The Squid's Ear Magazine
  Recently Restocked

Albums which we have recently restocked, listed in most recently restocked order. Some quantities will be limited, particularly for older albums. This page is updated after every catalog refresh, typically Tuesdays & Thursdays.



Charles Hayward : Crossfade Estate (Klanggalerie)

Recorded in 2005 with an ensemble of like-minded instrumentalists and then edited and collaged for the next year and a half, this was a project of Charles Hayward during his time at The Albany in Deptford, London, using their digital recording suite to create a large work using a variety of strategies and developed in a dramatic story form, issued here for the 1st time.



Sainkho Namtchylak / Ned Rothenberg / Dieb13: Antiphonen (Klanggalerie)

The first meeting for the trio of Tuvan free improvising vocalist & throat singer Sainkho Namtchylak, saxophonist Ned Rothenberg and turntablist Dieb13, captured in performance at Music Unlimited 33, at Alter Schlachthof Wels, Austria in 2019 for 2 improvisations — the 40 minute "Shave and a Haircut" and the 11 minute "Two Bits" — in incredibly creative and formidable music.



Phil Minton / Dieb13: With, Without (Klanggalerie)

Combining concerts from a number of festivals and venues between 2009 & 2017, this album presents the best of the collaboration between London free improvising vocalist Phil Minton and Austrian turntablist and experimenter Dieb13, each of them masterfully unleashed in overwhelmingly creative, outlandish, sometimes frightening/sometimes uproarious, truly unique music.



Semantics (Elliott Sharp / Ned Rothenberg / Samm Bennett): Semantics (Klanggalerie)

An excellent example of the 80s Downtown NY approach to improvisation from the trio of wind player Ned Rothenberg on alto & tenor saxophones, bass clarinet & flute, Elliott Sharp on guitar, bass & violin, and Samm Bennett on drums, percussion & electronic drums, all in the height and excitement of the new music being developed and performed in NYC in the 1980s; awe-inspiring!



Frank Gratkowski / Elisabeth Harnik: Bullungga (Klanggalerie)

Recordings from two European jazz festivals in 2020--Klangspuren festival in Austria and Moers Festival in Germany--from the duo of pianist Elisabeth Harnik and multi-wind & reedist Frank Gratkowski performing on alto & soprano saxophones, clarinet & bass flute, both of whom bring classical training to their spirited, diverse and far-ranging improvisations.



Skein (Kaufmann / Gratkowski / de Joode): Spectra & Affrays (Klanggalerie)

Describing their improvisation as a chemical reaction of positive and negative ions, the central trio of the ensemble Skein--Achim Kaufmann (piano), Frank Gratkowski (winds) and Wilbert de Joode (bass)--are heard in this incredible 2018 concert at Konfrontationen Festival as a septet with Tony Buck (drums), Richard Barrett (electronics), Liz Allbee (trumpet) and Uchihashi Kazuhisa (guitar).



Francisco Meirino / Jerome Noetinger: Drainage, In Six Parts (Klanggalerie )

Recording in Switzerland at La Becque Residency Center, the experimental improvising duo of Francisco Meirino on synth & field recording and Jerome Noetinger using electronics, tape, reel to reel player & radio, create a 6-part series of unusual sonic interactions, patiently exposing unidentifiable sounds and synthetic punctuation, neither subtle nor explosive but wonderfully engaging.



Joe Mcphee / Ken Vandermark: Musings of a Bahamian Son: Poems and Other Words (Corbett vs. Dempsey)

27 concise poems written and read by saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Joe McPhee, punctuated by 9 musical interludes between McPhee on soprano sax and Chicago reedist Ken Vandermark on clarinet and bass, fortifying McPhee's captivating words that mix life observations among jazz references to Dolphy, Monk, Brötzmann, Coleman, &c.; a truly embraceable "book" of poetry.



Joe: McPhee Straight Up, Without Wings [BOOK] (Corbett vs. Dempsey)

Joe McPhee recounts his journey from his formative years and time in the army to his evolution as a creative free jazz saxophonist and trumpeter, sharing experiences and encounters with artists such as Ornette Coleman, John Coltrane, Albert Ayler, Peter Brötzmann, and Pauline Oliveros; featuring a foreword by Fred Moten and an afterword by Moor Mother.



Jimmy Lyons : Push Pull [2 CDs] (Corbett vs. Dempsey)

Originally issued on the Hat Hut label as a 3-LP set, this 1978 recording of Cecil Taylor compatriot, saxophonist Jimmy Lyons, performing live at Collective for Living Cinema in New York in a unique band with Karen Borca (bassoon), Munner Bernard Fennel (cello) and Roger Blank (drums).



Rudiger Carl Inc.: King Alcohol (New Version) [2 CDs] (Corbett vs. Dempsey)

The debut album of Rudiger Carl is an assertive studio session of brilliant free jazz from 1972, with Carl on tenor saxophone, Gunter Christmann on trombone, and Detlef Schonenberg on drums, presenting a great example of early European Free Improv, remastered from the original tapes and issued on CD for the first time, with a 2nd CD of previously unreleased bonus tracks.



Tony Oxley Quintet: Angular Apron (Corbett vs. Dempsey)

British percussionist Tony Oxley returned to this piece multiple times after debuting it in the early 1970s, drawing on both European improv and contemporary composed music, heard in this previously unreleased 1992 live performance with the superb quintet of legendary trumpeter & flugelhornist Manfred Schoof, UK pianist Pat Thomas, US bassist Sirone and UK saxophonist Larry Stabbins.



Giovanni Maier / Alexander Hawkins: Two For Keith (Long Song Records)

Recorded live in the studio in Trieste, Italy, bassist Giovanni Maier and pianist Alexander Hawkins deliver a deeply expressive and adventurous duo session dedicated to the late, great Keith Tippett, weaving spontaneous improvisations and dynamic interplay in a heartfelt homage that reflects Tippett's profound influence and creative spirit.



Joe Fonda Quartet (w/ Wadada Leo Smith / Satoko Fujii / Tizano Tononi): Eyes On The Horizon (Long Song Records)

NY Bassist-composer Joe Fonda leads an exceptional quartet featuring trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, pianist Satoko Fujii, and drummer Tiziano Tononi in a profound tribute to his mentor Smith, skillfully blending compositional clarity with collective improvisation in a deeply resonant and lyrically intricate musical conversation that reflects inspiration, respect, and artistic integrity.



AMM (Prevost / Rowe / Tilbury): Generative Themes (Matchless)



AMM (Prevost / Tilbury): Uncovered Correspondence: A Postcard From Jaslo (Matchless)

2010 recordings of AMM (pianist John Tilbury and percussionist Eddie Prevost) performing at the Dom Kultury Centre in Poland, three "paragraphs" of introspective and exceptional improvisation.



AMM (Previost / Rowe / Tilbury): An Unintended Legacy [3 CDs] (Matchless)

A beautiful 3-CD set with a hardcover book presenting 3 full concerts from 2015 & 2016 of the AMM trio configuration of John Tilbury (piano), Keith Rowe (guitar) and Eddie Prevost (percussion). The 70 page book, dedicated to saxophonist Lou Gare, includes an AMM discography, plus photos, and essays by Paige Mitchell and Allen Fisher; Keith Rowe; Eddie Prevost; and Seymour Wright.



Musson / Moore / Brice / Prevost: Under the Sun (Matchless)

Quartet, the masterful grouping of Rachel Musson on tenor sax, NO Moore on electric guitar, Olie Brice on double bass and Eddie Prévost on drums, an improvising ensemble of wonderfully unpredictable momentum, from passages of quiet introspection to thunderous density, but always with attentive listening and imaginative responses, heard in this spectacular 2021 concert at Iklektic.



AMM (Rowe / Prevost + Tilbury): Last Calls (Matchless)

To celebrate drummer/percussionist Eddie Prévost's 80th birthday, Café Oto hosted four concerts once a week in June, 2022, each a differing configuration from Prévost's history; this final concert reconvened for an extended improvisation between Prévost & guitarist Keith Rowe, with a "Postscript" from pianist John Tilbury recorded at his home in January, 2023.



Butcher / Prevost: High Laver Levitations Vol 1: Unearthed (Matchless)

Long-time collaborators and iconoclastic improvisers, drummer Eddie Prévost and saxophonist John Butcher, met at All Hallows Church, in High Laver, Essex in 2023, using the natural ambience of the space to capture these three improvisations, Prévost playing primarily on a drum kit and both in a more jazz-oriented sax and drum duo, extended by both players' exceptional technique.



Kanngiesser / Prevost / Wright: Splendid Nettle (High Laver Levitations Volume 3) (Matchless)

The third volume in the High Laver Levitations series that started with the duo of John Butcher and Eddie Prévost, continued with Silvan Schmid, Tom Wheatley & Prévost, now presents Ute Kanngiesser on cello, Seymour Wright on alto sax, and Eddie Prévost on drum kit, recording two extended improvisations that explore the resonant acoustics of All Saints Church in High Laver, Essex.



AMM: Laminal [3 CDs] (Matchless)



AMM: Before driving to the chapel we took coffee with Rick and Jennifer Reed (Matchless)



AMM (Cardew / Gare / Hobbs / Prevost / Rowe): The Crypt - 12th June 1968 The Complete Session [2 CDs] (Matchless)

Perhaps the most iconic and "classic" of AMM albums, recorded at The Crypt in London in 1968 with AMM as the quartet of Cornelius Cardew on piano & cello, Lou Gare on saxophone and violin, Christopher Hobbs on percussion, Eddie Prevost on percussion, and Keith Rowe on guitar & electronics.



AMM w/ John Butcher: Trinity (Matchless)

New 2008 recordings from AMM - Eddie Prevost & John Tilbury with John Butcher - performing at Trinity College of Music in Greenwich, England.



AMM: Sounding Music (Matchless)

AMM's performance at the 2009 Freedom of the City Festival with AMM regular members Eddie Prevost and John Tilbury extended with John Butcher, Chritian Wolff and Ute Kanngiesser.



Parker / Edwards / Prevost: "All Told" - Meetings with Remarkable Saxophonists -- Volume 1 (Matchless)

Eddie Prevost set up a series of 2011 concerts at Network Theatre, Waterloo, London to return to the drum kit in a meeting with remarkable saxophonist Evan Parker, with London in-demand bassist John Edwards.



Butcher / Viltard / Prevost: "All But" - Meetings with Remarkable Saxophonists -- Volume 2 (Matchless)

The second volume of Eddie Prevost's 2011 series of concerts at Network Theatre, Waterloo, London meeting with remarkable saxophonists, here with John Butcher on tenor & soprano, with Guillaume Viltard on double bass.



AMM (Prevost / Tilbury): Two London Concerts (Matchless)

Two live recordings by master improvisers John Tilbury (piano) and Eddie Prevost (percussion) playing two emotional sets that are quiet at just the right times and allow for a balanced amount of white space, creating beautiful music.



AMM (Tilbury / Prevost): Place Sub. V (Matchless)

AMM (Eddie Prevost on percussion and John Tilbury on piano(+)) performing a 1 hour, 1 minute and 1 second live concert at the 2012 Festival of Traditional and Avant-Garde Music in Lublin, Poland in a beautiful melding of unconventional approaches to improvisation.



Barry Guy / Eddie Prevost / Evan Parker / Keith Rowe: Supersession [REMASTERED, REPACKAGED, ADDITIONAL TEXT] (Matchless)

Recorded at a concert in London, September 1984, this supersession brings AMM stalwarts Keith Rowe and Eddie Prevost together with saxophonist Evan Parker and bassist Barry Guy for an amazingly diverse and cohesive long improvisation.



AMM: Spanish Fighters (Matchless)

Recorded at the festival Neposlusno (Sound Disobedience) in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2012, the AMM duo of Eddie Prevost on percussion and John Tilbury on piano perform an extend improvisation of tension and dynamic, delicately balancing sound in a rich dialog.



Eddie Prevost Band (w/ Hawkins / Gold / Mattos): Bean Soup and Bouquets (Matchless)

Their 1st album released in 1977 on Spotlite Records label, the free jazz quartet led by Prévost on drums, Geoff Hawkins on tenor saxophone, Gerry Gold on trumpet & flugelhorn, and Marcio Mattos on double bass, released two live albums on the Matchless label before disbanding; this live album from Cata OTO in London in 2020 reunites the band for a solid concert 42 years after.



Butcher / Prevost / Viltard: Iklectik Live One (Matchless)

Part of the Iklectic club's "Meetings With Remarkable Saxophonists" programmed by drummer Eddie Prévost and double bassist Guillaume Viltard, here meeting John Butcher performing on tenor and soprano saxophone for a masterful concert of free improvisations, energetically turning the "Electric", "Light", "On", "Click" through 4 extended and remarkable converstations.



Crispell / Prevost / Smith: ConcertOTO (Matchless)

American pianist Marilyn Crispell joined London Improviser's Orchestra saxophonist & clarinetist Harry Smith and AMM drummer Eddie Prévost for this 2012 concert at London's Cafe OTO, playing in a melodic free jazz mode of passionate interaction and deep communication, resulting in an unforced and naturally masterful set of thoughtfully lyrical improvisation.



AMM (Tilbury / Prevost): Industria (Matchless)

The title Indústria was chosen by Eddie Prevost in tribute to the history behind the Museu Industrial de Bala do Tejo, in Portugal where this concert took place by the legendary free improvisation band AMM, represented here as the duo of percussionist Eddie Prévost and pianist John Tilbury, performing as part of the 2015 OUT.FEST - Festival Internacional de Musica Exploratoria do Barreiro.



Eddie: Prevost Collider: Or, Whose Drum is it, Anyway? (Matchless)

A series of impressive improvised solo drum performances by AMM/Matchless leader Eddie Prévost performed at Network Theatre in London, 2012, three pieces with each demonstrating a different characteristic of his remarkably creative and technically virtuosic playing, first with drum sticks, then with "Hands, brush, hands", and finally "Sticking it too".



Roscoe: Mitchell Songs In The Wind (Les Disques Victo)



Paul Plimley Trio: Safe-Crackers (Les Disques Victo)



Keith: Tippett Une Croix Dans L'Ocean (Les Disques Victo)



Jean Derome And The Dangereux Zhoms + 7: Plates-Formes Et Traquenards (Les Disques Victo)

Jean Derome's extended Dangereux Zhomes opened the 25th Victo Festival in 2008, adding Joane Hetu, Lori Freedman, Bernard Falaise, &c. for an incredible and expressive orchestra.



Xavier Charles / Diane Labrosse / Kristoff K. Roll / Martin Tetreault ‎: Tout le monde en place pour un set americain (Les Disques Victo)



Boris: Kovac Anamnesis: Ecumenical Mysteries (Les Disques Victo)



Matt: Mitchell Illimitable [2 CDs] (Obliquity)

"100% improvised, one take, no edits" from New York pianist Matt Mitchell's solo album in four extended improvisations of impressive detail and creative direction, eschewing any particular style while crossing many, Mitchell's technical skills making complex passages clear even when he names them as abstruse, an impressive accomplishment and an absorbing album of solo piano improv.



Rob Mazurek Exploding Star Orchestra Featuring Roscoe Mitchell: Matter Anti-Matter, Sixty-Three Moons Of Jupiter & Electronic Works [2 CDs] (RogueArt)

Chicago cornetist/composer Rob Mazurek leads his Exploding Star Orchestra featuring Roscoe Mitchell with Nicole Mitchell, Matana Roberts, Steve Swell, Matt Bauder, Jason Adasiewica, &c. through a colossal 8 part work, and also provides a single CD of cosmic electronics.



Now Orchestra & Marilyn Crispell: Pola (Les Disques Victo)

"... I regard the NOW Orchestra as one of the finest large creative ensembles active in the last decade. The combinations of high levels of individual creativity and virtuosity with a strong sense of collectivity is a rare and treasured combination that the NOW Orchestra manifests very strongly..."-George Lewis, Earshot Jazz



Lisle Ellis / Cauley / Robinson / Ruthier / Ochs / McPhee / Spearman: Elevations (Les Disques Victo)



Morris / Fell / Ward: The Necessary And The Possible (Les Disques Victo)

This incredible trio, recorded at the 25th Victo Actuelle Festival, play complex music using shared ideas about articulation, timbre, and methods of interaction.



Charles: Gayle Unto I Am (Les Disques Victo)



Rova: Bingo (Les Disques Victo)

The Rova Saxophone Quartet performing compositions by Lindsay Cooper, Fred Frith, Barry Guy, and Larry Ochs, live in the studio in 1996.



New Winds ( Rothenberg / Robertson / Dick): Potion (Les Disques Victo)



Paul Plimley / Lisle Ellis / Gregg Bendian : Noir (Les Disques Victo)



Konrad: Bauer Toronto Tone (Les Disques Victo)



Chadbourne / Blechdom: The Chaddom Blechbourne Experience (Les Disques Victo)

Eugene Chadbourne and Kevin Blechdom (aka Kristin Erickson) performing songs from their 2007 Victo performance, warped banjo rock instrumentals and songs.



My Cat Is An Alien: Il Suono Venuto Dallo Spazio (Les Disques Victo)



Kazue Sawai / Michel Doneda / Kazuo Imai / Le Quan Ninh / Tetsu Saitoh: Une chance pour l'ombre (Les Disques Victo)

Beautiful, string-heavy set with French saxophonist Michel Doneda and koto master Kazue Sawai, plus Kazuo Imai on guitar, Le Quan Ninh on percussion, Tetsu Saitoh on bass, performing at the 20th Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville/



Phil Minton Quartet: Mouthfull of Ecstasy (Les Disques Victo)



Berlin Art Quartet (Schubert / Bauer / Muller / Bruggemann): Live At B-Flat (Unisono Records)

Inspired by and using the same instrumentation as John Tchicai's seminal 60's free jazz band New York Art Quartet, since 2013 the Berlin Art Quartet of Matthias Schubert on saxophone, Matthias Bauer on bass, Matthias Muller on trombone, and Reinhard Bruggemann on drums, has carried on the spirit of NY Free Jazz, here in a live concert at B-Flat, in Berlin in 2019.



Butcher / Hemingway: Buffalo Pearl (Auricle)

Percussionist Hemingway with John Butcher on tenor and soprano sax performing live in 2005, demonstrating their extended language in a brilliant and eccentric dialog.



Tom & Gerry (Thomas Lehn / Gerry Hemingway): Kinetics (Auricle)

Thomas Lehn & Gerry Hemingway's 3rd "Tom & Gerry" release presents tracks recorded in Europe from 2003-2006, incredible electro-acoustic improvisations.



Gerry Hemingway / Jin Hi Kim : Pulses (Auricle)

Captivating improvisational journeys with drummer and percussionist Gerry Hemingway and Jin Hi Kim performing on the Korean komungo black zither .



Terrence McManus / Gerry Hemingway: Below the Surface Of (Auricle)

The duo of percussionist Gerry Hemingway and guitarist Terrence McManus in seven absorbing improvisations on rhythm, melody, harmony, and sonic exposition.



Gerry: Hemingway Kernelings [CD + DVD] (Auricle)

Drummer Gerry Hemingway in a CD & DVD release, 15 audio tracks and accompanying video and interview, dividing the program into "mist, dust, light, and sex", highlighting aspects of this prominent percussionist that expand our understanding of his prodigious abilities.



WHO Trio (Hemingway / Wintsch / Oester): Zoo [2 CDS] (Auricle)

Percussionist Gerry Hemingway's Who Trio with Michel Wintsch on piano and synth, and Banz Oester on double bass and lamp, in an outstanding 2 CD release contrasting their work in acoustic improvisation with "electric" improv, albeit an unusual take on the latter.



Scott Amendola / Henry Kaiser / Michael Manring: Haunted by Eternity [2 CDs] + Trouble with the Treble (Agren / Colby / Kaiser) (Fractal)

The West Coast power trio of Scott Amendola on drums & live electronics, Henry Kaiser on guitar and Michael Manring on bass are heard in this double album of 15 assertive tracks that balance heavy electronics and effects with intense soloing amidst unusual "soundtracks for quite a number of films that do not exist in our homeworld version of the Earth's infinite timelines."



Henry: Kaiser Mahalo Nui (Metalanguage)

Ten exceptional solo improvisations performed live without overdubbing on electric & acoustic guitars, using effects to expand the expressive capabilities of each guitar, as Henry Kaiser endeavors to sound like more than a single musician, inspired by improvisers like Evan Parker, Cecil Taylor or Derek Bailey, each improv providing a dedication or influence.



Renzoku (Kondo / Kaiser / Goodman / Oswald): Jump (Metalanguage)

Revealing 40 years of collaborations between late trumpeter Toshinori Kondo and West Coast guitarist Henry Kaiser, in configurations of duos between Kondo & Kaiser--most notably a beautiful and extended 2016 improvisation--then earlier duos from 1978, a 1980 trio with pianist Greg Goodman, a 1979 trio with saxophonist John Oswald, ending with a wonderfully idiosyncratic 2020 duo.



Marilynn: Crispell Labyrinths (Les Disques Victo)



Quartet Noir: Lugano (Les Disques Victo)



Eugene Chadbourne / Rene Lussier: L'Oasis (Les Disques Victo)



Konrad Bauer Trio (Bauer / Sommer / Kowald): Three Wheels - Four Directions (Les Disques Victo)



Lars Hollmer Looping Home Orchestra: Live 1992-1993 (Les Disques Victo)



Snow / Licht / Onda: Five A's, Two C's, One D, One E, Two H's, Three I's... (Les Disques Victo)

New Yorkers Snow, Licht and Onda in their 2007 Victoriaville performance, an improvised set using sound from sparse to dense with mutated field recordings, synth, radio, &c.



Martin Tetreault / Kid Koala: Phon-O-Victo (Les Disques Victo)

Actuelle turntablist Martin Tetrault meets with radical hip-hop DJ Kid Koala at the 22nd Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville in energetic duos filled with humor and instrumental acrobatics.



Lussier / Tetreault / Yoshihide: Elektrik Toboggan (Les Disques Victo)

This amazing trio performed at the 25th Victoriaville Festival of Musique Actuelle in 2008 with 2 guitars, 3 turntables, one spy-microphone, and 201 spectators.



Mark Dresser / Denman Maroney : Duologues (Les Disques Victo)

Great duo set from bassist Dresser and "hyperpiano" (read: heavily prepared) player Maroney.



Aki Takase / Konrad Bauer: News from Berlin (Les Disques Victo)



Lee Ranaldo / William Hooker / Jim O'Rourke / Gianni Gebbia: Clouds: Victoriaville Concert May 1997 (Les Disques Victo)



Ben Goldberg (w/ Ellis / Dunn / Sarin / Schott / Ochs): Eight Phrases For Jefferson Rubin (Les Disques Victo)



Richard Teitelbaum / Carlos Zingaro: The Sea Between (Les Disques Victo)



New Winds: Digging It Harder From Afar (Les Disques Victo)



Erosonic: Mystery Theatre (Les Disques Victo)



Masaoka Orchestra: What Is the Difference Between Stripping and Playing the Violin? (Les Disques Victo)



Rene Lussier & Now Orchestra: Le Tour Du Bloc (Les Disques Victo)



Jean: Derome Confitures de Gagaku (Les Disques Victo)

Live recordings and Derome's first release under his own name, inspired by Japanese magic squares and haikus, and performed in a group including Actuelle collective members Pierre Tanguay and Pierre Cartier.



Helene Breschand / Jean-Francois Pauvros: Sombre (Les Disques Victo)



Chris: Burn Music For Three Rivers (Les Disques Victo)



Pino Minafra : Canto Libero (Les Disques Victo)



Yannick: Rieu Sweet Geom (Les Disques Victo)

A live concert at the 11Th Festival International De Musique Actuelle De Victoriaville on May 19th, 1994, from the free improvising trio of Frederik Alarie on contrabass, Paul Leger on drum, Yannick Rieu on tenor saxophone.



Far East Side Band, the: Urban Archeology (Les Disques Victo)



MARANATA (Wesseltoft / Stiberg / Escalante): Ugly Euphoria (Relative Pitch)

An album of brutal improvisation in the Borbetomagus mold as the longstanding Maranata duo of Dag Stiberg on alto and baritone saxophones and Jon Wesseltoft on electronics join forces with Mexican saxophonist Martín Escalante, creating an unrelenting sonic assault of frenzied saxophone interplay and harsh electronics, fueled by a visceral intensity and high-pressure chaotic energy.



Stian Larsen / Colin Webster / Ruth Goller / Andrew Lisle : Temple of Muses (Relative Pitch)

Norwegian guitarist Stian Larsen joins UK musicians Colin Webster on alto sax, Ruth Goller on bass, and Andrew Lisle on drums in a high-energy fusion of free jazz, post-rock, and noise, weaving dynamic improvisation that moves from sparse textures to explosive climaxes, embracing ecstatic intensity, cathartic interplay, and expansive creative exploration.



Thurston: Moore Flow Critical Lucidity (Daydream Library Series)

A diverse and interesting set of songs in Thurston Moore's ninth solo record, recorded in Europe & The UK with contributors including Laetitia Sadier of Stereolab and Deb Googe of My Bloody Valentine, many of the songs reminiscent of Sonic Youth but uniquely Moore through unpretentious communication that references topics including lucid dreaming, nature and the changing planet.



Sophie Agnel / John Edwards / Steve Noble: Three On A Match (Otoroku)

Recorded live at Cafe OTO, the formidable trio of pianist Sophie Agnel, bassist John Edwards, and drummer Steve Noble delivers an explosive set of collective free improvisation, deconstructing their instruments into raw sound materials through playful intensity, percussive collisions, and a fearless, physical approach that dissolves the line between instrument and expression.



Larry Ochs / Joe Morris / Charles Downs: Every Day --> All The Way (ESP)

In their first collaboration, saxophonist Larry Ochs joins bassist Joe Morris and drummer Charles Downs for a dynamic collective setssion live in the Park West Studios, where the trio's spontaneous chemistry fuels a powerful session of free improvisation, drawing on deep experience, fearless exploration, and ESP-Disk's legacy of boundary-pushing artistry.



Fred Moten / Brandon Lopez: Revision [VINYL] (Tao Forms)

Poet and theorist Fred Moten joins bassist Brandon Lopez in their first duo recording, a powerful and searching dialog of voice, text, and bass, recorded at Greyfade Studios, where Moten's incisive spoken word and Lopez's deeply expressive playing fuse into an evocative exploration of Black cultural production, resistance, and creative solidarity.



Fred Moten / Brandon Lopez: Revision (Tao Forms)

Poet and theorist Fred Moten joins bassist Brandon Lopez in their first duo recording, a powerful and searching dialog of voice, text, and bass, recorded at Greyfade Studios, where Moten's incisive spoken word and Lopez's deeply expressive playing fuse into an evocative exploration of Black cultural production, resistance, and creative solidarity.



Barre Phillips / Motoharu Yoshizawa: Oh My, Those Boys! (NoBusiness)

Two bass players--European free improv legend Barre Phillips and Japanese master Motoharu Yoshizawa--met at Cafe Amores in Yamaguchi, Japan in 1994, with Phillips on an amplified acoustic upright and Yoshizawa using an electric vertical 5-string bass of his own design, as the two weave and merge their unique sounds and approaches in a brilliant concert.



Sam Rivers Quartet (feat. Jerry Byrd / Rael Wesley Grant / Steve Ellington) : Archive series. Volume 5 - Undulation (NoBusiness)

During the early 80s saxophonist and wind improviser Sam Rivers formed his quartet around electric instruments, with the core rhythm section of drummer Steve Ellington and electric bass guitarist Rael Wesley Grant, the other lead instrument on guitar during that time, sometimes with Kevin Eubanks, and on this previously unreleased, superb live performance in Florence, Italy, guitarist Jerry Byrd.



Sam Rivers Trio (feat Joe Daley / Dave Holland / Thurman Baker ): Braids: Archive series Volume 4 (NoBusiness)

The fourth volume in the NoBusiness Records Sam Rivers Archive series is this live recording from Hamburg, Germany during River's 1979 tour of Europe, with the multi-instrumentalist performing on tenor & soprano saxophones, flute & piano in a quartet with Joe Daley on tuba, euphonium, Dave Holland on bass, cello, and Thurman Barker on drums.



Choi Bae Sun / Junji Hirose / Motoharu Yoshizawa / Kim Dae Hwan: Arirang Fantasy (NoBusiness)

A 1995 live concert at Romanisches Cafe in Tokyo from the South Korean and Japanese free improvising quartet of Choi Sun Bae on trumpet, Junji Hirose on tenor & soprano saxophones, Motoharu Yoshizawa on electric vertical five strings bass, and Kim Dae Hwan on percussion, in five collective improvisations including an homage to Charlie Parker.



Evan Parker / Barry Guy / Paul Lytton: Concert In Vilnius (NoBusiness)

Three British free jazz giants, having worked in a number of configurations and as a trio over many decades, are caught live in the Russian Drama Theater during the 2017 Vilnius Jazz Festival--Evan Parker on soprano & tenor saxophones, Barry Guy on bass, and Paul Lytton on drums, for four improvisations of nuance and surprise, incredible mastery, and profound conversation.



Evan Parker / Barry Guy / Paul Lytton: Live at Maya Recordings Festival (NoBusiness)

Superb improvisation from three masters - Evan Parker on sax, Barry Guy on bass and Paul Lytton on drums - performing at the Maya Recordings Festival, September 23 - 25, 2011 at Theater am Gleis, Winterthur, Switzerland.



Alexander Schlippenbach von / Aki Takase: Live At Cafe Amores (NoBusiness)

Legendary free jazz pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach, founder of Globe Unity Orchestra and Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, met masterful Japanese pianist Aki Takase in 1995 for a live concert at Cafe Amores, in Hofu, Yamaguchi, Japan, for a concert of intricate interplay and uniquely creative approaches, taking on work by Mingus, Monk, and even Frank Zappa.



Julius Hemphill and Peter Kowald: Live at Kassiopeia [2 CDs] (NoBusiness)

The late great saxophonist Julian Hemphill and bassist Peter Kowald, essential free jazz players from NY and Germany, performing solo and as a duo live at Kassiopeia, Wuppertal in 1987.



Szilard Mezei Tubass Quintet: Canons - 2nd Hoisting [VINYL] (NoBusiness)

Four extended compositions from the Tubass Quintet led by Szilard Mezei (performing on double bass instead of his usual viola) performing with a heavy group of 4 double bassists and tuba.



Evan Parker / Barry Guy / Paul Lytton: Live at Maya Recordings Festival [VINYL 2 LPs] (NoBusiness)

Superb improvisation from three masters - Evan Parker on sax, Barry Guy on bass and Paul Lytton on drums - performing at the Maya Recordings Festival, September 23 - 25, 2011 at Theater am Gleis, Winterthur, Switzerland.



Keiji Haino / Natsuki Tamura: What Happened There? (Libra)

An electrifying 1st-time meeting between guitarist Keiji Haino and trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, captured live at Tokyo's Shinjuku Pit Inn, where the duo shape an unpredictable set that veers from reflective stillness to wildly passionate outbursts, their extended techniques and visceral vocals — sometimes urgent, sometimes outrageous — fueling an exhilarating and uncompromising sonic adventure.



Satoko Fujii New Trio: Spring Storm (Libra)

A set of new trio compositions from pianist Satoko Fujii with bassist Todd Nicholson and drummer/percussionist Takashi Itani, a magnificent set of compositions for the transformative season.



This Is It! (Satoko Fujii / Natsuki Tamura / Takashi Itani): 1538 (Libra)

Part of pianist Satoko Fujii's "Kanreki" (60th Birthday) tour and monthly album release, the "This Is It!" Trio with trumpeter Natsuki Tamura and drummer/percussionist Takashi Itani is heard at Koendori Classics, in Tokyo, Japan, in January 2018, for an incredible album of Fujii's compositions that include quirky asides in coherent and effusive playing.



Satoko Fujii This is It! (w/ Natsuki Tamura / Takashi Itani): Message (Libra)

A tour de force third release from pianist-composer Satoko Fujii's trio This Is It!, recorded in Tokyo with long-time collaborator Natsuki Tamura on trumpet and kinetic percussionist Takashi Itani, blending angular composition, fierce improvisation, and creatively spirited interplay into inventive, high-energy, and emotionally rich performances.



Charlotte: Hug In Resonance With Elsewhere (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Composer, violist, and vocal innovator Charlotte Hug presents her fourth solo album in a stunning multidimensional performance blending voice, viola, and spatial resonance, emphasizing her expanded vocal range across a set of immersive, sonically rich works drawn from her 2022 Ruhrtriennale commission and captured in vivid spatial detail at La Prairie in Switzerland.



New Origin (feat. Christoph Rocher / Joe Fonda / Harvey Sorge): The Poet Walks (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Formed from a transatlantic friendship and deep musical rapport, the trio of clarinetist Christophe Rocher, bassist Joe Fonda, and drummer Harvey Sorgen create an inspired and richly expressive set of improvisations, balancing melodic clarity and spontaneous invention in a lyrical program that reflects themes of presence, connection, and creative renewal.



Michel Doneda / Le Quan Ninh / Nuria Andorra: El Retorn De L'escolta (A La Memoria De Marianne Brull) (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

A powerful live performance recorded at Barcelona's L'Auditori in tribute to the late patron of free improvisation, Marianne Brull, capturing the first meeting of soprano saxophonist Michel Doneda, percussionist Lê Quan Ninh, and Barcelona-based improviser Núria Andorrà in a set of radical listening and deep interaction exploring spontaneous collective expression.



Simon: Nabatov Agree to Disagree (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Pianist Simon Nabatov leads three shifting ensembles through eight distinct compositions in this richly orchestrated and stylistically diverse studio recording, blending chamber elements and jazz improvisation with musicians including Angelika Niescier, Shannon Barnett, Pascal Klewer, and Roger Kintopf, as Nabatov explores contrasting textures, political undercurrents, and tonal interplay.



Von Schlippenbach, Alexander / Barry Altschul Quartet w/ Joe Fonda & Rudi Mahal: Free Flow [2 CDs] (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

A first-time meeting of four free jazz luminaries — pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach, bassist Joe Fonda, drummer Barry Altschul, and bass clarinetist Rudi Mahall — captured live in Vienna, delivering a vibrant and exploratory double CD of spontaneous interplay, deep lyricism, and uncompromising freedom from a quartet of master improvisers united in real-time invention.



Harri: Sjostrom SoundScapes #4 Festival Berlin 2023 [3 CDs] (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

A remarkable live document of Finnish saxophonist Harri Sjöström's SoundScapes #4 festival in Berlin, bringing together 19 extraordinary musicians from across Europe, Australia, and the U.S. for a series of improvised performances from intimate duos to expansive octets, highlighting spontaneous collaborations all driven by creative risk-taking, deep listening, and a profound sense of musical trust.





The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

© 2002-, Squidco LLC