Kontakte Trio (Trevor Taylor / Ian Brighton / Steve Beresford)
Kontakte Trio
(FMR)
An important and well-matched trio of electroacoustic improvisers, and a welcome addition to guitarist Ian Brighton's return to active music life, with Steve Beresford on piano, prepared piano and electronics, and Trevor Taylor (Circuit) on percussion and electronics, six unhurried improvisations of intricate interplay and interchange themed on physics.
John Butcher / John Edwards / Mark Sanders
Last Dream Of The Morning
(Relative Pitch)
A studio album between three UK master improvisers -- John Butcher on sax, John Edwards on double bass, and Mark Sanders on drums -- the trio pushing the envelope in technique and dialog in nearly telepathic playing that transports the listener into their environment, as the music builds and releases in effortless ways that are stunning and exulant; highly recommended.
Dunmall / Shipp / Edwards / Sanders
Live in London
(FMR)
Two extended examples of free improvisation from UK stalwarts, tenor saxophonist Paul Dunmall, bassist John Edwards, and drummer Mark Sanders, joined by New York pianist Matthew Shipp, all captured live at Cafe Oto in 2010; set one is an unflagging example of energetic collective improv, set two more introspective yet vital and demanding; a superb concert!
Fred Van Hove / Roger Turner
The Corner
(Relative Pitch)
Pioneering improvising pianist Fred Van Hove at UK's Cafe OTO for the first time, captured in a duo with UK drummer/percussionist Roger Turner, their first recording together, for a night of exceptional improvised interplay, sophisticated and complex playing that is constantly buoyant and charming, an enthralling conversation between two veteran players.
Rhodri Davies / David Sylvian / Mark Wastell
There Is No Love
(Confront)
Confront initiates their new Core Series with the text piece "There Is No Love" with David Sylvian on voice, vocal treatments and electronics, Rhodri Davies on harp, vibraphone and radio, and Mark Wastel on tam tam and percussion, a sophisticated spoken word piece of shadowy atmosphere and innuendo, leveraging approaches from experimental, improvised and composed music.
Tipple (Frode Gjerstad / Kevin Norton / David Watson)
Live at Elastic Arts
(FMR)
Tipple, the trio of Frode Gjerstad on alto sax and clarinet, Kevin Norton on percussion, and David Watson on electric guitar, are captured live for an energetic and masterly concert at Elastic Arts, in Chicago, Illinois in 2015, four "Elastic" improvisations of intense interaction, from collective conversation to stunning solo statements; jaw dropping.
Sonny Simmons
Leaving Knowledge, Wisdom and Brilliance / Chasing The Bird? [8 CD BOX]
(Improvising Beings)
An 8 CD set presenting 2 major works from saxophonist Sonny Simmons celebrating his 80th birthday, split into two sections: "Chasing The Bird" and "Leaving Knowledge Wisdom And Brilliance", using a variety of approaches using improv and world music to create a visionary music. Two 4-CD multiboxes with no additional cardboard housing.
Magda Mayas / Jim Denley
Tempe Jetz
(Relative Pitch)
A pairing of two innovative players, Berlin-based pianist Magda Mayas and Australian sound and wind artist Jim Denley, Mayas playing inside and out of the piano and Denley on alto sax and bass flute, both providing field recordings adding unexpected elements in a set of extremely balanced recordings that entrance the listener with unlikely and captivating settings.
Nate Wooley
Knknighgh (Minimal Poetry for Aram Saroyan)
(Clean Feed)
Pronounced as "knife", this new project from NY trumpeter Nate Wooley brings together Chris Pitsiokos on alto sax, Brandon Lopez on bass, and Dre Hocevar on drums in a fresh take on the concepts of free jazz, using short material composed by Wooley and based on the poetry of Aram Saroyan, used in looping and repeating structures that never sound as such.
Joe McPhee
Seattle Symphony [VINYL]
(Kye)
Free jazz saxophone and trumpet legend Joe McPhee explains that he considers Seattle his second home, performing regularly there since 1984; in 2010, after the passing of his own heroes, trumpeter Bill Dixon and saxophonist Fred Anderson, McPhee presented this tribute there as a solo "symphony" in a remarkable, heartfelt and absolutely impressive concert.
Jose Lencastre Nau Quartet (Lencastre / Pinheiro / Faustino / Lencastre)
Fragments of Always
(FMR)
Portuguese alto saxophonist Jose Lencastre's Nau [ship] Quartet with Joao Lencastre on drums and two thirds of Red Trio -- Rodrigo Pinheiro on piano and Hernani Faustino on bass -- in a lyrical album of collective free improvisation informed by masterful playing that's energetic but never bombastic, a thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking album.
Kamins / Smith / Fielder / Hertenstein
After Effects
(FMR)
A great example of traditional free improvisation spanning generations from the quartet of Danny Kamins on baritone saxophone, Damon Smith on double bass, and two drummer/percussionists--Alvin Fielder and Joe Hertenstein--for 10 tracks of swinging free music recorded in the studio in Texas, 2016, jazz with a lyrical intention and powerful rhythmic underpinnings.
Iancu Dumitrescu / Ana-Maria Avram
Electronic Music
(Edition Modern)
Three works for computer from Iancu Dumitrescu and one from Ana-Maria Avram, each a radical works of spectral music in tribute to ILan Volkov, Andy Wilson, Ben Watson and Stephen O'Malley.
Postmarks (Boris Hauf / D Bayne / Martin Siewert)
National Parks
(Monotype)
The duo of saxophonist Boris Hauf and pianist D Bayne team up with guitarist Martin Siewert in this collection of tracks inspired by different U.S. national parks and their representation in iconic posters.
Nigel Coombes / Steve Beresford
White String's Attached (1979)
(Emanem)
These 1979 duo concert performances from violinist Nigel Coomes and pianist Steve Beresford were generally considered at the time to be the most significant advance in violin & piano music for around 200 years.
Tim Olive / Anne-F Jacques
Dominion Mills
(845 Audio)
Anne-F Jacques performs on rotating devices, small electric motors which are modified, manipulated and amplified, and Tim Olive plays magnetic pickups, here recording 3 studio works of unusual and inspired improvisations.
Jurg Frey
String Quartet No. 3 / Unhorbare Zeit
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Two works from composer Frey performed by Montreal's string ensemble Quatuor Bozzini: "String Quartet No. 3", a minimal work of colors, sensations, shadows, durations; and "Unhorbare Zeit" exploring durations without sound, or empty volumes, to achieve lucidity and transparency.
Christian Lillinger / Tobias Deluis
Dicht
(Relative Pitch)
Berlin-based improvisers Christian Lillinger on drums and Tobias Delius on tenor sax and clarinet in an album of powerful rhythms, instant melodies, and quick-witted responses, bridging a generation of experience in dialog and give and take that works well head on and in reserve, a great encounter from two modern and active creative players.
Eric La Casa
Paris Quotidien [CD+60 page booklet of photos & text]
(Swarming)
Eric La Casa documents his home environment in Paris through audio investigation and field recordings, creating 3 large works that reveal the properties, singularities, banalities and features of his audio environment in perspective to his status as a citizen of the city, presented in a gatefold CD package with a color 60-page booklet of photos and text.
Bill Orcutt
Bill Orcutt [VINYL]
(Palilalia)
Guitarist Bill Orcutt's self-titled solo album brings a mix of standards and original compositions, starting with Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" and eclectically running us to "The Star Spangled Banner", each song unfolding as he delivers in an unhurried way with rich sustain and reverb on a 4-string Telecaster, performing at The Living Room in San Francisco.
Keiji Haino
Watashi Dake [VINYL + DOWNLOAD CODE]
(Black Editions)
Enigmatic Japanese legend Keiji Haino's 1981 debut album receives a fitting reissue in this metallic gold and silver jacket pressing, presenting the stark vocals, whispered and screamed, punctuating dark silences over intricate and sharp guitar figures that interweave, repeat, and stretch, trance-like, emerging from dark recesses; an essential piece of the Haino puzzle.
Keith Rowe / Michael Pisaro
13 Thirteen [2 CDs]
(erstwhile)
A collaboration between composer Michael Pisaro and AMM guitarist/improviser Keith Rowe, with each bringing scores which they improvised over, creating 13 discrete sections including samples from Shostakovich's 13th String Quartet, balancing activity, space and silence in patient ways that only two such experienced composer/improvisers could.
Univers Zero
Heresie [VINYL]
(Sub Rosa)
A much-needed reissue of Univers Zero's second album, "Heresie", originally released in 1979, here in its 2010 Cuneiform Records remix; a classic of chamber rock music in the Rock in Opposition approach, featuring heavy use of dissonance and dark, brooding, and extremely complex melodies, a classic and important record showing creative paths in rock music.
Eric Revis
Sing Me Some Cry
(Clean Feed)
Double Bassist Eric Revis expands his concepts in this outstanding album with fellow New Yorkers, pianist Kris Davis and drummer Chad Taylor, and Chicago reedist Ken Vandermark on tenor saxophone, with all four players providing compositions that push the limit on structure and form while opening up the players to superb soloing settings of great modern jazz.
Roots Magic
Last Kind Words
(Clean Feed)
Deep Blues and Creative Jazz from the Italian septet Roots Magic, following up their "Hoodoo Magic" CD with another compelling album of instrumentals where the track list consists of personal renditions of Delta Blues classics (mostly Charlie Patton) played with an overtly exploratory attitude derived from the Free Jazz tradition.
Kontakte Trio (Trevor Taylor / Ian Brighton / Steve Beresford)
Kontakte Trio
(FMR)
An important and well-matched trio of electroacoustic improvisers, and a welcome addition to guitarist Ian Brighton's return to active music life, with Steve Beresford on piano, prepared piano and electronics, and Trevor Taylor (Circuit) on percussion and electronics, six unhurried improvisations of intricate interplay and interchange themed on physics.
Dunmall / Shipp / Edwards / Sanders
Live in London
(FMR)
Two extended examples of free improvisation from UK stalwarts, tenor saxophonist Paul Dunmall, bassist John Edwards, and drummer Mark Sanders, joined by New York pianist Matthew Shipp, all captured live at Cafe Oto in 2010; set one is an unflagging example of energetic collective improv, set two more introspective yet vital and demanding; a superb concert!
Fred Van Hove / Roger Turner
The Corner
(Relative Pitch)
Pioneering improvising pianist Fred Van Hove at UK's Cafe OTO for the first time, captured in a duo with UK drummer/percussionist Roger Turner, their first recording together, for a night of exceptional improvised interplay, sophisticated and complex playing that is constantly buoyant and charming, an enthralling conversation between two veteran players.
Rhodri Davies / David Sylvian / Mark Wastell
There Is No Love
(Confront)
Confront initiates their new Core Series with the text piece "There Is No Love" with David Sylvian on voice, vocal treatments and electronics, Rhodri Davies on harp, vibraphone and radio, and Mark Wastel on tam tam and percussion, a sophisticated spoken word piece of shadowy atmosphere and innuendo, leveraging approaches from experimental, improvised and composed music.
Tipple (Frode Gjerstad / Kevin Norton / David Watson)
Live at Elastic Arts
(FMR)
Tipple, the trio of Frode Gjerstad on alto sax and clarinet, Kevin Norton on percussion, and David Watson on electric guitar, are captured live for an energetic and masterly concert at Elastic Arts, in Chicago, Illinois in 2015, four "Elastic" improvisations of intense interaction, from collective conversation to stunning solo statements; jaw dropping.
Sonny Simmons
Leaving Knowledge, Wisdom and Brilliance / Chasing The Bird? [8 CD BOX]
(Improvising Beings)
An 8 CD set presenting 2 major works from saxophonist Sonny Simmons celebrating his 80th birthday, split into two sections: "Chasing The Bird" and "Leaving Knowledge Wisdom And Brilliance", using a variety of approaches using improv and world music to create a visionary music. Two 4-CD multiboxes with no additional cardboard housing.
Magda Mayas / Jim Denley
Tempe Jetz
(Relative Pitch)
A pairing of two innovative players, Berlin-based pianist Magda Mayas and Australian sound and wind artist Jim Denley, Mayas playing inside and out of the piano and Denley on alto sax and bass flute, both providing field recordings adding unexpected elements in a set of extremely balanced recordings that entrance the listener with unlikely and captivating settings.
Nate Wooley
Knknighgh (Minimal Poetry for Aram Saroyan)
(Clean Feed)
Pronounced as "knife", this new project from NY trumpeter Nate Wooley brings together Chris Pitsiokos on alto sax, Brandon Lopez on bass, and Dre Hocevar on drums in a fresh take on the concepts of free jazz, using short material composed by Wooley and based on the poetry of Aram Saroyan, used in looping and repeating structures that never sound as such.
Joe McPhee
Seattle Symphony [VINYL]
(Kye)
Free jazz saxophone and trumpet legend Joe McPhee explains that he considers Seattle his second home, performing regularly there since 1984; in 2010, after the passing of his own heroes, trumpeter Bill Dixon and saxophonist Fred Anderson, McPhee presented this tribute there as a solo "symphony" in a remarkable, heartfelt and absolutely impressive concert.
Jose Lencastre Nau Quartet (Lencastre / Pinheiro / Faustino / Lencastre)
Fragments of Always
(FMR)
Portuguese alto saxophonist Jose Lencastre's Nau [ship] Quartet with Joao Lencastre on drums and two thirds of Red Trio -- Rodrigo Pinheiro on piano and Hernani Faustino on bass -- in a lyrical album of collective free improvisation informed by masterful playing that's energetic but never bombastic, a thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking album.
Kamins / Smith / Fielder / Hertenstein
After Effects
(FMR)
A great example of traditional free improvisation spanning generations from the quartet of Danny Kamins on baritone saxophone, Damon Smith on double bass, and two drummer/percussionists--Alvin Fielder and Joe Hertenstein--for 10 tracks of swinging free music recorded in the studio in Texas, 2016, jazz with a lyrical intention and powerful rhythmic underpinnings.
Iancu Dumitrescu / Ana-Maria Avram
Electronic Music
(Edition Modern)
Three works for computer from Iancu Dumitrescu and one from Ana-Maria Avram, each a radical works of spectral music in tribute to ILan Volkov, Andy Wilson, Ben Watson and Stephen O'Malley.
Postmarks (Boris Hauf / D Bayne / Martin Siewert)
National Parks
(Monotype)
The duo of saxophonist Boris Hauf and pianist D Bayne team up with guitarist Martin Siewert in this collection of tracks inspired by different U.S. national parks and their representation in iconic posters.
Nigel Coombes / Steve Beresford
White String's Attached (1979)
(Emanem)
These 1979 duo concert performances from violinist Nigel Coomes and pianist Steve Beresford were generally considered at the time to be the most significant advance in violin & piano music for around 200 years.
Tim Olive / Anne-F Jacques
Dominion Mills
(845 Audio)
Anne-F Jacques performs on rotating devices, small electric motors which are modified, manipulated and amplified, and Tim Olive plays magnetic pickups, here recording 3 studio works of unusual and inspired improvisations.
Jurg Frey
String Quartet No. 3 / Unhorbare Zeit
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Two works from composer Frey performed by Montreal's string ensemble Quatuor Bozzini: "String Quartet No. 3", a minimal work of colors, sensations, shadows, durations; and "Unhorbare Zeit" exploring durations without sound, or empty volumes, to achieve lucidity and transparency.
Christian Lillinger / Tobias Deluis
Dicht
(Relative Pitch)
Berlin-based improvisers Christian Lillinger on drums and Tobias Delius on tenor sax and clarinet in an album of powerful rhythms, instant melodies, and quick-witted responses, bridging a generation of experience in dialog and give and take that works well head on and in reserve, a great encounter from two modern and active creative players.
Eric La Casa
Paris Quotidien [CD+60 page booklet of photos & text]
(Swarming)
Eric La Casa documents his home environment in Paris through audio investigation and field recordings, creating 3 large works that reveal the properties, singularities, banalities and features of his audio environment in perspective to his status as a citizen of the city, presented in a gatefold CD package with a color 60-page booklet of photos and text.
Keith Rowe / Michael Pisaro
13 Thirteen [2 CDs]
(erstwhile)
A collaboration between composer Michael Pisaro and AMM guitarist/improviser Keith Rowe, with each bringing scores which they improvised over, creating 13 discrete sections including samples from Shostakovich's 13th String Quartet, balancing activity, space and silence in patient ways that only two such experienced composer/improvisers could.
Eric Revis
Sing Me Some Cry
(Clean Feed)
Double Bassist Eric Revis expands his concepts in this outstanding album with fellow New Yorkers, pianist Kris Davis and drummer Chad Taylor, and Chicago reedist Ken Vandermark on tenor saxophone, with all four players providing compositions that push the limit on structure and form while opening up the players to superb soloing settings of great modern jazz.
Roots Magic
Last Kind Words
(Clean Feed)
Deep Blues and Creative Jazz from the Italian septet Roots Magic, following up their "Hoodoo Magic" CD with another compelling album of instrumentals where the track list consists of personal renditions of Delta Blues classics (mostly Charlie Patton) played with an overtly exploratory attitude derived from the Free Jazz tradition.
Max Johnson
In The West
(Clean Feed)
New York bassist Max Johnson expands his piano trio of Kris Davis on piano and Mike Pride on drums with Susan Alcorn on pedal steel guitar, adding an eclectic Western flavor to overall on-point, anchored and driven modern jazz of a high order, balancing lyrical playing with moments of free collective playing, in a beautiful and extraordinary album.
Rob Mazurek
Rome
(Clean Feed)
Rob Mazurek solo works are brilliant displays of honest, lyrical and emotional playing, here recording in Rome for Radio Roma, bringing the cornet to the foreground, starting with a piece only on the horn, then adding electronics, piano, and prepared piano for a set of ethereal and spiritual improvisations that are not bound by any specific genre.
Ayumi Tanaka / Johan Lindvall / Christian Wallumrod
3 Pianos
(Nakama Records)
This trio joins 3 disparate approaches to composition and improvisation--Japanese improviser Ayumi Tanaka, Oslo composer Johan Lindvall, and ECM artist Christian Wallumrod-developing the engaging material on this album by focusing on elements like tuning, register, intervals and dynamics, for an absorbing album of compatible and concentrative playing.
Labrosse, Hetu Parkins, Roger, Tenko
La legende de la pluie
(Ambiances Magnetiques)
Compositions for synthesizers, electric harp, tabletop guitar, accordion, alto saxophone, percussion and voices performed by Joane Hetu, Diane Labrosse, Zeena PArkins, Danielle Palardy Roger, and Tenko.
Bill Orcutt
Bill Orcutt [VINYL]
(Palilalia)
Guitarist Bill Orcutt's self-titled solo album brings a mix of standards and original compositions, starting with Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" and eclectically running us to "The Star Spangled Banner", each song unfolding as he delivers in an unhurried way with rich sustain and reverb on a 4-string Telecaster, performing at The Living Room in San Francisco.
Keiji Haino
Watashi Dake [VINYL + DOWNLOAD CODE]
(Black Editions)
Enigmatic Japanese legend Keiji Haino's 1981 debut album receives a fitting reissue in this metallic gold and silver jacket pressing, presenting the stark vocals, whispered and screamed, punctuating dark silences over intricate and sharp guitar figures that interweave, repeat, and stretch, trance-like, emerging from dark recesses; an essential piece of the Haino puzzle.
Arto Lindsay & Paal Nilssen-Love
Scarcity [VINYL]
(PNL)
During Paal Nilssen-Love's July 2013 solo gig at Auido Rebel's Quintavant in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he was joined by Arto Lindsay performing on electric guitar and voice, recording these two impressive improvisations released on a 180 Gram 33/45 RPM record.
Steve Swell Quintet (Swell / Moondoc / Burrell / W. Parker / Cleaver)
Soul Travelers [VINYL + DOWNLOAD]
(RogueArt)
A great set of Downtown NY players led by trombonist Steve Swell, with Jemeel Moondoc on alto sax, Dave Burrell on piano, William Parker on double bass and Gerald Cleaver on drums, a heartfelt and masterfully soulful album of excellent modern jazz in a limited LP.
Peeesseye + Talibam!
[VINYL]
(Smeraldina-Rima)
New York bands Talibam! and Peeesseye together for a limited edition album mixing rock, sound and noise, and altogether unknown territory; great stuff!
Eugene Chadbourne & Greg Malcolm
Jazz School [VINYL]
(Monotype)
A collection of lo-fi experimental miniatures from guitarists Chadbourne and Malcolm playing the music of Steve Lacy and Eric Dolphy in unexpected ways!
Mattin
Exquisite Corpse [VINYL]
(Azul Discografica)
Mattin on voice in an album of rock improvisations featuring Loy Fankbonner on drums, Margarida Garcia on electric double bass, Kevin Failure on guitar and Mattin on vocals recorded in NYC in 2009.
Luc Ferrari
Presque Rien [VINYL 2 LPs]
(Recollection GRM)
Collecting all four of Luc Ferrari's musique concrete masterpieces "Presque Rien" on LP for the first time, forward-thinking and well-considered work from one of the masters of electroacoustic music.
Axel Dorner & Jassem Hindi
waterkil [WHITE VINYL]
(Corvo)
Since meeting in Beirut at the 2006 Irtijal Festival, the duo of trumpeter Axel Dorner and electronic artist Jassem Hindi have regularly performed their electroacoustic music using their equipment and instruments in unusual ways.
Jonas Kullhammar Quartet
Lat Det Vara [VINYL]
(Moserobie Music)
Saxophonist Jonas Kullhammar's Swedish quartet with Torbjorn Gulz (piano), Jonas Holgersson (drums) & Torbjorn Zetterberg (bass) with an album cover delivering the Beatles' iconic message that the quartet is disbanding, while delivering a rock solid album of superb modern jazz.
N.E.W. (Noble / Edwards / Ward)
Motion [VINYL]
(Dancing Wayang)
The London power jazz trio of Steve Noble on drums, John Edwards on double bass and Alex Ward on electric guitar, powerful and exhilarating free improvisation from a trio who for more than 10 years have developed a unique sound that blurs the lines of jazz & rock.
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.
Otomo Yoshihide / Paal Nilssen-Love
[VINYL]
(JVTLANDT)
The fiery, complex and exultant duo of drummer/percussionist Paal Nilssen-Love and Otomo Yoshihide on electric guitar, performing at the Copenhagen Jazzhouse in May 2013, an intense and rewarding set from two authoritative improvisers.
Schlippenbach Trio
First Recordings [VINYL]
(Trost Records)
These 1972 trio recordings of pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach's Trio with Evan Parker on tenor & soprano sax, and Paul Lovens on drums recording at the Workshop Freie Musik at the Acadamy of the Arts, Berlin, were found in the FMP archives and are issued for the first time ever.
Peter Brotzmann Group
Alarm [VINYL]
(Cien Fuegos)
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).
Marilyn Lerner / Ken Filiano / Lou Grassi
Live At Edgefest [VINYL]
(NoBusiness)
Live recordings from the 2013 Edgefest by the trio of Canadian pianist Marilyn Lerner, NY bassist Ken Filiano, and drummer Lou Grassi, a freely flowing session that combines profound technical skills with innate lyrical sensibility.
Jean Schwarz
Erda / Suite N [VINYL]
(Recollection GRM)
Electronic composer Jean Schwarz in two large works composed in the Ina GRM's numerical composition studio exploring exaggerated amplification, inversion, transformation, and include tributes to Kenny Clarke and John Coltrane.
Kevin Drumm
The Back Room [VINYL]
(Monotype)
Kevin Drumm released this originally on a CDR in 2012 to be sold on tour, now released properly on vinly LP, 5 tracks of intensive sound, glitch and feedback from one of the modern masters of noise.
Paal Nilssen-Love
News From the Junkyard [VINYL]
(PNL)
Assembling a wide range of percussive instruments accumulated through world travels, from Korean gongs to scrap metal sheets from Ethiopia, Paal Nilssen-Love presents an intense and wide-ranging solo percussion tour-de-force, recorded in Oslo by frequent collaborator Lasse Marhaug.
Bobby Bradford / Hafez Modirzadeh / Mark Dresser / Alex Cline
Live At The Open Gate [VINYL]
(NoBusiness)
West Coast cornetist Bobby Bradford captured live in 2013 for a superb set at the Center for the Arts in Los Angeles, part of the Open Gate Theatre Sunday evening concert series, in a quartet with Hafez Modirzadeh on alto sax, Mark Dresser on bass, and Alex Cline on drums.
Alvin Curran
Natural History [VINYL]
(Black Truffle)
The first-ever vinyl issue of Alvin Curran's 1983 cassette release, a composition of organized field recordings, a major work he describes as a series of "still lifes" from 20 years of recordings with an engrossingly diverse set of curious and concrete sounds - amazing!
Bill Orcutt / Chris Corsano
Live At Various / Various Live [VINYL 2 LPs]
(Palilalia)
Reissuing 2 Palilalia cassettes from the tour following guitarist Bill Orcutt (here on electric) and drummer/percussionist Chris Corsano's "The Raw and the Cooked" LP, both in excellent form as they play Northampton, Mexico City, Brooklyn, Montreal, Cleveland and Rochester.
John Dikeman / Luis Vicente / Hugo Antunes / Gabriel Ferrandini
Salao Brasil [VINYL]
(NoBusiness)
Live recordings from Salao, Brazil in 2016 by the quartet of John Dikeman on tenor saxophone, Luis Vicente on trumpet, Hugo Antunes on double bass, and Gabriel Ferrandini on drums, for two sets of exploratory and often explosive free jazz.
Henry Threadgill & Zooid
In for a Penny, In for a Pound [VINYL]
(Pi Recordings)
Henry Threadgill's new epic work in four movements written specifically to feature each of the musicians in Zooid: "Ceroepic" for Elliott Kavee (drums), "Dosepic" for Christopher Hoffman (cello), "Tresepic" for Jose Davila (trombone & tuba), and "Unoepic" for Liberty Ellman (guitar).
Sun Ra / Merzbow
Strange City [VINYL]
(Cold Spring Records)
Blurring the lines between Sun Ra's avant jazz and Merzbow's approach to noise, these pieces are based on rare and unreleased tracks authorized by the Sun Ra archive, worked into compositions that morph and micro-inspect each track into something unique and outer-worldly.
Kontakte Trio (Trevor Taylor / Ian Brighton / Steve Beresford)
Kontakte Trio
(FMR)
An important and well-matched trio of electroacoustic improvisers, and a welcome addition to guitarist Ian Brighton's return to active music life, with Steve Beresford on piano, prepared piano and electronics, and Trevor Taylor (Circuit) on percussion and electronics, six unhurried improvisations of intricate interplay and interchange themed on physics.
Dunmall / Shipp / Edwards / Sanders
Live in London
(FMR)
Two extended examples of free improvisation from UK stalwarts, tenor saxophonist Paul Dunmall, bassist John Edwards, and drummer Mark Sanders, joined by New York pianist Matthew Shipp, all captured live at Cafe Oto in 2010; set one is an unflagging example of energetic collective improv, set two more introspective yet vital and demanding; a superb concert!
Fred Van Hove / Roger Turner
The Corner
(Relative Pitch)
Pioneering improvising pianist Fred Van Hove at UK's Cafe OTO for the first time, captured in a duo with UK drummer/percussionist Roger Turner, their first recording together, for a night of exceptional improvised interplay, sophisticated and complex playing that is constantly buoyant and charming, an enthralling conversation between two veteran players.
Rhodri Davies / David Sylvian / Mark Wastell
There Is No Love
(Confront)
Confront initiates their new Core Series with the text piece "There Is No Love" with David Sylvian on voice, vocal treatments and electronics, Rhodri Davies on harp, vibraphone and radio, and Mark Wastel on tam tam and percussion, a sophisticated spoken word piece of shadowy atmosphere and innuendo, leveraging approaches from experimental, improvised and composed music.
Tipple (Frode Gjerstad / Kevin Norton / David Watson)
Live at Elastic Arts
(FMR)
Tipple, the trio of Frode Gjerstad on alto sax and clarinet, Kevin Norton on percussion, and David Watson on electric guitar, are captured live for an energetic and masterly concert at Elastic Arts, in Chicago, Illinois in 2015, four "Elastic" improvisations of intense interaction, from collective conversation to stunning solo statements; jaw dropping.
Sonny Simmons
Leaving Knowledge, Wisdom and Brilliance / Chasing The Bird? [8 CD BOX]
(Improvising Beings)
An 8 CD set presenting 2 major works from saxophonist Sonny Simmons celebrating his 80th birthday, split into two sections: "Chasing The Bird" and "Leaving Knowledge Wisdom And Brilliance", using a variety of approaches using improv and world music to create a visionary music. Two 4-CD multiboxes with no additional cardboard housing.
Magda Mayas / Jim Denley
Tempe Jetz
(Relative Pitch)
A pairing of two innovative players, Berlin-based pianist Magda Mayas and Australian sound and wind artist Jim Denley, Mayas playing inside and out of the piano and Denley on alto sax and bass flute, both providing field recordings adding unexpected elements in a set of extremely balanced recordings that entrance the listener with unlikely and captivating settings.
Nate Wooley
Knknighgh (Minimal Poetry for Aram Saroyan)
(Clean Feed)
Pronounced as "knife", this new project from NY trumpeter Nate Wooley brings together Chris Pitsiokos on alto sax, Brandon Lopez on bass, and Dre Hocevar on drums in a fresh take on the concepts of free jazz, using short material composed by Wooley and based on the poetry of Aram Saroyan, used in looping and repeating structures that never sound as such.
Joe McPhee
Seattle Symphony [VINYL]
(Kye)
Free jazz saxophone and trumpet legend Joe McPhee explains that he considers Seattle his second home, performing regularly there since 1984; in 2010, after the passing of his own heroes, trumpeter Bill Dixon and saxophonist Fred Anderson, McPhee presented this tribute there as a solo "symphony" in a remarkable, heartfelt and absolutely impressive concert.
Jose Lencastre Nau Quartet (Lencastre / Pinheiro / Faustino / Lencastre)
Fragments of Always
(FMR)
Portuguese alto saxophonist Jose Lencastre's Nau [ship] Quartet with Joao Lencastre on drums and two thirds of Red Trio -- Rodrigo Pinheiro on piano and Hernani Faustino on bass -- in a lyrical album of collective free improvisation informed by masterful playing that's energetic but never bombastic, a thoroughly enjoyable and thought-provoking album.
Kamins / Smith / Fielder / Hertenstein
After Effects
(FMR)
A great example of traditional free improvisation spanning generations from the quartet of Danny Kamins on baritone saxophone, Damon Smith on double bass, and two drummer/percussionists--Alvin Fielder and Joe Hertenstein--for 10 tracks of swinging free music recorded in the studio in Texas, 2016, jazz with a lyrical intention and powerful rhythmic underpinnings.
Postmarks (Boris Hauf / D Bayne / Martin Siewert)
National Parks
(Monotype)
The duo of saxophonist Boris Hauf and pianist D Bayne team up with guitarist Martin Siewert in this collection of tracks inspired by different U.S. national parks and their representation in iconic posters.
Nigel Coombes / Steve Beresford
White String's Attached (1979)
(Emanem)
These 1979 duo concert performances from violinist Nigel Coomes and pianist Steve Beresford were generally considered at the time to be the most significant advance in violin & piano music for around 200 years.
Tim Olive / Anne-F Jacques
Dominion Mills
(845 Audio)
Anne-F Jacques performs on rotating devices, small electric motors which are modified, manipulated and amplified, and Tim Olive plays magnetic pickups, here recording 3 studio works of unusual and inspired improvisations.
Christian Lillinger / Tobias Deluis
Dicht
(Relative Pitch)
Berlin-based improvisers Christian Lillinger on drums and Tobias Delius on tenor sax and clarinet in an album of powerful rhythms, instant melodies, and quick-witted responses, bridging a generation of experience in dialog and give and take that works well head on and in reserve, a great encounter from two modern and active creative players.
Keith Rowe / Michael Pisaro
13 Thirteen [2 CDs]
(erstwhile)
A collaboration between composer Michael Pisaro and AMM guitarist/improviser Keith Rowe, with each bringing scores which they improvised over, creating 13 discrete sections including samples from Shostakovich's 13th String Quartet, balancing activity, space and silence in patient ways that only two such experienced composer/improvisers could.
Eric Revis
Sing Me Some Cry
(Clean Feed)
Double Bassist Eric Revis expands his concepts in this outstanding album with fellow New Yorkers, pianist Kris Davis and drummer Chad Taylor, and Chicago reedist Ken Vandermark on tenor saxophone, with all four players providing compositions that push the limit on structure and form while opening up the players to superb soloing settings of great modern jazz.
Roots Magic
Last Kind Words
(Clean Feed)
Deep Blues and Creative Jazz from the Italian septet Roots Magic, following up their "Hoodoo Magic" CD with another compelling album of instrumentals where the track list consists of personal renditions of Delta Blues classics (mostly Charlie Patton) played with an overtly exploratory attitude derived from the Free Jazz tradition.
Max Johnson
In The West
(Clean Feed)
New York bassist Max Johnson expands his piano trio of Kris Davis on piano and Mike Pride on drums with Susan Alcorn on pedal steel guitar, adding an eclectic Western flavor to overall on-point, anchored and driven modern jazz of a high order, balancing lyrical playing with moments of free collective playing, in a beautiful and extraordinary album.
Rob Mazurek
Rome
(Clean Feed)
Rob Mazurek solo works are brilliant displays of honest, lyrical and emotional playing, here recording in Rome for Radio Roma, bringing the cornet to the foreground, starting with a piece only on the horn, then adding electronics, piano, and prepared piano for a set of ethereal and spiritual improvisations that are not bound by any specific genre.
Labrosse, Hetu Parkins, Roger, Tenko
La legende de la pluie
(Ambiances Magnetiques)
Compositions for synthesizers, electric harp, tabletop guitar, accordion, alto saxophone, percussion and voices performed by Joane Hetu, Diane Labrosse, Zeena PArkins, Danielle Palardy Roger, and Tenko.
Sahar Tsahar Project / Nakatani / The Kjla String Fourtet
Solitude
(Hopscotch Records)
Alto saxophonist/composer Tsahar further investigates what 3rd stream music left behind, a gorgeous exploration of sound and movement with percussionist Nakatani and the KJLA String 4tet.
Joe Morris
Atmosphere
(KMB Jazz)
Known for his guitar work, and more recently on the bass, here in an album of improvisation on the 5-string banjo and 4-string banjouke.
Steve Lacy / Kent Carter / Andrea Centazzo
Lost In June
(Ictus)
A forgotten concert from 1977 of the trio of Steve Lacy (soprano saxophone), Kent Carter (double bass) and Andrea Centazzo (drums & percussion), somewhat lo fi yet an excellent of Lacy's compositions from this period.
Karl 2000
(K2K)
The NY debut of the improvising trio of David Miller (drums), Daniel Rovin (sax) and Austin White (bass) playing a mix of traditional Russian Folk tunes with enthusiasm for Albert Ayler, originals compositions in the vein of Bad Plus, plus a David Cassidy cover.
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.
Johannes Frisch / Ralf Wehowsky
Which Head You're Dancing In?
(Monotype)
Deconstructed sounds from Ralf Wehowsky (RLW) on electronics & Johannes Frisch on double bass, citing Ornette Coleman's "Free Jazz" album as an (abstract?) influence, using noise, glitch, acoustics and jump-cut compositional styles that surprise but won't make you want to dance.
Burkhard Beins / Lucio Capece / Martin Kuchen / Paul Vogel
Fracture Mechanics
(Mikroton Recordings)
"Fracture Mechanics" is the scientific study of cracks in any material, an apt title from these European experimental innovators--Burkhard Beins, Lucio Capece, Martin Kuchen, and Paul Vogel--pulling back the curtain on process and creating an impressive album crossing acoustic and electronic improv, organized sound, and inexplicable interaction; recommended.
Ernst Schultz / Stamm, Holger
Go Lep-Lai-Lai: A Musical Journey
(Meta Records)
Michael: Pisaro 3 compositions played by Philip Thomas & others
Fields Have Ears
(Another Timbre)
Three compositions by Michael Pisaro for piano, piano & tape, and for 4 or more players (here with 14) as performed by pianist Philip Thomas, and with Sarah Hughs and members of the Edges Ensemble.
Patrick Kosk
Mondweib
(Edition Rz)
Recordings from the Elektronic Studio at the TU Berlin, the Studio of the Institut International de Musique Electroacoustique de Bourges, and at Patrick Kosk's own studio.
Various Artists
Klingt.org: 10 Jahre Bessere Farben [2 CDs]
(Mikroton Recordings)
44 tracks. 44 projects. 2 discs. 16 page booklet. 2 hours, 35 minutes, 6 seconds. Artists include: Christof Kurzmann; Toshimaru Nakamura; siewert / dieb13; &c. &c. !
Trophies (Bosetti / Buck / Nagai)
Become Objects of Daily Use
(Monotype)
The trio of Alessandro Bosetti (voice, electronics), Kenta Nagai (fretless guitar) and Tony Buck (drums), in 8 works based on speech, which insistently repeats in looping structures.
Patrik Torsson
Gasthamnar [3" CD]
(Hapna)
Yannis Kyriakides
Resorts & Ruins
(Unsounds)
Three recent sound works by Yannis Kyriakides using source material highlighting specific vocal traditions - Turkish pop music, Cypriot epic song, and Baroque opera - making extensive use of other forms of speech and vocal acts.
United States of America Triptych (II)
Andrea Belfi, David Grubbs, David Maranha, Pete Simonelli play Ten Intrusions
(Bolt)
Andrea Belfi (percussion), David Grubbs (guitar), David Maranha (organ), and Pete Simonelli (voice) perform "Ten Intrusions", following the model set by Harry Partch's 1949-1950 composition "Eleven Intrusions".
Rinus Alebeek van
plays Luc Ferrari Cycles des Souvenirs
(Bolt)
Rinus van Alebeek plays a CD copy of the late composer Luc Ferrari's "Cycles Des Souvenirs" in Luc Ferrari's house, while his widow Brunhild Ferrari reads the liner notes and Van Alebeek makes recording inside the house and its surroundings.
United States Of America Triptych (I)
Play 1939 Southern Recording Trip Fieldnotes
(Bolt)
Sound manipulators The Norman Conquest (Pete Simonelli-voice, Miron Grzegorkiewicz-guitar, Michet Biela-bass, Dj Lenar-turntable) excerpt and process the recordings of John A. and Ruby T. Lomax's 1939 field recordings, creating a captivating set of concrete compositions.
eRikm / Martin Brandlmayr
Ecotone
(Mikroton Recordings)
An active set of recordings from eRikm in duo with drummer Martin Brandlmayr, the latter keeping both players' feet on the ground while the former introduces and intervenes with unusual sonic elements, disruptive and lyrical, an enjoyably complex and unpredictable set.
Astrid
The West Lighthouse Is Not So Far
(Monotype)
The French Astrid quartet in their 4th album, where the titles of pieces are based on lighthouses' names, the band creating impressively ambient soundscapes filled with rich detail and lush, languid orchestration of guitar, violin, reeds, synths, harmoniums, &c.
15 Corners of the World / Eugeniusz Rudnik
Motion Picture Sound Essay
(Bolt)
Eugeniusz Rudnik composes a tour-de-force of electroacoustic audio in a sound essay based on the soundtrack to Zuzanna Solakiewicz's award-winning movie "15 Corners of the World", reworked to stand alone as a stunning and thought-provoking audio work.
Ryu Hankil / Noid / Matija Schellander and others
Foreign Correspondents [2 CDs]
(Mikroton Recordings)
In 2013 Noid and Matija Schellander travelled from Vienna to Asia to meet with an amazing set of sound artists, bringing compositions and recording new works that were assembled into these immersive compositions, presented in the chronological order they were created or recorded.
Matthew Revert / Vanessa Rossetto
Earnest Rubbish
(erstwhile)
Three extended compositions using field recordings and electronic processing from Vanessa Rossetto and Matthew Revert, using obscure references in song titles to mask subtle dovetailing and transitioning of concrete sound and mysterious tones.
Kevin Drumm
The Back Room [VINYL]
(Monotype)
Kevin Drumm released this originally on a CDR in 2012 to be sold on tour, now released properly on vinly LP, 5 tracks of intensive sound, glitch and feedback from one of the modern masters of noise.
Ghedalia Tazartes
5 Rimbaud 1 Verlaine [VINYL 10-inch]
(Holidays Records)
A 10" vinyl reissue of outside artist Ghedalia Tazartes' tribute to the poetry of Rimbaud and Verlaine, reinterpreting six small poems through a variety of genres that are playful and profound, previously available only in a small mini CD edition on the Jardin au Fou label.
Alvin Curran
Natural History [VINYL]
(Black Truffle)
The first-ever vinyl issue of Alvin Curran's 1983 cassette release, a composition of organized field recordings, a major work he describes as a series of "still lifes" from 20 years of recordings with an engrossingly diverse set of curious and concrete sounds - amazing!
Graham Lambkin
Community [2 CDs]
(erstwhile)
Using electronics, field recordings and spoken word, Graham Lambkin explores "Community" in abstract and literal ways, reflecting on society and describing aspects of community through spoken word and sound, a thought-provoking and complex work of organized sound.
Sun Ra / Merzbow
Strange City [VINYL]
(Cold Spring Records)
Blurring the lines between Sun Ra's avant jazz and Merzbow's approach to noise, these pieces are based on rare and unreleased tracks authorized by the Sun Ra archive, worked into compositions that morph and micro-inspect each track into something unique and outer-worldly.
Ghedalia Tazartes / Pawel Romanczuk / Andrzej Zaleski
Carp's Head [VINYL + CD]
(Monotype)
Ghedalia Tazartes continues to confound and bewilder, here teamed up with sound artists Pawel Romanczuk and Andrzej Zaleski for an album of bizarre songs and unusual acoustic accompaniment, 10 songs that seem to raise out of the earth spontaneously, in an LP/CD package.
Keiji Haino / Jozef Dumoulin / Teun Verbruggen
The Miracles Of Only One Thing [VINYL]
(Sub Rosa)
While on a 2-week tour of Japan, Belgium sound artists Teun Verbruggen on drums & electronics and Jozef Dumoulin on Fender Rhodes, joined forces with Keiji Haino on guitar, vocals, flute & gongs, capturing these darkly intense and powerful tracks in the studio and live at SDLX.
Iancu Dumitrescu / Ana-Maria Avram
Electronic Music
(Edition Modern)
Three works for computer from Iancu Dumitrescu and one from Ana-Maria Avram, each a radical works of spectral music in tribute to ILan Volkov, Andy Wilson, Ben Watson and Stephen O'Malley.
Jurg Frey
String Quartet No. 3 / Unhorbare Zeit
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Two works from composer Frey performed by Montreal's string ensemble Quatuor Bozzini: "String Quartet No. 3", a minimal work of colors, sensations, shadows, durations; and "Unhorbare Zeit" exploring durations without sound, or empty volumes, to achieve lucidity and transparency.
Boguslaw Schaeffer
Assemblage [2CDs]
(Bolt)
Polish Radio Experimental Studio presents 2 version of Boguslaw Schaeffer's polyversional composition "Assemblage", where the performer must play potential aggregates encompassing possible versions the composer intended; with Bogdan Mazurek, Thoman Lehn, Wolfram, &c.
Ana-Maria Avram / Iancu Dumitrescu
Ilan Volkov conducts and plays Ana-Maria Avram and Iancu Dumitrescu
(Edition Modern)
World premieres of new compositions by spectral composers Iancu Dumitrescu and Ana-Maria Avram performed live with the Hyperion International Ensemble under the batton of Ilan Volkov at the 15th George Enescu Festival in 2015.
Seth Parker Woods
asinglewordisnotenough
(Confront)
Violinist Seth Parker Woods presents four extraordinary compositions, the first for solo cello and voice from Edward Hamel, and then one work each for cello and electronics from Michael Clarke, George Lewis, and Pierre Alexandre Tremblay, each sophisticated, suprising, and beautifully executed pieces taking the cello into unique creative territory.
Jerome Noetinger / Anthony Pateras / Synergy Percussion
Beauty Will Be Amnesiac Or Will Not Be At All
(Immediata)
Anthony Pateras was commissioned to compose this work by Synergy Percussion for their 40th birthday in 2014, performed with a six piece ensemble including electronic artist Jerome Noetinger, using the same instrumentation as Xenakis' "Pleiades" of more than 100 orchestral percussion instruments, including Xenakis' 17-pitch microtonal metallophones.
Skogen / Magnus Granberg
'Ist gefallen in den Schnee' (2010) and 'Despairs had Governed Me Too Long' (2012) [double CD reissue]
(Another Timbre)
Ist gefallen in den Schnee: A piece by Swedish composer-pianist Magnus Granberg, performed with Angharad Davies, Anna Lindal, Leo Svensson Sander, John Eriksson, Erik Carlsson, Henrik Olsson, Petter Wastberg and Toshimaru Nakamura; Despairs: A beautiful extended composition exquisitely played by an ensemble of fine musicians.
Ana-Maria Avram / Dumitrescu, Iancu
Laboratory
(Edition Modern)
Ana Avram Maria / Iancu Dumitrescu
Live in Spark (MN)
(Edition Modern)
Cellist and percussionist of Hyperion with regular guests Gustavo Aguilar and Tim Hodgkinson, and local musicians Nina Eidsheim and Phil Curtis.
Ana-Maria Avram / Dumitrescu, Iancu
iO Quartet
(Edition Modern)
Four performances of Iancu Dumitrescu & Ana-Maria Avram's iO String Quartet playing their compositions for string quartet & tape live in London, Brussels and Paris.
Harley Gaber
The Winds Rise In The North
(Edition Rz)
Composer Harley Gaber wrote this piece for strings as an emotional examination of the questions posed by Taoist philosopher Chuang Tzu, here performed by a quintet including violinist Malcolm Goldstein.
Trophies (Bosetti / Nagai / Ches Smith)
A Color Photo of the Horse
(D.S al Coda)
Alessandro Bosetti provides voice and electronics on words & text from a variety of writers, as performed in a trio with drummer Ches Smith and fretless guitarist Kenta Nagai; fascinating and perplexing expression.
Ana-Maria Avram / Dumitrescu, Iancu
Live in London (I)
(Edition Modern)
Electro-acoustic composers Ana-Maria Avram and Iancu Dumitrescu with large groups including the Hyperion Ensemble, plus Tim Hodginkson on clarinet, performing in Conway Hall, London in 2008.
Luc Ferrari
Presque Rien [VINYL 2 LPs]
(Recollection GRM)
Collecting all four of Luc Ferrari's musique concrete masterpieces "Presque Rien" on LP for the first time, forward-thinking and well-considered work from one of the masters of electroacoustic music.
Iancu Dumitrescu / Ana-Maria Avram
Live in LSO St Luke's London
(Edition Modern)
Two works each from composers Iancu Dumitrescu and Ana-Maria Avram from a 2009 concert at Jerwood Hall as part of the LSO St Luke's London Festival Spectrum XXI, presenting 4 works, two using computer accompaniment, in ensembles including soloist Rane Moore and Tim Hodgkinson.
Iancu Dumitrescu / Ana-Maria Avram
Live in Israel
(Edition Modern)
Romanian electroacoustic composer Iancu Dumitrescu & Ana-Maria Avram's performed these 5 works in January, 2011 with their Contemporary Music Ensemble Israel conducted by both composers, with special guest Stephen O'Malley on guitar.
Jason Cady
Happiness Is The Problem
(Lock Step Records)
A thoroughly modern and bizarre two-act opera about three struggling roommates in Brooklyn performed with Jason Cady, Mary Halvorson, Tomas Fujiwara, Jessica Pavone, Tim Dahl, Ben Holmes, Katie Young, &c.
Various Artists
Solitude of Sounds: In memoriam Tomasz Sikorski
(Bolt)
A tribute to one of the most significant figures in contemporary Polish music, minimalist composer Tomasz Sikorski, featuring music created at PRES between the 1960s and the early 2000s by Sikorski and his followers, including Esztenyi's Concerto for prepared piano and tape (1971).
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.
Marcin Masecki
Variations
(Bolt)
Composer & pianist Marcin Masecki wrote this work, inspired by Frederic Rzewski and presenting variations on the Chilean song "El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido" (The town united will never be defeated) and invited pianist Piotr Nowicki to perform it for this recording.
Frank Denyer
Whispers
(Another Timbre)
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.
Slawomir Kupczak
Res Facta
(Bolt)
A series of electroacoustic compositions from composer Slawomir Kupczak, combining the sounds of instruments via electronic means to create new hybrid sounds of alien character, released in carefully building works from near-minimal to unsettling eruptions of sound.
Komuna// Warszawa
plays Luc Ferrari Tautologos III
(Bolt)
A fascinating rendering of Ferrari's Tautology--everyday activities enacted in gesture, noises, words, &c.--used as a framework for a chamber work where the performers recorded their parts independently, which were then overlapped and played alongside Ferrari's tapes and narration.
Ralf Meinz / Karolina Ossowska / Mikoelaj Paelosz
play Giuseppe Tartini "La sonata il sol minore al terzo suono"
(Bolt)
In 1754 violinist and theorist Giuseppe Tartini laid out a mathematical proof of a third tone's pitch as either the sum or difference of the other two articulated pitches, as investigated by Karolina Ossowska (violin), Mikolaj Palosz (cello) and Ralf Meinz (recording).
Kare Kolberg
Attitudes
(Bolt)
Kare Kolberg was a pioneer of electroacoustic music in Norway, having written the first Norwegian work for computers in 1973; this CD presents works from 1969-2003 written for the Polish Radio Experimentral Studio, blending and expanding on concepts of concrete music.
Bill Orcutt
Bill Orcutt [VINYL]
(Palilalia)
Guitarist Bill Orcutt's self-titled solo album brings a mix of standards and original compositions, starting with Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" and eclectically running us to "The Star Spangled Banner", each song unfolding as he delivers in an unhurried way with rich sustain and reverb on a 4-string Telecaster, performing at The Living Room in San Francisco.
Keiji Haino
Watashi Dake [VINYL + DOWNLOAD CODE]
(Black Editions)
Enigmatic Japanese legend Keiji Haino's 1981 debut album receives a fitting reissue in this metallic gold and silver jacket pressing, presenting the stark vocals, whispered and screamed, punctuating dark silences over intricate and sharp guitar figures that interweave, repeat, and stretch, trance-like, emerging from dark recesses; an essential piece of the Haino puzzle.
Fred Frith
Prints
(Recommended Records)
Peregrine Falls (Grdina / Loewen)
Peregrine Falls
(Drip Audio)
Named for the moment when a Peregrine Falcon falls from flight to attack its prey, the Vancouver duo of Gordon Grdina on guitars, oud, electronics and Kenton Loewen on drums and percussion present a heavy album of improvised rock with raw energy, riveting technique and powerful grooves with an Arabic influence and essence; of interest to King Crimson fans.
VRIL (Bob Drake, Lukas Simonis, Chris Cutler)
Effigies in Cork
(Recommended Records)
This Heat
Out of Cold Storage Box Set (6 CDs)
(This Is/Recommended Records)
Peeesseye + Talibam!
[VINYL]
(Smeraldina-Rima)
New York bands Talibam! and Peeesseye together for a limited edition album mixing rock, sound and noise, and altogether unknown territory; great stuff!
Mattin
Exquisite Corpse [VINYL]
(Azul Discografica)
Mattin on voice in an album of rock improvisations featuring Loy Fankbonner on drums, Margarida Garcia on electric double bass, Kevin Failure on guitar and Mattin on vocals recorded in NYC in 2009.
Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band
Take Me to the Land of Hell
(Chimera Music)
Yoko Ono's fifteenth solo album produced by her son, Sean Lennon, featuring guests tUnEyArDs, ?uestlove, Lenny Kravitz, Nels Cline, Andrew Wyatt, &c..
Sam Mickens
Kayfabe: Lamb of G.O.D.
(Sam Mickens)
Vocalist/multi-instrumentalist Sam Mickens (The Dead Science) leading an excellent band including drummer Mike Pride, bassist Shahzad Ismaily, vocalists Carla Bozulich, Jesse Quattro, &c, through 15 persuasive rock songs recorded in NYC.
Transmit (Buck / Mayas / Dougherty / Welburn)
Radiation
(Monotype)
Transmit revolves around the writing, drumming and guitar of Tony Buck, with the core line-up of Magda Mayas on keys, James Welburn on bass, and Brendan Doughety on drums, performing driving guitar, throbbing bass, chiming chords, swelling organ and propulsive drumming.
Bill Orcutt / Chris Corsano
Live At Various / Various Live [VINYL 2 LPs]
(Palilalia)
Reissuing 2 Palilalia cassettes from the tour following guitarist Bill Orcutt (here on electric) and drummer/percussionist Chris Corsano's "The Raw and the Cooked" LP, both in excellent form as they play Northampton, Mexico City, Brooklyn, Montreal, Cleveland and Rochester.
Henry Cow
Vol. 10: Vevey 1976 [DVD]
(Recommended Records)
Part of the Henry Cow boxset, now available for individual purchase, compiled from live recordings, radio transcription, or early recordings, remastered and presented to give a complete look at the history of Henry Cow.
Bill Orcutt
Bill Orcutt
(Palilalia)
Guitarist Bill Orcutt's self-titled solo album brings a mix of standards and original compositions, starting with Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" and eclectically running us to "The Star Spangled Banner", each song unfolding as he delivers in an unhurried way with rich sustain and reverb on a 4-string Telecaster, performing at The Living Room in San Francisco.
Bob Drake
Antiquities [6-CD BOX SET]
(Recommended Records)
Collecting multi-instrumentalist & vocalist Bob Drake's albums Little Black Train, The Skull Mailbox and Other Horrors, XIII Songs and a Thing, The Shunned Country, and Bob's Drive-In in a solid box set, with a bonus CD, a specially curated collection of outtakes and oddities from this amazing avant-rocker, a member of Thinking Plague, 5uu's, Hail and The Science Group.
The Honkies
How Do We Prevent The Advance Of The Desert?
(Music a la Coque)
From 1987-93 this bizarre UK band took Rock-In-Opposition attitudes on tour in the UK & Europe, presenting their strangely informed approach to improvised rock with a punk attitude, fueled by dual saxes from Kathy Hulme & Caroline Kraabel, trumpeter Andy Diagram, and drummer Re Harrison, as heard on this reissue of their wonderfully weird 2nd album.
Anthony Braxton
Quintet (Basel) 1977
(Hatology)
Reissuing and remastering Braxton's outstanding radio concert for Radio DRS in Safranzunft, Basel in 1977 in a quintet with George Lewis on trombone, Muhal Richard Abrams on piano, Mark Helias on double bass, and Charles "Bobo" Shaw on drums.
Sylvie Courvoisier / Mary Halvorson
Crop Circles
(Relative Pitch)
A studio encounter between pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and electric guitarist Mary Halvorson, both using sophisticated techniques giving unique voices to their playing styles, in a set of improvisations that balance playful, subtle, energetic, and emotional playing.
Joe Morris
Perpetual Frontier The Properties of Free Music [BOOK]
(Riti Publishing)
Joe Morris wrote this book to discuss aspects of free music, including responses to his questionnaire written by Joe McPhee, William Parker, Jamie Saft, Ken Vandermark, Marilyn Crispell, Nate Wooley, Jack Wright, Matthew Shipp, &c.
Morton Feldman
Three Voices (performed by Juliet Fraser)
(Hat[now]ART)
Soprano Juliet Fraser performs Morton Feldman's late work for 3 voices, performed by 1 vocalist (originally Joan La Barbara) who performs with themself on tape, in a work that Feldman described as "lucious", "sexy", and "gorgeous", as heard in Fraser's beautiful rendering.
BassDrumBone + guests Joe Lovano / Jason Moran
The Long Road [2 CDs]
(Auricle)
The 40th Anniversary release for the creative free improvising jazz trio of Gerry Hemingway (drums), Mark Helias (bass) and Ray Anderson (trombone), with guests Joe Lovano on sax and Jason Moran on piano; superb lyrical soulful collective improvisation of the finest order.
Pauline Oliveros / Roscoe Mitchell / John Tilbury / Wadada Leo Smith
Nessuno
(Angelica)
The unexpected and open-minded quartet of Pauline Oliveros, Roscoe Mitchell, John Tilbury and Wadada Leo Smith performing live in Italy at the Angelika Festival in 2011, presenting the three part improvised work "Nessuno"; delicate, virtuosic, rewarding music from 4 masters.
Mary Halvorson Octet
Away With You
(Firehouse 12 Records)
Mary Halvorson continues her string of excellent modern jazz albums with this octet release with fellow guitarist Susan Alcorn, Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet), Jon Irabagon & Ingrid Laubrock (sax), Jacob Garchik (trombone), John Hebert (bass) and Ches Smith (drums).
Corsano / Courviosier / Wooley
Salt Task
(Relative Pitch)
First recorded meeting of Chris Corsano (drums), Sylvie Courvoisier (piano), and Nate Wooley (trumpet) in the studio in Brooklyn, 2015, for a completely open, sensitive set of improvisations that are constantly on the edge, at times explosive, and always in a focused dialog.
Anthony Braxton / Quartet
(Santa Cruz) 1993 1st Set [REPRESS]
(Hatology)
Reissuing and remastering saxophonist Anthony Braxton's stellar release documenting his 1993 live performance with Marilyn Crispell on piano, Mark Dresser on bass, and Gerry Hemingway on percussion & marimba, demanding collective improvisation from masterful players.
Morton Feldman
Patterns In A Chromatic Field [2 CDs]
(Hat [now] ART)
Feldman's idiosyncratic large composition is also one of his more active, influenced by John Cage, and using a score that defines organizational procedures in chordal and chromatic patterns, as realized in this '93 recording by Rohan de Saram (cello) and Marianne Schroeder (piano).
Albert Ayler Quartet with Don Cherry
European Radio Studio Recordings 1964
(Hatology)
Recorded during Albert Ayler's 1964 European tour with Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums, perhaps Ayler's best band and most creative period, well captured at Hilversum in The Netherlands and for Danish Radio Copenhagen, Denmark.
James Tenney
Bass Works (performed by Dario Calderone)
(Hat[now]ART)
Fascinating works for doublebass from American composer James Tenney, 3 pieces for solo doublebass, and a large work for viola, cello, doublebass and tape delay system, performed by bassist Dario Calderone with William Lane on viola and Francesco Dillon on cello.
Evan Parker / Mark Nauseef / Toma Gouband
As The Wind
(psi)
A brilliant album of subtle and masterful improvisation recorded in 2012 at and using the reverb of the St. Peters church in Whitstable by soprano saxophonist Evan Parker with two percussionists: Toma Gouband on lithophone-based percussion and Mark Nauseef on metallophone-based percussion.
Jimmy Giuffre 3
Bremen & Stuttgart (1961) [2 CDs]
(Emanem)
The sophisticated and influential Jimmy Giuffre 3 led by clarinetist Giuffre with Paul Bley on piano and Steve Swallow on double bass, in a 2-CD reissue of their only known well-recorded concerts, alongside two tracks from their "Fusion" album not included in the ECM reissue.
Anthony Braxton
Quartet (Santa Cruz) 1993, 2nd Set
(Hatology)
Remaster of the exhilarating second set from saxophonist and composer Anthony Braxton's concert at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, CA, 1993, one of 7 nights performing with the quartet of Marilyn Crispell on piano, Mark Dresser on bass, and Gerry Hemingway on percussion.
John Butcher / Thomas Lehn / Matthew Shipp
Tangle
(Fataka)
After "Exta", where saxophonist John Butcher and electronics artist Thomas Lehn met with pianist John Tilbury, the duo now meet with New York pianist Matthew Shipp for a distinct improvisational entanglement of Butcher's dense streams, Lehn's rich sound floor, and Shipp's thick repetitions.
Cecil Taylor
Garden, 2nd Set
(Hatology)
The second set of Cecil Taylor's superb live set at Grosser Saal Volkshaus, in Basel, Switzerland in 1981, performing solo over five improvisations, presented for the first time in the original concert sequence.
Tomas Fujiwara / Ben Goldberg / Mary Halvorson
The Out Louds
(Relative Pitch)
The first release from the NY/West Coast trio of Tomas Fujiwara on drums, Ben Goldberg on clarinet, and Mary Halvorson on guitar, a collaborative improv of lyrical and nuanced improv, using great skill and sophistication in dialog that takes unexpected twists and turns.
Evan Parker / Pat Thomas / John Russell / John Edwards / Alex Ward / Alison Blunt / Benedict Taylor / David Leahy / Kay Grant
Mopomoso Tour 2013 | Making Rooms [4 CD BOX SET]
(Weekertoft)
An excellent 4-CD set from a UK tour of the long-running London monthly concert series Mopomoso, featuring improvisations from various grouping of John Russell, Evan Parker, John Edwards, David Leahy, Pat Thomas, Alison Blunt, Benedict Taylor, Kay Grant & Alex Ward.
Evan Parker / John Edwards / Steve Noble
PEN
(Dropa Disc)
Bringing together three leaders from the UK free jazz scene, the new trio of Evan Parker on tenor sax, Steve Noble on drums & percussion, and John Edwards on double bass present a masterful album drawing from the roots of free improvisation in playing that rises and recedes like a tidal force, captured live at the Oorstof concert series in Antwerp.
Black Bombaim & Peter Brotzmann
Black Bombaim & Peter Brotzmann
(Shhpuma)
Portugese stoner rock band Black Bombaim and German free jazz saxophonist Peter Brotzmann recorded this album live at Estudios Sa Da Bandeira in Portugal, a power trio + 1 of uncompromising and burning improvisation, a less common but completely rewarding setting for Brotzmann.
Angles 9 (Zethson / Stahl / Broo / Kajfes / Aleklint / Hegdal / Berthling / Werlin / Kuchen)
Disappeared Behind the Sun
(Clean Feed)
Saxophonist Martin Kuchen's amazing 9-piece Angles ensemble returns for an album titled for the grief of those who disappear due to war, crime and oppression, music that celebrates the tense balance in the challenge to confront and lead away from darkness and tyranny.
Korekyojinn Acoustic
Kaleidoscope
(Magaibutsu Limited)
The Korekyojin trio of Tatsuya Yoshida on percussion, Kido Natsuki on guitar and Mitsuru Nasuno on fretless bass, plus violinist Miyamoto Rei on several tracks, take their intricate and exuberant rock into acoustic territory with this impressive album, which includes acoustic takes on "Arabesque", "Careless Heart", "Four Holes in the Sky", &c.
Joe Morris
Shock Axis
(Relative Pitch)
A limited edition release of guitarist Joe Morri's new NY-area aggressive improvising trio with younger players Dave Parmelle on drums and Chris Cretella on electric bass, shredding with awesome technical skill and intense harmonic and melodic force, really powerful stuff!
Neukollner (Denzler / von Schlippenbach / Grip / Johansson)
Sektion 3-7 [2 CDs]
(Umlaut Records)
The Neukollner trio of Bertrand Denzler on sax, Joel Grip on double bass, and Sven-Ake Johnasson on drums is joined by pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach for a double album of exhilarating free jazz that conjurs standards-based jazz through well-structured instant compositions.
Graham Lambkin
Community [2 CDs]
(erstwhile)
Using electronics, field recordings and spoken word, Graham Lambkin explores "Community" in abstract and literal ways, reflecting on society and describing aspects of community through spoken word and sound, a thought-provoking and complex work of organized sound.
Michael Pisaro / Reinier van Houdt
The Earth And The Sky [3 CDs]
(erstwhile)
erstwhile records releases their first CD on their ErstClass imprint, issuing and collecting historically important work, here with composer Michael Pisaro's piano works from 1994-2016, 11 compositions performed by Netherlands pianist Reinier van Houdt.
Mark Dresser Seven (Mitchell / Ehrlich / Boroff / Dessen / White / Black)
Sedimental You
(Clean Feed)
Downtown NY scene pioneering bassist, currently on the West Coast, Mark Dresser presents an album of original compositions performed with an amazing septet including Marty Ehrlich, Jim Black, Joshua White, Michael Dessen, David Morales Borof, and Nicole Mitchell.
Morton Feldman
For John Cage
(Hat[now]ART)
Morton Feldman was a friend, flatmate and student of John Cage's innovative approaches to composition; he wrote this 3 part work for violin and piano in 1982 as a 70th birthday present for Cage, here performed by violinist Josje Fosie Ter Haar and pianist John Snijders.
Keith Rowe
The Room Extended [4 CDs]
(erstwhile)
A massive and rewarding work of organized sound extending ea-improviser, AMM guitarist Keith Rowe's work "The Room" into a massive 4 CD set of compositions, layering work familiar from his recent improvisations with classical compositions, field recordings, &c. &c.
Jurg Frey
String Quartet No. 3 / Unhorbare Zeit
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Two works from composer Frey performed by Montreal's string ensemble Quatuor Bozzini: "String Quartet No. 3", a minimal work of colors, sensations, shadows, durations; and "Unhorbare Zeit" exploring durations without sound, or empty volumes, to achieve lucidity and transparency.
Huy (Junji / Kazuhisa / Yoshida)
Huy
(Magaibutsu Limited)
The Japanese trio of Hirose Junji on tenor saxophone, Innocence label founder Uchihashi Kazuhisa on guitar, and Yoshida Tatsuya on drums, initiating Magaibutsu's "Improv Session Series" with this on-fire album of controlled chaos, recorded live at Foxhole in Kichijoji.
Joelle Leandre 10
Can You Hear Me?
(Ayler Records)
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.
Dunmall / Noble / Edwards / Sanders
Chords Of Connections
(FMR)
A stunning example of collective free improvisation from the quartet of frequent collaborators and superb improvisers, Paul Dunmall on tenor & soprano sax, Liam Noble on piano, Mark Sanders on drums, and John Edwards on bass, recording in the studio in Birmingham.
Musica Elettronica Viva
Symphony No 106
(Les Disques Victo)
Documenting a reunion of Musica Elettronica Viva's founders Frederic Rzewski (piano and vocals), Richard Teitelbaum (keyboards and computer) and Alvin Curran (keyboards, computer and shofar) at the 32nd International Festival Of Current Music in Victoriaville, Canada in 2016.
En Corps (Eve Risser / Benjamin Duboc / Edward Perraud)
Generation
(Dark Tree Records)
The 2nd album from En Corps, the improvising trio of Eve Risser on piano, Benjamin Duboc on double bass, and Edward Perraud on drums, was recorded live at Artacts 16 festival in St Johann, Austria in 2016, performing two building works--"Des Corps" and "Des Ames" (The Bodies, The Souls)--which evolve from intricate quiet interplay into rich harmonic interaction.
Mat Maneri / Evan Parker / Lucian Ban
Sounding Tears
(Clean Feed)
Viola improviser and composer Mat Maneri leads this trio with British UK legend Evan Parker on soprano and tenor saxophone and Romanian ex-patriot and frequent collaborator Lucian Ban on piano, for ten compositions blending tradition, song, and improvisational tactics, recalling 20th century modern classical music in addition to jazz.
Jackson Harrison Trio
Sintering
(Hatology)
Melodic and texturally rich jazz from the trio of pianist Jackson Harrison with Ben Waples on double bass and brother James Waples on drums, a lyrical album of original compositions named for the process of coalescing a powder into a solid by heating it without liquefaction.
Forebrace (Ward / Sassi / Horro / Doulton)
Steeped
(Relative Pitch)
Blending jazz and rock forms with frenetic excitement and masterful control, multi-reedist Forebrace quartet with Roberto Sassi (electric guitar), Santiago Horro (electric bass) and Jem Doulton (drums) run the gamut on exultantly virtuosic improvisation, here recording live at Cafe Oto.
Harris Eisenstadt
Recent Developments
(Songlines)
NY Composer and percussionist Harris Eisenstadt furthers his exploration into long-form composition and unusual instrumentation in his 20th release as a bandleader, with a spectacular improv ensemble including Nate Wooley, Jeb Bishop, Han Roberts, Anna Webber, &c. &c.
Morton Feldman
Clarinet & String Quartet
(Hat[now]ART)
2 works for clarinet and string quartet, active compositions with a unique perspective in sound & texture; 2 versions of the 2 part 1961 work, and the larger 1983 composition.
Jurg Frey
String Quartets
(Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Composer Jurg Frey's 1988 work "String Quartet" realized by Nadia Francavilla, Clemens Merkel, Stephanie Bozzini and Isabelle Bozzini, exploring ideas of audibility: the moment when sound waves move in space and the air touches the body.
Linda Smith Catlin
Dirt Road
(Another Timbre)
Canadian composer Linda Catlin Smith's extended composition for violin and percussion in 15 parts, performed by percussionist Simon Limbrick and violinist Mira Benjamin, a unique orchestration that reveals a journey of steady pace, tension and beauty.
Evan Parker / John Russel / Ian Brighton / Phillip Wachsmann / Marcio Mattos / Trevor Taylor
Reunion: Live From Cafe Oto
(FMR)
London's Cafe Oto organized a reunion of String Thing, guitarist Ian Brighton's project with violinist Phillip Wachsmann, bassist Marcio Mattos, & Trevor Taylor on percussion and electronics, adding guitarist John Russell and saxophonist Evan Parker, here capturing an impressive night of improv, and Brighton's first public appearance in nearly 40 years.
Morton Feldman
For Bunita Marcus
(Hat[now]ART)
Feldman's 1985 solo piano composition for Feldman's pupil and long-time associate, from a 1990 digital recording remastered for this new edition.
Steve Swell Quintet (Swell / Moondoc / Burrell / W. Parker / Cleaver)
Soul Travelers [VINYL + DOWNLOAD]
(RogueArt)
A great set of Downtown NY players led by trombonist Steve Swell, with Jemeel Moondoc on alto sax, Dave Burrell on piano, William Parker on double bass and Gerald Cleaver on drums, a heartfelt and masterfully soulful album of excellent modern jazz in a limited LP.
John Escreet (w/ Evan Parker / John Hebert / Tyshawn Sorey)
The Unknown (Live in Concert)
(Sunnyside Records)
Pianist John Escreet brought his trio with drummer Tyshawn Sorey and bassist John Hebert on a tour of Europe in 2016, meeting with British saxophonist Evan Parker in Amsterdam's Bimhuis and at Rotterdam's Lantaren Venster to record these profound performances of free improvisation.
Derek Bailey / Joelle Leandre / George Lewis / Evan Parker
28 Rue Dunois Juillet 1982
(Fou Records)
A superb encounter from France in 1982 between four masters in a fertile and creative period: Derek Bailey (guitar), Joelle Leandre (double bass), George Lewis (trombone), and Evan Parker (saxophone), each bringing incredible experience to their enduring collective music.
Willem Breuker Kollektief
Angouleme, 18 Mai 1980 [2 CDs]
(Fou Records)
The late Willem Breuker's Kollektief was an ensemble focusing on jazz roots in theatrical and dramatic performances, emphasing the fun aspects of historic jazz bands with energetic orchestration and soloing, described as a "mix of circus music, jazz and improvisation".
Michael Attias Quartet (w/ Ortiz / Hebert / Hebert)
Nerve Dance
(Clean Feed)
New York alto saxophonist Michael Attias presents his new quartet with Aruan Ortiz on piano, John Hebert on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums, in his sixth album as a leader, a lyrical album dealing with the theory of elasticity and the concept of equality in music.