The duo of long-time collaborators guitarist Bill Frisell and drummer Joey Baron, two of Downtown NY's finest players, performing 9 tracks of original numbers and work by Sam Cooke, Ray Noble, Ron Carter, and Charlie Parker.

Sweden's Skogen returns with a beautiful work for chamber ensemble with Magnus Granberg, Angharad Davies, Toshimaru Nakamura, Ko Ishikawa, Anna Lindal, Henrik Olsson, Petter wastberg and Erik Carlsson, interpreting a piece by Anders Dahl using a 12 tone system.

"Zwirn" means "twine" in German, an apt description of the interweaving sound that double bassists Daniel Studer and Peter Frey play together, in 7 freely improvised works of unusual technique and new musical structures.

Presenting compositions from all three players, the NY-based trio of Kirk Knuffke (cornet), Mary Halvorson (guitar) & Matt Wilson (drums) this exceptional trio play a stripped down, rocking blend of free form improvisation.

The Chicago electroacoustic quartet of saxophonist, sine tone & harmonium player Boris Hauff, drummer/electronicist Steven Hess, and reedist Keefe Jackson, recording in the studio 3 freely improvised pieces that build in intensity as the album develops.

Ist - Rhodri Davies (harp), Simon H. Fell (double bass) & Mark Wastell (violoncello) - recorded this fascinating, quietly active lower case work at Total Music Meeting in Berlin 2001.

Orchestrated from strings, piano, percussives, laptop & objects, this quintet creates a complex collective voice from high- and low-frequency drones, dissonant long string tones, slow piano chords, metallic sounds, and rich electronics.

Two tracks from two groupings, anchored by Ernesto Rodrigues on viola and Jonathan Sielaff on bass clarinet, paired first with Vic Rawlings on cello & electronics and Leif Sundstrom on electronics; then with Gust Burns on piano and Manuel Mota on electric guitar.

Surprisingly after long partnerships with Peter Brotzmann's Tentet and the saxophone trio Sonore, this is the first time that Ken Vandermark & Mats Gustafsson have recorded as a duo, here in 6 incredible improvisations balancing technique, power, and beauty.

An excellent quartet of UK and European improvisers recording at Gateway Studio, London in 1997, a set of 8 intriguing recordings emphasizing the acoustics end of free improvisation with accented electronic interventions.

1. Ma(R)Ker #1 4:32

2. Ma(R)Ker #2 4:38

3. Ma(R)Ker #3 3:30

4. Ma(R)Ker #4 5:55

5. Ma(R)Ker #5 6:15

6. Ma(R)Ker #6 3:04

7. Ma(R)Ker #7 5:23

8. Ma(R)Ker #8 4:59

9. Ma(R)Ker #9 3:42

10. Ma(R)Ker #10 8:13

11. Ma(R)Ker #11 5:34

The intense lowercase trio of Creative Source label leader Ernesto Rodrigues on viola, percussionist Christian Wolfarth on cymbals, and Ricardo Guerreiro on interactive computer performing the 6 part "All About Mimi" in the studio.

A quirky and ingenious duo from two saxophonists using extended techniques: Alipio C. Neto on soprano sax and Thelmo Cristovam on C-melody sax, using the reeds, body and breath to create an unusual and uncommon dialog.

Unique approaches to modern jazz from NY trumpeter Nate Wooley's Sextet with Josh Sinton (reeds), Matt Moran (vibes), Eivind Opsvik (bass), Dan Peck (tuba) and Harris Eisenstadt (drums), extraordinary music from exceptional players.

A slyly disruptive set of minimalist compositions from New York electronic artist Dominic Coles, recounting six dreams, each described in the liner notes, by using the voice to drive various forms of synthesis on computer and through circuitry, a curious and surprisingly detailed retelling through unexpected tone, punctuation, confrontation and silence.

Taking song titles from the Arawak language, the Estamos Trio of Thollem McDonas (piano), Milo Tamez (drums) and Carmina Escobar (voice & electronics) brings together artists from the Mexican/U.S. border, creating beautiful creative works.

The Earshots duo of Daniel Kordik on modular synthesizer and Edward Lucas on trombone reprise their meeting a year earlier with free improvising percussionist and AMM legend Eddie Prévost, drawn by the natural resonance of the All Saints Church in Essex, England, recording these electroacoustic improvisations of astonishing sonic properties and astounding technique.

Two improvisations by saxophonist Jean-Luc Guionnet & violinist Dan Warburton recorded in Paris & Melbourne parking garages 14 years apart, registering the behavior and characteristics of environmental and instrumental sound within these unique spaces, edited by Eric La Casa and Philip Samartzis as a 4-channel master by synchronizing two sets of independent stereo recordings.

Phil Klampe , aka Homogenized Terrestrials, uses acoustic instruments, sparse, often ethnic percussion, human voice and analog synth sounds to create a tapestry of emotional electronic work, eerie and dreamlike music with a warm accessibility.