hard-to-define but easy-to-love music - which has found the perfect home in David Sylvian's SamadhiSound label - the songwriter Elsenburg's voice hovers delicately. He claims to be singing about love, but we don't care about the specifics because we're already lost in the sound. Am I making the whole thing seem a bit vague? Okay: remember how Wilco's 'experimental' album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot turned out to be simply a series of brilliant pop songs? Same thing here. What makes Twice Born Men truly special is the way the indefinable floatiness of the verses is merely the springboard for a succession of delicious pop choruses." - Mark Edwards, Sunday Times [UK]
CD $16


HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE - Alyo/Flipside [10" Ep] (Honest Jon's 047; UK) The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble is comprised of 8 brothers from the south side of Chicago, all sons of the Sun Ra trumpeter, Phil Cohran. They are a street-marching brass band in the New Orleans tradition; jazz to dance, with a funk sensibility honed by hip-hop. Here are two scorchers from their Honest Jon's full-length. "Alyo" (with Malcolm Catto from The Heliocentrics on drums) is hard and funky, written by Cohran in memory of Alyo Tolbert, star dancer for the Montu Dance Company. "Flipside" wobbles and tips, with the spirit of Mingus in its gait. One pressing only, in a metallic-ink sleeve.
LP $12

TREMBLING BELLS - Carbeth (Honest Jon's 043; UK) This is the hotly-tipped debut of new new-folk outfit, Trembling Bells, masterminded by protean drummer Alex Neilson, one of the UK's leading young improvisers. From the ashes of Scatter, a Glasgow-based collective which long anticipated the free-folk phenomenon, emerges a new song-based venture. Having served apprenticeships with some uniquely talented songwriters (Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Current 93, Alasdair Roberts, Baby Dee, Red Krayola, Six Organs Of Admittance, Josephine Foster, amongst them), Neilson sets out with the group to reanimate the hidden, mythic landscapes of Yorkshire and Glasgow (in particular) via a love of canonical rock, early music, and traditional folk. Featuring the diverse musical talents of medieval music scholar and psychedelic siren, Lavinia Blackwall, Venusian bluesman, Ben Reynolds, Lucky Luke progenitor Simon Shaw, plus trombonist George Murray, and viola player Aby Vuillamy from Scatter and the Bill Wells Group. Carbeth is absolutely sweeping, grandiose baroque-folk like a newly-minted Pentangle or Fairport Convention, but with strange keyboard/horn arrangements, and sometimes thunderous percussion. This isn't music for tatted lace-wearers, but for folk-rockers wearing sturdy woolen travelling capes for backwards horse-rides through a long-lost Britain.
CD $17


AMEN DUNES [DAMON McMAHON] - Dia (Locust 116; USA) "A lot of crazy shit can happen to a man when he goes solitary in a ramshackle Catskill Mountain home for an extended stretch of time -- especially for a city kind of guy. But if Amen Dunes's 12 tracker Dia is one possible outcome of the guy alone-in-a-cabin- story, then a little tape saturated brain frying is something we should all live comfortably with because this is a batch of seriously raw & inspired loner psych grit that owes a debt to the DIY soundz of the George Brigmans of the world. That was 2006. These days the lone wolf behind Amen Dunes -- Damon McMahon -- calls a small two room apartment overlooking the Temple of Earth in North-Central Beijing home, where he watches old men fly kites and sing opera every morning. Who knows what'll come out of that.
CD $14


ANDREA PARKINS - Faulty (Broken Orbit) (Important 199; USA) "Faulty (Broken Orbit) re-imagines Faulty (Per-Objective), an hour long 10-channel site-specific audio work, premiered in 2007 at Diapason gallery for sound in NYC, with sponsorship from Harvestworks Digital Media Arts Center and the New York Electronic Arts Festival. Faulty (Broken Orbit) is a poetic exploration of mic'ed surfaces and amplified quotidian objects activated into movement, layered against a shifting and slowly settling field of electric-accordion-driven feedback and processed instruments.
"Featuring Andrea Parkins on electric accordion, amplified objects & surfaces, live processing and effects. Ms. Parkins remains one of the more mysterious and under-recognized sorceresses of the downtown scene. Except for the longtime trio with Ellery Eskelin and Jim Black, with some dozen discs, she records infrequently. She has collaborated with small but diverse cast of characters like Nels Cline, Satoko Fuji, Steve Harris, Joe Morris, William Hooker and Susan Alcorn. Besides her recent duo with Jessica Constable and a trio effort on Creative Works, Ms. Parkins has only a couple of discs as a leader. I find this odd since I know she is a fine musician and an adventurous sonic explorer. So I was glad to receive her long awaited new solo effort and it was well worth the wait. Andrea was involved with 'Faulty (Per Objective)', an hour long ten-channel site-specific audio work premiered at the Diapason Gallery for Sound in 2007. Her work for this installation inspired and re-imagines this piece. What we hear is the fascinating blend of electronic sounds and carefully scraped surfaces. It sounds like a soundtrack to an experimental film or music for an avant-garde dance ensemble. The sounds are recorded in stereo and move around the sonic spectrum like insects hovering around lights. Subtle feedback, spooky drones, scraped cymbals and haunting layers of floating electronic ghosts all hover together in this unique, oblique soundscape. What I dig about this is that each sound seems to be placed selectively on the audio canvas like an impressive painting. Certainly this is one of this month's most interesting overlooked treasures." - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $14


KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/ADRIAN BELEW/TREY GUNN/PAT MASTELOTTO] - Collectable King Crimson Vol 4: Live In Warsaw [2 CD set] (DGM 5007; USA) [a general market re-release of Collectors Club #28] Fourth in the series which captures live King Crimson at their finest; this time in Warsaw, Poland, 2000. Live in Warsaw 2000 showcases one of the very first live shows by the four piece line up of Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Pat Mastelotto and Trey Gunn and includes an encore rendition of David Bowie's 'Heroes'.(It was Robert Fripp after all who created the ultra distinctive guitar part on the original David Bowie record)
"I love Poland. And I'm not entirely sure why. I remember this feeling when we were here with the double trio. There was an incredible warmth. Perhaps it is Chopin, one of the classical composers who's music I most identify with. I don't know The venue tonight was doing a long run of Peter Pan. We just came in for the two nights and then they would go back to their Peter production. What this meant was that all of the stage props were behind us and just off the stage. There was the giant crocodile and the pirate ship and all sorts of other strange things"- Trey Gunn
2 CD set for $16

also available..

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/BILL BRUFORD/ADRIAN BELEW/TONY LEVIN/TREY GUNN/PAT MASTELOTTO] - Collectable King Crimson Vol 3: Live In London - Shepherds Bush July 1 1996 [2 CD set] (DGM 5006; USA) The third in the Collectable King Crimson series showcasing historic live King Crimson shows. Volume three highlights a PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED recording of the double trio line up of Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Tony Levin, Bill Bruford, Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto as they concluded a six-week European tour with two nights at the historic Shepherds Bush Empire.
Compiled from the band's stereo tapes of the concert, this two CD set houses the complete show from the second night in London. One of the biggest surprises of the evening was the inclusion on the set list of '21st Century Schizoid Man", the first time played live in London since 1973. This was also the only show on the tour to open with a Robert Fripp solo soundscape, also included on this two CD set. Rolling Stone described the double trio's sound as akin to "well-wrought sonic violence", noting that the band could keep pace with any of the younger bands of the 90's.
2 CD set for $16

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/BILL BRUFORD/ADRIAN BELEW/TONY LEVIN] - Collectable King Crimson Vol 2: Live in Bath 1981/Live In Philadelphia 1982 [2 CD set] (DGM 5003; USA) Combining the 11th and the 26th Collectors Club releases into one low priced package! Disc 1: The first live performance by the Discipline lineup (April 30th, 1981), and therefore in Crimson terms the very next gig from - after almost 7 years - the July 1st Central Park recording (the last by the 74 lineup). Embryonic versions of material that was to be later recorded for the Discipline album!
Disc 2: "...to this pair of ears, of all the 80s, this performance from Philadelphia is the best yet. Why? Well, in a team-band like Crimson it might seem unfair to single out individuals but if pushed, I would have to say it was down to Adrian Belew. It's difficult to avoid his dazzling fiery presence on this outing.... Thela Hun Ginjeet packs a devastating punch; a knockout collision between on-the-fly improvisation and the canny judgement of what makes a good story great....Another highlight in this package is the inclusion of The Howler. This song didn't get too many public outings, so it's a pleasure to hear how blistering it is with Belew at his rat-scratching best. It'll come as no surprise when I say this version knocks spots off its studio counterpart" - Sid Smith. A complete show, 79+ minutes!
2 CD set for $16

KING CRIMSON [ROBERT FRIPP/JOHN WETTON/BILL BRUFORD/DAVID CROSS] - Collectable King Crimson Vol 1: Live in Mainz 1974/Live In Asbury Park 1974 [2 CD set] (DGM 5001; USA) Combining the The 15th Collectors' Club release (Mainz) with the [up until now] download-only Live In Asbury Park, NJ, June 28th 1974 David Cross - Violin, Mellotron, Electric piano, Robert Fripp - Guitar, Mellotron, Electric piano, John Wetton - Bass Guitar, Vocals, Bill Bruford - Drums, Percussion
Disc 1: King Crimson Live in Mainz, Germany, March 30th 1974. "As a performing group, we had been developing a style of improvisation which I believe was unique to this quartet. Most of the improv bands at the time would have been Jazz, but we were the only artists to operate in a "rock" environment. Our beefy rhythm section was crowned by an outstanding soloing team of Robert and David, and my monitors were inevitably de-throned by the firepower of the band." - John Wetton
Disc 2: This is the raw unmessed-with recording that in its fiddled-with form yielded all but one cut [Schizoid Man] on the USA album. Finally we get to hear the Schzoid Man from this concert [killer], as well as the rest of it in its entirety, but more importantly, with what actually was played that night, including electric piano, violin, et al, parts that were removed/replaced from the mix of USA. That makes this Collectable KC Vol 1 release essential - All Thumbs Skyward! - MannyLunch
2 CD set for $16

[We are also the exclusive store retailers of the King Crimson Collectors Club releases - 39 so far and counting. Go to http://search2.downtownmusicgallery.com/first.cgi and search for KCCC as 'label']

and LAST copies of these great - and Out-Of-print - Crimson-related discs:

CHEIKHA RIMITTI [EL GHIZANIA] With ROBERT FRIPP/FLEA/GEZA X/EAST BAY RAY et al - Sidi Mansour (Because 3110922; France) [2006 reissue] In Spring 1993, Algerian composer Houari Talbi asked Cheikha ("Crazy") Rimitti to interpret some songs he had composed especially for her. The Mother Of Rai - a legendary progenitor of Rai music and it predecessor Wahrani, and a recording artist since the mid-20's - was thrilled by the project itself, and by the possibilty to show herself and current Rai singers in a different light. With this new recording adventure, Rimitti [Cheikha Rimitti El Ghizania] proved that conquest of new musical horizons is not a question of age, but of fresh inspiration.
Co-produced in Paris and Los Angeles by Houari Talbi [saxophones and keyboards], JBV [computers and treatments], and Geza X [rhythm guitar] with an all-star West-meets-Algeria lineup including Robert Fripp [lead guitar and Frippertronics], Flea [bass], East Bay Ray [guitar], Bruce Fowler [trombone], Walter Fowler [trumpet and flugelhorn], Hamid Ahssani [darbouka], Aziz [bendir, tahreja, karkabou, and gallal], Abdelillah Benzin [bendir, tahreja], Joseph Berardi and David Kendrick [drums], Bill Rhea [violins], Dan Forneo [pocket trumpet], Meki [gasba], and Sonia [tambourines]. 8 tracks, 65 minutes
"Modern Rai music, organically keeping in tradition, without the cheap grafting of passing fashions of Electronica, Trip-hop et al. Absolutely Amazing Record! And as for my predilection as a Fripp nut, with over 300 recordings, this and its companion CD of outtakes [called 'Cheikha', unfortunately not in print] would be in the first handfuls I'd grab in an evacuation emergency [right after the Crimso and Fripp solo albums] - so there! GOOGLEPLEX THUMBS UP!!! - MannyLunch
CD $20

BILL RIEFLIN With ROBERT FRIPP/TREY GUNN et al - Birth of a Giant (First World 99.03 ; USA) Bill Rieflin, Robert Fripp, Trey Gunn, Chris Connelly, Steve Ball, Mark Walk, Alexandria Quartet, Pamela Golden
In describing 'Birth of a Giant,' Bill Rieflin offers: "On one hand, it's an experimental record - to the degree that when I began working on it, I had no idea how it would turn out. Of course there were some relatively stable aspects. For instance: my musical sense, the gear I used (which really wasn't that stable), and a few conceptual guidelines for when my intuition was nowhere in sight. Eventually, a general flavor started to emerge which, I suppose, had something to do with more of a pop sensibility. At least in my mind it did. On the other hand, well, there are a lot of other hands...."
Probably best known as the drummer for Ministry from 1986 - 1994, the past five years have seen Rieflin playing with a variety of people in various capacities: Nine Inch Nails, Ruby, KMFDM, Chris Cornell, Peter Murphy, Wendy & Lisa, Michael Gira, Nivek Ogre, among others.
So, what does 'Birth of a Giant' sound like? "Unlike any record anyone else has made; some of the material almost seems like Scary Monsters as done by Bill Nelson with fuzzy electronic vocals - but it's much more than that, much more varied, and HIGHLY Recommended!" - MannyLunch
Also available is 'The Repercussions of Angelic Behavior,' a CD of improvised music from Rieflin, Fripp, and Gunn, recorded during the BOAG sessions.
CD $15

BILL RIEFLIN/ROBERT FRIPP/TREY GUNN - The Repercussions of Angelic Behavior (First World 99.06; USA) Bill Rieflin - drums, loops; Robert Fripp - guitar, soundscapes; Trey Gunn - touch guitar
The Repercussions of Angelic Behavior: a) is a live recording b) is a studio record c) is improvised d) is composed e) is a companion disc to Rieflin's 'Birth of a Giant' f) is a companion disc to King Crimson's ProjeKct series g) is an exciting and indispensable adventure into the musical unknown h) is the medium for the release of the cover art i) is considered in exactly the same way by Rieflin, Fripp, and Gunn alike j) is a source of differing opinions between Rieflin, Fripp, and Gunn k) all of the above l) some of the above m) none of the above
Everything on this record is intentional. Except where not. For instance, the song titles - listed here alphabetically for your edification - are not given on the CD [so you have no way of knowing which track they belong to!] Blast, pt.1, Blast, pt. 2, Lost and Found Highway, Hootenanny at the Pink Pussycat, Brown Souffle, Heard, Not Seen, Last Stop, Re-entry, Retarded (with Steam), Strangers on a Train
"One hell of an 'improv session - probably the best of the Crimson ProjeKCt albums - even though it's not officially one! Absolutely Great! All Thumbs UP!" - MannyLunch CD
$15

TREY GUNN With DAVE DOUGLAS/BOB MULLER/PAT MASTELOTTO/SERPENTINE - Raw Power: Surfacings 1 (First World 99.01; USA) Trey Gunn -- Chapman Stick (1-8), Warr Guitar (tr. 9 & 10), programmings; Dave Douglas -- Trumpet (tr. 3 & 8); Bob Muller -- Drums & Tabla (tr. 3, 8 & 10); Pat Mastelotto -- Drums (tr. 4 & 5); Serpentine -- Vocals (tr. 4 & 5)
I'm very happy this material, these surfacings, have finally found their home. These musics have been lurking in my vaults waiting for just the right context to come forward. What originally began as a hodge-podge of disparate material from 10 years of out-takes, has slowly merged to form this collection. The tracks come from various sources that can largely be grouped into three areas. The source of tracks first come from a previous cassette-only release entitled "Raw Power." I pulled the cream of the crop from this earlier recording and made a few tweaks. They are from the first sessions I did with a "tapping" instrument -- a group of electric instruments that make sound when you tap the strings directly on the fretboard. I realize the risk in releasing this particular material, for the recordings were all done on 4-track cassette and mixed to cassette. The sound is of that classic analogue demo variety; however there is still some great music here. I have done what was in my means to improve the audio and I feel that if this music is to ever see the light of day, then this is it's light.
The second source of pieces are out-takes from my first two solo recordings: "One Thousand Years" and "The Third Star." It's not that these pieces weren't good enough for their respective records -- they simply just didn't fit into the context of the whole, and therefore were withdrawn from the running order. The original CD title track, "One Thousand Years", was far too immense of a piece to include in it's entirety without overshadowing the other tracks, so I edited it down to 3 minutes. This piece was an amazing beginning for me. And, also an end. For this CD I'm presenting a 10 minute version. Still a far cry from the full 22 minutes, but I'll wait for the proper context for that.
The final source of material comes from isolated recording and writing sessions from the band "Believe What You Please". The two tracks from this short lived little ensemble, which featured Dave Douglas [Masada, etc] on trumpet as well as Bob Muller, would never be heard if not for this release. - TG
CD $15


Just 4 (more) copies of this

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

also back in stock..

PETER BROTZMANN/YAGI MICHIYO/PAAL NILSSEN LOVE - Head On (Idiolect 02; Japan) Featuring Peter Brotzmann on alto & tenor saxes, Michiyo Yagi on 21-string & 17-string kotos and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums & percusssion. Recorded live in Germany in September of 2007, mixed & mastered by Jim O'Rourke. This consists of three long (15+ minute) pieces and each explores the wild yet focused world of strong improv from three master musicians from much different backgrounds. On "Red Kites," Michiyo spins a dense web of harp-like swirls on her koto while Brotzmann blasts powerfully on top and Paal weaves his own web of percussion below. I dig the way the piece winds down into a cautious duo for koto and soft percussion with Peter finally reintering to play some haunting sax, eventually building back up to a more turbulent conclusion. For the title track, the tenor sax & drums start things off at an exciting pace before Yagi starts playing her koto with a bow, stirring up the pot until it starts to boil. There is an intense section midway with an incredible koto and cymbal duo. Later Brotzmann comes back in squealing on his tenor, the trio becomming even more amazing. This piece ends with a strong solo tenor offering that sounds just right like a gospel prayer. Finally, the trio brings things to a close with "The Man in the Raincoat," starting with just the drums and again building first with Yagi's magical, harp-like koto playing. Yagi strums with one hand and plucks with the other creating a couple of layers of melodies. When Brotzmann finally rienters, the trio comes together in a splendid way as one strong force and erupting to an incredible cosmic conclusion. - BLG
CD $20

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


PHYLLIS CHEN - UnCaged Toy Piano (CAG 104; USA) For this unique disc Phyllis Chen performs solo toy piano compositions by John Cage, Julia Wolfe, Stephen Montague, Andrian Pertout, Karlheinz Essl as well as a couple of original pieces by Ms. Chen. Every week another surprising promo is given to me, this is one of the joys of having an adventurous music outlet like DMG. This week's undiscovered gem features Phyllis Chen performing pieces for toy piano from six composers. Over the past few years Margaret Leng Tan has been searching for and performing pieces for toy piano. Ms. Chen has also taken up the challenge and the results are quite fascinating. The toy piano has a smaller keyboard and a unique, rather quaint sound. Composer Stephen Montague is a favorite of mine, his piece "Mirabella a Tarantella" pushes the limits of the toy piano into a short tour-de-force. The pieces by Andrian Pertout and Karlheinz Essl are both for toy piano and CD, which add some surprising sounds to the toy piano's sound. Pertout's "Exposiciones" adds a clock-like ticking and a solemn thud to this dark, stark work. Essl's "Kalimba" featuring a hazy, echo effect to the piano making it even more harrowing as if time is slowing down and speeding up simultaneously. Cage's "Suite for Toy Piano" is more minimal and has a child-like melody at its center. Julia Wolfe's "East Broadway" is for toy piano and toy boombox and it is more intense and a bit harsh yet effective. Ms. Chen concludes the program with her own "The Memoirist - Parts I & III". "Part 1" is for toy piano, music box & frying pan. The toy piano and music box sound somewhat similar and work well together, even when Ms. Chen strikes the keys loudly. Cooking something in a frying pan adds a more homey vibe. "Part III" is for toy piano and bowls and again these sounds work well together when the bowls are ringing. I don't think that are there are (m)any discs out now of modern toy piano so check out this one and hear the wonders... Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $11


IANNIS XENAKIS//JACK QUARTET - Vol. 10: Complete String Quartets - Tetras, Tetora, ST-4/1,080262, Ergma (mode 209; USA) Featuring: The first complete recording of Xenakis' string quartets; the first new recording of Xenakis' first three quartets since 1994; the only available recording of Xenakis' last quartet, 'Ergma,' from 1994. The first commercial release by the JACK Quartet, a young New York/Boston based group that has been garnering high praise for their performances of complex and challenging new music. The members of the quartet met while attending the Eastman School of Music, New York. The quartet has since studied closely with the Arditti Quartet, Kronos Quartet, Muir String Quartet, and members of the Ensemble Intercontemporain." 'The Jack Quartet, an ensemble of young string players devoted to contemporary music, played the Le Poisson Rouge in October. I would never have expected to see a crowd at a downtown nightclub erupting with whoops after performances of four hypercomplex, cutting-edge string quartets by Iannis Xenakis. But in this setting these dense and kinetic works came across to this open-minded audience as just more hip, wild, out-there contemporary music.' -- Anthony Tommasini, New York Times. High resolution 24-bit recording. Liner notes by James Harley."
CD $15

or see it:

IANNIS XENAKIS//JACK QUARTET - Vol. 10: Complete String Quartets - Tetras, Tetora, ST-4/1,080262, Ergma [DVD] (mode 209; USA) The studio recording process was artfully and dynamically captured by a multiple camera shoot. Each quartet is given its own visual treatment. This body of work represents one of the most important contributions to music for strings of the post-World War II era. Xenakis went beyond the influence of Bartok (and others) to create a completely new sound for strings -- in effect, turning them into new instruments. Each work is extremely challenging to perform, as each calls for new modes of playing, both individually and as an ensemble. Filmed in high definition video, widescreen format. Liner notes by James Harley. 48 kHz/24-bit high resolution 5.1 surround sound recording." Region 0, NTSC; aspect ratio: 16:9; duration approximately 60 minutes.
DVD $22


IANNIS XENAKIS - Orchestral Works Vol II: Jonchales, Shaar, Lichens, Antikhthon (Timpani 1158; EEC) "Jonchaies," (1977); "Shaar" (1983); "Lichens" (1983); "Antikhthon" (1971). Performed by Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg/Arturo Tamayo. "When Iannis Xenakis died on February 4, 2001, the world lost one of the most uncompromising and individual composers of the 20th century. This important release brings together four large orchestral works, displaying all of Xenakis' raw imagination and power."
CD $23


MARY OLIVER/JOHANNA VARNER - JOMO (Neos 40809; Germany) The cellist Johanna Varner is a recipient of a grant from the City of Munich and has initiated several concert series in the Bavarian capital. For her part, the American Mary Oliver holds a PhD (Doctor in Philosophy) in Music Theory, is a member of the ICP Orkest, and plays both viola and violin. In 2008 they founded the duo JOMO. These two musicians revel in experimentation and refuse to be pigeon holed, taking on the gamut of new creative ideas within an experimental context.
Their music embraces the aesthetics of opposition one might say, and is rich in sonorities and echoes. What emerges is not an artificial challenge aimed at winkling out the differences between classical music, contemporary music and jazz extemporisation, but an unregimented improvisation that appears to abut resonances from all eras, as well as jazz itself and New Music. Johanna Varner and Mary Oliver both enjoyed a classical training as string players at renowned conservatories, and this certainly influences the sound-world of the duo JOMO, which oscillates between sonic events rendered acoustically foreign - scordatura for example - and rhapsodic multiphonics, between hardly audible chirruping flageolets and the beauty of the Romantic string ideal. This first CD offering by Johanna Varner from the ICI ensemble munich and Mary Oliver of the ICP Orkest is released as part of the ICI Edition. JOMO is an organic musical collage that is marked by stylistic ruptures and startling breaks with style as well as musical material rendered extraneous. 'Extra-territorial' playing techniques are brought to bear on the phonation of each sound, the beauty of the arabesque and a feel for inculcating sonic inner life leading to new content. Communication becomes pristine as Johanna Varner and Mary Oliver open a door on a contemporary if timeless musical cosmos. Crystalline structures materialize as do fragile, fleeting essences which seduce the listener within an extra-musical aesthetic.
CD $21

JONATHAN HARVEY - Works For Piano - Works For Flute And Piano (Neos 10828; Germany) Featured works: "Nataraja" for flute and piano (1983); "Vers" for piano (2000); "Run Before Lightning" for flute and piano (2004); "Tombeau de messiaen" for piano and Digital Audio Tape (1994); "ff" for piano (1995); "Haiku" for piano (1997); "Four Images After Yeats" for piano (1969); "Homage to Cage, a Chopin (und Ligeti ist auch dabei)" for piano and Digital Audio Tape (1998). Performed by Florian Hoelscher (piano) and Pirmin Grehl (flute). "Jonathan Harvey is one of the most outstanding British composers. He composes for almost all genres: orchestra ('Tranquil Abiding,' 'White as Jasmine' and 'Madonna of Winter and Spring' -- the latter performed by the Berliner Philharmoniker and Simon Rattle in 2006), chamber (four string quartets, 'Soleil Noir/Chitra,' and 'Death of Light, Light of Death,' for instance) as well as works for solo instruments."
CD $21


New on Germany's Kairos label!

SALVATORE SCIARRINO - Orchestral Works [3 CD set] (Kairos 1280; Germany) Tito Ceccherini: conductor Featuring: Variazioni per Violoncello & Orchestra (1974), Allegoria della Notte (1985), Frammento & Adagio (1991), Morte di Borromini per Orchestra con Lettore (1988), I Fuochi oltre la Ragione, Recitativo Oscuro per Pianoforte e Orchestra (1999), Il Suonoe & il Tacere (2004), Shadow of Sound (2005) Premiere recordings of important orchestral works by Salvatore Sciarrino in a box set, for the first time ever.
3 CD set for $25

HELMUT LACHENMANN - Streichquartette (Kairos 1266; Germany) The release of the new album by Helmut Lachenmann. String Quartets features three pieces for the instrumental setting mentioned in its title and highlights works from three different decades: While Gran Torso dates back to the early 70s and Reigen seliger Geister (the second String Quartet) to the 80s, the third String Quartet which goes by the name of Grido is a work of the new millenium. Even though there are more than 30 years dividing the oldest and youngest piece on the disc, Helmut Lachenmann has stressed that there is clearly a red thread running through it: "The three quartets provide a commentary on each other and the time in which they were composed." Helmut Lachenmann says, "Gran Torso has something of an investigation about it, of a broaching, of forays into critical new land. Reigen designates the sounds and techniques of two very different regions. Grido gains a new expressiveness - the land of music is freely praised and celebrated, although never without reflexive refraction or arousing disturbance." Completing this musical feast is the inclusion of the renowned Arditti Quartet, making this yet another highlight in the catalogue of Kairos.
CD $16

HELMUT LACHENMANN - Les Consolations/Salut fur Caudwell [2 CD set] (Kairos 1265; Germany) Featuring "Salut fur Caudwell" for two guitars (1977), "Les Consolations" (1967-68, 1977-78) for chorus and orchestra and "Concertini" (2005). "What I want... is always the same: a music which in order to be grasped, does not require a privileged intellectual training, but can rely uniquely upon its compositional clarity and logic; a music which is at the same time the expression and the aesthetic form of a curiosity able to reflect everything - including the illusion of progressiveness. Art as a foretaste of freedom in an age without freedom." - From an interview with Ursula Sturzbecher, 1971
Lachenmann is a noise composer and very good at it. This means he shapes and redefines what we average concert listeners would consider noise. To Lachenmann it is all material on a sonic palette to manipulate and discover a hidden beauty. Unlike some of his European colleges however, he also has found convincing structural frames which his shaped noises inhabit. For instance the idea of musical miniatures,very terse self-contained forms. The "Salut to Caudwell" is a good example of how Lachenmann shapes noise. For here we have two acoustic guitars but he taps into the noises of bangs, blows on the instrument's body dampened strings, pings, harmonics and scrapes. And since we have two performers we have double the excitement for they engage in a dialogue of means here dovetailing into each others rhythm so that when listening you don't really know where one begins and the other leaves off. The work is very long and doesn't overspend its welcome, but then this is a relatively early piece for Lachenmann before he had resolved some of these structural problems. Caudwell was a British writer involved in and commenting on the transgressive side of culture.
2 CD set for $25

OLGA NEUWIRTH - Music For Films [2 DVD set] (Kairos 1277; Germany) The moving picture and all its artistic possibilities are dominant in Olga Neuwirth's work. Music for Films gives insight into Neuwirth's projects from 1991 to now, exploring a broad variety of work from animated films to music project The Long Rain. Playable in all regions. Approximate running time is nearly 3 hours.
2 DVD set for $27

BEAT FURRER - Konzert fur Klavier und Orchester (Kairos 1284; Germany) Featuring: Concerto for piano & orchestra (2007), Invocation VI for soprano & bass flute, Spur, for piano & string quartet, FAMA VI, for voice & contrabass flute, Retour an dich, for piano trio, Lotofagos I, for soprano & double bass. Sensational piano concerto, performed worldwide.
CD $16

OLIVIER MESSIAEN - Eclairs sur l'Au-Dela.. (Kairos 1274; Germany) Messiaen's last composition before he passed away, commissioned by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra for its 150th anniversary, is a fantastic orchestral piece inspired by birds. This KAIROS offering is a wonderful live recording by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, performed at Vienna's famous Musikverein.
CD $16

LUCA FRANCESCONI//ENSEMBLE INCONTEMPORAIN - Etymo, Da Capo, A Fuoco, Animus (Kairos 1271; Germany) Luca Francesconi is one of the most prominent Italian composers of his generation with a substantial and varied output to his credit. The release under review provides a good idea of his output although all the works recorded here are already some ten or twenty years old. "Da Capo" (1986) for small ensemble is the earliest work here and is probably one of Francesconi's best-known and most popular. It is not difficult to understand why. It is a brilliantly scored, colourful piece full of nice instrumental touches and lively rhythms, although it opens and ends in a rather subdued manner.
The other works were all composed at about the same time: between 1994 and 1995. They, too, display a considerable variety of means and moods. Etymo is the most substantial both in length and in content. The title, Etymo (as in etymology) is about the search for the origin and development of language. It sets texts from various poems from Baudelaire's Les Fleurs du Mal for soprano, large ensemble and electronics. The final words are drawn from Baudelaire's Carnets intimes. The piece opens with an electronic drone of indeterminate sounds giving way to a brief outburst from the ensemble. This precedes the soprano's first entry suggesting chaos, out of which words will eventually emerge, first as mere phonemes and later as intelligible language at the soprano's first words Dites, qu'avez-vous vu? ("Say, what have you seen?"). From then on, the song will unfold in a big arch, This comprises a succession of contrasted episodes mostly characterized by an often dangerously exposed soprano part and vivid instrumental colors. At times these are enhanced by electronics. At times, too, song turns into plain speech, but song prevails. The final words from Baudelaire's Carnets intimes are neutrally spoken over soft electronic shimmering. - Hubert Culot
CD $16

also available..

MORTON FELDMAN - Something Wild: Music For Film [sndtck s] (Kairos 1229; Germany) Composer:Morton Feldman, Orchestra/Ensemble: Recherche Ensemble With his disconcertingly hypnotic, excitingly oscillating music, the American Morton Feldman has become a cult figure in recent years. Now, recordings of hitherto unpublished compositions for film are available for the first time on a cd.
CD $16

GERARD GRISEY - Les Espaces Acoustiques [2 CD set] (Kairos 1242; Germany) The "Acoustic Spaces" cycle, begun in 1974 and completed in 1985, consists of six instrumental works that may be played consecutively, since each acoustic space extends the previous one. The unity of the whole is based on the formal similarity of the pieces and on the two acoustic points of reference: the overtone spectrum and periodicity. I would like to summarize the musical language of the pieces as follows: - no more composing with notes but rather with tones; - controlling the differences, i.e. developing (or not developing) the tone and speed of its development; - taking into account the relativity of our perceptions; - applying phenomena that have long been studied in electronic studios to the area of instrumental sound. These applications may be heard in their more radical forms in Partiels and Modulations; - striving for a synthetic style in which various parameters contribute to the construction of a single sound. For example: the structure of un-tempered pitches results in the creation of new tone colours, giving rise to certain structures of duration, etc. The synthesis involves the creation of sounds (substance), on the one hand, and relationships among the tones (form), on the other.
2 CD set for $25

GERARD GRISEY - Quatre Chants Pour Franchir Le Seuil (Kairos 1225; Germany) Composer: Gerard Grisey; Performer: Catherine Dubosc; Conductor: Sylvain Cambreling; Orchestra/Ensemble: Klangforum Wien
CD $16

TOSHIO HOSOKAWA - KOTO-UTA, FERNE LANDSCHAFT II, KONZERT FUR SAXOPHON UND ORCHESTER, VOYAGE I (Kairos 1217; Germany) Composer: Toshio Hosokawa; Performer: Kyoko Kawamura, Asako Urushihara, Johannes Ernst; Conductor: Peter Rundel, Ken Takaseki Orchestra/Ensemble: Musikfabrik NRW, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin The Japanese composer Toshio Hosokawa, born 1955, about his work: "European art says: Time should not pass. As in the cathedrals, which stand for eternity. Japanese art stays abreast of the times and says: transience is beautiful. A sound emerges from silence, it lives to return to silence." (T.H.)
CD $16

HELMUT LACHENMANN - Allegro Sostenuto, Serynade (Kairos 1221; Germany) Composer: Helmut Lachenmann Performer: Yukiko-Lachenmann Sugawara, Lucas Fels, Shizuyo Oka ...this is the first recording of the recently completed piano piece Serynade, - the special feature: Helmut Lachenmann composed it for Yukiko Sugawara, the performer on this CD - the piano sound is kept alive, worked and shaped, to stop the sound from fading and thus to stop time itself.
CD $16

HELMUT LACHENMANN - Das Madchen Mit Den Schwefelholzern (Little Match Seller) [2 CD set] (Kairos 1228; Germany) Composer: Helmut Lachenmann; Performer: Sarah Leonard, Mayumi Miyata, Salome Kammer, Elizabeth Keusch Conductor: Lothar Zagrosek; Orchestra/Ensemble: Stuttgart State Opera Chorus, Stuttgart State Opera Orchestra
2 CD set for $27

HELMUT LACHENMANN - Kontrakadenz, Klangschatten, Fassade (Kairos 1223; Germany) Composer: Helmut Lachenmann; Conductor: Michael Gielen Orchestra/Ensemble:& SWR Radio-Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart, NDR Sinfonieorchester, SWR Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden und Freiburg , Michael Gielen; incl. booklet texts by Helmut Lachenmann and Edgar Reitz
CD $16

HELMUT LACHENMANN - Nun, Notturno (Music For Julia) (Kairos 1214; Germany) Composer: Helmut Lachenmann; Conductor: Johathan Nott Orchestra/Ensemble: Cologne West German Radio Orchestra Ruin-like music - which acquires its own kind of beauty from the debris and fragments of the past.
CD $16

OLGA NEUWIRTH - Bahlamms Fest [2 CD set] (Kairos 1234; Germany) Composer: Olga Neuwirth; Performer: Graham F. Valentine, Roman Sadnik, Gudrun Pelker, Andrew [ctr tenor] Watts, Isolde Siebert, Christine Whittlesey, Walter Raffeiner; Conductor: Johannes Kalitzke; Orchestra/Ensemble: Klangforum Wien "Without a doubt, one of the most intense listening experiences of this year." - BLG
2 CD set for $27

OLGA NEUWIRTH - Clinamen/Nodus, Construction In Space (Kairos 1230; Germany) Composer: Olga Neuwirth Performer: Hannes Haider, Rico Gubler, Ernesto Molinari, Peter B hm, Eva Furrer Conductor: Emilio Pom rico, Pierre Boulez Orchestra/Ensemble: Klangforum Wien, London Philharmonic Orchestra Olga Neuwirth 's faible for grotesque themes and her occasional vegetative proliferation of pieces ensured her a permanent place in the repertoire. As brilliant growths of an undomesticated artist. Many-facetted,vigorously arranged scores with the most heterogeneous influences and styles,far remote from any of the false glamour characteristic of postmodernity. With the conductor Pierre Boulez she has found herself a genuine ally.
CD $16

OLGA NEUWIRTH - Lost Highway [2 H-SACD set] (Kairos 1254; Germany) Although composer Olga Neuwirth and Arnold Schwarzenegger come from the same town in Austria, they probably have very different ideas of what makes a good movie. That's why she tapped David Lynch's 1997 film noir, "Lost Highway," as the basis for a stunning opera/musical theater piece which premiered--fittingly--this past Halloween, in her hometown of Graz at Helmut List Hall. "What always touched me about Lynch's movies is the juxtaposition of everyday life and the mystical, the tragic and the humorous," said Neuwirth, who is as petite as Schwarzenegger is hulking. "[Lynch] knows the human condition." Not to mention its extremes.
2 CD set for $27

WOLFGANG RIHM - Gejagte Form, Chiffre I, Etc (Kairos 1207; Germany) Composer: Wolfgang Rihm Performer: Andreas Lindenbaum, Benedikt Leitner, Sasa Dragovic, Andreas Eberle, Dorothy Mosher, Bernhard Zachhuber, Uli Fussenegger, Marino Formenti Conductor: Sylvain Cambreling Orchestra/Ensemble: Klangforum Wien "Art, working with art and making art, is in itself an invitation to boundless freedom. There can be no submission here," writes Wolfgang Rihm. "Uncertainty predominates, the only potential for an agile mind." Four pieces of one of the most significant and provocative post-war composers whose titles speak for themselves: "Gejagte Form" or hunted form, "Verborgene Formen" or concealed forms, "Chiffre I" or cipher, and "Silence to be beaten (Chiffre II)". Four pieces of music that attempt to realise what Wolfgang Rihm considers "art's purpose": "Not to be a place of refuge but a reservoir of energy in regressive times."
CD $16

WOLFGANG RIHM/BERNARD WOMBACH - Klavierstucke 7, 5 (Tombeau), 4, 2, 1 (Kairos 1237; Germany) Performer: Bernhard Wambach Wolfgang Rihm once said retrospectively of his piano oeuvre: "The music I have composed for piano is not a separate block within my production stream. In its own way, every piece shares in and belongs to the problematic of its wider context. The works Klavierstuck Nr. 1 to Klavierst&uck Nr. 7 are not based on a cyclical concept." To summarise, let us reflect on Wolfgang Rihm's piano work, here in his own perspective: "Nr. 1 is a free development form, which, however, did not emerge freely, without constraints. The piece is wholly dominated by the expressive uncertainty which derived from what everyone was preaching, namely that everything be structured. So I integrated refrains, inserts, cross-references here and left and right. This technique becomes especially distinct in Klavierstuck Nr. 4 and Nr. 5. Setting the part of the piano gradually turns into the setting of accents, which opens up possibilities of expression that I did not discover until Klavierstuck Nr. 7. This is where the preoccupation with Beethoven's piano setting and his wild-gentle gestures, the so-called late Beethoven's, becomes the main driving force." Only one more indication - for the time being - remains to be made: the lapidary appellation given to his piano pieces - Klavierstucke bearing sequential numbers - can perhaps be taken as Wolfgang Rihm's expression of homage to one of his teachers - Karlheinz Stockhausen.
CD $16

WOLFGANG RIHM/ENSEMBLE RECHERCHE - Trios 1969-1994 (Kairos 1209; Germany) Composer: Wolfgang Rihm Performer: Yukiko-Lachenmann Sugawara, Teodoro Anzellotti Orchestra/Ensemble:Recherche Ensemble members This CD combines pieces for three instruments, trios - and yet it is very remote from the contemplatively muted framework of traditional chamber music. The small group of musicians does not establish intimacy, but causes the gaps, warpings, abysses in Rihm's music to widen even further instead. When the three instrumentalists position themselves as far away from each other in the calm scene "am horizont" (on the horizon), this is only an external sign for the extreme tension that prevails: delicacy of sound and wild noise, falling silent and eloquence, conglomeration and decomposition - accompanied by covert (auto)biographical allusions to Ingeborg Bachman or Karlheinz Stockhausen, Rudi Stephan or Maurizio Kagel.
CD $16

WOLFGANG RIHM/SIEGFRIED MAUSER - Piano: Klavierstuck No 6, Nachtstudie, Etc (Kairos 1212; Germany) Composer: Wolfgang Rihm; Performer: Siegfried Mauser Four pieces for piano which draw their power from the integration of a precisely defined diversity of life and its own, aural world of sound.
CD $16

WOLFGANG RIHM/TRIO RECHERCHE - Music Fur Drei Streicher (Kairos 1204; Germany) Composer: Wolfgang Rihm Performer: Lucas Fels, Barbara Maurer, Melise Mellinger Orchestra/Ensemble: Trio Recherche The sixty-minute Musik fur drei Steicher was one of those works with which the young Wolfgang Rihm blew open with eruptive force the well-established rituals marking the boundaries of contemporary music. A music without distance and taboo, mercilessly physical, gestural, almost brutal. Using a rather abrupt editing technique, the most varied worlds collide, while all neatly separated styles are agitated against one another. The "compulsive, threatening and embracing aspect of music" (Rihm), self-renunciation in the form of alienation and defamiliarisation, the composer as a seismograph of both the inner and the outer world and the composition as a record of a momentary, unguarded and open mobility -all these factors, here brilliantly interpreted by the trio recherche, help to create an experience on the very highest level of energy.
CD $16

GIACINTO SCELSI - Natura Renovatur, Elohum, Duo, Etc (Kairos 1216; Germany) Performer: Christian Eisenberger, Florian Bartussek, Aileen Dullaghan, Gunde J ch-Micko, Michael Gieler, Dimitris Polisoidis, Esther Haffner, Annelie Gahl, Benedikt Leitner, Markus Pouget, Uli Fussenegger, Andreas Lindenbaum, Annette Bik; Conductor: Hans Zender; Orchestra/Ensemble: Klangforum Wien With Natura renovatur, An g min and Elohim, pieces have been published dating back to the 60s that were hitherto difficult to approach and that show the outsider's fascinating attempt to realize the "real spherical dimension of sound" using the means of an ensemble made up purely of strings. Persuasively interpreted by Klangforum Wien under Hans Zender.
CD $16

GIACINTO SCELSI/BERNARD WAMBACH - Action Music, Suite No 8 "bot-ba" (Kairos 1231; Germany) Composer: Giacinto Scelsi; Performer: Bernhard Wambach
Giacinto Scelsi's relationship with the piano is interesting and contradictory. For no other instrument has the Italian composer and poet composed so many pieces; to no other instrument does he seem so closely attached, both personally and biographically; and no other instrument disappeared so abruptly and finally from his scores as the piano, the European showcase instrument. With the piano, we can follow the break lines and developments in the musical thinking and works of Giacinto Scelsi, which are key to an understanding of his striking compositional development. As late piano compositions, Action music and Suite Nr. 8 mark a transition to Giacinto Scelsi's new musical language: the exploration of the individual sound, the inclination to a sound-energetic agglomeration, the gesture of improvisation - all this is also clearly discernable in both his works.
CD $16

SALVATORE SCIARRINO - Le Voci Sottovetro, Infinito Nero, Etc (Kairos 1202; Germany) Composer: Salvatore Sciarrino, Carlo Gesualdo Performer:Sonia Turchetta Orchestra/Ensemble: Recherche Ensemble
CD $16

SALVATORE SCIARRINO - Lo Spazio Inverso (Kairos 1213; Germany) Composer: Salvatore Sciarrino; Performer: Andrew Digby, Achim Gorsch, Marc Noetzel, Shizuyo Oka, Marc Fischer, Barbara Maurer, Melise Mellinger, Felix Borel, Clarens Bohner, Martin Fahlenbock, Jaime Gonzalez, Lucas Fels, Uwe Mickel, Jacqualine Burk, Klaus Steffes-Hollander; Conductor: Kwam Ryan Orchestra/Ensemble: Recherche Ensemble
Both peculiar archaism and highest sensitivity characterize this quiet while extremely tense sound landscapes of the Sicilian composer Salvatore Sciarrino.
CD $16

SALVATORE SCIARRINO - Luci Mie Traditrici (Kairos 1222; Germany) Composer: Salvatore Sciarrino; Performer: Simon Jaunin, Kai Wessel, Otto Katzameier, Annette Stricker; Conductor: Beat Furrer; Orchestra/Ensemble: Klangforum Wien The content of the 70-minute chamber opera by Salvatore Sciarrino is the real story of the composer and renaissance prince Gesualdo - who, driven by passion and a thirst for vengeance, murders his wife and her lover in dramatic manner. Distant and inaccessible. Fascination between eroticism and death.
CD $16

HANS ZENDER - Music To Hear, Etc (Kairos 1226; Germany) Composer: Hans Zender; Performer: Donna Wagner-Molinari, Julie Moffat, Roland Schueler, Andreas Lindenbaum, Benedikt Leitner, Eva Furrer, Florian Muller, Johann Leutgeb, Annette Bik, Katrina Emtage; Conductor: Hans Zender; Orchestra/Ensemble: Klangforum Wien
CD $16


PHILL NIBLOCK - Touch Three [3 CD set] (Touch 69; UK) This is Phill Niblock's third release on the Touch label. Phill Niblock is a New York-based minimalist composer and multi-media musician and director of Experimental Intermedia, a foundation born in the flames of 1968's barricade hopping. He has been a maverick presence on the fringes of the avant garde ever since. In the history books Niblock is the forgotten Minimalist. His influence has had more impact on younger composers such as Susan Stenger, Lois V. Vierk, David First, and Glenn Branca. Touch Three is minimalism in the classic sense of the word, if that makes sense. Niblock constructs big 24-track digitally-processed monolithic microtonal drones, and the result is sound without melody or rhythm. Movement is slow, geologically slow. Changes are almost imperceptible, and his music has a tendency of creeping up on you. The vocal pieces are like some of Ligeti's choral works, but a little more phased. He says: "What I am doing with my music is to produce something without rhythm or melody, by using many microtones that cause movements very, very slowly." These nine pieces were made from March 2003 to January 2005. They were all made (except "Sax Mix") by recording a single instrument with a single microphone. The recordings were direct to the computer/hard disk, most of them using a Powerbook G4, Pro Tools, an M-box and an external firewire drive. The resulting mono sound files were edited to remove breathing spaces, leaving the natural decay of the tone, and the attack of the subsequent iteration of the same tone. Each note was represented by several repetitions, perhaps ten for each tone, of about 15 seconds duration each. Each piece uses a few tones. A simple chord, perhaps. Additional microtonal intervals were produced in Pro Tools using pitch shift. The pieces were assembled in multitracks, usually either 24 or 32 tracks. The recording environment varied from a simple apartment in Berlin (Ulrich Krieger's) to a very large hall used for symphony orchestra performances and recordings, with a sizable audience space. The recordings were generally done quite closely miked. One hears only the sound of the instrument. There is no electronic manipulation in the recording, the editing of the tones, or in the mix. The only changes to the recorded tones are the pitch shifts to create microtones...the microtones are doing the work.
3 CD set for $24


XAVIER BARO - Lluny Del Cami Ral (Quadrant 13; EEC) "Brand new album by Catalan psychedelic folk-rock artist. Following his great previous album Flors De Joglaria, again with an electro-acoustic set of soon-to- be classics of Catalan neo-folk, as well as a cover of Pau Riba. Excellent stuff, recommended!"
CD $23

CLIVE PALMER - The Land Of No Return (Quadrant 10; EEC) "Clive Palmer's new record is now released. With his new band from Cornwall, Clive gets us closer to his own world where folk becomes brilliantly strange and bizarre. The album is titled The Land Of No Return and includes new songs, a few new versions of old stuff and new recordings of COB's tunes. The record also includes a new version of 'Big City Blues,' one of the songs that Clive recorded with the Incredible String Band when he was a former of this legendary group."
CD $23

LEE WOLFE//WOODY GUTHRIE - Woody Guthrie Revisited (Quadrant 14; EEC) With Maraya Zydeco and Cordero. "Great connoisseur of styles as root blues, bluegrass and folk, Lee Wolfe has been the leader of formations as the Blue Ranger and has worked with such names of reference of the current blues music as Ernie Hawkins. Now he proposes us to retrieve the songs of the legendary Woody Guthrie, father of the author's song of the twentieth century."
CD $23


MASTERS OF THE DELTA BLUES [V.A.] - The Friends Of Charlie Patton (Yazoo 2002; USA) 1991 release. "The artists represented on this album -- Son House, Tommy Johnson, Bukka White, Ishmon Bracey and others -- are masters of the Delta blues; all recorded in the vintage period of the 1920s and early 1930s. Their work stands today as some of the finest blues ever documented and many of the musicians here are recognized as giant figures in blues history. This is perhaps the finest compilation of historical blues ever assembled by the most brilliant artists of their day. This compilations represents the high point of Delta blues." Includes 16-page booklet.
CD $16

MEMPHIS MASTERS [V.A.] - Early American Blues Classics 1927-34 (Yazoo 2007; USA) 1994 release. "Preserves a period of Memphis music that flourishes at a musical crossroads." -- Dirty Linen. "A marelous aurel snapshot - a great place to start a pre-war collection." -- Upper Mississippi Blues Society. Artists include Will Batts, Tom Dickson, Furry Lewis, Joe McCoy, Frank Stokes, Pearl Dickson, Jed Davenport, Memphis Minnie, Gus Cannon, Jack Kelly, Cannon's Jug Stompers, Will Shade, Hattie Hart, Will Batts, Memphis Jug Band, Mooch Richardson, Hattie Hart And Frank Stokes.
CD $16

MISSISSIPPI BLUES [V.A.] - Early American Blues Classics 1927-35 (Yazoo 2007; USA) 1994 release. "The early Mississippi artists featured here represent traditional blues at the height of its power. Possessing a drive and eloquence rarely matched, the selections presented here rank among the all-time classic performances in blues history." "Typifies some of the most urgent, yet transcendent rural black music ever created." -- Blues Revue Artists include William Harris, Otto Virgial, Garfield Akers, Geeshie Wiley, Joe Calicott, Blind Joe Reynolds and Mattie Delaney.
CD $16

KING BENNIE NAWAHI - Hawaiian String Virtuoso: Acoustic Steel Guitar Classics CD From The 1920's (Yazoo 2055; USA) "Bennie Nawahi was one of the true masters of the Hawaiian steel guitar, ukulele and just about any instrument with strings on it. Not only does his work rank as some of the greatest Hawaiian music ever recorded, the imaginative, accomplished phrasing in his solos make him one of the unheralded giants of 1920s string jazz. This overview covers Bennie's singing and instrumental work on native Hawaiian melodies, the blues, jazz, pop and rural music he heard on the mainland, and some of his own dazzling instrumental compositions."
CD $16


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