• Sophie Agnel/John Butcher
• Clifford Allen
• Lotte Anker/Kamil Piotrowicz/Jacob Anderskov
• Jean-Jacques Birge
• Peter Brotzmann/Paal Nilssen-Love
• Butcher/Durrant/Wastell
• John Dikeman/Sun-Mi Hong/Aaron Lumley/Marta Warelis
• El Strom
• ES Trio (Steyer/Kwan /Zerang)
• Expanse Percussion Edition
• Joe Fonda/Bass of Operation
• Alexandra Grimal /Giovanni Di Domenico
• Jason Kahn/Magda Mayas
• Joke Lanz/Dieb13
• Leandre/Lotte Anker/Kersten Osgood
• Brandon Lopez/DoYeon Kim
• Metal Chaos Ensemble
• Alexander Schlippenbach von/Daag Magnus Narvesen Duo
• Francois Tusques/Sunny Murray 38
|
| |
Jazz & Improvisation
|
|
|
Agnel, Sophie / John Butcher: RARE
(Les Disques Victo)
Extraordinary and masterful performers Sophie Agnel (piano) and John Butcher (soprano & tenor saxophones) present a live recording from the 40th International Festival of Current Music in Victoriaville, Canada, featuring five improvised pieces that highlight their exceptional interplay and collective discovery of new musical forms while exploring the boundaries of free improvisation.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Allen, Clifford: Singularity Codex: Matthew Shipp On Rogueart [BOOK]
(RogueArt)
Price Reduction: Clifford Allen frames the work of pianist Matthew Shipp and his collaborators through his work on the RogueArt label of 25 albums and a book with poet Steve Dalachinsky, providing insight and context into Shipp's music through photographs, essays and interviews with William Parker, Rob Brown, Whit Dickey, Joe Morris, Yuko Otomo, Michel Dorbon, and Jim Clouse.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Anker, Lotte / Kamil Piotrowicz / Jacob Anderskov: Antiworld I
(Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
A stunning live performance from wild to instrospective from the 2019 Copenhagen Jazz Festival, where saxophonist Lotte Anker and two pianists — Jacob Anderskov and Kamil Piotrowicz — create a rare and extraordinary interplay of alto saxophone and dual grand pianos, blending frenetic intensity and dreamlike calm in an inspired and organically evolving dialogue of composed and improvised soundscapes.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Birge, Jean-Jacques: Pique-nique Au Labo [2 CDs]
(GRRR)
Jean-Jacques Birgé invited 28 improvising musicians to the studio to perform in duos and trios, the theme for each of the 22 recordings chosen just before each recording, with noted performers including Birgé himself, Sophie Bernado, Pascal Contet, Julien Desprez, Jean-Brice Godet, Alexandra Grimal, Sylvain Kassap, Edward Perraud, Eve Risser, &c.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Brotzmann, Peter / Paal Nilssen-Love: Butterfly Mushroom
(Trost Records)
The 2nd volume following Chicken Shit Bingo from a two-day 2015 studio session in Antwerp, capturing the deep rapport and evolving artistry of multi-reedist Peter Brötzmann and drummer/percussionist Paal Nilssen-Love through eight powerful and explorative improvisations, reflecting their nearly two-decade collaboration as they experiment with new instruments and demonstrate profound musical expression.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Brotzmann, Peter / Paal Nilssen-Love: Butterfly Mushroom [VINYL]
(Trost Records)
Vinyl edition of the CD listed above.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Butcher / Durrant / Wastell: Around the Square, Above the Hill
(Confront)
Two 2024 sessions from the free improvising trio of John Butcher (tenor and soprano saxophones), Phil Durrant (electric mandolin and electronics), and Mark Wastell (drums and percussion): the two-part dialog "Around", recorded live at London's Vortex Jazz Club, and the four-part collective improvisation "Above", captured at The Rose Hill in Brighton, UK.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Dikeman, John / Sun-Mi Hong / Aaron Lumley / Marta Warelis: Old Adam on Turtle Island
(Relative Pitch)
Saxophonist John Dikeman composed this diverse and expressively lyrical song cycle reflecting on colonization, and the double edged sword of religion which can lead to transcendence or tyranny, recorded in Amsterdam in a quartet with Marta Warelis on piano, Aaron Lumley on bass and Sun on Mi Hong on drums, presented in two extended improvisations.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
ES Trio (Steyer / Kwan / Zerang): The Foreign In Us
(Relative Pitch)
Recorded at Experimental Sound Studios following a powerful and inspired concert at Elastic Arts, this trio captures the distinct musical voices of Edith Steyer (alto saxophone & clarinet), Mabel Kwan (piano), and Michael Zerang (drums & percussion), weaving sound-oriented improvisations and diverse transatlantic influences from Berlin and Chicago.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Expanse Percussion Edition: Clang-A-Thon Fantastique
(Evil Clown)
Expanding on a decade of exploratory improvisation, this session unites a diverse septet of seasoned and new Evil Clown musicians in a dynamic live performance recorded at Evil Clown Headquarters, blending horns, percussion, electronics, and an extensive array of unique instruments to create concert-length transformations of groove, chaos, and textured sonorities in the ensemble's signature avant-garde aesthetic.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Fonda, Joe / Bass of Operation: w/ Rabinovitz / Lederer / Sorgen
(Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
Performing the lyrical compositions from the band's leader, this quartet — featuring Joe Fonda (bass), Michael Rabinowitz (bassoon), Jeff Lederer (clarinets & flutes), and Harvey Sorgen (drums) — explores a uniquely chamber-like soundscape, blending jazz and classical influences through intricately arranged compositions and inspired improvisations with a distinctively rich and unexpected ensemble voice.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Grimal, Alexandra / Giovanni Di Domenico: Shakkei
(Relative Pitch)
Five duets inspired by the Japanese concept of borrowed scenery (Shakkei (借景)) — integrating background landscapes into the design of a garden — are exquisitely realized in these spiritual and introspective performances, from the 20-year collaboration between French saxophonist Alexandra Grimal (tenor and soprano) and Italian pianist-organist Giovanni Di Domenico.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Kahn, Jason / Magda Mayas: Night
(Editions)
Captured live at the Werkstatt für Improvisierte Musik in Zurich, Switzerland, this debut release from Jason Kahn (electronics) and Magda Mayas (piano, objects) presents three improvised pieces that blend their complementary palettes into a poetic and intricately detailed electroacoustic dialogue, reflecting their 13-year collaboration with a mix of introspection, spontaneity, and mutual respect.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Lanz, Joke / Dieb13 : Musical Education
(Klanggalerie)
Price Reduction: A startling and energetically exciting collision of cleverly eclectic sound sources when Swiss turntablist and sound artist Joke Lanz met Austrian improviser and turntablist Dieb13 (Dieter Kovacic) for this amazing 2020 concert at GrillX in Vienna, using three turntables to create an incredible collage of sounds from the humorous to the awe inspiring.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Leandre / Lotte Anker / Kersten Osgood: Worlds
(Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
A riveting live performance from the 2023 Copenhagen Jazz Festival by Joëlle Léandre, Lotte Anker, and Kresten Osgood, whose trio of bass, saxophones, and drums delivers an enthralling journey through three improvisational worlds, blending spontaneity, profound interplay, and virtuosic intensity in a masterful exploration of sound and emotion.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Lopez, Brandon / DoYeon Kim: Syzygy, Vol. 1
(577 Records)
A confluence of contrasting strings recorded in the studio in NYC, bringing bassist Brandon Lopez and gayageum master DoYeon Kim together in an acoustic dialogue of free improvisation, blending Lopez's explosive intuition with Kim's dynamic reinterpretation of tradition, resulting in a fascinating sonic journey that bridges ancient melodies and avant-garde exploration.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Metal Chaos Ensemble: A Great Python Spews Venomous Kerosene Upon the World
(Evil Clown)
Exploring chaotic rhythms on metallic instruments, Metal Chaos Ensemble is one of the most prolific Evil Clown ensembles, producing over 50 albums with a signature sound of gongs, chimes, and horns, recently recurring as a sextet blending rock elements; here configured as a quintet without a bass performer, in a distinctive work that begins with a PEK narrative.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Schlippenbach, Alexander von / Daag Magnus Narvesen Duo: KAIROS
(Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
Marking their decade-long collaboration, pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach and drummer Dag Magnus Narvesen present a dynamic dialogue of free jazz and structured improvisation, blending generational and cultural perspectives into deeply focused and evolving musical narratives, where melodies and rhythmic patterns unfold organically through collective discipline and creativity.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Tusques, Francois / Sunny Murray 38: Intercommunal Dialogue 1&2 [2LPS w/ DOWNLOAD]
(NI-VU-NI-CONNU)
A historic reunion captured live at Le Triton in Les Lilas, France, in 2007, bringing together pianist François Tusques and drummer Sunny Murray for the first time in decades to renew their blues-infused, avant-garde dialogue, blending percussive exploration, evocative dedications, and rich improvisation that honors their shared history while forging new sonic landscapes.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
Experimental/Electronic
|
|
|
El Strom : Long Time No Sea
(GRRR)
Recorded across studios in France and Denmark and at the Festival Les Enchanteuses, the charming and experimental trio of Birgitte Lyregaard (vocals), Sacha Gattino (sampler, percussion, zither, &c.), and Jean-Jacques Birge (Theremin, keyboards, reeds, &c.) blend experimental, jazz, rock, and folk influences, in a genre-defying amalgam of songs, free improv, rare instruments, and cutting-edge technology.
|
| |
|
|
| |
|