Great New Releases for a Lifetime of listening pleasure from:

Bjorkenheim's Scorch Trio Live 2LP-Only! John Zorn & Banquet of the Spirits! Zeena Parkins! Terry Riley! Elliott Sharp! Jim Black Trio! Uri Caine All Stars! Barry Guy/LJCO DVD! Sonore CD!

Gustafsson's Fire + O'Rourke! Andre Vida with Braxton/Sorey/Dorner! Thinking Plague! Tim Brady! Joel Harrison/Cuong Vu/Dan Weiss! Quatuor Bozzini! Michael Gibbs & NDR Big Band! Joane Hetu! Oren Ambarchi! Nurse with Wound!

Legendary Gazell label: Dave Burrell/David Murray, Byard Lancaster, Oliver Lake, Gillespie/Stitt/Lewis/Jones/Heath/Roach, Woody Shaw's Paris Reunion Band, Adam Makowicz, Bob Brookmeyer, Stan Getz, One String Jones, Dave Van Ronk, Fugs..!!!

..and even more, even MORE!




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The DMG Free Weekly In-Store Performance Series Continues in the New Year With:

Sunday, January 29th at 6pm:
The Return of RADIO I-CHING! Featuring DEE POP - Drums / ANDY HAAS - Reeds / DON FIORINO - Guitar!

Sunday, February 5th at 6pm:
MAX JOHNSON & SYLVAIN LEROUX - Acoustic Bass & Flute Duo!

Sunday, February 12th at 6pm:
CARLO COSTA & RYAN FERREIRA - Drums & Guitar Duo!


Sunday, February 19th - Double Header featuring:
6pm: THOMAS HELTON & WILLIAM PARKER - Contrabass Duets!
7pm: ANDREA PENSADO - Solo Weirdness from Argentina!

Sunday, February 26th at 6pm - CD Release Celebration for this All-Star Unit:
FRANCOIS GRILLOT/CATHERINE SIKORA/ROY CAMPBELL, Jr./JAY ROSEN!

Sunday, March 4th - Double-Header:
6pm: NATURA MORTA Featuring: FRANTZ LORIOT - Prepared Viola / SEAN ALI - Prepared Bass / CARLO COSTA - Drums & Percussion!
7pm: SARAH BERNSTEIN - Violin & ELIE SORBSEL - Voice!

Sunday March 11th at 6pm:
JEREMIAH CYMERMAN -Solo Clarinet & Devices!

Sunday, March 18th at 6pm:
PASCAL NIGGENKEMPER Ensemble!

Sunday, March 25th at 6pm:
ROSS HAMMOND & VINNY GOLIA - Guitar & Reeds! East Coast CD Release Celebration !

Sunday, April 1st at 6pm:
April Fool's Day Mystery Set!?!

Sunday, April 8th at 6pm:
GL DIANA Returns - Laptop!

Sunday, April 15th at 6pm:
LATHAN-FLIN-ALI Featuring LATHAN HARDY - Alto Sax / SEAN ALI - Contrabass / FLIN VAN HEMMEN - Drums!

Sunday April 22nd at 6pm
The MIJO 4tet featuring MICHAEL ATTIAS - Saxes / J.G.B. - Clarinet / PASCAL NIGGENKEMPER - Contrabass / CARLO COSTA - Drums!

Sunday April 29th at 6pm:
BIRDS IN THE MEADOW Featuring DARIUS JONES - Alto Sax & MARTY McCAVITT - Electronics!

Sunday, May 6th at 6pm:
The Return of BONNIE KANE on Sax & CHRIS WELCOME on Guitar!


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New on Tzadik!

JOHN ZORN//BANQUET OF THE SPIRITS [CYRO BAPTISTA/BRIAN MARSELLA/SHANIR EZRA BLUMENKRANZ/TIM KEIPER] + KENNY WOLLESEN - Mount Analogue (Tzadik 7394; USA) Drawing inspiration from the life and work of the towering spiritual figure Georges Ivanovitch Gurdjieff, Mount Analogue is one of Zorn's greatest creations. Taking the form of a mystical journey, the music jumps from one world to another weaving a rich tapestry that blends world music, jazz, contemporary classical and more. Featuring Cyro Baptista's fabulous quartet Banquet of the Spirits augmented by the brilliant Kenny Wollesen on vibes, this is the latest volume in Zorn's mystic series, and a major new extended composition. Described as aural cinema, even after thirty years Zorn's file card pieces have never been equalled. A masterwork! TZADIK ARCHIVAL SERIES [special packaging]
CD $17

ZEENA PARKINS With OKKYUNG LEE/SHELLEY HIRSCH/CHRISTIAN MARCLAY/IKUE MORI/JIM STALEY/DAVID WATSON/MATTHEW WELCH/WILLIAM WINANT et al - Double Dupe Down (Tzadik 7522; USA) Zeena Parkins is a keyboardist, harpist and composer who has worked closely with Fred Frith, Bjork, Ikue Mori and many others. Her brilliant work for dance has earned her three Bessie Awards, and her own bands have toured the world for over twenty years to great acclaim. This special compilation brings together some of her best compositions written for film. Including some of the best musicians in the downtown scene, this is an endlessly creative collection of work by one of the most important and consistently fascinating figures out of New York's downtown scene. TZADIK FILM MUSIC SERIES
CD $14

TERRY RILEY - Aleph [2 CD set] (Tzadik 8167; USA) Maestro Terry Riley returns to the transcendent brilliance of his mprovisatory All Night Flights from the 1970s in this spectacular two-hour solo performance for just intonation keyboard. Originally created for the Aleph-Bet Sound Project that John Zorn organized for the Contemporary Jewish Museum in San Francisco, the music has been sitting in Terry's archives for years and now finally sees the light of day in all its glorious entirety. Recorded at Terry's private studio at Moonshine Ranch at Midnight, the music captures a magically mystical vibe, timeless, meditative and entrancing. A modern classic from the godfather of minimalism who continues to surprise and challenge us with each new release. TZADIK RADICAL JEWISH CULTURE SERIES
2 CD set for $20


BARRY GUY/LONDON JAZZ COMPOSERS' ORCHESTRA [LJCO]//JURG & MARIANNE RUFER, dirs - Harmos: Concert Live At Schaffhausen 2008 [DVD] (Intakt 151; Switzerland) Barry Guy, Evan Parker, Mats Gustaffson, Trevor Watts, Simon Picard, Pete McPhail, Conrad Bauer,Johannes Bauer, Alan Tomlinson, Henry Lowther, Herb Robertson, Rich Laughlin, Per Ake Holmlander, Phil Wachsmann, Barre Phillips, Paul Lytton, Lucas Niggli, Howard Riley ..YOW! 20 years later, a new performance - caught on film - with a new MONSTER lineup, of one of the earliest compositional releases from LJCO!
DVD $28


SONORE [PETER BROTZMANN/MATS GUSTAFSSON/KEN VANDERMARK] - Oto: Live in London 2011 (Trost 108; EEC) The Trost label presents a live recording from the trio Sonore, featuring Peter Brotzmann (tenor and alto sax, clarinet and taragato), Ken Vandermark (tenor sax and clarinet) and Mats Gustafsson (baritone sax). All compositions by Brotzmann, Vandermark and Gustafsson. Recorded at Cafe OTO, London, for Jazz On 3, BBC Radio 3, April 20th 2011. CD $17
also available on LP for $24



New!

FIRE! [MATS GUSTAFSSON/JOHAN BERTHLING/ANDREAS WERLIIN] + JIM O'ROURKE - Released! [Ltd Ed 10" Ep] (Rune Grammofon 2120; EEC) Fire! are developing at a rapid speed and their exhilarating gig at Oslo Jazz Festival in August 2011 simply left the audience gobsmacked. This 10" EP however, contains more music from their fruitful collaboration with Jim O'Rourke in Tokyo in September 2010, some of which was released earlier in 2011 as Unreleased?. Here are two workouts showing the wide musical spectrum they cover. Vinyl-only release in a numbered, limited edition of only 500 copies.
LP $26

also available..

FIRE! [MATS GUSTAFSSON/JOHAN BERTHLING/ANDREAS WERLIIN] + JIM O'ROURKE - Unreleased? (Rune Grammofon 2111; EEC) The second album from the excellent Swedish trio Fire, something of a supergroup with members from already well-known projects. This time they collaborate with the legendary Jim O'Rourke. With their hypnotic, psychedelic jazz of sorts, they have carved out a different sound than any of the groups they are normally associated with, now enhanced by the vital contributions from O'Rourke. Sax player, improviser, composer and fervent record collector, Mats Gustafsson is possibly most known from power-jazz trio The Thing. He has also played more than 1,500 concerts and participated on around 150 records with musicians like Peter Brotzmann, Sonic Youth, Merzbow, Barry Guy, Otomo Yoshihide, Ken Vandermark, Hamid Drake, Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, Joe McPhee and a host of others simply too many to mention here. Johan Berthling has freelanced in jazz, improvised music, pop, folk and more. He is a founding member of the trio Tape and founded Hapna. Among his current other groups are Animes with David Stackenas and Raymond Strid and Sten Sandell Trio with pianist Sten Sandell and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love. Johan is also working as a record producer. Andreas Werliin, drummer extraordinaire in Wildbirds & Peacedrums, is Fire!'s youngest member and one of the most interesting and acclaimed new percussionists in the creative music scene of Scandinavia. Probably best known as a member of Sonic Youth and Gastr Del Sol, Jim O'Rourke has played with an impressively large number of musicians and produced albums for the likes of Wilco, Sonic Youth, John Fahey, Smog, Beth Orton, Joanna Newsom and Stereolab, to name but a few. Born in Chicago and long associated with the city's experimental and improv scene, he later relocated to New York before moving on to Tokyo where he now lives and works. Mats Gustafsson (baritone saxophone, live electronics, Fender Rhodes), Johan Berthling (electric bass), Andreas Werliin (drums and percussion) and Jim O'Rourke (electric guitar, synthesizer, harmonica).
CD $17
also available as LP for $24

FIRE! [MATS GUSTAFSSON/JOHAN BERTHLING/ANDREAS WERLIIN] - You Liked Me Five Minutes Ago (Rune Grammofon 2091; EEC) This is the debut full-length release from excellent Swedish jazz trio, Fire! -- something of a supergroup with members from already well-known quarters. Sax player, improviser and composer Mats Gustafsson is probably best-known from power-jazz trio The Thing, but he has also played more than 1,500 concerts and participated on around 150 records with musicians such as Peter Brotzmann, Sonic Youth, Merzbow, Jim O'Rourke, Barry Guy, Otomo Yoshihide, Ken Vandermark, Hamid Drake, Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, Joe McPhee, and countless others. Johan Berthling is a founding member of Tape and founded the Hapna label. His other current groups include Animes with David Stackenas and Raymond Strid and Sten Sandell Trio with pianist Sten Sandell and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love. Andreas Werliin is the drummer extraordinaire in Wildbirds & Peacedrums with fellow improv colleague, Mariam Wallentin, and they have released two acclaimed albums of modern, bluesy folk music. The collaboration of Fire! don't sound anything like the groups the members are normally associated with, which is exactly the way it should be. With their hypnotic, psychedelic jazz of sorts, they don't sound like anyone else at all. CD edition includes a 16-page color booklet, masterfully and beautifully designed and assembled by Kim Hiorthoy. Fire! is: Mats Gustafsson (saxophones, electronics, Fender Rhodes), Johan Berthling (double bass and electric bass, electric guitar, Hammond organ), and Andreas Werliin (drums and percussion).
CD $17
also available as LP for $20


New!

SCORCH TRIO [RAOUL BJORKENHEIM/INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN/FRANK ROSALY] + MARS WILLIAMS - Made In Norway [2 LP set; ltd ed of 500 copies] (Rune Grammofon 3119; EEC) NO CD EDITION! Classic double live album from this free spirited international trio, this time expanded with Chicago sax player Mars Williams. Recorded at Oslo's Cafe Mono and at the Nattjazz festival in Bergen, both in May 2011, this fully shows how new drummer Frank Rosaly now is a perfect partner to founders Raoul Bjorkenheim (guitar) and Ingebrigt Haker Flaten (bass), not to mention Williams who fits in perfectly with only a minimum of rehearsals before these concerts. The interplay is simply stunning and the sound is of studio quality. Sporting a beautiful gatefold sleeve this is simply a great package all around.
2 LP set for $32

also available..

SCORCH TRIO [RAOUL BJORKENHEIM/INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN/FRANK ROSALY] - Melaza (Rune Grammofon 2104; EEC) Fourth album from the free-spirited power trio that should need no long introduction by now, apart from the significant fact that Frank Rosaly has taken over the drum stool from Paal Nilssen-Love. No mean feat, seeing how the hand-in-glove rhythm section of Nilssen-Love and Haker Flaten has graced a large number of recordings over the years and built a solid reputation as one of modern jazz and improv's most reliable units. That said, the Chicago-based drummer is doing a remarkable job in both keeping the group sound intact while bringing new blood to the proceedings. As with the previous albums, Melaza was recorded live in the studio with a minimum of overdubs, this time by Robert Mussi at Bill Laswell's New York studio. Raoul Bjorkenheim is from Finland and he recorded for ECM as a member of Finnish pioneers Krakatau as well as with Bill Laswell, Henry Kaiser, Jah Wobble, Peter Erskine, Paul Schutze, Mats Gustafsson, Nicky Skopelitis, and others. He has also written film scores and orchestral music. Norwegian Ingebrigt Haker Flaten is a member of The Thing, Atomic, School Days, Free Fall with Ken Vandermark and has his own quintet. He has toured with Trygve Seim, Joe McPhee, Chris Potter, Dave Liebman, Tony Oxley and many others. Drummer and composer Frank Rosaly has been an integral part of the Chicago music scene for 10 years, navigating between the improv, experimental, rock and jazz communities. As with the other Scorch Trio albums, all titles are local slang-words: this time, it's Puerto Rican, with the album title translating as "pure sugar cane juice, something sweet, fantastic." Members: Raoul Bjorkenheim (guitar), Ingebrigt Haker Flaten (bass), and Frank Rosaly (drums).
CD $17
also available on LP for $24

SCORCH TRIO [RAOUL BJORKENHEIM/INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN/PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE] - Brolt! (Rune Grammofon 2074; EEC) The third album from this free spirited power trio is a masterful example of passionate improvisation and breathtaking interplay. The hand in glove rhythm section of Paal Nilssen-Love (drums) and Ingebrigt Haker Flaten (bass) has graced a large number of recordings over the years and Finish guitar maestro Raoul Bjorkenheim has been around since recording with Edvard Vesala and Krakatau for ECM back in the days. As with their previous albums Scorch Trio and Luggumt, Brolt is an old school analog recording -- the band set up in one room, instruments and amps miked with vintage microphones, playing live and recording to analog multi-track tape with no overdubs and editing and then mixing down to quarter-inch analog tape with no oveerdubs or editing. There's a slightly different vibe to Brolt than that of its predecessors, maybe caused by the change of studio or the fact that they specifically set out to make it more of an ensemble recording where all instruments are treated equally. They went into the studio straight after a short, but very hectic tour of Europe and Japan, which may explain the more loose, live feel of many of the tracks.
Bjorkenheim was raised on Hendrix, Zappa and rock music before he discovered Miles, Coltrane, Mingus and Eric Dolphy. He has written film scores and orchestral music and recorded with Bill Laswell, Henry Kaiser, Jah Wobble, Peter Erskine, Paul Schutze, Mats Gustafsson and others. Haker Flaten is a member of The Thing, Atomic, School Days and Free Fall and has his own quintet. He has played with Edvard Vesala, Krakatau and Tony Oxley and many others. Nilssen-Love is the most profiled player on the Norwegian jazz scene. A member of The Thing, School Days, Frode Gjerstad Trio, Atomic and several others, the two most important things for him are energy and creative freedom -- both vital ingredients in the Scorch Trio musical vocabulary.
CD $17 or
SCORCH TRIO [RAOUL BJORKENHEIM/INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN/PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE] - Brolt!: Expanded Edition [2 LP set; ltd ed of 500 copies] (Rune Grammofon 3074; EEC) [THIS DOUBLE LP CONTAINS AN XTRA 4 CUTS - 33 MINUTES - NOT INCLUDED ON THE CD EDITION!]
2 LP set for $28

SCORCH TRIO [RAOUL BJORKENHEIM/INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN/PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE] - Luggumt (Rune Grammofon 2040; EEC) This is the second dynamic disc from Scorch Trio and we haven't heard a power trio this amazing since the Jimi Hendrix Experience or Cream or maybe even the Nels Cline Singers! Current legends, Scorch Trio is/are guitar god Raoul Bjorkenheim on electric guitar and electric viola da gamba, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on contrabass & Fender bass and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums & percussion. Although our good pal Raoul presently lives in NY, he is from Finland, while his two in-demand rhythm team cohorts come from Norway. Raoul remains one of most innovative and distinctive electric guitarists on the planet, having worked with Edward Vesala, Krakatua (both on ECM) plus he has a great disc on Cuneiform and that marvelous duo with Lukas Ligeti on TUM, from earlier this year. Immensely inventive bassist Ingebrigt Haker Flaten and powerhouse drummer Paal Nilssen-Love have also worked with Mats Gustafsson in The Thing, amongst other Scandinavian greats. 'Luggumt' explodes right from the beginning and is an immensely powerful offering. When we played it loud in our store last Saturday afternoon, everyone in the store (including guitarist Andy Summers from the Police) jumped and screamed with delight saying, "Who the fuck is this!?!" This righteous platter begins and ends with a fire-spitting electric guitar power trio eruption that will knock you off your feet. The three central pieces quiet things down a bit, yet remain spirited and inventive throughout, often spooky and filled with suspense. Raoul really knows how to make his guitar talk, scream and blast away the doldrums of modern life. Ingebrigt and Paal are a perfect match and also never cease to amaze us as well. Check out their two solo efforts if you can locate them, Ingebrigt's solo effort is the only one we can offer. Word is that this here Scorch Trio might just do a tour here sometime soon. We can only hope and bide our precious time with this massive offering in hand. - BLG
CD $17

SCORCH TRIO [RAOUL BJORKENHEIM/INGEBRIGT HAKER FLATEN/PAAL NILSSEN-LOVE] - Scorch Trio (Rune Grammofon 2025; EEC) From this Norwegian sister label of ECM comes this great jamming trio. Raoul's playing may at times suggest the best moments of classic avant-jazzer guitarists (McLaughlin, etc.) but ultimately is completely a great style all his own, wonderfully accompanied here by the great bass/drum rhythm section of both Matt Gustaffson's The Thing and Ken Vandermark's School Days. From 'out' sound sculpture to 'in' power riffs, it's all here.
"The unique Finnish composer and guitar master Raoul Bjorkenheim teams up with the hot, young Norwegian rhythm section of Ingebrigt Haker Flaten (bass) and Paal Nilssen-Love (drums) in a classic powertrio setup. Burning with an untamed energy this is neither jazz nor rock, but a free spirited music that in places reminds us of another trio, Hendrix' criminally underrated Band Of Gypsys. [Actually, more like a futurist update of McLaughlin's Extrapolation! - MannyLunch] Recorded live in the studio to analogue tape during two January days this year, the sound of this record is excellent with much warmth and clarity. The three of them have worked with names like Bill Laswell, Jah Wobble, Paul Schutze, Henry Kaiser, Nicky Skopelitis, Mats Gustafsson, Krakatou, Joe McPhee, Iain Ballamy, Dave Liebman, Tony Oxley, Pat Metheny, Django Bates and several others."
CD $17


New!

ELEPHANT9 [STALE STORLOKKEN/NIKOLAI EILERTSEN/TORSTEIN LOFTHUS] - Live At The BBC (Rune Grammofon 2118; EEC) At the same time as their triumphant and memorable concert with Motorpsycho in London in November 2010, Elephant9 popped into BBC for a live session for their "Jazz On 3" program. Widely considered to be one of Norway's best live bands, this album also shows the high degree of musicianship in this trio, all tracks being first-takes and without any editing whatsoever. Elephant9 is Stale Storlokken (Supersilent, Humcrush) on Hammond organ and Fender Rhodes, Nikolai Eilertsen (Big Bang) on bass and Torstein Lofthus (Shining) on drums.
LP $26

also available..

ELEPHANT9 [STALE STORLOKKEN/NIKOLAI EILERTSEN/TORSTEIN LOFTHUS] - Walk The Nile (Rune Grammofon 2095; EEC) This is the second full-length album by Norway's Elephant9. DodoVoodoo (RCD 2075CD), the debut from this Hammond-driven power trio, received excellent international reviews upon its release in 2008. Already a firm favorite on the Norwegian and European live scene due to top-notch musicianship, a high energy level and very enthusiastically-received concerts, they once again deliver the goods on record with Walk The Nile. Sporting five originals from Storlokken and one from Eilertsen, this is a general improvement on the debut, as good as that one was. Again being an all-analog recording co-produced by Christian Engfelt at Oslo's Grand Sport Studios, it has a gorgeous, organic, late-'60s/early '70s feel, combining elements from rock, jazz, psychedelia, funk and prog. Stale Storlokken is widely considered to be the most inventive and musically creative keyboard player to spring out of the fertile Norwegian jazz scene, his playing with Supersilent, Humcrush, Terje Rypdal, Nils Petter Molvaer and countless others being firm testament to this. Nikolai Haengsle Eilertsen, on electric bass, was first known to the Norwegian public through his playing with popular rock group Big Bang, and later chart-topping pop group The National Bank. Torstein Lofthus is an extremely versatile drummer who has done a lot of session work as well as playing in jazz, soul and rock bands, most notably Shining.
CD $17

ELEPHANT9 [STALE STORLOKKEN/NIKOLAI EILERTSEN/TORSTEIN LOFTHUS] - DodoVoodoo (Rune Grammofon 2075; EEC) Already a firm live favorite on the Norwegian scene for a couple of years due to a handful of highly energetic and very enthusiastically received concerts, the trio of Stale Storlokken (Supersilent, Humcrush), Nikolai Eilertsen (The National Bank) and Torstein Lofthus (Shining) on drums finally deliver their debut album. Stale Storlokken is widely considered to be the most inventive and musically creative keyboard player to spring out of the Norwegian jazz scene. On DodoVoodoo he mostly concentrates on organ and electric piano, giving the album a late '60s, early '70s feel with traces of rock, jazz, prog and psychedelia. This, in combination with a young rhythm section that comes mostly with a rock background, gives it a fresh and contemporary edge. Nikolai Eilertsen was first known to the Norwegian public through the rock groups Big Bang and The National Bank, which also includes Morten Qvenild from Susanna and the Magical Orchestra and In The Country as well as Jaga Jazzist brothers Lars and Martin Horntvet. Torstein Lofthus is an extremely versatile drummer who has done a lot of session work as well as playing in jazz, soul and rock bands, most notably Shining, being the only member still in the band along with founder Jorgen Munkeby. DodoVoodoo was recorded live in Grand Sport Studio, the same analogue facility where Scorch Trio records.
CD $17


New!

THE LAST HURRAH!! - The Great Gig In Disguise [Ltd Ed 10" Ep] (Rune Grammofon 2121; EEC) MOJO invited The Last Hurrah!! to cover a track from Pink Floyd's The Dark Side Of The Moon for their September 2011 issue. Their sublime take on the most iconic and uncoverable of Floyd tracks, "The Great Gig In The Sky," had readers and journalists singing. Here it is, in all its glory, together with their interpretation of another classic, Sandy Denny's "Who Knows Where The Time Goes" and two smashing new originals penned by Hurrah mainman HP Gundersen. Vinyl-only release in a numbered, limited edition of only 500 copies.
LP $20

also available..

THE LAST HURRAH!! - Spiritual Non-Believers (Rune Grammofon 2109; EEC) This is the new project from HP Gundersen; well-known producer, artist, musical partner, creative force, teacher, mentor and music enthusiast from Bergen, Norway. He has produced some 50 albums, probably best-known for Sondre Lerche's debut album Faces Down and Madrugada's monster hit "Lift Me." After stumbling over Stephen Stills' "secret tuning" as used on "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," HP has dedicated the last couple of years to explore what he calls drone guitar, music based on open, in this case modal, guitar tunings offering a fuller sound world and polyrhythmic possibilities not achieved with standard tunings. It soon became an obsession and he would sit at home for hours and days just playing as a means of meditation and for his own mental health. Friend and singer Heidi Goodbye would come to visit and ended up becoming so hypnotized by his playing that she just had to become involved. Heidi, also from Bergen, travelled to Denmark at the age of seventeen to study jazz vocal for two years. On returning home she was considered something of a sensation, but couldn't identify with a role in the jazz world and became more interested in American roots music, old country music and blues. The Last Hurrah!! is not merely HP and Heidi, but also an artist collective with different line-ups for various occasions, whether it's for recording or on stage. Others who have been intrigued include Jon Irabagon, dubbed the greatest saxophone talent in the U.S. since John Coltrane and Michael Powers, the blues guitarist, both having played with HP. Spiritual Non-Believers is a lovely mix of acoustic drone guitar, cosmic raga, pure pop and the very local take on country music so special to the west coast of Norway. The half-hour centerpiece of the album is based on a dark, sordid and bizarre story, in stark contrast to the almost high-spirited, feel-good atmosphere of most of the music. "The Ballad Of Billy And Lilly" is bookended by "Mother Nature," a cover from the 1970 album by Norwegian cult band Oriental Sunshine and "Melodi Grand Prix 73," an unlikely but sweet mix of bossa nova, surf music and Steve Reich. HP Gundersen: acoustic drone guitar, slide guitar, pedal steel, percussion, vocals; Heidi Goodbye: vocals; Alex Grieg: acoustic bass; Stein Urheim: tambura, harmonica; Geir Svendson: percussion; Stein Inge BrXkhus: percussion; Willy Corneliussen: drums; David Vogt: violin; Henrik Paulsen: electric guitar; Lillian Samdal and Karoline Skuseth: backing vocals. Includes mp3 download voucher for the entire album.
CD $17
also available on LP for $24



New from Winter&Winter!

JIM BLACK TRIO With THOMAS MORGAN/ELIAS STEMESEDER - Somatic (W&W 184; Germany) The all-new Jim Black Trio features Jim Black on drums & compositions, Thomas Morgan on bass and Elias Stemeseder on piano. "After 12 years of leading his singer-less-songwriting-post-rock-improv band AlasNoAxis, Jim Black goes in the absolute opposite musical direction by forming a new piano trio featuring one of the most in demand NY musicians, Thomas Morgan on bass, and the young Austrian pianist to watch out for, Elias Stemeseder.
Why? "I had been wanting another outlet for my writing and playing for some time. I had been writing all my music for the last 10 years on guitar. Looking for a change, I came back from an Uri Caine tour and bought a piano, thinking ok, now you have to get work. I had wanted to do something with piano but I didn't have a particular direction or band in mind." Enter 20 year-old pianist Elias Stemeseder.
"I first heard Elias Stemeseder at a jazz workshop in Salzburg. What impressed me and the other teachers the most was even though he was only sixteen at the time, his playing had a very special kind of depth, which is something you rarely see in a musician that young." Through the next years Elias Stemeseder and Jim Black played together between Jim's tours in Europe, when finally after their first duo concert in Iceland, Jim decided to form the trio with Thomas Morgan.
"I really liked the way Elias played my original music and it was time to form a viable recording and touring band. A year before I had played a totally improvised gig with Thomas Morgan, which amazed me, and I walked away determined to find a way to play together more often." - Jim Black
CD $17

URI CAINE With DAVE DOUGLAS/RALPH ALESSI/DAVID BINNEY/MARK FELDMAN/ARTO LINDSAY/MICHAEL FORMANEK/JOEY BARON/JIM BLACK et al - The Drummer Boy (W&W 190; Germany) "One hundred years ago the Austrian, Jewish-Catholic musician Gustav Mahler dies. No other contemporary composer has looked as intensively as Uri Caine into Mahlers' oeuvre. In Gustav Mahler's music resounds the Fin de Siecle with symphonies in terrific orchestrations, military marches, Austrian dances, songs and Jewish melodies. Now, one hundred years later, Caine adapts with his knowledge of the decline of the Danube Monarchy, of the Nazi time and the Holocaust, of the developments and origins of contemporary music and jazz the compositions of Gustav Mahler. Caine creates a master piece. The album The Drummer Boy begins with the rhythm in 3/4 of "Rhinelegend" introducing the wonderful actor and singer Josef Bierbichler - followed by "Kindertotenlieder", the famous "Adagietto" from the 5th Symphony and among other highlights "Two Blue Eyes" with the Jewish cantor Aaron Bensoussan, the American poet Shulamith Wechter Caine (Uri Caine's mother) and with an outstanding piano solo by Uri Caine himself. All the adaptations come from different creative periods of the last 15 years. Uri Caine built up with these outstanding works his international reputation. The big success of "Urlicht/Primal Light" after Gustav Mahler is the beginning of his very special canon. Uri Caine adapts compositions by Bach, Schumann, Beethoven and Wagner, writes compositions for the renowned Arditti String Quartet, creates with Bedrock a fusion of drum 'n' bass, post-bop, electric music and improvisation and releases in 2011 an acoustic jazz piano trio album with his own pieces, which receives wide attention by the press and audiences.
With 'The Drummer Boy' Uri Caine introduces key works of Mahler and transforms them with improvisational stylistic devices of jazz into a new world. Caine moves freely between beautiful sound cascades, unsettling and again reconciling sounding improvisations, songs of a Jewish cantor, DJ music and impressive text interpretations by Josef Bierbichler (When Your Mother Comes In The Door). Each bar is fulfilled with Mahler's music and yet also with Caine. Caine and Mahler, or Mahler and Caine form a symbiosis. Similar to how Mahler reviews his century musically, Caine's music reflects the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century. The album title is a little homage to Leonard Bernstein's essay "The Little Drummer Boy" about Gustav Mahler.
CD $17


ANDRE VIDA With ANTHONY BRAXTON/TYSHAW SOREY/TIM BARNES/AXEL DORNER/BRANDON EVANS/CHRIS LIGHTCAP et al - Brud: Volumes I, II, & III -1995-2011 [3 CD set] (Pan 20; UK) Andre Vida was once part of the Braxton mafia and can be heard on some half dozen of Mr. Braxton's Ghost Trance recordings. In the past decade Andre has worked with a diverse group of musicians like Sonny Simmons, Kevin Blechdom, James Lidell, Tower Recordings, MV & EE and Lee Ranaldo. Mr. Vida is currently living and playing in Berlin and recently entered the Guiness Book of World Records by performing some 403 solo sax sets, nine times a day as part of Anri Sala's film and sound installation at the Serpentine Gallery.
This triple CD features a variety of works from 1995 'til 2011 at various locations from the old Knitting Factory & the Cooler in NYC to various locations in California and Berlin. Each of the 27 pieces features different personnel, instrumentation and construction. Like most of the musicians who have studied and/or collaborated with Mr. Braxton, Andre is an ambitious musician and a restless spirit. Mr. Vida composed or directed each piece so there quite a bit a challenging music to process here. There is too much here to absorb quickly so I will just mention a few highlights. The opening piece is for a quartet with Braxton & Vida on saxes, Loren Dempster on cello and Tyshawn Sorey on drums. The music is restrained and cautiously arranged with quaint harmonies for the saxes and cello. There are a number of solo pieces for cello (played by Erika Duke Kirkpatrick) and Andre on tenor or bari saxes. Each of the solo sax pieces explore different themes and/or textures and each one is something to behold. You can tell that Mr. Vida has always had an idea behind everything he performs or writes since each piece is successful at conveying a variety tactics, drawing from a wealth of influences. After listening to two of the three discs found here I will say that this is a tour-de-force from one todays' most formidable musicians and composers.
I can't wait to heard the third disc - XBERG SUITE with Clayton Thomas, Elisabeth King, and Steve Heather - so that is what I am just about to do. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
3 CD set for $20



The zOaR label was founded by composer/multi-instrumentalist Elliott Sharp in 1977 to release his own and other radical musics. E# initiated the ongoing Portal Series in 2005 to present some of his most personal projects in signed and numbered limited-editions packaged in custom die-cut sleeves.


ELLIOTT SHARP//JACK QUARTET/JENNY LIN/SIRIUS QUARTET - Cut with Occam's Razor [Ltd signed & #d Ed] (Zoar ZPO-07; USA) The seventh CD in the limited-edition Portal Series is 'Cut with Occam's Razor' which features two compositions for strings and one for piano. "The Boreal" is performed by JACK Quartet. Commissioned by the West-Deutsch Rundfunk in Cologne and premiered by JACK at the 2009 Witten Festival of Chamber Music, "The Boreal" is Sharp's 19th work for the classic string-quartet format. Beginning with the Just-Intoned work Tessalation Row from 1986, with every quartet Sharp creates an individual sound-world. For The Boreal's 15' duration, Sharp constructed special bows out of ball chain or springs which allows the JACK Quartet to produce unearthly sounds. Recorded live at the 2011 Ostrava Music Days in Czech Republic.
"Oligosono" performed by Jenny Lin. Oligosono is a 20-minute piece for solo piano composed by Sharp for Jenny Lin in 2004 that makes use of many of the personal extended techniques he developed on guitar but here translated to the keyboard instrument. Oligosono generates sounds not usually heard coming from a piano in a virtuosic tour-de-force that explores many sonic terrains. Studio recording.
"Occam's Razor" is performed by JACK Quartet and Sirius String Quartet Commissioned by ISSUE Project Room for Sharp's 60th-birthday concert marathon, this double-quartet of 16 minutes was premiered at the March 4 event at the new home of Issue. The title refers to an often-misinterpreted phrase attributed to the 14th-century English logician, theologian and Franciscan friar Father William of Ockham who wrote "entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity". In this case, Sharp takes his inspiration from the concept and uses a generative strategy that operates from simple algorithms (or instruction sets) to generate acoustic complexity, an expanding web of sonic relationships. Recorded at Issue and taking advantage of the unique resonant acoustics of the space.
[Event though limited to 200 copies, the Portal [ZPO] series are all factory-pressed CDs, NOT cd-rs]
Ltd Ed signed & #d CD $20



New from Cuneiform!

THINKING PLAGUE [MIKE JOHNSON/DAVE WILLEY et al] - Decline And Fall (Cuneiform 320; USA) "Thinking Plague lays down some of the most rhythmically complex, texturally inventive, and melodically challenging popular music of the last 30 years, and somehow makes it all sound easy and natural." - All Music Guide
Decline and Fall is the long awaited sixth album from a group who personifies the term 'beloved underground favorites'. From the group's beginnings as a duo doing basement recording experiments nearly 30 years ago until now, Thinking Plague has always had a strong vision of their unique take on progressive rock music. Despite the very long lifespan of the band and the many years between records, the basic sound of the group and instrumentation was set early and the years since have seen interesting variations on their sound, from the stripped down approach of the earliest work to the deep layering of electronic sounds and samples of their last album.
Decline and Fall strips back a lot of the 'studio-isms' and more than ever, sounds like the work of a really powerful band. The album adds a few other new surprises, most notably the addition of wonderful vocalist Elaine Di Falco who fits right into what may be the band's most demanding job. She sings with great poise and control the band's hallmark melodic lines - passages that would trip up a lesser vocalist. Also new is keyboardist/drummer Kimara Sajn who plays with tremendous authority on both instruments (although just before finishing up the album, the group added drummer Robin Chestnut who appears on one track). Returning are long-term members Mark Harris on saxes and clarinets, Dave Willey on bass and Mike Johnson, the band's guitarist, leader and composer.
CD $15

JOEL HARRISON/LORENZO FELICIATI With CUONG VU/ROY POWELL/DAN WEISS - Holy Abyss (Cuneiform 334; USA) Holy Abyss is a collaborative effort between guitarist/composer Joel Harrison and bassist/composer Lorenzo Feliciati. Joining them are trumpeter Cuong Vu, Roy Powell on Hammond B-3 organ and piano, and Dan Weiss on drums.
A masterful electric jazz outing from five great players, this group personifies the worldwide nature of jazz today. Joel Harrison grew up in D.C., moved to the west coast in the late 80s and moved to New York City in the mid 90s where he still resides. Lorenzo Feliciati lives in Rome, Italy but travels the world and has collaborated with Pat Mastelotto (King Crimson), Bob Mitzer and Donovan and many others. Cuong Vu was born in Vietnam, lived for a number of years in New York City and made his name as a member of the Pat Metheny Group in the 2000s. He is currently a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle. Roy Powell is from England and resides in Norway, where he works in a wide range of music, including mainstream, jazz piano, avant-garde and electric, funky jazz. Dan Weiss lives in New York City where he has recorded with many of the brightest, upcoming names there.
Harrison and Weiss have played together for many years while Feliciati and Powell also are longtime allies. Vu has recorded and toured with Feliciati and Powell, so even though this is the first recording by these five musicians together, there is a lot of built in chemistry. All share a love of modern jazz that is devoid of stylistic limitations, inclusive of sounds from around the world, infused with electronics, odd meters, and deeply hued, uncommon timbres and tonal palettes.
There is a wonderful symbiosis between Harrison's and Vu's sounds. Both favor piercing, gorgeous tones mixed with raw, nasty electronics, and that sound, mixed with Powell's piano and Hammond B-3, is at once jubilant and hallucinogenic, crackling with energy, and then gently subdued. Weiss delivers his signature mix of driving groove punctuated by pithy, unpredictable asides, and the ever-solid accompaniment on upright bass keeps everything grounded.
This is a marvelous program of modern, tasty, tuneful and occasionally haunting electric jazz, reminiscent of some aspects of classic electric ECM work of the 70s and 80s.
CD $15

MICHAEL GIBBS And THE NDR BIGBAND + GARY BURTON/CHRISTOF LAUER et al - Back In The Days: 1995-2003 (Cuneiform 322; USA) Brit-jazz composer and arranger Michael Gibbs was born in 1937 in Zimbabwe. Starting in 1959, he studied in Boston at the Berklee College of Music, the Boston Conservatory , Tanglewood and the Lenox School of Music, where he studied with a who's who of contemporary jazz and modern composition: George Russell, Gunther Schuller, Iannis Xenakis, Aaron Copland, Lukas Foss and others. In 1964 he moved to the UK, where he engaged himself in the rapidly emerging contemporary UK jazz scene. Starting in the late 60s and continuing into the mid 70s, he recorded a number of highly acclaimed and influential albums featuring many of the most prominent British-based jazz players who, like Michael, were beginning to flirt with jazz/rock. Since the mid 70s he has worked as a educator as well as a free-lance arranger, doing arrangements and orchestrations for major names such as Joni Mitchell, Pat Metheny, The Mahavishnu Orchestra, and Peter Gabriel among many others, while too infrequently recording his own music.
Back In The Days is an audiophile recording of this great, too infrequently heard jazz composer and arranger fronting a well-honed 18-piece big band in a program of original modern jazz plus three specially arranged classics. The band is chock-full of great soloists and ensemble players and the legendary vibes player Gary Burton is a featured soloist.
After too many years of lack of consideration strictly because they were not Americans, the profile and interest in the 60s/70s wave of British jazz talents has never been higher and Gibbs is one of the major names in the field. From beginning to end, Back In The Days is a delight for fans of Brit-jazz, contemporary jazz and modern big band music!
CD $15



New on Slam!

EDWARD RICART QUARTET With HERB ROBERTSON/JASON AJEMIAN/ANDREW BARKER - Ancon (Slam 529; UK) The ER Quartet feature Ed Ricart on guitar, Herb Robertson on trumpets, Jason Ajemian on bass and Andrew Barker on drums. Ed Ricart is a Philly-based guitarist who has worked with Marshall Allen, William Hooker and Tatsuya Nakatani. I believe that this is Ed's debut disc as a leader and he has put together a strong Downtown all-stars quartet. Although this disc is a fully improvised date, the playing is completely focused and consistently inspired. Mr. Ricart and Mr. Robertson well worth together, playing off of one another, exchanging licks and lines. For "Eurypterids" the quartet launch off the freer regions of outer space with some wailing lines of guitar and crazed trumpet and/or toys with bits of vocalized weirdness adding some seasoning from time to time. It sounds as if most of these pieces were edited down or selected from longer jams thus presenting some more focused and successful sections before things go in for too long in one direction. When I concentrate on the entire quartet, I hear a great deal of inventive playing by all four members and interplay between everyone involved. We haven't heard from Gold Sparkle Band's ace drummer Andrew Barker recently so it is great to hear him pushing the intensity up a few notches throughout. Herb Robertson is senior member of the Downtown community and remains an unstoppable force, digging into his large bag of tricks & sounds, soloing like demon unleashed or just adding those unexpected odd nuggets to the brew. I've been noticing up & coming guitarist Ed Ricart's name and playing more & moreover the past few years and I glad to hear him as a strong new voice on the guitar. A excellent debut from a colossal quartet! - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16

REVERIE DUO [VALERIO DANIELE/REDI HASA] - Stagioni (Slam 534; UK) Featuring Valerio Daniele on acoustic guitar and Redi Hasa on cello. George Haslam's British-based Slam label has its hand on the pulse of a wide-ranging series of musicians in different and often unconnected scenes in South America and Italy, as well as with dozens of musicians throughout the United Kingdom. I am consistently surprised by many of the level of quality from musicians I have little of no previous information about except for the handful of bigger names like Paul Dunmall or Lol Coxhill or Elton Dean.
Again Slam presents two fine Italian musicians with whom I know nothing about. This is an acoustic duo featuring Redi Hasa on cello and Valerio Daniele on acoustic guitar. Although all of the pieces here were written by Redi or Valerio, there is quite a bit of experimentation going on. The balance between the deep, warm sound of the cello and the thinner, more brittle of the acoustic guitar is done quite well. While the melodies seem to to come from a more folk-like side, the music falls somewhere between jazz and modern classical. On "Il Ritorno" it sounds as if Valerio is using an e-bow on his acoustic guitar to get the strings to hum. Similar to the way Elliott Sharp or Paolo Angelini manipulate their acoustic guitars. Those buzzing strings are somewhat eerie. Redi Hasa bows most intensely for the last part of this piece, sounding as if the strings are about to erupt into a volcanic conclusion. The duo's name, "Reverie" is also a piece with an exquisite melody that recalls the golden days of Oregon or the Paul Winter Consort, those seminal acoustic avant/jazz ensembles with unique ethnic influences and instrumentation. Each piece is enchanting since of musician has found the right amount of inside and outside, warm and cool, complex and melodic streams. Rarely have I heard challenging music as charming as the Reverie Duo. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $16


TERRENCE McMANUS - Brooklyn [CD Ep] (private release; USA) This is a nifty 17 minute CD-EP featuring Terrence McManus on solo electric guitar. You should recognize the name of NYC guitarist Terrence McManus from his duo, trio and quintet work with drum master Gerry Hemingway. Terrence has also worked with Dave Ballou, Adam Linz, JT Bates and Joe Battaglia. He played a fine solo set here at DMG last Sunday (1/22/12) and left us with copies of this EP-CD.
This disc consists of five pieces with Terrence concentrating on different textures and/or approaches. Starting with "Hive", he taps on the strings, assembling and building upon a series of fractured notes. Terrence creates a somber, haunting atmosphere by tapping & rubbing the strings cautiously and thoughtfully. Although there is rarely any recognizable melodies, Mr. McManus does a good job of crafting effective moods and sonic scenery which evokes a variety of impressive diversions. The last piece, "Double River" has some hypnotic, chiming drone-like sounds which provide a rich soundtrack for some much needed peaceful contemplation. It feels good especially when the sun is shining. Terrence slowly adds a few layers of dissonant fragments, which mutate into some dreamy harp-like cresendos near the end. Short, sweet and well worth the inexpensive price tag. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $6


LOU ROSSI - Liturgia: Baritone Guitar (private release; USA) The first electric baritone guitars were built by Dan Electro in the 1950's. This unique instrument was used in surf band in the early sixties (i.e. the Beach Boys), on spaghetti western soundtracks and more recently by diverse guitarists like Pat Metheny, Ani Difranco, Martin Simpson and our pal Clifton Hyde. Lou Rossi hails from the Philly area and this just might be the first solo baritone guitar disc. Mr. Rossi plays solo electric baritone guitar with no overdubs but does use some pedals to alter the sound. On "Still Revelation" it sounds as if he is looping certain fragments while bending the occasional note with a whammy bar. Some of the noisier elements recall that first solo guitar album by Fred Frith which had an alien sound, making it difficult to tell exactly what he was doing. Many of the sounds are often metallic and occasionally unnerving. Lou creates dark and rather turgid moods with bent notes left suspended in the air. There is one piece in which the reverberating notes sounds more like twisted signals than anything we've heard from a guitar. Most of the sounds here are pretty fascinating and effective yet if I didn't know better I wouldn't think that much of this was done with a guitar but rather some alien instrument creating a new dimension for us to bathe in. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $10


JEAN-FRANCOIS VROD - Les Soustraction Des Fleurs (Signature 11050; EEC) Personnel for this disc is Jean-Francois Vrod & Frederic Aurier on violins and Sylvain Lemetre on zarb. French violinist Jean-Francois Vrod came to visit the store last week and left us with a few copies of his trio disc. I can't say that I had heard of any of the members of this acoustic trio before hearing this disc. A zarb is a Persian goblet drum so the instrumentation is completely unique with two violins and goblet drum. This music sounds mostly improvised with a good deal twisted string sounds. After a bit of opening free stuff, the percussionist will start with a groove while one of the violinists adds a folky melody on top. The other violinist will add appropriate shades of harmonies to the melody or will add further out sounds or effects. The different melodies add a certain ethnic charm but seem to come and go as the pieces unfold. Sometimes one of the violins will start with a somber folk-like theme while the zarb will slowly percussive ornamentation. This is a solid trio and the zarb player is integral to the sound and direction of the tight, spirited ensemble interaction. This music succeeds since it blends the folky themes with the freer excursions so well. There are even a few breakneck bluegrass-like moments that appear when you least expect them to. - Bruce Lee Gallanter, Downtown Music Gallery
CD $17



New (and recent) from Ambiances Magnetiques!

JOANE HETU - Filature (AM 208; Canada) A musical theatre in 3 acts using texts, songs, free improvisation and compositional textures.
"In another life, before becoming a musician, Joane Hetu was a weaver. She has decided to pour her knowledge of yarn and loom into her latest composition, thus giving herself a new musical challenge. The strong and noble yarns of the warp interwoven with the light, silky, shimmering yarns of the weft provide the starting point of Filature, a musical allegory that unveils creative patterns combining music, dance, video art and lighting. Ever since Castor et compagnie, up to her Tryptique d'hiver until La femme territoire, composer/musician Joane Hetu has been treating us to texture-rich and flavourful works, sonic and literary boldness, flirty songs and sweet melodies. With Filature, she delivers a work that reaffirms her unique approach to music. It features musique actuelle, texts, songs, bruitist textures and free improvisation, all coloured by her trademark touch: an evocation of the fusion between opposite forces-tight and flexible, male and female."
CD $16

MECHA FIXES CLOCKS [MICHEL F COTE/LORI FREEDMAN/JOSH ZUBOT/BERNARD FALAISE et al] - Teoria dellelasticita di Girolamo Papariello (AM 207; Canada) Mecha Fixes Clocks' 3rd release with Michel F. Cote, Lori Freedman, Philippe Lauzier, Ellwood Epps, Josh Zubot, Martin Tetrault, Bernard Falaise, &c... a musique actuelle supergroup, and an amazing conceptual work.
"Third album of Mecha Fixes Clocks, first for Ambiances Magnetiques, Teoria dell'elasticita di Girolamo Papariello listens to the speculative theories of Papariello. Recorded live at Studio 270 in November 2010 by a group of 11 musicians - seven French and four English, 7 pieces make up this musical presentation on the spatio-temporal elasticity of body and of the stars. But that does not mean anything...
Let's be more realistic: a string quintet + two bass clarinets + a trumpet + electric guitar + drums + a pick-up and then you mix it a few minutes, you come back twice, and you let rest 5 minutes. At the end you will have something that looks like Don Slow's Electric Girl Getter. Not much fun, it's a record of serious music."
CD $16

TIM BRADY/BRADYWORKS - 24 Frames - Trance [CD + DVD set] (AM 203; Canada) CD & DVD of Tim Brady's first installment in a triptych documenting a series of 24 pieces for guitar, here presenting Frames 19-24 for electric guitar, electronics and video. "[Translation] 24 Frames is a series of 24 pieces for guitar written over the past few years. 24 Frames: Trance is the first installment in a triptych documenting the whole cycle. This first release is actually part three, featuring the compositions Frame 19 up to Frame 24, all for electric guitar, electronics, and video (by Martin Messier) - hence the CD+DVD format. Messier's videos are interesting abstract works, though not essential to the music (except perhaps for Frame 24: 57 Ways of Playing Guitar). Brady delivers virtuoso performances and deploys treasures of original techniques. This record puts him (once again) on par with Fred Frith and Nick Didkovsky. 24 Frames: 57 Ways of Playing Guitar in particular makes him worthy of the title of guitar hero. A splendid record that goes straight to the essence of Brady's aesthetics. I'm eagerly awaiting the other two installments."-Francois Couture
CD + DVD set for $16

TIM BRADY/BRADYWORKS - 24 Frames - Scatter [2 CD set] (AM 206; Canada) Part two of the Frames Triptych. Montreal creative guitarist Tim Brady and his Bradyworks (Lori Freedman, Karen Young, &c) performing 6 duos for electric guitar with other instruments; DISC 2 contains 12 compositions for electric guitar (with and without effects pedals).
2 CD set for $16

QUATUOR BOZZINI - A Chacun Sa Miniature: 31 Composers [2 CD set] (AM/cQB 1113; Canada) The Quatuor Bozzini string quartet dedicate this double CD to emerging artists in a collection of miniatures written in 2011 by emerging composers for the QB's annual Composer's Kitchen event. Held annually in Montreal since 2005, this event is a combination workshop, laboratory, playground, and master class. The quartet and two experienced composers observe the work of six up-and-coming composers over the course of a week. Their compositions are read, played, assessed, analyzed, workshopped, played again, and performed in the closing concert. This laboratory gives young composers a unique opportunity to perfect their craft with professional musicians.
With this disc, the Bozzini Quartet collaborates again in 2011 with 31 young composers, each of whom are alumni of the Composer's Kitchen between the years 2005 and 2010. Within each piece, one can hear traces of exchanged ideas, sprouting from the lasting friendships made in the hothouse of intensity created by the Composer's Kitchen experience. One can also hear the results of a now long-term relationship between composer and quartet, where technical expertise and aesthetic values are debated and shared over the years. The composers generously gave their time and talent to write these miniatures, which were sponsored by the donations of over 100 community members in a large and exuberantly successful fundraising venture. With the help of the Placement Culture program of the Conseil des arts du Quebec, the funds raised created a lasting endowment which will expand the commissioning activities of the quartet, support future Composer's Kitchen activities, and help ensure the longevity of the Bozzini Quartet's dedication to emerging composers in Canada. The Bozzini Quartet thanks the supporters and the composers for their generosity!"
2 CD set for $16

QUATUOR BOZZINI//MARTIN ARNOLD - Abverrare (AM/cQB 1112; Canada) The Bozzini string quartet working with the melodic and unique universe of Toronto-based composer and performer Martin Arnold, who's roots are in the music of avant and improvisational work. "I think of my fundamental activity as a musician as listening, especially to music. And any music I might take part in making flows out from listening. So what can I say about my compositional practice listening to the music on this CD? It's clear that I care about melody. I love melody: one on its own or two or more combined in any imaginable manner-monody, homophony, polyphony and heterophony. I love melody; but I'm not concerned with themes, subjects (first or second), motifs (especially of the leit variety), or phrases (at least when they display their Greek root-phrazein: "to tell, express, declare")." - Martin Arnold
CD $16

QUATUOR BOZZINI - Sens(e) Absence (AM/cQB 1111; Canada) Premiered by the Bozzini Quartet at Berlin's Ballhaus Naunynstrasze, this haunting work was composed for temporal and architechtural space using unusual tuning systems producing natural harmonics. Sens(e) Absence was premiered by the Bozzini Quartet at Berlin's Ballhaus Naunynstrasse on the same program as the quartet by Ernstalbrecht Stiebler that shares this disk. Composing for strings has always been, for me, a process of discovery, with their infinite tuning possibilities that produce subtle harmonies and timbres of great nuance and beauty. I imagined, while composing it, space being both temporal and architectural where voices are heard from other dimensions. These considerations influenced the unusual tuning system I devised, which produces a great variety of close and wide intervals with natural harmonics. The music's structure is therefore like inhabiting a building whose rooms always seem different as light changes throughout the day and through the seasons. It is with this in mind that the music was the source for a sound and light installation that occupied the Hans Otte Raum at the Neues Museum Weserberg Bremen: as Bremen's autumn and winter daylight diminished outside, the Hans Otte Raum inside was suffused in a constant rotation of light created by Paul Tzanetopoulos. Over the course of three months the music gradually reduced to one percent of that which is heard here."-Daniel Rothman
CD $16

QUATUOR BOZZINI//JEAN DEROME & JEANE HETU - Le mensonge et l'identite (AM/cQB 1110; Canada) The Bozzini Quartet commissioned this work, Le Mensonge et l'Identite, written with four hands by the duo Derome/Hetu. It was premiered at Deutschlandfunk's Forum Neue Musik in 2008. It was commissioned by the string quartet Bozzini Quartet, famous for their commitment towards creation. This political piece tackles the subject of making differences cohabit, in the form of a string quartet, calling for the musicians to move, improvise, play backed by a soundtrack and talk in four languages
CD $16

QUATUOR BOZZINI//MICHEL GONNEVILLE - Hoxhro (AM/cQB 0907; Canada) Michel Gonneville's dreamlike, shamanistic journey, "Hozhro", in a brilliantly executed reading by Montreal's Quatuori Bozzini with vocalist Marianne Lamber & saxophonist Mathieu Gualin. "Quatuor Bozzini joins forces with composer Michel Gonneville for a unique contemporary opera on the "hot" issue of the ecological crisis, based on the thoughts of eminent Quebecois ecologist Pierre Dansereau. The music takes us deep into the universe of a woman haunted by that crisis, a woman who is trying to reclaim her inner harmony ("hozhro" in Navajo) and embarking on a process similar in ways to a North-American Native healing ritual. Played by soprano Marianne Lambert, surrounded by the string quartet Quatuor Bozzini and the saxophonist Mathieu Gaulin, the main character withdraws within herself to escape through her dreams and a sensuous form of poetry, from which she will come out calmed down and lucid."
CD $16

QUATUOR BOZZINI//JAMES TENNEY - Arbor Vitae (AM/cQB 0806; Canada) "The sixth volume of the QB collection, Arbor Vitae, pays homage to the Canadian-American composer James Tenney with performances of the complete quartets and quintets. These works were composed over a period of more than 50 years, from the first string quartet, written at 21, to the last, posthumous quartet. Through various acoustic and musical phenomena, Tenney creates broad, open musical spaces, making music that is both rigorous and sensual. We feel privileged and honoured to be associated with these works by one of the most important North American composers of the 20th century."
CD $16



FREDERICK CHARLES JUDD - Electronics Without Tears (Public Information 03; UK) "Frederik Charles Judd's music could easily sit beside all those from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and be counted as an equal to any one of them. Unfortunately this inclusion never happened. Although he was in contact with Daphne Oram, for one reason or another he never made it into the fold. His experiments, however, have been delightfully captured here. His combination of both tape and electronic sounds are both unique and standard for the aforementioned studio work. The musical tracks are interspersed with those of the composer speaking about his technique, which makes this recording even more fun. A great piece of the puzzle for the history of electronic music. Recommended!!!" - Chuck Bettis/DMG CD $19
also available on LP for $25


OREN AMBARCHI - Audience Of One (Touch 83; UK) Touch presents a solo album by Australian sound artist Oren Ambarchi. "Salt" was composed by Paul Duncan and Oren Ambarchi and performed by Oren Ambarchi (guitars), Paul Duncan (vocals), Elizabeth Welsh (violin) and James Rushford (viola, piano). Guitars recorded by Oren Ambarchi at Jerker House, Melbourne. Vocals recorded by Brendon Anderegg at Telescope Recordings, Brooklyn, NY. Strings and piano recorded by Byron Scullin at Electric Dreams, Melbourne. Strings arranged by James Rushford, mixed by Oren Ambarchi and Byron Scullin at Electric Dreams. "Knots" was composed by Oren Ambarchi and performed by Oren Ambarchi (electric & acoustic guitars, autoharp, percussion), Eyvind Kang (viola, igil), Janel Leppin (cello), Stephen Fandrich (voice), Josiah Boothby (French horn) and Joe Talia (drums, percussion, spring). Guitars recorded by Oren Ambarchi at Jerker House. Strings, voice and French horn recorded by Randall Dunn at Avast, Seattle. Drums, percussion and spring recorded by Joe Talia at Chinatown, Melbourne. Additional guitars recorded live by Mike Harding (London), Joe Kasmanntod (Luz) and Attila Faravelli (Milan). Strings and horns arranged by Eyvind Kang. Mixed by Randall Dunn and Oren Ambarchi at Avast. "Passage" was composed by Oren Ambarchi and performed by Oren Ambarchi (guitars, Hammond organ, wine glasses), Crys Cole (contact microphones, brushes), Jessika Kenney (voice) and Eyvind Kang (viola, piano). Recorded at Avast by Randall Dunn. Additional recording by Chris Townend at BJB, Sydney. Mixed by Oren Ambarchi and Joe Talia at Chinatown, Melbourne. "Fractured Mirror" was composed by Ace Frehley and performed by Oren Ambarchi (acoustic and electric guitars, bass, Mellotron, wine glasses, percussion, vocals) and Natasha Rose (acoustic guitars). Recorded at Chinatown and Head Gap, Melbourne by Joe Talia. Additional recording by Simon Connolly on location at 6 Chelmsford St, Kensington. Mixed by Oren Ambarchi & Joe Talia at Chinatown
CD $16

NURSE WITH WOUND [NWW: STEVEN STAPLETON et al] & GRAHAM BOWERS - Rupture (Dirter 93; UK) This CD is the first collaboration of Steven Stapleton's Nurse With Wound and composer/sculptor Graham Bowers. It is, without doubt, one of the best things United Dirter has ever released. It's an extremely unnerving, but also hauntingly moving listening experience. The work is an attempt to create a musical illustration of the "goings-on" in the brain during the last hour and three minutes of life after suffering a major stroke. It is multi-layered and is primarily concerned with the internal chaos caused by the loss of control of thought processes, responses and consequential actions, with all types of incoherent disjointed memories and present real-time events -- as well as moments of lucidity, panic and fear -- clashing, merging and evolving. It's essentially one long piece, but is presented in three parts: 01. "...A Life As It Now Is 02. "...Is Not What It Was" 03. "...And Will Never Be Again." It arrives packaged in a beautiful 6-panel gloss-laminated digipack, featuring artwork from both Babs Santini and Graham Bowers. The edition is limited to just 1,000 copies in this format.
CD $17



DOMINIQUE VELLARD/KEN ZUCKERMAN - Indian Ragas & Medieval Song (Glossa 922598; EEC) Modal melodies from East to West, performed by Dominique Vellard, Ken Zuckerman, Anindo Chatterjee and Keyvan Chemirani. "This recording offers a rare opportunity to experience two different musical traditions in dialogue: the reconstructed musical culture of the European Middle Ages, and the ancient but still continuous tradition of North Indian classical music -- two worlds that are indeed separated with respect to time and geography, and yet still linked by common characteristic features. The classical tradition of North Indian music is marked both by a strong adherence to its own origins and an openness to influences from other cultures. On the other hand, European art music of the Middle Ages, seemingly far removed and accessible only by means of written documents, has clearly recognizable roots in Eastern traditions. In their respective musical development, Dominique Vellard and Ken Zuckerman have each been strongly influenced by a variety of experiences with Eastern music traditions. The music on this CD was recorded as a live studio performance. For the Indian music performances, this spontaneity and improvised atmosphere is an extremely important ingredient to any rendering of the ragas and talas, but the improvised accompaniments of the monophonic songs definitely also benefitted from this unique 'live' quality."
CD $22


ISTANBUL '70 [V.A.] - Psych, Disco, Folk Classics (Nublu 29; USA) "Compiled by renowned DJ Baris K, this is a 14-track compilation featuring Turkish classics from the '70s -- from rock stalwarts Erkin Koray and Cem Karaca, to disco folksters Baris Manco, Nazan Soray, and psy-funkers Mogollar and Kamuran Akkor."
CD $14


ABDULRAHMAN SURIZEHI - Balochistan: Rakhshani Love Songs And Trance Music [2 CD + Booklets set] (Etnisk Musikklubb 58; EEC) "The music on this album is from both sides of the border separating Pakistan (East- Balochistan) and Iran (West- Balochistan), just south of the Afganistani (North- Balochistan) border. Featuring Abdul Rahman Surizehi, the album focuses on the Rakhsani music of northern Balochistan in the Rakhsani area -- a border region including parts of Iran and Pakistan and southern Afghanistan. The album is presented as 2CD long books with plenty of room to present the traditions of a region that is split into three countries. With his great knowledge of the traditional music of Balochistan, we are presented here with a world premiere of two categories of Rakhshani music from northern Balochistan: Love songs and Trance Music. One CD contains love songs and the other contains trance music. Rakhshan is a large region in Balochistan, and Rakhshani is the name for one of the two main languages spoken here. The music often has an old-fashioned quality, improvised elements are minimalistic and the music is characterized by repetitive patterns. There are no exact borders, however Rakhshani is spoken in mid and Eastern Balochistan, while the other main dialect, Makorani, is more prevalent in the southern part of the region. Also typical for Rakhshani music is the string instrument called Tamburag. In the south this instrument is primarily used for accompaniment, while in the north it carries the melody. It should be mentioned that Rakhshani music of Balochistan has never previously been released." Oversized, long-box packaging with booklets about each CD.
2 CD set for $38


KOUROSH YAGHMAEI - Back From The Brink: Pre-Revolution Psychedelic Rock From Iran: 1973-1979 [2 CD set] (Now Again 5066; USA) Back from the Brink, the only legitimately licensed collection of the godfather of Iranian psychedelic rock, Kourosh Yaghmaei. Known within the Iranian diaspora simply by his first name, Kourosh's recordings were thought lost after Islamic fundamentalists took control of Iran. They weren't: Kourosh had protected them -- along with key ephemera from the '70s. Their collection here bolstered by Kourosh's first person recollections of Iran's '70s rock scene and its death after the Revolution, tells the story of an immensely talented artist's desire to persevere in the face of terrible adversity. Kourosh Yaghmaei and his brothers Kamran and Kambiz were amongst the few inspired Iranian musicians determined to change Tehran's musical landscape in the late '60s and early '70s. The trio, armed with rented, second-hand instruments and records by The Ventures, The Kinks, The Doors, merged Western garage rock, psychedelia and Iranian folkloric music to create a sound unlike anything that came before them. Later, inspired by the unlikely duo of Elton John and James Taylor, Kourosh's music took a sophisticated turn, and he churned out funky, progressive rock that is as imminently enjoyable as it is impossible to categorize. His star on the rise was knocked off course by the Revolution, and its backdrop of Islamic fundamentalists burning record companies and harassing musicians. But while most Pre-Revolution musicians -- including his brothers -- fled Iran in 1979, Kourosh stayed, loyal to the country of his birth. He has suffered a performance and recording ban for twenty-two out of the last thirty-two years. Yet he remains stoic and resolved to continue bolstering Iranian musical tradition. Kourosh still lives in Tehran and is pleased that his story -- and his glorious 70s recordings -- will finally spread the world over. This essential piece of Iran's musical history is also accompanied by a full color, 52 page hardbound book and contains never-before-seen photos and ephemera."
2 CD set for $22
also available as 3 LP set for $33

RIKKI ILILONGA & MUSI-O-TUNYA - Dark Sunrise [2 CD set] (Now Again 5067; USA) "Now Again Records is proud to present an album entitled Dark Sunrise, an anthology of Zambian 'Zam-Rock' godfather Rikki Ililonga and his groundbreaking band Musi-O-Tunya. The anthology surveys Musi-O-Tunya's rarely heard 7" singles -- not just the first psychedelic rock music, but the first pop music independently released in Zambia -- their debut album Wings of Africa and follows Ililonga's solo career in its first stages, with his Zambia and Sunshine Love albums. While global psychedelic rock and funk enthusiasts have recently been introduced to Zam-Rock via Now Again and Shaddock's re-issues of the likes of Witch and Amanaz's early albums, Dark Sunrise stands as the definitive document that, both musically and in prose, shines light on this African musical hotbed. Dark Sunrise contains 32 tracks that can be distilled to simple descriptions driving music characterized by James Brown's raw funk, combined with the fuzz guitar sounds of Jimi Hendrix and the polyrhythms native to this African nation. But this neglects to mention Musi-O-Tunya and Ililonga's otherworldliness. Sure, the majority of their work is performed in English, but this is unique psychedelic rock/blues/rumba/folk/funk music, the likes of which has rarely been heard outside of Zambia's borders. This gem is packaged as a 2 X CD hardbound book. Included is a stunning full color booklet with never-before-seen photos, ephemera, an introduction to the Zam-Rock scene and a candid interview between Egon and this little known yet genius African multi-instrumentalist himself."
2 CD set for $22

ATOMIC FOREST - Obsession (Now Again 5087; USA) "The collected recordings of India's best-known psychedelic rock ensemble, and the story behind their genesis, which lasted from 1973-1977. The Atomic Forest stand as the only Indian psychedelic/hard rock band that managed to record an album: Obsession '77. The album's mix of blistering, fuzzy rock and synth-lead funk inspired collectors the world over to fork over thousands of dollars for original copies of this -- until recently -- unknown platter. Part of the interest certainly stemmed from its liberal doses of searing fuzz guitar; part of it sprung from the oddity of it all: India, a country that had, quite literally, churned out tens of thousands of albums during psych- and hard-rock's heyday, only produced this one, lonely psychedelic album; part of it sprung from the album's rarity. Unknown for years, Obsession '77 suddenly became a top want on every global-rock collector's short-list. Over the past four years, we at Now-Again Records have followed Atomic Forest's sounds -- and we've struck paydirt. Now, with the full participation of founding member/vocalist Madhukar Chandra Dhas and lead-guitarist Abraham Mammen, we present Obsession. This anthology collects songs from Obsession '77, the band's follow up Hit Film Themes and unreleased studio and live recordings from Atomic Forest band members. Dhas' extensive archives of photos and ephemera add weight to this anthology -- the first thorough investigation into India's '70s psychedelic rock scene. A scene that, until now, has been shrouded in secrecy and rumor -- clouded in a druggy haze. Atomic Forest's story stands in for the untold stories of many of India's underground bands - bands remembered vividly by those who witnessed their performances; bands that often homemade, cassette recordings -- that have been lost to time. We're glad that we discovered Atomic Forest; though their extant recordings are few, those recordings they etched to vinyl captured a powerful energy. That energy sparked our interest and fuels the fires of our imagination." 44-page booklet of photos, liner notes, etc.
CD $22

CONRAD JOHNSON & KASHMERE STAGE BAND - Texas Thunder Soul 1968-1974 [2 CD + DVD] (Now Again 5085; USA) "Now-Again Records announces an expanded deluxe edition of its Texas Thunder Soul 1968-1974 anthology, to be released in conjunction with the Jamie Foxx-produced, award-winning documentary Thunder Soul: The True Story of Conrad Johnson and the Kashmere Stage Band. After capturing audience awards festivals like SXSW and the Los Angeles Film Festival, the word is out that Kashmere was the greatest high school band - ever. Their story is tucked in between slabs of hard '70s funk, soul, and jazz: Conrad Johnson transformed a bunch of rough-hewn high schoolers into a band that could compete with any in the nation - professional, or otherwise. Forget high school bands, we're talking about sixteen year old kids who would give the JBs a run for their money! The Kashmere Stage Band released a total of eight albums and three 45s on Johnson's Kram label. The band's best tracks are collected here - in an anthology now expanded into a 2CD/DVD deluxe edition. Producer Eothen 'Egon' Alapatt features an expanded booklet with updated liner notes and essays, more rare photos and ephemera, and a DVD which contains the B+/Flying Lotus produced Texas Jewels: The Making Of Texas Thunder Soul short, a recently unearthed 1973 documentary on the band, and a 1972 performance."
2 CD + DVD set for $22

EAST OF UNDERGROUND [V.A.] - Hell Below [3 CD set] (Now Again 5083; USA) "United States Army soldiers made the music contained in this three album box-set during the politically turbulent early '70s, towards the end of the Vietnam War. East of Underground, the Black Seeds and the Sound Trek were bands comprised of soldiers stationed in bases across Western Germany. While little is known about the bands, the players, and the milieu they came from - other than what can be pieced together from a handful of photos and documents found in a box in the New York Public Library, and the vague recollections of some of those involved - we at Now-Again Records have worked diligently with the United States Army and researchers the country over to present this important document - and some damn good soul and funk music. Only one former band member has come forward during the assembly of this anthology, which has lead us to question: where did these talented performers land after their winning performances in Army-sponsored Battle of the Bands contests afforded them (musical) tours across European Army bases? Perhaps some are still around somewhere: perhaps some are still involved in music; perhaps some were killed in action; perhaps some passed on after returning to the States. We've assembled vestiges - a show band contest entry form, a list of names, a couple of photographs, a playlist - to embellish this sonic time capsule, a capsule that functions as a snapshot of American culture during this politically charged era. Each of the two double-billed albums contained in this box-set is presented as an exact reproduction of the original United States Army issue. The extensive, full-color booklet features essays, annotation and a collection of Army ephemera from the creation of these albums. Also included is a full-color, exact reproduction of East Of Underground's 1971 tour poster."
3 CD set for $30

THE HELIOCENTRICS - Out There (Now Again 5031; USA) "Taking inspiration from the astral space explorations of out-jazz pioneer Sun Ra, the Heliocentrics dare to tread brazenly experimental territory, all while adding deft touches of jazz, funk, and hip-hop to the mix. The group's debut, Out There, is a heady mash-up of cinematic electronica, downtempo beats, and strident free jazz textures. But this is no mere jazz/noise free-for-all, as the Heliocentrics offer musicianship in spades, showcasing stop-on-a-dime changes and cohesive grooves aplenty. Out There is recommended for intrepid sonic explorers who enjoy a little freeform-freakout with their beats."
CD $15

BLACK MAN'S CRY [V.A.] - The Inspiration Of Fela Kuti (Now Again 5056; USA) "Covers & music inspired by the Godfather of Afro-beat. Includes rare & previously unreleased music from Nigeria, Ghana, Colombia, Trinidad and more. He's best known by his first name: Fela. He's certainly Nigeria's most famous musical export. His name itself conjures images of 70s Lagos. A metropolis awash in the jubilation that swept in after the 1970 armistice in the civil war between the Nigerian Army and Eastern Biafran secessionists. A capital city in the midst of transition. This is the environment in which Fela and his Africa 70 popularized the hybrid of highlife, jazz and James Brown style, big-band funk he invented: Afro-Beat. In Nigeria, his countrymen knew his music like Americans know Elvis. On foreign shores, a chosen few Westerners could claim to know the extent of Fela's genius. As a result, while music historians have filled books with references to the influence of Westerners on Fela's creation, little has been said about Fela's inspiration on others. Thus, our compilation begins. Fela's music, and that of his organization inspired musicians across the global village when Afro-Beat was new and novel. This compilation focuses on the music Fela inspired -- whether by fellow Nigerians recording alongside him in the early 70s, neighbors in Ghana, then-modern Colombian cumbia ensembles inspired by the man who injected a new feel into the Yoruban rhythms that formed cumbia's base, Trinidadian steel bands or the select few organizations left that have maintained Fela's fury in the new millennium. This is but a cursory investigation into those inspired by Fela Kuti's genius, but it is unique: the first time that many of these tracks are not only offered a second chance for worthy introspection, but, in the case of many, the first time they're being issued full stop." Hardback package with 20-page booklet. Artists include: Cumbia Moderna De Soledad, Dan Satch And His Atomic 8 Dance Band, 6th Infantry Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Bola Johnson, Segun Bucknor, Jerry Hansen, Lisandro Meza, Lever Brothers Gay Flamingoes, Mosco Tiles Fonclaire Steel Orchestra, Sylvania East Side Symphony, Phirpo Y Sus Caribes, Daktaris, Karl Hector and The Malcouns, and Whitefield Brothers
CD $18

AMNESTY - Free Your Mind: The 700 West Sessions (Now Again 5027; USA) "The most Funkadelic group you never heard...Harder than Earth, Wind & Fire. Kooler than Kool & The Gang. Unreleased funk & soul from Indianapolis's 3-part harmony masters, as heard on Cold Heat Vol.1." "This previously unreleased album further entrenches Amnesty's reputation as purveyors of the most unique funk to originate from Naptown. Arranged with dangerous complexity and performed with precision, Amnesty's 700 West Sessions represent a glimpse of a funk band recording at not only the peak of their musicianship, but at the height of the music's popularity." - Egon
CD $15

THOSE SHOCKING SHAKING DAYS [V.A.] - Indonesian Hard, Psychedelic, Progressive Rock And Funk: 1970-1978 [2 CD set] (Now Again 5065; USA) The untold story of Indonesia's various underground 70s musical scenes; extensive liner notes, photographs and ephemera; fully restored and remastered audio; officially licensed.
The progressive music scenes in 1970s Indonesia were largely underground as a result of strict censorship imposed by the dictator Suharto. Those who performed music marked by relentless fuzz, over the top, politically charged lyrics, strong rhythms and a cranky low-fidelity were truly rebellious. And the resulting output has been largely -- outside of the confines of this island nation -- unheard or ignored. Indonesia, based in large part on the restrictions imposed by Suharto, is better known for the coffee it exports than the music it creates. This situation hasn't been remedied by the rough-hewn Indonesian bootlegs that dotted the psychedelic landscape over the past five years. Thanks now to the tireless -- and expensive -- research of Canadian hip hop producer and Southeast Asian music specialist Jason 'Moss' Connoy - and the trust that Indonesian rock legend Benny Soebardja placed in Now-Again Records as he traversed his homeland's islands securing the rights necessary for us to offer you this anthology -- we feel like we can, in good spirits and conscience, shine the light on some of the most impressive organizations to offer their take on the psychedelic and progressive rock and funk sounds during the early shocking, shaking days of Suharto's regime." Artists: Panbers, The Brims, Rollies, Shark Move, Golden Wing, AKA, IVO's Group, Ariesta Birawa Group, Terenchem, Benny Soebardja and Lizard, Super Kid, Koes Plus, The Gang Of Harry Roesli, Black Brothers, Rasela, Freedom Of Rhapsodia, Rhythm Kings, Duo Kribo. Housed in a mini-LP tip on sleeve, alongside a 64-page full-color booklet.
"It's a great one! Hats off to the label for digging deep and coming up with this one."-- Henry Rollins
2 CD set for $22


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DMG EXCLUSIVE! - Out-Of-Print CDs from the great GAZELL Jazz & Folk Label!

$9 each for single CDs!
[normally $15]

and it's also a 7 for 6 SALE - which means one out of every seven you pick will be FREE!

One of the key legendary roots music impressarios, Samuel Charters has produced milestone albums for legendary Blues, Folk, and Jazz artists for over half a century. He wrote the first of his many books on various roots music genres, The Country Blues, in 1959, and produced the companion album to the book, and recorded that legendary Lightning Hopkins album for Folkways. For Prestige, in charge of the Bluesville and Folklore imprints, he recorded many more blues artists, including early electric albums by Homesick James, Billy Boy James, and Otis Spann. At Vanguard he produced, among many recordings, the three volume Chicago: The Blues Today series, and the early albums of Holy Modal Rounders and Country Joe & The Fish.
He started his Gazell label 40 years ago, at first putting out U.S. editions of recordings on the Swedish Sonet label, many of which he also produced, as he became a Swedish (co-)citizen at that time. He followed those early releases with Jazz and Cajun recordings he produced exclusively for his Gazell label..

"MannyLunch and I went on a road trip last week to visit Sam and Ann Charters, legendary authors, historians and longtime archivists for roots and world music. Mr. Charters has been documenting blues and jazz music since the early fifties. Besides recording and producing hundreds of historic sessions in New Orleans, Chicago, New York, Africa and in Europe, Mr. Charters is a well respected author of some forty books. Ann Charters is Sam's wife and a longtime collaborator on his field trips to the south. Mrs. Charters is also an esteemed writer, whose biography on Jack Kerouac is considered to be the best of its kind. The Charters relocated to Sweden in the early seventies but reside in Connecticut for part of the year as Mrs. Charters is a professor at the University of Connecticut. The Charters have donated a large part of their music archives to the library at U of Conn so that other folks can access all of the riches they've gathered over more than fifty years. Manny & I were honored to meet Sam & Ann, have lunch and talk at length about their travels and music explorations.

Sam Charters produced most of the releases on Gazell and did exemplary 'audio verite' recordings of the music - the magical spirit of creativity is captured just right, without producer interference or gimmickry. Charters has been recording, researching and documenting 20th century American roots music for more than fifty years. He virtually single-handedly awakened the the world audience's interest in these uniquely American jazz, blues, and folk musics.

I would highly recommend all of these gems: Bob Brookmeyer, all three by Dave Burrell & David Murray, Bop Session, both Paris Reunion Bands, Oliver Lake, Anthony Michael Peterson, Stan Getz, Adam Mackowitz, Louisiana Dance Party plus great vocal/folk/rock discs from the Fugs, Frank Christian, Eric Von Schmidt and the guiding light/gruff voiced grandad-of-them-all - Dave Van Ronk! I've gained a better appreciation of the more mainstream side of jazz over the past decade so I even dig the discs here by Zoot Sims & Al Cohn, Vic Dickinson and Joe Venuti - and the Gazells are some of their best!"

He retired from the business in the late 90s, and has now given his last remaining copies to DMG to disseminate cheaply!


BOB BROOKMEYER With THAD JONES/JIMMY ROWLES/GEORGE MRAZ/MEL LEWIS - Back Again (Gazell 1015 US; USA) This session was valve trombonist Bob Brookmeyer's first jazz date in 13 years after a period writing for the studios and then away from music altogether. Brookmeyer, who is featured in a quintet with cornetist Thad Jones, pianist Jimmy Rowles, bassist George Mraz and drummer Mel Lewis, proves to still be in prime form playing in an unchanged style. Other than the leader's uptempo blues "In a Rotten Mood" and a Latin piece ("Carib"), the quintet sticks to veteran standards. Highlights include "Sweet and Lovely," "Caravan" and "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To." - Scott Yanow
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

DAVE BURRELL - Jelly Roll Joys (Gazell 4003 US; USA) "One of the great under-recognized pianists in jazz, Dave Burrell was an integral member of several important bands, including those led by Archie Shepp and David Murray. He has always been at home with the entire history of the music, from ragtime to free improvisation. Here, playing solo, he pays homage to the seminal composer Jelly Roll Morton in a recital that includes a couple of Burrell's own pieces, a few by Coltrane and Parker, as well as several of Morton's lesser-known works. His selection of rags is very perceptive, including a couple of utterly gorgeous compositions containing what their author referred to as "the Spanish tinge," a rarely discussed influence on early jazz. Even on the two Coltrane pieces, "Giant Steps" and "Moment's Notice," he manages to subtly infuse them with raglike aspects and rhythms while miraculously maintaining their boppish integrity. Burrell's own songs are no less delightful and go far in buttressing his reputation as an imaginative composer as well as a rich and deeply melodic pianist. The Jelly Roll Joys is highly recommended both as a wonderful recital and as one of the most rewarding albums by a musician deserving far greater renown." - Brian Olewnick, AMG
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

DAVE BURRELL & DAVID MURRAY - Brother To Brother (Gazell 4006 US; USA) This duet set by pianist Dave Burrell and David Murray (heard on tenor and bass clarinet) is mostly quite relaxed, surprisingly melodic in spots, and explorative but in subtle ways. Burrell's style both looks backward toward stride (and on "New Orleans Blues" to Jelly Roll Morton) and toward the future in its freedom. Murray is mostly fairly mellow, avoiding the extreme upper register much of the time and focusing on his warm tone. There is a fair amount of variety in tempos even while the mutually respectful mood prevails. An excellent effort! - Scott Yanow
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

DAVE BURRELL & DAVID MURRAY - Daybreak (Gazell 4002 US; USA) This duo has a strong bond. Besides at least four great duo records (2 on Gazell, 1 on Victo & 1 on Black Saint), Dave Burrell has played & recorded in both David Murray's quartet and octet sessions on some dozen recordings. 'Daybreak' is from 1989 and it is the earliest of the four discs. For this session, the duo recorded in a studio in Philly so the sound is superb. Each of the four long (8 to nearly 14 minutes) songs are originals and the duo stretch out nicely. There is an organic flow to all of these pieces, an excellent give and take between two powerful players. David Murray plays bass clarinet on one track and sounds just as inventive as he does on his ever-spirited tenor sax. - BLG
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

VIC DICKENSON With JOE NEWMAN/FRANK WESS/MILT HINTON et al//BESSIE SMITH - Trombone Cholly: Plays Bessie Smith (Gazell 1011 US; USA) This set is unusual for, although it is a tribute to Bessie Smith, there are no vocals. Trombonist Vic Dickenson takes the place of Smith's favorite trombonist, Charlie Green, and his witty sound and expressive slides are well-showcased in a sextet with trumpeter Joe Newman and tenor saxophonist Frank Wess; Milt Hinton was the natural choice for the bass spot. Bessie Smith, though known as the "Empress of the Blues," actually recorded a lot of other material throughout her career so there is more variety on this enjoyable set (which is not recommended to 1920s purists) than one might expect. - Scott Yanow
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

STAN GETZ QUARTET With JIM McNEELY/GEORGE MRAZ/VICTOR LEWIS - The Stockholm Concert (Gazell 1013 US; USA) Stan Getz and his 1983 quartet (which included pianist Jim McNeely, bassist George Mraz and drummer Victor Lewis) are in good form during this performance in Stockholm. With the exception of Alec Wilder's "The Baggage Room Blues" and Jobim's "O Grande Amor," the repertoire is typical for this period in Getz's career but the veteran tenor was able to come up fresh statements for such standards as "How Long Has This Been Going On'" "We'll Be Together Again," "I'll Remember April" and Billy Strayhorn's heartbreaking "Blood Count." If anything, Getz's tone became even more luscious through the years yet he never seemed to lose his fire. - Scott Yanow
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

DIZZY GILLESPIE/SONNY STITT/JOHN LEWIS/HANK JONES/MAX ROACH/PERCY HEATH - The Bop Session: 1975 (Gazell 1005 US; USA) This album matches together trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie and Sonny Stitt (on alto and tenor) with an all-star rhythm section (John Lewis or Hank Jones on piano, bassist Percy Heath and drummer Max Roach) for six classic bop standards. Gillespie was near the end of his prime but is still in stellar form while Stitt typically eats the material (songs such as "Confirmation," "Groovin' High" and "All the Things You Are") with no difficulty. Bop fans should enjoy this date!
"This should have been titled THEE BOP SESSION, given this documents the most formidable Dizzy Gillespie and Sonny Stitt blowing EVER, over and out, aided and abetted by Hank Jones, John Lewis, Max Roach and Percy Heath, all of them Titans at the top of their game!" - Keith McCarthy
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

ADAM MAKOWICZ TRIO With PALLE DANIELSSON/JON CHRISTENSEN - Interface (Gazell 1007 US; USA) This is one of pianist Adam Makowicz's lesser-known dates, an album cut in Stockholm with two musicians associated with Keith Jarrett's old rhythm team: bassist Palle Danielsson and drummer Jon Christensen. Unlike his previous standards dominated sessions, Makowicz plays eight of his complex originals here, including "Interface," "Didibop," "Opalescence" and "Seamless Dream." None of the tunes caught on as standards, but the pianist's playing is, as usual, consistently outstanding throughout the post-bop trio set. "I had heard of, but not actually HEARD Adam Mackowicz before this, but I now know that he is a phenomenal pianist! Maybe for some, he started his career where Art Tatum left off, but that is behind him here. For those of you who love great jazz piano trios, this is a long lost treasure!" - BLG
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.
ALSO available as LP for $7

PARIS REUNION BAND [WOODY SHAW/DIZZY REECE/SLIDE HAMPTON/JOHNNY GRIFFIN/KENNY DREW et al] - French Cooking (Gazell 1002 US; USA) Jazz journalist Mike Hennessey was responsible for putting together the Paris Reunion Band, a group of jazz all-stars who spent at least part of their careers based in Paris.Though the personnel changed somewhat after this initial recording, the Paris Reunion Band would continue to work off and on until 1989. Their debut album, French Cooking, was a studio date recorded in the summer of 1985, around the time of their first European tour. The band includes saxophonists Johnny Griffin and Nathan Davis, trumpeters Woody Shaw and Dizzy Reece, trombonist Slide Hampton, pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Jimmy Woode, and drummer Billy Brooks. Most of the musicians made names for themselves while living in their U.S. homeland (except for Reece, a Jamaica native). Nathan Davis is probably the least familiar name in the front line, because he spent a long period in Paris (1962-1969) following his discharge from the U.S. Army, and eventually returned to his homeland to become a jazz educator. He is a triple threat on tenor and soprano saxes as well as flute. Each member of the brass and reed sections contributed a cooking original to the date, while the solos and ensemble work are consistently inspired.
"The idea was to revisit the excitement and atmosphere of the '60s Jazz scene in Paris, and instead this band of veterans, ex-pats and budding Europeans recreated that scene in the moment, with all the heat and grandeur you'd wish for. Honest, you can't make this stuff up -- Johnny Griffin, Woody Shaw, Slide Hampton and Bobby Few show the young 'uns how it's done." - Keith McCarthy
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.
ALSO available as LP for $7

PARIS REUNION BAND [WOODY SHAW/JOE HENDERSON/NAT ADDERLEY/GRACHAN MONCUR III/NATHAN DAVIS/KENNY DREW/JIMMY WOODE/IDRIS MUHAMMAD] - For Klook (Gazell 1009 US; USA) This is the second disc from the this all-star American octet recorded at Sonet Studios in Stockholm, Sweden in October of 1986. Only one year later than their other disc for Sonet/Gazell and the personnel has changed somewhat. This time the Paris Reunion Band features Woody Shaw & Nat Adderley on trumpets, Joe Henderson & Nathan davis on saxes, Grachan Moncur III on trombone, Kenny Drew on piano, Jimmy Woode on bass and Idris Muhammad on drums. Four of the eight members contributed one song each, plus one song by their former trombonist Slide Hampton. Starting with the ever-popular "Work Song" by Nat Adderley, which has been covered time and again. Rather a lively cutting session, this disc shows that these cats can still play with mightily inventive prowess. All the horns and piano take strong solos and the spirit of the music is astonishingly well-captured! - BLG
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.
ALSO available as LP for $7

ANTHONY MICHAEL PETERSON With MARK PETERSON/WILLIAM McCLELLAN - The Book Of Days (Gazell 4007 US; USA) Featuring Anthony Michael Peterson on electric & acoustic guitars, (Anthony's brother) Mark Peterson on bass and William McClellan on drums. This disc was released in 1993 and it is the debut disc from guitarist Anthony Michael Peterson who had moved to New York a few years earlier. Anthony had played with Ronald Shannon Jackson and Branford Marsalis and was then a member of Oliver Lake's current quartet. Considering that we haven't heard much about Mr. Peterson since his debut, it is an even more impressive endeavor. I just reviewed the Oliver Lake Quartet CD on Gazell ('Virtual Reality') which was released a year earlier and was blown away by this amazing under-recognized guitarist. The first track is actually titled "Oliver Lake" so I guess we know who inspired it. Mr. Peterson sounds a bit like Blood Ulmer playing those quick harmelodic lines on this piece. The title track is lazily laid back with a most impressive slow-burning solo from Peterson's guitar. "Goin' to the Festival" has a "St. Thomas"-like island groove and a festive spirit. Peterson is an astonishing guitarist on electric and acoustic guitar. Considering that he hasn't much else as a leader this disc remains an unclaimed treasure for those of you who can appreciate jazz guitar at it best. - BLG
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

JOE VENUTI With DICK HYMAN/BUCKY PIZZARRELLI/MAJOR HOLLEY/CLIFF LEEMAN - Sliding By (Gazell 1014 US; USA) Violinist Joe Venuti, 73 at the time of this recording and only a little more than a year away from his death, was in typically swinging form for this quintet set with Dick Hyman (who doubles on piano and organ), guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, bassist Major Holley and drummer Cliff Leeman. In addition to the six standards, there are four lesser-known Venuti compositions performed by this fine group. The music alternates between romantic ballads and stomps such as "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Clarinet Marmalade."
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

SCOTT JOPLIN//ANN CHARTERS - The Genius Of Scott Joplin [2 CD set] (Gazell 6002/03 US; USA) This classic 2 disc features the historic first recordings Scott Joplin's music performed in the classic Ragtime style by Ann Charters in 1958, 1973 & 1974 and the first recordings of Scott Joplin's opera Treemonisha performed by Ted Puffer with the Utah State University Concert Chorale recorded in 1965. This most impressive collection compiles an important selection of turn of the century composer Scott Joplin's music taken from four records made over a long span of time but held together by Ann Charters' serious study of Joplins' music. With some 38 songs, it will take some time to fully absorb all of the gems found in this collection but it well worth the time since Scott Joplin is most deserving of our investigation. - BLG
CD $10.00 7 for 6 SALE.

EDDIE 'ONE STRING' JONES With EDWARD HAZELTON - One String Blues (Gazell 6002/03 US; USA) Jones shares this 15-track compilation with harmonica street player Edward Hazelton, another one of Frederick Usher's elusive Skid Row discoveries, who contributes a half dozen sides featuring a stripped-down Sonny Terry style. The first nine tracks by Jones are primitive in the extreme, untouched by any commercial considerations whatsoever. His instrument -- described on the front cover as "a home-made African derived Zither-Monochord" -- delivers tones that border on somewhere between keening, rhythmic, and downright eerie. Even repeated listening to any of the early Delta blues slide greats will not prepare you for the sound on this recording, which is trebly, bordering on metallic. Blues as folklore, but a whole lot of fun to explore as well!
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

DAVE VAN RONK - Going Back To Brooklyn (Gazell 2006 US; USA) "The role of singer/songwriter has never much appealed to me," writes Dave Van Ronk in the liner notes to this album, and it may seem like an odd remark for a performer who had a lot to do with promoting the careers of such singer/songwriters as Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. But what Van Ronk means is that he has never been much interested in taking on the role of singer/songwriter for himself. Although he is usually mentioned in sentences that include the names of Dylan, Mitchell, Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, and other Greenwich Village folksingers of the 1960s, Van Ronk is primarily an interpretive singer with a repertoire of traditional folk-blues songs along with covers of the songs of his peers. Still, he has penned the odd song on occasion, and Going Back to Brooklyn is the first album he's made that is devoted entirely to his own compositions. (As it turned out, he would never make another one.) As might be expected, he did not sit down and pen a whole new batch of material; many of these songs are ones he wrote years and even decades previously, and some of them he has recorded before. (For example, "Zen Koans Gonna Rise Again" first appeared on No Dirty Names in 1966, and "Last Call" was on Songs for Aging Children in 1973.) And in several cases, these are not so much full-fledged songs as little novelty ditties (the a cappella "Tantric Mantra" and "The Whores of San Pedro" clock in at little over half a minute each, and the similarly unaccompanied antiwar harangue "Luang Prabang" runs 1:36) or guitar instrumentals ("Antelope Rag," "Left Bank Blues"). These are the kinds of pieces an itinerant musician might come up with while waiting for a gig to start, and Van Ronk indicates that that's just what happened in some cases. Even when he writes a well-developed original, he basically adapts one of his favorite folk-blues fingerpicking patterns to accompany a lyric idea, the most outlandish of which must be "Garden State Stomp," which is nothing more or less than a recitation of unusual town names in New Jersey. To the extent that his original lyrics are personally revealing, they speak of drinking and folksinging, sometimes in a touching way, notably "Gaslight Rag," a tribute to a Greenwich Village bar and its folksinging patrons, and "Last Call." Van Ronk uses his raspy, expressive voice, which contrasts with the sweetness of his guitar playing, to get across harsh, bitter feelings in such songs as the self-lacerating "Losers" and "Luang Prabang," but only at the end, in the heartbreaking "Another Time and Place," to expose love and regret. Going Back to Brooklyn is unique among Dave Van Ronk albums for the portrait it provides of the artist, even if on the surface it sounds like many of this other records. - Willaim Ruhlmann
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

DAVE VAN RONK With HARRY ALLEN et al - Humming To Myself (Gazell 2004 US; USA) Featuring Dave Van Ronk on vocals, John Pizzarelli on guitar, Harry Allen on tenor sax, Keith Ingram on piano & arrangements, Earl May on bass and Christine Lavin on backup vocals. Dave Van Ronk's long career stretches back to fifties and has encompassed jazz, blues, folk and even rock songs. He was the godfather of downtown folk scene of the early sixties and one of the first people to befriend and help out Dylan when he first moved to NY. Van Ronk was never a prolific songwriter himself but was well known for covering a wide range of songs from different genres. For this record, which came out in 1990, Mr. Van Ronk covered mostly older jazz standards, using a fine jazz quintet to back him. This is one of the most relaxed and rather charming discs that I've heard from Van Ronk. Some of the more well-known covers include "Sweet Georgia Brown", "Making Whoopie" and "It Ain't Necessarily So". Sublime is a word I thought I would never use to describe a disc by Dave Van Ronk but this is the case here. - BLG
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

FRANK CHRISTIAN - Where Were You Last Night? (Gazell 2009 US; USA) Originally released very regionally (Greenwich Village only) in 1982 on Jack Hardy's Great Divide label, Where Were You Last Night is evidence that Frank Christian was an immense and fully formed talent long before the release of his fantastic (and first widely available) 1995 CD, From My Hands. For fans of the type of literate, bluesy folk made popular by Bob Dylan, Steve Gillette, Tim Hardin, Arlo Guthrie and Donovan, Where Were You Last Night is a hidden gem waiting to be discovered. The songs here are chock full of delicately and carefully painted pictures of humanity's quieter moments. Dave Van Ronk's liner notes refer to Christian as an "urban romantic," and it's a good description. His songs are at once tough and exquisitely gentle, while his voice, though not particularly powerful, is always emotionally direct. The real treat here, though, is Christian's masterful guitar playing. As wonderful a songwriter as he is, his sensitive and complex, yet subtle acoustic guitar chops outshine everything else on the record. Whether weaving beautiful, jazzy, spider-like patterns in and out of the vocals on the title track, or playing a gorgeous and finger-twisting neoclassical composition like "Rondo: Rumor for a Roscian Romace," Christian should inspire most other folkies go back home and take some guitar lessons!
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

ERIC VON SCHMIDT - Baby Let Me Lay It On You (Gazell 2013 US; USA) Eric Von Schmidt, guitar and vocals with Chance Browne, guitar; Samuel Charters, tambourine and jug; and Paul Geremia, slide guitar.
Moving to Cambridge, Mass in 1957, he was at the center of the 'coffee house scene' both as painter and performer. Von Schmidt shared his large repertory of traditional music, passing them along to new performers who were developing a more modern version of folk music. He influenced Tom Rush, with whom he revived and arranged the traditional song "Wasn't That a Mighty Storm?" about the 1900 hurricane that destroyed Galveston, Texas. When he met Dylan, the two traded harmonica licks, drank red wine and played croquet. Dylan eagerly absorbed von Schmidt's voluminous knowledge of music, including folk, country and the blues. "I sang [Dylan] a bunch of songs, and, with that spongelike mind of his, he remembered almost all of them when he got back to New York," von Schmidt said in The Boston Globe.
This 1995 album is the last record he ever recorded, and the only one he made in the last thirty years of his life, focusing instead on his career as a painter from 1977 onwards. An extraordinary last stand - it must be heard!
"To me, this sounds like the real thing. Von Schmidt was part of the Cambridge folk scene way back when and still sounds wonderful on this disc from 1995. Schmidt wrote most of the songs on this disc except for a few by Rev. Gary Davis, Dave Van Ronk and Leadbelly. Eric is backed by a small band of outlaws with harmony vocals, harmonica, cello, slide guitar and hand percussion. I dig Eric's liner notes which tell stories about each song. But most of all I dig all sixteen songs that he has chosen to do. An epic folk record anf they don't get much better than this." - BLG
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

STEVE TAYLOR With ED SANDERS/ALLEN GINSBERG/MARILYN CRISPELL/ZEENA PARKINS et al - Who Pays The Piper? (Gazell 2014 US; USA) A folksy singer-songwriter album from the person who was a member of The Fugs at one time, using some stellar, and unlikely support. [NOT to confused with the Christian musician, or the musical-comedy composer - two OTHER Steve Taylors!]
"Steve Taylor started out as an assistant Harry Smith, a longtime member of the Fugs as well as Allen Ginsberg's guitarist for many years. This is Mr. Taylor's one & only record as a leader and he has gathered a strange crew of collaborators. Who else has Marilyn Crispell, Ralph Carney, Zeena Parkins, Kramer, Ed Sanders and Stephan Ielpi (of the False Prophets) on this same disc?!? Strangely enough this disc is more of a laid back singer-songwriter sort of affair. Although Taylor has a more melodic voice he writes and chooses lyrics that make us consider the injustices of modern life. Taylor selectively utilizes the poetry of William Blake, John Keats, Allen Ginsberg and Tuli Kupferberg. At first I wasn't so sure about this but I must admit that is has been growing on me like a tasty fungus." - BLG CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE. LOUISIANA DANCE PARTY [V.A. With CLIFTON CHENIER/ROCKING DOPSIE/QUENN IDA/AUSTIN PITRE/WAUNE TOUPS/ARDOIN BROTHERS] - Louisiana Dance Party! (Gazell 3004 US; USA) Wow! This is a dynamite compilation of Cajun dance classics from a half dozen of N'Orleans best! I am currently playing this in my kitchen, cooking up some crawfish & gumbo and dancing around like the foolish middle-aged man that I am. And it sure feels good! - BLG
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

ROCKING DOPSIE And HIS CAJUN TWISTERS - Zy-De-Co-In' (Gazell 3003 US; USA) Rocking Dopsie (pronounced Doopsie) was called the crowned prince of zydeco. Sam Charters produced his first album for the Sonet label in Sweden in 1976 and Sonet went to release five more before Dopsie's death in 1993. This disc was released in 1989 and was recorded at two studios in Louisiana. Most of the other discs were recorded live so this one sounds even better being recorded in a studio. The instrumentation features Rocking Dopsie on accordion & vocals plus tenor sax, guitar, bass, washboard and drums. The vibe and the groove are instantly infectious. This music blends r&b, blues, funk, rock and New Orleans gumbo flavors. It is succulent down to the last drop! - BLG
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

BJORN J:SON LINDH - Wet Wings (Gazell 2002 US; USA) Bjorn J:son Lindh is a Swedish flautist, keyboardist and composer. Lindh has scored music for many films; he has played on many of Ralph Lundsten's albums, especially in the 1970s and 80s, and he has played with guitarist Janne Schaffer as well as classical pianist Staffan Scheja. However, Lindh is probably better known for his solo albums than for appearances on those of other musicians, whihc some might term 'new age'.
Although Lindh is a flautist, he has made use of various synthesizers on many of his recordings. Some of his songs are relatively experimental, using up-to-date technology and instruments of that time, as this record is a shining example of.
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

ELLIKA HANSEN TRIO//EMILY DICKINSON - Reverie: Sings Emily Dickinson (Gazell 1087 US; USA) Featuring Ellika Hanssen on vocals & piano, Ulla Vrethammar on cello and Hector Bingert on flute. Swedish vocalist and pianist Ellika Hansen was long inspired by the poetry of the great American poet Emily Dickinson, a reclusive figure who lived more than a hundred years ago. This project was an obvious labor of love and a rarity of putting Ms. Dickinson's words to music. Ms. Hansen has a lovely, delicate and expressive voice that I find to be completely enchanting. She reminds me at times of Laura Nyro or Rickie Lee Jones yet she is still distinctive in her own way. I hadn't read the poetry of Emily Dickinson since my college days (1972-76), but because of hearing this I want to go back and check it out again. The words and music seem to fit perfectly here. - BLG
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

NANCY HARROW With BOB BROOKMEYER/JIM McNEELY/JOHN BASILE/STEVE LaSPINA/RICHIE DeROSA - Street Of Dreams (Gazell 2005 US; USA) Ms. Harrow is not your average jazz singer, besides a half dozen standards she chooses songs from Tom Waits, the Beatles, the Eagles, Bob Dylan and Jimmy Cliff. The ever forward-thinking Bob Brookmeyer helped with the arrangements as well as playing valve trombone and synthesizers. Ms. Harrow does have a jazz sensibility even when she sings songs from more rock-oriented songwriters while Brookmeyer adds bits of quirkiness with his synths. This album was produced by former Artist House label head John Snyder, who hasn one of the best set of ears for creative jazz music.
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.

UPTOWN [GINNY CARL EHRHARDT/ROBERT McBRIDE/AMY BRADY et al] - Uptown (Gazell 2010 US; USA) Jazz vocal trio with band backing. From the ambitious cry of mimicry of "Exactly Like You" to the hopeful lament "We'll Be Together Again," this album delivers. The bold trio is fearless, dealing with subject matter that most early 90's vocal/jazz groups avoid at all costs -- demonic lunar phases ("Old Devil Moon"), daily struggles of the midwestern working class ("The Drycleaner from Des Moines"), and of course, natural sweetners ("Sugar"). And what's more? They make it FUN!!! The true gem on this album, however, is track #7, "My Attorney Bernie." I LOVE vocal jazz, and this is album is just boatload fun. Plus, they cover a song co-written by the great Frankie Laine, who I also highly recommend you check out -- part cowboy, part crooner. Great great stuff. - Amazun review
CD $9.00 7 for 6 SALE.



THE FOLLOWING Out-Of-Print Gazell CDs we have less than 5 copies each - price is as shown below, no further discounts

BYARD LANCASTER With ALFIE POLLITT/JIM DRAGONI et al - Worlds (Gazell 4005 US; USA) Featuring Byard Lancaster on soprano, alto & tenor saxes & bass clarinet, Alfie Pollitt on piano, Jim Dragoni on guitar, Kenny Davis on bass, Keno Speller on conga and Webb Thomas on drums. I recall the first two times I caught Philly sax great Byard Lancaster, once with Sunny Murray's Untouchable Factor at Ali's Alley in the late seventies (completely free & scary!) and doing a solo set opening for Fred Frith at Soundscape in the early eighties. Both gigs were amazing. Mr. Lancaster also worked with Bill Laswell, Kip Hanrahan and David Eyges in the eighties. Lancaster remains under-recorded to this day and has had about ten records as a leader over his forty-plus year career. The only players here that I am previously familiar with are percussionist Keno Speller who worked with Sonny Sharrock and bassist Kenny Davis who has worked with Don Byron, Pheeroan AkLaff, Strata Institute and Hasidic New Wave. Like Mr. Lancaster, most of the musicians on this disc are based in Philly, and like another legend from Philly, John Coltrane, was a major influence on Lancaster and his collaborators. All but one of these pieces were written by Byard with one cover, "My Favorite Things" which was Coltrane's most popular gem. The main vibe I hear in this music is exuberance, the way Trane would stretch out this piece until it soared into heavenly waves. Both "Horn of Philadelphia" and "Philly Jazz II" burn at an astonishing, furious pace backed with some incredible electric bass and drums with Mr. Lancaster playing one amazing solo after another. Sam Charters' superb production is unobtrusive, clean, warm and captures the spirit with any effects or fuss. Byard's accompanied soprano sax solo on "Internal Security" my be heard to be believed. The quintet actually pull off a totally groovy reggae/jazz/rock jam on "Keno". A not too long (rel in 1993) lost treasure, so please check it out! - BLG
CD $15

OLIVER LAKE QUARTET With ANTHONY MICHAEL PETERSON/SANTI DEBRIANO/PHEEROAN AkLAFF - Virtual Reality - Total Escapism (Gazell 4004 US; USA) Altoist Oliver Lake does some of his finest playing on this lesser-known quartet date. Lake displays his roots in Eric Dolphy on some selections (particularly "Fables for Faubus" and "The Prophet"), more in his tone than in the interval jumps. Other selections find him improvising in a more conservative chordal-based setting than usual but with his usual fire, unpredictability, and fearlessness. Guitarist Anthony Peterson is a perfect foil for Lake in this inside/outside music while bassist Santi Debriano and drummer Pheeroan akLaff provide stimulating support. Oliver Lake is heard throughout at the top of his game, making this both an easily recommended set for his fans and a perfect introduction to his dynamic music. ~ Scott Yanow, All Music Guide
CD $15

ZOOT SIMS/AL COHN - Zoot-Case (Gazell 1021 US; USA) During a 30-year period the very complementary tenors Zoot Sims and Al Cohn teamed up on an irregular but always consistently satisfying basis. This club date from Stockholm, one of their final joint recordings, features the pair backed by pianist Claes Croona, bassist Palle Danielsson and drummer Petur Ostlund. Both Zoot and Cohn sound quite inspired and they really push each other on "Exactly like You," "After You've Gone" (which features Sims on soprano) and even a surprisingly heated version of "The Girl from Ipanema." Al Cohn's tone had deepened during the years and, although they sounded nearly identical in the 1950s, it is quite easy to tell the two tenors apart during this encounter. The CD is highly recommended for fans of the saxophonists and for bop collectors!
CD $15

DAVE VAN RONK - A Chrestomathy: Vol 1 & 2 [2 CD set] (Gazell 2007/08 US; USA) Chrestomathy: noun; a collection of selected literary passages, often by one author and especially from a foreign language.
"A selection of thirty songs from thirty years of Dave's recordings, with The Red Onion Jazz Band, The Hudson Dusters, The Ragtime Jug Stompers, Keith Ingham and quintet, Frankie Armstrong, and Christine Lavin, covering 1960-1991. This is indeed an excellent selection of songs, traditional, covers and a few originals. The covers include tasty versions of songs by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Scott Joplin and Brecht & Weill. What this disc made me realize is that Dave Van Ronk has reinvented himself time and again. Although he has a voice which some folks can't warm up to, his informed, diverse song selection and constantly changing accompaniment always adds certain surprise to what you might expect." - BLG
2 CD set for $26

DAVE VAN RONK - To All My Friends In Far Flung Places [2 CD set] (Gazell 2011/12 US; USA) with Frank Christian, Keith Ingham, Murray Wall, David Conrad, Arnie Kinsella, Bill Ferns, Anne De Marinis, and Sam Charters. Back up singers Britt Savage, Ada Dyer, and Shelly Thompson. Special guests Paul Geremia, Tom Paxton, Pat Sky, Christine Lavin, Eve Silber, and vocal chorus of friends including Heather Wood, Christine Lavin, Perin Pyons, Chris Lowe, Eric Frandsen, Dave Massengill, Andrea Vuocolo, Mallay Charters, Jenny Schuessler "This is Van Ronk's definitive covers collection featuring some 28 songs from friends and songwriters that he admires. The songs he covers are a who's who of great songwriters like: Bob Dylan, Phil Ochs, Jack Hardy, Eric Von Schmidt, Tom Waits, Patrick Sky, Ian Tyson, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon and Gabriel Yacoub, plus a few lesser knowns whose songs are just as great. Dave Van Ronk really stretches out his voice here to fit all the different songs he chooses. No wonder this collection is SO sought after! - BLG
2 CD set for $26

THE FUGS [ED SANDERS/TULI KUPFERBERG et al] - Songs From A Portable Forest (Gazell 2003 US; USA) This compilation is a 'best of' highlighting recordings from the '80s reincarnation of the Fugs. Along for the ride are founding members Tuli Kupferberg and Ed Saunders. Although this disc doesn't contain any previously unissued material, there are a few tracks from Star Peace -- which is currently out-of-print on CD. Songs From A Portable Forest also gathers key tracks from Refuse To Be Burnt-Out - Live In The 1960s and No More Slavery. The '80s Fugs remained an amalgam of Dadaist beat poetry and reckless abandon garage rock with a message promoting all that is sensually pleasurable. Perhaps due to the sheer volume of new compositions Saunders added to the '80s cannon, Songs From A Portable Forrest is a bit heavier on his, rather than Kupferberg's contributions. That said however, two of Tuli's finest are included here. "If You Want To Be President" from Refuse To Be Burnt-Out as well as an adaptation of "Dover Beach from No More Slavery - which was actually written by 19th Century Oxford poet Matthew Arnold. Kupferberg's bold touch can be heard in the unique arrangement that couples the poem with a traditional Jewish melody. Chief among Saunders compositions are works incorporating pivotal motifs during the initial revival of the Fugs name and spirit. "Keeping The Issues Alive" and "Refuse To Be Burnt-Out" -- the latter of which is an apt cenotaph to "those guys in the Fugs who have since died," according to Saunders. Speaking of the past, a revamped "Nova Slum Goddess" is offered on this collection from the '60s Fugs repertoire.
CD $15




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