Cuneiform Records September 2004 releases

Just received the following press release, which should be of interest to many at Prog Archives:

5 NEW RELEASES FROM CUNEIFORM : OUT ON SEPTEMBER 21, 2004

PAUL DUNMALL MOKSHA BIG BAND - *I Wish You Peace* FILE UNDER: JAZZ/
IMPROV

*I Wish You Peace* is a landmark recording in the career of Paul Dunmall, one
of jazz's emerging giants. To celebrate this British musician’s 50th
anniversary in 2003, the BBC enabled Dunmall to fulfill his longstanding dream to
record with a big band; this CD is the result. Numbering 14 players plus a
conductor, the Paul Dunmall Moksha Big Band [Moksha= Hindu word meaning "supreme
liberation of the soul"] includes both established and new talent from the UK
free-jazz pool, including Keith Tippett, Tony Levin, Paul Rogers, Chris Bridges,
Howard Cottle, Hilary Jeffrey, Gethin Liddington, Simon Picard, Paul
Rutherford, John Adams, Mark Sanders, Philip Gibbs, David Priseman and conductor Brian
Irvine. Like the best 'energy jazz', *I Wish You Peace* is an intensely
visceral yet spiritual work. Mixing composed and free playing, the music goes from
intensely hot and focused jazz to rowdy 'blowing' from the large ensemble.
Essential document of boundary-breaking big band jazz and improvisation.

FAR CORNER - *Far Corner* FILE UNDER: ROCK/
PROGRESSIVE ROCK
This is an exciting and auspicous debut release by a chamber rock quartet
from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Far Corner play carefully honed compositions, composed
in a style that reflects influences from 20th century composers, such as
Stravinsky and Bartok combined with classical/chamber rock greats like Univers
Zero , early ELP, Present and more, combined in their own fashion. Far Corner
uses a relatively small palette of instrumental colors to achieve a big sound:
Grand piano and Hammond organ, cello (played both ‘classically’ and with
amplification and fuzzboxes to give it a metal edge), electric bass and drums. The
four musicians are all extremely accomplished players, and this is sure to get
the attention it deserves from fans of chamber/progressive rock.

THE RICHARD LEO JOHNSON TRIO - *Poetry Of Appliance* FILE UNDER:
ROCK
Richard Leo Johnson is one of the most innovative and inspired acoustic
guitarists on the current American music scene. His singular style is characterized
by complexity, exhilarating speed, and hauntingly unfamiliar harmonies
created through approximately 30 ‘found’ tunings. A good indication of what Johnson
is about is captured when he recalls that his “real jumping off point” was
a home-made cassette he received as a teenager, which featured The Mahavishnu
Orchestra’s Inner Mounting Flame on one side, and Leo Kottke’s Greenhouse on
the other; “I thought both sides were by the same artist! The initial impact
was that it was somehow possible to make something happen that fused the linear
liquidity of McLaughlin and the dense harmonic structure and drive of
Kottke.” *Poetry of Appliance* is Johnson's first release with a band; he has two
previous solo and solo+guest artists releases on Metro Blue + Blue Note. The
Richard Leo Johnson Trio, Johnson's first 'band', consists of Johnson and two
former members of the closed Savannah Symphony. The trio fuses elements of
Americana, rock, ambient and folk music with the sensibilities of classical color
and structure, reflecting an eclectic, modern outlook on chamber music.

THE MUFFINS - *Double Negative* FILE UNDER: ROCK/
PROGRESSIVE ROCK
*Double Negative* is The Muffins’ 2nd studio recording released since
reforming with all four original members in 1998, and is possibly the most ambitious
work of their career. Guest musicians -who include 2 members of the Sun Ra
Arkestra, Marshall Allen and Knoel Scott, as well as a string quartet - perform
with The Muffins on a number of songs. Featuring 75 minutes of music spread
over 17 songs, *Double Negative* is The Muffins’ most compositionally diverse
work, featuring pieces that vary greatly in style and tone, but which are always
theirs. The Muffins have long been noted for the way they craft memorable
themes with adventurous musical structures and this is no exception.

YANG - *A Complex Nature* FILE UNDER: ROCK /
PROGRESSIVE ROCK
Yang, a French quartet whose stunning compositons combine intricate guitar
parts with driving rock, is the newest project led by French guitarist and
composer Frederic L’Epée. L’Epée’s former projects include founding two of the
most intriguing all-instrumental bands to emerge from France: the legendary
progressive rock band Shylock, and the avant garde rock group Philharmonie, who
critics said surpassed both Fripp's League of Crafty Guitarists and King Crimson.
Featuring the 'standard' line-up of two guitarists, bass and drums, Yang play
a dynamic instrumental music that rocks hard, and which bears comparisons to
groups such as Gordian Knot and King Crimson. The band recorded the CD
quickly, spending only 3 days in the studio in a conscious attempt to harness the
power and spontanaety of live performance. Featuring intricate and often
beautiful guitar pieces embedded in harder-tempered rock compositions, complex rhythms
and melodic modes not previously seen in L’Epée’s work, and a rich variety
of guitar treatments, *A Complex Nature* is an inventive, dynamic and
accessible instrumental work. Featuring particularly memorable electric guitar, this
exciting and hard-rocking album features subtly stunning work from all players.
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PLEASE NOTE:
To our friends and colleagues in Press & Radio:
We hope that each and every one of you had a very wonderful summer.

The above text contains descriptions of our 5 new September releases. Please
tell me if you are interested in receiving promo copies. Because we may not be
able to send you everything you request, please list your requests in order
of priority.

We begin our promo mailings next week. However, you may not recieve your
promos for several weeks, because of the time it takes to process and ship
worldwide. If you need your CD quickly for a deadline, special project you are
working on etc, please tll us and write *URGENT* in the subject line of your email.
Thank you for your understanding.

BREAKING CUNEIFORM NEWS
We are honored to announce that one of our previous releases:
*Sky Garden*, by Henry Kaiser & Wadada Leo Smith/ Yo Miles!,
has just won the 2004 SURROUND MUSIC AWARD for
BEST HI-RES STEREO-ONLY PROGRAM!!!!!!

CONGRATULATIONS, YO MILES' guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

To read more about the 2004 SURROUND SOUND AWARDS, visit
http://www.uptilt.com/functions/message_view.html?mid=380318 &mlid=22366&siteid=12808&uid=e457566c04


best regards
joyce
director of publicity & promotion, cuneiform records