Jazz /
Realism
Joe Morris's recording career began in 1983 and has made him one of the most revered avant-garde jazz guitarists. Down Beat magazine dubbed him "the preeminent free music guitarist of his generation," while The Wire magazine called him "one of the most profound improvisers at work in the U.S." His revelatory 2012 book Perpetual Frontier/The Properties of Free Music (Riti Publishing) is a detailed and rewarding accounting of his approach to improvisation. He has been on the faculty in the Jazz an…
Morning Bells Whistle Bright
When Michael Bisio heard Korean pianist Eunhye Jeong's ESP-Disk 2021 album NOLDA, he expressed interest in working with her. After a successful and riveting duo concert in Kingston, NY showed what a good match they were, ESP was eager to document their musical affinity. One of the concert attendees was avant-jazz sax icon Joe McPhee, who guested with the duo at their subsequent studio session along with one of ESP's favorite drummers, Jay Rosen. Magical moments abounded, as you can hear on this …
SoundEnergyTransformation
2018 release ** "Multi-reedist Udo Schindler is captured live at Ars Musica, in Stemmerhof, Munich performing on clarinet, soprano sax, and euphonium in a trio with sound artist Korhan Erel and trombonist Sebastiano Tramontana, a uniquely voiced concert that places intricate reed and brass playing against unusual electronic interactions, balancing energetic and spacious moments. This is not your typical ea-improv, Erel adding a unique set of concrete interventions and unexpected rhythmic ornamen…
Memory Lane
Soul Media, led by Jiro Inagaki, played a part in the development of jazz rock in Japan. This work, "Memory Lane" recorded in 1980, was the final work under the same name. Inagaki said about this work, "We tried to create this work while predicting the fate of fusion music" and it is true that the sound is completely different from ordinary fusion. The mellow and emotional "Memory Lane" the stormy and refreshing "I Will Give You Samba" and the groovy and edgy "Take My Hand". The sound that was c…
Funky Stuff
*2025 much needed repress!!* Fresh reissued magic of Funky Stuff, formerly a rare exquisite by jazzmaster Jiro Inagaki, originally released in 1975. An enduring, pioneering fusion of jazz, funk, soul and rock - the album features some of the best and most acclaimed Japanese musicians of the time, enlisting the talent-wares of Hiromasa Suzuki on keyboards, Akira Ishikawa on drums and Takeru Muraoka on sax.
In The Groove
2025 much needed repress!! Since its formation in 1969, Soul Media had been advocating a fusion of jazz and rock. The next step along that line was this album, In the Groove, recorded in 1973. The sharpness of jazz is brought to the forefront, with rock melting in to give it an edge, and funk injected to imbue it with power and resilience. The result was a strong, sophisticated, and simply "cool music" that could not be categorized within existing genres such as jazz rock, jazz funk, or fusion. …
Jorden Vi Ärvde
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 …
Love
Thanatosis Records (Stockholm) and Corbett vs. Dempsey (Chicago) are pleased to announce a joint release titled Love, the second record by the quartet Das B. The lineup features Maya Magdas on piano, Mazen Kerbaj on trumpet, Mike Majowski on bass, and Tony Buck on drums. Taking structural and dynamic cues from the classic John Coltrane record A Love Supreme, Das B totally reinvents the music and in the process meticulously subverts the notion of the tribute or songbook. The release includes both…
L'Invisible
*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…
It Could / If I
A joint release from US label Astral Spirits (Austin, Texas) and Thanatosis Produktion (Stockholm), It could / If I is the first album from Stockholm-based, longstanding duo Johan Jutterström (saxophone) and Alex Zethson (piano). In addition to the duo’s own reimaginations of a few so-called jazz standards, it contains songs by artists such as Leonard Cohen, Pet Shop Boys, John Lurie, and German 19th century composer Alexander Fesca.
"On this record what tunes are played somehow matters less tha…
Summer Love
From Chicago saxophonist Prince Billy Mahdi Wright's only album and the pinnacle of 80s spiritual jazz, "You Got Dat Wright," comes a delightful 7-inch cut of the mellow jazz-funk "Summer Love," featuring the pleasant sounds of kalimba and saxophone and also played by Gilles Peterson! The b-side is the spiritual jazz "TuneWeaver," led by a mysterious female chorus!
Little Giant
Sharps and Flats, led by Nobuo Hara, has been a driving force in Japan's big band jazz scene with its diverse activities and distinctive musicality. Among the many works produced throughout their long career, 'Little Giant' stands out as one of their most iconic albums. Originally released in 1970 as part of Victor's Japanese Jazz series, this album is notable for the participation of renowned composers and arrangers such as Masao Yagi, Kiyoshi Yamaya, Norio Maeda, and Masahiko Sato. In addition…
Picnic
Rare Original A little-known gem of Dutch free music, Picnic is the brainchild of cellist Tristan Honsinger, who composed all but one of its 12 compositions. Brilliant and whimsical, the tracks bring to mind Honsinger's work with ICP Orchestra, for whom he has also composed extensively. Here he's working in an incredible ensemble, with trumpeter Toshinori Kondo, saxophonist Sean Bergen, Jean Jacques Avenel on bass, Michael Vatcher on drums and percussion, and Tiziana Simona Vigni on voice. Decep…
Fukushima
Stunning new Japanese Modal / Spiritual Jazz album by the incredible Saxophonist Sinsuke Fujieda featuring Fumiko Takeshita on violin. Five splendid own compositions given the Superfly Records / Production Dessinee treatment on high-quality Japanese vinyl. A beautiful listen!
Words Were Coming Out Our Ears
Recorded at the legendary Atlantis Studio in Stockholm, Words Were Coming Out Our Ears captures a unique musical encounter in the moment. Pianist Johan Graden, bassists Vilhelm Bromander and Pär Ola Landin, and drummer Nils Agnas entered the studio without a fixed plan – the music emerged organically through improvisation and attentive interplay.
What sets this album apart is the instrumentation. With two double bass players, the music gains an unusual depth and weight, where the bass not only s…
For These Streets
Adam O’Farrill - trumpet & flugelhornMary Halvorson - guitarPatricia Brennan - vibraphoneDavid Leon - alto saxophone & fluteKevin Sun - tenor saxophone & clarinetKalun Leung - trombone & euphoniumTyrone Allen II - double bassTomas Fujiwara - drums
Produced by Spencer Murphy.Conducted by Eli Greenhoe.Mixed by Chris Krasnow.Recorded at The Bunker Studio by Chris Krasnow, Alex Conroy, Nicky Young.Mastered by Alex DeTurk.Artwork + design by TJ Huff (huffart.com).
All works composed and arranged by A…
FATHM
*100 copies limited edition* "Fathm isn’t so much an album as it is a question—a pause in the middle of a conversation no one’s having, but everyone’s pretending to understand. It asks nothing of you, but demands your presence, your ear, your breath. The flute, a tender and fragile instrument, becomes almost otherworldly—like a butterfly in another dimension with teeth, or a marsh wren that screams only in windings. It speaks in fragmented thoughts, tracing edges of longing, absence, and memory.…
The Hemphill Stringtet Plays Music Of Julius Hemphill
The Hemphill Stringtet:
Curtis Stewart - violinSam Bardfeld - violinStephanie Griffin - violaTomeka Reid - cello
All music by Julius Hemphill (Subito Music Corporation).Recorded, edited, and mixed by Ryan Streber at Oktaven Audio.Mastered by Paul Zinman, Soundbyte Productions.Cover photography by Nina Contini Melis.Artwork + design by TJ Huff (huffart.com).
The Hemphill Stringtet would like to thank the Aaron Copland Fund and Continuum Culture for their generous financial support.
We would also …
Hard Top
Hard Top assembles the previously unreleased 1975 recordings of legendary South African saxophonist Kippie Moketsi (also spelled Moeketsi). The 2LP vinyl edition is presented in a gatefold sleeve featuring artwork by Mafa Ngwenya and comes from As-Shams Archive on the heels of the Tete Mbambisa's previously unreleased African Day album in 2024.
By 1975, at the age of 50, saxophonist Kippie Moketsi had already earned his stripes as a South African jazz figurehead. His tenure with the Jazz Epistle…