Enjoy Vision-Ary New Music and Art from:

Sun Ra Arkestra! Steve Lehman Octet! Jim Black's Alasnoaxi! Jerry Granelli's V16 with Dave Tronzo! Mohammed Jimmy Mohammed Trio + Han Bennink DVD! Andy Milne & Benoit Delbecq! Henry Hills DVD! Hypnotic Brass Band!

Spunk, Trad Gras Och Stenar! Bob Moses /Dave Liebman/Jeanne Lee! Long Arms Label from Russia!

Sonny Rollins & Don Cherry! Albert Ayler Box-Set Sale! Six Rare Box-Sets from Jimi Hendrix and the Not Two label!




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Downtown Music Gallery FREE In-Store Performance Schedule Continues with:


This Sunday, June 7th at 6pm:
ROB PRICE & CHRIS CAWTHRAY!
NY Guitarist Meets Toronto Based Drummer!


This 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 drums!


Sunday, June 14th - Vision Fest - Be there or be square! (No in-store)


Sunday, June 28th at 6pm:
TOM HAMILTON & BRUCE EISENBEIL!
Pogus CD Release Celebration for this wonderful Guitar & electronics Duo!


Sunday July 5th at 6pm:
ADAM LINSON & TOM BLANCARTE!
Two Amazing Contrabassists in a Rare & Intimate Setting!
Adam Linson has a solo & duo disc out on Evan Parker's Psi Label and Tom Blancarte is half of Sparks with Peter Evans!


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OUR HOURS DURING THE VISION FESTIVAL:

As you might know, during the Vision Festival we will be open EVERY SINGLE DAY continuously from Thursday JUNE 4th through Sunday JUNE 21st!

However, on the actual festival days Tuesday June 9th - Monday June 15th we will CLOSE AT 6 PM, so we ourselves can attend!
..Except on Sunday June 14th we will close at 4 PM

The non-festival days we will close at our usual 8 PM!

Come visit our tables at the festival, where we'll have TONS OF USED CDS at $2 off sticker price, plus lotsa new goodies not yet in our newsletter!


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Super-rare El Saturn Sun Ra album finally on CD!

SUN RA & His INTERGALACTIC MYTH SCIENCE SOLAR ARKESTRA - Nidhamu + Dark Myth Equation Visitation: Live in Cairo, Egypt 12/12,16,17/71 [aka Nature's God aka Sun Ra In Egypt Vol 1] (Art Yard CD09; UK) In 1971, in Denmark, at the end of a tour, Sun Ra suddenly decided to take his whole band to Egypt. They had no concerts and no contacts there but Ra sold some recording rights to Black Lion to pay for the tickets and they flew out. They were stopped at customs and their instruments were temporarily impounded but they were let through as tourists. Then they booked into a hotel facing the pyramid at Giza. Word got to Hartmut Geerken, then working at the Goethe institute, and he quickly threw a concert together at his house in Heliopolis, for which Brigadier Salah Ragab borrowed army instruments for the Arkestra to play (he was later disciplined for it). Ra's Moog had made it through customs and a Tiger Organ was hired. One of the audience (of 25) booked the band in for a Cairo TV session the following day. Then Ragab persuaded the Ministry of Culture to book a concert at the Balloon Theatre (for another tiny audience: only the first 4 rows were occupied). Two more concerts followed - at the American University (for the cab fare) and the Versailles Club. They stayed for more than a fortnight, making a film while they were there and finally, by band-members selling various personal items, raised the money to fly home. These 2 CDs [Nidhamu/Dark Myth Equation, and Horizons mentioned below] contain all the released material from that visit (3 LPs) as well as unreleased material from these same sessions.
Nidhamu & Dark Myth Visitation Equation complete the Egypt trilogy. Most remarkable is Nidhamu (the second release of the series, half recorded at the Balloon Theatre, the other half at Hartmut Geerken's house in Heliopolis) - a remarkable document: austere and very out there. Electric keyboards and an eerie Discipline No.11 set the scene, and after some solo Moog there's a spooky miniature Discipline No.15 introducing another long Moog and keyboards solo: 35 pretty abstract minutes that just slip by. Dark Myth Visitation Equation follows (this was the first LP release, and has also been known as Sun Ra in Egypt Vol 1 and Nature's God). The first tracks are from the Cairo TV broadcast and the whole collection features more familiar groove-based pieces characteristic of the period, interspersed with Moog and electric keyboard solos. June Tyson reappears for To Nature's God and the highly eccentric Why go to the Moon?
CD $19

still available

SUN RA & His INTERGALACTIC MYTH SCIENCE SOLAR ARKESTRA - Horizon: Live at Balon Theatre, Egypt 12/17/71 [aka Starwatchers aka Sun Ra In Egypt Vol 2] (Art Yard CD08; UK) Horizon (also known as Starwatchers and Sun Ra in Egypt Vol.2) contains a big chunk of the now legendary Balloon Theatre concert (it burned down soon after their visit, as did the hotel in which the Arkestra stayed while they were in Cairo). The Balloon extract is an uncut block (tracks 1- 4 on the CD, side 1 of the LP) and features a lot of Sun Ra's all-hell-let-loose Moog soloing, as well as a great version of Discipline 2. The rest of Horizon is from the Heliopolis concert, kicking off with an instrumental version of Enlightment and Love in Outer Space (neither are on the original LP) segueing slowly into Space is the Place - followed by drum orchestra, more Ra soloing on Moog, Tiger Organ and detuned piano (bloops, hoovering, whistles, concords taking off) leading to a first lurching, then wild, Discipline 8. Two bonus tracks, for the first time restored from the original concert, follow: We'll Wait for You (with June Tyson) and The Satellites are Spinning - which ends in full-on percussion. A classic recording of a classic band in great form.
CD $16

SUN RA & His ARKESTRA - On Jupiter [aka Seductive Fantasy] (Art Yard CD04; UK) "A big band studio recording made a month before Sleeping Beauty and released by Saturn in 1979 consisting of three quite different pieces: On Jupiter, which is a vocalized, relaxed, swing trance piece, UFO - Sun Ra's unashamed approach to disco, layering big band events over a funky beat and chunky chants -, and Seductive Fantasy, which lurches along in classic Ra fashion, very easygoing and with a good high-definition recording quality. It's nice to hear the oboe and bassoon, often lost in live recordings, so prominent, Again, the mixing is unusually sophisticated. As an ex-LP, it's LP length."- Chris Cutler
CD $16

SUN RA & His ARKESTRA - Sleeping Beauty [aka Door Of The Cosmos] (Art Yard CD03; UK) "Originally released by Saturn in 1979, this is a studio recording by a large ensemble (including, unusually, electric guitar and bass). These are the first recordings of the titles included (though they were played live a few months earlier on German radio). Springtime Again is a floating, sonically open composition, with a distant sung ostinato, interestingly mixed. The door of the Cosmos, which features June Tyson, is a relaxed groove-driven piece in which electric piano, guitar and bass function as ground, over which events drift in and out, while Sleeping Beauty is a chaotic, swirly masterpiece with lots of effects added to the instruments, interestingly mixed. As an ex-LP, it's LP length."- Chris Cutler
CD $16

SUN RA QUARTET With JOHN GILMORE/MICHAEL RAY/LUQMAN ALI - Media Dreams (aka Saturn Research): Expanded Edition [2 CD set] (Art Yard CD02; UK)
2 CD set for $25


KHAN JAMAL With FARID BARRON/CURTIS LUNDY/EDGAR BATEMAN + ODEAN POPE/BYARD LANCASTER - Impressions Of Coltrane (Steeplechase 31666; EEC) The legendary Philadelphia vibraphonist Khan Jamal makes another of his infrequent releases on Steeplechase with a new 2008 recording: an intriguing collection of Coltrane compositions. "The Khan Jamal Quartet proves that the music of Coltrane transfers easily to the vibraphone, and in the process is reborn anew.. these collected "Impressions of Coltrane" are significant for several reasons. Above all, though, they are immensely enjoyable." - Mark Gardner
CD $17


STEVE LEHMAN OCTET With DREW GRESS/TYSHAWN SOREY et al - Travail, Transformation and Flow (PI 30; USA) Travail, Transformation, and Flow, an important new recording from the Steve Lehman Octet, marks the first fully realized exploration of spectral harmony in the history of recorded jazz. Widely regarded as one of the most advanced musical minds of his generation, Lehman integrates delicate and highly nuanced spectral harmonies into meticulously crafted rhythmic settings. The result is an all-encompassing musical universe that advances a singular conception of rhythm, harmony, and improvisational form.
In spectral music, the physics of sound informs almost every compositional decision. Attack, decay, and timbre provide the source material for orchestration and musical form. The most prominent overtones of a given sound - of a clarinet or a church bell, for example - create a rich framework for microtonal harmonies that, with the help of computer analysis, are organized according to frequency relationships, as opposed to the intervals of a musical scale. Individual overtones are then assigned to specific instruments in an ensemble, and blended together to create striking new harmonies. Spectral music's most are renowned practitioners Tristan Murail and Gerard Grisey. On Travail, Transformation, and Flow, Lehman draws extensively from his work with Murail and, remarkably, reimagines spectral harmony as a platform for improvisation.
"Featuring Steve Lehman on alto sax & (all but one) compositions, Mark Shim on tenor sax, Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet, Tim Albright on trombone, Chris Dingman on vibes, Jose Davila on tuba, Drew Gress on bass and Tyshawn Sorey on drums. This octet is the largest group that Steve has recorded and it is his most ambitious effort yet. Each of Steve's previous discs sound as if he has worked hard on the compositions and arrangements, this is also most compelling to reckon with. The CD starts with "Echoes" which has Steve soloing with that M-Base-like drive while the octet shifts tightly around him. The drums and vibes create one undertow while the other horns play a tight, robust inter-connected line together. I had to play this piece a few times in a row to hear the different, intricate layers of that were moving around the current. I dig the way the vibes play this repeating line that keeps shifting slowly into another line that the drums are connected to. One of the amazing things about this disc is the extraordinary work by the mighty drummer Tyshawn Sorey who just keeps on getting better. Tyshawn centers the rhythm team while the rest of the band plays circular lines around him. When the songs come to a natural but abrupt ending, I am often astonished at what just happened. Sometimes I laugh out loud at considering what just happened. Like wow! I dig the way "As Things Change" nonchalantly starts and stops while a couple of different sections come and go and are turned inside-out. Although the piece "Dub" is less than two minutes long it does push Drew Gress to play this impossibly fast drum n' bass line and keeping the pace in hyper-drive. "Alloy" features some rather complex Zappa-like parts for the horns that are a marvel to hear as a few different lines shift simultaneously. Steve's alto solo on top of the daredevil waves is yet another amazing thing to consider, as is Mark Shim's tenor solo to follow. There are just too many great things about this disc that make it a contender for CD of the year, I'll just leave it at that since I wouldn't want to you to miss out on all of the different surprises involved. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery"
CD $15


JIM BLACK ALASNOAXIS With CHRIS SPEED/HILMAR JENSSON/SKULI SVERRISSON - Houseplant (W&W 154; Germany) Featuring Jim Black on drums, laptop & composing, Chris Speed on tenor sax, Hilmar Jensson on guitars and Skuli Sverrisson on basses. The cool answer to the chaos of our lives! Jim BlackXs AlasNoAxis grew up with rock and creative pop, but are fully engaged in the jazz fields. For Houseplant, the artists merge these influences to create an inviting, warm, and grooving sound atmosphere composed, designed and created by one of the most multi-faceted drummers in the contemporary music scene.
"This is the fifth disc from Jim Black's amazing quartet Alasnoaxis and again they deliver the goods! Make no mistake, this is not really a jazz band but a unique and distinctive sorta rock quartet that does their own thing. Right out of the gate on "Inkionos" they are jamming on righteous rockin' groove. While the guitar, bass and drums interlock on a series of hypnotic riffs, Speed's tenor floats on top playing a mesmerizing melody that only Jim could've written. Last night (6/2/09) I caught electric bass great Skuli Sverrisson playing in a trio with Haken Cornstad and John Hollenbeck and was enchanted with Skuli's rich bass tone and playing. The bass and drums are at the center of many of these pieces and have a unique ability to transcend the usual rhythm team role by playing both melodically and rhythmically at the same time. Hence, the tune is of the utmost important, so there are rarely any solos. The title track is quite sublime, deliciously laid back and rather soothing, yet it builds to a more turbulent midsection and then gradually calms down again. I dig the Jim takes "Malomice" and breaks into freer sections that still retains an overall arc of structure in between the unexpected twists and turns. Alasnoaxis continue to mine the post-rock field and come up with great results. 'Houseplant' is one of the few discs that would great at a party as well as in your home to just groove to. Instrumental rock record of the year?!? Most certainly so!" - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $17

ALASNOAXIS will perform The "Houseplant" at their CD Release Celebration East Coast dates:
June 18th, NYC @ Bowery Poetry Club, 2 sets starting at 7pm, all ages show
June 19th, Cambridge, MA @ The Lily Pad, one show at 10:30pm, all ages
June 23rd, Williamsburg Brooklyn, NY @ Public Assembly - SKIRL Party VI
June 24th, Philadelphia, PA @ Philadelphia Art Alliance


JERRY GRANELLI V16 With DAVE TRONZO/JAY GRANELLI/CHRISTIAN VOGEL - Vancouver '08 [H-SACD + DVD] (Songlines 1539; Canada) [this is a set with one Hybrid SACD (H-SACD) which means it is playable on ordinary CD players as well; PLUS a DVD for the second disc] The veteran drummer's two-guitar quartet returns with an audiophile package featuring a studio SACD of new pieces plus a high-resolution (24/96) live concert DVD. This band has staked out its own unique territory, encompassing virtuoso improvising, chamber-jazz empathy, rootsy grooves, and floating soundscapes. Dynamic audiophile sound and great stereo & multi-channel mixes.
Featuring David Tronzo on electric slide guitar, Christian Kogel on electric guitar, Jay Granelli on electric bass and Jerry Granelli on drums. This is the third disc from Jerry Granelli's V16 quartet and again we have a winner. Everyone in the quartet but Jerry himself contributes songs to this disc plus there are two standards with one by Charles Mingus ("Dizzy Moods"). Jerry Granelli is till the leader of this superb quartet, his drums and direction always at the center of the group. Each guitarist has a distinctive sound as well as a certain defined role in the group. On Tronzo's "The Truth" the rhythm team plays some skeletal funk lines while both guitars answer each other with great wah-wah sounds. Jay Granelli wrote 5 of the 11 songs and he also helps to define their sound. Often, like on "Flipper", the bass and drums create a mood for the guitars to fill in with sly sounds and solos. Jerry's great drumming on "Brutto ma Buono" inspires both guitarists to take off in different ways while the group ends up with a memorable theme provided by Jay. One of the best things about this quartet is that they are great for creating moods by scaling things down to a minimum yet remaining immensely crafty on other levels. I am just about to check out the DVD which I'm sure is as stimulating as the CD is. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD + DVD set for $18

ANDY MILNE & BENOIT DELBECQ - Where is Pannonica? [H-SACD] (Songlines 1579; Canada) [this is a Hybrid SACD (H-SACD) which means it is playable on ordinary CD players as well] This collaboration between two masters extends the scope of the piano duo. Weaving complex rhythmic relationships, poetry-infused melodies, and contemporary harmonic structures, Milne and Delbecq construct some truly 'new' sounds, each with their own place in the room. Enhanced CD features a 15-minute making-of video that explores the musicians' creative process.
Whereas I know of French pianist Benoit Delbecq from the eight great discs he has on Songlines, I am not familiar with Vancouver-based pianist Andy Milne, who has one but well-regarded solo piano disc out also on Songlines. So I wasn't too sure what to expect from this piano duo, but I knew I was in store for something special since that is what the Songlines label is all about. Piano duos are relatively rare but certainly not unprecedented. Keith Tippett has played duos with both Stan Tracey and Howard Riley and just last week (May, 2009) I reviewed a disc with Myra Melford and Satoko Fujii. Benoit's inside-the-piano sound is quite unique and it gives this a duo a most distinctive taste/sound. Benoit sounds as if he is playing a piano with small blocks of wood inside muting the strings, making it sound more like a percussion instrument while Andy adds more melodic fragments on top. This seems to be the overall structure of many of these pieces (written by Mr. Delbecq) with Benoit setting up the slightly bent scenario and Andy adding selective counterbalance melodies. At times the pianists exchange roles or blend their parts into one another so we don't who is doing which part. There are moments of rich elegance and moments of odd mystery found on this disc. Although there are two pianists they never step on one another and space is used just right. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $17


HYPNOTIC BRASS ENSEMBLE - Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (Honest Jon's 042; UK) The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble is comprised of eight brothers from the south side of Chicago who come from an extraordinary musical family. Other sisters and brothers are professional musicians, their mothers are singers, and Phil Cohran, their father, has roots running back to Mississippi, the musical hothouse of 1940s St. Louis, Sun Ra in Chicago in the 1950s, and the founding of the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM). At night when they went to bed, the children would hear their father rehearsing with his band the Circle Of Sound. They were wakened at 6 a.m. for several hours of music practice before going to school and were a central part of their father's Youth Ensemble. Meanwhile, they were also sneaking under the covers and listening to NWA and Public Enemy, later forming their first group, GWC (Gangsters With A Curfew), which morphed into Wolf Pak (War On Pigs And Klan). By the end of the '90s, they brought together their musicianship, their jazz roots and their hip-hop sensibility, and made a living busking on the streets of Chicago, which honed their burgeoning skills as composers. (They wrote all of the tracks on this album except "Alyo," written by their father, and "Rabbit Hop," written by Moondog.) Eventually, the group transferred to New York City, and after playing out relentlessly, including gigs with Mos Def and Erykah Badu, and some particularly incendiary shows in Europe, they have come to be known as one of the hottest and most individual bands around. This album is the result of a chance encounter in 2005: during a cold market day on Portobello Road, strains of Ellington and the swagger of brassy funk cut through the morning fog. Stationed on the corner of Talbot Road, eight horns and a drum kit rocked Ladbroke Grove. Since their initial meeting, Honest Jon's and HBE have stayed close. In 2007, HBE contributed a monster of a track "Sankofa" to the Tony Allen remix project, Lagos Shake (HJR 034CD/LP), and have not stopped blowing minds since. In London, Lyon and New York, HBE tore it up both as leaders and in support of artists as diverse as Victoria Williams and Candi Staton, both rousing and tender in turns. Honest Jon's are proud to present the gorgeous, thrilling music of the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble.
CD $17
also available as 2 LP set for $22


HENRY HILLS - Selected Films 1977-2008 (Tzadik 3009; USA) NTSC Region 0. [All Regions] selected films: Porter Springs 3, Kino Da!, Money, SSS, Gotham, Goa Lawah, Bali Mecanique, Little Lieutenant, Porter Springs 4, Electricity, Failed States.
Moving to New York in 1978, filmmaker Henry Hills formed a strong alliance with the Downtown improvisers and the 'Language' poets, guiding his film work toward a rhythmic, multilayered world filled with unpredictable changes and a striking improvisational edge. The very best of his short, intense films are presented hereXfrom the downtown all-star Money to structural dance films like The Little Lieutenant and Bali MXchanique. A major force in new cinema, these films are brilliantly visual, crammed with image and double meaning. Also included is his 1990 music video for the band Naked City, Gotham. TZADIK DVD SERIES
DVD $23


THEO TRAVIS & ROBERT FRIPP - Thread: Expanded Edition [2 LP set] (Tonefloat 62; UK) 2008 release, a collection of thirteen [only nine are on the cd] improvised pieces by Theo Travis [alto flute, soprano sax] and Robert Fripp [guitar, soundscapes]. It was recorded at DGM Soundworld by David Singleton, with reediting/mixing and mastering courtesy of Steven Wilson [Porcupine Tree]. The collaboration has yielded a very beautiful sequence of recordings that neatly avoid many of the cliches routinely associated with terms such as 'ambient' and 'improvised', while encompassing the core elements of both forms of music Theo Travis is a London based saxophonist, flautist and composer. In conjunction with famed guitarist Robert Fripp, Travis releases nine improvised pieces, mastered by Steve Wilson (Porcupine Tree). This collaboration has yielded a very beautiful sequence of recordings that encompass the core elements of ambient and improvised music, while avoiding being cliche in any form.
2 LP set for $40
also available on CD [only 9 cuts] for $15


STADE [PIERRE AUDETAT/CHRISTOPHE CALPINI] - Freewheel (Sub Rosa 291; Belgium) This is the debut full-length release by Swiss electronic duo, Stade for the Sub Rosa label. Stade is Pierre Audetat and Christophe Calpini, and in 2004-2005, several strings of meetings (including rehearsals, concerts, and studio sessions) were set up with French trumpet player Erik Truffaz, New York-based free-guitarist Elliott Sharp, and American-Swiss harmonica player Gregoire Maret. Stade later made slight edits to these recordings, without adding any overdubs. the result is Freewheel, a brilliant blend of Christophe Calpini's live drumming and Pierre Audetat's live samples and concrete sounds, a set-up that allows Stade to improvise like a conventional rhythm section with electronic devices. This brand-new electroacoustic composite is resolutely jazz, yet flirts with the syncopated vocabulary of hip-hop and the beats of electronica, all combined with the acoustic input of the guest musicians. Heavy organ stomps blend with screeching guitars in freakout-mode and harmonica passages teeter next to thunderously black beats and tinpan percussion in a totally unique sound-blend. The heir of Miles Davis' electric experiments, Stade creates the resolutely electronic side of improvised jazz music.
CD $16


Not-So Small restock on Long Arms label from Russia!

Thanks to friends like Ned Rothenberg and Elliott Sharp we have renewed our contact with the great Long Arms label out of Russia, for a while thought defunct. The more I listen to these mostly Russian musicians, the more great things I hear from this impressive under-recognized scene. I've heard more than half of the discs listed below and I look forward to hearing the rest. We are working on getting more of the ones not listed below so please be patient. In the meantime, we offer these gems:


VLADIMIR TARASOV - Complete Set Of Solo Works [11 CD + 1 DVD Box Set] (Long Arms 817-828; Russia) Vladimir Tarasov drums, percussion. Vladimir Tarasov was the drummer for the legendary Ganelin Trio, perhaps the most important and influential avant/jazz trio to emerge from Russia with some 15 CD's on the Leo label. Tarasov is an extraordinary drummer who has worked with Andrew Cyrille, Anthony Braxton, Laura Newton and Kenny Millions. I've only heard a few of these discs so far and each sounds great to me. Certainly worthy of your time and consideration if you can afford it. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
11 CD + 1 DVD set for $150

ANTON BATAGOV & ILYA KHMYZ - The Piano And Other Sounds (Long Arms 8092; Russia) Featuring Anton Batagov on piano and Ilya Khmyz on other sounds.
CD $17

PETER BROTZMANN - Petroglyphs (Long Arms 4051; Russia) Peter BROTZMANN tarogato (1), alto saxophone (2), tenor saxophone (3, 4); Ed SIVKOV - baritone saxophone (4) Nick RUBANOV - bass saxophone (4); Recorded live on April 27th, 2002 at DOM Cultural Center (Moscow)
CD $17

MORTON FELDMAN//ANTON BATAGOV - Triadic Memories (Long Arms 3049; Russia) Anton Batagov, piano. Recorded in February 1992 at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. Russian-only release, in clear-acetate cover. Performed by Anton Batagov, piano. Recorded in February 1992 at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. "Morton Feldman, whose only technical comment on 'Triadic Memories' was that grace notes were to be played not crisply, but somewhat delayed, each with its own isolated ring, described his work as "probably the largest butterfly in captivity concerned with the shape of a leaf and not the tree"? Batagov's performance of 'Triadic Memories' is an extraordinary combination of sensuality, tenderness, virtuosity, and almost unbelievable concentration on the part of the performer for longer than one-hour period of time."
CD $17

CHARLES GAYLE - No Bills (Long Arms 5057; Russia) Charles GAYLE - piano, tenor saxophone; Recorded live on April, 2003, Moscow & Arkhangelsk, Russia. " In 1990 I came to New York for the first time and it was there that I had a photograph taken of me with a 'Polaroid' together with a saxophonist playing on the street. Who, as it later seemed to me, could very well have been Charles Gale. Alas, it was not possible to verify this, since the only photograph available was stolen out of my bag, along with two boxes with cassettes by a fraudulent staff worker at Sheremetievo Airport, during the time the luggage was transported from the plane. Six months later I was going to New York once again, and prior to my departure I met Nick Dmitriev together with Vladimir Rezitsky. Lucky fellow! - they both said in one accord, You will get to hear Charles Gale - during these six months the word spread that Gale presents himself as a new incarnation of John Coltrane and Albert Ayler in one. With the sole difference that this street avant-gardist of the 1980's started obtaining his recognition when he was close to the age of fifty, while Coltrane died at the age of forty-one, and Ayler - when he was even younger, i.e. at the age of thirty-fourÉ This time I had not been able to see or hear Gale. But it was said that he continued to appear regularly on the street, playing his saxophone, notwithstanding that the critics have already started speaking of his album Touchin' On Trane (FMP) as of the leading new jazz event of the decade. Which almost single-handedly revived the jazz freedom of the 60's at that time, when experienced followers of the Coltrane tradition were playing samba-rumbas and retro-mainstream for a lengthy period of time. ---- Nick Dmitriev was persistently saying of how he wanted to 'bring over' Gale as far back as five years prior to the close of the previous century, although, to tell the truth, there was no really appropriate venue to bring him besides Rezitsky's festival in Arkhangelsk. After having listened to the recording of the concert of the American saxophonist at the Dom Center, I understood why. Gale and Nick were very similar in the most crucial aspects - the creative and the human. Both were supporters of free art with 'no bills' - without deletions, without noisy advertisement, without packs of banknotes, without legal casuistry (all of this, strange as it may seem, fits into the concept of 'bill'). Gale, obeying only his own inner feeling of freedom of choice, moves from the piano to the tenor saxophone, from the angular passages of Thelonious Monk to boogie-woogie; he starts by using one jazz standard and finishes off with another - just like before on the streets of New York's Down-town. Similarly to this Nick had built his 'Dom Center'. Somehow I feel that if Nick would have outlived Charles Gale, then the soul of the African-American musician would have reincarnated into Nick. But in reality it turned out to be that the 63-year-old Gale, a tall and youthfully supple figure, in this recording turns out to look more and more like Nick Dmitriev. Who will no longer be any older than forty-eight years old." - Dmitry Ukhov
CD $17

WERNE LUDI TRIO With STEPHAN WITTWER/MICHAEL WERTMULLER - Postludi: Live (Long Arms 5054; Russia) Featuring Werner Ludi - reeds, Stephan Wittwer - guitar & Michael Wertmuller - drums. Only few things in 'New Russia' are working the way the three musicians of Luedi possibly imagined. No sleep, but short sips of Vodka. Nevertheless there was a lot of action during gigs. If you come to 55¡45`' northern amplitude and 37¡37'' eastern longitude, you reach the metropolis of the big moroseness. One idea: how to speed up a totally indifferent person? You must sort out him, this means: to offend him virtuously. Offend him completely, but stay indifferent yourself and even funny. This attitude provokes that moroseness, which will develop to wild roughness in the family. This atmosphere of permanent irritation, based on the lack of interest and strong intimidation, can be seen in the faces; that's what spoiled our mood so often behind the dirty bus- and train windows. It is time to inform you, dear readers: 'Moroseness and melancholy show, that the masses are inspired by hope. But joyfulness and laughter proof that there is no hope at all anymore.' That's how life is going on. I try to realize that I am at a place, which on the one hand, brought the best parts of man to absolution, but also made prominent his darkest sides. Inscription at a grave: 'the only way to avoid horror is to abandon oneself to horror.' Since everything is allowed, there is no stop anymore. Who ever witnessed the provocations of Sergey Kuryokhin knows what I am talking about. So also Luedi do not spare themselves and the audience. This tour melted the particle-exhilarating Wittwer-Wertmuller-machine with me as a 'blocked piston' to a homogen band - tight and great. Farewell, goodbye at the Minsk Train station. Night train to Vilnius. Once more good chances for a long loud night in the wagon restaurant. And? At home you long for these days, which you wave away now nearly carelessly. So far. So true. - Werner Ludi
CD $17

VLADIMIR MILLER QUARTETS - Quartets (Long Arms 3052; Russia) Music by Vladimir Miller and Quartets; Tracks 1-4 Tsars Components Alex Kolkowski violin and electronics Misha Zhukov percussion Ansulman Biswas Tabla percussion Vladimir Miller piano Recorded in October, 1995 in Studio, London. "The idea of using a compass symbolizing the music on this CD points to a geographical rather than an inspirational motive. But in this case the compass is also a magnet that acts as the force and inspiration that draws the musicians together and the needle that separates the improvisation approaches within the various styles that communicate the compositional properties of each quartet. The quartets were recorded and performed over a period of six years, two in London and two in Moscow, and respectively live and studio sessions. Each quartet originated from ideas that attracted the musicians together at the time, when it felt natural to do so, with the quartet format being the only formal term linking the four together. If there is a common thread repeating itself then that has to be my relationship with the four various voices each piano contained during the recordings and performances that characterized my pianistic approach and on a personal level with the musicians and their interaction at the outset of each quartet. This relationship had its origins in Russia and then later according to our analogy with the compass spinning out of control in the south of England, stabilizing in London and then rotating a full 360% back to Moscow. This compass moved spontaneously from one setting to the next as the music dictated, creating a magnetic field that at times bonded, sometimes rejected, but always embodied all our intrinsic sonic intuitions. Much could be said about the musicians on this CD and how we reached the musical conclusions experienced on it but the catalyst has to be quite simply the music we all collectively aspired to play when the time came to apply ideas to the mysteries of improvisational interplay." - Vladimir Miller/ Moscow February 12, 2003
CD $17

MOSCOW COMPOSERS ORCHESTRA [MCO] - Kharms 10: Incidents (Long Arms 5019; Russia) The MCO includes Vladimir Miller on piano, Sainko Namchylak on vocals, Arkady Shilkloper on French horn & flugelhorn and Vladimir Tarasov on drums. "The Moscow Composers Orchestra was formed nearly ten years ago by the trumpet player Andrew Solovyov, and during the initial stages of its formation the orchestra met infrequently and perfomances were rare. But during this early period MCO devised a concept which had similarities as a definitive with O'Henry's novel 'Kings and Cabbages' (the title of the first CD release on Leo Records in 1993). Where the novel includes everything apart from kings and cabbages, so the orchestra is made up of musicians other than muscovite composers and performers, although over the years, it has to said, indigenous musicians have been included. There have always been reasons and excuses for the orchestra to get together: to kick off a jazz festival, to celebrate the sighting of Hallee's Comet or quite simply for musicians to have the opportunity to play in an alternative setting. This time the orchestra meets and once again is living up to its reputation as an orchestra with a diversity of musicians arriving from many different destination points. They include musicians from Moscow, Arkhangelsk, St.Petersburg, Kyzyl, Vilnius, Berlin and London. Perhaps the orchestra should be known as the Russian or European Composers Orchestra, but one would not like to break with tradition. Today's 12-piece orchestra is being led by a British composer and pianist Vladimir Miller. He is performing with his friends - musicians from Russia and beyond, and plays with them his orchestral works. - Nick Dmitriev, 2003
CD $17

THE NECKS [CHRIS ABRAHAMS/LLOYD SWANTON/TONY BUCK] - Photosynthetic (Long Arms 3053; Russia) Chris Abrahams - piano; Tony Buck - drums; Lloyd Swanton -- double bass. Recorded live at DOM Cultural Center on March 29, 2002. Without a doubt, the greatest space/ambient/jazz piano trio to exist. Russian-only release! The Necks are from Australia with a series of 5 highly revolutionary albums on the ReR label. This CD was released in 2003, but has generally been in state of neglect. Musician(s): Chris Abrahams - piano; Tony Buck - drums; Lloyd Swanton - double bass. Recorded live at DOM Cultural Center on March 29, 2002. One 43-minute live piece, in their signature style of minimalist buildup.
CD $17

NORTHERN LIGHTS [VLADIMIR MILLER/KEN HYDER/VLADIMIR REZITSKY] - Stillness in the Solpvki (Long Arms 98018; Russia) Featuring Vladimir Miller on piano & keyboards, Ken Hyder on drums, percussion, voice & electronics and Vladimir Rezitsky on alto sax, flute, jaw harp. melodica and voice. I've always been fascinated by British jazz drum legend Ken Hyder, since there has always been a spiritual side to his playing and explorations. After being initially inspired by the spiritual side of John Coltrane's music, Hyder has long utilized various folk musics from around the world for further investigation. >From the Scottish folk music influences of his band Talisker to the Siberian Shaman vocals/sounds of K-Space, Hyder is a restless explorer. Here Ken works with two other Russian musicians and explores a cross-cultural free form exchange. In some ways this reminds me of the Ganelin Trio since the instrumentation is the same: sax, piano & drums and the free playing is particularly inspired and focused. What I love about this disc is that it sounds like the trio has one mind, one central force guiding them into an integrated singular group sound. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $17

ALEX NOWITZ/VLADIMIR MILLER/OLJEG YUDANOV TRIO - Wittgenstein's Nephews (Long Arms 4069; Russia) Alex Nowitz - voice; Vladimir Miller - piano; Oljeg Yudanov - percussion, drums. "The CD 'Wittgensteins's Nephews' follows the traces of Thomas' writing with the grotesque that lurks in each of his figures even in himself. His sarcastic wit, his anger at the world, the incessant report of the human abyss and the absurdity of life; all that makes one laugh and cry at the same time. Furthermore the CD reflects Ludwig Wittgenstein's criticism of language as a barely reliable or even non-useful tool for explaining the world and human life in philosophical means. In the end of the 'Tractatus' he states: 'Éwhereof one cannot speak thereof one must be silent.' That's good, for many peopleÉ Now, I prefer to say: of what you cannot speak, that's what you have to 'woiss' on! Of course, this term doesn't exist in the English language, not even in German. It derives from the similar sounding, English word 'voicing'; and also the German word 'Wissen', which means 'knowledge', is somehow part of this neologism. I made it up for a specific reason, that is to say, 'woissing' goes far beyond 'singing'. That's the way it is. More, I cannot say." - October 16, 2003, Alex Nowitz
CD $17

ORION CUP [V.A.] - The Last Sounds From The Last Cup (Long Arms 98020; Russia) Special sampler dedicated to tennis play with music of Sainkho, Phil Minton, Jon Rose, Otomo Yoshihide & Keshavan Maslak, Allophonics, The 13th Tribe, Luedi, Sergey Kuryokhin, Sergey Zagny, Anton Batagov, Arkady Shilkloper, Vladimir Miller, Slava Guyvoronsky, Vladimir Volkov, Gapon, & Moscow Composers Orchestra.
CD $17

MICHAEL STOLL [FAUST] - From Faust: Love In Moscow (Long Arms 2038; Russia) Featuring Michael Stoll on double bass, flute, voice and all other sounds. New improvising music of the one of the members of the legendary German group FAUST.
CD $17

MOLA SYLLA & VLADIMIR VOLKOV - Mirror (Long Arms 2035; Russia) New interpretation of the Senegalese traditional music in the joint studio work of the outstanding Senagalese singer and musician Mola Sylla and his extraordinary sensitive Russian partner Vladimir Volkov on double bass.
CD $17

KAZUTOKI UMEZU & VLADIMIR VOLKOV - Play Time (Long Arms 4062; Russia) Featuring Kazutoki Umezu on alto sax and Vladimir Volkov on double bass. Recorded in 2003 in a studio in Russia. This is one heavy duo! Both musicians play extraordinarily well together and Vladimir Volkov is one of best contrabassists I've heard in a long while. - BLG
CD $17

VERSHKI DA KORESHKI - Real Life Of Plants (Long Arms 96020; Russia) Featuring Mola Sylla (Senegal) - vocal, kongoma, xalam, kalimba; Kaigal-ool Khovalyg (Tuva) - vocal, khoomei, ighil, khomyss, khomouz, amyrga; Alexei Levin (Holland) - accordion, prepared accordion, piano, khomuss, doudka, chen; Vladimir Volkov (Russia) - double bass. Plants hide their roots (koreshki) to protect them from bad weather while their leaves (vershki) are directly affected by the constant changes in the weather. These two vital parts develop simultaneously but in opposite directions, thus maintaining the balance of the overall organism. The group Vershki da Koreshki grew in the same way: the roots are formed by two descendants of ancient cultures of Africa (Senegal) and Central Asia (Tuva). The leaves are two compatriots from Saint Petersburg who are nourished by jazz, classical and contemporary music and improvisation. The synthesis of these seemingly contradictory elements results in the band's great freedom of style and concept. Vershki - vulnerable, striving, whimsical overground organs, parts of a body system, born by the root. Koreshki - bosom, earthbound, archaic, primordial sources, roots. 'Vershki da Koreshki' began to grow in Amsterdam December 1994. 1989Levin left Leningrad. 1991in Amsterdam Levin met Volkov from Petersburg. 1994in Amsterdam Levin met Sylla from Dakar. 1996in Amsterdam Levin met Khovalyg from Tuva So it has happened.
CD $17

YURY YAREMCHUK/NATALKA POLOVINKA - Homo Ludens (Long Arms 2044; Russia) Superb improvisations of the outstanding Ukrainian saxophonist Yury Yaremchuk and famous Ukrainian singer and actress Natalka Polovinka, based on the blend of primary traditional Ukrainian music and avant-garde composers experience.
CD $17


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ETHIOSONIC - MOHAMMED JIMMY MOHAMMED TRIO & HAN BENNINK - With Han Bennink [DVD] (Buda Musique 860172; EEC) Shot during a memorable concert in April 2006 at the Banlieues Blues Festival in Paris, this film is a tribute to great Ethiopian singer Mohammed Jimmy Mohammed, who passed away in December of the same year. In addition to the concert featuring his trio and mythical free-jazz drummer Han Bennink, this DVD presents, among other bonuses, an interview with Mohammed in which he discusses his blindness, his faith, and his art.
This is an extraordinary performance and it is captured intimately. The featured ensemble includes Mohammed Jimmy Mohammed on vocals, Mesele Asmamaw on krar (a lute-like instrument), Asnake Gebreyes on kebero (small drum set) and Han Bennink on trap drums. Mohammed Jimmy sits center stage and sings superbly throughout. The krar also has a most enchanting sound like a small hand-held harp. What is wonderful is to hear the often explosive and occasionally hilarious Han Bennink playing in a completely supportive role for the entire set. Both Mesele and Asnake sing answering background vocals which only add to the inspired performance. This music has a most joyous groove that I found to be infectious and immensely uplifting. Today (6/3/09) it is gray and cold outside although the summer is about begin. The warmth and joy of this performance helped me to feel better when I was about to be depressed. I can't think of a higher accolade. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
DVD $17


HAINO KEIJI/MAKOTO KAWABATA/TATSUYA YOSHIDA - Ichi To Ichi To Ichi Ga Kasanatte Shimaumade [DVD] (PSF DV 1003; Japan) Live At Mission's, December 19th 2008. "Second release by a new super-group featuring Keiji Haino, Makoto Kawabata (Acid Mothers Temple), and Tatsuya Yoshida (Ruins). Recorded live in Tokyo in December 2008. An hour's worth of sharply photographed alternately dense, brutal, coruscating and beautiful interplay from three of the hardest hitters in the Japanese underground, with the interplay between Haino's scalding, molten darkness and Kawabata's crunch and ripple particularly invigorating. For those confused by the title, the trio's previous release on Magaibutsu was entitled Ichi to ichi ga kasanatte shimaumade ('Until one and one come to overlap'). This one is Ichi to ichi to ichi ga kasanatte shimaumade ('Until one and one and one come to overlap'). Just so you know. Fifty-nine minutes. Region-free NTSC DVD." -- Alan Cummings
DVD $24

KAN MIKAMI - -1 (Minus 1) (PSF 8030; Japan) "With the coming of spring, another year brings another bulletin from the mind of post-war Japan's greatest blues singing surrealist poet, Kan Mikami. Part of the pleasure of Mikami's annual solo releases on PSF is plotting the changes in his rough-cut voice and guitar style. This time around the blues and enka feel of the last two or three albums has been pruned back to a more restrained psychedelic core. The voice too seems deliberately held in check, the melismatic flourishes excised in favour of a plain and meditative directness. The lyrics are as scabrous and bewildering as ever, focusing again and again on images of his native place in the north of Japan, but also devising a great triptych of spread legs, Bush and the wall of a Dada toilet. Another classic, then. Six tracks, twenty-nine minutes. Lyrics in Japanese and English." -- Alan Cummings
CD $20

LI JIANHONG - Classic Of The Mountains And Seas (PSF 187; Japan) "First solo album on PSF (after the Ghost Temple duo and a couple of tracks on the Asian Flashback compilation) for China's hottest, loudest and most psychedelic avant-noise guitarist, Li Jianhong. Born in Fenghua in 1975, Li Jianhong has been blowing ears open with his own unique brand of higher-mind noise for five years now. This solo disk sees him simultaneously channeling Keiji Haino and Masayuki Takayanagi, as he dissolves himself into an avant-guitar mandala comprised of full-bore drone, sustained runs of psychedelic soloing, and phantom echo. An essential blast of young China. Seventy minutes." -- Alan Cummings
CD $20


CRIME SCENES [ANDREAS HIROUI LARSSON/ALEXANDER ZETHSON/DANIEL KARLSSON/JOHAN JUTTERSTROM] - Acksjona Kapell (FMR 268; UK) Featuring Alexander Zethson on piano, Johan Jutterstrom on bari (?) saxes, Daniel Karlsson on electronics & cornet and Andreas Hiroui Larsson on drums & percussion. This was recorded live in Karlstad, Sweden where I assume this band is from. The first few pieces are called "Vapenrummet" and they are minimal and spooky, sort of like a soundtrack for film noir flick. I like that this quartet are more involved with painting pictures and creating moods rather than the theme/solos/theme formula of regular jazz. On track 6, the combination of rubbed cymbals, haunting bari sax, distant piano and eerie electronics is a chillingly ominous yet effective. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16

DIRK WACHTELAER + KOHN [JURGEN DE BLONDE] - Evening And Morning (FMR 245; UK) Featuring Dirk Wachtelaer on acoustic drums and Jurgen De Blonde on live electronics. Dirk Wachtelaer leads the great Vanishing Pictures project whose four discs on FMR are a consistently engaging blend of international acoustic and electronic improv with a revolving cast of well selected musicians from around the world. For this disc Dirk has slimmed things down to just a duo of acoustic percussion and live electronics. For "Evening 1", Dirk creates an infectious, funky groove while Jurgen adds eerie, mutant electronic static or feedback. What Jurgen has done is take Dirk's drums and sample them and then manipulate their sound. For "Evening 2", Dirk slows things down and plays more spaciously with Jurgen adding bits of subtle electronic spice. The sound production is extreme clean and perfectly balanced. As the tempo picks up, the electronic sounds become more dense and intense and then the vibe subsides into a more cerebral wash of underwater waves. I love this duo works together as one inter-connected stream. The first three pieces recorded in the evening (hence their titles) and the last three piece recorded the following morning, the vibe had changed overnight. "Morning 1" has a most mesmerizing sound as Dirk plays just the snare drum and Jurgen expands and contracts the sound like a breathing exercise. As has been the case in the past, Mr. Wachtelaer has pulled off another magical combination of superb, cosmic sounds. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16

FRODE GJERSTAD/JOHN EDWARDS/MARK SANDERS - Bergen (FMR 269; UK) Featuring Frode Gjerstad on alto sax & clarinets, John Edwards on acoustic bass and Mark Sanders on drums & percussion. Finnish free/jazz sax giant, Frode Gjerstad, is beyond prolific with about fifty discs out with him as a leader or a co-leader. UK drum wiz Mark Sanders is nearly as prolific while contrabassist supreme John Edwards has also become of the UK's best and busiest bassists in recent years. This is the second recording by this particular trio and it was recorded live at the Nattjazz Festival in Norway in May of 2008. The set is basically one long piece (broken into 3 parts) and one short piece. I dig the intense energy and tight-knit explorations of this fine trio. The first part features Frode on clarinet(s) and the rest of the trio matches wits with Frode as he spins twisted lines inside-out at an intense rate. This truly spirited improv at its finest. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16


JON IRABAGON With MIKE PRIDE - I Don't Hear Nothin' But The Blues (Loyal 05; USA) "The saxophone and drum duo has long been an established jazz tradition, with Interstellar Space (Impulse!, 1965), John Coltrane's legendary duet album with Rashied Ali, widely considered the format's archetype. Containing a single 47-and-a-half minute improvisation, I Don't Hear Nothin' But The Blues is tenor saxophonist Jon Irabagon and drummer Mike Pride's bold contribution to the tradition. Released in an era dominated by shortened attention spans and internet downloads, Irabagon and Pride make their intentions clear; this is not music for the casual listener.
Recorded in a single take, the piece unfolds like a suite, with fragmentary themes and motifs surfacing at random intervals between labyrinthine excursions. Their spontaneous interplay invokes aspects of Dixieland, swing, blues, funk, metal, noise and even calypso over the duration, making this extended work far from repetitious. The piece begins with a simple blues refrain from Irabagon, with Pride kicking in subtle double-bass pedal accents, foreshadowing the fury to come. Irabagon gradually deconstructs the theme, alternating circuitous cadences and keening cries with meticulous fragmentation of the basic structure. Pride shadows Irabagon, complementing and contrasting his phrases with a mercurial mix of metallic double-bass drum blast beats, funky hi-hat accents, tribal tom-tom fills, second line shuffle patterns and so on, revealing an endless variety of percussive techniques. The duo modulates gracefully between genres, maintaining thematic focus from one visceral section to another. Their discourse is relentlessly intense, varying in density and volume, but not activity. Neither Irabagon nor Pride relents at any point in the piece; there are no solo cadenzas or quiet interludes - this is a continuous conversation between two amped improvisers with a mischievous sensibility and an encyclopedic knowledge of music history.
Most contemporary saxophone and drum duets usually tend toward either short thematic improvisations or expansive free burnouts. Irabagon and Pride combine the two concepts, venturing into uncharted territory with a bracing new vision. I Don't Hear Nothin' But The Blues is history in the making. - Troy Collins, AAJ
CD $15


KNOT SOUNDS IN THE SPACE [V.A. With MIKE PRIDE/RAVISH MOMIN/GINO ROBAIR/ANDREW DRURY et al] - Knot Sounds In The Space (Makrame 05; EEC)
CD $9


BIOSPHERE [GEIR JENSSEN] - Wireless: Live At The Arnolfini, Bristol (Touch 38; UK) The Touch label releases the first solo live album by Norway's Geir Jenssen aka Biosphere. Recorded live at The Arnolfini, Bristol on October 27, 2007 by the doyen of environmental sound recordists, Chris Watson, using 2 x Sony ECM 77s with a Nagra P11 Ares flash card recorder, and from desk to hard drive. The recording was mixed, edited and mastered by Touch stalwart BJNilsen in Berlin during March of 2009. This concert was part of Touch 25 Live, which also featured a performance of Storm (by Chris Watson & BJNilsen). This is Biosphere's sixth release for Touch. In the early 1990s, he was a pioneer of so-called "ambient techno," but since then, he has refined his sound into something more magnetic and enduring. His last album, Dropsonde, wasn't a soundtrack like the interwoven Substrata, nor an episodic journey in the way that Autour de la Lune is. It pushed new directions towards the jazz colors of Miles Davis and Jon Hassell, while re-invigorating the pulse and projection of his signature sound: a hypnotic combination of pleasure and dread. Here, Geir Jenssen takes this further, incorporating samples of field recordings by Jony Easterby and trumpet by Anders Karlskas, invoking a sparser, more arresting sound. A landmark release for Biosphere -- his first solo live album -- heralding new beginnings without jettisoning the past.
CD $15

ROBERT HAMPSON - Vectors (Touch 71; UK) Touch releases an album by UK experimental musician Robert Hampson. Before his involvement with acousmatic sound, Hampson was the originator behind such guitar-based acts such as Loop and Main. He was also a member of Godflesh, and collaborated with Jim O'Rourke and Organum. Vectors features three pieces, two of which were commissioned by the Group du Recherches Musicales (GRM) which had their debut performances on the Acousmonium in Paris. "Umbra" (2006) is a 16-channel piece that had its debut performance on the Acousmonium -- GRM's speaker orchestra -- at Salle Olivier Messiaen, Maison de Radio France, Paris. The umbra (Latin: shadow) is the darkest part of a shadow. From within the umbra, the source of light is completely concealed by the occulting body. In astronomy, an observer in the umbra is said to be in the shadows experiencing total eclipse. This phenomenon is a direct influence on the work in the sense of the way that sounds are cast in the shadow of others, slowly becoming more distinct as the piece progresses, materializing and then casting a shadow of their own. "Ahead -- Only The Stars" (2007) was commissioned by Vibro for a performance at the Planetarium de Poitiers in 7.1 Surround ratio. Inspired by and dedicated to the astronauts of the NASA Mercury Missions space program and possibly the greatest pilot ever, Chuck Yeager. After the introduction of jets blasting across the soundstage, the piece is then interspersed with radio transmissions (communication bleeps and static, with dialogue removed) that form the framework. "Dans Le Lointain" (2008), also commissioned for GRM, is a 2-channel Stereo piece. It also had its debut performance on the Acousmonium at Salle Olivier Messiaen, Maison de Radio France, Paris. Sounds of shortwave radios, recorded by Hampson in the early '80s and recently rediscovered on a cassette, are manipulated through very traditional techniques utilized by early tape experimental works of the GRM and collected with more modern forms of digital manipulation. The title ("In The Distance") refers to the distance radio signals can travel, but also the distance of time that elapsed since the shortwave recordings were made on a four-track recorder and dubbed onto cassette by Hampson around 1981/1982.
CD $15


SPUNK [MAJA S.K. RATKJE et al] - Kantarell (Rune Grammofon 2085; EEC) This is the fourth studio album by the improv quartet of Kristin Andersen (trumpet), Lene Grenager (cello), Maja Solveig Kjelstrup Ratkje (vocals), and Hild Sofie Tafjord (horn) aka SPUNK. Free collective improvising is one of the most demanding ways of making music: the pitfalls are many -- self-absorption, incoherence, certain standardized "gestures" of free-jazz, lack of dynamics, humorlessness, etc. -- but SPUNK are alert to the dangers. Bold, sometimes witty, always alert, they make engaging music and keep the element of surprise alive. They have no fear of bringing the music to the brink of anarchy -- they are interested in extremes as well as subtleties -- but their instincts as composers-in-action also serve them well. SPUNK work exclusively with improvised music, in concert as well as on record, and Kantarell marks yet another musical step for this playful and ever-experimenting quartet by possibly being the most acoustic-sounding album they have made -- though SPUNK have always been masters at seamlessly combining acoustic instruments with electronics, often making it impossible to identify what is what. Kantarell was produced by the group together with Sjur Miljeteig and Peder Kjellsby.
CD $17


TRAD, GRAS OCH STENAR - Homeless Cats (Subliminal Sounds 2009; EEC) Just in time for Trad Gras och Stenar's ("Trees Grass and Stones") 40-year anniversary, the Swedish psychedelic trance-rock pioneers release a new album, Homeless Cats. The first one in 7 years, and the seventh since they began in 1969. Eleven boundless tracks with organic music for open minds. Back in 1967, the guitarist BoAnders Persson had already started his Terry Riley-inspired underground band Parson Sound with the bass player Torbjorn Abelli and drummer Thomas Mera Gartz, amongst others. They evolved into International Harvester, then Harvester, finally striking root as Trad Gras och Stenar. In 1970, they arranged, and performed at, the legendary Swedish Gardes-Festivals that pioneered the Swedish alternative music movement. Today, Trad Gras och Stenar create their own contemporary music, even if they have been compared to Krautrockers like Can and Faust, internationally. Rhythmic, and heart-pounding for sure -- but at the same time, peculiarly Swedish, with their roots in the mold and soil, and with branches that reach high up into the clear air. Homeless Cats was recorded by the band themselves during the period between 2002-2007, mostly while jamming in the band's rehearsal house and studio in Viksund, Sweden, but also live at gigs. During this period, they also toured Europe, USA, Russia and Japan. In the meaty album booklet, they give us a couple of personal travelogues. Trad Gras och Stenar have evolved a clear and mature sound with space enough for both suggestive heaviness and mind-expansion. These tracks bubble and seethe, growing forth freely. Sometimes, the mostly instrumental tracks are irresistibly captivating, as in the trance-inducing "Summer Disco," at other times, they are weightless, as on the loop-like "The Most Beautiful Moment Of The Dream," which breathtakingly floats into "Thorns Of Solitude," which could be an earthy, space-rock movie soundtrack. "Wedding Reel" is a slight divergence from traditional Swedish folk music, with rhythms and melodies that are played brutally, like a plow wrenching deep furrows into a field of stone. Homeless Cats makes its mark. Heavy, vertiginous, and, just like Trad Gras och Stenar themselves, timeless.
CD $17


BEN REYNOLDS - How Day Earnt Its Night (Tompkins Square 2226; USA) "Ben Reynolds is an English solo steel string guitarist and songwriter. In his solo instrumental works he draws upon the vast well of musical inspiration native to the British Isles as well as that found across the Atlantic and beyond. Ben's 2008 recording Two Wings was released on Portland, Oregon label Strange Attractors Audio House and focuses upon sprawling, meditative improvisations and concludes with the track 'Here Toucheth Blues' which appeared on Tompkins Square's Imaginational Anthem Vol. 3 compilation. 2009 sees the release of Ben's second solo guitar full length How Day Earnt Its Night on Tompkins Square. This new recording consolidates his interest in British and American folk guitar traditions in concise and intensely melodic pieces as well as longer, expressionist improvisations. The intricacies of British guitar luminaries such as Bert Jansch and Davy Graham are found alongside the stark grandeur of John Fahey's 'American primitive guitar' stylings. Outside of Ben's solo work he is a member of Glasgow based songsters Trembling Bells whose debut album Carbeth is released on London label Honest Jon's."
CD $14


DOG FACED HERMANS - Hum Of Life (Mississippi 35; USA) "When we put out the Mental Blocks For All Ages, the obvious question from everyone who excitedly plopped down their nine bucks on our glass counter was, 'Are you gonna put out Hum Of Life?' So here it is, the follow up to Mental Blocks. Recorded in '93, DFH lays down 11 tracks of thumping drums, pulsating bass lines, most unusual guitar squacks and Marion Coutts belting out enchanting melodies with voice and her trusty trumpet. 8 Eyed Spy and Ornette Coleman covers (it's legit, I swear) complete this perfect album of political art-punk at its best."
"Portland, Oregon's Mississippi Records have been busy doing a great job reissuing a lot of amazing music back onto vinyl. This installment brings forth Dog Faced Hermans third record, "Hum of life", which is my favorite DFH record. Not only was it the first recording I heard of them (and that Marion was actually the impetus for me to utilize trumpet in my early punk bands) but in my mind it reigns supreme as the crown jewel in their discography. DFH create music with a high-intensity, angular, no-wave jazz punk style, a record that literally makes my heart beat hard against my rib cage in attempt to exit my chest and grasp this platter. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!" - Chuck Bettis/dmg
LP $12


CROMAGNON - Orgasm: Cave Rock (ESP Disk 2001; USA) "One of the truly strangest and most bizarre records that I've ever heard and I've heard just about everything!" - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
"What more can I say about Cromagnon other than that they are fucking amazing! Their music is weird and off the hook; yet through all the madness you can hear that the music is actually controlled chaos channeling the raw power of ritualistic music and transforming listener into an energetic involved participant in the action. Extremely well composed. This is one of my favorite records! I don't know why ESP waited so long to reissue it, but I am glad they finally did, even though I wish they kept the full color artwork the way it was instead of turning it black & white. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!" - Chuck Bettis/dmg
CD $12


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Both Manny & I consider ourselves to be music 'information junkies' and detectives [insofar as acquiring]. I have been keeping lists of long-sought-after records, as well as discographies since 1967 when I was 13. Those lists continue to grow more than 40 years later and now the DMG database has almost 40,000 items listed with more than 5,000 reviews by yours truly. The search goes on and on... and every week we find about some disc or discs that we have overlooked in some obscure or perhaps not-so-obscure place. Here's one now..

BOB MOSES With DAVE LIEBMAN/JEANNE LEE/TERUMASA HINO - Wheels Of Colored Light (Open Minds 2412; Germany) Featuring Dave Liebman on tenor & soprano saxes, flutes & musette, Terumasa Hino on cornet & wood flute, Jeanne Lee on voice and Bob Moses on drums, percussion & voice. Avant/jazz vocalist Jeanne Lee was something else, one of the best jazz vocalists who transcended any boundaries or pigeon-holing tactics. And she was sadly unrecorded. Besides more than a dozen albums made with her husband Gunter Hampel, she only made a handful of records under her own name. Bob Moses and Dave Liebman are also great musicians that can be found on a large selection of records of their own' s well as a being busy sidemen. Bob Moses has worked with many important figures like Gary Burton, Steve Kuhn, Tisziji Munoz and Pat Metheny. Dave Liebman has also worked with many giants like Miles Davis, Elvin Jones & Richie Bierach as well as having dozens of his own records. I remember hearing a number of great records with Terumasa Hino in the seventies but haven't heard much from him in recent years. This fine disc was released in 1992 but unknown to me until recently.
Each of the ten or so records from Bob Moses is special in some different way. "A Distant Place" is a strong duo with Moses and Liebman for tenor and drums, spiritual sounding and perfectly balanced. "Talking Tongues" is an excellent trio for muted & unmuted trumpet, soprano sax and drums, free, occasionally furious and completely focused. Bob Moses and Dave Liebman sound as if they are hooked up to a similar spiritual place and play together like lifelong friends. The title track features a thoughtful spoken word poem by Moses with the voices of Jeanne Lee and Bob himself reading (and Jeanne singing) in a most enchanting way with equally enticing music in the second half. "Spanish Steps" is a strong duo for trumpet and drums with another perfectly balanced communion of the spirits. The final piece is a long, magical work called "Spirits Renewed" with ancient sound percussion and other organic sounds like wood flutes, delicate trumpet, gongs and cymbals. A transcendent conclusion to a most haunting and wonderful undiscovered treasure. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $18


SONNY ROLLINS With DON CHERRY/HENRY GRIMES/BILLY HIGGINS/MILT JACKSON/ART BLAKEY et al - Complete 1963 Stuttgart Concert ..Plus! (RLR 88645; EEC) 2009 release containing all known music from the 1963 Stuttgart performance by the Sonny Rollins-Don Cherry piano-less quartet. The three initial tunes appear here on CD for the first time ever, and the concert's finale, 'Oleo', is previously unissued in any format. 'Complete' here means 'all that is known to exist' of this show as the 4 cuts weigh in at about 47 minutes.
As a bonus, a rare trio version of 'I Want to Be Happy', recorded by Rollins with Grimes and Roy Haynes live at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival; and two rare 1965 quintet tracks with Kenny Drew, Milt Jackson, Percy Heath, and Art Blakey, have been added for your listening pleasure. Includes eight page booklet.
[PLEASE NOTE: The recordings offered by the RLR (Rare Love Recordings) label were made for reference - sometimes at the musician's behest, and usually by an audience member - with comparatively low-fi equipment by today's standards. If you have a problem with recordings of that quality, even when faced with the AMAZING performances found here - that can otherwise never be re-captured - then best not to order. IF, however, you are an audio archeologist, then these treasures are for you! DIG? DIG!!!]
CD $16


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PANAMA! [V.A.] - Vol 2: Latin, Calypso and Funk on the Isthmus 1967-77 (Soundway 13; UK) Soundway presents the second volume in their Panama! series, showcasing the unique tropical music created in Panama during the fertile decades of the 1960s and 1970s. Panama is one of the world's great crossroads -- a bridge between North and South America, and home to the great canal that links the Caribbean and the Pacific. The canal itself was built by a huge workforce from all over the Caribbean and South America, each nationality bringing a taste of their culture and music to make up the hugely diverse nation that exists today. After soaking up the varied influences of Panama's diverse population, the dancefloors and bars spat out a heady mix that took in the raw vallenato of neighboring Colombia, the soul and funk of America, the calypso of Trinidad and the son and rumba of Cuba, all combined and re-styled in a uniquely Panamanian fashion, making Panama a central spoke in the wheel of Caribbean music. Writer and compiler Roberto Ernesto Gyemant travelled throughout the country in search of elusive records and reclusive musicians, tracking down hopeful tips and half-remembered names and addresses. Two years of digging through dusty warehouses and old radio stations in search of crackly records and dusty photos led to an exhaustive look at the musical culture of this fascinating country. If you think salsa is the sum total of Latin American music, then think again -- the hot sound of Panamanian musica tipica and calypso Espanol throws everything into the mix for a non-stop journey through Afro rhythms, carnival sounds, tipica soul and cumbia madness! Listen to the heavy tamborito rhythm of Los Silvertones and you'll hear where the instantly-recognizable, syncopated beat of modern-day reggaeton was born. Check the countrified re-versioning of Willie Colon's classic "La Murga" -- a perfect riposte to those that think Latin music begins and ends with Shakira. Listen to "La Escoba" by Alfredo y Su Salsa MontaXera, and see that the currently in-vogue sound of cumbia owes as much to Panama as it does Colombia. As is the case with all Soundway albums, Panama!2 includes a full-color, 24-page booklet with nuggets of vital information, untold stories behind the music, vintage photos and some very special cover art. Sure to be one of the sure-fire summer soundtracks of the year!
CD $17

also available..

PANAMA! [V.A.] - Vol 1: Latin, Calypso and Funk on the Isthmus 1965-75 (Soundway 07; UK)
CD $17



JIMI HENDRIX/BAND OF GYPSYS - 2 Nights At The Fillmore East [6 CD set] (Voodoo Chile 9001; UK) "'Changes' was a song that could have summarized Jimi Hendrix's life in 1969: arrested on heroin possession charges in Canada in May, the break-up of The Experience in June, formation and disbanding of a new group in July to play Woodstock, forming yet another group in October and, finally, acquittal of charges in December. It was just another turbulent year in the short, incandescent career of one of the 20th century's most influential musicians. Agreement was reached with renowned promoter Bill Graham, a staunch supporter of Jimi, to perform two shows each evening on December 31st 1969 and January 1st 1970 at his New York Fillmore East venue. All four shows were to be recorded and filmed and there was a get-out clause in the contract if Jimi was found guilty at his Toronto trial on December 8th and jailed. In the event, Jimi's honest approach to trial questions convinced the jury of his innocence in this case and he was acquitted. As the Fillmore engagements were not only New Year's Eve/Day shows but also the start of the new decade, Bill Graham marked the occasion by dressing his ushers in special shirts and putting toy tambourines on each of the venue's 2,639 sold-out seats. The concerts opened with a young gospel choir, Voices of East Harlem, prefacing the Band of Gypsys first 75-minute set. Jimi, in true individualistic style, nailed his colours to the mast. These recordings are captured here in this limited edition box set which transports the listener back to the heady days of late '60s, giving those who never experienced a Gypsys concert the chance to hear 6 complete performances without even leaving home! 6 complete Fillmore East performances. 31st December 1969-1st January 1970 -- presented together for the first time. Officially licensed from the estate of Hendrix's former manager, Michael Jeffery. Limited edition -- only 2000 copies world-wide. Featuring Jimi Hendrix: guitar and vocals; Billy Cox: bass and harmony vocals; Buddy Miles: drums and vocals."
6 CD set for $70

JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE - Hendrix Live In Scandinavia Vol. 1 [6 CD set] (Voodoo Chile 9002; UK) "Presented here are complete concerts sourced from amateur recordings with the exception of the 5th September live radio show which is now in improved sound quality over its previous release on Stages. What you will hear on these concerts from Sweden and Denmark is the raw energy of those early shows and the excitement of fans perhaps seeing Jimi for the first time and being blown away by the Experience. You will hear what they heard; you will become part of the audience, you will share their Experience. For us, this more than makes up for what it might lack in recording quality; we believe these tapes have adequate clarity and deserve release on their own merit. You will also hear occasional problems that Jimi faced with the mismatch of volume levels between voice and instruments due to inadequate, low-powered public address systems for his vocals and sometimes unreliable guitar amplifiers. Although on first glance the set-lists look repetitive, one has to bear in mind that Jimi never played the same song in the same way twice. He liked to keep things fresh and was a master of improvisation, hence his love of jamming. 7 complete 1967/68 performances from Sweden and Denmark -- presented together for the first time. 6 CD collectors limited edition. Officially licensed from the estate of Hendrix's former manager, Michael Jeffery. Individually numbered, only 2000 copies world-wide."
6 CD set for $70

JIMI HENDRIX - Jammin' With Jimi [6 CD set] (Voodoo Chile 9004; UK) "As anyone with a passing interest in the music of Jimi Hendrix knows, the legendary guitarist died in September 1970 having only released three official studio albums along with the contract-fulfilling Band of Gypsys live album and the 'work in progress,' Cry of Love which was later to make its posthumous appearance. In addition to these, there were hundreds of hours of unreleased material left in the can. These tapes ranged from casual jams to nearly- finished masters, some of which would eventually see the light of day almost twenty years after Hendrix's death. Jimi however was always happy to jam in the studio and from these sessions often came the ideas for new songs. Hendrix never turned down an opportunity to play with whoever was around or even passing the studio at the time. Some of these jams, with the likes of Steve Winwood and Jefferson Airplane's Jack Casady, would even find an outlet on albums like Electric Ladyland as the track 'Voodoo Chile' proves. Jimi was also keen on jamming live and often got up on stage and joined many a great artist (the most famous of these spontaneous performances was when he jammed with Cream shortly after arriving in the UK in late 1966) and it was even rumored that he had intended to jam with Sly And The Family Stone on the night that he died. Whenever Jimi was in the studio the tapes always seemed to be rolling and from these tapes we have drawn the best examples of Jimi's artistry in the context of a musician jamming with other like minded musicians. 6 CD set, comprising for the first time ever many of Jimi's unique jams, includes BB King, Buddy Guy, Buddy Miles, Elvin Bishop, Eric Burdon, Lee Oskar, Paul Butterfield, Billy Cox, Mitch Mitchell, Tracy Nelson, Juma Sultan, Larry Lee, Mike Ephron and Jerry Velez. Officially licensed from the estate of Hendrix's former manager, Michael Jeffery. Numbered and limited edition of only 2000 copies worldwide. Over seven and a half hours total playing time."
6 CD set for $70

JIMI HENDRIX - Studio Sessions Volume 2 [6 CD set] (Voodoo Chile 9006; UK) "In this Jimi Hendrix studio box set, you will find recordings from a variety of sources: acetates, home recordings, demos, studio jams, alternate mixes and embryonic versions of familiar songs. It is not the purpose of this release to eclipse the three classic albums released in his lifetime but to enhance them. Just as musicologists of our time scrutinize the notebooks and discarded and unfinished works of Mozart, Beethoven and other great composers of the last two centuries to glean insights into their creative minds, so too will musicologists in the late 21st or 22nd century examine the works of one of the most gifted, innovative and influential musicians of the late 20th century. However, we don't have to wait that long to make our own voyage of discovery into the mind and music of Jimi Hendrix. 6 CD set, over 6 1/2 hours of music. Includes the legendary John McLaughlin jam. 8-page booklet. Officially licensed from the estate of Hendrix's former manager, Michael Jeffery. Numbered and limited edition - only 1000 numbered copies worldwide."
6 CD set for $70

JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE - Rockin' The USA Vol. 1 [6 CD set] (Voodoo Chile 9007; UK) "Jimi Hendrix is considered the world's greatest guitarist and has held that title since before his death some thirty eight years ago in London in September 1970. While there were only three officially released studio albums released during his lifetime Jimi was extremely prolific in the live arena and played countless concerts. Whilst Jimi was never an artist to confine himself to one particular area playing in both mainland Europe and also the UK a great many of Jimi's live concerts took place in America hence the title of this boxed set of concert recordings, Rockin' the USA Vol.1. Since Jimi's first concert with The Experience at the Monterey Festival in June 1967, Jimi had played many concerts the length and breadth of the country and performed for literally millions of people. The discs contained in this boxed set cover the period February 1968 through to November 1968. During that nine month period The Experience played three lengthy American tours with more touring in Europe between the two American tours. Jimi also released the hugely successful and influential double album Electric Ladyland in October of 1968. To say that 1968 was a key year for Jimi Hendrix would be perhaps stating the obvious; it was, however, a year when Jimi consolidated his role as perhaps the major live rock act of the time. Whilst the sonic quality of some of the performances contained within this boxed set may not be as good as we would have hoped, we have included them because we felt it right to include these recordings for the sake of history and also to document the live performances of the world's greatest guitarist... Jimi. 7 complete 1968 performances from the USA -- presented together for the first time. 6 CD collectors limited edition of 1000 worldwide. Officially licensed from the Michael Jeffery Estate, Hendrix's former manager."
6 CD set for $70

JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE - Rockin' The USA Vol. 2 [6 CD set] (Voodoo Chile 9008; UK) "Jimi Hendrix is considered the world's greatest guitarist and has held that title since before his death some thirty eight years ago in London in September 1970. While there were only three officially released studio albums released during his lifetime Jimi was extremely prolific in the live arena and played countless concerts. Whilst Jimi was never an artist to confine himself to one particular area playing in both mainland Europe and also the UK a great many of Jimi's live concerts took place in America hence the title of this boxed set of concert recordings, Rockin' the USA Vol.1. Since Jimi's first concert with The Experience at the Monterey Festival in June 1967, Jimi had played many concerts the length and breadth of the country and performed for literally millions of people. The discs contained in this boxed set cover the period February 1968 through to November 1968. During that nine month period The Experience played three lengthy American tours with more touring in Europe between the two American tours. Jimi also released the hugely successful and influential double album Electric Ladyland in October of 1968. To say that 1968 was a key year for Jimi Hendrix would be perhaps stating the obvious; it was, however, a year when Jimi consolidated his role as perhaps the major live rock act of the time. Whilst the sonic quality of some of the performances contained within this boxed set may not be as good as we would have hoped, we have included them because we felt it right to include these recordings for the sake of history and also to document the live performances of the world's greatest guitarist... Jimi. "6 complete 1968 performances from the USA -- presented together for the first time. 6 CD collectors limited edition of 1000 worldwide. Officially licensed from the Michael Jeffery Estate, Hendrix's former manager."
6 CD set for $70

(Please Note: We assume that "Hendrix Live In Scandinavia Vol. 2 [6 CD set]" and "Studio Sessions Volume 1 [6 CD set]" will be arriving here soon - we just cannot confirm how soon - probably right after we send this newsletter. If you want, you can ask us to reserve copies for you)


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Special VISION FEST SALE - $65 on this essential 10 CD + Book Box Set!
[originally $100]
ALBERT AYLER - Holy Ghost; Trane was the Father. Pharoah was the Son. I was the.. [10 CD Box Set and Large Book] (Revenant 213; USA) [New lower price!!!] By 1958, Albert Ayler and his horn had made some rounds: from boy prodigy to teenage member of Little Walter's Blues Band, from 'Little Bird' of Cleveland to featured U.S. Army Band soloist. Then he resolutely set out to forget everything he ever learned about how to properly play the sax so he could channel symphonies to God out of his horn. Seeking nothing short of Truth in music, Ayler shortly became THE catalytic force in defining the sound of the tenor in Free Jazz, and was a heavy influence on John Coltrane's later work. Holy Ghost is the first comprehensive attempt to construct a monument in sound to Albert Ayler, including his never-before-heard first and last recordings, book-ending rare and unissued music from every stage of his career. 9 CDs of rare and unissued recordings, 208 page full color hardbound book, new essays by Amiri Baraka, Val Wilmer, and other Ayler scholars, 10th bonus disc with Ayler as a member of the U.S. Army Band, all housed in a lavish 9.5" square by 3" deep Spirit Box cast from a hand-carved wooden original." [Shipping charges will be above our normally stated guidelines for this item, as you can well imagine]
DISC 1 -
A) Herbert Katz Quintet w/Albert Ayler, Tuevo Suojarvi, Heikki Annala, Martii Aijanen - June 30, 1962 in Helsinki, Finland: 1. Sonnymoon for Two; 2. Summertime; 3. On Green Dolphin Street
B) Cecil Taylor Quartet w/Albert Ayler, Jimmy Lyons, Sunny Murray - November 16, 1962 in Copenhagen, Denmark: 4. spoken intro; 5. Four
C) Albert Ayler Trio w/Gary Peacock, Sunny Murray - June 14, 1964 in New York City: 6. [untitled] ends with "Spirits"; 7. Saints; 8. Ghosts
DISC 2 -
A) Albert Ayler Trio [as above] - June 14, 1964 in New York City: 1. The Wizard; 2. Children; 3. Spirits
B) Albert Ayler Quartet w/ Don Cherry, Gary Peacock, Sunny Murray - September 3, 1964 in Copenhagen, Denmark: 4. Spirits; 5. Vibrations; 6. untitled; 7. Mothers; 8. Children; 9. Spirits
C) Burton Greene Quintet w/Albert Ayler, Frank Smith, Steve Tintweiss, Rashied Ali - February, 1966 in New York City: 10. untitled DISC 3 -
A) Albert Ayler Quintet w/ Don Ayler, Michel Samson, Mutawef Shaheed [aka Clyde Shy], Ronald Shannon Jackson - April 16, 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio: 1. spoken intro; 2. Spirits Rejoice; 3. D.C.; 4. untitled; 5. Our Prayer; 6. spoken intro; 7. untitled; 8. Ghosts
B) Albert Ayler Quintet [as above] - April 17, 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio: 9. Spirits Rejoice; 10. Medley: Prophet-Ghosts-Spiritual Bells; 11. Our Prayer
DISC 4 -
A) Albert Ayler Quintet [as above] - April 17, 1966 in Cleveland, Ohio: 1. untitled/Truth Is Marching In; 2. Spirits; 3. Medley: Zion Hill - Spirits - Spiritual Bells; 4. untitled
DISC 5 -
A) Albert Ayler Quintet w/ Don Ayler, Michel Samson, Bill Folwell, Beaver Harris - November 3, 1966 in Berlin, Germany: 1. spoken intro; 2. Ghosts/Bells; 3. Truth Is Marching In; 4. Omega; 5. Our Prayer
B) Albert Ayler Quintet [as above] - November 8, 1966 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands: 6. spoken intro: 7. Truth Is Marching In; 8. Bells; 9. Spirits Rejoice; 10. Free Spiritual Musics Part IV
DISC 6 -
A) Albert Ayler Quintet w/ Don Ayler, Michel Samson, Bill Folwell, Milford Graves - June 30/July 1, 1967 in Newport, Rhode Island: 1. Truth is Marching In/Omega; 2. Japan/Universal Indians; 3. Our Prayer
B) Albert Ayler Quartet w/ Don Ayler, Richard Davis, Milford Graves - July 21, 1967 ("Coltrane Funeral") in New York City: 4. Love Cry/Truth Is Marching In/Our Prayer
C) Pharoah Sanders Ensemble w/Albert Ayler, Dave Burrell, Chris Capers, Sirone, Roger Blank, + - January 21, 1968 in New York City: 5. Venus/Upper and Lower Egypt
D) Albert Ayler w/ Call Cobbs, Bill Folwell, Bernard Purdie, Mary Parks, Vivian Bostic - ca. late August, 1968 in New York area: 6. untitled blues; 7. untitled sermon; 8. Thank God for Women; 9. New Ghosts [demo fragments]
DISC 7 -
A) Don Ayler Sextet w/Albert Ayler, Sam Rivers, Richard Johnson, Richard Davis, Muhammad Ali, ++, - January 11, 1969 in New York City: 1. Prophet John; 2. Judge Ye Not
B) Albert Ayler Quartet w/ Steve Tintweiss, Call Cobbs, Allen Blairman - July 28, 1970 in Village Vacances Tourisme, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France: 3. Mothers/Children; 4. untitled; 5. untitled; 6. untitled
DISC 8 -
A) Albert Ayler - Interview with Birger Jorgensen, ca. early December 1964 in Copenhagen, Denmark
B) Albert Ayler - Interview with Birger Jorgensen, November 11, 1966 in Copenhagen, Denmark
C) Albert Ayler - Interview with Daniel Caux, July 27, 1970 in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France
DISC 9 -
A) Albert Ayler - Interview with Kiyoshi Koyama, July 25, 1970 in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France
B) Don Cherry - Interview with Daniel Caux, unknown date, 1971 in Paris, France
DISC 10 - Bonus Disc w/Ayler as member of U.S. Army Band!
AND THERE YOU HAVE IT - ALL THIS PLUS A 200+ PAGE HARDCOVER BOOK, TWO OTHER BOOKLETS, ASSORTED OTHER PAPER ARTIFACTS, A CUSTOM MOLDED BOX...
Limited Edition of 5000 copies [and we are near the end of our allotment!]
CD $65.00 7 for 6 SALE.


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Restocks on the great worldly Polish jazz label Not Two:

BASEMENT RESEARCH [GEBHARD ULLMANN/JULIAN ARGUELLES/STEVE SWELL/JOHN HEBERT/GERALD CLEAVER] - Don't Touch My Music Vol 1 (Not Two 803; EEC) Gebhard Ullmann - bass clarinet & tenor saxophone; Julian Arguelles - soprano & baritone saxophones; Steve Swell - trombone; John Hebert - bass; Gerald Cleaver - drums. Recorded Live in concert at Alchemia, Krakow on October 22, 2007.
CD $18

BASEMENT RESEARCH [GEBHARD ULLMANN/JULIAN ARGUELLES/STEVE SWELL/JOHN HEBERT/GERALD CLEAVER] - Don't Touch My Music Vol 2 (Not Two 804; EEC) Gebhard Ullmann - bass clarinet & tenor saxophone; Julian Arguelles - soprano & baritone saxophones; Steve Swell - trombone; John Hebert - bass; Gerald Cleaver - drums. Recorded Live in concert at Alchemia, Krakow on October 22, 2007. "Every track is tantalizing. No matter which way the ear is cocked, the music has vitality, panache, and verve." - Jerry D'Souza, All About Jazz
CD $18

BASEMENT RESEARCH [GEBHARD ULLMANN/TONY MALABY/DREW GRESS/PHIL HAYNES] - Basement Research Live In Munster (Not Two 773; EEC) Featuring Gebhard Ullmann on tenor & soprano saxes & bass clarinet, Tony Malaby on tenor sax, Drew Gress on bass and Phil Haynes on drums. One of the things that make this disc and quartet so special is the often warm and well-matched playing of both saxists. The other great quality is the consistently strong composing and spirited playing throughout. Well done. - BLG
CD $18

MICHAEL BISIO QUARTET With STEPHEN GAUCI/AVRAM FEFER/JAY ROSEN - Live At Vision Fest XII (Not Two 810; EEC) For years, free improvisers have explored the tactile aspect of performance, in which the nature of the encounter between the player and the instrument becomes the subject of the music itself. Bisio is one of the few musicians that has managed to meld this high-concept sense of physicality with the soulful charge of jazz. His fiddle-high, scraped overtones create a tangled choir that is impossible to resist; his expressiveness with the bow is unmatched. Having whirled the listener into a transportive state, he gently shows the way out..." - Paul DeBarros, Signal to Noise
CD $18

ANTHONY BRAXTON/CHRIS DAHLGREN - ABCD (Not Two 768; EEC) Featuring Anthony Braxton on sopranino, soprano, Eb, F-alto, baritone & bass saxes & Bb clarinet and Chris Dahlgren on double bass, preparations & electronics. Both Mr. Braxton and Mr. Dahlgren contribute 4 pieces each, although what we really get is four versions of Braxton's "No. 316" and four versions of Dahlgren's "Penumbra for Woodwind(s) & Bass(es)". This duo continues to blur the lines between "new music" (or modern classical) and avant-jazz. For many of us, it no longer matters if it "swings", what does matter is if this music provides food for thought, a lifeline from the everyday bullshit that holds us all down. It does more than that, it provides us with hope, due to the many possibilities it uncovers along the way. - BLG
CD $18

THE COSMOSAMATICS [SONNY SIMMONS/MICHAEL MARCUS/MASA KAMAGUCHI/JAY ROSEN] - Reeds & Birds (Not Two 757; EEC) This version of The great Cosmosamatics features Sonny Simmons on alto sax, English horn & vocals, Michael Marcus on tenor sax, saxello & b-flat clarinet and Clifford Barbaro on drums for all but the last track in which they use Jay Rosen on drums. Long solos and sax duos make this an event-filled delight. This and every Cosmosamatics release has been a true treasure. - BLG
CD $18

THE COSMOSAMATICS [SONNY SIMMONS/MICHAEL MARCUS/MASA KAMAGUCHI/JAY ROSEN] - Zetrons (Not Two 764; EEC) Featuring Sonny Simmons on alto sax & English horn, Michael Marcus on tenor sax & B-flat clarinet, Masa Kamaguchi on acoustic bass and Jay Rosen on drums ..Hats off to Michael Marcus, who wrote 6 of the 8 tunes here and produced this fine gem. The Cosmosamatics are about to embark yet another European tour as I type this up. You best not miss them, if you have the opportunity to do so. For all of us other hipsters, you can grab this gem for your own. - BLG
CD $18

THE COSMOSAMATICS [SONNY SIMMONS/MICHAEL MARCUS/PETER HERBERT/ART LEWIS] - Free Within The Law (Not Two 792; EEC) This is the 8th disc by the great Cosmosamatics and this version of the band features Sonny Simmons on alto sax & English horn, Michael Marcus on tenor sax & Bb clarinet, Peter Herbert on contrabass and Art Lewis on drums. ..Michael's "Morning Daffodil" has a lovely melody and is a most touching ballad-like song with a wonderful, Trane-like tenor solo by Michael. This great disc ends with another intense, fast and furious freer piece called "The Polish Rally," that brings this release to a masterful conclusion. It doesn't get much better than this! - BLG
CD $18

DOMINIC DUVAL - Songs For Krakow (Not Two 778; EEC) Solo contrabass recorded live at Alchemia in Krakow, Poland in November of 2006. Dominic Duval is one downtown's best acoustic bassists and has been the bassist of choice for numerous projects like Trio X (w/ Joe McPhee), Ivo Perelman, Cecil Taylor and Mark Whitecage. ..I love the way he states the theme briefly at the beginning, before he takes off for the stratosphere, playing around the theme, yet keeping it buried below the surface of his improvisations. Touching, tasty and often quite intense. - BLG
CD $18

MARCO ENEIDI/PETER KOWALD/DAMON SMITH/SPIRIT - Ghetto Calypso (Not Two 769; EEC)
CD $18

ENSEMBLE 56 - 1st Meeting: Towards Sky Flight Of Dragon (Not Two 799; EEC) Ensemble 56 feature Attila Dora on alto & tenor sax & G-clarinet, Rafal Mazur on acoustic bass guitar and Miecyzslaw Gorka on drums & percussion. All the pieces flow seamlessly into one another and the entire 50+ minute set is an intense joyride throughout. - BLG
CD $18

JOE FONDA/MICHAEL JEFRY STEVENS GROUP With HARVEY SORGEN - Trio (Not Two 781; EEC) Featuring Michael Jefry Stevens on piano, Joe Fonda on contrabass and Harvey Sorgen on drums. This is the tenth disc from the great Fonda/Stevens Group, but it is the first one to feature them as a trio. Throughout this disc, one gets the feel and hear that this trio has been together for a long time since they consistently flow together as one formidable force. Joe Fonda's bass continues to blow me away as he reaches for the impossible and achieves what he strives to do. - BLG
CD $18

SATOKO FUJII MA-DO With NATSUKI TAMURA/NORIKATSU KOREYASI/AKIRA KORIKOSHI - Heat Wave (Not Two 806; EEC) Featuring Satoko Fujii on piano & compositions, Natsuki Tamura on trumpet, Norikatsu Koreyasu on bass and Akira Horikoshi on drums. This disc captures the magic that this quartet exudes and reminds me of their amazing set at Guelph: rich and probing in every way. Again, Satoko Fuji and Natsuki Tamura offer one of this year's best discs. - BLG
CD $18

SATOKO FUJII QUARTET With NATSUKI TAMURA/TATSUYA YOSHIDA/TAKEHARU HAYAKAWA - Zephyros (Not Two 752; EEC) Featuring Natsuki Tamura on trumpet, Satoko Fujii on piano & compositions, Takeharu Hayakawa on electric bass and Tatsuya Yoshida (from RUINS!) on drums & voice. .."15 Minutes to Get to the Station" features some that wacky Magma-like vocal weirdness that Tatsuya loves to do with some hypnotic freer playing floating around, but breaking into a more intense, progressive, rocking thing, which moves through complex sections while Natsuki plays a difficult hair-pin turn solo, winding down to more somber conclusion. Once more Satoko Fujii's outstanding quartet delivers!
CD $18

SATOKO FUJII/NATSUKI TAMURA - In Krakow In November (Not Two 774; EEC) This is a superbly recorded studio date recorded in Poland in November of 2005 featuring Satoko Fujii on piano (3 compositions) and Natsuki Tamura (5 compositions) on trumpet.. This is less a taming than a revisitation of an intimacy the artists have explored previously, and individually, on records like Fujii's Sketches (NatSat, 2004) and Tamura's Ko Ko Ko Ke (NatSat, 2004). With just the two instruments on this disc, we hear more of the pure essense of the compositions, revealing an engaging playfulness and often serene introspection, mixed with some of the characteristic Fujii/Tamura intensity (North Wind). - Dan McClenaghan, AAJ
CD $18

THE GANELIN TRIO PRIORITY [VYACHESLAV 'SLAVA' GANELIN/PETRAS VYSNIAUSKAS/KLAUS KUGEL] - Live In Lugano 2006 (Not Two 783; EEC) Featuring Vyacheslav Ganelin on piano, synth & percussion, Petras Vysniauskas on soprano sax and Klaus Kugel on drums & percussion. Ganelin does a wonderful job of playing the piano and synth often simultaneously, creating bass sounds on the synth as he explodes all over the piano, the drums and sax following him and weaving their lines around one another. There are animated, cartoon-like segments, soft, lyrical sections and intense, majestic areas. Superbly recorded, perfectly balanced and extraordinary throughout. - BLG
CD $18

CHARLES GAYLE TRIO - Forgiveness: Jazzga Club 2007 (Not Two 805; EEC) Charles Gayle - almost 70-year-old legend of free jazz. He spent almost 20 years playing on the streets of New York City. Gayle begun his professional career in mid 80s performing in clubs (e.g. Knitting Factory) and recording albums (the most important once for Silkheart, FMP, Thirsty Ear and Clean Feed). He cooperated with free jazz giants: William Parker, Rashid Ali and Chad Taylor among others. This new album was recorded at Jazzga Club, Lodz, Poland on April 25, 2007. Charles Gayle - saxophone, Hillard Greene - bass, Klaus Kugel - drums
CD $18

JOE GIARDULLO - Weather (Not Two 755; EEC) Solo soprano saxophone recorded at Klub Re in Krakow, Poland in April of 2004. Another of our favorite local heroes (actually upstate New York) unleashes a fine solo soprano sax disc. He sounds like he adding some Monk-like phrases on the title track, making a bit Steve Lacy-ish. Coltane's spiritual epic, "A Love Supreme" was done on tenor sax, so hearing it done more quietly on soprano sax is an approach that does work in another way. He does twists some of those notes inside-out. Very nice work from Joe Giardullo. - BLG
CD $18

DENNIS GONZALEZ JNAANA SEPTET With ALVIN FIELDER/CHRIS PARKER et al - The Gift Of Discernment (Not Two 791; EEC) On the first, 15-minute long track, small percussion and gong sounds lead you into a hypnotic African-tinged music, a great bass vamp, with the piano playing some inviting chords, a female voice rejoicing after some ten minutes, accompanied by a background trumpet of twice 10 seconds. And yes, you're right, this is trumpeter Dennis Gonzalez for you : all for the music, even if it means a self-effacing approach. On this percussion-heavy band he is joined by Leena Conquest on vocals, Alvin Fielder on drums, his sons Aaron on bass and Stefan on drums, Robby Marcado on percussion and Chris Parker on piano and percussion. In fact, this is the sequel to Alvin Fielder's A Measure Of Vision which appeared last year on Clean Feed. This is unpretentious, deeply emotional and spiritual jazz, brought by skilled, but more importantly, by inspired musicians. Highly recommended! - FreeJazz Blogspot.com
CD $18

HASIDIC NEW WAVE [FRANK LONDON/GREG WALL/DAVE FIUCZYNSKI/FIMA EPHRON/AARON ALEXANDER] - Live In Cracow (Not Two 706; EEC) Recorded live 6/30/98 with the killer lineup of London, Wall, Dave Fiuczynski, Fima Ephron, and Aaron Alexander! Really hard to come by - grab it now!
CD $18

JIM HOBBS/JOE MORRIS/LUTHER GRAY - The Story Of Mankind (Not Two 793; EEC) Featuring Jim Hobbs on alto sax, Joe Morris on bass and Luther Gray on drums. What I find most interesting about this disc is that it is not as "out" or "free" as what we may expect from Joe Morris and company. It does remain engaging, inventive and surprising in a number of other ways. Solid, Jackson! - BLG
CD $18

DARREN JOHNSTON/FRED FRITH/LARRY OCHS/DEVIN HOFF/CHES SMITH - Reasons For Moving (Not Two 779; EEC) Featuring Fred Frith on electric guitar, Darren Johnston on trumpet, Larry Ochs on tenor & sopranino saxes, Devin Hoff on bass and Ches Smith on drums. These pieces fall somewhere between Massacre and Material, yet they are still unique in their own way. Great things, fellows! - BLG
CD $18

MICHAEL MARCUS - Lotus Symphony (Not Two 807; EEC) Featuring Michael Marcus on B-flat clarinet, Antoine Roney on tenor sax, John Austria on piano, Radu ben Judah or Rashaan Carter on bass and Jay Rosen or Taru Alexander on drums. Downtown multi-reeds wiz, Michael Marcus, has been concentrating on B-flat clarinet only on his past few discs. Over the past decade we've seen/heard more folks concentrating on the clarinet. On "Lotus Symphony", we find that Michael Marcus is one of the best clarinetists around. - BLG
CD $18

MICHAEL MARCUS With DANIEL LEVIN/FRANCOIS GRILLOT et al - The Magic Door (Not Two 777; EEC) Featuring Michael Marcus on B-flat clarinet, Francois Grillot on bass and Jay Rosen on drums plus Daniel Levin on cello, Rashaan Carter & Eric Revis on bass & Newman Taylor-Baker on drums.
CD $18

JOE McPHEE/MIKOTAJ TRZASKA/JAY ROSEN - Intimate Conversations (Not Two 790; EEC) The title of this recording, INTIMATE CONVERSATIONS, refers to the process which helped to generate the music. This is a series of dialogues, intimate in the sense that they involve shared and/or familiar experiences expressed in musical terms. It is a music of the moment; improvisations created in free space, in a first meeting. Like a drawing in ink on rice paper, it is what it is with out pretense, without correction, without apology.
The titles of the pieces are suggestions for further conversations rather than descriptions. The music is a journey of discovery for the musicians and we hope for the listener as well. Labels like "free jazz "and "avant garde" are boxes which limits ones ability to experience discovery on its own terms. "Free jazz" has become and oxymoron and the "avant garde" a throwback style. We hope that the listener will find this simply art in its own time. - Joe McPhee
CD $18

SZILARD MEZEI TRIO - Barkimor, Most / Anytime, Now (Not Two 807; EEC) Featuring Szilard Mezei on viola & compositions, Ervin Malina on double bass and Istvan Csik on drums & percussion. Hungarian string wiz, composer and multi-bandleader, has some strong discs out on Leo, Red Toucan and Creative Sources. This is a studio disc recorded in Serbia in May of 2006. In a blindfold test, many would guess that this is The Revolutionary Ensemble, no small feat for a little known trio from Hungary. - BLG
CD $18

RAVISH MOMIN'S TRIO TARANA With JASON KAO HWANG/SHANIR EZRA BLUMENKRANZ - Five Nights (Not Two 770; EEC) This is the second superb disc from Trio Tarana and it features Ravish Momin on drums, percussion & compositions, Jason Kao Hwang on violin and Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz on oud & bass. Both Shanir and Ravish have chosen perfect partners to blend the various strains and influences that make up their different backgrounds and it is astonishing how well all three players work together as one unique force. It doesn't get any better than this, so dig in. - BLG
CD $18

JOE MORRIS/PETER CANCURA/JASON NAZARY - Fine Objects (Not Two 809; EEC) Joe Morris - bass; Peter Cancura - tenor and soprano saxophones; Jason Nazary - drums
CD $18

NU BAND [MARK WHITECAGE/ROY CAMPBELL Jr/JOE FONDA/LOU GRASSI] - The Dope And The Ghost: Live In Vienna (Not Two 788; EEC) This is the third fantastic disc by the Nu Band featuring the same cast: Roy Campbell, Jr. on trumpet, flugel, flute & vocals, Mark Whitecage on alto sax, clarinet & newspeak, Joe Fonda on contrabass and Lou Grassi on drums, with guest Marco Eneidi on alto sax for one track. There is some incredible, quick tight-knit three horn improv going on that is especially exciting as the rhythm team spins intensely underneath. Yeah! Go ahead guys! Building and building, escalating higher and higher, as each horn takes a solo, soaring into the skies. It is certainly a wonderful thing to go along for the amazing journey to the stars! - BLG
CD $18

BARTLOMIEJ BRAT OLES - Free Drum Suite (Not Two 754; EEC)
CD $18

IVO PERLEMAN & DOMINIC DUVAL - Nowhere To Hide (Not Two 808; EEC) Featuring Ivo Perelman on tenor sax and Dominic Duval on acoustic bass. This is the second duo recording by these two fine musicians and they've played together on a few trio dates as well. Over the past few years, Ivo has been concentrating on painting, his artwork graces the cover of this disc. It is tougher getting gigs nowadays, so one has to be more selective with fewer opportunities for recordings also. The title track is first and you can tell that this duo has had a long history as there is an instant bond of exploration and shared ideas woven together. This piece is nicely understated with a warm flow and little screaming. The balance and tone of each instrument is done just right with a wonderful dialogue that flows freely back and forth. The often relaxed atmosphere and lyrical playing by both players makes this disc most often sublime and quietly spirited. It reminds of two old friends who get together after a long time and reminisce about the good old days with an animated conversation that flows back and forth effortlessly. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $18

MIKE PRIDE With TONY MALABY/WILLIAM PARKER/CHARLIE LOOKER - Scrambler (Not Two 766; EEC) Mike Pride is the kind of musician that makes the current NYC improv underground so vital. He's always challenging himself with new situations and breaking down barriers between different scenes, intermingling avant-rock, avant-jazz, free improv, and miscellaneous wackiness in a countless stream of projects. This disc is a perfect example of his expansive community spirit, bringing together two great avant-jazzers from different circles of activity, not to mention a young guitarist known mostly for his work in the fabulously idiosyncratic post-hardcore art pop band Time of Orchids. Despite the eclectic backgrounds of the musicians, this music is not eclectic at all; it's a totally focused free jazz session that never steps outside of the classic universal music zone, riding the ebb and flow of melody and pulse as an organic unit with shared intentions. Every combination of unique musical personalities offers the potential for unique and great free jazz if they come together with confidence and sensitivity. Here are four musicians who do precisely that, catalyzed by William Parker's locomotive throbs and searing arco. Free jazz is a bottomless well of human spirit and these 2002 recordings issued in an elegant gatefold by the Polish label Not Two is an outpouring well worth lapping up. -Michael Anton Parker
CD $18

DAVE REMPIS PERCUSSION QUARTET - The Disappointment Of Parsley (Not Two 811; EEC) Dave Rempis - alto and tenor saxophones; Anton Hatwich - bass; Tim Daisy - percussion; Frank Rosaly - percussion. The first piece is somewhat of a swinger. For those of you who don't like their free improvisation too jazzy, head for the bar, I play tenor here, and alto on the other two tracks. The second piece is a ballad of sorts, dedicated to my grandmother, Stamata Rempis, who passed away at the age of 102 three weeks before this recording was made. She was one of the strongest and kindest people I've ever known. One last note is that I don't play baritone saxophone on this record. The instrument has become an important part of the band's sound, but the difficulties of touring, and particularly airline travel, make it impossible to carry to Europe. (Not that getting on a train with an alto, tenor, baritone, and a fifty-pound suitcase full of CDs would be easy) Just another example of how the logistical aspects of traveling can unfortunately have profound effects on the music. Finally, many thanks to Dmitriy Krasnov for the name of the record, adapted from one of his short poems. - Dave Rempis
CD $18

RETURN OF THE NEW THING [DAN WARBURTON/JEAN-LUC GUIONNET/FRANCOIS FUCHS/EDWARD PERRAUD] - Crescendo (Not Two 760; EEC) Far from being a subversive play on words verging on paradox, Return of the New Thing is a reminder that tough, uncompromising music was not invented yesterday, but has a history spanning over 40 years.
CD $18

HERB ROBERTSON TRIO With FRANK GRATKOWSKI/JULIAN PETIT + MARCIN OLES/BARTLOMIEJ BRAT OLES - Live At Alchemia (Not Two 785; EEC) Featuring Herb Robertson on trumpets, mutes & compositions, Frank Gratkowski on alto sax & clarinets, Julien Petit on tenor & bari saxes, Marcin Oles on double bass and Bartlomiej Brat Oles on drums. It is always great to hear the ever-inspired Oles brothers playing with the cream of improvisers like David Murray, Ken Vandermark, Chris Speed and Erik Friedlander. Here they are with two other giants, the unstoppable Herb Robertson and the ubiquitous Frank Gratkowski, plus a fine tenor & bari players named Julien Petit. - BLG
CD $18

ROVA SAXOPHONE QUARTET [BRUCE ACKLEY/STEVE ADAMS/LARRY OCHS/JON RASKIN] - The Juke Box Suite (Not Two 786; EEC) The seven compositions on this recording where composed with an idealized Juke Box in mind, where any kind of music might show up from any culture or time and be combined for the next "Play". My music listening has been informed by the spirit and work of Alan Lomax, from blues to raga, ragtime to avant-garde, pygmy chants to Korean court music, following styles and esthetics as they rubbed up against each other in the mingling of culture that was made available by intrepid searchers of music. The "sides" aren't a direct borrowing but a weaving of the common threads that occur in all music's. (Jon Raskin)
CD $18

MATTHEW SHIPP QUARTET With DANIEL CARTER/JOE MORRIS/WHIT DICKEY - Cosmic Suite (Not Two 798; EEC) Featuring Matt Shipp on piano, Daniel Carter on reeds & trumpet, Joe Morris on double bass and Whit Dickey on drums. As the amazing pianist and composer, Matt Shipp, closes in on his 100th disc as a leader or sideman, it is good thing that he didn't honor his promise to retire from recording like he said a few years back. This might just be Matt Shipp's finest disc, it certainly feel that way as I sit back in my chair sipping on some coconut coffee in front of my computer on a hot summer's night. - BLG CD $18

SIRONE's CONCORD [NORRIS JONES] - Concord (Not Two 751; EEC) Sirone double bass, Ben Abarbanel-Wolff sax, Ulli Bartel violin, Maurice De Martin drums
CD $18

HARVEY SORGEN/STEVE RUST/MICHAEL JEFRY STEVENS - Decade (Not Two 762; EEC) Featuring Harvey Sorgen on drums, Steve Rust on acoustic bass and Michael J. Stevens on piano. This is the third album led by Harvey, an undersung but amazing master percussionist, with this trio, one of which was augmented by Herb Robertson and Mark Feldman [on Drimala]. Michael Stevens and Harvey Sorgen have been playing together for many years, going all the way back to the Mosaic Sextet, which also included Dave Douglas & Mark Feldman. Steve Rust, a longtime compatriot of Harvey's [the trio of Harvey, Rust and Bob Windbiel made the very last of the original ESP albums, 'Outlet', more than twenty-five years ago], is pretty amazing throughout this disc, often bursting with ideas, buzzing or banging on the strings intensely at times. Michael J. Stevens is also one of those outstanding and under-recognized heroes of the piano - from his tender moments to his explosive ones, he covers it all. A perfect and well-balanced 'piano trio' date in more ways than one.- BLG
CD $18

STEVE SWELL'S SLAMMIN' THE INFINITE With SABIR MATEEN/JOHN BLUM/MATTHEW HEYNER/KLAUS KUGEL - Live @ The Vision Festival (Not Two 780; EEC) This was indeed one of the most intense and explosive sets of this year's fest. The band was on fire some the first note and my man, Sabir Mateen, erupted on the first solo on alto sax, the impressive rhythm team kicking hard underneath Sabir's screaming sax. Matt Heyner opened the next piece with some mysterious bowed bass, and soon the theme evolved with a most memorable melody and superb slow burning solos from Steve's trombone and Sabir's tenor sax. Sabir's solo started out softly and soon built to boiling point. The third piece had one of those enchanting South African-like gospelish themes that we all love so dear, with the under-recognized John Blum playing another of his great piano solos. Both Steve on trombone and Sabir on various reeds took a number of impressive solos throughout this fine set. This is, without a doubt, one of the finest bands to emerge from the downtown scene in many years. - BLG, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $18

STEVE SWELL'S SLAMMIN' THE INFINITE With SABIR MATEEN/JOHN BLUM/MATTHEW HEYNER/KLAUS KUGEL - Remember Now (Not Two 772; EEC) Featuring Steve Swell on trombone & compositions, Sabir Mateen on alto & tenor sax, clarinets & flute, John Blum on piano, Matthew Heyner on bass and Klaus Kugel on drums. This was indeed one of the most intense and explosive sets of the 2006 Vision fest. Without a doubt, one of the finest bands to emerge from the downtown scene in many years. - BLG
CD $18

OLUYEMI THOMAS With KENN THOMAS/EUGENE WILSON IV/HOWARD BYRDSONG - Nigeria (Not Two 771; EEC) Featuring West Coast mystery man Oluyemi Thomas on bass clarinet, musette & bells, Kenn Thomas on piano & el. piano, Eugene Wilson IV on electric bass and Howard Byrdsong on drums. This is a departure for our favorite Oakland-based reeds hero, Oluyemi, who most often records with his wife Ijeoma in Positive Knowledge. Oluyemi always finds kindred spirits whenever he goes, so here too he has put together a great like-minded quartet that can follow him anywhere as well as help navigate the rapids with inspired results. Free and focused and pretty phenomenal. - BLG
CD $18

OLUYEMI THOMAS/HENRY GRIMES - The Power Of Light (Not Two 787; EEC) Featuring Oluyemi Thomas on bass clarinet, soprano sax, Musette, flute, gong & percussion and Henry Grimes on double bass. Recorded live at the Modern Formations Gallery in Pittsburgh, PA on July 1st of 2006. This is a most impressive and free-flowing duo from two giants. - BLG
CD $18

KAZUTOKI UMEZU KIKI BAND With KIDO NATSUKI - Alchemic Life (Not Two 802; EEC) Kazutoki Umezu is one of the most important reed players in the world. One of his recent projects - Kazutoki Umezu "Kiki" Band" blends elements of middle Eastern music, rock and jazz. Their newest album was recorded at Alchemia, Krakow, Poland on October 15, 2007 by Michal Rosicki (MAQ Studio). Mixed and Mastered by Akinobu Mukaidani (D-Sound). Kazutoki Umezu - alto sax & clarinet; Natsuki Kido - guitar; Takeharu Hayakawa - electric bass; Joe Trump - drums
CD $18

VANDERMARK 5 [KEN VANDERMARK/DAVE REMPIS/FRED LONBERG-HOLM/KENT KESSLER/TIM DAISY] - Four Sides To The Story: Recorded At Alchemia Nov. 23, 2005 [2 LP box set] (Not Two 775; EEC) a LIMITED EDITION [1000 #d copies], DOUBLE-LP BOXSET with 16 PAGE 12x12 BOOK of COLOR PHOTOS & KEN VANDERMARK INTERVIEW...documenting the V5's 2005 gigs in Poland, on their "Color Of Memory" European Tour. FOUR SIDES rivals Not Two's superb ALCHEMIA 12-CD Boxset in quality, is even more limited in quantity, and features live material from both "Color" and the quintet's recently released "A Discontinuous Line". This HEFTY beast is an absolute MUST-HAVE- and it's the first such artifact from the current V5 lineup with Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello.
"When I look back and think about the ideas we were dealing with a year ago, and when I listen to the recording held in that club, I'm confronted with the failures that are there; which is probably why I'd rather be doing something else than writing these liner notes right now. But I'm also excited by what I hear, that the start of the music by the new quintet was so strong. From night to night it continues to be, which is why after ten years this ensemble is still looking for it's next gig- so that it can keep finding something different to say and hopefully pay some of the rent along the way." - Ken Vandermark.
2 LP set for $55

KEN VANDERMARK RESONANCE ENSEMBLE With DAVE REMPIS/STEVE SWELL/MAGNUS BROO et al - Resonance Ensemble: Live At Maria Zankovietska Theatre, Ukraine [Ltd Ed of 500 + poster] (Not Two 800; EEC) [Limited Edition of 500/Numbered] Featuring Ken Vandermark, Dave Rempis, Mikolaj Trzaska & Yuriy Yaremchuk on saxes & clarinets, Magnus Broo on trumpet, Steve Swell on trombone, Per-Ake Holmlander on tuba, Mark Tokar on bass and Tim Daisy & Michael Zerang on drums & percussion. Recorded at the Maria Zankovietska Theatre in the Ukraine on November 17th, 2007.
LP $30

GREG WALL & FRANK LONDON BAND - Birth And Rebirth (Not Two 709; EEC) '99 studio jazz project [from the leaders of Hasidic New Wave] with Josh Roseman, Ethan Iverson, Kenny Davis, Yoron Israel, and Karen Goldfedder guest vocalist on 1 cut. Another hard-to-get EEC item!
CD $18

YURLY YAREMCHUK/MARK TOKAR/KLAUS KUGEL - Yatoku (Not Two 782; EEC) Featuring Yuriy Yaremchuk on tenor & soprano saxes & clarinet, Mark Tokar on acoustic bass and Klaus Kugel on drums. "Although many of these pieces are spontaneously improvised, sections sound composed as the trio seems to always anticipate each other's flights of fancy. An excellent offering all the way around." - BLG
CD $18


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