SONDHEIM/RITUAL ALL 770, ALAN - The Songs

Kind of unbelievable that this has been reissued -- out of nowhere and a very pleasant surprise. Sondheim released 2 of the most-out ESP-Disks (Ritual All 7-70 & TOther Little Tune and here is his prior Riverboat label album. First ever reissue of The Songs, the debut recording by Alan Sondheim & Ritual All 770, originally released on Riverboat Records (later recordings appeared on ESP Disk). Recorded in March 1967 and included on the legendary Nurse With Wound list of experimental recordings, on this album Alan Sondheim played Electric Guitar, Violin, Flute, Suling, Xylophone, Alto Saxophone, Classical Guitar, Clarinet, Shenai, Bass Recorder, Mandolin, So-na, Hawaiian Guitar, Koto, Sopranino Recorder, Chimta, Cor Anglais, Sitar and Bansari. Joined by Barry Sugarman (Tabla, Dholak & Naquerra), Chris Mattheson (Bass), Robert Poholek (Trumpet & Cornet), Ruth Ann Hutchinson (Vocals), June Fellows (Vocals) and J.Z. (Jazz Drums); Ritual All 770 were a group of improvisors living in Providence, Rhode Island. (Perhaps they could be considered the sonic forebearers of the Fort Thunder scene...) Rejecting the notion that avant garde music was solely the realm of isolated academia, they delved fearlessly and joyously into their music, creating a work that sounds fresh nearly 40 years later." - Fire Museum