Zorn 25th "Filmworks" CD, commissioned to create music for video installations in Moscow's Museum of Jewish History, where Zorn has responded with a poignant Jewish-tinged score performed here by the virtuosic Israeli pianist Omri Mor.

The 27th volume in John Zorn's Book of Angels series, presenting his Masada compositions interpreted by superlative groups, here in a piano trio of lyrical and technical power: Craig Taborn (piano), Christian McBride (bass), and Tyshawn Sorey (drums).

Zorn's 3rd CD for his 21st century ensemble The Gnostic Trio - Bill Frisell (guitar), Carol Emanuel (harp), Kenny Wollesen (vibraphone & bells) - and guest Ikue Mori (electronics) in a transcendent record celebrating the work of poet and artist William Blake.

Zorn with Rob Burger, Greg Cohen, Ben Perowsky, Kenny Wollesen and Shanir Blumenkranz in a work inspired by esoteric spiritual practices, white magic, ritual, traditional myths & ancient legends.

The Downtown NY trio of Stephen Gosling on piano, Greg Cohen on bass, and Tyshawn Sorey on drums performs Zorn's lyrical jazz trio works blending classical and jazz forms into absorbing forms that are both intricate and enjoyable.

The 3rd album from Zorn's trio of John Medeski (organ), Kenny Grohowski (drums) and Matt Hollenberg (guitar) in a long-form composition inspired by the work of Swedish poet, painter, alchemist and occultist August Strindberg, 7 pieces of dark, driving, ecstatic improv.

Remastered for its 10th anniversary, "Music for Children" takes the listener through Zorn's Torture Garden, Masada exotica, classical work, plus a new piece performed by Lou Reed!

Zorn's exotic and compelling followup to "The Dreamers" jazz release featuring the same dynamic band of masters from Zorn's inner circle; far-ranging and superb music.

Zorn's "Nova Express" quartet (Joey Baron-drums, Trevor Dunn-bass, John Medeski-piano, Kenny Wollesen-vibes) dedicates an album of lyrical contemporary jazz to poet Walt Whitman, a rich and beautiful album from some of Downtown NY's finest.

The 4th album from John Zorn's Dreamers (Cyro Baptista, Joey Baron, Trevor Dunn, Marc Ribot, Jamie Saft, & Kenny Wollesen) is a lyrical album of tuneful compositions and superb soloing, in an ornate package accompanied by a 36 page book of colorful drawings.

John Zorn brings together two of his most admired groups, Bar Kokhba and The Dreamers, for an album of beautiful, melodic, exuberant and dynamic improvisation performed by a masterful set of players including Joey Baron, Trevor Dunn, John Medeski, &c.

Crossing heavy improv with jazz, classical, world music and more, Zorn's latest compositions are handled by the ensemble of John Medeski (organ), Ches Smith (congas, Voudun drums), Kenny Wollesen (vibes), Kenny Grohowski (drums), and Matt Hollenberg (guitar).

In celebration of his 60th Birthday, Zorn asked his most acclaimed vocal collaborators to write lyrics to select compositions from his vast musical catalog, peformed by an all-star band of Zorn regulars, presented in a beautiful box set of 7" records and a 32-page book.

Inspired by the Gnostic philosophies of the Nag Hammadi library, Zorn invokes the mystical journey of the soul through the bardo as a tribute to the passing of Lou Reed, presented by his Gnostic Trio of Bill Frisell, Kenny Wollesen, and Carol Emanuel, plus guests.

The 16th release in John Zorn's series "The Book of Angels" reworking the Masada songbook, here with the Masada String Trio of Greg Cohen, Mark Feldman, and Erik Friedlander.

Citing their influences as Bill Frisell, Paul Motian, John Zorn, and Steve Lacy, the Brussels-based bassless jazz trio of Quentin Stokart (guitar), Mathieu Robert (sax), and Nicolas Chkifi (drums) play lyrical and intelligently restrained music.

The debut release of trombonist Johannes Bauer, Australian violinist Jon Rose and analog synth player Thomas Lehn, mutated improvisation for a Futched world.

A vigorous performance by Charles Gayle (saxophone, clarinet, voice), Michael Bisio (bass) and Michael Wimberly (drums) that was recorded live in 1994 and features lively gospel music.

Chicago-based pianist Paul Giallorenzo trio with fellow Chicago drummer Tim Daisy and Norwegian bassist Ingebrigt Haker Flaten performing a set of Giallorenzo compositions that balance melodic and free moments with authoritative playing.

Bassist Max Johnson's quartet with multi-reedist Mark Whitecage, trombonist Steve Swell and drummer Tyshawn Sorey in an upbeat album of free collective improvisation from the downtown NY scene.

Dowtown reed player Michael Marcus concentrates on clarinet on this set of original compositions recorded in the spring of 2008 in a variety of band configurations.

Avant improvisation from violist Szilard Mezei's vocal ensemble, a 10 piece orchestra with two vocalists, performing live at CNESA, Serbia; complex and fascinating music with a mix of unusual and traditional orchestration.

Italian violinist and multi-instrumentalist Stefano Pastor with the amazing cellist and Indian instrument master Kash Killion in a mix of original avant jazz and 2 Monk standards.

Alto saxophonist Robbins in a free improvising and powerful New York quartet with Nate Wooley on trumpet, Daniel Levin on cello, and Jeff Davis on drums.

A collection of compositions from drummer/composer Federico Ughi dedicated to the four cities where he's lived: Rome, London, Montreal and New York, performed in a quartet with Darius Jones (sax), Eri Yamamoto (piano) and Ed Schuller (bass).

New York saxophonist Bonnie Kane/W.O.O. (Whole Other Orbit) in a quartet with Blaise Siwula, Ray Sage and Will Redmond.

NY saxophonist Steve Lehman merges his sophisticated jazz roots with the experimental hip-hop community, including French saxophonist Maciek Lasserre, vocalists HPrizm & Gaston Bandimic alongside bassist Drew Gress, drummer Damion Reid, and pianist Carlos Homs.

Approaching the free side of 60s postbop in the Ornette Coleman vein, the Cortex quartet of Thomas Johansson (trumpet), Kristoffer Alberts (sax), Ola Hoyer (double bass) and Gard Nilssen (drums) are captured for a dynamic and captivating set at IBeam in Brooklyn in 2015.

Norwegian drummer Dag Magnus Narvesen's octet with Kristoffer Alberts, Jorgen Mathisen and Andree Roligheten on reeds, and Hayden Powell and Kristoffer Kompen on brass, merging New Orleans and free jazz traditions in creative and lyrical jazz of embraceable compositions and exceptional soloing.

Blending jazz and rock forms with frenetic excitement and masterful control, multi-reedist Forebrace quartet with Roberto Sassi (electric guitar), Santiago Horro (electric bass) and Jem Doulton (drums) run the gamut on exultantly virtuosic improvisation, here recording live at Cafe Oto.

Following jazz traditions blending lyrical and free approaches with unexpected twists and turns from the Norwegian quintet of Andree Roligheten on sax, Thomas Johansson on trumpet, Oscar Gronberg on piano, Jon Rune Strom on double bass, and Tollef Ostvang on drums.

First meeting of Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii and New York bassist Joe Fonda, initiated at the suggestion of Fonda, recording in Portland, Maine at the Dimensions in Jazz Series, a beautifully recorded and intimate duo of superb dialog between two seasoned improvisers.

Masterful NY double bassist in a trio with vibraphonist Kevin Norton and clarinetist Wendell Harrison, in an exquisite jazz album with what Linberg describes as a "post-industrial rust belt aesthetic", alongside a 3 part tribute to the late trumpeter Roy Campbell.

West Coast double bassist and composer John Lindberg's Raptor Trio with baritone saxophonist Pablo Calogero and drummer Joe LaBarbera presents music as a mystery to be left unsolved yet fully absorbed, as heard in this beguilingly lyrical and emotional album.

London master drummer Steve Noble (Rip Rig and Panic, Derek Bailey), a mainstay on the scene for decades, with Scandinavian free improvising saxophonist Kristoffer Berre Alberts (Cortex, Saka, Starlite Motel) for a live album of uproariously driven, skronky free jazz.

Downtown New York multi-reedist mainstay Elliott Sharp in his third Aggregat release, in a quintet with Taylor Ho Bynum on trumpet, Barry Altschul on drums, Terry L. Greene II on trombone, and Brad Jones on bass, pushing elastic limits on the concepts of jazz and free improv.

Cologne pianist and composer Simon Russell wrote these compositions, melding jazz, classical, electronic, even tango music into lyrical and joyfully quirky works, performed by his ensemble with Goerg Wissel, Matthias Muche, Udo Moll, Carl Ludwig Hubsch, &c.

Trumpeter Nate Wooley's major 3-part work makes oblique reference to dodecaphony, ambient tape music, and the minimalist rock of Terry Riley, conceived as a tribute to Wooley's mentor Ron Miles, who performs alongside Devin Gray & Rudy Royston (drums), Cory Smythe & Jozef Dumoulin (piano).

A wild dialog between Swiss trumpeter Marco von Orelli and saxophonist Udo Schindler, recording live at the 58th SALON for Klang+Kunst in Krailing/Munich in 2015, using an insanely advanced set of techniques and approaches to their horns for intense and exultant effect.

A stunning example of collective free improvisation from the quartet of frequent collaborators and superb improvisers, Paul Dunmall on tenor & soprano sax, Liam Noble on piano, Mark Sanders on drums, and John Edwards on bass, recording in the studio in Birmingham.

Since 2012 the improvising trio of saxophonist Ntshuks Bonga, bassist Andy Champion and Corey Mwamba have met to perform at concerts and festivals, here captured in the studio in a dynamic dialog balancing fervent and contemplative playing with commanding skill.

Multi-reedist Peter Brotzmann and drummer/percussionist Hamid Drake met in the studio in New York City, April 2010, to record this double album of fiercely intense and beautiful improvised music.

LP edition of the first set performed by the trio of Peter Brotzmann, Steve Noble and John Edwards at Cafe OTO in January 2010 during Brotzmann's first residency at the venue, and the first time this trio had played together.

Steve Lacy solo on soprano saxophone performing live in 1981 at Jazzwerkstat Petitz, playing a mix of Monk tunes and Lacy originals.

NY trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson's 2nd Pi album, in a quintet with pianist Matt Mitchell, bassist John Hebert, guitarist Miles Okazaki, and drummer Craig Weinrib, for 6 original lyrical compositions with captivating progressions and top notch soloing making great modern jazz.

Unusual instrumentation and a very diverse set of improvising backgrounds from pianist Alexander Hawkins Ensemble, with Orphy Robinson on steel pan, Otto Fischer on electric guitar, Dominic Lash on double bass, Hannah Marshall on cello, and Javier Carmona on drums.

A cooperative band of mostly NY improvisers-- Mary Halvorson on guitar, Tomas Fujiwara on drums, Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet & flugelhorn, and French pianist Benoit Delbecq, recording in the studio for a album of uniquely unusual and rewarding compositions from all players.

An almost ceremonial release in percussive approaches to improvisation from the trio of William Parker on double bass, shakuhachi, thumb piano & more, Hamid Drake on drums, cymbals and gongs, and Joe Morris on guitar, banjo, bass, pocket trumpet, fiddle & whistles.

Chicago flautist Nicole Mitchell presents a work inspired by photographs from scholar and leader of social justice, W.E.B. Dubois, about African American prosperity after the civil war, a rich and compelling set of compositions performed in an ensemble of superb Chicago improvisers.

The sophisticated and influential Jimmy Giuffre 3 led by clarinetist Giuffre with Paul Bley on piano and Steve Swallow on double bass, in a 2-CD reissue of their only known well-recorded concerts, alongside two tracks from their "Fusion" album not included in the ECM reissue.

An amazing collection of concepts described in John Steven's manual "Search and Reflect" and recorded in workshops and concerts primarily in the 70s, with participants including Trevor Watts, Evan Parker, Paul Rutherfod, Ian Brighton, Nigel Coombes, John Russell, Lindsay Cooper, &c.

The 40th Anniversary release for the creative free improvising jazz trio of Gerry Hemingway (drums), Mark Helias (bass) and Ray Anderson (trombone), with guests Joe Lovano on sax and Jason Moran on piano; superb lyrical soulful collective improvisation of the finest order.

In 1979 saxophonist/cornetist Joe McPhee met French reedist Andre Jaume in Paris to record this exceptional album of standards, drawing on works from Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk, Duke and Ellington, and Ornette Coleman; melodic, poignant, emotional and insightful jazz.

ICP Orchestra cellist/composer Tristan Honsinger wrote these sophisticated works combining free improv with mischievous songs in a band with Toshinori Kondo on trumpet, Sean Bergen on sax, Jean Jacques Avenel on bass, Michael Vatcher on drums and Tiziana Simona Vigni on voice.

Frequent collaborators, pianist Dave Burrell and tuba player Bob Stewart take on the early jazz music of Jelly Roll Morton alongside original compositions from Burrell, performed live at the Kolner Stadtgarten in Cologne, Germany in 1994 for a joyful look forward and back.

Live recordings from Alchemia Jazz Klub in Krakow, Poland in 2015 of the freely improvising trio of Francois Carrier on sax and Chinese oboe, Michel Lambert on drums, and Rafal Mazur on acoustic bass guitar, uniquely intertwining interchanges of joyful dialog.

The quartet of saxophonist Albert Cirera, pianist Agusti Fernandez, Hernani Faustino on bass and Gabriel Ferrandini on drums recording during the Voll Damm Festival Jazz Vic in Barcelona in 2015 for a set of four expansive, collective improvisations of intense interaction.

Live recordings from Salao, Brazil in 2016 by the quartet of John Dikeman on tenor saxophone, Luis Vicente on trumpet, Hugo Antunes on double bass, and Gabriel Ferrandini on drums, for two sets of exploratory and often explosive free jazz.

Pianist Howard Riley in a 5 CD box of absolutely impressive solo piano never before released on CD, including festival recordings in Paris & Debrecen, a 1987 cassette-only release, and three new albums from 2014, 15 & 16 titled as "Longer Story" "One", "Two" & "Three"; esssential!

Portuguese stoner rock band Black Bombaim and German free jazz saxophonist Peter Brotzmann recorded this album live at Estudios Sa Da Bandeira in Portugal, a power trio + 1 of uncompromising and burning improvisation, a less common but completely rewarding setting for Brotzmann.

Bringing together the core of the Gebhard Ullmann / Steve Swell Quartet in sax and trombone with Chicago mainstay improvisers Fred Longberg-Holm on cello & electronics and Michael Zerang on drums for an album that embraces free jazz, world rhythms, and experimental sound.

Downtown NY scene pioneering bassist, currently on the West Coast, Mark Dresser presents an album of original compositions performed with an amazing septet including Marty Ehrlich, Jim Black, Joshua White, Michael Dessen, David Morales Borof, and Nicole Mitchell.

Following jazz traditions blending lyrical and free approaches with unexpected twists and turns from the Norwegian quintet of Andree Roligheten on sax, Thomas Johansson on trumpet, Oscar Gronberg on piano, Jon Rune Strom on double bass, and Tollef Ostvang on drums.

An expansive album blending acoustic and electronic instruments in unique ways, creating a tapestry of sound as a framework for creative improvisation, composed by drummer Dre Hocevar & performed in an ensemble that includes some of New York's finest young improvisers.

Since 1999 the Norwegian Motif band has surprised listeners with their energetic, intelligent approach to experimental jazz, bridging free, structured, and collective approaches to improvised music, here as a sextet of trumpet/sax/clarinet/piano/bass/drums.

1995 recordings of the superb saxophone trio of Evan Paker on tenor & soprano, Daunik Lazro on alto & baritone, and Joe McPhee on alto & soprano, plus alto clarinet and pocket trumpet, a group that went undocumented until this live concert tape at Willisau was discovered.

Pianist and composer Eve Risser wrote this work after a mystical experience in Bryce Canyon, Utah, adding a choir to her 10-piece orchestra, balancing big band and chamber orchestra through instrumentation and approach, creating a complex and fulfilling journey in sound.

Long time collaborators and friends, part of the original Downtown NY scene, mutli-reedist and shakuhachi player Ned Rothenberg joins violinist Mark Feldman and pianist Sylvie Courvoisier to record a beautifully insightful album of commanding improvisation.

Swiss saxophonist Christoph Gallio has led the Day & Taxi group for more than 25 years, here as a trio with Silvan Jeger on double bass and David Meier on drums for a double LP of creative jazz blending unique contemporary composition with melodic approaches.

Frequent side-man to Bill Frisell, Dave Douglas, &c., drummer Rudy Royston leads a "chord-less" trio of Mostly Other People Do the Killing/Talibam! saxophonist Jon Irabagon and bassist Yasushi Nakamura through a strong, lyrical set of 13 original jazz compositions.

First recorded meeting of Chris Corsano (drums), Sylvie Courvoisier (piano), and Nate Wooley (trumpet) in the studio in Brooklyn, 2015, for a completely open, sensitive set of improvisations that are constantly on the edge, at times explosive, and always in a focused dialog.

French flutist Michel Edelin leads this 6-piece band named in honor of Jeremy Steig, with 4 flutists including Sylvaine Helary, Ludivine Issambourg, and Nicole Mitchell, plus John Betsch (drums) and Peter Giron (bass) in exceptional, unexpected and inclusive approaches to improv.

NY vocalist Kosi (Akosua Gyebi) recorded this album to accompany a theater production called Ghosts Appearing through the Sound: a tribute to Abbey Lincoln, paying homage to the great vocalist with a 4-piece band performing works by Lincoln, Coltrane, Monk, &c.

Saxophonist Quentin Biardeau and cellist Valentin Ceccalid, also on percussion, are Durio Zibethinus, a duo from Orleans, France using traditional and unusual instruments to present unique free improvisations balancing powerful technique and just plain creative fun.

During their 2014 tour, Canadian saxophonist Francois Carrier and long-time partner, percussionist Michel Lambert, went into the Experimental Sound Gallery [ESG 21] in St. Petersburg, Russia with pianist Alexey Lapin to record these superb free improvisations.

Saxophonist Paul Dunmall's quintet with Hamid Drake, Dave Kane, Steve Tromans, and Percy Pusgove, bridge traditional with chamber jazz and world music, including a work for bagpipes and frame drum, in a monumental suite of improvisational possibilities.

West Coast double bassist and mid-west drummer Alvin Fielder meet Norways saxophonist Frode Gjerstad at the 2016 No Idea Festival in Austin, TX, opening the festival with this remarkable display of free improvisation, a seething and burning set from these veteran players.

With members from Twenty One 4Tet, Clock and Clouds, Cactus Truck, and trumpeter Luis Vicente's Trio, this quartet's strength lies in a seemingly casual approach to what is in execution intensely detailed dialog, each member contributing to a unique and entrancing group sound.

The Trio was the influential 60's band of saxophonist John Surman, drummer Stu Martin, and bassist Barre Phillips, here paid tribute by saxophonist Bernd Reincke, drummer Chad Popple, and bassist John Hughes, using their tunes as a springboard for exuberant modern improv.

A trio of Chilean improvisers, Luis Conde on alto saxophone, Nicolas Rio on drums, and Ramiro Molina on electric guitar, with various pairings of the trio taking foreground in music that develops interesting structural compositions into tight dialogs of strong collective improv.

This French free improv group performs both quick-twisting post-bop compositions and modern extended technique work, comprised of John Cuny (piano), Jerome Fouquet (trumpet), Jean-Brice Godet (clarinet), Yoram Rosillio (bass) and Nicolas Souchal (trumpet).

The Ballrog duo of multi-reedist Klaus Ellerhusen Holm and double bassist Roger Arntzen is expanded with pedal steel guitarist Ivar Grydeland as they explore jazz influenced at the intersection of Jimmy Giufree and Eric Dolphy with Morton Feldman-esque non-linear structures.

Chris Pitsiokos' Unit with electric guitarist Brandon Seabrook, electric bassist Tim Dahl, and drummer Weasel Walter turn in a fiery and demanding album of compelling free jazz, using traditional jazz structures but turning them on their head in joyfully unconventional ways.