Jazz /
We Are Not At The Opera
1998 release ** "Whoa. Look out. When you look at the cover you know the sh*t is gonna hit the fan when this old master of the vanguard drumming tradition hooks up with the "gentle giant" of the alto, the tenor, and the flute. Sabir Mateen may not be as well-known as Sunny Murray is, but he's every bit as effective and iconoclastic. The title of the album is funny; they aren't even in the same country that opera comes from -- even though Murray lives near there. So what have you got? Drums, drum…
The Copenhagen Tapes
2002 release ** "When you give birth to a free jazz record label by the name of Ayler Records, you must be dreaming of putting out an album of long-forgotten sessions by the great saxophonist Albert Ayler. It took a while (then again, not that long), but producer Jan Ström managed to get hold of two important sessions recorded in Copenhagen. The suitably titled Copenhagen Tapes contain 45 minutes of a performance at Club Montmartre, September 3, 1964, and another 20 minutes recorded in the studi…
Maamme Laulu
2005 release ** "Braspyreet is a Helsinki-based improv/free jazz band. “Aquatic visions of spacetime bending, this quartet chants its way through the fanciful forested heavens of the north. Bathed in blankets of shimmering white snow, Braspyreet’s manic compositions will melt the surrounding ice into a swimming hole. So many things find their way into the collective psyche, but Braspyreet will destroy them all and send you off in a jewel-encrusted golden gondola to the pastures beyond.”"
Ritual
2001 release ** "This is a reissue of the Finnish lp-only first release by this great rock/avant/fusion guitarist and his band, and includes two bonus tracks. The record features a unique blend of heavy guitarwork combined with dual, wailing Coleman and Ayler-influenced saxes and a rhythm section of bass/electric bass and two drummers. The music is quite original, but has certain musical ties to the harmolodic school ala The Decoding Society and Prime Time."
Cuica In The Third House (CDr)
2008 release ** Limited and numbered edition of 250 copies, part of the KMB Jazz CDr Series. "The 2007 solo debut of New York free improvising trumpeter Matt Lavelle, here performing on the hybrid instruments, the Bass-Trumpinet and Bass-Clarumpet, introduced and punctuated with spoken word insight and declarations, and using overdubs on selected tracks, making for an intimate and accomplished album of modern free jazz."
The Soul And Gone
2006 release ** "Harris Eisenstadt's fifth album as a leader features a sextet of young Chicago players and all-star names. The lesser-known names are vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, gracefully waltzing through the drummer's complex compositions, and reeds player Jason Mears, who seems too busy keeping up with the score to truly shine. Bassist Jason Roebke has previously proved his worth (in Tigersmilk and the Scott Fields Ensemble, among other projects). Vandermark 5 trombonist Jeb Bishop and To…
Luminosity (Homage To David Izenzon)
1996 release ** "The thing to do would be to get all misty-eyed about what a great bassist the late David Izenson was and how he brought in the whole deep-bowing technique to jazz with Ornette Coleman in the early '60s. It would also be summarily reasonable to note the student-teacher relationship between Lindberg and Izenson, as well as their friendship, and then discuss the influence of the object of this CD on the subject in terms befitting a jazz record. But forget it. The deal is clear: Joh…
Sylissäin Oot
2006 release ** Ten pieces of free-improv-folk-jazz from Finland, with a distinctive foundation of playful vigor and heartening spirit. Some of the tracks take on a higher timbre and slightly more tongue-in-cheek feel as the quartet splinters into the duo Lauhkeat Lamaat.
Open, To Love
After Chick Corea’s Piano Improvisations, and Keith Jarrett’s Facing You, Paul Bley’s Open, To Love was the third fabulous chapter in ECM’s quietly revolutionary solo piano manifesto, whose impact endures and continues to influence improvisers today. In the liner notes to this Luminessence vinyl edition, Bley biographer Greg Buium writes, “After more than fifty years, Open, To Love remains an imperishable gem, lodged forever in the present tense, and among the great masterpieces in ECM’s vast c…
Vienna Suite
2025 stock We would like to introduce a new Polish- Austrian quartet led by the trumpeter and composer Piotr Damasiewicz and his Viennese connections- the meticulously passionate saxophonist Krzysztof Kasprzyk, Viennese-to-the-bone, versatile bassist Thomas Stempkowski, and the jazz and electronica drummer Alex Yannilos.The music of the quartet is best described as “(…) expressive, free though very rhythmic and melodic, manic at times, always lovingly passionate.” It goes back to dear to our hea…
Live
2002 release ** "Long before the Italian Instabile Orchestra, Andrea Centazzo was organizing and leading his Mitteleuropa Orchestra that focused on free improvisation, complex arrangements, and outstanding soloists. Most, although not all, of the musicians of the orchestra were Italians, and the all-star nature of the groups on this live recording make this a must-have for anyone immersed in its genre. The first four tracks -- with Enrico Rava, Franz Koglmann, Giancarlo Trovesi, and Carlos Zinga…
Threads
2003 release ** "Since the beginning of the 21st century, David S. Ware's recordings have moved more toward the notion of composition than free-blowing improvisation. The album Threads is the most fully realized of his scoring attempts yet, and stands out from his catalog as a work of great innovation and emotional power. The David S. Ware String Ensemble is comprised of his quartet with William Parker, Guillermo Brown, and Matthew Shipp, and is augmented by microtonal violist Mat Maneri and cla…
Directions + Destinations
And just like that, you’ll never think of improvisation the same way again. GPS is the emerging trio raising the bar for improvised music, and 577 Records is elated to present its debut album, Directions + Destinations. The group includes clarinet wizard Guillermo Gregorio, Yamaha Performance Artist Charley Sabatino on the double bass, and flourishing saxophonist Jeff Pearring. What they make isn’t just music; it’s an unforgettable experience. Recorded in two sessions a year apart, Directions +…
Cherubim's Wrath
*2025 stock* Kim Oki is a South Korean saxophonist, and former breakdancer. He debuted in 2013 with his studio album Cherubim's Wrath (천사의 분노), and has since released numerous projects and albums. He collaborated with various artists including Park Jiha, Lowdown 30, Hippy Was Gipsy, Say Sue Me, and Bek Hyunjin. He won the Musician of the Year at the 2020 Korean Music Awards.
He was also active under the stage names of Kim Oki Oriental Youth (김오키 동양청년), Kim Oki Fucking Madness (김오키뻐킹매드니스), and K…
Jubilation
William Hooker is a musician, composer, and poet with over 70 recordings as a leader, encompassing jazz, new music, experimental music and multi-disciplinary forms of expression (e.g. dance, silent film and spoken word). He has been recognized as “an iconoclast, and one of the most innovative musicians and drummers of his generation” - The Wire, which is evident nowhere more than on his latest album, Jubilation. The new work features collaborators Matt LaVelle on trumpet, Sarah Manning on alto…
Un-Belonging
When Jacobo Vega-Albela left New Mexico for upstate New York to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a performer and composer, he knew it would change him forever. Ready to expand his potential, he soon found himself on a path that some only fantasize about. He has since transformed his extraordinary journey and its captivating highs and lows into his first album with 577 Records.
“Un-Belonging is a record underpinned by tremendous joy, optimism, and love for the world counterbalanced by a pers…