Jazz /
Alchymia Musicæ
1995 release ** "Prague saxophonist and composer Jirí Stivín had a grand vision working when he assembled the elements for this recording. His intention was to take the great madrigals and villanelles from the 16th century in his own culture, and add a string quartet and a choir to his own jazz trio and try to bridge the span of centuries. Not only this, of course, but to do so with the mischievous grin of the '60s free jazz continuum that preferred improvisation to taking a shower most of the t…
Dreaming Of The Masters Suite
1991 release ** "During the late '80s and early '90s, the Art Ensemble of Chicago recorded a number of albums for the Japanese DIW label. While a couple of these releases were fine additions to their catalog (notably, Dreaming of the Masters, Vol. 1 and The Art Ensemble of Soweto), the majority found the band treading water, breezing through tunes and structures long a staple of their repertoire but rarely either breaking new ground or playing with inspiration. Dreaming of the Masters Suite is a…
Avant-Bass Live
1993 release (RARE) ** "Based in Chicago but originally from Japan, Tatsu Aoki is an acoustic bassist who recorded mostly avant-garde jazz in the '90s but can also handle straight-ahead post bop and traditional Japanese music. At times, he has combined jazz with elements of Asian music. Aoki was born and raised in Tokyo but moved to Chicago in 1978, when he was 19. Much of Aoki's music owes a strong debt to the AACM school of "outside" improvisation; often favoring space and silence over density…
Aftershock
Bomb! *100 copies limited edition* Aftershock marks the fierce vinyl debut of Finnish trio The Fuckings, a privately issued LP (edition of 100) capturing four slabs of unrelenting, high-intensity free improvisation. Recorded in Helsinki in November 2024 and released in April 2025, the album is a visceral tribute to the legacy of boundary-pushing sonic violence. Composed of Janne Martinkauppi (saxophone), Ilkka Vekka (guitar), and Petri Pirtilä (drums), the group channels a storm of raw interplay…
The Icp Orchestra Performs Nichols - Monk
1989 release ** "The Nichols program, recorded in 1984, was by a band with Sean Bergin (alto sax), Michael Moore (alto sax), Maurice Horsthuis (viola), Toon de Gouw (trumpet), Han Bennink (drums), Ernst Reijseger (cello), Paul Thermos (alto sax), Steve Lacy (soprano sax), Larry Fishkind (tuba), Misha Mengelberg (piano), Wolter Wierbos (trombone), and Garret List (trombone). The Monk program, from 1986, consisted of Ab Baars (soprano and tenor sax, clarinet), Michael Moore (alto sax and clarinet)…
New Archaic Music
1990 release ** "...melodic compositions in artistic arrangements for four wind instruments."
Body And Soul
1993 release ** "No matter how many albums David Murray issues, he never coasts or goes through the motions. This is mainly a quartet date, although Murray shows on the title track his ability to back a singer as Taana Running gives a moving vocal, complete with her original lyrics. Otherwise, these are either spirited uptempo numbers or equally energized ballads. Murray's sweeping tenor sound remains a marvel, and few can match him in controlling drive, pitch and volume. Drummer Rashied Ali has…
Subterraneanact
2012 release ** "Dutch duo’s one and only release, from 2012. And quite a good album too! Henk Bakker (bass clarinet and electronic treatments) and Jelmer Cnossen (percussion, Ableton Live) somehow created a subterrestrial sonorous organism with a logic of its own. "
Sun
The heart sits and takes in all wakes of the universe. A blessing to discover sound and how it enters the body and is shared to all. I feel the sound wraps in and out of my heart and pours through the saxophone. Searching, discovering the Creator. I pray this music reaches into your heart, goes all the way to the deepest place and blossoms up the most beautiful gardens of joy and love, curiosity. I am forever grateful to meet souls such as Lex, Miguel, and Caroline. Through these recordings I po…
Two For Joyce
2013 release ** "“Two for Joyce – Live in Trieste”, a new cd from Long Song Records/Audioglobe is the successful account of their performance. 50 minutes of improvised music, a long track of music that shows the vast range of their abilities wonderfully. According to some, Tippett gives his best both alone and in a duo, which is not to diminish his excellent work to date in many ensembles. He is a profound and inventive pianist, austere and grandiose at the same time, as when there’s a waterfall…
Gris-Gris
2025 stock 2013 repress, black vinyl. "1968 debut album from the king of the psychedelic bayou -- the hypnotic, mystical and powerful sound of the swamp coming to life. As he became Dr. John (real name Mac Rebennack), it was his LA session work with musicians like Sonny & Cher, Canned Heat, and Zappa that allowed him to start conjuring up his visions of guitar psych-pop to walk alongside his authentic New Orleans upbringing. While Gris Gris contains moments that make it a type stamped symbol of …
Deep Memory
2016 release ** "After the highly praised trio CDs, Odyssey and ITHAKA, the composer and bassist Barry Guy presents a new CD – Deep Memory – with the same trio members, pianist Marilyn Crispell and percussionist Paul Lytton. For his new compositions, Barry Guy was inspired by Irish painter Hughie O’ Donoghue - all titles on Deep Memory courtesy of the Irish painter Hughie O’ Donoghue’s Berlin exhibition (2007) entitled “Last Poems”. A music has emerged of a tense and lacerating beauty. Tonal pai…
Nightmare Alley
1993 release ** "The leading New York avant jazz harpist has appeared on hundreds of free improvisation recordings in collaboration with artists such as Fred Frith, John Zorn, Elliott Sharp, Lee Ranaldo, and Ikue Mori, among many others. During the '80s and '90s, she pioneered the electric harp of her own design, an instrument which thrives on the rich tonalities of the traditional harp matched with the flexibility of an electric guitar. The instrument was so unique that it shaped and influenced…
Women
Symbole is very proud introducing “Women” by Kat-Tet, a unique musical gem straight from Guadeloupe, 1985. This rare album indeed re-issued is a masterpiece made by the brilliant pianist Patrick Jean-Marie where every note is an epic journey through his genius way of composing and playing. It was a true opportunity for Patrick Jean-Marie and his band to showcase their talents, recorded under professional conditions, resulting in a sound of exceptional quality. The meticulous attention to orchest…
Arruda, Alfazema E Guiné
Immersed in the encounters of Afro-Brazilian cultures and in the influences of yoga philosophy, Brazilian singer-songwriter Alvaro Lancellotti drew inspiration to create his new album: “Arruda, Alfazema e Guiné”. The songs merge the spiritual and musical realms as fundamental elements of its conception, yet remaining free from any fixed aesthetic.
With a percussive strength connected to its sound, “Arruda, Alfazema e Guiné” was released by the American label Amor in Sound, led by Mario Caldato…
Demos (1973-75) Vol. 2
Volume 2 Since their debut album release in 1975, Azymuth have risen to rank alongside the world’s greatest jazz, funk and fusion artists. As young men in Rio de Janeiro, they stood out for both their exceptional talent as musicians, and their wild rock‘n’roll antics in the predominantly middle-class worlds of bossa nova and jazz. Their signature “Samba Doido” (crazy samba) sound ruptured the tried and tested musical structures of the day, resulting in what can only be described as an electric, …
Demos (1973-75) Vol. 1
Volume 1 Since their debut album release in 1975, Azymuth have risen to rank alongside the world’s greatest jazz, funk and fusion artists. As young men in Rio de Janeiro, they stood out for both their exceptional talent as musicians, and their wild rock‘n’roll antics in the predominantly middle-class worlds of bossa nova and jazz. Their signature “Samba Doido” (crazy samba) sound ruptured the tried and tested musical structures of the day, resulting in what can only be described as an electric, …