Nate Wooley: Battle Pieces 2 (Relative Pitch)
Commissioned by Anthony Braxton's Tri-Centric Foundation, trumpeter Nate Wooley developed a modular compositional structure of small melodic, rhythmic, harmonic, conceptual, textural, and timbral fragments, allowing Ingrid Laubrock (sax), Sylvie Courvoisier (piano), Matt Moran (Vibes) exceptional freedom in improvisation, here in their 2nd recording live at Koeln's Loft. ... Click to View
Rempis Percussion Quartet, The (w/ Haker Flaten / Daisy / Rosaly): Cochonnerie (Aerophonic)
13 years playing together and releasing this, their 8th album, the Chicago quartet of Dave Rempis on sax, Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten on electric bass, Frank Rosaly on drums, and Tim Daisy on drums, are captured live at Elastic Arts, in Chicago for three awe-inspiring collective improvisations of great energy, resolution, and focus. ... Click to View
Dave Rempis : Lattice (Aerophonic)
Chicago saxophonist Dave Rempis approached the idea of his first solo album under the shadow of the greats before him, in 2017 choosing to journey across the country on a solo tour, performing 31 concerts of which these 6 recordings represent the best reflection of his unique solo vocabulary on the instrument and his enthusiasm for a wealth of musical styles. ... Click to View
Wadada Smith Leo / Natsuki Tamura / Satoko Fujii / Ikue Mori: Aspiration (Libra)
Pianist/composer Satoko Fujii's "Aspiration" brings together four masterful improvisers and innovators--trumpeters Wadada Leo Smith and Natsuki Tamura, and Downtown NY laptop player Ikue Mori--for an album of exciting and exceptional free playing over compositions from Fujii, Tamura, and one collective composition, a brilliant pinnacle of creative music. ... Click to View
Satoko Fujii Quartet (w/ Natsuki Tamura / Keisuke Ohta / Takashi Itani): Live at Jazz Room Cortez (Cortez Sound)
Presenting a different line-up from the 2001 debut of Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii's Quartet, remaining is trumpeter Natsuka Tamura, with Keisuke Ohta on violin and Takashi Itani on drums, performing evolving and rich collective improvisation with a strange edge, captured live at the Jazz Room Cortez in Mito, Japan in 2016 for two extended and bewitching sets. ... Click to View
Satoko Fujii / Natsuki Tamura: Kisaragi (Libra)
On their 5th album together, pianist Satoko Fujii and trumpeter Natsuki Tamura push the limits on approach and technique on their instruments to create otherworldly and captivating improvisations, both players deciding against using "normal instrumental sounds" instead using preparations and textural approaches to create truly unique music. ... Click to View
Gato Libre (Fujii / Tamura / Kaneko): Neko (Libra)
Trumpeter Natsuki Tamura's Gato Libre's 5th album brings a beautiful light-through-the-leaves melodic melancholy to their unhurried pace, now the trio of Tamura, Satoko Fujii on accordion, and Yasuko Kaneko on trombone, as the cats on the cover stop to find allure in the late day while bringing profound and introspective music to our ears. ... Click to View
Musicworks: #128 Summer/Fall 2017 [MAGAZINE + CD] (Musicworks)
Summer 2017 issue of Canada's premiere new music magazine, with a CD featuring tracks from selected artists covered in the magazine; Bekah Simms; Senyawa; Pantayo, HanHan, and Luyos MC; Brodie West; Artificiel; Another Timbre's Canadian Composers Series; Vicky Chow; Festival de International Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville, 33rd Edition reviewed; &c. &c. ... Click to View
Rudiger Carl Inc.: King Alcohol (New Version) [2 CDs] (Corbett vs. Dempsey)
The debut album of Rudiger Carl is an assertive studio session of brilliant free jazz from 1972, with Carl on tenor saxophone, Gunter Christmann on trombone, and Detlef Schonenberg on drums, presenting a great example of European Free Improv, remastered from the original tapes and issued on CD for the first time, with a 2nd CD of previously unreleased bonus tracks. ... Click to View
Hans Reichel: Wichlinghauser Blues (Corbett vs. Dempsey)
The debut LP by legendary German guitar improvisor and instrument inventor Hans Reichel, an incredible display of brilliant playing, both technically and by approach, playing on acoustic and unfiltered electric guitars, originally issued on FMP in 1973, here re-mastered from the original tapes and retaining the original design; highly recommended. ... Click to View
Hans Reichel: Bonobo (Corbett vs. Dempsey)
Second LP in the catalog of German guitarist and instrument inventor Hans Reichel (1949-2011), a program of microtonal string investigations that is still beguiling and fresh four decades later, originally released on FMP in 1976, with a great cover from Reichel demonstrating how he created his neck-to-neck guitar; absolutely impressive and essential. ... Click to View
Billy Bang: Distinction Without a Difference (Corbett vs. Dempsey)
The late American violinist Billy Bang's first album, originally issued on Hat Hut Records, is reissued with an additional track, plus 4 previously unissued solo tracks recorded in Tilberg, Netherland in 1978, demonstrating this great artist broad range of innovative techniques, mixing free-form and melodic passages in extended and joyful improvisations. ... Click to View
Leap of Faith Orchestra: Possible Universes (Evil Clown)
Started in 1995 as an interdisciplinary unit of improvisational artists led by Boston area reedist/multi-instrumentalist David Peck and cellist Glynis Lomon, exploring multi-phonics, glissando, microtones, graphic & descriptive scores, and extended techniques, expanding the ensemble with like-minded musicians, here in this 2017 recording of full 24-piece orchestra. ... Click to View
Crux Trio (Hanslip / Somervell / Gauden): BELieVE (FMR)
A wonderfully balanced example of melodic free improvisation from the UK trio of Mark Hanslip on tenor saxophone, Colin Somervell on bass, and Ed Gauden on drums, frequent collaborators with an interest in both lyrical and free/collective improvisation, with an approach that uses technique and conceptual approaches in accessible and embraceable ways. ... Click to View
David Myers Lee: Superpositions [CASSETTE with Download Code] (Cronica)
David Lee Myers, AKA Arcane Device, explores feedback in its most beautiful forms, over decades developing systems to capture the microscopic edges of errant signals and convert them into lovely long tones, using a series of matrix mixers to manipulate them in real time, creating works of fragile charm, impressive interstices of rhythm, and gorgeous melodic nodes. ... Click to View
Asi Mina: Bialo (Bolt)
Sound interpretations of Miron Bialoszewski's poetry, who's work focuses on the mundane aspects of the everyday life, usually from an autobiographical perspective and using an overtly colloquial language, interpreted by vocalist Mina Asi, aka Asia Bronisławska, speaking and singing over understated keyboard work. ... Click to View
Tony Buck: Unearth (Room40)
Starting from nearly inaudible rumbling, Necks percussionist Tony Buck takes his listeners on a wild ride of sound, from quiet moments of introspective sound onto the densest potency, slowly unfolding his detailed journey in rhythmic, harmonic, melodic, and concrete additions, like an impressive storm brewing until it slowly overwhelms you. ... Click to View
Roscoe Mitchell : Discussions (Wide Hive)
Four original improvisations, taken from legendary AACM composer, improviser and saxophonist Roscoe Mitchell's "Conversations" album transcribed and performed by a twenty piece Bay Area orchestra, along with two orchestral improvisations and two duets with Roscoe Mitchell and flutist Wilfredo Terrazas. ... Click to View
Akira Sakata / Manuel Mota / Giovanni Di Domenico / Mathieu Calleja: Jomon [VINYL] (Holidays Records)
Named for the Jomon period of Japanese history, when Japan was inhabited by a hunter-gatherer culture, the trio of radical saxophonist Akira Sakata joins forces with frequent collaborator, keyboardist Giovanni Di Domenico, Portuguese guitarist Manuel Mota, and drummer Mathieu Calleja to record these powerfully cathartic and ritualistic improvisations. ... Click to View
Massimo Pupillo / Alexandre Babel / Caspar Brotzmann: Live At Candy Bomber Studios, Vol.1 [VINYL] (KARLRECORDS)
The insanely powerful work of this new trio--bass player Massimo Pupillo (Zu, Laniakea), drummer Alexandre Babel (Sudden Infant) and Caspar Brotzmann on guitar--captured live at Candy Bomber Studios, in Berlin for two monumental free improvisations of raw energy that blend noise rock, drone, and improvisation into something uniquely fearsome and wonderful. ... Click to View
Zeitkratzer / Svetlana Spajic / Dragana Tomic / Obrad Milic: Serbian War Songs [VINYL] (KARLRECORDS)
Reinhold Friedl's Zeitkratzer ensemble and special guests, vocalists Svetlana Spajic, Dragana Tomic, and diple / gusle player Obrad Milic, explore the possibilities found in traditional Serbian songs from and about World War I, including the classic epic "Assassination In Sarajevo", and songs chosen specifically by Spajic and Tomic. ... Click to View
Zeitkratzer + Elliott Sharp: Oneirika: Live at Berghain Berlin [VINYL] (KARLRECORDS)
Commissioned by Berlin's Maerzmusik Festival and premiered in 2014, Elliott Sharp's composition & soundscape is named after the Greek waking dream and inspired by John Cage, Sharp using a methodology to filter and process his musical manuscripts via Photoshop, which are interpreted through amplification of acoustic instruments by the Zeitkratzer ensemble. ... Click to View
Charlemagne Palestine : The Lower Depths [3 CDs] (Alga Marghen)
Charlemagne Palestine conceived this composition of unique piano sonorities in 1977 as a trilogy, taking it's name from the potential of his Bosendorfer piano, writing the first section for the middle keyboard, the second section for two octaves above, and the third at the bottom of the keyboard, producing a deep and singular work of minimalism. ... Click to View
Hermann Nitsch: Orgelkonzert Jesuitenkirche 20.11.2013 (Trost Records)
Austrian avant-garde musician and multimedia artist Hermann Nitsch performed these powerful and mesmerizing solo organ drone works during the 2013 "Shut up and listen" festival in in the Jesuit church of Vienna, releasing the 4 recordings with an 8-page booklet of art and an essay from Nitsch himself, with mastering by Martin Siewert. ... Click to View
Hermann Nitsch: Orgelkonzert Jesuitenkirche 20.11.2013 [VINYL 2 LPs] (Trost Records)
Austrian avant-garde musician and multimedia artist Hermann Nitsch performed these powerful and mesmerizing solo organ drone works during the 2013 "Shut up and listen" festival in in the Jesuit church of Vienna, releasing the 4 recordings with an 8-page booklet of art and an essay from Nitsch himself, with mastering by Martin Siewert. ... Click to View
Haco: Qoosui (Someone Good / Room40)
An hypnotic, lush and beautiful album of sound and lilting voice from Japanese vocalist and electronic experimenter Haco (After Dinner), seven songs of subtle sophistication that create dreamlike environments of floating tones and invoking voice, refined from decades of experimentation and investigation to yield this enchanting album. ... Click to View
Pat Patrick And The Baritone Saxophone Retinue: Sound Advice (2017 Repress) [VINYL] (Art Yard)
Baritone saxophonist and flautist Pat Patrick was a member of Sun Ras's Arkestra for 35 years, and also played with Duke Ellington, Eric Dolphy, Thelonious Monk, and John Coltrane; in 1977 he assembled this 12-piece band with 8 baritone sax players, 4 of them doubling on flute, to present incredible versions of original work and modern standards. ... Click to View
Nate Wooley / Daniele Martini / Joao Lobo : Legacy of Ashes (Creative Sources)
A free jazz session recorded in Brussells between trumpeter Nate Wooley and half of the Daniele Martini Quartet--saxophonist Martini himself and drummer Joao Lobo--stepping in and out of modal jazz with a contemplative approach, using extended techniques to great effect, Lobo handling the foundation and rhythm in absolutely impressive ways. ... Click to View
Dafna Naphtali / Gordon Beeferman: Pulsing Dot (Clang)
Gordon Beeferman and Dafna Naphtali perform duet pieces and improvisations for piano and voice with kinetic sound processing, fractal rhythms, and polyphonic/kaleidophonic disturbances, as Beeferman creates solid structures which are augmented by Naphtali's live processing, while she employs extended vocal techniques and hand & voice activated electronics. ... Click to View
String Theory [Boston, USA]: Condensed Phases of Matter (Evil Clown)
String Theory was formed as the string section for Boston's Leap of Faith Orchestra, the core being David Peck on reeds, game calls, fog horn, sirens, &c, and Glynis Lomon on cello, aquasonic and voice, with Jane Wang (cello) and Mimi Rabson (violin), creating a wonderfully assertive and somewhat skewed approach to improvisation, captured live at Mobius in Cambridge, 2016. ... Click to View
