CDBaby | Avant Garde

21 May ' 00:04

"Whirlpool" is the long-overdue, first recorded collaboration between the acclaimed vocalist Dominique Eade & MacArthur-winning pianist Ran Blake. "Brilliantly original" JazzTImes, "Eade's never sung better; Blake's at the top of his game." Lucid Culture

LINER NOTES BY BOB BLUMENTHAL: CONSIDER THIS MUSIC A MISSIVE FROM THE REALM OF GOOD THINGS LONG OVERDUE. It is the product of an inspired pairing of artists that, while nurtured for decades, has for the most part managed to escape documentation; and it marks some of the most compelling music in two already illustrious careers. In the case of Ran Blake, that career has spanned a half century and yielded many gifts, including a solo piano language that blends audacious harmonic and rhythmic ideas with gospel-like fervor; a redefinition of “Third Stream” that has effectively globalized his mentor Gunther Schuller’s original concept of jazz/classical merger to encompass all cultural sources; and a sonic translation of the expressionistic gestures and subconscious motivations of classic film noir. Then there is the body of work that Blake has created with vocalists, going back to his first commercial recordings with Jeanne Lee. That partnership was formed while both Blake and Lee were students at Bard College in the late 1950s and revealed to the world in the 1961 sessions that comprise The Newest Sound Around. With their fresh take on repertoire and even fresher notion of vocal-instrumental interaction, Blake and Lee brought a new sense of parity to the singer/pianist duo, in the same manner that Bill Evans’ first working group redefined notions of the piano trio. When Blake began his ongoing tenure at the New England Conservatory of Music in 1967, his circle of vocal partners began to expand. The textures of a Blake-based duo expanded as well, as the point was not to recreate the magic he made with Lee but to use it as a touchstone for further dialogues, each with its own passions and inflections. None has proven deeper or more resonant than the collaboration begun when a talented undergraduate first encountered the pianist three decade ago. “It started shortly after I arrived at Berklee College after two years at Vassar,” Dominique Eade recalls. “Hearing Ran play led me to transfer to NEC. I was only 19, and was immediately attracted to his molten creativity. As surprising as his music can be, it also somehow felt inevitable.” Blake recalls being similarly impressed. “She knocked us out,” he says of Eade’s audition for what was then NEC’s Third Stream Department. “Then and now, she was full of surprises, certainly more than I hear from most horn players.” The tutorial that followed has been as influential as any in molding Eade’s conception. When she describes Blake’s impact she reveals many of her own core values as both vocalist and teacher. “From the beginning, Ran never made me feel like `the student’ when I performed with him. He is a great example of how the psychological impact of each decision you make must be considered, and of how to break each piece down minutely so that your choices aren’t simply made to make yourself look good. A glib facility may stop you from appreciating what’s underneath. Ran’s obviously a genius of harmony, but that genius is based on his deep understanding of melody, where each note is a prism. And he has a childlike quality that, while obviously passionate, as a duo partner is, at times, almost mischievous.” The responsiveness we value in the best jazz is at the heart of the partnership. Eade admits that her sound can change depending upon her musical partners, which can be confirmed by hearing both the present versions of Russ Freeman’s “The Wind” and Harold Arlen’s “Out of This World” with those she recorded, respectively, with Fred Hersch on her album When the Wind was Cool and Stanley Cowell on her debut disc, The Ruby and the Pearl. Hold the pianist constant and a moment’s inspiration will still produce distinctive results. “Dearly Beloved,” heard in two takes, illustrates the conversational nature of her process. The words that Eade sings provide another factor in her aesthetic equation. Blake admits that “melody and the harmonic sense are most important to me; otherwise I would have recorded a lot of Bob Dylan.” Eade cannot help but approach matters differently. “While lyrics are not necessarily poetry, an alchemy is created when they fuse with harmony and melody,” she emphasizes. ‘And every singer won’t find the same alchemy.” The alchemy that Eade finds, which has made her both a distinctive artist and one of the most influential voices on younger creative singers, is not just singular but also somewhat ineffable. “I really like your music, and I don’t know why,” Steve Lacy once told her, and we can appreciate Lacy’s dilemma. Eade is clearly not attempting to be a capital-V virtuoso, drawing attention to her technique; but neither is she “dramatic” in the sense of those vocalists who treat lyrics as scripts that are best interpreted by adopting the appropriate role. She is more inclined to give due consideration to each note, and each word in search of the proper emotional weight, which come to think of it is a very Lacy-like approach. A knack for finding substantial and often obscure material contributes to the collective magic that Eade and Blake make with such consistency. It helps of course to have the melodic/harmonic chops to address such material as “Falling” (from the Ann Richards corner of the Stan Kenton Songbook) and “The Pawnbroker” (which may be Quincy Jones’ finest hour as a composer), but intellectual curiosity and emotional affinity are also essential. “Go Gently to the Water,” the disc’s only example of Eade’s gifts as a composer, was aptly described by Kevin Whitehead as a “secular hymn” when it first appeared on her duo album “Open” with pianist Jed Wilson, and only gains stature over time as another song deserving of wider recognition. Yet Blake and Eade do not deal merely in obscurities. They are just as persuasive interpreting “My Foolish Heart,” where the looming shadows of past interpretations are inevitable, or “Where are You?”, which Eade was originally inspired to sing after hearing Sonny Rollins’ classic 1962 instrumental version. The key is openness. “If we can mix organs,” Eade jokes, “Ran is not just paying lip service when he talks about the primacy of the ear. When we perform together, anything is possible. We’ve done `Out of This World’ in person before, for instance, but never this slow. Ran starts `Go Gently’ in a different key, so even keys can change. These choices make you think deeply about the differences and your expectations of what’s right and what’s wrong. Some things change, but others stay. It’s like talking to an old friend.” The conversation in this case has been going on for decades, frequently in legendary performance spaces like NEC’s Jordan Hall but also in the private salons that Blake has long loved to organize for friends and students. When asked why it took so long to document their singular convergence, Blake, like the true oenophile that he is, merely notes that “Good wine breathes over the years, and Dominique is a vintage musician.” In the spirit of Fats Waller, Eade might simply reply “back at ya’.”

Rhiannon

Spontaneous

Ed Harrison

Neotokyo

Peter Vinograde

Recital

George Schuller's Circle Wide

Like Before, Somewhat After

Avant Garde: Modern Composition

Avant Garde: Psychedelia

Ghost to Falco

Exotic Believers

Avant Garde: Avant-Americana

Richard Bliwas

Rising Rose Bakery

Avant Garde: Psychedelia

Rashomon

The Ruined Map (Film Music Volume 1)

Avant Garde: Psychedelia

Lindsay Kaplan

Map of Chimes

Avant Garde: Sound Art

Don Cherry

Live at Cafe Montmartre, 1966 Volume Two

John Cage

Two3, Inlets, Two4 / Tamami Tono, Glenn Freeman, Christina Fong

Avant Garde: Microtonal

John Williams - Michele Zukovsky

Clarinet Concerto - John Williams Conducting

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20 May ' 13:32

Queer Hand of Cards

P.S. I Miss You

Eclectic, poignant samples, melodic tunes, serious statement, sarcastic humour and the stupidity/futility of distant lovers and on-line lust.

Seize the Apparatus

The Roman Numeral for Ten

Moods: Electro-Acoustic

Lucia Micarelli

Interlude

Contemporary violin music, influenced by classical and jazz, with a focus on lyricism and emotional honesty.

"Lucia Micarelli is a rare find in today's world of plastic divas and tinsel waifs... she speaks with surprising maturity and authority, touching upon Classic Rock, Eastern and Asian stylings, Gypsy and Irish Folk - all built on the firm foundation of her lengthy Classical training and the violin repertoire of the great composers. Faultless intonation and rhythmic confidence mark her work. Improvisation skills - the blackest of arts to many purist classical musicians - allow her to soar to far headier heights than most..." -Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull "Barefoot, she strolled the stage with the grace of a ballet dancer, playing with equal parts passion and ferocity..." -Arizona Daily Star "... graceful and diminutive, she often stole the show..." -livedaily.com "The elf-like Micarelli injected a shot of wild energy into the production, engaging in a passionate tango with her instrument..." -Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel "Lucia Micarelli is amazing - she gets everything one possibly can out of the exquisite, melancholy eroticism of the violin. She is gorgeous, unique, and is a fresh exciting face in the new world of classical music..." -Liz Smith "Beauty and preternatural artistry are the captivating attributes of Lucia Micarelli, a dynamic, classical-trained violinist who is the most exciting and promising new artist on her instrument since the emergence of Joshua Bell..." -Mary Arsenault What people are saying about Lucia's first record, "Music From A Farther Room": "It's an evocative title, isn't it? But it's also a fitting one for a virtuoso violinist intent on transcending any classical crossover repertoire clichés. So don't expect any polished electro-pop synthesiser signatures or patented "pyrotechnic" electric violin excursions. Lucia Micarelli pays tribute to both classical canon traditions (Ravel's "String Quartet In F Major") and a hand-picked playlist of personal "pop" favourites (including David Bowie's "Lady Grinning Soul" and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"). And whether she's mapping Astor Piazzolla's passionate highs ("Oblivion") or resurrecting Rodgers And Hart's "My Funny Valentine" as a sensitively shaded piano-violin duet, her expressionist acoustic textures consistently transcend saccharine sentimentality. Nowhere more so than on the utterly bewitching duet rendition of Massenet's "Meditations" with pianist Lang Lang." -CDWherehouse "... a tour de force notable as much for its emotional honesty as its extravagant artistry. Highlights of the album include the sad, yet beautiful “She Is Like the Swallow,” featuring vocalist Leigh Nash, a charming presentation of “My Funny Valentine” and the fascinating offering of “Nocturne/Bohemian Rhapsody,” part of which provides a dramatic spin on Queen's classic rock hit. Micarelli covers the range from neo-classical to pop-jazz to rock on this outing. Her playing is elegant, and runs the gamut of emotions from brooding to joyous. At times, sad, yet always beautiful." -allaboutjazz.com "Young female violinist: check; cleavage: check; pop covers: check. But this is no cynical crossover rent-a-fiddle. Micarelli's debut, which embraces classical, folk, rock, and Broadway, shows her to be a graceful player capable of breathing fragrant new life into even the well-worn 'Meditation' from Thais. Her My Funny Valentine is utterly exquisite. As her snippet of unaccompanied Sibelius proves, she requires no adornment. 4 out of 5 stars." -ClassicFM Magazine "Micarelli's playing is emotional without being overreaching, assertive when called upon, and nuanced. When she does go over-the-top pop on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," it's brief but fun; when she navigates Piazzolla’s "Oblivion" she draws upon the song's passion more than its technical requisites. This is a debut with pizzazz, coming in a genre not often enough known for it. Average customer review: 5 out of 5 stars." -Tad Hendrickson, Amazon.com

Matthew Schoening

Elements

Albert Marcoeur

Celui Ou Y'a Joseph

Electric Junkyard Gamelan

Life On Marz

Moods: Psychedelia

Seda Röder

Listening to Istanbul

Carrie Rose

Books of Flutes

Moods: Classical Avant-Garde

Trey Gunn, Henry Kaiser & Morgan Agren

Invisible Rays

Kevin Max

Fiefdom of Angels: Side One

Avant Garde: Sound Art

Moods: Electronic Avant-Garde

Cornelius

Sensuous

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20 May ' 02:33

Kartikey Gupta

Out from the Caves

The adventure of a man stuck in the depths of an abyss yet finds a way out

Avant Garde: Electro-Acoustic

Alice Rose

21 Days 2011

What do you do when you've got music pounding through your body like a fever? just let it out...for 21 straight days! The music is as diverse as Monday is from Saturday--moody, whimsical, rough, soft, ecstatic--equally challenging and beautiful

Church of Betty

In Search of Spiritual Junkfood

Devastating progressive rock, psychedelic and dissonant. A formidable Downtown New York combo channels Indian popular song. As if Zappa had gone to an ashram and smuggled in heavy drugs.

Chris Wind

Provocative

provocative social commentary audio collages

Avant Garde: Sound Collage

Acoustic, instrumental, impressionist, world, a soundtrack for your imagination. Inspired by Django Reinhardt and Claude Debussy, in a new york-21st century world.

I always was fascinated by what we call the impressionists, in painting and in music. Impressionism is really about capturing the mood and the atmosphere of a place, a moment in time, generate emotions and trigger the imagination of the listener. When people think of impressionism, they think of Debussy, or Ravel. But actually we keep on hearing impressionist musicians continuously. To me, an impressionist is a musician who captures the flavor of a moment in time. When I listen to Miles Davis, I’m in NYC in the fifites, then I listen to Coltrane or Hendrix, and I’m in the 60’s Era. The Cure or Depeche mode bring me right back to my teenage in the 80’s. I listen to bluegrass, and I’m in the apalachian mountains, Rabih abou Khalil, and I’m somewhere in a North African desert...this is not because of the notes, but because of the flavor of the music. The title, “terre des hommes”, could be translated as “land of men”, or “mankind’s earth”. But the translation misses the emotional and almost fatalistic impact of this French title. This title I actually took from Antoine de St Exupery’s book, where he describes his travel over the world, as one of the pioneer plane pilot in the early 20th century. This album is to me an impressionist piece. It transcribes the way I feel towards life, earth, mankind, philosophy, spirituality, science in this early 21st century, in a very emotional way. Often people tell me it sounds like a soundtrack, and this is exactly what I want to hear. This is a soundtrack for your imagination, and I hope this album will create some nice moments for you. "Do not miss an opportunity to see one the greatest guitar players I’ve ever seen ...and I don’t say that lightly." Josh Baron, Relix Magazine "a John Coltrane-ish search for a moment of musical nirvana..." Phil Gallo, Variety "Don't miss this opportunity to see a truly astomishing talent in action" All about Jazz

Avant Garde: Structured Improvisation

Ran Blake and Dominique Eade

Whirlpool

Avant Garde: Structured Improvisation

Steve Baughman

The Power of Claw: A Complete Course in Clawhammer Guitar (DVD)

Mindfold Express

Drawbacks & Benefits

Avant Garde: Psychedelia

Dom Minasi

Looking Out Looking in

Avant Garde: Avant-Americana

Avant Garde: Avant-Americana

George Schuller's Circle Wide

Like Before, Somewhat After

Avant Garde: Modern Composition

Danny Sher

Loose Nukes

John Cage, Victoria Jordanova - harps, Pamela Z - voices

Postcard from Heaven

Stan Ridgway and Pietra Wexstun

CD Soundtrack for Mark Ryden's "The Blood Show"

Avant Garde: Electronic Avant-Garde

Glenn Branca

Symphony No. 7

Suzanne Ciani

Silver Ship

Avant Garde: Process-Generated

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19 May ' 15:28

Moods: Modern Composition

Exciting, all original, straight ahead jazz with cross cultural influences.

The Red Hill Quartet is an eclectic Los Angeles based jazz group comprised of top musicians from varied backgrounds who have come together to create the music they want to play. The members bring the influences of African, Indian, and Middle Eastern music while being solidly entrenched in the jazz tradition. This unique blend has generated enthusiastic response from traditional jazz audiences as well as those who never considered themselves jazz fans. For this reason, the band has been very successful in reaching younger music fans. The band has been playing clubs, concerts, and festivals in the Los Angeles area and has just released a new CD, Analog Man in a Digital World. The band is based in Echo Park, an old hilly area northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Over the years, it has been home to many artists, musicians, and social and political activists. During the 1920s and 30s, the press came to call it Red Hill because of the perceived subversive activities of its residents. Over the years it has continued to nurture the spirit of art in all its humanistic expressions. The band is privileged to be based in this unique setting and draws its name and inspiration from the area and its artistic environment. For more information and to hear tracks from all our albums, please visit the band's website, www.redhillquartet.com Harvey Lane - Tenor, Soprano, and Flute Along with musical partner Ricky Luther, has led jazz groups in Los Angeles for many years. He has a big, open sound and plays with a great deal of passion. Album credits include releases on Atlantic/Atco, Varese Sarabande, and Aim Records. Ricky Luther - Vibes, Keyboards The most prolific composer in the band, Ricky's unconventional compositions provide much of the canvas the band uses for its musical images. His driving solos and unique approach to harmony add a great deal of texture to the sound. Mark London Sims - Bass The newest member of the band and one of the busiest bass players in Los Angeles, Mark's music covers the range from African to hip-hop, reggae and straight-ahead jazz. His compositional skills have brought a new flavor to the band's sound and can also be heard on a number of film scores. He has also lead the Art of Sound Composition workshop as part of the Artist Mentor program at the UCLA Hammer Museum. Mark has played with such diverse luminaries as Stevie Wonder, Don Cherry, Albert Tootie Heath, L. Shankar, Bennie Maupin, and Nels Cline. Leonice Shinneman - Drums, Tabla, percussion A former faculty member at California Institute of the Arts, Leonice's virtuosity in classical Indian music lends fire and rhythmic texture to the band. His jazz playing is characterized by quickness, sensitivity, and the ability to provide whatever feel is necessary to enhance the compositions. Leonice's versatility has given him the opportunity to work with such diverse artists as Indian music legends L. Shankar and Zakir Hussein, as well as Sting, Gino Vannelli, Rufus Wainwright and Frank Zappa. DECEMBER 8, 2011 BY WILLIAM WOLFF (artsamerica.org) They play original tunes almost exclusively, many written by vibraphonist Ricky Luther. If I had to categorize their original material, I’d venture to say that it’s a sort of post post-bop mélange of shifting modes and altered modes, topped off with memorable melodies and underpinned by an unwavering commitment to swing. The arrangements offered plenty of room for all the players to stretch out and develop solos thematically without being self-indulgent. Thankfully, the band demonstrated respect – without condescension – for its audience by framing bass and drum solos with chordal downbeats signaling the start of a new chorus. And, in another demonstration of the band’s generosity, you can hear complete versions of a couple of their tunes on their website. They opened their set with a Luther tune called “Squeezer Floyd,” a luscious exploration of the above-mentioned modes in 6/8 time. I’ve been a sucker for the churning, rolling rhythms of 6/8 time ever since I cut my teeth on Mingus’ “Better Get It In Your Soul” and Coltrane’s “Afro Blue,” so I was hooked after four bars. Luther wrings a ton of mileage out of his vibes, filling out the middle with richly textured comping and soloing as if he were born with mallets in his hands. Lane was quite the high-fly act, delivering adventurous yet organic variations on the melody on his soprano sax. Bassist Sims laid down the bottom with a terrific, warm tone, alternately walking and punctuating with propulsive rhythmic counterpoint. And drummer Shinneman provided the glue that held it all together, utilizing his prodigious chops to both complement and spur on his bandmates. Later in the set, the band launched into a jazz interpretation of “March of the Lion,” from French late-Romantic composer Saint Saens’ musical suite, “The Carnival of the Animals.” A stately, haunting melody that shows just how much emotion and depth you can get out of Dorian mode, the tune showcased Shinneman playing tablas. Now, there are a lot of guys out there who play at playing the tablas, but Shinneman demonstrated a virtuosic command of tone and phrasing. They closed with a blistering post-bop tune composed by saxophonist Lane entitled “Mobeus Trip.” By this time the sun had gone down and Lane was shivering and his teeth were chattering. But I never would have guessed it from the heat coming off the bandstand.

Moods: Structured Improvisation

Gonzalo Rubalcaba

Fé

Moods: Psychedelia

Richard Désilets

Passages

Disparition

Neukrk

The Paranoid Critical Revolution

Euphobia

Moods: Experimental

Ghost to Falco

Exotic Believers

Moods: Avant-Americana

Roy Poulsen Chevillon

Une Certaine Forme de Politesse

Avant Garde: Sound Art

Kevin Max

Fiefdom of Angels: Side One

Avant Garde: Sound Art

Asylum Street Spankers

What? And Give Up Show Biz?

Albert Ayler

Holy Ghost: Rare and Unissued Recordings (1962-70)

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19 May ' 05:08

Pacific Patterns

Pacific Patterns

Logan Mohr

Transitions

Combining complex compositions reminiscent of John Fahey and Sandy Bull with experimental electronic production and ambient atmospherics, Mohr offers the listener a collection of deeply personal performances propelled by a dreamlike meditational quality.

Annie Lanzillotto

Carry My Coffee

Raw Bronx Roar. Vocals and cello. Live and Uncut. War. Paranoia. Triangle Fire. One girl's birth. Soaring spirituals where the moon talks and echoes inside you. It's all about the echo inside you.

Sinfonia Electronique

Arancia

Dramatic, energetic orchestral music, inspired by action movie and television themes of the 1960s and 1970s.

Niels Praestholm

The Gyroscope String Trio, Precessions

David Karagianis

Pulse (Laptop Dances 2.0)

Tim Clarkson

Evolution of Beauty

A brilliant and spontaneous collaboration between saxophonist Tim Clarkson, Barney Mcall, Dan Weiss and Hans Glawishnig, recorded in New York. Vibrant, spacious, melodic modern jazz that dances with furious intensity and sublime subtlety.

San Francisco Synthesizer Ensemble

A Day in the Life of the Golden Gate Bridge

The San Francisco Synthesizer Ensemble has created a new piece of music for the 75th Anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge using only the sounds of the Bridge itself for all of the instruments in the piece.

Mohsen Namjoo

Alaki

Alaki is a live recording from a performance at the Stanford University in February 2011. Mohsen Namjoo and his ensemble presented a single performance of previously unrecorded material compiled by Mohsen Namjoo.

Alaki is a live recording of a performance at Stanford University in February 2011. Special Thanks to Mammad Zadeh for his input and collaboration in recording and post-production. Special Thanks to Navid for album cover graphic design. The Mohsen Namjoo Ensemble: Ali Bazyar - Percussion, Mark Deutsch - Bazantar, Guitar, Keyavash Nourai - Kamancheh, Cello, Siamack Sanaie - Acoustic Guitar, Rhythm Guidar, Serwah Tabbak - Backing Vocal, Tannaz Jafarian - Backing Vocal, Dina Zarif - Backing Vocal, Shadi Yousefian - Backing Vocal, Mammad Zadeh - Udu, Setar, Daf, Bass, Mohsen Namjoo - Vocals, Setar, Acoustic Guitar A Payam Entertainment Production (c) 2011 Composition & Arrangement - Mohsen Namjoo Live Recording, Sound Engineering & Arrangement - Mammad Zadeh Live Recording Assistant - naser Manesh Produced by: Babak Payami, Mohsen Namjoo, Mammad Zadeh This compilation which is the result of several years of development from my archives, would not have come to fruition without the technical and artistic collaboration of my dear friend Mammad Zadeh. I sincerely hope that this acknowledgement can do justice to the depth of gratitude I hold for this collaboration. Mohsen Namjoo

Stephane Wrembel

Terre Des Hommes

Darts & Arrows

Eyes of the Carnival

Lucia Micarelli

Interlude

Moods: Avant-Americana

Moods: Free Improvisation

Moods: Classical Avant-Garde

Various Artists

Whale Music Remixed

Lindsay Kaplan

Map of Chimes

Moods: Sound Art

Dom Minasi

Looking Out Looking in

Avant Garde: Free Improvisation

Aaron Strumpel

Elephants

Moods: Avant-Americana

George Schuller's Circle Wide

Like Before, Somewhat After

Avant Garde: Modern Composition

Richard Bliwas

Rising Rose Bakery

Albert Ayler, Don Cherry,

New York Eye and Ear Control

Jefferson Pitcher

Now the Deer

Jefferson Pitcher

To Light the Snow

John Cage

Two3, Inlets, Two4 / Tamami Tono, Glenn Freeman, Christina Fong

Avant Garde: Microtonal

Shelter

Private Audience

Electronic: Down Tempo

Sonic Rights

Mark Helias' Open Loose

Jazz: Avant-Garde Jazz

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17 May ' 22:36

The only Clawhammer Guitar instructional DVD on the planet. Total immersion, beginning to advanced, in 26 lessons.

This is the first and only Clawhammer Guitar instructional DVD ever made. In 26 detailed lessons Steve Baughman teaches you how to take the traditional clawhammer style of old time banjo and make it work powerfully on the guitar as a folk, rock, funk and blues technique. In thie complete immersion course, we begin with the basic pattern and proceed to learn advanced "Pyro-Picking" techniques like Clawmonics, Slapping, Tapping, Funk and more. Along the way you will learn six great tunes. Tablature is provided for these six tunes. Clawhammer is a powerful technique and not overly difficult. If you put in the time, the rewards are great. And it works on electric guitar too! Steve has taught and performed for 30 years throughtout Asia, Europe, Canads and the United States. He makes the material clear and accessible and injects humor along the way to make the learning process a pleasant one. Check Steve's clawhammer guitar demos out on YouTube to see Clawhammer in action. NOTE: This DVD is not for beginning guitar players. You will benefit most if you can change chords easily and have some basic rhythmic skills on the guitar.

Rhiannon

Spontaneous

Colin Stetson

New History of Warfare, Vol. 1

Avant Garde: Structured Improvisation

Seda Röder

Listening to Istanbul

Avant Garde: Classical Avant-Garde

Albert Marcoeur

Armes & Cycles

Jocelyn Robert

Immobile

Avant Garde: Classical Avant-Garde

Danny Sher

Loose Nukes

Frederika Krier

Devoted

Allison Miller

BOOM TIC BOOM

Matthew Schoening

Elements

Avant Garde: Electro-Acoustic

Thurston Moore

Suicide Notes For Acoustic Guitar

Avant Garde: Noise

Stan Ridgway and Pietra Wexstun

CD Soundtrack for Mark Ryden's "The Blood Show"

Avant Garde: Electronic Avant-Garde

John Williams - Michele Zukovsky

Clarinet Concerto - John Williams Conducting

Glenn Branca

Symphony No. 7

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17 May ' 13:07

Randal V. Wilson

A Promise to Myself

This is a smooth, intellectual collection of music for those who enjoy good jazz.

Lucia Micarelli

Interlude

Contemporary violin music, influenced by classical and jazz, with a focus on lyricism and emotional honesty.

"Lucia Micarelli is a rare find in today's world of plastic divas and tinsel waifs... she speaks with surprising maturity and authority, touching upon Classic Rock, Eastern and Asian stylings, Gypsy and Irish Folk - all built on the firm foundation of her lengthy Classical training and the violin repertoire of the great composers. Faultless intonation and rhythmic confidence mark her work. Improvisation skills - the blackest of arts to many purist classical musicians - allow her to soar to far headier heights than most..." -Ian Anderson, Jethro Tull "Barefoot, she strolled the stage with the grace of a ballet dancer, playing with equal parts passion and ferocity..." -Arizona Daily Star "... graceful and diminutive, she often stole the show..." -livedaily.com "The elf-like Micarelli injected a shot of wild energy into the production, engaging in a passionate tango with her instrument..." -Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel "Lucia Micarelli is amazing - she gets everything one possibly can out of the exquisite, melancholy eroticism of the violin. She is gorgeous, unique, and is a fresh exciting face in the new world of classical music..." -Liz Smith "Beauty and preternatural artistry are the captivating attributes of Lucia Micarelli, a dynamic, classical-trained violinist who is the most exciting and promising new artist on her instrument since the emergence of Joshua Bell..." -Mary Arsenault What people are saying about Lucia's first record, "Music From A Farther Room": "It's an evocative title, isn't it? But it's also a fitting one for a virtuoso violinist intent on transcending any classical crossover repertoire clichés. So don't expect any polished electro-pop synthesiser signatures or patented "pyrotechnic" electric violin excursions. Lucia Micarelli pays tribute to both classical canon traditions (Ravel's "String Quartet In F Major") and a hand-picked playlist of personal "pop" favourites (including David Bowie's "Lady Grinning Soul" and Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"). And whether she's mapping Astor Piazzolla's passionate highs ("Oblivion") or resurrecting Rodgers And Hart's "My Funny Valentine" as a sensitively shaded piano-violin duet, her expressionist acoustic textures consistently transcend saccharine sentimentality. Nowhere more so than on the utterly bewitching duet rendition of Massenet's "Meditations" with pianist Lang Lang." -CDWherehouse "... a tour de force notable as much for its emotional honesty as its extravagant artistry. Highlights of the album include the sad, yet beautiful “She Is Like the Swallow,” featuring vocalist Leigh Nash, a charming presentation of “My Funny Valentine” and the fascinating offering of “Nocturne/Bohemian Rhapsody,” part of which provides a dramatic spin on Queen's classic rock hit. Micarelli covers the range from neo-classical to pop-jazz to rock on this outing. Her playing is elegant, and runs the gamut of emotions from brooding to joyous. At times, sad, yet always beautiful." -allaboutjazz.com "Young female violinist: check; cleavage: check; pop covers: check. But this is no cynical crossover rent-a-fiddle. Micarelli's debut, which embraces classical, folk, rock, and Broadway, shows her to be a graceful player capable of breathing fragrant new life into even the well-worn 'Meditation' from Thais. Her My Funny Valentine is utterly exquisite. As her snippet of unaccompanied Sibelius proves, she requires no adornment. 4 out of 5 stars." -ClassicFM Magazine "Micarelli's playing is emotional without being overreaching, assertive when called upon, and nuanced. When she does go over-the-top pop on Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody," it's brief but fun; when she navigates Piazzolla’s "Oblivion" she draws upon the song's passion more than its technical requisites. This is a debut with pizzazz, coming in a genre not often enough known for it. Average customer review: 5 out of 5 stars." -Tad Hendrickson, Amazon.com

Steve Baughman

The Power of Claw: A Complete Course in Clawhammer Guitar (DVD)

Avant Garde: Avant-Americana

Red Hill Quartet

Analog Man in a Digital World

Avant Garde: Psychedelia

Rampersaud Shaw Neal Martin Krakowiak

Halcyon Science 130410

Avant Garde: Avant-Americana

Avant Garde: Avant-Americana

Albert Marcoeur

Celui Ou Y'a Joseph

Avant Garde: Experimental

Rashomon

The Ruined Map (Film Music Volume 1)

Avant Garde: Psychedelia

Trey Gunn, Henry Kaiser & Morgan Agren

Invisible Rays

Avant Garde: Avant-Americana

Peter Vinograde

Recital

Avant Garde: Psychedelia

John Cage

One7 [from One13], One8 / anonymous

John Cage

Two3, Inlets, Two4 / Tamami Tono, Glenn Freeman, Christina Fong

Avant Garde: Microtonal

Jefferson Pitcher

To Light the Snow

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17 May ' 03:08

Bill Buffington

Funny Farm Open V

Number 5 in the Funny Farm Open series from the pen of William Henry Buffington

Thanos Chrysakis & Wade Matthews

Numen

Simon Rackham

Harmonium Music (a Soundscape for Empty Churches)

A subtle ambient soundscape for empty churches. The musical equivalent of a light mist on a lake at dawn.

Avant Garde: Sound Art

Kari Musil

The Nova Jazz Orchestra Performs the Music of Kari Musil

"...It's a fun, crazy-quilt release, with hip elements of rock and free jazz..." Music Critic, Tom Surowicz

Kris P

Clean and Smooth

Kris P

Avant Garde: Atonal

Nicolas Van Krijdt

In Absence Is Presence

Layers of the Onion

Hal an Tow

Martin Powell and Fredrik Ness Sevendal use various instruments - Western, ethnic and effects .To make a gorgeous floaty kind of music, drifting in fine style from dreamy acoustic drone to far-out psych folkery.

Chris Wind

Audiovisions

eerie electronic soundscapes

Avant Garde: Tape Music

Gregory Rawlins

ELWHA

Perhaps the darkest hopeful album of the year, ELWHA is at once a bittersweet brood, wrought with contemplations of death, the life beyond (if any), love and longing—elements spun from Rawlins’s lyricism continues to prove poetry is alive and well.

Ed Harrison

Neotokyo

Organic, emotive electronica, drawing from acoustic and orchestral elements, live and electronic beats, and a rich sense of mood and atmosphere.

Neotokyo is the debut CD release of Australian artist Ed Harrison. This instrumental release draws from a wide array of influences, from post-rock to classic minimalism to IDM and atmospheric electronica. There is a focus on mood and atmosphere, with the intention of drawing the listener into a unique and cohesive world. 'Neotokyo' is a source mod (computer game) developed by a small group of dedicated artists over a period of around five years. This two-CD set, containing around two and a half hours of music, is a musical interpretation of the game world and setting, and has been authored to provide a musical context for the game and a rich and cathartic listening experience as an album. For information about upcoming releases, including a Neotokyo rework\remaster, please follow the blog at ghostiq.com .

Colin Stetson

New History of Warfare, Vol. 1

Avant Garde: Structured Improvisation

Matthew Schoening

Elements

Richard Désilets

Passages

Avant Garde: Modern Composition

Moods: Avant-Americana

Dom Minasi

Looking Out Looking in

Aaron Strumpel

Elephants

Moods: Avant-Americana

Moods: Psychedelia

Carrie Rose

Books of Flutes

Allison Miller

BOOM TIC BOOM

Moods: Avant-Americana

Jocelyn Robert

Immobile

Lindsay Kaplan

Map of Chimes

Avant Garde: Sound Art

Albert Ayler

Holy Ghost: Rare and Unissued Recordings (1962-70)

Kevin Max

Fiefdom of Angels: Side One

Avant Garde: Sound Art

Albert Ayler, Don Cherry,

New York Eye and Ear Control

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16 May ' 16:41

Fran Schultz

Memorial

Moods: Free Improvisation

Formloff

Spyhorelandet

A unique musical perspective, full of raw energy and ideas; a compilation of rare trio recordings by this "one of a kind' jazz pianist/composer. (bass) Marc Johnson, Paul Langosch, Tom Baldwin (drums) Howard Curtis, Mike Smith, Tony Martucci

"If Steve Kessler is - to use the cliché - “the best kept secret in jazz”, it is by his design. Fame has not so much eluded pianist Steve Kessler as he has eluded it. Over the years, he resisted high profile band offers from jazz legend Freddie Hubbard to Bruce Springsteen to Dave Matthews, to maintain a personal vision of the music he sought to play. Kessler is a stunningly imaginative and engaging player. He thinks quickly, plays fluidly, and doesn’t sound like anyone else. A musician’s musician, seldom recorded, he channels his considerable talent almost exclusively into performance. At the height of a solo, Kessler rises on crouched tiptoe, bearing into the keyboard, fingers splashing out runs and clusters. His playing is bracing, articulate, unpredictable and totally individual. Ideas flow in torrents rich in charm and quicksilver wit, but without the familiar comforts of repetition. Lovely melodies rise and then cascade into glittering dissonance; fragments of familiar tunes surface just long enough to be recognized before sweeping past. He’s recorded so much unreleased material over the years that he jokes this first release under his own name should be a box set. In originality, imagination, commitment and execution, there are few players anywhere who are his equal. In a world blinded by fame, it’s rare to find an artist driven by the serious responsibilities that come with talent — a word from a biblical parable about the entanglement of gifts and obligations. " - Peter McElhinney, Music Critic, Style Magazine

Moods: Free Improvisation

Listener

Wooden Heart

Rampersaud Shaw Neal Martin Krakowiak

Halcyon Science 130410

Ghost to Falco

Exotic Believers

Electric Junkyard Gamelan

Life On Marz

Moods: Psychedelia

The Paranoid Critical Revolution

Euphobia

Richard Bliwas

Rising Rose Bakery

Avant Garde: Psychedelia

Moods: Free Improvisation

Trey Gunn, Henry Kaiser & Morgan Agren

Invisible Rays

Don Cherry

Live at Cafe Montmartre, 1966 Volume Two

Trey Gunn

Invisible Rays

Glenn Branca

The Ascension: The Sequel

Two3, Inlets, Two4 / Tamami Tono, Glenn Freeman, Christina Fong

Avant Garde: Microtonal

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16 May ' 06:02

Spielberger

Music for Cruises

This is a collection of four ambient, generative tracks made in the spirit of Brian Eno's early 70's experimental compositions. The titles were inspired by the feminine word for “Sea” in different languages and marks Spielberger's debut release.

Sound Effects, Movie Sound Design & Foley Fx

99 Sound Effects Royalty Free

Avant Garde: Sound Sculpture

Randy Meenach

Bowl of Cherries

Woo

Whichever Way

Rupert Chappelle

Suite for Theremin

Avant Garde: Electronic Avant-Garde

Primavera

Tan Frío el Verano

"Primavera" is the first LP by the Audiovisual Collective Tan Frio el Verano, straight from Venezuela. 10 songs that can inspire endless moments filled with a variety of elements from Ambient and Electronica to Industrial and Post-Rock.

Oliviero Biella

Musica Inutile

Mi ispira molto il suono acustico degli strumenti come la voce umana. I brani hanno sapore di libertà e gioia. Molti strumenti intervengono tra tessiture contemporanee e etnojazz.

Steven Sunn

For Betsy

Mike Reed's People Places & Things

Clean On the Corner

Steven Stark

From the Plain 2012

Avant Garde: Avant-Americana

“Fé” is Gonzalo Rubalcaba’s long awaited solo release on his new independent label 5Passion Productions. Almost 80 minutes of Gonzalo’s new and best performances to date.

FÉ … Faith, the premiere release from Gonzalo Rubalcaba on his newly founded independent 5Passion label, marks an important milestone in the career of one of contemporary music’s most compelling artists. Boasting an imposing discography of more than 25 critically acclaimed albums as a leader (including a dozen choice dates for Blue Note) featuring the virtuoso pianist in the company of some of modern music’s best players, it is Rubalcaba’s distinctive keyboard work that is the consistent hallmark of his prodigious talent. On FÉ … Faith his incomparable sound, pristinely recorded and mastered, comes to the fore in the creation of a truly impressive solo outing. Guided by a long abiding faith in the Creator that has persistently informed his life, Rubalcaba has produced a masterful work that is simultaneously introspective and universal in its expression of his mind, heart and soul. His profound belief “that we are all one, one with each other and one with God regardless of what we call Him or Her” significantly informs his approach to music, which seeks to expunge the divisions between the jazz, classical and popular genres that are essentially the product of ultimately inconsequential labels. Drawing upon a wealth of musical experiences that includes conservatory training in his native Cuba and countless appearances on festival stages throughout the world, Rubalcaba here makes music of intense beauty that knows no earthly constraints in its desire to reach a diversity of people. The fifteen tracks on FÉ … Faith clearly demonstrate Rubalcaba’s musical process, one in which the simple and the intricate are of equivalent importance to the deliverance of his message. The opening “Derivado 1” serves as a stirring ambient prelude to the music that follows, revealing the pianist’s vibrant sound within a terse improvisation stemming from a fragment of the composition that follows – his “Maferefun Iya Lodde Me.” On the Lucumi language titled song (praise be to the orisha Ochun) the pianist thoughtfully develops the lyrical rhythmiccadence of the sanctified three bata drum ensemble that is at the center of the sacred music of the Cuban Santeria religion. The spiritual character of thepiece is evident in the meditative mood that remains constant throughout its harmonic evolution. Rubalcaba pays homage to John Coltrane with his bright “Improvisation 2 (based on Coltrane).” Utilizing the chord changes of tenor master’s “Giant Steps” as a starting point, he runs through a gamut of rhythmic, harmonic and melodic variations that demonstrate his virtuoso technique while revealing a perceptive insight into the expansive nature of the oft-celebrated song, allowing him to summon myriad emotions from its familiar notes. “Derivado 2” is a second, longer sound piece derived from a reharmonized fragment of “Maferefun Iya Lodde Me.” Rubalcaba’s intensely controlled sense of touch and his masterful command of the piano’s pedals are on full display here as he utilizes silence, space and overtones to create an otherworldly atmosphere. Rubalcaba pays tribute to mentor Dizzy Gillespie on “Con Alma 1,” the first of two readings of the trumpet master’s classic song that the pianist first played as a duo with its composer in concert in Cuba in 1985. Opening with ominously dark rhythmic chords in the piano’s lower register, he promptly moves to instrument’s middle to thoughtfully investigate the familiar melody, in accordance with its title’s English meaning, “with soul.” “Preludio Corto # 2 (Tu amor era Falso)” by the 20th Century Cuban composer Alejandro Garcia Carturla, hearkens back to Rubalcaba’s early conservatory training. Carturla, considered to be (along with and his contemporary Amadeo Roldán) one of the progenitors of modern Cuban symphonic music, eschewed the division between art music and popular music and often utilized indigenous AfroCuban rhythms in his pieces, thus making him an important lasting influence on Rubalcaba, who performs his predecessor’s progressive composition with appropriately reverent modernity. Rubalcaba calls Miles Davis and Bill Evans’ “Blue In Green” simply “an amazing piece of music.” On the first of two interpretations of the masterpiece, the pianist mines the melodicism of its modal structure to articulate a variety of moods, from pensive to lively, as he modulates his touch and tempo. “Oro” by Rubalcaba is one of the date’s brightest highlights. Like “Maferefun Iya Lodde Me” it is inspired by the character of Santeria music and the rhythmic complexity of the bata drum ensemble. Here the pianist utilizes complex counterpoint as a principal aspect of the piece, in which the carefully designed phrases based upon the familiar melodic line that is initially played, are through composed (not improvised), in a manner that brings together both his classical training and native Cuban musical heritage. The date’s centerpiece is a triptych of sorts; a sequence of three pieces dedicated to each to Rubalcaba’s two sons and one daughter . The opening “Joan” — the date’s longest piece — begins with a simple childlike melody that flows beautifully through a panoply of approaches, at times recalling both BillieHoliday and Bach, with compelling pianistics that interpolate the history of jazz piano. Composed for Rubalcaba’s one son, “Joao” is lyrical outing unexpected stop time pauses, at once jovial and suspenseful. The pianist’s consummate skill at resolving complementary-opposing right and left hand lines is heard to good effect on this familial dedication that at times recalls the Great American Songbook work of Gershwin and Porter. “Yolanda Anas” begins with a simple melodic line akin to a nursery rhyme that mimics a child’s dance, and then develops a more serious tone, seamlessly moving between the two moods in a multidimensional manner. Reprises of the three earlier played jazz classics follow. On “Blue In Green 2” Rubalcaba delves even deeper into the immortal Davis/Evans, gradually moving from the spacious brooding atmosphere of his earlier interpretation to a livelier, more fluidarticulation of the melancholic theme. “Con Alma 3” opens with a shorter, but similarly dark (yet distinctively different) rhythmic introduction, before the statement of the melodic themethat the pianist has played countless times over the past twenty five years. His thorough familiarity with the Gillespie classic allows him the freedom to take the piece to any place he desires without ever losing sight of its beautiful essence, including in this case, an a surprisingly abrupt finish. Rubalcaba attacks “Improvisation 1 (based on Coltrane)” with a verbose Tatumesque virtuosity, spilling out notes all over the “Giant Steps” chordds with rapid rhythmic ferocity and then concluding the piece with a striding piano that reflects the influence of Coltrane pianist McCoy Tyner. The closing “Derivado 3” is perhaps the most melodious of the three variations of a theme from “Maferefun Iya Lodde Me.” Here Rubalcaba’s romanticism comes to the fore in a fitting finish to an album filled with beauty. Gonzalo Rubalcaba states with understandable optimism and pride, “It is my vision that 5Passion will one day be known as a record label affording artists a friendly environment in which to record their visionary music, without compromising their integrity for commercial consideration and constraining them from realizing their potential in all aspects of their professional lives.” With the label’s inaugural release of his FÉ … Faith it has already accomplished just that and with it a prophesy of more great things to come.

Steve Baughman

The Power of Claw: A Complete Course in Clawhammer Guitar (DVD)

Lucia Micarelli

Interlude

Disparition

Neukrk

Rashomon

The Ruined Map (Film Music Volume 1)

Roy Poulsen Chevillon

Une Certaine Forme de Politesse

Peter Vinograde

Recital

Carrie Rose

Books of Flutes

Dom Minasi

Looking Out Looking in

Lindsay Kaplan

Map of Chimes

Aaron Strumpel

Elephants

Avant Garde: Avant-Americana

John Cage

One7 [from One13], One8 / anonymous

Albert Ayler

Holy Ghost: Rare and Unissued Recordings (1962-70)

Stan Ridgway and Pietra Wexstun

CD Soundtrack for Mark Ryden's "The Blood Show"

Avant Garde: Electronic Avant-Garde

Asylum Street Spankers

What? And Give Up Show Biz?

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