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

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

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

Stockholm pianist Alexander Zethson invited Greek saxophonist Nicky Kokkoli and guitarist Giannis Arapis to take part in his 13-piece Thanatosis festival ensemble VÖ; they then asked drummer Nils Agnas, bassist Torbjörn Zetterberg and trombonist Mats Äleklint to join them for this sublimely flowing sextet studio session, which includes works by Mingus and Coltrane.

Rotterdam based band comprising two Portuguese players--Gonccalo Almeida on bass and Hugo Costa on sax--and German drummer Philipp Ernsting, the trio adding electronics, keys and effects, in their third album slamming hard free jazz and rock angst into a controlled chaos, a maelstrom of powerful riffs, rugged soloing, and mesmerizing grooves.

Hailing from Rotterdam's rich underground scene, the trio of Hugo Costa on alto sax, Goncalo Aleida on bass, and Philipp Ernsting on drums, with all 3 doubling on electronics, in a dramatic and energetic album blending free jazz, improv, metal, and punk music.

A darkly ritualistic, scrabbly album of darkly ritualistic improvisation from the Portuguese trio of saxophonist Mestre Andre, also on electronics, percussion, mbira and voice, double bassist Bernardo Alvares and drummer/percussionist Raphael Soares.

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

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

This is the 2nd release by this trio on Clean Feed, with Tobias Klein (alto saxophone, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet), Goncalo Almeida (double bass) and Martin van Duynhoven (drums) captured live at Bimhuis in Amsterdam in 2017, taking on compositions by Ornette Coleman alongside original compositions from all three players in a free jazz mode.

The Netherlands trio of Tobias Klein on reeds, Goncaio Almeia on double bass, and Martin van Duynhoven on drums, is inspired by all kinds of adventurous music of the last 50 years, on this album including compositions for Henry Threadgills, Oliver Lake, and Ornette Coleman.

Performing on double bass, amp and a volume pedal, Gonçalo Almeida (LAMA, Albatre, The Attic) explores new sonic environments and possiblities for the large strings, using feedback that modifies based on the physical location between the amp and the resonator of the double bass, Almeida improvises with bowing strokes, pizzicato and unusual string preparations.

Constrast from shifts in sound, texture and dynamic in Pedro Melo Alves' commissioned work for the Jazz No Parque Festival, using 3 vocalists (Aubrey Johnson, Beatriz Nunes, & Mariana Dionisio) to layer and interact over a quartet of contemporary and improvised instrumentalists: Eve Risser (piano), Mark Dresser (bass), Abdul Moimeme (electric guitar), and Alves (drums & percussion).

Three expansive and stunning performances at Centro Cultural de Vila Flor as part of the Guimaraes Jazz 2020 festival by drummer and percussionist Pedro Melo Alves' expanded 23-piece Omniae Ensemble directed by Pedro Carneiro, adding electronics, voice and a diverse orchestration that gives his band both power but also flexibility to express an astonishing array of moods.

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

Martin Kuchen's Angles band changes shape constantly, originally a trio and expanding as large as Angles 10, but this album, recorded live at SMUP, Parede, Portugal in 2016, returns the band to the original trio of Kuchen on sax, Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten on double bass, and Kjell Nordeson on drums & percussion, reworking Angles compositions to their essence.

A fantastic concert recorded during the 52nd Ljubljana Jazz Festival, presenting an ambitious and remarkable pair of compositions from saxophonist Martin Kuchen, extending his regular 6 piece band to an octet.

Now a distinct edition of saxophonist Martin Kuchen's concept, the Angles 9 ensemble is captured live at the Zomer Jazz Fiets Tour in The Netherlands in 2018, performing Kuchen's embraceable and lyrical compositions, allowing his masterful band--including Magnus Broo, Johan Berthling, Mattias Stahl, &c.--great opportunities for collective playing and profound soloing.

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

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

The chameleonic configuration of Angles is here an octet, in a powerfully building and passionate set of three recordings performed by Martin Kuchen (alto sax), Magnus Broo & Goran Kajfes (trumpets), Mats Aleklint (trombone), Mattias Stahl (vibraphone), Alexander Zethson (piano & synth), Konrad Agnas (drums) and Johan Berthling (double bass); exemplary.

Saxophonist Martin Kuchen's Angles sextet with trumpeter Magnus Broo, trombonist Mats Aleklint and vibraphonist Mattias Stahl in jazz with a polyrhythmic and refined world music accent.

Scandinavian Alto saxophonist Martin Kuchen in a sextet with Magnus Broo and Mats Aleklint playing Kuchen originals, free jazz with a post-bop twist.

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

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

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

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

An 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.

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

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

Baltimore brass player and composer Dave Ballou, know for Either/Orchestra, Meridian Art Ensemble, John Hollenbeck's Large Ensemble, Satoko Fujii ensembles, &c, in an intimate, diverse, and informed solo album performed on Bb trumpet, flugelhorn, piccolo trumpet, and mutes.

The Baltimore area quartet of Dave Ballou on trumpet, Anthony Pirog on guitar, Adam Hopkins on double bass, and Mike Kuhl on drums, met in 2011 at Baltimore's Windup Space where Adam Hopkins organized weekly concerts through the Out Of Your Head Collective; finding common ground they took the name BeepHonk, this being their first album, appropriately recorded live.

The Ballrog duo of multi-reedist Klaus Ellerhusen Holm and double bassist Roger Arntzen is expanded with pedal steel guitarist Ivar Grydeland as they explore jazz influenced at the intersection of Jimmy Giufree and Eric Dolphy with Morton Feldman-esque non-linear structures.

The Norwegian trio Ballrog, which started as the duo of Klaus Ellerhusen-Holm on clarinet and Roger Arntzen on double bass, then expanded with guitarist Ivar Grydeland, who is replaced by guitarist David Stackenäus, a perfect choice for the lyrical chamber approach of intertwining lines and fluid melodic statement, with a sense of "free chamber americana"; beautiful.

The Norwegian trio Ballrog, which started as the duo of Klaus Ellerhusen-Holm on clarinet and Roger Arntzen on double bass, then expanded with guitarist Ivar Grydeland, who is replaced by guitarist David Stackenäus, a perfect choice for the lyrical chamber approach of intertwining lines and fluid melodic statement, with a sense of "free chamber americana"; beautiful.

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

A New York-born trio of European free improvisers, bassist Pascal Niggenkemper, clarinetist Joachim Badenhorst, and viola player Frank Loriot present a unique orchestration that blends contemporary compositional forms with free improvisation in sublime ways.

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

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

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

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

Saint Petersburg alto saxophonist Ilia Belorukov and Lisbon drummer Gabriel Ferrandini in a studio album uniting two continents through exploratory free improvisation of exemplary skill and intense concentrative discourse, bringing Belorukov's creative approach to the instrument in close conversation with Ferrandini's powerful technique and clever interventions.

Pianist Daniel Bernardes pays homage to French composer Olivier Messiaen, augmenting his piano trio of Antonio Augusto Aguiar on bass and Mario Costa on drums with the Drumming GP Ensemble of Miquel Bernat on marimba, Jeffrey Davis & Pedro Gois on vibraphones, and Joao Dias on glockenspiel, a wonderful merging of contemporary percussive composition and modern jazz.

With a 20 year history, double bassist Carlos Bica's trio Azul with Frank Mobus and Jim Black have developed a romantic, lyrical style that balances unusual textures and agressive playing with melodic style in wonderfully natural ways, here in their 6th alluring album.

Double bassist and composer Carlos Bica's Azul with guitarist Frank Mobus and drummer Jim Black in their 5th album, bringing jazz and elements of rock together into a lyrical and alluring set of recordings.

Swiss musicians, trumpeter Marco Von Orelli and drummer Sheldon Suter and their Portuguese partners, guitarist Luis Lopes and electronics artist Travassos, in an album of unconventional collective improvisation using extended techniques in a large work of evolving, subtle interactions, magnifying sound and gesture in an engrossing sonic environment.

Swiss musicians Marco Von Orelli (trumpet, slide trumpet) and Sheldon Suter (prepared drums) and by their Portuguese partners, Luis Lopes (electric guitar) and Travassos (electronics) release a new chapter in their project Big Bold Back Bone, all players embracing a unique electro-acoustic improvisation through transformation of their instruments.

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

Conceived by saxophonist Kirstoffer Berre Alberts and Lasse Marhaug, who composed this large acoustic work for strings, percussion, blowing instruments, pipes (organ and accordion) and vocals, soliciting solo recordings created in isolation during the pandemic which they layered and blocked in the studio to create these two remarkable works of eccentric timbre, motion & pitch.

Dutch improvisers cornetist Eric Boeren, saxophonist Michael Moore, bassist Wilbert de Joode with drummer Paul Lovens performing live in 2004 at Concertgebouw, Brugge.

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

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

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

With a discography of both contemporary and improvised music, Beligan pianist residing in Norway Jonas Cambien (Platform, Karokh) joins forces with Norwegian double bassist Adrian Myhr (Delius, Dorner, Buck) for an album that balances concentrative and muscular interplay, influenced by Cambien's piano preparations and Myhr's sophisticated techniques.

With a discography of both contemporary and improvised music, Beligan pianist residing in Norway Jonas Cambien (Platform, Karokh) joins forces with Norwegian double bassist Adrian Myhr (Delius, Dorner, Buck) for an album that balances concentrative and muscular interplay, influenced by Cambien's piano preparations and Myhr's sophisticated techniques.

Cleverly complex yet melodically embraceable, the trio of Beligan pianist residing in Norway, Jonas Cambien's trio with Andre Rolighete on tenor and soprano saxophone and drummer Andreas Wildhagen perform eleven original Cambien compositions, a mix of astute, joyful and irrepressibly creative approaches to jazz and free improvisation.

Title spine damaged by the album pushing through the sleeve and jacket. Cleverly complex yet melodically embraceable, the trio of Beligan pianist residing in Norway, Jonas Cambien's trio with Andre Rolighete on tenor and soprano saxophone and drummer Andreas Wildhagen perform eleven original Cambien compositions, a mix of astute, joyful and irrepressibly creative approaches to jazz and free improvisation.

Cleverly complex yet melodically embraceable, the trio of Beligan pianist residing in Norway, Jonas Cambien's trio with Andre Rolighete on tenor and soprano saxophone and drummer Andreas Wildhagen perform eleven original Cambien compositions, a mix of astute, joyful and irrepressibly creative approaches to jazz and free improvisation.

Leveraging influences in improvisation and contemporary compositional music, Belgian/Oslo pianist Jonas Cambien, a member of Simiskina and Platform, extends his own trio of saxophonist Andre Rolighete and drummer Andreas Wildhagen with trumpeter Torstein Lavik Larsen on 2 tracks, as they balance jazz, avant, free improv and other hybrid forms in a compellingly creative album.

Leveraging influences in improvisation and contemporary compositional music, Belgian/Oslo pianist Jonas Cambien, a member of Simiskina and Platform, extends his own trio of saxophonist Andre Rolighete and drummer Andreas Wildhagen with trumpeter Torstein Lavik Larsen on 2 tracks, as they balance jazz, avant, free improv and other hybrid forms in a compellingly creative album.

Belgian pianist based in Oslo, Jonas Cambien's Trio with Andre Roligheten on reeds and Andreas Wildhagen on drums, in an album of unique compositions using simple ideas yielding complex improvisation & dialog, named for the Dougal Dixons book "After Man: A Zoology of the Future".

"Autres Paysages" or "Other Landscapes" pins the description on the rich, turbulent, and mesmerizing music this trio creates, with French violist Joao Camoes and Jean-Marc Foussat on the EMS Synthi AKS collaborating for their 3rd album, joined by trumpeter Jean-Luc Cappozzo, as acoustics and electronics subsume and survive seamlessly in an inspired set of recordings.

Portugese violist Joao Camoes, living in Paris, in a duo with Jean-Marc Foussat on electronics and voice, which he approaches like those of the acoustic improvised music and free jazz; the two present two long works where Foussat processes and extends Camoes' sound.

The title a reference to a 1953 poem by Yasuoka Shotaro, this album instead finds excellent company in the Portuguese duo of percussionists Pedro Carneiro on marimba with quarter tone extension and Pedro Melo Alves on prepared drums, their informed and unhurried improvised dialog merging concepts and influences of contemporary compositional music in compelling ways.

Known from the TGB trio and work with Bernardo Sassetti, Portuguese deep brass player Sergio Carolino turns from his typical tuba for a solo album on a new instrument of his own invention--the lusophone--a standing tuba based on the Jazzophon, a trumpet in the shape of a saxophone, here built from parts of frontal bell tubas and demonstrated in an impressive, extended improvisation.

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

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

Vocalist and electronic artist Lynn Cassier leads the "Yun" project, a sextet including fellow Octurn saxophonist Bo Van der Werf, plus two keyboardists (Erik Vermeulen & Jozef Dumoulin), bassist Manolo Cabras and drummer Marek Patrman, as she rearranges 12 pieces from the American Songbook, applying unique electroacoustic harmonic and rhythmic structures.

Composer, vocalist and electronics artist Lynn Cassiers' new septet with Sylvain Debaisieux (soprano and tenor saxophone), Ananta Roossens (violin), Niels Van Heertum (euphonium), Erik Vermeulen (piano), Manolo Cabras (double bass) and Marek Patrman (drums) in their adventurous debut album blending improv, pop aesthetics, electronics, dreamlike voice, and solid playing.

With 3 members of the sextet Slow is Possible--alto saxophonist Bruno Figueira, guitarist Joao Clemente and drummer Duarte Fonseca--plus bassist Joao Lucas (who has his own trio on Creative Sources), this cat is a genre-mashing band, blurring jazz and rock forms in a very Downtown NY way: open-minded, surprising, articulate, sophisticated, and passionate improv.

Expanding the long-running Celano/Baggiani Group of guitarist Guillermo Celano and drummer Marcos Baggiani with clarinetist and saxophonist Joachim Badenhorst, this trio works to re-imagine the boundaries between composition and improvisation, between conventional harmony and abstract sound explorations through melody, groove and texture.

A live concert at Les Soirees Tricot Festival in Paris, France in 2016, dedicated to the "City of Light", from the quartet of Luis Vicente on trumpet, Theo Ceccaldi on violin, Valentin Ceccaldi on cello and Marcelo dos Reis on acoustic guitar and prepared guitar, in music that, like the city, exhibits gorgeous simplicity through intricate sophistication.

Self-described as Scandinavian jazz rock noir, the Chrome Hill quartet of Asbjorn Lerheim on baritone guitar, Roger Arntzen on double bass, Torstein Lofthus on drums & vibraphone, and Atle Nymo on tenor saxophone, present a dramatic album of contrasts inspired by cinematic and musical moods, merging elements of folk, Delta blues and cowboy rock into their darkly cool sound.

Self-described as Scandinavian jazz rock noir, the Chrome Hill quartet of Asbjorn Lerheim on baritone guitar, Roger Arntzen on double bass, Torstein Lofthus on drums & vibraphone, and Atle Nymo on tenor saxophone, present a dramatic album of contrasts inspired by cinematic and musical moods, merging elements of folk, Delta blues and cowboy rock into their darkly cool sound.

The Norwegian quartet formerly known as "Damp" with baritone guitarist Asbjorn Lerheim, tenor saxophonist Atle Nymo, drummer Torstein Lofthus, and double bassist Roger Arntzen, blend expressive forms of jazz with blues and rock in an expansive and rich set of tunes that both pay homage and look to new and inclusive formations of emotional and effusive music.

Jazz drummer and composer Scott Clark leads his Richmond, VA 4Tet of Cameron Ralston (bass), Jason Scott (sax) and Bob Miller (trumpet) on a lyrical and passionate suite exploring Clark's Native American roots, referencing Dee Brown's "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee".

Drummer Scott Clark continues to explore his Native American roots in this album dedicated to the protests at Standing Rock, North Dakota, each heartfelt piece titled for aspects of those demonstrations, performed with bassist Cameron Ralston, trumpeter Bob Miller, saxophonist Jason Scott, guitarist Alan Parker, and extended with Chicago guitarist Tobin Summerfield.

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.

Mesophase: matter that is neither liquid or solid, sharing properties of both; pianist and electronic artistZack Clarke's inspired album shares properties of improvisation, experimental/ea and through-composed music, performed with fellow NY-ers Chris Irvine (cello), Charlotte Greve (winds), Nick Dunston (double bass), and Leonid Galaganov (percussion, waterphone & shakuhachi).

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

A tribute to pianist and composer Bernardo Sassetti from a trio that includes two members of Sassetti's Trio--bassist Carlos Barretto and drummer Alexandre Frazao--along with pianist Alberto Conde and violist Jose Valente, as they interpret Sassetti compositions, a Federico Mompou piece Sassetti played frequently, along with original compositions from all members.

The history of bassist Sean Conly's collaborations and releases shows a strong love of the jazz tradition and a perceptive writing style that references that tradition, heard here in free and lyrical original Conly compositions performed in the studio in a trio setting with fellow New York musicians Satoshi Takeishi on drums and Michael Attias on alto saxophone.

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

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

Seriously joyful and consequential "avant-garde party music" from the Norwegian Cortex quartet of Ola Hoyer on double bass, Gard Nilssen on drums & percussion, Kristoffer Berre Alberts on saxophone, and Thomas Johansson on trumpet, in their 6th album of irresistible, upbeat free jazz.

Seriously joyful and consequential "avant-garde party music" from the Norwegian Cortex quartet of Ola Hoyer on double bass, Gard Nilssen on drums & percussion, Kristoffer Berre Alberts on saxophone, and Thomas Johansson on trumpet, in their 6th album of irresistible, upbeat free jazz.

Four Norwegian jazz musicians--Thomas Johansson (cornet), Kristoffer Alberts (reeds), Ola Hoyer (double bass) and Gard Nilssen (drums)--representatives of a new generation of Scandinavian jazzmen playing creative music with the tools and forms of the older generation.

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

Recording in the studio in Switzerland, the trio of Sylvie Courvoisier on piano, Ned Rothenberg on alto saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet & Shakuhachi, and Julian Sartorius on drums & percussion perform a mix of compositions, with 3 from Courvoisier and 1 by Rothenberg, and 4 collective improvisations; a unified and accomplished album of diverse approaches to free improv.

Chris Pitsiokos' Unit with electric guitarist Brandon Seabrook, electric bassist Tim Dahl, and drummer Weasel Walter turn in a fiery and demanding album of compelling free jazz, using traditional jazz structures but turning them on their head in joyfully unconventional ways.

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

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

The Italian free improv quartet The Assassins (Francesco Cusa, drums; Giulio Stermieri, piano; Flavio Zanuttini, trumpet; Giovanni Benvenuti, sax) joins together with the classical chamber string ensemble, Florence Art Quartet (Daniele Iannaccone, violin; Lorenzo Borneo, violin; Agostino Mattioni, viola; Cristiano Sacchi, cello) in a wonderful hybrid of both approaches.

A set of beautiful electro-acoustic compositions, dream-like and rich in details using sources of acoustic instruments, field recordings, guitar, electronics and voice, organized into hazy and beautiful reflections, with contributions from Margaret Hermant on xylophone & violin, Jeremy Young on electronics, and Lee Ranaldo providing field recordings and voice.

Using violin, viola, synth and effect pedals, Portuguese string player Maria da Rocha creates rich environments of sound and unusual rhythmic structures over which she plays with subtlety and transcendence, in her first solo album, using her unique language as she tells the story of a beet and a witch, inspired by Odyssey Ulysses and Circe from Cortazar.

Norwegian drummer Dag Magnus Narvesen's octet with Kristoffer Alberts, Jorgen Mathisen and Andree Roligheten on reeds, and Hayden Powell and Kristoffer Kompen on brass, merging New Orleans and free jazz traditions in creative and lyrical jazz of embraceable compositions and exceptional soloing.

Performing live at the 2014 Ljubljana Jazz Festival, this piano jazz trio led by Fulco Ottervanger with Lieven Van Pee on bass and Simon Segers on drums performed with special guest Susana Silva for a lyrical set of creative free improv borrowing from a variety of styles.

The 4th release from the piano-double bass-drums Belgian trio De Beren Gieren of Fulco Ottervanger (piano), Simon Segers (drums), and Lieven Van Pee (double bass), slowly morphing compositions of strong jazz compositions punctuated by short, informed works.

Young Belgian pianist & composer Bram De Looze in a new Septych (septet) orchestrated with two cellos, three horns, piano and drums from a tremendous set of players: Daniel Levin, Gebhard Ullmann, Robin Verheyen, Lester St-Louis, Bo Van Der Werf and Flin Van Hemmen.

French pianist Benoit Delbecq brings together frequent collaborators from New York--Mark Turner on tenor saxophone and drummer Gerald Cleaver--and from Paris--Delbecq himself and double bassist John Hebert--for an album of refined and inventive contemporary jazz, the work of masterful players with years of experience and collaborations dating back to 2003.

Guitarist Mario Delgado leads this 2002 session of lyrical modern jazz merging a diverse set of styles including traditional jazz, blues, and country-western, with an experimental edge and free jazz inclinations, in a quintet with Alexandre Frazao on drums, Andrzej Olejniczak on tenor saxophone, Carlos Barretto on bass and Claus Nymark on trombone.

Originally called Treffpunkt, or "meeting point", the partnership of violist Frantz Loriot and pianist Cedric Piromalli has evolved as they added collaborators to their idiosyncratic approach to improv, here with guests Antoine Chessex on tenor sax and Christian Wolfarth on percussion and cymbals for an extended, upbeat and wonderfully creative performance.

Two guitarists with unique approaches to their instruments -- Paris-based Julen Depsrez and Lisbon-based Luis Lopes -- in an experimental album of evolving sound through extreme modification of guitar sound and sustain, mysteriously building their interactions from whispering sonics to growling harmonics, tightly controlled but bristling with complex energy.

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

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