Music For The Millennium

1. Cousin Bruce
2. The Ballad Quartet Will Now Play Suite First Take
3. Dawn Tuning
4. Downhill Slalom
5. Rebecca's Twillight
6. Una Noche (Mi Centaurita)
7. Sweet Sorrow (R Plays Blue)
8. Ghosts of Goethals (WE... ARE...ROLLING!)
9. Windsong
10. Are You Ready (Sextet for the End of Now)
11. Blue In Green

Ralph Simon - soprano saxophone, breath-controlled synthesizers
Paul Bley - piano and synthesizers (on 2-8, 10)
Gary Peacock - bass (on 1-6, 8-11)
Julian Priester - trombone (on 3-6, 8)
Bruce Ditmas - drums and synthesizers (on 1-6, 8, 10, 11)
Alan Pasqua - piano (on 11)
Jeff Berman - vibraphone (on 3-6, 8, 10)
Tom Beyer - percussion and synthesized percussion (on 3-6, 8, 10)
Elizabeth Panzer - harp (on 3-6)
Michael DiSibio - trumpet (on 11)

$9.98 - CD

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Music for the Millennium, his second Postcards recording, features Ralph Simon on soprano saxophone and breath-controlled synthesizers, engaging in riveting duets, trios, quartets, and larger ensembles with a magic club of world-class improvisers. Paul Bley, Gary Peacock, Julian Priester, Bruce Ditmas, and others bring their own unique vocabulary of genius to a set of Simon's original compositions that explores his extensive background in jazz, contemporary classical, and free improvisation with an eye towards effecting a remarriage of acoustic and electric music that might point out some directions in the fourth dimension of future jazz -- on into the next millennium. Welcome to the Magic Club!
 

As

1. Kalimba
2. Promise
3. Gepetto
4. Julie and Julius
5. Skin on Skin
Ralph Simon - tenor, soprano, and alto saxophone
Gene Adler - piano (on 1,4,5) and kalimba (on 1)
Jeff Berman - vibraphone (on 1,2,3,5)
Tom Beyer - percussion (on 1,2,3,5)
David Dunaway - bass (on 1,2,3,5)
Billy Hart - drums (on 4)
Marc Johnson - bass (on 4)
Dan Rose - guitar (on 4)
Chip White - drums (on 1,2,3,5)

$9.98 - CD

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Saxophonist and composer Ralph Simon's second release as a leader features an ensemble of like-minded players who were able to leave their musical imprint on a group of vivid and challenging compositions. The result is a heady mix of straight-ahead and more unusual pieces, including the first recording of "Skin on Skin," written by the great composer/vocalist Annette Peacock. AS also features the last recorded performances of the late pianist Gene Adler.