Sakata, Akira / Johan Berthling / Paal Nilssen-Love: Arashi (Trost Records)

Japanese saxophone legend Akira Sakata meets double bassist Johan Berthling (Fire!) and drummer/percussionist Paal Nilssen-Love (The Thing, &c) for 4 extended and intense studio recordings where all 3 push themselves into a mind-blowing album of free improvisation. ... Click to View

Sun Ra Arkestra: Live in Nickelsdorf 1984 [3 CDs] (Trost Records)

A triple CD documenting Sun Ra's 1984 European Tour, here performing live in Nickelsdorf, Germany at Jazzgalerie for an ebullient set of Sun Ra originals and standards with the Arkestra including John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Danny Ray Thompson, Eloe Taylor, James Jackson, &c &c. ... Click to View

Zu: Goodnight Civilization [VINYL 12-inch] (Trost Records)

A one-sided EP from the power trio Zu (Massimo Pupillo (bass), Gabe Serbian (drums), Luca Tommaso Mai (saxophone) with guest Barney Greenway of Napalm Death on vocals, the first new release form the band since 2009. ... Click to View

Edwards / Sanders / Tilbury: A Field Perpetually At The Edge Of Disorder (Fataka)

Three superb London improvisers, two from the new generation of free improv--bassist John Edwards and drummer Mark Sanders--in a trio with legendary pianist John Tilbury in a two part work of tension and release, performed live at Cafe Oto in 2013. ... Click to View

Fire! Orchestra: Enter (Rune Grammofon)

28 of Northern Europe's finest jazz and improvising musicians join the Fire! Trio of Mats Gusfasson (sax), Johan Berthling (bass) and Andreas Werliin (drums) for a remarkable four part work directed by Gusfasson, blending improvised & rock forms with 3 vocalists. ... Click to View

Sandell, Sten & Paal Nilssen-Love: Jacana (Rune Grammofon)

Rune Grammofon's latest release of duo combinations brings together Swedish pianist Sten Sandell and Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love, two free improvising masters from similar circles captured live in an outstanding set at the 2013 Kongsberg Jazz Festival. ... Click to View

Street Priest: More Nasty [CASSETTE] (Humbler)

The West Coast/Vancouver trio of Kristian Aspelin on guitar, Matt Chandler on bass, and Jacob Felix Heule on drums in a unique cassette of energetic sound, textural noise and explorative free improvisation. ... Click to View

Fire! Orchestra: Enter [VINYL 2LPs+CD] (Rune Grammofon)

28 of Northern Europe's finest jazz and improvising musicians join the Fire! Trio of Mats Gusfasson (sax), Johan Berthling (bass) and Andreas Werliin (drums) for a remarkable four part work directed by Gusfasson, blending improvised & rock forms with 3 vocalists. ... Click to View

Sandell, Sten & Paal Nilssen-Love: Jacana [VINYL] (Rune Grammofon)

Rune Grammofon's latest release of duo combinations brings together Swedish pianist Sten Sandell and Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love, two free improvising masters from similar circles captured live in an outstanding set at the 2013 Kongsberg Jazz Festival. ... Click to View

Wolff, Christian: Pianist: Pieces [3 CDs] (Sub Rosa)

Philip Thomas plays the piano works of Christian Wolff, 3 CDs with 150 tracks of large works blending experimental concerns with classical tendencies that reference modern & traditional composers transformed with Wolff's unique compositional voice. ... Click to View

Pascal: Nihilist Chakai House (Discombobulate)

An album of solo drumming from Pascal Nichols, who is part of the duo "Part Wild Horses Mane On Both Sides", here in a diverse set of approaches performed on drums, djembe, goblet bowls, cowbells, blocks, &c. &c... an album that's become an in-store favorite. ... Click to View

Mollestad, Hedvig Trio: Enfant Terrible (Rune Grammofon)

Norway's free avant/metal prog trio is led by guitarist Hedvig Mollestad with her trio of Ivar Loe Bjornstad on drums and bassist Ellen Brekken, in an album of driving anthemic rock that balances Mahavishnu and Zeppelin riffs in excellent and demanding instrumental rock. ... Click to View

Lane, Adam Full Throttle Orchestra: Live In Ljubljana (Clean Feed)

A joyful and sophisticated performance from bassist and leader Adam Lane's Full Throttle Orchestra, an 8-piece band including Nate Wooley, Susana Silva, Reut Regev, David Bindman, Avram Fefer, Adam Lane & Igal Foni performing live at the 53rd Ljubljana Jazz Festival. ... Click to View

Kullhammar / Aalberg / Zetterberg / Mathisen: Basement Sessions Vol. 3 - The Ljubljana Tapes (Clean Feed)

Tenor, soprillo saxophonist & flautist Jonas Kullhammar's trio with Torbjorn Zetterberg (bass) and Espen Aalberg (drums) is extended to a quartet with tenor saxophonist Jorgen Mathisen, in the 3rd "Basement Sessions" release recorded live at the 5th Ljubljana Jazz Festival. ... Click to View

Cortex: Live! (Clean Feed)

Four Norwegian jazz musicians--Thomas Johansson (cornet), Kristoffer Alberts (reeds), Ola Hoyer (double bass) and Gard Nilssen (drums)--representatives of a new generation of Scandinavian jazzmen playing new music with the tools and forms of the older generation. ... Click to View

Chicago / Sao Paulo Underground feat Pharoah Sanders: Pharoah and the Underground - Primative Jupiter [VINYL] (Clean Feed)

Live from Lisbon's Jazz em Agosto Festival, cornetist Rob Mazurek merges his Chicago and Sao Paulo Underground bands, adding bassist Matthew Lux and jazz legend tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, for a potent blend of modern jazz, electronics, and free improvised music. ... Click to View

Morris, Joe Quartet: Balance (Clean Feed)

Joe Morris reunites his NY quartet as their last configuration from 2000, with violist Mat Maneri, bassist Chris Lightcap, drummer Gerald Cleaver, and Morris on guitar, bringing us an update on the intently informed collective improvisation that defines this great- band. ... Click to View

Baloni: Belleke (Clean Feed)

A New York-born trio of European free improvisers, bassist Pascal Niggenkemper, clarinetist Joachim Badenhorst, and viola player Frank Loriot present a unique orchestration that blends contemporary compositional forms with free improvisation in sublime ways. ... Click to View

Chicago / Sao Paulo Underground feat Pharoah Sanders: Pharoah and the Underground / Spiral Mercury (Clean Feed)

Live from Lisbon's Jazz em Agosto Festival, cornetist Rob Mazurek merges his Chicago and Sao Paulo Underground bands, adding bassist Matthew Lux and jazz legend tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, for a potent blend of modern jazz, electronics, and free improvised music. ... Click to View

Kosi: Pictures Of Us (Kosi)

New York jazz vocalist Kosi in an album extending her duo format to a larger ensemble using lyrical jazz forms to create an intimate and emotional album of original and traditional songs. ... Click to View

Le Ton Mite: Version D'Un Ouvrage Traduit (Music a la Coque)

An unusual set of pop compositions from Brussels-based Le Ton Mite, short vignettes blending compositional and folk elements into lovely miniatures, graced with a personal and idiosyncratic style reflected in the collage art covering the album. ... Click to View

Szilard: Spokes (Palaver Press)

Jeremy Young, aka Szilard, in his debut full-length release as a solo performer on guitar and sine waves, with texts from Charles Baudelaire's "Les Fleurs Du Mal" (1857) read by Aki Onda, Ella Joyce Buckley, Liam Singer and Catherine Metayer. ... Click to View

Courvoisier, Sylvie Trio: Double Windsor (Tzadik)

Sylvie Courvoisier's first recording for piano trio, performed with Drew Gress on bass and Kenny Wollensen, 9 passionate original compositions balancing melodic traditional work with through-composed and purely free playing; exceptional! ... Click to View

Phantom Orchard Ensemble (Parkins/Mori With Ratkje/Courvoisier/Parkins/Parkins): Through The Looking-Glass (Tzadik)

Expanding their duo into a sextet with the addition of strings (Sara Parkins, Maggie Parkins), piano (Sylvie Courvoisier) and voice (Maja Ratkje), Ikue Mori and Zeena Parkins have created a compelling and varied soundscape inspired by fairy stories the world over. ... Click to View

Zorn, John: Myth And Mythopoeia (Tzadik)

Five compositional works for strings and voice from John Zorn, performed by the Arditti Quartet, Talea Ensemble, cellist Jeff Zeigler, and Zorn regulars Chris Otto, Jay Campbell & Stephen Gosling. ... Click to View

Smith, Wadada Leo / George Lewis / John Zorn: Sonic Rivers (Tzadik)

Tzadik's new Spectrum series begins with the collaboration of 3 legendary NY performers--Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet); George Lewis (trombone); John Zorn (alto sax)--in 8 technically superb and joyfully unique compositions and collective improvisations. ... Click to View

Metcalfe, Neil / Daniel Thompson: Eight Improvisations (Creative Sources)

Eight free improvisations recorded in the studio from London improvisers, guitarist Daniel Thompson and flautist Neil Metcalf, recorded and presented in the order played to maintain the familiar dialog and sense of adventure between two frequent collaborators. ... Click to View

Various Artists: Traces Three [VINYL] (Recollection GRM)

Works from the late 1970s by 4 French Groupe De Recherches Musicales composers--Charles Clapaud, Janez Maticic, Servio Tulio Marin, and Eugeniusz Rudnik--short pieces using electroacoustic, electronic, concrete and other modern approaches in fascinating and unusual compositions. ... Click to View

Shibolet / Jacoby / Frangenheim / Bymel: Skulking In The Big House (Creative Sources)

Five open improvisations from the quartet of Israeli saxophonist Ariel Shibolet, viola player Nori Jacoby, drummer Offer Bymel and double bassist Alexander Frangenheim, recording in Frangenheim's studio in Germany in 2011. ... Click to View

Glue (Arthurs / Perkin / Dimitriadis): Chats With The Real McCoy (Creative Sources)

The 2nd release from the free improvising trio of trumpeter Tom Arthurs, bassist Miles Perkins, and drummer Yorgo Dimitriadis, recording in the studio in Berlin, 2012 for 8 collective improvisations with melodic strength and intensive communication. ... Click to View