Albert Ayler Trio:
Prophecy Live, First Visit (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Recorded live at New York City's Cellar Café in June 1964, this essential document captures Albert Ayler, bassist Gary Peacock, and drummer Sunny Murray in a pivotal moment of spiritual free jazz, expressing motifs like 'Ghosts' and 'Spirits' into an ecstatic, ever-evolving language, with this remastered edition offering a refined perspective on a landmark session that shaped Ayler's uncompromising vision. ... Click to View
Sergio Armaroli Quintet (Armaroli / Sharp / Piccolo / Edwards / Sanders):
Introducing A Very Heavy Person, First Visit To The Audio Equivalent Of A Graphic Novel. (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Blurring the boundaries between composition, improvisation, and spoken word, percussionist Sergio Armaroli leads a quintet of Elliott Sharp, Steve Piccolo, John Edwards, and Mark Sanders in an evocative, time-bending sonic narrative, drawing inspiration from John Cage, Kenneth Patchen, and free jazz traditions in a phantasmagorical soundscape and an immersive auditory experience. ... Click to View
Pellegrini Quartet:
Luigi Nono Fragmente - Stille, an Diotima; Ludwig van Beethoven Streichquartett a-moll op. 132, First Visit (ezz-thetics by Hat Hut Records Ltd)
Reissuing their 1995 release on BVHAAST, the Pellegrini Quartet presents a striking juxtaposition of Beethoven's late string quartet, Op. 132, and Luigi Nono's Fragmente - Stille, an Diotima, revealing a profound dialogue between structural innovation and expressive depth, where Beethoven's introspective lyricism meets Nono's fragmented, textural modernism, spanning 155 years of musical evolution. ... Click to View
Marc Copland Quartet (Robin Verheyen Drew Gress / Mark Ferber):
Dreaming (Inner Voice Jazz)
Expanding their intuitive interplay, the Marc Copland Quartet — featuring Robin Verheyen, Drew Gress, and Mark Ferber — explores harmonic depth and rhythmic layering through a dynamic set blending originals with reinterpretations of Monk and Kern, weaving lyrical free ballads, intricate compositions, and rich improvisational dialogs with great spontaneity, cohesion, and warmth. ... Click to View
Michael Bisio:
NuMBq (Mahakala Music)
Bassist and composer Michael Bisio leads an exceptional quartet with Melanie Dyer on viola, Marianne Osiel on English horn, and Jay Rosen on percussion, blending Third Stream nuance with the fire of free jazz in an ever-flowing, deeply expressive set of improvisations, channeling rich orchestral textures and spontaneous interplay into a powerful and fluid genre-blurring journey. ... Click to View
Jacob Wick Ensemble:
Something in Your Eyes (Full Spectrum)
Trumpeter & vocalist Jacob Wick leads an ensemble of Mexico City’s vibrant experimental musicians with Gibran Andrade, Mabe Fratti, Alina Maldonado, Saul Ojeda, and Federico Sanchez, in a deconstructed exploration of pop, jazz, and country, transforming fragments of songs by Emmylou Harris, Alice Coltrane, Kylie Minogue, and Billie Holiday into improv scores that transform tradition into new sonic forms. ... Click to View
Bryn Harrison (Mark Knoop / Roderick Chadwick):
Towards A Slowing Of The Past (Another Timbre)
Exploring time, memory, and perception, composer Bryn Harrison crafts an intricate sonic landscape for two pianos and electronics, performed with great precision by Mark Knoop and Roderick Chadwick, where dense, swirling repetitions give way to moments of eerie stillness, gradually descending into a murky, destabilizing space while immersing the listener in a hypnotic and disorienting temporal experience. ... Click to View
Jurg Frey:
Longing Landscape (Another Timbre)
Swiss composer Jürg Frey joins with the Prague Quiet Music Collective for three recent works exploring delicate tonal shifts, structural lists, and slow, evolving forms, balancing between consonance and dissonance, the ensemble — featuring clarinets, strings, guitars, double bass, and percussion — interprets Frey's subtly shifting frameworks with a deep sensitivity. ... Click to View
Weston Olencki :
Pearls Ground Down To Powder [VINYL] (Full Spectrum)
Weston Olencki deconstructs and reimagines the banjo across two longform compositions, transforming it into a percussive, polyrhythmic engine and a harmonic resonator, navigating glitch-driven algorithmic textures and richly detuned sonorities, juxtaposing the kinetic, minimalist grooves of "The Rocks Are Different, Here" with the spectral, ring-modulated drones of "Brothers". ... Click to View
Perturbations:
Harmonic Oscillators (Evil Clown)
The quartet of David Peck, Michael Caglianone, Bob Moores, and Joel Simches craft a dense, immersive electroacoustic improvisation, using an arsenal of woodwinds, electronics, prepared percussion, and manipulated sound, navigating shifting textures and dynamic transformations as Simches' real-time signal processing shape-shifts their constantly evolving sonic landscape. ... Click to View
Tamura / Fujii / Lopez:
Yama Kawa Umi (Not Two)
Reuniting after their acclaimed Mantle album, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, pianist Satoko Fujii, and drummer Ramon Lopez return with Yama Kawa Umi (Mountain River Sea), a powerful exploration of musical landscapes where wild seas crash into cliffs, rivers flow with melodic clarity, and peaceful mountains rise in serene, introspective moments, reflecting the deep, dynamic interplay from years of collaboration. ... Click to View
duo B. (Lisa Mezzacappa / Jason Levis):
Luminous Axis (Queen Bee Records)
Longtime collaborators Lisa Mezzacappa and Jason Levis deepen their exploration of Wadada Leo Smith's Ankhrasmation language, interpreting his graphic score through an intuitive acoustic bass and drum dialogue shaped by years of study, live performance, and improvisational research, forging their own path through his modular notation in a dynamic and deeply immersive exchange. ... Click to View
Rob Brown / Brandon Lopez / Juan P. Carletti:
Walkabout (Mahakala Music)
An energetic trio session of collective free improvisation from NY alto saxophonist Rob Brown, bassist Brandon Lopez, and drummer Juan Pablo Carletti, recorded in the studio and driven by an intense energy that maintains a powerful swing, with Brown's incisive phrasing, Lopez's commanding bass, and Carletti's dynamic percussion merging into a spontaneous and deeply expressive musical force. ... Click to View
Booker T & The Plasmic Bleeds:
Ode To BC/LY... And Eye Know BO.... da Prez (Mahakala Music)
Underground saxophone legends Booker T. Williams and Gary Hammon lead a powerhouse ensemble with Marc Franklin, Chad Fowler, Kelley Hurt, Christopher Parker, Luke Stewart, and Chad Anderson, blending post-Coltrane jazz, reggae inflections, and balladry in a vibrant session that revisits their decades-long musical journey while honoring resilience, friendship, and cultural legacy. ... Click to View
Marc Copland:
Alter Ego Lausanne 2022 (TCB Records)
A masterful solo piano performance from Marc Copland, recorded live in Lausanne as he duets with his own pre-recorded tracks, layering delicate yet harmonically rich improvisations in a deeply personal and intimate exploration of sound, blending standards by Monk, Coltrane, and Rodgers with originals, creating an introspective interplay that highlights his lyrical depth. ... Click to View
Bruckmann / Heule / Nishi-Smith / Rivero :
Negligiblism (Full Spectrum)
A visceral and texturally rich exploration of free improv from longtime Bay Area collaborators Danishta Rivero (voice, electronics), Kanoko Nishi-Smith (koto), Jacob Felix Heule (bass drum, drum set), and Kyle Bruckmann (English horn, electronics), blending raw acoustic noise, extended techniques, and deep sonic interactions into a dynamic and unpredictable suite of expressive intensity. ... Click to View
Shiroishi / Tiesenga:
Empty Vessels [VINYL] (Full Spectrum)
A powerful duo of resonant harmonic interaction between Patrick Shiroishi & Marta Tiesenga, both on soprano sax, recorded in an underground tunnel below the Jazz Cat in Monterey Park, CA during the pandemic, the tunnel's natural reverb becoming a 'third performer' in shaping an evocative sonic dialogue that contrasts isolation and connection through long tones, fragmented utterances, and immersive resonance. ... Click to View
Alienstalk (Ellen Christi / Claudio Lodati / Jan Schlegel / Luigi Archetti):
Alienstalk (Sargasso)
A compelling collaboration of vocalist Ellen Christi with guitarists Claudio Lodati and Luigi Archetti, and bassist Jan Schlegel, recorded at Baby Monster Studio in NYC in 1996, blending free improvisation, jazz, and experimental forms with Christi's inventive vocal approach, yielding fifteen succinct yet dynamic, exploratory soundscapes. ... Click to View
Tim Daisy / Ken Vandermark:
Fourth Atlas (Not Two)
A solid duo recording from long-time Chicago collaborators Ken Vandermark (tenor & baritone saxophones, Bb & bass clarinets) and Tim Daisy (drums & percussion), captured in the studio in Chicago, blending focused free jazz with intricate free improv, as the two navigate dynamic contrasts, rich textures, and conversational interplay with seemingly telepathic precision. ... Click to View
Eri Yamamoto Quadraphonic:
Fly With The Wings (Mahakala Music)
A warm and lyrical new quartet from pianist, vocalist, and melodica player Eri Yamamoto alongside Chad Fowler on alto sax & flute, Kevin Thomas on bass, and longtime collaborator Ikuo Takeuchi on drums, blending groove-driven jazz, free improvisation, and tender balladry with Yamamoto's distinctive touch, highlighted by playful interplay, beautiful melodies, and a soulful, unhurried charm. ... Click to View
Daniel Carter / Ayumi Ishito:
Endless Season (577 Records)
A first-time duo recording from multi-instrumentalist Daniel Carter and tenor saxophonist Ayumi Ishito, transforming an acoustic improvisation session into an evocative electronic dreamscape, blending Carter's expressive trumpet, saxophones, clarinet, flute, piano, and poetry with Ishito's textured tenor sax, synthesizer, and effects, creating a tranquil yet adventurous dialogue bridging soundscape with jazz. ... Click to View
Jacqueline Kerrod / Joe Morris:
Morpeth Contemporary 2024 (Relative Pitch)
A remarkable live performance uniting South African harpist Jacqueline Kerrod and American guitarist Joe Morris, recorded at the Morpeth Contemporary gallery in New Jersey, their first collaboration of adventurous improvisations blending Kerrod's virtuosic harp techniques with Morris's innovative guitar approach, heard in three dynamic and exploratory string interactions. ... Click to View
Iancu Dumitrescu :
Ansamblul Hyperion (Corbett vs. Dempsey)
Recorded in 1980 under Ceausescu's dictatorship, this groundbreaking document of Romanian avant-garde music features Iancu Dumitrescu conducting his Ansamblul Hyperion ensemble in radical works by Dumitrescu, Octavian Nemescu, Stefan Niculescu, and Corneliu Cezar, blending acousmatic philosophies, Balkan resonances, and electronic experimentation in an unprecedented exploration of sound and structure. ... Click to View
David Myers Lee:
Oculus [2CDs] (pulsewidth)
A double CD of rich ambient work from New York City-based sound artist David Lee Myers, presenting four expansive compositions that blend electronics, lamellophone, feedback matrices, and hardware and software processing, evoking the ocular opening of the eye and architectural forms through immersive soundscapes that explore the interplay between organic and electronic elements. ... Click to View
Arcane Device:
Plays the Music of J.S. Bach (pulsewidth)
Under his Arcane Device moniker, David Lee Myers revisits an unrealized collaboration with Tod Dockstader, deconstructing well-known classical works — primarily those of Bach — through sampling, stretching, looping, and computer-based processing, transforming familiar motifs into playful, shimmering, and immersive soundscapes inspired by Lucas Foss's Baroque Variations. ... Click to View
Turbulence:
Effects of Channeling (Evil Clown)
This small-format Turbulence performance led by David Peck features an ensemble of six musicians — including Michael Caglianone, John Fugarino, Bob Moores, Scott Samenfeld, and Jim Lucchese — navigating broad-palette improvisation across a constantly shifting landscape of horns, percussion, strings, and electronics yielding evolving textures and intricate sonic interactions. ... Click to View
Jean-Jacques Birge :
Pique-nique Au Labo 3 (GRRR)
The 3rd in Jean-Jacques Birgé's collaborative Pique-nique au Labo series, recorded between 2021 and 2023, bringing together Birgé with 20 musicians — including Sophie Agnel, Hélène Breschand, Élise Caron, and François Corneloup — in spontaneous duets and trios, each piece sparked by a randomly chosen theme, creating a rich and exploratory mosaic of improvisation and sonic experimentation. ... Click to View
Michel Houellebecq / Jean-Jacques Birge :
Etablissement D'Un Ciel D'Alternance (GRRR)
A distinctive collaboration uniting writer Michel Houellebecq and composer Jean-Jacques Birgé, with Bernard Vitet providing orchestral compositions, recorded primarily in 1996 at Studio GRRR, this album merges Houellebecq's poetic prose, spoken in French, with Birgé's electronic textures, offering an immersive exploration of narrative and sound. ... Click to View
Mars Williams / Vasco Trilla:
Awakening Nature From Her Dream (Live In Barcelona) (Not Two)
A powerful 2019 live performance from Barcelona between legendary multi-reedist Mars Williams and boundary-pushing percussionist Vasco Trilla, unfolding from introspective explorations into bursts of intricate and energetic free jazz, as Williams' array of saxophones and toys meets Trilla's rich palette of percussion in an electrifying exchange. ... Click to View
Fred Frith / Shelley Burgon:
The Life and Behavior (Relative Pitch)
A compelling collaboration between guitarist Fred Frith and innovative harpist Shelley Burgon — known for her work with Anthony Braxton, Trevor Dunn, and Okkyung Lee — in a series of concise and precise improvisations recorded in Oakland, CA, in 2002 and 2005, as Burgon blends seamlessly with Frith's acoustic guitar to create seemingly telepathic synchronicity and an expansive sonic palette. ... Click to View
