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AUM 077CD
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"The singularly gifted drummer/composer Mike Pride is prolifically active as a leader/accompanist in a wide variety of groups and genres: metal, noise, avant-garde rock, free music, and modern jazz. Pride's deeply inspired and utterly focused modern jazz work with his From Bacteria to Boys quartet is distinct on the current scene, incorporating his love of jazz, rock, modern classical and R&B as a non-hierarchical whole. Birthing Days is a magnificent display of both his far-ranging compositional prowess and the rich talents of this remarkable group. The great and gifted pianist Alexis Marcelo and bassist Peter Bitenc remain dedicated members, whose deep thought and commitment to finding the core tone and emotional approach to each composition anchor the band, while allowing utmost flexibility for the music to follow new avenues with each performance. In early 2012, saxophone phenom Jon Irabagon joined, breathing new life into the group's sound with his virtuosic command and harmonic flexibility. The sonic template of the quartet is expanded on three tracks here with the addition of bass clarinetist Jason Stein and saxophonist Jonathan Moritz. All of these musicians are startling and beautiful new voices in modern jazz."
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AUM 078CD
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"The 33 minute maximum intensity transformative epic Drummer's Corpse was recorded within the same month as the diametrically opposed (in concept, content and title) Birthday Days, and no pair of records better represent his multifarious artistic nature. Their simultaneous release is a major artistic statement from Mike Pride. Drummer's Corpse was originally conceived and written in 2005, following a devastating apartment fire which consumed nearly all of Pride's possessions, recordings, and compositions. Finally realized/recorded in late 2012, it features an inter-generational seven-strong gathering of some of the finest currently active drummer/composers, organ drone, waves of electric guitar, and vocal performance art by Pride and two additional members of this stunning assembly. It is a scream against violence and war. A scream against greed and envy. A howl of strength, power, and self-reliance."
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AUM 076CD
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"Lung -- the highly anticipated new album and composition from Brooklyn's genre-defying Little Women -- is an epic without precedent. Where their acclaimed 2010 suite Throat (AUM061) grabbed listeners by their necks from the first seconds, Lung arises slowly from silence to embrace and entrance. Tenor saxophonist Travis Laplante, alto saxophonist Darius Jones, guitarist Andrew Smiley, and drummer Jason Nazary collectively composed and refined this piece over more than a year. It is a collaborative work at the purest level, and is by far their most dynamic work to date. Tone poem evocation, pop group melodicism, all-four-vocal-chords-as-one intonation, and unparalleled shrapnel-sharp/laser-beam-focused shredding are some of the sonic vistas moved through during Lung."
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AUM 075CD
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"Grass Roots is a brand new collective group featuring drummer Chad Taylor (Chicago Underground), alto sax-man Darius Jones, baritone sax-man Alex Harding (FELA! Broadway cast/group member) and bassist Sean Conly. Because each member of Grass Roots composes for this group, each track (in its multiple layers) is distinct unto itself yet integral to the whole. Their sectional arrangements evince great thought and attention to detail; the performances thereof always bring the soul of unfettered expression. Orchestral fanfares evolve into monster grooves with longing melodies, which then transform into gloriously searing free sections which invariably lock down again into a monster groove. It's almost scary how bad-ass this group is as they throw down their gauntlet. The final piece on the album recorded at the conclusion of the session and utterly unique to it, creates an alien landscape rich with flora and fauna and then proceeds to explore that landscape (seemingly) from the perspective of a giant dragonfly."
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AUM 074CD
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"David S. Ware's new quartet Planetary Unknown debuted in June 2011 with their self-titled studio communion on AUM Fidelity. That album documented an epic occurrence with major artistic circles between members Ware, Cooper-Moore, William Parker and Muhammad Ali arcing together and synchronizing anew. A quartet of esteemed elder statesmen and master musicians whose experience creating influential spontaneous music spans the past 45 years. Planetary Unknown traveled to Austria for their European concert debut at the highly esteemed Jazzfestival Saalfelden in August 2011. That concert, in its three widely ranging sections, is presented here in its majestic entirety."
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AUM 073CD
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"Joe Morris, William Parker and Gerald Cleaver are among the most gifted instrumentalists & improvisers in the world today --natural and consistent innovators all, always sharing, always igniting new ideas, always seeking something beyond description. They have performed & recorded together in different configurations on numerous occasions over the last 15 years. Altitude documents their first communion together as a trio & they gripped it by creating timeless music rife with invention fully in the moment."
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AUM 071CD
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"It has been two full years since Eri Yamamoto's last album of wonderfully melodious songs; she has been busy playing for rapt audiences across Europe and Japan, as well as the Eastern U.S. and Canada. Folks around the world get effusive when they hear her music, and that is an organically beautiful reality. Ms. Yamamoto has also been busy writing, and The Next Page presents a treasure trove of all new compositions. Swinging eloquence, luminous lyricism, a deep rapport with her long-standing trio, and refreshingly original material are the key factors to this music. She breathes new life into the jazz piano trio format every time she plays. Because there was so much new material when it came time to record, it was decided to format this album as two distinct sets, akin to hearing her live in a jazz club, with a short break in between. While it was recorded in highest fidelity sound at Systems Two Studio in Brooklyn, the presentation is based on her regular engagement at Arthur's Tavern, NYC -- every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night -- which is a supreme rarity for a jazz (or any genre!) group in the modern era, as well as her popular appearances at Cornelia Street Cafe, NYC."
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AUM 072CD
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"AUM Fidelity kicks off its 15th anniversary year by releasing alto saxophonist/composer Darius Jones' Book of Mae'bul (Another Kind of Sunrise), the third verse in his ongoing Man'ish Boy epic. This recording, featuring Jones' quartet with pianist Matt Mitchell, bassist Trevor Dunn and drummer Ches Smith, introduces a new titular character, Mae'bul, to the universe he is creating in close collaboration with graphic artist Randal Wilcox. Book of Mae'bul (Another Kind of Sunrise) elevates Darius' estimable work as composer and bandleader to another level of creative magnitude. It is his first Quartet release, and once again features a stunning new book of compositions written specifically for the project. The band consists of highly talented generational peers, each of whom give forth their finest in this group. Sublime melodies, purposefully juxtaposed meters, love, and beauty map the exquisitely detailed yet fluid movement of this music, which has been purposefully designed to embrace the listener."
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AUM 070CD
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"Every David S. Ware solo concert performance is a rare and magisterial happening. This happened twice in 2010 and both concerts are presented here in their entirety. The first took place in March at an intimate, invite-only event in Brooklyn; the second took place at the Umbrella Music Festival in Chicago in early November. It was later in November that Ware and group recorded Planetary Unknown (AUM 068CD). This is the second volume in a planned series of DSW solo recordings and is printed in a strictly limited CD edition of 1000. Further to his tenor, Ware recently added the sopranino (pitched one full octave above the alto) to his arsenal, and these concerts were his public debut on the new horn. As Tim Niland wrote in his Music and More blog: 'There is nothing rushed here, the music is patient and distinguished, and Ware's beautiful golden tone, echoing the masters like Hawkins, Coltrane and Rollins, shines like the light from a powerful star.'"
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AUM 069CD
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$13.00
NOT IN STOCK, SPECIAL ORDER
"And now, this is alto saxophonist/composer Darius Jones' highly anticipated second recording as a bandleader, and it delivers in killin' fashion. Big Gurl (Smell My Dream) presents the next chapter of his ongoing Man'ish Boy series of compositions introduced on Jones' widely acclaimed debut, Man'ish Boy (A Raw & Beautiful Thing). Whereas the first record was inspired by aspects of Jones' early childhood in rural Virginia, Big Gurl (Smell My Dream) takes inspiration from his years of study, experimentation and self-discovery at university where he began the search for his own voice. This album features his long-standing trio with young bright lights of the NYC music universe, bassist Adam Lane and drummer Jazon Nazary; the trio fully owns this new book of Jones' indelible compositions."
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