Ever-active bassist Pascal Niggenkemper in his first solo album of riveting and intriguing double bass work, from aggressive to contemplative and immersive improvisations using work using bass preparations to transform the instrument and make us rethink its potential.

Following her trio record with Benjamin Duboc and Edward Perraud, pianist Eve Risser releases this contemplative and gorgeous solo album, a beautifully paced and delicate album for the piano, augmented with moving preparations for sonic and percussive accents.

The trio of Belgian reedist Joachim Badenhorst, French-Japanese violist Frantz Loriot, and French-German bassist Pascal Niggenkemper formed the Baloni trio in Brooklyn in 2008, presenting a blend of chamber and free jazz; reserved to frenetic playing that consistently surprises.

Deux Maisons (Two Houses) is a chamber jazz quartet bringing together French and Portuguese players of the current generation: from France, 2 brothers, Theo & Valentin Ceccaldi (violin and cello); from Portugal, Luis Vicente (trumpet) & Marco Franco (drums).

A beautiful jazz trio record from New York collaborators Mario Pavone, who provided all of the compositions except for one group improvisation, with Matt Mitchell on piano and Tyshawn Sorey on drums; lyrical, lovely, and sophisticated music.

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.

Sealed copy. 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.

NY saxophonist Tony Malaby's latest album was recorded with his most consistent collaborators--tubist Dan Peck, cellist Christopher Hoffman, and drummer/percussionist John Hollenbeck--in an album of energetic improv with a unique timbral configuration.

Taking their band name from an Ornette Coleman album, this European quintet presents new compositions in the style of Ornette, Archie Shepp, Pharoah Sanders and John Carter, ecstatic free jazz with a hard bop foundation, extended with modern technique and experience.

The second release from Germany's Grunen Trio of Achim Kaufmann on piano, Robert Landfermann on double bass and Christian Lillinger on drums, a superb and forward-thinking piano trio using prodigious talent in eccentric ways, resolving to lyrical and rewarding improvisation.

Portugese electric guitarist Luis Lopes with his Berlin Trio of Robert Landfermann on double bass and Christin Lillinger that balances dark tonal work with kicking free improvisation, somewhere between ea-improv and free jazz, a mysterious and absorbing release.

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.

Bassist Per Zanussi and Zanussi 5 peforming live in Coimbra, Portugal at the 2013 Jazz ao Centro Festival, with drummer Gard Nilssen filling out the rhythm section and three reeds providing the front end for their powerful set balancing lyrical and free playing.

For their 3rd album together, the trio of saxophonist Peter Brotzmann, bassist John Edwards and drummer Steve Noble are caught live at the 2013 Ljubljana Jazz Festival for three blistering works of free improvisation.

Performing live at the 2014 Ljubljana Jazz Festival, this piano jazz trio led by Fulco Ottervanger with Lieven Van Pee on bass and Simon Segers on drums performed with special guest Susana Silva for a lyrical set of creative free improv borrowing from a variety of styles.

Four Norwegian jazz musicians--Thomas Johansson (cornet), Kristoffer Alberts (reeds), Ola Hoyer (double bass) and Gard Nilssen (drums)--representatives of a new generation of Scandinavian jazzmen playing creative music with the tools and forms of the older generation.

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.

Joe Morris reunites his NY quartet as their last configuration from 2000, with violist Mat Maneri, bassist Chris Lightcap, drummer Gerald Cleaver, and Morris on guitar, bringing us an update on the intently informed collective improvisation that defines this great- band.

A New York-born trio of European free improvisers, bassist Pascal Niggenkemper, clarinetist Joachim Badenhorst, and viola player Frank Loriot present a unique orchestration that blends contemporary compositional forms with free improvisation in sublime ways.

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.

Live from Lisbon's Jazz em Agosto Festival, cornetist Rob Mazurek merges his Chicago and Sao Paulo Underground bands, adding bassist Matthew Lux and jazz legend tenor saxophonist Pharoah Sanders, for a potent blend of modern jazz, electronics, and free improvised music.

Six pieces for strings, wind and percussion, free improvisation using unusual and extended techniques from the quartet of Ernesto Rodrigues (viola), Chris Heenan (alto saxophone, contrabass clarinet), Alexander Frangenheim (double bass),and Ofer Bymel (percussion).

Taking their name from the German Town Bad Fallingbostel, this album collects recordings from the 3 year collaboration of these two improvising sound artists: Gunnar Lettow on prepared bass guitar, electronics & objects; and Korhan Erel on computer & controllers.

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.

Recorded on various floors and in different rooms at the music school Bochum in Germany in 2014, the duo of reedists Katharina Bohlen and Claudius Reimann add spring drums, gongs, cymbals, tubular bells, and sound plates to their understated and moody improvisations.

Five open improvisations from the quartet of Israeli saxophonist Ariel Shibolet, viola player Nori Jacoby, drummer Offer Bymel and double bassist Alexander Frangenheim, recording in Frangenheim's studio in Germany in 2011.

The 2nd release from the free improvising trio of trumpeter Tom Arthurs, bassist Miles Perkins, and drummer Yorgo Dimitriadis, recording in the studio in Berlin, 2012 for 8 collective improvisations with melodic strength and intensive communication.

The NYC trio of saxophonist Tony Malaby, bassist William Parker and drummer Nasheet Waits present their 3rd Tamarindo record of "high-impact free-form progressive jazz extravaganza", flowing music demonstrating the strength of all 3 players.

Now a nine-piece, Martin Kuchen leads the magnificently powerful Angles band through 7 demanding compositions, with trumpeter Magnus Broo back in the band alongside Alexander Zethson, Mattias Stahl, Jonan Berthling, Andreas Werlin, Eirik Hegdal, Mats Aleklint & Goran Kajfes.

Now a nine-piece, Martin Kuchen leads the magnificently powerful Angles band through 7 demanding compositions, with trumpeter Magnus Broo back in the band alongside Alexander Zethson, Mattias Stahl, Jonan Berthling, Andreas Werlin, Eirik Hegdal, Mats Aleklint & Goran Kajfes.

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.

Slovenian saxophonist Cene Resnik in a trio with violinist Emanuele Parrini, double bassist Giovanni Maier and drummer Aljosa Jeric and Resnik in a unique dialog of free improvisation using the jazz language influenced as much by Buddhism as it is by Archie Shepp.

Using extended techniques, Baltimore-based saxophonist John Berndt--director of Multiphonic Choir ensemble, a member of the Red Room collective and curator of their experimental performance series, and creator of the "Relabi" style of arrhythmic pulse--presents 15 succinct improvisations pushing his reed instruments to their outer edges in astonishing ways.

Eight free improvisations recorded in the studio from London improvisers, guitarist Daniel Thompson and flautist Neil Metcalf, recorded and presented in the order played to maintain the familiar dialog and sense of adventure between two frequent collaborators.

The second take of Boston area drummer Luther Grays' project Lawnmower with Jim Hobbs on sax, Kaethe Hostetter on violin and Winston Braman on electric bass, excellent jazz with unique instrumentation and a diversity of approaches.

Saxophonist Rodrigo Amado in a quartet with 2/3's of Red Trio - bassist Hernani Faustino and drummer Gabriel Ferrandini - and guitarist Manuel Mota adding unusual angles to their exemplary blues-based free improvisation.

The duo of French saxophonist Matthieu Donarier and Dutch pianist/prepared pianist Albert van Veenendaal (I Compani), beautifully paced and inventive dialog between two melodic players who embrace both improvisational and compositional styles.

Three groupings and three large works from Portugese trumpeter Sei Miguel, in bands including Rafael Toral, Erenesto Rodrigues, Nuno Tores, &c., performances of scores that he's written over the past 30 years that have never or have rarely been heard previously.

A superb modern jazz release from NY bassist Eric Revis with Chad Taylor (drums), Bill McHenry (sax) and Darius Jones (sax), plus special guest Branford Marsalis on two tracks.

Bassist Matthias Bauer and Maria Lucchese on theremin, zither, didgeridoo, launeddas, oceandrum, and gong, perform free improvisation with Bauer providing a solid melodic foundation which Lucchese punctuates and expands in unique and surprising ways.

The quartet of Andreas Backer on voice, David Stackenas on guitars, Joe Williamson on bass, and Stale Liavik Solberg on drums & percussion, for open-minded, improvised chamber music focusing on interaction, textures, dynamic variations and timbre.

Solo improvisations on the Turkish Clarinet from Claudio Parodi, an Italian classically trained pianist who also works with self-built/self-modified electronics, non-western reeds, and selected percussions.

The free improvising duo of pianist Manon-Liu Winter and saxophonist Udo Schindler performing at the SALON fur KLANG + KUNST in Kralling, Munich in 2012, an amazing dialog that balances subtle and explosive playing in inventive ways.

Lithuanian sound and industrial artist Gintas K (Gintas Kraptavicius) in an album of abstract electronics composed on the computer, 11 tracks of burbling and glitching sound.

Elisabeth Harnik on piano and Udo Schindler on bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, soprano saxophone and cornet in a free interchange of subtle nuance and strong dynamics recorded live at SALON fur Klang + Kungst in 2009.

The electroacoustic improvising quartet of guitarist Peter Alexius, drummer Joe Herteinstein, Joker Nies on raw electronics, and Sebastian Grammss on spacebass, in 9 tracks that run the gamut from groove-based intensity to open dialog using unusual voices.

Four masterful improvisers - Axel Dorner (trumpet), Andreas Willers (acoustic guitar & electronics) and Achim Kaufmann (piano) - performing as the .AAA. trio, and then each presenting a solo work, demonstrating their incredible music skills together and alone.

A free duo between trombonist Patrick Crossland and double bassist Alexander Frangenheim, recording 12 short dialogs in the studio in Berlin, demonstrating great communication between these players as they perform in technical, unusual, and lyrical ways.

The rich but understated improvising trio of Ernesto Rodrigues on viola, Nuno Torres on alto saxophone, and Mike Bullock on modular synthesizer, named after the Greek term for wandering stars, an apt description of their balance of space, acoustic, and electronic sound.