Roadworks (Gallio / Streuli): As If You Were Here / Glassware [2 LPS + CD + DOWNLOAD] (Percaso)

A deluxe 2 album release: "Glassware" on CD was composed by Swiss saxophonist Christoph Gallio for a commission by the Art Council Of The Canton Aargau, performed with Raphael Loher (piano), Ernst Thoma (synth), Dominique Girod (bass), and Nicolas Stocker (drums); then reworked into something creatively experimental in the 2 LP "As If You Were Here"; engaging and spellbinding! ... Click to View

Joe Morris : Instantiation: Paradoxical (Glacial Erratic)

One part of New York improvising guitarist and composer Joe Morris' "Instantiation" project, where each part is uniquely composed with specific notated and operational components making each impossible to perform the same way twice, here in a studio recording with clarinetist Dan O'Brien, bassist Brad Barrett, and violinist Elinor Speirs. ... Click to View

William Parker : Conversations III [BOOK] (RogueArt)

The third book in New York improvising bassist William Parker's interview with other improvisers, here with 33 interviews, 29 works of art by Jeff Schlangler and 13 photographs by Jacques Bisceglia; interviews include Steve Dalachinsky, Pheeroan Aklaff, Hamiet Bluiett, Craig Harris, Gerry Hemingway, Jason Kao Hwang, Ingrid Laubrock, Joe McPhee, &c. ... Click to View

Phil Gibbs / Neil Metcalfe / Adrian Northover / Marcello Magliocchi: The Visitors (FMR)

Bringing diverse experience to collective improvisation, including various associations with Paul Dunmall, the quartet of guitarist Philip Gibbs, flutist Neil Metcalfe, saxophonist Adrian Northover on alto and tenor, and drummer Marcello Magliocchi are heard in six passionately restrained and technically superb improvisations beautifully recorded in the studio. ... Click to View

Monash Art Ensemble (Grabowsky / Neal / Ford / Hannaford Williamson / Evans / Hope): Here Now Hear [2 CDs] (FMR)

"Here Now Hear" is comprised of nine innovative Australian works commissioned and recorded by the Monash Art Ensemble between 2017-2019f, featuring an eclectic mix of contemporary cross-genre music by significant Australian composers: Paul Grabowsky, Kate Neal, Andrew Ford, Robert Burke, Cat Hope, Marc Hannaford, Paul Williamson, Johannes Luebbers and Sandy Evans. ... Click to View

Udo Schindler / Eric Zwang Eriksson: Poetry?? Ein Wurfelwurf (FMR)

Udo Schindler marks his 80th Salon fur Klang+Kunst in Munich as his first duo recording with a drummer, in a first-time meeting with long-time acquaintance, drummer/percussionist Eric Zwang Eriksson, joining him as they find inspired common ground with Schindler on alto sax, bass clarinet, cornet and euphonium and Eriksson using all aspects of his drums and percussive devices. ... Click to View

Speak Easy (Wassermann / Minton / Lehn / Blume): @ Konfrontationen (Confront)

Since 2009 the UK & European ea-improvising quartet Speak Easy with two remarkable vocalists, Phil Minton and Ute Wasserman (also on birdcall whistles), Thomas Lehn on analog synthesizer and Martin Blume on drums & percussion, have startled and amazed listeners, as heard here in this extended performance at the 2016 Festival Konfrontationen in Nickelsdorf. ... Click to View

CARTOON (Biscoe / Pope / Turner): Change of Meaning (Confront)

A trio of UK free improvisers--Chris Biscoe on alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, John Pope on double bass, and Roger Turner on drumset & percussion--in two extended performances, one recorded in the studio in West London, the other live at The Bridge in Newcastle, collective improvisation of great clarity, direction and creativity. ... Click to View

Hymn (Dowding / Hallett / Ross): Silence, Then Birds (Confront)

Mysteriously evolving improvisations from the trio of Chris Dowding on trumpet, Sylvia Hallett on violin, bicycle wheel & saw, and Dave Ross using a self-designed time modulator, two recordings from St. Paul's Church in Marylebone and one at Camouflage in Norwich, ea-improv that has a natural feeling and beautifully paced development; fascinating. ... Click to View

Brain Dead Ensemble (Eldridge / Kiefer / Polymeneas / Magnusson): EFZ (Confront)

Two feedback cellos, a feedback bass and a threnoscope, a software tool used for for drones, live coding & microtonal composition, as the quartet of Alice Eldridge, Chris Kiefer, Thanos Polymeneas and Thor Magnusson meet in the studio in Glasgow to perform these heavily dark and subtly detailed improvisations, incredible environments of ominous and cathartic sound. ... Click to View

Harris Eisenstadt (w/ Wooley / Hawkins / Niggenkemper): Canada Day Quartet Live (Clean Feed)

While staying in the village Poschiavo in Switzerland at the Uncool Artist Residency program with his wife and son, drummer/composer Harris Eisenstadt composed more than 50 single-line, three-system unison compositions and multi-voice tunes, flexible to be arranged for any size group, as heard in this all-star quartet configuration of his Canada Day ensemble. ... Click to View

Eve Risser: Apres Un Reve (Clean Feed)

A remarkably varied and unique approach to prepared piano that French pianist Eve Risser refers to as "piano droit", heard in her performance at FGO Barbara, in Paris on an upright piano, chosen for its specific mechanical qualities that allow Risser to generate a surprising amount of rhythmic variety, as she performs a single work mixing composed and improvised elements. ... Click to View

Zack Clarke Trio (w/ Kim / Cass / Dre Hocevar): Vertical Shores (Clean Feed)

A lyrical album of original compositions from New York pianist Zack Clarke, in an acoustic jazz piano trio with double bassist Kim Cass and drummer Dre Hocevar, recording in the Systems Two studio in Brooklyn for nine pieces of both optimistic and mercurial temperament, a great example mixing virtuosic form and perceptive communication in a classic configuration. ... Click to View

Arthurs / Khroustaliov / Sartorious: Hangkerum (Clean Feed)

An album of alien soundscape and un-anticipatable rhythm with seductive brass sonority floating above, from the Swiss trio of trumpeter Tom Arthurs, Isambard Khroustaliov on electronics, and Julian Sartorious on drums & percussion, contrasting complex and strangely aberrant sonic and rhythmic environments with lyrically virtuosic trumpet work. ... Click to View

Joao Lencastre's Communion 3 (w/ Sacks / Opsvik): Song(s) Of Hope (Clean Feed)

The 2nd release on Clean Feed by drummer Joao Lencastre's Communion, a shape-shifting ensemble here configured with 2 New York improvisers from Lencastre's associations over 15 years in NYC--pianist Jakob Sacks and bassist Eivind Opsvik--for 10 studio recordings which include the 4-part "Magnetic Frequency", blurring lyrical avant jazz and chamber forms; beautiful. ... Click to View

Gabriel Ferrandini (w/ Faustino / Sousa): Volupias [VINYL] (Clean Feed)

Turning to one third of his more familiar Red Trio setting, percussionist/drummer Gabriel Ferrandini enlists bassist Hernani Faustino and tenor saxophonist Pedro Sousa (Sousa/Berthling/Ferrandini, PeterGabriel Duo) to perform 9 Ferrandini compositions named after streets in Lisbon leading from Ferrandini's house to his studio and then to ZDB. ... Click to View

Oddly Imploded (Gregoretti / Argenziano): They Just Sit About (Shhpuma)

Italian sonic explorer Francesco Gregoretti uses his drumkit like a lead instrument, amplifying and modifying its sound through effects, as he pursues his varied "Imploded" bands (Strongly Imploded, Grizzly Imploded) fueled by the mathematics of Chaos Theory, here with guitarist Maurizio Argenziano in an album of dense sound, from near-minimal to highly interactive. ... Click to View

Spirit in Spirit (Lencastre / Van der Weide / Govaert): Live at Zaal 100 (FMR)

A free jazz project from the trio of Portuguese alto saxophonist Jose Lencastre, French double bassist Raoul Van der Weide, and Dutch drummer Onno Govaert, performing at Amsterdam's Zaal 100 in 2018 for a concert of collective improvisation, intelligent discourse of coherently creative progressions and energetic but never overblown playing; exemplary. ... Click to View

Threnody (Berthling / Kuchen / Noble): A Paradigm Of Suspicion (Trost Records)

Previously a trio under their own names releasing the album "Threnody", the grouping of saxophonist Martin Kuchen (Angles), Johan Berthling (Fire!, Angles) and Steve Noble (St. Francis Duo, SFQ) now take the name Threnody as they burn through four extended improvisations of quickly shifting rhythm and dynamic and intensity; a remarkably passionate album. ... Click to View

Ted Daniel with Henry Grimes / Michael Marcus: Duology [VINYL] (Ujamaa Records)

Legendary New York trumpeter Ted Daniel, whose skills were honed in the 70s Loft Scene, in his 4th Duology album with the trio of Michael Marcus on clarinets and Henry Grimes on bass and violin, the leader also performing on French hunting horn, an album of varied mood and intensity that sits firmly in the free jazz legacy of daring harmonies and melodies. ... Click to View

Leap of Faith Orchestra & Sub-Units: Virtual Particles [2 CDS] (Evil Clown)

An octet version of the Boston improvising ensemble Leap of faith Orchestra, in a 3-part work using composer and multi-reedist, multi-instrumentalist David Pecks' timed segments, guiding the musicians through the piece while keeping the performance exuberantly controlled and intensely focused, finding unusual paths for creative statement. ... Click to View

Brotzmann / Schlippenbach / Bennink: Fifty Years After... Live at the Lila Eule 2018 (Trost Records)

50 years after saxophonist Peter Brotzmann's Octet recorded the legendary "Machine Gun" album, the trio of Berlin pianist, composer Alexander von Schlippenbach and Dutch percussionist Han Bennink commemorated the album at Lila Eule in Bremen, the concert heard here so successful that the trio decided to release the album and continue on as a working trio. ... Click to View

Kodian Trio: III (Trost Records)

Recorded during their 2018 European tour, the 3rd album from the Kodian Trio of Andrew Lisle on drums, Dirk Serries on guitar, and Colin Webster on alto saxophone, is influenced by their active traveling and performing, evoking those experiences in inventive free jazz with experimental intention, from the boisterously energetic to the introspectively reflective. ... Click to View

Keiji Haino / Sumac: Even for just the briefest moment Keep charging this "expiation" [VINYL 2 LPs] (Trost Records)

The second collaboration between the American avant-metal rock trio Sumac of guitarist Aaron Turner, drummer Nick Yacyshyn and bassist Brian Cook and Japanese legendary guitarist and vocalist Keiji Haino finds the quartet settling down from their first blast of an album, here slowly building their heavy feedback-drenched, ponderous and epic music. ... Click to View

Keiji Haino / Jim O'Rourke / Oren Ambarchi: In the past only geniuses were capable of staging the perfect crime (also known as a revolution) Today anybody can accomplish their aims... (Black Truffle)

The ninth album from the enduring trio of Keiji Haino, Jim O'Rourke, and Oren Ambarchi, recorded in 2015 at Tokyo's SuperDeluxe, with both Ambarchi and O'Rourke performing on drums and percussion, O'Rourke also using a Hammond Organ and Ambarchi on flute, while Haino asserts himself on guitar, electronics and voice, in 2 groove-based pieces and 2 side-long epics. ... Click to View

Konstrukt + Ken Vandermark: Kozmik Bazaar [VINYL] (KARLRECORDS)

In November 2018, the groove-oriented Turkish electric improvising quartet Konstrukt of saxophonist & electronic artist Korhan Futaci, guitarist Umut Caglar, double bassist Apostolos Sideris, and drummer Berkan Tilavel, met with Chicago multi-reedist Ken Vandermark in Instanbul, recording these improvisation, a mix of muscular playing and psychedelic interaction. ... Click to View

Max Eastley / Fergus Kelly / Mark Wastell: The Map Is Not The Territory (Confront)

The 8th release on Confront's Core series of factory-pressed CDs brings together improvisers Max Eastley, Fergus Kelly and Mark Wastell, employing electroacoustic devices, invented instruments, metal percussion, a piano frame and tam tam to create a rich and mysterious sound world, darkly hopeful emanations in a nighttime traversal across unknown lands. ... Click to View

Chris Burn / Philip Thomas: as if as (Confront)

Contemporary composer, improviser and pianist Chris Burn in 4 lively, playful and fasciatingly structured works, as heard in Philip Thomas's renderings: "as if as"; "only the snow"; a transcription of Derek Bailey's "from ten, two, and three" in 6 parts; "pressings and screening" in 4 parts; and "the sky a silver dissonance" with Kate Ledger as a 2nd pianist. ... Click to View

Bill Orcutt: Odds Against Tomorrow (Palilalia)

After his recent work interpreting the American Songbook, guitarist Bill Orcutt returns to his own compositions in an album cleanly recorded through a Fender Twin in Orcutt's living room, with three pieces multi-tracked, the rest simply pure Orcutt, reflecting beautiful blues-tinged lyricism, jarring interwining of notes, and impressive passages of superb virtuosity. ... Click to View

Bill Orcutt: Odds Against Tomorrow [VINYL] (Palilalia)

After his recent work interpreting the American Songbook, guitarist Bill Orcutt returns to his own compositions in an album cleanly recorded through a Fender Twin in Orcutt's living room, with three pieces multi-tracked, the rest simply pure Orcutt, reflecting beautiful blues-tinged lyricism, jarring interwining of notes, and impressive passages of superb virtuosity. ... Click to View