Alexandra Grimal / Benjamin Duboc / Valentin Ceccaldi: Bambu (Ayler)
An unusual and captivating work from the trio of saxophonist Alexandra Grimal, double bassist Benjaim Duboc, and cellist Valentin Ceccaldi, leading their album with tracks from "Respirer l'ombre" by Giuseppe Penone "spontaneously used without permission but with great admiration," leading to powerful and unpredictable directions in free improvisation; excellent. ... Click to View
Daunik Lazro / Jean-Luc Cappozzo / Didier Lasserre: Garden(s) (Ayler)
The trio of Daunik Lazro on baritone and tenor saxophone, Jean-Luc Cappozzo on trumpet & flugelhorn and Didier Lasserre on drums, alternate jazz standards from Duke Ellington (Sophisticated Lady; Hop Head), John Coltrane (Lonnie's Lament), Albert Ayler (Angels), with original compositions and the 3-part "Garden", all in the varied traditions of jazz. ... Click to View
Kyle Bruckmann Degradient: Dear Everyone [2 CDs] (Not Two)
West Coast oboist and english horn improviser composes a startlingly enjoyable work based on Matt Shears' book of recursive, encyclopedic poetry of the same name: 10 pieces colliding elements of skronk, spoken word, fried electroacoustic noise and dark prog within a Creative Music framework, with a core quartet of Aram Shelton, Jason Hoopes and Jordan Glenn, plus guest Weston Olencki and a large cast of readers. ... Click to View
Ivo Perelman / Matthew Shipp / Gerald Cleaver: The Art Of The Improv Trio Volume 3 (Leo)
The 3rd part of NY/Brazilian saxophonist Ivo Perelman's "Art of the Improv Trio" series, with Matthew Shipp on piano and Gerald Cleaver on drums, each an essential element in the interplay and subtle skills of these masterful players, with Perelman's voice exceptionally strong as he demonstrates the full range of his sax through free and melodic passage. ... Click to View
Ivo Perelman / Joe Morris / Gerald Cleaver: The Art Of The Improv Trio Volume 5 (Leo)
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Simon Nabatov Trio: Picking Order (Leo)
Drawing from the spirit of free jazz, pianist Simon Nabatov's new trio with Dominik Mahnig on drums and Stefan Schonegg on bass, are caught live at the LOFT in Cologne, Germany in 2015 for a superb concert of jazz that balances captivating lyrical material with exciting free passages, taking unexpected directions that constantly engage. ... Click to View
Michael Pisaro: Sometimes (Edition Wandelweiser Records)
The MaDam Electroacoustic Improvisation Collective based in Spain performs the first in Pisaro's 34 piece Harmony Series, which attempts to create the conditions for a harmonic situation without giving any actual notes, just numbers, durations of tones, and pauses; this work is based on "swell piece (for alison knowles)" (1967) by James Tenney. ... Click to View
Burkhard Schlothauer : More Chamber Events [2CDs] (Edition Wandelweiser Records)
Composer Burkhard Schlothauer, co-founder of Editions Wandelweiser and a member of Zeitkratzer and the Wandwelweiser Composers Ensemble, in a five part work conceived as a single part, combining previous works into various possible versions as "events", working with spatial distribution, slow beats, noise, and pulse, superimposed from their origins. ... Click to View
Maria de Alvear / Antoine Beuger ‎: Besando El Tiempo [2CDs] (Edition Wandelweiser Records)
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Skogen / Magnus Granberg: 'Ist gefallen in den Schnee' (2010) and 'Despairs had Governed Me Too Long' (2012) [double CD reissue] (Another Timbre)
Ist gefallen in den Schnee: A piece by Swedish composer-pianist Magnus Granberg, performed with Angharad Davies, Anna Lindal, Leo Svensson Sander, John Eriksson, Erik Carlsson, Henrik Olsson, Petter Wastberg and Toshimaru Nakamura; Despairs: A beautiful extended composition exquisitely played by an ensemble of fine musicians. ... Click to View
Lawrence Casserley / Jeffrey Morgan: Exoplanets (Creative Sources)
Two enounters between UK electroacoustic composer and performer Lawrence Casserly on his Signal Processing Instrument and American free jazz alto saxophonist Jefrrey Morgan, recording both in the studio in Cologne, Germany in 2016, and in concert at The Loft; a rich, subtle, and detailed astronomical encounter blending stellar electronics responsive extended playing. ... Click to View
Farhadian / Rodrigues / Rodrigues / Kurvers / Torres: De-Col//age_ (Creative Sources)
An unusual improvising string quartet with alto saxophone, Thea Farhadian (violin), Ernesto Rodrigues (viola), Guilherme Rodrigues (cello), Klaus Kurvers (double bass) and Nuno Torres (alto saxophone) present the 11-part "De-col//age_", a slowly-developing work balancing unconventional approaches to their instruments to conventional passages. ... Click to View
Ilia Belorukov / Ernesto Rodrigues / Nuno Torres: Tak Prosto (Creative Sources)
Two recordings from the lowercase acoustic improvising trio of Portuguese players Ernesto Rodriduges on viola and Nuno Torres on alto saxophone and objects with Saint Petersburg alto saxophonist Ilia Belorukov, recording at Belorukov's Spina! label's studio, and again live at Vertikal' Gallery in Saint Petersburg in 2016. ... Click to View
Warble & MDuo : Ama (Creative Sources)
Two improvising duos that share one person and joined as a trio: Berlin musician Miako Klein on recorders, Warble being Klein and NY/Berlin trumpeter Brad Henkel, the two exploring their instruments through close amplification; Mduo is Klein & NY/Berlin percussionist Michael Weilacher using extended techniques and strange actions. ... Click to View
Eric Revis: Sing Me Some Cry (Clean Feed)
Double Bassist Eric Revis expands his concepts in this outstanding album with fellow New Yorkers, pianist Kris Davis and drummer Chad Taylor, and Chicago reedist Ken Vandermark on tenor saxophone, with all four players providing compositions that push the limit on structure and form while opening up the players to superb soloing settings of great modern jazz.
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Max Johnson: In The West (Clean Feed)
New York bassist Max Johnson expands his piano trio of Kris Davis on piano and Mike Pride on drums with Susan Alcorn on pedal steel guitar, adding an eclectic Western flavor to overall on-point, anchored and driven modern jazz of a high order, balancing lyrical playing with moments of free collective playing, in a beautiful and extraordinary album. ... Click to View
Nate Wooley: Knknighgh (Minimal Poetry for Aram Saroyan) (Clean Feed)
Pronounced as "knife", this new project from NY trumpeter Nate Wooley brings together Chris Pitsiokos on alto sax, Brandon Lopez on bass, and Dre Hocevar on drums in a fresh take on the concepts of free jazz, using short material composed by Wooley and based on the poetry of Aram Saroyan, used in looping and repeating structures that never sound as such. ... Click to View
Rob Mazurek: Rome (Clean Feed)
Rob Mazurek solo works are brilliant displays of honest, lyrical and emotional playing, here recording in Rome for Radio Roma, bringing the cornet to the foreground, starting with a piece only on the horn, then adding electronics, piano, and prepared piano for a set of ethereal and spiritual improvisations that are not bound by any specific genre. ... Click to View
LAMA + Joachim Badenhorst: Metamorphosis (Clean Feed)
A superb example of contemporary collective improvisation crossing from acoustic improvisation into electroacoustic material from the quartet of Joachim Badenhorst on clarinets, Susana Santos Silva on trumpet, Goncalo Almeida on double bass, keyboards & effects, and Greg Smith on drums & laptop, performing live at Jazzcase series Dommelhof, 2016. ... Click to View
Platform (Xavier Charles / Katrine Schiott / Jan Martin Gismervik / Jonas Cambien): Flux Reflux (Clean Feed)
The 2nd recorded outing of this Oslo based improvising quartet, comprised of 3 young Norwegian players -- Katrine Shiott (cello), Jan Martin Gismervik (drums), and Jonas Cambien (piano & keys) -- with French clarinetist Xavier Charles, performing subtle collective improvisation using extended techniques, eclectic percussion, and piano preparations. ... Click to View
Roots Magic: Last Kind Words (Clean Feed)
Deep Blues and Creative Jazz from the Italian septet Roots Magic, following up their "Hoodoo Magic" CD with another compelling album of instrumentals where the track list consists of personal renditions of Delta Blues classics (mostly Charlie Patton) played with an overtly exploratory attitude derived from the Free Jazz tradition. ... Click to View
Vitor Rua and The Metaphysical Angels: Do Androids Dream of Electric Guitars? [2CDs] (Clean Feed)
A central figure in the Portuguese creative music scene, from the pop group GNR to free improv in Telectu to contemporary composition, guitarist Vitor Rua presents a 2-CD album, one multi-tracking solo in complex and astonishing ways, and the 2nd playing the same scores with his group The Metaphysical Angels of top figures in the Portuguese avant jazz scene. ... Click to View
Mind Games (Niescier / Maroney / Ilgenfritz / Drury): Ephemera Obscura (Clean Feed)
A unconventional yet lyrical album of creative jazz from the New York quartet of Angelika Niescier on alto sax, Denman Maroney on hyperpiano, James Ilgenfritz on contrabass, and Andrew Drury on percussion, Maroney's piano preparations and Drury's objects complementing complex time signatures and intricate notated materials that yield lush, beautiful music. ... Click to View
Luis Martins Jose: Tentos - Invencoes E Encantamentos (Shhpuma)
Luis Jose Martins uses classical guitar, prepared guitar, electronics, and percussion in a solo album of incredible detail and lyrical, beautiful playing of original compositions that blend his playing with modern techniques and electronics into melodic masterpieces, performed in the natural resonance of the church of the convent of S. Bento in Avis. ... Click to View
Big Bold Back Bone (Marco von Orelli / Sheldon Suter / Luis Lopes: In Search Of The Emerging Species (Shhpuma)
Swiss musicians, trumpeter Marco Von Orelli and drummer Sheldon Suter and their Portuguese partners, guitarist Luis Lopes and electronics artist Travassos, in an album of unconventional collective improvisation using extended techniques in a large work of evolving, subtle interactions, magnifying sound and gesture in an engrossing sonic environment. ... Click to View
Raphael Vanoli: Bibrax (Shhpuma)
Amsterdam guitarist Raphael Vanoli in a solo record of discovery, hiper-amplifying his guitar so that slight motions create forceful statements, where gently blowing on the strings creates dynamics and harmonics rarely explored, effected to create complex sonic compositions with unique, unusual and fascinating properties. ... Click to View
Kokotob (Taiko Saito / Niko Meinhold / Tobias Schirmer): Flying Heart (Clean Feed)
Japanese vibraphonist and marimba player Taiko Saito is a contemporary classical player well established in the field of improv, joined by long-time collaborator, pianist Niko Meinhold, and here expanded with Tobias Schirmer on clarinet and bass clarinet for an album that uses solid compositional foundations for lyrical and contemplative modern music. ... Click to View
Jonah Parzen-Johnson : I Try To Remember Where I Come (Clean Feed)
Chicago born, Brooklyn-based saxophonist Jonah Parzen-Johnson performs live at The Bunker on baritone saxophone, accompanying himself on analog synthesizer, using arpeggiated and repeating structures over which he improvises lyrical work using extended techniques including circular breathing, multiphonics, and overtones to great effect.
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Keith Rowe / Michael Pisaro: 13 Thirteen [2 CDs] (erstwhile)
A collaboration between composer Michael Pisaro and AMM guitarist/improviser Keith Rowe, with each bringing scores which they improvised over, creating 13 discrete sections including samples from Shostakovich's 13th String Quartet, balancing activity, space and silence in patient ways that only two such experienced composer/improvisers could. ... Click to View
Graham Lambkin / Taku Unami: The Whistler [2 CDs] (erstwhile)
Sound artists Graham Lambkin and Taku Unami create two large works using material which they recorded together, and then which independently assembled into a single CD each, with "Whistler Vanishes in Wind" composed by Taku Unami, and "Small Mistakes in Nature" by Graham Lambkin, both fascinating collages that alternately distract and absorb the listener. ... Click to View
