Д.Д.

I don't have that disc, but I do have his album Outland, which I really enjoy. How would you compare the two? I have Outland, and it's a good disc, but it is just an introduction to the fascinating story of Arcana Major. Gebbia grew immensely between Outland and Arcana Major. I would guess that at this point solo performance is the only way for him to grow further - his solo performance is so... total, that presense of other musicians seems just redundant. And it's actually hard to think of musicians that would make equal-level parners for him (he has a nice trio record with Peter Kowald and Gunter Sommer called Capuccinni Klang (Splasc(H)), though, but Gebbia takes it easy on them on that session ... and these are Kowald and Sommer, after all ) Arcana Major... is an incredible record. Gebbia's technique is absolutely unmatched; his range is enormous (I didn't even know some of the sounds he produces can possibly be achieved on alto), the clarity of each sound even at the breakneck speed (means about as fast as alto saxophone has ever been played) is phenomenal, and his two-horns-at-a-time playing is the most convincing I've ever heard; but the main thing is his ideas - his melodies have influences of the south-Italian folk music and Italian soundtrack composers (Nino Rota), and are always unpredictable, humorous and captivating. On one of the tracks he does some sort of 'Vivaldi's Four Seasons' Winter' thingie - pheeew, this sends chills down my spine every time I even think about it. In last three-four years I've accumulated several thousands CDs, and if I had to choose one that made the most profound effect on me - this would be undoubtedly Arcana Major / Sonic Tarot Sessions.

Gavino Murgia in addition to being vocalist, is a fantastic alto saxophonist and Sardenian bagpipes player. "Fantastic" means super-human technique and great sense for melody. It might have something to do with playing the folk bagpipes instruments, since this is already a second Italian musician (the other one being Gianni Gebbia) who has background in Italian folk music and plays some mighty saxophone. Talking about Gebbia, I assume everybody here already has Arcana Mayor / Sonic Tarot Sessions (Rastascan, 2002), which I consider to be a breakthrough in solo saxophone performance? What do you mean, you never heard about Gebbia ?!?!?! YOu can find some short sound samples HERE.

I somehow cannot warm to Sabir Mateen's playing - he sounds so formulaic and predictable to me - like an audio excercise book of "free-jazz" saxophonist. I was recommended to try "Devine Mad Love" - any opinions on it?

Raphe Malik's "Consequences" is unavailabe for themusicresource (I tried). I am interested in Bendian's stuff - the rest of the OOP Eremite stuff I will probably pass...

I recieved my copy from http://www.themusicresource.com/ Very expressive stuff.

I have all but one Last Exit CDs, and "Cassette Recordings '87" is my favorite. What a great band that was! I would also recommend getting a CD called "No Material" attributed to Ginger Baker. That's a band of Baker, Brötzmann, Sharrock, Nicky Skopelitis (guitar) and Jan Kazda (bass). Quite different from Last Exit - more slow, more bluesy and more melodic. Funny to hear Brötzmann's wailings over Baker's heavy steady rock beats. And there are two excellent guitarists! Good stuff.

Agree with your rankings of these discs. I frankly don't see why this sort of music cannot be created anywhere.

Weekdays 9PM-2AM. Depends, really. Weekends 5-8 AM It's 5:45 AM here now. I don't exactly know who and when decided that humans are animals active at day - as soon as I have an opportunity (i.e. vacation or even weekends) I slide immidiately to night-active lifestyle, sleeping most of the day and being awake most of the night. I feel more natural this way.

Tony, thanks for posting the letter of Leo Feigin. This clarifies a bit the situation. I believe sharing of the commercial risk between musician and producer is an appropriae strategy in the creative music "business". I was considerin investing in a Steve Lacy recording and CD release project (you can do it through the Steve Lacy Senators website), but then after I requested the cost breakdown, I found out that musicians are paid quite a handsome fee for recording. With all due respect for Steve Lacy and other musicians involved, I could not understand why they should not carry at least a part of the financial risk involved (e.g. record for free and receive royaltees from future sales), so I choose not to participate.

New FMP release of Mr. CT: INCARNATION (FMP CD 123) Cecil Taylor (piano, voice) Franky Douglas (g, voice) Tristan Honsinger (cello) Andrew Cyrille (dr, tympani) Excerpt from the booklet (...) Four musicians in search of a common pathway through time. The end is still open when they come on stage, when the first sounds are carefully placed into the space. Cecil Taylorґs highly individual lyrics resemble incantations and are a reminder to the poetic dimension of this music. What we experience and re-experience with the recordings is similar to the formation of waves. As always, in groups around Taylor, musical movements develop in broad curves, logical in themselves, cohesion and dissolution. And, as always in Taylorґs music since the 80ґs and even more in the 90ґs, views of unexpected tenderness open up. On the other hand we experience cohesion of a sheer unbearable intensity. Unbearable for consumer-oriented ears, for senses which are only used to react instead of perceiving and of being involved in a creative way. Whith this emphasis of the aura, with its intensity in the here and now, this music opposes the increasing virtualization, the disembodiement of this world. And, at the same time, it itself can be seen as rejection of the shallow materialism of the world of goods by igniting something indescribable between the polyrhythmic interlocking, the whirring sounds, the thundering clusters and the hovering microtonalities: magic. Bert Noglik Haven't heard Nueva Finlandia. Will do soon.

(against the background of Steamboat-like music) O-HO-HO-HO-HO! The ten essential Friedman recommendations are... . Later, my friend. I'll give you some. Friedman is really a wonderful musician. And yeah, the poems in the FRiedlander CD sleeve sounded enetertaining indeed - I will also find a book.

No, I haven't heard it - and I doubt I will hear it too soon, since I am in a buying freeze (I have to mention it as often as possible here, so that I start believing in it myself). Only OOP stuff. Only. Really. But do we mean Don Freidman by chance, one of my favorite pianists? What's Sylvie playing then - organ?

This is a fantastic CD, one of the best from 2003 (I thought it was released in 2003) - I actually raved about it somewhere above (or was it during the e-mail phase of our communication?) "Maldoror" is much better than a bland soap fusion of "Quake" on Cryptogramophone, in case anybody uses "Quake" as a reference.

That's a pretty cool one! It's actually a pretty stupid one, if you think about it. John, I assume you are buying all available Leo Lab CDs from Berkshire. For $3 per CD, you shouldn't limit your curiosity. I haven't listened to them all yet, but of those which are available now, the only one I would not recommend is Max Nagl CD (poetry recital over the musical background - pretty boring, I thought) - the rest, including Maneri, Bickerton, Alphea Duo, Statements Quartet, Remote Viewers, Chameleo Vulgaris - is excellent.

Listened to Y? only, and it's terrific indeed. Fascinating listen!

Hey Tony, how is catching up with Leo Lab stuff going? I am through 40% of the CDs at best, but so far I've been pleased with most of them. Well-spent $3 per CD. I am listening now for the first time to John Bickerton's "Shadow Boxes" and I am very, very impressed. Andrew Hill-inlfluenced for sure, but still a truly original voice - melodic, angular, impressionistic. Clever. Excellent support from Rashid Bakr on drums and Matthew Heyner on bass. Together with Pandelis Karayorgis, this might be one of the most interesting new piano trio records I've heardin the last years. Very impressed.

Of course I did. Buying more is easy - buying less is much more difficult. I listened to all of them except "Evan Parker + many people" one. I will have to listen to them again to form an opinion, but so far they all sounded very interesting. After I absorb them, I will display my bad reviewing skills here. I got True muze discs directly from Vlatko Kuchan, the co-owner of True Muze - I will check with him what the plans for the label are. Eremite Goldstein should be available from themusicresource. I am waiting for my copy to arrive (this was before my buying freeze). I also got a copy of Goldstein's disc on XI, but haven't listened to it yet. I checked some Penumbra releaases at AMG, and some of them have very positive reviews from Francois Couturier, who I tend to trust. I guess I will give Penumbra a try...

This one looks interesting: PENUMBRA

Yeah, I suspected it would be too "rockish" for your tastes. I like Misterka's stuff quite a bit. Anyway, I think you would enjoy Uehlinger's "Alchemusic" - no rock influences here (just biochemistry). Also I know you are a big fan of solo bagpipe music, so you can't miss Matthew Welch's "Hag at the Curn" (even if it does not sound like bagpipes on half of the tracks). And Zord's stuff is something else indeed (did you get Pasador Jomel from Limited Sedition? - think along this lines, but on acoustic bass). And all these three releases, that you and your neighbours will undoubtedly enjoy, are available for $20 ppd! What's the opionion on True Muze? I enjoyed the Godlstein thing a lot -ahven't listened to other discs yet.

What's the word on this one: Bergman-Braxton-Brötzmann "Eight by Three" Honorable 1 1/2 stars by AMG! I am not a fan of Borah Bergman myself, but is it really that bad?

Frode Gjerstad? He-he.. HOW ABOUT THIS LITTLE SUCKER? Released in 2003 on Splasc(H). Amazing stuff (surprise, surprise). That's the only Gjerstad I have (and the most lyrical Brötzmann I've heard to date).

Downtown music gallery has a nice sale on a lot of items, including a bunch of Knitting Factory releases. Here: http://downtownmusicgallery.com/Searching/...rch.cgi#results

Talking about Newsonic, check this mp3 out: http://newsonic.com/mp3/superbowlsunday.mp3 Exilirating! But the one I liked the most so far is Kevin Uehlinger's "Alchemusic", released this year (no mp3s, so you'll have to trust my word). Solo piano (mostly) - beautiful and original. In 10 years, when I catch up with all 2003 releases, this might well make the top-whatever list. Hope Newsonic stays afloat.

I fully agree. Thanks for the recommendations but I'm not buying music at the moment as I recently made a rather large purchase... Come on Tony, $50 won't change much. And then $70 more for True Muze... And $60 more for Newsonic... And $40 more for Silkheart... And $70 more for HatHut... And $50 more for Intakt... And $40 more for Nuscope...

Auand is owned by Marco Valente. I have the first four CDs and was very impressed by them. Tony, I do believe the music is innovative - in a gentle way - just as the Alphea duo, something is there - something that you haven't heard anywhere else. In any case - innovativ/non-innovative, it does not matter - the label is great. GET THESE CDs! Marco will probably give you a discount off a big order. He also has a comprehensive knowledge of the Italian jazz, and he will give you some Itlaian jazz recommendations. If you are ordering from jazzos, and want to explore some good stuff but are concerned about $, go to the bargain section and select the following items: Battaglia Stefano, Oxley Tony - Explore (Splasc(h) h304) Mazzon Guido, Petrin Umberto - Other line (Splasc(h) h317) I believe both of these are masterpieces.