Exploring Hungarian folk songs from Vojvodina through the lens of jazz, Révészem, the fifth album from Szilárd Mezei and his exemplary ensemble of musicians from Vojvodina, Serbia, and Hungary, showcases a variety of configurations interpreting and expanding on these strong melodies, transforming them into a fully embraceable set of intricate compositions and inspired arrangements.

South African drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo's 2nd album as a leader with his sextet Viva La Black, newly remastered and including two extra tracks from the original LP, issued for the first time on CD drawing out their unique approach to British jazz through compositions from Keith Tippett, Chris McGregor, Tristan Honsinger, Mongezi Feza, Harry Miller, and Moholo-Moholo himself.

Dreamlike and evocative, Dream Walks is the second duo album from Michael Attias and Simon Nabatov, following 2021's Brooklyn Mischiefs, inviting listeners to transcend the physical world through telepathic improvisations, uncanny encounters, and surreal visions, capturing the essence of nocturnal wanderings and the ethereal interplay between two masterful musicians.

Ran Blake presents eleven solo performances at Amsterdam's Bimhuis, interpreting a captivating selection of tunes, including works by Duke Ellington and Abbey Lincoln; followed by eight duos with electric guitarist David 'Knife' Fabris, continuing their collaborative legacy from albums such as Horace is Blue and Something to Live For, along with their releases on Soul Note and NoBusiness.

The debut release from NY bassist Max Johnson's new trio with Neta Ranaan on tenor saxophone and Eliza Salem on drums, featuring five Johnson compositions that explore the post-bop tradition, from the hard-driving "Barbarous Jape" to the sweeping ballad "Tiny Beautiful," plus an elegy originally written for mandolinist Matt Flinner"s trio, and our clear favorite, "Chestnut Squid"!

Recorded at the Rimouski Music Conservatory in Quebec, the latest from Brulez les meubles of guitarist Louis Beaudoin-de la Sablonnière and bassist Eric Normand expands with saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, pianist Marianne Trudel, and vibraphonist Jonathan Huard in a drum-less exploration of jazz and chamber music, blending harmonic textures and patient interplay in a sophisticated and evocative musical conversation.

Recorded at the Rimouski Music Conservatory in Quebec, the latest from Brulez les meubles of guitarist Louis Beaudoin-de la Sablonnière and bassist Eric Normand expands with saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock, pianist Marianne Trudel, and vibraphonist Jonathan Huard in a drum-less exploration of jazz and chamber music, blending harmonic textures and patient interplay in a sophisticated and evocative musical conversation.

Merging jazz, tango, waltz, blues, chanson, and contemporary vocal experimentation, Michèle Buirette (accordion), Geneviève Cabannes (double bass), and Dominique Fonfrède (voice) craft an inventive and modern soundscape, combining traditional melodies with experimental techniques in an album that is melodic yet unpredictable, exploring themes with a blend of humor, depth, and originality.

Israeli trombonist Reut Regev and drummer Igal Foni join with legendary American composer and percussionist Doug Hammond, blending Hammond's reflective compositions and six-decade legacy — spanning blues, jazz, M-Base, and modernist works — with the boundary-pushing energy of the R*time quartet, for an engaging fusion of bold improvisation and musical insight.

Reissuing and remastering eight landmark albums released between 1956 and 1962, this collection traces iconoclastic pianist Cecil TaylorÕs evolution from bop-influenced beginnings to the groundbreaking free jazz forms he helped pioneer, featuring collaborations with Steve Lacy, John Coltrane, Kenny Dorham, Archie Shepp, Clark Terry, Roswell Rudd, and others, culminating in his trailblazing trio with Jimmy Lyons and Sunny Murray.

Building on the strength of their debut, the London-based trio Aspyrian — featuring Robin Porter on tenor and soprano saxophones, Jack Gillen on guitar, and Matt Parkinson on drums — delivers six vibrant original compositions by Porter and Parkinson, embodying the band's name, derived from Old English, as they explore and discover with a spirited and inventive approach to their craft.

Capturing the live performance of Dutch saxophonist and composer Luc Houtkamp and British pianist Alex Maguire in Senglea, Malta, September 2023, this recording showcases their seamless integration of spontaneous composition through sophisticated, implicitly lyrical collective improvisation, blending reflective passages with dynamic and energetic interplay.

Exploring Hungarian folk songs from Vojvodina through the lens of jazz, Révészem, the fifth album from Szilárd Mezei and his exemplary ensemble of musicians from Vojvodina, Serbia, and Hungary, showcases a variety of configurations interpreting and expanding on these strong melodies, transforming them into a fully embraceable set of intricate compositions and inspired arrangements.

Expanding and remastering the 2019 single CD of John Coltrane's Quartet from its European tour in the fall of 1962, with McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on double bass, and Elvin Jones on drums, performing at Stefaniensaal in Graz, Austria, beautifully recorded by ORF Steiermark and now presented in both volumes, showcasing Coltrane's lyrical roots and growing free inclinations.

The debut release from NY bassist Max Johnson's new trio with Neta Ranaan on tenor saxophone and Eliza Salem on drums, featuring five Johnson compositions that explore the post-bop tradition, from the hard-driving "Barbarous Jape" to the sweeping ballad "Tiny Beautiful," plus an elegy originally written for mandolinist Matt Flinner"s trio, and our clear favorite, "Chestnut Squid"!

Dreamlike and evocative, Dream Walks is the second duo album from Michael Attias and Simon Nabatov, following 2021's Brooklyn Mischiefs, inviting listeners to transcend the physical world through telepathic improvisations, uncanny encounters, and surreal visions, capturing the essence of nocturnal wanderings and the ethereal interplay between two masterful musicians.

Bringing together trumpeter Michael Sarian, keyboardist Matthew Putman, drummer Federico Ughi, and Cuban bassist-vocalist Ledian Mola to pay heartfelt tribute to Sun Ra's cosmic Afrofuturism, blending improvisational brilliance with Mola's folklore-inspired vocals and Putman's Rocksichord - the same keyboard model Sun Ra played - in a first-time collaboration and celebration of innovation.

Bringing together trumpeter Michael Sarian, keyboardist Matthew Putman, drummer Federico Ughi, and Cuban bassist-vocalist Ledian Mola to pay heartfelt tribute to Sun Ra's cosmic Afrofuturism, blending improvisational brilliance with Mola's folklore-inspired vocals and Putman's Rocksichord - the same keyboard model Sun Ra played - in a first-time collaboration and celebration of innovation.

Brooklyn-based saxophonist, composer, and bandleader Alfredo Colon's debut album presents an engaging set of enthusiastic works rooted in the blues tradition, featuring a cover of Delta blues singer Son House and performed with his Brooklyn quartet: Lex Korten (piano, Klavins Una Corda), Steve Williams (upright bass), and Connor Parks (drums), blending lyrical expression and balanced dynamics.

New York trumpeter Kenny Warren leads a trio with cellist Christopher Hoffman and drummer Nathan Ellman-Bell through eighteen Warren compositions that draw on diverse musical elements from around the globe — without being 'world music' — crafting succinct, creatively engaging works marked by eclectic references, unconventional time signatures, and a free-flowing lyrical spirit.

Portuguese pianist Luísa Gonçalves' second volume of solo improvisations extends her 2020 album Unno with eight new, lyrical works of succint and focused compositions that bring both her classical and improvisation skills to the foreground through beautifully structured and elegant works, ending with a lovely homage to "Bill Evans" that seemingly hangs in space.

Teiku, a Talmudic acronym that roughly translates to "unanswered question", was co-founded by pianist Josh Harlow and percussionist Jonathan Barahal Taylor to explore each of their family's unique Passover vocal melodies through improvisation and sonic exploration, performed in a quintet with Art Ensemble/Sun Ra bassist Jaribu Shahid and reedists Peter Formanek & Rafael Leafar.

Composer, pianist, and bandleader Tadd Dameron's first album, Fontainebleau (1956), and his final work, The Magic Touch (1962), are remastered to highlight his sophisticated hard bop compositions for large ensembles, featuring influential players like Bill Evans, Philly Joe Jones, and Ron Carter, and showcasing Dameron's lasting impact on jazz before his untimely passing.

A tribute to six extraordinary female pianists — Geri Allen, Carla Bley, Marilyn Crispell, Angelica Sanchez, Sylvie Courvoisier & Renne Rosnes — through compositions from New York pianist Kris Davis and one by drummer Johnathan Blake, melodically rich and intricately challenging pieces as Davis stands shoulder to shoulder with those who inspired her.

The second of two volumes in celebration of legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker's 100th birthday, here remastering his landmark recordings for the Savoy label in New York City between 1945-48, performing with jazz greats including Bud Powell, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, John Lewis, Curley Russel, Max Roach, &c. for some of be-bop's finest and best known compositions.

Ran Blake presents eleven solo performances at Amsterdam's Bimhuis, interpreting a captivating selection of tunes, including works by Duke Ellington and Abbey Lincoln; followed by eight duos with electric guitarist David 'Knife' Fabris, continuing their collaborative legacy from albums such as Horace is Blue and Something to Live For, along with their releases on Soul Note and NoBusiness.

Brooklyn-based Eva Novoa's new trio with sax legend Daniel Carter and drummer Francisco Mela debuts with their first volume, featuring compositions inspired by the four elements — earth, wind, fire, and water — and a Cuban piece, blending Novoa's piano, Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, and gongs with Carter's sax and Mela's rhythms for vibrant, free-flowing interplay.

Brooklyn-based Eva Novoa's new trio with sax legend Daniel Carter and drummer Francisco Mela debuts with their first volume, featuring compositions inspired by the four elements — earth, wind, fire, and water — and a Cuban piece, blending Novoa's piano, Fender Rhodes, electric harpsichord, and gongs with Carter's sax and Mela's rhythms for vibrant, free-flowing interplay.

Strut's deluxe 25th-anniversary edition of Sun Ra's Lanquidity, a highlight in the Arkestra's discography, features a tip-on sleeve with OBI strip, an A2 poster with a rare Veryl Oakland photograph of Sun Ra, and liner notes by Tom Buchler, Michael Ray, Danny Ray Thompson, and Bob Blank, celebrating this classic with a richly detailed and collectible repress.

Before his experimental, culturally absorbing large band work in the late 60s and 70s, trumpeter Don Ellis released these two excellent quartet albums featuring his own compositions, particularly the side-long work "Improvisational Suite 1", in bands with Jaki Byard, Ron Carter & Charlie Persip (How Time Passes) and with Paul Bley, Gary Peacock and either Gene Stone or Nick Martinis (Essence).

South African drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo's 2nd album as a leader with his sextet Viva La Black, newly remastered and including two extra tracks from the original LP, issued for the first time on CD drawing out their unique approach to British jazz through compositions from Keith Tippett, Chris McGregor, Tristan Honsinger, Mongezi Feza, Harry Miller, and Moholo-Moholo himself.

Austrian pianist Elias Stemeseder and German percussionist Christian Lillinger expand their partnership into a quartet with brilliant New York trumpeter Peter Evans and double bassist Russell Hall, in this all-acoustic follow-up to their 2023 album Umbra in 13 avant jazz compositions, inventively lyrical and unpredictably impressive, recorded in the warmth of the Van Gelder studios.

Chicago-based bass clarinetist-composer Jason Stein returns from a six-year hiatus as bandleader with a beautifully personal, nuanced, and expansive album, created with bassist Joshua Abrams (Natural Information Society), drummer Gerald Cleaver, and guitarist and co-producer Boon, in a suite of seven Stein compositions ranging from meditative calm to gripping intensity.

Allen Lowe's 2-volume 4-CD set evokes through original music the musical eras that Louis Armstrong lived through, from ragtime to early jazz, swing, bebop, avant garde jazz, Dada and rock & roll, a rollicking, perceptive and fun set of compositions with contributors including Marc Ribot, Ray Anderson, Frank Lacy, Lewis Porter, Elijah Schiffer, Matt Shipp, Ursula Oppens, &c.

Allen Lowe's 2-volume 4-CD set evokes through original music the musical eras that Louis Armstrong lived through, from ragtime to early jazz, swing, bebop, avant garde jazz, Dada and rock & roll, a rollicking, perceptive and fun set of compositions with contributors including Marc Ribot, Ray Anderson, Frank Lacy, Lewis Porter, Elijah Schiffer, Matt Shipp, Ursula Oppens, &c.

Three sides of Charles Mingus in this remastered reissue set: the 1961 Candid album Mingus Presents Mingus with the classic quartet of Eric Dolphy, Ted Curson and Dannie Richmond; then the Mercury release Pre-Bird from the same year, in ensembles performing the music of or influenced by Duke Ellington, along with the ambitious and brilliant through-composed work, "Half Mast Inhibition".

After meeting through mutual esteem of their individual SoundCloud presences, these Oregon string players met to develop their compellingly engaging work in rehearsal, David Van Auken's guitar arrangements the perfect canvas for the sitar melodies of J.J. Gregg; after touring together they went into the studio for this album's 8 tracks, plus two live recordings.

Active since 1976, the Northwoods Improviser collective founded by percussionist and drummer Mike Gilmore and bassist Mike Johnston, with drummer Nick Ashton joining in 1986, working with saxophonist Faruq Z. Bey after the 2000s; this live-in-the-studio recording is of the rhythmic trio captured joyfully jamming on the music they would record with Bey later that day.

With more than 25 years of experience playing together in bands including Trio Kamosc, Gueuledeloup Quartet and The Achim Kaufmann Trio, alongside duo performances playing original compositions and the music of Herbie Nicols, here now in a double CD from two concerts in Berlin in 2022, with one third of the material exploring the music of Andrew Hill.

Portuguese pianist Luísa Gonçalves' second volume of solo improvisations extends her 2020 album Unno with eight new, lyrical works of succint and focused compositions that bring both her classical and improvisation skills to the foreground through beautifully structured and elegant works, ending with a lovely homage to "Bill Evans" that seemingly hangs in space.

Ten numbered Ballads from the pen of John Zorn, writing for the trio of Brian Marsella on piano, Jorge Roeder on bass and Ches Smith on drums, his third album with this same Downtown New York piano trio and by far the most lyrical and lovely collection to date, as the trio settles into Zorn's inventive structures with improvisational passion and adroit interaction.

Paying homage to recordings from Mingus, Sanders, Thornton, &c, albums that shaped his approach to jazz composition and playing, trumpeter Frank London and his band The Elders--Marilyn Lerner, piano; Hilliard Greene, bass; Newman Taylor Baker, drums; and Greg Wall on sax on 3 tracks--perform six sophisticated London compositions that bridge modern improv with 60s post-bop lyricism.

The second release from NY guitarist Mary Halvorson's Amaryllis band of Halvorson, Patricia Brennan (vibraphone), Nick Dunston (bass), Tomas Fujiwara (drums), Jacob Garchik (trombone), and Adam O'Farrill (trumpet), with Laurie Anderson on violin featured on one track, for eight exquisitely optimistic, diverse and genre-merging Halvorson compositions.

Originally formed in 1948 under the name Radio Belgrade Entertainment Orchestra and transformed into a jazz big band in 1954, this enduring orchestra has invited some of the most legendary jazz performers as soloists and collaborators, here with Swiss trombonist Samuel Blaser for an album of Blaser original compositions & arrangements performed under the direction of Ivan Ilic.

Rich in melody that's tinged with European folk music, beautifully orchestrated with viola, vibraphone, double bass, drums & percussion, Serbian violist Szilárd Mezei's compositions take listeners on a journey from melodic optimism to poignant moments of timeless history, indeed a narrative as from a timeless novel read with passion and sincerity; exquisite.

Revisiting previous works in new arrangements, particularly the title track "Jaguar" originally recorded as a septet in 2005 and here with violin Szilárd Mezei's current quartet orchestrated for violin, vibes, double bass and drums; or the large work "Hep 35", part of a decades-long series of compositions employing unison melodies that open facilitate extended improvisation.

The project name chosen by the duo of Portuguese improvisers, saxophonist Joao Mortagua and pianist Carlos Azevedo, translates to "heel", which they explain "represents the footprint we leave behind as we navigate a constantly evolving musical path", heard in 14 succinct improvisations that balance implicitly lyrical dialog with unconventional and often mischievous technique.

The lesser known hard bop trumpeter Booker Little died at just 23, but left a legacy in these two sextet albums that balance lyricism with freedom — Out Front and Booker Little and Friend — the former recorded with Eric Dophy and Max Roach, and the latter with George Coleman & Julian Priester, both albums with legendary players including Ron Carter, Reggie Workman, Art Davis, Don Friedman &c..

Featuring some of composer John Zorn's most lyrical work, the duo of guitarists Gyan Riley and Julian Lage continue their collaboration in the series that started in 2015 with The Bagatelles and continues through Midsummer Moons (2017), Book Beri'ah (2019), and Quatrain (2023), as they render Zorn's beautiful merging of eclectic forms inspired by William Shakespeare.

A truly lovely and intimate duo album between French guitarist, composer and improviser Guillaume Gargaud and Finnish trumpet player Eero Savela, their second album after their 2020 release Helsinki, expanding their conversation in relaxed and filtered jazz that balances abstraction and lyricism with a natural pace and sophistication.

Returning to the electronic jazz approach of his album Multifariam, cellist Christopher Hoffman, composing with the core trio of Frank LoCrasto on keyboards and Bill Campbell on drums, is joined by luminaries such as Henry Threadgill, Ryan Scott, Anna Webber, and Alfred Colón on select tracks, releasing a lyrically compelling album that draws on a diverse range of influences.

A collection of songs exploring intimacy under colonialism by the writing duo of bassist and singer/lyricist Mali Obomsawin, a member of the Odanak First Nation and known for her work with the band Lula Wiles, and Chicago guitarist Magdalena Abrego, based in Cambridge, MA, featuring eight beautifully crafted pieces that showcase lyrical strength and astute observation.

"Lovely" but also free to take some wild asides, Russian-American pianist Simon Nabatov's quintet with trumpeter Ralph Allessi, saxophonist Sebastian Gille, bassist David Helm and drummer Leif Berger pivots around melodic cores from Nabatov's alluring compositions as he explores themes of love, refraining from cloying approaches through sophisticated and often edgy direction for his players.

Unabashedly lyrical and focused on jazz tradition, the Swiss trio of Alex Hendriksen on tenor saxophone, Fabian Gisler on double bass and Paul Amereller on drums present an album of standards, including pieces by Tadd Dameron, Billy Strayhorn, Jerome Kern, Thelonious Monk and Benny Golson, warmly interpreted with extraordinary band interplay and individual soloing.

Meticulously remastered, these twelve "lost" studio recordings from the Arkestra in 1986 find Sun Ra performing with the Outer Space Visual Communicator (OVC), which used light to create kaleidoscopic visuals during performance, as seen in still pictures in the included booklet, which also has extensive liner notes and an in-depth interview with OVC inventor Bill Sebastian.

Taking the collaboration between composer John Zorn and composer/vocalist Jesse Harris on the stage for a live performance at National Sawdust, in Brooklyn in 2023, supported by a dream band of Brian Marsella on piano, Jorge Roeder on bass and Ches Smith on drums; sixteen upbeat, beautiful and sophisticated songs that bring Downtown NY sensibilities to lyrical vocal jazz.

An album of lyrical electric jazz from Japanese sax player based in NYC Ayumi Ishito, a frequent collaborator with Daniel Carter, here with her own band of Hajime Yoshida and Yana Davydova on guitars, Yoshiki Yamada on bass and Carter Bales on drums, for eight fusion-oriented, upbeat melodic original works that yield great soloing and band interaction.

The Swedish title translating to "Species", the contemplatively elegant interactions between pianist Karin Johansson and tenor saxophonist Lisen Rylander are named for extinct species of animals and plants, as the two improvise over the loss of species that disappear from the earth every year, their wistful music augmented through preparations, kalimbas, live electronics and percussion.

The Swedish title translating to "Species", the contemplatively elegant interactions between pianist Karin Johansson and tenor saxophonist Lisen Rylander are named for extinct species of animals and plants, as the two improvise over the loss of species that disappear from the earth every year, their wistful music augmented through preparations, kalimbas, live electronics and percussion.

Revisiting and remastering two essential albums from New York hard bop trumpeter Kenny Dorham, a tremendous musican who died much too young but left a legacy of 20 albums as a leader, here in his 1956 Blue Note album in a sextet that included Bobby Timmons and Kenny Burrell, and his 1963 United Artists Jazz album in a quintet with Jackie McLean, Bobby Timmons, Teddy Smith and JC. Moses.

The long-running Silt Trio led by DC bassist and composer Luke Stewart, with Brian Settles on tenor sax and either drummer Trae Crudup or Chad Taylor, in their debut for Pi Recordings with seven Stewart compositions founded around his deep grooves; playful and sophisticated work that leave room for tremendous soloing and support from each trio configuration.

A new book of compositions and four interesting interpretations of Billy Strayhorn songs from trumpeter Dave Douglas' premier of a new quartet with tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis and two members of the post-rock trio Son Lux — guitarist Rafiq Bhatia and drummer Ian Chang — in a lyrically embraceable and sophisticated album dedicated to the gifts of life and music we all share.

Dedicated to his wife Francesca, David Murray shows his powerful ability to play both lyrically and free, with an impressive quartet of young musicians--Marta Sanchez on piano, Luke Stewart on bass and Russell Carter on drums--performing Murray compositions and one from Don Pullen, blending a variety of influences with modern sensibility and commanding soloing from all players.

Focused around a poem by Adelaide Anne Procter titled "A Lost Chord", West Coast guitarist Henry Kaiser invokes the spirit of Procter's words through a stunningly beautiful album of both contemplative and technically excellent work, his first solo album performed on the lower tuned baritone guitar, in 10 tracks inspired by Frith, Xenakis, Evan Parker, Ligeti, &c.
Includes a free copy of Trouble with the Treble while quantities last!

An album to absorb and get excited over, as Matt Lavelle pursues a long-running dream to bring his 12 Houses Orchestra to record, here in an incredible collection of compositions, just the first set of a larger concept of solid jazz pieces that pivot on astrology and numerology as reflected in time signature, bar lines, melody notes, chords, and intervals; powerful, lyrical, spectacular work!

Trumpeter Luís Vicente joins the Spanish saxophonist Liba Villavechia's Trio with double bassist Alex Reveriego and drummer Vasco Trilla for a studio album of four Villavecchia compositions, and one each from Reviriego and Vicente, propelling the band into hard swinging free improv balanced with introspective abstraction and sonic extensions; masterful.

After meeting through mutual esteem of their individual SoundCloud presences, these Oregon string players met to develop their compellingly engaging work in rehearsal, David Van Auken's guitar arrangements the perfect canvas for the sitar melodies of J.J. Gregg; after touring together they went into the studio for this album's 8 tracks, plus two live recordings.

The Swedish free jazz septet STHLM svaga work at the liminal edges of delicate improvisation and song, for this album commissioning works from Archie Shepp, Ron Carter and Roscoe Mitchell, Carter traveling to Stockholm to provide guidance on his composition "Desert Lament"; the band also performs Coltrane's "Jupiter" and Per Henrik Wallin's piece "Winter Rhapsody".

The improvising string duo of stalwart London improvisers, Daniel Thompson on acoustic guitar and Phil Durrant on the octave mandola, are heard in two settings of texturally rich, intricate interactions, first at Cafe OTO in 2022 for an extended improvisation, then at Cable Street Studios two months later for six succint, impressively diverse dialogs.

Celebrating 50 years, percussionist Kahil El'Zabar's Ethnic Heritage Ensemble as the trio of El'Zabar, Corey Wilkes (trumpet) and Alex Harding (bar. sax), joined on tracks by James Sanders (violin) and Ishmael Ali (cello), reinterpret classics including "Great Black Music", "Ornette" and Aretha Franklin's "Compared to What", along with Miles' "All Blues" and McCoy Tyner's "Passion Dance".

With a rare ability to play hard-hitting jazz while maintaining a lyrical sense to his compositions, tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis' new studio album from his quartet of Aruan Ortiz on piano, Brad Jones on bass and Chad Taylor on drums is the fourth album from this working band, demonstrating their strong group affinity that invokes impressive soloing from all four.

Presented in two versions--a stereo mix and a binaural mix for headphones--flugelhorn improviser and composer Franz Koglmann leads his septet of exceptional players through 10 original Koglmann compositions, sophisticated works that show influences from Ellington to Franz Joseph Haydn or Johann Strauss, in pieces influenced by or tipping the hat to modern artists, musicians and writers.

Three sides of Charles Mingus in this remastered reissue set: the 1961 Candid album Mingus Presents Mingus with the classic quartet of Eric Dolphy, Ted Curson and Dannie Richmond; then the Mercury release Pre-Bird from the same year, in ensembles performing the music of or influenced by Duke Ellington, along with the ambitious and brilliant through-composed work, "Half Mast Inhibition".

A series of electroacoustic improv "Ballads" and "Blues", beautiful and chimerical works at the intersection of strings and a miscellany of percussion, patiently and unhurriedly unfolding under the deep listening ears from the Polish trio of Patryk Zakrocki on prepared electric guitar & granular delay, Maciej Garbowski on double bass and Krzysztof Gradziuk on multipercussion, objects & toys.

The 2nd album from the Polish guitar trio of Marek Malinowski on guitar, Robert Rychlicki-Gasowski on double bass & bass guitar, and Wojciech Zadruaynski on drums, performing Malinowski's embraceable mix of lyrically inclined modern jazz compositions with an explorative side, balancing structure with free space for sprightly spontaneity, a beautiful followup.

The Swiss guitar trio of Florestan Berset on electric guitar with Norbert Pfammatter on drums and Francesco Losavio on double bass perform a mix of lyrical compositions from Berset, along with lyrically inclined collective improvisation from the group, each player bringing unique approaches to their instruments in a highly compatible set of conversations.

A trio of all-star European jazz performers from three generations — drummer Daniel Humair (85), bass player Heiri Kanzig (66) and trombonist Samuel Blaser (42) — in their second album after 2020's album 1291, for a mixture of original compositions and standards including Monk's "Jackie-ing" & "Bemsha Swing", Ellington's "Creole Love Song" & "Tiger Rag".

Picking up from their last album in 2005, Lapis Exilis, alto saxophonist Jim Hobb's Fully Celebrated Orchestra joyfully returns with a new set of lyrical Hobb's compositions, Timo Shanko still creating a solid bass foundation and Luther Gray taking Django Carranza's place, extending the band with AYCH member Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet and Ian Ayers on guitar.

An exuberant album of modern jazz from the Norwegian quintet of Andre Roligheten on tenor saxophone, Thomas Johansson on trumpet, Oscar Gronberg on piano, Jon Rune Strom on double bass and Tollef Ostvang on drums & percussion, their 6th full album of lyrically rich, energetic free jazz taking the 60's & 70s New Thing movement into new modern directions; excellent!

Old Mountain is the Portuguese duo of pianist Pedro Branco and drummer João Sousa, drawing on melodic jazz of the past with a venturous twist, here in their 3rd album, dedicated to Misha Mengelberg, Masabumi Kikuchi, Thelonious Monk and Paul Motian, extended as a quintet with double bassists João Hasselberg & Hernani Faustino and tenor saxophonist Tony Malaby.

The debut for young Slovenian pianist Rebeka Rusjan Zajc, living and working in Amsterdam, brings forward a new voice in lyrically elegant and virtuosically confident solo piano improvisation, her extended piece "Illusion" divided in natural segments that allow her progressions to develop through accomplished, lively runs and moments of suspended beauty.

Teiku, a Talmudic acronym that roughly translates to "unanswered question", was co-founded by pianist Josh Harlow and percussionist Jonathan Barahal Taylor to explore each of their family's unique Passover vocal melodies through improvisation and sonic exploration, performed in a quintet with Art Ensemble/Sun Ra bassist Jaribu Shahid and reedists Peter Formanek & Rafael Leafar.

Unofficial jazz documentarian Boris Rose captured these recordings on reel-to-reel tape of the Bill Evans Trio in 1960, an artistically fulfilling concert at Birdland in NYC and a rare recording of this particular trio with bassist scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian; originally issued in 1992 on the Cool & Blue label, here properly restored and remastered.

The first of two volumes in celebration of legendary saxophonist Charlie Parker's 100th birthday, here remastering his landmark recordings for the Dial label on the US West Coast between 1946-47, performing with jazz greats including Miles Davis, Lucky Thompson, Erroll Garner, Barney Kessel, Red Calender, JJ Johson, Max Roach, &c. for some of Parker's best known and essential compositions.

CREASE IN SLEEVE, CDS FINE