Pedal Steel guitar innovator Susan Alcorn in a mostly solo release, beautifully performing 4 lush compositions by Astor Piazzolla, with bassist Michael Formanek joining for the Alcorn-penned "Suite for AHL".

This meeting of 5 EA-Improv heavyweights from Europe and the Pacific US happened during the MKM trio tour in Northern America 2010, capturing this extended performance at CalArts for 40 minutes of engaging, burbling electronics, pulses, and short wave introspection.

Clean Feed's side label Shhpuma presents a solo release from multi-instrumentalist Guilherme Goncalves (Gala Drop), dreamy and informed guitar-driven music borrowing from kosmische musik, Edgar Froese, or Loren Connors, in gorgeously paced lush instrumental music.

Portuguese composer and pianist Simao Costa in an album of solo prepared piano in the style of John Cage, using transducers, speaker & objects, paced like a Morton Feldman composition, balancing tones and percussive sound in exquisite compositions.

Deux Maisons (Two Houses) is a chamber jazz quartet bringing together French and Portuguese players of the current generation: from France, 2 brothers, Theo & Valentin Ceccaldi (violin and cello); from Portugal, Luis Vicente (trumpet) & Marco Franco (drums).

17 succinct improvisations recorded in 2000 from the trio of the late and legendary German free improvising bassist Peter Kowald, West Coast bassist Damon Smith, and alto saxophonist Marco Eneidi, powerful and lyrical improv with a nod to Ayler amidst brilliant playing.

Presenting live recordings from the 2004 UK "Feedback: Order from Noise" tour, an ambitious presentation of artists including Alvin Lucier, Otomo Yoshihide, Knut Aufermann, Sarah Washington, Toshimaru Nakamura, & Nicolas Collins, performing solo, in duos, and as an ensemble.

Helen Mirra uses the index of a W.G. Sebald's novel to create a mysterious, intriguing and fascinating audio world, performed by Mirra on printing press and acoustic guitar, and Fred Frith on rainsticks, mbira, charango, music box, voice, shoes and other objects.

Classical pianist Joana Gama and live electronic processing artist Luis Fernandes bridge compositional and experimental forms in this lyrical work, where Fernandes transforms, dissects, loops and otherwise mutates the Gama's playing in unexpected and elegant ways.

Tzadik's series reinterpreting John Zorn's Masada compositions releases the 24th "Book of Angels", performed by Klezmerson, a Mexico-based ensemble led by violist & composer Benjamin Shwartz, who founded the group in 2003 to integrate music from a Mexican standpoint.

Bassist Chris Lightcap's Bigmouth features 2 saxophonists--Chris Cheek and Tony Malaby, Craig Tabor on keys and Gerald Cleavers on drums, in 8 melodic tracks inspired by landmarks of NYC and influenced by jazz tradition, West African music, pop hooks, and more.

A map of the latitudes delineating the geographical area where the European - North American history of deforestation and resforestation has played out, in a work of guitar and field effects from Portugese artist Helen Mirra and sound artist Ernst Karel.

A beautifully paced and uniquely voiced album of electronic soundscapes from luminary New York performer Ikue Mori, 10 works including a realization of Izumi Kyoka's story "Koya Hijuri", 3 pieces for Mozu birds, the 2-part "Pomegranate Seeds", and one of Zorn's Masada compositions.

On the cover, Jean Derome. Inside: Walter Smetak; Barbara Hannigan; Ian Tung; Cris Derksen; Alex Zhang Hungtai; plus reviews of recordings and events, a label profile, essays, &c. &c.

A collaboration mixing improvisation with sound & noise from sound artist Adam Denton, working primarily with the slithery tones that live within improvisation, and Sean Cotterill, whose work straddles the ocean of skronk guitar to live programming 'ones' and 'zeros'.

Ever-active bassist Pascal Niggenkemper in his first solo album of riveting and intriguing double bass work, from aggressive to contemplative and immersive improvisations using work using bass preparations to transform the instrument and make us rethink its potential.

The Portugese trio of Pedro Sousa (sax), Tiago Sousa (keys & percussion) and Travassos (tapes and electronics), using amplified objects and circuit bending amidst acoustic and electric sources that blends melodic sound sources in rich and unexpected ways.

Intermedia artist Ricardo Jacinto with Nuno Torres (sax), Ricardo Jacinto (cello), Andre Sier (electronics), Dino Recio (percussion), Nuno Morao (percussion, melodica) and Joao Pinheiro (percussion, vibes) in a structured improvisation in an electro-acoustic environment.

A beautiful jazz trio record from New York collaborators Mario Pavone, who provided all of the compositions except for one group improvisation, with Matt Mitchell on piano and Tyshawn Sorey on drums; lyrical, lovely, and sophisticated music.

Portugese harpist Eduardo Raon uses harp, daxophone, electronics, voice & percussion to create dramatic music that applies his classical training to improvisational methods, using real-time electronic processing to create encompassing yet intricate and unusual sonic environments.

Following her trio record with Benjamin Duboc and Edward Perraud, pianist Eve Risser releases this contemplative and gorgeous solo album, a beautifully paced and delicate album for the piano, augmented with moving preparations for sonic and percussive accents.

Rich string work from Adriana Sa on zither & electronics, To Trips on resonator guitar, and John Klima on electric bass, following graphical scores and using electronics sparingly, in an album that is extremely focused while seeming to ramble in gorgeous ways.

A beautiful collaboration between Luis Jose Martins on classical guitar, percussion & electronics, and Joan Sa on piano, toy piano, celestra, idiophones & electronics, gentle music that's nearly a song, but actually sophisticated, textured, and lovely contemporary improvisation.

Frequent collaborators, Matthew Shipp (piano) and Michael Bisio (bass) are joined by fellow Downtown New Yorker Mat Maneri on viola create what they refer to as a chamber ensemble, performing the 15 improvised and inspired chapters of Shipp & Bisio's "Gospel".

The 3rd issue from Elliott Sharp's compiled series of guitar work in the 21st century, demonstrating new sounds, processes, techniques, melodies, riffs and gestures from a who's-who of modern improvising guitarists, a must-have release for all guitar fans and players.

Innovative arrangements in trumpeter Marco von Oreilli's quintet release, performed with trombonist Lukas Briggen, pianist Michael Wintsch, bassist Kasper von Gruningen, and drummer Samuel Duhsler, through 7 original and lyrical compositions that never fail to surprise.

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.

The third solo venture for Lisbon-based guitarist and visual artist Filipe Felizardo, performing without effects and loops over a lush and spare framework, for a "ghost blues meditation" in 8 movements of focused, beautifully paced and sonically oriented playing.

Composer, pianist and multi-instrumentals Joana Sa gives voice to texts by Goncalo M. Tavares as read by Rosinda Costa, where the text organizes the thoughts that filter the multiple, disorderly, eccentric, voluble mind described in Tavares' work.

The 3rd volume in NY guitarist Elliott Sharp's "Octal" project, using a Koll 8-string guitar/bass, an electroacoustic hollow-bodied guitar with 2 extra bass strings, presenting unedited improvisations of technical and sonic power.

Innovative and idiosyncratic Swiss pianist Michel Wintsch in a set of original compositions that combine ambient sound and intentionality, displaying great technical skills and a unique mind that embraces melody and the unexpected aspects of improvisation.

"It is probably not easy to be the son of Pino Minafra and try to find your musical identity. But there are advantages too: from early childhood Livio was hanging out with great musicians such as Sergey Kuryokhin, the whole of Italian I...

Small promo hole punch in reverse sleeve

"The Invisible Story" was produced over a four year period, and completed just last ear: This work deals with the ideas of Bela Hamvas (1897-1968), a Hungarian literary figure whose fate was literally sealed by his country's history. In...

Innovative and idiosyncratic Swiss pianist Michel Wintsch in a set of original compositions that combine ambient sound and intentionality, displaying great technical skills and a unique mind that embraces melody and the unexpected aspects of improvisation.