Claiming to have been inspired by smooth jazz, the 6th MOPDTK album is a remarkable achievement of forward-thinking free jazz with a bizarre sense of humor and an irresistible love of poking fun at form while simultaneously paying homage.

New York's brilliant band takes on Miles Davis' classic "Kind of Blue" in a note-for-note recreation, a head-scratching anomaly that is as close to performing a perfect replica as is imaginable.

Joe Morris wrote this book to discuss aspects of free music, including responses to his questionnaire written by Joe McPhee, William Parker, Jamie Saft, Ken Vandermark, Marilyn Crispell, Nate Wooley, Jack Wright, Matthew Shipp, &c.

A 1985 recording of guitarist Joe Morris with Lowell Davidson (drums), Malcolm Goldstein (violin) and Butch Moriss (cornet) riffing on the idea of graffiti tags, performed live at the Cambridge Dance Center.

For the first time, instrumentalists and improvisers Joe Morris (guitar), William Parker (bass), and Gerald Cleaver (drums) play together as a trio and create four excellent works of free jazz.

Live recordings from guitarist Joe Morris, performing solo at Bimhuis in Amsterdam in two Octobers from 2013 to 2014, showing remarkable technical and creative skills while captivating his audience with accessible progressions and story-telling; masterful!

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

A series of exceptional compositions by saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc plus one by Alice Coltrane, performed in a variety of group settings, from duos to quintet, with sidemen Matthew Shipp, Roy Campbell, Steve Swell, Hilliard Greene, and Newman Taylor Baker.

The next step in Iranian-American saxophonist Hafez Modirzadeh's quest to create a seamless cross-cultural exchange of musical structures between the Persian dastgah and American jazz.

Art Ensemble founder Roscoe Mitchel on reeds, winds and percussion, in an extended electroacoustic work performed with James Fei on reeds and analog electronics and William Winant on percussion; a composition/improvisation blending sound and space in creative and compelling ways.

Composer Roscoe Mitchell prepared two compositions with space for improvisation, as well as a Cards composition in which the musicians received six cards with written material that were then arranged in any order and played at any tempo.

Chicago flutist Nicole Mitchell's NY band with Craig Taborn (piano & wurlitzer), David Boykin (sax), Chad Taylor (drums & guitar) in a tribute to her mentor, the late saxophonist Fred Anderson and his Velvet Lounge club, in an excellent mix of free and melodic playing.

An ambitious work from flautist, composer and conductor Nicole Mitchell writing for a large ensemble of improvisers, electronics, and chamber orchestra, a complex and layered work that reveals more with each listen.

The debut recording from NY pianist Matt Mitchell, in a duo with drummer Ches Smith on drums, percussion & vibes, 15 inventive original compositions written to push Mitchell's technical skills in improvisational settings, each an ingenious little puzzle.

Serbian viola-player/composer Szilard Mezei and his Wind Quartet return with a release that crosses contemporary chamber music, European folk-jazz and improvisation in magnificent ways.

The 20th volume of the Book of Angels series is led by virtuoso guitarist Pet Metheny as he creatively plays John Zorn's compositions with a large assortment of instruments and electronics.

1974 recordings at WKCR in NYC from the quintet of Charles Brackeen (flute & sax), Ahmed Abdullah (trumpet), William Parker (bass), Roger Blank (drums) and Tony Waters (percussion), beautifully recorded and essential free improvisation.

Mecha Fixes Clocks' 3rd release with Michel F. Cote, Lori Freedman, Philippe Lauzier, Ellwood Epps, Josh Zubot, Martin Tetrault, Bernard Falaise, &c... a musique actuelle supergroup, and an amazing conceptual work.

A rich and unusual interpretation of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman" recorded in Boswil, Switzerland in 1981 with McPhee, Pierre Favre, Irene Schweizer, Radu Malfatti, Daniel Bourquin, &c., in its first-ever release.

A project about the rich jazz history of Brooklyn, NY, recorded in that burrough by NY saxophonist Joe McPhee & bassist Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, referencing Putnam Central, The Blue Coronet, Sonny Rollins, and Brooklyn itself.

Chicago cornetist/composer Rob Mazurek leads his Exploding Star Orchestra featuring Roscoe Mitchell with Nicole Mitchell, Matana Roberts, Steve Swell, Matt Bauder, Jason Adasiewica, &c. through a colossal 8 part work, and also provides a single CD of cosmic electronics.

Named after Jean Genet's infamous novel, New York pianist Matthew Shipp's quartet Declared Enemy with Sabir Mateen on tenor sax & clarinet, William Parker on double bass, and Gerald Cleaver on drums, return for a second outstanding album of dynamic and masterful jazz.

Massacre with Fred Frith, Bill Laswell and Charles Hayward in an album collecting live recordings from Frith's private archives, documenting their 1999 European tour and 2008 performances, spectacular improvised rock.

The last recording of the trio of saxophonist and flutist Paul Dunmall, guitarist Phill Gibbs, and the late drummer Tony Marsh, a fitting tribute to the great drummer's long association with Dunmall and Gibbs.

Trumpeter Nik Malcom leads his quartet with pianist Alexander Hawkins, bassist Olie Brice and drummer Mark Whitlam on a series of compositions that provide frameworks for excellent free playing.

The result of a three day series of concerts by Ken Vandermark's new project with electronicist Christoff Kurzmann, electric bassist Devin Hoff and drummer Tim Daisy, taking new directions by following the principles of "modular organization".

The first solo electronics and percussion album by radical and legendary British improvisor Paul Lytton since 1979, recorded in the studio in Germany, and using a wealth of homemade instruments, laptop, percussive devices, objects, and electro-mechanical devices.

Nate Wooley and Paul Lytton continue their collaborations, extending their new duo recordings with live tracks from The Stone in NYC with Ikue Mori, and at Chicago's Hideout with Ken Vandermark.

The fourth release from NY guitarist Lundbom's Big Five Chord, wide ranging jazz tunes with two saxes (Irabagon and Murray) in a band with great technical and melodic power!

The string duo Bobun celebrates ten years of creative collaboration with this six piece suite, a studio recording of diverse improvisations that runs the gamut from lowercase minimalism to dense and technically exuberant interaction.

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

3 recordings from 3 live concerts in 3 London boroughs, including the 2012 Freedom of the City Festival, bringing together master improvisers Evan Parker (saxophone), Eddie Prevost (Percussion) and Sebastian Lexer (piano) for unpredictable and exhilarating dialog.

Daniel Levin's quartet with trumpeter Nate Wooley, vibraphonist Matt Moran and bassist Peter Bitenc, modern and organic improvisation with incredible technique and aesthetic.

Cellist Daniel Levin Quartet leads his quartet with Nate Wooley on trumpet, Matt Moran on vibes, and Torbjorn Zetterberg on bass, in open-minded modern compositions that blend jazz, chamber, and experimental improvisation of reserved and riveting character.

NY saxophonist Steve Lehman builds on his work with spectral harmony, expanding the harmonic palette with live electronics & a custom-built vibraphone, in an octet with Jonathan Finlayson, Mark Shim, Tim Albright, Chris Dingman, Jose Davila, Drew Gress & Tyshawn Sorey.

Cellist and Downtown NY mainstay Okkyung Lee in an album of intimate chamber pieces that combine written music with noise improvisation, for an ensemble including Ikue Mori, Peter Evans, Craig Taborn, &c.

The duo of French bassist Joelle Leandre and flautist Jerome Bourdellon, two tremendously skilled improvisers in an impressive dialog on a variety of flutes, bass clarinet, bass, voice, with one solo piece from each.

Relative Pitch Records debuts with the excellent duo of bassist Joelle Leandre and Bay Area woodwind improviser Phil Greenlief in 11 variations for contrabass and woodwinds.

The 8-piece collective improvising group of Patricia Bosshard (violin), Laurent Bruttin (clarinets), Yannick Barman (trumpet), Jean-Jacques Pedretti (trombone), Vinz Vonlanthen (guitar), Dragos Tara (bass), Cyril Bondi (percussion), Christophe Berthet (sax).

The superb trio of Daunik Lazro on baritone sax, Benjamin Duboc on bass, and Didier Lasserre on drum & cymbals, in a live recording from Ecouter pour l'instant festival, a long open work inspired by poet Henri Michaux's writings on emptiness & tranquility.

After many years collaborating together, New York saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and drummer Tom Rainey present their debut as a duo in a series of improvisations, from subtle interaction to rousing interplay.

Saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock's Sleepthief trio with Tom Rainey on drums and Liam Noble inside and out of the piano, recording in the studio in NYC, a dynamic and remarkably paced journey in free improvisation.

A joyful and sophisticated performance from bassist and leader Adam Lane's Full Throttle Orchestra, an 8-piece band including Nate Wooley, Susana Silva, Reut Regev, David Bindman, Avram Fefer, Adam Lane & Igal Foni performing live at the 53rd Ljubljana Jazz Festival.

A trio of NY compatriots, bassist Adam Lane leads his trio with drummer Vijay Anderson and alto saxophonist Darrius Jones as they develop cohesive spontaneous compositions in a beautiful suite of sound.

A trio of NY compatriots, bassist Adam Lane leads his trio with drummer Vijay Anderson and alto saxophonist Darrius Jones as they develop cohesive spontaneous compositions in a beautiful suite of sound.

Balancing active organized sound worlds from Graham Lambkin with Wandelweiser discretion from Michael Pisaro-Liu in five tracks that punctuate concrete sound compositions with Feldman-esque piano progressions, bound together by a short poem; captivating and elusive.

An incredible and twisted journey in sound from sonic explorers Graham Lambkin and Jason Lescalleet, who alternately hypnotize and startle the listeners in a series of "photographs" documenting their personal histories in sound.

Crossing tonal material with post-bop playing, trumpeter Susana Santos Silva leads her LAMA trio in electroacoustic and traditional playing, with guest reedist Joachim Badenhorst adding a masterful edge, as they interpret the novel by the Nobel Prize winner Jose Saramago.

The 2nd Intakt release for the trio of Oliver Lake (sax), Christian Weber (bass) and Dieter Ulrich (drums) performing live at the Zurich JazzFestival Unerhort 2011 with guest trombone player Nils Wogram.

Tenor, soprillo saxophonist & flautist Jonas Kullhammar's trio with Torbjorn Zetterberg (bass) and Espen Aalberg (drums) is extended to a quartet with tenor saxophonist Jorgen Mathisen, in the 3rd "Basement Sessions" release recorded live at the 5th Ljubljana Jazz Festival.

Three bassists converged on WNUR Studios, in Evanston, Illinois in 1998 to record these tracks, finally released after 16 years: 5 freely improvised trio sessions, 6 miniatures suggested by Kowald and performed by the trio, and 6 duos between Kowald and Lonberg-Holm.

The 5th studio album from the trio of Tatsuya Yoshida (Ruins alone / Koenji Hyakkei), Kido Natsuki (Bondage Fruit / Salle Gavoux), Nasunomitsuru (Altered states / Umbeltipo), avant-progressive instrumental rock, melodic and complex rock performed at breakneck speed.

Korekyojinn (Yoshida Tatsuya, Nasuno Mitsuru and Kido Natuski) in their 7th release, joined by violinist Akihisa Tsuboy, recorded live at Tokyo's Koenji High, Lush, and Missions from 2008-2010.

The remarkable Swiss improvising trio Koch-Schutz-Studer collaborates with NY improvising vocalist artist Shelley Hirsch for an amazing album of voice and electronic and acoustic improvisation with few boundaries and incredible insight.

Three Swiss improvisers - Hans Koch on bass clarinet, Alexandre Bable on percussion, and Gaudenz Badrutt on electronics - in an inventive and exceptionally well-balanced 7 part suite of tonal work, quick interplay, and extended techniques.

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

Five freely improvised tracks recorded live in 2013 at London's Vortex Jazz Club from the trio of Stefan Keune on soprano & tenor sax, Dominic Lash on double bass, and Steve Noble on drums & percussion, playing demanding active work and more introspective inner dialog; exceptional!

A mysterious electroacoustic work in seven compositions commissioned by the Sylvain Emard Danse group of keyboard artists Tiari Kese, aided by trumpeter Ellwood Epps and percussionist Michel F Cote.

Grid Mesh drummer Willi Kellers Quartet with the dual saxophone lineup of Paul Dunmall and Frank Paul Schubert and bassist Clayton Thomas (BassX3, Ames Room) performing live at Black box/CUBA, in Muenster, DE; powerful and innovative improv.

Magaibutsu drummer Yoshida Tatsuya and Innocence/Altered States guitarist Uchihashi Kazuhisa in a genre-shifting and inspired duo from two of Japan's most active rock improvisers.

The 4th improvisation release of drummer Yoshida Tatsuya (Ruins, Koenji, &c) and guitarist Uchihasi Kazuhisa (Altered States) is a DVD audio release presenting 36 remarkable live tracks from 6 concerts recorded 2004-2012.

The dynamic duo of drummer Yoshida Tatsuya (Ruins, Korekyojin, Koenji Hyakkei) and guitarist Uchihashi Kazuhisa (Altered States, Ground Zero) meet in the studio with pianist Mishiba Satoshi for ten multi-tracked rock improvisations of great diversity, power and beauty.

Natsuki Tamura & Christian Pruvost on trumpets, Satoko Fuji on piano and Peter Orins on drums for a quartet where all members are active compositional contributors, creating a powerful ensemble sound with strong soloing using modern creative techniques; excellent!

With two trumpets, drums and piano, Kaze's 2nd release with Satoko Fujii, Natsuki Tamura, and Muzzix members Christian Pruvost and Peter Orins, hits like the album title, but surprises with contrasts from torrential power to beautiful melodic interplay.

The 21st volume in John Zorn's Book of Angels presents 10 Masada arrangements from Eyvind Kang, performing on a variety of strings & keys, with a modern orchestra and unusual orchestration to create a lyrical and unique vision of Zorn's work.

The New York trio of trumpeter Kirk Knuffke, bassist Max Johnson and Ziv Ravitz recording mostly original compositions in the studio, modern improvisation blending melodic and free improvisation in excellent ways.

The duo of Berlin clarinetists Kai Fagaschinski and Michael Thieke (The Magic I.D.) create rich, evolving soundscapes using tones and odd interjections in unison and in dissonance, dark works of subtle beauty in unique sound oriented compositions.

Two creative flautists come together when Michel Edilin joins Nicole Mitchell's Indigo Trio with Harrison Bankhead and Hamid Drake for an album of excellent and tantric improvisation.

Referencing the work of French artist and composer Yves Klein, this large group of Creative Sources regulars perform the 4 part Monochrome Bleu Sans Titre, a subtle and rich work of acoustic and electronic improvisation.

A large Lisboa ensemble presenting a collective improvisation titled after a painting by Yves Klein, with performers including Ernesto Rodrigues (baritone violin), Miguel Mira (bass), Nuno Torres (sax), Carlos Santos (electronics), Rodrigo Pinheiro (piano), &c. &c.

Eyal Maoz, James Ilgenfritz, and Lukas Ligeti make up Hypercolor, the NYC-based spastic jazz-rock hybrid whose ridiculous artsong craftsmanship alternately revels in complexity or brazen simplicity, favoring entropy and near-disaster over order or tidiness.

Performing live at B-Flat, in Berlin, Germany in 2014, this album aptly names the intricate interactions and dialog from this sophisticated and seasoned quartet, performing extended collective compositions that showcases each player while emphasizing their group dynamic.

A collosal encounter of drummer William Hooker and the late wind player Thomas Chapin performing at the 9th Street Gallery in NYC in 1992, 3 massive improvisations from the jazz underground.

A collosal encounter of drummer William Hooker and the late wind player Thomas Chapin performing at the 9th Street Gallery in NYC in 1992, 3 massive improvisations from the jazz underground.

Free improvising vocalist and story spieler Shelley Hirsch teams with Simon Ho and a great set of musicians including Tony Buck, David Hofstra, Tomas Ulrich, for an engaging and fascinating set of songs and stories.

A hybrid of theater, music, sound poetry and political manifesto from Sylvaine Helary, focused on the "Arab Spring" in Egypt, using intertwining words and voices around the quartet performances of Hugues Mayot, Sylvain Lemetre, Antonin Rayon and Sylvaine Helary.

Bassist John Hebert continues to explore his Louisana/Cajun roots with his trio of Benoit Delbecq on piano (plus synth & electronics) and drummer Gerald Cleaver, challenging and enigmatic improvisation with a solid rhythmic center.

This Heat/Camberwell Now drummer Charles Hayward's latest solo album after a long wait, an incredible and unique journey through drums, electronics and song, personal, pointed and brilliant statements from one or rock's master voices.

Berlin-based saxophonist Boris Hauf's sextet with Keefe Jackson (sax), Jason Stein (bass clarinet), Frank Rosaly (drums), Steve Hess (drums & electronics) and Michael Hartman (drums) in 4 extended pieces of boiling intensity.

The Chicago electroacoustic quartet of saxophonist, sine tone & harmonium player Boris Hauff, drummer/electronicist Steven Hess, and reedist Keefe Jackson, recording in the studio 3 freely improvised pieces that build in intensity as the album develops.

Mary Halvorson leads her Septet with Jonathan Finlayson (trumpet), Jon Irabagon (alto sax), Ingrid Laubrock (tenor saxophone), Jacob Garchik (trombone), John Hebert (bass) & Ches Smith (drums) through 6 original compositions and a Robert Wyatt cover!

Brooklyn-based guitarist/composer Mary Halvorson's second recording with her amazing working quintet of trumpeter Jonathan Finlayson, saxophonist Jon Irabagon, bassist John Hebert, and drummer Ches Smith.

Presenting compositions from all three players, the NY-based trio of Kirk Knuffke (cornet), Mary Halvorson (guitar) & Matt Wilson (drums) this exceptional trio play a stripped down, rocking blend of free form improvisation.

Bassist Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten is joined by key improvisers Joe McPhee (sax), Joe Morris (guitar) and Nate Wooley (trumpet) for this improvised studio recording, free improvisation with the influence of swing and blues.

The duo of Anne Guthrie and Richard Kamerman in 5 large canvases of sound using field recordings, domestic recordings, composition, improvisation, processing - unhurried work of great detail and diversity that captivates the attentive listener.