Improvijazzation Nation, issue # 48

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Issue # 48 REVIEWS:

 

Seba – EWA:  Seba is the name of the group… but also it’s the family name of this Paris-based assemblage of Arabian singers.  I spent a few interesting nights (many years ago) in Yemen, my only longer-term exposure to the mysteries of those countries.  I can’t say that the music(s) there impressed me as having any great amount of energy… but this CD shows how wrong an impression like that can be!  Their joyous singing & (seemingly) natural mastery of the rhythm of life is contagious!  There are lots of flutes, great bass underpinnings & plenty of ENERGY in the percussion!  It’s a strange sort of mixture, actually… worldbeats with latino influences & snappy percussives that will have you wondering if you’ve heard them before.  An especially enjoyable album, notable enough to garner a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED from this reviewer!  Contact at Musik International, 154 Botasso Rd., Boulder, CO 80302 (e-mail is musikintl@aol.com    ) Rotcod Zzaj

John Brodeur – TIGER POP:  Catchy pop-rock CD that languished (far) too long in the review box.  John’s got a gift for reelin’ you in, gettin’ yer’ earz & yer’ emotions involved.  Some very nice mixes, & energy that reminds me of the flurry & furor (we fans had) of th’ earliest Beatles albums!  What I mean is – fresh and new-sounding, though we ALL know that’s only an illusion that the true artist is able to paint for the listener.  Brodeur weaves hooks (that approach the psychedelic) in & out of his tunes, seamlessly enough that you don’t realize that’s what it was until 2 or 3 days later – when you catch yer’self hummin’ his toon.  This is (somehow) “deeper” than a lot of the pop/rock we hear, & certainly transcends the genre.  Gets a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED from this reviewer!  IF you get it, you’ll KEEP it!  Contact at Mr. Duck Records, POB 8961, Albany, NY 12208, or via email to tigerpop1@popstar.com   Rotcod Zzaj

Bet Williams/John Hodian – The vocals by Bet Williams that are featured on this powerful CD will gently wrap you in emotions you (may have) thought to be “lost”, or (at least) misplaced.  Hodian’s keyboard compositions on the 14 all original tracks demonstrate clear understanding of how to enchant and please you!  Very accessible pieces that will tap in to the deepest (& often the saddest) parts of your soul… “Gone” was my favorite along those lines… though I would love to hear it expanded into about a 15-20 minute piece!  Recording was excellent, every little nuance captured clearly.  This is the kind of music that will appeal to the many (rather than the few), but especially those with “world” or “new age” roots!  It gets a well-deserved HIGHLY RECOMMENDED from this reviewer.  Contact through Creative Service Company, 4360 Emerald Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80918… also via e-mail to creatserv9@aol.com  You can also get info about purchasing this fine CD at www.epiphanyrecords.com Rotcod Zzaj

A Memorial Album – BEFORE THEIR TIME:  A musical tribute to the often sad memories of those who die early, this CD features Tom Paxton & (many) others you may recognize.  The liners explain how important it is to heal the psyche when such untimely events happen to those we love.  There is a “folk” feel to much of the music performed here, but plenty of other styles are represented as well.  It’s a series, with this being Volume 1.  If you can sit through this entire CD without a tear coming to your eye, you’re either a ROCK, or a ROBOT.  The music is beautiful & relaxing for the spirit to hear.  I doubt that it will make it to the top of any commercial charts – which is sad, in a way, because this healing process is something the whole WORLD could use in these dire times.  It gets a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for any and all who want to experience the spirit of caring in their listening!   Contact at Musik International, 154 Botasso Rd., Boulder, CO 80302 (e-mail is musikintl@aol.com    )   Rotcod Zzaj

The Essential Pliny The Elder – VOLUME 2:  This CD is part of a (rather extensive) collection of older (1982-1984) material that Tim Zukowski (now John Ludi) performed on.  Rawkin’ wheedle-nose stuff that will impress you as (quoting from John’s liner notes now) “the most laughable and annoying music possible while still maintaining a modicum of structure.”  What it really reminds me of (in intent, not style) is what Zalnikor Zandorum (Jaws Of The Flying Carpet) refers to as “ugly music”.  A tour-de-force through the twisted mind!  John did vox, guitar, bass, keys, percz & other stuph, with Bill O’Conner doing the same (less guitars) & Ken Shaw on drums & other.  Guest roster too long to copy in here, but they DID manage to annoy me (which, in the context of this whacked-out session, ain’t necessarily a bad thing).  Some will draw comparisons with Zappa, but (in my mind) there ARE no comparisons to be drawn… this is ORIGINAL ug-lee!  You have to be dedicated to destruction to find solace here, but there will be (literally) THOUSANDS of listeners out there (especially those who are in to improv) who will agree when I declare this to be HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!   The best way to get more info is to visit John Ludi’s site, at http://johnludi.com/pliny.htm  or email him at johnludi@earthlink.net johnludi@earthlink.net    Rotcod Zzaj

Jeff Ball – CEDAR MOON:  This is my first listen to Jeff’s music, & on this Native American theme CD, he is mighty impressive!  His cedar flute mastery brings back mem’ries of early days in the forests of Pennsylvania (for me), out amongst the cat-tails & polliwogs!  Guest shots by Joseph Fire Crow (spoken-word) lend credence to the theme, as Joseph is a master in this genre.  One drawback (for me) was the programmed drums… though they’re not “bad”, I felt that the use of natural percussion would have enhanced the experience.  Nevertheless, the music is well thought out & (very) sensitively played.  It certainly reminds me of some of the more adventurous outings that the Makoche label has taken listeners on over the last 3-5 years, though the tunes are in the “ballad/slow” mode – on certain tracks, approaches “smooth jazz”.  Any way you listen – pretty, PRETTY!  Gets a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED from us!  Contact at Musik International, 154 Botasso Rd., Boulder, CO 80302 (e-mail is musikintl@aol.com    )   Rotcod Zzaj

Eri Sugai – MAI:  There are many Americans who have an impression of music from the Pacific Rim countries that is SO mistaken… that they only sing traditional/native compositions, OR that they only “copy” Western modes.  Until my (many) years living in Korea, I admit that I had suffered from that kind of idiotic thinking, too.  “Mai” means “dance” in Japanese… & your mind WILL dance… through a beautiful trance that blends oriental musical influences with some of the most inspiring Western/European orchestral sections you’ll ever hear.  Eri’s vocals are BRILLIANT, inspiring and full of the kind of energy that moves mountains/planets/stars!  The percussion elements add a great deal to the movement(s), but make no mistake… Sugai’s spirit soars over, through & under the entire sonic character of each & every piece.  This is not only MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED – it also gets the “PICK” of 2001 for “most inspiring vocal album”.  I am VERY HIGHLY impressed… & you will be too!  Contact through Creative Service Company, 4360 Emerald Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80918… also via e-mail to creatserv9@aol.com   Rotcod Zzaj

Cathode Ray Tube – SUBZERO SENSE:  Highly electronica, somethin’ this reviewer (& player of such) can relate to!  C.R.T. has many sounds for you to chew on, his music doesn’t “confine” itself to any one groove (& that’s a GOOD thing).  Fresh approaches throughout, with a clear knowledge of how to “build” energy… nothing comes on too fast (or too slow), & the beats make your mind (as well as yer’ baw-dy) MOVE!  Perfect background (in some spots) for your next lobotomy…. 🙂  Those reviewers (& there will be some) who attempt to “classify” this will prob’ly toss it in a pile of “strange”, “odd”, or some other stupid genre label…. the whole point of compositions like this is to explore the sonic realms for those gems that have never been gazed (or listened) upon, & this gent does that in spades.  It’s especially nice that he does it without over-driving the percz… beautiful blends, thorough integration… gets a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED from us!  Contact at 411a Highland Ave., # 312, Somerville, MA 02144 or via email to crt@c-fom.com   Rotcod Zzaj

Gerald Jay Markoe – ZEN MEDITATIONS:  This ‘zine is proud to have the distinction of reviewing music that (often) has never before been heard (by the masses).  Gerald’s CD is a beautiful example of some of the wonderful sonic territory that (so often) goes unexplored by those who gather ’round the media hype & nonsense.  His compositions explore the healing power that music can (and should) have for the spirit that flows so powerfully (and constantly) through the universe we inhabit/share.  Though the title might lead you to believe that the forms would be shaped around “oriental” patterns, there are strong/shared elements of Native American musics, as well.  No matter the origin, he clearly understands and conveys to the listener the beauty and joy that come when one explores the connections to the spirit we all have (whether we realize it or not).  For listeners of all persuasions, “Zen Meditations” gets our MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, and the “PICK” of this issue for “best healing music”!  Contact at Musik International, 154 Botasso Rd., Boulder, CO 80302 (e-mail is musikintl@aol.com    )   Rotcod Zzaj

VisionEar – FUTURE SANS:  We reviewed Jim Konen’s first VisionEar CD about a year ago… what a difference!  Techno fans will turn this zugger UP (like, to ‘da MAX, mon’), & even those without a real “bent” towards electronics will join in the glee!  Starts off with quite a lil’ rap cut (“Futuristic Guy”), & moves on through several pace changes that will (easily) have you dancin’ yer’ BUNZORF!  Even some sneaky-pete stuph… that’s on the 5th cut in (“Don’t Cry”), which intros with a beautiful orchestral lullaby (Jim had actually given me a preview of this cut, so that may be why I’m so enchanted with it) that segues (ever so gently) in to a high-end RAWKER with some guitar solos that will ASTOUND yer’ earz!  This cut is one of the most pervasive & high-energy pieces I’ve heard in the last 20 years… but you’ve GOT to turn the VOLUME up to MAX… kind o’ stuff that reaches deep down in yer’ bonez & seeks out yer’ SOUL!  It doesn’t stop there, either… pace changes that would force even the most nervous of Nellies into (even) a higher gear just to keep up.  VisionEar goes further than just the “techno-void” that so many of these players (often) get trapped in, though… this is ART, pure & simple.  Gets our MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for any listeners who thrive on well-crafted music that has the potential to take you out to Venus – & BACK!   You will (likely) be seeing some of Mr. Konen’s musical offerings in the Zzaj catalog before long, too… but in the meantime, contact him via email at aurlite@prodigy.net   Rotcod Zzaj

The Rockingham County Recyclers – STEGOSAURUS:  Those familiar with Bret will probably be (sort of) expecting some of his guitar-walkin’ madnesses, & you won’t be disappointed… BUT, the addition of woodwinds by David Wortman (previously unheard by these ears) adds a whole new dimension to the intricate sonic sketches that Bret paints for your aural pleasures.  Long-time partner Scotty Irving provides some subtle (tho’ not always gentle) directions, as well as nuances YOU would have never thought of on his “scream machine”.  A favorite (for me) was “Death Fax Blues” (3rd cut), which features some nice guitar solo work & some very interesting Korean percussion instruments by Scotty.  Another outstanding track was “Minotaur on White Bread” (ex-act-ly th’ kind o’ titles you expect on a Hart effort… keep you GUESSIN’)!  There are so many rhythmic challenges on STEGOSAURUS that you’ll miss over 50% unless you listen to this with headphones – about 20 times.  Bret & I put out a tape (many, MANY years ago) that featured tunes played at normal & double speed & sdrawkcab… the last track, “GNIOB-REK”, is the first one, sorta’ “bowing out” if you will, with a reverse departure… how fitting.  Only the truly twisted will be able to psychoanalyze this material… the rest will be reg’lar “Joes” like you & me who are always looking for music that’s (both) challenging and fun…. ALL of those listeners will agree with my assessment – this is MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for the adventurous!  Contact (like, YESTERDAY, man) at InstrumenTales Records, 609 Morehead St., Eden, NC 27288, USA or on Bret’s site at http://home.interpath.net/hipworks/index.htm   Rotcod Zzaj

Jeff Mcleod – YE SHALL BE CUT INTO MANY PIECES:  For the mind unadjusted to chaos, the experience will be on a par with an absolute sonic nightmare!  For those who are prepared for the millenium, however, this will be the supreme escape from reality.  19 pieces of very sophisticated blend with Jeff’s guitar mastery.,, & mystery!  I’m more impressed each time I listen to this… he has used his (extremely well recorded) guitar licks to enhance bits & pieces recorded throughout year 2000 to forge an odd (but somehow beautiful) symphony of the random.  I am reminded (immediately) of some of the more poignant works by Davey Williams, an improv guitar hero (for those who don’t know).  Every day last year, Jeff recorded 10 second bytes, as a sort of (what he terms) a musical diary.  You might think that this would come off sounding rather “choppy”, because of the near-impossible task of imposing some sense of order on (at least) 365 separate sound bytes… but you’d be wrong.  He’s got this odd-istry down.  I keep thinking… GET this guy TOGETHER with Bret Hart & let ’em RIP… with their dual radar for the reality of random (or izzat th’ random of reality?) & Jeff’s clear recording skills… they’d go international in a matter of months.  This not only gets my MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating, it also receives the “PICK” (of this issue) for “most innovative recording”.  Contact at 1629 Chateau Circle, Montgomery, AL 36106, or via email to subversive@mindspring.com   Rotcod Zzaj

Matthew Goodheart – SONGS FROM THE TIME OF GREAT QUESTIONING:  A live keyboard performance from Matthew is captured on this fine lil’ CD.  The title fits very appropriately… there are only five compz on here, but they will (definitely) have you scratching your noggin.  Goodheart uses the board to paint sonic high art for your mind… yet all the while, there is a continuity that will make you wonder.  He also knows how to use the silences, reminding me (a great deal) of some of the more calm piano pieces I’ve heard Ernesto Diaz-Infante do (& that’s not stated lightly, as Ernesto is a MASTER in that realm).  Though it’s an “older” performance (recorded at New Langton Arts, in San Francisco in ’96), it has the timeless quality of improvisation that melts in your mind (only to return, sort of like a flashback, months or years later).  Those who love stream-of-consciousness improvised piano will agree totally with me… MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.  (Those who prefer Liberace need not apply).  Contact via the label page at http://www.drimala.com/meniscus/gallery.htm or email to morga041@tc.umn.edu   Rotcod ZzaJ

Nick Hamlyn – HARD AS KEROSENE:  Here’s a UK band that manages to combine elements of jazz, avant & absolute strange into a CD that will have the straighter arrows among us checkin’ in to th’ local asylum in droves (not necessarily a bad thing, that).  Some comparisons could be drawn with W.O.O. Revelator, but that wouldn’t present a totally clear picture, either, because the empasis is more towards the guitars than the horns that Bonnie Kane (so skillfully) integrates.  Richard Powell & Nick Hamlyn are the players, & they’ve assembled a true adventure for your ears!  What I REALLY like & enjoy here is the sense that they are sonically (somehow) in a situation much like a (good) marriage… not necessarily in blissful harmony, but finding each others’ strong points.  Some nice little spoken-word sections in there, too.. reminds me a bit of a CD I did last year with “Thom The World Poet”.   Gets a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for the rock/improv listeners in our readership.  If you’re looking for “new age”, you’ll choose another album, but if you can’t get along (much like me) without your daily dose of the crazies – this is the TICKET, volkz!  Contact at 293 Wellingbourough Road, Northhampton NN1 4EW UK, or via email to njhamlyn@netscapeonline.co.uk    Rotcod Zzaj

Greg Foster & Joel Futterman – ALABAMA:  I am always interested in combinations of spoken-word with music, particularly when it’s improvised!  Since I’d just listened to Joel (we reviewed him in the last issue), I knew there would be great energy, but it’s always a mystery as to how a player will come across with the addition of spoken-word… or, whether the spoken-word (Foster, in this event) will weave appropriately in that improv format.  Having done (more than a little) spoken-word myself (in both live & studio environs), I know that any poet (worth their salt) will approach such a performance with some degree of reservation… for fear the music may (somehow) detract from their focus.  NONE of those worries here… this is a H-O-T performance!  Greg knows full-well (he should, I reckon, as he’s performed with such great names as Miles, Blakey & Monk) how to wrap his images artfully around Futterman’s sax/piano & keep the energy going without it becoming (useless) rant.  Silences are played as skillfully & passionately as the segues into the “out”.  Joel is flawless as he shifts between sax, flute & keyboards.  You know… when the artists are able to listen to/feel each other, the listener will feel that, too.  This is THE best spoken-word effort I’ve heard this year… it gets (of course) our MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, as well as the “PICK” of this issue for “best spontaneous spoken-word improv”.  Contact our friends at Drimala Records at POB 69044, Hampton, VA 23669-9344, online at www.drimala.com  or via email to backoffice@drimala.com   Rotcod Zzaj

Mike! – ARCTIC LAUNDROMAT:  What a glorious descent into the absurd!  This CD from Orange Entropy records continues the tradition of home-recording they’ve begun to establish.  I mean, you won’t be watching Mike! on any nationally televised musical awards shows in the near future… BUT, you’re bound to find something on this effort that will stick to your brain cells like 3-hour old porridge.  NOTHING is predictable here, it’s about as predictable as a Casio on Quaaludes & steroids (all at the same time).  A jaded sense of rhythm pervades throughout the album, & there are (at least) a couple of cuts that are annoying enough for (even) me to feel as grating (& in the context of this review, where any reaction to one’s art is desireable, that’s sort of a compliment).  Not the best I’ve heard from Orange, but not (by any means) the worst either.  Arrington & Agent Duckhugger (Olympia Experimental Music Festival) would get a NUTOFF listenin’ to this!  Gets a RECOMMENDED from us!  Contact at Orange Entropy Records, POB 1314, Burbank, CA 91507, or on their site at www.orangeentropy.com   Rotcod Zzaj

Mental Anguish – MILE AFTER MILE:  Phinney (as in Chris) scores for strange again!  There are some GREAT BEATS on here… so much throb, the sub-woofer is givin’ me a beautiful blow-dry session!  Home-produced all the way, the CD features some of the classic names in underground home-produced music… Dave Fugleweicz, Bryan Baker, Mundok, Carl Howard… the list goes on & ON!  There are still some (fools) who look down their noses at home-production, but the kats at Homemade Music have taken it to the NEXT LEVEL, & there’s no doubt in my mind that this music will BE the “street music” of tomorrow!  Styles vary here, as Chris has remixed cuts from so many artists (many of them at www.homemademusic.com ), the list is too long to itemize here.  For those who DON’T know, Chris & Harsh Reality Music go all the way back to the genesis of the underground in this country, & he’s demonstrated clear & unequivocal talent for re-interpreting other artists’ into something brand (& TOTALLY) new!  Gets a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED from us, along with the “PICK” of this issue for “freshest new music”!    Contact at Harsh Reality Music, POB 38124-1667, or via email to chris.phinney@gte.net   Rotcod Zzaj

Shao Rong – ORCHID:  Perhaps Shao’s music is just like the flower… it unfolds slowly, only giving hints of the beauty it will display when you listen patiently and carefully.  Her performance on the pipa (a Chinese lute) will enchant your ears and soothe your soul.  It can’t be classified as “jazz”, as it comes closer to “smooth jazz”, or New Age… & if her compositions fell strictly in those genres, we probably wouldn’t give it a second listen.  As it is, I’ve given this three spins already, & that (alone) says something about the level of intrigue the pipa imparts.  I believe there is somehow a communication of the soul’s deepest (& often saddest) trials here, enhanced by superior recording and the skill of the (many) players.  Though it’s not as inspiring as some other east-west “crossover” albums I’ve listened to in the last year… for those with a taste for intrigue mixed with slightly conventional patterns, this will merit a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.  Contact through Creative Service Company, 4360 Emerald Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80918… also via e-mail to creatserv9@aol.com   Rotcod Zzaj

Electric Company and the Vas Defrens Organisation – MORE PELVIS WICK FOR THE BALONEY BONERS:  I’ve enjoyed reviewing (several) CD’s from Tekito over the last couple of years… there’s a touch of strange in every bar!  Blended, mixed rawk-in stoph that you can NOT classify.  The opening cut features some truly twisted guitar work, heavy bass down under & some percz that will BLOW OUT yer’ eardrumz (& of course, if yer’ a rock fan, I’m sure you wouldn’t have it any OTHER way, eh?).  There are only 8 tracks on here, so you’ll have to listen over & over.  I didn’t particularly get off on the (faked) screemz inna’ background, but they are unquestionably a part of the set.  The closest comparison I can make is to dance music… I mean, you’ll have to be ON ‘dem downerz’ to dance to it… but DANCE you will… far more than just yer’ normal toe-tappin’ stuff!  Groove-based rawkin’ that just won’t QUIT!  They get hold of a riff & RIDE that zugger, people… & they’ll have you ridin’ right along WITH ’em (unless yer’ a corpse awready).  I wouldn’t recommend you playin’ this fer’ yer Baptist friends (they’d toss you in the klink under suspicion of some sort of debbil worship)… but for reg’lar folks you know with a taste for the twisted… this is IT… gets a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED from us!    Contact at Tekito Communications, PMB #432, 828 Royal St., New Orleans, LA 70116, on their site at www.crosswinds.net/~tekito  or via email to tekito@excite.com   Rotcod Zzaj

Andrew Rathbun – TRUE STORIES:  If you’re looking for music that combines spoken-word/song into an experience full of high-energy jazz… this is IT, people!  Legible lyric sheet is included in the tray insert, making it very easy to follow.  Andrew’s reeds are enchanting, comforting, lilting!  Lead vocalist Luciana Souza is fully qualified to weave dreams that will take you to new heights.  The sextet features some really beautiful Rhodes sections, with cool jazz that is highly creative & energetic!  This is a unique album & jazz lovers everywhere will add it to the “keeper” stack on first listen.  “Stories” is a classic example of how/why spoken-word/song are so much a part of the tradition in our country, & merits (without qualification) our MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.  It will have a broad audience, but doesn’t compromise to the point of becoming “nameless/faceless” jazz, either.  Accessible & genuine, this is an album that is at the “head of the pack”!  Contact at 315 St. John’s Place # 1B, Brooklyn, NY 11238, or via email to andrewrathbun@mindspring.com  You can also contact the PR agent, Braithwaite & Katz Communications by sending email to ann@bkmusicpr.com   Rotcod Zzaj

Satoko Fujii Orchestra – JO:  Many of you in our readership have joined in the frenzy to get on board the “Satoko wagon” (after my reviews of her many albums) over the last 3 years (or so).  This outing features a 15-piece orchestra of improvisors.  For that reason, it really can’t “fit” in the jazz realm, & I’ve no doubt that many reviewers would feel that it wasn’t in any “orchestra” category, either.  It’s a unique experience… that’s the closest I can come to wrapping any kind o’ “genre/label” around it.  Fujii knows, more than any other Japanese composer I’ve ever heard, how to use the “rise & fall” movements to get the listener’s attention (to the degree that they often don’t realize they’ve “been there” until the whole album is over).  Her husband, Natsuki Tamura melds his unique/creative skills in the fray, too, but this album contains so many players & influences that it can’t be narrowed down to any “name” player.  There are (actually) other albums I’ve reviewed from Satoko that had a bit more energy… for that reason, I’m rating it a HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.  That’s not intended to scare anyone away, however… Fujii is a sensitive composer whose skills in this orchestral arena are FAR ahead of her contemporaries.  Contact through Braithwaite & Katz Communications by sending email to ann@bkmusicpr.com    Rotcod Zzaj

Matt Turner – THE MOUSE THAT ROARED:  We have (actually) reviewed works from Matt for some years now.  Several issues ago, he performed his excellent cello work on several CD’s with Jeff Song… it’s been far too long for me to remember a great deal of specifics – but these solo works DO bring back clear mem’ries of the intensity on those outings.  Total intricacy, which (as many of you know) requires total involvement on the part of the listener.  If you’re looking for “background” music… go to yer’ local “Dour Records” shop… where all th’ music is “lined up” in a row for those adventureless souls who want everything to sound the same.  IF, however, you want improvisation with an exploratory edge… some wonderful percussive/string sequences… & clear-headed technique that will inspire you (both listener & player) to hear/dream in colors you’ve never imagined possible – you’d better GET this one!  These selections were (apparently) recorded live, as you hear audience applause… the fact that you don’t hear the audience until the pieces are over tells me that they were actively listening… completely engaged in the magickal sonic scenes that Matt was painting for them.  Completely captivating & much advanced from those recordings I listened to many years back.  Listeners who are in love with the sweetness (& sadness) of strings will agree when I declare this experience to be MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!  Contact via the label page at http://www.drimala.com/meniscus/gallery.htm or email to morga041@tc.umn.edu    Rotcod Zzaj

Rent Romus (Lords of Outland) – AVATAR IN THE FIELD:  In my experience, it’s not often that “tribute” albums enchant my ears as thoroughly as this CD from Edgetone Records has!  Romus’ provides some insight into his attractions with Albert Ayler’s music when he says “because of the monumental position Ayler holds for me, it was not an easy task to decide to do a tribute”… wish there were more musicians around who understood (just) how important it is to think/listen (ever so) carefully through what they’re doing on tributes… because Romus has ensured (through totally solid alto/soprano work/intensity) that this honors Ayler’s work… the album is NOT a tributary, if you get my drift.  The quartet is able to wrap you up in the music to the point that you will share (some of) the musical vision/foresight Albert Ayler had!  The sensitivity displayed on the second track, “Holy Spirit”, is simply amazing.  If you’re looking for high energy with a strong jazz feel, you’ll want to (be sure to) listen to cut 6, “Vibrations”!  One thing you’ll notice as you listen to this… these ain’t “sweet nuthin’s” that Rent is blowin’ in yer’ ear… intensity that approaches the level of savage at times (& that’s a GOOD thang)!  I’m highly impressed, & those who have learned to FOCUS their listening will declare this (as I have) a MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED sonic experience!  Contact at POB 2281, El Cerrito, CA 94530, or via email to rentromus@edgetonerecords.com   Rotcod Zzaj

Jenn Adams – IN THE POOL:  Our friends at Creative Services Company have always ensured that we get to listen to players/songwriters who are “on the edge”.  Jenn’s acoustic guitar weaves webs that even the most advanced spiders can’t grasp all the details of.  I mean, I’m in love with this!  It’s probably just th’ nostalgia settin’ in… you know, back to Joni Mitchell days, when every nuance of ev’ry note had to be re-listened to 10,000 times!  This lady has that same level of talent, energy & (clearly) originality.  The folk roots that this spins from are (for the truly good player) buried deep in the heart… it’s NOT the “chords”, or the “phrasings”, or the “technical detail” that have any bearing on the listen – it’s the HEART shining through – & Jenn Adams has SO much life & soul reflecting through her voice that she will (literally) invade your spirit with her mastery.  Variety in style is another think that doth a star make… even got a blue-ser on track 4, “Not Tonight”.  If yer’ like me (even a lil’ bit), you won’t have a CHOICE… not only is this MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, it’s my “PICK” of this issue for “best rawk’in’ lady”!  SUPER!!!  GET this!   Contact through Creative Service Company, 4360 Emerald Dr., Colorado Springs, CO 80918… also via e-mail to creatserv9@aol.com   Rotcod Zzaj

Robin Nolan Trio – MEDITERRANEAN BLUES:  You won’t find B.B. on here, & Catfish Hodge is nowhere to be found.  What you WILL hear is some of the sweetest acoustic guitar playing you’ve ever heard!  High energy joy shines through Nolan’s compositions, some “real” playing that will set your heart/mind/soul free!  Just the kind of music the world needs more of, I’ll tell you.  Gypsy-style jazz that moves at (near) light-speed & certainly breaks the sound barrier!  Simply played, but with skill & dexterity often overlooked in today’s “pop” world.  There’s a lot of “latin” in there, too, surely danceable.  Anyone who isn’t caught up in the throes of “death” metal guitar/rock will enjoy this thoroughly & (maybe) go even farther than my MOST HIGHLY RECOMMENDED… this is the kind of music one gets EXCITED about!  Contact at Musik International, 154 Botasso Rd., Boulder, CO 80302 (e-mail is musikintl@aol.com    )   Rotcod Zzaj

 

 

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We WANT your announcements/links about great places for D.I.Y.’er’s… SEND us your links… e-mail to rotcod@tm.net   Another thing that’s REALLY important for (all of ) you to remember is – WE review ALL your works!  Snail for submissions is:  Zzaj Productions, c/o Dick Metcalf, 642 Dorchester Road., # RR, Rochester Hills, MI 48307  So TELL every artist you know – SEND that Zzaj yo’ STUPH!!!!!!!

 

 

  Hi  everyone,
Please listen, we played jamsession’s MP3 free music files.

New file up.  2001/05/24  Fryday’s  at OLINS@Mabasi.

There is last one, blues,  song in English.

http://www.geocities.co.jp/MusicHall/4520/eglsindexC1.html
http://www.geocities.co.jp/MusicHall/4520/eglsindexC1.html

Please advice for us.

 

 

 

We are HAPPY to announce the VERY FIRST issue of:

GuitArt Webzine
 

Our (long-time) improvising friend BRET HART is responsible for this NEW ‘ZINE… we appreciate his support for “Improvijazzation Nation” over these many years, & welcome his writings here!  Please tell ALL your guit-artist friends to READ this ‘zine!  It’s WAY COOL!

 

 

THE SIBL PROJECT SONGWRITING COMPETITION

There’s a magnificent movement afoot: a musical dance towards adult literacy.  It unites authors, songwriters, musicians, readers and non-readers together in an unprecedented effort to connect the magic of music and words to the cause of adult literacy.  The SIBL Project is launching a songwriting competition beginning tomorrow, May 1st 2001.  This is just the beginning….

If you’ve  written a song inspired by a book, poem or play,  submit it to The SIBL Project Songwriting Competition. Through the promotion of this national contest (soliciting Songs Inspired By Literature – SIBL) and a resulting compilation CD, the SIBL Project will raise funds for adult literacy programs.  An estimated 20% of adult Americans – one out of every five – cannot read to their children, fill out a job application, or pass a written driver’s test.  They also cannot read our album liner notes or the books that inspire our songs.

Original song submissions will be accepted from May 1st 2001 to September 8th 2001, World Literacy Day.  10 winning songs will be featured along with 5 famous SIBLs on “Chapter One”, the first CD in the SIBL series. $2500 will also be awarded to one of the winners.  For more information on The SIBL Project, adult literacy, SIBL examples (like “Wuthering Heights” by Kate Bush) and the songwriting competition official entry rules and forms, please visit our web site at http://www.siblproject.org.  You can also call us at 415.553.3330 with any questions.


#########
Annie Glotzbach
Production Associate
415-553-3330
The SIBL Project
http://www.siblproject.org
SIBL – Songs Inspired By Literature
-a musical dance towards literacy – 

 

Hi,
We send you this mail to let you know that Simple Delight has 
released six new dance songs. One of them is an updated version of the very popular
"Visions". Of course all songs are freely available. A CD will be 
released within the next few weeks, so say tuned. The songs are available at
http://www.mp3.com/sdelight 
And if you want to here some incredible pop & rock music with the 
voice of an angel, I advise you to check out the site of Jasmine Dion at
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/100/jasmine_dion.html  .
Any feedback is always welcome (yes, even negative feedback !). We 
hope you enjoy the music and see you soon !
Regards,
Jeeke
http://www.sdelight.com 

 

 

www.homemademusic.com has a message board with an area to post mp3 urls and
get feedback and provide feedback on other people’s stuff. Could be a good
way to exchange plays and hear some of your music.

Here’s the link: http://www.homemademusic.com/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi

I’m still sorta divided on mp3.com right now, with the new $20 Premium
Artist Service. I’ve been playing around with different ways of spreading
word about my own music there, checking out Payola and mp3reaper and trading
station plays and seeing what artists who are getting some results are
doing. Some people seem to be doing fairly well, but I can’t help feeling
it’s a lot of trading plays with people who are mostly musicians and maybe
not necessarily your music’s real audience. I have found mp3.com really
useful for developing contact and collaborating with other musicians. And
that’s really cool.

But anyway, I love hearing new stuff and mp3.com is still great for that so
I invite you to post your url to the message board above and if anyone feels
like checking out and providing feedback on this kind of stuff (home studio
music), go there and participate, let us hear your music and give some
feedback to the other artists there. That much I do know would be helpful.

bryan baker
gajoob/homemademusic

Visit Homemade Music online at
http://www.homemademusic.com
for activities involving home recording artists.

 

 

Shot in the dark, but here goes.


I am a jazz/improvasitory drummer who recently moved to the Chicago area. I have been trying to get hooked up with some sort of forward-thinking group, duet, whatever, for some time now, but to no avail. I am putting out a desperate plea to those inv olved in the chi-improv group to extend a little love to a musician that can really contribute positively to the scene. If you are aware of any group formed or forming, looking for drums, vibraphone, tablas, found sound, etc., please pass this email to them. I would like to put on a solo show, and am interested to know if there are any places conducive for that sort of thing.


Sorry about the nature of this e mail, I know this group is information-based, but it seems there are so many people plugged-in…I thought I would take my chances of sounding like an ass.


frankie rosaly


847.409.5915


847.249.4494


fjrosaly@yahoo.com 

 

 

 

New piece of improvised music featuring drums, bass, guitar…instrumental
track titled “Among the Ruins” Any  feedback on this piece would be greatly
appreciated.

http://www.mp3.com/ChristopherSafos

 

 

After years of independent touring and producing Rent Romus joins the ranks of musicians taking control over their destiny with the opening of Edgetone Records.  Joining forces with Jazzheads Records, Romus will present some of the most creative musicia

ns that the SF Bay Area, West Coast, and beyond has to offer.  Each custom packaged CD release embodies the pure sound of the artist without compromise to a preconceived market.

To celebrate this exciting opening, Rent Romus and the Lords of Outland will perform music from Avatar In the Field (a tribute to Albert Ayler) recorded last June 2000, live at the now defunct 848 Community Space in San Francisco.  This sure to be intri

guing event will take place at the new location for the Static Illusion/Methodical Madness Music Series!

April 29th Musicians’ Union Hall 116 Ninth St., in San Francisco at 7:30 p.m. $10 general $8 student/senior
Opening for the Lords of Outland will be San Francisco’s premier Shakuhachi player Phil Gelb with Hugh Livingston, cello and Shoko Hikage, koto.

April 2001 Releases

EDT 3001
Avatar in The Field
(a tribute to Albert Ayler)
Lords of Outland
Rent Romus ~ alto/sop sax, piccolo
Toyoji Tomita ~ trombone
Bill Noertker ~ bass
Dave Mihaly ~ drums
EDT 3002
PKD Vortex Project
(music inspired by Phil K. Dick)
Doug Carroll ~ electric cello
Joel Harrison ~ electric guitar
Dave Mihaly ~ drums & perc.
Tom Nunn ~ electro acoustic inventions
Rent Romus ~ alto/sop saxes
EDT 3003
Guinea Pig/Out of Town
(live at the hotel utah)
Doug Carroll ~ electric cello
Drew Gardner ~ drums
Tony Passarell ~ sop/tenor/bari sax,
pocket trpt
Rent Romus ~ alto/sop sax, voice

 

 

 

Sorry to be just another in the sea of self promoting internet artists
relentlessly mass mailing evry contact they have bu this is exciting!
She’s done it again.
On Sunday April 22 Sally Cooper has a song in the number one position on the
Australian charts at mp3.com (the worlds biggest online mp3 site)
Check it out if you havent yet!

Here is the Australian charts (Sally Cooper “He Takes His Time” number one
on April 22);
http://golocal.mp3.com/gir?genre_id=0009&geo_id=00001011
Here is Sallys’ site;
http://www.mp3.com/sallycooper

Creative Time in the Anchorage

Massless Medium: Explorations in Sensory Immersion

May 30 – July 29, 2001
Brooklyn Bridge Anchorage

For eighteen years Creative Time has used the vaulted stone chambers of the
Brooklyn Bridge Anchorage as a forum for the exploration of new artistic
pursuits by artists working in many disciplines including music, fashion,
film, design and video.  On May 30th, we will proudly launch Massless
Medium featuring seven ambitious, site-specific installations by a group of
international artists who create media environments that shift our
experience of space and time, blurring the boundaries between body and
environment, solid and immaterial, immersion and isolation, disorientation
and the sublime. Using both technology’s basic building blocks and new
hybrid configurations, the artists reference and expand upon the minimalist
and ambient work of 1960’s and 70’s artists like John Cage, Dan Flavin, and
James Turrell. The work in Massless Medium sensitizes and disarms, forcing
us to re-examine our relationship with our environment in an increasingly
technological world.

Andreas Angelidakis is an architect who has designed future homes based on
NASA’s
Bioplex, transformed a storefront into an “office for future information”
and designed many other spaces, virtual and land-bound. The artist uses
technology to explore how structures can reflect or deflect both their
environment and usage.  Angelidakis’ installation, My Anchorage, features a
component by nanogod and gives a projected tour of a virtual “non-place”,
expanding the viewer’s imagination and relationship to the Anchorage.

Masamichi Udagawa and Sigi Moeslinger, Antenna Design, introduce Firefly, a
project consisting of skeletal, self-illuminated objects staggered
throughout the Anchorage.  By holding a wireless device (Palm OS) over each
piece, the viewer (through infrared “beaming”) will see effects associated
with the particular object such as rippling water from a skeletal faucet.
In addition, the duo provides a grassy slope intended for viewer relaxation
and contemplation.

Erwin Redl heightens visual awareness with MATRIX IV, by creating an
illusory, radiant space with his grid of thousands of red and blue LED
lights.  Over the last three years, in an attempt to liberate the temporal
and visual effects of his computer-generated work from the confines of the
monitor, Redl has used LEDs (a building block of digital imaging) as a
sculptural medium.

Marco Brambilla’s Arcadia consists of two, four meter-high monolithic metal
towers containing plasma screens that take the viewer on a visceral ride of
one of the world’s largest roller coasters, Millennium Force.  Combined
with a soundtrack of mechanical sounds of the ascent and screams from the
descent, viewers experience speed, time and movement without actually
moving.

Anney Bonney and Liz Phillips, video and sound artists respectively,
present Shaded Bandwidths, an interactive video and sound environment that
explores the phenomenon of “ghosting” (the interference of radio
transmissions by architectural and geological formations).  In this
dramatic installation of large screens, viewers trigger ghosting with their
movements, subtly effecting the projected video and sound.

Sonic architect, Francisco López, presents Buildings [New York]; a sound
installation composed of field recordings of white noise in New York City
buildings.  By recording and integrating sounds in our collective
environment – e.g. from boiler rooms, light fixtures, and air filters –
López transforms peripheral noise into an encompassing physiological
experience.

Leo Villareal presents Firmament, a ceiling-mounted light sculpture
composed of strobe lights arranged in concentric rings.  The lights are
sequenced into constellation-like, animated patterns.  Viewers recline
beneath the lights and ponder the artist’s use of the synthetic matter to
mimic the organic and transcendent.

Other side:

Creative Time’s
Music in the Anchorage 2001

Thursdays June 7,14, 21, 28
Brooklyn Bridge Anchorage

Complementing and deepening the themes in Massless Medium, Music in the
Anchorage 2001 focuses on composers who take minimalist and experimental
influences and fuse them with the tools and technology available today.
Whether re-molding cultural and industrial effluvia to build new forms, or
constructing powerful layers of pure electronic timbres and frequencies,
these artists create new sonic experiences that are simultaneously
futuristic and historic, simple and monumental, phenomenological and
mind-altering.

—-
June 7
Thomas Brinkmann, Jorg Burger aka the Modernist, and Dimbiman aka Zip – key
figures in the growing minimalist electronic music scene in Germany – will
perform avant-garde dance music in an exclusive New York appearance

June 14
Phill Niblock makes thick, loud drones of music, filled with microtones of
instrumental timbres, generating many other tones in the performance space
with his corresponding computer-generated videos.  His night of music and
images features performances with Thomas Buckner, voice; and Guitar
Army-Alain Licht, Robert Poss, Michael Schumacher, Richard Lainhart, Roger
Kleier, David First, and David Watson.  Also, special performance by Guitar
Army.

June 21
A/V Club
A night of multi-media performances and screenings that fuse sound and
video using radically new software. Hexstatic, will perform their “Rewind”
material: playful, high speed sound and video compositions made of stock
footage. Battery Operated will present new pieces that combine found sound
with digitally manipulated images. Electronic musician Unit will
collaborate with Kurt Ralske and Lukas Lysakowsi, who use the cutting edge
NATO +0.55 software to edit and control video on the fly.

June 28
Mille Plateaux and Force Inc., two of the world’s most respected platforms
for experimental and electronic music will commemorate their tenth
anniversary with an evening of performances by artists who have released
groundbreaking work on the labels. Performers include techno-dub pioneers,
Porter Ricks and SND-one of the premier groups producing “glitch” music
(made from digital glitches) in their first U.S. performances. Also
appearing will be Kid 606, a rising star in the experimental electronic
scene, as well as jungle producer Panacea and Thomas Heckmann, an
influential techno artist.

Adjunct Events:

June 13
An evening of music and readings with the Paris Review, hosted by George
Plimpton.

June 20
A special performance by sonic architect, Francisco López, followed by a
discussion about the Massless Medium exhibition between its artists and
writer, Christoph Cox.  The event is co-hosted by Cabinet Magazine.

For more information: www.creativetime.org

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30—

 

 

 

 

 

TrueGreatness

Comes from nonconformists

Rembrandt Beethoven

Melville Edison Joyce Einstein

Perhaps

We’ve reached the end of Greatness

 

True Love

Comes from Scorned and Hated Lovers

Socrates Christ Gandhi King

Perhaps

We’ve reached the end of Love

 

True History

Comes from Learning

Assyria Rome

Burned Jerusalem burned Polycarp

Middle Passage Wounded Knee

Auschwitz My Lai Kosovo

 

Perhaps

We’ve reached the end of Learning

 

Perhaps

We’ve reached the end of History

 

Perhaps

We’ve reached The End

 

Copyright, 2001, Robert Betts

=============================================

From Ole Lillelund (a friend of our improvising pal, Jeffrey Morgan):

 

Earlier today i sent you an e-mail with “the chinese smile” as an attachment. i hope you have received it and been able to read it. if not – please notify me.  the present poems are all written with the purpose of being set to music and/or sound. they are statements in a soundscape, so to speak. i write “different kinds of poetry”, also i write in danish as well as in english + in rare cases in german. apart from poetry i write song lyrics for a couple of rock- & popgroups. i do a lot of collage-poetry-pictures. i also have a larger “novellike thing” sitting in my computer. it is called “stroe” in danish. rendered into english the title would be “spread”. i’ve worked on it for four years. it’s meant be an electronic, interactive surreal experience with a lot of deviations from the main road. a computer genius and an animator are going to help me bring out the finished opus. i have two friends possessing the above mentioned qualities. i already acted in several of their experimental movies, so we’re really in sync. as you might already have grasped, my name is ole lillelund. b. 18-10-42. presently living in copenhagen, making a living as a research secretary on a southeast asian language project, spending a lot of time surfing the internet in the southeast asian virtual world for scholarly tidbits. i spent twelve years in asia, from afghanistan to hongkong, most of the time in nepal, indonesia and india. taught english in nepal, indonesia, pakistan and india for several years. worked half a year at hongkong university on a project about the ainu. worked as a danish language instructor to immigrants in denmark. used to sing in punk bands, too. i always had a hard time perceiving how the commercial system works, either i was abroad or i was busy living, i guess. so most of my work as a poet is self-published. off and on i perform at poetry readings. i’m a father, lover and pilgrim. i believe the underground is the root of all experiments.

===============================================================

the chinese smile

 

the killer syndrome

salami and molasses

night

i’m not a video

eat the rules

if you can’t strip your body, strip your mind

back with the chainsaw

u ugga bela

business machine

hashish

poets of the frontier

another generation

opium is religion for the people

a new you

i wipe my arse with the news

to write is not to talk

emotionally drained

out of your box

in lieu of a mythology

——————————————

the killer syndrome

 

i am a louse

you are a flea

the flea drinks blood

the nail crushes the flea

the louse hiding among hairs

the flea gets killed

oh boy are you scared

oh boy are you scared

oh boy are you scared

the soldier kills

the soldier gets killed

war is will

is war evil?

that mother killed her son

this pill kills the pain

this will kills the brain

this thrill kills – refrain

oh son are you scared

oh son are you scared

oh son are you scared

there’s no other way

than being a louse

the king in his house

killing his spouse

kill for fears

kill with spears

kill your ears

kill the years

oh man are you scared

oh man are you scared

oh man are you scared

——————————————

salami and molasses

 

salami and molasses

salami and molasses

salami and molasses

salami and molasses

salami and molasses

salami and molasses

salami and molasses

salami and molasses

get born – get torn

get life – get knife

grow grow grow

go go og

to school to fool

no rule – no rule

no you – no you

this life – straight life

this line – straight line

cut knife – end life

end up in a jar

do what you’re supposed

to do – oh do

you’re you

salami and molasses

salami and molasses

salami and molasses

salami and molasses

salami and molasses

salami and molasses

salami and molasses

salami and molasses

——————————————

night

 

night

right

right o

screams from

the mad lady

seems

like too late

too late

too

the piano

jazzing up

autonomy

——————————————

i’m not a video

 

i’m not a video

i’m not a video

i’m not a video

i’m not a video

i take a ride

i take a ride on you

i’m not a video

i’m not a video

i’m not a video

i’m not a video

you take a ride

you take a ride

you take a ride

you take a ride on me

i’m not a video

i’m not a video

i’m not a video

i’m not a video

we take a ride

we take a ride

we take a ride

we take a ride

we take a ride

we take a ride on them

a-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha

-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha

-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha

——————————————

eat the rules

 

clashes

oh clashes

bloodspilt horizon

for no apparent reason

this struggle over colours

and rights to inhabit

the public sewerage system

if the big flash

comes to the christians

but these are the times of satan

when teeny boppers sneak out

to convey their messages

in spray on the city walls

during an overheated night

you can feel it coming, baby

——————————————

if you can’t strip your body, strip your mind

 

you know – i ate this pill!

you know – ‘twas very small – and purple

and all went kapoof in colours

and, erh well, you’ll have to

experience it for yourself

because you know — because you know

because you know — because you know

dang dang – dada dang dang

dang dang – dada dang dang

dang dang – dada dang dang

dang dang – dada dang dang

dang dang – dada dang dang

dang dang – dada dang dang

dang dang – dada dang dang

dang dang – dada dang dang

——————————————

back with the chainsaw

 

ska – wee – aaarg

spliiiii

skreeech

uiiiii

pflattat

speeeuwapitt

aaaaaaarglllh

fyeeeuw

hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

koooweee

aaaaaaaaaeeeeegh

——————————————

u ugga bela

 

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

 

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

u ugga bela

——————————————

business machine

 

business machine

it’s business as ever

business machine, business machine

business machine

yeah, just pull the lever

business machine, business machine

business machine

bi-bi-business machine

business machine

bi-bi-business machine

business machine

bi-bi-business machine

business machine

bi-bi-business machine

business machine

it’s business as ever

business machine, business machine

business machine

yeah, just pull the lever

business machine, business machine

business machine

bi-bi-business machine

business machine

bi-bi-business machine

business machine

bi-bi-business machine

business machine

bi-bi-business machine

——————————————

hashish

 

ali ali

ali ali

the tribe sticks together

the neighbour is near death

when guns rattle at night

as ever in man’s memory

qatama

baalbek

khaibar

mazaar

the snake coils out of its basket

as the the crocodile is picking its teeth on the curbstone

in strong afternoon sun

fattail sheep sizzle on charcoal

something womanish in black something

passing by

paradise of imagination

fata morgana like birth and death

that’s why islam is so close to the machine gun

purity of necessity

harvest

getting closer

in the name of allah

——————————————

poets of the frontier

 

poets of the frontier

standing stark naked

in blasting winds

big city nomads

growing some secret tomorrows

poets of the frontier

filling their head space

with promising no’s

poets of the frontier

sipping from the rain

screams of joy

art for art’s sake

horizon horizon

gates of golden dawn

and the bleeding toenails of christ

drink up drink – up drink up

poets of the frontier

slates cut of moonstone

trim burners of peat

sitting on far-away slopes

clenching radio luxemburg

live tappings on cassette

poets of the frontier

poets of the quarry

——————————————

another generation

 

babies of the metropolis

creeping shitfaced in the gutter

the whereabouts of kingdom come unknown

hail thee rotten redeemer

of sick cunts in the red light district

as a velvet underground whips up foam

vital statistics for a revolution

victims of profitmakers worldwide inc.

experiencing nirvana on a diet

of pure jazzlips

——————————————

opium is religion for the people

 

once upon a time

everything was so easy

sin was black

blood was red

now opium is religion for the people

once upon a day

everything was just sleazy

nigger black

commie red

well opium is religion for the people

once upon a fart

evrything was so gooey

faeces black

foetus red

and opium is religion for the people

once upon a shit

everything was just creepy

nighttime black

sun-up red

mhhh opium is religion for the people

once upon a hit

everything was too seedy

andy black

andy red

yeah opium is religion for the people

——————————————

a new you

 

there’s a machine staring at you

and you know at once:

this is science fiction

its seems your head is too full

so we better empty it a little

android automatic bodies

wipe the shit off the oil rigs

thinking: this is the best nourishment

throughout the vastness of space

hallelujah! hallelujah!

hallelujah! hallelujah!

hallelujah! hallelujah!

hallelujah! hallelujah!

hallelujah! hallelujah!

hallelujah! hallelujah!

hallelujah! hallelujah!

hallelujah! hallelujah!

hallelujah! hallelujah!

hallelujah! hallelujah!

hallelujah! hallelujah!

——————————————

i wipe my arse with the news

 

i can see it coming babe

streams of shit from above

and my mind is getting hazy

sunday delivers double amount

i can see it coming babe

loads of crap from abroad

leading to a new slavery

covering the entire continent

i can see it coming babe

police state is inevitable

clubbing down the poor citizens

and the need for new paratroopers

i can see it coming babe

poisonous streets prevail

“viva el partido conservador”

i wipe my arse with the news

——————————————

to write is not to talk

 

to write is not to talk

to crawl is not to walk

insubordination

oh what words result from morals

especially military

what nonsense

to write is not to talk

——————————————

emotionally drained

 

cut the cube

it’s over for now

and it’s not too early

the night may come

with its weird colours

the night

a thousand adolf hitlers

just waiting for

a ghost of a chance

——————————————

out of your box

 

trash in these t.v. times

we’re jazz – we’re art – we’re fart

crashlanding on more sex

moment you realize truth

out of your box baby

out and beat the streets

up on your rocks baby

time to kick your feet

thrills in this nuclear space

we’re nil – we’re naught – we’re none

safeguarded from the eeeks

drummer who spreads the word

out of your box baby

out and beat the streets

up on your rocks baby

time to kick your feet

——————————————

n lieu of a mythology

 

– in lieu of a mythology we break our minds open and vegetate on the pain

– french fried individuals with psychedelic haloes

– elemental incisors of c-film sunsets

– visions of shitass blockheads in advance of a broken memory

– electric gnomes with digital hard-ons

– power brokers with dragon’s breath

– advanced sex in nitrous oxide tents

– gatekeepers of dawn

– frisbee fanatics

– fat pigheads of shady bizznizz

– meat stabbers and beef pushers

– blood on the moon

– southern comfort sticking in the liver

– sailors of the seven piles of dung

– crablice on society’s crotch

– dark star watchers

– pimps on retreat

– more to the whore

– lovers of the tarmac jungle

– neon tombstones will persist

——————————————

c

ole lillelund

artillerivej 63/146

dk 2300 copenhagen s

denmark

lillelund@hum.ku.dk

 

 

INTERVIEW with (supreme) bluestress Zola Moon

 

Zzaj:  Where do ya’ come from?   Where ARE ya’ comin’ from?

Zola:  Raised in Northern California. Live and let live. Why is that so hard?

Zzaj:  You’ve got one snappin’ lil’ blooz group.  What distinguishes you & yers’ from “all the rest” (for me) is the energy you put in to your singin’ & the music. What do YOU think distinguishes you?

Zola:   Stubborn tenacity and following my heart, rather than setting out and trying to do what is commercial. I am not a business person.

Zzaj:  Though “blues” isn’t the strongest focus in my ‘zine, independent music IS. I view you as strongly (even fiercely) independent.  What MADE you that way? Or am I way off-base, & yer’ really (just) a milquetoast momma’?

Zola:  What made me that way is that I’m in it for the music. I haven’t learned how to be devious or compromising. The fact that the record companies right now are afraid of salt of the earth substance and common sense rebellion is something I hope will change. And that would be fine since I’m gonna do it
anyway.

Zzaj:  You’ve talked (a bit) with me about “old style country”… what other “flavors” of music are your favorites?  I mean, do you have any “surprises” for my readers?

Zola:   I like the ground breakers. Robert Johnson. Bob Marley. Early Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash. Charles Bukowski. These are great artists. Patty Smith.
All the true originals with true passion.

Zzaj:  You’ve (on occasion) told me that “ranting” is somethin’ more of us “reg’lar” folks otta’ do.  What’s YOUR rant?  (Please be as verbose as yer’ need ta’ be…)

Zola:  Right now, let’s start with George W. Bush, who thinks that the world is his little frat house while he tries to protect the interests of the “in crowd” and
Texas style doesn’t care if all the rest of us fry. He makes me sick. Didn’t
anybody tell him that there is supposed to be separation between church and
state? And state funding the religion of his choice is unconstitutional. I find
him to be an embarrassment to this county and am extremely anxious about the damage he may do in the next four years. Could go on and on, but will stop here.

Zzaj:  Musically, who are your heros?  Or, is that an antiquated idea?

Zola:   I sort of touched on that above, but I could also mention Janis Joplin, Billy Holiday, and Bessie Smith. I also have some non musical heroes like Charles Bukowski who I mentioned above and can never mention enough. He was the knight in shining armor for the poor, dejected, and rejected.   He found beauty in them and loved the unlovable. The Old Lion, bless him.

Zzaj:  How “independent” is the PRODUCTION of your music?

Zola:  The last 2 CDs have been completely independent. Put them together myself.

Zzaj:  We remember readin’ all the stories about “groupies” flockin’ around “big” rawk bands in th’ ’60’s.  Do YOU have a flock o’ cute lil’ guys (or big-‘uns) hangin’ ’round th’ stage after a show?  Callin’ you up?  How do YOU handle that (if it’s a “real” thing)?

Zola:  Some of my favorite fans call themselves my groupies but I’m not famous enough to have so many that it’s a problem. Course, there is no such thing as too much adoration, especially when I am the one being adored.
 
Zzaj:  What new CD’s/projects do you have comin’ up in the next year (or so)?

Zola:  Plan to hopefully release another CD in about a year for which I already have a bunch of songs in the can. Would like to do some international touring. Trying now to put something together for a festival in Australia.
 
Zzaj:  One primary focus of this ‘zine is in “feeling the real”.  I know what that means to me (having been through a lot of “unreal”, & (actually) “made it through”).  What makes it “real” for you (musically, personally, whatEVER makes it real for you)?

Zola:  Life is sure real. And surreal sometimes. In fact, it’s a little too real sometimes. I have a decent car that runs great. That’s real for me. I guess that shows I’m not really one of the upper crust. 

The sky is still blue. 

My boy friend spent some thousands of dollars fixing up my teeth so they won’t fall out and I won’t become a toothless old blues hag. That seems pretty fucking real to me. No toothless blues singer, I was always kind of worried about that. A lot of my heroes and heroines ended up old, poor, and toothless. 

A sense of humor is real even if it is as dark and twisted as mine. It takes one to know one, huh? Feel the real, Baby.

 

 

 

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     What are musician’s for?  What is music for?  Are we in this universe to produce a “joyful noise unto (or through) the ‘Gourd'”?  Or to paint dark sonic images of the horrors around us?  It’s obvious to these well-seasoned ears that music is a powerful force that can (help to) move human emotions/spirits in directions (unity?) even THEY never thought they could achieve!

     Most players (of music, anyway) understand that truly good music doesn’t come to realization when it’s contrived… that does nothing to disparage the non-improvisational player, because “written down” doesn’t (always) imply that it’s without spirit.  Even the most structured music can spur us reg’lar folks to take actions we thought we’d never try, because it rides the waves of spirit that move from star to star… from planet-to-planet… moment-to-moment.

     Of course, those among us who DO improvise are often excited when a particular composition seems to take on a life of it’s own.  The “drawback” for those who do (only) improvised music(s) is that not ALL the pieces DO ride the wave… I mean, it’s GREAT when it does – but, often, it just doesn’t GET THERE.  is that any reason to stop?  

     Something that is EVER more important for artists, musicians & performers everywhere in these perilous times of “yuppies”, “preppies” & other flavors of political idiocy is to KEEP HOLD of the unity of spirit that resists the temptation to “give in”!  Spiritual revolutions don’t come about because people “plan” them… they happen when that little “spark” of the moment your playing (was part of) takes hold in the listener (or watcher).  In that sense, fire is a cleanser that not even the filthiest politician can escape.  When the “people” catch the “fire”, it spreads so rapidly that no amount of spin can stop it.  Like it or not, we (ALL) are involved in a battle between two (or more) forces… for lack of better terminology, we’ll call them “good” (the spirit of the people) & “evil” (the spirit of the politician, born and bred into a state of mind that says it’s OK to lie… cheat… steal).  Like it or not, these politicians/preachers are artists, too… actors of the highest caliber, able to twist & bend the most significant (or insignificant) truth into (what seems to many) an “inspiration”… hell, tha’s what “SPIN” actually IS – the ability to pervert truth to the point where others will lay down their life’s blood for some idiotic notion that inflamed the masses.  

     SO – what am I saying?  Get DOWN, players… get DEEP into whatever kind of music/art you do… find the SPARK again!  USE your talents to fan the flame(s) that bring purity to the soul!  & asking that you LIVE (at least in the shadow of) the spirit that flows through the universe… so you can help the folks out there to see (through your talents) that there IS hope!  I know (from many years of playing) that it’s often easy to feel like your talents are unappreciated… unrecognized… sorta’ wasted.  I also know how easy it is to fall into the various “traps” this kind of agony can bring on… booze, uppers/downers, etc… ‘coz I’ve DONE ’em (nearly) all!  Even if only ONE soul catches the “fire” your music can inspire though… even if you NEVER know what kind of a blaze you started… THAT makes it “worth it”!  So, continue your quests… it is your art… your interpretation of the “flame”… your spirit; that will (help to) bring on the (coming) INFERNO that exposes the lies!  Just THINK about it!     

Till next time….

 

Rotcod Zzaj

 

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