Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

"Not since Albert Ayler stalked the hamnar of Stockholm and reverberated his fire music off the walls of LES tenements has there been an avant-garde jazz saxophonist who can all out wail like Virginia Genta can.  Don’t let her calm presence fool you.  Nor should David Vanzan’s taller stature lead to believe this is not an equal opportunity free jazz freak-out.  From when their poles first were converged by the Cosmic Force in 1999, Italy’s (with Finnish godparents) Jooklo Duo has been winning he…

Die Schachtel is proud to present a recording that embodies the virtuosity of Thollem McDonas and Stefano Scodanibbio in the spirit of Claude Debussy's rebellious creativity.  As Terry Riley wrote: “Anyone who has heard Thollem or Scodanibbio as a soloist might well imagine what a combination of their unique genius could produce.  Awesome, well matched virtuosos in an ocean of sound." During the listening of this CD, you will witness the renowned talent of Scodanibbio, a 21st ce…

RESTOCKED: 2-CD collection of the ex-leader of legendary Afro-spiritual/deep funk/free jazz group from 1970s Ohio (later in SF), The Pyramids. Their music is one of the most deep attempts by African-Americans, deep sounds like Strata-East, aggressive performances like Tribe or Black Jazz, every free jazz/funk collectors should agree on it. Featuring 10 pieces of The Pyramids taken from their 3 albums and unreleased (!) recordings (included first live recording in Holland!). Notably The Pyramids …

10 CDs documenting three full concerts from March, September & November 1978 at the Horseshoe Tavern; 8 hours of excellent music, well recorded and available here for the first time (none have been on bootleg lists) and a long radio interview with Sun Ra. This is a chance to experience the flexibility and vast repertoire of the arkestra and the way sets were organised and constantly changed. This is a numbered limited edition of 500 copies, officially released

UK free jazz guitar icon in unreleased solo material remastered from the original reel-to-reel recordings recorded in London, 1974, Bailey playing mostly electric guitar.  Previously unreleased recordings, remastered from original reel-to-reel tapes. The music on this CD came to light when, during preparations for the reissue of Derek Bailey's Lot 74 - Solo improvisations (incusCD57), Karen Brookman discovered tow reel-to-reel tapes stored along with the original album masters. They turn out to …

 'It could be a walrus. Some very large, ungainly, semi-aquatic creature expelling air through a hole layered with tissue and fat and hairs. But then multiple apertures open at once and the creature just spouts information, chaotic from one angle, streamlined from another. Effluvia momentarily expelled, the beast lies down and breathes in short, percolating gasps, quiet but insistent. The pressure builds, however, surging in near-regular waves, causing the organ-walls to quiver, liquid to shudde…

Michel Doneda (saxophone soprano) and Taavi Kerikme (piano). Recorded in april 2008 in the studio of Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre by Tammo Sumera and in december 2009 in Kanuti Gildi AAL by Ats Treimaa. Mastered by Margo Kolar. Design by Raul Keller. Original artwork by Michel Doneda

PAT THOMAS (piano and synthesizer), CLAYTON THOMAS (double bass), RAYMOND STRID (percussion) recorded in concert at the 2009 Perspectives Festival, Västerås, Sweden.

'Objects 1’ is the latest release of Tasos Stamou combining improvised sets and sound installation. This 35 min. piece was live-recorded at ‘6.d.o.g.s’, Athens, using a variety of handmade mechanical and electronic devices. Self-operated cymbals, prepared ventilators and circuit bent toys accompany sampled murmuring whispers that reflect a sound landscape of ritual atmosphere, enriched with a solo of bowed ‘typatune’ toy piano.

Awesome 5 CD box set recorded over 3 nights in Oslo on February 19-21, 2009 at Victoria, Nasjonal Jazzscene. This time out the Tentet +1 includes Mats Gustaffson, Ken Vandermark, Jeb Bishop, Joe Mcphee, Johannes Bauer, Per Ake Holmlander, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Kent Kessler, Michael Zerang & Paul Nilssen-Love. 

Musica Improvvisa is a cutting-edge project of multi-sensorial improvisation, an open dialogue among different musical experiences, narratives and aesthetics that charters the unexplored soundscape of the telluric territory of the new Italian improvised Music. Ten groups that spans from the South to the North of Italy, from the well-known to the totally obscure, whose music goes from an harsh assault to the ear to a visionary post-electronic/post everything free-form structure. The brilliant out…

Limited edition of 1000 copies. 3 CD Box + a Book. The digipack contains a 115 pages book with 3 essays written by Ed Hazell and Jemeel Moondoc about Jazz Lofts Era in New York City, the Black Artists Movement and musical environment, many beautiful photos, original posters, complete Muntu sessionography etc. CD 1: Muntu Ensemble-First Feeding. With Jemeel Moondoc (alto saxophone), Arthur Williams (trumpet), Mark Hennen (piano), William Parker (bass), Rashid Bakr (drums). Recorded April 17…

Nectars of emergence is the exciting debut release of Mural, consisting of Australia's foremost improviser Jim Denley (alto saxophone, flutes) with Norwegians Kim Myhr (acoustic guitars, preparations) and Ingar Zach gran cassa, percussion). The trio has performed numerous concerts together since their first concert in Madrid in 2007, and now you can finally hear the music on CD. Aftenposten, Norway said of Kim Myhr and Jim Denley's duo CD: 'Systems realignment helps to save improvised musi…

Tapestries for Small Orchestra, eminent trumpeter/composer Bill Dixon's new multi-disc set, includes two audio CDs of specially commissioned original music plus a documentary film featuring exclusive interviews and session footage (DVD available only with physical release). Made possible in part by a grant from the LEF Foundation's Contemporary Work Fund and the support of the Festival of New Trumpet Music, this project thoroughly documents the three-day recording session at Firehouse 12's stat…

Great album by this Detroit group. The songs range from sticky amoeba-like free ooze to stuff of some international album Folkways suppressed because it was too fucked up for public consumption. Pretty fantastic sleeve. 500 made.

Our Swedish hero of sublime saxophones, Mats Gustafsson, performs in three different duo constellations, spanning over three 7″ singles, all collected in a limited 99 copies box of wonder, on Kning Disk KD003-005. Mats collaborates with Fred Lonberg-Holm, Luca Tommaso-Mai and Leif Elggren, resulting in both electric, eclectic and sensational sounds; spanning over one 7″ single per collaboration. Two of the three singles has been previously released on Kning Disk in limited editions. The third co…

Afro-Danish saxophonist John Tchicai spent his youth playing alongside the greats, recording and performing with Albert Ayler, John Coltrane, Archie Shepp and Don Cherry. For this recording, Tchicai is joined by John Coxon, Mark Sanders and Ashley Wales, who between them supply an arsenal of instruments including piano, harpsichord, sampler, steel bowls and bowed percussion. This setup makes for a bewitching backdrop of esoteric sound textures and atmospheric accompaniment, giving an otherworldy…

Another fine disc from the Treader label, this time featuring the marvellous Evan Parker alongside John Coxon (Roland MKS 80, piano and harpsichord), Mark Sanders (Drums and percussion) and Ashley Wales (bass drum, riveted tambour and piano). As the title suggests this collection of improvisations is interspersed with brief interlude tracks, whereby Parker takes a backseat in order for his fellow musicians to plot out some experimental, palate cleansing sonics. During the main body of these piec…

That is one slick title, is it not? Though I must say, I for one would have preferred it had they gone with ShippMan. Oh, perhaps not... Both repeat offenders on the Treader label, Jason Pierce (of Spiritualized and Spacemen 3 notoriety) teams up with modern jazz icon Matthew Shipp, who plays celeste and harmonium over these two extended drone pieces. This collaboration first came about for Patti Smith's Meltdown festival, and this recording represents a studio incarnation of that performance. T…

6CD set. Sun Ra & the Arkestra played every Monday night at Slug's Saloon in the Lower East Side of NYC for over 5 years, from 1966-1972. This is the 1st released documentation of this long residency, comprising 2 complete shows (6 hours total) recorded over the summer of 1972. High quality recordings that capture the Arkestra emerging from their psychedelic phase & moving back towards their jazz roots.

The Modern Sound Quintet were formed in Stockholm by Trinidadian steel drum master Rudy Smith. On Otinku, Smith wails out on his set of 'pans' (as I believe the vernacular goes) in an improbably slick bebop mode, accompanied by a rhythm section capable of keeping it free and swinging one moment, and then within an instant locking down a groove. While pieces like the title track and 'Bye Bye Blackbird' flow effortlessly, 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy' and 'Memphis Underground' lay down a solid bedrock of …

Recorded live at Alto Adige Jazz Festival in Bolzano, Italy in June of 2007. All compositions by Anthony Braxton: Composition No. 63, Composition No. 92 (part 1-2), Composition No. 164 (part 1-2), Composition No. 59

This is the collaborative masterpiece of the 3-piece unit, sim (Oshima Teruyuki on guitar and composition, Ootani Yoshio on computer, electronics, etc, and Uemura Masahiro on drums) and Otomo Yoshihide (turntables, self-made synthesizer). The noise of Otomo sharply incises the unique sound of sim, where Uemura’s controlled roaring drumming sets an main axis on Oshima’s precise rhythmical composition, Oshima’s the chord cuttings beats minimally and the electronics of Ootani give extreme voltage. …

Originally released on Saturn Records in 1979, both Sleeping Beauty and On Jupiter are studio recordings by the large Ra ensemble (including electric guitar and electric bass) and, for the most part, feature the first recordings of the titles included on them (though most were played live a few months earlier). These two releases belong together, since they were recorded and released in close proximity and are both long, groove-based, pieces that range from proto-disco to relaxed groove-driven p…

Never mind the piano, the pianist is Fine! Milo Fine describes the particular piano as 'more remains than intact', yet he still manages to get the right music out of 'that wonderful beast'. The earlier date is unaccompanied piano improvised mainly at the keyboard. On the other longer concert, recorded towards the likely demise of the 'beast', Fine spends most of his time working on the innards resulting in a very wide range of sound. He also uses some electronics, and is joined by alto saxophoni…

RESTOCKED, last copies around: an amazing collection of music -- the complete performances of the Sun Ra Arkestra during a one week stay at the Detroit Jazz Center in the early 80s! The massive 28 CD set offers a wonderful chance to see this creative ensemble in action -- as each night of the performances offers up something different -- a change in mood, a shift in style, and a wide array of songs that never fails to amaze us! These guys were hardly content to just run over the same music night…

The first chapter of this vinyl series opened with Zu duelling with Iceburn, the follow up is a face to face that puts Mats Gustafsson in front of Paolo Angeli. Talking about the swedish saxophonist (here he plays also alto fluteophone) what should I add you don't know already?...personally I've loved his combined effort together with “Rome's only” Zu (withTakemure more then ever in full blossoming), by the way what we have here is an acoustic improvised performance not so far from many releases…

Wolfgang Schliemann's Tre Pezzi per Percussione (Three Pieces for Percussion) is subtitled "Spesso Usate in Maniera non Convenzionale": often used in not conventional ways. Most of the time, Schliemann's approach is closer to sound art than, say, jazz or contemporary classical. This German CD contains three pieces, all improvised, all solo percussion. In "Presque Vu (En Suite)" ("Almost Seen [In a Suite]"), sparse sound events unfold through nine parts over a total of 44 minutes. Most sounds can…

Eddie Prévost (drums) in trio with Tom Chant (soprano saxophone) and John Edwards (double bass), six improvisations recorded at Gateway Studios, Kingston-upon-Thames, on 28 August 2000.

Guitarist Kiyoshi Sugimoto's 1978 jazz-funk and fusion album, written and arranged by him, reissued in 2026 on clear sky blue vinyl in Universal's J-Fusion Renaissance series. Japanese edition with obi.

Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre quartet with Longineu Parsons (trumpet, flugelhorn, flute, recorders), Leonard Jones (bass) and King L. Mock (drums), recorded at Barigozzi Studio, Milan, on June 18, 1979.

Giorgio Gaslini Chamber Trio (Gaslini, piano; Roberto Bonati, bass; Roberto Dani, drums) live at Teatro Dal Verme, Milan, February 29, 2008: the Fonte Funda Suite for Antonioni and, with Riccardo Luppi (tenor sax), a new version of La Notte.

Michael Marcus Trio: Marcus (tenor sax, saxello, clarinet) with Tarus Mateen (acoustic and electric bass) and Nasheet Waits (drums), recorded June 14, 2004 at MuRec, Milan, one track live at the Blue Note, New York, January 2005.

Giorgio Gaslini and the Proxima Centauri Orchestra live: the Urban Griot suite, Guantanamera and Because The Night (Sassuolo, June 18, 2002) and Odissey (Lecco, September 21, 2001). Released by Soul Note in 2003.

Guido Manusardi Quartet: Manusardi (piano) with Roberto Rossi (trombone, shells), Lucio Terzano (bass) and Gianni Cazzola (drums), twelve Manusardi originals released by Soul Note in 2007.

Giorgio Gaslini's Sacred Concert and three-part Jazz Te Deum, recorded live on June 26-27, 2000 in Santa Maria di Betlem, Sassari, with the Orchestra Jazz della Sardegna, the Coro Polifonico Santa Cecilia and trumpet soloist Paolo Fresu.

Trio of Stéphane Furic Leibovici (double bass, compositions), Chris Cheek (tenor and soprano sax) and Patrick Goraguer (drums), recorded in New York on December 5, 1997 and released by Soul Note in 2003.

Mal Waldron (piano) and David Friesen (bass) in duo, recorded live in July 1985 at the Hyatt on Sunset, Los Angeles, and first released by Soul Note in 2006: standards plus Waldron's Fire Waltz.

Nobu Stowe (piano) in improvised duos with Alan Munshower (drums) and trios adding Badal Roy (tabla, voice), released by Soul Note in 2008, plus one Stowe composition.