This nine piece klez funk rock jazz ensemble performs original compositions and arrangements combining West African influenced rhythms with Eastern European Klezmer melodies.

AIMTorotono Orchestra under the direction of Kyle Brenders was formed in 2007 to perform the music of Anthony Braxton, here in their first studio album of original compositions for their own sophisticated repertoire.

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.

An unusual improvising orchestra that absorbs concepts from a wealth of styles, led by saxophonist Frode Gjerstad; this 1992 recording is of a 7-piece band with 2 drummers including Paal Nilssen-Love, 2 bassists guitar, and Ove Storland on vocals.

Five idiosyncratic compositions by English composer Frank Denyer with performers including The Barton Workshop, Elisabeth Smalt, Juliet Fraser, Kiku Day and Frank Denyer himself, using shakuhachi, voice, muted strings, percussion and an axe striking a block of wood.

Bertrand Denzler composed this pseudo-drone work performed by the ONCEIM Orchestra, allowing the orchestra members to make decisions in order to keep the drone alive while moving within a small, pre-established musical perimeter defined by the composer.

Pianist Satoko Fujii's large ensemble blending masterful Japanese and Euro players like Kazuhisa Uchihashi, Natsuka Tamura with Matthias Schubert, Gebhard Ullmann, &c., with Fujii's compositions amazingly flexible frameworks that lend themselves to great soloing and ensemble playing.

A hybrid of theater, music, sound poetry and political manifesto from Sylvaine Helary, focused on the "Arab Spring" in Egypt, using intertwining words and voices around the quartet performances of Hugues Mayot, Sylvain Lemetre, Antonin Rayon and Sylvaine Helary.

Tzadik's series reinterpreting John Zorn's Masada compositions releases the 24th "Book of Angels", performed by Klezmerson, a Mexico-based ensemble led by violist & composer Benjamin Shwartz, who founded the group in 2003 to integrate music from a Mexican standpoint.

French-Japanese violist Frantz Loriot's large ensemble drawn from 5 nations in an excellent set of compositions that employ a diverse set of approaches, slyly drawing the listener into unique and encompassing sound worlds of remarkable elements and superb improvisation.

A unique 3CD-box from Umlaut Records putting in attention the musical collaborations between two of Sweden's most headstrong musicians: the pioneers Bengt "Frippe" Nordstrom and Sven-Ake Johansson.

"The Invisible Story" was produced over a four year period, and completed just last ear: This work deals with the ideas of Bela Hamvas (1897-1968), a Hungarian literary figure whose fate was literally sealed by his country's history. In...

First album by French rock band Ghost Rhythms's keyboardist and co-composer Camille Petit, orchestral instrumental rock with a progressive rock feel, latin rhythmic influences and strong melodic tendencies, performed by a large ensemble to create an embraceable blend of music.

On the A side Simon Hanes leads a 14 piece ensemble in an homage to the late 60s/70s Italian soundtracks with a film score to a fictional film "Vai! Vai! Vai!"; on the B side, the improvising Ensemble for the Exploration of New Perspectives in Collective Sound Exploration.

Swiss pianist/composer Luzia von Wyl and her Ensemble of jazz and classical performers presents von Wyl's compositions that borrow from modern and early jazz, chamber music and world sources, in works that draw on her experiences traveling and performing through the world.

Rasa Rasa members Kenny Wollesen, Dalius Naujo, Jonathon Haffner and Sean Francis Conway present the ancient polyphonic vocal music of Lithuania using a mix of ensembles, reviving the infectious grooves and ancient vocal rounds, aided by new instruments devised by Wollesen.

Swedish composer Magnus Granberg (Skogen) places baroque instruments alongside prepared piano, objects and electronics in an exquisite 60-minute piece performed with an excellent set of performers including Cyril Bondi, d'incise, Eric Ruffing, Christoph Schiller, &c.

Using mostly unprocessed electric guitars, the duo of Elliott Sharp and Scott Fields' latest release presents eight dueling guitar works using dynamic, angular tones and textures, from extremely aggressive work to clean avant-jazz with twisted technical intent.

The trio of bassist Gary Peacock, pianist Paul Bley, and trumpeter Franz Koglmann interpret and improvise on the music of avant song-writer Annette Peacock.

The quartet of Cosottini, Melano, Pisani, Miano (EAQuartet Electroacoustic) in compositions referring to the 4 cardinal map points using graphic scores, games, open readings, &c.

Composer Zygmaunt Krause pays hommage to Polish art theoretician, painter, pioneer of the Constructivist avant-garde, and creator of the theory of Unism, Wladyslaw Strzeminski, through pieces performed by the Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra, Silesian String Quartet, &c.

A long-term studio project/mutant big band merging collage, scored pieces, structured improvisations, cut-up jams, hi- and lo-fi textures, electroacoustic work, and location recording into large and wonderfully unpredictable compositions with few boundaries.

Six rich and varied electro-acoustic instrumental works from an amazing quintet of brilliant improvisers: Anthony Pateras (keys); Will Guthrie (drums & percussion); Natasha Anders (bass & computer); Clayton Thomas (double bass) and Jerome Noetinger (tapes & electronics).

A reissue of Emanem 3305 (3403) with extra material from the same sessions from free improvising trombonist Paul Rutherford recorded in 1974, presenting a then-rare example of the instrument and approaches that were avant, humorous, technical, and amazingly inventive.

A split tape, side A is the Bouchons D'Oreilles duo of Lukasz Kacperczyk (synth) and Mateusz Wysocki (laptop) focusing on improvisation through electronics; side B is the Warsaw Improvisers Orchestra which includes Kacperczyk, focusing on instant composition.

Peter Brotzmann's 9-piece ensemble for the 164th NDR-JAZZWORKSHOP with the South African rhythm team of Harry Miller (bass) and Louis Moholo (drums), plus Frank Wright & Willem Breuker(sax), Hannes Bauer & Alan Tomlinson (trombone) and Alexander Von Schlippenbach (piano).

A unique saxophone quartet from 4 distinctive players, all on soprano sax -- Johh Butcher, Christian Kobi, Hans Koch, and Urs Leimgruber -- creating an incredible array of sound and spontaneous composition with profound technical prowess and discerning discretion in dialog.

Led by composers Sam Eastmond and Nikki Franklin, The SPIKE Orchestra is a large ensemble that draws on a wide range of influences including Duke Ellington, Frank Zappa, Carl Stalling, Zorn and more, here performing the 26th "Book of Angels" covering Zorn's Masada book.

A memorial CD of unreleased material from the late contrabassist Stefano Scodanibbio, who was a student of Fernando Grillo's and a long-time associate of Luigi Nono and Terry Riley, performing with an ensemble that includes Riley, Tristan Honsinger, Bruce Ackley, &c.

NY bassist Jason Anastasoff composes map-based works using graphic & traditional notation, plus interpreted spoken work, peformed with Sean Ali (bass), Brad Henkel (trumpet), Nathaniel Morgan (sax), Owen Stewart-Robertson (guitar) and Jacob Wick (trumpet).

Five idiosyncratic compositions by English composer Frank Denyer with performers including The Barton Workshop, Elisabeth Smalt, Juliet Fraser, Kiku Day and Frank Denyer himself, using shakuhachi, voice, muted strings, percussion and an axe striking a block of wood.

Montreal's most creative large ensemble, led by Joane Hetu & Daniell Palardy Roger, in their 5th release presenting works composed between 1976-2015 featuring twenty musicians playing in different combinations, showing the creative breadth and skills of this amazing band.

Rova led by saxophonist Larry Ochs expands their translation of John Coltrane's "Ascension" in this amazing 3 disc CD/DVD/BluRay set of their cathartic performance at the 2012 Guelph Jazz Festival with a stellar lineup including Mazurek, Frith, Cline, Mori, Drake, &c &c.

A 15-member ensemble of Boston area improvisers plus guests Jeb Bishop, Tony Malaby and Taylor Ho Bynum, taking their name from the deep-sea submersibles used for exploring, as this band survey's large form improvisation that blends free and melodic jazz in adventurous ways.

Carl Ludwig Hubsch (tuba); Ole Schmidt (bass clarinet); Chris Weinheimer (bass flute); Robert Schleisiek (piano); and Tom Lorenz (vibraphone) interpret Christian Wolff's composition based on "Union Maid", a song from the 1920's, transforming the work through temporal expansion.

Pianist Chris McGregor's 1963 album with a large South African band including saxophonists Dudu Pukwana and Kippie Moeketsi, and Mongezi Feza on trumpet, a precursor to Blue Notes and Brotherhood of Breath, showing the powerful direction McGregor was to take his music in.

The follow-up to drummer/composer Dan Weiss's release "Fourteen" presents a larger ensemble taking on jazz, world music, prog rock, contemporary classical music and more in compositions named for drummers, with a diverse orchestration of acoustic and unconventional instruments.

The duo Contour of Stephen Altoff (trumpet) & Lee Forrest Ferguson (percussion) perform Antoine Beuger's "dedekind duos" dedicated to mathematician Julius Wilhelm Richard Dedekind; and Jurg Frey's "22 Sachelchen" or "small things", 22 focused miniature compositions.

The first release from Ken Vandermark's Audiographic label, and his new band Audio One, a 10-piece ensemble inclduing Jason Adasiewicz (vibes), Jeb Bishop (trombone), Josh Berman (cornet), Tim Daisy (drums), Nick Mazzarella, Mars Williams, Dave Rempis & Ken Vandermark on reeds.

With a quartet of reeds (Nick Mazzarella, Dave Rempis, Ken Vandermark, Mars Williams), Jeb Bishop on trombone, Josh Berman on cornet, plus Jen Paulson on viola, Jason Adasiewicz on vibes, Nick Macri on bass and Tim Daisy on drums, this Chicago band burns with amazing free playing!

With a quartet of reeds (Nick Mazzarella, Dave Rempis, Ken Vandermark, Mars Williams), Jeb Bishop on trombone, Josh Berman on cornet, plus Jen Paulson on viola, Jason Adasiewicz on vibes, Nick Macri on bass and Tim Daisy on drums, this Chicago band burns with amazing free playing!

Using electronics and voice, composer & sound artist Gtanit Elyakim presents a diverse set of compositions in collaboration with other acoustic, voice and electronic artists, a superb debut for an artist interested in aspects of the human and the digital paradigm.

Improvising vocalist Linda Sharrock in a 2 CD release, one live with a sextet including trumpeter Itaru Oki and pianist Eric Zinman, one in the studio in a quartet with Derek Saw on trumpet and John Jasnoch on electric guitar, both performing the complex 3 part title track.

A pop-infused psychedelic trip featuring Cyro with a huge lineup of superb musicians, lyrical improvisation with latin and world influences, with Baptista taking vocals over his eclectic and melodically embraceable music; a beautiful album to return to frequently.

Eric Normand's Quebec based 12-piece GGRIL (Grand Groupe Regional d'Improvisation) in an album of 5 improvisations and a piece by percussionist Danielle P. Roger; wonderfully creative music with eclectic instrumentation that's simultaneously challenging and fun.

Two works for piano and orchestra from Polish composer Kazimierz Serocki, recorded for Polish Radio in Krakow in 1973 with Jerzy Witkowski on piano (Forte e piano) and for Great Polish Radio in Katowice in 1979 with Szablocs Esztenyi on piano ("Pianophonie").

Ernesto Rodrigues leads a 16 piece orchestra of strings, reeds, winds, voice, brass, accordion, electric guitar, electronics and percussion through the elaborately restrained work "Chelodnis Nigra", rewarding the careful listener with fascinating layers of sound.

A 46-member orchestra of electroacoustic improvisers performing live at St. George's Church in Lisbon in 2015, for an extended and dynamic tapestry of sound conducted by leader Ernesto Rodrigues, with an impressive list of artists familiar to those following the CS label.

The 5th of 7 large and inspiring works that began with a Festival of New Trumpet commission in 2007, here in an ensemble of 19 players including C. Spencer Yeh, Ben Vida, Ben Hall, Matt Moran, Chris Dingman, Dan Peck, Josh Sinton, Colin Stetson, the TILT brass octet, &c.

A multimedia box set of Anthony Braxton's opera work "Trillium J", containing live performance video on Blu-ray disc of a 2014 performance at Roulette in NY, and studio recording on 4-CD set, with 12 vocalists, 12 instrumental soloists and a full orchestra.

The 11 piece Systematic Distortion Orchestra is led by composer and viola player Frantz Loriot, with Brooklyn Downtown players Nathaniel Morgan (sax), Brad Henkel & Joe Moffet (trumpet), Ben Gerstein, Sam Kulik (trombone), Sean Ali & Pascal Niggenkemper (bass), and 3 drummers.

Lisbon Underground Music Ensemble (LUME) is an 11-piece ensemble led by pianist Marco Barroso, here captured live at the 2014 festival Jazz em Agosto for an unusual concert that blends free jazz, noise, rock, musical quotes and much, much more in exhiliarating ways.

Pauline Oliveros surrounded by Belgian ensemble Musiques Nouvelles, performing two long pieces for orchestra, using her Expanded Instrument System and 5.1 Surround Sound System in a mix of conducted and improvised music using metaphors and listening concepts.

Ten prominents electroacoustic improvisers--Tetuzi Akiyama, Moe Kamura, Radu Malfatti, Kazushige Kinoshita, Masahiko Okura, Nikos Veliotis, Taku Unami, Toshihiro Koike, Klaus Filip, Taku Sugimoto--performing live at Ftarri in 2013, for subtle and exquisite lowercase sound.

Drummer Paal Nilssen-Love's Large Unit recorded this ecstatic, Brazilian influenced material in 2015 after a mammoth European and North-American tour, hours after their performance at the 2015 Oslo Jazzfestival with an extended line-up with Brazilian percussion players.

The Ensemble Daswirdas performs John Cage's "Branches" composition, which is based on a previous work, "Child of Tree", but here each performer plays an 8 minute variation of that work, which is performed on amplified pods, cacti, and other plant materials.

A 2-disc + book release from Paal Nilssen-Love's Large Unit, the 1st recorded at the Casa del Popolo club in Montreal presenting smaller units of duos and trios, and the 2nd capturing the full orchestra as they ended their North American tour at Seattle's Earshot Jazz festival.

The incredible Fire! Orchestra in a 21-piece rendition performs in the studio for an ecstatic album of free improvisation and song, with an amazing lineup including Mats Gustafsson, Mette Rasmussen, Johan Berthling, Hild Sofie Tafjord, Lotte Anker, &c. &c.

Taken from 2 concerts during the 2013 Angelica Festival in Santa Caterina, with the Apartment House Ensemble, percussionist Robyn Schulkowsky, and Wolff himself; compositions include several "Excercises", his "Duo for Violins", and a variation on a Morton Feldman work.

Known mostly as a masterful improviser, this 2015 live performance of her 2009 work for a tenet crosses compositional and improvisation boundaries, reflecting on her 40 year career while bringing out new subtleties from its original release, here with a superb set of performers.

Composer Simon Martin pays hommage to Quebec painters Ozias Leduc, Paul-Emile Borduas, and Jean-Paul Riopelle in contemplative works for each artist, performed by the ensembles Quatuor Bozzini, Quasar quatuor de saxophons, and Trio de guitares contemporain.

Joh Zorn wrote this multifaceted suite celebrating the vibrant Italian dramatic form Commedia dell'arte that began in the 16th century, evoking the characters Harlequin, Colombina, Scaramouch, Pulcinella and Pierrot in five compositional miniatures for small chamber ensembles.

Two Zorn compositions touching upon the mediaeval world: "The Holy Visions", a Mystery Play in 11 strophes for voice concerning mystic Hildegard von Bingen; "The Remedy of Fortune" is a string quartet inspired by the 12th century troubadour Guillaume de Machaut.

Cologne pianist and composer Simon Russell wrote these compositions, melding jazz, classical, electronic, even tango music into lyrical and joyfully quirky works, performed by his ensemble with Goerg Wissel, Matthias Muche, Udo Moll, Carl Ludwig Hubsch, &c.

Drummer/percussionist Hubert Zemler's second solo album with two compositions inspired by electronic music, particularly by works of the ensemble Suaves Figures, recorded in the vaults of the Camaldolese Church in Bielany, Warsaw with Milosz Pekala on vibraphones.

Chicago flautist Nicole Mitchell presents a work inspired by photographs from scholar and leader of social justice, W.E.B. Dubois, about African American prosperity after the civil war, a rich and compelling set of compositions performed in an ensemble of superb Chicago improvisers.

Saxophonist Pierre-Antoine Badaroux and double bassist Sebastien Beliah formed Ensemble Hodos in 2008 to perform the music of composers who wrote scores that include freedom and/or improvisation for the players, here performing the music of Philip Corner.

An amazing collection of concepts described in John Steven's manual "Search and Reflect" and recorded in workshops and concerts primarily in the 70s, with participants including Trevor Watts, Evan Parker, Paul Rutherfod, Ian Brighton, Nigel Coombes, John Russell, Lindsay Cooper, &c.

Paying homage to one of the most original creators in improvised music, Lawrence 'Butch' Morris, the Bay Area Rova Quartet is expanded into an orchestra with an impressive set of improvisers in three works that balance compositional approaches with improvisation through conduction.

An expansive album blending acoustic and electronic instruments in unique ways, creating a tapestry of sound as a framework for creative improvisation, composed by drummer Dre Hocevar & performed in an ensemble that includes some of New York's finest young improvisers.

Pianist and composer Eve Risser wrote this work after a mystical experience in Bryce Canyon, Utah, adding a choir to her 10-piece orchestra, balancing big band and chamber orchestra through instrumentation and approach, creating a complex and fulfilling journey in sound.