Cuneiform Records DECEMBER 2022 Newsletter

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Cuneiform Records DECEMBER 2022 NEWSLETTER:    Winter Releases & Concerts  – view this email online – At the end of November, Cuneiform Records released Baker's Dozen, a 13-disc boxed set of music by The Muffins. This legendary DC band pioneered progressive, post-genre music in North America in the mid-1970s, creating startling original music that transcended the boundaries of rock, jazz and contemporary classical composition. The Muffins and friends established the Random Radar Record Collective, which played a pioneering role in the launch of the global DIY movement. And most notably for us, The Muffins served as the catalyst for Cuneiform Records. Seeing the band perform in DC and Montgomery Co. MD as a teen inspired Steve Feigenbaum to launch his independent 'New Music' label in 1984, and release cutting-edge, boundary-challenging and award-winning music by many of the world's most adventurous jazz, rock, avant-classical and electronic musicians ever since. Montgomery County has exploded in size since the days when Steve saw The Muffins perform in a downtown Gaithersburg backyard, opposite the Purina Farm Feed Store. Construction cranes have rapaciously transformed DC's Maryland suburbs ever since, and the agricultural feed stores that dotted MoCo's once-small towns are long gone. Our nation's capital, Washington DC, continues to grow and reshape its surrounding region: the DMV. In Silver Spring, the MoCo town on DC's northern edge, the office building that housed Cuneiform Records' and Wayside Music's headquarters for the past 20 years has just been sold for demolition and redevelopment. We need to move within the next few months. When we re-emerge in Spring 2023, we'll release new music by American composer & cellist Tomeka Reid, a 2022 MacArthur Award winner and a MoCo native; a new disc by Janel & Anthony, DC's treasured cello/guitar/electronics duo; new works by UK electronic ensemble Radio Massacre International; previously unreleased archival tapes by the legendary UK band Soft Machine; and two digital releases of newly found, archival live recordings by Curlew, the best live band from Downtown NY/Knitting Factory scene.  Until then, we invite you to immerse yourself in The Muffins' 13-disc Baker's Dozen.  It's a substantial feast, perfect for devouring on cold winter nights and certain to satisfy the most adventurous and voracious musical appetites. Sending each of you LOVE & wishing PEACE in Ukraine & worldwide this Holiday Season; Cuneiform Records & associates Steve, Simon, Lindsey, Chester, Javier & Joyce   – to navigate this newsletter:  click on contrasting links or scroll – Take Time to EXPLORE Cuneiform Records'  Fall & Winter 2022 RELEASES   THE MUFFINS – BAKER'S DOZEN A 13-disc boxed set of previously unreleased material by The Muffins, legendary Washington DC avant-progressive / post-jazz / beyond-genre group ~~~~~~ MIRIODOR – ELEMENTS Visionary avant-progressive ensemble Miriodor, based in Quebec, release their 10th studio album of elegantly playful, cinematic and fantastical instrumental music  ~~~~~~ THUMBSCREW – MULTICOLORED MIDNIGHT All-star collaborative jazz trio of  Michael Formanek (bass), Tomas Fujiwara (drums), and Mary Halvorson (guitar), celebrate their 10th Anniversary with a new release rich with new colors & directions ~~~~~~ FOURTH WORLD QUARTET – GRAND BLAND VAPID RAPIDS Michigan's cutting-edge piano & reeds ensemble explore a world of polyrhythms and 20th Century classical techniques for their 1975 finale   ~~~~~~ SNEEK PEAK! Cuneiform's SPRING 2023 RELEASES WORLDWIDE Cuneiform Artists Perform LIVE  in Coming Months    CUNEIFORM ARTISTS ON TOUR:   2022/2023 LIVE CONCERTS & TOURS   Do your HOLIDAY SHOPPING at CUNEIFORM RECORDS & WAYSIDE MUSIC, & relax watching VIDEOS on our YOU TUBE Channel EXPLORE A WORLD OF  MUSICAL ADVENTURE  ONLINE WITH CUNEIFORM RECORDS   • VISIT the official CUNEIFORM RECORDS WEBSITE • Explore Cuneiform Records'  SOCIAL MEDIA   • Watch VIDEOS on Cuneiform Records' YouTube Channel • PURCHASE & LISTEN to releases on CUNEIFORM RECORDS BANDCAMP PAGE  • PURCHASE music from100s of LABELS at  WAYSIDE MUSIC, our sister store estab.1980 • Missed seeing a Cuneiform Newsletter? Access prior issues at cuneiformrecord.blogspot.com/    Find a broken or incorrect link or etc in this eblast? Tell us & we'll fix it! ~~~~~~ return to top OUT NOW!!!! THE MUFFINS BAKER'S DOZEN Bio information: THE MUFFINS Title: BAKER’S DOZEN (Cuneiform Rune 500) Format: BOX SET (12xCD + DVD + BOOK) / DIGITAL DOWNLOAD Label: CUNEIFORM RECORDS Release Date: NOVEMBER 18, 2022 FILE UNDER: ROCK / IMPROVISATION / AVANT-PROGRESSIVE / ROCK IN OPPOSITION / POST-JAZZ / POST-GENRE   Punk was not Washington DC 's only notable contribution to American rock music of the late 20th /early 21st Century.  A strong vein of avant-progressive / art / ambient / experimental / post-genre music flourished in DC and its suburbs, running parallel to the popular spotlight on punk music.  That progressive, experimental tradition continues to flow through DC music today, as evident in DC's thriving experimental/ avant jazz/ post-genre music scene and in home-grown label Cuneiform Records, which launched in 1984 after being inspired by The Muffins' music to release, support and promote cutting-edge music from around the world.  listen/share on Soundcloud: "Monkey in the Middle"" from THE MUFFINS'S BAKER'S DOZEN The Muffins were a Washington, D.C. area band who existed from 1974-81 and then again with their best-known line-up still intact from 1993-2015. They were called "...the finest progressive band that America produced... even at it's most complicated, (they) sounded effortless & convincing” by Fred Frith, the reknowned international icon of avant-garde music. They also acted as Fred’s backing band on his first post-Henry Cow solo album, Gravity.   listen/share on Soundcloud: "Out of the Boot/ Nan True's Hole"" from BAKER'S DOZEN It is an all-too-rare occurrence for a band, throughout its career, to create music that continually pushes the envelope and transforms the landscape. It is an even rarer occurrence for such a band to reunite after a long separation, and embark on a second musical career that continues to be as innovative as the first.   The Muffins, a group equally influenced by the then-current British progressive rock sounds of bands such as Henry Cow, National Health and Soft Machine as they were by contemporary American jazz and improvisational artists like Anthony Braxton, The Art Ensemble of Chicago, Sun Ra and Miles Davis, were formed in Washington, DC in the early 1970s and recorded three albums before disbanding in 1981. In 1998 the group reformed and recorded a further six albums. AllMusic describes their music as a "unique blend of Canterbury progressive, fusion, improvisation and much more.'"     During their two lifetimes, the band performed at now legendary festival events, including the ZU Festival (NYC), the Rock In Opposition Festival (France), the Villa Celimontana Jazz Festival (Rome), Sonic Circuits Festival (D.C.) and NEARFest (Bethlehem, PA), among many others.       listen/share on Soundcloud: "Queenside"" from THE MUFFINS' BAKER'S DOZEN The band were a hugely creative force during both lifetimes, combining intense, rehearsal intensive compositions with spirited free play, and moving effortlessly between musical boundaries and genres. They were one of the great American contemporary music ensembles of our time.   listen/share on Soundcloud: "Expected Freedom"" from THE MUFFINS' BAKER'S DOZEN   Baker’s Dozen is a 13 disc box set of nearly all previously unreleased live and studio recordings from 1975 - 2010! It includes 12 CDs, a DVD, and a huge, informative booklet. The entire box is a treasure trove of never seen and never heard material.   buy / listen to The Muffins' Baker's Dozen on Bandcamp:    “…fresh and genuinely exciting, with great writing, more textural variety in the arrangements, and more conviction, swagger, and even passion in the playing…the ability of the music to accommodate their wild and woolly energy says volumes about the easy confidence and vision of the working quartet… [that]…really has it all -- breadth, depth, intelligence, and creativity.” – ALLMUSIC CREDITS: David Newhouse [b/r] - keyboards, reeds, percussion Tom Scott [u/r] - reeds, percussion, keyboards Paul Sears [l/l] - drums, percussion Billy Swann  [u/l] - bass, guitar, percussion, vocals listen/share on Soundcloud: "English" from THE MUFFINS' BAKER'S DOZEN return to top OUT NOW!!! MIRIODOR ELEMENTS Bio information: MIRIODOR Title:  ELEMENTS Format: CD / DIGITAL Label: Cuneiform Records Catalog #: Cuneiform Rune 498 Release Date: October 28, 2022 FILE UNDER: ROCK / PROGRESSIVE / AVANT PROGRESSIVE/ POST ROCK   Quebec’s MIRIODOR Makes Mind Movies with a European Twist that Feature Silly Stories and Serious Musicianship      listen/share on Soundcloud: "Boomerang" from MIRIODOR'S ELEMENTS CREDITS: Bernard Falaise - guitars, bass, keyboards, banjo, turntable Pascal Globensky - keyboards, synthesizers, piano Rémi Leclerc - drums, percussion, electronics Under carefully controlled conditions—my place, after supper, and with wine in hand—four out of five listeners identified Miriodor as European. And four out of five listeners were wrong.   There’s no shame in this, though. There are no other bands in North America that sound even remotely like Miriodor, whose new album Elements is their 10th studio release since their founding in 1980, as well as their 10th for metro Washington DC's Cuneiform Records label. This likely has to do with where keyboardist Pascal Globensky, guitarist and bassist Bernard Falaise, and drummer Rémi Leclerc are based: the Canadian province of Quebec.   In other words, they’re a long way away from the rest of the continent. Granted, Canada’s second-most populous province is only 500 miles removed from the country’s biggest city, Toronto, and it’s even closer to the financial capital of the United States, New York City. On the cultural map, however, the region tilts towards Europe. French is the dominant language; relatively well-funded state schools prioritize the arts; and support for the creative industries is a point of national pride. (And make no mistake: Quebec is very much a nation within a nation.)     The province—and especially its largest city, Montreal—is home to several distinct strands of adventurous musical activity. There’s musique actuelle, rooted in free jazz but with a strong Quebecois accent; a number of internationally well-regarded modernist chamber ensembles; a burgeoning electroacoustic scene that has been well-documented by the empreintes DIGITALes label; and there are noisier rumblings from an avant-rock underground inspired and typified by Godspeed You! Black Emperor.   On Elements, Miriodor touches on all of these. As an improvisor, Falaise is an important contributor to musique actuelle. Noise and distortion come to the fore midway through the fast-paced “Alambic”, while Magic Band–inspired sprung rhythms drive album-opener “Boomerang”. Meanwhile, the shape-shifting tour-de-force “Poulet-Bicyclette” opens with an aleatory interlude for synthesizer and minimal percussion that’s right out of the electroacoustic playbook, before wobbling into a deconstructed funky-chicken dance and, eventually, a sinister and sinuous dreamscape.   Rapid changes of tone and pacing are a Miriodor trademark. “There are many different landscapes in the same piece,” Globensky agrees. “Sometimes we’ll go see a concert and some band will be keeping the same beat for 10 or 12 or 15 minutes, and we’ll be looking at each other and saying ‘Why do we complicate our lives like that, changing all the time?’ But that’s the way we’re doing our music.” Some critics have attributed this to Quebec’s well-documented love of Frank Zappa’s highly episodic music; the California radical had an especially large impact on musique actuelle. Yet Miriodor’s most obvious markers are European, for better or worse—and Globensky, for one, laments that the band is most often linked to the Rock in Opposition movement of the late 1970s.   There are parallels, for sure. Globensky admits a fondness for Belgium’s second-generation RIO act Aqsak Maboul, while the late Lars Hollmer, of Sweden’s Samla Mammas Manna, collaborated with the group on its 2005 release for Cuneiform, Parade. Closer to Globensky’s heart, however, is emblematic Canterbury quartet Hatfield and the North.   “We’re a bit like them in the sense that we’re unpretentious,” he explains. “We’re silly at times; even if there’s no words there’s kind of a humour in the music. And if we have to be compared to the Rock in Opposition founding bands, I think we’re more related to Samla than to Henry Cow or Univers Zero, which were more dark or more serious, if I may say.   “But the labelling thing is always dubious,” Globensky adds. “It’s good and bad at once.”     More important is that even though Miriodor is strictly an instrumental ensemble, its tunes always tell a story. “The music has to convey some images, or some cinematic aspect,” Globensky clarifies. “If we don’t see something in our mind, something moving in our head, we will discard it. We like that cinematic aspect.”   Often, he adds, the music is inspired by fantasies and in-jokes. “With the older albums, we were always fearful that when we were done with recording—on reel-to-reel tape—a monster would come at night and eat our tapes. We called it the Master Tape Eater, and there is a piece on the Mekano album that is related to that. They’re all silly stories like that.”   Although the three band members no longer live in close proximity—Globensky has remained in the Montreal suburb of Laval, but Falaise has moved to the countryside and Leclerc lives in Kamouraska, on the St. Lawrence River south of Quebec City—they’ve retained this sense of intimacy.   all Miriodor Elements photos by Marc Tessier   “We always see each other as a big machine with many cogs, if you see what I mean, with each of us being a different cog,” Globensky says.”Or we see ourselves as ants, working on an anthill. There’s a sense of being just a part of something bigger, and if you listen to our music you can see that there’s many layers and a lot of intertwining lines, nesting lines, and repeated lines. And there’s no clear definition of what Elements is all about, but I think it relates to that.   “Like many bands, we’re three individuals, but there is a huge respect for what the other people are doing,” he adds. “I think it shows in the music.”   And while Globensky cautions that Elements might be Miriodor’s last release, he also maintains that it’s their best.   “As we get older we learn stuff in life and we learn stuff about music, and I think we’re getting better at it,” he says with a philosophical laugh. “And that’s something I said to Rémi recently: ‘Well, it’s a bit of a shame if this is the last one, because we’re starting to get good!’”   buy/ hear Miriodor's Elements on Bandcamp: http://cuneiformrecords.com/bandshtml/miriodor.html   https://www.facebook.com/miriodor     https://twitter.com/ContactMiriodor ~ ~ ~ return to top OUT NOW!! THUMBSCREW MULTICOLORED MIDNIGHT Bio information: THUMBSCREW Title:  MULTICOLORED MIDNIGHT Format: DIGITAL / CD / VINYL Label: Cuneiform Records Catalog #: Cuneiform Rune 485 Release Date: September 30, 2022 FILE UNDER: JAZZ   The Core of a Spiraling Musical Universe, the All-Star Collective Trio  THUMBSCREW  Marks a Spectacularly Vivid Decade  by Adding New Instrumental Hues on  MULTICOLORED MIDNIGHT,  featuring Bassist MICHAEL FORMANEK,  Drummer/Vibraphonist TOMAS FUJIWARA  and Guitarist MARY HALVORSON.   listen/share on Soundcloud: "Survival Fetish" from THUMBSCREW's MULTICOLORED MIDNIGHT   At the center of a spiraling musical universe, Thumbscrew is like a reverse black hole radiating brilliant constellations of overlapping ensembles. The all-star trio is at the core, and they’re marking their 10th year as a collective endeavor – 2022 – looking ahead to new sonic territory rather than taking stock of a prodigiously creative decade. Celebrating this anniversary, Multicolored Midnight, the group’s seventh album for Cuneiform Records, is slated for release September 30, 2022. It features bassist Michael Formanek, drummer/vibraphonist Tomas Fujiwara, and guitarist Mary Halvorson on a set of 11 original pieces that oscillate between detailed composition, unbridled improvisation, and every gradation in between. It’s another step on an extraordinary journey by three of jazz’s most dauntless and resourceful artists.   The focus that each player brings to Thumbscrew and the dense web of experience they share is part of what makes the ensemble so extraordinary. Thumbscrew’s ongoing evolution is powered by a super-charged matrix of relationships, as all of the players also lead critically acclaimed bands built on the trio’s thrumming creative synergy. Beyond their work as a trio they’re the foundation for Formanek’s Ensemble Kolossus, the hair-raising and ridiculously talent-laden large ensemble that released its 2016 debut on ECM The Distance. Formanek joined Halvorson on Tomas Fujiwara & The Hook Up’s third release, the critically hailed 2015 album After All Is Said (482 Music). And Halvorson’s Thumbscrew bandmates are the foundation of her song-based band Code Girl. For Halvorson, Thumbscrew has become an invaluable creative foundation. “It’s one of my favorite rhythm sections to be a part of, the power and energy and everything we create together,” she said. “At this point, all of us have used this rhythm section as leaders.”    Multicolored Midnight features music that Thumbscrew honed during a three-week residency at City of Asylum, a Pittsburgh program founded as a refuge for writers in exile. Since expanding its purview to include musicians, City of Asylum has become the fourth wheel powering Thumbscrew’s all-terrain evolution as the triumvirate fully utilizes the sequestration to generate and refine new pieces. Three of Thumbscrew’s prior albums had also been generated at City of Asylum. Multicolored Midnight grew out of the group’s fourth residency in August of 2021, which provided a welcome respite from the sudden and unnerving isolation imposed by the pandemic.     If there was an agenda for Multicolored Midnight, it centered on fully incorporating Fujiwara’s vibraphone work into the mix, a bright hue that surfaced briefly on Thumbscrew’s 2020 celebration of Anthony Braxton’s 75th birthday, The Anthony Braxton Project. Marking a decade doesn’t have quite the same panache as a diamond jubilee, “but we do feel like it’s a big deal,” Formanek said. “That’s a lot of time for a cooperative band, and the residencies are a big part of what’s allowed us to dive in deeper and keep creating new music.”   The album opens with the tightly constructed “I'm A Senator!,” one of five tunes that Formanek contributed to the project. It’s a wicked little groove that features some sharp Halvorson chordal work sandwiching her vertiginous bottom-falling-out single note runs. The bassist built “Shit Changes” on Fujiwara’s vibes ostinato, which feeds the mysterious, slowly blossoming melody. Mutations occur but the bloom is hardy. Formanek draws on many sources when it comes to titling his tunes, often settling on a word or phrase that has little direct connection to the piece. And then there’s “Fidgety,” which captures an anxious, unsettled mood from the opening bass solo, which Formanek bends and contours with some deft electronic processing. It’s his first use of electronics on double bass in Thumbscrew, adding another sonic resource to the growing palette. He’s at his most tuneful on “Capsicum Annuum,” a song-like tune that builds to a brief thrashing passage before the trio returns to the alluring melody. The intriguing line references the forward-and-backward phrase ideas that Formanek has explored elsewhere in a series of palindromic tunes.   Fujiwara brought three tunes to the program, including “Song For Mr. Humphries,” a tribute to Pittsburgh drum maestro Roger Humphries, the well-traveled veteran who played on Horace Silver’s 1965 classic Song For My Father. Propelled by a quirky, vaulting bassline, the tune grows more intricate and less rhythmically stable as it progresses. It isn’t based on anything that Humphries plays. Rather, it’s a thank you for his generosity and ongoing contributions to the music. He actually lives a few blocks from City of Asylum and on Thumbscrew’s first residency City of Asylum co-founders Diane Samuels and Henry Reese made a point of mentioning him. “He still plays around town all the time,” Fujiwara said. “We went and checked him out and his feel and sound is amazing, so classic and specific. Every time I go to Pittsburgh I hear him play and I go to his house for a lesson and a hang.”   The pandemic experience doesn’t surface directly on the album often, though Fujiwara’s “Future Reruns and Nostalgia” evokes the prickly, surreal suspension of time that marked the first months of sheltering in place. The chiming notes on the vibes that open the piece seem to toll for all of us as Formanek’s squally arco bass work ratchets up the pressure. The melody ascends and hangs in the air. Halvorson also contributed three pieces to Multicolored Midnight, including the title track, a stuttery tune with an almost folk-song like theme driven by her strummed chords. An improviser and composer of dry and poker-faced wit, she builds a repeating figure into the angular melody that was inspired by the sound of a skipping LP. On “Swirling Lives” she creates an almost chamber jazz setting for Fujiwara’s vibes. There’s a melodic line running through the tune that’s carried by all three players at different points and as the pace accelerates to a sprint the chamber piece takes on the feel of a frantic game of hide and seek. Playful, mischievous and insistently present tense, this is music that illuminates each moment’s vast possibilities.   An album laden with fully realized connections and reflections, Multicolored Midnight also provides tantalizing hints regarding Thumbscrew’s future explorations. Integrating new textures, sounds and concepts, Thumbscrew has turned into an essential all-terrain vehicle for three of improvised music’s most venturesome artists. After a decade of coaxing and inspiring each other, the trio’s musical universe just keeps expanding, and Multicolored Midnight sheds dazzling light on where they’ll be heading next. ~ ~ ~ CREDITS Michael Formanek – Double Bass and Electronics.                                 Compositions for Tracks 1, 4, 5, 8 & 10 Tomas Fujiwara – Drums and Vibraphone.                              Compositions for Tracks 2, 7 & 11 Mary Halvorson – Guitar.  Compositions for Tracks 3, 6 & 9   Recorded September 2–3, 2021 at The Bunker Studio, Brooklyn, New York by Aaron Nevezie. Mixed by Aaron Nevezie. Mastered by Alex DeTurk. Produced by Thumbscrew. Artwork and Design by Madeline Sturm. Band photos by Brian Cohen. Press Release Download (PDF)   buy / listen to Multicolored Midnight on Bandcamp: ~ ~ ~   THUMBSCREW RECORD RELEASE CONCERT in FREDERICK, MARYLAND April 29, 2023 - Weinberg Center For The Arts - 20 West Patrick Street - Frederick, MD, 21701 ~ ~ ~   THUMBSCREW BIO INFORMATION www.facebook.com/thumbscrev - twitter.com/ithumbscrew www.cuneiformrecords.com/bandshtml/thumbscrew.html Thumbscrew’s first gig as a collective trio was on March 11, 2012.  Since then, the all-star trio has been in high demand for performances at jazz and New Music festivals worldwide.  They have played at such North American festivals as the Vancouver Jazz Festival, Monterrey Jazz Festival, Atlanta Jazz Festival, Philadelphia whatever Jazz Festival, and the wildly popular beyond-genre Big Ears Festival.  Thumbscrew has also played numerous festivals overseas, touring Europe and the Middle East.  In addition, they’ve played at and/or served residencies at numerous high-profile venues worldwide, including the Village Vanguard (NYC), Walker Arts Center (Minneapolis), Blues Alley (Washington DC), and many more. Featuring the trio’s masterful and near-intuitive interplay, consummate level of skill, distinctive compositions, and joy de vivre onstage, Thumbscrew’s live shows have become legendary, instilling audiences with awe and generating positive reviews in the music press. Thumbscrew’s recorded music has likewise received worldwide acclaim. Counting its newest release, Multicolored Midnight, the band has released seven albums since 2014, all on Cuneiform Records. These albums received an impressive amount of press worldwide, including numerous 4-star reviews and/or spotlights in DownBeat and other jazz magazines, in addition to being named in numerous Best Jazz Albums of Year lists globally.  In addition, the Thumbscrew trio and its individual members have been cited in various Best of Year lists for Musicians, Rising Star Artists, and Rising Star Ensembles.   A decade into its existence as a band, Thumbscrew has compiled an impressive, rock-solid legacy. The stellar artists of this unique cooperative look forward to building further on this strong foundation, launching new sonic journeys for Thumbscrew as well as utilizing the trio as the rhythmic heart in many of their individual large ensembles.       MICHAEL FORMANEK        more info: www.michaelformanek.com// www.facebook.com/michaelformanekgroups   //  twitter.com/michaelformanek TOMAS FUJIWARA             more info: www.tomasfujiwara.com // www.facebook.com/tomas.fujiwara // twitter.com/TomasFujiwara MARY HALVORSON                       more info:  www.maryhalvorson.com // www.facebook.com/maryhalvorsonmusic for in-depth band bio, discography & other info, click image & read this eblast:    ~ ~ ~ return to top OUT NOW!!  FOURTH WORLD QUARTET GRAND BLAND VAPID RAPIDS Bio information: FOURTH WORLD QUARTET Title:  GRAND BLAND VAPID RAPIDS Format: DIGITAL / STREAMIG Label: Cuneiform Records Catalog #: Cuneiform Rune 3360 Release Date:  September 16, 2022 FILE UNDER: CLASSICAL / POST-CLASSICAL   Michigan's Mid-'70s Cutting-Edge Piano with Reeds Ensemble –THE FOURTH WORLD QUARTET – Explore a World of Polyrhythms and 20th Century Classical Techniques on their Final Recording     listen/share on Soundcloud: "Batt Masterdon" from FOURTH WORLD QUARTET'S GRAND BLND VAPID RAPIDS The Fourth World Quartet formed in February 1975 at Thomas Jefferson College. Roger Miller, the quartet's original pianist, left the group in April. By the end of that month, Denman Maroney, who taught composition for the remaining member's – Benjamin and Laurence Miller and Jack Waterstone – suggested joining the band as their new pianist. The members were thrilled.  Denman was an undergraduate student from 1967-71 at Williams College. There he spent time at Bennington, where Bill Dixon and Jimmy Garrison filled his head with Coltrane, Ayler, Coleman, Taylor, etc. From 1972-74, Denman attended Cal. Arts, where Jim Tenney, Mort Subotnick, Lucky Mosco, and Ingram Marshall filled his head with Ives, Joplin, Messiaen, Ligeti, Stockhausen, Varèse, etc.  Thanks to CalArts teacher John Bergamo, Denman got a job teaching at Thomas Jefferson College. There, Denman and choreographer Beverly Brown taught a course called Sound & Movement where this new Fourth World Quartet was collaborating for the class. Both band and dance students worked together, forging ahead with free improvisation on a regular basis. The Fourth World Quartet performed at a TJC Music Performance and a house party in Ann Arbor in April, and again at Grand Valley State College Graduation Picnic in June 1975. At the end of the school year, Denman was offered the same teaching position at Thomas Jefferson College with less pay and thus he left for New York City. Laurence, Benjamin and Jack continued composing and trying material out with other ensembles that never quite took shape until early 1976 when their efforts dissolved. Previous aspects of the earlier version of the band (see 1975, released on Cuneiform Records), which included psychedelic guitar, changed when the newly reformed quartet focused further on 20th Century techniques along with Denman's exploration in using advanced polyrhythms. Here is the Fourth World Quartet's final document: Grand Bland Vapid Rapids. buy / listen to The Fourth World Quartet's Grand Bland Vapid Rapids on Bandcamp: CREDITS: Denman Maroney: piano, conductor on #1 and #8, composer Benjamin R. Miller: alto saxophone, electric guitar on #9, composer Laurence B. Miller: bass clarinette, composer Jack Waterstone: alto and tenor saxophone, composer Recorded June 4, 1975 in “The Den” at Thomas Jefferson College, Allendale, Michigan except 1, 5, 6, 8 & 10 recorded June 5, 1975 at the Grand Valley State College Graduation Picnic. Recording engineer Rick Scott on a Braun tape recorder. A big thanks for Dan Gunning in assisting with digitization of master tapes. Mastered by Ian Beabout, ShedSounds Studio. ~ ~ ~ return to top SNEAK PEAK!!!!! COMING OUT in SPRING/SUMMER 2023 Tomeka Reid Quartet (new studio album) [USA] Radio Massacre International - Galactic Furnace [UK] Soft Machine - The Dutch Lesson (previously unreleased live recordings 10/26/73) [UK] Janel & Anthony - (new studio album) [USA] Curlew - (two digital releases of previously unreleased live recordings) [USA] CONGRATULATIONS to cellist / composer TOMEKA REID, 2022 MACARTHUR FELLOW! Listen to Old New, Tomeka Reid's 2019 release on Cuneiform Records: And stay tuned for new Cuneiform releases by Reid and others in 2023! The building in downtown Silver Spring, MD (the DMV!) in which Cuneiform Records (since 1984) and Wayside Music (since 1980) have had their offices for more than 20 years has been sold, and will soon be demolished.  We are moving.  Once resettled, we look forward to continuing to release great music by some of the best avant garde musicians in the world.  return to top CUNEIFORM ARTISTS ON TOUR 2022-2023 CALENDAR IMPORTANT COVID REMINDER: In an evolving COVID-19 world, these dates are ALL tentative. Please check with venues, close to the concert date, to confirm. We're ecstatic that live concerts are resuming in many locales, and look forward to music venues and concert halls opening worldwide, when health and safety measures allow. See also the Tours Page at Cuneiform Records. BROTHERHOOD OF BREATH "The Brotherhood Of Breath’ is fully deserving of legend status. Founded by pianist-composer Chris McGregor in the late ‘60s the big band was a joyous, raucous, highly adventurous blend of South African and British jazz that partly picked up where the pioneering ‘Blue Notes’ left off. Township riffs, swing and avant-garde came together in an ensemble boasting icons such as Dudu Pukwana, Evan Parker, Louis Moholo and Harry Beckett.”  – Kevin Le Gendre – Jazz Line Up [Experience the joyous music of Brotherhood Of Breath featuring members of the original line-up alongside some of the brightest stars in British jazz using some of the original charts, as well as performing new work. Click for more info!] December 17  - CLF Art Lounge - 4a Station Way - London SE15 4RX Workshops: info here   Listen to & buy albums by the original Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath:    Eclipse at Dawn //  Bremen to Bridgewater         Travelling Somewhere             GHOST RHYTHMS "The music here walks a wide loop around Soft Machine and Magma, Univers Zero and Henry Cow, Miles Davis and Miriodor, Van Der Graaf Generator and Art Zoyd. It's impeccably assembled and played, while freely indulging the more insane aspects of progressive rock, avant-garde chamber music, and electric jazz....Despite the musical sophistication and adventure on Live at Yoshiwara, this music is extremely accessible to a wide swathe of listeners. Its release signals the magnificent arrival of Ghost Rhythms on American shores. Get it now." – AllMusic _______________________________ December 8 - Le 34 - 34 rue Léon, Paris, France 2023 March 22 - Studio L'Ermitage - 8 rue de l’ermitage - 75020 Paris, France May 12 - Pan Piper - 2-4 impasse Lamier - Paris, 75011, France [performing with Andy Emler MegaOctet!]   Listen to & buy:  Spectral Music  //  Live at Yoshiwara        THE GREAT HARRY HILLMAN The exuberant Swiss jazz/ pop/ beyond group - named after the American triple-Gold Medal winner at the 1904 Summer Olympics - are one of the most active groups on the European festival and club circuit, top-notch live performers ceaselessly honing their skills. December 2 -  Hombis Salon - Zürich, Switzerland December 3 - Jazzclub Villingen - Villengen, Germany December 4 - Jazzverein - Aachen, Germany Listen to & buy: Tilt JANEL & ANTHONY “DC's strings/ electronics/ vocal duo, Janel & Anthony, are  globally-renowned musicians who create beautiful beyond-genre/ avant/ experimental music.   The all-star duo consists of cellist/ electronic musician/ vocalist Janel Leppin-Pirog (Janel Leppin's Ensemble Volcanic Ash; Mellow Diamond) & guitarist/ electronic musician Anthony Pirog (Anthony Pirog Trio, Messthetics, Spellcasters, Five Times Surprise).   December 4 - Rhizome - Catalytic Sound Festival - 6950 Maple St NW - Washington DC 20012 Listen to & buy: Where Is Home JANEL LEPPIN A composer and cellist who’s honed a singular synthesis of composition, orchestration and improvisation, Janel Leppin is one of DC's leading avant-music stars. Besides performing as half of the experimental duo Janel and Anthony, which she co-leads with her husband guitarist Anthony Pirog, she leads the seven-piece chamber-jazz Ensemble Volcanic Ash, as well as performing and recording with other jazz, rock, and experimental  groups.  "An Absolute Virtuoso - 4 Stars" - Downbeat Magazine "Leppin is a rarity..ahhh-vant garde at its finest." - Capital Bop January 15 - Winter JazzFest 2022 - Nublu - 151 Ave C - New York, NY [a night honoring Jaimie Branch] Listen to & buy: Janel Leppin Ensemble Volcanic Ash Janel & Anthony, Where Is Home HENRY KAISER Grammy winner Henry Kaiser is widely recognized as one of the most creative and innovative guitarists, improvisers, and producers in the fields of rock, jazz, world, and contemporary experimental musics. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– THE HENRY KAISER MONTHLY SOLO SERIES, presented exclusively on the CUNEIFORM RECORDS YouTube Channel  When Covid pandemic lockdowns began in 2020, Henry Kaiser began curating & presenting a weekly series of pre-recorded music videos exclusively on Cuneiform's YouTube Channel for music lovers isolating at home. These "live" concerts are taped beforehand and not streamed - Henry discusses the process in a Guitar Moderne interview, "The New "Live"".  Many videos in the series depict duets and larger bands, despite the program being called the "Henry Kaiser Weekly Solo Series".  While many depict new or recent performances, other videos in this series are vintage footage of performances not available elsewhere (The Valentines' 1994 concert in the Fukuoka Dome). After lockdowns began to lift In April 2021, the series celebrated its one-year anniversary and converted to a monthly format, which continues!  All 52 videos from the Henry Kaiser's Weekly Series and everything in the current Monthly Series are archived & available on Cuneiform's YouTube Channel.   We invite you to visit and follow Cuneiform Record's YouTube Channel to see the videos that Henry presents on the first of every month. The September 1, 2022 video is Henry Kaiser Monthly Solo # #18: A Bunch Of Guitars - Then and Now. Most recently, in addition to his monthly video series, Kaiser occasionally presents videos with free guitar lessons, focusing on tunes associated with legendary guitarists. His September 2022 guitar lesson video, focusing on the whole tone scale and Sonny Sharrock, is titled The Whole Tone Scale! Sonny Sharrock’s DICK DOGS lesson with Henry Kaiser. Besides his work as a musician, Kaiser is also a scientific diver and underwater videographer in the U.S. Antarctic program. Several of his Solo Series videos on the Cuneiform channel feature Henry's stunning underwater videography in addition to his guitar playing, as in this stunning video from May 2020:  HENRY KAISER : Cuneiform Weekly Solo #2 : Under The Ice Again . Because all videos are archived on the Cuneiform Records' YouTube Channel, you can watch anything in the series at any time.   Listen to & buy: Albums by Henry Kaiser & Friends  on Cuneiform A Love Supreme Electric [Vinny Golia / John Hanrahan / Henry Kaiser / Wayne Peet / Mike Watt]: A Love Supreme Electric: A Love Supreme and Meditations  Yo Miles!: Henry Kaiser & Wadada Leo Smith: Sky Garden & Upriver     Five Times Surprise [Henry Kaiser / Anthony Pirog / Tracy Silverman / Jeff Sipe / Andy West]:  Five Times Surprise Henry Kaiser & Ray Russell:  The Celestial Squid Henry Kaiser: Lemon Fish Tweezer; Fred Frith & Henry Kaiser: Friends & Enemies     Healing Force [Vinny Golia • Aurora Josephson • Henry Kaiser • Mike Keneally • Joe Morris • Damon Smith • Weasel Walter]: Healing Force:  The Songs of Albert Ayler                       V.A.: 156 Strings: Nineteen Totally Original Acoustic Guitarists ROGER CLARK MILLER “Less a recital than a musical minefield... Miller is a man in constant motion, a one-man symphony." – Boston Globe Roger Clark Miller (Mission of Burma; Alloy Orchestra; Birdsongs of Mesozoic) celebrates Cuneiform Records' release of Eight Dream Interpretations for Solo Electric Guitar Ensemble with a series of concerts presenting that music in New England.  ________________________________ December 2 - [Roger Clark Miller's solo electric guitar ensemble] - 3S Artspace - Portsmouth, NH   Listen to & buy: Eight Dream Interpretations for Electric Guitar Ensemble            THE ED PALERMO BIG BAND "Twenty-first century big-band music doesn’t get more exciting and impressive than this." – Jazz Times An astounding 18 piece jazz ensemble of five woodwind players, four trumpeters, three trombonists, two keyboardists, guitar, violin, bass and drums, led by arranger, composer & saxophonist Ed Palermo, one of America's most singular arrangers who draws on jazz, pop and rock tunes for his top-notch band. There are a number of ensembles performing the music of Frank Zappa, one of the greatest American composers of the 20th century, but no one does it with the ease, skill and originality that Ed and his band do! –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Don't miss seeing the ED PALERMO BIG BAND live! ~~~~ December 17 - The Falcon - 1348 Rte 9W - Marlboro, NY 12542 December 19 - Iridium - 1650 Broadway (at 51st St) - NYC, NY   Listen to & buy: Ed Palermo Big Band albums on Cuneiform: The Adventures of Zoyd Zundgren // The Great Un-American Songbook Vols. 1&2  // One Child Left Behind // Oh No! Not Jazz!!  // Eddy Loves Frank. //  Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance                     ANTHONY PIROG "[Palo Colorado Dream] covers a sprawling musical terrain–avant jazz, atmospheric soundscapes, earthy Americana, math-rock...with an arsenal of effects hardware and studio production techniques..." – JazzTimes "One of jazz’s most reliable conduits to a living, breathing audience is electric-guitar heroism, and Anthony Pirog, from Washington...seems poised to become a hero of the instrument." – The New York Times ________________________________ February 24 -  as a member of The Messthetics - Bottom Of The Hill - 1233 17th Street (17th @ Missouri) - San Francisco, CA 94107 Listen to & buy: Anthony Pirog: Pocket Poem; Palo Colorado Dream .       Janel & Anthony, Where Is Home      in other groupings: Five Times Surprise The Spellcasters, Music from the Anacostia Delta   Janel Leppin Ensemble Volcanic Ash SCHNELLERTOLLERMEIER "The Best Music of 2015: A Banner Year for the Bold: …here are a dozen albums released in 2015 that I savored repeatedly for their musicality, clarity of statement and courage. …“X” by Schnellertollermeier marries brutality to avant-garde rock and jazz. A classic power trio from Switzerland, the band plays with punk fury and dazzling technical dexterity to create booming, bone-rattling music that stalks, confronts and astonishes.” –The Wall Street Journal Schnellertollermeier's clear-cut approach burns itself into one's memory; audiences who have seen the trio (bassist Andi Schnellmann/ guitarist ManuelTroller / percussionist David Meier) live describe their music as “stunning”, “minimalist”, “brutal”, “decisive”, “monumental”, “angry”, “controlled”, “captivating” or “radical”.  Simply fantastic. _____________________________ 2023 shows January 20 - AMR - Rue des Alpes 10 - Genève, Switzerland January 21 - Gaswerk - Untere Schöntalstrasse 19 - Winterthur, Switzerland January 25 - Teater Momentum - Ny Vestergade 18 - Odense, Denmark January 26 - Northern Winter Beat Festival 2023 - Gammeltorv 10 - Aalborg, Denmark January 27 - Inkonst - Bergsgatan 20 - Malmö, Sweden January 29 - Hallarna - Tunnbindaregatan 37 - Norrköping, Sweden March 4 - L'Échandole - Rue du Casino 9 - Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland   Listen to & buy: 5, Rights, X                 THUMBSCREW Thumbscrew is the all-star collaborative trio of Mary Halvorson (guitar), Tomas Fujiwara (drums), and Michael Formanek (acoustic bass). Thumbscrew's critically acclaimed albums, all on Cuneiform Records, have appeared on Best of Year lists worldwide. Thumbscrew perform  frequently at festivals and served numerous residencies at art centers and prominent venues in the US and abroad. I September 2022, in celebration of their 10th Anniversary, Thumbscrew will release their 7th album on Cuneiform Records: Multicolored Midnight.   “Made up of three highly distinctive voices in the world of jazz and avant-garde music, Thumbscrew should probably collapse under the weight of its own star power but Tomas Fujiwara (drums), Mary Halvorson (electric guitar) and Michael Formanek (acoustic bass) are just too aware of the potential of this supertrio to let that happen.”  – Something Else! ________________________________ April 29 - Weinberg Center For The Arts - 20 West Patrick Street - Frederick, MD, 21701 Listen to & buy: Multicolored Midnight //  Never Is Enough // The Anthony Braxton Project // .    Ours // Theirs //      Convallaria // Thumbscrew //         To set up press and radio interviews with Cuneiform Artists while on tour or at home, please contact: promo@cuneiformrecords.com return to top Thank you for supporting live music at venues and festivals this season, while continuing to enjoy music when home via ACTIVITIES ONLINE !   – DECEMBER 2022 –   During  the holiday season approaches, please remember to be good to yourself by staying cautious of Covid, and good to others by keeping your heart open to those less fortunate. The Pandemic continues to flare unexpectedly worldwide, like an underground fire in the forest.  In many places around the world,  raging fires and catastrophic floods and hurricanes stoked by Climate Change claim homes and lives.  Thousands of families in FL lost their homes, jobs, and loved ones in unprecedented hurricanes.  Elsewhere, humans are causing unprecedented destruction.  War continues to rage in Ukraine, where Russian bombs destroy homes, infrastructure and lives.   Wherever you are globally or politically, please practice kindness to humanity, to mankind, in these tumultuous and troubling times.  Remember that Nature can help shield and solace our troubled hearts  in times of illness or war or political turmoil.  And also:  know that Music can make a positive difference in our lives, and help us survive psychologically and spiritually in evolving and uncertain times.  *** For those of us fortunate to have homes this holiday season, we hope that you'll continue to enjoy recorded music in them, on your technology of choice.  You can explore tracks from nearly 500 recordings released by Cuneiform Records since 1984 on cuneiformrecords.com, our website, or on our Bandcamp, SoundCloud or YouTube sites, and also watch recordings of recent and vintage concerts that we regularly post on YouTube.  Cuneiform Records has a treasure chest of interesting music to serve as soundtrack, inspiration and solace during these evolving and challenging times. We have a mammoth catalogue of releases by some of avant music's most esteemed icons as well as young rising stars, available for purchase at the Cuneiform Records Bandcamp store and at one of our sister companies, Wayside Music. Your CD and LP purchases support indie musicians, indie labels, and small businesses.  • Discover new music on Cuneiform Records' BANDCAMP PAGE :  support our artists & our indie label by purchasing music.   • Visit our internet store, WaysideMusic.com (established 1980!), to purchase  music from ALL your favorite labels!  We also have a ton of FREE entertainment for your enjoyment on several online platforms:   • Enjoy hours on Cuneiform Records' YouTube CHANNEL:  free music videos, videos of live shows, & samples from 400+ adventurous releases!   And we've expanded our video content during the pandemic, most notably with an ongoing video series curated  and produced by guitarist Henry Kaiser.  • Enjoy and share samples of music by releases of countless Cuneiform artists on the Cuneiform Records' SoundCloud Site. • Visit & Like & Follow our Facebook PAGE for Cuneiform Records. • Join our Facebook GROUP: Fans of Cuneiform Records. • Follow @CuneiformRecord onTwitter • Visit the CuneiformRecords.com official WEBSITE for extensive information on the artists and recordings on our label,  upcoming concerts & much more. • Media professionals: find music to LICENSE from Cuneiform for movies, ads etc via our sister site TheMusicOutpost.com. • Were you forwarded this email from a friend?  If so, make sure you sign up for the Cuneiform NEWSLETTER to  get this monthly newsletter in your email box, in addition to receiving notices for Cuneiform's weekly "$5 Friday" offers – Cuneiform selects a special album from its archive each weekend,  to be sold in download format via Bandcamp, that weekend only,  for $5. • Cuneiform Records announces all of its releases - physical (CD, LP) and digital formats - in its monthly newsletter.  Newsletters contain in-depth info on each release.  If you missed seeing an issue, Newsletters are archived on the Cuneiform Blogspot. WE  LOOK FORWARD TO  SPENDING WINTER  2022 WITH ALL OF YOU, ONLINE!   Cuneiform Records' Monthly Newsletter is compiled by Joyce [Nalewajk] Feigenbaum, The Music Outpost–Publicity Cuneiform YouTube Cuneiform Website Facebook FanGroup Facebook Page Cuneiform Twitter Cuneiform SoundCloud Cuneiform Bandcamp Instagram Email Cuneiform return to top Copyright © *|CURRENT_YEAR|* Cuneiform Records, All rights reserved.   Washington, DC // Silver Spring, MD Our mailing address is: Cuneiform Records P.O. Box 8427 Silver Spring, MD 20907 Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Was this email forwarded to you from a friend? Subscribe to the Cuneiform Records Newsletter. Read this email online   return to top