Jazz & Improvisation / Free Improvisation

We already passed one millennium, in fact, we passed the apocalypse: we are living in End Time, all right, but in the last daze. It’s after the end of the world. Don’t you know that yet?” - considered Sun Ra a few decades ago. We are clearly living in a borrowed time. In a time plunged in darkness and ignorance when we need at least a little light and love… and that can come with the cosmic music of Sun Ra, which is deconstructed by EABS on their third album. In October 2019, after more than 33 …

The Rendell/Carr Quintet has long been regarded as among the most iconic ensembles in 1960s British jazz, famed for its unique blend of musical personalities and the equally singular ‘style’ which resulted from its blend of experience, youth and creative ambition. This, the second R&B release of previously unissued material by the band, captures a moment of genuine jazz history with its inclusion of Michael Garrick’s debut broadcast with the quintet. Two further radio appearances find the band h…

Long before he carved his dual legend as both popular jazz-funkster and the ultimate peripatetic guest soloist, beloved by fusion and straight-ahead fans alike, tenor saxophonist Dick Morrissey had been one of the UK’s brightest and best modern jazzmen. During the 1960s his regular quartet explored very nearly every aspect of the jazz genre, from down home blues to the fringes of the avant-garde, as is displayed in these previously unreleased radio recordings from 1967. Over two fascinating sets…

This bundle includes both the Cairo Free Jazz Ensemble LPs released by Holidays Records, namely:Cairo Free Jazz Ensemble "Music for Angela Davis" (LP, single-sided, 1971)Cairo Free Jazz Ensemble "Heliopolis" (LP, 1970)Cairo Free Jazz Ensemble "Music for Angela Davis" (LP, single-sided, 1971)**500 copies. Deluxe edition with special printed inner and insert** One of the legendary projects of 20th Century Egyptian jazz, the Cairo FreeJazz Ensemble was formed by Hartmut Geerken - who sadly left thi…

**500 copies, one-time pressing. Deluxe edition with special printed inner and insert** One of the legendary projects of 20th Century Egyptian jazz, the Cairo FreeJazz Ensemble was formed by Hartmut Geerken - who sadly left this planet on October 21st - as an avant-garde offshoot of The Cairo Jazz Band - the first jazz big band in the country - formed by Salah Ragab in 1968.Sinfully under-documented, in 1970 the band issued Heliopolis, what has since become one of the rarest, most celebrated and…

Tip! **300 copies, with Obi and translucent insert** Diving forward into a mind-blowing, contemporary expressions of improvisation, the next offering in Holidays’ latest batch of releases, And Life Also Same, captures a recent collaborative artefact from the long-standing, prolific partnership between the seminal Japanese saxophonist, Akira Sakata, and the Italian pianist and composer Giovanni Di Domenico.Born in 1945 and trained as a marine biologist, for decades Akira Sakata has stood at the f…

Stunning conscious avant-garde free jazz featuring Roland P. Young originally released in 1975 on the eclectical 1750 Arch records.

Temporary Super Offer! A couple of the pieces on Nick Fraser's If There Were No Opposites, the quartet’s fourth album, were adapted from Fraser's compositions for dance productions by Decidedly Jazz Danceworks." But while the original versions of “Shoe Dance” and “The Fashion Show” had to adhere to rigid timing requirements in order to coordinate with the rest of the stage production, the quartet lets the music flow in more free-wheeling fashion. The quartet first recorded in 2012, and its perso…

* Originally Recorded at Chalk Farm Studio 12 March 1974. First ever reissue on CD * It’s been a real Joy to bring this long-lost classic back to life. There’s not much more can be said about Harry Beckett’s beautiful talent. He lifted the atmosphere wherever he played and was a gentleman, always softly spoken, but a presence in the room. I remember, as a callow youth, interviewing him for a sleeve note in the basement of Mole Jazz. He was thoughtful, listened to my questions and answered with a…

A collective trio of vanguard improvisers and frequent New York collaborators, Daniel Levin on cello, Chris Pitsiokos on alto saxophone, and Brandon Seabrook on electric guitar, a working band captured here in the studio at Firehouse 12 for a powerful set of idiosyncratic and exhilarating improvisations with tracks and the title named for a family of deep sea fish.

"The music in this album is a result of our belief in a continuum that links the present with the past. Our spontaneous improvisations are true to those well defined principles basic to African American culture. Thank you for listening." - Max Roach / Anthony Braxton. This recording was the first to document their collaboration. All of the tracks are improvisations and it appears that the younger Braxton was the one taking the lead. If he keeps himself a bit restrained, steering clear of the ext…

At long last, after remaining out of print for decades, the Milan based imprint, Dialogo, dives into the legendary catalog of Cramps, bringing forth the first ever vinyl reissue of Steve Lacy’s LP, "Straws", issued as the sixth instalment of the label’s DIVerso series in 1977. Truly singular in the legendary American saxophonist’s discography - featuring stunning solo excursions and dialogs with himself - it remains one of the great documents of 1970s improvisation, and is as engrossing, creativ…

"It's almost a given that any new release on the Lithuanian No Business label is going to be a bit out of the ordinary. As the catalogue grows, so does its depth and breadth. Turbina Anthem vouchsafes that proposition, comprising an unusual guitar and trumpet duet by two Portuguese improvisers who deserve a wider audience. Trumpeter Sei Miguel boasts a discography stretching back to 1998 in the company of compatriots, but in recent years has made a number of appearances with American free guitar…

Three young musicians team up to form this exciting trio. Personnel: Mette Rasmussen - alto saxophone; Tashi Dorji - guitar; Tyler Damon - drums.

With mystery and drama the duo of clarinetist Sylvain Kassap and double bassist Benjamin Duboc start their performance with whisperings, Kassap's expanded range and vocabulary on the clarinet evocative against Duboc's strong bowing and plucking, as they both take their listeners across a tightrope of carefully balanced, masterfully evolving free conversation.

Recorded in October 1997.

From March 8th-14th, 2020, Kuzu was on a seven-concert tour of the United States in the South and Midwest. During that week it became apparent in this country that the world was on the brink of a crisis unknown to humanity for almost exactly a century. In those seven days, the feeling on the street changed from one of anxiety to one of impending doom. By the time the band arrived at Elastic Arts on Thursday, March 12th, their home base in Chicago, it was clear that these would be the last concer…

After two years of preparation, we are thrilled to announce the reissue of the most precious hidden gems of Soul Jazz / Spoken Word albums from a key era. Originally released in 1974 as a private pressing of fewer that 100 copies, Touching Your Feelings by Jim Marks is a crucial missing piece of the proto-rap era lying firmly between Gil Scott Heron and Amiri Baraka, with whom he made a strong friendship. Jym Marks' mix of deep, expressive poetry and solid jazz sits on the edge of works by The L…

A grand reunion of sorts in Berlin on the first day of November, 1996. Under the auspices of Free Music Production, Cecil Taylor, the great pianist and one of the premier musical minds of the 20th century, joined forces with his early comrade, drummer Sunny Murray, for a set of improvised duets. Murray was part of Taylor's important groups starting in 1959, including the trio with alto saxophonist Jimmy Lyons, with which Taylor toured Europe in 1962 and 1963, recording the seminal Nefertiti, the…

Danish pianist Tom Prehn was one of the first Europeans to deeply explore free music. With his quartet featuring Fritz Krogh on tenor saxophone, Poul Ehlers on bass, and Finn Slumstrup on drums, Prehn recorded Axiom in October, 1963, for Sonet, though it went unreleased until 2015 because the band felt that their music had moved beyond it already. To hear the music they were talking about, one could only turn to two privately-made reel-to-reel tapes, Centrifuga and Sohlverv, recorded in August, …

Temporary Super Offer! Don Cherry cornet, Gato Barbieri tenors saxophone, Pharoah Sanders, tenor saxophone  & piccolo, Karl Berger vibes & piano, Henry Grimes & J.-F. Jenny-Clark double bass, Edward Blackwell drums. Following a 1964 Albert Ayler tour, trumpeter Don Cherry remained in Europe, working on new concepts of improvising based on form itself, developing his concepts with saxophonist Gato Barbieri, vibraphonist Karl Berger & bassist J.F. Jenny Clark, composing two brilliant albums: 1966'…

This date by the Globe Unity Orchestra featured pianist Alexander Von Schlippenbach, guitarist Derek Bailey, drummers Paul Lovens and Han Bennink, saxophonists Peter Brötzmann, Evan Parker, Rüdiger Carl, Gerd Dudek, and Michel Piz, bassist Peter Kowald, trumpeters Kenny Wheeler and Manfred Schoof , and trombonists Paul Rutherford and Günter Christmann -- a completely gone lineup at the height of Euro free jazz in 1974. To add to the drama, the band is joined by the Choir of the NDR Broadcast und…

**First time Officially reissue. Sourced from the original master tapes and housed in a deluxe gatefold cover. Edition of 500 copies** The Milan based imprint, Dialogo, returns with the first ever vinyl reissue of Spirale’s lone, 1974 self-titled LP. Resting at a fascinating juncture between progressive and free jazz, it was years ahead of its time when it first appeared, rendering it to the shadows for decades, before its ultimate ascent to becoming one of the great holy grails of Italian Jazz …

This is the first ever reissue of the lost debut LP by Jamaican tenor saxophone player Fitz Gore and his experimental group The Talismen from 1975. The work was originally released on Gore’s GorBra label and delivers an introspective, sensitive form of Spiritual Jazz. "Soundnitia" is the cipher under which the experimental group "The Talismen" constituted in 1974 and made its presence known on the Jazz scene with the first LP. The initiator and spiritus rector of the avant-garde ensemble is the …

** First pressing of 200 **  Astral Spirits presents Traantjes by Orquesta del Tiempo Perdido. All music composed and produced by Jeroen Kimman. Mixed and mastered by Sandor Caron at Poesco Studio. Initial rhythm section recording on March 10 2020 at Studio De Zoete Inval by Jasper Schonewille. Editing and additional recording at Nananananineteen Studios. Further additional recording all over the place, corona-proof, emailed. Thank you Marksk, Nate, Sambo, Sjeng, Oona, LoÏe, Hilly. With support …

Complete rendition of the saxophonist’s famed divinely inspired suite was recorded at Seattle’s Penthouse in 1965. Despite being John Coltrane’s most celebrated album, and one of the most beloved jazz albums of all time, A Love Supreme wasn’t a record that the saxophonist touched on much in the live setting. Up until now, most Coltrane enthusiasts have only ever heard a single live performance of the literally divinely inspired four-movement suite that makes up the LP. That will change in Octobe…

*  CD version includes one additional track * Extended instrumental tracks from the nocturnal studio session of director and musician Jim Jarmusch, Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo, Balázs Pándi (Keiji Haino, Venetian Snares, Merzbow) and producer Marc Urselli (John Zorn, Mike Patton, Laurie Anderson, a.o). All was recorded live and analog, and in the moment. Mixed, mastered, recorded and produced by Marc Urselli at EastSide Sound Studios, NYC, 2019. Artwork by Italian artist Sara D'Uva. Press quotes f…

* 350 copies *  Introducing a brand new label of mutant, fusioneering styles from Edinburgh's Firecracker Recordings.  The maiden voyage by Healing Force Project traverses further into the wormhole first explored in his Gravitational Lensing EP on Firecracker.  A full panoply of bubbling, semi-submerged, electro-acoustic abstraction, lysergic drones and oblique, polymetric time signatures recalling the work of Italian avant-jazz outfit Gruppo d’Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza while simultaneous…

A colossal encounter of drummer William Hooker and the late wind player Thomas Chapin performing at the 9th Street Gallery in NYC in 1992, 3 massive improvisations from the jazz underground. This is a monster duo! One of the greatest duo events of all time. There were a series of weekly duo encounters with William Hooker and different saxists at Jerome Cooper's loft during the summer in the early nineties. I caught two of these with Louie Belogenis and Thomas Chapin and both were incredible.I re…

Live At Café Montmartre Volume Three features more great music from the Don Cherry Quintet. Recorded in March 1966, Don Cherry joins forces with Gato Barbieri, Karl Berger, Bo Stief and Aldo Romano for two exciting, extended performances of "Complete Communion" and "Remembrance". A recording that will surely be known as classic, Volume Three is essential music for all fans of improvised music.

First release of this 1966 recording from the ESP-Disk vaults; featuring: Don Cherry (trumpet); Gato Barbieri (tenor saxophone); Bo Stief (bass); Karl Berger (vibraphone); Aldo Romano (drums). Live performance from the legendary Café Montmartre in Copenhagen, Denmark, recorded in 1966. Digitally remastered. Also included: the ESP DVD-audio sampler, featuring selections of almost every ESP artist. Over 12 hours of music! Digitally remastered. "Don Cherry, more than any other artist in the jazz of…

Svart Mondo presents Jappa: The Complete Jazz at the Polytechnicum Recordings 1967-1968 by Eero Koivistoinen with friends. By early 1960’s, jazz in its mainstream form had become the standard dance music for the student parties in high schools and several student union clubrooms in Helsinki. The Polytech union even organized matinée dances for high school students on Sundays. The change in the musical preference of young people’s dance music occurred with the arrival of British rock in the mid-s…

* small repress available*This special bundle collects the latest Be! Jazz / FMP vinyl represses, namely the following three LP: Globe Unity Orchestra and Guests "Pearl" (1977)Brötzmann / Oliver / Kellers feat. Manfred Schoof "In a State of Undress" (1989)I.C.P. Tentet "In Berlin" (1979)Globe Unity Orchestra and Guests "Pearl" (1977) **Edition of 200 copies.** For fans of European free jazz, Globe Unity Orchestra needs little introduction. The project is nothing short of legendary, carving a pat…

Temporary Super Offer! John Coltrane is the steady catalyst, channeling galvanizing thoughts and energy through the tangible mechanics of his horns and sometimes running momentarily afoul of the lacunae between intent and implements. That it was all accomplished from the comparatively cramped confines of a basement jazz club stage is both the miracle and promise of momentous jazz music. The boon of emotional reciprocity between band and audiences was in optimal effect across these nights, even i…

* Edition of 100. Solid Turquoise Shell Cassette with J Card and clear plastic casing * Free Jazz pioneer, Evan Parker returns to Walthamstow to record an album taking inspiration from the renowned designer and activist, William Morris at the home of the socialist campaigner, which now houses the William Morris Gallery. The original working title for the album was 'Barbarism Once More', taken from a longer quotation from Morris, which reflects the passion, spontaneity and iconoclastic nature of …

There’s a question once posed by John Cage that seems to invite an expanding variety of answers, something about what’s more musical, a truck driving by a factory or a truck driving by a music school.  Percussionist Zlatko Kaučič’s quintet adds another environment to the mix, a church, and has musicians standing in for other elements: bassist Silvia Bolognesi and three reed players: Michael Moore on alto saxophone and clarinet; Michael Colonna on clarinet and bass clarinet; and Albert Cirera on …

Do you remember the legendary CD Legba Crossing released on FMP? Of course, you do! Each Cecil Taylor's music fan does it! Two years later Ove Volquartz assembled almost the same line-up and brought Cecil Taylor to Gottingen to work with the legendary artist longer and more intense. Here you have the whole monumental concert they gave on September 15th! What is the difference? Fundamental as always in the case of such great visionaries like Cecil was! Here, additionally, Mr. Taylor performs not …

Great Italian trio feat. Marco Colonna this time not only on clarinet but also bass clarinet, alto saxophone and flute and marvelous rhythm section Dario Miranda on bass and Fabrizio Spera on drums on his debut

* 2021 Stock * A never earlier released duo recording that was played back in 1987 at Kassiopeia, Wuppertal brings these two great musicians and composers together for this unique and unforgettable session. The late great saxophonist Julian Hemphill and bassist Peter Kowald ate their peak

Recorded last summer at The Sugar Maple, in Milwaukee, the latest release from Ken Vandermark and Nate Wooley, All Directions Home, wastes exactly no time getting going. The opener, Vandermark’s “Another Lecture (For Walter Benjamin),” is a hearty, up-tempo blues that absolutely swings. Vandermark and Wooley trade solos woven between unison lines. They rapidly bound ideas back and forth, with Vandermark on baritone sax and Wooley playing to the middle. About a minute in, they lock into a fantast…