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Ben LaMar Gay ‎– Downtown Castles Can Never Block The Sun - New Vinyl Lp 2018 International Anthem Pressing with Obi Strip and Insert - Chicago, IL Jazz / Electronica

Ben LaMar Gay ‎– Downtown Castles Can Never Block The Sun - New Vinyl Lp 2018 International Anthem Pressing with Obi Strip and Insert - Chicago, IL Jazz / Electronica

Regular price $21.99 $0.00

Street Date: 5/4/18

Downtown Castles Can Never Block The Sun is as much a greatest hits as it is a debut album for Ben LaMar Gay. It's his first solo album, and its a collection of music compiled from 7 albums he made over the last 7 years but never released.

If you're a follower of Chicago music, Downtown Castles is likely not the first you've heard from him. One of the most prolific collaborators in the city's creative music community, he makes active contributions to Nicole Mitchell's EarthSeed, Joshua Abrams's Natural Information Society, Bitchin Bajas & many more.

And he's well present in the International Anthem catalogue. Beyond being the brains behind Bottle Tree the future funk suite we released in April of 2017 that was named #1 Best Album of the Year by London's EZH Magazine and on NPR's Sound Opinions (c/o producer Ayana Contreras) Ben LaMar Gay plays on both of our biggest 2017 releases, Makaya McCraven's Highly Rare and Jaimie Branch's Fly or Die.

Ben LaMar Gay is already almost omnipresent in the current zeitgeist of progressive jazz sounds sprouting from Chicago, but the release of Downtown Castles will be his first moment squarely in the center of the spotlight.

Tracklist

A1 Vitus Labrusca
A2 Muhal
A3 Music For 18 Hairdressers: Braids & Fractals
A4 Jubilee
A5 A Seasoning Called Primavera
A6 Miss Nealie Burns
A7 Me, Jayve & The Big Bee
A8 Uvas
B9 Galveston
B10 Swim Swim
B11 Kunni
B12 Melhor Que Tem
B13 Gator Teeth
B14 7th Stanza
B15 Oh No...Not Again!

Companies, etc.

  • Manufactured By – GZ Media – 169557E
  • Pressed By – Pirates Press

Credits

  • Banjo – Some Yoga Teacher (tracks: 5 & 6)
  • Bass Clarinet, Flute – Rob Frye (tracks: 1, 2, 3, 7 & 8)
  • Compiled By, Sequenced By – Ben LaMar Gay, Scott McNiece
  • Composed By – Ben LaMar Gay (tracks: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 12, 14 & 15)
  • Cornet, Synth, Voice, Flute – Ben LaMar Gay (tracks: 14 & 15)
  • Cover, Photography By – Maren Celeste
  • Drums – Tommaso Moretti (tracks: 10, 11, 14 & 15)
  • Flute – Tommaso Moretti (tracks: 14 & 15)
  • Guitar, Synth, Flute – Will Faber (tracks: 14 & 15)
  • Instruments [All other instruments] – Ben LaMar Gay* (tracks: 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7 & 8)
  • Layout – Craig Hansen 
  • Mastered By – David Allen 
  • Mixed By – Alex Inglizian (tracks: 10 & 11), Ben LaMar Gay (tracks: 1, 2, 3, 7 & 8), Stephen Ptacek (tracks: 1, 2, 3, 7 & 8)
  • Performer – Ben LaMar Gay (tracks: 13), Ed Bornstein (tracks: 13)
  • Performer [Lettin' MFah's Know], Edited By – Ben LaMar Gay (tracks: 4 & 9)
  • Performer [Lettin' MFah's Know], Recorded By – Jayve Montgomery (tracks: 4 & 9)
  • Producer – Ben LaMar Gay (tracks: 12)
  • Producer, Performer, Recorded By – Ben LaMar Gay (tracks: 10 & 11), Edinho (tracks: 10 & 11)
  • Recorded By – Ben LaMar Gay (tracks: 1, 2, 3, 7 & 8)
  • Recorded By, Mixed By – Richard Malstrom (tracks: 14 & 15)
  • Synth, Drum Programming, Recorded By, Edited By – Polyphonic (tracks: 5 & 6)
  • Tenor Saxophone – Jayve Montgomery (tracks: 1, 2, 3, 7 & 8)
  • Tuba, Flute – Joshua Sirotiak (tracks: 14 & 15)
  • Viola, Voice – Hanna Brock (tracks: 1, 2, 3, 7 & 8)
  • Violin – M'rald Calhoun (tracks: 5 & 6)
  • Voice – Gira Dahnee (tracks: 1, 2, 3, 7 & 8), Zuzu Fé (tracks: 1, 2, 3, 7 & 8)

Notes

With obi strip and card insert.