Read Marcus O'Dair's article
It's about total freedom at all costs in
The Guardian.

"It's a fragmented scene, the majority of which is still decidedly underground, but it is sufficiently vibrant as to be already attracting attempts to define it. Dirty jazz, trash jazz, post-jazz and the PC-baiting spazz jazz are among those already floated. Yet no term is as evocative as death jazz, derived from the title of a record by Billy Shaw's Shovin' Sunshine."

- Marcus O'Dair
The Guardian, Friday 9 November 2007

For the last eight years, Billy Shaw trumpet tracks have been showing up in selected collaborations. They have been distributed or publicized under the attribution of Congo In Oakland. The first tracks included Peeling The Onion on a recent dadala CD as well as the dadala collaboration Summertime, and on an early collaboration with the jopy collective.

Here's new dadala which includes some recent Billy Shaw on tenor sax recorded specifically for dadala's consumption and subsequent release. These are the sets of tracks that were briefly available here last year for preview. Now available through CDBaby.com.

Originally a remix project, dadala has evolved into a more band-like entity; a "long-distance ensemble" operating outside the usual chain of cause and effect and straddling dualities: live or collage, "intentional" vs. "coincidence", improvised/composed, familiar and strange.

Key to the emergence of this new dadala are the additions of two new members joining dadala originator RDunlap and long-time contributor Johann Meier (Jopy): sonic alchemist and digital wizard Loopy C and multi-instrumentalist Frank Dunlap. Loopy C contributes a vast universe of sounds, techniques and concepts and Frank Dunlap brings the visceral immediacy of instrumental improvisation and experimentation. On 'Spaghetti Wall' these four core members are also joined by guest artist Billy Shaw, and old friend of dadala returning with tenor sax on 3 tracks.

Here's a previous release from dadala featuring Billy Shaw on alto sax. Now available through CDBaby.com.

"Avant-garde free jazz meets experimental electronica and digital manipulation in this unique and mind-bending kaleidoscopic sax-centered collection of unconventional instrumentals that pay no mind to the boundaries of genre." - RDunlap

In 1992 when Death Jazz pioneer Billy Shaw was recording his solo project "Summertime Buzz", and RDunlap was recycling some of his earlier recordings in the epic tape collage "Shoveling Dogs Blowing Up the Bed", neither weirdo had any clue that 13 years later their eccentric paths would cross in the cyber realm and their very different projects would be intermingled.

Billy Shaw (whose album credits include the avant-garde solo album !Sassy! and 2 albums with the death jazz trio Shovin Sunshine) recorded a number of improvised tracks for his unreleased Summertime Buzz project featuring his distinctive style and tone on sax, nicely mutated with effects and accompanied by digital percussion. In 2005, after becoming acquainted with RDunlap online and collaborating on one of RDs projects, Shaw made these recordings available to Dunlap for use in his visionary and unconventional collage/remix project dadala.

Billy Shaw's anticipated re-issue of his 1993 avant garde release !Sassy! is now available through CDBaby.com.
May 26, 2005 - Washington Post local music website editor lists !Sassy! as Editor's Pick!
Click here to see a permanent copy of the page frozen in time forever.

!Sassy! - The music
Click on the horn at the left to sample !Sassy! tracks.