Fantastic Swimmers Concertography - Prync Łatuk (October 11, 2018)

The Belarusian free-jazz project Fantastic swimmers (Fantastyčnyja Płyŭcy) exists since the mid 00's. The main driving force behind it is Viktar Siamaška, who started and maintains the project, band, studio sessions and performances.

1. Part I (v.1) 04:23

2. Part II (v.1) 04:54

3. Part III (v.1) 03:41

4. Part IV (v.1) 03:21

5. Part V (v.1) 02:51

6. Intermedia 00:28

7. Part I (v.2) 04:24

8. Part II (v.2) 01:36

9. Part III (v.2) 05:30

10. Part IV (v.2) 03:09

11. Part V (v.2) 10:08

“Prync Łatuk”. Version 1 (tr. #1-5):

Eryk Arłoŭ-Šymkus – double bass (1-5), voice (3)

Frydrych Samotny – tenor saxophone (1-5), voice (3)

Viktar Siamaška – clarinet (1-3, 5), voice (3), bagpipe (4)

Vasil Pankrataŭ – Korg monotron (4, 5)

The Memorial Museum-Studio of Zair Azgur, Miensk, Biełaruś, 24-04-2015

“Intermedia” (tr. #6):

Jan & Marcin Siamaška – piano

Viktar Siamaška – French horn

The School of Arts, Biarezań, Miensk region, Biełaruś, 09-12-2015

“Prync Łatuk”. Version 2 (tr. #7-11): 

Jahor Ciukin – flute (7-9, 11), recorder (10)

Frydrych Samotny – tenor saxophone (7-11)

Viktar Siamaška – clarinet (7, 9, 11), bass recorder (8), bagpipe (10)

Vasil Pankrataŭ – Korg monotron (10, 11), high-hat (11)

Dzianis Kudraŭcaŭ – guitar (11)

The Gallery 12, Miensk, Biełaruś, 18-04-2015

Photo for cover was taken from the album 'Power and Glory: Five Centuries of Taste and Collecting in the Royal Houses of Europe', Reed International Books Limited, 1991

Bill McBirnie with Bernie Senensky - The Silent Wish (October 2018)

Bill McBirnie is a jazz and Latin flute specialist who has been personally solicited by Sir James Galway to serve as his resident Jazz Flute Specialist at Sir James' official website. Bill also enjoys the unusual distinction of having been declared a winner in all three of the National Flute Association’s Jazz Flute (1) Soloist, (2) Masterclass and (3) Big Band Competitions in the US.

Here are a few responses to the duo work of Bill McBirnie and Bernie Senensky: 

SIR JAMES GALWAY—"I want to tell you how much I enjoyed your latest, and greatest, CD. I’ve listened to it several times and it’s a really terrific record. You are my favourite jazz flutist…This album is a real knock-out!…" 

DOWNBEAT—“Toronto’s deep pool of local talent was on display at dozens of events…Opening for Eliane Elias, flutist Bill McBirnie proved a passionate and eloquent improviser with sure-footed support from pianist Bernie Senensky. Their set included...a show-stopping finale penned by Senensky...inspired by Hermeto Pascoal and Charlie Parker.” (Allen Morrison) 

JAZZTIMES—"Best Opening Act [at the TD Jazz Festival] – Eliane Elias delivered a solid, opening-weekend show at the Old Mill Inn, focusing squarely on selections from her recent Chet Baker tribute, I Thought About You. But it was the dynamic opening duo of pianist and composer, Bernie Senensky, and flutist, Bill McBirnie, that...truly set the expansive dining room aflame and, ironically, provided far more satisfying dips into the Brazilian songbook.” (Christopher Loudon) 

Bill McBirnie – flute (alto flute on track 10)

Bernie Senensky – piano

Produced – by Bill McBirnie 

Co-produced – by Pacy Shulman 

Engineering, mixing & mastering – by Pacy Shulman of Hilo Studio

Picture of Bill's hands – by Bill Beard (courtesy of Jazz.FM91)

Picture of rain-drenched branches – Image 306339 (courtesy of Wall Haven)

Layout, design & manufacturing – by Staci Patten of Accurate Audio & Design

Recorded June 4th and 5th, 2018 at Hilo Studio, Toronto, Ontario

Bill is a Designated Haynes Artist and, on this recording, he plays a vintage silver Wm. S. Haynes flute (equipped with Jim Schmidt's gold flute pads, a David Welans headjoint and a Robert Bigio titanium crown and stopper). On track 10, Bill plays a vintage Armstrong alto flute.

1. Reflection - (Latin/swing) 03:41

2. Black Orpheus / Morning Of The Carnival - (slow bossa nova) 05:35

3. Saber Cair / Knowing How To Fall - (Maculelê) 03:29

4. Cabana Boy - (relaxed bossa nova) 06:42

5. My Heart Belongs To Daddy - (up swing) 04:06

6. First Song (For Ruth) - (ballad) 04:28

7. Recado Bossa Nova - (up bossa nova) 05:26

8. Dança da Solidão - (relaxed samba) 03:47

9. No Moon At All - (medium swing) 04:18

10. Away From Home - (rhapsody) 05:05

11. Blue Bossa - medium bossa nova 04:47

12. What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life? - (ballad) 05:47

William Parker: Flower In a Stained​-​Glass Window & The Blinking of The Ear (AUM Fidelity November 9, 2018)

This special edition release is comprised of two =brand new= full-length albums, distinct in personnel & approach, yet complementary in ethos. William Parker is / has been on a profound and voluminous creative flow. Both of these albums were made in Summer 2018; they follow up and extend on his June 2018 release, the exemplary triple-album set "Voices Fall From the Sky." 

"Flower in a Stained-Glass Window" fully features vocalist Leena Conquest, a tremendous interpreter of Parker’s work in song. She can be heard to deep affect in his Raining On The Moon and Curtis Mayfield projects. This is her first work together with Parker since 2012, and it is a potent return to this creative orbit. She sings and speaks atop of and within a fresh ensemble featuring Parker’s bass together with long-time compatriots trombonist Steve Swell & saxophonist Dave Sewelson, South African drummer Kesivan Naidoo (in his first work with Parker), Parker’s son Isaiah on piano, as well as younger saxophonic talents Abraham Mennen and Nick Lyons. This work is dedicated to the inspiration of Martin Luther King, and the lyrical content pulls no punches delivering the truth as Parker sees it. The message is: social and political justice and equality for all human beings. 

"Flower.." was slated for release on its own, and then William Parker had a summer residency at The Stone / New School in New York in which "The Blinking of The Ear" was presented in wholly extended form by an ensemble featuring Daniel Carter (witness the recently released "Seraphic Light"), Steve Swell, Eri Yamamoto on piano, William Parker and young Leonid Galaganov on drums, with mezzo soprano AnnMarie Sandy. This composition first appeared on the Voices Fall From The Sky set in a voice/piano/drums reading. Here, as Parker writes in the liner notes: “The dream was to combine written music with improvised music; slowly and seamlessly folding them together as one. This sextet live version wholly realized that dream; it was an extraordinary event in music called universal tonality.” After hearing the recording, it was forthwith decided to include this and make it a true double-album event! 

CDs packaged in a very limited edition deluxe 8-panel digipak, with liner notes by William Parker. 

CD 1

1. Fallen Flower

2. Gone

3. Emmett Till

4. Broken Earth

5. I Had a Dream Last Night

6. Flag

7. Give Me Back My Drum

8. Living Hope

9. Children

10. What Is That About?

11. Music Song

12. Samba

CD 2

13. Meditation on Freedom

14. Without Love Everything Will Fail

15. Dark Remembrance

16. Heavenly Home Meditation on Peace (Part One)

17. Heavenly Home Meditation on Peace (Part Two)

[CENTERING 1018/1019]

"Flower In a Stained-Glass Window" [1–12]

Leena Conquest: vocals

William Parker: bass, drum set (on 12)

Steve Swell: trombone

Abraham Mennen: tenor sax

Isaiah Parker: piano

Kesivan Naidoo: drums

Dave Sewelson: alto sax (on 3, 7, 9)

Nick Lyons: alto sax (on 3, 7, 9)

"The Blinking of The Ear" [13–17]

Daniel Carter: trumpet, tenor, alto & soprano sax

Steve Swell: trombone

Eri Yamamoto: piano

William Parker: bass

Leonid Galaganov: drums

AnnMarie Sandy: mezzo soprano

David S. Ware Trio - The Balance (Vision Festival XV +) November 9, 2018

"The Balance" is the fourth edition in the DSW-ARC Series; it presents an outstanding and incendiary David S. Ware concert, in trio with William Parker and Warren Smith. A tenor sax / bass / drums excursion displaying full vitality from the first note, this suite of spontaneous form was created at NYC’s Vision Festival in 2010. Ware had been a perennial at this vital annual gathering since its beginning; this was his first time back since the revered Quartet bid farewell there in 2006 [hear "Renunciation"], and it was an exhilarating return. 

This DSW Trio convened only three times over their 10 month existence: the Dec. 2009 studio session for "Onecept", =this= June concert, and the Oct. 2010 album release celebration at the Blue Note in NYC [documented on "Live In New York, 2010"]. 

Also included here are four out-takes from the "Onecept" session – all of which had been completed & considered for inclusion at that time. The three releases together present the =total work= which this group created. 

Each of their three communions has its own flavor: Onecept deals exquisitely with s p a c e and features David on three different horns (tenor, stritch, saxello), with Warren Smith on tympanis/percussion in addition to drum set. The night at the Blue Note features the most extensive documentation of Ware on alto sax in existence (a straight version; the stritch), with the Mid & Far-Eastern tones he brought forth on the instrument blossoming beautifully over the course of two sets in an intimate setting. =This= festival stage concert is premier 21st Century free jazz rendered with the virtuosity and lucidity that only Ware (with his esteemed peers) could provide. An utterly complete treat. 

CD is packaged in a very limited edition deluxe 6-panel digipak, with liner notes by Ware’s long-time producer, photographs from the concert, and the vivid witness painting on the cover, which was made during this performance. 

David S. Ware: tenor saxophone, saxello (on 5, 6)

William Parker: bass

Warren Smith: drums, tympanis/percussion (on 5, 6, 7)

All compositions by David S. Ware,

with William Parker & Warren Smith;

© Gandharvasphere/Daswa (ASCAP)

Vision Festival XV performance recorded by Stefan Heger

at Abrons Art Center, NYC on June 27, 2010

Tracks 4–7 recorded by Michael Marciano

at Systems Two Studios, Brooklyn on December 2, 2009

Mixed with & mastered by Michael Marciano at Systems Two

Produced by Steven Joerg

Cover art: Painting by Jeff Schlanger, musicWitness®

made during this VF XV performance.

1. Vision Suite 2010 - part 1

2. Vision Suite 2010 - part 2

3. Vision Suite 2010 - part 3

4. Kama

5. Virtue

6. Bodhisattva

7. Gnavah

Johan Berke Upstairs Five - Meteorological Interlude: Johan Berke Upstairs Five plays Weather Report (2018)

This album is a major departure from my usual output of mostly original music with this group, documented on ten releases since 2004 on the GasonJAZZ label (www.gasonjazz.nu), and in one case, on the Phono Suecia label (SCOPE - Music by Fredrik Nordström and Johan Berke - for tentet, 2009) . Here we are tackling the immortal music of Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter and Jaco Pastorius, in arrangements for sextet by myself (tracks 1, 3, 4, 7, 10&11)and Fredrik Nordström (tracks 2, 6 & 8). 

It does feel quite natural to play this music, since we all have a long relation to these compositions, and stylistically it doesn't deviate to far from what we normaly play with the group, since we have written the arrangments specifically for the group members in the line-up, who are used to play my, not allways so easy, compositions. Suffice to say, we all have had a grand time playing these classics by three giants in the field of small group jazz composition. 

I've also included two short compositions for solo acoustic guitar, as I usually do on all my recordings. These are the "Meteorological Interludes" that is refered to in the title. I dedicate these two pieces to Ralph Towner, who made a guest appearence on the intro of "The Moors" from Weather Reports album "I Sing The Body Electric" (1972)

The drawing, by artist Nina Grönroos, on the cover, is a tip of the hat to the cover of "Sweetnighter", a 1973 release by Weather Report. 

Trumpet - Niklas Barnö

Soprano and Baritone Saxophones, Clarinet and Bass Clarinet - Alberto Pinton

Tenor and Baritone Saxophones - Fredrik Nordström

Electric and Acoustic Guitars - Johan Berke

Double Bass - Robert Erlandsson

Drums - Fredrik Rundqvist

Recorded at BAS, Bandhagen by Johan Berke, June 1&2 2018

Mixed & Mastered by Johan Berke September 2018

1. Cannonball 09:33

2. Three Views Of A Secret 06:01

3. Birdland 08:48

4. Havona 08:12

5. Meteorological Interlude no 2 01:21

6. Harlequin 06:56

7. Elegant People 08:08

8. Badia 07:47

9. Meteorological Interlude no 1 01:22

10. Three Clowns 05:42

11. Palladium 10:36

Kuzu - Hiljaisuus (ASTRAL SPIRITS 2018)

KUZU is a hard-charging but patient trio that came together in the fall of 2017, after saxophonist DAVE REMPIS, a stalwart of the Chicago improvised music scene, worked with both TASHI DORJI (guitar) and TYLER DAMON (drums) individually as part of a lengthy solo tour of the U.S. that he undertook in the spring of that year. Dorji and Damon’s work as a guitar/percussion duo has become well-known, a highly refined and specific language developed through relentless touring and recording over the last few years, with a sound that straddles improvised music, rock, and any number of as-yet-undefined territories. These two provide an incredibly fresh take on the possibilities inherent to spontaneous composition. Superimposing Rempis into this mix was a logical next step after the relationships they’d forged individually. 

The trio’s debut record HILJAISUUS (“silence” in Finnish…) is a highly focused and bold debut statement. Featuring spacious & light gestures that build and give way to an unstoppable tsunami of energy. Those waves are never impulsive or impetuous though, they ebb and flow logically and patiently out of simple and clearly defined sources. This trio pursues every gesture with tenacity, passing them back and forth until they’ve explored every facet of an idea. Through it all, Kuzu emerges as a unit and not as a meeting of individuals. We can't wait to hear where these guys go next! 

Look for Kuzu to hit the road this fall in support of "Hiljaisuus" with a Texas tour in August 2018 as well as a 2 week east coast tour in October.

Dave Rempis -- alto/tenor/baritone saxophones 

Tashi Dorji -- guitar 

Tyler Damon -- percussion 

Recorded in Chicago, September 13th, 2017 @ Elastic Arts 

Recorded, mixed & mastered by Dave Zuchowski. 

Artwork by id m theft able 

Produced by Nate Cross 

All music copyright 2018 - Rempis (ASCAP), Dorji (BMI), Damon (BMI

1. Fontanelles 1 21:59

2. Fontanelles 2 08:13

3. Gash 14:39

Hearts & Minds - Electroradiance (ASTRAL SPIRITS 2018)

"Drawing inspiration from the astral explorations of vintage Sun Ra but relocating them in gritty Chicago” – Peter Margasak, Chicago Reader 

“Prog-rock rears its ugly head in the best possible way” – Tom Burris, Free Jazz Collective 

“. . . raucous and scintillating” – Nate Chinen, Jazz Times 

Soon after the catchy synth-bass line that opens Electroradiance, listeners will start to suspect they’re in for something different. The synth-bass line has a herky-jerky contour that does fit a basic pattern of power-rock bands over the decades, but the bass clarinet melody that follows? Not so much. And halfway through, when the bass line becomes a vamp, and the improvisation enters a realm of altissimo squawks and thrillingly convoluted deep runs – well, we’re not in Kansas anymore, are we? 

Electroradiance, the captivating new collection of grooves and freedom from Chicago trio Hearts & Minds, teems with such episodes. “Future Told” marches to a humorously ominous riff rooted in the cartoonish melodies of Raymond Scott in the 1930s. The dance-inducing beat of “Step’n” supports a stuttering melody from bass clarinet – and then some whole-tone keyboard swaths, pockmarked by synthesized percussion blips – before shifting to a fast swing beat and back again. That same dynamic comes into play on “Slippery Slope,” while a modified New Orleans street beat drives “Shreveport”. On the other hand, though, “Treeline” opens with a mournful melody and retains its lovely rubato tempo for the first portion; and the title track offers a space-agey tone poem – night-lonely and a little eerie – in which synthesized keyboard sounds and bass clarinet gargles become almost interchangeable. 

Hearts & Minds is the brash and ballsy brainchild of Jason Stein and Paul Giallorenzo, who have remained friends since they met as grade-school classmates almost three decades ago. Employing an unusual, not to say bizarre, instrumentation, they make music that loops the solar system but maintains an irresistibly grounded pulse (despite the lack of a bassist). Giallorenzo’s keyboard work reaches back to the fledgling electronics of the 60s to encompass synth lines as well as asymmetrical tones and textures, which embrace Stein’s rangy command of bass clarinet techniques. Joining them for the first time on disc, drummer Chad Taylor simmers or percolates, utilizing his wealth of experience with such artists as Chicago tenor-sax legend Fred Anderson and his Chicago Underground cohorts Jeff Parker and Rob Mazurek. 

Taylor’s history made him the perfect choice to replace Hearts & Minds’ original drummer, Frank Rosaly (who moved to Europe shortly after the trio’s debut recording). Working with Fred Anderson allowed him to learn from a free-jazz contemporary of Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, and Pharoah Sanders, whose pioneering improvisations of the 1960s are one touchstone for Hearts & Minds. And Taylor’s collaborations with trumpeter-electronicist Rob Mazurek honed his ability to support and shape music made by electronics – the other major inspiration for Hearts & Minds, whose music reverberates with memories of Sun Ra and the jazz fusion of Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. 

As the title of the opening track indicates, this ability to go “Back And Forth” between two seemingly opposed camps distinguishes Hearts & Minds – as does the ability to find a fusion path that skirts them both. This same dialectic applies to the name of the band itself, as these musicians seek to achieve an aesthetic unification of expressionistic energy (heart) and intellectual formalism (mind) – all with a 21st-century voice that refers to but does not imitate past influences. 

Jason Stein is among the mere handful of improvisers who play the bass clarinet exclusively (rather than doubling on it as a change of pace). He occasionally performs for more people in one night than most jazz musicians see in a year: his free-jazz trio Locksmith Isidore has opened arena shows for comedian Amy Schumer (his half-sister). In addition to that trio and his own quartet, he contributes to several of the leading bands on Chicago’s new-music scene, and has brought a vital voice to the freest of free-jazz jams. But he has also stated a fondness for playing actual tunes, such as those that fill the repertoire of Hearts & Minds. And while several of these songs provide a section for free improvisation, their initial frameworks provide a uniquely inviting showcase for Stein’s extraordinary expertise on the bass clarinet, which ranges from powerful post-bop lines to ear-grabbing wails in the altissimo range. Chicago writer Neil Tesser notes that his playing has “a rawboned swagger particular to Chicago jazz in all its manifestations – from the trad playing of Bud Freeman and Jimmy McPartland in the 20s, through the tenor titans of the 50s, through the adventurers who formed the AACM in the 60s, and right up to the city’s renowned modern cadre of new-music improvisers.” 

Paul Giallorenzo, in addition to leading his own groups – particularly his GitGO quintets and the widely admired acoustic piano trio heard on the 2018 album Flow – has emerged as a leading virtuoso on the analog synthesizer. Giallorenzo’s work has been praised for its “inside-out” nature – his ability to push the boundaries of “conventional” jazz toward more freedom but also, on the other side, to bring a measure of structure to more avant-garde material. In addition, he is a co-founder of Elastic Arts, an important Chicago performance space and gallery, where he curates concert series, produces individual programs, and performs. Writing in the online journal Point Of Departure, John Litweiler said, “His solos and aggressive duets are gems of after-Bop, after-Bley melody,” while AllAboutJazz.org lauded music that “smudges the lines between the tradition and the avant-garde.” 

Stein and Giallorenzo first met in sixth grade in Rockville Centre, a mid-sized Long Island suburb of New York City. Giallorenzo attended Northwestern University just north of Chicago; Stein, studying at University of Michigan, traveled frequently to Chicago before graduation, then moved there in the early 2000s. Each settled quickly into the city’s burgeoning jazz/new-music environment, which by then was attracting attention throughout North America and Europe. 

They first performed in the format that evolved into Hearts & Minds in 2003; Frank Rosaly came on as drummer in 2005, ably succeeded by Chad Taylor, who grew up in Chicago and now lives in New York. His discography includes more than a dozen albums under the Chicago Underground rubric, starting with the Chicago Underground Duo formed by him and Rob Mazurek; multiple albums recorded with Fred Anderson, guitarist Jeff Parker, and award-winning flutist and composer Nicole Mitchell; and one of the most critically respected albums of 2017, trumpeter Jamie Branch’s Fly Or Die.

HEARTS & MINDS is: 

Jason Stein -- bass clarinet 

Paul Giallorenzo -- synthesizer, keyboards 

Chad Taylor -- drums, percussion 

Recorded October 24-25, 2017 by Zach Goldstein at Kawari Sound, Philadelphia, PA. 

Mixed by Liberty Ellman. 

Mastered by Mikey Young. 

Layout & Design by Jaime Zuverza. 

Tracks 2,5, 8 written by Jason Stein, Steinbassclar Publishing ASCAP 

Tracks 1,3,7,11 written by Paul Giallorenzo, Paul Giallorenzo Music ASCAP 

Tracks 4,9 written by Chad Taylor, Ctorb ASCAP 

Tracks 6,10 written by Hearts & Minds 

1. Back and Forth 04:53

2. Treeline 06:45

3. Step'n 06:58

4. Rivet and Roll 02:31

5. Frencher Frosty's Book 04:14

6. Electroradiance 03:01

7. Slowly Drifting Outward 05:52

8. Future Told 06:03

9. Shreveport 04:02

10. Relativistic 02:36

11. Slippery Slope 05:47

Brandon Seabrook Trio - Convulsionaries (ASTRAL SPIRITS 2018)

From the idiosyncratic musical mind of guitarist/composer Brandon Seabrook comes his latest album Convulsionaries (Astral Spirits, Fall 2018). In his close to two decades in NYC, Seabrook has garnered international acclaim for his sui generis approach to the electric guitar, one which astounds with tremolo pyrotechnics and an entropic, miasmic sensibility. While those elements are in full effect on Convulsionaries, they’re met with a mature and thorough sense of dynamics, pace, groove, and feeling. Joining Seabrook on this release are the young upright bassist Henry Fraser (Anthony Coleman, The Full Salon) and Daniel Levin (Tony Malaby, Mat Maneri), two revolutionary string players who have been working in various creative ensembles in Brooklyn for years.

Together, the string trio tackle Seabrook’s thorny compositions, which perpetually surprise and unseat the listener throughout the album’s proceedings. Seabrook's imaginative compositions are a study turning a sense of impeding doom into cathartic releases, allowing equal space for improvisation and rigid execution of the complex scores. The ensemble ransacks the history of their respective instruments, bringing light to new timbres and exposing their untapped percussive capabilities.

What we have with Convulsionaries is the sound of three restless virtuosos, making a bold statement, guiding listeners through a gauntlet of emotional spaces with the aid of these structural assemblages, turning impending doom into a deep cathartic release.

Brandon Seabrook, Guitar

Henry Fraser, Bass

Daniel Levin, Cello

All Songs Brandon Seabrook, BMI 

Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by COLIN MARSTON at Menegroth, The Thousand Caves, October 2017

1. Bovicidal 05:28

2. Groping at a Breakthrough 06:34

3. Crux Accumulator 05:06

4. Vulgar Mortals 08:46

5. Qorikancha 06:47

6. Mega Faunatic 09:40

East of the Valley Blues - Ressemblera (ASTRAL SPIRITS 2018)

We're incredibly excited to present to you the latest from East of the Valley Blues, aka Kevin & Patrick Cahill, from Toronto. If you aren't already familiar, (I imagine most folks reading this know their music already) get ready to have a new favorite group. 

"Ressemblera" is the twin brothers 4th album following releases on Death is Not The End and Cabin Floor Esoterica. The primary difference between "Ressemblera" and previous releases that may not be immediately obvious is that this album is entirely improvised. Kevin Cahill also runs the important POWER MOVES LABEL/POWER MOVES LIBRARY/EXCAVATION SERIES group, and "Ressemblera" is the first EOTVB release where more of those influences sneak their way into the brothers Fahey-esque sound. There's an expansion and exploration of their sound on this recording that pushes beyond their previous work. 

"Delicate melody to atonal scratch, each pushes the other, led by the ear and a finger’s response, while never entirely revealing who has done what. 

The album is the sum of its parts – one dependent on the next, absent of ego, and seemingly following a natural path into the unknown. In so being, it breaths new life and possibility into the acoustic guitar" is how Bradford Bailey described their 2017 release "Fayet" and the same holds true on "Ressemblera." EOTVB is not reinventing the wheel on this recording but rather continuing to explore and find new paths and new methods within improvised guitar music (acoustic or not). 

East of the Valley Blues is KEVIN & PATRICK CAHILL. 

Recorded by KC on Wednesday, July 19th, 2017. 

Mastered by NIGEL BARYLEWICZ in Toronto.

1. Ressemblera 32:08

2. Reassemblera 06:00

Crazy Bread - Vocoder Divorce (ASTRAL SPIRITS 2018)

Astral Spirits is proud to present the debut release from the new duo Crazy Bread, which is Ryley Walker (yes, that Ryley Walker) and Max Allison (Mukqs, Good Willsmith, Hausu Mountain). Vocoder Divorce was recorded in one day without any overdubs and entirely from guitar & a cassette deck. 

Max Allison describes the process and end results of said session, "All of the sessions on this tape were recorded live and are presented as is without overdubs. For this recording, Ryley plays guitar and pedals, and I'm playing a cassette deck from which I play back and distort the output of many synths and drum machines - processed through a multi-track looping station. 

We tried to play through many different styles within the context of this one release - styles including skronking free-jazz electronics + guitar mangling, hushed drone ambience, "krautrock," abstracted barely musical guitar scrape a la Derek Bailey, and one track (Zero Sympathy for Satanists) where Ryley solos over my spastic foundation of looped classic rock samples. All these styles are tied together by the basic live improv presentation - and by our general interests as musicians and listeners." 

It's hard to truly describe whats happening on this record, as soon as you get comfortable in one track it ends and you're catapulted into an entirely different direction. It's a beautiful racket that defies categorization and some would say is almost a modern day take on something akin to Alterations (Beresford/Toop/Cusack/Day). Free improv without expectations and with exciting results.

Crazy Bread is: RYLEY WALKER & MAX ALLISON

1. Feeling Proof-Plasmic 09:49

2. Zero Sympathy For Satanists 04:47

3. Chiasto Mirror 05:48

4. Drug Facts 06:56

5. Scraps Captain 12:15

Brandon Lopez - quoniam facta sum vilis (ASTRAL SPIRITS 2018)

"Quoniam Facta Sum Vilis (for I have become vile in the eyes of the lord)" is the newest solo album of the award winning composer and virtuoso bassist, Brandon Lopez. Created, in part, as an answer to the musical "reason" of the Bach cello suites, Lopez seeks to create the inverse of what's hailed as musical logic. To create something florid and beautiful from the violent and erratic and to deny the supremacy of the wrote in favor of the intuitive. 

Recorded mostly in the May Funerary Chapel in Chicago's Rosehill Cemetery, and partially in Brooklyn's Issue Project Room.

All compositions by BRANDON LOPEZ.

Recording by DAVID ZUCHOWSKI & BOB BELLERUE.

Mixed diligently by FATHER JON LIPSCOMB.

Mastered by ALAN JONES at LAMINAL AUDIO.

1. vanitas 05:22

2. and the deep indoors 03:22

3. Lay 04:03

4. Bea 04:46

5. Pa 04:35

6. Gruppo 07:01

7. Lamed 04:39

8. for Sal 07:54

Obnox - Templo del Sonido (ASTRAL SPIRITS 2018)

A few years ago I had this crazy idea...why not ask Obnox aka Lamont "Bim" Thomas to make a free jazz record? After seeing him on tour playing drums with Cleveland out-rock legends X_X, I just had to try and make it happen.. Bim, who is no stranger to making out-there genre defying records, surprised me a bit by happily agreeing. It seems a bit of a cliche to try and get rock people to make jazz records, or jazz folks to make rock records, but what the hell? Of all people, Obnox seemed like a pretty solid candidate. 

Although it may not directly sound like it, to these ears it's an updated take on some of the late 70's free jazz LP's that, at the time, were panned by critics but now are being rediscovered...think Albert Ayler's "New Grass" (and come on let's acknowledge the deep Cleveland connection here), Archie Shepp's "Attica Blues," Larry Young's "Fuel", even reminds me of Tony Williams Lifetime at times." Bim has infused "templo del sonido" with that same sense of urgency and protest. Like the 70's, we are once again in a time of protest and discontent with the world around us -- as Bim so elegantly states in the first lyrics of the album, "wake up...wake up...America...wake your punk ass up." 

'templo del sonido" will surprise you, from the opening upright bass hymn, "Stagger Lee Cain" to the intense groove of "Names" with an amazing spoken word performance from Kisha Nicole Foster, "Broke Socialite" mixes opening Motown-esque vocal harmonies with a rolling & intense noisy groove. "Mother/Sister" closes the album with a track that wouldn't be out of place on Tony William's Lifetime "Emergency!" 

Bim has gifted us with what I would say is his most ambitious and far-reaching album of his already prolific career. If you're an Obnox fan, this will not disappoint, if you're new to Obnox, welcome. What took you so long? 

Obnox is:

Lamont Thomas -- drums, vocals, rhythm guitar, tambourine

w/ very special guests:

Leland Cain -- upright bass on 1, 4, 6, 10 and electric bass on 11

Josh Novak -- bass on 2 and tape loops on 5, 7

Chuck Cieslik -- lead guitar on 2, 3, 4, 5 and sax on 2

Morgan Phelps -- Warr guitar on 3, 4, 5

Josh Kolenc -- midi synth on 8

Buddy Akita -- guitar on 2, 6, 10

Bill Weita -- lead guitar on 10

1. Stagger Lee Cain 01:14

2. America in a Blender 03:00

3. War Guitar 07:24

4. Names (feat. Kisha Nicole Foster & Ngina Payola) 04:04

5. Broke Socialite 04:03

6. Gotta Keep Fighting 03:25

7. Maxon Novakian 01:45

8. To the Depths 01:56

9. Captain Blackeye 05:17

10. Shade On 02:41

11. Mother/Sister 07:04

Recorded by Paul Maccarrone at Whoa Mack Studios

Mastered by Adam Smith

Layout and design by Henry Owings

Photography by Morgan Rae Staley

Virgin Mary Illustrated by Morgan Rae Staley

Anáhuac - Y_y (ASTRAL SPIRITS 2018)

Anáhuac's use of minimal objects/percussion, small electronics, extended bass techniques and treated obscure found footage vinyls creates a perplexed sound world shifting from one obscure state to the next with sometimes film like atmospheres. The resulting music arises from a shared interest in an abstracted electro-acoustic aesthetic that is at times densely static and dynamically disorienting. 

Having initially met during the 2015 No Idea Festival in Austin, Texas, Chris Cogburn, Juan Garcia and Ignaz Schick started to work as a trio in Mexico City in 2016. The trio soon embarked on two extensive tours of Mexico (May 2016; October 2017), performing and recording in Mexico City, Morelia, Guanajuato, Puebla, and Oaxaca. 

In August 2018, Anáhuac will arrive to Berlin, Germany to both mix material previously recorded in Mexico and record new material for their upcoming releases on Astral Spirits (November 2018). The trio performs at Petersburg Art Space, Berlin on August 9, 2018. 

This is the first in a series of digital only releases from Astral Spirits, most will be teasers for upcoming releases and in this case, we will be releasing Anáhuac's first two albums -- a CD and cassette featuring different material -- in November 2018.

IGNAZ SCHICK -- turntable, live-electronics

CHRIS COGBURN -- percussion, electronics

JUAN GARCÍA -- double bass

Y_y 00:00 / 10:22

Recorded by Gil Vázquez at SAE Institute, Mexico City on October 29, 2017 

Mixed and mastered by Gil Vázquez at Ciclo Producciones, Mexico City

Barker Trio - Avert Your I (ASTRAL SPIRITS 2018)

"Avert Your I" is the second release from the Barker Trio (after 2015's self released & self titled affair) and finds veteran drummer Andrew Barker leading his free jazz trio into a deeper and more intense direction. After releasing Barker's duo with Daniel Carter "Polyhedron" a few months ago, it seemed like a good idea to issue a different side of Barker's playing to give a fuller picture. 

Barker rounds out his trio with one of our favorite NY saxophonists (and also no stranger to Astral Spirits) Michael Foster and electric bassist Tim Dahl who is probably known more for his playing with Lydia Lunch, Child Abuse, Pulverize the Sound, GRID and more. 

While the Barker/Carter duo showed us a more "classic" free jazz side of Barker's playing, "Avert Your I" hits out of the gate with the 17 minute title track that never lets up. Barker leads the trio from behind the kit with a disjointed yet propulsive style that only gets more intense throughout the entire album. Foster and Dahl keep pace and push the whole affair into more out-rock territory but somehow keep a solidly free jazz sensibility. 

Sure, it's loud. But this is loud in the "Fuck de Boere" sense. Even when they're quiet, the Barker Trio are intense, and that's the best way to summarize this record. It's intense in the best way possible. 

Michael Foster - tenor and soprano saxophones, electronics

Tim Dahl - bass

Andrew Barker - drums, synthesizer, electronics

1. Avert Your I 16:34

2. Ageist 07:32

3. Spacial Needs 04:59

4. Enthusiasm Gap 12:36

5. Outer-Body Image 09:05

6. Circus Bender 07:36

Charles Barabé - De la fragilité (ASTRAL SPIRITS 2018)

When Charles reached out to Astral about doing a release for him I was absolutely floored! As many in the tape culture world, I have a lot of Charles Barabé tapes and they are all amazing. However, I wasn't so sure how exactly it would fit into the world of Astral Spirits...and per Charles' own words in an initial email: "The recordings I've sent you are something like a new turn in my work... and it's quite different from what I release in the past... well, you'll see..." 

Indeed I did. With "De la fragilité" Barabé incorporates a much broader scope in terms of the entire album acting as a symphony of sorts. Incorporating 6 mouvements that range from musique concrete, minimalism (and not necessarily in the repetitive sort of way), even "mouvement III" stretches into moments of Kenneth Gaburo-esque uses of voices and electronics. And to put it in less wordy terms, just put the album on and let it play, time will dissipate as the sounds unfold ever so patiently and slowly. 

Without getting too much into references, Barabé has indeed made a "new turn" with "De la fragilité." To me it stands as an extremely bold and important statement in Barabé's discography. I hope you feel so as well. More than anything it's just an incredibly beautiful album...well, you'll see...

1. Mouvement I 10:09

2. Mouvement II 03:46

3. Mouvement III 07:45

4. Mouvement IV 05:55

5. Mouvement V 13:53

6. Mouvement VI 01:10

Signe Dahlgreen - Kunki Snuk (ASTRAL SPIRITS 2018)

We are quite excited to present the debut solo release "Kunki Snuk" from Gothenburg, Sweden based saxophonist Signe Dahlgreen...and even more excited to do a co-release of said album with our good friends at INSULA MUSIC in Copenhagen. 

We've only recently become aware of Dahlgreen's work, mainly thanks to the good folks at Insula Music who released (alongside Gaffer Records) Yes Deer's past few records. So you don't make the same mistake get to know "Kunki Snuk" and Signe Dahlgreen's name now, thank us (and Insula Music) later. 

Solo sax records are indeed daunting and generally speaking not someone's first release under their own name. Dahlgreen wastes no time for first album jitters and launches into "Stibelk" which has a distinctly Brotzmann-esque feel to me at the front. But this brings us to possibly the most important aspect of this album, Dahlgreen is not afraid of time. In particular she chases after phrases, repetitions, circular breathing, extended techniques and doesn't let them go until she has made her statements. "Non," "Kubek" and "Stannet" all in their own way explore various aspects of Dahlgreen's playing, and stand alone as distinct statements. 

What makes this an absolutely astounding solo statement is Dahlgreen's patience, direct-ness & ability to make such a varied and cohesive solo statement right out of the gate. We have a feeling many folks will be talking about Signe Dahlgreen for years to come. 

Music & Saxophones: Signe Lykkebo Dahlgreen

1. Stibelk 08:20

2. Nón 11:24

3. Rostis 03:01

4. Kubek 08:07

5. Stannet 07:07

6. Nó 07:27

Recorded May 27-28, 2017

Recording & Mixing: Vegard Lauvdal

Mako Sica / Hamid Drake - Ronda (ASTRAL SPIRITS 2018)

Brilliant, inspired and somewhat surprising collaboration between Chicago's premier free-rock trio and the truly legendary percussionist, Hamid Drake, who has played with everyone from Don Cherry to Peter Brotzmann to Lee Perry. 

This collusion was precipitated by Matt Jackowiak, a mutual friend, who thought a merging of their sounds might make for an ecstatic explosion. This feeling became mutual after they played a show together at Constellation. The set mixed Mako Sica tunes with improvisations that took everyone to places they hadn't expected, and the trip was deemed an utter success. 

Ronda was done at two sessions, scheduled around Hamid's insanely busy work schedule. The first was at Jamdek with Douglas Malone at the board, the second was at Electrical Audio with Taylor Hales. The Electrical session allowed the players access to a host of additional instruments, so the sonic palette on “Dance with Waves” and “Emanation” is wider and somehow more cosmic than usual.

But the whole album has an extraordinary depth and width of sound. Even the great songs Mako Sica has had in its set for a while like “The Old Book,” gain whole new levels of otherness here, and the material based in quartet improvisations, like “The Wu Wei,” explores wild new territory for the band. 

Ronda (named after a town in southern Spain with a famous 18th Century bridge crossing a deep gorge) is the first span connecting the disparate musical worlds of Mako Sica and Hamid Drake. Let us hope it is but the first of many. 

Hamid Drake -- Drum Kit, Tablas, Frame Drum 

Przemyslaw Krys Drazek -- Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Trumpet 

Brent Fuscaldo -- Vocals, Electric Guitar, Classical Guitar, Thumb Piano, Bass, Harmonica, Gongs, Floor Tom 

Chaetan Newell -- Congas, Electric Piano, Grand Piano, Hi-Hat, Sleigh Bells, Teponaztli, Timpani, Cello, Upright Bass, Viola, Drum Kit, Native American Flute, Organ, Tambourine, Orchestral Bells 

Tracks 1-2 Recorded at Electrical Audio by Taylor Hales. Additional Recording /Mixing at Jamdek by Douglas Malone 

Tracks 3-5 Recorded and Mixed at Jamdek by Douglas Malone. Additional Recording/Mixing at Polytonal Productions by Chaetan Newell. 

All Tracks mastered by Todd Rittmann at Shy Diamond 

Front Cover Painting by Jerry Dunbar

Luke Stewart - Works for Upright Bass and Amplifier (ASTRAL SPIRITS 2018)

By now if you don't know Luke Stewart you're behind. Stewart is a force on the Washington DC scene not only as a performer (in Irreversible Entanglements, James Brandon Lewis Trio, Trio OOO, Ancestral Duo and more) but also as a booker, promoter, radio DJ and more. "Works for Upright Bass & Amplifier" is a long form piece Stewart composed using written & original improvised structures. He's been performing various portions of the piece live at art exhibitions throughout 2017. Play Loud!

Luke Stewart plays Upright Bass and Amplifier

1. Works for Upright Bass and Amplifier Pt. I 29:11

2. Works for Upright Bass and Amplifier Pt. II 19:09

Alfa Mist - 7th October (Epilogue) 2018

Alfa Mist - 7th October (Epilogue) 2018

Alfa Mist returns to bookend his album Antiphon with two brand new songs based on '7th October' (from Antiphon). 'Resolve' expands on the outro section of '7th October' while 'Exit' focuses on the hip-hop element in the first section featuring Alfa's other project '2nd Exit', a hip-hop duo with Lester Duval. 

Bass - Kaya Thomas-Dyke

Trumpet - Johnny Woodham

Guitar - Jamie Leeming

Drums - Peter Adam Hill

Keys - Alfa Mist

1. Resolve 06:27

2. Exit (Feat. 2nd Exit) 04:49

Produced by Alfa Mist & Lester Duval

Electric Bass - Rocco Palladino

Outro Drums - Dornik Leigh