Newcomer vocalist Sara Serpa is accompanied by her mentor, pianist Ran Blake, for a set of wide-ranging jazz songs that are unconventionally and emotionally performed.
Electroacoustic improvisation with unusual techniques from the sextet of saxophonist Sebastian Branche, laptop electronicist Thanos Chrysakis, saxophonist Tom Soloeitzik, guitarist James O'Sullivan, saxophonist Artut Vidal and clarinetist Jery Wigens.
Reissuing Peter Brotzmann's first album from 1967 on his own BRO label (subsequently reissued by FMP in 1972) in a trio with German bassist Peter Kowald and drummer Sven Ake Johansson.
The Syneuma Trio is the free improvising trio of Thanos Chrysakis playing inside and out of the piano + chimes and vibes, James O'Sullivan on guitar, and Jerry Wigens (Astrakan) on clarinet.
Twenty-four engrossing improvisations by Nicola Cipani that were made on broken and untuned pianos, keyboards, and even a clavichord that the artist found, from recordings over a two-year period across New York City.
The collaboration between the electroacoustic duo of Cremaster (Ferran Fages and Alfredo Costa Monteiro) and violinist Angharad Davies, mixing contemporary electronics with long-form minimalist drone music.
Five improvisers from Germany, Italy, France and USA - Wendelin Buchler; David Fenech; Gino Robair; Argo Ulva; Ezramo - in a mix of weird pop, avanttrash, free improvised music, mediterranean folklore and noise drones.
French drummer Denis Fournier's open structure compositions are performed by the magnificent quintet of flutist Nicole Mitchell, saxophonist Hanah Jon Taylor, cellist Tomeka Reid and bassist Bernard Santacruz.
Unusual instrumentation and interaction from the trio of percussionist Mike Goyvaerts (Canaries on the Pole), saxophonist Jeffey Morgan (releases on Headlight, Konnex) and EMS synthesist Willy Van Buggenhout.
Bassist Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten is joined by key improvisers Joe McPhee (sax), Joe Morris (guitar) and Nate Wooley (trumpet) for this improvised studio recording, free improvisation with the influence of swing and blues.
The Italian duo of pianist Gianni Lenoci and soprano saxophonist Gianni Mimmo using extended and unusual techniques through eight improvisations mixing melody, timbre and tone.
Drummer Christian Lillinger continues to adapt his band since his 2009 debut GRUND album, "First Reason", here demonstrating his strong skills as a leader, player, and composer.
Composer and double bassist Giovanni Maier creates the illusion of being everywhere at once while he plays alongside members of his quartet (Parrini, Calabrese & Amendola) as his instrument "talks" to theirs in this beautiful album.
A captivating collection of songs encompassing blues, ballads, and folk music with improvised moments of free jazz that were written and arranged by guitarist Simone Massaron and sung by lyricist Carla Bozulich.
Composer Roscoe Mitchell prepared two compositions with space for improvisation, as well as a Cards composition in which the musicians received six cards with written material that were then arranged in any order and played at any tempo.
Cellist Petit and poet Pierrepont traveled from East to West Coasts recording with various improvisers who play with Petit while Pierrepont reads one of his poems in French, and then as a non-French speaker reads the same poem.
Ten Thelonius Monk compositions played in a very unique, and often quirky, way by the trio "Play Monk", comprised of Scott Amendola (drums), Ben Goldberg (clarinet) and Devin Hoff (bass).
Eric Revis (double bass, composition) brings together Ken Vandermark (sax, clarinet), Jason Moran (piano), and Nasheet Waits (drums) for his new avant-garde quartet, 11:11, a jazz supergroup with a stellar first album.
Creative Sources label leaders Carlos Santos on computer and Enresto Rodrigues on harp are joined by saxophonist Katsura Yamauchi, using unorthodox techniques to create a beautifully floating album of modern ea-improvisation.
The coordinates in the title are from Switzerland, the location where Christoph Schiller and Lea Danzeisen recorded this unusual output from a pair of spinnet keyboards, manipulating them in highly unusual ways.
A powerful mix of rock and jazz in this extraordinary debut album by a young trio comprised of Luca Serrapiglio, Antonio Bertoni, and Carlo Garof playing a variety of acoustic and electronic instruments in fresh variations.
A specially priced box set bringing together 4 CDs from the Ambiances Jazz Trio Derome Guilbeault Tanguay: "10 compositions", "The Feeling of Jazz", "Danse a l'Anvers", and "Wow!".
An ongoing compilation organized by Elliott Sharp that is dedicated to solo guitar with 16 original tracks by various artists ranging from acoustic, electro-acoustic, electric, all the way to electronic.
Active and interactive percussion using extended techniques from the London trio of trumpeter Ian Smith, percussionist Stephen Flinn, and cellist Hannah Marshall.
Far-ranging improvisation using open and creative techniques from the trio of guitarist Andreas Willers on acoustic and electric, bassist Meinrad Kneer (who runs the Evil Rabbit label) and drummer Christian Marien.
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.
With lyrics inspired by Hindu erotic books, Arabic love games, and sensual songs; Joane Hetu presents her first CD of her own music with accompaniment from Jean Derome, Diane Labrosse, and Pierre Tanguay.
Jean Derome, Joane Hetu, Danielle Palardy Roger, Alexandre St-Onge and Martin Tetreault each composed works for this stellar group of nine Montreal-based musique actuelle players, a startling and wonderful release of style, approach and concept.
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.
An amazing journey in sound and voice from saxophonist/vocalist Joane Hetu with five singers/narrators/musicians/noise-makers and layered field recordings, a remarkable and sophisticated work about sex, loss, death, art, & politics.
Solo improvisation from Stefen Keune performing on sopranino and alto saxophones, intense playing that focuses on hard-blowing and extreme performance, wringing a singularly desperate yet astute language from the horn.
Sax and flute player/Ambiances Magnetique label leader Jean Derome's excellent jazz trio with bassist Normand Guilbeault and drummer Pierre Tanguay, in their 4th release, with three Derome originals and 4 standards including a Dolphy number.
The trio of Paulo Curado, Paulo Chagas, and Joao Pedro Viegas on flutes and reeds, 11 pieces of mostly improvised music that blend idiomatic music from old and new approaches, while inventing a few of their own.
Montreal's great jazz trio of saxophonist Jean Derome, bassist Normand Guilbeault, & drummer Pierre Tanguay, in an album of original compositions and work by Dolphy, Ellington, Kirk, Mengelberg & Strayhorn.
A series of musical "mobiles" from European composer Roman Haubenstock-Ramati, sonic transformations of the visual experiences of Alexander Calder's dynamic sculptures.
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 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.
Toronto-area saxophonist Colin Fisher, best known for his group I Have Eaten The City, with his collective quartet of NY players Daniel Carter on tenor, alto & soprano saxophones + clarinet & flute, Brandon Lopez on upright bass, and Marc Edwards on drums & percussion, for three extended and exploratory improvisations of exemplary creative insight.
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).
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.
An amazing journey in sound and voice from saxophonist/vocalist Joane Hetu with five singers/narrators/musicians/noise-makers and layered field recordings, a remarkable and sophisticated work about sex, loss, death, art, & politics.
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.
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.
Exploring the lineage of the Dukes of Bedford, the Russell lineage in Bedford, England, in groupings of acoustic & electric guitarists John Russell, Ray Russell, and Henry Kaiser along with double bassist Ollie Brice, from duos to quartets, eight Duke "Russells" from 1680 to 2003 are explored through intricate and joyfully creative and technically amazing string improvisations.
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.
French guitarist Richard Pinhas, Japanese electronics and noise artist Merzbow, and the American trio Wolf Eyes performed together at the 2011 Victo Festival, with this massive recording one result.