Jazz & Improvisation / Jazz-Rock

In 1970 Miles Davis unleashed “Bitches Brew”. It sold a million and launched a new style of music: jazz rock. It was the culmination of the work of Miles and his musicians over the previous two years. “Directions In Music” illustrates its conception and immediate aftermath.

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…

CD version. Listening to the music of Al Doum & The Faryds is always like staying in the pristine nature of an exotic island, in the sacred harmony of a new organic society; imaging all brothers and sisters singing and dancing in the unity of the brotherhood. This is the message of love and joy that pervade this fourth album, Spirit Rejoin. Moving towards accents of jazz ancestry, the Faryds absorb and re-elaborate -- with remarkable insights -- disparate elements and influences of electric jazz…

Labyrinth is dark, brooding, beat-heavy, melancholic mood music courtesy of Ian Carr and the Nucleus crew. A favourite of Madlib, it goes without saying that this is one magnificent record. Originally released on Vertigo in 1973, Labyrinth was never re-pressed and of course those original copies are now very tricky to score. Like all the Nucleus records, it’s aged ridiculously well and this Be With re-issue, re-mastered from the original analogue tapes, shows off just why this deserves to be bac…

*2022 stock.* “Family Drug” is the premiere recordings of M(h)ysteria, a new trio founded by Giovanni Di Domenico. While featuring the instrumentation of a classic organ trio, M(h)ysteria charges a rather darker path. Not a swinging session, this is an expression of coping with the chronic tensions of modern daily life, with its inherent distractions and mounting stress, as well as a larger feeling of foreboding. Its sound a symptom of a future glittering with menace. Keeping the roles of the in…

Released way back in 1974, the lone, self-titled effort from Spirale is an album notable for its lack of electronic instruments. It also has some of those loveable low-budget production flaws that are so often heard in obscure 1970s Italian progressive music, and the bass quite often seems charmingly out-of-tune. But this was an earnest and quite energetic jazz-rock ensemble excursion, with excellent brass arrangements and improvisation. Other instruments used include violin, drums, piano and va…

**CD version** On May 13, 2000 the Chicago Underground Quartet played one of the most searing and transcendent sets of music I’ve ever witnessed, as part of the Empty Bottle Festival of Jazz & Improvised Music. Cornetist Rob Mazurek, guitarist Jeff Parker, drummer Chad Taylor, and bassist Noel Kupersmith performed with a fiery singularity of purpose, ripping through its set like a bulldozer, albeit a machine marked by nuance and soulfulness. The following year the same line-up—which had previous…

* 2021 Repress. Remastered. 180 gram LP * It seems that every major jazz artist has a one-off sort of record in their discography, be it with strings, voices, spoken word or - as in this case - a foray into the funkier side of jazz. Charlie Rouse (going here as Charles Rouse) gets his chance on Two Is One, a funky soul jazz excursion on Strata-East, the artist-run label where creativity and pushing boundaries was at the forefront. Playing mostly with a group of session musicians, Rouse put toget…

What is the most successful marriage of Fender and Moog in the history of music? "Živí se Diví. Live in Bratislava 1975” is a unique live album from Jazz Q, the legends of Czechoslovakian jazz-rock. The material presents a group in one of its best incarnations, from time of cult compilation "Jazzrocková Dílna” (1975). This dynamic material in excellent radio quality comes from the private archives of Martin Kratochvíl, who entrusted GAD Records with the rights to his music legacy. First released…

"This giddy avant pop affair is rather more avant than pop, with a large backing band of musicians steeped in the stylings of early 1970s psychedelia, mutant prog, free jazz saxophone solos, slinky blues (particularly on “Red White And Blue”) and moody spy soundtracks in the vein of John Barry’s score for 1965’s The Ipcress File. “Last Exit To Lublin” has a spoken word interlude in which the Cold War language of such films is remapped for the era of Brexit: “Papers, please/How long have you been…

"The group plays a ground breaking mix of psychedelic progressive rock, mesmerizing electronics, avant-garde classical and jazz improvisation. Effortlessly combines acoustic and electric instruments along with captivating vocals to deliver a fascinating set of adventurous musical pieces." - Progressive Rock Central The fifth album by this adventurous improvising rock group. This time round an expanded 8 piece version of the band improvised in the studio for two days in October 2019. These live r…

"This giddy avant pop affair is rather more avant than pop, with a large backing band of musicians steeped in the stylings of early 1970s psychedelia, mutant prog, free jazz saxophone solos, slinky blues (particularly on “Red White And Blue”) and moody spy soundtracks in the vein of John Barry’s score for 1965’s The Ipcress File. “Last Exit To Lublin” has a spoken word interlude in which the Cold War language of such films is remapped for the era of Brexit: “Papers, please/How long have you been…

American jazz bassist, composer and producer Jaco Pastorius was a member of Weather Report during the Seventies and also recorded albums as a solo artist. As of 2017, he is the only electric bassist inducted into the Downbeat Jazz Hall of Fame and has been lauded as one of the best electric bassist of all time. He recorded five albums in total with acclaimed drummer Brian Melvin, including the 1989 Jazz Street. This body of work is one of Pastorius' last studio dates and features session musicia…

Cosmic jazz from the Canary Islands, recorded by Argentinian pianist Luis Vecchio.

This double LP release features one of Miles Davis final great bands: John Scofield on guitar, Bill The Other Bill Evans Evans on saxophones, flute and electric piano, Darryl Jones on bass, Al Foster on drums, and percussionist Mino Cinelu. Miles was back in amazing form (incandescent and iridescent as ever, critic Greg Tate noted), when he mounted the stage at the Theatre St-Denis during the Festival International De Jazz De Montreal in July 1983, and this revelatory performance has been loving…

*All tracks previously unreleased. Stereophonic sound. In process of stocking* Composer/bassist, Graham Collier’s career was littered with “firsts” – Britain’s first jazz graduate, first jazz musician to be awarded an Arts Council grant, founder of the first full-time jazz degree in the UK. More to the point for our purposes here, he was the first British musician to perform his own music at the Hamburg Jazz Workshop. Collier opened doors to opportunities for himself and other British musicians …

*2022 stock. In process of stocking* Futura Marge presents Parisian Concert, vol 2 by: Archie Shepp (tenor and soprano saxophones), Siegfried Kessler (piano), Cameron Brown (double bass) & Clifford Jarvis (drums)Recorded live on 18 October 1977 at the Palais des Glaces in Paris

*In process of stocking* Produced by Jimmy Curtiss, who is best remembered as lead singer of the great psychedelic folk rock band the Hobbits, Century Expanded’s “Concerto For Wah Wah” was released in 1971 but staged very little impact at the time. Finding original copies of the disc is a real chore, so how cool it is the Gear Fab label will soon reissue this super rare album, which features all instrumentals duly drenched in wah wah guitar action. The opening track of “Concerto Wah Wah” measure…

The "1973" album continues in the same vein as "Ball of Eyes", though it's definitely funkier and head boppin' than the debut. The real-ear grabber is the superb Moog soloing by Moulin. Placebo is grooving your socks off in the first half of the album and a more concentrated jazzy swing can be found on the second half. Original copies of 1973 are in short supply and overwhelming demand, making this official reissue a much-needed one!

*Limited to 300 copies* This limited vinyl edition includes 21 of our favorite tracksA compilation of early, unheard and unknown works arranged and directed by Dutch soundtrack composer Ruud Bos. Full of wild jazz, organ funk, cinematic grooves, breakbeats and dope fender rhodes piano solo’s.A must have LP for anyone who has a heart for cinema, funk, soundtracks and rare movie scores!

"Garden of Secrets is a very successful and varied disc with electronic-folk-jazz-progressive soundscapes, and thus another remarkable album from the Discus, which is highly recommended for friends of electronic sound journeys around the world." – Achim Breiling An electroacoustic work by Hervé Perez taking the form of a suite of compositions which combine Hervé's software based sounds with a host of beautiful and unusual sounds from a wide range of instruments played by Hervé and collaborator …

* Gatefold die-cut sleeve, replica of the original on Vertigo * "Essential debut and a defining moment of jazz-rock - this was recorded only a few months later than Miles Davis's Bitches Brew and obviously Ian Carr was very impressed (and a unconditional fan of Miles as he wrote two books about his life on top of other jazz encyclopediae) and he formed this band with amongst other Jenkins, Marshal and the chameleon of rock Chris Spedding after he left psych-blues group Pete Brown's Battered Orna…

**Comes packaged in a gatefold jacket with a 28-page booklet.** Earth Rot is visionary composer / arranger / producer David Axelrod's third album, and the last of his Capitol trilogy. Recorded as a concept album about the decrepit state of the environment in 1970 Los Angeles, and scheduled for release on the first Earth Day, it features choral vocals and marks a departure for Axelrod's signature sound, which would take on a jazzier feel in the 1970s. The instrumental version of Earth Rot was fir…

**Comes packaged in a gatefold jacket with a 28-page booklet.** Earth Rot is visionary composer / arranger / producer David Axelrod's third album, and the last of his Capitol trilogy. Recorded as a concept album about the decrepit state of the environment in 1970 Los Angeles, and scheduled for release on the first Earth Day, it features choral vocals and marks a departure for Axelrod's signature sound, which would take on a jazzier feel in the 1970s. This definitive version of Earth Rot, oversee…

** Limited edition, individually numbered copies on transparent blue vinyl ** Hans Dulfer is a Dutch jazz musician famous for playing the tenor saxophone. With his band Ritmo-Natural he released his second album Candy Clouds in 1970. The album consists of six songs, with its title track being split into two parts. One single was released, “Red, Red Libanon”, which hit the Dutch charts in both 1970 as well as 1977. This rare Dutch jazz album is now available on coloured vinyl for the first time.

Impulse! presents Black To The Future by Sons Of Kemet. Fire and Fury! We're so hyped to welcome back Sons of Kemet with a whole host of guests too. The follow up to 2018’s Mercury Prize nominated breakout release Your Queen Is A Reptile. This is their 4th record, and 2nd on impulse! Compared with ”Your Queen is a Reptile”, this album has featured vocalists and more of an emphasis on fuller compositions and arrangements. Guest artists include Kojey Radical, Moor Mother, Angel Bat Dawid, Joshua I…

After releasing their Warner Bros. debut, the Herbie Hancock Sextet underwent a major transformation in the early '70s. Over the course of a year, every member was replaced (except Herbie Hancock himself and bassist Buster Williams) and each adopted Swahili names. (Williams even led the group in occasional sessions of Buddhist chanting.) Hancock chose the moniker Mwandishi (meaning 'composer'), and the Sextet became unofficially known as the Mwandishi Band. The lineup's first album -- simply tit…

** 2021 Stock ** Alternative Fox presents Live at Berliner Jazztage, Berlin, November 6, 1971. A legendary show from the Miles Davis Group recorded from SWR in Germany in 1971, and featuring a breath-taking line-up including no less than Keith Jarrett on electric piano and organ. Live at Berliner Jazztage in Berlin on November 6, 1971.

Marc Moulin (1942 - 2008) was a Belgian musician and journalist. In the early '70s, he was the leader of the Jazz-Rock group Placebo. Moulin was one of Belgium's jazz legends, making jazz-influenced records for over 30 years. Marc Moulin's three Placebo albums are the 'Holy Grail' for the rare groove crowd, a sector of music fans who love that unique '70s style of cool.Placebo's eponymous third album is glossy, elaborate Benelux Jazz-Rock which could be labelled Library music as well - having th…

Buntús Rince translates from Irish as 'basic rhythms', and this new compilation explores how Irish musicians were influenced by strands of different genres of music from around the world, merging them to create their own unique sounds. The compilation features some of the most innovative and talented figures in the history of Irish music and includes rare Irish jazz, fusion and folk outliers from the 1970s and early 1980s from musicians relatively unknown outside of Ireland. Often regarded as a …

**Bundle edition, LP + 7"** Souffle Continu Records present a reissue of Baroque Jazz Trio's self-titled album, original released on Saravah in 1970. Mixing Baroque, free-jazz, and world music, the unique album of the Baroque Jazz Trio (which is in fact 3/5 of the Bach Modern Quintet) is a difficult-to-label sound object which is far from being typical of the psychedelic sounds associated with the early 1970s. Because, although fusion with Indian music (amongst others) and jazz (but also pop) wa…

**300 copies, 2019 stock** Punk Kong is a chameleon, it changes color according to the circumstances to avoid being part of any particular musical idiom. The bassless ensemble offers you a crossover among African blues, avant-garde jazz, noise rock and improvised music. In addition to his collaborations with improvisers from all over the world, the leader and guitarist of the group Giotis Damianidis was influenced by his long collaboration with the legends of Afro-beat Oghene Kologbo and Tony Al…

**300 copies** Pull Ninja, the second album of the chameleon quintet Punk Kong is relesed by Mr. Nakayasi / El Negocito Records. Edgy guitar, powerful drums and three hyper dynamic saxophones, a special instrumentation that creates a unique sound. Pull Ninja continues the story telling of Lonely Cedar - Punk Kong's first album released back in 2016 - with songs that blend Jazz, Psychedelic rock, African Blues and improvised music into a remarkable amalgam. Viktor Perdieus: tenor & baritone saxGr…

Lamunai Records is proud to announce Philosophy Gang, the 1st opus of the Indonesian master Harry Roesli, a sought-after Indonesian album, musically at the crossroads of psychedelic, soul and jazz, lightly tinted with exotic Indonesian sounds. Expect funky brutal drums, mad organ solos, fuzz guitar brillIiantly mixed to softer sounds. Another gem finally reissued! Political activist, a prominent member of the Tradisi Baru Movement (New Tradition) who emerged in the 1970s, Harry Roesli worked wit…

**Marbled transparent green vinyl** In The Skies (1979) is the second solo album by British Blues Rock inventor Peter Green, who was the founder of Fleetwood Mac and a member from 1967-70. In The Skies was released almost a decade after his first solo stint The End Of The Game (1970). Accompanying Green on this album were several experienced session musicians, including Snowy White, who went on to work with Pink Floyd before joining Thin Lizzy. White contributed some of the lead guitar work on t…

Earl Palmer the man behind the evolution of the backbeat from Jazz and R&B to Rock 'n' Roll. One of the great figures in the New Orleans music scene and one of the most-recorded drummers ever. His highly dynamic drums style has served hundreds of hitmakers such as Fats Domino, Little Richard, Sam Cooke, Ray Charles, The Beach Boys, Eddie Cochran, Dinah Washington, Dizzy Gillespie, you name it. "Drumsville" originally released on Liberty Records in 1961 features a selection of rare gems produced …

**300 copies** Cuneo´s band oAxAcA brings us the second 2 Headed Deer reference. From the Italian Piedmont, this 'hard to define' collective delivers a sound that fluctuates between a free and experimental jazz reminiscent of the AACM spirit, to a very personal and reworked vision of the most electric jazz-rock."oAxAcA come back with a new record, they called it Onde di Sabbia (Waves of Sand), and they couldn’t find a more evocative title. As a matter of fact here we feel overwhelmed by a tempes…

"A synchrotron is a particular type of cyclic particle accelerator, descended from the cyclotron, in which the accelerating particle beam travels around a fixed closed-loop path. The magnetic field which bends the particle beam into its closed path increases with time during the accelerating process, being synchronized to the increasing kinetic energy of the particles.Synchrotrony are a trio who take their inspiration from free improvisation, sound search and simple folk melodies. The band consi…

"Alternative Fox present a reissue of Ricotti & Albuquerque's First Wind, originally released in 1971. Percussionist Frank Ricotti played in the National Youth Orchestra and was rated the UK's top vibraphonist during the late 1960s. In 1971, with guitarist Mike de Albuquerque, he cut the multifaceted jazz album, First Wind, which alternated between experimental rock-influenced jazz and thoughtful adaptations of work by James Taylor, John Sebastian, and Melanie Safka, with some surprising blues d…

"Bitches Brew Live" contains recordings from two performances: the first three songs were recorded at his Newport Jazz performance in July 1969 - a couple of weeks before the Bitches Brew sessions in August of that year - and have remained unissued till this day.