Two concerts from an eight-year gap in the published recordings of the ISKRA 1903 trio of Paul Rutherford (trombone), Philipp Wachsmann (violin & electronics) and Barry Guy (bass & electronics), masterful improvisation blending acoustics and electronics.

Highlights from saxophonist Steve Lacy's first solo concerts in Avignon 1972 originally released on LP in 1974, with additional recordings and a solo performance of his "Clangs" cycle from Berlin, 1974.

A brilliant album of subtle and masterful improvisation recorded in 2012 at and using the reverb of the St. Peters church in Whitstable by soprano saxophonist Evan Parker with two percussionists: Toma Gouband on lithophone-based percussion and Mark Nauseef on metallophone-based percussion.

Evan Parker met live sampling/electronic artist Matthew Wright in the studio to create these layered studio compositions, a unique approach for this hard-core free improvising saxophonist.

Three open improvisations recorded in concert at Kunstencentrum Belgie Hasselt, Belgium in 2010 by sub-groups from the Electrocacoustic Ensemble, plus an extended performance by the whole ensemble.

Exceptional free improvisation by Evan Parker performing solo at St. Michael and All Angels Church in England in 2001, urgent and powerful playing using extended techniques while playing to the natural reflections in the cathedral.

Trumpeter Roland Ramanan leads his free jazz quartet of Marcio Mattos (cello, electronics), Simon H Fell (double bass) and Mark Sanders (percussion).

For the first time in 25 years, Howard Riley overdubs a piano by recording one part as if he were playing a solo and the immediately overdubbing the second part, resulting in nine improvisations and a jazz tribute to Monk.

Bassist Kent Carter chose the ensemble of two string and two wind players from amongst the most experienced musicians in Europe to record the studio and live compositions in this exceptional 3 CD set.

A short-lived improvising trio led by Paul Rutherford (trombonist) with Paul Rogers (double bass) and Nigel Morris (drums) performing live in 1983, originally issued on cassette on the Ogun label, here with more than 24 minutes of additional studio material.

Roger Smith plays extended acoustic guitar improvisations that were recorded between 1993 and 1997; with a duet with Neil Metcalfe on the flute.

An excellent collection of solo acoustic guitar improvisations by Roger Smith that were digitally recorded at home in London during January, 2002.

Reissuing the 3rd release from drummer John Steven's Spontaneous Music Ensemble with 31 minutes of previously unissued material, with participants including Derek Bailey, Kenny Wheeler, Evan Parker, Dave Holland, Maggie Nichols, Trevor Watts, Johnny Dyani, &c &c.

Improvised pieces for tracker action organs and strings recorded in five English churches from the trio of violinist Jon Rose, Veryan Weston on tracker action organ, and cellist Hannah Marshall, inviting the public to re-imagine the nature of pitch relationships.

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.

Live recordings at LOFT in Cologne, Germany from the trio of George Wissel on prepared saxophone, Achim Tang on doublebass, and Simon Camatta on drums & percussion, performing seven "Movements" that use prodigious technique with reserve and direction, revealing the structure of their work as the pieces build and recede in fascinating ways.

The day after their Empty Bottle appearances (Emanem 4082 & 4086), these three travelled to Milwaukee for a concert, that featured superb unaccompanied solos by Rutherford (trombone), Müller (double bass) & Coxhill (soprano sax), plus two short duos and a trio.

Lokomotive's "Labyrinths" with bassist Baretto at the top of his game in playing and scoring this driving and unorthodox set of pieces, performed with two of Portugal's most in-demand players.

The entire Bimhuis concert from 2002 as well as two studio tracks from 2000 by the improvising quartet of Gail Brand (trombone), Phil Durrant (electronics, violin), Pat Thomas (electronics, piano) and Mark Sanders (percussion).

The complete performance at the 2010 Freedom of the City festival by the 38-member LIO with guest Wadada Leo Smith and conductions by Alison Blunt, Steve Beresford, Philipp Wachsmann, Caroline Kraabel, and Dave Tucker.

Ross Bolleter improvises on pianos that have been "abandoned to all weathers and has become a decaying box of unpredictable dongs, clicks and dedoomps" around Australia between 2001 and 2005.

Intense meeting of saxophone legend Parker and the remarkable Tuvan improvising vocalist Namtchylak performing live at Music Gallery in Toronto, 1996.

An essential retrospective of UK saxophonist and flutist George Khan's long career featuring 4 concerts: a 1980 duo with People Band percussionist Terry Day; a 1968 quintet with Peter Lemer (piano), Albert Kovitz (clarinet), Frank Flowers (double bass) and Terry Day; in 1975 with Terry Day and bassist Charlie Hart; and solo in London around 2005 at Mopomoso.

Four sessions on a 2 CD set, all featuring Steve Lacy and Kent Carter: (1) DISPOSABILITY, the 1965 trio record with Aldo Romano of jazz standards, originals and free improv; (2) SORTIE, the 1966 free improv quartet + Enrico Rava album; (3) previously unissued 1967 'Free Fall' Film Cues in a quintet with Rava, Karl Berger, & Paul Motian; (4) two never issued '72 quintet pieces with Steve Potts, Irene Aebi on cello and Noel Mcghie.

Four very different previously unissued concert settings featuring trombonist Paul Rutherford: 2 festival solos - one from 1979 with electronics and one from 2004 without; a 1988 duo with Paul Rogers a few months before their ROGUES CD; and a 2007 trio with Veryan Weston and Marcio Mattos, which turned out to be Rutherford's last public appearance.

Pianist Howard Riley recorded these twelve solo piano performances live at Leicester Jazz House at Embrace Arts in 2012, with 4 original Riley compositions and 8 drawn from jazz standards or Thelonius Monk compositions.

LAST is part of a series by Caroline Kraabel (LIO, Remote Viewers) mixing live improvisation with pre-recorded material provided by Robert Wyatt for this purpose, performed live at Cafe OTO in two versions: first where the 15-piece ensemble has not yet heard the Wyatt interventions, and second where they were familiar with and use his voice to structure what they play.

The brilliant free improvising group Stellari String Quartet came together more than ten years ago, with members from Brazil, England, Swizerland and Uganda, here in only their 2nd release, using improvisational processes in the 11 pieces of of their live album recorded at St. Mary's Church Stoke Newington and Iklectic Art Lab London 2018.

Two very live performances - one from the winter and one from the summer - recorded at the Vortex in London by this finely interlocked saxophone / double bass / percussion trio of London improvisers Evan Parker, John Edwards, and Mark Sanders.

A concert recording from 1977 in Calgary, CA captured during Eugene Chadbourne's time in Canada prior to his move to NYC, from the guitar trio of Duck Baker, Randy Hutton & Eugene Chadbourne, performing on acoustic guitars, using a variety of approaches to improvising in trio, duo and solo configurations, with original work, an Ornette Coleman mashup, and a piece by Charlie Haden.

Turntable musician DJ Sniff (Takuro Mizuta Lippit) in a strange take on Evan Parker as an homage and investigation into his work over the decades, as explained in Sniff's insightful essay in the booklet.

A quirky and fascinating duo of unusual instrumentation from Ute Wasserman's voice & whistles, and Aleks Kokowski on stroh instrumements (viola, violin), noseflute, bird calls, musical saw, &c..

Concert and studio recordings of peace music organised by John Stevens for himself and Trevor Watts with numerous workshop musicians and audience people on saxophones, percussion and voices mostly contributing a flexible drone.

Reissuing the 1st CD on UK free improvising guitarist Derek Bailey's Incus label is this 1982 duo with Brazilian percussionist Cyro Baptista, a remarkable dialog that draws percussive qualities from Bailey and lyrical aspects from Baptista, as the two push each other into inventive and exotic exchanges in an exuberant album; an incredible start to the Incus CD series.

After hearing Matt Mitchell's solo piano album performing the music of saxophonist Tim Berne, Brooklyn-based acoustic guitarist Gregg Belisle-Chi asked himself how Berne's compositions would sound on his own instrument, reaching out to the composer for guidance as he went into the studio to interpret and record these 10 Berne compositions.

A six part improvisational inquiry from three experienced London investigators--John Butcher on saxophones, Terry Day on drums and Max Eastley performing on his self-developed electroacoustic monochord, along with percussion and a bird call--all three performing with unusual and extended techniques to create a uniqe sonic palette applied to extremely focused conversations.

A studio album between three UK master improvisers -- John Butcher on sax, John Edwards on double bass, and Mark Sanders on drums -- the trio pushing the envelope in technique and dialog in nearly telepathic playing that transports the listener into their environment, as the music builds and releases in effortless ways that are stunning and exulant; highly recommended.

Extreme acoustic space recordings from saxophonist John Butcher, part of Arika's Resonant Spaces event, with performances from resonant and remote corners of Scotland.

A thoroughly modern and bizarre two-act opera about three struggling roommates in Brooklyn performed with Jason Cady, Mary Halvorson, Tomas Fujiwara, Jessica Pavone, Tim Dahl, Ben Holmes, Katie Young, &c.

Carta reminds of Low to Six by Seven, Plumerai, Charles Atlas &c. in the tradition of mid-1990s moody pop/slowcore/indie rock/post rock bands.

Using field recordings collected around the world, Kim Cascone has constructed a CD which is neither an exploration of inner space nor a meditation on hearing.

A uniquely eccentric free improv album by Fred Frith on electric guitar and Lol Coxhill on soprano sax, originally released in 1983 on the French AAA label, the album assembles recordings from the "Musiques de Traverses" Festival 1981, 1978 concerts in Sainte Croix, in Poitiers, and at M.J.C. Aliénor D'Aquitaine in Limoges, plus additional material from 1999 in Munchen & London.

San Francisco East Bay sonic artist and Public Eyesore/Eh? label-leader Bryan Day meets Omaha bass player and sound artist Dereck Higgins for four enveloping works of sound, sonically rich and epic journeys through terrains of identifiable musical elements and acousmatic curiosity, all with an ear to story-telling as the duo weave passages of fantastic elements.

PAL format DVD that documents the history of one of free improvisation's greatest saxophonists, Paul Dunmall, with music clips, interviews, &c.

Portugal bassist Ze Eduardo's trio in a set of compositions that includes jazz versions of animated televisions series, including a great cover of The Simpson's theme.

Merging Tiger Hatchery's tenor saxophonist Michael Forbes and bassist Andrew Scott Young and newly arrived to NYC Flying Luttenbacher leader & drummer Weasel Walter, for classic hardcore free jazz of articulate and demanding improvisation; this a recently unearthed studio recording from 2010, captured two years after their first encounter in a quartet with Jeb Bishop.

An open-minded duet between French pianist Didier Fréboeuf, also performing on clavietta and objects, and tenor & sopranino saxophonist and contrabass clarinetist Jean-Luc Petit, in an improvisatory exploration of three crusts--"Bark", "Scab" and "Crisp"--music of impressive, creative dexterity that balances scrabbly playing with introspection around each crusty littoral.

Sporadic sonic exchanges exploring guidelines, graphic scores, or completely improvised, with an expansive instrumentorium from the sextet of Magali Babin, Andrea-Jane Cornell, Martine H Crispo, Anne-Francoise Jacques, Emilie Mouchous, and Erin Sexton.

Reissuing the 2005 Utech release from the duo of Frode Gjerstad on clarinets and Steve Hubback on hand-made drums, cymbals and gong, performing live at Lille Konsertsal, Stavanger, Norway, in February 2001.

A split 10" vinyl album of two very different works: first French sound artist Jean-Philippe Gross in a sonic assault of garish rhythmic electronic persistence and noise; then the Golden Oriole instrumental rock duo of Kristoffer Riis on guitar and Thore Warland on drums in a compelling work of grooving structure with diverse percussive interaction.

A masterful performance at Radio Studio Zurich in Switzerland in 2018 from London jazz pianist Alexander Hawkins, improvising over a wide range of interests from jazz & blues to avant compositional work, with impressive skill as he runs complex and diverging figures on each hand that are coherent and exhilarating to follow, balanced with beautiful reflective sections.

Absolutely compelling rhythms and grooves from this trio bringing together Ivory Coast balafon player Aly Keita with Cameroon clarinetist and saxophonist Jan Galega Bronnimann and Swiss drummer Lucas Niggli, who was born in West Cameroon, the trio bringing strong African rhythms and melodic progressions to their propulsive and joyful improvisations.

Beautifully packaged PAL DVD of 6 films by Elio Martusciello (Taxonomy) including two original texts by Tim Hodgkinson & Sebastiano Giacobello & visual works by Ester Curcio & Ale Sordi.

Two suites recorded in 1978 from the French improvising quintet of Jouk Minor on baritone saxophone & contrabass clarinet, Josef Traindl on trombone, Jean Querlier on alto saxophone, Christian Lete on drums and Dominique Regef on hurdy gurdy, two journeys guided by waves of drone from Regef's hurdy-gurdy as each player emerges and subsides in billows and surges of collective expression.

Formed in 1992 by UK keyboardist Pat Thomas, originally with the intention of exploring the energy of rock forms within non-idiomatic ea improv, this 2017 album with Dave Tucker on acoustic & electric guitars, Roger Turner on drums & percussion and Phil Minton on voice, was captured live at Cafe OTO in London for two extended, sometimes perplexing, but consistently amazing improvisations.

Part of Evan Parker's 70th birthday in 2014, this album captures the super-charged quartet of Evan Parker on tenor saxophone, Mikolaj Trzaska on alto sax, bass clarinet, John Edwards on double bass, and Mark Sanders on drums, in two sets for two extended improvisations of both power playing and powerful communication, along with one shorter final statement.

Evan Parker and Matthew Wright are the core of Trance Map, the soprano saxophonist and live electronics duo expanding on their original 2011 concept with Trance Map+, adding guest musicians to their unique approach to electroacoustic improvisation, here in an exceptional quartet configuration with Peter Evans on trumpet & piccolo trumpet, and Mark Nauseff on percussion.

As part of the Polish website Jazzarium.pl's 5th anniversary celebration, UK tenor saxophonist Evan Parker joined the Polish RGG free-improvising piano trio of Lukasz Ojdana on piano, Maciej Garbowski on bass, and Krzysztof Gradziuk on drums, for this four-part sophisticated collective improvisation recorded at the legendary Alchemia club in Krakow.

UK multi-reed master Evan Parker brings an all-star electroacoustic septet to the 2014 Victoriaville Festival for the massive and wonderfully detailed two part composition "Seven", performed with Peter Evans, Okkyung Lee, George Lewis, Ikue Mori, Sam Pluta, and Ned Rothenberg.

With members of IKB, Variable Geometry Orchestra, and LIO, the free improvising/chamber quartet of Ernesto Rodriguge (viola), Bernardo Alvares (bass), Roland Ramana (trumpet), and Nuno Torres (sax), were captured live at Estrela for an intense and introspective concert.

Free improvisation from the German trio of Olaf Rupp (electric guitar), Matthias Muller (trombone), and Rudi Fischerlehner (drums), evolving pieces of intuitive music that plays below and above the surface in murky musics or confident collective improvisation.

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.

Fiction, folklore and everyday sounds fuel the compositions of NY pianist Angelica Sanchez, with her trio of Michael Formanek on double bass and Tyshawn Sorey on drums, the band explores concepts of lucid dreaming, backyard birds, novels, mythical creatures and ancient structures, in a magnificent album of inspired free improvisation.

Elliott Sharp's 1998 Knitting Factory album finds the saxophonist, guitarist & electronic artist in a solo setting of rhythmic works using MAX/MSP and DSP applications to create rhythmic and sonic environments over which he improvises, with assistanceÊon one track each from Zeena Parkin on "little green drone guitar" and Frank Rothkamm providing drums sequences.

Guitarist Sharp's 2nd volume of his "Octal" project realized on a custom Koll 8-string electroacoustic guitarbass; complex solo work with amazing technique and captivating creativity.

Splatter's 3rd CD resulted from a meeting between the London-based quartet Splatter (Noel Taylor-clarinet; Anna Kaluza-sax; Tom Greenhalgh-drums; Pedro Velasco-electric guitar) and Polish bassist Rafal Mazur after their successful collaboration at Cafe Oto in 2010.

Pianist Takase continues her tributes to great American jazz musicians with a solo album of Ellington interpretations, taken from her unique perspective and style, played with great feeling and insight.

Using toys and handmade instruments alongside guitar, bass, synths, plundered recordings and electronics, the French Toys'R'Noise trio are a live performing group that borrows from electro-beat rock forms with overtones of IDM/ambient forms, building extended sections and then amusing with quick-witted sections that bridge a clear love of the music.

The trio of guitarist Barry Edwards, who has performed with Paul Dunmall; bassist Collin Somervell; and drummer Mark Sanders (Evan Parker, Paul Dunmall, &c. &c.)

Pioneering improvising pianist Fred Van Hove at UK's Cafe OTO for the first time, captured in a duo with UK drummer/percussionist Roger Turner, their first recording together, for a night of exceptional improvised interplay, sophisticated and complex playing that is constantly buoyant and charming, an enthralling conversation between two veteran players.

Demonstrating the striking diversity modern solo percussionists present, the Italian tape label TSSS Tapes compiles an international set of solo works from explorers Tim Daisy, Jeph Jerman, Ted Byrnes, Wojtek Kurek, Clinton Green, Rie Nakajima, Emilio Berne, Shakeeb Abu Hamdan, Lucie Nezri, Karen Willems, Paolo Sanna, Li Qing, Carlos Godinho, and Rodrigo Vieira.

Since 2015 Chicago's Experimental Sound Studio has hosted a series of concert followed by a discussion with the artist, with funding for the series assisted by Corbett vs. Dempsey; this CD collects recordings from the last year, including Susan Alcorn, Gerry Hemingway, Greg Kelley, Kris Davis, Wayne Horvitz, Ingrid Laubrock, LaDonna Smith, Sandy Ewen, Douglas Ewart, &c &c.

1. Liquid Metal Dreaming In Ely 6:44

2. Seghill Ballad 3:24

3. Pythagoras Clocks Off And Heads For The Ruperra Arms 6:49

4. Pythagorean Ground 5:31

5. The Alchemists Of East Moors 3:47

6. Texting Robbie Burns 4:03

7. Pressure 15:44

8. Release 3:50

9. Bhopal Thoughts 18:48