September 12, 2025:

Another busy week here as, finally, import packages made it through to the US, and we worked quickly to get those albums catalogued on our site. Alongside them came a number of restocks and several domestic releases that have us genuinely excited.

The highlight of the week is the beautiful new duo from husband-and-wife improvisers Satoko Fujii and Natsuki Tamura. While they've collaborated as a duo many times before, this album feels especially elegant and refined. Fujii explaining how she adapted her playing to these conversations, eliciting a unique approach that, to my mind, makes this one of the most beautiful albums of the season.

Another gem comes from Confront: a live concert recording of Derek Bailey and John Stevens at The Duke of Wellington pub in London, 1989. Already seasoned improvisers at the time, the performance reveals decades of development, strategy, and camaraderie, captured in a fantastic document of their mature artistry.

We also have four new titles on the UK Discus label. Saxophonist and composer Paul Dunmall returns with his sixth Discus release, a large-ensemble project with intriguing orchestration. These lyrical, sophisticated compositions are performed by a mix of Northern England and London players, and the album reveals new facets with each listen.

Shifa-the long-standing trio of Rachel Musson (tenor saxophone), Pat Thomas (piano), and Mark Sanders (drums)-release a live set from Cafe Oto: a single improvisation that takes listeners on a far-reaching journey while maintaining cohesive conversation. A smaller yet equally compelling setting follows in the duo of saxophonist Larry Stabbins and drummer Mark Sanders, presenting an intimate, lyrical dialogue that also nods insightfully toward free jazz and UK improvisation. And on the more outré side, the group known as BleySchool-Pat Thomas, Dominic Lash, and Tony Orrell-rebrand themselves as Lifeline for an adventurous album of electroacoustic collective improvisation.

On vinyl LP we're thrilled to offer the wild duo recording of saxophonist Evan Parker and guitarist Bill Nace, another live performance from Cafe Oto. Their set spans from introspective explorations to moments of ecstatic energy, richly saturated throughout.

Finally, from Anthony Braxton's Tri-Centric Foundation-of which Squidco is the repository and distributor for their New Braxton House label-we've received limited vault copies of six essential Braxton albums. Five are from the Hatology label, available in very limited numbers. We also received copies of a Mixtery label trio featuring Braxton, Peter Brötzmann, and Borah Bergman-three masterful players in a remarkable collaboration.

Tamura, Natsuki / Satoko Fujii: Ki (Libra)

The tenth duo recording from pianist Satoko Fujii and trumpeter Natsuki Tamura presents eight compositions of slow, lyrical beauty-seven by Tamura and one by Fujii-crafted with exquisite restraint and intimacy, as the long-time collaborators sustain a dignified atmosphere of quiet intensity and emotional depth, shaping silence and subtle detail into music of profound elegance.

Bailey, Derek / John Stevens: The Duke of Wellington (Confront)

Seminal figures in the evolution of free or nonidiomatic improvisation, guitarist Derek Bailey and percussionist/pocket trumpeter John Stevens are heard in a 1989 London performance vividly captured by Michael Gerzon at The Duke of Wellington, their restless and enthusiastic interplay shifting from angular invention to lyrical reflection in a compelling document of their remarkable rapport.

Dunmall, Paul: Away With Troubles And Anxieties! (Discus)

Delivering his sixth Discus Music release in two years, saxophonist Paul Dunmall leads a dynamic nonet drawn largely from Birmingham's thriving scene, joined by guests Martin Archer, Corey Mwamba, and John Ball, their first-take performances balancing sharply honed compositions with spontaneous invention in a powerful suite that shifts between bluesy themes, lyrical reflection, and collective fire.

Shifa (Musson / Thomas / Sanders): Ecliptic (Discus)

The trio of Rachel Musson on tenor saxophone, Pat Thomas on piano, and Mark Sanders on drums perform as Shifa, their 46-minute improvisation moving through fiery intensity and spacious reflection in a cohesive journey shaped by deep trust, attentive listening, and fearless exploration, captured live at London's Café Oto in 2023.

Stabbins, Larry / Mark Sanders: Cup & Ring (Discus)

Bringing together two major figures of UK improvisation, saxophonist Larry Stabbins - long associated with innovators like Mike Westbrook, Keith Tippett, and Robert Wyatt - and percussionist Mark Sanders (Paul Dunmall, John Butcher, Veryan Weston, &c) in 2024 Bristol sessions captured with stunning clarity, their 1st-take performances unfolding as thoughtful, exploratory dialogs of texture, rhythm, and timbre.

Thomas / Lash / Orrell: Lifeline (Discus)

Breaking away from their acoustic trio Bleyschool, the long-standing partnership of Pat Thomas, Dominic Lash, and Tony Orrell reconfigure as Lifeline, trading piano, bass, and drums for keyboards, electroacoustic percussion, and electric guitar in a spontaneous studio performance that channels noise, dance, and rock energy into electrified free improv brimming with risk, tension, and surprise.

Parker, Evan / Bill Nace: Branches (Live at Cafe OTO)[VINYL] (Open Mouth)

Meeting for the first time at Café OTO in 2024, soprano saxophonist Evan Parker and guitarist Bill Nace on electric taishogoto create an extraordinary improvised duo, Parker's circular-breathed torrents entwining with Nace's drone-soaked dynamism, from raw intensity to transcendent stillness in a performance of unbounded spirit, deep resonance, and ecstatic liberation.

Bergman, Borah / Anthony Braxton / Peter Brotzmann: Eight By Three (Mixtery)

An extraordinary 1996 Mixtery Studio encounter between pianist Borah Bergman, Anthony Braxton on a wide range of reeds, and Peter Brötzmann on saxophones, clarinet, and tárogató, balancing ferocious torrents of free jazz interplay with moments of surprising lyricism and abstraction, as three titans of improvisation push their individual voices into a thrilling collective dialogue.

Braxton, Anthony : Quartet (Santa Cruz) 1993, 2nd Set (Hatology)

Remaster of the exhilarating second set from saxophonist and composer Anthony Braxton's concert at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center in Santa Cruz, CA, 1993, one of 7 nights performing with the quartet of Marilyn Crispell on piano, Mark Dresser on bass, and Gerry Hemingway on percussion.

Blake, Ran / Anthony Braxton: A Memory Of Vienna (Hatology)

In 1988, on the spur of the moment, Blake and Braxton met to record this set of 8 standards, including pieces by Monk, Parker, Gillespie, Miles Davis, Mal Waldron, &c.

Braxton, Anthony: Creative Orchestra (Koln) 1978 [2 CDs] (Hatology)

Double CD remaster of Braxton's incredible 1978 concert in Koln with a massive orchestra including Ned Rothenberg, Leo Smith, Marilyn Crispell, Bob Ostertag, Marty Ehrlich, JD Parran, &c. &c. &c.!

Braxton, Anthony: Seven Compositions (Trio) 1989 (Hatology)

Anthony Braxton's 1989 recording of seven compositions (glued together into three performances) in a trio with bassist Adelhard Roidinger and drummer Tony Oxley.

These are the updates to Squidco and The Squid's Ear over the last week. You can view our latest fully cataloged albums in the Recently Section.

You can also browse new titles as they enter our Just In Stock Section — meaning we physically have the album and can ship it, though we may still be updating additional information about the release.

To see restocks of previously listed titles, visit our Recently Restocked page.

And if you're interested in a future release, you can ask us to notify you by email via our Upcoming Releases page — no obligation necessary.

September 11, 2025: New @ Squidco:
Derek Bailey/John Stevens -The Duke of Wellington [CD] (Confront)
Natsuki Tamura/Satoko Fujii -Ki [CD] (Libra)
Paul Dunmall -Away With Troubles And Anxieties! [CD] (Discus)
Shifa (Musson/Thomas/Sanders) -Ecliptic [CD] (Discus)
Thomas/Lash/Orrell -Lifeline [CD] (Discus)
Larry Stabbins/Mark Sanders -Cup & Ring [CD] (Discus)
Borah Bergman/Anthony Braxton/Peter Brotzmann -Eight By Three [CD] (Mixtery)

September 9, 2025: New @ Squidco:
Evan Parker/Bill Nace -Branches (Live at Cafe OTO)[VINYL] (Open Mouth)
Oren Ambarchi/Johan Berthling/Andreas Werliin -Ghosted III [VINYL] (Drag City)
Eiko Shibashi/Jim O' Rourke -Pareidolia [VINYL] (Drag City)
Loren Connors/Alan Licht -The Blue Hour [CD] (Otoroku)
Elaine Mitchener -Solo Throat [VINYL] (Otoroku)
Hedvig Mollestad Trio -Bees In The Bonnet [CD] (Rune Grammofon)
Acid Mothers Temple & The Melting Paraiso UFO -Black Mountain Side [CD] (Rolling Heads)

September 5, 2025:

We started the week very busy processing our Labor Day Sale, with thanks to the many customers who took advantage of the discounts, and for the nice comments we received! The rest of the week was focused on tariffs and the import of records, which is a significant part of our work here at Squidco. I want to correct an error from last week's entry regarding the harmonized codes for LPs, cassettes, and CDs. The CD code originally came from Discogs, but we've since confirmed that the following codes provide the most accurate descriptions for tariff-free media shipments. I've also updated last week's entry to reflect the correct CD code and avoid any confusion.

Here is a guide on how to ship albums and other media to the United States, in particular the harmonized system codes that should be used to send recorded material to the US. USING THESE CODES ARE VERY IMPORTANT! They should prevent us from paying tariffs, and they should help keep packages flowing as easily as possible through the international postal systems.

Another major project this week has been preparing for the debut of Squid Note Records, with our first two album releases. Both titles are now available to order, and we're thrilled to bring this music to listeners' ears! Squid Note Records adds an unexpected new dimension to our work as a digital and streaming label. The inaugural releases feature pianist Joel Futterman: Absorb, two expansive improvisations, and Reflective, a collection of improvisational miniatures. While Squidco as a store and distributor has always centered on physical media (with the occasional download code), Squid Note Records will focus exclusively on digital releases. We hope our customers will support the label, paving the way for more albums drawn from Squidco's catalog and connections.

Joel Futterman is a pioneering pianist and improviser known for his intensely original style and innovative "three-hand" technique. With more than seventy recordings and appearances at major festivals in North America and Europe, he has collaborated with leading figures including Jimmy Lyons, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Joseph Jarman, William Parker, Alvin Fielder, Hal Russell, and his longtime associate Edward "Kidd" Jordan. Recognized as one of the foremost voices in creative music, Futterman continues to push the boundaries of the piano and the art of spontaneous improvisation.

Out 5 September 2025

Reflective

Joel Futterman Solo Piano

A collection of nineteen concise vignettes where sustain and staccato, motion and repose, converse across the keyboardminiatures that reward deep listening and reveal an ever-expanding palette of overtones and harmonic resonance.

Listen / Buy

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Tracklist