One of the most compelling albums ever recorded by guitarist Eugene Chadbourne – a set billed as "free improvised country and western bebop" – and which features Chadbourne serving up these wild variations on tunes by Carl Perkins, Roger Miller, David Allen Coe, Bobby Bare, Merle Haggard, and other country music legends! The album's much more Eugene than Nashville – although Chadbourne does sing lyrics on all of the tunes, but in a way that's very offbeat and hardly unlike the originals at all – as is his guitar work, which is acoustic and all twisted and turned up in all the offbeat phrasings you might expect! Much of the record is Chadbourne on vocals and electric dobro – but the set also features some drums by David Licht, saxes from John Zorn, and cello from Tom Cora. Titles include "The Last Word In Lonesome Is Me", "I'm The Only Hell My Mama Ever Raised", "Georgia In A Jug", "Motel Time Again", "Dang Me", "Window Shopping", "Jealous Loving Heart", "Mr Record Man", and "Swingin Doors". CD

One of our favorite mixing of modes from the old school – a tremendous second album from the legendary Aksak Maboul! The record mixes arty playfulness with some rootsier elements – bits of Eastern instrumentation, jazz, improvisation, and even some post-punk elements – all in a way that makes for one of the most creative recordings of its time – a set that easily provides key inspiration for more recent genre-crossing acts like this! There's a bit of Y or Ze Records whimsy at times – but the end result is much deeper, and much more compelling– as you'd expect from a group that features Fred Frith on guitar, Chris Cutler on drums, Marc Hollander and Michel Berkmans on reeds, and Denis Van Hecke on a range of cool cellos! Each tune has a slightly different flavor, but there's still a really unified feel to the record too – one of those European projects that comes together like nothing you'd hear from the US. Titles include "Geistige Nacht", "A Modern Lesson", "Palmiers En Pots", "Inoculating Rabies", "Cinema", and "Bosses De Crosses". (Rock, Out Sound) CD

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A fantastic record – and a really mindblowing mix of spiritual jazz and electronics! The set is an amazing collaboration between trumpeter Don Cherry and pioneering electronic musician Jon Appleton – one of those rare meetings of the minds that goes far deeper than you'd expect! On the set, Cherry's trumpet, flute, and percussion is heavily processed by Appleton – often in ways that are organic enough to keep with Cherry's other experiments of the time, and with the "Human Music" title of the set – but sometimes with the more playful feel of Appleton's other music from the time. The mix of electronics and improvisation is amazing – years ahead of its time, and with a haunting sound that works perfectly against Cherry's style of restrained spiritualism. The LP's got 4 long tracks – "Boa", "Oba", "Abo", and "Bao" – all recorded live in the studio! LP, Vinyl record album

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Includes Babbitt's "Phonemena For Soprano And Piano" performed by Lynn Webber and Jerry Kuderna, "Phonemena For Soprano And Tape" performed by Lynn Webber, and "Reflections For Piano And Synthesized Tape" and "Post-Partitions" performed by Robert Miller; Bassett's "Music For Saxophone And Piano" performed by Donald Sinta and Ellen Weckler; Smith's "Fancies For Clarinet Alone" performed by the composer; and Wuorinen's "Bassoon Variations" performed by Donald MacCourt, Susan Jolles, and Gordon Gottlieb. (Classical, Out Sound) LP, Vinyl record album