The Squid's Ear Magazine
  Recently Restocked

Albums which we have recently restocked, listed in most recently restocked order. Some quantities will be limited, particularly for older albums. This page is updated after every catalog refresh, typically Tuesdays & Thursdays.



Gregorio / Smith / Bryerton: The Cold Arrow (Balance Point Acoustics)

The second trio release from clarinetist Guillermo Gregorio, double bassist Damon Smith and Jerome Bryerton on gongs, selected metal & cymbals (but no drums), in a sophisticated album of eight collective improvisations numbered as "The Planar Effect" and two Gregorio compositions, an absolutely impressive set that obscures the line between "spontaneous" and "composition".



James McKain / Damon Smith / Weasel Walter: ... Seeing the Way The Mole Tunnels... (Balance Point Acoustics / International School of Evidence)

Energetic trio interplay from saxophonist James McKain with Damon Smith and Weasel Walter, recorded in Collinsville, Illinois, where taut lines, volatile textures, and razor-cut dynamics sketch "free jazz by way of the European tradition," six concise pieces whose titles nod to Thomas Bernhard and whose restless momentum — anchored by springy bass and splintered drums — turns spontaneity into vividly shaped form.



Directives: Glimmer (Aubjects)

A series of instrumental compositions from D. Petri (Dog Hallucination), structured as songs of a rhythmic nature using synths, samples, field recordings and effects, eight embraceable and upbeat work with layers of detail, influenced by Petri's love of explorative electronic music including YMO or Tom Ellard, or labels like Mille Plateau and Raster.



Directives : Protenomaly [CASSETTE w/ DOWNLOAD] (Aubjects)

Aubjects label leader D. Petri (Amalgamated, Dog Hallucination) continues his work in unusual and sometimes aggressive exploration of the guitar as a sound source, looking for "novel anomalies" in amorphous compositions, seeking an extreme mixture of audio fidelities, peculiar equipment configurations, personally significant field recordings & various multi-level manipulations, in parts joined by Hillary Ulman on percussion.



Amalgamated: Amalgamated (Aubjects)

An album of hallucinogenic and melodic rhythhm and sound from the Amalgamated collective, who take their influence from 80's industrial / cassette culture, as heard in these 8 tracks, balancing modern electronics with lo-fi/home taper instruments and sensibilities.



Homogenized Terrestrials: The Contaminist (IntangibleCat)

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.



Cassiber: The Cassiber Box redux [6 CDs, 1 DVD and Book] (Recommended Records)

Reissuing the 2013 box set of the 1980s UK/Euro improvising rock band Cassiber, including their 4 remastered studio albums + 2 additional CDs, a 2 hour DVD, and a 32-page color book, revealing an amazing band merging experimental rock, fringe jazz, punk, pop, plunderphonics, improvisation, & musique concrete with an energetic and complex form of studio composition - superb!



Melaine Dalibert / David Sylvian: Vermilion Hours (Ici d Ailleurs)

A refined collaboration between pianist Melaine Dalibert and David Sylvian, transforming Dalibert's algorithmic piano works through subtle, impressionistic electronic treatments that deepen their harmonic resonance, creating a luminous and contemplative soundworld shaped by spectral motion and quiet atmospheric detail.



Roscoe Mitchell / Michele Rabbia: In 2 (RogueArt)

The duo of Roscoe Mitchell on bass and sopranino saxophones with percussion, and Michele Rabbia on percussion and electronics, engage in a meticulous and expressive dialogue where the smallest breath or strike is amplified into vivid detail, redefining improvisation as an inclusive and responsive art of conversation that balances order, disorder, and creative transformation.



Henry Cow: Leg End (Original Mix) (Recommended Records)



Kenny Wheeler Sextet: What Was (False Walls)

Produced by Evan Parker and drawn from a shelved 1995 studio date, this first full release of the Kenny Wheeler Sextet captures the flugelhorn master at 65 balancing post-bop sophistication with open-ended improvisation alongside Ray Warleigh, Stan Sulzmann, John Parricelli, Chris Laurence and Tony Levin, in harmonically rich compositions that favor nuance, collective trust, and deeply lyricism.



Ivo Perelman / Nate Wooley / Mat Moran / Matt Maneri / Fred Lonberg-Holm / Joe Morris: Seven Skies Orchestra [2 CDs] (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

A rare setting for tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman in a larger ensemble: an exemplary sextet with trumpeter Nate Wooley and vibraphonist Matt Moran over a string section of Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello, Joe Morris on bass and Mat Maneri on viola, recording a ten-part work sans drums or piano, allowing fascinating new orchestral possibilities performed with utmost creative mastery.



Savina Yannatou / Julius Gabriel / Agusti Fernandez / Barry Guy / Ramon Lopez: In the Light Of The Current Myth (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

During double bassist Barry Guy's time in Porto Portugal with the Blue Shroud Band, he also took time to join in the studio with a quintet of like-minded improvisors — Savina Yannatou on vocals, Julius Gabriel on tenor & baritone saxophones, Agusti Fernandez on piano, and Ramon Lopez on drums — to record this exceptional collective improv session.



Charles Gayle / 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.



Zlatko Kaucic (Kaucic / Amado / Dorner / Grom / Guy / Fernandez / Snekkestad): INKLINGS [4 CD BOX SET] (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Marking drummer/percussionist Zlatko Kaučič's 70th birthday, this 4-CD set presents his collaborations with luminaries including Torben Snekkestad, Axel Dörner, Rodrigo Amado, Barry Guy, and Agustí Fernández, blending intimate and transformative improvisations recorded across Slovenian festivals, showcasing Kaučič's mastery and the profound synergy of these exceptional ensembles.



Jerome Deupree / Sylvie Courvoisier / Lester St. Louis / Joe Morris: Canyon [2 CDs] (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

Recorded at Firehouse 12 Studios, Canyon brings together four exceptional improvisers — drummer Jerome Deupree, pianist Sylvie Courvoisier, bassist Joe Morris, and cellist Lester St. Louis — for a double album of fluid, high-stakes interaction, balancing volatility and restraint as they carve out richly detailed sonic terrain with spontaneous precision.



Cecil: Taylor Respiration (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

An incredible solo concert from legendary New York pianist Cecil Taylor in October, 1968 at the Sala Kongresowa (Congress Hall, Palace of Culture and Science) in Warsaw during the Jazz Jamboree, recorded by Polski Radio and remastered in 2021, an excellent example of the nimble mind and quick technical skills of Taylor's personal take on improvisation; stunning!



Cecil Taylor : Music From Two Continents feat Stanko, Rava, Frank Wright, Lyons, Borca, Barker, Hampel (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

A truly wild concert of free jazz from Cecil Taylor's transatlantic orchestra, captured live at the 1984 Jazz Jamboree in Warsaw, Poland, bringing together impressive improvisers from the US--William Parker, John Tchicai, Jimmy Lyons, Karen Borca, Frank Wright, & Henry Martinez--with European Free Jazz leaders Tomasz Stank, Enrico Rava, Conrd Bauer & Günter Hampel.



Last Dream of the Morning (John Butcher / John Edwards / Marc Sanders): Sharp Illusion (Listen! Foundation (Fundacja Sluchaj!))

The third release from the trio of John Butcher, John Edwards and Mark Sanders captures a live performance in Lublin that unfolds across four extended improvisations, balancing explosive collective energy and deep listening restraint as saxophones, bass and percussion interweave in a fluid, highly responsive dialogue shaped by decades of shared experience within the UK and European free improv community.



Bruce Coates / Paul Dunmall / John Edwards / Trevor Lines / Mark Sanders: Five On A Die (FMR)

Uniting saxophonists Bruce Coates and Paul Dunmall with bassist John Edwards, bassist Trevor Lines, and drummer Mark Sanders, this quintet session delivers an intense exploration of collective free improv, with intertwining reed lines rising over the dense resonance of dual basses and Sanders� fluid percussion, the ensemble shaping energetic and richly textured spontaneous interactions.



Peter Brotzmann / Steve Hubback : Treforest 82 (FMR)

A previously unreleased duo encounter pairing Peter Brötzmann's ferocious saxophone with Welsh percussionist Steve Hubback's compact and inventive drum setup, captured at the 1982 Treforest festival in the UK in a brief but explosive burst of free improv where probing textures erupt into cathartic climaxes through raw, intensely focused interplay.



Evan Parker / John Edwards / Tony Marsh: Medway Blues (FMR)

A superb 2009 concert at Command House, in Chatham, UK from the trio of saxophonist Evan Parker, double bassist John Edwards, and late drummer/percussionist Tony Marsh, a single 36 minute improvisation of cohesive and energetic free jazz where all three pull together as a nearly telepathic unit, plus two extended duo sections between Edwards and Marsh and a Marsh solo.



Dunmall / Bianco / Kane: Ritual Beyond (FMR)

Live recordings from 2009 at Delbury Hall with the mighty Paul Dunmall on tenor and clarinet; blistering music from an incredible trio playing seriously smoking free jazz.



Deep Joy Trio: Live in Austria (FMR)

Long time associates since their Mujician days, saxophonist Paul Dunmall, bassist Paul Rogers and drummer Tony Levin are recorded live in Austria for two extended and deeply joyful improvisations.



Tony Bianco / Paul Rogers / Paul Dunmall: Dig Deep Trio (FMR)

The British improvising trio of tenor saxophonist Paul Dunmall, 7-string bassist Paul Rogers and drummer Tony Bianco performing two long and serpentine improvisations at Delbury Hall, Shropshire in 2010.



Ensemble Var (Gustafsson / Lindal / Lindstrom / Nordwall): VAR (Confront)

A fully free improvisation of subtly disruptive, extended electroacoustic mastery, recorded during the Svensk Musikvår Festival at Aliasteatern, Stockholm in 2021, in a piece conceived by Mats Gustafsson who performs on saxophone & flute, with Anna Lindal on violin, Mats Lindstrom on electronics, effects & sampler and Joachim Nordwall on analog synths, effects & tapes.



Joe: Morris Perpetual Frontier The Properties of Free Music [BOOK] (Riti Publishing)

Joe Morris wrote this book to discuss aspects of free music, including responses to his questionnaire written by Joe McPhee, William Parker, Jamie Saft, Ken Vandermark, Marilyn Crispell, Nate Wooley, Jack Wright, Matthew Shipp, &c.



Joe Fonda Quartet (w/ Wadada Leo Smith / Satoko Fujii / Tizano Tononi): Eyes On The Horizon (Long Song Records)

NY Bassist-composer Joe Fonda leads an exceptional quartet featuring trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith, pianist Satoko Fujii, and drummer Tiziano Tononi in a profound tribute to his mentor Smith, skillfully blending compositional clarity with collective improvisation in a deeply resonant and lyrically intricate musical conversation that reflects inspiration, respect, and artistic integrity.



Alan Silva / Burton Greene: Parallel Worlds (Long Song Records)

Free jazz pioneers and electronic improvisers Alan Silva and Burton Greene together playing vintage synthesizers and keyboards, exploring new sounds and pushing boundaries.



Satoko Fujii / Joe Fonda: Duet (Long Song Records)

First meeting of Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii and New York bassist Joe Fonda, initiated at the suggestion of Fonda, recording in Portland, Maine at the Dimensions in Jazz Series, a beautifully recorded and intimate duo of superb dialog between two seasoned improvisers.



Irene Schweizer / Hamid Drake: Celebration (Intakt)

Having performed together a number of times in festivals both in Europe and Chicago, the duo of drummer Hamid Drake and pianist Irene Schweizer reveals the familiarity and confidence their history brings to their improvisations, both in intense exchanges and playful melodic passages, as heard in this exemplary 2019 concert at Jazzgallery, in Nickelsdorf, Austria.



Wadada Smith Leo & Tumo: Occupy The World [2 CDs] (Tum)

Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith composed these 5 works inspired by the Occupy movement for the 22-piece orchestra TUMO, an improvising orchestra that is assembled specifically for each project they participate in.



Butcher / Prevost: High Laver Levitations Vol 1: Unearthed (Matchless)

Long-time collaborators and iconoclastic improvisers, drummer Eddie Prévost and saxophonist John Butcher, met at All Hallows Church, in High Laver, Essex in 2023, using the natural ambience of the space to capture these three improvisations, Prévost playing primarily on a drum kit and both in a more jazz-oriented sax and drum duo, extended by both players' exceptional technique.



AMM (Cardew / Gare / Hobbs / Prevost / Rowe): The Crypt - 12th June 1968 The Complete Session [2 CDs] (Matchless)

Perhaps the most iconic and "classic" of AMM albums, recorded at The Crypt in London in 1968 with AMM as the quartet of Cornelius Cardew on piano & cello, Lou Gare on saxophone and violin, Christopher Hobbs on percussion, Eddie Prevost on percussion, and Keith Rowe on guitar & electronics.



AMM (Previost / Rowe / Tilbury): An Unintended Legacy [3 CDs] (Matchless)

A beautiful 3-CD set with a hardcover book presenting 3 full concerts from 2015 & 2016 of the AMM trio configuration of John Tilbury (piano), Keith Rowe (guitar) and Eddie Prevost (percussion). The 70 page book, dedicated to saxophonist Lou Gare, includes an AMM discography, plus photos, and essays by Paige Mitchell and Allen Fisher; Keith Rowe; Eddie Prevost; and Seymour Wright.



AMM (Prevost / Tilbury): Aura (Matchless)

Recorded in Finland in 2016, this extended improvisation features a core duo from later AMM configurations — percussionist Eddie Prévost and pianist John Tilbury, who also performs on harpsichord — captured in the exceptional acoustics of The Sibelius Museum concert hall where the intimate setting elicits profound, beautifully recorded dialogue between these two masterful performers.



Eddie: Prevost Material Consequences (Matchless)

An engrossing solo statement from AMM percussionist Eddie Prévost, recorded in 2001, using bowed cymbals, found objects, resonant drums, and extended techniques to explore a wide sonic palette, transforming his percussion into a nuanced instrument of texture, tone, and timbral abstraction in a focused, contemplative, and remarkably expressive improvisation.



AMM with Sachiko M: Testing (Matchless)

A rare meeting between Japanese minimalist Sachiko M and AMM's Eddie Prévost and John Tilbury, recorded in 2004 at London's Museum of Garden History, where sine wave precision meets tactile percussion and spacious piano in an intricate electroacoustic improvisation that explores silence, texture, and the fragile tension of deep collective listening.



AMM (Prevost / Rowe / Tilbury): Generative Themes (Matchless)



AMM (Prevost / Rowe / Tilbury): Newfoundland (Matchless)



AMM (Prevost / Rowe / Tilbury): Combines + Laminates + Treatise '84 (Matchless)



AMM: Laminal [3 CDs] (Matchless)



AMM (Prevost / Rowe / Tilbury): Tunes Without Measure or End (Matchless)



AMM (Prevost / Rowe / Tilbury): Fine (Matchless)



AMM: Sounding Music (Matchless)

AMM's performance at the 2009 Freedom of the City Festival with AMM regular members Eddie Prevost and John Tilbury extended with John Butcher, Chritian Wolff and Ute Kanngiesser.



AMM (Prevost / Tilbury): Two London Concerts (Matchless)

Two live recordings by master improvisers John Tilbury (piano) and Eddie Prevost (percussion) playing two emotional sets that are quiet at just the right times and allow for a balanced amount of white space, creating beautiful music.



AMM (Tilbury / Prevost): Place Sub. V (Matchless)

AMM (Eddie Prevost on percussion and John Tilbury on piano(+)) performing a 1 hour, 1 minute and 1 second live concert at the 2012 Festival of Traditional and Avant-Garde Music in Lublin, Poland in a beautiful melding of unconventional approaches to improvisation.



Barry Guy / Eddie Prevost / Evan Parker / Keith Rowe: Supersession [REMASTERED, REPACKAGED, ADDITIONAL TEXT] (Matchless)

Recorded at a concert in London, September 1984, this supersession brings AMM stalwarts Keith Rowe and Eddie Prevost together with saxophonist Evan Parker and bassist Barry Guy for an amazingly diverse and cohesive long improvisation.



AMM: Spanish Fighters (Matchless)

Recorded at the festival Neposlusno (Sound Disobedience) in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2012, the AMM duo of Eddie Prevost on percussion and John Tilbury on piano perform an extend improvisation of tension and dynamic, delicately balancing sound in a rich dialog.



9!: None (-t) (Matchless)

The transnational ensemble of acoustic improvisers Nathaniel Catchpole on tenor saxophone, Elk calls, Jamie Coleman on trumpet, Alex James on piano, Ross Lambert on guitar, pocket trumpet, preparations, John Lely on piano, Sebastian Lexer on piano, Marianthi Papalexandri on moving objects, Eddie Prevost on percussion, and Seymour Wright on alto saxophone.



AMM (Tilbury / Prevost): Industria (Matchless)

The title Indústria was chosen by Eddie Prevost in tribute to the history behind the Museu Industrial de Bala do Tejo, in Portugal where this concert took place by the legendary free improvisation band AMM, represented here as the duo of percussionist Eddie Prévost and pianist John Tilbury, performing as part of the 2015 OUT.FEST - Festival Internacional de Musica Exploratoria do Barreiro.



Henry Threadgill Ensemble Double Up: Old Locks and Irregular Verbs (Pi Recordings)

Henry Threadgill's tribute to friend, composer-conductor Lawrence D. Butch Morris, in a detailed 4-part work with an excellent set of improvisers: Henry Threadgill, Jose Davila, Jason Moran, Christopher Hoffman, David Virelles, Roman Filiu, Curtis Macdonald, and Craig Weinrib.



Fieldwork: Your Life Flashes (Pi Recordings)



Art Ensemble of Chicago: Sirius Calling (Pi Recordings)



Tyshawn Sorey Trio: Mesmerism (Pi Recordings)

An alluring album of piano trio music from the NY trio led by drummer Tyshawn Sorey with Aaron Diehl on piano and Matt Brewer on bass, allowing the excitement of a first meeting between the players as they perform compositions from the American Songbook, and some songs that Sorey feels should be included in the Songbook; lyrical, sophisticated, virtuosic, beautiful.



Tyshawn: Sorey The Inner Spectrum of Variables [2 CDs] (Pi Recordings)

New York drummer Tyshawn Sorey's impressive work for double trio is an ambitious chamber jazz composition using multiple harmonic, formal, rhythmic, and modal vocabularies in an exploratory and improvisational framework, inspired by the work of Lawrence D. Butch Morris.



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

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.



Larry Stabbins / Keith Tippett / Louis Moholo-Moholo: Live In Foggia (Ogun)

The formidable trio of Larry Stabbins (saxophones, flute), Keith Tippett (piano, voice), and Louis Moholo-Moholo (drums, voice, bass) ignite with ferocious intensity and explosive interplay, unleashing torrents of fiery improvisation that surge with wit, lyricism, and raw power, captured live in Foggia, Italy in 1985 when each was at the peak of their artistry.



Mats Gustafsson / Ken Vandermark / Tomeka Reid / Chad Taylor: Pivot (Silkheart)

Four master improvisers (Mats Gustafsson, Ken Vandermark, Tomeka Reid, Chad Taylor) from overlapping creative circles engage in a set of powerful interactions, where dense low-end reeds, lyrical cello, and rhythmic elasticity create shifting terrain; through deep listening and long-forged connections, they navigate spontaneous form with urgency, restraint, and a shared sense of sonic purpose.



PNY Quintet (Swell / Brown / Edelin / Giron / Betsch): Over The Wall (RogueArt)

While NY trombonist Steve Swell and alto saxophonist Rob Brown were in Paris, flutist Michel Edelin, who has recorded and performed with Swell over more than a decade, organized this session with Paris-based American ex-pats, drummer John Betsch and bassist Peter Giron, recording three Swell compositions, two by Brown, one from Edelin and four collective improvisations; magnifique!



Joseph Holbrooke (w/ Derek Bailey / Gavin Bryars / Tony Oxley): Last Live 2001 - In Memoriam Derek Bailey And Tony Oxley [2 CDs] (Tzadik)

The legendary trio Joseph Holbrooke — guitarist Derek Bailey, bassist Gavin Bryars, and drummer Tony Oxley — reunited after decades for one final performance in 2001, captured in this historic live recording that highlights their uncompromising commitment to free improvisation, the set resonating with both the radical spirit of their 1960s origins and the profound artistry of three pioneering voices in avant-garde music.



Mark: Dresser In the Shadow of a Mad King (Tzadik)

Originally a foundational member of the Downtown NY scene now living on the West Coast, bassist Mark Dresser presents an album of inventive and engaging solo bass improvisations, performing on the double bass, and 4 and 5 string basses, on the epic title track accompanying the inspired and depictive words of celebrated late poet and close friend Jerome Rothenberg.



John Zorn / The Gnostic Trio (w/ Frisell / Wollesen / Emanuel): Sing Me Now Asleep (Tzadik)

Reuniting Bill Frisell, Kenny Wollesen, and Carol Emanuel as The Gnostic Trio, John Zorn presents a refined set of compositions that blend chamber minimalism, early music influences, and ambient textures, where delicate interplay, spacious forms, and a touch of electronics from Ikue Mori yield a serene, introspective, and subtly cinematic exploration of tone and atmosphere.



John Zorn / Brian Marsella: The Bagatelles Vol. 7 (Tzadik)

Performing thirteen selections from John Zorn's 2015 Bagatelles collection, pianist Brian Marsella delivers a dynamic solo recital that navigates angular, atonal forms and moments of striking lyricism, blending classical precision with jazz spontaneity to create an intimate, virtuosic, and emotionally resonant interpretation of Zorn's expansive compositional language.



Simulacrum: Modeling Personas (Evil Clown)

The Simulacrum ensemble expands its electroacoustic palette on Modeling Personas, bringing together a fluid septet of winds, strings, percussion, and extensive electronics in a dense and highly textural session where layered improvisations, shifting instrumental permutations, and rich sonic experimentation create a dynamic and immersive exploration of timbre, form, and collective interplay.



Neurodivergent Orchestra: The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight (Evil Clown)

Expanding the Evil Clown universe with a humor-driven electroacoustic improvisation, the Neurodivergent Orchestra blends dense ensemble interplay, electronics, and an extraordinary array of instruments with fully improvised spoken-word banter, where playful, absurdist narrative threads intertwine with dynamic sonic exploration to create a richly textured, unpredictable, and engaging collective performance.



Leap Of Faith: Matter Self Organizes (Evil Clown)

Expanding from the long-running Leap of Faith core duet, bringing together a sextet of reeds, brass, cello, bass, percussion, and electronics in a fluid electroacoustic improvisation where shifting instrumental doublings, richly varied global percussion, and evolving textures drive a continuous transformation of sonority, creating a deeply immersive and dynamically unfolding exploration of collective free improv.



Vinny Golia / Marco Eneidi / Lisa Mezzacappa / Vijay Anderson: Hell-Bent in the Pacific (NoBusiness)

Insanely great free improvisation for the West Coast in this quartet of Vinny Golia (multi-reeds), Marco Eneidi (alto sax) Lisa Mezzacappa (bass), and Vijay Anderson (drums).



Simon Nabatov / Barry Guy / Gerry Hemingway : Luminous (NoBusiness)

Twelve dialogs of burning, intuitive and astute free improvisation from three players steeped in the form--Simon Nabatov on piano, Barry Guy on double bass, and Gerry Hemingway on drums & marimba, performing live at LOFT in Cologne, Germany in 2015, an essential example of modern creative playing that surprises and enlightens with repeated listens.



Billy Bang Survival Ensemble: Black Man's Blues / New York Collage [2 CDs] (NoBusiness)

Never before released material from 1977 of Billy Bang's seminal NY loft band, Survival Ensemble: 2 CDs and a 40 page booklet of essays, images and flyers - essential!



Julius Hemphill and Peter Kowald: Live at Kassiopeia [2 CDs] (NoBusiness)

The late great saxophonist Julian Hemphill and bassist Peter Kowald, essential free jazz players from NY and Germany, performing solo and as a duo live at Kassiopeia, Wuppertal in 1987.



Evan Parker / Barry Guy / Paul Lytton: Live at Maya Recordings Festival (NoBusiness)

Superb improvisation from three masters - Evan Parker on sax, Barry Guy on bass and Paul Lytton on drums - performing at the Maya Recordings Festival, September 23 - 25, 2011 at Theater am Gleis, Winterthur, Switzerland.



Rodrigo Amado Motion Trio & Peter Evans: The Freedom Principle (NoBusiness)

Lisbon saxophonist Rodrigo Amado's trio with Miquel Mira on cello and Gabriel Ferrandini on drums is joined by New York trumpeter Peter Evans for 3 dynamic and exciting studio recording of superb TransAtlantic free improvisation.



Katarsis4 (Bizys / Janonis / Pancerovas / Jusinskas): Katarsis4 (NoBusiness)

A diverse, unique and sometimes explosive saxophone quartet from Lithuania founded by Arminas Bizys, Kazimieras Jusinskas, Algirdas Janonis, and Danielius Pancerovas, using extended techniques, the saxophones themselves, and found objects as they articulately merge structurally free improvisation, academic approaches and motives from Lithuanian folk music.



Rodrigo Amado Motion Trio / Alexander von Schlippenbach: The Field (NoBusiness)

Portuguese tenor saxophonist Rodrigo Amado's Motion Trio with cellist Miguel Mira and drummer Gabriel Ferrandini in his bands 7th full album, recorded live at the 2019 Vilnius Jazz Festival in Lithuania performing with special guest, pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach, for an extended improvisation of masterfully evolving changes and dynamics.



Howard Riley / Keith Tippett: Journal Four (NoBusiness)

Having collaborated as a duo first at Goldsmiths College in 1981, UK pianists Howard Riley and Keith Tippett met for this spectacular 2016 concert as part of The Steinway Spirio Two-Piano Festival in Soho, London, each bringing decades of experience as lyrical and inventive players, together complementing each other in merging disparate forms from Joplin to Debussy to Mujician.



Brotzmann / Toyozumi: TRIANGLE, Live at OHM, 1987 (NoBusiness)

Never before issued, this stunning concert between long-time collaborators, Japanese drummer Sabu Toyozumi and German multi-reedist Peter Brötzmann performing on tenor saxophone and tarogato, was captured live at OHM, in Koiwa, Tokyo in 1987, in an energetic and enthusiastic free concert of impressive skill and expression, a vital addition to the discography of both.



Bailey / Toyozumi: Breath Awareness (NoBusiness)

Derek Bailey's 1987 trip to Japan yielded a number of important recordings, including a duo with Mototeru Takagi, a trio with Sabu Toyozumi & Peter Brötzmann, and this concert at IMAI-Tei with Toyozumi, one of the first generation Japanese free improvisers and the only non-American to become a member of the AACM; here in three duos and Bailey's solo "Diaphragm".



Kaoru Abe / Sabu Toyozumi: Mannyoka (NoBusiness)

NoBusiness continues their essential 70's reissue series of renowned Japanese free improvisers, here in an LP and extended CD edition of the live duo of percussionist Sabu Toyozumi and saxophonist Kaoru Abe on alto, soprano & sopranino saxophones, the LP presenting their 1978 concert at Gaja, Hatsudai in Tokyo, the CD extended with a live set at Minor, Kichijoji the same year.



Eva Novoa: Solo (I) [VINYL] (577 Records)

On her first solo piano recording, Brooklyn-based pianist and composer Eva Novoa explores an intimate and adventurous sonic palette across six original pieces, combining grand piano with Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, gongs, percussion, voice, and whistling, creating a rhythmically charged and cinematic performance that expands the expressive possibilities of the solo format.



Re-Ghoster Extended: The Zebra Paradox [VINYL] (Konnekt)

Expanding the Re-Ghoster trio of Nicolas Field on drums, Thomas Florin on piano, and Valerio Tricoli on revox and electronics with the addition of Nate Wooley on acoustic and amplified trumpet and Fritz Welch's visceral vocal work, the group explores surreal electroacoustic improvisation through dense, transdimensional soundscapes, fractured time, deranged textures, and ritualistic intensity; incredible!



FDF Trio: Possibility And Prejudices From Within A Cup [VINYL] (Konnekt)

A fiercely expressive trio of drummer Nicolas Field, saxophonist John Dikeman, and pianist Thomas Florin, delivering a raw and evolving session of free improvisation, recorded in Geneva with a spirit of spontaneity and shared energy, channeling aggression, nuance, and dynamic interplay into a collective sound that values connection and honest interaction.



Charlemagne Palestine / Seppe Gebruers: Beyondddddd The Notessssss [VINYL] (Konnekt)

A mystical microtonal encounter between Charlemagne Palestine and Seppe Gebruers on four grand pianos — two tuned to 428Hz and two to 440Hz — recorded live in Geneva's Fonderie Kugler, where the duo's passion for unusual tunings and multi-piano performance unfolds in deeply resonant, transcendent layers of sound and silence.



Charlemagne Palestine / Seppe Gebruers: Beyondddddd The Notessssss [NEON GREEN VINYL] (Konnekt)

A mystical microtonal encounter between Charlemagne Palestine and Seppe Gebruers on four grand pianos — two tuned to 428Hz and two to 440Hz — recorded live in Geneva's Fonderie Kugler, where the duo's passion for unusual tunings and multi-piano performance unfolds in deeply resonant, transcendent layers of sound and silence.



Re-Ghoster Extended: Dreaming With The Lights On [VINYL] (Konnekt)

Recorded live at the Archipel Festival, this quintet of Nicolas Field, Thomas Florin, Jerome Noetinger, Fritz Welch, and Nate Wooley delivers an intense electroacoustic performance where composed frameworks erupt into explosive, immersive interactions, as voice, trumpet, piano, percussion, and electronics collide in dense, mutating textures that are disorienting, consuming, often volatile, yet consistently exhilarating.



Ernesto Rodrigues / Guilherme Rodrigues / Nuno Torres / Alexander Von Schlippenbach / Willi Kellers: Nickelsdorf (Creative Sources)

Recorded live at the 2025 Konfrontationen #45 in Nickelsdorf, this quintet of viola, cello, alto saxophone, piano, and percussion unites frequent Creative Sources players Ernesto Rodrigues, Guilherme Rodrigues, and Nuno Torres with legendary free jazz pianist Alexander von Schlippenbach and drummer Willi Kellers, in a dynamic convergence of textural string abstraction and energetic free jazz interplay.



Ernesto Rodrigues / Guilherme Rodrigues: Pico (Creative Sources)

Portuguese improvisers Ernesto Rodrigues and son Guilherme Rodrigues juxtapose a live Berlin performance with field recordings from Pico Island in a quietly probing duo set where viola, cello, crackle box, and environmental sound blend in austere, texture-driven improvisations that move between subtle acoustic detail and atmospheric ambiguity.



Rodrigues / Dorner / Torres / Frangenheim: Sin (Creative Sources)

An extended studio improvisation recorded in Berlin-Weissensee, Germany in 2016 from the restrained quartet of Axel Dorner on trumpet, Nuno Torres on alto sax, Alexander Frangenheim on double bass, and Ernesto Rodrigues on viola, using advanced techniques in a monumental journey that finds the quartet in a variety of expansive and intriguing dialogs.



Houben / Rodrigues / Rodrigues: The Haecceity Of Things (Creative Sources)

A mysterious album of viola, viola d'amore, organ, and field recordings, merging the compositional minimal approach of Wandelweiser artist Eva-Maria Houben with Creative Sources performers Ernesto & Guilherme Rodrigues, the field recordings creating a virtual setting of environmental stillness, evoking slow motion in the unique "thisness" of haecceity.



Rodrigues / Guerreiro / Wolfarth: All About Mimi (Creative Sources)

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.



Andreas Backer / Raymond Strid: Voice & Percussion (Creative Sources)

Ever-inventive drummer/percussionist Raymond Strid and performance collaborator, Norwegian-Swedish free improvising vocalist Andreas Backer, for a set of unusual, absurd and detailed improvisations, as the two complement each other in unexpected ways.



Rodrigues / Sielaff / Rawlings / Sundstrom / Burns / Mota: Seattle (Creative Sources)

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.



Elgier / Grinenco / Sahlieh: Veiled (Creative Sources)

A slowly-unfolding and wonderful work of unusual acoustic and electronic sound from the Argentinian trio of Alexander Elgier (piano), Victor Grinenco (violin, hardingfele, objects & electronics), and Samuel Sahlieh (synth, electric bass & tapes).



Erik: Carlsson The Bird And The Giant (Creative Sources)

Swedish percussionist Erik Carlsson in a solo work using multi-tracking to create a set of composition ranging from ominous environments to quirky abstractions, an excellent collection of modern percussion pieces.



Rodrigues / Mota / Paiuk : Dorsal (Creative Sources)



Xavier Charles / Bertrand Denzler / Jean-Sebastien Mariage / Matthieu Werchowski: Metz (Creative Sources)



Mayas / Buck: Gold (Creative Sources)

Necks drummer and percussion Tony Buck in a duo from December 2007 performing at the dOeK Festival in Bimhuis, Amsterdam with extended technique pianist Magda Mayas.



Milton / Thomas / Jewell / Farmer: Bear Ground (Creative Sources)

UK improviser Matt Milton plays violin & objects, joined also by drummer/object-ist Patrick Farmer, violist David Thomas and voice/breath/snare player Ryan Jewell.



Rodrigues / Matthews / Saade / Rodrigues: Oranges (Creative Sources)



Chiesa / Guionnet / Petit / La Casa: Belvedere Dans L'etendue (Creative Sources)



Hauf / Hess / Jackson / Juun: Proxemics (Creative Sources)

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.



Mark O'Leary : 4 Urban Landscapes (Creative Sources)

In "Urban Landscapes" Irish guitarist and electroacoustic artist Mark O'Leary captures and documents environmental audio associated with Urban Cork City.



Rodrigues / Rodrigues / Ullen / D'incise / Bondi: Lisboa (Creative Sources)

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.



Vasco Trilla / Vilhelm Bromander / Alex Zethson / Martin Kuchen: Up North (Creative Sources)

Blending solo and ensemble free improv, percussionist Vasco Trilla joins Vilhelm Bromander, Alex Zethson, and Martin Kuchen in a Stockholm session where drones, elastic bass textures, and intricate percussive detail evolve through responsive interplay, culminating in a resonant solo performance that reflects a dynamic exploration of texture, tension, and transformation.



Floros Floridis / Ernesto Rodrigues / Guilherme Rodrigues / Michael Vorfeld: Dots And Dashes (Creative Sources)

The quartet of Floros Floridis, Ernesto Rodrigues, Guilherme Rodrigues, and Michael Vorfeld crafts a sparse and texturally open electroacoustic performance where pointillistic percussion replaces bass grounding, allowing clarinet-centered lines, subtle string interplay, and crackling electronics to unfold in shifting, time-dilated continuities in a refined, contemporary approach to free improv.



Suspensao: Something Ancient Listens Within Us. The Light Has Forgotten Its Name But Will Remain. (Creative Sources)

Bringing together an octet of long-associated improvisers led by violist Ernesto Rodrigues, this single extended work unfolds as a fluid, introspective collective statement of shifting timbres and spectral harmonies with moments of tension and release, forging a deeply personal and evolving free improv narrative shaped by continuity, interaction and shared intuition.



Ernesto Rodrigue / Maria Radich / Maria do Mar : Ethereal Sighs (Creative Sources)

Recorded live in Lisbon, violist Ernesto Rodrigues joins vocalist Maria Radich and violinist Maria do Mar in a free improv trio where close-range string interplay and crackle box electronics create high-register tension, while voice moves within the texture through whispers and cries, shaping an intimate, spatially focused performance balancing density, restraint, and evolving interaction.



Ernesto Rodrigues / Guilherme Rodrigues / Carlos Santos / Monsieur Trinite: Untitled Dream (Creative Sources)

Framed as a shifting, dreamlike improvisation, this electroacoustic quartet led by violist Ernesto Rodrigues, with cellist Guilherme Rodrigues, Carlos Santos on electronics, and percussionist Monsieur Trinité, unfolds a fluid free improv session that dissolves into evolving textures, balancing tension, restraint, and collective interplay within an immersive sonic landscape.



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



Gabriel: Vicens Niebla (Clepsydra)

Blending Afro-Puerto Rican rhythms with modern jazz and exploratory improvisation, guitarist Gabriel Vicens leads a sextet of guitar, saxophone, piano, bass, drums, and percussion — performing lyrical and sophisticated compositions that move through propulsive, textural, and meditative passages, balancing ancestral pulse, temporal reflection, and avant-garde expression.



Ken Vandermark w/ Butcher / Drake / Kessler / McPhee / Mori / Noble / Prevost / Rasmussen / Tilbury / Wooley: Unexpected Alchemy [7-CD BOX] (Not Two)

Recorded during Ken Vandermark's residency titled "The Unexpectable", in Krakow in 2017 at Klub Alchemia, plus concerts at Hevre and Black Box in Germany, with duos, trios and quartets in a variety of configurations with artists including Ken Vandermark, Nate Wooley, Ikue Mori, John Butcher, Kent Kessler, Steve Noble, Mette Rasmussen, Eddie Prevost, Joe McPhee &c.



New Atlantis Octet: Unto the Sun (Not Two)

A free-wheeling debut from 8-piece mid-Atlantic supergroup formed by guitarist Edward Ricart and drummer Sam Lohman (Matta Gawa) plus Roy Cambell (trumpet), Steve Swell (trombone), Jason Ajemian (bass), Andrew Barker (drums), &c.



Clifford Thornton Memorial Quartet, The (McPhee / Lazro / Foussat / Sato): Sweet Oranges (Not Two)

An absolutely fitting and exceptional tribute to late trumpeter & trombonist Clifford Thornton from a quartet of NY and European free jazz musicians, particularly Joe McPhee who recorded with Thornton and cites him as an influence, plus Daunik Lazro (sax), Makoto Sato (drums) and Jean-Marc Foussate (synth), recorded live at Nickelsdorf's Konfrontationen Festival 2017.



Parker / Bishop / Karayorgis / McBride / Gray: The Diagonal Filter (Not Two)

Uniting masterful players from across the East Coast into the Boston area, with Boston pianist Pandelis Karayorgis, Boston native/Chicago-based bassist Nate McBride, DC drummer Luther Gray, North Carolina/Chicago-based trombonist Jeb Bishop, and Chicago guitarist Jeff Parker, in a strong album of lyrical free jazz with compositions from all five players.



DKV Trio / Joe McPhee : The Fire Each Time [6 CD BOX] (Not Two)

A 6-CD boxset of recordings from the DKV Trio of Hamid Drake (drums), Kent Kessler (bass), and Ken Vandermark (reeds), plus guest Joe McPhee, the box dedicated to James Baldwin, recorded during the quartet's 2017 tour in Europe, and at shows in Chicago and Milwaukee that year, documenting six concerts with performances including Joe McPhee's "Nation Time".





The Squid's Ear Magazine

The Squid's Ear Magazine

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