Beautiful long-form drones and harmonic interactions develop and are then shaken up with sonic deformations and collisions, returning to beautiful environments and then reversed once again, from the duo of sonic explorers Bob Bellerue and Christian Ronn, recording in Copenhagen using organs, electronics, winds, and feedback to create these wonderfully alien domains.

A tribute to legendary audio engineer George Belle (1948-2019) who worked with a who's who including Horace Tapscott, Jimmy Smith, Gene Rodenberry, &c., in a set of compositions from Mal Waldron, Albert Heath, Herbie Nichols plus original work from leader James Bennigton, saxophonist Dustin Laurenzi, saxophonist James Cook, and group improvisations.

Xenography is the ability to write in a language which the individual has not learned, an apt description of the rich dialects sculpted from feedback sources and expertly routed through circular circuits of sound processors by New York sound artist David Lee Myers, AKA Arcane Device, captured and layered into these astounding electronic compositions.

The third release in Editions Verde's series "Seeing the Forest in a Tree" are three iterations of interpretations realized by Joseph Clayton Mills, Fraufraulein, and the duo Sarah Hughes and Patrick Farmer, who were invited to interact with Morgan Evans-Weiler's score intended to be interpreted as both sound and sculpture, presented in three unique sets of recordings.

Recorded in Brooklyn by Jordan Dykstra performing on viola, electronics, percussion & programming, this is the second release in his subharmonic series "Seeing the Forest in a Tree", exploring one conceptual idea with four radically different realizations through arrangements contrasting the acoustic sources of viola & bells with prepared speakers and sine-tones.

Six songs from Michael Pisaro's "Tombstones" project--experimental songs developed from recontextualized fragments of popular songs--heard in this 2012 Brooklyn recording directed by guitarist Jason Brogan, with Julia Holter (voice), Tucker Dulin (trombone), Andrew Lafkas (bass), Katie Porter (clarinet), Sam Sfirri (piano and melodica), and Ron Wiltrout (keyboard & percussion).

The original score composed by Brooklyn violist and multi-instrumental Jordan Dykstra for the documentary movie Globes directed by Nina de Vroome, exploring the relationship between bees and humans through their history and affect on the global economy and our cultures, realized in a diverse set of contemporary musical forms from orchestral to electronica.

A powerful set of succint compositions, themes and sea shanties for the soundtrack for Danielle Krudy and Bridget Savage Cole's film Blow the Man Down , scored through the collaboration of composers Jordan Dykstra, who also performs on viola, piano, prepared piano, vibraphone & percussion, and Brian Mcomber, who also performs on keyboards and percussion.

A fascinating conceptual work on CD and printed score that attempts to sonically represent celestial events through guided improvisations, providing the performers an abstract of the main musical ideas and options on how to execute them, exploring microtonal sounds, harmonic interactions and sound as moments within physical boundaries, here in a studio realization in Zurich.

Exploring diverse landscapes and moments of extreme behavior changes through a single acoustic viola, composed and performed by Jordan Dykstra, in four pieces that vary his approach to the instrument through overlapping tones, drones, extended techniques and rolling cycles, performed in California at the California Institute of the Arts and at the Cathedral of Saint Vibiana.

Composer and tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis' exceptional Red Lily Quintet quintet (Kirk Knuffke on cornet; William Parker on bass; Chad Taylor on drums; Christopher Hoffman on cello) pays homage to gospel and jazz singer Mahalia Jackson through a suite of original Lewis compositions, reimagining some of Jackson's best known works; CD & LP issues include a bonus download track.

Composer and tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis' exceptional Red Lily Quintet quintet (Kirk Knuffke on cornet; William Parker on bass; Chad Taylor on drums; Christopher Hoffman on cello) pays homage to gospel and jazz singer Mahalia Jackson through a suite of original Lewis compositions, reimagining some of Jackson's best known works; CD & LP issues include a bonus download track.

As the availability of venues for free improv have dwindled through New York City, an emerging new "loft scene" has developed, one of them named simply Aron's Place, the home of Aron Namenwirth, whose 2023 series hosted the solid, free-wheeling quartet of Dave Sewelson on baritone saxophone, Stephen Moses on drums, Jochem van Dijk on electric bass and Steve Holtje on electric keyboard.

Furious free improvisation fueled by dual electric guitars from Masayuki Takayanagi, leader of New Direction Unit, and Akira Iijima who provides walls of chaotic feedback, pushed on at high intensity by drummer/percussionist Hiroshi Yamazaki, captured in a 1983 live performance at Kid Ailack Hall in Toyko, remastered and reissued as a double 45RPM 12" gatefold album.

Using only their right arms and never fingering the strings with their left hand, this recording of Alvin Lucier's "One Arm Bandits" was recorded in Lucier's own dining room, the hour-long piece in four parts exploring the relationship between bow direction changes and shifts in phase, scored for four cellists and performed by Tyler J. Borden, Laura Cetilia, Charles Curtis and Judith Hamann.

An outrageously powerful improvised exposition of nine rivers from New York pianist John Blum, performing live in a solo concert as part of the 2013 Crosscurrent Festival in Pecara, Italy, Blum's commanding technique and density making clear his influence by former mentors Cecil Taylor and Borah Bergman, as he rolls and roars rapidly through each torrent.

A sophisticated album of collective free jazz recorded in Brooklyn in 2004, from the trio of husband and wife improvisers Roberta Piket on piano and Billy Mintz on drums, with under-recorded saxophonist Mark Reboul rounding out the trio, as the three present "Seven Pieces" in "About an Hour" of stunningly elegant, implicitly melodic and impressively creative playing.

Originally released in 1992 on the US Quinton Records label, this trio album by New York improvisers, pianist Matthew Shipp (this being his first CD under his own name), bassist William Parker and drummer Whit Dickey, presents the four-part "Circular Temple" composed by Shipp, leveraging the language of jazz in remarkable ways, particularly the 2nd movement, "Monk's Nightmare".

Originally released in 1992 on the US Quinton Records label, this trio album by New York improvisers, pianist Matthew Shipp (this being his first CD under his own name), bassist William Parker and drummer Whit Dickey, presents the four-part "Circular Temple" composed by Shipp, leveraging the language of jazz in remarkable ways, particularly the 2nd movement, "Monk's Nightmare".

Two sound works from multimedia artist John Collins McCormick (Sky Thing) recorded using a multi-channel, portable sound system that employs up to 8 subwoofers in drum stands, amplifying low frequencies and rattling odds and ends he collected over the years, creating a rolling and controlled cacophony of quick rhythms and unusual asides from objects placed on the subwoofers.

A minimalist work in the tradition of Tony Conrad and Henry Flynt, John Cale or La Monte Young, West Coast-based composer and multi-instrumentalist John Krausbauer performing on an amplified violin and Portuguese experimental/drone artist David Maranha (Osso Exótico) performing on electric organ present two emphatic and rich compositions of interacting tone and texture.

San Francisco East Bay sonic artist and Public Eyesore/Eh? label-leader Bryan Day meets Omaha bass player and sound artist Dereck Higgins for four enveloping works of sound, sonically rich and epic journeys through terrains of identifiable musical elements and acousmatic curiosity, all with an ear to story-telling as the duo weave passages of fantastic elements.

Taking the title from Brandon Sanderson's book series The Stormlight Archive, where a soulcaster is an instrument that transforms one object or life form into another; Joanna Mattrey transforms her viola and a tromba marina, aka a nuns' fiddle, with preparations, objects and unusual approaches through technique, creating a remarkable set of 11 unique and inventive improvisations.

Recording at the Chamber of Commerce in Brooklyn in 2021, the duo of Sandy Ewen on prepared guitar and Jason Nazary on drums & percussion take a nearly pugilistic approach to their improvisations, building aggressive sections of intense pummeling, then slipping back to catch their breath before the next round, each filled with curious elements and energetic determination.

Releasing their first studio work in 2020, this album presents the first two live concerts in Brooklyn and Saugerties for the ea-improv trio MAW of Frank Meadows on upright bass, Jessica Ackerley on electric guitar and Eli Wallace on prepared piano & synth, in two 2-part improvisations: the darkly heavy "Mise-en-Place" and the brighter experiments of "Opus 40".

This album was developed to present Daniel Carter, typically a wind/reed/trumpeter player, on an album that included his piano playing, which then advanced by adding the goal of both Carter and long-time collaborator, drummer Federico Ughi, to record with bassist William Parker, who rounds out this excellent trio on bass, tuba and shakuhachi.

Continuing his work with the Incerto quartet of Julian Lage on guitar, Brian Marsella on piano, Jorge Roeder on bass and Ches Smith on drums, the fourth album for the group from John Zorn's compositional pen explores the artwork of Spanish surrealist/irrealist painter María de los Remedios Alicia Rodriga Varo, whose life was influenced by Paris enlightenment and the terrors of war.

An alluring album of piano trio music from the NY trio led by drummer Tyshawn Sorey with Aaron Diehl on piano and Matt Brewer on bass, allowing the excitement of a first meeting between the players as they perform compositions from the American Songbook, and some songs that Sorey feels should be included in the Songbook; lyrical, sophisticated, virtuosic, beautiful.

Merging traditional Finnish harmonies into experimental jazz compositions and improvisation with a penchant for extraneous sound and quick shifts from elegant playing to forceful avant expression, Finish guitarist Heikki Ruokangas performs eight haunting works with mastery of technique and pacing in a warmly gripping album of solo acoustic guitar.

Merging traditional Finnish harmonies into experimental jazz compositions and improvisation with a penchant for extraneous sound and quick shifts from elegant playing to forceful avant expression, Finish guitarist Heikki Ruokangas performs eight haunting works with mastery of technique and pacing in a warmly gripping album of solo acoustic guitar.

Promo copy with line thru bar code. Working inside and out of the piano and sometime evoking wild sounds that seem to have no relationship to the instrument, Polish-born and Amsterdam-based pianist Marta Warelis explores the concepts of realities beyond our perception, and a thought that we are a part of a big organism where everything goes endlessly bigger and smaller in scale of size, time and speed.

Promo copy with line thru bar code. The second album from Argentinian cellist, composer and improviser Violeta Garcia, exploring the amplified, prepared, expanded and extended violoncello through 15 succinct solo expositions in an album that she describes as a "very hyper-sensitive monster", using unconventional, extended and sometimes terrifying technique amidst powerful creative expression.

Promo copy with line thru bar code. An unusual set of electroacoustic improvisations recorded at Firehouse 12 from a New York trio led by trumpeter Forbes Graham, also on laptop and drum machine, Cecelia Lopez on analog synth, and bassist Brandon Lopez, Graham mutating his trumpet through sound processing, complemented by Cecelia Lopez's synthetic punctuations, all grounded by Brandon Lopez' solid bass work.

Promo copy with line thru bar code. Swedish guitar improviser Jon Lipscomb (LOPLOP, Swedish Fix) takes his listeners on a rugged trip across the strings, using distortion, tremolo and rapid-fire technique as he mines territories between free improv, noise and rock, his nimble mind stopping to explore areas of interest then cascading into new, turbulent environments; frightfully powerful.

Promo copy with line thru bar code. An album of raw and emotional "love songs", 17 unique solo violin improvisations and vocal utterance as the New York improviser runs her bow with passionate openness and intimacy through raspy edges, ardent plucking, introspective aching, and moments of beauty, all displayed through immense technique and powerful control over her instrument.

The 2nd volume of the UK/US West Coast quintet of legendary AMM drummer Eddie Prévost, guitarist Henry Kaiser, N.O. Moore on "guitarisism", Blinker Golding on saxophone and Olie Brice on double bass, merging free jazz and free improvisation in a rollicking album of electric jazz recorded in London, adding two more exhilarating "Doors" of quick shifting improv.

The latest album from the NY-based Telepathic Band of Daniel Carter on saxophones, trumpet & flute, Patrick Holmes on clarinet, Matthew Putman on keyboards, Hilliard Greene on bass and Federico Ughi on drums, explores spontaneous themes and aural landscapes through studio improvisations recomposed to create five fascinating compositions of perceptive, ecstatic jazz.

The latest album from the NY-based Telepathic Band of Daniel Carter on saxophones, trumpet & flute, Patrick Holmes on clarinet, Matthew Putman on keyboards, Hilliard Greene on bass and Federico Ughi on drums, explores spontaneous themes and aural landscapes through studio improvisations recomposed to create five fascinating compositions of perceptive, ecstatic jazz.

A prime example of the saxophone and drum duo from Cuban/NY drummer/percussionist Francisco Mela, and Israeli saxophonist Jonathan Reisin performing on tenor and soprano saxophones, in five distinct free improvisations recorded at Berklee College Of Music in Boston, demonstrating profound technical skill and an exploratory attitude to their seismic interactions.

The 2nd studio album from Daniel Carter's collective Playfield, which started with outdoor performances to allow NYC's auditory ambience to infiltrate and orchestrate their sound; here the octet ensemble brings in field recordings of diverse outdoor elements including cicadas, ice-cream trucks, &c., along with electronic effects to expand their take on free-flowing electric jazz.

Long-time collaborators Daniel Carter, here performing on trumpet, alto saxophone and piano, and drummer Federico Ughi, met Mexico City bass player Adriana Camacho during a Sounds of Freedom international music residency, forming the descriptively titled "Energy Workers" trio and recording these two expressive improvisations balancing moody post-bop with contemplative conversation.

Following NY saxophonist Michael Foster's interest in free jazz, noise and the pre-AIDS era of sexual freedom in the gay community, expressed in a sax-bass-drums trio with Philadelphia double bassist Jared Radichel and drummer Joey Sullivan, drawing on pre-composed structures, melodies, samples, and improvisation to reflect both the joy and anxiety of the queer experience.

A sax & piano duo from German saxophonist Silke Eberhard and French pianist Céline Voccia, recording in the studio in Berlin as they draw from free jazz and contemporary compositional sources in quick-witted exchanges of powerful technique and creative drive, or contemplative environments of unusual concepts; an extremely well matched and complementary pair.

An energetic concert at Area Sismica, in Forli, Italy from the dual saxophone and dual drums Italian quartet of Marco Colonna on baritone & sopranino saxes, Edoardo Marraffa on tenor & alto saxes, Fabrizio Spera on drums, percussion & bow, and Marco Zanotti on drums, percussion & kalimba; a wonderfully explosive concert, the first live post-pandemic performance for all four.

Referencing poet Rhina P. Espaillat and her poem about the perseverance and future influence of individual art, New York trombonist Steve Swell, also performing on pocket trumpet, presents eight solo recordings of advanced techniques and unique creative power, in seven succinct expressions including a work for Walter Weirbos, and the extended improv "Hope".

Titled for the film by Rob Christopher — Roy's World: Barry Gifford's Chicago, — whose soundtrack includes segments of this album, vibraphonist and composer Jason Adasiewicz's lyrically upbeat album is performed in a quintet with Chicago mainstays, Jonathan Doyle on saxophones, Josh Berman on cornet, Joshua Abrams on bass and Hamid Drake on drums.

Originally named The Third World Energy Ensemble, Ted Daniels' Loft-era ensemble eventually became simply "Energy", and this 1978 recording at Ali's Alley in NYC of the 23-piece ensemble shows both Daniel's skill as a band leader & improviser, and as a document of the urgent free jazz scene of the time; ensemble includes Byard Lancaster, Joseph Bowie, Sam Furnace, &c. &c.

Referencing their influences as The Pop Group, This Heat, Naked City, and Eric Dolphy, this collective trio from Vicenza, Italy features Tiziano Pellizzari on reeds & electronics, Geoffrey Copplestone on noise & vocals and Giampaolo Mattiello on percussion, in an insightful and sometimes socially charged, sometimes simply quirky mix of free jazz, noise and narrative vocals.

Composer, poet and saxophonist David Mirarchi seeks to transform the written word into melodic, harmonic, rhythmic, and structural materials, using experimental compositional techniques, here recording in Brooklyn with trio of bassist Mathias Hojgaard Jensen and drummer Eliza Salem for a two part work transmuted from a two-part poem contrasting city life and nature.

Zorn expands the canon for his lyrical jazz quartet Incerto of Brian Marsella on piano, Ches Smith on drums & Haitian Tanbou, Julian Lage on guitar and Jorge Roeder on bass, composing a suite of seven subtle and passionate nocturnes inspired by the night imagery of Shakespeare, merging jazz and chamber forms with a Downtown NY sensibility; gorgeous.