Jazz /
J.J.D. / Unnecessary Begging
"JJD/Unnecessary Begging" is another gem in the Fela two-albums-on-one-CD reissue series on MCA. As original LPs, "JJD (Johnny Just Drop)," recorded live at Fela's home/club/compound, Kalakuta Republic, was released in 1977, while "Unnecessary Begging" and its b-side "No Buredi (No Bread)" were issued a year earlier in 1976. These albums were part of what was arguably Fela's greatest period as he released more than a dozen albums between 1975-77! While "Zombie" and "Opposite People" are clearly …
Expensive Shit / He Miss Road
Recorded in 1975. Includes liner notes by Jacqueline Grandchamp-Thiam, Michael A. Veal & Rikki Stein. Newcomers to the music of Fela Kuti are faced with some difficult choices since the late-1990s/early-2000s reissues of his string of classic '70s albums (the reissues put two records back-to-back). In truth, they're all good, so it is hard to go wrong picking one at random. Still, EXPENSIVE SHIT/HE MISS ROAD is arguably one of his best. In addition to its burbling percussive groove, infectious h…
Everything Scatter / Noise For Vendor Mouth
"Everything Scatter/Noise for Vendor Mouth" is another gem in the Fela two-albums-on-one-CD reissue series on MCA. It should be noted that unlike some of the other titles in this series, the tracks that make up the "Everything Scatter" LP -- the title cut and "Who No Know Go Know" -- were previously available on CD on the Celluloid label in the late 80s. "Scatter" was part of the original "Zombie" disc, and "Who No Know" was on "Mr. Follow Follow." Both "Everything Scatter" and "Noise for Vendor…
Confusion / Gentleman
Collecting two of Fela Kuti's finest mid-1970s albums onto one disc, CONFUSION/GENTLEMAN presents the revered Nigerian Afro-pop renegade in the midst of an early career stride. Released in '73, GENTLEMAN consists of the latter three out of this set's four tracks, and is particularly notable since it marks the fiery performer's studio debut on the saxophone. Never one to shy away from challenges, Kuti offers up an impassioned sax solo at the beginning of the extended title song (even though he ha…
Beasts Of No Nation / O.D.O.O.
After helping Fela Anikulapo Kuti with Teacher Don't Teach Me Nonsense, Wally Badarou then produced Beasts of No Nation. Another album that has been combined with this one is the 31-minute "ODOO (Overtake Don Overtake Overtake).
Army Arrangement
Fela Anikulapo Kuti, inventor of Afrobeat, is one of the greatest musicians ever to have lived. He was an innovator, musically gifted, and more important, he was the people's musician.
Poetics
Richard Bamford, drums, percussion. Stuart Brown, drums, percussion. John Burgess, bass clarinet. George Burt, acoustic guitar. Matthew Cairns, trumpet. Aileen Campbell, voice. Neil Davidson, electric guitar. Nick Fells, shakuhachi. Krzysztof Hladowski, bouzouki. George Lyle, double bass. Raymond MacDonald, soprano & alto saxophones. George Murray, trombone. Peter Nicholson, cello, voice. Emma Roche, flute, baroque flute. Ernesto Rodrigues, viola. Guilherme Rodrigues, cello. Matthew Studdert-Ken…
Zwitzerland
Ursula Maehr, recorder. Carles Peris, saxophone, flute. Francis Petter, saxophone, bass clarinet. Valentin Vecellio, basset horn. Marco von Orelli, trumpet. Sabine von Werra, voice. Christoph Baumann, piano. Markus Fischer, double bass. Jacques Widmer, drums. Recorded 9-11 November 2007
Neuschnee
The five tracks on neuschnee form an ambitious meta-song suite, with the various lyrics and musical styles combining to create a whole greater than the sum of its parts. The design is again from Berlin designer Marion Gerth, previously responsible for The Magic ID-till my breath gives out on ErstPop. The front cover juxtaposes a satellite picture of snow with the Mao Zedong poem 'Snow', which the musicians discovered in a book bought while on tour in Beijing. "After a long phase of experimental…
Otinku
The Modern Sound Quintet were formed in Stockholm by Trinidadian steel drum master Rudy Smith. On Otinku, Smith wails out on his set of 'pans' (as I believe the vernacular goes) in an improbably slick bebop mode, accompanied by a rhythm section capable of keeping it free and swinging one moment, and then within an instant locking down a groove. While pieces like the title track and 'Bye Bye Blackbird' flow effortlessly, 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy' and 'Memphis Underground' lay down a solid bedrock of …
Duets
The rare original LP released as a hand printed/numbered edition of 1000, designed by Amy Webb."Braxton concentrated heavily on duo performance during this period, and this was one of the happiest of his associations. ...warmly recommended. *** "...these duets are not only stimulating and somewhat challenging, but also surprisingly lyrical and even elegant. The two musicians extract maximum variety from the duo format." --Option Magazine
Creative Orchestra
Recorded live at Alto Adige Jazz Festival in Bolzano, Italy in June of 2007. All compositions by Anthony Braxton: Composition No. 63, Composition No. 92 (part 1-2), Composition No. 164 (part 1-2), Composition No. 59
Monte Alto Estate
This is the collaborative masterpiece of the 3-piece unit, sim (Oshima Teruyuki on guitar and composition, Ootani Yoshio on computer, electronics, etc, and Uemura Masahiro on drums) and Otomo Yoshihide (turntables, self-made synthesizer). The noise of Otomo sharply incises the unique sound of sim, where Uemura’s controlled roaring drumming sets an main axis on Oshima’s precise rhythmical composition, Oshima’s the chord cuttings beats minimally and the electronics of Ootani give extreme voltage. …
Tunnel Dinner
Sax player Steve Mackay blow with The Stooges on the legendary Fun House session in 1970 (and rejoined them in 2003 when they played their first show in 29 years at the Coachella Festival, and he has performed with them ever since + rec. two more albums)... nearly 25 years later he got involved w/Radon Ensemble, which includes members from such disparate groups such as Temple of Bon Matin & the Arthur Doyle EAE (Paternostro/Wilcox), Nimrod (Lohman), Koonda Holaa (Kamilsky), ect... the 10 tracks …
Aqua Machine
Clear violet vinyl, photo by Padmanabha. Live improvisations rec. in Buffalo, Rochester & Syracuse on April 8/9/10, 2005. SB - baritone & tenor sax, slide bass clarinet, bells, conch shell, voicemaster, noseflute, home-made 8-hole clarinet; RP - drums, percussions, gopichand, tabla. Oblique and totally improvised free music.
Early Free-Form Waveforms
Performed by: Psychatrone (synth), Brian Turner (guitar). Recorded 1996 live to tape. One side is a synth/gt duo with WFMU's boss Brian Turner, while side B is a solo synth. Both tracks recorded in the mid-'90s. Psychedelic waveforms with a freeform sound that grows on you... subtle and mesmerizing.
Hymn For Tomasz Stanko
Last copies...180 gram orange vinyl with gold mixed in, cover by Mike Rudolph. Recorded on 11/04/04 and 3/13/05 by Mike Johnston & Dennis Gonzales. Dennis Gonzalez (trumpet, percussion); Faruq Z. Bey (tenor, alto sax, gong); Mike Carey (tenor sax, bass clarinet); Skeeter C.R. Shelton (tenor, soprano sax); Mike Gilmore (vibes, marimba, saz, tamboura); Mike Johnston (bass, percussion); Nick Ashton (drums, percussion). 3rd vinyl release on Qbico by this great ensemble. Here, as a septet with specia…
Acid Birds
Recorded by Jeremy Wilms and Torbitt Schwartz at I.T.S. studio, Brooklyn; November 14, 2007. Andrew Barker (drums, percussion, jaw-harp); Jaime Fennelly (electronics, harmonium); Charles Waters (alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet). Pressed on yellow & black-striped vinyl.
Bubble Waves
Artwork by Muruga. Recorded in 2007 at Sage CT. Studio, Michigan. Muruga (drums, bells, shaker, Nada drum, conga, jimbay, synth); Perry Robinson (clarinet, wood whistles). This magical duo is the result of more then 30 years of playing together/friendship. Two side-long tracks, Muruga on side A is on drums/synth, while on side B on various perc. instruments. The bubble waves bring you closer to the light, while the bubble beat makes you wanna dance... the preacher meets the magician.
Live At Last
Notwithstanding a fruitful career, the great, late bass player Malachi Favors was quite a discreet musician even though no one has forgotten his role as the central mainstay of the Art Ensemble of Chicago until his death in January 2004. Apart from this, he only made one splendid solo album but no group recording as a leader was heard until this Maghostut Trio. Consequently, the present beautiful, original, intense and cohesive record is also a rare musical moment to enjoy. A few months before h…