S/D: Tompkins Square Records

xpost so far disappointed in the new Beeley album--the pickers are really into it, but his voice usually doesn't hang onto my attention span, such as that is. Some of it works, though. Will listen more.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Documentary film Voice of the Eagle : The Enigma of Robbie Basho available on Blu-Ray/DVD December 13th. 5-disc boxed set of previously unreleased Robbie Basho music in the works

ABOUT THE FILM :

Before his bizarre death at the hands of a chiropractor, Robbie Basho was sure that his compositions would not outlast him. Orphaned during infancy, diagnosed with synaesthesia (a union of the senses that caused him to interpret sound as colour) and claiming to be the reincarnation of a 17th century poet -- the Baltimore-born guitarist and singer's musical output was as equally as outlandish as his persona.

In his brief and troubled life he laid the foundations for radical changes to the musical landscape of America during the 1960s and 70s but reaped little more than a sparse (if fervent) following during his lifetime.

Voice of the Eagle: The Enigma of Robbie Basho is a journey into the heart of an artist's lifelong struggle -- designed to illuminate and satiate existing fans while serving as a perfect starting point for the uninitiated.

Featuring interviews with Pete Townshend and Country Joe McDonald as well as Basho's former students, contemporaries, religious associates and few close friends, the documentary integrates new information and anecdotes on Basho with previously uncovered archival material and photography of the natural phenomena and landscapes that informed his work.

Available via MVD Entertainment
RELEASE DATE : DECEMBER 13th, 2019
PRE-ORDER

-----------------------------------

ABOUT THE BOXED SET :

Robbie Basho (1940-1986) is widely regarded as one of the progenitors of what's commonly known today as American Primitive guitar. Growing up in Maryland alongside neo-traditional guitar explorers John Fahey and Max Ochs, Basho's path would take a decidedly different turn, bringing Hindi, Indian, Japanese and Native American musical traditions into his work. His albums for Takoma and Vanguard have left an indelible trail of influence across generations of musicians, from William Ackerman and Pete Townshend to Ben Chasny and William Tyler.

Liam Barker first became aware of Basho having purchased Tompkins Square's reissue of Venus in Cancer, released in 2006. This led him on an incredible fact-finding expedition, unraveling the many layers of mystery surrounding Basho's life and death, all deftly compiled and depicted in his documentary film, Voice of the Eagle : The Enigma of Robbie Basho.

During the research process, Barker came across a large cache of unheard Basho tapes recorded throughout his career, ranging roughly from 1965-1985. By arrangement with Basho's Estate and the original custodians of the tapes, Tompkins Square is set to release Song of the Avatars : The Lost Master Tapes, a 5CD set of previously unreleased material. The label will release a single disc vinyl LP as well. The set includes notes by Barker, Henry Kaiser, Steffen Basho-Junghans, Glenn Jones and Richard Osborn, as well as many unseen photographs.

Release date TBA.

tompkinssquare.com

LISTEN to our 14th Anniv Playlist on SPOTIFY
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4uiu05uzg7qB17xNRBee7c?

Their 14th anniversary show the other week was very good.

Anti: The debut album by Daniel Mandrychenko. Recorded by Bill Frisell collaborator Adam Munoz. One of the last records made at Fantasy Studios. Listen to/download "Chicken Tenders" via All About Jazz:
https://media.allaboutjazz.com/media.php?id=12081
Daniel Mandrychenko is a guitarist and a member of the Bay Area jazz community. For his debut album, Anti, Daniel chose producer Adam Munoz, known for his work on multiple Grammy-nominated Bill Frisell records, as well as projects by Herbie Hancock, Joanna Newsom, Branford Marsalis and many more. Daniel assembled a crack team to accompany him on his debut. Evan Williams (drums) has cut his teeth playing in the Bay Area’s vibrant jazz scene. Danny Castro (upright and electric bass) has played with Tiffany Austin, Calvin Keys, and Justin Rock. Dann Zinn (tenor saxophone) has become one of the most sought after sax players around, with a discography that includes over 100 appearances as a featured soloist and sideman. Anti is one of the last records ever recorded at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, CA. A remarkable musical statement from this promising young guitarist.

Tompkins Square has released jazz albums by Charles Gayle, Ran Blake, Giuseppi Logan, Sonny Clark, Teodross Avery, Terry Waldo, Bern Nix and more.

Daniel Mandrychenko - Anti
CD : TSQ 5685
Available February 21, 2020
---------------------
Recent :

Sam Burton - "I Can Go With You" - 7"

No Other Love : Midwest Gospel, 1965-1978 4 Stars - MOJO

Ten Year Gone : A Tribute to Jack Rose Best of '19 pick - Folk Radio UK

Listen to songs from many of our releases via SoundCloud

Spine River : The Guitar Music of Wall Matthews, 1967-1981
Limited Edition LP (500) and digital out April 10th.

Guitarist Wall Matthews is surviving member of experimental 70's collective, Entourage. Sampled by Four Tet, their name whispered in reverence through the decades, Entourage forged bold musical ideas on their two rare ’70s Folkways LPs. Tompkins Square released Ceremony of Dreams : Studio Sessions and Outtakes, 1972-1977, in 2018 to wide acclaim. Spine River : The Guitar Music of Wall Matthews, 1967-1981 is a collection of unreleased or obscure music by the master guitarist. This volume will be released as a limited edition LP, along with four other digital volumes of Wall's music, chronologically mapping his career. All five albums will be released on April 10th, 2020.
Praise for Entourage :

"A three-hour stream of instrumental riches, whether you’re looking to find samples or get lost in a trance....These 30 tracks alternately conjure the ecstatic minimalism of John Cale and La Monte Young, the billowing clouds of Arvo Part, the aleatory intrigue of Derek Bailey, and the strange guitar beauty of Sandy Bull" - Pitchfork

"As seriously as they clearly took their playing, the music never lost its sense of playfulness and joy" - PASTE (8.7/10)

"This is essential and irresistible vintage American weirdness." - All Music Guide (4.5)

"...it's transporting stuff." - Rolling Stone

"Erring between Alice Coltrane-esque spiritual jazz, Steve Reich’s minimalism and stunning instrumental folk, Ceremony of Dreams highlights 30 tracks from a fiercely creative period between 1972 and 1977 that did not appear on the two Folkways albums released at the time." - Vinyl Factory

"New age gongs, drones, sax, pastoral guitar, scraped violas … Think Third Ear Band's druid rock meets early Popol Vuh with the obvious chops of a less slick Weather Report"
- Record Collector (4 stars)
See more about them upthread.

"Music Is The Healing Force of the Universe" - Albert Ayler

Despite all the terrible news, we solider on. We have never felt closer to the music we love - in our record collection, or on our roster.

Today only, bandcamp is waiving their commission so all sales go directly to vendors. Please support the labels you love today, including ours ! You can also get ALL 63 Tompkins Square titles up on bandcamp for 75% off. Just click on any album and scroll down for offer.

We made a Spotify playlist for these times - 'Hermit's Delight' - hope it takes you elsewhere for 2 hrs and 48 min.https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3cFEIERvFa1MZyfPn3SfUM?_php=1

NEWS :

Robbie Basho - Selections from Song of the Avatars : The Lost Master Tapes LP will be out on Record Store Day - June 20th, 2020. A 5CD box set of unreleased Robbie Basho music will follow later in 2020.

Sam Burton's debut single, "I Can Go With You", is out now on all digital platforms, and a 7" with two songs from his June debut album is available now. Produced by Jarvis Taveniere (Woods, Purple Mountains).

"Dave Miller has a penchant for melodies that stick with you, in a good way. His latest album provides the joy and the lift we all need right now-- through his bad ass guitar playing, a myriad of unexpected shifts reveal a brilliant sonic universe." - Mary Halvorson

Guitarist Dave Miller releases self-titled album on Tompkins Square, May 22, 2020

HEAR / PRE-ORDER https://tompkinssquare.bandcamp.com/album/dave-miller

Guitarist and composer Dave Miller (Greg Ward’s Rogue Parade, Dustin Laurenzi’s Snaketime, Joe Policastro Trio, Algernon, Ted Sirota’s Rebel Souls), has been a prominent fixture in the Chicago music scene for nearly two decades. His last record, Old Door Phantoms (ears&eyes Records), hailed by Audiophile Audition as “the multi-genre instrumental album of the year”, as well as “a complex and beautiful piece of work” by New City, explored themes of nature, spirituality, and the human condition through the lens of an instrumental psychedelic garage rock band.

Echoes of Neil Young’s Crazy Horse and guitarist ‪Marc Ribot‬ continue into Miller’s new album, Dave Miller, though he has expanded his focus to now include detailed arrangements and more refined production techniques. With the opening of Miller’s new recording studio, Whiskey Point Recording (co-run with ace pianist/engineer, Dan Pierson (V.V. Lightbody)), Miller’s music has become even more alive and exploratory. Beautiful mellotrons collide with fuzzed out guitars over swampy drums and non-ironic bongos, as if ‪Brian Wilson‬ got into a bar fight with The Meters and ‪Link Wray‬ before realizing they were kindred spirits, with Miller composing the score. Miller’s music, above all, aims to create its own utopic universe where all the cool music coexists.

Dave Miller - guitars
Matt Ulery - fender bass (Wild Belle, Greenleaf Music)
Dan Pierson - keyboards (V.V. Lightbody)
Devin Drobka - drums (Field Report)
Juan Pastor - percussion (Howard Levy, Fareed Haque, Miguel Zenón)
Mikel Patrick Avery - tambourine (Joshua Abrams Natural Information Society, Theaster Gates)
Mike Harmon - fender bass (track 4)(V.V. Lightbody)

Dave Miller is featured on Ryley Walker Presents Imaginational Anthem vol 9
http://www.tompkinssquare.com/ia9.html

this looks promising

Yeah---impossible comparisons, but/and promising.

And a new virtual screening possibility that looks to be ov virtue:
Tompkins Square was really looking forward to today. We had hoped to celebrate Record Store Day with a beautiful LP of unreleased music by Robbie Basho. That will have to wait until the new RSD date, June 20th.

Meanwhile, you can support indie record stores by screening a new documentary about New York City's iconic and very missed Other Music. Our label has NYC roots, and we spent many hours at this store.

You can purchase the film from the indie record store or theater of your choice listed on this site. 50% of net proceeds will go to indie record stores, who could use our support at this time.
http://www.factorytwentyfive.com/other-music/

Listen to our Hermit's Delight playlist via Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3cFEIERvFa1MZyfPn3SfUM

no bandcamp link for this yet:

Tompkins Square Releases A Benefit Album for Groceries For Seniors with exclusive music via bandcamp, this Friday May 1.

As part of bandcamp's campaign to waive their fees for artists and labels on Friday May 1, Tompkins Square releases a compilation to benefit Groceries for Seniors. Heroic even in the best of times, this organization is providing vital outreach to seniors in San Francisco during the pandemic.
http://www.groceriesforseniors.org/

The compilation features 15 tracks, EIGHT of which are previously unreleased digitally, including exclusive tracks by Luther Dickinson, Nathan Salsburg, Gwenifer Raymond, Duck Baker and more.

We would very much appreciate your posting our news !
Thank you.

Tracks :

* = Available for the first time digitally

Nathan Salsburg - Blues for Eight Belles (early version) *
Josh Kimbrough - Backyard Hawk (from the forthcoming album, 'Slither, Soar & Disappear'. Out June 5th) *
Wall Matthews - Roping 1 (from Spine River : The Guitar Music of Wall Matthews 1967-1981)
Sam Burton - Everything Must Make It On Its Own (demo) (B side of new 7") *
Kinloch Nelson - Solitudes (New 2020 version. 1968 version appears on 'Partly on Time : Recordings 1968-1970) *
Bill McKay - Freak on the Black Harley (from 'Bill Mackay Plays the Music of John Hulburt')
Bob Brown - In These Flames (from 'Willoughby's Lament')
Dave Miller - Fellow Man (from the forthcoming self-titled album. Out May 22)
Rick Deitrick - Gabrielle (previously unreleased) *
Daniel Mandrychenko - Anti (from 'Anti')
Max Ochs - Imaginational Anthem (1969 version) (from 'Imaginational Anthem vol 1')
Duck Baker - Sheebeg and Sheemore (from the forthcoming album 'Plymouth Rock : Unreleased & Rare Recordings, 1973-1979.' Out July 31) *
Will Beeley - The Homeless Ain't Just Hobos Anymore (from 'Highways & Heart Attacks')
Gwenifer Raymond - Deep Sea Diver (from 7") *
Luther Dickinson - Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen/Peace in the Valley (from the Tompkins Square 78RPM record) *

xxxxpost Echoes of Neil Young’s Crazy Horse and guitarist ‪Marc Ribot‬ continue into Miller’s new album, Dave Miller, though he has expanded his focus to now include detailed arrangements and more refined production techniques...Miller’s music has become even more alive and exploratory. Beautiful mellotrons collide with fuzzed out guitars over swampy drums and non-ironic bongos, as if ‪Brian Wilson‬ got into a bar fight with The Meters and ‪Link Wray‬ before realizing they were kindred spirits, with Miller composing the score. Miller’s music, above all, aims to create its own utopic universe where all the cool music coexists.
Well, first listen does not bring Brian to mind--Neil maybe implicitly, in some of the surprise turns of the first 12 minutes, first three tracks---no Crazy Horse cave stomp, maybe cave art--but the rest of that, incl Ribot's more acerbic hipster jazz turns, in there w Neilian jolts---yeah, and there are at least three tracks, past the first three, that immediately summon Link Wray's speculations, and yeah, picking up the Meters in mid-70s NOLA, heading toward yon high plains truck stop after midnight--but not quite, because the drumming, bongos or whatever, is simpler/stricter than Z. Modeliste's with the actual Meters---most of it is stricter than that, also than the first 13 minutes, although most music is, and "simpler" prob isn't quite the word: more a matter of nerve and focus on just. these. notes, played just so, w/o getting anal about it.
(First 12 minutes might be called "flowery," in sense of tunneling through flowerbeds, coming up and going back in.)
He prob also likes Shuggie Otis, Santo & Johnny, the band Man, Rainbow Bridge---but I'm not enough of a liftologist to spot any lifts. in the spirit, but never the letter, of the Sunwatchers too. O Vintage Youth!
(I may live to regret such effusions, but for now, what the hell.)
Out May 22.

40 minutes, 30 seconds, calm and eventful.

xpost Groceries For Seniors---slight return, now w link:

As part of bandcamp's campaign to waive their fees for artists and labels today, Friday May 1, Tompkins Square releases a compilation to benefit Groceries for Seniors. Heroic even in the best of times, this organization is providing vital outreach to seniors in San Francisco during the pandemic.

The compilation features 15 tracks, EIGHT of which are previously unreleased digitally, including exclusive tracks by Luther Dickinson, Nathan Salsburg, Gwenifer Raymond, Duck Baker and more. The album is only available for a limited time.

Here is a link to the album
https://tompkinssquare.bandcamp.com/album/a-benefit-album-for-groceries-for-seniors

Please consider giving above the minimum donation - it would be greatly appreciated !

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3539788696_10.jpg

See complete tracklist in orig. post here.

Josh Kimbrough - Slither, Soar & Disappear. Out on Tompkins Square, June 19th, 2020

Josh Kimbrough is a fingerstyle guitarist and composer from Chapel Hill, NC. For the last 15 years he’s been a core member of the NC collective, Trekky Records (Lost in the Trees, Phil Cook, Sylvan Esso). He learned to play by studying Freddie King instrumentals and Fernando Sor classical guitar exercises. Josh has teamed up with producer and bass player Jeff Crawford (The Dead Tongues, Big Star’s Third) for the first full length under his own name. Slither, Soar & Disappear is an intimate and immersive song cycle inspired by the natural world, fatherhood, and the joy of solitude. On it, small ensembles of double bass, flute, strings, mandolin, banjo, and drums adorn his nylon and steel string guitar work.

words about the record . . .

Slither, Soar & Disappear is an instrumental, fingerstyle guitar record. It’s an ode to fatherhood and the restorative power of the natural world.

The music came to me on my back deck, where I would go to find solitude while my son, Simon was sleeping. I found that the rustling of squirrels in the leaves, and the hooting of barred owls, among other sights and sounds, would bring me a sense of peace and belonging. I imagined myself and my guitar as part of the chorus of natural sounds.

Fatherhood, I was finding, forces one to abandon parts of the self--a heavy proposition in a society that emphasizes individualism. Cultural critic, farmer, and novelist, Wendell Berry in his book A Native Hill muses, “In order to know the hill, it is necessary to slow the mind down to the hill’s pace.” This principle applied to me at the time as I was adapting to a new speed of life and striving to be present as a father. On the deck, as my mind slowed down to take in the chirps and wind gusts these songs began to blossom.

The following musicians appear on the record:

Casey Toll - bass (Jake Xerxes Fussell, Nathan Bowles Trio)

Jeff Crawford - bass (The Dead Tongues, Big Star’s Third)

Andrew Marlin - mandolin (Mandolin Orange)

Peter Lewis - drums (Skylar Gudasz, Loamlands)

Leah Gibson - cello (Bowerbirds)

Bobby Britt - fiddle (Town Mountain)

Wilson Greene - banjo (Mipso)

Rachel Kiel - flute

Out of the Ashes : A Benefit Album for Minneapolis is out today exclusively via bandcamp. The album features newly recorded tracks by Steve Tibbetts, Charlie Parr, Paul Metzger and more, compiled by local guitarist Matt Sowell. 100% of the proceeds from this album will benefit two organizations in Minneapolis :

MIGIZI acts as a circle of support that nurtures the development of Native American youth in order to unleash their creativity and dreams. Migizi's building was destroyed by fire on May 28th.

Association for Black Economic Power is partnering with PIMENTO to provide black businesses without insurance relief after white supremacists set them on fire during the protests.

Imaginational Anthem Vol. X : Overseas Edition is out today via every digital service ! Buy via bandcamp and receive a pdf booklet with artist photos and notes by compilation producer Marcus Obst (Dying for Bad Music).

Josh Kimbrough - Slither, Soar & Disappear - Exclusive pre-order via bandcamp. Album out June 19th.

100% of Josh Kimbrough's sales today via bandcamp will go to BUMP, a NC-based non-profit education organization fostering urban youth empowerment through African Diaspora music.

Chicago-based guitarist Dave Miller drops two new songs from the sessions that produced his recent, acclaimed self-titled Tompkins Square debut, exclusively via bandcamp. If you haven't heard the album, today is a good day to get it.

100% of proceeds from the single today will go to Black Lives Matter.

"Dave Miller has a penchant for melodies that stick with you, in a good way. His latest album provides the joy and the lift we all need right now-- through his bad ass guitar playing, a myriad of unexpected shifts reveal a brilliant sonic universe."
- Mary Halvorson

Mossy Kilcher’s 1977 Private Press Double-LP ‘Northwind Calling’ out digitally worldwide via Tompkins Square, July 10

Hear/Post A Track: https://soundcloud.com/tompkinssquare/coyotes-cry-by-mossy-kilcher (some related tracks after that)

Over the years, unearthed folk records by lost sirens have made their way beyond hardcore collectors into the collective consciousness of the indie music-buying public: Vashti Bunyan, Linda Perhacs, Sibylle Baier, Tia Blake, Connie Converse, to name a few.

One such artist recorded a self-released (and now, very expensive) double LP in 1977, issued under her name at the time - Mossy Davidson - mainly for her family and friends. What sets Mossy Kilcher apart from the other Lost Women of Song is that she is from . . . Alaska. And the album is a love letter to the land outside of Homer where her family built a homestead and lived as pioneers beginning in the late 1930’s, and where she resides to this day.

Some may remember the Kilchers from a reality show, ‘Alaska: The Last Frontier,’ which premiered on Discovery Channel in December 2011. A musical family, the Kilchers also produced Alaska’s most successful recording artist of all time, Mossy’s niece, Jewel. Jewel lived with Mossy at Seaside Farm in Homer as a teenager. “Jewel would be my horse-riding sidekick, helping me out on the farm,” Mossy said. The two performed together on a televised Christmas special filmed in Nashville in 2016.

Musically, ‘Northwind Calling’ is fascinating all on its own, even without the backstory. The gentle accompaniment of 12 and 6-string guitar, harmonica, banjo, flute and piano is so sympathetic and exquisitely placed. Mossy’s reedy woodwind of a voice is full of feeling and seemingly untainted by and firmly outside the era’s commercial singer-songwriter machinery or conventions. A tinge of unintended psychedelia and natural sound effects take it all over the top.

Tompkins Square’s Josh Rosenthal made a special trip with his daughters to Homer last summer and spent time with Mossy at Seaside Farm. It was an unforgettable experience, and the beauty of Mossy’s album coupled with the natural surroundings and Kilcher Homestead - it all came together. Tompkins Square is very proud to bring this album to many more ears – in Alaska and all around the world!
----------------
From the original liner notes:

These songs are for you ~

My dear children, family, and friends, and for all who have felt the enchantment of the North Country ~

for my 7 sisters and brothers
and the close times we shared singing together ~

songs of our hopes and dreams,
and the adventures of growing up in a log cabin in the wilderness ~

where we learned to make our own music

~ singing along with the music of nature
~ with the coyote's cry,
and the calling of the seabirds ~

for times of travelling by
horse and wagon
along the beach of
Kachemak Bay ~

where the Fox Sparrow sings high above the windy shore ~

where the eagle soars ~

and where the melody of the Hermit Thrush echoes
from the deep, wild canyons
and mossy forests ~

the true music of Alaska~

for my pioneer parents, Ruth and Yule,
who came from Switzerland
to homestead in Alaska in the 1940's ~
and who taught us the folksongs of the old country ~

for the last wild places where someday our children also may go to daydream and explore nature,
for the salmon returning,
for the old timers who have gone,
for all who live close to the land,
for the seasons and the times ever changing ~

Love,
Mairiis (Mossy)

Exciting things happening today ! It's June 19th (Juneteenth), and bandcamp is donating its revenue share to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. We will match their % of today's sales and donate it to the NAACP as well. Among the new offerings on our bandcamp page :

> North Carolina guitarist Josh Kimbrough's new album, Slither, Soar & Disappear is out today !

> Several catalog titles added to our bandcamp page for the first time, including albums by Charles Gayle, Giuseppi Logan and Teodross Avery (duo album w/Marvin "Bugalu" Smith (Sun Ra, Archie Shepp))

> A digital pdf booklet designed by Grammy-winner Susan Archie has been added to No Other Love : Midwest Gospel 1965-1978. We add this today because the notes by producer Ramona Stout are extremely powerful and relevant right now.

> Thanks to many of you, we have raised many thousands of dollars for causes in Minneapolis in the aftermath of destructive fires through bandcamp purchases of Out of the Ashes : A Benefit Album for Minneapolis. If you have not purchased it yet, today is a great day to do so, because you will be supporting Migizi (Native American org whose facility was destroyed), ABEP (Black businesses torched by white supremacists) AND the NAACP. 100% of proceeds will go to those organizations.

It's all happening today on bandcamp.

Thanks as always for your support !

> "Sky Breaking, Clouds Falling" from Brooklyn-based guitarist Mason Lindahl is available on every digital platform, worldwide. His Tompkins Square debut album will be out October 16th (Digital/ Ltd Ed LP).

Bandcamp Spotify Apple Amazon Tidal

> Several catalog titles added to our bandcamp page for the first time, including albums by Michael Chapman, Roland White and Sonny Clark.https://tompkinssquare.bandcamp.com/
Also got all of https://tompkinssquare.bandcamp.com/album/imaginational-anthem-vol-x-overseas-edition
and xpost thee amazing D-D-D-Dave Miller, Brothers and Sisters! https://tompkinssquare.bandcamp.com/album/dave-miller

Robbie Basho - Selections from Song of the Avatars : The Lost Master Tapes - Vinyl LP Exclusively Available at Independent Record Stores for Record Store Day (Drop #2), September 26th

Robbie Basho (1940-1986) is widely regarded as one of the progenitors of what's commonly known today as American Primitive guitar. Growing up in Maryland alongside neo-traditional guitar explorers John Fahey and Max Ochs, Basho's path would take a decidedly different turn, bringing Hindi, Indian, Japanese and Native American musical traditions into his work. His albums for Takoma and Vanguard have left an indelible trail of influence across generations of musicians, from William Ackerman and Pete Townshend to Ben Chasny and William Tyler.

Liam Barker first became aware of Basho having purchased Tompkins Square's reissue of Venus in Cancer, released in 2006. This led him on an incredible fact-finding expedition, unraveling the many layers of mystery surrounding Basho's life and death, all deftly compiled and depicted in his documentary film, Voice of the Eagle : The Enigma of Robbie Basho.

During the research process, Barker came across a large cache of unheard Basho tapes recorded throughout his career, ranging roughly from 1965-1985. By arrangement with Basho's Estate and the original custodians of the tapes, Tompkins Square is set to release Song of the Avatars : The Lost Master Tapes, a 5CD set of previously unreleased material, on December 4th, 2020. The set includes notes by Barker, Henry Kaiser, Steffen Basho-Junghans, Glenn Jones and Richard Osborn, as well as many unseen photographs.

Selections from Song of the Avatars : The Lost Master Tapes vinyl LP will be exclusively available at independent record stores worldwide on September 26th. The best way to obtain a copy is to ask your favorite record store in advance if they plan to carry the set. A full list of participating record stores is HERE.https://recordstoreday.com/Stores

TSQ 5722 - Robbie Basho / Selections from Song of the Avatars : The Lost Master Tapes - vinyl LP

Some goood shit here, good range too, don't sleep on Roscoe and Roland:
The following CD's are $6 each thru Friday, October 30 !! :

Polk Miller & His Old South Quartette
(Grammy-nominated historical set. Mark Twain-approved)
Face A Frowning World : An E.C. Ball Memorial Album
(w/Michael Hurley, Jon Langford, Bonnie "Prince" Billy)
Philip Lewin - Am I Really Here All Alone ?
Charles Gayle - Time Zones
Tom Armstrong - The Sky Is An Empty Eye
Roscoe Holcomb -San Diego State Folk Festival 1972
Max Ochs - Hooray For Another Day
Imaginational Anthem vol 8 : The Private Press
Bob Brown - Willoughby's Lament
(Produced by Richie Havens)
Daniel Bachman - Jesus I'm A Sinner
Tim Buckley - Live at Folklore Center, NYC - March 6, 1967
Brigid Mae Power - The Two Worlds
Harvey Mandel - Snake Pit
Duck Baker - Les Blues du Richmond : Demos & Outtakes, 1973-1979
Roland White - I Wasn't Born to Rock 'n Roll
John Hulburt - Opus III
(Reissue produced by Ryley Walker)
Lena Hughes - Queen of the Flat Top Guitar
(Liner notes by John Renbourn)
Imaginational Anthem vol. 5
(Exclusive tracks by Steve Gunn, Bill Orcutt, Daniel Bachman et al)

15th Anniversary Spotify Playlist:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4uiu05uzg7qB17xNRBee7c?si=qE12oHGNS-aVD7AGi9E1uw

2020 : A Couch Odyssey is a sampling of our output thus far this year.
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0GUymsKmbgK6lqfQxWLut6

Lena Hughes - Queen of the Flat Top Guitar

incredible record

yeah so nice — she's on this comp, too, which scratches the same itch: https://www.discogs.com/Estil-C-Ball-Earl-Blair-Lena-Hughes-Lewis-Thomasson-Rural-Parlor-Guitar/release/12120837

Oho: https://tompkinssquare.bandcamp.com/album/selections-from-song-of-the-avatars-the-lost-master-tapes
https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a2505370611_10.jpg

Oh here's thee whole:

Robbie Basho - Song of the Avatars : The Lost Master Tapes - 5CD set Available Now

All tracks previously unreleased

"I think anybody, any young guitar player that hears his music today, would be influenced by him. It's beautiful and eloquent and profound, and full of love and devotion and melancholy."
- Pete Townshend

★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 - ALL MUSIC

★ ★ ★ ★ - MOJO

ORDER via Tompkins Square (US Only)

ORDER via AMAZON

NPR Morning Edition Feature

Hear 'Selections from . . .'
Spotify / Apple / Tidal / bandcamp

Robbie Basho (1940-1986) is widely regarded as one of the progenitors of what's commonly known today as American Primitive guitar. Growing up in Maryland alongside neo-traditional guitar explorers John Fahey and Max Ochs, Basho's path would take a decidedly different turn, bringing Hindi, Indian, Japanese and Native American musical traditions into his work. His albums for Takoma and Vanguard have left an indelible trail of influence across generations of musicians, from William Ackerman and Pete Townshend to Ben Chasny and William Tyler.

Liam Barker first became aware of Basho having purchased Tompkins Square's reissue of Venus in Cancer, released in 2006. This led him on an incredible fact-finding expedition, unraveling the many layers of mystery surrounding Basho's life and death, all deftly compiled and depicted in his documentary film, Voice of the Eagle : The Enigma of Robbie Basho.

During the research process, Barker came across a large cache of unheard Basho tapes recorded throughout his career, ranging roughly from 1965-1985. By arrangement with Basho's Estate and the original custodians of the tapes, Tompkins Square has released Song of the Avatars : The Lost Master Tapes, a 5CD set of previously unreleased material. The set includes notes by Barker, Henry Kaiser, Steffen Basho-Junghans, Ronnie Dawson, Glenn Jones and Richard Osborn, as well as many unseen photographs. The box set package featuring gold foil inlay, poster and extensive booklet, was designed by Barbara Bersche, known for her work on the 2009 Grammy-nominated Alan Lomax in Haiti box, as well as the new Dust-To-Digital Harry Smith B-Sides box.
https://ci4.googleusercontent.com/proxy/snbDxbbsa8kmsLVtUXEtRyaR6B7jQpgSCQwRhFtGwrT5cV6GbS3Jyi1S9_rIpID2UmT76094wNsnfA0J71XA0jE-0Et-lghR4OdnE6jTaPNWG90WlQNnIoDjNoMaoHg4gURfRqPwzuaf=s0-d-e1-ft#https://files.constantcontact.com/877158f6001/94985d17-9261-41b1-9508-7003784b554d.jpg/

SHEFFIELD UK - BASED MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST BOBBY LEE RELEASES ORIGIN MYTHS via TOMPKINS SQUARE.

March 5th digital, May 7th vinyl LP (Ltd Ed 600)
(Note : The digital version has 8 songs ; the LP will have 12 songs)

Hear/Post A Track:
https://soundcloud.com/tompkinssquare/broken-prayer-stick
Bobby Lee trades in a wide screen brand of cosmic country-folk, full of space and pawn shop guitars. There are touches of JJ Cale's analogue Americana, the swampy groove of Tony Joe White and Richard Thompson's sinewy, modal guitar work. Amps hum in the warm afternoon sun, kids and dogs snooze on the grass and broken drum machines keep time with the universe…Open sky/scorched earth improvisations recorded to four track tape during the rare moments of solitude afforded by lockdown and early fatherhood. Bobby Lee’s “worn-denim psych-country” remains, but the ancestral spirits of Ashra, Popol Vuh and Terry Riley are present here too. Time and technological limitations have been embraced. A song dreamt up, tracked and mixed in an afternoon, never to be tampered with again. Imperfections allowed to stand; knowing that nothing is ever truly finished. The Bob Ross school of philosophy.

“Overdriven drum-machine low slung choogle" - MOJO

“The further Bobby unmoors himself from songs and heads towards long-form abstraction, the more engrossing it becomes” - UNCUT

https://f4.bcbits.com/img/a3484584777_10.jpg

Robbie Basho - Song of the Avatars : The Lost Master Tapes sold out in a flash. Today, the entire 5CD set is available via bandcamp. Download includes a pdf of the 48p booklet.
https://tompkinssquare.bandcamp.com/album/song-of-the-avatars-the-lost-master-tapes

https://www.npr.org/2020/12/04/940190972/song-of-the-avatars-resurrects-guitarist-robbie-bashos-lost-recordings

Happy 70th Birthday, Will Beeley ! To mark the occasion, we are releasing 1970 Sessions exclusively via bandcamp today. https://tompkinssquare.bandcamp.com/album/1970-sessions (A portion of proceeds will benefit hunger relief in NM and TX) This album was recorded as the follow up to Gallivantin', and never heard until today.

OurGallivantin' reissue and Will's 2018 "comeback" LP Highways & Heart Attacks are both on sale today via bandcamp.
https://www.npr.org/2019/07/13/741391179/will-beeley-on-trucking-and-songwriting

That Bobby Lee record is great. Kinda came outta nowhere

Tompkins Square label's Spring Sale !
Thru April 30, grab $5 CDs

"Not undermining records, but CDs are just plain cool.”
- Ryley Walker

All hail the CD. We still love 'em. Take advantage of our Spring Sale.

Buying is EASY. Select the items you want, add them up, and PayPal us the total using this link. List the items you want in your PayPal notes. Shipping is FREE in the US ! Add $15 for Canada. Add $25 everywhere else.

**A minimum order of two items is required for this sale **

The following CDs are $5 each, this week only :

Harvey Mandel - Snake Pit
Gwenifer Raymond - Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain
Tim Buckley - Live at the Folklore Center, 1967
Will Beeley - Gallivantin'
Harry Taussig - Fate Is Only Once
Tom Armstrong - The Sky Is An Empty Eye
Roland White - I Wasn't Born to Rock & Roll . . .
Duck Baker - Les Blues du Richmond : 73-79
Imaginational Anthem vol. 8 : The Private Press
Philip Lewin - Am I Really Here All Alone ?
Will Beeley - Highways & Heart Attacks
Harry Taussig - Fate Is Only Twice
Spencer Moore - s/t
Richard Osborn - Endless
Polk Miller - & His Old South Quartette
Sam Burton - I Can Go With You
Bob Brown - Willoughby's Lament
John Hulburt - Opus III
Brigid Mae Power - The Two Worlds
Ryley Walker Presents Imaginational Anthem vol 9
Daniel Bachman - Jesus I'm A Sinner

------------------------------------

Recents:
Bobby Lee
Mason Lindahl
Will Beeley
Gwenifer Raymond
Robbie Basho

Listen to songs from many of our releases via SoundCloud

link for sale: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/TompkinsSquare

harry taussig -fate is only twice is a good un

LONDON-BASED MUSICAL POLYMATH ELSA HEWITT RELEASES 'LUPA'

VINYL LP on Tompkins Square

Listen / download / pre-order LP via bandcamp
https://tompkinssquare.bandcamp.com/album/lupa
released April 30, 2021

Elsa Hewitt is a London-based music producer and writer hailing from Sussex, via Yorkshire. Beginning as a young singer-songwriter producing demos on a four-track, she progressed through fronting post-punk bands and solo electronic songwriting, all the while developing a passion for album-making which would ultimately lead her to electronic production, establishing her name producing avant-garde, experimental & ambient, leftfield dance, and lo-fi, psychedelia. Since her 2017 official debut ‘Cameras From Mars’, stepping onto the scene as a Future Bubbler and Lynsey de Paul Prize winner, Hewitt has amassed a series of distinct yet interlinked philosophical worlds; each one holding its own tones of joyful beauty and abstract darkness. With a boundless approach to merging elements of dance & ambient, Hewitt’s adventurous approach remains pinned by her earthy voice, idiosyncratic songwriting style and sharply poetic lyricism.

Tompkins v. generous w streams on bandcamp.

RECORD STORE DAY NEWS !

Tompkins Square will release Ruthann Friedman - Hurried Life : Lost Recordings 1965-1971 for Record Store Day (NA) July 17th, 2021 (Aug 20th outside NA)

Limited edition of 1000
Her first music on vinyl LP since 1969 !
"Windy blue" colored vinyl

This LP will be available exclusively at independent retail stores for Record Store Day. Find a participating store near you here.https://recordstoreday.com/Stores

In 1967, the folk-pop group The Association had a massive hit with a song called “Windy” penned by an unknown young woman named Ruthann Friedman. Two years later, she released her own album Constant Companion on Warner/Reprise Records that sounded nothing like “Windy” – it had more in common with her labelmate Joni Mitchell or cult-hero Linda Perhacs. Decades later, Ruthann would be declared an “astral folk goddess” and championed by the likes of Devendra Banhart.

Around that time, reissue producer Pat Thomas compiled a collection of previously unreleased demos, home recordings, and lost songs circa 1965-1971 from Ruthann's personal archive including the original version of "Windy."

Titled Hurried Life, Ruthann recently declared, “That’s the one that I really like - that was the first time going back into the archives to find songs that might be reissued. I think those were representative of me.”

** HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RUTHANN who turns 77 today (July 6th) ! **

Notes by Pat Thomas
Produced for reissue by Nathaniel Russell and Pat Thomas

1. Hurried Life
2. That's All Right
3. Sky Is Moving South
4. Looking Glass
5. Silver Bird
6. Between the Lines
7. I'm Askin'
8. Windy
9. Typical Sunday
10. Southern Comfortable
11. Alone At Last
12. Boy Took A Ticket
13. Method Madness
14. Little Girl Lost & Found
15. To Treat A Friend
Limited Ed LP : TSQ 5814
Tompkins Square is distributed in NA by Ingrooves and Revolver, Cargo UK for Europe
-------------------------------------------

NEW : Russell Potter reissues -
A Stone's Throw (1979) / Neither Here Nor There (1981)

This LP will be available exclusively at independent retail stores for Record Store Day

for Record Store Day (NA) July 17th, 2021 (Aug 20th outside NA)

Cool. This stupid fucking "holiday".

The recent Russell Potter is streaming here: https://tompkinssquare.bandcamp.com/album/a-stones-throw
Buy one or both of RUSSELL POTTER's private press LPs via our site or bandcamp, get a FREE CD of Imaginational Anthem vol 8 : The Private Press - the one that started it all !!! - plus we'll throw in one "mystery" CD ! (Good thru Aug 27)

BUY Russell Potter's LPs via bandcamp / via Tompkins Square

PRAISE FOR RUSSELL POTTER :

“One listen to Potter’s lone albums will make you wish the guitarist’s recording career hadn't ended so abruptly. His playing is articulate but warm, proficient yet soulful.” - Vintage Guitar

“He’s a deft guitarist putting his own youthful spin on the music, combining the processional melodies of UK folk with the rawer dirges and dissonance of Appalachian music.” - UNCUT

"Both are fantastic. The earlier LP is crackling with energy and the excitable spirit of someone who has cracked a musical code and wants to share his findings with the world. The latter is much more controlled and contained as Potter’s studies of his chosen instrument allowed him to explore more textured compositions and traditional folk music from Europe.”
- PASTE

"Two excellent and obscure guitar soli LPs from the late 1970s and early 1980s. Russell Potter showed up a few years ago on the mind-bending Imaginational Anthem: The Private Press, and it’s great to hear more from his fertile imagination. On this pair of albums, Potter proves himself to be an extremely versatile player — there’s 12-string mysticism a la Basho, warm Kottke-ish moments, glances across the pond at Renbourn and Jansch … Whatever he gets up to, there’s always a sense of playfulness and a lightness of touch. Most interesting of all is the electrified, almost punk-ish rendition of Fahey’s “Dance of the Inhabitants.” Kind of hilarious, but kind of awesome, too.”
- Tyler Wilcox (Doom & Gloom / Aquarium Drunkard)

--------------------------------------------

The latest in a series of reissues spawned from Imaginational Anthem Volume 8 : The Private Press, following Conklin/Blum - Jackdaw, Tom Armstrong - The Sky Is An Empty Eye, and Rick Deitrick - Gentle Wilderness/River Sun River Moon.

Limited Ed LPs (500)
A Stone's Throw - TSQ5791 / Neither Here Nor There - TSQ 5807

PRE-ORDER Rick Deitrick - Coyote Canyon - out Aug 27th !!
bandcamp /Tompkins Square

Bola Sete - Samba in Seattle : Live at the Penthouse, 1966-1968 - a 3CD set of previously unreleased live recordings. Available worldwide December 3, 2021 via Tompkins Square.

Bola Sete - Samba in Seattle : Live at the Penthouse, 1966-1968 is the first official release of the legendary and influential Brazilian acoustic guitarist BOLA SETE's live recordings at the Penthouse jazz club in Seattle, WA featuring bassist SEBASTIÃO NETO and drummer PAULINHO MAGALHÃES.

Produced by Grammy-nominated jazz detective Zev Feldman, and remastered from the original tape reels in cooperation with The Bola Sete Estate, this deluxe 3-CD set includes an extensive 40 page booklet with rare photos from The Penthouse; essay by music critic Greg Casseus (aka Greg Caz); new interviews and statements by guitar icon Carlos Santana, legendary composer/pianist Lalo Schifrin, Sete's friend, pianist and producer, George Winston, and Bola Sete's widow Anne Sete; plus an effusive tribute by the late guitar great John Fahey.

Samba in Seattle is a significant addition to the recorded legacy of an oft–sampled musician (A Tribe Called Quest, J Dilla and Dan The Automator) whose career straddled bossa nova, jazz–pop and early New Age.

TSQ5852

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=osLby9iruK8

Rick Deitrick - Coyote Canyon - Available TODAY
on every digital platform worldwide and on Ltd Ed Vinyl LP (500) (TSQ5838)

BUY LP via bandcamp
BUY LP via Tompkins Square

Coyote Canyon is the fourth Rick Deitrick album released by Tompkins Square, and the eighth album of guitar music spawned from the label's 2016 album, Imaginational Anthem vol. 8 : The Private Press. Others include Conklin/Blum - Jackdaw, Tom Armstrong - The Sky Is An Empty Eye, Rick Deitrick - Gentle Wilderness, Homegrown and River Sun River Moon, and Russell Potter - A Stone’s Throw and Neither Here Nor There.

Coyote Canyon was recorded 1972-1975 (except "Three Sisters" recorded 1999)

From Rick :

Coyote Canyon is a wilderness area behind my daughter's house where coyotes gather and howl before taking off for their nightly foraging. Little Tujunga (pronounced "Tuhunga") is a river running through the Angeles Forest near a house I lived in five decades ago. Half my ideas for this piece came from onshore guitar ruminating. The rest was improvised in studio. Emma was my close and sweet companion during this period, a lifelong deep friend. I composed her song one evening at the kitchen table of our place while she was cooking. Tumbleweedin' describes a desert tumbleweed storm. I menaced every inch of the Yamaha, recreating the effect of these windblown monsters screeching along boulders, smacking into cactus and anything else in their way at often impossible speeds, following the whims of the heavy winds. This song was completely improvised at the moment in studio and forgotten. Roy's Rain is a tribute to my great good friend and musician killed in a car accident in 1973. I found For Marsha (Version 2) on a well-worn studio tape. It's a variant of the same composition on the Gentle Wilderness album. I like this loose and flowy version. Movin' On has one thing on its mind -- getting away fast and now. Going Home is my improvised take on an American root song. The above seven were recorded between 1972-1975. Three Sisters was recorded on a 20-minute studio break in 1999 describing three barren red hills somewhere in the Arizona desert, a cherished location.

Who’s Calling, the new single by Harvey Mandel - released via every digital platform worldwide today, on his 77th birthday !!

Harvey played with Canned Heat at Woodstock, with John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, on ‘Black & Blue’ by The Rolling Stones, and released many solo albums since his 1968 debut album, including Snake Pit on Tompkins Square, 2016.

The new single features :

Harvey Mandel - gtr
Andy Hess - b (Govt Mule, Black Crowes)
Ryan Jewell - dr (Ryley Walker, Laraaji)

Pay-what-you-want download via bandcamp
https://tompkinssquare.bandcamp.com/track/whos-calling
Stream It: https://ingrv.es/who-s-calling-ywc-3

Guitarist Russell Potter produced Ohio bluegrass outfit Hot Foot Quartet's cover of Devo's "Mongoloid", recorded at the famed Boddie Studios in 1979. His retelling of the whole story is here.https://russellapotter.blogspot.com/p/bluegrass-version-of-mongoloid.html

** Russell has given us two signed copies of this mega-rare 7" single !! You are automatically entered to win one if you buy one or both of Russell Potter's LPs (A Stone's Throw / Volume II : Neither Here Nor There) via bandcamp or via Tompkins Square - now through March 18 !

PRAISE FOR RUSSELL POTTER :(see upthread)

Bola Sete!
★ ★ ★ ★ - MOJO !
★ ★ ★ ★ - UNCUT !
★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 stars - Downbeat !
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ - All Music !
KCRW Song of the Day !
NPR Music Best of 2021 Pick

“There is only one Bola”
- Carlos Santana, 2021

Disc 1 of our 3CD set (the 1966 show) is now available via every digital platform, worldwide !

Full album download and 3CD set available via bandcamp.

Buy the 3CD set via Tompkins Square.

Bola Sete : Samba in Seattle - Live at the Penthouse, 1966-1968
TSQ 5791

Greetings and Happy Spring to all !

We've been busy making records with new artists and working on archival projects. Most are either in production, or in late stages of completion. There’s been a bit of a lull this year - not our usual release-a-month clip, perhaps you’ve noticed. Some of this is self-imposed - to take a break, go to Europe etc. - some of it is market forces, such as the lag in vinyl production, delays in recording due to Covid, and other things. Despite all the turmoil in the world, we remain laser-focused on our Mission...

We will have two NEW releases for you June 5th ! And more exciting announcements to come. Meanwhile . . .

Gwenifer Raymond’s Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain will be available again on CD in a couple of months. She’s playing WOMAD, End of the Road and many other festivals, as well as dates with Ryley Walker and Yasmin Williams this summer. Rumor has it we might even see her Stateside this year.

Bobby Lee is completing a new album for Tompkins Square and playing some upcoming dates with someone you know.

Guitarist Russell Potter, whose two 70’s private press LPs are ON SALE today for 10 bucks, was recently interviewed by Rick Moody ! https://salmagundi.skidmore.edu/articles/367-the-home-key-5

Wall Matthews, surviving member of Folkways collective Entourage, was recently interviewed by In Sheep’s Clothing !https://insheepsclothinghifi.com/entourage-music-theater-ensemble/
Disc 2 (1967 show) of our acclaimed Bola Sete live 3CD set is now available digitally via your favorite digital platform. The 3CDs set is only $25 on our bandcamp page.
★ ★ ★ ★ - MOJO !
★ ★ ★ ★ - UNCUT !
★ ★ ★ ★ 1/2 stars - Downbeat !
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ - All Music !

No Other Love : Midwest Gospel, 1965-1978 was recently selected as a 'Best Gospel Deep Cuts' title by bandcamp !

Legendary guitarist Harvey Mandel’s new album with Ryan Jewel (Ryley Walker, Laraaji) and Andy Hess (Govt Mule, Black Crowes) is almost done. We released a single: https://ingrv.es/who-s-calling-ywc-3 Hot tip : His last album Snake Pit is SOLD OUT on vinyl, except for whatever’s left on our bandcamp page…
Roland White passed away on April 1st in Nashville. We reissued his classic 1976 LP, I Wasn’t Born to Rock n' Roll (But I Love to Cook and enjoyed spending time with Roland in Nashville, hearing stories about his late brother Clarence, Bill Monroe and so much more. He was a lovely person, and contributed mightily to Bluegrass.

Also enjoying Roland White and Friends' (incl. youngbloods, from the Gracals, for inst) A Tribute To The Kentucky Colonels, which reworks several tracks from the KCs' 1964 (before Clarence joined the Byrds)Appalachian Swing. If that title appeals to you, you'll probably dig this set.

really wish they'd repress that Bobby Lee LP. only way i can get it right now, as far as i know, is to pay crazy shipping from Europe.

Two new releases, starting with one that somebody shoulda done lonnng ago:

'Luke Schneider Presents Imaginational Anthem vol. XI : Chrome Universal - A Survey of Modern Pedal Steel' out on Cassette June 3, 2022 ! (TSQ 5890)

BUY via bandcamp
BUY via Tompkins Square
DEMAND it from yr local indie store !

Curated by in-demand Nashville pedal steel maverick and Third Man recording artist Luke Schneider, the eleventh volume of Tompkins Square’s venerable Imaginational Anthem acoustic guitar series features exclusive tracks by legend BJ Cole, as well as leading exponents on the instrument including Susan Alcorn, Luke himself, and British expat /Nashville hotshot Spencer Cullum among others. Nashville native and Merge recording artist William Tyler has written a beautiful detailed history of the pedal steel for the package (CD & LP versions only).

We will release on other formats later. This is our first-ever cassette.

*** To celebrate the release, ALL Imaginational Anthem series CDs and LPs are now $10 on bandcamp ! ***

We also scared up a few vol 1-5 box sets with live William Tyler CD bonus disc, ltd ed of 1000, long sold out.

Dave Miller's xpost s/t was a Top Ten for me---mostly a band record; this one is all solo acoustic:

Dave Miller - Daughter of Experience
Out today everywhere !
via Your favorite digital platform (choose) https://ingrv.es/daughter-of-experien-ghi-8
via bandcamp
Guitarist and composer, Dave Miller (Algernon, Greg Ward’s Rogue Parade, Ted Sirota’s Rebel Souls, Jazz at Lincoln Center, The Scientist, Patricia Barber, Joe Policastro Trio, etc), has been a prominent fixture in the Chicago creative music scene for nearly two decades. His last album (Dave Miller, Tompkins Square, 2020) received unanimously positive reception from publications, including Mojo Magazine and Fretboard Journal. It was hailed by Cult MTL as ”The psychedelic record Booker T and the MGs never made” while the widely celebrated guitar trailblazer, Mary Halvorson, gushed “Dave Miller has a penchant for melodies that stick with you, in a good way. His latest album provides the joy and the lift we all need right now-- through his bad ass guitar playing, a myriad of unexpected shifts reveal a brilliant sonic universe.”
Since the album’s release, never one to rest on his laurels, Miller has lead a quartet with legendary drummer, Jeff “Tain” Watts, performed at Chicago’s Symphony Hall with Greg Ward’s Rogue Parade, and held down the guitar chair for Terence Blanchard’s masterful opera, Fire Shut Up In My Bones at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. On the heels of these accomplishments, Miller has taken a musical right turn, positioning his guitar playing front and center on his new release, Daughter of Experience (Tompkins Square, 6/3/22).
In the midst of mixing Dave Miller at his Chicago studio, Whiskey Point Recording, Dave retreated to the Catskill Mountains for two weeks to write a new record. Despite the intent of at least demoing the resulting material in the studio he was renting while there, he ended up primarily playing a lot of acoustic guitar outside, taking in the solitude, fresh air, and beautiful scenery. Given the full-band electric, ecstatic, and celebratory nature of Dave Miller, this trip, predictably, bore a different breed of musical fruit. Fittingly, Miller recorded these performances alone, entirely on an antique acoustic parlor guitar.
Each of Miller’s solo offerings tend to occupy its own individual stylistic and sonic universe, the through lines being Miller’s singular, melody-driven songwriting and his emotionally-fueled, instantly recognizable guitar playing. Daughter follows suit, but is distinct in that it is his first specifically solo guitar album and his first playing acoustic guitar, exclusively. Did we mention it must be one of the most difficult guitars in existence to play and that it began to literally fall apart during the making of the record? [Insert witty comments here about artist suffering for his art and art imitating life].
And as the world shut down, Miller, once again, retreated into solitude, this time back to Whiskey Point, where developing and recording these pieces became a daily meditation. The resulting unedited performances, stark and vulnerable, capture much of the feeling he experienced while in communion with the natural beauty and rich musical history of the Catskill region. Miller’s “And Haze and Vista” recalls the soul-infused Americana of Woodstock luminary, Bobby Charles. His reduction of Brian Wilson’s sprawling “Wonderful” takes the piece out of sunny California and into the mountainous woods of upstate New York.
Miller, here, also tackles Duke Ellington’s “Single Petal of a Rose”, viewing this masterpiece through a roots music lens, falling somewhere between Marc Ribot and Gabor Szabo. His performance of ace composer Matt Ulery’s “Lushing” (commissioned by Miller specifically for this record) plays as if in an alternate reality where Joe Pass arranged the music of the Impressionists. And, perhaps the most traditional of the pieces, Miller’s own “O Envious Age!” recalls the feeling of a Neil Young lamentation.
Throughout the entirety of Daughter of Experience, Miller’s utterly unique voice on the guitar, steeped in the blues and brimming with soul, is on full display, making for an incredibly intimate and emotional listening experience. He takes his time, breathing through the demanding material, squeezing the beauty out of every phrase. In effect, the album feels like front porch music for the concert hall.
As of this writing, the world has mostly opened up again, reverting back to its old ways, for better or worse. Similarly, Miller has emerged out of solitude once more, though not without a certain hard-won wisdom and inspiration. The world, nature, and one’s own life remain mysterious and unpredictable. As is evident in the music on Daughter of Experience, Miller is content to find, embrace, and express the beauty in any and all of it.

Searching In Grenoble: The 1978 Solo Piano Concert is a previously unissued recording of jazz icon Mal Waldron's mesmerizing performance at the "Five Days of Jazz" series in Grenoble, France on March 23, 1978.

Waldron was Billie Holiday’s final accompanist, played on classic sessions with John Coltrane, Charles Mingus and Eric Dolphy among others, and recorded dozens of solo albums as a leader before his passing in 2002.

Originally produced by the legendary André Francís and transferred from the original Radio France tapes, this is the first official release of this music in cooperation with the Mal Waldron Estate and Ina (The Institut national de l'audiovisuel). The beautifully designed, deluxe 2-CD set includes photos by K. Abe, Brian McMillen and Raymond Ross; an extensive 24-page booklet with a heartfelt statement by Mal's daughter Mala Waldron, plus essays by producer/"Jazz Detective" Zev Feldman, journalist Adam Shatz and Ina's Pascal Rozat; and interviews with modern jazz piano luminaries Ran Blake and Matthew Shipp. Searching In Grenoble features classic Waldron originals such as "Soul Eyes" and "All Alone," and jazz standards "You Don't Know What Love Is," "It Could Happen to You" and "I Thought About You.”

The 2CD set will be available worldwide September 23rd on Tompkins Square (TSQ5906), and was produced for release by Zev Feldman and Josh Rosenthal.

Tompkins Square has released jazz recordings by Sonny Clark, Ran Blake, Calvin Keys, Bola Sete, Giuseppi Logan, Charles Gayle, and Bern Nix among others.

Pre-Order Links :

bandcamp / Amazon / Indie

I know he's not exactly the usual Tompkins Square type, but I was really glad to see there's another Harvey Mandel record coming out. A trio record this time with Andy Hess (former Gov't Mule) on bass and Ryan Jewell on drums.

Yep--

HARVEY MANDEL - WHO'S CALLING
NEW ALBUM OUT DECEMBER 9th, 2022

Harvey Mandel is among the most innovative guitarists to emerge from the Chicago blues scene of the late 1960s. His career began at Twist City and other local hotspots, sharing stages with Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Buddy Guy. He came up in that scene alongside Charlie Musselwhite, Mike Bloomfield, Barry Goldberg and Steve Miller, leading to an invitation from Bill Graham to open for Cream at San Francisco's Fillmore Auditorium in August 1967.

Mandel was a member of Canned Heat, appearing with them at Woodstock. He played on numerous John Mayall albums, and on the Rolling Stones' 1975 LP Black and Blue ("Hot Stuff", "Memory Motel"), having auditioned for Mick Taylor's job, which ultimately went to Ron Wood.

Who’s Calling is the 16th album under Harvey Mandel’s name as a leader, and his second for Tompkins Square following the 2016 acclaimed comeback, Snake Pit. Joined by drummer and co-producer Ryan Jewell (Ryley Walker, Laraaji) and bassist Andy Hess (Gov't Mule, Black Crowes), Who’s Calling finds the 77 year old guitar legend as vibrant and creative as ever. Despite unspeakable health setbacks and of course a Covid shutdown, Harvey has emerged miraculously stronger, proclaiming he’s never played better than on Who’s Calling.

REMEMBERING RICHARD CRANDELL
March 30, 1943 - October 28, 2022

Before we launch into the usual release announcements and sales this new year, we want to take a moment to remember guitarist Richard Crandell.

He died without a mention in the music press, or even among our little circle of guitar fans. It's strange that someone with a body of work as strong and beautiful as Richard's could pass with nary a mention ... but I guess that's our world. Everything moves so fast.

Such is the case with our friend, Richard Crandell. Hopefully this email blast with help rectify this ! If you are a media person, we hope you will share Richard's music with your readership or listening audience, so that he is remembered. If you are a fan of Tompkins Square, we hope you will share some of the links in this email, so that he is remembered.

Richard wasn't exactly ignored in his lifetime. His 1980 debut album, In The Flower of Our Youth, was reissued by Tompkins Square in 2008. We (and other folks) consider it one of the finest solo acoustic guitar records of all time, a quintessential "rainy day" record. "Rebecca" from that LP was covered by Leo Kottke on his album Chewing Pine. When Essential Tremor derailed his guitar playing, Richard turned to the mbira, recording for John Zorn's Tzadik label. NPR's All Things Considered ran a story about his progression in 2009.

Richard recorded about a dozen albums, including two wonderful guitar duet records with Bill Bartels, two with koto player Masumi Timson, appears on Imaginational Anthem vol. 3 and a Numero Group guitar comp, and released a collection of unreleased guitar tunes spanning 25 years in 2016 via Tompkins Square entitled Then and Now ; the set was reviewed in depth by Joseph Neff at Vinyl District, and UNCUT gave it an 8/10 ("gorgeous guitar hypnosis").

On March 3, 2013 Richard played WOW Hall with Daniel Bachman in his hometown of Eugene, OR. Before the show, Richard banged out an improvised tune on an old upright piano in the hallway. Raggy, bluesy, heady and inside out, it was pure Richard - the same clever, surprising phrasing that could be found in his guitar recordings. Just a pure musician.

We hope you will revel in the joy of discovering Richard Crandell. A gentle soul, a dedicated swimmer, and one amazing Obscure Giant of Acoustic Guitar. In the pantheon, forever.

2016 post about Crandell, with his own comments:

Eugene-based guitarist Richard Crandell's 1980 private-press LP
In The Flower of Our Youth is one of our favorite rainy day / road trippin' solo guitar records. Reissued on Tompkins Square in 2008, it captures the aura of the Pacific Northwest in unique and powerful ways.

Crandell's struggle with Essential Tremor moved him toward the mbira (African thumb piano), and he recorded on the instrument for John Zorn's Tzadik label. But Richard has returned to the guitar at times. Then And Now is comprised of material recorded over the past 25 years, some recorded this year, all previously unreleased.
https://soundcloud.com/tompkinssquare/swallowtails-by-richard-crandell

Here is Richard's own take on the new album, Then And Now :

"Most of these recordings were discovered about five years ago. They were recorded on a DAT recorder in the '90s. "Road Trip" was in standard guitar tuning, capo on the 2nd fret, inspired by my 50-state 'American Friends' tour. "Funk Dat" (love the blues), "Haley Suite" (love Bach) and "Route 22" (love Tennessee) were tuned in DADEAD, capo on the 2nd fret. "Over/Under" (love John Fahey) was in dropped D tuning with the capo on the 2nd fret. "V-Blues" (love Scott Joplin) was in DADGAD, capo 2. It was the only tune which I've written that has a modulation by "brute force." "American Friends" was my 12-string rendition of a Bill Bartels' classic, reflecting his Virginia roots. "Swallowtails" was a solo 12-string version of a duet which I wrote in the early '80's. I like my foot-tapping on this one. The duet was originally on Oregon Hill with Bill Bartels. "Unknown Lament" was a 12-string piece from the same album. This solo version has a unique coda. "Down to Earth" was recorded 3 years ago. and was written in CGDGBE, a tuning which Tim Danforth showed me. The last tune, "Cinema Verité", was recorded a couple of weeks ago, on Kyle Lindros' ukulele. It is my only uke composition. Kyle's dad Billy, named it, as well as In The Flower Of Our Youth and many of my other tunes. English is my second language. Music is my first. Especially rhythm. Enjoy!"

Then And Now is now available via every digital service, worldwide.

Dorothy Moskowitz & The United States of Alchemy - Under an Endless Sky - Available via Tompkins Square - March 17, 2023

Under An Endless Sky represents the interchange that took place between electronic composer Francesco Paolo Paladino, composer and writer Luca Chino Ferrari, and the legendary Dorothy Moskowitz, an icon of underground culture who broke all kinds of new ground as a member of The United States of America. Led by the charismatic composer Joseph Byrd, the band released their lone eponymous album on Columbia Records in 1968. It has taken on a mythic status that has grown through the years, sampled by Diplo and Mac Miller and widely acknowledged as a visionary psychedelic classic.
Francesco Paolo Paladino, an avant-garde Italian composer contacted Dorothy, inviting her to sing on some of his compositions. When she heard his 2021 CD release of Barene & Other Works, she recognized that they shared a similarly experimental point of view and she accepted his invitation. Paladino is known for his collaborations with Martyn Bates, Allison O'Donnell, Simon Fisher Turner, and other world-renowned contemporary composers, as well as his own sought-after 1985 debut LP Doublings and Silences Volume 1.

Francesco has long collaborated with Italian writer Luca Chino Ferrari, author of biographies of Nick Drake, Third Ear Band, Captain Beefheart, Tim Buckley and Syd Barrett. He submitted lyrics to Dorothy and together they began a profound and unique collaboration on the adaptation of lyrics to music, delving into words and meanings, phonetic properties and their singability. “Lyrics that have the audacity to deal with complex themes of human existence, real philosophical cutaways that look at reality and question it, often without offering answers,” says Ferrari.

Moskowitz's extraordinary voice and modal melodies float over Paladino's magical musical textures. There are no guitars, bass, drums or other technological devilry, but only virtual sounds (sometimes without even keyboards) upon which are grafted some acoustic interventions: violins and violas, woodwinds and percussion entrusted to excellent musicians such as Italians Riccardo Sinigaglia, Angelo Contini, Stefano Scala, Trio Cavallazzi and Gino Ape, and English folker Sean Breadin.

Recommended If You Like : Late-stage Marianne Faithfull, Mercury Rev, Terry Riley, Flaming Lips, Italian electronic music, The United States of America.

American Primitive OG Harry Taussig releases '80' on his 82nd birthday, March 31st, 2023

Released as a short-run private press LP in 1965, Fate Is Only Once has long been a coveted collectible among American Primitive guitar enthusiasts. The album presages the broader movement. Acoustic musicians were still largely stuck in a rigid "folk" mindset in 1965, and there are just not that many other examples of the exploratory guitar sounds found on Fate from this time period. Alternating between haunting originals and jaunty blues-based traditional numbers, the private press LP was reissued by Tompkins Square in 2006. Taussig's only other recorded works appeared on the long out-of-print Takoma compilation Contemporary Guitar Spring '67 alongside John Fahey, Robbie Basho, Max Ochs and Bukka White. Taussig spent years as an educator, published instructional guitar books, and traveled extensively to photograph weird museums.

Taussig returned to music in 2012 with his first album in 47 years, Fate Is Only Twice, and followed with Diamond of Lost Alphabets, Too Late To Die Young, a split album and tour with fellow Takoma pioneer Max Ochs, and a remix album by Kid Millions (Oneida).

Harry Taussig on '80' :

"With a perspective of about 60 years, I finally understand what I’ve been trying to do in my musical compositions over these six decades. I grew up with two musical streams – at home it was European classical music, at college it was American folk music. And I bathed in both streams.

Like several of my contemporary guitarists, I wanted to extend the American folk guitar tradition into previously unexplored territories. Each found their direction: blues, psychedelia, etc. Mine was using the theories of classical musical forms, both traditional and contemporary.

One of the delights of classical music is that the composer will constantly play with the listener, allowing him or her to guess where the music is going and then surprise them by not going there at all, but going to another place unexpected but equally logical. This seems to be the throughline in my musical heroes: Bach, Schoenberg, Glass, and many others. I have adopted many of their structural schemes, rhythmic devices, and harmonic stratagems to counter the comfort and predictability of folk (and popular) music. I delight in the response, “You can’t do that … oh, I guess you can.”


01 – Etude in G Major #7 (take 1)
02 – Etude in D Major #2
03 – Lullaby in D Modal
04 – Etude in G Major #9
05 – Recessional for Banjo in D Major
06 – Etude in D♭ Major (take 1)
07 – Etude in D♭ Major (take 2)
08 – Sugar Babe
09 – Etude in G Major #4
10 – Etude in G Minor #3
11 – Etude in G Major #7 (take 2)