MARTY EHRLICH'S TRAVELER'S TALES — Malinke's Dance (2000) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

After a seven-year recording hiatus, Ehrlich's Travelers Tale quartet revives the spirit of that band with new material and a couple of older faves. Fellow saxophonist Tony Malaby, electric bass guitarist Jerome Harris, and drummer Bobby Previte are in the fold for these highlights of a four-day club date at the Knitting Factory/NYC. Except for the Julius Hemphill post-bop cartoonish, off-kilter harmonic line "Pigskin" with Harris's two-note bass and Bob Dylan's pop ballad alto feature for the leader "Tears of Rage," this is a program of Ehrlich's original, modern creative music. A boppish paeon to Ornette Coleman "Rhymes" kicks off the date, with the two saxes separate and equal. "Story" lines from the soprano (Ehrlich)/tenor (Malaby) front lines with an ostinato bass groove weave through the intricate title track for Malinke Elliott, spaced alto and soprano unison lines swim in funky or swinging marinade during a recapitulation of "North Star," while Ehrlich's signature pungent alto leads Malaby's agreeable tenor in the free, open terrain, traded extended lines of "Line on Love." Based on the changes of "I Remember You" is "Bright Remembered," a solo alto line building with bass, then drums popping and swinging on snare as Malaby decides to go for it as well. Ehrlich's most memorable writing is heard on "The Cry Of," as churning hand drums with ostinato bass in measures of repeated five's and four's extend an invitation to Ehrlich's flute and Malaby's tenor in a mysterious Middle Eastern feel, a rather calmed swirling dervish. The familiar but modified "Willy Whippoorwill" tacks on "Steals a Bow," merging from visceral funk to free bridge squawking, a 6/8 counterpoint section, 4/4 unison, and a reggae feel. Ehrlich continues to assert himself as a premier purveyor of current-day jazz, and this is another clear example of his high status in this modern age. Recommended. Michael G. Nastos
Tracklist :
1.    Rhymes    8:40
Composed By – Marty Ehrlich
2.    The Cry Of    9:48
Composed By – Marty Ehrlich
3.    Malinke's Dance    8:16
Composed By – Marty Ehrlich
4.    Line On Love    7:38
Composed By – Marty Ehrlich
5.    Pigskin  6:47
Written-By – Julius Hemphill
6.    Tears Of Rage 8:09
Written-By – Bob Dylan, Richard Manuel
7.    North Star    4:17
Composed By – Marty Ehrlich
8.    Bright Remembered    9:16
Composed By – Marty Ehrlich
9.    Willy Whippoorwill Steals A Bow    5:52
Composed By – Marty Ehrlich
Credits :
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Flute, Producer – Marty Ehrlich
Bass Guitar [Acoustic] – Jerome Harris
Drums – Bobby Previte
Tenor Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone – Tony Malaby

MARTY EHRLICH LARGE ENSEMBLE — A Trumpet In The Morning (2013) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist :
1.    Prelude: Agbekor Translations  3:29
Trombone, Soloist – Michael Dessen
2.    A Trumpet In The Morning  23:21
Lyrics By [Poem By] – Arthur Brown 
Saxophone, Soloist, Read By [Reader] – J.D. Parran
3.    Blues For Peace  11:07
Soloist – Jason Robinson, Jerome Harris, Matt Wilson, Ray Anderson, Uri Caine
Rundowns And Turnbacks    20:22
4.1    I. The Ship On The Corner
4.2    II. Rundowns
Soloist – Curtis Fowlkes, James Zollar, Jerome Harris, Ray Anderson
4.3    III. The Graceful Waltz
Soloist – Jerome Harris, John Clark 
4.4    IV. "Didn't Know The Levees Would Break" Blues
Soloist – Andy Laster, E.J. Allen, Eric McPherson, Michael Dessen
4.5    V. Quaker Work Song
Soloist – Robert DeBellis, James Weidman
4.6    VI. Sugar For Sugar
Soloist – Adam Kolker, Lisa Parrott
4.7    VII. Turnbacks
5.    M Variations (Melody For Madeleine)  14:02
Soloist – Adam Kolker, Drew Gress, Ron Horton, Uri Caine
6.    Postlude: Agbekor Translations  2:47
Soloist – E.J. Allen, Howard Johnson 
Credits :
Alto Saxophone – Andy Laster
Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet – Robert DeBellis
Artwork [Cover Art] – Oliver L. Jackson
Baritone Saxophone – Howard Johnson (tracks: 1, 2, 6)
Baritone Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – Lisa Parrott (tracks: 3 to 5)
Bass – Brad Jones (tracks: 1, 2, 4.1 to 4.7, 6), Drew Gress (tracks: 3 to 5)
Clarinet, Bass Clarinet – Marty Ehrlich (tracks: 4.1 to 4.7)
Composed By, Conductor – Marty Ehrlich
Drums – Eric McPherson (tracks: 1, 2, 4.1 to 4.7, 6), Matt Wilson (tracks: 3 to 5)
Ensemble – Marty Ehrlich Large Ensemble
French Horn – John Clark (tracks: 3 to 5)
Guitar, Slide Guitar – Jerome Harris (tracks: 4.1 to 5)
Narrator, Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – J.D. Parran (tracks: 1, 2, 6)
Piano – James Weidman (tracks: 1, 2, 4.1 to 4.7, 6), Uri Caine (tracks: 3 to 5)
Tenor Saxophone – Jason Robinson (tracks: 1 to 3, 5, 6)
Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet – Adam Kolker (tracks: 3 to 5)
Trombone – Curtis Fowlkes (tracks: 3 to 5), Michael Dessen, Ray Anderson
Trumpet – E.J. Allen, James Zollar, Miki Hirose (tracks: 5), Ron Horton
Tuba – Joseph Daley (tracks: 1, 2, 6)
Vibraphone, Percussion – Warren Smith (tracks: 1, 2, 5)

AMINA CLAUDINE MYERS SEXTET – Country Girl (1986) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

 Tracklist & Credits :

AMINA CLAUDINE MYERS – Amina (1988) FLAC (tracks), lossless

Tracklist & Credits :

AMINA CLAUDINE MYERS – In Touch (1989) FLAC (tracks), lossless

An album that surprised some fans when it was issued, due to the reputations of everyone involved. Myers has been a fierce soloist and adventurous composer and worked in experimental, on-the-edge contexts for much of her career, but turned to fusion and light pop on this date, playing more synthesizer than anything else. It was well produced and effectively played, but guitarist Jerome Harris had a larger role than Myers. Ron Wynn
Tracklist & Credits :

AMINA CLAUDINE MYERS TRIO – Women in (E)Motion (1993) FLAC (tracks), lossless

This was all set to start on the "What a mystery Amina Claudine Myers never enjoyed more recognition in the '80s" tack since her blend of blues, jazz and gospel had a basis in song forms that, in theory, could easily have connected with a broad audience. Not many artists have the courage to tackle blues empress Bessie Smith, let alone as memorably as Myers did on her Salutes Bessie Smith disc recorded in 1980, but she was avant-jazz stigmatized for her long AACM association.

So her comfort working with accessible forms didn't pan out then, but maybe it would now, anticipating Women in [E] Motion as a return to active leader duty with a new live look at old repertoire highlights. Turns out it's a 1988 gig by her working trio of the era at the first Women in [E] Motion Festival in Bremen, Germany, and originally released in 1993. Ahh well, back to the drawing boards. Myers was a perfect choice for the festival but the disc also offers an interesting look at the piano trio as ensemble rather than featured soloist with rhythm section support. The opening "Blessings" very much reaches trio equilibrium with Myers working rhythmically deep in the lower registers, Reggie Nicholson's drum swirls and eddies, while Jerome Harris' electric bass peeks out with the occasional countermelody (maybe in part because it isn't recorded that well). The stately "African Blues" is in a similar vein with Myers' melismatic vocal to complement the rolling piano -- McCoy Tyner's meditative themes might be a reference point as Myers favors chordal bedrock and rhythmic melodies to create a near-trance effect over virtuoso displays.

There's very little straight soloing, except when Myers goes outside with ominous ostinatos and Cecil Taylor-esque swirls and clusters into a very seamless fade to a Nicholson solo on "Jumping in the Sugar Bowl." And the sparer the arrangement the better -- she shines dipping into deep church mode on "Keep on Loving" (most likely a gospel standard) and her first venture into the Bessie Smith songbook on "Dirty No Gooder Blues" shows her skills as a totally convincing blues pianist and singer. The latter is arguably the best performance of the set but Myers squanders the rest. "Country Girl" is mostly devoted to introduce-the-sideman solos for Nicholson and Harris, but a verbal rundown of country-life pleasures, U.S. South division? That just doesn't compute with a German audience, even one so warmly receptive to the music.

More unforgivable is a too-fast version of Smith's "Wasted Life Blues," which thrilled and chilled in equal parts on the Salutes Bessie Smith album. Losing the lyric flow here doesn't help any but that studio version got in way deep on some core women's emotions -- universally human ones, for that matter, when the pressures of life just get to be all too much. And Myers all but throws it away as a snappy little up-tempo set closer here.

Too bad, because until the final missteps, Women in [E] motion worked as a fine introduction to the range of elements that Amina Claudine Myers weaves into a genuinely singular, rooted-deep-in-tradition musical approach. It still does, with reservations, but man, you gotta hear her studio version of "Wasted Life Blues" at least once in your life. No lie. Don Snowden
Tracklist & Credits :

JOHN ZORN — Pruflas : Book Of Angels ★ Volume 18 » David Krakauer Plays Masada Book Two « (2012) Archival Series | FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

David Krakauer is one of the greatest of all modern Klezmer clarinetists. A veteran of countless bands and ensembles and a founding member of the Klezmatics, his ensemble Klezmer Madness has been forging new roads in the world of Jewish music since the late 1980s. David and Zorn have a long history and friendship that began with Zorn's legendary Kristallnacht recording of 1992, followed thru with David’s guest appearances in various Masada ensembles and the release of his first CD with Klezmer Madness on Tzadik. Here David takes a variety of Masada compositions back to their roots, interpreting them brilliantly as traditional (and not-so-traditional) Klezmer tunes. A fascinating meeting of old and new by two of the most creative musicians in Modern Jewish music! TZADIK
Tracklist :
1    Ebuhuel    3:54
2    Kasbeel    4:18
3    Vual    4:59
4    Parzial-Oranir    11:11
5    Egion    5:44
6    Neriah-Mahariel    7:03
7    Tandal    3:36
8    Monadel    6:01
Credits :
Composed, Producer By – John Zorn
Arranged By, Producer, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet – David Krakauer
Drums – Michael Sarin
Electric Bass, Voice – Jerome Harris
Guitar – Sheryl Bailey
Illustration – Jarrault