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Squidco Email Update April 24, 2026

Squidco Weekly Update

Squidco & The Squid's Ear

UPDATE
April 24, 2026

"Every form of music is capable of being vibrant, dynamic, uplifting,
And, needless to say, the opposite."
—Fred Frith

 Essential Artists

• Ricardo Arias/Jaap Blonk
• Casserley/Lash/Magee/Marks
• Kenny Dorham
• Paul Dunmall Quartet
• Harriet Tubman (Ross/Gibbs/Lewis) & Georgia Anne Muldrow
• Joe Henderson
• Henry Cow Redux 2026
• Masayo Koketsu/Nava Dunkelman
• Leap Of Faith
• Metal Chaos Ensemble
• Vadim Neselovskyi
• Sam Ospovat/Expressive Olympics
• Turbulence
• Birgit Ulher/Jaap Blonk
• John Zorn (w/ Marsella/Roeder/Smith/Hashimoto)
• John Zorn/John Medeski Trio

 Essential Labels

Creative Sources
Eclipse Music
Enlightenment
Evil Clown
Kontrans

Pi Recordings
Recommended Records
Relative Pitch
RogueArt
Tzadik





 New Releases

Jazz & Improvisation
Arias, Ricardo / Jaap Blonk: Lucht - Improvisers
(Kontrans)


A duo of breath and air, recorded in Bogotá in 2025, Colombian sound artist Ricardo Arias and vocalist Jaap Blonk explore microscopic improvisations using balloons, fragments, and extended voice, where fragile textures, elastic tones, and near-silence merge human and object into a tactile, minimal, subtly uncanny, and occasionally absurdist sonic dialogue.

Buy $17.95Listen
Casserley / Lash / Magee / Marks: Livingry
(Creative Sources)


Recorded live in London, this electroacoustic quartet unites Lawrence Casserley's real-time signal processing with bass, reeds, and percussion in a fluid free improv setting, where subtle textures, shifting densities, and collective listening guide an evolving dialogue that blurs acoustic and electronic boundaries into a richly detailed and dynamically responsive sonic environment.

Buy $16.95Listen
Dorham, Kenny: The Classic Albums 1960-1962 [4 CDs]
(Enlightenment)


A 4-CD/8 album survey of Kenny Dorham's early-1960s output, compiling sessions from Show Boat through Una Mas, where his warm, lyrical trumpet leads shifting ensembles including Joe Henderson and Herbie Hancock, bridging hard bop, modal jazz, and Latin-tinged explorations with refined compositional clarity.

Buy $17.95Listen
Squidco Pick
Dunmall, Paul Quartet: Afghan Women
(RogueArt)


A powerful free improv statement from saxophonist Paul Dunmall and his quartet with Sophia Domancich, James Owston, and Miles Levin, blending composed themes — including a rendition of "Spiritual" by John Coltrane — with collective improvisation, as the ensemble's masterful interplay unfolds with fluid cohesion, balancing explosive energy and introspective nuance in a deeply expressive album.

Buy $16.95Listen
Squidco Pick
Harriet Tubman (Ross / Gibbs / Lewis) & Georgia Anne Muldrow: Electrical Field of Love
(Pi Recordings)


Uniting the long-running trio Harriet Tubman with vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Georgia Anne Muldrow, this expansive set channels collective, largely spontaneous composition into a powerful blend of jazz, funk, rock, and electronics, where incantatory vocals and dynamic interplay drive a deeply expressive free-flowing exploration of texture, groove, and emotional resonance.

Buy $14.95Listen
Squidco Pick
Harriet Tubman (Ross / Gibbs / Lewis) & Georgia Anne Muldrow: Electrical Field of Love [VINYL]
(Pi Recordings)


Vinyl edition of the CD listed above.

Buy $19.95Listen
Henderson, Joe: The Classic 1960s Albums [4 CD BOX SET]
(Enlightenment)


Bringing together seven landmark 1960s sessions, this 4-CD set captures Joe Henderson at the height of his early career, leading stellar ensembles through a compelling range of post-bop expression, from hard-driving grooves to exploratory improvisation, showcasing his commanding tone, compositional strength, and enduring influence on modern jazz.

Buy $17.95Listen
Koketsu, Masayo / Nava Dunkelman: Veins of Rain
(Relative Pitch)




Buy $13.95Listen
Leap Of Faith: Spatial And Temporal Aspects
(Evil Clown)


Blending a core duet with an expanded ensemble, this richly orchestrated free improv performance weaves three-horn front lines with contrasting string approaches, dense percussion, and a vast electroacoustic palette, unfolding as a continuous transformation of texture and form where acoustic interplay and subtle signal processing shape an immersive, multidimensional sonic environment.

Buy $12.95Listen
Metal Chaos Ensemble: Studying The Pattern
(Evil Clown)


Emerging from a shifting lineup, this iteration of the ensemble trades its usual rock-driven intensity for a more restrained, electroacoustic chamber feel, as layered horns, dense metallic percussion, and evolving electronics intertwine with spoken narration, shaping a fluid free improv performance that navigates a wide spectrum of textures and timbral transformations.

Buy $12.95Listen
Squidco Pick
Ospovat, Sam / Expressive Olympics: Blight Music
(Eclipse Music)


Blending the raw energy of New York's loft jazz lineage with a transatlantic avant-garde sensibility, drummer Sam Ospovat leads a fiery ensemble through polyrhythmic intensity and expansive improvisation, where searing guitars, layered horns, and driving rhythms converge in a volatile and immersive session that channels historical influence into a bold, unfiltered contemporary expression.

Buy $19.95Listen
Turbulence: Currents
(Evil Clown)


Formed from an unexpected shift in personnel, this agile quartet channels a tightly honed horn section, layered electronics, and Joel Simches' real-time signal processing into a richly textured free improv set, where fluid interplay and rapid adaptation drive an evolving, high-density sonic environment shaped by both precision and spontaneity.

Buy $12.95Listen
Ulher, Birgit / Jaap Blonk: Breezes - Improvisers
(Kontrans)


Birgit Ulher and Jaap Blonk engage in an eccentric duo of trumpet, radio, electronics, and voice, where drifting textures, interference, and extended techniques shape a spacious, volatile improvisation balancing delicate detail with sudden, fractured gestures, recorded at the artist-run collective, gallery, and cultural venue Westwerk in Hamburg, Germany.

Buy $17.95Listen
Squidco Pick
Zorn, John (w/ Marsella / Roeder / Smith / Hashimoto): Alea Iacta Est
(Tzadik)


With a title translating to The Die is Cast, this formidable piano concerto from composer John Zorn unfolds through abrupt shifts in mood, tempo, and texture, as Brian Marsella, Jorge Roeder, and Ches Smith navigate its exacting, volatile structures with precision and intensity, joined by Sae Hashimoto on vibraphone, adding a resonant counterpoint to this complex, dynamically shifting work.

Buy $18.95Listen
Squidco Pick
Zorn, John / John Medeski Trio: The Bagatelles Vol. 8
(Tzadik)


A fierce interpretation of John Zorn's Bagatelles by the organ trio of John Medeski with guitarist David Fiuczynski and drummer Grant Calvin Weston, this release channels funk, jazz, and psychedelic rock into explosive, high-energy performances, transforming Zorn's concise compositions into a dynamic, groove-driven and sonically adventurous set.

Buy $19.95Listen
Rock/R.I.O./Prog
Squidco Pick
Henry Cow: The Henry Cow Box Redux: The Complete Henry Cow [18 CDs, DVD & 3 BOOKLETS]
(Recommended Records)


Expanding the definitive collection from British avant-garde pioneers Henry Cow, this expanded edition compiles the complete 40th anniversary box with remastered studio and live recordings, rare material including Cabinet of Curiosities and Glastonbury and Elsewhere, plus a DVD and three extensive booklets totaling 250 pages, presenting a comprehensive and rigorously documented portrait of the band's uncompromising, genre-defying work.

Buy $109.95Listen
Composed & Contemporary
Squidco Pick
Neselovskyi, Vadim: Perseverantia
(Tzadik)


A powerful chamber work from Ukrainian pianist and composer Vadim Neselovskyi, this release blends classical composition and improvisation, as piano and string trio merge structured writing with spontaneous expression, aligning his lyrical, introspective voice with modular, improvisation-driven aesthetics shaped by the tensions and resilience of his homeland.

Buy $16.95Listen





Squid Note Records is our in-house label created to support adventurous new recordings. We launched Squid Note Records to release music we believe in — directly, carefully, and fairly. But we didn't set out with a formal plan to start a label. Squid Note grew from conversations with artists who trusted us and asked for a way to release work that might not otherwise find its audience.

So this isn't simply "our" label. It's something we are building together with the musicians themselves. The direction is shaped as much by the artists as by us — a collaborative effort grounded in mutual respect and shared commitment; each release is an equal partnership.


New Release: Barry Chabala & Clara Byom: Bella's Ghost
Bella's Ghost (upcoming)

Blending acoustic guitars, clarinets, accordion, voice and found objects, Barry Chabala and Clara Byom craft a deeply intuitive duo session that moves between unedited studio improvs and expanded "extractions," weaving folk-inflected fragments, graphic score realizations and haunting textures into a raw yet lyrical free improv language shaped by trust, contrast and evolving interplay.

Listen / Buy on Bandcamp


Also Available Now
Joel Futterman - Absorb

Joel Futterman — Absorb
Solo piano, deep-flowing narrative arcs and resonant detail.

Listen / Buy

Joel Futterman - Reflective

Joel Futterman — Reflective
Nineteen concise vignettes: sustain, staccato, and shifting harmonic mirrors.

Listen / Buy

Daniel Levin - At Dropa House

Daniel Levin — At Dropa House
Solo cello exploring extended techniques, theatrical gesture, and resonant physicality.

Listen / Buy

Remergency - Wave Benders

Remergency — Wave Benders
Avant-rock intensity meets free jazz interplay in a dynamic trio setting.

Listen / Buy


Coming in May
Ivo Perelman & Damon Smith — Duologue: Core of Existence
Ivo Perelman & Damon Smith (upcoming)

Ivo Perelman & Damon Smith — Duologue: Core of Existence

Continuing his expansive Duologues series, saxophonist Ivo Perelman joins bassist Damon Smith for a deeply interactive session where spontaneous form emerges through close listening and exchange, their lines intertwining with fluid lyricism and raw intensity, mapping a dynamic terrain of free improv that reflects both distinct voices and a shared, evolving musical language.

Pre-Order on Bandcamp



The Squid's Ear

The Squid's Ear is Squidco's companion online magazine,
featuring reviews of Squidco items from independent writers.



Martin Escalante / Charlie Mumma / Tete Leguia: This Molten Salt (Wash and Wear Records)
Martin Escalante / Charlie Mumma / Tete Leguia: This Molten Salt (Wash and Wear Records)

Jerome Deupree / Sylvie Courvoisier / Lester St. Louis / Joe Morris: Canyon (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
Jerome Deupree / Sylvie Courvoisier / Lester St. Louis / Joe Morris: Canyon (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Eldritch Priest: Dead-wall Reveries (Another Timbre)
Eldritch Priest: Dead-wall Reveries (Another Timbre)

Barry Chabala / Clara Byom: Bella's Ghost (Squid Note Records)
Barry Chabala / Clara Byom: Bella's Ghost (Squid Note Records)

Believe (Farrar / Manojlovic / Thomas / Pike): Spirits Of The Dead Are Watching (Relative Pitch)
Believe (Farrar / Manojlovic / Thomas / Pike): Spirits Of The Dead Are Watching (Relative Pitch)

Uneven Eleven (Segers / Hawyard / Kawabata): Live in Brighton (Discus)
Uneven Eleven (Segers / Hawyard / Kawabata): Live in Brighton (Discus)

Daniel Levin: At Dropa House (Squid Note Records)
Daniel Levin: At Dropa House (Squid Note Records)

Mike Osborne / Stan Tracey: Original (Cadillac)
Mike Osborne / Stan Tracey: Original (Cadillac)

John Edwards / Luis Vicente / Vasco Trilla: Choreography of Fractures (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))
John Edwards / Luis Vicente / Vasco Trilla: Choreography of Fractures (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Zeena Parkins / Cecilia Lopez: Redshifts (Relative Pitch)
Zeena Parkins / Cecilia Lopez: Redshifts (Relative Pitch)

Peter Evans / Mike Pride: A Window, Basically (Relative Pitch)
Peter Evans / Mike Pride: A Window, Basically (Relative Pitch)


Daniel Levin
The Squid's Ear Interview



 Stay Current With Squidco

We're never quite caught up with new releases that constantly come in our door, and we don't like to rush a release to our homepage. That said, the following releases have already been stocked at Squidco, and are able to be ordered. In most cases we have images, often have samples, and some basic description of each release.

• You can see the newest additions to our catalog in our Just In Stock Section.

• You can see the latest fully cataloged items in our store by using our New Releases section.

• You can see Recently Restocked items on this page.

• You can ask to have us email you when Upcoming Releases are in stock.





HCK / STR / ZBL:
Koln 60
(Creative Sources)


Gerhard Uebele / Ernesto Rodrigues / Guilherme Rodrigues :
Solitude
(Creative Sources)


Carlos Zingaro / Ernesto Rodrigues / Guilherme Rodrigues :
'Pataphysique
(Creative Sources)


Squidco has been in business as a mail-order store since 2003. In 2010, we moved to Wilmington, NC, providing regional and visiting customers access to our catalog of over 9,000 items, including hundreds of discounted, used, and promotional items not listed on our website. We're open for visits by appointment during weekday afternoons, so if you're in the North Carolina coastal region, please email us to set up a time — we'd love to play some music for you!

Find Squidco on Facebook: facebook.com/squidcosales
Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/squidcosales

Want more insight into Squidco? Read the Squidco Blog!



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