Women Of Jazz 202 Items

The late Abbey Lincoln was one of the greats in jazz singing and composition. 65 at the time of this recording, the singer performs a fiery musical statement and maintains her own distinctive manner of delivering a lyric. This 1998 Verve release mostly emphasizes slow tempos and melancholy moods. Seven of the nine tracks on Who Used To Dance are ballads that serve to demonstrate the graininess in Lincoln's voice, with highlights such as the nostalgic "Who Used to Dance" (featuring Savion Glover's tapdancing) "Street of Dreams" and an exceptionally charming "Mr. Tambourine Man". Alto saxophonists Frank Morgan, Steve Coleman, Oliver Lake, Justin Robinson, and Riley Bandy III provide feature work and several insightful solos, and the rhythm team of pianist Marc Cary, bassist Michael Bowie, and drummer Aaron Walker provide finest ballad accompaniment.



This 140-gram vinyl is the first international vinyl reissue, pressed at Optimal, and is presented in a wide-spine, single-sleeve jacket.

Mr. K goes Gospel on the latest seven from Most Excellent Unlimited’s series of collaborations with the master editor. As is often the case, both of these edits are appearing on vinyl, and on 45, for the first time, with all the hallmarks of MEU’s commitment to quality.

A massive favorite with audiences who’ve attended Danny Krivit’s sets around the world, his “Churchapella” edit of Madonna's “Like A Prayer" is finally on wax. One of the singer’s greatest tracks, it has always fascinated with its combination of the sacred and the profane, leaving it up to the listener whether she is referring to a secular or holy love. In Krivit’s hands, focused largely on the undeniably massive sound of the Andre Crouch Choir, the divine nature of the lyrics shine through. Uplifting, moving, even transcendent when presented at the right moments, it’s both an inspiring piece of music and a seriously powerful DJ tool.

“Like A Prayer” is paired on the flip side with a fantastic edit of the Clark Sisters funky, slinky rare groove classic “Ha-Ya (Eternal Life).” Never officially released on 7-inch before, Krivit has taken the loose original recording and given it a steady pulse not by adding post-production elements, but via his experienced hand at building a musical movement that audiences will respond to. A slight tempo change, a bit of careful repetition, and at last connoisseurs of the smaller format vinyl have a definitive version of this powerful song.

Adele Sebastian was an Afro American jazz flutist and singer, active from the early 70s (when she was still a teenager) until her untimely death at the age of 27 (!) in 1983 from a kidney failure. In fact she had been depending on monthly dialysis to stay alive for years. She lived through and for the music and you can hear it on her only solo album “Desert Fairy Princess” which was first issued in 1981. The mostly acoustic instrumentation brings a very natural and therefore rather retrospective sound considering the year the album was recorded. Adele and her band pull it off right from the start as if it had been 1966 and it was time for a revolution to shake the dust from the old time jazz. In a perfect way she mixes classic American vocal jazz elements with playful and more free passages, Latin music and tribal African sounds in the lengthy and quite rhythm oriented “Man From Tanganyika” and makes the title track start with a mystical “Allahu akbar“ chant while it turns more and more into a dark and gloomy song with something like a psychedelic edge reminiscent of Pharoah Sanders on his early works. Wild rhythms from drums, percussions with tons of bells and chimes weave a thick groove carpet and conjure a magical atmosphere. Those jazz aficionados who love the mid 60s John Coltrane, his sidekick Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane will go crazy for this album.

Discover 'Luck or Favor': Aisha Ellis's Debut Album Blending Hip Hop, Jazz, Soulful Rhythms Released: May 2023 About the Project: Aisha Ellis is a drummer/percussionist whose signature style revolves around playing in the pocket while capturing the essence of the moment. Aisha’s debut album embodies a blend of hip hop, jazz, and soulful grooves. Her style draws inspiration from the explosive energy of Art Blakey, technical prowess and innovative approach of Max Roach, complex rhythms of Tony Williams, and the soulfulness of Karriem Riggins. Her album, titled "Luck or Favor," captures the essence and timeless vibe reminiscent of Roy Ayers mixed with the impeccable groove of Questlove. On "Luck or Favor," Aisha Ellis's drumming doesn’t take up the space of center stage, but rather serves as the driving force behind the album's infectious rhythms and captivating feel that allows all of the instruments to be heard and felt with equal measure. Aisha's ability to play in the pocket is her signature, effortlessly locking in with the bass, providing a solid foundation, and creating an irresistible groove that moves the listener. Her flawless sense of timing and control allows each note and rhythm to breathe, ensuring a tight and cohesive musical experience. Incorporating elements from various genres, Aisha's drumming effortlessly transitions between hip hop-inspired beats, jazzy syncopations, and soulful accents. Her use of the hi-hat and ride cymbal creates a shimmering texture, while her snare drumming provides precise and powerful backbeats that make heads nod and feet tap. The bass drum adds depth and weight, punctuating the rhythm and driving the energy forward. "Luck or Favor" captures the spirit with its laid-back and infectious atmosphere. The album resonates with warm and inviting melodies, soulful grooves, and a sense of optimism that brings joy to the listener's ears. Aisha Ellis's drumming serves as the heartbeat of the album, infusing each track with a sense of rhythm, groove, and musicality that keeps the listener engaged from start to finish.

When the brilliant saxophonist John Coltrane died in 1967, the core values of jazz music had long drawn him into the spiritual world ("A Love Supreme", "Ascension", "Meditations" etc.). His widow and final pianist followed in his footsteps. Alice Coltrane (1937–2007) sought after »cosmic sounds, higher dimensions, astral levels« – she had an important influence on the spiritualised, esoteric music scene of the 1970s. Her first album was only released after John Coltrane’s death, but "Eternity" was already her tenth. (In the same year she founded a Hindu Vedantic Center in California.) The album draws its power from highly contrasted sound worlds. The size of the ensemble ranges from an unaccompanied harp solo ("Wisdom Eye") to a large orchestra with a big band of up to 25 plus a 12-man string section. Alice Coltrane’s main instrument is the electric Wurlitzer organ, whose rasping sound conjures up John Coltrane’s saxophone (especially in the opening number "Spiritual Eternal"). Mostly she improvises modally, sinuously, or with meditative ecstasy – whether in the style of Latin rock ("Los Caballos") or quite without a firm tempo ("Morning Worship" with a tamboura accompaniment). Support comes from such renowned musicians as Charlie Haden (bass), Jerome Richardson (saxophone and flute), Hubert Laws (flute) and Ernie Watts (cor anglais). In the number "Om Supreme" Coltrane switches to a gently swinging Fender Rhodes electric piano, which is joined by a six-voice vocal group. A surprising finale to the album is an orchestral adaptation of an excerpt from Stravinsky’s "Le Sacre du printemps". Here the moments of dissonance and free jazz are far from meditative contemplation.

This Speakers Corner LP was remastered using pure analogue components only, from the master tapes through to the cutting head. More information under www.pure-analogue.com. All royalties and mechanical rights have been paid.

Recording: August and October 1975 at The Burbank Studios, Burbank, CA, and Westlake Audio, Los Angeles, CA, by Baker Bigsby Production: Ed Michael

Kicking off what will be an Alice Coltrane year with more releases to come in the next 12 months, is a previously unreleased, killer live recording from 1971. Recorded live, by Impulse! at a charity gala given at Carnegie Hall for the benefit of the Integral Yoga Institute in 1971, this incredible set never saw commercial release until now. The gala concert was one of two halves with the first two transcendental tunes by Alice taken from the album she had just released on Impulse! and then two explosive tunes by her late husband John Coltrane. Naturally, la Coltrane/Dolphy at the Gate, which picked up the recent Grammy nomination for Best Liner Notes, the package includes some knockout editorial, with essays by Lauren Du Graf and Alice's producer Ed Michel

Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda’s devotion to spirituality was the central purpose of the final four decades of her life, an often-overlooked awakening that largely took shape during her four-year marriage to John Coltrane and after his 1967 death. By 1983, Alice had established the 48-acre Sai Anantam Ashram outside of Los Angeles. She quietly began recording music from the ashram, releasing it within her spiritual community in the form of private press cassette tapes. On May 5, Luaka Bop will release the first-ever compilation of recordings from this period, making these songs available to the wider public for the first time. Entitled ‘World Spirituality Classics, Volume 1: The Ecstatic Music of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda,’ the release is the first installment in a planned series of spiritual music from around the globe; curated, compiled and distributed by Luaka Bop.
This powerful, largely unheard body of work finds Alice singing for the first time in her recorded catalog, which dates back to 1963 and includes appearances on six John Coltrane albums, alongside Charlie Haden and McCoy Tyner, and 14 albums as bandleader starting with her Impulse! debut in 1967 with ‘A Monastic Trio.’ The songs featured on the Luaka Bop release have been culled from the four cassettes that Alice recorded and released between 1982 and 1995: ‘Turiya Sings,’ ‘Divine Songs,’ ‘Infinite Chants,’ and ‘Glorious Chants.’ The digital, cassette and CD release will feature eight songs. The double-vinyl edition features two additional songs, “Krishna Japaye” from 1990’s ‘Infinite Chants, and the previously unreleased “Rama Katha” from a separate ‘Turiya Sings’ recording session.
Luaka Bop teamed with Alice’s children to find the original master tapes in the Coltrane archive. The recordings were prepared for re-mastering by the legendary engineer Baker Bigsby (Ornette Coleman, Sun Ra, John Coltrane), who had overseen the original sessions in the 80s and 90s. The compilation showcases a diverse array of recordings in addition to Alice’s first vocal work: solo performances on her harp, small ensembles, and a 24-piece vocal choir. The release is dotted with eastern percussion, synthesizers, organs and strings, making for a mesmerizing, even otherworldly, listen. Alice was inspired by Vedic devotional songs from India and Nepal, adding her own music sensibility to the mix with original melodies and sophisticated song structures. She never lost her ability to draw from the bebop, blues and old-time spirituals of her Detroit youth, fusing a Western upbringing with Eastern classicism. In all, these recordings amount to a largely untold chapter in the life story of Alice Coltrane Turiyasangitananda.
In addition to the recordings, GRAMMY-winning music historian Ashley Kahn has written extensive liner notes on the collection. The package also includes a series of interviews with those who knew Alice best, conducted by Dublab’s Mark “Frosty” McNeill, and an as-told-to interview between musician Surya Botofasina (who was raised on Alice’s ashram) and journalist Andy Beta. 2017 marks what would have been Alice’s 80th year of life, as well as the 10th anniversary of her passing. Alice will be celebrated at events throughout the United States, Europe and South America in the coming year. With this in mind, the time is right to bring this meaningful piece of Turiyasangitananda’s legacy into focus.

Welsh harpist Amanda Whiting returns on Jazzman Records following on from her successful debut album ’After Dark’ (2021).

New explorations and global changing events have led Whiting to ‘Lost in Abstraction’. The Reynolds/ Thorne/ Whiting trio is joined again by the mesmerising lines of flautist Chip Wickham, resuming their conversation reminiscent of Dorothy Ashby and Frank Wess.

‘Lost in abstraction’ was written during a period of the unknown when Whiting, like most, explored her own sense of self. The world paused, with no timeframe, and the fragility of life was laid bare. A time when humanity was left searching for purpose. Freedom and the dependable structures of familiarity were dissolved in most aspects of life. But music stayed constant. Creativity kept weaving its thread, connecting music and its makers in an indissoluble bond.

The album explores the questions and realisations whilst confined. The spiritual findings, the playful curiousness and the reflective moments of loss. Whiting’s writing indulges the listener with the spiritual ethereal washes of sound demanded of the harp, whilst also embracing her influences across many genres. Classically trained, her roots are evident. But with an emotionally charged energy and spiritual questioning, a new soundscape of modernity has emerged.

So often associated with Ashby and Coltrane, the harp finds itself in the hands of a new voice which tells the story of a period of time where the world was unified in reflection.

So what is that feeling when you resonate? When your breath steadies and you let go Lines no longer restrict or choke Energies envelop, yet set you free Are you lost or found?

Amanda Whiting - harp Chip Wickham - flute Aidan Thorne - bass Jon Reynolds - drums Baldo Verdú - percussion

About Amanda Whiting Following on from her sold out album ‘After Dark’ on Jazzman records, Amanda Whiting is making a name for herself on the British Jazz scene.

From Wales, the home of the harp, Amanda has taken her classical roots and forged them in the path of jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby and Alice Coltrane. Her unique style resulted in her nomination for the Jazz FM “2021 Instrumentalist of the Year.”

She has toured extensively with Matthew Halsall and the Gondwana Orchestra performing at Jazz festivals around the world. More recent collaborations have included touring with Chip Wickham, Greg Foat and Rebecca Vasmant. She also performed at the We Jazz festival, Finland in November 2021.

2022 will see the release of her new album ‘Lost in Abstraction’ and performances in Helsinki and other festivals throughout the year. She will also be performing at XJazz Berlin and We Out Here with the Rebecca Vasmant Ensemble.

First Word Records is very proud to present 'The Liminality of Her', a brand new 10-track album from their newest signing, Amanda Whiting; a highly-acclaimed Welsh harpist & composer.

A virtuoso in her field, this classically trained musician has quickly established herself as an essential player in the UK jazz scene, carving her own unique sound, following on from the paths forged by Ashby and Coltrane.

Amanda recently joined the First Word label roster, via a collaborative project with Don Leisure, 'Beyond The Midnight Sun', as well as a feature on his Welsh Music Prize nominated project 'Shaboo Strikes Back'.

She's previously toured extensively with her own band, as well as with Matthew Halsall, Rebecca Vasmant, DJ Yoda and Chip Wickham (who also features on this new project), whilst previously releasing three solo albums on Jazzman Records, and a remix project for Scrimshire's Albert's Favourites imprint. Along the way, there's been a nomination for 'Instrumentalist of the Year' from Jazz FM and she's garnered the support of DJs such as Radio 2's Jamie Cullum ("highly recommended") and BBC 6Music's Cerys Matthews ("my highlight of the Cheltenham Jazz festival 2023").

This 10-track album exemplifies Amanda's talents as a performer and composer, taking in an array of hypnotising sonics from the worlds of jazz; from fusion to spiritual and beyond. She is backed with accompaniment from a remarkable set of players in their own right, including Chip Wickham on flute and Peach. on vocals. A confident display of purposefully blissful compositions that saunter as much as they soothe, whilst being unafraid to lean into some deep uptempo grooves.

Amanda describes the theme of this project as "liminality... that place in between, the transition from one place to another. No longer what it was, yet not what it's going to be.

The harp always presents itself at these moments. It's a sound that causes an emotion. My instrument chose me. It's been with me through every chapter of life. It's how I speak, especially when there are no words.

This album is a rite of passage for "her". A feeling of alchemy, a feeling of liberation. Moments of inner searching, intertwined, waiting but moving forward. Never looking back.

'The Liminality of Her' encompasses the highs and the lows. The nomadic love of freedom and spirituality. It's all so much bigger than you or I…"

From the cinematic, classical fusion of 'After Dark', to the more playful 'Lost in Abstraction', this album invites you to float in a soundscape of liminality...

Composer, clarinetist, singer & spiritual jazz soothsayer Angel Bat Dawid descended on Chicago's jazz & improvised music scene just a few years ago. In very short time, the potency, prowess, spirit & charisma of her cosmic musical proselytizing has taken her from relatively unknown improviser to borderline ubiquitous performer in Chicago's avant-garde. On any given night you can find Angel adding aura to ensembles led by Ben LaMar Gay, or Damon Locks, or Jaimie Branch, or Matthew Lux, or even, on a Summer night in 2018, onstage doing a woodwind duo with Roscoe Mitchell. For her recorded debut on International Anthem, The Oracle, we've chosen to release a batch of tracks that Angel created entirely alone - performing, overdubbing & mixing all instruments & voices by her self - recorded using only her cell phone in various locations, from London UK to Cape Town RSA, but primarily from her residence in the attic of the historic Radcliffe Hunter mansion in Bronzeville, Southside, Chicago.

US based Finnish pianist Anni Kiviniemi debuts her trio featuring bassist Eero Tikkanen and drummer Hans Hulbaekmo (from Gard Nilssen"s Supersonic Orchestra and Moskus). The new album "Eir", out on We Jazz Records, is an introspective, moody, yet swinging trio set comprising 8 Kiviniemi originals. Modeled for a classic jazz piano trio, Kiviniemi"s music reaches far beyond, bringing together influences from classical music, Norwegian musical tradition and North African music.

Gilberto with Turrentine is an album by Brazilian samba and bossa nova singer Astrud Gilberto and American saxophonist Stanley Turrentine featuring performances recorded in 1971 released on the CTI label. The album can be described as a blend of jazz, pop, and tropicalia. It was arranged by Eumir Deodato and features appearances by A-list jazz performers including Airto Moreira, Ron Carter, Sam Brown, Hubert Laws, and Toots Thielemans.

With her tenure on Verve drawing to a close, Astrud Gilberto steps further away from her bossa nova roots with I Haven't Got Anything Better to Do, an intimate, nocturnal set closer in scope and spirit to the Baroque pop of Burt Bacharach, whose "Trains and Boats and Planes" is beautifully rendered here. In the liner notes Gilberto dubs it "my fireplace album," and indeed the record is immediately warm and comforting, despite the melancholy that colors all of the selections. Albert Gorgoni's arrangements are sumptuously romantic, perfectly complementing the simple, poignant vocals. Mistakenly considered a minor entry in the Gilberto canon, I Haven't Got Anything Better to Do is instead a minor masterpiece.

The Shadow of Your Smile is a studio album by Astrud Gilberto. With arrangements by Don Sebesky, Claus Ogerman, and João Donato, it was released via Verve Records in 1965. It peaked at number 66 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Limited to 300 copies. Officially licensed. Reissue on two discs.

Originally released in 1979, Betty Lou Landreth's Betty Lou has been expanded to a 15-song double album featuring the original studio recordings along with bonus material, alternative takes, and extensive liner notes from Joel Palmer, the producer of this Motor City holy grail.

Recorded in Detroit and produced and released by Detroit-born jazz historian Joel Palmer on his YaYa label, the album features many veterans and esteemed Detroit and New Orleans Jazzmen. Alongside Joel, producer and arranger Charlie Gabriel recruited some of the city’s top fellow musicians for the session, including his longtime friend and housemate, trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, drummer J.C. Heard, Motown's Funk Brothers, keys player Emmanuel Riggins, bassist Hubie Crawford, violinist Travis Biggs, the Body sisters and many more.

"Honestly, there were never any commercial expectations or aspirations for the album. We just got together to cook up a gumbo. Detroit, New Orleans, funk, jazz, torch, country and some great, great musicians to bring the flavors together. Our only intent was to create the best work of music possible; one which would allow Betty Lou Landreth to display her extraordinary vocal skills, and that we did. The reissue serves as a monument to all of those who all those long years ago contributed their special magic to creating a unique musical work which has endured the test of time.” (Joel Palmer, 2021).

Berlin-based British composer, percussionist, and instrument maker Bex Burch was invited to spend a month in the US by International Anthem in Summer 2022. Burch immersed herself in the label"s creative community and listened to what it gave her, making field recordings and allowing There Is Only Love and Fear to emerge from the collaborations and environments she encountered. Sessions for the album spanned multiple non-traditional recording spaces including a storefront in Bridgeport, Chicago and a canyon in Griffith Park, Los Angeles, with an eminent cast of creative musicians including Ben LaMar Gay, Macie Stewart, Anna Butterss, Mikel Patrick Avery, and Dan Bitney of Tortoise, all of whom Burch met for the first time in the moments before they played. These moments of instant collaboration were then edited, decomposed, and recontextualized by Burch, resulting in a deeply organic, energetic-yet-patient addition to the canon of modern composition.

Though she had been performing professionally since the late 1920s, as a teenager in Harlem, during its Renaissance, the immortal Billie Holiday didn't play a single night on the European continent until 1954. It was in that year that the great journalist and musician Leonard Feather, and a Swedish promoter organized the Jazz Club U.S.A. tour, named after Feather's wildly popular radio program. Featuring Red Norvo, Sonny Clark, and more, the centerpiece of Jazz Club U.S.A. was, undoubtedly, Lady Day. Recorded at various dates across the tour, Lady Love shows Holiday still had it, despite the turmoil, and drug and alcohol abuse, her voice remained strong, a stunning document of one of America's greatest treasures on her first ever tour of Europe.

The tragic tale of Billie Holiday involves a fractured childhood, a seemingly endless series of abusive men, and addictions to heroin and alcohol, all played out in the public eye after targeting by the FBI. Nevertheless, her huskily expressive voice is timeless and the way she brought blues phrasing into jazz was hugely influential. The 1956 release Lady Sings The Blues took its name from her shocking autobiography and the disc finds her on fine form throughout, the landmarks including the immortal ‘Strange Fruit,’ the defiant ‘God Bless The Child,’ the mournful ‘No Good Man’ and the great title track. Classic Lady Day all the way!

Since her death, the music of Billie Holiday has been championed by many high-profile artists who freely acknowledge her influence. Though Holiday’s career was relatively short, she created a musical legacy that has endured to the current day. Billie Holiday was an original, and this compilation brings together the very best of her output. After experiencing these 42 tracks you will have an insight into the art and soul of a vocal artist who, Frank Sinatra insisted, touched every major American singer of their generation with her genius.

"Brand New Life" is Brandee Younger's second album on Impulse! Records. Younger is quite often noted for standing on the shoulders of the very woman who ushered in the harp as a clear and distinct voice in jazz - particularly Dorothy Ashby. Having studied her life and music intensely, this would be accurate. As an artist, Brandee continues to bring new life to her work while simultaneously introducing a unique voice and seamlessly integrating contemporary genres that extend the instrument into yet a new life, breaking down barriers for future harpists to come.

The intersection of Younger’s identity through race, gender, and locale, offers her the unique experience of accessing the instrument within the richness of Black creative expression, culture, and community. This meaningful, contextual distinction is beautifully evident in Younger's music across every album and performance. Like her predecessors, Younger is a reflection of and commitment to the continuum of Black music.



Brandee Younger - Harp (and vocals on track 5)

Rashaan Carter - Bass / Makaya McCraven - Drums / Joel Ross - Vibraphone / DeSean Jones - Flute / Yuri Popowycz - Strings / Mumu Fresh - Vocals (Track 2) / Pete Rock - Drum Programming (Track 2) / Linda McNease-Younger - Vocals (Track 5) / Sharon McNease-Griggs - Vocals (Track 5) / Meshell Ndegeocello - Vocals (Track 8) / Junius Paul - Bass (Track 9) / 9th Wonder - Drum Programming Additional Production

A musical statement of peace, relaxation and contemplation inspired by the arrival of motherhood, Danish saxophonist and April Records artist Cecilie Strange presents her new album "Beyond".Following her acclaimed 2021 release "Blikan", which has seen Strange gain international recognition in the form of over 1 million plays on Spotify and reviews in wide-reaching publications including Downbeat magazine.The record is a melancholic, spacious, Nordic ode to the circle of life, both literally and conceptually. Recorded by four musicians (her "dream team") arranged in a circle, the compositions reflect on those she loves, and those she has loved and lost.It begins with a song dedicated to the grandmother she lost when she was eight years old as well as to her daughter, both who share the name "Alice". "Byssan Lull" is an interpretation of a lullaby Cecilie sings to her children, taught to her by her husband who had it sung to him by his mother when he was a child. "Where My Heart Lives" is dedicated to her husband, with whom she has spent half of her life. "Midnight Sun Upon Saltværsoya" was inspired by witnessing the eternal light on a small island off the coast of Norway.Lyrical, lamenting melodies are the focal point of "Beyond", emerging from every corner of the ensemble and removing the boundaries between the improvised and the composed. Experienced ensemble playing, comforting harmony and sparse, intentional musicality create a sense of delicate intensity that demands to be listened to.This "dream" quartet of pianist Peter Rosendal, drummer Jakob Hoyer and bassist Thommy Andersson accompanied Cecilie on her previous two bodies of work. "The mutual understanding and musical chemistry between us allows for a freer approach to ensemble playing" she commented. There were no discussions regarding who would take what solo - the four simply arranged themselves in a circle and played. The result - with the addition of guest vocalist Josefine Cronholm on two tracks - is a dynamic, emotive and intera...

Filed neatly and undisturbed within the micro-genre of 1970s Italian artsploitation, amongst
films soundtracks such as Girl With The Crystal Plumage, A Quiet Place In The Country and
House With The Laughing Windows, this obscure library LP is one of the few fully formed
concept albums from the recently reappraised discography of Rome’s most versatile and
adventurous female production music composer Daniela Casa. Once destined for a shelf life
within the storage rooms of defunct TV studios and educational facilities Daniela’s previously
strictly commercially unavailable music has in recent years been given new focus at the
hands of open-minded disc detectives and sonic salvage hunters earning Casa’s distinctive
feminine take on experimental instrumental mood and movie compositions a place next to
her widely respected masculine counterparts such as Alessandro Alessandroni, AR Luciani,
Pierro Umiliani, Morricone and Nicolai.
Sharing tight studio space and strict syndication schedules with all of the aforementioned
artists (under commission from Romano Di Bari’s fervently independent Flipper music factory)
Daniela Casa embraced a liberating wind change in affordable music technology which opened
doors for uninhabited solo compositions in home studios taking advantage of communal
recording consoles and domestic synthesisers which nurtured a lesser-documented creative
family tree (or rather secret society) and paved the way for individualistic projects from the
likes of Magnetic System’s Fabio Frizzi and Goblin’s Claudio Simonetti. Here, on this repress
of the impossibly rare, one-time subscription-only album, Arte Moderna, we find Daniela at
her versatile best creating a wide thematic suite (based on paintings and sculptures in an
abstract art gallery) for which she would deploy mostly organic and acoustic instruments
to construct a set of unorthodox compositions straddling avant garde, free jazz and Giallo
tension (with some brief moments of brooding electronics and italian pop).
Veering from her stylistic pop interests (which clearly included a fondness for the music of
Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin) Daniela Casa’s Arte Moderna saw her adopt a less era
specific approach combining neo-classical elements and piano improvisations akin to the
likes of France’s Francois Tusques or Burton Greene, or America’s Mal Waldron without
compromising her strong narrative personality for this unique abstracted picture music.
Unintentionally but profoundly political in her prolific existence Daniela Casa’s contribution
to a predominantly male industry earned her a small clutch of inspired idiosyncratic Italian
female bedfellows such as Nora Orlandi, Giullia De Muittis (aka Kema), Fiorella Fratini, Emma
De Angelis and Maria Teresa Luciani, who, with faceless anti-celebrity as its essence, never
benefitted the wider critical focus that much of this music now duly commands on the
collectors circuit.
Finders Keepers Records, in continued collaboration with the Di Barri company, with the
Casa/Ducros family blessing, are now proud to shine new light on this sonic sculptures and
provide a fresh context where educated music listeners are ready to fill the gaps between
Delia Derbyshire, Ennio Morricone, Suzanne Ciani and Harry Partch and patronise a very
welcome considered alternative to the recent rise in popularity of Italian Giallo soundtracks
from a seldom savoured feminine creative vantage point. Daniela’s musical paintings can
now be unveiled to the public for the first time, with Modern Art sounding as contemporary
as it did when it was recorded forty years ago. The gallery is now open for limited sittings,
discerning ears and open minds.

This reissue is on 180g vinyl.

Dorothy Ashby was the very best and most swinging performer on the multi-stringed instrument associated with the gates of heaven. Here on Earth, Ashby adeptly plucked and strummed the harp like nobody else, as evidenced on a single reissue containing her two best LPs for the Prestige and Prestige/New Jazz labels from 1958 -- Hip Harp and In a Minor Groove. Alongside her prior efforts for the Savoy label, they collectively represent a small but substantive discography for the Detroit native in small group settings. With the exceptional flute sounds produced by Frank Wess, the combo plays music that is oriented via a unique sonic palate, further enhanced by the principals in the standards and originals they have chosen. Fellow Detroiter Herman Wright is here on bass, with duties split between legendary drummers Art Taylor and Roy Haynes, who place particular emphasis on subtle brushwork. Of course, the watchword of Ashby's sound is elegance, as she and Wess weave magical threads of gold and silver through standards like the circular and pristine "Moonlight in Vermont," the dramatic, sl