Browse by Label: ESP/ABRAXAS (ITALY)

Artist:	JAMES, THE BOB TRIO
Title:	Explosions
Label:	ESP/ABRAXAS (ITALY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	ESPCD 1009

Repressed. "A strange release comprised of five very avant-garde numbers. With Barre Phillips (bass) and Robert Pozar (drums). Electronics and distorted tapes by James (piano)." From Willy Roggeman's liner notes: "The recording is made of an assembly of estranging electronic sound effects, trite sports commentaries, and the music of a beautifully improvising jazz trio. Bob James has, through this convulsion of out-of-context sound elements and music of an ordering trio, tried to emphasize the strange acoustic complex of modern man in his city, in his world, in his cosmos." Limited stock of this deleted version.

Artist:	GRAVES, MILFORD
Title:	Percussion Ensemble
Label:	ESP/ABRAXAS (ITALY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	ESPCD 1015

"His solo album originally released in 1965 (and recorded with Sunny Morgan). Milford Graves has been one of the main drummers in the free mode scene (known for skillful inclusion of Asian and African rhythmic ingredients into his solos). He worked with the New York Art Quartet, Giuseppi Logan, Albert Ayler, Don Pullen, Andrew Cyrille and many more. Liner notes, photos and more... digitally remastered from the original tapes." Limited stock of this deleted version.

Artist:	SUN RA
Title:	Heliocentric Worlds, Vol. 2
Label:	ESP/ABRAXAS (ITALY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	ESPCD 1017

Second volume, recorded 11/16/65. "It is Sun Ra who is the real star of this volume. Sometimes simultaneously with piano, he also plays Clavioline, a French post-war proto synthesizer, heard on some of Sun Ra's albums between 1963 and 1968-69. His answer to the restrictions of the monophonic instrument, not allowing chords, is: play either melodic, or...as fast as possible! Besides that, Sun Ra also plays some soaring tuned bongos throughout this record, presumably with sticks... Vol. 2 has lot of interesting percussive moments, using all kinds of 'assorted' instruments, mainly attributed to Roger Blank, Pat Patrick, John Gilmore, Marshall Allen and Robert Cummings. This record shows that by the end of 1965, Sun Ra had fully absorbed the quiet chamber music-like textures into pieces which also feature spontaneous full ensemble outbursts, solo pieces and half modern European/half African all-percussive textures." -- Rembo Takken. "Original artwork. Digitally remastered from the original tapes." Limited stock of this deleted version.

Artist:	LACY, STEVE
Title:	The Forest And The Zoo
Label:	ESP/ABRAXAS (ITALY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	ESPCD 1060

"Lacy's profound influence on the avant-garde can be traced back to this phenomenal session with Enrico Rava (trumpet), Johnny Dyani (bass), and Louis T. Moholo (drums) which is a pivotal recording in the career of the master soprano saxophonist. Steve Lacy's involvement in avant garde jazz began with this historical recording date for ESP-Disk' recorded live in Buenos Aires in 1966. Original artwork. Digitally remastered from the original tapes." Limited stock of this deleted version.

Artist:	SILVA, ALAN
Title:	Skillfullness
Label:	ESP/ABRAXAS (ITALY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	ESPCD 1091

"Bermuda-born multi-instrumentalist (bass, cello, violin) Alan Silva was a major player in New York's free jazz revolution and his Free Form Improvisation Ensemble, formed in 1963 with pianist Burton Greene, was arguably the first spontaneous composition group. Silva spent the 1960s at the forefront of the jazz avant-garde, recording and performing with the likes of Bill Dixon (at 1964's legendary Revolution In Jazz concert series), Cecil Taylor, Albert Ayler, Sunny Murray, Sun Ra and Archie Shepp, before finally joining the growing wave of musicians trading in the USA for the more musically open-minded land across the Atlantic. However, before making this transatlantic move, he recorded one last album for ESP-Disk (1970's Skillfulless) which prominently displayed Silva's own hypnotic violin weaving in and out of a sublimely dissonant mix of percussion, howling vocals, flute, vibraphone and the inspired piano acrobatics of Dave Burrell." Limited stock of this deleted version.

Artist:	AYLER, ALBERT TRIO
Title:	Spiritual Unity
Label:	ESP/ABRAXAS (ITALY)
Format:	CD
Price:	$17.00
Catalog #:	ESPCD 5001

This new 5000 series reissues these classic ESP albums from the 60s, yet again. All in fairly cheap mini LP-style sleeves. Only the third time on CD from the Italian Abraxas group -- what the fuck are they thinking? "Albert Ayler's debut release on ESP Disk was cut July 10 1964, and remains a historical moment in avant-garde jazz. The first free-music record released on the label, Spiritual Unity defined the ethos of ESP as the quintessential free-music label of the '60s and '70s. This date presented the most challenging and agile groups Ayler ever lead -- the astounding trio of Ayler on tenor sax, Gary Peacock on bass and Sonny Murray on drums. This unit was in flames with the Ayler themes, Ghosts, The Wizard and Spirits. One of the most devastating and profound expression in avant-garde jazz, Spiritual Unity made history for Albert Ayler and ESP Disk as a vital and influential recording in American free- music and jazz. Original artwork." Limited stock of this deleted version.

Artist:	WU MING 1
Title:	The Old New Thing: A Free Jazz Anthology
Label:	ESP/ABRAXAS (ITALY)
Format:	2CD/BOOK
Price:	$31.00
Catalog #:	WUM 001CD

"Double CD (cardboard sleeve) anthology compiling some of the most representative music from this New York label, selected by Wu Ming 1 and edited by Pankow. 92-page book (19 cm x 13.75 cm) containing an essay in English and Italian plus 45 pages of many never before seen photos from the label's archives. Book and double CD packaged together in a cardboard slipcase with full color cover art. The simplicity of the history, the unreleased material, the selection of tracks and the packaging makes The Old New Thing an essential work for both seasoned fans of free jazz and newcomers to this revolutionary musical universe."

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