4 Corners with Ken Vandermark, Magnus Broo, Adam Land and Paal Nilssen-Love in a live DVD from a March 2007 gig in Portugal playing 5 extended tracks. (PAL format)

Multi-reed and wind player Steve Adams, a member of Rova Saxophone Quartet, in 2000 recordings from San Francisco with his trio of Ken Filiano and Scott Amendola.

Luis Lopes put together this international group including Sei Miguel, Joe Giardullo & Benjamin Duboc for gigs in Portugal, which worked so well that they went to the studio for this impressive release.

A live recording at the famous Meteo Festival from the trio of Sophie Agnel (piano), John Edwards (double bass) and Steve Noble (drums), three of Europe's most active improvisers in an intense extended performance.

Bridging mainstream jazz with avant approaches, trumpeter Alessi leads his "This Against That" group with saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, bassist Drew Gress, pianist Andy Milne, drummer Mark Ferber, and Tim Berne co-producing.

With members from Angles, Universal Indians, Frode Gjerstad Trio, Friends and Neighbors, &c. the quintet of Martin Kuchen (sax), Thomas Johansson (trumpet), Mats Aleklin (trombone), Jon Rune Strom (bass) and Tollef Ostvang (drums) play modern, energetic jazz that kicks Satan's ass; highly recommended!

Saxophonist Rodrigo Amado in a quartet with 2/3's of Red Trio - bassist Hernani Faustino and drummer Gabriel Ferrandini - and guitarist Manuel Mota adding unusual angles to their exemplary blues-based free improvisation.

Bringing the lineage of saxophone trios into the 21st century, saxophonist Jean-Luc Guionnet, bassist Clayton Thomas and drummer Will Guthrie performed this extended recording live in Lille, France.

Clean Feed's 2nd LP is their 4th Angles release, expanding saxophonist Martin Kuchen's band to 9 pieces with Mattias Stahl, Johan Berthling, Alexander Zethson, Mats Aleklint, Eirik Hegdal, Goran Kajfes, and Magnus Broo in an album of rare expressiveness and power.

Now a nine-piece, Martin Kuchen leads the magnificently powerful Angles band through 7 demanding compositions, with trumpeter Magnus Broo back in the band alongside Alexander Zethson, Mattias Stahl, Jonan Berthling, Andreas Werlin, Eirik Hegdal, Mats Aleklint & Goran Kajfes.

Now a nine-piece, Martin Kuchen leads the magnificently powerful Angles band through 7 demanding compositions, with trumpeter Magnus Broo back in the band alongside Alexander Zethson, Mattias Stahl, Jonan Berthling, Andreas Werlin, Eirik Hegdal, Mats Aleklint & Goran Kajfes.

Recordings from Lisbon of Danish saxophonist Lotte Anker with pianist Rodrigo Pinheiro and double bassist Hernani Faustino, both from Red Trio; dynamic improvisation with a sense of restraint and beautiful fluidity.

A quintet of two drummers and two saxophonists playing the music of leader and bassist Hugo Antunes in pieces designed to foster musicial situations and real-time composition.

British tenor saxophonist Julian Arguelles in a trio with NY drummer Tom Rainey and bassist Michael Formanek, a strong group feel led by one of contemporary jazz' unique voices.

Arrive, formed in 2001, is Aram Shelton's Chicago band with vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, bassist Jason Roebke and drummer Tim Daisy, a remarkable album of structured free playing.

An afternoon during saxophonist Michael Attias's residency at the Coimbra's Jazz ao Centro festival in Brazil with the core of his quintet: bassist John Hebert & drummer Satoshi Takeishi.

His first studio album since 2004, alto saxophonist Michael Attias returns to the epic forms of his "Credo" release, presentng 8 new compositions with his band of Ralph Alessi, Matt Mitchell, Sean Conly and Tom Rainey

Alto saxophonist Michael Attias leads this quintet with Tony Malaby on tenor and soprano, Russ Lossing on piano, John Hebert on bass and Staoshi Takeishi on drums performing live at the Jazz ao Centro Festival.

The debut album from the NY based Baloni trio, blending chamber techniques with a unique approach to improvisation, as performed by bassist Pascal Niggenkemper, violist Frantz Loriot, and multi-reedist Joachim Badenhorst.

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.

The trio of Belgian reedist Joachim Badenhorst, French-Japanese violist Frantz Loriot, and French-German bassist Pascal Niggenkemper formed the Baloni trio in Brooklyn in 2008, presenting a blend of chamber and free jazz; reserved to frenetic playing that consistently surprises.

Legendary performer, writer and political situationist Lima Barreto (Telectu) in an electroacoustic work based around the piano and using short wave radio and CD players.

The remarkable trio of basist Mark Helias, drummer Gerry Hemingway and trombonist Ray Anderson in a release that brings modern language to traditional jazz, blues, and Louisiana rhythms.

Known for his more abstract Memorize the Sky project, tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Matt Bauder's band Day in Pictures adheres to jazz traditions with the superb quintet of Nate Wooley (trumpet), Kris Davis (piano), Jason Ajemian (bass) and Tomas Fujiwara (drums).

A brilliant NY quintet led by reedist Matt Bauder, with trumpeter Nate Wooley, pianist Angelica Sanxhez, bassist Jason Ajemian & dummer Tomas Fujiwara, an album dedicated to Donald Walden, Bill Dixon & Fred Anderson.

New perspectives in Portuguese jazz, a remarkable balance between folk elements and a unique vision for modern jazz, in eight original songs and two covers including one from Marc Ribot.

A set of saxophone & drums duo from Ex-Loung Lizard Blake and Copenhagen/NY drummer Osgood, free and melodic music with great rhythmic and harmonic diversity.

Performing together since the late 70s, this is the first recorded documentation of West Coast trumpeter Bobby Bradford, NY bassist Mark Dresser, and trombonist Glenn Ferris.

Clean Feed's 100th release is a 4-disc set of multi-reedist Anthony Braxton and guitarist Joe Morris, two masters playing completely improvised pieces.

For their 3rd album together, the trio of saxophonist Peter Brotzmann, bassist John Edwards and drummer Steve Noble are caught live at the 2013 Ljubljana Jazz Festival for three blistering works of free improvisation.

"After a free jazz investment for many years, now something entirely different. Avant-garde? Composer / improviser Rob Brown says it's an irrelevant categorization nowadays. Instead of the conventional sax-bass-drums combo of the New Thi...

Bassist and composer Hugo Carvalhais in an album hinting at chamber jazz with Dominique Pifarely's extraordinary violin work, but taking the music into unusual territory with his own keyboards, electronics, and by Jeremiah Cymerman's electronic manipulations.

Alto saxophonist Tim Berne joined the trio of bassist & composer Hugo Carvalhais, pianist Gabriel Pinto, & drummer Mario Costa for this debut of their informed and dynamic modern jazz project.

Following his successful "Nebulosa" debut CD, Portuguese bassist Hugo Carvalhais augments his trio of Gabriel Pinto (keys) and Mario Costa (drums) with French soprano saxophonist Emile Parisien and violinist Dominique Pifarely.

American saxophonist Tim Berne and French double-bassist Bruno Chevillon in the studio after 3 live gigs in Portugal, improvising freely while exploring sound and spinning tales in the moment.

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.

Clean Feed's side label Shhpuma presents a solo release from multi-instrumentalist Guilherme Goncalves (Gala Drop), dreamy and informed guitar-driven music borrowing from kosmische musik, Edgar Froese, or Loren Connors, in gorgeously paced lush instrumental music.

The first studio album in 8 years from pianist Michael Jefry Stevens and bassist Joe Fonda, with Gebhard Ullman and George Schuller, performing accomplished and impressive modern improvisation.

Double bassist Sean Conly in a New York based quartet with saxophonists Michael Attias & Tony Malaby and drum legend Pheeroan Aklaff.

Cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum, drummer Harris Eisenstadt, pianist Alexander Hawkins and bassist Dominic Lash converge for 9 pieces of avant-jazz and free music.

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 creative music with the tools and forms of the older generation.

Portuguese composer and pianist Simao Costa in an album of solo prepared piano in the style of John Cage, using transducers, speaker & objects, paced like a Morton Feldman composition, balancing tones and percussive sound in exquisite compositions.

Bassist Stephan Crump (Vijay Iyer Trio) and pianist James Carney performing together in fluid duos that assimilate many musical languages and approaches.

Alto saxophonist and flutist Paulo Curado with New York bassist Ken Filiano and Bruno Pedroso on drums, a nuanced work from a lyrical and free power jazz trio.

Cylinder with Aram Shelton on sax, Darren Johnston on trumpet, Kjell Nordeson on drums and Lisa Mezzacappa on bass, sharing Ornette Coleman's chordless instrumentation in inventive harmolodic compositions.

A superb octet including pianist and leader Kris Davis providing innovative compositions, with the powerful support of Ben Goldberg, Oscar Noriega, Joachim Badenhorst & Andrew Bishop on reeds, Nate Radley on guitar, Gary Versace on organ, and Jim Black on drums.

Pianist Kris Davis' 2nd trio record with John Hebert on bass and Tom Rainey on drums, balancing melodic playing and traditional forms with modern approaches in an album influenced by her pregnancy and imminent childbirth.

The debut solo CD from in-demand pianist Kris Davis (Paradoxical Frog, Novela, Good Citizen, Anti-House), an absorbing and innovative album of original numbers and standards played inside and out of the piano.

Trombonist Michael Dessen in a trio of works drawing inspiration from Pablo Neruda's "Ars Poetica", with the computer used as a 4th voice in several tracks.

California trombonist Michael Dessen's trio with drummer Dan Weiss & bassist Chris Tordini in a cycle of 7 pieces integrating grooves, colors and textures in intricate compositions yielding adventurous improvisations.

West Coast trombonist and electronic artist Michael Dessen's electroacoustic trio with bassist Christopher Tordini and drummer Dan Weiss, balancing detailed compositions and radically open improvisation that equally embraces groove-based improv and soundscape.

Deux Maisons (Two Houses) is a chamber jazz quartet bringing together French and Portuguese players of the current generation: from France, 2 brothers, Theo & Valentin Ceccaldi (violin and cello); from Portugal, Luis Vicente (trumpet) & Marco Franco (drums).

Saxophonist Dijkstra in compositions commissioned from the North Sea Jazz Festival 2009, 9 works written for Henry Threadgill, George Lewis, Fred Frith, &c.

The duo of French saxophonist Matthieu Donarier and Dutch pianist/prepared pianist Albert van Veenendaal (I Compani), beautifully paced and inventive dialog between two melodic players who embrace both improvisational and compositional styles.

French free improvisers Benjamin Duboc (double bass) and Jean-Luc Petit (contrabass & clarinet) in a moody album of bass tones, deep harmonics and rich timbral interaction with beautiful pacing that rises in confrontation and then descends back to artful darkness.

Influenced by Cecil Taylor, Kaja Draksler is a Slovene piano player living in Amsterdam, performing inside and out of the piano in a unique style that approaches performing as a vision of the piano as a miniature orchestra.

Clever and sublime improvisations based on odd meters, tricky tempo relations and challenging passages, engaging and satisfying music from three masters.

Double bassist Mark Dresser's first Quintet album in almost 20 years, innovative modern jazz from the impressive ensemble of Rudresh Mahanthappa (saxophone), Michael Dessen (trombone), Denman Maroney (hyperpiano), and Tom Rainey or Michael Sarin (drums).

Saxophonist & bagpipe player Dunmall's amazing Sun Quartet with Tony Malaby, Mark Helias and Kevin Norton performing live in NYC the day after Dunmall's Vision 2008 Fest show.

Portugal bassist Ze Eduardo's trio in a set of compositions that includes jazz versions of animated televisions series, including a great cover of The Simpson's theme.

Wind and reed player Mary Ehrlich's excellent Rites Quartet with Hank Roberts (cello), Michael Sarin (drums) and James Zollar (trumpet) in a set of lyrical compositions that borrows from jazz and downtown NY traditions.

The second album of the trio founded by drummer and composer Harris Eisenstadt with Ellery Eskelin (tenor saxophone) and Angelica Sanchez (piano) performing a set of Eisenstadt compositions referencing Joseph Conrad, Schoenberg, &c.

Drummer Eisenstadt in a NY based African influenced quintet with trumpeters Taylor Ho Bynum and Nate Wooley, Mark Taylor on French Horn and Josh Sinton on baritone sax.

Drummer Eisenstadt's September trio with pianist Angelica Sanchez and saxophonist Ellery Eskelin in a release of thoughtful, creative, meaningful and lovely music.

A fresh, enthusiastic and very pertinent vision of the big band model from this large orchestra with a diverse and uniquely European spirit, but globally identifiable as excellent jazz.

The Empty Cage Quartet in 2 compositions that incorporate improvisational systems based on harmonic palindromes & melodic sequences derived from the cycles of the Mayan calendar

West Coast jazz musicians Mears, Tiner, Kikuchi and Johnson in a fiery set of original compositions from shuffle swing to free jazz blowouts, liner notes by Leo Smith.

A mercurial and beautiful record from the trio led by tenor saxophonist Ellery Eskelin, with pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn and bassist Michael Formaneck with a unique, introspective and lovely group sound.

Trumpeter Evan's Quartet with Ricardo Gallo, Tom Blancarte and Kevin Shea at the 2009 Jazz em Agosto Festival brilliantly restructuring jazz standards into collective compositions.

Saxophonist Fefer's NY based trio with bassist Eric Revis and drummer Chad Taylor play an ecstatic and spiritually charged modern jazz style with great drive and expressiveness.

The third solo venture for Lisbon-based guitarist and visual artist Filipe Felizardo, performing without effects and loops over a lush and spare framework, for a "ghost blues meditation" in 8 movements of focused, beautifully paced and sonically oriented playing.

Multiphonic trombonist Fiedler in a trio playing nine original Fiedler compositions.

Extended harmolodic free-jazz following the classic models of Ornette Coleman and Eric Dolphy using odd time signatures, beats, and quirky turn-arounds.

Frequent collaborators Fields and Schubert on electric guitar and tenor saxophone performing innovative and virtuosic material in ways that sound much larger than a duo setting would imply.

Originally released in 1995 on Field's own Geode label, these compositions for choreographer Li Chiao-Ping use complex rhythms and tonalities in a serial pitch "system of circles".

A live concert of Fields' Quite Large Orchestra (aka Multiple Joyce Orchestra) with Frank Gratkowski, Christina Fuchs, Thomas Lehn, Carl Hubsch, &c. &c. performing modular compositions for improvising chamber group, plus an homage to Merzbow.

Recorded in 1996 and first released by Music and Arts, this is perhaps Scott Fields' most important recording session to date: intricate compositions and superior interplay with his Chicago peers of Hamid Drake, Marilyn Crispell, and Hans Sturm.

Matthew White's collective Fight the Big Bull nonet utilizes the history of jazz in compsitions that refer to Blind Willie Johnson, Charles Mingus, Art Ensemble, &c. &c.

The debut release of bassist Ken Filiano's quartet, Quantum Entanglements, with Michael Attias, Tony Malaby and Michael T.A. Thompson, playing all Filiano original compositions.

The long-running trio of alto saxophonist Jean-Luc Guionnet and drummer Edward Perraud (Hubbub) and bassist Benjamin Duboc in a studio album of intense and expressive free jazz in the Albert Ayler tradition.

Recorded after a tour in Netherlands, Germany & Belgium, Jorrit Djikstra's Flatlands Collective crosses Europe and Chicago with players Jeb Bishop, Jason Roebke, Fred Lonberg-Holm, &c.

Toronto drummer and composer Nick Fraser in a superb trio with saxophonist Tony Malaby and pianist Kris Davis, performing Fraser originals that merge free improvisation, jazz and avant compositional approaches with astonishing solos from all three.

Taking their band name from an Ornette Coleman album, this European quintet presents new compositions in the style of Ornette, Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders and John Carter, ecstatic free jazz with a hard bop foundation, extended with modern technique and experience.

Helen Mirra uses the index of a W.G. Sebald's novel to create a mysterious, intriguing and fascinating audio world, performed by Mirra on printing press and acoustic guitar, and Fred Frith on rainsticks, mbira, charango, music box, voice, shoes and other objects.

Sax, bass clarinet and flutist Nobuyasu Furuya is a free player migrated from Japan to Lisbon, Portugal, here in a trio with bassist Hernani Faustino and drummer Gabriel Ferrandini.

Tierra de Nadie is Colombian pianist Ricardo Gallo's project with bassist Mark Helias, trombonist Ray Anderson, saxophonist Dan Blake, and drummer Satoshi Takeishi and Pheeroan AkLaff.

Classical pianist Joana Gama and live electronic processing artist Luis Fernandes bridge compositional and experimental forms in this lyrical work, where Fernandes transforms, dissects, loops and otherwise mutates the Gama's playing in unexpected and elegant ways.

Tenor saxophonist Gauci & trumpeter Nate Wooley with the dual bass backbone of Mike Bisio and Ingebrigt Haker Flaten in original compositions using extended instrumental techniques.

Trumpeter Magnus Broo with pianist Sten Sandell's Trio of bassist Johan Berthling and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love, here with Sandell on the Hammond organ.

Dallas based Dennis Gonzalez with three stellar New York improvisers in an oustanding set including the 6 part Arikanu Suite, live at Tonic, NYC in 2003.

First meetings between Texan trumpeter Dennis Gonzalez met Portuguese pianist Joao Paulo, playing a delicate, beautiful music full of spirituality, nuance and drive.

The second take of Boston area drummer Luther Grays' project Lawnmower with Jim Hobbs on sax, Kaethe Hostetter on violin and Winston Braman on electric bass, excellent jazz with unique instrumentation and a diversity of approaches.

The second release from Germany's Grunen Trio of Achim Kaufmann on piano, Robert Landfermann on double bass and Christian Lillinger on drums, a superb and forward-thinking piano trio using prodigious talent in eccentric ways, resolving to lyrical and rewarding improvisation.

Berlin-based saxophonist Boris Hauf's sextet with Keefe Jackson (sax), Jason Stein (bass clarinet), Frank Rosaly (drums), Steve Hess (drums & electronics) and Michael Hartman (drums) in 4 extended pieces of boiling intensity.

German born, NY based trumpeter Heberer's trio with clarinetist Joachim Badenhorst and bassist Pascal Niggenkemper performing Heberer's "cliff" works blending composition and improvisation.

Bassist John Hebert continues to explore his Louisana/Cajun roots with his trio of Benoit Delbecq on piano (plus synth & electronics) and drummer Gerald Cleaver, challenging and enigmatic improvisation with a solid rhythmic center.

Bassist Hebert's Trio with French pianist and synth player Benoit Delbecq and drummer Gerald Cleaver, expansive and spacious jazz with a beautiful spirituality.

Ranging from trio to septet, Herculaneum incorporates a chamber aesthetic into modern improvisational aesthetic with graceful expressiveness and compositional power.

The German born NYC-based trio of quarter-tone trumpeter Thomas Heberer, drummer Joe Hertenstein and bassist Pascal Niggenkemperer, bringing European perspectives to jazz with a NY flavor.

Drummer Joe Herteinstein's followup to his 1st Clean Feed HNH album from his New York trio with Pascal Niggenkemper on bass and Thomas Heberer on cornet, adding a New York attitude to European modern jazz, with oustanding playing using a mix of traditional and inventive approaches.

A multinational jazz trio using compositional and improvisational approaches, led by drummer Dre Hocevar, with Bram De Looze on piano, and Lester St. Louis on cello, plus NY electronics artist Sam Pluta providing signal processing on the title track.

Accordionist and Braxton protege Holshouser's Trio with pianist Bernardo Sassetti play jazz incorporating world musics like cajun, klezmer, tango, gypsy songs, &c.

Tenor saxophonist Keefe Jackson's quartet with trombonist Jeb Bishop, bassist Jason Roebke and drummer Noritaka Tanaka, creative Chicago jazz from an active set of windy city players.

Italian Transalpine reedist Piero Bittolo (El Gallo Rojo) in his oddly named trio playing freeform jazz with a groovy accent, refined technique, imagination, soul and guts.

With links to Foton Quartet, Rob Mazurek, Nicole Mitchell, Keith Rowe, Kevin Drumm, Matt Bauder, &c, the Polish & German quartet of Anna Kaluza (sax), Artur Majewski (trumpet), Rafal Mazur (guitar) & Kuba Suchar (drums) perform a perfect blend of bebop, free forms, west coast jazz and free improvisation.

"Grunen" (The Greening) is a live totally improvised recording from the trio of pianist Achim Kaufmann, bassist Robert Landfermann, and drummer Christian Lillinger.

Trumpeter Kirk Knuffke's New York working band with Reuben Radding, Jeff Davis and Brian Drye showing influences of Lester Bowie, Lacy, &c. in free swinging compositions.

Trumpeter Kirk Knuffke in a NY trio with clarinetist Doug Wieselman and drummer Kenny Wollesen, all part of Butch Morris' Nublu Orchestra and frequent Zorn collaborators.

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.

The saxophone trio of Jonas Kullhammar, bassist Torbjorn Zetterberg and drummer Espen Aalberg, the 2nd release in their Basement Sessions merging bop and free European forms in masterful ways.

The Luso-Canadian trio Lama (Susana Santos Silva-trumpet; Goncalo Almeida-bass; Greg Smith-drums/electronics) join forces with NY reedist Chris Speed to perform these superb electro-chamber works recorded during the Portalegre Jazz Fest.

Crossing tonal material with post-bop playing, trumpeter Susana Santos Silva leads her LAMA trio in electroacoustic and traditional playing, with guest reedist Joachim Badenhorst adding a masterful edge, as they interpret the novel by the Nobel Prize winner Jose Saramago.

The trio LAMA comes from the dynamic and inventive Portuguese jazz scene, formed by bassist and composer Goncqalo Almeida & trumpeter/electronics artist Susana Santos Silva, with Candian drummer Greg Smith.

2 CDs from the amazing little big band of bassist Lane, with trumpeters Nate Wooley & Taylor Ho Bynum, saxophonist David Bindman, trombonists Tim Vaughn & Reut Regev, & drummer Igal Foni.

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.

Drummer Luther Gray's Lawnmower bridges jazz and rock with blues-tinged sonic underpinning from dual guitarists, with saxophonist Jim Hobbs lyrical and unique voice leading the way.

Cellist Daniel Levin's quartet with Nate Wooley on trumpet, Peter Bitenc on bass and Matt Moran on vibraphone performing live at the Jazz ao Centro Festival, Salao Brazil.

Cellist Daniel Levin Quartet leads his quartet with Nate Wooley on trumpet, Matt Moran on vibes, and Torbjorn Zetterberg on bass, in open-minded modern compositions that blend jazz, chamber, and experimental improvisation of reserved and riveting character.

Cellist Daniel Levin with Nate Wooley, Matt Moran and Peter Bitenc performing live at Roulette, NYC in 2008, improv based on words and concepts instead of song structures.

Daniel Levin's quartet with trumpeter Nate Wooley, vibraphonist Matt Moran and bassist Peter Bitenc, modern and organic improvisation with incredible technique and aesthetic.

Cellist Daniel Levin's trio with Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten and Gerald Cleaver in a set of original compositions from one of contempory jazz's masters of cello improvisation.