Browse by Label: REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)

Artist:	WINDO, PAM & GARY
Title:	Avant Gardeners
Label:	REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	REELR 001CD

Pam and Gary Windo were coupled in spirit with a private passion for the musical road less traveled. During their marriage, Gary taught Pam how to approach the piano as an "expressive extension of life," the aesthetic which informed his mastery of the tenor saxophone. Their mutual support flowered into numerous compositions for various recording projects, while journeys into the realm of free improvisation remained private. In 1976, an opportunity to perform at the Maidstone College of Art as a duo allowed them to bring along the rhythm section from the Brotherhood of Breath, bassist Harry Miller and drummer Louis Moholo for a set. Gary captured this concert by placing on stage a consumer reel-to-reel tape recorder and stereo microphone. In addition, an extraordinary private home session with the magnificent percussionist from Ovary Lodge, Frank Perry, was recorded. Reel Recordings has meticulously remastered and edited 40 minutes of explosive and exploratory episodes of moments frozen in time. With friends in tow, the extant recordings of Gary and Pam Windo soaring in improvisational flight, with gale force winds in their slipstream, can now be experienced. Avant Gardeners is a vital, visceral listen, rooted in love and passion.

Artist:	AYERS AND THE WHOLE WORLD, KEVIN
Title:	Hyde Park Free Concert 1970
Label:	REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	REELR 002CD

Kevin Ayers: define as you please, the songs, the singer. The Whole World: organist David Bedford, saxophonist Lol Coxhill, bassist Mike Oldfield, and on this occasion, drummer Robert Wyatt. While the BBC sessions broadcast other sides of the Whole World that produced their classic Shooting At The Moon album, this summer 1970 Hyde Park Free Concert recording brings to life a deliriously heavy, heady rock experience in overdrive! How else to handle Kevin's Soft Machine classics "Did It Again" and "Why Are We Sleeping." Arguably, few other groups from this era offered such eclectic musical experiences and personalities, occasioned by legendary lapses of public professionalism. Restored as fully as possible from a two-track copy, Hyde Park Free Concert 1970 is presented with the fond endorsement of a former festival Jester.

Artist:	FITZ-GERALD & LOL COXHILL, G.F.
Title:	Echoes of Duneden
Label:	REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	REELR 003CD

Gerry F. Fitz-Gerald is a Scottish-born guitarist, possessed with kaleidoscopic imagination and commanding ability for improvisational music conversation. Lol Coxhill is a British legend, internationally recognized for his inimitable soprano saxophone sounds and situational performance art. Gerry's discography rests with his psychedelic rock masterpiece "Mouseproof," a contribution for Guitar Solos II album (with Fred Frith, Derek Bailey, Hans Reichel), and Coxhill's Fleas in Custard record, while Lol's catalog is now a published book. In 1975, the duo resided with the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, welcoming unsuspecting audiences for "An Evening of Improvised Music and Confused Humor." The concerts were beautifully recorded, and Gerry edited the many hours of music at Tom Newman's barge studio, only to have the resulting program shelved by Virgin Records. These master tapes present Lol's soprano saxophone and Gerry's electric guitar with great accuracy and presence. This is eccentric music-making, presented as "Three Fairy Dances," brimming with buoyancy and painted with cohesive sound colors. Echoes Of Duneden invites an intimate experience to the open-hearted listener.

Artist:	HYDER'S TALISKER, KEN
Title:	Dreaming Of Glenisla
Label:	REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	REELR 004CD

Drummer Ken Hyder left his Dundee, Scotland home during the summer of 1970, and headed for the London jazz scene, where he quickly found himself replacing Robert Wyatt on the vacated throne of Mal Dean's Amazing Band. Study with John Stevens led to his playing with numerous different cutting-edge musicians at John's Little Theater Club, which was the center of new music in the 1970s. Soon Hyder founded his own band, Talisker, focusing on spontaneously improvised music and traditional Scottish folk music, with both aesthetics being mutually informed. The instrumentation driven by Ken was unique: paired double bass and paired reeds (alto, tenor, clarinets) with voices and whistles. In 1975, Talisker recorded their debut album, the breathtakingly beautiful Dreaming Of Glenisla, which was released on the Virgin subsidiary, Caroline Records. By turns serene and sensuous, impassioned and celebratory, this magnificent marriage of musical styles ultimately proves seamless. However, Dreaming Of Glenisla's success was more than musical; with micro and macro-dynamics gloriously preserved, it stands among the finest acoustic recordings of its generation. This long-awaited reissue of Ken Hyder's classic album is augmented with previously unreleased studio recordings of his grand quintet, Talisker.

Artist:	RUSSELL, RAY
Title:	Secret Asylum
Label:	REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	REELR 005CD

Ray Russell is a composer whose wild explorations and sonic extensions of the electrified guitar set him aside from the famed British guitar heroes of the late '60s and '70s. Ray's rhythm and blues roots with The John Barry Seven, Georgie Fame, and the Graham Bond Organisation were set aside by the urgent call of the free jazz movement, and a succession of classic recordings (Turn Circle, Dragon Hill, Rites & Rituals, Live at the ICA, The Running Man) gave rise to his most challenging and ultimately rewarding suite of spectral sounds, the magnificent Secret Asylum. As always, percussionist Alan Rushton batters beyond belief alongside the darting double bass of Daryl Runswick, with Harry Beckett playing inimitable figurines from his flugelhorn. The quintet is finalized by tenor titan Gary Windo who gives the last word in whirlwind intensity. Throughout the journey, Secret Asylum presents sonic caresses and searing assaults from all its featured participants, and its success has yet to be equaled.

Artist:	OSBORNE, MIKE
Title:	Force Of Nature
Label:	REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	REELR 006CD

Mike Osborne (1941-2007) was an alto saxophonist without a peer among his fellow British country men, a musician of profound personality with a gift for jazz composition. Mike was first heard in the '60s as a soloist of incendiary character in the Mike Westbrook Concert Band, and his never less than passionate sound was ubiquitous throughout the heyday of British jazz in the 1970s. He recorded and performed extensively with the leading composers of the era; Chris McGregor, Michael Gibbs, and Barry Guy. With John Surman and Alan Skidmore, "Ozzie," as he was affectionately known by friends, formed the celebrated saxophone trio SOS, while also leading numerous bands under his own name. It's no secret that Mike Osborne suffered from schizophrenia, and in 1983, circumstances forced his retreat from London, robbing both Mike and his audience of further music-making. In 2007, Reel Recordings approached Mike's guardian with recently uncovered Hi-Fidelity recordings of the Osborne Quartet in the early 1980s, a hitherto undocumented period. Mike was delighted to hear the music back and blessed Force Of Nature with deep admiration for his fellow musicians; trumpeter Dave Holdsworth, bassist Marcio Mattos, and drummer Brian Abrahams. Together they blend the base ingredients of melody, harmony and rhythm toward boiling points beyond belief. To wit, there's also the quartet's non-stop 42-minute performance before an appreciative audience in Cologne, Germany. Included is a live-in-studio set with the muscular rhythm section of Paul Bridge (1940-2001) and Tony Marsh. Together, these recordings provide proof positive that music from Mike Osborne truly is a Force Of Nature.

Artist:	MILLER TRIO, STEVE
Title:	Meets Elton Dean
Label:	REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	REELR 007CD

British pianist Steve Miller (1943-1998) formed his trio in the mid-'80s after a lengthy hiatus for technique re-evaluation. With young bassist Tony Moore and AMM drummer Eddie Prevost, Steve was now able to improvise freely, sans traces of his deep roots in blues and boogie. With time spent in Delivery and Caravan well behind him, Steve's new path led to a weekly series of concerts billed as "Meetings With Remarkable Saxophonists." At London's Bull & Gate, the diverse talents of Lol Coxhill, Harrison Smith, Elton Dean (1945-2006) and Bobby Wellins rose to meet the spontaneous challenge of improvised music-making, with all performances professionally recorded on high speed tape. This special success was the splendid meeting of altoist Elton Dean and the Steve Miller Trio. Two extended sets of continuous collective improvisation, strongly rooted in the powerful modern jazz aesthetic, comprise this nearly hour-long CD. With rare concert photos and notes from Steve complimenting this important document, the Steve Miller Trio Meets Elton Dean is indeed a musical meeting to be treasured.

Artist:	SOFT HEAP
Title:	Al Dente
Label:	REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	REELR 008CD

This is a rare concert recording of Soft Heap -- the personal acronym for an assemblage of old UK musician friends who assembled at the Phoenix Club in London in 1978. Bass guitarist Hugh Hopper and saxophonist Elton Dean (1950-2006) began their long musical partnership during their days with the classic Soft Machine quartet. Keyboardist Alan Gowen (1947-1981) and drummer Pip Pyle (1945-2006) became friends when their respective bands, Gilgamesh and Hatfield & The North, coalesced for special concerts in 1973. Apart from their eponymous record, Soft Heap only gave two concerts in London prior to Alan and Pip reconvening to carry on as National Health. Fortunately, their appearance at London's then-premier jazz club, The Phoenix, was recorded onto reel-to-reel tape by audience member Roy Wilbraham. It preserves a striking set of compositions played with panache, beginning with a tender reading of Elton's "Fara" and climaxing with an exhilarating chase through "Seven For Lee." The recording also reveals a hitherto unreleased composition, Alan Gowen's "Sleeping House." This full-length CD is one tasty listening experience, for those with a soft spot for Soft Heap, to sink their teeth into.

Artist:	AYERS, KEVIN
Title:	What More Can I Say...
Label:	REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	REELR 009CD

Kevin Ayers is one of UK rock's greatest contributors, both as a key member of Soft Machine as their original bassist/vocalist, and later as a collaborator with noted prog musicians Mike Oldfield and Steve Hillage. This is a collection of recently-discovered private demo recordings and out-takes straight from Kevin Ayers' personal archives -- a refreshing reminder of a musical innocence unique to the 1970s. Much more than nuggets from a golden era, these songs remain compellingly personal in their simplicity, and sit alongside sunny instrumentals featuring friends David Bedford, Mike Oldfield, Archie Leggett (1944-1997) and Robert Wyatt. Of special note is the 14-minute private demonstration for the "Doctor Dream"suite, a stunning "audio letter" synopsis with acoustic performances and wry commentary. Never has Kevin Ayers' voice and guitar been captured in such natural intimacy. These beautifully recorded reel-to-reel tapes are an indispensable portrait of an artist as a young man. Or to convey the response from manager Tim Shepard, "this is Kevin's Holy Grail!" What more can we say?

Artist:	COMMAND ALL STARS
Title:	Curiosities 1972
Label:	REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	REELR 010CD

This is the first chance to hear a recently discovered recording from Command All Stars, a project involving widely recognized musicians from Keith Tippet Group, Soft Machine and King Crimson, among others. In February 1972, a group of young jazz musicians gathered in London's Command Studios, with producer Robert Fripp, to record a double album intended for Ronnie Scott's productions. The cast, consisting of pianist Keith Tippet, saxophonist Elton Dean, trombonist Nick Evans, trumpeter Mark Charig, and bassists Harry Miller & Johnny Dyani, with drummer Keith Bailey, unquestionably qualify the moniker All Stars. When the results were rejected as having "no commercial potential," the master tapes were reused and the project forgotten, until Nick Evans, prompted by Reel Recordings, found copy reels for two of the four sides. What was discovered were diverse collective improvisations in a variety of group settings occasioned with unlikely instrumentation (Tippet -- electric piano, Dean -- sopranino, Miller -- African flute). These tracks amount to much more than a series of curiosities as its title suggests, and open-hearted listening to this spontaneous music-making reveals a plethora of riches. Of special note is the emotionally deep playing and interaction from South African bassists Harry Miller and Johnny Dyani. Recorded documents that add to the important history of British jazz do not surface very often, and this rare All Star session commands its cultural recognition!

Artist:	DOWNES OPEN MUSIC, BOB
Title:	Crossing Borders
Label:	REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	REELR 011CD

This is a previously unreleased recording from the late '70s by Bob Downes Open Music. Bob Downes is a multi-instrumentalist composer possessing a distinctive musical personality and prowess. Through bodily breath emanates sublime sounds from an array of flutes, poignant patterns from his alto and tenor saxophone performances, and engaging expressions of complimentary vocalizations. Open Music is the moniker under which Bob has produced an eclectic range of records since 1968. However, none of the above prepares the listener for the profoundly engrossing experience that is Crossing Borders. Composed during an extended tour throughout South America in 1973, and evocative of the exotic locales encountered, Crossing Borders is a compendium of musical precision, mysticism, and tranquility. During the late '70s Bob Downes produced a beautifully warm analog recording of his programmatic vision, colluding with contemporaries guitarist Brian Godding, trombonist Paul Rutherford , bassists Barry Guy, Mark Meggido and Paul Bridge, and drummers Denis Smith and John Stevens. Thirty years later, this unreleased record finally sees the light of day, and it has aged like a fine wine. A recording this special comes deservedly wrapped with our highest recommendation for everyone prepared to cross musical borders!

Artist:	MILLER'S ISIPINGO, HARRY
Title:	Full Steam Ahead!
Label:	REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	REELR 012CD

Reel Recordings presents a collection of newly discovered recordings from Harry Miller's Isipingo -- originally recorded 1975-78. South African bassist Harry Miller (1941-1983) retains stature as an internationally recognized player who possessed both technical virtuosity and limitless musicality. One needs to only consider his gorgeous bass playing within the Mike Westbrook Concert Band and the legendary Brotherhood of Breath, to cite but two. During the mid-'70s, Harry Miller formed Isipingo, a sextet crucible for his joyfully infectious kwela-inspired compositions. The musicians of the fray of these previously unreleased studio recordings read as a "who's who" of classic British jazz; alto saxophonist Mike Osborne (1943-2007), pianists Stan Tracey or Keith Tippett, trumpeters Mongezi Fez (1945-1975) or Mark Charig, trombonists Nick Evans or Malcolm Griffiths, with the other half of Harry's heartbeat, drummer Louis Moholo, stoking the fiery coals. These men stampede through Harry Miller's vibrant compositions, two of which appear here for the first time. Born out of numerous sweaty nights in London's Peanuts, Phoenix and 100 Club, these undeniably exhilarating recordings of Harry Miller's Isipingo remain a proud clarion for the present generation of jazz lovers. Reel Recordings, in cooperation with Hazel Miller's Ogun Records unfurl the legendary Isipingo banner and march proudly into the 21st century -- Full Steam Ahead!

Artist:	SPLINTERS
Title:	Split The Difference
Label:	REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	REELR 013CD

Splinters is remembered, indeed lionized by knowing UK jazz fans, as the monumental musical meeting of tenor giant Tubby Hayes, trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, saxophonist Trevor Watts, pianist Stan Tracey, bassist Jeff Clyne, and legendary drummers John Stevens and Phil Seamen. Split The Difference is the rare recording Trevor Watts made of the group's first public appearance, at London's 100 Club on May 22nd, 1972. Two extended sets of continuous collective improvisation comprise this full-length CD release; the first opportunity to experience this leaderless ensemble of British jazz greats with their special musical personalities summoned to create group music with robust, telepathic energy, as informed by the great history of modern jazz. Their cauldron of emotionally-extroverted playing, as it boils over a torrent of exuberant double drumming from John Stevens and Phil Seamen, is a sheer wonder for the ear to behold. Moreover, such exhilaration is preserved in a dynamic recording that allows the listener to bear witness to this once-in-a-lifetime event. Reel Recordings' remastering care was guided by the sonic requirements for the music itself, which was captured as an analog tape recording. Including personal reflections from Trevor Watts, and 100 Club concert photographs by Jak Kilby, Split The Difference guarantees an experience to be filed under: essential.

Artist:	SOFT MACHINE
Title:	Live At Henie Onstad Art Centre 1971
Label:	REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	2CD/CD-ROM
Price:	$23.50
Catalog #:	REELR 014CD

Born of the Beat Generation & Beat music, sacrificed on the clich�d tracks of jazz-fusion, the music in between by the classic quartet of keyboardist Mike Ratledge, saxophonist Elton Dean (1945-2005), bass guitarist Hugh Hopper (1945-2009) and drummer Robert Wyatt is mercurial genius manifest. That the recordings made of Britain's Soft Machine remain as rewarding and inspirational today as the moment of their making, qualifies the group's international stature as the most expressively intelligent of rock music's progressive epoch. Still and all, a creative apex where the music attained a "whole greater than its sum parts," occurred on the evening of February 28th, 1971 at the Henie Onstad Art Centre in Oslo, Norway. Here, the group was afforded a rare crucible for their collective creativity by virtue of an intimate concert space, accurate amplification, and an appreciative audience. Also in Henie Onstad for his own art exhibition was Soft Machine's friend Mark Boyle (1926-2005), who projected his sensory films during this concert. Thankfully, the performance was professionally recorded using classical ambient technique, and safely archived until the Henie Onstad Art Centre, and the musicians, granted Reel Recordings the honor and responsibility to present this magnificent recording for CD release. The results sound as demonstrably the finest stereo recording of Soft Machine ever captured on tape. To celebrate and contextualize this 2CD release, a CD-ROM including extensive notes and concert photographs is included, in addition to an extensive essay; The Soft Machine Sound: An Electronic Acoustic Experience Examined, chapters on Mark Boyle's light shows by Sebastian Boyle, a transcript of the Soft Machine's 1970 experimental BBC Radiophonic Workshop session, and numerous photographs of Mark Boyle's art exhibition and Soft Machine's concert at Henie Onstad Art Centre. Live At Henie Onstad Art Centre 1971 is not simply another fascinating addition to a series of archival Soft Machine releases; it stands as nothing less than a gift.

Artist:	RENDELL-IAN CARR QUINTET, DON
Title:	Live At The Union 1966
Label:	REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	REELR 016CD

Reel Recordings presents the Don Rendell-Ian Carr Quintet, Live At The Union 1966 in affiliation with the February 23, 2010 Queen Elizabeth Hall concert, "Ian Carr: A Celebration Of His Life And Music." All proceeds from this CD to benefit Britain's Alzheimer's Research Trust.
Jazz in Britain during the 1960s found many musical voices speaking uniquely beyond their American inspiration, but few spoke as eloquently as the Don Rendell - Ian Carr Quintet. Formed in 1964 by modernists Don Rendell (saxes/flutes) and the late Ian Carr (trumpet/flugelhorn), their quintet was perfected by the tremendous rhythm section of composer Michael Garrick (piano), Dave Green (double bass) and Trevor Tompkins (drums). While a handful of classic records made for EMI/Columbia UK between 1964 and 1969 remain among the most sought-after missing discs in many a British jazz record collection, it was on the bandstand where the Quintet's music found its greatest expression. What a revelation then, to discover this lost private recording, which captured six chapters, played from the stylistically expansive book of compositions penned by Don Rendell, Ian Carr, and Michael Garrick. The Quintet's concert took place at the Students Union Hall at London's University College on December 12, 1966, among an intimate and enthusiastic audience of friends, and remarkably, recorded by George Foster. Deputizing for bassist Dave Green, who left early due to a double booking at Ronnie Scott's Old Place, was New Jazz Orchestra's bassist Tony Reeves, who plays beautifully throughout. From the exhilarating, and hitherto unreleased "Trane's Mood," through the lyrical "Webster's Mood," the quintet's performance overflows with emotion and beauty.

Artist:	RADAR FAVOURITES
Title:	Radar Favourites
Label:	REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	REELR 017CD

Radar Favourites was formed in the summer of 1974 by saxophonist/flautist Geoff Leigh, after making Henry Cow's Legend album the undisputed classic it is. Geoff and his lady, keyboardist/singer Cathy Williams, teamed up with electric guitarist Gerry Fitz-Gerald (Mouseproof), bass guitarist Jack Monck (Delivery And Stars), and drummer Charles Hayward (Quiet Sun, pre-This Heat, Camberwell Now). This quintet drew upon their disparate playing experiences to inject fresh oxygen into the then increasingly bloated body of British rock. Theirs was not a regular music, but one that repositioned the markers on the rarified field of experimental rock. By year's end, Radar Favourites had completed two studio tracks and gave just four concerts, before shifting personnel and eventually disbanding under industry indifference. This historical CD release presents the original Radar Favourites, carefully remastered from the reels extant. At last we can experience the band's sublime studio recordings, an untethered private session and a forceful concert excerpt recorded at London's College of Printing, all packaged in a cover designed by Hawkwind's graphic artist, the legendary Barney Bubbles. Seldom has an ostensible rock group scoped such prescient musical terrain; free collective improvisations, dynamic tension and release within interweaving layers, and dramatic trans-dimensional song structure. Without reservation, Reel Recordings recommends the music of Radar Favourites as a never less than exhilarating revelation. File under essential! Members include: Geoff Leigh (alto & soprano saxophones, flutes, oboe); Cathy Williams (piano, keyboard, glockenspiel, vocal); G.F. Fitz-Gerald (electric guitar, Baby Binson Echorec); Jack Monck (bass guitar); Charles Hayward (drums), and special guest Colin McClure (cello on tracks 1,2).

Artist:	DREAMTIME
Title:	Double Trouble
Label:	REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	2CD/DVD
Price:	$29.00
Catalog #:	REELR 018/20CD

Dreamtime is an international quintet comprised of Welshman Nick Evans, trombone; American ex-pat Jim Dvorak, trumpet; Italian Roberto Bellatalla, bass, and Brits Gary Curson, alto sax; Jim Lebaigue, drums. Their collective musicality is an infectious display of extroverted composition and energetic jazz improvisation, all wrapped up and torn down in the borderless spirit that is Dreamtime. This is a so-called jazz band that reaches for music "beyond the notes" and succeeds with exquisite panache. CD1 presents a stunning set by the quintet before an appreciative audience at the 1984 Bracknell Jazz Festival, as introduced by compere Lol Coxhill. CD2 lets us experience a rare 1991 recording of the Dreamtime quintet doubled up with friends: Paul Rutherford, trombone; Paul Dunmall, tenor, baritone saxophone; Kevin Davy, trumpet; Marcio Mattos, bass, and Mark Sanders, drums. Here is a powerful capture of music-making as back of the neck hair-raising as you would hope.

       To bring the Dreamtime into a multi-sensory realm, disc 3 is an all-region DVD of an amateur film made at London's 100 Club in 2006. Here the sextet, including pianist Keith Tippett, play homage to their late friend, Elton Dean. DVD is NTSC all region; Length: 25 minutes; mono audio; Color.

       What more can be said for the music? Everything that listening will give testament to! Double Trouble presents three discs with an ear and eye towards an overdue reappraisal of this much-loved band of musical misfits, known today as "the dreamers." Limited edition of 500 copies. All recordings delicately remastered from original analog tapes.

Artist:	FITZ-GERALD & LOL COXHILL, G.F.
Title:	The Poppy Seed Affair
Label:	REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	2CD/DVD
Price:	$29.00
Catalog #:	REELR 021/23CD

Electric guitar radical G.F. Fitz-Gerald and soprano saxophone subversive Lol Coxhill; dual masters of spontaneous art and intuitive music, unleash The Poppy Seed Affair, a three disc collection for your edification and confoundment. The Poppy Seed Affair film was produced in 1981 by London's anarch-oholic troupe, The Matchbox Purveyors; Ian Hinchcliffe, Jeff Nuttall, Mark Long, G.F. Fitz-Gerald, Lol Coxhill & Foxy. Inimitable soundtrack by Lol Coxhill, sometimes in trio with drummer Robert Wyatt and bassist Archie Leggett. Now rescued from utter obscurity to DVD (NTSC all-region; run time: 30 minutes), this comedic tour-de-farce juggles the insane and the inane with a twist of the profane. Complementing this complete experience are two extraordinary compact discs mastered directly from true-to-life tape recordings out of the G.F. Fitz-Gerald archive. CD1 is an intimate, close-mic concert recording of Fitz-Gerald & Coxhill at Newcastle's Spectro Arts Workshop, 1981. Here, the duo's mercurial genius for spatial sonics is fully displayed. CD2 collects several works for tape, beginning with "Listen Collage," which reconstructs, � la Faust Tapes, random room sounds of bizarre hippie domesticity, bedroom radios, tape recorders and ambient street sounds from London's Ladbrooke Grove during the spring of 1969. Unmistakably, this is a prodigious 20-minute audio adventure unique to its epoch. Following "Listen Collage" are two extended works for prepared guitars and sundry effects, leading to the sampled tape loop trip "Band In My Head." And lastly, a tape collage for The Matchbox Purveyors' stage show, The Team. This entire disc transforms the magic of the creative moment into deeply experiential realms for our mind's-eye. Furthermore, in refusing to impose any impure digital processing whatsoever, these analog recordings remain en v�rit�. Few guitarists have so audaciously scaled the sonic heights G.F. Fitz-Gerald has, no other saxophonist sounds as Lol Coxhill does, and Reel Recordings proudly presents a profusion of their unadulterated artistry throughout this rare archival collection. The Poppy Seed Affair is delivered as a numbered limited edition of 500 copies.

Artist:	DEAN'S NINESENSE, ELTON
Title:	The 100 Club Concert 1979
Label:	REEL RECORDINGS (CANADA)
Format:	2CD
Price:	$23.50
Catalog #:	REELR 024-25CD

For the many friends and fans of the late saxophonist and composer Elton Dean, this poignant 2CD release is the debut presentation of a complete concert performance from Elton's ensemble of Brit-jazz firebrands known as Ninesense. Elton Dean was a consummate musician, widely-recognized for his indelible sound and serpentine solos on alto sax and saxello. From his roots in the R&B styling of Long John Baldry's Bluesology, through The Keith Tippett Group, Soft Machine, and Just Us, Elton founded Ninesense from London's finest jazz upstarts: Alan Skidmore, tenor & soprano saxophones; Mark Charig, cornet & tenor horn; Harry Beckett, flugelhorn & trumpet; Nick Evans & Radu Malfatti, trombone; Keith Tippett, piano; Harry Miller, bass; Louis Moholo, drums. Joining Ninesense during their second set is American trumpeter Jim Dvorak. Throughout The 100 Club Concert 1979 Ninesense deliver staggering renditions of Elton's magnificent charts, two of which, "Bounce" and "Marks" are hitherto unrecorded. Also unique to this concert is Nick Evans' elegant "First Born." Elton's colorful compositions are cast across a harmonically rich canvas, and noteworthy for featuring each soloist in deep with the volcanic Tippet/Miller/Moholo rhythm team, amounting to an unfolding series of molten-hot trios. Thirty-three years later, it is simply extraordinary that Italian Riccardo Bergerone captured this exhilarating concert in stereo during his stay in London that winter. Ninesense: The 100 Club Concert 1979 includes Riccardo's private photographs and personal notes, honoring the musician who remained his life-long friend -- the great Elton Dean.

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