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Gentle genius from the legendary Moondog – a rare album recorded right around the same time as his mindblowing work for Prestige! The style here is very similar to those Prestige albums – very spare and rhythmic – often just using simple acoustic percussion alongside an instrument or two, such as flute, bass, or one of Moondog's own unusual creations! The sound is really otherworldly – at once both cosmic and earthy, with sounds that are light years ahead of most of Moondog's contemporaries. Titles include "Tree Frog", "Oasis", "Suite No 1", "Suite No 2", "Dragon's Teeth", "Rim Shot", and "Why Spend The Dark Night With You?"

One of the best early albums from the legendary Moondog – a set that got wider circulation than his first few releases, and really helped expand his reach beyond New York City! Moondog's still at his simple best here – working in a blend of rhythmic percussion, stringed instruments, flute, and other rootsy instrumentation – all with echoes of Eastern styles, but served in a way that definitely has more of a touch of American exotica! All numbers are played by small groups – or even solo by Moondog – and any vocalizations take on almost an instrumental feel – sliding in alongside sound effects, animal noises, and other obscure utterings. The album's almost the art world equivalent of Martin Denny – but has a lot more depth than easy kitsch – and is still tremendously powerful stuff all these years later! Titles include "Caribea", "Big Cat", "Frog Bog", "To A Sea Horse", "Surf Session" and "Trees Against The Sky". This reissue is the original version of the record that was also issued as Moondog on Prestige.

One of Jimmy's funkiest albums ever – a sweeeeet batch of short, hard, and funky cuts – and a record that ranks right up there with the mighty Soul Sugar for sheer funkiness! Jimmy takes an upbeat and easygoing approach to the late 60s funk sound, with a nice, rubbery bass and the organ sound just killer – but would expect less from McGriff on that front? Truly funky and totally irresistible stuff, with sinister, measured moments that bigger and heavier pretty quickly - kind of prefiguring 70s blacksploitation soundtrack vibes in spots! The album's great all the way through – tight arrangements by Horace Ott, who also plays electric piano on the set, making for a clean, cool 2-keys kind of groove. Titles include "Spear for Moondog" (parts 1 & 2), "Tight Times", "Funky Junk", "Bird Wave", and "Back on the Track".

Two amazing albums from sound library maestro Patrice Sciortino – experimental, but also pretty darn groovy too! Percuplusions features tunes that often mix odd rhythms and weird keyboard parts – sometimes electric harpsichord, sometimes an instrument that may well be prepared piano – used in a way that's every bit as rhythmic as the percussion! There's a core rootsy feel to the music that's almost like some of Moondog's 50s recordings – although the overall approach has more of a French avant style as well – like some of the late 60s records coming out on Philips, issued here on the Limelight electronic series. Titles include "Isogones", "Natcos", "Wood Wood", "Cryptile", "Ronces", and "Matic". Next is Gynorhymies 1 – a record that sounds like it's got sort of a dirty title, but which was actually composed for dance excercises – although exercises of a very offbeat nature! The music is a nice blend of acoustic percussion and some electric touches – the latter of which are usually used sparely, mostly on keyboard, and folded into the percussion – so that the music is very rhythmic throughout! The CD features all the short tracks from the original album – plus some bonus tracks as well – 44 titles in all, and almost 80 minutes of very unusual sounds!

A compelling collaboration from a very unlikely duo – "minister of audiology" Lary 7, working here with Jimi Tenor and Mia Theodoratus! The sound is definitely informed by Lary's long experience with acoustic instruments – and builds beautifully out of a range of harps, flutes, percussion, bells, marimba, and lots of other amazing exotic elements that shift and change as the record moves on – almost like some old school Moondog record, but with a feel that's more laidback and evocative – and quite meditative all the way through! Tenor's production work really helps give the sound some shape, and still has all the spiritual undercurrents of some of Jimi's own recent records – and titles include "EEG", "Polysomnographic", "Brief Arousal", "Hypersomia", "Synitillating", "Quietus", "Reveil", and "Panique Onirique".

Rootsy sounds from Henry Thomas – some great vintage recordings from the late 20s, with a feel that's quite different than more conventional blues from the time! Thomas definitely has a bluesy approach, but his use of the guitar is more strummy, almost folksy – as is his occasional accompaniment on a light flute, which is used as a whistle in between his well-inflected vocals. The whole thing's pretty great – almost as if Moondog teamed up with a blues singer – and titles include "Red River Blues", "Fishing Blues", "Fox & The Hounds", "Don't Ease Me In", "Railroadin Some", "Jonah In The Wilderness", and "Bull Doze Blues".

Fantastic! You've heard us rave here before about how much we love Gil Melle, and this CD contains one of his best-ever albums! Primitive Modern is an incredible record that features the arrangements and playing of Gil's great quartet (with Joe Cinderella on guitar, and Ed Thigpen on drums), plus a number of strange and unusual instruments created by Melle himself. The resultant sound is a strange blend of tightly arranged jazz and free flowing Moondog-ish material, and tracks like "Ironworks", "Dominica", "Mark One", and "Dedicatory Piece To The Geophysical Year Of 1957" are out of this world! Coupled with this album is another great quartet album, Quadrama – one that has more of a straight jazz feel, but which is also great. Titles on that one include "Full House", "Quadrama", "Rush Hour In Hong Kong", and "Walter Ego". Great stuff all round!

A compelling collaboration from a very unlikely duo – "minister of audiology" Lary 7, working here with Jimi Tenor and Mia Theodoratus! The sound is definitely informed by Lary's long experience with acoustic instruments – and builds beautifully out of a range of harps, flutes, percussion, bells, marimba, and lots of other amazing exotic elements that shift and change as the record moves on – almost like some old school Moondog record, but with a feel that's more laidback and evocative – and quite meditative all the way through! Tenor's production work really helps give the sound some shape, and still has all the spiritual undercurrents of some of Jimi's own recent records – and titles include "EEG", "Polysomnographic", "Brief Arousal", "Hypersomia", "Synitillating", "Quietus", "Reveil", and "Panique Onirique".

One of the weirdest records on the ESP label from the 60s – and that's saying a lot, given the oddness of the legendary label! The set's essentially a free jazz one, but it's also got some unusual instrumentation too – assorted guitars, koto, clarinet, xylophone, and lots of odd percussion – often used in ways that are more exotic than some of the more bombastic styles of other ESP players. At times, there's almost a Moondog sensibility to the record – but at others, there's a more forceful presentation as well. There's just a bit of vocals on the album – sung by Ruth Ann Hutchinson – but most of the set is instrumentally focused. Titles include "770", "771", "772", and "June".

Blearly-eyed bebop, smoky nightclub jazz from the weary hours, and boozy beat sounds from the early 60s on this no frills, but fun compilation – bits by Frosty & The Diamonds, Slim Galliard, Coleman Hawkins, Ada Moore, Moondog, Elle Girl & 7 Beat Sulks, Gil Melle, Kenneth Rexroth and others! It's a diverse roster, but the style flows pretty consistently and and definitely get the mood across! Includes "Destination Mars" by Frosty & The Diamonds, "The Gears" by Gil Melle, "Cockroach" by Jack Kerouac, "Go Go Kitty" by The New Bangs, "Like" by Jack Hammer, "State & 32nd" by Kenneth Rexroth and more. 25 tracks on the CD.

You've gotta love a record that begins with the statement "If your breasts are too big, you will fall over – unless you wear a rucksack" – and if that line isn't enough to catch your ears, the rest of the record certainly is! Velvet Donkey is one of Ivor Cutler's brilliant 70s albums – done much more for a rock audience than the folkies that first carried him up at the start of the 60s. Tracks are all short, simple, almost child-like – in a way that makes Cutler the vocal equivalent of the same territory explored by Moondog on his older instrumental records. There's a slightly comic twist to some of the tunes, but the record certainly isn't comedy – more in the mode of short sound-poems, or 2 minute plays than anything else. The album features a whopping 31 tracks in all – many under a minute long – and titles include "Useful Cat", "Bread & Butter", "A Nuance", "Go & Sit Upon The Grass", "The Curse", "Gee Amn't I Lucky", "Sleepy Old Snake", "The Stranger", and "Titchy Digits".