Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

*2023 stock* Japan's legendary drummer steps out here with a killer combo – definitely a "big 4", given that the group features excellent tenor work from Hidehiko "Sleepy" Matsumoto, plus Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano from Hideo Ichikawa! George Kawaguchi's famous sense of swing really gets the whole thing going – that big, round approach to the drums that was somewhere in a space between Art Blakey and Buddy Rich – and which was definitely hitting some of its hipper tones by the time of this…

"Birth Of A Being (Expanded) presents the essential first studio recordings by incomparable jazz saxophonist David S. Ware as a bandleader. Recorded in New York, April 1977, the first disc features material originally released on LP by the Swiss label, hat Hut Records -- out of print for over 30 years. The second disc features a full additional album of top-shelf material from those same sessions that have never been released in any form. This definitive edition was sourced from the original ana…

Lightning Dreamers is new work by composer, trumpeter, interdisciplinary abstractivist and modern music mogul Rob Mazurek, who wrote the music for a compacted version of his long-running Exploding Star Orchestra. A follow-up to the acclaimed 2020 Mazurek/ESO release Dimensional Stardust, the album features guitarist Jeff Parker, vocalist Damon Locks, drummer Gerald Cleaver, and pianists Angelica Sanchez and Craig Taborn, among others. It was recorded mostly at the remote Sonic Ranch studios in W…

Paris-born, New England-raised, long-time Chicago-residing Makaya McCraven has been at the forefront of genre-redefining movements in jazz since 2015, when he introduced the world to his unique brand of ‘organic beat music’ on the breakout album In the Moment. Culled, cut, post-produced and re-composed by Makaya using recordings of free improvisation he collected over dozens of live sessions in Chicago, through incubation and experimentation In the Moment established a procedural blueprint that …

Composer, clarinetist, singer and educator Angel Bat Dawid announces the release of a new work, Requiem For Jazz. A 12-movement suite composed, arranged, and inspired in part by dialogue from Edward O. Bland’s 1959 film The Cry of Jazz, the album is a wide-ranging treatise on the African American story from one of its most astute narrators. Itself an incisive critique of racial politics in the USA, The Cry of Jazz draws formal comparisons between the structure of jazz music and the African Ameri…

Wah Wah 45s are very proud to present the first full-length album in almost a decade from vocalist, keyboard player, Fela Kuti collaborator and afrobeat legend, Dele Sosimi!

Pat Thomas is one of the most extraordinary pianists of our time. In a first time duo with saxophonist Matana Roberts, the lyricism of his distinctly dexterous and curious approach to the piano paints pathways for Robert’s poignantly vocal saxophone. Together the two speak; locked grooves and neat switchbacks on the keys form dialogue with long deliberate lines on the alto, punctuated by Roberts’ ecstatic vocalisations.  The trio of improvised pieces which make up the record’s first side are ric…

Guitarist and musical organizer Dominique Répécaud has a perfect feel for freerock improvisation, which he has proven especially with his tribal, shape-shifting ensemble Soixante Etages, which often works with sound collages, his former offshoot, the power-trio Etage 34, or the super-quartet Rekmazladzep, featuring saxophonist Daunik Lazro, bastrombonist and trumpeter Thierry Madiot and guitarist Camel Zekri. His most recent activities also include the duo Les Massifs De Fleurs with sound magici…

The first official collection of Japanese soul, funk and disco in the West. Available in CD and deluxe vinyl formats.

Led by poet/saxophonist/blurter Ted Milton, they were one of the oddest and most galvanizing bands from Great Britain’s post-punk movement. Surfacing a year after 1981’s live full-length In Berlin, their self-titled debut studio LP consists of seven tracks that strip funk and jazz-inflected no wave down to insanely logical essentials. These lean vehicles operated by Milton, his brother Jake (drums), and Pete Creese (guitar) get your hips twitching and your brain itching. The songs are both tight…

Strut continues their work from the archives of Idris Ackamoor and The Pyramids with a first ever vinyl release of Ackamoor’s debut avant-garde / Afro-jazz recordings from 1971 with The Collective, based out of Yellow Springs, Ohio. The group was formed after Ackamoor had returned to Antioch from a spell in L.A. under the wing of influential saxophonist Charles Tyler. Pianist Lester Knibbs had been appointed to the Antioch college music department as an assistant professor and had followed a sim…

Featuring what may be his only recordings on the Prophet keyboard, these once lost performances expand the omniverse of Ra across a stellar set of lengthy cuts! All recorded in a single day and finally making their terrestrial debut!  What happens when a Prophet meets a Prophet? The answer lies within these grooves. Amongst the hundreds of recordings issued by Sun Ra and his Arkestra, under their various guises, the majority were recorded in concert or in makeshift studios such as their early 19…

Full-length, legendary Cecil Taylor Orchestra concert from Jazz Jamboree 1984 feat. greatest names on American and European free jazz scene.

"Two grand pianos, quasi two orchestras, driven by two of the most distinguished personalities of contemporary jazz: Aki Takase and Alexander von Schlippenbach -- they are having a conversation within the medium of sound. But they complement one another in a way that makes any stylistic differentiation irrelevant. With all the transparency in the course of their playing the dialogical principle opens out into a holistic piano language. What counts is freedom and the responsibility to create some…

Studio Mule present their third reissue of Fumio Itabashi with Rise And Shine: Live At The Aketa's, originally released in 1977. Rise And Shine Live At The Aketa's was his second release of 1977, and it was recorded at legendary Jazz Club in Tokyo. This album was actually recorded before his first release Toh. "Jumping Board" on side A is a Japanese hard bop classic. Itabashi's cover version of "My Funny Valentine" is very sweet and elegant while the main track, "Rise And Shine", is one of his b…

180-gram vinyl. The legendary, rare Brötzmann album finally reissued on vinyl for the first time, with the special fold-out leporello on the front. One-time pressing of 1000. Originally released on Calig in 1969. Side A: The Peter Brötzmann Sextet: Peter Brötzmann: tenor sax; Evan Parker: tenor sax; Derek Bailey: guitar; Fred van Hove: piano; Buschi Niebergall: bass; Han Bennink: drums. Recorded at Tonstudio Bauer, Ludwigsburg, Germany, on April 18, 1969; recording engineer: Kurt Rapp. Side B: T…

Tip! *Silkscreen printed cover. Limited edition of 208 copies. Totally sold out at source * ...in February 2020, just in time before the outbreak of the ongoing pandemic, four avant-garde jazz/free improvisation enthusiasts got together to play and hang out. The place for their meeting, a cosy studio (Odd Funk Records) in a small town in Southern Finland, has during the past ten years received a certain reputation - that of analogically recorded and mixed raw funk, afrobeat and a bit more twiste…

This highly sought-after classic has now returned for a third re-run, showcasing the talents of young Estonian trumpeter Jaan Kuuman and his esteemed instrumental ensemble. Recorded in the early to mid-seventies this compilation features a masterful blend of tight jazz-funk rhythms,infused with a dramatic flair and irresistible hooks that will leave listeners yearning for more. Stock fly fast on this one.

*In process of stocking* Avant-garde pioneer Eric Dolphy achieved incredible things with the bass clarinet, establishing it as a vehicle for solo improvisation, and was equally adept on alto and flute, gaining kudos from peers such as John Coltrane and Charles Mingus. Outward Bound holds a special place in jazz as Dolphy’s first LP fronting his dynamite quintet, leaving conventions behind from the get-go. With the entire group on tremendous form throughout and Dolphy reaching the heights of his …

Sounds of Africa is the fourth album by double bassist and oud player Ahmed Abdul-Malik featuring performances recorded in 1962 (with one track from 1961) and originally released on the New Jazz label. This Early 60's Afro-jazz jam with middle-eastern and latin flavours is one of the first in its genre. The album also features Bilal Abdurahman, Andrew Cyrille and Chief Bey. Seminal!

*In process of stocking* 'This jazz musician of Sudanese descent shows up here and there on recording sessions from the '60s, including a stint as a member of Thelonious Monk's combo. He also played oud and took part in a variety of attempts to blend his roots music with jazz, out of which this is one of the most successful. Indeed, one might overlook the entire fusion nature of this record and look at is as a prime example of how much brilliant jazz is created often by relatively unknown player…

Recorded by the German WDR radio at the Apollo Theater in Düsseldorf on Monday, March 18, 1960 this session documents a precise step in John Coltrane's career. While on tour in Europe with the Miles Davis quintet, the young but already mature tenor saxophonist took the chance to lead a quartet session with the Davis rhythm section, a hard swinging combo with pianist Wynton Kelly, bassist extraordinaire Paul Chambers, and drummer Jimmy Cobb. This is very fine set based on a bunch of well selected…

* Edition of 200 * Japanese punk/underground drummer legend. Born in Osaka. Has played with many Japanese underground groups including Les Rallizes Denudes, Keiji Haino, Pungo, Maher Shalal Hash Baz, Masami Shinoda Unit, Paradise Garage

This album was the Yosuke Yamashita Trio's first-ever work, and it is considered to be a real masterpiece. It is a live recording of a superb performance in July 1969 that involved Takeo Moriyama and Seiichi Nakamura on the barricaded campus of Waseda University. This analogue reissue captures the three stunning pieces as well as plenty of ambiance and atmosphere from the gig itself, making it a real moment in time.  One of the earliest albums ever from Japanese pianist Yosuke Yamashita – and a …

*2023 stock* Japan's legendary drummer steps out here with a killer combo – definitely a "big 4", given that the group features excellent tenor work from Hidehiko "Sleepy" Matsumoto, plus Fender Rhodes and acoustic piano from Hideo Ichikawa! George Kawaguchi's famous sense of swing really gets the whole thing going – that big, round approach to the drums that was somewhere in a space between Art Blakey and Buddy Rich – and which was definitely hitting some of its hipper tones by the time of this…

Full length remixed and re-mastered version of this classic lp featuring top 20 classic jazz carnival!

** 100 copies limited edition cassette with j-card (with ltd edition poster by Shabaka Hutchins) ** Jeanne Lee (1939-2000) was an African-American vocalist, poet, composer, improvisor, activist and educator. In her 40 year career she performed with Archie Shep, Marion Brown, Gunter Hampel, Frank Lowe, William Parker, Andrew Cyrille, Anthony Braxton, Ran Blake, Billy Bang, Cecil Taylor, John Cage, Rashsaan Roland Kirk, Pauline Oliveros, Reggie Workman, and many others.  "Jazz is a music that comb…

"The master of multiphonics (playing more than one note at a time on a horn), Albert Mangelsdorff has been a giant of the European avant-garde for the past 30 years. He originally studied violin and worked as a jazz guitarist before taking up the trombone in 1948. Here he is taped live at a concert in Tokyo with what was then his regular quartet: Heinz Sauer on sax, Günter Lenz on bass, and Ralf Hübner on drums. There's a very nice blend between the leader's agile but smooth horn and the somewha…

"This is Kunio Ohta's second TBM album, known as a favorite of listeners who love the TBM label. The original "Umi to Taiyo (The Sea and the Sun)" features all the members in lively action, and Takano's melancholy tenor solo on the over 16-minute title track is a must-hear." - Koki Hanawa

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 three tracks, in which Takayanagi, Mori and others interplay with a unique sense of time, are also must-listen.

Limited edition The most valuable of Gürtler’s (founder of Saar Records in 1950) jewels came from the jazz world. Gürtler donated all his passion and expertise to jazz, financing every project without complaints. The jewel in the crown of his productions was the LPJ 5007 album (Basso-Valdambrini Octet), considered by critics the best one ever published in Italy till that moment. The records selection, to which also Gürtler took part, leaned towards the classic themes of the American repertoire, …

In 1973, four Englishmen who loved Jazz, Rock and Groove decided to record an independent album at Zelia Studios in Birmingham. The result was Poliphony, which had few hard copies and became a rarity among Jazz Rock collectors. The core of the jazz rock quartet Poliphony came together in Birmingham around 1971 on the initiative of the young student and pianist Dave Bristow, who invited guitarist Richard Bremmer to join the line-up that also included Bob Boucher. The last musician to join Polipho…

A reissue of a great exotica LP, recorded in 1958 and originally appearing in 1961. Dave Harris' only release as a band leader was a magnificent tribute to Raymond Scott, the legendary forerunner of space-age sound.

**300 copies** Edmony Krater grew up on the side of Morne Rouge in Sainte-Rose, north of Guadeloupe. His mother sang in church, but Edmony was drawn to the sound of Gwo Ka, which was frowned upon but very present in ceremonies or funeral vigils. As both a fashion designer for the theater and a musician (percussion, trumpet, vocals) in the group Gwakasonné, formed by Robert Oumaou and Georges Troupé, Edmony left Guadeloupe in 1983 to settle in mainland France just after recording their first albu…

Tip! *Limited to 300 copies. [ahad] plays on 33rpm, [wahid] on 45rpm and with a locked groove. In process of stocking* On the 6th of September 2017 I experienced [Ahmed] for the first time. Celebrating the launch of their first LP – New Jazz Imagination at Café OTO, Dalston, London.  Seated at our favourite table, the cheeseboard, me and my good friend John witnessed the telepathy and synchronicity between Pat Thomas, Joel Grip, Antonin Gerbal and Seymour Wright. Intensity, energy, raw power and…

Impossible-to-find gem from 1969 finally reissued in a deluxe edition. ULTRA RARE South African Jazz from District Six with legendary musicians Clifford Moses, Richard Schilder, Basil Moses and Basil Coetzee.

FRIM Records presents Can't Hide. Released December 10, 2021 Gustaf Hielm, bassElin Forkelid, saxophonesErik Carlsson, drums All music by Forkelid, Carlsson, Hielm (STIM/NCB)Produced by FRIM.Recorded March 12, 2020, at Fylkingen, Stockholm, by John Chantler.Mixed by John Chantler.Mastered by Göran Stegborn.

Vladimir Tarasov - drums, percussion, cimbalom and hunting horn, Eugenijus Kanevicius – bass and electronics, and  Liudas Mockunas - soprano and tenor saxophones, clarinet and bass clarinet. Recorded at Vladimir Tarasov home studio in Vilnius, June 2014. Limited edition of 400 copies.

Edition of 300. A really great setting for drummer Gerry Hemmingway – an album that has him improvising live with trombonist Samuel Blaser – a fantastic musician who's one of the freshest trombone talents we've heard in years! In previous comments, we've liked Blaser to a modern day heir to the genius of 60s trombonists like Roswell Rudd and Grachan Moncur – and those words definitely hold true here, as Blaser delivers a wondrous balance between new sounds and tuneful moments, fresh ideas …

Nobuyasu Furuya, tenor saxophone, flute, clarinet. Rodrigo Pinheiro, piano. Eduardo Lála, trombone. Hernâni Faustino, contrabass. Gabriel Ferrandini, drums, percussions. Recorded and mixed on 14 and 22 November, 2010 at Namusche Lisbon by Joaquim Monte. All tracks were composed and conducted by Nobuyasu Furuya.