• Abcess Grenk
• Alva Noto
• Michael Attias/Simon Nabatov
• Marilyn Crispell/Harvey Sorgen
• Dunmall/Noble/Edwards/Sanders
• Fennesz
• Charles Gayle/Szilard Mezei Quartet Bass
• Gray/Alessi/Augustin
• Innovative Landscapes Laboratory
• Leap of Faith
• K. Lyle Curtis/Jaap Blonk/Alex Cunningham/Damon Smith/Kevin Cheli
• Szilard Mezei Tul A Tiszan Innen Ensemble
• Modelbau
• Ornella Noulet
• Reut Regev's R*Time
• Room 31 (Sinibaldi/Patton)
• Elliott Sharp (w/ Coleman/Dulberger/Green II/Insell/Jiang/McKenzie/Salomon/Wooley)
• Svobodni III (Bennington/Hunger/Seyler/Thatcher/Jennings)
• Various Ensembles
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Jazz & Improvisation
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Attias, Michael / Simon Nabatov: Dream Walks
(Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
Dreamlike and evocative, Dream Walks is the second duo album from Michael Attias and Simon Nabatov, following 2021's Brooklyn Mischiefs, inviting listeners to transcend the physical world through telepathic improvisations, uncanny encounters, and surreal visions, capturing the essence of nocturnal wanderings and the ethereal interplay between two masterful musicians.
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Crispell, Marilyn / Harvey Sorgen: Forest
(Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
Superlative duo work from pianist Marilyn Crispell and drummer Harvey Sorgen, recording in the studio in Woodstock, NY, blending deeply attuned free collective dialogs with one composition from each artist, in an album of dynamic and evocative improvisation that moves from vivid storytelling to introspective meditations of vision and masterful artistry.
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Dunmall / Noble / Edwards / Sanders : Disappearing Worlds
(FMR)
Recorded live at Bristol Music Rooms in March 2024, this hard-hitting modern jazz session brings together Paul Dunmall (tenor & sopranino saxophones), Liam Noble (piano), John Edwards (bass), and Mark Sanders (drums & percussion) two fiery and exploratory conversations that blend free improvisation with structural cohesiveness, a thrilling and boundary-pushing session.
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Gayle, Charles / Szilard Mezei Quartet Bass: Oils
(Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
A 2009 live performance at the 15th Magyarkanizsa Jazz Festival in Serbia between Hungarian violist and composer Szilárd Mezei and US saxophonist Charles Gayle, an evocative meeting of transcendent free jazz and compositional precision, weaving Mezei's intricate scores with Gayle's profound, soul-searching improvisations; a dynamic and fiery celebration of freedom and expression.
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Gray / Alessi / Augustin: Melt the Guns II
(Rataplan Records)
Brooklyn-Berlin-based drummer and composer Devin Gray in the second volume of his hopefully named project in an evocative trio recording with trumpeter Ralph Alessi and pianist Myslaure Augustin, blending energetic and introspective moments in politically charged compositions that reflect Gray's inventive approach to modern jazz and his concerns for global democracy.
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Leap of Faith: Solving the Constrained Dynamics
(Evil Clown)
Leap of Faith's core duo, David Peck on woodwinds and Glynis Lomon on cello, voice & aquasonic, leads this modular Boston sextet of strings and winds in a live improvisation guided by their Broad Palette Aesthetic to influence improv with varied sonorities, an array of classical, jazz, and global influences, featuring standout guzheng player Jiaxin Wan.
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Lyle, K. Curtis / Jaap Blonk / Alex Cunningham / Damon Smith / Kevin Cheli: A Radio Of The Body 7 Neutrino Broadcasts Searching For 8
(Balance Point Acoustics)
Expanding on the insightful poetry of K. Curtis Lyle, who narrates seven evocative works alongside the freely improvising, chamber-oriented jazz trio of Alex Cunningham (violin), Damon Smith (double bass), and Kevin Cheli (drums, percussion & vibraphone), with free vocalist Jaap Blonk reinforcing and amplifying Lyle's words; a fascinating and thought-provoking exploration of sound and verse.
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Mezei, Szilard Tul A Tiszan Innen Ensemble: Reveszem [2 CDs]
(FMR)
Exploring Hungarian folk songs from Vojvodina through the lens of jazz, Révészem, the fifth album from Szilárd Mezei and his exemplary ensemble of musicians from Vojvodina, Serbia, and Hungary, showcases a variety of configurations interpreting and expanding on these strong melodies, transforming them into a fully embraceable set of intricate compositions and inspired arrangements.
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Noulet, Ornella: Promise Of Faithfulness
(Relative Pitch)
The debut solo album from French saxophonist Ornella Noulet, based in Brussels, performing on alto and soprano saxophones and bells, as she draws inspiration from Albert Camus as a commitment to artistic integrity, exploring new sounds and the spiritual dimensions of music through seven energetically introspective and experimentally rich solo improvisations.
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Regev's, Reut R*Time: It's Now: R*Time Plays Doug Hammond
(ESP)
Israeli trombonist Reut Regev and drummer Igal Foni join with legendary American composer and percussionist Doug Hammond, blending Hammond's reflective compositions and six-decade legacy — spanning blues, jazz, M-Base, and modernist works — with the boundary-pushing energy of the R*time quartet, for an engaging fusion of bold improvisation and musical insight.
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Room 31 (Sinibaldi / Patton): Crazy Town
(Positive Elevation / 577 Records)
Room 31's debut explores the sonic possibilities of avant-rock, jazz, beats, experimental sounds, and ambient textures, as drummer Marlon Patton and saxophonist Greg Sinibaldi, inspired by their NYC experiences, transform six improvisations into intricately edited compositions, blending spontaneous creativity with a unique and evocative sonic footprint.
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Sharp, Elliott (w/ Coleman / Dulberger / Green II / Insell / Jiang / McKenzie / Salomon / Wooley): Hudson River Compositions 1973-74
(zOaR Records)
Inspired by fireflies, birds, and the flow of the Hudson River while living in Germantown, NY, Elliott Sharp developed these compositions using traditional, graphic, & conceptual scores, presented here in a collage of sessions featuring Sharp on reeds & strings with Anthony Coleman, Nate Wooley, Shayna Dulberger, Hao Jiang, Terry L. Greene, Don McKenzie, Terry L. Green II, Sara Salomon, and Judith Insell.
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Svobodni III (Bennington / Hunger / Seyler / Thatcher / Jennings): The Return To Catalhoyiik
(ThatSwan!)
For their third album, Chicago-based Svobodni — co-led by synthesist Phil Hunger and drummer Jimmy Bennington — create an evocative narrative inspired by ancient civilizations, blending layers of Stockhausen- and Kraftwerk-influenced electronics, intimate saxophone, grounded bass grooves, and searching percussion for a rich electroacoustic improvisational work that defies genre.
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Various Ensembles: Evil Clown Shorties Volume 1
(Evil Clown)
Presenting 14 concise improvisations from 13 albums performed by 6 ensembles and 27 musicians, Evil Clown Shorties Volume 1 highlights the modular spirit of Evil Clown's roster, blending dynamic sonic concepts into standalone "Shorties" under 10 minutes each, crafted during soundchecks yet fully formed, providing an engaging sampler of the long-form works they complement."
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Experimental/Electronic
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Abcess Grenk: Erguss Von Licht [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD]
(Copy This!)
Marc Myers, recording in Lincoln, Nebraska, is the creative force behind Abcess Grenk, merging analog electronics and experimental guitar in Erguss Von Licht, as a blend of synthesizers, modular synths, a Fender guitar, and a '69 Fender Deluxe Reverb amp, for richly layered and textured improvisations steeped in a DIY aesthetic that reflects Myers' decades-long evolution in sound exploration.
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Alva Noto: Xerrox Vol. 5
(Noton)
Carsten Nicolai concludes his Xerrox series with Vol. 5, an emotional work blending conceptual image-to-sound themes and sweeping melodic compositions influenced by classical instrumentation, creating a richly layered and introspective sonic experience that encapsulates his evolution from minimalist glitch aesthetics to ambient neo-classical grandeur.
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Alva Noto: Xerrox Vol. 5 [VINYL 2 LPs]
(Noton)
Vinyl edition of the CD listed above.
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Fennesz: Mosaic
(Touch)
Working in his new Seven Fountains studio in Vienna, guitarist and sound artist Fennesz developed these six works as a "mosaic" of elements derived from improvisation, composition and experimentation using unexpected influences and time signatures, each piece a richly immersive environment of bright harmonics with turns into intricately shadowed space.
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Innovative Landscapes Laboratory: Spontaneous Dimensions
(Sublime Retreat)
Ukrainian composer Taras Opanasiuk explores spontaneous soundscapes, blending free improvisation with a meticulous compositional process as he transforms modular synthesizer sessions into five compelling sound collages that balance atmospheric electronics, musique concrète, and studio layering, in an imaginative and introspective journey through Opanasiuk's unique sonic palette.
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Modelbau: Extricate
(Sublime Retreat)
Re-modeling Modelbau, the long-running project of Frans de Waard (also of Kapotte Muziek, Beequeen, Goem, Zebra, Freiband, Shifts, &c), in a dark and atmospheric hour-long work of multi-tracked sound, evolving organically through 14 seamlessly connected sections that layer rich tonal and textural compositional elements, with a brooding and introspective urgency.
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Have an Ayler Xmas !
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Williams, Mars presents (w/ Berman / Lonberg-Holm / Baker / Kessler / Sandstrom / Hunt): An Ayler Xmas: The Music of Albert Ayler & Songs of Christmas
(Soul What Records)
Chicago saxophonist Mars Williams directs his Albert Ayler tribute band, Witches and Devils, to merge Ayler-esque compositions with Christmas songs, performed by Josh Berman (cornet) Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello), Jim Baker (keys, viola), Kent Kessler (bass), Brian Sandstrom (bass, guitar, trumpet); an unexpected and welcome present for your free jazz festivities!
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Williams, Mars presents : An Ayler Xmas Volume 2
(ESP)
After releasing "An Ayler Xmas: The Music of Albert Ayler & Songs of Christmas" on Chicago saxophonist Mars Williams' Soul What? Label, ESP approached him for a 2nd volume, resulting in this joyful and quirky holiday record with contributions from Josh Berman, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Kent Kessler, Jeb Bishop, Christof Kurzmann, Didi Kern, Thomas Berghammer, Steve Hunt, Jim Baker and Hermann Stangassinger.
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Williams, Mars Presents: An Ayler Xmas Volume 3 Live in Krakow
(Not Two)
The 3rd volume of saxophonist Mars Williams' Albert Ayler-infused holiday records, bring free jazz to the holidays in a unique holiday mash-up of songs with titles like "Noel Omega - Twas The Night Before The Frosty Island Harvest Xmas", in a quintet with Jaimie Branch (trumpet), Knox Chandler (electric guitar), Mark Tokar (bass) and Klaus Kugel (drums).
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Williams, Mars Presents: An Ayler Xmas Vol. 4: Chicago vs. NYC [2 CDs]
(Astral Spirits / Soul What Records)
The fourth in the An Ayler Xmas series from saxophonist Mars Williams, expands to a double CD with recordings from two bands: Josh Berman, Jim Baker, Kent Kessler, Brian Sandstrom & Steve Hunt (Chicago); and Steve Swell, Hilliard Greene, Chris Corsano, Nels Cline & Fred Lonberg-Holm (NYC); in incredible free jazz mashups and bash-ups of Holiday favorites.
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Williams, Mars Presents: An Ayler Xmas Vol. 4: Chicago vs. NYC [VINYL]
(Astral Spirits / Soul What Records)
Vinyl edition of the CD listed above.
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Williams, Mars Presents: An Ayler Xmas Vol.5
(Astral Spirits / Soul What Records)
The fifth in the An Ayler Xmas series from saxophonist Mars Williams, mashing holiday classics with works by saxophonist Albert Ayler, with the amazing sextet of Josh Berman on cornet, Jim Baker on piano, viola & Arp Synth, Brian Sandstrom on bass, guitar & trumpet, Steve Hunt on drums, Peter Maunu on violin and Kent Kessler or Krzysztof Pabian on bass.
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