The Chicago quartet of Joshua Abrams (double bass), David Boykin (tenor saxophone), Jason Adasiewicz (vibraphone), and Frank Rosaly (drums) performing an excellent set of modern jazz influenced by dream states.

A travelogue from the saxophone trio of Pete Whyman, Frank Van Der Kooij and Chris Caldwell, documenting their tour through Beijing to Pyongyang in North Korea through field recordings and musical sketches.

Trombonist Jeff Albert's Instigation Quartet, comprised of saxophonist Kidd Jordan, double bassist Joshua Abrams, and drummer Hamid Drake, play a superb studio session, starting and ending with two works by Fred Anderson.

A live show from Montreal's Casa Del Popolo in 2012 from the amazing transnational free jazz trio of saxophonist Dave Rempis, cellist/guitarist/electronic artist Fred Lonberg-Holm, and drummer/percussionist Paal Nilssen-Love.

Trombonist Samuel Blaser and his quartet of Marc Ducret (guitar), Banz Oester (double bass), and Gerald Cleaver (drums) perform his 4-part suite live with an ebb-and-flow tempo and intricate dynamics that are reflective of the sea.

A reissued and remastered Braxton release with Jon Raskin, Dred Scott, Cecil McBee, and Andrew Cyrille that is intensely explosive, fast-paced, and aggressive, with Braxton's signature style.

Canadian alto saxophonist Francois Carrier's 3rd FMR release, with long-time companion Michel Lambert (drums) plus flautist Neil Metcalfe, guitarist Daniel Thompson and bassist Guilaume Viltard, recording in the beautiful acoustics of St leonards Church, London.

The 5th release from the electronic and electroacoustic group Circuit, featuring Trevor Taylor and a changing set of collaborators, exploring improvisation with real time manipulation.

Chamber compositions from Downtown NY pianist and composer Anthony Coleman performing with his ensemble "Survivors Breakfast", a large group of orchestral and improvisational colors.

Saxophonist Paul Dunmall's trio recorded this playful and impressive studio album in 2001 with drummer Steven Davis and bassist Dave Kane, Dunmall also adding border bagpipes on certain pieces.

A new quartet recording at The Lamp Tavern in Birmingham, 2011, interactive free jazz from saxophonist Paul Dunmall, trumpeter Sam Wooster, drummer Mark Sanders, and bassist Chris Mapp.

Two leading UK improvisers - Paul Dunmall and Mark Sanders - perform on bagpipe and drums, a rare combination taking both players into unexpected and exceptional improvisational territory.

The Swedish trio of Mats Gustafsson, Johan Berthling and Andreas Werliin collaborate with twenty-eight prestigious guests to form the Fire! Orchestra, an incredible free-jazz big band.

A remarkable solo guitar CD from Bill Frisell, filled with complex harmonies, bizarre voicings, rich orchestral sonorities, intense screams, delicate phrasing, wild noises and an incredible simultaneity.

Mick Sexton curates the first compilation of late pianist/keyboard player Pete Jacobsen, with sidemen including Mick Sexton, Tony Marsh, Don Weller, Jimmy Roche, Bobby Wellins, Rob King, Chris Boscoe, &c.

The New York trio of trumpeter Kirk Knuffke, bassist Max Johnson and Ziv Ravitz recording mostly original compositions in the studio, modern improvisation blending melodic and free improvisation in excellent ways.

The 2nd Intakt release for the trio of Oliver Lake (sax), Christian Weber (bass) and Dieter Ulrich (drums) performing live at the Zurich JazzFestival Unerhort 2011 with guest trombone player Nils Wogram.

Kook is the duo of Norweigan guitarists Stian Larsen and Erik Ahlsen creating a series of improvised soundscapes using their guitars and live electronics; absorbing music of unusual tone, texture, and direction.

Trumpeter Nik Malcom leads his quartet with pianist Alexander Hawkins, bassist Olie Brice and drummer Mark Whitlam on a series of compositions that provide frameworks for excellent free playing.

The last recording of the trio of saxophonist and flutist Paul Dunmall, guitarist Phill Gibbs, and the late drummer Tony Marsh, a fitting tribute to the great drummer's long association with Dunmall and Gibbs.

Saxophonist Frank Lozano brings together four other artists for a first time collaboration that results in this groovy, soulful, and passionate live studio recording.

The complete set from the live performance of Neil Metcalfe (flute), Guillaume Viltard (double bass) and Daniel Thompson (guitars), performing in the extraordinary space of St Leopards Shoreditch Church in Hackney, London.

Flautist Nicole Mitchell's solo album of her own impromptu compositions and interpretations of other artists' works composed for her, reflecting her deep relationship with nature and her instrument.

Spring 2013 issue with 9 track CD. On the cover and featured: Akio Suzuki; Featured: Nicolas Bernier and Martin Messier; Featured: Edrem Helvacioglu; Profile on The Ratchet Orchestra. Plus reviews, events, words, &c.

Assembling 13 tracks from obscure compilations released from 2011-2012 by the various monikers of 910 Noise artist August (September) Traeger, a wide-ranging and captivating set of approaches to sound & noise work.

Al-Khwarizmi was a Muslim mathematician and astronomer, his memory interpreted in a series of variations by Pat Thomas playing inside and outside of the piano, an impressive display of 21st century keyboard technique and conceptual playing.

Three young virtuoso violinists perform two new major works by John Zorn - "Passagen" and "Ceremonial Magic" (reworked from his Rimbaud release) and a set of 12 miniatures for two violins, "Apophthegms".

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.

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.

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.

Frequent Squidco in-store performer Electric Bird Noise returns defying expectation with an album of new wave dance & 1970s synth experiments, taking influence from bands like New Order, The Cure, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, & Gary Numan

Electronic music theater orchestrated by Yannis Kyriakides in collaboration with the Dutch musical theater group, VeenFabriek, that's centralized around the concepts of Spinoza's texts.

Tripwire pianist Alberto Braida and clarinetist Giancarlo Locatelli in an album of duos reflecting the modern dialog and creative ideas that only a long partnership such as theirs enables.

Brotzmann's own BRO label releases this performance at Chicago's Hideout of the duo of Peter Brotzmann on alto and tenor sax, b-flat clarinet and tarogato, and vibraophonist Jason Adasiewicz from their 2012 US tour for three stunning tracks of free improvisation.

Two European free jazz masters come together for a live concert at Kampen in Oslo Norway, a follow up to their amazing 2007 "Sweet Sweat" release.

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.

Classical saxophonist Neil McGovern joins improvising legend Paul Dunmall to perform music based on Dunmall's book "60 Studies for Saxophone", with Matt London lending a 3rd voice for one track.

A collection of 11 great songs by NY avant-garde jazz pianist Matthew Shipp, chosen from 10 different albums recorded between 2000 and 2012, outstanding tracks culled from more than a decade of innovative work.

A sophisticated modern jazz album from alto saxophonist Gavie Templeton, music based on his grandfather's experience as an Air Corps navigator in WWII, performed in a quartet with pianist Gary Fukushima, bassist Darek Oles, and drummer Joe Labarbera.

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.

Two basses and a lower-end saxophone from the trio of Damon Smith on double bass, Andrew Durham on electric bass, and Danny Kamins on baritone sax, Durham also adding effects and "Radio Manipulation" to their deep sound, Durham & Kamins the core of CARL with Damon Smith adding extra underpinnings to their slowly developing, sometimes pensive, sometimes cantankerous, profound improvisation.

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!

When Matthew Shipp was invited to London's Cafe Oto for a residency in 2010 the first collaborator he requested was John Butcher, the resulting meeting recorded for this brilliant duo release.

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.

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.

'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.

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.

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.