Viking of 6th

Dustin Laurenzi - Snaketime: The Music of Moondog (2019) {Astral Spirits}
FLAC (tracks) - 16bit/44.1kHz - Official Digital Download (bandcamp.com) -> 287 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 111 Mb | Artwork | 5% repair rar
© 2019 Astral Spirits / Feeding Tube Records
Jazz / Contemporary Jazz / Modern Creative / Saxophone

Musician and composer Moondog (born Louis Thomas Hardin, Jr.) held court on 6th Avenue in New York City between the late 1940s and early '70s, wearing a cloak and a horn-clad helmet. His getup, along with his beard and long hair, got him dubbed the "Viking of 6th Avenue" by those who passed him by on the street, where he might be found selling his records or maybe playing a tune.

On "Songs and Symphoniques: The Music of Moondog," Ghost Train Orchestra teams up with the trailblazing Kronos Quartet to celebrate and reimagine the music of Louis Hardin, aka Moondog, the ground-breaking composer and poet who lived on the streets of New York City in the 50s and 60s, and influenced the minimalists Philip Glass, Steve Reich and Terry Riley. A blind composer who moved from Kansas to New York City and built his own instruments and mythology, Moondog's story and music continue to be an inspiration to many.

Moondog - The Story of Moondog (1957) {Prestige-Hallmark 716532 rel 2016}
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© 1957, 2016 Prestige / Hallmark | 716532
Classical / Jazz / Avant-Garde / Modern Classical / Minimalism

The second Moondog album to be released by Hallmark is The Story of Moondog, which officially was his fourth album and released in 1957. Though considered something of an eclectic taste, Moondog was revered by the beatnik generation and an inspiration to several minimalist composers who came along later. The Viking of 6th Avenue, as he became known, may have appeared to be an itinerant performer but his work attracted the attention of several noted musicians, composers and conductors, including Artur Rodzinski and Kenny Graham, as well as attracting numerous tribute songs, including those by Prefab Sprout and T Rex. With a documentary of his life and career currently in production, interest in Moondog is likely to grow.

Moondog - Moondog (1969) {2017 Record Store Day Limited Edition} (LP Sony Legacy 88985440161}
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© 1969, 2017 Caribou Records / Columbia Masterworks / Sony / Legacy | 88985440161
Classical / Jazz / Avant-Garde / Modern Classical / Minimal / Experimental / Third Stream

He was born Louis Hardin, but the world knew him as Moondog—and his avant-garde compositions influenced a generation of minimalist composers like Philip Glass and Steve Reich. Now, Moondog, The Viking of 6th Avenue’s seminal 1969 album recorded with producer James William Guercio, will be reissued on white vinyl, its first pressing in over a decade. Featuring original symphonic and classically-inspired works (including material dedicated to Charlie Parker and Benny Goodman), Moondog is an album that must be heard to be believed.

Moondog - More Moondog (1956) {Prestige-Hallmark 715802 rel 2015}
XLD rip (secure mode) | FLAC (tracks)+CUE+LOG -> 106 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 71 Mb
Full Artwork @ 600 dpi (jpg) -> 55 Mb | 5% repair rar
© 1956, 2015 Prestige / Hallmark | 715802
Classical / Jazz / Avant-Garde / Modern Classical / Minimalism

Moondog was not your usual type of artist and his music was virtually impossible to categorise. He himself cut a foreboding figure as he walked the streets of New York, being attired in a cloak and Viking helmet, being afforded the moniker The Viking of 6th Avenue. As far as many of the thousands who passed him on the street were concerned, Moondog was little more than a beggar or busker, picking up a few cents here and there with his improvised music. To others, seemingly in the know, he was much more than that, able to fund a recording session here and there and eventually pick up a recording contract with Prestige in 1956.