Butcher / Davies / Sanders / Thomas:
Unlockings [VINYL] (NI-VU-NI-CONNU)
Recorded live at Iklectik in London, saxophonist John Butcher on soprano and tenor leads an ensemble of Angharad Davies on violin, Mark Sanders on percussion, and Pat Thomas on electronics, iPad, and samples in four open, exploratory electroacoustic improvisations that reflect a post-lockdown freedom and Butcher's ethos of spontaneity and personal expression in creative music-making. ... Click to View
Butcher / Davies / Sanders / Thomas:
Lower Marsh [VINYL] (NI-VU-NI-CONNU)
Recorded across two sessions at London’s now-closed Iklectik, named for its Lambeth Marsh location, saxophonist John Butcher performs in duos and small groups with Angharad Davies on violin, Mark Sanders on percussion, Pat Thomas on electronics, and John Edwards on double bass, crafting remarkable acoustic and electroacoustic improvisations that honor the venue’s legacy. ... Click to View
Burkhard Beins (w/ Dorner / Elieh / Ermke / Neumann / Renkel / Tuerlinckx / Zapparoli):
Eight Duos [3 LPs] (NI-VU-NI-CONNU)
Showcasing Burkhard Beins's versatile approach to collaboration, this 3-LP set recorded at Morphine Raum presents eight duo performances featuring partners such as Andrea Neumann, Axel Dörner, and Marta Zapparoli, blending acoustic and electronic instruments in conceptual explorations that range from the percussive "Expansion" to the dynamic "Transmission," reflecting Beins's broad artistic spectrum. ... Click to View
Kai Fagaschinski / Yan Jun :
Graveyard Processions [VINYL w/ DOWNLOAD] (NI-VU-NI-CONNU)
Recorded in Berlin during the summer of 2022, this first collaboration between clarinetist Kai Fagaschinski and Beijing-based sound artist Yan Jun, blends clarinet, voice, and field recordings with objects and inventive sound sources in four pieces that dissolve boundaries between improvisation, composition, and experimental sound design, creating a dizzying, multilayered auditory experience. ... Click to View
Schick / Tuerlinckx / Zoepf:
Ensemble A (Confront)
Recorded live in Kassel and Cologne, Germany, in May 2023, turntablist Ignaz Schick, prepared pianist Anaïs Tuerlinckx, and bass clarinetist/soprano saxophonist Joachim Zoepf deliver two wild and extended electroacoustic improvisations, blending tactile textures, dynamic interplay, and outside approaches to redefine the sonic possibilities of their respective instruments. ... Click to View
Nathan Hubbard / Kyle Motl:
Obsidian (Confront)
Recording live in the studio in San Diego, percussionist Nathan Hubbard and double bassist Kyle Motl engage in four fascinating duets of improvised music, blending extended techniques and unconventional approaches to their instruments to evoke richly textured, unpredictable, and exploratory performances that push the boundaries of traditional bass-and-drum interplay. ... Click to View
Brulez les meubles (+ Ingrid Laubrock / Marianne Trudel / Jonathan Huard):
FOLIO #5 (Tour de Bras / Circum-Disc)
Recorded at the Rimouski Music Conservatory in Quebec, the latest from Brulez les meubles of guitarist Louis Beaudoin-de la Sablonnière and bassist Eric Normand expands with saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, pianist Marianne Trudel, and vibraphonist Jonathan Huard in a drum-less exploration of jazz and chamber music, blending harmonic textures and patient interplay in a sophisticated and evocative musical conversation. ... Click to View
Brulez les meubles (+ Ingrid Laubrock / Marianne Trudel / Jonathan Huard):
FOLIO #5 [VINYL] (Tour de Bras / Circum-Disc)
Recorded at the Rimouski Music Conservatory in Quebec, the latest from Brulez les meubles of guitarist Louis Beaudoin-de la Sablonnière and bassist Eric Normand expands with saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, pianist Marianne Trudel, and vibraphonist Jonathan Huard in a drum-less exploration of jazz and chamber music, blending harmonic textures and patient interplay in a sophisticated and evocative musical conversation. ... Click to View
Pied De Poule:
Indiscretion (GRRR)
Merging jazz, tango, waltz, blues, chanson, and contemporary vocal experimentation, Michèle Buirette (accordion), Geneviève Cabannes (double bass), and Dominique Fonfrède (voice) craft an inventive and modern soundscape, combining traditional melodies with experimental techniques in an album that is melodic yet unpredictable, exploring themes with a blend of humor, depth, and originality. ... Click to View
Turbulence Orchestra:
Monsoon (Evil Clown)
Capturing the expansive sound of the Turbulence Orchestra, an eight-piece ensemble blending winds, percussion, electronics, and unconventional instruments in a 70-minute improvisational journey through evolving textures and sonorities, reflecting the group's mastery of large-scale, transformative improvisation and the dynamic aesthetic of Evil Clown productions. ... Click to View
Sound the Alarm (Clayton Thomas + Ensemble):
Sound the Alarm (Relative Pitch)
A powerful and socially driven project from a large ensemble founded by Clayton Thomas to musically and culturally respond to the ongoing genocide in Palestine, blending composed improvisation with collective human energy; recorded live on June 27, 2024, this performance stands as a sonic act of solidarity, reflection, and bearing witness, with all proceeds donated to support humanitarian efforts in Gaza. ... Click to View
Aspyrian (Porter / Gillen / Parkinson) :
To Explore Vol 2 (Hidden Threads)
Building on the strength of their debut, the London-based trio Aspyrian — featuring Robin Porter on tenor and soprano saxophones, Jack Gillen on guitar, and Matt Parkinson on drums — delivers six vibrant original compositions by Porter and Parkinson, embodying the band's name, derived from Old English, as they explore and discover with a spirited and inventive approach to their craft. ... Click to View
Luciana Bass:
Desatornillandonos (Relative Pitch)
With a title roughly translating to "Unscrewed", Argentinian guitarist Luciana Bass dismantles and loosens the bolts on conventional boundaries, blending blues and abstract improvisation in a journey marked by melodic passion and adventurous sonic exploration, crafting a vivid interplay between embraceable beauty and strikingly unexpected contrasts. ... Click to View
Tungu / Mia Zalbeka / Stefan Strasser:
The Confidence Of One Swimming Against The Current (FMR)
Uniting Ukrainian artist Sergiy Senchuk (aka Tungu), Austrian violinist Mia Zabelka, and German musician Stefan Strasser, this debut project blends field recordings, improvisation, electronics, and live instrumentation, embodying defiance and resilience amidst adversity through bold, dynamic, and genre-defying soundscapes shaped by their collective strength. ... Click to View
Bang / Duch / Honore / Toop / Wastell:
Wunderkammer [VINYL] (Confront)
A collaborative tribute to Nordic poet Nils Christian Moe-Repstad (1972-2022), Wunderkammer blends live recordings from Punkt Festival 2023 with Moe-Repstad's 2014 voice recordings, as Jan Bang, Erik Honoré, Michael Francis Duch, David Toop, and Mark Wastell weave a spectral and meditative ea-improv work of minimalism, poetic tension, and reverent sonic exploration. ... Click to View
Cecil Taylor:
The Classic Albums - 8 Remastered LPs [4 CD BOX SET] (Enlightenment)
Reissuing and remastering eight landmark albums released between 1956 and 1962, this collection traces iconoclastic pianist Cecil Taylor’s evolution from bop-influenced beginnings to the groundbreaking free jazz forms he helped pioneer, featuring collaborations with Steve Lacy, John Coltrane, Kenny Dorham, Archie Shepp, Clark Terry, Roswell Rudd, and others, culminating in his trailblazing trio with Jimmy Lyons and Sunny Murray. ... Click to View
Koch-Schutz-Studer & El Nil Troop:
Heavy Cairo Traffic (Intuition)
Documenting a 1995 collaboration between Swiss improvisers Hans Koch, Martin Schütz, and Fredy Studer with Egypt's El Nil Troop, blending live and studio recordings of Egyptian folk music and European jazz improvisation into a dynamic, respectful and ecstatic fusion that preserves the essence of both traditions while adding inventive layers in a versatile and passionately energetic release. ... Click to View
Lounge Lizards:
Live In Berlin 1991 Vol. 1 (Intuition)
Captured live in Berlin in 1991, this album showcases John Lurie's Lounge Lizards at their creative peak, featuring Michael Blake, Steven Bernstein, and Bryan Carrott in a powerful ensemble blending jazz, avant-garde, and wit; recorded over several nights, it documents their evolution from satirical beginnings to a genre-defying force of sophisticated improvisation and bold musicianship. ... Click to View
Paul Jarret / Karin Johansson / Donovan Von Martens :
Hemisphere / Hemisfar (Havtorn Records)
Paul Jarret, Karin Johansson, and Donovan Von Martens explore the dynamic interplay of prepared strings through experimental techniques and preparations, blending nature-inspired improvisation with echoes of Feldman, Bailey, and Debussy, creating a sharp, imaginative, and evolving soundscape that bridges improvisation, composition, and sound painting ... Click to View
Helene Sage:
Comme Une Image (GRRR)
A visionary 1989 release by French multi-instrumentalist and composer Hélène Sage, this 14-track album blends electronic, modern classical, and experimental elements, featuring collaborations with Jean-Jacques Birgé and Bernard Vitet; surreal yet meticulously crafted, the album showcases Sage's eclectic style and innovative compositions in standout pieces like "L'invitation Au Voyage" and "Les Sept Merveilles Du Monde." ... Click to View
Evan Parker:
The Heraclitean Two-Step, etc. [4 CDs + BOOK] (False Walls)
Celebrating Evan Parker's 80th birthday in 2024 in a 4-CD set of solo improvisations recorded from 1994-2024, paired with a 120-page book featuring essays, an extended interview with Martin Davis plus visual artwork by Parker, blending profound reflections on space, sound, and artistic evolution while showcasing pivotal recordings and contributions from the improv and art community. ... Click to View
Brandon Seabrook :
Object of Unknown Function (Pyroclastic Records)
A "solo" guitar album of unparalleled creativity and technical prowess, blending virtuosic banjo and guitar performances with inventive compositions and experimental use of effects and overdubs through multiple instruments and cassette additions, a genre-defying exploration of layered soundscapes, intricate fingerpicking, and bold sonic textures that is absolutely fascinating. ... Click to View
Sophie Agnel / Michael Zerang:
Draw Bridge (Relative Pitch)
French classically trained pianist Sophie Agnel and percussionist Michael Zerang explore unconventional techniques in nine captivating improvisations recorded at Chicago's Experimental Sound Studio, blending Agnel's prepared and extended piano methods with Zerang's nuanced percussion to create a strikingly compatible and dynamic sonic dialogue. ... Click to View
Dominik Strycharski :
Ecstasy (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
Polish wind player Dominik Strycharski combines traditional blockflutes (recorders), saxophones spanning sopranino to tenor, and electronic synthesizers to create nine original compositions of distinctive improvisation and captivating soundscapes, recorded at ZPSM im. S. Moniuszki in Bielsko-Biała, a music school named after the celebrated Polish composer Stanisław Moniuszko. ... Click to View
Daniel Carter / Leo Genovese / William Parker / Francisco Mela:
Shine Hear Volume 2 [VINYL] (577 Records)
Inspired by a poem Daniel Carter wrote about the transience and motion of modern life, the quartet of Daniel Carter on saxophone, Leo Genovese on piano, William Parker on bass, Gralla & Shakuhachi and Francisco Mela on drums & voice, turn in an ecstatic album of exotic collective improvisation in this second of two volumes from an excellent studio session. ... Click to View
Ayumi Ishito (feat. Kevin Shea and George Draguns):
Roboquarians, Vol. 2 (577 Records)
Following the digital release of Roboquarians Volume 1, the trio of Ayumi Ishito on saxophone with effects, George Draguns on guitar and Kevin Shea on drums return with four wild jazz compositions by Draguns, their electrified performances infusing ferocious improvisations with an intense psychedelic energy and an avant-punk sensibility; wild! ... Click to View
Karen Borca / Paul Murphy:
Entwined (Relative Pitch)
Free jazz bassoonist Karen Borca, a former student of Cecil Taylor, reunites with drummer and percussionist Paul Murphy, both longtime collaborators in saxophonist Jimmy Lyons' band, here distilled as a duo, performing seven studio-recorded dialogs in Virginia -- each an expressive and articulate example of their remarkable technical skill and creativity. ... Click to View
Abdou / Gouband / Warelis:
Hammer, Roll and Leaf (Relative Pitch)
With a thoughtful approach to collective improvisation, saxophonist Sakina Abdou, pianist Marta Warelis, and percussionist Toma Gouband weave free music into a 60-minute arc of intimate, acoustic interplay, exploring collective themes like a torn canvas of echoes and fragments, where each gesture binds, stretches, and celebrates stories woven from ash and memory. ... Click to View
Un Drame Musical Instantane:
L'Hallali (GRRR)
Blending humor, drama, and inventive soundscapes, Un Drame Musical Instantané's n°1 showcases the trio of Jean-Jacques Birgé, Bernard Vitet, and Francis Gorgé alongside an eclectic ensemble, weaving synthesizers, samplers, sprechgesang, and orchestral elements into compelling, genre-defying compositions, which Jazz Magazine describes as mind-blowing with Zappa-esque creativity. ... Click to View
Michael Attias (Attias / Leibson / Pavolka / Ferber / Hoffman):
Quartet Music Vol. I: LuMiSong / Kardamon Fall [2 CDs] (Out Of Your Head Records)
With an ear to detail, Michaël Attias spent a year mixing and refining these four tracks, recorded after a post-pandemic concert at Barbes in Brooklyn, bringing to light four intricately melodic compositions performed with Michael Attias on alto sax, Santiago Leibson on piano & Wurli, Matt Pavolka on bass, Mark Ferber on drums and Christopher Hoffman on cello. ... Click to View
