The Muffins were an American band from the Washington, D.C. area. They existed twice, first between 1975 and 1981 and then from 1998 to 2015. Their complex approach wove Canterbury-esque prog, electric fusion, vanguard jazz, modern classical composition, and free improvisation in a sound so ambitiously creative, categorizing is difficult. Cuneiform's Steve Feigenbaum painstakingly assembled Baker's Dozen with mixing and mastering engineer Ian Beabout and graphic designer Eric Kearns. Feigenbaum sifted through dozens of ...
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The Muffins were an American band from the Washington, D.C. area. They existed twice, first between 1975 and 1981 and then from 1998 to 2015. Their complex approach wove Canterbury-esque prog, electric fusion, vanguard jazz, modern classical composition, and free improvisation in a sound so ambitiously creative, categorizing is difficult. Cuneiform's Steve Feigenbaum painstakingly assembled Baker's Dozen with mixing and mastering engineer Ian Beabout and graphic designer Eric Kearns. Feigenbaum sifted through dozens of private tapes, rehearsals, and gigs. He compiled 12 CDs and a DVD (a single performance at 2005's NEARfest) in a massive, mostly chronological overview of the band's creative development from 1975 - 2010. Remarkably, the vast majority of the content is previously unissued. Music from the band's first incarnation makes up eight discs. The first two are a proto-Muffins quintet: Tom Scott (reeds, winds, xylophone), Billy Swann (bass), Dave Newhouse (Rhodes piano, winds), Michael Zentner (guitar and vocals), and Mike Bass drums. This fully engaged music cuts across free jazz ("Buzz Aldrin"), modal improv (Portable Hollow"), and Miles-esque fusion ("What a Place for a Wart"). Disc two offers a breathtaking 20-plus-minute version of "Chronometers." Permanent drummer Paul Sears appears for the first time on disc three in the long-term, best-known quartet with Newhouse, Scott, and Swann. Its highlights include a brief cover of Fred Frith's "Solemn Music," the abstract suite-like "Carbons," and the Soft Machine-esque "Amelia Earhart." There are two versions of "Expected Freedom" on disc four, offering approaches that straddle art rock and free improv, while "Not Alone" channels Frank Zappa and National Health; Feigenbaum adds guitar to the elegant strangeness of "Bit Hand." Disc five's "Lady in a Brown Paper Bag" deftly recalls Robert Wyatt's early solo work.Discs six and seven contain compelling vocal versions of "Zoom Resume" and "Boxed and Crossed," while disc eight places them in live trilogy with "Queenside." Fred Frith adds guitar to the truly weird, wonderful "Grammy Hand" (the Muffins were his backing band on 1980's Gravity). "She Wears Her Dead Mother's Hat" on disc nine weds knotty prog to swinging modal post-bop. The Motown nugget "Dancing in the Street" is introduced with reed and brass drones before a sweeping, boogie-centric Hammond B-3 claims the foreground. Disc ten showcases an electrifying 2001 performance at New York City's Knitting Factory. Disc 11 is the audio companion of the 2005 NEARfest DVD. The Muffins deliver an astonishing, 25-minute "The Adventures of Captain Boomerang" and a majestic fusion on "East Diamond." Disc 12 commences with a scorching medley of "Exquisite Corpse"/"Out of the Boot"/"Sam's Room." Later, "Queenside"/"Antidote to Drydock"/"Angle Dance" showcases the band's complex compositional persona.The handsomely designed box contains a 76-page booklet with a complete oral history of the Muffins assembled from many sources by Newhouse, plus dozens of rare photographs. While Baker's Dozen will primarily appeal to die-hard fans, jazz, prog, and avant music enthusiasts should consider this singular, culturally historic document too. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi
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Add this copy of Baker's Dozen to cart. $181.19, new condition, Sold by Importcds rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Sunrise, FL, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Cuneiform Records.
Add this copy of Baker's Dozen to cart. $218.49, new condition, Sold by newtownvideo rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from huntingdon valley, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2022 by Cuneiform.
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