Trans Museq – LPs, CDs

The Trans Museq record label, founded in 1976, documents the work of LaDonna Smith and Davey Williams, as well as  other friends & collaborators associated with trans museq activities, beginning with  LP records, a private cassette series (released during the period of the launching of the improvisor) to CD’s in the 1990-2000’s.  While it is my intention to release this collection and much more on the new platforms Soundcloud and Bandcamp, these items are limited editions and some are still available.  We are also proud to introduce new young local artists work from Alabama. I hope you will enjoy these as both musically and as collector items.

Prices are relative in step with affordability, volume of collections & stock plus shipping. Flat rate shipping will be added in Paypal. It currently costs $24 to ship to EU & elsewhere by International Airmail Shipping. Please add $20 by way of the donation button to cover this additional expense.

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Allies

Joel Nelson – electric guitar
Davey Williams – electric sitar

There is no question that Davey Williams made many friendships, collaborations, and was an influence and mentor to generations of rising young artists. Trans museq is proud to introduce the work of guitarist Joel Nelson in his tribute album to Davey Williams, which they recorded together in June of 2018. The posthumous release of this material is from their duo session in Birmingham, Alabama that features Joel on electric guitar with Davey accompanying on the electric sitar. Many strings, four hands, two head sympatico.

2020, CD, $9

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Buttons for a Coat, a Davey Williams Commemoration CDCD, 2020

Taylor Rouss – tenor sax, game calls
Joel Nelson – electric guitar

From common porpoise and cream of submarine, these two  young artists share mutual homage to Davey Williams in an exciting  catastrophic potato mash of soundings and simulated nasal drip heaving aquarian moosetracks! Recorded in Birmingham, Alabama. Front cover painting by Davey Williams.

2020, CD digipak $9

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Channeling the Gateway

LaDonna Smith – violin, detuned violin, viola
Leland Scott Davis – frame drums, drums, percussion

LaDonna cuts loose and sparks fly with newfound symbiotic music partner, percussionist extraordinaire Leland Scott Davis. Not only a master of the jazz trap set, he is especially a virtuoso of the frame drum! Extra icing on this release is cut number 4 where LaDonna plays a beautiful “quasi Indian” sustained melodic journey on a detuned violin to Davis’ elegant accompaniment on the tablas. And that is not the only piece with undertones of ethnic & world influences that the two concur together. Energetic, poetic and accessible.

2020, CD digipak, $12

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Rising Tulips

LaDonna Smith – electric 5 string Yev violin

She introduces a new style with her 5 string electric Yev violin. Using drone strings and random tunings informed by the meditative strains of Indian Music, extended violin techniques lull the listener in hypnotic harmonic and rhythmic expressions as melody slips, slides, coasts and sails through strokes and colors of other worlds.

2019, CD digipak, $12

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Sequana Sessions

LaDonna Smith – violin, viola
Davey Williams – electric Steinberger guitar & objects

This 2015 release from features Davey and LaDonna Smith in some of their latest homespun studio work. They have established themselves together as an iconic improvisation duo since 1974, creating a near psychic musical streaming, effortlessly funneling deep inside their most natural subconscious, bringing you a fresh version of their most fundamental musical alliance.  Don’t miss this humble session of the last chapter of their colorful and resilient musical exploration together.

2015, CD digipak, $9

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Deviant Shakti

LaDonna Smith – viola, violin
Michael Evans – drums, percussion, theremin

LaDonna teams up with the diverse extended drumming style of  NYC based Michael Evans. Their inherent musical theatrics and energetically charged collaboration creates a cinematic soundscape. The viola in all its abstractions and lyricism join Evans’ cymbalic & strange objective punctuations with drumming and the other worldly theremin.

2009, CD jewel case, $15

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Antennae Road

Davey Williams, solo electric and acoustic guitars, steel-body resonator guitar, electric sitar, objects, motors, voice

Antennae Road is a collection of thirty short cuts of lyrical guitar, portamento antics, multi-track compositions & solo improvisations by Davey Williams, crossing the Silver Pearl Strut with The One Thing That Got Away! You will delight in the diversity of these watery guitar streams, following the sign and the signal rod through Williams hands. Trance versions at best crystal hubris.

2008, CD jewel case, $25

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Floating Bridges

LaDonna Smith – violin, viola, voice
Misha Feigin – acoustic classical guitar, balalaika, voice

A live festival performance from Krakow, Poland a high-end recording  of the duo LaDonna Smith and Misha Feigin collectively known as Stringtrek. Blending the old world sounds, poetry, acoustic guitar, balalaika, violin and viola and vocals into improvisational lyricism and a musical poetic menagerie.

2007, CD jewel case or digipak, $12

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Waters Ashore

LaDonna Smith – violin, viola
Misha Feigin – poetry, acoustic guitar, balalaika
Dave Liebman – saxophones
Jason Foureman – string bass

Jazz great & educator Dave Liebman comes together with Russian guitarist/poet Misha Feigin, Alabama based avant-garde violinist LaDonna Smith, and bassist Jason Foureman to forge an impromptu exploration into music play, not necessarily jazz. Recorded in Louisville, Kentucky by the amazing Steve Good.

2006, CD thin jewel case $12

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Ambient Visage

LaDonna Smith – violin, viola, voice
Susan Alcorn – pedal steel guitar

Rare intimate recording of LaDonna Smith and Susan Alcorn. Recording created on an Alcorn summer visit to Birmingham in-home studio, Transmuseq Records 2005.

2006, CD thin jewel case, $12

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Yokel Yen

LaDonna Smith – violin, viola
Misha Feigin – poetry, acoustic guitar, balalaika

Homespun recording of guitarist and balalaika poet and author Misha Feigin, with the capricious violinist LaDonna Smith. Recorded in Birmingham at Transmuseq Records, 2004.

2005, CD, $12

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Dix Improvisations Live at Victoriaville 1989

Davey Williams – electric guitar, banjo
LaDonna Smith – violin, viola, voice

A compilation CD from the Festival International de Museque Actuelle de Victoriaville,  6 au Lundi 9 Octobre 1989, par Radio-Canada, Reseau FM Stereo. Les Disques VICTO. Disc features LaDonna Smith & Davey Williams in three cuts.
Also featured on the compilation are Hans Reichel, Paul Plimley & Lisle Ellis,Winds, J.D. Parran & Ned Rothenberg, Maggie Nicols, Lindsey Cooper, and Irene Schweitzer trio.

1989, CD, $12

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Transmutating

LaDonna Smith – violin, viola, voice
Davey Williams – Steinberger electric guitar

This CD produced by the Shaking Ray Levi Society represents the most definitive live recording of Trans Duo ever released.  Transmutating by Davey Williams & LaDonna Smith capture the magic of their sheer “psychic” attunement in performance. Recorded live at Washington University in St. Louis and Center for Contemporary Arts, Albuquerque, New Mexico.  A Trans Museq classic

Limited availability
1993, CD jewel case, $24

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Eye of the Storm

LaDonna Smith – violin, viola

Solo violin and viola improvisations recorded on tour in 1991 in St. Gallen, Switzerland, in St. Louis, Missouri and post tour in Birmingham Alabama. Dense comprovisations featuring layered harmonics and extended techniques. All are improvised in the context of live performances.

Limited availability
1992, CD jewel case, $25

LPs

Yttrbium, Rare Earth

Table of Elements Rare Earth Yb70

LaDonna Smith – solo violin & viola, electronic manipulation

Yttrbium, Rare Earth, a Table of the Elements release, features LaDonna Smith, in a solo viola, violin, and electronic manipulation foray. Mind spinning viola pyrotechnics, four compositions.
Limited Edition vinyl release.

Limited availability
Limited edition rare orange vinyl release
LP, 2003, $30

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Travellers

LaDonna Smith – viola, voice, violin, electronic keyboards/bass
Davey Williams – slide & electric guitar, tape measure, 6 motored JPW-autograph model baseball glove

Recorded in concert at Klang, Atlanta Georgia. April 30, 1990.

1990, Cassette, out of print

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Locals for Ecstasy

Cinnie Cole – banjo, synthesizer
LaDonna Smith – viola, violin, voice
Davey Williams – electric guitar, motorized fish, objects, slide guitar

Deep among the grooves, we had to slip past a couple of armed starlets posted under cover of a gathering t’sunami, on our way to the edge of a river similar to the one pictured on this record’s cover. There, in such a crude frontier as Western civilization, we were able to access some flying dolphins that were making the noises for a musical chairs tournament.

Very limited stock, only 10 available
19990, LP, $30

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Criminal Pursuits

Davey Williams – electric guitar solos

The solo improvisations on this recording represent the imaginary landscapes and idioms of Williams’ didactic “methods” of improvisation. For instance an example of the “Burma Shave Method of poetical suggestion superimposed upon onto the Listening Post already in play on “Prehensile Legends.” The suite on side two Criminal Pursuits being an example of his Mockingbird Method, an organism of systems for tapping into useful currents of the inner flow.

CD, out of print

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White Earth Streak

Gunter Christmann – trombone
Torsten Muller – double bass
LaDonna Smith – viola, violin, voice
Davey Williams – electric guitar, banjo

Studio mix recorded February 5, 1981 by Elke Schipper at Schulzentrum, Langenhagen, West Germany, re-mix engineer – Doug Carroll. Cover Art is the Garden of Eden collage by Dorah Rosen.

1983, LP, out of print

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Alchemical Rowdies

LaDonna Smith, violin, viola, voice
Davey Williams, electric guitar
Paul Watson, trumpets, alto horn
Danny Finney, saxophones
Pippin Barnett, drums

Alabama’s TRANS Duo teams up with Richmond Virginia’s IDIO-SAVANT: Danny Finney, Pippin Barnett, and Paul Watson in a studio quintet session weekend, a riveting 1980’s collaboration of free play and improvisation. The chemistry was right on the edge!  HI-FI stereo.

Limited supply
1981, LP, $30

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Direct Waves

LaDonna Smith, violin, viola
Davey Williams, electric guitar, banjo, mandolin

A historic trans museq release from their first Canadian performances and second European Tour. Trans duo perform animated improvisations Alabama style!  Side 1 was recorded live on October 12, 1979 at the Urban Institute, Grand Rapids Michigan by Thomas Gaudynski.  Side 2 was recorded live at Bruxelles’ Palais de Beaux Arts on May 3, 1980 by Guy Strahle. The back cover photo by Vid Inglevics features the set from the 1978 Ear It Live Festival, at the Music Gallery, Toronto, Canada. The album is mastered and produced in Hi-fi stereo.

Limited supply
1979-80, LP, $24

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Velocities

Andrea Centazzo – Premier drum set, Ufip cymbals & gongs, percussion, synthesizor
LaDonna Smith – violin & viola
Davey Williams – electric guitar & banjo

This rare gem is a 1979 recording of LaDonna Smith and Davey Williams while in Italy on tour with Andrea Centazzo.

Side 1 was recorded live at La Sala Bossi, Bologna, Italy by Stefano Ferri, 28 April, 1979. Side 2 was recorded live in Ictus Studio, Pistoia, Italy by A. Centazzo.  April 22-23, 1979.

Limited supply
1979, LP, $24

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Jewels

Anne LeBaron – harp, metal rack, gong
LaDonna Smith – piano, piano harp, viola
Davey Williams – acoustic & electricguitars, mandolin

From Butterfly Collection to Transparent Zebra, this trio creates soundscapes,  improvisations featuring the harp and other  bowed, struck, plucked and unorthodox resonating string explorations.

1979, LP, out of print

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Folk Music

LaDonna Smith – viola, violin, piano, voice
Davey Williams – electric guitars, banjo, prollotone
Theodore Bowen – string bass, tenor sax

Evolving and setting forth the hypotheses in 1976 that free improvisation was indeed a folk music based on community friendships and the playground of musical explorations, thus the title of the recorded pieces on trans second album,  Folk Music.  As a trio, Davey, LaDonna & Ted played weekly, but gigged together only once or twice. Side One features one of those rare gigs, live at Leigh Gallery in Birmingham, Alabama on Sunday January 1978. Side Two features four recordings recorded at the Trans studio in Tuscaloosa, Alabama (1977-78). Presented in a hand-done home-made silkscreened jacket.

1978, LP, out of print

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Trans

LaDonna Smith – viola, piano, Arp 2600, drums, voice, organ
Davey Williams – electric acoustic & fretless guitars, alto saxophone
Theodore Bowen – string bass, tenor saxophone, oboe, percussion
Timothy Reed – alto flute, trumpet, trombone, flounder bunte

The very first LP record of the collective Transcendprovisation, a loose group of neighborhood & college friends who would often meet at Davey & LaDonna’s homebuilt studio to play, to make improvisation, record and listen. Although the group would often have 7-9 folks participating, this recording features a core group of five. Recorded the fall and summer of 1976, cover art features the stark reality & essence of rural Alabama eccentricity, from whence this music sprung.

1976, LP, out of print