NYC native Rick Parker and Israeli guitarist Eyal Maoz create a unique sound combining electronics & trombone alongside Maoz's unusual use of effects, in a trio with drummer Yonadav Halevy, plus saxophonist Tim Berne joining on several compositions.
A combination of noise and free jazz with elements of no wave and hardcore, Aperiodic (Kevin Parrett, Ben Perkins, Matt Schulz) uses gu qin, rudra veena, and surbahar as well as standard Western instruments to create unique, improvised music.
A live recording at Levontin 7 in Tel Aviv between drummer/percussionist Gerry Hemingway and Israeli free jazz luminary Albert Beger on alto & soprano saxophones, a playful and interactive session.
An apt title for the driven and exhilarating free jazz from the transatlatic trio of Mars Williams (reeds, toy instruments), Paal Nilssen-Love (drums & percussion) and Kent Kessler (bass).
Percussionist Mark Sanders and saxophonist John Butcher in recordings from two concerts: the 2010 Freedom of the City festival in London, and a year later at Southampton University; exceptionally expressive and technically unique playing.
The duo of bassist Sean Conly and Michael Attias on alto and baritone sax recording in Brooklyn's Barbes, a reflective and sophisticated dialog between two peers who use their creative powers and technique to focus on substantive improvisation.
The Eventless Plot trio hails from Thessaloniki, Greece, borrowing elements from different genres and aesthetics to build a hybrid of free improv, noise, new electronica, electroacoustic composition and jazz.
The duo of London pianist Alexander Hawkins (Decoy, Convergence Quartet) and drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo (Blue Notes, Circulasione Totale, &c.) alternating standards and original compositions with impressive empathy and masterful ability.
Using extended techniques on viola and piano, Charlotte Hug and Frederic Blondy draw the listener into unusual and encompassing sound worlds that feel electronic, yet are created through acoustic improvisation.
Tenor saxophonist Yoni Kretzmer's quartet uses two double bassists - Reuben Radding and Sean Conly - with Mike Pride on drums to create a deeper rendering of the classic sax trio, with original Kretzmer compositions written specifically for these players.
2011 live recordings from The Loft in Cologne of Swiss saxophonist Urs Leimgruber and London drummer/percussionist Roger Turner, 7 improvisations that shifts from introspective to highly active discourse using extended and unusual techniques.
The NY quartet of pianist Denman Maroney, alto saxophonist Angelika Niescier, bassist James Ilgenfritz and drummer Andrew Drury, exploring rhythmic playing, timbral variation, and harmonic shading in elegant and delightful ways.
Matta Gawa, the free rock duo comprised of guitarist Ed Ricart and drummer Samuel Lohman, uses an unconventional approach in creating energetic, improvised rock music that is unruly yet powerful.
A rich and unusual interpretation of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" recorded in Boswil, Switzerland in 1981 with McPhee, Pierre Favre, Irene Schweizer, Radu Malfatti, Daniel Bourquin, &c., in its first-ever release.
A much-needed reissue of McPhee's 1979 Hat Hut LP documenting his 1977 concert at Salle Ste Croix des Pelletiers, performing 3 original compositions and Monk's "Round Midnight" with incredible skill and inventiveness.
Two New York jazz originals, pianist Connie Crothers and alto saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc, performing 6 improvisations and one original compositions from each artist; melodic and deeply sensitive playing.
An incredible trio of two New York improvisers - Joe Morris on guitar and trumpeter Nate Wooley - with European free improv legend pianist Augusti Fernandez, for 7 remarkable free improvisations of astounding skill.
Winter 2012 issue with 8 track CD; on the cover and featured: Tim Hecker; Featured Pheeroan Aklaff; Featured: Michachu & The Shapes; Profile on Zosha di Castri. Articles on Circuit Bending; Sonic Geography of NYC, Time Square.
Phantom Orchard, the duo of Zeena Parkins and Ikue Mori, is expanded with 5 performers representing some of the most exciting women in modern creative experimental music, releasing a surprising, riveting, and amazing album.
John Stevens organized this improvised quartet session in 1978 at Riverside Studios, London with Paul Rutherford, Evan Parker and Barry Guy, originally released on the View and Konnex labels, here with 2 unreleased duo performances.
San Francisco's Tigon play a hard-edged form of rock, avoiding the cliches of hardcore through intelligent use of dissonance and channeled power, with a Fugazi-like vocal approach over super-heavy riffing and sound.
A gorgeous 6 CD box of Wandelweiser works, compositions integtrating silence and sound from composers including John Cage, Angharad Davies, Michael Pisaro, Dominic Lash, Sam Sfirri, Antoine Beuger, Phil Durrant, &c., &c.
After several years together the trio of Veryan Weston (piano), Hannah Marshall (cello), and Ingrid Laubrock (saxophone), illustrate their empathetic and authoritative style in 3 recordings live from Barcelona at the 2011 Festival Internacional de Improvisacion.
John Zorn brings together two of his most admired groups, Bar Kokhba and The Dreamers, for an album of beautiful, melodic, exuberant and dynamic improvisation performed by a masterful set of players including Joey Baron, Trevor Dunn, John Medeski, &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.
An album of electro-acoustic compositions written for and recorded by New York City music ensembles and performers: MIVOS Quartet; Wet Ink Ensemble; Timetable Percussion; Jessie Marino.
Dutch percussionist Han Bennink meets tenor saxophonist Evan Parker for their first duo release recorded in the studio in Gateway Studios, London, 2000.
Jason Ajemian creates a loosely structured approach to improvisation for his talented band in this new album which, besides the first track, was recorded in one take with no overdubs.
The duo of tenor saxophonist Brent Bagwell (Great Architect) and drummer Seth Nanaa in a 10" seafaring picture disc of 6 free improvisations from scorchers to ballads, a well structured and beautiful release.
Chicago-based pianist Paul Giallorenzo trio with fellow Chicago drummer Tim Daisy and Norwegian bassist Ingebrigt Haker Flaten performing a set of Giallorenzo compositions that balance melodic and free moments with authoritative playing.
New works by Rick Burkhardt, George Lewis, Alex Mincek, Sam Pluta, Kate Soper, and Eric Wubbels take NYC's Wet Ink Ensemble into new worlds of ensemble virtuosity, sonic explorations, and compositional inventiveness.
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.
French bassist Joelle Leandre and US vocalist Lauren Newton recorded these duos live at Club Gromka in Ljubljana, Slovenia in 2010; absorbing and unusual interactions between two significant improvisers.
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!
The first duo in 14 years between guitarist Loren Connors and vocalist Suzanne Langille inspired by and using slides of MP Landis' WD series of paintings, which he created live during music performances.
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.
An extended and rich confluence of strings from R Keenan Lawler and John Krausbauer, using resonator guitar and banjo, sustained tones that intertwine in a beautiful and optimistic drone, minimalistic yet drenched in a profusion of harmonic detail; a beautiful and elusive dream mixing between an Indian raga and an alien electronic environment.
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.
Using hard bop as his jumping off point, Swiss saxophonist Omri Ziegele Tomorrow Trio with Christian Weber on bass and Han Bennink on drums--musicians who have toured and performed together over years--went into the studio hot off of a 13 day tour to record these 6 Ziegele original compositions, lyrically balanced with room for exemplary soloing and group interplay.