Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

"This recording of solo improvisations was initiated and realized by my longtime friend and collaborator David Bailey. We recorded nearly all of these pieces on the evening of a lunar eclipse, after David brought his vintage reel-to-reel tape machine to my old warehouse living room. The process and timing created an energy of focused intensity and stark intimacy, which is apparent in the music. I am grateful for the support, diligence and patience of my friend, whose unending faith in the myster…

ONCEIM (Orchestre de Nouvelles Créations, Expérimentations et Improvisations Musicales) is a French new music ensemble, established in 2012 by pianist Frédéric Blondy, and comprising over 30 European improvisers and members of prominent jazz, free jazz, free improv and contemporary classical groups. Through the in-depth exploration of improvisational practices, the Onceim musicians have developed a rich and unique panel of know-how. It’s as if each musician were one tool within a toolbox, all at…

At the crossroad of different worlds, Hubbub comprises five musicians with activities in various fields. Together, they work on the sound matter to create a moving electro-acoustic space inhabited by layers, distensions, imbrications, pulsations, dots and lines. Thanks to the longevity of the group, Hubbub has developed its own universe, which is more than just the sum of its parts.

SORBD brings together 5 musicians from the European improvised music and free jazz scene who have distinguished themselves as strong artistic personalities. The five instrumentalists and composers are characterized by their own sound language and the development of contemporary concepts of ensemble playing. The improvisation in various constellations, as well as conceptual composition sketches, lead to a high degree of interactive playfulness, surprising moments of noise and sensual sound images…

Tobias Klein, Marta Warelis and Frank Rosaly have been playing trio since 2020. Right from the start there was a remarkable chemistry between them — intense and relaxed at the same time — and very personal.

Unionen is a new quartet of four star-level Norwegian and Swedish jazz musicians. The group takes its name from the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway under a common monarch 1814-1905 and brings together Ståle Størlokken (Supersilent), Per "Texas" Johansson, Petter Eldh (Koma Saxo) and Gard Nilssen (Supersonic Orchestra). It's not hip to say "supergroup" but this sure is one super of a group, with each member contributing to the band sound that is unique in all the best possible ways. From mis…

*300 copies limited edition* Excited to unveil the self-titled debut record from a new duo of Rob Mazurek & Nick Terry - C6Fe2RN6! The Marfa-based duo's music sprouted from a mutual admiration for each other's visual art (Nick Terry primarily being known for his visual art, but get ready to hear more of his musical work) and eventually turned into regular get togethers to chat and play music. What you hear in C6Fe2RN6 is what happened in Mazurek's Marfa Experimental Studio, haunting and ephemera…

*300 copies limited edition* In honor of Marshall Allen's 100th we are pleased to present this new one from the John Blum Quartet! Enjoy!

Sdban Records is proud to present Doo’s Blues, a collection of previously unreleased radio recordings capturing Serbian jazz trumpeter, composer and band leader Dusko Goykovich (1931-2023) at the moment he definitively established himself as one of Europe’s most distinctive jazz artists. Dusko Goykovich was born and raised in Jajce, Bosnia and Herzegovina, at the time part of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. He studied at the Belgrade Music Academy from 1948 to 1953, playing trumpet in Dixieland bands…

A double cd that showcases both the prolific output and unparalleled creative verve of Sun Ra, the man who created his own genre. Upgrading his celebrated band The Arkestra to the rank of Solar Myth Arkestra, the bandleader-composer-pianist-keyboardist produced enough music in his lifetime to fill a universe, and these sessions, though their precise date and place of recording remain unknown, are among the finest he released in the ‘70, which was an action-packed decade for him.  Featuring rever…

Temporary super offer! ** Much-needed repress ** A marvellous double album as document of the historical collaboration between Don Cherry and Swiss pianist, composer George Gruntz, a central figure in European Jazz who always showed a special interest in extending his solid post bop skills through other languages such as ethnic or even baroque music. This is North-African deep flavoured Jazz recorded live in Tunisia and Germany in May and September 1969, with Cherry (cornet, flute) and Gruntz (p…

With a Yamaha organ and a dream, Pops Mohamed started his musical journey in mid-1970s South Africa as the founder of Black Disco, creating a hip and innovative blend of chill-out jazz with spiritual overtones. Playing original compositions as well as reimagined soul and pop hits, the group appeared on producer Rashid Vally's As-Shams/The Sun label alongside Abdullah Ibrahim and Harari. On the band's self-titled debut from 1975, Mohamed's cosmic organ is supported by two of the most sought-after…

Temporary super offer! This is Archie Shepp caught live at two important European festivals in 1973. At the head of some sort of one-off line up featuring Dave Burrell on piano, Donald Garret on bass along with her partner Zusaan Fasteau on percussion, flute and vocals, and last but not least Muhammad Ali (Rashid's brother) on drums, Shepp, heard on tenor and soprano saxes and piano, delivers a full program of hot renditions of mostly standards by the likes of Ellington, Monk and Davis, plus a c…

*200 copies limited edition* Again recorded live at Cafe Oto (London, UK), Colin Webster re-assembled his large ensemble, with the exception of John Edwards (who couldn't make it) being replaced by Caius Williams on the double bass, for another performance that pushed the barrier. Released on Colin's own Raw Tonk Records.

*100 copies limited edition* Freshly on Creative Sources is this debut duo collaboration by French 11 string guitarist Christian Vasseur and Belgium's Dirk Serries on his archtop guitar. Performed and recorded at the stunning Oude Klooster chapel in Brecht (Belgium). Both musicians met each other for the first at the Alternative Guitar Festival, organised by Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg in 2023 at Haekem Theatre (Brussels, Belgium) and immediately felt a kindred spirit for the abstract and immense…

*200 copies limited edition* "Almost a throwback to the glory days of 1970s Free Jazz, Driven’s one lengthy improvisation is played with fire and determination by a pan-European quintet. But with several generations of creative musicians now exploring that style, New Thing excesses have been pared to mature interaction. Consisting of Belgians, pianist Martina Verhoeven and guitarist Dirk Serries, Portuguese bassist Gonçalo Almeida, Dutch drummer Onno Govaert and British alto saxophonist Colin We…

*200 copies limited edition* This is Lemadi Trio's 2nd album for A New Wave Of Jazz. The trio consists of José Lencastre on alto sax, Martina Verhoeven on piano and Dirk Serries on archtop guitar. On contrary to its debut on which Martina plays the electric Crumar piano, she plays the grand piano here. Truly a game changer as the timbre is quite different from tis predecessor, with the clear and pristine acoustics at the home 'Canonical Discourse' is an album that furthermore expands the communc…

*200 copies limited edition* Connaisseurs of the label are most likely familiar with Tonus, the minimalist rotating ensemble curated by Dirk Serries.  6 years after Texture Point the trio configuration of Martina Verhoeven (piano), Benedict Taylor (viola) and Dirk Serries (archtop guitar) returns with a new album. This session was performed and recorded at the home studio. Still playing with the trademark pacing of Tonus, this album definitely takes a dive into more abstract and intense phrases …

*200 copies limited edition* Transition Unit is the brand-new trio of Rodrigo Pinheiro (piano), José Lencastre (alto and tenor sax) and Dirk Serries (archtop guitar). When Dirk Serries flew to Portugal in 2023 at the invitation of José for a number of concerts in duo, he received an surprise invitation from Rodrigo for a studio session. Rodrigo Pinheiro is a class act, a fantastic pianist who has earned his place in both classical free jazz and contemporary music with, among others, his magnific…

Digipack CD edition. An unearthed treasure from the '70s Italian avant garde archives! A previously unreleased recording from the legendary Beat72 club in Rome in 1973, featuring a one-off Italian-American all-star ensemble with Roberto Laneri founding member of the experimental vocal group Prima Materia, maverick American composer Alvin Curran co-founder of Musica Elettronica Viva. Trombone specialist Giancarlo Schiaffini from the historical Gruppo di improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza. Cello vir…

A live recording of an amazing performance by Sabu Toyozumi, Claudia Cervenca and Jean-Michel Van Schouwburg. Recorded live at Schnittpunkte Festival, Heiligenkreuz, Austria, 2015 and at Karel, Brussels on 26 June 2012.

*CD Version* Reissue of this legendary album from 1970 featuring Hiro Yanagida, Kimio Mizutani, Mototeru Takagi. Number seven on the Japrocksampler Top 50. Divine excessive jazz-rock stylings by this batch of period-visionaries presumably recorded sometime in 1970 by Rudy Van Gelder and Creed Taylor at the Toshiba Records 1st Studio. All of that "real" psychedelic goo gets smeared about quite a bit; acoustic string flap AND electric gonzo-muff battle overdriven organ lines played by said Masahik…

With a Yamaha organ and a dream, Pops Mohamed started his musical journey in mid-1970s South Africa as the founder of Black Disco, creating a hip and innovative blend of chill-out jazz with spiritual overtones. Playing original compositions as well as reimagined soul and pop hits, the group appeared on producer Rashid Vally's As-Shams/The Sun label alongside Abdullah Ibrahim and Harari. On the band's self-titled debut from 1975, Mohamed's cosmic organ is supported by two of the most sought-after…

"Worst Generation" is Nakama’s first fully improvised album, and was recorded as part of a live concert in studio during their first European tour. The LP version is in lenticular – the motif changes when viewed from a different angle. The CD is in English on one side and Japanese on the other with the imprint in beautiful gloss. One thing is always something different and at the same time two sides of the same coin...

Tip! *2023 stock* Everyone’s Children is the stunning debut album of spiritual avant-garde music from keyboardist, composer Surya Botofasina, out on Spiritmuse Records. The record combines deep jazz excursions with expansive synth passages and intimate piano turns to create a hypnotic, meditative and devotionally expressive suite that soothes, enriches and uplifts the soul. Botofasina’s upbringing at the Sai Anantam Ashram in the Southern Californian hills involved daily bhajans (traditional Hin…

*2023 stock* "To watch two butterflies in flight is to see a complex intertwining of zigs and zags, dips and weaves, as each—seemingly erratically--rides the turbulence its wings create to carry it along. Together they trace an unchoreographed but nevertheless coherent set of variations on the line as they move with, against and through each other’s paths.  The intricate pattern of two butterflies’ interwoven flight paths stands as a fitting analogue for the nuanced complexity of Busy Butterflie…

*2024 stock* A collaboration between saxofonist Evan Parker and drummer John Stevens. Recorded on 8 June 1993 at Angel Studio, Islington, London Recorded direct to U-Matic master using Schoeps and Neumann microphones.

Tip! The second in our Mr Bongo series opening the vault on classic recordings from the fabled Groove Merchant Records catalogue. This time the spotlight turns to the Hammond B3 organ maestro Lonnie Smith, as we proudly present a reissue of his cosmic jazz-funk journey, ‘Afro-Desia’. Originally released in 1975, this much-loved album was produced by Groove Merchant label owner Sonny Lester and features the mysterious 'Compliments Of A Friend' on guitar. Considering Smith was part of George Benso…

NoBusiness presents NOX, a new set of recordings by Nate Wooley / Liudas Mockūnas / Barry Guy / Arkadijus Gotesmanas recorded 29th October, 2019 during Improdimensija (Improdimension) concert series dedicated to improvised music, located at MAMAstudios, Vilnius, Lithuania. Sound Engineer - Arūnas Zujus. Mixed and mastered by Arūnas Zujus at MAMAstudios. Design by Oskaras Anosovas. Nate Wooley - trumpetLiudas Mockūnas - contrabass clarinet, soprano and tenor saxophonesBarry Guy - bassArkadijus Go…

*250 copies limited edition* Limited vinyl release on Raw Tonk Records. John Edwards : double bass Andrew Lisle : percussion Dirk Serries : acoustic guitar Colin Webster : alto sax Recorded at the Dave Hunt Studio, London on February 8th 2020. Mixed by Dave Hunt. Mastered at Sunny Side Inc. Studio. Artwork by Colin Webster. Layout by Rutger Zuydervelt

London based saxophonist Colin Webster is quickly establishing himself on the European avant-garde scene. Working with a broad range of collaborators, Webster is known for working from extreme sonic palettes -- from minimal to maximal, constantly pushing boundaries. Webster first worked with Dirk Serries on the landmark Endless Voids performance led by Dead Neanderthals at the 2014 Incubate Festival. Since this initial meeting, the two have worked on different collaborations both live and i…

Temporary Super Offer! A couple of the pieces on Nick Fraser's If There Were No Opposites, the quartet’s fourth album, were adapted from Fraser's compositions for dance productions by Decidedly Jazz Danceworks." But while the original versions of “Shoe Dance” and “The Fashion Show” had to adhere to rigid timing requirements in order to coordinate with the rest of the stage production, the quartet lets the music flow in more free-wheeling fashion. The quartet first recorded in 2012, and its perso…

Remastered from the original analog tapes of the duet between Anthony Braxton and Gino Robair from sessions recorded on August 6th and October 9th 1987 at Cal State University, Hayward, California. This release includes all of the music from the original, limited-edition LP as well as extra tracks from the same sessions.

What becomes quickly apparent when the music ends is that the parts of the brain wired for multi-tasking and instant contextualization have been swamped by Masaoka and Braxton’s palette, their bold strokes and the vaulting arcs they form.

Evan Parker and Matthew Shipp!Two (exceptional) musicians, two backgrounds, two approaches to music, two generations, an ocean between them: at the end, only one music, unique, outstanding, made of listening and respect of each other. The purpose is not to limit themselves to what they might have in common, but to expand the realm of possibility by assimilating in the moment what the other can bring.

Jemeel Moondoc and his bandmates are masters of the terrifying art of communicating how they feel, an art which, of course, takes both great intelligence and great discipline… A fire burns in Jemeel Moondoc’s music and once it was ignited it keeps spreading; it’s the flame you can also feel in the playing of Matthew Shipp, Hilliard Greene, and Newman Taylor Baker. This quartet’s music is never easy, but it’s always truthful. Ed Hazel, excepts from the liner notes

Lawrence Butch Morris developed the concept of “conduction” to account for a mode of Instant Composition based on the creative freedom of the players stimulated by the gestures of a central conductor. AP/DP, with this cd, invent the practice of musical transduction. Just like the French language is not “translated” but transducted into Kamau Daáood’s unique prosody, DP’s cello does not “translate” the playing of a thumb piano, an oud or a kora: all of these instruments, all of their phrasings el…

"The long-standing duo of German multi-reedist & brass player Udo Schindler and drummer Eric Zwang Eriksson are joined by percussionist Erwin Rehling (HAMMERLING) for the 4-part free and eclectically authoritative improvisatory work "Ritual Sound Exposure", recorded live at the music venue and bookstore BASIS_Klangraum at the Munich Community Arts Center." - SquidCo.com

"An extended improvisation captured in 2023 at ASIS_Klangraum in MUCCA & dasvinzenz (Munich) from the trio of long-time collaborators Eric Zwang Eriksson on drums and Udo Schindler on bass clarinet, cornet & Tubax (an Eb contrabass saxophone) with guitarist Andreas Willers of Grid Mesh, for an evolving and exploratory work of deep reflection and extreme catharsis." - SquidCo.com

"Experimental chamber music from the German trio of Udo Schindler on tenor saxophone, bass saxophone & cornet, Eric Zwang Eriksson on percussion and Sebastiano Tramontana on trombone & voice, performing at BASIS_Klangraum in MUCCA, Munich, the title translating to "singing without words" from the poetry cycle "Il taccuino del vecchio" by Guiseppe Ungaretti." - SquidCo.com