Celebrate with New Discs from:

Joe Lovano/Masada Quintet! Billy Bang/Shoji Hano! Joelle Leandre/George Lewis! The Sun Ra Arkestra 2008! Steve Swell Planet Dream! Lussier/Tetreault/Yoshihide! Gustafsson's The Things 2 CD set! Weasel Walter/Mary Halvorson /Peter Evans! OffOnOff!

24-bit Mark Powell remasters of Canterbury faves: National Health, Soft Heap, Gilgamesh, Daevid Allen!

A Luc Ferrari 10 CD Set! Two Albert Mangelsdorff Boxes! Two Dave Liebman/Richie Beirach Mosaic Boxes! Asian Improv Catalogue Sale! Large Batch of new Esoteric Progressive Reissue!




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


The Vision Fest is in full swing here in NYC through this coming Monday night. The nature of the space is a beautiful AIR-CONDITIONED theater [yipee!] but there is no area for us to set up our discount tables as in previous years AND simultaneously watch the shows, so we opted out of presence there.

HOWEVER, if you have the Vision Fest Program with our ad/coupon in it, you can still come down to our HQ at 13 Monroe St. and take $2 OFF EACH AND EVERY USED CD YOU BUY!
[and if you don't have a program, just mention the ad and you will get the discount. This is good for instore purchases ONLY]

To see what goodies can be found instore currently, just go to

http://192.168.1.2/first.cgi?row_boolean_00=AND&select_field_00=Artist&search_00=&match_00=all+of+these+words&row_boolean_01=AND&select_field_01=Artist&search_01=&match_01=all+of+these+words&&Work=0&New_Merch=0&Available=0&Special=0&Pre_Order=0&Cd_Sale=0&Used_Stock=1&fmt_CD=1&fmt_LP=0&fmt_VHS=0&fmt_Cassette=0&fmt_DVD=0&fmt_Miscellany=0&Paging=0&Search.x=70&Search.y=9#results

[you may have to copy and paste this entire link into yr browser]




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


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


Sunday, June 28th at 6pm:

TOM HAMILTON & BRUCE EISENBEIL!
Pogus CD Release Celebration for this wonderful Guitar & electronics Duo!


Sunday July 5th Double-Header:

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!

7pm - SKYE STEELE & JOHN HADFIELD!
Extra Special Violin & Percussion Duo!


Sunday, July 12th at 6pm:

RAS MOSHE & THE INTERSTELLAR EXPLORERS!


Sunday, July 19th at 6pm:

STEW CUTLER & JOHNNY ASIA!
Two Great Guitarists Come Forth!


Sunday, July 26th at 6pm:
JASON KAO HWANG & STEVE SWELL!
Ace Violinist & Tremendous Trombonist!


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


HUGH HOPPER, Soft Machine bass legend, passed away earlier this week at 64 years of age. This is the saddest news I've heard in quite a while. For those of you who read the DMG newsletter regularly, you know that Soft Machine were and are our musical heroes. From the time I discovered their first album ('Volume 1') in 1968 until their 8th album ('Bundles') in 1975, they were the most important progressive band of their era and influenced discerning music listeners and 'progressive' musicians worldwide back then and ever since.
After being a member of the early pre-Softs band, the Wilde Flowers, Hugh Hopper was a roadie for Soft Machine in 1967, during the time when they were opening for the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Hugh joined Soft Machine in 1968 on electric bass with Mike Ratledge on fuzz organ and Robert Wyatt on drums & vocals. Hugh was an integral member of the ever-changing Soft Machine line-up from 'Volume Two' in 1969 to 'Six' in 1973. Hugh invented his own distinctive sound of the electric bass, often referred to as "fuzz bass" since the distortion device he used was original known as a fuzz pedal. Hugh was also a pioneer in the exploration of tape loops and other strange devices (the tootlebug?) to alter the sound of his bass. Although all five Soft Machine albums that Hugh appears on are pretty great, their 'Third' double album from 1970 remains a favorite for many Softs fans. I myself find that 'Four' and 'Six' are also amazing in their own ways. Hugh's composing for all of the Softs records was also extraordinary. Hugh also made a number of superb solo albums like '1984', which had long and bizarre sounding pieces for solo electric bass through different devices, and the stunning, still-fresh 'Hopper-Tunity Box'. Both are highly recommended as well.
Soon after leaving Soft Machine, Hugh joined Isotope in 1975 for a couple of their albums. I was fortunate to catch Isotope twice in 1975 (Philly & London) and really thought that they were one of the finest fusion bands ever. I interviewed Hugh (& Gary Boyle from Isotope) in London in December of 1975 and after the end of the interview Hugh asked if I would like to meet Robert Wyatt, perhaps my favorite vocalist/musician/songwriter/enigma of all time, so we did and spent a few hours speaking with Robert and Alfie. For that alone, Hugh, I remain forever in your debt. And of course Hugh played on Robert Wyatt's classic 'Rock Bottom' album, a favorite album of many. Hugh submitted three bass parts and Robert used all three.
I've remained in touch with Hugh ever since, a more charming fellow I can't think to recall. Hugh Hopper went on to play in dozen of projects like Stomu Yamashta's East Wind, Carla Bley Euro Band, In Cahoots, Gilgamesh, Hughscore, Brainville, Bone, Soft Heap, Soft Head, Soft Works, Soft Machine Legacy and Soft Mountain.
During the infamous New York City blackout in August of 2003, I booked Hugh and Elton Dean to play at Bowery Poetry Club along with Dennis Gonzalez & Jim Matus. Even with no electricity or lights the show still went on with Hugh playing a borrowed acoustic guitar from our friend Virginia Tate. The band played illuminated with just Manny holding flashlights and no PA.
In December of 2006, I invited Bone (Hugh, Nick "Dr Nerve" Didkovsky & John Roulat) to play at The Stone, a trio that previously only existed on disc via mail collaboration! Bone met for the first time played two great sets at The Stone, and the next night Hugh played with Fred Frith & Chris Cutler, another first. Just last year, Bone reunited once again and played one set at DMG (hooray!) & one in Baltimore. Another Soft Machine fanatic, saxist Ras Moshe, sat in with them for one piece, making all of us proud. Pictures of Bone at DMG will appear on our website soon so stay tuned.
Over the past few months Hugh was found to have leukemia, lost weight, and suffered through difficult times. In recent times [2006] we lost Elton Dean and Pip Pyle. It is a truly sad day for those of us who consider themselves to be fans of the so-called 'Canterbury Scene'. A scene which doesn't really and never actually existed except in the minds of those who believe in it. Brother Hugh Hopper, you were indeed a special spirit and an incredible music force that will never be forgotten.

- Bruce Lee G, MannyLunch, Mike P, Bret, Chuck & Joe.


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




New on Tzadik!

JOHN ZORN MASADA BOOK TWO: MASADA QUINTET [JOE LOVANO/DAVE DOUGLAS/URI CAINE/GREG COHEN/JOEY BARON] - Stolas: 'Book Of Angels' Vol. 12 (Tzadik 7375; USA) For this very special release in The Book of Angels series, Zorn has brought together five of the most acclaimed musicians in modern jazz to perform nine of his most distinctive and lyrical compositions. Truly a jazz supergroup, these five master musicians - Joe Lovano, Dave Douglas, Uri Caine, Greg Cohen, Joey Baron - explore Zorn's beautiful and exotic tunes with profound melodic and harmonic knowledge and a depth of feeling that is a joy to hear. One of the most breathtaking CDs in the entire Masada series - a touch of the sublime from the beautiful new Masada Quintet! TZADIK ARCHIVAL SERIES
CD $14

PERRY ROBINSON & BURTON GREENE - Two Voices in the Desert (Tzadik 8142; USA) Close friends since the mid 1960's, Burton Greene and Perry Robinson are two of the most infamous and legendary pioneers of free jazz and the downtown scene. Performing together in a wide variety of bands and ensembles for over four decades, their telepathic rapport is in sharp focus in this intimate duo recording - their first! One of the greatest modern jazz clarinetists in the world meets virtuoso pianist Burton Greene in this historic new installment to Radical Jewish Culture. TZADIK RADICAL JEWISH CULTURE SERIES
CD $14

TIM SPARKS - Little Princess (Tzadik 8143; USA) Another fabulous CD of traditional Jewish music arranged for fingerstyle guitar and performed by the wonderful trio of Tim Sparks, Greg Cohen and Cyro Baptista, whose CD Tanz was released in 2000 to great acclaim. Focusing this time on the traditional repertoire of the great Klezmer clarinetist Naftule Brandwein, the arrangements are delightful, highlighting Tim's elegant guitar style and fine ear for detail and harmonic sophistication. Naftule features colorful and lyrical music that takes the Jewish tradition into the 21st century with style, originality and a charming sense of wit. TZADIK RADICAL JEWISH CULTURE SERIES
CD $14



New on RogueArt!

JOELLE LEANDRE/GEORGE LEWIS - Transatlantic Visions (RogueArt 20; EEC) The best of 2008's Vision Fest for me was the duet with Joelle Leandre on contrabass and George Lewis on trombone, but no electronics. Some folks just can't get next to George's electronic playing, but I have no problem with it. What I did like was that this duo just played acoustically, just a double-bass and a trombone. A strong bond existed between these master musicians; they listened closely and responded sympathetically. Although it was improvised, it was a coherent conversation shared by friends, both on stage and in the audience. I loved the way this duo tossed ideas back and forth, sending messages telepathically. There was one section when both musicians did some vocals that were simultaneously enchanting and hilarious. It seemed as if Joelle would start a sentence and George would finish the sentence with no break in the flow of ideas. It made me realize that there is fine line between comedy and drama as well as between the serious and the ridiculous nature of things. I didn't realize it at the time but Joelle was unhappy with the way the performance went for her, since the heat and humidity effected the bass and bow and she struggled throughout the set. This was not at all obvious to the audience since many felt that this was Thee set! Here it is on RoguArt, preserved for future generations! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16

JACQUES BISCEGLIA, photos & STEVE DALACHINSKY, poems - Reaching Into The Unknown 1964-2009 (RogueArt; EEC) Steve Dalachinsky, poet and New-Yorker, if there ever was one, and Jacques Bisceglia, photographer and Parisian, if there ever was one, have forever been capturing the moment. Neither the tools nor the styles are the same, only in common do they share the captured instant. From the confrontation of these snapshots came to life Reaching Into the Unknown. Through looking at the poems, through reading the pictures, you will hear the music, you will understand jazz better than by reading an informative book on the topic. Most of the musicians you will meet in there are those who have pushed, and still do so, musical expression to its utmost boundaries, on a quest for a more spontaneous, more direct, deeper-rooted music, with the capacity of sticking to the emotions, to feelings, and the most complex and contradictory human behavior. In the same respect, this book ventures into the unknown as it tells the story of life. - Michel Dorbon
180 photographs, 140 poems, 440 pages, 45 years of musics!
[Note: extremely heavy book for shipping purposes!]
BOOK $60


BILLY BANG/SHOJI HANO + KIMIE SAKAKI - East Meets West: Four Seasons (Heart Lord/Kootown; Japan) Billy Bang (electric violin); Shoji Hano (drums); Kimie Sakaki (Koto). Just picked these up from Billy at the Vision Fest [he's given us a special price to pass along - these would normally sell for $25], haven't had time to play, but there's only a few copies, so ..
CD $18



New On Smalltown SuperJazz!

OFFONOFF [MASSIMO ZUMA/TERRIE EX/PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE] - Slap And Tickle (Smalltown SJ 164; EEC) Featuring Massimo Pupillo (from ZU) on electric bass, Terrie Ex (from the Ex) on electric guitar and Paal Nilssen-Love (from Scorch Trio & The Thing) on drums. They recorded this gem live in concert at Kongsberg International Jazzfestival in July 2007. With the two tracks, Slap & Tickle on 32 & 16 minutes, they attack all senses with an exploding riot of free rock. If possible to describe, the music is in the midst of Black Flag, DNA, Pere Ubu, Last Exit, James Blood Ulmer, early Sonic Youth & of course Terrie's very own legendary band The Ex. All free improvised. Total freedom, total rock!
CD $15

THE THING [MATS GUSTAFSSON/INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN/PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE] - Bag It! [2 CD set] (Smalltown SJ 155; EEC) After 4 intensive days of recording with Steve Albini (WTF!?! Thought he didn't like jazz) The Thing created Bag It!, a new mastodon of ecstasy music. The Thing is well known for their free jazz versions of rock classics from artists such as PJ Harvey, White Stripes, The Sonics, Yeah Yeah Yeahs & Lightning Bolt. This time the band is only doing two rock interpretations, one by Japan's 54 Nude Honeys & one by the The Ex/ Muzsikas. The rest of the tracks on the album are written by Mats Gustafsson, Ake Hodell, The Thing, Duke Ellington & Albert Ayler.
This CD edition also contains an extra bonus CD with a 30 minutes long impro suite (also recorded by Albini) titled "Beef Brisket - for Ruby's".
2 CD set for $16

and, back in stock..

THE THING [MATS GUSTAFSSON/INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN/PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE] With JOE McPHEE/THURSTON MOORE et al - Now And Forever: The Thing (Tribute to Don Cherry)/She Knows/Gluttony/Live At Oya [3 CD + DVD set; Ltd Ed of 2000 copies] (Smalltown SJ 130; EEC) Annoucing the release of The Thing box set titled "Now And Forever". The box includes their two first albums, "The Thing" [a tribute to Don Cherry,] from 2000, and "She Knows.." with Joe McPhee containing covers of Cherry [his piece The Thing, from which this group derives their name] , Ornette, Frank Lowe, et al] from 2001, that were both released on Mats' own Crazy WIsdom label. The albums have been deleted for years, and we are happy to finally get these lost classics back in print. Also there is a new CD, Gluttony, with one 57 minute track improv session from December 2005. And a DVD of The Thing live at the Oya Festival in 2005 with Thurston Moore (of Sonic Youth) on guitar! Oh, and yeah, this box set is a limited edition of 2000 copies, so unflatten yr thumbs NOW! "The new stuff is amazing, and those first two Thing albums belong in EVERY downtowner's player, with their amazing interpretations of pieces by of Don Cherry, Ornette et al. Googleplex THUMBS UP!" - MannyLunch
3 CD + DVD box set for $50



New from Portugal's Clean Feed!

STEVE SWELL PLANET DREAM With ROB BROWN/DANIEL LEVIN - Planet Dream (Clean Feed 148; Portugal) Steve Swell, trombone / Rob Brown, alto saxophone / Daniel Levin, cello. In this present age of the history of humanity, there are few places left for a true utopia. The world has already experienced some of those ideal systems, but the results were tragic. Even in literature utopian thinking seems to have vanished. Only in music is there still a place to wonder, especially when it deals with spontaneous and non-hierarchical procedures. Musical improvisation is becoming the only possibility left to forge micro-societies of freedom and egalitarianism, without having to choose between the two to achieve good results. That's what trombonist and composer Steve Swell had in mind with the project Planet Dream, "a sound world where everything is as it should be, where the acceptance of self, the acceptance of change, the acceptance of others and their music should come to us as naturally as the air we breathe. Those 'others' are alto saxophonist Rob Brown and cellist Daniel Levin, each one with their own concepts and processes of music making. The trio established a kind of 'social contract' which enables the music to be what it is here: highly creative, with no rigid boundaries, free-flowing, developed with the respect of each individual space, but at the same time collective and empathic. A sample of what the world could be if everybody wanted it, after all a very ancient dream. But take note: this isn't wishful music; it's really happening here. And that is very, very precious.
CD $16

DANIEL LEVIN QUARTET With NAT WOOLEY/MATT MORAN/PETER BITENC - Live At Roulette (Clean Feed 147; Portugal) Daniel Levin, cello / Nate Wooley, trumpet / Matt Moran, vibes / Peter Bitenc, bass. The Daniel Levin Quartet has already shown on prior recordings that a change of conventional instrumentation in a jazz combo is enough to explore an entirely different world of musical gesture, timbre, and expression. In the case of this latest release, Levin dispenses with his own convention of using song structures as the basis for improvisation. Instead, he gave trumpeter Nate Wooley, vibraphonist Matt Moran, bassist Peter Bitenc (and himself on violoncello) a set of words and concepts, and allowed the dialogue between the musicians to proceed in the most immediate fashion imaginable. You have to follow the individual movements in the large musical spectrum offered without expecting them to be in the usual place. You'll soon find that's the most interesting way to keep track of all the conversations established and the little games of tension the band creates. Everything moves, like in a Morton Feldman composition, with the difference that, here, there is the element of surprise provided by improvisation. Here is a music entirely of our time.
CD $16

CHRISTIAN LILLINGER'S GRUND With TOBIAS DELIUS/WANJA SLAVIN/JONAS WESTERGAARD/ROBERT LANDFERMANN/JOACHIM KUHN - First Reason (Clean Feed 142; Portugal) Tobias Delius saxophone, clarinet / Wanja Slavin saxophone, clarinet, melodica / Jonas Westergaard double bass / Robert Landfermann double bass / Christian Lillinger drums, percussion / Joachim Kuhn piano (on tracks 1, 5, 9).
Yes, this is organic music, with the low frequencies of two basses forging the ground (and that explains the name of this band, Grund) of everything happening musically, two saxophones (doubling on clarinets) on top, and everywhere the presence of Christian Lillinger, a pupil of Gunter 'Baby' Sommer who plays the drum kit thinking composicionally. In three tracks, also a very special guest on piano, Joachim Kuhn. With this unconventional formation, Lillinger goes from one extreme to another: he combines rhythm and melody with no harmony in between, and he melts all instruments in a blurred mix of sounds, going totally harmonic and abstract. First Reason is the most advanced jazz played nowadays in Germany and in Europe, and knowing the list of collaborators of this drummer is to clarify the importance he achieved in the scene: Urs Leimgruber, Rudi Mahall, Mederic Collignon, Frank Gratkowski, Axel Dorner, Daniel Erdmann, Gebhard Ullmann, John Schroder, Simon Nabatov and Ernst Ludwig Petrowski are some of them, musicians of several generations and orientations. He's involved in collectives like Hyperactive Kid, Spoom, Wanja Slavin Sextett, Gschlossls Vierergruppe and Joachim Kuhn Berlin Trio important cells of the 21st century jazz in the Old Continent. Slavin is one of the reedmen here, and the basic quintet also includes a growing star of the tenor, Tobias Delius. His partnerships are similarly astonishing: Steve Lacy, Louis Moholo, Bill Frisell, Misha Mengelberg, Jeb Bishop, Kent Kessler, Hamid Drake, Ray Anderson, and Han Bennink are among the improvisers who called him to play together. And then you have Kuhn, the first name everybody pronounces when the subject of the conversation is the European pianistic mastery in this kind of music. Simply remarkable.
CD $16

TRESPASS TRIO [RAYMOND STRID/PER ZANUSSI/MARTIN KUCHEN] - "..Was There to Illuminate the Night Say.." (Clean Feed 149; Portugal) Raymond Strid drums / Per Zanussi double bass / Martin Kuchen alto and baritone saxophone. These are difficult times to be an idealist in what concerns the social function of music. Do really the art of sounds can change the world, something that many believed possible in the Sixties and Seventies? There's no clear answer in the present state of things (alienation seems to be the result of the growing access to information), but Sweden saxophonist Martin Kuchen plays his horn with a message. Either you hear it or you don't, or either this purpose is effective or not at all, but truth is the saxophone lines you'll find in "..Was There to Illuminate the Night Say.." have a character of urgency and commitment that turns the Trespass Trio in a must. Per Zanussi and Raymond Strid may be less political than their partner, but they're entirely involved in the struggle to warn us that there's a hidden and sad reality underneath the apparent calm of our everyday lifes in an Occidental city. Somewhere there's a war going on with thousands of victims, or there's repression, racism and injustice, and these simple facts pose a moral dilema to each one of us. How can we be indifferent? What can a musician do if not creating music with this in mind? So, this is a hard, boiling, angry disc, recorded not to entertain you, but to defy your ears and conscience. There's no middle term: you have to take it or to live it. If you choose the second option, the loss is yours.
CD $16

LUIS LOPES/ADAM LANE/IGAL FONI - What Is When (Clean Feed 146; Portugal) Luis Lopes, guitar / Adam Lane, double bass / Igal Foni, drums. In music, the art of time, you necessarily find the 'what' in the 'when'. And the 'what / when' factor, here, is a jumpy, unquiet, syncopated music coming from the same sources which originated both the Delta and the Chicago blues, the most primordial rock 'n' roll, hardcore punk and free jazz: guts and nerves. So, it's with no real surprise that Portuguese guitarrist Luos Lopes, American contrabassist Adam Lane and Israeli drummer Igal Foni play a strange hybrid of all those styles. Maybe the jazz element is the concrete assembling everything else in this CD, but it's also true that the purpose was to form a power trio, just like the ones celebrated in the history of rock: Jimi Hendrix's Band of Gypsys and Experience, Cream, Blue Cheer, Rush and Motorhead are good examples. Or Sex Pistols, without the vocalist. And a power trio indeed we have, sometimes brutal, but not making things to easy (the rhythms are quite complex, nothing a teenage garage band can do), with no unnecessary ornamentations but evident efficacy. This is emotional, raw, in-your-face music, with lots of feedback and distortion and astonishing solos. When the risk to get tired with all the run turns a menace, they give you some moments of piece, but even in those softer interludes they grab your heart and mind and take it off.
CD $16


RODRIGO AMADO/KENT KESSLER/PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE - The Abstract Truth (European Echoes 03; Portugal) Featuring Rodrigo Amado on tenor & bari saxes, Kent Kessler on double bass and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums. This is Portuguese sax master Rodrigo Amado's fourth disc as a leader and his second with this all-star trio. Rodrigo is also a member of the Humanization Quartet who played here at DMG earlier this week (6/8/09) and were splendid. This is a studio session with incredible sound and equally strong playing. Right from the first note it sounds as if we are sitting in the center of the trio. Although all of the piece are group improvs, it sounds as if they were pre-planned, since the trio plays so tightly together. On "Clouds and Shadows" the bass and drums spin furiously around Rodrigo's baritone sax intensely and tightly weaving an intricate web of hyper activity. Even when the trio is playing slower and more freely, there is a constant connection that holds them together. Kent's haunting bowed bass is at the center of "The Kiss", the sax and bass playing similar sounds and interweaving just right and Kent's bowed solo is outstanding. This is a consistently strong and spirited trio that sounds as if they have been playing together for many years. All hail these wonderful free spirits! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16



New from The Sun Ra Arkestra!

SUN RA ARKESTRA Directed By MARSHALL ALLEN - Live At The Paradox, 2008 (In And Out 77098; Germany) Recorded at the ZXZW Festival, Tilburg, The Netherlands, on Sept. 20th. 2008. M Allen alto sax, flute, clarinet, EVI; Charles Davis, YahYa Abdul Majid tenor saxes; Knoel Scott alto sax; Danny Thompson, Reynold Scott baritone saxes; Cecil Brooks, Fred Adams trumpets; Dave Davis trombone and tuba; Farid Barron piano and organ; Juni Booth doublebass; Dave Hotep guitar; Wayne Smith Jr drums; Elson Nascimento surdo and percussions.
"I had the good fortune to hear and see the Sun Ra Arkestra last night (6/10/09) at the 14th Annual Vision Fest and they were pretty amazing! This disc was recorded in September of 2008 and it captures the relatively same Arkestra in all of its glory. Commencing with Marshall's "Space Walk" which features layers of EVI (electronic valve instrument), guitar, piano, occasional horns, bass and percussion, we are slowly heading out to outer space. What I dig about this is the way the Arkestra plays freely yet there is a lovely floating vibe that connects everyone into a cosmic dreamscape. "Discipline 27" has that incredible, magical riff that still stays with me and keeps me humming some thirty years after I first heard it at Soundscape in 1979. The version here is genuinely uplifting, and it segues into another favorite of mine "I'll Wait for You" from the album 'Strange Celestial Place'. The Arkestra plays these tunes with a jubilant, swinging spirit that is infectious and most of the horn players get a chance to solo throughout, often playing short, concise and powerful solos. Whether playing Sun Ra's "Dreams Come True" or Fletcher Henderson's "Hocus Pocus", the band illustrates the long history of jazz (big bands!) that makes one feel so good. This recording was from a club in the Netherlands so we can hear folks talking quietly between the songs, which actually adds to homey ambiance. Marshall Allen wrote four of the nine songs here in the Sun Ra vein and plays some extraordinary solos as well. The Arkestra is particularly tight and festive moreso than the last time I caught them (quite a while ago). Considering the large amount of Sun Ra reissues and rarities that have been released over the past few years, it is great to hear some new Sun Ra Arkestra music that is as great as anything we've heard from the past! Space is the place indeed!" - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16

and a few copies of these, which we haven't had in a LOOONG time:

SUN RA ARKESTRA Directed By MARSHALL ALLEN - Music for the 21st Century: Live At The Uncool Festival, Poschiavo, Switzerland 2003 (El Ra 50322; USA) Second post-Sun Ra recording from the Arkestra under the direction of Marshall Allen, 2003. M Allen alto sax, flute, clarinet, EVI; Charles Davis, YahYa Abdul Majid tenor saxes; Knoel Scott alto sax; Reynold Scott baritone sax; Michael Ray, Fred Adams trumpets; Tyrone Hill, Dave Davis trombones; Bill Davis doublebass; D Hotep guitar; Luqman Ali drums; Elson Nascimento surdo and percussions, Arnold Jenkins voice.
CD $15

SUN RA ARKESTRA Directed By MARSHALL ALLEN - A Song For The Sun (El Ra 99021; USA) First post-Sun Ra (now residing on his home world of Saturn) studio recording from the Arkestra under the direction of Marshall Allen, 1998. M Allen alto sax and flute; Charles Davis baritone sax; Noel Scott alto sax; Ya Ya Abdul Majid tenor sax; Michael Ray, Fred Adams, David Gordon trumpets; Dick Griffin, Tyrone Hill, Dave Davis trombones; John Ore doublebass; Bruce Edwards guitar; Damon Choice vibes; Luqman Ali drums; Ted Thomas, Jimmi Esspirit, Jorge Silva, Elson Nascimento percussions, Art Jenkins voice.
CD $15

TERRY ADAMS + MARSHALL ALLEN - Ten By Two (Edisun 22; USA) 2005. Marshall Allen: alto saxophone; Terry Adams: piano, DX-7. The Sun Ra Arkestra leader meets NRBQ founder!
CD $15



RENE LUSSIER/MARTIN TETREAULT/OTOMO YOSHIDE - Elektrik Toboggan (Victo 115; Canada) The fifth and final day of Victo 2008 began with a mighty fine trio that hadn't played together previously: Otomo Yoshihide on turntable & guitar, Rene Lussier on guitars and Martin Tetreault on turntables. It is true that Otomo and Martin have recorded previously as have Rene & Martin, but this was their first meeting as a trio. It seemed obvious to me that these musicians have played together before since they worked so well together here. Starting quietly with soft turntable sounds, somber guitar fragments and eerie electronic sounds, building into a restrained yet quietly exciting sound. The next piece began with Rene and Otomo playing a thick double feedback guitar storm, howling notes erupting together just right, eventually calming down to hushed drones, humming noises and static. A perfect combination of odd sounds. Both guitars erupted once more into an intense rave-up with Martin's turntable noise as a great accompaniment. Both Martin and Otomo played soft, haunting sounds on the turntables together at times sounding like some radiators hissing. One of the best things about this set is the way Rene alters the sound of his guitar on each piece to evoke a wide variety of guitar led sounds and episodes. Otomo is also most selective musician whether playing turntables & manipulating their sounds or playing the guitar that rests in his lap. Martin Tetreault also plays turntables differently than anyone else, rarely using records and often just manipulating the turntable itself. This was a most magical set that will hopefully be released in the future. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $15


WEASEL WALTER/MARY HALVORSON//PETER EVANS - Mystery Meat (ugExplode 35; USA) [limited CD-R Edition] Featuring Mary Halvorson on guitar, Peter Evans on trumpets and Weasel Walter on drums & clarinet mouthpiece. This disc was recorded on tour at three gigs in Philly, Rochester and Troy, NY in September of 2008. The irrepressible Weasel Walter continues to amaze us with a handful of different bands and discs to prove how many successful and inspired projects he can organize in a short period of time. Weasel knows how to choose great collaborators and has put together this extraordinary trio to wow us and them, those that attended these gigs. Both Mary Halvorson on guitar and Peter Evans on trumpets are amongst the most acclaimed new musicians to emerge from the downtown scene over the past few years and are certainly worthy of the recognition. This disc shows why and how they can pull things off and still blow minds. Starting with "Sir Salisbury" the trio trades licks at a furious pace yet the sound is clear, the music exciting. This is quite a strong, well-balanced trio, completely integrated and able to flow around one another intricately. What amazes me about this is the way they keep moving, trading licks and work their way through a variety of genres, textures and ever-shifting bag of surprising twists and turns. Their is no actual leader as each member inserts ideas and changes the direction at a moment's notice. You couldn't call this music completely free either since there are too many references and shifts in direction. In many ways this is the future of improv that has gone beyond the usual expectations and into something else not yet named. Pretty f**king amazing stuff one again! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $14


TALIBAM! [MATT MOTTEL/KEVIN SHEA] + DANIEL CARTER - The New Nixon Tapes (Roaratorio 16; USA) LP only! Since 2003, NYC's Talibam! have been charting a course through the improv waters in a way that few other groups can pull off. Rock, jazz, noise and all stops in between collide in an aggressive mix that defines free music in the best sense of the term: nothing is deemed out of bounds. Too much fun to be a po-faced postmodern exercise, and too expertly played to be sunk in a morass of good intentions, The New Nixon Tapes hurtles through two side-long pieces in an agile cascade of rhythmic and melodic ideas. Kevin Shea (drums) and Matt Mottel (synthesizer) have worked with Cooper-Moore and Rhys Chatham, among others; here they're joined by master saxophonist/trumpeter/flautist Daniel Carter. Recorded live in the WFMU studios. MP3 download coupon included.
LP $17



New on Ambiances Magnetiques!

CHARITY CHAN - Somewhere The Sea And Salt (AM 188; Canada) Featuring Charity Chan on extended piano & objects. This is Ms. Chan's second disc for the Ambiances Magnetiques (AM) label and I have had the good fortune to hear her play live with AM All-Stars at The Stone last year. This is a solo piano effort and it sounds as if Charity has been working hard at developing her own sonic-world. The sounds she evokes from the piano are carefully chosen, occasionally dark and often most haunting. It sounds as if Ms. Chan is playing a harpsichord at times, from the way the strings are plucked. There are moments when it is difficult to tell what exactly she is playing since some of the sounds are somewhat alien and not very piano-like. Each piece seems to cast a spell and often evokes ghosts or floating spirits. The production work on this disc is especially fine, richly dynamic, capturing the piano in all of its glory. This is refined gem that should be savored for a calm, rainy day. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $15

NORMAND GUILBEAULT ENSEMBLE//CHARLES MINGUS - Live At Upstairs 2008: Hommage A Mingus (AM JZ 185; Canada) Performers: Matthieu Belanger, Jean Derome, Normand Deveault, Normand Guilbeault, Ivanhoe Jolicoeur, Claude Lavergne, Karen Young "Tears came to my eyes when I started reading Normand Guilbeault's transcriptions of tunes like What Love and The Black Saint & The Sinner Lady. I guess a pilgrim reaching Mecca for the first time must be experiencing similar feelings, or an art lover who finally gets to see a long-time favorite painting 'in the flesh.' Mingus's music is controversial, politically engaged, generous, warm, and passionate. It is not for the lukewarm and the undecisive. There is something simultaneously provocative, sexual, and mystical about it. It draws a wide landscape of America, an epic fresca that runs deep into the roots of jazz music. Very few American composers have successfully depicted their continent this perfectly, except maybe Duke Ellington and Charles Ives. You cannot enter Mingus country like a traveller on an organized trip, or a visitor on a museum tour - you have to throw yourself into it, body and soul. It's a huge territory with several hundred compositions. I have always listened to Mingus's music, but I had never given serious thought to the idea of really exploring it as a performer. It seemed to me that the music was too viscerally tied to Mingus himself, leaving little room for interpretation. In other winds, for a long time I thought you couldn't actually 'play' Mingus. The Normand Guilbeault Ensemble has been proving me wrong for 14 years now." - Jean Derome, January 2009
CD $15

MARILYN LERNER/MATT BRUBECK/NICK FRASER - Ugly Beauties (AM 187; Canada) Ugly Beauties is the self-titled debut CD of Toronto-based master improvisers pianist Marilyn Lerner, cellist Matt Brubeck and drummer Nick Fraser. Recorded in the summer of 2008 at the Glenn Gould Studios at CBC Toronto, the 15 tracks feature both partially written and totally improvised music with composition contributions from each member of the trio. Ugly Beauties explores the terrain between jazz, contemporary classical music and improvisation. Piano, cello and drums interweave to create a boundless palette of texture and mood, and the breadth of sonic experimentation at times renders the three instruments indistinguishable from each other. Lerner, Brubeck and Fraser possess an uncanny synergy and improvisational virtuosity, with allows the music to remain free as it circulates effortlessly around groove, abstract lyricism and harmonic exploration.
CD $15

MANKIND [D. KIMM + ALEXIS O'HARA] - Ice Machine (AM 186; Canada) Finally, the collaboration between D. Kimm and Alexis O'Hara has found its way on record. I saw this duo at FIMAV back in...2007? 2006? Kimm and O'Hara are two multitalented poets/performer artists/sound artists. O'Hara tends toward derision and psycho-sexual sarcasm over a noise background; Kimm's work is more nuanced, combining humour and tenderness, depth and pulsion. Together, they brew quite a sonic stew! Intriguing poems, coldish (hence the title) and occasionally trashy sound textures. Very well done. - Francois Couture
CD $15


PENDULUM [[DAVE] DAVID LIEBMAN/RANDY BRECKER/RICHIE BEIRACH/FRANK TUSA/AL FOSTER] - Live At The Village Vanguard 1978 [Ltd #'d 3 CD set] (Mosaic Select 032; USA) [LIMITED TO 5000 #'D COPIES] n February 1978, saxophonist Dave Liebman assembled Pendulum, a formidable quintet with trumpeter Randy Brecker, pianist Richie Beirach, bassist Frank Tusa and drummer Al Foster. The group was assembled for a one-week engagement at the Village Vanguard in New York City. Sadly, its lifespan was that one gig, but fortunately John Snyder of Artists House Records and engineer David Baker were on hand to record the last two nights of the run. The following year, stunning performances of Beirach's Pendulum, Liebman's Picadilly Lilly and Wayne Shorter's Footprint were issued on an Artists House LP. The label soon fell into inactivity and this critically acclaimed album by five post-bop masters fell off the radar.
Case closed until Liebman recently revisited those tapes and came up with three CDs of explosive music with scorching versions of "Solar", "Well, You Needn't", "Blue Bossa", "Impressions" and more. Fueled by Al Foster's unrelenting fire, Liebman, Brecker and Beirach take chorus after brilliant chorus. This might be the finest example of what an extraordinary improvising artist Randy Becker is; few recordings capture him at this level. This is hard-hitting modern jazz performed by musicians who grew up on hard bop and informed it with the later innovations of John Coltrane and Miles Davis.
3 CD set for $48

also available..

[DAVE] DAVID LIEBMAN & RICHIE BEIRACH & With QUEST/LOOKOUT FARM - Unreleased Live Recordings 1976-1991 [Ltd #'d 3 CD set] (Mosaic Select 012; USA) [LIMITED TO 5000 #'D COPIES] Saxophonist David Liebman and pianist Richie Beirach were among the brightest musicians to emerge in the '70s. They were among the first generation of musicians to be profoundly influenced by the music of the Coltrane quartet and the Miles Davis quintet as well as musical influences outside jazz (Indian, classical, R & B etc).
Their creative life together falls into three chapters, each of which is represented by a CD of live and previously unissued music on this set. In the '70s, their eclectic group Lookout Farm with Frank Tusa and Jeff Williams made its debut on ECM Records in 1973. The six extended pieces on this set come from San Francisco's Keystone Korner in 1976. The chemistry between Liebman and Beirach ran so deep that duet performances were a natural outgrowth of Lookout Farm. These duos, four of which are contained here from 1976 and 1990, were fascinating musical dialogues in the language of modern jazz that both men love and share.
The last chapter of this collaboration is Quest, a quartet with Ron McClure and Billy Hart that spanned 1982 to '91. This group wasted little time building up steam and deliver one brilliant, intense piece after another. They tackled challenging compositions and the improvisations and interaction were of the highest order. The five masterpieces here are from 1988 and 1991.
The '70s and '80s were a confusing time for jazz and artists like Liebman and Beirach, as busy and prolific as they are, stand the chance of being overlooked when the history books are written. Hopefully the superb music on this set will help change that.
3 CD set for $48


JACAM MANRICKS With BEN MONDER & TYSHAWN SOREY - Labyrinth (Manricks; USA) Featuring Jacam Manricks on alto & soprano saxes, flutes, clarinets & compositions, Ben Monder on guitars, Jacob Sacks on piano, Thomas Morgan on acoustic bass and Tyshawn Sorey on drums plus a chamber orchestra on two tracks. Just about every week I get a promo disc in the mail from someone I know little or nothing about and am then surprised to find another great musician and/or composer to rave about. This week's award for best undiscovered gem goes to Jacam Manricks, whose quintet disc with an all-star NY crew has knocked me out. This looks to be Jacam's second disc as a leader, and he has also worked with Australian pianist Barney McAll, and been in the group Som Sum Sam with Tyshawn [on Konnex]. He teaches at the Manhattan School of Music and has done his fair share of Broadway shows. None of that has much bearing on how great this disc is.
"Portal" begins our journey with a short piece that moves in circles and is complex yet calm at the same time. "Micro-Gravity" is influenced by Arnold Schoenberg and some oblique harmonies with a chamber orchestra floating around the quintet in a most cerebral way. It is a treat to hear the great Ben Monder take sublime floating solo while the chamber group hover around him. Jacam is also a member of the chamber orchestra and takes thoughtful solo from within their cloud dance. The title track is stunning, sort of M-Base like but slowed down a bit with a great slow-burning sax solo from Jacam. Ben Monder plays superb acoustic guitar on the exquisite yet melancholy "Move On" which features a lovely soprano solo from Jacam. "Cloisters" reminds me of the complex yet elegant blend of styles found in Third Stream music, something we don't hear much of nowadays. I dig the way Jacob Sacks piano solo starts slowly and builds to more rich and intricate waves which is then followed by a fine solo from Manricks which evolves in a similar way as it moves through sections. Mr Manricks' music often seems one way on the surface yet reveals other ideas underneath when we take the time to listen and absorb. One of the things that I dig about this disc is the way some of these players are provided with the challenge of playing something quite different from we have come to expect from them. Hence, we hear Jacob Sacks and Tyshawn Sorey playing in new ways that would make it difficult to tell who they were in a blindfold test. Without a doubt this is this week's greatest discovery. It is now your turn to collect the rewards found within. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $15


ADAM ROGERS With JOHN PATITUCCI/CLARENCE PENN - Sight (Criss Cross 1313; EEC) Most widely known as a first call sideman with the likes of the late Michael Brecker and Chris Potter, guitarist Adam Rogers is himself a composer of note, as he's documented on four prior Criss Cross recordings. On his fifth outing for the label, Rogers offers a crackling set of standards in triologue with world-class partners John Patitucci and Clarence Penn, placing his formidable technique at the service of musical imperatives and swinging all the way.
"Superb jazz guitar trio effort from one of my favorite (former fusion) guitarists. Great covers of Woody Shaw, Thelonius Monk and Charlie Parker, plus a few standard and originals by Adam." - BLG
CD $16


J D ALLEN TRIO - Shine! (Sunnyside 1225; USA) Tenor saxophonist J.D. Allen III was born in Detroit, Michigan December 11, 1972. He is a member of the third wave of young lion mainstream jazz players. As a young man, he was influenced by the great musicians who stayed in Detroit, but upon his arrival in New York City, his real apprenticeship began, working with such notables as George Cables, Betty Carter, Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, Frank Foster's Loud Minority big band, Butch Morris [which this new CD has a composition by], David Murray, and Wallace Roney.
Jazz is equal parts structure and freedom. The framework of written tunes is just a jumping off point for the exploration of improvisation. JD Allen explores these aspects further with his new recording Shine!. Along with bassist Gregg August and drummer Rudy Royston, Allen propels through a collection of original songs and open improvisations to stunning effect.
CD $16


ADAM CAINE TRIO - Thousandfold (NoBusiness CD 03; EEC) Featuring Adam Caine on guitar, Tom Blancarte on bass and John Wagner on drums. Adam Caine is a guitarist, improvisor and composer. Adam fronts the Adam Caine Trio with Tom Blancarte and John Wagner and the Adam Caine Quartet with Nick Lyons, Adam Lane and John Wagner. Adam also plays in Johnny Butler's Scurvy and Eric Eigner's Mysterium.
Adam grew up in Rochester, New York and studied music at the University of Rochester. Since 2000 he has lived in Brooklyn, New York and has played in New York City and throughout the United States. Adam has performed with Connie Crothers, Paul Smoker, Daniel Carter, Ken Filiano, Phil Haynes, Glen Branca, Haale, and the New York Soundpainting Ensemble. Adam's 2005 CD, "PIPE," received rave reviews in the Wire, Cadence, and All About Jazz. In 2008, Adam was awarded a grant from the Brooklyn Arts council for an improvised performance with visual artist Marjan Moghaddam. As a composer for video art, Adam's music has been featured in over 20 international festivals since 2006.
CD $17


SIGNAL TO NOISE - The Journal of Improvised Music (Issue 54/Summer 2009; USA) ON the Cover: Sonic Youth!
MAGAZINE $5


KURT GOTTSCHALK - 246 [CD ep] (Batterrie 05; USA) Featuring Kurt Gottshalk on guitar. Kurt, who also performs under the name Casey G, is one of the best music journalists writing today - and a good friend. I've heard and dug the two Ecstacy Mule discs but wasn't sure what to expect from Kurt for a solo effort. He performs two long pieces here, "Bluely" and "Wild Eyes". "Bluely" sounds like the lonely wail of Loren Connors, quietly distorted guitar smoldering in the distance. We hear the actual strings being struck acoustically on one side and the heavy distorted version on the other side. Outside my window it is still gray and drizzling like it has been doing for the past couple of weeks. Yuck. It makes me feel sad and melancholy sort of what this music evokes in me. Eventually Kurt starts playing fast and twisting those notes inside out with that drone-like echoplex adding to the mystery and then calming back down to a more stark conclusion. Nearly 36 minutes is a long time to bathe in the darker regions but it is a most effective way of dealing with (y)our demons. "Wild Eyes" also deals with distant yet heavily distorted strings. I like this but I kept waiting for the sunshine to break through the morass. Somewhere on the other side of the planet someone is listening to this and hoping for better days. Are those days ahead of us or just behind us? You tell me. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $8


HOT TROCHE [RYOHEI KOBAYASHI] - Yopaakuyu With Me (Illegal Art 110; UK) From the same label that brought you the amazing Steinski reissues, Illegal Art digs out a mysterious young secret from Japan known as Hot Troche. Hot Troche aka Ryohei Kobayashi, is a maniacal musician utilizing electronics and his mouth (literally the sound of his mouth) as main instruments birthing a music so compelling it confuses and pleases at the same time. Hyper-active fragmented discordant grooves ooze out of this sophomore release which bring me great happiness. You can hear the machines fight him, sometimes gag him, but all in good fun. You will not know whether you should sit down to absorb on headphones or to crank this up and boogie down; both are suitable and enjoyable! If anyone had any queries about what dimension the early Boredoms stuff resides in or if Yximalloo and Adachi Tomomi has been influencing the young, the answer is here my friend. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!! -Chuck Bettis/DMG
CD $17


SEABROOK POWERPLANT [BRANDON SEABROOK/TOM BLANCARTE/JARED SEABROOK] - Seabrook Powerplant (Loyal 06; USA) Featuring Brandon Seabrook on guitar & banjo, Tom Blancarte on bass and Jared Seabrook on drums. I know of string bender Brandon Seabrook from a duo he had with tuba wiz Jesse Dulman, as well as a band called Beat Circus who have two discs out on Cuneiform & Innova. Contrabassist Tom Blancarte is half of the fab duo with Pete Evans and seems to turn up all over the place in recent days. He will be playing a bass duet here with Adam Linson on July 5th.
This trio is something else again, often crazed, intense and over-the-top! On "Peter Dennis" the banjo erupts furiously with the bass and drums burning underneath. I dig the way that this power trio is led by a crazed and talented banjo player who seems to be bowing his banjo. They don't quite sound like anyone else and make a great deal on unexpected twists and turns. What's interesting about this is that it doesn't quite sound like any other guitar trio that I've heard. The structures and guitar sounds are filled with surprises as if Brandon is somehow re-inventing the trio. It is not so easy to describe since it doesn't sound like anyone else. It is most often tight and quick-changing tempo-wise. A most unexpected delight in more ways than one. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $15


MIKREH [MIKE GOLEN/MICHELLE WEBB/ADAM JENNINGS] - The Same Sun Is Shining Now As Was Shining Then (Power Silence; USA) A: Collaborative effort between experimental guitarist Michelle Webb and Chicago group Winters In Osaka. B: Music inspired and informed by violence in the middle east. C: A ritual bath used for spiritual purification.
CD $14


STEFANO SCIPPA With SIMONE RAVAGLIA/LUIGI CORRIDONI - Rebirth Of Devine: New Directions OF Sacred Music (Breathe 2008; Italy) Stefano Scippa: soprano sax; Simone Ravaglia: oud, classic guitar; Luigi Corridoni: violoncello, acoustic bass European early sacred and secular music are the millenarium roots that nourished for centuries western musical culture and towards which all the major following traditions owe some debt. Nowadays, we live in a time that favours flourishing of massified art as a fast fruition object and we must witness a progressive draining of contents yet into the exasperated abundance of forms. This process is probably being accelerated by great facility to gain informations that once were accessible only through direct experience, mainly out of actual travels to the places that kept a unique heritage. Sadly, this standardization course marks the extinction of distinct traditions as the identity basement of different civilizations. This affirmation gets more urgent if we acknowledge the belief that beauty lies just in the plurality and richness of people's expressions.
RebirthOfDivine is a project whose intention is to renew the value of themes belonging to early sacred music tradition through replacing them into a modern perspective, yet respecting the very essence and spiritual nature of the material. The acoustic trio features experienced musicians gifted with sensitivity: the small ensemble shifts gracefully drawing on early themes, the basic material that frames the whole performance. The tunes are employed in the fashion of former 'tropes', like maps or faint guides that helps in finding a route that's ever changing. Little by little invisible lines reveal the architecture of a music reflecting yet transparency and sheer beauty. Eventually, chosen as a setting, sites of sacred nature, historical or archaeological importance may contribute to deliver the whole suggestive power this music holds. With careful reference to the vaults of Gregorian and Ambrosian chant, Jewish or Psalmodic music, and even middle age codex, which contain all of the intensity of popular folklore, the starting constituents are treated with new techniques proper to the intuitive music and the improvisational lesson of afro - american experience, typical tools of the present creativity.
CD $15



These Magelsdorff treasures have finally come in!

ALBERT MANGELSDORFF With HEINZ SAUER/GERD DUDEK/LEE KONITZ/SLIDE HAMPTON/GERD DUDEK/GUNTER LENZ - 80th Anniversary Release - Originals Vol 1: Zo Ko Ma/Wild Goose/Never Let It End/Trombone Workshop/Birds Of Underground [5 CD box set] (MPS/Universal; Germany) Mangelsdorff 80th Anniversary Release #1
Disc 1: ATTILA ZOLLER/LEE KONITZ/ALBERT MANGELSDORFF - Zo Ko Ma (1968)
Disc 2: COLIN WILKIE & SHIRLEY HART + ALBERT MANGELSDORFF/JOKI FREUND - Wild Goose (1969)
Disc 3: ALBERT MANGELSDORFF QUARTET With HEINZ SAUER/GUNTER LENZ/RALF HUBNER - Never Let It End (1970)
Disc 4: JIGGS WHIGHAM/ALBERT MANGELSDORFF/AKE PERSSON/SLIDE HAMPTON - Trombone Workshop (1971)
Disc 5: ALBERT MANGELSDORFF QUINTETT With HEINZ SAUER/GERD DUDEK/BUSCHI NIEBERGALL/PETER GIGER - Birds Of Underground
5 CD set for $75

ALBERT MANGELSDORFF With GUNTER HAMPEL/JOHN SURMAN/WOLFGANG DAUNER/BARRE PHILLIPS/EDDIE GOMEZ/ELVIN JONES/PIERRE FAVRE et al - 80th Anniversary Release - Originals Vol 2: The Wide Point/Solo Now/A Matter Of Taste/A Jazz Tune I Hope/Triple Entente [5 CD box set] (MPS/Universal; Germany) Mangelsdorff 80th Anniversary Release #2
Disc 1: ALBERT MANGELSDORFF With PALLE DANIELSSON/ELVIN JONES - The Wide Point (1975)
Disc 2: ALBERT MANGELSDORFF/GUNTER HAMPEL/JOACHIM KUHN/PIERRE FAVRE - Solo Now (1976)
Disc 3: MUMPS (ALBERT MANGELSDORFF With THE TRIO: JOHN SURMAN/BARRE PHILLIPS/STU MARTIN) - A Matter Of Taste (1977)
Disc 4: ALBERT MANGELSDORFF With WOLFGANG DAUNER/EDDIE GOMEZ/ELVIN JONES - A Jazz Tune I Hope (1978)
Disc 5: ALBERT MANGELSDORFF TRIO With LEON FRANCOLI/PIERRE FAVRE - Triple Entente (1982)
5 CD set for $75

ALBERT MANGELSDORFF - 80th Anniversary Release - Solo: Trombirds/Tromboneliness/Solo [2 CD set] (MPS/Universal; Germany) Mangelsdorff 80th Anniversary Release #3
Three solo trombone albums complete on 2 CDs: Trombirds (1973), Tromboneliness (1977), Solo (1982)
2 CD set for $32



Talk about a fast selling CD! We've gone through 3 large restocks of this - time for YOU to check it out!:

PROFOUND SOUND TRIO [ANDREW CYRILLE/PAUL DUNMALL/HENRY GRIMES] - Opus De Life: Live At The Vision Festival 2008 (Porter 4032; USA) Featuring Paul Dunmall on tenor sax & bagpipes, Henry Grimes on bass and violin and Andrew Cyrille on drums. This was recorded at last year's Vision Festival in June of 2008 and was one of the hottest performances ever in more ways than one. " Most folks know that Paul Dunmall is one my favorite reedmen on the planet, as well as being a good friend of mine. I continuously promote his works, since he makes so many folks happy when he plays, which is not often enough here in NYC. This was a nearly perfect trio with that intense and highly creative free spirit at the center. The set developed organically with Paul breathing fire on his tenor. Henry played intense bowed and plucked bass while Andrew walked around his drum-set and still sounded great. Dunmall has a strong Trane-like tone and took his time to build into a whirlwind-like storm. Henry sounded especially great while pumping hard underneath the sax and locking in with Andrew's swirling drums. I was glad to see that Dunmall had his bagpipes, since he was unable to bring them in the last time he was here, for the DMG fest in December of 2006. Paul took a long and engaging bagpipe solo, one of the things that makes Mr. Dunmall so unique. Mr. Cyrille took one of his customary dynamic drum solos and I was pleased to hear Dunmall do some intense blasting that had some folks screaming for more. It turns out that it was too darn hot on stage as well and Dunmall nearly fainted." This dynamite disc captures this incredible set without having to bathe in sweat for the entire performance. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $14



and a BIG Price Break on this recent release!
[originally $26]

KEITH TIPPETT TAPESTRY ORCHESTRA - Live At Le Mans 1998: First Weaving [2 CD set] (RedEye/EditionRecords 1009; UK) First Weaving is from the 1998 Le Mans Jazz Festival; a gigantic session which became an underground classic despite never being commercially available. Originally commissioned by the BBC it stayed under wraps because the intention was to produce a studio recording for which the funding never materialized. Although acknowledged as one of the great founding fathers of Post Modern British jazz, Keith Tippett is a mysterious figure, always on the edge of contemporary music. Today he is probably best known for his solo explorations in spontaneous composition, an irony given his history in collective music making, (i.e. Centipede, Ark, Mujician Quartet, and the Georgian Ensemble etc.)
There is a whole debate about the relationship between the 'jazz orchestra' and 'big band' traditions, one that is complicated still further by a composition such as First Weaving, which draws inspiration from music reaching well beyond the label jazz. It is not just about orchestrating, Keith Tippett uses written composition to open up space for twenty, thirty, forty other soloists to come together to extend the possibilities of the score sheet. First Weaving is from a certain place. The Fifth and Sixth Threads commencing Disc Two sound like prophetic elegies for nations which, in 1998, had still to suffer the tragedy of conflict. We know what happened. This music remains a First Weaving. If ever there was music which embraces hope it is here. The Tapestry Orchestra contains musicians who were there right at the beginning in Centipede - among them Larry Stabbins, Louis Moholo, Mark Charig, Paul Rutherford, Dave Amis, Julie Tippetts, Maggie Nicols and the late Elton Dean. First Weaving unites some of the most important innovators on the British scene, playing in a setting well beyond national boundaries. It has taken nine years for this brilliant performance to be heard on CD, now that it is available on Red Eye Music; it needs to be listened to more than ever. (Steve Day)
Keith Tippett - grand piano; Julie Tippetts, Maggie Nicols, Vivien Ellis - voices; Paul Dunmall, Simon Picard, Larry Stabbins - tenor saxophones; Elton Dean, Gianluigi Trovesi, Lee Goodall - alto saxophones; Marc Charig, Pino Minafra, Gethin Liddington, Jim Dvorak, - trumpets; Paul Rutherford, Malcolm Griffiths, Dave Amis - trombones; Oren Marshall - tuba; Paul Rogers - double bass; Tony Levin, Louis Moholo - drums
CD $20



LUC FERRARI - L'Oeuvre Electronique [10 CD + Book Box Set] (INA GRM 6017-26; EEC) "The decision to make a boxed set called Luc Ferrari, electronic works, and defining the word electronic in the widest sense possible, was to bring together an essential part of this composer's work: tape music without any classical instruments. From L'etude aux accidents (1958) to Arythmiques (2003), the 31 works in this compilation will help the listener to discover all the facets of his art based on captured sounds. He tried and tested all the different techniques of studio work: brilliantly elaborated electroacoustic works, radio-phonic story-telling or Horspiele, which he particularly appreciated or other semi-improvised works. This editorial choice is not a question of drawing lines between electroacoustic music with live instruments which he mastered perfectly, and this one here that is only composed of fixed and manipulated sounds. What we wanted was to show the strong links between natural sounds and their score on this subject, Pierre Schaeffer always insisted on the necessary balance between sound material and music. Just the strength of recorded sounds (voices, landscapes, strange sounds, everyday scenes, etc.) without formal mastery is not enough to maintain an attentive ear. In this way, each work of Ferrari's is a discrete lesson in music. Ferrari was always very lucid when he claimed that a composer was a little like a 'journalist' who, through his composition, witnessed the state the world was in while at the same time creating a work of art. This is another aspect of this edition: as we listen and in filigree, half a century unfolds before us. Technological progress, political awareness, reports and essential encounters are witness to a committed artist." -- Daniel Teruggi / David Jisse
CD1: 'Etude aux accidents,' 'Etude aux sons tendus,' 'Etude floue,' Echantillon pour mimes,' 'Visage 5,' 'Tete et queue du dragon,' 'Tautologos 1,' 'Tautologos 2,' 'Music Promenade.'
CD2: 'Heterozygote,' 'J'ai ete coupe,' 'Petite symphonie intuitive pour un paysage de printemps.'
CD3: 'Presque rien no 1 ou Le lever du jour au bord de la mer,' 'Presque rien no 2 ou Ainsi continue la nuit dans ma tete multiple,' 'Presque rien avec filles,' 'Presque rien no 4 : la remontee du village.'
CD4: 'Danses organiques.'
CD5: 'Ouvert-Ferme,' 'Unheimlich Schon,' 'Derivatif.'
CD6: 'Dialogue ordinaire avec la machine ou trois fables pour bande doucement philosophiques,' 'Strathoven,' 'Capricorne,' 'Chute libre.'
CD7: 'Far-West News 1 : De Santa Fe a Monument Valley,' 'Far-West News 2: De Page a Grand Canyon.'
CD8: 'Far-West News 3: De Prescott a Los Angeles,' 'Archives genetiquement modifiees.'
CD9: 'Les Anecdotiques, Exploitation des Concepts No 6,' 'Numero quatro, Ronda Espagne, juin 2001. Un groupe de touristes espagnols dans un musee,' 'Plaza de toros, Ronda. L'arene est en reparation,' 'Essayage, Saint Jean d'Angelys, France. Juillet 2001 Pendant une repetition, les comediens essaient leur costume,' 'Le ciel de Toscane Italie. Aout 2001,' 'Superstrada no 2. Toscane,' 'Un cypres au coucher du soleil. Toscane,' 'Mer d'Eze. France. Septembre 2001,' 'Les Vendanges. Saint-Laurent d'Eze, France,' 'Le Ranch. Texas USA, Octobre 2001,' 'Chicago USA. Octobre 2001. Repetition pour un concert,' 'Harley Davidson. Texas. Promenade du dimanche dans un village,' 'Les chaussures rouges. L'Estaque, France. Juillet 2002. Visite a la cimenterie Lafarge,' 'Trou de mer, L'Estaque. Juillet 2002,' 'La Joliette. Port de Marseille. France. Embarquement des containers,' 'Les portes du Rove. L'Estaque, meme periode. Le Rove est un tunnel maritime qui donne dans une calanque a l'Est de l'Estaque.'
CD10: 'L'escalier des aveugles (1991),' 'L'escalier des aveugles,' 'Intermede,' 'Suzanne et le clochard,' 'Interlude,' 'El cuerpo ingles,' 'Interieur,' 'Hommage a Lorca,' 'Izaskun et la pomme,' 'Interference,' 'Sans savoir pourquoi,' 'Nada,' 'Madrid kilometre zero,' 'La nouvelle de l'escalier,' 'Les Arythmiques (2003).'
10 CD Box Set with 100-page book for $105


New book from Buddy's Knife!

ROY NATHANSON - Subway Moon: Poetry [Book] (Buddy's Knife; Germany) Roy Nathanson is an internationally acclaimed jazz composer and saxophonist whose music is inconceivable without his poetry. His career began in the mid 70's playing with R&B luminaries like Shirley Alston of the Shirelles, to Charles Earland's band, to The Lounge Lizards, to The Jazz Passengers which he co-founded with Curtis Fowlkes in 1987. The Passengers have made eight CDs and have done extensive touring over the years. He has been the principle composer of the band and has written songs for Elvis Costello, Jeff Buckley, Deborah Harry, Jimmy Scott and many others in that capacity.
Subway Moon his first full book of poetry was written on Brooklyn's Q train and explores the oddly spiritual and intensely public underground space of the New York City Subway through his own internal lens. His words are sounds that he bends and stretches, twists and tucks, until they give up their meanings, until they become notes. As Judith Volmer says, "Rails vibrate the street, window glass splinters a lover's reverie, and these poems tune us into a thousand mysterious sounds, with heart and lyrical muscle." Or says Jeff Friedman, "His is an ancient voice crying out in the wilderness, and his wilderness is the subway."
BOOK $22

and a few copies left of..

WILLIAM PARKER - Who Owns Music? [Book] (Buddy's Knife; Germany) William Parker is not only one of the most important composers and bassists in the creative music world, he also occupies an influential role as an integral figure in contemporary US avantjazz, for example through his association with the annual New Yorker Vision Festival. This jazz festival is the successor of the Sound Unity Festival, which he initiated in 1984 together with Peter Kowald. In the 1970s he led his own groups such as "Centering Music And Dance Ensemble", "The Aumie Orchestra", and was a member of groups lead by Cecil Taylor, Frank Lowe, and Don Cherry. In the 1980's he played with Bill Dixon, Peter Brotzmann, David S. Ware and Matthew Shipp. In 1993 he started his quartet called In Order To Survive and the Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra in 1994 and more recently, "The William Parker Quartet", and quintet "Raining On The Moon" as well as other special projects including the inside songs of Curtis Mayfield "Music And The Shadow People" and many others.
"who owns music?" assembles William Parker's political thoughts, his musicological essays and his poems. He writes as musician, as teacher, as son, as father, but primarily as a human being, to whom it is important to contribute to shaping the world according to his spirit. The texts are both statements and dreams, just as many of his improvisations in their own right.
BOOK $24

HENRY GRIMES - Signs Along The Road: Poetry [Book] (Buddy's Knife; Germany) In the '50s and '60s, Henry Grimes played with the giants of jazz of that time: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, Roy Haynes, McCoy Tyner, Don Cherry, Albert Ayler, Cecil Taylor, Roswell Rudd, Bill Dixon, Frank Wright, and many more. Then he suddenly disappeared from the music world without a trace... only to surface again thirty years later (in spite of the obits in various jazz magazines) with a musical presence more intense and imaginative than ever. His return to the limelight of the New York clubs was THE event in the jazz world. "All about Jazz"/New York nominated him "Musician of the Year" in 2003.
For two decades the master bassist had not touched an instrument. Instead he wrote. Henry Grimes' poems express his links with the world when his own world was marked by painful break-ups. His poems express his inner musical cosmos when he found it impossible to play the bass: the testimony of a musician without an instrument....But always a musician!
BOOK $22


ANTHONY BRAXTON - Quartet (GTM) 2006 [4 CD set] (Important 184; USA) 'Quartet (GTM) 2006' is Anthony Braxton's first release for Important Records. GTM stands for Ghost Trance Music and this four CD box set contains four Ghost Trance compositions recorded in quartet with Anthony Braxton playing reeds, Max Heath on piano, Carl Testa on bass and Aaron Siegal on percussion. This 4 CD box also contains a definitive essay by Braxton on his Ghost Trance compositions. Anthony Braxton (born June 4, 1945 in Chicago) is an American composer, saxophonist, clarinetist, flautist, pianist and philosopher. Over the course of his career he has crafted an immense body of highly complex work. Though Braxton is hardly known to the casual listener he is certainly one of the most prolific American musicians/composers to date, having released well over 100 albums since the 1960s. In 1994 he was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship. Braxton plays a multitude of instruments including the flute; the sopranino, soprano, C-Melody, F alto, E-flat alto, baritone, bass, and contrabass saxophones; and the E-flat, B-flat, and contrabass clarinets. Early in his career, along with trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith and violinist Leroy Jenkins, Braxton led a trio and was involved with the AACM or the Association For The Advancement of Creative Musicians.
(Out of print, but we 3 copies left)
4 CD set for $60


ALVA NOTO [CARSTEN NICOLAI] + RYUICHI SAKAMOTO With ENSEMBLE MODERN - Utp_ [DVD + CD] (Raster 96; Germany) On the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the city of Mannheim, Germany, Alva Noto (Carsten Nicolai) and Ryuichi Sakamoto were invited to develop an audio-visual performance together with Ensemble Modern of Frankfurt am Main. The concept of the arising piece named Utp_ is derived from the Rasterized structure of Mannheim (built as an ideal city in the 17th century) and also pays reference to the musical history of the city. The result of the collaboration -- like the former projects of Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto -- Vrioon (2002), Insen (2005) and Revep (2005) -- is a synergetic mixture of electronic and natural sounds that is expanded by the potential of the classical instruments of Ensemble Modern. Utp_, the title of the new composition is deduced from the term "utopia," and hence describes an approach that leaves space for further extensive associations. The DVD contains the Utp_ concert movie and an Utp_ "try-out" to document both the developing process of the piece and the final result. 5.1 channel Surround Sound; 2.0 channel Stereo sound; region-free, NTSC. Includes a 16-page booklet containing color images and a text by David Toop, plus a 28-page score.
DVD+CD for $30


DUB ECHOES//BRUNO NATAL, dir - Dub Echoes [DVD] (Soul Jazz 200; UK) "This film marks both the 40th anniversary of the invention of dub and the 20th anniversary of the death of King Tubby, the genius legend of this far-reaching musical revolution. Dub Echoes is an amazing newly produced documentary about dub and its influence on the development of contemporary electronic music worldwide. Three years in the making and featuring an incredible array of artists -- both Jamaican legends (U Roy, King Jammy, Lee Perry, Sly and Robbie, Bunny Lee, to name a few), alongside a similarly awe-inspiring array of artists who have taken dub into new directions in electronic dance music in the 21st century (Kode9, Roots Manuva, Howie B, Adrian Sherwood) and many more. Directed by Bruno Natal and released on Soul Jazz Records, this film has already received many awards throughout the world and is hotly anticipated -- a killer film that can be watched again and again. The DVD comes with loads of extras." NTSC/PAL dualdisc DVD (region free). Running time: 75 minutes.
DVD $20


BELLE EPOQUE: RAIL BAND - Vol 3: Dioba [2 CD Set] (Stern's 3043; USA) "With Belle Epoque Vol. 3 - Dioba, the estimable Sterns Africa label has completed another definitive archive project documenting West Africa's post-colonial 'belle epoque' of the 1960s and 1970s. The three two-disc volumes in the series present the hits, highlights and lesser known treasures made by the Rail Band, the era's pre-eminent Malian modern-roots band -- which featured world music stars-to-be Salif Keita and Mory Kante, both winningly represented -- in a collection that is both as scholarly and as vibrant as the label's The Syliphone Years series, showcasing the contemporaneous bands of neighbouring Guinea. Dioba showcases the Rail Band in all its splendid moods and colours: from Keita's spiritualised and virtuosic 'Maki' and 'Soyomba,' through Ganessy's fierce going on feral 'Kadia Kandian' and 'Djamban,' the re-Africanised Stax-Volt soul of Kante's 'Mariba Yassa' and his mesmeric take on Afrobeat, 'Sinsimba,' spacier and nimbler than originator Fela Kuti's style, on to the rumba-infused 'Foliba' and 'Talassa.' Two 1982 tracks, 'Diby' and 'Diabate,' feature the psychedelicised keyboards of Alfred Coulibaly, a late but valuable addition to the line-up, inhabiting adjacent territory to that being explored by the American keyboard player Marco Benevento on Me Not Me (The Royal Potato Family, 2009), two and a half decades later. 3rd and final volume in the critically-acclaimed Belle Epoque series that tells a 13-year story -- from 1970 to 1983 -- of Mali's legendary group. Full-colour, 20-page booklet with notes detailing the history of the band and full-page reproductions of original album covers."
2 CD set for $18


JAPANESE TRADITIONAL MUSIC [V.A.] - Vol 2: Noh, Biwa, Shakuhachi - 1941 Recordings Of The Kokusai Bunka Shinkokai (World Arbiter 2010; USA) "This second volume of the 1941 KBS recordings features Noh theater masters, many of whom had been trained by artists active before the Meiji (1868) period. An essay and texts in both English and Japanese with translation are included on the CD as PDF files and may also be printed." Featuring Music for the Noh theater: Takasag; Yashima; Hagoromo; Matsumushi; Aoi-no-ue; Hachinoki; Youchi Soga; Teika ichiji; Sanekata Kyoge kouta: Tsuchiguruma, Nanatsu ni naru ko; Jui no sarashi, Fuku no kami Biwa: Moso biwa: Jishinkyo; Heikyoku: Nasu no Yoichi; Satsuma biwa: Ko-Atsumori; Chikuzewn biwa: Gishi no honkai Shakuhachi: Fuke shakuhachi: Ajikan; Kinko-ryu: Koku reibo; Tozan-ryu: Iwashimizu; Miny' o-shakuhachi: Oiwake-bushi.
CD $17

also available..

JAPANESE TRADITIONAL MUSIC [V.A.] - Vol 1: Gagaku, Buddhist Chant - 1941 Recordings Of The Kokusai Bunka Shinkokai (World Arbiter 2009; USA) First in a series of 78 restorations, this one focuses on gagaku & Buddhist chant. Beautiful, lost-in-time recordings -- produced to perfection from one of the world's greats . In the words of World Arbiter's Allen Evans: "Current gagaku sounds brittle, easily cracked, very delicate. And in 1941 they used fewer performers but have a solidity, a weight. They were carrying on a tradition that was part of an immortal empire, a vision of permanence. Four years later it was over." "In 1942, a set of sixty 78 rpm discs documenting the most authentic traditions in Japanese music was privately issued. Due to the war and neglect, few copies survive. This disc marks the beginning of its restoration.
CD $17


MERZBOW [MASAMI AKITA] - Hiranya (Noiseville 92; USA) The Noiseville's second Merzbow LP in about 6 months (the first one, Protean World, is just about sold out) and once again Masami does not disappoint. This album also features his interpretation of the 'Aqualung' cover painting, but instead of a scaliwag, we have a proud cock (the bird you friggin' perv). Like the previous vinyl release, only 1000 made.
LP $17

also available..

MERZBOW [MASAMI AKITA] - Protean World (Noiseville 79; USA) Edition of 1,000; total Merzbow genius, as you'd expect. Noisy and great." May 2008 recordings from Tokyo; Masami Akita on "noise and drums".
LP $17



Last copies of these LPs on Bee Hive:

DIZZY REECE With CLIFFORD JORDAN/CHARLES DAVIS/ALBERT DAILEY/ART DAVIS/ROY HAYNES - Manhattan Project (Bee Hive 7001; USA)
LP $12

CLIFFORD JORDAN With JAKI BYARD - Dr. Chicago (Bee Hive 7018; USA)
LP $12

JUNIOR MANCE With DAVID 'FATHEAD' NEWMAN - Truckin' And Trackin' (Bee Hive 7015; USA)
LP $12




NEW Mark Powell remasters on the High Quality British archive label Esoteric:

NATIONAL HEALTH [DAVE STEWART/PHIL MILLER/JOHN GREAVES/PIP PYLE] With ALAN GOWEN/PETER BLEGVAD/JIMMY HASTINGS et al - Of Queues & Cures (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2130; UK) 2009 new re-mastered edition of the classic 1978 second album by National Health. Evolving from Canterbury stylists Hatfield & The North, National Health featured the talents of Dave Stewart on keyboards, John Greaves on bass, Pip Pyle on drums and Phil Miller on guitar along with guests such as Jimmy Hastings and Peter Blegvad. At various times the group also included such luminaries as Bill Bruford, Mont Campbell and Alan Gowen.
CD $21

NATIONAL HEALTH [DAVE STEWART/PHIL MILLER/NEIL MURRAY/PIP PYLE] With ALAN GOWEN/AMANDA PARSONS/JIMMY HASTINGS et al - National Health (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2129; UK) 2009 Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the release of am Canterbury stylists Hatfield & the north, National Health featured the talents of Dave Stewart on keyboards, Pip Pyle on drums and Phil Miller on guitar along with guests such as Jimmy Hastings. At various times the group also included such luminaries as Bill Bruford, Mont Campbell and Alan Gowen. Fully restored artwork and superb 24-bit digitally remastered sound.
CD $21

SOFT HEAP [HUGH HOPPER/ELTON DEAN/ALAN GOWEN/PIP PYLE] - Soft Heap (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2131; UK) Remastered edition of the classic 1978 album by Soft Heap. These Canterbury stylists featured leading lights of the genre. Comprising former Soft Machine members Hugh Hopper on bass and Elton Dean on saxophone, former Hatfield & The North drummer Pip Pyle, and Gilgamesh keyboard player Alan Gowen, the group recorded this sole album for Charly Records in 1978, drawing stylistically upon each member's musical pedigree and producing a record of excellence. Soft Heap is a classic of the 'Canterbury' style and this 24-bit re-mastered edition is sure to be a much sought after release by all aficionados of the genre.
CD $21

GILGAMESH [ALAN GOWEN/PHIL LEE/HUGH HOPPER/TREVOR TOMKINS] - Another Fine Tune You've Got Me Into (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2126; UK) Esoteric Recordings are pleased to announce the first official release of a re-mastered edition of the classic 1978 album by Gilgamesh. These Canterbury stylists were formed in 1972 with the core of the band built around Alan Gowen on keyboards and Mike Travis on drums. At various times the line-up included former Caravan and Hatfield & the North member Richard Sinclair, Mont Campbell (formerly of EGG) and Neil Murray.
After recording a debut album for Virgin's Caroline label, the band recorded this wonderful album in 1978 for Charly Records. For this, the final Gilgamesh album, Alan Gowen was joined by guitarist Phil Lee, former Soft Machine bass player Hugh Hopper and drummer Trevor Tomkins. Another Fine Tune You've Got Me Into is a classic of the 'Canterbury' style and is sure to be a much sought after release by all aficionados of the genre. Fully restored artwork and superb 24-bit digitally remastered sound.
CD $21

DAEVID ALLEN [GONG] - Now is the Happiest Time of Your Life (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2125; UK) Following the well received reissue of Gong founder Daevid Allen's Good Morning' album in 2007, Esoteric Recordings is pleased to announce the release of a new Remastered edition of Daevid's classic 1977 album Now is the Happiest Time of Your Life. Originally released on Affinity Records, this marvellous record followed on from the style of Good Morning. The album was again recorded at Daevid's home in the Balearics and once more utilised the musical services of members of the Majorcan band Euterpe. Including classics such as Poet for Sale, Why Do We Treat Ourselves Like We Do?, I Am and Deya Goddess, the album is one of Allen's finest and is a treat for all followers of GONG. Fully restored artwork and superb 24-bit digitally remastered sound.
CD $21

FRUUPP + IAN McDONALD - Modern Masquerade (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2105; UK) Originally released in February 1975 on Pye's Dawn label, Modern Masquerades was the final release by Northern Irish progressive rock masters Fruupp. A wonderful exercise in Symphonic and Melodic rock, the album is now regarded as one of Fruupp's masterworks and saw the band collaborate with former King Crimson member Ian Mcdonald who produced and guested on the sessions. Modern Masquerades is now 24-bit re-mastered from the original tapes and receives its first ever full UK release on CD.
CD $21

FRUUPP - The Prince Of Heaven's Eyes (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2103; UK) Originally released in November 1974 on Pye's Dawn label, The Prince of Heaven s Eyes was the third release by Northern Irish progressive rock masters Fruupp. A wonderful exercise in Symphonic and Melodic rock, the album is now regarded as Fruupp s masterwork and saw the band enhance their live career, seeing them share the bill with such luminaries as Genesis (with whom they were often compared).
The Prince of Heaven s Eyes is now re-mastered from the original tapes and with all of the albums from Fruupp's catalogue released in February 2009, this release is certain to appeal to all lovers of classic Progressive rock the world over. Fully restored artwork and superb 24-bit digitally remastered sound.
CD $21

FRUUPP - Seven Secrets (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2102; UK) Originally released in April 1974 on Pye s Dawn label, Seven Secrets was the second release by Northern Irish progressive rock masters Fruupp. A wonderful exercise in Symphonic and Melodic rock, the album was highly acclaimed upon release and furthered the popularity of the band who enjoyed a dedicated live following.
Often compared with such luminaries as Genesis, Fruupp failed to enjoy the success they deserved. Seven Secrets is now re-mastered from the original tapes and with all of the albums from Fruupp's catalogue released in February 2009, this release is certain to appeal to all lovers of classic Progressive rock the world over. Fully restored artwork and superb 24-bit digitally remastered sound.
CD $21

FRUUPP - Future Legends (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2104; UK) Originally released in October 1973 on Pye's Dawn label, Future Legends was the debut release by Northern Irish progressive rock masters Fruupp. A wonderful exercise in Symphonic and Melodic rock, the album was highly acclaimed upon release launching the band on a live career that saw them share the bill with such luminaries as Genesis (with whom they were often compared).
Future Legends is now re-mastered from the original tapes and includes the track On a Clear Day which only featured on the first 100 copies of the album. With all of the albums from Fruupp's catalogue released in February 2009, this release is certain to appeal to all lovers of classic Progressive rock the world over. Fully restored artwork and superb 24-bit digitally remastered sound.
CD $20

ROBERT CALVERT [HAWKWIND] - Freq (Esoteric/Atomhenge 1001; UK) Co-writer of Silver Machine, a member of Hawkwind, famed poet, author and lyricist, Calvert released XFreqX in January 1985. The album was originally recorded August 1984 in Computer Music Studio, London for Flicknife records and was inspired by the 1984 minerXs strike and the effect it had on minerXs their families and British politics. One of the most intelligent songwriters in the progressive-rock field, displayed in both his recorded and published work an informed and compassionate concern for the world around him, all of which is reflected in XFreqX, a concept album dealing with automation in the workplace, industrial decline, unemployment, and the overall mechanization of man. This reissue appears on a new Cherry Red imprint, Atomhenge, managed by the people at Esoteric Recordings. XFreqX is re-mastered from the original tapes.
Ned Ludd / (Talk) / Acid Rain / (Talk) / All The Machines Are Quiet / (Talk) / Picket Line / (Talk) / The Cool Courage Of The Bomb Squad Officer / (Talk) / Work Song / Bonus Tracks - Lord Of The Hornets / The Greenfly
CD $21

HAWKWIND - Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music (Esoteric/Atomhenge 1005; UK) Atomhenge, the home of Hawkwind's catalogue from 1976-1997, begin their series of definitive reissued editions of these classic albums with the release of Astounding Sounds, Amazing Music. The album, originally released in 1976, marked the return to the band of Robert Calvert who would be a major influence on the creative direction of the band lyrically and as vocalist. Including such classic tracks as Steppenwolf and Reefer Madness, this reissue has been re-mastered from the original master tapes (a first for any CD issue of this album) and features previously unreleased mixes of Back on the Streets and The Dream of Isis along with the 1976 single Kerb Crawler and Honky Dorky as bonus tracks.
Reefer Madness / Steppenwolf / City Of Lagoons / The Aubergine That Ate Rangoon / Kerb Crawler / Kadu Flyer / Chronoglide Skyway / Bonus Tracks - Honky Dorky / Kerb Crawler (Single Mix) / Back On The Streets (Unreleased Mix) / The Dream Of Isis (Unreleased Mix)
CD $21

HAWKWIND - Electric Tepee (Esoteric/Atomhenge 1008; UK) The album, originally released in 1992 was an acclaimed work which showed Hawkwind were still innovators, taking in new ambient influences within their work, yet still remaining true to their own unique style of Space Rock. Long deleted on CD in its original form and Including such classic tracks as Right to Decide, The Secret Agent, and Mask of Morning, this reissue has been re-mastered from the original master tapes and is a fitting definitive edition for a classic Hawkwind album of more recent times.
LSD / Blue Shift / Death Of War / The Secret Agent / Garden Pests / Space Dust / Snake Dance / Mask Of Morning / Rites Of Netherworld / Don't Understand / Sadness Runs Deep / Right To Decide / Going To Hawaii / Electric Tepee
CD $21

HAWKWIND - Live Chronicles [2 CD set] (Esoteric/Atomhenge 2007; UK) Atomhenge, the home of Hawkwind's catalogue from 1976-1997, continue their series of definitive reissued editions of these classic albums with the release of Live Chronicles. The double album, originally released in 1986, was a recorded document of the band's Chronicle of the Black Sword stage show of 1985, based on the Elric series of novels by Michael Moorcock. The original CD release omitted Moorcock's on-stage narration and contribution. This newly remastered edition features the entire stage show and restores Moorcock's narrative on CD for the first time outside of a rare 1994 American CD release, making a definitive edition of one of Hawkwind's most memorable works.
CD One - The Chronicle Of The Black Sword / Song Of The Swords / Dragons And Fables / Narration / The Sea King / Dead God's Homecoming / Angels Of Death / Shade Gate / Rocky Paths / Narration (Elric The Enchanter Part One) / The Pulsing Cavern / Master Of The Universe / Dragon Song / Dreaming City / Choose Your Masque / Fight Sequence CD Two- .Assault & Battery / Sleep Of A Thousand Tears / Zarozinia / Lords Of Chaos / The Dark Lords / Wizards Of Pan Tang / Moonglum / Elric The Enchanter (Part Two) / Needle Gun / Conjuration Of Magnu / Magnu / Dust Of Time / The Final Fight / Horn Of Fate (Destiny)
CD $23

HAWKWIND - Live Seventy Nine (Esoteric/Atomhenge 1011; UK) ATOMHENGE, the home of HAWKWIND's catalogue from 1976 1997, continue their series of definitive reissued editions of these classic albums with the release of LIVE SEVENTY NINE. The album, originally released in 1980, saw Hawkwind storm the UK charts and spawned the hit single Shot Down in the Night, along with the first appearance of the classic Motorway City on vinyl. This expanded edition features a 2 bonus tracks. The first official CD release in many years; this Atomhenge edition is remastered from the original master tapes.
Shot Down In The Night / 2. Motorway City / Spirit Of The Age / Brainstorm / Lighthouse / Master Of The Universe / Silver Machine (requim). Bonus tracks: Urban Guerrilla / Shot Down In The Night (single edit)
CD $21

HAWKWIND - PXR 5 ..plus! (Esoteric/Atomhenge 1010; UK) Atomhenge, the home of Hawkwind's catalogue from 1976 1997, continue their series of definitive reissued editions of these classic albums with the release of PXR 5 . The album, originally recorded in 1977 1978 and released in 1979, was the band s final masterpiece for Charisma records that perfectly embraced the influence of the musical New Wave to deliver one of the most effective albums released during Calvert's tenure with Hawkwind. This expanded edition features 8 bonus tracks, 5 previously unreleased including We Like to Be Frightened . Featuring such classic tracks as Robot High Rise, Jack of Shadows, Death Trap and PXR 5, this reissue has been re-mastered from the original master tapes (a first for any CD issue of this album).
Death Trap / Jack Of Shadows / Uncle Sam S On Mars / Infinity / Life Form / Robot / High Rise / Pxr 5 / Bonus Tracks -Jack Of Shadows (Live Studio Version) * / We Like To Be Frightened * / High Rise (Live Studio Version) * / Robot (First Version) */ Jack Of Shadows (Alternate Vocal Version) * / High Rise (Alternate Vocal Mix) / Pxr5 (Alternate Intro Mix) / Quark, Strangeness & Charm (Live 1978) * Previously Unreleased
CD $21

HAWKWIND - Quark, Strangeness And Charm + The Rockfield Session Tapes [2 CD set] (Esoteric/Atomhenge 2009; UK) Atomhenge, the home of Hawkwind's catalogue from 1976 1997, continue their series of definitive reissued editions of these classic albums with the release of Quark, Strangeness & Charm. The album, originally released in 1977, was Dave Brock and Robert Calvert s masterpiece that perfectly embraced the influence of the musical New Wave to deliver one of the most effective albums released during Calvert s tenure with Hawkwind. This expanded edition features a bonus CD featuring studio session alternate takes and live recordings by The Sonic Assassins from 1977.
Including such classic tracks as Spirit of the Age, Hassan I Sabbah and Damnation Alley, this reissue has been remastered from the original master tapes (a first for any CD issue of this album).
The Rockfield Session Tapes- Damnation Alley (First Studio Version) / Spirit Of The Age (Full Extended Version) / Days Of The Underground (First Version) / Quark Strangeness & Charm Uncle Sam's On Mars / Fable Of A Failed Race (Extended Version) / Damnation Alley (Alternate Harmony Vocalversion) / Live Recordings 1977 - Spirit Of The Age / Robot / High Rise / Quark, Strangeness And Charm -Spirit Of The Age / Damnation Alley / Fable Of A Failed Race / Quark, Strangeness & Charm / Hassan I Sabbah / The Forge Of Vulcan / Days Of The Underground / The Iron Dream / Bonus Tracks- Damnation Alley (Live Studio Version) / A Minor Jam Session / Spirit Of The Age (Demo Excerpt) / Hash Cake Cut
CD $23

[see Part 2 for more recent Esoteric remasters!]



QUICKSILVER MESSENGER SERVICE [JOHN CIPOLLINA et al] - Quicksilver Messenger Service (BGO 861; USA) This is the first album by West Coast psych-rock legends Quicksilver Messenger Service. "The band that became Quicksilver Messenger Service originally was conceived as a rock vehicle for folk singer/songwriter Dino Valente (b. Nov. 7, 1943, d. Nov 16, 1994), author of "Get Together." Living in San Francisco, Valente had found guitarist John Cipollina (b. Aug. 24, 1943, d. May 29, 1989) and singer Jim Murray. Valente's friend David Freiberg (b. Aug. 24, 1938) joined on bass, and the group was completed by the addition of drummer Greg Elmore (b. Sep. 4, 1946) and guitarist Gary Duncan (b. Sep 4, 1946). As the band was being put together, Valente was imprisoned on a drug charge and he didn't rejoin Quicksilver until later. They debuted at the end of 1965 and played around the Bay Area and then the West Coast for the next two years, building up a large following but resisting offers to record that had been taken up by such San Francisco acid rock colleagues as Jefferson Airplane and the Grateful Dead. Quicksilver finally signed to Capitol toward the end of 1967 and recorded their self-titled debut album in 1968 (by this time, Murray had left).
Quicksilver Messenger Service's debut effort was a little more restrained and folky than some listeners had expected, given their reputation for stretching out in concert. While some prefer the mostly live Happy Trails, this self-titled collection is inarguably their strongest set of studio material, with the accent on melodic folk-rock. Highlights include their cover of folksinger Hamilton Camp's "Pride of Man," probably their best studio track; "Light Your Windows," probably the group's best original composition; and founding member Dino Valenti's "Dino's Song" (Valenti himself was in jail when the album was recorded). "Gold and Silver" is their best instrumental jam, and the 12-minute "The Fool" reflects some of the best and worst traits of the psychedelic era." - Richie Unterberger, AMG
CD $17




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


Limited Time SALE on the great [and hard-to-get] Asian Improv label CDs!
[Sale ends 6/20/09]

Asian Improv Records [AIR] is a non-profit based in two locations, co-founded by Jon Jang and Francis Wong in San Francisco, and now run by Tatsu Aoki in Chicago. Many titles are out-of-print, or just about to be

$15 CDs are listed below for $13

However, already out-of-print ones are not discounted; these last copies are $16


JON JANG/JIEBING CHEN/MAX ROACH - Beijing Trio (Asian Improv 44; USA) Max Roach drums, Jon Jang piano, Jiebing Chen erhu [Chinese two-string violin]. Today's radicals have a way of becoming tomorrow's conservatives, which explains why many of the beboppers who were daring and cutting-edge in the 1940s took a very conservative turn in the 1960s and openly expressed hostility toward modal post-bop, free jazz and avant-garde jazz. Attacking the likes of John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Albert Ayler and Ornette Coleman, they sounded a lot like those who, back in 1946, had insisted that Charlie Parker was ruining jazz. But Max Roach was among the early beboppers who kept an open mind and continued to take chances. Even in the late 1990s, the drummer was still open to challenges--one of which came in 1998, when he formed the Beijing Trio with pianist Jon Jang and female erhu player Jiebing Chen (the erhu is a traditional two-stringed Chinese violin). The theme of this inside/outside CD (mostly inside) is jazz combined with traditional Chinese music, and Roach's drumming fits right in. In 1998, the idea of combining jazz with Asian music wasn't unprecedented--artists ranging from Duke Ellington to McCoy Tyner had already explored the possibilities of Asian-flavored jazz--but the CD does have a certain freshness that a lot of 1990s jazz lacked. Although Chinese-flavored jazz wasn't a new idea in 1998, it was hardly one that has been run into the ground. Roach fans should make a point of finding this risk-taking CD. - Alex Henderson, AMG
CD $13 [normally $15]

FRED ANDERSON QUARTET With FRANCIS WONG/CHAD TAYLOR/TATSU AOKI - Vol 3: Live At The Velvet Lounge (Asian Improv 74; USA) Anderson's recording career began to flourish in the late '90s, most of it resulting from gigs at the club he owns in Chicago, the Velvet Lounge. The Velvet is Anderson's home turf and sanctuary for free jazz veterans and up-and-comers alike. Live at the Velvet Lounge Volume III is a collaboration with another organization that also has a do-it-yourself ethos, the Asian Improv Arts Group, and documents a performance from the Chicago Asian American Jazz Festival in 2007. Playing with Anderson are the Arts Group's cofounder and tenor saxophonist Francis Wong and the longtime Anderson sidemen Tatsu Aoki (bass) and Chad Taylor (drums). On second saxophone, Wong sounds like an Anderson student, his lines just a little bit less weighty than the mentor's but equally well-thought-out and coherent, seamlessly complementing Anderson's lead. Aoki's tone on the upright bass is fat and resonant while Taylor is controlled and authoritative behind the drum kit. The band supports Anderson, but his unadorned and deliberate style allows the rhythm section to supply the flourishes as they change tempos and timbres. It's as if the horns take the musical cues, rather than supply them. When this band locks into one of its beefy grooves, the effect of the give-and-take among the four parts can be dizzying! - Jeff Stockton, AAJ
CD $13 [normally $15]

FRED ANDERSON TRIO With CHAD TAYLOR/TATSU AOKI - Birthday Live 2000: An Official Bootleg Album [Limited Edition] (Asian Improv 75 LTD ED; USA) Recorded Live at Velvet Lounge on 3/22 & 25, 2000. There's something about the kind of conversations you can have with old friends--you can skip straight to the heart of the matter. As is the case with this trio of Fred Anderson, Tatsu Aoki and Chad Taylor who performed many times together at the Velvet Lounge. On this particular date at the turn of the millennium, it was the birthday of the heart and soul of the Velvet, tenor sax legend Fred Anderson. This very limited edition archival recording (we call it an official bootleg) is being made available as part of the celebration of Fred's 80th year of life on our planet. It is a true collectors item as only limited copies were made-- and they are being sold to benefit Fred and our beloved Velvet Lounge.
CD $35

TATSU AOKI With JIM O'ROURKE/MICHAEL ZERANG et al - Kioto (Asian Improv 17; USA) San Francisco-based Asian Improv Records releases Tatsu Aoki's album Kioto (1993), marking the first collaboration between leading Chicago and San Francisco Asian American musicians. All songs created and performed by bassist Tatsu Aoki. Michael Zerang: percussion on "Wedlock"; Jim O'Rourke: guitar on "Bottle In Hand", Sanjuro Tsubaki: Japanese saw on "First Toy"; Bradley Parker-Sparrow: piano on "Toy Box"; Reza Utopicblue: guitar on "Nap Tune"; IL-KWA NORI: Korean Cultural Troupe on "Kioto"
CD $13 [normally $15]

TATSU AOKI/BASSER - Basser - Live II: In Concert At The Museum Of Contemporary Art, Chicago (Asian Improv 67; USA) Tatsu Aoki-acoustic bass and taiko drum; Hide Yoshihashi-taiko drum and percussion; Amy Homma-taiko drum and percussion; Ryan Toguri-taiko drum and percussion
CD $13 [normally $15]

TATSU AOKI/BASSER - Basser Live (Asian Improv 46; USA) Tatsu Aoki bass; Paul Kim buk; John Sagami taiko I have been partial to recent solo efforts by Dave Holland Ones All (Intuition), Michael Formanek Am I Bothering You? (Screwgun) and Tatsu Aoki, who has releases his seventh solo effort. Aoki, born in Japan, was trained in traditional instruments like the Shamisen and Taiko as well as the piano and guitar. He later went on to study English at Ohio University and while watching Duke Ellington's band, he was inspired to pick up the bass. He started with the electric bass and rock bands but quickly graduated to the upright bass and improvisational music. Today he teaches film at The Art Institute of Chicago and can be found in many jazz configurations including his Power Trio and Saxophonist Fred Andersons band. Presented here is a live recording in from Chicago's Museum of Contemporary Art where Aoki shared the stage with visual artist Amy Lee Segami. He is also joined by two percussionists, playing a korean Buk and the Japanese Taiko drum, for a couple tunes. As a soloist Aoki can walk a bass line or improvise an arco section sending you through an imaginary reverbing soundscape. Paired with drummers, he can groove in multiple languages. Tatsu Aoki is quite a talented bassist and improviser, and this release is well worth your attention. - Mark Corroto, AAJ
CD $13 [normally $15]

ASIAN AMERICAN JAZZ ORCHESTRA With ANTHONY BROWN/JON JANG/FRANCIS WONG et al - Big Bands Behind Barbed Wire (Asian Improv 45; USA) "The Asian American Jazz Orchestra--or percussionist Anthony Brown's Asian American Orchestra; take your pick--is arguably the flagship ensemble of a surging, politically charged Asian American jazz community. Under Brown's direction, the orchestra brings together such standard bearers of the movement as pianist Jon Jang, saxophonist Francis Wong, and bassist Mark Izu. Their agenda, and subsequently their music, is both celebratory and solemn, as evidenced by Big Bands Behind Barbed Wire.
Featuring works by Brown, Jang, and Izu, Big Bands Behind Barbed Wire taps the nostalgic tug of swing-era jazz, the deep-running currents of traditional music (several orchestra members double on instruments such as sheng and bamboo flute, and members of San Jose Taiko appear on three tracks), and the exclamatory vigor of idioms ranging from blues to free music, to make an often compelling statement about the wartime incarceration of Japanese Americans. The sequencing of the program is integral to its success. An excerpt of Brown's "E.O. 9066-a pentatonic annunciation featuring Qi Chao Liu's suona (reed trumpet)-sets up Izu's "Last Dance," a twenty minute-plus construction of chestnuts like "Tuxedo Junction" and "In a Sentimental Mood," charts by George Yoshida (who played in a camp big band), and texts by Japanese American poets. Despite its many elements, the piece has a welcomed understated power. The remainder of the program is comprised of four additional sections of "E.O. 9066" and a portion of Jang's "reparations Now!" Both pieces feature forceful ensemble writing, which occasionally evokes the spirit of Mingus and '60s Max Roach, and gives additional space to Liu and a contigent of very able horn players (trumpeter John Worley, trombone Wayne Wallace, and saxophonists Wong and Hafez Modirzadeh). Big Bands Behind Barbed Wire is an uplifting reality check." -JAZZTIMES
CD $16

ANTHONY BROWN'S ASIAN AMERICAN ORCHESTRA - Far East Suite (Asian Improv 53; USA) Although this is not a new release (actually from 1999), it is the first time we have stocked it and due to the success of the AAO's recent Monk tribute, we are glad to now carry this equally wonderful classic gem. I am an immense fan of Duke Ellington and have upwards of a hundred albums & cds by this giant of the 20th century. I especially dig his many suite's ('New Orleans', 'Latin American'), since they really show off his brilliant composing and arranging abilities. I recently listened to his (and Billy Strayhorn's) 'Far East Suite' and marveled at the way they captured that exotic eastern magic without any of the eastern instruments at their disposal. Now we get a chance to hear Anthony Brown's great Asian American Orchestra perform this music with a number of those eastern instruments like the sheng (mouth organ), suona (reed trumpet), karna, ney (end-blown flute) and goshme (double reed). These exotic instruments are often used minimally, adding just the right amount of eatern spice. The AAO have a number of great soloists here - Francis Wong, Melecio Magdaluyo and Jim Norton on reeds, John Worley & Louis Fasman on trumpets and Wayne Wallace & Dave Martell on trombones. What really stands out is Duke and Billy's beautiful music and Anthony Brown's excellent arrangements.
CD $16

ANTHONY BROWN - Family (Asian Improv 27; USA) Recorded live in New York City in 1996, Family features two original extended works composed by Anthony Brown and performed by his quintet Eclipse with San Jose Taiko. The first piece, E.O. 9066 (which was Franklin Roosevelt's executive order authorizing the internment of Japanese Americans during WWII) commemorates the courageous spirit of those unjustly imprisoned and ends on a celebratory note with hope for a future that will not see the imprisonment of children. The second piece, Never Again (Mo, Shimasen!) was commissioned by the Asian Heritage Council and commemorates the 50th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The work combines musical influences from Japan and West Africa, cultures in which drums play a central role. The piece was written to represent basic life forces, with the drums signifying the heartbeat and the wind instruments the breath of life. The title expresses the plea of successive generations of children that they never experience the horror of nuclear war. The finale is an anthem in celebration of the indomitable human spirit rising from the ashes of ruin in rebirth and rejuvenation.
CD $16

JEFF CHAN With AMEEN MUHAMMAD/TATSU AOKI/CHAD TAYLOR - In Chicago (Asian Improv 63; USA) It's been a long time since the formation of Chicago's Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM), which unveiled its own Windy City vision of avant-garde jazz in the '60s. And after all these years, many listeners still have a hard time comprehending AACM explorers like Anthony Braxton, Roscoe Mitchell, and Muhal Richard Abrams. Regardless, the organization continues to enjoy a small but enthusiastic underground following, and Chicago remains a hotbed of avant-garde jazz in the 21st century. Chi-Town was where Jeff Chan recorded this 2002 session, which finds the saxophonist forming a piano-less acoustic quartet with trumpeter Ameen Muhammad, bassist Tatsu Aoki, and drummer Chad Taylor. Some AACM sessions have been totally outside, and some have favored an inside/outside approach; In Chicago generally falls into the latter category. While Chan's compositions are abstract, they also have discernible melodies -- and even though the playing is quite free, this isn't an album of atonal chaos. In Chicago is typical of the AACM mindset in that Chan and his colleagues use space effectively; their abstraction tends to be reflective and contemplative rather than dense, crowded, and confrontational (three words that typically describe the harsher sort of free jazz one associates with a firebrand like Charles Gayle). Chan (whose work has also been influenced by Ornette Coleman's harmelodics) and Muhammad play a lot of notes at times, but they pace themselves instead of firing all their shots immediately; again, it's all about space on an AACM-style recording like In Chicago. Sadly, Muhammad had only six months to live when this CD was recorded; the trumpeter died on February 28, 2003. And even though Chan and Muhammad didn't have a long history of playing together, they clearly enjoy a strong rapport on this solid, memorable example of AACM-minded jazz. - Alex Henderson, AMG
CD $13 [normally $15]

JEFF CHAN With TREVOR DUNN/ELLIOT HUMBERTO KAVEE + FRANCIS WONG - Winds Shifting (Asian Improv 33; USA) Tenor Saxophonist Jeff Chan made his recording debut as a leader with Winds Shifting, a generally decent avant-garde date that draws on influences ranging from Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane to the artists of Chicago's AACM. Joined by acoustic bassist Trevor Dunn, drummer/cellist Elliot Humberto Kavee and fellow tenor saxman Francis Wong (who had been an important figure in jazz's Asian-American avant-garde of the 1990s), Chan plays mostly original compositions that are abstract, cerebral and not overly accessible--Chan is the type of artist who has to be accepted on his own radical terms. The probing saxman favors an inside/outside approach (more outside than inside), and his style of free jazz (which clearly owes a debut to Coleman's harmelodics) can be chaotic without being overly abrasive. Despite its imperfections, Winds Shifting lets us know that Chan has potential as a leader. - Alex Henderson, AMG
CD $13 [normally $15]

JONATHAN CHEN ORCHESTRA With TATSU AOKI - Jonathan Chen Orchestra (Asian Improv 71; USA) Jonathan Chen: violin; Tatsu Aoki: contrabass. The lofty aspirations for the cleverly titled Jonathan Chen's Orchestra - a duo - are nearly achieved as violin and bass meet in intimate yet adventurous soundscapes. Both utilize harmonics and perhaps some electronic aids in performing what is a broad array of improvised compositions. Chen plays in a staccato fashion while Aoki maintains beautiful support that highlights his instrument's depth on cuts like CD opener "Reading Comprehension" and the delightful romp "Capital." It is however, on the more 'out' pieces like "Beneath the Skin" and "Imago" where the duo are at their most inventive, morphing their stringed instruments into otherworldly equipment. The former has Chen simulating an operatic diva while the latter features a somewhat astonishing in-tandem percussive exploration. At times the duo surprises with a catchy melody like that of the mesmerizing "Bracket" or when Aoki plays in a register that seemingly should be Chen's on the hypnotic "Four Twenty-Three." "Backwards" ends the program with a lovely exotic feel brought about through what can best be described as a constructive "birthing" simulated by Aoki's percussive chords and Chen's cries and sobs. - Elliott Simon, AAJ
CD $13 [normally $15]

CYCLES - Timeless Rituals To Ancient Icons (Asian Improv 24/Kulintang Arts; USA)
CD $16

KENNY ENDO - Eternal Energy (Asian Improv 21; USA) Taiko player and percussionist Kenny Endo has long been at the forefront of marrying old traditions to new musical forms. He has performed with Kodo as well as numerous San Francisco jazz, rock, and world music ensembles. Eternal Energy features an ensemble who uses traditional Japanese instruments in performing music from antiquity as well as new works written specifically for their distinct sound. A meeting of the two creates an interesting set of tension, in that Endo is far more interested in pushing new soundscapes for these instruments, moving the 17-string koto, the Taiko (an enormous drum on a stand), the bamboo flutes, and shakuhachi, as well as smaller organic percussion to new expressions of elastic sonances and drastic utterances. The ensemble, who is eager to be pulled into this new area, finds it difficult nonetheless to abandon age-old ideas of tonality, pitch control, and rhythmic invention. The result is a splitting of cultural norms, a tearing apart of an older fabric and the stitching of a new one into it. Over nine selections ranging from 1984 to 1994, the pairing makes good on its promise to create and forge a new Japanese music without regard for forms or norms. This one has be heard to be experienced -- or even imagined. Brilliant. - Thom Jurek, AMG
CD $16

STEVEN HASHIMOTO/MOTHRA - Giri (Asian Improv 56; USA)
CD $13 [normally $15]

GLENN HORIUCHI With FRANCIS WONG/WILLIAM ROPER/JEANETTE WRATE - Dew Drop (Asian Improv 31; USA) Glenn Horiuchi - piano, shamisen, voice, percussion, composer; Francis Wong - tenor sax, fue, erhu, violin, voice; William Roper - tuba, voice, percussionl; Jeanette Wrate - percussion, voice. Pianist and composer Glenn Horiuchi appears here in a setting of four of his compositions: two in duet, one in quartet, and one in quintet. The first track is the first movement of his "Poston Sonata" (see Asianimprov 008 for the entire work). Commissioned for septet originally, it is performed in duet here with Francis Wong, who sings, narrates, and plays saxophone. It is a far cry from the moving and beautiful song form recorded on the earlier album. This version of this movement is angry, craggy, and full of rushed moments. "Issel Spirit" is far more enjoyable, though it too was recorded before. The tuba of William Roper juxtaposed against the shamisen and percussion creates a silvery kind of movement that both resists and creates itself throughout, as Francis Wong's violin plays a mournful melody that walks the line between ancient Japanese folk music and 17th century classical music right through the middle of all the tensions. The title track that closes the album is a deeply meditative work, featuring the shamisen, piano, tuba, percussion, and saxophone. There are intervals in this work in which silence itself is the conductor of the movement and interaction between instruments as they try to recreate the "ephemeral beauty in a single drop of rain." As intervallic architecture goes, this reliance on silence is ingenious and allows for each player to cut out everything that isn't necessary when they are playing. There is a suspension of time over the course of this longish work (23 minutes and 57 seconds) and a spatiality that allows for one series of expressions to dovetail into another -- even when played simultaneously -- without intrusion. It is a stunningly beautiful work and a direct contrast to the re-recorded first movement of "Poston Sonata." -Thom Jurek, AMG
CD $13 [normally $15]

GLENN HORIUCHI With FRANCIS WONG/WILLIAM ROPER/JEANETTE WRATE - Kenzo's Vision (Asian Improv 22; USA) Glenn Horiuchi - piano, shamisen, voice, percussion, composer; Francis Wong - tenor sax, fue, erhu, violin, voice; William Roper - tuba, voice, percussionl; Jeanette Wrate - percussion, voice. The late Glenn Horiuchi was a fine and probably under-sung free jazz pianist whose collaborators included a great many of the musicians associated with the West Coast scene in general, and Asian Improv Records in particular. Horiuchi combined a formidable piano technique with Japanese instruments like the shamisen and erhu; he was also possessed of a goofy sense of humor, as his spontaneous vocal eruptions on this album's title track prove. This record in many ways epitomizes the West Coast approach to jazz-based free improvisation. The volume is fairly restrained, the not infrequent humor simultaneously dry and overt. The music tends to be rather sparse -- Horiuchi's gestures are short and frequently in direct response to something played by one of his fellow improvisers. It's intelligent music, if somewhat diffuse. There's little of the concentrated catharsis that one is likely to hear in the work of a pianist like Borah Bergman or Matthew Shipp. The music doesn't seem to develop in a linear fashion; it progresses in fits and starts. Much of has the effect of aural collage. The players are well-chosen; Francis Wong is a strong, John Coltrane-inspired tenor saxophonist who plays with imagination and energy. William Roper holds down the bass parts on tuba; the big horn's mellow constancy provides an effective underpinning to the stringed instruments played by Horiuchiand Wong. Jeanette Wrate is color-sensitive; her contributions are tasteful and appropriate. While the record as a whole is not an overwhelming success -- some of the silences seem to betray indecision, for example -- it is an interesting and somewhat offbeat take on the free jazz idiom. - Chris Kelsey, AMG
CD $13 [normally $15]

GLENN HORIUCHI With FRANCIS WONG/WILLIAM ROPER/JOSEPH MITCHELL - Elegy for Sarajevo (Asian Improv 35; USA) Pianist, koto and shamisen player, composer, and bandleader Glenn Horiuchi is one of the most sociopolitically minded cats in experimental music. With a band who includes Francis Wong on reeds, William Roper on tuba, and percussionist Joseph Mitchell, Horiuchi performs six compositions, including the 20-minute "Elegy." The title piece is paced slowly, like Horiuchi's best work. Influenced tonally by Messiaen's Quartet for the End of Time, it is full of long, open spaces. The brooding, meditative stature of the piece demands listeners pay attention; the dynamic range is very small and ranges from "p" to "ppp." Horiuchi employs his Japanese instruments here; he plays them as human voices crying in the foreground and the distance, as the clarinet and tuba form a subtle body on which to support them. The effect is chilling and more than a little disconcerting, but exquisitely beautiful. Elsewhere, on "Conic Sections" and "Watercolor #1," Horiuchi moves into timbral and chromatic studies with the same kind of restraint; he's scoring out larger sections for his musicians to play and then reining in their emotion and force as a way of boiling it down to essence. Many composers write this way; few direct or inspire well enough to pull it off. Horiuchi, who can be erratic, has put together a program here that is truly dramatic, artfully cast, and executed. This is a singular and necessary view of the new music - Thom Jurek, AMG
CD $13 [normally $15]

GLENN HORIUCHI With LILLIAN NAKANO - Poston Sonata (Asian Improv 08; USA) Pianist Glenn Horiuchi is one of the unsung innovators in American music, and this is his masterpiece. Poston is a small town in Arizona that was the site of a concentration camp that held over 20,000 Japanese-American internees during the World War II. Horiuchi was deeply involved in the reparations movement and wrote the piece as a tribute to the many he met who were actually interned there. Written in four movements, the first is in song form, the third in theme and variations, and the second and fourth are extended song forms scored as a duet between Horiuchi and Lillian Nakano on shamisen. The long, elegant melodic lines are interspersed with legato streams of 16 and 32 notes that fly of the tips of Mr. Horiuchi's fingers. His harmonic structure is based on three major and three minor pitches, all of them consonant with one another throughout. On the sections where Ms. Nakano plays, a minute-long piano intro introduces the shamisen playing a deep, mournful Japanese folk melody before the two instruments engage each other fully in a swirling, hypnotically beautiful melody. This was originally scored for piano, shamisen, flute, string trio, and percussion, but this minimal approach is far more effective. Its haunted quality is timeless and ageless. The music appears to have come from antiquity, but is so thoroughly modern it reinvents it. The rest of the album is comprised of fine solo piano pieces that showcase the wide breadth of Mr. Horiuchi's musical frontier. The most notable are a gorgeous 12-bar floating blues called "Blues for John Okada" and the album's closer, which could have been written by Duke Pearson, "Mochi Groove," which employs an Eastern scale to do a deep-soul shuffle on the lead and bridge before fading into the silence. - Thom Jurek, AMG
CD $16

JASON KAO HWANG'S EDGE With TAYLOR HO BYNUM/KEN FILIANO/ANDREW DRURY - Edge (Asian Improv 68; USA) Featuring Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet & flugelhorn, Jason Kao Hwang on violin & compositions, Ken Filiano on contrabass and Andrew Drury on percussion. Edge is quite a diverse quartet with very different backgrounds. Former Seattle-based drummer, Andrew Drury, has two fine discs out as a leader on Red Toucan & Innova, a duo disc with Jessica Lurie and a qt. disc with Reuben Radding. Former L.A.-based bassist, Ken Filiano can be heard on more than three dozen discs on Nine Winds, CIMP & Clean Feed, with Vinny Golia, Paul Smoker & Fred Hess. Young cornet master, Taylor Ho Bynum, has already worked with Anthony Braxton & the Cecil Taylor Orchestra and has a fine disc out on 482 Music. Jason Hwang has been an active member of the downtown network for thirty years now, playing with Commitment, William Parker, William Hooker, the Far East Side Band, Dom Minasi, Trio Tarana and lots more. This is Jason's third disc as a leader.
'Edge' consists of four long tracks. "No Myth" opens with some superb violin and cornet interplay, backed by Ken's throbbing bass and Andrew's hypnotic mallet work. Ken plays this deep repeating line with his bowed bass as both Jason and Taylor take inspired solos. This quartet played a great set at the Vision Fest last month and Taylor was substituting for trumpet wiz Herb Robertson. Taylor's animated and frenzied solo on the first piece does remind me of the amazing Herb Robertson, which is no small feat. Both Ken and Andrew take short, spirited solos on the first piece as well. On "Threads" Andrew sounds as if he playing on broken cymbals as Taylor plays strange muted flugelhorn and Ken bows eerie sounds on his bass and then Jason takes an odd solo by plucking his strings in a delicate yet fractured way. This is one powerful piece! Jason has chosen a perfect quartet to capture his vision, as this group has their own strong sound. On "Parallel Meditations", the bass and drums play this throbbing groove as both Jason and Taylor take exciting, dynamic and high-flying solos. Look out below! The last piece, "Grassy Hills", brings things down to a somber, haunting refrain with exquisite yet out solos for the violin and cornet once more. Jason Hwang really makes his violin sing on that last piece, a voice pleading for a better world. A perfect ending for a perfect disc. - BLG
CD $13 [normally $15]

JASON KAO HWANG/FRANCIS WONG/TATSU AOKI With WU MAN - Graphic Evidence (Asian Improv 66; USA) A member of the Anthony Braxton Sextet and the Reggie Workman Ensemble, as well as a performer with Pauline Oliveros and the Deep Listening Band, William Parker, Sirone and Billy Bang, Jason Kao Hwang brings his well-traveled violin to Graphic Evidence, a collaborative performance with soprano saxophonist Frances Wong and bassist Tatsu Aoki, along with Wu Man on pipa on some cuts. On this perfect disc for a winter's day, the ensemble uses space as a fourth member, producing music of understatement and openness. Graphic Evidence presents a trio of improvisers confident enough in their art to share tracks with graceful silence, coloring the canvas with disciplined intensity.
CD $13 [normally $15]

I WAS BORN WITH TWO TONGUES - Broken Speak (Asian Improv 59; USA) I Was Born With Two Tongues: Jay Monteverde, Darius Savage, anida Yoeu Esguerra, Dennis Kim, Marlon Esguerra, Emily Chang
Spoken word powerhouse I Was Born With Two Tongues blasts their fusion of poetry, music, and spirit to the public with the release of their premier CD, entitled Broken Speak. The complexities of the Asian American experience the struggle for identity amidst racism, sexism, and political oppression are stitched deftly into the words and music of these powerful poets. Broken Speak is the group's first recording and features 16 tracks. Each piece is charged with emotion, musical experimentation, and attitude, reminding the listener about the powerful hybrid of written word and sound. Broken Speak is a collage of stories, from portraits of the poets parents and grandparents to immigration narratives, from notes to future seeds to slices of their refracted present moments. Several of the tracks also boast talented guest musicians: Jay Monteverde of Loose Roots Korean Drum Troupe masters the rhythm of flowing spirits on the changgu, and bassist Darius Savage of the Black EarthTrio summons passion at his fingertips.
CD $13 [normally $15]

JADE BLUE [ASIAN AMERICAN BLUES STARS: FRANCIS WONG/TATSU AOKI/ANTHONY BROWN et al] - Jade Blue (Asian Improv 37; USA) Francis Wong, Keith Uchima, Moto Makino, Anthony Brown: drums, Elijah Levi: voice, Tatsu Aoki; bass, Yoko Noge: voice, Steve Hashimoto: guitar
Jade Blue is an unusual release by Asian Improv for, rather than featuring avant-garde jazz from the San Francisco Bay Area by Asian jazz musicians (as is the label's niche), the music is much more pop-oriented with an emphasis on vocals even if some of the sidemen (most notably tenorman Francis Wong and drummer Anthony Brown) are Asian improv regulars. Keith Uchima is a folk/pop singer who stars on four numbers, Yoko Noge is versatile if quite eccentric on her four features (which include the boogie-woogie number "Otoko Nante" and "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean"), and Elijah Levi is in the spotlight on two songs. Most rewarding among the soloists is guitarist Moto Makino, though Wong also has his spots. This set is quite a departure for Asian Improv, but in reality nothing all that original or memorable occurs, just routine folk/pop/rock music with touches of jazz and blues here and there. - Scott Yanow, AMG
CD $13 [normally $15]

JON JANG - Self Portrait (Asian Improv 50; USA) Self Portrait is pianist/composer Jon Jang's first CD for Asian Improv Records in over 10 years. A label in which he and others, such as composer/saxophonist/producer Francis Wong organized and launched back in 1987. Since then, Jang has gone on to carve out a noteworthy reputation as an often brilliant pianist/composer and bandleader who possesses the distinctive qualities of a modern day visionary who draws upon his Asian heritage as a source for inspiration and musical implementation. Jang is a master at fusing Oriental modalities and Asian folk idioms with Western harmonic, melodic and chromatic concepts yet Jang has also engineered a deeply personal sound and style as a musician of great depth, feeling and substance! Self Portrait is indeed a stirring profile of this extremely gifted musician and one of the most memorable jazz-related solo piano performances in recent memory yet the music transcends categorization! Jon Jang's worldly and comprehensive approach should provide glistening entertainment to a vast audience. There are no barriers or boundaries to be found on Self Portrait as the shackles of restraint become undone along with any comparisons or stereotypical aspects of music in general! The message may be that simple! Highly recommended! - Glenn Astarita, AMG
CD $13 [normally $15]

JON JANG SEVEN With FRANCIS WONG/JIM NORTON et al - Paper Son Paper Songs (Asian Improv 69; USA) Jim Norton soprano sax; Francis Wong tenor sax and flute; John L Worley Jr trumpet and flugelhorn; Wayne Wallace trombone; Jon Jang piano; David Belove electric bass; Deszon Claiborne multiple percussion
'paper son paper songs', a three piece movement,`commissioned by the eastside arts alliance, commemorating the centennial anniversary of the 1906 san francisco earthquake that destroyed chinatown...' comprises the first three numbers of the recording, the familiar flower drum song, the first movement. the third movement, eye of the snake, is introduced by david belove's funky dance line bass extending later into an r'n'b solo. deborah wong, an ethnomusicologist, writer of the liner notes, uses the words `transformation' `regeneration' and 'metamorphoses' in describing jang's music. listening to the recording, my impression was that jang began with chinese folk songs, paused and introduced various changes as improvisation, as the naturalization process and after some reflection returned to the altered theme, leaving this listener aware that jang was fully capable, had he wanted, of abandoning the folk song for the jazz idiom, since there's no doubt in listening to the Jon Jang seven that this a jazz septet at work.
CD $13 [normally $15]

JON JANG/DAVID MURRAY - River Of Life (Asian Improv 62; USA)
CD $13 [normally $15]

DEAN LAABS/JEFF SONG With JOHN METTAM/MATT TURNER/DAN STEIN - Invisible Maniac (Asian Improv 18; USA) Invisible Maniac is creative jazz of the electric kind, but don't dare utter the words "fusion" or "funky" to these cats. They're serious musicians. Bassist and guitarist Jeff Song and trumpeter (as well as EVI player) Dean Laabs are composers who are interested in the knotty, post-classical side of jazz and the post-jazz side of classical, and the manner in which improvisation bridges the gap, allegedly. Along with cellist and keyboardist Matt Turner, percussionist John Mettam, and alternate keyboardist Dan Stein, they create an alternate universe that roughs out a corner of the rock for jazz amidst progressive rock notions of tempo and phrasing, and postmodern Euro jazz, with its angular harmonics and strident attacks on dynamic and drama. Of the ten tracks here, the most interesting are "Lusty Ed," with its movement on a line from Coleman's "Lonely Woman" and a famous flamenco tune. Turner's cello is the texturing and driving factor here, slipping around the rhythmic accents by Mettam and the ostinato bassline from Song. Also compelling is the spacious and thoroughly weird balladry of Stein's "The Canal," with its swirling keyboard lines, nearly subharmonic bass, and glissandi cymbal work of Mettam. It's a ballad that resonates with all things sinister. There are problems with this recording, but they're small mainly having to do with ambition. Who can blame people for that, right? The bottom line is that this group has the ideas and the ability, and if this record misses in places, it hits hard in others. - Thom Jurek, AMG
CD $16

DOHEE LEE With TATSU AOKI - SoRi = sound (Asian Improv 73; USA) Dohee Lee - Korean Percussion (Kwaengkwari Set, Buk set, Janggo, Bells, Singing bowls), Taepyungso, Voice; Tatsu Aoki - Contrabass, Shamisen, Taiko Drum CD $13 [normally $15]

WU MAN & TATSU AOKI - Posture of Reality (Asian Improv 65; USA) Wu Man is an incredible pipa (Chinese stringed instrument) virtuoso who has worked with Henry Threadgill, Terry Riley, Tan Dun and Philip Glass. Her recordings are rare and her only solo effort on Nimbus is impossible to get. Tatsu Aoki is a wonderful contrabassist from Chicago who has worked with Fred Anderson, Joseph Jarman, Malachi Favors and Don Moye. This fabulous duo set was recorded live at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago in October of 2002. Both of these musicians are strong, inventive improvisers and they sound perfect together. On "Letter" Tatsu bows with rich, dark and deep waves as Wu Man spins streams of nimble notes, completely enchanting. Two of these pieces were inspired by traditional Chinese songs and the duo do a beautiful of blending the ancient with the modern. Sometimes calm, sometimes turbulent, this is a riveting meeting of two colossal musicians/magicians.
CD $13 [normally $15]

KUNI MIKAMI & EAST OF THE SUN - Peace: Japanese Melody With World Beat (Asian Improv 38; USA) Many of the recordings that came out on Asian Improv in the 1990s combined avant-garde jazz with elements of traditional Asian music. But you won't find anything avant-garde on Peace. The influence of Japanese music is quite strong on this CD, but Kuni Mikami doesn't get into outside playing -- rather, the Tokyo-born pianist/keyboardist and his all-Japanese combo East of the Sun (which includes flutist Yoshino, guitarist Michi Takai and percussionist Chihiro Matsumoto) combines Japanese-influenced melodies and harmonies with post-bop, fusion and crossover. Mikami's influences range from McCoy Tyner and Chick Corea to Joe Sample -- Tyner's influence is especially prominent on post-bop pieces like the tranquil "Spring Song" and the pensive "The Point of No Return," whereas Mikami is more Sample-minded on funkier offerings such as "Mamuro River Ondo," "Bird in a Cage" and "Amani Dancers." You can't really call Peace innovative -- Tyner started experimenting with Asian influences in the 1960s and even played the koto (a traditional Japanese string instrument) on 1972's "Valley of Life." Even so, combining jazz with Asian music isn't something that has been done to death in jazz. So while Peace isn't quite groundbreaking, it's fresh-sounding and far from generic. Highly recommended. - Alex Henderson, AMG
CD $13 [normally $15]

HAFEZ MODIRZADEH With ROYAL HARTIGAN/KEN FILIANO et al - In Chromodal Discourse: Tetrapaths Joined (Asian Improv 12; USA) Saxophonist Hafiz Modirzadeh is unlike any other player or composer out there. His relationship to the musical hole on his recordings is an approach that carries within it a host of contradictions, especially as it engages Eastern modalism and European chromaticism. This set, which is earmarked by the truly lovely "Tetrapath: Music," (which earmarks the entire proceeding) is a concept on the union of these two pursuits and how they play out, not only in jazz and improvised music, but in the languages folk musics, and how they inform and engage one another through the general vision of cultures and the particular gaze of musicians. His quintet that includes drummer Royal Hartigan, guitarist Timothy Volpicella, bassist Ken Filiano, and guests such as Ramin Zoufonon on piano and Sharam Kazemi on dumbek, is well versed in the spatial orientation of Modirzadeh's composition and approach to the inclusion of improvisation. This is not that far outside the realm of Ornette Coleman's harmolodics, and the artist was certainly influenced by it, but the individual solos matter less here, and pace -- with its restrained use of tension and ballast -- is emphasized more. Also, the texture of each instrument as it is drawn into the discourse of the group and extends itself in solo is of primary importance. This is a two-act work, which covers so much ground it's dizzying by the end. However, Modirzadeh does so in such a lyrical and sensuous way, and it becomes a joy to have been overwhelmed by such a singular work of art. This man is a composer to watch. - Thom Jurek, AMG
CD $16

YASUHIRO OTANI/TATSU AOKI - Dial (Asian Improv 39; USA) Because Tatsu Aoki has usually worked in the acoustic realm, Dial was a major departure for him. This CD finds the Chicago resident forming a duet with electronics provider Yasuhiro Otani, who "plays" a wide variety of samples he has stored on his Apple Macintosh computer (a PowerBook 3400) while Aoki plays his upright bass and provides some electronics himself. This session was done in real time -- in other words, Otani will use his PowerBook to play samples of the many different sounds he has recorded and stored (everything from birds chirping and the wind howling to horns honking, horses pulling a carriage along and planes flying overhead), and Aoki responds with his bass. Otani (a composer who has played jazz guitar) and Aoki clearly have a strong dialogue, and the end results are as strange and eccentric as they are interesting. Whether or not Dial should be considered jazz is open to debate -- Aoki is improvising on his upright bass, but what Otani does with his PowerBook isn't "playing" in the conventional sense. Arguably, Dial is simply a sound effects album with a lot of acoustic bass, but however you categorize this CD, it's certainly intriguing..- Alex Henderson, AMG
CD $13 [normally $15]

YASUHIRO OTANI/JEFF PARKER - Envy (Asian Improv 61; USA)
CD $13 [normally $15]

POWER TRIO [AFIFI PHILLARD/MWATA BOWDEN/TATSU AOKI] - At Unity Temple (Asian Improv 40; USA) Afifi Phillard: drums; Mwata Bowden: woodwinds; Tatsu Aoki: bass. For Tatsu Aoki, a memorable night came on March 29, 1997, when he co-led the Power Trio with Mwata Bowden and Afifi Phillard and gave a concert at the Unity Temple in Oak Park, IL (a suburb of Chicago). All three improvisers were Chicago residents who had close ties to Chicago's AACM -- Bowden, in fact, was the AACM's former chairman -- and they shared a lot of common ground musically. With Aoki on upright bass, Bowden on woodwinds, and Phillard on drums, the cohesive, risk-taking threesome provides inside/outside music that has AACM written all over it. Ever since Roscoe Mitchell's groundbreaking Sound album of 1966, the AACM had been known for reflective avant-garde explorations that favored space instead of density -- and that approach serves the Power Trio well on pieces ranging from the eerie "On Time" to the bluesy "Meant to Be" and the probing "Our World." Those who appreciate the Windy City school of avant-garde jazz will find a lot to admire about this CD. - Alex Henderson, AMG
CD $13 [normally $15]

PURPLE GUMS [BOBBY BRADFORD/FRANCIS WONG/WILLIAM ROPER] - Mo Betta Butta (Asian Improv 72; USA) Featuring Bobby Bradford on cornet, Francis Wong on tenor sax & flute and William Roper on tuba & percussion. This is the second disc by this mighty fine trio. Anything involving the legendary West Coast cornetist, Bobby Bradford, is worth hearing. Bobby's long career in L.A. stretches back more than fifty years; he also has done a handful of discs with Ornette Coleman, John Carter, John Stevens, Vinny Golia and more recently with Nels Cline's Andrew Hill tribute band.
CD $13 [normally $15]

PURPLE GUMS [BOBBY BRADFORD/FRANCIS WONG/WILLIAM ROPER] - Purple Gums (Asian Improv 64; USA) Just in the door as this newsletter gets emailed to y'all! "The general idea behind Asian Improv Records is Asian musicians playing experimental jazz, most of it on the avant-garde side and most it with a definite AACM influence. But having a general idea and having firm, unbreakable rules are two different things. While Asian Improv is an Asian-run company, it doesn't exclude white, black or Latino improvisers-being Asian-friendly isn't the same as being Asian-only. On Purple Gums, only one of the three participants is Asian: tenor saxman/flutist Francis Wong. [Asian Improv Records co-founder]. The other two-veteran cornetist Bobby Bradford and tuba player/percussionist William Roper-are black. Together, the three jazzmen emphasize wind instruments; piano and bass are excluded, and the only percussion comes when Roper puts down his tuba. Purple Gums documents a live set at San Francisco State University in 2002, where the trio performs original material exclusively. And like a lot of Asian Improv releases, Purple Gums has an AACM mentality; in other words, Bradford, Wong and Roper provide avant-garde jazz that makes extensive use of space and is reflective rather than confrontational and pensive instead of harsh or in-your-face. By hard bop standards, these inside/outside performances are left of center; by avant-garde standards, they are relatively accessible. Most of the tunes are instrumental, although the trio also offers some spoken word items-most notably, "You a Square" and "A Boy Like You" (both of which feature Roper as a vocalist). While the latter addresses the more subtle forms of discrimination, "You a Square" is a humorous put-down of a painfully unsoulful, unhip musician. Purple Gums ...[is] a solid and respectable outing for the three risk-taking explorers. - Alex Henderson, AMG
CD $13 [normally $15]

WILLIAM ROPER With FRANCIS WONG/GLENN HORIUCHI - JuneTeenth (Asian Improv 55; USA) The tuba has always been an unusual instrument on which to improvise, but, in the past, William Roper has continuously overcome the technical obstacles of the instrument. This is the tubaist's debut as a leader, and it combines a few different recording sessions, all of which feature Roper in various combinations. There is a sparseness to most of it, allowing the voice of the tuba (and the other instruments) to sing unencumbered. While Roper is generally identified as a free improvisational figure, some of these tracks focus on composed sections. The wonderfully sensitive pianist Glenn Horiuchi appears often as an accompanist and collaborationist, both on piano and on shamisen, providing a somewhat Eastern feel to some of the pieces. Some tracks showcase Roper's advanced techniques, and others highlight contrasts in tone and timbre. The minimalist aspects can be a tad tedious, as on "Dance of the Sophists," with its elongated tones, but Roper is clearly a serious, talented performer with something important to contribute on his horn. This recording may not be remembered as Roper's tour de force, but for those who enjoy the sounds of the tuba, or something just a bit different, it should provide much listening pleasure. - Steven Loewy, AMG
CD $13 [normally $15]

JEFF SONG & LOWBROW With CUONG VU/DEAN LAABS et al - Rules Of Engagement (Asian Improv 26; USA) This is the second outing by Jeff Song on Asian Improv, and he is rejoined with collaborators such as trumpeter Dean Laabs, percussionist maximus John Mettam, and cellist and pianist Matt Turner, along with new members flutist Michael Gentile and trumpeter Cuong Vu. The proceedings are decidedly more jazz in orientation this time. There is the sense of a structured composition that is open on all sides to improvisation and invention. The disc opens with the title track, a cut time, though oddly accented tune which pits flute and piano against each other in minimal solos before the entire band crescendos in with a long string of chorded phrases that substitute for melody. Song dictates the rest of the piece from the bass chair, issuing changes in harmony, riff, and rhythm as Gentile solos over all of it. The other track that is so striking here is "The Dragon Song, Pts. 1-3." This is a 19-minute suite that revolves around a series of particularly knotty themes played by trumpet and cello that come back as modes in the latter sections. Here folk song, classical dynamic, and prog rock pomp all interweave to make this an epic of wide-ranging scope and variation, textures by rhythm and spatial dynamics. This is a solid effort, much more mature than Song's debut, deeper emotionally as well. - Thom Jurek, AMG
CD $16

JEFF SONG/MATT TURNER/DEAN LAABS - In Vivo (Asian Improv 16; USA)
CD $16

FRANCIS WONG With GLENN HORIUCHI/ELLIOT HUMBERTO KAVEE - Ming (Asian Improv 20; USA) On this CD, tenor saxophonist Francis Wong sometimes plays with both the ferocity of Albert Ayler and the thoughtfulness of Sonny Rollins. Although a few themes and specific moods are utilized, much of the music is quite free. It generally succeeds due to the close musical communication between Wong, pianist Glenn Horiuchi, and percussionist Elliot Humberto Kavee, even if Horiuchi's occasional vocal shouts are quite eccentric. Because Wong also plays a bit of flute and violin and Kavee uses a wide variety of percussion (including what is listed as "dishes, pots, pans, oven rack, and kitchen sink"), even the rambling moments tend to hold one's interest. A rewarding disc. - Scott Yanow, AMG CD $13 [normally $15]

FRANCIS WONG With GLENN HORIUCHI/MIYA MASAOKA - Legends & Legacies (Asian Improv 60; USA)
CD $13 [normally $15]

FRANCIS WONG With TATSU AOKI/BRADLEY PARKER-SPARROW - Chicago Time Code (Asian Improv 19; USA) When tenor saxophonist Francis Wong teamed up with pianist Bradley Parker-Sparrow and bassist Tatsu Aoki for Chicago Time Code, the musicians all had excellent resources to draw from. Wong was the cofounder of Asian Improv Records, a significant player in the Asian-American jazz scene, while Sparrow owned the Chicago-based Southport label and the studio Sparrow Sound Design (where this avant-garde session was recorded). Aoki, meanwhile, was a member of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) and had been quite active in Chicago's avant-garde jazz scene. In fact, the strong influence of the AACM is impossible to miss on Chicago Time Code, which, like many avant-garde recordings made in the Windy City, is reflective rather than confrontational. Play Chicago Time Code next to the blistering free jazz of Charles Gayle, Albert Ayler, or late-period John Coltrane, and you'll notice a world of difference. While Gayle and Ayler favor density and a lot of atonal, in-your-face screaming, Wong uses space and silence extensively, and isn't nearly as harsh. Also, Wong provides emotional outbursts after a lot of spacy, eerie reflection, while Gayle is known for starting out intense and staying that way. Those with a taste for AACM-type jazz will find Chicago Time Code to be pleasing - Alex Henderson, AMG
CD $13 [normally $15]

FRANCIS WONG/ELLIOT HUMBERTO KAVEE - Duets I (Asian Improv 28; USA) The pairing of tenor saxophonist Francis Wong and drummer Elliot Humberto Kavee at The San Francisco Mime Troupe in 1996 was no ordinary duet concert. As a label, Asian Improv has concerned itself with presenting high-quality, innovative Asian, East Indian, and Asian American takes on the jazz and new music art forms and has released records of astonishing quality and taste. This one is no exception. Comprised of two long selections (divvied into track marks for listener convenience) -- one for each set by the duo -- this date is a study in how these two instruments can come together in the song of improvisation. There may be bleating, honking, and squealing in places, but these sounds are byproducts of two players looking deeply into modal blues for a way into each other's musical worlds. Wong's tenor plays from the pain side of the blues -- the side of grief and loss and history -- in his approach to integrating Asian folk traditions into the jazz environment. Kavee is the perfect accompanist because he's an on-the-spot listener; he doesn't react, he catches the song's mode and moves into it with a groove already in mind that supplies Wong with a solid-sounding board for tracking through his ideas, and in turn, those ideas are textured by Kavee's organic approach to improvising. For jazz or improv fans looking for a point of reference, think of the India Navigation label as an inspiration for what's taking place here, and settle back to be amazed at some of the most sonically spiritual playing and "singing" since Coltrane and Sanders. - Thom Jurek, AMG
CD $13 [normally $15]

FRANCIS WONG/ELLIOTT HUMBERTO KAVEE/JOHN-CARLOS PEREA - Gathering Of Ancestors (Asian Improv 41; USA) For this exploratory, mildly avant-garde CD, tenor saxophonist Francis Wong forms a trio with electric bassist John-Carlos Perea and drummer Elliot Humberto Kavee and combines jazz with a variety of traditional forms of world music. Gathering of Ancestors, which was recorded at the Pine Street Methodist Church in San Francisco in 1998, is as introspective as it is chance-taking, and the group draws its inspiration from traditional Native American, Japanese and Chinese music as well as the music of jazz explorers like John Coltrane and Albert Ayler. "Blue Horse Special," in fact, finds Perea getting into the type of chanting one would hear at a traditional Lakota ceremony. An inside/outside approach defines much of the CD--for the most part, discernible themes and melodies are clearly stated before any of the improvisers get into outside improvisation. Those seeking something fresh-sounding from jazz should make a point of finding this CD. - Alex Henderson, AMG
CD $13 [normally $15]

FRANCIS WONG/GENNY LIM With GLENN HORIUCHI/ELLIOT HUMBERTO KAVEE - Devotee (Asian Improv 30; USA) Tenor saxophonist Francis Wong and vocalist Genny Lim lead an ensemble that includes pianist and shakuhachi and shiamsen player Glenn Horiuchi and drummer Elliot Humberto Kavee on a journey through the mystical lands of love and loss in the east. Here, Chinese music meets the diaspora of all Asians to Africa and to the West. There is a long suite, "La Chine Africane," in five parts that encompasses the first half-hour of the disc. It is a piece that integrates the Chinese classical tradition and oral histories along with free improvisation. It's drawn out and lengthy, but fascinating in how it uses overtones and semi-quavers to play the characters and various settings in the work. The rest are various compositions integrating the various Asian and American traditions in improvisation and tonal exploration. The entire proceeding is somber, if chaotic, and the reason is Lim's singing, which draws out each syllable, no matter which language she sings in, and adds to her vocalizing the entire weight of history. By the time of "Diaspora Tale" at the end of the record, the listener is worn out and exhausted, full of weight and a head full of images that need time to be assimilated. This is a laborious, but rewarding listening experience. - Thom Jurek, AMG
CD $13 [normally $15]

DOUG YAOKOYAMA With FRANCIS WONG/TREVOR DUNN/ELLIOT HUMBERTO KAVEE - Identities (Asian Improv 52; USA) One of the more interesting jazz indies of the '90s was Asian Improv Records, a label devoted primarily to Asian-American improvisers. With its main office in San Francisco and a second office in Chicago -- home of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) -- Asian Improv tended to favor avant-garde jazz of the AACM variety but didn't exclude other styles of jazz. The influence is strong on Identities, the first label release by alto saxophonist Doug Yokoyama. Recorded in San Francisco in January 1998, this memorable date takes an inside/outside approach and draws on influences ranging from John Coltrane to the artists of the AACM. Although mildly avant-garde, this release isn't an album of atonal chaos. Yokoyama plays discernible melodies, and his playing is reflective and moody rather than abrasive, harsh, and forceful. Like veteran altoist Roscoe Mitchell, Yokoyama knows how to use space and silence to his creative advantage. This promising release finds him leading a pianoless quartet that also includes tenor saxman Francis Wong, acoustic bassist Trevor Dunn, and drummer Elliot Humberto Kavee, all of whom do their part to make Identities the rewarding album that it is.
CD $13 [normally $15]

HIDE YOSHIHASHI & JASC TSUKASA TAIKO - Yoshihasi, JASC [2 CD set] (Asian Improv 70; USA) JASC Tsukasa Taiko is one of the leading taiko (Japanese drumming) programs in the Midwest. Head Sensei (Instructor) Hide Yoshihashi founded the group in 1996 and in 2004, moved its location to the Japanese American Service Committee of Chicago (JASC), where it now bases its activities.
Hide Yoshihashi - taiko, narimono; Amy Homma - taiko, narimono;l Jason Matsumoto - taiko, narimono; Karen Kooi - taiko, narimono; Kioto Aoki - taiko, narimono; Jeff Chan - shinobue, narimono; Tatsu Aoki - taiko, shamisen, narimono; Melody Takata - taiko, narimono; Dohee Lee - changgu, gwangwari, taepyungso
2 CD set for $16 [normally $20]

SEIJI 'WABI' YUGUCHI & WABI DOWN HOME BLUES PROJECT - The Best Things in Life Are Still Made By Hand (Asian Improv 57; USA) Seiji "WABI" Yuguchi (Vocal and Harmonica), Minoru Maruyama (Guitar), Yoshiyuki Mizuno (Guitar), Tadao Hosonuma (Guitar), Hiroshi Eguchi (Bass), Steve Cushing (Drums)
CD $13 [normally $15]


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



ALSO out recently from Esoteric..

ARC - Arc ..At This (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2097; UK) The sole album by this band is a much sought after collectors item originally released on the Decca label in 1970. ARC came out of the ashes of SKIP Bifferty, one of Britain's great unsung psychedelic rock groups. When former Skip Bifferty vocalist Graham Bell joined former NICE drummer Brian Davison's Every Which Way, the remaining members (Tom Duffy, Mick Gallagher, John Turnball and David Montgomery) formed this progressive rock outfit. Reuniting with Graham Bell the following year the group became Bell + Arc, recording an acclaimed album for Charisma Records. This release will be warmly greeted by collectors of early 1970's progressive music.
CD $21

BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST [JOHN LEES/WOOLLY WOLSTENHOLME et al] - Legacy - Live At The Shepherds Bush Empire 2006 (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2010; UK) November 2006 saw a highly successful UK tour by John Lees' Barclay James Harvest. Featuring founder BJH members John Lees & Woolly Wolstenholme, the tour featured some of the finest music from the BJH canon. Perennial classics such as "Mockingbird", "Poor Man's Moody Blues", "Child of the Universe" & "Hymn" were joined by definitive versions of "The Great 1974 Mining Disaster", "The Poet" / "After the Day" and "Poor Wages", none of which had been performed live for over 30 years.
A film crew & mobile recording unit for a DVD & CD release captured the London concert on November 5th. Cited by John Lees as "The best live album I've ever made", "Legacy" is a superb audio document of a legendary band. CD $21

BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST [JOHN LEES/WOOLLY WOLSTENHOLME et al] - Legacy - Live At The Shepherds Bush Empire 2006 [DVD] (Cherry Red/Esoteric DVD1001; UK) November 2006 saw a highly successful UK tour by John Lees' Barclay James Harvest. Featuring founder BJH members John Lees & Woolly Wolstenholme, the tour featured some of the finest music from the BJH canon. Perennial classics such as "Mockingbird", "Poor Man's Moody Blues", "Child of the Universe" & "Hymn" were joined by definitive versions of "The Great 1974 Mining Disaster", "The Poet" / "After the Day" and "Poor Wages", none of which had been performed live for over 30 years.
A film crew & mobile recording unit for a DVD & CD release captured the London concert on November 5th. Cited by John Lees as "The best live album I've ever made", "Legacy" is a superb audio document of a legendary band.
DVD $23

PAUL BRETT - Paul Brett Sage (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2112; UK) Respected guitarist and singer-songwriter Paul Brett began his career in the 1960 s by performing on records by Arthur Brown and Tintern Abbey among others. After guesting on the acclaimed Magic Shoemaker album by Fire in 1970 he signed to Pye Records as a solo artist recording the classic Paul Brett Sage the same year. A stunning mixture of styles, the record has become a highly regarded work by aficionados of so-called Acid Folk and Progressive Rock.
CD $21

PAUL BRETT'S SAGE - Jubilation Foundry (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2113; UK) Respected guitarist and singer-songwriter Paul Brett began his career in the 1960 s by performing on records by Arthur Brown and Tintern Abbey among others. After guesting on the acclaimed Magic Shoemaker album by Fire in 1970 he signed to PYE Records as a solo artist, recording the classic Paul Brett Sage the same year. Following the acclaim of the album, Brett formed the band Sage and recorded the first of two albums for PYE s progressive imprint, Dawn. Jubilation Foundry was more rock-based in focus, tapping into the new Progressive Rock movement. A long sought after album on vinyl, the release of Jubilation Foundry on CD is long overdue. Remastered from the original master tapes, this Esoteric Recordings reissue joins the albums Paul Brett Sage and Schizophrenia to make the entire Paul Brett Sage catalogue available on CD in the UK for the first time. 3 bonus cuts!
CD $21

PAUL BRETT'S SAGE - Schizophrenia (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2114; UK) Respected guitarist and singer-songwriter Paul Brett began his career in the 1960 s by performing on records by Arthur Brown and Tintern Abbey among others. After guesting on the acclaimed Magic Shoemaker album by Fire in 1970 he signed to PYE Records as a solo artist, recording the classic PAUL BRETT SAGE the same year. One bonus cut!
CD $21

JACK BRUCE - Automatic (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2116; UK) First ever CD release of Jack Bruce's 1983 album "Automatic". Never released outside of Europe, the album saw Jack explore the world of electronic keyboards alongside his more traditional approach to music making. A solo album in the true sense of the word, "Automatic" was recorded at Pink Floyd's Britannia Row studios with Jack overdubbing most of the instrumentation himself. Featuring such outstanding tracks as 'Make Love (Part II)', 'Encore', 'Green and Blue', 'Swarm' and 'Automatic Pilot', the release of the album on CD is a welcome event for the scores of Jack Bruce fans who have been eagerly awaiting its digital appearance for many year
CD $21

JIMMY CAMPBELL - Half Baked (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2107; UK) Originally released in 1970, Half Baked was the second and perhaps best known album by one of Liverpool s finest musicians, Jimmy Campbell. Previously a member of The Kirkby's and 23rd Turnoff (who recorded Campbell's Michaelangelo as a single for Deram Records), Campbell s followed up his 1969 debut album Son of Anastasia with this masterpiece recorded for Vertigo records. Featuring music of both beauty and melancholia, the excellent title track and the marvellous Don t Leave Me Now this newly re-mastered CD release also includes the track Lonely Norman from the 1971 Vertigo sampler Heads Together, First Round .
CD $21

JIMMY CAMPBELL - Jimmy Campbell's Album (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2108; UK) Originally released in 1971, The Jimmy Campbell Album was the third and final album by one of Liverpool s finest musicians, Jimmy Campbell. Previously a member of The Kirkby's and 23rd Turnoff (who recorded Campbell's Michaelangelo as a single for Deram Records), Campbell's followed up his albums Son of Anastasia and Half Baked with this record for Philips. Featuring music of both beauty and melancholia, such as the excellent By the Light of a Lamp and Salvation Army Citadel this newly re-mastered release is the first appearance of the album on CD. As with the music of Bill Fay (another songwriter whose work enjoyed a re-evaluation in recent times), Campbell's work is ripe for rediscovery. Recently hailed by Mojo magazine as a buried treasure , this re-mastered CD release is long overdue as tribute to the work of Jimmy Campbell who sadly passed away in 2007
CD $21

JIMMY CAMPBELL - Son Of Anastasia (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2106; UK) Originally released in 1969, Son of Anastasia was the debut album by one of Liverpool's finest musicians, Jimmy Campbell. Previously a member of The Kirkby s and 23rd Turnoff (who recorded Campbell's Michaelangelo as a single for Deram Records), Campbell s solo career began with this album (produced by John Cameron who had earlier worked with Donovan) which featured material both of aching beauty and melancholia such as the excellent On a Monday and his reworking of Michaelangelo. As with the music of Bill Fay (another songwriter whose work enjoyed a re-evaluation in recent times), Campbell's work is ripe for rediscovery. Recently hailed by Mojo magazine as a buried treasure, this re-mastered CD release of Son of Anastasia is long overdue as tribute to the work of Jimmy Campbell who sadly passed away in 2007.
CD $21

CMU [CONTEMPORARY MUSIC UNIT] - Open Spaces (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2093; UK) Open Spaces by CMU, the band's debut album from 1971, this unique masterpiece is a much sought after collectors item originally released on the Transatlantic label. CMU (Contemporary Music Unit) were a unique fusion of Progressive rock, Jazz and Folk influences. In keeping with the mood of the times, Open Spaces touches a style that evokes the work of contemporaries Affinity or even Arthur Brown. In Larraine Odell, CMU had one of the few female vocalists of the Progressive era, a fine vocalist supported by a fine band. Long sought after by collectors, an earlier CD reissue in 1993 omitted the album s lengthy tour de force, Chanticleer.
CD $21

CMU [CONTEMPORARY MUSIC UNIT] - Space Cabaret (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2094; UK) Space Cabaret by CMU, the band's final album from 1973. This unique masterpiece is a much sought after collectors item originally released on the Transatlantic label. CMU (Contemporary Music Unit) were a unique fusion of Progressive rock, Jazz and Folk influences. Following on from their debut Open Spaces, CMU changed line-ups and recruited Leary Hasson on Mellotron from label mates Marsupilami. Space Cabaret was CMU s masterwork which was fully in keeping with the mood of the times. In Larraine Odell, CMU had one of the few female vocalists of the Progressive era, a fine vocalist supported by a fine band. Two bonus cuts!
CD $21

DEMON FUZZ - Afreaka! (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2111; UK) Originally released in 1970, Afreaka! was the sole album by DEMON FUZZ, an AFRO ROCK band who made their mark by signing to Pye Records Progressive imprint DAWN. A melding of rock, jazz and African influences, the album was a funky masterpiece. Recently re-evaluated and sampled by many DJs of a new generation.
CD $21

DEVIANTS [MICK FARREN et al] - Deviants Three (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2120; UK) "Deviants 3" was the band's final album, originally released in 1969 on the Transatlantic imprint and featured the legendary "Billy the Monster". Soon after its release the Deviants broke apart with Russell Hunter, Paul Rudolph and Duncan Sanderson forming the legendary Pink Fairies, whilst Mick Farren would record a legendary solo album and continue pursuing his own revolutionary dreams
CD $21

DEVIANTS [MICK FARREN et al] - Disposable (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2119; UK) Esoteric Recordings release the classic trilogy of albums by Ladbroke Grove counter culture proto-Punks the Deviants. Founded by legendary counter-culture figure Mick Farren and Russell Hunter and inspired by The Fugs, the Deviants were first of the anarchic groups to emerge from the Ladbroke Grove area of London. Two years before Hawkwind burst on to the underground scene, the Deviants were preaching revolution and creating their own form of musical anarchy. "Disposable" was the band's second album, originally released in 1968 on the Stable imprint and featured the legendary "Let's Loot the Supermarket". A musical signpost that would point the direction the Deviants offspring the Pink Fairies would take, this Esoteric re-mastered edition is long overdue.
CD $21

DEVIANTS [MICK FARREN et al] - Ptoof! (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2118; UK) Esoteric Recordings release the classic trilogy of albums by Ladbroke Grove counter culture proto-Punks the Deviants. Founded by legendary counter-culture figure Mick Farren and Russell Hunter and inspired by The Fugs, the Deviants were first of the anarchic groups to emerge from the Ladbroke Grove area of London. Two years before Hawkwind burst on to the underground scene, the Deviants were preaching revolution and creating their own form of musical anarchy. "Ptoof!" was the band's classic debut album, originally released in 1967 and only available by mail order from the pages of International Times. Resplendent in a lavish fold out sleeve and with liner note by John Peel, the record caused a sensation, one of the first truly independent British rock albums to be released. This Esoteric edition restores original the artwork and has been re-mastered from the original master tapes.
CD $21

MICK FARREN [DEVIANTS] - Mona: The Carnivorous Circus (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2121; UK) This classic solo album recorded in 1970 by Deviants founder and leading counter culture figure Mick Farren. The album featured the two part opus "Carnivorous Circus", a montage of music and speech, which included interviews with a Hell's Angel and Steve Took speaking about the time he spent in Borstal. A work of dark genius, the album also included Farren's unique cover versions of two rock and roll classics, Bo Diddley's 'Mona' and Eddie Cochran's 'Summertime Blues'. This Esoteric Recordings reissue has been re-mastered from the original master tapes and restores the album artwork.
CD $21

FIRE - The Magic Shoemaker (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2117; UK) Fire was Hounslow's finest psychedelic rock group. Fronted by Dave Lambert (later to join The Strawbs), the band recorded two legendary singles for Decca before signing to PYE Records and recording this legendary Psychedelic Rock rarity in 1969. Featuring guest appearances by guitarist Paul Brett and Dave Cousins of The Strawbs, the album failed to sell in significant quantities at the time of release. Now hailed as a masterpiece of the genre, the album featured in Record Collector's Top Ten sought after rare albums list. This new remastered edition features four bonus tracks, namely both sides of the two Fire singles released by Decca in 1968 along with an extensive booklet featuring new liner notes and an interview with Dave Lambert
CD $21

GALLIARD - New Dawn (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2099; UK) Esoteric Recordings are pleased to release both of the highly collectable albums by Progressive / Jazz Rock outfit Galliard. Formed in the Midlands in 1969 featuring Andrew Abbott (bass), Geoff Brown (vocals), Dave Caswell (saxophones), Richard Pannell (guitar), Les Podraza (drums) and John Smith (woodwind), this innovative group recorded their second album for Decca's Deram imprint in 1970. Like many other Deram acts, Galliard failed to achieve the commercial success they deserved. Both "New Dawn" and their previous release "Strange Pleasure" (also released this month by Esoteric) are among the most collectable and valuable records of the Progressive Rock genre
CD $21

GALLIARD - Strange Pleasure (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2098; UK) Esoteric Recordings are pleased to release both of the highly collectable albums by Progressive / Jazz Rock outfit Galliard. Formed in the Midlands in 1969 featuring Andrew Abbott (bass), Geoff Brown (vocals), Dave Caswell (saxophones), Richard Pannell (guitar), Les Podraza (drums) and John Smith (woodwind), this innovative group recorded their first album for Decca's Deram Nova imprint in 1970. Like many other Nova acts, Galliard failed to achieve the commercial success they deserved. Both "Strange Pleasure" and their follow up release "New Dawn" (also released this month by Esoteric) are among the most collectable and valuable records of the Progressive Rock genre.
CD $21

KEEF HARTLEY BAND - Lancashire Hustler (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2101; UK) Keef Hartley came to prominence as a member of the British R&B group The Artwoods before joining John Mayall's Bluesbreakers in 1967. He contributed to the album "Crusade" before leaving in 1968 to form the first line-up of his own band. He recorded a series of classic albums for Decca's Deram label. Esoteric Recordings are pleased to complete their reissuing of Keef's Deram catalogue with the first ever CD release of his final album for Deram the excellent "Lancashire Hustler". Featuring guest appearances from Robert Palmer & Elkie Brooks and their band Vinegar Joe, this welcome reissue includes liner notes by the man himself and a booklet with previously unseen photos.
CD $21

KEEF HARTLEY BAND - Seventy Second Brave (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2100; UK) Keef Hartley came to prominence as a member of the British R&B group The Artwoods before joining John Mayall's Bluesbreakers in 1967. He contributed to the album "Crusade" before leaving in 1968 to form the first line-up of his own band. He recorded a series of classic albums for Decca's Deram label. Esoteric Recordings are pleased to complete their reissuing of Keef's Deram catalogue with this newly remastered release of his 1972 album "Seventy Second Brave". Featuring the last incarnation of his band, Keef would record his final album for Deram the following year under his own name. This reissue includes liner notes by the man himself and a booklet with previously unseen photos
CD $21

HAWKWIND - Spirit of the Age: An Anthology 1976-1984 (Esoteric/Atomhenge BOX 3002; UK) ATOMHENGE, the home of HAWKWINDXs catalogue between 1976 X 1997, begin their campaign of definitive editions of the Hawks albums with two 3CD boxed set anthologies of which XSpirit of the AgeX is the first. It is a fitting tribute to one of BritainXs finest bands. This anthology sees HAWKWIND dominated by the vocal presence of lyricist ROBERT CALVERT alongside founder DAVE BROCK, also taking on board fellow travellers such as GINGER BAKER and TIM BLAKE along the way. This lavish CD set draws on selections from such classic albums as ASTOUNDING SOUNDS X AMAZING MUSIC, QUARK STRANGENESS & CHARM, HAWKWLORDS, PXR 5, LIVE X79, LEVITATION, SONIC ATTACK, CHURCH OF HAWKWIND & CHOOSE YOUR MASQUES taking in a memorable appearance at STONEHENGE and the EARTH RITUAL tour of 1984. Including many previously unreleased mixes and rare tracks, the anthology serves as a reminder of HAWKWINDXs enduring appeal. With all tracks newly remastered from the original master tapes, alongside the companion 3CD set XThe Dream Goes OnX the SPIRIT OF THE AGE is now!!
3 CD set for $42

HAWKWIND - The Dream Goes On: An Anthology 1985-1997 (Esoteric/Atomhenge BOX 3003; UK) ATOMHENGE, the home of HAWKWINDXs catalogue between 1976 X 1997, begin their campaign of definitive editions of the Hawks albums with two 3CD boxed set anthologies of which XThe Dream Goes OnX is the second. It is a fitting tribute to one of BritainXs finest bands. This anthology sees HAWKWIND journey to the end of the 1980Xs and into the 90Xs still retaining their original spirit whilst eagerly absorbing the ever changing musical landscape around them. Always ahead of their contemporaries and led by founder DAVE BROCK, this second lavish CD set draws on selections from such classic albums as CHRONICLE OF THE BLACK SWORD, LIVE CHRONICLES, XENON CODEX, SPACE BANDITS, PALACE SPRINGS, ELECTRIC TEPEE, THE BUSINESS TRIP, ALIEN 4, LOVE IN SPACE & DISTANT HORIZON, serving as a reminder of HAWKWINDXs enduring appeal. With all tracks newly remastered from the original master tapes, alongside the companion 3CD set XThe Spirit of the AgeX, THE DREAM GOES ON!
3 CD set for $42

JACKIE McCAULEY - Jackie McAuley (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2110; UK) Esoteric Recordings are proud to release the debut album by Jackie Mcauley on CD in the UK for the first time. A former member of legendary band Them, Jackie teamed up with original Fairport Convention singer Judy Dyble in the acclaimed duo Trader Horne (also available on Esoteric Recordings). In 1970 he recorded this stunning debut album for Pye Records Progressive imprint, DAWN. An acclaimed work, it failed to sell in large quantities but has since become a much sought-after album. This Esoteric reissue has been re-mastered from the original master tapes and adds both sides of his 1970 single as bonus tracks.
CD $21

TOM NEWMAN - Faerie Symphony (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2109; UK) Originally released in 1977 by Decca Records, Faerie Symphony was the third album by Tom Newman, founder member of psychedelic group July and noted engineer and producer on many albums for Mike Oldfield, including the multi-million selling Tubular Bells. Newman's solo work began with two albums for Virgin Records before he signed to Decca Records for this third, classic album. His musical work on Faerie Symphony draws upon influences from much of his work with Oldfield and also features Jade Warrior (and Tubular Bells contributor) member Jon Field.
CD $21

WILLIAM R STRICKLAND - Is Only The Name (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2115; UK) Released in both the UK and USA on Decca's Deram label in 1969, most music observers became aware of William R Strickland by his inclusion on the classic 1969 sampler album Wowie Zowie The World Of Progressive Music. Strickland's album was an introspective and dark work that utilised avant garde synthesiser sounds on Computer Lover and orchestrated arrangements to make for an interesting fusion of poetry, folk music and the experimental. Once describing himself as a cross between Willie Nelson and Pink Floyd , an American newspaper once referred to him as A kinky cross between Mark Twain and Lenny Bruce . An album to appeal to fans of the strange, this Esoteric Recordings release has been remastered from the original master tapes and marks the albums first appearance on CD.
CD $21

TRADER HORNE [JUDY DYBLE/JACKIE McAULEY et al] - Morning Way (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2088; UK) Esoteric Recordings are pleased to add to their catalogue this classic acid folk album from 1970. "Morning Way" by Trader Horne has achieved legendary status alongside other classic examples of the genre such as the album by Mellow Candle (also available on Esoteric).
Featuring vocalist Judy Dyble (original vocalist Fairport Convention and Giles Giles & Fripp) and Jackie McAuley (Them, Belfast Gypsies)., "Morning Way" was an early release on Pye Records' progressive imprint dawn. Although selling limited numbers upon release, the album has acquired mythical status over the years, thanks to the album's masterful compositions and arrangements. Bonus Tracks- Here Comes The Rain / Goodbye Mercy Kelly
CD $21

WOOLLY WOLSTENHOLME & MAESTOSO - Uneasy Listening (Cherry Red/Esoteric 2124; UK) Founder member and keyboard player of Barclay James Harvest, Woolly Wolstenholme was arguably the symphonic and "progressive" influence within the band. His Mellotron playing and songs graced many classic BJH albums between 1970 - 1978. Departing in 1979 for a solo career he recorded the album "Maestoso" for Polydor before leaving music after an aborted second album. Teaming up with John Lees in his incarnation of BJH in 1998 he also resurrected his solo career with the band Maestoso. This collection draws from his early solo work and his acclaimed albums "One Drop in Dry World" (2004), "Grim" (2006) and "Caterwauling" (2007). Featuring two previously unreleased tracks, this collection features Woolly's finest work over two CDs.
2 CD set for $23


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


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

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

To help avoid this problem and get our newsletter:

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

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

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

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