Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

It can't be easy gathering 28 of Northern Europe's finest jazz and improvising musicians in one place at the same time, which is why Sweden's Fire! Orchestra has been one of the continent's best-kept secrets so far. After playing rare shows a handful of times a year, this incredible mass ensemble is getting ready to unleash its full power with Enter, its first studio recording. This isn't jazz: this is Nordic dynamite. Fire! originated as the trio of Swedish improv masters Mats Gusfasso…

Rune Grammofon presents (without noticing), the fifth album from Swedish trio Fire!, comprised of Mats Gustafsson (The Thing), Johan Berthling (Tape) and drummer Andreas Werliin (Wildbirds & Peacedrums). This album follows collaborations with Jim O'Rourke, Oren Ambarchi and the gargantuan 30 piece Fire! Orchestra band. Fire!'s latest burnt offering features the trio alone with themselves, lighting up a sonic blaze which smolders, then catches alight under their careful attention. Recorded in …

This is the debut full-length release from excellent Swedish jazz trio, Fire! -- something of a supergroup with members from already well-known quarters. Sax player, improviser and composer Mats Gustafsson is probably best-known from power-jazz trio The Thing, but he has also played more than 1,500 concerts and participated on around 150 records with musicians such as Peter Brötzmann, Sonic Youth, Merzbow, Jim O'Rourke, Barry Guy, Otomo Yoshihide, Ken Vandermark, Hamid Drake, Derek Bailey, Evan …

This discography of musical work by the bassist Peter Kowald, who died in 2002, was compiled in honor of his 70th birthday. It includes an alphabetical catalogue of all 143 published recordings up to 2014 by and with Peter Kowald, as well as the cover designs and additional information relevant to the discography. The 208-page book also contains an index of all the films that Peter Kowald was involved in, texts by Bert Noglik, Floros Floridis, Wolfgang Schmidtke and Günter Baby Sommer, and sever…

lucky restock, VERY few copies left...A special friend said to me that he waited a while before unhidden the most precious gem from his vast Sun Ra's archive... Big bang!" Recorded August 11, 1986. Sun Ra- piano, synth, voice, Tyrone Hill- trombone, Marshall Allen- alto sax, flute, percussion, John Gilmore- tenor sax, clarinet, Ronald Wilson- tenor sax, Eloe Omoe- alto sax, bass clarinet, James Jacson- Infinity drum, Pat Patrick-alto sax, electric bass, Billy Bang- violin, percussion, Bruce…

Following up on the success of 2013’s “Dreamachines”, the third release by the brilliant quartet Nova Express is inspired by and dedicated to American poetic genius and father of free verse Walt Whitman. Combining the hypnotic swirls of minimalism, the free intensity of improvisation and a soaring lyricism, “On Leaves of Grass” is an exhilarating addition to Zorn’s growing collection of mystical transcendental works. An emotional and virtuosic outing from this Downtown supergroup performing musi…

Cool dubbed out percussive afro tribalism with a free jazz spirit like Roland Kirk meeting Fela Kuti. Include vibraphone, saxophone, drum and you get da spiritual fonkjazz! Very cool authentic reissue to save you a few hundred bucks over the stoopid rare original.

A dynamic and powerful band out of Canada, Zebrina brings Jewish music into the 21st century with their brilliant second CD. Featuring Ben Goldberg on clarinet, “Hamidbar Medaber” is one of the most exciting and successful blending of modern jazz with the Jewish tradition. Referencing Masada and late Miles, the music contains mysterious moods, fiery solos, and lyrical melodies that will keep you coming back for more. One of the most exciting young bands working in Radical Jewish Culture, Zebrina…

An exciting new world of instrumental rock featuring three generations of Downtown superstars—Marc Ribot (Ceramic Dog, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello), Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Melvins, Fantômas) and Tyshawn Sorey (Steve Coleman, Anthony Braxton, Vijay Iyer). Written in 2010, these 12 instrumental miniatures combine atonal lyricism with rock intensity—Schoenberg meets Beefheart’s Magic Band. Originally released as duos in 2011 on the now legendary Enigmata CD (one of the most vexing CDs in Zorn’s cat…

For their fourth release, Zorn’s most intimate and spiritual 21st century ensemble returns with a melodic and open book of tunes reminiscent of the Book of Angels. Drawing inspiration from the Biblical Song of Solomon and originally intended as a companion piece to Zorn’s vocal masterpiece Shir Hashirim, the music is regal, sensual and romantic—a magical blend of classical, jazz and folk music. There has never been a group like the Gnostic Trio, and The Testament of Solomon is a unique CD in the…

Turkish free-improv group KonstruKt was formed in 2008 by guitarist Umut Çağlar, and since their inception, they’ve gained notice through their collaborations with such old-guard stalwarts as Evan Parker, Marshall Allen and Peter Brotzmann.  The latter introduced them to the legendary Joe McPhee at the Krakow Jazz Autumn festival, and after striking up a friendship, they invited him to join them in Istanbul for a concert in March of 2014.  Babylon was recorded the day after he arrived, w…

Isabelle Duthoit, clarinet, voice. Roger Turner, percussion. Alexander Frangenheim, double bass. Recorded in Berlin 2014.

Ernesto Rodrigues, harp and objects. Katsura Yamauchi, alto saxophone. Carlos Santos, computer.    

Truly an outstanding live document, by the trio comprising Peter Kowald (1944 - 2002), doublebass. Daunik Lazro, alto & baryton saxophones. Annick Nozati (1945 - 2000), voice. Recorded in Instants Chavirés, Montreuil, February 2000 by Jean-Marc Foussat. Duos, trios and one solo from Annick Nozati. The only time they did play together.

Outstanding archival recordings by Hartmut Geerken. German author, poet, composer, film-maker, performer, and gifted musician who collaborated with John Tchicai, Sun Ra (he was the first to bring Sun Ra over to Egypt in 1971), Embryo, Michael Ranta, Art Ensemble Of Chicago, Takeisha Kosugi and many more. This is an incredible live recording of a concert hosted by the Goethe Institut of Kabul on September 22, 1976. More than sixty minutes of convulsive jams - and hypnotic obscure interludes to …

South African pianist and composer Abdullah Ibrahim (aka Dollar Brand) featuring Hamiet Bluiett (baritone sax) and Don Cherry (trumpet). Exact repro, originally released in 1977.

Legendary japanese musician Akira Sakata (active in various groups since the early 70s) teams up with Berthling of Fire and Nilssen-Love of The Thing. Akira Sakata, alto saxophone, clarinet, voice. Johan Berthling, double bass. Paal Nilssen-Love, drums & percussion.

There is only one prior release existing of Brötzmann and Sharrock as a duo (vinyl-only on Okka Disc 2003). This live recording from the archives of Peter Brötzmann was mixed by Lou Malozzi in Chicago, mastered by Martin Siewert in Vienna. Sonny Sharrock was one of the first American free-jazz guitarists. He played in the '60s with Miles Davis, Pharoah Sanders, Roy Ayers and many other greats. His career started again in the beginning of the '80s when he met Bill Laswell, who hired him to form t…

An amazing live date from Sun Ra & The Arkestra – recorded in Cairo in 1971, with a very transcendent sound overall! Ra and the group are clearly inspired to be working in the shadow of the pyramids – and their music sometimes has Eastern overtones, a bit in the manner of Salah Ragab – their associate in Egypt – yet at other times, things get quite outside and noisy too! The keyboards are especially wonderful – as Ray plays "tiger organ" and moog, in addition to conventional piano – adding in th…

The first album on Saturn! Despite the futurism that the title of the set might imply, the material on this LP is actually some of Sun Ra's earliest, and dates back to the years when the Arkestra was first beginning to make itself heard in Chicago. That doesn't stop the material from being amazing, though, as these prime early tracks really show how strong Ra's vision was, even when it was being applied to material that might look more simple on the surface.

I got to know Joe Sachse's playing through the band Doppelmoppel. The jazz scene in the former GDR created a special music that expressed an independence and pleasure in playing. Our idea of playing together as a duo has now become reality and from the very first moment playing together was easy and inspiring. There happened to be a recording of this first concert and listening to it we wanted to have it published. Thanks to Jazzwerkstatt this wish has now also become reality. - Nils Wogr…

We Travel the Spaceways was recorded at a handful of sessions in Chicago from 1956-1959, possibly 1960. Although several of the tunes also appear on other '50s era recordings, as usual, personnel and arrangements differ from album to album. Many of the tunes are quite bluesy, with tympani, bells, and percussion adding an exotic flair, but the big event here is the appearance of the "space chant," which would become an Arkestra calling card for decades to come. The band was starting to she…

Long out of print, few copies available. Beautiful material from this legendary Bay Area soul jazz combo! The Sons & Daughters of Lite have an incredibly spiritual sound – one that sounds sort of like the best groups on the Strata East label, with touches of Roy Ayers or James Mason-esque soulfulness, but with a little less polish. Many of the cuts have sweet female vocals in the lead – with backing that includes vibe, electric piano, tenor, alto, and percussion by Babatunde. The record's a grea…

Remembering his old friend and the days when this live recordings were taken, says Hartmut Geerken: "When John came to visit us in Afghanistan and in Greece, where we lived in the 70's and 80's, my wife Sigi had to extend his bed always with fruit boxes. His height didn't fit into a normal sized bed as well as his musical dimensions were too far out to fit into the mainstream taste of the masses. It was wonderful to hike with him in the Hindukush mountains up the Salang Pass. Afghanistan was a v…

Masahiko Satoh, piano. Paal Nilssen-Love, drums, percussion. Tokyo pianist Masahiko Satoh recorded these two extended improvisations with Norwegian drummer Paal Nilssen-Love in concert at Shinjuku Pit Inn, Tokyo in 2013, a remarkable dialog of intense technical power and creative passion.  

A quartet session bringing together players from Northern Europe, Japan, and Chicago : Akira Sakata (reeds), Fred Lonberg-Holm (cello & electronics), Ketil Gutvik (electric guitar) and Paal Nilssen-Love (drums & percussion) for an intense and joyful free jazz.

A sweaty summer session or radical free music! Recorded in July 2012 close to a nice small lake in the North of Italy, at the beautiful Sauna Studio (yes, even the studio name is as hot as the music!).Featuring Peter Evans as special guest, and an unusual  tuba instead or a more expected double bass, Piero Bittolo Bon’s Lacus Amoenus delivers a brilliant, adventurous ensemble sound,  full of raw, daring improvised music.  Certainly not your usual easy listening jazz music, “The Sauna Session” is…

Peter Brötzmann, alto & tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, Bb-clarinet. Paal Nilssen-Love-drums, percussion. Recorded October 2008 in Oslo, Norway.Second album from the godfather of European free-jazz, Peter Brötzmann and Norwegian virtuos Paal Nilssen-Love. This is the follow-up to 'Sweet Swea' from 2007. Woodcuts is another free jazz mastodont from the two masters. This is European free-jazz at its best. Recorded live in concert at Kampen in Oslo, Norway. 

This was a project a long time in the making - Xavier Charles is a not a person you can rush; he has very clear objectives that need the time that they take. When he took interest in the sounds of the appliances in his kitchen, daily sounds that remain unnoticed to most of us, he was to explore listening and perception as part of his music making. Typically, Xavier has worked here with the ambient noise in his recording environment, something he has been exploring and refining for many years now…

The final night of Otomo Yoshihide and Sachiko M's first residency in 2009 saw the pair joined by the long-running trio of Evan Parker, John Edwards and Tony Marsh and special guest John Butcher. Butcher played duos with both Otomo and Sachiko and joined the quintet for a rousing sextet: stunning twin saxophone interplay, the unparalleled openness of the Marsh/Edwards rhythm pairing, Sachiko's deft high-frequency interventions and Otomo's guitar at the center -- moving between abrasive textural …

'Rimski' with Mats Gustafsson, tenorsax, sopranino. Wolfgang Fuchs, bass clarinet, sopranino. Sven-Ake Johansson, drums vocal. Recorded by Christian Fnghaus, (Audionauten) Berlin 6.9.1990. 'Erkelenzdamm' with Richard Teitelbaum, piano, electronics, and Sven-Ake Johansson, drums, accordeon. Rec. at Institut Unzeit, Berlin 1985. 'Splittersonata' with Günther Christmann, trombone. Wolfgang Fuchs, bass clarinet, sopranino. Sven-Ake Johansson, vocal, accordeon, percussion. Torsten Müller, double bass…

"An often inspired study in post-noise atmospherics, Malus brings together three pioneering improvisers in their late thirties. Nate Wooley deploys vocalisation and extreme extended technique to turn his trumpet into a hissing steam engine and a bubbling cauldron, channelling electricity to create groggy lo-fi textures. Chris Corsano is in a reflective, exploratory mood, dragging objects across amplified skins to create queasy high-pitched drones and dull metallic rings. Double bassist Hu…

The Freedom Principle is an album crackling with energy.  Consisting of three long tracks, none shorter than 11 minutes, the album is full of bristling creativity and expression, never feeling tired or lost. Rodrigo Amado is a musician and photographer from Lisbon, Portugal (check out his artist home page; in addition to his discography, he had a link to his pictures and a photo book, all very nice), who was involved in the burgeoning free jazz scene there in the mid to late 90's.  The start of …

Featuring two American ex-pats on bass (Barre Phillips) and drums (Stu Martin), and English saxophonist (John Surman), The Trio is a monster 2LP of avant-garde and free jazz originally released on the Dawn label in 1970. By the time this double album was recorded, the various band members had developed quite a pedigree having played with the likes of Archie Shepp, Paul Bley, Bob James, Mike Westbrook, Attila Zoller, Gong, Marion Brown, and more! Their experience and expertise are visible here as…

Insane Bobetomagus wax! Full-Blast-Borbeto jazz/noise recorded live in Helsinki Finland in 2005... Mix-maximized by Tommi Keränen. Beautiful 2 color silkscreened and hand-glued covers by Sami Pekkola. Titled inspired by the romantic M. Apsa video included with the gigs opening act. Those in the know will know. Grab it! Edition of 300."Thunderous new limited to 300 copies live LP from the killingest trio of horn/guitar thinkers this side of judgement day: recorded live in Helsinki in…

Locus, the seventh album by the Chicago Underground Duo (Rob Mazurek and Chad Taylor), follows on the heels of their acclaimed 2012 Northern Spy release Age of Energy. Bits of breakbeat and Afropop are heard within the jazz, ambient and electronica elements of their unmistakable grooves. Also in the mix is a Ghanian folk tune and Ennio Morricone played on cornet, drums, mbira, ballophone, bamboo flute and Game Boy. The pairing came out of the Chicago Underground Orchestra founded by Mazurek almo…

Fingerpainting is the first solo release of Greek percussionist and electronic music composer Christos Chrondropoulos. The main source of inspiration for this one sided, 45 rpm, solo percussion album are the documental recordings of musicological record labels such as Smithsonian Folkways, Tangent and Ocora. Following the short recording time format that is encountered commonly in these releases, Fingerpainting gives the impression that it's a recording of an unknown music culture that operates …

Solo release by Antoine Chessex, Fools presents studio material recorded in 2008 in Berlin. Perhaps the most amazing thing about Chessex is his ability to take a single instrument Ña tenor saxophoneÑ and seamlessly move between the hallmarks of musical genres that many others simply get stuck in. As an immersive journey into the physicality of sounds, FOOLS features phasing microtonal explorations of time and space, dense layers of harsh electrified explosions, deep droning textures and moments …

Recorded 9th February, 2004 at Steam Room Studios, London. Recording engineer Jon Wilkinson. Photos by Gérard Rouy except photo of Tony Bianco by Christopher Trent. Mastered by ArÅ«nas Zujus at MAMAstudios. Design by Oskaras Anosovas. Produced by Danas Mikailionis. Co-producer - Valerij Anosov

Originally released in 1971, 'Tales Of The Algonquin', is one of the finest artifacts of the British modal and free jazz scene of the 1960s/1970s. Johns Surman and Warren, like their contemporary Mike Westbrook, take the big band form and flip it on its head by incorporating elements of modal, free, and progressive jazz. The results are powerful and this album is perhaps the greatest example of that quintessentially British jazz style. Long sought after by jazz collectors across the globe, this …