Sophie Agnel uses a startling array of objects and techniques in playing inside the prepared piano, demonstrated in these digital concerts recordings from 2008.

A smaller than usual Freezone Appleby Festival, 2007 presents duos and trios with the excellent lineup of Paolo Angeli, Evan Parker and Ned Rothenberg.

Since 1988 ARC have developed through improvisation a collective language that draws on the European textures of the violin family with a little bit of voice added.

The third CD by the trio of Rex Casswell (electric guitar), Phillip Marks (percussion) and Paul Obermayer (samples), creating beautiful jagged, sharp edged textures propelled by some of their tightest, strangest, most powerful rhythmic designs yet.

A quartet of four excellent young improvising musicians based in London and Oxford, none of whom have ever been to the outer London suburb of Barkingside.

The London based improvising string trio Barrel of Alison Blunt on violin, Ivor Kallin on violin & viola, and Hannah Marshall on cello, all members of London Improvisers Orchestra and performers at the 2007 Freedom of the City.

Three live performances of collaborative electroacoustic compositions from 2007-08, each exploring different points of contact between precomposed structures and spontaneous invention.

Dutch percussionist Han Bennink meets tenor saxophonist Evan Parker for their first duo release recorded in the studio in Gateway Studios, London, 2000.

Tony Bianco (drums) in a trio with Dave Liebman (saxophones, flute, piano) and Tony Marino (double bass) playing fiery jazz compositions as well as a few short improvisations.

Two energetic, extended improvisations led by drummer Tony Bianco, one with Paul Dunmall (saxophones) and Marcio Mattos (double bass), the other with Dunmall (saxophone) and Paul Rogers (bass).

The second album from the quintet of Martin Blume (percussion), Jim Denley (flutes, saxophone), Axel Dorner (trumpet), Marcio Mattos (cello, electronics) and Philipp Wachsmann (violin, electronics).

Pianist Bolleter has 5 "ruined" (abandoned & unpredictable) pianos set up in his kitchen so that he can play them simultaneously, as he does on these 14 night-time recordings.

The duo of trombonist Gail Brand and vocalist Morgan Guberman in a studio recording of creative improvisations.

A concert featuring exceptional unaccompanied solo improvisations by John Russell (guitar), Phil Minton (voice), John Edwards (double bass), Lol Coxhill (saxophone) and Chris Burn (piano, percussion) followed by an impromptu performance as a quintet.

1999 release of the trio of John Butcher on soprano & tenor sax, Phil Durrant on violin, and John Russell on guitar, meticulous improvisation using outrageous technique, "unorthodox thematic development and off-center interplay which at times is odd and surreal".

Percussionist Mark Sanders and saxophonist John Butcher in recordings from two concerts: the 2010 Freedom of the City festival in London, and a year later at Southampton University; exceptionally expressive and technically unique playing.

Sonic experiments and solo improvisations on tenor and soprano with 2 pieces using amplified feedback, and 1 piece dedicated to Derek Bailey.

Live recordings from LOFT in Cologne, 2007 of this quartet of collective improvisers including Brazilian saxophonist Yedo Gibson and pianist Veryan Weston.

Kent Carter (double bass) leads a string trio comprised of Albert Maurer (violin) and Katrin Mickiewicz (viola) in an enchanting set of recordings made in Koln, Sers, and Bonn during 2004.

Kent Carter (double bass) leads Carl Zingaro (violin) and Francois Dreno (viola) in a string trio with touches of classical chamber, jazz, and European folk music. Albrecht Maurer (violin) and Emmanuelle Roch (viola) later join Carter in two pieces.

Both volumes of trumpeter Bobby Bradford and clarinetist John Carter's remarkable concerts from 1979 in Los Angeles and 1982 in Worcester, MA, dramatically improved audio quality from their original issue.

Collection of twelve duo, trio and quartet improvisations featuring various artists from the European scene that were recorded over a four years at an improvisation workshop in Brussels.

These 1979 duo concert performances from violinist Nigel Coomes and pianist Steve Beresford were generally considered at the time to be the most significant advance in violin & piano music for around 200 years.

An improvised concert at Les Instantes Chavires near Paris in 2011, the last outing of the duo of saxophonist Lol Coxhill and trumpter Michel Doneda, two fine improvisers at the top of their respective abilities.

The duo of Lol Coxhill on soprano saxophone and Roger Turner on drums & percussion, performing at Brest & London in 2003 and 2010; unusual conversation from two long-standing improvising colleagues.

Terry Day plays a wide variety of instruments including piano, saxophones, drums, cello, mandolin, voice and many more in these analogue studio recordings made between 1978 and 1981.

Saxophonist Gerd Dudek's 2012 concert in London at the Vortex in a quartet with Hans Koller (piano), Oli Hayhurst (bass) and Gene Calderazzo (drums), with Dudek and Koller picking some of their favorite jazz tunes including works by Nichols, Shorter, Coleman, Wheeler, &c.

Paul Dunmall (bagpipes, sax) and Stevie Wishart (hurdy-gurdy) play as a duo to start this Brussels concert, followed by a flustering duo with Dunmall on sax and Paul Lytton on percussion, and ending with a group performance by the unlikely trio.

Virtuoso double bassist John Eckhardt in eight performances of polyphonic and other-worldly explorations showing the instrument's breadth of sonic potential.

UK European free improv in-demand double bassist John Edwards in what is surprisingly his first solo album, recorded by John Wall at his Utterspalm studio.

Markus Eichenberger directs his fellow artists to change what they are doing, but does not dictate what they do next, leaving ample room for an unpredictable performance that was many transformations.

A sequel to his highly-acclaimed 1st solo trumpet CD "More is More", demonstrating extreme creative and technical skills in studio and concert settings.

A recording from the long-standing collaboration between pianist Fernandez and live sampling artist Saura, compatriots from many groupings, but who have never previously recorded as a duo.

Pianist Agusti Fernandez in a trio with UK improvisers bassist John Edwards and drummer Mark Sanders, international interplay in modern improvisational language.

An excellent reissue of reedist/drummer/pianist Milo Fine, bringing together material released on Hat Hut in 1976 & '7 ("Hah!" & "The Constant Extension Of Inescapable Tradition") plus his never-issued '78 album "When I Was Five Years Old, I Predicted Your Whole Life".

Pianist Milo Fine in a two part release of his "Ananke" work in trio and solo settings, playing inside and outside the piano, and with electronics and voice.

A 2006 concert recording at London's legendary Vortex by Evan Parker (sax), Steve Beresford (piano), John Edwards (bass) and Louis Moholo-Moholo (percussion) with guest Kenny Wheeler for a 2nd set.

In their first studio recording, Alan Wilkinson (saxes, voice), Marcio Mattos (double bass, electronics) and Steve Noble (drums) play a diverse set with moments ranging from fervid to serene.

The followup to Furt's expanded format as heard on Spin Networks in 2005, in electroacoustic trios with John Butcher, Phil Minton, Rhodri Davies, Ute Wassermann, &c.

The duo of Richard Barrett and Paul Obermayer in 12 studio tracks of semi-composed electronics, and a live improvised tribute to Karlheinz Stockhausen.

An intense, meditative journey through the sound of stone, one continuous piece of more than three quarters of an hour during which the normal rules of time and flow are suspended by this master of lithophones.

The London improvising scene duo of vocalist Kay Grant, a former Downtown NY artists, and clarinetist Alex Ward, have been playing together for decades, here recorded in four live performances and a studio session.

Grosse Abfahrt (Great Departure) mates Bay Area musicians with European free improvisers, here playing live @ Mills College with Frederic Blondy, Le Quan Ninh.

Tom Djll put this electro-acoustic improvising group together when Matthieu Werchowski & David Chiesa were visiting the SF area, with performances from duos to octet.

Complex, hyper-contrapuntal and molecular modes of group playing from the quartet of Stephen Grew (keyboard, processing), Richard Scott (wigi, buchla lightning, blippoo box), Nick Grew (transduction) & David Ross (drosscillator), joined by Evan Parker.

Live performances from this quartet of electroacoustic improvisers using intuitive and performance-oriented technologies to create surprisingly frothy and amazing sound.

Following the success of "Enter the Continent", Masashi Harada dance-conducts a somewhat larger group of mostly Boston-based musicians, including Greg Kelley and Bhob Rainey, among others.

Digital concert recording made in Brussels at the L'Archiduc from trombonist Paul Hubweber and prepared pianist Philip Zoubek, two generations of players with tremendous empathy and dialog.

Violist and vocalist Charlotte Hug met Fred Lonberg-Holm in Zurich, 2009 to make these concert recordings, a duo taking stringed instruments into unique and irrepressible territory.

Using extended techniques on viola and piano, Charlotte Hug and Frederic Blondy draw the listener into unusual and encompassing sound worlds that feel electronic, yet are created through acoustic improvisation.

An intensely personal journey, Charlotte Hug uses extended vocal techniques and an unusual language on the viola, creating an exceptional and unique improvisatory sound world.

A reissue of Emanem 4301, a classic concert and studio performances from '70-'72 by the innovative trio of Paul Rutherford (trombone, piano) Derek Bailey (guitar) and Barry Guy (double bass), which was a much expanded reissue of the early Incus releaes 3/4 of the same name.

Music for the 1971 film by Michael Grigsby and performed by the trio of Paul Rutherford (trombone), Derek Bailey (guitar) and Barry Guy (double bass), a fascinating and distinctive set, more restrained and gentle than their live performances from that time.

A previously unissued 1972 concert by the original version of Iskra 1903 - Paul Rutherford (trombone), Derek Bailey (guitar) and Barry Guy (double bass) - extraordinary performances, plus 2 short extracts from another concert.

Michael Keith (acoustic guitar, voice) plays with John Oswald (alto saxophone) and Roger Turner (percussion) in seven improvised pieces recorded in studio in Toronto in 2005.

An outstanding, improvising string trio of Aleks Kolkowski (viola, violin), Jon Rose (violin, fiddle) and Matthais Bauer (double bass) playing in Berlin in May of 2000.

Electric pianist Hans Koller in an 11 piece band with guitarist Bill Frissell, plus Evan Parker on two tracks, playing arrangements of six Koller originals and 2 standards by Charlie Parker and Jimmy Giuffre.

The second volume of Steve Lacy's solo soprano saxophone concerts, starting off with the three short versions of Billy Strayhorn tunes which opened his first solo concert at Avignon in 1972.

Solo saxophone performances of three of Steve Lacy's cycles--"Shots", "Sands", and "Hedges"--recorded in concert and in the studio in the late 70's and 1980, with the majority of the material previously unreleased; thoughtful, technical, lyrical, astounding music from a true master!

Presenting a 1963 gig by the quartet of Steve Lacy (saxophone), Roswell Rudd (trombone), Dennis Charles (drums) and Henry Grimes (bass), playing piano-less interpretations of the music of Thelonious Monk; plus Lacy with the Monk Quintet live in Philadelphia, 1960.

Four sessions of music mostly against the Vietnam War - all featuring Steve Lacy and Irene Aebi, in sextet, trio, and quintet with associates including Enrico Rava, Karl Berger, Kent Carter, Richard Tietelbaum, &c.

Cellist Lee organized this trio with Evans on trumpets and Beresford on piano for a mini-tour; this CD showcases music from concerts in NY and Philadelphia.

The complete Freedom Of The City 2007, 1st The London Improvisers Orchestra alone, then the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra (invited by Evan Parker) then both together.

Four improvisations from the London Improvisers Orchestra's monthly appearances at the Red Rose with Harry Beckett, Evan Parker, Steve Beresford, Lol Coxhill, &c. &c.

The last concert of a six day, six concert tour in Bremen, with Paul Lovens on percussion, Paul Hubweber on trombone, and John Edwards on double bass.

Percussionist Marsh's quartet with Neil Metcalfe (flute), Alison Blunt (violin) and Hannah Marshall (cello) performing at the incredible acoustic space of Peter's Whistable, an intricate album of color and dynamic.

Percussionist Tony Marsh in four percussion solos and eleven duos with Veryan Weston on church organ performed live at St. Peter's church in Whistable, England.

Intensely technical to beautifully pastoral dual acoustic guitars from Parisian Marzan, who has worked with Beresford, Rowe and Russell, and SME alumni Roger Smith.

The dialog of two improvising guitarists who, since 2004, have explored "timbres, interspersed with fragments of chords, rhythms and melodies, parallel plays in imitation or opposition".

Surprisingly the first solo album from bassist Marcio Mattos, an important member of the London free improv and jazz scenes since the 70's, here presenting recordings from late 90s and 2000's, and a live recording at St. Mary's Old Church in Stoke Newington, 2010.

Two improvisations with Misha Mengelberg on piano & Evan Parker on tenor saxophone, one in concert and the other before the audience arrived, recorded at the Bimhuis in Amsterdam in 2006.

Minton's 3rd release in his doughnut reduction series, solo vocal work in Minton's unique and inimitable style that he hopes will cheer you up in these troubled times.