Jerman, Jeph: For Alvin Kelly [CASSETTE + DOWNLOAD] (Tsss Tapes)

A three-part solo cassette from Jeph Jerman, transforming found sounds, object textures, and electroacoustic detail into a patient study of friction, resonance, space, and decay, with the title possibly alluding to Alvin "Shipwreck" Kelly's 1920s flagpole-sitting endurance feats, suggesting suspended listening, precarious balance, and heightened attention to an exposed sonic environment.

Jerman, Jeph / Ted Byrnes: Muir [CASSETTE + DOWNLOAD] (Tsss Tapes)

A tactile 12-part acoustic-object improvisation from Jeph Jerman and Ted Byrnes, using kalimba, snares, bells, broken cymbal, cans, concrete floor, pinecones, bowls, pot lids, water, hands and other found or homemade materials to build a restless sound world of rustle, scrape, metallic resonance, loose pulse and strange-beat movement, extending Jerman's found-sound practice through Byrnes' free percussion language.

Russell, Aaron / Sandy Ewen: Dissectologists [CASSETTE + DOWNLOAD] (Sedimental)

Longtime collaborators Aaron Russell and Sandy Ewen reunite on guitar and electronics for four works recorded between 2019 and 2025, merging abstract guitar approaches through synthesized drones, processed sound, feedback, and warm hypnotic fields, their distinct palettes unfolding in deftly paced textures that balance intimacy, resonance, and exploratory electronic abrasion.

Kelley, Greg / Yoona Kim : Distractions for Trumpet & Ajaeng (Relative Pitch)

Bringing together Greg Kelley's extended-technique trumpet with Yoona Kim's non-traditional approach to the ajaeng, this Boston duo explores breath, bow, friction, resonance, and near-silence through taut improvisations where fragile tones, coarse strings, microscopic air bursts, and sudden ruptures forge a focused, unpredictable shared language.

Nebbia, Camila / Chris Corsano: Six or Seven Ways Towards Becoming Undone (Relative Pitch)

A fierce, spontaneous duo of Camila Nebbia on tenor saxophone and Chris Corsano on drums, recorded in Berlin in 2025, merging Nebbia's searching lines, breath-driven textures and unstable lyricism with Corsano's explosive, highly detailed percussion language, moving between delicate abrasion, surging intensity, fragmented melody and raw improvised exchange.

Ballister + Luke Stewart: Clocking the Wheel (Aerophonic)

Joining Dave Rempis on saxophones, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello, and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums with bassist Luke Stewart, this live Ballister performance from Roulette expands the trio's ferocious long-running rapport into a dense, high-velocity quartet, Stewart locking with Nilssen-Love in elastic propulsion as cello and saxophone surge through explosive, telepathic collective improvisation.

Joe Chambers, In Full Motion:

I had the great and unexpected honor of meeting Joe Chambers here in Wilmington, NC, while he was a professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. A towering figure in jazz since the Blue Note era, Chambers continues to perform and record, his latest being Onilu: Jakuta's Dance on the 577 label, not surprisingly run by drummer Federico Ughi. The album is a percussion quartet with Chambers joined by Kevin Diehl on sensory percussion drum kit, Craig McIver on marimba, vibraphone, drum kit and percussion, and Daniel Villarreal on drum kit, sensory percussion system, bata okonkolo, conga, cajon, marimba and percussion. An inventive set of compositions brings out engaging work from all four musicians, with Jakuta's Dance offering a striking example of Chambers' playing at 83 years of age.

A search on Chambers' name in our database finds five albums featuring him, all reissues of essential '60s recordings on Impulse! and Blue Note, where he appears as a sideman to Archie Shepp, Andrew Hill, Alan Shorter, and Joe Henderson. It's an incredible CV for a percussionist still expressing himself with such virtuosic creativity.

Onilu (Chambers / Diehl / McIver / Villarreal: Jakuta's Dance (577 Records)

A boundary-defying percussion quartet with the legendary Joe Chambers on vibraphone, drum kit and percussion, Kevin Diehl on sensory percussion drum kit, Craig McIver on marimba, vibraphone, drum kit and percussion, and Daniel Villarreal on drum kit, sensory percussion, bata okonkolo, conga, cajon and marimba, drawing on Yoruba-rooted ritual energy, avant-jazz, Latin folk and funk.

Henderson, Joe: The Classic 1960s Albums [4 CD BOX SET] (Enlightenment)

Bringing together seven landmark 1960s sessions, this 4-CD set captures Joe Henderson at the height of his early career, leading stellar ensembles through a compelling range of post-bop expression, from hard-driving grooves to exploratory improvisation, showcasing his commanding tone, compositional strength, and enduring influence on modern jazz.

Shepp, Archie: Four For Trane To Live At Newport - Revisited (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

Influenced by and working with John Coltrane, saxophonist and composer Archie Shepp paid tribute to 'Trane with his 1965 Impulse! album Four for Trane, here remastered and joined with tracks from the live album John Coltrane/Archie Shepp: New Thing At Newport, accompanied on each by acclaimed free jazz players including Roswell Rudd, John Tchicai, Reggie Workman, Barre Phillips, Joe Chambers, &c.

Hill, Andrew: Point Of Departure To Compulsion!!!!! (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

Remastering pianist Andrew Hill's distinct and exemplary albums issued on Blue Note Records in 1965 & 1967: Point of Departure, illustrating Hill's complex and exciting compositions in a front line with Eric Dolphy, Joe Henderson, Kenny Dorham and Tony Williams & Richard Davis; and the percussively rich Compulsion with John Gilmore, Freddie Hubbard, Cecil McBee, & Joe Chambers.

Shepp, Archie: Fire Music To Mama Too Tight, Revisited (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

Archie Shepp's second album for Impulse! merges the fire of free jazz with an incredibly eclectic set of styles, his inclusive approach to composition integrating a vast source of styles from Ellington to Ipanema; this is paired with Shepp's octet release, including an epic 20 minute work for American artist Robert Thompson reflecting his paintings in powerful thematic and abstract expression.

Alister Spence, Well Prepared:

Last week I mentioned two solo piano albums, one from Ran Blake and another from Stephen Grew: very different records that reward the listener in very different ways. This week we announce a new album from Australian pianist Alister Spence, whose work first came to our attention through his collaborations with Satoko Fujii. The album reveals a wonderfully creative side of Spence's playing, using unique preparations in a clever, inviting set of compositions, constructions and improvisations. I've returned to it several times, and it continues to surprise and delight.

Spence, Alister: Always Ever (Alister Spence Music)

A solo work from Australian pianist and composer Alister Spence, performing on piano with preparations and percussion across 16 wholly improvised pieces that expand the instrument beyond the keyboard, using accidents, texture, resonance and spatial detail as compositional forces in a deeply personal exploration of sound, perception and the piano's boundless acoustic possibilities.

Kira Kira (Fujii / Tamura / Spence / Yoshida): Kira Kira Live (Alister Spence Music)

Picking up from their 2018 album Bright Force, the quartet of Libra label leaders Satoko Fujii on piano and Natsuki Tamura on trumpet, with Australian improviser Alister Spence on Fender Rhodes electric piano, and now with Magaibutsu/Ruins legend Tatsuya Yoshida on drums, are heard in two wildly powerful 2024 concerts at Koendori Classics in Tokyo and at Jazz Inn Lovely, Nagoya, with compositions from each member.

Spence, Alister / Tony Buck: Mythographer (Alister Spence Music)

Stepping away from the Australian trio The Necks, drummer/percussionist Tony Buck meets pianist Alister Spence in the studio for seven distinct dialogs of "submerged rhythm, oblique extended forms, entwined interplay, and sound for its own sake", Spence at times using preparations on his strings, as both listen and respond deeply through a congenial approach to playing.

Spence, Alister / Satoko Fujii Orchestra Kobe: Imagine Meeting You Here (Alister Spence Music)

Australian composer Alister Spence wrote this in five parts composed for an improvising orchestra, which was first premiered in 2016 by Satoko Fujii's orchestras in Kobe, Nagoya and Tokyo, and the Glasgow Improvisers Orchestra; this recordings in 2017 at Big Apple Jazz Club in Kobe revisits the work with Fujii's Orchestra Kobe, conducted by the composer.

Spence, Alister / Satoko Fujii: Intelsat (Alister Spence Music)

Continuing her monthly releases for her 60th birthday, Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii meets Australian keyboard and electronic artist Alister Spence for their second meeting, touring Japan and recording this spellbinding album merging bells, gongs, electronics, and acoustic piano, inside and out, in a passionate album that balances melodicism and sound.

Forward and Back With AlAy:

Werner X. Uehlinger's latest offshoot of his Hat Hut legacy is AlAy, named for Albert Ayler. Alongside releases in modern improvisation and jazz, he continues to bring remastered essential jazz albums back to market, most recently from legendary artists including Marion Brown and Tony Williams. Those albums fit naturally within the legacy of free jazz, but Uehlinger has also reached further back in jazz history with releases from Louis Armstrong, Bix Beiderbecke and, most recently, Duke Ellington.

My familiarity with Armstrong and Ellington has let me do some A/B listening between the new AlAy versions and copies I already had. The difference is noticeable, clarifying the music and bringing out nuances I hadn't heard before. The Beiderbecke material, drawn from 78s from the 1920s, is similarly restored with great detail, allowing the fascinating orchestrations, band interplay and soloing to stand out.

While I'm less familiar with Beiderbecke's discography, as a fan and student of similar period recordings from Armstrong, Fletcher Henderson, King Oliver, &c., this is a fascinating set. In Beiderbecke's case, a read through his Wikipedia page is an eye-opening complement to the music, showing how difficult it could be to be taken seriously, and to express oneself, in the early stages of jazz.

The Ellington album is something else entirely, restored from a 1940 live concert recording from Fargo, North Dakota, with a band honed by Ellington's nearly two decades of leadership. The lineup includes legendary jazz figures, among them saxophonists Ben Webster, Johnny Hodges, Harry Carney and Otto Hardwick; a brass section with Juan Tizol, Ray Nance, Wallace Jones, Joe Nanton and Lawrence Brown; and the rhythm team of bassist Jimmy Blanton and drummer Sonny Greer.

I often start my day with recordings from the chronology of Duke Ellington, and this is an exceptional addition to my collection. Kudos to Uehlinger for continuing to dig both forward and backward through jazz history.

Ellington, Duke Orchestra: From Fargo Live 1940 (ALAY)

A legendary 1940 live document of Duke Ellington's Blanton-Webster orchestra, captured in Fargo by Jack Towers and Richard Burris, with Ellington on piano, Johnny Hodges and Otto Hardwick on alto saxophones, Ben Webster on tenor, Harry Carney on baritone, Barney Bigard on clarinet, Rex Stewart, Ray Nance and Wallace Jones in the brass, Jimmy Blanton on bass, Sonny Greer on drums, and Ivie Anderson and Herb Jeffries on vocals.

Beiderbecke, Bix: Reference: Bix Beiderbecke, 1924 to 1928 [2 CDs] (ALAY)

Gathering 45 small-group recordings from 1924-1928, this restored 2-CD reference traces Bix Beiderbecke's singular cornet and piano artistry alongside Frankie Trumbauer, Miff Mole, Don Murray, Tommy Dorsey, Eddie Lang, Joe Venuti and others, revealing a poised, lyrical and formally lucid voice whose economy, harmonic curiosity and graceful invention helped shape early jazz beyond its dance-band conventions.

Armstrong, Louis : Hot Five & Hot Seven At 100 [2 CDs + 2 POSTCARDS] (ALAY)

Recorded in Chicago between 1925 and 1928, these seminal Hot Five and Hot Seven sessions led by Louis Armstrong capture a transformative moment in early jazz, where his virtuosic phrasing, rhythmic innovation, and charismatic presence redefine the music's expressive scope, presented here with exceptional restoration and mastering, and accompanied by two postcards detailing recording sessions and personnel.

Squidco Publishing Roundup:

You can view our latest fully cataloged albums in the Recently Section.

You can also browse new titles as they enter our Just In Stock Section — meaning we physically have the album and can ship it, though we may still be updating additional information about the release.

To see restocks of previously listed titles, visit our Recently Restocked page.

And if you're interested in a future release, you can ask us to notify you by email via our Upcoming Releases page — no obligation necessary.

June 25, 2026: New Review @ The Squid's Ear: Szilard Mezei Octet - Only In Movies (FMR) by Ken Waxman.

June 23, 2026: New Review @ The Squid's Ear: Lao Dan and Vasco Trilla - New Species (NoBusiness) by Nick Ostrum.

June 23, 2026: New @ Squidco:
Onilu (Chambers/Diehl/McIver/Villarreal - Jakuta's Dance [CDR] (577 Records)
Alister Spence - Always Ever [CD] (Alister Spence Music)
Trio San (Fujii/Saito/Oshima) - Hibiki [CD] (Jazz Door)
Camila Nebbia/Chris Corsano - Six or Seven Ways Towards Becoming Undone [CD] (Relative Pitch)
Greg Kelley/Yoona Kim - Distractions for Trumpet & Ajaeng [CD] (Relative Pitch)
Duke Ellington Orchestra - From Fargo Live 1940 [CD] (ALAY)
Benjamin Vergara/Eden Carrasco - Secuelas [CASSETTE + DOWNLOAD] (Tsss Tapes)
Oliver Mann/Stefano Pilia - Precious Moments [CASSETTE + DOWNLOAD] (Tsss Tapes)
Jeph Jerman/Ted Byrnes - Muir [CASSETTE + DOWNLOAD] (Tsss Tapes)

June 22, 2026: New Review @ The Squid's Ear: Last Dream of the Morning (John Butcher / John Edwards / Mark Sanders) - Sharp Illusion ((Listen! Foundation) Fundacja Sluchaj!) by Ken Waxman.

Blake, Ran: Voices (Tzadik)

Ran Blake, in his 90s and still one of American music's most singular pianists, performs a solo program of jazz, folk, gospel, film noir and even holiday music, bringing his darkly lyrical, deconstructive approach to melodies reshaped through memory, silence and shadow, in a profound late-career statement of mystery, tenderness and deep patience.

Grew, Stephen: Pianoply (Discus)

Stephen Grew performs a completely improvised solo piano session on Sansom Studios' bright-toned Yamaha, recorded in three unedited sections divided only by tea breaks, using the studio setting to explore a different acoustic focus from his church and concert recordings, balancing clarity, momentum, lyric fracture and spontaneous structure, with the closing piece offered in tribute to drummer Tony Bianco.

That got us through the heat, so I could turn to some of the more active albums that came in. The most exciting albums for me personally came from Werner X. Uehlinger's ALAY/thingamajig label. Two packages had been routed back to the pressing plant due to a dumb error on the label's part: not providing enough detail identifying Squidco as the recipient. That delayed the incredible double CD from Miles Davis, Reference: Bitches Brew Live 1969 In Europe, a 2 CD set with two postcards of the group on tour. For those in the know, this material was originally released as an unauthorized bootleg. The comparison between those bootleg recordings and the restoration and mastering by Michael Brändli is remarkable, bringing back clarity and warmth. The sessions themselves are incredible, with Davis' so-called 3rd quintet still including Wayne Shorter, but now with Chick Corea, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette — Miles could always choose from the finest players, and he struck gold with this group!