As years come to a close, there is a looking back to reflect on what has happened in the previous 11+ months of life, what one has done, created, been. I'll admit it's been really hard to do so this year as recently has been a particularly busy period working on the AUM releases of 2011; then planning, strategizing, and running up and down cost vs. benefit analyses, flow charts, etc. with our dedicated team of marketing masters, accountants and astrologers. It can all become a bit of a miasma until those crystal moments hit, when the late afternoon sunlight comes streaming through the vast windows of my 48th floor corner office. But finally now, a moment in time to reflect...
2010 saw the triumphant and mighty return of David S. Ware, not only utterly undiminished but recharged and inspired and operating in ways that has made our jaws drop anew. The music within DSW is unstoppable, unprecedented and hardcore-loaded with information from parallel universes. We also released the very latest book of tunes and performances thereof from Eri Yamamoto. Oh yes so very true, I love her songs. They're just so inviting and generous and her Trio again rose to blossom in delivering them. Then, we had the album- length debut of Little Women. Throat. WTF? Tensile taught assault with gentle licks about the brain; also fully unprecedented from concept to execution. And from William Parker, one of the greatest composers/musicians/spirits/load-bearing columns/human beings this world will ever know—the definitive 2xCD document of his 'Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield' project. That stellar band and then we went for the spirit of exuberant essence of soul expression + William's own fully self-produced Organ Quartet album which will likewise never grow old as it was borne eternal. Finally this year, AUM presented a cream of crop expression from the youth energy of musical invention here in NYC. Mike Pride has been a devoted student and practitioner of soul expression for the last decade and he was ready to make an album for AUM Fidelity this year. And he, along with Alexis, Peter and Darius delivered. And it don't stop doing so.
AUM Fidelity paid for and fully produced these albums (except Uncle Joe's Spirit House!), without outside help. We thank you truly, from a deep and heartfelt place, for your continued support, so that we may continue to produce premier works by these magnificent artists. We quite literally couldn't do it without you who spend a small portion of their hard-earned on these singular works.
Thank you.
The little digital billboard below was put together during the 1/2 hour I was reflecting on 2010, and is followed by a pair of entries for each album, reflecting on the music, written by a dozen+ different others.
Following that then, the news / details of our promised “13th Anniversary Sale!"
ERI YAMAMOTO TRIO In Each Day, Something Good
CD/digital (AUM059)
“Another beautiful album of deep, emotionally rich original music from this Japanese-born pianist and her trio .. A master storyteller at the keys, Yamamoto is distinctive for her warm, introspective touch, moments of joyous expansion and tunes that suck you into fully-realized worlds." —Forrest Dylan Bryant, KZSU
“With its unexpected mix of Paul Bley and Mose Allison, pianist Eri Yamamoto's aesthetic encompasses the exotic, the abstractly lyrical, and the funky. You can hear just how cohesive this long-standing trio are on “I Was Born," where the joyous groove is the result of everyone feeding from the same propulsive rhythmic fire. Yamamoto doesn't try to dazzle with technique. Instead, she deliberately keeps things simple, clear and to the point, thereby achieving an earthy eloquence. Bassist David Ambrosio contributes strong lines, often using tricky double-stops with casual grace. And drummer Ikuo Takeuchi delivers the kind of support that leads the way as much as it beautifully underpins the compositions and the improvisations that follow." —Glen Hall, EXCLAIM
DAVID S. WARE Saturnian: solo saxophones, volume 1
CD/digital (AUM060)
“he improvises three pieces that are built like fine architecture, with one musical brick fitting beautifully atop the next to make a cohesive and thoughtful whole. There is nothing rushed here, the music is patient and distinguished, and Ware's beautiful golden tone, echoing the masters like Hawkins, Coltrane and Rollins, shines like the light from a powerful star." —Tim Niland, JAZZ AND BLUES / MUSIC AND MORE
“It is a record of hope and impeccable happiness that transmutes trial and trauma into virtuoso leaps of the soul. There is nothing dry about this outing, however cerebral. It is funky and down-home bluesy. Ware leaves no one out of the conversation, us or his precursors, who are brought to life holographically in a virtual symphony of synecdoche—that is, in stylistic hints that bring them present together in full—perpetuating an intergenerational chain, a gush of black gold we may hope is never capped." —Gordon Marshall, ALL ABOUT JAZZ
LITTLE WOMEN Throat
CD/LP/digital (AUM061)
“Staggering. There are those times when you hear a band and think, “Everyone has to hear this." .. First you react to the emotion that is so raw, so audible. These guys are ripping their guts out, you think. And so they are. .. It has structure and elegance in a tornado of noise, and beauty that cuts through the maelstrom like a ray of light." —Kevin Williams, CHICAGO TRIBUNE
“Little Women present a jaw-dropping dynamic of primal explosiveness in step with elegance and melody .. There is a fluidity from one end of the spectrum to the other that proves Little Women are beyond gifted in their ability to both hone in on the essence of their instruments, turning out a cordial listening experience, and likewise to allow their instruments to own them and burst forth in animal bits of terror. Because Throat is an animal. .. It's a new breed with very few reference points. .. I'm having a difficult time dialing back my enthusiasm about this one actually, so just know that it was really hard for me not to preemptively anoint Little Women's Throat as the best album of the decade and we'll call it even." —Thistle, FOREST GOSPEL
WILLIAM PARKER I Plan To Stay A Believer: The Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield
2xCD/digital (AUM062/63)
“I wish I could've seen some of these performances in person, because the amount of energy the band packs into them surely must have flowed right into the crowd. Even here, pressed onto little plastic discs, the band practically explodes toward you. .. immense thought and planning clearly went into these arrangements. To pull and stretch these songs so much and still preserve their essential identity is a true feat of art." —Joe Tangari, PITCHFORK
.." the essence of the originals, a surging, triumphant life-force, deep-seated humanity and the will to survive that defined Curtis Mayfield's music, also defines these versions. At times we get gospel-tinged uplift, at times we get soulful swing, at times tight soul groove and at times full-blown freak-out, but what never falters is the clear-eyed joy and righteous purpose that has defined the music of both Mayfield and Parker throughout their careers." —Josh Madell, OTHER MUSIC
DAVID S. WARE TRIO Onecept
CD/digital (AUM064)
“Ware is a genius at extrapolating from and recombining source material on the fly—his mind as well as his fingers move with electric urgency. In the liner notes he asks, “Is there any limit to the speed at which you can press them keys down, to which it will function correctly? That's what I'm trying to do now, push it as far, as fast as the human fingers can move." The saxophonist has long sought to reach an ideal state as a player—to master the mechanics of his horn so thoroughly that his thoughts can flow straight into music, as though the instrument didn't exist. Far from slowing down out of concern for his health—he's intensifying that search" —Peter Margasak, CHICAGO READER
“nine stellar free improvisations .. Parker and Smith's work complement the saxophonist to perfection throughout .. [listening] I know I'm in the presence of a master musician." —Dan Warburton, THE WIRE
MIKE PRIDE's FROM BACTERIA TO BOYS Betweenwhile
CD/digital (AUM065)
“a successful balance of the tuneful and the abstract .. This group pulls together the two extremes without sacrificing the crystalline character of either." —Lyn Horton, JAZZTIMES
“Mike Pride, a drummer-composer who balances metal-derived aggression with quiet finesse, leads his From Bacteria to Boys band [on] Betweenwhile, a funky yet elegant new record [-&- ] among the year's standout jazz releases." —Hank Shteamer, TIME OUT NEW YORK
WILLIAM PARKER ORGAN QUARTET Uncle Joe's Spirit House
CD/digital (CENT1004)
“For a guy who's rightly regarded as basically a load-bearing column holding up much of the New York avant-jazz scene, bassist William Parker records some remarkably mainstream- friendly albums. .. Don't let this disc pass you by. It's emotional, hard-grooving, occasionally abstract but often raw and bluesy music that shakes hands with the past before striding confidently into the future." —Phil Freeman, BURNING AMBULANCE
.." it's a particularly joyful album. .. [tenor saxophonist Darryl] Foster has a strong, but not at all macho sound and a keen sense of melody when he solos. He manages to be both accessible and canny in his navigation of this deceptively mercurial music. He is gentle and soulful on “Document for LJ," and ardent on “Let's Go Down to the River." Cooper-Moore is in many ways the heart of the band, as he was in Parker's In Order to Survive ensemble. .. He seems to take special joy in the organ's powerful sound when he comps, dropping accent chords that tip the beat this way and that, laying down thick layers of countermelody or deep harmonies to plump the music with extra sound and vitality. Parker has more unconventional ways to swing the music than any bassist alive. Uncle Joe's Spirit House does not storm the gates of heaven the way some Parker discs do, but it fulfills its human-scaled purpose with warmth and verve and musical integrity." —Ed Hazell, POINT OF DEPARTURE
13th Anniversary / Holiday Sale 2010!
It's sometimes hard to believe, but it was 13 years ago that AUM Fidelity launched world-wide with a 1רש ! avant-garde soul salvo. In honor of this, and because we have a fondness for the numbers 3 & 13, for our 13th Anniversary Sale, if you order approximately 3 or more ($39- or more) of AUM Fidelity CDs, you'll get a 13% discount off our already very reasonable prices. Bam!
The discount applies only to AUM Fidelity releases, though you are more than welcome to add titles from CaseQuarter, Riti, etc. to take fuller advantage of our very generous flat shipping rates.
Full details are available on the website, most directly via this link right here
The main thing to know is that the sale ENDS on December 15th, being next Wednesday. Work it!
OK, back to it! These vast corner office windows won't clean themselves, plus there are dishes to be done.
Yours in music;
peace, blessings and warm embraces,
Steven Joerg
AUM Fidelity
PO Box 170147
Brooklyn, NY 11217
[email protected]
P.S. and something else to definitely check hear see, re: Hendrix's 'Star-Spangled Banner'
American Icons is a new radio series produced by Studio 360, which is itself a nationally broadcast weekly radio program produced by PRI and WNYC (our awesome public radio station). On an installment which aired a few weeks ago, American Icons zoomed in on Jimi Hendrix's version of 'Star-Spangled Banner.' This is, I think, a must listen (and not just for Americans!) & is made all the more so by the fact that it features our very good friend & one of our favorite musicians, the great Tara Key. She was asked to record her own version of 'Star-Spangled Banner' specifically for this special, which she did, fully produced by herself (as was the bonus video thereof available on their site). Not only does Tara get the last pointed words, but her sweet melancholy version of 'SSB' brings the whole thing to an open close.
Here's a direct link for stream and downloads of the special.
And then you can and should (if you like great song-writing and electric guitar.. wait, of course you do!) read on and LISTEN to a whole tonna lot more about Tara and her band Antietam here
P.P.S. we brought a new cat in from the streets this past weekend. Lil' Tiger had been courting us for a month or more, it was a goofy-ass cold night out, and he's now warm asleep on a large pillow behind me. Still kinda camera-shy though, so no pictures. Instead, being in the reflective mode now, here I am remembering Ming Tubby again..
2010 saw the triumphant and mighty return of David S. Ware, not only utterly undiminished but recharged and inspired and operating in ways that has made our jaws drop anew. The music within DSW is unstoppable, unprecedented and hardcore-loaded with information from parallel universes. We also released the very latest book of tunes and performances thereof from Eri Yamamoto. Oh yes so very true, I love her songs. They're just so inviting and generous and her Trio again rose to blossom in delivering them. Then, we had the album- length debut of Little Women. Throat. WTF? Tensile taught assault with gentle licks about the brain; also fully unprecedented from concept to execution. And from William Parker, one of the greatest composers/musicians/spirits/load-bearing columns/human beings this world will ever know—the definitive 2xCD document of his 'Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield' project. That stellar band and then we went for the spirit of exuberant essence of soul expression + William's own fully self-produced Organ Quartet album which will likewise never grow old as it was borne eternal. Finally this year, AUM presented a cream of crop expression from the youth energy of musical invention here in NYC. Mike Pride has been a devoted student and practitioner of soul expression for the last decade and he was ready to make an album for AUM Fidelity this year. And he, along with Alexis, Peter and Darius delivered. And it don't stop doing so.
AUM Fidelity paid for and fully produced these albums (except Uncle Joe's Spirit House!), without outside help. We thank you truly, from a deep and heartfelt place, for your continued support, so that we may continue to produce premier works by these magnificent artists. We quite literally couldn't do it without you who spend a small portion of their hard-earned on these singular works.
Thank you.
The little digital billboard below was put together during the 1/2 hour I was reflecting on 2010, and is followed by a pair of entries for each album, reflecting on the music, written by a dozen+ different others.
Following that then, the news / details of our promised “13th Anniversary Sale!"
ERI YAMAMOTO TRIO In Each Day, Something Good
CD/digital (AUM059)
“Another beautiful album of deep, emotionally rich original music from this Japanese-born pianist and her trio .. A master storyteller at the keys, Yamamoto is distinctive for her warm, introspective touch, moments of joyous expansion and tunes that suck you into fully-realized worlds." —Forrest Dylan Bryant, KZSU
“With its unexpected mix of Paul Bley and Mose Allison, pianist Eri Yamamoto's aesthetic encompasses the exotic, the abstractly lyrical, and the funky. You can hear just how cohesive this long-standing trio are on “I Was Born," where the joyous groove is the result of everyone feeding from the same propulsive rhythmic fire. Yamamoto doesn't try to dazzle with technique. Instead, she deliberately keeps things simple, clear and to the point, thereby achieving an earthy eloquence. Bassist David Ambrosio contributes strong lines, often using tricky double-stops with casual grace. And drummer Ikuo Takeuchi delivers the kind of support that leads the way as much as it beautifully underpins the compositions and the improvisations that follow." —Glen Hall, EXCLAIM
DAVID S. WARE Saturnian: solo saxophones, volume 1
CD/digital (AUM060)
“he improvises three pieces that are built like fine architecture, with one musical brick fitting beautifully atop the next to make a cohesive and thoughtful whole. There is nothing rushed here, the music is patient and distinguished, and Ware's beautiful golden tone, echoing the masters like Hawkins, Coltrane and Rollins, shines like the light from a powerful star." —Tim Niland, JAZZ AND BLUES / MUSIC AND MORE
“It is a record of hope and impeccable happiness that transmutes trial and trauma into virtuoso leaps of the soul. There is nothing dry about this outing, however cerebral. It is funky and down-home bluesy. Ware leaves no one out of the conversation, us or his precursors, who are brought to life holographically in a virtual symphony of synecdoche—that is, in stylistic hints that bring them present together in full—perpetuating an intergenerational chain, a gush of black gold we may hope is never capped." —Gordon Marshall, ALL ABOUT JAZZ
LITTLE WOMEN Throat
CD/LP/digital (AUM061)
“Staggering. There are those times when you hear a band and think, “Everyone has to hear this." .. First you react to the emotion that is so raw, so audible. These guys are ripping their guts out, you think. And so they are. .. It has structure and elegance in a tornado of noise, and beauty that cuts through the maelstrom like a ray of light." —Kevin Williams, CHICAGO TRIBUNE
“Little Women present a jaw-dropping dynamic of primal explosiveness in step with elegance and melody .. There is a fluidity from one end of the spectrum to the other that proves Little Women are beyond gifted in their ability to both hone in on the essence of their instruments, turning out a cordial listening experience, and likewise to allow their instruments to own them and burst forth in animal bits of terror. Because Throat is an animal. .. It's a new breed with very few reference points. .. I'm having a difficult time dialing back my enthusiasm about this one actually, so just know that it was really hard for me not to preemptively anoint Little Women's Throat as the best album of the decade and we'll call it even." —Thistle, FOREST GOSPEL
WILLIAM PARKER I Plan To Stay A Believer: The Inside Songs of Curtis Mayfield
2xCD/digital (AUM062/63)
“I wish I could've seen some of these performances in person, because the amount of energy the band packs into them surely must have flowed right into the crowd. Even here, pressed onto little plastic discs, the band practically explodes toward you. .. immense thought and planning clearly went into these arrangements. To pull and stretch these songs so much and still preserve their essential identity is a true feat of art." —Joe Tangari, PITCHFORK
.." the essence of the originals, a surging, triumphant life-force, deep-seated humanity and the will to survive that defined Curtis Mayfield's music, also defines these versions. At times we get gospel-tinged uplift, at times we get soulful swing, at times tight soul groove and at times full-blown freak-out, but what never falters is the clear-eyed joy and righteous purpose that has defined the music of both Mayfield and Parker throughout their careers." —Josh Madell, OTHER MUSIC
DAVID S. WARE TRIO Onecept
CD/digital (AUM064)
“Ware is a genius at extrapolating from and recombining source material on the fly—his mind as well as his fingers move with electric urgency. In the liner notes he asks, “Is there any limit to the speed at which you can press them keys down, to which it will function correctly? That's what I'm trying to do now, push it as far, as fast as the human fingers can move." The saxophonist has long sought to reach an ideal state as a player—to master the mechanics of his horn so thoroughly that his thoughts can flow straight into music, as though the instrument didn't exist. Far from slowing down out of concern for his health—he's intensifying that search" —Peter Margasak, CHICAGO READER
“nine stellar free improvisations .. Parker and Smith's work complement the saxophonist to perfection throughout .. [listening] I know I'm in the presence of a master musician." —Dan Warburton, THE WIRE
MIKE PRIDE's FROM BACTERIA TO BOYS Betweenwhile
CD/digital (AUM065)
“a successful balance of the tuneful and the abstract .. This group pulls together the two extremes without sacrificing the crystalline character of either." —Lyn Horton, JAZZTIMES
“Mike Pride, a drummer-composer who balances metal-derived aggression with quiet finesse, leads his From Bacteria to Boys band [on] Betweenwhile, a funky yet elegant new record [-&- ] among the year's standout jazz releases." —Hank Shteamer, TIME OUT NEW YORK
WILLIAM PARKER ORGAN QUARTET Uncle Joe's Spirit House
CD/digital (CENT1004)
“For a guy who's rightly regarded as basically a load-bearing column holding up much of the New York avant-jazz scene, bassist William Parker records some remarkably mainstream- friendly albums. .. Don't let this disc pass you by. It's emotional, hard-grooving, occasionally abstract but often raw and bluesy music that shakes hands with the past before striding confidently into the future." —Phil Freeman, BURNING AMBULANCE
.." it's a particularly joyful album. .. [tenor saxophonist Darryl] Foster has a strong, but not at all macho sound and a keen sense of melody when he solos. He manages to be both accessible and canny in his navigation of this deceptively mercurial music. He is gentle and soulful on “Document for LJ," and ardent on “Let's Go Down to the River." Cooper-Moore is in many ways the heart of the band, as he was in Parker's In Order to Survive ensemble. .. He seems to take special joy in the organ's powerful sound when he comps, dropping accent chords that tip the beat this way and that, laying down thick layers of countermelody or deep harmonies to plump the music with extra sound and vitality. Parker has more unconventional ways to swing the music than any bassist alive. Uncle Joe's Spirit House does not storm the gates of heaven the way some Parker discs do, but it fulfills its human-scaled purpose with warmth and verve and musical integrity." —Ed Hazell, POINT OF DEPARTURE
13th Anniversary / Holiday Sale 2010!
It's sometimes hard to believe, but it was 13 years ago that AUM Fidelity launched world-wide with a 1רש ! avant-garde soul salvo. In honor of this, and because we have a fondness for the numbers 3 & 13, for our 13th Anniversary Sale, if you order approximately 3 or more ($39- or more) of AUM Fidelity CDs, you'll get a 13% discount off our already very reasonable prices. Bam!
The discount applies only to AUM Fidelity releases, though you are more than welcome to add titles from CaseQuarter, Riti, etc. to take fuller advantage of our very generous flat shipping rates.
Full details are available on the website, most directly via this link right here
The main thing to know is that the sale ENDS on December 15th, being next Wednesday. Work it!
OK, back to it! These vast corner office windows won't clean themselves, plus there are dishes to be done.
Yours in music;
peace, blessings and warm embraces,
Steven Joerg
AUM Fidelity
PO Box 170147
Brooklyn, NY 11217
[email protected]
P.S. and something else to definitely check hear see, re: Hendrix's 'Star-Spangled Banner'
American Icons is a new radio series produced by Studio 360, which is itself a nationally broadcast weekly radio program produced by PRI and WNYC (our awesome public radio station). On an installment which aired a few weeks ago, American Icons zoomed in on Jimi Hendrix's version of 'Star-Spangled Banner.' This is, I think, a must listen (and not just for Americans!) & is made all the more so by the fact that it features our very good friend & one of our favorite musicians, the great Tara Key. She was asked to record her own version of 'Star-Spangled Banner' specifically for this special, which she did, fully produced by herself (as was the bonus video thereof available on their site). Not only does Tara get the last pointed words, but her sweet melancholy version of 'SSB' brings the whole thing to an open close.
Here's a direct link for stream and downloads of the special.
And then you can and should (if you like great song-writing and electric guitar.. wait, of course you do!) read on and LISTEN to a whole tonna lot more about Tara and her band Antietam here
P.P.S. we brought a new cat in from the streets this past weekend. Lil' Tiger had been courting us for a month or more, it was a goofy-ass cold night out, and he's now warm asleep on a large pillow behind me. Still kinda camera-shy though, so no pictures. Instead, being in the reflective mode now, here I am remembering Ming Tubby again..
