An afternoon during saxophonist Michael Attias's residency at the Coimbra's Jazz ao Centro festival in Brazil with the core of his quintet: bassist John Hebert & drummer Satoshi Takeishi.

This impressive quartet was recorded live at the Molde International Jazz Festival in 2008, performing four extended improvisations of melodic and embraceable free jazz.

The 2nd recording from cornetist Bynum's improvising chamber ensemble SpiderMonkey Strings in a narrative coming of age work using Bynum arrangements of Ornette, Sun Ra, & Elligton.

Double CD and DVD release of Bill Dixon's amazing small orchestra with Taylor Ho Bynum, Rob Mazurek, Michel Cote, Warren Smith, Ken Filiano, Stephen Haynes, &c.

The Empty Cage Quartet in 2 compositions that incorporate improvisational systems based on harmonic palindromes & melodic sequences derived from the cycles of the Mayan calendar

NY trumpeter Evans' 1st recording as a leader with guitarist Brandon Seabrook, bassist Tom Blancarte & drummer Kevin Shea, mixing 50-60's jazz and noise in wild and kinetic free improv.

The 2nd part of a composition commissioned by L'Ecole Nationale de Musique de Villeurbanne as a 2 year residency and performed by a large group conducted by Frith.

Three distinct commissions for dance performed by Frith & Carla Kihlstedt; Frith & Carla with Fred Guiliano & Gail Brand; and with Frith, Hande Erdem & Threresa Wong.

Trumpeter Magnus Broo with pianist Sten Sandell's Trio of bassist Johan Berthling and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love, here with Sandell on the Hammond organ.

Brooklyn guitarist Mary Halvorson in her 1st release with her trio of bassist John Hebert & drummer Ches Smith, experimenting with harmonic, melodic & rhythmic components.

Accordionist and Braxton protege Holshouser's Trio with pianist Bernardo Sassetti play jazz incorporating world musics like cajun, klezmer, tango, gypsy songs, &c.

Drummer Yoshida Tatsuya's amazing improvising progressive rock band Korekyojinn in a CD and DVD release with guests including Hoppy Kamiyama and Uchihashi.

Tenor saxophonist Nicolas Masson's quartet mixes influences as far-ranging as Ornette Coleman, Black Sabbath, Wayne Short, Warne Marsh and Olivier Messiaen.

Collecting early works from this gifted vocalist and performer, studio and live recordings from 1966-1980 in NYC, Connecticut, Montreal, California, Berlin.

The eclectic and gifted solo pop artist R.Stevie Moore's first LP, recorded by himself from 1974-76 around Nashville; strange, compelling, sometimes brilliant, always engaging!

The trio of Chris Abrahams, Lloyd Swanton & Tony Buck in their first release in 4 years, named for an industrial suburb, a bleak and beautifully building affair in The Necks tradition.

Evan Parker's trio with John Russell and John Edwards, unexpectedly augmented by stroh viola, saw, and wax cylinder recordist Aleks Kolkowski; free ranging, sophisticated and unusual dialog.

The only recording of the short-lived and still phenomenal version of Ubu after Allen Ravestine left to be replaced by Eric Drew Feldman, with Chris Cutler on drums.

Jason Stein 2nd Locksmith Isidore release on Clean Feed with bassist Jason Roebke and drummer Mike Pride shows his devotion to Eric Dolphy in experimental and classic jazz approaches.

Long-sought Saturn reissue from Sun Ra with a mid-size ensemble of some of his most prominent players, the electric side of Ra in amazing compositions mostly unique to this release.

A trans-generation group of some of modern music's finest performing a piece about ecstatic experience, a commission from the Festival of New Trumpet Music performed live in NYC, 2007.

CD & DVD of this supergroup of Japanese improvising and advanced rock forms with members of Ruins, Koenji Hyakkei, Korekyojinn, ROVO, Boredoms, Bondage Fruit, &c!

Using mostly unprocessed electric guitars, the duo of Elliott Sharp and Scott Fields' latest release presents eight dueling guitar works using dynamic, angular tones and textures, from extremely aggressive work to clean avant-jazz with twisted technical intent.

The trio of bassist Gary Peacock, pianist Paul Bley, and trumpeter Franz Koglmann interpret and improvise on the music of avant song-writer Annette Peacock.

Legendary trumpeter, composer and educator Bill Dixon in a 17 piece orchestra playing original compositions live at the 12th Vision Festival in New York City.

Collective improvisation from Ho Bynum's Book of Three with bassist John Hebert & drummer Gerald Cleaver, following their RogueArt CD with this exceptional album of original compositions plus works from Bobby Bradford, Salim Washington, and Jim Hobbs.

Cellist Tomas Ulrich's Cargo Cult with Rolf Sturm on guitar and Michael Bisio, three string players in the first studio recording from what Ulrich describes as his "dream band".

A great compilation from Jeff Arnal's NY label Generate Records, with tracks from Gordon Beeferman, Tripwire, Rara Avis, Rogues States, Red, Fulminate Trio, &c. &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.

The Swedish duo of percussionist Andreas Pollak and prepared pianist Johan Graden (Adam & Alma) in an album of references and innuendo, clandestine and furtive sounds that evoke great mystery and drama in beautifully shaped sound; evocative music that deceives to emerge from the electronic realm while in actuality coming from all acoustic sources.

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.

Eddie Prevost's weekly workshops in London have produced two remarkable associates, saxophonist Seymour Wright and guitarist Ross Lambert, here in a trio on this 2CD release.

Having previously worked together with Joe McPhee and Kent Kessler, this album distills the Portuguese saxophonist Rodrigo Amado and NY drummer/percussionist Chris Corsano to a concentrated sax and drum duo of earnest and edgy playing, bending jazz, free and blues idioms to their will with magnificent technique and power, both clearly elated in their meeting.

Recorded live at Silence Sounds in Guelph Canada, the duo of Xavier Charles on clarinet and Eric Normand on electric bass & objects eschew idiom in favor of their unique natural language on their instruments, applying patient development of truly idiosyncratic and fascinating command through a single extended work punctuated in seven diverse passages.

From 2008-16 until drummer Frank Rosaly moved to Amsterdam, alto saxophonist Nick Mazzarella's Trio was an active part of Chicago's creative jazz scene; in early 2018 Rosaly returned for a visit and Mazzarella composed a suite of 6 new pieces to commemorate the trio's tenth anniversary, the exuberant result this excellent concert recorded at Co-Prosperity Sphere!

A beautiful solo set of 12 improvisations, Michael Attias performing on alto sax with his left hand and piano with his right, captured in the natural reverberation of La Maison en Bois in Abeville-La-Riviere, France; surprisingly his 1st solo album, developed over 12 years yet played in under an hour with no retakes, a wonderful nuanced reflection in tone, melody & color.

A beautifully hypnotic album of saxophone, accompanied by Pan-Ney, Shruti Box and Organ, recorded in overdubs by composer/wind player Werner Durand in this 2nd chapter of his trilogy focused on the Pan-Ney, a self-built instrument for repetitive foundations, as Durand draws on elements of nature, mythology, dance, religion, literature and folklore.

Recording in Toronto, the core trio of drummer Nick Fraser, saxophonist Tony Malaby and pianist Kris Davis are joined on four tracks by tenor saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and trumpeter Lina Allemano, in an album of composed and collective improvisation, merging Toronto, NY and European influences in an accomplished album of diverse approaches and orchestrations.

The 5th release from the trio of multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Keiji Haino, guitarist Jim O'Rourke and Oren Ambarchi on wineglass and percussion is an introspective and beautifully developed set recorded live at their March 2013 concert at SuperDeluxe.

Dark and demanding improvisation, each side of this album an extended foray into dark and dangerous explorations from the Los Angeles trio of Peter Kolovos on guitar, Patrick Shiroishi on saxophone, and Noel Meek on electronics and tapes, Shiroishi's sweeping tones matching the electronics and effected guitar in a glorious nightmare of darkly imaginative sound.

Recorded in the mid-90s, Livebatts! was a project of John White (Cornelius Cardew, Scratch Orchestra) developed to exploit "toy" keyboards of the 80s--cheap battery-driven instruments that hold tremendous potential for "serious" music-making--used here in a playful quartet with vocalist MJ Coldiron, Andrea Rocca (guitar & samples) and Nancy Ruffer (electrified flute).

An excellent first meeting of two guitarists recording on a February afternoon and released in the sequence recorded with no edits or changes, from Jim McAuley on guitar and Scot Ray on lap steel slide guitar with effects, an innately lyrical blending of styles masking the strong technical skills and long histories of these two superlative players.

Quietly lurking as it prepares to attack, this Kobra is the free improvising quaret of Aurora Nealand on accordion, alto saxophone, voice & objects, Steve Marquette on acoustic & electric guitars, Anton Hatwich on bass, and Paul Thibodeaux on drums, captured live at Chicago's Hungry Brain during the Instigation Festival for a mysterious 2-part "New Omens" and some "Telly Attire".

'Spilla' means 'to play' in the language of Neapolitan musicians, and playing here are NY guitarist and composer Elliott Sharp and Italian guitarist Sergio Sorrentino, presenting world premier recordings of 4 works recorded live in Vercelli, Italy: two improvisations and two graphic scores performed on electric guitar with incredible technique and passion.

Stochastic music for percussion and synthesizers from New York avant conceptualist and keyboardist Charlemagne Palestine, here on piano & electronics, with the Italian duo Trrma' of Giovanni Todisco on percussion and Guiseppe Candiano on synth, in two side-long works of irregular rhythm, complexity and dissonance that build and recede in a suspenseful journey.

While both improvisers were in New York City for the 2019 Vision Festival, multi-reedist and European Free Improv legend Peter Brötzmann met Chicago cellist and electronics artist Fred Lonberg-Holm to record their 3rd album together, their 1st album in the studio a diverse set of incredible concentration, with Brötzmann performing on tenor saxophone, woodwind, and clarinet.

A momentous 2020 concert at London's Cafe OTO, presented in two discs, the 1st with label leader Jean-Marc Foussat in a solo improvisation on synth and voice, the 2nd in a trio with Daunik Lazro on tenor & baritone sax, and Evan Parker on soprano sax, the 2 saxophones weaving and responding to Foussat's remarkable alien soundscapes and vocalization in an immersive extended improvisation.

German saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and Vancouver pianist Kris Davis, both living and working in NY, and having worked together in a variety of groups including Laubrock's Anti-House, a trio with drummer Tyshawn Sorey, Tom Rainey's Obligatto, &c. &c., concentrate their sophisticated playing with this duo album of 7 original compositions and 2 free improvisations.

Having played together in a variety of settings, but never as a trio, saxophonist Sabir Mateen, clarinetist Patrick Holmes and drummer Federico Ughi met in a recording studio in Tuscany, Italy to record this album of wide-ranging free improvisation, Mateen's Farfisa playing and vocal declamations bringing a Sun Ra element to the vehement and profound dialog.

Trumpeter Dennis Gonzalez merges his Yells at Eel project with bassist Aaron Gonzalez and drummer/percussionist Stefan Gonzalez, with Texas-based experimental rock band Pinkish Black--Daron Beck on keyboards and Jon Teague on drums & synthesizers--for a gripping and masterful hybrid of improvisation, dark synthetic rock and heavy moods; a riveting journey.

Taking his title from a poem by Octavio Paz with titles from translations by Lysander Kemp of other Octavio Paz poems, this solo album from double bassist Damon Smith is his definitive statement on the instrument: 23 tracks from 46 seconds to 5 minutes 50, developed over 15 years and displaying Smith's incredible technique and creative intent; incomparable.

Restored to its original brilliant form as a single CD, these sessions from 1977-78 capture Sun Ra live in Italy in a small ensemble with John Gilmore and Michael Ray.