June 19, 2026:
This week our air conditioner failed, making for two very hot days while the replacement was ordered and installed. 87º is a challenging temperature for listening to and writing about music, so I spent that time with quieter releases, finding refuge in the beautiful new solo albums from Ran Blake and Stephen Grew. Blake's Voices is a profound and reflective set of pieces, including beautifully interpreted standards shaped by the wisdom of a pianist deeply steeped in improvisation. By contrast, Grew's Pianoply is a fully improvised album that finds lyrical depth in spontaneous composition, closing with a tribute to drummer Tony Bianco.
 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!
Two other significant free jazz reissues on ALAY come from Marion Brown and Albert Ayler. The Brown release collects, remasters and reissues his albums Capricorn Moon and Why Not?, along with an album on which Brown appeared as a sideman: the Burton Greene Quartet's ESP album. The release highlights how vital and innovative Brown's voice was as both a leader and band member, whether in his own compositions or in Greene's. The Ayler reissue returns to Spirits, which ezz-thetics by Hat Hut, Ltd. had previously paired with Ghosts, but here it is paired with Spirits Rejoice, which ezz-thetics had previously issued with Bells. The difference is the new mastering from Michael Brändli, which evokes the warmth and power of Ayler's spiritually infused approach to free jazz.
The last reissue in this set is a historic remaster and reissue of essential work by Bix Beiderbecke, the composer, cornetist and pianist whose music was deeply influential in the mid-1920s. Wikipedia's fascinating biography describes Beiderbecke as "one of the most influential jazz soloists of the 1920s, a cornet player noted for an inventive lyrical approach and purity of tone," with such clarity of sound that one contemporary famously compared it to "shooting bullets at a bell." Under Brändli's remastering you can hear that force, but also the complexity, novelty and joy in the music he was involved with.
 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.
 Davis, Miles 3rd Quintet: Reference: Bitches Brew Live 1969 In Europe [2 CDs + 2 POSTCARDS] (ALAY)
Documenting Miles Davis' 1969 "lost" third quintet live in Berlin, Stockholm and Rotterdam with Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette, this 2-CD set captures the post-In a Silent Way ensemble reshaping material headed toward Bitches Brew, balancing lyricism and abstraction through open forms, electric-piano clusters, volatile rhythmic invention and Davis' fiercely exploratory trumpet.
 Brown, Marion / Burton Greene Quartet: Reference: Capricorn Moon, Why Not & With Burton Greene Quartet [2 CDs + POSTCARD] (ALAY)
Gathering key 1965-66 New York sessions, this 2-CD set traces alto saxophonist Marion Brown's emergence in the free jazz vanguard through Capricorn Moon, Why Not? and Burton Greene quartet recordings, with Alan Shorter, Bennie Maupin, Stanley Cowell, Henry Grimes, Sirone, Rashied Ali and others shaping music of lyrical urgency, open-form momentum and evolving collective freedom.
As many know, ALAY/thingamajig is Werner X. Uehlinger's latest label, following his foundational Hat Hut label and its successor, ezz-thetics by Hat Hut, Ltd. Last year, Uehlinger transferred ezz-thetics to a board-run group that includes Marco von Orelli. Though now in his 90s, the restless Uehlinger has continued forward with ALAY/thingamajig, whose releases include the albums mentioned above. Meanwhile, ezz-thetics continues to issue new music, now with a greater emphasis on European improvisation. Its latest release is from a quartet led by drummer Gerry Hemingway with pianist Izumi Kimura, multi-reedist Frank Gratkowski and bassist Christian Weber. Their playing is subtly propulsive and detailed, implicitly lyrical and rich in creative force.
This extends the fine work the newly reformed ezz-thetics label has issued so far, and it is worth revisiting those earlier albums for the exceptional quality of the music they are releasing.
 Gallio, Christoph: XOXO, Birds & Dogs (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Swiss saxophonist Christoph Gallio presents two complementary works: a 2016 Lucerne set of concise, aphoristic exchanges with Raphael Loher on piano and effects, and a 1988 NYC electroacoustic session with Matthew Ostrowski on ARP synthesizer and sampling and Alfred Zimmerlin on cello and effects, balancing wit, beauty, abstraction and sharply focused improvisational form.
 Favre, Pierre / Sergio Armaroli / Andrea Centazzo / Francesca Gemmo: The Art Of Sound(s) (first visit) (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
A contemplative meeting of Pierre Favre, Sergio Armaroli, Andrea Centazzo, and Francesca Gemmo, exploring percussion, vibraphone, and piano in spacious improvised forms that privilege resonance over rhythm, weaving subtle dynamics and reflective timbres into an existential soundscape where silence, decay, and shimmering overtones converge in quietly radical dialogue.
 Blumer / Dell / Geisser / Morgenthaler: Beyond Scope (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
A seasoned quartet of trombonist Robert Morgenthaler, vibraphonist Christopher Dell, bassist Fridolin Blumer, and percussionist Heinz Geisser recorded in Zurich, exploring the essence of free improvisation through deep listening and spontaneous structure, where interplay and attentiveness replace convention, revealing the magic that happens in the space between the rules.
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 12, 2026:
This has been a challenging period for Squidco, no doubt affected by politics. We've seen a reduction in international sales, which is understandable given both rising shipping costs and the disdain many in Europe and the UK feel toward our current government. It's a pity that music meant to be transnational, cooperative, and open-hearted is affected by the chaotic behavior of our president, a sentiment that has been expressed to us many times by customers abroad. Rest assured that we are not aligned with the terrible goals of the current administration, and we look forward to the day when this period is behind us and properly judged.
Meanwhile, we've adapted, as we did during the Great Recession and the pandemic, by modifying how we buy new music and by initiating a digital label. The first change helps ensure that we can continue to offer a diverse catalog to our customers; the second helps us make interesting music available regardless of changes to shipping throughout the world.
The first of those changes takes effect in a few weeks, with new rules affecting "de minimis" packages sent to European Union countries. "De minimis" refers to low-value packages, and these rules are being changed primarily to address the rapid growth of low-value e-commerce imports, including so-called "fast fashion" shipments of inexpensive clothing and other goods. Sadly, music sellers and our customers have been drawn into this wide net.
Here's the change: Beginning July 1, 2026, EU customs rules will add a fixed €3 customs duty to goods entering the EU in small consignments valued at less than €150. Current guidance indicates that this interim duty will be applied to each item category contained in a small parcel, in addition to VAT collected through IOSS where applicable. These charges are controlled by EU customs rules and carrier clearance procedures.
That means packages from Squidco to EU countries may require an additional payment at delivery. Depending on the destination country and carrier, that charge could be assessed by item category, and possibly with an additional carrier or customs processing surcharge. We are not able to collect those charges in advance, as they will be assessed at delivery.
We will do what we can to help customers reduce those charges by aggregating purchases onto single item categories for each format where appropriate, for example "Quantity 3 - Materials: Pre-recorded audio CD" or "Quantity 4 - Materials: phonograph (vinyl) records", along with the correct Harmonized System code. How postal services and carriers apply these rules in practice may vary as the changes take effect.
We are disappointed that there are not exceptions in the new EU rules for cultural and artistic objects such as music albums. The interim duty is currently expected to remain in place until July 1, 2028, when it is to be replaced by normal customs tariffs once the new EU customs data hub is operational. In the meantime, I urge customers in the EU to explain to their governments that CDs and LPs should be free from duty and handling charges, similar to the exception we have in the US.
Thanks for staying with us through a more sobering entry this week. Next week, gladly, we'll return to the music.
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.
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Tore Elgaroy and Henry Kaiser:
Daniel Carter / Steve Hirsh:
Steve Beresford / Pierpaolo Martino / Mark Sanders:
Melaine Dalibert / David Sylvian:
Agusti Fernandez / Artur Majewski / Albert Cirera / Ramon Prats:
Julia Eckhardt:
Lori Goldston:
Arkady Gotesman:
Nicolas Collins / Birgit Ulher:
Albert Ayler Quintet:
Hemingway, Gerry / Izumi Kimura / Frank Gratkowski / Christian Weber: Live At Bau 4 (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Muche, Matthias Bonecrusher: Densities - for 12 trombones & percussion (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Levin, Daniel / Laurent Estoppey: Freedom From The Known [VINYL] (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Gallio's, Christoph Stone Is A Rose Is A Stone Is A Stone : Yet Dish (first visit) (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Gemmo, Francesca / Magda Mayas: Tides In The Mirror (first visit) (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
