Continuing her series of large works inspired by the dystopic writings of Octavia E. Butler, composer and flutist Nicole Mitchell assembles Chicago improvisers including cellist Tomeka Reid, percussionist Avreeayl Ra, trumpeter Ben LaMar Gay and interdisciplinary artist Lisa E. Harris to explore facets of Butler's Parable of the Sower.

Portugese tenor saxophonist Rodrigo Amado met Belgian electric & acoustic guitarist Dirk Serries for this live performance at Jazzblazzt in The Netherlands in 2018 for two extended conversations, the first set finding Serries on electric and the 2nd on acoustic, as the two push and pull each other, intertwining or finding complement in their discourse.

The second release from the trio of legendary London improvising drummer Roger Turner, Montreal trombonist Scott Thomson and guitarist Arthur Bull, aka Moniker, after their 2018 Ambiances Magnetiques album "Spine", in three improvisations about "Books", quick witted active improvisation with a carefree and bright approach to exceptionally detailed interaction.

Frequent collaborators, Canadian drummer and experimentalist Eric Hamelin joins Chris Dadge, who more typically performs as a drummer/percussionist, in a duo with Dadge on violin, as the two create wonderfully active environments of sound that follow conceptual paths embracing electroacoustic methodology through two pieces performed live in the studio.

Pianist Joel Futterman pays a tribute to late alto saxophonist Eric Dolphy through six Dolphy original compositions, plus one Mal Waldron track and two Futterman originals referencing Dolphy's well-known Blue Note record, "Out to Dinner" parts one & two, each track unedited with no overdubs and the album presented in the sequence in which it was recorded.

Four solo imporovisations from pianist Joel Futterman, starting with the nearly 20-minute "Blues For Ronnie" dedicated to his brother Ronald, a lyrical and soulful work that reflects traditional blues and ragtimes forms within a modern perspective, alongside 3 other rich works of the strong technical and melodic skill that define Futterman's mastery and intentions.

A meeting in the studio in 2001 between frequent collaborators, pianist Joel Futterman, also performing on curved soprano saxophone & wooden Indian flute, and Chicago tenor saxophonist Ike Levin, also on bass clarinet and Brazilian Kalimba, beautifully capturing the extraordinary conversation of strongly articulated dialog between the two improvisers; impressive!

A three-part solo improvisation recorded in the studio and presented in complete unedited first takes with no overdubs, sequenced in the order recorded, from NY-area pianist Joel Futterman, performing "The Fall" in two parts, and "Recovery", each an epic journey through rapid technical virtuosity and nimble creativity, balanced with periods of deep reflection and introspection.

Six works by iconic composer Ellen Fullman in a duo with David Gamper, an original member of Pauline Oliveros' Deep Listening Band — ecstatic and mesmerizing improvisations recorded in the resonant space of the Headlands Center for the Arts in Marin, CA — plus 2 tracks of a duo between Ellen Fullman and Deep Listening Band founding member Stuart Dempster on trombone & didjeridu.

Guitarist/composer Guillaume Gargaud of Le Havre, France steps away from his more typical electric guitar work for an album of acoustic guitar improvisations, freely associative playing of rich harmonic and melodic development, from ostensibly meandering fragility to powerful chord work, revealing a strong and confident center through imaginative progressions that captivate his listeners.

A rare and exuberant exchange of sonic discourse between Chinese and American improvisers recorded in the Yunnan Province of China at the Lijiang Studio artist residency, in a uniquely voiced quintet with Theresa Wong on cello & voice, Lao Dan on saxophone & bamboo instruments, John McCowen on clarinet & recorder, Li Xing on electric & acoustic guitars, and Deng Boyu on percussion & found objects.

Keyboardist Annie Lewandowski (London Improvisers Orchestra, Fred Frith, Samech) composed this song cycle about ancient Greek figures in collaboration with David Yearsley, Theresa Wong and Russell Greenberg, poetic pieces contrasting traditional use of instruments with subtle experimental approaches in a unique and fascinating set of compositional strategies.

The songwriting team of John Zorn and Jesse Harris, who worked together on Zorn's The Song Project, wrote these beautiful melodies & lyrics that merge elements of rock and jazz for singer Petra Haden, performed in a quintet with Jesse Harris on acoustic guitar, keys & background vocals, Kenny Wollesen on drums, percussion, Julian Lage on guitar, and Jorge Roeder on bass.

Recorded over 2 days in a Chicago studio in configurations from duos to an octet, drummer Quin Kirchner provides the compositions on this double LP for 11 pieces, alongside works by Frank Foster, Phil Cohran, Sun Ra & Carla Bley, presented as a story or a journey of differing styles and forms, made cohesive by Kirchner's remarkable drumming and coherently diverse interests.

Jessica Pavones String Ensemble with Pavone and Abby Swidler on violas, and Erica Dicker and Angela Morris on violins, are recorded live at Firehouse 12 in a set of Pavone compositions combining traditional notation and improvisation, with a focus on sustained collaborative playing and the application of ideas exploring the healing potential of sonic vibrations.

Originally released in 2004 in Japan, this compilation covers songs from Soft Machine legend Robert Wyatt's solo career, from albums back to Rock Bottom through Cuckooland, sequenced non-chronologically reflecting the depth of interest, excitement & pathos of his remarkable career, one of rock's most unconventional and brilliant songwriters and singers.

A series of improvisations recorded in an afternoon in Melbourne, Australia between bass guitarist Joseph Franklin and saxophonist Sam Gill on alto & soprano, this the debut of their duo work that since 2018 has developed a unique discourse of adept interaction from calmly precise to rapid & disciplined exchanges, connected by textural and exploratory periods.

A beautifully subtle and strange twisting of tones, timbres and strings from the duo of Ernesto Rodrigues on violin & viola and Carlos Santos on electronics, recorded live in 2018 at O'Culto da Ajuda, in Lisbon, creating mysterious environments that metamorphose between sections through string interjections, each segment creating a new, mesmerizing environment.

The concept of a spiegel, or mirror, is explored by this perceptively patient electroacoustic octet led by violist Ernesto Rodrigues, each of the 3 tracks an evolution of the first recorded improvisation, the 2nd "Spiegel" layering and reacting to the first recording, and the 3rd to the previous two, ultimately reflecting a conversation of 24 virtual musicians.

Track titles are borrowed from Friederike Mayröcker for their "concentrated word acrobatics and linguistic sensuality", and apt analogy to the duo of Udo Schindler on clarinets & cornet, and Irene Kepl on violin, who are recorded live at the 95th Salon für Klang+Kunst Krailling in Munich, 2019, in a set of 9 delicately virtuosic dialogs that use extended and unusual techniques.

Seven improvisations for solo piano from Swedish composer and pianist Rasmus Borg, recording in Stockholm in a contemplative contemporary mode, as evidenced by titles like "Nocturne", "Waltz", "Toccata", &c, referencing established forms through instant compositions, a reflection of his statement that Borg likes "melody, harmony, going in circles, canons".

Three Swedish improvising musicians from different generations are heard in this set of five free jazz and non-idiomatic exchanges, recorded at the artist-run venue Fylkingen Stockholm in 2019, bringing together pianist Arne Forsen (Roscoe Mitchell, John Tchicai and Charles Tyler), drummer Andreas Axelsson (Lia Ullen) and bassist Mats Dimming (APUH!).

Perhaps referring to their "Pan"-global membership, with improvisers from Europe, Iran, Palestine and South Korea, and unusual instrumentation including the kanun and keneche, the Pan quintet recorded this album using unconventional composing methods and the integration of sound processing and extraneous interjections, a truly unique album of encompassing improvisation.

Formed in 1961 with the goal of preserving, developing and performing African-American music, pianist Horace Tapscott is heard in this well-recorded concert from 1998, his last public performance, at LACMA in Los Angeles with a 20 piece orchestra including sax, trombone, a 12 member chorus, three bassists, and 3 percussionists; a significant addition to Tapscott's catalog.

A well-recorded studio session from 1976 of pianist, composer and community educator Horace Tapscott with his Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, a large and ecstatic ensemble with superb soloing; previously unissued, this is a major addition to Tapscott's catalog, and includes a 12 page color booklet with detailed information about the band, personnel and the recording.

Revisiting two of the most essential and influential albums of saxophonist Albert Ayler's discography, both recorded in 1965 — Spirits Rejoice in a sextet and Bells in a quintet — both drawing from some of NY's finest players including Charles Tyler, Henry Grimes, Gary Peacock, Sunny Murray, Donald Ayler and Lewis Worrell, properly remastered to showcase Ayler's stunning conceptions in free jazz.

A raucous blast of free jazz, electrifyingly extending the Italian improv unit Jooklo Duo of drummer/percussionist David Vanzan and saxophonist Virginia Genta, here on amplified tenor & sopranino saxophones, with New York improviser Brandon Lopez on electric bass, burning six hair-raising pieces of aggressive free improv of exemplary relentlessness.

Extremely active from 1972-82, then reformed in 2008, and now entering a new phase of their improvisational journey, the OM quartet of Urs Leimgruber on saxophones, Christy Doran on electric guitar, Bobby Burri on double bass, and Fredy Studer on drums & percussion extend their transformative approach to free improv through what they refer to as "ElectroAcoustiCore".

With tracks dedicated to friends, family and musicians including Claude Thornhill & John Zorn, the 3rd album from The Sylvie Courvoisier trio with Drew Gress on bass and Kenny Wollesen on drums & "Wollesonics", is an exuberantly sophisticated album of slyly complex jazz compositions that both happily swing and leave room for creative exploration; extraordinary!

A graceful and beautiful set of 21 improvisations composed by German pianist and European Free Improv legend Alexander von Schlippenbach for Japanese pianist and von Schlippenbach's spouse Aki Takase, emphasizing a lyrical and passionate deceleration of his profound technical skills to ring lyrically and even romantically as he expresses Takase's musical portrait.

Inspired by molecular biology, saxophonist and composer James Brandon Lewis developed a unique system of composing, creating a surprising and beautiful music for the debut of his new quartet with drummer Chad Taylor, pianist Aruán Ortiz, and bassist Brad Jones, bringing lyricism and joyful playing to his sophisticated approach to the jazz tradition.

The long-established Snakeoil quartet led by New York saxophonist Tim Berne, with Matt Mitchell on piano, Oscar Noriega on bass and B-flat clarinet, and Ches Smith on drums & percussion, are heard live in three settings over two CDs — at Firehouse 12 in 2017; at IBEAM in New York in 2010; and at Roulette in NY in 2009 — showing the band's evolution of expressive power.

A dynamic and red-hot album of free improvisation from two New York legends--pianist John Blum and drummer/percussionist Jackson Krall--both in jaw-dropping form as they present two extended improvisations, "Blood and Bone" and "Wind and Wing", appropriate for the energy and intense and seemingly physically-defying technical skill each brings to their playing.

Hard-edged NY improvisation from the performing trio of Sam Weinberg on sax, Henry Fraser on bass and Weasel Walter on drums, who since 2017 have developed a group sound of powerful and fiercely determined free jazz roots using interesting instrumental technique, often muscular and urgent but also with periods of constrained interplay and dialog; an extremely well balanced band.

A studio recording bring three Portuguese string players--Maria do Mar on violin, Ernesto Rodrigues on viola, and Guilherme Rodrigues on cello--together with bass & soprano clarinetist Juan Calvi, for 9 succinct intertwining of energetic interplay, often chamber-oriented but all examples of masterful free improvisation exploring a diverse set of creative approaches.

A remarkable album of masterful and wide-ranging string interaction from improviser and Creative Sources label leader Ernesto Rodrigues (viola) with active contemporary Portuguese performers Maria do Mar (violin), Helena Espvall (cello) and Berlin-based violinist of Japanese origin Marie Takahashi, accompanied by Joao Valinho on percussion & piano.

A studio recording from the electroacoustic sextet of saxophonist & cornetist Patrick Brennan, Red Trio bassist Hernani Faustino, and Creative Sources collaborators Maria do Mar on violin, Ernesto Rodrigues on viola, Miguel Mira on cello, and Abdul Moimeme on electric guitars & objects, in a spirited set of concise and open-minded free improvisations.

A live performances at CreativeFest 2018 in Lisbon from the electroacoustic quartet of Ernesto Rodrigues on viola, Guilherme Rodrigues on cello, Fred Marty on double bass, and Carlos Santos on electronics, the title translating to "On our footsteps in the light of day" as the improvisers merge strings and electronics through spirited and radiant playing.

A concert by drummer Eddie PrŽvost, electric guitarist N.O. Moore, and saxophonist Jason Yarde on alto & soprano recorded at the Vortex Jazz Club, in London, Moore deploying effects and Yarde using electronics to create subtexts of sounds, especially on the extended 25 minute "Impossible Meaning" where unusual structures meld with the acoustic free playing.

The 2nd Code Girl release from guitarist Mary Halvorson presents an embraceable and ambitious set of songs from 8 poetic forms for which Halvorson composed words & music, 3 of which are sung by Robert Wyatt, the others by Amirtha Kidambi, in a band with Thumbscrew members Michael Formanek (bass), Tomas Fujiwara (drums), plus Maria Grand (sax) and Adam O'Farrill (trumpet).

Recorded in the studio as an urgent response to the latent unease in the time of pandemic and political dissent, NY poet, violinist, composer and improviser Sarah Bernstein uses washes of distorted violin, ecstatic vocalizations, and poetic spoken word, an expression of immediacy and tension between extremes, a personal and articulate set of observational expressions.

Referring to an improvisational style only possible after many years of collaboration, which they refer to as a "ghostly, boundary-pushing music between friends", this is the 4th sublime album from the quintet of Daniel Carter on reeds & trumpet, Patrick Holmes on clarinet, Matthew Putman on piano & keys, Hilliard Greene on bass, and Federico Ughi on drums.

Chicago-based guitarist Christopher Rigg, founder of the Holy Cheever Church Records, developed this set of pieces called "extinction bursts", performed with Emily David on drums and George Romaine on piano, a work he refers to as "maximalist harsh free jazz wall", using a lurching and squealing guitar figure over which David and Romaine overlay slow progressions.

An electroacoustic octet drawn from the collaborative community surrounding Creative Sources, captured live during the Small Format Materials Festival at Galeria Monumental, in Lisbon in 2019, a subtle and substantial work of intimate tension and quietly detailed interaction, seemingly minimalistic yet dynamically a narrative evolution of sublime patience.

Active in the modern creative music scene around Germany and The Netherlands, drummer/percussionist Hendrik Eichler explores a variety of "Dimensions" and "Transcendence" in solo percussive playing, using traditional and extended techniques, from highly active to deeply introspective moods, assisted at time through digital technology.

An immersive album of solo percussion, slowly sculpted through bowed cymbals, tension across drum heads, resonance and extraneous percussive elements, from New York-based experimental percussionist, composer & improviser, each piece unfolding a meditative yet substantial story built of powerful elements, creating mysterious and often daunting soundscapes.

Four trios perform selections from composer and reedist Phillip Greenlief's BARBEDWIRE - 37 Graphic Scores For Trio, featuring John Bischoff, Kyle Bruckmann, Mark Clifford, Evelyn Davis, Tim Decillis, Gabby Fluke Mogul, Jane Rigler, and Tim Perkis, each composition a unique sonic sculpture, creating a diverse set of unique recordings realized by consummate performers.

Four German saxophonists are heard in three sophisticated and extremely creative chamber-oriented improvisations recorded at Kulturzentrum Hufeisen: Andreas Krennerich on soprano, sopranino & baritone saxophones; Frank Paul Schubert on alto & soprano saxophones; Hartmut Osswald on tenor sax & bass clarinet; and Nils Fischer on baritone sax & contrabass clarinet.

The debut of this reconfigured Boston-area trio drawn from the Leap of Faith lineup, starting with the core duo of PEK on clarinets, saxophones, clarinets & flutes, and Glynis Lomon on cello, aquasonic & voice, with guest Eric Woods on synth and percussion, the trio using heavy percussion and electronics gear in a unique journey of extended freeform improvisation.

The core duet of the Leap of Faith Orchestra (LOFO) comprised of PEK on clarinets, saxophones, clarinets & flutes, and Glynis Lomon on cello, aquasonic & voice is joined by pianist Eric Zinman performing inside and out of the piano, and also on synthesizer, drums & percussion, for three improvisations recorded live in the studio in Cambridge, MA in 2020.

After having collaborated in a variety of contexts for a few years, in 2017 Jonathan Moritz, Sean Ali and Carlo Costa started to perform regularly as a trio, over time honing a distinctive sound, using space through patient development, abstraction and textural playing and central tenets in their jazz-influenced improvisations, here in their first album.

UK improvising saxophonist Rachel Musson incorporates spoken word text and daring instrumental experimentation in a large work for an 8-piece ensemble of bass, sax, and strings, with narration in a through-composed text written by Musson that explores the process of improvisation, and her reflections on the experiential process of making music.

Unusual glitch and extreme electronics improvised by the duo of New York artist Dominic Cole and Chicago/NY artist Hunter Brown (Sound Tribe Sector Nine), using approaches including glitch, noise & circuit bending in 9 pieces with tongue-in-cheek titles, balancing erratic moments with exploratory sections and near silence, an interesting and enigmatic album of aberrant electronics.

Approaching his solo work with new compositional strategies, multi-reedist and percussionist David Peck uses time and texture as the principal organizational elements in 9 pre-mixed recordings over which PEK was allowed more flexibility and freedom in instrumental choice during performance, using a vast collection of instruments in dramatic improvisations.

David Peck, aka PEK, took advantage of the down time from his typically busy performance schedule with the Boston-area collective of bands centered around Leap of Faith to record a number of solo performances, using a variety of reed and wind instruments and the arsenal of unusual percussive instruments at his disposal, recording the 3 full CDs of new material presented in this set.

Portuguese cellist Guilherme Rodrigues, an essential performer in the Creative Sources community of free improvisers, recorded this album from a personal need to share his freedom as a cellist, arriving at the studio and playing for almost two hours with nothing pre-planned, recording 23 concise improvisations that he describes as "fluid as a waterfall".

Since 2014 the collective [SNDNG STTNS] has explored theatrical situations between musictheatre, staging and composition with live music, instruments, recordings, samples, speach and live editing, this work featuring cellist Guilherme Rodrigues bridges the art of the brazilian "violeros" with contemporary music, acoustic and electronic composition and improvisation.

A live recording from zentri-fuge in Berlin, led by trombonist Jeb Bishop, with Milan bassist Antonio Borghini (Mike Patton's Mondo Cane) and German drummer Michael Griener (Carl-Ludwig Hübsch' Primordial Soup), in a collective set of free and energetic improvisations, five pieces that "Jounce", "Jitter", "Plumb" and "Dither" through an exciting and expressive concert.

The title gives a sense of the unusual acoustic improvisation this West Coast collective perform, along with their description "prickles and bleats, an abrasive delicacy; fricative rasp and withheld breath seethe together in a discomfiting cuddle" — from Kyle Bruckmann on oboe & English horn, Tom Djll on trumpet, Jacob Felix Heule on floor tom, and Kanoko Nishi-Smith on koto.

Part of the Iklectic club's "Meetings With Remarkable Saxophonists" programmed by drummer Eddie Prévost and double bassist Guillaume Viltard, here meeting John Butcher performing on tenor and soprano saxophone for a masterful concert of free improvisations, energetically turning the "Electric", "Light", "On", "Click" through 4 extended and remarkable converstations.