February 13, 2026:
This entry covers the last couple of weeks, which began with a historic snowstorm here in Wilmington, NC, as a polar vortex stretched from the Arctic down the East Coast. Being more or less in the South, five inches of snow shut the city down for three days, prohibiting deliveries. Given the weather, we decided to throw a few snowballs and declare a store-wide sale!
By mid-week the city was back to normal, a happy circumstance for me, as I had planned to travel to Durham, NC, for a concert in Daniel Levin's extraordinary Sanctuary Series � the February show featuring Joe Morris on guitar. Other performers included dancer Caitlyn Schrader, and joining Morris was Ben Eidson as advertised, with the program expanded beyond the announced duo to include Daniel Levin himself and Laurent Estoppey. Levin & Estoppey perform as a duo on the recently added ezz-thetics by Hat Hut, Ltd LP Freedom From The Known. The performances were excellent, the venue was full with roughly 40 audience members, and the setting � Levin's own home � made this one of the warmest and most inviting shows I've attended in decades. If you have a chance to see a performance in the series, I highly recommend it!
For those who may be new to it, Squid Note Records is our in-house label created to support adventurous new recordings as digital and streaming releases. I imagine most blog readers have seen our listings by now and know that we released our third album this week: Remergency (Hirsh / Hollenberg / Sewelson) - Wave Benders.
We know that many of our readers are adherents to Squidco's main focus: physical media. So that begs the question, why did we start a digital label? The answer is twofold. First, we were asked to. Joel Futterman, with whom we've had a friendly relationship for years, asked if we could release two solo albums he had recorded. Being big fans, we explained that we didn't have the resources to press CDs or LPs, but we all had experience with Bandcamp and could configure and set up a site for those albums. Second, it's clear that pressing quantities have diminished, and many listeners of new music now primarily buy digital and streaming releases. We've felt for a while that we should adapt, and we ourselves maintain personal Bandcamp sites to share our own music.
Therefore we launched Squid Note Records to release music we believe in � directly, carefully, and fairly. This isn't simply "our" label. It's something we are building together with the musicians themselves. The direction is shaped as much by the artists as by us � a collaborative effort grounded in mutual respect and shared commitment. Each release is an equal partnership, and proceeds are split evenly with the artists who create the music.
Given that, we truly hope our customers at Squidco, along with new listeners discovering Squid Note, will support the artists on the label by purchasing our albums. At $10, we believe they are reasonably priced, and we believe the artists deserve listeners' commitment to the music they are sharing. So far that includes some great music: Remergency's exciting fusion of jazz and rock forms, and Futterman's two solo piano albums, each offering distinct approaches to free and sophisticated improvisation. We seem to have struck a nerve with the label, and upcoming releases will include work from Daniel Levin, Barry Chabala & Clara Byom, Ivo Perelman, Damon Smith, and Rick Countryman!
Featured Release: Remergency � Wave Benders
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Bringing together drummer Steve Hirsh, guitarist Matt Hollenberg, and baritone saxophonist Dave Sewelson,
this trio threads avant-rock intensity, spacious free-jazz phrasing, and the instinctual push-and-pull of three musicians who trust the moment more than any stylistic boundary.
The project began in New York, gained new momentum through Minnesota performances supported by the Minnesota State Arts Board,
and arrives here with focused, exploratory studio energy.
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Also Available Now
Joel Futterman � Absorb
Solo piano, deep-flowing narrative arcs and resonant detail.
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Joel Futterman � Reflective
Nineteen concise vignettes: sustain, staccato, and shifting harmonic mirrors.
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Coming Soon
Barry Chabala & Clara Byom � Bella's Ghost
Upcoming on Squid Note Records.
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Daniel Levin � upcoming release
In progress for Squid Note; details soon.
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We're also developing forthcoming releases with Ivo Perelman and Rick Countryman.
f you've ever wondered how to help Squidco keep doing what it does, supporting Squid Note Records and the artists we represent is one direct way. Please take a listen, and if something connects, consider picking up a copy � your purchase helps us continue bringing ambitious work into the world.
Squidco Publishing Roundup:
You can view our latest fully cataloged albums in the Recently Section.
You can also browse new titles as they enter our Just In Stock Section � meaning we physically have the album and can ship it, though we may still be updating additional information about the release.
To see restocks of previously listed titles, visit our Recently Restocked page.
And if you're interested in a future release, you can ask us to notify you by email via our Upcoming Releases page � no obligation necessary.
January 27, 2026:
Last week's blog was a bit hasty - I didn't even remember to date the entry! Most of the time was spent pushing some imported albums towards us, as the rules throughout Europe and The UK have changed significantly, and each nation has their own way of dealing with shipments to the US.
While speaking of the US, Squidco, which is to say, I and everyone in our crew, also spent time reading and considering the problems in our own country, with the second murder of a peaceful protestor in Minneapolis, and the subsequent gaslighting of the event by the White House administration. Politics shouldn't be a part of our service, and certainly not our blog, but it's a time than any good human needs to stand up and make a few things clear:
Squidco stands with protestors in the US who have direct comments to make; I plan to stand literally with them in future protests here in our own city of Wilmington. Squidco also stands against imperialism, and finds the challenge to Greenland abhorrent. Squidco detests the kidnapping of a sovereign leader, no matter how much of a villain that leader might be. Squidco doesn't believe in claims to Venezuelan oil, or the Panama Canal. Squidco don't believe that Gaza should be turned into a resort. We also believe that the US should aid Ukraine in liberating itself from Russia's invastion. We have no faith in a "Board of Peace" when the nation has remade the Department of Defense into the Department of War, and invited Russia to it's newly invented "Board". We stand with NATO and believe in honoring the treaties and agreements that have made the world relatively peaceful. And we believe in free trade without tariffs except when necessary to prevent abuse from country to country.
Ultimately, like the music we sell, we believe in cooperation, not competition. The sharing of ideas and beliefs, the diversity that makes us stronger, is the goal � not isolation, bullying, and declarations of superiority.
We understand that many customers are disgusted with the changes in our politics. We're feeling it in the challenges in front of us, while we struggle to bring in the material that defines our business and musical interests.
Last week's blog was a bit hasty � I didn't even remember to date the entry! Most of the time was spent navigating the challenges of bringing in imported albums, as regulations throughout Europe and the UK have changed significantly, with each nation now handling shipments to the US in its own way.
Here in the US, Squidco � meaning myself and everyone on our team � has also spent time reflecting on the troubling events in our own country, including the second killing of a peaceful protestor in Minneapolis and the subsequent attempts by the White House administration to dismiss or distort what occurred. Politics are not usually a part of our service, and certainly not a regular focus of this blog, but there are moments when it feels necessary for any thoughtful person to speak clearly.
Squidco stands with protestors across the US who are raising their voices for justice, and I plan to stand alongside them at future demonstrations here in Wilmington. We oppose imperialism in all its forms and find recent rhetoric regarding Greenland deeply disturbing. We reject the kidnapping of a sovereign leader, regardless of how controversial that leader may be. We do not support claims over Venezuelan oil or the Panama Canal, nor the idea of turning Gaza into a resort destination. We believe the US should continue to support Ukraine in its efforts to defend itself against Russia's invasion. We have little faith in newly created "peace boards" when military escalation continues elsewhere, and we stand with NATO in honoring the treaties that have helped maintain relative global stability. Finally, we support free trade, using tariffs only when necessary to prevent clear abuses.
Ultimately, much like the music we represent, we believe in cooperation rather than competition. The exchange of ideas, cultures, and perspectives � the diversity that strengthens us � should be the goal, not isolation, intimidation, or claims of superiority.
We understand that many of our customers are frustrated and disheartened by the direction of current politics. We feel it as well, particularly in the increasing challenges of bringing in the music that defines our work and passions.
A Closer Look at Jessica Williams and Morton Feldman:
A couple of weeks ago we were made aware of a recently released vinyl album that didn't initially seem of much interest: late pianist Jessica Williams' Blue Abstraction: Prepared Piano Project 1985-1987. Williams was an intriguing figure, a classically trained pianist deeply influenced by bop players, particularly Miles Davis and John Coltrane, which led to a long career in jazz on both the east and west coasts. She took a bold approach to the piano, spanning traditional jazz forms alongside more experimental and inventive directions; for instance, her striking prepared piano interpretation of "Bemsha Swing" on the album In the Key of Monk is a joy to hear, while her later experimental releases bridge electronic and classical forms.
I didn't expect any of Williams' reissues to be of great interest to our more avant catalog, but upon hearing a review copy of Blue Abstraction, I was happily surprised by the innovative approach she took across eight pieces, using unusual piano preparations on works including the title track and portraits of Picasso and Matisse. While listening, Carl shouted from across the office, asking what fascinating album I was playing. Hearing it together, we agreed that this album definitely belongs in our catalog. I point it out to our readers who, like I did, might assume this is a traditional jazz album � which it is anything but.
 Williams, Jessica: Blue Abstraction: Prepared Piano Project 1985-1987 [VINYL] (Pre-Echo Press)
Drawing from a period of intense experimentation in the mid-1980s, Jessica Williams transforms a prepared piano into a newly imagined and startlingly creative instrument, shaping music that moves from Satie-like lyricism to controlled cacophony through altered strings, tactile resonance, and deeply expressive melodic voicing-forward-thinking and intimate work unheard for nearly four decades.
The other album exciting us in more sublime ways is the 6-CD box set on Another Timbre featuring Morton Feldman's later trio compositions, performed by the GBSR Duo with Taylor MacLennan. John Eyles wrote this review and overview on The Squid's Ear, which explains the album in more detail than I can here. I will mention that it is a monumental listen, beautifully rendered, enveloping the listener in the complex sound world that Feldman somehow makes feel so simple. Kudos to Another Timbre for this stunning production, released in a sturdy box with a booklet.
 Feldman, Morton / GBSR Duo w/ Taylor MacLennan: Trios [6 CD BOX SET] (Another Timbre)
Spanning Morton Feldman's three expansive trios for flute, piano, and percussion, these performances by the GBSR Duo with Taylor MacLennan immerse the listener in an extended temporal field where quiet intensity, precise timbral balance, and fragile rhythmic relationships unfold with hypnotic patience, transforming duration itself into an expressive element of listening, presence, and sustained attention.
January 23, 2026:
Five very exciting releases came in this week, all highly anticipated by many of our customers. I'll start with the new Morton Feldman box set on Another Timbre, a beautifully produced 6-CD collection with booklet that presents three trio compositions of increasing length � works from Feldman's later period that demonstrate his remarkable ability to create minimalist music rich in detail, tone, and texture: Why Patterns? (1979), Crippled Symmetry (1982), and For Philip Guston (1984).
continued...
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Larry Stabbins / Keith Tippett / Louis Moholo-Moholo:
Camila Nebbia / Kit Downes / Andrew Lisle:
Henry Threadgilll:
Natsuki Tamura and Satoko Fujii:
Remergency (Hirsh / Hollenberg / Sewelson):
Michael Pisaro-Liu:
Alexander Hawkins / Taylor Ho Bynum:
Joel Futterman:
Joel Futterman:
