Just received the following press release, which should be of interest to many at Prog Archives:
5 NEW RELEASES FROM CUNEIFORM : OUT ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2004
PAUL DUNMALL MOKSHA BIG BAND - *I Wish You Peace* FILE UNDER: JAZZ/ IMPROV
*I Wish You Peace* is a landmark recording in the career of Paul Dunmall, one of jazz's emerging giants. To celebrate this British musician’s 50th anniversary in 2003, the BBC enabled Dunmall to fulfill his longstanding dream to record with a big band; this CD is the result. Numbering 14 players plus a conductor, the Paul Dunmall Moksha Big Band [Moksha= Hindu word meaning "supreme liberation of the soul"] includes both established and new talent from the UK free-jazz pool, including Keith Tippett, Tony Levin, Paul Rogers, Chris Bridges, Howard Cottle, Hilary Jeffrey, Gethin Liddington, Simon Picard, Paul Rutherford, John Adams, Mark Sanders, Philip Gibbs, David Priseman and conductor Brian Irvine. Like the best 'energy jazz', *I Wish You Peace* is an intensely visceral yet spiritual work. Mixing composed and free playing, the music goes from intensely hot and focused jazz to rowdy 'blowing' from the large ensemble. Essential document of boundary-breaking big band jazz and improvisation.
FAR CORNER - *Far Corner* FILE UNDER: ROCK/ PROGRESSIVE ROCK This is an exciting and auspicous debut release by a chamber rock quartet from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Far Corner play carefully honed compositions, composed in a style that reflects influences from 20th century composers, such as Stravinsky and Bartok combined with classical/chamber rock greats like Univers Zero , early ELP, Present and more, combined in their own fashion. Far Corner uses a relatively small palette of instrumental colors to achieve a big sound: Grand piano and Hammond organ, cello (played both ‘classically’ and with amplification and fuzzboxes to give it a metal edge), electric bass and drums. The four musicians are all extremely accomplished players, and this is sure to get the attention it deserves from fans of chamber/progressive rock.
THE RICHARD LEO JOHNSON TRIO - *Poetry Of Appliance* FILE UNDER: ROCK Richard Leo Johnson is one of the most innovative and inspired acoustic guitarists on the current American music scene. His singular style is characterized by complexity, exhilarating speed, and hauntingly unfamiliar harmonies created through approximately 30 ‘found’ tunings. A good indication of what Johnson is about is captured when he recalls that his “real jumping off point” was a home-made cassette he received as a teenager, which featured The Mahavishnu Orchestra’s Inner Mounting Flame on one side, and Leo Kottke’s Greenhouse on the other; “I thought both sides were by the same artist! The initial impact was that it was somehow possible to make something happen that fused the linear liquidity of McLaughlin and the dense harmonic structure and drive of Kottke.” *Poetry of Appliance* is Johnson's first release with a band; he has two previous solo and solo+guest artists releases on Metro Blue + Blue Note. The Richard Leo Johnson Trio, Johnson's first 'band', consists of Johnson and two former members of the closed Savannah Symphony. The trio fuses elements of Americana, rock, ambient and folk music with the sensibilities of classical color and structure, reflecting an eclectic, modern outlook on chamber music.
THE MUFFINS - *Double Negative* FILE UNDER: ROCK/ PROGRESSIVE ROCK *Double Negative* is The Muffins’ 2nd studio recording released since reforming with all four original members in 1998, and is possibly the most ambitious work of their career. Guest musicians -who include 2 members of the Sun Ra Arkestra, Marshall Allen and Knoel Scott, as well as a string quartet - perform with The Muffins on a number of songs. Featuring 75 minutes of music spread over 17 songs, *Double Negative* is The Muffins’ most compositionally diverse work, featuring pieces that vary greatly in style and tone, but which are always theirs. The Muffins have long been noted for the way they craft memorable themes with adventurous musical structures and this is no exception.
YANG - *A Complex Nature* FILE UNDER: ROCK / PROGRESSIVE ROCK Yang, a French quartet whose stunning compositons combine intricate guitar parts with driving rock, is the newest project led by French guitarist and composer Frederic L’Epée. L’Epée’s former projects include founding two of the most intriguing all-instrumental bands to emerge from France: the legendary progressive rock band Shylock, and the avant garde rock group Philharmonie, who critics said surpassed both Fripp's League of Crafty Guitarists and King Crimson. Featuring the 'standard' line-up of two guitarists, bass and drums, Yang play a dynamic instrumental music that rocks hard, and which bears comparisons to groups such as Gordian Knot and King Crimson. The band recorded the CD quickly, spending only 3 days in the studio in a conscious attempt to harness the power and spontanaety of live performance. Featuring intricate and often beautiful guitar pieces embedded in harder-tempered rock compositions, complex rhythms and melodic modes not previously seen in L’Epée’s work, and a rich variety of guitar treatments, *A Complex Nature* is an inventive, dynamic and accessible instrumental work. Featuring particularly memorable electric guitar, this exciting and hard-rocking album features subtly stunning work from all players. ---------------------------------------- PLEASE NOTE: To our friends and colleagues in Press & Radio: We hope that each and every one of you had a very wonderful summer.
The above text contains descriptions of our 5 new September releases. Please tell me if you are interested in receiving promo copies. Because we may not be able to send you everything you request, please list your requests in order of priority.
We begin our promo mailings next week. However, you may not recieve your promos for several weeks, because of the time it takes to process and ship worldwide. If you need your CD quickly for a deadline, special project you are working on etc, please tll us and write *URGENT* in the subject line of your email. Thank you for your understanding.
BREAKING CUNEIFORM NEWS We are honored to announce that one of our previous releases: *Sky Garden*, by Henry Kaiser & Wadada Leo Smith/ Yo Miles!, has just won the 2004 SURROUND MUSIC AWARD for BEST HI-RES STEREO-ONLY PROGRAM!!!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS, YO MILES' guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To read more about the 2004 SURROUND SOUND AWARDS, visit http://www.uptilt.com/functions/message_view.html?mid=380318&mlid=22366&siteid=12808&uid=e457566c04 - http://www.uptilt.com/functions/message_view.html?mid=380318 &mlid=22366&siteid=12808&uid=e457566c04
best regards joyce director of publicity & promotion, cuneiform records
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