After his debut on Astral Spirits, Chicago-based guitarist Tim Stine assembled this quartet with Nick Mazzarella on saxophone, Matt Ulery on bass, and Quin Kirchner on drums, all skilled as bandleaders themselves, to realize Stine's avant compositions, precise harmonically and rhthmically interesting works with a Threadgill feel in surprising shifts of direction.

Chicago free improvising mainstay Fred Lonberg-Holm's Stirrup trio with Nick Macri on double bass and Charles Rumback on drums crosses genres and grooves in an album balancing lyrical and hard-grooved tunes, with Lonberg-Holm taking up guitar on a number of tracks.

Playing both upright & electric bass and doubling that with 2nd bassist Christian Meaas Svendsen, Jon Rune Strom leads his quintet of young Norwegian players--trumpeter Thomas Johansson, saxophonist Andre Roligheten, and drummer Andreas Wildhagen--for a live set at one of Norway's premiere jazz clubs, Nasjonal Jazzscene, for a jazz album of powerfully expressive free playing.

The trio of Steve Swell, Daniel Levin and Rob Brown in music of a "social contract" enabling highly creative music, with no rigid boundaries, collective and empathic.

The Tarbaby trio of pianist Orrin Evans, drummer Nasheet Waits and double bassist Eric Revis, is joined by trumpeter Josh Lawrence and as with previous albums, featuring acclaimed alto saxophonist Oliver Lake (+ percussionist Dana Murray on track) in an album mixing post-bop, free and lyrical approaches to jazz, with compositions from all four plus a Prince cover.

Lyrically upbeat and expressive piano trio compositions from Polish pianist Grzegorz Tarwid and his trio with double bassist Max Mucha and drummer Albert Karch, all active performers on the Polish and European free jazz secene, here in six works of diverse moods that start with Latin tinges and seamlessly work through playful and pointillistic pieces to end in a tranquil "Sleep".

Amsterdam-based bass clarinetist Ziv Taubenfeld's sextet perform the leader's innovative compositions that include a tribute to alto saxophonist Jemeel Moondoc, and a graphic composition for Sunny Murray, in a band with Michael Moore (sax & clarinet), Joost Buis (trombone), Nico Chientaroli (piano), Omer Govreen (double bass) and Onno Govaert (drums & percussion).

Tetterapadequ, an anagram of "De Patter Quartet (but with a missing 'R') is named after the De Pater Jazz Club in The Netherlands where this collective improv quartet was born.

The 3rd Clean Feed album from this Portuguese band of unusual orchestration and intentions that cross jazz and rock idioms, from the trio of Sergio Carolino on tuba, Mario Delgado on guitar, and Alexandre Frazao on drums, with rapid fire attacks and tight compositional moments balanced by wonderful open, sonic moments, surprising with a cover of King Crimson's "Starless".

"Marking two decades of continuous, eclectic evolution, TGB - the Portuguese power trio boasting tuba ace Sergio Carolino, guitarist Mario Delgado and drummer Alexandre Frazao - take another captivating whirligig around their enigmatic ...

Seeking to create an original repertoire for collective composition in a small group format, Portuguese wind improviser Bernardo Tinoco on alto & tenor saxophones, duduk & flute, and pianist Tom Maciel, also on synths and drum machine, sought to influence their playing with electronics and audio processing, on three tracks joined by drummer João Pereira.

Rafael Toral's Space Program, post-free jazz electronic music, is made manifest in this duo between the electronicist and drummer Davu Seru, performing live in Minneapolis during Toral's 2011 tour of the US.

Composer, engineer and electronic artist Rafael Toral has completed his Space Program series and now launches his "Space Quartet" with double bassist Hugo Antunes, drummer/percussionist Joao Pais Filipe, synth player Ricardo Webbens, and Toral himself on modular feedback, blending solid acoustic rhythms with interstellar and abstract sound; singular.

Saxophonist Ricardo Toscano's Quartet with Joao Pedro Coelho on piano, Romeu Tristao on bass, and Joao Lopes Pereira on drums, a great example of modern Portuguese mainstream jazz that pays homage to the masters of bop and the Blue Note era, in a lyrical album of Toscano original compositions, alongside a rendering of Herbie Hancock's "The Sorcerer".

A swinging album of modern jazz from the Portuguese trio of Ricardo Toscano on alto sax, Romeu Tristao on double bass and Joao Pereira on drums, recording in 2021 concert at Theatro Sao Luiz in Lisbon, featuring two original Toscano compositions, one from drummer Joao Pereira, a traditional fardo song and the effusive Thelonious Monk tune "Played Twice".

An all-star lineup for European free jazz with Evan Parker, Sten Sandell, Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten and Paal Nilssen Love on a double CD recorded live at Belleville.

New York's Transit with Jeff Arnal, Seth Misterka, Reuben Radding and Nate Wooley, intelligently designed, unpredictable static and the hyper active free-jazz!

After percussionist and composer Gerry Hemingway migrated to Luzern, Switzerland he joined forces with the creative improvising community in that city, in particular with guitarist Manuel Troller and saxophonist and bass clarinetist Sebastian Strinning, the trio taking the name Tree Ear, blending free and idiomatic improv in bold, uncommon and spellbinding ways.

After percussionist and composer Gerry Hemingway migrated to Luzern, Switzerland he joined forces with the creative improvising community in that city, in particular with guitarist Manuel Troller and saxophonist and bass clarinetist Sebastian Strinning, the trio taking the name Tree Ear, blending free and idiomatic improv in bold, uncommon and spellbinding ways.

Trespass trio with Martin Kuchen on saxophone, Per Zanussi on double bass, and Raymond Strid on drums & percussion, tell us instrumental narrative through compassionate, impassioned and unorthodox writing and playing, about Romania's Pitesti Prison, where for 4 years around 1950 totalarian authorities practiced brainwashing experiments on the inmates.

Joining the long-running Trespass Trio of Per Zanussi on double bass, Martin Küchen on baritone & sopranino saxophone and Raymond Strid on drums for their performance at the 2018 Blow Out Festival in Oslo was Portuguese trumpeter Susana Santos Silva, performing Küchen compositions and a unique group take on Charlie Parker's "Koko", in a concert of both ardent and exuberant improvisation.

Swedish saxophonist Martin Kuchen in trio with bassist Per Zanussi and drummer Raymond Strid, challenging and urgent jazz from a trio concerned with the state of our world.

The 2nd Trespass Trio CD with Martin Kuchen (alto and baritone), Per Zanussi (bass) and Raymond Strid (drums and percussion), jazz music with a narrative drive from 3 powerful players.

Tenor saxophonist Kjetil Moster's Trinity with Ingebrigt Haker Flatn, Morten Qvenild & Thomas Stronen live at the 2006 Molde International Jazz Festival.

The excellent trio of Alfred Harth on sax, Kevin Norton on percussion, and the late Wilber Morris on bass, performing at the 2001 Vision Festival VI in New York City.f

Recording in Brooklyn, the trio led by Venezuelan guitarist Juanma Trujillo, with Costa Rican bassist Kenneth Jimenez and New York drummer Gerald Cleaver, merge avant jazz, heavy rock grooves with a Sonny Sharrock flavor, and abstract almost chamber jazz, a fascinating combination of contrasts that keeps the boundaries of their contours flexible and masterfully unpredictable.

Two drummers - Jim Black & Paul Lytton - and two trumpeters - Nate Wooley & Peter Evans - came together at the 53rd Ljubljana Jazz Festival to record these extended improvisations, demonstrating the phenomenal skill and compatibility of these outstanding players.

With orchestration of harp, daxophone, idiophones, piano, cello, guitar, percussion, sampling & electronics, the Portuguese quintet Turbamulta (roughly translates to "rowdy mob", though clearly a very sophisticated mob) was born from the band Powertrio of Eduardo Raon, Joana Sa and Luis Martins, expanded to blend compositional, EA and improv approaches into something unique and beautiful.

Portuguese trumpeter Luis Vicente in a quartet with Amsterdam-based improvisers John Dikeman (sax), Wilbert De Joode (bass) and Onno Govaert (drums), captured during an energetic live performance at zaal 100 in Amsterdam in 2015 for superb free jazz.

The free improvising trio of John Dikeman on sax, Jon Rune Strom on bass, and Tollef Ostvang on drums, invites Joe McPhee on pocket trumpet and alto sax for a release of rugged free improv using unorthodox approaches and amazing dexterity in their playing.

The free improvising trio of John Dikeman on sax, Jon Rune Strom on bass, and Tollef Ostvang on drums, invites Joe McPhee on pocket trumpet and alto sax for a release of rugged free improv using unorthodox approaches and amazing dexterity in their playing.

"Borne of jazz tradition, yet audaciously and extravagantly dismissive of its more fatigued conventions, comes the devilish Meandering Demons, the fantastic debut full-length from Peter Van Huffel's CALLISTO.

Largely eschewing...

A driving album of hard rocking jazz with a blues bite from saxophonist Peter Van Huffel and his power trio of bassist Roland Fidezius & drummer Rudi Fischerlehner, recorded live during their 2013 Canadia tour.

Vocalist Sophie Tassignon & saxophonist Peter Van Huffel in a series of improvisations showing an intimate dialog amidst Tassignon's uniquely inventive vocal styling.

An encompassing modern guitar compilation curated by Elliott Sharp with pieces from Henry Kaiser, Nels Cline, Scott Fields, Mary Halvorson, Janet Feder, Kazuhisa Uchihashi, Mick Barr &c. &c.!

The fourth in the Elliot Sharp curated "Meta Guitar" series brings a wealth of diverse styles and approaches to the guitar, from Knox Chandler, Tashi Dorji, Monika Roscher, Rhys Chatham, Kalle Kalima, Ryan Choi, Marco Oppedisano, Bern Nix, Markus Reuter, Hahn Rowe, Pete Matthiessen, Robert Poss, Ron Anderson, Morgan Craft, Roberto Zorzi, and Erdem Helvacioglu.

The 3rd issue from Elliott Sharp's compiled series of guitar work in the 21st century, demonstrating new sounds, processes, techniques, melodies, riffs and gestures from a who's-who of modern improvising guitarists, a must-have release for all guitar fans and players.

An ongoing compilation organized by Elliott Sharp that is dedicated to solo guitar with 16 original tracks by various artists ranging from acoustic, electro-acoustic, electric, all the way to electronic.

A multi-national trio from Slovenia (Bostjan Simon-sax), Norway (Stephan Meidell-guitar, bass & electronics) and Portugal (Luis Candeias-drums) bringing a diverse set of modern influences including electronics, alternative rock and sound/noise to excellent free improvisation.

Hazy free jazz in an hallucinatory blend of passionate music influenced as much by experimental and rock forms as traditional improv, from the trio of Bostjan Simon on sax & electronics, Stephan Meidell on guitar, bass, percussion & electronics and Luis Candeias on drums.

Starting from silence, the improvisations on this collective and fully spontaneous album from trumpeter Luis Vicente and percussionist Vasco Trilla never reaches cathartic crescendo, but as only skilled innovators such as they can do, they captivate the listener in other-worldly environments of advanced technique and profound intention; engrossing and ineffable.

A well-balanced and often scorching performance at Igreja do Espírito Santo in Portugal from trumpeter Luis Vicente, presented as two long improvisations each comprised of two works inspired by childhood times in a rural environment and by everyday life at home during pandemic, performed with the outstanding quartet of saxophonist John Dikeman, bassist Luke Stewart and drummer Onno Goevart.

"Since forming in March 2021, the Liba Villavecchia Trio have channelled a singular spiritual mien, borne of shared experience, reflection and reminiscence, with previous albums, Zaidin (2022) and Birchwood (2023) capturing the group's ...

The second Clean Feed release from Spanish saxophonist Liba Villavechia's trio with drummer/percussionist Vasco Trilla and double bassist Alex Reviriego, a lively working ensemble heard in three new Villavechia compositions, plus two collective improvisations, and a work from New York composer, improviser and influence on the leader, Thomas Chapin's "Anima".

Referencing Thomas Chapin, Ornette Coleman, Roscoe Mitchell & Evan Parker, Spanish saxophonist Liba Villavechia's trio with drummer/percussionsit Vasco Trilla and double bassist Alex Reviriego explore the "tentacles that stem from the great Jazz octopus" through five Villavecchia compositions, one collective improv, and Thomas Chapin's "Bypass".

Referencing Thomas Chapin, Ornette Coleman, Roscoe Mitchell & Evan Parker, Spanish saxophonist Liba Villavechia's trio with drummer/percussionsit Vasco Trilla and double bassist Alex Reviriego explore the "tentacles that stem from the great Jazz octopus" through five Villavecchia compositions, one collective improv, and Thomas Chapin's "Bypass".

An album of spiritual and lyrically rich free improvisation from trumpeter Luis Vicente's Trio with double bassist Goncalo Almeida and drummer/percussionist Pedro Melo Alves, the three Portuguese improvisers performing Vicente's compositions that urge the performers to search and extend themselves expressively through both inspiring interplay and reflective calm.

AACM legend Muhal Richard Abrams was commissioned by Philadelphia saxophonist Bobby Zankel to compose for Zankel's large ensemble Warriors of the Wonderful Sound, this monumental piece premiered in 2012, but only in 2018 was a 2nd performance possible, conducted by Marty Ehrlich and receiving 2 standing ovations, the band recording this studio version the next day at Drexel University.