Blast's 2nd release on the ReR label, compositional rock that incorporates complex compositions with improvisation sections in seamless and breathtaking ways.

A single 34 minute live recording at Musica Portuguesa Hoje Festival in Lisbon, 2008 from this excellent set of expressive and contemplative electroacoustic performers.

A rare release from a pioneer of contemporary cross-platform composition, with Chris Cutler, The Icarus Ensemble, Sira and Boubacar Djebate, Johannes Bauer, Tiziano Popoli, &c. &c.

NY saxophonist Steve Lehman's Octet integrates delicate and highly nuanced spectral harmonies into meticulously crafted rhythmic settings, advanced and compelling jazz.

Joe Morris on bass in the debut recording of his new trio with drummer Luther Gray and Czech saxophonist Petr Cancura, modern out jazz from this NY leader.

An excellent quartet of 4 female improvisers creating mysterious landscapes, bizarre spaces and surprising topography using dual pianos, flute, melodica, trombone & alphorn.

Exploring the many voices of the extraordinary electronic instrument onde Martinot with works by Olivier Messiaen, N'Guyen Thien Dao, Jacques Charpentier & Tristan Murail.

The first meeting of guitarist/electronic artist Rowe with Sachiko M on sine wave and contact mic, recorded during the AMPLIFY 2008 festival in Tokyo.

The synthetic soundtrack to the radioplay "No Man's Land" about the Dust Bowl period in the USA and the people in the Oklahoma Panhandle; and "The Stranger" based on Camus' book.

VRIL's 2nd incredible album of tongue-in-cheek lyrical guitar instrumentals, led by Lukas Simonis with Bob Drake and now 3rd guitarist Omer, with Chris Cutler on drums.

Chicago trumpeter Wilkes, who plays in El'Zabar's Ethnic Heritage Ensemble and Exploding Star Orchestra, in his own Abstrakt Pulse sextet, a modern take on mid-60s jazz.

Xu Fengxia traditional Sanxian & Guzheng player and free vocalist in duo with drummer/percussionist Lucas Niggli for suspenseful cross-cultural improvisations.

Zorn's exotic and compelling followup to "The Dreamers" jazz release featuring the same dynamic band of masters from Zorn's inner circle; far-ranging and superb music.

The quartet of Cosottini, Melano, Pisani, Miano (EAQuartet Electroacoustic) in compositions referring to the 4 cardinal map points using graphic scores, games, open readings, &c.

A masterful fountain of melodic ideas, intriguing rhythms, and exceptional technical skill from the duo of Hamid Drake on drums and frame drum, and Sylvain Kassap on clarinets and chalumeau, recording live at the France Musique at Studio Theatre dÕAlfortville and in the studio.

A live performance at Judson Church in Manhattan as part of the 20th Vision Festival from the NY/France free improvising trio of Joelle Leandre on double bass, Mat Maneri on viola, and Gerald Cleaver on drums and percussion, two tracks of steadily building, incredibly compatible dialog.

Roman philosopher Titus Lucretius Carus named "Clinamen" the unpredictable (in time and space) swerve of atoms falling in the void, which aptly describes the unexpected directions taken in subtle free improvisation from this French trio, led by bassist Louis-Michel Marion, with Jacques Di Donato on clarinet, and Philippe Berger on viola.

Live recordings at LOFT in Cologne, Germany from the trio of George Wissel on prepared saxophone, Achim Tang on doublebass, and Simon Camatta on drums & percussion, performing seven "Movements" that use prodigious technique with reserve and direction, revealing the structure of their work as the pieces build and recede in fascinating ways.

The millefleurs vocal ensemble brings 12 vocalists together in varying groups for minimal and unique vocalisation over a taxonomy of floral genres and species.

Trio 3 (Reggie Workman, Andrew Cyrille, and Oliver Lake in the next Trio 3 + release, here with pianist Geri Allen, amazing interplay from four statesmen of modern jazz.

The 2nd Digital Primitives release (Cooper-Moore, Asif Tsahar, Chad Taylor) digs in deep to fuse a new sound from blues, folk, jazz & funk, with accents from the music's African antecedents.

David Murray, Anthony Braxton and Roscoe Mitchell associate Ragin in a solo trumpet album of intense strategies that also pays tribute to Braxton, Miles and Leo Smith.

Tsahar's New York Underground Orchestra with an all-star set of New York players including Okkyung Lee, Oscar Noriega, Matt Lavelle, Tatsuya Nakatani, &c. &c performing Tsahar's 10 part "labyrinth".

Tsahar's 60-minute suite with his NY heavyweights Zoanthropic Orchestra is a sort of self-portrait in sound, drawing on auditory memories from his childhood on.

Part of bassist Kowald's 2000 US tour of solo and performances with local musicians, here with alto player Tsahar and drum legend Rashied Ali in a brilliant encounter.

Cooper-Moore's astonishing solo piano album live in Guelph shows his immense knowledge of jazz idioms crossed with mind-altering, outer-edge playing, Moore's "improvisation as lifeblood".

Drummer Ibarra's trio with Cooper-Moore and violinist Charles Burnham blur boundaries in a band of great versatility, taste and collective musicianship.

Pianist and accordionist Joao Lucas' music for Andresa Soares' choreography "It was a very abstract thing", structured acoustic improvisation with a slight electronic edge.

A collection of compositions from drummer/composer Federico Ughi dedicated to the four cities where he's lived: Rome, London, Montreal and New York, performed in a quartet with Darius Jones (sax), Eri Yamamoto (piano) and Ed Schuller (bass).

Recorded by Agusti Fernandez himself, these are lovely dialogs between the pianist and Derek Bailey on electric; rich and reserved conversation with free improv's elder statesman.