The Attic / Eve Risser (Amado / Almeida / Govaert / Risser):
La Grande Crue (NoBusiness)

The title translating to The Great Flood, French Pianist Eve Risser joins the trio of Rodrigo Amado on tenor saxophone, Goncalo Almeida on double bass, Onno Govaert on drums, aka The Attic, for a collective interpretation in four parts of a vividly descriptive prose piece titled "ANGLE" by Portuguese essayist, poet, writer, novelist Nuno Júdice (1949-2024). ... Click to View

Arthur Blythe Quartet (Blythe / Booth / Abdullah / Reid):
Rivbea Live! Series, Volume 2 (NoBusiness)

One of alto saxophonist and composer Arthur Blythe's earliest recordings as a leader, this 1976 session at Sam & Bea Rivers' Studio Rivbea in New York City features four Blythe compositions performed by an exemplary quartet: Steve Reid on drums, frequent Blythe collaborator Muhammad Abdullah on congas, and long-time Sun Ra bassist Juini Booth. ... Click to View

Joel Futterman:
Innervoice (NoBusiness)

Joel Futterman delivers a coherent and expansive studio performance presented in three parts, seamlessly weaving beautiful melodic passages, rapid harmonic and rhythmic development, and a profound sense of jazz history that evokes the finest players while remaining distinctly and unmistakably his own — an absolutely masterful achievement. ... Click to View

Eunhye Jeong (Burik / Ridley / Mela / Kim):
End of Time / KM-53 Project Vol. 2 (577 Records)

(code named KM-53), is an energetic and sophisticated album of free collective improvisation and one Jeong composition, performed with Allison Burik on alto sax & bass clarinet, Max Ridley on double bass, Francisco Mela on drums and Mina Kim on cello, recorded live at Lilypad, in Cambridge. ... Click to View

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

With an ear to detail, Michaël Attias spent a year mixing and refining these four tracks, recorded after a post-pandemic concert at Barbes in Brooklyn, bringing to light four intricately melodic compositions performed with Michael Attias on alto sax, Santiago Leibson on piano & Wurli, Matt Pavolka on bass, Mark Ferber on drums and Christopher Hoffman on cello. ... Click to View

Udo Schindler / Olaf Rupp :
HerzAtmungen (Creative Sources)

Quoting Piet Mondrian — 'I believe that the destructive element in art is neglected too much' — the duo of Udo Schindler (bass clarinet, alto saxophone, cornet, tuba) and Olaf Rupp (electric guitar) deliver a compelling 2023 live performance at MUCCA [BASIS-Buchsalon] in Munich, Germany, in the six-part collective conversation "HerzAtmungen," loosely translating to "Heart Breathings". ... Click to View

Rodrigues / Gratkowski / Rodrigues / Griener:
Unstable Molecules (Creative Sources)

Bridging jazz and contemporary forms, this 2024 live recording of four improvisations at Berlin's Kuhlspot Social Club channels collective power with chamber jazz influences, showcasing the refined techniques and deep experience of Ernesto Rodrigues on viola, Frank Gratkowski on clarinets and alto saxophone, Guilherme Rodrigues on cello, and Michael Griener on percussion. ... Click to View

Federico Ughi (Ughi / Musson / Lane):
Transoceanico (577 Records)

"Transoceanico" signifies the global reach of Rome, Italy-born improvising drummer Federico Ughi, celebrating 20 years since his first album recorded in London while residing there, leading to his current Brooklyn launchpad for many global tours and albums, this impressive LP realized in a superb free jazz trio with bassist Adam Lane and tenor saxophonist Rachel Musson. ... Click to View

Deerlady (Obomsawin, Mali / Magdalena Abrego):
Greatest Hits [VINYL] (Out Of Your Head Records)

A collection of songs exploring intimacy under colonialism by the writing duo of bassist and singer/lyricist Mali Obomsawin, a member of the Odanak First Nation and known for her work with the band Lula Wiles, and Chicago guitarist Magdalena Abrego, based in Cambridge, MA, featuring eight beautifully crafted pieces that showcase lyrical strength and astute observation. ... Click to View

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. ... Click to View

Christopher Hoffman (feat. Henry Threadgill / Anna Webber):
Vision Is The Identity [VINYL] (Out Of Your Head Records)

Returning to the electronic jazz approach of his album Multifariam, cellist Christopher Hoffman, composing with the core trio of Frank LoCrasto on keyboards and Bill Campbell on drums, is joined by luminaries such as Henry Threadgill, Ryan Scott, Anna Webber, and Alfred Colón on select tracks, releasing a lyrically compelling album that draws on a diverse range of influences. ... Click to View

Gates / Hirsh / Carter:
Phosphene (Mahakala Music)

Emerging from a series of improv gigs and sessions, the trio of Sally Gates on guitar, Steve Hirsh on drums, and Daniel Carter on saxophones, flute, and trumpet present five studio recordings of spontaneous composition, weaving together a diverse range of sounds with intricate detail and complexity, transitioning seamlessly from fluid, flowing passages to sharp, jagged explorations. ... Click to View

Alex Cunningham / Eli Wallace :
The Terrible Habit Of Theatre [VINYL] (Storm Cellar / Personal Archives )

St. Louis violinist Alex Cunningham and Brooklyn pianist Eli Wallace debut as a duo with five extended improvisations, engaging in dynamic conversations that explore rapid melodic passages, complemented by textural piano preparations, creating diverse soundscapes ranging from intense energy to moments of thoughtful, unhurried interaction. ... Click to View

Sun Ra:
Berkeley Lecture, 1971 (Corbett vs. Dempsey)

In 1971 as Sun Ra's deal with ABC Impulse! introduced him and his Arkestra to a wider audience, Sun Ra, aka Herman Poole Blount, accepted a lectureship at University of California, Berkeley, teaching a class titled "The Black Man and the Cosmos" heard in this half hour lecture with a solo piano rendering of "Love in Outer Space," and a 16 minute wild Moog solo. ... Click to View

Pet The Tiger:
Hail The Traveler (Public Eyesore)

Bay Area instrument inventor David Samas leads Pet The Tiger, a collective ensemble primarily of instrument inventors, augmented with original ceramic flutes and occasionally Samas' voice, the unique quality of their sound recalling Harry Partch or Harry Bertoia, here in four major works of multiple parts performed in a mixture of composed and improvised approaches; fascinating. ... Click to View

Audrey Lauro:
Prose Metallique (Relative Pitch)

Versed in jazz and contemporary composed music, Belgian alto saxophonist Audrey Lauro embarks on a solo journey with seven saxophone improvisations, using 'everyday objects' to prepare her instrument and close-microphone placement to create an intimate sound space, exploring 'the area where voice and instrument converge'. ... Click to View

J.J. Gregg / Pavan Kanekal:
Ease & Flow [CD + DOWNLOAD] (IntangibleCat)

The second duo release from J.J. Gregg on sitar and Pavan Kanekal on tabla, following their 2022 album re-cycling, is a rich work of sophisticated rhythm, sympathetic chords, and strong raga melodies, recorded at Steve Albini's Electrical Audio in Chicago, warmly capturing the duo's purposeful momentum and sincere joy in their playing. ... Click to View

Kevin Corcoran / Andrew Weathers:
Peripheral Residue (Editions Glomar)

Two acoustic improvisations from percussionist Kevin Corcoran and Andrew Weathers on soprano saxophone, recorded in an abandoned garage and using the structure's resonance to shape their playing, with the third and title track being an electroacoustic composition by Corcoran, incorporating field recordings from Mare Island, where they were working. ... Click to View

Thumbscrew (Halvorson / Fujiwara / Formanek:
Wingbeats (Cuneiform)

The eighth album from the Thumbscrew trio of Tomas Fujiwara on drums & vibraphone, Michael Formanek on double bass and Mary Halvorson on guitar, developed during the trio's three-week residency in Pittsburgh for the community-based City of Asylum project, each member contributing three compositions, along with Charles Mingus' "Orange was the Color of Her Dress, Then Blue Silk". ... Click to View

Tyshawn Sorey (w/ Diehl / Ragahavan):
The Susceptible Now (Pi Recordings)

Covering favorite compositions, drummer Tyshawn Sorey arranges works from artists recent and classic, including McCoy Tyner ("Peresina"), Joni Mitchell ("A Chair in the Sky"), Brad Mehldau ("Bealtine"), or Vividry ("Your Good Lies"), performed with double bassist Harish Raghavan and pianist Aaron Diehl and recorded in the studio after developing each piece in live performance at The Village Vanguard. ... Click to View

Ivo Perelman / Nate Wooley:
Polarity 3 (Burning Ambulance Music)

Ten improvisations in the 3rd release of New York trumpeter Nate Wooley and tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman's Polarity series, their dialogs an incredible weaving of creative ideas and technical prowess that started in 2020 after recording a series of larger group albums, their affinity and cooperative approach to instrumental dialog exceptional and exemplary. ... Click to View

Ivo Perelman / Nate Wooley:
Polarity 2 (Burning Ambulance Music)

The second installment from New York saxophonist Ivo Perelman and trumpeter Nate Wooley demonstrates the strong affinity between the two players, highlighting their impressive mastery of their instruments with a creative drive and quick responsiveness that sparks unique dialogs, full of powerful and sometimes unconventional technique and expression; a truly gratifying and remarkable set of improvisations. ... Click to View

Matthew Shipp / Whit Dickey:
Reels (Burning Ambulance Music)

An intimate and warmly recorded studio session between long-time collaborators and masterful improvisers — pianist Matthew Shipp and drummer Whit Dickey — the album opens with a beautifully placid dialog, evolving into a well-balanced collection of expressive, energetic, and startlingly exciting exchanges, from "Moon Garden" to the intensely forceful title track. ... Click to View

SORBD (Steyer / Dyberg / Okuda / Robler / Borges):
Wild Peacock In Transit (Relative Pitch)

Each of the 5 members of this band bring a composition to this 2022 live recording at Kuhlspot Social Club in Berlin, along with four collective improvisations, in the impressive debut of the acronym-named band SORBD, signifying Edith Steyer on Bb clarinet, Mia Dyberg on alto saxophone, Rieko Okuda on piano, Isabel Rossler on bass, and Sofia Borges on drums & percussion. ... Click to View

Tungu:
Successful Utilization of Elements (Public Eyesore)

A series of 19 wide-ranging duets between Sergey Senchuk, aka Tungu, who performs on voice, acoustic bass, field recording & sampling, and an impressive set of international improvisers, including Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello), Jaap Blonk (voice), Gunda Gottschalk (violin), Susan Alcorn (pedal steel guitar), Sainkho Namtchylak (voice), Xavier Charles (clarinet & processing), &c. ... Click to View

Pat Thomas:
This is Trick Step (577 Records)

UK improviser and keyboard artist Pat Thomas makes his 577 debut with a solo album of abstract and active electronic experimentation with an urban edge, blending texture, depth, and 'mental stimulation' in unexpected, densely packed ways, with Thomas describing the album as the product of an alternative universe where JDilla and Morton Feldman collaborate. ... Click to View

DNS:
Taking Big Bites Of The Khandas Three Cafes Deep [2 CDs] (Bu Lang Tribute Cake)

Live improvisations from the North Carolina duo of Alexander Cooper and Joseph Schlam, a double album of eight extended journeys through textural sound, drone and veiled reference, influenced by Costin Miereanu, Jaap Vink, Lionel Marchetti, Luc Ferrari, and Dagar Vani, as the duo work in stereo using two amps for drums, voice, live electronics, and field recordings. ... Click to View

Matt Mitchell (w/ Tordini / Weiss):
Zealous Angles (Pi Recordings)

The debut album of NY composer & pianist Matt Mitchell's long-running trio with bassist Chris Tordiniand and drummer Dan Weiss, an adventurous and accomplished group that brings an optimistic buoyancy to Mitchell's complex compositions, exploring multiple asynchronous cycles using polyrhythm and polymeter through multiple lines that the players have freedom to choose and improvise around. ... Click to View

Kim Cass (w/ Mitchell / Sorey / Cocks / Dotson):
Levs (Pi Recordings)

Performing the unique compositions of Brooklyn-based bassist & composer Kim Cass with the technically superb quintet of Matt Mitchell on piano & synthesizer, Tyshawn Sorey on drums, Laura Cocks on flutes and Adam Dotson on euphonium, Cass' intricate and unconventional works, influenced by 20th century contemporary classical, are complex structures that require precision and wit; impressive! ... Click to View

Arashi With Takeo Moriyama:
Tokuzo (Trost Records)

The trio of Japanese saxophone legend Akira Sakata with the Scandinavian rhythm section of Johan Berthling on double bass and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums, plus a second drummer with Takeo Moriyama (Yosuke Yamashita Trio), perform six wildly exciting improvisations, Sakata's vocalizations at times pushing the band as they are heard live in this 2019 recording at Tokuzo in Nagoya, Japan. ... Click to View