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Steve Lacy Three
Live Lugano 1984 - First Visit [CD + 2 POSTCARDS]
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Recorded live in Lugano in 1984, Steve Lacy's trio with guitarist Barry Wedgle and bassist Jean-Jacques Avenel reimagines his compositions in an intimate and transparent setting, where Lacy's masterful soprano saxophone carves precise yet expressive lines, drawing on influences from poetry, Monk, and visual art to create a striking balance between structure and improvisation.
Paul Bley Trio
Floater & Syndrome - The Upright Piano Sessions, Revisited
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Revisiting and remastering two albums from Paul Bley's formative trio years with Steve Swallow on double bass and Pete LaRoca Sims on drums, recorded in Newark, NJ, from 1962-63 but unreleased until the 1980s on Savoy Jazz, as Bley explores Carla Bley's compositions alongside his own, reshaping the piano trio dynamic with a balance of free and lyrical approaches to jazz.
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.
Keiji Haino / Natsuki Tamura
What Happened There?
(Libra)
An electrifying 1st-time meeting between guitarist Keiji Haino and trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, captured live at Tokyo's Shinjuku Pit Inn, where the duo shape an unpredictable set that veers from reflective stillness to wildly passionate outbursts, their extended techniques and visceral vocals — sometimes urgent, sometimes outrageous — fueling an exhilarating and uncompromising sonic adventure.
Peter Brotzmann / Paal Nilssen-Love
Butterfly Mushroom
(Trost Records)
The 2nd volume following Chicken Shit Bingo from a two-day 2015 studio session in Antwerp, capturing the deep rapport and evolving artistry of multi-reedist Peter Brötzmann and drummer/percussionist Paal Nilssen-Love through eight powerful and explorative improvisations, reflecting their nearly two-decade collaboration as they experiment with new instruments and demonstrate profound musical expression.
Tim Berne (w/ Tom Rainey / Gregg Belisle-Chi)
Yikes Too [2 CDs]
(Out Of Your Head Records)
Highlighting the profound skill and musical connection of alto saxophonist Tim Berne, drummer Tom Rainey, and guitarist Gregg Belisle-Chi, in a captivating journey through meticulously composed pieces, dynamic improvisation, and structured arrangements of spontaneous creativity, across 2 CDs contrasting live and studio recordings that emphasize their exploratory artistry and evolution within creative jazz.
Leandre / Lotte Anker / Kersten Osgood
Worlds
(Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
A riveting live performance from the 2023 Copenhagen Jazz Festival by Joëlle Léandre, Lotte Anker, and Kresten Osgood, whose trio of bass, saxophones, and drums delivers an enthralling journey through three improvisational worlds, blending spontaneity, profound interplay, and virtuosic intensity in a masterful exploration of sound and emotion.
Albert Ayler with Don Cherry
1964 Recordings First Visit Completed [2 CDs + POSTCARDS]
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Four sets of recordings from September, 1964 in Copenhagen, Denmark from a week performing live at Club Montmarte, and a recording in Hilversum, The Netherlands for VARA Radio, collecting and remastering these vital recordings from tenor saxophonist Albert Ayler's most vital free jazz quartet with Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on double bass and Sunny Murray on drums.
Amanojaku (Yoshida / Fujii / Tamura)
Bishamonten
(Magaibutsu)
Emerging from an improv session during the pandemic, Natsuki Tamura (trumpet), Satoko Fujii (piano), and Tatsuya Yoshida (drums) formed Amanojaku, named after the contrarian demon of Japanese folklore, embracing a balance of composition, improv and mischievous interplay with a uniquely Japanese sensibility through virtuosic spontaneity and irreverent humor, captured live at Koen-dori Classics.
Painkiller (Harris / Laswell / Zorn)
Samsara
(Tzadik)
Originally formed in 1991, the legendary PainKiller trio, known for merging jazz, metal, grindcore, ambient, and dub, returns after more than 25 years to explore an intense new direction, as electronic artist Mick Harris crafts a rich tapestry of beats and sounds, drawing inspired performances from bassist Bill Laswell and alto saxophonist John Zorn.
Trance Map (Evan Parker / Matthew Wright)
Horizons Held Close
(Relative Pitch)
Returning to the duo format that launched their series, Evan Parker on soprano saxophone and Matthew Wright on turntables with live processing and sound design deliver two studio improvisations from Ramsgate, UK, with Wright transforming Parker's virtuosity through layers of electronic interaction, crafting a dynamic and intricate virtual symphony of technique and intent.
Sophie Agnel / John Butcher
RARE
(Les Disques Victo)
Extraordinary and masterful performers Sophie Agnel (piano) and John Butcher (soprano & tenor saxophones) present a live recording from the 40th International Festival of Current Music in Victoriaville, Canada, featuring five improvised pieces that highlight their exceptional interplay and collective discovery of new musical forms while exploring the boundaries of free improvisation.
John Butcher / Thomas Lehn / John Tilbury
Lights
(Fataka)
Recorded for the release concert of their 2013 album Exta, the trio of John Butcher on saxophones, Thomas Lehn on analog synthesizer and John Tilbury on piano captured this extraordinary live concert at Cafe Oto in London, only the second time the group had performed together, recording in two extended sets but segmented into four exceptional and dramatic improvisations.
Catherine Sikora / Susan Alcorn
Filament
(Relative Pitch)
The first meeting of tenor saxophonist Catherine Sikora and pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn was at the Zurcher Gallery in New York City in 2022, an inventive dialog of free improvisation split between three "Filaments", their interaction ranging from delicate dialog to asservite discourse in a wonderfully expressive concert of sincere affinity.
Anthony Braxton
Solo Bern 1984 First Visit
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Thirteen years after his breakthrough solo saxophone album For Alto, Anthony Braxton is heard in an inventive solo concert on the same instrument, performing at the Altes Schlachthaus Theatre in Bern, Switzerland for a set of original numbered compositions, the standards "Alone Together" and "I Remember You", and two Coltrane pieces: "Giant Steps" and "Naima".
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.
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!
Butcher / Durrant / Wastell
Around the Square, Above the Hill
(Confront)
Two 2024 sessions from the free improvising trio of John Butcher (tenor and soprano saxophones), Phil Durrant (electric mandolin and electronics), and Mark Wastell (drums and percussion): the two-part dialog "Around", recorded live at London's Vortex Jazz Club, and the four-part collective improvisation "Above", captured at The Rose Hill in Brighton, UK.
Stian Larsen / Colin Webster / Ruth Goller / Andrew Lisle
Temple of Muses
(Relative Pitch)
Norwegian guitarist Stian Larsen joins UK musicians Colin Webster on alto sax, Ruth Goller on bass, and Andrew Lisle on drums in a high-energy fusion of free jazz, post-rock, and noise, weaving dynamic improvisation that moves from sparse textures to explosive climaxes, embracing ecstatic intensity, cathartic interplay, and expansive creative exploration.
Ivo Perelman / Nate Wooley
Polarity
(Burning Ambulance Music)
Tight interaction in an incredible weaving of creative ideas and technical prowess from the duo of tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman and trumpeter Nate Wooley, the two New York-based improvisers recording in the studio in Brooklyn in 2020 for ten dialogs, a perfect distillation of their work together after four CDs in larger group efforts; captivating.
AMM (Rowe / Prevost + Tilbury)
Last Calls
(Matchless)
To celebrate drummer/percussionist Eddie Prévost's 80th birthday, Café Oto hosted four concerts once a week in June, 2022, each a differing configuration from Prévost's history; this final concert reconvened for an extended improvisation between Prévost & guitarist Keith Rowe, with a "Postscript" from pianist John Tilbury recorded at his home in January, 2023.
Joelle Leandre / Rodolphe Loubatiere
Estampe
(Confront)
Seven powerful improvisations recorded live at the jazz club AMR in Genèva between double bassist Joëlle Léandre and percussionist Rodolphe Loubatière performing on snare drum, both using impressive technique and every inch of their instruments, Léandre bowing and plucking and Loubatière eking out unusual sonic elements through a variety of objects.
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.
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.
Gush (Gustafsson / Sandell / Strid) + Guests
Gush 30 - Krakow 2018 [3 CD BOX SET]
(Not Two)
The Gush trio — Mats Gustafsson on reeds and flute, Sten Sandell on piano, and Raymond Strid on drums — celebrate 30 years since their original formation, in extraordinary concerts at Alchemia and Manggha Hall in Krakow, joined by guests in three dynamic configurations — two sextets and a septet — for an unforgettable series of performances of irrepressible collective improvisation.
Paul Bley Trio
Floater & Syndrome - The Upright Piano Sessions, Revisited
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Revisiting and remastering two albums from Paul Bley's formative trio years with Steve Swallow on double bass and Pete LaRoca Sims on drums, recorded in Newark, NJ, from 1962-63 but unreleased until the 1980s on Savoy Jazz, as Bley explores Carla Bley's compositions alongside his own, reshaping the piano trio dynamic with a balance of free and lyrical approaches to jazz.
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.
Keiji Haino / Natsuki Tamura
What Happened There?
(Libra)
An electrifying 1st-time meeting between guitarist Keiji Haino and trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, captured live at Tokyo's Shinjuku Pit Inn, where the duo shape an unpredictable set that veers from reflective stillness to wildly passionate outbursts, their extended techniques and visceral vocals — sometimes urgent, sometimes outrageous — fueling an exhilarating and uncompromising sonic adventure.
Peter Brotzmann / Paal Nilssen-Love
Butterfly Mushroom
(Trost Records)
The 2nd volume following Chicken Shit Bingo from a two-day 2015 studio session in Antwerp, capturing the deep rapport and evolving artistry of multi-reedist Peter Brötzmann and drummer/percussionist Paal Nilssen-Love through eight powerful and explorative improvisations, reflecting their nearly two-decade collaboration as they experiment with new instruments and demonstrate profound musical expression.
Tim Berne (w/ Tom Rainey / Gregg Belisle-Chi)
Yikes Too [2 CDs]
(Out Of Your Head Records)
Highlighting the profound skill and musical connection of alto saxophonist Tim Berne, drummer Tom Rainey, and guitarist Gregg Belisle-Chi, in a captivating journey through meticulously composed pieces, dynamic improvisation, and structured arrangements of spontaneous creativity, across 2 CDs contrasting live and studio recordings that emphasize their exploratory artistry and evolution within creative jazz.
Leandre / Lotte Anker / Kersten Osgood
Worlds
(Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
A riveting live performance from the 2023 Copenhagen Jazz Festival by Joëlle Léandre, Lotte Anker, and Kresten Osgood, whose trio of bass, saxophones, and drums delivers an enthralling journey through three improvisational worlds, blending spontaneity, profound interplay, and virtuosic intensity in a masterful exploration of sound and emotion.
Albert Ayler with Don Cherry
1964 Recordings First Visit Completed [2 CDs + POSTCARDS]
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Four sets of recordings from September, 1964 in Copenhagen, Denmark from a week performing live at Club Montmarte, and a recording in Hilversum, The Netherlands for VARA Radio, collecting and remastering these vital recordings from tenor saxophonist Albert Ayler's most vital free jazz quartet with Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on double bass and Sunny Murray on drums.
Amanojaku (Yoshida / Fujii / Tamura)
Bishamonten
(Magaibutsu)
Emerging from an improv session during the pandemic, Natsuki Tamura (trumpet), Satoko Fujii (piano), and Tatsuya Yoshida (drums) formed Amanojaku, named after the contrarian demon of Japanese folklore, embracing a balance of composition, improv and mischievous interplay with a uniquely Japanese sensibility through virtuosic spontaneity and irreverent humor, captured live at Koen-dori Classics.
Painkiller (Harris / Laswell / Zorn)
Samsara
(Tzadik)
Originally formed in 1991, the legendary PainKiller trio, known for merging jazz, metal, grindcore, ambient, and dub, returns after more than 25 years to explore an intense new direction, as electronic artist Mick Harris crafts a rich tapestry of beats and sounds, drawing inspired performances from bassist Bill Laswell and alto saxophonist John Zorn.
Trance Map (Evan Parker / Matthew Wright)
Horizons Held Close
(Relative Pitch)
Returning to the duo format that launched their series, Evan Parker on soprano saxophone and Matthew Wright on turntables with live processing and sound design deliver two studio improvisations from Ramsgate, UK, with Wright transforming Parker's virtuosity through layers of electronic interaction, crafting a dynamic and intricate virtual symphony of technique and intent.
Sophie Agnel / John Butcher
RARE
(Les Disques Victo)
Extraordinary and masterful performers Sophie Agnel (piano) and John Butcher (soprano & tenor saxophones) present a live recording from the 40th International Festival of Current Music in Victoriaville, Canada, featuring five improvised pieces that highlight their exceptional interplay and collective discovery of new musical forms while exploring the boundaries of free improvisation.
John Butcher / Thomas Lehn / John Tilbury
Lights
(Fataka)
Recorded for the release concert of their 2013 album Exta, the trio of John Butcher on saxophones, Thomas Lehn on analog synthesizer and John Tilbury on piano captured this extraordinary live concert at Cafe Oto in London, only the second time the group had performed together, recording in two extended sets but segmented into four exceptional and dramatic improvisations.
Catherine Sikora / Susan Alcorn
Filament
(Relative Pitch)
The first meeting of tenor saxophonist Catherine Sikora and pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn was at the Zurcher Gallery in New York City in 2022, an inventive dialog of free improvisation split between three "Filaments", their interaction ranging from delicate dialog to asservite discourse in a wonderfully expressive concert of sincere affinity.
Anthony Braxton
Solo Bern 1984 First Visit
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Thirteen years after his breakthrough solo saxophone album For Alto, Anthony Braxton is heard in an inventive solo concert on the same instrument, performing at the Altes Schlachthaus Theatre in Bern, Switzerland for a set of original numbered compositions, the standards "Alone Together" and "I Remember You", and two Coltrane pieces: "Giant Steps" and "Naima".
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.
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!
Butcher / Durrant / Wastell
Around the Square, Above the Hill
(Confront)
Two 2024 sessions from the free improvising trio of John Butcher (tenor and soprano saxophones), Phil Durrant (electric mandolin and electronics), and Mark Wastell (drums and percussion): the two-part dialog "Around", recorded live at London's Vortex Jazz Club, and the four-part collective improvisation "Above", captured at The Rose Hill in Brighton, UK.
Stian Larsen / Colin Webster / Ruth Goller / Andrew Lisle
Temple of Muses
(Relative Pitch)
Norwegian guitarist Stian Larsen joins UK musicians Colin Webster on alto sax, Ruth Goller on bass, and Andrew Lisle on drums in a high-energy fusion of free jazz, post-rock, and noise, weaving dynamic improvisation that moves from sparse textures to explosive climaxes, embracing ecstatic intensity, cathartic interplay, and expansive creative exploration.
Ivo Perelman / Nate Wooley
Polarity
(Burning Ambulance Music)
Tight interaction in an incredible weaving of creative ideas and technical prowess from the duo of tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman and trumpeter Nate Wooley, the two New York-based improvisers recording in the studio in Brooklyn in 2020 for ten dialogs, a perfect distillation of their work together after four CDs in larger group efforts; captivating.
AMM (Rowe / Prevost + Tilbury)
Last Calls
(Matchless)
To celebrate drummer/percussionist Eddie Prévost's 80th birthday, Café Oto hosted four concerts once a week in June, 2022, each a differing configuration from Prévost's history; this final concert reconvened for an extended improvisation between Prévost & guitarist Keith Rowe, with a "Postscript" from pianist John Tilbury recorded at his home in January, 2023.
Joelle Leandre / Rodolphe Loubatiere
Estampe
(Confront)
Seven powerful improvisations recorded live at the jazz club AMR in Genèva between double bassist Joëlle Léandre and percussionist Rodolphe Loubatière performing on snare drum, both using impressive technique and every inch of their instruments, Léandre bowing and plucking and Loubatière eking out unusual sonic elements through a variety of objects.
Gush (Gustafsson / Sandell / Strid) + Guests
Gush 30 - Krakow 2018 [3 CD BOX SET]
(Not Two)
The Gush trio — Mats Gustafsson on reeds and flute, Sten Sandell on piano, and Raymond Strid on drums — celebrate 30 years since their original formation, in extraordinary concerts at Alchemia and Manggha Hall in Krakow, joined by guests in three dynamic configurations — two sextets and a septet — for an unforgettable series of performances of irrepressible collective improvisation.
Satoko Fujii GEN String Ensemble
Altitude 1100 Meters
(Libra)
Celebrating her 65th birthday with her first compositions for strings, pianist-composer Satoko Fujii writes for the specific musicians of GEN, a sextet of violin, viola, bass, piano, electronics, and drums, in a suite inspired by Nagano's mountain views, leveraging microtonal string techniques for an expressive and texturally rich sonic landscape.
Joe Fonda / Bass of Operation
w/ Rabinovitz / Lederer / Sorgen
(Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
Performing the lyrical compositions from the band's leader, this quartet — featuring Joe Fonda (bass), Michael Rabinowitz (bassoon), Jeff Lederer (clarinets & flutes), and Harvey Sorgen (drums) — explores a uniquely chamber-like soundscape, blending jazz and classical influences through intricately arranged compositions and inspired improvisations with a distinctively rich and unexpected ensemble voice.
Zlatko Kaucic (Kaucic / Amado / Dorner / Grom / Guy / Fernandez / Snekkestad)
INKLINGS [4 CD BOX SET]
(Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
Marking drummer/percussionist Zlatko Kaučič's 70th birthday, this 4-CD set presents his collaborations with luminaries including Torben Snekkestad, Axel Dörner, Rodrigo Amado, Barry Guy, and Agustí Fernández, blending intimate and transformative improvisations recorded across Slovenian festivals, showcasing Kaučič's mastery and the profound synergy of these exceptional ensembles.
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.
Gerald Cleaver
Signs [VINYL + DOWNLOAD]
(577 Records)
Taking his cues from the electronic music of his Detroit roots, free jazz drummer Gerald Cleaver presents an album of synthetic rhythms and sonic landscape, each piece composed in detailed arrangements of compelling and adventurous structures, from propulsive grooves to sinuous soundscapes, a surprising and exciting twist showing Cleaver's strong compositional skills.
Zoh Amba / William Parker / Francisco Mela
O Life, O Light Vol. 1 [VINYL]
(577 Records)
New generation New York tenor saxophonist Zoe Amba, a Tennessee transplant whose spirit is illuminated with free styles that harken back to Ayler, recording in the studio with a trio of luminary players--William Parker on bass and Francisco Mela on drums--performing three Amba compositions, one featuring Amba on flute; the CD edition contains one bonus improvisation.
Zoh Amba / 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.
Francisco Mela / Zoh Amba
Causa y Efecto, Vol. 2 [VINYL]
(577 Records)
The second volume of powerful free playing and intimate conversation bringing together two New York-based improvisers, Cuban native drummer/percussionist Francisco Mela and Tennessee native reed & wind player Zoh Amba, both sharing a mountain region upbringing that brings a uniquely reflective quality to their playing, fortified by the exploratory NY improv scene.
Michael Sarian / Matthew Putman / Ledian Mola / Federico Ughi
The Sea, The Space, and Egypt, Vol. 1 [VINYL]
(577 Records)
Bringing together trumpeter Michael Sarian, keyboardist Matthew Putman, drummer Federico Ughi, and Cuban bassist-vocalist Ledian Mola to pay heartfelt tribute to Sun Ra's cosmic Afrofuturism, blending improvisational brilliance with Mola's folklore-inspired vocals and Putman's Rocksichord - the same keyboard model Sun Ra played - in a first-time collaboration and celebration of innovation.
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.
Francois Tusques / Sunny Murray 38
Intercommunal Dialogue 1&2 [2LPS w/ DOWNLOAD]
(NI-VU-NI-CONNU)
A historic reunion captured live at Le Triton in Les Lilas, France, in 2007, bringing together pianist François Tusques and drummer Sunny Murray for the first time in decades to renew their blues-infused, avant-garde dialogue, blending percussive exploration, evocative dedications, and rich improvisation that honors their shared history while forging new sonic landscapes.
Luigi Nono
A Carlo Scarpa; A Pierre Dell'Azzurro Silenzio, Inquietum; Guai ai Gelidi Mostri [VINYL]
(Edition Rz)
3 works by composer Luigi Nono: "A Carlo Scarpa" for orchestra; "A Pierre..." for bass flute, bass clarinet and live elektronics; and "Guai ai Gelidi Mostri" for ensemble, voices and live elektronics.
Dan Peck
Solo [VINYL]
(Tubapede)
Inspired by Nikola Tesla and Karlheinz Stockhausen's collection of text pieces, "From the Seven Days", tuba player Dan Peck's solo album is an intense collection of deep tones in bold minimalism, and in clatteringly frightful tuba interactions.
Matt Nelson
Lower Bottoms [VINYL]
(Tubapede)
Brooklyn saxophonist Matt Nelson in a solo album of extended saxophone techniques along with a litany of guitar effects pedals, all run through a large 70's era Peavy combo amp with real-time feedback manipulation, a unique album of muscular playing and unusual soundscape.
Steve Baczkowski / Chris Corsano / Paul Flaherty
The Dull Blade [VINYL]
(Feeding Tube Records)
A decade after their last album "Dim Bulb", "The Dull Blade" follows up with the trio of Chris Corsano on drums and duel saxophonist Steve Baczkowski and Paul Flaherty, recorded live in the studio at New Haven, Connecticut's Firehouse 12, an incredible album of fiery and ferocious playing with an outsider jazz attitude; brilliant.
Donald McKenzie II Sturge Anthony (feat. Elliot Sharp, Bill Laswell, Vernon Reid)
Silenced II - Views from the Auction Block [VINYL + DOWNLOAD]
(577 Records)
Drummer Donald Sturge Anthony McKenzie II trades off duos with a set of masterful musicians in the second volume of his "Silenced" project, here with guitarist Elliott Sharp for a complex and inspired dialog; with bassist Bill Laswell for a rich and moody soundscape; and with guitarist Vernon Reid in a piece for McKenzie's daughter; plus one solo drum piece.
Peter Evans (w/ Ross / Jozwiak / Harris)
Being & Becoming [VINYL]
(More Is More)
A dynamic 1st release from trumpeter Peter Evans' group Being and Becoming, featuring improvisers from a younger generation of creative musicians--Joel Ross on vibes, Nick Joziwak on bass, and Savannah Harris on drums--the album featuring new compositions from Evans, moving between notated chamber music textures, free improvisations, deep grooves and telepathic ensemble playing.
Daniel Carter / 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.
Mary Halvorson's Code Girl
Artlessly Falling [VINYL WHITE 2 LPs]
(Firehouse 12 Records)
The 2nd Code Girl release from guitarist Mary Halvorson presents an embraceable and ambitious set of songs from 8 poetic forms for which Halvorson composed words & music, 3 of which are sung by Robert Wyatt, the others by Amirtha Kidambi, in a band with Thumbscrew members Michael Formanek (bass), Tomas Fujiwara (drums), plus Maria Grand (sax) and Adam O'Farrill (trumpet).
John Butcher / Magda Mayas / Tony Buck
Glints [VINYL]
(NI-VU-NI-CONNU)
The 5th of NI-VU-NI-CONNU's 5-LP John Butcher series and part of a 2 night residency at ausland in Berlin coinciding with his 65th birthday, tenor & soprano saxophonist John Butcher is joined by the long-running duo Spill of pianist Magda Mayas and drummer Tony Buck (The Necks) for two extended works of evolving, absorbing introspection and eruption.
Daniel Carter / 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.
Peter Evans Ensemble (w/ Swift / Stabinsky / Lorenzo)
Horizons [VINYL]
(More Is More)
After a few years of working, touring and one-off performances in New York City with Mazz Swift (violin & voice), Ron Stabinsky (synthesizers) and Levy Lorenzo (percussion & electronics), trumpeter Peter Evans recorded this incredible album, a new direction in his work with small ensembles, incorporating electronics into his exceptional compositions for creative improvisation.
Ben Miller
In the Moment [VINYL]
(Two Rooms)
Destroy All Monsters and Sensorium Saxophone Orchestra guitarist Ben Miller in an album of experimental solo guitar works, augmenting his guitar with effects, synthesizer, bass, tapes and radio to create seven fascinating works that reflect on his rock background through solid rhythmic and melodic hooks, but also captivates through unusual and suprising sonic elements.
Francisco Mela / Zoh Amba
Causa y Efecto Vol. 1 [VINYL]
(577 Records)
The first volume of powerful free playing and intimate conversation bringing together two New York-based improvisers, Cuban native drummer/percussionist Francisco Mela and Tennessee native reed & wind player Zoh Amba, both sharing a mountain region upbringing that brings a uniquely reflective quality to their playing, fortified by the exploratory NY improv scene.
Fred Frith And Ensemble Musiques Nouvelles
Something About This Landscape For Ensemble [VINYL]
(Sub Rosa)
Commissioned by and recorded during the 2018 Ars Musical Festival, Fred Frith composed this work while under the inspiration of his residency at Lou Harrison's straw-bale house in the desert at Joshua Tree, CA, then performed with the Ensemble Musiques Nouvelles, along with two very unique improvisations, one recorded during the dress rehearsal and then again in concert.
Three-Layer Cake (Mike Pride / Mike Watt / Brandon Seabrook)
Stove-Top [GREEN VINYL]
(Rarenoise Records)
Circumventing pandemic lockdowns, the trio of Brandon Seabrook on guitar, banjo & tapes, Mike Pride on drums, marimba, glockenspiel, bells & organ and Mike Watt on bass recorded their contributions in separate studios and file-shared to create this genre-merging album of free improv, rock, experimental and inexplicable forms; an inspired and seriously unique album of challenges overcome.
Ted Daniel w/ Energy
Live at Ali's Alley [VINYL 2 LPs]
(Ujamaa Records)
Originally named The Third World Energy Ensemble, Ted Daniels' Loft-era ensemble eventually became simply "Energy", and this 1978 recording at Ali's Alley in NYC of the 23-piece ensemble shows both Daniel's skill as a band leader & improviser, and as a document of the urgent free jazz scene of the time; ensemble includes Byard Lancaster, Joseph Bowie, Sam Furnace, &c. &c.
Daniel Carter / Patrick Holmes / Matthew Putman / Hilliard Greene / Federico Ughi
Electric Telepathy, Vol. 2 [VINYL]
(577 Records)
The latest album from the NY-based Telepathic Band of Daniel Carter on saxophones, trumpet & flute, Patrick Holmes on clarinet, Matthew Putman on keyboards, Hilliard Greene on bass and Federico Ughi on drums, explores spontaneous themes and aural landscapes through studio improvisations recomposed to create five fascinating compositions of perceptive, ecstatic jazz.
Paul Bley Trio
Floater & Syndrome - The Upright Piano Sessions, Revisited
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Revisiting and remastering two albums from Paul Bley's formative trio years with Steve Swallow on double bass and Pete LaRoca Sims on drums, recorded in Newark, NJ, from 1962-63 but unreleased until the 1980s on Savoy Jazz, as Bley explores Carla Bley's compositions alongside his own, reshaping the piano trio dynamic with a balance of free and lyrical approaches to jazz.
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.
Keiji Haino / Natsuki Tamura
What Happened There?
(Libra)
An electrifying 1st-time meeting between guitarist Keiji Haino and trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, captured live at Tokyo's Shinjuku Pit Inn, where the duo shape an unpredictable set that veers from reflective stillness to wildly passionate outbursts, their extended techniques and visceral vocals — sometimes urgent, sometimes outrageous — fueling an exhilarating and uncompromising sonic adventure.
Peter Brotzmann / Paal Nilssen-Love
Butterfly Mushroom
(Trost Records)
The 2nd volume following Chicken Shit Bingo from a two-day 2015 studio session in Antwerp, capturing the deep rapport and evolving artistry of multi-reedist Peter Brötzmann and drummer/percussionist Paal Nilssen-Love through eight powerful and explorative improvisations, reflecting their nearly two-decade collaboration as they experiment with new instruments and demonstrate profound musical expression.
Tim Berne (w/ Tom Rainey / Gregg Belisle-Chi)
Yikes Too [2 CDs]
(Out Of Your Head Records)
Highlighting the profound skill and musical connection of alto saxophonist Tim Berne, drummer Tom Rainey, and guitarist Gregg Belisle-Chi, in a captivating journey through meticulously composed pieces, dynamic improvisation, and structured arrangements of spontaneous creativity, across 2 CDs contrasting live and studio recordings that emphasize their exploratory artistry and evolution within creative jazz.
Leandre / Lotte Anker / Kersten Osgood
Worlds
(Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
A riveting live performance from the 2023 Copenhagen Jazz Festival by Joëlle Léandre, Lotte Anker, and Kresten Osgood, whose trio of bass, saxophones, and drums delivers an enthralling journey through three improvisational worlds, blending spontaneity, profound interplay, and virtuosic intensity in a masterful exploration of sound and emotion.
Albert Ayler with Don Cherry
1964 Recordings First Visit Completed [2 CDs + POSTCARDS]
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Four sets of recordings from September, 1964 in Copenhagen, Denmark from a week performing live at Club Montmarte, and a recording in Hilversum, The Netherlands for VARA Radio, collecting and remastering these vital recordings from tenor saxophonist Albert Ayler's most vital free jazz quartet with Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on double bass and Sunny Murray on drums.
Painkiller (Harris / Laswell / Zorn)
Samsara
(Tzadik)
Originally formed in 1991, the legendary PainKiller trio, known for merging jazz, metal, grindcore, ambient, and dub, returns after more than 25 years to explore an intense new direction, as electronic artist Mick Harris crafts a rich tapestry of beats and sounds, drawing inspired performances from bassist Bill Laswell and alto saxophonist John Zorn.
Trance Map (Evan Parker / Matthew Wright)
Horizons Held Close
(Relative Pitch)
Returning to the duo format that launched their series, Evan Parker on soprano saxophone and Matthew Wright on turntables with live processing and sound design deliver two studio improvisations from Ramsgate, UK, with Wright transforming Parker's virtuosity through layers of electronic interaction, crafting a dynamic and intricate virtual symphony of technique and intent.
Sophie Agnel / John Butcher
RARE
(Les Disques Victo)
Extraordinary and masterful performers Sophie Agnel (piano) and John Butcher (soprano & tenor saxophones) present a live recording from the 40th International Festival of Current Music in Victoriaville, Canada, featuring five improvised pieces that highlight their exceptional interplay and collective discovery of new musical forms while exploring the boundaries of free improvisation.
John Butcher / Thomas Lehn / John Tilbury
Lights
(Fataka)
Recorded for the release concert of their 2013 album Exta, the trio of John Butcher on saxophones, Thomas Lehn on analog synthesizer and John Tilbury on piano captured this extraordinary live concert at Cafe Oto in London, only the second time the group had performed together, recording in two extended sets but segmented into four exceptional and dramatic improvisations.
Catherine Sikora / Susan Alcorn
Filament
(Relative Pitch)
The first meeting of tenor saxophonist Catherine Sikora and pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn was at the Zurcher Gallery in New York City in 2022, an inventive dialog of free improvisation split between three "Filaments", their interaction ranging from delicate dialog to asservite discourse in a wonderfully expressive concert of sincere affinity.
Anthony Braxton
Solo Bern 1984 First Visit
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Thirteen years after his breakthrough solo saxophone album For Alto, Anthony Braxton is heard in an inventive solo concert on the same instrument, performing at the Altes Schlachthaus Theatre in Bern, Switzerland for a set of original numbered compositions, the standards "Alone Together" and "I Remember You", and two Coltrane pieces: "Giant Steps" and "Naima".
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.
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!
Butcher / Durrant / Wastell
Around the Square, Above the Hill
(Confront)
Two 2024 sessions from the free improvising trio of John Butcher (tenor and soprano saxophones), Phil Durrant (electric mandolin and electronics), and Mark Wastell (drums and percussion): the two-part dialog "Around", recorded live at London's Vortex Jazz Club, and the four-part collective improvisation "Above", captured at The Rose Hill in Brighton, UK.
Stian Larsen / Colin Webster / Ruth Goller / Andrew Lisle
Temple of Muses
(Relative Pitch)
Norwegian guitarist Stian Larsen joins UK musicians Colin Webster on alto sax, Ruth Goller on bass, and Andrew Lisle on drums in a high-energy fusion of free jazz, post-rock, and noise, weaving dynamic improvisation that moves from sparse textures to explosive climaxes, embracing ecstatic intensity, cathartic interplay, and expansive creative exploration.
Ivo Perelman / Nate Wooley
Polarity
(Burning Ambulance Music)
Tight interaction in an incredible weaving of creative ideas and technical prowess from the duo of tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman and trumpeter Nate Wooley, the two New York-based improvisers recording in the studio in Brooklyn in 2020 for ten dialogs, a perfect distillation of their work together after four CDs in larger group efforts; captivating.
AMM (Rowe / Prevost + Tilbury)
Last Calls
(Matchless)
To celebrate drummer/percussionist Eddie Prévost's 80th birthday, Café Oto hosted four concerts once a week in June, 2022, each a differing configuration from Prévost's history; this final concert reconvened for an extended improvisation between Prévost & guitarist Keith Rowe, with a "Postscript" from pianist John Tilbury recorded at his home in January, 2023.
Joelle Leandre / Rodolphe Loubatiere
Estampe
(Confront)
Seven powerful improvisations recorded live at the jazz club AMR in Genèva between double bassist Joëlle Léandre and percussionist Rodolphe Loubatière performing on snare drum, both using impressive technique and every inch of their instruments, Léandre bowing and plucking and Loubatière eking out unusual sonic elements through a variety of objects.
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.
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.
Gush (Gustafsson / Sandell / Strid) + Guests
Gush 30 - Krakow 2018 [3 CD BOX SET]
(Not Two)
The Gush trio — Mats Gustafsson on reeds and flute, Sten Sandell on piano, and Raymond Strid on drums — celebrate 30 years since their original formation, in extraordinary concerts at Alchemia and Manggha Hall in Krakow, joined by guests in three dynamic configurations — two sextets and a septet — for an unforgettable series of performances of irrepressible collective improvisation.
Joe Fonda / Bass of Operation
w/ Rabinovitz / Lederer / Sorgen
(Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
Performing the lyrical compositions from the band's leader, this quartet — featuring Joe Fonda (bass), Michael Rabinowitz (bassoon), Jeff Lederer (clarinets & flutes), and Harvey Sorgen (drums) — explores a uniquely chamber-like soundscape, blending jazz and classical influences through intricately arranged compositions and inspired improvisations with a distinctively rich and unexpected ensemble voice.
Zlatko Kaucic (Kaucic / Amado / Dorner / Grom / Guy / Fernandez / Snekkestad)
INKLINGS [4 CD BOX SET]
(Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
Marking drummer/percussionist Zlatko Kaučič's 70th birthday, this 4-CD set presents his collaborations with luminaries including Torben Snekkestad, Axel Dörner, Rodrigo Amado, Barry Guy, and Agustí Fernández, blending intimate and transformative improvisations recorded across Slovenian festivals, showcasing Kaučič's mastery and the profound synergy of these exceptional ensembles.
Gerald Cleaver
Signs [VINYL + DOWNLOAD]
(577 Records)
Taking his cues from the electronic music of his Detroit roots, free jazz drummer Gerald Cleaver presents an album of synthetic rhythms and sonic landscape, each piece composed in detailed arrangements of compelling and adventurous structures, from propulsive grooves to sinuous soundscapes, a surprising and exciting twist showing Cleaver's strong compositional skills.
Helene Breschand / Floy Krouchi / Zafer Tawil / Elliott Sharp
disPOSSESSION
(zOaR Records)
Expanding the collaboration between guitarist, saxophonist and electronic artist Elliott Sharp and electric & acoustic harpist Helene Breschand, in a quartet with Zafer Tawil performing on oud, violin & percussion and Floy Krouchi on electric bass, for an exotic, globe-embracing, groove-oriented album of unusual and often ecstatic acoustic and electric orchestration.
Jean-Jacques Birge
Animal Opera
(GRRR)
Blending the autonomous compositions of Nabaz'mob, his opera for 100 smart rabbits, with the vibrant naturalism of "Dawn at Shimiyacu", a field recording from Peru's Amazon rainforest, Jean-Jacques Birgé along with Antoine Schmitt juxtaposes minimalist robotic orchestrations with raw environmental soundscapes, creating a genre-defying exploration within his signature sonic universe.
Houser / Jacques / Montiel / Salinas / Weathers
Light Flies Out of Us
(Editions Glomar)
Subtle textures, hushed resonance, and environmental influences converge in a delicate yet immersive sonic space in this collaboration recorded at Wind Tide in Littlefield, Texas, bringing together Justin Houser, Anne-Françoise Jacques, Ernesto Montiel, Veronica Anne Salinas, and Andrew Weathers for an intimate exploration of electroacoustic improvisation.
AHC (Alexander Cooper)
Lase [2 CDs]
(Bu Lang Tribute Cake)
A meditative and immersive work of sonic abstraction, Alexander Cooper's first solo release in eight years unfolds as a lattice of minimalism-inspired harmonic diffusion, where shifting textures and fluid structures dissolve into ethereal, non-representational spaces, blurring the boundaries between form and perception in a dynamic interplay of sound and air.
Various Artists
Kraakgeluiden: Document 1
(Unsounds)
A series of improvised performances with the central idea of acoustic and electronic artists experimenting with the electronic medium in a live setting with musicians with whom they have never played with before.
Various Artists
Because Tomorrow Comes #2
(Because Tomorrow Comes)
The second volume of this excellent German sound magazine and audio CD, 9 artists working in sound art, electroacoustic composition; a "listenable exhibition" of modern compositional approach.
RLW & Srmeixner
Just Like A Flower When Winter Begins
(Monotype)
An interesting mixture of sound and spoken word originally recorded as a DJ set by RLW for a birthday celebration that was remixed with help from Stephen Meixner.
Terri Kapsalis / John Corbett
Dead Level
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)
A half-hour work of non-narrative radio theater featuring music and text collage, as well as Terri Kapsalis on violin and John Corbett on analog synthesizer, commissioned and recorded in the Experimental Sound Studio, Chicago in 2000 for the Outer Ear Festival.
Bruno Duplant / Pierre Gerard
Soleil Clandestin
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Five "Soleil Clandestin" soundscapes using abstract voice, guitar, electronics, field recordings & percussion from sound artists Bruno Duplant and Pierre Gerard, on the surface peaceful, minimal and using space and silence, but buried inside are disquieting additions through vocal abstractions placed in unusual position to the sound; curious and captivating.
Gerald Cleaver
Signs
(577 Records)
Taking his cues from the electronic music of his Detroit roots, free jazz drummer Gerald Cleaver presents an album of synthetic rhythms and sonic landscape, each piece composed in detailed arrangements of compelling and adventurous structures, from propulsive grooves to sinuous soundscapes, a surprising and exciting twist showing Cleaver's strong compositional skills.
Eric Wong
Cognitive Dissonance
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Guitarist, computer musician, and improviser Eric Wong (D.N.A.N.D.N.A. with Simon Rose) focuses on sound textures and perception of sound, in three works composed using Ableton Live that explore concepts of psychoacoustic sound through dissonance, harmonic interference and hallucinatory sound, slowly developing works of rich sonic characteristic.
Florian Wittenburg
Beyond The Traceries
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Various facets of German composer and experimenter Florian Wittenburg's interests, in two iterations of two pieces and two compositions, using voice, vibraphones and ringing bowls, treated electronically to emphasize unique characteristics of sound from warmly rich to mysteriously fragile, balanced with space and careful timing; a valuable introduction to his work.
Pierre Gerard
Imprevu Visible Inverse
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Using guitars, violin, electronics, field recordings, abstract voice, and a "sound knife in the sand", Pierre Gerard recorded this set of 13 works in Liege, Belgium, and Wimereux, France, in 2019, using intuitive approaches to his minimalist electroacoustic compositions as he assembles his elements to convey human gesture and architectural form in sound.
Sergio Barco Cote
Pink Noise(s) In Prime Numbers
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
"An invitation into our perceptual periphery, where noise(s) — and perhaps we — can be somewhat disobedient" read the liner notes to Colombian composer Sergio Cote Barco's sound work, three compositions from extreme minimalism and silence to rich sound, each varying the topography and envelopes of sound, ostensibly performed by "electronic music".
Sergio Merce
En Lugar De Pensar
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
One circular and one continuous composition from Argentinian composer Sergio Merce, using rich tones like clouds of sound generated by a microtonal saxophone, synthesizer and wind synth, the title referring to his sense of music a channel to see, to reveal, a channel that opens through intuition, observation and attention but not through thinking; beautiful.
Kevin Corcoran / Giacomo Salis / Paolo Sanna
Sul Filo [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD]
(Tsss Tapes)
Initiating like a jet shaking the sky, the trio of Kevin Corcoran on percussion & objects, Giacomo Salis on percussion, objects & field recordings and Paolo Sanna on percussion & objects create otherworldly sonic environments that project collapsing and ringing events above often turbulent foundations, creating side-long journeys that engage through mysterious and surmisable sound.
Ben Miller
In the Moment
(Two Rooms)
Destroy All Monsters and Sensorium Saxophone Orchestra guitarist Ben Miller in an album of experimental solo guitar works, augmenting his guitar with effects, synthesizer, bass, tapes and radio to create seven fascinating works that reflect on his rock background through solid rhythmic and melodic hooks, but also captivates through unusual and surprising sonic elements.
Ben Miller
In the Moment [VINYL]
(Two Rooms)
Destroy All Monsters and Sensorium Saxophone Orchestra guitarist Ben Miller in an album of experimental solo guitar works, augmenting his guitar with effects, synthesizer, bass, tapes and radio to create seven fascinating works that reflect on his rock background through solid rhythmic and melodic hooks, but also captivates through unusual and suprising sonic elements.
Sage Harlow J
Variations Without A Theme (Drones Ongs)
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Australian sound poet and vocalist Sage J Harlow aka Sage Pbbbt, whose innovative vocal work takes inspiration from Tuvan and Mongolian overtone singing and Inuit throat singing, created this mysterious set of electroacoustic compositions on the unceeded lands of the Whadjuk People of the Noongar Nation, developing four works of spellbinding spectral ambience.
Allen Moore / Ishmael Ali / Bill Harris
Hearsay
(Amalgam)
Unusual textures, unlikely orchestration and unconventional rhythmic directions from the Chicago electroacoustic improv trio of Allen Moore on turntables & records casted with various material, Ishmael Ali on cello, guitar & electronics and Bill Harris on drums & percussion, captured live at Marmalade in Chicago in 2021 for a diverse set of experimental and absorbing improvisations.
Jaki Green Shelton
I Want to Undie You [CD EP]
(Soul City Sounds)
A CD EP from North Carolina Poet Laureate Jaki Shelton Green, the first African American and third woman to receive the appointment, persenting her work "I Want to Undie You" expressing her sorrow at the unexpected death of her daughter Imani and a celebration of her life, with audio arrangements by Alec Ferrel, plus versions of the text and music only.
Kyle Motl / Carlos Dominguez
Field of Fried Umbrellas [CASSETTE + DOWNLOAD]
(Tripticks Tapes)
An apt title for this collection of improvised works for double bass and feedback mixer between long-time collaborators Kyle Motl and Carlos Domínguez Reinhardt, both members of the band Not the Circus and having previously released the duo album Artabotrys Hexapetalus, this album recorded in 2020 at Rat's Mouth in Florida for five diverse and often abrasive interactions.
Makoto Kawashima / Mochizuki Harutaka / Michel Henritzi
Chinmoku Wa Ishikure Ni Yadoru Bouryoku
(Trost Records)
Evoking the passionate free improvisation of Kaoru Abe and influenced by Austrian poet Georg Trakl's "Nocturnal Song", the trio of Makoto Kawashima and Harutaka Mochizuki on alto saxophone and Michel Henritzi on lap steel & feedback recorded these three crepuscular works in separate locations, assembled by Henritzi into richly dreamlike and cathartic compositions.
Carl 666 Gustaf
Claim
(thanatosis produktion)
The album art represents the intensity of this Swedish duo's Industrial music, from keyboardist Carl Westholm (Carptree, Avatarium, Krux, Candlemass) and bass player Gustaf Hielm (Pain of Salvation, Meshuggah, Mats/Morgan, Tiamat, &c), using electronics, field recordings, pulsing rhythms and synthetics to develop a complex and dark world of menacing force.
Jurg Frey
Outermost Melodie [2 CDs]
(Another Timbre)
Contemporary percussionist Ian Antonio (Wet Ink, Talujon Percussion Ensemble, Zs, Yarn/Wire) performs seven works for percussion by composer Jürg Frey written between 1994 and 2022, joined by members of the Talujon for one piece, though mostly a solo and very personal album for the percussionist, who has been influenced by Frey's approach to stillness and harmony.
Zachary Good / Ben Roidl-Ward
arb
(Carrier Records)
Focusing on the harmonic interaction, delicate nuances and harmonic functionality of closely related tones, Chicago instrumentalists Zachary Good on clarinet and Ben Roidl-Ward on bassoon recorded these six works of acoustical and phenomenological events using the interplay between coinciding clarinet and bassoon notes, creating illusory and haunting tonal works.
Catherine Lamb
Parallaxis Forma
(Another Timbre)
Two works for voice and chamber orchestra performed by the UK Explore Ensemble under the direction of Nicholas Moroz, and a multi-tracked vocal work by Lotte Betts-Dean, rich and understated works of rich harmonics and atmospheric overtones composed by Catherine Lamb, placing phonetic vocals in space and ambiance, eschewing words for tone, texture and motion; mesmerizing.
Felix Profos / Peter Conradin Zumthor
Grund
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Since 2021 Swiss composer Felix Profos and drummer Peter Conradin Zumthor have performed as the duo Grund, Profos performing on harmonium and on the 1973 Italian organ Bontempi Pop3, Zumthor on bass drum, gong, bells & snare, their extended work on this self-titled album a tranquil and meditative work of slow transitions with moments of terse activity, receding with grace and serenity.
Judith Wegmann / Jens Ruland / Robert Torche
Kon.Takte
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Surrounding the realization of Karlheinz Stockhausen's ground-breaking work of electronic music and acoustic improvisation, Kontakte, performed by Judith Wegmann (piano) Jens Ruland (percussion) & Robert Torche (electronics), are Antoine Chessex's exploratory score Geschichte der Gewalt, applying improvisation to frequency and form, and the improvised prelude from all three: Spiegelungen.
Edu Haubensak / Tomas Korber
Works For Guitar & Percussion by Buck-Wolfarth
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Active since 2010, the German/Swiss duo of classical guitarist Christian Buck and improviser Christian Wolfarth occupies a space between music and sound art, as they perform two works each by Ed Haubensak and Tomas Korber, pieces that make use of time, microharmonies, multiphonics, unusual tuning systems, interference patterns, and other conceptual approaches to music.
Linda Smith Catlin
Flowers of Emptiness
(Another Timbre)
The 6th album on Another Timbre from Canadian composer Linda Catlin Smith, a leading voice in contemporary chamber music, presents eight exquisite works performed by Apartment House, including the 1st recordings of three string quartets, alongside a violin duo, a clarinet quartet, an early string trio, a cello and piano duo, and a bass clarinet solo; evocative and deeply expressive artistry.
Falter Bramnk
Music for Luminous Background
(Sublime Retreat)
A new solo project from French composer and improviser Falter Bramnk, exploring glass and crystal as exclusive sound sources, following his "Glassical Music" series; originally conceived for six Muzzix collective musicians, Bramnk reworked and expanded the compositions featuring glass struck, rubbed, blown, and shaken, on select tracks with contributions from Sam Bodart on Crystal Baschet.
John Zorn / JACK Quartet
The Complete String Quartets [2 CDs]
(Tzadik)
The JACK Quartet presents definitive interpretations of John Zorn's eight string quartets, composed between 1988-2017, in a two-disc album presenting Zorn's evolution through avant-garde techniques and deep musical traditions, with virtuosic performances of intricate works like "Cat O'Nine Tails", "Memento Mori", or "Necronomicon"; includes a 36-page booklet of notes, scores, and insights.
Luigi Nono
A Carlo Scarpa; A Pierre Dell'Azzurro Silenzio, Inquietum; Guai ai Gelidi Mostri [VINYL]
(Edition Rz)
3 works by composer Luigi Nono: "A Carlo Scarpa" for orchestra; "A Pierre..." for bass flute, bass clarinet and live elektronics; and "Guai ai Gelidi Mostri" for ensemble, voices and live elektronics.
Horatiu Radulescu
20 Jahre Inventionen
(Edition Rz)
Horatiu Radulescu's String Quartet No 4, opus 33 (1976-87) performed by the Arditti String Quartett at IRCAM/Centre Pompidou Paris in 1996.
Jurg Frey
String Quartet No. 3 / Unhorbare Zeit
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Two works from composer Frey performed by Montreal's string ensemble Quatuor Bozzini: "String Quartet No. 3", a minimal work of colors, sensations, shadows, durations; and "Unhorbare Zeit" exploring durations without sound, or empty volumes, to achieve lucidity and transparency.
John Cage
Branches
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
The Ensemble Daswirdas performs John Cage's "Branches" composition, which is based on a previous work, "Child of Tree", but here each performer plays an 8 minute variation of that work, which is performed on amplified pods, cacti, and other plant materials.
John Cage
Klang der Wandlungen [3 CDs]
(Edition Rz)
An impressive triple-CD box with recordings of some late works by John Cage, including "Seventy-Four for Orchestra, 1992", "103 for Orchestra, 1991, part 1 & 2", In a Landscape fur Harfe", "Postcard From Heaven fur Eine Bis Zwanzig Harfen", and some of "The Harmony of Maine"; including a 32 page booklet with photos and liner notes by Jakob Ullmann.
Jacques Demierre / Anouck Genthon
Teyerit
(Confront)
A series of unusual compositions originally written by Jacques Demmiere and Vincent Barras, here reworked by Demmiere and violinist Anouck Genthon, each piece focusing on sounds, breaths, frictions, silences, vowels and consonants, weaving and complementing each other through a mix of traditional, extended and unconventional techniques; fascinating.
Linda Smith Catlin
Wanderer
(Another Timbre)
Eight sophisticated chamber pieces composed by Linda Catlin Smith and realized by the Canadian Apartment House ensemble, including a solo piano performed by Philip Thomas, a piano duo with Thomas and Mark Knoop, and works for percussion & cello, 2 quintet pieces for strings, percussion and winds, and two 7-piece conducted works with two percussionists, strings and brass.
Mark Hannesson (Denis Sorokin)
Music For Guitar [2 CDS]
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Three compositions for solo guitar from Canadian composer Mark Hannesson performed in Saint-Petersburg by Russian guitarist Denis Sorokin and recorded by saxophonist and sound artist Ilia Belorukov; "Each Thing" and "If I Appear Comfortable" using space and a subtle development in extended works; "Triste" using progressions of distorted tones and decay.
Bruno Duplant
Deux Songes (Les Jours Sont Faits Pour Expliquer Les Nuits)
(Meenna)
Two beautifully subtle works for an ensemble of strings and electric piano from French composer Bruno Duplant, realized by the Boston-based Ordinary Affects ensemble or Jordan Dykstra, Morgan Evans-Weiler, JPA Falzone, Luke Martin and Ashley Frith, the first a quintet and the second a string quartet, creating illusory affects of motion and space through abstraction.
Satoko Inoue
Presents Jo Kondo's New Works For Piano
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
The second album of piano works from Japanese composer Jo Kondo performed by pianist Satoko Inoue--a noted interpreter of solo works by Feldman, Ferrari, and Cage--here presenting all of Kondo's works for solo piano written from 2001 to 2012, alongside two early works from 1975, exploring a wealth of harmonic, rhythmic, and conceptual ideas from a diversity of projects.
Dean Rosenthal
Stones/Water/Time/Breath
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
American composer Dean Rosenthal's influential performance piece written in 2012 and performed more than 40 times throughout the world, a site-specific piece for any outside body of water with any number of performers, using stones to create percussive sounds in the water, here in five live performances from Newfoundland to New York to Wilbraham, MA (the composer's hometown).
Bin Li
I Am Also Here
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
A work of silence and intervention from Manhattan-based Chinese composer and sound artist Bin Li presenting two versions of the title track, with Stefan Thut on viol & voice on the 1st version, and voice only on the 2nd, using the locations of Manhattan and Gimmelwald, Switzerland as the background of careful viol and voice placement; intriguing and compelling.
Jurg Frey
Fields, Traces, Clouds
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Three compositions from clarinetist and Wandelweiser peer Jurg Frey, performed by Luke Martin on electric guitar, Laura Cetilia on cello, J.P.A. Falzone on piano & vibraphone, Morgan Evans-Weiler on violin, and Jurg Frey himself on clarinet; beautifully reflective music indicating Frey's working method and his relationship with wide, quiet sound spaces.
Kory Reeder
Love Songs / Duets
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Four duets of gracefully moving music that focuses on tone without repeating melodies or rhythms, from composer Kory Reeder in his first release, performed by Erin Cameron & Luke Ellard both on bass clarinet; Jonathan Kierspe (saxophone) & Samuel Anderson (bass trombone); Alaina Clarice & Linda Jenkins, both on flute; and Mia Detwiler (violin) & Kory Reeder (piano).
Mark Hannesson
Undeclared
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
"Undeclared" refers to a 2006 drone attack in Pakistan that struck a school, killing more than 80 civilians including 70 children, which took place on a day that was intended for a peace agreement; Hanneson pays homage to the victims by finding a sound for each of them, rendering the piece 3 times by himself via electronics, by Rene Holtkamp on guitar, and by Antoine Beuger on children's glockenspiel.
Mark Hannesson / Dante Boon / Anastassis Philippakopoulos
hannesson . boon . philippakopoulos
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Three solo piano works from three composers--Mark Hannesson, Dante Boon, and Anastassis Philippakopoulos--are performed by Dante Boon in this studio album recorded in Berlin; three extremely compatible works that prove to be quintessential examples of Wandelweiser minimalism finding melody, progression and abstraction in subtle and elusive ways; sublime.
Eclectic Maybe Band
Cosmic Light Clusters
(Discus)
Guy Segers (Univers Zero) in his 5th expansive EMBand project, assembling an ensemble of progressive and avant-garde musicians in ever-shifting configurations, for an album that evolves from introspective and textural atmospheres to dynamic and complex sonic landscapes, incorporating voices, poetry, and intricate instrumental interplay; a compelling example of Europe's progressive music scene.
Fushitsusha
Withdrawe, this sable Disclosure ere devot'd
(Les Disques Victo)
Korekyojinn (Yoshida / Nasuno / Natsuki)
Mesopotamia
(Magaibutsu Limited)
The Japanese Korekyojinn trio of Tatsuya Yoshida on drums, Mitsuru Nasuno on bass and Kido Natsuki on guitar continue their high energy approach to prog and jazz/rock with this, their 6th studio album over 20 years, in seven new pieces of extended instrumental works maintaining the effortlessly complex & joyful interplay amid quickly shifting time signatures and melodic changes.
Elliott Sharp / Eric Mingus
Songs from a Rogue State
(zOaR Records)
Extending their collaborations with this project that blurs rock, experimental and improvised forms in a very Downtown NY way, Elliott Sharp performing on guitars, analog synth & drums machines joins with Eric Mingus on bass and primary vocals, with Doug McKenzie providing drums samples and loops, for a set of insightful, incisive, extraordinary songs.
Missing Heads (Kazuhie / Mitsuru / Yoshida)
Astral Traveler
(Magaibutsu Limited)
With two guitarists split between the left and right sides of the head--Kazuhide Yamaji and Mitsuru Tabata, also on vocals--in a trio aTwo guitarists split between the left and right sides of the head--Kazuhide Yamaji and Mitsuru Tabata, also on vocals--in a trio with Ruins drummer and Magaibutsu label-leader Tatsuya Yoshida, for a an energetic album of mostly instrumental post-prog "no-wave" improvisations, nine wild tracks captured live from four 2024 concerts in Japan.with Ruins drummer and Magaibutsu label-leader Tatsuya Yoshida, for a an energetic album of mostly instrumental post-prog "no-wave" improvisations, nine wild tracks captured live from four 2024 concerts in Japan.
Korekyojinn Acoustic
Kaleidoscope
(Magaibutsu Limited)
The Korekyojin trio of Tatsuya Yoshida on percussion, Kido Natsuki on guitar and Mitsuru Nasuno on fretless bass, plus violinist Miyamoto Rei on several tracks, take their intricate and exuberant rock into acoustic territory with this impressive album, which includes acoustic takes on "Arabesque", "Careless Heart", "Four Holes in the Sky", &c.
The Work
The Worst of Everywhere [2 CDs]
(Ultragash)
Originally released by Woof Records in 1982 on cassette, this double CD reissues an essential lo-fi document from The Work (Bill Gilonis, Mick Hobbs, Tim Hodgkinson and Rick Wilson) in live performances from gigs and rehearsals assembled in cut-up form, adding new pieces and expanding on others, joined at times by Catherine Jauniaux, Bob Ostertag, Chris Cutler, &c.
Orchestra Of The Upper Atmosphere
Theta Six
(Discus)
Referencing the "laminal" style of AMM improvisations, the 6th album from the UK-based Orchesta of the Upper Atmosphere ensemble, led by multi-instrumentalist and woodwind player Martin Archer and Jan Todd, evolved from studio sessions of bass rhythms, free improvisation over those foundations, and then horn & voice arrangements shaped around the results, creating a superb hybrid of jazz rock, textural and free improv.
Tabata / Yamaji / Yoshida
Missing Heads
(Magaibutsu Limited)
A live performance in Koenji, Tokyo at the club Jirokichi in 2022 from the prog-oriented instrumental improvising power rock trio of Mitsuru Tabata on guitar, Kazuhide Yamaji on guitar and Tatsuya Yoshida on drums, Tabata & Yoshida providing vocal emphasis through the nine brisk and highly interactive tracks of great energy, psychedelic overtone and impressive technical skill.
Tatsuya Yoshida x Owada Chihiro
Dotsukiuta
(Magaibutsu Limited)
Quick-witted and intensely detailed improvisations between Japanese drummer Tatsuya Yoshida and pianist Chihiro Owada (Karasutou!), who also performs on pianica, with both free vocalizing, in eleven recordings captured at live performances between 2021 and 2013 in Ogikubo, Maebashi and Youtsuya, Japan, plus a bonus studio composition combining unused sources.
Elliott Sharp
The Collapsed Wave
(zOaR Records)
The NY duo of Elliott Sharp and Don McKenzie pay tribute to guitar-oriented instrumental rock as practiced by Jimi Hendrix, Jeff Beck, John McLaughlin, Sonny Sharrock, Miles Daves, &c, music that valued virtuosity and embraceability, with Sharp performing on Strats, Les Pauls, steel guitar, a Vietnamese ghita phim lom on Uchuu, mandola & mandocello and Telecaster.
Dennis Palmer (Palmer / Lurie / Pahl / Hampton / Stagner)
White Wuff
(Public Eyesore)
Uniting members of the Shaking Ray Levis with luminaries including Bob Stagner (Palmer's SRL cohort), Jessica Lurie, Frank Pahl, and Col. Bruce Hampton, this final album from Dennis Palmer captures his fearless spirit in an eclectic fusion of free improvisation, surreal storytelling, and genre-bending instrumentation, traversing rock, jazz, sound collage, and absurdist experimentation.
Henry Cow
Leg End (Original Mix)
(Recommended Records)
Henry Cow
Unrest (Remastered)
(Recommended Records)
Jimmy Black Carl & The X-Tra Combo
Mercedes Benz
(Inkanish)
B.E.P.
Hamburger Midnight
(Inkanish)
The Grandmothers
Eating the Astoria
(Obvious Music)
Uchihashi Kazuhisa / Yoshida Tatsuya
Improvisations 2
(Magaibutsu)
Yoshida Tatsuya / Cho Sokkyo / Tzboguchi Masayasu
TYU
(Magaibutsu)
The frequent and super-speed improvising duo of drummer Tatsuya Yoshida and guitarist Kazuhisa Uchihashi join forces with Tzboguchi Masayasu on keyboards and vocoder for an energetic, melodic, and at times outlandish album that pays homage to astonishingly complex rock forms.
Henry Cow
Vol. 7: Later and Post-Virgin
(Recommended Records)
Part of the Henry Cow boxset, now available for individual purchase, compiled from live recordings, radio transcription, or early recordings, remastered and presented to give a complete look at the history of Henry Cow.
Eclectic Maybe Band
The Blind Night Watchers' Mysterious Landscapes
(Discus)
Univers Zero bassist Guy Seger brought this eclectic group of improvisers into the studio to develop the music on this genre-defying album, informed by a sextet of musicians who have performed and recorded with projects and artists including Vanishing Pictures, X-Legged Sally, Wrong Object, Tony Levin, Tony Bianco, Paul Schutze, Trevor Watts, Zeena Parkins, Jim O'Rourke, &c.
Eclectic Maybe Band
Reflections In A Moebius Ring Mirror
(Discus)
The second album of this Guy Segers (Univers Zero) project in an eclectic ensemble of improvisers, rock musicians and experimenters, a genre-defying project of primarily instrumental work with interventions of song, merging acoustic & electric instruments with electronics, live improvisation with studio manipulation, to find new forms of mesmerizing music.
Richard Pinhas / Tatsuya Yoshida
Ascension
(Magaibutsu Limited)
The collaboration between Magaibutsu label leader, Yoshida Tatsuya (Ruins, Korekyojinn, Koenji, The World Heritage, &c) on drums, keyboards & voice, and Heldon mastermind Richard Pinhas on guitar & effects, continues with this CD of live material from their 2014 Japanese tour, extending the 2015 "Live in Japan" album, including the 8-part "Ascension".
Eric Brochard / Fabrice Favriou
Derviche
(Ayler)
Improvised and heavy forms of experimental rock from the French duo of piccolo bassist Eric Brochard and drummer Fabrice Favriou, their music dramatic, ritualistic and urgent as they reference Maya Deren and mythological experience, their music hypnotically mesmerizing and sonically rich, slowly whirling dervishes in five varying sequences that growl and transfix.
The J. & F. Band (Fonda / Tononi / Durante / Grissom / Irabagon / Parrini / Rodgers / Sharrard)N
Me and the Devil
(Long Song Records)
A powerful and effusive jazz rocking and danceable album of instrumentals and songs from the Italian/International J & F Band of drummer Tiziano Tononi, bassist Joe Fonda, plus guitarists David Grissom, Bobby Lee Rodgers & Scott Sharrard, keyboardist Pee Wee Durante, violinist Emanuele Parrini and saxophonist Jon Irabagon, recording in New Haven, CT; get it on!
Cecil Taylor Unit (w/ Lyons / Silva / Cooper / Murray)
Live At Fat Tuesday's February 9 - 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.
Gerald Cleaver
The Process [VINYL]
(Positive Elevation / 577 Records)
Taking his cues from the electronic music of his Detroit roots, free jazz drummer Gerald Cleaver presents an album of synthetic rhythms and sonic landscapes, each piece composed in detailed arrangements of compelling and adventurous structures, from propulsive grooves to sinuous soundscapes, a surprising and exciting twist showing Cleaver's strong compositional skills.
Anthony Braxton
10 Comp (Lorraine) 2022
(New Braxton House)
Documenting six live performances with Anthony Braxton's Lorraine Trio featuring trumpeter Susana Santos Silva, accordionist/vocalist Adam Matlock, and Anthony Braxton, plus four studio recordings featuring Braxton, saxophonist James Fei, and bassists Zach Rowden and Carl Testa, in a solid box set of 10 CDs in five gatefold wallets with a 28 page booklet of notes by Anthony Braxton.
Francisco Mela feat. Cooper-Moore / William Parker
Music Frees Our Souls, Vol. 2
(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.
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.
Anthony Braxton
Solo Bern 1984 First Visit
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Thirteen years after his breakthrough solo saxophone album For Alto, Anthony Braxton is heard in an inventive solo concert on the same instrument, performing at the Altes Schlachthaus Theatre in Bern, Switzerland for a set of original numbered compositions, the standards "Alone Together" and "I Remember You", and two Coltrane pieces: "Giant Steps" and "Naima".
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.
Albert Ayler with Don Cherry
1964 Recordings First Visit Completed [2 CDs + POSTCARDS]
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Four sets of recordings from September, 1964 in Copenhagen, Denmark from a week performing live at Club Montmarte, and a recording in Hilversum, The Netherlands for VARA Radio, collecting and remastering these vital recordings from tenor saxophonist Albert Ayler's most vital free jazz quartet with Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on double bass and Sunny Murray on drums.
Francisco Mela / Zoh Amba
Causa y Efecto, Vol. 2 [VINYL]
(577 Records)
The second volume of powerful free playing and intimate conversation bringing together two New York-based improvisers, Cuban native drummer/percussionist Francisco Mela and Tennessee native reed & wind player Zoh Amba, both sharing a mountain region upbringing that brings a uniquely reflective quality to their playing, fortified by the exploratory NY improv scene.
Federico Ughi (w / Leo Genovese / Brandon Lopez)
Infinite Cosmos Calling You You You, Vol. 1 [VINYL]
(577 Records)
The first album under 577 label leader and drummer Federico Ughi's name in five years brings together the incredible bass skills of Brandon Lopez and expansive Argentinean keyboard sonics of Leo Genovese, the first of two planned volumes recorded in the studio for a boundary-less album of acoustic and electric improv influenced by the music and philosophy of Sun Ra.
Novoa / Carter / Mela Trio
Vol.1 [VINYL]
(577 Records)
Brooklyn-based Eva Novoa's new trio with sax legend Daniel Carter and drummer Francisco Mela debuts with their first volume, featuring compositions inspired by the four elements — earth, wind, fire, and water — and a Cuban piece, blending Novoa's piano, Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, and gongs with Carter's sax and Mela's rhythms for vibrant, free-flowing interplay.
Francisco Mela / Zoh Amba
Causa y Efecto Vol. 1
(577 Records)
The first volume of powerful free playing and intimate conversation bringing together two New York-based improvisers, Cuban native drummer/percussionist Francisco Mela and Tennessee native reed & wind player Zoh Amba, both sharing a mountain region upbringing that brings a uniquely reflective quality to their playing, fortified by the exploratory NY improv scene.
Gerald Cleaver
22 / 23 [VINYL VIOLET OPAQUE]
(Positive Elevation / 577 Records)
A journey through a diverse set of genres and styles of electronica, influenced by the New York drummer & composer Gerald Cleaver's native Detroit upbringing, bringing out elements of techno and house music tempered by his improvisational, experimental and avant work; 11 tracks with solid rhythmic foundation in both propulsive and contemplative approaches to electronic composition.
[ism] (Pat Thomas / Joel Grip / Aontonin Gerbal)
Maua
(577 Records)
Recordings from the Berlin club Au Topsi Pohl where the [ism] piano trio of Pat Thomas on piano, Joel Grip on double bass and Antonin Gerbal on drums played 4-nights in a row, May 18-21, 2022, Thomas performing on a Bösendorfer grand piano, creating an omnipresent and precise sound that drove the band to great heights of interactive, warmly diverse playing.
Zoh Amba / William Parker / Francisco Mela
O Life, O Light Vol. 1
(577 Records)
New generation New York tenor saxophonist Zoe Amba, a Tennessee transplant whose spirit is illuminated with free styles that harken back to Ayler, recording in the studio with a trio of luminary players--William Parker on bass and Francisco Mela on drums--performing three Amba compositions, one featuring Amba on flute; the CD edition contains one bonus improvisation.
Gerald Cleaver / 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.
John Butcher / Pat Thomas / Dominic Lash / Steve Noble
Fathom [COLORED VINYL]
(577 Records)
The debut for UK saxophonist John Butcher on 577 Records is this exemplary 2021 live recording at Cafe OTO in London by the quartet of Butcher on tenor and soprano saxophones, Pat Thomas on piano, Dominic Lash on double bass and Steve Noble on drums, four of the UK's leading free improvisers demonstrating their prodigious abilities in concentrated conversation.
Ornette Coleman
Ornette At 12, Crisis & Man On The Moon, Revisited
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Reissuing and remastering two Impulse! albums from saxophonist Ornette Coleman: 1969's Ornette At 12 with Dewey Redman, Charlie Haden and his then 12-year-old son Denardo on drums; 1972's Crisis adding Don Cherry on trumpet; and a lesser-known 1969 EP, Man On The Moon, with electronics from Dr. Emmanuel Ghent and Ed Blackwell on drums.
John Dikeman / 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.
Jessica Ackerley / 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.
John Dikeman / 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.
Daniel Carter / Tobias Wilner / Djibril Toure / Federico Ughi
New York United Volume 2
(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.
Francisco Mela / Sinya Lin
Motions Vol. 1
(577 Records)
Extraordinary New York drummer & percussionist Francisco Mela is joined by Taiwan pianist and composer residing in NY, Shinya Lin, for two extended collective improvisations of joyful interaction, a complex interweaving of keys and drums augmented by percussive preparations from Lin and vocal exclamation from Mela, an upbeat and exuberantly intricate encounter.
Daniel Carter / Matthew Shipp / William Parker / Gerald Cleaver
Welcome Adventure! Vol. 2
(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.
Michael Sarian / Matthew Putman / Ledian Mola / Federico Ughi
The Sea, The Space, and Egypt, Vol. 1 [VINYL]
(577 Records)
Bringing together trumpeter Michael Sarian, keyboardist Matthew Putman, drummer Federico Ughi, and Cuban bassist-vocalist Ledian Mola to pay heartfelt tribute to Sun Ra's cosmic Afrofuturism, blending improvisational brilliance with Mola's folklore-inspired vocals and Putman's Rocksichord - the same keyboard model Sun Ra played - in a first-time collaboration and celebration of innovation.
Francisco Mela feat. Matthew Shipp / William Parker
Music Frees Our Souls, Vol. 1
(577 Records)
A member of pianist McCoy Tyner's Trio and Joe Lavano's Quartet, New York drummer Francisco Mela's own career as a leader is heard in this energetic trio album with two of NY's finest--pianist Matthew Shipp and bassist William Parker--recording in the studio in Brooklyn in 2020 for two extended and powerful collective improvisations and a brief "Dark Light".
Zoh Amba / William Parker / Francisco Mela
O Life, O Light Vol. 1 [VINYL]
(577 Records)
New generation New York tenor saxophonist Zoe Amba, a Tennessee transplant whose spirit is illuminated with free styles that harken back to Ayler, recording in the studio with a trio of luminary players--William Parker on bass and Francisco Mela on drums--performing three Amba compositions, one featuring Amba on flute; the CD edition contains one bonus improvisation.
Daniel Carter / Tobias Wilner / Djibril Toure / Federico Ughi
New York United [CD + 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.
Daniel Carter / Matthew Shipp / William Parker / Gerald Cleaver
Welcome Adventure! Vol. 1
(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.
Leo Genovese / Mariano Otero / Sergio Verdinelli
Trio Sin Tiempo: Ritmos de Agua
(577 Records)
A lyrical piano trio album from three seasoned Argentinian-born improvising musicians -- Leo Genovese on piano, Mariano Otero on bass and Sergio Verdinelli on drums -- each contributing compositions to the album, along with one piece by Luis Alberto Spinetta, with whom Verdinelli has performed extensively; a lovely and sophisticated album of modern jazz.
Sana Nagano
Anime Mundi
(577 Records)
A superb chamber jazz trio from NY improviser and violinist Sana Nagano, with Karl Berger on piano & vibraphone and Billy Martin on drums & percussion, Nagano having a long history with each through Berger's Improvisers Orchestra and with Martin through Creative Music Studio, their connections evident in their articulately energetic and confident collective conversations.
Gerald Cleaver
The Process
(Positive Elevation / 577 Records)
Taking his cues from the electronic music of his Detroit roots, free jazz drummer Gerald Cleaver presents an album of synthetic rhythms and sonic landscapes, each piece composed in detailed arrangements of compelling and adventurous structures, from propulsive grooves to sinuous soundscapes, a surprising and exciting twist showing Cleaver's strong compositional skills.
Daniel Carter / 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.
Daniel Carter / 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.
Marion Brown
Three For Shepp to Gesprachsfetzen Revisited
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Remastering and restoring Marion Brown's 1967 Impulse! album with Grachan Moncure III, Dave Burrel, Stanley Cowell, Sirone, Beaver Harris & Bobby Capp, and his 1968 album on the Calig label with Gunter Hampel, Steve McCall, Ambrosa Jackson & Buschi Niedergall; two albums of essential "New Thing" work through fascinating composed forms by Brown, plus Archie Shepps' "Delicado"; essential.
Steve Lacy Three
Live Lugano 1984 - First Visit [CD + 2 POSTCARDS]
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Recorded live in Lugano in 1984, Steve Lacy's trio with guitarist Barry Wedgle and bassist Jean-Jacques Avenel reimagines his compositions in an intimate and transparent setting, where Lacy's masterful soprano saxophone carves precise yet expressive lines, drawing on influences from poetry, Monk, and visual art to create a striking balance between structure and improvisation.
Joe Morris
Perpetual Frontier The Properties of Free Music [BOOK]
(Riti Publishing)
Joe Morris wrote this book to discuss aspects of free music, including responses to his questionnaire written by Joe McPhee, William Parker, Jamie Saft, Ken Vandermark, Marilyn Crispell, Nate Wooley, Jack Wright, Matthew Shipp, &c.
Don Cherry
Complete Communion & Symphony For Improvisers, Revisited
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Following a 1964 Albert Ayler tour, trumpeter Don Cherry remained in Europe, working on new concepts of improvising based on form itself, developing his concepts with saxophonist Gato Barbieri, vibraphonist Karl Berger & bassist J.F. Jenny Clark, composing two brilliant albums: 1966's Communion with Barbieri, Henry Grimes & Ed Blackwell; and in 1967 Symphony for Improvisers as a septet.
Miles Davis Quintets
Stockholm 1967 & 1969 Revisited
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Two live recordings from Miles Davis in the 1960s, first from Stockholm in 1967 with the classic 60s quintet of Miles, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams; then two years later also in Stockholm with the "Lost Quintet" of Miles, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette, pushing new directions with tracks including "Bitches Brew".
Daniel Carter / Leo Genovese / William Parker / Francisco Mela
Shine Hear, Vol. 1 [VINYL]
(577 Records)
Inspired by a poem Carter wrote about New York's interminable motion, 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 first of two planned volumes from an excellent studio session.
Albert Ayler (incl. Milford Graves, Cecil Taylor, Jimmy Lyons, Sunny Murray, &c)
More Lost Performances, Revisited
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Remastering previously unavailable and vital performances from three configurations of saxophonist Albert Ayler's bands, including their 1967 Newport Festival concert with Milford Graves, their performance at John Coltrane's 1967 Funeral at St. Peter's Lutheran Church in NYC, and an incredible 1962 concert with Cecil Taylor's group with Jimmy Lyons and Sunny Murray in Copenhagen.
McIntyre / Thompson / Suggs / Fielder
Rivbea Live! Series, Volume 1
(NoBusiness)
The first in NoBusiness' Ribea Live! series from Sam & Bea Rivers' famous and influential 1970's NYC loft series is this dynamic July 12, 1975 concert led by saxophonist Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre, in a quartet with Malachi Thompson on trumpet, Milton Suggs on electric bass and Alvin Fielder on drums, part of Studio Rivbea's Summer Music Festival 1975.
Don Cherry
Where Is Brooklyn? & Eternal Rhythm Revisited
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Reissuing two albums showing trumpeter Don Cherry's musical evolution through the 1960s, recorded two years apart--Where is Brooklyn from NY in 1966, and Eternal Rhythm recorded in Germany in 1968--demonstrating the development of his style from Ornette-influenced free jazz into music influenced by Northern Indian music and the percussion of Southeast Asia.
Paul Bley Trios
Play Annette Peacock, Revisited
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Annette Peacock's response to the free-blowing loft scene was to compose using spacious intervals, allowing great harmonic and rhythmic freedom, inspiring pianist Paul Bley and his trio as heard in two unique interpretations of the same pieces from two exceptional working bands: one with bassist & drummer Mark Levinson & Barry Altschul, the other with Gary Peacock & Billy Elgart.
Cecil Taylor (w/ Lyons / Dixon / Grimes / Silva / Cyrille)
With (Exit) To Student Studies, Revisited
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Changing approaches to his music with new quartet of Jimmy Lyons on alto sax, Alan Silva on double bass and Andrew Cyrille on drums, pianist Cecil Taylor's incredible 1966 concert in Paris presented four extended compositions, here remastered and reissued with a track from a compilation LP--"With (Exit)"--extending his quartet with Bill Dixon on trumpet and Henry Grimes on double bass.
Horace Silver Quintet
Live New York, Revisited
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Recorded around the time of his most famous records, Song For My Father and The Cape Verdean Blues, lyrical hard bop/Blue Note pianist and composer Horace Silver's band is heard live at The Half Note in NYC and at "The Cork & Bib" on Long Island with his spectacular band including trumpeters Carmell Jones & Woody Shaw and saxophonist Joe Henderson.
Bill Evans (w/ LoFaro / Motian)
The Legendary Trio At Birdland 1960 Revisited
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Unofficial jazz documentarian Boris Rose captured these recordings on reel-to-reel tape of the Bill Evans Trio in 1960, an artistically fulfilling concert at Birdland in NYC and a rare recording of this particular trio with bassist scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian; originally issued in 1992 on the Cool & Blue label, here properly restored and remastered.
Paul Dunmall / Paul Rogers / Tony Levin
The Good Feelings
(577 Records)
A first time issue for these 2009 studio recordings between Paul Dunmall on tenor & soprano saxophones and bass & b-flat clarinets, Paul Rogers on 7 string acoustic bass and Tony Levin on drums, bringing to light both a great trio session that's sat on the shelf too long, and a superb example of the late great drummer Tony Levin's important contribution to UK free improv.
Wayne Shorter
Adams Apple To Super Nova Revisited
(ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Following the evolution in form and approach of composer and tenor saxophonist Wayne Shorter from his 1966 Blue Note album Adam's Apple with Hancock, Workman and Chambers (including a pre-Miles "Footprints") to the 1969 Weather Report precursor Super Nova with John McLaughlin, Sonny Sharock, Miroslav Vitous, Chick Corea, and Jack DeJohnette.
Tony Oxley Quintet
Angular Apron
(Corbett vs. Dempsey)
British percussionist Tony Oxley returned to this piece multiple times after debuting it in the early 1970s, drawing on both European improv and contemporary composed music, heard in this previously unreleased 1992 live performance with the superb quintet of legendary trumpeter & flugelhornist Manfred Schoof, UK pianist Pat Thomas, US bassist Sirone and UK saxophonist Larry Stabbins.