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Microtub (Hayward / Simonsen / Taxt):
Thin Peaks (Thanatosis Produktion)

The sixth album from the microtonal tuba trio of Robin Hayward, Peder Simonsen, and Martin Taxt, exploring the acoustic phenomena of half-valve combinations in two richly harmonic compositions developed during an artist residency in Andersabo, Sweden and recorded in Oslo, creating uniquely resonant and surprisingly consonant spectra shaped by each instrument's signature tuning. ... Click to View


Alex Zethson / Johan Jutterstrom:
It Could / If I (Thanatosis Produktion / Astral Spirits)

The first duo album from Stockholm's long-standing duo of Johan Jutterström and Alex Zethson, reimagining songs from jazz standards to Leonard Cohen and the Pet Shop Boys as deconstructed etudes and expressive palimpsests, where meaning emerges through reinterpretation, erasure, and the intimate process of performance and transformation. ... Click to View


Eric La Casa:
Zones Portuaires 2 (Swarming)

Working from recordings made at maritime ports between 2017 and 2023, sound artist Éric La Casa constructs a compelling suite of documentary compositions shaped by the industrial rhythms, constraints, and spatial tensions of global harbours, blending field recording and sonic observation into a tactile, immersive portrait of male-dominated coastal labor environments. ... Click to View


Francisco del Pino / Charlotte Mundy:
The Sea [CASSETTE] (Notice Recordings)

Composer Francisco del Pino and vocalist Charlotte Mundy create a deeply nuanced and emotionally rich exchange, as Mundy's radiant voice navigates del Pino's intricate, polyphony-tinged compositions, layering syllabic repetition, resonant phrasing, and textural detail into a multitrack performance that evokes mantra, lament, and ecstatic meditation in equal measure. ... Click to View


111 (Michelle / Villamil):
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The duo of Chantal Michelle and Grace Villamil transform the monumental land sculpture of Opus 40 into a resonant instrument, layering voice and electronics with field recordings and audience interactions to create an immersive, spatially dynamic performance of ambient tension and sonic obliteration, masterfully teetering between composed sound, environmental resonance, and blooming noise. ... Click to View


Various Artists:
In Fractured Silence (SOUFFLE CONTINU RECORDS)

Originally compiled for Steven Stapleton's United Dairies label and now remastered, this snapshot of late 20th-century experimental/industrial music brings together the surreal collage of Nurse With Wound's Stapleton, the brooding piano of Robert Haigh (Sema), the chamber-styled acoustics of Hélène Sage, and the sonic provocations of Un Drame Musical Instantané. ... Click to View


Perturbations:
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The Perturbations ensemble — featuring PEK, Michael Caglianone, John Fugarino, and Joel Simches — delivers a dense, sometimes unhinged and exploratory session of free improv, where layered reeds, brass, electroacoustic textures, and a vast arsenal of unconventional instruments evolve through continuous transformation, shaped in real time by Simches' dynamic electronic processing. ... Click to View


Leap Of Faith:
Correlations (Evil Clown)

An expansive octet of seasoned improvisers from the Evil Clown collective — including PEK (David Peck), Glynis Lomon, Michael Caglianone, and Albey onBass — navigate pure improvisation through a sprawling live session of rich, shifting textures, contrasts, and unexpected sonic juxtapositions, ranging from subtle ea-improv to full-out ensemble peaks across a transforming soundscape. ... Click to View


Sabu Toyozumi / Richard Allan Bates / Rick Countryman:
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The trio of Sabu Toyozumi, Richard Allan Bates, and Rick Countryman delve into a contemplative exploration anchored by Bates's electric upright bass, whose resonant tones foster rich harmonic dialogues between Toyozumi's textured percussion and Countryman's fluid alto saxophone, emphasizing the nuanced interplay of sound and space. ... Click to View


Hemispheres :
II (FMR)

A cross-cultural instrumental suite uniting British and Australian musicians, featuring the resonant didgeridoo and rhythmic sticks of Paul Rider-Boon, the rich woodwinds of Susie Hodder-Williams and Chris Caldwell, atmospheric electronics and guitar from Sam Hodder, and the expressive voice of Clifton Bieundurry, spiritually merging indigenous sound with contemporary improv and electronica. ... Click to View


Matteo Cimnari:
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Italian composer and multi-instrumentalist Matteo Ciminari leads an adventurous sextet through a labyrinth of polyrhythms, dissonant harmonies, and unexpected textures, with virtuosic contributions from Maurizio Moscatelli, Simone Maggio, Mattia Borraccetti, Michele Sperandio, and Luca Orselli, creating an unpredictable yet lyrical fusion of progressive structure, free jazz, and playful experimentation. ... Click to View


Sonic Chambers Quartet:
Kiss Of The Earth (577 Records)

The debut album from the Sonic Chambers Quartet — co-led by multi-reedists Byron Asher and Tomas Majcherski with bassist Matt Booth and drummer Doug Garrison — presents a deeply expressive and texturally rich orchestration merging American avant jazz tradition with European chamber influences, shaped through collaborative composition, adventurous improv, and a strikingly unified ensemble sound. ... Click to View


Bruno Parrinha / Andrew Levine / Ernesto Rodrigues :
Sensor Out Of Service (Creative Sources)

In a live performance emphasizing minimalism and lowercase improvisation, Ernesto Rodrigues (viola, crackle box), Bruno Parrinha (bass clarinet), and Andrew Levine (Theremin, modular synth, crackle box, stereo field) engage in a nuanced exploration of subtle textures and sonic interactions, resulting in an immersive and introspective auditory experience.​ ... Click to View


Jean-Jacques Birge + 16 musiciens:
Pique-nique Au Labo 4 (GRRR)

In a vibrant fusion of spontaneous themes and collective improvisation, Jean-Jacques Birgé leads a 17-member ensemble through dynamic performances recorded at Studio GRRR and live during APÉRO LABO sessions, blending diverse instrumentation and real-time composition to create an album of unpredictable auditory journeys. ... Click to View


Un Drame Musical Instantane:
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An eccentric and captivating sonic collage from Jean-Jacques Birgé and the ensemble Un Drame Musical Instantané — with Francis Gorge and Bernard Vitet collaborating alongside extraordinary guests including Brigitte Fontaine, Joëlle Léandre, Luc Ferrari, Henri Texier, Carlos Zingaro, and René Lussier — in an inventive fusion of electronic improvisation, free jazz, and experimental sound art. ... Click to View


Alex Zethson / Nikos Veliotis :
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Pianist Alexander Zethson (Vathres, Fire! Orchestra, Angles) and cellist Nikos Veliotis (MMMD, In Trance 95) present two expansive, darkly immersive improvisations that drift through glacial landscapes of resonant, slowly shifting textures and austere tonal drones, sculpting elemental sound environments of profound stillness and contemplation through deep-listening and hypnotic intensity. ... Click to View


TJ Borden / Steve Flato:
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Taking ironic inspiration from Stockhausen’s conceptual extremes, cellist Tyler J. Borden and guitarist Steve Flato fuse cello, microtonal guitar, modular synth, Gizmotron, and electronics in an absurdist yet introspective performance score, immersively weaving subtle textures and just-intonation harmonies shaped by physical and psychological excesses around food and discomfort. ... Click to View


Caleb Chase:
Looking At Bugs Under A Log (Love Earth Music)

Experimental composer Caleb Chase presents 15 succinct electroacoustic pieces that delve into intricate sound spatialization and panning techniques, crafting immersive auditory environments where layered textures and dynamic movements reveal hidden sonic details, rewarding attentive listening through headphones or stereo speakers. ... Click to View


Archer (Dave Rempis / Terrie Ex / Jon Rune Strom / Tollef Ostvang):
Sudden Dusk (Aerophonic)

A fierce and unpredictable quartet of international improvisers — saxophonist Dave Rempis, guitarist Terrie Ex, bassist Jon Rune Strøm, and drummer Tollef Østvang — recorded live in Chicago and Milwaukee, delivering a balance of explosive energy and nuanced restraint in a tightly coiled interplay of sonic provocation, rhythmic drive, and free-form invention. ... Click to View


Jeong / Bisio Duo w/ Joe Mcphee / Jay Rosen:
Morning Bells Whistle Bright (ESP)

A meeting of deep lyrical expression and adventurous collective free jazz, as Korean pianist Eunhye Jeong and bassist Michael Bisio expand their intuitive duo with the soulful power of Joe McPhee on tenor saxophone and the dynamic energy of drummer Jay Rosen, in a resonant, poetic session beautifully captured at Park West Studios for ESP-Disk. ... Click to View


Jordan Glenn's BEAK :
The Party (Queen Bee Records)

An electrifying fusion of diverse musical traditions, this evening-length composition showcases the dynamic interplay of guitarists Karl Evangelista and David James, bassist Lisa Mezzacappa, vibraphonist Mark Clifford, percussionist Robert Lopez, drummer Jon Arkin, and Val Esway, seamlessly blending composed structures with spontaneous improvisation to capture the ensemble's innovative spirit. ... Click to View


Peter Brotzmann / John Edwards / Steve Noble / Jason Adasiewicz:
The Quartet [2 CDs] (Otoroku)

One of Peter Brötzmann's final recordings, captured live at Cafe OTO with vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, bassist John Edwards, and drummer Steve Noble, presenting two nights of emotionally charged and fiercely expressive performances that blend power, lyricism, and deep intergenerational connection in a fitting and resonant farewell to the legendary saxophonist. ... Click to View


Peter Brotzmann / John Edwards / Steve Noble / Jason Adasiewicz:
The Quartet [VINYL 2 LPs] (Otoroku)

One of Peter Brötzmann's final recordings, captured live at Cafe OTO with vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, bassist John Edwards, and drummer Steve Noble, presenting two nights of emotionally charged and fiercely expressive performances that blend power, lyricism, and deep intergenerational connection in a fitting and resonant farewell to the legendary saxophonist. ... Click to View


Pat Thomas:
The Solar Model of Ibn-Al Shatir [VINYL] (Otoroku)

The fourth solo piano album from British improviser Pat Thomas on Otoroku, recorded at London's Fish Factory and drawing from his Sufi faith and the legacy of Arabic scientific innovation, as Thomas explores cosmic motion and spiritual resonance through dynamic inside-piano techniques, harmonic clusters, and deeply personal, rhythmically charged improvisations. ... Click to View


Pat Thomas:
The Solar Model of Ibn-Al Shatir (Otoroku)

The fourth solo piano album from British improviser Pat Thomas on Otoroku, recorded at London's Fish Factory and drawing from his Sufi faith and the legacy of Arabic scientific innovation, as Thomas explores cosmic motion and spiritual resonance through dynamic inside-piano techniques, harmonic clusters, and deeply personal, rhythmically charged improvisations. ... Click to View


Ono Yoko / The Great Learning Orchestra:
Selected Recordings From Grapefruit [2 CDs] (KARLRECORDS)

For the first time on record, Yoko Ono's seminal 1964 conceptual text Grapefruit is sonically realized in a full album, as Stockholm's Great Learning Orchestra interprets 20 of Ono's event scores through ensemble performances, environmental recordings, and experimental sound actions, bringing her visionary work into vivid and imaginative musical form. ... Click to View


Phill Niblock / Anna Clementi / Thomas Stern:
Zound Delta 2 [VINYL] (KARLRECORDS)

A posthumous realization of Phill Niblock's 2022 composition, this dense, resonant work of drone and sonic intensity, written for Italian vocalist Anna Clementi and shaped and developed with guitarist and bassist Thomas Stern of Einstürzende Neubauten and Crime & the City Solution, is presented in two monumental, haunting longform versions. ... Click to View


Expanse (Percussion Edition):
Clangorous Sounds Arise (Evil Clown)

A powerful large-ensemble improvisation drawing on the metallic percussion roots of early Metal Chaos Ensemble, this edition of Expanse features Evil Clown regulars alongside Berklee percussionists — including rising drummer Andy Korajczyk and instrument inventor Ken Lovelett — in a resonant, textural work of shimmering sonorities and kinetic interplay, recorded live with real-time signal processing. ... Click to View


Joe Maneri / Tyson Rogers / Jacob Braverman:
In The Shadow, First Visit (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

Capturing a multidimensional dialogue through breathy microtones, atonal piano fragments, and ambiguous percussion, Joe Maneri on sax and clarinet, Tyson Rogers on piano, and Jacob Braverman on drums craft abstract improvisations exploring the delicate interplay of shadow and light, revealing emotional nuances and identity in richly layered, spontaneous constructions of impressive expressive intensity. ... Click to View


Christopher Kunz / Florian Fischer:
Die Unwucht, Disperation And Focus First Visit (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)

German saxophonist Christopher Kunz and drummer Florian Fischer capture the essence of German forests in their outdoor recording, titled to translate as 'The Unbalance, Desperation and Focus,' where sauntering saxophone and dynamic drums blend with environmental sounds to evoke a profound intimacy, growing with each listen and inviting deep engagement with nature's wild and humane aspects. ... Click to View



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  John Zorn, George Lewis, Bill Frisell 
  News For Lulu  
  (HatOLOGY) 


  
   review by Paul Serralheiro
  2008-07-30
John Zorn, George Lewis, Bill Frisell: News For Lulu (HatOLOGY)

This unexpected trio got together in 1987 for this recording which is happily re-issued so we can hear the inventive interplay of these three musicians in their youth. While Lewis and Zorn are known for their adventurous work, Frisell stays a little closer to the mainstream, but here he is joined halfway by the trombonist and the alto saxophonist as they weave variations on hardbop tunes that never quite became standards, by Kenny Dorham, Hank Mobley, and the lesser-known pianist-composers Sonny Clark and Freddie Redd.

The interpretations of these 1950s compositions are creative in that they avoid empty bebop mannerisms, but riff, instead, on the melodies, rhythms and harmonies of the originals, while giving free rein to imagination. Historical accuracies be damned Frisell's fuzz-toned reiteration of the chords of "Funk in Deep Freeze," seem to say, while Lewis and Zorn blow to their fancy's content — an example of the impishness and irreverence that lets the love for these pieces shine through in a way that a straight rendering never could.

True to the hard bop principle, this is bluesy music that has no pretensions, but is about the grit and gearwork of the soulful music imperative. And while one might have suspected that this bass-less and drum-less trio would sound rather sparse and bare, the funky groove the three establish and take off with in the title track established that limits can be transcended with the tasteful and judicious awareness of lines, and that's what this disc is: the weaving of three voices that have meaningful things to say about the compositions of the hardbop masters. To get this point across amply and perhaps to reference the phenomenon of reissues with alternate takes, there are alternate takes of four of the tunes, with interesting results that provide insights into the working of the minds of these musicians who have made indelible contributions to jazz over the last 20 years.





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