The Truth against the world
FATHER YOD and THE SPIRIT OF '76 (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #01) LP, 180gr. black & silver vinyl; ltd ed
artwork by Pythagoras Aquarian
special thanks to Djin
first 26 copies (numbered) has a completly different artwork on front cover (stencil) and insert, plus stamps on back cover (design by ep)
REMINISCENSES:
"one day i was reading a book about the Milky Way... the name for the black hole at the center of our galaxy was called Sagittarius A-Star... ding ! it just sounded perfect ! later on i was checking out Father Yod wonderful book to find out the right pic for the cover... could i have ever envisioned something better for the front cover of the A-Star rocket #01 then the Father in the Star man pose ??! NAH ! simply PERFECT, what a MAGICAL coincidence ! can't imagine how pleased i was when one day Djin, after checking out qbico site, said that Father Yod'd have been happy to be part of this family ! listen to Father's teachings and doors'll open: you'll see reflections, the salt of the Earth, lifestyle, that all of nature is to show, this and this, that and that... the Father and his spirits at their funkiest and soulfull ! THE SOUND OF LOVE (from A-star)." ep
THE PHILL MUSRA GROUP- The Creator is so far out (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #02) LP, 180gr. black vinyl; ltd ed
side A
Yvonne
side B
The Creator is so far out
Phil Musra- reeds
Don Hooker- drums
Steven McGill- percussions, vibes
Walter Barrilleaux- piano
rec. August 22, 2010 @ Mysterious Mammal Studio, Los Angeles, engineer Matt Lynch
first 26 copies (numbered) has Phil's photo on front cover and insert, plus stamps on back cover (design by ep)
WORDS:
"I received the Great Record of my music. Thanks for sending copies of THE CREATOR IS SO FAR OUT. I'll share them with the band and Johnny Simmons. I'm groovin on being a part of your Sagittarius records. I know this will be the start of many good things for us all. I like also the album cover picture you got a great mind EP. Keep up the good work." Phill Musra Musra
"Los Angeles-based tenor saxophonist and his work/journey have graced the pages of Ni Kantu before, as we've dug up previously unreleased tracks provided by the man himself, as well as acquired windows into his life and recordings for the Intex and Cosmic labels with his brother, multi-instrumentalist Michael Cosmic (1950-2001). Though Musra has assembled CD-Rs of archival material to almost no distribution over the past few years, his visible output has generally remained known only to connoisseurs of rare records from a bygone era. That is until now, as what is officially his second LP as a leader in over 35 years has been released in a limited edition via the Sagittarius A-Star label. The Creator is So Far Out takes its title from a composition that also appeared on his 1974 Creator Spaces LP (Intex) as well as on the present album. Here, he's joined by drummer Don Hooker, percussionist Steven McGill and pianist Walter Barrilleaux on two sidelong originals.
The core trio of Musra, Hooker and McGill has been together since last year, making live appearances on the West Coast (most often at the Heartbeat House in LA) and cutting some YouTube videos that have yet to go viral. As one would hope, there is a rather profound difference between this trio and what came before. Rather than the slightly-unhinged democracy of his 1970s free unit with Cosmic, Musra stretches out his husky and somewhat minimalist riff on Newk over dry, regular conga and trap set patterns on the lyrical, loving ode Yvonne, peppered with occasional throaty wails. The title track is taken in a bluesy direction, Barrilleaux laying down churchy chords around Hooker's loose lope and Musra's slightly wandering declarations. McGill's brief, glassy vibraphone is used as a marker between tenor and soprano solos, on which the leader's pinched tone contrasts curiously with the rhythm section's chunky groove. Boxy electric piano and flute shortly make a strange pair, as Musra runs through his arsenal. There's always been an outsider quality to Musra's music, and thirty-odd years ago that unbridled and sometimes unfocused energy probably contributed to his and his compatriots' unknown status. Now, of course, that naturalness is something many musicians work to achieve, and if Musra's music is a little more reigned in today, it's not without a folksy honesty that makes The Creator is So Far Out a charmingly humanist statement." Ni Kantu blog
SUN RA & his ETHNIC STRUCTURAL COSMO ARKESTRA- Live at Red Creek, Rochester, NY (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #03) LP, 180gr. black vinyl, with insert; ltd ed
Sun Ra- piano, synth, voice
Tyrone Hill- trombone/Marshall Allen- alto sax, flute, perc/John Gilmore- tenor sax, clarinet/Ronald Wilson- tenor sax/Eloe Omoe- alto sax, bass clarinet/James Jacson- Infinity drum/
Pat Patrick-alto sax, elelctric bass/Billy Bang- violinn, perc/Bruce Edwards- electric guitar/Buster Smith- drums/Tommy "Bugs" Hunter- drums/Marvin "Boogaloo" Smith- drums, perc/June Tyson- voice
rec. August 11, 1986
artwork by Muruga
special thanks to Mahmoud "Ibazi" Susu
first 26 copies (numbered) has a completly different artwork on front cover (by Muruga) and different color insert, plus stamps on back cover
CAIRO FREE JAZZ BAND (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #04) LP, 180gr. black vinyl, with two inserts (notes & photos); ltd ed
side A
Free together
Hartmut Geerken- piano, gongs, bell frame, temple blocks, turkish flute, conducting
Farouk Adbel Rahman- alto sax/Fathi Adbel Salam- tenor sax/Adbel Hakim Zamel- baritone sax/Mahmoud Ayoub- trombone/Saddeek Basouni- trombone/
Mohammed Adbel Rahman- tuba/Ibrahim Wagdi- trumpet/Khalifa Ismail- trumpet/ Moohi El-din Osman- bass/Bib Henein- drums
Salah Ragab- drums, conga
rec. May 10, 1970; Nile Hall, Cairo, Egypt
side B
Meeting
Hartmut Geerken- piano, piano strings, bells, gongs, tubular chimes, mokattam pot rattles
Egyptian group- nai flutes, darabukka, kanun, bag pipe/Moohi El-din Osman- bass
Salah Ragab- drums
rec. March 12, 1970; Sayed Darwish Concert Hall, Cairo, Egypt
first 26 copies (numbered) has a completly different artwork on front cover (design by ep) plus inserts and two concert programs/booklets from the era
THOMAS BORGMANN/WILBER MORRIS/DENIS "JAZZ" CHARLES- Live in Poland (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #5) 2LP, 180gr. black vinyls, with insert, design ep; ltd ed
side A
nasty & sweet, part 1
side B
nasty & sweet, part 2
side C
bird bats
side D
one by one
Thomas Borgmann- tenor, soprano sax, harmonica, ocarina
Wilber Morris- bass
Denis Charles- drums
rec. March 9, 1998 @ Pinokio, Szczecin
special thanks to Thomas and Miriam
dedicated to you Denis
first 26 copies (numbered) has a completly different artwork (by Miriam Wuttke) on front cover
REMINISCENSES:
"I had the pleasure to invite this xholfull trio back in 1998 (same period of this rec.) and to me is still the best and most exciting jazz trio i had ever seen/heard live ! i remember that it was organized in a famous squat place here in town, but 1st time for a jazz concert... people went crazy, can't forget the total silence during Denis' solos (du doooom) and everybody was around him after it ended, offering this & that, such a charismatic figure... few weeks after that tour Denis left this planet peacefully, during sleep... i think that all of them are such fine and totally underrated musicians, it was NOT easy to find a decent photo on the whole web of Denis & Wilber, absurd !? can't imagine my joy, this Summer (strange enough i was in Ukraina, near Poland border when i got his mail), when Thomas wrote me, saying that a magical old rec. had arrived... that's a dream come true for me ! a later version of this trio (rec. in 2000) had been already documented on qbico (#86), with Reggie Nicholson on drums instead of Denis. the music: powerful and full of passion... it surely rained fire that night @ Pinokio and audience seemed to appreciate that... this is JAZZ, man !" ep
CONRAD SCHNITZLER- Slow Motion (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #06) 3-sided LP, 180gr. black vinyls; ltd ed
first 26 copies (numbered) has a different photo on front cover (smiling Con; slow motion effects with the two covers...)
ACID BIRDS- II (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #07) LP, 180gr. black vinyl, with insert; ltd ed
Andrew Barker- drums
Jaime Fennelly- harmonium, tape & electronics
Charles Waters- alto sax & bass clarinet
rec. live @ ISSUE Project Room, Brooklyn, NYC on February 26, 2010
cover artwork by Kara Cressman
mastered by Scott Colburn
first 26 copies (numbered) with hand-made cover by Nuxakaan, using real parrot feathers
WORDS:
"... The LP was recorded at the Issue Project Room, and you can hear the trio’s disparate affiliations blurring into a slow-moving whirl full of gothic sentiment and viscous texture. The bellows-driven keyboard mutates into acidic electro-fuzz, drums generate clouds of billowing booms, and Waters orates on clarinet like some ascetic holy man just in from his 40 days in the desert, patient yet full of intent. This is more than a mix of drone and free jazz; this is what comes next. The execution of the package by Sagittarius A-Star, a descendent of Qbico records, is simple yet satisfying, from the vividly screened sleeve to the hefty black vinyl. The only complaint I have about these records is the decision to make them in such limited numbers. This stuff needs to be heard, and not just by a few people." Bill Meyer, Signal to Noise (Summer 2011)
ODU AFROBEAT ORCHESTRA- Revenge of the one-eyed hyena (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #08) LP, 180gr. black vinyl, with insert; ltd ed
side A
Afrobeat principles #01
Revenge of the one-eyed hyena
side B
No more, No more
16 Cowries
Adeboye Adegbenro- alto & tenor sax, lead vocals, organ, timbale
Opeoluwa Sarah Adegoke, Jennie Knaggs, Chinonye Nsofor, Funke Adegoke- chorus
Marko Novachcoff- baritone sax/Sam Beaubien- trumpet
Joel Peterson- electric bass/Nick Schillace- rhythm guitar/Danny Velic- rhythm guitar
Emmanuel Anifowose- drum kit/Ezekiel Hosu- talking drum, shekere, conga/William Hafer- conga, ko-ko
rec. Autumn 2010 by Jim Diamond, Ghetto Recorders, Detroit
cover artwork by Adeboye Adegbenro
first 26 copies (numbered) with hand-made cover by Nuxakaan, using stamps and the following pelts:
zebra (x4), lynx (x6), tiger (x4), cheeta (x6), leopard (x6)
ARTHUR DOYLE ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC ENSEMBLE- Live in Nashville & Louisville (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #09) LP, 180gr. black vinyl, with special insert; ltd ed
side A
sin
ash
vanish
side B
us
soul
Arthur Doyle- tenor sax, voice
Vin Paternostro- roland 505
Ed Wilcox- percussions
Leslie Q- bass
rec. March 26 & 27, 2004
at Springwater Tavern & Artswatch
design ep
artwork nuxakaan
mastering/selection qbico
front cover photo manuel furioso
first 26 copies (numbered) with hand-made cover by ep, using: metal plate (scraped), spray, salt and bronze + special insert and postcard
4 versions: green (x1), yellow (x3), metallic azur (x11) and metallic red (x11)
TRULOFA TRIO (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #10) 2LP, 180gr. black vinyl, with insert; ltd ed
Nikolai Brix Vartenberg- tenor sax, flutes, recorders
Jon Draby Nielsen- ney, flutes, recorders, percussion, chant
Magnus Olsen Majmon- drums, daf, percussion
rec. 2010 @ MoM Studios and Blavandshuk Fyrtarn, Denmark
artwork nikolai brix
first 26 copies (numbered) with hand-made folder covers (all different/unique) done by the musicians:
Magnus (x3 hand-paint), Nikolai (x5 hand-drawing), Jon (x 12 mixed media) and Susan Thorhauge (x6 lino cut, below)
ltd ed gallery
REMINISCENSES:
"Jon organized the qbico u-nite IV in Aarhus, Denmark back in 2006... when i met him, i immeditaly sensed being in presence of a sensational xhol/a very young nature boy with his own voice... so we made the 1st Truelove LP on qbico... this is the new Trulofa Trio with Magnus (Elektronavn/Pink Luminous Invocation) and Nikolai (Shiggajon/Elektronavn) = probably my favourite group around these days (not too many unfortunatly)... that's why i invited them to the 1st Sagittarius A-Star night @ ISSUE in NYC, next April 22... can't wait to catch them live ! if you dig esoteric free folk jazz with ritual drumming, this is for you. such a natural and ritualistic sound/vibe... can't ask for a better cover artwork (which was choosen among the ltd ed ones made by the musicians themselves) ! yes, with grey hair i start to appreciate more simple things... and apart from being effective, it perfectly mirror the music: for the dancing/flying shaman..." ep
PINK LUMINOUS INVOCATION (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #11) LP, 180gr. black vinyl, with insert; ltd ed
Tanja V. Jessen- spirit
Marie A. Jensen- vocals, synth, music box
Magnus O. Majmon- bells, vocals, kalimba, zurna, clarinet
Marc Kellaway- bells, vocals, violin, toy keyboard, guitar, tin flute, music box
rec. 19/3 2006 live @ Litteraturhause, Copenhagen, Denmark
cover artwork Marc
first 26 copies (numbered) with hand-made covers (front & back; all different/unique) done by the musicians: Tanja, Marie and Marc
ltd ed gallery
WORDS:
"previously released as a CD-R on Foxglove label in 100 copies only: pink luminous invocation is a new quartet hailing from the nordic confines of denmark. this, their debut release, sees two guys and and one girl battling it out in a thicket of organic drones and ethereal harmonies. with hints of the irish deserted village collected, pink luminous invocation's sound is shrouded in mist. using everything from bells and toy keyboards to clarinets and zurnas, it floats around the edges of the forests, unsure of whether or not its safe to enter the magick wood. it is improvisation on a massive scale. while bowed strings lift their arms skyward, the woodwinds flicker underneath a blanket of stars, and we all listen to these three voices sing us toward the dawn" foxglove
ROY BROOKS & the IMPROVISATIONAL SPHERE- Live at Lelli's (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #12) LP, 180gr. black vinyl, with insert rare original flyer; ltd ed
side A
Ha-Ya !
Samba del Sol
side B
Basketball
Her blues is mine Ra
Roy Brooks- drums, marimba, steel drums
Claudine Meyers- Hammond B-3 organ
Rodney Rich- guitar
Jerry LeDuff- shaker, tablas, cuica, percussions
Ray Mantilla- conga, bells, percussions
rec. by Jazzrenegade on Sept. 3, 1999, Detroit
using a Sony WM-D6 cassette recorder and the ECM 909-A mic
thanks to Raheem and Hermine Brooks
special thanks to Charles Jazzrenegade Wood
first 26 copies (numbered) has a different photo on front cover
WORDS:
"Roy Brooks ! what can i say about one of the greatest jazz drummers ?! a man who paid his dues, who lived an hard life...who's Detroit Jazz ! started to play in the 50's with Yusef Lateef, spent 5 years with Horace Silver doing the hard and the bop, then with Dexter Gordon, Lee Morgan, Jackie McLean, two years with Mingus, played with Max Roach M'Boom... plus many others... in the 80's he formed The Artistic Truth & The Aboriginal Percussion Choir... the rec. on this album is even more precious since this is the sole available rec. of this innovative group who had been assembled by Roy for this occasion only ! surely a unique sphere with very eclectic instrumentations and varied exotic flavors coming from Africa, the Caribbean/Cuba, Brazil, not to mention the blues from the deep South... Mr. Brooks latest proper release came out in 1983, so nearly 30 years ago ?! higher forces were in motion to make this happens... " ep
SIRONE SEXTET- Live in Berlin, Ballhaus 1987 (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #13) LP, 180gr. black vinyl, with insert; ltd ed
side A
Illusions of reality, part I & II
side B
Illusions of reality, part III
Getting it together
Nick Steinhaus- alto sax
Thomas Borgmann- soprano sax
Jacques Nobili- trombone
Jason Hwang- violin
Sirone- bass
Anthony Brown- drums
thanks to Veronica Nowag Jones and Thomas Borgmann
first 26 copies (numbered) comes with an artwork by ep on front cover and insert with a rare photo
WORDS:
"Thomas ! Thomas wrote me one day and said to me to check out some audio called So long ago in Berlin... wow, i immediatly fell in love with that sound, really 60's and melancholic in a way... those were the rec. of a mini Tour that Norris Jones set up with his new sextet (2 gigs in Berlin/2 more in NYC). Sirone was one of the most respected bassist coming out of the New Thing, having played with all the greats: Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp, Marion Brown, Pharoah Sanders, Cecil Taylor, Noah Howard, Sun Ra... to name just a few; co-founder, with Leroy Jenkins, of the Revolutionary Ensemble too. a totally underrated musician and tough guy, who released only a couple of albums in the 70's under his name: a 4et with James Newton + a live date. so this is indeed a SPECIAL event and hopefully an LP who do more justice to an unsung artist. all the tracks are composed by him and are full of poignant beauty... particular mention'd deserve also Jason Hwang playing, a young Thomas Borgmann on soprano sax, not to mention great solos on alto sax and trombone by Steinhuis and Nobili respectively. a RARE jewel indeed from the old skool." ep
THE PHILL MUSRA GROUP- Love Life & Games (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #14) LP, 180gr. black vinyl; ltd ed
side A
Promise of the Sun
Phil Musra- reeds
Micheal Cosmic- reeds, piano
Mike Mowen- bass
Kay Ballard- drums
rec. Dec. 1986
Love Life & Games, part I
side B
Love Life & Games, part II
Phil Musra- reeds
Don Hooker- drums
Steven McGill- percussions, vibes
Walter Barrilleaux- piano
rec. March 13, 2011 @ Mysterious Mammal Studio, Los Angeles, engineer Matt Lynch
first 26 copies (numbered) has a different photo on front cover
WORDS:
"i wrote these tunes in 1968 when Micheal Cosmic and i were students at the AACM School of Music. i revised Love life & games in 2008. i had a band going on then with Micheal Cosmic. we played students concerts with Roscoe Mitchell. he also taught us our reeds. i had music theory with Anthony Braxton and Richard Muhal Abrams..." Phill Musra
"Love, Life & Games is the second LP of saxophonist Phill Musra’s music to be issued on the Sagittarius A-Star label, an offshoot of revered left-field imprint Qbico Records. Musra’s name – and that of his brother and near-constant collaborator Michael Cosmic – should be quite familiar to Ni Kantu readers, as his historical and recent music has been to this blog what Joe McPhee was to the early days of Hat Hut. Here, Musra is heard with two different quartets on two compositions that were performed twenty-five years apart. Interestingly, both pieces were written during his time in the AACM at the close of the 1960s. They’re both very fragile lines that could quite easily be imagined in a loose, free, Creator Spaces-like setting, but the ensembles are a far cry from mid-Seventies Boston improvisation – rather light, boppish grooves that stand apart from Musra’s quavering, moment-to-moment cries, murmurs and eviscerations. The first piece is a 1986 recording with Cosmic on electric piano, Mike Mowen on electric bass and Kay Ballard on drums for “Promise of the Sun,” Musra’s steely tenor eking out a simple, brightly embellished solo atop Cosmic’s wandering chords and gooey peck and the rhythm section’s dry, even time. The rendition has a homemade, very personal quality hat seems set apart from time and the broader jazz consciousness of the mid-1980s (or even now).
The title piece is a half-hour romp with Don Hooker on drums, Steven McGill on conga and vibes, and pianist Walter Barrilleaux, recorded earlier this year. Slight variations from the central motif become gruff litmus for struggle as Musra digs in on tenor. Switching to soprano, the wistful aspects of his personality really come out – a barren lament that quavers in contrast with the clean and often lush backing of piano, vibes and Hooker’s tasteful swing. Barrilleaux gets some stretching room and McGill’s accents and rivulets give varied flesh to the proceedings (the percussionist’s Kujichagulia disc is also worth investigating). Again, the journey of Musra and his mates is a very personal one that, while it may not reflect the broader creative music consciousness, presents a semi-private window on spirit and communication. This is the same unique, outsider charm that imbued his 1974 recordings with Cosmic and Ertunç, albeit within a less frantic ritual. It’s a special opportunity to hear this music." Ni Kantu blog
HARTMUT GEERKEN- Brasilia in waitawhile (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #15) one-sided LP, black vinyl; ltd ed
Hartmut Geerken
Famoudou Don Moyč
Edison da Luz
Junior Cardoso
Valmon Rodriguez da Silva
rec. Oct. 9, 2006
Wartaweil, Germany
photo by Johanna Neubauer-da Luz
REMINISCENSES:
"it has always been one of my desires to do an album with Brazilian musicians/flavours... i remember years ago trying to do a free-funk-samba album with saxophonist Ivo Perelman which unfortunatly never happened ?! when Hartmut told me about a very special number that he did with Don Moye and musicians/artists from Brazil under the effect of Santo Daime's sacrament, i sensed that this might be what i was waiting for so long..." ep
HARTMUT GEERKEN/VALERI SCHERSTJANOI- Stalllife (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #16) one-sided LP, black vinyl; ltd ed
rec. Oct. 14, 2000
Wartaweil, Germany
Scribentismus artwork by Valeri Scherstjanoi
WORDS:
"shamans inna trance..." ep
MUHARRAM 1392 (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #17) LP, black vinyl; ltd ed
Hartmut Geerken
Michael Ranta
Hubertus von Puttkamer
Omar el Hakim
Salah Ragab
rec. Feb. 17, 1972
Heliopolis, Egypt
WORDS:
"...tomorrow i will send you the CD of a very strange anarcho spontaneously improvised sound tableau. it is one of the very first musical projects with Ranta, when we met in Egypt in 1972. i didn't listen to this stuff since it was recorded & i was surprised myself ! nearly 40 years after ! the title is the first Muslim month of the year & the number behind is the Muslim year of the recording, that was February 17, 1972, which was the first day of the Muslim year. salam aleik." mahmoud 'ibizibaz' susu
SAS #15/16/17 ltd ed
26 copies only, numbered
the Geerken box
- front cover photo taken after a 4 weekss isolation tank at Max Planck Institute
- insert with notes and photo on parchmennt paper
- SAS #15 with original and signed photoss by Johanna Neubauer-da Luz, two series: hands on front and faces as insert (all different)
- SAS #16 original and signed scribenttismus by Valeri Scherstjanoi (unique pieces/all different)
- SAS #17 signed/not signed-series no.. 2 (original holy arabic hand-written pages from the 19th century) by Hartmut Geerken
SYNCHRON (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #18) LP, black vinyl; ltd ed
Faruq Z. Bey- sax
Ron English- guitar
Keith Vreeland- piano/keyboard
John Dana- acoustic/electric bass
Leonard King- drums
rec. late 80's
artwork by Mark Rudolph
WORDS:
"Lost big D eclectic jazz from the late 80's ! not much info/track titles about it ?! seems an unissued studio date who was planned for release but never happened, until now... it feauture rare appearances by members of Sphere (Vreeland/Dana) who unfortunatly released only one fantastic album back then on Strata... and Ron English who also rec. an LP for Strata under his name (but never issued on wax) and played with Lyman Woodard (drummer Leonard King was also part of the Organization), Wendell Harrison and Eddie Russ (to name a few). the most oblique rec. i ever heard from Faruq... that was for sure an innovative Group who sounds so unique also today... and probably even tomorrow..." ep
FARUQ Z. BEY w/NORTHWOODS IMPROVISERS- Primal waters (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #19) LP, black vinyl; ltd ed
side A
Kins
Primal Waters
side B
Talon
Kuhtuhlpa
Faruq Z. Bey- tenor, alto sax
Mike Carey- flute, bass clarinet, kalimba
Skeeter Shelton- tenor, alto, soprano sax
Mike Gilmore- vibes, kalimba
Mike Johnston- bass, bells, shakers
Nick Ashton- drums, log drum
rec. August 4th, 2011 by Mike Johnston
cover design Mark Rudolph and Mike Johnston
thanks to Mike and Mark
FARUQ Z. BEY 4et- Live at the Detroit Art Space (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #20) LP, black vinyl; ltd ed
Faruq Z. Bey- tenor sax
Kenny Green- piano, fender rhodes
Joel Peterson- acoustic, electric bass
Kevin Calloway- drums
special guest:
Mike Carey- flute, woodwinds
rec. May 1, 2004 by Charles Wood
artwork by Muruga
thanks to Jazzrenegade
SAS #18/19/20 ltd ed
26 copies only, numbered
the Faruq box
- rare Faruq photo on front cover
- SAS #18 with silk-screened covers by Maark Rudolph
- SAS #19 with hand-made covers by Mike JJohnston + large group photo insert + stickers with all the notes on back cover (all different), see ltd ed gallery
- SAS #19C Mamaka EP, one-sided LPP (two tracks: Cat and Mouse & Mamaka II; the complete rec. session of Primal Waters, rec. same day), black disco covers with obi strip and hand-made labels by Mike Johnston (all different, the labels)
- SAS #20 with different artwork from Murruga, paste-on covers
JOHN TCHICAI/HARTMUT GEERKEN/DON MOYE'- West Africa Tour (Sierra Leone, Liberia & Guinea), April 1985 (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #21)
4LP in a cardboard box (paste-on front/stamps on back, practically hand-made) with a 15 pages booklet, black vinyls; ltd ed, numbered
ALL recordings available here for the 1st time
side A/side B rec. April 6, 1985 British Council, Freetown, Sierra Leone
side C/D1 rec. April 8, 1985 Cape Sierra Hotel, Freetown, Sierra Leone D2/D3 rec. April 10, 1985 Town Hall, Bo, Sierra Leone
side E1/E2 rec. April 10, 1985 Town Hall, Bo, Sierra Leone E3/side F1/F2 rec. April 12, 1985 Panjebo-Ta, Monrovia, Liberia
side G rec. April 13, 1985 Panjebo-Ta, Monrovia, Liberia side H rec. April 20, 1985 Town Hall, Sangaredi, Guinea
John Tchicai
tenor saxophone, flute, voice, perc, whistles
Hartmut Geerken
perc, piano, prep. piano, piano strings, voice, flutes, whistles, balloons, tibetan boo-chals, tibetan horn, waterphone, agogo, indonesian angklung, watergong, tibetan chinkas, maracas, bells, singing tube
Famoudou Don Moyé
drums, perc, voice, conche, whistles, agogo, segbureh
guest musicians:
Milo Jazz- percussions
Kojo Samuels- elephant tusk horn, tenor sax
Melvin Reeves- trumpet
Habib Tamba- electric bass
booklet content:
A legendary Tour through West Africa by Sigrid Hauff (Geerken's wife)
Races places faces & asses by Geerken & Moyé (poem)
3 x Africa and back by Bert Noglik (renowed jazz critic; translated by Olaf Geerken and Samantha Disbray)
Through the Mano River Union States by Christian Nakonz (ex Sierra Leone's German Ambassador)
many rare photos (30) of the Tour (b&w)
Tour plan
rec. by Sigrid Hauff on a WM-D6C professional sony walkman with TDK MA-R90 metal alloy cassettes
thanks: Sigi, Bert Noglik and Christian Nakonz
special thanks: Susu
design & mastering: ep, a-star sound
SAS #21 ltd ed
26 copies only, numbered
hand-made by
Nuxakaan
with:
high quality leather
various African objects/artworks from various African tribes
booklet with many rare photos (30) of the Tour (mostly color and b&w)
cola nuts (to break the colanut with somebody african saying, which means to make friendship)
an extra one-sided LP (I side) on gold and gold/green wax
I1 rec. April 21, 1985 Town Hall, Boké, Guinea
I2 rec. April 26, 1985 Town Hall, Rokupr, Sierra Leone
a COMPLETE sensorial experience, with all the 5 senses involved (5 LP too !!!):
touch---> the box itself, it's weight
sight---> the box, the artworks
hearing---> the music
smell---> the real leather
taste---> cola nuts
see ltd ed gallery for all the boxes
and click on each box for more images/details
PHILL MUSRA GROUP- At Huseyin's (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #22) one-sided LP, fluorescent blue vinyl; paste-on cover, ltd ed
side A
I love you God
Creation
Phill Musra- reeds, chimes, perc, zurna
Michael Cosmic- reeds, organs, perc, flute, piccolo, zurna
Huseyn Ertunc- drums, perc
rec. August 1991, Los Angeles
" This is the ONLY other available rec. of this incredible trio who released back in the 70's two legendary records on the Intex label. totally unique timeless music." ep
ROY BROOKS and the ARTISTIC TRUTH- Live at the Montreaux/Detroit Jazz Festival, 1983 (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #23) LP, black vinyl; ltd ed
side A
M'Jumbe
side B
M.O.P.E.
Afro-centric*
Rayse Biggs- trumpet, flugelhorn
Vincent Bowens- tenor sax, flute
Geri Allen- piano
Marion Hayden- bass
Roy Brooks- drums, perc
*Sundiata Keita- perc
all compositions by Roy Brooks, except M.O.P.E. by Geri Allen
special thanks to Geri Allen & Jazzrenegade
"Unissued live Artistic Truth at home, playing some beautiful compositions. another key chapter on Big D jazz by one of his most prominent figure (and group)." ep
EDDIE GALE BAND- This is hot ! (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #24) LP, black vinyl; ltd ed
side A
A statement of peace
Love is all
side B
A jazz rap
Eddie Gale- trumpet
Prince Lasha- reeds
John Gruntfest- reeds
Mimi Dye- violin
Will Nichols- piano
Jeff Hector- bass
Donald Robinson- drums
rec. live at Yoshi's Jazz Club, Oakland, California
August 19, 2002
all music composed by Eddie Gale
special thanks to Eddie and Mike Johnston
"The original avant-garde trumpeter." Sun Ra
IDRIS ACKAMOOR and CULTURAL ODYSSEY- The beginning of the Second Earth (SAGITTARIUS A-STAR #25) LP, black vinyl; ltd ed
side A
The beginning of the Second Earth suite
part I The beginning of the Second Earth
part II Ascent of the Nether creatures
side B
Look into yourself
The temple garden
Another Carnival
Idris Ackamoor- alto & tenor sax, thumb piano, balafon, perc, poetry
Rasul Siddik- trumpet, perc, bamboo flutes
Joe McKinley- bass
John Baker- drums
Abdul Waahid- conga, perc
live at SOMARTS Cultural Center, San Francisco, 1980
all music composed by Idris Ackamoor, except Another Carnival by Wallace Wilson
photo: Kathy Sloane
special thanks to Idris
"After the successful and exciting adventure with The Pyramids (3 fantastic albums issued in the 70's), Idris (who founded the aforementioned group) in 1979 formed Cultural Odyssey (which is still running), fresh from touring Africa and observing the interdisciplinary nature of African artistic culture. the music presented on this rocket is from the very 1st performance by this exciting new group, which took place in San Francisco (1980). strange enough it's also the very 1st LP under Idris Ackamoor name's (?! he had recently been awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Worldwide Awards Show, Cafe Oto, London.), so a really special event ! the music is simply killer afro-righteous-joyfull jazz !" ep
SAS #22/23/24/25 ltd ed
26 copies only, numbered
the Black star box
- SAS #22/23/24/25 LP with rare photos onn paste-on covers (stamps on back), design ep
- insert with all notes + rare & loveely concert program/booklet of Cultural Odyssey gig in San Francisco, designed by Cinzia
- front box artwork by outsider Texas priison folk artist the magnificent pretty boy: Henry Ray Clark
