We start this update with John Zorn's vocal Masada on Tzadik, plus Mark Feldman/Sylvie Courvoier duo, Noah Creshevsky, and Yuka Honda CDs;
Ilk releases 3: Lotte Anker/Greg Taborn/Gerald Cleaver, Lovedale, & Jacob Anderskov;
Firehouse 12 puts out Myra Melford's latest Be Bread;
Satoko Fujii ma-do with Natsuki Tamura on Not Two;
ESP reissues Marion Brown, plus adds TSIGOTI with Thollem McDonas;
the Hammond Organ runs hot on Bo Weavil's Decoy;
Mutable issues Fred Ho's big band, Richard Abrams & Roscoe Mitchell in concert, and Connie Crothers in duos with Michael Bisio;
482 releases Greg Burk, Dave Rempis, and Tyshwan Sorey CDs;
Chicago Underground Duo's 5th on CD & LP;
Cuneiform finds radio recordings of New York Art Quartet, plus issues Algernon, Radio Massacre International, Brown Vs. Brown and Univers Zero CDs;
Ad Hoc Records (ReR USA) releases a CD/DVD from Present;
Doxy put the only meeting of John Coltrane and Cecil Taylor on LP;
The Ex chronicle their 25 years in a new DVD;
and The Wire puts Wadada Leo Smith on the cover!
After the store listings are links to 10 new reviews on our online companion magazine,
The Squid's Ear.
Improvisation:
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$13.95
Buy
 listen |
Abrams, Muhal Richard & Roscoe Mitchell:
Spectrum
(Mutable)
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"Spectrum" features an improvised performance by Muhal Richard Abrams and Roscoe Mitchell, followed by the Janacek Philharmonic performing works by each artist. |
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$16.95
Buy
listen |
Anderskov, Jacob:
Agnostic Revelations
(Ilk Music)
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Danish Pianist and Composer Jacob Anderskov in an impressive quartet with reedist Chris Speed, bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Gerald Cleaver recording in NYC. |
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$16.95
Buy
listen |
Anker / Taborn / Cleaver:
Floating Islands
(Ilk Music)
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The third album from the fantastic trio of saxophonist Lotte Anker, pianist Craig Taborn and drummer Gerald Cleaver performing live at the 2008 Copenhagen Jazz Festival, highly recommended! |
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$15.95
Buy
listen |
Box Cutter (Grdina / Houle / Silins / Leowen):
Unlearn
(Spool)
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Edge of your seat improv from this Vancouver quartet, cutting through genres and styles in a joyful mix of new and old jazz styles that mix mystery and complexity in amazing ways. |
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$15.95
Buy
listen |
Braxton, Anthony & the AIMToronto Orchestra:
Creative Orchestra (Guelph) 2007
(Spool)
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AIMToronto (Association of Improvising Musicians Toronto) organized this concert for 18 AIMToronto members playing the music of American improv guru Anthony Braxton, |
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$12.95
Buy
listen |
Brown, Marion:
Why Not?
(ESP)
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Shortly after playing on Coltrane's "Ascension" Marion Brown recorded this LP with Rashied Ali, Stanley Cowell and Sirone, lyrical free jazz from an under-sung early hero. |
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$15.95
Buy
listen |
Burk, Greg:
Many Worlds
(482 Music)
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Pianist Burk's 4th release on 482 in a quartet with Henry Cook on woodwinds, bassist Ron Seguin and drummer Michel Lambert, a disc of exotic beauty and timbral intrigue. |
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$14.95
Buy
listen |
Chicago Underground Duo:
Boca Negra
(Thrill Jockey)
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The duo of drummer Chad Taylor and cornetist Rob Mazurek in their 5th Chicago Underground duo release, a mix of acoustic and electronic, composed and improvised music. |
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$15.95
Buy
listen |
Chicago Underground Duo:
Boca Negra [VINYL]
(Thrill Jockey)
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VINYL EDITION with one different track: The duo of drummer Chad Taylor and cornetist Rob Mazurek in their 5th Chicago Underground duo release, a mix of acoustic and electronic, composed and improvised music. |
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$23.95
Buy
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Coltrane, John & Cecil Taylor:
Coltrane Time [VINYL]
(Doxy)
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Originally released in 1958 under Cecil Taylor's name, this is the only album these two iconic figures released together, in a quintet with Kenny Dorham, Chuck Israels & Louis Hayes. |
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$13.95
Buy
listen |
Crothers, Connie & Michael Bisio:
Session At 475 Kent
(Mutable)
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The duo of pianist Connie Crothers and bassist Michael Bisio in 4 studio improvisations, an outstanding set of introspective and exquisite dialog. |
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$16.95
Buy
listen |
Decoy (Hawkins / Edwards / Noble):
Vol. 1: Spiri
(Bo Weavil Recordings)
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This UK trio uses the distorted edges of the Hammond Organ to knock the socks off of conventional organ jazz in riveting and downright terrifying approaches to free improvisation. |
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$20.95
Buy
listen |
Eller, Enten & Tim Berne:
Auto da Fe
(Splasc(h))
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Enten Eller, Italian percussionist Massimo Barbiero's long-standing jazz group, met with American saxophonist Tim Berne in 2000 to make these studio and live recordings. |
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$13.95
Buy
listen |
Feldman, Mark / Sylvie Courvoisier:
Oblivia
(Tzadik)
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Violinist Mark Feldman and pianist Sylvie Courvoisier in a series of original compositions that blend improvisation and composition with virtuosic interplay. |
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$17.95
Buy
listen |
Fujii, Satoko ma-do:
Desert Ship
(Not Two Records)
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Satoko Fujii's ma-do with trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, bassist Norikatsu Koreyasu, and drummer Akira Horikoshi in studio recordings from Krakow, Poland. |
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$15.95
Buy
listen |
Grdina's Box Cutter:
New Rules for Noise
(Spool)
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Guitarist Grdina's Box Cutter with Francoise Houle on clarinet mix acoustic and electric lines in tunes with melodic momentum that take plenty of pauses for free sections. |
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$21.95
Buy
listen |
Henry Grimes:
Solo
(Ilk Music)
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2008 recordings from Brooklyn, NY of legendary free jazz bassist Henry Grimes performing solo on bass and violin, a superb monologue from an almost-forgotten master. |
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$15.95
Buy
listen |
Hikage / Segel:
GEN
(Spool)
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Camper Van Beethoven violinist Segel teams up with West coast koto player Shoko Hikage that intermingles Eastern and Western instruments in a pleasantly mystifying release. |
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$13.95
Buy
listen |
Ho, Fred And The Green Monster Big Band:
Celestial Green Monster
(Mutable)
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New York baritone saxophonist Fred Ho leads his big band including Jimm Hobbs, Amir Elsaffar, Taylor Ho Bynum, &c. in imaginative compositions and takes on unlikely pop classics. |
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$15.95
Buy
listen |
Larner / Leandre / Uchihashi:
No Day Rising
(Spool)
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A trio of acoustic and electronic improvisers, bringing together Braxton partner Brett Larner on Koto, bassist Joelle Leandre and Altered States guitarist Uchihashi Kazuhisa. |
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$15.95
Buy
listen |
Larner, Brett:
Itadakimasu - Improvised Duets 1994-2000
(Spool)
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Koto and gu zheng player Brett in duos with some of our favorite and most important improvisers: Anthony Braxton; Jim O'Rourke; Gino Robair; John Shiurba; Loren Connors; Gino Robair; &c. |
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$15.95
Buy
listen |
Lee, Peggy Band:
(Spool)
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Peggy Lee delivers a series of finely crafted compositions of rich and sonorous beauty, played by a crew of musicians performing with unusual depth and empathy. |
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$15.95
Buy
listen |
Lee, Peggy Band:
Sounds from the Big House
(Spool)
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Vancouver cellist Peggy Lee's band with Brad Turner, Dylan van der Schyff, Tony Wilson, &c. presents amazing arrangements allowing great solos in pieces that explore timbres, moods and rhythm. |
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$16.95
Buy
listen |
Lovedale:
Coziness Kills
(Ilk Music)
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Lovedale's third album after winning 2007 Jazz album of the year in the Danish Music Awards, this album includes guest reedist Chris Speed and trumpeter Cuong Vu; great playing in a 60's Shorter/Miles mode. |
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$13.95
Buy
listen |
Melford, Myra's Be Bread:
The Whole Tree Gone
(Firehouse 12 Records)
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Pianist and composer Myra Melford's 2nd Be Bread release with Cuong Vu, Bend Goldberg, Brandon Ross, Stomu Takeishi and Matt Wilson, outstanding and distinctive acoustic jazz. |
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$15.95
Buy
listen |
Moore / Lee / Van der Schyff:
Floating 1..2..3
(Spool)
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The trio of Dutch clarinetist and alto saxophonist Michael Moore with Vancouver improvisers cellist Peggy Lee and drummer Dylan van der Schyff performing live at the Vancouver International Jazz Festival. |
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$14.95
Buy
listen |
New York Art Quartet:
Old Stuff
(Cuneiform)
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The 1965 lineup of this quartet was John Tchicai, Roswell Rudd, Finn von Eyben and Louis Moholo, captured in these two remarkable live broadcasts from 1965 in Copenhagen, DK. |
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$15.95
Buy
listen |
Queen Mab:
Close
(Spool)
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Queen Mab (pianist Marilyn Lerner and Lori Freedman on clarinet) in their 2nd release, duos and trios with Lee Pui Ming, Jack Vorvis, Fides Krucker, Victor Bateman, Tiina Kiik. |
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$15.95
Buy
listen |
Rake-Star:
Some Ra
(Spool)
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Mining the spaceways with Sun Ra compositions and original compositions, this large band extends the ideas of the Arkestra while making room for modern like-minded players. |
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$15.99
Buy
listen |
Rempis / Rosaly:
Cyrillic
(482 Music)
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Half of Chicago's Rempis Percussion Quartet, saxophonist Dave Rempis and drummer Frank Rosaly perform seven authoritative and indefatigable compositions. |
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$18.95
Buy
listen |
Schmidt / Rohrer / Heberer:
Pieces For A Husky Puzzle
(JAZZWERKSTATT)
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Mixing composition and improvisation, this trio uses a variety of techniques to create reflective and emotional music that balances lyricism and technical ability to great result. |
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$18.95
Buy
listen |
Sonore (Gustafsson / Vandermark / Brotzmann):
Only The Devil Has No Dreams
(Jazzwerkstatt)
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The trio of saxophonists Mats Gustafsson, Ken Vandermark and Peter Brotzmann in their second Sonore CD, collective improvisation with a sound both nuanced and massive. |
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$15.95
Buy
listen |
Sorey, Tyshawn:
Koan
(482 Music)
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Vijay Iyer sideman Sorey in a trio with Thomas Morgan and Todd Neufeld, unconventional open-form jazz creating compositions of intense power and hauntingly spare beauty. |
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$12.95
Buy
listen |
The OtherTet:
(Lowe / Ho Bynum / Morris / Obeng)
(Engine)
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The OtherTet brings four NY players with long running musical relationships together in a quartet that cuts across genres and styles to create a unique and thoughtful group sound. |
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$15.95
Buy
listen |
Wilson, Tony Sextet:
Lowest Note
(Spool)
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Vancouver guitarist/composer Tony Wilson's sextet with Dylan van der Schyff, Peggy Lee, Paul Blaney, Dave Say and Kevin Elaschuk, extraordinary improvisation. |
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$13.95
Buy
listen |
Yamamoto, Eri Trio:
In Each Day Something Good
(Aum Fidelity)
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Pianist Yamamoto, noted on William Parker's "Corn Meal Dance", in a set of sensitive and melodic original compositions with her trio of drummer Ikuo Takeuchi & bassist David Ambrosio. |
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$13.95
Buy
listen |
Zorn, John - Masada Book Two:
Mycale: The Book of Angels Volume 13
(Tzadik)
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Perhaps the most unique take on the Masada book, 4 female voices interpret eleven songs from Zorn's Book of Angels in beautiful and haunting a cappella. |
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