Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

Creole poetry, folk mysticism and heavy-grooving cosmic synths combine on this unprecedented survey of spiritual Martinique polymath Gratien Midonet’s first four albums. “I always broke free from the rules, from codes being too narrow,” says poet, mu…

A vital artefact in the recorded history of the Blue Notes, being a live recording (Durban, 1964) of one the the group's last performances in their homeland prior to flying to France to appear by invitation at the Juan-Les-Pins Jazz Festival and then…

Recorded live at the 100 Club, London, on 16 April 1977, by Ron Barron. Some of this music was originally available on LP as OG 220 (Ogun, 1978). This expanded CD edition - previously only available as part of the long out of print "Blue Notes - The …

A duo recording from October 2004, produced by Evan Parker, which marked the first time that Louis Moholo-Moholo and Stan Tracey had worked together for thirty years and the first time ever as a duo. The pair entered Gateway Studios in Kingston, Lond…

Fred Van Hove's 52 minute solo piano performance at the Jazz à Mulhouse summer festival 2007 reveals one of the giants of improvised music at the height of his creative powers.

2004 release ** "The cast of players includes cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm, the newest member of Vandermark 5 (plus Wilco, Terminal 4, The Boxhead Ensemble, Pillow, and the Peter Brotzmann Chicago Tentet, to name just a few); Lou Mallozzi, a sound artis…

2000 release ** "Entropy Stereo Recordings presents Branches by Northwoods Improvisers. This album represents a slightly different approach for the group. While the Northwoods have collectively used a wide variety of instruments on previous recording…

In restock Reissue of the legendary Afro spiritual minimal electronic masterpiece 5-track first LP (plus 2 bonus tracks) from horn wizard and original underground FM radio DJ Roland P. Young, featuring soprano sax, clarinet, and electronically-proce…

"In the early 1990s, trombonist Jeb Bishop became an essential part of Chicago’s musically and geographically outward-looking jazz community. His mastery of the full spectrum of trombone language, from earthy melody to abstract sound effects, made hi…

First meetings are always a risk, but if the vibrations are right and the doors are open, magic will be made. When the members of Look Both Days (brought together by Chicago pianist Erez Dessel) took the stage on the opening night of the 2023 Catalyt…

Emerging from the fertile ground where language meets rhythm, Groppler Zorn proudly announces the release of their highly anticipated debut album. Conceived in the transition from spoken word to music, the project embodies the belief that the urge to…

The acclaimed ensemble Double Helix Quartet proudly announces the release of their highly anticipated new album, an adventurous collection that redefines the boundaries between contemporary classical music, improvisation, and experimental soundscapes…

Fear is Heavy, I've Got Plans ... is the debut recording by Turtle Boat, a free-jazz outfit led by Abhilasha Chebolu (Null Copula, Princsex, Gault, Ryan Jewell Quintet) featuring her compositions with additional contributions from saxophonist Alex Bu…

Ism highlights the distinct qualities of each member. Fred's methodical approach to melody, Ed Wilkerson’s relentless dynamism, Jim’s uncanny ability to subvert expectations, and Avreeayl's inescapable rhythm, which weaves through the music—shaping e…

Chicago Underground Duo is the long-running collaborative project of composer/trumpeter/electronicist Rob Mazurek (Exploding Star Orchestra, Isotope 217, New Future City Radio with Damon Locks) and composer/drummer/mbiraist Chad Taylor (jaimie branch…

*Limited Edition* Shoyuki Akedagawa is not only a pianist, but also an ocarina player, guitarist, and eventually a vocalist. Comical yet emotional. Melancholy in his humor. This is a masterpiece that explodes with Akutagawa's talent. Nakamura Masco g…

The Guitar Solo album was produced by Takeshi Fujii, the producer of the legendary jazz label "Three Blind Myth", in June 1981.  Takayanagi responded to the request with "Lonely Woman" recorded in August 1982. As stated in the liner notes of this wor…

One of the wonderfully creative 70s sets from Japanese stringman Isao Suzuki – an artist who also plays bass, but who works here on jazz cello – for a very unusual approach! The set has Suzuki's work on the light strings matched in a combo with lead …

Stunning duo comprised of two of the most important musicians of the Japanese underground/avant-garde, Otomo Yoshihide in a duo with the great Japanese drummer, Hiroshi Yamazaki – who has Kaoru Abe among his extensive list of past collaborators, and …

This is a "passing soundscape" that will be the same as nothing if you don't pay attention to it - Akira Sakata

On a quest for cosmic grooves of unity, Àbáse is the imagination of Hungarian producer and keyboardist Szabolcs Bognár. Now based in Berlin, he’s become a protagonist of a fast-rising jazz movement in the German capital. Bringing together musicians f…

Masayuki Takayanagi, a charismatic artist who relentlessly pursued new jazz. Three albums by Tee & Company, the strongest big combo of the 20th century under Takayanagi. This is their second album. Includes the fast-paced "Dragon Garden". The other t…

Craftman Records presents Blue City by Isao Suzuki Quartet. Art Direction, Cover – Ben Nishizawa, Bass, Cello – Isao Suzuki, Drums – Tetsujiro Obara, Engineer [Recording], Mixed By – Yoshihiko Kannari, Executive-Producer – A. Fukutomi, K. Saga, Y. Uo…

William Parker’s Universal Tonality documents an epic performance which brings his titular concept to full, vibrant life. An exquisite example of this system in practice, it features a truly once-in-a-lifetime assembly of creative music luminaries an…

The new Barry Guy 5 CD set of The Blue Shroud Band in Small Formations is the most exciting release of the new year - called “Intensegrity” (previous 4 CD box was called “Tensegrity” from 2014, I think. The new box is also described as “Odes & Medita…

The Blue Note record label needs little introduction. Musically, graphically and sonically iconic, the label created and defined the golden age of modern jazz on record. Founded in 1939 by German émigré Alfred Lion, the label's roster of artists is a…

In Jazzman Records' latest chapter of Spiritual Jazz, the label returns to the source -- the Impulse! label, and the monumental influence of its most prominent artist, John Coltrane. Since the first release in the series back in 2008, Jazzman Records…

South-african jazz-rock worshippers alert ! Assagai was an Afro-rock band, active in the early 1970s in London, whose relatively short career produced two albums recorded in 1971. It has been described as "the second best-known African group of the l…

German-American pianist Benjamin Lackner makes his highly melodious ECM debut with an all-star quartet of trumpeter Mathias Eick, the esteemed Manu Katché on drums and bassist Jérôme Regard. Mathias and Manu share an extensive recording history with …

Maya Recordings  presents "Harmos – Kraków" a breathtaking new release by Barry Guy with the London Jazz Composers Orchestra. Capturing the creative spirit and electrifying artistry that has defined Guy’s decades-long career as a composer, director, …

Polish label Fundacja Słuchaj is thrilled to announce the release of "A Modicum Of Blues," an electrifying new album by five powerhouse improvisers: Ivo Perelman (tenor sax), Nate Wooley (trumpet), Matt Moran (vibraphone), Mark Helias (bass), and Tom…

Almost two decades have passed since Martin Kuchen, one of the brightest figures in European improvised music, founded the band Angles. Over the years, the band has evolved in terms of its membership and personnel. The Portuguese label Clean Feed has…

Tip! This new acoustic trio is consisting of three of the most iconic players of todays European jazz, improvisation and experimental music scene. This line-up took a long birth phase, but was a logical step and basically came out of juggling the pos…

Remastered in 24-bit from the original master tapes. Craft Recordings and Jazz Dispensary are set to issue a wide vinyl release of Joe Henderson’s 1969 classic, Power To The People, for the first time in over 50 years. Blending a socially conscious s…

“There is no hurry to this music, but there is great depth,” observed London Jazz News about Danish guitarist Jakob Bro’s trio with two kindred-spirit Americans: bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Joey Baron. This poetically attuned group follows its …

A magnificent document of the music of the young Paul Bley. Recorded at the end of 1965 with Kent Carter - double bass and Barry Altschul - drums, "Touching" shows the already advanced musical conception of someone who over the years will establish h…

“Extrapolation,” the debut solo album by visionary guitarist John McLaughlin, continues to stand as a landmark in the evolution of jazz fusion. Recorded in London before McLaughlin’s legendary collaborations with Miles Davis and the formation of the …

John Scofield’s first guitar-solo-recording ever gives a résumé of all the influences and idioms he has cultivated over his career in performances on guitar, accompanied by his own rhythmic pulse and chordal backing using a loop machine. Besides jazz…

In its review of pianist Shai Maestro’s ECM leader debut The Dream Thief, All About Jazz  spoke of  “a searching lyrical atmosphere, emotional eloquence and communal virtuosity that serves the music.” All of which also applies to Human, where Maestro…

On Lontano, Anja Lechner (cello) and François Couturier (piano) expand the expressive horizons of the duo format, weaving a tapestry of original compositions, improvisations, and deeply personal interpretations. Recorded at Sendesaal Bremen and produ…