Downtown bassist mainstay Trevor Dunn, a vital element of many Zorn projects, alongside his own improvisation and compositional work, in his first chamber music album: quartet and trio orchestrations with Trevor Dunn on contrabass, Carla Kihlstedt, Cornelius Dufallo or Jennifer Choi on violin, Vicky Chow on piano, Yves Dharamraj on cello, and Lev Zhurbin on viola.

John Zorn composed this suite of compositions drawing inspiration from the mystic world of the Tarot and its wide range of impressions, emotions and inferences, from breathtaking activity to introspective elegance, performed as a piano trio by a spectacular group of Downtown NY performers: Brian Marsella on piano, Trevor dunn on bass, and Kenny Wollesen on drums.

Following up their 2017 album live at SMUP in Lisboa, the Attic trio of Rodrigo Amado on tenor saxophone, Goncalo Almeida on double bass, and Onno Govaert on drums are heard in this concert at the 2018 Summer Bummer Festival in Antwerp, Belgium, in a solid set of confidently exploratory improvisation and engrossing group dialog balancing pensive reflection and fire.

Lawrence Casserley on percussion & processing, Philipp Wachsmann on violin, and Trevor Taylor on percussion & electronics, use the rings of Saturn as their guide in 2 recordings from Iklectick Arts Lab in London, and 3 recordings in the studio, using the mass of the moons around the rings as the durations of each track; subdued yet deeply spacious, superb interaction.

The second of two "Psychedelic Backfire"s, The Norwegian Elephant 9 improvising rock trio of drummer Torstein Lofthus, bassist Nikolai Haengsle, and keyboardist Stale Storlokken are joined by Dungen guitarist Reine Fiske for an exciting live concert at Kampen Bistro, in Oslo in 2019, the interaction of Fiske and Storlokken a fine example that prog rock is still a vital form.

The first of two "Psychedelic Backfire" concerts at Oslo's Kampen Bistro, taken from a 4 night residency by the Norwegian Elephant 9 rock trio of drummer Torstein Lofthus, bassist Nikolai Haengsle, and keyboardist Stale Storlokken, expanding on tracks from their excellent studio catalog in strongly lyrical and technically superb instrumental and improvised rock forms.

The second album from the trio of Ferran Fages (acoustic turntable), Ruth Barberan (trumpet), and Alfredo Costa Monteiro (accordion) expands on their first "Atolon" album with these two recordings of intense electroacoustic improvisation, a mixture of ritual, controlled chaos, mysterious and often disruptively provocative sound, and other inexplicable evolutions.

Slovenian drummer/percussionist Jaka Berger wrote 3 of the 4 pieces for this trio with guitar Samo Salamon and pianist Marina Dzukljev, also on objects, the 4th piece a collective improvisation, as the three apply experimental approaches to their playing while never leaving their collaborative conversation, making room for inspired soloing.

A set of unusual and wonderfully unpredictable electroacoustic improvisations recorded live at the Akustronik#18 concert at Projektraum Streitfeld (Munich) in 2017 from the trio of Udo Schindler performing on reeds, brass & analogue synthesizer; Gunnar Geisse performing on laptopguitar & virtual instruments; and Anton Kaun performing on electronics, zeug & effects.

Returning home to Philadelphia in 1994 for some "Homework" with Bob Dickie on bass and Robert Andreano on guitar, recording at Robert Andreano's studio, legendary free jazz drummer Sunny Murray leads this trio through six collective improvisations, from Hendrix meets Ayler fury to introspective and hypnotic passage, a much needed reissue of a superb and previously obscure album.

Returning home to Philadelphia in 1994 for some "Homework" with Bob Dickie on bass and Robert Andreano on guitar, recording at Robert Andreano's studio, legendary free jazz drummer Sunny Murray leads this trio through six collective improvisations, from Hendrix meets Ayler fury to introspective and hypnotic passage, a much needed reissue of a superb and previously obscure album.

Several of late Swiss composer Hans-Jurg Meier's works are performed in duo, trio and quartet settings, whose compositions merged baroque forms with translations of architecture, «qEndeavoring to make physically tangible the sensual qualities of the musical material (tones, intervals, texture) while exploring the interaction of nature, form and beauty.

Three in-demand New York improvisers--Mario Pavone on double bass, Matt Mitchell on piano, and Tyshawn Sorey on drums-- recording in the studio in one of the premiere spaces in the Metropolitan area, Firehouse 12, resulting in this profoundly authoritatve piano trio album, with five Pavone original compositions, two from Annette Peacock, and one collective improv.

Saxophonist Cene Resnik seeks spiritual focus in his free playing with his trio of drummer Marko Lasic (Cerkno Jubileum Orchestra, Alchemical Playgrounds) and pianist Giorgio Pacorig, finding the perfect foil in Chicago trumpeter Rob Mazurek, as they take the stage at the 2018 Jazz Cerkno Festival for this extended energetic, introspective, & spiritual concert.

John Zorn invited the trio of guitarist Will Greene, bassist Simon Hanes, and drummer Aaron Edgcomb, to found a new band and play his score books "Bagatelles" and "Apparitions" for his Tzadik label; the trio found common ground merging jazz, experimental and rock forms, forming Trigger and releaseing this album of wonderfully strange creative intent.

The Barcelona trio of Gorka Benitez on tenor saxophone & flute, Guillermo Celano on electric guitar, and Marcos Baggiani on drums, play a lyrical and bluesy brand of instrumental rock music which they describe as an eclectic approach to rock emphasizing pure energy and fun, in nine upbeat and groove-oriented tunes of tight and enthusiastic playing.

Turning the piano trio concept onto its sonic side, the Swedish trio of Nina de Heney on double bass, Karin Johansson on piano, and Henrik Wartel on drums owe more to AMM than jazz tradition, as they use extended techniques and a sound-oriented approach to improvisation, presenting three live recordings at Elementstudion, in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Devoted to the people who helped make these pieces come about, including Franco D'Andrea, Carla Bley, Mary Lou Williams, and Dizzy Gillespie, from the NY trio of Dave Douglas on trumpet and long-time collaborator, pianist Uri Caine, joined by master drummer and percussionist Andrew Cyrille for 10 sophisticated and joyful works in modern creative jazz.

Clarinetist Tom Jackson, guitarist Daniel Thompson and drummer Vid Drasler met in 2016 as part of the CRAM Records residency at FriForma in Ljubljana, at which time they performed and recorded as a trio, vowing to collaborate again; this album of open-minded free improvisation is the result: "Nauportus" in 5 parts, ebbing and flowing from near silence to animated interaction.

"Ecorchure" translates to a skin wound produced by a violent friction that removes or tears the superficial layers; here the French trio of Jean-Luc Petit on saxophones, Jeremy Baysse on electric guitar & gadgets, and Fabrice Favriou on drums, tear through three excoriating improvisations during a 2019 live concert at Ateliers Musicaux Syrinx, in Poitiers France.

A much-needed reissue of Dave Douglas's Tiny Bell Trio with guitarist Brad Shepik and drummer Jim Black, a remarkably telepathic group recorded mid-tour after 3 years working together.

Recorded at Cafe Oto in London in 2017, legendary NY free jazz saxophonist Charles Gayle is joined by masterful free improvisers John Edwards on double bass and Mark Sanders for two live sets, released here in a limited 2-CD album, presenting the fire and range of all three players, from full-on aggressive and confrontational playing to deeply introspective.

After a NY session for a Giuseppe Logan album, guitarist Ed Pettersen and pianist & instrument builder Cooper-Moore recorded their own acoustic quartet with Cooper-Moore on piano, then headed to Nashville to record acoustic and electric improv sets, then finally this gospel set with "Reverend Eddie Bones", all presented on 3 CDs in a keepsake tin in a printed cloth bag.

Two distinct yet emotionally connected works from pianist Marilyn Crispell, violinist Tanya Kalmanovitch a partner in both; first, a "Memoria" for Crispell's relatives who died in World War II, in spacious and moving character, Richard Tietelbaum adding mood through haunting electronics; and 7 piano & violin duos, from the masterfully eccentric to the beautifully reflective.

The second "Lacy Pool" directed by pianist Uwe Oberg and with drummer Michael Griener the common element, invites Rudi Mahall on clarinets as they interpret, or as Oberg describes it, "unlock" the music of Steve Lacy, in 9 compositions including "Trickles", "Cliches", "Ladies", &c., plus two Oberg compositions that fit into his pool of Lacy interpretations.

The 3rd album of NY-based Brazilian tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman's Strings series with Mat Maneri on viola adds trumpeter Nate Wooley, an unusual instrument for a string series, but in the adaptable creative intent of Wooley's playing the trumpet is found intertwining with the strings and Perelman's cello-like sax runs to create a remarkable complement in their collective voice.

Born from the duo of Chicago flutist Nicole Mitchell and French bassist Joelle Leandre ("Sisters Where") and brought together by Myra Melford, this is the 2nd album from their Tiger Trio formation, joining profound skill, unusual creative intent, ferociously authoritative conversation, shrewd wit, and an innate sense of balance to 11 succinct collective improvisations.

Recording at Vortex Jazz Club in London in 2018, the As You Hear trio of renowned London and European free jazz pianist Veryan Weston with two younger generation improvisers, Pei Ann Yeoh (violin) and Beibei Wang (drums & percussion), here presenting a sophisticated concert of group improvisation, each collective improvisation named for a spice or seasoning.

A formidable meeting of three powerhouses of modern creative improvisation of diverse backgrounds -- Filipina-American drummer/percussionist Susie Ibarra, legendary New York bassist William Parker, and Spanish pianist Agusti Fernandez, in a spirited, masterful and stunning live performance at the Joan Miro Foundation in Barcelona recorded in 1998.

Bringing separate collaborations together as a trio, Swedish saxophonist Martin Kuchen (Angles), who has worked separately with Catalan drummer Vascto Trilli and Polish guitarist Rafal Mazur, come together as Nobject, recording at Lodz-Art Inkubator during the sixth Musica Privata festival in Lodz, Poland, for 2 sets of fully free, sinuous and assertive improvisation.

Argentinian improvisers Paula Shocron (piano) and Pablo Diaz (drums) invite masterful Argentinian clarinetist and Mivimiento Musica Mas founder Guillermo Gregorio to record these 14 collective improvisations in the studio in New York, drawing upon contemporary and jazz elements with virtuosic skill, revealing inventive and imaginative playing.

Splitting his time between Portugal and NY, tuba and euphonium player Ben Stapp's association with guitarist Joe Morris and cornetist Stephen Haynes started in 2011, including participating in their Improvisations series, leading to this trio performing Stapp's compositions with musical forms based on the narrative structure of his novel "Mind Creature Sound Dasein".

Three astonishing concerts on 3 consecutive nights at the Ad Libitum Festival 2017 in Warsaw, Poland from British bassist Barry Guy in 3 configurations: 1st in a duo with Spanish pianist Agusti Fernandez; 2nd in a trio with US pianist Marilyn Crispell and British drummer Paul Lytton; and 3rd in a double bass duo with French bassist Joelle Leandre.

An assertive album of free improv bringing together players from New York (drummer Weasel Walters), London (clarinetist & electric guitarist Alex Ward), and Chicago (trombonist Jeb Bishop), their previous shared projects and cross-genre intentions in rock, hardcore jazz and other experimental forms leading to this wonderfully quirky and masterful album of excoriating free jazz.

Recorded at the 2014 Ad Libitum Festival in Warsaw, pianist and composer Agusti Fernandez was invited to perform four concerts in celebration of his 60th birthday, choosing his working trio Aurora for once concert, a solo performance of "El Laberint de la Memoria", his electroacoustic Thunder trio, and a large ensemble conduction: "River, Tiger Fire".

Inspired by the life and thought of the spiritual figure Saint Francis of Assisi, John Zorn composed these ten guitar trios as a suite to be performed during a residency at the Frick museum in New York City, with guitarists Julian Lage and Gyan Riley, heard on his previous "Midsummer Moons" album, joined by guitarist Bil Frisell; contemplative and lyrical music.

Composer/saxophonist Braxton performed "Composition NO 347 + 62'37" " at the 2011 Victo Festival with the "super-group" of Braxton alumni - Mary Halvorson, Taylor Ho Bynum, Jessica Pavone, Jay Rozen, Aaron Siegel, Carl Testa", on their respective instruments + iPods.

Since 2016 Sfyria Trio is the Chicago/NY free improvising trio of tenor saxophonist Sam Decker (Shorve, Logan Strosahl Team, Green and Grass), bassist Charlie Kirchen (The Few, Rooms, Charlie Kirchen Quartet), and drummer Matt Carroll (Ohmme, Typical Sisters, Rooms), performing their unique improv idiom incorporating elements from a wide range of musical perspectives.

UK Tenor saxophonist and bassoonist Beck Hunter (Feet Packets, Gated Community) leads his trio with Anton Hunter on guitar and Johnny Hunter on drums, their second album of confident, self-possessed free improvisation with both an assertive edge and excellent exploratory moments, a sense of humor and a serious intent, a great example of collective improv.

The trio of bassist Joe Fonda, drummer Harvey Sorgen and clarinetist Christopher Rocher in an album dedicated to reedist Perry Robinson, a heartfelt album balancing structured composition and collective work, with authoritative free playing from all three as Rocher switches between bass clarinet and b-flat, Fonda plucks and bows, and Sorgen skilfully mixes it up.

Recording two days after their concert in British Columbia, BC at Alternator Centre for Contemporary Art's Skin And Bones Music Series, the trio of pianist Matthew Shipp, guitarist Gordon Grdina and bassist Mark Helias captured these collective improvisations at Afterlife Studios in Vancouver BC, titling their album after their well-received concert.

The UK/Europe trio of Albert Cirera on saxophones, Rafal Mazur on bass guitar, and Nicolas Field on drums, in five ordinal improvisations recorded at Alchemia Club in 2018, for a concert of vigorously assertive playing and seething interactive layers, laying back at times to build their progressions, ending the concert with an explorative "Fifth" improvisation.

The New York trio of pianist Jerome Kitzke, bassist Steve Rust on electric and acoustic, and drummer/percussionist Harvey Sorgen, alternate consummately clever approaches to collective playing with Kitzke's humorously ironic and insightful reading of four poems by Lawrence Ferlinghetti from his book "A Coney Island of the Mind", in honor of his 100th birthday.

The working trio of New York trumpeter & saxophonist Joe McPhee, London double bassist John Edwards, and German drummer Klaus Kugel, actively touring through Europe since 2017, are heard live at Alchemia in Krakow, Poland in 2018, for four monumental examples of free improvisation in superlative playing with intense rhythmic interaction and deeply expressive soloing.

An excellent album of informed free improvisation in the debut of this masterful trio of legendary musicians spread across the US--Joe McPhee on soprano sax & pocket trumpet [NY], Ken Vandermark on tenor sax & clarinet [Chicago], and Susan Alcorn on pedal steel guitar [Texas], a profound album from assertive to introspective playing in seven captivating collective improvisations.

The 2nd release from the trio of Chicago cornetist Josh Berman, UK drummer/percussionist Paul Lytton and Chicago bassist Jason Roebke, featuring material recorded during the trio's April 2018 European tour, in two extended side-long improvisations from Padova, Italy and Trondheim, Norway, in sets of profound technique and creative prowess; exceptional.

Three saxophonists -- Evan Parker, Lotte Anker, and Torben Snekkestad -- all on soprano sax plus Anker on tenor and Snekkestad on trumpet, in a primarily reed trio performing live in in Copenhagen, Denmark at KoncertKirken Blagards Plads, in two highly interactive improvisations that explore harmonic interaction, interference, and tonal intersections; fascinating!

The third SLD Trio album from the Argentinian free improvising band with a strong NY presence of pianist Paula Shoctron (also narrating on "Transformacion"), bassist German Lamonega, and Pablo Diaz, in ten diverse and confident recordings, performing compositions from each musicians one collective improvisation, and Duke Ellington's "Melancholia".

The UK trio of Dan Banks on piano, Jose Canha on double bass, and Trevor Taylor on drums & percussion, reflect on man's influence on climate and the environment in a 2 disc DVD/CD set, transforming data from NASA and Our World in Data into sonic platforms over which they adeptly improvise with lyrical intent; includes a 38 page booklet of photos & text detailing their process.

A free jazz project from the trio of Portuguese alto saxophonist Jose Lencastre, French double bassist Raoul Van der Weide, and Dutch drummer Onno Govaert, performing at Amsterdam's Zaal 100 in 2018 for a concert of collective improvisation, intelligent discourse of coherently creative progressions and energetic but never overblown playing; exemplary.

Udo Schindler marks his 80th Salon fur Klang+Kunst in Munich as his first duo recording with a drummer, in a first-time meeting with long-time acquaintance, drummer/percussionist Eric Zwang Eriksson, joining him as they find inspired common ground with Schindler on alto sax, bass clarinet, cornet and euphonium and Eriksson using all aspects of his drums and percussive devices.

Free Jazz in the mid-70s in New York City was guided by The Loft movement of artist-run venues throughout the city, the perfect environment for trumpeter Ted Daniel to develop his approach to the extended improvisations heard here, recorded in the studio with his trio of Tatsuya Nakamura on drums & percussion and Richard Pierce on bass, Daniel playing flugelhorn & French horn.

Brought together originally as the rhythm section for John Abercrombie, the trio of pianist Marc Copland, bassist Drew Gress and drummer Joey Baron have continued on as a performing trio, heard here in NYC for a lyrical set of standards, popular tunes, and originals including pieces by Coltrane, Hancock, Lennon-McCartney, Cole Porter, and John Abercrombie.

Quartet, trio and duo sessions between Paul Medley on alto saxophone & bass clarinet, Trevor Taylor on percussion & electronics, Matthew Hutchinson on piano, and Philipp Wachsmann on violin & electronics; improv and ea-improv that uses space and patient pacing, merging approaches from Circuit Electro-Acoustic Ensemble with an overall acoustic chamber feel--beautiful.

One part of New York improvising guitarist and composer Joe Morris' "Instantiation" project, where each part is uniquely composed with specific notated and operational components making each impossible to perform the same way twice, here in a studio recording with clarinetist Dan O'Brien, bassist Brad Barrett, and violinist Elinor Speirs.

An album of alien soundscape and un-anticipatable rhythm with seductive brass sonority floating above, from the Swiss trio of trumpeter Tom Arthurs, Isambard Khroustaliov on electronics, and Julian Sartorious on drums & percussion, contrasting complex and strangely aberrant sonic and rhythmic environments with lyrically virtuosic trumpet work.

A decade after their last album "Dim Bulb", "The Dull Blade" follows up with the trio of Chris Corsano on drums and duel saxophonist Steve Baczkowski and Paul Flaherty, recorded live in the studio at New Haven, Connecticut's Firehouse 12, an incredible album of fiery and ferocious playing with an outsider jazz attitude; brilliant.

Two GTM compositions from saxophonist and composer Anthony Braxton: Composition 255, a duo with saxophonist Chris Jonas; and Composition 265, performed by the same duo with vocalist Molly Sturges.

After performing live at New York's Vision Festival in 2012, the trio of Thomas Buckner (voice), Joelle Leandre (bass) and Nicole Mitchell (flute) recorded this studio album of free improvisations in a free-flowing exchange of ideas and adroit improvisation.

In the Downtown NY tradition of blurring rock and improvisation, the trio of Marc Ribot on guitar and voice, Shahzad Ismaily on bass, Moog, percussion and voice, and Ches Smith on drums, percussion and electronics, answer their own question 'why are you still here' through 11 genre-crossing songs of turmoil and inquisitiveness, perfect for the polarities of the time.

A lyrical album of original compositions from New York pianist Zack Clarke, in an acoustic jazz piano trio with double bassist Kim Cass and drummer Dre Hocevar, recording in the Systems Two studio in Brooklyn for nine pieces of both optimistic and mercurial temperament, a great example mixing virtuosic form and perceptive communication in a classic configuration.

Massimo Pupillo (ZU, Laniakea), electronic artist Luciano Lamanna and string instrument virtuoso Roberto Zanisi combine to form Creta, creating sonic works that blend sci-fi ambient atmospheres with dark bass pulses and languid Mediterranean string instruments, an unusual yet surprisingly complementary set of approaches yielding a darkly lyrical album.

Legendary New York trumpeter Ted Daniel, whose skills were honed in the 70s Loft Scene, in his 4th Duology album with the trio of Michael Marcus on clarinets and Henry Grimes on bass and violin, the leader also performing on French hunting horn, an album of varied mood and intensity that sits firmly in the free jazz legacy of daring harmonies and melodies.

The 2nd release on Clean Feed by drummer Joao Lencastre's Communion, a shape-shifting ensemble here configured with 2 New York improvisers from Lencastre's associations over 15 years in NYC--pianist Jakob Sacks and bassist Eivind Opsvik--for 10 studio recordings which include the 4-part "Magnetic Frequency", blurring lyrical avant jazz and chamber forms; beautiful.

The long-running Chicago free-rock trio Mako Sica currently comprised of Przemyslaw Drazek (trumpet & guitar), Brent Fuscaldo (guitar) and Chaetan Newell (drums & piano) are joined by free improvising legend Hamid Drake on drum kit, tablas and frame drum for a beautiful and rich album of genre merging, spiritually warm, primarily instrumental music, inclusive and persuasive.

Recorded in 1975 at the Swiss Willisau Jazz Festival, Joe McPhee's trio with John Synder on synth and Makaya Ntshoko on drums, and McPhee on tenor and sopranox sax, was Hat Hut's 2nd release and has been out of print since; Corbett vs. Dempsey asked McPhee what unavailable album he'd like to see in print, and this suberb album was his first choice.

More typically a solo performer, Japanese bluesman Kan Mikami has created a distinctive path for his voice, guitar and poetic lyrics; here he is propelled in an improvisational setting with two powerful UK players--John Edwards on bass and Alex Neilson on drums--captured live at London's Cafe Oto for a growling concert of finesse and brusque attitude.

Live at the LOFT in Cologne, Germany, the trio of German-based Russian pianist Simon Nabatov with NY Downtown double bassist Mark Dresser and relative newcomer Dominik Manhig on drums, expressive collective improvisation using edgy techniques in impressive dialog.

Spinning an unusual story, the trio of saxophonist and pocket trumpeter Joe McPhee, guitarist and laptop artist James Keepnews, and drummer David Berger envision the first encounter between alien life and a delegation of earthlings, while giving a nod to jazz's original man from another planet, Sun Ra, with a side-long suite dedicated to him.

Born from rock bands like Cleric and Simulacrum, this NY instrumental, improvising rock trio blends avant-garde classical, free jazz, dissonant math metal, ambient and world music into a powerful new mix, with Nick Shellenberger on bass and synth, Matt Buckley on drums & percussion, and Matt Hollenberg on guitar; intricate, edgy, demanding and driven music.

The Thing "again" as Gustafsson on saxophones, Haker Flaten on electric and acoustic bass, and Nilssen-Love on drums & percussion present 3 extended blues-based, Ayler-inflected free jazz pieces, with Gustafsson's powerfully emotional playing over Haker-Flaten and Nilssen-Love's powerful polyrhythmic foundations; Joe McPhee joins for one track taking on a Frank Lowe piece.

Heavy free jazz in the 3rd release from the trio of Mats Gustafsson on tenor and baritone sax, Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten on bass, and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums, covering an eclectic set of punk and free jazz titles including covers of Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Sonics, White Stripes, Norman Howard and Brotzmann; thick and sick free improvisation.

Steve Rush, Tom Abbs and Geoff Mann take the trio format to new heights in music inspired by Sun Ra, the Art Ensemble of Chicago as well as Miles Davis.

John Zorn brings together Downtown New Yorkers, Marc Ribot on guitar, Trevor Dunn on bass and Tyshawn Sorey on drums, for 12 instrumental miniatures combining atonal lyricism with rock intensity; scronky, demanding and exciting hybrids of improv and rock.

Turning to one third of his more familiar Red Trio setting, percussionist/drummer Gabriel Ferrandini enlists bassist Hernani Faustino and tenor saxophonist Pedro Sousa (Sousa/Berthling/Ferrandini, PeterGabriel Duo) to perform 9 Ferrandini compositions named after streets in Lisbon leading from Ferrandini's house to his studio and then to ZDB.

Blending live improvisation with studio composition & production, NY-based Dutch drummer, pianist and composer Flin van Hemmen spent 3 years making recordings with guitarist Todd Neufeld, double bassist Eivind Opsvik and himself, transforming them with layering, studio effects, processors and field recordings to create these intensely fascinating compositions.

The Gnostic Trio of guitarist Bill Frisell, vibraphonist Kenny Wollesen and harpist Carol Emanuel, one of composer John Zorn's most lyrical, sophisticated and embraceable bands, takes on the 7th volume of Zorn's "Book Beri'ah", presenting the final 92 compositions of his Masada songbook in a multi-volume set, here with 9 enchanting pieces of rich melody and dialog.

Brooklyn-based composer, bassist, and writer Nick Dunston in his debut album, blending jazz, contemporary, chamber and avant forms, in a uniquely voiced quintet with Louna Dekker on Vargas on flutes & piccolo, Ledah Finck on violin & viola, Tal Yahalom on guitar, and Stephen Boegehold on drums, in a sophisticated album of concisely fascinating compositions.

Recording in Toronto, the core trio of drummer Nick Fraser, saxophonist Tony Malaby and pianist Kris Davis are joined on four tracks by tenor saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and trumpeter Lina Allemano, in an album of composed and collective improvisation, merging Toronto, NY and European influences in an accomplished album of diverse approaches and orchestrations.

Montreal-area's Mystery and Wonder Records duo of Elizabeth Millar on clarinet and Craig Pedersen on trumpet met sound artist Tim Olive in Tokyo's famed Gok Sound studio to record these absorbing electroacoustic improvisations, employing hand-made microphones in metal and wooden tubes, corrupted consumer sound devices, and electro-magnetism through analog circuits.

Using toys and handmade instruments alongside guitar, bass, synths, plundered recordings and electronics, the French Toys'R'Noise trio are a live performing group that borrows from electro-beat rock forms with overtones of IDM/ambient forms, building extended sections and then amusing with quick-witted sections that bridge a clear love of the music.

After their Doubtmusic CD "Live at Hall Egg Farm", capturing the trio of Masahiko Satoh on piano, Otomo Yoshihide on electric guitar & whistle, and Roger Turner on drums & percussion in Fukaya City, this new chapter in the trio's activities finds them live at Shinjuku Pit Inn, in Tokyo the following year, for two energetically active and captivating conversations.

Six compositions by pianist Matthew Shipp for his String Trio with violist Mat Maneri and double bassist William Parker, their first Trio record since 2001's "Expansion, Power and Release" (Hat), their long history of working together in a variety of configurations creating a near-telepathic link between the players over Shipp's sophisticated frameworks.

Their aptly titled "Fourth" album since they first performed together in 2015, Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii and NY bassist and flutist Joe Fonda have toured and developed an intuitive, almost telepathic, relationship--naturally melodic, intelligent yet emotional-- heard here in two concerts in Japan, with trumpeter Natsuki Tamura joining as a guest on two pieces.