Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

*220 copies limited edition* Lucien's music is inspired by Caribbean rhythms (biguines, mazurka, zouk), Caribbean rhythms (calypso), and Latin American rhythms (bossa nova, salsa), and is strongly influenced by modal jazz, jazz-fusion, and American funk. Laura Laura, Mim, Herbie — titles that showcase the musicians' creativity and the harmonic elegance of the compositions, making jazz both accessible and sophisticated.  Lucien Joly’s talent is evident not only in his compositions but also in his…

*2026 repress!!!* What an unbelievable record. From the wild cover to the iconic breakbeats, Roots from Ian Carr’s Nucleus is one of the dopest albums we know. This is seriously thick, funky-prog jazz-rock heaven. Originally released on Vertigo in 1973, other than a couple of versions at the time for other territories, Roots was never re-pressed since so it’s gone on to become another one of those impossible to find records. Maybe it was a little too out there for the time, but it’s aged very, v…

*2026 repress* John Surman's Jazz in Britain '68-'69 is an overview disc of his '60s band and one of the more enjoyable vintage British jazz records. These tunes come from several different sessions recorded in the late sixties, as evidenced by the alternate drummers - Alan Jackson and Tony Oxley - and the use of different instrumentation, like the three-horn modal piece "Bouquet Garni," from 1968 that places Surman in the company of only two other horn players - Alan Skidmore and Mike Osborne -…

Elis & Tom is a bossa nova album, released in 1974, recorded by Brazilian singer Elis Regina and singer-songwriter Antônio Carlos Jobim. Recorded over a 16-day period at MGM Studios in Los Angeles, California, the album was an old wish of Regina, who always wanted to record a full album of Jobim's songs with him. This finally came true in 1974, when Elis was celebrating her 10th anniversary as an artist of Philips Records. The label approved the project as a gift for her.

Henry Franklin is set to release *The Skipper At Home*, a bold new musical journey arriving on **[Release Date]**. The album blends intimate storytelling with adventurous grooves, drawing listeners into a world where humor meets heart, and every track feels like a destination. With *The Skipper At Home*, Henry Franklin crafts a sound that’s both reflective and kinetic—layered arrangements, memorable melodies, and a distinct voice that moves effortlessly between the personal and the playful. From…

On The Skipper, Henry Franklin steps out from the sideman shadows to helm one of Black Jazz Records’ most beloved releases, a deep, earthy fusion of spiritual jazz and funk‑tipped groove. His bass becomes both rudder and engine, steering long, flowing tunes that move with unhurried authority and luminous ensemble interplay.

Temporary Super Offer! Cacophonic present a first time vinyl reissue of a pioneering album of French free jazz, François Tusques's Free Jazz, originally released in 1965. Comprising some of the earliest, uninhibited performances from musicians behind groundbreaking European records and films, Free Jazz captures the birth of an exciting movement that would soon earn its Parisian birthplace as the go-to European spiritual home of improvised and avant-garde music. Spearheaded by pianist and compose…

If Eternal Rhythm was Don Cherry's world fusion masterpiece of the '60s, then Brown Rice is its equivalent for the '70s. But where Eternal Rhythm set global influences in a free jazz framework, Brown Rice's core sound is substantially different, wedding Indian, African, and Arabic music to Miles Davis' electrified jazz-rock innovations. And although purists will likely react here the same way they did to post-Bitches Brew Davis, Brown Rice is a stunning success by any other standard. By turns hy…

Sound Sun Pleasure was recorded in Chicago at the same March 1959 sessions that produced the instrumental album Jazz In Silhouette, and features near-identical personnel. However, the recordings sat on the shelf for over ten years, finally achieving release in 1970. Whereas Silhouette was comprised of Sun Ra originals, Sound Sun Pleasure explores two works Sunny co-composed with trumpeter Hobart Dotson and four standards, two of which ("'Round Midnight" and "Back In Your Own Backyard") are sung …

*Edition of 300 copies. High thickness cardboard with opaque laminated cover. Comes with a printed insert.* John Tchicai was extraordinarily prolific during the late 1960s and early 1970s, and this second archival release from Formalibera captures two essential, previously undocumented chapters of his story. Side one takes us to Danish Radio House, Copenhagen, October 1969, where Tchicai leads a remarkable hybrid quintet fresh from a European tour: Danish collaborators Hugh Steinmetz and Pierre …

*Edition of 300 copies. High thickness cardboard with opaque laminated cover. Comes with a printed insert.* John Tchicai (1936-2012) was one of the most visionary free jazz saxophonists of the 20th century - a rare artist whose voice stood apart even among giants. Born in Copenhagen to a Danish mother and a Congolese father, his path to New York came through a chance encounter at a socialist youth festival in Helsinki, where Bill Dixon and Archie Shepp heard him play and urged him to make the mo…

* Edition of 300 copies. High thickness cardboard with opaque laminated cover. Comes with a four-page printed insert. The Contemporaray Jazz Quartet together with Gary Peacock and Sunny Murray! This is THE sunken treasure. This is music I have only heard about. And yet, here it is. Unbelievable. Intact. Preserved. Beaming of energy and JOY! This is a sensational find. My favorite Danes exploding together with my favorite double bass player all time. Gary Peacock. The engine. The power engine. I …

Two sunken treasures from the same Copenhagen underground, gathered here as a pair. On one LP, Predetermination: The Contemporary Jazz Quartet caught in 1964 alongside Sunny Murray and Gary Peacock - the rhythm section of Albert Ayler's Spiritual Unity - on music that stayed hidden for sixty years. Free jazz before the norm was set, exploding out of Denmark years ahead of the rest of Scandinavia. On the other, Beautiful United Harmony Happening / The Education of an Amphibian: John Tchicai at hi…

The first ever reissue of one of the great hidden artifacts of early prog and fusion: 'Power On!', the second and final full-length by the little-known Frankfurt ensemble From, originally issued by the German arm of CBS in 1972 and now returned to print by Free Flow Archive. Building upon and radically expanding creative ground pioneered by Miles Davis on 'In a Silent Way' and Herbie Hancock on 'Mwandishi', alongside roughly contemporaneous efforts by Soft Machine and The Nice, the sounds of Fro…

Future Present Past is the second Impulse! Records album  by the free jazz collective Irreversible Entanglements. The album was largely recorded at the historic Van Gelder Studio and showcases how the quintet fuses atmospheric jazz, world music traditions, and spoken word with the story of our collective existence: a future full of possibilities, a present with all its uncertainties, and a past as a source of ancestral wisdom. Irreversible Entanglements, formed in Brooklyn in 2015, consists of p…

Two Rooms Records is excited to announce its tenth and most significant release yet, "Live on WUOM 1979" by Griot Galaxy. Nearly lost to history, this double-length release captures an extended radio performance by the seminal Afro-futurist jazz group, aka “The Sci-Fi Band,” featuring stunning versions of their classic repertoire circa 1979, in a compact, quartet setting. Known for mixing complex polyrhythms, polytonality and non-western scales with grooves and minimalist elements from popular m…

On their self‑titled debut, Kenako deliver a tightly wound set of organic funk and Afro‑soul instrumentals, where heavy drums, hot horns and deep, unhurried grooves feel cut for both dusty dancefloors.

Originally released in 1962 on Candid Records, The Straight Horn of Steve Lacy finds a young Steve Lacy stepping forward with quiet confidence and a sound unlike anyone else at the time. Stripped of excess and focused on tone, space, and intent, these sessions reveal a musician already thinking beyond convention. The soprano sax cuts clean and direct, moving between sharp angles and lyrical calm, with a small group that listens as closely as it plays. Nothing here feels rushed or ornamental, jus…

One of the most uncompromising free jazz records ever made, this one-off improvisation by a group of Dutch players, led by percussionist Pierre Courbois, is an archetype of the style

This record marks a turning point in jazz history. It may be the earliest recorded example of what Ornette Coleman later called "free jazz," and it represents the first rumblings of the revolutionary movement which eventually shifted jazz thinking away from bebop. This double LP includes the complete show recorded live at The Hillcrest Club of Los Angeles in 1958.

*200 copies limited edition* Christer Bothén’s artistry transcends genre, tradition, and the tangible. A key figure in avant-garde jazz and global improvisation, he has spent decades exploring sound’s spiritual depth. From playing in Don Cherry’s groundbreaking Organic Music Society to leading expansive projects, Bothén has embraced the unknown, continuously reshaping his musical language. At 83, Bothén remains deeply engaged, crafting L'Invisible, a trio album with vibraphonist (and drummer) Kj…

In 2023 the Swedish bassist and composer Vilhelm Bromander turned heads with the stunning debut album of a new large ensemble, which has now adopted its name— Vilhelm Bromander Unfolding Orchestra—from that recording: In this forever unfolding moment. That album, which earned him the prestigious Gyllene Skivan and Manifest Awards, was an auspicious premiere, that braided many of the passions of the young musician, including his devotion to Indian dhrupad music, the politically charged folk-jazz …

"Strata-East present a reissue of Pharoah Sanders's Izipho Zam (My Gifts), originally released in 1973. "Popular and increasingly in demand, Izipho Zam (My Gifts) falls into the 'rare' category among record collectors and is a gift to fans of master Pharoah Sanders. This demand is partially galvanized by the fact that 'Prince Of Peace' has become an inspirational mine to hip hop artists and is much loved by samplers. Izipho Zam is Pharoah Sander's third album, initially recorded in January 1969,…

A bold new spotlight shines on the classic 1971 release Powerhouse by celebrated organist Chester Thompson—an album that captures the pulse of its time with fire, finesse, and unmistakable soul. Released in 1971, Powerhouse remains a standout work in Thompson’s discography, drawing listeners into a world where groove, grit, and melodic imagination collide. From the first notes, Powerhouse delivers an electrifying blend of organ-driven energy and captivating musical momentum. Thompson’s masterful…

Reissue of an exceptional album of improvisations, recorded when percussionist Charles K. Noyes was lured to the Bay Area in the summer of 1979 by Henry Kaiser. Noyes and Maercks had played regularly as a duo when Owen was still based in Worcester, MA. But he'd shifted his ass westward in the wake of the Teenage Sex Therapist session (FTR 153-2LP), which had been organized by Kaiser following their collaborations in the band, Monster Island. Half of the album was recorded live at Woody Woodman's…

After a chance meeting in a taxi line at Lisbon Airport, a surreal intertwining of tours emanated. In between the lasers, confetti and face-painted fans at Plymouth Pavillions and Wolverhampton Civic Hall, Chris Corsano left the Björk mega-tour to get down to business alongside the imaginative Paul Dunmall for some vital improvisation at Slak Bar in Cheltenham, England. This wonderfully recorded live set begins with Dunmall swirling away on the border pipes (he may be the preeminent improvisor u…

“Antarctica shall be used for peaceful purposes only (Art. I).” “No acts or activities taking place while the present Treaty is in force shall constitute a basis for asserting, supporting or denying a claim to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica or create any rights of sovereignty in Antarctica. No new claim, or enlargement of an existing claim to territorial sovereignty in Antarctica shall be asserted while the present Treaty is in force (Art. IV ).” - The Antarctic Treaty Talibam! has made a…

** Edition of 500 ** Recorded direct to lathe cut, this pair of spontaneous creations teams two Berlin-based horn players with two New Yorkers of broad-ranging vision. Since their inception in 2003, Talibam!’s ultimate goal has been to wed disparate ideologies through proficiency, controversy, inquiry, and compassion. This is their fifth release on ESP-Disk’. Silke Eberhard, alto saxophone; Nikolaus Neuser, trumpet; Matt Mottel, piano, synthesizer, three-string guitar; Kevin Shea, drums.

Chicago power-jazz trio Tiger Hatchery proudly comes out of the ESP-Disk' free jazz tradition, as Forbes's playing makes clear, but there's an added noise-rock edge, especially in Billington's aggressive drumming, that keeps the sound modern. Young does much more than lay down the bottom, emerging as an equal member of their glorious cacophony. Their 2013 ESP release, Sun Worship, earned huzzahs from press and free-jazz aficionados.

When Oscar Peterson moved from Montréal to New York in 1949, then-17-year-old Paul Bley took over Peterson's residency at the Alberta Lounge on Peterson's recommendation; in his 20s, Bley played with Charlie Parker. Bley incorporated maverick pianist Lennie Tristano's approach to improvisation and collaborated with Charles Mingus, and in 1958 in Los Angeles famously put together a band with Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Billy Higgins. His move into free improvisation in the gro…

All compositions by Martin Küchen (STIM/ncb), except "Sheer Life Asleep" and "Hippopotami mit Mensch" by Martin Küchen with recordings made by Chris Watson – "19. Elephants" and "05. Hippopotami" – taken from the album "Outside the Circle of Fire” (TOUCH TO 37). Chris Watson is published by Touch Music/Fairwood Music UK Ltd. "The 5th of December 1931 02.00 AM" is based on the first part of the sarabande from Bach's Cello Suite II, BWV 1008.

Originally released during one of the most fertile periods of post-war British jazz, Movement by the Joe Harriott Quintet stands as a bold statement of artistic independence and innovation. Showcasing Harriott’s unique vision, the album bridges the lyricism of modern jazz with an avant-garde sensibility that still resonates today.   Harriott, an alto saxophonist of Jamaican origin who established himself as a pioneer of the British scene, leads a stellar ensemble through a set of forward-looking…

A landmark recording in early creative improvised modern music, bassist Cecil McBee's recording for the Strata East label is an important document introducing him as a leader from the international jazz-based scene in New York City via his native Tulsa, OK and following a brief mid-'60s stint in Detroit. McBee as a pure musician has staggering technique, rich harmonic ideas, and an indefatigable swing, but it is as a composer that he is set apart from other musicians of this mid-'70s era.Life Wa…

One of the most unique albums on the Strata East label – and that's saying a heck of a lot, given the creative energies flowing through that legendary jazz outlet! Descendents Of Mike & Phoebe is a righteous little project put together by Spike Lee's father, Bill Lee, and his brothers and sisters (Cliff Lee, Grace Lee Mims, and Consuela Lee Moorhead) – working here in a group named after their slave ancestors, who are paid tribute in a beautifully flowing batch of tunes! Lee's round, warm bass t…

Temporary Offer. Verve by Request Manufactured at Third Man Pressing in Detroit MI 180g Audiophile Quality Vinyl. As one of the last albums Don Cherry recorded before he passed away in 1995, “Art Deco” could be considered something of a return home – or at least a glance back over the shoulder. By 1988, the non-conformist trumpeter had been travelling the planet for about three decades, absorbing folk music of all styles, which led to collaborations with a wide variety of musicians. From South A…

**350 copies** "NoBusiness presents the latest trio recordings by Thomas Borgmann, Jan Roder and Willi Kellers. The album includes the following tracks: The Other Morning in the Park by Thomas Borgmann, Broadway Birdy by Willi Kellers and Chatham Bellbird by Jan Roder.Recorded on 16th May, 2017 at SAE Studios, Berlin by Robert Oeser.Mixed by Olaf Rupp and mastered by Arūnas Zujus at MAMAstudiosDesign by Oskaras Anosovas.Thomas Borgmann - tenor & soprano saxophone, toy-melodicaJan Roder - double …

300 copies. All compositions by Howard Riley (PRS / MCPS), except “Lush Life” by Billy Strayhorn. Recorded live at VDU Jazz Festival Kaunas on the 10th November, 2012 by Areas Zujus. "Brilliant work from pianist Howard Riley – the British modernist who's been making amazing music for decades, but often through very obscure records like this! Riley's got this sense of balance, tone, and timing that sits justly in a legacy that starts with Herbie Nichols and runs up through Alexander Von Schlippen…

Tip! New album by the trio comprised of Giovanni Di Domenico, Peter Jacquemyn and Chris Corsano, recorded 31st October 2013 at Studio Grez, Brussels by Giovanni Di Domenico and released in a edition of 300

Joe Morris is primarily known as a guitar player, but he's equally good on bass, with a somewhat different approach. He started playing double bass in the year 2000 only, and this album celebrates his 10th anniversary on the instrument.  Other Joe Morris albums on which he plays bass as the leader are "Wildlife", "High Definition",  or as co-leader with "The Flow" or "The Story Of Mankind", and playing bass with other artists such as Jim Hobbs, Steve Lantner, Petr Cancura, Rob Brown and Whit Dic…

Killer vinyl only release by John Lindberg and Anil Eraslan. Born of a mystical and astounding spontaneous sonic adventure in Istanbul during the summer of 2010, this cello and contrabass duet is dedicated to delivering journeys of unbridled spirit-driven musical messages directly immersed in–the-moment. Their message speaks straight to the soul of all the intrepid beings willing to take the invitation to viscerally experience this rollicking adventure of sound explosions and subtle sensibilitie…