Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

Tip! Misha Panfilov, the Estonian contemporary jazz mover whose many Janus faces amount to more than just two, resulting in many album avatars - here shares a live recorded rendition of a recent pair of shows, played back to back in Stockholm, then Tallinn. The first recorded at Fasching, Stockholm, on August 16, 2023, and the second recorded at Paavli Kultuurivabrik, Tallinn, August 19, 2023, this live record is composed of pieces otherwise heard on Panfilov's earlier albums, and they're choppe…

On Morgenmusiken, Green Cosmos expand their small‑town German jazz into a quietly epic, Coltrane‑lit cosmos, braiding modal vamps, Indian classical colour and spacious free improvisation into seven meditative journeys where silence and a single note carry as much weight as any crescendo.

On Oceanic Suite, Atlantis Jazz Ensemble ride a warm, late‑night current of modal grooves and spiritual inflections, with trumpet, alto, Rhodes, bass and drums flowing together in live‑off‑the‑floor conversations that feel both loose and meticulously steered.

On Daguri, Kosuke Mine Quintet channel early‑70s Coltrane fire into a distinctly Japanese voice, fusing spiritual intensity, modal lyricism and subtle exotic color into a taut, forward‑rushing statement that stands among Mine’s finest recordings.

On Celestial Suite, Atlantis Jazz Ensemble stretch their spiritual soul-jazz into a full skyward arc, an unbroken studio suite where modal grooves, Afro-Latin currents and meditative codas move like one long, rising breath.

“Some albums announce themselves slowly, like clouds taking shape before your eyes. Skyways is one of them, a record that drifts in gently, unfolds at its own pace, and leaves behind the quiet wonder of hearing something beautiful form and fade in real time.Recorded over two late-summer days in Tallinn, this third outing from the Misha Panfilov Septet feels both spontaneous and deeply harmonized. Its two long pieces - “The Sky for You and I” and “Fine and Dandy” - trace parallel paths across the…

Paris, 1978. Don Cherry walks into a French studio with a suitcase full of instruments nobody expected and meets Ustad Ahmed Latif Khan for the first time. No rehearsal, no plan, just two musicians who recognize each other immediately as kindred spirits. What happens next is one of Cherry's best efforts - an album only hardcore fans know about, recorded in Paris, released only in France in 1981, disappeared, and now back again in a special edition that demands attention. This is what "world musi…

Gatefold sleeve. Includes download code. Many artists achieve greatness but very few produce work that is so moving it's considered sacred. Whether you choose to call them hymns, psalms or spirituals, their songs are a healing force for troubled times. Jazzman's Spiritual Jazz series would not exist without the inspiration and leadership of the spiritual messiah that is John Coltrane. It can therefore only be right and proper that a whole album is dedicated to his legacy and lasting influence. S…

Big Tip! Born in Donauwörth, a small town in Bavaria in 1951, Götz Tangerding studied piano to concert level at the Leopold Mozart Conservatory in Augsburg. In the 1970s, he started to make a name for himself on the local Munich jazz scene and traveled through East Europe with drummer Rudi Roth. In 1976, he came to New England Conservatory of Music in Boston to study compositions with George Russell and Jaki Byard with whom he played in the New York Big Band in 1978. In 1980, he returned to Muni…

On Breakthrough, Muriel Grossmann envelops her quartet in a vibrant exploration of spiritual jazz, interlacing tradition with fresh, forward momentum. The record distills Grossmann’s lyrical saxophone voice and trademark rhythmic interplay into a rich, organic sound, balancing meditative introspection and eruptive, soulful drive. Each composition furthers her pursuit of transcendence, unfolding as both a deeply personal statement and a communal celebration.​

Yet another triumph from the legendary multi-instrumentalist, Joe McPhee, Corbett Vs. Dempsey drops "The Mystery J", their first ever full-length vinyl release, issued in a limited edition of 500 copies. Recorded in 2014 with violist Jen Clare Paulson and Brian Labycz on electronics, it writhes with bristling tension, while retaining a remarkably minimal form. Visionary experimentalism and freejazz reimagined on entirely singular terms, 'The Mystery J' encounters McPhee producing some of his bes…

New Platform takes a deep dive into the forgotten world of 1970s Italian jazz, and comes up with gold with two astounding, first-time vinyl reissues from the percussionist Tullio De Piscopo, 1976's Sotto e 'Ncoppa, from his Revolt Group, and 1978's Future Percussion, recorded by the Tullio De Piscopo Quintet accompanied by the legendary Argentinian percussionist Luis Agudo. Occupying radically different ends of the spectrum, the former is a genre defiant excursion at the borders of prog and fusi…

Huge Tip! Double LP, Gatefold edition. Born on November 23rd, 1944 in Paris, France, Frédéric Rabold already played with his father in American Army Clubs at age 16. In 1965, Rabold joined the Axel Lauser Quartet, three years later he finally founded his own band, the Frédéric Rabold Crew. In the following years he collaborated with guitarist Martin Ederer, singer Lauren Newton, as well as avant-garde jazz musicians such as Gunter Hampel, Leszek Zadlo, Lester Bowie, Manfred Schoof, Albert Mangel…

Two new archival LPs from Formalibera, Alga Marghen's free jazz imprint, both drawn from the same circle of Copenhagen musicians around 1970, gathered here as a pair. On one LP, More Peace: Tordenskjolds Soldater (Jesper Nehammer on tenor saxophone, Ole Matthiessen on piano, Henrik Hove on bass, Jon Finsen on drums) live at Jazzhus Montmartre in late April 1970, shortly before they recorded Peace for Spectator Records. The four Matthiessen compositions of that album stretch out here at far great…

Live at Copenhagen's Café Montmartre in April 1970, Tordenskjolds Soldater (Jesper Nehammer, Ole Matthiessen, Henrik Hove, Jon Finsen) stretch out the four Matthiessen pieces from their Spectator album Peace, restored from the original tapes.

Unreleased recordings by Danish tenor saxophonist Carsten Meinert, with the Danish Radio Jazz Group on side A and his C.M. MusicTrain on side B, Coltrane-rooted fire with Ole Matthiessen and Pierre Dørge. Liner notes by Mats Gustafsson.

The agony of hard bop, the rise of jazz-rock, and the emergence of free jazz. The definitive live recording that captures the chaos and climax of jazz in Japan. Japan's jazz scene around 1970 is very interesting. The agony of hard bop, the rise of jazz-rock, and the emergence of free jazz. New music and values were born one after another, and chaos was reached, and up-and-coming musicians ran at a speed that shook off the meter. This album "Sensational Jazz '70 Vol. 1/2" is famous as a live soun…

*300 copies limited edition* Mats Gustafsson meets Jan St. Werner in 2019 when they both perform with Peter Brötzmann and a group of prolific improvisers for three days at Flutgraben in Berlin. Mats and Jan notice their mutual passion for performing not just inside spaces, but also with them, activating environments and shaping sound through diversion. Mats introduces Johan Berthling, whose complex bass explorations complement the frantic jitter of Mats’ saxophone and pedals, and Werner’s digita…

The fifth chapter of John Zorn's series of piano trio compositions based on classical forms: eight Fantasias, lyrical, harmonically complex and unpredictable, played by Brian Marsella, Jorge Roeder and Ches Smith. Tzadik.

A new John Zorn rock power trio in the line of Simulacrum, Naked City and Insurrection: Matt Hollenberg on guitar, Simon Hanes on bass and Ches Smith on drums tear through twelve short, stop-on-a-dime pieces. Tzadik.

These are a small set of sound conversations - based on soil that is nearing 30 years worth of riches, stories and spirit. The fuel is made of components from the realms of rhythmic obsession, texture, melodic seeds and waves of harmonic interest in brief holding patterns. These are meeting present day explorations of the vibraphone and piano - via conventional and extended techniques: those from the classroom and those personal expressions based of a myriad of experiences with different instrum…

We are pleased to announce the upcoming reissue of “Min Bul”, a milestone of Norwegian rock and jazz, included in the renowned Nurse With Wound list, from the band whose leader was a young Terje Rypdal. Recorded in the Rosenborg studio in September 1970, with Egil Eide as engineer, “Min Bul” is a highly experimental work for its time that grew out of the Samklang projects at the Henie-Onstad Art Center, where director Ole Henrik Moe encouraged adventurous composers and improvising musicians to j…

Three CDs pairing John Coltrane's early modal recordings, from My Favorite Things and Naima to India and Impressions, with Ravi Shankar ragas from his 1956 and 1961 Abbey Road sessions.

The 1968 debut album from Norwegian guitar legend Terje Rypdal stands as a significant entry in the late 1960s jazz landscape, exemplifying the transition from psychedelic rock to a more intricate, freeform blend of jazz elements. Collaborating with legendary musicians like Jan Garbarek, Rypdal's work on this album showcases his innovative talent. Recorded during three sessions in Oslo in 1968, Bleak House marks Rypdal’s departure from the psychedelic group The Dream as he ventured into new musi…

Cellist and composer Janel Leppin's second album with her Washington D.C. sextet Ensemble Volcanic Ash: progressive chamber jazz recorded live in the studio in one day, dedicated to Abdul Wadud and Pablo Casals. On Cuneiform, CD edition.

Soundpath, the big band work Muhal Richard Abrams wrote for Bobby Zankel's Warriors Of The Wonderful Sound, recorded in 2018 after his death with Marty Ehrlich conducting seventeen musicians. Clean Feed CD.

The debut album from the duo of Finnish accordionist Kimmo Pohjonen and Swedish reedist Mats Gustafsson - both musicians have routinely blown past the rules of the traditions from which first emerged—folk and free jazz, respectively—to explore constantly expanding worlds. It was only a matter of time before these iconoclasts collided to create something wonderfully raw and unexpected.

Go On with the George Otsuka 5 was recorded in 1972 in Japan for the Three Blind Mice label. The album features a quintet led by drummer George Otsuka, a major figure in Japanese jazz in the 1960s and 1970s. The repertoire includes original compositions as well as contemporary hard bop standards.

Moon Ray was recorded on 21 and 22 April 1977 in Japan for the Three Blind Mice label. The album features the quartet led by alto saxophonist Yoshio Otomo, accompanied by Tsuyoshi Yamamoto (piano), Tamiko Kawabata (double bass) and Arihide Kurata (drums). The programme consists of standards from the American jazz repertoire as well as an original composition by Otomo. The production is part of the TBM label's series of acoustic recordings.

This first-time reissue of Quinteplus’ 1971 album revives a key moment in Argentine jazz, featuring crisp trumpet and tenor sax, electric piano-driven funk and modal grooves, and a tight, spacious rhythm section. It showcases prominent figures like Jorge Anders and “Pocho” Lapouble. Quinteplus was born in Buenos Aires at the end of the 1960s, emerging directly from the ideas and experiments of the legendary Agrupación Nuevo Jazz. Founded in the early ’60s, this collective brought together some o…

** Audiophile reissue from the original masters, 180gm vinyl pressed by Pallas, laminated hand-glued gatefold cover. Limited Edition. ** Katcharpari is the second solo album by Italian jazz trumpeter Enrico Rava, recorded and released in January 1973 and considered a cornerstone of the jazz-rock/fusion genre. Recorded in Milan and released on the German label BASF, Rava himself described it as his "breakthrough album." Thanks to the critical acclaim this work received, Rava caught the attention …

** Coloured Vinyl edition **  A spiritual jazz masterpiece full of poetry by two geniuses of the Japanese musical scene. Masahiko Togashi and Isao Suzuki, pivotal figures in jazz with a unique talent and sensitivity that transcends conventional jazz forms and styles. In addition to being skilled performers they demonstrate extraordinary compositional talent that transcends their sensibilities and wisdom of more conventional jazz. They are together a wonderful combination of techniques, but witho…

Absolute killer session recorded at Vanguard Studios, New York, September 24 and 28 in 1984, with an intense line-up of some of our all-time-fav players of free music, including of tenor-saxophonist Frank Lowe, trumpeter Don Cherry, trombonnist Grachan Moncur III, pianist Geri Allen, bassist Charnette Moffett, and drummer Charles Moffett, ensures that this music is worth going for. Phrasing is super articulated and the whole vibe is just contagious. Outstanding interaction. The tandem communicat…

The second album by Kio Amachree in Afro Boogie Funk style recorded in Lagos Nigerian in early 80s. Limited Edition.

Recorded and released in 1969, Herbie Hancock’s last Blue Note album The Prisoner is a powerful but overlooked masterpiece. A moving tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, this nonet session features some of the most exceptional instrumentalists in jazz including Joe Henderson, Johnny Coles, Hubert Laws, Garnett Brown, Buster Williams, and Albert “Tootie” Heath. Hancock said of The Prisoner: “I've been able to get closer to the real me with this album than on any other previous one.” Blue Note Tone …

The long-awaited 3rd pressing, with a revamped obi design. The birth of a new classic in contemporary Japanese spiritual jazz and modal jazz. Experience a beautiful soundscape crafted with overflowing emotion and hidden energy.

On Mellow Dream, Ryo Fukui deepens the lyrical sparkle of Scenery into something more sculpted and powerful: bittersweet themes, surging originals and a clearer, three‑dimensional swing that many hear as the true apex of his studio work.

On Live At Vidro ’77, Ryo Fukui Trio explode the cool perfection of Scenery and Mellow Dream into raw stage heat: a newly unearthed club tape where “Mellow Dream” stretches past 16 minutes and standards ignite into hard‑swinging, edge‑of‑the‑seat catharsis.

On Ryo Fukui Trio At The Slowboat 2004, Ryo Fukui turns the ninth anniversary of his Sapporo club into a late‑career summit: Phineas‑ and Flanagan‑inspired fire, Shorter‑charged intensity and Slowboat’s living‑room warmth fused into powerful, precise, deeply fulfilled playing.

*300 copies limited edition* Their previous album Arrival of The New Elders presented a more varied and reflective trio, still as groovy as ever, but more structured and less jam oriented, earning them a 9/10 review in Uncut and a spot in their albums of the year list, noting their telepathic communion and concluding with “this is an Elephant9 you´ll never forget”. Reviews in Jazzwise, Shindig, Prog, Electronic Sound, The Quietus and several others followed in the same fashion. We´re delighted t…