Lazro, Daunik / Benjamin Duboc / Didier Lasserre: Sens Radiants (Dark Tree Records)

The superb trio of Daunik Lazro on baritone sax, Benjamin Duboc on bass, and Didier Lasserre on drum & cymbals, in a live recording from Ecouter pour l'instant festival, a long open work inspired by poet Henri Michaux's writings on emptiness & tranquility. ... Click to View

Moss, David / Hannes Strobl: At The Beach (Monotype)

Merging Hannes Strobl's electric bass and effects with David Moss' unusual vocal approach into stream of consciousness observations and rich music of momentum and mood that are evocative, mysterious and fully engaging. ... Click to View

Drumheller: Sometimes Machine (Barnyard)

The Toronto jazz quintet Drumheller with Nick Fraser on drums, Eric Chenaux on guitar, Brodie West on sax, Rob Cloutton on bass and Doug Tielli on trombone mix avant and traditional jazz with a variety of musical forms to create persuasive and thoroughly enjoyable music. ... Click to View

Moore, Thurston / Margarida Garcia: The Rust Within Their Throats [VINYL] (Headlights Recordings)

A one-sided LP of guitarist Thurston Moore and electric double bassist Margardia Garcia performing live at ZBD in Lisbon in 2013, strange sounds that cross sound and noise work with ea-improv in sometimes horrific yet wonderfully mysterious ways. ... Click to View

Cole, Crys & Oren Ambarchi: Sonja Henies vei 31 (PLANAM)

An extended collage work of organized sound from Crys Cole and Oren Ambarchi, created during a week-long tour in Norway, using field recordings, tape hiss, metallic clinks and wandering voices to create a dreamlike narrative. ... Click to View

Brio: Acid Cock (Long Song Records)

The Zagreb, Croatia free jazz/noise rock guitar-drums duo of Gordan Krajacic on guitar and Neven Krajacic on drums and vocals in their 3rd release, a suite blending melody with brutal atonality, hard groove and guitar-riffs with free playing. ... Click to View

Various Artists: PRES Scores [2 CDs] (Bolt)

Polish Radio Experimental Studio's late 50's achievements included first attempts to write down electronic sounds through graphics; this CD presents 5 such scores heard in experimental realizations commissioned of Lionel Marchetti, Thomas Lehn, Philip Zoubek and Wolfram, &c. ... Click to View

DJ Lenar: Re:PRES (Bolt)

A series of works from improvising DJ Lenar (Marcin Lenarczyk), using material from the large volumes of miniatures created by Polish Radio Experimental Studio (PRES) artist Eugeniusz Rudnik, transformed into new concrete compositions; in other words, reprising PRES. ... Click to View

Various Artists: Blanc et Rouge [3 CDs] (Bolt)

Under the wing of the Warsaw Polish Radio Experimental Studio emerged dozens of hours of socially engaged music from artists including Eugeniusz Rudnik, Krzysztof Penderecki, Elzbieta Sikora, Krzystof Knittel, &c. ... Click to View

Greif, Randy: Dirt Crawl Blues [CASSETTE] (Banned Productions)

A 4 track cassette of beats, robotic voices and other Greif oddities, definitely an obscure gem from the large discography of this experimental explorer. ... Click to View

Tarbaby (Waits / Evans / Revis / + Lake & Ducret ): Fanon (RogueArt)

Tarbaby (Orrin Evans on piano, Eric Revis on bass, and Nasheet Waits on drums) is joined by saxophonist Oliver Lake and guitarist Marc Ducret for an album inspired by philosopher, psychologist and revolutionary Franz Fanon, a superb album balancing melodic and intense playing. ... Click to View

Mitchell, Nicole Sonic Projections (Mitchell / Taborn / Boykin / Taylor): The Secret Escapades Of Velvet Andersen (RogueArt)

Chicago flutist Nicole Mitchell's NY band with Craig Taborn (piano & wurlitzer), David Boykin (sax), Chad Taylor (drums & guitar) in a tribute to her mentor, the late saxophonist Fred Anderson and his Velvet Lounge club, in an excellent mix of free and melodic playing. ... Click to View

Liebman, Dave / Steve Dalachinsky + guest Richie Beirach: The Fallout Of Dreams (RogueArt)

A quintessential NY release from Brooklyn poet Steve Dalachinsky and saxophonist Dave Liebman with special guest pianist Richie Beirach, in 14 insightful works referencing and dedicated to Cecil Taylor, Billie Holiday, Jackson Pollock, Steve Lacy, &c &c. ... Click to View

Brotzmann / Adasiewicz / Edwards / Noble: Mental Shake (Otoroku)

A return to the group that kick-started Otoroku - the veteran German reedsman and free jazz pioneer Peter Brotzmann with the long-running London bass/drums partnership of John Edwards and Steve Noble, recording at the last set of a two-day residency at Cafe OTO in 2013. ... Click to View

People (Halvorson / Shea / Forester): 3xaWoman (Telegraph Harp)

A beautifully balanced Downtown NY album mixing rock forms with improvisation from some of NY's finest improvisers: the trio of Mary Halvorson (guitar, voice, compositions), Kyle Forester (bass), and Kevin Shea (drums) with guests Peter Evans, Sam Kulik, and Dan Peck. ... Click to View

Thing, The: Boot! [VINYL 7-INCH] (The Thing Records)

A Record Store Day 7" release to accompany the LP edition of the LP of the same name from The Thing (Mats Gustafsson-bas sax; Paal Nilssen-Love-drums; Ingebrigt Haker Flaten-electric bass), adding 2 tracks: "Empty from Bawling" and "Bruises Without Contact". ... Click to View

Blonk, Jaap / Sandy Ewen / Damon Smith / Chris Cogburn: North of Blanco (Balance Point Acoustics)

Six focused, quartet improvisations with complex, independent layers of rich textures. Featuring Dutch vocalist/sound-poet Jaap Blonk and three Texas improvisors: Damon Smith (bass), Sandy Ewen (guitar & objects), Chris Cogburn (percussion). ... Click to View

Hartshaw / Aspelin / Smith / Bryerton: Ausfegen (Dedicated To Joseph Beuys) (Balance Point Acoustics)

Unusual improvisational forms from the quartet of saxophonist Paul Hartsaw, guitarist Kristian Aspelin, bassist Damon Smith and percussionist Jerome Byrerton, recording in Oakland, CA in 2006. ... Click to View

Genetti / Smith / Lonberg-Holm: Sense of hearing (Balance Point Acoustics)

A series of studio duets between free improvising vocalist Carol Genetti and bassist Damon Smith, with Chicago cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm joining for the final four pieces, which were recorded live at the Empty Bottle in Chicago. ... Click to View

Flaherty / Swell / Yeh / Walter: Dragonfly Breath (Not Two Records)

The amazing quartet of saxophonist Paul Flaherty, drummer Weasel Walter, trombonist Steve Swell, and violinist C. Spencer Yeh, 4 NY-area free improvising players in an enthralling and demanding release recorded "in concert" at the old Issue Project Room in 2011. ... Click to View

PBB'S Lacus Amoenus with Peter Evans: The Sauna Session (Long Song Records)

Piero Bittolo Bon's Lacus Amoenus featuring the leader on reeds & electronics, Simone Massaron on guitars, Glauco Benedetti on tuba, and Tommaso Cappellato on drums, is joined by trumpeter Peter Evans for an album of transatlantic improvisation of great dexterity and humor. ... Click to View

Wright, Jack / Ben Bennett : Tangle (Public Eyesore)

Legendary free improvising saxophonist Jack Wright in a duo with new generation free improvising drummer Ben Bennett, both part of the touring band Wrest Trio, in an album of interactive interchanges informed by unusual technique and masterful playing. ... Click to View

Moon, The : Good And Evil (577)

The studio debut of drummer Federico Ughi and electric guitarist Adam Caine's project The Moon, a touring band crossing jazz based free improvisation with rock elements in free-flowing and driving music highlight the technical and melodic skills of both players. ... Click to View

OOIOO: Gamel (Thrill Jockey)

Founding Boredoms member Yoshimi P-We continues her OOIOO project in an album forging a new ancient traditional music by combining ritualistic gamelan elements, captivating vocal music, rock forms and electronics in unexpected and enthralling way. ... Click to View

OOIOO: Gamel [VINYL] (Thrill Jockey)

Founding Boredoms member Yoshimi P-We continues her OOIOO project in an album forging a new ancient traditional music by combining ritualistic gamelan elements, captivating vocal music, rock forms and electronics in unexpected and enthralling way. ... Click to View

Moondoc, Jemeel : The Zoopkeeper's House (Trio/Quartet/Quintet) (Relative Pitch)

A series of exceptional compositions by saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc plus one by Alice Coltrane, performed in a variety of group settings, from duos to quintet, with sidemen Matthew Shipp, Roy Campbell, Steve Swell, Hilliard Greene, and Newman Taylor Baker. ... Click to View

Gauci, Stephen / Kirk Knuffke / Ken Filiano: Chasing Tales (Relative Pitch)

The NY trio of saxophonist Stephen Gauci, cornetist Kirk Knuffke and bassist Ken Filiano in a set of group improvisations plus compositions from each player, great melodic and interactive playing from three exceptional players. ... Click to View

Bogan Ghost (Albee / Caddy): Zerfall (Relative Pitch)

The duo of Liz Allbee on trumpet and Anthea Caddy on cello in beautifully paced, mysterious improvisations using a minimal approach of extended and often disconcerting techniques augmented with subtle electroacoustic touches. ... Click to View

Flaherty, Paul & Randall Colbourne: Ironic Havoc (Relative Pitch)

For more than 25 years the duo of saxophonist Paul Flaherty and drummer Randall Colbourne have performed as a duo, here captured in the studio for six tracks of exceptional and telepathic free improvisation. ... Click to View

Lindsay, Arto : Encyclopedia of Arto Lindsay [2 CDs] (Northern Spy)

NY-based Arto Lindsay's diverse career includes No Wave band DNA, Ambitious Lovers with Peter Scherer, acclaimed Brazilian-tinged pop records, and improvising with a great set of Downtown NY players, much of which is presented in this excellent cross-section of his work to date. ... Click to View