Ken Vandermark:
October Flowers for Joe McPhee (Corbett vs. Dempsey)
A profoundly personal solo recording from Ken Vandermark on tenor and baritone saxophones and clarinets, captured live at Corbett vs. Dempsey in Chicago in March 2025, performing a suite dedicated to Joe McPhee that interlaces composed and freely improvised works — each named for symbolic flowers — into a deeply expressive tribute of melody, emotion, and inventive clarity. ... Click to View
Pat Thomas:
Hikmah (Tao Forms)
An extraordinary solo piano album from UK pianist Pat Thomas, recorded at London's Fish Factory Studio, presenting eight deeply focused improvisations and compositions reflecting Thomas's lifelong engagement with Sufism and spiritual expression through sound; a luminous, exploratory work that unites the traditions of jazz and mysticism into a transcendent, profoundly human statement. ... Click to View
Pat Thomas:
Hikmah [VINYL w/ DOWNLOAD] (Tao Forms)
An extraordinary solo piano album from UK pianist Pat Thomas, recorded at London's Fish Factory Studio, presenting eight deeply focused improvisations and compositions reflecting Thomas's lifelong engagement with Sufism and spiritual expression through sound; a luminous, exploratory work that unites the traditions of jazz and mysticism into a transcendent, profoundly human statement. ... Click to View
JEM3 (JT Lewis / Elliott Sharp / Marco Cappelli):
Apices (Klanggalerie)
A powerhouse debut from the improvising trio of drummer JT Lewis, guitarist & reed player Elliott Sharp, and guitarist Marco Cappelli, blending spontaneous composition with structured narrative in an inventive interplay of amplified classical, electric, and bass guitars, clarinet, electronics, and percussion that spans modern jazz, experimental, and avant-garde sound worlds. ... Click to View
Natural Information Society (Abrams / Alvarado / Avery / Stein):
Perseverance Flow (AGUIRRE RECORDS)
Returning to its core quartet, Natural Information Society — Joshua Abrams, Lisa Alvarado, Mikel Patrick Avery, and Jason Stein — unfolds a single continuous composition of hypnotic polyrhythms and evolving textures, merging minimalism, modal jazz, and dub-inspired production into a richly layered soundfield that pulses with meditative intensity, collective focus, and transcendent rhythmic flow. ... Click to View
Russ Lossing:
Proximity Alert (Blaser Music)
Joined by bassist Mark Helias and drummer Eric McPherson, pianist Russ Lossing presents a deeply intuitive trio performance that balances structure and freedom, unfolding through intricate yet unforced improvisations that reveal profound emotional depth, rhythmic sensitivity, and melodic imagination, affirming his mastery of spontaneous musical dialogue and expressive subtlety. ... Click to View
Thollem:
Worlds in a Life, Two (ESP-Disk)
Reimagining sounds from his past collaborations with Nels Cline, Pauline Oliveros, William Parker, Terry Riley, and Michael Wimberly, Thollem transforms their performances into new sonic landscapes through real-time improvisation using samples from their improvisations, blending organic and electronic textures into a kaleidoscopic exploration of memory, transformation, and infinite creative possibility. ... Click to View
Gene Torchia / John Stowell:
Duo [2 CDs] (Not On Label)
A fascinating double album uniting guitarist Gene Torchia on amplified classical guitar and John Stowell on electric guitar, recorded in the studio between 2023 and 2025, blending composed works written for modern classical guitar and flute with Stowell's improvisations to create a rich and stylistically diverse dialogue spanning blues, Latin, Irish, baroque, and avant-garde forms. ... Click to View
Kesherul Neg Pineg:
The Book Of Pig [VINYL] (Tour de Bras)
The long-running duo between Czech trumpeter and electronics artist Petr Vrba and French drummer Peter Orins, blends ritualistic reductionism with psychedelic grooves, extended trumpet techniques, analog synthesis, and prepared percussion to create a hypnotic and unpredictable soundscape, full of frenetic energy, atmospheric tension, and sudden dynamic shifts. ... Click to View
Expanse:
Loud & Furious Tongues (Evil Clown)
An extraordinary collective improvisation uniting David Peck, Michael Caglianone, John Fugarino, Robin Amos, Jonathan LaMaster, and Michael Knoblach, merging woodwinds, brass, strings, percussion, and electronic instruments in a fluid and intricately balanced dialogue that juxtaposes turbulence and calm, unfolding with expansive textures, measured intensity, and vivid sonic interplay. ... Click to View
Metal Chaos Ensemble:
Ephemerol (Evil Clown)
Featuring David Peck, John Fugarino, Bob Moores, Eric Woods, and Mike Gruen, this edition of Metal Chaos Ensemble merges horns, electronics, and metallic percussion in a dense improvisational landscape where shifting textures, resonant drones, and abstract rhythmic interplay create an evolving sound world of raw intensity, shimmering atmosphere, and inventive sonic dialogue. ... Click to View
Turbulence Orchestra:
Density Fluctuation (Evil Clown)
An eight-piece horn and electronics ensemble featuring David Peck, Hilary Noble, Cliff White, Dennis Livingston, John Fugarino, Bob Moores, Eric Dahlman, and Duane Reed, creating a vividly shifting chamber improvisation where reeds and brass intertwine with auxiliary percussion and electronics, generating dynamic waves of color, density, and resonance in a constantly evolving acoustic spectrum. ... Click to View
Sophie Agnel / Joke Lanz:
Ella (Klanggalerie)
An exciting meeting of French pianist Sophie Agnel, known for her extended and prepared piano techniques, and Swiss turntablist Joke Lanz, renowned for his work in noise, experimental music, and performance art, presenting a dynamic and playful duo of spontaneous improvisation blending percussive textures, sonic collage, and energetic interaction revealing a sense of humor and awe. ... Click to View
Sopa Boba:
That Moment (Sub Rosa)
Blending spoken word, modern classical strings, and harsh modular synths, Belgian/Dutch ensemble Sopa Boba crafts a striking electronic-orchestral oratorio based on Moldavian writer Nicoleta Esinencu's That Moment, unraveling a dark, satirical narrative of capitalist excess through seven gripping movements that merge caustic irony with haunting sonic textures. ... Click to View
John Zorn (Edgcomb / Greene / Hanes):
The Bagatelles Vol. 3 Trigger (Tzadik)
The third volume in John Zorn's Bagatelles series features the explosive trio Trigger — Aaron Edgcomb on drums, Will Greene on guitar, and Simon Hanes on bass — tearing through Zorn's intricate compositions with fierce precision and raw energy, delivering a searing and radical interpretation of these works drawn from Zorn's expansive 2015 collection of 300 pieces. ... Click to View
Weston Olencki :
Pearls Ground Down To Powder [VINYL] (Full Spectrum)
Weston Olencki deconstructs and reimagines the banjo across two longform compositions, transforming it into a percussive, polyrhythmic engine and a harmonic resonator, navigating glitch-driven algorithmic textures and richly detuned sonorities, juxtaposing the kinetic, minimalist grooves of "The Rocks Are Different, Here" with the spectral, ring-modulated drones of "Brothers". ... Click to View
111 (Michelle / Villamil):
Live at Opus 40 [CASSETTE + DOWNLOAD] (Notice Recordings)
The duo of Chantal Michelle and Grace Villamil transform the monumental land sculpture of Opus 40 into a resonant instrument, layering voice and electronics with field recordings and audience interactions to create an immersive, spatially dynamic performance of ambient tension and sonic obliteration, masterfully teetering between composed sound, environmental resonance, and blooming noise. ... Click to View
La Noed (w/ Carlos Mascolo):
De la liberte (FMR)
Inspired by Maggie Nelson's reflections on freedom, this intuitive and boundary-defying quintet — featuring saxophonists Simona Castria and Angelo Manicone, Carlo Mascolo on no-input trombone, Valerio Metteo on organismic synthesizers, and João Pedro Viegas on bass clarinet — explores collective improvisation as a form of resistance, creating a deeply expressive tapestry untethered from ego or hierarchy. ... Click to View
Helene Sage :
Les Araignees (GRRR)
An imaginative and genre-defying return from Hélène Sage in an eclectic blend of songs, jazz-inflected fanfares, and humorous yet critical texts performed in multiple languages, featuring a striking ensemble of avant-garde musicians whose voices, instruments, and unconventional approaches craft a surreal and adventurous sonic world; of interest to RIO fans. ... Click to View
Pied De Poule:
Indiscretion (GRRR)
Merging jazz, tango, waltz, blues, chanson, and contemporary vocal experimentation, Michèle Buirette (accordion), Geneviève Cabannes (double bass), and Dominique Fonfrède (voice) craft an inventive and modern soundscape, combining traditional melodies with experimental techniques in an album that is melodic yet unpredictable, exploring themes with a blend of humor, depth, and originality. ... Click to View
Nathan Clevenger Group:
Astrolabe (Queen Bee Records)
Reinventing his compositional voice, Clevenger charts a reflective and lyrical suite for a deep Bay Area ensemble, the writing balancing chamber-like colour and improvisational space as reeds, low flutes, brass, cello, vibes, marimba, drums and bass articulate an expansive journey of personal discovery and renewed purpose. ... Click to View
Ohad Talmor w/Chris Tordini / Eric Mcpherson + Guests:
Back To The Land [2 CDs] (Intakt)
Drawing inspiration from rediscovered 1998 Ornette Coleman rehearsal tapes and the spirit of Dewey Redman, tenor saxophonist and composer Ohad Talmor opens a new artistic cycle with his core trio of Chris Tordini and Eric McPherson plus a remarkable array of guests, creating kaleidoscopic variations that merge composed forms, liberated improvisation, and subtly deployed electronics. ... Click to View
Sylvie Courvoisier / Wadada Leo Smith:
Angel Falls (Intakt)
Swiss pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and legendary trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith meet in a deeply focused duo session, their through-composed material unfolding with stunning restraint, architectural clarity, and a quiet but potent freedom, as each phrase, gesture, and interval feels acutely calibrated in a shared space of mystery, immediacy, and poetic intent. ... Click to View
Fred Frith / Maria Portugal:
Matter (Intakt)
Uniting from different continents and generations, guitarist and vocalist Fred Frith and drummer, percussionist, and vocalist Maria Portugal meet in Cologne for four improvised stretches that blend song form, rhythmic invention, exploratory textures, and creative voice work, revealing a shared musical language that dissolves genre boundaries into a vivid, unpredictable exchange. ... Click to View
Evan Parker / Joelle Leandre:
Long Bright Summer (RogueArt)
Drawing on decades of fearless improvising, saxophonist Evan Parker and bassist Joëlle Léandre engage in an intense and unfiltered acoustic dialogue recorded live in France, their shared language enabling lightning reactions, extended techniques, surges of density and flow, hushed textural intimacy, and moments where Léandre's wordless voice merges seamlessly into their spontaneous interplay. ... Click to View
Insect Life:
Insect Life (577 Records)
Born from weekly sessions in Oakland, this adventurous sextet of winds, cello, drums, and electronics channels old-school improvisational spirit into a modern orchestral sound that feels both cosmic and grounded, as spontaneous grooves, abstract textures, and Zachary James Watkins' remix work expand their collective language into a vibrant, deeply inventive debut. ... Click to View
Webber/Morris Big Band:
Unseparate [VINYL 2 LPs] (Out Of Your Head Records)
Five years after their debut, co-leaders Anna Webber and Angela Morris return with a 19-piece large ensemble recording that showcases their next-level compositional voices, unfolding through the "Just Intonation Etudes for Big Band" suite and a series of richly orchestrated works that balance drones, contrapuntal density, rhythmic blasts, and lyrical themes in an adventurous exploration of sound and structure. ... Click to View
Mary Halvorson Amaryllis:
About Ghosts (Nonesuch)
Expanding her Amaryllis ensemble with the addition of saxophonists Immanuel Wilkins and Brian Settles, guitarist and composer Mary Halvorson presents eight new works, balancing spectral beauty and sly unease as vibraphone, layered brass, flexible grooves, and her singular harmonic distortions cohere into a richly orchestrated and restlessly inventive large-ensemble statement. ... Click to View
Donny McCaslin:
Lullaby For The Lost [VINYL] (Editions)
With longtime collaborators Jason Lindner, Ben Monder, Tim Lefebvre, Zach Danziger, Nate Wood, Ryan Dahle, and Jonathan Maron, visionary saxophonist Donny McCaslin channels the raw intensity of improvised jams into a cinematic, high-energy sound world, blending jazz with rock, electronica, and soulful urgency, a fierce and timeless statement. ... Click to View
Don Ellis:
The 1960s Albums [4 CD BOX SET] (Enlightenment)
Collecting eight albums from the early to late '60s, this generous four-CD set surveys the groundbreaking work of trumpeter, composer, and bandleader Don Ellis, tracing his evolution from post-bop experiments with shifting metric structures into large-ensemble innovation infused with global rhythms, expanded instrumentations, and a fiercely exploratory imagination. ... Click to View
