The Squid's Ear
Recently @ Squidco:

Bucher / Tan / Countryman:
Unaminity (FMR)

Reflecting their evolution as a trio, Swiss drummer Christian Bucher, Filipino bassist Simon Tan, and American alto saxophonist Rick Countryman present a powerful statement of collective freedom, with the album title capturing their progression as a cohesive and expressive unit, highlighted by Bucher's rhythmic mastery, Tan's solid foundation, and Countryman's soulful, dynamic lead. ... Click to View


Bucher / Countryman:
Continuum (FMR)

Continuing their long-standing collaboration, American alto saxophonist Ricky Countryman, based in the Philippines, and Swiss drummer Christian Bucher explore space and time through fourteen succinct improvisations recorded at Strawberry Jams studio in Quezon City, blending pensive moments with dynamic interplay in a compelling journey of evolving musical dialogue. ... Click to View


Cecil Taylor Unit (w/ Lyons / Silva / Cooper / Murray):
Live At Fat Tuesday's February 10, 1980 First Visit [CD + POSTCARDS] (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

The 2nd night of the superb, extended live performance from 1980 at NYC's Fat Tuesday jazz club, from the outstanding sextet of forward-thinking free improvisers, Jimmy Lyons on alto sax, Ramsey Ameen on violin, Alan Silva on double bass & cello, Jerome Cooper on drums & African Balaphone and Sunny Murray on drums, led by Cecil Taylor on piano in an ecstatic concert never previously released. ... Click to View


Cecil Taylor Unit (w/ Lyons / Silva / Cooper / Murray):
Live At Fat Tuesdays 1980 - First Visit Archive [CD + POSTCARDS] (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

A superb and extended live performance from 1980 at NYC's Fat Tuesday jazz club, from the outstanding sextet of forward-thinking free improvisers, Jimmy Lyons on alto sax, Ramsey Ameen on violin, Alan Silva on double bass & cello, Jerome Cooper on drums & African Balaphone and Sunny Murray on drums, led by Cecil Taylor on piano in an ecstatic concert never previously released. ... Click to View


Hans Koch / Florian Stoffner:
Net (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

A limited release capturing the duo of two generations of improvisers — Hans Koch on clarinet and soprano saxophone, and Florian Stoffner on guitar — recorded in Koch's private Swiss studio, presenting six playful dialogs of remarkable mastery and pacing, where space becomes a third element, allowing their conversation to evolve with organic sophistication. ... Click to View


Dominik Dolega:
Everything Is True (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Blending contemporary, orchestral, and electronic music with global cultural influences, Dominik Dolega presents 11 untitled "Memories" recorded as duets, featuring unconventional instruments like lithophones, stones, aluphone and the bassdesmophon, inviting listeners on a sonic journey that evokes personal emotions and memories through a rich global perspective. ... Click to View


Dan Banks / Trevor Taylor / Jose Canha :
Sonifications 2: Humanity in Conflict (FMR)

Transforming 200 years of war data — including defense spending, casualties, nuclear stockpiles, and peace — into a compelling sonic narrative, blending raw data with expressive improvisation as pianist Dan Banks, drummer Trevor Taylor, and bassist Jose Canha perform powerful and evocative improvised explorations while recording at Toucan Tango Studios in Hornchurch, UK. ... Click to View


Udo Schindler / Paul Rogers feat. Eric Zwang:
Ephemeral Locations [2 CDs] (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Recorded across two live sessions in Munich, Ephemeral Locations expands Udo Schindler and Paul Rogers' LowToneStudies with the addition of drummer Eric Zwang Eriksson on several tracks, blending Schindler's mastery of bass reed instruments, Rogers' unique 7-string double bass, and Eriksson's dynamic percussion in a captivating exploration of deep tonal textures and spontaneous improv. ... Click to View


Elliott Sharp:
Mandorle (zOaR Records)

The companion album to Sharp's Mandocello, a tour-de-force exposition of the mandocello, acoustic and electronic, an instrument evolving out of the 18th century mandalone into a louder instrument intended to take the bass role in mandolin ensembles, here with tributes to Srinivas, Yank Rachell, Alvin Lucier, Frank Wakefeld, Tiny Moore, Ira Louvin, and Benoit Mandelbrot. ... Click to View


Doortri (Pellizzari / Mattiello / Copplestone):
EEEEELS (zOaR Records)

Expanding their genre-defying vision, the Italian trio Doortri — Tiziano Pellizzari (reeds, electronics), Geoffrey Copplestone (noise, vocals), and Giampaolo Mattiello (percussion) — deliver a bold follow-up with their second zOaR release, fusing free jazz, noise, post-punk, and anarchic wit into an infectious, unpredictable sonic landscape, mixed and mastered by Elliott Sharp. ... Click to View


Elliott Sharp (w/ Coleman / Dulberger / Green II / Insell / Jiang / McKenzie / Salomon / Wooley):
Hudson River Compositions 1973-74 (zOaR Records)

Inspired by fireflies, birds, and the flow of the Hudson River while living in Germantown, NY, Elliott Sharp developed these compositions using traditional, graphic, & conceptual scores, presented here in a collage of sessions featuring Sharp on reeds & strings with Anthony Coleman, Nate Wooley, Shayna Dulberger, Hao Jiang, Terry L. Greene, Don McKenzie, Terry L. Green II, Sara Salomon, and Judith Insell. ... Click to View


Luc Houtkamp / Alex Maguire:
At Khoens (FMR)

Capturing the live performance of Dutch saxophonist and composer Luc Houtkamp and British pianist Alex Maguire in Senglea, Malta, September 2023, this recording showcases their seamless integration of spontaneous composition through sophisticated, implicitly lyrical collective improvisation, blending reflective passages with dynamic and energetic interplay. ... Click to View


Ryoko Ono:
The Days (Relative Pitch)

Known for her ensemble Ryorchestra and as half of SaxRuins with Yoshida Tatsuya, Nagoya-based saxophonist, flutist, and composer Ryoko Ono steps out on her own with a solo album featuring saxophone, mouthpiece, duck whistle, and voice, capturing the dramatic contrasts of life through her dynamic, genre-defying improvisations and emotionally resonant compositions. ... Click to View


Moth Bucket (Sims / Searfoss / Dorsey):
Vagary Suite [CASSETTE + DOWNLOAD] (Notice Recordings)

Recorded in Aaronsburg, Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania improvising trio of Kevin Sims (percussion, psatlery, flute), James Searfoss (reeds & tape loops), and Justin Dorsey (upright bass) explore the intersections of free jazz, drone, and electroacoustic sound, balancing texture, rhythm and tension across dynamic compositions that highlight their versatile instrumentation. ... Click to View


Turbulence:
Squalls (Evil Clown)

Led by David Peck, Turbulence brings together its core horn players — Michael Caglianone, Bob Moores, John Fugarino, and Peck himself — alongside bassist Scott Samenfeld and percussionist Michael Knoblach, to explore an evolving palette of sonorities blending jazz-inspired interplay, diverse instrumentation and innovative electro-acoustic sounds through transformative improvisation. ... Click to View


Max Johnson / Neta Raanan / Eliza Salem:
I'll See You Again (Adhyropa Records)

The debut release from NY bassist Max Johnson's new trio with Neta Ranaan on tenor saxophone and Eliza Salem on drums, featuring five Johnson compositions that explore the post-bop tradition, from the hard-driving "Barbarous Jape" to the sweeping ballad "Tiny Beautiful," plus an elegy originally written for mandolinist Matt Flinner"s trio, and our clear favorite, "Chestnut Squid"! ... Click to View


Delta Saxophone Qt :
France's Gregory Songs Of Ice And Snow [CD EP] (FMR)

Setting three poems from prize-winning poet and visual artist Gregory Warren Wilson to music composed by pianist Paul Honey, each song based on the experiences and thoughts of people experiencing ice and snow, performed by the Delta Saxophone quartet of Christian Forshaw (soprano sax), Kathryn McGuiness (alto sax), Tim Holme (tenor sax) and Chris Caldwell (baritone sax). ... 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


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


Anna Gadt / Marta Grzywacz / Natalia Kordiak / Gosia Zagajewska:
VoiceAct (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Recorded at Przeswit in Warsaw, Poland, Voiceact brings together Polish vocalists Anna Gadt, Natalia Kordiak, Marta Grzywacz, and Gosia Zagajewska in an avant exploration of the art of the voice, blending ancient music, contemporary classics, and folk influences across eleven improvised pieces that showcase a captivating range of vocal styles and possibilities. ... Click to View


Michael Attias / Simon Nabatov:
Dream Walks (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Dreamlike and evocative, Dream Walks is the second duo album from Michael Attias and Simon Nabatov, following 2021's Brooklyn Mischiefs, inviting listeners to transcend the physical world through telepathic improvisations, uncanny encounters, and surreal visions, capturing the essence of nocturnal wanderings and the ethereal interplay between two masterful musicians. ... Click to View


Marilyn Crispell / Harvey Sorgen:
Forest (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Superlative duo work from pianist Marilyn Crispell and drummer Harvey Sorgen, recording in the studio in Woodstock, NY, blending deeply attuned free collective dialogs with one composition from each artist, in an album of dynamic and evocative improvisation that moves from vivid storytelling to introspective meditations of vision and masterful artistry. ... Click to View


Gray / Alessi / Augustin:
Melt the Guns II (Rataplan Records)

Brooklyn-Berlin-based drummer and composer Devin Gray in the second volume of his hopefully named project in an evocative trio recording with trumpeter Ralph Alessi and pianist Myslaure Augustin, blending energetic and introspective moments in politically charged compositions that reflect Gray's inventive approach to modern jazz and his concerns for global democracy. ... Click to View


Reut Regev's R*Time:
It's Now: R*Time Plays Doug Hammond (ESP)

Israeli trombonist Reut Regev and drummer Igal Foni join with legendary American composer and percussionist Doug Hammond, blending Hammond's reflective compositions and six-decade legacy — spanning blues, jazz, M-Base, and modernist works — with the boundary-pushing energy of the R*time quartet, for an engaging fusion of bold improvisation and musical insight. ... Click to View


Innovative Landscapes Laboratory:
Spontaneous Dimensions (Sublime Retreat)

Ukrainian composer Taras Opanasiuk explores spontaneous soundscapes, blending free improvisation with a meticulous compositional process as he transforms modular synthesizer sessions into five compelling sound collages that balance atmospheric electronics, musique concrète, and studio layering, in an imaginative and introspective journey through Opanasiuk's unique sonic palette. ... Click to View


Abcess Grenk:
Erguss Von Licht [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD] (Copy This!)

Marc Myers, recording in Lincoln, Nebraska, is the creative force behind Abcess Grenk, merging analog electronics and experimental guitar in Erguss Von Licht, as a blend of synthesizers, modular synths, a Fender guitar, and a '69 Fender Deluxe Reverb amp, for richly layered and textured improvisations steeped in a DIY aesthetic that reflects Myers' decades-long evolution in sound exploration. ... Click to View


Svobodni III (Bennington / Hunger / Seyler / Thatcher / Jennings):
The Return To Catalhoyiik (ThatSwan!)

For their third album, Chicago-based Svobodni — co-led by synthesist Phil Hunger and drummer Jimmy Bennington — create an evocative narrative inspired by ancient civilizations, blending layers of Stockhausen- and Kraftwerk-influenced electronics, intimate saxophone, grounded bass grooves, and searching percussion for a rich electroacoustic improvisational work that defies genre. ... Click to View


Dunmall / Noble / Edwards / Sanders :
Disappearing Worlds (FMR)

Recorded live at Bristol Music Rooms in March 2024, this hard-hitting modern jazz session brings together Paul Dunmall (tenor & sopranino saxophones), Liam Noble (piano), John Edwards (bass), and Mark Sanders (drums & percussion) two fiery and exploratory conversations that blend free improvisation with structural cohesiveness, a thrilling and boundary-pushing session. ... Click to View



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The Squid's Ear
Facebook: Squidco Sales

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  Squidco Record Store Day 2024 Sales  
Squidco RSD 2024

On the weekend of April 20, 2024 (from Friday April 19 - Sunday April 21) we celebrate Record Store Day, a day set aside to celebrate independent record stores selling physical media. Squidco has 21 years of experience as a retail and distribution service focused on these important art objects, presenting music that can be admired for their superior quality of sound, interesting artwork, insightful liner notes and other distinctive attributes unique to physical media. We also celebrate those who build substantial libraries of extraordinary music, following their personal interests as they expand their knowledge of great and important music.

To recognize this year's Record Store Day we have partnered with labels New Braxton House and 577 Records to offer a selection of their albums at 50% off their retail price. In addition we've added a set of vinyl LPs from labels including Astral Spirits, Corbett vs. Dempsey, Editions, Greenleaf, Greyfade, NoBusiness, Tubapede, zOaR Records, and many more, also at 50% off their retail prices.



Sales start Friday morning, April 19th and run through Sunday, April 21st at midnight






New Braxton House Box Sets & CDs @ 50% Off:

Braxton, Anthony: 12 Duets (DCWM) 2012 [12 CD Box Set] (New Braxton House)

Newly Distributed in 2021: A 12-CD set presenting Braxton in dialogue with three distinctive duet partners: violinist Erica Dicker, vocalist Kyoko Kitamura and bassoonist Katherine Young, recorded in the summer of 2012 over two sessions with each player, a remarkable and expansive set of innovative and creative improvisation.



Braxton, Anthony & Taylor Ho Bynum: Duo (Amherst) 2010 [DVD] (New Braxton House)

Newly Distributed in 2021: Limited edition DVD plus audio files of two extended sets bringing saxophonist Anthony Braxton and cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum together live at Bezanson Recital Hall in Amherst, MA in 2010, performing compositions by both artists.



Braxton, Anthony: GTM (Syntax) 2017 [12 CD BOX SET] (New Braxton House)

A 12-hour collection over 12 CDs of composer Anthony Braxton's Ghost Trance Music (GTM), a compositional system he developed with his superlative Tri-Centric Vocal Ensemble, GTM allowing the ensemble to generate a performance in real time in a mix of sung, spoken, and non-verbal utterances, with unpredictable and surprising results that reveal fascinating layers with each listen.



Braxton, Anthony : Quintet (Tristano) 2014 [7 CDs] (New Braxton House)

Newly Distributed in 2021: Composer and jazz master Anthony Braxton performing on piano in a septet with saxophonists Jackson Moore and Andre Vida, bassist Eivind Opsvik and drummer Mike Szekely, exploring the compositions of Lennie Tristano plus peers Billy Bauer, Connie Crothers, Warne Marsh, Sal Mosca, &c.



Braxton, Anthony and the Tri-Centric Orchestra: Trillium E [4 CDs] (New Braxton House)

Newly Distributed in 2021: Trillium E is the first-ever studio recording of an Anthony Braxton opera, a deluxe 4-disc set of this surreal and witty installment in Braxton's ongoing Trillium cycle, and includes a booklet with libretto, photos, and critical essays.



Braxton, Anthony: Trillium J [4 CDs + Blu Ray] (New Braxton House)

Newly Distributed in 2021: A multimedia box set of Anthony Braxton's opera work "Trillium J", containing live performance video on Blu-ray disc of a 2014 performance at Roulette in NY, and studio recording on 4-CD set, with 12 vocalists, 12 instrumental soloists and a full orchestra.










577 LP's @ 50% Off:

Ackerley, Jessica / Patrick Shiroishi / Chris Williams / Luke Stewart / Jason Nazary: SSWAN: Invisibility is an Unnatural Disaster [VINYL] (577 Records)

Rugged, experimental and avant jazz in the debut album from the SSWAN group of Patrick Shiroishi on saxophones, Chris Williams on trumpet, Jessica Ackerley on electric guitar, Luke Stewart on bass and Jason Nazary on drums, the group focused first on sound and velocity rather than pitch and harmonic information as they carve out a unique space between free jazz and free improv.



Amba, Zoh / William Parker / Francisco Mela: O Life, O Light Vol. 2 [VINYL] (577 Records)

The second volume from the trio of Tennessee-to-NYC transplant Zoe Amba on tenor saxophone & flute, legendary double bassist William Parker and Francisco Mela on drums, performing three compositions by Amba recorded in the studio in NYC; emphatic free jazz with a powerful rhythm section elucidating Amba's spiritually fueled approach to compelling, lyrical improvisation.



Carter, Daniel / Evan Strauss / 5-Track / Sheridan Riley: The Uproar In Bursts Of Sound And Silence [VINYL] (577 Records)

A collage of styles and experimentation developed over several years by bassist and multi-instrumentalist Evan Strauss, using long-form graphically notated conceptual compositions based on bird calls along with thematic material from Ursula K. Le Guin, expanded with narration and poetry from Daniel Carter and titled from an excerpt by Virginia Woolf.



Carter, Daniel / Matthew Shipp / William Parker / Gerald Cleaver: Welcome Adventure! Vol. 2 [VINYL] (577 Records)

The 2nd of two studio albums from the quartet of Daniel Carter on saxophone & flute, Matthew Shipp on piano, William Parker on bass and Gerald Cleaver on drums, recordings from the same sessions as the 1st volume with five shorter works, as the long-time collaborators and friends show their nearly telepathic rapport in adventurous and masterful modern jazz.



Carter, Daniel / Matthew Shipp / William Parker / Gerald Cleaver : Welcome Adventure! Vol. 1 [VINYL] (577 Records)

After decades playing together, the quartet of Daniel Carter on tenor sax, trumpet & flute, Matthew Shipp on piano, William Parker on bass, and Gerald Cleaver on drums, release the first of two planned studio albums, with two extended and remarkably warm collective excursions bookending a shorter "Scintillate", in an exceptionally solid album of masterful modern jazz.



Carter, Daniel / Patrick Holmes / Matthew Putman / Hilliard Greene / Federico Ughi: Telepatica [VINYL] (577 Records)

Named for the long history of collaboration over decades, the NY free jazz Telepathic Band of Daniel Carter on saxophones, clarinet & trumpet, Patrick Holmes on clarinet, Matthew Putman on piano, Rhodes, Hilliard Greene on bass and Federico Ughi on drums are heard live at the 2018 Forward Festival in Brooklyn, NY for four outstandingly informed improvisations.



Carter, Daniel / Patrick Holmes / Matthew Putman / Hilliard Greene / Federico Ughi: Telepathic Mysteries Vol. 1 [VINYL] (577 Records)

Referring to an improvisational style only possible after many years of collaboration, which they refer to as a "ghostly, boundary-pushing music between friends", this is the 4th sublime album from the quintet of Daniel Carter on reeds & trumpet, Patrick Holmes on clarinet, Matthew Putman on piano & keys, Hilliard Greene on bass, and Federico Ughi on drums.



Carter, Daniel / Tobias Wilner / Djibril Toure / Federico Ughi: New York United Volume 2 [VINYL] (577 Records)

The second volume of this rich and exotic quartet in a sublime merging of jazz, electronics and compositional approaches yielding melodically dream-like music and environments, from reedist, flutist && trumpeter Daniel Carter, Tobias Wilner (Blue Foundation) on synth and keys, Wu-Tang Clan bassist Djibril Toure and Italian/NY drummer Federico Ughi.



Carter, Daniel / Tobias Wilner / Djibril Toure / Federico Ughi: New York United [VINYL + DOWNLOAD] (577 Records)

An excellent blend of electronics and acoustics as saxophonist, flutist and trumpeter Daniel Carter meets sound artist Tobias Wilner from world-renowned electronic pop band Blue Foundation, with Wu-Tang Clan bass player Djibril Toure and drum wiz Federico Ughi rounding out this forward-thinking album of hazy and rhythmic electroacoustic environments.



Cleaver, Gerald / Brandon Lopez / Hprizm: In The Wilderness [VINYL] (Positive Elevation / 577 Records)

Drawn from an experimental improv performance by drummer Gerald Cleaver and bassist Brandon Lopez at 577 Records' 2019 Forward Festival, electronic artist and producer Hprizm of the Antipop Consortium took those recording to reconstruct twelve works of illusory and often surreal music, from active beat-based electronica to hazy dreamlike ambience.



Conly, Sean: The Buzz [VINYL] (577 Records)

A mix of lyrical, free and traditional compositions, the majority from leader, New York bassist Sean Conly, along with pieces from long-time collaborator Michael Attias, Sam Rivers and Paul Motian, performed in the piano trio format with drummer Francisco Mela and pianist Leo Genovese, a great balance of jazz steeped in tradition but living fully in the present.



Coultrain: Phantasmagoria [VINYL] (577 Records)

West Coast songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Coultrain, aka Aaron Michael Frison or Seymour Liberty, in an collection of songs based around a sequence of images reminiscent of a dream, capturing the hazy state of mind that drove the process behind this album, as well as its dreamy effect; soulful and introspective, an album of poetic observation and reflection.



Coultrain: Mundus [VINYL] (Positive Elevations)

West Coast songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Coultrain, aka Aaron Michael Frison or Seymour Liberty, in a sequel to his Phantasmagoria album, a soulful, introspective and lyrical collection of songs based around a sequence of images reminiscent of a dream, capturing the hazy state of mind that drove the process behind this album, as well as its dreamy effect.



Dikeman, John / Pat Thomas / John Edwards / Steve Noble: Volume 2 [VINYL] (577 Records)

The second of two volumes from the quartet of John Dikeman on tenor saxophone, Pat Thomas on piano, John Edwards on bass and Steve Noble on drums, bringing the American saxophonist working throughout Europe together with this nearly telepathic collaborative grouping of UK frequent collaborators, captured in concert at Cafe OTO in 2019 for two absorbing improvisations.



Dikeman, John / Pat Thomas / John Edwards / Steve Noble: Volume 1 [VINYL] (577 Records)

The first of two planned volumes from the quartet of John Dikeman on tenor saxophone, Pat Thomas on piano, John Edwards on bass and Steve Noble on drums, bringing the American saxophonist working throughout Europe together with this nearly telepathic collaborative grouping of UK frequent collaborators, captured in concert at Cafe OTO in 2019 for two absorbing improvisations.



Heroes Are Gang Leaders: LeAutoRoiOgraphy [BLACK VINYL] (577 Records)

Led by tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis and poet Thomas Sayers Ellis, this 12-piece ensemble of pointed and ecstatic free jazz and spoken word are heard at the 2019 Sons D'Hiver Festival in Paris, 2019, their sound influenced by chamber elements and sharpened through insightful and demanding observations and the influence of Amiri Baraka (LeRoi Jones).



Hprizm: Signs Remixed [BLACK VINYL] (577 Records)

577 Records' experimental, electronic sub-label Positive Elevation releases this remix of Gerald Cleaver's Signs album, itself an innovative album of synthetic rhythms and sonic landscape, here reworked by producer Hprizm, aka High Priest of Antipop Consortium, channeling Cleaver's work into dream-like territory that re-thinks and re-paces the original.



Magee, Massimo: Toneflower [VINYL] (577 Records)

A solo sax album of patterns and intersections from London writer, artist & musician Massimo Magee, influenced by a wealth of sources from Braxton to Stockhausen, each of the five parts of Toneflower affected through mic placement as Magee builds to wild expressiveness, transforming round tones into stratospheric pitches, using circular breathing for extended expressiveness; stunning!



Mela, Francisco feat. Cooper-Moore / William Parker: Music Frees Our Souls, Vol. 2 [VINYL] (577 Records)

The second volume of Music Frees Our Souls, the trio of Francisco Mela on drums, Cooper-Moore on piano and William Parker on bass, recording in the studio in Brooklyn two extended, far reaching and powerful collective improvisations of music performed under the influence of Mela's work with, mentorship by and encouragement from pianist McCoy Tyner.



Musson, Rachel / Pat Thomas / Mark Sanders: Shifa - Live In Oslo [VINYL] (577 Records)

Performing as part of the Blow Out Festival 2019, the UK improvising trio Shifa, meaning "healing", of Rachel Musson on tenor saxophone, Pat Thomas on piano, and Mark Sanders on drums, are captured live in Oslo for four dramatic and masterful collective improvisations, passionate and building works, releasing their tension and rebuilding in powerful waves.



Nagano, Sana (w/ Apflebaum / Matsuno / Filiano / Herternstein): Smashing Humans [VINYL] (577 Records)

The debut of a new electric jazz quintet from NY violinist Sana Nagano, with Peter Appfelbaum on tenor saxophone & megaphone, Keisuke Matsuno on electric guitar, Ken Filiano on acoustic bass & effects, and Joe Hertenstein on drums, an inventive and energetic album of joyful urgency and tremendous group dynamic, fueled by Nagano's exuberant and lyrical compositions.



Nichunimu (Vergara / Carrasco / Mardones): Un Cacho de Metal, Un Resto de Vaiven [VINYL] (577 Records)

Experimental improvisation that moves in and out of jazz territory from the Chilean trio of Benjamin Vergara on trumpet, Nicolas Carrasco on synthesizer and Matias Mardones on percussion, recording in the studio the day after their performance at the 2019 Relincha Festival in Ciudad de Valdivia, focusing on patterns of circularity and repetition to inform their playing.



Sarian, Michael / Matthew Putman: A Lifeboat (Part I) [VINYL] (577 Records)

The first of two planned volumes of studio improvisations between Brooklyn trumpeter & flugelhorn player Michael Sarian and keyboardist Matthew Putman, recorded in Sarin's home studio during the 2020 pandemic, allowing freedom in exploration as they sought out cadences, rhythms and melodies, this 1st volume presenting the finest of their investigations.



Tucker, Dave / Pat Thomas / Thurston Moore / Mark Sanders: Educated Guess Vol. 1 [VINYL] (577 Records)

The "guess" was guitarist and electronics artist Dave Tucker's educated guess that these four musicians--himself, pianist/keyboardist Pat Thomas, guitarist Thurston Moore and drummer/percussionist Mark Sanders--would create someting extraordinary if he brought them together for a concert at London's Cafe OTO, this boundary-pushing album the indisputably successful result.








Other RSD Weekend Vinyl Releases @ 50% Off:

Artifacts (Nicole Mitchell / Tomeka Reid / Mike Reed): ...and then there's this [VINYL] (Astral Spirits)

Confirming their place in Chicago's improv legacy, the second album from the Artifacts Trio of Nicole Mitchell on flute & electronics, Tomeka Reid on cello and Mike Reed on drums & percussion expand the AACM canon with compositions from each member, plus several insightful and lively collective improvisations and one piece each from Roscoe Mitchell and Muhal Richard Abrams.



Coley, Byron: Dating Tips for Touring Bands [VINYL] (Hot Cars Warp)

The first spoken word LP by author, music journalist, poet, and head of Ecstatic Yod Records, Byron Coley, talking about underground cultural history in verse on Side A, and reading from his forthcoming novel, "Dominoes" on the B Side.



Davis, Anthony / Paul Plimley / Al Neil / John Kameel Farah: Past Piano Present | Live at Western Front 1985 - 2015 [VINYL LP with DOWNLOAD] (Western Front New Music)

Four innovative and creative pianists performing solo at the Western Front between 1985 and 2015--Anthony Davis, Paul Plimley, Al Neil, John Kameel Farah--compiled on this extraordinary LP, the 2nd essential archive from one of Canada's most important performance spaces.



Douglas, Dave: Showing Up / The Power of the Vote [7" VINYL] (Greenleaf Music)

2019 Record Store Day release, a 7" from trumpeter Dave Douglas in two different configurations: the lead track from his album "Engage" featuring guitarist Jeff Parker and cellist Tomeka Reid along with Anna Webber, Nick Dunston & Kate Gentile; and a B-Side from 2018's "Uplift" featuring Joe Lovano and Bill Laswell alongside Mary Halvorson, Julian Lage, and Ian Chang.



continued...




The Squid's Ear presents
reviews about releases
sold at Squidco.com
written by
independent writers.

Squidco

Recent Selections @ Squidco:


Cecil Taylor Unit (
w/ Lyons /
Silva /
Cooper /
Murray):
Live At
Fat Tuesdays
February 9, 1980
First Visit Archive
[CD + POSTCARDS]
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



Cecil Taylor Unit (
w/ Lyons /
Silva /
Cooper /
Murray):
Live At
Fat Tuesday's
February 10, 1980
First Visit
[CD + POSTCARDS]
(ezz-thetics by
Hat Hut Records
Ltd)



Doortri (
Pellizzari /
Mattiello /
Copplestone):
EEEEELS
(zOaR Records)



Dan Banks /
Trevor Taylor /
Jose Canha :
Sonifications 2:
Humanity in Conflict
(FMR)



Max Johnson /
Neta Raanan /
Eliza Salem:
I'll See You
Again
(Adhyropa Records)



Abdou /
Gouband /
Warelis:
Hammer, Roll and Leaf
(Relative Pitch)



Michael Attias (
Attias /
Leibson /
Pavolka /
Ferber /
Hoffman):
Quartet Music
Vol. I:
LuMiSong /
Kardamon Fall
[2 CDs]
(Out Of Your Head Records)



Innovative Landscapes
Laboratory:
Spontaneous Dimensions
(Sublime Retreat)



Marilyn Crispell /
Harvey Sorgen:
Forest
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Dunmall /
Noble /
Edwards /
Sanders :
Disappearing Worlds
(FMR)



Fennesz:
Mosaic
(Touch)



Modelbau:
Extricate
(Sublime Retreat)



Alva Noto:
Xerrox Vol. 5
(Noton)



Charles Gayle /
Szilard Mezei Quartet Bass:
Oils
(Listen! Foundation (
Fundacja Sluchaj!))



Szilard Mezei
Tul A Tiszan Innen
Ensemble:
Reveszem
[2 CDs]
(FMR)



Joe Morris /
Jeb Bishop /
Nathan McBride :
Tells Or Terrier
(Not Two)



Eden Lonsdale:
Dawnings
[2 CDs]
(Another Timbre)



Ra Moses Kalam Bob /
Jerome Bryerton:
The Jugglerdrum
(Balance Point Acoustics)



Gush (
Gustafsson /
Sandell /
Strid) + Guests:
Gush 30 -
Krakow 2018
[3 CD BOX SET]
(Not Two)



The Jazzmen w/
Joe McPhee:
Nineteen Sixty-Six
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)



Paul Dunmall Quartet (
w/ Noble /
Edwards /
Sanders):
Here Today
Gone Tomorrow
(RogueArt)







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