It’s been a year since we launched the FMP download store. We’ve been incredibly honored to make so many great recordings available for the first time in years – if not decades. We’ve been generally encouraged by the sales and thankful for everyone who’s supported the venture by purchasing one (or more!) of these albums.
For those who haven’t been sure where to start, we present the Top 10 bestsellers from the FMP store to date. There are some stone-cold classics in here, along with some fascinating outliers that have pricked up people’s ears. Click on the album covers below to be taken to each LP’s page in the store.
We said: ”An amazing value that combines both the trio’s essential FMP albums onto a single release.”
We said: “With its relatively compact tunes and killer line-up, Elf Bagatellen serves as an ideal introduction to Schlippenbach’s sound world.”
We said: “Features barnstorming energy workouts, as well as more subdued explorations of rhythmic textures, multiphonics, and melody. Expect the unexpected, from bicycle horns to bits of “Night in Tunisia!”
We said: “Simply put: The 1975 edition of the mighty Globe Unity Orchestra is captured in full swing on a great night.”
We said: ”Although best known for his free jazz work in the late ’60s, Howard’s music reached its fullest flower in the late ’70s. This expansive album features a tribute to Albert Ayler, gospel workouts, mutated blues, a one-of-a-kind Stevie Wonder cover, and much more.”
We said: “ This important live date finds Brueker’s big band gleefully incorporating everything from pop standards, light opera, funeral marches, and shoo bop into their freewheeling brand of free jazz.
We said: ”The assaultive energy of Brötzmann’s Machine Gun may be more famous, but his double-disc Live in Berlin has all that firepower plus finely honed detail and nuance.”
We said: “Although it’s never been widely available, aficionados have long praised Follies as one of Lacy’s finest works.”
We said: ”Swing, blues, marches; comedy, tragedy, farce; harmony, dissonance, raspberries — it’s all here. If you are not feeling this, it’s possible you don’t like life.”
We said: “A meeting of two masters in their unfettered prime, Mengleberg and Bennink deliver heedless and vibrant music that swings, stomps, and pirouettes.”
Next up: Ten fantastic FMP releases that we think have been overlooked.
We had hoped that this would be a celebratory post. Given the passing of Sam Rivers on December 26th, it is necessarily mournful. What started as a jolly contest concludes as a teary memorial. As we work on what we hope will be a fitting tribute to Rivers, and work on coming to grips with this sad news, we nevertheless proceed with the final stages of the giveaway.
The Fates have spoken, and the winning number in the Rivers/Mosaic drawing is 94, which means the Mosaic Select will soon be winging it’s way to Diana Arvanites (once we learn her address). Congratulations, Diana! And many thanks to all who entered. We hope you’ll try again whenever we give this another go.
Please enjoy a couple of tracks from Rivers’ solo FMP album, Portrait, above. We send our best wishes and condolences to the extended Rivers family, and to all who were touched by his music.
The results of our recent poll to determine the most sought after FMP release (of those that we’d already received from the label) are in, and the outcome is quite clear: the Steve Lacy Quintet was out in front from the beginning, and never lost the lead. Follies by Lacy’s 1970s quintet is one of the summits of his intimidatingly large discography. Although it’s never been widely available, aficionados have long praised Follies as one of Lacy’s finest works. This recording captures this classic group – Lacy, soprano; Steve Potts, alto; Kent Carter, bass; Oliver Johnson, drums; plus Lacy’s wife Irène Aebi on cello – on a great night, laying down definitive versions of these beautiful, surprising, and compelling tunes. For fans, this album is essential. For newcomers, it’s a good place to make the acquaintance of a master musician. (Hardcore FMP heads will note two of the four tracks on Follies were released on the mammoth Im Rückblick/In Retrospect box set last year.)
FYI: In a slight change of approach, the player above will allow you to hear two of the album’s four tracks.
BEN MUSLUMANIM (I’M A MUSLIM MAN)
GECE (THE NIGHT)
Okay Temiz + Johnny Dyani
Witchdoctor’s Son
Yonca Plak : 1976
JD, bass, piano, vocals; OT, drums, percussion; Saffet Gundeger, clarinet, violin; Gunnar Bergsten, baritone sax; Oguz (Durukan?), electric bass.
The woman across the hall is at it again. She’s shouting: “Death to the terrorists!” She’s shouting: “Death to the towelheads!” She’s shouting, but this isn’t her usual hateful tone. There’s a different note in her voice. A disturbing hint of jubilation.
She’s probably been up all night, waiting for the 24-hours news to go off the air. She used to be marginally saner but the past few years she’s become increasingly vitriolic and incoherent. “They’re coming to get you,” she shouts, in an ominous sing-song rhythm. “There’s no place to hide.”
We thumb through the vinyl for some music to drown out her rage. The first thing that catches our eye is this spellbinding collaboration between Okay Temiz and Johnny Dyani: Witchdoctor’s Son. Recorded in Istanbul in the mid 1970s, it’s a beguiling and seamless mixture of eastern and western modes. The album has fallen through the cracks of history and been eclipsed by a different Dyani record with the exact same name. (Not to mention this one.) But if there’s only room for one Witchdoctor’s Son at the table, this is the fellow.
As soon as the woman registers the Middle Eastern tones, her howls grow louder. It sounds like she’s choking on her own bile. ”Shut that off!” she screams. “Soon they’ll cart you off too – you and your kind.” Then it hits us: she’s excited about the passage of the frightening new legislation that suspends the Bill of Rights for any American citizen suspected of terrorism.
As the piano groove of “Ben Muslumanim” rolls along, our minds turn to our Arab American friends. We recall that story about Denmark’s occupation during World War II. In solidarity with the Jews, as the story goes, the entire country wore Stars of David so that the Germans would have to arrest them all – or none of them. We wonder what sort of gestures might become necessary here.
We keep playing the record, repeating the shimmering and meditative “Gece” over and over. The song seems to have a calming effect on the woman. As night gives way to a tentative dawn, the apartment building is completely silent. With the early risers in mind, we step into the hallway and tape up a few helpful signs. Each of them indicating the direction of Mecca.
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PULSAR
Sam Rivers & the RivBea Orchestra
Trilogy [Edge]
Mosaic : 2011
SR, soprano sax; Jeff Rupert and Chris Charles, alto sax; Charlie DeChant and David Pate, tenor sax; Brian Mackie, baritone sax; Tom Parmenter, Brian Scanlon, Mike Iapichino, and David Jones, trumpet; Keith Oshiro, David Sheffield, and Steve Smith, trombone; Josh Parsons, trombone and tuba; Doug Mathews, bass; Rion Smith, drums.
Hot on the heels of our Tyshawn Sorey contest last week — more on which below, including winners! — we are thrilled to be able to offer another monster giveaway. This week’s prize is Mosaic’s 3-CD Select featuring all-new big band work from living legend Sam Rivers.
Wait: you weren’t aware that Rivers released three new discs worth of material earlier this year? Yeah, we didn’t see it on any year-end lists, either. Kind of snuck out there. You’d think that a triple album from Rivers might generate considerable attention. Perhaps it did, and we simply missed it. Anyway, enjoy a small taste via the player above; much of the set is in a similar stomping vein. Our sincere thanks to the fine folks at Mosaic for allowing us the chance to offer this splendid prize.
HOW THE CONTEST WORKS:
We are thinking of a number between 1 and 100. Put your guess in the comments of this post. One guess only and please try not to duplicate other selections; check through the comments before entering. Contest deadline: Midnight EST, Friday, Dec. 23rd. The person who nails our number — or comes closest — wins. Good luck!
HOW THE PREVIOUS CONTEST WENT DOWN:
We have our winners! Our random number generator came up with 24 for the site’s contest, and we’re happy to announce that Amy, of Irvine, California, is the big winner. Over at our Facebook page, the machine dialed up 43, which, if we are reading the comments correctly, means Karl-Michael Schneider, of Dublin, came closest (with 44) [oops; so sorry, KMS -ed.], means that Christopher Carville, who guessed the very same, is the proud owner of a new copy of Oblique-I. Congratulations to both winners, and sincere thanks to all who entered!
Available together for the first time ever, THE COMPLETE DUOS is a must for any fan of creative, improvised music. Spanning the globe and various approaches to music making, it’s an embarrassment of riches. It features legendary bassist Peter Kowald playing with a wide range of important figures from America, Europe, and Japan, including: Diamanda Galas, Derek Bailey, Julius Hemphill, Evan Parker, Tom Cora, Jeanne Lee, Peter Brotzmann, Toshinoro Kondo, Andrew Cyrille – and many more!
This set contains all the duo performances that Kowald originally released across two CDs. It works beautifully as a Kowald mixtape, a unified album, and a primer of important musical trends.
“This valuable anthology offers pungent samples of some of the most startling and influential musicians of the late 20th Century, not the least the man providing the unifying link, Peter Kowald.” - All About Jazz
It’s an ideal sampler for any wanting to take a step into this kind of playing. The bassist has something different to impart to each of his partners, and in his unstinting generosity he has a lot to say about how to bring the best out of your colleagues in this kind of playing situation. So it’s a tutorial, a scrapbook, and many minutes of fine music.” - Richard Cook, The Wire
“The level of exchange he was able to achieve in this context remains extremely inspiring. Duos makes an excellent entry-level disc for the newcomer and a highly pleasurable addition to the free improvisation enthusiast’s collection.” - All Music Guide
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