Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

Reissued by Fledg'ling in 2007. The long-overdue release on CD of Brotherhood -- a classic title from 1972 by Chris McGregor's magnificent big band Brotherhood Of Breath. Never before officially reissued, this wonderful album continues the ground-breaking music of their debut album. Mighty music for the head, the heart and the feet. "The Brotherhood of Breath is the kind of band you want to tell people about. It's not for private enjoyment, or for worship by a elitist cult. The Brotherhood'…

The legendary Unlimited Festival in Wels, Austria in 1999 was curated by Otomo Yoshihide (Ground Zero). We are happy to release this sampler that captures the great musicians, bands and projects: Otomo Yoshihide solo, Radian, Incapacitants, Kaffe Matthews / Neumann / Krebs, Tetreault / Labrosse, Nagata Kazunao, Novo Tono, Keith Rowe / Taku / Otomo, Poire_Z, O.Y. New Jazz Quintet (their first performance ever!!), Hoahio, O.Y. solo (finale).

"Alternative Fox present a reissue of Archie Shepp's The Tradition, originally released in 1978. Avant-garde giant Archie Shepp made an indelible contribution to experimental jazz. Double-LP The Tradition was recorded in Rome in 1977 for Horo Records with drummer Clifford Jarvis and bassist Cameron Brown; the raucous Hooray For Mal has shades of be-bop, while Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Lady is largely tackled by Shepp on upright piano (with gorgeous soloing by Brown); Things Have Got To Chan…

** In Process of Stocking ** This record is the tenth release by The Rempis Percussion Quartet, recorded during a 2019 European tour that celebrated their fifteenth anniversary as a working ensemble. Those are some pretty hefty milestones. So how do they push forward artistically with so much already under their belt? From what we hear on Sud Des Alpes, it’s all about digging deeper into the musical dilemmas they’ve been examining for years. These four improvisers continue to grind ideas and per…

Aerophonic Records presents Stringers & Struts by Dave Rempis – alto/tenor/baritone saxophone, Jeff Parker – guitar, Ingebrigt Håker Flaten – bass, Jeremy Cunningham - drums. If you know Chicago jazz, you know the tendons beneath the surface run deep. This isn’t always apparent at first glance. Up above, it’s a broad-shouldered expanse where a multitude of players continue to weave specific sections on the tapestry of this ever-evolving art. And many of those sub-scenes have unique venues, audie…

** 2021 Stock ** Alternative Fox presents Live at Berliner Jazztage, Berlin, November 6, 1971. A legendary show from the Miles Davis Group recorded from SWR in Germany in 1971, and featuring a breath-taking line-up including no less than Keith Jarrett on electric piano and organ. Live at Berliner Jazztage in Berlin on November 6, 1971.

Restocked! A double disc set featuring two live performances from Brooklyn's Issue Project Room in 2010 and 2012. This continues the series of recordings released over the past five years on Important Records of Wooley's long form electro-acoustic work and features, alongside the composer on trumpet and amplifier, such leading lights of the experimental music scene as: Chris Corsano, C. Spencer Yeh, Ben Vida, Ryan Sawyer, David Grubbs, Paul Lytton, Matt Moran, Chris Dingman, and the TILT Brass S…

** Limited Grey Marbled edition ** Sdban Records presents Utopic Cities: Progressive Jazz in Belgium 1968-1979 featuring twelve essential compositions from a highly creative period in Belgian jazz. The release follows Sdban's critically acclaimed Let's Get Swinging: Modern Jazz in Belgium 1950-1970, released back in 2017. Utopic Cities is an eclectic selection of forward-thinking jazz from the Belgian underground, including the left-field fusion of Marc Moulin's Placebo, Koen De Bruyne and Solis…

** 2021 Stock ** Primarily known as a conductor and composer than a performer, Vic Lewis was an important figure in British jazz from the early 1940's onwards. Born in North London July 29th, 1919, he started out as a rhythm guitarist (playing at three years old!) and also held the occasional cornet and trombone. His debut recording was in 1938 on a New York session featuring Eddie Condon, Pee Wee Russell and Bobby Hackett. During World War Two Lewis served in the Royal Air force and formed a ba…

First ever international reissue of one of the most sought-after albums from the Black Fire catalogue, Lon Moshe & Southern Freedom Arkestra’s life-affirming ‘Love Is Where The Spirit Lies’ from 1977. “Lon was creating his own path in his music life at this time,” remembers Black Fire’s Plunky Branch. “We had met in San Francisco and he had become an original member of JuJu during the early ‘70s. He then wanted to pursue his own music, primarily in jazz; he was an avant-gardist and loved Tribe, …

** In process of Stocking. 2021 Stock ** Cadillac presents Don't Worry 'Bout Me by Bobby Wellins Quartet. Recorded At – The Vortex Jazz Club, Stoke Newington, London 16 Feb 1996. Tenor Saxophone, Bobby Wellins, Piano – Graham Harvey, Bass – Alec Dankworth, Drums – Martin Drew, Engineer, Mixed By – Dave Bernez, Mixed By – Victor Schonfield, Dave Bernez, Bobby Wellins, Producer – John Jack for Cadillac Music & Publishing with financial assistance from Shirley Thompson, Photos by Kent Matthews and …

** In process of Stocking. 2021 Stock ** Cadillac presents The Last Night At The Old Place by Mike Westbrook Concert Band, recorded at Ronnie Scott’s Old Place 25 May 1968. Exactly 50 years on, a unique event featuring the music of the most exciting British jazz group of its time in full swing, released for the first time. Remembering John Jack
 Mike Osborne, Harry Miller, Paul Rutherford. So many good things were contained within the Mike Westbrook Concert Band of 1968 that it’s hard to know wh…

** 2021 Stock ** Those artists that have the courage to bare themselves are often warned to "brace up." Since few things in improvised music are considered as dangerous as allowing space to others. Someone might easily grab all of that space and position themselves as ringleader, in the contest that a concert sometimes is. The Seppe Gebruers, Hugo Antunes and Paul Lovens trio are definitely not at each other's throats, though. The title of their 2018 album recorded 2016, The Room: Time & Space, …

**300 copies** Hōryū-ji, or else, the Learning Temple of the Flourishing Law is one of the powerful Seven Great Buddhist Temples in Japan. Hōryū-ji is built with entasis, which - in architecture - is the application of a convex curve to a surface for aesthetic purposes. It also serves an engineering function regarding strength, the key word of this collaboration that brought together Sakata, Yermenoglou, Di Domenico and Damianidis in a two-days live concert meeting in Duende jazz club at Thessal…

Anemic Cinema is a fresh instrumental quartet at the junction of (free) improvised music, contemporary classical and heavy metal. Created for Citadelic 2020 by guitarist Artan Buleshkaj, it features some of Belgium’s most adventurous young improvisers. The omission of a conventional bass instrument allows other instruments to assume this role (or not). This creates certain interesting compositional and improvisational challenges. The timbre distinct for (heavy) metal simultaneously provides an a…

Don't judge a man by the size of his discography. Paul Van Gysegem can only be heard on a handful of releases, but he played a crucial role in the development and visibility of improvised music in Belgium. More than half a century ago, he started inviting international heavyweights to Ghent and performed with many of them. Aorta, recorded by his Sextet in 1971, was one of the key documents of that turbulent era and was rightfully reissued by French Futura label in 2011. However, let's not focus …

** 2021 Stock ** Dust, darkness, headlights. Motion in the nothingness, the wasteland. Like a single, lost particle, the first track roams through this black night. Exposition. We discover. We see how form and shape come into being, how a construct creates itself: A civilization, buildings, people, interaction. Paths intersect and the tension bursts. The sharp baritone saxophone (Marc De Maeseneer) cuts through the air, drilling into ones ear. The conflict is physically tangible and we see that …

** 2021 Stock ** The cornerstone of an ensemble like Fundament is the creation of a corporeal acoustic tour de force, via XL-sound bodies, be it strumento a fiato, a corda and corde vocali. 5 double-basses; 1 tubax, 1 bass saxophone, 1 trombone; 2 bass tuba's, 2 baritone saxophones; 5 throat-singers: all indispensable parts of the ensemble. By using the strumento a fiato, the sound is created by the breath current causing the air column to vibrate. The power of the breath and the nature of breat…

** Including 7inch Single "Gisela (Lion Rock)" b/w "Summertime" (previously unreleased). Limited to 500 numbered copies. Heavy old school tip-on cover ** Perfect Toy Records presents Fitz Gore & the Talismen. Licensed by Gisela Gore. Tenor Saxophone – Fitz Gore, Bass – Gérard Ebbo - Obama Ngomo, Congas – Lamont Hampton, Drums – Emmanuel Dipanda, Guitar – Gil Nguema, Piano – Lukoki Mampasi.

Unbelievable new compilation of deep spiritual music by John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Oliver Nelson, Pharoah Sanders, Archie Shepp and other groundbreaking Impulse Artists.

** 2021 Stock ** Hōryū-ji or else Learning Temple of the Flourishing Law is one of the powerful Seven Great Buddhist Temples in Japan. Horyu-ji has entasis, in architecture, the application of a convex curve to a surface for aesthetic purposes. It also serves an engineering function regarding strength, the key word of this collaboration that brought together Sakata, Yermenoglou, Di Domenico and Damianidis in a two days live concert meeting in Duende jazz club at Thessaloniki in May 2018. The rec…

** 2021 Stock ** For his band Mephiti, Bogaerts can depend on guitarists Bert Cools and Ruben Machtelinckx, two exponents of a generation of string adepts who have worked themselves beyond the classic examples that elaborate on the blues. The sharpness of Bert Cools, on semi-acoustic and electric guitar, and the thoughtful and recognizable playing of Machtelinckx (electric) form a stream of dreamy, lyrical sounds, with the occasional strong outburst. Complemented with the klanklės handled by Lit…

** 2021 Stock ** Belgian baritone saxophone players Hanne De Backer and Marc De Maeseneer make music in their broadest available musical spectrum. Nevertheless, they go back for their very first release to the jazz and freejazz tradition and give it a personnal, contemporary and unique touch. For this recording (september 2016) they looked for the limits, colors and possibilities of the baritone saxophone in a perfectly resonating space at Het Bos in Antwerp.

"A primal force of something... real. I have listened back and forth to the new album of Anna Högberg's “Attack” numerous times now and it hit me like a split axe in a split second: this music is for real! Wham Bam! This is liberating music. Allowing music. It hits me just as the split axe hits the wood. Without hesitation, but still very sensitive. Pure power does not cut the wood automatically. No fancy flirts with post-this and post-that. Just the force. Of itself. This music is definitely co…

Roland Dahinden's first release of his own compositions, the two parts of Free Lines, with his readings of Coltrane's Naima and Braxton's Composition 136, joined by Anthony Braxton, bassist Joe Fonda and drummer Art Fuller.

Piano-Drums Duos are the preferred playing arrangement of pianist Irène Schweizer. Her mastery of duets with important drummers of contemporary jazz are documented on numerous Intakt CDs. Han Bennink, Pierre Favre, Louis Moholo, Günter Baby Sommer, Andrew Cyrille and Joey Baron among them. The Chicago drummer Hamid Drake, born in 1955, and Irène Schweizer, born in 1941, have performed together on numerous occasions both in Europe and Chicago. Together they have appeared on the Intakt CD "Irè…

2020 stock. 2014 release. One of the most celebrated folks in improvised music, Swedish saxophonist Mats Gustafsson made three ultra-limited edition vinyl LPs, each featuring a different dedication to a favorite musician from the past. Released in batches of 99, these records found Gustafsson playing compositions by Duke Ellington, Albert (and his brother Donald) Ayler, and the important post-bop baritone player Lars Gullin. Long out-of-print, these priceless slabs of free music have quickly bec…

** 2021 Stock ** The Singing Painters as a trio began early 1998 and had its first performance at croxhapox. The original trio had Laura van (lyrics, vocals), Michaël Borremans (guitar) and Merlyn Paridaen (drums, percussion). After the split in 2011 Merlyn Paridaen and Laura van went on operating as a duo, occassionally with Adriaan Verwée on bass clarinet, until Mathias Van de Wiele (guitar/ Moker, Wheels) joined the troops, early 2016. From this The Singing Painters Meet Carver & Horn emerged…

** 2021 Stock ** Karl Van Deun has been active as a musician/composer since the late 80's. He has been involved in a.o. jazz, folk, rock, blues, and contemporary music. As a professional musician he was especially active in the late 80's and early 90's and played with musicians like Mal Waldron, Philip Catherine, Erwin Vann, Pierre Van Dormael, Michel Hatzigeorgiou, Kurt Van Herck, Dré Pallemaerts and many others... Because of hearing problems (hyper-acusis) Karl had to take a step back as a per…

** 2021 Stock ** Dikeman Parker Drake came about when the DOEK festival in Amsterdam invited the American saxophonist (and Dutch resident) to form a new group for the festival. Dikeman went straight for one of the greatest rhythm sections of the last 30 years - asking William Parker and Hamid Drake to join him in a trio. They played on that tour at La Resistenza Ghent and a recording was made for the el Negocito Records label linked to the club. William Parker and Hamid Drake first came together…

** 2021 Stock ** El Negocitio presents Linus + Skarbø / Leroux by Linus Quartet. Ruben Machtelinckx - banjo, guitar, acoustic baritone guitar. Thomas Jillings - tenor & C-melody saxophone, alto clarinet, synthesizers. Frederik Leroux - banjo, guitar, baritone guitar. Øyvind Skarbø - drums, hammond organ. Release 03/04/2015 at De Casino, St-Niklaas, Belgium. Recording & Engineering: Christophe Albertijn at La Chapelle, Belgium february 2015. Mixing: Christophe Albertijn, Ruben Machtelinckx & Thom…

"In the late 1950s, Ornette Coleman set the jazz world on fire. From his own unique playing style to his fundamental deconstruction of harmony and complete rethinking of group performance, Coleman at once confounded critics and inspired a new generation. This revolutionary music eventually became known as free jazz, but Coleman's influence extended well beyond -- into avant-garde rock and art circles -- and today his name is synonymous with artistic freedom. Originally released in Japan o…

Matsuli Music is proud is announce the re-issue of African Songbird, the masterpiece from South Africa's greatest jazz singer, Sathima Bea Benjamin. Originally released in 1976, African Songbird was a debut long overdue. The splendid vinyl reissue of African Songbird opens with a cavernous, spacious, enormous sound, Bea Benjamin’s voice is introduced by Dollar Brand’s plangent, lingering electric keyboards before the ensemble joins in like rolling thunder. The vibrant plucked bass (provided by L…

** First ever vinyl reissue, reproducing the original sleeve artwork and with remastered sound. 500 copies only ** Extremely rare, under the radar afro-psychedelic LP from South Africa. This mysterious band was produced by African funk master, composer, guitarist and producer Almon Sandisa Memela, who was active since the mid 1950s, first as a musician and guitar teacher and then also as a producer. He is famous for his 1970s Afro funk works Funky Africa and the very sought after Broken Shoes. A…

** 2021 Stock ** Ifa y Xango are a number of musicians based in Belgium and Brazil. The group was founded in 2010 with all of the seven musicians in the band playing acoustic instruments and self- composed music at the time. Since releasing their debut album Abraham, which was elected as "Best debut album" by the New York City Jazz Record in 2013, they have expanded the band with three new members. The group is proud to present their upcoming second album “twice left handed \\ shavings”, inspire…

** 2021 Stock ** 'BackBack is the flamboyant jazz trio around renowned guitarist Filip Wauters. A unique blend of jazz, rock, free jazz, and funk, but with the impact and sound of a thunderous rock band. Their grooves remind us of Morhpine, but at the same time, the war between bariton sax and electrical guitar is reminiscent of the confrontation between John Surman and John McLaughlin on the latter's album Extrapolation.' - Glimps 2014 "An unusual line-up" you might think, or "no bass player, i…

** 2021 Stock ** Howard Peach finds its origin in New York, where Belgian drummer Lander Gyselinck (STUFF., LABtrio, Ragini Trio, Kris Defoort Trio, …) lived and studied for some time. He met numerous musical soul mates in the contemporary jazz scene. Besides taking part in these NY sessions and jams, Lander co-founded a brand new trio, with young Irish hidden treasure bassist Simon Jermyn (Large Detective, Pete Robbins Transatlantic Quartet, Jim Black, Tony Malaby) and renowned saxophonist and …

** 2021 Stock ** The music is played by guitarists Ruben Machtelinckx and Hilmar Jensson, Joachim Badenhorst on reeds and Nathan Wouters on double bass. These atypical occupation produces a distinctive and soothing sound. Strong melodies and earthy progressions form the basis of the compositions that often have a melancholic undertone. The music consists of atmospheric, warm, poetic sounds, and allows the individuality of each musician to come forward. The emphasis is on the sound texture and ho…

** 2021 Stock ** Recording a Trio CD with sidemen the likes of bassist Gary Peacock and drummer Paul Motian? No, not only Keith Jarrett has taken that opportunity. The Italian Brussels based Augusto Pirodda must be about the best kept secret in the Belgian jazz scene. Augusto Pirodda knows how to choose his fellow musicians well. The Italian bass player Manolo Cabras has been for over 20 years at his side. Cabras has been on stage and recorded with the Toots Thielemans Quartet, Manuel Hermia Tri…

** 2021 Stock ** Forming Sweet Defeat composer and multi-instrumentalist Tom Wouters (Flat Earth Society, Crap Squeezer, Flick Flack Bat) gathered congenial minds with gitarist Bert Dockx (Flying Horseman, Dans Dans, Score Man, Strand) and cellist Lode Vercampt (Kris Defoort, duo with Bart Maris) for a rather atypical trio. Together they create 'chamber jazz and beyond', which you might just as well take literally. Or how composition, surprise and tension can be synonymous. No well-trodden paths…