Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

Continue the series of Electric Bird reissues in collaboration with King Record with the a killer jazz-funk release, saxophonist Toshiyuki Honda's "Burnin' Waves", originally released in 1978. Son of jazz critic Toshiyuki Honda, the Japanese composer was a skillful flute and saxophone player, and in the 70's he worked with George Otsuka and the Burning Waves ensemble. In the 1980s he worked with Chick Corea, Tatsuya Takahashi, and Kazumi Watanabe, lead his own ensemble, Super Quartet as well as …

*In process of stocking. 2022 stock* The Brooklyn-based noise-jazz violinist Sana Nagano often finds herself at the center of the storm. As other instruments crash and careen around her, her assuredly melodic violin works to ground and stabilize the overall sound. And nowhere is this better heard than on Smashing Humans, her new quintet album coming March 19th on 577 Records. Featuring Peter Apfelbaum on sax, Keisuke Matsuno on guitar, Ken Filiano on bass, and Joe Hertenstein on drums, it’s an L…

** Rare original copies. Second LP pressing on Mythic Sounds, numbered edition. Unplayed copies from a dead-stock, minor wear due to ageing on covers. Comes with original hype sticker ** A landmark in early modern jazz returns: Strings And Keys, the rare and sought-after 1953 debut from legendary bassist Charles Mingus and pianist Spaulding Givens, is available once again in a meticulously crafted, limited edition reissue. Originally released on Debut Records (DLP-1), this session captures two v…

** Rare original copies. Original 1987 LP pressing on Mythic Sounds, numbered edition. Unplayed copies from a dead-stock, minor wear due to ageing on covers. Comes with original hype sticker ** A remarkable addition to the legacy of Charles Mingus, The Rarest On Debut – Mingus Newly Discovered unveils previously unknown studio sessions from September 1957 in New York City, now available in a strictly limited edition of 1,000 hand-numbered copies. This release is a treasure for collectors and jaz…

** Rare original copies. Original 1987 LP pressing on Mythic Sounds, numbered edition. Unplayed copies from a dead-stock, minor wear due to ageing on covers. Comes with original hype sticker ** A rare window into the collaborative genius of Charles Mingus, The Rarest On Debut – Charles Mingus Sideman assembles some of the most elusive and captivating sessions from the formative years of modern jazz. Issued as a numbered, limited edition of just 1,000 copies, this Italian compilation brings toget…

** Rare original copies. Original 1987 LP pressing on Mythic Sounds, numbered edition. Unplayed copies from a dead-stock, minor wear due to ageing on covers. Comes with original hype sticker ** A treasure trove for jazz aficionados, The Rarest On Debut brings together some of the most sought-after and historically significant recordings from the formative years of Charles Mingus. This limited edition, numbered vinyl compilation (only 1,000 copies worldwide) is a meticulously curated journey thro…

2024 stock. With her new album, I Went This Way, (due October 23, 2020), Rachel Musson debuts her own ambitious compositions, incorporating spoken word text and daring instrumental experimentation, alongside eight other accomplished musicians. The ensemble was built around the close working relationship between saxophonist Rachel Musson and drummer Mark Sanders. The music, a blend of compositions and improvisation designed to highlight all of the different musical voices in the ensemble, is susp…

2024 stock. That’s right, Carter plays piano on this date! It’s the first thing heard as this disc kicks immediately into definite but mature overdrive. It’s a blast to hear William Parker, bassist for Cecil Taylor’s much-lauded Feel Trio, free-walking under Carter’s percussive attacks, certainly indebted to Taylor but even more pointalistic. The case is made on “Zero Softly”, a spare minimalist musing where notes hang in the air like galaxies only to fade beneath Federico Ughi’s carpet of brush…

Federico Ughi Together with Leo Genovese and Brandon Lopez Explores the Spaceways in the New Multidimensional LP ‘Infinite Cosmos Calling You You You, Vol. 1’

A collaboration between saxophonist Ilhan Ersahin and São Paulo's finest musicians Guizado, Ze Nigro, Samuel Fraga, Chicao, and Tony Gordin. This dynamic fusion showcases the rich talents behind Céu, Otto, Curumin, Tulipa Ruiz, and the legendary Gal Costa. Born from Ilhan Ersahin's deep ties to São Paulo, cultivated through the annual Nublu Jazz Fest, this record embodies the city's vibrant spirit.

*2025 stock* Coltrane is a studio album by the jazz saxophonist, bandleader, and composer John Coltrane. It was released in July 1962 through Impulse! Records. The recording was made in April and June 1962 at the Van Gelder Studio. At the time of release it was overlooked by the music press, but has since come to be regarded as a significant recording in Coltrane's discography.

Ladies and Gentlemen, meet Jogo Duro, a collaboration between Ilhan Ersahin and some outstanding São Paulo musicians Guizado, Ze Nigro, Samuel Fraga, Chicao & Tony Gordin who also happen to be great friends. These are players who will be familiar to those following the careers of Céu, Otto, Curumin, Tulipa Ruiz and the late, great Gal Costa. This record is the result of the amount of time Ilhan has spent in São Paulo over the last decade due to putting on the Nublu Jazz Fest there every year. Wi…

Drummer Joey Baron has played with such unorthodox types as John Zorn, Wayne Horvitz, and Tim Berne, so it's not surprising that his own sessions are equally diverse and ambitious. This date presents an unusual instrumental lineup and a freewheeling, constantly changing musical menu. Baron heads a trio with saxophone and trombone; the absence of bass, keyboards, or guitar results in intriguing voicings and the pieces are solely dependent on the interaction of his drumming with Ellery Eskelin’s s…

This is not a recording for the fainthearted, the straitlaced, or the stylistically correct. Bass trombonist David Taylor has assembled a multi-faceted self-portrait out of pieces he selected, inspired, and composed. His eclecticism demonstrates how meaningless the old stylistic boundaries are for a contemporary artist. Taylor is known for his work with such artists as Duke Ellington, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, and Quincy Jones. He also premiered compos…

Joona Toivanen Trio returns to We Jazz Records with their new album "Gravity", out 31 January 2025. A landmark work for the long standing group, the album showcases the forward-looking sound of the band, moving way beyond the basic scope of the "piano trio". There’s a startling sense of telepathy and intimacy at work in the music of the Joona Toivanen Trio, something you can glean from the opening moments of their latest album, Gravity. It’s that rare synergy that can only come with years of tim…

Chicago-based saxophonist and clarinetist Ken Vandermark was invited to arrange a set of seventies music for a concert in 2019, and among the pieces he chose were tracks by funk legends Parliament and post-punk iconoclasts DNA. On this 12-inch 45rpm EP, Vandermark's band Marker presents a unique take on "Night of the Thumpasorus Peoples," drawn from Parliament's 1975 LP Mothership Connection, and DNA's "Egomaniac's Kiss," which first appeared on the classic 1978 Brian Eno-produced collection No …

Strut present the first official reissue of a landmark album in the field of African music, Mulatu Astatke’s ‘Mulatu Of Ethiopia’ from 1972.

It is a monumental task to interpret the music of Jimi Hendrix on the flute. The incredible flute virtuoso Robert Dick has managed to do it with ease, finesse, and soul. There is almost no sound that he cannot create on the flute with his amazing technique. Chords, slides, colors, drum and bass sounds, all had to be created acoustically. There are no electronically altered flute sounds on this recording.  This recording represents a statement that Robert Dick has long dreamed of making. Like man…

The spontaneous exploration of musical ideas can be exciting, rewarding, and challenging for both the performer and the audience; jazz musicians demonstrate this constantly. Most of the participants in this recording project have had extensive experience in jazz. In their work here, they are exploring the conceptual similarities and connections between improvised music and concert music, an extension and development of both European and American traditions. Each of the written compositions (Some…

Composer and pianist Bob Nell is best known for his work with Kelly Roberty and Brad Edwards, collectively known as The N/R/E Trio, with whom he performs regularly throughout the Midwest and Canada, backing such jazz luminaries as Eddie Harris, Ray Brown, Woody Shaw, Freddie Hubbard, David "Fathead" Newman, Bobby Hutcherson, Nat Adderley, Emily Remler, Michele Hendricks, Sonny Fortune, Hank Crawford, and many others. I first heard about Bob Nell shortly after moving to Seattle; he spent some tim…

It is with great satisfaction that we write these notes as the final part of a compositional saga, the evolution of which we could never have foreseen at its inception. This project was unusual for us in many ways, most notably in the length of time (4 1/2 years) during which we worked and reworked the material, and in the number of incarnations that resulted from these efforts. The development of the music was closely linked to a parallel evolution in music technology, particularly in digital s…

When it came time to prepare for this recording, I was intrigued by the possibilities of a quintet consisting of three winds, bass, and drums. My earlier projects had been either in the trio, quartet, or traditional jazz quintet format－now I wanted to write for a group that could play expressive chamber music, swing hard, and improvise on a high level. As envisioned, the compositions would combine inspiration from numerous sources to create something relevant to the present, reflecting today's c…

2004 release ** "Most RPI and jazz fusion fans will remember Italy's Dedalus for their acclaimed 1973 self-titled debut featuring the people with "clock faces" on the cover. They would record some lesser-acclaimed works before a return in 2004 by the slightly altered moniker of Bonansone Dedalus, perhaps letting us know that the vision of the group was now that of multi-instrumentalist Fiorenzo Bonansone first and foremost, while still maintaining the fiercely independent and experimental nature…

2018 release ** “Towers of Silence features Malaysian master saxophonist Yong Yandsen and Singapore-based Australian drum virtuoso Darren Moore. Recorded at Tokyo's legendary GOK Sound studio in October 2017, Towers of Silence is a distillation of Yong and Moore's approach to acoustic improvisation. The amalgam of their sounds at times creates ghost tones where apparitions of unknown origins create rarefied space.”

2013 release ** "UK collection that focuses on Flying Dutchman Records, a Jazz label started by Bob Thiele. Liberation Music looks at the label's first five years, through it's Jazz and spoken word releases. This exciting and revolutionary label was launched in 1969 by producer Thiele, after he left the Impulse label where he produced John Coltrane. Featuring: Angela Davis, Gil Scott-Heron, Lonnie Liston Smith, The Esoteric Circle, Black And Blues, Louis Armstrong, Bob Thiele Emergency, Carl B S…

2014 release ** "Trees brings together an unusual quintet of string trio—viola (Ernesto Rodrigues), cello (Guilherme Rodrigues) and double bass (Gianna de Toni)—with soprano saxophone (Christophe Berthet) and electric bass/objects (Raphael Ortis). The five tracks contain a deep range of sounds from all of the instruments: Sparse textures evoking creaking wood and the rustling of dry leaves (Ancient Trees); long bowed tones from the cello and double bass and suspended harmonics (Whistling Trees);…

From 1977, seven tunes, five of them by Ricky Ford, the then 23-year-old tenor saxophonist and member of the Charles Mingus band and leader of the session. Accompanied by bassist extraordinaire Richard Davis and the great Dannie Richmond, Ford leads the band through mostly hard-swinging, straight-ahead compositions steeped in the jazz tradition but speaking a contemporary language -- a result of the distinctly audible influence of Mingus. Great compositions and strong improvising from the solois…

Until now, the earliest recordings anyone has heard by Joe McPhee come from the period around his 1968 debut album, Underground Railroad. McPhee had just started playing tenor saxophone at that point. A couple of years earlier, the bassist featured on all of McPhee's early recordings, Tyrone Crabb, led a band of his own, the Jazzmen, in which McPhee was featured on his first instrument: trumpet. Indeed, McPhee was a trumpet legacy – his father was a trumpeter. In the mid-'60s, Joe was a serious …

Corbett Vs. Dempsey presents a reissue of Milford Graves's Bäbi, originally issued in 1977 on Graves's own IPS label. This is the first reissue of one of the most legendary albums in the history of free music. Recorded live in concert in 1976, when Graves' trio with saxophonists Arthur Doyle and Hugh Glover was at the height of its powers, Bäbi is a testament to the absolutely unique approach the drummer had established for himself. He had reconfigured the drum kit, removing the second heads on …

*2025 stock* This eclectic group features the legendary multi instrumentalist Daniel Carter as well as the scientist/pianist Matthew Putman, drum wizard and 577 Records co-founder Federico Ughi, together with the brilliant up-and-coming member of the New York downtown scene, Texas-born clarinet player Patrick Holmes plus veteran bassist Hilliard Greene, a mainstay of the avant-garde for the last 20 years.

Collaborations are unique to their combinations, producing totally original and innovative ideas with the addition of a single factor. In this case, legendary musicians and 577 mainstays join together in this unique arrangement for the first time, allowing for yet another reinvention. Saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist Daniel Carter, pianist Leo Genovese, bassist William Parker (also playing Gralla and Shakuhachi on this album), and drummer and vocalist Francisco Mela, unite for another impro…

1991 release **

"Moonflower, by the legendary Finnish pianist Heikki Sarmanto and his quartet, is the first "new" album on Luke Mosling's Porter label; the other two projects that make up his opening salvo are reissues of private-press recordings done by Mait Edey's Seeds imprint in the early '70s. Sarmanto is best known to American audiences for his work with Sonny Rollins and Art Farmer. He's recorded 25 albums as a leader, including New Hope Jazz Mass for jazz ensemble, orchestra, soprano, and choir (conduct…

2008 release ** ""Nicola Cipani's "Ill-Tempered Piano" is a suprising and playful album of solo improvisations played on broken and untuned pianos. Cipani's accomplished melodic and rhythmic approach and his responsiveness to each instrument's raw potential set this project apart. The recordings were made over the span of two years in different New York City warehouses, on several keyboard instruments (among the pianos you hear also a clavichord), some of which are so damaged as to be hardly rec…

Live at BBC 1970 captures the raw energy and innovation of Nucleus in their formative year, presenting a selection of live sessions recorded for the BBC just as the group was redefining British jazz-rock. Founded by trumpeter Ian Carr, Nucleus emerged from London’s vibrant late-60s scene and quickly established themselves at the forefront of jazz fusion, inspired by the electric revolution of Miles Davis. This LP features standout performances of key tracks from their groundbreaking debut Elasti…

Back in print by popular demand ! The expressive English pianist Mike Taylor recorded a couple of excellent albums in the mid-1960s, at the request of Denis Preston of Lansdowne Studios, before drug use got the better of him, resulting in a long period of homelessness and a tragically early death from drowning at the age of 30, in 1970. Trio, the only album Taylor cut with the jazz trio he fronted, has strikingly original renditions of jazz standards such as “Stella By Starlight” and “The End Of…

Soul Of Africa stands as a cornerstone of the Afro-Parisian jazz scene of the 1970s and 1980s, uniting the expressive tenor sax of Hal Singer with the adventurous piano and arrangements of Jef Gilson. Recently reissued by Endless Happiness on 180g vinyl, this sought-after album brings back a key document in the fusion of African rhythms and Parisian jazz innovation. Recorded in Paris, the album features a stellar lineup: Jacky Samson (bass), Bernard Lubat (vibraphone, piano), and the “Malagasy R…

** Rare original copies. Early 80s LP reissue. Unplayed copies from a dead-stock, minor wear due to ageing on covers ** A seismic moment in the history of free jazz, Sonny’s Time Now stands as a raw, uncompromising manifesto of musical liberation. Recorded in New York City in November 1965 and released on the visionary Jihad label founded by LeRoi Jones (Amiri Baraka), this is the first album led by the revolutionary drummer Sonny Murray-and it’s nothing short of essential. With a lineup that re…

Tip! A lost bit of 70s Italian modal jazz, with spiritual overtones and global percussion from drummer extraordinaire Tullio De Piscopo – an incredible set of heavily rhythmic grooves recorded in Milan in 1978 – originally a tiny edition effort on Carosello Records, and the most impressive rediscovery yet from New Platform!  For the occasion, the Tullio De Piscopo Quintet meets Argentine percussionist Luis  Agudo, who played for years alongside Brazilian guitarist Baden Powell and later with the…

Tip! Despite the title of the album, it is the Tullio De Piscopo's third work, recorded in 1976. Comprising nine tracks in total across its two sides, “Vol. 2” falls somewhere between fusion and prog, straddling darker, brooding temperaments with joyous, funky lines. Predictably, as is nearly the case with music of this sort, the playing and artistry is top-notch, the band locked together with remarkable precision, but the journey that “Vol. 2” takes is far from expected. Interspersed throughout…