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Jazz

• Jazz

• JAZZ YESTERDAY ----------------------------------------------------------> • JAZZ TODAY

• LATIN & WORLD JAZZ • JAZZ-ROCK, FUNK & FUSION • THE DVD CORNER

Jazz !!! Many say it's dead, a smart one said "jazz is not dead, it just smells funny". Here at Music By Mail we receive a lot of offers, information, press releases that show the ever continuing vitality and diversity of jazz. There would be so many things to list that a web site is not the best place to put them on. If you'd like to be up to date, then click here. And of course feel free to tell us what you have been desperately seeking for monthes or years, Cds or vinyls. We'll tell you what the odds are. For now here are some of the interesting things which have been around lately. Enjoy!

THE DVD CORNER

Chet Baker: Candy. MVD 5211. DVD. Sept. 2011. Filmed by Rune Owferman, here's a concert from 1985 and an interview of the trumpetist. Chet's line up featured pianist Michel Graillier and bass players Jean-Louis Rassinfosse or day's guest Red Mitchell!
Bruce Barth Trio: Live at Cafè del Teatre, Lleida Jazz Festival (Quadrant Q00001V). DVD. Recorded in 2004, the concert includes personal compositions as well as tunes by jazz icons like Charles Mingus (Duke Ellington's Sound Of Love), Monk (Pannonica) and incursions into pop territory with a Beatles cover (Strawberry Fields)
Gary Burton: Live in Cannes during Midem 1981. Jazz Options ACE11109C. With the Hum Trio
Charlie Byrd: Live at Duke's Place, New Orleans 1993. Jazz Options ACE11102C
Cobham, Billy: Crosswinds. Jazz Options ACE11121. Live in Cannes, 1989. With Rita Marcotulli on piano and keyboards
Chick Corea: Live at the Iowa State University 1987. Jazz Options ACE11103C
D'3: Live (Quadrant Q00002V). DVD. Legendary saxophonist Jorge Pardo is caught live at the Pau Casals Auditorium in El Vendrell, Catalonia, in 2005. With him are Francis Posé & José Vázquez. Fantastic production!
Laurent Dehors: Qué Tal Carmen? (LD 3). This DVD presents us the tentet "Tous Dehors" in collaboration with a choir- les Choeurs de la Maitrise de la Loire - and theater director Yann Dacosta (assistant of Alfredo Arias)
Trio Derome / Guilbeault / Tanguay: Étymologie. Ambiances Magnétiques AM166. Dec. 07. This DVD was filmed on June 29, 2006 during a sold out concert which was part of the Off jazz festival of Montreal. Derome plays alt and baritone sax, flute and sings too. Tanguay is at the drums and Guilbeault is the acoustic bass player
Dj Spooky / Taj Mahal / Dave Douglas / Etc: Freedom Now ! A reflection on picture and music. A white card to 6 instructors who filmed the 2003 edition of the Banlieues Bleues festival (Paris and suburbs). The DVD offers the best extracts of the 6 films (75mn) but also "Watch Me!", a 52mn long documentary presenting the american saxophonist Ernest Dawkins working with pupils from schools in Seine St-Denis. 2 DVD available in French or subtitled English version. Format : 4/3 . Stereo sound or 5.1.
Esbjörn Svensson Trio : Live In Stockholm. DVD. 96mn of a concert from 10/12/2000 at the Nalen rock club. ACT 9900-9
Amina Figarova: Live In Amsterdam. Munich Records BMD 5002. Recorded at the BimHuis in August 2005, this is European jazz by a septet with 2 saxes, 1 trumpet, 1 flute, piano - held by the leader - and rythm section.
Dizzy Gillespie: In Redondo (MVD 5166). June 2011. This DVD is to be added to the long series of portraits filmed by Gary Keys; here the father of be-bop and his group, filmed in 1986 at the Redondo Beach, California. At the same location and year, "Dream Band" (MVD 5165) is another release on the same label, extending the repertory played and coming close to the great players of the band: Gerry Mulligan, Max Roach, Jon Faddis, Paquito di Rivera, Candido, Milt Jackson
Dizzy Gillespie: Summer Jazz, Live at New Jersey 1987. Jazz Options ACE11101C.
Grappelli, Stéphane: Cheek To Cheek. Jazz Options ACE 11124. Live in New Orleans, 1989.
Herman, Woody & His Young Thundering Herd: Fanfare For The Common Man (Jazz Options ACE 11122). Live in Houston, 1985
Ahmad Jamal: Live in Cannes. ACE11093C. From the label Jaz Options and featuring Gary Burton
Guillermo Klein Y Los Guachos: Live in Barcelona. FSNT 902. At last in DVD the intense and brilliant concert that Guillermo Klein & Los Guachos gave in the cozy setting of the Luz de Gas venue during the 36th Barcelona Jazz Festival in 2004. For a such special occasion, Juan de Cruz Urquiza and Richard Nant flew in from Buenos Aires, Chris Cheek, Bill McHenry, Taylor Haskins, Sandro Tomasi, Jeff Ballard and Ben Monder came from New York and Fernando Huergo from Boston. Los Guachos were joined by two regular Fresh Sound New Talent artists, Gorka Benítez and Carme Canela.
Eero Koivistoinen: Minor Solutions. Presence Records (PRODVD001). 01/07/11. Minor Solutions is a 3 hour 20 minute package, a thrilling musical and a visual journey into Eero Koivistoinen`s awesome career that has lasted over 4 decades and still continues strong. It´s an exciting and first retrospective look at Finnish jazz starting from sixties up to this date on DVD. Includes 5.1. Sound. A real pearl.
Didier Lockwood: La Vie Improvisée. Jazz'Azimut Collection. Documentary about the violinist and his nearly 40 years career!
Mangione, Chuck: Feel So Good (Jazz Options ACE 11120). Live at the MIDEM, Cannes in 1989.
McCann, Less & His Magic Band: Bat Yam (Jazz Options ACE 11125). Live in New Orleans, 1983
John McLaughlin / Paco de Lucia / Larry Coryell: Meeting of the Spirits. ACE 11068. The DVD is the recording of their 1979 show at the Royal Albert Hall, London and finds all three not only in fine form, but thoroughly enjoying the experience. The three perform in various combinations, mixing jazz with flamenco in this 55 minute, five-song performance that highlights their individual and combined talents.
Gerry Mulligan: Jazz America. MVD 5167. DVD filmed by Gary Keys in 1981 at Eric's club in New York. A one hour long portrait of "the baritone sax of cool jazz", spanning over three generations, from the 50's to the 70's, with several players of each intervening
Tineke Postma: Live In Amsterdam. Munich Records BMD 5001. Tineke is saxophonist and has a diplom of The Manhattan School of Music. This show is done in collaboration with the National Dutch TV and radio companies, presenting us with contemporary jazz played by Rob Van Bavle (p, keys), Martjin Van Iterson (g), Marcel Serierse (dms), Jeroen Vierdag (b) and Ilja Reijngoud (tb)
Max Roach: Live At Blues Alley (MVD5168). DVD. June 2011. The drummer and his group were filmed in 1981 by Gary Keys at the famous club from Washington D.C.
Irene Schweizer: A Film By Gitta Gsell. This fantastic DVD takes its source at the Willisau Jazz Festival in 2004 (trio with Fred Anderson & Hamid Drake) and Moods Zürich 2003 in duo with Han Bennink. Also featured in this documentary are LOUIS MOHOLO, MAGGIE NICOLS, JOËLLE LEANDRE, PIERRE FAVRE, CO STREIFF, LA LUPA, JÜRG WICKIHALDER. PAL and subtitled in German, French, English and Spanish.
Zoot Sims: In A Sentimental Mood. DVD. MVD 5209. Sept. 2011. This concert from 1985 was filmed short time before the passing of the saxophonist and featured Red Mitchell on bass and Swedish guitarist Rune Gustafsson
Jimmy Smith: Live at the Florida keys '99. Jazz Options ACE11099C
Sun Ra : The Cry Of Jazz. DVD. An archive documentary film realized in Chicago in the late 50's, filmed and edited by the composer and arranger Edward O. Bland.
Sun Ra: Jazz Session - Live in Paris. DVD. Transparency (TRANS0318). April 2011. Recorded during a momentary stop in France on their way to Oakland after the winter 1971 European and Cairo, Egypt tours, this flawless video recording has never been seen by even the most hardcore Sun Ra collectors and discographers. This surpasses even "Space Is the Place" in its details of how this tribe conjures the purest magic of costumes, percussion and joyous sience fiction truth.
Toots Thielemans: Bluesette (Jazz Options ACE11123). Live in New Orleans, 1985.
Heleen Van Den Hombergh: Live In Amsterdam. Munich Records BMD 5003. The music is inspired by the passion of its leader for tropical forests. A trio of piano/bass/percussions backs the singer. Tony Overwater is the bass player.
Martijn Van Iterson Quartet: Live In Amsterdam. Munich Records BMD 5004. Van Iterson is a great Dutch guitarist and composer who was nominated in 2004 for the "Bird Award" held by the famous North Sea Jazz Festival. This record comes after 7 years of silence and presents his current quartet (a trio of piano/bass & drums is behind the leader)
Vision: Vision Festival Vol 3. This CD + DVD covers the 2003 festival and shows the performances of various artists such as WHIT DICKEY, FRED ANDERSON, MATTHEW SHIPP, ROY CAMPBELL, JOE McPHEE, ANDREW CYRILLE, KIDD JORDAN, WILLIAM PARKER (Jeanne Lee project), ROB BROWN's RESONANCE, JIN HI KIN, PATRICIA NICHOLSON'S PANIC, etc... there are also interviews on the DVD. Released on the label Arts For Art.
Yoruba Andabo: Rumba en La Habana con Yoruba Andabo. AYVA AVD-02 (DVD PAL Zone 0 - Price Code 05). For the first time on DVD, a great film based on one of the best cuban rumba band. Yoruba Andabo are purveyors of modern Havana style rumba. The music is a very sophisticated blend of traditional and modern influences. The dancing hails back a hundred or more years, with modern moves thrown in as well. Here hot, sensual rumba, guaguancó, toque de santo, song, Abakuá and Congolese chants, and communication with the dead converge. They signify the pieces of history of a country forged in a melting pot of races and encounters with other cultures. Full illustrated 20-page booklet including informations about orishas and batá drums.

TO TOP

FROM THE 80'S TO CONTEMPORARY JAZZ!

Jazz from Argentina!

+ Rodolfo Alchourron: Parábola (1980). 2nd solo album recorded in 1975-76 and 1980. Features Dino Saluzzi and keybordist/singer Litto Nebbia, who produced the record
+ Gustavo Bergalli: Gustavo Bergalli & Mixtura. Frank Andrada Music 2005 - FAM 22021. Record from an Argentinian trumpetist who started his career in the touring groups of French Michel Legrand. This new record is a project based on and influenced by many rhythms like Charecas, Zambas, Tangos, Milongas etc.... with compositions by Jose Reinoso, Horacio Fumero, Aldo Caviglia, Marcelo Mercadante. A musical fusion rich in colours and sounds
+ Horacio "Chivo" Borraro: Vol. 2 Clarinet & Rarities (1951/1999). 2nd volume dedicated to the Argentinian multi reed player, an institution in his country!
+ Alberto Favero: Suite Trane. Whatmusic.com WMCD/LP-0068. Composed in memory of John Coltrane soon after his death in 1967, this much sought-after masterpiece is once again available on CD & LP on the 35th anniversary of its first release! The suite, in 5 movements for jazz orchestra and soloists, is recorded in the Estudios Ion SA, Buenos Aires in December 1969. There are also 3 bonus tracks in quartet, recorded in April 1968.
+ Guillermo Gregorio: Coplanar (New World 80639). This Argentinean musician and composer takes his inspiration from the "constructivist" artists from East Europa and their counterparts in Argentina. Geometric forms, sound spatialization, music to watch ...
+ Enrique Ibarguren Trio: Sometime Ago. Whatmusic WMCD-0049. This album is the brainchild of jazz producer Fernando Gelbard and London's John Cooper, jazz maker extraordinaire. The recipe is simple: some great jazz standards, a superb rhythm section to add some spice: Oscar Giunta Jr. on drums and Guillermo Delgado on bass. The pianist, influenced by Tatum and Victor Feldman, is known as one of the finest mellow piano players in south America.
+ Quinteplus: En vivo 1972 (1972). Quinteplus was one of the most solid Jazz bands around. Their trade mark trait was to fuse different sonic languages and contemporary genres of the era, such as Beat, Blues and Rock, together with their own jazzy style.
Both records are part of a series called "Documentos del Jazz Argentino" and due to the label Melopea Discos
+ Daniel Salinas: Atlantis. Whatmusic.com WMCD/LP-0063. The 1973 Jazz/Funk Orchestra Classic.

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Phil Abraham Quartet: From jazz to baroque ou l'inverse! Mogno Records J 019. Very unique project consisting of a rereading of baroque music in full respect of its rules and with the aim of integrating it into jazz harmony; in other words give also jazzman the possibility of improvising on ancient music. To this purpose, abraham called for a reknown ensemble in ancient music: The Ventosum Ensemble. There are also special guests playing an instrument called sackbut.
A Muhal Richard Abrams boxset is planned for release in October 2012! Part of the Black Saint (BS) & Soul Note (SN) monographic boxset collection aimed at recounting the most beautiful chapters that revolutionised the history of jazz, this one gathers the following albums: Spihumonesty (BS 1980), Mama and Daddy (BS 1980), Blues Forever (BS 1982), Think All, Focus One (BS 1995), Blu Blu Blu (BS 1991), The Hearinga Suite (BS 1989) and Rejoicing With the Light (BS 1983), all three under The Muhal Richard Abrams Orchestra, Views From Within (BS 1984) with The Muhal Richard Abrams Octet.
A George Adams boxset is planned for release in October 2012! Part of the Black Saint (BS) & Soul Note (SN) monographic boxset collection aimed at recounting the most beautiful chapters that revolutionised the history of jazz, this one gathers the following albums: Live At The Village Vanguard (SN 1985) + Vol. 2 (SN 1986), Don't Lose Control (SN 1991) - all three with the - Hand to Hand (SN 1981) and Gentlemen's Agreement (SN 1983), both with the Dannie Richmond Quintet.
Air: Airtime. Nessa (NES). Jan. 2012. Reissue of the band's third album from 77, on which free improvisation and poetic swing were back then topping and showing pure creativity!
Akinetón Retard: Akinetón Ao Vivo. 4th release by the group, double CD in limited edition, recorded live in Santiago/Chile and Rio de Janeiro/Brazil, featuring tunes from their three studio cds plus some new compositions. Excellent sound fidelity. This band, on stage, displays superior energy compared to their sudio work, with more solos and improvising.
Alban Darche Trio: Brut Ou Demi-Sec? Yolk (J2046). Street date: 14/09/09. Maybe more known for his band "Le Cube", French saxophonist Alban Darche opts here for the trio + 1 formula, guitarist and previous member of the Orchestre National de Jazz Alexis Thérain joining them in their unceasing exploration of new rhythmic contours or melodic surfaces
Äleklint/Holmlander/Nilssen-Love: Fish & Steel. PNL Records (PNL044). Street date: 04-10-19. Sculled from the Large Unit band, this new trio of trombone, tuba and drums springs into open and free jazz territories!
Alessandro Galati Trio: On A Sunny Day. Via Veneto Jazz / Jando Music (VVJ105). 17-12-15. Galati's trio presents in this disc melodic and singable songs, often melting, drawing fantastic melodies, through a complex harmonic structure. Its charm is therefore in its duality between simple and complex, between the familiar and innovative. Listening to this record will be like traveling in a musical journey full of twists and turns of program that will fuel the desire to discover new sensations with the desire to "start again" with each new listening. With Gabriele Evangelista on double bass and Stefano Tamborrino on drums
Alessandro Scala Quintet: Bossa Mossa (CNCD2009). The group formed in 2003 under the leadership of sax player Alessandro Scala, jazz lover and big "hard bop" fan. The group performed live tracks by Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, Lee Morgan, etc... trying to bring back to life the BLUE NOTE sound. Alessandro Scala then composed original tracks that are now released in this debut album
Alex Maguire Sextet: Brewed in Belgium. Moonjune MJR022. Recorded live on October 27 at De Singer in Rijkevorsel, Belgium by Henk Weltevreden for the Dutch National Radio (VPRO), broadcast on November 7, 2007. Mostly known by those who follow the British jazz scene but also fans of Canterbury prog outfit Hatfield & The North (in which he took the keyboard chair at the band's reformation), Maguire has here put up a new project implying another exciting Belgian combo called The Wrong Object. They team up to launch a repertoire ranging from lyrical to groovy tunes, haunting melodies, free improvisation and high-energy interaction. Maguire's talents as a pianist and a keyboard player are so diverse, his touch so personal and his telepathic conversations with the other musicians so explosive and brilliantly unpredictable that the line that divides the written parts from the collective improvisations is often impossible to draw. Thanks to the sextet's improvisational skills, the mixture remains coherent and fascinating throughout despite the wide range of styles that characterizes this highly unusual record.
Anderson, Fred: The Missing Link. Nessa (NES 23). Jan. 2012. Reissue of the third album by the Chicagoan saxophonist; a unique approach of the art of improvising!
Andrea Grossi Blend Orchestra: Four Winds. We Insist! (WEIN9). Street date:25-09-20. The keystones of this work, crafted between November 2015 and June 2017), are the pieces that bear the names of the four ancient Greek winds: Borea (North), Noto (South), Euro (East), Zephiro (West). This imagery can't obviously ignore the perspective of the "migrating wind" as an entity in movement, that blends and transforms itself, renovating traditions, identities and cultures, overcoming walls and barriers of all kinds. This music is meant to be an hymn: an eulogy to the differences that nourish and enrich our world. At the same time, with its harshness, it aims to stimulate a reflection about the terrible fate accompanying those who are forced to give up their lives in favor of a greater hope; an aspiration that, very often, remains unfulfilled.
Andrea Grossi Blend 3: Lubok. We Insist! CD / LP (CDWEIN05/LPWEIN05). Street date: 14-06-19. Andrea Grossi is a young and extremely talented double bass player and Blend 3 is his trio featuring alto sax player Manuel Calliumi and guitarist Michele Bonifati. The group explores the diverse sound aspects of a trio format that, without a preconceived set, utilizes composition and improvisation as its only resources. This is some sort of Chamber Jazz where each sound controls its own development to remain suspended and constantly communicative. Nonetheless, sudden nervous and electric transgressions sometimes burst abruptly.
Andreas Røysum Ensemble: S/T. Motvind Records (MOT7CD). Street date: 13-03-20. This is an album coming from ten musicians / souls belonging to the young Norwegian jazz scene. Joyous melodies, passionate outbursts and lots of fun are created with extended means: two basses, tablas, a string and a wind quartet, simply put: a luxurious listening experience for the adventurous! It's also released on LP (MOT7LP)!
Andy Emler MegaOctet: No Rush! Label La Buissonne (RJAL397044). Recorded at La Buissonne studios on August 30th & 31th, 2021 by Gérard de Haro, this album is the ninth studio recording of the MegaOctet, a funny coincidence since this small big band is also made of [b]nine[/b] musicians, in the form of an exceptional laboratory of human alchemy and sound. Inspired by 20th century music (Arnold Schönberg, Witold Lutoslawsky, György Ligeti, Maurice Ohana, Philippe Manoury, Tristan Murail, Bernard Cavanna, etc.), the album also sees the return of guitarist Nguyên Lê (who participated in the first version of MegaOctet in 1989). Filled with colourful orchestral combinations, meticulously written sequences or subtle and rich improvisations, the album one more time reveals the multi talents of his "organic" leader, as pianist, composer, arranger and true catalyst of energies!
Andy Emler Megaoctet: A Moment For ... La Buissonne (RJAL397032). Street date: 05-10-18. The new repertoire, composed by Andy Emler, finds its origins in the idea of suspending time in order to question ourselves on our social and cultural environment. The compositions are musical reflections on human relationships at the beginning of the twenty first century, each piece of music sounding and echoeing with the musical universe of the high level performers of the MegaOctet: Guillaume Orti, Philippe Sellam, Francois Verly, Claude Tchamitchian, Eric Echampard, Laurent Dehors, Laurent Blondiau and François Thuillier.
Anemic Cinema: S/T. El Negocito Records (eNR103). Street date: 02-04-21. Anemic Cinema is a fresh instrumental quartet at the junction of (free) improvised music, contemporary classical and heavy metal. Created for Citadelic 2020 by guitarist Artan Buleshkaj, it features some of Belgium?s most adventurous young improvisers. The omission of a conventional bass instrument allows other instruments to assume this role (or not). This creates certain interesting compositional and improvisational challenges. The timbre distinct for (heavy) metal simultaneously provides an arousing stepping stone, enhancing the harmonics of modern jazz. This all results in a listening experience equal parts visceral, hard-hitting and unpredictable. The line up: Artan Buleshkaj: baritone guitar & compositions / Rob Banken: alto saxophone & clarinet / Steven Delannoye: tenor saxophone & bass clarinet / Matthias de Waele: drums.
Paolo Angeli: Rade. Anma / ReR Megacorp (PA14). July 2022. With Rade, the Sardinian guitarist changes course - compared to his previous album - and openly confronts the Mediterranean in a navigation that takes us to the mixed race atmosphere of Mare Nostrum's ports. Balkan pulsations, Middle-eastern arches, North African desert adagios, Rebetiko citations and memories of historical avant-gardes, flamenco reminiscences, dissonant phrasing, epic art-rock crescendo and patches of lyricism. The concept album sums up Paolo's twenty-five years of life with his orchestra-guitar, pushed to the limit of its tonal and expressive potential. Paolo's voice, however, is what weaves the narrative here. Nasal and with a Sardinian-Spanish flavor, relying on quatrains from 1700s and 1800s Sardinian poets from the regions of Gallura and Logudoro.
Angelini, Bruno: Open Land. La Buissonne (RJAL397031). Street date: 23-03-18. More and more present on the French music scene, violinist Regis Huby also excells in coming up with very different projects and sounds. Here, under the leadership of the pianist and together with bass player Claude Tchamitchian and percussionist Edward Perraud, he offers a rich palette of sounds, treated with live electronics or created with bow techniques, contributing to the slow development of a climate with icy, quiet facettes, not far from what some call a Nordic tone. Mysterious, creepy and lively, quietly lyrical and melodic, here's a refreshing, delicious nightly beverage!
The US label Art of Life Records has just released a previously unreleased recording by three legendary British musicians: bassist Danny Thompson (Pentangle, John Martyn), guitarist Allan Holdsworth (Igginbottom, Nucleus, Tempest, Soft Machine, Gong, Bruford, U.K., Tony Williams New Lifetime) and drummer John Stevens (Spontaneous Music Ensemble, Derek Bailey). Recorded at Island Studios in London, on September 4th & 5th, 1978, "Propensity" includes two extended length group improvised tracks which prominently feature guitarist Allan Holdsworth on electric guitar ("It Could Have Been Mono") as well as 12-string acoustic guitar ("Jools Toon"). Other than the brief track, "Gone Sailing", from the '75 album "Bundles" by Soft Machine , this is the only known recording of Holdsworth soloing on a 12-string acoustic guitar! All tracks have been professionally mastered using 24-bit digital technology.
Astral Travel: If You Say You Are From This Planet, Why Do You Treat It Like You Do? Hyperjazz (CD / HJ003-2 - LP / LPHJR003-1). Street date: 27-03-20. Enter a world in which drummer and composer Tommaso Cappellato leads a new configuration of his Astral Travel ensemble, comprised of selected improvisers from the contemporary creative music scene: pianist Fabrizio Puglisi, reeds player Piero Bittolo Bon, who also contributes to the electronic soundscape, and double bass player Marco Privato. Inspired by the poetry of Sun Ra inscribed within the pages of the book "This Planet Is Doomed", the music and lyrics focus on the current consciousness of the planet, raising questions and issues of humanity's collective spiritual direction. The body of work contained in this album is the result of numerous live-in-studio improvisations, deconstructed in a meticulous post-production process by avant-garde electronic producer Rabih Beaini. Vocalists Dwight Trible and Camilla Battaglia sing and declaim the poems.
Jean-Jacques Avenel: Live at Pôle Sud. Jazzdor Séries (JAZZSOR 0001/4). Oct. 2016. Recorded on November 15th, 2011 in Strasbourg, this album is a solo recording on acoustic bass by the ex-Steve Lacy partner.
Denis Badault: H3B. The pianist and previous leader of the French national emblem L'Orchestre National de Jazz comes here with an album where violinist Régis Huby brings some classical touches to a subtle music between written and improvised, where we also meet bass player Sébastien Boisseau.
Baker, Chet: Chet On Poetry. Mono Jazz (MJC129001CD). Street date: 28-04-23. Recorded in Rome, this happened to be Chet's last record in studio, but indeed it differs from the others and is one of the most charming ones. Among the most known players of this Italian lineup, let's note its rhythm section: bass player Enzo Pietropaoli and drummer Roberto Gatto. Taken off the original tapes and remastered with today's amazing technologies
Billy Bang: Da Bang! Tum Records (TUMCD 034). 2013. Da Bang! was recorded in February 2011, just two months before the master violinist Billy Bang (1947-2011) succumbed to cancer. In this final session, the Billy Bang Group featured one extended composition by Bang, "Daydreams," as well as other compositions by some of Bang's favorite musicians, including Barry Altschul, Don Cherry, Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis and Sonny Rollins.
Frode Barth & Harald Johnsen: Blue Spheres. MTG Music MTGCD70003. The Norwegian musicians and composers Frode Barth (acoustic and electric guitars) and Harald Johnsen (acoustic bass) have worked professionally for many years. Both have extensive experience in recordings, concerts and tours at home and abroad. Barth and Johnsen have previously been co-featured in various CD-recordings (Johnsen is for ex. part of the Tord Gustavsen Trio on the prestigious German label ECM) . This time, they have joined forces to produce their very own unique album, Blue Spheres. One might describe their style as modern jazz, for lack of a more precise phrase. A romantic tone meets elements of contemporary music and electronica. Blue Spheres is the result of many years of collaboration, improvisation and compositional exchange between these two outstanding musicians.
Stefano Battaglia & Michele Rabbia: Stravagario 2. Via Veneto (VVJ 049). This duo consisting of piano / Rhodes + percussions delivers a subtile and moving modern jazz with a strong Italian touch.
Albert Beger: Evolving Silence Vol.2. Earsay's Jazz Production 2006. Beger is a saxophonist born in Turkey who immigrated to Israël at the age of three. This second volume presents him on tenor sax and alto flute, together with the illustrious rhythm section of Hamid Drake & William Parker. The latter is heard on bass and African hunter's harp. Albert's music is inspired by the world and environment around him, while the Jazz music is the basis to all this. Furthermore, he combines the influences of Classical and Ethnic music in tunes which come from nature and the soul.
Disciples of harmolody, the Belghoul Quartet is composed of 3 Algerian brothers and a friend. Their album "Harmolodies" is clearly inspired by the master Ornette Coleman.
Alain Bellaïche: Sea Fluorescent. Le SouffleContinu (fflCD063). Street date: 09-10-20. First ever reissue of highly sought after french jazz funk fusion nugget from Alain Bellaïche, featuring Jerry Goodman of Mahavishnu Orchestra's fame, John Hicks (Strata-East) & Fabiano (Fabiano Orchestra). Remastered from the master tapes.
Two albums by ace bass player Jeff Berlin are actually seeing a reissue; Aneurythms (EX 27160) from 2006 and Lumpy Jazz (EX 37290) from 2004. On the first, he teamed with talented and versatile drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, while ex PMG member Danny Gottlieb seats on the drum chair on the other album
Bill Frisell Trio: Valentine. Blue Note (00602508992094). Street date: 14-08-20. The debut recording of guitarist Bill Frisell's trio with bassist Thomas Morgan & drummer Rudy Royston is a wide-ranging 13 song set that mixes Frisell originals new & old, jazz standards, traditional songs, and covers. Valentine explores the creative freedom of the trio format and the profound musical relationship between these three musicians after years of touring.
Björkenheim / Parker / Drake: DMG @ The Stone / Vol 2 (DMG 722). March 09. This 2nd volume presents on the same stage (Stone) the Norwegian guitarist Raoul Björkenheim (some of you have maybe heard him in the Scorch Trio ?), backed by a dream team: William Parker on bass and drummer Hamid Drake
Black Hole Quartet: Black Ol' Blues. Rudi Records (RRJ 1005). August 2012. This is a project founded by Daniele Cavallanti, saxophonist of the middle-sized band Italian Instabile Orchestra. An electric saga deliciously told in several musical languages without any constrictions!
Blazin' Quartet: Sleeping Beauty. Moonjune Records (MJR111). Born in Bosnia & Herzegovina and today living in France, composer, arranger and educator Srdjan Ivanovic presents here his international unit, featuring as special guest maestro flutist Magic Malik. With members from Greece, Italy and Bulgaria, the band delivers for their 4th studio album a very profound, organic, timeless and articulate sound. Seldom does such an ensemble jazz cast weave so seamlessly, yet play with such heartfelt emotion, conviction and, at times, abandon. With an inherent, extraordinary chemistry on display, moments of the most rare, exquisite beauty materialize while ascending to the fore.
Blue Moka feat. Fabrizio Bosso: Blue Moka. Via Veneto Jazz (VVJ122). Street date: 15-01-18. Debut album of a quartet composed of Alberto Gurrisi (Hammond organ), Emiliano Vernizzi (sax), Michele Bianchi (guitar) and Michele Morari (drums) with the extraordinary participation of Fabrizio Bosso. The album collects 8 original songs that combine blues atmospheres with funky rhythms and R'N'B, opening up to New York nu-jazz. To these pieces are added two standards by Wayne Shorter (Footprints) and Michel Petrucciani (Brazilian Like) and a tribute to Lucio Dalla (Futura), a musician very dear to the band.
Bob Downes Open Music: Crossing Borders. Reel Recordings (RR011). 2008. Bob Downes is a multi-instrumentalist composer possessing a distinctive musical personality and prowess. Through bodily breath emanates sublime sounds from an array of flutes, poignant patterns from his alto and tenor saxophone performances, and engaging expressions of complimentary vocalizations. Open Music is the moniker under which Bob has produced an eclectic range of records since 1968. However none of the above prepares the listener for the profoundly engrossing experience that is Crossing Borders. Composed during an extended tour throughout South America in 1973, and evocative of the exotic locales encountered, Crossing Borders is a compendium of musical precision, mysticism, and tranquility. During the late seventies Bob Downes produced a beautifully warm analogue recording of his programmatic vision, colluding with contemporaries: guitarist Brian Godding, trombonist Paul Rutherford (1943-2007), bassists Barry Guy, Mark Meggido and Paul Bridge (1941-1998), and drummers Denis Smith and John Stevens (1943-1994). Thirty years later this unreleased record finally sees the light of day, and it has aged like a fine wine. A recording this special comes deservedly wrapped with our highest recommendation for everyone prepared to cross musical borders!

Bonaccorso, Rosario : Viaggiando. Veneto Jazz (VVJ098). Feb. 2015. The innate strength and vigour of Rosario's melodic writing, together with the striking form structure on which he has been working for years, make him widely regarded as one of today's most influential and innovative double bass players. At his side, Fabrizio Bosso sustains the creative flow, as he intuitively chisels evocative melodic fragments with his trumpet, while Argentinian saxophonist Javier Girotto and Brazilian guitarist Roberto Taufic blend in seamlessly into the fabric, further flavouring this journey with the cultural sensitivity deriving from their homelands. A voyage that spans over the Mediterranean, America's Jazz, Brazil, Argentina ... essential and pure ingredients that, under the guidance of Bonaccorso, give birth to a kaleidoscope of emotions that only music can convey.
Boolvar: Gros Canard. Gigantonium. Street date: 24-05-22. This limited edition on EP CD presents the abrasive duo of Delphine Joussein (flute, voice, effects) and Sheik Anorak (drums, electronics). Recorded by the latter on March 9th 2022 at La Dynamo de Banlieues Bleues, Pantin, France, the duo take us on the slippery roads of a post jazz with metal rock asperities, delivering some kind of timeless 21th century exotic jazz krautrock!
Håkan Boström Quartet featuring Joey Calderazzo: Refraction. Art of Life Records (AL1041-2 CD). 2010. Recorded and mixed on February 27, 2008 at Sami Studios in Stockholm, Sweden. This is the recording debut for the label by this Swedish saxophonist, here with his Swedish rhythm section and guest star Joey Calderazzo. Anchored in modern post bop jazz, the album is based on own compositions by the leader and also the bass player, plus tributes to great pianists and composers Don Grolnick & Richie Beirach
Lester Bowie: All the Numbers. Nessa (NES 31). 2CD. Jan. 2012. Those pre AEC trio (CD1) and quartet (CD2) sessions with Mitchell, Favors and Jarman were part of the Nessa 5CD boxset released years, no, centuries ago! Those who didn't get their fingers on it will surely appreciate this reissue!
Bobby Bradford / John Stevens: And The Spontaneous Music Ensemble. Nessa (NES 17). 2CD. April 2012. At the time of this recording (1971) at the Polydor studios in London, drummer John Stevens was experimenting new forms of writing open to musicians with various backgrounds, which ultimately became the Spontaneous Music Ensemble; besides Stevens and co-leader and trumpetist Bobby Bradford, we find musicians like saxophonist Trevor Watts, singer and also here guitarist Julie Tippetts and more.
Anthony Braxton / Italian Instabile Orchestra: Creative Orchestra (Bolzano 2007). Tracce (RTP 0013). Dec. 09. The saxophonist directs the famous Italian ensemble on a repertory made of his own compositions. Top summit filled with a great deal of enthusiasm!
Briggan Krauss'H-Alpha: Red Sphere (SKI 009). Nov. 08. Saxophonist (alto and baritone) Briggan Krauss offers here an album between the written and the improvised. With him are tenors of the improvised free jazz scene, drummer Jim Black and laptop specialist Ikue Mori
Peter Brötzmann / Juhani Aaltonen / Peter Kowald / Edward Vesala: Hot Lotta. Street date: 11-05-18. Limited, exclusive, extended reissue of Hot Lotta, one of the rarest items in Peter Brötzmann's oeuvre. Hot Lotta was a special cultural event, the meeting of the brightest free jazz talent from Germany and Finland. Peter Brötzmann and Peter Kowald were joined by Edward Vesala and Juhani Aaltonen for the studio session that resulted in the album but also toured Finland and recorded a radio session. That radio session has now been unearthed and is presented as an added bonus in this official reissue. Will also be released as 2LP, the bonus tracks recorded for Yle on 4.6.1973 filling the 2nd LP.
Brötzmann / Manderscheid / Samba: Danquah Circle (KCD 5127). Nov. 2005.
Brötzmann / Yudanov / Luoma: Fryed Fruit. Red Toucan (RT 9316). Feb. 09. Recorded in 1999 at the Kerubi Club of Joensuu, a Finnish town, this power trio is closer to rock than to jazz, drummer Nicolai Yudanov reminding us of Japanese extravert Tatsuya Yoshida (from the duo Ruins). The Finnish guitarist Sakari Luoka doesn't either spare extravagance, sending around splashes of atonal chords, scratching his strings with metallic objects while Brötzmann vociferates in or through his horns (sax and clarinet), growling like a mad man. Big sound and raw energy are what you'll get here!
Brötzmann, Peter : Petroglyphs. Long Arms LA 04051. October 06. This is the first CD by Brötzmann on a Russian label. This is a sax trio recorded in moscow in April 2002. Brötzmann is heard on alto, tenor and taragot while his russian partners are Ed Sivkov on baritone sax and Nick Rubanov on bass saxophone
Bill Bruford & Michiel Borstlap: In Two Minds (EX 36116). March 09. Recorded in 2007, "In Two Minds" features eleven intimate and conversational tracks of new, original material, and a stand-out reading of the Miles Davis classic "All Blues". This is the 2nd CD done by the duo
Bill Bruford & Tim Garland: Earthworks Underground Orchestra. BBSF013CD. This little big band's debut performance in the USA at Iridium, New York City, was captured live in full roaring swing, and the result will appeal alike to Earthworks fans, and fans from Bruford's former life in King Crimson and Yes. Earthworks, as a small group, celebrates its 20th Anniversary in 2006, and when Bruford and Garland took fresh arrangements of some of the band's best loved tunes over to NYC to work with some of the finest players in the U.S. in a nine-piece configuration, it sounded like the perfect anniversary party was just around the corner!
New from Bill Bruford and his labels Summerfold & Winterfold.
Drummer Bill Bruford has since 2003 taken in own hands a program of releases and reissues of his own music. Here is an overview of those due to release in March 2005.
- Earthworks: S/T. BBSF009CD. This recording of the debut Earthworks album has been re mastered and includes two bonus tracks: All Heaven Broke Loose and A Stone's Throw. Earthworks Mark 1 also featured horn players Django Bates and Iain Ballamy alongside upright bassist Mick Hutton. As with other albums in the Summerfold series of releases, Earthworks comes repackaged with a bonus disc containing music from the contrasting Winterfold catalogue and an exclusive interview with Bill Bruford.
Brûlez Les Meubles: S/T. Circum-Disc (microcidi011). Feb. 2018. Here is the album and meeting of three musicians with very different backgrounds around the desire to create a jazz guitar trio that is oblique in the history of the genre. Nourishing aesthetic filiations with many precursors, from Jim Hall to Sonny Sharrock via Abercrombie or Bill Frisell, the trio stands out by a marked indifference to the habitual harmonic progress of jazz as for the repetitive movements and prefers melodic lines with indefinite harmony (harmolodie?) and incisive riffs.
Bruno Angelini Open Land Quartet: Nearly Nothing, Almost Everything. La Buissonne (RJAL 397043). Street date: 28-10-22. Inspired by minimalistic poets from the entire world, this new album, recorded in June 2021, is really part of the continuation of the two previous albums made by this quartet (released under the same label), both in its quality of writing and in the interpretation. Time and space stretch to give the necessary weight to each note, each pulsation. The silences are rich, nourished and thought. With Bruno Angelini (piano, composer), Régis Huby (violin, tenor violin, electronics), Claude Tchamitchian (double bass) and Edward Perraud (drums, percussion).
Maurizio Brunod/ Danilo Gallo/ Massimo Barbiero: Gulliver. Via Veneto Jaz (VVJ145). Street date: 17-03-23. This is the 2nd record by three well-known italian improvisers, Maurizio Brunod on guitars, Danilo Gallo on double bass and Massimo Barbiero on drums and percussion, who perform a heterogeneous repertoire made up of songs drawn from popular traditions from around the world, and some original compositions, creating a fascinating fluid and coherent sequence as if they were playing a single suite, between jazz, rock, folk, improvisation and extemporaneity.
The Bureau of Atomic Tourism: Hapax Legomena. Rat Records (RAT 034). New album by this free improvising unit around drummer Teun Verbruggen. Recorded live in May 2014, this album sees guitarist Hilmar Jensson taking the place of Marc Ducret, who was the guitarist on the previous studio albums.
George Burt / Raymond Mc Donald (featuring Lol Coxhill - Bill Wells - Daniel Padden): One Bloke (Textile Records TCD13). Release Date: June 26th 2007. The collaboration of George Burt and Raymond Mc Donald with Lol Coxhill has produced 5 CDs, each one having a different approach. For this CD the duo wanted to add Bill Wells & Daniel Padden to the mix; not least because they are their friends with whom they have collaborated many times, but also because they felt their approach, at times improvisatory but with a strong melodic focus, would be very compatible with their own way of working with Lol. Of course Lol has a huge and richly deserved reputation as a unique free improviser with an innate, organic and never-ending sense of melodic inventiveness.
Carl Maguire's Floriculture: Sided Silver Solid. Firehouse 12 (FH01009). Jan. 10. The leader (piano and Fender Rhodes) has been the pupil of Roscoe Mitchell, Fred Hersch & Marilyn Crispell and the ensemble has been playing his compositions in New York and around since 2001.
Claude Tchamitchian Quartet: Émouvance. October 2012. After having worked with and written for bigger units, bass player Claude Tchamitchian is now recentering his work on smaller combos, like this quartet featuring guitarist Rémi Charmasson, violinist Régis Huby and drummer Christophe Marguet. Achieving a greater mobility inside a very original sound universe, he deploys with energy his melodic talent and unusual harmonic constructions, plowing rarely uncharted territories for a jazz unit like progressive rock, even folk may find its way at times.
Claudia Campagnol: I'm Strong. Giant Sheep Music (GSM0432). Digipak. Street date: 29-04-19. This debut album by a young new Danish talent on the jazz scene comes around many stylistic roads, including pop-jazz, R&B, soul. 9 of the 10 tracks are penned by Claudia herself and the working team on the album calls for some big experienced shoes, especially concerning the rhythm section, with bass player Jimmy Haslip and the versatile drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, but also British trumpet player Gerard Presencer. The music has a strong crossover appeal and a catching dynamic, wrapped by the singer's warm sound!
Daniel Carter / William Parker / Federico Ughi: Navajo Sunrise. Rudi Records (RRJ1016). 2013. Daniel Carter's relaxed phrasing moves naturally between Parker's earthly bass sound and Ughi's sensitive drumming. This trio's music seems to be possessed by a light and welcoming spirit. A constant flux of energy, a three way dialogue consumed within the time and space of one breath. Telling the story of the trio's origins, the musicians talk about dreams and desires while the body of this music takes shape within the human connection of the band's relationship which has grown over time, through meetings, travel and concerts.
Cathala / Durand / Vaillant: Live Au Sunset. Connexe Records (CR-002). May 2014. Trio guitar/sax/drums, with a strong contemporary approach, refined and delicate as well as quirky and daring, flirting at times with rock rhythms but always willing to surprise, search and ... find!
Cédric Caillaud Trio: June 26. Aphrodite Records 2006 (APH 106004). Cédric Caillaud is both the bass player and leader of this French trio, which is not too common. France has a lot of excellent jazz bass players but leaders are few (Patrice Caratini & Henri Texier are those who come to mind). Cédric has been travelling forth and back from France to New York where he followed classes and took teaching hours by great names such as pianists Richie Beirach, Kenny Barron or trumpetist Tom Harrell. He is today one of the most aftersought bass players on the Parisian jazz scene and works among various formations throughout Europe. A few guests are to be heard here as well, among others another bass player and composer, French Pierre Boussaguet who had an important role in Cedric's growth as player.
Cecchetto, Roberto: Humanity. Via Veneto Jazz (VVJ134). Street date: 13-03-20. This is the newest album by Roberto Cecchetto, one the most original and eclectic guitarists on the European jazz scene, member of Enrico Rava's historic "Electric Five" band, renowned for his sonic experimentation and collaborations with the most important musicians in European jazz (Palle Danielsson, Richard Galliano, Paolo Fresu, Stefano Bollani, Paolino Dalla Porta, Lee Konitz, to name a few.) Cecchetto pairs with Lionel Loueke on guitar and Alessandro Paternesi on drums, weaving together rich and creative sonic textures into refined and genre-defying compositions. Soft melodic combinations and a rich harmonic palette are characteristic of Cecchetto's musical creations.
Centazzo, Andrea: With Mitteleuropa Orchestra. This release from the label Newtone is the 5th of the Ictus reissue program. Goin back to the 80's we find highly acclaimed improvisers such Enrico Rava, Franz Koglmann, Gianluigi Trovesi, Carlos Zingaro.
Chamorro, Joan & Magalí Datzira: Joan Chamorro Presenta Magalí Datzira. Temps Records (TR1435). 10/04/14. Is it the schooling effect of Esperanza Spalding? Magalí Datzira is a double bass player ... and sings! Says saxophonist Joan Chamorro: "She has a very particular way of approaching tempo and melodies, reading them in a special way and confronting a score as if compass bars did not exist". Several guests appear on the album, like saxophonist Perico Sambeat, to name but one.
Charles Tyler Ensemble: Live At Sweet Basil Vol 1 & 2 (CT 1964 & 1965). Concert from March 12, 1984. The first volume focuses on personal compositions while the second is grasping Monk's compositions. The rhythm section of the ensemble consists of bassist Wilber Morris and drummer John Betsch. Roy Campbell is on trumpet, Richard Dunbar plays horn and pianist Curtis clark completes the band.
Chicago Underground Duo: Age of Energy. Northern Spy (NSP 020). April 2012. This is the 6th album recorded by Rob Mazurek (cornet, electronic, vocals) and Chad Taylor (drums, mbira, rhythm box, electronics).
Clark, Curtis: Letter To South Africa. Nimbus West (NS 0501). May 2011. Recorded in Holland in 1985, this is the international quintet of the pianist Curtis Clark, featuring saxophonist John Tchicai, cellist Ernst Reijseger, the South-African icon Louis Moholo-Moholo on drums and bassist Ernst Glerum. The composing is in a post-bop / early Blue Note vein.
Nels Cline / Elliott Sharp: Duo Milano. Long Song LSR03. October 07. Sharp considers Nels Cline as one of his favoured guitarists and partners! Those moments captured in a very good recording studio have been worked out with much precision and a sense for details!
Cobham, Billy: The Art of Five. In+Out (IOR 77063). June 2011. This release will present you the bop side of the drummer, a fresh take for those who only know his fusion side. With him are saxophonist Donald Harrison, pianists Eric Reed or Julian Joseph, bass players Robert Hurst & Orlando Le Flemming (Joseph and Hurst paired together on two tracks) and trumpetist Guy Barker . CD reissue. This "The Art of ..." series started with "The Art of Three" (IOR 77045), where Cobham plays a swinging drumming together with pianist Kenny Barron and bassist Ron Carter. In between is "The Art of Four" (IOR 77085) where Carter and Harrison meet again, the missing part being pianist James Williams
Graham Collier: Hamburg 1968. British Progressive Jazz (BPJ008STC). Street date: 10-06-22. This performance occurred in December 1968, three months before Collier took his upcoming sextet (with trumpeter Harry Beckett, multi-instrumentalist Karl Jenkins, saxophonist Stan Sulzmann, trombonist Nick Evans and drummer John Marshall) into the studios to record his second album, "Down Another Road". None of the pieces here feature on that album or elsewhere. These tracks find Collier at a point of transition in his music. Several tunes here hark back in style and mood to the modal, Miles-inspired approach of "Deep Dark Blue Centre" (Deram 1967), while others anticipate the music on "Down Another Road" or can be linked with "Workpoints", the music composed for his 1968 Arts Council commission. A few other players are also featured here: Ted Curson (trumpet, piccolo trumpet), John Mumford (trombones), Tony Roberts (tenor sax, bass clarinet, flute) and Pierre Cavalli (guitar). All in all, this makes for an excellent addition to Collier's catalogue and further illuminates a major chapter in British jazz history.
Command All Stars: Curiosities 1972. Reel Recordings (RR010). 2008. In February 1972, a group of young jazz musicians gathered in London's Command Studios, with producer Robert Fripp, to record a double album intended for Ronnie Scott's Productions. The cast, consisting of pianist Keith Tippett, saxophonist Elton Dean, trombonist Nick Evans, trumpetist Mark Charig, and bassists Harry Miller & Johnny Dyani, with drummer Keith Bailey, unquestionably qualify the moniker All Stars. When the results were rejected as "no commercial potential", the master tapes were reused and the project forgotten, until Nick Evans, prompted by Reel Recordings, found copy reels for two of the four sides. What was discovered were diverse collective improvisations in a variety of group settings occasioned with unlikely instrumentation (Tippett - electric piano, Dean - sopranino, Miller - African flute). These tracks amount to much more than a series of curiosities as its title suggests, and open-hearted listening to this spontaneous music making reveals a plethora of riches. Of special note is the emotionally deep playing and interaction from South African bassists Harry Miller and Johnny Dyani. Recorded documents that add to the important history of British Jazz do not surface very often and this rare All Star session commands its cultural recognition!

Compassionate Dictatorship: Cash Cows. FMR Records (FMRCD284-0310). 2010. Described by Jazzwise Magazine as "catching the current wave of Brit Jazz", "Compassionate Dictatorship" evolved out of the long standing collaboration between guitarist Jez Franks and saxophonist Tori Freestone, both educated at the Leeds College of Music. They joined then forces with Danish bass player Jasper Hoiby and - on the present album - drummer Ben Reynolds. The guitar and sax led quartet play original material that draws from a wide and eclectic range of influences from folk to free and contemporary jazz, creating fresh sounds and atmospheric textures within interesting harmonic frameworks and varied meters over bubbling grooves, blending the four distinct voices into one (guitar and sax often play quirky thematic lines in unisson). Reminiscences of albums by Michael Brecker may come to mind (listen to the opening track!), while other more folky and dreamy pieces are not so far from Oregon.
Chick Corea & Gary Burton: Hot House. Decca. April 2012. The two giants renew their meeting together with this album, for a set of mostly covers by jazz and pop icons like Monk, Brubeck and The Beatles.
Vincent Courtois & Ze Jam Afane: L'Homme Avion. Chief Inspector (CHIN 200813). Following "Les Contes de Rose Manivelle" here's a new album presenting the extraordinarily poetic universe of French cellist Vincent Courtois and the African lyricist Ze Afane Jam. It's hard to describe how much this album catches on one, from the chamber rock arrangements made by Courtois to the splendidly articulated musical narration of his partner. Of course understanding French will open some more doors (some political messages, some poetic dreams) but it is not a must and non French readers will also been seduced and hypnotized by the unreal magic brought in by all players! A lovely album, even more concise in its nearly dadaistic logic than its predecessor
Vincent Courtois: Les Contes de Rose Manivelle. On the french label Le Triton. With Louis Sclavis guesting.
Lol Coxhill: Ear of the Beholder. Esoteric Recordings (eclec 22275). 27/06/11. Recorded between July 1970 and January 1971, the double LP "Ear of the Beholder" gave Lol Coxhill the chance to produce a unique solo work which saw him touch various musical areas, including the avant garde, jazz, rock and more. Coxhill was assisted in the recording sessions by contributions from colleagues such as Kevin Ayers, Mike Oldfield and David Bedford. This reissue also includes the A and B sides of two singles recorded by Lol Coxhill and David Bedford in 1971 and 1972.
Crimson Lip: S/T. Improvising Beings. Sept. 2011. 61 minutes extracted from the Japanese tour of bass player Alan Silva in 2009, with one of the pionneers of early free jazz over there, drummer and percussionist Sabu Toyozumi; completing the line up are guitarist Takuo Tanikawa, also using a computer, and singer Keiko Higuchi. Dark, hot but never suffocating!
Crovella, Beppe: Soulful Traffic. ARTB 303 CD. 2010. Crovella is mostly known as the keyboardist of the much celebrated fusion/prog band Arti & Mestieri but he is a versatile player and producer! After his personal tribute to the spirit of Soft Machine, with the humoristic title "What's Rattlin' on the Moon?", he comes here with something quite different, 18 compositions for Hammond organ and band. The album generates a "Soulful Traffic" made of melodies, moods and grooves coming from different musical inspirations and styles, from soul to R&B, from rock blues to rock, from acid jazz to jazz-rock, from latin to 60/70's moods.
Dadada : Saison 3. Label Bleu (LBLC6725). 2017. Pianist Roberto Negro, saxophonist Émile Parisien and drummer/percussionist Michele Rabbia offer here a mysterious and adventurous night-shaded album, playing on timbers, emotions and subtle electronic effects.
Dag Arnesen Trio: Norwegian Wood (RM17-2). With this album, the Norwegian jazz pianist Dag Arnesen reaches back to the music of his childhood. With him are Terje Gewelt on bass and the great drummer Pal Thowsen. These folk songs, along with the music of Edvard Grieg have always been an important part of Arnesen's musical identity.
Daniele Cavallanti & The Milano Contemporary Art Ensemble : Sounds of Hope. Rudi Records (RRJ1026). 05/03/15. The Milano Contemporary Art Ensemble is a large ensemble and a real "manifesto" of the present creative scene of Milano. Cavallanti presents here a dense repertoire both of original music with dedications to Joe Henderson, Sam Rivers, Anthony Braxton and Roscoe Mitchell, as well as Wayne Shorter and Mongezi Feza's arrangements.
Daniele Cavallanti Electric Unit: Smoke Inside. Long Song LSR02. October 07. Cavallanti is a saxophonist player, member of the Italian Instabile Orchestra. He invites here in his quintet guitarist Nels Cline for a music that would unavoidably be linked to the late 60's Blue Note period. And the outburts of the Tony Williams Lifetime aren't far either!
Danny Gottlieb Trio: Jazz Beautiful Ballads. With pianist Mark Soskin and bassist Charles "Chip" Jackson. Nicolosi Prod. NIC90018
Dauner, Wolfgang: Tribute to the Past. HGBS Musikproduktion (HG20012). German release date: Oct 8th, 2010. Hailing from Stuttgart in Germany, Wolfgang Dauner is a major figure of the German music scene; reaching the age of 75 in December 2010 therefore fully justified the recording of this musical autobiography, his pen being the very same Bösendorfer Grand Piano, that he and so many other famous artists used back in the MPS days. And, one can hear it clearly on this album, all three (maestro Dauner, the MPS studio, and the Bösendorfer) are still in very good shape!

Dave Burrell Trio: Expansion. HT 001. His 23th album as leader and here with Andrew Cyrille and bassist William Parker (also playing here kora). Burrell is one of those rare pianists able to encompass stride and avant garde at the same time.
Dave Douglas Quintet: Live At The Jazz Standard. Greenleaf GRE05. Sept. 07. This 2CD gathers a selection of the best tracks recorded by the quintet at the club "Jazz Standard" in December 2006. The 12 sets played in this period were already offered as MP3 downloads on the trumpeter's site but at the demand of his fans who wanted to hear his music without the mp3 compression, he decided to come up with this CD! Note that it also includes two covers ONLY available on the CD! The band features saxophonist Donny McCaslin, the great Uri Caine on Fender Rhodes, James Genus on bass and Clarence Penn on drums.
Dave Stapleton Quintet : The House Always Wins. Red Eye Music (Redeye 010). Release Date: 10th September 2007. This is Stapleton's fourth album as leader. The Cardiff-based pianist-composer (and owner of the label) is winning a wider reputation, probably due to the strength and virility of his playing, matched by an innate capacity for tenderness and reflection. As a composer, he draws upon a formidable grasp of Jazz, Classical and World styles, yet transforms these raw materials into something richly personal. With the exceptional talents of Paula Gardiner on bass and Elliot Bennett on drums, this is an album of powerful, driving rhythms and lingering melodic hooks. With the highly individualistic sound of Jonny Bruce on trumpet and impressive multi-instrumentalist Ben Waghorn on reeds, Stapleton has put together a band of high-rollers and high stakes winners.
DDJ: S/T. Umlaut (UML009). Dec. 08. Young French trio based in Paris and price winner at the sought after jazz competition of Paris La Défense in 2007. Julien Desprez on guitar, Benjamin Dousteyssier on saxophone and Yann Joussein on drums can remind us of Tim Berne in his more experimental projects with guitarist Marc Ducret or the more electric versions of Curlew.
De Bethmann, Pierre: Cubique. Plus Loin. Recorded in June 2009 at Ferber Studio A (Paris), here's the new album by French pianist (here on Rhodes) Pierre De Bethmann and his septet, featuring among other vocalist Jeanne Added. A continuation of the Ilium project (2003), turned into a 7tet combo : voice, two reeds, guitar, and rhythm section. No doubt that the two strong voices here - the personalities - are the human one and the fabulous Fender Rhodes, the reeds and guitar having a more subtle role in contrapuntic lines or melodic support.
De Vito, Maria: Core (Coração). Via Veneto Jazz (VVJ115). Street date: 18-05-17. New album recorded between Rome and Paris, with special guest Chico Buarque on two tracks (the second being a duet sung in Neapolitan!).
De Wilde, Laurent: New Monk Trio. Gazebo (GAZ133V). Oct. 2017. At the occasion of Monk's 100 years birthday, pianist Laurent de Wilde, bass player Jérôme Regard and drummer Donald Kontomanou deliver an homage album arranged for acoustic trio and modernly played, clearly showing that the pianist's modernity goes beyond the limits of time; De Wilde also presents a personal composition - Tune for T - played on piano solo. Available on digipak with a 16-page booklet but also on vinyl with printed inner sleeve
Di Meola, Al: Opus. Sheer Sound. New album, mainly acoustic and still exploring various styles, from tango, jazz to newer experiences like a musical conversation with himself!
After many European concerts, Laurent Dehors: Dommage à Glenn is now available on CD.
Alfonso Deidda: Lucky Man. Via Veneto (VVJ097). Feb. 2015. Saxophonist, composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist Alfonso Deidda releases here his debut album; spontaneous and unpredictable, yet focused and highly melodic, the repertoire is composed of well-conceived, original jazz songs with underlying contemporary grooves - ranging from Latin, European jazz, to free, and funk - where the interplay between musicians is intimate and technically brilliant, resulting in engaging sound textures that are creatively out of the ordinary; vibrant with emotional tension.
Delirium: Green Side Up. ILK 172. March 2012. Led by Finnish saxophonistMikko Innanen, this band inspired by the heritage of Ornette Coleman also features three of the best players from the Danish scene: drummer Stefan Pasborg, cornetist Kasper Tranberg and bass player Jonas Westergaard; they were recorded in Copenhagen in 2009.
Jean Derome / Louis Sclavis Quartet: Un Moment De Bonheur. Live in Quebec. Sclavis brought with him bassist Bruno Chevillon and Derome's drummer Pierre Tanguay.
Deurloo, Hermine: Crazy Clock. TWM 001. Oct. 06. Member of the Willem Breuker's Kollektief since the 90's, Hermine is one of the few challenging harmonicists at work. For her 3rd album, she offers us re-readings of Hendrix's Electric Ladyland or pieces by Ali Farka Touré, the "Throughout" of guitarist Bill Frisell and more yet. If you think you knew what playing the harmonica was about, you may reconsider it an extra time!
Diego Schissi Quinteto: Tongos. Untref Sonoro. 2010. Here's another post-Piazzola work of high complexity and great compositional quality, written for a classical tango instrumentation: piano, bandoneon, violin, bass and guitar. Passionately and whole-heartedly recommended!
Digital Primitives: Hum Crackle`n Pop. Hopscotch HOP 42. Oct. 09. This is the first album from a trio led by multi-instrumentist Cooper-Moore, here playing keyboards, flute, harp, zither, banjo, etc... With him are saxophonist Assif Tsahar, by many considered as the spiritual continuation of Albert Ayler, and drummer Chad Taylor, coming from Marc Ribot's band (Spiritual Unity). Blues-edged funk with ethnic colorations and the kind of free jazz typical of the loft generations are what our guys deliver here. Other titles are also available on the same label: "Planet Dream" from the same trio, "Lost Brother" (from 2005, with drummer Hamid Drake replacing Taylor), "Tells Untold" (duo Cooper-Moore / Tsahar).
Dinamitri Jazz Folklore & Amiri Baraka: Live in Sant'anna Arresi 2013. Rudi Records (RRJ1019). Feb. 2016. This is a live recording from the Sardinian festival of St. Anna Arresi, where Baraka appeared in 2013 as part of the Dinamitri Jazz Folklore, a marvelous Italian ensemble directed by alto saxophonist Dimitri Grechi Espinoza. The music takes shape from a sound ritual based on voice and bells, and it slowly develops through various soundscapes including echoes of Africa, deep Blues, modern jazz tributes to Sun Ra, and a long sequence of highly infectious grooves. A tight combination of poetry, orchestral arrangements and collective improvisation. A very strong sound narrative built around Baraka's unforgettable voice and words.
Dionne, Vincent. Mostly known for his 70's work with Bregent in the progressive musical fields, the Canadian artist did later released two solo albums: "Destinations" and "Parade". These albums came out in 1988 and 1991 respectively. Both these albums have aspects of e-music, minimalism, and ECM-ish jazz. "Destinations" is mostly a trio work with Dionne on drums/percussion/synth, Paul McCandless of Oregon on woodwinds, and Roxanne Turcotte on keyboards. "Parade" is Vincent aided by five or six musicians on different tracks performing similar instrumentation, plus bass and tabla. There is a McCandless composition on this one and also a Michel-Georges Brégent composition. Both albums are now available, gathered and reissued on one single CD!
Dirty Six: S/T. Via Veneto Jazz (VVJ127). Street date: 31-01-19. Debut album for this new Italian quintet featuring Claudio Filippini on the piano, the saxophonist Daniele Scannapieco, Gianfranco Campagnoli on the trumpet, Roberto Schiano on trombone and the rhythm section, with a noticeable sound impact, composed of Tommaso Scannapieco on electric bass and double bass and Lorenzo Tucci on drums. Jazz, R & B, Funky and Afro contaminations are cleverly combined together by the six musicians.
Djivilli Quintet: Give Five. Vade Retro VD0105. Gipsy jazz in the tradition of Django: solo guitar, violin, two rythm guitars and bass.
The Documentary: Sights and Sounds from the Recording of "The Sound of New York Jazz Underground". (See details in the jazz section under Freshsound)
Releases from a small label: Dodicilune!
+ Kenny Wheeler & Brian Dickinson: Still Waters. ED 213. fluegelhorn and piano for charming ballads composed around the thematic idea of water. A forgotten recording to rediscover!
+ Antonello Messina: Aziyz. ED 225. The leader is playing the piano, accordion and bandoneon. With the trumpet of Fabrizio Bosso, a rhythm section and a few guests, a musical universe made of rigorously constructed melodies, a subtile blend of sounds between instruments, well crafted improvisations, opens itself to us!
+ Andrea Sabatino: Pure Soul. ED 221. An album made by the new Italian generation, fresh and energetic, percussive and ludic!
Douglas, Dave & Keystone: Moonshine. Green Leaf (GRE 1006). Nov. 2010. Live recording by the electric version of the trumpetist's band, featuring Adam Benjamin on Fender Rhodes, DJ Olive on laptop and turntables, drummer Gene Lake and bass player Brad Jones, tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland.
A Douglas, Dave boxset is planned for release in October 2012! Part of the Black Saint (BS) & Soul Note (SN) monographic boxset collection aimed at recounting the most beautiful chapters that revolutionised the history of jazz, this one gathers the following albums: Parallel Worlds (SN 1993), Five (SN 1996), Convergence (SN 1999), John Coltrane's Ascension (BS 1995, a live recording with the Rova Saxophone Quartet), Bounce (BS 1998, with the John Lindberg Ensemble), Force Green (SN 1995, an album by bass player Mark Dresser).
Douglas, Dave: Three Views. Greenleaf (GRE 1023). Dec. 2011. This 3CD set testifies of the trumpetist's creativity and productivity. Disc 1, Rare Metals, adds 5 new compositions to the repertoire of the Brass Ecstasy, in direct lineage with Lester Bowie's Brass Fantasy; disc 2, Orange Afternoons, has Douglas directing a prestigious quintet, featuring among other saxophonist Ravi Coltrane and pianist Vijay Iyer; disc 3, Bad Mango, is the most experimental, Douglas facing the many percussions (marimba, drums, glockenspiel, saw, small bells, toys, etc..) of the So Percussion Quartet
Douglas, Dave: Meaning And Mystery. Greenleaf GRE04. June 06. This third album by the quintet of the eclectic trompetist is inspired by the late 60's period of Miles Davis (with such albums as Filles de Kilimandjaro, Miles in the Sky, In a Silent Way), but also by the actual quartet of Wayne Shorter or the combos led by Julius Hemphill or Baikida Carroll. We find on piano and Rhodes the great Uri Caine while the bass and drums chairs are occupied by James Genus & Clarence Penn
Douglas, Dave: Keystone (GRE 03). Oct. 2005. This brand new set by Douglas is inspired by the life and films of silent movies actor Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle. 11 original sound tracks revisited by an energetic band, not unlike Martin, Medeski & Wood and featuring among others Jamie Safton würlitzer or DJ Olive on turntables. the DVD presents us the film "Fatty and Mable Adrift" as well as a reworked video of another comics classic.
New from trumpetist Dave Douglas! His albums for Arabesque Jazzwill finally be released in 2006 in France during the Spring
+ Leap Of Faith (98). Quartet featuring saxophonist Chris PotterJames Genus and drummer Ben Perowski. AJ 145
+ Magic Triangle (97). Same formation pusshing away the boundaries of free bop. AJ 139.
DPZ: He's Looking At You, Kid. E-Motive Records (EMO 901). This rather new French project is the collaboration work of saxophonist Thomas De Pourquery (member of the group "Le Sacre du Tympan") and trombonist Daniel Zimmermann (member of Andy Emler's Megaoctet). Sound, improvisation and writing are here at the service of a lyricism and a communicative energy leaning towards a rock approach. Dark, passionate, with a burning rhythm section and the guitar of Maxime Delpierre, another new name belonging the young generation of upcoming musicians
Dreamtime: Double Trouble. Reel Recordings (RR018/019/020). 2010. Dreamtime is an international quintet featuring prominent names of the British jazz scene (and partly progressive rock as well) like Welsh trombone player Nick Evans or American expatriated trumpetist Jinm Dvorak. This excellent package provides 2 CDs and 1 DVD. Disc One presents a stunning set by the quintet before an appreciative audience at the 1986 Bracknell Jazz Festival, as introduced by compere Lol Coxhill. Disc Two lets us experience a rare 1991 recording of the Dreamtime quintet doubled up with friends: Paul Rutherford on trombone; Paul Dunmall on tenor and baritone saxophones; Kevin Davy on trumpet; Marcio Mattos on bass and Mark Sanders on drums. To bring the Dreamtime into a multi-sensory realm, Disc 3 is an all-region DVD of an amateur film made at London's 100 Club in 2006. In this performance the sextet, including pianist Keith Tippett, play homage to their late friend, Elton Dean. What more can be said for the music? Everything that listening will give testament to! Double Trouble presents three discs with an ear and eye towards an overdue reappraisal of this much loved band of musical misfits, known today as "the dreamers".
Dreamtime: Cathanger '86 (HUXO55). Released: 28/06/2004. Dreamtime was formed in 1982 as a jazz trio featuring Nick Evans (tb), Gary Curson (sax) and Jim LeBaigue (dms). However in the same year it augmented to a quintet with the addition of Jim Dvorak (tp) and Roberto Bellatalla (b), then finally later to a sextet with the addition of pianist Keith Tippett.
Drouet / Frith / Sclavis: Contretemps, etc... In Situ (IS244). Oct. 2011. New meeting between the three musicians, recorded here during the 26th festival of jazz and improvised music in Besançon, 2007.
Dumoulin, Jozef & Orca Noise Unit: A Beginner's Guide to Diving and Flying. Yolk (J2072). March 2018. Featuring among other Sylvaine Hélary, Bruno Chevillon, Antonin-Tri Hoang, this album is based and focusing on the faculty of some people to consciously travel through dreams. Orca Noise Unit is in fact the anagram of "oneironautics", the name of this faculty!
Paul Dunmall / Tony Bianco / Dave Kane: Ritual Beyond. FMR Records (FMRCD286-0210). 2010. The British trio was recorded at Delbury Hall on July 15th 2009. With a post Trane high energy and exhuberance, this trio is a tight and dense unit who has something to say and they say it loud, with force and convinction!
Dunmall / Edwards / Gibbs / Sanders: Boundless. FMR Records (FMRCD278-0709). 2010. Top British musicians are gathered for this recording made in Bristol on January 17th 2008. The great saxophonist Paul Dunmall teams with bass player John Edwards and drummer Mark Sanders (heard in several projects with for example ex-Soft Machine saxophonist Elton Dean), while guitarist Philip Gibbs complete the line-up.
Dupont, Hubert: Jasmim. Ultrack (UTK 1002). 2013. The French bass player, inspired by the revolution of the Arabic Spring, comes here with an already much praised album, whose musical thread would be words like reuniting or bringing together. To this purpose, he has invited a talented Syrian flutist - Naïssam Jalal, a famous Parisian sax player - Denis Guivarc'h, a fantastic Brazilian guitarist - Nelson Veras and an oriental magician of percussion - Youssef Hbeisch. The poetic dream of reunited Mediterranean countries has started!
Earth: The Bees Made Honey In The Lion's Skull. Southern Lord SUNN90. The Bee Made Honey In The Lion's Skull finds Dylan Carlson and the band growing into a harder, more rock and American gospel oriented and improvisitory direction framed by a truly psychedelic production and blazing guitar sounds. Earth shows its affinity with a nod to the best elements of the more adventurous San Francisco bands of the late 60s and 70s, and the more spiritually aware and exciting forms of jazz-rock from the same era. This is no nostalgia trip but a thoroughly inspired and original metamorphosis. Earth is honoured to be joined on this record for three songs by legendary and virtuoso guitarist Bill Frisell (doing some of his most fuzzed out playing in years). Frisell adds a brilliant texture and counterpoint to the scintillating riffs of Dylan Carlson and the band. On drums is Adrienne Davies , lending a classic and steady feel to the proceedings. Back in the band is Steve Moore , adding heavy Hammond organ and his intense jazz-inspired piano playing. Live bassist Don McGreevy also makes his full-length Earth debut on this record.
El Heladero: Cajas (2003). MDR Records (MDR1403). Auspicious debut album by this Argentinean acoustic jazz quartet, not too far away from the Hard Bop realm. The group is headed by bassist and main composer Alejandro Frenkel, whose songwriting presents a focused interest in the harmonic factor, improvisations with constant harmonic shifts and intimacy. A second saxophonist, Alberto Garantón, appear as soloist on tenor
Elefante: S/T. 2008. Pai Records. Young, up-and-coming Argentinean sextet with musical references to Blue Note's hard-bop, spiced up with a wonderful Fender Rhodes; The group's compositions are original in their conception and a tight control of intensity and dynamics bring forth some powerful tensions as well as define the group's musical esthetics. A band to follow!
Ellman, Liberty: Orthodoxy (RG 01). Reissue of a well received album by the guitarist on his own label Red Giant, released in 1997. Ellman was member of the first incarnation of Steve Coleman's Mystic Rhythm Society and has also been partner of such great names as Greg Osby or Henry Threadgill.
Elton Dean Quartet: On Italian Roads (Live in Milan 1979). British Progressive Jazz (BPJ012STC). Street date: 12-08-22. Digipak. First official release for what many fans consider to be the 'ultimate' lineup of Elton's Quartet, with drummer Louis Moholo, bassist Harry Miller and pianist Keith Tippett. Comes with extensive liner notes and a booklet including dozens of previously unseen images of the quartet. The music was recorded on February 25th, 1979 at Teatro Cristallo, Milano.
Elton Dean's Ninesense: The 100 Club Concert 1979. Reel Recordings (RR024). 2012. The Canadian based label releases a stunning two compact disc celebrating the thirty-third anniversary of The 100 Club Concert 1979. Complimenting this release is a twelve page booklet from the pen and archive of Riccardo Bergerone, the young Italian friend of Elton who recorded this extraordinary concert using a Pro Sony TC-D5M cassette recorder at the stage front table. All of the musical magic from the compositions and soloists are potently heard and on full display, including two hitherto unrecorded renditions of Elton's magnificent charts. Completing Riccardo's special document of Elton's Ninesense in full concert flight is an inner three panel photo gallery of Ninesense in concert.
Enrico Fazio Ensemble: Girotondo. We Insist! (CDWEIN17). Street date: 03-06-22. The idea for Girotondo is taken from the play of the same name written by Arthur Schnitzler. Like the characters in Schnitzler's text, here the musicians are invited to take part in a series of dialogues in pairs, so as to form a chain, a roundabout: the first with the second, the second with the third, until the last one joins the first, closing the circle. The musicians have been matched by lot to a theatre character, so that the duets are the random result. Fazio acts as a guest, an external narrator to the couples, elaborating an electronic introduction that represents the scenic space in which the encounters develop, and a final roundabout in which everyone is involved.
Enzo Pietropaoli Wire Trio: Woodstock Reloaded. Via Veneto Jazz (VVJ123). Street date: 15-03-18. This album wasn't conceived to be a cover but an original re-reading, an update of the reverberating impact and a reminder of those emotions, animating memories and encompassing the milestones that followed as it approaches through time. This is a tribute to the festival and a narration of the turning points and evolution of musical language from that moment to present day.
Espen Berg Trio: Free To Play. Odin (ODINCD9569). Street date: 06-09-19. New album by the Norwegian pianist, a raising star on the jazz scene, both in Europa and Japan.
Ethnic Duo: En Public au "Chêne Noir" d'Avignon, 1980. Musea Parallèle (MP3128). June 2010. The disappearance of legendary Zao after the album "Typareth" (1977) had left a big gap among the numerous fans of keyboardist François "Faton" Cahen and his fellow saxophonist-flutist Yochk'o Seffer.. This led in turn to the creation of this duo, with one single eponymous album recorded in 1980 by our two men. If - as many fans - you were left thirsty of more, here's a live recording dating from the same year as their studio album and a new chance for all to rediscover the power and inspiration of this duo!
FAB Trio: Live in Amsterdam. Porter Records (POR 4014). March 09. Recorded in 2008, this is the 4th album by this trio made of violinist Billy Bang, bass player Joe Fonda and drummer Barry Altschul
Fariselli, Patrizio: Acqua Liquida Suite. 2007. (NUN 0180602). Brand new record by ex-Area keyboards player Patrizio Fariselli, with the help of Paolino Dalla Porta on double bass and Massimo Manzi on drums. A suite in seven movements for Fariselli's jazz trio.
Ferra / Dalla Porta / Sferra: Frames Of Crimson. Via Veneto Jazz (VVJ114). Street date: 30-03-17. This project will have to be placed in the prolongation of another, similar in spirit: The Crimson Jazz Trio! Guitarist Bebo Ferra has indeed drilled into Fripp's acclaimed and intricate works, delving into the soul of each one and embarking on unexplored soundscapes, together with Paolino Dalla Porta on double bass, Fabrizio Sferra on drums and - as special guest on trombone - Gianluca Petrella. They have gone off the beaten track, in the footsteps of a pioneer, becoming forerunners themselves in bringing Fripp's music ... elsewhere!
First Meeting: Cut The Rope. Libra Records (104-025). 2009. The latest and newest quartet in the Libra roster is a noise improvisation project led by trumpetist Natsuki Tamura, also featuring his wife, pianist and composer Satoko Fujii. The line up is completed by guitarist Kelly Churko and drummer Tatsuhisa Yamamoto. Conventional melody and structure are here replaced by fragmentation, textural and timbral explorations. The album is made of total improvisations that sound complete and organic because the careful listening, expert judgment, and musicianship of the band members shapes the music. Be it metallic clingin cymbals, piercing wails from the trumpet, gamelan sounding prepared piano or electric staccato bursts from the guitar, there is an amazing use of texture and tone color throughout that will keep the listener in a state of excitement
Fiuczynski, David: Flam! Blam! Pan-Asian MicroJam! Rare Noise Records. March 2016. After his previous attempt on the album "Planet MicroJam", the New York based guitarist pushes the envelope even further on his latest microtonal project, Flam! Blam! Pan-Asian MicroJam! Jointly dedicated to 20th century classical composer Olivier Messiaen and innovative hip-hop record producer J Dilla, this ambitious venture has the guitarist-composer pursuing his passion for the notes that fall between the cracks with his intrepid microtonal crew. The seven movements that comprise Flam! instigated by Fiuczynski receiving a 2011 Guggenheim Fellowship, show the connections between exotic bird calls and J Dilla's famous "flam beats" while also referencing the colors of Messiaen's music, Gagaku, the ancient court music of Japan, and other Pan-Asian ingredients. The three extra tracks that comprise Blam! feature special guest Rudresh Mahanthappa on alto saxophone. Fiuczynski is joined on both portions of his latest release by former Microjam Institute students Utar Artun on microtonal keyboard, Yazhi Guo on suona (Chinese oboe) and percussion, Helen Sherrah-Davies on violin, Jack Sherman on microtonal keyboard, Justin Schornstein on bass and Alex Bailey on drums.
Flat Earth Society: Cheer Me, Perverts! Crammed Discs (CRAM 138). 2009. New album by Peter Vermeersch's 14-piece band, whose title is indeed an anagram of his name! New repertory but still the bitter-acid-sweet delirium we can expect from this musical chameleon!
The Fonda / Stevens Group: Memphis. Playscape Recordings (PSR 033108). Oct. 09. Featuring trumpetist Herb Robertson and drummer Harvey Sorgen, this is the 4th studio album by this outfit; as pianist Michael Jefrey Stevens today is based in Memphis, the title may be seen as an elogy to a town that is in fact a true musical melting-pot, like the band as well?
Fortune, Sonny: Live At The A-trane. Konnex / Atonal. March 07. The ex Miles Davis member, saxophonist and flutist is joining here in 2005 the trio of German drummer Ernst Bier, which also features guitar and organ.
Francesco Diodati Yellow Squeeds: Flow, Home. Auand (AU9056). 8-10-15. Italian guitar player Francesco Diodati presents here his third album as leader and a new Italian quintet, featuring Enrico Zanisi on piano, Enrico Morello on drums, Glauco Benedetti on tuba and Francesco Lento on trumpet. Diodati is also a member of Enrico Rava's New Quartet and has an ongoing duo project with the Italian trumpet player. The band results from the union of many approaches and styles, thus enriching Diodati's originals with a timbric range and countless expressive possibilities, including a tribute to Thelonious Monk, Diodati's musician of choice, here celebrated with a daring reinterpretation of Played Twice, which shows the interplay skills of this young yet wise quintet.
Franck Vaillant Benzine: Skits for the Ears. Gazul (GA 8860). July 2012. This fourth album under the Benzine monniker is the result of the close co-operation between drummer and composer Franck Vaillant and sound-engineer Philippe Teissier Du Cros. All tracks were first composed and programmed during a journey through many Caribbean islands. The next stage was to have musicians improvise over the tracks; among them are flutist Magic Malik and French jazz saxophonist Sylvain Cathala; the recordings were then re-organised, edited and re-composed. The result consists in 15 very diverse tracks, with a unique and uncompromising texture; the music is led by a thorough research on field depth, on the arrangement of layers, rhythmic and theatrical illusions and a complex layout of textures, all of which are served by the great sonic quality. This conspicuously experimental and abstract work will lead you on a sentimental sci-fi journey to be rediscovered every time.
Frode Gjerstad Trio: Forgotten City. PNL Records (PNL050). Street date: 12-06-20. In fact not really a trio but rather a quartet, as alongside the well oiled duo of Gjerstad and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love, we find an interactive post for the bass chair, made of two musicians having decided to play together as one instrument and also having both - but individually - a past experience with the trio: Øyvind Storesund and Jon Rune Strøm. This is easy for them to change roles whenever they want; if one takes charge of the bass function, the other is freed and can play free-form. This fexibility also brings new challenges to both drummer and reedman!
Fujii, Satoko: Gen Himmel (Libra 201-033). USA release in August 2013. This is the third CD of Satoko Fujii solo piano music.
Fujii, Satoko! I have always been in awe when looking at the impressive discography of the Japanese pianist and its diversity! Her pianistic expression has always deeply moved me but if you had the quality of her meticulously chosen and numerous musical partners, you're in for a great great treat! From her trio with drummer Jim Black and bass player Mark Dresser to the various Western or Eastern big bands to jazz-rock/fusion combos with her husband, the list is long! I decided that Music By Mail should have most of her output on our catalog for sale. So if you want to initiate a long journey in her fantastic musical thoughts, contact us by mail and we'll make sure that you get it!
The Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii makes again the actuality with 3 new releases on her own label, planned for June 2008:

Satoko Fujii Trio : Trace A River. Libra 203-020. A new recording in four years by her longstanding trio with bassist Mark Dresser and drummer Jim Black . "Trace a River" finds them expanding on and refining the collective artistry they have developed over the past 10 years. Satoko still succeeds in finding new ways to showcase the trio's ensemble empathy and individual brilliance.
Junk Box : Cloudy Then Sunny. Libra 203-019. This is the 2nd release by this trio featuring trumpeter and husband Natsuki Tamura and percussionist John Hollenbeck. The new release is both unpredictable and provocative. Fujii doesn't use conventional notation in her compositions for this group, instead the scores include words and some graphic elements. The result is what she calls "composed improvisation," an approach that blurs the line between the consciously conceived and the instantly performed and allows the players wide improvisational freedom alongside some composed direction.
Gato Libre: Kuro. Libra 104-018. Gato Libre is more in a world vein with an all acoustic sound calling for trumpet, guitar, accordion (played by Satoko) and bass. The music seems to emanate from no particular country on Earth, but comes instead directly from Tamura's own unique imagination, a quirky land where European folk idioms and modern improvisatory techniques have formed a special bond. Kuro finds the band exploring the furthest reaches of Tamura's concepts, in an album that feels like the soundtrack to a vaguely narrative dream.
Futari: Beyond. Libra Records (202-061). Street date: 30-05-20. Delayed by a misfunctioning postal service, this is the duo of Taiko Saito (vibraphone) with pianist Satoko Fujii, recorded during their first Japan tour in 2019.
Gard Nilsen Acoustic Unity: To Whom Who Buys A Record. Odin Records ( ODINCD9570 or 2LP ODINLP9570). Street date: 12-07-19. Gard Nilssen is artist-in-residence under 2019's Molde Jazz Festival. This album is the third released with this trio, created in 2014 and featuring bass player Petter Eldh and saxophonist André Roligheten. Expect a dense playing rich in musical ideas!
Gard Nilssen's Supersonic Orchestra: If You Listen Carefully The Music Is Yours. ODINCD9572. Street date: 07-02-20. The Norwegian drummer and composer Gard Nilssen has been artist in residency for the kazz Molde festival and this new band is its materialized result: an unusually big band, with three drummers, three bass players and ten horn players, most of them saxophonits! Challenging, courageous and genre-defying, here is a music reflecting the freedom of mind and energy of his creator!
Gari, Ananda : T-Duality. Auand (AU9041). Nov. 2014. Ananda Gari is a young Italian drummer and composer. This is his 2nd album, featuring saxophonist Tim Berne, guitarist Rez Abbasi and bassist Michael Formanek; it represents the result of all his past studying and performing experiences and clearly shows his deep interest in free improvisation, avant-garde music and complex rhythmic approaches.
Garrobé, Joan: Música Infidel. Bebyne Records (CDB 010). Release date: April 1st, 2013. With an impressive solo career already behind him, guitarist Joan Garrobé delivers here a trio recording with Jordi Camp on double bass and Lluís Ribalta on drums & percussion. The atmosphere of the album is elegant and tasty, highlighting a very natural sound of the acoustic guitar. The trio sounds compact and fresh and the original songs and arrangements make every minute a total pleasure to the ears. The great Carles Benavent plays electric bass on "Guindilla", his original composition and another guest is also featured, percussionist David Casamitjana
Gato Libre: Shiro. Libra Records (104-026). 2009. Shiro is the 4th recording under this moniker and dedicated to the exploration of a South-European sound; it has a definitely quiet and world-like character, with leader and (usually) pianist Satoko Fujii here shifting to accordion, accompanied on trumpet by her husband Natsuki Tamura, whose playing in this context appears much traditional (though at times the two of them can bring it quite "out" and near to chaos). Bass and guitar complete the instrumentation.
Pierrejean Gaucher: Zappe Satie. Musiclip (mu 2103). Street date: 05-03-21. Digipak. After having immersed himself in the musical universe of Frank Zappa, the French guitarist now (re)discovered a composer whom he considers to be a possible grandfather of Zappa. This new album also marks his return to writing with a whole new repertoire, carried by young and brilliant musicians who have been making jazz news in France for years (ONJ, Ping Machine, PJ5, Sarab?). To the core quartet of guitar, Fender Rhodes, acoustic bass and drums are added / invited several "blowers" on saxophone, trumpet, trombone and clarinet.
Pierrejean Gaucher: Melody Makers 2. Musiclip (MU1205). June 2012. After a first opus paying tribute to British pop, the French guitarist returns to the subject with ten new original compositions. Besides the leader on guitars, the trio includes Clément Petit on 4 & 5-string cello and Cédric Affre on drums and percussion. The CD also includes a bonus video of the group's work in the studio.
Music By Mail recently decided to focuse on the legacy of French guitarist PierreJean Gaucher and offer you to rediscover or finally get your hands on some of his projects needing more light. Feel free to contact us, here are some of the albums in stock:
- Abus Dangereux: Le Quatrième Mouvement. Recorded in 1979 and certainly the most progressive of all, with at times a noticeable Zeuhl touch
- Zappe Zappa. As the name maybe reveals, this is a project anchored in the universe of guitarist Frank Zappa. The studio album, recorded in 1997, features bass player Daniel Yvinec, today directing the famous and respected French State big band, L'Orchestre National de Jazz. In the group is also an old acquaintance from the time of Abus Dangereux, saxophonist Bobby Rangell. The other album is a live recording from 2002 at the Bürgerhaus Stollwerck in Köln, Germany.
- Phileas Band is basically a quartet + guests and the band stretches into several musical corners, from Celtic to Balkans or Latin
- The duo with guitarist Christophe Godin may be the most overseen album of PierreJean's discography. But Godin having acquired quite a reputation and following with his metal-fusion band Morglbl, this should soon lead to a prompt rediscovery of this live album powered only by their two electric guitars. What they can do with it has to be heard!
PierreJean Gaucher: Melody Makers. Musiclip (MU 1009). This new trio album by the guitarist and leader of the French band Abus Dangereux is entirely a cover album! PierreJean Gaucher wants to show his fascination and love of melodies that printed a mark on him. Be it Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir" or "Dinosaur" by King Crimson, the dedication is strong and the "making of" well crafted. Acoustic and electric guitars, electro-acoustic 5-strings cello, drums and percussions are the tools used to fashion this revisited world made of smiles, laughes and memories. Welcome!
Gayle, Charles: No Bills. Long Arms LA 05057. Oct. 06. Solo recording (sax and piano) from Moscow and Arkhangelsk in April 2003 by one of the free players with the most incredible intensity and spiritual dedication
Gee Hye Lee: Geenius Monday. HGBS Musikproduktion (HG20014). Nov. 2010. This young lady came all the way from South Korea to Stuttgart in order to study classical piano but ended in the MPS studios after having jammed and played jazz in clubs for years. The result is this, her 2nd album where nearly fourty jazzers from the Stuttgart area accompanied her, ranging from seniors like trumpeter Herbert Joos to juniors like saxers Andi Maile or Sandi Kuhn.
Geel, Elisabeth: So Cool. MP Records MPRCD 048. 2006. The newest release from this Italian label presents us with a nice surprise: Elisabeth Geel is a songwriter and singer with a warm, powerful and precise voice and her compositions, quite rooted in jazz (acoustic and electric), are challenging; so are the lyrics too, serious stuff. Along her own music, she also interprets a few classsic jazz and bossa standards. A very cool debut album, between Joni Mitchell & Patricia Barber!
Geoff Goodman Quintet: Tall Tales and Dreams (Tutu CD 888222). Intelligent music penned by the leader and guitarist Geoff Goodman, characterized by a complex balance between form and improvisation, control and spontaneous impulse. The band consists of: Felix Wahnschaffe: alto saxophone; Rudi Mahall: bass-clarinet; Geoff Goodman: el-guitars & banjo; Henning Sieverts: bass & cello; Peter Perfido: drums & percussion.
George Schuller Quintet: Round 'Bout Now. Playscape Recordings PSR021302. Nov. 06. This octet wants to pay an homage to the crucial Miles Davis quintet from the period 1967-1969. They do this by covering 3 of his compositions (Sidecar, Circle in the Round et Filles de Kilimanjaro), presented in new personal arrangements. This is sometimes very close to the "Meaning and Mystery" album previously done by trumpetist Dave Douglas. The instrumentation of the band is rich and varied: alto flute, sax, trumpet and horn (played by Ingrid Jensen), vibraphone, kaval, bass clarinet, guitar, accordion, bass, drums and percussion.
Gewelt, Terje: House On A Hill. Resonant Music (RM282). Street date: 13-11-20. This is the 12th album released by the established bass player and composer, featuring the same line up as on his much acclaimed 2017 album "Wow and Flutter": Bjørn Klakegg on guitar, Erlend Slettevoll on piano and keyboards, Terje Evensen on drums and elektronics. An album of maturity, marked by a recent touring activity in Brazil as well as the deep prints of our uncertain pandemic time! Questionings, emotive reactions, deep musical thoughts about our future, have been encapsulated by the much respected sound engineer Tor Magne Hallibakken for what may become Gewelt's best production.
Ghost Horse: Il Bene Comune. Hora Records (HORA005-2205-CD). Street date: 22-07-22. Composed during Italy's second Covid lockdown in the winter of 2020-21 through digital correspondence and illicit face-to-face meetings, the underlying structure of this music hinges on shared familiarity with the basic modules, predominantly simple, repeating motifs. This simplicity allows for significant individual freedom for each member of the sextet, however this freedom must be exercised responsibly in order to maintain balance within the greater structure and avoid total collapse or loss of the central message. Also available on LP (HORA005-2205).
Gilmore, David: Unified Presence (KRM-CD-1124). 11 tracks for this new record by one of the most in-demand guitarists in jazz, previous companion of Steve Coleman in his "5 Elements" band. Featured both on electric or acoustic guitar, David called this time for a number of reknown partners such as Christian McBride on bass, Ravi Coltrane on saxophone (yes, John Coltrane's son!), and drummer Jeff "Tain"Watts.
Giovanni Maier Technicolor: Featuring Marc Ribot / A Turtle Soup. Long Song LSR 105. June 08. This is a double keyboards + rhythm section quartet. Maier is known as the bass player of among other the Italian Instabile Orchestra or more recently the Daniele Cavallanti Electric Unit and even the frequent partner of trumpetist Enrico Rava. Here on electric bass, he offers us a record between fusionish flies (where Ribot reminds us of Jeff Beck or even Mike Stern) and more etherical ambiances.
Giuliani, Rosario: Love In Translation. Via Veneto Jazz (VVJ133). Street date: 24-01-20. This album marks the return of an exciting collaboration between two protagonists of the international jazz scene which started twenty years ago at Umbria Jazz: Italian sax player Rosario Giuliani and US vibraphonist Joe Locke, now accompanied by two other renowned artists, bassist Dario Deidda and drummer Roberto Gatto. With this intense and sophisticated album, Rosario and Joe celebrate the twentieth anniversary of their alchemical partnership and friendship. As the album's title itself suggests, Love in Translation is centered around the theme of love - the most powerful and enigmatic emotion. Among the famous standards contained are "Duke Ellington's Sound of Love" by Charles Mingus, "Love Letters" by Victor Young and Edward Heyman, and "Can't Help Falling in Love" of Elvis Presley's repertoire. It includes creative and warm original songs as well as tributes to two remarkable musicians: "Raise Heaven" which Joe Locke dedicates to Roy Hargrove and "Tamburo" by Rosario Giuliani to Marco Tamburini.
Frode Gjerstad / Fred Lonberg-Holm / Michael Zerang: Sugar Maple. FMR Records (FMRCD289-0410). April 2010. The Norwegian saxophonist and clarinetist is here recorded with his new trio in a club from Milwaukee, USA. Lonberg-Holm is on cello & electronics, Zerang on percussion. They deliver a little more than one hour music, spread on 4 tracks, each giving plenty of time for the building of their free collective improvisation
Karolina Glazer: Normal (JARO 4296-2). 2009. Recognized as the rising star of Polish jazz vocalism, Karolina Glazer specializes in an instrumental approach to the voice and directs a lot of her attention to scat improvisation. With her 4-octave scale and a great imagination, she delivers on "Normal" a journey across various cultural spots of the world combined with harmony and jazz tradition, mixing Arabic scales with Latin sounds, drum'n'bass with jazz. She is not alone either and many musicians contribute to the final result; among them, bass celebrity and sound maker Krzysztof Scieranski (Laboratorium, String Connection) or vibraphonist Bernard Maseli have to be pointed at and thanked for their great input!
Michel Godard - Günter "Baby" Sommer - Patrick Bebelaar: Three Seasons. HGBS Musikproduktion (HGBS 20039). Digipak 2014. Godard on tuba, serpent and bass, Sommer on drums & percussion and Bebelaar on piano. "Three Seasons" essence is in particular that each one of the three musicians contributes his very own "fragrance", thus at the same time finding the counterpoints with spontaneous and mutual operations, fed by a repertoire of already in other contexts tested and new pieces.
Brian Goder: Torque. Latham Records 5106-2. The composer, trumpetist and ensemble leader Brian Goder releases here an album with the Sam Rivers trio, featuring bassistDoug Mathews and drummer Anthony Cole, both being members since respectively 1993 and 1991. Rivers is heard here both on sax and flute and the innovative compositions of the trumpeter offer a perfect framework to his inspired improvisation skills.
Goldberg, Stu: Eye of the Beholder. Promising Music (MPS 441112). June 2010. This was the 2nd recording of the ex-Mahavishnu member for the German label MPS, originally recorded in Hollywood in 1981. It included a string quartet and the Afro-Cuban percussions of Lee Pastora
The label Golden Years can help you to better know the jazz from the ex soviet countries. Their program of rereleases is delightful such as for example "Taango In Nickelsdorf" with the Ganelin Trio or the third volume of Soviet New Jazz, a limited special edition of a 4Cdbox with a 28 p. booklet to present soviet jazz.
Gratkowski / Anderskov: Ardent Grass. Red Toucan (RT9340). April 2011. European improvisation at a top level, with German reed player Frank Gratkowski (alt sax, clarinet and bass clarinet) meeting Danish pianist Jacob Anderskov
Graziano, Simone: Trentacinque. Auand (AU9053). 8-10-15. Italian pianist Simone Graziano's third album marks his second recording as leader of his quintet, Frontal, featuring Gabriele Evangelista on double bass, Stefano Tamborrino on drums, David Binney on alto sax as well as the new entry, Dan Kinzelman on tenor sax. Graziano's tracks are made up of elaborated structures and improvisation, his ensemble looking back at long-term bands in traditional jazz, working on a signature collective sound. This via bipolarity in music, rhythmic illusions deriving from electronic music, with upbeats and downbeats mixing up over and over, pure improvisation, counterpoint or polyphonic dialogue, and even hip hop!
Gregg Bendian's Trio Pianissimo: Change (AGG 004). After his cover project of the music of Mahavishnu, Bendian is here back to an acoustic trio with pianist Steve Hunt and bassist John Lockwood
Grencsó Open Collective: Derengé/Dawn. 2 CD. Dec. 2015. This joint production between Hunnia Records (HRCD 1508) and Slam Productions (SLAMCD 565) is focusing on the compositions of Hungarian musician György Szabados; his music is much influenced by Hungarian folk music and has found its own recognised place in the culture of that country. Among the guests invited here are to be found violist Szilárd Mezei, Ádám Meggtes, Ábel Fazekas and Gergö Kovás.
Grid Mesh: Coordinates. FMR Records (FMRCD282-0210). 2010. Recorded on June 20th 2009 at Tonart/Loft, Köln, Germany. Guitarist Andreas Willers, alt and sopran saxophonist Frank Paul Schubert and drummer/percussionist Rudi Fischerlehner formed this trio after different collaborations within the Berlin scene and - in an open process of experimentation and development - reached a very personal band sound that can hardly be longer described as "jazz". Through a creative and anarchic exploitation of their musical vocabulary, the musicians almost elude the impression to move into a non-idiomatic realm: scenes may be reminiscent of rock, jazz or electronic styles, but are nonetheless floating in a non-repetitive rubatoish condition, melodic lines by the saxophone are being endangered by noise-guitars just to melt into innovative sound collages. A strong focus on counterpoint and connected textures almost completely erodes the classification in soloists and acompanyists.
Griffin, Johnny: Live At Ronnie Scott's Club. In+Out (IOR 77095). March 2011. Having played at the club for the first time in 1963, the saxophonist came back here to celebrate his 80th birthday in May 2008. With him on stage were trumpetist Roy Hargrove, the legendary drummer Billy Cobham and on bass Reggie Johnson; several pianists appeared too.
Henry Grimes / Rashied Ali: Going to the Ritual. Porter 4005. Jan. 09. Henry Grimes is on bass, violin and he sings as well. Recorded at the Columbia University in 2007.
Grundt, Cecilie: Order & Chaos. AMP Music & Records (AT065). Street date: 31-07-20. This 2nd album by the Norwegian saxophonist is an ode to the classic jazz quartet and the golden age of the 50's and 60's, with references to icons such as Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter or Joe Henderson from the Blue Note period. It has been worked out on a period of 10 years, slowly matured, with melody getting a key role!
Gubbiotti, Simone: Sinergy. ART. July 2009. Guitar/Hammond/Drums trio led by the Italian guitarist and featuring on drums the great Joe LaBarbera
H3B: Songs No Songs. Abalone Productions. Oct. 2012. This is the last recording by pianist Didier Badault - former director of the French big band ONJ (Orchestre National de Jazz) - and his trio, featuring violinist Régis Huby, bass player Sébastien Boisseau and the young trumpeter living in Berlin Tom Arthurs. The album was created in 2011 in Narbonne (festival Musiques au Présent) and Perpignan (festival Jazzèbre). H3B is characterized by an immoderate taste for a sound alchimy reflecting on melody, elaborated forms and free improvisation
Hepa Halme: Prospektor. Presence Records (PRECD-011). Release date: 14/05/08. This is a new album by woodwinds multi-instrumentalist Hepa Halme. The album includes seven attic jazz flavoured originals recorded at the artist's summer house in Pornainen, Finland. Halme has a long career behind him and his experience ranges from punk to free jazz to performing arts and beyond. Much has changed in the business of making music since the first ideas that ended up on this record saw the light of day. In fact, one of the main instigators for this album has been the fruitful employment of handy technology. Starting from scratch and applying layer after layer, summer after summer, Hepa Halme has built an audio mosaic minimalistic in many ways, yet so delicate in detail that it's only fair it has taken him some years to complete. Some of the musical concepts on this record even date back to the dawn of the 1980's when Hepa entered the local music scene. There's freedom and improvisation within Hepa's framework of, yes indeed, "attic jazz". But there's also form. These are songs. Introspective and delicate textures build up upon each other continuously as the compositions grow into entities in their own right. The album draws to a close by an excerpt of nightly bird song, a recorded fragment of the audio landscape where this music comes from. Yes, all this brings us to a careful comparison with another bird lover AND multi-reed instrumentist: Eric Dolphy. The music has somehow, somewhere, a Mingusian feel but it's just a brick in a bigger view of a much expressive artist!
Harmonize Most High: Babylon. Ruby Red (RR16). H.M.H. are one of the most blessed free jazz, psychedelic collectives. Their debut album his out now on limited edition with a beautiful art cover painted by Robert Ryan. Guaranteed that their music will take you to higher places!!
Harry Miller's Isipingo: Full steam Ahead. Reel Recordings (RR012). 2008. South African bassist Harry Miller (1941-1983) retains stature as an internationally recognized player who possessed both technical virtuosity and limitless musicality. One needs to only consider his gorgeous bass playing within the Mike Westbrook Concert Band and the legendary Brotherhood of Breath, to cite but two. During the mid-seventies Harry Miller formed Isipingo, a sextet crucible for his joyfully infectious Kwela inspired compositions. The musicians in the fray of these previously unreleased studio recordings read as a "who's who" of classic British Jazz; alto saxophonist Mike Osborne (1943-2007), pianists Stan Tracey or Keith Tippett, trumpeters Mongezi Feza (1945-1975) or Mark Charig, trombonists Nick Evans or Malcolm Griffiths, with the other half of Harry's heartbeat, drummer Louis Moholo, stoking the fiery coals. These men shined through Harry Miller's vibrant compositions, two of which appear here for the first time. Born out of numerous sweaty nights in London's Peanuts, Phoenix and 100 Club, these undeniably exhilarating recordings of Harry Miller's Isipingo remains a proud clarion for the present generation of jazz lovers.

Johnny Hawksworth Featuring Hampton Hawes: Anglo American Jazz Phase 1. Kray (INT7). Street date: 10-02-23. John Denis Hawksworth, British pianist, bassist, composer and arranger, worked with the Ted Heath Orchestra from 1951 to 1965. On this album, his compositions are played by a quartet with Hampton Hawes on piano, Peter King on alt sax, Henry Franklin on bass and Michael Carvin on drums and percussion. This reissue comes in jewel case with slipcase in a limited edition of 300 copies.
Hays, Kevin & Chiara Izzi: Across The Sea. Via Veneto Jazz (VVJ128). Street date: 07-02-19. This album is the outcome of an encounter of two musicians so distant and yet so inexorably close. A project where the music is always tangible, not volatile, particularly when born under a bright inspirational sky. Those holding the reins of this visionary journey between jazz and pop, America and Italy, dream and lyricism are, without doubt, the two artists: Chiara, with her warm, Mediterranean voice and Kevin, one of the most celebrated and admired pianists and composers on the American jazz scene who can boast distinguished pop music collaborations (James Taylor). Across the Sea is recorded at the legendary Sear Sound in New York; the outcome of diligent project work, with the collaboration of several guests such as Omer Avital, Gregoire Maret, Nir Felder, Chris Potter and Rogério Boccato that simply amplify the awareness that this shared journey, so rich and adventurous, began under the best auspices. The compelling predominance of melody, the osmosis between vocals and keyboards and the amazing confluence of their singing voices, have sublimated the tasks related to production into subtle finishing touches of a chisel, aromas, invitations and further sounds magically converging into the final work. The French horn in the emblematic "Two for the Road", the ancestral oud in the Miles Davis classic "Nardis", the punctual and decisive harmonica in Pat Metheny's "James", the caressing guitar in "Circles of the Mind", the sinuous saxophone in "Viaggio Elegiaco" are just a few examples.
A Hemphill, Julius boxset is planned for release in October 2012! Part of the Black Saint (BS) & Soul Note (SN) monographic boxset collection aimed at recounting the most beautiful chapters that revolutionised the history of jazz, this one gathers the following albums: Fat Man And The Hard Blues (BS 1991), Raw Materials And Residuals (BS 1978), Five Chord Stud (BS 1994) with the Julius Hemphill Sextet, Chile New York (BS 1998) with Warren Smith and Flat-out Jump Suite (BS 1980) with Julius Hemphill Quartet.
Alexandre Herer: Nunataq². Onze Heures Onze. Street date: 23-03-22. With Fender Rhodes, bass and drums, the French trio strikes again, in the continuity of their first effort in 2020. Inspired by the icy Greenland and focusing on grooves and experimental rhythm combinations, the album offers a much airy music, open and rich in colours and textures. The melodic lines are often angular and calling for unusual intervals shaping tension and blurring the cards of the expected! There are also extra players reinforcing the trio, from Magic Malik on flute to B.C. Manjunath on mridangam and a pair of saxophonists (Julien Pontvianne on tenor and Denis Guivarc'h on alto). With this album, Herer successfully morphs the spirit of the M'Base movement presented by Steve Coleman and his 5 Elements with the musical sonic universe of Rhodes' guru, Belgian Jozef Dumoulin.
Hofseth, Bendik: Trunks. C+C Records (CCD068). Street date: 31-07-20. First of a 4 parts project planned for 2020, Trunks is an instrumental jazz album featuring Eivind Aarset on guitar, Mats Eilertsen on bass, Helge Iberg on piano, Per Oddvar Johansen on drums and - cherry on the cake - Mike Mainieri on vibraphone. Seven compositions especially written for the band members and near friends make this album a very heartfelt one.
Honest John: Canarie. Rudi Records (RRJ1019). April 2014. This young Scandinavian quintet impresses for the actual ability to get through and integrate different styles and music languages. Declared or not, among their influences, we'll notice some apparently divergent associations, spanning from Dutch Free Jazz, through some unidentified folk echoes, to the serious music of composers like Webern and Sciarrino. The uninhibited and energetic sound of Honest John develops with great agility through the combination of different strategies such as open forms and complex structures. The group's original musical path appears as perfectly coherent within the Northern European Creative Music tradition. The line up is: Ole-Henrik Moe (violin), Kim Johannesen (guitar, banjo), Ola Høyer (bass), Erik Nylander (drums) and Klaus Ellerhusen Holm (alto sax, clarinet).
Huke, Kirsti: Weaving. Jazzland Recordings (3779268). Street date: 22-05-20. A conceptual album by the singer (also playing omnichord and harmonium), dealing with themes such as loneliness, brotherhood and friendship, climatic changes. The line up is rather unusual, with two drummers / percussionists (and drum macines too!) and Gunnar Halle on trumpet, synth and vocals.
Human Being Human: Equals. April Records (APR099CD / APR099LP). Street date: 17-06-22. Danish jazz trio led by bass player Torben Bjørnskov and also featuring Esben Tjalve (piano & keyboards) and drummer Frederik Bülow. With the jazz piano tradition at its core, the trio also offers a timeless openness, energic improvisations wiith syncopated riffs, traces of Bach's contrapuntic lines, electronic and ambient, many surprises and possibilities.
Husband, Gary: The Complete Diary of a Plastic Box. Angel Air 2-CD set (SJPCD252). May 6th, 08. The seminal, debut solo album of compelling music from a multi-instrumentalist and composer Gary Husband (John McLaughlin, Allan Holdsworth, Billy Cobham, Level 42, Gongzilla, Robin Trower, Jack Bruce) has his solo album reissued with an entire bonus CD of previously unreleased material and outtakes complete with all new liner notes and cover artwork.
I Know You Well Miss Clara: Chapter One. Moonjune Records (MJR057). Here is an experimental jazz quartet, formed in the summer of 2010 and hailing from Jogjakarta, Indonesia. With such wide-ranging influences as Soft Machine, Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Allan Holdsworth, Ornette Coleman, Matching Mole, and many more, the group continues to break new ground as it discovers and defines its musical identity. Within the classic format of guitar / keyboards / bass & drums, they worked óut a music that is dark and foreboding, mysterious, suspenseful and unpredictable: their creations are a breath of fresh air for a genre clamoring desperately for such sincerity.
Ibarra, Susie / Tsahar, Assif: Home Cookin'. Hopscotch (HOP01). First reference of this label, an unequalled duo tenor sax-drums beyond all hope!
Il Manifesto: A new label from Italy! And if you're a fan of the AACM, please read further ...
+ Art ensemble of Chicago: Reunion.Concert from october 22, 2003 recorded by the RAI Radio 3 of Rome. Another testimony of this great band!
+ Kocani Orkestar meets Paolo Fresu & Antonello Salis: Live! Il Manifesto CD 143. This presents a meeting between the K.Orkestar and Paolo Fresu + Antonello Salis, fixed on CD forever (above 60 mn). The tracks are taken from various live recordings during late February and early March. 2004. A great ethno-jazz CD by the Makedonian ensemble!
+ Roscoe Mitchell & The Note Factory: The Bad Guys. Live recording from 2000 at the Fano festival. Great Black Music!
+ Famoudou Don Moye: Bamako Chicago Express. Concert from Longiano, march 2002. Features the Malian musician Baba Sissoko.
+ El Negro & Robby Band: Live at Umbria Jazz. The cream of young Cuban musicians and Americans from New York mixing here funk, rap, salsa and latin jazz. In fact, the original drummer was Robbie Ameen but he suddenly got rejoined on stage by the great Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez. Smokin'!

Ionata, Max & Dado Moroni: Two For Stevie. Via Veneto Jazz (VVJ096). Feb. 2015. After their Ellington tribute record, Dado Moroni and Max Ionata are back together again in a project dedicated to another music icon: the legendary and incomparable Stevie Wonder, from the enormous success of Songs In The Key of Life to the enchanting melodic effusiveness of Hotter than July - in a crescendo of sensations with intriguing interplay between Moroni's piano and double bass and Ionata's sax - emotionally arousing listeners by melodically memorable rhythms with everlasting popularity.
Ismael Dueñas Trio: Diversions. Frank Andrada Music 2005 - FAM 22012. This young pianist from Catalonia is considered as one of the rising stars of contemporary jazz. The selection of tunes and composers is free as well as complex, going from classics by Ellington or Cole Porter to newer stuff by Bill Frisell or guitar hero Jimi Hendrix.
Iyer, Vijay: Panoptic Modes (Red Giant RG 11). 3rd project from a young player from India in which will be found the audacity of avant garde, his own Indian roots and the rhythmic complexity of the M Base school.
Jacky Molard Quartet: Mycelium. Innacord (INNA11720). March 2018. Contemporary jazz with Celtic undertones - Molard is from Britanny - this album sets focus on the need for togetherness in the troubled times we all live in. The quartet itself has been together since 2006, with no change in its line up, featuring among other French bass player Hélène Labarrière.
Jamal, Ahmad: Marseille. Jazz Village (JV570136). Digipak edition. July 2017. This release is the bejeweled work of a master musician who never says more than he has to but always says enough to make the world sit up and listen. At the age of 80 and with his newer trio consisting of Ames Cammack on double bass, Herlin Riley on drums and Manolo Badrena on percussion (add two vocalists guesting each on one track), Jahmal still redefines the frame(s) of a jazz piano trio, with an incredible elegance and maturity!
Jan Hammer Trio: Maliny Maliny. Promising Music (MPS 441092). June 2010. This is a live club recording from Munich in 1968. Hammer (on piano and organ) was then in transit from his native Czecoslovakia to the Berklee School of Boston. He was playing with fellow countryman George Mraz on bass and drummer Cees See. This release is part of the MPS reissue program
Clément Janinet: Ornette Under The Repetitive Skies III. Budapest Music Center Records (BMC CD 307). 3rd opus by the unit Ours (an acronym based on the initials of Ornette Under The Repetitive Skies). O.U.R.S. is probably prog deep down and also wonderfully classical in its form. It combines heritage and on-the-spot invention with infinite panache. It's griot (storyteller) jazz, and it's workshop pleasure. Something that makes music incredibly transmissible. Transmission ensured by Clément Janinet (violin, mandolin, percussion), Hugues Mayot (tenor saxophone, piano, percussion), Joachim Florent (double bass, percussion) and Emmanuel Scarpa (drums, vibraphone, percussion). Also featuring Arnaud Laprêt (percussion) and Ze Jam Afane (voice).
Jano: The Place Between Things. Via Veneto Jazz (VVJ118). Street date: 02-11-17. This third album resumes the electrophonic, rarefictional and visionary sonorities of the previous two, but expands the musical proposal into enthralling and elegant melodies, entrusted mainly to the splendid voice of Alessia Martegiani. The arrangements clearly showcase the collective plot, they are innervated by soul, expanding in noir appeal, delighted in bushy, well-crafted textures, interact effectively with inserts of words recited. The nature of concept-album sets each track as a stage in the search for unexplored spaces between things, but escapes the risk of rigidly limiting the evocative capacity of the sounds. Emiliano D'Auria (piano, Rhodes, electronics) is the composer and arranger of all the songs.
Jaromir Honzak Quintet: Present Past. This new release from the czech label Indies Records is a wonderful one and the first openly directed towards jazz. The leader is bassist and his composition skills are pretty well exposed here in a gorgeous, sonically rich and carefully electric/acoustic music definitely anchored in modern writing.
Jarrett, Keith: Budapest Concert. ECM (ECM 2700-1). Nov. 2020. The second complete show to be issued from Keith Jarrett's 2016 European tour - following on from the widely-acclaimed concert released as Munich 2016 - this double album documents the pianist's solo performance at the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall in Budapest. Jarrett, whose family roots reach back to Hungary, viewed the Budapest concert as akin to a homecoming, and the context inspired much creative improvisation. Where Jarrett's early solo concerts shaped a large arc of music over the course of an evening, the later concerts have generated suite-like structures, comprised of independent movements, each of them a marvel of spontaneous resourcefulness. Creative energy is applied also to familiar songs given as encores, "It's A Lonesome Old Town" and "Answer Me", transformed in the Budapest concert.
The Jazz Doctors: Intensive Care: Prescriptions Filled (The Billy Bang Quartet Sesssions 1983 / 1984). Cadillac Records (SGCCD020). Street date: 21-04-23. Alongside the vinyl reissue of the album "Intensive Care", the CD release also offers material from a previously unreleased session, recorded on October 23rd, 1984. If Billy Bang and Frank Lowe remain, bass player Rafael Garrett is here replaced by Wilber Morris, while drummer Denis Charles leaves place for Thurman Barker, also playing piano.
Jazz ze Studia A: Jazzový Orchestr Československého Rozhlasu. Gad Records. July 2017. One of the most interesting Czech big-bands in its marvelous live recordings from 1976. Jazz journey through diverse styles and colors! Released on CD for the first time, it is remastered from the original tape. Three additional tracks played by the orchestra in the same period are added. A short essay regarding those tracks can be found in a booklet.
Jean-Claude Bersegol Sextet: Other Thing. Durance (DUR 012012). April 2012. Both the label and the musicians are firmly connected to the region of Provence, in the South-East of France. Bersegol is a saxophone teacher at the music academy of Manosque and has set up a unit with an unusual instrumentation: two drums, barrel organ, the guitar of Alain Soler, saxes and bass clarinets, where we for one will find André Jaume; this first album could easily become a masterpiece!
Jessica Lurie Ensemble: Zipa Buka! Eclectic jazz from a Seattle based saxophonist and singer. Post bop, latin rhythms and klezmer accents as well as east european music are some of the elements of a very lyrical and dynamic mix.
Johan Lindvall Trio: No City, No Tree, No Lake. Jazzland Recordings (3779238). Street date: 13-09-19. Debut album by a Norwegian trio featuring Adrian Myhr on bass and Andreas Winther on drums. The music tries to open up for a universal form of jazz, with many references, from Ahmad Jamal to Blossom Dearie or Herbie Nichols.
New record by Polish singer and musician Anna Maria Jopek! Titled "ID" and released on May 14th, 2007, until later in Poland only. Anna Maria and her husband Marcin Kydrynski invited for this album a host of world famous musicians, just check the list: Mino Cinelu, who already worked with anna on the 2003 album "Farat", ECM relatively newly signed drummer Manu Katche, bass players Christian McBride & Richard Bona, the Brazilian guitarist Oscar Castro-Neves, saxophonist Branford Marsalis, the Tunisian oud player and singer Dhafer Youssef, Supersilent's Norwegian trumpetist Arve Henriksen .... and the highly valued Polish pianist Leszek Mozdzer. If you haven't heard yet the fascinating voice and musical sensitivity of A.M. Jopek, this could be an excellent place to start!
Joy: S/T. Street date: 12-05-23. Originally released in 1976 on vinyl, this post-bop album featuring among other In Cahoots trumpeter Jim Dvorak (back then James) is now reissued for the first time on vinyl by Cadillac Records(SGCLP022), remixed and remastered from the original tapes. Also available on CD (SGCCD022).
JPP: Project One. Musea Parallèle (MP 3239). Dec. 2011. Here's a much eclectic trio, each member bringing one initial to the band's name; J: Joel Widmaier is Haiti's most respected jazz drummer and a connoisseur of Caribbean drum rhythms. A big fan of Weather Report, of guitarist Pat Metheny and of drums studio legend Steve Gadd, he knows well how to blend different kinds of music with Haitian rhythms and musical styles. P: Pascale Monier is a French classically-trained musician who studied piano and the semiclassical instrument "Ondes Martenot". She is also a bass and Chapman Stick player and a true admirer of composer Olivier Messiaen, of King Crimson's Tony Levin and of Van der Graaf's Peter Hammill. P: Poncho, Alfonso Medina is a Mexican classical trained guitarist and composer, but also a jazz, blues and rock fan. An enthusiast of Bach's works and of Prokofiev's harmony, he has been influenced by Rush, Pink Floyd or even Al Di Meola in his playing. For this album, most of their influences were brought in: jazzy pieces and melodic songs, heavy rock guitars and the delicacy of classicism, world music in the form of Haitian voodoo drums and Mexican pre-Hispanic ocarinas. What would they do with all these different styles? Well, "JPP" as pronounced in French ("jeepepay") is an expression in Haitian Creole that means "whatever will be, will be". The result became "Project One", a varied but still concise record, a blend of different styles and influences from three different countries by three different musicians in the same path.
Kalfa / Dumitriu / Badenhorst: Black Sea Songs. El Negocito Records (eNR102). Street date: 04-09-21. Renowned Belgian clarinetist Joachim Badenhorst joins the Amsterdam duo Sanem Kalfa (vocals, electronic) and George Dumitriu (violin, guitar) and together they dive into the rich, traditional music of the Black Sea area. Old Ottoman melodies are given a contemporary interpretation with electronic accents and open improvisations.
Sylvain Kassap - Hamid Drake: Heads or Tails. 2CD Rogue Art (ROG-0072). Dec. 2016. Kassap on various clarinets and Drake on either drums or frame drum show here an immense musical empathy, a testimony of years of collaboration, achieving a high level of total harmony and synchrony!
Kaze: Atody Man. Circum Disc (CL204). Feb. 2018. Those guys have been together for 8 years now and the bond is strong! With a minimalistic writing, different for each of the members, they cast themselves in deep and spirited musical exchanges full of surprises. It's nearly as if they talked to each other without words!
Kaze: Uminari (Circum-Libra 203). New album planned for Spring, a double trumpet quartet, with Natsuki Tamura & Christian Pruvost on trumpet, Satoko Fujii on piano and Peter Orins on drums. No bass!
Kaze: Tornado. Circum Libra Records 202. June 2013. This is the second release by the quartet of Satoko Fujii and Natsuki Tamura with French trumpeter Christian Fruvost and drummer Peter Orins.
Kaze & Ikue Mori: Sand Storm. Circum-Libra 205. Kaze - the cooperative quartet featuring Japanese composer-pianist Satoko Fujii, husband and trumpeter Natsuki Tamura along with French trumpeter Christian Pruvost and drummer Peter Orins - welcomes here pioneering laptop player Ikue Mori as a special guest. It's no easy task for a band that's been together for 10 years to add a player without upsetting a well-developed group balance, but the merger proves to be a natural one. Sand Storm's vibrant collective improvisations and brilliant soloing make this a highpoint in the life of the band.
Keith Tippett Tapestry Orchestra: First Weaving (Red Eye Music). Recording from the 1998 Le Mans Jazz Festival; a gigantic session which became an underground classic despite never being commercially available. Originally commissioned by the BBC it stayed under wraps because the intention was to produce a studio recording for which the funding never materialised. The Tapestry Orchestra gathers musicians who were there right at the beginning in Centipede - among them Larry Stabbins, Louis Moholo, Mark Charig, Paul Rutherford, Dave Amis, Julie Tippetts, Maggie Nicols and the late Elton Dean. First Weaving unites some of the most important innovators on the British scene, playing in a setting well beyond national boundaries. It has taken nine years for this brilliant performance to be heard on this 2CD!
Komeda, Krzysztof: People Meet and Sweet Music Fills the Heart. GAD Records (GAD CD 060). Sept. 2017. Here's the colourful soundtrack from Henning Carlsen's erotic comedy for the first time in complete form on CD. Jazz meets latin music! Remaster with bonus tracks (incl. outtakes), booklet with english liner notes.
Komolafe, Dadisi: Hassan's Walk. Nimbus West (NS3035). May 2011. A vibrating testimony of Californian soul jazz in 1981, an alto sax sound that reminds of an early Gary Bartz, an originality level close to the best albums of the defunct Strata-East label, a post Coltranian energy, the presence of the under-recorded drummer Sonship Theus, enough reasons for getting this album!
The russian pianist Andrei Kondakov is really one to be discovered; together with bassist Vladimir Volkov and the fabulous french hornist Arkady Shilkloper he released Outline (Boheme Music CDBMR 912119), which easily could be presented as a new form of the Moscow Art Trio. In duet with guitarist Paul Bollenback or alone at the piano he released "Alone And Together" Boheme CDBMR201227), a mixture of jazz standards, personal compositions and one Lennon-Mc Cartney song (And I Love Her). Finally, "Kind Of Optimistic" is the gathering on CD of two sesssions, the first with his working band from St Petersburg and the other from a russian tour with Paul Bollenback, drummer Ralph Peterson, saxophonist Ravi Coltrane and New York based bassist D. Kolesnik
Toshinori Kondo/Massimo Pupillo/Tony Buck: Eternal Triangle. I Dischi Di Angelica (IDA052). Street date: 25-11-22. Recorded in May 2019 in Bologna, Italy, during the 29th Festival Internazionale di Musica. In this concert, which fatefully remained the trio's only one (Kondo passed away in October 2020), the connection among the musicians appears perfect, creating a dialogue through which each one drew equally from their own experiences and backgrounds to add nuances to the sound palette! Mastered by Bob Drake.
Konitz / Cheek / Furic Leibovici: Jugendstil II. ESP 4059. July 10. Produced by Jim Black (here featured on glockenspiel, vibraphone and clockwork), here's a new work written by bass player Stéphane Furic Leibovici, with alt saxophonist Lee Konitz invited as super guest. This is a refined chamber music subtly mixing written and improvised parts
Benjamin Koppel / Chano Domínguez / Jacob Andersen: ¡Ritmo! Cowbell Music AVC-05. March 06. The Danish jazz saxophonist, here with his Danish colleague on percussion (Andersen is a much used session man) and Chano Domínguez on piano; compositions by Koppel and two originals by Chano. Special digipack edition.
Wayne Krantz: Write Out Your Head. Abstract Logix Music. Street date: 14-01-20. The first studio album from Wayne Krantz since "Good Piranha Bad Piranha". Featuring Gabriela Anders (Vox/Percussion) and saxophonist Chris Potter, the album is built around the drumming of Keith Carlock and four bass players, opening for multiple combinations. From long time partner Tim Lefebvre to legendary Will Lee, the bass chairs are also seated by *newcomers* like Orlando Le Fleming and Pino Palladino. Beside his guitar playing, Krantz also stands for some sequencing on Rhodes! Though characteristically personal and free-spirited, the record is, aside from the drums, almost entirely devoid of improvisation and is the most dedicated tribute to Krantz' compositional ear since 1993's "Long To Be Loose".
Joachim Kühn: Poison. In+Out (IOR 77071). April 2011. This trio recording with French bass player Jean-Paul Celea and drummer (plus electronics) Wolfgang Reisinger is dedicated to covers of famous pop-rock hits, a dangerous exercise that can trap many; but this trio is a winner and succeeds in transcending the originals!
Rolf Kühn / Joachim Kühn: Love Stories. In+Out (IOR 77061). June 2011. Two brothers reunited in a piano/clarinet conversation! The scintillating and relaxed lines of the piano are commented and completed by a clarinet of a rare fluidity.
Kyle Bruckmann's Wrack: Cracked Refractions. Porter (POR4061). March 2012. With the leader on oboe and horn, bass clarinet and viola as the other voices and percussion + acoustic bass as rhythm basis, you surely open the doors of a chamber universe, here crossed with jazz like in Charles Ives meets the Afro-American continuum of Anthony Braxton
Kyle Bruckmann's Wrack: S/T. Red Toucan (RT 9323). Feb. 09. Between jazz and modern chamber music, this album offers unique timbral combinations: oboe, French horn, alto sax and trombone. No drums but percussions (Tim Daisy) for a more delicate expression. 6 original compositions and a cover of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman"
La Pichanga: Arriba De La Pelota. La Pichanga has been performing live in Chile since the dawn of the decenny, and this jazz trio with an unusual line-up (drums, alto sax and bass) has finally released their first CD in 2006. In their debut work they experiment and improvise freely, with elements of downtown-jazz, avant-garde jazz-rock and Chilean music. Saxophonist Edén Carrasco and drummer Cristián Bidart are also part of the aclaimed group Akinetón Retard, which influence is heard in La Pichanga's music, as well as Ornette Coleman, Branford Marsalis and Soft Machine.
Lake / Tchicai / Osgood / Westergaard: S/T. Passin' Thru (PTR 41224). Culled from a concert during a tour in Denmark in 2003, this album associates Oliver Lake (alto sax and poetry) to the late saxophonist John Tchicai, backed by the young Danish *rhythm team* of Kresten Osgood on drums and Jonas Westergaard on bass.
Large Unit: EthioBraz. PNL Records CD & LP (PNL049 / PNL049LP). Street date: 13-12-19. Drummer Paal Nilssen-Love's Large Unit presents this time a fascinating combination of Brazilian percussionists and the Ethiopian ensemble Fendika. Having visited Ethiopia for the first time in 2009 and toured in Brazil in 2013, this project gains from a long maturity of thoughts and handlings: several visits in both countries as well as the creation of an impressive network of clubs, promotors, schools, musicians and dancers naturally led to this recording made during the 2018 Molde Jazz Festival,with a prominent special guest in the person of guitarist Terrie Ex, whose band The Ex doesn't need any further presentation. Terry has been a key person in connecting the Scandinavians with the Ethiopian musical culture and the resulting meeting / recording is already a true success!
Stian Larsen / Colin Webster / Andrew Lisle: Zeal And Perseverance. Va Fongool (VAFCD021). Street date: 15-11-19. Norwegian Stian Larsen and his noise-rock guitar meet here in studio British free jazz musicians Colin Webster (sax) and Andrew Lisle (drums) for an all improvised dynamic session, conceptually built around the unique, humoristic post-modern vocabulary of Irish writer Flann O?Brians.
Lassen, Harald: Human Samling. Jazzland Recordings (3779317). Street date: 13-11-20. Not really an outsider, multi-instrumentist Lassen - here featured on saxophone, Midi Me, piano, percussion and vocals - is in fact a musician who already has been there with soon three solo albums, as well as on several other projects, which makes him one of the most growing musicians among young generations, with a firm thirst for moving freely! And so can his music also be perceived: inviting, seeking and quirky, personal but never dogmatic!
Last Exit: Headfirst Into The Flames (DMG 701). March 09. CD reissue. Originally released on the Muworks label, those live recordings from 1989 in either Munich or Stockholm are among the best this power quartet delivered. The rhythm section of Ronald Shannon Jackson & Bill Laswell is at its hottest, propulsing both guitarist Sonny Sharrock and saxophonist Peter Brötzmann to new heights
Lauroshilau: Live at Padova. El Negocito Records (eNR098). Street date: 04-03-21. The international trio Lauroshilau, exponents of the creative European underground scene, offer an extremely original musical vision, using both the pure research of contemporary music and the new languages of electro-acoustic improvisation. With their long experience, from experimental music to jazz, they build minimal soundscapes, exploring the cracks and sparkles in space and time. Audrey Lauro: alto saxophone & preparations / Pak Yan Lau: toy pianos, synthesizer & electronics / Yuko Oshima: drums.
Joëlle Léandre / Pascal Contet: Area Sismica. We Insist! (WEIN12). Street date: 25-09-20. French double bass player, composer and improviser Joëlle Léandre is found here in the company of Pascal Contet, accordionist, in a concert recorded live at the Area Sismica in Forlì, Italy. The duo has already three albums to their credit and more than twenty years of common experience. Crystal clear recording, direct music, deep understanding!
Leboucher-Radiguet, Eric: Alone Together. ELR 3444. This is a series of guitar duos with 3 other great jazz players, Joe Dorio, Sid Jacob & John Stowell. Mostly standards!
Levin, Elliot: Meets The Seesaw Ensemble. Porter (POR1001). Music high in colours and paroxisms, between free jazz and psychedelia, that certainly would rejoice fans of the albums made by John & Alice Coltrane together or those made by Sun Ra in the same time period
Levin, Pete: Möbius. November 2017. Keyboardist-arranger-composer Pete Levin's ninth solo release, Möbius, was recorded live in the studio in two days, capturing the "no boundaries" spirit of Gil Evans. The music explores textural grooves ranging from straight-ahead bop to funk, world-beat, and the experimental. The disc features 10 tracks including eight originals, "I Mean You" by Thelonious Monk & Coleman Hawkins, and "There Comes A Time" by Tony Williams. Anchored by two iconic musicians, Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel, Stick Men) and Lenny White (Return To Forever, Miles Davis, Freddy Hubbard) this high-energy band and the compositions have the spontaneity and dynamics of a 'live' performance. The album was recorded in December, 2016, mixed in April, 2017 and slated for the official release in November 2017, and features internationally-known musicians: Alex Foster (Saturday Night Live Band, Jaco Pastorius, Herbie Hancock), Chris Pasin, Jeff Ciampa, Nanny Assis and guest musicians Jerry Marotta, Erik Lawrence, Rob Paparozzi & Kal David.
Levin Brothers, The: Special Delivery. Self-release. Mostly known for his membership in King Crimson, bass player Tony Levin and his brother Pete came in 2014 with a self-titled debut release, a long overdue first album by two brothers who've been recording individually for ... well, a lot of years! It was a return home to the music they first shared as kids, the 'cool jazz' of the 50's. For this album, recorded in 2017 at the return of their second tour in South America, they picked eleven of their favorite pieces, recorded at three of their shows. For the album and the live band, Pete and Tony recruited two friends, saxophonist Erik Lawrence and drummer Jeff Siegel.
A Lewis, George boxset is planned for release in October 2012! Part of the Black Saint (BS) & Soul Note (SN) monographic boxset collection aimed at recounting the most beautiful chapters that revolutionised the history of jazz, this one gathers the following albums: Homage to Charles Parker (BS 1979), Shadowgraf (BS 1978), The Imaginary Suite (BS 1979) with Douglas Ewart, Change of Season (BS 1985) and Dutch Masters (BS 1987) - both under the name and leadership of Misha Mengelberg
The Liberators: Power Struggle. Record Kicks (RKX044). Nov. 2013. Born in an unused factory space in urban Sydney, The Liberators - a compelling 10-piece Afrofunkjazz steamroller - have relentlessly pushed their sound to become leaders in the Australian Afrobeat resurgence. With their second album "Power Struggle", The Liberators have gone deeper and darker into the polyrhythmic, horn-driven realms of Afrobeat, producing eight weighty songs worthy of fueling any revolution. With a maturing mix of jazz, latin, soul and funk, it's obvious the sounds of fracturing world events echo throughout the album.
Libre(s) Ensemble: S/T. IMR Records (IMR003). Jan. 2011. This big band, initiated by the drummer Bruno Tocanne offers an original music without border: from pop-rock-psychedelic to free jazz, without forgetting groove or world music,... With this "egalitarian" orchestra, not subjected to the autocracy of a single leader - each one comes with his ideas, his sense of play, of listening to others and his scores - it's all the enthusiasm, the generosity and the inventiveness of this collective of musicians which is represented here.
Liebman / Parker / Bianco: Relevance. Red Toucan (RT 9338). May 2010. Saxophonist Dave Liebman had never played with his colleague Evan Parker, even if they both come from the same Coltranian mould. It happened then at the Londonian club The Vortex, on January 28th,2008. Two sets of improvised music, with drummer Tony Bianco as the *glue* needed to this kind of meeting!
Light Trio: Giallo Italiano. This album is the synthesis of seven years by the Light Trio. The repertoire is picked from diverse origins, filtered by a slight sound, but of great emotional intensity. An eclectic music, intimate, but with "orchestral" and great rhythmic intensity that enhances the melodic composition that makes this album particularly "Italian". The songs are composed entirely by its leader and pay homage to both the language of jazz and Brazilian music.
Lipa, Peter: Live in Akropolis Prague. This is a CD + DVD. You will find 19 tracks on this concert DVD recorded in March 2005, more than two hours of live music, and also bonus videos and photogallery. Peter Lipa is an internationally respected jazz and blues singer and composer. His previous release was an interpretation of the music by The Beatles.
Locatelli, Giancarlo Nino: Situations. We Insist! CD / LP (CDWEIN03/LPWEIN04). Street date: 14-06-19. Clarinettist Giancarlo Locatelli can be considered the Italian greatest Steve Lacy expert. "Situations" is a solo clarinet immersion through the music of the great American soprano sax player. Locatelli catches the essence of Lacy's music through a series of creative renditions of some of his historical compositions
René Lussier: Au Diable Vert. Circum-disc (microcidi032). Street date: 30-09-22. Another project that got affected by Covid-confinement time, this recording evolved in many unexpected directions but bound by one common and strong factor: "the joy of moving forward blindly and holding on until the end of the journey".
Jean-Marie Machado & Danzas: Cantos Brujos. La Buissonne (RJAL397045). Street date: 24-02-23. With references to Manuel de Falla's work "L'Amour Sorcier" but also to some extent referring to the jazz current "third stream" or classical composers of French impressionism, the eclectic composer and pianist achieves here an impressive work, working like a sculptor or a colorist, making use of and integrating various reflections, musical ideas and references, with at hand dedicated musicians offering a wide sonic palette, from wind to string instruments, and all kind of refined subtleties (cello or bass clarinet but no bass, percussions but no drums). A work of love filled with so many cultural details that it fully shines like a true jewel!
Madco, Machy: Sueño Azul (2007) - Argentina - {Fusion,/Latin/Prog Fusion}
Magnus Öström Group: A Room For Travellers. Jazzland Recordings (3779556). Street date: 05-05-23. Already the 4th album for the ex-E.S.T. drummer and his group! Conceived as an invitation to a journey, but just as much about an introspective one, the journey within. Magnus' hope is that for the listener the album can become a space to travel to, and to travel in, an infinite space. But above all, the album is about being in the present and seeing nature, the oceans and our surroundings as part of ourselves and thereby hopefully becoming more humble and careful with what we have, and aware of what we might lose.
Magris, Roberto & Big Band Ritmosinfonica Citta' Di Verona: Restless Spirits. Magris' best compositions performed by a 43-piece super big band that can blow your socks off !!! Freshness, dynamics, power, the kind of heart-felt passion typical of young musicians, the unique colour of the Fender Rhodes, are some of the things you'll find therein ...
Mahanthappa, Rudresh: Black Water. Red Giant 12. 2nd album (the first on PI Recordings) by the Indian saxophonist with an earthy sound and close to the inflections of the human voice.
Mal Waldron Quartet: From Dark Into The Light. Tutu CD 888220. Recorded live at Essen and Göppingen, Germany in 1992 and 1994, the quartet featured Nicola Simion with that unmistakeable influence of his Transylvanian horn sound on the tenor saxophone, Waldron's long time associate, bassist Ed Schuller and drummer Victor Jones.
Mansour, Ahmad: "Short Cuts". Open Sky Records (OPE 89022). 9th album for this american-iranian guitarist sided by a Norwegian rhythm section and still keeping up crafting a highly personal musical style which crosses any border (jazz, rock, new music, ethnic ?). A challenging record calling for a variety of instrumental colours and techniques. Ahmad Mansour: guitar, Terje Gewelt: bass, Erik Smith: drums.
Marco Cortesi EUP: Spring Thing. PBR Record (PBR J302). October 2015. Excellent quartet led by a guitarist - also handling guitar-synthesizer - whose project was born from a series of concerts in Switzerland. Featuring Israeli drummer Asaf Sirkis and bass player Yuri Goloubev, as well as Gianluca di Lenno exclusively on Fender Rhodes, the album is stylistically eclectic, from fusionish, drum-bass oriented moments to more mainstream oriented other and a tribute to Ornette Coleman on the tune "Cathelin Gray", featuring a solo guitar arrangement by the leader.
Maria Schneider Orchestra: Data Lords. ArtistShare (AS0176). Street date: 24-07-20. 2CD set with CDs in cardboard sleeves and tri-fold cardboard slipcase. Includes a 68 page booklet, slipcase and book gold embossed. This new album presents Maria's vision of the often times vicious digital world vs. the neglected "natural" world (art, poetry, unblemished landscapes, and especially open-eared silence); this is brought to full fruition here, with disc 1 titled "The Digital World" and disc 2 named "Our Natural World". Though our digital connection can provide needed communication throughout the world, its rush to commercialism through mining customer's spending habits, and allowing manipulation of our daily life through addicting platforms, has corrupted its intent to improve our lives, and equalize our world's inequities. Daily we look down at our digital devices, while ignoring the simple beauty of the "natural" world around us!
Mariano, Charlie "Frontier Traffic" (Konnex KCD 5110). A new recording by the ever young (soon 80) Charlie Mariano in company of the switz drummer Daniel Humair and the bass player Ali Haurand. An ambitious mix of authority, virtuosity and inspiration, a very emotional discourse and a rare quality in "finesse".
Issued on CD for the first time ever, Charlie Mariano's "Reflections" goes back to 74, was recorded in finland and awarded 5 stars in Down Beat on June 15, 1978. Released by Whatmusic.
Mario Rusca Trio: Monochrome Blues. Mono Jazz (MJC129003CD). Street date: 28-04-23. Mario Rusca is most probably the biggest living Italian jazzman. He is here recording with Riccardo Fioravanti (bass) and Tony Arco (drums). Several "blues-stamped" compositions, jazz standards - older and more modern ones - and a few penned by himself make the repertory of this album.
Maroney, Denman: Fluxations. A virtuoso of hyper-piano (playing with the left hand while the right works inside the piano), Denman has around him experienced and fitting partners like Ned Rothenberg or Mark Dresser, just to name a few.
Martial, Leïla: Baabel. Label Laborie (LJ39). Oct. 2016. This is the second album as leader by the singer, presenting her new quartet Baabox and crossing several paths, from jazz landscapes with electronic effects to rock flights with dynamic structures and human bass provided by drummer Eric Perez. Saxophonist Emile Parisien also appears as super guest
Mary Halvorson Quintet: Bending Bridges. Firehouse 12 (FH 01016). April 2012. The new guitar prodigy shows here a true orchestral knowledge, neatly mixing the written and the improvised, carefully playing with balances but not afraid of taking risks; placing herself on top of a typical hard-bop line up (sax + trumpet + rhythm section), she blurs the setting with her atypical and very personal guitar lines and phrasing.
Mathisen, Hans: Moving Forward. Curling Legs (CLPCD168). April 2019. Back to a quintet format and the ECM esthetic, the Norwegian guitarist has this time with him some highly profiled musicians of the Scandinavian and European jazz scene, from ex-Steps member and saxophonist Bendik Hofseth, British pianist Jason Rebello, ECM artist and bass player Mats Eilertsen and the somehow urban and energetic drummer Audun Kleive.
Matteo Bortone Travelers: Time Images. Auand (AU9052). 8-10-15. French-Italian quartet led by the 30-year-old Italian double bass player Matteo Bortone, offering electro-acoustic moments and rarefied atmospheres, exploring all the connections between improvisation and avant-garde rock, always emphasizing the collective sound instead of the individual one. Unlike their first work, the sound palette is now enriched with more instruments, such as electric bass, synth and clarinet (besides alto sax and bass clarinet), adding new shades to improvisations as well as explaining a research in writing that focuses on the whole group instead of the quartet only ("Intro Crackle" was written as a 4-voices choral with double bass, synth, clarinet and bass clarinet). In such perspective, the synth has a co-leading role in some improvisations and also acts as a main thematic voice. With the exception of the famous Led Zeppelin's rock song "Houses of the Holy", Bortone has penned all tracks.
Matthieu Donarier Trio: Live Forms. Yolk (J2047). Street date: 13/10/09. Sax, guitar, drums trio celebrating their 10 years of existence with this live recording. Their music is marked by a generous melodic playing and the word "poly-***" could be described as the basis of their writing: polyrythms, stylistic aboundance, from classical Eric Satie (Gnossienne N°3 here) to French singers Charles Trénet or Georges Brassens via improvisations and re-arranging! They have toured a lot throughout the world and absorbed many cultures, sent afterwards into their musical mincer
Mazurek, Rob & Jeff Parker: Some Jellyfish Live Forever. RogueArt (ROG-0110). Together or on their respective projects, the two have known each other since more than 20 years and explored different ways of musical creation. This new meeting brings therefore to mind words like empathy, telepathy, listening of each other even in the upper heights!
Mccaslin, Donny: Perpetual Motion. Green Leaf (GRE1017). Jan. 2011. The talented tenor saxophonist shows here the many facets of his art, bringing forth a sharp post-bop, some overpowered funk and groovy R&B. To match the challenge, he brought therefore some strong and daring players: keyboardists Uri Caine & Adam Benjamin (did anyone hear of Kneebody's drummer Antonio Sanchez (Pat Metheny Group), saxophonist David Binney, just to name a few ...
The South-African pianist and leader of the legendary band The Blue Notes makes again the actuality with a few exciting reissues!
- Chris McGregor Septet: Up To Earth. Fledg'ling Records (FLD 3069). Oct. 08. Unbelievable to think that with people such as trumpetist Mongezi Feza, British reedman John Surman, saxophonists Dudu Pukwana and Evan Parker and the rhythm section (see below), the test pressings of this session would remain on the shelves for nearly 40 years!
- Chris McGregor Trio: Our Prayer. Fledg'ling Records (FLD 3070). Oct. 08. Presented as a cardboard digipack and remastered from the original master tapes, this is the forgotten second part of the "Up To Earth" session from 1969, featuring drummer Louis Moholo and bassist Barre Phillips
McLaughlin, John: Where Fortune Smiles. Esoteric Recordings (ECLEC2605). Street date: 29-09-17. Originally a John Surman album, market laws quickly attributed this album to the guitarist and it is now available on CD in a new edition, remastered from the original Dawn master tapes and featuring an illustrated booklet which restores the original album artwork and insert, plus an essay by aficionado Sid Smith. Alongside McLaughlin and Surman, the band also included Karl Berger, Stu Martin & Dave Holland.
McPhee/Nilssen-Love: Song for the Big Chief. PNL Records (PNL046). Street date: 04-10-19. This album has its source in a 2017 concert in London by the duo, just one day after hearing of the death of free jazz iconic drummer Sunny Murray. The present album title refers of course (also visual elements on the cover) to "Big Chief", Murray's classic album from 1969. Recorded in his spirit, the goal of the album is to create new sounds and move the music towards the future!
Meier, Nicolas: Infinity. Favored Nations Entertainment. New studio album by the UK based Swiss-born guitarist, in excellent company with two legendary LA studio veterans, bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta. The album features eleven songs showcasing Nicolas' chameleon-like adaptability (as a player and composer), as his pristine sonic exploits defy stylistic bounds! Whether he's the spy sprinting through a Middle Eastern bizarre, a chilled morning breeze winding through the Alps, or the 6-string acrobatic, dancing madly with abandon a couple hundred feet up, Meier provides compelling, convincing evidence that he's one of today's most accomplished and visionary guitarists.
Myra Melford / Tanya Kalmanovitch: Heart Mountain. Perspicacity PR03. Sept. 07. Piano/harmonium & alto/violin duo in a vein not unlike another similar duo, the one with Mark Feldman & Sylvie Courvoisier
Mengelberg, Misha: Rituals of Transition. Angelica Records (IDA043). Street date: 23-10-20. Solo performance of a premiere recording that took place during the 12th edition of the AngelicA Festival in Bologna, in 2002.
Pat Metheny: Side Eye NYC V1.IV. Modern Recordings (538693922). Street date: 10-09-21. First album following Methený's new concept of inviting musicians who know his music or are hardcore fans to come and record, see what happens! The present trio features American pianist and keyboardist James Francies and drummer Marcus Gilmore. The result is 30 minutes of intricate new music set alongside a few unexpected and creative re-workings of Metheny classics re-imagined.
Michael Musillami's Dialect: Fragile Forms. Playscape Recordings PSR030506. Nov. 06. Led by a guitar player, this quartet features the rhythm section of Drew Gress & Matt Wilson and plays a music following the rules of art jazz with poignancy and nerve.
Michiel Borstlap Trio: Coffee And Jazz. Gramercy Park GPM050505. Release date: 19/03/07. With drummer Pascal Vermeer and bassist Stefan Lievestro. Winner of the Thelonious Monk/BMI Composers Award 1996 in Washington, USA, Bortslap is a young and quickly raising Dutch pianist who worked with many great jazz names (Herbie Hancock, Pat Metheny, Wayne Shorter, Bill Bruford). The material of this CD is mainly standards (Cole Porter among others).
Mike Westbrook Concert Band, The: The Last Night At The Old Place. Cadillac Jazz (SGCCD016). Recorded on May 25, 1968 at Ronnie Scott's Old Place in Gerrard Street, Chinatown, this was also the very last gig at this venue. Now available worldwide on May 25 2018 - 50 years to the day from its recording!
Milian, Jerzy: Pretekst. GAD Records. October 2017. Unreleased recordings from 1974-75. Funk, bossa nova, orient and instrumental versions of hits. Remastered from original tapes, available on CD and LP
Phil Minton / Roger Turner: Ammo (GY 22). Recorded in 1988 at the Festival des Musiques Innovatrices de Saint-Etienne, France. A voice/percussion duo who wasn't afraid of much! A welcome reissue.
Released on the label Nessa, several albums by saxophonist and reedman Roscoe Mitchell have been reissued, due to April 2012.

+ LRG / The Maze / S II Examples (NES 14). Recordings from 78 on which Mitchell was trying out new compositional modes; except from Lester Bowie, the rest of the Art Ensemble is present on this album and so are also Henry Threadgill and Anthony Braxton, featured on .... percussions.
+ Congliptious (NES 002). From 1968, this is in fact the first outcast of the AEC, without drummer Don Moye, here replaced by Robert Crowder and without reedman Joseph Jarman; All the stylistic specificities of the AEC are already here, from the use of small percussions to the huge impressionistic landscapes or the playful melodic riffs
+ Nonaah (NES 09). Sessions made in 76 and 77 in formats going from alt sax solo to saxophone quartet, with all intermediate steps inbetween; duos with Malachi Favors or Anthony Braxton, trio with Muhal Richard Abrams and trombonist George Lewis
+ Before There Was Sound (NES 34). Two sessions from 1965, featuring Roscoe's first quartet, already with his upcoming AEC partner Malachi Favors
+ Snurdy McGurdy and Her Dancin' Shoes (NES 20). Recorded in the early 80's under the name of Roscoe Mitchell Sound Ensemble, this relatively overseen album oscillated between climatic minimalism à la Morton Feldman and unbridled jazz funk; fresh and innovative!
+ Old/Quartet Sessions (NES 27). This double CD anticipates the founding of the AEC and restitutes the entirety of the sessions recorded in 1967 by Mitchell/Bowie/Favors with drummer Philip Wilson
Mold is a young new german/danish band with a quite interesting instrumentation of two guitarists facing two blow instruments, one of them taking care of saxophone and clarinets, the other one trumpet and fluegelhorn. Their debut album "Republic of …" is out on Quilombo Records. The music is definitely anchored in a contemporary jazz spirit (both written and improvised) but also offers modern chamber like aspects mixed with reflections on the balkan musical traditions and culture or their vision of a certain New York style and sound. Absolutely worth discovering
Mondongo: Transparent Skin. Megaplomb (MPL010). 25/02/11. Named after a traditional soup from Latin America made with tripe, root vegetables, and pork hocks, the music on this album is also a mixture of hearty ingredients. It is a modern blend of jazz framed by elaborate melodies played collectively in a baroque style. The rhythm is often quite agressive, with bass and drums pumping a sort of hip hop-funk/alt rock groove. There are also dashes of more open improvisation that allow the music to breath before once again re-establishing its assertive force. The music is a launching pad for the saxophone (two of them are featured here) and the compositions themselves pay homage to John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, and Steve Coleman. Mondongo is the Italian quartet of Canadian drummer André Michel Arraiz-Rivas, who composed all the music on this album.
T.S. Monk: Two Continents One Groove. Storyville (1018530). Street date: 17-06-22. New album by the drummer and his sextet, featuring among other guitarist Dave Stryker, original member Willie Williams on tenor sax, bass player Kenny Davis. A groovy and swinging album!
Alphonse Mouzon: Virtue. Promising Music (MPS 441102). June 2010. Originally released in 1977, this recording presented other faces of the drummer, as he was playing synths, xylophone and ... singing! With him were Stu Goldberg on keyboards, the rather unknown Welton Gite on bass and saxophonist (ss,as) Gary Bartz .
Mowday, Shannon: The Land In Between. Jazzland Recordings (3779304). Street date: 02-10-20. Born in South Africa, having lately lived in Australia, Shannon Mowday is a musician who specialized herself in challenging instruments such as baryton or bass saxophone, bass or contra-alto clarinet. She's backed by a piano trio featuring the today reknown pianist Helge Lien, drummer Erik Nylander and bass player Johannes Eick.
Paolo Volpato Group: Contro. Lizard (LZ0159CD). May 2020. Great jazz-rock in Alan Holdsworth guitar style!
New releases from NABEL Records!:
+ Graef / Schippa Moritz: Orlando Frames. Exciting trio instrumentation for an unpredictable collectively improvised journey: sopran, tenor & bass saxes / electric & acoustic guitars, electronics / percussion, sounds.
+ Zinctone:789/578. This group is formed by musicians with different musical backgrounds and the result is music between rock, jazz and avantgarde. Touch guitar and violin are among the tasty instruments to add to guitar, bass and drums. Some vocals too!
+ Liroco: Tre. 3rd album for this trio bass/guitar/sax inspired by Oregon.
Nam: Song Of Time / Live At The Vision Festival. This live recording features trumpetist Ahmed Abdullah, baritone saxophonist Alex Harding, drummer Masa Kamaguchi and bassist Jimmy Weinstein.
Night Time Is The Right Time: 60's Soho Sounds. Cadillac Jazz (SGCD007). 2010. Under this cryptical title is indeed to be found organist Bob Stuckey's quartet, which was one of the regular Saturday night bands featured at Ronnie Scott's "Old Place" in Gerrard Street. The interesting thing is that the album features previously unheard performances by the late great saxophonist Dudu Pukwana as well as Canterbury afficionados will spot in the quartet ex-Soft Machine and ECM recording drummer John Marshall alongside guitarist Phil Lee. Those four are featured on 9 of the 14 tracks, while on the other 5 drummer Martin Hart and guitarist Terry Smith replace Marshall and Lee. If this second line-up mostly plays standards, the first one delivers own compositions, mostly penned by Pukwana, as well as "Kippie", a track composed by South-African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim. Those recordings were made in 1967-68 and come from the artist's archives; they will surely bring back tender memories of a special place and time!
Nikolov-Ivanovic Undectet: Frame And Curiosity. 6-panels Digipak. Street date: 22-01-20. Featuring guest musician Magic Malik on flute, here is a large ensemble with an eclectic instrumentation. This eleven-piece band led by pianist and arranger Vladimir Nikolov and drummer Srdjan Ivanovic fuses tradition and out-of-the-box thinking to produce sophisticated Balkan influenced music that challenges the listener on an emotional and intellectual level. The musicians are among the best picks from Serbia and France and Nikolov's charts are rich in tonal textures reminiscent of Gil Evans or Maria Schneider. The inclusion of Balkan metrical elements in the mix adds some excitement that could make this band one of the most creative large ensembles to count with in the future!
Releases from a new label: No More Records:
+ Anthony Braxton: Solo Piano (standards) 1995 (NO 02). Compositions of Ellington, Mingus, Miles, Monk, Coltrane, Shorter, Waldron. Double CD
+ Rob Brown Quartet : Jumping Off The Page (NO 08). Studio album from 99
+ Frank Lowe & Billy Bang Quartet: One For Jazz (NO 11). Features bassist Edd Schuller
+ Frank Lowe Quintet: Soul Folks (NO 10). Live recording from 98 with trumpetist Jack Walrath, the drummer Ralph Peterson and Elmo Hope's wife Bertha on piano. Steve Neil is on bass
+ Mat Maneri & Randy Peterson: Light Trigger (NO 09). Studio album from 98.
+ William Parker: Lifting The Sanctions (NO 06). Solo bass album from 98
+ The Pyramid Trio: Ancestral Homeland (NO 07). Roy Campbell formed the trio in 82 and is heard on this album from 98 on trumpet, cornet and horn. At his side are sure values such as bassist William Parker and the lesser known drummer/percussionist Zen Matsuura
+ Matthew Shipp: Symbol Systems (NO 01). Solo piano

Jesper Nordberg: Trio. Gotta Let It Out (GLIO58CD). Street date: 17-05-23. Here is a group based in Copenhagen and Malmö (Sweden), led by double bass player Jesper Nordberg, and featuring violinist Stefan Pöntinen and trumpetist Ruhi Erdogan. With Nordberg's compositions as a starting point, the trio's playing can be characterized by close interplay, radical shifts, with elements ranging from experimental improvisation, Balkan music, Scandinavian folklore, jazz and expressionism. Jesper Nordberg's warm tone and rhythmic displacements meet Ruhi's trumpet playing, which gives the listener associations to everything from Miles Davis to a Turkish village wedding, reinforced by Stefan's brave and innovative expression on the violin, all resulting in a completely unique musical landscape.
The Nu Band: The Nu Band Live (KCD 4151). Nov. 2005. Mark Whitecage on sax and clarinet, Joe Fonda on bass, Roy Campbell on trumpet & Lou Grassi on drums are here recorded live in 2003 on the East coast.
Nullstellensatz: S/T. Gazul (GA 8863). Oct. 2013. Here is an experimental band, formed in 2011 by guitarist Julien Abraham, trumpeter Jean-Pierre Soarez (ex Art Zoyd) and drummer Bernold Delgoda. The self-titled album constantly oscillates between structuration and deconstruction, where the sound, regarded as a plastic material, allows more freedom. Free-jazz, no-wave, experimental and contemporary musics live together in a same space-time continuum, constantly evolving.
Obo: Palace of Waiting. OctoberXart. Nov. 2016. Rich, colourful and textural, Obo is an open project based on carefully constructed improvisation, with strong roots in folk, jazz and experimental rock. It features sax player Alexey Kruglov, a prominent personality in the current avant-jazz Moscow scene, Anastasiya Masloboeva, an Irkutsk-based singer-dulcimer player who has developed a unique approach to improvisation with strong Russian folk influences, Vasco Trilla, a Portuguese-Catalonian drummer specialized in very subtle sonorities and textures obtained with almost any possible object, and Ángel Ontalva, a guitar player who uses alternative tunings, electronic manipulations and extended techniques together with a musical vocabulary developed through years of collaborations with musicians from many different cultures and in the prog-rock group October Equus.
Oh, Linda: Sun Pictures. Greenleaf Records (GRE 1032). Dec. 2013. Born in Malaysia of Chinese parents and raised in Australia, Lindah Oh lives now in New York and certainly is one of the *much spoken of* raising stars on bass. This is her third album, featuring Ben Wendel on saxophone, Aussie James Muller on guitar and Ted Poor on drums.
O'Leary, Mark: Atmos. FMR Records (FMRCD279-0709). 2009. This studio recording made in Denmark in 2008 presents an amazing trio where the Irish guitarist meets two Danish musicians on the rise: drummer Stefan Pasborg, already with an impressive discography behind him and the unorthodox pianist Jacob Anderskov, here featured on Fender Rhodes (and his way of treating it is ... unique!). Nordic lyricism juxtaposed with dark neo gothic landscapes, three compositions by the guitarist and the rest composed spontaneously during the session. A post surreal voyage influenced by the works of Lovecraft, Tarkowski, Komeda, Hesse and Coleridge.
Oliver Lake Organ Trio: Makin' It. Passin' Thru (PTR 41225). Nov. 2013. With funk and bop on the same waves length, this first album from the trio is produced by the saxophonist's son (Jahi) and can't but remind of Larry Young's own trio for Blue Note in the 60's.
Oliver Lake Quintet: Talkin' Stick. Passin' Thru (PTR 41213). Nov. 2013. Reissue of an album recorded in 1997 with among other Geri Allen on piano and Jay Hoggard on vibraphone. To be rediscovered!
Olympe: Live in Montreuil. Street date: 12/01/15. Recorded live to 2-track on December 1st, 2013 at La Guillotine, this is the saxophone trio of Sylvain Cathala, StÚphane Payen and Alexandra Grimal. All tracks are collective improvisations
Osborne, Mike: Force Of Nature. Reel Recordings (RR006). Street date: 07/07/08. Mike Osborne (1941-2007) was an alto saxophonist without a peer among his fellow country men, a musician of profound personality with a gift for jazz composition. Mike was first heard in the sixties as a soloist of incendiary character in the Mike Westbrook Concert Band, and his never less than passionate sound was ubiquitous through the heyday of British Jazz in the 70's. He recorded and performed extensively with the leading composers of the era; Chris McGregor, Michael Gibbs, and Barry Guy. With John Surman and Alan Skidmore, "Ozzie" as he was affectionately known by friends, formed the celebrated saxophone trio SOS, while also leading numerous bands under his own name. It's no secret that Mike Osborne suffered schizophrenia and in 1983 circumstances forced his retreat from London, robbing both Mike and his audience of further music making. In 2007 Reel Recordings approached Mike's guardian with recently uncovered Hi-Fidelity recordings of the Osborne Quartet in the early eighties, a hitherto undocumented period. Mike was delighted to hear the music back and blessed "Force of Nature" with deep admiration for his fellow musicians; trumpeter Dave Holdsworth, bassist Marcio Mattos, drummer Brian Abrahams. Together they blend the base ingredients of melody, harmony and rhythm toward boiling points beyond belief. To wit, the quartet's non-stop 42 minute performance before an appreciative audience in Koln, Germany. Included is a live-in-studio set with the muscular rhythm section of the Paul Bridge & Tony Marsh. Together, these reel recordings provide proof positive that music from Mike Osborne truly is a Force of Nature.
Osgood/Emmeluth: Vandtårnet. Motvind Records (MOT9CD). Street date: 19-02-21. The Oslo-based Danish saxophonist Signe Krunderup Emmeluth meets on this recording Danish iconic drummer Kresten Osgood. They were recorded in summer 2020 during a church concert at Blågårds Plads, Copenhagen and Osgood is also featured on piano.
Kresten Osgood: Plays the Organ For You. April Records (APR097CD / APR097LP). June 2022. Soulful funky music delivered by a musician mostly known as a free-wheeling drummer. Here backed on guitar and drums by two well known producers of the Danish pop scene.
Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Orchestra: Live Vol 1 Series Circuit & Live Vol 2 Parallel Circuit. Doubt Music (dmf 115-116 & dmf 117-118). Those two double CDs are live recordings from concerts given in 2006 in Japan and Germany. They will present you a modern and avantgardistic orchestra at the top of its form
Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Orchestra: ONJO. Doubt Music (dmf 102). This big band composed of European and Japanese musicians is not afraid of taking risks. In fact this their trade mark! The album offers own compositions by the leader, covers by Jim O'Rourke or, taken from the jazz repertory, compositions by Ornette Coleman & Charles Mingus
Päivinen, Pepa: North Pipe. Presence (PRECD-019). 2010. North Pipe offers wild freak-outs, tender and lyrical moments, some quirky experimenting, solid structures, a dash of psychedelia, the melancholic longing of Finnish folk music and even some more exotic ethnic hues. At times it gets rather funky, even though they never play actual funk. Likewise there's a strong compositional feel in the material - courtesy of the leader and drummer Mikko Hassinen, who has kept the tempo fresh in the mighty UMO big band as well as in several different small combos - while an atmosphere of fearless adventure lingers over the playing. North Pipe delivers endlessly new visions, mush like a kaleidoscope when you turn it.
Pallem, Fred & Le Sacre Du Tympan: Cartoons. Train Fantôme. Oct. 2017. This new album focusing on cartoons classics (Spiderman, Super Mario, Goldorak, The Simpsons ...) has been conceived as record and tour program, played either by a quintet or 11tet. It is also conceived as an initiating experience for kids, opening up to many musical universes, from real cartoons to video games or animation films, presented in a big band context!
Jason Palmer: Songbook (Ayva 037). Dec. 07. Recorded in Brooklyn, New York, 2006. Songbook is the recording debut as a leader of trumpeter Jason Palmer. It's comprised of nine original compositions and includes guest appearances from saxophonists Ravi Coltrane & Greg Osby, along with his current band: Leo Genovese (piano), Matt Brewer (bass), Warren Wolf (vibes), and Tommy Crane (drums). Jason Palmer was featured with those words in the June '07 Downbeat issue: "A New Generation of Trumpeters Pave the Way for Jazz's Next Innovations".
Parallax: Live in the UK. FMR Records (FMRCD287-0310). 2010. Parallax is one of those rare and lucky collaborations where there is a great sense of chemistry from the very beginning. Since forming the group in 2008 they have toured and recorded extensively in Europe, and present a selection of this material on their debut album Live in the UK. These musicians are musically so far inside each other's heads that their improvisations seem to border on the telepathic, and have forged their own unique take on improvising that seamlessly draws on an array of influences ranging from Asian folk musics to traditional jazz and abstract soundscapes. Rustling, crackling, stealthily winding and melodic, the music moves effortlessly from a mere whisper to intensely suggestive stretches of rhythmic improvising.
Parker / Guy / Lytton: Ezafiro. Maya Recordings M0602. 2006 concert in Barcelona by one of the most reknown trios of free improvisation
Parrini, Emanuele: Viaggio al Centro del Violino. Rudi Records (RRJ1015). 2013. In this disc we hear Parrini's passion for the masters of jazz who had to invent a vocabulary and almost a new grammar for this instrument, from Stuff Smith to Billy Bang and above all to Leroy Jenkins, to whom the Requiem della Suite is dedicated. And he goes to the heart of the violin, to its very nature of wood, metal and horsehair and he explores it, goes through it, reveals it, is seduced and enchanted by it, takes up the challenge without getting entangled and trapped in self-congratulatory virtuosity. Parrini is totally involved, he is inside the violin, his music communicates an immediate feeling of presence, of immanence, of necessary physicality. The album also includes a duo with viola player Paolo Botti, comrade, friend, colleague; their unisono in the themes tell of a common sensibility, a shared passion, a similar approach and an infinite love of jazz. The conclusion of the disc with its new rendering of a piece by William Parker, rather than being an arrival, is more the perfect point of departure for a journey that has only just begun!
Pat Metheny Unity Band: S/T. Nonesuch Records. Street date: 12/06/12. For the first time since his 1980 release 80/81, guitarist Pat Metheny has recorded with a band that features tenor saxophone. Unity Band, due from Nonesuch on June 12, 2012, introduces a new Metheny ensemble with Chris Potter on sax and bass clarinet, longtime collaborator Antonio Sanchez on drums, and the up-and-coming Ben Williams on bass. The album features nine new Metheny compositions. The Pat Metheny Unity Band will tour the United States this summer and fall, with stops in 39 cities.
Paul Van Gysegem Quintet: Square Talks. (eNR079). Street date: 09-02-21. Based upon his versatile personality, Paul Van Gysegem has found a way to interweave jazz music with his work as a painter / sculptor. The formal language he uses is close to the spirit and structure - the way of thinking - of the music he plays. In improvised music he finds it important to discover a relation in attitude amongst those who come together to make music, here: Cel Overberghe (tenor & soprano saxophone), Patrick De Groote (trumpet & flügelhorn), Erik Vermeulen (piano), Paul Van Gysegem (double bass) and Marek Patrman (percussion).
Pavone, Mario: Trio Arc. Playscape Recordings (PSR 100807). This is a testimony of the first meeting in 35 years between the bass player and his mentor and master, the Canadian pianist Paul Bley. Completing the trio is drummer Matt Wilson
Pavone, Mario: Deez To Blues. Playscape Recordings PSR050505. Nov. 06. 17th recording as leader by the bass player and leader of this group who recorded this album after a European and North American tour in May 2005. In the ranks are trumpetist Steven Bernstein, New York drummer Michael Sarin, the phenomenal tubist Howard Johnson, violinist and ex String Trio of New York member Charles Burnham, pianist Peter Madsen.
Peter Herbolzheimer Rhythm Combination & Brass: Sunshine and Bossa. HGBS. July 2011. This CD release represents quite a span, with the original double live album "My Kind Of Sunshine", recorded live 1970 and 1971, to Herbolzheimer's last project, "40 years of Bossa Nova" with the BuJazzO (National Youth Jazz Orchestra), recorded live 2005. Many big shoes in the line-up, from trumpetist Art Farmer to Danish bass player Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen.
Peter Hertmans & Erwin Vann 4tet: Stone Sculpture. Mogno Music 2006 J 020. The first is guitarist while the second is saxophonist. Together they create a defying music, travelling between Europe and the USA, helped in this by a special guest, drummer Billy Hart who 10 years ago already recorded with the guitarist.
Peter Lipa Band: Live In Hungary (GR 051). This concert album was recorded in 2004 during the tour with Djabe. There are songs from his previous album titled "Beatles In Blue(s)" and other great jazz-arrangements from Lipa's other albums.
Peter Madsen´s CIA Trio: Transformation. HGBS Musikproduktion (HGBS20033). German release date: May 16th 2014. Recorded December 2012 at MPS-Studio Villingen. Yet another piano trio. One with verve and full of energy. American pianist Peter Madsen, when not on the road, twists between his two homes, the States and Austria. In Austria he founded the Collective of Improvising Arts (CIA). The CIA TRIO results from this collective. Transformation features nine Madsen-compositions - all of them in the tradition of Thelonious Monk and Charles Mingus.
Barre Phillips / Giancarlo Locatelli: Danze Degli Scorpioni. We Insist! (CDWEIN23). Street date: 28-07-23. Recorded at the historical Kaleidophon festival in Ulrichsberg (Austria) in 2008, this is the result of the duo meeting between Barre Phillips - one of the most influential bassists in the history of contemporary Jazz - and clarinets specialist Giancarlo "Nino" Locatelli, one of the most rigorous figures on the Italian creative scene. Dance of the Scorpions consists of four beautiful, dynamic and well recorded improvised dialogues between two uncompromising musicians in full power of their musical expression, who eventually decided to dedicate the whole album to master improviser Coleman Hawkins.
Phronesis! Remember this name because my guess is they soon will make it big! Led by Danish bass player Jasper Høiby, this young trio has been claimed by the magazine Jazzwise to be "the most exciting and imaginative piano trio since EST" .... There are indeed similarities with the Swedish trio: a quirky and much syncopated rhythmic approach, a directness towards the audience via an elaborated and controlled lyricism, an energy that is absolutely contagious; their latest release is a live album properly and simply titled "Alive" (Edition Records EDN1021), recorded over two nights at the Forge Arts Venue in London; on this album, you will not hear the usual trio's drummer, Swedish Anton Eger who is replaced for the occasion by Mark Guiliana, an American drummer heard who worked with great names like Avishai Cohen or the funky bass player Meshell Ndegeocello. Iw you want to hear the Swedish drummer (together with the English pianist Ivo Neame), you will have to go back to the two previous releases: "Green Delay" (2009, Loop Records LOOP 1008) or "Organic Warfare" (2007, same label). In all cases, don't oversee them!
Pieranunzi, Enrico: My Songbook. Via Veneto Jazz / Jando Music (VVJ106). 28-01-16. The album contains eleven of Pieranunzi's own compositions, music and lyrics, that flow effortlessly thanks to acclaimed vocalist Simona Severini, who exudes a wonderful sensibility and interplays well with her expressive voice. Pieranunzi and Severini started collaborating in 2012, on the occasion of the tribute record to Lucio Dalla and have continued working together since then. The compositions are artfully arranged by Pieranunzi, in different formations ranging from duo to sextet, with an astonishing range of expression that shows off the quality of the musicians involved, among Italy's best-known jazz players (Luca Bulgarelli, Nicola Angelucci and two guests Rosario Giuliani and Francesco Lento).
Zdzislaw Piernik / Piotr Zabrodzki : Namanga. Vivo Records (vivo2008035CD). Unusual Polish Contemporary Music performed by tuba genius Zdzislaw Piernik! Additional musicians: Piotr Zabrodzki (piano, electric piano, doublebass, bass guitar, organ and composition), Hubert Zemler ( percussion, vibraphone), Wojciech Kondrat (violin).
Pietropaoli, Enzo: The Princess. Via Veneto Jazz (VVJ117). Street date: 12-10-17. Pietropaoli's deeply-felt love for the piano-trio is made evident by the creation of a solemn yet ethereal atmosphere, oscillating between ancient and young in a place beyond space and time, underscored by the choice of the song's title. Enzo Pietropaoli, at the double bass, is flanked by two extraordinary musicians: Julian Oliver Mazzariello on the piano and Alessandro Paternesi on drums, both of which contribute to an atmosphere which is simultaneously penetrating, delicate and lush.
Pipeline 8: Prayer. We Insist! CD / LP (CDWEIN02/LPWEIN03). Street date: 14-06-19. Another great project conceived by clarinetist Giancarlo Locatelli and still dedicated to the music of Steve Lacy. This time Locatelli presents a full octet lineup featuring some of the best Italian Improvisers. Gabriele Mitelli (trumpet), Sebi Tramontana (trombone), Gianmaria Aprile (el. guitar) Luca Tilli (cello) Alberto Braida (piano) Andrea Grossi (bass) and Cristiano Calcagnile (drums). Musicians from different generations and backgrounds (Jazz, Classical Music, Free Improv, Experimental Rock). A great collective piece of work!
Ponzini, Guido: Plugin Contemporary Music / Ponzini Plays Uematsu. Porter (POR4045). May 2010. Ponzini is an international specialist of the Chapman stick, following names like Tony Levin or Alphonso Johnson. On this album, he plays the first classical concerto ever written for this instrument (the first part of the title), accompanied by violin and bass. On the other part, he interprets on el bass and viola di gamba the "Final Fantasy " written y the Japanese composer Nobuo Uematsu
Pope, Odeon: Plant Life. Porter 4017. Jan. 09. Recorded in 2008 with Sunny Murray on drums and Lee Smith on bass
Print & Friends: Around K. 2009. The new album presents a double sized band, from quartet to octet! Quite a few Belgian players are now part of the game, strengthening the connection with the M Base. Players seen around in groups like Octurn, Mââk's Spirit are joining Print, among them the sensational Jozef Dumoulin on Fender Rhodes and blowers Laurent Blondiau (trumpet, bugle) or Michel Massot (trombone and tuba). Deeper prints in the sand? At least a much amplified Print to discover as soon as you can!
Profound Sound Trio: Opus De Life. Porter Records (POR 4032). June 09. Drummer Andrew Cyrille and bass player Henry Grimes (also playing on violin) were actors of the free explosion in the 60's. They are today here reunited with a new partner joining, British saxophonist (and hurdy gurdy player) Paul Dunmall
Pulauskas, Dainius: Orca. New album by this Lithuanian pianist and composer. His group is a modern septet composed of: Dainius Pulauskas: piano, synthesizers / Valerijus Ramoska: trumpet, flugelhorn / Rimantas Brazaitis: saxes, Akai EWI / Eugenijus Jonavicius: guitar / Herbie Kopf: bass / Linas Buda: drums / Arkady Gotesman: percussion. Recorded at the National Radio recording studio, Lithuania, 2007.
Q: Untitled 06. Music Center (BA135 CD). 2009. Q is the Music Project of trombonist and shells player Michele Benvenuti and bass player Niccolò Faraci, a quartet dedicated to the search for new jazz sounds. Shaped by a musical concept that evolves beyond soloism, it's based on empathy between musicians. Also featuring drummer Ferdinando Farao' and finally the lovely colouring of Francesco Pinetti on vibraphone and marimba. Untitled 6 will take its listeners on a journey from contemporary jazz to electronic sounds, rock and post-atomic jazz, reflecting the sources of its inspiration: Dave Holland Quintet, Miles Davis electric, Frank Zappa, Lounge Lizard, King Crimson, Weather Report. The album's sound is highly crafted from start to finish: the material has first been entirely recorded live in the studio, before being mixed and sound designed.The final result is a jazz sound that wanders far from the mainstream concept and has strong connections with state of the art contemporary instrumental music. The range of colours will satisfy jazz lovers while the atmosphere will seduce occasional listeners.
Quasiviri: The Mutant Affair. Co-released by Wallace Records and Megaplomb in June 2009, here's the space anthems album made by an epic trio, featuring members of R.U.N.I., Ronin, Pin Pin Sugar e Mondongo, playing synth, 8 string bass, drums and big vocals; futuristic, powerful, challenging and full of acid colours!
Quatuor Ixi: Cixircle. Abalone Productions. Dec. 2011. Created in 1994 and featuring violinist Régis Huby, the quatuor starts now a new phase with the incredible cellist Atsushi Sakai, a virtuoso of the baroque, classic and contemporary repertoire as well as of improvised music. From his jazz quartet experience, he possesses a strong sense of rythmic dynamics and above all masters the art of improvisation, used here not in relation from the main theme to the solo, but rather in a dialectical relationship between the soloist and the other instruments. Quatuor iXi displays such a spontaneous virtuoso precision in its compositions that it's almost impossible to tell which parts are written and which are improvised.
The Quintet: Events 1998 - 1999 (5CD). PNL Records (PNL047). Street date: 09-08-19. Bridging two generations of Norwegian jazz musicians, this short-lived project featured two front figures of the Norwegian free jazz scene of the 60's and 70's, saxophonist Carl Magnus "Calle" Neumann and bass player Bjørnar Andresen, paired to the younger generation represented by Paal Nilssen-Love, Ketil Gutvik and Eiving Opsvik. Only one release was achieved at the time but this "anniversary" boxset will probably revive it all, adding 4 CDs of previously unreleased studio and live material, finally offering a complete view of what this band was able of, from their first studio meeting to their last two live concerts. The boxset also comes with two booklets with interviews of Arild Andersen and Ketil Gutvik, liner notes by Chris Monsen and Paal Nilssen-Love, plus many pictures! A very comprehensive and thorough project about Norwegian free jazz!
Rastko Obradovic Quartet: The Northern Experience. AMP Music & Records (AT047). street date: 25-10-19. Serbian born and raised Rastko Obradovic has a long experience inside Balkan and Eastern musical traditions. Having lived in Norway now since many years, he also adds this part to the music presented here. His quartet features Martin Gjerde on piano, Alexander Hoholm on contrabass and Raymond Lavik on drums. But we'll also hear as special guest the iconic Russian horn player Arkady Shilkloper, with his own understanding of both Norwegian and Slavic cultures.
Enrico Rava: Pupa O Crisalide. Dialogo (CD: DIACD924 / LP: DIALP924). Street date: 11-11-22. This album is a good summary of the first phase in the trumpeter's solo career, containing tracks recorded with three different line-ups: an all-Italian line-up for the opener "Pupa O Crisalide" and the closer "Giromondo", recorded in Rome with Giovanni Tommaso, Bruno Biriaco, Franco D'Andrea (did someone say Perigeo), Michele Ascolese, Mandrake and Tommaso Vittorini - an Argentinian octet for the B-side of the LP, recorded in Buenos Aires, and finally an impressive American septet with Jack DeJohnette and John Abercrombie, to name a few for the A-side, recorded in New York. The musical style clearly reflects the composite nature of the album. The first half is funkier, edgier and more fiery, evidently influenced by the jazz-rock/fusion tendencies that were spreading at the time. The second is more placid, elegantly incorporating some Latin/samba elements into the alchemy. The two halves are held together by the similarity in timbre of the line-ups (which feature almost the same elements), and Enrico Rava's renowned trumpet style.
Releases about the Polish musician Vitold Rek
- Charlie Mariano & Vitold Rek: Opus Absolutum (TMP CD 509). Recorded 23rd & 24th; February 2003 at Loft Studio Cologne, Germany. One of the most beautiful birthday presents received by Charlie Mariano on the occassion of his 80th birthday!
- John Tchicai, Vitold Rek, Karl Berger: 2 x 2. (TMP CD 505). A diverse program built on the theme of dialogue or should I say duologue?
- Vitold Rek: Bassifiddle Alla Polacca. (TMP CD 503). The original music and original arrangements for solo double bass and voice. The works include Polish folk music, short jazz essays, and character pieces.
- Vitold Rek's Kapela Resoviana: The Polish Folk Explosion. Rec. 2001 (TMP CD 507) feat. Albert Mangelsdorff, Charlie Mariano, John Tchicai, Vitold Rek, Gilbert Matthews. A sensational musical meeting of world great jazz soloists with original Polish folk players (vocals, violins, clarinet, dulcimer).
- East West Wind: Live at the St. Ingbert Jazz Festival 1997, Germany (TMP CD 501). Around Rek are to be found Adam Pieronczyk (alto, soprano & tenor saxophone) and drummer Jeff Williams as well as Adrian Mears on trombone and didgeridoo. The music of EWW is inspired by and has its roots in Jazz and Global World Music.

Don Rendell / Ian Carr Quintet: Live at the Union 1966. Reels Recordings (RR016). May 2010. Those lost recordings all come from a concert that took place at the Student's Union Hall at London's University College on December 12, 1966 among an intimate and enthusiastic audience of friends. British jazz at its best, filled with beauty and emotion. Drummer Trevor Tomkins (also known in the progressive rock fields) and bass player Dave Green form the solid rhythm section backing our two front men on blowing instruments
René Lussier Quintette: S/T. Circum-Disc (microcidi 012). Street date: 04-09-18. New album recorded in Canada with Lussier on guitar and daxophone, Julie Houle on tuba amd euphonium, Luzo Altobelli on accordion and two drummers: Marton Maderspach (left channel) and Robbie Kuster (right channel).
Retroviseur: Live at Jazz à la Villette. Jan. 2011. Coming from the collective Coax, the four members of this outfit have been gathered by the drummer after an invitation by bass player Riccardo Del Fra to perform at a festival in Toronto, Canada. On sax, vibraphone/percussions, bass and drums, the musicians show a true band spirit and will certainly surprise more than one so ... fasten your seat bell and watch out for dead angles!
Rêve d'Eléphant Orchestra: Dance Dance. Igloo (IGL316). This 5th album celebrates a 20 years career and marks a break with the previous albums; first by the arrival of two young newcomers, then by the joined forces of two of Belgium's most important labels, Igloo and De Werf, who united gave birth to this dream!
Jean-Charles Richard & Marc Copland: L'étoffe des Rêves. La Buissonne (RJAL397042). Street date: 24-06-22. Born from the saxophonist's desire to work with the US pianist, this album is a work of a thoughtful mood. There is nothing demonstrative about these high-flying musicians. Just a sharing, an openness flirting sometimes towards a calm, sometimes gentle, melancholy. From the saxophonist's compositions to allusions to Claude Debussy, from a nod to Mussorgsky to the interpretation of Messiaen, this opus reveals a range of colours and images served by the harmonic science of the pianist for whom these timeless pieces seem to have always been intended.
Riley, Howard: Discussions. Jazzprint JPVP137CD. Street date 05/03/07. Discussions was originally released in 1967 and featured drummer Jon Hiseman and bassist Barry Guy alongside Howard Riley. Out of print for some time this re issue has been remastered for this new release
Howard Riley & Keith Tippett "Interchange". New LP (180Gr.) release from Turning Point. This live album was recorded in Bern in 1993. The music is completely improvised and reflects the inventiveness and technical ability of each musician.
RITI: a label founded in 2002 by guitarist Joe Morris to present his works and music. Here are the releases available today:
+ Steve Lantner Trio: Saying So (RIT 005). Released in 2002, this is a piano/bass/drums trio and yes, Joe Morris plays bass on this one!
+ Daniel Levin Quartet: Don't Go It Alone (RIT 009). Another one with Morris on bass, Levin is on cello, Mat Moran on vibraphone and Dave Ballou plays .... cornet!
+ Stone House: Likewise (RIT 008). Again, Morris on bass while Rob Brown is on sax and flute, Luther Gray on drums.
+ Joe Morris Trio: Age Of Everything (RIT 004). Guitar/bass/drum trio for this one
+ Parker / Morris / Drake: Eloping With The Sun (RIT 007). This record by three reknown players of the free jazz scene has a special ethnic connotation in that Morris is featured on banjo and banjouke (a far cousin of the ukulele), William Parker on sintir, A Moroccan deep low oud used in the Gnawa music. Hamid Drake is on percussion.

Robbins, Pete: Waits And Measures. Playscape Recordings PSR101204. Nov. 06. 2nd album on own name by this saxophonist and composer from New York whose music is close to the likes of David Binney, Dave Douglas, Tim Berne. The album is recorded and mixed by Jamie Saft!
Roberto Magris Trio: Kansas City Outbound. Featuring the last recording session by jazz icon Art Davis , among other one of the notorious bassists for John Coltrane. A great trio performance, a rare collector's item (this is a limited edition from the 2008 US tour)
Rockadillo Records: a new exciting label from Finland! Here are some of the releases we spotted for you!
+ KTU: 8 Armed Monkey. ZENCD 2101. Release date: 7.9.2005. (Described further up on this page under progressive)
+ Kimmo Pohjonen & Eric Echampard: Uumen. ZENCD 2100. Release date: 1.4.2005. The accordeonist plays here in duo with a French drummer and percussionist. Starting in 2001 with the goal to make totally improvised music, live on stage with no rehearsals, they have succeeded in their aim to ride the edge of melody, counterpoint, energy and tension as proven by the enthusiastic audiences at each performance, as well as by the satisfaction and exhilaration of the two players. The present CD is a recording from March 2004 at the Amiens International Jazz Festival.
+ Arttu Takalo: Neverstopdreaming. ZENCD 2098. Release date: 23.3.2005. Arttu Takalo (born in 1971) is best known from the fusion jazz-rock band XL as well as the vibraphonist of many rock bands and artists in Finland. This record follows the 2002 release "When I Fall" and both rely on string instrumentation and beautiful, even naivistic melodies. Takalo's music is uncategorizable in essence.
+ Jukka Gustavson: Kiiltomato, Kynttilänliekki, Kuu Ja Aurinko. ZENCD 2096. Release date: 1.3.2005. This is the new record of the "Organ Fusion Band", project led by ex-Wigwam keyboardist and following the 2003 release "Fire On Ice" (also on Rockadillo ZENCD 2082), venturing into jazzier territories than progressive.
+ Lang & Luolajan-Mikkola: Transit. ZENCD 2097. Release date: 2.2.2005. Transit introduces a vibrant violin-vocal axis to the modern jazz scene. This CD is the first jointly made recording of this composer/lyricist duo with accompaniment by three of the finest young Finnish jazz musicians today. It is tempting to bring forth a comparison with the Polish duo Michal Urbaniak / Urszula Dudziak and there are similarities, both in the violin playing, the vocal adventurous scat, interest in similar composers (Wayne Shorter) but differences are also many: their uncompromising work has produced music painted in strong strokes and shades that seem to bewitch the unconscious; along own compositions they also engage in other great jazz composers not so often covered: Eric Dolphy or Mal Waldron, not only musically but also lyrically, in that the beautiful vocalist Reija Lang has created visual and intense original lyrics. A fresh, vital, recommended album!
+ Jartse Tuominen: Time Of Change. ZENCD 2099. Release date: 9.2.2005. Guitar player who started with heavy metal and Texas blues and evolved later into a jazz-rock fusion style.
+ Rinneradio: Pan. ZENCD 2088. Release date: 16.02.2004. RinneRadio came into being in 1988 as three years of participation in Edward Vesala's groundbreaking "Sound & Fury" workshops in Helsinki encouraged reedsman/composer Tapani Rinne to step to the fore as a bandleader. RinneRadio fuses electronic underground beats with progressive jazz. As the rhythms of drum'n'bass and hip hop are fermented with dark dub, lush ambient soundscapes and timeless soprano sax textures, the resulting brew becomes equal parts sexy trance jazz and surreal dance music.

Rogue Art is a new French jazz label whose goal is to open a new space for artists with an original, rich and intelligent expression. Here are the first releases:
+ Roscoe Mitchell Quintet: Turn. ROG 003. Sept. 2005. Featuring pianist Craig Taborn
+ Rob Brown Quartet: Radiant Pools. ROG 002. Sept. 2005. The leader is here heard both on alt sax and flute, seconded by trombone and rythm section.
+ Hamid Drake & Bindu: Bindu. Sept. 2005. ROG 001. Four blowers and a drummer defying to conquer new territories

Romano, Aldo: Reborn. Le Triton (TRI-20556). Plenty of good people are present on this new album: Baptiste Trotignon, Enrico Rava, Glenn Ferris, Géraldine Laurent, Henri Texier, Michel Benita, Yoann Loustalot, Mauro Negri, Jasper Van't Hof, Daryll Hall! Jazz standards, Zappa, Romano's own compositions revisited with a mix of old partners and newcomers
Rosario Bonaccorso Quartet featuring Stefano di Battista: Macedonian Lines. Via Veneto Jazz (VVJ129). Street date: 17-05-19. "A New Home" is where man, spirit and music creatively converge and form a new starting point. After sixty years of living with music, Bonaccorso's new home provides him with a different, deeper, and more intimate perspective: the result of internal and external renewal, where the changes brought by life were fostered with meditative love of creating. The album's title, however, also speaks for a phase of life where one heads for the far shore in a search for different experiences, visions and inspiration. The album contains 11 songs written by Bonaccorso, enriched by the presence of a widely acclaimed musician on the international jazz scene, sax player Stefano Di Battista with whom Rosario Bonaccorso, having been part of his bands since 1997, has collaborated for more than two decades. Stefano Di Battista and Rosario Bonaccorso have played together in hundreds of concerts all over the world, with renowned artists such as Lucio Dalla, Michael Brecker, Joe Lovano, Ivan Lins and have recorded albums for Blue Note with other highly acclaimed jazz stars such as Vince Mendoza, Kenny Barron, Elvin Jones and Herlin Riley.
Rosen, Michael: Sweet 17. Via Veneto Jazz / Jando Music (VVJ104). Dec. 2015. Sweet 17, as with all albums of the saxophonist / composer, leaves ample room for melodic beauty, fluidity and expressiveness, and introduces the more dynamic, modern and evolved compositions that Rosen has written so far, reflecting all the experience gained from the late 80's to date. Accompanying him on this musical experience are highly-acclaimed musicians such as: Lage Lund (guitar), Ralph Alessi (trumpet), Domenico Sanna (piano), Matt Penman (double bass) and Bill Stewart (drums).
Rova Saxophone Quartet / Nels Cline Singers: The Celestial Septet. New World Records (NW 80708). May 2010. Two great bands of the West Coast merged in a celestial septet, opening new perspectives to each!
Rudresh Mahanthappa's Indo-Pak Coalition: Apti. Innova Recordings INN 709. Jan. 09. This Indo-Pakistanese trio is led by a young alt saxophonist who has often been placed in the same spheres as those travelled by Steve Coleman. Here with guitar / sitar guitar and tablas, he launches an infernal machine at full speed, some kind of alien Shakti
Russell, Ray: A Table Near The Band. Angel Air (SJPCD258). May 6th, 08. Back in 1988 Ray Russell had assembled one of the bands composer/musicians usually only dream about and over two nights they performed at The Montreux Jazz Festival and became a highlight of that year's festival On returning to the UK the '88' band was enhanced with the addition of saxophones and in 1989 they recorded "A Table Near The Band" which includes a gem written by Russell for the soundtrack of the film "Colorado"
Rymden: Space Sailors. Jazzland Recordings (3779278). Street date: 18-09-20. 2nd album by the band, somehow a morphed E.S.T. trio because of the presence of Esbjørn Svensson's rhythm section but definitely and clearly with their own identity, based on an increasing number of live shows, where they seek and carve new ideas and direction for their music, more and more gaining a strong empathy between each other. Will also be available in a Deluxe 2CD edition as well as as double LP.
Sala, Rusó: Mar Endins. Blue Moon Records (BMCD 557). March 2013. This second album by Rusó Sala is the fruit of her collaboration with Italian jazz pianist Kekko Fornarelli, whom Paolo Fresu described as one of the most interesting young pianists from the current scene. The ten originals in "Mar Endins" are the perfect combination of personality, jazz, and Mediterranean music, a unique style with deep, poetical undertones. Rusó's limpid voice exudes articulateness and sensibility in a unique style that she uses to communicate and project her songs, be they melancholic ballads or lively, happy-tempoed tunes. Kekko Fornarelli's versatile arrangements for quartet dress Rusó Sala's compositions with subtle intensity, bringing out the color in them, and making this album a small gem full of brilliance and emotion.
Saleem, Ameen: The Groove Lab. Via Veneto Jazz (VVJ103). 22-10-15. "The Groove Lab" explores new sonic territory, incorporating a broad range of sounds and influences that blend to form an eclectic musical palette; a sort of neo-soul, where jazz, soul and funk come together. Ameen embarks on this musical journey with a stellar cast of musicians, all of whom are characterized by a creative, individual and expressive musical talent, stretching out beyond the boundaries of jazz. The band includes two female vocalists with varying approaches, trumpet and flugelhorn (Roy Hargrove), tenor and soprano sax, different pianos (Cyrus Chestnut on acoustic piano, Wurlitzer, Rhodes, organ), guitar, electric bass and double bass, two drummers, both remarkably talented and with unique styles. The richness of colours and instruments allow Ameen to freely glide, surfing on powerful groovy waves, among funk beats and jazz vibes, bluesy solos and rock electric guitar solos, bound together with remarkable fluidity, revealing empathetic group interplay and innovative ways to work within jazz.
Sanna, Domenico: Brooklyn Beat! Via Veneto Jazz (VVJ095). 05/12/14. Brooklyn Beat! was created by pianist Domenico Sanna out of necessity, and at the center of his stylistic choices was the 'beat'. The pulse that characterizes the musical world of which you have been fed in recent years. The search for the beat took him to a rhythmic Afro-American sound that led him to find the roots of his music at the origins of jazz. The music has a contemporary groove and sound, with elements of R&B and swing. Accompanying the pianist here are Saleem Ameen, one of the most requested bassists in America and Europe and drummer Dana Jawkins.
Santi Pico: Mágica Medianoche & La Llave de Plata. Picap (690057). 14/11/11. This Spanish guitarist has played in many styles, from fusion jazz to electronic or ambient. The two albums reissued here are respectively from 1984 and 1979, related to a smooth kind of fusion jazz, served with a slice of prog-rock. Among the performing musicians, we'll note the presence on both albums of keyboardist Josep Mas "Kitflus, possibly remembered by some of you as member of the great jazz-rock bands Iceberg (in the 70's) and then later Pegasus (in the 80's), and bass player Rafael Escoté (also member of Pegasus) on Medianoche. The guitarist displays his talent on both acoustic, el and synth. guitars.
Satoko Fujii New Trio: Spring Storm (Libra 203-034). The new trio of pianist Satoko Fujii with double bass player Todd Nicholson and drummer Takasi Itani.
Satoko Fujii Orchestra Berlin: Ichigo Ichie (Libra 212-037). New album planned for Spring!
Satoko Fujii Orchestra Tokyo: Zakopane. Libra Records (216-027). New album by the Japanese pianist and her Tokyo big band (a 15-piece orchestra). As usual, the music spans a wide range of styles and moods, from punchy riffs over a funk-inflected odd meter to Middle-Eastern inspired soloing. For the anecdote sake, the title track and "Trout" are both inspired by a trip to the Polish mountain resort town of Zakopane and a marvelous fish lunch that Fujii enjoyed there!
Satoko Fujii Tobira: Yamiyo Ni Karasu (Libra 204-038). New quartet by the Japanese pianist, with husband Natsuki Tamura on trumpet, Todd Nicholson on bass and Takashi Itani on drums and percussion. The album is planned for release in Spring 2015.
Satoko Fujii Tokyo Trio: Moon on the Lake. Libra Records. May 2021. This is the debut recording of the pianist's new trio - started in 2019 - with Takashi Sugawa on bass and Ittetsu Takemura on drums.
Scarpa, Emmanuel: Invisible Worlds. Collectif Coax (COAX031INV1). Nov. 2016. Recorded in June 2014 by Antonin Rayon, this project featured guitarist Marc Ducret, alongside other French musicians
Secret Chiefs 3: Live At The Great American Music Hall. Web Of Mimicry (WOM 036). 2009. This DVD by adding pictures to the music will reveal the much dynamic stage work (aaah those monks disguisements!) of the band led by guitarist Trey Spruance. Besides, their energy - when captured live - seem to be endlessly multiplied! If you add a multi camera shooting to the package, you're in for a great treat and an unforgettable concert from June 2007 in San Francisco.
Yochk'o Seffer: Condor. Musea Parallèle (MP3210). Sept. 2010. Said to be his musical swan song, this 3CD is dealt in 3 parts, named after pray birds: CD1 "Puma" is a series of duos and trios, featuring among other Joelle Léandre, François Causse; CD2 "Anaconda" presents Yochk'o on piano in duo with saxophonist Sylvain Miller; finally, Condor (CD3) presents the ambitious piece Trabla N° 12, composed for 15 saxophones and the piece "Ima" in a 22 mn. long video bonus. Enjoy!
Karl Seglem is a Norwegian saxophonist and composer who is maybe on the way to break through as one of the new great names inside European jazz. His new record - Urbs - will be released in early 2007. Rhythm, movement, drive and serenity are the key words that could partly describe his music, full of melancholy gliding sounds and sound paintings outlining the scarred silhouette of the Norwegian coast. Of course, another silhouette also very quickly comes to mind in the person of fellow musician Jan Garbarek but Seglem has a strong personal voice and brings more aspects into the music, which Garbarek could have brought himself, hadn't he shifted the course of his musical journey and quest. For now, 2 albums are available: "Reik" and "New North", released by the German label Ozella Music. Strongly recommended!
Zbigniew Seifert: Man of Light. Promising Music (MPS 441122). May 2010. Wonderful reissue of one of the few studio albums made by the Polish violinist in 1976. With Cecil McBee on bass, Joachim Kühn & Jasper Van't Hof on respectively piano, el piano and organ, Billy Hart on drums. This release is part of the MPS reissue program
Zbigniew Seifert: Solo Violin. Still a few copies left of this fantastic CD recorded in 1976 by the German Radio. An absolute must for any jazz violinist!
Seino / Berthiaume: Arc - Beneath The Surface (VOSS632). Recorded in Kobe in July 2005, this CD presents two experimental guitarists at work!
Elliot Sharp: Olso. Va Fongool (VAFCD020). Street date: May 2019. An album of improvisations on which the New York based guitarist meets John Andrew Wilhite-Hannisdal, an upcoming star on the Norwegian improvisation scene, here playing acoustic bass with a special mike technique capturing the sound from inside the instrument's fingerboard. The duo is not afraid of grooving but also uses rhythm displacements (grinding backward or rushing forward) to fight regularity and add tension.
Elliott Sharp: Sharp ? Monk ? Sharp ! Monk ! CFG 001. Nov. 06. A lot of surprises here: Sharp alone on acoustic guitar playing bop standards. Just writing this makes it already look like a puzzle!
Matthew Shipp: Nu Bop Live. Tracce (RTP 0016). Dec. 09. Taken from the archives of the Italian radio RAI, here's the concert of the festival "New York Is Now" that took place in Rome in 2004. The pianist says: "I know there is a new world to explore, between free jazz and programmed rhythms; they seemed to be like two worlds difficult to unite though they come from the same urban context"
SighFire: S/T. Das Kapital Records (CD17A10). April 2018. This trio was created in 2015 around three axes: the repetitive music, among other by its founding member Peter Corser, free improvisation crossed with minimalism and finally ... singing. With guitarist Hasse Poulsen and Danish keyboardist Johan Dalgaard - who like Poulsen moved to France (in 1998) - the concept gradually evolved into inviting some other guests, making difficult to stylistically stamp the music produced. If Corser's voice may remind of John Cale, hereby bringing some progressive elements, Poulsen's guitar is more anchored in jazz and free improvisation, while Tunisian singer Mounir Troudi or Egyptian Abdullah Miniawy definitely open up to world territories! In any case, the CD has been recorded over a long period and is the fruit of a mature and coherent working process!/li>
Mirko Signorile: Waiting for You. Auand (AU3010). Dec. 2015. After years of works based on original compositions - Mirko Signorile says - I just wanted to dive in the pure pleasure of playing. Standards are this to me: a land I can feel at ease when wandering in¯. This feeling of enjoyable loosening starts appearing in the first track, a lively rendition of "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You", immediately unraveling the will to have a musical conversation with Marco Bardoscia (double bass) and Fabio Accardi (drums) while walking in the past.
Silex: Barocolectro. REVPROV00420I/I. Saxophonist Sylvain Cathala is mostly known for being an active part of the French band Print. Together with Jean-Philippe Baillot (guitar, bass, turntables, live sampler, piano) and David Aknin (drums, Rhodes, laptop, percussions), he formed Silex, a trio of freely improvised music captured in real time by machines for being retreated or given to samplers that in turn will play with the musicians!

Some releases from a rather new label: Silta Records!
- Paolo Lattanzi Group: Night Dancers (SR 0603). 25/08/06. US quintet from Boston with guitar, piano/organ, sax, bass & drums. The music goes from frentic or pulsating to lyrical and leaves us with a feeling of serenity as to the new direction taken by jazz, also in its homeland.
- Gianni Lenoci / Giorgio Dini / Markus Stockhausen: Ergskkem (SR 0602). 25/08/06. Piano, bass and trumpet in a project deliberately anchored in intuitive improvisations.
- Giorgio Dini & Carlo Actis Dato: Out! (SR 0401). Carlos Actis, the Italian musical provocator is here heard on sax and bass clarinet in duo with the classically trained bass player Giorgio Dini who today is playing in jazz bands as free-Lance, performing mainstream, Bop, modern and avanguarde jazz in various formats, from duo to big band.
- Nopop: Sestetto (SR 0501). This Italian sextet could be shortly compared to Carla Bley's band with a somewhat more dramatic touch. The arrangements are refined, the music is fresh and not denying the soil it's coming from
Nicolas Simion is a Romanian born reed player, today living in Germany. After having released some bop related records on the German label Tutu Records, he is now launching a new label called 7 Dreams Records. His artistic expression is now coming closer to his native country and the Balkan roots in general, with a strong jazz feel inherited from many years of experience and plenty of projects realized throughout the world. Here's a first look at what's already marketed:

+ Nicolas Simion Group: Jazz Across The Border (7D-102). 2005. Recorded live in Berlin and featuring the great violinist Zoltan Lantos
+ Nicolas Simion Group: Transylvanian Grooves (7D-104). 2007. DVD recorded at the International Jazz Festival of Viersen, Germany and featuring among other bass player Sébastien Boisseau and drummer Alan Jones
+ + Nicolas Simion / Florian Weber: Romanian Dance (7D-105). 2007. + Nicolas Simion: Unfinished Square (7D-106). 2008. Featuring Polish trumpetist Tomasz Stanko and US drummer Jamey Haddad. Recorded in 2004 in Bucharest
+ Nicolas Simion Quartet: Jeu des Garçons (7D-107). 2008. Featuring pianist Michael Cain and bass player Lonnie Plaxico
+ Nicolas Simion / Florian Weber Duo: Classic Meets Jazz Vol.1 (7D-108). 2008. Béla Bartók or Debussy mixed with own compositions
+ Nicolas Simion Trio: Nick at Night (7D-109). 2000. With Andy McGee & Billy Kilson.
Sonny Simmons / Delphine Latil: Symphony Of The Peacocks. Improvising Beings (IB 04). May 2011. If you already know or heard the name of saxophonist Sonny Simmons (ex partner of Mingus, Dolphy, Prince Lasha in the early 60's), chances are that you don't know he's one of the few jazz musicians to prefer the English horn as solo instrument! If we add that Delphine Latil is a classical harpist, then you know we're heading into exciting territories!
Smith, Jason with Gary Husband & Dave Carpenter: Tipping Point. Moonjune MJR011. Recorded live at The Jazz Bakery, Los Angeles on May 16, 2006, this album may redefine in some way the role and form of a jazz trio. Flanked by Gary Husband on piano and Fender Rhodes, and Dave Carpenter on acoustic bass, the leader and drummer makes his voice emphatically heard. Through a set of unconventional standards, executed with a deft blend of audacity and authenticity, the musicians unravel meter and melody into a whimsical triple helix of bending, arcing, swooping lines, converging at unexpected junctures that demand both a mastery of technique and a joyous sense of adventure.
Smith, Wadada Leo: Procession Of The Great Ancestry. Nessa (NES 26). Jan. 2012. Recorded in 1983, this is one of the most inspired sessions made by the trumpetist; tribute to his peers, libertarian innovations of the AACM and a body of theories which Smith called "Ankhrasmation".
Smith, Wadada Leo: Spirit Catcher. Nessa (NES 19). Jan. 2012. Recorded in 79 while the trumpetist lived in New Haven, this album features the ensemble that Smith directed then, the Creative Musicians Improvisers Forum, made of musicians from the Connecticut and New York. As bonus is added a composition for three harps and trumpet.
Smith, Wadada Leo & Eco d'Alberi: June 6th 2013. Novara Jazz Series limited edition CD (NJCD001). 30/10/14. The first release of this new born label associated to the Novara jazz festival displays the unprecedented meeting of Wadada Leo Smith and Eco d'Alberi, one of the main Italian avant-jazz groups. The music, recorded live during the 2013 edition of the festival, resounds with great "live" intensity throughout the entire set. Wadada's spectacular trumpet sound is highly integrated within the group sound texture, very dense sound events alternate with more open parts within a narrative musical structure, essentially based on deep hearing and tight collective interplay. With Edoardo Marraffa (tenor and sopranino sax), Alberto Braida (piano), Antonio Borghini (bass) and Fabrizio Spera (drums). A hand numbered limited edition of 500 copies.
Smith, Wadada Leo & Tumo: Occupy the World. Tum Records (TUMCD 037-2). 2013. While the trumpeter doesn't need any introduction, so does Tumo, a new improvising orchestra made up of leading improvisers in Finland and the Nordic region. The 22-piece orchestra performs five extended compositions by Smith, including "Occupy The World For Life, Liberty and Justice", his most extensive recorded composition to date, originally inspired by the Occupy movement. The four other compositions included on this double CD were also recorded here for the first time.
Sounding Society: Homecoming Medley Or Society Into Sound. Gotta Let It Out (GLIO54CD). Street date: 17-02-23. Here is Finnish bass player Tomo Jacobson's new cross-genre ensemble, presenting a continuous 40-minute-long brewing-together of grooves, New Age, free jazz, world music influences, drones, and electronica in one, generously spacious cauldron over a retro-futuristic bonfire. The ensemble is an international unit featuring a Polish drummer (Szymon Pimpon), Danish keyboard wiz Rasmus Kjær Larsen and the Italian gong player & healer Ylenia Fiorini.
Speeq: Or - Live In Strasbourg. RN 13. This trio of European punk-jazz was founded by the Danish guitarist Hasse Poulsen and has in its ranks bassist Luc Ex and the British drummer Mark Sanders. This time is added the crystaline voice of the Norwegian siren Sidsel Endresen, known for her collaboration works with pianist Bugge Wesseltoft. Recorded at the Strasbourg jazz festival in 2006.
Ferruccio Spinetti: Arie. Via Veneto Jazz (VVJ142). Street date: 21-10-22. Led by the bass player, this unit features Giovanni Ceccarelli at the piano and Fender Rhodes. On the drums is someone who needs no introduction, having the leader to say "playing with him is the dream of every double bass player"; his name is Jeff Ballard. Last but not least, the vocalist on the album is Elena Romano, a young Florentine singer and songwriter. Special guest on the album is Rita Marcotulli who plays the piano on her song "Vagabondi delle Stelle" and on the opening track (The River Song).
Stauss, Markus: Neolithicum. Fazzul FM 0819. The saxophonist from the Swiss group Ulterior Lux presents here his most recent project: Bass Saxophone Solo & Extras. Many influences are to be found here, starting with the "Stauss prog-jazz/rock side" plus the actual classical avant-garde chambermusic just like Berio, Nono, Cage, Reich and others.
Steve Miller Trio: Meets Elton Dean (RR007). Street date: 07/07/08. Reel Recordings. Pianist Steve Miller (1943-1998) formed his trio in the mid-eighties after a lengthy hiatus for technique reevaluation. With young bassist Tony Moore and AMM drummer Eddie Prevost, Steve was now able to improvise freely sans traces of his deep roots in blues and boogie. With time spent in Delivery & Caravan well behind him, Steve's new path lead to a weekly series of concerts billed as "Meetings with Remarkable Saxophonists". At London's Bull & Gate, the diverse talents of Lol Coxhill, Harrison Smith, Elton Dean (1945-2006) and Bobby Wellins rose to meet the spontaneous challenge of improvised music making, with all performances professionally recorded on high speed tape. The special success, in our opinion, was the splendid meeting of altoist Elton Dean and the Steve Miller Trio. Two extended sets of continuous collective improvisation, strongly rooted in the powerful modern jazz aesthetic, comprise this nearly hour long CD. With rare concert photos and notes from Steve complimenting this important document, the Steve Miller Trio "Meets Elton Dean" is indeed a musical meeting to be treasured. Stellar musical meeting of old friends, previously unreleased, makes this compact disc document a worthy companion to last year's successful reissue of the Steve Miller/Lol Coxhill Virgin recordings.

Markus Stockhausen & Alireza Mortazavi: Hamdelaneh Intimate Dialogues. Dark Companion (DC009). Street date: 08-03-19. Limited edition of 500 hand numbered on a gold CD papersleeve. The duo of Markus Stockhausen (trumpet, flugelhorn, piccolo trumpet, voice) and Alireza Mortazavi - a master of the old Persian santoor - was captured live at the "Musiche Nuove In Piacenza" festival in autumn 2018.
The Stone Quartet: DMG @ The Stone / Vol 1 (DMG 721). March 09. Invited by the downtown Music Gallery, bassist Joëlle Léandre came at the end of 2006 to improvise on the Stone stage in New York, reunited with her American partners, pianist Marilyn Crispell, trumpetist Roy Campbell Jr. and viola player Mat Maneri. So here's a drumless quartet, also offering all possible undercombinations, from solo to trios
Stork. This is an orchestra gathered in the spring of 2010 by Simon Toldam, choosing some of the best and most original musicians on the vibrant danish Jazz/Avantgarde-scene. They released their self titled debut album in 2011. Now Simon Toldam's Orchestra is back in the studio and will release their second album i April 2014 as a part of the ILK White Label Series, a new vinyl series where only 100 numbered LP copies of each release are available, no download or CD's. All with handwritten linernotes, titel & artist. Stork's new album will be the second release in the White Label Series.
Sun Ra Arkestra: Live at the Paradox. In+Out (IOR 77098). March 2011. Recorded in 2008, this is the *new* Arkestra, directed for quite many years now by long time associate Marshall Allen. An occasion to check the new generation, working for the dream to remain a reality.
The Spanish label Picap brings in July 2011 some reissues by the great guitarist Max Sunyer and some of you may remember him from his membership in the outfits Iceberg (jazz-rock from the 70's) and later Pegasus (fusion from the 80's); Picap recently reissued the two last albums of the latter as well as some albums from Sunyer's more recent output from the 90's. But a few were still missing and this gap is now filled with the reissue of the following albums:

+ Arrow con Costra (95). Picap 911034 (2011). With this quartet, Sunyer breaks the bounds with the tradition and move towards a more jazzistic approach, where improvisation, controlled freedom and dialogs guitar/sax are prevailing; many musical styles are touched as well as the musicians come from various different geographic places and cultures
+ Black Coral (95). Picap 911033 (2011). This one is much more *americanized*, somewhere between fusion and world music, with focus on song context and lyrics. The black voice of singer Deborah J. Cartero easily find its place in jazz, Mediterranean or flamenco territories and the presence in the core backing trio (guitar, bass & drums) of the eminent bass player Carles Benavent certainly lifts the music one step higher, the last part of the core being drummer Salvador Niebla; add to this plenty of guest players!
+ Nuestro Río (2002) is completing the batch; it is a special album, a live recording from February 16-17th made with a formation that normally functions in entertainment and classical music settings; own compositions and standards are here freely arranged.
Susie Ibarra Trio: Radiance. Hopscotch (HOP 02). Nov. 09. Except "Up From the Skies", a title written by Jimi Hendrix, all compositions of this album are by the drummer, one of the raising stars of the last ten years. With Cooper-Moore on piano and diddley-bo (kind of a one sring guitar) and violinist Charles Burnham - an ex-member of the String Ensemble of New York, the trio shows a subtle felinity and a 360º open mind, experimented to all kind of finesse
Swallow / Talmor / Nussbaum: Singular Curves. Auand (AU9040). Nov. 2014. New album from Steve Swallow's trio, with saxophonist Ohad Talmor and drummer Adam Nussbaum
Swami Lateplate: Doom Jazz II. Subsound Records (SSR124CD). Street date: 08-09-23. New step in the epic story of the DOOM JAZZ saga, with Jamie Saft and Bobby Previte, trading the slow, sensual lines of DOOM JAZZ I for a more active, muscular sound. Side One ("The New Friend" and "Everyone is Aware") uses a vintage Yamaha organ to create an atmosphere of mystery and space. Side Two, "Deception", moves into different territory, Saft's distorted Hammond Organ sailing over Previte's active, commanding tom toms in a blues based jam of wild ferocity and intense foreboding. The plot thickens!
Swami Lateplate: Doom Jazz. Subsound Records. Available in various formats: CD (SSR084CD), 2LP (SSR084LP) and coloured double vinyl (SSR084SLTD). Street date: 27-08-21. This album comes from the unusual duo of Bobby Previte (trap drums) and Jamie Saft (piano, organ, mellotron, electric bass). Using doom - a slow, foreboding style of heavy metal - as a template, Swami Lateplate crafts a set of songs that creeps along powerfully. The themes are simple, generally carried by subdued bass lines and ornamented by the piano like salt on a glacier. What jumps out most is Previte's drumming. Every cymbal vibration and snare snap leaps to the foreground and, with rare exception, decays before the next strike, as much a testament to Previte's assured playing as Saft's engineering. The sound throughout is bright and super present. Each moment is its own event, each note frozen in amber.
Sylvain Cathala Trio: Flow And Cycle. Connexe Records. April 2013. With Sarah Murcia on acoustic bass and drummer Christophe Lavergne, the French saxophonist and member of Print has in his hands a powerful trio, able to have the most complex things feel simple and natural, from polyrythmic patterns to harmonic constructions. Add a fine writing, a perfect control of sound and phrasing, a sharp sense of improvisation and you end with an urban music that definitely redefine many musical aspects with a powerful sensibility and fluidity!
Sylvain Cathala Trio: Moonless. 2010. This trio has in fact existed since 2005 under the name Rolex, today changed in favour of Sylvain Cathala Trio. Rolex was featured in a short film by W. Fonrose, from 2007. But the band hasn't released yet any official album so "Moonless" can be considered as their debut. With Sarah Murcia on acoustic bass, power, elegance, fluidity and melodic velocity are qualificatives that come to mind, while drummer Christophe Lavergne excells in the use of polyrythmic patterns and reveals himself as a very attentive and flexible drummer; from dry and metallic to soft and melodic, but always IN the music! There is a real empathy in this trio and Cathala's cleverly crafted compositions add a touch of mistery or surprise, as a theme often hides an other one that suddenly comes forth until the next fades in. It took time to have us being able to listen to a CD by this unit; maybe it's a good thing that it took that much time!
Szabo, Gabor: Dreams. Skye Records (SK1001). June 2010. Presented in a Deluxe digipack edition, here's the reissue of an album originally released in 1968; the CD has the same tracks in the same order as the original release (out of print since the early 80s). The warm tones and Eastern influences of "Dreams" makes this one of Gabor Szabo's best albums.
Tamma. A very remarkable night at the Molde International Jazz Festival in 1984! The Norwegian / Gambian group «Tamma» teamed up with legendary trumpet player Don Cherry and percussionist Ed Blackwell, resulting in a band communicating strong and extraordinary ideas of energy and rhythm. This percussion-based album was for a long time out of print, but is now again available. Tamma was Erik Balke: sax | Per Jørgensen: trumpet | Sveingung Hovensjø: bass | Finn Sletten: perc. | Miki N'Doye: perc. Released on the Norwegian label Curling Legs
Tamura, Natsuki: Dragon Nat (Libra 101-032). USA release in August. This is the third CD of Natsuki Tamura solo trumpet music.
Tamura, Natsuki & Satoko Fujii: Keshin. Libra Records (102-064). Street date: 06-11-20. Released in full Covid confinement time, this is the 8th album by the duo, a real DIY recording, recorded and mixed by themselves in their small music room.
Tano Trio feat. Leo Genovese: Close But Far. Via Veneto Jazz (VVJ124). Digipak. Street date: 19-07-18. This record is the product of the union of a shared language that exists in two cultures that are geographically far away from each other and living under different contexts, but at the same they are so close. Daniele Germani (Sax) and Stefano Battaglia (Bass) are the two musicians from Italy. Leo Genovese (piano) and Juan Chiavassa (drums) are the two musicians from Argentina. Leo and Juan come from Italian families in Argentina. One could argue that Argentina's mother country is Spain, but the culture there is very much influenced by the Italian heritage coming from the immigration movements of the past two centuries. So when the two Italians and the two Argentines met in New York, they found out that they actually share a language other than the speaking language, and other than music. They felt like brothers!
Tapscott, Horace: Dissent Or Descent. Nimbus West (NS 0509). May 2011. We hear too little of this pianist and here at the Vanguard studios of New York in 1984, his trio formed with Fred Hopkins and Ben Riley is one of the purest jazz essence!
Roberto Tarenzi / James Cammack / Jorge Rossy: Love and Other Simple Matters. Via Veneto Jazz (VVJ121). Street date: 18-01-18. To record this expansive work, Tarenzi - among the most proficient pianists on the contemporary jazz scene - assembled an amazing international rhythm section made up of James Cammack, legendary bassist for the Ahmad Jamal Trio, and the iconic Jorge Rossy, Brad Mehldau Trio's original drummer and multi-instrumentalist.
Fernando Tarrés: Todo Buenos Aires - La música de Astor Piazzolla. Bau Records (2010). The Argentinean composer-guitarist Fernando Tarrés has a deeply personal language, shaped during his New York years by the rigorous perspective of being an expatriate pondering his native sources. As his compatriots the late Astor Piazzolla and Gato Barbieri, he flourished creatively in a foreign land. He is a master architect of form who fuses traditional Jazz and contemporary classical music with tango, while highlighting the rhythms and melodies of Argentina's rich folkloric vernacular, to create original and dynamic music that transcends categorization. Therefore it is not a surprise to see him releasing today stunning interpretations of compositions by the late great Astor Piazzolla, albeit with a focus towards contemporary jazz.
TaxiWars: Artificial Horizon. Sdban Ultra (SDBANULP10). Street date: 06-09-19. LP in printed innersleeve. TaxiWars is back after a three-year hiatus with new album 'Artificial Horizon', a mix of lyricism, poetry and jazz with a rock sensibility. It presents an intensive collaboration between Tom Barman, saxophonist Robin Verheyen, bassist Nicolas Thys and drummer Antoine Pierre. Insistent with an ingrained punkiness that sets the band apart from the plush jazz scene, high on experimentation and creativity displayed through a kaleidoscope of styles and sounds, merging certain traditional elements of jazz with an indie approach, it's an album full of swing, pulse, and the urge to break out of the genre's confinements.
Cecil Taylor: At Angelica 2000 Bologna. Angelica Records (IDA042). Street date: 23-10-20. Recorded on May 10, 2000 at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, and on May 11, 2000 at the Palazzo dei Notai, Bologna, Italy, during AngelicA, Festival Internazionale di Musica, 10th edition, this double CD features a solo performance of the pianist, with music, poetry reading and dance! The additional uniqueness of this release is that it adds to the recording of that memorable concert a second CD, titled Rap, which documents the public meeting-interview that Taylor agreed to give in Bologna on the following day. Moderated by the musicologist (and founding member of the band Stormy Six) Franco Fabbri, and transcribed and notated in its entirety in the forty pages booklet (in English/Italian) by the jazz critic and historian Francesco Martinelli, Taylor opened the meeting by reading a complex statement of his on the definition of music, inclusive of an explanatory glossary at the end. What came after was no less bewildering, with Taylor using the moderator's questions as a springboard for an explosive tour de force of quotes and references.
Cecil Taylor: Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly! Promising Music (441172). 2012. New reissue on the German label, in the usual luxurious papersleeve format. One of the most resplendent characters of new jazz in a highly-concentrated Sunday enclosure: this strong solo document shows the piano colossus at the height of his creative potential, taking the listener's imagination to remote places in Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia.
John Tchicai: Afrodisiaca. Promising Music (MPS 441072). June 2010. One of the rare recordings not issued on a either Danish or American label, this album will be especially cherished by Danish people since it presents the historical big band Cadentia Nova Danica, a 25-piece big band featuring some of the big names of the Danish scene like trumpetist Hugh Steinmetz or guitarist Pierre Dørge, to name a few. It also included an illustrious guest: Willem Breuker!
Ximo Tébar: Celebrating Erik Satie. Xàvia Jazz 007. Sept. 09. Each year, the Xàvia Jazz Festival selects a musician based in the region of Valencia to carry out a special musical project, which is then recorded for release. This CD contains the music premiered by Ximo Tébar during the 8th edition of the festival. Without sacrificing its distinctive style, which combines the traditional language of jazz with musical molds own contemporary jazz, and open to influences from other genres such as Flamenco, the great jazz guitarist Ximo Tébar has decided to pay tribute to the figure of a musician unclassifiable, the French Erik Satie. Among the many players contributing, let's note trombonist Robin Eubanks.
Jérémie Ternoy, Kristof Hiriart: Hermeto? Lagunarte (LP05). April 2018. The first is pianist and jazz composer, hailing from the North of France, near Belgium. The second comes from the Basque country, singer, percussionist, composer. Together they have led the Organik Orkeztra, a 12-piece ensemble with which they experiment the richness of several musical practices: improvisation versus written, vocal music, jazz, experimental and/or contemporary music. Their duo is a new step in their course, triggered by the universality and constant musical seek of the one and only Hermeto Pascoal. Based on some of his compositions, the album is not offering straight covers but use their DNA to adapt them to their own spaces and sensitivity, morphing them into their own listening of the world(s) around!
Thielemans, Toots: The Live Takes, Vol. 1. In+Out (IOR 77041). April 2012. This is a collection of tracks recorded between March 94 and December 98 by three different combos and a host of great players: Kenny Werner, Nathalie Loriers, Michel Herr, Ray Drummond, Michel Hatzigeorgiou (from Aka Moon), Juokkis Uotila, Adam Nussbaum, etc...
Thollot, Jacques: Cinq Hops. Orchestra ORK007. Nov. 06. A welcome CD release of this album from 1978, the 4th done by the drummer who was THE free jazz French drummer in the late 60's. Libertarian, this album presents a musical universe mixing jazz-rock (Weather Report), Classical (Poulenc, Debussy), RIO (Art Bears, John Greaves). Some of the best French jazz musicians will be found here as well like the late pianist Michel Graillier, saxophonist, educator and ex ONJ (Orchestre National de Jazz, the French stately financed jazz big band) leader François Jeanneau, bass player Jean-Paul Celea, keyboardist and ECM recording artist François Couturier
Thomas Chapin Trio: Ride. Playscape Recordings PSR071595. Nov. 06. This live concert was recorded at the North Sea Jazz Festival in July 1995 and evoque Roland Kirk, a strong inspiration for the late Chapin. There is also a Beatles cover: A Ticket To Ride. While Chapin is heard on alt and sopranino sax, the trio is completed by Mario Pavone on bass and Michael Sarin on drums.
Thôt: With Words Vol.1 et 2. Street date: November 2009. This French band, led by saxophonist Stéphane Payen has one foot in the M'Base style defined by US saxophonist Steve Coleman with his band Five Elements; following two albums, one of them for a bigger sized band, Thôt with words opens up for including this time the voice, with Félix Jousserand, but also electronics (Olivier Sens).
Three Generations: Caligiuri, Tavolazzi, Capiozzo. Ma.Ra.Cash Records (MRC097). Also released on LP (MRCLP029). October 2021. Born as a jazz group in 2017 and titled with their own name, this first album gathers Leo Caligiuri (keyboards and flute, known from his membership in the band Altare Thotemico), Area's bass player Ares Tavolazzi and the son of Area's drummer Giulio Capiozzo, Christian, himself playing drums and percussion like his father. The result, after three abundant years of careful work, is enclosed here: a successful marriage - with a solid jazz base - of ethnic music (especially from the Balkan area), jazz prog, world music and classical melodies, all accompanied by sophisticated psychedelic interventions.
Tilli/Tramontana: Down At The Docks. We Insist! (CDWEIN06). Street date: 14-06-19. Trombonist Sebi Tramontana is mostly known as member of the Italian Instabile Orchestra and for his collaboration with European improv luminaries such as Joelle Leandre, Paul Lovens and Carlos Zingaro. In "Down at the Docks", Tramontana is in close company with cello player Luca Tilli. This is a strong free Improv album. A genuine and profound dialogue for trombone and cello, full of allusions, rips, bursts of humor and sudden gusts of poetry.
Tiny Bell Trio: Live In Europe. AJ 126. Nov. 06. Extracted from their European tour of 1996, the music offered here revisits the Eastern European folklores, being nevertheless firmly anchored in the North American jazz tradition. Led by trumpetist Dave Douglas, this unusual bass-less trio counts the great drummer Jim Black and guitarist Brad Schoeppach
TOC: Did It Again. Circum-Disc (CIDI2202). How to celebrate fifteen years of sonic ebullition and add a tenth stone to its own discographic edifice? Release a 4CD filled with live recordings from a post-Covid-confinement period and let the joy and energy of the reunion take part in the instant construction of a raw and uncompromising music, the compulsive obsessions, the repetitive ardour and the noisy and unstructured polyrhythms always present!
TOC: Will Never Play These Songs Again. Circum-Disc (CIDI1801). Available as LP with download codes, Flac HD 96kHz/24bits or mp3/320 Kbps. Street date: 01-02-18. Not having given up belonging to the big family of the music industry, the three musicians continually reinvent their hypnotic free-pop, raising their intoxicating and solar rhythms with a hint of throbbing kraut jazz-core, producing hits without a future, heady and highly addictive ... As their name seems to indicate, Toc members are quite obsessive and even compulsive. Their frenetic, ritualized but non-contagious behaviors bring the listener in a hectic space-time before bringing him back to the mainland in a more or less troubled state.
Togander, Bárbara : Lovemanual (2007)- Argentina - {Jazz / Improvisation / Avant-Garde}
Tokatlián, Ara & Enrique Villegas: Inspiración. An interesting reissue of an album from 1975, the result of the meeting between Argentinean pianist Enrique Villegas and Ara Tokatlián, here on saxophone and flute, known as member of the ethno-jazz band Arco Iris. This album is a strongly spiritual jazz album, with saxophonist John Coltrane as an obvious reference; the pieces go from overdubbed sax duos to sax/piano duos or trio when a bass player is added.
Toldam, Simon: Stork. ILK 175. March 2012. Pianist in Han Bennink's trio, Simon Toldam has created this group with some of the most original musicians of Copenhagen, already much experienced in the avant-garde jazz of this country or partners of international artists such as Derek Bailey, John Tchicai, Tim Berne, etc... let's just name the rhythm team of Peter Bruun on drums and Niels Bo Davidsen on bass.
Jaime Torres - Minino Garay - Magic Malik : Altiplano. Random Records RR 890. I'm sorry that I missed this record at that time since it is from 2008! Jaime Torres is a world-renowned charango player. He is accompanied this time around by Minino Garay (percussions) and Magic Malik (French flute player of African origin). What they have come up with is a successful combination of Traditional Andean Music with Contemporary Jazz.
Tous Dehors: Happy Birthday (LD5). April 09. 15 years after its creation, the big band led by French Laurent Dehors hasn't yet integrated the word moderation to their glossary. Still eager to achieve a synthesis between academic and popular jazz, they cast themselves with a great orchestral care in styles as various as jazz or rock, contemporary or traditional musics, from a menuet to bulgo funk!
Antonio Trinchera: Fauves. A.Ma Edizioni (AMC029). Street date: 23-09-22. The Italian guitarist fuses his twin musical passions of jazz and electronica in an album which takes as its theme the manifesto of the French 19th Century Fauvism art movement. Just as the Fauves painters were characterized by their use of colour as a means of representing emotion, Antonio layers meaning into his tracks by combining electronica with jazz, pop and poly-rhythms; he combines complexity with simplicity to create an emotional and musical fusion. Joined by Dony Valentino on electric violin (with whom Antonio composed five of the tracks on the album), Camillo Pace on double bass, Alessio Santoro and Leo Consoli on drums, Fauves transports us into a soundscape and a colour filled world with no barriers.
Tsahar / Maneri / Black: Jam. Hopscotch (HOP21). Feb. 2012. Recorded in 2003, here's a trio recording where Assar's tenor sax or bass clarinet dialog with the violin of Mat Maneri and the skins of the incomparable Jim Black
Tsahar / Nakatani / Hernandez / Cook / Ljova / Chan: Solitude. Hopscotch HOP 36. Oct. 09. Titled after the composition of Duke Ellington, this album focuses on music composed by the Israelian and often free jazz inspired saxophonist Assif Tsahar. He meets here the Japanese drummer Tatsuya Nakatani and a classical string quartet
Tsahar, Assif / Nakatani, Tatsuya: Come Sunday. Hopscotch (HOP24). Feb. 2012. Born for years of common practice, this tenor sax-bass clarinet / drums album by the duo was recorded in 2003 in a free air place near East Village. Difficult not to evoke another duo, Coltrane - Rashied Ali!
Tsahar, Assif & The New York Underground Orchestra: Fragments. Hopscotch (HOP 27). Feb. 2012. 2nd recording of the Downtown big band directed by Tsahar
Bleu Regard Records have released two new albums by Charles Tyler - Live at Sweet Basil Volume 1 & 2, featuring Roy Campbell on trumpet, Wilber Morris on double bass, Curtis Clark on piano, Richard Dunbar on French horn and John Bestch on drums.
Uli Lenz Trio: Good-Bye Venus. Tutu CD 888218. Recorded at AudioCue Studio, Berlin in March 2006. With bassist Ed Schuller and drummer John Betsch. Lenz is a very sensitive pianist described as follows by Ed Schuller: "Uli has his own unique style rhythmically, harmonically and melodically - check out his left hand. His compositions also bear an original stamp, often bluesy, sometimes playful but always with a strong direction."
Kazutoki Umezu / Vladimir Volkov: Play Time. Long Arms LA 04062. Oct. 06. A living legend of Nippon jazz, Umezu is known in the West for the cult records he did on Moers Music and at the Knitting Factory. He's back here in duo with a Russian bassist, recorded in September 2003
Umlaut: Vol.2. (FOR 5/1). 2009. This trio formed in 2005 by drummer Emmanuel Scarpa with Fred Escoffier (bass keyboard and Nord Lead) and guitarist Fred Poncet is here extended by the addition of players from another trio featuring Scarpa: Antonin Rayon (Hammond and clavinet) and guitarist Marc Ducret. Wild energy, tight balance between the written and the improvised, great interplay by musicians who know each other very well, an original signature that shouldn't leave anyone careless!
Ursus Minor: Coup De Sang (Original Soundtrack of the film by Jean Marboeuf). ZOG 4. Jan. 07. The music of this film has been realised in real time in front of the screen. Ursus Minor is the group led by keyboardist Tony Hymas and featuring the American guitarist Jef Lee Johnson, saxophonist François Corneloup and drummer Stokley Williams
Caterina Valente & Chet Baker: I'll Remember April. Blue Moon (BMCD856). Nov. 2014. Newly 24-bit digitally remastered digipak. Combined here is the remarkable voice and singing style of Caterina Valente and the lyrical and intimate trumpet of Chet Baker, in a collection of swinging and romantic performances recorded in Germany during the 50's, partly in collaboration with orchestras such as Kurt Edelhagen's Orchestra
Jasper van't Hof / Fredy Studer : Pangramm (264-0808). Voted a decade ago as Europe's best keyboard player, Jasper Van't Hof has hauled his many keyboards out of the garage. These include the Korg M1, Kawai CD5, Roland M-CD1, Korg P3+SDD and the DRV 2000 among others - a true historic collection! Out of love for experimentation, beyond any calculated music-making, he's joined with Swiss drummer Fredy Studer to create this courageous, joyously experimental CD!
Israel Varela: The Labyrinth Project. Via Veneto Jazz (VVJ131). Street date: 27-09-19. Originally from Tijuana, Mexico, the drummer belongs to the fourth generation of a renowned family of Tijuana musicians. He grew up in an exciting musical environment in a house where predominantly classical and sacred music was played. He is one of the most accomplished artists of his generation and over the last decade has been one of the most in demand Jazz/World/Flamenco musicians in Europe, Asia, Middle East, and America, traveling extensively around the world. His originality and distinctive style allowed him to perform with multitudes of renowned artists such as: Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden, Mike Stern, Yo-Yo-Ma, Victor Bailey, Abe Laboriel, Pino Daniele, Diego Amador, Rita Marcotulli, Karen Lugo, Andrea Bocelli, Joaquin Cortes, Jorge Pardo among many others. He plays here in trio with Florian Weber (piano) and Alfredo Paixão (electric bass) + on saxophone as special guest Ben Wendel.
Csaba Vedres & Kairosz Kvartet: Give My Regards to Chick Corea - Children's Songs Variations. BGCD186. The pianist and founding member of the Hungarian band After Crying rearranges here the famous songs, this time not for piano alone but also for string quartet. As he puts it himself: "I could not help thinking that these short movements are so diversified and colourful that parts of them could become chamber music ... I do not want to say that they are not perfect as they are. But they are so rich in ideas that certain themes are worth extending, re-interpreting and re-thinking. It was a game - a liberated and joyful game."
Csaba Vedres & Kairosz Kvartett: Áldott Idö (Blessed Time). BGCD 176. Vedres was the first pianist in the Hungarian progressive group After Crying. With Kairosz, his goal is to perform accessible contemporary classical music. The long-term goal of Kairosz is to occupy a mid-point position in the musical life, similarly to the Brodsky or Kronos Quartets. The music is based on the concept of Kairos, the symbol of "proper time" created by God. The point here is time, our life, the recognized or missed occasions; the life-influencing minutes between "carpe diem" and "the hour of our death".
Frédéric Viale: Lames Latines. Imago IMG 003. Oct. 09. This album is born from the meeting of accordeonist Frédéric Viale with Hermeto's drummer and percussionist Marcio Villa Bahia. 2nd album in own name and recorded in 2008, this is an explosion of rhythms and colours, also featuring among other guitarist Jean-Marie Ecay
Michael Villmow feat. Bendik Hofseth: Da Pacem. C+C Records. CD & LP (CCD073 / CCLP073). Street date: 14-11-22. Between contemporary classical and improvised jazz music, this new collaboration between German Michael Villmov and Norwegian Bendik Hofseth - both saxophonists - is a journey in the sign of peace that goes through four works, played in collaboration with contemporary percussionist Hans-Kristian Kjos Sørensen, vibraphonist Fredrik Villmov, organist David Jansen and the choir Capella Amsterdam, one of Europe's leading choirs.
Von Freeman: Vonski Speaks. Nessa (NES 30). April 2012. Recorded at the Berlin jazz festival in 2002 with guitarist Mike Allemana, bass player Jack Zara and drummer Michael Raynor.
Von Freeman: Serenade & Blues. Nessa (NES 11). April 2012. Reissue of an album made of original compositions and covers, recorded in June 1975.
Von Freeman: Have No Fear. Nessa (NES 06). Jan. 2012. Another quartet album from 75!
Cuong Vu / Pat Metheny: Cuong Vu Trio Meets Pat Metheny. Release date: 06-05-16. The Cuong Vu Trio includes Stomu Takeishi on bass and Ted Poor on drums. Metheny says of his record with the Trio, "This project is something that Cuong and I have talked about doing for years. For as much as I loved what Cuong has brought to my bands along the way, I always wondered what it would be like to join his group for a project, to see what I might be able to offer those guys. Cuong came up with a great set of tunes for the project, and we all met in NYC for a few days and recorded this music quite quickly and spontaneously."
W4: Titan. AMP Music & Records (AT0138). Street date: 05-05-23. W4 (Waltersdorph 4) is a quartet put together by bassist and composer Anders Waltersdorph Hjemmen. The music draws inspiration from clear voices in the epicenter of jazz, New York. The interaction is in focus and the music and its paths are formed organically, but still clearly. This makes music concrete, despite the fact that playfulness and improvisation in real time are the focus. The band strives for a soundscape that respects the tradition it comes from, but with a different approach to both harmonics and melody. The sound and crew can draw lines to artists such as Joel Ross, Harish Raghavan and Jure Pukl. Titan was recorded in Øra Studio, Trondheim, June 2022. Mixed by Håvard Caspersen and mastered by Frode Berg.
Paul Wertico: First Date. Chickadisc (CHI CD 007). Street date: 07-06-19. Paul Wertico, a versatile drummer known from Pat Metheny Group and a few years of intensive collaboration with the Polish band SBB, set off on his first tour with his own trio in the mid-90's. Twenty-five years later, that first meeting with the audience is finally being published on an album taken from live recordings from his first trio's tour, recorded in Ottobeuren, Germany on October 6th, 1994. With him are US musicians, guitarist John Moulder and - displaying some creative accompaniment on bass - Eric Hochberg. It is music full of contrasts which clashes aggressive improvisations full of rock energy with dreamy, hazy impressions. It also features a few excellent, engaging solo performances by Paul Wertico, which are not so much interludes or show-offs as full-fledged compositions.
White, James & The Blacks: Off White. Barnyard (BAR-334). Every bit as strong an album as its predecessor, Off White belongs in any self-respecting No Wave & NYC post-punk collection. An absolute stone classic back in print on LP.
Widmer - Stauss: Duos. Unit Records (UTR 4914). October 2019. New free improvisation album in both jazz and rock idioms by two Swiss musicians: drummer Jacques Widmer and multi wind instrumentist Markus Stauss (tenor, soprano sax, flute).
William Parker Organ Quartet: Uncle Joe's Spirit House. Centering Tone (CEN 1004). Oct. 2010. This special project and family celebration (65th wedding anniversary) hearkens back to those early-mid 60's sessions of soul-jazz organ quartet, though revitalized here by the modern playing of tenor saxophonist Darryl Foster, drummer Gerald Cleaver and Cooper-Moore on organ. This is the first pressing of a limited threefold digipack edition (1000 copies), including liner notes by William Parker.
Wingfield / Reuter / Stavi / Sirkis: The Stone House. Moonjune Records (MJR083). Feb. 2017. This album features two of today's most original, ingenious and decidedly "risk taking" electric guitar proponents, easily among the instrument's most vital new voices: the UK's Mark Wingfield and Germany's Markus Reuter (Stick Men; The Crimson ProjeKct; Centrozoon). Each, in their own unique way, has been stretching the bounds of the tonal and texutral limitations of the instrument, and, in the process, has respectively developed their own individual techniques, stylistic approaches and idiosyncratic vocabularies. Accompanied by the sure-footed foundational tandem of the Israeli-born UK transplants, bassist Yaron Stavi (David Gilmour, Phil Manzanera, Robert Wyatt, Richard Galliano) and drummer Asaf Sirkis (Tim Garland, Mark Wingfield, Nicolas Meier) - a familiar pair, who by all appearances are more than capable of making most anything groove infectiously, and in perfect cadence - the album incorporates many of the elements which have drawn listeners to progressive music for decades. Not only is the album often a canvas hosting a grand experiment in spontaneous group interaction, but it is also an exploration into the tonal and textural possibilities of all the instruments involved. The resulting picture which takes shape is one where the whole is much greater than the sum of its profound parts, and emotion, above all, emerges victorious.
Wingfield, Mark: Proof of Light. Moonjune (MJR071). 2015. This album marks the debut of the otherworldly guitar stylings of the critically-acclaimed American-born UK guitarist Mark Wingfield for the label. A trio recording with Yaron Stavi on bass and his acute, intuitive counterpart, seasoned master drummer, Asaf Sirkis (John Abercrombie; Larry Coryell; Gilad Atzmon; Tim Garland; Jeff Berlin). The music is enticing and ethereal - with Wingfield's articulate vocabulary and unique vision for his instrument clearly in evidence - forming a supreme melodic "avant jazz", where any lines separating music and art vanish!
Wingfield, Mark & Gary Husband: Tor & Vale. Moonjune Recordings (MJR098). June 2019. Digipak with 16 page booklet. Also available on 180 gram vinyl in a limited edition of 250 copies, 2LP with gatefold cover. Street date: 31-07-19. A true meeting of the spirits, Tor & Vale showcases the remarkable chemistry between two extraordinary players, guitarist Mark Wingfield and pianist Gary Husband. A gem of nuanced interaction and rare potency, this intimate session is brimming with sparkling call-and-response exchanges and dramatic rubato exploration between the intrepid improvisers. Recorded in May 2019 at Casamurada, a spacious studio located in a 12th century farmhouse in Catalonia about an hour outside of Barcelona, Tor & Vale is comprised of five evocative Wingfield compositions and three purely improvised pieces, like the evocative 16-1/2-minute title track, that put a premium on space and find the two kindred spirits being wide open to the moment.

Wolfgang Dauner's Et Cetera: Knirsch. HGBS Musikproduktion (2010). This reissue planned for August is presented as a 4-panel digipack and brings back a cult album recorded in Villingen 1972, originally released by MPS, whose catching cover featured threatening wide open dentures. The album featured guitarist Larry Coryell and drummer Jon Hiseman, offering a unique example of a successful interweaving of jazz, rock, avant-garde and electronic. With a clever use of atonality and jazz total improvisation, Dauner succeeded in melting border lines into an aesthetic organisation
The Workshop: Two new releases by Stéphane Payen's group on the French label Onze Heures Onze. Extensions (ONZ044) and In and Out (ONZ042). The first offers mainly live tracks recorded by Sylvain Thévenard at Midilive, Villetaneuse (France) in 2018 - the two remaining tracks coming from a studio recording at Studio Sextan, Malakoff (France), in october 2020. All other tracks from this studio session are to be found on the second CD (ONZ042).
The Wrong Object: Stories From The Shed. Moonjune Recordings (MJR018). Belgian heavy avant-prog-jazz-rock combo The Wrong Object returns with a brand new studio release of their trademark instrumentation and sonic landscapes. Laden with a full load of heavy guitar riffs, extravagant jazz themes and electronic sounds, this CD marks a return to the rockier and densely overdriven stance that characterized the band's earlier productions. The sheer sonic texture of this album is driven by a combination of tight prog-rock sequences alternating with more open, freely improvised material. This explosive package consists of a solid, pulsing rhythm section capable of performing with versatility in any situation, aggressive guitar riffs and solos, unusual guitar-synth soundscapes, and fuzz bass guitar laced with a fiery horn duet. With influences ranging from Zappa's whimsical complexities to Squarepusher's glitchy electronics, from Soft Machine and electric Miles to Stravinsky and Béla Bartok, "Stories from the Shed" will surprise prog-rock fans and modern electric jazz aficionados alike with its genre-defying compositions, eclectic jam improvisations and intricate arrangements.

Zach Broch And The Coffee Achievers. Behind this gorgeous hot smelling name, you'll find the american violinist Zachary Broch who previously released the album "Silent Films" with his other group Spazztet. The new album presents a quartet of violin/piano/bass/dms playing modern and fresh jazz with a great sense of dynamics and nuances. More on www.cdbaby.com/group/secretfort

Zao Family: S/T. Cristal Records CRCDM0405. 2005. Faton Cahen & Yochk'o Seffer formed this septet in 2005 with long time partner, Gong and Zao member François Causse on percussions plus a string quartet. This studio recording adds the presence of an extra persussionist, the great Mino Cinelu (Weather Report, Miles Davis). The name Zao Family is a cue to send us back to the album Shekina, made in the 70's with Zao and already a string quartet. A perfect synthesis between jazz and contemporary music!
Cristina Zavalloni With Uri Caine: The Soul Factor. Via Veneto Jazz (VVJ094). A mix of unparalleled and inimitable talent: Cristina Zavalloni - the most compelling, venomous, warm and explosive voice that has emerged in Italy in the past several years - and Uri Caine - a brilliant creator of sounds, an inventor without boundaries, who has spanned the world of jazz as an insatiable predator. The lyrics are hers, the music is his and the arrangements are by both. Renowned rhythm masters such as jazz guitarist Dave Gilmore, soulful bassist Fima Ephron and outstanding, all around drummer Gene Lake, have brought their energy to this creation, along with two top-class jazz musicians: avant-garde jazz trumpeter and composer Ralph Alessi, and clarinetist and tenor saxophonist Chris Speed. All that remains is to listen to "The Soul Factor" and Play it loud! It will put a spell on you!
Zeno De Rossi Trio: This Is Always - Live at Ferrara Jazz Club. Hora Records (HORA004-2204-CD). Street date: 22-07-22. Third album by this bass-less trio featuring Zeno De Rossi on drums, Francesco Bigoni on tenor sax and clarinet and Giorgio Pacorig on piano. One of the salient moments of the session is American Landscapes, a four-movement suite where contemporary music and improvisation blend in an evocative way. The suite also includes a previously unreleased composition by Bill Frisell, written during the pandemic and generously granted to the trio
Fabio Zeppetella / Emmanuel Bex / Géraldine Laurent / Roberto Gatto: Chansons! Via Veneto Jazz / Jando Music (VVJ113). Street date: 16-02-17. This original quartet uniquely interprets eleven songs that best reflect the musical tradition of singer-songwriters belonging to France and Italy! Starting from the highly popular jazz composer Bruno Martino, passing through the ever-present De André and De Gregori and arriving to Pino Daniele, another milestone; on the French scene are idols such as Jacques Brel, Leo Ferré, Yves Montand and Joe Dassin. The quartet's interpretation is extraordinary and the songs in "Chansons!" enchant from beginning to end. While the harmonious complicity of Gatto, Bex and Zeppetella is a well-known fact, the musical fluency added by the involvement of saxophonist Géraldine Laurent is unexpected, further enriching this innovative project.
Zo'Loka' Trio: Al Borde Del Desborde (2008). Acqua Records. Second album by this very particular trio (piano, cello and vocals), that introduces the listener to an original sonic and charismatic instrumental development. They play a free-style interpretation of various musical genres, such as Jazz, contemporary music with a chamber feel, folk, amongst others.

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ACT MUSIC .... ACT MUSIC .... ACT MUSIC .... ACT MUSIC .... ACT MUSIC ....

Vocal jazz releases on the German label ACT:

+ Rigmor Gustafsson - Celebrating Michel Legrand: On My Way To You (ACT 9710-2). 27/01/06. The Swedish lady sings here the songs of film soundtracks (The Thomas Crowne Affair, Les Demoiselles de Rochefort, Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, etc...), songs all composed by the French jazz musician Michel Legrand. Some special guests are invited to join and add their personality on those renditions.
+ Julia Hülsmann Trio with Roger Cicero: Good Morning Midnight (ACT 9209-2). 27/01/06. Julia Hülsmann has picked ten poems from the enormously rich body of Dickinson's work for "Good Morning Midnight". Her music intuitively absorbs what is hinted at in the verses (the vocals are due to Roger Cicero). An unexpected dimension is opened by the subtle electronica provided by Tilman Ehrhorn. A new colour in Julia's work, as are the warm horn arrangements on "Will There Really Be a Morning" and "Riverman", that are reminiscent of Gil Evans.
+ Solveig Slettahjell Slow Motion Quintet: Pixiedust (ACT 9208-2). 27/01/06. Another singer coming from Norway and her debut album for ACT. "Pixiedust" is an album of both quiet flowing sounds and emotions. The range of sounds spans interpretations of ballads through to excursions into the avant-garde, which demonstrate the influence of her mentor and former teacher, Sidsel Endresen.
+ Nils Landgren: Sentimental Journey (ACT 9802-2). October 2005. More known for his funky work, the trombonist decided here to investigate "The Great American Songbook" and sing ballads made famous by so many jazz women. This is not an easy task and he's helped here by other Swedish notabilities like pianist Anders Widmark or the wonderful Flesh Quartet. There are also a few female vocal guest performances as well as special guests like Esbjörn Svensson (from the much acclaimed trio EST) on Fender Rhodes.
+ Nguyên Lê: Saiyuki. ACT 9483-2. 2009. With this new album, the Franco-Vietnamese guitarist invites us to a triangular musical exploration moving between and towards Vietnam, India and Japan. Its instrumental reflection appears with the choice of tablas, bansuri flute and koto as the palette used to find new forms, culminating in a scintillating encounter of identities.
+ Muriel Zoe : Neon Blue (ACT 9704-2). Release Date: 25. April 2005. 2nd album for ACT, this time with a much more diversified choice of songs: jazz standards, Beatles tunes, country, Steely Dan's hit tune "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" and own compositions.
+ Let's not forget Magic Voices II (ACT 9706-2, released 28/03/05) from their voice series. This time on the program: Jamie Cullum / Viktoria Tolstoy / Norah Jones / Cassandra Wilsson / Nils Landgren / Stacey Kent / Rebekka Bakken / Mark Murphy / Sidsel Endresen / Rigmor Gustafsson / Cæcilie Norby a.o.

Other jazz releases from the same label:

Alboran Trio: Meltemi. ACT 9448-2. Release date: 23/06/06. Alboran is the entrance to the Mediterranean, it is the waterway that joins the African and European continents. The Alboran Trio is a significant encounter between three individuals, each with their own approach to improvised music, three musicians who breathe rhythm, three artists, who are constantly searching for a new sound and approach to playing. The programme is built around original compositions by the pianist Paolo Paliaga, helped by Dino Contenti on acoustic bass and Gigi Biolcati on drums.
Baldych/Courtois/Telderman: Clouds. ACT (ACT99182). Street date: 25-09-20. The three cultures and traditions - Poland, France and The Netherlands - represented by the musicians, were confronted live for the first time at the Dutch festival "Sounds of Europe Festival" in 2018. The seeds were sowed, giving growth to a fruitful collaboration where Baldych's violin & renaissance violin and Courtois' challenging cello playing face and converse with the "other" strings, those of Rogier Telderman's piano.
Adam Baldych Quartet: Sacrum Profanum. ACT (ACT98812). March 2019. The Polish violinist comes here with a new album and a special interest in renaissance music and sounds. With him are Krzysztof Dys on piano, Michal Baranski on bass and David Fortuna on drums.
BartolomeyBittmann: Dynamo. ACT (ACT90432). March 2019. This is a new duo, with their individual sound and ideas! Matthias Bartolomey plays the cello and Klemens Bittman violin and mandolin.
Majid Bekkas: Magic Spirit Quartet. ACT (ACT98962). Street date: 31-01-20. The bridge-building Moroccan player (guembri, oud & guitar but also singer) is backed here by an excellent roster of Nordic musicians, from drummer Stefan Pasborg to trumpeter (also playing percussion) Goran Kajfe?and - on piano, organ and synthesizers - Jesper Nordenström. Gnawa music and Scandinavian lyricism intertwined with delicacy and some kind of magic!
E.S.T.: Live in Gothenburg. 2CD on ACT (ACT90462). Street date: 25-10-19. The late Esbjörn Svensson is making news again, with the release of this live recording at Göteborg's Konserthus on October 10th 2001. He always recalled it as the best concert the group ever gave and music took inspiration from compositions heard on the albums "From Gagarin´s Point of View" and "Good Morning Susie Soho" + another one, "Bowling", until now unreleased on CD. This will also be released as a triple LP (ACT90461).
E.S.T.: 301. ACT 9029-2. March 2012. While everyone thought that Leucocyte was the ultimate recording of the Esbjörn Svensson Trio, 301 - titled after the name of the studio in Sydney - will come as a surprise, popping up nearly four years later; the fact is that it comes from the same sessions as Leucocyte, by no means a bunch of leftovers; a very versatile album, it shows pathes used by the band but also clearly points out where it was heading! The pianist had started editing the music but never came to end it; instead the surviving two members Magnus Östrom and Dan Berglund decided to finish it, together with the trio's usual sound engineer Åke Linton.
Wolfgang Haffner feat. Nils Landgren and Lars Danielsson: Shapes. ACT 9603-2. Release date: 26/05/06. Haffner's idea behind "Shapes" was to create, in his words, "an album with lots of air, lots of space". All the compositions are by Haffner himself. They show his affinity for melodies that linger. The themes are lyrical and accessible. At times a bass hook will implant itself in the listener's mind and feet. Keyboards and programming are an integral part of the album and lend it an aura that is strongly characterized by electronics. But despite this, the music retains a directness and vitality.
Joachim Kühn & Mateusz Smoczynski: Speaking Sound. ACT (ACT96302). Street date: 31-01-20. An exciting meeting of the German iconic pianist with the Polish violinist for a chamber jazz without borders!
Nils Landgren & Joe Sample: Creole Love Call (ACT 9707-2). 28/10/05. This is another challenge for the Swedish trombonist. The band which Nils and Joe specially put together for this album mainly consists of musicians from New Orleans. With a famous exception: the pop and soul star Ray Parker Jr., especially known for the title song for the film Ghostbusters" (1984). Here he plays guitar and duets with Nils Landgren on the Otis Redding hit "Dock Of The Bay". Charmaine Neville, a member of the famous Neville Brothers clan, appears as "special guest", interpreting with Nils Landgren Allen Toussaint's classic "With You In Mind", the lyrics of which are written by her uncle Aaron Neville.
The franco-vietnamese guitarist Nguyên Lê has released a tribute to Jimi Hendrix on the German label ACT and this is a collaboration work with drummer Teri Lyne Carrington.
Nguyên Lê Duos with Paolo Fresu & Dhafer Youssef: Homescape. ACT 9444-2. Release date: 24/03/06. Even in the adventurous territory of jazz, this French-Vietnamese musician stands out as a unique explorer of sounds. His new CD will surprise even those who believe themselves to be, by now, familiar with the diversity of his musical output. Lê's approach to each duo differed depending on his partner. With Paolu Fresu he essentially had a totally open conception: improvisation with no composed material (although there are exceptions). Nguyên and Dhafer collaborated on the music for their duo, or adapted compositions of Youssef's, lending them a new structure through the process of improvisation. There is also some electronic processing and all the work was done in Lê's home but everything integrates organically on this CD. The music sounds as if the electronic processing had been sensed all along during the playing, as an anticipated electronic intensification. It never seems out of place. Nguyên Lê's "chamber" music has a compelling inner logic - and convincing internal vigour.
Geir Lysne Listening Ensemble : Boahjenásti - The North Star (ACT 9441-2). 27/01/06. Refined big band compositions and Nordic throat singing
Iiro Rantala: My Finnish Calendar. ACT (ACT98822). Street date: 30-08-19. The Finnish pianist presents 12 pieces for piano solo, one for each month of the year, in a Finnish perspective!
Ulf Wakenius with Lars Danielsson and Morten Lund: Notes from the Heart (ACT 9435-2). 28/10/05. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Jan Erik Kongshaug on 21+22/05/2005 at the glorious Rainbow Studios, Oslo, Norway. The Swedish guitarist, here with another Swede (on bass, cello and piano) and the raising star, Danish drummer Morten Lund, perform the music of Keith Jarrett.
ACT is also diversifying its products line by launching several series. One of them is consecrated to solo piano, called piano works. 4 volumes until now, with carte blanche chronologically given to:
+ ACT 9749-2 Brad Mehldau, Esbjörn Svensson, Eric Watson, Michael Wollny, a.o. PIANO WORKS: Romantic Freedom. Release date: 30. 09. 2005.
+ ACT 9750-2 Joachim Kühn PIANO WORKS I: Allegro Vivace. Release date: 30. 09. 2005
+ ACT 9751-2 George Gruntz PIANO WORKS II: Ringing The Luminator. Release date: 30. 09. 2005
+ ACT 9752-2 Kevin Hays PIANO WORKS III: Open Range. Release date: 30. 09. 2005
+ ACT 9753-2 Ramon Valle PIANO WORKS IV: Memorias. Release date: 30. 09. 2005

The second line is called Young German Jazz and will in time presents various projects from artists of this country.
Recent releases from ACT Records, Germany:
27/10/03 Ramón Valle: No Escape. Trio of Cuban musicians led by a pianist and playing what they call new Cuban jazz, for them widely different from Latin jazz.
26/01/04 Viktoria Tolstoy: Shining On You. 11 originals & music written especially for her by none other than Esbjörn Svensson. ACT 9701-2
26/01/04 Michael Riessler & Singer Pur with Vincent Courtois: Ahi Vita. Laments from the renaissance and early baroque eras played by a vocal ensemble (SingerPur) known for performing highly entertaining a cappella programmes from medieval to contemporary music are here placed oppposite originals by Riessler. ACT 9417-2
23/02/04 Julia Hülsmann Trio & Anna Lauvergnac: Come Closer. Chamber jazz with Rhodes but getting down and dirty and with a biting heartfelt mockery is the approach. ACT 9702-2
25/03/04 Structure: A super group made of Terri Lyne Carrington, Greg Osby, Adam Rogers & Jimmy Haslip. A tight and interlocking ensemble too create a greater dynamism. ACT 9427-2

ALTRI SUONI .... ALTRI SUONI .... ALTRI SUONI .... ALTRI SUONI .... ALTRI

60 Miles: ... Ou à Raison. Altrisuoni (AS 337). 2015. Nicolas Gerber (piano, Rhodes), André Hahne (bass) and Johan Wermeille (drums) form a trio situated at the crossrads between rereading of classic jazz and bolder explorations, between the affirmation of the tradition and its questioning, between cultivating one's knowledge and bringing oneself in a permanent state of risk taking.
8:30: Yodo Gimi. Altrisuoni AS295. 2010. This young quartet comes with a very melodic and colourful modern jazz that is very pleasant to the ear. The musicians demonstrate great musical and technical ability. Saxophonist Juliane Rickenmann's ability as composer is worth mentioning because of the balance in her themes, their originality and most of all their personality. Nicolas Bamberger is heard on piano (on the ballads or softer tunes) and Fender Rhodes (on the more agressive or rhythmic tunes). Drummer Manu Linder is inventive and all ears, always ready for new turns and bass player Pierre Kuthan is both flexible and biting on electric bass.
Fanny Anderegg Quartet: Le 8ème Jour (AS242). 2007. The vocalist is back from her many journeys and presents us with her thoughts in form of songs, backed by piano, bass and drums. This is her 2nd effort and the tracks resolve simply around the many encounters, the landscapes and other impressions, building discreetly a soft and heartfelt musical universe around her fragile voice that can pierce frozen spirits
Aphid: Aphid (AS-258). Debut album by a promising new band from New Zealand with guitarist Nick Broadhurst. At times the music sounds like a jazz album and often it sounds like a prog-rock or post-rock album. The hard-hitting time signature grooves and atmospheric guitar riffs help push the music into this category. The music contains a consistent atmosphere and mood throughout the album both with rock-like outbursts and quieter melodic moments.
Argentieri Quatro: Soleil Brun. Altrisuoni AS301. 2011. "Soleil Brun" (Brown Sun) is an album full of autumn colours in which the melody prevails. Rich with lyricism, its universe is diversely influenced by jazz, classical or pop, which enables the four musicians to bring in all their experience and thus to better exploit the vast domain of improvisation. This generous musical fresco is full of contrasting surroundings and is always animated by a strong rhythmical cohesion and communicative energy.
Julio Azcano: Nadear. Altrisuoni AS302. One thing characterising the compositions of this trio is the combination of classical music and modern jazz elements with rhythms from South America. Julio Azcano on classical guitar, Claudio Spieler on percussions and flutist Günter Wehinger develop in collective performance a space for thrilled interactions and multilayered acoustic images. They find consistently new lanes and reward the listener with a captivating musical journey.
Caryl Baker Quartet: Odessa (AS-256). 2008. 8 original compositions played by piano, trumpet, bass and drums in a combination of lyricism, rhythmical energy, restraint and exuberance
Pius Baschnagel's Latinworld: Son Song. Altrisuoni AS305. 2011. Pius Baschnagel is a talented drummer from Zurich who was bitten quite early on in his career by the latin music 'bug'. At the age of 20 he was already playing with a south American jazz combo. At 30 he learned to dance the Salsa and today he plays with Picason, he conducts his own salsa band Convergencia and sidelines with several latin and Brazilian music combos. The wonderful singer Marianne Racine and Bernhard Bamert, one of the best and acclaimed Swiss trombonists, make up the frontline of Baschnagel's new band. In the background the grooves are laid down by Marcel Thomi, Patrick Sommer, Georgios Mikirozis and of course Pius himself.
bconnected: Twenty. Altrisuoni (AS 338). Oct. 2016. With 22 years of experience, the band is in its full maturity, in perpetual evolution thanks to their open minded visions, while at the same time keeping their roots in the tradition (s?) of jazz music. Their new album feature great names in the guest list, from virtuoso bass player Dominique Di Piazza to French guitarist Jean-Marie Ecay (Billy Cobham, Didier Lockwood, etc...) and more yet.
Bconnected: Tabula Rasa. 2007. Altrisuoni AS234. In 1994, the guitarist Eugène Montenero forms the group Bconnected, jazz with electric and coppered sounds, in a subtle blend of energy and expression. He was very quickly joined by talented musicians coming from different horizons, each one bringing, with the passing of years, its personal experiment and its color. 12 years later, the group has come to full maturity with Stephan Péchoux on drums, Marco Giovannetti on electric bass, Pascal Walpen on trumpet, Xavier Nussbaum on tenor and soprano saxophone, Dominique Favre on piano and keyboards, Jean-Daniel "Cicco" Ciccone on percussions and samples and the group leader, Eugene Montenero on guitars.
Beuret / Kock / Vonlanthen: Synopsis (AS-261). This trio exists since 2006 and they probably will invite themselves into your imagination. The Swiss trombonist Denis Beuret and bass clarinetist Hans Koch both deal with electronics as well. Together with the Belgian electric guitarist Vinz Vonlanthen, they will carry you in sonic explorations where electro-acoustic, contemporary classic and avant garde jazz converge
Silvano Borzacchiello Quintet: Costalta (AS226). 2nd release by this formation but the drummer and leader has a long experience behind him with 15 CD releases. the present album will testify that he has matured as a musician but also as composer and arranger. Trumpet, sax and piano form the front line of this quintet, the piano chair being occupied by another long time Altrisuoni artist: Jean-Christophe Cholet
Box: Bruch (AS245). Powerful combo with trumpet upfront backed by a piano-keyboards + bass & drums rhythm section. They are actively engaged in breakbeats, trip-hop, drum'n'bass, melted into a jazz universe. So if dancefloor beats, acid Fender Rhodes, elastic bass lines and tight drumming are giving you goose skin, this CD is no doubt for you!
Cholet / Kanzig / Papaux Trio: Under The Whale. Altrisuoni AS 189. Jan. 2006. 2nd album by this trio of contemporary European jazz of a very high technical level
Cholet / Koenzig / Papaux Trio: Autumn Circle. Piano/bass/drums trio playing a music either totally improvised or inherited from the european musical culture.
La Compagnie de la Coquille: Les Jazzventures de Pinocchio. 2007. Altrisuoni AS229. As implied by the title, this is a journey into the universe of the small boy with the long nose, where the music tells us the story, the drawings illustrate it, and the text marks it out (contained in a beautiful 48-page color booklet). The "Jazzventures of Pinocchio" is a jazz record full of energy, nostalgia and tenderness for the grown-ups, but also a fantastic story superbly illustrated, where the smaller ones may find an original way towards the discovery of musical tones and colours and towards improvisation and instrumental narration ... (for aged 3 and older).
Cowboys From Hell: Monster Rodeo. 2007. Altrisuoni AS235. This trio with sax in front, backed by drums and bass, is influenced as well by Frank Zappa as by rock groups like Massive Attack or Rage Against The Machine. Audacious arrangements are put in place to blow away ceilings and roofs - rough play is the programme! Funk grooves steam under an endless sky of oscillating soundscapes, the spirits rock, the Cowboys cheer ....
Philippe El Hage: Flying with Elephants. Altrisuoni AS309. 2011. "Flying with Elephants" successfully wagers on a harmonious blend of diverse musical influences: Jazz, classical lyricism and oriental notes delightfully fuse East and West through the ever distinctive sound of traditional instruments such as the qanun, oud, riq and udu. The vocals added to certain tracks enrich the project with a new dimension. Musicians from Lebanon, Syria, Switzerland and France bring their boundless contribution to Philippe El Hage's cheerful and ambitious project.
Alessandro d'Episcopo Trio: Solare. Altrisuoni AS310. 2012. This trio has been existing for ten years. The musicians have an almost telepathic communication and they need few words to understand each other. On this CD, you'll find standards from "The Great American Song Book", a few traditional Italian pieces and other original compositions.
Kaspar Ewalds & Exorbitantes Kabinett: Räuber. This is a 15 piece big band of young swiss musicians marvellously combining funk, jazz rock and new musics. Interesting presentation of the CD too: it opens like a little book.
FM Trio: Moment (AS243). Here's a piano, bass, drums trio. The music is based on original compositions and collective interaction
Renato Falerni: Free Energy. Altrisuoni (AS342). 2016. Italian pianist born in 1967, Falerni is delivering here a selection of 11 tracks played solo on piano (either at 432 or 444 tunings).
Michael Fleiner y su Septeto Internacional: Déjate Llevar. Altrisuoni (AS285). 2009. Instrumental Salsa coloured by vocal choruses. Since 1999, pianist and composer Micheal Fleiner has been working and innovating with much finesse and musicality in this style which is increasingly popular in Europe.
FM Trio: Moment (AS-243). 2007. Debut album by this piano trio led by Swiss pianist and composer Fabian Mueller, here with Kaspar Von Grünigen on bass and Fabian Buergi on drums.
Format A'3: Vi E. Altrisuoni (AS339). 2015. Sixth album by this much touring piano trio, presenting their latest compositions, written in late 2014 during a residency.
Format A'3: Sync. Altrisuoni (AS283). 2009. Already when Format A'3 had published their (4th) album "Pirate", the sound had moved towards a territory that we could define as a post-jazz or even post-rock. They are now back with their new and fifth album "Sync" which confirms their interest in improvisation and the constant development of original and particular sounds. Recorded in just over 4 days, it is packed with sonic surprises and musical stances. Alongside the acoustic piano the listener will find also drum machines and other electronic sounds. The double bass is more electric and saturated. Then, when the synths and other keyboards seem to take over, here comes back the sound of the acoustic drums. Every track is therefore unique and peculiar, and underlines the unity of the trio that has been performing as such for a decade or so.
Format A'3: Pirate. Altrisuoni AS214. 2006. With « Pirate », 4th album of the French-speaking Swiss trio, Format A'3 broadens its sound landscape through the integration into its classic piano, double bass, drums formula of other instruments such as Fender Rhodes electric piano, electric bass, vintage drum machines and analog synthesisers. Most of the new material has been arranged spontaneously during recording, every part being played live without any cuts or overdubs.
Renata Friederich Close Up: Lonely Woman. Altrisuoni AS 202. New record by this trio vocal/piano/bass who brings us in an intimate and sensual world inspired by paintings (Picasso, Vermeer) and poems.
Gekko: Moonlight Mask (AS240). The music of this young Swiss quartet from Geneva borders contemporary jazz, post rock and improvised music as well as early 20th Century French classical music (check out the arrangement of Gabriel Fauré's "Élégie"!). The sound is very modern with various recording techniques used to allow for maximum freedom with harmony, textures and dynamics. Most of the musicians are doubling on other instruments, contributing to a vry rich sound palette: trumpet, trombone, guitars, acoustic and el bass, drums and percussions, plenty of keyboards (Rhodes, Moog) and MIDI synths.
Giulio Granati Quartet: In The Mood. Piano, sax, bass & drums for a warm and very melodic music.
Grand Reportage Ensemble: Grand Reportage Ensemble Deluxe & Lucien Dubuis. Altrisuoni AS306. Originally the trio of saxophonist Jérôme Correa, bass player Olivier Nussbaum and drummer Vincent Boillat. Occasionally the three talented Swiss musicians would "extend" the trio by inviting guest performers, thus creating Grand Reportage Ensemble Deluxe. In April 2010 the trio invited the avant-garde clarinet player Lucien Dubuis to join them for a series of live performances. The result was indeed dense and explosive! A repertory was thus created, with the alternation of compositions, improvisations and interplay among the musicians. By September of the same year the now-quartet reconvened for a whole week on the stage of the Café du Soleil in Saignelégier to record a full-length album. The idea was to re-create a live situation but with no audience. That way they could capture in a pure way and without interferences the essence of the music and of the interplay, but at the same time with the same technical conditions of a studio recording. This is a music that is free, dynamic, pertinent and adventurous.
Grand Reportage Ensemble: Deux Mille Huit. Altrisuoni (AS275). 2009. Here is an expandible trio formed by sax player and composer (all pieces on the album are his) Jérôme Correa together with bass player Olivier Nussbaum and drummer Vincent Boillat. In G.R.E.'s compositions one will find elements of repetitive contemporary or electronic music thanks to the use of sequencers/loop machines on the sax and bass, as well as asymmetrically constructed time measures. The result though is somewhat jazz or rock, thanks also to the energy and mood shared among the band's members. At times written, others improvised, the musical landscapes fit together thanks to the interaction between them. Free music that perhaps evokes Steve Coleman, Steve Reich, John Coltrane, King Crimson or even Frank Zappa.
Das Hammerklavier Trio: "Now I Know Who Shot J.F.K. (AS233). The group's name is a German translation for grand piano and in fact the trio is also a young German band from Hamburg. Their music is strongly based on the jazz heritage of Monk & Coltrane but they also travel into other non-jazz styles including classical, funk, oriental, African. Often using simply structured tunes, they improvise freely on them and move forward with a great attention to each other, letting the music grow into a complex multi part format
Peter Hasler's Kitchen: Drum Pictures and Stories. Altrisuoni (AS286). 2009. Music for drumming and songwriting with hybrid drums and percussion. The fusion of electronic and acoustic drums is a healthy challenge and creates a unique freshness, outlining the ideas behind the music, inspired by thinking and feeling about nature, humans and things.
François Ingold Trio: Fat Tree. 2007. Altrisuoni AS236. Led by the pianist, the trio chose to bring the music to life by using some traditional melodies (Outoua d´una Tsanhon de Bovet), some modern grooves (Alligator Dance) and above all, energy to spare. Sometimes lyrical (La Valse d´Oscar), sometimes rock´n´roll (Seven Nation Army), sometimes baroque (Counterparts) or sometimes drifty (Lust For Life), the trio eclectically skims through contemporary music rendering it neither annoying, nor complicated, but simply playing for the delight of the ears and the heart.
Inside Out: Soleil. Swiss group playing acoustic new jazz. Flutes & guitars + bass & dms.
Jalazz: Tvoj Tien. Altrisuoni (AS277). 2009. Eastern-Swiss quartet playing acoustic contemporary jazz and always ready to explore other directions and musical experiences. With self-taught pianist Fabian Mueller, whose style is both virtuous and delicate. Stefan Widmer on alt and tenor sax knows how to integrate tastefully his powerful and unpredictable melodic lines with the intricate grooves of drummer Jan Geiger and - youngest member - bass player Dusan Prusàk.
Jalazz: Between Spaces. 2007. Altrisuoni AS232. Formed in 2003, this quartet includes musicians who all compose pieces for the band and have each their own very individual style. Thus the broad repertoire in which one finds influences of impressionism, bebop, hardbop, free-jazz and afrocuban rhythms in lively improvisations melt to a unity.
Marcos Jimenez: I Thought About You (AS-244). 2007. Jazz standards interpreted on solo piano with a classic but at times modern approach as well as a very personal and sensitive touch relying on the interplay of an endless movement of the two hands, fully using the entire register of the piano
Heiri Känzig: Acoustic Strings. 2007. Altrisuoni AS220. The leader and bass player has spent many years with the Vienna Art Orchestra and with the pianist and Blue Note artist Thierry Lang. He belongs today to the "élite" of European bass players. In this project he has allied himself with a wonderful team including the French violinist and ECM recording artistDominique Pifarély, the Irish guitarist and also ECM artist Christy Doran and country fellowman and drummer Fabian Kurati. The group not only plays a jazz that is faithful to the traditional European sound, but that also implements the American jazz spirit and groove.
Marco Käppeli & The Even Odds: Prisoner of Time. Altri Suoni AS197. 2006. This formation with both acoustic and electric bass offers a jazz journey going through swing, bebop, free and fusion, with spicy grooves and a good dose of irony. Jürg Wickihalder is the reedman of the group.
Landolt: S/T. Altrisuoni (AS279). 2009. This is a very special project involving three drummers and one percussionist. Compositions are written by all members and they are quite diverse, from the "very rigorous" - where all is written and performed accordingly - to the more light and seemingly easy, although still played precisely and rigorously. The layout is explained by the composer while collective decisions are brought into the final performance. How much improvisation, individual freedom within and throughout the limitations and boundaries of the compositions, creating rhythmical and non-rhythmical sound sculptures, from the tight rhythmical interplay to the almost utter static silence, are some of the aspects studied or deployed in performance
Markus Lauterburg: Mumur (AS-254). 2008. Roaming through the areas of free composition set against the writing of drummer and leader Markus Lauterburg, this album cultivates contrasts (written/improvised, dialog/duel), complexity, impulsivity, directness, lively carried by 5 musicians technically at ease, be it on soprano sax, guitar, cello, bass and drums
Olivier Le Goas Quartet: Gravitation. Altrisuoni 2006 (AS204). Here is a drummer with a refined sense of colours and dynamics, an airy but precise playing with impeccable pulse, a real talent of sound organization. To match those qualities he is supported by a stellar team: Ralph Alessi: trumpet, Drew Gress: double bass and John Abercrombie: guitar
Le Saxtet: Le Saxtet & Tiza Brown. Altrisuoni AS296. With arrangements by Niels Sörensen and a section of five saxophones backed by a rhythm section of guitar, bass and drums, this second album by the Swiss band is enhanced with the vocal participation of singer Tiza Brown.
Lars Lindvall Tentet: 1-10. No less than 6 blowers for this typical contemporary jazz.
Lola De Valence: Eaux Troubles. 2007. Altrisuoni AS238. Quartet from Lausanne in Switzerland, born in 2003 at the initiative of its youngest member, drummer Ivan Gaillard. The music is some ethnic jazz influenced both by North Africa (Marocco, Egypt) and the hispanic culture (flamenco, tango), performed on acoustic guitar, bandoneon, bass and drums.
Maurice Magnony: Facing The Wall. An uncommon research in improvisation for a spontaneous fluid music. Magnony is assisted by Fredy Studer and Nicolas Sordet on computer.
Andrea Manzoni Trio: Quantum Discord. Altrisuoni AS317. 2012. Debut album by a young talented Italian pianist hailing from the Piemonte area. Together with Luca Curcio on double bass and Ruben Bellavia on drums, he delivers an eclectic mix of compositions that goes well beyond the all-too-well-known jazz piano trio format. Brief excursions into the minimal effects' territory alternate with variations leading to a maelstrom of pure and visceral piano soloing, thus repossessing the common conception of variations.
Mats Up: In the Beginning. Septet composed of the best young Swiss talents
Andreas Meili's KNOM: Cuckoo Nutz (AS252). 2008. The leader and pianist composed all the pieces, a fresh display of contemporary jazz filled with intimacy or energetic eruptions of lyrical content. Knom is a band formed in 2004 and has today gained a controlled musical freedom while still retaining a youthful unconcern and "joie de vivre"
New Samba Jazz: S/T. Altri Suoni AS206. 2006. This young trio mixes the Brazilian musical culture and tradition with jazz improvisation, with a strong focus on high energy and rhythmic perfection. Erik Escobar is on keyboards, while Igor & Chico Willcox complete the trio, respectively on drums and bass.
Giancarlo Nicolai: La Sorvegliante Del Tempo. 2007. Altrisuoni AS227. This album marks the completion of a trilogy; the band of five guitarists follows on the idea of a guitar orchestra, one that is no longer a mass orchestra but an ensemble of solo players of the same instruments. There is electric as well as acoustic bass, the latter being played by the Polish musician Vitold Rek. Facing the 5 guitars and the only blower in the band, we'll find the great John Tchicai, here on tenor sax and bass clarinet.
No Square: Le Pendu (AS-259). With this 7th album, the quartet shows one more time their maturity and brings 8 brand new compositions of a well crafted electric jazz.
No Square: Double Album Studio & Live. Altrisuoni AS182. Street date: 21/02/06. 6th album by the Swiss quartet consisting of André Hahne (b), Yannick Opplinger (dr), Gabriel Zufferey (p & fender rhodes), Guillaume Perret (s).
Olivier Nussbaum: Naïma (AS-269). This album is entirely made of sounds produced by acoustic bass and electric bass (both with and without frets), treated with various objects and techniques (there is one track with kalimba added). The melodies, grooves and musical atmospheres thus created reveal unexpected and surprising sounds but also the desire of the composer of creating a special universe.
Organ-X Plus: Organ-X Plus (AS-257). Guitarist Roberto Bossard and drummer Elmar Frey are the founders of Organ-X as well as two major names of the Swiss jazz scene. With the new member of the group Marcel Thomi, who took over the role of organ player two years ago, they form the trio Organ-X, here expanded with tenor sax player Roland von Flüe (He is the *Plus* from the title!). Own compositions as well as several arrangements of lesser-known jazz standards form the basis of this album, heartedly played with swing and a jazz groove.
Ouizzz: Lightbrown. Altrisuoni AS290. 2010. OUiZZZ has been playing, over the past decade, a style of modern jazz with rock and electro flavours. With their second official release "Lightbrown" they have chosen to revert to a more acoustic sound and present all new compositions that shape their powerful and melancholic sonic universe. Their music occasionally reminds us of Esbjörn Svensson's or of The Bad Plus sounds, but actually strikes the listener with its diversity.
Ovale Trio: Premières Formes (AS246). This unusual trio combines various flute types (alto, bass in addition of the normal type) with vibraphone and marimba, plus darbouka as extra percussion instrument. So it's not a big wonder if I tell you that their main inspirator has been musician and fellow instrumentist David Friedman. They also share a common affinity for Astor Piazzola's music and his artistic approach fusing the written and improvised in one entity. The trio has gained in the last years a real musical development and forged an original sound by setting those instruments together
Marcel Papaux - Alain Tissot: Drumming Duo. Altrisuoni (AS284). 2009. The two Swiss musicians prove to us that the drums can go beyond the idea of just being the rhythmical component of a music opera. The encounter of these two personalities causes a true firework show of intentions, polyrhythmic energy, humour, colours and emotions that are in direct symbiosis with the audience. The music needs neither amplification, nor any other kind technology apart from the two drum sets, the two drummers, a venue with good acoustics and ears that are prepared to play in this dimension of percussive fables.
Dorian Perotin: Solos and Duos. 2007. Altrisuoni AS227. The originally classically trained pianist meets here the vibraphonist and current leader of the French Orchestre National de Jazz. Own compositions and 3 jazz standards make the track list.
Pezzoli, Gabriele: Like Eyes. Altrisuoni (AS329). May 2014. A piano solo album marked by an intimate approach and the desire of exploring the harmonic and sound potential of the piano. The dialog with the keys leave enough space to spontaneity and improvisation, tunes emerge from few notes, evolving into striking, ample soundscapes.
Q3: Introducing Q3 Live and on Tour. 2007. Altrisuoni AS9025. With their unique blend of drum-N-bass, jazz, cool grooves, here's a DVD with the Quinn family, their first DVD with exclusive footage from their 2007 Romanian tour. The editing will amaze the viewer with its docu-movie effects.
Sam Truempy Memorial Jazz Coalition: Live! Altrisuoni (AS282). 2009. Here is a transatlantic jazz group dedicated to the musical legacy of Swiss jazz pioneer Sam Trümpy and consists of eight professional jazz musicians (three alumni of the world-renowned Berklee College of Music among them) from Switzerland, the U.S.A and Canada. The band did a successful concert tour of Switzerland in August/ September 2007. The last concert of that tour was recorded by sound engineer Patrik Schwitter who is also famous for his recording of the very last performance of Sun Ra & his Arkestra.
Stefano Saccon & Enrico Rava "Underscore". This record weaves the harmony and melodic traditions of jazz with today's rhythms and atmospheres like trip-hop or jungle. Rava IS here the perfect bridge between tradition and modernism.
Schürmann - Bergamin Project: French Classics. 2007. Altrisuoni AS237. The aim of this CD is to combine the melancholy of French classics (chanson française) with the versatility of jazz improvisation. The instrumentation used is trumpet on the first line, piano and Fender Rhodes, bass and drums. vocals on 3 tracks.
The Science Fair: Underwater. Altrisuoni AS297. 2010. For the past decade, the Mar-Eco project has been researching marine life at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in some of the deepest ocean areas ever explored by mankind. "Underwater" was inspired by the expeditions and findings. During the process, a collaboration was established between musicians, scientists, educators, and Public Outreach personnel. The result is both a music production and an experiment in creative science education.
Thomas Silvestri Quintet: Les Sirènes (AS-253). 2008. Contemporary acoustic jazz, entirely penned by the leader and jazz pianist Thomas Silvestri. His jazz is filled with poetry, wit and very strong compositions. The quintet has the traditional form of a double blowing line sax/trumpet, piano, bass and drums.
SilvesTrio: Rollercoaster. Altrisuoni AS311. 2012. The SilvesTrio is a modern jazz trio with powerful ideas. The trio's themes are original and attractive, the grooves are stimulating, and the poetry and irony are in symbiosis with the intense improvisations. Thomas Silvestri, a Swiss pianist from the city of Schaffhausen, offers the listener a music that is strongly rooted into the history of jazz. Together with bassist Patrick Sommer and drummer Pius Baschnagel, he brings originality as well as modern and vanguard harmonic and rhythmic elements to his trio.
Sonic Calligraphy: The Flow of Things. Altrisuoni AS300. 2010. "Sonic Calligraphy" began originally as a duo with Swiss pianist Adrian Frey and Chinese-American vocalist Peggy Chew. The musical landscape thus created was inspired by Chew's Asian background and both her and Frey's own jazz experiences. Later the duo became a trio with Swiss percussionist Willy Kotoun, whose rhythms and textures expanded the range of sounds. Now this musical journey continues with two special guest musicians from China: jazz singer Coco Zhao from Shanghai and gu qin virtuoso Wu Na from Beijing. A cosmos of music, at times familiar and sometimes unexpected, emerged from this unusual combination of the gu quin (an ancient 3000 year old Chinese zither), the piano, the percussion, and the two voices (male and female) singing in English, Chinese and wordlessly. The listener will be taken into this world of sound, where five musicians of European, Chinese and American backgrounds come together to present a new sonic experience.
Soundz of Lucerne: Soundz of Lucerne 07. 2007. Altrisuoni AS239. This CD presents the performance exams of the students of the Musikhochschule Luzern as they reach the graduation stage of their studies. Various groups and styles, from a programme of attractive Brazilian influenced music to Sarah Buchi´s use of Indian music techniques learned on a sojourn there and now at her return to Switzerland put at the service of some really original music.
Stade: Freewheel. Sub Rosa / Quatermass (SR 291). June 09. This is a recording freely inspired (therefrom the title) of the electric Miles of the early 70's. The Swiss duo consists of Christophe Calpini, who laid down the drum tracks, and Pierre Audetat playing live samples and noises. To reinforce the spirit of the project, they invited 3 specialists of crossover music: trumpetist and Miles fan Erik Truffaz, the American versatile and legendary guitarist Elliott Sharp and a raising name - mostly known for his membership in the Pat Metheny Group - harmonicist Grégoire Maret. Boiling electro-jazz mixed with acoustic instruments and a syncopated pulsating hip-hop language.
Reto Suhner Quartet: Live In Schaffhausen (AS230). This quartet has a many years long experience of playing together, which brings to mind the notion of telepathic interplay. This is a great asset which allows them to take all kind of risks and display an astonishing group dynamic. The music is either composed by the leader and saxophonist (alto and sopran) or pianist Lester Menezes
Tonee: Lowdownflows (AS-262). Warm, graceful music blending African rhythms, jazz and Brazilian folk music into a fascinating and intimate aural experience. This group is well experienced, thanks to their very sensitive bassist Toni Schiavano. The instrumentation is also rather unconventional since besides the electric rhythm section, alto sax and vibraphone are sharing the first line
Tony Malaby Trio: Alive in Brooklyn Vol. 2. Satana Records SAT68802. 25/07/06. This trio features the great drummer Tom Rainey as well as a seldom heard instrument, the Würlitzer el piano, under control of Angelica Sanchez. The leader is heard on tenor and sopran sax. The music could be described as highly coloured modern improvised chamber music, intelligently driven by intuition and lyricism.
Unitrio: _page_2. Altrisuoni (AS319). 2015. An atypical combo that matures over time and develops their own language, a unique way to put music and energy into motion. Following the "page 1" album in 2011, this follower offers sound material in constant evolution, keeps the listener involved at all times. Damien Argentieri on Hammond B3, Frédéric Borey on tenor sax and drummer Alain Tissot keep writing new pages on a fertile soil where freedom, risk taking and care in writing are important fertilizers!
Unitrio: Page 1 (AS-249). 2008. This is an organ/sax/drums trio focusing on swing, high quality musical structure and own compositions. Damien Argentieri is one of the most sought-after organ players in France, here performing on the glorious Hammond B3 with a great sense of colours. Alain Tissot is a multi faceted Swiss drummer from the Jura area while bassist Fred Borey brings a warm and deep sound to the trio's music
Wambli: East Indigo. Altrisuoni (AS280). 2009. Playing together since 2004, the four performers of Wambli shape a world of sound that leads the listener through very contrasted landscapes, from the sensitivity of a ballad to wild free pop energy. Echoing sounds from Charlie Haden or Enrico Rava, the style of Wambli offers dreamy and dizzy melodies played in a poetic whisper-like mood. On stage the quartet offers an emotional music delivered with both strength and sincerity.
Chasper Wanner Quartet: Featuting Danny Gottlieb. Altrisuoni AS 199. Wanner is a creative and eclectic musician, influenced by many styles from jazz to pop cia classical or even experimental and electronic improvisation. He likes tasty sound colours and good melodies. This convinced Danny Gottlieb to play drums on the record together with the two Swiss musicians completing the band, bass player Wolfgang Zwiaurer and saxophonist Alex Hendriksen.
Werner Fischer's Travelogue: Chinese Soul. Altrisuoni AS292. 2010. This is the third album for the label made by Beijing-based guitarist Werner Tian Fischer, this time focusing on his own compositions; it also features the outstanding Swedish singer Sophie Dunér, Swiss shooting-star Jürg Wickihalder on soprano sax and - for the first time ever - on tenor, Gabriel Schiltknecht on drums and Berlin-based bassist Nesin Howhannesijan.
Mark Wingfield / Jane Chapman / Adriano Adewale: Zoji. Moonjune Records (MJR110). January 2021. This unconventional album unites English musicians Mark Wingfield (guitar, soundscapes) and Jane Chapman (harpsichord) with Brazilian percussionist and vocalist Adriano Adewale. Rather open and in constant morphing, the musical ideas shape, question and bounce, confront each other and reveal the deep interplay and attention between the musicians, necessary to the success of the final entity. Creative soundscapes from Wingfield's atmospheric guitars meet the multiple and apparently infinite ways of playing the harpsichord, coloured and embellished by the percussive use of the voice or real ethnic instruments. You have here the key to parallel sonic universes and interastral harmonic moves, all connected inside or outside each other!
Nils Wogram Quartet: Construction Field. Features pianist Simon Nabatov.
Xenia Xampieri's X-Force: Fighting the Inner Coward (AS-247). 2008. With a female singer in front, this guitar/keyboards/bass & drums outfit offers a modern sounding and dynamic music, open to various styles from pop to jazz, combining rock rhythm energy with jazz chordings, venturing into vocalese scat (often in unisson with the guitar or keyboards), sound experimentations and resulting in a tightly produced album where every detail has its precise place. Ear catching ballads, solid rock drumming, burning sailing guitars, auto-panned keyboards, clavinet funky riffs and synth flights, expect to cross here and there everything which has a musical meaning today and be ready to be bounced from one style to another, like if you were on a canoe trip!
Jesper Zeuthen Trio: S/T. Blackout Music. Street date: 24/10/10. Somewhere between the melodic and the abstract, with folk-like intonations, the debut album by this trio is a perfect vehicle to a journey into unknown territories. If the Danish alt saxophonist has played with a wide selection of the international jazz scene's biggest personalities, such as Don Cherry, Paul Motian, Hamid Drake, Ben Street, etc... the rhythm section formed by Danish bass player Adam Pultz Melbye and drummer Thomas Præstegaard is a new and exciting team on the Danish jazz scene. Their telepathic interplay is always in motion in a highly charged field between extremities of dynamics and time that contributes plenty of fire and energy to Zeuthens playing.

AMBIANCES MAGNÉTIQUES .... AMBIANCES MAGNÉTIQUES .... AMBIA ....

Ensemble En Pièces: Jardin d'Exil. Ambiances Magnétiques. This jazz quintet from Quebec has a nice balance between mastered writing and audacious improvisations (as/ss/bcl/ + tp + p +b + dms & perc.)
Fanfare Pourpour / Lars Hollmer: Karusell Musik. Ambiances Magnétiques MF16. June 07. Recorded at the Victoriaville festival in 2005, this collaboration brings together an authentic big ensemble made of brass, clarinets, guitars, banjo, accordion, violin, percussion and the Swedish leader of such units as Samla Mammas Manna, Looping Home Orchestra, Solea.
Lauzier / Perkin / Kuster: Today Is A Special Day. Ambiances Magnétiques AM 149. June 06. First album by a young group from Quebec, offering original compositions and inspired improvisations which shape a kind of contemporary chamber jazz close to the Jimmy Giuffre 3
Joëlle Léandre / Gianni Lenoci: Sur une Balançoire. Ambiances Magnétiques. Recorded in Bari, Italy, May 2003

ATAVISTIC .... ATAVISTIC .... ATAVISTIC .... ATAVISTIC .... ATAVISTIC ....

Alterations: Voila Enough! A unique document in the history of new british musics. At the end of the 70's such rebels as David Toop, Steve Beresford, Terry Day, Pierre Cusack were inventing a tonic blend of abstract pop, punk elements and hip hop before time for a result crashing all norms of that time. The recordings span from 79 to 81 and the booklet is illustrated with photos by Gérard Rouy.
Han Bennink / Kees Hazevoet: Calling Down The Flevo Spirit. Atavistic (ALP 259). May 2010. An historical session from 78, this is the meeting of the giant Dutch drummer Bennink - champ of the improvised jazz European scene - with a previous partner of Willem Breuker, here on piano, clarinet and more.
Some releases by Glenn Branca!
+ Symphony No. 6 (ALP 010). Also known as "Devils Choirs at the Gates of Heaven", this is a work in five movements for 10 guitars and drums. Recorded in 1989.
+ Selections From The Symphonies (ALP 035). Compilation of 7 movements from his best symphonies.
+ Songs 77-79 (ALP 043). Sound archives of his two no-wave groups, Theoretical Girls (77-79) and The Static (78-79)
Bridge 61: Journal. Atavistic ALP 172. Sept. 06. New project led by the chicagoan saxophonist Ken Vandermark, here with Nate McBride on bass, Tim Daisy on drums and Jason Stein on bass clarinet. Original compositions and homages to artists like Sonny Sharrock or the group This Heat.
Peter Brötzmann / Fred Lonberg-Holm: The Brain Of The Dog In Section. Atavistic ALP186. Dec. 08. Two sound sculptors on saxes and cello, recorded in an industrial hangar in November 2007 in Chicago.
Peter Brötzmann Octet: The Complete Machine Gun Sessions. Atavistic ALP 262. Sept. 07. Machine Gun is the nickname given to Brötzmann by Don Cherry! Those sessions were partly released on LP in 1968 on Brötzmann's own label. They are completed here with two alternate takes and a live version recorded two monthes before at the Frankfurt Jazz Festival with Gerd Dudek. Besides the latter and the leader, the octet also included saxophonists Evan Parker & Willem Breuker, pianist Fred Van Hove, the Dutch drummer Han Bennink among the most famous.
Brötzmann / Mangelsdorff / Sommer: Pica Pica. Atavistic ALP 258. A new pearl resurrected from the FMP archives, this CD was recorded in 1982 at the Unna Jazzfest in Germany, setting together 3 big names of the German jazz scene
Peter Brötzmann Group: Alarm. Atavistic ALP 257. June 06. Reissue of a FMP record from 1983, recorded by Radio Hamburg in 1980 and presenting an international nonet featuring the British bassist Hary Miller, the South-African drummer Louis Moholo, the Dutch Willem Breuker, the German Hannes Bauer, the Japanese trumpetist Toshinori Kondo and more yet ...
Brötzmann / Bennink: Schwartzwaldfahrt. Oct. 2005. ALP 254. Reissue of the historic session released on FMP records and where Benning, missing his drums, came to play with stones, tree trunks and branches in the middle of the Black Forest! 2CD
Brötzmann, Van Hove & Bennink: FMP 130 (ALP 244). Recording from Bremen, 1973 and long time collector item.
Peter Brötzman: The Inexplicable Flyswater. This record consists of soundtracks for silent movies made in 1964 and multimedia tracks with videos, films and interviews. It also includes a 48 pages colour booklet with reproductions of paintings and photos by Brötzman. Take note: this is a very limited edition !
Peter Brötzmann Sextet: More Nipples. ALP 236. With Evan Parker, Bailey, Han Bennink
Peter Brötzmann Trio: Medicina (ALP 149). Recordings from 2003 with the Danish bassist Peter Friis Nielsen and the Swedish drummer of Estonian origin Peeter Uuskyla.
The Brötzmann Clarinet Project: Berlin Djungle. Atavistic.This concert from 84 has so many performers: the rhythm section of Cecil Taylor facing the unthinkable assaults of Louis Sclavis, Tony Coe, John Zorn and more ...
Cline / Parkins / Rainey: Ash & Tabula (Out Trios 3) (ALP 148). Recorded in New York in 2002.
Contemporary Jazz Quintet: Actions 1966-67. ALP 250. The Danish quintet already started in 1955 and this recording seems like a mirror to the Great Black Music, which was taking over on the other side of the ocean.
Dudek / Niebergall / Vesala: Open. Atavistic. Reissue from the FMP catalog of a forgotten pearl from 1977
Full Blast: Black Hole. Atavistic (ALP 187). Difficult to avoid thinking of Last Exit when hearing this band, obviously in a similar lineage, even if no guitar appears here. Instead, ex-Alboth drummer Michael Wertmüller and bass player Marino Pliakas (maybe remembered by some of you from his time in the avant jazz Steamboat Switzerland) form the strong detonating rhythm section of this record (and have been previously the section used by Peter Brötzmann's son Caspar). Brötzmann himself plays on tenor sax only. For fans of free jazz and grindcore!
Globe Unity Orchestra: Hamburg 74. Atavistic. Featuring the choirs of the NDR Jazz Workshop
Gush: Norrköping. ALP 161. Swedish trio led by Mats Gustafsson.
Gustafsson / Stackenäs: Blues. Oct. 2005. ALP 163. Sax/guitar duo by Swedish musicians.
Inside-Outside: Reflections (Atavistic ALP 255). Reissue of this '74 album, originally released on the LST label. The beginning of the European free jazz.
Kees Hazevoet Quartet: Pleasure. Atavistic ALP 234. The previous partner of Willem Breuker and his two acolytes were able to have the great South-African drummer Louis Moholo on this recording from the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, originally released in 1970. This reissue is the complement of "Unlawful Noise" (ALP 219) by Haaz & Company.
Steve Lacy Quintet: Esteem (1975). Atavistic ALP 260. This is the first of a series of recordings called "The Leap", coming from the huge archives left by Lacy to his wife Irene Aebi and aimed at rediscovering some of his most singular concerts or showing undocumented aspects of his discography. The present concert was taking place at La Cour des Miracles in Paris on February 26, 1975 with his quintet featuring Aebi herself on violin and cello, Steve Potts on alto and soprano, Kent Carter on bass, Kenneth Tyler on percussion and finally Lacy on soprano.
Last Exit: Köln. ALP 252. Welcome reissue of this classical recording from 1986
Fred Lonberg-Holm: A Valentine For Fred Katz. ALP 139. Tribute to this pupil of Pablo Casals. Trio cello/bass/dms.
Joe Maneri / Peter Dolger: Peace Concert. Atavistic ALP267. Dec. 08. Alt saxophonist Joe Maneri was *discovered* at an advanced age and benefits at last of a due recognition. One of the consequences of this late success is the remastered release of those unreleased recordings from 1964, testifying of his meeting with drummer Peter Dolger
Joe Mc Phee: Pieces Of Light. Oct. 2005. ALP 256. Released in 74 before the recordings for Hat-Hut, "Pieces Of Light" completes the trilogy of seminal American albums by McPhee (with "Nation Time" and "Trinity"). He plays on this one all saxes, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, piano and electronics.
Moholo, Stabbins & Tippett: Tern (ALP 245). Captured live in 1982 at the Total Music Meeting in Berlin, this is the only recording documenting this ephemerous trio. Originally released as a 2LP on the label SAJ, this record is a must for free jazz fans.
Nrg Ensemble: Bejazzo Gets A Facelift (ALP 073). First album by this Chicagoan quintet led by Ken Vandermark and where we also can hear drummer Steve Hunt or Vandermark's collaborator (in their early years) Mars Williams
Rova / Orkestrova: Electric Ascension. ALP 159. Coltrane's master work "Ascension" is revisited here by the Rova Saxophone Quartet and a super group especially gathered for this occasion (we note the presence on bass of Fred Frith).
Mario Schiano: On The Waiting List (ALP 235). One of the best cards in Italian free music and maybe to be called with right a Fellinian Art Ensemble. The recording goes back to 1973.
Sirone: Live. ALP 253. Recorded in New York, 1981. Sirone was one of the founders of the Revolutionary Ensemble
Sound In Action Trio: Gate. Atavistic ALP 160. Sept. 06. Session recorded in 2003 and featuring on drums Robert Barry who was a member of Sun Ra arkestra in the 50's and 60's. Ken Vandermark (saxes and clarinets) and Tim Daisy (drums) complete this trio
Sun Ra & His Solar Arkestra: Secrets of the Sun. Atavistic ALP266. Dec. 08. Recorded in 1962, this is one of the first albums of Sun Ra's New York period, to classify together with the seminal album Out There A Minute (Blast First). As a bonus, this release includes the 17' long B-side of a never released reference, which still today remains a mistery to all Sunraphiles, the piece "Flight To Mars"
Sun Ra & His Outer Space Arkestra : Some Blues but not The Kind That's Blue. Atavistic ALP 265. Jan. 08. Here's the 3rd part of the reissue program for Atavistic that already gave us "Strange Strings" and "Night of the Purple Moon", focusing on recordings from the label El Saturn. Going back to 1977, this recording had opened up for a combo version of the Arkestra which revisited jazz standards and some compositions by its leader; the CD also gives us two unreleased tracks.
Sun Ra: Strange Strings. Atavistic ALP 263. Sept. 07. The two parts of "Strange Strings" were recorded in 1966, just after "Nothing Is". The extravagant leader asked his Astro Infinity Orchestra to play on various string instruments, most of them non-western, for which they didn't have any practice or experience. The goal was to open up for new unknown sounds and creative ideas. In this, this record will remain - together with Atlantis and Magic City - as one of the most atypical works by the Sun God. As a bonus, you'll find "Door Squeak", a composition from 1967 for door squeaks, strings and percussion (something similar would later be presented by the French composer Pierre Henry.
Sun Ra: The Night Of The Purple Moon. Atavistic ALP 264. Sept. 07. Reissued for the first time on CD, this suite of bluesy short pieces belongs to some of the most accessible in Sun Ra's discography. It was originally released in 1972 and is here assorted with one alternate take and 3 unreleased pieces, on which the listener will hear Sun Ra furiously soloing on a '64 Würlitzer el piano!
Vandemark 5: Beat Reader. Atavistic ALP 184. Jan. 08. This 12th album for the label will be extended (only the first 1000 copies) with a bonus CD titled "The New York Suite", an homage by Vandemark to his mentors!
The Vandermark 5: A Discontinuous Line. Atavistic ALP 173. Nov. 06. This is the third time in 12 years that this band has been revamped, still showing a remarkable maturity and audacity. Two blowers, a cellist (strong>Fred Lonberg-Holm) and rhythm section shapes this new formation
The Vandermark 5: Free Jazz Classics Vol. 3 & 4. atavistic ALP 270. June 06. Following the homage of Vandermark to all his idols (here Rollins and Roland Kirk)
The Vandermark 5: The Color Of Memory. Oct. 2005. ALP 166. First double studio album and last recorded in compagny of trombonist Jeb Bishop. A valid testimony of the work achieved in the 10 years between 1995 and 2005, maybe announcing the new (r)evolutions to come?
The Vandermark 5: Airports For Light. Second studio album by this quintet from Chicago. There is a bonus disc! of six classic sonny Rollins tunes interpreted and arranged by the band.
The Vandermark 5: Elements of Style, Exercises in Surprise.
Wallin / Dyani / Dahlbäck: Burning In Stockholm. Atavistic ALP 249. Recorded live in Stockholm in 1981. This is Per Henrik Wallin trio with a noticeable difference. Here is the South-African bassist Johnny Dyani replacing his usual bassist!
Wilen/Gruntz/Clarke: Mental Cruelty. Barney Wilen, George Gruntz and Kenny Clarke created and recorded the music of this film by Hannes Schmidhauser
Zu / Mats Gustafsson: How To Raise An Ox (Atavistic ALP 168). Meeting between an Italian jazz-trash-funk trio and the free jazz saxophonist from Chicago. Two baritone saxes, bass & drums to seriously wash your brain!
Zu / Nobukazu Takemura: Identification With The Enemy. Atavistic ALP 178. March 07. After having been confronting Ken Vandermark's Spaceways Inc. or Mats Gustafson (on the album "How To Raise An Ox"), the Italian rebels face this time a Japanese DJ. Electronic loops against steel strong rhythm section!

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AUM Fidelity (USA) ... AUM Fidelity (USA) ... AUM Fidelity (USA) ... AUM

Francesco Bearzatti: Virus. AU 9002. Francesco plays tenor & sopran sax and is accompanied here by Emmanuel Bex on organ and the new Jazzpar Prize winner, drummer and composer Aldo Romano.
Rob Brown Ensemble: Crown Trunk Root Funk. AUM Fidelity (AUM 044). Rob Brown is undoubtedly today one of the major voices on alt saxophone in the USA. Created during the Vision Festival in 2006, the group comes now with a studio recording, led by the motto of Jazz Is the Teacher, Funk is the Preacher. On the jazz side is the brilliant rhythm section of bassist William Parker and drummer Gerald Cleaver whilst the funk side is in the hands of keyboardist Craig Taborn
Roy Campbell Ensemble: Akhenaten Suite. Aum Fidelity (AUM 045). Inspired by the life of an Egyptian pharaoh and commisioned by the New York 2007 Vision Festival, this record features violinist Billy Bang shining throughout.
Daniel Carter / Reuben Radding: Luminescence. Oct. 2005 AUM 025. Recorded at the Earshot Jazz Festival and in studio in Seattle in October 2001. The first is saxophonist and has played with Sun Ra, Cecil Taylor, Medeski & Wood to name a few. The second is a bass player heard together with names like Elliot Sharp, Marc Ribot, Dave Douglas ...
Whit Dickey Trio: Transonic. Oct. 2005. AUM 005. Released in97, this is the first album in own name by a drummer who has been member of both Matthew Shipp & David S. Ware's groups. It features alt saxophonist and flutist Rob Brown and bassist Chris Lightcap.
Kidd Jordan / Hamid Drake / William Parker: Palm Of Soul. AUM 038. June 06. Respectively heard on tenor sax / dms, tablas and voice / bass, guimbri and percussions. This recording took place 3 weeks before the tempest Katrina which destroyed New Orleans.
Little Women: Throat. Aum Fidelity (AUM 061). May 2010. With this new opus, the musical expression of altist Darius Jones takes a lot of various audacious faces: punk, math-metal, free jazz, noise, improvisation and minimalism. They build sound worlds at times close to units like Last Exit, Naked City, Human Feel. The quartet has another saxophonist, Travis Laplante (tenor), guitarist Andrew Smiley and drummer Jason Nazary. No bass!
Maneri Ensemble: Going To Church. Oct. 2005. AUM 024. Joe and Mat with trumpetist Roy Campbell, drummer Ralph Peterson and bassist Barre Phillips.
Morris / Parker / Cleaver: Altitude. Aum Fidelity (AUM 073). July 2012. Recorded at New York's Stone in 2011, this is the first meeting of those fine improvisers, guitarist Joe Morris, the enormously talented bass player William Parker (also featured here on guimbri) and drummer Gerald Cleaver.
Joe Morris: Singularity. AUM 018. Dec. 2005. Solo improvisations on a Les Paul guitar with steel strings.
Joe Morris Trio: Antennae. Dec. 2005. AUM 004. 5th album released in 1997.
Joe Morris & Mat Maneri: Soul Search. Oct. 2005. AUM 014. Duo guitar / violin
Joe Morris Quartet: A Cloud Of Black Birds. Oct. 2005. AUM 009. With Chris Lightcap on bass and drummer Jerome Deupree.
The Nommonsemble: Life Cycle. Dec. 2005. AUM 020. Ensemble led vby drummer Whit Dickey, alsp featuring Matthew Shipp on piano and viola player Mat Maneri. The last member is Rob Brown, featured on alto sax and flute.
Organic Grooves: Black Cherry. Oct. 2005. AUM 021. This is a remix of the album "Piercing the Veil" by William Parker and Hamid Drake, also released on the same label (AUM 017). With beats around 132 bpm, ethnic sounds like sanza or tablas, this could be described as a funk trance between Africa and the Brooklyn's American Can Factory or "easy-listening free-jazz?.
Other Dimensions In Music: Time Is Of The Essence Is Beyond Time. Oct. 2005. AUM 013. Recorded at the Knitting Factory in 97 and presenting a quartet considered as the rebirth of free. With Daniel Carter, William Parker, Roy Campbell, Rashid Bakr and here featuring pianist Matthew Shipp.
William Parker / Hamid Drake: First Communion + Piercing The Veil (AUM039-040). This is the first meeting between the two musicians and it was in New York in 2000. This edition has wonderful liner notes and photos.
William Parker / In Order To Survive: The Peach Orchard. Dec. 2005. AUM 010-011. This 2CD is a live recording from 1997 with Parker's quartet "In Order To Survive". Susie Ibarra was on drums, Rob Brown on alt sax and Cooper Moore on piano.
William Parker: Long Hidden : The Olmec Series. March 2006. AUM 036. Digipack edition. Africa and America, visited via solo bass pieces and 4 compositions with the Olmec Group, a band devoted to the exploration of the ancient Mexican Maya tradition
William Parker & The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra: Mayor Of Punkville. Dec. 2005. AUM 015-016. 2 hours on two CDs. Recorded at New York's Tonic club in 1999.
William Parker & The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra: Sunrise In The Tone World. Oct. 2005. AUM 002-03. This 2CD was recorded at the Knitting Factory in 95 and presenting Parker's big sized group.
William Parker Quartet: O'Neal's Porch. Oct. 2005. AUM 022. The American press (New York Times, Jazz Times, Downbeat and All About Jazz.com) elected this first record by Parker's quartet best jazz record of the year in 2001. With drummer Hamid Drake, trumpetist Lewis Barnes and alt saxophonist Rob Brown.
William Parker Quartet: Sound Unity. AUM 034. July 2005. Following the one above and recorded in Canada.
Planetary Unknown: Live at Jazzfestival Saalfelden 2011. Aum Fidelity (AUM 074). July 2012. This all-star quartet gathers saxophonist David S. Ware, pianist Cooper-Moore, bass player William Parker and the nearly forgotten veteran drummer Muhammad Ali. 100% in the tradition of the Great Black Music!
Shrimp Boat:
+ Something Grand. Oct. 2005. AUM 028-031. The carreer of this cult group from Chicago spans from 1985 to 1993. It crosses the family tree of other outfits such as Tortoise, Falstaff or Sea And The Cake. This 4CD boxset has been compiled from more than 400 hours of recordings. The 4th CD will only be available on the first 2000 copies and is a bonus filled with rarities. A very well documented 56p. booklet follows.
+ speckly. July 2005. AUM 033. Their first album.
Trptych Myth: The Beautiful. Oct. 2005. AUM 035. Trio led by New York pianist Cooper-Moore. Featuring Chad Taylor on drums.
David S. Ware Quartet: Corridors & Parallels. Dec. 2005. AUM 019. This 13th album by the saxophonist also shows the debut of Matthew Shipp on synthesizer.
David S. Ware Quartet: Wisdom Of Uncertainty. Oct. 2005. AUM 001. With Susie Ibarra on drums
David S. Ware Quartet: Freedom Suite. Oct. 2005. AUM 023. A respectful rereading - as if it was a jazz standard - of this extensive famous suite by sax giant Sonny Rollins.

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AYLER RECORDS .... AYLER RECORDS .... AYLER RECORDS .... AYLER ....

Abdelhaï Bennani Trio: There Starts The Future. Ayler Records (aylCD-083). 2008. Recorded at the club "Les Instants Chavirés", Montreuil, France on June 6, 2007. Bennani is a totally unique player of great restraint, working on melodic fragments and *low overtones* with an odd tormented and dark tone made of plaintive almost painful mutterings, that can swell up with rage and determination when the rhythm section heats up - and for sure French bassist Benjamin Duboc and drummer Edward Perraud are masters indeed of open elastic interaction and turbulent architecture. Just great and atypical music.
Akchoté / Foussat / Turner: Acid Rain. Ayler Records (aylCD 128). July 2012. Recorded in Poitiers, France, on February 4, 2011. Guitar, VCS3 & electronics, drums, are the basis of this free-wheeling trio, whose most known voice is probably the guitarist's!
Fred Anderson & Harrison Bankhead : The Great Vision Concert (aylCD-052). Duo tenor sax / bass recorded at the Vision Festival, NYC on May 22, 2003.
Brochard & Favriou: Derviche. Ayler Records (aylCD-165). Street date: 26-08-20. Digifile. Eric Brochard on piccolo bass and voice + Fabrice Favriou on drums.
By Any Means: Live at Crescendo. Ayler Records (aylCD- 077/078). Recorded on October 19, 2007 at Club Crescendo, Norrköping, Sweden. Behind the group'sname is the trio of alt saxophonist Charles Gayle, bassist William Parker and drummer Rashied Ali. In fact the trio had previously recorded an album together ..... 16 years before!
Cécile Cappozzo Quintet: Hymne d'automne. Ayler Records (aylCD-179). Street date: 12-10-22. Four years after their all-improvised first album "Sub Rosa", the trio of Cécile Cappozzo (piano), Patrice Grente (double bass) and Etienne Ziemniak (drums) returns to us with "Hymne d'automne", this time as a quintet, with the addition of two 'blowers': Jean-Luc Cappozzo on trumpet and Guillaume Bellanger on saxophone. Over the journey of the five improvising musicians in landscapes with autumnal colors, the music is in turn dreamlike, energetic, flamboyant (even fiery) and of great formal coherence in the sequence of improvisations with the three themes composed for the occasion.
Charles Gayle Trio: Live at Glenn Miller Café. Ayler Records (aylCD-015). Charles Gayle: as, Gerald Benson: b, Michael Wimberly: dms. Recorded at Glenn Miller Café, Stockholm on February 12, 2006.
David Chevallier & Valentin Ceccaldi: Zèbres. Ayler Records (AYLCD-157). Sept. 2018. Recorded in France in October 2017, this release presents the duo of Valentin Ceccaldi (cello) and David Chevallier (electric guitar, 6 & 12-stringed acoustic guitars).
Laurence Cook & Eric Zinman: Double Action. Ayler Records (AYLCD-085). 2011. Pianist Eric Zinman spent the year of 2009 working on duets with drummer / percussionist Laurence Cook, using the Yamaha CP300 stage keyboard. Together they explored this language of dynamic range and timbre layering (Cook also uses a Casio wk1630). Zinman describes the music as "a shifting landscape into the sound/color continuum, expanding and receding by similarities and contrasts with all the physicality of a percussion orchestra". Recorded in Pawtucket, RI and Cambridge, MA, USA between January and October 2009. Part of the label's so called « Guerilla Series » (limited edition of 400) on slim line jewel case.
Correction: Two Nights in April. Ayler Records (ayl 090). April 2010. Young Swedish trio composed of pianist Sebastian Bergström, bass player Joacim Nyberg and drummer Emil Åstrand-Melin; they are recorde live in April 2009 at the Crescendo in Norrköping and at the Glenn Miller Café in Stockholm
Dennis González Ataraxia Trio+2: Nights Enter. Ayler Records (aylCD-171). Street date: 20-03-21. Besides the leader on treated C trumpet, percussion and conch shell, the trio consists of Drew Phelps on electric & acoustic bass and Jagath Lakpriya on tablas & djembe. The +2 are Derek Rogers (Moog synth) and Jess Garland (harp). Extract from the liner notes: "The confluence of organic and electronic elements is seamless, and the swirling blend of textures has a dreamlike quality. Derek Rogers? shimmering electronic beds contrast with the earthiness of Jagath Lakpriya?s percussion and the muscularity of Drew Phelps' deep song. Jess Garland?s harp adds dazzling points of light, and Dennis proves himself once again to be a master of melody - a trait he shares with the greatest jazz musicians."
Dennis González's Yells At Eels + Pinkish Black: Vanishing Light in the Tunnel of Dreams. Ayler Records (aylCD-163). Twofold digisleeve CD. May 2020. Recorded in 2018, this album concretizes the meeting between two long running musical projects that finally came together after many years of discussing it in passing. On one side, the Gonzalez family unit and their abrasive take on modern Latin-tinged jazz, on the other the experimental rock duo of Daron Beck (keyboards & synths) and Jon Teague (drums & synths). Serious health issues during the process added some more tension and a bludgeoning despair to make this piece of music a meditation amongst brothers, a soundtrack of nightmares, of beauty and perseverance.
Dennis González Yells At Eels featuring Aakash Mittal: Colorado at Clinton. Ayler Records (aylCD-133). Sept. 2013. Recorded in Dallas, Texas, USA on September 5 & October 14, 2011. This is the fourth recording by Yells At Eels to be released on Ayler Records, this time focusing on the rediscovered childhood's friendship that united for years alt saxophonist Aakash Mittal and drummer Stefan González, before their respective lives would bring them far from each other for another long bunch of years, until this meeting.
Dennis González Yells At Eels: Resurrection and Life. Ayler Records (AYL 125). 2012. Named after the incredible battle of AACM's founder Alvin Fielder between death and life, this new album by the González family band brings along the talented young trombonist Gaika James, providing the perfect sound to round out the quintet.
Dennis González Yells at Eels: Cape of Storm. Ayler Records (AYLCD-117). Recorded in Dallas and New Orleans in Fevbruary 2010. The trio of Dennis and sons Aaron and Stefan sounds better than ever and the meeting with legendary South African drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo is a special treat. Long-time collaborator and tenor saxophonist Tim Green joins in and here we go for a rewarding hour of stellar performances by this augmented Yells at Eels. Enjoy!
Duboc, Benjamin: Primare Cantus. Ayler Records (AYL 098-099-100). 2011. Here's a 3-disc set offering a panel of French bassist Benjamin Duboc's current work. Disc one is a peculiar piece of music, performed only on the tailpiece of the double bass and mixing the very low register of the instrument with sharper frequencies obtained with bow friction and mouth/breath sounds. Disc 2 & 3 showcase Duboc's bass in duo and trio settings with regular collaborators Didier Lasserre (percussion), Sylvain Guérineau (tenor sax), Jean-Luc Petit (tenor & baritone sax), Pascal Battus (guitar pickup), Sophie Agnel (piano) and Christian Pruvost (trumpet).
Marc Ducret: Ici. Ayler Records (AYLCD178). Street date: 07-05-23. Two-fold 6-panel digifile CD with an 8-page photo booklet. Recorded durin the Covid confinement period between July 2020 & June 2021. With long-time partner Samuel Blaser on trombone, Fabrice Martinez on trumpet, flugelhorn and tuba, Christophe Monniot on sopranino, baritone & alto saxophones.
Marc Ducret: Tower, vol.3. Ayler Records (aylCD-120). June 2013. Recorded in Paris in December 2012, this is the last chapter of the Tower series (yes, vol. 4 was released before 3) and whereas the quintet from volume 1 and the quartet from volume 2 played selected pieces from the Tower 'repertoire', this ensemble - a sextet - plays comments on the music already played, either in the form of rewritten fragments or developments of excerpts/patterns, that give the music from the other two bands a new light, delivering all the harmonic or rhythmic keys to compositions previously heard in a radically different form. Very astute!
Marc Ducret: Tower Vol. 4. Ayler Records (aylCD-121). 2012. After the quartet and the quintet and while waiting for the release of volume 3... which will present the music of the sextet, we get here first volume 4, result of the presentation of the « Tower » cycle during a solo tour of Scandinavia and the Baltic countries.
Paul Dunmall & Tony Bianco: Thank You to John Coltrane. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 290). 11/08/12. The saxophonist and the drummer revisit here Coltrane's compositions, pared to a minimal but ever-inventive sax and drums dialogue
Marc Ducret: Tower Vol. 2. Ayler Records (aylcd-119). Sept. 11. The second volume of the Tower project, an attempt at rendering with sonic means, the poetry and emotions conveyed by a short chapter in Vladimir Nabokov's Ada or Ardor, presents guitarist Marc Ducret in the company of long-time collaborators Dominique Pifarély (violin), alt saxophonist Tim Berne and drummer Tom Rainey
Marc Ducret: Tower Vol. 1. Ayler Records (AYL 118). May 2011. We already know the interest of the guitarist in litterature; this time, the basic idea of the album is a musical transcription of a book's chapter written by Vladimir Nabokov. Ducret has around him French and Danish musicians, trumpetist Kasper Tranberg beginning to be a know name on the European jazz scene. Drummer Peter Bruun hasn't reached this level yet but is one of the promising values on the Danish jazz scene. Trombonist Matthias Mahler and Fred Gasterd on bass saxophone complete the line-up. The latter has been heard in the band Campagnie des musiques à Ouïr and both play in Journal Intime, a brassy trio led by French trompetist Sylvain Bardiau . This is the first volume of a series of four and the second, due to this autumn, will present the guitarist's French-American quartet, with among other French violinist and long-time partner Dominique Pifarély.
The Electrics: Live at Glenn Miller Café (aylCD-034). Recorded in concert at Glenn Miller Café, Stockholm, Sweden, on October 3 & 4, 2005. This is their 2nd album recorded for Ayler Records. The line-up is: Sture Ericson: ts, cl, bcl / Axel Dörner: tp, slide tp / Ingebrigt Håker Flaten: b / Raymond Strid: drums.
Exploding Customer: At Your Service (aylCD-063). Recorded at Atlantis Studio, Stockholm on October 3, 2006.
Exploding Customer: Live at Tampere Jazz Happening (aylCD ). Recorded at the Tampere Jazz Happening, Finland, on November 9, 2004. Sax, trumpet, bass & dms for a special brand of "happy free jazz"
Exuberance: "Live at Vision Festival" aylCD-009. Recorded at the 8th annual Vision Festival, NYC on May 24, 2003.
Scott Fields & Jeffrey Lependorf : Everything Is in the Instructions. Ayler Records (aylCD-135). Scott Fields is a leading guitarist and composer in avant-jazz and New Music. Jeffrey Lependorf is a composer of contemporary chamber music and opera. He is also a certified master of the shakuhachi, a traditional Japanese bamboo flute, and has helped create a new repertoire of music for this ancient instrument. In Everything is in the instructions, they perform new works for guitar and shakuhachi that combine written and improvised material. Don't look for anything related to so-called "world music" or some new agey concept here. This is the exciting combination of two major musical personalities, and definitely music for the 21st century, where sound, silence and structures are masterly entwined to create something entirely new and original. Recorded at Topaz Studios, Köln, Germany on October 20th, 2012.
The Fish: Live at Olympic Café & Jazz à Mulhouse (Ayler Records aylCD-008/057). French trio led by altist Jean-Luc Guionnet and also featuring drummer Edward Perraud and bassist Benjamin Duboc. Three voices, equal, operate in violent and contrasting, yet coherent, phases.
Flotz / Turner / Carrothers: To The Moon. Ayler Records (AYLCD-112). 2010. This is an all-improvised session recorded in the USA on January 8th 2008. The French clarinetist Jean-Marc Foltz has with him two American players, cellist Matt Turner and the well reknown pianist Bill Carrothers
Flow Trio: Set Theory Live at the Stone. Ayler Records (AYLCD-107). 2011. Recorded on April 24, 2009. The trio features Louie Belogenis on tenor & soprano saxophones, Joe Morris on bass and Charles Downs on drums. Part of the label's so called « Guerilla Series » (limited edition of 400) on slim line jewel case.
François Carrier Trio + 1: Entrance 3. Ayler Records (AYLCD-106). 2011. Recorded live by Marc L'Espérance at the Vancouver Jazz Festival on July 1st, 2002. The guesting artist added to the trio is Swedish pianist Bobo Stenson.
Fujii, Satoko & Otomo, Yoshihide: Perpetual Motion. Ayler Records (AYLCD-175). Street date: 09-02-23. Recorded on January 10, 2022 at the « Pit Inn », Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, this album is the very first duo recording by two Japanese masters of creative music, with a huge discography behind them (pianist Satoko Fujii released her 100th album as leader in 2022 at the age of 64!!). Otomo's fierceful guitar playing is counter-balanced by more airy piano flights but sometimes the roles are inversed or to be found in between, each player always intensely listening to the other, following, reacting, provoking, initiating, moving, leaving, resurfacing ..... in a (wisely titled) perpetual motion!
Galiay, Frederick: Time Elleipsis. Ayler Records (aylCD-161). January 2020. Following a residency program that took place in Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar, initiated by the French Institute, Time Elleipsis presents a composed work for six musicians, inventing a poetic link between the mystical expressions of these regions and the resolutely contemporary compositional language used. Recorded during the summer of 2019, this version follows a dozen of concerts where the sextet, as electric as it is electrifying, was able to refine its interpretation of the piece before entering the studio. The line up is: Antoine Viard, electrified baritone saxophone / Jean-Sébastien Mariage, electric guitar / Julien Boudart, analog synthesizer / Frederick Galiay, composition, direction, electric bass / Sébastien Brun & Franck Vaillant, drums, acoustic and electronic percussion sets
Grimal, Alexandra: Andromeda. Ayler Records (aylCD-127). May 2012. Recorded at Sear Sound, NYC, USA, on December 19th, 2011. The music on Andromeda traces the nomadic saxophonist's inner progress, achieving its own synthesis of different jazz trends and improvisational systems. Transcending genres and cultures, Alexandra Grimal's music is both powerful and telluric, creating a unique, weaving world, tailor-made for her co-performers Todd Neufeld (guitars), Thomas Morgan (double bass) and Tyshawn Sorey (drums). Continually striving to surpass itself, Grimal's work is one that collects and assembles but loses none of its integrity and unity in the process. An interstellar odyssey in the form of a symphony.
Grimal, Alexandra & Giovanni di Domenico: Chergui. Ayler Records (aylCD-141/142). Recorded at ThÚÔtre du ChÔtelet, Paris, France on May 21 & 22, 2013. Also featuring Jeffrey Lependorf on shakuhachi and guitarist Scott Fields.
Gyldene Trio: Live at Glenn Miller Café (aylCD- 079). Recorded in concert in Stockholm on August 13 and 14, 2007. This is probably one of the most well known groups in Sweden today with young giant saxophone player Jonas Kullhammar. Jonas is touring worldwide and is becoming internationally *famous*. The tracks include two Monk compositions, one jazz standard (The Night Has A Thousand Eyes) and two own compositions, one by the leader, the other by the trio's bassist Torbjörn Zetterberg. The drums chair is occupied by Daniel Fredriksson
Hélary, Sylvaine: Glowing Life. Ayler Records (aylCD-164). Street date: 02-10-20. Sylvaine Hélary's new quartet explores a more electric branch of her work as a composer, creating here heady melodies, romantic sizzles, amplified rhythmic hordes and waves of misty ritornelles. The legacy of ancient legends (Henry Cow, Robert Wyatt, Arto Lindsay, Stereolab) rubs shoulders with the emergence of a world of astonishing dimensions, where the outlines of a singular soundscape are drawn, reflecting various and complementary expressions of the four musical personalities involved who express themselves with joyful freedom. Acting as a bridge between the very English "Canterbury" scene, contemporary jazz and experimental pop, this group produces the sound of a life in scintillating and phosphorescent colors, a refreshing and bewitching "Glowing Life" promising bright futures. Sylvaine's partners in crime are Antonin Rayon (Hammond B3 organ, Moog synth, piano, clavinet), Benjamin Glibert (electric guitar and electric bass) and Christophe Lavergne on drums.
Henry Grimes Trio: Live at the Kerava Jazz Festival aylCD-028. With Hamid Drake and David Murray.
Luís Lopes' Humanization 4tet: Live in Madison. Ayler Records (aylCD-134). Sept. 2013. Recorded live at Audio For The Arts, Madison, Wisconsin, USA on July 8th 2011. Formatted as digisleeve, this disc comes in a limited edition with a 12-page booklet of António Júlio Duarte's photos from the band's trip. Guitar and tenor sax share the front line.
Humanisation 4tet: Electricity. Ayler Records (AYLCD-113). 2011. Recorded on December 3 & 4, 2009, this project presents guitarist Luis Lopez, tenor saxophonist Rodrigo Amado and the Gonzálezrhythm section: Aaron on bass and Stefan on drums.
Jauniaux / Mariage / Charles: L'Amour. Ayler Records (AYLCD-168). Street date: 14-06-21. Digisleeve CD. At the instigation of Catherine Jauniaux, three musicians meet around a book by Marguerite Duras. Three invented characters inspire music, a pulse, a harmony ... through their silhouettes, their relationships, their movements, the space in which they are standing, between the sea, themselves, and an idea of civilization. The trio was recorded by Pierre-Henri Thiébaut at the end of 2016 at 'la Muse en Circuit' after having toured with this program in 2015 from Paris to Moscow via Draguignan, Berlin and Saint Petersburg and does not fail to amaze us with the fluidity of its sound, its sentimental and human generosity and amorous conviction. Aren't voice, clarinet and guitar the perfect instruments to help us reach these dreams?
Didier Lasserre: Silence Was Pleased. Ayler Records (aylCD-176). June 2022. This is the drummer's first composed work (he is better known as an improviser, having participated in numerous recordings, mainly in small forms, from solos and duets to quartets). To interpret it, the musician has chosen no less than seven partners to respond to the constant search that drives him, that of a "fair relationship between sound and silence". From the selected septet, we therefore witness the appearance of sub-groups, often duets, sometimes a trio, and once for the finale, a quartet which fleetingly harbors the ghost of a sextet. In the end, a high quality musical melting pot carrying a lot of emotions, but also a lot of intimate daydreams, even post-baroque.
Last Seen Headed: Live at Sons d'Hiver. Ayler Records (aylCD-096). 2010. An inspiring all spontaneously composed set by 3 masters of free improvisation: French bass player Joëlle Léandre, Canadian clarinetist François Houle and Swedish percussionist Raymond Strid. Recorded at the Centre Culturel André Malraux, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre, France, during last year's Sons d'Hiver festival, on January 24, 2009.
Lazro, Daunik: Some Other Zongs. Ayler Records (AYLCD 123). 2011. Ten years after his first and only solo release "Zong Book", baritone saxophonist Daunik Lazro delivers another collection of improvised solo pieces, recorded during the 2010 Europa Jazz Festival and in Paris' Saint-Merry church a few months later. Lazro displays a varied palette of multi-phonic sounds and colors, always blending the cerebral with the emotional, reaching the depths of his inner self and bringing music out of it!
Joëlle Léandre & Pascal Contet: 3. Ayler Records (aylCD-137). March 2014. Recorded live at Carré Bleu in Poitiers in 2012, the 2014 release of "3" celebrates the duo's (bass/accordion) 20th anniversary and again, their emancipated and "comprovised" chamber music (incorporating all boldness - microtonality , dissonance, polyphonies ... - but never indulging in a mere exhibition of technique and virtuosity) surprises us by tracing its path in the depth, intimacy and resources of a musical friendship where listening remains inexhaustible.
Lila Bazooka: Arashiyama. Ayler Records (aylCD-177). June 2022. Behind the nickname 'Lila Bazooka' stand Sophie Bernado (bassoon, voice, electronics) and Céline Grangey (sound design, electronics), two artists in search of new frontiers to overcome. With "Arashiyama", they combine jazz and a certain form of classicism, both in love with free experimentation and bubbling sounds. Difficult to classify, the universe of the duo roams the Japanese lands, a society torn between tradition and modernity, where they first found their inspiration while travelling there. Sophisticated and 'carnal', the breath serves as the backbone of this first album with vaporous and meditative contours, erecting a world crossed by a thousand lights and neat poetry, freedom and subtlety, by movements and displacements, softness and energy. The Japanese musician Ko Ishikawa appears as guest on mouth organ (sho) on 2 tracks.
Monniot, Christophe et le Grand Orchestre du Tricot: Jericho Sinfonia. Ayler Records (AYLCD-156). May 2018. Recorded in December 2015, the saxophonist presents here an ambitious work for large ensemble, in which we'll note the presence of pianist Roberto Negro, cellist Valentin Ceccaldi, electric guitarist Guillaume Aknine, alongside a huge brass section and two drummers.
Mark O'Leary / Peter Friis-Nielsen / Stefan Pasborg: Støj. Ayler Records (AYLCD-072). 2011. Part of the label's so called « Guerilla Series » (limited edition of 400). presented on slim-line jewel case. Recorded at Karma Crew Studio, Copenhagen, Denmark in March 2008. The Irish guitarist meets two reknown Danes and together they freely try new concepts, stretching out unknown corners, propelled by the ever inventive drummer.
Per Henrik Wallin Trio: "The Stockholm Tapes" aylCD-032. Recorded live in Stockholm on August 5, 1975 and August 17, 1977.
Peter Bruun's All Too Human: Vernacular Avant-garde. Ayler Records (AYLCD-155). April 2018. With Kasper Tranberg: trumpet, cornet + Marc Ducret: guitars (6 & 12-stringed) + Simon Toldam: Moog, Juno 60, Philicorda + Peter Bruun: drums, Mikrokorg. Recorded in Copenhagen at The Village Studio, in April 2017. All compositions except one are penned by the drummer! formated as a 2-Fold/3-panel Digifile
Sleeping in Vilna : Why Waste Time. Ayler Records (aylCD-130). 2012. An all-improvised transnational collaboration between Mike Ladd (vocals & synthi), Carol Robinson (clarinets & voice), Dave Randall (guitar) and Dirk Rothbrust (drums & percussion). This much eclectic gathering of different backgrounds is in fact a question of connection, of combining multiple sound worlds, of going into totally unexpected places...
Snus: Can't Stop Snusing. Ayler Records (aylCD-126). May 2012. Recorded at Ackenbush, Malakoff, France, on July 11/12, 2011. Two years after their critically acclaimed debut "Snus", Niklas Barnö (trumpet), Joel Grip (double bass) and drummer Didier Lasserre return with a new brew of their addictive mix of free jazz and free improv. Their music has been described as scorching, raw, direct, subtle, convulsive, skronking, spacious, abrasive, tempered and abstract at times, all of which are pretty valid statements. Get a taste and make up your own mind!
Souchal/Nick/Lazro/Cappozzo: Neigen. Ayler Records (aylCD-162). January 2021. Recorded by Céline Grangey between January 30th and February 2nd, 2020, this adventurous album couples the wind forces of Daunik Lazro (tenor and baritone saxophones) and trumpeters Nicolas Souchal & Jean-Luc Cappozzo to the airy and otherwordly sounds created by Michael Nick (acoustic violin, electro-acoustic octave violin). This is free improvised music fueled by an intuitive connection between musicians linked by a telepathic thread.
Stephen Gauci's Stockholm Conference: Live at Glenn Miller Café, part 1 & 2 (aylCD- 093/094). Recorded at Glenn Miller Café, Stockholm on July 9 and 10, 2007, this double CD presents "The Conference", a group that includes three of today's most active Swedish musicians with trumpeter Magnus Broo (present on disc 2), known from the Brötzmann Chicago Tentet. Present on disc 1 instead of the trumpeter is trombonist Mats Äleklint , a new sensational player becoming more and more impressive. Fredrik Rundqvist is one of many fine young drummers and is playing with most of the well known musicians today. Bass player Ingebrigt Håker Flaten completes the lineup and is quite familiar with the Glenn Miller Café, where he played many times. He has met and played with Stephen Gauci in the US and inspired him to set up this 2-days ... Conference!
SURD: "Live at Glenn Miller Café" aylCD-020. Recorded at Glenn Miller Café, Stockholm on June 14 and 15, 2004
Theo Ceccaldi Trio: Carrousel. Ayler Records (aylCD 129). July 2012. String trio of violin, guitar and cello, recorded at Studio Nyima, Orléans, France, on September 27-29, 2011. Through a chamber tinged playing, this trio shows depth, intensity, lyricism, a dancing phrasing coupled to a fine interplay and a mind open to adventure!
Théo Ceccaldi Trio + 1: Can You Smile? Ayler Records (aylCD-136). The 1 added to the trio is French bass player Joëlle Léandre, invited to join the trio and sparks new energy and colours. Still remaining a string affair, the instrumentation also expands, as Guillaume Aknine shifts this time between electric and acoustic guitar, while Théo Ceccaldi adds viola to his usual violin playing. But more than a one-off, this meeting does bring the sound and feeling of a real band.

Lars-Göran Ulander Trio: Live At Glenn Miller Café. Ayler Records aylCD-013. Featuring Palle Danielsson on bass and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums. Recorded in concert on August 25 & 26, 2004. The alt saxophonist signs here his first release in own name after having spent a central role in the Swedish jazz scene since no less than the mid 60's. His passionate and very lyrical playing matches very well his partners, reaching a delicate balance between the quieter bass player known through various ECM recordings and the freer and more explosive drummer often associated to Peter Brötzmann

Zed Trio: Lost Transitions. Ayler Records (AYLCD-102). 2011. Recorded at Studio Le Sous-Marin, Toulouse, France on October 19, 20 & 21, 2009. The trio is Heddy Boubaker on alto & bass saxophones, David Lataillade on electric guitar and Frédéric Vaudaux on drums & percussion.

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BAREFOOT RECORDS .... BAREFOOT RECORDS .... BAREFOOT RECORDS ....

Dabrowski, Tomasz: S-O-L-O: "30th Birthday / 30 Concerts / 30 Cities". Barefoot Records (BFREC049CD). Street date: 04-04-2016. This album is the culmination of a series of solo concerts celebrating his 30th birthday performed in 30 cities in 12 different countries over almost seven months, plus three formal recording sessions held in various locations around Copenhagen. The album is made up of 10 songs intended to represent 10 chapters of one story.
The Eskimo and the Futile Guilt: Heat. Barefoot Records (BRFCD040). 22/06/15. Recorded by saxophonist Johannes Schleiermacher on cassette recorder during live performances around Berlin between February 5th to 8th, 2014, this album presents an improvising trio also featuring Kalle Zeier on guitar and Kasper Tom on drums.
Flamingo : S/T. Barefoot Records (BFREC045LP, BFREC045CD). Street date: 23-05-16. Flamingo explores sound, texture and dynamics. Sometimes verging on the threshold of hearing and at other times engaging in dense layers and waves of sound, the music of Flamingo creates a poetic space in which pure sound phenomena step forth on the eternal backdrop of silence. The trio has performed at festivals in Denmark and Germany and is engaged in developing and performing crossdisciplinary projects that challenge the conditions under which sound is perceived. The trio consists of Chris Heenan ( contrabass clarinet), Adam Pultz Melbye (double bass) and Christian Windfeld (snare drum and objects).
Free4Arts: Six Months & Ten Drops. Barefoot Records (BFREC041CD). 22/06/15. Danisj project led by Polish trumpeter Tomasz Dabrowski and featuring Sven Dam Meinild on baritone sax, Jacob Anderskov on piano and Kasper Tom on drums. The album features seven original compositions, rich in strong ideas and unconventional musical solutions. The music is melodic and multidimensional, inspired by Polish folk, slavic heritage and European third stream jazz and avant-garde scene.
Horse Orchestra: Four Letter Word. Barefoot Records (BFREC054LP). Street date: 03-10-16. This vinyl release is a follow-up on the debut album Living the Dream (2014) which was granted two Danish Music Awards in the categories New name of the year and Special release of the year. Horse Orchestra consists of seven young musicians from Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Denmark. With little respect for conformities and hierarchies of genres, and with instrumental and compositional virtuosity, the band has created a unique and humorous mixture of genres - ranging from traditional jazz, via hip hop, to noise.
Jitter: S/T. Barefoot Records (BFREC044LP). LP! Street date: 25/01/16. Jitter unites Danish and Swedish improv excellence into a trio of gentlemen with a less than gentle attitude towards the ethical treatment of instruments. Their debut album is a chamber music work of scratching, honking and clonking which leaves little doubt to the earnestness of the three musicians: Sture Ericson: reeds, Adam Pultz Melbye: double bass and Anders Lindsjö: guitar. Recorded in Berlin in 2013.
Kasper Tom / Rudi Mahall: One Man's Trash Is Another Man's Treasure. Barefoot Records (BFREC050CD). Street date: 04-07-16. A legendary figure on the international jazz/avantgarde scene, with a reputation as one of the great European improvisors and unique communicator on the bass clarinet, joins here a Danish drummer who made his name on the European improvisation and advantgarde-scene.
Kasper Tom 5: I Do Admire Things That Are Only What They Are. Barefoot Records (BFREC046CD). Street date: 02-11-15. Drummer and composer Kasper Tom has assembled a group of internationally significant musicians from the European jazz scene, featuring among other Rudi Mahall (clarinet, bass clarinet) and Polish Tomasz Dabrowski (trumpet). The band is put together in an attempt to create a new sound of original compositions that require and challenge each musician's individuality and artistic identity.
Living Things: Upwind Circles. Barefoot Records (BFREC052CD). Street date: 26-09-16. Living Things is a collaboration between French pianist Paul Wacrenier and Danish saxophonist Sven Meinild. Together they created Living Things as vehicle to explore their common interests in sound and music. With the young Polish trumpet maestro Tomasz Dabrowski and the dynamic rhythm section of Casper Nyvang Rask (bass and flutes) and Rune Lohse (drums and flutes), they unfold a repertoire of melodies, improvisations, sounds and noises.
Melbye/Berre/Brötzmann Trio : A Tale of Three Cities. Barefoot Records (bfrec 008). Officially released on April 9th, 2009, this album consists of live recordings from the trio's tour in Denmark and Germany in 2007; it will be the eighth release by the Danish/Norwegian record collective Barefoot Records. The two free-improvising partners, bass player Adam Pultz Melbye (DK) and drummer Håkon Berre (NO), release their debut record with the German free jazz legend Peter Brötzmann!
Mockunas/Mikalkenas/Berre: Plunged. Barefoot Records (BFREC053CD). Street date: 13-03-17. With two musicians from Lithuania and a drummer from Norway (Håkon Berre, who have been resident in Denmark during the last 15 years), this trio was put together by Liudas Mockunas, for many years one of the most important avantgarde musicians from the Baltic region, with a wide range of collaborations across Europe. He was among other member - with Berre too - of the noise trio Angel, as well as the free jazz trio Peter Friis Nielsen Kalas. Mockunas and Berre are joined here on accordion and piano by Arnas Mikalkenas who is one of the most promising improvisers from the younger generations of musicians from Lithuania. can be characterized as modern chamber jazz with inspiration from contemporary classical music and free jazz. The compositions have a transparent structure where the rhythmic and melodic templates provide a starting point for a very open kind of improvisation.
Ocean Fanfare: Imagine Sound Imagine Silence. Barefoot Records (BFREC040). Release date: 30/03/14. Polish trumpeter Tomasz Dabrowski, who already have many albums as bandleader on his conscience, has developed his own personal sound on the trumpet. In Ocean Fanfare he creates, with Sven Dam Meinild on saxophone, a horn section that alternates from the euphoric to the dark melancholy. Danish Richard Andersson is known as a bass player with a solid grip on the jazz tradition, but also the will and the courage to point forward. Along with the American multi-talented Tyshawn Sorey on drums, they create both a raw swing and a free energetic drive.
Santos Silva / Wodrascka / Meaas Svendsen / Berre: Rasengan! Barefoot Records (BFREC048LP). Release date: 27-06-16. This European quartet consists of four improvising musicians with very different backgrounds. The Portuguese trumpet player Susana Santos Silva is based in Porto but also active in Scandinavia, mostly together with Swedish bassist Thorbjörn Zetterberg. Pianist Christine Wodrascka lives in Provence in France, where she works with a variety of genre-crossing projects from performance and poetry to participation in the 40-piece improvisation ensemble Fabrique d'Improvisation Libre. Norwegian Christian Meaas Svendsen is a bassist who is gaining more and more attention across Europe. Among other things, he is active with bands like Mopti and Duplex. Not to forget, he also represents the young generation in Paal Nilssen-Love's Large Unit. Håkon Berre, originally from Norway but living in Copenhagen, has established himself as one of the most interesting young drummers on the Danish scene for improvised music.
Jeppe Zeeberg: Eight Seemingly Unrelated Pieces of Piano Music. Barefoot Records (BFREC057CD / BFREC057LP). Street date: 17-09-18. This is Zeeberg's take on a solo piano album. In his own words: "In my view, solo piano albums often have a tendency of repetitiveness. This is often a consequence of the music being recorded on one single piano over the course of a few hours. My album consists of various different keyboard instruments, with different tunings, recorded in fundimentally different situations over many monthes. The keyboards are often accompanied by other instruments and sounds, but every track is build around one specific piano improvisation or etude. This is why I still allow myself to call it a solo piano album. The worst crime a musician can commit is to make a boring album. I have really tried to avoid doing that".
Jeppe Zeeberg: The Four Seasons. Barefoot Records (BFREC055CD / BFREC055LP). Release date: May 22nd 2017. After two acclaimed albums of music for an extended piano trio and two albums as co-leader of prizewinning Scandinavian septet Horse Orchestra, Zeeberg has turned his attention to completing this ambitious, concept-driven album. The album is divided into 8 parts, two for each season of the year. The musicians performing are some of the finest on the Scandinavian avant-garde scene (several of them also playing in Horse Orchestra), and they are divided into different constellations, varying from trio to nonet.
Jeppe Zeeberg: Riding on the Boogie Woogie of Life. Barefoot Records (BFREC043LP). Release date: 03/08/15. After his award-winning debut album "It's the Most Basic Thing You Can Do on a Boat" (2014), Zeeberg comes now with a new album built around a double trio with two bassists and two drummers as well as himself on miscellaneous keyboard instruments. All musicians come from the Copenhagen and Berlin scenes for improvised music. Again Zeeberg's music draws on several musical genres from baroque through traditional jazz to classical avant-garde. It consists of a personal, complex mixture of open improvisation and composition, revealing an uncompromising release but presented in a humorous and playful way. The music unfolds in a very lively and constantly changing, sonic landscape where all participants may join with new initiatives at any time, all kept within Zeeberg's characteristic and experimental style.

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BVHAAST ... BVHAAST ... BVHAAST ... BVHAAST ... BVHAAST ... BVHAAST ...

Willem Breuker

Chris Abelen: Space. BV 0205. July 2005. Here facing the clarinetist Ab Baars and the string quartet Zapp!
Chris Abelin Quintet: Dance Of the Penguins. Bvhaast BV 9608. Oct. 2004. Music written by the trombonist and bringing to mind Zappa, Ornette or even Oliver Nelson
Willem Breuker: Jona. BV 0305-0405. This opera in 2 acts has been recorded on 2 DVDs in Rotterdam in 2003. The Willem Breuker Kollektief, the string ensemble Esatparks Strings, a choir of more than 50 persons are directed by Rene Nieuwint. The 2nd DVD is made of 83mn dedicated to the making of the opera. Technical data: Format 3/4, PAL, undertitles in english, stereo sound 2.0 and surround 5.1.
Willem Breuker: Lunch concert for 3 Street Organs. Some other titles available include: In Holland / The Pirate / Hunger / Kurt Weill
Willem Breuker: Tambours Dans La Nuit. BV 0604. Commissioned by the Baal Company and recorded on its creation day in Amsterdam, 1975. Also on the CD is another commissioned work (this time by the Publiekstheater Company) from 1983: La Résistible Ascension d'Arturo Ui
Breuker / Bommel / Coke / Engels / Vloeimans / Gorter: The Compositions Of Eric Dolphy. BV 1005. Rereading by a combo issued of the Kollektief
Willem Breuker / Loes Luca: This Way, Ladies. BV9301. Musical comedy closely inspired by Brecht and Weil, recorded in concert in Amsterdam in 1992. Texts by Ischa Meijer, music by Breuker, performed by the Kollektief
Willem Breuker Kollektief: Pakkepapèn. BV 9807. Symphonic jazz recorded in 97.
Willem Breuker Kollektief: Parade. BV 9101. Recorded in 90 with the Mondriaan Strings, this gathers several works by: Erik Satie (Parade / Ballet Réaliste sur un Thème de Jean Cocteau), Kurt Weill (Aggie's Sewing Machine Song), Boris Vian (La Java Martienne with Henk De Jonge on accordion and synthesizer), Breuker himself and more ... Between the classical rigor and a more ludic jazz.
Willem Breuker Kollektiv: With Strings Attached.
Misery. Theater music, music pieces from the 30's and even one by classical composer Rameau.
Willem Breuker, Etc.: The Busy Drone. BV 9603. Various composers (Breuker, Bennink, Mengelberg, andriessen, Kee, Schuyt, Van Bergelijk, Janssen, Muller) present here works for street organ. The instrument itself was found in 1965 and stays at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam where it regularly contributes to concerts or projects such as this one.
Contraband: Pale Fire. BV 0401. Oct. 2004. The big band of Willem Van Manen
Drummers Double Bill: S.O.S.
Intermission: Unanswered Questions. BV 9906. Reissue of an essential record of improvised music, released after a tour in the Netherlands. Guitarist Derek Bailey faces here no less than 3 bass players (among others the great William Parker), pianist Chris Burn and bass saxophonist Klaas Hekman.
Frank Van Bommel Quartet: A Crutch For The Crab. BV 9912. Recorded in 1999 in Amsterdam. On top of original compositions by the leader himself, there are also others by a young revolutionary pianist, Dick Twardzik, who died too early at the age of 24.
Frank Van Bommel Quintet: Ore. BV 0704. Recorded live at the Bim Huis of Amsterdam between 2002 and 2004, the quartet performs very Mingusian coloured compositions by the pianist and leader.
Mal Waldron & Jeanne Lee: Travellin In Soul Time. In trio with the flutist Toru Tenda. Recorded in Japan in 1995 for the 50th celebration of Hiroshima and Nagazaki.

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CAM JAZZ .... CAM JAZZ .... CAM JAZZ .... CAM JAZZ .... CAM JAZZ .... CAM

Julian Argüelles: Circularity. CAM Jazz (CAMJ). Street date: 11/03/14. New album by the saxophonist, here playing both tenor and soprano sax in very good company indeed: Dave Holland on bass, the always introspective and sensitive John Taylor on piano and on drums the younger Martin France.
Salvatore Bonafede: Dreams and Dreams (CAMJ 7789-2).
Salvatore Bonafede: Journey to Donnafugata. Salvatore Bonafede (piano), Enrico Rava (trumpet), John Abercrombie (guitar), Ben Street (bass), Clarence Penn (drums). Guests: Ralph Towner (guitar) & Michele Rabbia (percussion). This is a studio recording from 2003 of a musical work by Nino Rota. CAM77622
Maria Pia De Vito / Danilo Rea / Enzo Pietropaoli / Aldo Romano: So Right. CAM Jazz (CAMJ 7795-2). This new edition includes two additional astounding scat tracks by Maria Pia De Vito and an elegantly re-styled booklet filled with photos. Recorded in 2005 at Bauer Studios, here's an excellent union between the language of songwriting and the universal world of jazz, skilfully performed by great artists. From the re-reading of songs by Joni Mitchell to new original songs, you'll be treated with an intense and elegant interpretation by one of the leading Italian jazz vocalists
Dock in Absolute: Unlikely. CAM Jazz (CAMJ 7952-5). Street date: 31-05-19. The second album by Luxembourg trio Dock In Absolute offers further confirmation of their genre-shifting approach to trio jazz, with familiar bop elements intermingled with classical, pop and post-rock elements. Pianist Jean-Philippe Koch's romantic melodism, electric bassist David Kintziger's flowing lyricism (which is reminiscent of Steve Swallow) and percussionist Michel Mootz's approach to the whole kit as an integrated musical instrument yields up an album of sustained and often surprising beauty.
El Portal: Slow Grind. CAM Jazz (CAMJ 7871-5). 18/03/14. This quintet may have found its way to the high ranks of international jazz, displaying striking instrumental expertise combined with a refined capacity for composition, arrangement and cohesion. Great melodies unfold from multi-faceted musical plots, an underlying tension being shared by all the tunes. With electric guitar and Rhodes alongside tenor sax and the rhythm section, we're definitely heading towards territories where groove, Radiohead-like vibes, openness, even at times a vaguely punk attitude, leave characteristic prints of new-generation jazz players, who manage to embrace so many music styles in a single language.
Antonio Farao: Far Out. Recorded at the Bauer Studios in Ludwigsburgh on october 9-10, 2002. The talentuous pianist is sided by the rhythm section of Martin Gjakonovski (bass) and Dejan Terzic (drums). This recording might also unfortunately be the last featuring saxophonist Bob Berg, recently deceased in a car accident.
Filippini / Lombardini / Ghandi: Two Grounds -- Live at Le Due Terre Winery. Cam Jazz (CAMJ 7934-5). Street date: 25-05-18. Recorded Live at Le DueTerre Winery (Prepotto, Italy) on June 10th, 2017, this album recalls the early pre-Weather Report style created by Joe Zawinul, two of his compositions being honoured here, but also dives in the 70's electric Miles Davis period, the album opening with Hermeto Pascoal's peerless "Little Church". Filippini, Lombardini and Gandhi have emerged in a generation where no special pleading for electricity is required and besides there is enough kinetic energy in all their playing to make distinctions of "electric" and "acoustic" seem not so much irrelevant as rather quaint.
Claudio Filippini: Overflying. Cam Jazz (CAMJ 7906-5). Street date: 07-10-16. Piano solo album. Recorded in Cavalicco on 25 - 26 May 2015 at Artesuono Recording Studio
Paolo Fresu: "Scores". Those original exotic melodies composed by the trumpetist are also played by a bunch of excellent players; just see: Furio Di Castri, Diedrik Wissels, Nguyên Lê, Dhafer Youssef, the Quarteto Alborada ...
Girotto / Balke / Di Castri / Héral: Unshot Movies. CAM Jazz (CAMJ 7911-5). Street date: 31-03-17. Recorded in Italy in March 2016, this album is a journey to an unknown planet that both startles and irresistibly attracts us, revealing itself, little by little, to be less threatening, almost friendly. The narrators are four remarkable musicians with huge and varied experience; from reedman Javier Girotto - previously known for his work in the band Aires Tango - and to Norwegian pianist Jon Balke or the French percussion alchimist Patrice Héral, without forgetting the bass anchor of Furio di Castri, all contribute with energetic creativity, exciting melodic themes, sophisticated arrangements and an innate, natural cohesiveness that allows to give each track its own distinctive moods, colors and features with great expressive power and emotional impact.
Javier Girotto Aires Tango with Ralph Towner: Duende. CAM Jazz (CAMJ 7898-2). April 2016. Amazing meeting between the Argentinean band and Ralph Towner, here on classical guitar. Exciting sonic shades supporting appealing melodies for a pleasant and rich listening!
Javier Girotto & Francesco Nastro: Passione. CAM Jazz (CAMJ 7852-5). Street date: 08/10/12. A long-awaited return home to CAM Jazz for Javier Girotto, this time in a unique project where he is co-leader with Neapolitan pianist Francesco Nastro, composer of all the songs except two. Recorded and mixed in Castellamare di Stabia (Italy) in June 2011.
Huby / Chevillon / Rabbia: Reminiscence -- Live at Livio Felluga Winery. CAM Jazz (CAMJ 7929-5). Street date: 25-05-18. New band featuring Regis Huby on violin Bruno Chevillon on bass and Michele Rabbia on drums. All add live electronics to their playing, leading us to a profoundly involving and often complex set of interlocked sequences, recorded live at Livio Felluga Winery (Brazzano di Cormòns, Italy) on the 5th of June 2017.
Lee Konitz & Martial Solal: Impressive Rome. It was in Rome, October 12, 1968! Assisted by no less than Henri Texier & Daniel Humair.
Andrea Lombardini: Diminuendo.Cam Jazz (CAMJ 7905-5). Street date: 07-10-16. Lombardini's concept here is to connect ancient music to folk music from distant countries and jazz, stylistically distinguished by its satisfyingly full sound, soft and containing all the vitality of a conflict between the ostinatos and improvisational freedom, the relentless groove on drums (Emanuele Maniscalco) and long notes on tuba, the enchanting solos on Longhorn electric bass and those on piano (played too by Maniscalco), the ancestral sound of the serpent ( played by the French reference on it, musician Michel Godard) and the ancient sound of the colascione lute. Three musicians, six instruments: artists who love to reinvent themselves in a unique expressiveness and style.
Jorma Kalevi Louhivuori & Antti Kujanpää: Little Blue. Cam Jazz (CAMJ 7853-5). Street date: 04/09/12. Despite their young ages, these two Finnish musicians show they're capable of facing the difficult test of the trumpet-piano duo with the maturity of experienced artists. They clearly know what they want from their music, and what's most important, they know how to say it; references to Northern European tradition are plentiful and well recognizable, but in the two musicians' signature styles lie a willingness to go beyond the limits of their predecessors. It is right here, in the melodic sense and the lyricism of their music, that this "Little Blue" finds its uniqueness.
Northbound: S/T. CAM Jazz (CAMJ 7917-5). Street date: 15-09-17. Recorded in Astoria, NY on September 7-8, 2016 at The Samurai Hotel Recording Studio, this album presents a new international band, from Finnish drummer Olavi Louhivuori and pianist Tuomo Uusitalo to US based saxophonist Seamus Blake or bass player Myles Sloniker. Always searching for introspective moods by maneuvering discords into a parallel harmony, they handle free interaction with an essential, effective, exact design, which arises from ongoing, fruitful balancing. Where the voicing or melodic theme of a track is simpler than others?, its rhythm will be amazingly fragmented, as in Song for Mr. Moorhead. A wide-ranging, almost overloaded, harmonic palette results in a soft, impalpable performance, as in Quietus that carries you into a different sonic world. Instruments swap roles, as if they are taking turns at driving during a journey whose destination is probably unknown or undetermined or not essential. It's the route, rather dreamy, that matters! Not surprisingly, at each listening session, Northbound discloses something new that you had missed before, no one knows why!
Enrico Pieranunzi: Wine & Waltzes -- Live at Bastianich Winery. Cam Jazz (CAMJ 7930-5). Street date: 25-05-18. Piano solo, recorded Live at Bastianich Winery (Cividale del Friuli, Italy) on June 6th, 2017.
Enrico Pieranunzi: Proximity. CAM Jazz (CAMJ 7794-5). Nov. 2015. A new, great album by Enrico Pieranunzi. With Matt Penman on double bass, Ralph Alessi on trumpet, cornet and flugelhorn, and Donny McCaslin on tenor and soprano sax. Four superb musicians from different generations, each with a different sensitivity to music, who are having fun looking for a common rhythm, paradoxically with no reassuring support from drums, but trying to back one another up, taking all the jazz they have experienced and striving to conceive their own concept. As in every fine record by the Roman pianist, this CD rests on study, dedication and a respect for jazz, elements that firmly connect Pieranunzi to the traditions of the music he loves and allow him to create and compose new themes. Small steps forward in the wake of great classics. A never-ending search for advancement and new nuances in his songs. Opting to build a fresh musical framework with an unproven quartet is doubtlessly the most concrete evidence of this research and projection into the future. All of the pieces on this CD were composed by the band leader.
Enrico Pieranunzi / Marc Johnson / Joey Baron: As Never Before. CAM Jazz (CAMJ 7807-2). Released: 28/01/08. Recorded in November and December 2004 in Ludwigsburg (Germany) at Bauer Studios, this new recording by the trio also features Kenny Wheeler as special guest
Pieranunzi / Johnson / Baron: Ballads (CAMJ8875). 2006. This is the 4th album in the musical adventure of this admirable trio, which enrico once called "the trio of my heart". The thematic homogeneity which characterizes this new CD fully highlights the more intimate and colloquial side of the trio and once again inevitably captures the attention of the listener for the great sense of interplay that gives it life. Throughout the album one can admire the solidity and elasticity of the trio, surely among the best out there today on the international scene.
Enrico Pieranunzi, Marc Johnson, Joey Baron: Play Morricone 2. Recorded in 2002 at the Forum Music Village Studios (Rome). CAM 77622
Enrico Pieranunzi: Current Conditions with Marc Johnson and Joey Baron.
Enrico Pieranunzi: Fellini Jazz. The new work by the italian pianist is centered around jazz, Fellini's most famous film themes and Rome. Around him is a constellation of greats: Chris Potter, Kenny Wheeler, Paul Motian, Charlie Haden.
Pipe Dream: S/T. CAM Jazz (CAMJ 7935-2). Street date: 07-09-18. Behind the self-titled name is a group featuring Hank Roberts (cello and vocals), Filippo Vignato (trombone), Pasquale Mirra (vibraphone), Giorgio Pacorig (piano and Fender Rhodes) and Zeno De Rossi (drums). They present thyemselves as follows: "Sometimes unconventional jazz recordings, different from all the others, happen to be released: you instantly realize you are being thrown into another dimension. Convinced you are facing a little door like many others, you open it almost absent-mindedly and find yourself on a road full of hidden corners, sudden turns, unexpected views, so different from one another that you forget where you were just a moment earlier. This is Pipe Dream!".
Michele Rabbia - Ingar Zach: [so-nò-ro]. CAM Jazz (CAMJ 7941-5). street date: 15-03-19. A duo album filled with percussion and live electronics! "[so-nò-ro] is a glimpse back into the deep history of improvised music and the cultures it has sustained as well as a journey into its multiple futures."(Brian Morton)
Michele Rabbia: Shifting Grace (CAMJ 7791-2). This brand new record is focusing on the talented percussion work of Michele Rabbia; he is joined by two musicians skilled in improvisation: US piano player Marilyn Crispell and French cellist Vincent Courtois.
Enrico Rava: Full Of Life. The latest recording by the trumpet player finds him in a somewhat new and eclectic group: Ares Tavolazzi on bass (ex Area), Javier Girotto saxophonist and member of the Aires Tango and finally Fabrizio Sferra on drums.
Edward Simon / John Patitucci / Brian Blade : Unicity (CAMJ 7796-2). Edward Simon attains the apotheosis of his march to concision, working hand-in-glove with this sublime bass-drum tandem. Each is simultaneously a sound painter and a groove master. Extraordinary chemistry.
John Taylor: In Two Minds. CAM Jazz (CAMJ 7868-5). New solo album! Street date: 14/01/14. This is a concise album, in which Taylor bares himself, revealing two sides of his personality: his innermost, quiet and introspective side as opposed to his more lively, vivid, and cheerful side. But he also uses two pianos, maybe therefore the allusion in the title!
John Taylor: Songs And Variations. CAMJ 7772-2. New solo piano album. A unique album that allows you to discover the graceful precision and elegance of his mastery. Liner notes by his long-time friend, trumpetist Kenny Wheeler.
John Taylor: Whirlpool. CAM Jazz (CAMJ 7802-2). Street date: 11/12/07. John Taylor's classy trio delivers another great album, following the trio's acclaimed "Angel of the Presence". Palle Danielsson is on bass and Martin France behind the drums
Franck Tortiller / Michel Godard / Patrice Heral : Impertinance (CAMJ 7792-2). Only in a musical context can something so perfect be born from an imperfection... ImpertinAnce: intentionally misspelled, but perfectly composed. Impertinently brilliant! Vibrafonist Franck Tortiller is also known by now as the current leader of the French state financed ONJ (Orchestre National de Jazz). Recorded in December 2005 in Ludwigsburg (Germany) at Bauer Studios.
Diego Urcola: Viva. CAM Jazz (CAMJ 77882). 2006. The trumpetist is here in very good company: Edward Simon: piano, Avishai Cohen: bass, Antonio Sanchez: drums, Pernell Saturnino: percussion, Jimmy Heath: sax, Paquito D'Rivera: sax, Dave Samuels: vibes.
Kenny Wheeler: Other People. CAM Jazz (CAMJ 7801-2). Street date: 28/01/08. This album marks the veteran musicians' first venture into recording with a string ensemble, in this instance the phenomenal Hugo Wolf String Quartet. The British pianist John Taylor also appears as special guest.
Enrico Zanisi: Life Variations. Cam Jazz (CAMJ 3313-5). Street date: 04/09/12. This Italian jazz piano trio with Joe Rehmer on bass and Alessandro Paternesi on drums offers ten original compositions and a reinterpretation of "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning". The tone is overall joyous and light, tending to spread a natural and basic feel to the music.

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CHALLENGE RECORDS .... CHALLENGE RECORDS .... CHALLENGE REC ....

Balance: Elements. Electro-jazz.
Christy Doran's New Bag: Heaven Is Back In the Street.
Hans Dufler: "Scissors". Electro jazz.
Steven Kirby "North Light". The guitarist has on his side great players such as Scott Colley, Bruce Barth, Chris Potter, Matt Wilson.
Johannes Mössinger New York Trio: Monk's corner. Features prominent guests such as Kermit Driscoll and Joe Lovano.
Nimbus: "Festina Lente". Featuring Dave Liebman.
The CD of Enrico Pieranunzi Quartet "Alone Together", featuring the great guitar player Philip Catherine and released by Challenge Records is now on the market as Super Audio CD (order SACHR 75056).
Dejan Terzic & European Assembly: Coming Up. This new young drummer of serbian origin has been living in Germany for years and this project features among others Danish trumpeter Jens Winther, Hungarian saxophonist Tony Lakatos, Italian pianist Antonio Farió and Macedonian bassist Martin Gjakonovski. The concept behind this project was to have a stable all-european group, the results are a band that thinks and feels, caresses or burns ... together.
Jack Van Poul / Hein Van De Geyn / Joe LaBarbera: "Live In Cape Town".
Eric Vloeimans "Brutto Gusto" Eric Vloeimans (trpt), Nguyên Lê (g), Lars Danielsson (b), Markku Ounaskari (dr, percu) Recoded at Werktheater, Amsterdam. CHR70102.

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CLEAN FEED ... CLEAN FEED ... CLEAN FEED ... CLEAN FEED ... CLEAN FEED

4 Corners: Alive in Lisbon. Clean Feed (CF 134). March 09. This DVD presents the performance of a quartet featuring among other the Chicagoan saxophonistKen Vandermark and the Swedish drummer Paal Nilssen-Love. Recorded in Lisboa in 2007. The quality of the image is impressive (5 cameras were used) and the sound is nearly equalling a studio quality!
Amado / Zingaro / Filiano: The Space Between. Clean Feed (CF 015). A rather fee trio of violin/acoustic bass/baritone sax.
Angles: Epileptical West / Live In Coimbra. Clean Feed (CF 182). July 10. This Scandinavian quintet digs a free jazz infected with post-bop blitz and a world touch (reminiscences here and there of Fela Kuti), body and soul! The present alvbum is a live recording from 2009
Attias, Michael: Credo (CF 051). This credo found on a church stone in Avignon in 1995, was transcribed on the place, arranged the year after in Tel Aviv and finally recorded in 99 in New York by a group spanning from trio to sextet. Alt & baritone sax, trumpet, horn, violin, bass and drums are used.
Bernardo Sassetti Trio: Ascent (CF 046). The leader is pianist and the music characterized by such words as impressionistic, cinematographic, narrative
Michael Blake / Kresten Osgood: Control This. Clean Feed (CF 136). March 09. The Danish versatile drummer in duo with the saxophonist and ex member of the Lounge Lizards
Michael Blake Trio: Right Before Your Very Ears (CF044). By the ex-saxophonist of The Lounge Lizards and featuring drummer Jeff Ballard (from Chick Corea's Origins).
Carlos Barretto Quartet: Lokomotiv. (CF 016). Deep, fat and groovy, this group led by its bassist will give us the opportunity of hearing the French musicien François Corneloup - here on baritone sax - in a different context as the usual.
Carlos Bica & Azul: Thing About. Clean Feed (CF239). Dec. 2011. The Portuguese bassist is back with his unit for a fifth opus in 15 years of existence, recorded in Berlin in July 2011. Be ready!
Carlos Bica + Materia Prima: S/T. Clean Feed (CF 180). May 2010. One of the greatest bass players from Portugal, Bica is here presenting his quintet, including among other German trumpetist Matthias Schriefl, pianist, keyboardist and accordeon player João Paulo
Hugo Carvalhais: Particula. Clean Feed (CF 253). June 2012. Belonging to the new young Portuguese avant garde, this bass player has gathered here a franco-portuguese quintet, in which we'll note the presence of French violinist Dominique Pifarély and one of the most talked about new talent on saxophone (here on soprano), French musician Émile Parisien; on the Portuguese side, let's note Gabriel Pinto on piano and synthesizer, as well as drummer Mario Costa.
Hugo Carvalhais: Nebulosa. Clean Feed (CF201). Nov. 2010. Led by its bass player, this band belongs to the upcoming ones and may well be the future of the Portuguese jazz scene. With Gabriel Pinto on piano and synthesizer, Mario Costa on drums and the strong assistance of alt saxophonist Tim Berne
Bruno Chevillon / Tim Berne: Old and Unwise. Clean Feed (CF221). June 2011. Captured in Lisboa on June 6th, 2010, here's a duo of veterans belonging to the most creative part of modern jazz. The altist has in fact a sweet spot for those duo confrontations and experimented several time in duos with Bill Frisell, Michael Formanek, Hank Roberts or Marilyn Crispell
Daniel Levin Trio: Fuhuffah. Clean Feed (CF 129). Nov. 08. The cellist has opted here for an untraditional form of trio with bass (Ingebrigt Häker-Flaten) and drums Gerald cleaver
Dennis Gonzalez New York Quartet: Ny Midnight Suite (CF 020). With saxophonist Ellery Eskelin, bassist Mark Helias among others
Dennis Gonzalez Spirit Meridian: Idle Wild. Clean Feed (CF035). Quartet close to the great lyrical flights of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, presenting in its ranks alongside the leader and trumpetist alt saxophonist Oliver Lake
Mark Dresser: Unveil (CF 043). Bass solo recording.
Dresser / Harkins / Schick: House of Mirrors. Clean Feed (CF 117). Nov. 08. Trumpetist Ed Harkins and percussionist Steven Schick come both from the contemporary classical scene (interpreting among other composers like Xenakis). Here, with Mark dresser on prepared bass, they offer a complex and rich form of jazz half between the written and the improvised
Dual Identity: S/T. Clean Feed (CF 172). May 2010. Two prominent and inventive altoists, Rudresh Mahanthappa & Steve Lehman, spokesmen of the new upcoming jazz generation can be heard here live at the 2009 Braga jazz festival. With them another figure of this young generation, guitarist Liberty Ellman and the very flexible rhythm section of drummer Damion Reid and bass player Matt Brewer
Eduardo / Walrath Quartet: Bad Guys (CF 047). Pianoless quartet with huge emphasis on a firm rhythm section. Mingusian in all aspects of its conception, this album includes an excellent interpretation of a piece by the jazz legend Charles Mingus, "Sue's Changes". Co-leading this unit is the Portuguese bass player Zé Eduardo (not to be confounded with the Brazilian drummer of the same name)
Elliott Sharp Trio: Aggregat. Clean Feed (CF 250). April 2012. Here going back to the saxophone, Sharp has with him a splendid rhythm section; Brad Jones, bass player often heard with guitarist Marc Ribot and behind the mighty drums Ches Smith, from the succesfully acclaimed Secret Chiefs 3
The Fish: Moonfish. Clean Feed (CF 254). An energizing sax trio with Jean-Luc Guionnet on alto, drummer Edward Perraud and on acoustic bass one of the raising names, Benjamin Duboc
Foltz / Chevillon: Cette Opacité (CF 045). The French bass player known from his belonging to Louis Sclavis's groups is here confronting his partner on clarinet and bass clarinet
Charles Gayle: Consider The Lilies. Clean Feed CF 060. Nov. 06. With this trio featuring drummer Jay Rosen and bassist Hilliard Green, the "homeless" saxophonist offers us here a very spiritual music made of hymns and musical offerings to the Creator. By its intensity, it sends us back to the mystical flights of Coltrane or Albert Ayler, about 40 years ago ...
Charles Gayle Trio: Shout ! (CF 033). With Sirone and drummer Gerard cleaver.
Gerry Hemingway Quartet: Devils Paradise. Clean Feed (CF010). With Ellery Eskelin on tenor sax, Ray anderson on trombone and Mark Dresser on bass
Gerry Hemingway Quartet: The Whimbler (CF 040). Neo post free with trumpetist Herb Robertson and the same as above
Hairy Bones: Snakelust. Clean Feed (CF 252). May 2012. First of all the confrontation of Peter Brötzmann (saxes, clarinets, taragot) and the electric trumpetist Toshinori Kondo, this album could be perceived as the revival of the fires left by groups like Last Exit but it is the spontaneous prestation of a group at a Lisboa festival in 2011, where also shined another fire, propelled by the drums of the great Pål Nilssen-Love.
Imi Kollektief: Snug As A Gun. Clean Feed CF 059. Nov. 06. Jazz musicians from various parts of the world: a French trumpetist, a Brazilian saxophonist, a Belgian vibraphonist and a Portuguese rhythm section give us a music with strong reminiscences of Brazil and Africa!
Joe Fiedler Trio: Plays The Music Of Albert Mangelsdorff (CF 049). A first homage to the late trombonist
Julius Hemphill Sextet, The: The Hard Blues (CF 027). Recorded at the Jazz em Agosto festival in 2003. Homage to the late saxophonist by one of his peers, Marty Erlich, here in front of this sax sextet
Kullhammar / Zetterberg / Aalberg: Basement Sessions Vol. 1. Clean Feed (CF 246). April 2012. One of the most remarked tenor saxophonists of the Swedish jazz scene, Jonas Kulhammar leads a hard bop trio and assumes entirely the heritage of Sonny Rollins and his piano-less trios, as well as the line defined by another saxophonist and ambassador of the New Thing in the 60's, saxophonist Charles Gayle
Lisbon Improvisation Players: Spiritualized. Clean Feed CF 062. Nov. 06. SaxophonistRodrigo Amado is the leader of this project, featuring the Texan trumpetist Dennis Gonzalez
Lossing / Maneri / Dresser: Metal Rat. Clean Feed CF 064. April 07. Pianist Russ Lossing is in a direct lineage with the Canadian pianist Paul Bley, here accompanied by the strings of Mat Maneri and Mark Dresser
Mauger: The Beautiful Enabler. Clean Feed (CF 114). Nov. 08. The alt saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa meets here the rhythm section of Anthony Braxton's mythical quartet in the 80's: bassist Mark Dresser and drummer Gerry Hemingway. Improvised jazz at a high level!
Mi3: We Will Make A Home For You (CF 039). In this trio, pianist Pandelis Karayorgis is heard on Fender Rhodes with bass player Nate McBride and drummer Curt Newton for a music looking towards the universe of an electric Miles.
Joe Morris Quartet: Beautiful Existence (CF 050).
Joe Morris / Barre Phillips: Elm City Duets 2006. Clean Feed (CF 100). Nov. 08.
Some new recordings featuring drummer Paal Nilssen-Love!
+The Sten Sandell Trio + John Butcher: Strokes. Clean Feed CF082. June 07. With bass player Johan Berthling
+ Broo / Lane / Nilssen-love / Vandermark: 4 Corners. Clean Feed CF 076. April 07.
+ Butcher / Nilssen-love: Concentric. Clean Feed CF 067.
Otomo Yoshihide's New Jazz Quintet: Live In Lisbon. Clean Feed 063. Nov. 06. This was recorded in 2004, just before the group became the New Jazz Ensemble. On this last testimony, the essential themes of the quintet will be (re)discovered ( Charlie Haden's "Song for Che" , Dolphy's "Serene", Jim O' Rourke's Eureka, the leader's "Flutter") and the presence of Mats Gustafsson will certainly not remain unnoticed!
Paal Nilssen-Love Quartet: Townorchestrahouse (CF 041). Recorded at the Kongsberg Jazz Festival, this recording features the saxophonist Evan Parker. The leader is a much aftersought and reknown drummer on the Swedih free jazz scene.
Paul Dunmall Octet: Bridging (CF 017). With pianist Keith Tippett and bass player Paul Rogers among other celebrities of the British jazz scene.
Resende, Julio: Da Alma. Clean Feed (CF095). Dec. 07. First album by the Portuguese pianist, which gives a new boost to the jazz scene of this country. The group is a quartet with two tenor saxes in front and rhythm section.
Robertson, Herb & The Ny Downtown All Stars: Elaboration (CF 042). And all-stars it is indeed when you have in one band saxophonist Tim Berne, the wonderful pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and the unmatched rhythm section of Mark Dresser on bass and Tom Rainey on drums. All being masters of improvised music!
Sanchez, Angelica : Life Between. Clean Feed (CF 128). Nov. 08. This is mainly a US quintet with the leader (on piano and el piano) originating from Arizona, like saxophonist Tony Malaby. The rhythm section has Tom Rainey on drums and Drew Gress on bass. The only non American member is the French guitarist Marc Ducret. All in all, a line-up that more or less brings us close to the spheres of Tim Berne
Sclavis / Taborn / Rainey: Eldorado Trio. Clean Feed (CF193). July 10. Recorded in Porto in 2009, here's a noteworthy meeting between the French clarinetist and saxophonist and the two American players. Three strong independant personalities united in a common goal, no bass (giving thus way to Sclavis bass clarinet) and a very egalitarian distribution of roles, taken with energy and intensity
Steve Lacy Quintet: Estilhaços. Clean Feed (CF 247). April 2012. This live concert was recorded in Lisboa on February 29th, 1972. The word in the title had a special connotation at that time, as it was referring to the freedom movement breathed by the music; Lacy couldn't be a better spokesman and this reissue will give a new possibility to those who missed the album last time!
Steve Lehman / Camouflage Trio: Interface (CF 022). The leader on alt sax is accompanied by Mark Dresseron bass and by the drummer Pheeroan Aklaff
TGB: Evil Things. Clean Feed (CF181). July 10. Not only is this Portuguese trio surprising by its instrumentation consisting of a tuba/guitar/drums trio but it is also musically unexpected, paying a tribute to so different names as Hank Garland, Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and George Harrison.
Transit: S/T (CF 055). Led by a percussionist, Jeff Arnal, the music is based on improvisation and the resonance between instruments.
Tripleplay: Gambit (CF 019). Trio with Ken Vandermark, recorded in 2002.
Vinny Golia Quartet: Sfumato (CF 036). Featuring drummer alex Cline
Viriditas Trio: Waxwebwind@ebroadway (CF 003). A very well balanced and dynamic trio consisting of 3 veterans of post free music: saxophonist Alfred Hart, drummer Kevin Norton and bassist Wilber Morris.
Whit Dickey Quintet: In A Heartbeat (CF 037). Features guitarist Joe Morris and alt saxophonist Rob Brown among others.
Zingaro / Regef / Dejoode: Spectrum String Trio. Clean Feed CF110. May 08. Recorded in 2004 at the Teatro Nacional of S. João Da Porto, here's the result of the meeting of Portuguese violinist Carlos Zingaro, hurdy gurdy player Dominique Regef and bass player Wilbert Dejoode! Their music encompasses the various fields of jazz, troubadour and contemporary music

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CRYPTOGRAMOPHONE ... CRYPTOGRAMOPHONE ... CRYPTOGRAMOPHONE

The Scott Amendola Band: Believe (CG 123). This is the 3rd album led by this US drummer inspired by Jack DeJohnette. Two prominent guitars top the band in the hands of Nels Cline (from Wilco) and Jeff Parker (Tortoise). Also featuring a frequent partner of Bill Frisell, the violinist Jenny Scheinman. Bassist John Shiffletcompletes the formation
Bendian / Gauthier / Liebig / Stinson: Bone Structure. Cryptogramophone CG 114. Sept. 06. Based on collective improvisation, this quartet - founded in 1997 after a first meeting at the Knitting Factory - has a multi stylistic approach, which can bring comparisons to Mahavishnu Orchestra as well as King Crimson (period 1972-74). With drummer Greg Bendian and violinist Jeff Gauthier, the two other operating on guitars.
Alex Cline: Continuation. Cryptogramophone (CG 140) will at the opposite present a new album by Nels' brother's quintet, featuring among other violinist Jeff Gauthier and on piano and harmonium Myra Melford
Nels Cline: Coward. Cryptogramophone (CG 141). May 09. The guitarist is heard here alone on acoustic and electric guitars, dobro, ukulele, cithar and electronics.
Nels Cline: New Monastery. CG 130. Sept. 06. The Californian guitarist has been described by Jazz Times as "the most dangerous guitarist in the world" and revisits here the compositions of pianist Andrew Hill, through the crossed harmonies of his guitar and the electric accordion of Andrea Parkins. Add to this cornet, clarinets and rhythm section.
Cline / Dresser / Mintz / Parkins: The Inkling. Cryptogramophone CG 105. Sept. 06. An electric jazz made of virtuosity and with the unvaluable input of harpist Zeena Parkins
The Nels Cline Singers: Draw Breath. Cryptogramophone CG133. Sept. 07. The raising star of the guitar in the USA is often given to guitarist Nels Cline, here in trio with drummer Scott Amendola and bassist Devin hoff.
- The Nels Cline Singers: Instrumentals. The antinomy in the group's name and the record's title is a message sent to us to identify the sound of instruments to voices, to show us that musicians and their instruments are one. Guitarist Nels Cline has already been quoted by the US magazine Jazz Time as "the most dangerous guitarist in the world"!
The Nels Cline Singers: The Giant Pin (CG 120). 2nd album by the trio, released in 2004. Drummer Scott Amendola also performs live electronics while Devin Hoff plays acoustic bass. The repertory is extremely varied, from Colemanian ballads to distorded chords directly imported from
Mark Dresser Trio: Aquifer. Cryptogramophone CG 111. Sept. 06. Flute and electronics + hyper-piano are the instruments chosen by the bassist to perform an avantgardistic chamber music (recorded in 2001)
Mark Dresser / Denman Maroney: Time Changes (CG 124). Mahoney is a master of hyper piano, a technique where one plays on the piano with one hand while the other simultaneouly strikes the strings. Michael Sarin is on drums and Alexandra Montano sings.
Erik Friedlander: Quake (CG 118). Ten original compositions and 3rd album of his group Topaz. There are also covers of Persian and Indian female singers. A hybrid and visionary world music!
Erik Friedlander: Quake. This original quartet (cello, alt sax, percussion and bass guitar) is led by the cellist whose musical universe has been formed by working those last ten years with the likes of Dave Douglas & John Zorn.
Jeff Gauthier: Mask. Contemporary jazz (acoustic and electric) led by an american violinist based in California.
Kneebody: Low Electrical Worker. Colourtone Media CM0701. This is the 2nd album of this band previously revealed by trumpetist Dave Douglas. They seem to occupy at the same time a space encompassing Herbie Hancock's Sextant period, post-rock electric experiences and the metric systems of Steve Coleman! Tenor sax and trumpet define the blowing line, to which are added keyboards, drums and bass. A punchy and groovy meeting!
Myra Melford: The Image Of Your Body. Cryptogramophone CG 131. Sept. 06. The New York pianist (hailed by some as the pianist with the most inventive touch to have emerged on the jazz scene since Anthony Davis) brings here her quintet "Be Bread" where figures among others Pat Metheny's trumpetist (Cuong Vu, guitarist Brandon Ross who has been playing with the Lounge Lizards, Cassandra Wilson and more.
Alan Pasqua: The Antisocial Club. Cryptogramophone CG 135. The leader of this Antisocial thing is a heavy weight keyboardist and pianist with an impressive background, from drummer Tony Williams to guitarist Allan Holdsworth. If you add to this club, Yellowjackets bass player Jimmy Haslip, percussionist Alex Acuña of Weather Report fame and some of the newer hottest names in the USA like guitarist Nels Cline, you will have no doubt about what to expect: no less than the return of the outmost best jazz-rock!
Don Preston Trio: Transformation (CG 107). Trio album by the ex-keyman of the Mothers Of Invention. This could be some kind of visit card since the album presents various aspects from the leader's own compositions to Zappa ( Eric Dolphy Memorial Barbeque) or Carla Bley (Walking Batteriewoman) and also jazz standards like Cole Porter's "I Love You". Alex Cline is on drums, Joel Hamilton on bass and the leader on piano, keyboards and synths.
Scot Ray Quintet: Active Vapor Recovery. Cryptogramophone CG 117. Sept. 06. Extreme jazz, blues from the Delta, avant-funk ... an audacious mix by this group led by a bone player and featuring the Cline Bros. (Alex and Nels), violinist Jeff Gauthier and Steuart Liebig on contrabass guitar.
Jenny Scheinman: 12 Songs (CG 125). 4th album by the violinist featuring guitarist Bill Frisell among others. Music filled with poetry, fantasy, very sensitive and letting us go into a long journey
TRIO M: Big Picture. Cryptogramophone CG 134. The 3 *M* are in fact bassist Mark Dresser, pianist Myra Melford and drummer Matt Wilson.
Eric Von Essen: Eric Von Essen - Vol. 1. Many musicians who worked with him play here an homage to the great bass player deceased in 1997. Among others: Alex Cline, Alan Broadbent, Alan Pasqua, Peter Erskine, Dave Carpenter and many more.
David Witham: Spinning The Circle. Cryptogramophone CG132. Sept. 07. The L.A. pianist has been for more than 20 years the partner of guitarist George Benson. Here he shows a more versatile side, covering fusion, electro-jazz and world beat. Among his partners are guitarist Nels Cline, another Cline's close associate, drummer Scott Amendola, bass player Jay Anderson, percussionist Luis Conte, saxophonist Jon Crosse and finally, the biggest surprise, pedal steel guitarist Greg Leisz.

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CUNEIFORM RECORDS .... CUNEIFORM RECORDS .... CUNEIFORM RECO....

MAY 2012 RELEASES

Pixel: Reminder. Cuneiform (RUNE 342). May 2012. Hailing from Norway, this young quartet led by bass player Ellen Andrea Wang can be associated to the logic of Mulligan's or Ornette Coleman's piano-less quartets; but they borrow their attitude and energy from rock and would possibly please those who like groups such as The Bad Plus or Kneebody.

SEPTEMBER 2011 RELEASES

Laswell/Björkenheim/Ågren: Blixt. Cuneiform (RUNE335). Sept. 2011. Talking about a power trio? What about the guitarist of Scorch Trio teaming with one of the most challenging drummers (elected best in the Modern Drummer Readers Poll in 2010) and band leaders (Mats/Morgan Band)? And with a bass icon of modern funk jazz? Well, to me it seems more than good enough!
São Paulo Underground + Rob Mazurek: Tres Cabeças Loucuras. Cuneiform Records (RUNE 325). Sept. 2011. Tropicalia from the 21st Century? Or is the secret weapon lying in the + ? In any case, this is the third album by the trio and each of the musicians is an example of the new vanguard in music; Rob Mazurek in contemporary jazz and forward-looking rock, with a solid background in bands like the Exploding Star Orchestra or Tortoise; and the 3 Brazilian musicians in updating and modernizing Brazilian musical forms. Here's a very catchy album, utterly filled with sunny melodies, sounds and noises, a true ground-breaking effort!

MAY 2011 RELEASES

Wadada Leo Smith: Heart's Reflections. Cuneiform (Rune 330/331). May 2011. Here's a bold double-disc set that features Wadada Leo Smith's Organic, a predominately electric, fourteen-piece group, a band most notable for a lineup marked by four guitarists. In addition to Smith, who plays both acoustic and electric trumpet, the extraordinary lineup on Heart's Reflection includes: Brandon Ross, Michael Gregory, Lamar Smith, and Josh Gerowitz on guitar; Skuli Sverrisson and John Lindberg on bass; Angelica Sanchez on acoustic and electric piano; Stephanie Smith on violin; Casey Anderson on alto saxophone; Casey Butler on tenor saxophone; Mark Trayle and Charlie Burgin on laptops; and Pheeroan AkLaff on drums. For a record by such a large group, at times the sound is surprisingly sparse and delicate - both qualities that have long marked Smith's work, while at other times, it sizzles and stomps! Though longtime listeners who haven't followed Wadada's work in the last decade might be surprised at times by the fierceness of Organic's rhythm section, Heart's Reflections is nonetheless marked by the trumpeter's usual touchstones: long sustained notes, occasional clipped phrases, and a tough-to-define playfulness that infuses all of his work.
Sonic Liberation Front: Change Over Time. High Two HT009. This ensemble from Philadelphia, founded by percussionist Kevin Diehl (former pupil of drummer Sunny Murray), practices a detonating mix of free, Afro Cuban rhythms and electro jazz. The newcomer here is saxophonist Julian Pressley, previously partner of both Illinois Jacquet & Odeon Pope

JANUARY 2011 RELEASES

John Surman: Flashpoint: Ndr Jazz Workshop - April '69. Cuneiform (RUN 315/316). Jan. 2011. CD+DVD. Heard and seen on Flashpoint for the very first time since the original broadcast over 40 years ago are five great peformances, including two excellent Surman compositions that he never recorded elsewhere. High quality audio recordings from these musicians from this period are quite rare and video footage is basically non-existent. Captured in crisp, clear black and white footage and in excellent mono sound, this release is a exeptional and hugely important document that will blow the minds of Brit-jazz fans and will open the ears, eyes and minds of those who don't know the great and distinctive work of these fine musicians! For this occasion, Surman led a ten-piece ensemble featuring the cream of modern British jazz players: John Surman - soprano and baritone sax, Kenny Wheeler - trumpet and flugelhorn, Alan Skidmore - tenor sax and flute, Ronnie Scott - tenor sax, Mike Osborne - alto sax, Malcolm Griffiths - trombone, Harry Miller - bass and Alan Jackson - drums, as well as two Austrian musicians, Fritz Pauer - piano and Erich Kleinschuster - trombone.

MAY 2010 RELEASES

Claudia Quintet: Royal Toast. Cuneiform (RUNE 307). Royal Toast is the long-awaited 5th release by this wonderful and undefinable ensemble. Led by twice Grammy-nominated drummer/composer John Hollenbeck, the band features four other versatile and acclaimed players: Drew Gress (bass), Matt Moran (vibes), Ted Reichman (accordion) and Chris Speed (tenor sax, clarinet), all of whom are bandleaders in their own right in addition to their work with Claudia. This time a long-time collaborator of Hollenbeck is added to the quintet, with pianist Gary Versace. The addition of Versace means that half of the band is now essentially playing percussive instruments, giving Hollenbeck more opportunity than ever to follow his polyrhythmic muse!
Ideal Bread: Transmit. Cuneiform (RUNE 296). May 2010. This is the 2nd album coming from the Steve Lacy repertory band Ideal Bread. This quartet of expert improvisers is made up of four strong players, all considered notable up 'n' comers to watch on the modern jazz scene. Steve Lacy is considered one of the 3 greatest soprano saxophonists of all time and is a modern jazz legend, but his many compositions have not found the kind of favor in the repertoire as it deserves. Founded in 2006, the group consists of leader and baritone saxophonist Josh Sinton, trumpetist Kirk Knuffke, bassist Reuben Radding and drummer Tomas Fujiwara.

SEPTEMBER 2009 RELEASES

Wadada Leo Smith: Spiritual Dimensions. Cuneiform (RUNE 290-291). This double CD presents the current production of the AACM trumpetist, with two different line-up; his acoustic Golden Quintet, featuring here two big sized drummers: Pheeroan Aklaff and Don Moye, from the Art Ensemble of Chicago and his new - more electric - formation called Organic, here in their first recording. The band includes among other guitarist Nels Cline and the Icelandic bass player (living in New York) Skuli Sverisson.
Zevius: After The Air Raid. Cuneiform (RUNE 287). Kind of a punk-jazz guitar power trio under the simultaneous influence of McLaughlin's Mahavishnu and the metal Swedish band Meshuggah!
Positive Catastrophe: Garabatos Volume One. Cuneiform (RUNE 286). June 09. Cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum and the Puertorican singer and percussionist Abraham Gomez-Delgado are the core of this project, whose unbelievable goal is to mix Sun Ra with Latin jazz and Eddie Palmieri. Typical of a new generation of New York's bands open to all styles, this much brassy ensemble could become one of this year's revelations!

MAY 2008 RELEASES

Wadada Leo Smith: Tabligh. Cuneiform RUNE 270. The trumpetist sails here in the waters of the Miles Davis of "In A Silent Way" and "Bitches Brew". Helped by drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson and bassist John Lindberg, he finds himself pushed into more modern areas by the young pianist Vijay Yier (here also playing Rhodes and synths). So here's the new brew of the Golden Quartet, an advanturous and very mature work!

JANUARY 2008 RELEASES

Chris Mcgregor's Brotherhood Of Breath: Eclipse At Dawn. Cuneiform RUNE 262. Concert from Berlin, late 71, recorded by the German radio. To add to the other existing releases by this legendary South-African band

SEPTEMBER 2007 RELEASES

Healing Force: The Songs of Albert Ayler. Cuneiform Rune 255. This tribute is initiated by guitarist Henry Kaiser and a special attention has been made in the choice of relatively seldom reinterpreted compositions by the saxophonist, who still today keep inspiring new generations with his immense works. The group is close to be a super group with such names as Mike Keneally, here both on piano and guitar or Joe Morris (guitar and acoustic bass); those are just a few picks!

MAY 2007 RELEASES

Steve Lacy / Roswell Rudd Quartet: Early And Late. Cuneiform RUNE 250/251. Unreleased live sessions selected over 40 years of collaboration, from the "school days" quartet of 1962 to the free bop of the late 90's.

JANUARY 2007 RELEASES

Graham Collier: Hoarded Dreams. Cuneiform RUN 252. Collier is a veteran of the British jazz scene and a respected educator as well. This recording of his 19-piece ensemble goes back to July 1983 at the Bracknell Jazz Festival. In the ranks of the ensemble are notabilities such as Kenny Wheeler, Ted Curson, Manfred Schoof, John Surman, Tomasz Stanko, etc...
The Mahavishnu Project: Return To The Emerald Beyond. Cuneiform RUN242-243. This 2CD presents the recording of a concert given in 2006. Following the album "Phase 2", the project led by drummer/percussionist Gregg Bendian tackles this time another classical album by guitarist John McLaughlin but the concert found also its way to compositions by keyboardist Jan Hammer (Sister Andrea) or drummer and singer Michael Narada Walden (Cosmic Strut). Let's also note the presence in the band of the ex-Miles Davis keyboardist, Mr. Adam Holzman.

SEPTEMBER 2006 RELEASES

The Microscopic Septet: Seven Men In Neckties. Cuneiform RUN 236-237. This *mini big band* made the glorious hours of the Knitting Factory and have welcomed among others John Zorn or Don Byron. They have recorded 4 albums between 1980 and 1992. This 2CD is the remasterized reissue of their two first (1982 and 1984), completed with bonus tracks.

MAY 2006 RELEASES

Ed Palermo Big Band: Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance. Cuneiform RUN 225. A tribute to Frank Zappa whose compositions are here arranged for big band.
Harry Miller's Isipingo: Which Way Now. Cuneiform RUN 233. This recording from 1975 presents a sextet which could be described as a mini Brotherhood of Breath, some of the players having also been members of Chris McGregor's cult band.
Mujician: There's No Going Back Now. Cuneiform RUN 232. 6th album by this group of free jazz veterans, the two Paul (Dunmall & Rogers), drummer Tony Levin and pianist Keith Tippett.

JANUARY 2006 RELEASES

Ray Russell: Goodbye Svengali (2006 Cuneiform RUN 223). As the title implies, this record is dedicated to the late Gil Evans who is even featured here. A lot of musician names related to fusion jazz appear on this recording of recent compositions by the guitarist: Simon Phillips, Mo Foster, Gary Husband, Tony Hymas ...

SEPTEMBER 2005 RELEASES

Claudia Quintet: Semi-Formal. RUN 217. 2nd album by this band led by drummer John Hollenbeck.
Djam Karet: Recollection Harvest. RUN 219. 16th album by this US outfit. This one is in fact juxtaposing 2 recordings from different sources. Recollection Harvest is an incursion into melodic rock with a fusion edge while the other one, "Indian Summer", adds a more delicate painting quality with a subtile electro-acoustic touch to the sounds of guitars, bouzouki and percussion.
Forgas Band Phenomena: Soleil 12. RUN 218. 3rd album by the group and a cleverly arranged jazz-rock. Close to the Canterbury sound of Soft Machine, National Health or Caravan but also Zappa (King Kong period).
Mats/morgan Band: Thanks For Flying With Us. RUN 215. 7th album by this incredibly tight band but their first release outside of Sweden and their first studio work since 1997. This is a great album by an absolutely monster band who awaits the world's discovery!
NDIO: Airback. RUN 216. DIO was formed from the ashes of the Holland-based Hugh Hopper Band on the initiative of saxophonist Frank Van Der Kooij, a key member from the start. The new band, renamed Ndio gathers other Hopper Band alumni: British trombonist Robert Jarvis and drummer Pieter Bast. Three other Dutch musicians round out the ensemble. The music is a fluid and airy fusion of jazz with elements of rock, folk, ambient, classical music and sampling.

MAY 2005 RELEASES

Graham Collier: Workpoints. RUN 213-214. 2CD. Workpoints consists of two previously unreleased concerts from "a golden age of British jazz": one from 1968 and one from 1975. The music is composed with lots of room for contributions from the individual players, and in that regard, might be comparable to the work of one of Graham's heroes, Charles Mingus.
John Surman: Way Back When. RUN 200. Those lost master tapes rediscovered in 2003 go back to recordings from 1969; the music stands between the magnificence of British jazz in 60's and the upcoming jazz-rock, already announcing the then to come evolution of bands like Soft Machine. In fact, a Softie is taking the drum chair on this recording, the great John Marshall.

JANUARY 2005 RELEASES

Fast 'N' Bulbous: Pork Chop Blue Around The Rind (RUN 205). The idea is to use the compositions of Don Van Vliet as a vehicle for improvisation and arranging. The band contains a crew of seasoned improvisers from both the worlds of avant-garde jazz and rock, who render the music as both a tribute and a creative adventure in improvising. Behind the initiative can be found among others guitarist Gary Lukas
Machine & The Synergetic Nuts: Leap Second Neutral (RUN 210). Japanese band here releasing their second album. High voltage jazz-rock / fusion or psyché-rock with various influences, from Happy Family to Mushrooms, from Zappa to the boiling Korekyojinn. The drummer comes from Melt Banana, the saxophonist from Delusion Valley, the bassist from Carla and the keyboardist from Hammond Brothers.
Yo Miles! / Henry Kaiser & Wadada Leo Smith: Upriver (RUN 201/202). 2nd part of this project based on the electric Miles Davis from the 70's.
Forever Einstein: Racket Science (RUN 206). 5th album by an instrumental guitar/bass/drums progressive rock outfit whose roots include musical forms not normally associated with "progressive rock", such as blues, bluegrass, cartoon and film noir soundtracks, surf-rock, western swing and other very American musical forms that stretch back 50 years or more.
Alec K. Redfearn & The Eyesores: The Quiet Room (RUN 204). A huge nine-piece band (accordion/vocals, guitar, French horn, violin, electronics, alto sax, string bass/vocals, drums and percussion), they combine a gigantic array of influences, such as acid folk, maverick 20th century Americana (Tom Waits, Charles Ives, John Cage, Harry Partch), Eastern European folk music, noise/drone rock, cyclical minimalism (Terry Riley or Philip Glass), cabaret and theater music and more.

RELEASES ANTERIOR TO 2005

Claudia Quintet: I, Claudia. Cuneiform. This is the 2nd release of this jazz influenced - but not limited to jazz - band among whose players can be found known names such Drew Gress and Chris Speed.

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DE WERF .... DE WERF .... DE WERF .... DE WERF .... DE WERF .... DE WERF

Latest productions from the Belgian label:
+ The Unplayables: Harmonic Integration. DeWerf (W.E.R.F. 071). 2008. Ben Sluijs quartet meets pianist Erik Vermeulen. In the quartet is another important musician from the Belgian jazz scene, tenor saxophonist Jeroen Van Herzeele
+ Robin Verheyen Quartet: Painting Space. DeWerf (W.E.R.F. 070). 2008. Featuring pianist Bill Carrothers, the French bass player Rémi Vignolo and Belgian drummer Dré Pallemaerts
+ Trio Grande & Matthew Bourne: Un Matin Plein De Promesses (W.E.R.F. 069). 2008. New album by an expanded version of drummer Michel Debrulle's formation Trio Grande, featuring saxophonist and clarinetist Laurent Dehors (also featured here on bag pipe) and tubist and trombone player Michel Massot
+ Brussels Jazz Orchestra: The Music of Michel Herr (WERF067/068). This double CD is a tribute to the pianist Michel Herr by one of the currently hottest European big bands
+ Saxkartel: Yellow Sounds & Other Colours (WERF 066). Sax quartet (SATB) with singer Tutu Puoane guesting
+ Chris Mentens: Burnin' With The Chris Mentens Jazz Van (WERF 065). Sextet featuring as guest guitarist Pierre Van Dormael. Contemporary jazz with extended blowing section and vibraphone plus some electronic here and there
+ Free Desmyter Quartet: Something To Share (WERF 064). Quartet with piano, tenor sax & clarinet, bass & drums
+ Baba Sissoko Ensemble: Bamako Jazz (WERF 063). African jazz mixed with a M Base musical approach (you know, Steve Coleman's metric systems). The band features furthermore specialists of the genre, known from bands like Octurn or Mâäk's Spirit (Blondiau, Van Herzeele, Fiorini) but also Coleman's ex-bassist in his Five Elements: Reggie Washington
+ RKKO: Songs For Broadcast (WERF 062). This is the shortening of radioKUKAorkestra, an acoustic quartet with a chamber music quality and instruments like accordion, clarinet, cello, acoustic bass .... and singing!
+ Cezariusz Gadzina: Saxafabra (WERF 061). Music for brass and percussion instruments
+ Pierre Van Dormael / Octurn : North Country Suite (WERF 060). This album could be taken as THE new Octurn but in fact this is the music of guitarist Pierre Van Dormael played by Octurn!
+ Mâäk's Spirit: 5 (WERF 059). Already the 5th album by this band led by trumpetist Laurent Blondiau and joining Aka Moon, Octurn in the list of bands marked and influenced by the M Base style defined by saxophonist Steve Coleman.
+ Bart Quartier Quintet: Thank You (WERF 058). Led by a vibraphonist and fronted by a double blowing section of sax/trumpet, here's a music between hard bop and contemporary jazz
+ Chris Joris / Bob Stewart: Rainbow Country (WERF 057). Nice to hear anew the tuba player, here in company of one of the great names of the Belgian scene, percussionist and composer Chris Joris. A strong personal voice, much attracted by ethnic jazz, which can't be denied when looking at the line-up, including African musicians, ex-Five elements member and bassist Reggie Washington, Coleman's inspired pianist Fabian Fiorini, jazz saxophonist Eric Person and Belgian bassist Chris Mentens.
+ Ben Sluijs Quartet Live: Somewhere In Between (WERF 056). Recorded at De Meent and Vooruit Jazzlab Series tour, September-October 2005. This quartet is driven by double saxes (Ben is the altoist and Jeroen Van Herzeele the tenor) + rhythm section. Manolo Cabras is on bass and the drum chair is occupied by Marek Partman.
+ Nathalie Loriers - Chemins Croisés: L'Arbre Pleure (WERF 055). Nathalie is one of the best young pianists and composers having appeared on the European scene since the 90's. Her current project is a quintet playing contemporary jazz with an ethnic touch, due to the integration of oud player Karim Baggili in the group. A *free* colour is given by the presence of Gianluigi Trovesi, here on clarinet. The rhythm section is not either unknown since it features French drummer and percussionist Joël Allouche and Belgian bassist Philippe Aerts. The album was recorded at the studio Crescendo in Gent, Belgium, in May 2006.
+ Brussels Jazz Orchestra: Countermove (WERF 054). One of the best big bands to come from this country, under the direction of Frank Vaganée. Recorded in november 2005. When you buy the CD, you also get a unique personal download code which will give you access to a few extra downlodable compositions!
+ W.E.R.F. 046 Ben Sluijs Quartet: True Nature. With another blower - Jeroen Van Herzeele - on tenor and a bass & dms rhythm section.
+ W.E.R.F. 045 "Django!? A Tribute To"
+ W.E.R.F. 044 High Voltage: Hoppin Around. Strong horn section up front (tp, ts, tb) + expanded rhythm section of piano, bass and drums
+ W.E.R.F. 043 André Goudbeek / Xu Fengxia / Joe Jonda: Separate Realities. Goudbeek (alto saxophone, bass clarinet, bandoneon), Xu Fengxia (guzheng, voice), Joe Fonda (bass, flute)
+ W.E.R.F. 042 Rêve D'Éléphant Orchestra : Lobster Caravan. 2nd album by the septet featuring among others trombonist Michel Massot and trumpetist Laurent Blondiau.
+ W.E.R.F. 041 Mahieu / Vantomme Quartet : Whatever. (Ts, piano, bass & dms)
+ W.E.R.F. 040 Jan De Haas Quintet: Doin' My Thing. This group led by vibraphonist and percussion player De Haas also features Nathalie Loriers on piano.
+ W.E.R.F. 039 Bart Defoort Quartet: The Lizard Game. Tenor sax / guitar + bass & drums, where we meet again - on drums this time - Jan De Haas.
+ W.E.R.F. 038 Chris Joris Experience: Out Of The Night. The ex member of Aksak Maboul presents here a rich (both style and instrumentation) and colourful record filled with emotions.
Aka Moon: Guitars (WERF 031). The belgian label Dewerf has an impressive collection of recordings presented as "The Finest in Belgian Jazz". Among them is this fantastic album featuring David Gilmore (known from Steve Coleman's Five Elements or Wayne Shorter's band), the belgian Pierre Van Dormael and Prasanna from India are the three musketeers facing the Aka Moon trio. A wonderful CD! Other releases from this collection are Nathalie Loriers Trio + Extension, the 12 piece band Octurn, featuring 3 drummers and 2 electric bass players, Ben Sluijs Quartet, Bert Joris Quartet and more ….
"Variations On A Love Supreme" is another DeWerf release. Fabrizio Cassol, alto saxophonist from Aka Moon and Kris Defoort have here arranged a 3 parts musical work based on coltrane's signature album, A Love Supreme. The entire Aka Moon is there, the entire orchestra being an unusual 11 piece!
The Finest In Belgian Jazz by Jempi Samyn & Sim Simons. This book over 300 pages is not bigger than a 2CD boxset but reveals to you the belgian jazz scene and its actors: mini bios, interviews and index. From DeWerf.

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DIW RECORDS .... DIW RECORDS .... DIW RECORDS .... DIW RECORDS ....

Kaoru Abe: The Last Recording. From 1978, a rare testimony document of this japanese "Albert Ayler".
Ayibobo: Stone Voudou. Group led by guitarist Jean-Paul Bourelly and reflecting a strong Haitian influence.
Tommy Flanagan: Plays The Music Of Harold Arlen. Sept. 2005. DIW 486. Recorded in 1978 and produced by singer Helen Merrill (present on the last track). With Connie Kay, drummer of the Modern Jazz Quartet and bassist George Mraz.
Hakuhei Kim Trio: Open The Green Door. Sept. 2005. DIW 631. This pupil of pianist Mike Nock is here heard in trio.
Kondo/Lovens/Lytton: Death Is Our Eternal Friend (DIW 455). Oct. 04. Improvisations from Japanese concerts back to 1982. Kondo's trumpet facing two free jazz drummers!
Lee Konitz: Some New Stuff. With Greg Cohen (bass) and Joey Baron (dms). (DIW-939)
Helge Lien Trio: Asymmetrics. DIW. The new album by the Norwegian pianist transmutes the fascination that Bill Evans or Keith Jarrett had on him.
The 35th reunion of the New York Art Quartet (Milford Graves/RoswellRudd/John Tchicai/Reggie Workman) is available on DIW Records (DIW-936).
Willi Oteri: Spiral Out. DIW. Strongly smelling the 70's (Davis, Zappa, Lifetime), this record features the rhythm section of Tony Levin & Pat Mastelotto from modern Crimson as well as Mike Keneally. Olympic jazz-rock!
George Robert: Soul Searching. DIW 947. Live recording of the Swiss saxophonist's quartet in his home land. Featuring Kenny Barron on piano and Billy Hart on drums, Rufus Reid on bass.
James Blood Ulmer: Harmolodic Guitar With Strings. DIW 878. A very inspired Ulmer backed by a string quartet led by violinist John Blake. Fresh, accessible and much expressive!
Otomo Yoshimide's New Jazz Quintet: Tails Out. DIW. Mingus, Haden, James Blood Ulmer, Beatles and more, revisited by a fiercely provocating quintet.

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ECM RECORDS .... ECM RECORDS .... ECM RECORDS .... ECM RECORDS ....

Jack DeJohnette / Ravi Coltrane / Matthew Garrison: In Movement. ECM. 06-05-16. There is a lot of history concentrated in Jack DeJohnette's adventurous new trio. Fifty years ago, as a guest with John Coltrane's group, Jack DeJohnette played with the fathers of Ravi Coltrane and Matthew Garrison! For all the wealth of references, this is indeed a band in movement, taking the music forward. Ravi Coltrane and Matt Garrison, in their ECM debuts, both respond magnificently to DeJohnette's driving drumming, Ravi with superb solos, Garrison with lean bass lines and imaginative looping electronics.
Egberto Gismonti: Saudações. ECM 2082/83. Planned for June 19th, 2009, this release is Egberto's first new ECM recording in 14 years; it is a double album that indicates the range of his artistry. Disc one features Gismonti the composer on a 70-minute journey through Brazil: "Sertões Veredas - tribute to miscegenation". It is a work that takes account of Brazil's culture and history, landscapes and cityscapes, vividly evoked by Cuba's all-women orchestra the Camerta Romeu, under the leadership of Zenaida Romeu. Disc two features Gismonti the guitarist in an exciting duo recital with his similarly-gifted son Alexandre, romping through a programme that includes many well-known pieces such as "Zig Zag", "Lundú" and "Dança dos Escravos".
Billy Hart / Ethan Iverson / Mark Turner / Ben Street: All Our Reasons. ECM 2248. March 2012. This is the first ECM release of this quartet, formed in 2003 and featuring the pianist of the cult band The Bad Plus, alongside tenor saxophonist Mark Turner and the much sought after bass player Ben Street; all contribute with own material on top of a tribute to Coltrane and an homage to pianist Paul Bley
Jon Hassell: Last Night The Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes In The Street (ECM 2077). 25 years after his highly influential "Power Spot" album, Jon Hassell returns to ECM with his collective Maarifa Street and some spacious Fourth World dub-montage music, his uniquely vocal trumpet sailing forth into mysterious soundscapes. Core material is drawn from a session at the today famous Studios La Buissonne near Avignon in April 2008, with detail added in Los Angeles in November and December. Live recordings from Courtrais, Belgium and London, as well as a remix of a piece originally created for a Wim Wenders movie, are also integrated into the atmospheric, filmic flow, along with short samples snared throughout 2008. The extended line-up include among other the Norwegian electronic guru Jan Bang and - from the same country - another wizzard on guitar, Eivind Aarset
Masabumi Kikuchi / Thomas Morgan / Paul Motian: Sunrise. ECM 2096. March 2012. This is the ECM debut for pianist Masabumi Kikuchi and the next last session of the hardly missed drummer. Both knew each other since many years and Motian had a full understanding of the pianist's special style. The trio is completed by zen bassist Thomas Morgan, opening the way to an interactive free rubato ballads album
Evan Parker Electro-Acoustic Ensemble: The Moment's Energy. ECM 2066. 5th ECM album from Parker's Electro-Acoustic Ensemble whose pioneering work has effectively established a model for a new kind of improvising chamber orchestra, creating fresh colours from the blending and contrasting of acoustic instruments and live electronics. The latest edition of the group adds some new members - two Americans, clarinetist Ned Rothenberg (also playing here on shakuhachi) and trumpetist Peter Evans, both well-known to followers of improvised music - and a Japanese musician, Ko Ishikawa , thus further expanding the horizons. With more acoustic instruments in the mix, the group now embraces both the ancient and the modern: Ko, for instance, plays exclusively the sho, the archaic bamboo mouth organ, which sounds thoroughly futuristic when processed by the Ensemble's sonic scientists. Similarly, the borders between improvisation and composition are dissolved in this music.
Enrico Rava: New York Days (ECM 2064). Recorded in 2008 during a new US sejourn, here's the new transatlantic project shaped by the Italian veteran trumpetist together with his country mate and pianist Stefano Bollani, the US ECM rhythm section of Paul Motian & Larry Grenadier and the new ECM recruit, US saxophonist Mark Turner whose tenor sax searching and analytical tone is in sheer contrast to Enrico's lyrical flourishes, making nonetheless a fabulous pairing!
The new ECM recording by Louis Sclavis - Lost on the Way (ECM 2098) - presents a nearly new quintet. If guitarist Maxime Delpierre and drummer François Merville were already contributing to the album "L'Imparfait des Langues", saxophonist Matthias Metzger and bass player Olivier Lété are the newcomers to a project whose goal is to invent new musics in which to lose oneself.
Andy Sheppard: Movements In Colour. ECM 2062. On this first real album in own name for ECM, the British saxophonist heads an international quintet in a programme of self-penned pieces, all buoyant and strongly melodic. Sheppard's elegant saxophone and the strongly-contrasting guitars of John Parricelli and Norwegian Eivind Aarset are lifted up by the rhythmic drive of Arild Andersen 's muscular bass and the crisp, dynamic tabla of Kuljit Bhamra, a musician well known in the UK as a key figure in the Asian pop and bhangra movements.
John Surman: Brewster's Rooster (ECM 2046). After several stylistically varied projects, the British saxophonist (here on baritone and sopran saxes) comes back to a more classical line-up, with guitarist John Abercrombie and long time partner Jack DeJohnette as well as bass player Drew Gress. Surman offers an album unequivocally jazz in its orientation. Soulful ballads, hard-driving pieces and fiery improvisations are all to be found here. Street date: June 19th, 2009.
Miroslav Vitous: Remembering Weather Report. ECM 2073. 2009. Vitous, a founding member of Weather Report, offers here a kind of tribute, based on the formative years of the legendary band but still penned by himself. An obvious musical empathy with drummer Gerald Cleaver, the presence on bass clarinet of the much personal French musician Michel Portal, inspired soli by the Swiss trumpetist Franco Ambrosetti or saxophonist Gary Campbell, are the necessary ingredients for recalling the spirits of Wayne Shorter but also Ornette Coleman and the classical composer Antonín Dvorák.

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EDITION RECORDS ... EDITION RECORDS ... EDITION RECORDS ... EDITIO

The Bad Plus: Activate Infinity. Edition Records (EDN1143). Street date: 25-10-19. New and second album since the remarkable pianist Orrin Evans joined the trio back in 2018. Comes in 6-panel softpack but also available in a limited edition on 180g vinyl, with artwork directed by Dave King and designed by Oli Bentley.
Django Bates & Frankfurt Radio Big Band: Saluting Sgt. Pepper. Edition Records. Street date: 07-07-17. The totally irrepressible creativity and ever-unconventional spirit of Django Bates swings into a completely new and unpredicted sphere. In collaboration with the Frankfurt Radio Big Band and Eggs Laid By Tigers, Django has reimagined the seminal Beatles album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, the most significant Rock album of all time. The opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of an album that is a landmark musically and culturally was a challenge he couldn't resist!
Dinosaur : Wonder Trail. Edition Records (EDN1111). Street date: 04-05-18. Never one to be labeled, the fearsomely talented and multiple award-winning Laura Jurd has a Miles-like way of taking her work and tuning it to illuminate a vast array of musical worlds. She's worked on the orchestrated and meticulously composed, jazz rock grooves, electronic minimalism, mainstream jazz and now, on her new album Wonder Trail, with keyboard maestro Elliot Galvin to the fore, she plunders the synth-pop of the 80's for a new sound. There are two tracks woth vocals, plus one track with a scattering of vocals. But Laura still means that "Dinosaur is a trumpet-led, instrumental band" ...
Dinosaur: Together, As One. Edition Records (EDN1078). 16-09-16. Debut album by a new British band, with trumpeter Laura Jurd in front (also doubling on synths), teamed around Elliot Galvin (Fender Rhodes & Hammond organ), Conor Chaplin on electric bass and Corrie Dick on drums. Blending elements of folk, jazz and rock, the music is catchy, hypnotic at times and rich in pleasant sonic textures, biting, lurking, suggesting a myriad of ways to travel or reach a goal. Comparisons with another band on the same label - Girls in Airport - are tempting, though Dinosaur may be a bit more extravert in their musical expression!
Tim Garland: Refocus. Edition Records (EDN1159). Street date: 18-09-20. LP edition (the first 100 will be signed & numbered) or CD + download version (WAV & MP3). With the help of Asaf Sirkis (Drums, Crotales), Yuri Goloubev (Double Bass) and a chamber orchestra, pianist Tim Garland revisits here Stan Getz's iconic album "Focus" from 1961. Using Getz's improvised lines as a jumping-off point, Garland captures the spirit of both the record and the era and brings them gloriously back into focus almost 60 years on.
Tim Garland: One. Edition Records. Street date: 06-05-2016. With the first 100 CDs signed and numbered, One is the new, highly energetic and unifying studio album from Tim Garland. Working with his regular collaborators Jason Rebello (piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3 organ & keyboards), Asaf Sirkis (drums & percussion) and Ant Law (nylon string, 12 string, 8 string & semi-acoustic guitars), the sax maestro has dug back into his past and re-examined his early interest in jazz-rock styles. With One Tim explores many of the influences that have guided him from the beginning, such as jazz-rock (his Canterbury roots), saxophone players from both sides of the Atlantic, the Celtic guitar music from long running project Lammas, the Latin and Spanish inflections that are so deeply a part of Chick Corea's music and a variety of rhythmic patterns learned from drum maestros Bill Bruford and Asaf Sirkis. A few guests also appear: Hossam Ramzy (doholla, Egyptian tabla & karkabu) and vocalist Dionne Bennett
Tim Garland: One. Edition Records (EDN 1072). May 2016. New album by the saxophonist, featuring Asaf Sirkis on drums and percussion, Jason Rebello (piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3 organ and keyboards), Ant Law (nylon string, 12 string, 8 string and semi-acoustic guitars). a few guests appear too, with Hossam Ramzy (doholla, Egyptian tabla, karkabu) and vocalist Dionne Bennett. Recorded between summer 2015 and winter 2016.
Tim Garland: Songs to the North Sky. Edition Records. Launching date: 30/05/14. Garland's new double album presents an incredible line up, including among other John Patitucci (bass), Jason Rebello (piano), Asaf Sirkis (drums) and the Royal Northern Sinfonia
Dave Holland: Another Land. Edition Records (EDN1172). Street date: 28-05-21. One of the most versatile and prolific bassist/composers in jazz history returns with a new all-star trio of jazz heavyweights - featuring guitarist Kevin Eubanks and drummer Obed Calvaire - and a power-packed set.
Dave Holland / Zakir Hussain / Chris Potter: Good Hope. Edition Records (EDN1136). CD & 2LP. Street date: 11-10-19. Recorded September 21 - 22, 2018 at Sear Sound, NYC, New York.
Jasper Høiby: Fellow Creatures. Edition Records. Street date: 15-07-16. The mastermind behind the group Phronesis is now releasing a new album in own name! The music embodies a strong sense of groove and an optimistic and driving energy, which combines with atmospheric textures and contrapuntal rhythms, leading the magazine Jazzwise to describe the band as "masters of evolving melody". Sax and trumpet on front line, backed by piano, bass and drums.
Per Oddvar Johansen: Let's Dance. Edition Records. Out 25th March 2016! Featured on drums, violins, vibraphone, guitars, wood percussion & electronics, Johansen has with him Norwegian pianist Helge Lien and TORBEN SNEKKESTAD on saxophones and reed trumpet. Meditative, beautiful, stately and austere, the songs on Let?s Dance are the product of a finely tuned musicianship, developing along an organic and entirely natural and unique path, each intensely satisfying and fulfilling.
Kairos 4tet: Statement of Intent. Edition Records (EDN1026). 04/04/11. This quartet is led by saxophonist Adam Waldman, a distinctive new voice on the British jazz scene. The other musicians on this album also belong to the raising generation of the British jazz scene: Danish bass player Jasper Højby and pianist Ivo Neame are two thirds of the band Phronesis while drummer Jon Scott can be considered as the dark horse of the quartet. The band delivers a free flowing contemporary music with emphasis on tightly knitten melodic and rhythmic structures, not afraid of odd-meters or hi-speed flying
Kneebody: Chapters. Edition Records (EDN1137). Steet date: 18-10-19. Chapters is the highly inventive, original and compelling new album from explosive US quartet Kneebody. The music is adventurous, exuberant and powerful: music for a new generation, music that will inspire and excite, coming from a band with a committed and distinctive sound. From the off, it commands your attention and surprises at every turn. This album also marks a new beginning for the band - a new line-up, a new label, and renewed focus. Chapters is an all-encompassing and powerhouse album that mixes deep grooves and deft melodies with a wide range of guests including Becca Stevens, Gretchen Parlato, Michael Mayo and Josh Dion. Available as CD and 180g vinyl double gatefold album.
Mário Laginha, Julian Argüelles And Helge Andreas Norbakken: Atlântico. Edition Records (EDN1164). Street date: 20-11-20. 2nd release by this European super trio spanning from Portugal to Morway via England. Effortless, flowing and lyrical, the trio melds together worlds of folk song, powerful African groove with the American tradition and a sophisticated European jazz sensibility. Having worked with the luminaries of the past (John Taylor, Kenny Wheeler, Dudu Pukwana, Carla Bley, Jon Hassell), all three are reinforcing the legacy of a vibrant European jazz tradition.
Laginha / Argüelles / Norbakken: Setembro. Edition Records. Street date: 06-10-17. Portuguese pianist Mário Laginha, English saxophonist Julian Argüelles & Norwegian percussionist Helge Andreas Norbakken have joined forces on this album made of propulsive grooves, complex but ever-lyrical melodies, and open-minded interaction. "Setembro" demonstrates the vitality and importance of what is great about contemporary jazz in Europe!
Lionel Loueke: HH. Edition Records (EDN1161). Guitarist and composer Lionel Loueke set to release his new album for Edition Records, titled HH, on October 16th, 2020, performing music of his long-term mentor, the legendary Herbie Hancock. There will be a limited edition on silver vinyl (The first 100 will be numbered and include a signed photograph), a CD (with signed postcard) and WAV or MP3 downloads. Says Loueke: The challenge was to put my own imprints on these masterpieces. To rethink them with my touch on it.
Malija: The Day I Had Everything. Edition Records. Street date: 27-11-15. London based trio Malija brings together a collective empathy and co-leadership with all members sharing the production and writing roles. This new all-star trio features Mark Lockheart on saxophones and bass clarinet, Liam Noble on piano and Jasper Høiby on acoustic bass, the two last being known as members of the much celebrated band Phronesis. Two tracks also features strings by the Ligeti Quartet
Meadow: Blissful Ignorance. Edition Records (EDN1025). 31/01/11. Recorded at the famous Rainbow Studios in Oslo, here's a trio bringing three of Europe's finest and most sensitive players, each one with countless recordings under their belt; if drummer Thomas Strønen may be the least known of the three, he will be remembered as the co-founder of the band Food. Norwegian saxophonist Tore Brunborg was part of Masqualero. As to British pianist John Taylor, no further introduction is needed. By turns pastoral, elegiac, witty, romantic and forthright, it is surely one of 2010's most accomplished recordings.
Ivo Neame: Moksha. Edition Records (EDN1108). Street date: 23-03-18. Phronesis' pianist signs here his second solo album, with a new lineup and new sound, marking a new era in his career. The album is characterized by a greater use of electronic keyboards and an edgier rhythmical groove and band interplay, driven by multi-layered rhythmic textures and grooves and brilliantly fluid lines animated by Ivo's own exploratory voice, making this his boldest musical statement to date.
Marius Neset: Golden Xplosion. Edition Records (EDN1027). 26/04/11. Another name to bookmark! The Norwegian saxophonist is only 25 years old and already on the way to become a major figure on the European jazz scene. With a muscular playing combining the power of Michael Brecker and the foggy tone delicacy of Jan Garbarek, he is in full control of his musical vision, able to deconstruct all the facets of the jazz genre and creatively rebuild a material that now will bear his own signature; chops, rhythmic capacity, vitality, authority and communicative sensitivity are all owned assets; if we add that the band includes pianist Django Bates and the rhythm section of Phronesis, no doubts are left as to the need of getting this CD!
Oddarang: Hypermetros. Edition Records (EDN1135). Street date: 27-09-19. Hypermetros is the fifth album from Finnish sound sculptors and creators of atmospheric epics, Oddarrang. The album is rooted by bold hooks and melodies, and moulded with raw, emotive themes; the title makes reference to the Greek word meaning "beyond measure", which perfectly reflects the band's ambition and vision.
Phronesis: We Are All. Edition Records (EDN1118X). Street date: 14-09-18. Recorded on 4th & 5th April 2018 by August Wanngren at The Village Recording Studios, Copenhagen, this eighth and newest studio album offers plenty of emotional range and musical richness for committed Phronesis fans and new listeners alike. But in its title and scope, it also seeks to focus attention on an important message of togetherness and balance beyond the one the trio demonstrate on the bandstand. It will be released as a limited edition LP on yellow vinyl with double sided cover ((EDNLP1118) and as a Collector Edition double CD with different covers.
Phronesis: The Behemoth. Edition Records. Street date: 31-03-17. Following six critically acclaimed trio albums, the band have now completed their most ambitious recording to date with the release of "The Behemoth". Consisting of ten arrangements and re-imaginings of compositions from their back catalogue by Julian Argüelles, this remarkable, vibrant new album featuring the Frankfurt Radio Big Band is rich in colour and bursting with spirit and creativity. Argüelles plays a pivotal role throughout this album, demonstrating his masterful ability as arranger and conductor, and also appearing as a soloist on Eger's "Urban Control".
Phronesis: Life To Everything. Edition Records. April 2014. 5th album by the Danish/English/Swedish trio, recorded live at the EFG London Jazz Festival in November 2013
Phronesis: Walking Dark. Edition Records (EDN 1031). April 2012. The fourth album from this trio comprising Danish bassist Jasper Højby, British pianist Ivo Neame and Swedish drummer Anton Eger is named after a series of concerts played in total darkness as a dedication to Højby's sister, who lost her sight to cataracts. This album confirms the maturity and empathy of a band whose reputation keeps increasing day after day!
Verneri Pohjola: Pekka. Edition Records. Due for release worldwide on June 2nd, 2017, somehow a tribute from son to father, Pekka is one of the most anticipated albums to emerge from the Finnish progressive, rock and jazz scenes for some time. Seeking to combine Pekka's music, adored in Finland and internationally during the last four decades, with Verneri's powerful sense of music making, Pekka is an album that will excite, inspire and move many fans across borders, generations and genres.
Aki Rissanen: Amorandum. Edition Records. Street date: 04-03-2016. Over the last few years Aki has quietly been building a name in the international jazz world both as a leader and as a sideman. With Amorandom, he delivers his most authoritative work to date. There's a fluidity in his playing and a boldness in his composing that deserves widespread praise and real recognition for one of the finest young European pianists. With him are Antti Lötjönen on bass and Teppo Mäkynen on drums.
Dave Stapleton: Flight. Edition Records (EDN 1032). Pianist and label owner Dave Stapleton has released here an ambitious and successful album, writing among other for the Brodowski String Quartet. His jazz quartet features a few raising stars, from Norwegian saxophonist Marius Neset to Finnish drummer Olavi Louhivuori, alongside long time working partner and bass player Dave Kane; recorded at the Village Recording Studio, Copenhagen on 8th and 9th December 2011, here's an album oozing of great sensitivity, empathy and a reflective lyricism.
Troyka: Moxxy. Edition Records (EDN 1033). Due for release in June 2012, this 2nd album by London based trio Troyka has a maturity about it usually only evident in fourth or fifth albums. It seems like they have trimmed the fat off their music, achieved a harder sound, fuelled among other by textural guitar loops, angular riffs and displaced drum grooves. Troyka have distilled their unique genre bending live act into a compelling listening experience.
Ben Wendel: High Heart. Edition Records (EDN1162). Due to release in October 2020, this 5th album as leader from US saxophonist Ben Wendel will be released in a limited edition on coloured vinyl with a uniquely hand-painted cover (the first 200 copies will be numbered with a foil stamp) and a signed insert or in a signed CD edition. Also, all purchases from the Edition Records store come with free sheet music to three tracks from High Heart. The album is a personal statement that opens a discussion about how artists create art that is personal and meaningful in an increasingly impersonal time.

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EKTIC ... NEW FRENCH LABEL!

Anorien: La Règle De 3. EK 001. 3 blowers, 3 different recording places: a natural cave, a farm and an atelier.
Battus / Madiot / Murayama: L°. EK 005. Recorded at the GRIM in 2003, Marseille, France.
Bonvalot / Darmedru / Marchetti: Crête. EK 002. Between jazz and industrial
Desmarchelier / Doneda / Toulemonde: Revermont. EK 003. Guitar, saxes and electro-acoustic devices
Lussier / Tétreault: Dur Noyau Dur / Live In France. EK 009. The duo from Quebec was recorded during the Musique Action Festival in 99. Electric guitar and turntables.
Miss Goulash: Karaoké Karaté Club. EK 007. 8 musicians coming from rock, punk, hard-core, jazz, electro, folk, classica. The repertoire is a mix of energic improvisations, jazzy arrangements, East-oriental colours, an unacademic look at rules in serious music.
Matthieu Werchowski: Uwaga. EK 008. 7 improvised pieces for solo violin, recorded in 2004 in France and Germany

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EMANEM RECORDS .... EMANEM RECORDS .... EMANEM RECORDS .... EMA...

Derek Bailey: Fairly Early With Postscripts. Emanem EM4027. Solos and duos from recordings in 1971 and 1998 with prestigious collaborators such as Anthony Braxton, drummer John Stevens and Kent Carter. Derek plays acoustic and electric guitars. A welcome reissue.
Derek Bailey: Domestic & Public Pieces (EM4001). Improvised solo guitar recorded in London between 75 and 77. Originally released on various labels (Quark, Caroline and Emanem) and finally on CD. There is a short interview from 72 in the booklet
Derek Bailey: Lace. Emanem (EM 4013). Nov. 2005. Pure solo guitar concert recorded on December 15, 1989 in Los Angeles. For this occasion, the late guitarist played on his Epiphon Triumph guitar (vintage 1936). This reissue presents the entire concert, inclusive speech and claps!
Berger / Blackwell: Just Play. July 2005. EM 4037. Reissue of this meeting from 76 with a strong African character (vibraphonist Karl Berger plays also here balafon and darbuka).
Bianco / Liebman / Marino: Line Ish (EM 4104). 2003. Liebman plays saxes, flute and piano. The album is in the spirit of Coltrane's "Sun Ship" or "Meditations"
Beresford / Thomas / Weston: Three Pianos (EM 4064).
Anthony Braxton / Milo Fine: Shadow Company (2004). EM 4113. One 66mn long improvisation recorded at the Wesleyan University in Middletown, USA.
Braxton / Bailey: First Duo Concert (EM 4006). CD reissue of the integral concert at the Wigmore Hall, London, originally released in 74 as a 2LP
Butcher / Malfatti / Lovens / Durrant / Russel: The Last Recording. Emanem EM 4121. Reissue of an album originally released in 1989 on Butcher's first label, Acta. Improvised music with respectively: tenor & soprano saxes / violin, electronics / drums and saw / trombone, zither, etc / acoustic guitar.
Butcher / Edwards: Optic (EM 4089). A series of sax/bass duos recorded in Brussels and Barcelona. The sax player is overtly inspired by Evan Parker
John Butcher / Derek Bailey / Rhodri Davies: Vortices & Angels (EM 4049). From the time when Bailey was still living in London. The saxophonist (born in 54) is here playing duos with either the guitarist (born in 31) or the harpist (born in 71). 3 generations at work!
Kent Carter String Trio: The Willisau Suites (84/97). July 2005. EM 4105. Those pieces for violin, alto and bass, composed by Steve Lacy's ex bass player, are surely to be placed in contemporary chamber music between written and improvised. They can evoke Bartok, BergBeethoven.
Lol Coxhill: Out To Launch. Emanem EM4086. Nov. 2010. Solo recordings from 2002 (in London and Chicago) and one with the Unlaunched Orchestra from 2001.
Lol Coxhill: More Together Than Alone. Emanem EM 4136. June 07. A selection of duo recordings with veterans of the British jazz scene in the period 2000 - 2005 and a superb solo performance!
Lol Coxhill: Spectral Soprano (EM 4204). This double CD presents Coxhill in a great variety of settings, from solo to big band (the London Improvisers Orchestra) via various combos ( The Recedents or Melody Four). Many meetings with the cream of English jazz musicians, from frequent partners likeTony Coe or Steve Beresford to lesser known collaborations with pianist Steve Miller or electronic practician Paul Schütze and many more ?
Lol Coxhill: Digswell Duets (EM 4052). Duos with Eryan Weston: piano and Simon Emmerson: electronics
Lol Coxhill: Alone And Together (EM 4034). Oct. 2005. Solo on sopran or sopranino sax, duos with Stevie Wishart on violin and hurdy gurdy or with Marcio Mattos on cello and electronics.
Coxhill / Weston: Boundless (EM 4021). Short duos recorded during early winter in 1998. Veryan Weston had already met Coxhill in 78 for the album "The Joy of Paranoïa", released on the label Ogun.
Lol Coxhill / Veryan Weston: Worms Organising Archdukes. Emanem (EM 4074). June 2011. Taken from three concerts given between 2000 and 2001 in Rotterdam, Brussels and London, here's a testimony of seminal British jazz music, with Coxhill on soprano sax and Weston on piano and harmonium
Paul Dunmall: In Your Shell Like. EM 4111. The trio (bagpipe, sax/hurdy gurdy/percussion) is recorded in Brussels in 2003.
Dunmall / Rogers: Awareness Response (EM 4101). Music close to Mujician. Bag pipe or sax against basses!
Milo Fine Ikebana: London Encounter (EM 4213). Recorded in Spring 2003 during the Freedom of the City Festival in London, this album documents a series of meetings by the US multi instrumentist with the new guard of the British improvisation.
Free Base: The Ins And Outs. July 2005. EM 4116. Studio recording from 2003 by a trio of alt & baritone sax/bass & electronic/drums.
Steve Lacy: School Days. Emanem E 5016. May 2011. Recorded in 1963 at New York's Phase Two Coffee House, this concert has been carefully restored and remasterized. It featured Roswell Rudd on trombone, Dennis Charles on drums and the great Henry Grimes on bass. As bonus, two pieces by Lacy with his Thelonious Monk Quintet (with among other Roy Haynes & Charlie Rouse), recorded in Philadelphia in 1960. Historical!
Steve Lacy: Hooky. EM 4042. Sopran solo recorded in a church in Montreal.
Steve Lacy: Saxophone Special + (EM 4024). Concerts of Lacy's trio (with Steve Potts and Kent Carter) meeting the holy trinity of British improvisation: Derek Bailey, Evan Parker, John Stevens, Trevor Watts. Recorded at the 100 Club and the Wigmore Hall, London in 73 and 74.
Steve Lacy: Weal & Woe (EM 4004). First solo concerts recordings of Lacy in Avignon, France, August 72 followed by a pacifist suite in Zurich with his quintet in 73.
Fred Lonberg-Holm: Dialogs (EM 4109). This pupil of Morton Feldman comes here with his 2nd solo album where he fixes on his cello number of various protheses like motors, loud speakers, microphone cells, etc?
London Improvisers Orchestra: Responses, Reproduction & Reality (Emanem EM 4110). Nov. 2005. The ensemble played at the 3rd and 4th edition of the Freedom of the City Festival in 2003 and 2004. 7 excerpts of their performances are presented here.
Frank Lowe / Eugene Chadbourne: Don't Punk Out (EM 4043). Reissue of the LP (QED 995) to which have been added 3 covers by Chadbourne of Lowe's "Inner Extremities Suite" and some French solo recordings by the saxophonist shortly before his tragic disparition
Phil Minton: A Doughnut In Both Hands (EM 4025). Solo singing from 75 - 82 originally issued on RIFT and now augmented with unissued takes.
Phil Minton / Roger Turner: Drainage (EM 4211). 2CD (one studio + one live) and duo voice/dms
Maggie Nicols / Caroline Kraabel / Caroline Hug: Transitions (EM 4068). Women trio of one voice and 2 saxes.
Parker / Guy / Lytton: At The Vortex (EM 4022). Two long improvisations from a London concert in 1996
Evan Parker: The Ayes Have It. Emanem 4055. Nov. 2010. The saxophonist's trio is captured in two different playing situations; one dates from 1983 and has percussionist Jamie Muir, mostly known for his contribution to prog cult band King Crimson, as well as a well known actor on the British jazz scene, Mark Sanders. The other is from 91, where Parker meets the Dutch trombonist Wolter Wierbos
Roland Ramanan: Caesura (EM 4123). This album was to change the musical direction of the leader and trumpetist, here with percussionist Mark Sanders, cellist + electronics Marcio Mattos and bassist Simon H. Fell
Howard Riley: Two Is One. Emanem EM 4127. Sept. 06. Re-recording (his first in a 25 years long career) of 9 improvisations by one of the great British free pianists
Riley / Tilbury / Tippett: Another Part Of The Story. EM 4088. On the initiative of Howard Riley in 2002, his duo with Keith Tippett, a leading one in avant-garde jazz since the 60's, meets here the AMM pianist John Tilbury. For (prepared) piano.
Rottor: The First Full Turn. EM 4026. This quartet was created and recorded in 1998 at Le Mans Jazz Festival, France. With the two Tippett (Keith and Julie) and the two Paul (Rutherford on trombone and Rogers on bass).
Roswell Rudd: Blown Bone. Emanem EM4131. Jan. 07. This is the reissue of an album originally released in Japan only in 1979. It consists of two different sessions featuring plenty of wonderful musicians ( Enrico Rava, Steve Lacy ,Wilbur Little, Paul Motian, Sheila Jordan ...) but also presenting an unreleased track from 1967 with Roswell playing the piano in duo with saxophonist Robin Kenyatta.
Rupp / Buck / Williamson: Weird Weapons. EM 4119. Those improvisers based in Berlin fight for a pure acoustic performance. No amplification, no electronic in this guitar/bass/percussion trio.
Russell / Völker / Werchowski: Three Planets (EM 4106). Violin, accordion and guitar played by three exciting improvisors
Paul Rutherford: Neuph (1978-80). Oct. 2005 EM 4118. Soft trombone and euphonium improvisations (with rerecordings) from the late 70's + 2 unreleased solos from the same period, recorded in Italy.
Paul Rutherford: Gheim / Live At Bracknell. EM 4107. Reissue of a cassette released on the label Ogun. With Nigel Morris on drums and Paul Rogerson bass.
Paul Rutherford: The Gentle Harm Of The Bourgeoisie (EM 4019). Solo trombone and a record exhalted by Derek Bailey.
Sharp / Fried: Feuchtify. Emanem EM 4133. Jan. 07. 2nd album by the duo recorded in 2001 at the New York's Tonic club for Sharp's 50th birthday. He's heard playing sopran sax, dobro, guitar, bass guitar, electronics, together with Reinhold Friedl on prepared piano.
Elliott Sharp: The Velocity Of Hue (EM 4098). Solo acoustic guitar.
Roger Smith / Louis Moholo-Moholo: The Butterfly And The Bee. EM 4114. Recorded in London in August 2004. The first, guitarist and one of the bearing forces in the Revolutionary Ensemble meets the second, drummer of the Brotherhood Of Breath. A top summit!
Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Bare Essentials 1972/1973. Emanem EM4218. June 08. This 2CD gathers improvisations born from the duo work between saxophonist Trevor Watts and drummer John Stevens in 1972-1973. Stevens also plays cornet here
Spontaneous Music Ensemble & Orchestra: Trio & Triangle. Emanem EM4150. June 08. This is the reissue of the LP (SFA092) which included a London concert from 1981 and another from Newcastle in 1978. To those has been added some unreleased material. The basic trio is composed of John Stevens (percussions, cornet and voice), Nigel Coombes on violin and guitarist Roger Smith. A host of eminent players from the British jazz scene then invictivate the trio, from saxophonist Lol Coxhill to pianist Howard Riley, just to quote a few. Expect some great moments of hilarious improvised craziness!
Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Frameworks. Emanem EM4134. dec. 07. In 1968, 71 and 73, the drummer John Stevens led 3 different versions of his ensemble and those lost gems are finally seeing light again, allowing us to rediscover on a new angle one of the major groups that started the British improvised music scene
Spontaneous Music Ensemble: A New Distance. EM 4115. Reissue of a mythical album originally released on the label Acta and presenting the two last performances of the ensemble. There are also some unissued tracks from 1993 where the trio of John Stevens: dms, tp / John Butcher: ts,ss / Roger Smith: guitar is joined by flutist Neil Metcalfe
Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Face To Face (73). From Emanem (EM 4003). Nov. 2005. Drummer, percussionist and cornetist John Stevens faces saxophonist Trevor Watts
Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Summer 67 (EM 4005). Mostly a duo between Evan Parker (ss, ts) and percussionist John Stevens. They are joined on one third of the album by bassist Peter Kowald.
John Stevens Quartet: New Cool. EM 4117. This quartet, coming from the real British New Thing, was recorded live at the Crawley Festival in 92
Veryan Weston / John Edwards / Mark Sanders: Gateway To Vienna. EM 4214. Double CD, one live, one studio by this piano/bass/drums trio.

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ENJA RECORDS ... ENJA RECORDS ... ENJA RECORDS ... ENJA RECORDS ...

Rabih Abou-Khalil: Journey To The Centre Of An Egg (ENJ-9479 2). This is his 13th album for the label! Abou-Khalil's brilliant playing of the oud (the Arab lute) is this time combined with Joachim Kühn's piano (and saxophone!) and the artful drumming of Jarrod Cagwin, a long-time member in Abou-Khalil's regular band and deep into Turkish, African and Indian rhythms. The three of them go for quick-minded interaction full of amazing turns and humorous high points
Franco Ambrosetti: Liquid Gardens (ENJ-9486). The music on this new album includes solos and duos, combo efforts, romantic jazz standards for fluegelhorn and symphony orchestra, even poems and singing whales. There are aggressive and impressionistic, even surrealistic moments to be discovered.
Ferenc Snetberger: Nomad (ENJ 9485-2). The trio's music, ranging from modern jazz drive and world beats to decent electronic sounds and vibrant lyricism, catches the audiences by its sheer emotional power. The leader and guitarist is Hungarian and brings with him the mighty Arild Andersen and Italian-born drummer and percussionist Paolo Vinaccia, who has been living in Norway for 25 years and is a household name on the most creative Scandinavian improvisers' scene.

FRESH SOUND NEW TALENTS ... FRESH SOUND NEW TALENTS ... FRESH
+ Dave Allen: Real and Imagined. FSNT 297. August 07. Drawing inspiration from the deep jazz tradition and taking profit of his intricate, flowing lyricism and sheer technical command of the guitar, Dave Allen joins forces again with Seamus Blake on tenor sax and Mark Ferber on drums. On bass is Drew Gress, one of the busiest players in the NYC area.
+ Dave Allen: Untold Stories. FSNT 220. David Allen is a guitarist and composer based in New York City. His music is both lyrical and challenging, combining memorable melodies with complex harmonies and shifting rhythms. Allen's debut CD, "Untold Stories", is from 2004 and features saxophonist Seamus Blake.
+ David Ambrosio: Gone (FSNT440). March 2014. Bass player and leader of a sax trio, recorded at Tedesco Studio's, Paramus, NJ, December 18, 2012
+ Sebastien Ammann Quartet: Samadhi. (FSNT425). March 2014. Featuring Eric McPherson on drums
+ Bruce Arkin Quartet: Wake Up! FSNT 265. This is the first release by this saxophonist from New York who lives now in Barcelona and currently plays with Kurt Rosenwinkel among many others. In "Wake up" he plays his own compositions brilliantly accompanied by Albert Bover (p), Chris Higgins (b) and Jorge Rossy (dms).
+ Marc Ayza: Offering. FSNT321. July 08. One of the most in-demand session players in the Spanish jazz scene, Marc Ayza is a versatile, accomplished drummer, whose skills as a bandleader and composer are not to be overlooked. After more than a year in front of this personal project, the breathtaking result come in the form of his debut as leader for Fresh Sound New Talent. This CD is an wonderful slice of music, one that makes for a few completely amazing breaks and a very funky sound overall. Ayza does a remarkable job working in a depth of sound that is way more than just straight jazz or instrumental soul.
+ Mike Baggetta Quartet: Thieves and Secrets (FSNT436). March 2014. The leader on guitar is backed upfront by Jason Rigby on alt sax, Eivind Opsvik is on bass, George Schuller on drums. Recorded at The Bunker Studio, NYC, June 2013
+ Jordi Berni Trio & Santi de la Rubia: Afinke. FSNT 260. Featuring: Jordi Berni (p), David González (b), Xavi Hinojosa (d), Santi de la Rubia(ts)
+ Big Acoustic Band: Invisible Way. FSNT366. April 2010. Because of health problems, saxophonist Alfons Carrascosa was forced to stop playing and turned his efforts towards other facets of his life as musician, mainly composing and arranging for big band! Recorded in Barcelona in 2008, this recording features saxophonist Dick Oatts, alongside fantastic instrumentalists and excellent soloists from the local scene.
+ Bogé, Olivier: Imaginary Traveler. FSNT 399. April 2012. Recorded at Studio des Egreffins (Videlles, France) on December 22nd & 23rd, 2010. Own compositions with a modern edge, some Fender Rhodes for extra colour, featuring guitarist Pierre Perchaud
+ Boom Crane: S/T (FSNT432). March 2014. Peter Van Huffel (as, cl), Michael Bates (b), Jeff Davis (dms). recorded at Tedesco Studios, N.J., March 28, 2013
+ Frederic Borey: The Option. FSNT416. Nov. 2012. Recorded at Berduquet's Studio (Cenac, France), March 12, 13 & 14, 2012.
+ Frederic Borey: Maria. FSNT 295. August 07. Recorded in France in 2005, this album presents a French quartet of sax/guitar/bass & drums, the leader being the saxophonist. He is quoted by guitarist Lionel Loueke as being "a composer with a unique voice".
+ Bourgeyx, Vincent: Hip. FSNT390. April 2012. In trio with drummer André Ceccarelli and French bass player Pierre Boussaguet, the young pianist recorded this album on March 22nd, 2011 in Meudon, France.
+ Douglas Bradford: Atlas Obscura (FSNT 404). Oct. 2012. The guitarist, together with alt saxophonist John Beaty and rhythm section, was recorded in Brooklyn, NY, on March 24 & 25th 2011.
+ Kevin Brady Trio: Zeitgeist (FSNT 348). July 09. After two critically acclaimed tours and festival performances, drummer and composer Kevin Brady continues his collaboration with the innovative pianist Bill Carrothers. Brady has many years of experience playing with some of Ireland's most prominent trios including Organics and The Phil Ware Trio. Recorded in Dublin.
+ Kevin Brow: Koptor. FSNT 314. April 08. Koptor is lead by Canadian drummer/composer and now Copenhagen resident Kevin Brow. This debut self-titled album has established Koptor as one of the most interesting new bands in Canada and one that is quickly becoming known on both sides of the Atlantic. The album features all original compositions by Brow, which are said to be - Intelligent compositions with a great base to improvise on and even if the groove is not simple there is always a constant flow. The music is built upon openness, lyrical melodies, twisting grooves and improvisations that are propelled by Brow's lyrical drumming and the fiery playing of three of New York's most in demand young musicians pianist Jacob Sacks, bassist Eivind Opsvik and saxophonist Rob Mosher.
+ Demian Cabaud: En Febrero (FSNT428). March 2014. Piano trio recorded in Porto, Portugal, 2012.
+ Carme Canela & Joan Monné Trio: Granito de Sal (FSNT439). March 2014. Lead vocalist + piano trio recorded at Estudis Laietana, April 19 and 20, 2013
+ Ila Cantor Quartet: Mother Nebula. FSNT 288. May 2007. From Brooklyn, New York, influenced by many genres from classical to jazz to rock, young guitarist Ila Cantor just tells kind words on the music of Charlie Christian, Frisell, Zappa, Lou Reed, and Ornette Coleman, among a long list of inspirational icons. She has a captivating quality said by her audiences to be accessible, yet completely original in an ecclectic conversation along his recording debut fronting her own quartet.
+ Santi Careta Group: Obertura. FSNT 257. In addition to collaborating with other young up-and-coming Catalonian jazz musicians (such as Sergi Sirvent), guitarist Careta is leading his own group, a newly formed Catalan jazz group that performs its own music mixing jazz with funk, reggae and latin influences.
+ Bill Carrothers: Shine Ball. FSNT242. Bill Carrothers (prepared piano), Gordon Johnson (acoustic bass), Dave King (drums, waterphone).
+ Joan Chamorro: Baritone Rhapsody (FSNT 385). Feb. 2011. Baritone and bass saxophonist Joan Chamorro comes here with an album for an extended brass section + piano, bass & drums. Recorded in Barcelona in 2010.
+ Chris Cheeks: Blues Cruise. FSNT-235. On his fourth CD for Fresh Sound New Talent, Chris Cheek is endorsed by the original Brad Mehldau quartet. Chris Cheek (ts,ss), Brad Mehldau (p,fender rhodes), Jorge Rossy (dms), Larry Grenadier (b). Recorded by James Farber at Avatar Studios, NYC, March 16 & 17, 2005
+ Gerald Cleaver: Be It As I See It (FSNT 375). Feb. 2011. Recorded in New York in 2009, this mid-sized band features among other saxophonist Tony Malaby, pianist and keyboardist Craig Taborn and viola player Mat Maneri.
+ Gerald Cleaver: Gerald Cleaver's Detroit. FSNT 301. Dec. 07. This album is an acoustic self-penned set performed by the group Violet Hour, a sextet led by the drummer that features trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, saxophonists Andrew Bishop and JD Allen, pianist Ben Waltzer and bassist Chris Lightcap.
+ Raynald Colom: Sketches Of Groove. FSNT 306. Jan. 08. For some reason the mere mention of certain names among music fans will cause a positive stir that is quite hard to explain. In the same way, the music of these artists transmits an infectious energy that makes us expect their performances with heartfelt enthusiasm. That is the case with trumpetist Raynald Colom who delivers here his 2nd album for fresh Sound. The ambition level is placed high: rather big personal, eclectic instrumentation including Rhodes, keyboards, pedal steel guitar among the most uncommon in a straight post bop line-up, the special addition of a human beat box (using the voice as a rhythm instrument) personalized by Aurelio Santos. In short, a much personal input by a growing talent on the way to be internationally recognized
+ Kris Davis: Rye Eclipse. FSNT 310. April 08. The pianist has here with him saxophonist Tony Malaby , the Norwegian bass player Eivind Opsvik and drummer Jeff Davis . Composed for the 2007 Canadian festival tour, the quartet premiered the works in five different festivals across Canada. This set reflects the trust this group has developed from performing together for so many years, making this recording an exciting and edgy listening experience.

+ Kris Davis: The Slightest Shift (USA). FSNT 256. With Tony Malaby (ts), Eivind Opsvik (b), Jeff Davis (d). While this record is a collective statement by 4 creative musicians, what one hears is Kris Davis' voice. Her playing can evoke Monk, Bartók, Paul Bley, or Ligeti, but what makes an artist truly creative is that unnamable element or disposition that enables one to go beyond what any such synthesis might suggest. Kris is doing just that.
+ Ramon Diaz: Unblocking. FSNT 311. April 08. 2nd album by the quintet, again presenting an original repertoire, concentrating on compositions where melody mixes with improvisation, creating spaces where the listener can absorb the music without moving away from its fundamental concept, and laying out some fresh tracks completely fusioned with contemporary tendencies. With a more compact sound and a clear demonstration of their evolution as a group, we rediscover that strong live performance which has always been characteristic of them.
+ Ramon Diaz: Dialeg (2005). FSNT241. Ramon Diaz is a consolidated musician in the Spanish jazz scene. In this, his third work for Fresh Sound New Talent, he shows his maturity as a leader and composer. He was born in the Canary Islands and has been living in Barcelona since 1987. He has always received positive reviews, both for his recordings and live performances, full of energy and ingenuity. His current band features the Danish saxophonist Jeppe Rasmussen.
+ Eli Digibri: Emotionally Available. FSNT 262. With Aaron Goldberg (p, Fender Rhodes), Ben Street (b), Jeff Ballard (d) and Ze Mauricio (pandeiro). 2nd album for the label by a young saxophonist who currently performs and tours with the legendary drummer Al Foster, the Charles Mingus Big Band, as well as his own Eli Degibri Quintet.
+ David Doruzka: Wandering Song. FSNT352. Feb. 2010. Recorded in Spain in 2007, here's a guitar/organ/drums trio offering a fresh perspective on this classic format; the result is a music sometimes joyfully swinging, other melancholically pensive, yet always performed with deep concentration and attention to the smallest details. With Jorge Rossy on drums and Albert Sanz on Hammond B-3, the Czech guitarist gives us a repertoire that is a mix of own originals and cover versions of tunes by Ornette Coleman, Kurt Weill and Herbie Nichols.
+ Ismael Dueñas / Marc Cuevas / Oscar Domenech: Mirage. FSNT244. This outstanding trio with a collective spirit and leadered by Catalan pianist Ismael Dueñas offers a new vision of jazz mixing it with elements of Dub, Afro, indian ragas índias and impressionism of Ravel, Stravinsky, free jazz or Metal.
+ Michel El Malem Quartet: First Step. FSNT 335. Jan. 09. Debut album by tenor and sopran saxophonist (he started on the instrument at the age of 30, after having played both piano and guitar)
+ The Alon Farber Hagiga Sextet: Optimistic View. FSNT 307. Jan. 08. Farber, here on soprano and baritone sax, definitely has his own unique voice in his compositions. His unit walks around an interesting combination of both advanced jazz and Jewish music, filled with talent by altoist Hagai Amir, pianist Omri Mor, guitarist and oud player Amos Hoffman , bassist Hagai Cohen-Milo and band's co-founder Dani Benedikt on drums. A record for anyone who is wanting to hear a new voice emerging in the jazz scene.
+ The Alon Farber Hagiga Quintet: Exposure. FSNT-228. The Hagiga Quintet, formed in 2001 in Tel-Aviv joins together five musicians who seek new connections with jazz and contemporary music. The Hagiga is a unique group that combines original compositions, in various styles (swing, funk, latin jazz, jazz) with group improvisation and free interaction. The compositions are inspired by the music of Wayne Shorter and Dave Douglas. From there the Hagiga takes off to create a new exciting atmosphere, spiced with mediterranean taste.
+ Michael Felberbaum: Sweetsalt. FSNT 275. Recorded at the Studios de La Seine, Paris, France, December 2 and 3, 2005, this quartet features a rising guitarist and composer whose depth has often brought comparisons with Bill Frisell. With him is the talented French pianist Pierre De Bethmann (also on Rhodes), who was one of the main forces behind the group Prysm. Bassist Darryl Hall and drummer Karl Jannuska complete the line up.
+ Alan Ferber Nonet: Scenes from an Exit Row. FSNT 224. This group, comprised of some of the brightest young talent in NYC, serves as an outlet for new works and arrangements for mid-sized ensemble. The instrumentation includes trumpet, trombone, alto sax, tenor sax, bass clarinet, guitar, piano, bass, and drums.
+ Miguel Fernandez Quartet: Transplanet Species. FSNT372. April 2010. The saxophonist is professionaly permorming on Barcelona's music scene since 2004. His quartet features Dani Pérez on guitar, pianist and Fender Rhodes player Leo Genovese , bass player Marko Lohikari and drummers Gonzalo del Val & David Xirgu
+ Five In Orbit: Freaks. FSNT364. March 2010. If Five in Orbit's debut album was one of the great revelations in the European jazz of this new century, the second album by the French-Catalan quintet manages to go even further. Following the line started by Ellington-Mingus-Kirk, their music travels fast on the highway of Jazz, with a capital J, far from niches, imposed thematic restrictions, and derivative styles. The band has a sound that blends with freshness all languages of jazz and brings us an array of new sensations with extremely original textures, arrangements and atmospheres.
+ Jordi Gardeñas Group: Miles 65, 67, 68, 69 (FSNT 342). April 09. As the title implies, this music is inspired by the late great Miles Davis quintet. Drummer Jordi Gardeñas leads this open-hearted homage, supported by a great cast that features awarded saxophonist Martí Serra, guitar sensation Jordi Matas, and a host of special guests including Benet Palet on trumpet and electric bassist Josep Cucurella. The result is a project to be taken seriously.
+ Phil Grenadier: Shimmer (FSNT437). March 2014. He is the brother of Larry but Will Slater plays bass here, Karen Kocharyan is on drums. Recorded at PBS Studios May 18, 2012
+ Jostein Gulbrandsen: Twelve. FSNT 291. May 2007. Currently living in New York, Norwegian guitarist Jostein Gulbrandsen is an active musician immerse in the Nu-Jazz scene. He co leads the band Randal and is working on several other projects as the Matt Grason Motel Project, that features rappers like Kokaiy (Steve Coleman), Sub Z and John Moon (Dapp Theory), at the time his recording debut as leader "Twelve", shows the light. Gulbrandsen plays highly expressive, rhymically complex avant-jazz that sound fresh despite its indebtedness to the downtown New York scene.
+ Sam Harris: Interludes (FSNT435). March 2014. Quintet recorded at Sear Sound Studios, New York City, June 17, 2013. Harris plays piano and synthesizers. Alt sax, bass clarinet and flute are the wind instruments used here alongside the rhythm section
+ Taylor Haskins: Metaview. FSNT 258 featuring: Taylor Haskins (tp, kb, perc), Andrew Rathbun (ts, ss), Adam Rogers (g), Matt Penman (b), Mark Ferber (d, gong)
+ Hat: Hi Ha. FSNT 264. This new jazz quartet is formed by talented Catalonian musicians as Sergi Sirvent (piano, Rhodes and vocals), Jordi Matas (guitar), Marc Cuevas (bass) and Oscar Domenech (drums). Influenced by the blues, rock, pop, free and reggae, they play original compositions in which each one of the member gives a great part of his own personality.
+ The Heckler - Juan Pablo Balcazar Group: Heckler City. FSNT-232. The Heckler is a quartet influenced by contemporary urban jazz sounds found mainly in New York and Barcelona's underground. Present-day jazz in which you'll hear music elements from pop-rock, new-bop and free jazz; elements always treated with the acoustic format, a way to guarantee a very jazzy sound.
+ Aaron Irwin: Ordinary Lives (FSNT441). March 2014. Recorded at Systems Two Recording Studio, Brooklyn, New York on May 23 and 24, 2013. Aaron is a sax player (alto) and adds to the front line Danny Fox on piano and Fender Rhodes, as well as guitarist Sebastian Noelle. The drummer is Greg Ritchie and the bass duty is the responsability of Thomson Kneeland
+ Max Johnson: The Invisible Trio (FSNT438). March 2014. The leader is bassist while the front voice is the horn of Kirk Knuffke and the drummer Ziv Ravitz ... an unusual type of trio! Recorded at Acoustic Recording, May 29, 2013
+ Michael Kanan & Nat Su: Dreams and Reflections. FSNT 225. Recorded in New York City, 2004. Free improvised music without any preset things, pure conversation and ideas exchange between piano and alt sax.
+ Arthur Kell Quartet: Traveller. FSNT-229. Arthur Kell, born in Winchester, Massachusetts, has performed with a wide cross-section of the New York jazz community and in most major U.S. cities as well as in France, Germany, Belgium, Holland and Italy.
+ João Lencastre: Communion B-Sides. FSNT 338. Jan. 09. Drummer Joao Lencastre's second work in front of his Communion band, presents nine spirited tracks. Despite of the Paul Motian's Fiasco and Steve Swallow's "Pete Best" seven of them are originals. Also in the band is alt saxophonist David Binney
+ João Lencastre: Communion One! FSNT 298. August 07. Communion One is a dream that comes true, a top-notch group working under the leadership of eclectic drummer Joao Lencastre. A busy quintet that assembled in Lisbona his exciting melting pot of modern influences in a original introspective way that ranges from the classic 60s hard bop, to the current avant-garde. Recorded half live-half in the studio, this CD are marked by lengthier solos from trumpeter Phil Grenadier, local guitarist André Matos and the always likeable piano work of Bill Carrothers.
+ Yoann Loustalot: Derniers Reflets (FSNT 412). Oct. 2012. This French quartet with a trumpetist as leader also features drummer Antoine Paganotti, son of Magma's ex bass player. They play their own compositions, relying on a good balance between the written and the improvised, searching for forms, moods and dynamics. All players are well experienced musicians and performers.
+ Klemens Marktl: Ocean Avenue. FSNT240. Recorded in Brooklyn in 2004. The sound of the drummer's new album recorded with Fresh Sound New Talent artists Chris Cheek, Aaron Goldberg and Matt Penman, is espacially characterized by the modern sound of the leader's strong compositions. These compositions are a mixture between complex rhythms and very calm and atmospherically melodies.
+ Roger Mas Quintet: Mason. FSNT 296. August 07. The music heard here makes a strong and joyful case for the enduring way of a currently solid quintet of young jazzmen. All-around this CD, pianist Roger Mas makes likeable use of an original sound that quickly sets the recording standard, developing mutual understanding among friends. "Mason" captures the group in terms of freshness, imagination and security just as a extendion of the previous trio work on Fresh Sound New Talent "Among 3" (FSNT-276).
+ Nicolas Masson: Yellow (a little orange). FSNT 261. Born and raised in Switzerland, saxophonist and composer Nicolas Masson, here also featured on bass clarinet, presents us his quartet with among other drummer Gerald Cleaver
+ Jordi Matas Organic Trio: Landscape. FSNT 304. Nov. 07. Guitar, Hammond B3, drums trio. This is the 3rd recording for the label and Matas is a fine writer of sometimes dark, sometimes playful electric music that sits solidly in the modern guitar tradition. His hollow body guitar exudes feeling through his emphasis on thoughtful phrasing, balanced notes, and empathy for the music.
+ Jordi Matas Quintet: Racons. FSNT236. 2nd album and one of the most interesting formations in Barcelona's jazz scene today, not only thanks to Jorge Rossy (here on piano and Rhodes), one of the most renowned Catalan jazzmen, but also thanks to Matas' compositional strength and the vitality they transmit in every note.
+ Marco Mezquida Trio: My Friend Marko (FSNT426). March 2014. Piano trio recorded in Barcelona, April 10, 2012
+ Javier Moreno: Briza (FSNT 382). Feb. 2011. Recorded in Brooklyn in 2009, this trio led by a double bass player also features saxophonist George Garzone as special guest.
+ Justin Mullens & The Delphian Jazz Orchestra: Tales of Pan and Eyes of Argus. FSNT355. Nov. 09. The Delphian Jazz Orchestra performs music that stretches outside of the typical parameters of a traditional big band. The music drastically morphs styles that fall anywhere from the influences of Ellington and Monk to Stravinsky and Frank Zappa. Hoping to free itself from the confines of formal structure, The Delphian Jazz Orchestra expresses a full range of emotion and thought through unique musical artistry.
+ Sebastian Noelle Quartet: Across the river (USA). FSNT249. Features his quartet, with Donny McCaslin (Maria Schneider Orchestra, Dave Douglas Quintet) on tenor sax, Ari Hoenig (Kenny Werner Trio) on drums, Ben Street (Kurt Rosenwinkel Quartet, Danilo Perez Trio) on double bass and himself on guitar.
+ Eva Novoa Quartet: S/T (FSNT431). March 2014. Recorded in Barcelona in 2010.
+ Paul Olenick Sextet: Contact. FSNT 315. May 08. Trombonist Paul Olenick is living in New York City since 1997 and cut this session in 2005, a fine effort which features very special soloist presence of alto sax Chris Cheek.
+ Eivind Opsvik: Overseas II. FSNT219. This is the second leader-session by the acclaimed Norwegian composer and bassist Eivind Opsvik for Fresh Sound New Talent. Being from Norway Eivind's music is a combination of two worlds; the European and the New York jazz scene. European melody and space combined with the grooves/rhythms and intensity of New York. Essential listening for all fans of new and interesting jazz mixed with pop sensibilities and a fresh breath of northern air.
+ Orchestra Jazz de Matosinhos: Invites Chris Cheek. FSNT 277. Since 1999, the Orchestra Jazz de Matosinhos has been steadily gaining its place as one of the most original and distinctive musical groups in the current panorama of European big bands. Thanks in part to the intelligent strategy followed by its two mentors, Carlos Azevedo & Pedro Guedes: the gradual development of instrumental consistency and interpretative conscience. Saxophonist Chris Cheek demonstrates every step of the way how he managed to internalize the uniqueness of this repertoire, applying remarkable care, restraint a sensibility to the transformation of always enchanting and creative improvisations into a sort of extension and active complement of the distinctive thematic character of each piece.
+ Aruán Ortiz Quartet: Orbiting. FSNT396. April 2012. Recorded in October 2011 and arranged by the leader and pianist, this quartet features among other guitarist David Gilmore
+ Aruán Ortiz Quartet: Alameda (FSNT 336). April 09. Touched by a variety of influences, from Andrew Hill to Chopin and Cuban legend Lili Martínez, Aruán's music transmits a fresh sound that brings together pure jazz and Afro-Cuban roots. From the first note he transmits a musical maturity, and conveys such energy and intimacy in his music that all who have heard him cannot remain indifferent.
+ Roman Ott: Seeing People (FSNT 346). July 09. With his group Inner Shape, a jazz quartet from Berlin founded in 2003 and featuring guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, alt saxophonist Roman Ott comes here with the band's second album, made of own compositions based in modern structures.
+ Vardan Ovsepian: Points North (FSNT429). March 2014. Quartet with pianoand guitar, recorded in Barcelona in 2012
+ The Paislies: S/T. FSNT 294. May 2007. A jazz rock crossover group fronted by drummer Paul Wiltgen and guitarist Jesse Lewis, bringing together musicians from the United States, Luxembourg, Germany, and the Netherlands. The band introduces us his original compositions in its self titled debut album, a set which incorporate elements of modern jazz and improvised instrumental music, fusing an eclectic array of influences into one cohesive sound that is equally at home in both progressive and traditional jazz styles alike. One of the freshest and most exciting voices on the Brooklyn's musical scene today.
+ Akiko Pavolka & House Of Illusion: Mahoroba (FSNT 409). Oct. 2012. The Japanese singer recorded this album in August 2011. Based in New York, she plays a strikingly original music that blends pop and jazz with the sensibility of her native Japan. Her band House of Illusion has been performing regularly in New York since 1998. They have toured in the United States, Europe and Japan.
+ Oscar Penas Group: The Return Of Austronautus. FSNT 270. Austronautus was founded in Barcelona four years ago. The music of this group led by guitarist Oscar Penas is firmly rooted in the post-bop mainstream, yet it sounds fresh and distinctive, possessing a quality of lightness coupled with considerable drive.
+ Don Peretz: Foremen. FSNT221. Recorded at Maggie's Farm Pipersville, PA, 2003. Foremen is a drummer led quartet with a drummer-less focus in sound. Don Peretz Foremen is an exploration of free improvised music through the roots of melody and song.
+ Evaristo Perez: Cajón Jazz Trio (FSNT433). March 2014. Recorded in Fribourg in 2012, with Marta Themo on cajón.
+ Ricardo Pinheiro: Open Letter. FSNT356. Feb. 2010. This is the awaited debut album on Fresh Sound New Talent by the talented Portuguese guitarist Ricardo Pinheiro, a fine improviser combining a melting pot of influences to give rise to a very distinctive and deep sound that fits like a charm with the saxophone skills of the great Chris Cheek. Made exclusively of his compositions and arrangements, the album also benefits of Pinheiro's partners, who all have well established credentials as among the best of the local jazz scene.
+ Mikkel Ploug: Fernweh (FSNT 376). Feb. 2011. Recorded in Copenhagen in 2009, here's a new album by the Danish guitarist, with countryman and colleague Jeppe Skovbakke on bass and drummer Kevin Brow
+ Mikkel Ploug Group: Harmoniehof. FSNT 317. May 08. This is the 2nd album for Fresh Sound, recorded in Malmö, Sweden, in 2007. Ploug is a Danish guitarist whose recognition is getting bigger and bigger; his group opened for the Wayne Shorter group in april 2007. With him is another Dane, bass player Jeppe Skovbakke as well as the American saxophonist Mark Turner. Completing the line-up is drummer Sean Carpio
+ Mikkel Ploug Group: featuring Mark Turner. FSNT 263. The Danish guitarist has with him another Dane, bassist Jeppe Skovbakke. The young creative musicians meet one of the most influential and in demand saxophonists on today's jazz scene: Mark Turner. The music consists of originals written by Mikkel and it's both melodic and challenging.
+ Preminger / Kamaguchi / Garcia: Background Music (FSNT430). March 2014. Sax trio recorded at Estudi Laietana, Barcelona, December 7, 2010.
+ Kristjan Randalu: Equilibrium (FSNT 403). Oct. 2012. The pianist is playing in duo with guitarist Ben Monder. Recorded in Brooklyn, New York, May 25th 2011.
+ Matt Renzi: The Cave. FSNT 226. A San Francisco native, tenor saxophonist/clarinetist Matt Renzi presents here his trio.
+ Bob Reynolds: Can't Wait For Perfect (USA). FSNT 255. Debut album by a musician who creates a sound that, while still jazz, does not fall into the conventional categories of bebop or standards, fusion or smooth-jazz, or even mainstream contemporary jazz. With hints of soul, funk and rock, it is jazz that swaggers as much as it swings. Featuring: Bob Reynolds (ts, ss, synth), Aaron Goldberg (p,Fender Rhodes), Reuben Rogers (ab), Eric Harland (d), Mike Moreno (g), David Soler (g)
+ Jason Rigby: The Sage. FSNT 328. Nov. 08. With "The Sage", Jason Rigby has composed an album that's thought provoking without being pretentious, accessible without being insubstantial. Rigby is a fine saxophonist who builds coherent ideas gradually without over-emoting, the sign of someone in complete control of his craft. He is an eclectic writer, unafraid to let his inspirations shine through, be it Ornette Coleman's thematic openings or the second great Miles Davis Quintet. When writing, he always have in mind the people who play with/for him, here drummer Gerald Cleaver, bassist Cameron Brown, trumpetist Russ Johnson and on Fender Rhodes, pianist Mike Holober.
+ Pete Robbins: Do The Hate Laugh Shimmy. FSNT 313. April 08. Listening to this music transports you into the distinct musical universe of alto sax/composer Pete Robbins. It is filled with soaring sonic sculptures; ten singular tunes, peppered with his sprightly and beautifully toned flights of improvisation on alto sax. With this CD -Robbins' third release as a leader- this grant winning (Chamber Music America's prestigious "New Works: Creation and Presentation" grant), and critically applauded artist, offers a new chapter to the jazz cannon that reminds us of the vibrancy, originality and prolificacy that is so common in jazz today, particularly in his adopted home of Brooklyn. Some established new players will also be heard here like keyboardist Craig Taborn (Rhodes and Electro Nord) or guitarist Ben Monder, just to name a few!
+ Jordi Rossy Trio: Wicca. FSNT 309. Jan. 08. Until today more known for being first of all the drummer in Brad Mehldau's trio but also backing with his sticks Kurt Rosenwinkel or saxophonist Mark Turner, here's his debut album as a pianist with his own trio. Not quite a common trio since besides piano the two other thirds consist of organ and drums! The odd piano-organ combination is quite rich, bringing forward an euphoric amount of possibilities that move away from the piano trio traditional setting, in an unusual space, without stylistic references, urging the players to find new forms picked up from the intimate universe of every one in the band. A Unique work, maximum quality with fresh ideas and ensured surprises.
+ Greg Ruggiero: Balance. FSNT 293. May 2007. This album by the Brooklyn-based guitarist is a solid rendition to his main influences: Wes Montgomery, Pat Metheny, Pete Bernstein and Kurt Rosenwinkel, displaying some skills that can be easily heard in his music, a reflection of the experiences and relationships he has developed over the past few years, featuring some of the finest musicians on the scene today.
+ Hironobu Saito: The Rain. FSNT 326. Sept. 08. The Japanese guitarist is inclined to follow a musical original and rather meditative smooth groove but pianist Aaron Parks gives this time a more impressive jazzy support to the electric and acoustic formats this set runs; this is an album completely penned by the guitarist, except for the standard "I Wish I Knew".
+ Hironobu Saito: The Sea. FSNT 266. 2nd album for Fresh Sound by this talented Japanese guitarist, here both on electric and acoustic guitars. His tone is even and full and his chops hint of an early George Benson with smoothness, agility, and control. His seminal bandmates are also impressive, with a potent rhythm section and stellar musicianship. Particular interest goes to pianist Milton Fletcher and saxophonist Walter Smith who provide outstanding lead voices along with the guitarist.
+ Samo Salamon NYC Quintet: Government Cheese. FSNT 279. Guitarist Samo Salamon has been influenced by several kinds of music, including classical. While composers like Bartok and Messiaen ignite his imagination, he can also cut a swath out of rock, feed it into his compositions, and get the whole to fit in the thick of modern jazz. The blend often makes for compelling listening. Salamon lets his music speak in several tongues. The CD also benefits of a supporting band of renowned players from the New York jazz scene: Dave Binney (as), Josh Roseman (tb), Mark Helias (b), Gerald Cleaver (d).
+ Perico Sambeat & Javier Vercher: Infinita. (FSNT 351). July 09. Two Spanish sax giants back to back in a seriously fascinating set of all original compositions that embraces both the avant-garde and the old school. Inspired by latin rhythms, Vercher, on tenor sax, relishes free playing for its unpredictability and intuitiveness and the instant rapport with his fellow player, Sambeat, who gives an emotional gravity and a palpable sense of spirituality on alto sax. The feeling of discovery is present all around the record that also features Andrew Hill's drummer Eric McPherson and bass player Edward Perez.
+ Michael Simon: New York Encounter. FSNT360. Feb. 2010. The music of Michel Simon has its roots in his Venezuelan heritage and in Hard Bop and Afro-Caribbean Jazz, but it frequently goes in surprising directions. Composer of six of the eight racks, the repertoire varies from very groovy and energetic, to straight ahead jazz and subtle pieces.
+ Sergi Sirvent: Octopussy Cats (FSNT 413). Oct. 2012. This 2CD presents a music where the pianist and leader plus guitarist Jaume Llombart face an expanded blowing section with trumpet/fluegelhorn, sax, flute and bass clarinet.
+ David Smith Quintet: Circumstance. FSNT 267. David Smith is a Canadian-born trumpeter currently residing in New York City. He has previously recorded for for Fresh Sound New Talent with the Delphian Jazz Orchestra and the Alan Ferber Nonet. On this CD he is teamed with another young talent, saxophonist Seamus Blake
+ Vinnie Sperrazza: Play Cy Coleman (FSNT424). March 2014. Piano trio recorded in New York in 2012.
+ Stacken, Jesse: Bagatelles for Trio. FSNT 398. April 2012. Piano trio recorded at the Tedesco Studios, NJ, on June 5th, 2011. With Eivind Opsvik on bass and Jeff Davis on drums
+ Loren Stillman: It Could Be Anything. FSNT-230. This young alt saxophonist has already gained a very individualistic sound and composing style. His present quartet features drummer Jeff Hirshfield
+ Loren Stillman and Bad Touch: Going Public (FSNT434). March 2014. Recorded in Brooklyn, NY, September 10 and 11, 2012. Soul tinged quartet with Nate Radley on guitar, Gary Versace on Hammond B3 and Ted Poor on drums. Stillman plays alt sax.
+ Gian Tornatore: Blackout. FSNT 259 featuring: Gian Tornatore (s), Nate Radley (g), Jon Anderson (Fender Rhodes), Thompson Kneeland (b), Jordan Perlson (d)
+ Jeremy Udden: Folk Art (FSNT 410). Oct. 2012. Featuring among other Norwegian bass player Eivind Opsvik on two tracks, this album moves freely between jazz and folk, with Brandon Seabrook on banjo being the other voice facing the rhythm section. Fender Rhodes and Würlitzer are also featured on the two same tracks named above
+ Jeremy Udden: Plainville (FSNT 330). April 09. Described as "An appealingly dreamy roots-jazz combo" by New York's magazine Time Out, the record, named for Udden's home town, is his second as a leader for the Fresh Sound New Talent label. Also featuring the Norwegian bass player Eivind Opsvik
+ Manuel Valera Trio: Historia. FSNT 227. Cuban pianist, bandleader, composer and arranger, Manuel Valera is in the forefront of contemporary modern jazz. He represents the next generation of great performers and composers. His sound is fresh, inviting and evocative, and his goal is to forge innovative sounds that bring a vitality and newness to the idioms of jazz and Latin jazz. He is constantly workshopping musical ideas to develop new composition and arranging techniques that bring together Cuban, Puerto Rican, Brazilian and various jazz styles and forms. For his third album, "Historia", he recorded with bassist Ben Street and drummer Antonio Sanchez. Saxophonist Seamus Blake is featured on two tracks.
+ Giulia Valle Group: Live. FSNT415. Nov. 2012. Recorded at Jamboree Club Barcelona, June 1st, 2012. br> + Giulia Valle Group: Berenice. FSNT370. April 2010. 3rd album by the young bass player for Fresh Sound, recorded in 2009. Marco Mezquida is pianist but also plays here Fender Rhodes, keyboards and accordion, a guarantee for rich colours! With two blowers upfront and David Xirgu on drums, you start getting an idea of what this band is about. + Giulia Valle with Jason Lindner & Marc Ayza: Enchanted House. FSNT322. July 08. Vocalist Giulia Valle and drummer Marc Aysa met pianist Jason Lindner during a first visit to New York in 2000. Here they found that playing together brought in a special chemistry. After some more gig as a trio, they finally recorded this, their debut album. The trio's sound combines a strong versatile rhythm section with the agility of Lindner phrasing, performing on a host of keyboards, from piano to Fender Rhodes, Hammond C-3 organ, Minimoog voyager, Prophet 08. The CD includes mainly Giulia's stuff and she's also the artistic producer of what can be considered as an astonishing piece from the hottest part of contemporary Jazz.
+ Giulia Valle Group: Danza Imprevista. FSNT 287. Significant bass players as group leaders are not legions so if you hadd that She is the bass leader, then it's time for Giulia Valle and this self produced and composed masterpiece with some fine backing provided by a group of close friends, attempts to be her best card till now.
+ Nasheet Waits: Equality (FSNT 347). July 09. Drummer Nasheet Waits was member of Max Roach's percussive group M'Boom as well as pianist Andrew Hill's band. Here, he leads his first band, a jazz quartet balancing tradition and modernism, featuring pianist and previous colleague Jason Moran (Waits was playing in Morans group Bandwagon)
+ Scott Wendholt Adam Kolker Quartet: Andthem (FSNT427). March 2014. With Ugonna Okegwo on bass and Victor Lewis on drums
+ Johnny Åman: 9 Stygn (FSNT 408). Oct. 2012. The Finnish born bass player and leader, today based in Sweden, recorded this album in Sweden in 2010. The only non-Swedish band member is US saxophonist Tony Malaby

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GREAT WINDS .... GREAT WINDS .... GREAT WINDS .... GREAT WINDS ....

Algèbre: Topologie d'un Manège. Great Winds (GW 3163). Oct. 2013. Founded by musician and composer François Cotinaud and built for this purpose as an equation in three factors and two unknowns, this French trio invites for this chamber and experimental music Bruno Chevillon (double-bass), and the two drummers François Merville and Denis Charolles. Their music draw parabols, holograms, algorithms like timber flowers. To be discovered !
Amnesiac Quartet: Tribute to Radiohead Vol 2. Great Winds (GW 3166). Sept. 2013. Here is a group dedicated solely to the music of Radiohead. Halfway between jazz and progressive rock, they perform a music all at once strong, refined and organic. We find in the band Magma alumni and drummer Antoine Paganotti.
Big: Apokálupsis. Great Winds (GA 8699). May 2013. Here's pure energy Drum N' Bass, bringing the listener back to the original pulse, reminding us that music is a matter of breathing and life above all. Behind the project are drummer Edward Perraud (a name probably recognized by prog-rock afficionados and associated to the French dark band Shub-Niggurath) and bassist Frédérick Galiay.
BOHP4 Quartet: Terres. Great Winds (GW 3135). May 2011. Founded in 2010 by drummer Fabien Humbert, BOHP 4 quartet offers an uncommon concept: piano, accordion, contrabass , drums. The alchemy of sounds associated to the musical osmosis of a quartet offer a music full of contrast inviting us to travel on the "fields" of their musical imagination. Here is jazz music whose melodies are carried by a culture of rhythm drawing from progressive rock of the seventies as well as from Brad Meldhau, Pat Metheny or Enrico Pieranunzi's colored universes.
Faton Cahen Quintet: Amalgama. Great Winds (GW3145). Dec. 2011. After having been played live, the music of the late French pianist was recorded in 2010 in François Causse's studio in Massy, using the computer technology, without loosing the warmth of live music. No more preconceived ideas about style but simply a process where each musician brings his ideas and feelings. Tracks were built step by step and feature a few surprises in the guest section!
Cartel Carnage: Incorporated. Great Winds (GW 3149). March 2012. Although the roots of Carnage Cartel are in the metal, their music mixes with no border the free jazz, metal, pop and progressive rock to achieve a musical UFO. Group of avant-garde music, this project consists of musicians performing mainly in the jazz world, where especially saxophonist Sylvain Cathala shines throughout, backed by the underlined phrases of trumpetist Sylvain Bardiau. An explosive and at times rough cocktail where the energy of each is here to serve the common sound power and mutual music playing.
Ctrio: Alternances. Great Winds (GW 3170). April 2014. Born under the sign of three times "C", this challenging trio consists of vocalist Carole Hémard, pianist Claude Terranova and drummer Christian Lété. Classified as jazz in its broad sense, it brings forth a playful poetic modernity!
Diallele: S/T. Great Winds (GW 3123). March 09. Diallele is a young French band born in 2005 and playing experimental jazz. The trio is made of saxophone and clarinet player Mathieu Lemaire, guitarist Sylvain Lemaire and drummer Romain Berce. Diallele's music swings between jazz and Progressive rock, in all its aspects. But this is first and foremost a "land of freedom", opened to the melting-pot of various artistic forms.
Diptyque: 7. Great Winds (GW3124). May 09. Olivier Messiaen never foresaw that his seven modes would set up an interaction in a freestyle conversation between saxophones and drums, pitting seven cardinal signs against their virtues. Alexandre Davin & Jean-Marc Baccarini have decided to re-appropriate and serve them up to you. Their music happens spontaneously, in a space of creative freedom where anything is possible. "Experimental" music where intuition overrides reason. This music is an encounter, an unusual relationship, a dialogue between two committed musicians deeply involved with jazz and all forms of improvised music flowing from its source.
La Poche à Sons: 2010. Great Winds (GW 3141). July 2011. This band from Strasbourg, formed in 2002, explores a meeting point between jazz and comtemporary music. But fun and freedom are also elements of expression for this lineup consisting upfront of trombone and saxophone, backed by bass and drums. A high level of interaction between the players make them a group with a cutting edge!
Jean Lapouge: Plaything (GW3137) + Temporäre (GW 3138). April 2011. The founder of the group Noetra had for nearly 10 years a jazz trio with bass player Ken Carter and drummer Jeff Boudreaux. The album "Plaything" is compiled from those recording sessions; "Temporäre" offers an unconventional instrumentation: guitar, vibraphone (with long-time partner Christian Paboeuf who doubles on oboe on two tracks) and trombone (Christiane Bopp). Recorded in May 2009, the album reflects the band's live work. The accent here is on the tracks' simplicity and their inherent poetry.
Laura Littardi: Inner Dance. Great Winds (GW 3147). Feb. 2012. This singer magnifies the art of storytelling distinctive of the soul-pop sensibility where words and notes ooze slowly like earnest tears on a cheek, conveying further sadness or smitten tenderness. With astonishing timing, she uses folk harmonies openly, refusing the sophistication that would dress them in an excessive musical emotion. This is all refreshed by some of the timeless virtues of jazz: the sense of space, letting go without loss of control and flights of improvisation. She also masters a scatting with dazzling rhythmic mobility and cutting precision, has written herself catchy arrangements of an impressive orchestral cohesion, fused into a singular, thrilling space with brand new flavours, poignant and sensual rhythms, totally convincing!
Gérard Maimone: Soft Movies. Great Winds (GW 3146). Nov. 2011. After his time in the jazz-rock band Spheroe, the keyboardist went on pursuing his solo career by composing for the movies (over seventy scores for theatre, dance or movies), as well as performing live. This album is a testimony of his busy activity.
Gérard Maimone: A Dog on the Wall. Great Winds (GW 3140). March 2011. Mostly known for his membership in the jazz-rock outfit Sphéroe during the 70's, pianist and keyboardist Gérard Maimone pursued later a solo career, working a lot for the film and TV branch as well as performing live (concerts or musical theatre), exploring the various esthetical styles that he likes to share in his own atypical ways: from tango to jazz, oriental melodies to opera lieder... The 2000's have been synonymous for Maimone with a more pronounced return to the jazz idiom. This CD is a compilation of extracts from sessions of live recordings made between 2002 and 2010 with with saxophonist Jean Cohen and several other players.
Manu Pekar: Et Après - Great Winds (GW 3162). April 2013. Guitarist and former member of the band with the impossible name, NPTOLQSIVRT, Manu Pekar aligns here nine compositions, genuinely fresh, reflecting the urban culture of our time, mixing groove and emotion. Along with Damien Prud'homme (Saxophone), Gautier Laurent (Double-bass) and Christian Mariotto (Drums), he displays a creative and energic music, drawing from blues roots and rock, as well as contemporary improvisation.
Perception: Perception and Friends - Mestari (1972 -1973) (GW 3156). Dec. 2012. A symbolic figure of European free jazz, Perception was joining French bass player Didier Levallet, German pianist Siegfried Kessler, Hungarian saxophonist Yochk'o Seffer and drummer Jean-My Truong. This double CD gathers two of their albums, one live and another recorded with musicians external to the group, among whom we find Jean-Charles Capon, Kent Carter and Jean-François Jenny-Clark on cello (the latter rarely heard on this instrument), pianist Manuel Villaroel, early Magma members Teddy Lasry and Louis Toesca (trumpet).
Print: Live. Great Winds (GW3139). 2011. Street date: 02/11/11. Recorded by Kimmo Antikainen in november 2010 in Finland & Estonia during their Nordic and Baltic tour, here's the fifth album by the French quartet and its two front blowers, Stéphane Payen & Sylvain Cathala
Debora Seffer: Someone to Watch Over Me (GW 3154). Nov. 2012. This new album shows a new facet of Debora Seffer: her vocal side, full of feeling and groove! The nine pieces of the album explore new musical territories: this is brilliant jazz-rock fusion, but mixed with blues, ethnic and electronic elements. Thierry Maillard's elegant Fender Rhodes playing meets Jean-My Truong's versatile drumming: the musical basis of a sophisticated and worked-out music. An excellent piece of art !
Yochk'o Seffer: Acel III - Lyrikus-Szozat. Great Winds (GW 3160). Feb. 2014. Third recording by Seffer's jazz quartet, showing again if needed his ease to transgress rules (even those fixed by himself), styles and genres. Here comes to birth an hybrid form of jazz where Bartok and Kodaly talk to Monk! The album - like if it was a vinyl - presents two sides, the second being filled by the title track Lyrikus-Szoza, a showcase for many untraditional saxophones - from the tubax to the soprillo - played by Serge Bertocchi, sound sculptures, the different rhythms of an ex-percussionist of Les Percussions de Strasbourg and a jazz drummer, a piano marked by Pierre Boulez and even the song of a canary bird!
Yochk'o Seffer: From New York to Budapest. 2CD Great Winds (GW 3157). March 2013. This double CD presents some own compositions and a few tunes related to and/or composed by John Coltrane. Mostly in company of old musical brother François Causse on percussions and with the young pianist Sébastien Lovato, Seffer plays either on sax, taragot or piano. Laurent Matheron guests on soprano saxophone in a pair of tracks.
Yochk'o Seffer: Acèl Toll. Great Winds (GW 3143). Oct. 2011. First recording by Yochk'o's new quartet and at the same time a renewed association with one of his mates from fourty years earlier, bass player Didier Levallet (who played in Perception). The album is dedicated to another Perception member, the late Siegfried Kessler. The quartet is completed by two young musicians, pianist Sébastien Lovato and drummer "JP" Molina. Together they shape new horizon lines, where rigour rhymes with freedom and develop an evolving music where imagination is always supervised by the written; what the title expresses very well: steel feathers!
Stan X: Héritage. Great Winds (GW 3133). Jan. 2011. Recorded live in the studio, this album is the result of the musical thoughts of French bass player Eric Siger. Bass is also used to play heads in unisson with guitar and the music can be defined as fusion, but a fusion taking its source in multiple musical styles found between rock and jazz.
Strike Unit: Moonstation. Great Winds (GW 3132). Jan. 2011. French fusion music and a band hailing from Troyes, close to the Champagne area; the players having nearly the same musical background wanted to bring to life again the spirit of the great bands of the 70's, from Tony Williams Lifetime to John McLaughlin or Chick Corea
Why Note Trio: Entre Mundos. Great Winds (GW 3144). Feb. 2012. Here is the meeting of three musicians, the musical journey to a crossroad where jazz, contemporary music, traditional music and free improvisation meet. With very different approaches and experiences, flute, piano, acoustic bass and various instruments from around the world, the album is the result of a collaborative effort in the arrangement of jazz standards and other compositions, given voice within a special sound universe rich in atmospheres. There is an implicit understanding based on active listening, polyrhythmic pulses, ruptures, silences and a management of volume and content in such a way that each musician can find space to express himself.

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HUBRO .... HUBRO .... HUBRO .... HUBRO .... HUBRO .... HUBRO .... HU

Christian Wallumrød Ensemble: Many. CD / LP (HUBROCD2631 / HUBROLP3631). Street date: 28-02-20. In the making during a period of 4 years, this albums shows Wallumrød expanding the ensemble's sonic palette via the use of electronics and a serious thinking about how to play together differently! This process brought forth unpredictable sound combinations as well as a new approach to improvisation and the unknown!
Exoterm: Exits Into A Corridor. Hubro Music (HUBROCD2618 / HUBROLP3618). June 2019. This American - Norwegian supergroup presents here their first album. The band is created by Rune Nergaard, bassist and composer, known from another appreciated norwegian band (Bushman´s Revenge and also includes saxophonist Kristoffer Berre Alberts, as well as the two iconic American players, guitarist Nels Cline and drummer Jim Black. They mix for this album thrashy improvisations with dreamy electronic soundscapes, muscular bass riffs and raw, powerful saxophone playing.
Island Band, The: Like Swimming. Hubro (HUBROCD2553). 16-10-15. The Island Band is an orchestra led by musician, composer and producer Lars Myrvoll. With the album "Like Swimming" he has constructed a highly unusual and emotionally charged stream of music together with a stunning bouquet of versatile Norwegian musicians from bands such as Ultralyd, Splashgirl, MoHa, Kråkesølv, Sheriffs of Nothingness, Møster! and Datarock. In other words, a long list of the Norwegian music community's innovative "usual suspects"?.
Moskus: Ulv Ulv. Hubro CD/LP (HUBROCD2554/HUBROLP3554). Street date: 03-06-16. The members of Moskus form a restless trio and their form of expression is both immediately recognisable and constantly galloping freely in new and unexpected directions. They have expanded both their soundscape and their collection of instruments on this album. This is a recording full of stark contrasts, from unassuming acoustic chamber music to small, surprising and simple electronic pieces. They have also invited the musical trailblazer Nils Økland to join them, and he plays Hardanger fiddle on two exceptionally inspired tracks.
Trondheim Jazz Orchestra / Christian Wallumrød: Untitled Arpeggios And Pulses. Hubro (HUBROCD2566). 30-10-15. Christian Wallumrød was commissioned to compose a work for Trondheim Jazz Orchestra on the occasion of the Kongsberg Jazz Festival's 50th anniversary in 2014, and it was really a work with a capital W that he produced. The clearly pulse-driven work consists of four parts that are connected and range from the unassertively acoustic to the intensely forceful.

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ILK RECORDS .... ILK RECORDS .... ILK RECORDS .... ILK RECORDS ....

Jacob Anderskov: Impressions of Radiohead. Ilk(ILK220DIG). Street date: 10/03/14. The Danish piano delivers solo on piano his impressions of a band that did have a compositional influence on him.
Jakob Anderskov: Full Circle. ILK 178. March 2012. This is in fact the 4th album by the band Anderskov Accident. The special alloy obtained by Anderskov's wurlitzer and Tom Rainey's drums gives a seldom heard colour to the music, set up in a relatively free sound frame and opening many possibilities for the horn section, where trombonist Mads Hyhne (from the New Jungle Orchestra) and trumpetist/cornetist Kasper Trandberg really shine
Peter Bruun: Unintended Consequences. Ilk (ILK212LP). Street date: 09/09/13. Released on LP and only in 100 copies, this album by the Danish drummer is initiating the label's new vinyl series, where only 100 numbered LP copies of each release are available, no download or CD's. All with handwritten linernotes, titel & artist. "Incredibly slow and without intentions" is the formula of Bruun's new compositions, using graphical, dynamic and melodic guidelines as a starting point for improvisation and form creation. "Incredibly slow": through repetition and stagnation the music delves into the instrument and into simple dynamic possibilities. This brings focus to the slightest changes. A little becomes a lot. "Without intentions": the compositions provide merely a framework for the music in time, motive, idea, sound, tone rows, rhythmic and dynamic focus.
Nils Davidsen: Noget At Glæde Sig Til. ILK Music. Nils Davidsen is a known face on the Danish jazz scene. He was recenty nominated for a Danish Music Award in the category Best Jazz Album 2013 for the album Zone Bleue - a duo album with the danish trumpeter Kasper Tranberg. During the fall of 2013 Nils Davidsen has been working on a very personal project, a solo bass album and as the title says: Something to look forward to!
Ibrahim Electric: Rumours from Outer Space. ILK (ILK230CD/ILK230LP). CD release out on September 29th, 2014. With its 9 compositions, the album marks the beginning of a new era in the band's history, in which they will cross the known universe searching for extraterrestrial musical beings!
Kjærgaard / Street/ Cyrille: Open Opus. ILK 166. March 2012. The Danish pianist Søren Kjærgaard is backed here by a big-caliber rhythm section consisting of bass player Ben Street and the universal drummer Andrew Cyrille
Søren Kjærgaard: Syvmileskridt. Ilk (ILK215LP). Released as digital download and on a high-end limited edition vinyl (300 copies). Purchase of the vinyl includes album download codes for both mp3 and high resolution audio files. Furthermore, the purchase gives access to more than 30 minutes of exclusive bonus material from the session (the C-sides) which include alternative takes and improvs. The bonus tracks are recorded, mixed and mastered with the same care for detail as the album, and downloads are also available in both mp3 and high resolution audio files (WAV). Syvmileskridt was recorded at the legendary analog recording studio, Sear Sound in New York City, under the auspices of sound engineer James Farber. All the material (album and C-sides) is mixed to and mastered from 1/2" analog tape at 30 ips. This is the 4th album by Danish pianist Søren Kjærgaard's cross-Atlantic trio, featuring drummer Andrew Cyrille (US) and bassist Ben Street (US). Where the previous album looked into various nuances of silence and stillness, Syvmileskridt is more an album of movement. An initial inspiration for the album was the act of walking - whether it be a slow gait or a gallop - and how walking implies both repetition and variation: the cyclicality of a moving body, step by step, through a landscape of changing surroundings!
Klökkeblömst: Romanticist (ILK224CD). 16/06/14. 2nd album by this acoustic trio led by bass player and music award winner Peter Danstrup, supported by 2 x Anders, Provis on drums and Bake on saxophone.
Kostcirkeln: Pang. ILK (ILK221CD). Street date: 26/05/14. The Danish-Swedish band releases here the last part of a trilogy of EPs, started in 2012. "Pang" is offbeat and sophisticated avant garde pop with influences from afro beat, garage, disco and punk. The music and lyrics are very direct, with a touch of sweetness, energetic anarchy and loving nostalgia. All backed up by sparkling arrangements with sharp edges.
Mold: Rotten In Rødby. ILK 109CD. 2nd album by the Danish/German band and still going strong! Ideas and sketches have evolved and matured, the band is much present on the European jazz scene, old hits have received a facelift and their collective identity seems to be stronger than ever. Outstanding and refreshing experimental 21st century jazz, peaking, sparkling, (a)musing, spookying .... right now!
Søren Møller/Jesper Løvdal/Joel Frahm/Ari Hoenig: Lines Of Progression. Ilk Music (ILK218CD). Street date: 25/11/13. "Lines Of Progression" documents a trans-Atlantic collaboration between four musicians from New York and Copenhagen jazz communities. The result is an explorative pursuit by the quartet to find new ground for the traditional sound of the Hammond organ combo.
On Dog: Part 1 : Sloeblack. Ilk (ILK209CD). Nov. 2013. This unit is a two-engines machine. One - ILK is led by Danish guitarist Mark Solborg and the other - El Galo Rojo - by saxophonist and clarinetist Francesco Bigoni. Kind of a free chamber music, the project is characterized by an inventive modernity, never complying into the type of narcissistic outburts often associated to post free music. They equally evoke Jimmy Giuffre and guitarist Marc Ducret!
Kresten Osgood: Pianoalbummet. Ilk (ILK214CD). Street date: 23/09/13. After stamps, this new thematic album deals with the drummer's rememberings of his childhood piano. Osgood plays most instruments on Pianoalbummet, but has been helped by his closest friends. Bass parts and horn parts are performed by respectively Thomas Vang (who also has recorded music) and Jesper Løvdal. In addition, Magnus Jochumsen recorded some percussion and Prins Nitram plays rhythm guitar on one track.
Solborg / Bigoni / Brow: Hopscotch. ILK 179. March 2012. A Danish guitarist, an Italian saxophonist and a Canadian drummer form this multi-cultural trio anchored in ear catching melodies, refined arrangements and the sense of playing on nuances
Solborg/Banke: Song. ILK (ILK225CD). 23/06/14. New live album, recorded during the Danish Vinterjazz Festival 2014.
Simon Toldam Trio: Kig Op 14. ILK (ILK227CD/ILK227LP). Release date: September 29th, 2014. Twelve explorations of various moods and rhythms take the trio from minimalistic acoustic soundscapes to folkish piano hymns to tuneful swings and ballads. Drummer Knut Finsrud and bass player Nils Davidsen once again complete this versatile and vibrant trio. Whether it's swinging, mooding, noising or silencing, the interplay between these three shows their stunningly ability to breathe and blow as one musical organism.
Kasper Tranberg: Suite Dilation. ILK (ILK300CD). Street date: 01-04-20. Solo album on trumpet and cornet by one of the great names of the Danish and European jazz scenes, having recorded with such great people as Marc Ducret, Yusef Lateef, Tyshawn Sorey, Tim Berne. The album is built around 4 pieces, on which Tranberg works with the essence of his sound and melodic improvisations, after so many years still seeking "the beautiful" in music!
The Unusual History of Ether: A Distant Age. ILK (ILK216CD). Street date: 02/09/13. This 2nd album covers a wide musical and philosophical terrain and crosses many borders in the process. The band has taken the dramatic undertones of their first EP (2012's "Part One") and has brought them to the fore with an intense new energy, producing grooves that are tightly wound with threads of dark pop melody. Let's remind you that the basis of this project is the songwriting partnership of Irish singer, keyboardist and songwriter Rebecca Collins and Danish jazz guitarist and composer Mikkel Ploug.
Travelling Tribes will release on Ilk in April 2014 their second album in collaboration with the Gamelan Orchestra, bringing the Indonesian music tradition into their sonic universe

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INTAKT RECORDS .... INTAKT RECORDS .... INTAKT RECORDS .... INTAKT ..

Anker / Courvoisier / Mori: Alien Huddle (Intakt IN 144). Sept. 08. This all-women trio was recorded in 2006 in New York. If pianist Sylvie Courvoisier and electronic wizzard Ikue Mori are known to most of you, my guess is that few know Danish saxophonist Lotte Anker, though some of you may have heard her in Tim Berne's band. All three of them have actually been members of his band and this somehow gives a cue about the musical inspiration and direction followed by the trio
Conrad Bauer: Hummelsummen (IN 085). Solo trombone recorded in a church in march 2002.
Billiger Bauer: Edges & Friends. Intakt IN 112. Jan. 07. Young Swiss collective born from the post 68 generation and gathered around saxophonistOmri Ziegele. Brilliant ideas, audacious arrangements, great team work, are the ingredients of a music already building tomorrow's jazz!
Biondini / Godard / Niggli: What Is There What Is Not. Intakt IN185. May 2011. A transalpine acoustic trio with Swiss accordion player Luciano Biondini, French tubist Michel Godard (also playing here the serpent and acoustic bass) and Italian drummer Lucas Niggli. A folk touch expressed in complex improvisations with a singing and dancing voice!
Co Streiff Sextet: Loops, Holes, Angels. Intakt IN119. April 07. Jazz especially attracted by the African sounds (especially the bellaphon) and in a vein not unlike The Art Ensemble of Chicago or Sun Ra.
Cosa Brava: The Letter. Intakt (IN 204). April 2012. This group is a story teller and comes here with their second album since their creation in 2008. Created by guitarist Fred Frith, it also features a good deal of members of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum (violinist Carla Kilhstedt, Mattias Bossi) an other musicians like for example Zeena Parkins.
Sylvie Courvoisier: Lonelyville. Intakt IN120. April 07. With husband Mark Feldman, the French cellist Vincent Courtois, the Japanese laptop specialist Ikue Nori and drummer Gerald Cleaver
Sylvie Courvoisier - Mark Feldman Quartet: Hôtel du Nord. Intakt IN192. May 2011. Bearing the title of a famous French film by Marcel Carné, this album reveals a well tried quartet, mixing the impressionism of the piano, the lyricism of the violin with a very active rhythm cell, where the drums of Gerry Hemingway and the bass of Thomas Morgan open all possible sound fields! Recorded in 2011.
Andrew Cyrille & Anthony Braxton: Duo Palindrome 2002 vol.1.
Demierre / Guy / Niggli: Brainforest (IN 107). Intakt Records.
Pierre Favre: Saxophones. Intakt. Featuring Michel Godard and the Arte Saxophone Quartet.
Pierre Favre / Yang Jing: Two In One. Intakt IN 114. June 06. The Chinese pipa player (she plays in the National Orchestra and is as well a contemporary composer) met the Swiss percussionist in Peking in 1999. the music is largely improvised.
Fred Frith's Cosa Brava: Ragged Atlas. Intakt (IN 161). May 2010. With this album, Frith rediscovers a certain freshness in his musical approach and improvised form. With proved partners like violinist Carla Kilhstedt, drummer Matthias Bossi and this time on keyboards, accordion and singing (no harp!) Zeena Parkins, he has the ideal cards to face his own ideas, swing and set on fire!
Fred Frith / Arte Quartett: Still Urban. Intakt Records (IN 155) + The Big Picture (IN 156). March 09. The British guitarist is here playing electric guitar, facing a saxophone quartet and interpreting some of his best compositions. Recorded in Zurich in 2008
Fred Frith / Chris Brown: Cutter Heads. Intakt IN 124. Sept. 07. They met within the ensemble Orkestrova and at the Center for Contemporary Music (CCM)of the Mills College, Oakland, USA, where they both teach. Directed contemporary improvisations, (de)constructions for guitar, piano and computer, this is what you'll find in there!
Globe Unity Orchestra: 40 Years. Intakt IN133. Jan. 08. Recorded in studio in Baden Baden or live at the Jazz Fest 2006 in Berlin, here's the commemoration of 40 years in the life of an illustrious and impressive collective founded in 1966. The line-up is in itself a who's who of the free improvised scene, including Kenny Wheeler, Manfred Schoof, Jean Luc Capozzo, Axel Dörner, Evan Parker, Gerd Dudek, Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky, Rudi Mahall, George Lewis, Paul Rutherford, Jeb Bishop, Johannes Bauer, Alexander Von Schlippenbach, Paul Lovens and Paul Lytton. By constantly requestioning themselves, the band succeeded in renewing themselves and their music is today as fresh as it was in 1966!
Globe Unity Orchestra: Globe Unity 2000 (IN 086).
Barry Guy & The London Jazz Composers Orchestra: Study II, Stringer (Intakt IN 095). Stringer was originally released on the FMP label in 1983 while Study II dates from 91. The use of the silence brings us back to John Cage while it is also noteworthy to hear what has been borrowed from various ethnic musics
Barry Guy New Orchestra: Oort - Entropy. IN 101. Created at the Taktlos Festival, Zürich in 2004.
Guy / Parker: Birds And Blades. This release offers 7 studio improvisations and by contrast 4 captured live. The booklet presents a 24 pages long interview of those two friends, either known from the London Jazz Composers(Barry Guy) or The Electro-Acoustic Ensemble(Evan Parker).
Guy / Crispell / Lytton: Ithaca. Intakt. The trio takes its inspiration in modern architecture and painting
Koch / Schütz / Studer: Tales From 30 Unintentional Nights. Intakt IN 117. Jan. 07. Trio recorded in Zürich in 2005 at the Schlosserei 12. Koch is on clarinet, saxophone and electronics, Schütz on cello and electronics while fredy Studer operates on drums and percussion
Steve Lacy: November. Intakt (IN 171). June 10. One of the last solo recordings of the saxophonist, recorded here in 2003 in Zürich, Switzerland
Oliver Lake / Reggie Workman / Andrew Cyrille: Time Being. Intakt IN 106. June 06. A very mature recording by a solid trio having played together for a long time and able to deliver a real musical alchimy, from bop to free, from avant-garde to world.
George Lewis: Sequel. Intakt IN 111. Sept. 06. Sequel is a composition by Lewis, recorded at the New Jazz Meeting in Baden Baden in 2004 and dedicated to Lester Bowie, this recording connects with intelligence the specificities of acoustic music with the current electronic trends: laptop, electronics, turntables, etc... The band is an octet and there are other pieces coming from other recordings in Basel and Rottenburg.
Maybe Monday: Unsquare. Intakt IN 132. March 08. Ten years after their first concert, the band - originally a trio consisting of guitarist Fred Frith, saxophonist Larry Ochs and the koto player Miya Mazaoka - celebrates with this release (their third) their anniversary, inflating the trio for this occasion to the size of a septet by inviting old friends like drummer Gerry Hemmingway, violinist Carla Kihlstedt, harpist Zeena Parkins and the electronic wizzard Ikue Mori
Phil Minton / Veryan Weston: Ways Out East, Ways Out West. IN 097. A contracted form for piano, organ and voice of a work originally written in 93 for a six voices choir.
Louis Moholo-Moholo / Marilyn Crispell: Sibanye (We Are One). Intakt IN145. Dec. 08. First meeting between two major figures of improvised jazz, the South-African drummer meeting the American pianist
Lucas Niggli Drum Quartet: Beat Bag Bohemia. Intakt (IN139). June 08. An all percussive affair led by a member of the band Steamboat Switzerland
Niggli Zoom: Rough Ride. Drummer >Lucas Niggli is one of those times big surprises with his approach of blues and rock idioms integrated to a jazz ensemble consisting of trombone, guitar and drums.
Lucas Niggli Zoom Ensemble: Sweat. Intakt. Work written for large ensemble, full of contrasts and changes of tempi. Revives the spirit of Frank Zappa
Niggli Big Zoom: Big Ball. Recorded at the Willisau festival and a club in Zürich. This one adds bass and clarinet to the ensemble.
OM: Willisau. Intakt (IN 170). May 2010. This Swiss outfit was a cult band in the 70's and is here recorded in 2008. Percussionist Fredy Studer, the Irish guitarist Christy Doran, tenor and sopran saxophonist Urs Leimgruber and bassist Bobby Burri all share a common love for free jazz, Coltrane and Hendrix.
Sten Sandell Trio: Oval. Intakt IN 122. Jan. 07. The pianist (and singer) is recorded here in Zürich in 2005 together with the more and more afterthought drummerPaal Nilssen-Love and bass player Johan Berthling.
Elliott Sharp: Concert in Dachau. Intakt IN 149. June 08. Recorded on May 16,2007 at the Café Teufelhart, this CD presents Sharp on guitar and laptop. This recital has a double symbolic meaning as Sharp is the son of Jewish immigrants who escaped the holocaust
Irene Schweizer: First Choice. Intakt IN 108. Sept. 06. Compositions by the Swiss lady, interpreted and recorded at the Congress Cultural Center of Luzern in 2005 in a concert room which is said to have one of the best acoustic property in the world!
Irene Schweizer: Portrait (IN 105). The label Intakt wanted to celebrate the 20 years career of the Swiss pianist and gives us this CD + book presenting her in company of many collaborators.
Irene Schweizer: Live At Taktlos. IN 001. Reissue of a mythical album released on LP in 1986.
Schweizer / Anderson / Drake: Live Willisau & Taktlos. Intakt IN 104. Jan. 07. Tenor saxophonist Fred anderson and drummerHamid Drake know each other since their prime youth in Louisianna. As Drake recently played regularly with the Swiss pianist Irene Schweizer , it was unavoidable they would play together. Mathematics can be tricky as here 2+2=3 !
Aki Takase / Silke Eberhard: Ornette Coleman Anthology. Intakt IN129. Sept. 07. Two women, one on piano, the other on alto sax and clarinets, are dedicating this music to a great man for a personal and audacious celebration of his music
Aki Takase / Lauren Newton: Spring In Bangkok IN 110. April 2006. Recorded in 2004 in a club in Berlin
Trio 3 + Geri Allen: Celebrating Mary Lou Williams. Intakt (IN 187). Sept. 2011. Recorded at New York's Birdland in 2010, here's an hommage to the First Lady Of Jazz, celebrated by drummer Andrew Cyrille - who worked for her - bass player Reggie Workman and saxophonist, flutist Oliver Lake + pianist Geri Allen as guest (note that Allen was playing the role of Mary Lou Williams in "Kansas City", the film by Robert Altman!)
Trio 3 & Geri Allen: At This Time. Intakt (IN162). Recorded in 2008 at the Birdland, here's a meeting of great musicians who all have been at some time playing with pianist Geri Allen: drummer Andrew Cyrille played on Geri's first album, bass player Reggie Workman invited Geri on his album Cerebral Caverns from 1995 and finally saxophonist Oliver Lake (here on alt sax and flute) had Geri on many of his albums as well as in his groups.
Trio 3 + Irene Schweizer: Berne Concert. Intakt IN150. Dec. 08. Recorded during the Taktlos Festival in 2007, the New York trio affiliated to the history of the New Thing (Reggie Workman, andrew Cyrille and Oliver Lake) invites the Swiss pianist veteran and unavoidable figure of the European jazz.
Alexander Von Schlippenbach Trio: Pakistani Pomade. atavistic ALP 240. June 06. This recording of 1972 with Evan Parker and Paul Lovens is now available with 20 mn of bonus material
Priska Walss & Gabriela Friedli: Intervista (IN 087). Two women, one on trombone and alphorn, the second on organ and piano, give us here their art of modern story telling, taking risks in their duo improvisations.
Zentralquartett: 11 Songs (Intakt IN 113). This ensemble from the ex DDR set the free jazz scene on fire at their beginning. This record is their 4th for Intakt and revisits in 11 songs the classical German repertoire - the Volkslieder from the Middle Age. Among them the famous "Es War Ein König in Thule" heard in Goethe's "Faust". The musicians were trombonist Conrad Bauer, drummer Günter Sommer, pianist Ulrich Gumpert and alt saxophonist, clarinetist Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky

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LE SOUFFLE CONTINU .... LE SOUFFLE CONTINU .... LE SOUFFLE CONTI..

Baroque Jazz Trio: Baroque Jazz Trio + Orientasie / Largo. Le Souffle Continu (FFL056CD). July 2019. CD version containing the group's sole album (released in 1970) + the Single "Orientasie / Largo" as bonus tracks. The trio was featuring French pianist Georges Rabol, cellist Jean-Charles Capon and jazz drummer Philippe Combelle.
Baikida E.J. Carroll: Orange Fish Tears. SouffleContinu Records (FFL088CD). Street date: 08-09-23. Recorded in 1974 by Jef Gilson for his Palm record label in 1974, featuring Baikida E.J. Carroll alongside Oliver Lake, Nana Vasconcelos and Manuel Villaroel, Orange Fish Tears is an enlightened spiritual / free jazz odyssey.The first side of the album is divided into two long tracks which send free jazz back to its long-lost African roots. The other side is more introspective. With these two sides, and in under 45m, Baikida Carroll and his musicians show just what they can do, from cerebral to charnel without ever simplifying things. This is an indispensable album if you are a fan of free-wheeling avant-garde music from the Art Ensemble of Chicago to Sonic Youth and including Shabaka Hutchings or Rob Mazurek.
Philippe Maté / Jef Gilson: Workshop. Le SouffleContinu (FFL075). Street date: 11-11-22. A new title in the Palm Redux Series, the first ever reissue of this impossible to find Spiritual / Free Jazz nugget!
Phillipe Maté / Daniel Vallancien: Maté / Vallancien. Le Souffle Continu (ffl047). December 2018. First ever vinyl reissue of this French underground project. Limited edition of 500 copies - Obi Strip. Licenced from Saravah. Behind this collaboration was the idea of creating music which was free, direct and spontaneous, while having also a minimum of advance planning. Music, according to the brief liner notes desirous to "remove itself from long and patient laboratory experiments ". So, there can be found here none of the sophisticated tools associated with electroacoustic research, but mainly a recording mixer console, which, in the hands of Daniel Vallancien acts directly on the original instrumental sound in real time, modifying and multiplying it while respecting the natural flow.
Perception: Live at Le Stadium. Le Souffle Continu (ffl054CD). October 2019. Unreleased live recording from 1977 with Jacques Thollot on drums, including a 6 page booklet with unpublished paintings by Yochko Seffer + an essay by Didier Levallet. This is the only testimony of the drummer's playing with the band, a precious gem!
Potts, Steve: Musique Pour Le Film D'Un Ami. Le Souffle Continu (FFL062). October 2020. First ever reissue of impossible to find French soundtrack by Steve Potts. Mixing elements of spiritual jazz, free funk and dirty grooves, the album was mixed by Jef Gilson. Remastered from the master tapes.
Barney Wilen: Moshi. 2LP + DVD. Le Souffle Continu (FFL015). Street date: 10-02-2017. Deluxe reissue with additional artwork & remastered audio. Limited edition of 1000 copies, with a 20-page booklet printed on classy 200 gsm matt art paper, including rare pictures, sheet music & original liner notes. Bonus DVD with exclusive artwork of Caroline de Bendern's movie « à l'Intention de Mlle Issoufou à Bilma » documenting this incredible African journey. This movie has never been released on any format before.
Moshi was a dark, eccentric effort fusing avantjazz sensibilities with African rhythms, ambient sound effects and melodies rooted in American blues traditions. Cut with French and African players including guitarist Pierre Chaze, pianist Michel Graillier and percussionist Didier Leon, this is music with few precedents or followers, spanning from extraterrestrial dissonance to earthbound, streetlegal funk.

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LEO RECORDS .... LEO RECORDS .... LEO RECORDS .... LEO RECORDS ....

Aardvark Jazz Orchestra: Trumpet Madness. LR 423. 4th record for Leo. This 28 piece orchestra is led by trumpetist Mark Harvey and is here recorded in concert in Cambridge. Dense and tight harmonies.
Actis Band: Allende. LR462. June 06. the new compositions by the saxophonist swing between jazz, punk, funk, avant-rock and world music.
Actis Band: Garibaldi. The band led by the italian saxophonist Carlo Actis is a wild mix of avant-garde & funky beats and covers a wide stylistic field.
Actis Dato / Martinez: Folklore Imaginario. Sept. 2005. LR 447. Baritone sax or bass clarinet against acoustic bass. A *deep* meeting!!
Actis Dato Quartet: Sin Fronteras. Leo Records (LR 646). July 2012. Still there, the Italian saxophonist, known for his inventive and joyously festive jazz, delivers here no less than his 15th release for the label!
Adler / Chauncy / Lloyd / Palmer / Wachsmann: Apparitions (LR 408). Strings, winds, electronic, young lions and old masters of the British improvisation school here together with the same motivation and freshness
Anker / Taborn / Cleaver: Triptych. Oct. 2005. LR 441. The Danish female saxophonist from the Copenhagen Art Ensemble is heard here in fine trio company, pianist Craig Taborn (sideman by James Carter, Art Ensemble of Chicago) and drummer Gerald Cleaver.
Bennink / Nabatov: Chat Room
Billy Bottle & The Multiple is probably a name you never heard of! This is basically the work of multi-instrumentist Lee Fletcher (producing, mixing and mastering, all vocals, keyboards, organ, violin and additional bass) with significant help by Kate Westbrook and Jay Darlington (Kula Shaker) amongst others. The new album "Unrecorded Beam" is filled with delightful surprises and a certainly pertinent listening for Canterbury fans! The street date for the digital download is December 16th, 2013 (check out Bandcamp!) but a physical CD can also be pre-ordered for later release. It features an eight-page booklet lovingly illustrated by Becky Bettesworth, with liner notes by Neil Saunders and full lyrics. It will also include an immediate download of the 9-track album in the high-quality format of your choice (MP3, FLAC, and more), plus unlimited mobile access using the free Bandcamp listening app.
Anthony Braxton Ninetet: (Yoshi's) 1997 / Vol 4. Leo Records LR500-501. Jan. 08. This 2CD is the 4th volume of the Ghost Trance Music sessions recorded in the Oakland club in 1997. Features among other bass player Joe Fonda
Anthony Braxton: With the Creative Orchestra (LR 453-454). 2CD recorded in 94 in London. The works played here are closer to contemporary classical writing than jazz.
Anthony Braxton Quartet: Birmingham 1985. LR 202-03. With Marylin Crispell: piano, Gerry Hemmingway: drums and Mark Dresser: bass.
Anthony Braxton Quintet: (London) 2004 / Live At The Royal Festival Hall. LR 449. This concert was airplayed on Christmas's eve 2004 by the BBC and gave Braxton and his band a standing ovation.
Anthony Braxton Ninetet: (Yoshi's) 1997 / Vol 3. 2CD ( LR 420-421) from the mythical marathon residency, six nights in Oakland where the saxophonist developped his concept of Ghost Trance Music.
Anthony Braxton: Ninetet (Yoshi's) 1997 Vol.2. 2CD filled by compositions 209 & 210 (one per CD).
Anthony Braxton: Two Compositions 1998. This follows the series "Ghost Trance Music" and presents a collective of 3 saxophonists, one clarinetist and one bassoonist.
Anthony Braxton: 23 Standards (Quartet) 2003. Leo Records. This 4CD boxset includes interpretations of standards by Monk, Coltrane, Porter, Brubeck, Hancock, Rivers - presenting a very talented new guitarist: Kevin O'Neil
Anthony Braxton / Walter Franks: Improvisations 2004. LR 429-430. 2CD of rhapsodic compositions and a meeting with the Argentinean pianist.
Anthony Braxton / György Szabados / Vladimir Tarasov: Triotone (LR 416). Recording from a Montenegro festival and high level improvisations
Burt / Mac Donald Sextet: Boohoo Fever. Leo Records LR 472. DEc. 06. An impressive sextet led in tandem by guitarist George Burt and sax player Mac Donald, further more pushed at work by the presence of pianist Keith Tippett
Carr / Nord / Hofmann / Maddox: Biosphere. LR 456. June 06. 2nd album by this jazz group from Oregon, USA
Carr/Nord/Hofmann: In Walks Art. Violin, guitar & electronics, dms & percussion. Improvised music rich in timbers, sensitive, abstract.
François Carrier: Happening (Leo Records LR 451-452). One of the most interesting artists from the free jazz scene in Quebec is here recorded in Montreal in April 2005. With him the always surprising viola player Mat Maneri but also Uwe Neumann on sitar, sanza and more, on top of an acoustic bass + drums rythm section
Eugene Chadbourne: Adventures At the Guitar Festival. The Greetings Fellow Pickers was a festival about the guitar organized in New York in 99. The 2CD is a testimony of all those guitar meetings and musical creations
The Clarinet Trio: Ballads & Related Objects (LR 415). Gebhard Ullmann: bass clarinet, Jürgen Kupke: clarinet and Michael Thieke: alto clarinet & clarinet
The Collective Quartet: Moving Along (LR 418). Featuring bassist William Parker and percussionist Heinz Geisser
The Collective Quartet: Synopsis. Heinz Geisser, Mark Hennen, Jeff Hoyer & William Parker invite us to their 4th release on Leo Records and show themselves deeply involved in the cause of advanced free jazz.
Different Song: Step In To The Future. Leo Records (LR 635). May 2012. This quartet of piano, bass and drums would be quite normal if the last instrument wasn't the exception: the Chinese pipa, played here by expert soloist Yang Jing; for some time soloist in the China Central Traditional Orchestra of BeiJing, having performed with percussionist Pierre Favre and legendary bop legend Max Roach, she is also the founder of this quartet, rich in fascinating constructions of timbers and textures.
Duval / McPhee: Undersound 2. The follower of the record from 2000. With John Heward on drums
Enrico Fazio Septet: Live In Milano. LR 424. Very Mingusian in its spirit!
The Fonda / Stevens Group: Twelve Improvisations. Leo Records. Featuring Daunik Lazro and Herb Robertson.
Free Tallin Trio: A Tale. Leo Records (LR 557). April 2010. This Estonian trio made of piano, guitar and vocals enthusiasted their audience at the Moers festival in 2008 and proves once more the excellency of the jazz scene in the Baltic Republics.
Mevel Gaël Trio: Danses Parallèles
Slava Ganelin & Esti Kenan Ofri: Birds Of Pasage. E.K.Orfi is a known interpreter of classical arabic music. Here's a surprising meeting with the keyboardist S. Ganelin where classical meets jazz, traditions and improvisations
The Ganelin Trio: Poco-a-poco. Leo Records (LR 101). July 2012. CD reissue of an historical concert from 1978
the Ganelin Trio is back in the actuality!
- 15 Year Reunion
- Soviet New Jazz Vol.4 (a 4CD boxset)
are two releases due to Leo Records.
Gebhard Ullmann / Dahlgren / Rosen: Cut It Out. LR 457. June 06. A very good opportunity to hear a rarely played instrument, the bass flute, together with bass clarinet and backed by a rhythm section featuring one of the finest sticks in current improvised music, Mr. Jay Rosen
Gratkowsi / Lehn / Poore: Triskaidekaphonia. LR 461. June 06. Improvisations recorded at the Köln loft in 2004. A kind of free minimalism for a huge frequency range covered by bass clarinet, clarinet, bass, analog synth, tuba and euphonium.
Guyvoronsky / Kondakov / Volkov: In Search Of A Standard. Leo Records (LR 544). Oct. 09. Pianist Andrei Kondakov and bass player Vladimir Volkov have been previously associated with members of the Moscow Art Trio. Here, together with trumpetist and vocalist Vyacheslav Guyvoronsky, they have come up with a special project to compose their original pieces with references to jazz standards. The sensitive ear will recognize glimpses of Duke Ellington or Miles Davis. However, they are not aping Americans. Their references are a part of their original compositions.
Harada / Maneri: The Soul With Longing For Dim Hills And Faint Horizons. Oct. 2005. LR 442. Duo piano/viola. Harada, here on piano only, is also known as multi instrumentalist, composer, orchestra director, dancer, painter and is a youth friend of Maneri!
Carolyn Hume / Paul May: Wet Map. Ambient explorations and guest improvisors (voice, guitar)
Achim Kaufmann: Knives (LR 409). Solo Piano.
Kruglov / Lapin / Yudanov: Impulse. Leo Records (LR 634). April 2012. Saxophonist Alexey Kruglov is one of the raising stars of Russian jazz, in perfect concordance with the musical esthetics of the Ganelin Trio, of which he is a declared heir. Astral post-free jazz of the best quality!
Steve Lacy / Joëlle Léandre: One More Time. LR 422. From Belgium in 2002
Léandre / Frith / Curran / Leimgruber: MMM. Leo Records LLR631. May 2012. MMM stands for Mills Music Mafia, as bass player Joëlle Léandre met both guitarist Fred Frith and pianist Alvin Curran at the Mills College of Oakland, where they all were teaching. Swiss saxophonist Urs Leimgruber joined later and this album is taken from a concert given at l'Arsenal de Metz on November 20th, 2009.
Joëlle Léandre & William Parker: Live at Dunois. Leo Records (LR 535). June 09. Le Dunois, a Parisian club that was between 1976 and 1988 the temple of jazz in its improvised forms, is again at the occasion of the 2009 Festival Sons d'Hiver the center of an exceptional meeting between two bass legends, 11 years after their first duo album
Joëlle Léandre / Akosh S.: Kor. Leo Records LR522. Dec. 08. Recorded at the Olympic Café in Paris, here's the powerful meeting between the always creative bassist and the much expressive Hungarian saxophonist
Joelle Léandre: At Le Mans Jazz Festival. LR 458-459. June 06. The bass player was artist in residency at the jazz festival and the best of her historical meetings is gathered now on this CD, allowing us to hear among other: Les Diaboliques (with Maggie Nichols & Irene Schweitzer), William Parker, Carlos Zingaro, Mark Nauseef, Markus Stockhausen, etc...
Joëlle Léandre / Lauren Newton: Face It ! (Leo Records LR 450). A great meeting of "sacred" musicians, recorded during a concert from 2005 at the jazz festival of Le Mans, France.
Léandre/Maneri/Marguet/Ryan: For Flowers. Leo records. Project led by Léandre
Ramon Lopez: Flowers Of Peace. Sept. 2005. LR 438. Recorded by the French radio station France Musique in May 2004. With pianist Sophia Domancich and bassist
Mat Maneri Trio: For Consequence. lr 360. New recording with Ed Schuller on bass and Randy Peterson on drums.
Mitchell / Haynes: Urban Choreographic. Leo Records LR 466. Sept. 06. 2nd album by this duo, Matthew Mitchell being playing on guitar and electronic while Duncan Haynes is on the piano.
Livio Minafra: La Dolcezza Del Grido. Piano solo and debut album of Pino Minafra's son.
Mitchell / Haynes: Biathanatos. Leo Records. Guitar & electronic + piano by musicians from New Zealand. Allround improvised music also calling for various folklores (Baltic and Slavic).
Momentum 4: Rising Fall. Oct. 2005. LR 440. 4th album by this quartet, this time made of piano (also prepared)/bass clarinet/saxes/tuba.
Simon Nabatov Trio: Autumn Music. Leo Records. Piano/cello/dms trio
Nabatov / Rainey: Steady Now. Leo Records LR 463. Sept. 06. They have worked together since the 90's in various contexts but this is their first recording as duo! The first is a raising star on the piano and the second is a confirmed drummer on the free jazz scene
Nauseef / Mori / Courvoisier / Quintus: albert. Leo Records LR 465. Sept. 06. This is a recording in homage to the Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann who turned 100 years in January this year. Psychedelic improvisations conducted by 4 experts in sound travelling!
Lauren Newton / Patrick Scheyder / Vladimir Tarasov: Artesian Spirits. LR 419. Concert recorded in Georgia in 2003.
O'leary / Storlokken / Braekhus: St. Fin Barre's. Leo Records LR 526. Jan. 09. Recorded in the cathedral of Cork, Irland, in November 2002, this album features Stale Storlokken on organ. Storlokken is today most known for his membership in the cult group Supersilent but he has also been member of Terje Rypdal's trios.
O'Leary / Kang / Van Der Schyff: Zemlya. Leo Records LR507. June 08. Post free-jazz, prog rock, Korean Court music and electronics, here's the improbable mix suggested by the 3 musicians. Zemlya means planet in Russian and maybe illustrates the ambition of the project
O'Leary / Wollesen / Saft: The Synth Show. Leo Records LR 521. Sept. 08. For his 8th album on Leo Records, the Irish guitarist Mark O'Leary decided to push further the borders of his eclectism. This new mix, recorded in Brooklyn, is not afraid of stylistic clashes and free jazz, pop, fusion or electro jazz are not left untouched or aside. The great Jamie Saft on keyboards, together with drummer Kenny Wollesen also share with great pleasure the responsability in this provocative and abrasive destabilisation, eye opening work
O'Leary / Vu / Rainey: Waiting. Leo Records LR 475. March 07. Homage to Samuel Beckett with a rather free approach by 3 experienced musicians: the Irish guitarist O'Leary, the trumpetist of the Pat Metheny Group and the American drummer Tom Rainey.
O'Leary / Swallow / Favre: Awakening. Leo Records LR 460. Sept. 06. The new trio by the guitarist presents us with a subtile and melodious writing
O'Leary / Caine / Perowsky: Closure (Leo Records LR 448). Trio led by the Irish guitarist, heard with many great such as Jack de Johnette, Paul Bley, Matthew shipp, Mat Maneri or Billy Hart
O'leary / Maneri / Shipp: Chamber Trio. LR 425. 3 pupils of Charles Ives with a nearly telepathic connivence
O'Leary / Stanko / Hart: Levitation. Oct. 2005. LR 445. Guitarist Mark O'Leary, who recorded with Matthew Shipp, Mat Maneri & Ralph Peterson ( Self Luminous - LR 426) is here in the royal company of drummer Billy Hart and trumpetist, ECM artist Thomasz Stanko.
Pago Libre: Stepping Out (LR 444). 4th album for Leo Records by this quartet featuring the incredible Russian hornist Arkady Shilkloper. The band has been described as the Weather Report of the 21st century! the record gives us anyway an acoustic fusion played with exceptional musicianship
Pago Libre: Phoenix / Live In Salzburg & Zürich. 3rd album recorded live after the triumph received during their chinese tour. This band features the horn virtuoso Arkady Shilkloper, here on saxophone. Exquisively written music with a basis in roots.
Pandelis Karayorgis: 17 Pieces (LR 417). First solo piano recording by this musician usually met with the Maneri family (Joe & Mat)
Evan Parker & September Winds: Alder Brook. New collaboration between Evans and a richly extended wind quartet (bass clarinet, taragot, tubax, trombone, saxes) from Switzerland.
Evan Parker & September Winds: Short Stories. LR 428. Brassy album.
Perelman / Shipp / Cleaver: The Foreign Legion. Leo Records (LR 643). July 2012. Post-modern jazz brought to fruition by a trio of prominent trend setters: the Brazilian free saxophonist Ivo Perelman in company of American pianist Matthew Shipp and drummer Gerald Cleaver.
Ivo Perelman: Introspection (Leo Records LR 455). The saxophonist keeps exploring the possibilities of string instruments, here with violinist Rosie Hertlein and the American bass player Dominique Duval. The group's sound shifts between classical trio and jazz quartet.
Potage Du Jour: S/T (Leo Records LR 443). Trio from Berne, Switzerland. A mix of cabaret jazz, film musics, salsa, electronics and sound performance.
Radio Free Europa: Underground Jazz Trio. Leo Records LR 490. July 07. 7th album by guitarist Mark O'Leary, here with the drummer of Tortoise and the bassist of Isotope 217. Inspired post-jazz!
Schlippenbach / Takase / Dj Illvibe: Lok 03. LR 427. The two pianists face here a DJ from Berlin
Scoolptures: White Sickness. LR 606. June 2011. Here's an Italian quartet, expert in the art of spontaneous composition and modern soundscapes; bass, metallophones, electronics, sinewaves, drums, bass clarinet, alt sax and voice are the tools of this album
Ariel Shibolet: Metal Tube & Consciousness (LR 414). The new name for sopran sax!
The Wally Shoup Trio: Fusillades & Lamentations. This saxophone/bass/drums trio is a major talent of new jazz with a quite unique timber.
Shoup/Makihara/Arnold: Confluxus. Leo Records. Alt sax/Dms/Cello
Wally Shoup Trio: Blue Purge (LR 412). New trio described by the critics as "Fire Music with a lot of Soul"
Wadada Leo Smith: Snakish. LR 435. Maybe the new way Miles Davis would have chosen if he didn't embark the fusionish boat of his late years. Walter & Katia Quintus respectively on computer and voice, Mark Nauseef on percussion and electronics, Miroslav Tadic on guitars
Soegaard / Poulsen: ... And We Also Caught A Fish. LR 436. Two Danish guitarists, Fredrik Soegaard playing a MIDI controlled instrument and harmonizer, Hasse Poulsen (now living in France and having rejoined the ECM team in Louis Sclavis group) playing a prepared guitar. One single piece clocking at 65 minutes.
The Sun Ra Arkestra: Spring Time In Chicago. Golden Years GY 26-27. Dec. 06. Taken from the band's archives, this is the integrality of their concert in Chicago in 1978.
Sun Ra: The Piano Recital, Venezia, 1977. Released on the Golden Years label (a subdivision of Leo Records).
Szilard Mezei International Ensemble: Draught (Leo Records LR 447). This Hungarian altist pays homage with his octet to jazz composers like Ellington, Mingus, Sun Ra or Braxton while staying nevertheless attached to his Hungarian roots. Recorded in Vojvodine at the 10th jazz festival of Servia Montenegro.
Cecil Taylor: Chinampas / Hot Points. Leo Records (LR 153). Oct. 09. Reissue of a long time OOP solo performance from London in 1987, the most unusual being that the pianist doesn't here plays the instrument but instead is featured on tympani, bells, percussion, voice and poetry reading
The Second Approach: Beeswing. Leo Records (LR 640). July 2012. Third output from this Moscow based trio led by the classically trained pianist Andrei Razin in collaboration with a Gipsy singer (Tatiana Komova) and jazz bass player Igor Ivanushkin; they have toured extensively in Europe and Scandinavia and divided their audience with their mix of classical, jazz and folk elements; several guests appear here, like the reknowned hornist Arkady Shilkloper of the Moscow Art Trio fame
Triangulation: Whirligigs. Leo Records (LR 562). May 2010. Stellar jazz eager to discover new sound territories! Previously a trio, this French-Swiss-Irish combo consists respectively of percussionist Patrice Héral, pianist John Wolf Brennan and guitarist Christy Doran; the trio adds here a new voice with vocalist Bruno Amstad
Trio & Sainkho: Forgotten Streets Of St Petersburg. Sept. 2005. LR 439. Here facing a trio of Russian blowers
Vonlanthen / Berthet / Bondi: Silo. Leo Records (LR 638). July 2012. Collective improvisations around materials, structures and silence, performed by the Swiss trio of guitarist Vinz Vonlanthen, drummer Cyril Bondi and saxophonist Christophe Berthet. Improvisation is not so much the means of expression as it is a tool to develop a form. Their playing is deliberately collective and each piece has a sense of clear direction based on sound textures, compact power or aerial gestures punctuated by silence, all marked by several stylistic influences.

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NEW LABEL DISTRIBUTED! MARGE & FUTURA from France

Pepper Adams Quartet: Live in Europe (1977). Impro 02
Tribute To Albert Ayler: Live At The Dynamo. Marge 45. Oct. 09. Quartet recording with Roy Campbell, Joe McPhee, William Parker, Warren Smith
Eric Barrett Septet: My Favourite Songs. Blue Marge 1008. Paris, June 8-9, 2004. Featuring among others the saxophonist (also bass clarinet here) Pierre-Olivier Govin (Ultramarine, Polysoft) and the guitarist Eric Löhrer.
Richard Bonnet: Morning Bear. Hôte Marge 14. Dec. 2015. Digipak. Bonnet on acoustic 7 string guitar, recorded on April 22nd 2015 at John Kilgore Sound Recording Studio, New York.
Richard Bonnet / Tony Malaby / Antonin Rayon / Tom Rainey : Warrior. Marge 53. Jan. 2014. Digipack. Recorded at the New York studio John Kilgore Sound & Recording on October 13th 2013, this is a French / US project, with Malaby on both tenor and soprano sax, Antonin Rayon on Hammond organ.
Richard Bonnet & Tony Malaby Duo: Haptein. Hôte Marge 04. August 2012. Bonnet on a seven-strings guitar and Malaby on tenor & sopran sax were recorded at John Kilgore Sound & Recording studio, New York, on April 17th 2012. The music is based on free improvisations, from ambient and lyrical to scorching tones.
Anthony Braxton: Récital Paris 1971. Futura GER 23. Solo concert from Paris, 04 and 09/01/71.
Willem Breuker Kollektief à Paris: Summer Music. Marge 05. New restocking from August 2011 on!
Rob Brown Quartet: Unexplained Phenomena. Marge 48. May 2011. Recorded live at the Vision Festival, New York, June 23rd, 2010. The quartet included Matt Moran (vibraphone), Chris Lightcap (acoustic bass) & drummer Gerald Cleaver
Jaki Byard trio: Live at the Jazz'Inn. Futura Ger 29. Nov. 2015. CD reissue on digipak of a recording from July 26th, 1971. With Gus Nemeth on acoustic bass and Jean-My Truong on drums. Not available on the previous LP release are two unpublished titles with Siegfried Kessler on piano, and Jaki Byard on alto saxophone.
Jaki Byard: Parisian Solos. piano solo in Paris, 29/07/71. Futura Swing 05.
Roy Campbell / Daniel Carter / William Parker & Hamid Drake: Other Dimensions in Music (Marge 38). Live at the Parisian club Sunset in October 2006. 2CD
Ted Curson Ensemble: In Paris (Blue Marge 1009). Recorded in August 2006 with the Alain Jean-Marie trio among others.
Ted Curson: In Paris / Live at the Sunside. Blue Marge 1009. 2CD. This is a 12-piece ensemble featuring the following musicians: Alain Jean-Marie trio with Gilles Naturel, Philippe Soirat, Pierrick Pédron, Julie Saury, Guillaume Naturel, Sylvia Howard Daiva Starinskaite, Ferhat Öz, Evrim Özsuca & Jaanica Ventsel. Recorded in August 2006.
Sophia Domancich: Alice's Evidence. Marge 55. New album made by the pianist's current quintet, featuring Ray Anderson on trombone, Géraldine Laurent on alt saxophone, Hélène Labarrière on acoustic bass and Nasheet Waits on drums. Recorded in May 2016 at the Dynamo, Pantin, France.
Domancich / Helias / Cyrille: Courtepointe. Marge 51. August 2012. The trio is recorded live at the Sunside, Paris, on July 15-16, 2012.
Domancich / Parker / Drake Trio: Washed Away. Marge 43. 2008. William & Hamid, what a dream team for pianist Sophia Domancich!
Johnny Dyani / Mal Waldron: Some Jive Ass Boer. Jazz Unité 102. Paris-La Défense, 16/04/81. Reprint.
Ricky Ford Quintet: Green Note / Live at La Fenêtre. Parisian concert from June 28, 2003 with Eddie Henderson (trumpet & bugle), Kirk Lightsey (piano), James Lewis (bass) and Doug Sides (drums). Marge 33
Franzktrio: Terres de Blues. Blue Marge 1013. Digipack. May 2012. Trio with singer Françoise-Franca Cuomo, whose strength is a unique way of varying lengths and silence in her diction, pianist Cyril Trochu and bass player Guillermo Benavides; they are recorded live at the Comptoir club in Fontenay, France, on March 19 & 20th, 2011.
Alexandra Grimal / Lee Konitz / Gary Peacock / Paul Motian: Owls Talks. Hôte Marge 03. May 2010. Grimal is a young talented French saxophonist with a quick raising career. Backed by a dream team who all give her plenty of space and emulation, she takes the flight and confirms here the width of her musical thoughts and playing
Guérineau / Duboc / Lasserre: TER. Marge 36. Trio alto sax / bass & drums, recorded in Paris on September 15, 2005.
Doug Hammond Solo, Duo, Trio: New Beginning. Blue Marge 1012. May 2010. There had already in the past a collaborative work between Hammond and saxophonist Steve Coleman, a firm admirer. Now it is Coleman's bass player Reggie Washington (member of his Five Elements) who is featured in this new collaboration. As well as M Base inspired French saxophonist Stephane Payen (Print). This change of generation and passing of the flame demonstrates the wide breadth of Hammond's creativity and distinctive sound, still inspiring listeners and audiences all over the world!
Healing Unit: Music to Run and Shout. Hôte Marge 09. 2013. Studio recording by pianist and vibraphonist Paul Wacrenier and his quintet. Modern post bop music in a classic format: trumpet & sax front line, piano, bass & drums.
Kaleidoscopic Spatial Orchestra / Symphonic Jungle Electro Jazz: Dreams of the Future. Hôte Marge 05. Oct. 2012. The work of Michel Coffi, a wise and secret receipt of mixing samples and electronic music with percussions.
Siegfried Kessler Trio: Live at the Gill's Club. Futura Ger 10. With Barre Phillips & Steve McCall. This was the first Futura release, recorded in 1969!
Joachim Kühn: Solos, Volume 2. Futura Ger 31. 2010. Solo piano or with overdubbed electric piano on one track, those recordings take us back to March 1971 and the Parisian Europasonor studios. One way among many to rediscover the scope of Kühn's talent!
Steve Lacy: Wordless (Futura Ger 22). Recorded at the Théatre de l'Épée de Bois, Paris on January 4th, 1971. With trumpetist Ambrose Jackson, cellist Irene Aebi, bass player Kent Carter and drummer Jerome Cooper.
François Lemonnier et Raphaël Lemonnier: Come Again. Blue Marge 1015. December 2013. Duo trombone-piano, recorded at the now reknown Studio La Buissonne in Pernes-les-Fontaines, Vaucluse, France.
Frank Lowe Quartet: Tricks of the Trade. Marge 02. Recorded 08/12/76 with Lawrence 'Butch' Morris on cornet, Didier Levallet on bass and George Brown on drums.
Sunny Murray Quintet: Aigu-Grave. Marge 11. Nov. 2015. Digipak reissue of an album recorded on April 1st, 1979 at Studio Ramsès, Paris. With Bobby Few on piano, Alan Silva on bass, Richard Raux on tenor sax and percussionist Pablo Sauvage on two tracks.
The Nu Band: Relentlessness. Marge 49. June 2011. Recorded in February 2011 at the Parisian cluv The Sunset, this is a project led by trompetist Roy Campbell (also playing bugle, pocket trumpet and flutes), featuring Mark Whitecage (alt sax & clarinet), Joe Fonda (acoustic bass) and drummer / percussionist Lou Grassi.
Open Loose: Explicit / Live at the Sunset. Marge 50. Dec. 2011. Recorded live on April 11th, Open Loose is a trio featuring Mark Helias (acoustic bass), tenor saxophonist Tony Malaby and drummer Tom Rainey
Evan Parker / Barry Guy / Paul Lytton Trio: Nightwork. Marge 46. May 2010. Three major names of the British free jazz scene recorded live!
Alain Pinsolle: Live at la Fenêtre. Impro 08. Recorded live in a French club in 2002, this French quartet is led by a vibraphone player and features quite known names on the French jazz scene, like saxophonist Jean-Louis Chautemps or drummer Christian Lété
Hasse Poulsen & Richard Bonnet: Colors in Water and Steel. Hôte Marge 10. Jan. 2014. Guitar duo pairing French Richard Bonnet with the Danish guitarist, living since years in France. Free, totally improvised and showing a great creativity (many objects used to produce specific effects); interplay, reactivity and complementarity are key words here!
Luc Rebelles / Fred Malle Luniks Project: Jazz Frelaté. Marge 27. Available again! Luc Rebelles ( soprano and baritone saxophones), Fred Malle (sampler, sound effects), Marc Stutz-Boukouya (trombone), Ray Kaczynski (drums and percussions) and Andrea Walter (electric bass and sound effects). Halluin (France) between February 25 and 27, 2001.
Dizzy Reece / John Gilmore Quintet: From In To Out (Futura Ger 16). Quintet recording taken from a live concert in Paris (from 1971). With drummer Art Taylor, the French bass player Patrice Caratini and the late pianist Siegfried Kessler
Sam Rivers Quartet: Crosscurrent. Blue Marge 1005. Recorded live at the Jazz Unité, a glorious Parisian club, on April 4th 1981, this quartet included guitarist Jerry Byrd, drummer Steve Ellington and on electric bass Rael Wesley Grant
Hilton Ruiz Trio Vol. 2: Green Street. Jazz Unité 104. Digipack. Recorded live at the Parisian club on November 25 & 26, 1981. With Art Davis on bass and Walter Perkins on drums. All members contribute with own compositions but jazz standards are also making nearly half of the track list.
Sonny Sharrock Trio: Dance With Me Montana. Paris-La-Défense, March 29-30, 1982. Marge 20. With Kendall Buchanan: el bass and Levender Cope: drums
Hal Singer: Challenge. Marge 47. Digipack 2010. Featuring tenor saxophonist David Murray and recorded in Paris on April 9-10th, 2010, this album should reset focus on the versatility of the leader, too often associated to blues only. With Hamid Drake on drums and Jaribu Shahid on bass, the spirit of the blues takes another meaning and goes far beyond the name. Lafayette Gilchrist is on piano and trumpetist Rasul Siddik appears on two tracks; besides one jazz standard (I Thought About You), the compositions are shared by the leader and Murray
Hal Singer: Blues And News. Futura Swing 01. Digipack reissue (2010). This studio recording took place in Paris on May 18th 1971. Saxophonist Hal Singer came with a septet made of international and French musicians; drummer Art Taylor and German born pianist Siegfried Kessler versus bass player Patrice Caratini or trombonist Jacques Bolognesi, to name those mostly known. All compositions penned by Hal Singer!
James Spaulding Quartet : Down With It. Marge 37. With P. Christophe, R. Dever, M. Benhammou.
John Tchicai Trio: Truth Lies In-Between. Hôte Marge 01. 2010. Recorded in July 2008, this album is based on poems by John Stewart and will present Margriet Naber (piano, synthesizer and voice) and Ernest Guiraud Cissé on African percussion and congas. Tchicai plays alt sax, Indian flutes and also contributes with vocals
Trio Fatal: Space Way Messengers. Hôte Marge 07. April 2013. Recorded in Sweden in 2012, this is the trio of Biggi Vinkeloe (alt sax and flute), French trombone player François Lemonnier and Finnish drummer Peeter Uuskyla
Trio Passeurs: Existences. Marge 44. Digipack Oct. 09. Saxophonist (alto & soprano) Véronique Magdelenat is a new strong voice (cutting, deep and much lyrical) on the French scene. With her is bass player Bernard Santacruz, with his caring voice filled with sweetness and drummer Christian Rollet, the percussive walker and watcher of animated up tempi
François Tusques: Piano Dazibao (Futura Ger 14). Solo recording from 1970 by a major actor of the French free jazz scene in the 70's
Paul Van Gysegem Sextet: Aorta. Futura Ger 27. June 2011. Recorded live in Belgium in 1971, this free based concert featured alongside the leader and bass player the great Jasper Van't Hof, the underrated drummer Pierre Courbois and otherway much unknown players from the Flemish jazz scene
Bernard Vitet Ensemble: La Guêpe. Futura Son 05. Paris 1971. Large ensemble already including tape recorders as instruments.
Barney Wilen & Dièse 440: Live In Paris / Théâtre du Forum des Halles (Unpublished recording dated January, 1983). With M. Bertier, G. Loizillon, C. Micheli

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NOBUSINESS RECORDS .... NOBUSINESS RECORDS .... NOBUSINESS

Kaoru Abe / Sabu Toyozumi: Mannyoka. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 107). July 2018. First two tracks recorded live at Minor, Kichijôji, Tokyo, Saturday, 7th of July, 1978. The rest of the tracks were recorded live at Gaïa, Hatsudai, Tokyo, Friday, 13th of January, 1978. Abe is featured on alto, sopranino and soprano saxophones, Toyozumi on drums and percussion
Kaoru Abe / Sabu Toyozumi: Banka. NoBusiness Records (NBLP 116). July 2018. Recorded live at Gaïa, Hatsudai, Tokyo, Friday, 13th of January, 1978. Limited edition of 300 copies.
Jason Ajemian, Tony Malaby, Rob Mazurek, Chad Taylor: A Way A Land Of Life. NoBusiness Records (NBLP 74). 2014. Limited edition of 400 copies. Recorded at James Bond's Loft, Chicago by Noritaka Tanaka , Dec. 21st 2006. Contemporary jazz mixed with electronics!
Almeida / Amado / Franco: The Attic. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 98). March 2017. Bass player Gonçalo Almeida recorded this album live at SMUP, Parede, December 22nd, 2015. With Rodrigo Amado on tenor sax and Marco Franco on drums.
Altschul / Izenson / Robinson: Stop Time. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 163). Street date: 20-09-23. Recorded in 1978 in New York, this free session gathered Barry Altschul on drums, David Izenson on bass and Perry Robinson on clarinet.
Rodrigo Amado / Goncalo Almeida / Onno Govaert: Summer Bummer. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 117). May 2019. Tenor sax, bass & drums trio recorded at Summer Bummer Festival, DE Studio, Antwerp, August 26th, 2018
Billy Bang & William Parker: Medicine Buddha. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 71). Nov. 2014. Fantastic duo and musical exchange between the violinist (also playing thumb piano) and the bass player (also credited for shakuhashi and dousn gouni). Recorded live at The Rubin Museum Of Art, New York, on the 8th May, 2009.
Bennett, Johnston, Mezzacappa, Rosaly: Shipwreck 4. NoBusiness Records (NBCD87). May 2016. Recorded on the 10th of January, 2015 by Myles Boisen and Jonah Strauss at Shipwreck Studios, Oakland, CA.
Karl Berger & Kirk Knuffke: Moon. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 76-77). May 2015. Berger on vibraphone and piano, Knuffke on cornet, recorded in December 2013 (CD1) and January 2014 (CD2).
Samuel Blaser & Gerry Hemmingway: Oostum. NoBusiness Records (NBLP 112). January 2018. Recorded live on the 29th August, 2015 at the Kerkje van Oostum, Groningen, The Netherlands. Duo trombone / drums, limited vinyl edition of 300 copies!
Martin Blume / Tobias Delius / Achim Kaufmann / Dieter Manderscheid: Frames & Terrains. NoBusiness Records (NBLP 114). January 2018. Recorded live on June 9th, 2016 at Loft, Cologne, Germany. Limited vinyl edition of 300 copies
Thomas Borgmann, Max Johnson, Willi Kellers: One For Cisco. NoBusiness Records (NBLP 91). 2016. Limited edition of 300 copies. Recorded live on January 31st, 2015 at the New York Tenor Sax Festival 2015
Brötzmann / Toyozumi: TRIANGLE, Live at OHM, 1987. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 160). Street date: 20-09-23. Recorded live on December 4th, 1987 at OHM, Koiwa, Tokyo, Japan, with Peter Brötzmann on tenor saxophone and tarogato, Sabu Toyozumi on drums.
Marion Brown / Dave Burrell: Live at the Black Musicians' Conference, 1981. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 109). CD. November 2018.
John Butcher / Peter Evans / Frederic Blondy / Clayton Thomas / Paul Lovens: A Wing Dissolved in Light. NoBusiness Records (NBLP 105). March 2017. Limited LP edition of 500 copies. Recorded live on the 2nd November of 2013 at Tampere Jazz Happening (Old Custom House), Finland.
Adam Caine Quartet: Transmissions. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 126). July 2020. Album featuring Adam Lane / Bob Lanzetti / Billy Mintz.
Campbell / Parker / Matsuura: Visitation Of Spirits. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 162). Street date: 20-09-23. Recorded on February 21st, 1985 at The Joint, Usdan Student Center, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA. Roy Campbell (Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Flute), William Parker on bass and Zen Matsuura on drums.
Jean-Luc Cappozzo, Didier Lasserre: Ceremony's a Name for the Rich Horn. NoBusiness Records (NBEP 3). 2016. Limited edition of 300 copies. Trumpet/Fluegelhorn duetting with drums, recorded live at la Maison Peinte, Labarthe-sur-Lèze, December 19th, 2014.
François Carrier / Masayo Koketsu / Daisuke Fuwa / Takashi Itani: Japan Suite. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 125). July 2020.
François Carrier, Michel Lambert and Rafal Mazur: The Joy Of Being. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 97). October 2016. Trio of free improvised music with alto sax and Chinese oboe, acoustic bass and drums. Recorded live at Alchemia Jazz Klub in Krakow, Poland on May 24th 2015.
John Carter: Echoes from Rudolph's. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 80-81). Nov. 2015. CD1 is recorded on September 6th, 1976, except track 3 recorded on July 14th, 1977, both at Spectrum Studios. CD2 is recorded on the 19th of March 1977 at KPFK, Los Angeles, California. Carter id featured on clarinet and soprano sax, in trio with Stanley Carter (bass) and William Jeffrey (drums, percussion). Chris Carter (cymbal) and vocalist Melba Joyce also appear on one track.
Martin KChen / Johan Berthling / Steve Noble : Night in Europe. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 78). Nov. 2015. Recorded live at Glenn Miller Caf?, Stockholm, 15th and 16th December, 2014
Choi Sun Bae Quartet: Arirang Fantasy. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 108). July 2018. Recorded live at Romanisches Café, Roppongi, Tokyo, June 12, 1995. The quartet features Motoharu Yoshizawa (electric vertical five-strings bass), Junji Hirose (tenor and soprano saxophones), Kim Dae Hwan (percussion), led by Bae playing the trumpet. Also available on a limited LP edition of 300 copies (NBLP 117)
Albert Cirera, Hernâni Faustino, Gabriel Ferrandini and Agustí Fernández: Before the Silence. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 96). October 2016. Recorded at the Jazz Cava de Vic by Ralph Lopinski during the Voll Damm Festival Jazz Vic the 9th of May, 2015. Mixed by Ferran Conangla in Barcelona.
The Convergence Quartet: Owl Jacket. NoBusiness Records (NBLP 84). LP. May 2015. Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet, Harris Eisenstadt on drums, Alexander Hawkins on piano and Dominic Lash on double bass. Recorded on October 9th, 2013 at Fish Factory Studios, London. Limited edition of 300 records.
Lao Dan / Deng Boyu: Tutu Duo. NoBusines Records (NBCD 144). Street date: 30-08-21. Recorded on the 13th of October 2019 at RC Studio, Guangzhou, China. This album brings a great duo recording full of suprises by Lao Dan on alt sax and Chinese flute and Deng Boyu on drums and percussion. The first half consists of three very energetic tracks, leading us back to the best traditions of free jazz, while the second is a suite in three parts, inspired by nature. This is where both musicians fully integrate Chinese elements in their music, the last part ending with a combination of both Eastern and Western aspects. A broad musical journey, through styles and continents!
Detail: Day Two. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 114). May 2019. Recorded at Staccato Studios, Stavanger, Norway on 12th October, 1982, this is the second part of a recording associating John Stevens, Johnny "Mbizo" Dyani and Norwegian saxophonist (tenor & soprano) Frode Gjerstad.
Free Jazz Group Wiesbaden: Frictions / Frictions Now. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 79). Nov. 2015. CD reissue. Frictions was recorded on July 12, 1969 at Walldorf Studio, Walldorf and released as an edition of 300 vinyl records on a private label in 1969. Frictions Now was recorded on July 9, 1971 at the same studio as Frictions. and released as a limited edition of 500 vinyl records on a private label in 1971. The ensemble included: Michael Sell (trumpet), Dieter Scherf (alto saxophone, oboe, piano, shepherds flute, shenai, prepared trumpet, bamboo flute), Gerhard König (guitar, prepared guitar, flute, double flute) and Wolfgang Schlick (drums, metal).
Gibson / Faustillo / Trilla: Chain. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 101). Sept. 2017. Yedo Gibson (baritone and soprano saxophone), Hernâni Faustino (double bass) and Vasco Trilla(drums and percussion) have united forces for this album, recorded on the 14th June, 2016 at Scratch Built Studio, Lisbon by John Klima.
Gratkowski / Kaufmann / De Joode / Buck: Flatbosc & Cautery. NoBusiness Records NBCD 133. Nov. 2020. Frank Gratkowski: alto saxophone, clarinets, flutes / Achim Kaufmann: piano / Wilbert de Joode: bass / Tony Buck: drums, percussion. Recorded live at Loft Köln on May 25th 2018.
Shay Hazan: Good Morning Universe. NoBusiness Records (NBEP 4). July 2018. 10" EP release. Recorded at Levontin7, Tel-Aviv, Israel on the 17th of February, 2017. Featuring Albert Beger (tenor saxophone), Eyal Netzer (tenor saxophone), Shay Hazan (double bass), Nadav Masel (Hamsa 5 stringed custom cello), Haim E. Peskoff (drums), Ofer Bymel (drums). Limited edition of 300 copies
William Hooker: Light. The Early Years 1975-1989. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 82-85). 2016. Limited edition of 1000 4CD box sets. Compositions originally released on the following albums: "...Is Eternal Life", "Brighter Lights", "Formulas of Approach" and "Transition".
Paul Hubweber, Frank Paul Schubert, Alexander von Schlippenbach, Clayton Thomas, Willi Kellers: Intricacies. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 74-75). May 2015. Recorded live at B-Flat, Berlin, on February 24th, 2014.
Kim Dae Hwan / Choi Sun Bae: Korean Fantasy. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 161). Street date: 20-09-23. Recorded live on November 26th, 1999 at Aspirante, Hofu City, Yamaguchi, Japan. This is the duo of Kim Dae Hwan on drums and Choi Sun Bae on trumpet and harmonica.
Itaru Oki Quartet: Live at Jazz Spot Combo 1975. NoBusines Records (NBCD 143). Street date: 15-07-21. Recorded live on the 7th December of 1975 at Jazz Spot Combo, Fukuoka City, Japan. The music is improvised and composed by Itaru Oki (trumpet & flute), Yoshiaki Fujikawa (alto sax & flute), Keiki Midorikawa (bass) and Hozumi Tanaka (drums).
Kang Tae Hwan: Live at Cafe Amores. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 104). January 2018. Recorded live and solo on the 8th October 1995 at Café Amores, Hofu, Yamaguchi, Japan and part of the Chap-Chap Series (a series of unreleased concerts that took place in the 90's in Japan and was recorded by Chap-Chap Records). Also available as a limited vinyl edition of 300 copies!
Kang Tae Hwan / Midori Takada: An Eternal Moment. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 115). May 2019. Percussion - Alto saxophone duo recorded live on the 14th of March 1995 at Café Amores, Hofu, Yamaguchi, Japan. Also available as a limited vinyl edition of 300 copies (NBLP 125)
Max Johnson Quartet: The Prisoner. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 66). 2014. Recorded 20th December, 2012 and featuring Mat Maneri on viola.
Kirk Knuffke / Michael Bisio: For You I Don't Want To Go. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 158). September 2022. Cornet-bass duo, recorded at Park West Studio in Brooklyn, NY, on September 17th 2020.
Peter Kuhn : No Coming, No Going. The Music of Peter Kuhn, 1978-1979. 2CD. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 89-90). May 2016. Featuring Toshinori Kondo, Arthur Williams, William Parker and Denis Charles. Reissue of the original LP session "Livin' Right" and never earlier released session with Denis Charles.
Peter Kuhn Trio: The Other Shore. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 88). May 2016. Recorded June 16, 2015 ICAM Studio, Conrad Prebys Music Center UC San Diego. With Kyle Motl on? bass and Nathan Hubbard on drums
Marilyn Lerner, Ken Filiano, Lou Grassi: Live at Edgefest. NoBusiness Records (NBLP 90). 2016. Limited edition of 300 copies.
Minor / Traindl / Querlier / Lété / Regef: Enfin La Mer. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 164). Street date: 20-09-23. Recorded in 1978, this gathered: Jouk Minor (baritone saxophone, contrabass-clarinet), Josef Traindl on trombone, Jean Querlier on alto saxophone, Christian Lété on drums and Dominique Regef on hurdy-gurdy.
Liudas Mockunas: Hydro 2. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 113). November 2018. Recorded at Improdimensija - a concert series dedicated to improvised music - Vilnius, October 2017. One single track of 46 minutes, on which Mockunas plays soprano, water prepared soprano and water prepared keyless overtone saxophones.
Mototeru Takagi Quartet: Live At Little John, Yokohama 1999. NoBusiness Records (NBLP 146). Street date: 15-07-21. Improvised & composed by Mototeru Takagi (tenor saxophone), Susumu Kongo (alto saxophone, flute, bass clarinet), Nao Takeuchi (tenor saxophone, flute, bass clarinet) & Shota Koyama (drums). Recorded live on the 25th September of 1999 at Little John, Yokohama, Japan.
Sunny Murray / Bob Dickey / Robert Andreano: Homework. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 116). May 2019. 2019 expanded CD edition of an original, limited LP-only edition released as Super Secret Sound (3SLP 010) in 1997. It was recorded May 30th, 1994 at 816 South St. in Philadelphia, PA. Also available as a limited vinyl edition of 300 copies (NBLP 124)
Simon Nabatov | Barry Guy | Gerry Hemingway: Luminous. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 112). November 2018. Recorded live in LOFT, Cologne, Germany on 30-31st October, 2015.
Bobby Naughton / Wadada Leo Smith / Perry Robinson: The Haunt. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 105). July 2018. Recorded April 21, 1976, Blue Rock Studio, NYC. All compositions by vibraharp player Bobby Naughton. This is a reissue, augmented by one previously unreleased alternate take
Itaru Oki / Nobuyoshi Ino / Choi Sun Bae: Kami Fusen. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 100). March 2017. Second release in the Chap Chap Series, recorded live on the 2nd of January 1996 at Café Amores, Hofu, Yamaguchi, Japan. Also available as a 300 copies limited LP edition (NBLP 103).
Morten Pedersen 5tet: Sammensurium. Barefoot Records (BFREC051CD). Release date: 06-03-17. Morten Pedersen 5tet is a new band on the European scene of free jazz and improvised music, gathering musicians from Norway (drummer Håkon Berre), Poland (trumpeter Tomasz Dabrowski), Italy (saxophonist and clarinetist Francesco Bigoni), Sweden ( bass player Johannes Nästesjö) and Denmark. The music is ethereal and a complex mix of composition and improvisation. The composed elements and strong melodies give the music a clear direction and a fresh sound, but still keeps the freedom and space for the musicians to improvise and go with their intuition.
Evan Parker / Barry Guy / Paul Lytton: Concert in Vilnius. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 123). November 2019. Recorded in concert at Vilnius Jazz Festival, on October 15th, 2017.
Barre Phillips & Motoharu Yoshizawa: Oh My, Those Boys! NoBusiness Records (NBCD 103). January 2018. Recorded live on the 5th April 1994 at Café Amores, Hofu, Yamaguchi, Japan, this release is part of the Chap-Chap Series (a series of unreleased concerts that took place in the 90's in Japan and was recorded by Chap-Chap Records). It presents a bass conversation between Phillips on double bass and Yoshizawa on a homemade electric vertical five-strings bass. Also available as a limited vinyl edition of 300 copies!
Red Trio: Suite 10 Years Anniversary. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 136-137). Nov. 2020. Consisting of Rodrigo Pinheiro on piano, Hernani Faustino on double bass and Gabriel Ferrandini on drums and percussion, the trio was recorded together with the large ensemble Celebration Band at Teatro Maria Matos on February 10th, 2018.
Howard Riley: Live in the USA. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 111). CD. November 2018. Live recordings going back to 1976 (October 28th at Free Music Store, New York City / November 18th in Amherst, New York City / November 29th in Buffalo, New York).
Howard Riley: Constant Change 1976-2016. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 91-95). 5CD boxset. October 2016. This piano solo boxset presents the following performances:
+ CD 1 Paris / Debrecen. Tracks 1-6 recorded live in Paris, 7th March 1976. Tracks 7-9 recorded live during Debrecen Jazz Days, Hungary, 12th September 1980
+ CD 2 Fingerprints. Tracks 1-3 recorded on 29th June 1983, tracks 4-6 on 28th June 1985 and tracks 7-13 on 21st July 1987 by Ted Taylor at Porcupine Studios, London. Material from this CD earlier released on a cassette only by Wondrous Music in 1992.
+ CD 3 Mutability One. Recorded on 3rd July 2014 by Nick Taylor at Porcupine Studios, London.
+ CD 4 Mutability Two. Recorded on 29th April 2015 by Nick Taylor at Porcupine Studios, London.
+ CD 5 Mutability Three. Recorded on 6th April 2016 by Nick Taylor at Porcupine Studios, London.
Howard Riley: "10.11.12". NoBusiness Records (NBLP 85). LP. May 2015. Limited edition of 300 records. Piano solo recorded live at VDU Jazz Festival Kaunas on the 10th of November 2012.
Sam Rivers Quartet: Braids. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 138). Nov. 2020. Recorded May 15, 1979, Hamburg, Germany, this is Archive Series Volume 4. The quartet features Sam Rivers: tenor and soprano saxophones, flute, piano / Joe Daley: tuba, euphonium / Dave Holland: bass, cello / Thurman Barker: drums
Sam Rivers Quintet: Zenith. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 124). November 2019. Recorded in Berlin on November 6th, 1977. Sam Rivers (tenor and soprano saxophones, flute, piano) / Joe Daley ( tuba, euphonium) / Dave Holland (bass, cello) / Barry Altschul (drums) / Charlie Persip (drums).
Sam Rivers Trio: Ricochet. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 128). Street date: 20-05-20. Archive Series Volume 3. With Dave Holland (bass, cello) and Barry Altschul on drums. Rivers is featured on tenor and soprano saxophones, flute, piano.
Sam Rivers Trio: Emanation. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 118). May 2019. Recorded on the 3rd of June, 1971 at the Jazz Workshop, Boston, the trio included Cecil McBee on bass and Norman Connors on drums. Rivers is featured on tenor and soprano saxophones, flute, piano. This CD release has been remastered at MAMAstudios
Jason Roebke Octet: Cinema Spiral. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 86). May 2016. Recorded on the 9th of November, 2014 by Brian Sulpizio at Minbal Recording, Chicago.
Rodrigo Amado Motion Trio & Peter Evans: The Freedom Principle. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 67). 2014. Unusual trio where cello replaces bass and tenor sax is the lead voice, this album adds the guesting trumpet of Peter Evans to the front line. Recorded at Namouche Studios, Lisbon, March 18th, 2013.
Rutherford / Toyozumi: The Conscience. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 99). March 2017. Starts the Series of unreleased concerts that took place in the 90's in Japan and was recorded by Chap-Chap Records. Paul Rutherford on trombone and Sabu Toyozumi on drums were recorded live on the 11th of October 1999 at Café Jumbo in Tokoname, Aichi, Japan. Also available as a 300 copies limited LP edition (NBLP 102).
Masahiko Satoh / Sabu Toyozumi: The Aiki. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 120). November 2019. Piano-drums duo recorded live on the 26th of March 1997 at C·S·Aka-Renga, Yamaguchi City, Japan
Wadada Leo Smith | Sabu Toyozumi: Burning Meditation. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 110). November 2018. The duo of Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet, koto, bamboo-flute, voice and percussion) and Sabu Toyozumi (drums), recorded live on the 22nd of March 1994 at C.S Akarenga in Yamaguchi City, Yamaguchi, Japan.
Steve Swell / Robert Boston / Michael Vatcher: Brain in a Dish. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 121). November 2019. Recorded on August 16th, 2018 at Park West Studios, Brooklyn, New York. Steve Swell on trombone, Robert Boston on piano and organ, Michael Vatcher on drums.
Mototeru Takagi / Kim Dae Hwan / Choi Sun Bae: Seishin - Seido. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 157). September 2022. Respectively playing on tenor saxophone, percussion and trumpet, the trio was recorded live on August 10th, 1995 at Café Amores, Hofu City, Japan. Also available on LP (NBLP 151) in a limited edition of 300 copies.
Yuji Takahashi / Sabu Toyozumi: The Quietly Clouds And A Wild Crane. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 156). September 2022. Recorded live on March 16th, 1998 at C·S·Aka Renga, Yamaguchi City, Japan, this improvised performance is basically a piano-drums duo, both players also doubling on percussion. Part of the label's Chop Chap Series. Also available on vinyl (NBLP 150) in a limited edition of 300 copies.
Takayanagi / Ino / Kikuchi: Live at Jazz Inn Lovely 1990. NoBusiness Records NBCD 135. Nov. 2020. Masayuki JoJo Takayanagi: guitar / Nobuyoshi Ino: bass / Masabumi Puu Kikuchi: piano.
Vladimir Tarasov, Eugenijus Kanevicius, Liudas Mockunas: Intuitus. 2LP. NoBusiness Records (NBLP 92-93). 2016. Limited edition of 400 copies. Recorded at Vladimir Tarasov home studio in Vilnius, June 2014.
Ted Daniel's Energy Module: Inerconnection. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 72-73). Nov. 2014. Recorded on the 8th of November 1975 at Sunrise Studio, New York. Daniel (trumpet, flugelhorn, French hunting horn, Moroccan bugle) is backed by two saxophonists, Oliver Lake on alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, piccolo, cow bell, and Daniel Carter on tenor. Richard Pierce is the bass player, while Tatsuya Nakamura officiates on drums and quarter drums. Also available as a limited edition on double LP
The Attic: Love Ghosts. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 159). Recorded at Namouche Studios, Lisbon, on January 12th, 2020, this session features the trio of Rodrigo Amado (tenor saxophone), Gonçalo Almeida (double bass) and Onno Govaert (drums).
Ton-Klami: Prophesy of Nue. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 102). Sept. 2017. Continues the series of unreleased concerts that took place in the 90's in Japan and was recorded by Chap-Chap Records. Here the trio consists of Midori Takada on marimba and percussion, Kang Tae Hwan on alto saxophone and Masahiko Satoh on piano. Recorded live on the 27th May, 1995 at Design Plaza Hofu, Yamaguchi, Japan by Takeo Suetomi.
Sabu Toyozumi and Mats Gustafsson: Hokusai. NoBusiness Records NBCD 134. Nov. 2020. Recorded live on the 11th and 12th of June, 2018 at Jazz Spot Candy, Chiba, Japan, all music was improvised and composed by the drummer and Gustafsson, featured on baritone saxophone, fluteophone and flute. Also released on LP (NBLP 139) in a limited edition of 300 copies.
Treadbare: Silver Dollar. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 127). July 2020. With Jason Stein on bass clarinet, Ben Cruz on guitar and Emerson Hunton on drums. Recorded on February 24, 2019 at Electrical Audio in Chicago, IL.
Klaus Treuheit and Lou Grassi: Port of Call. NoBusiness Records (NBLP 104). March 2017. Limited LP edition of 300 copies. Recorded on the 18th of January 2016 at KTMP-Studio.
Juan F. G. Vinuesa / Josh Berman / Jason Roebke / Mikel Patrick Avery: Blue Shots From Chicago. Nobusiness Records (NBCD 122). November 2019. Recorded on May 30th, 2018 at Jamdek Recording Studio, Chicago. Juan F. G. Vinuesa on tenor saxophone, Josh Berman on cornet, Jason Roebke on bass and Mikel Patrick Avery on drums and percussion.
Alexander von Schlippenbach / Aki Takase: Live at Cafe Amores. NoBusiness Records (NBCD 106). July 2018. Recorded live on August 16th, 1995 at Café Amores, Hofu, Yamaguchi, Japan. Also available on LP (NBLP 115), as a limited edition of 300 copies

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NOT TWO RECORDS .... NOT TWO RECORDS .... NOT TWO RECORDS .... NOT

100 NKA & Herb Robertson: Superdesert. Not Two Records MW821-2. 2009. The trumpetist together with a Polish band consisting of guitar, bass and drums.
Anthony Braxton / Chris Dahlgren: ABCD. NotTwo 2006, MW-768-02. Anthony Braxton: sopranino, soprano, Eb & F alto, baritone & bass saxophones, Bb clarinet. Chris Dahlgren: double bass, preparations and electronics. Recorded by Jon Rosenberg at Wesleyan University, CT (USA), July 5-6, 2003.
McPhee / Brötzmann / Kessler / Zerang: The Damage Is Done. Not Two Records (MW 823-2). 2009. Double CD by an avant gardist quartet where German Brötzmann plays alt and tenor sax, taragot and Bb clarinet, sharing the front line with trumpetist Joe McPhee (also featured on alt sax) and backed by the rhythm section of Kent Kessler on bass and Michael Zerang on drums
Carter / Blumenkrantz / Zubek: Chinatown. Not Two MW 753-02. Performed by Daniel Carter: tenor & alto saxophones, trumpet, flute, clarinet / Shanir Ezra Blumenkrantz: bass, oud / Kevin Zubek: drums, percussion.
The Cosmosamatics: Zetrons. Not Two MW764-2. The Cosmosamatics began life as a avant-garde jazz troupe, an unusual collection of jazz musicians that includes saxophonists Sonny Simmons & Michael Marcus, drummer Jay Rosen and the Japanese bass player Masa Kamaguchi. Recorded live in Poland, Holland and Austria during 2004.
Eneidi / Kowald / Smith / Spirit: Ghetto Calypso. NotTwo 2006, MW-769-02. Recorded by Myles Boisen on May 3, 2000 at Headless Buda Studio, Oakland, CA. Dedicated to the memory of Peter Kowald, one of the two bassists present here under the leadership of alt saxophonist Marco Eneidi and the rhythmic pulse of drummer Spirit.
Satoko Fujii ma-do: Desert Ship. Not Two Records (MW 826-2). 2010. New album by the Japanese pianist and a new quartet composed of her husband Natsuki Tamura on trumpet, Norikatsu Koreyasu on bass and Akira Horikoshi on drums. Recorded on July 9, 2009 in Krakow, Poland. The same quartet already recorded in 2008 for the same label another album titled "Heat Wave" (MW 806-2)
Charles Gayle Trio : Forgiveness. Not Two Records MW805. 2009. This album was recorded at Jazzga Club, Lódz, Poland on April 25, 2007. With Hillard Greene on bass and drummer Klaus Kugel
Szilárd Mezei: No / So. Not Two Records (MW 819-2). 2009. Born in 1974 in Senta, Serbia, Szilárd Mezei is a contemporary European violinist, violist, double bass player, composer and leader of various formations; he is perhaps the greatest hope of European jazz violin since the tragic death of Polish violin master Zbigniew Seifert in 1979. As a composer, Mezei is interested in exploring the relationship between improvisation and composition (similarly to Witold Lutoslawski's aleatoric and Anthony Braxton's creative music methods), incorporating elements of jazz and authentic folk music as well. On this album, he is playing solo on viola and double bass.
Ravish Momin's Trio Tarana: Five Nights. (MW-770). Recorded live at the Smithsonian Institution's Freer Gallery on July 21st, 2005. Features Jason Kao Hwang on violin and Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz on oud and bass. The leader is a drummer/percussionist and has studied with Andrew Cyrille, Bob Moses. (The same trio can also be heard on another CD released on the label Clean Feed (CF030) and titled "Climbing The Banyan Tree")
Vandermark 5: Annular Gift. Not Two Records MW825-2. 2009. 2 blowers, cello (Fred Lonberg-Holm), bass and drums.
Ken Vandermark: Resonance. Not Two Records. 2009. This is a huge 10CDs boxset, recorded at Alchemia (small groups) and Manggha Hall (final concert) in Kraków, Poland. Besides the many US players, we'll take note of Swedish trumpetist Magnus Broo and bassist Mark Tokar from Ukraine. All compositions by Vandermark. On pre-order at the end of October

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OGUN RECORDINGS .... OGUN RECORDINGS .... OGUN RECORDINGS .... OG

Blue Notes: Before the Wind Changes. Ogun Recordings (OGCD 037). March 2012. This live recording from July 1st 1979 at Jazzclub de Hoop in Belgium presents the exiled revolutionary jazz quartet in an absolute top form. The power of the music is so convincing that it doesn't matter much any longer that the sound isn't of audiophile quality. Here's a rare gem to enjoy 100%!
The Blue Notes: The Ogun Collection. Ogun (OG 024-028). This 5CD boxset is simply THE ultimative choice for all those who'd like to complete their knowledge of South-African jazz and of one of their best - if not the best - exponents! From a 1964 recording in South-Africa to a session from 1975 in homage to trumpetist Mongezi Feza or a quartet London concert in April 77 and until a trio recording in homage to bass player Johnny Dyani, this integral set of recordings can't just be ignored!
Mark Charig: Pipedream. Ogun Records (OG 033). July 10. Many will probably remember this name associated to the first albums of prog outfit King Crimson but trumpetist Mark Charig belonged to the British jazz scene and this reissue of a session recorded in January 1977 is more than welcome. On this album, Charig plays the cornet and euphonium, assisted by the iconic figure of pianist Keith Tippett and the lesser known female vocalist Ann Winter; the reissue is spiced up with an unreleased track
Lol Coxhill: Coxhill on Ogun. Ogun (OG 008). April 09. This release gathers two cult albums from an especially creative period for the sopran saxophonist: Diverse (1977) and The Joy of Paranoia (1978).
Elton Dean's Ninesense: Happy Daze / Oh! For The Edge. Ogun (OG 032). Nov. 09. Welcome reissue of the two albums made by the ex-Soft Machine saxophonist and the rhythm section of the Brotherhood of Breath band, as well as several top British jazz musicians, from pianist Keith Tippett to ex-King Crimson blowers Nick Evans & Mark Charig through the obligatory trumpetist Harry Beckett.
Chris McGregor: In His Good Time. Ogun Recording (OGCD 038). For the first time on CD, here is a solo outing by the renowned South African band leader and composer Chris McGregor, recorded live in his adopted homeland of France in 1977. This long-awaited reissue comes directly from the original unedited analogue tapes and boasts a wealth of bonus material, restoring in its entirety the first set of the evening, a continuous performance of original works and arrangements of traditional South African folksongs. Five tracks edited from the second set complete the collection.
Harry Miller: Different Times, Different Places Volume Two. Ogun Recording (OGCD 045). Compiled from the Miller family's tape archive by the late Michael King, "Different Times, Different Places Volume Two" brings together previously unreleased material dating from 1977, 1978 & 1982, featuring plenty of notorious musicians from the British jazz scene, from drummer Louis Moholo-Moholo to pianist Keith Tippett or ex-Soft Machine saxophonist Alan Wakeman, just to name a few.
Moholo / Parker / Pheto / Pheto / Guy Quintet: Bush Fire. Ogun (OG 009). April 09. The reuniting of saxophonist Evan Parker with the South-African drummer Louis Moholo in 1995 in London. Add bassist Barry Guy, Pule and Gibo Pheto (from Moholo's band Viva La Black), respectively on piano and bass).
Moholo-Moholo / Pukwana / Dyani / Wright: Spiritual Knowledge And Grace. Ogun Recordings (OGCD 035). May 2011. This previously unreleased recording documents a one-off collaboration between members of The Blue Notes and tenor sax giant Rev. Frank Wright. Recorded live in Eindhoven, Holland on what was meant to be the opening night of The Blue Notes' Dutch tour in 1979, the collaboration was spawned by the unavoidable absence of pianist Chris McGregor and prompted by Louis Moholo-Moholo's experience of playing alongside Frank in Peter Brotzmann's Alarm.
Louis Moholo-Moholo Septet & Octet: Bra Louis - Bra Tebs / Spirits Rejoice. Ogun (OG017-018). Nov. 08. Testimony of the bridge built between English and South-African musicians in the 60's, here's the coupling of two albums on one CD, "Spirits Rejoice" being one of the most important records made by the South-African drummer (and the first with this octet).
Mike Osborne Trio: All Night Long. Ogun (OG 029). Backed by the supreme rhythm section of drummer Louis Moholo and bass player Harry Miller and recorded at the Willisau festival, this new release of a session going back to 1976 offers nearly half an hour of unreleased material
John Stevens / Evan Parker: Corner to Corner / The Longest Night. Ogun (OG 022-023). Nov. 08. "The Longest Night" was recorded by the duo on December 21th, 1976 (hence the title), while "Corner To Corner" is some kind of post echo from 1993 with the same duo, one year before the drummer's trespassing. This double CD, totalizing about two and a half hours of music, synthetizes the best of what the British improvised music had to offer in so many years of adventure!
Keith Tippett Octet: From Granite to Wind. Ogun Recordings (OGCD 036). 2011. This new octet features both old and new collaborators, including Mujician's Paul Dunmall and former Tommy Chase Band saxophonist Ben Waghorn. A continuous performance, "From Granite To Wind" is an evolving flux of different forms and colours, reinterpreting elements of the great jazz tradition through Tippett's idiosyncratic musical language.
Tippett, Keith & Julie: Live at the Purcell Room. Ogun Recordings (OG034). Nov. 2010. Recorded live at the London Jazz Festival in 2008, this album delivers a message of universality, exploding all kind of borders and stylistic limitations; a convincing contemporary chamber music for piano and voice
Keith Tippett Septet: A Loose Kite In A Gentle Wind Floating With Only My Will... Ogun (OG030). 2009. Reissue of this milestone album on the British label Ogun, a concert recorded in 1984 in Exeter and featuring long time musical partners of Tippett, from Soft Machine's Elton Dean to trumpetist Mark Charig or trombonist Nick Evans and more, all reputed musicians from the British jazz scene

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PALMETTO RECORDS .... PALMETTO RECORDS .... PALMETTO RECORDS ....

Ben Allison: Buzz. Palmetto PM 2101. A new record by the american bass player and composer for a music which tries to mix African rhythms and hip hop. Michael Blake: tenor & soprano saxophones; Ted Nash: tenor saxophone & flute; Clark Gayton: trombone & bass trombone; Frank Kimbrough: piano, Wurlitzer & prepared piano; Michael Sarin: drums.
David Berkman : Start Here, Finish There. With Dick Oatts (sax), Ugonna Okegwo (b) & Nasheet Waitts (dms). PM2098
Richard Davis : The Bassist - Homage to Diversity. With John Hicks (piano). PM 2071
Joel Frahm & Brad Mehldau : Don't Explain. Frahm (ts,ss), Mehldau (p). PM 2096
Fred Hersch: Leaves of Grass. Palmetto PM 2107. Works by the US poet Walt Whitmann (1819 - 1892) are the basis of the music here. Many fine contributors are met here like singer Kurt Elling, trumpetist Ralph Alessi, cellist Erik Friedlander or bassist Drew Gress, just to name a few ...
Fred Hersch : Fred Hersch trio + 2. Drew Gress (b) - Nasheet Waits (dr) + Ralph Alessi trp/flg), Tony Malaby (ts. PM2099
Javon Jackson: Easy Does It. This record shows the interest of Jackson for R&B and funk. It couldn't be much different with people like Fred Wesley/Dr. Lonnie Smith/Lenny White/Mark Whitfield!
Lee Konitz & The Axis String Trio : Play French Impressionist Music From the 20 th Century. Debussy, Fauré, Chausson, Satie, Koechlin, Ravel, revisited by Konitz and strings. PM 2064
The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra: A Love Supreme. Palmetto PM 2106. Palmetto has just signed an exclusivity to the Lincoln Center for 3 records to be released within 18 monthes, starting on January 2005. Here is the first, the magnificent Coltrane opus, arranged by trumpetist Wynton Marsalis.
Bill Mays: Going Home. Trio piano/vocal, bass & drum.
Bill Mays Trio : Summer Sketches. B. Mays (p), Matt Wilson (dr), Martin Wind (b). PM 2070
Bobby Previte & BUMP In The Renaissance: Just Add Water. B. Previte (dr). BUMP is : Ray Anderson (trb), Marty Ehrlich (tenor sax), Wayne Horvitz (p), Steve Swallow (b) to which has to be added the guest appearance of Joseph Bowie (trb). PM 2081
Dr. Lonnie Smith: Too Damn Hot! Palmetto (PM 2105). 8 groovy personal compositions. Around Smith's Hammond we'll find Peter Bernstein (guitar), Greg Hutchinson (drums), Fukushi Tainaka (drums), Rodney Jones (rhythm guitar).
Ray Vega : Squeeze, Squeeze. Ray Vega (trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn), Bobby Porcelli (alto sax), Igor Atalita (piano), Greg August (bass), Adam Weber (drums), Wilson "Chembo" Corniel (congas). Latin jazz. PM 2097
Wilson/Frahm/Berkman/Allison/Mc Cann: The Other Side of Ellington (Duke's Motivation). Matt Wilson: drums / Joel Frahm: sax / David Berkman: piano / Ben Allison: bass / Pete McCann: guitar. PM 2051. This album was recorded in 1999 by Palmetto artists for the 100 years birthday of Duke Ellington.
Mat Wilson Quartet: "Humidity". Two blowers with a rich range of instruments (alto/tenor/soprano sax, bass clarinet, clarinet), a rhythm section with both acoustic and electric bass .... and all musicians playing hand bells!

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PI RECORDINGS .... PI RECORDINGS .... PI RECORDINGS .... PI RECORD ...

Abrams / Lewis / Mitchell: Streaming. PI Recordings PI 22. The 3 important figures of the AACM did meet again after their remarked performance in Venice in 2003. The key word of this recording is "open"!
Muhal Richard Abrams: SoundDance. PI Recordings PI 37. April 2011. Great return of the AACM founder and first president! To celebrate his 80th anniversary, this double CD presents one in duo with the late saxophonist Fred Anderson, while the other has the pianist improvising with trombonist George Lewis (also using a laptop)
Muhal Richard Abrams: Vision Towards Essence. PI Recordings (PI23). Sept. 07. Piano solo recorded at the Guelph festival in Canada in 1998. This is the first solo album by the AACM pianist since his Montreux recorded performance (Spiral Live) from 1978. We will have just waited 10 years for an album only 3 centuries ahead of its time!
Art Ensemble Of Chicago: Non-Cognitive Aspects Of the City / Live At Iridium. PI Recordings PI20. Sept. 06. This CD was recorded during the passage of the ARC at a New York Club between March and April 4, 2004. The ARC was then celebrating their 35th anniversary and drummer Don Moye hadn't yet passed. The two newcomers, bassist Jaribu Shahid and trumpetist Corey Wilkes, are respectively replacing Malachi Favors and Lester Bowie. So this is the rebirth of a phoenix and the first reapparition of the ARC as a quintet.
Art Ensemble Of Chicago: Sirius Calling (PI 11). Nov. 04. The 2nd part of the sessions from 2003 and the follower of "The Meeting", both without Lester Bowie!
Anthony Braxton & Wadada Leo Smith: Saturn, Conjuct The Grand Canyon In A Sweet Embrace. 2nd part of a 2003 concert (1st part also available on the same label)
Steve Coleman and Five Elements: Live at the Village Vanguard, Vol. I (The Embedded Sets). PI Recordings (PI 76). Recorded at the Village Vanguard New York, May 19 to 21, 2017, this 2CD captures the first set of the live performance and is Coleman's first live release in over 15 years. With him are Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet, Miles Okazaki on guitar, Anthony Tidd on bass and Sean Rickman on drums.
Steve Coleman And Five Elements: The Mancy Of Sound. PI Recordings (PI 38). July 2011. Following "Harvesting Semblances and Affinities", released last year in 2010, this album digs in both the present and the past; if the new spectacular singer Jen Shyu has won more assurance and place, the leader did also decide to go back to the more spontaneous music of the early years, without giving up his usual tools (astrology and numerology servicing the composing). The pulse, vital in any M'Base related project, is here firmly nailed by the two drummers Tyshawn Sorey & Marcus Gilmore!
Steve Coleman And Five Elements: Harvesting Semblances and Affinities. PI Recordings (PI 33). June 10. After a 4 years break, the altist is back with new compositions and influences like classic Danish composer Per Nørgård or the mystical philosoph Raymond Llull. The concepts of sacred geometry and numerology are still the basis of this new opus and clearly show that Coleman still has a message to deliver!
Liberty Ellman: Ophiuchus Butterfly. PI Recordings PI19. June 06. Recorded in January 2006 by a dynamic sextet, the 10 compositions of this 2nd album by the guitarist show the print left by his participation to Henry Threadgill's band (Zooid) as well as his extraordinary open mind, incorporating elements of post-rock, electronica, Ellington or even plain pop.
Liberty Ellman: Tactiles. This guitarist is one of the most imaginative and original musicians in New York. This, his second release, will present us the warm, thick and clear sound of his guitar and tube amp.
Fieldwork: Simulated Progress. PI 16. 2nd album by the trio of pianist Vijay Yver, featuring this time a new player, Steve Lehman, on alto sax and sopranino.
The pianist Vijay Iyer makes the actuality with two recordings:
- Reimagining. His first quartet album for PI Recordings (PI902), released in 2005 and featuring a superb rereading on piano solo of the song "Imagine" by John Lennon
- Raw Materials (PI903) from 2006; this is a duo album with saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa. Both players are coming from India and have moved musically in the steps of the M'Base movement, created by alt saxophonist Steve Coleman
Vijay Iyer: Blood Sutra. PI 901. 5th album by the pianist, continuing to mix his Indian roots with the rythmic complexities of the M'Base school
Steve Lehman: Demian As Posthuman (PI 17). Nov. 2005. 9 duo pieces and 3 by quintet. Electro jazz benefitiating of the syncopated grooves of bass funk wizzard Meshell Ndegeocello, the electro researches of Jahi Lake on turntables and synths. Hip Hop, electronica, contemporary chamber music and North American jazz tradition living and pulsing together
Rudresh Mahanthappa: Kinsmen. PI Recordings (PI 28). sept. 08. Summit meeting between one of the most enthusiasting saxophonists recently appeared on the international jazz scene and the unrivalled master of karnatic saxophone Kadri Gopalnath. This collaboration, undertitled "A Visionary Synthesis of Modern Jazz and South Indian Music" will appeal to fans of groups like Shakti or Oregon
Rudresh Mahanthappa: Mother Tongue (PI 14). The quartet led by this young saxophonist and "rising star" from India plays a music influenced by the rhythmic innovations of Steve Coleman and the exacerbed lyricism of John Coltrane. To be noticed is the presence of the French bass player François Moutin.
Roscoe Mitchell "Song For My Sister" recorded together with the Note Factory. It is their latest recording since Roscoe's ECM back to 99.
Odyssey The Band: Back In Time (PI 18). This bass-less trio gives plenty of place to the guitar of James "Blood" Ulmer, the violin (with wah-wah) of Charles Burnham (ex member of the New York String Trio) and the drumming of Warren Benbow.
The Revolutionary Ensemble: And Now... (PI 13). This is the first studio album in 27 years that this lost mythical collective trio from the 70's is now giving us to listen to. Leroy Jenkins, still the voice of the abstract, the bassist Sirone offering a more melodic way and finally drummer Jerome Cooper.
Marc Ribot: Spiritual Unity. PI 15. This tribute to Albert Ayler features one of his bass players, the newly resurfaced Henry Grimes.
Leo Smith / Anthony Braxton: Organic Resonance.
Threadgill, Henry: Double Up, Plays Double Up Plus. PI Recordings (PIR 152935). May 2018. First appeared on "Old Locks and Irregular Verbs", which was voted the best jazz album of 2016 in both the NPR and Jazz Times Critics Polls, the present album again features the Ensemble Double Up, but this time enlarged by the presence of three concert pianos, played by David Virelles, David Bryant and Luis Perdomo. The interaction between the three pianists lie at the heart of this piece, performing an intricate contrapuntal dance of varying attack, register, and density.
Threadgill, Henry: 14 or 15 Kestra: Agg - Dirt. and More Dirt. PI Recordings (PIR 152936). May 2018. Those works for large band are part of Threadgill's ongoing exploration for integrating composition with group improvisation, in particular an entirely new system of improvisation based on preconceived series of intervals. They bear the unmistakable stamp of all Threadgill compositions: complex forms, multi-layered counterpoint, rigorous polyphony, and timbral contrasts all wrapped up in a swirl of rhythmic convolution. The use of multiple horns and woodwinds on this album vastly expands the music's harmonic and tonal palette at Threadgill's disposal, adding a much wider range of color, texture, and weight. At the age of 73, Threadgill remains at the peak of his powers, yet remains completely open to all possibilities in expanding and refining his craft.
Henry Threadgill Zooid: Tomorrow Sunny / The Revelry, Spp. PI Recordings (PI 43). June 2012. The music of Threadgill always offers associations of disparate instrumental tones, flute and guitar on one side, tuba or trombone and electric bass on the other, alongside a firm rhythmic rigor; this album is no exception, using some of the same proven receipts with maybe a little bit more of minimalism in the expression; and once again we'll appreciate the trimmed guitar playing of Liberty Ellman as well as the return of cello (Christopher Hoffmanin the sound imagery!
Henry Threadhill Zooid: This Brings Us To, Vol 2. PI 36. Oct. 2010. With guitarist Liberty Ellman in the line-up.

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From Polish Jazz Net ... From Polish Jazz Net ... From Polish Jazz Net ...

Günter Adler: Live in Asien. Meta Records Meta 016. Released in 2003. Modern jazz by German band featuring Rudi Mahall on bass clarinet, Daniel Erdmann on tenor sax, bassist Johannes Fink and drummer Heinrich Köbberling.
Air Acoustic Trio: Rostock. Meta Records (Meta 028). Free chamber music composed and played by Ralf Altrieth: soprano saxophone / Martin Iannaccone: cello / Olaf Rupp: guitar. This trio has a tremendous homogeneous group sound, taken into account that its basis is free improvised music played on the spot
Ralf Altrieth / Davide Baldo: Fra Acqua e Cielo. Meta Records (Meta 030). Jazz duo, the first being saxophonist and the second a guitar player from Venice. As the title implies, they present us with an airy and liquid improvised music.
Dominic Bukowski: Dominic Bukowski & Projektor. Allegro 010. 2005. Contemporary, modern jazz that captures your attention from the start; the leader on vibraphone is helped by two blowers, acoustic bass and drums and finally a musician standing for samplers and live electronics
Ecstazy Project Trio: Realium. Polish Jazz CD 0089. 2005. Recorded in January 2003, this album offers music inspired by European-ECM sound .... jazz, ambient, new age, whatever, it has much beauty, a fantastic percussion work, gorgeous bass and lots of atmospheres, very visual. The group is a trio composed of Rafal Gorzycki: drums, electronics, Lukasz Gorkiewicz: violin, guitar, piano and Patryk Weclawek: bass, double bass.
Jm Trio: Interludium. Allegro 008 (2004). Joachim Mencel, pianist and leader of this trio, graduate of the Katowice Academy of Music - Jazz Department, is one of the most subtle, rich sounding and creative young pianists on the European Jazz scene.
Kochan, Jacek: Yearning. GOWI CDG6. 2006. This 2006 release by the Polish drummer blends hard fusion, electronica, bits of free jazz - kinda referencing 70's Miles stuff but definitely of today with solo instruments like quarter tone trumpet, baritone, tenor and soprano saxes, Fender Rhodes piano, live electronics, drums. Let's note the presence this time of the French musician François Corneloup on baritone saxophone.
Jacek Kochan: Our Standards. GOWI CDG32 (1996). On this record, the Polish drummer is heard in a more conventional jazz trio, playing standards and own compositions, backed up by Joey Calderazzo on piano and the Swedish bass player Lars Danielsson.
Jacek Kochan: Standard Transmission. GOWI CDG41 (97). Recorded at CBC Studio, Toronto, Canada, June 11th, 1996. Jacek Kochan has with him guitarist John Abercrombie, saxophonist Pat LaBarbera and bass player Jim Vivian.
Johnny LaMarama. Meta Records (Meta 015). Behind this name is to be found an unconventional trio composed of Chris Dahlgren: bass / Kalle Kalima: guitar / Eric Schaefer: drums.
Piotr Lemanczyk: Follow the Soul. Allegro 006 (2003). The leader is a bass player whose playing is characterized by a strong and resolute attack on the string, a deep and full tone, precision of articulation, melodic invention. With him here are no less than 4 tenor saxophonists, a guitarist, a vibraphonist and a drummer.
Loud Jazz Band is a Polish "electric jazz" ensemble founded and led by guitarist and composer Miroslaw "Carlos" Kaczmarczyk. After noteworthy success in Poland, including both award nominations and several live performances with names such as Pat Metheny & Mike Stern, Carlos founded a "Norwegian edition" of the Loud Jazz Band in 1999. "Don't Stop the Train" (Allegro 007) is from 2004 while "The Way to Salina" (Allegro 009) is from 2005, being also of a more electric vein than the previous one
Milosc / Lester Bowie: Not Two. GOWI CDG25 (1997). "Not Two" is a rare document of one of the last recordings by Lester Bowie, joined here by one of the best European jazz and experimental music bands of 1990s scene - Milosc. Mainly, these musicians focus on freeing music from categorization and on blurring genre definitions. These are stunning musicians, versatile, dexterous, and often full of humor. Recorded live on the 19th of November 1997 at the Eskulap Club, Poznan Jazz Fair, Poznan, Poland.
New Connection feat. Greg Osby: S/T. Meta Records (Meta 011). European trio piano, bass & drums, featuring as soloist the American saxophonist Greg Osby.
Oles/Trzaska/Oles & Jean-Luc Cappozzo: Suite For Trio +. FM05-001. Recorded on February 27, 2003. The French trumpetist is here servicing the music composed by the Polish drummer Bartlomiej Brat Oles. A haunting and charming album!
Marcin Oles featuring Brat Oles, Simon Nabatov and Chris Speed: Walk Songs. Fenommedia, 2006 - FM-06. Recorded at DR Studio, Poland November 22-23, 2005.
Adam Pieronczyk Trio: Busem Po Sao Paulo. Meta Records META033. Recorded July 5 & 6, 2005 at Anonimato Estudios in Sao Paulo, Brazil. An absolute highlight of more modern, contemporary jazz with Polish Pieronczyk's own unique sound, innovativeness, fabulously balanced music and tension.
Plastiline Black Sheep: S/T. Meta Records (Meta 012). This CD, released in 2001 presents a mixed Polish-German trio sax, bass & drums, featuring the much acclaimed Adam Pieronczyk on sax as well as Johannes Fink on bass and drummer Maurice de Martin. A fresh acoustic and modern sounding trio!
Wojtek Staroniewicz: Hand Made. Allegro 005 (2002). This band plays acoustic jazz performed with a set of instruments untypical of this genre. The combination of the sax, accordion and guitar is quite surprising yet interesting. The repertoire is made up of their own pieces although a large number of standards is present as well as spontaneous improvisation. The music is based on the contemporary grooves even though they play without samples nor a DJ. One of the defining albums of the New Polish Jazz!
Yá-Sou: Tribute to Don Cherry. GOWI CDG40. Recorded on February 2nd, 1996 at Theatre "Maly", Warsaw, Poland, this CD is made of 3 tracks: a long suite of 26 minutes is the main tribute to trumpetist Don Cherry and features reedman Peter Apfelbaum; the two other tracks also feature trumpetist Tomasz Stanko and the ethnic progressive group Osjan

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PREMONITION RECORDS .... PREMONITION RECORDS .... PREMONITION

Patricia Barber: Many of her records are now available again: Night Club, Café Blue, Modern Cool, Verse
Patricia Barber: Split: (PRE 742). Her very beginning in 1989 in classic jazz trio and playing standards repertoire (Early Autumn, Two for the Road or Too Late Now)
Bobbybroom: Stand ! (PRE 754). Popular music and hits from the 60's and 70's revisited by a trio guitar/bass/drums whose guitarist and leader accompanied in the past stars like Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins or Dr. John
Ann Dyer & No Good Time Fairies: Revolver / A New Spin (PRE 745). Yes, this is a revisiting of the Beatles's album "Revolver" by a female singer and her group from San Francisco. The album went unfairly unnoticed as it was released. A new chance at hand!
Douglas / Sclavis / Lee / Van Der Schyff: Bow River Falls (PRE 765). Recorded in the wild Canadian mountains and presenting us both written and improvised compositions.
Drew Gress: The Irrational Numbers. Premonition PRE775. March 08. New album by the bassist with the same team as on his previous release: Tim Berne and his long time partner Tom Rainey on drums, trumpetist Ralph Alessi and the hip keyboardist Craig Taborn, here on piano only
Drew Gress: 7 Black Butterflies. PRE 767. Here with pianist Craig Taborn and saxophonist Tim Berne among others.
Drew Gress: Spin & Drift ! (PRE 752). The bassist is here wonderfully surrounded by Uri Caine on piano, Tim Berne on alt & baryton sax and drummer Tom Rainey.
Phil Haynes & Free Country: Phil Haynes & Free Country (PRE 744). Traditional American songs revisited by the drummer's quartet which features cellist Hank Roberts and bass player Drew Gress as well as the lesser known guitarist Jim Yanda.
Juba Collective: S/T (PRE 756). This collective is grouped around the charismatic personality of drummer Kahil El' Zabar, leader and drummer of the celebrated Ethnic Heritage ensemble. Juba is gathering elements of pure groove declined in many combinations. If the dominant aspect is hip hop, the pulse also happens to be jazz, rap or R&B. Body & (less) Soul.
Laurel Massé: Feather & Bone (PRE 751). Singer and founder of the Manhattan Transfer, Laurel was forced to quit in 79 because of a tragic car accident. Her return album from 94 is entirely dedicated to traditional songs from Scotland, Greece - or reinterpretations of Bach (menuets, gigues)
John Mc Lean: Easy Go (PRE 753). This is the debut album in 2001 of Patricia Barber's guitarist, often compared to instrument colleagues Pat Metheny, Bill Frisell or David Torn.
Von Freeman: Good Forever. Premonition PRE 768. Sept.06. Blues and ballads played in quartet with among other drummer Jimmy Cobb
Von Freeman: The Great Divide (PRE 759). An homage to Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker & Lester Young with no less than Jimmy Cobb on drums. This is a following of "The Improvisor" released 2 years ago (PRE 757) and recorded in Chicago in December 2001. Solos, duos with pianist Jason Moran or quartet where we can among others find bassist Mark Helias.
Von Freeman : Live At The Dakota (PRE 750). Live recording of Freeman's quartet playing a US club in Minnesota, April 30 & May 1, 1996.
Robert Walter: There Goes The Neighborhood (PRE 755). A tribute to the pioneers of jazz funk, from Herbie Hancock to Jimmy Smith via Booker T. And to raise the groove level, what about having in one's troops an ex-Crusaders bass player, Chuck Rainey, the drummer of the Headhunters and various collaborators of guitarist George Benson?
Paul Wertigo Trio: Don't Be Scared Anymore (PRE 748). Album released in 2000 and probably the best accomplishment to this date by the ex-drummer of Pat Metheny.

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PSI RECORDINGS .... PSI RECORDINGS .... PSI RECORDINGS .... PSI

Bailey / Parker: The London Concert. July 2005. PSI 0105. The concert from Wigmore Hall in 75 is now reissued with about half an hour unreleased extra material.
Hank Bennink / Evan Parkeron The Grass Is Greener (PSI 0202) is recorded at the Gateway studios, London in March 2000
Delbecq / Houle / Parker: La Lumière De Pierres. PSI 0702. June 07. Impressionistic music for clarinet, sax and prepared piano
Fernandez / Gustafsson: Critical Mass. PSI 0506. The Spanish pianist, inspired as much by Cecil Taylor as by Xenakis, played improvised music in 2004 with the Swedish saxophonist
Foxes Fox: Naan Tso. PSI 0507. Evan Parker on saxes, with South-African drummer Louis Moholo, pianist Steve Beresford and bassist John Edwards.
Hans Koller: Cry, Want. PSI 1008. May 2011. The German pianist - living in London since 1991 - is here featured on electric piano and offers a refined chamber jazz inspired by Jimmy Giuffre (check the title!) and featuring among other guitarist Bill Frisell. The seven other players making the band are all brass players (trumpet, horn, trombone, alt and tenor saxes, clarinet)
Leimgruber / Demierre / Phillips: Ldp - Cologne. July 2005. PSI 0503. Recorded in 2003, this is a trio without drums in the vein of the
Jimmy Giuffree 3
Adam Linson: Cut And Continuum. PSI 0604. Sept. 06. Linson has been introduced to us via his participation at the CD "The Eleventh Hour" by Evan Parker's Electro Acoustic Ensemble. Here we are presented with a solo recording showing his electroacoustic work on acoustic bass; from sound treatments to sampling
Adam Linson Systems Quartet: Figures and Grounds. PSI 1105. May 2011. Bass clarinet, trumpet and electronics are the front line of this system conceived by the leader and bass player, already benefitting of a great reputation for his work on acoustic bass (sound treatments and sampling). The same approach is used here for his quartet
Evan Parker Octet: Crossing The River. PSI 0602. Sept. 06. 2 improvisations by the octet, a string quintet, short duos and trios recorded in London in 2005 are the content of this CD
Evan Parker: The Topography Of The Lungs. PSI 0605. Reissue of a mythical album from 1970, considered as a milestone in European free jazz. With the late Derek Bailey on guitar and Han Bennink on percussion
Evan Parker / Stan Tracey: Crevulations (PSI 0504). Nov. 2005.
Evan Parker: Six Of One. July 2005. PSI 0203. Reissue of a solo album from 1980
Evan Parker: The Snake Decides (PSI 0306). Sopran solo recorded in a church in 86.
Evan Parker: Lines Burnt In Light (PSI 0101). Soprano solo, also recorded in a church on october 11, 2001. This is actually the start release of the PSI label
Parker / Guy / Lytton: At Les Instants Chavirés (PSI 0206). French club recording
Evan Parker / George Lewis: From Saxophone And Trombone. PSI 0204
Evan Parker / Paul Lytton / Alexander Von Schlippenbach: America 2003. PSI 0406. 2CD of two concerts recorded in May 2003 in the USA.
Parker / Guy / Lytton / Ryan / Wachsmann: Free Zone Appleby 2004. PSI Recordings PSI 0505. British improvised music at its top, recorded in 2004 during the Applevy Jazz Festival. Around the electronics of Joel Ryan, those improvisations alternate 4 duos with a new partner each time and 3 trios with the same personal in various combinations. If Evan, Barry and Paul are no surprise, the lesser known of the four is certainly Philipp Waschsmann, here on violin and electronics.
Joel Ryan: Or Air (PSI 0408). Music of inner trance, dissecation of sound material in multiple parcels interacting between each other. All this worked out from loops of Evan Parker's saxophone, turning like orbital stations around our ears. Welcome to Ryan's science fiction laboratorium and its stellar winds!
Spontaneous Music Ensemble: Biosystem. PSI 0607. Jan. 07. This is the "string version" of the ensemble led by John Stevens, recorded in 1977 for the label Incus. This reissue presents 4 unreleased tracks
Aki Takase: A Week Went By. PSI 1003. May 2010. A brilliant testimony of the Japanese pianist's visit to the UK, this album offers various meetings, from a duo with John Tchicai to a trio with drummer Tony Levin and bass player John Edwards, interspeced with piano solo pieces taken from the Music Outside Festival
Aki Takase Quintet: Tarantella. PSI 0603. Sept.06. This concert from 97 ws organized by the German Radio and presents the pianist (living in Berlin) and her quintet mixing piano and string quartet (violin/viola/cello/contrabass).
Alexander Von Schlippenbach Trio. Winterreise. PSI 0610. Jan. 07. Trio with Evan Parker on tenor sax and Paul Lovens on percussion. Recorded in 2004 and 2005 during concerts at the Köln Loft.
Alexander Von Schlippenbach: Broomriding (PSI 0305). Quartet (piano, bass clarinet, cello, percussion) recorded in Berlin, 2002 by the German Radio.
Kenny Wheeler: Song For Someone (PSI 0401). Cult album from 73 featuring many British musicians: John Taylor, Derek Bailey, Norma Winstone, Tony Oxley ...
Kenny Wheeler: Dream Sequence (PSI 0304). Featuring Tony Levin

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RUNE GRAMMOFON ... RUNE GRAMMOFON ... RUNE GRAMMOFON ...

Bushman's Revenge: A Little Bit of Big Bonanza. Rune Grammofon (RCD 2123). 2012. With one leg in heavy rock and one in jazz, this young Norwegian band - all still in their twenties - is a model of collective improvisation and interaction. And while guitarist Even Helte Hermansen is the natural focal point, there are no big egos at work here, this is a solid unit where all members are equally important for the end result.
Espen Eriksen Trio: End Of Summer. Rune Grammofon (RCD2216). Street date: 25-09-20. Recorded in April 2020 at the highest peak of the pandemic, the album benefits of an extra level of intensity, due to the fact of being able to be together and record in a time where concerts mass cancellation was the rule!
Espen Eriksen Trio: Never Ending January. Rune Grammofon (RCD2173). 21-08-15. Beautifully recorded and mixed at Propeller Studio in Oslo, the focus is on typically Scandinavian elements such as folk music, melancholia and the deep woods. In that respect it's fair to say that they belong to the same tradition as Tord Gustavsen and the late Esbjörn Svensson, even Jan Johanson in some respects, but without really sounding like any of them. But it's also fair to say that the trio's less is more approach is in stark contrast to many contemporary piano trios, with shorter tunes and strong focus on melodic content.
Fire!: Defeat. Rune Grammofon (RCD2217). Steet date: 19-02-21. 7th release by the trio, this time again with guests: Goran Kajfes and Mats Äleklint. The flute gets a prominent role in the sound field and if the expression seems slightly more reserved than earlier, the characteristic bass figures and hypnotic atmospheres are still there!
Fire!: She Sleeps, She Sleeps. Rune Grammofon (RCD2178). Street date: 15-01-16. With this third album (not counting the two other collaborative ones), the Swedish band keeps digging their idea of a fresh approach to improvised music, with a number of influences from free jazz, psychedelic rock and noise. The album displays an intriguing cocktail of dark and brooding, hypnotic slowcore jazz.
Fire! Orchestra: Actions. Rune Grammofon (RCD2212 / RLP3212). Street date: 28-02-20. Featuring saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, this new album is a new interpretation of "Actions For Free Jazz Orchestra", an imposing work from 1971, by Polish classical composer Krzysztof Penderecki. The original work was back then presenting a 14 piece orchestra directed by himself, with musicians picked by legendary jazz trumpeter Don Cherry. The goal of this release was to set again focus on the masterpiece, 50 years later within our time's frames.
Fire! Orchestra: Ritual. Rune Grammofon 2LP/CD (RLP3182/RCD2182). Street date: 29-04-16. Basically a Swedish ensemble, the orchestra now also counts Norwegian, Danish and French players. Members of Fire! Orchestra share a wide background, combining jazz, improvised music, contemporary music, rock, garage, psych, and what have you. With "Ritual" they have outdone themselves and produced a beast of beauty and power, extremely well executed, beautifully recorded and produced from only two days in the studio. Free improvisations, spontaneous horns, keyboard frenzy, abstract electronics, guitar mayhem and not to forget; those glorious twin voices of Mariam Wallentin and Sofia Jernberg. It´s about mysteries and rituals; in music and in life.
I.P.A.: Bashing Mushrooms. Cuneiform Records (RUNE472). Featuring Oslo-based Atle Nymo on tenor saxophone and bass clarinet, Norwegian-born, Austin, Texas-based bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, Trondheim drummer Håkon Mjåset Johansen, Stockholm's Magnus Broo on trumpet and Mattias Ståhl on vibraphone, I.P.A. is strongly influenced by the seminal 60's work of Don Cherry and Ornette Coleman. Harmonically unfettered, rhythmically unpredictable, and melodically unvarnished, the quintet thrives on live-wire interaction, with rapidly intersecting lines that swoop and collide, disentangle and divide. A sumptuous aural feast marked by extended, circuitous melodies and spacious, finely etched textures, this album is the group's fifth album and their second on Cuneiform.
Kjetil Mulelid Trio: What You Thought Was Home. Rune Gramofon (RCD2208 / RLP3208). Steet date: 30-08-19. Second album by the Norwegian pianist, after the debut album from 2017, which had reviewers to place him alongside iconic figures such as Keith Jarrett or Bill Evans! His trio consists of bassist Bjørn Marius Hegge and drummer Andreas Winther. The compositions offer a well tuned balance between energic, often rhythmically complex, harmonically rich music and beautiful melodies full of delicate moods and ambiances, often leaving a strong feel of quietness and peace.

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SILKHEART RECORDS .... SILKHEART RECORDS .... SILKHEART RECORDS

As I wrote somewhere else on this site, Music By Mail is now distributing the US label Silkheart. Here is a short overview of some of the releases you can look forward to!
+ Bob Ackermann Trio: Old And New Magic. SH 138. Nov. 04. This trio focuses on the reed playing (sax, clarinet & flutes) of a musician who won this nickname: Mouthpiece Doctor!
+ Booker T. Trio: Go Tell It On The Mountain. SH 114. Nov. 04. The saxophonist awkens on tenor and alto the ghosts of Coltrane & Ayler. Featuring Andrew Cyrille on drums.
+ Charles Brackeen Quartet: Attainment (SH 110) + Bannar (SH 105). 2 dtaes from Dallas, 1987, the 2nd featuring AEC's bassist Malachi Favors.
+ Roy Campbell Pyramid: Communion . 1994. With the tandem William Parker/Reggie Nicholson.
+ Carter/Campbell/Parker/Bakr: Other Dimensions In Music (SH 120).
+ Ernest Dawkins New Horizons Ensemble: Chicago Now. Silkheart. For the commemoration of the AACM's 30th birthday, two volumes are now released ( SH 140 & 141), presenting a very worked out and accessible music. This ensemble was the revelation of the Moers festival in 1983. The title is of course a reference to the historic record by Ornette Coleman: New York Now! but it is also an homage to the lively music scene of chicago.
+ Ethnic Heritage Ensemble: 21st Century Union March (SH 142). 1995 with trombonist Joseph Bowie and of course the leader Kahil El' Zabar on dms, percussion and vocal + Edward Wilkerson ontenor sax and alto clarinet
+ Joel Futterman Quartet: Vision In Time (SH 125). This previously partner of Jimmy Lyons met in 1989 AEC's saxophonist Joseph Jarman. Also featured here is bassist Richard Davis
+ Charles Gayle Quartet: Blue Shadows. Silkheart SHCD157. Unreleased tracks from the famous 1993 session. The band has a strong Afro character with bassist Vattel Cherry doubling on kalimba and bells and supporting drummer Michael Wimberly. There is another celebrity on bass, the great William Parker, also featured on cello and half-size violin.
+ Charles Gayle Quartet: Blue Shadows. Silkheart SHCD 157. Unreleased tracks from the famous New Jersey 1993 Session. The personnel is: Charles Gayle: tenor saxophone, viola / William Parker: bass, cello, half-size violin / Vattel Cherry: bass, kalimba, bells / Michael Wimberly: drums. All compositions by Charles Gayle
+ Charles Gayle Quartet: Always Born (SH 115). 10/04/88 and a free improvised meeting with John Tchicai (Sirone & Reggie Nicholson form the rhythm section)
+ Charles Gayle Quartet: Raining Fire (SH 137). A session from 1993 and somehow AACM sounding. Features 2 basses for extra drive and power
+ Dennis Gonzalez New Dallasangeles: The Desert Wind (Silkheart SH 124). 4th album for the label, recorded in April 1989 in Dallas. Gonzalez is by the way the founder of a music association called DAAGNIM and which can be described as the Dallas equivalent of the AACM from Chicago. The spirit of the Great Black Music is still present on this record with the track "Hymn For Julius Hemphill".
+ Denis Gonzalez New Dallas Quartet: Stefan (SH 101). Features AEC's bassist Malachi Favors and another fine musician on alto sax, bass clarinet and flute: John Purcell
+ William Hooker / Billy Bang Duo: Joy (Within)! (SH 147). Recorded in 94 at the Knitting Factory. Bang plays also flute here
+ Steve Lacy: 5 x Monk, 5 x Lacy (SH 144). A solo recording on sopran sax, captured in 1994 by the Swedish Radio
+ Steve Lacy Quartet: One Fell Swoop (SH 103). Recorded at the IRCAM in 1988 and featuring among others Charles Tyler
+Matt Lavelle Trio: Spiritual Power. Silkheart SHCD156. With "Spiritual Power" Lavelle establishes himself as a major player, be it on fluegelhorn or bass clarinet. He is backed by bassist Hilliard Greene and drummer Michael Thompson.
+ Other Dimensions in Music: Kaiso Stories. Silkheart Records (SHCD 168). 2011. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Jim Clouse on September 8, 2010 at Park West Studios, Brooklyn, NY. Roy Campbell on trumpet, pocket trumpet, flugelhorn, flute, recorder, shepherd pipes, arghul, bird whistles, panpipes, bells. Daniel Carter on alto, tenor and soprano saxophones, flute, trumpet, and clarinet. William Parker on double bass, gembri, bass duduk, trombonium. Charles Downs on drums and percussion. In addition to this regular trio is featured the voice of Fay Victor.
+ Sirone Bang Ensemble: Configuration (SHCD 155). Recorded on November 29th, 2004 in New York City. With Billy Bang: violin, Charles Gayle: alto & tenor saxophones, Sirone: bass and Tyshawn Sorey: drums
+ Charles Tyler & Brus Trio: Autumn In Paris (SH 118). Recorded in Stockholm.
+ David S. Ware Quartet: Oblations And Blessings (SH 145). 1996 with his usual quartet (Matthew Shipp, William Parker, Whit Dickey)

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SLAM PRODUCTIONS .... SLAM PRODUCTIONS .... SLAM PRODUCTIONS ..

21st Century V-Bop: S/T. SLAM Productions (SLAMCD284). Jan. 2011. Here's an album that proves that spontaneous composition can be both melodic and groovy. Recorded live in the studio in one take, with no overdubs, 21st Century V-Bop covers a vast landscape both sonically and stylistically. With free improviser and saxophonist Paul Dunmall, keyboardist Tony Hymas, maybe known by the older for his collaboration with Jeff Beck and by the youngest for his work in Ursus Minor, the versatility doesn't stop here since guitarist Philip Gibbs provides fresh approaches to both rock and jazz guitar styles, with nods to Mclaughlin's technique and Hendrix's walls of sound, whilst drummer Mark Anderson provides strength and groove alternately, with reference to the mighty cohort of fusion drummers past and the march of modern groove-based music into the future. If you thought all improvised music is necessarily directionless atonal and a-rhythmic, a re-evaluation could start with this CD.
A Favola da Medusa: Dada Dandy (SLAMCD 553). This Lisboa based band was formed in 2010 by Miguel Martins (various instruments) and Filipe Homem Fonseca (guitar) dealing with dadaist free-rock aesthetics, harpist Ana Dias completing a unique trio. Their music has lent itself ideally to film and tv soundtracks. The present album covers tracks from a live concert and other showcasing the trio's work during the previous 2 years with other guests
Adamo / Corbini / Franceschini: Endless Work. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 593). Street date: 26-10-18. Rino Adamo (violin and electronics), Sergio Corbini (piano, synthesizer) and Stefano Franceschini (soprano, baritone saxes, alto clarinet and electronics), are musicians/composers of very different backgrounds who bring together three musical worlds. As the title "endless work" suggests, it has taken time, not so much in the recording, but the maturation of each song. Each musician introduced himself to the composition of others, suggesting, stimulating new paths that the composer himself had not foreseen. This is noticeable even where the music is totally improvised creating a particular amalgam. The "sound" of the disc is really specific, due to both the combination of instruments and the use of electronics where it has not only a tonal function, but also a structural one. The songs form a work without end ... .where for a moment they stopped on disk, but that surely will evolve in the concerts that the trio will find to perform.
Barcode Quartet: You're It. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 288). April 2012. Vocalist Annette Giesriegl, based in Graz, Austria, brings her studies of overtone singing, throat singing and Indian music to jazz and improvised music. London based improvising violinist Alison Blunt and pianist Elisabeth Harnik of Styria represent a generation of improvisers who didn´t come to the discipline via jazz. Graz based Josef Klammer's drums and electronics add punctuation and colour, providing the musical glue to the ensemble. The CD comes from live recordings in Austria in July 2011.
Bennington /Cohn / Schuller: New Jersey Freebie. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 596). Street date: 25-10-19. Piano bass drums trio (and occasional singing) offering free improvisations, recorded live.
Bennington / Cohn: Albany Park. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 587). April 2018. Recorded in Chicago, as part of the colour and sound house concert series, Albany Park is a follow up to Jimmy Bennington's earlier release "No Lunch in Hackensack" (Unseen Rain Records) with New Jersey based piano veteran Steve Cohn (also shakuhachi and vocals).
Bija: S/T. Slam Productions (SLAMCD556). 03/11/14. This Italian trio take their beginning in a vibration, a sound from which their music grows, developing surprising soundscapes. Salento, the region of Italy where the trio originates, is the South-east tip of the country, surrounded by the Adriatic, absorbing many influences from neighbouring cultures. In addition to the Bija trio of Francesco Pellizzari (drums and percussion), Gabriele Di Franco (guitar and loops) and Marco Puzzello (trumpet and flugelhorn), this 2013 studio recording also features special guests Emanuele Coluccia (saxophone) and Stefano Luigi Mangia (voice).
Breadcrumb Trio: S/T. Slam Productions (SLAMCD599). Street date: 31-07-20. Improvisational - experimental music group with two guitarits, here releasing its first self-titled album. Its particular combination of electric guitar with contrabass gives birth to compositions encompassing a wide range of sonic manipulations. The instruments escape their traditional ways and produce uncanny and original sounds. The three musicians get together on the basis of musical "dialogue", aiming to explore new musical dynamics. The members of the Bread Crumb Trio are active in the improvisational and new music scenes of Athens and Berlin, each one stemming from different backgrounds (classical, jazz, rock, punk). The album is an example of the up-and-coming scene that welcomes more and more musicians, creating performances for an audience that seeks out unique sounds and new sonic experiences. Its aim is the immediacy between the audience and the performers, giving the former the right to think freely, criticize, demand, without any pre-imposed rules pertaining to "idiom" or "tradition".
Byard, Jaki & Riley, Howard: R & B. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 2100). 14-09-15. Recorded live at Pendley Manor Jazz Festival, Tring, Hertfordshire, on July 7th, 1985.
Jorge Cabadas: More Steps. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 568). Street date: 29/01/16. A solo guitar album, presented this way by its composer: "More Steps is another stage in my quest as a soloist in the field of real time composition. In the 21st century, I am humbly attempting to pick up the baton of previous masters: Bach, Bartok , Cage, Ornette , AMM , Lester Bowie, etc. It is also a journey through my very own personal 'mikrokosmos'. I intend to find an order in the random by taking the structures arising from the immediate to a point of rest and conclusion. It essentially has to do with wanting to shape the random".
Carter / Greene / Haney: Live Constructions. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 589). Street date: 20-07-18. WKCR Radio based at Columbia University, New York, broadcasts a weekly Sunday evening show called "Live Constructions" featuring live studio performances recorded specially for the show. The show focuses on new music, bringing together guests from the contemporary scene, often playing together for the first time. On "Live Constructions", 12 November 2017 the trio of Daniel Carter (trumpet, tenor sax), Hilliard Greene (bass) and pianist David Haney trio met and performed for the first time; a debut performance preserved here on CD.
Stephanos Chytiris & Nikolas Skordas: Invisible War. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 5101). Street date: 31-07-20. Spiritual improvised free jazz music, created by a drummer and a reedman (soprano & tenor saxophones, tarogato, traditional flutes).
ClockWork Groove: Waiting for Injection. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 560). 15/01/15. Clockwork Groove is the name of the quintet founded in 2012 by bassist and composer Davide Giovanni Pometti with saxophonists Alessia Serina Pinto and Ferdinando D'Urso, guitarist Marco Pometti and drummer Luigi Perticone. The music recorded on this album contains several elements derived from many kind of musics: it is possible to find jazz-rock, fusion, ingredients taken from the A.A.C.M.'s music (especially from the Art Ensemble of Chicago's compositions) and from the style of Frank Zappa together with a pinch of western art music and other contemporary delicacies. Today's mainstream jazz is often just a regurgitation of bebop or hardbop; the intent of this band is to propose something different to shake the collective perception as a psychoactive drug or an electroshock.
Coates / Edwards / Lines /Gauden: Locked. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 2110). Street date: 28-02-20. Recorded live at The Hermon Chapel, Oswestry, on April 18th, 2019, with saxophonist Bruce Coates , guitarist Barry Edwards, bass player Trevor Lines and drummer Ed Gauden
Lol Coxhill: Coxhill 85. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 2114). May 2021. This is the final production of a great British label, led by reedman George Haslam! Nick Lea says: "The music here was recorded informally, in June 1985, at Gibbs Jazz Club, Cardiff where Lol was booked for two nights. Throughout the concert Lol was perched upon a stool, looking relaxed and ready to play. If some of the audience were not quite sure what to expect, Lol won them over at first with his ability as natural raconteur and then with his music. In the programme Lol also plays some delightful solos on sopranino saxophone, something he did far too infrequently.".
Erika Dagnino Trio: Sides. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 557). 15/01/15. Sides was recorded on July 12th, 2013 in Brooklyn and it blends in a very powerful and beautiful connection the strong and kaleidoscopic images of Erika Dagnino's poetry, the intense lucidity of Satoshi Takeishi's percussion and the strength of the vision of Ken Filiano's bass. The booklet accompanying the CD presents a completely new collection of Dagnino's works in English as well as their original Italian language.
Erika Dagnino / Stefano Pastor / George Haslam / Steve Waterman: Narcéte. SLAM Productions (SLAMCD 542). Oct. 2012. Narcéte represents the natural connection between poetry and music, two very close arts that express themselves with sound, rhythm and consonance. To express it, the very talented Italian poet Erika Dagnino, Italian violinist Stefano Pastor and English musicians George Haslam and Steve Waterman formed this Anglo-Italian quartet and composed a succession of pieces titled Chant, numbered from 1 to 10.
Sebastiano Dessanay: Duets of a Fool. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 571). May 2016. The Sardinian bass player has for this album collected some recently recorded musical dialogues with important artists he came across with during his artistic career. The artists featured in the album range from new generation talents such as the Italian trumpeter Fulvio Sigurtà to established names of the British free jazz scene such as Paul Dunmall and Mark Sanders. There are several artists from Sardinia, where Dessanay started as a bass player: pianist Sebastiano Meloni, who uses improvisation as his main artistic device, classical-contemporary guitar player Francesco Morittu and jazz pianist Augusto Pirodda, who recorded with Paul Motian and Gary Peacock. Add the UK-based artists who have collaborated with Dessanay in the past few years: Scottish sax player Rachael Cohen, London Sinfonietta oboist Melinda Maxwell and clarinetist and songwriter Jack McNeill.
D'Istante3: S/T. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 537). Oct. 2012. Here is a creative music project bringing together the two Italian improvisers Giancarlo Mazzù (guitar, drums) and pianist Luciano Troja plus New York based saxophonist Blaise Siwula, also playing here clarinets. Recorded on April 25th 2011 at Wombat Studios in Brooklyn, NY.
Paul Dunmall Brass Project: Maha Samadhi. SLAM Productions (SLAMCD 2105). Street date: 27-01-17. With his brass project "Maha Samadhi" Dunmall takes a rare step into the world of composition; the suite is based on episodes from the life of Sri Ramakrishna, 19th century Indian mystic and yogi. Paul's recent CDs on SLAM have defined his Coltrane interests and influences; the choice of the brass project picks up further on his love of everything Coltrane.
Dunmall / Bianco: Homage to Coltrane. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 296). 27/07/15. This is the third and final opus released by the two musicians, saxophonist Paul Dunmall and drummer Tony Bianco, and based on the music of jazz icon John Coltrane. Filling a double CD, this album also adds the energy and reality of a live performance.
Paul Dunmall / Tony Bianco: Tribute to Coltrane. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 292). Street date: 05/07/13. One year after a first album also dedicated to Coltrane, the saxophonist and the drummer met again at the same venue to record the present album and delve deeper into the Coltrane repertoire. It's more than probable that the two sets must be taken together as an expression of Dunmall's lifelong love and appreciation of the music and spirit of Coltrane.
Paul Dunmall Quartet: Underground Underground. SLAM Productions (SLAMCD 2101). 23-09-16. This time the music is composed by Dunmall, inspired by Coltrane, specifically by the Coltrane classic album 'Sunship'. Tony Bianco on drums, Olie Brice on bass and Howard Cottle as second saxophonist.
Dvorak/Dunmall/Sanders/Mapp: Cherry Pickin' (SLAMCD294). The music, with the exception of track 7, was written by Dvorak whose composition style reflects the influence of Charles Mingus. The two horns (Paul Dunmall & Jim Dvorak) show a synergy that comes from years of association and mutual respect.
Falb / Holub / Satzinger Trio: A Room For You. Slam Productions (SLAMCD2112). Street date: 31-07-20. The recording process saw all 3 members (sax, bass & drums) bring some concepts for the improvisations as well as Holub bringing a few tunes. The essence of the recording is about 3 musicians who are working to form a group language through their various individualistic approaches. The CD moves between sparse soundscapes ,hectic free jazz, and beautiful melodic moments, sometimes all within the same track. With this first album, a new trio is born which will continue to explore the boundaries of where improvised music can take us.
Fletcher/Brice/Jozwiak: Nick of Time (SLAMCD 295). First release by this Birmingham based improvising trio. They tread the line between jazz and the avant-garde; music that is simultaneously lyrically inventive and emotionally enriching.
Free-Dot: Just Flux. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 543). Jan. 2013. Free-Dot project is a space in which musical and cultural boundaries are broken, and opportunities of artistic dialogue are wide open. It aims at exploring sound and its resonating relationship with silence, creating sonic landscapes and tone colours sparked by the meeting of musical instruments of diverse cultural background. Improvisation is at the centre of Free-Dot's projects. Free-Dot is an Italian duo composed of Antonio Cotardo ( flutes, voice, bells, piano) and Paolo Pacciolla (drums, berimbao, mbira, voice, Jew's harp, household percussion, piano).
Free Dot: Ariband. SLAM Productions (SLAMCD525). Oct. 2010. The duo of Antonio Cotardo (flutes and bells) and Paolo Pacciolla (daire, jembak, bells, mbira and voice) describe their music as "free from definitions of pre-established limits in which jazz, Indian and Persian music converge creating an original sound. Musical compositions and performances always different in shapes ... from instruments of various traditions played freely according to the expressive necessities of the two musicians".
Freetime: Lamps, Clocks and Towers. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 334). October 2020. Evolved from the original Freetime Quartet, the present version comprises musicians from Bosnia, Slovakia, Wales and England which came into being at the Free Jazz Festival in Prague in 2013, performing to a full house. Since then they have performed many concerts and tours in the Czech Republic in very different venues and festivals. They continue to evolve through improvisations that embrace and explore elements of Folk, Rock, Jazz and contemporary music with their own identity and energy. This album introduces the new group recorded live at the legendary Absintový Klub in Ostrava, offering a fine example of Freetime's creativity. With George Haslam on Tarogato, Aida Mujacic (piano and voice), Jozef Láska (contrabass and bass guitar), Steve Hubback (percussion)
Toni Germani Quartet: Canzoni in Scatola (Songs in a Box). SLAM Productions (SLAMCD 573). 23-09-16. This album presents a trio of sensitive musicians based in Paris, France, under the leadership of alto saxophonist and vocalist Toni Germani. The music is expressive and narrative, firmly rooted in the melody as a fundamental way of artistic expression.
Glowering Figs: S/T. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 2104). Oct. 2017. Quartet formed in 2015 and initiated by drummer Dave Fowler and guitarist Jerry Wigens, completed by Ivor Kallin (upright electric bass/vocal). Kallin and Wigens knew already each other from the London Improvisers Orchestra. The music in this recording is a selection of material from more than two hours of improvised live playing that took place on a one-day session in Autumn 2016.
Hall / Koenig / Idzerda: Three Way Conversations. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 580). April 2018. Glen Hall: Tenor Sax, Soprano Sax, Flute, Bass Flute; Bernie Koenig: Drums, Vibes; M.J. Idzerda: Electric Keyboard. Improvised duo and trio ?conversations? by the Canadian musicians, recorded in London, Ontario, Canada 2016.
Hall & Koenig: Overheard Conversations. SLAMCD552. 21/04/14. The Canadian duo Hall and Koenig presents their first album for SLAM, a studio recording from August 2013 consisting of 11 tracks of impromptu improvisation and "For George", a Koenig original. The improvised tracks bear titles taken from typical snippets of overheard conversation as would be heard in a bar or restaurant; the mood of the music reflecting the snatched phrase. The 'George' in Koenig's composition was Gershwin, who was also a topic of an overheard conversation. Within the confines of the wind and percussion combination, the duo explores a surprising range of textures and composition extended by their choice and range of instruments in different combinations.
Haney / Hernaez / Bagda: Q Sessions. 2CD Slam Productions (SLAMCD 576). Street date: 27-01-17. David Haney (piano) and Jorge Hernaez (bass) have worked together regularly since 2002, performing in the USA, Argentina and Chile. Disc One, of the Q Sessions double CD package, is a live recording of this duo at the 2015 Buenos Aires International Jazz Festival. On Disc Two, guitarist David Bajda joins the duo in concert in Mendoza. All the material is spontaneously composed.
David Haney: Stix and Stones. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 567). Street date: 29/01/16. One of the most inventive pianists in USA, David Haney probes here the potentials and challenges of the piano/drums duo, in a series of duets with some of his favourite drummers: Bernard Purdie, Han Bennink, Giovanni Barcello, Marvin "Bugalu" Smith and Jimmy Bennington.
David Haney: Day For Night At Jack Straw. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 541). Jan. 2013. Recorded 8 years apart in the same studio, here are two sessions with pianist David Haney as anchorman. The first three tracks showcase a rare chance encounter and the only meeting of the trio comprising Haney and the two great jazz veterans Julian Priester and bass player Buell Neidlinger. On the remaining three tracks, recorded 8 years later in 2008, Haney leads a sextet of early members of the Primitive Art Ensemble. Day for Night relates to cinematographic techniques for creating illusions of darkness.
Haslam / Madeira / Rua / Castello Lopes: Ajuda. Slam Productions (SLAMCD5100). Street date: 31-07-20. Initiated by saxophonist George Haslam, here featured on taragot, this recording is the result of a very informal 'studio' recording and the gathering of former acquaintances, some old, other newer or even first time. This quietly led to the birth aof a hitherto rather unknown quartet, creating their own identity through music by listening, responding and finding pleasure in the experience.
Haslam / Pastor / Faix / Láska / Sikl: Loveland. Slam Productions (SLAMCD335). March 2021. Recorded live in 2010 in a small cellar club in Vinohrady, Czech Republic, this album finally comes to daylight some ten years after, featuring George Haslam on baritone saxand taragot and Italian violinist Stefano Pastor, together with Czech musicians: Jozef Láska on acoustic & electric bass had already worked with Haslam in a group called The FreeTime Quartet, while Jan Faix (synthesizer & melodica) and drummer Jan?Sikl are the mewcomers here!
Haslam / Rua: Maresia. Slam Productions (SLAMCD331). May 2016. Duo clarinet/taragot & drums.
HBH Trio: Signals From The Mind. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 588). April 2018. 2nd album by this trio consisting of David Haney (Piano), David Bajda (Acoustic Guitar) and Jorge Hernaez (Acoustic Bass), this time featuring special guest Chicagoan trombonist Julian Priester, a long time colleague of David Haney.
I Giganti Della Montagna: Oi Dialogoi. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 555). 14-09-15. 2nd album by the Italian trio, who for this occasion has chosen to invite a very important guest: the multi-instrumentalist Stefano Maltese. The music played in this album is a sequence of short themes that space out extended improvised sections. It is an experiment of co-creation of the musical event in the structure of a dialogue.
I Giganti Della Montagna: L'Arsenale delle Apparizioni. Slam Productions (SLAMCD548). Street date: 13-01-14. First album by a trio founded in 2012 by Sicilian saxophonist and composer Ferdinando D'Urso with pianist Lorenzo Paesani and cellist Federico Sconosciuto. The music played by this trio blends elements from Western art music, improvised music, jazz and Sicilian folk music. The goal is to achieve that perfect mix that could be called - in Gunther Schuller's words - Third Stream!
Lucia Ianniello: Live at Acuto Jazz. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 585). Oct. 2017. Ianniello's 2nd album as a bandleader, a year and a half after her first one. This album is meant to close the circle of the music research around the figure of Horace Tapscott and the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra (P.A.P.A.) which the trumpeter started tracing with her first CD "Maintenant" (SLAMCD 566). The new album is a live record made during the Acuto Jazz Festival (Fr), Italy, which took place in the fascinating setting of the Saint Sebastian's Church, built in 12th century and richly frescoed in 16th century. It is a tribute to the founders and main protagonists of that lively artistic movement of the African-American community in Los Angeles, which developed in the last forty years of the 20th century. On this CD, in addition to her original compositions, there are songs from the P.A.P.A.'s repertoire, especially those of Horace Tapscott and Jesse Sharps, Fuasi Abdul-Khaliq and Michael Session who Tapscott used to delegate to conduct the Arkestra in the '70s. There is also a song of pianist and singer, Linda Hill, one of the founders and a very active member of the movement of which the Arkestra was the musical and collective expression. The quintet gives an original interpretation of this repertoire. The arrangements are drumless while the voice (except for two songs with a text), is instrumental. There is a lot of space for collective improvisation and the research of music expression goes towards the timbre and melody, away from mere virtuosity.
Lucia Ianniello: Maintenant. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 566). 14-09-15. This album - whose bandleader is a jazz trumpeter by training - is a work of auditory images, atmospheres and soundscapes, some visionary, with particular exploration of melody and timbre. Extended passages of collective improvisation are conceived as contrapuntal layering of sounds. The quartet offers a chamber sound obtained, despite a significant presence of electronic instruments and effects, through the trumpeter's arrangements, characterized by the absence of drums and the use of wordless instrumental voice.
Indù: Jaggernaut. Slam Productions (SLAMCD554). 03/11/14. The Duo Indù, based in Bologna, was formed in 2012 by Claudio Vignali (piano & keyboards) and Andrea Grillini (drums and percussions), later adding a further dimension through Achille Succi, alto sax and bass clarinet. In this 2013 studio session the duo is joined by Succi on 3 of the 9 tracks. Except for the Tim Berne composition, the CD is a collection of originals by Vignali and Grillini reflecting their classical and avant-garde influences on the type of jazz they play.
io 0.0.1 beta++: S/T. SLAM Productions (SLAMCD531). Jan. 2011. Behind the cryptical band name is in fact a machine constructed by guitarist Han-Earl Park. It is not an instrument to be played but a non-human artificial musician that performs alongside its human counterparts, here Bruce Coates (alto and sopranino saxophones) and Franziska Schroeder (soprano saxophone), alongside the guitarist.
Legs 4et: Hot & Fresh. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 590). Street date: 20-07-18. Created in July 2017, ?Hot & Fresh? is a debut recording of surprising and fresh energy, deserving of recognition and appreciation. The progressive Italian quartet "Legs 4et" began life in Bologna, 2015 as a project based on jazz but recognising relevant influences such as funk, hip-hop and electronics. The pieces, written especially for this group, give room for expression to each member of the quartet, highlighting their musical characteristics and background.
Dimitar Liolev Quartet: Eastern Shadows (SLAMCD 581). Street date: 19-05-17. Young Bulgarian composer and saxophonist Dimitar Liolev likes to mix rhythms and ornaments of Balkan folk and the most authentic jazz idiom, with an impressive avantgarde and creative aproach. The album presents original compositions performed by some of the most well-known musicians of Balkan area, Martin Tashev (trumpet and flugelhorn)and Dimitar Semov on drums. With the international jazz experience of Italian bassist Massimiliano Rolff the music is a constant flow of energy..
Lionni / Corbini / Franceschini: Actionreaction 1 (SLAMCD 583). Street date: 19-05-17. Here is an interactive project at the conjunction between the abstract painting of Pippo Lionni and the contemporary music of Sergio Corbini (piano, synthesizers, electronics) and Stefano Franceschini (soprano & baritone saxes, electronics). The album brings together 7 unique pieces created in 2016 in Chianti, Italy.
Alex Maguire and Nikolas Skordas Duo: Ships and Shepherds (SLAMCD 582). Street date: 19-05-17. Recorded live in Athens in 2016, the album also features guests: Don Stavrinos (trumpet, flugelhorn) & Stathis Diamantidis (double bass). While Maguire is only featured on piano, Skordas deploys a true arsenal of instruments: tenor and soprano saxophones, gaida (bagpipe), tarogato, flutes, bells, whistles.
Giancarlo Mazzù / Luciano Troja: Any Morning. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 598). Street date: 25-10-19. Recorded on April 28th, 2019 at 2nd Story Sound, New York City, this guitar-piano duo presents a programme that traces the duo's unique style of improvisation based on their own compositions, from baroque to jazz roots, to avant-garde.
Giancarlo Mazzu'/ Luciano Troja: Tasting Beauty. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 563). Street date: 23/02/15. Guitar / Piano duo releasing here their third output for the label
Giancarlo Mazzu'/ Luciano Troja: Live at the Metropolitan Room NYC. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 545). Street date: 05/07/13. A programme of jazz standards for guitar and piano, given the duo's original treatment; the performance presents an original approach to the music and a tribute to the American Songbook through the personal background of the two musicians, the Italian melodic counterpoint, the spontaneous composition and the jazz tradition.
Meloni / Dunmall / Dessanay / Sanders: Pictures of a Quartet. SLAM Productions (SLAMCD 539). Oct. 2012. Italian pianist Sebastiano Meloni leads here an Anglo-Italian quartet with his fellow countryman Sebastiano Dessanay on bass and UK improvising musicians Paul Dunmall (tenor and soprano sax) and drummer Mark Sanders. The album was recorded in the studios of Birmingham Conservatoire, England, in July 2011 and is totally improvised. Says the pianist: "I am not interested in any kind of meaning apart from that which can be derived from musical expression".
Szilárd Mezei - Jon Hemmersam Duo: Floating Orange (SLAMCD 578). Street date: 19-05-17. This is the first duo meeting between the Serbian violist and the Danish guitarist, though they have worked together before. The music here is entirely improvised!
Szilárd Mezei Túl A Tiszán Innen Ensemble: Nem Füstöl A Zentaji Gyár Kéménye. 2 CD Slam Productions (SLAMCD 579). Street date: 27-01-17. This double CD is an outcome of the Serbian viola player's work with Hungarian folk music and is produced with the support of The Institute for Hungarian Culture in Vojvodina (Zavod za kulturu vojvodanskih Madara). The music is what Szilard calls 'living folk music' where all the themes are Hungarian folk songs from Vojvodina arranged for his group, assembled specifically for this project.
Szilárd Mezei Flute & Strings Trio : Fehér Virág / White Flower. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 569). Street date: 29/01/16. The Flute and Strings Trio was originally assembled in 2005 in Novi Sad, Serbia - the pure textures of viola, flute and acoustic guitar proving to be an enchanting combination. This recording was actually made in the early days of the trio, which was fortunate because since then Maja Radovanlija (acoustic guitar) has moved to live in USA and Svetlana Novakovic in Slovenia resulting in few opportunties for the trio to perform. Mezei says himself: Music of the trio moves from completely free improvisation over dramaturgical compositional techniques to fully-written compositions. These compositions are mostly written with aleatoric technique, and despite the fact that it is a composition, due to the aleatory sonority it is very close to improvised music, but with clearer melodic, rhythmic and harmonic terms than in a completely improvised music. In addition to the collective playing, solos and duets play a big role in the program of the trio.
Mezei Septet, Szilárd: 100 Tü Hossza. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 536). April 2012. Recorded on June 21st 2010 in Köln, Germany. The leader and viola player belongs to a Hungarian minority in Serbia and is a raising voice on the European contemporary jazz scene, much active with various projects and already many recordings in his bag. Often between chamber jazz and free improvisations, he presents here an exciting septet with many sonic possibilities and combinations (viola / alt sax & bass clarinet / trombone / cello / tuba / acoustic bass / drums).
Szilard Mezei Octet: Tönk/Stump. SLAM Productions (SLAMCD521). July 2010. Mezei Szilárd was born in Senta, Vojvodina (at that time a Region of Yugoslavia and today in Serbia), as a member of the Hungarian minority in that multiethnic region. His music strongly reflects the contemporary culture of his homeland; in Mezei's case the Hungarian fire is quite dominant. Mezei is a master of the art of combining composed and improvised musics, leading on viola his ensembles of various sizes. His Octet here presents 5 of his compositions recorded in Budapest, music depicting the real vitality of modern European jazz.
Luiz Moretto Quintet: Vampyroteuthis Infernalis. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 558). 15/01/15. The compositions here are inspired on rhythms of Afro-Brazilian music, giving the necessary freedom for intense improvisational interplays. It was saxophonist AlÝpio C Neto's idea to invite experienced musicians from within the Italian free jazz culture, namely Francesco Lo Cascio (vibraphone, percussion), Gianfranco Tedeschi (double bass) and Marco Ariano (drume & percussion), whose combined experience and creativity pervade the music.
MU: Of Strings and Bridges. SLAM Productions (SLAMCD 577). 23-09-16. MU started to explore the interaction of cello and guitar in 2015, keeping the instruments in their most naked and purely acoustic dimension. A very minimal use of electronics became part of the game along the way. Their music is equally shaped by free improvisation and by compositional process (the latter in various degrees of strictness and openness), so they draw from their different musical idioms and backgrounds and revisit them with a freshness and freedom that would not be possible otherwise.
Omit Five: Speak Random. SLAMCD551. 21/04/14. Omit Five's music presents itself as a colourful kaleidoscope of timbres, melodies, harmonies and free improvisations, selected every time on the basis of each composer's taste and sensitivity, but always referable to one original sound, underlining the deep work they did together as a band while constantly touring around Europe. "Speak Random" is the quintet's second CD following the eponymous "Omit Five", released 2012 on the Venetian label Caligola Records.
Oprachina: S/T. Slam Productions (SLAM 527). April 2011. Oprachina are committed to the continuous pursuit of an equilibrium between written passages and free improvisation, helping to develop a contemporary musical language. They are Massimo Bognetti: guitar, Errico De Fabritiis: saxophone, Fabio Fochesato: bass, Adriano Galinari: drums.
Outward Bound Trio: The Path. SLAM Productions (SLAMCD526). Jan. 2011. Here's a piano/electric guitar/drums trio hailing from Creta! This is their 2nd album, presenting a series of short improvisations in three parts which, despite the continual alternations, retain a homogeneous sound landscape. Free forms, open in terms of time and density of musical events, come upon fragments of chord progressions, floating themes contrasted with unstructured sounds, whispers, screams, pauses. Without following rules of any compositional idiom, the music is developed in real time, sometimes haphazardly, other times in a succession of spontaneous interventions, orientating itself to the pursuit of artistry.
The OxJaMS Trio: Suite Of Dreams. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 330). Release date: February 23, 2015. George Haslam: Baritone saxophone, clarinet and tarogato / Richard Leigh Harris: Piano and keyboards / Steve Kershaw: Double bass and electronics. This trio has for many years been the core and support of invited guests but is here finally recorded alone on its own.
Stefano Pastor: Songs. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 538). 11/08/12. New solo album by Italian violinist Stefano Pastor, winner at Top Jazz 2010 and 2011, where Stefano makes a strict recapitulation of the lengthy research that brought him to his own playing, each sound on this CD, except for the vocals, coming directly from his violin, with no synthesizers or MIDI equipment involved. Songs is also a work which unfolds the artistic sensitivity of Pastor, his musical horizons, made of jazz and avant-garde, echoes of European modern music and Brazilian popular songs, with the blues his guiding light throughout.
Stefano Pastor & Ari Poutiainen: North South Dial. SLAM Productions (SLAMCD530). Jan. 2011. Violin duos are a rarity in jazz; here two masters of the instrument create music of warmth, passion and a level of sensitivity that reaches out to the listener: Italian violinist and multi-instrumentalist Stefano Pastor, winner at Top Jazz 2010, and Finnish violinist and educator Ari Poutiainen.
Pastor, Stefano & Killion, Kash: Bows. SLAM Productions (SLAMCD524). Oct. 2010. The new CD by Italian violinist and multi-instrumentalist Stefano Pastor, showcasing him involved in a thrilling confrontation with the amazing cello-player (also a real master in playing Indian instruments) Kash Killion, is a disc suspended between avant-gard expression, some Monkian classics and deep Indian nuances. An extraordinary mix of tastes made coherent by the strict belonging of both musicians to the Afro-American improvisation tradition.
Pegasys: S/T. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 572). May 2016. Pegasys is a group of musicians who decided to make a collective search through the possibilities offered by composition and free improvisation. The outcome of this choice is a double cd, two discs proposing two different musical approaches. The "Yellow Disc" collects a series of free improvisations to point out their sense of impromptu collective compositions. The "Red Disc" contains instead compositions by single members of the group. Here the sensibility of the authors emerge as well as the different composition techniques, filtered and worked out by the ensemble through individual and collective choices.
Perlin Noise Quintet: John Eats Bacon with Francis in the Cage. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 2111). Street date: 28-02-20. Perlin Noise is an algorithm which allows computer graphics artists to represent the complexity of natural phenomena in visual effects and is often used in the creation of computer-generated visual elements. Through the composition of bassist Alessandro Vicard , the Perlin Noise Quintet translates this idea into acoustic terms, the sonic results expressed in composed and improvised music. Featuring Irene Kepl on violin, Stephanie Schoiswohl on alto saxophone, Villy Paraskevopoulos on piano and Mark Holub on drums.
Ada Pitsou: Amorgos. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 592). Street date: 26-10-18. This album presents the music of Ada Pitsou played by Dionisis Vervitsiotis (violin), Angelos Liakakis (cello), Thodoros Kotepanos (piano) and Nikos Sidirokastritis (drums). Amorgos is one of the most eastern Greek islands in the South Aegean Sea; it is the retreat where Ada Pitsou composes her music and the source of inspiration for this suite of ten instrumental pieces. Here in her music she conveys the beauty and inner aspect of the places she knows and loves in a discreet convergence of different stylistic forms of contemporary music. To record the music she selected choice musicians who she felt would sympathise with her work.
Primitive Arkestra: Dolphy's Hat. SLAMCD549. 21/04/14. Subtitled "Directions in Music by David Haney", this album is a collection of recordings by 'Primitive Arkestra' from 2008 and 2013 in quartet to 12 piece, all directed by pianist/conductor David Haney.
Primitive Field: Alcheringa. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 591). Street date: 26-10-18. This is the trio of Roberto Bellatalla (double bass & bells), Ivan Macera (drums & percussions) and Christian Muela (didjeridoo & FX live set). The trio makes use of traditional instruments like drum kit and a double bass, along with other more unusual devices like a telescopic tuneable didgeridoo, at times modified by the use of electronic devices, and a percussion set made out of stones and metal tools tuned to form xylophones, or shakers made with dried leaves and shells. The music is entirely improvised, based on the ability to listen and a fervent creative vein. It stems from jazz, but moves further, in search of an original, different language that explores sound and tone.
Antonio Quijano Quartet: Songs From Another Blue Planet. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 285). August 2011. The Antonio Quijano Quartet is an international collaboration that explores the fringes of improvised music in a variety of settings. This creative union features musicians who are totally committed to the art of improvisation and have the ability to come up with a voice of their own, from legendary saxophonist Paul Dunmall to the (maybe lesser known) guitarist Philip Gibbs
Antonio Ragosta: Il Mare e l'Incanto a Roma Est. SLAM Productions (SLAMCD 540). Oct. 2012. This is the debut album by guitarist Antonio Ragosta, who composed and arranged for it nine original songs. It is a voyage where the author summarizes through a personal language, a massive musical literature, the result of academic studies and a wide range of performance experiences, outlining among other the crowded and multi-ethnic streets in the Eastern zone of the Italian capital. Recorded in January 2011 at "Icarus Studio" in Roma, the album features several instrumental colours, from the cello of Paolo Damiani to the accordion of Emiliano Pallotti or the trombone of Tony Cattano, just to name a few!
Ed Ricart Quartet: Chamaeleon. Slam Productions (SLAMCD544). 03/11/14. Album with a cross Atlantic identity, featuring British saxophonist Paul Dunmall as special guest with the US quartet comprising among other trumpetist Herb Robertson. The set of six improvisation tracks was recorded in Brooklyn in the summer of 2012.
Howard Riley: More Listening, More Hearing. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 2109). Street date: 28-02-20. Solo Piano. Recorded 5 July 2019 at Porcupine Studios, London.
Howard Riley: Listen to Hear. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 2106). April 2018. Solo piano recording, with 17 tracks of around 3 and 4 minutes plus, as is not uncommon, the inclusion of a jazz standard, in this case a couple of takes on "April in Paris".
Howard Riley: To Be Continued. SLAMCD293. 21/04/14. Solo piano album
Robin Jones' Latin Underground: Seven Stops To Heaven (SLAMCD 297). The object of the band has always been to fuse Latin, Jazz and some Funk, using original Latin and Jazz standards.
Rutherford, Paul & George Haslam with the Samuli Mikkonen Trio: Raahe '99. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 328). April 2012. Two experienced voices of British jazz (trombone + baritone sax and taragot) meet here a Finnish piano trio. Recorded in Finland at Jazz on the Beach on July 31th 1999.
Esmond Selwyn: The Way I Play. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 2107). Street date: 20-07-18. Solo guitar recorded at Octopia Studios, Weymouth, UK, in July 2012. Esmond Selwyn received his initial training directly at the hands of America's very finest, most revered and iconic pioneers of the modern jazz guitar, Chuck Wayne, Tal Farlow and George van Eps. Since those days he has carried out some thirty years of his own intense research and development drawing much single line fluency and phraseology from the styles of Charlie Parker, John Coltrane and Joe Henderson as well as absorbing some of the harmonic concepts of Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner and Herbie Hancock.
Selwyn, Esmond : Follow That. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 240). Street date: 13-01-14. This is the reissue of a quartet album led by guitarist Esmond Selwyn, originally released in 2000, sold out some years ago but with such an ensuing demand that it is coming to life again. With Paul Sawtell on piano, Bill Coleman on bass and Robin Jones on drums, the quartet presents a programme of 5 standards alongside 4 original themes by Selwyn and Sawtell
Selwyn, Esmond: Renegade. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 291). Jan. 2013. Recorded at Wrexham Jazz Club in November 2002. Here is another recently rediscovered quartet live recording, now presented on a double CD.
Shkurtaj / Distante / Hasa: Gestures and Zoom (SLAMCD 538). 11/08/12. The starting points for Shkurtaj's music are not themes or melodies but what he refers to as "musical mechanisms" or extra-musical ideas; frameworks to build themes on - musical series, rhythmical series, series of sounds or sonic gestures. The trio's improvisation guided or "forced" by these frames unleashes surprising freedom. Elements of traditional music, from the Albanian tradition, burst here and there more in a distant memory than a living reality. Albanian musicians Admir Shkurtaj (piano, accordion) and Redi Hasa (cello) crossed the Adriatic to join Giorgio Distante (trumpet) in his home province of Lecce in that part of Italy called Apulia.
Six-In-One: Subjects and Structures. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 2102). May 2016. This recording celebrates both the richness and complexity of improvisation, as well as reflecting similar open-ended processes of working by which the artworks achieved their uniqueness. The band features among other saxophonist Paul Dunmall and drummer Mark Sanders; its members were chosen by Walt Shaw (percussion, electronics) and Andrew Coates for their imaginative and executive skills and their expertise in the field of freely improvised music, to celebrate the final night of their exhibition of relief and constructed sculpture 'Subjects and Structures'.
The Spirit Farm: S/T. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 299). Release date: February 23, 2015. This band features some of the most talked-about improvisers on the current UK scene. They build on previous instrumental approaches in fascinating ways; the upside-down use of the bass bow, often heard in free improv, is used here to beat out a haunting riff like a 21st century diddley bow, and the post-cage piano preparations so common among free pianists are applied to a vintage electric piano. Adam Fairhall (grand piano, prepared Hohner Pianet T, prepared toy piano, Indian harmonium) works here with Christophe de Bezenac (tenor saxophone), Anton Hunter (electric guitar), Johnny Hunter (drums), Dave Kane (double bass) and Corey Mwamba (vibraphone, glockenspiel, dulcimer, wooden flute).
Strade: Strade. SLAM Productions (SLAMCD 574). 23-09-16. Project led by alt asxophonist Giovanni Ferri, an artist who works in theatre, visual arts and also produces musical performances with alto sax in a more or less radical improvisational contexts. His trio with Mirco Ballabene on double bass, electronics and Mirco Bindelli on drums & percussions, shamelessly experiments heterogeneous sounds from geographical latitudes and different musical genres, the idea being basically to tell stories, narrative musical developments and possible interpretations of "movement".
Szilárd Mezei International Improvisers Ensemble: Karszt. 2CD Slam Productions (SLAMCD 550). Street date: 13-01-14. This is Mezei's biggest project - two and a half hours of music by 23 international musicians recorded in Novi Sad, Serbia, January 2012. Mezei in complete control with baton and viola, conducting a majestic performance!
Taschendrache: S/T. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 298). 15/01/15. This is the duo of New Jersey born drummer Mark Holub, probably remembered / known from his ground breaking quartet Led Bib, and Austrian violinist Irene Kepl. The music delves deep into all of the sonic possibilities that this unusual duo instrumentation can offer, moving from delicate pastoral sections to heavy grooving to more abstract improvisation and electronics. Having already carefully honed their sound through concerts at clubs and festivals across Austria, the duo achieves here an intense interplay that can't be but noticed!
Triologos: Tracce Di Canti - Traces Of Chants. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 562). Release date: 23 February 2015. A collection of eight ethnic-based compositions from seven different countries by a trio of conventional form - sax, bass, drums, but with a very distinctive approach to their music. Each member has a positive role in the music creation, resulting in a style of performance that grabs the listener's interest on different layers, the inventiveness of the percussion and bass complementing and enveloping the saxophone lines.
UNschooLED: Hymns for Robots. SLAM Productions (SLAMCD 2103). 23-09-16. A collective improvisation trio with guitar, tenor sax and drums.
Leonid Vintskevich / Steve Kershaw / Nick Vintskevich: Under a Different Sky. Slam Productions (SLAMCD 570). May 2016. Piano-bass-sax trio.

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SONGLINES RECORDS .... SONGLINES RECORDS .... SONGLINES RECORDS

Han Bennink & Dave Douglas: "Serpentine". Standards and original compositions.
Theo Bleckmann: "No Boat" and "Origami" are the two releases by this amazing vocalist who is a member of the Meredith Monk Ensemble. the first one features dream players Jim Black and Ben Monder
Benoit Delbecq: very estimated pianist with an increasing popularity in France. "Nu-Turn" is a solo record on prepared piano. Together with the canadian clarinetist François Houle, Delbecq released "Dice Thrown" and "Nancali". "Pursuit" is the most recent release of Delbecq's own quintet. Houle can be heard with his group in "In The Vernacular Music Of John Carter", a tribute of course, with a great group featuring among others trumpetist Dave Douglas and bassist Mark Dresser.
Jerry Granelli: The V16 Project (SGL 1544). New sound adventures led by the drummer and bringing forth varied stylistic approaches: impro jazz, blues funk fusion, ambient samples and many more. For the audiophiles, note that this CD has an audio quality of 24 bit/176.4K !!
Jerry Granelli: "Enter, A Dragon" and "Crowd Theory". The entire story of jazz from New Orleans to free or funk seen by this respected drummer.
Wayne Horvitz: "Sweeter Than the Day"is again one of those evocative blends of swing, blues, west coast and free jazz, some kind of bittersweet impressionism by this collaborator of John Zorn.
Misha Mengelberg: "Four In One" with Han Bennink, Dave Douglas, Brad Jones ...
Mark Nodwell: Nemesis (SGL 1539). The music of this young composer is served by a dream quintet composed of Ron Miles: trumpet, Khabu Doug Young: electric guitar, Art Lande: piano, Drew Gress: bass, Tom Rainey: drums. Luminous themes and inspired improvisations on top of refined arranging and writing.
Paul Plimley: "Everything In Stages" is a piano solo recording by the canadian musician. "Ivory Ganesh Meets Dr. Drums" is a duo collaboration with south indian percussion master Trichy Sankaran.
Brad Shepik: "The Loan" and "The Well". the latter is quieter than the first and goes forth and back between balkan music and New York jazz. Shepik is leader of Pachora and is also known from other projects such as Paradox Trio or Dave Douglas' Tiny Bell.
Chris Speed: "Yeah No" + "Emit". His quartet features Cuong Vu (Pat Metheny Group), Jim Black and Skuli Sverrisson. Jazz, contemporary music, eastern Europe, Haitian grooves, are part of the fresh and creative ideas delivered by the group.
Talking Pictures: "Humming". Quintet created by the canadian guitarist Ron Sanworth and the dutch saxophonist Jorrit Dijkestra. The music, though firmly based in jazz, resorts to electronic processing as well.
Patrick Zimmerli And Octurn: The Book Of Hours (SGL 1541). Canada meets Belgium. Octurn should be by now known by most; this big formation inspired by Steve Coleman's Five Elements and featuring members of Aka Moon is here playing the innovative orchestral ideas and personal writing of saxophonist Patrick Zimmerli. A top meeting indeed!

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SOUL NOTE/BLACK SAINT/DISCHI DELLA QUERCIA/PHILOLOGY/RED...

Asymmetrique: Nivola. Dischi Della Quercia (DDQ 1280472). A very exciting instrumentation is provided here, see: Marco Remondini (Sax, cello & effects), Giancarlo Zucchi (Piano, Keyb. & Effects), Gianluigi Trovesi (Piccolo, Alto Clarinet), Riccardo Biancoli (Drums & Percussion), Roberta Visentin (Bb Clarinet), Stefania Martin (Voice), Stefano Boccafoglia (Voice), Pippo "The Dog" (Voice)
Gianni Basso: Blue Woods. Gianni Basso (ts), Andrea Pozza (p), Luciano Milanese (b), Stefano Bagnoli (dr). Compositions of Phil Woods. Philology PHC 2522
The american drummer Bob Moses can be appreciated on a new recording of Greg Burk Trio (Soul Note). Jon Robinson (bass) completes the trio. Album recorded and mixed in 2001.
Greg Burk Quartet: Carpe Momentum. Soul Note (SNC 1213932). Greg Burk (piano) / Jerry Bergonzi (tenor and soprano saxophones) Jonathan Robinson (bass) / Gerald Cleaver (drums)
Chris Cheek - Stéphane Furic - Patrick Goraguer: Music For 3 - VOL. 1. Chris Cheek (tenor saxophone) - Stephane Furic (bass) - Patrick Goraguer (drums) Recorded on December 5th, 1997 in New York. Soul Note SNC 1214152
Cordoba Reunion: Argentina Jazz. Quartet of percussion/sax/piano/bass. Features the great saxophonist Javier Girotto (Aires Tango) as well as singer Mercedes Sosa on one track. Philology PHC 7172
Franco D'Andrea: Plays Monk. Philology PHC 40192. Piano solo, live at Metastisio Jazz, february 2003.
Irio de Paula & Fabrizio Bosso: Once I loved - Chapter One. Unrehearsed spontaneous studio meeting of the acoustic guitarist with the trumpeter. Philology PHC 2562
Scott Dubois Quintet: Monsoon. Soul Note (SNC 1214092). The leader is a guitar player and can be heard on acoustic and electric guitars. Also features saxophonist Dave Liebman
Giovanni Falzone & Contemporary Ensemble: Big Fracture. Giovanni Falzone: tp, bugle & flghn / Paolo Botti: viola / Libero Mureddo: piano / Tito Mangialajo Rantzer: double bass / Cristian Calcagnile: drums. Soul Note SNC 1213782
Giovanni Falzone Chamber Group: Earthquake Suite. Soul Note (SNC 1214182). New album by the promising Italian comet
Claudio Fasoli Gammatrio: Stilla. Fasoli: ts, ss / Rudy Migliardi: tb / Paolo Birro: p. Soul Note SNC 1213352
Ferdinando Farao: Eschersuite. Ferdinando Faraò (dr, percu) - Michele Benvenuti (trb)- Enea Coppaloni (electric bass), Simone Mauri (cl) Valerio Scrignoli (elec. guitar). Recorded on May 15th, 16th 2003 at MuRec, Milano. Dischi Della Quercia DDQ 1280382
Don Friedman (p) - Jeff Fuller (b) - Tommy Bradascio (dms): Standards In Cagliari. Live Recording from 15/10/99 at the international jazz festival in Cagliari. Soul Note SNC 1213772
Giorgio Gaslini & Proxima Centauri Orchestra : Urban Griot / Guantanamera / Because The Night / Odissey. Soul Note SNC 1214702
Heinz Geisser & Guerino Mazzola Quartet: Chronotomy. Black Saint (BNC 1201732). Features Mat Manieri on viola and Scott Fields on el guitar.
Marco Jimenez Trio: Songs for the Trees. Classical trio led by switz pianist and composer M. Jimenez. Philology PHC 7132
Victor Lewis/J.D. Allen/Fabio Morgera. Victor Lewis (dr) - Fabio Morgera (trp, flg) - J.D. Allen (sax) Jason Jackson (trb) - Eric Lewis (p) - Raymond Angry (p, kb) - Eric Revis (b). Recorded in 2003 in N.Y.C. Red Records REC 1233002
Michela Lombardi: Small Day Tomorrow. This young singer with a warm and emotive voice is strongly inspired by Irene Kral and interprets here 7 of her pieces. In the vein of the singers new wave such as Diana Krall or Norah Jones but with her own identity. Philology PHC 7092
Roberto Magris Europlane: Il Bello Del Jazz. Soul Note 121395-2. Recorded on August 28th, 30th 2003 at Urban Recording Studios, Trieste, this CD features the alt saxophonist Herb Geller as special guest. Magris, born in Trieste in 1959, is heralded as one of the top pianists in Europe because of the influence that great American pianists such as McCoy Tyner, Jaki Byard, Randy Weston have had on his style of playing. With Herb Geller on board, this set reaches new levels of swing and bebop because of the influence that great altoists such as Benny Carter & Charlie Parker have had on Geller's playing as well. Most of the songs are a great mix of originals penned by Geller and Magris as well as covers by Great American songwriters including Benny Carter, Stephen Sondheim, and Sammy Cohn.
Mantua Jazz Trio: Wonder Why. Stefano Caniato: piano / Marco Cocconi: bass / Riccardo Biancoli: drums. Dischi Della Quercia DDQ 1280402
William Parker & The Little Huey Creative Music Orchestra: Mass For The Healing Of The World. Black Saint BSC1201792. This work was played for the time in 1998 at the Verona Jazz Festival, where this CD was recorded. Big ensemble (17 piece).
Gaetano Partipilo: Basic. Soul Note (SNC 1214112). The alt sax player is also credited on el percussion. The album also features Giovanni Falzone: trumpet, electronics and Mirko Signorile: piano, Fender Rhodes
The Joe Rosenberg Group: The Long & Short Of It. Joe Rosenberg: ss - Jean-Luc Guionette: as - Olivier Py: ts - Hubertus Biermann: Bass - Edward Perraud: Percussion. Black Saint BSC 1201422
Massimo Urbani Quartet: Live at Belzebu. Recorded in Bologna, Italy. Philology PHC 2382
Gebhard Ullmann: The Big Band Project. Soul Note (SNC 1214712). Ullmann on bass cl, tenor & sop sax + 17 members big band
Mal Waldron & Judi Silvano "Riding The Zephil". A recording on Soul Note (SNC 1213482).

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SPLAsC(H) RECORDS .... SPLAsC(H) RECORDS .... SPLAsC(H) RECORDS ....

Acoustic Jazz Trio: Sinestesia. Hommage to the Chilean writer Pablo Neruda. A classical piano/bass/drums jazz trio led by pianist and composer Alessandro Giachero. Harmonious and melancholic ballads.
Carlos Actis Dato Quartet: Swingin Hanoï. This is the 12th release -12th!- of one of the most original formation in italian jazz. Inspired as well by jazz as popular mediterranean music, the Middle East, Africa, the Tropics, italian songs and cabaret.
Bansigu Big Band & Lee Konitz: Bansigu Big band with Lee Konitz. Italian band directed by composer and saxophonist Cesare Marchini. Splasch SPL 8592
Stefano Battaglia: Rito Stagionale. 14 musicians (4 percussionists and 3 bass players, 5 saxes, flute & trumpet) gathered for an experimental project of melodic jazz leaning towards new age. Splasch SPL 9032
Felice Clemente Quintet: Way Out Sud. Felice Clemente (ts & ss), Giovanni Falzone (trp, flg), Massimo Colombo (p), Valerio Della Fonte (b) & Manuel Consigli (g). SPLASCH SPL7862
Steve LACY meets The Riccardo FASSI TRIO: Dummy. Steve Lacy (sopr sax), Riccardo Fassi (p), Gianluca Renzi (b), Ettore Fioravanti (dr). Recorded on September 5 th, 2001 at HouseRecording Studio, Rome. SPLASCH RECORDS 2002.
Stefano Maltese: Hangin in the Sky. Album for big formation with great musicians: Eugenio Colombo (sax, fl), Carlo Actis Dato (sax, cl), Pino Minafra (trp, flg), to name a few. Splasch SPL 1392
Guido Manusardi: Lost In Space. the renowned pianist leads here a quintet in which shines the richly coloured voice of Rachel Gould.
Nico Morelli: Meets Mauro Negri. Nico Morelli (piano) & Mauro Negri (cl). SPLASCH SPL 7842
Massimo Urbani: Out Of Nowhere. Splasch SPL 3362. Remastered edition with 3 bonus tracks.
William Parker: Spontaneous. Two long compositions for a black music calling for jazz, folk, gospel and cosmic space.

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STEEPLECHASE RECORDS .... STEEPLECHASE RECORDS .... STEEPLECHA ...

SteepleChase has now an audiophile edition of albums pressed on 180 gr, pure vinyl! The list would be too long to quote here, so ask us!
Joe Albany: An Evening With Joe Albany 2. SteepleChase (SCCD 31801). May 2015. SteepleChase 1973 release Birdtown Birds (SCCD 31003) by the Joe Albany trio was recorded live at Copenhagen's famous Jazzhus Montmartre; the pianist concluded his engagement at Montmartre with a solo recital which is presented here
Cannonball Adderley Quintet: In Concert. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 36505). Street date: 15-01-23. Falkoner Centret in Copenhagen hosted a burgeoning young quintet headed by Cannonball Adderley on April 13th, 1961. It also featured English-born pianist Victor Feldman whose compositions make up half of the repertory on this disc. Sam Jones and Louis Hayes formed the rhythm section and Nat Adderley was sharing the front line with his brother.
Davis Ambrosio-Russ Meizssner: Moments In Time. SteepleChase (SCCD 33128). June 2016. Exciting New York ensemble co-led by the bass/drum team of Ambrosio and Meissner. Bassist David Ambrosio has a wide spectrum of musical background from classical composition to jazz performance including Afro/Cuban Bata drumming which gives a unique color to this album. Drummer Russ Meissner grew up in Toronto, Canada and studied music at William Patterson University in NJ. Since late 90's Meissner has been one of the most sought after drummers on NY scene. Recorded on February 17, 2014, this album presents an ensemble rich in timbral colours, with Loren Stillman on alto saxophone, Matt Renzi on tenor saxophone and English horn, Leonard Thompson piano and Nate Radley on guitar.
Jay Anderson: Deepscape. SteepleChase (SCCD 31870). April 2019. 92nd appearance on SteepleChase of bassist/composer/educator Jay Anderson, here with Billy Drewes on alto & soprano saxophone, bass clarinet, Kirk Knuffke on cornet, Matt Wilson on drums, Frank Kimbrough on a seldom heard instrument, the harmonium and Rogerio Boccato on percussion. Recorded in New York in May and June 2018.
Peter & Will Anderson: A Sax Supreme. SteepleChase (SCCD 33122). Nov. 2015. Released on the LookOut "sublabel", focusing on upcoming artists, this album presents the twin brothers (already active on US and international jazz scenes as teenagers and having received numerous accolades from the press and acclaim from thrilled audiences) joining forces with fellow tenor saxists Ken Peplowski and Grant Stewart to present a dazzling program of quintessential jazz repertoire. The saxophone quartet is backed by pianist Ehud Asheria and the rhtyhm section of Neal Miner (bass) and Aaron Kimmel (drums). Recorded on March 19th, 2015.
Andy LaVerne's One Of A Kind: I Have A Dream - At The Kitano Vol. 2. SteepleChase (SCCD 31782). 05/06/14. Veteran pianist/composer/educator Andy LaVerne has been a stalwart of SteepleChase Label for almost four decades. His latest album here is the sequel to "Live At The Kitano" with his unique piano/organ trio - Gary Versace on Hammond B3 - named One Of A Kind, which aptly describes the out-of-the-ordinary nature of the ensemble. Anthony Pinciotti is the drummer, completing the trio with Andy on piano
Irene Becker & Aviaja Lumholt: Magic Mystery Moon. SteepleChase (SCCD 33126). Nov. 2015. Irene Becker is known as a central figure of the Danish contemporary music scene as composer/performer and as an essential member of the famed New Jungle Orchestra led by her colleague/husband Pierre Dørge. Released on the LookOut?sublabel,?this new album showcases Irene's mettle as arranger/composer adding Greenlandic singer Aviaja Lumholt's voice to create a unique musical universe. American cornetist Kirk Knuffke, the winner of the 2015 DownBeat "Rising Star" award makes a guest appearance on one of the tracks.
Burak Bedikyan: Introspection. SteepleChase (SCCD 31917). Street date: 15-08-21. Solo album by Istanbul-born (with Armenian lineage) pianist/composer Burak Bedikyan, who immigrated to the USA in 2017 with his young family and has resided in NYC since. This release is a by-product of a commissioned project from Turkey's oldest jazz festival, which jolted him from his existential crisis. Here you'll find Bedikyan in a new light and with a new direction he discovered during the soul-searching sabbatical caused by the pandemic, which forced him to put his career on a hold.
Burak Bedikyan: Awakening. SteepleChase LookOut (SCCD 33129). Street date: 05-10-16. Being a former classical pianist, Turkish-born Burak Bedikyan employs his enormous technical proficiency to elaborate his compositions here on this third album to illustrate the new depth in his creativity, in a quartet featuring among other bass player Ugonna Okegwo
Ran Blake & Andrew Rathbun:Northern Noir. SteepleChase (SCCD 31899). June 2020. The idea of this album was conceived eight years ago and came into fruition here presenting 18 gems created by the pianist - one of the most striking, inventive modern players of his generation, with his unorthodox sounding musical style stemning from the special genre of 60's movies known as "Film Noir" - and the young Canadian saxophonist/composer Andrew Rathbun, who was tutored and nurtured by Blake, his teacher at the prestigious New England Conservatory of Boston. Recorded in August 2018.
Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers: In Concert. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 36504). Street date: 15-11-22. This Copenhagen live concert from 1962 had Hubbard, Shorter and Fuller on the front line, flexing their young muscles, all on their way to stardom. Recorded during their 1962's European tour, this album with all unissued recordings will be a valuable addition to the Messengers' legacy.
Federico Bonifazi: Last Minute. SteepleChase (SCCD 33141). Street date: 15-11-20. Italy's young piano talent Federico Bonifazi met Tolga Bilgin, Turkey's rising star trumpeter at the Milan Conservatory where they studied a few years ago. Their mutual admiration and friendship let them to perform as duo or in a larger ensemble since. Bonifazi's fourth album "Last Minute" makes a good example of where the European jazz stands today. Here with established musicians Furio Di Castri on bass and Roberto Batto on drums. Recorded in July 2019.
Federico Bonifazi: Autumn Colors Suite. SteepleChase (SCCD 33138). Feb. 2019. Native of Umbria, Italy, pianist/composer Federico Bonifazi has become a highly acclaimed name both on national and international scene in recent years. For this, his 3rd album, Bonifazi composed a suite depicting the beauty of his beloved Umbria in the changing colors of autumn performed by Bonifazi's handpicked elite Italian ensemble: Giampaolo Casati on trumpet, Emanuele Cisi on tenor saxophone, Gianluca Petrella on trombone, Gabriele Evangelista on bass and Alfred Kramer on drums. Recorded November 20, 2017.
Federico Bonifazi: You'll See. SteepleChase (SCCD 33125). May 2016. Pianist/composer Federico Bonifazi is considered one of the most outstanding talents of younger generation of Italy and this is his debut album for SteepleChase Lookout, featuring legendary drummer Jimmy Cobb! Recorded March 17, 2015.
Craig Brann: Mark My Words. SteepleChase (SCCD 31789). Sextet recorded in February 2014 and featuring among other saxophonist Mark Turner
Rosa Brunello - Los Fermentos: Shuffle Mode. CAM Jazz. Street date: 15-02-19. The new Rosa's compositions combines textures of jazz, electronica and rock elements which foreshadows intense live playing. Besides Rosa (electric & upright bass, synthesizer, voice), the quartet also includes Michele Polga (tenor sax, efx), Frank Martino (6-8 strings guitars, fx, drum machine) and Luca Colussi on drums. This is modern jazz rich in textures and colours!
Paul BrusgerWaiting For The Next Trane (SCCD 33115). Here on his SteepleChase LookOut debut album Brusger displays his formidable talent as composer/arranger with his dream quartet comprising of Gary Smulyan (baritone sax), Mike LeDonne (piano) and the legendary Louis Hayes (drums).
Chris Byars: New York City Jazz. SteepleChase (SCCD 31842). January 2018. Chris Byars, the award winning alto saxophonist, composer, arranger, jazz historian and a 100% native New Yorker set out to "curate the state of jazz to create a sort of time capsule" for this new album. What Byars successfully presents here is the genuine creative aspiration that prevails in world's most diverse and competitive artistic environment. Alongside Byars on alt sax and flute, we'll find John Mosca on trombone, Stefano Doglioni on bass clarinet, Pasquale Grasso on guitar, Ari Roland on bass and Stefan Schatz on drums. Recorded in December 2016.
Chris Byars: The Music of Duke Jordan (SCCD 31787). Award-winning saxophonist, composer, bandleader and educator Chris Byars, apart from his focus on composing his own music, has been highly interested in studying the vast repertoire of jazz composers of the 20th century. After recordings focusing on Gigi Gryce, Lucky Thompson and Freddie Reid, the turn has come to Duke Jordan, one of the early bebop pianists. Part of the sextet at work here, Israeli-born singer Yaala Ballin wrote lyrics and sang two of the Jordan melodies featured on the record.
Charette, Brian: The Question That Drives Us. SteepleChase Records(SCCD 31731). Feb. 2014. Charette's unique, reed-based organ sextet comes here with their 2nd outing and the Hammond player deepens his musical universe, making this sextet a perfect and permanent formula for its creative founder.
Michael Cochrane: Discovery (SCCD 31786). Recorded in February 2014. After a 7-year hiatus from the recording scene, pianist Michael Cochrane came back strong with his new trio consisting of two Johns: Steve Johns on drums, who's been Cochrane's colleague in the Sonny Fortune band and his prodigious 17-year-old son Daryl on bass.
Coleman-Ahearn Quartet: Cooper Ridge. SteepleChase LookOut Series (SCCD 33116). New York-based drummer/composer Christian Coleman and Australia's leading pianist Gavin Ahearn worked and recorded together in Sydney in 2008. They got together again in New York to record early this year. The session was further joined by the winner of the 2008 Thelonious Monk Saxophone Competition Jon Irabagon and New York's up and coming bassist Iranian-American Sam Minaie.
George Colligan Trio : Ask Me Tomorrow. SteepleChase SCCD 31783. May 2014. Featuring the new comet Linda Oh on bass
Stanley Cowell:?Live at Keystone Korner Baltimore. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31908). Street date: 15-11-20. Featuring Cowell's handpicked two-horn quintet (Freddie Hendrix on trumpet and Bruce Williams on alto saxophone) plus guest vocalist Sunny Cowell.?Recorded in October 2019.
Stanley Cowell: No Illusions. SteepleChase (SCCD 31828). June 2017. Pianist/composer Stanley Cowell at age 75 is having an on-going renaissance as a performer since his retirement from Rutgers University in 2013. The group presented here - Bruce Williams on alto saxophone and flute, Jay Anderson on bass and Billy Drummond on drums - was scheduled to have a three-night stint at New York City's renowned live jazz spot Smokes in May. This is Cowell's 15th release for SteepleChase!
Stanley Cowell: Reminiscent. SteepleChase (SCCD 31809). Oct. 2015. This trio recording with Jay Anderson on bass and Billy Drummond on drums starts with a classical introduction - an intermezzo by Johannes Brahms - and presents among other a featured program of Christmas melodies (titled a Xmas Suite). Recorded in February 2015.
Stanley Cowell: Are You Real? SteepleChase (SCCD 31790). Oct. 2014. Recorded March 2014 with Jay Anderson on bass and Billy Drummond on drums.
Ronnie Cuber / Gary Smulyan:Tough Baritones. SteepleChase Records(SCCD 31903). Street date: 15-01-21. Cuber and Smulyan, two of the leading exponents of this weighty member of the saxophone family meet here for the first time, showcasing their combined feat of baritone sax playing in modern jazz. Ronnie Cuber (b. 1941) has for more than the past half century been one of the most important soloists of this instrument. Gary Smulyan (b. 1956), the multiple award-winner of numerous jazz polls as the baritone saxophonist of the year has been particularly acclaimed for his witty contrafact compositions and performances. Recorded in April 2019 with Gary Versace on piano, Jay Anderson on bass, and Jason Tiemann on drums.
Ronnie Cuber: Straight Street. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31860). Street date: 15-1-19. One of the few exponents of that most unrelenting instrument, baritone saxophonist Ronnie Cuber has spent for more than a half century performing, composing, arranging and leading his own groups. His robust, no-nonsense playing has been acknowledged to be one of the greats among jazz instrumentalists. Recorded in November 2010, this album sees him together with George Colligan on piano, Cameron Brown on bass and Joe Farnsworth on drums.
Ronnie Cuber: Ronnie's Trio. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31848). April 2018. Playing mostly jazz standards, the baritone saxophonist has with him Jay Anderson on bass and drummer Adam Nussbaum.
Harold Danko: Rite Notes. SteepleChase (SCCD 31931). Street date: 15-06-22. Recorded in December 2021, this is another culmination of Harold Danko's half a century-long fascination and study of Igor Stravinsky's groundbreaking ballet music The Rite of Spring. This new album shares with us his interpretation in a solo setting.
Harold Danko: Spring Garden. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31909). Street date: 15-03-21. Spring Garden celebrates the abundant musical seeds planted more than a century ago by Igor Stravinsky in the Rite of Spring. Danko's liner notes reveal his long-standing fascination with Stravinsky's masterpiece and details involved in the creation and recording of this ambitious project. With him are Rich Perry on tenor sax, Jay Anderson on bass and Jeff Hirshfield on drums. Recorded in 2019.
Harold Danko: Triple Play. SteepleChase (SCCD 31839). Nov. 2017. Ever subtle and transcendent pianist/composer Danko and his usual partners in crime, Jay Anderson (bass) and Jeff Hirshfield (drums) are unfolding a unique universe of improvising in and on the recognizable repertoire to pleasant surprises.
Harold Danko Trio: Lost In The Breeze. SteepleChase (SCCD 31812). Shipping date: 05-02-16. Recorded in March 2015 with Jay Anderson on bass and Jeff Hirshfield on drums.
Harold Danko & Kirk Knuffke: Play Date. SteepleChase (SCCD 31867). Street date: 15-03-19. Professor Emeritus of Jazz Studies (Eastman College of Music, Univ. of Rochester) Harold Danko pays homage to Be Bop's song-smith Duke Jordan here in an inaugural meeting with New York's rising star cornetist Kirk Knuffke. Duke Jordan's distinctive melodies receive Danko/Knuffke duo's refined and creative reading and mingle naturally with their free tunes in between.
Olegario Diaz: I Remember Chet. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31853). Feb. 2018. Venezuela-born pianist/composer Olegario Diaz has since 2011 been presenting handful of quality recordings with firm roots in post-bop. Diaz has also published quite a few books on music and musicians. He produced this album, his 5th release to portray Chet Baker as he might write a book about the great artist. With him are to be found bass player Scott Colley and drummer Bill Stewart, tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake?and finally on trumpet Alex Sipiagin. Recorded in May 2017.
Olegario Diaz: Aleph In Chromatic. SteepleChase (SCCD 31823). Street date: 05-10-16. Born in Caracas, Venezuela, Olegario Diaz moved to USA at age 17 to study jazz at the Berklee College of Music and then furthered his studies at New York's Manhattan School of Music where he earned the master's degree. Currently in Venezuela, Diaz leads an active life as performer and renowned author of several instructional books. This recording from October 2015 presents his own compositions played by a sextet featuring among other bass player James Genus
Olegario Diaz Quintet: Basquiat By Night /Day. SteepleChase (SCCD 31774). March 2014. The title song dedicated to the New York-born Haitian pop artist Jean Michel Basquiat reflects Diaz' deep appreciation of arts. For this - his third album - Diaz put together a highly cohesive ensemble to paint an attractive collage of joyful music.
Pierre Dørge: Soundscapes. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31846). May 2018. Following highly acclaimed quartet release "Blui" from 2016, Dørge surrounds himself with all American colleagues who have deep understanding of his unique soundscapes: Kirk Knuffke on cornet, Stephen Riley on tenor saxophone, Conrad Herwig on trombone, Jay Anderson on bass an Adam Nussbaum on drums. Recorded April 2017.
Pierre Dørge Quartet: Blui. SteepleChase (SCCD 31797). March 2015. 36 years have passed since the release of Dørges first quartet album "Ballad Round The Corner"! For his second output, he puts his trademark "pan-cultural" jazz energy to the service of his new international ensemble: Kirk Knuffke (cornet), Hamid Drake (drums) and Swedish bassist Thommy Andersson. The music was recorded in December 2014.
Pierre Dørge & New Jungle Orchestra: Bluu Afroo. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31904). Street date: 15-09-20. Danish guitarist/composer/band leader Pierre Dørge and his 12-piece New Jungle Orchestra celebrate their 40th anniversary this year. Dørge conceived the idea of this almost-big band as a global jazz crossroad where the world music meets and interacts with post-bop jazz with a huge tilt towards West African music tradition. Recorded live on November 22, 23 & 24, 2019, the album features as special guest American tenor saxophonist Stephen Riley, who has been a NJO's frequent guest on stage.
Pierre Dørge & New Jungle Orchestra:Ubi Zaa. SteepleChase (SCCD 31819). August 2016. On this new live recording, Dørge features his favourite American cornetist Kirk Knuffke and writes music with Kirk's sound in mind. Recorded in September 2015.
Pierre Dørge & New Jungle Orchestra: Tjak Tjaka Tchicai. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31777). Feb. 2014. This new album by the NJO is of course dedicated to the late saxophonist, who was for Pierre Dørge a considerable part of his own musical roots.
Roy Eldridge Quartet/Ella Fitzgerald Quintet: In Concert. SteepleChase Records(SCCD 36503). Street date: 15-10-22. The third volume of the "In Concert" Series features Ella's quintet. Roy Eldridge, Swing Era's greatest trumpeter, opens the program with two tracks. The live recording of this concert in Copenhagen has been essentially unknown for half a century and is a welcome addition to Ella Fitzgerald's legacy of supreme vocal art of American jazz. With her are guitarist Herb Ellis, pianist Lou Levy, bass player Wilfred Middlebrooks and drummer Gus Johnson; recorded at Falkoner Centret, Copenhagen May 21,1959.
Andy Fusco Quintet: Whirlwind. SteepleChase (SCCD 31811). Street date: 05/01/16. Veteran altoist Andy Fusco makes his belated SteepleChase leader debut here with this 2003 quintet recording, showcasing his intense and strong command of the instrument in the bebop tradition. With John Mosca on trombone, Joel Weiskopf on piano, Dennis Irwin on bass and Billy Drummond on drums
Benny Goodman Orchestra: In Concert. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 36501). Street date: 05-08-22. Here is the inaugural release of the "In Concert" series of previously unissued live recordings from Falkoner Centret in Copenhagen, where numerous prominent American bands and soloists performed for the very appreciative audiences in the late 50s. The Swing King Benny Goodman (1909-86) toured Europe in 1959 with his 10-piece band featuring vibraphonist Red Norvo and adding vocalist Anita O'Day on two tracks. This well-attended concert is from October 17, 1959.
Dexter Gordon Quartet: Candlelight Lady. SteepleChase (SCCD 31785). April 2014. This latest Gordon album recorded in 1974 at the legendary Montmartre Jazzhus, Copenhagen, is special because of the fact that - except for a few tracks which were broadcasted - that night the whole concert of the evening has never been made available to the public before. And Dexter makes this concert even more special with his display of relaxed yet intense power of creativity, together with Ed Thigpen on drums, Kenny Drew on piano and on bass a very young and promising player, Mads Vinding.
John Hart: Crop Circles. SteepleChase (SCCD 31865). Feb. 2019. Guitarist John Hart has established the status of leading figure on the modern jazz guitar scene with highly acclaimed releases on Blue Note and Concord in the 90's. This new album, recorded in December 2017, sees him backed by Dick Oatts (alto saxophone), Bill Moring (bass) and Tim Horner (drums, cajun). Jazz standards and 3 own comositions form the 9 tunes' track list
Bill Hartman Sextet: What's Up. SteepleChase Records (SCS 1254). Street date: 05-01-21. This New York session from the summer of 1989 became Hardman's last recording. Bill Hardman was one of the leading trumpeters in the hard bop era of the 50's, having been a long-time front-line in Blakey's Jazz Messengers, but also played with Horace Silver and Charles Mingus among others. This session reunited him with saxophonist Junior Cook and also adds the presence of a third blower, trombonist Robin Eubanks.
Martin Jacobsen:Straight Off. SteepleChase (SCCD 31916). May 2021. Martin Jacobsen, Danish born tenor saxophonist came back to normalcy after a few years of combat against a rare and grave autoimmune disease. That explains the delay of release of this live recording from France at Eaubonne Jazz in November 2014. His group features Hiroshi Murayama on piano, Gilles Naturel on bass and Mark Taylor on drums.
Martin Jacobsen Quartet: At The Jazz House. SteepleChase (SCCD 31802). April 2015. Live recording from the Danish club Copenhagen Jazz House, September 5, 2001. Featuring guitarist Doug Raney, bass player Jesper Lundgaard and drummer Rick Hollander.
Jason Palmer's Wondaland: Plays Janelle Monáe. SteepleChase (SCCD 31800). May 2015. Palmer here on his 5th album for the label pays tribute to the artistry of Janell Monáe, a six-time Grammy nominated American psychedelic soul and R & B singer-songwriter. Recorded in December 2014.
Vic Juris: Let's Cool One. SteepleChase (SCCD 31894). Street date: 05-04-20. Recorded in April 2019, this quartet album was to become the guitarist's last one, as he passed away in December of the same year at the age of 66. With him are Gary Versace on piano, Jay Anderson on bass and John Riley on drums. This was his his 18th album for SteepleChase!
Vic Juris: Two Guitars. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31869). Street date: 15-04-19. As implied in the title, Vic's trademark versatility and inventiveness come to the fore with the use of electric and acoustic guitars. The rhythm section is the one from his usual trio - who has been regularly performing live Vic's compositions - with Adam Nussbaum on drums and Jay Anderson on bass. Recorded in February 2018.
Vic Juris: Eye Contact. SteepleChase (SCCD 31841). January 2018. New trio recording with Jay Anderson on bass and Adam Nussbaum on drums. Recorded in December 2016.
Vic Juris: Vic plays Victor Young. SteepleChase (SCCD 31829). Nov. 2016. With Jay Anderson (bass) and Anthony Pinciotti on drums. Also featuring vocalist Kate Baker on a take of the jazz standard "My Foolish Heart". Recorded in March 2014.
Vic Juris: Blue. SteepleChase (SCCD 31810). Sept. 2015. Trio recording with Jay Anderson on bass and Adam Nussbaum on drums. The album is heavily focused on ballads, which Vic's signature fluid sound backed up by his mature artistry fits perfectly.Recorded in March 2014.
Vic Juris: Walking On Water (SCCD 31788). Juris' versatile and innovative mind finds a perfect setting for his latest album here in the relatively seldom heard pianoless guitar/trumpet quartet. With Tim Hagans on trumpet, Jay Anderson on bass and on drums Anthony Pinciotti. Recorded in January 2013.
Kirk Knuffke: Witness. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31859). October 2018. Two extraordinary talents from two totally independent disciplines of art forms are meeting here to create a genuinely unique musical experience for us. Kirk Knuffke - one of the most prominent jazz cornetists - and New York's up and coming operatic baritone singer Steven Herring present here, to quote the liner-note author Neil Tesser, "an album that juxtaposes conservatory and nightclub, improvisation and spoken word, the sacred and the secular, into one of the most unusual and inventive projects of Knuffke's career
Kirk Knuffke: Cherryco. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31832). May 2017. The winner of Downbeat Magazine's "Rising Star" critics poll 2015 cornetist and composer Kirk Knuffke is presenting here his interpretation of compositions by the two iconic practitioners of 60's free jazz movement, Don Cherry and Ornette Coleman (who he had known in his late years personally).?Recorded in February 2016 with Jay Anderson on bass and Adam Nussbaum on drums.
Kirk Knuffke Trio: Little Cross. SteepleChase (SCCD 31799). August 2015. The leader of this new album Kirk Knuffke has just been voted "rising star (trumpet) of 2015" by the prestigious DownBeat Magazine's Critics Poll. He has with him Jamie Saft on Hammond B3 and synthesizer and Hamid Drake on drums. The album was recorded in December 2014. Kirk chose for this his 6th leader/co-leader album somewhat special material, music that relates to spirituality of passing (funeral).
Kirk Knuffke & Jesse Stacken: Satie. SteepleChase (SCCD 31822). Street date: 05-10-16. The music of the early 20th century French Avant-gardist Erik Satie for a jazz album makes perfect sense when its interpreters/performers are cornetist Kirk Knuffke and his long-time partner pianist Jesse Stacken. They both share their musical background in unconventional new/free jazz as well as classical training. Recorded in May 2015.
Kirk Knuffke & Jesse Stacken: Five. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31779). May 2014. The first plays cornet, the second the piano. Together they challenge the similar concept of unifying two composer/pianists Carla Bley and Bill Evans. The result is an intriguing amalgam of two artists who seemingly do not have much in common except their genius.
Andy LaVerne: Shangri-La. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31872). Street date: 15-05-19. Andy LaVerne, prolific composer, prominent educator and resourceful recording artist of five decades? experience, is putting a new quintet together here to interpret his timeless compositions. With Alex Sipiagin on trumpet and fluegelhorn, Jerry Bergonzi on tenor saxophone, Mike Richmond on bass and Jason Tiemann on drums. Recorded in October 2018.
Andy LaVerne: Faith. SteepleChase (SCCD 31840). Nov. 2017. Trio with Mike Richmond (bass, cello) and Jason Tiemann (drums), plus this time an added voice in trumpet/flugelhorn by Alex Sipiagin. Recorded in December 2016.
Andy LaVerne: Genesis. SteepleChase (SCCD 31818). August 2016. Recorded in December 2015 in trio with Mike Richmond (bass and cello) and drummer Jason Tiemann.
Allegra Levy: Lonely City. SteepleChase LookOut (SCCD 33118). Nov. 2014. Allegra Levy, a New England Conservatory graduate in her early 20s, has already established herself as a singer/composer/band leader in the New York jazz scene with her sultry, rich tones and truly original compositional skills. Assisted by the legendary trumpeter John McNeil with recording and producing, Allegra makes here her recording debut, showcasing her enormous talent. Several guests appear here, like violinist Mark Feldman, to name just but one.
Kirk Lightsey: Coltrane Revisited @ Bird's Eye. SteepleChase (SCCD 33146). Street date: 15-10-21. This live recording from Basel, Switzerland with Lightsey's European band makes a graceful continuation of his famous tribute albums "From Kirk To Nat" and "Goodbye Mr Evans". Featuring Gabor Bolla on tenor saxophone, Milan Nikolic on bass and Bernd Reiter drums, the album presents two Coltrane tunes, jazz standards and one personal composition by the leader.
Russ Lossing: Changes. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31863). Street date: 15-01-19. Recorded in May 2018, this debut album for the label is built on jazz standards, in trio with Michael Formanek on bass and Gerald Cleaver on drums.
Joe Magnarelli: New York Osaka Junction. SteepleChase (SCCD 31939). Street date: 15-11-22. Trumpetist Magnarelli in the past made a couple "junction" albums but this ultimate junction connecting him with dynamic Osaka-born Hammond B-3 player Akiko Tsuruga - with ace baritone player Gary Smulyan sharing the front line - will make it probably the very first trumpet-baritone-organ unit, completed with drummer Rudy Royston. Recorded in February 2022.
Joe Manis: The Golden Mean. SteepleChase LookOut (SCCD 33120). July 2015. Since his Steeplechase debut release, saxophonist Joe Manis (also playing bass clarinet here) has kept this organ trio featuring George Colligan (Hammond B3, Fender Rhodes) busy performing in and around Oregon where he bases his activities on. Here is their second album which clearly shows the intensity and remarkable rapport of a tightknit working band. Also featuring drummer Kevin Congleton and on some tracks Lillie Manis on viola. Recorded in September 2014.
Ron McClure: NightQuest. SteepleChase (SCCD 31935). Street date: 15-09-22. Still active at 81, venerable bassist McClure calls this quartet "another Dream Team". The highly acclaimed original Dream Team - already featuring saxophonist Rich Perry - was released in 1997. The current version of the *new* band made their first outing in NYC, after the two-year Covid induced hiatus. Alongside McClure and Perry, it also includes pianist Michael Eckroth and drummer Steve Johns.
Ron McClure: Lucky Sunday. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31877). Street date: 15-09-19. One Sunday in December 2018 bassist/composer/educator Ron McClure brought this - his relatively new group - to the studio (Chris Sulit's Trading8 in NJ) to record his 17th leader album. In his group are Anthony Ferrara, a new star on tenor sax, pianist Rob Block and drummer Pete Zimmer.
John McNeil Quintet: Things We Did Last Summer. SteepleChase (SCS 1231). This recording took place during the summer of 1983 in Denmark at jazz club Montmartre as a part of the graduation concert of the famed Jamey Aebersold Jazz School. John toured Europe as a member of the staff of the Jamey Aebersold Jazz School and led this exciting group consisting of fellow?all-star teachers?: Dave Liebman, Jim McNeely, Ron McClure and Ed Soph. McNeil made this concert as a field study of "how-to-make-a-live-recording" for the students in the audience!
Steve Millhouse: The Unwinding. SteepleChase (SCCD 31942). Steet date: 15-02-23. Not only is this the debut album for the label by New York-based bassist/composer Steve Millhouse, but it also features a unique instrument: the six-string Contrabass Guitar. It was pioneered by bassist Anthony Jackson in the mid-70s, who added B to the EADGC tuning of a regular 5-string electric bass. Contrabass Guitar enabled Millhouse to develop his distinctive style, which perfectly encapsulates his jazz trio, featuring Rich Perry on tenor sax and drummer Eric Halvorson. Recorded in August 2022.
Mark Mincello Trio: Trinomial. SteepleChase LookOut Series (SCCD 33117). Oct. 2014. Recorded between April 2013 and February 2014, this is the debut album as leader of organist Mark Mincello, having served for 18 years as musical director to R&B Diva Regina Belle, but also member of Elliot Zigmund's group Trio EZ. He is at home in both the jazz and pop worlds and brings here his fresh ideas to the great tradition of organ jazz.
Brew Moore: Special Brew. SteepleChase (SCCD 36042). Street date: 15-06-22. Danish Radio's concert of October 15th, 1961 and TV recording in Malmø, Sweden in November 1961 make this album, an important addition to Moore's discography and a reminder of a genius whose life ended too prematurely. Moore - on tenor sax - was accompanied by Harold Goldberg (piano, alto horn), Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (acoustic bass) and Alex Riel (drums).
Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band: In Concert. SteepleChase (SCCD 36502). Street date: 15-09-22. SteepleChase's 50th anniversary "In Concert" series continues with Gerry Mulligan's famed Concert Jazz Band, recorded on October 31, 1960 at Tivoli's Concert Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark, their first concert in Europe. The 8 tracks from Copenhagen are followed by 5 more tracks recorded in Berlin soon after, on November 4, 1960. The Concert Jazz Band's unique arrangements and its trademark sound of translucency are here restored thanks to modern sound technology. The Django Reinhardt piece "Manoir de mes Rêves" and Mulligan's "18 Carrots for Rabbit" get rare performance here.
Gerry Mulligan Quartet: In Concert. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 36506). Street date: 15-03-23. New on the "In Concert" Series, this album will be one of the rare historical issues, as the quartet lasted only a short period of time in the 50's. Mulligan brought his piano less quartet to the Falkoner Centret in Copenhagen on May 21, 1959. With him were Art Farmer on trumpet, Bill Crow on bass and Dave Bailey on drums. The night's mostly Danish audience were mesmerized by their cool sound of so-called West Coast Jazz.
Adam Niewood:Home With You, At Last. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31871). Street date: 15-05-19. Son of the late jazz saxophonist Gerry Niewood, NYC-based saxophonist/composer Adam Niewood was born into a musical pedigree, also with a classical pianist mother. The compositions of this album are all penned by his father, played by Adam's dream team: John Scofield on guitar, John Patitucci on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums! The album was recorded in August 2010.
Dick Oatts: Use Your Imagination. SteepleChase (SCCD 31837). Oct. 2017. Feat. Ugonna Okegwo on bass. Dick Oatts' sensitive and cerebral approach to music enhanced by his "monster chops" are manifested here again on this 11th leader album on SteepleChase.
Dick Oatts & Harold Danko: Sweet Nowhere. SteepleChase (SCCD 31778). April 2014. Although they have performed together in all types of groups and bands over the years, this is the first time they perform in a duo setting, Oatts on alt sax and Danko on piano
Jason Palmer: Beauty 'n' Numbers - The Sudoku Suite. SteepleChase (SCCD 31820). Sept. 2016. Trumpeter/Composer/Arranger/Educator/Actor Jason Palmer, the winner of several prestigious competitions including the 2009 Carmine Caruso International Jazz Trumpet Solo Competition presents here his first quartet album.
Jason Palmer Sextet: Places. SteepleChase (SCCD 31780). March 2014. All originals here - penned by the trimpetist - are inspired by the places he has visited during his numerous tours throughout the world, written for a sextet including two saxophonists, a guitar player, bass and drums. This is his 4th release.
Rich Perry: Mood. SteepleChase (SCCD 31830). Nov. 2016. An album of ballads, in quartet with Harold Danko on piano, Jay Anderson on bass and Jeff Hirshfield on drums. Recorded in March 2015.
Rich Perry Trio: Organique. SteepleChase (SCCD 31805). July 2015. The saxophonist leads here an organ trio with Gary Versace on Hammond B3 and Jeff Hirshfield on drums. Recorded in February 2014.
Perry, Rich: Nocturne. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31776). Jan. 2014. Rich Perry's newest album Nocturne marks the 21st release in his 21-year-tenure with SteepleChase and for the first time Rich employs guitar (by Nat Radley) instead of piano for his quartet, also featuring drummer Jeff Hirshfield and bass player John Hebert.
Bud Powell: 1962 Copenhagen. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 36040). Street date: 06-08-21. Mainly trio with Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen on bass and Jørn Elniff drums, but also featuring on one track each tenor saxophonists Brew Moore and Don Byas. Recorded in Denmark at Radio concert hall, Copenhagen, on March 25th, 1962 (track 1-5), Jazzhus Montmartre, Copenhagen, in March 1962 (track 6-8) and Radio TV studio in August 1962 (track 9-11).
Marcus Printup: Young Bloods. SteepleChase (SCCD 31804). Oct. 2015. Trumpeter Marcus Printup rounded up a choice selection of young prize winning new talents to form this sextet (trumpet, alt sax, trombone, piano, bass and drums).
Marcus Printup: Lost. SteepleChase (SCCD 31793). 10/11/14. Trumpeter/composer Marcus Printup, stalwart of Jazz At The Lincoln Center Orchestra since 1993 presents his latest album here as in memoriam of his late father, filled with delightful compositions penned mostly by himself to celebrate life. With Shantawn Kendrick on tenor saxophone, Helen Sung on piano, Ben Williams on bass, Ulysses Owens on drums. Recorded in February 2013
Andrew Rathbun Quartet: Numbers & Letters. SteepleChase (SCCD 31781). 05/06/14. New York-based Canadian saxophonist/composer Andrew Rathbun has been releasing series of innovative albums which delight us with consistent creative and entertaining quality. Here on his latest recording Rathbun joins forces with NY's finest rhythm section - Jay Anderson on bass and Bill Stewart on drums - to produce another unique instrumental jazz album. Phil Markowitz on piano and trumpetist Taylor Haskins complete the quintet. Recorded May 30, 2012.
Freddie Redd: With Due Respect. SteepleChase (SCCD 31817). May 2016. On this new album Redd presides over a sextet of much younger generations as performer and composer of old and new compositions embodied here to render a remarkable reminder of jazz's longevity. With the rhythm section of Jay Anderson (bass) and Billy Drummond (drums). Recorded in November 2014 & February 2015.
Bernd Reiter Quintet feat. Eric Alexander: Workout. SteepleChase(SCCD 33123). Street date: 04/01/16. Drummer Bernd Reiter formed the quintet presented here in 2015 to perform a tribute program of Hank Mobley's music featuring American tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander whom he started to work with in 2012. The band's extensive European tour produced this live album from the last two concerts at the Bird's Eye in Basel, Switzerland, on February 27th, 2015. On piano, French jazzman Olivier Hutman!
Mike Richmond: Turn Out The Stars. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 3194). February 2023. Mike Richmond's fourth cello album focuses on Bill Evans' music. Recorded in May 2022 with Andy Laverne on piano, Jay Anderson on bass, Anthony Pimciotti drums.
Mike Richmond: La Vie En Rose. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31878). Street date: 15-09-19. Since the release of The Pendulum album of 2017, Mike Richmond has been performing increasingly more on cello than on his main instrument the double bass. Here on this latest album, Richmond's cello again gets the front-line to perform the Great American Song Book repertoire. Backing him are Peter Zak on piano, Jay Anderson on bass and Billy Drummond on drums. The album was recorded in February 2018.
Mike Richmond: Tones For Joan's Bones. SteepleChase (SCCD 31851). September 2018. As some of the critics have predicted, Richmond put together another quality cello album here again. After the release of his previous album "The Pendulum", he has in fact been frequently performing cello as his main instrument. This album is his 11th as a leader and he has surrounded himself with a much proven rhythm section, Jay Anderson on bass and Billy Drummond on drums, as well as pianist Peter Zak. Recorded in February 2017.
Mike Richmond Cello Quartet: The Pendulum. SteepleChase (SCCD 31826). Feb. 2017. Richmond puts together here an album entirely dedicated to the pioneer of "cello in jazz", Oscar Pettiford. Recorded in February 2016 with Peter Zak on piano, Jay Anderson on bass and Billy Drummond on drums.
Stephen Riley: My Romance. SteepleChase (SCCD 31932). Street date: 05-08-22. Here Riley put together his first-ever organ trio with Brian Charlette, one of the hottest B-3 players today. The organ trio setting propels Riley's unique sound to a new dimension. Billy Drummond is on drums. Recorded in December 2021.
Stephen Riley: Friday The 13th. SteepleChase (SCCD 31892). Street date: 05-04-20. Saxophonist Stephen Riley this time has invited the award-winning cornetist Kirk Knuffke to front the piano-less quartet, with the classic and proven rhythm section of Jay Anderson on bass and Billy Drummond on drums. Album recorded in October 2018.
Stephen Riley: Hold 'Em Joe. SteepleChase (SCCD 31850). September 2018. This album pays tribute to the great Sonny Rollins who first recorded the piano-less format in 1957. Jay Anderson is on bass and Adam Nussbaum on drums. Recorded in April 2017, the album consists mainly of jazz standards, the poppier title track being penned by Harry Belafonte.
Stephen Riley & Peter Zak: Haunted Heart. SteepleChase (SCCD 31806). Oct. 2015. Here on his latest album, tenor saxophonist Riley formed a duo with his favourite piano man Peter Zak to stage an intriguing recital filled with amazing performances. Recorded in December 2014.
Stephen Riley Quartet: Baubles, Bangles And Beeds. SteepleChase (SCCD 31792). 10/11/14. Recorded in 2013 and featuring Jason Marsalis on drums, Peter Zak on piano and Neal Caine on bass
Paolo Sapia Quartet/Quintet: Mostly Music. SteepleChase Lookout (SCCD 33113). March 2014. Originally from Italy but currently New York-based, Paolo Sapia started his professional career as jazz pianist. He changed his instrument to alto saxophone in 2004 and moved to New York City with a scholarship from New York University in 2005. Since then he has studied, performed and recorded in the USA with a broad range of internationally respected musicians
Samo Salamon Bassless Quartet: 2Alto. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 33112). Feb. 2014. Guitarist Samo Salamon hails from Marigor (Slovenia) and splits his work and life between USA and the European Continent, though in the last 10 plus years his activities have kept growing and expanding in the USA collecting numerous accolades from critics and public alike. The album was recorded during a European tour in February 2012.
Rob Scheps: Comencio. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31866). Street date: 15-02-19. New York's mainstay saxophonist Rob Scheps makes SteepleChase debut here in a quartet format, a version of his renowned NY group The Core-tet. Featuring Jamie Reynolds on piano, Cameron Brown on bass and Jesse Simpson on drums. Recorded in April 2018.
Dave Scott: In Search of Hipness. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31864). Street date: 15-01-19. Trumpeter Dave Scott's 5th SteepleChase release here finds him leading his other New York ensemble, "The Dave Scott Violin Band" which features some of America's finest instrumentalists, including Sarah Bernstein on violin. Dave Scott's compositions allow each musician to fully engage in individual expression and the band as a whole to create distinctive tapestry of interactive improvisation. The group performs regularly in the New York City area. Recorded in February 2018.
Dave Scott Quintet: Brooklyn Aura. SteepleChase (SCCD 31808). Nov. 2015. Dave Scott, an award winning trumpeter and a dedicated educator, is first and foremost recognized as a prolific and resourceful composer. He composes for and performs with his own jazz ensemble consisting of New York's finest improvisers, with among other saxophonist Rich Perry. Recorded in March 2015.
Gene Segal: Spiral. SteepleChase (SCCD 33132). April 2017. Guitarist/composer Gene Segal is rapidly becoming a stalwart regular player of SteepleChase Lookout with this, his 3rd album, for which Gene assembles an organ trio, with Brian Charette playing the Hammond B3 and Bruce Cox on drums. With his unpredictable, open, unconventional style still intact Segal applies a mini paradigm shift to straighter jazz and reveals a new dimension. Recorded in December 2015 & May 2016.
Gene Segal Trio/Quintet: Matter. SteepleChase LookOut (SCCD 33121). August 2015. New York-based guitarist/composer Gene Segal was born in Russia and immigrated to the USA as a young child with his musician family. His upbringing in European music tradition combined with American contemporary music including jazz enabled Segal to create his unique universe of multi-layered music. The album was recorded on December 3rd 2014.
Gene Segal Quintet: Mental Images. SteepleChase Lookout(SCCD 33114). May 2014. Russian-Born Gene Segal, who moved to the USA as a child, is one of the elite guitarists of the younger generation from the New York scene. This debut is the first glimpse into an ever-evolving artist revealing his fascination with French composer Olivier Messiaen, one of the most important composers of the 20th century. Recorded September 3, 2013.
Sisto, Dick: Falling In Love. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31944). Street date: 15-03-23. Spotted by none other than Cannonball Adderley as "an excellent player" during a collegial jazz festival while he was attending North Texas State University, vibraphonist/composer Dick Sisto appears for the first time on SteepleChase with his all-star quartet, consisting of Fred Hersch on piano, Drew Gress on bass and Tom Rainey on drums. This is a reissue of an album recorded in 1994 and originally released on the label Jazzen Records.
Mark Soskin: Empathy. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31943). Street date: 15-04-23. Recorded in October 2022, this is the pianist's first duo recording with his long-time collaborator Jay Anderson (bass) for SteepleChase, which he joined in 2018.
Mark Soskin: Ballad For A Rainy Afternoon. SteepleChase (SCCD 31914). May 2021. Soskin brings his quartet with Rich Perry (tenor sax) here on his fourth album for SteepleChase and focuses on his new compositions as well as some of his old gems. The rhythm section has Jay Anderson on bass - a stalwart presence on the label - and Matt Wilson on drums. Recorded in 2019.
Mark Soskin: Upper West Side Stories. SteepleChase Records (SCCD 31858). May 2018. Recorded in December 2017, here's a new trio recording from the pianist, with Jay Anderson on bass and Adam Nussbaum on drums.
Mark Soskin: Hearts And Minds. SteepleChase (SCCD 31834). Fall 2017. With Jay Anderson on bass and Anthony Pinciotti on drums
Gregory Tardy: Chasing After The Wind. SteepleChase (SCCD 31821). Sept. 2016. On this new album, saxophonist Gregory Tardy combines his own new music with a handful of intriguing compositions by other artists from the past to set up a scene for this stellar sextet featuring among other his long-time friend and great trumpeter Alex Norris, pianist Bruce Narth.
Gregory Tardy Quintet: With Songs Of Joy. SteepleChase (SCCD 31798). March 2015. The music saxophonist Gregory Tardy composes and performs is filled with devotional texture and emotion. The strength of his music and performance reaches out to the vast range of people regardless of their spiritual background, as it is the case with this one, his 8th release on SteepleChase.
Gary Versace: Time Frame. SteepleChase (SCCD 31933). Street date: 05-08-22. With three consecutive placings as a Rising Star in Down Beat Critics Poll from 2006-08 and being one of the busiest and most versatile musicians around, the organist/pianist presents here his trio, with Jay Anderson on bass and Rudy Royston on drums. Recorded in December 2021.
Joel Weiskopf Quintet: Where Angels Fear To Tread. SteepleChase (SCCD 31813). Shipping on February 5th, 2016. On this new album Joel Weiskopf brings out his time-tested repertoire for quintet date with his Syracuse compatriots Joe Magnarelli (tp) and Andy Fusco (as). Doug Weiss is on bass and on drums we find Jaimeo Brown. Recorded in March 2015.
Carl Winther: Deconstructing Mr. X. SteepleChase (SCCD 33130). Nov. 2016. Award winning jazz pianist/composer Carl Winther (born in 1984 in Denmark) has already established himself on the international elite instrumentalist circuit of younger generation. Growing up in a musical family with his father, renowned trumpeter Jens Winther, he presents here a trio album with drummer Anders Mogensen and bass player Johnny Åman, recorded in February 2015.
Carl Winther & Jerry Bergonzi: Inner Journey. SteepleChase (SCCD 33134). June 2017. Recorded on January 17th, 2016. With Anders Mogensen on drums and Johnny Åman on bass. The album is dedicated to Winther's late father, trumpeter Jens Winther.
Peter Zak: The Disciple. SteepleChase (SCCD 31791). Oct. 2014. Trio recording from January 2013, with Willie Jones III on drums and Peter Washington on bass. The choice of tunes is varied, from own compositions to jazz classics (Monk, Horace Silver, Herbie Hancock) to real classic (Scriabin).
Eliot Zigmund: Time Was. SteepleChase Lookout. Fall 2017. With Chris Cheek (sax), Mike Eckroth (piano) and Morrie Louden (bass)

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TCB RECORDINGS .... TCB RECORDINGS .... TCB RECORDINGS .... TCB REC

Yvan Ischer & Scorpio 7: Sleepless. TCB 25402. Septet with focus on blow ínstruments (tp + fl. / tb / as + bs / ts + ss) and the presence of Adam Nussbaum on drums.
Brad Leali: Live in Europe. TCB 25502. Live in Berne, January 2004. Modern jazz with a touch of Latin and first of all Pat Bianchi on Hammond organ. Also noteworthy is the presence of Sean Jones, a young trumpetist obviously disciple of Freddie Hubbard
Soskin / McCaslin / Gisler / Hammer: One. TCB 26302. US-European meeting for main stream jazz.

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THIRSTY EAR .... THIRSTY EAR .... THIRSTY EAR .... THIRSTY EAR ....

Tim Berne: The Shell Game. Thirsty Ears THI 099. March 07. With the much praised keyboard player Craig Taborn and the faithful long time collaborator on drums Tom Rainey
Tim Berne Science Friction Band: The Sublime And. Thirsty Ears THI 139. March 07. 2CD with Craig Taborn on keyboards and electronic, the French guitarist Marc Ducret and a totally possessed Tom Rainey on drums
Big Satan: Souls Saved Hear. Thirsty Ears THI151. June 06. 2nd album by this sulfuric formation led by saxophonist Tim Berne and featuring French great guitarist Marc Ducret, drummer Tom Rainey and another guitarist, here only delivering electronics and production, the one and only David Torn.
Black Music Disaster: S/T. Thirsty Ear (THI 203). June 2012. Another supergroup with two guitarists: J Spaceman (Spiritualized, Spacemen 3) and John Coxon from Spring Heel Jack. Add on Farfisa organ the one and only Matthew Shipp and from the Londonian free scene, drummer Steve Noble and be ready for an overboosted meeting!
Guillermo E. Brown: Soul at the Hands of the Machine. Thirsty Ear THI 118. Jan.08. Being freed from work with William Parker and David S. Ware, the drummer gathers here a series of bewitching grooves on an album featuring a host of rising stars from the Downtown.
Roy Campbell: Its Krunch Time. Thirsty Ears THI 107. July 07. For this first record on the label, the trumpetist has with him vibraphonist Khan Jamal, bassist Wilbur Morris and drummer Guillermo Brown.
Dj Spooky: Dubtometry. thirsty Ears THI 128. Oct. 06. The album "Optometry" is here remixed with the help of Jamaican experts like Mad Professor & Lee Scratch Perry. A joyful éléctro-jazz-dub-hip hop-trip hop record!
The Free Zen Society: The Free Zen Society. Thirsty Ears THI 177. March 07. This is quite a unique experience where sound engineer Peter Gordon has processed, edited and post produced a session which had been recorded a few years before in 2003. The project included harpist Zeena Parkins and the well oiled tandem of Matthew Shipp & William Parker. By spatializing and reshaping the melodic waves - by the way lesser furious than usual this evening - the final result is one of a more ambient and relaxing album!
The Gang Font: Feat. Interloper. Thirsty Ears THI 176. July 07. With drummer Dave King from the cult band The Bad Plus and members of Happy Apple, Taborn - head of a new race of keyboard players - & Co. deliver here 9 tracks of free jazz / electro-rock.
Groundtruther: Longitude. Thirsty Ear (THI 160). April 2006. Trio concept similar to what was once Third Person (with Tom Cora and Sam Bennett). Two permanent members invite a guest to join them. Here the guest is DJ Spooky and his turntables, invited by Charlie Hunter on an 8 string guitar and drummer Bobby Previte also standing for electronics.
Groundtruther: Latitude. Also on Thirsty Ears (THI 150). June 06. Great combo where the permanent members, Charlie Hunter on 8-string guitar and Bobby Previte on drums and electronics, invite a different guest at every occasion. Here, back to 2004 and the first effort, the choice fell on saxophonist Greg Osby
Mat Maneri: Sustain. Thirsty Ear THI 122. Jan. 08. New album by the violinist and viola player, here with old time partners Craig Taborn on keyboardss, bassist William Parker, drummer Gerald Cleaver and Joe McPhee on sopran sax.
Mat Maneri: Blue Decco. Thirsty Ears THI 092. March 07. Homage to Eric Dolphy with the great team of Craig Taborn, William Parker & Gerald Cleaver. Maneri plays here various instruments, from a 6 string electric violin to a baritone violin without forgetting a 5-string alto.
Mat Maneri: Pentagon. Thirsty Ear (THI 163). 3rd album for the Blue Series with many guests, from father joe to keyboardist Jamie Saft or Craig Taborn, and an invitation to a halllucinating journey fed with an original selection of sounds (mellotron, trombone, mridangam and more). A beautiful album!
Meat Beat Manifesto are making the news with two releases "At The Center" and "Off-Center" on the label Thirsty Ear. Led by Jack Dangers on bass, bass clarinet and more, it also features keyboardist Craig Taborn, drummer and percussionist Dave King, flutist Peter Gordon. "Off-Center" consists mainly of remixes and live versions of the main album. Dangers is essentially known for having produced or mixed albums by Bowie, Public Enemy, David Byrne, Nine Inch Nails, etc...
Medeski / Shipp: Radical Reconstructive Surgery. Thirsty Ears THI 172. March 07. Having both studied at the New England Conservatory, the two pianists have been known each other for years but are for the first time reunited on stage for this groovy funky project featuring Shipp's partner William Parker, but also DJ Olive, drummer Nasheed Waits and Mauricio Takara
William Parker: Painter's Spring. Thirsty Ear THI 088. Jan. 08. This trio with drummer Hamid Drake also sets in relief the lyrical playing of a too less known musician, reedman Daniel Carter, here on alt and tenor sax, flute and clarinet. Carter is a previous pupil of Jimmy Giuffre and ex partner of Sam Rivers and Cecil Taylor. He has also played with Sun Ra.
William Parker: Scrap Book. Thirsty Ears THI 134. Oct. 06. This is actually compositions by Parker played by violinist Billy Bang!
William Parker: Luc's Lantern. Thirsty Ear (THI 158). Trio album and one of the quietest and most accessible by this today vital voice in modern jazz.
Sex Mob: Meets Medeski (Live In Willisau 2006). Thirsty Ears (THI 189). May 09. Pianist John Medeski was guest on the band's first album and reappears as such on this live recording, the first live in the discography of the polymorph outfit
Matthew Shipp: DNA. Thirsty Ears THI 067. July 07. Seven duos recorded with bassist William Parker
Matthew Shipp Quartet: Pastoral Composure. Thirsty Ears THI 084. July 07. With Parker again and trumpetist Roy Campbell, drummer Gerald Cleaver.
Matthew Shipp: Nu Bop. Thirsty Ears THI 114. March 07. Conceived as the follower of "New Orbit", this album was released in 2002 and marks Parker's interest for newer textures, helped in that by synthesistFlam. Let's note the presence of saxophonist and flutist Daniel Carter
Matthew Shipp: Equilibrium. Thirsty Ears THI 127. Oct. 06. In the same vein as "Nu Bop", Shipp uses here electronic, helped by the programming skills of Flam but also vibraphonist Khan Jamal
Matthew Shipp: Harmony And Abyss. Thirsty Ears THI 152. June 06. The leader is on piano AND synthesizer, together with the omnipresent William Parker, the lesser known saxophonist and flutist Daniel Carter, drummer Gerald Cleaver
Spring Heel Jack: Live. Thirsty Ears THI 130. March 07. Between post free recurrences and freaky electro jazz, this project gathers Han Bennink, Evan Parker, Matthew Shipp, William Parker, J. Spaceman, Ashley Wales & John Coxon
Spring Heel Jack: Masses. Thirsty Ears THI 103. Jan. 08. The duo of John Coxon & Ashley feeds here a host of experienced free musicians with home recorded or sampled sounds, which they in turn use freely, distorded, misused, incorporated in an improvised modern food atelier. Those chefs have names such as Tim Berne, Mat Maneri, Roy Campbell, William Parker, Matthew Shipp ...
Spring Heel Jack: The Sweetness Of The Water. Thirsty Ears THI 146. Oct. 06. The free jazz created by the likes of Wadada Leo Smith, Evan Parker, John Edwards & Mark Sanders is here spiced with electronics by the heretic British duo of John Coxon & Ashley Wales
Craig Taborn: Junk Magic. Thirsty Ears THI 144. Oct. 06. Some of the best fusion between today's jazz and electronic. Features viola player Mat Maneri and his micro-tonality principles!
David S. Ware: Threads. Thirsty Ears THI 137. July 07. A lot of great players for this project, including Matthew Shipp on keyboards, Mat Maneri on viola, bassist William Parker, the Haitian violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain and drummer Guillermo Brown
David S. Ware Quartet: Live In The World. Thirsty Ear (THI 153). april 2006. This 3 CD set is actually the first live quartet album of Ware, recorded in Italy during 3 different concerts with 3 different drummers: Susie Ibarra, Hamid Drake, Guillermo E. Brown. A vey spiritual album!
The Yohimbe Brothers: The Tao Of Yo. Thirsty Ears THI 149. This is the association between guitarist Vernon Reid and the man considered in New York as the grand father of live turntables, DJ Logic. The duo gets their insppiration from various sources such as jazz, reggae, hip hop and metal. They're not afraid to also try to implant elements of Sly or Hendrix

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TZADIK .... TZADIK .... TZADIK .... TZADIK .... TZADIK .... TZADIK ....

Derek Bailey: Standards. Tzadik TZ7620. June 07. One Christmas evening 2001, New York. Bailey was thinking loud and multiplying his musical approaches to standards, just two monthes before recording his much praised ballads album. Maybe was standards the prerequisite!
Derek Bailey: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. TZ 7612. Solo guitar
Cyro Baptista: Love The Donkey (TZ 7614). Nov. 2005. The follower of "Beat The Donkey", recorded by Jamie Saft in his Brooklyn studio. Numerous dancers, percussionists and musicians were invited for this eclectic program and there is a live video bonus track of the event.
Mick Barr: Octis: Iohargh Wended. Tzadik TZ8030. Feb. 07. This guy is one of the most extreme guitarists in the world! The 15 pieces of this record are pure concentrates of speed and intensity maintained by absolute internal logic! Between classical music and viruoso prog rock, the guitar is either alone or duelling with electronic drums.
Bar Kokhba Sextet: 50th Birthday Celebration Series Vol 11. TZ 5011. A recording at the Tonic by six members of the Masada family. John Zorn, composition and direction with Cyro Baptista, Joey Baron, Greg Cohen, Mark Feldman, Erik Friedlander and Marc Ribot.
Steven Bernstein: Diaspora Suite. Tzadik TZ8122. Jan. 08. This is the 4th opus of the Diaspora Soul Series, exploring the Hebraic tradition. This time the cooking is flavoured with some Miles Davis / Gil Evans spices, played and interpreted by a ninetet of excellent Californian musicians among which we'll find a good deal of members of the band Hieroglyphics, led by reedman Peter Apfelbaum. Guitarist Nels Cline and his long time partner, drummer Scott Amendola are also present.
Braxton / Graves / Parker: Beyond Quantum. Tzadik TZ7626. Sept. 08. Recorded and mixed by Bill Laswell, here's an intense session and meeting of three musicians among the most creative on today's jazz scene
Robert Burger: City Of Strangers. Tzadik (TZ 7519). April 09. Founding member of the Tin Hat Trio, the accordionist and keyboardist has also been the partner of among other Laurie Anderson. On this album, another Tin Hat member - violinist Carla Kihlstedt is present, alongside familiar names such as altist Eyvind Kang or electric guitarist Marc Ribot
Uri Caine: Moloch : Book Of Angels Volume 6. Tzadik TZ7360. Nov. 06. 15 compositions taken from John Zorn's Masada Song Book II and interpreted on piano.
Steve Coleman: Invisible Paths : First Scattering. Tzadik TZ 7621. The first solo recording by the creator of the M'Base movement and world over influential leader of the group Five Elements. Coleman has travelled a lot, from India to Egypt, in the quest of the Absolute, Knowledge, Beauty and Truth. This record is the first result of his investigations!
Jacques Coursil: Minimal Brass. TZ 8016. His first album since 1969!
Mark Feldman / Uri Caine / Greg Cohen / Joey Baron: Secrets. Tzadik TZ8130. Jan. 09. First album by this extraordinary quartet of New York Downtown, here delving in songs taken from Jewish traditions of the Hassidic dynasties.
Feldman / Courvoisier: Malphas / Vol 3 (Tzadik TZ 7354). Duo piano/violin for an interpretation of the music of John Zorn.
Fred Frith/John Zorn: 50th Birthday Celebration Vol. 5.
Hemophiliac: 50th Birthday Celebration Vol.6. John Zorn: alt sax, Mike Patton: voice & Ikue Mori: electronics. Was until now only available on the net as a limited edition
Julius Hemphill: One Atmosphere (TZ 7090). This is an epic suite for 7 wind instruments and a quintet of piano and strings; add to this a blues written for the trio he formed with Abdud Wadud but here reinterpreted by cellist Erik Friedlander, saxophonist Marty Ehrlich and drummer Pheeroan Aklaff
Joseph Holbrooke Trio: The Moat Recordings. Tzadik 7616. 2CD. March 06. Those original tapes have an historical importance since no one was really sure they existed until their remastering and production in 1999. They witness the very first phase of British improvised music with Derek Bailey, drummer Tony Oxley and on bass Gavin Bryars who would thereafter quickly leave the improvised scene to consecrate his work on composition.
Wayne Horvitz: Whispers, Hymns And A Murmur (TZ 8021). The compositions of this album by one of the (still) most creative musicians today show an abstract impressionism with a light blues coloration.
Kaiser / Noyes / Park: Invite The Spirit. Tzadik TZ 7617. This trio has been existing more than 20 years. On several tracks, two Corean singers and their shamanic tradition join the trio and those Far Eastern winds give the guitar of Henry Kaiser even more serenity.
John King: Allsteel. Tzadik TZ8023. Sept.06. Written between 2001 and 2004, here are 3 string quatuors presented by King, which without any doubt connect him to the worlds of the blues and of the improvisation
Koby Israelit: Dance Of The Idiots. As complex and mastered as Naked City, Frank Zappa or Mr. Bungle, this record explores with passion death metal, the balkans, free.
Koby Israelite: Mood Swings. Tzadik TZ 7199. 2nd album by this wild man who introduced us in 2001 to a fascinating track mixing death-metal with klezmer. Jazz and gipsy, Zappa are also some of the many other influences perspiring in his works
Toshinori Kondo: Furyo. TZ 7255. 14 haïkus of solo trumpet + electronic, recorded in Amsterdam
Bill Laswell: Invisible Design II. Tzadik (TZ8062). Following the previous one made in 99, here's Laswell alone with two basses (one 4-string and one 8-string) and a host of pedals and effects
Many Arms: S/T. Tzadik (TZ 7805). April 2012. Part of the new collection of the label (Spotlight), aimed at focusing on new young creative and adventurous musicians, this third album by an instrumental trio from Philadelphia, founded in 2007, presents three long suites, one per member, moving between punk and free jazz, evoking in turn Ornette Coleman or Black Flag
Eyal Maoz: Edom (TZ 8105). Nov. 2005. This young Israeli guitarist lives in New York since 1999. He has with this record created an instrumental mix of rock and jazz fusion close to the Tony Williams Lifetime. John Medeski is on the keyboards!
Billy Martin: Starlings. Tzadik TZ 8025. Sept. 06. Here is the percussion third of the famous Medeski, Martin & Wood. Those contemporary compositions were originally written for an orchestra of kalimbas (of all sizes and tonalities). They have been transcribed for string quartets and other chamber music ensembles by Anthony Coleman (a wizzard of harmony and counterpoint)
Martin, Medeski & Wood: The Stone : Issue Four. Tzadik (TZ0005). Dec. 2010. Here's a complete set of the trio, captured during their Japanese tour in April 2010. This could be called an unplugged set as Medeski only plays piano and melodica, Wood only bass and Billy Martin drums and percussion.
Electric Masada: At The Mountains Of Madness (Tzadik TZ 7352). Two sets of concerts recorded in 2004 in Moscow and Ljubljana.
Masada String Trio: Azazel / Book Of Angels Vol 2 (TZ 7351). New studio recording of compositions mixing jazz, classical and klezmer. the trio is Mark Feldman on violin, Erik Friedlander on cello and Greg Cohen on bass.
Masada: 50th Birthday Celebration Vol.7. Tzadik. Features Dave Douglas, Greg Cohen & Joey Baron
Masada: Sanhedrin. TZ 7346. A 2CD of rarities, alternate takes (some maybe better than the original) and sessions extracts taken from the period 94 to 97. 2½ hours alltogether and on top a luxurious booklet with photos, score sheets, homages, comments. A limited edition as well!
Misha Mengelberg: Senne Sing Song. TZ 7613. With Greg Cohen on bass and Ben Perowsky on drums.
Minamo: Kuroi Kawa~Black River. Tzadik TZ 7720. Oct. 09. This double CD is the meeting - live and in the studio - of the Japanese pianist Satoko Fuji with the violinist Carla Kihlstedt. Chamber music for a new century, cut with delicacy and creative spontaneity
Mori / Nauseef / Parker / Laswell: Near Nadir. Tzadik (TZ 7636). Sept. 2011. Summit meeting mixed by Bill Laswell, taking in charge the work of four idiosyncratic figures and pionneers of free improvised musics. From ambient to loud squonking, the music always takes a great care to details
Ikue Mori: Myrninerest. TZ 7714. A new written solo work in homage to the plastician artist Madge Gill.
Naked City: Black Box - 20th Anniversary. Tzadik TZ7312. Oct. 2010. This anniversary reissue gathers Torture Garden (1991) and Leng Tch'e (1992), a composition originally released in Japan. It also brings a very complete booklet with new visuals, photos and essays.
Naked City: The Complete Studio Recordings. TZ 7344. Ouch! This 5CD boxset and limited edition gathers all the studio recordings (Naked City, Grand Guignol, Torture Garden, Leng Tche, Heretic, Radio, Absinthe) remastered by John Zorn himself. A new 18mn long version of "Grand Guignol" is also included. The booklet is 100 pages with tons of documentation on many forms: photos, scores, Zorn's diaries, homages, reproduction of posters. For the real fans!
Alon Nechushtan / Talat: The Growl. Tzadik TZ8113. Nov. 06. With Nechushtan on keyboards, the group Talat is a jazz quintet gathering some of the best musicians of New York's new generation. The music mixes jazz and klezmer.
Tony Oxley: The Advocate. Tzadik TZ7618. This unreleased duo work with the late Derek Bailey comes from a 1975 studio recording. In addition will be found the moving homage of Oxley given in 2006 to his partner in 40 years!
Painkiller: 50th Birthday Celebration Series Vol 12. TZ 5012. Recorded at the Tonic, New York, September 5&6, 2003. With Hamid Drake: drums, Bill Laswell: bass, John Zorn: alto sax, and Mike Patton: voice. A burning performance!
Evan Parker: Time Lapse. Tzadik TZ8026. Eleven solo pieces recorded in multitrack at the Gateway studios between 1996 and 2001. Parker plays also organ here.
Zeena Parkins: Necklace. Tzadik TZ8022. June 06. The 2006 album by the reknown harpist calls for two string quartets (electronically treated), a piece for cello and 8 dancers, whose recorded steps are its rhythmic basis, and a composition for solo harp.
Guillaume Perret & The Electric Epic: S/T. Tzadik TZ 7804. March 2012. The French saxophonist Guillaume Perret has conceived here a fantastically strong and cohesive imaginary musical universe! Making fire of all kind of woods (electric Miles, Ethiopian jazz, Zeuhl, metal, psychedelic, space rock, free jazz and more), he succeeds in giving you real unheard combinations; his use of distortion or wah wah on the saxophone, the presence of One Shot's telluric bass player Philippe Bussonet or NHX's elctro-jazz drummer Yoann Serra, the choice of strong and weird personalities like trumpetist Mederic Collignon, plus a shovelful of other oddities, nuances, details, all this contributes to the ironing of a powerful collective sound, a true delight for creative ears!
Radar: Easy Listening. Tzadik TZ 7251. This trio from Osaka has obviously been influenced by Steve Lacy or the Jimmy Giuffre Three and they succed in incorporating to them a strong and unique Nippon touch
Rashanim: Masada Rock. TX 8103. Classics of Masada played in a rock context.
Marc Ribot: Scelsi Morning (TZ 7089). A suite of impressionistic pieces written for chamber ensemble and with focus on Albert Ayler, Morton Feldman and ..... Giancento Scelsi.
Marc Ribot: Soundtracks Vol. II (TZ 7516). From 30's swing passages to moon soundscapes, this album is surely the most eclectic produced by the guitarist to this day.
Doug Wieselman: Collected Soundtracks 1996-2002 (TZ 7515)
This includes the music of "Long Way Home".
Ned Rothenberg's Sync (with Strings): Inner Diaspora. Tzadik TZ 8114. The multi reed player is this time called for a rereading of the Radical Jewish Culture. His trio - Sync (already featuring the great bass and guitar player Jerome Harris) - is here reinforced by string players from the Masada string Trio, violinist Mark Feldman and cellist Erik Friedlander
Jamie Saft Trio: Plays Bob Dylan : Trouble. Tzadik TZ 8111. Sept. 06. An homage to the songwriter Bob Dylan, much admired by Saft who compares his improvisation genius to the likes of Albert Ayler or Miles Davis. Saft plays here on piano and organ and is accompanied by bassist Greg Cohen and drummer Ben Perowski
Jamie Saft Trio: Astaroth Vol 1. TZ 7348. July 2005. With Greg Cohen on bass & Ben Perowskion drums, playing the Masada songbook.
Elliott Sharp: String Quartets : 2002 - 2007. Tzadik TZ 8052. June 08. This is the second volume presenting Sharp's string quartets and the works are interpreted by the Sirius quartet, expert in nuances, volumes and dynamics
Wadada Leo Smith / Jack Dejohnette: America. Tzadik TZ7628. May 09. This meeting between two legendary jazz musicians was refused by ECM in 1979 and only today, 30 years after, are we able to finally listen to it! Strong telepathic interaction, inner fire and same spriritual sources for the two improvisers, recorded by a certain Bill Laswell, it can't go wrong!
Stabat Akish: S/T. Tzadik (TZ8064). April 09. A French band from Toulouse on the Tzadik label is in itself enough to trigger curiosity. Founded in 2007 by Maxime Delporte who writes all compositions, this astounding ensemble is a burning melting pot where cook the spirits of Mingus, Jobim, Prince, Ennio Morricone or Vladimir Cosma but above all the one and only Frank Zappa! Therefore expect devastating breaks, humoristic arrangements, multiple twinkles of the eye and a music that will not leave you indifferent!
Timba Harris: neXus I: Cascadia. Tzadik (TZ 8086). April 2012. Multi-instrumentist Timb Harris is mostly known as the brainchild of Estradasphere, one of the planets of the Secret Chiefs 3 galaxy; he also joined the latter as violinist, replacing Eyvind Kang. This album offers a mix with multiple expressionist colours, between jazz, calypso, East European folk music, metal and musique concrète. It displays overall a spectacular creativity!
John Zorn: The Hermetic Organ Vol. 2. Tzadik (TZ 8312). Jan. 2014. This is the second volume dedicated to music played by Zorn on church organ; it was recorded in September 2013, at the occasion of his 60th birthday, in St. Paul's church, Columbia university.
John Zorn: Astronome. Tzadik TZ 7359. This 2CD is today a true gem. Zorn is the composer of this demential opera in 3 acts and 7 pictures. the session was recorded and mixed by Bill Laswell and the performers included the late singer Mike Patton, bassist Trevor Dunn and the almighty drummer Joey Baron.
John Zorn: Moonchild. Tzadik 7357. June 06. 11 new compositions with an uncommon hardcore sound and energy. Mike Patton sings, Joey Baron is on drums, Trevor Dunn on bass
John Zorn: Magick. Tzadik. Zorn returns here to the universes of alchemy, supernatural and cabalistic. Quatuor for string quartet (Crowley Quartet), duos for bass clarinet, etc?
John Zorn: Masada Anniversary Vol. 3 - The Unknown Masada (TZ 7181)
No less than 14 original unissued compositions taken from the imposing Masada songbook and played by such contributors as Erik Friedlander, Dave Douglas, Ruins, Koby Israelite, etc...
John Zorn: Filmworks XIV - Hiding And Seeking (TZ 7343)
This volume is arranged for classical guitar, vibes, brazilian percussion, bass and voice; it is interpreted by the all-star combo of the Electric Masada Ensemble.

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VICTO RECORDS .... VICTO RECORDS .... VICTO RECORDS .... VICTO

Bittová / Riley / Ziporyn: Eviyan Fire. Victo (VIC 126). Jan. 2014. Recorded on May 16th at Victoriaville's 29th international festival of Musique Actuelle in Canada. The trio allies clarinetist Evan Ziporyn, founder of the Bang On A Can All-Stars orchestra, to Czech violinist Iva Bittová (who previously also recorded with the orchestra) and guitarist Gyan Riley, the son of a certain ... Terry!
Braxton / Frith: Duo (victoriaville) 2005. Victo VIC 100. Frith paired to a blower musician is actually a rather rare event! Enjoy!
Anthony Braxton Sextet: (victoriaville) 2005. Victo VIC 98. Another performance (and one of the most intense) taken from the Canadian festival of musiques nouvelles!
Breschand / Pauvros: Sombre. VIC 95. July 2005. Duo of electro-acoustic harp and electric guitar, meeting between a musician coming from the classical world and another from the free improvised rock.
Peter Brötzmann: Solo / Trio Roma. Victo Records (VIC 122-123). July 2012. In 2011 at the Victoriaville festival (Québec), the saxophonist was celebrating his 70th birthday and gave two memorable prestations: solo (CD 1) and in trio with drummer Pål Nilssen-Love and on electric bass the Italian musician Massimo Pupillo
Cline / Parkins / Rainey: Downpour. Victo VIC 104. Recorded at the 23rd festival of Victoriaville, May 20, 2006. Andrea Parkins is featured on accordion and keyboards.
Erosonic: Mistery Theatre. A very special duo consisting of saxophone and a special built accordion. Mysterious and poetic music played with new expression means.
Satoko Fujii Min-Yoh Ensemble: Fujin Raijin. Victo (VIC 105). Another record to add to the prolific output of Japanese pianist Satoko Fujii. This time, the jazz reappropriation of her own culture is the thing to explore, together with her husband, trumpetist Natsuki Tamura, the always refreshing Andrea Parkins on accordion and trombonist Curtis Hasselbring. This is a studio recording from May 2006 in New York. And before I forget it, "Min-Yoh" means folk music in Japanese!
Peter Kowald & William Parker: The Victoriaville Tape. Peter Kowald died in september 2002 and this recording by two of the most creative bass players in free music has now become some kind of testament.
Now Orchestra & Marilyn Crispell: Pola (Victo VIC 097). This 14 piece Canadian ensemble, founded and directed by Coat Cooke was recorded in 2004 in Vancouver.
Evan Parker Trio & Peter Brötzman Trio: The Bishop's Move. Victo. Europe meets USA at the Victoriaville festival in May 2003
Quartet Noir: Lugano ( Victo VIC 096). 3 improvisations in company of Joëlle Léandre on bass, Marilyn Crispell on piano, Fritz Hauser on drums and Urs Leimgruber on saxophone. Recorded on October 29, 2004 in Lugano, Switzerland.
Rova: Resistance. This is the 25th anniversary of this quartet, still on the edge of innovative and challenging improvised music.
Sawai / Doneda / Ima / Lê Quann / Saitoh: Une Chance Pour L'ombre. Victo VIC94. Franco-Japanese quintet recorded live at the 20th festival of Victoriaville (Canada) in 2003.

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TO TOP

THE JAZZ STORY & HIS HISTORICAL MOMENTS

Albert Ayler: Holy Ghost. Now available as double gatefold clear vinyl 3LP on the label Revenant (REV6011LP). Features inside its deluxe double gatefold cover a gorgeous 24" x 24" poster, postcard, printed innersleeves and more.
The Dave Bailey Sextet: One Foot in the Gutter. Blue Moon (BMCD 1630). April 2011. Newly remastered. Better sound than ever before! This album, recorded in New York in 1960, featured a series of blowing sessions that put great emphasis on the soloists. Amomg them were Clark Terry (tp, flgh), Curtis Fuller (tb), Junior Cook (ts) and pianist Horace Parlan . Three bonus tracks are added from a later session the same year, with several players coming in, from saxophonist Charlie Rouse to the king of guitar comping Grant Green
Barrabas: Sus Primeras Grabaciones 1972-1975 (RO52882, Ramalama). A 32 tracks collection of the biggest funk rock name in Spain featuring their hit "Wild safari" of course!
Ben & The Platano: Paris Soul. Reissue CD or LP on the French label Dare-Dare. DD003. Jazz-funk with afro-Cuban flavors on some tracks, easy moods on others. 10 tracks, 10 bombs!
Art Blakey & The Messengers - The Birthday Concert. This is a 2CD recorded live in 1980 at "Bubba's Jazz Restaurant" in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and featuring Bobby Watson, Billy Pierce, James Williams, Charles Fambrough and future jazz star Wynton Marsalis on trumpet.
Blue Notes was one of the crucial bands of South-African jazz, led by pianist Chris McGregor and featuring in its ranks notabilities such as bassist Johnny Dyani, saxophonist Dudu Pukwana and drummer Louis Moholo. Ogun Records are busy preparing the next Ogun issue and are very pleased and excited to announce the awaited release of all the music recorded on Ogun by the legendary band. It will be an ambitious 5CDs boxset (OGCD 024 - 028) with "Blue Notes for Mongezi" (ex OG532), 2 full length CDs with extra material from the double LP previous release OG001/002 "Blue Notes in Concert" (OG220), all of which have never been on CD before, plus the re-issue of "Blue Notes Legacy", a live recording from South Africa in 1964, formerly released as CD (OGCD007) and out of print for over a year. A booklet with contributions from an international collection of writers and musicians with photos collected from various archives will complete the boxset, hopefully available by late March early April.
Brotherhood Of Breath: Bremen to Bridgewater. Cuneiform. A 2CD of previously unreleased live recordings made in Germany and England during two very different periods of the band's career. The German radio recordings were made on June 20th, 1971 at Lila Uele, a well known jazz club in Bremen. The English recordings were made at the Bridgewater Arts Center, during two tours that the band made with different lineups in February and November of 1975, and feature some of the very last recordings of trumpeter Mongezi Feza, who died in December of that year.
Ray Charles: Live At Newport '58. Doxy Dig-A-Log CD+LP (DOK228). Street date: 15/06/14. Live performance + 2 bonus tracks. On of his first performances in front of a jazz audience!
Teddy Charles: Vibe-Rant (BMCD 1626). Feat.: Teddy Charles (vb), Idrees Sulieman (tp), Mal Waldron (p), Addison Farmer (b), Jerry Segal (d). Recorded in 1957.
Cozy Cole: A Cozy Conception of Carmen. Blue Moon (BMCD1625). Feat.: Cozy Cole (d), Bernie Privin (flgh, tp), George Holt (tp), Bob Hammer (p, glockenspiel, organ), Al Klink (ts, bcl), John Hafer (ts), Jerome Richardson (bars, bcl, cl, piccolo), Milton Hinton Jack Lesberg (b), Phil Kraus, Douglas Allen (percussion). Recorded in 1961
John Coltrane: Blue World. Impulse (B0030157-02 US edition or 00602577626524 for the European version). Street date: 27-09-19. Recorded at New Jersey's Van Gelder Studios on June 24th, 1964, the 37-minute session was made at the request of Canadian filmmaker Gilles Groulx, who had asked Coltrane to soundtrack his film "Le Chat Dans Le Sac" (in the end, 10 minutes of the session appeared in the film.) The release was mastered from the original analog tape, according to a Universal press release. 2 takes of Naima, 3 of Village Blues, Blue World, Like Sonny and Traneing In fill the album, also released on vinyl! Blue World is the latest in a string of archival Coltrane releases, including last year's highly successful "Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album".
Coltrane, John: Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album. Impulse! Street date: 29-06-18. How could a studio recording from jazz hero number one remain hidden in a box over 40 years? The story goes that those tapes were given to Naima Coltrane, at a time when the label moved and didn't want to pay too many royalties on a new release, especially when many alternate takes were part of the package, some uncomplete, other with false starts, etc... Anyway, they are released now, both as a regular CD and a Deluxe 2CD version (including all the extra takes). The full set of material was recorded by the quartet on a single day in March 1963, then eventually stashed away and lost .... until June 29th, 2018!
The Olatunji Concert was the last live recording of John Coltrane. Available on Impulse!
The Eddie 'Lockjaw' Davis / Johnny Griffin Quintet: Tough Tenors Again 'n' Again. Promising Music (441182). 2012. Backed by the rhythm section of the Kenny Clarke-Francy Boland Big Band the two tenor masters reunite a decade after their Prestige recordings for a highly-spirited, tremendously swinging session, graced by some excursions into wonderful ballads. As usual with the label, the CD is formatted as a downsize replica of the original LP, incl. inner sleeve, the disc itself in black vinyl design with its own groove! And add a booklet with reprints of liner notes, all original informations and additional retrospective comments
Miles Davis: The Lost Quintet. Sleepy Night Records (SNRCD013). Street date: 26-07-19. The music presented on this new CD is one of only two existing recordings of the group, once nicknamed *lost* because they never succeeded being recorded in studio. In this version were Dave Holland on bass, Jack DeJohnette on drums, Chick Corea on Fender Rhodes, Wayne Shorter on tenor and soprano saxophone. In 1969, Miles was promoting his million selling album Bitches Brew and recorded 4 superbly remastered live tracks in a rare radio recording from Rotterdam (May 11, 1969). Here is the final second set and it has never been released before. Remastered to an amazing powerful sound, the album includes alternate versions of tracks found on Miles globally successful album Bitches Brew.
Miles Davis: Jazz Track. Doxy (DOK 224LP). LP+CD. Street date: 19/09/13. Originally released in 1958, Jazz Track is comprised of two distinct sessions. Side 1 features Miles' brilliantly improvised soundtrack to the Louis Malle noir classic Ascenseur pour l'échafaud while side 2 is a 1958 NYC session featuring that includes the unreal band of John Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, and Jimmy Cobb - the very first recordings from the band that would go on to make Kind Of Blue the following year. The bonus CD includes two bonus tracks taken from the same session as side 2 of the LP
Miles Davis: Complete 1951-1953 All Stars Studio Recordings (for Prestige & Blue Note). Definitive. 2CD

Miles Davis: The Early Years. The English label Jazzprint presents two volumes, each a double CD (JPVP135CD ). The recordings date from the time when Miles was a sideman with many different bands and musicians in the late forties and early fifties and as such contain some rare recordings that have been sourced from radio broadcasts with Benny Carter and live dates in addition to studio sessions with the likes of Tadd Dameron and Kai Winding. As an insight to the early years of this jazz icon, Early Miles will be an indispensable addition to any Miles Davis or jazz fans collection. The recordings contained on this album have been re mastered for release in order to give them the best quality possible.
Bill Evans Trio: The Hilversum Concert. Resonance (HCD-2031). A rare, never-before-issued recording of the legendary Bill Evans trio featuring Eddie Gomez on bass and Jack DeJohnette on drums captured live at the NRU (Netherlands Radio Union) Studios in Hilversum on June 22, 1968. This is only the third known recording in existence of this particular trio, who only performed together as a trio for a 6-month period in 1968, and was originally recorded and broadcast on the radio program Jazz in Actie by Dutch producer Joop de Roo. This is possibly the best sounding live recording of Bill Evans found to date, captured with the then state of the art equipment of the NRU, and kept in pristine condition over the years. Includes a 36-Page booklet!
Dizzy Gillespie: Portrait Of Jenny. Breathless 52008. Little known but beautifully played set by Gillespie and combo originally released on Perception in 1970, featuring pianists Mike Long and George Davis, bassist Andrew Gonzalez, conga players Jerry Gonzalez and Carlos Valdes and timbale player Nicholas Marrero.
Dexter Gordon: Have No Fear, Dex Is Here / Live at Guldhatten 1972. Mellotron (MELLO LP21). Street date: 23-11-18. The performance of this album was recorded in the 70's in a restaurant situated downtown Stockholm and turned out to be one of the most popular jazz clubs of the city. It was recorded on November 20th, 1972 and it shows a Dexter Gordon and his swedish trio fully inspired like never before. The LP includes 40 minutes and the CD 63 minutes of music. Both LP and CD include a detailed biography and inside info about the holy night, including a wild afterparty, plus plenty of photos that have never been published before.
Herbie Hancock: Hear O Israel. Trunk Records JBH025CD/LP. Street date: 06/06/08. This is NOT a session under Herbie's leadership as the title wrongly implies! In fact this is a reissue of an album originally privately pressed in 1968 in minute numbers and only for sale by mail order that year; the album was written by 17 year old Jonathon Klein (playing on it French Horn and baritone sax) and played by one of the greatest jazz line ups of all time: Herbie Hancock leading the way on piano, Jerome Richardson on flute, tenor and alto sax, Thad Jones on trumpet and flugelhorn, Ron Carter on bass and Grady Tate on drums. There are also vocalists present. Musically the album is quite superb and like no other, with its awesome and wholly unique mixture of spiritual New York jazz, Hebrew praises and modal phrases. Reissued on CD and LP!
Joe Harriott Quintet: Free Form. Doxy LP+CD (DOK230). The West Indian-born alto saxophonist Joe Harriott was one of the most convincing boppers outside of the USA at a time when the music was still fresh, though by the end of the 1950s he was exploring freer musical pastures, and the quintet with which he undertook the exploration was an outgrowth of the hard bop band with which he'd made a name on the British scene. As the 1960s progressed, Harriott also proved himself to be something of a pioneer in the fusion field, in the way he fused jazz and classical Indian music.
Johnny Hartman: 20 Bit remastered releases from the label Definitive Records + booklet with extensive notes.
- Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head. Complete Perception sessions. On these albums the warm ballad singer modernizes his sound and sings more recent straight-ahead pop material accompanied by George Coleman or Jimmy Heath on reeds, pianist Herman Foster, drummer Billy Higgins, Al Gafa on guitar and others.
- You came A Long Way From Saint Louis. Complete Savoy and Musicor sessions.

Earl Hines: Plays Duke Ellington. this is a 3CD boxset reissue of recordings previously available separately on the New World label.

Billie Holiday 9CD Boxset!: Good Morning Blues: The Complete Columbia Recordings 1933 - 1950 (UV100/9)/ Universe.
This definitive nine CD box set, celebrating one of the most important voices in the history of jazz, contains everything Billie Holiday ever recorded for Columbia, from 1933 to 1950! Accompanied by the musicians who helped her make jazz history (Benny Carter, Duke Ellington, Count Basie and Eddie Heywood, etc) and their orchestras (featuring Lester Young, Buck Clayton, Kenny Clarke, Ben Webster and Art Tatum, to name a few). 230 tracks in all - over eleven hours of non stop Lady Day! Also includes booklet with extensive liner notes and photos.
Mailbag Blues: Ronnie Biggs' Story. Whatmusic (WMCD-0065). the 1974 original instrumental jazz-rock soundtrack to the life of Ronnie Biggs. This is Ronnie's story expressed by some of the great musicians of the day in Brazil, led by his friend and fellow music lover, the American Bass player Bruce Henry. Recorded in Rio de Janeiro 30 years ago, this is the first time this album has ever been released!
Henry Mancini And His Orchestra: Breakfast At Tiffany's. Blue Moon BMCD830. 26/12/11. This is a newly remastered 50th Anniversary collector's edition of the original soundtrack, recorded at RCA Victor's Music, Hollywood, California, in 1961. digipack 24-bit resolution.
Henry Mancini: The Mancini Touch. Blue Moon (BMCD1628). April 10. Recorded at RCA Victor's Music Center of the World, Hollywood, California, on August 10, 11 and 14, 1959. The Mancini Touch, like swing, is something hard to define but easy to recognize. Put the two together and you get a swinging touch like nothing you've ever heard.You can hear it and it's worth listening to. You can feel it and it's worth dancing to. It's the Mancini Touch!
Chris Mcgregor Group: Very Urgent (FLD3059). This is the first record of the pre-Brotherhood of Breath, released in 1968. Now available as CD!
Chris Mcgregor's Brotherhood Of Breath: Brotherhood (FLD3063). Reissue of the second album by the band (1972), still in its initial incarnation and with this brilliant cast of British musicians (Gary Windo, Nick Evans, Harry Beckett, Mark Charig, Alan Skidmore, Harry Miller ...) surrounding the South-African nucleus of Louis Moholo, Dudu Pukwana, Mongezi Feza
Fans of Chris McGregor's Brotherhood Of Breath (BOB), rejoice! Nothing less than 3 releases are right now available on CD. BOB's "Country Cooking" on the label Great Winds (Musea distribution), "Travelling Somewhere" on Cuneiform Records (an unreleased radio concert from Radio Bremen 2) and finally the eponymous title "Chris McGregor's Brotherhood Of Breath" on Akarma; this mini LP reproduction with the original gatefold cover presents Chris's second formation around 1970. Enjoy!

Memphis Horns: s/t. DB Works DBK516. Arguably the greatest soul horn section ever, the Memphis Horns were a critical part of the Stax/Atlantic Records formula during the '60s and '70s. Featuring the duo of trumpetist Wayne Jackson and tenor saxophonist Andrew Love, they also backed King Curtis and Aretha Franklin in the '70s. But they are best known for appearances on songs by virtually every Stax artist. Their self-titled debut album for Atlantic Records was originally released in 1970 and features hot instrumental grooves on songs they originally recorded as well as some cooking original southern soul of their own. First time on CD!
Charles Mingus: Stuttgart Meditations. Coming from the Italian label Get Back, delayed and now planned for release in September 2007, offered both as a 2CD or a 3LP, here's a concert from April 28th, 1964 in Stuttgart, Germany (and NOT 18th as given by the label). At this time, Mingus was at his most creative and prolific - he would release more than 30 albums over the course of the decade. His touring combo featured trumpetist Johnny Coles, the great Eric Dolphy (who would die in Berlin just two monthes later), saxophonist Clifford Jordan, pianist Jaki Byard and his long time complice, drummer Dannie Richmond.
Charles Mingus: Cornell 1964. True Blue Music. 2CD. An amazing new discovery! The extraordinary group of Charles Mingus, Eric Dolphy, Clifford Jordan, Johnny Coles, Jaki Byard and Dannie Richmond in one of its first public appearances at Cornell University in upstate New York on March 18, 1964. The band went on to record at Town Hall and during its European tour, but nothing matches the buoyant joy that pervades every track here, especially a rousing, wild "Take The A Train." In addition to many well-known Mingus compositions, the band performs Dolphy's arrangement of "Jitterbug Waltz." Truly great music!
The spanish label Jazz Factory has released Charles Mingus complete 1945-1949 West Coast Recordings. This gathers recordings by Baron Mingus and His Octet or His Rhythm or His Symphonic Airs, Charles Mingus Sextet and an early attempt at big band music with His 22 Piece Bebop Band (Stan Kenton's sidemen). 24 bit edition.
Thelonious Monk: Live At Rotterdam 1967. Fondamenta (FON-1704029). 2CD. Nov. 2017. This 2-CD deluxe digipack edition includes a 24-page booklet. It documents the gig recorded on Oct. 28, 1967 at the De Doelen concert palace in Rotterdam and stands out in so far as it breaks away from Monks usual setup: his quartet performance (with bassist Larry Gales and drummer Ben Riley) is peppered with prestigious guest appearances and all the musicians were already familiar with the pianist's universe: trumpet players Ray Copeland and Clark Terry, saxophone players Johnny Griffin and Phil Woods, and trombonist Jimmy Cleveland... The scenario they came up with on this tour was original to say the least: the quartet, after performing two numbers (Ruby My Dear and Hackensack), gradually added on performers, first becoming a quintet (with a solo by Ray Copeland) then an octet until Blue Monk, which was performed by a mini big band of nine musicians, starring the virtuoso bugle of inspired genius Clark Terry.
Wes Montgomery: In Paris: The Definitive ORTF Recording. Resonance Records (HCD-2032). Nov. 2017. This New Deluxe 2 CD Pack Edition is the second Resonance release in partnership with France´s National Audio-Visual Institute (INA) with remastered high-resolution audio transferred directly from the original tapes. It also includes a 32-Page book of rare photos by Jean-Pierre Leloir. Montgomery was captured in concert during his only tour of Europe on the night of March 27, 1965 at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. Johnny Griffin was appearing as special guest.
Perception "Perception". Ever heard of it? This is the reissue on Mellow Records of a 1971 record featuring Yosh'ko Seffert, Didier Levallet and Siegfried Kessler. A good idea to dust it off!
Bud Powell: Live At The Blue Note Café (Paris 1961). Originally released as trio with bassist Pierre Michelot and drummer Kenny Clarke, this album is now presented with a new look (new cover and liner notes), remastered and completed with unreleased tracks featuring saxophonist Zoot Sims
A new release on Dawn Records! Jimmy Raney: Visits Paris. DR115. August 2006. These Paris recordings from February 10, 1954 gave the American audiences an opportunity to hear not only more of Raney's fine style and sound, articulated as always with brilliance and taste, but also something of what was going on in jazz across the ocean. Except Bobby Jaspar
Django Reinhardt: Sultan of Swing - The Complete Gramophone, HMV, Swing Recordings, 1936-53. This luxury packaged 6CD box set is the definitive collection of the most inspired years of this virtuoso artist. Includes a very interesting photo booklet with extensive historical liner notes.
Sonny Rollins: Soneymoon (Get Back GET 2035). Offered either as CD or 2LP, recorded between 1963 and 1966, these live gigs performed by the Sonny Rollins/Don Cherry Quartet (Paris, January, 1963), the Sonny Rollins Quintet with members of the Modern Jazz Quartet (Berlin, Oct. 30, 1965) and the Sonny Rollins Trio (Graz, Austria, Nov. 12, 1966) showcase the magnificent sounds that made Rollins one of the top horn players of his day and one of the most interesting, prolific, and long-lasting jazz icons of all time. Street date around mid september 2007
Sonny Rollins with Heikki Sarmanto Trio: Live at Finlandia Hall, Helsinki 1972. Svart Records. Planned for release on June 2nd, 2023, here is a limited edition of 1000 copies on either CD or 2LP (black vinyl). The "Saxophone Colossus" hand-picked Heikki Sarmanto (featured on Fender Rhodes electric piano) and his Finnish trio for this night of improvisation and mutual respect that culminated in years of collaboration after. Available for the first time, fifty years after it was initially recorded!
Archie Shepp & The Full Moon Ensemble: Live In Antibes vol. 2. CD. Amazing live recordings (dated July 18 and 20, 1970) captured in France at the Antibes-Juan Les Pins Jazz Festival. Archie Shepp & The Full Moon Ensemble (including Alan Shorter, Clifford Thornton, Joseph DeJean, Beb Guerin and Claude Delcloo) play four long and intense tracks.
Horace Silver Quintet: June 1977 "livelove series vol.2". Promising Music (441212). 02/12/14. Being on the road in Europe in the year 1977, the Horace Silver Quintet played a wonderful open air show that was recorded by German state owned station Radio Bremen, and is now available for the first time in full length. The quintet included Tom Harrell (trumpet, flugelhorn), Larry Schneider (tenor sax), Chip Jackson (acoustic and electric bass guitar), Eddie Gladden (drums). Recorded live in open air on June 28, 1977 at the Market Place, Bremen, Germany.
Sonny Stitt: Just Friends (Live At Bubba's Jazz Restaurant). Universe. Three legends of swing of the calibre of Sonny Stitt, Harry "Sweets" Edison and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, are featured here for the first time ever, accompanied by a perfect rhythm section. This 1981 live at Ft. Lauderdale's Bubba's Jazz Restaurant records an exceptional night when the art of improvising became a supreme form of entertainment.
Sun Ra & His Solar Arkestra: Wake Up Angels. Recommended Records (RER 0304). Jan. 2012. Titled with the name of an unreleased track, this recording gathers on two CDs all the performances of the Arkestra at the Blues And Jazz Festival of Ann Arbor in 72,73 & 74.
Sun Ra: Beyond the Purple Star Zone / Oblique Parallax. Recommended Records (RER0283). Oct. 2010. This reissue couples two LPs made on the Saturn label, bringing extracts of two concerts by the Arkestra in Detroit in 1980-81. Excellent sound!
Sun Ra: Space Is The Place. Harte Recordings (HTE110). April 2015. Limited edition 125 page book + DVD + CD. This limited edition release will include a hardcover book, a DVD of the film with new producer commentary, and a CD of the soundtrack. It was forty years ago when Sun Ra's galactic-sploitation epic Space Is The Place was released to theaters around the USA. For the first time, Earthlings were able to look into the reality of Sun Ra; jazzman, alien, legend spaceman. Space Is The Place is a movie beyond explanation, and yet it still remains one of the craziest, psychedelic, music-powered head-twisting fest ever to hit the theaters. NTSC all region, 153 minutes. The details:

DVD:
+ Restored versions of both the original cut of Space Is The Place and the uncut version (both with remixed sound by Gary Hobish)
+ New DVD commentary from producer Jim Newman
+ Sun Ra & Arkestra home movies

BOOK:
+ Essays from screenplay writer Seth Hill and director John Coney
+Forward by Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips
+ Interview with Ray Johnson (who played the Overseer in the film)
+ Comments about the film from Arkestra members Marshall Allen and Danny Thompson
+ Dozens of never-seen-before photos, taken on and off set during the filming of the movie
+ Over 40 pages of commentary

CD: Soundtrack with two additional tracks added that were never present on the soundtrack release, but are in the film

V/A: 100 Years Of Jazz - A Celebration Through Ten Masterpieces. Doxy (OXY-21-30). Street date: 09-11-17. 2017 marks one of the greatest anniversaries in the history of music. 100 years from the first commercial Jazz recording. Jazz as a great metaphor for American Culture in the 20th Century! Jazz as one of the most influential art forms of today! This 10CD boxset presents ten milestones in the history of Western Music, created and produced by some of the greatest American composers and performers of all times. From the highly sophisticated music of Bill Evans, Chet Baker, and Dave Brubeck, through the great voices and personalities of Billie Holiday, Nina Simone and some heavyweights such as Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy and Charles Mingus. Each CD includes a beautiful reproduction of the original and iconic album covers.
Sun Ra: The Antique Blacks. Recommended (RER 0278). May 2010. Reissue of an album from 1974, originally released on the Saturn label. It contains a repertory not be found anywhere else, a musical, political and theatrical elegy containing spoken word; Sun Ra is heard on the mystical instrument called Rocksichord but he also delivers great Moog playing
Sun Ra & His Intergalactic Research Arkhestra: Helsinki, 1971. 2CD + DVD. Recommended (RER 0314). May 2010. This concert of two and a half hours has such a beautiful quality that one could easily take it for a studio session. It especially sets in relief the evil soli of the master on sunths and the singing of June Tyson. The DVD includes an interview of Sun Ra, made that day for the Finnish TV.
Sun Ra: Space Probe. Recommended Records (RER 0289). April 2011. A very disparate album made of outtakes from "The Secrets Of The Sun" and "When Sun Comes Out", a Mini-Moog solo performed in 1969 on one of the first prototypes received by the company of Bob Moog, a long piece for piano and percussion, etc...
Sun Ra: Live in London 1970. Recommended Records (RER 0317). April 2011. Here's the entire concert given at London's Queen Elisabeth Hall on November 10th. This was the first appearance of the Arkestra in the UK.
Sun Ra: Horizon. Recommended Records (RER 0250). April 09. After touring Denmark in 1971, Sun Ra decided to bring his Arkestra to Egypt, travelling there with no planned gigs! Fortunately, everything fell to place very quickly and the present album, known previously as Sun Ra in Egypt Vol.2, gives us chosen extracts of the concerts at Cairo's Balloon Theatre or the Heliopolis. Many bonus have also been added.
Sun Ra: Live in Cleveland 1975. Golden Years GY29. March 09. Another unreleased concert, featuring among other a delirious synth solo lasting over 8 minutes! With John Gilmore, Marshall Allen and more ...
Sun Ra: Media Dreams. Recommended RER0242. This 2CD presents the 2nd part of the concert given in 1978 at the Teatro Cilak in Milano. Sun Ra is heavily represented on keyboards (including the mysterious Crumar Mainman, not even known by the manufacturer!!). John Gilmore is on tenor, besides a trumpetist and a drummer. This record is the little brother of "Disco 3000", released earlier in 2007 on an Italian label
Sun Ra & His Space Arkhestra: What Planet Is This ? (GY 24-25). Double CD carefully remastered of a concert given in New York on July 6, 1973. This was an immensely creative period for the group so please enjoy those two hours of sheer ecstasy!
Gabor Szabo: 1969. Skye Records SK 1005. May 08. With this album, Szabo deserves credit for bringing a jazz perspective to songs that so many other improvisers were ignoring. "Walk Away Renee" (a major hit for The Four Tops), the Beatles' "In My Life," and Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now". Produced by Gary McFarland, this 1969 date originally came out on vinyl and it's finally reissued on CD in its entirety.
Cecil Taylor: Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly! Fly! MPS 441172 CD. May 2012. CD reissue of a piano solo album, originally released in 1981. At this point of his long career Cecil Taylor had reached a level of expression which couldn't be measured by any comparison - since on the one hand the man had developed a completely unique style of playing and on the other embedded his art into a philosophy which was strongly nurtured on the history of such exotic cultures as Ethiopia, Mesopotamia and Tibet. These recordings are a splendid showcase of his incomparable artistry; more than an album, it is a complex interplay between freedom, form and content.
Ben Webster: Complete 1953 Leader Studio Sessions (for Verve and Mercury).
Finally released! The meeting between the two pianists Joe Zawinul and Friedrich Gulda is now available with the title: Music For Two Pianos.

BLUE NOTE ... BLUE NOTE ... BLUE NOTE ... BLUE NOTE ... BLUE NO...

New Blue Note "Rudy Van Gelder (RGV) releases!

+ Paul Chambers: Bass On Top. Quartet with Kenny Burrell, Hank Jones, and Art Taylor, with built arrangements which feature his instrument prominently on melodies and solos. His bowed work is a thing of beauty. this Rudy Van Gelder remaster includes a seventh track from the session that was not on the original album.
+ Walter Davis Jr.: Davis Cup. Debut as a leader and, given the quality and variety of the writing and playing on this 1959 date, it's a shame that he remained so under recorded throughout his life. This is the pure Blue Note sound with Donald Byrd and Jackie McLean in peak form.
+ Lou Donaldson: Gravy Train. This 1961 album features the signature sound that Lou Donaldson established in 1957 and hit pay dirt with a year later on Blues Walk.
+ Kenny Dorham: Afro-Cuban. This album is the first flowering of Kenny Dorham as a significant trumpet stylist and composer. Using the newly formed Jazz Messengers as the core of these ensembles, Dorham crafted Latin pieces which would quickly become jazz standards. The large ensemble tracks with J.J. Johnson and driven by Patato Valdes's congas are especially effective. An additional tune and an alternate take from the sessions are included.
+ Art Farmer: Brass Shout / Aztec Suite. This 67-minute CD reissues for the first time two undeservedly overlooked 1959 United Artists LP by Art Farmer. Brass Shout, the first seven tracks, features a tentet with eight all-star brass players including Lee Morgan fueled by vivid Benny Golson arrangements, Percy Heath's bass and the drums of Philly Joe Jones or Elvin Jones . The Aztec Suite is a tour de force by the great Afro-Cuban arranger Chico O'Farrill which puts Farmer in front of a full big band with three Latin percussionist.
+ Dizzie Gillespie: Gillespie/Moody/Fuller & Monterey Jazz Festival Orchestra. In 1965, arranger Gil Fuller pulled together the cream of L.A.'s jazz and studio scenes to form the Monterey Jazz Orchestra which performed at that year's festival and recorded two Pacific Jazz albums, one spotlighting Gillespie and the other Moody. Fuller pulls choice tunes from be-bop, tin pan alley and contemporary originals to create beautiful canvases for his old friends. The result is some exceptional playing from Gillespie and Moody. Both albums, newly remixed from the original three and four-track master tapes, are complete on this 75-minute CD.
+ Grant Green: The Latin Bit. This album is a delightful foray into a variety of Latin styles from South American standards to New York Latino hits to jazz tunes with an Afro-Cuban tinge. Wille Bobo and Patato Valdes drive the proceedings beautifully, and Green is cooking throughout. Three bonus tracks, two from a later session with Ike Quebec, have been added to the original album.
+ Herbie Hancock: Takin' Off. Pianist/composer Herbie Hancock was a year away from joining Miles Davis when he made his debut album on Blue Note, with an exceptional line-up that feature Freddie Hubbard and Dexter Gordon
+ Bobby Hutcherson: Head On. This is the first appearance on CD of this fascinating 1971 album that mixes grooves with artful orchestration. Most of the material is written and arranged by pianist Todd Cochran. Besides his keyboard and Hutcherson's vibes, tenor saxophonist Harold Land and trumpeter Oscar Brashear are the featured soloists. Three previously unissued bonus tracks bring the CD to 78:30.
+ Thad Jones: The Magnificent Thad Jones. Debut album from 1956 with fellow Detroiters Billy Mitchell and Barry Harris, and ringers Percy Heath and Max Roach
+ Duke Jordan: Flight To Jordan. Album from 1960 which was his first full album as a leader and features the distinctive front line of Stanley Turrentine and Dizzy Reece. Added to the album's six great Jordan compositions are another original and a trio version of "I Should Care."
+ Nigel Kennedy: Blue Note Sessions. After decades of dazzling the world with record-breaking classical performances, the English violin virtuoso Nigel Kennedy has begun charting a new artistic course with Blue Note Sessions, a breathtaking jazz recording. Although a radical departure from his lifelong study of the classics, there are still hallmark signatures of this uniquely gifted musician who has so changed the face of classical music. Features a host of well-established names like Joe Lovano, Kenny Werner, Ron Carter & Jack DeJohnette among others.
+ Lee Morgan: Indeed. Debut album for Blue note. also released are "Candy", his only quartet date, "Volume 2" (dedicated to the compositions and arrangements of Benny Golson and Owen Marshall), "Volume 3" (sextet recorded on March 24, 1957 and exclusively focusing on Benny Golson compositions, "Delightfulee", started as a project for an 11-piece band arranged by Oliver Nelson, not included on the original album, and featuring Wayne Shorter, completed by four tunes which were put on the shelf and forced Morgan to cut four sides six weeks later with a quintet that included Joe Henderson and McCoy Tyner.
+ Ike Quebec: Soul Samba. Quebec's take on the bossa nova craze that exploded that year (1962) is more muscular than Stan Getz's and doesn't rely on the familiar Jobim and Gilberto songs of the day. Three alternate takes have been added to the original album.
+ Jimmy Smith: Back at the Chicken Shack. CAP93777. Back at the Chicken Shack is one of organist Jimmy Smith's classic Blue Note sessions, and the first to draw attention to tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine. Recorded in 1960, the group reaches the peak of funky soul-jazz that all other challengers of the genre would have to live up to. Also released is "Midnight Special", Jimmy Smith's April 25, 1950 session, with the perfect cast of Stanley Turrentine, Kenny Burrell, and Donald Bailey
+ Louis Smith: Smithville. This second album has never been issued on CD until now and never issued in stereo in any format. Leading an exceptional quintet with Charlie Rouse, Sonny Clark, Paul Chambers and Art Taylor, Smith blazes his way through eight excellent performances, including two bonus tracks from the session, which were never issued in the US.
+ Jacky Terrasson: Mirror. For his first album since 2003's Smile, pianist Jacky Terrasson returns with heightened vitality on a superb solo outing, Mirror. The CD is a wide-ranging collection of re-envisioned standards, a jewel of a new standard, and six song-like originals, all delivered with a spontaneous joie de vivre.
+ Stanley Turrentine: Return Of The Prodigal Son. On CD for the first time are two 1967 tentet sessions by Stanley Turrentine, soulfully arranged by Duke Pearson with the locked-in rhythm section of McCoy Tyner, Bob Cranshaw & Ray Lucas. Seven of the ten selections have been previously issued in the LPs but they are now brought together in complete form here, totaling 59 minutes. Turrentine's soulful tenor sax is the prime voice throughout this program of hip bossa novas, blues, standards and pop tunes. His reading of Aretha Franklin's "Dr. Feelgood" (heard here in two takes) is an absolute killer.

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Blue Note releases (RVG Edition) announced on March 7, 2007:
+ Donald Byrd: The Cat Walk. The Donald Byrd-Pepper Adams Quintet made a lot of recordings between 1958 and 1961, but The Cat Walk is, by far, their best and most inspired album, due in large part to the originals by Byrd and Duke Pearson and the amazing, catalytic drumming of Philly Joe Jones.
+ Dexter Gordon: Clubhouse. Recorded in 1965 with Freddie Hubbard, Barry Harris, Bob Cranshaw (replaced by Ben Tucker on track 3), and Billy Higgins
+ Andrew Hill: Compulsion!!!!! With this album, the pianist/composer moved his music into denser, freer territory adding two percussionists to the quintet with great results. These extended performances driven by Joe ChambersFreddie Hubbard & John Gilmore.
+ Thad Jones: Detroit - New York Junction. For his second Blue Note album, recorded in March 1956, Thad Jones recruited some old Detroit friends who were recent arrivals in New York: Billy Mitchell, Kenny Burrell, and Tommy Flanagan. For bass and drums, he chose the venerated New York greats Oscard Pettiford and Shadow Wilson
+ Jackie McLean: New And Old Gospel. This unusual March 24, 1967 session added guest artist Ornette Coleman (playing only trumpet!) to McLean's regular quartet.
+ Art Taylor: A.T.'s Delight. For his only album made under his own name for the label, Taylor assembled a great quintet fronted by Dave Burns and Stanley Turrentine, often adding Patato's congas to the proceedings.
A rich program of RVG (Rudy Van Gelder) reissues for August and September on the label Blue Note. See here:

+ Lee Morgan: The Cooker. 5th album by the trumpetist for the label. With Pepper Adams: baritone sax, Bobby Timmons: piano, Paul Chambers: bass, Philly Joe Jones: drums
+ Hank Mobley: Another Workout. During 1960 and 1961, Hank Mobley made four albums with fellow Miles Davis bandmates Wynton Kelly and Paul Chambers. Soul Station, Roll Call, and Workout had become hailed as the high points of his career (and they remain so). Mysteriously, the fourth session sat forgotten in the tape vaults until it was issued in 1986 as Another Workout. The Quartet is completed by the amazing Philly Joe Jones.
+ Johnny Griffin: The Congregation. With Johnny Griffin: tenor sax, Sonny Clark: piano, Paul Chambers: bass, Kenny Dennis: drums
+ Kenny Dorham: Trompeta Toccata. With Kenny Dorham: trumpet, Joe Henderson: tenor sax, Tommy Flanagan: piano, Richard Davis: bass, Albert Heath: drums
+ Donald Byrd: Royal Flush. This album, recorded in September 1961, was the swan song for the wonderful team of Donald Byrd and Pepper Adams, but it was also the introduction to the jazz world of a remarkable pianist/composer who has dominated the music scene ever since, Herbie Hancock.Ike Quebec: It Might As Well Be Spring. 2nd album with the line-up of Freddie Roach: organ, Milt Hinton: bass and Al Harewood: drums
+ Horace Silver: Doin'the Thing At the Village Gate. This live date (Silver's only official live album) was recorded at the Village Gate in New York City in May 1961, and finds the group in peak form, tearing through one great Silver original after another. With Blue Mitchell: trumpet, Junior Cook: tenor sax, Gene Taylor: bass and Roy Brooks: drums
+ Freddie Hubbard: Here To Stay. This album was recorded in December 1962, mastered, given a catalog number and a cover that even appeared on inner sleeves of other Blue Note albums. But for reasons unknown, this recording, which Hubbard later proclaimed one of his favorites, sat in the can for another 13 years! With the exception of Philly Joe Jones, all of the musicians were members of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers at the time.
+ Donald Byrd: Off to the Races. His first session for the label as a leader. With Jackie McLean: alto sax, Pepper Adams: baritone sax, Wynton Kelly: piano, Sam Jones: bass and Art Taylor: drums
+ Lee Morgan: City Lights. The fourth Blue Note album by 19-year-old trumpet phenomenon Lee Morgan in August 1957. With Curtis Fuller: trombone, George Coleman: alto & tenor sax, Ray Byrant: piano, Paul Chambers: bass and Art Taylor: drums
+ Jackie McLean: Demon's Dance. Recorded in December 1967, it was McLean's last Blue Note album, featuring a young drummer and raising star in the person of Jack DeJohnette. Also noteworthy is the presence of trumpetist Woody Shaw
+ Bobby Hutcherson: Happenings. With the exception of Hancock's "Maiden Voyage," the material is originals by the vibist, and the range and harmonic depth of his compositions is as impressive as his playing. A unique and rewarding album in the long career of this exceptional musician. The rhythm section is composed of bassist Bob Cranshaw and Joe Chambers on drums and marimba.
Re-issue due to May 16, 2006 on Blue Note!
Cannonball Adderley featuring Joe Zawinul: Why Am I Treated So Bad? This record was the follow up of "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy".

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ESP REISSUES ... ESP REISSUES ... ESP REISSUES ... ESP REISSUES ...

Albert Ayler: The Hilversum Session. ESP 4035. Sept. 07. This covers the integrality of the historical session recorded by the Swedis Radio on November 9, 1964. Same principle for this recording: remastered, with new cover and liner notes. As a present, a fold-out poster!
Albert Ayler: Slugs' Saloon. Dec. 2005 ESP 4025. This double CD presents officially for the first time the complete concert of May 1, 1966. There have been previously uncomplete releases on various labels (Fruit Tree from Italy and Lone Hill in Spain).
Albert Ayler: Spiritual Unity. Sept. 2005. ESP 1002. Recorded on July 10th, 1964 with Sunny Murray on drums and bassist Gary Peacock. This is THE record of Albert Ayler, the record of the shout and ecstasy by which everything starts and ends!
Albert Ayler: Live On The Riviera. ESP 4001. For the first time officially, here is the first evening concert from July 25, 1970 at the Maeght Foundation. It presents the quartet without pianist Cal Cobbs.
Albert Ayler: Bells / Prophecy. ESP 4006. Reissue of the two live albums on ESP.
Gato Barbieri: In Search Of The Mystery. ESP 1049. June 09. Reissue of the first album as leader by the Argentinean saxophonist; it was in 1967!
Paul Bley Trio: Closer. ESP 1021. Reissue of Bley's 2nd album for ESP in 1965 with Steve Swallow on acoustic bass (his early period!) and Barry Altschul on drums. This album could also be seen as an homage to Bley's wives, since it presents 7 compositions by Carla and one by Annette! Bley comes with one tune and there is a last piece by Ornette Coleman. Remastered from the original masters.
Marion Brown: Why Not? ESP 1040. Jan. 10. Reissue of the 2nd session made by Brown for the label, with the today defunkt rhythm section of Sirone & Rashied li
Marion Brown: Capricorn Moon. Reissue ESP 4011. ESP had through time released 2 versions of this album, one with the tune "Exhibition", the other with "Mephistopheles", wrongly credited to Wayne Shorter. In fact both tunes are from the pen of his brother Alan and this reissue finally presents the integral version of an album recorded just a few monthes after the seminal "Ascension" by John Coltrane. A rare occasion to rediscover the playing of Alan Shorter, here with so many great names such as Bennie Maupin, Rashied Ali, Reggie Johnson ....
Don Cherry Quintet: Live at Café Montmartre 1966 / Vol 3. ESP 4051. March 09. Last part of the recordings from 1966 at the Danish club Montmartre with Gato Barbieri, vibraphonist Karl Berger, the Italo-French drummer Aldo Romano and the local Danish bass player Bo Stief
Don Cherry Quintet: Live At Café Montmartre. ESP 4032. Sept. 07. This concert given in 1966 at the reknown Danish club was taking place between two major albums recorde by the trumpetist for Blue Note: "The Complete Communion" and "Symphony for Improvisers". Cherry had gathered a spectacular international line-up, including the Argentinean saxophonist Gato Barbieri, the German vibraphonist Karl Berger, the Italian born drummer Aldo Romano and the Danish bass player Bo Stief, replacing here on this recording the French Jean-François Jenny-Clark. This CD is also coming along with a bonus DVD called "Smorgasboard", filled with 1,43GB (12 hours of listening!!!) of data, offering extracts of nearly all ESP albums! There is a menu system where you select the artist or the tune you want and while you're listening, you can also read on your screen historical infos about the band or the record, see the cover of the album, etc... so what do you say? Is this the Cherry on the cake? ;-)
Lowell Davidson: Trio. ESP 1012. This only session recorded in 1965 by the pianist with Gary Peacock on bass and Milford Graves on drums is in the lineage of the trios put up by Cecil Taylor or Herbie Nichols
Milford Graves: Percussion Ensemble. ESP 1015. This is a reissue of stuff recorded on August 6, 1966 for ESP. Together with percussionist Sonny Morgan, Graves invites us here to a musical and much rhythmycal fest inspired by traditional African or Asian musics and performed on a plethora of drums, clocks, gongs, maracas and other percussions.
Burton Greene: Bloom in Commune. ESP 4038. Dec. 07. the pianist Burton Greene was with Alan Silva the illustrious co-founder of the Free Form Improvisation Ensemble. This is the remastered edition of his 2nd album for ESP in 1965, completed with interviews about the recording session, the state of mind of free musicians in the 60's, etc...
Gunter Hampel Group: Music from Europe. ESP 1042. Sept. 08. A forgotten page in the history of European free music! The 3 suites (Assemblage, Heroicredolphysiognomystery, Make Love Not War To Everybody) were recorded on December 21, 1966 and composed by multi instrumentist Hampel (vibraphone, bass clarinet, flute). Saxophonist Willem Breuker, the Dutch drummer Pierre Courbois and bass player Piet Veening complete the line-up
Billie Holiday: Live Broadcasts. ESP 4039. Dec. 07. This is a boxset of 5 CDs. the first CD presenting us a young lady aged 20, just arrived from her native Baltimore and thrown in those huge swing machines which were the big bands of Duke Ellington (1935) and Count Basie (1937). The 4 other CDs cover the period from 1949 to 1959. The two booklets abound in moving photos, comments on the historical context of the USA at that time, explanations of the lyics, a chronological survey of Billie's concerts and radio shows, in short: a major anthology!
Norman Howard / Joe Phillips: Burn Baby Burn. ESP 4033. Sept. 07. Recorded in 1968, those sessions happened at a time of big financial problems for the label, which wasn't able to release them. The master tapes just have been miraculously rediscovered and this is only justice than to finally hear this capital recording of free jazz by a musician (trumpetist Howard) who not only was originating from Cleveland like Albert Ayler, but also was his partner on the albums "Spirits" and "Witches & Devils".
Bob James Trio: Explosions. ESP 1009. This reissue will bring back to our mind another Bob James as the sweet muzak pop guy! In 1965, backed by Barre Philips and percussionist Robert Pozar, Bob was haunted by more experimental spirits and ESP was just started!
Frank Lowe: The Loweski. ESP 4066. April 2012. This reissue of a quintet recording from 1973 presents a long suite divided into 5 parts; in the quintet are AEC member and saxophonist Joseph Jarman, the always busy bass player William Parker and a much lesser known player on violin: Raymond Lee Cheng nicknamed "The Wizzard". The group is completed by another relatively unknown name, drummer Rashid Sinan
Ellis Marsalis: Ruminations In New York. ESP 4000. Recorded in 2003.
the self-titled album Sunny Murray is today reissued by ESP (ESP4037), remastered, with new cover and liner notes, interviews of Murray and the ESP owner as bonus tracks
Pharoah Sanders: Pharoah's First. ESP 4008. Reissue of the album from 64
Revolutionary Ensemble: Vietnam. ESP 3007. Oct. 09. This is the reissue of the debut album (1972) by one of the classic avant-garde groups of the 70's. Featuring violinist Leroy Jenkins (formerly a member of the AACM), bassist Sirone (also playing cello) and percussionist Jerome Cooper, the group was an early example of chamber music within the avant-garde format, one that emphasized subtlety within its instrumentation (string instruments instead of saxophones) and compositions. The band existed primarily from 1971 to 1977.
Sonny Simmons: The Complete Esp Disk Recordings. ESP 4012. After having met Eric Dolphy, Charles Mingus and Elvin Jones in New York during the early 60's, the alt saxophonist Sonny Simmons recorded his two first records - "Staying on the Watch" and "Music Of The Spheres" - with trumpetist Barbara Donald and pianist John Hicks. Those are noe reissued by ESP.
Sun Ra: The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra. ESP 4062. After various and numerous separate or half gathered releases, this boxset finally presents the 3 volumes in one package! Add to this new archive photos, unpublished comments and historical videos and you get the perfect, definitive hielocentric gift!
Sun Ra: College Tour Volume One : The Complete Nothing Is... ESP 4060. 2CD. July 10. This new edition provides the integrality of the first set of the first concert from the '66 tour, enlarging the known material from 39 to 71 minutes. Add a newly discovered second set and you're up to nearly 90 minutes of remastered and cleaned space music!
Sun Ra: Featuring Pharoah Sanders & Black Harold. ESP 4054. With more than 45 minutes unreleased material, this recording from 1964 will give us the possibility to hear Pharoah Sanders before his move to rejoin Coltrane's band, here replacing the Arkestra's milestone John Gilmore. But the presence of the too less known flutist Harold Murray and the astounding bass work of Alan Silva are also small jewels to be discovered
Sun Ra: Heliocentric Worlds Vol 3. ESP 4002. The remaining and until now unreleased tapes of the session from November 16, 1965 have been newly found and remastered. They include pieces like Intercosmosis Mythology, Metamorphosis, World Worlds, Interplanetary Travelers.
Sun Ra: Concert For The Comet Kohoutek (3033). Fabulous concert from December 22, 1973 at New York's Town Hall. The album has been remastered.
Sun Ra: Heliocentric Worlds Vol 1 & 2. ESP 4005. From 65.
Sun Ra: Nothing Is. ESP 4024. The strong>Arkestra recorded during a tour in New York, 1966.
Charles Tyler: Charles Tyler Ensemble. ESP 1029. Oct. 09. Reissue of the debut album by Charles Tyler, from Albert Ayler's band, here playing on alto sax. His group, featuring an unusual instrumentation of cello, bass (the mighty Henry Grimes), drums (the great Ronald Shannon Jackson), orchestra vibes (Charles Moffett) and saxophone, plays through his original compositions.
Patty Waters: The Complete Esp-disk Recordings. Jan. 2006. ESP 4019. Reissue and remastering of her two cult albums "Sings" from 1965 and "College Tour" from 1966.
Frank Wright: Blues For Albert Ayler. ESP 4068. April 2012. The suite in six parts making up this CD was recorded in 1974 at (and with) Rashied Ali's club. Wright was playing tenor sax and bass clarinet and the last member of the trio was no less than guitarist James Blood Ulmer
Frank Wright Allstars: Unity. ESP 4028. Wright, bassist Alan Silva, pianist Bobby Few and drummer Muhammad Ali were all previous partners of albert Ayler and founded the group "Center Of The World" in 1970, one of the major free jazz quartets from the 70's. At their top in 1974, they were recorded on June 1 for this concert at the Moers Jazz Festival.
Frank Wright: The Complete Esp Recordings. ESP 4007. Reissue on one CD of the two albums "The Earth" and "Your Prayer". Session from November 65. Also included is an interview of the saxophonist!
Lester Young: Live at Birdland. ESP 4040. Dec. 07. Remastered edition of a classic ESP + unreleased tracks added. Prez in concert during the 50's

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FRESH SOUND RECORDS .... FRESH SOUND RECORDS .... FRESH SOUND ....

Fresh Sound Records:

Pepper Adams: Plays the compositions of Charlie Mingus. FSR 604. Oct. 10. The Charlie Mingus compositions that make up this album were carefully selected over a period of months by Mingus himself, Pepper Adams and Teddy Charles as being most representative of his music. Recorded in New York in September 1963 and played as either quintet or octet, they constitute an outstanding cross-section of passionate, unconfined jazz that runs from the blues, through ballads, and swing tunes on to more experimental sounds. Under the leadership of baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams, who assembled a group of outstanding jazzmen, including Thad Jones, Zoot Sims, Hank Jones, Benny Powell, Paul Chambers, Bob Cranshaw and the Mingus alumni, Dannie Richmond and Charles McPherson, the playing is strong, driven by their intense and creative responses to these emotionally - and, at times, politically - charged Mingus compositions.
Toshiko Akiyoshi & Her International Jazz Sextet: United Notions. FSR1636. June 08. Long time out of print, this bop date from 1958, originally issued on the Metrojazz label, is not the first date as a leader by Toshiko Akiyoshi, but it is a gem worth acquiring. The pianist is joined in New York by an all-star group that includes either cornetist Nat Adderley or trumpetist Doc Severinsen, clarinetist/alto saxophonist Rolf Kühn, flutist/tenor & baritone saxophonist Bobby Jaspar, guitarist Rene Thomas, bassist John Drew, and drummer Bert Dahlander.
Mose Allison: Complete Prestige Recordings 1957-1959 (FSR 842). Nov. 2014. This 3-CD set with 36-page booklet, 24-bit digitally remastered, contains all 65 tracks included in the six albums Mose Allison recorded for Prestige Records (1957-1959).
Gene Ammons & Sonny Stitt: Blues Up & Down (FSR 695). May 2012. Two LPs on one CD, 24-bit digitally remastered (Boss Tenors + Dig Him!). Recorded at Universal Recording Studio, Chicago, August 22 & 26 (#6-15) 1961. The timeless groove delivered by this incendiary pair (they already were co-leaders of their own group in the early 50's) puts the music beyond analysis!
Cat Anderson and His Orchestra: Cat's In The Alley. FSR 460. August 07. This is a gathering of two albums on one CD: "Cat On A Hot Tin Horn", his first LP as a leader, handsomely displaying Cat's upper-register along with some brash, bluesy trumpet work and a glimpse of his lyrical qualities; for the second LP included in this CD set, entitled Ellingtonia, Cat assembled some of the finest Ellington musicians ( Ernie Royal, Ray Copeland, Ray Nance, Sam Woodyard and more). The tunes chosen were in the soft swing vein and done essentially as a tribute to Duke Ellington.
The Chris Anderson Trio: My Romance & Inverted Image. FSR 688. Feb. 2012. Those two albums from 1960 and 1961 present an entirely self-taught and much unknown pianist, who remains a legendary figure among jazz pianists and an acknowledged influence on Herbie Hancock, who studied with him in 1960. Art Taylor is on drums on the first album, while the second has Walter Perkins or Philly Joe Jones. The bass chair on both albums is occupied by Bill Lee. Both albums show a very individual and provocative harmonic sense, as distinctive as Thelonious Monk's or Bill Evans's, a light but firm and elegant swing, and a delicate balance of the cerebral and the emotional.
Dorothy Ashby: The Jazz Harpist (FSR 709). 3 CD Set / 20 Page Booklet. June 2012. Dorothy Ashby (1932-1986) was probably the most recorded and, until Alice Coltrane came along in the 1960s, the best known jazz harpist. She was not the first to play the instrument in jazz but the first to record as a leader. In itself, that underlined the validity of her standing in jazz, where she was accepted alongside the conventional "horn" players as a jazz musician, not merely a harpist who spiced her music with jazz riffs. A good composer and a sensitive and lightly swinging performer, she produced solos that were like distillations of beautifully phrased, richly coloured guitar outings. Frank Wess, on flute, shares the solo honors with her in the first quartet sessions, while she swings with close, perceptive support from bassist Herman Wright on the trio date, and on the last quartet sessions the combination of her harp and Terry Pollard's vibes produces some lovely sonorities. Intelligently conceived and beautifully crafted, these swinging, straight-ahead performances are ample testimony to the talent of one of the finest jazz harpists of all time. The boxset (24-bit digitally remastered) gathers the following albums, recorded between 1957 and 1961: "The Jazz Harpist" + "Hip Harp" + "In a Minor Groove" + "Dorothy Ashby" + "Soft Winds".
Benny Bailey & Phil Woods : The Candid Recordings "Big Brass" & "Rights of Swing" (FSR 746). Feb. 2013. This memorable pairing of trumpeter Benny Bailey's Big Brass and altoist Phil Woods' Rights of Swing unites two albums which illustrate the virtues and the possibilities of the hard bop idiom. Made within months of each other (November 25, 1960 and January 26 + February 10 1961), they share largely the same brilliant players, but use them somewhat differently to achieve outstanding results. For Big Brass Bailey had a blowing septet that included Woods, pianist Tommy Flanagan and French hornist Julius Watkins, and a programme mostly of originals, including pieces by Quincy Jones and Oliver Nelson. Rights of Swing is even better, an ambitious, unfailingly inventive, five-part suite composed and arranged by Woods, with the same group, with minor changes, expanded to an octet that included trombonists Curtis Fuller and baritonist Sahib Shihab.
Chet Baker & Crew: At The Forum Theatre (Complete Recordings). FSR 457 Double CD Digipack + Booklet. August 07. These two CDs contain, for the first time in one set, all the recordings he made with his quintet - the "crew" - under Dick Bock's direction at the Los Angeles Forum Theatre in July 1956. On these sessions Chet plays throughout with even greater warmth, virility and maturity of conception than on previous recordings, but with the lyricism that was his forte intact.
Chet Baker & Art Pepper Sextet: Complete Playboys Sessions 1956. FSR 428. Recorded in Los Angeles, Forum Theatre, July 26 & 28, 1956 + Radio Recorders, November 20 & 21, 1956. Chet and Art were at their creative best back then, and these two sextet sessions are the only recorded examples of both jazzmen playing together in the front line of a small group.
FSR-CD 353 Chet Baker & Stan Getz Quartet: Live at The Haig 1953. With Carson Smith (bass) and Larry Bunker (drums). Recorded at The Haig Club, Hollywood, June 16, 1953
Bill Barron Quintet & Sextet: The Tenor Stylings of Bill Barron (Medallion Studios, Newark, NJ. February 21, 1961) + Modern Windows - A Jazz Suite from the New "Soul" ... (same studio, June 5, 1961) + Hot Line (same studio, March 31, 1962). FSR 707. June 2012. The three albums tenorman Bill Barron made as a leader for Savoy Records in early 60's embody every facet of this accomplished jazzman as a talented soloist, composer and arranger. On the first album, he leads a quintet, sharing a front line with Ted Curson, a trumpeter with a warm and capable style. Curson's also featured in the more tightly arranged second album, in which Jay Cameron's baritone considerably enriches the sound of an ensemble splendidly driven by drummer Pete LaRoca's accents. The third album, also a quintet, but with tenorist Booker Ervin, is primarily a blowing date balancing originals with some jazzy standards.
Count Basie And His Orchestra: Play the music of Benny Carter (FSR 713). July 2012. This is the gathering on one CD of the two albums "Kansas City Suite" & "The Legend", respectively recorded in 1960 (L.A.) and 1961 (N.Y.). Both albums consist of Carter originals written especially for Basie and in almost every case, Carter established the archetypal Basie approach, a smoothly mellifluous riff by the saxophones, which is then worked over by Basie and his brilliant soloists (among other Thad Jones, Joe Newman or Frank Foster.
Count Basie & His Orchestra: Basie Rides Again! FSR 587. 29/06/10. Gathered on a 2CD, here are 3 previous LPs (Basie Rides Again! + The Count! + Basie Jazz) recorded in New York in 1952, one of them being a live recording from the famous Birdland club.
Count Basie & His Orchestra: The Band of Distinction. FSR 588. 29/06/10. Same 2CD formula for recordings from 1953 & 1954, originally released on LP as "The Band of Distinction" and "King of Swing". Part of it is live stuff from the Savoy Ballroom, Cleveland, Ohio.
Count Basie & His Orchestra: The Swinging Count. FSR 589. 29/06/10. New York City, July & December 1952. The album runs through the quintet, sextet, septet and nonet sides here, some of which including Oscar Peterson on piano with Basie on organ. Arrangements are from Ernie Wilkins
Count Basie: Basie in London. FSR 566. Jan. 10. Despites its title, this album was recorded in Sweden on Sept. 7th. 1956 at the concert hall of Götenborg!!
Count Basie: Hall of Fame. FSR 567. Jan. 10. New York recording from 1956, unfortunately forgotten over the years by most of the big band fans. Recorded at the same time as the "April In Paris" sessions, it truly deserves to be rediscovered.
The Billy Bauer Quartets: Let's Have A Session. FSR516. May 08. Bauer did only two recording dates as a leader, both quartet sessions, compiled in this CD (one is bearing the title, the other was originally known as "plectrist"). In them he managed at all times to extract the greatest tenderness from his instrument. Playing with soul, swinging subtly, straight ahead or lightly as the need arose, he accomplished the rare and difficult feat of combining good jazz with accessibility.
Louis Bellson Quintet: Greetings. Freshsound FSR 555. Sept. 09. Recorded in NYC in 1954 & 1955, these superbly swinging sides are a showcase for some outstanding soloists. On the first date, saxophonist Zoot Sims is in top form, with Love for Sale offering some of his best playing on record, while trumpetist Charlie Shavers stays within the bounds of good taste and conceptual interest, blowing with his characteristic verve. On the second session, Seldon Powell is on tenor, playing with soul, ease and lightness, but always with authority. Wendell Marshall provides a full, solid and dependable bass, and Lou Stein's piano transmits his signature strong beat. The final result is a relaxed but combustible blend of swing era and mainstream modern jazz that still retains its freshness and enjoyment. Originally released as "Concerto For Drums" and "The Hawk Talks"
Eddie Bert Quartet & Quintet: Crosstown. FSR 427. 2CD with Eddie Bert (tb), Jr. Monterose (ts), Joe Puma (g), Hank Jones (p), Wendell Marshall or Clyde Lombardi (b), and Kenny Clarke (d)
Eddie Bert Quintet: Kaleidoscope. FSRCD 404. US sessions recorded between 1953 and 1959 by this trombone player and arranger who started playing in Benny Goodman's boppers from November 1948 to September 1949. Features a rarely heard performance by drummer Joe Morello.
FSR-CD 359 Bird & Chet: Live at the Trade Winds 1952. Recorded live at The Trade Winds Club in Inglewood, California, on June 16, 1952. With Sonny Criss (as), Al Haig, Russ Freeman (p), Harry Babasin (b) & Lawrence Marable (d).
The Paul Bley Quartet: Solemn Meditation. FSR515. May 08. Featuring vibraphonist Dave Pike and a very young Charlie Haden on bass, this quartet placed a premium on originality, evident not only in the material chosen, which emphasised original composition, but also in exploring new methods of improvisation. And in both areas they displayed an unyielding commitment to a basically swinging conception that allowed them to gel and breathe. Recorded in Hollywood in 1956 & 1957.
Paul Bley: Early Trios. FSRCD386. Recorded in New York City, 1953-1954. He made these first recordings under his own name in the bebop idiom with such great artists as Charles Mingus, Art Blakey, Percy Heath, Peter Ind or Al Levitt
Bob Brookmeyer: Portrait of the Artist. FSR568. Jan. 10. New York City, 1959 - 1960. Two albums are to be found on this CD, one being the title album and the other being "Jazz Is A Kick"
Bob Brookmeyer Septet and Octet: Kansas City Sounds. FSR 430. Recorded in New York City, Olmstead Sound Studios 1958 + Nola Studios 1958. On these two great 1958 sessions, Brookmeyer and friends revisit some old, swinging Kansas City sounds along with pleasant new tunes. Over-all, there is a wonderful rhythm and feeling replete with good solos that make for very rewarding listening. Personnel: Bob Brookmeyer (vltb), Harry Edison (tp), Paul Quinichette, Zoot Sims (ts), Al Cohn (ts, bars), Nat Pierce, Hank Jones (p), Jim Hall, Freddie Green (g), Addison Farmer, Eddie Jones (b), Osie Johnson, Charlie Persip (d), Clarence "Big" Miller (vcl)
FSR-CD 350 Roy Brooks: Beat. With Roy Brooks (d) with Blue Mitchell (tp), George Bohanon (tb), Junior Cook (ts), Hugh Lawson (p) and Eugene Taylor (b). Recorded in Detroit, 1963
Clifford Brown: Brownie Live! - Live At Basin Street And In Concert At Carnegie Hall. FSRCD389. Because relatively few of the recordings he made were live performances, we are indeed fortunate to see this CD, which includes performances from two 1956 broadcasts from the Old Basin Street club in New York City, and two tracks from a Carnegie Hall concert the previous year.
Clifford Brown / Max Roach All Stars: Best Coast Jazz (FSR 868). 2LPs on 1 CD, 24bit digitally remastered. Sept. 2015. Recorded at Capitol Studios, Hollywood, California, August 10, 1954, those sessions featured an all-star group headed by trumpeter Clifford Brown, with two outstanding and Bird-influenced alto saxophonists: Joe Maini, and Herb Geller, both compelling players, each with an extraordinary ability to swing. A stimulating contrast in colour is provided by the dark-toned, sinuously swinging tenor of Walter Benton. An appropriately incendiary rhythm section in pianist Kenny Drew, bassist Curtis Counce and the magistral Max Roach, stokes the fires of invention behind them with sensitivity, imagination and drive.
Ray Brown: The Man. FSR 560. Nov. 09. Complete Recordings 1946-1959. This 2-CD set includes all the recordings Ray Brown did as a leader for the Savoy, Clef, Verve and Playboy labels from 1946 to 1959.
Dave Brubeck: At Storyville 1954. FSRCD 414. With Paul Desmond and two different rhythm sections.
Dave Brubeck Quartet: At Wilshire Ebell: The Historic 1953 Los Angeles Concert. FSR426. Dave Brubeck was a pioneer in the presentation of intimate concerts in colleges and universities and "in the better" small concert halls. The show at the Wilshire Ebell theatre, in Los Angeles, was one of the latter. The quartet features Paul Desmond and the rhythm section of Ron Crotty (b) + Lloyd Davis (dms)
The Dave Brubeck Quartet: Newport 1958. Freshsound FSR 557. Sept. 09. Recorded live at the Newport Jazz Festival, July 3, 1958 (#1-7) and live at Stratford, Ontario, Canada, August 3, 1956 (#8). These performances by the Dave Brubeck quartet are an impressive tribute to Duke's music and among the very best of the Brubeck quartet offerings.
Ray Bryant Trio: "Con Alma" & "Little Susie" (FSR 657). Sept. 2011. CD reissue of two albums recorded in New York in 1960.
Milt Buckner: Rockin' With Milt. FSR511. May 08. These two CDs assemble for the first time all the tracks Milt Buckner recorded under his own name and released with Capitol between 1955 and 1957. He plays essentialy Hammond organ with some overdubbed piano
Donald Byrd: Transition Sessions (FSR 836). Sept. 2014. 3 LPs on 2 CDs: "Byrd's Eye View","Watkins at Large","Byrd Blows at Beacon Hill" + 1 bonus track (from the sampler LP Jazz in Transition). Recorded in 1955 and 1956, with among other Art Blakey, Doug Watkins, Horace Silver, Hank Mobley, Duke Jordan, Kenny Burrell, Art Taylor ...
Donald Byrd Quartet feat. Bobby Jaspar: Au Chat Qui Pêche. FSRCD388. Paris, October 29, 1958. Donald Byrd (tp), Walter Davis Jr. (p), Doug Watkins (b), Art Taylor (d), Bobby Jaspar (ts, fl)
Donald Byrd Quartet: Byrd Jazz (FSR 1666). Sept. 2014. Newly and 24-Bit digitally remastered. Recorded in concert at The World Stage, Detroit, Mi. August 23, 1955. A transition album on which the most meaningful players are saxophonist Yusef Lateef and pianist Barry Harris
Candido: The Volcanic + Latin Fire (FSR 632). 2011. The first, recorded in New York in 1957 presents arrangements for an orchestra conducted by Ernie Wilkins, while the second, recorded in 1959, has Manny Albam as conductor and arranger. TOn the first album, the solo spots are shared by such jazz greats as trumpetist Art Farmer, pianist Hank Jones. On the second, The brass benefit from the impact of top section hornmen, while Phil Woods plays with originality and vitality. And Candido, the raison d'être of this set, displays his signature way with Afro-Cuban polyrhythms and coaxes an infinite variety of sounds out of a single drum head.
Candido: Featuring Al Cohn + In Indigo (FSR 627). April 2011. Again two LPs on 1 CD. The first one from 1956 presents the percussionist within a small jazz group, with among other saxophonist Al Cohn, guitarist Joe Puma and pianist Dick Hymans. On the second one, from 1958, Candido was matched with a similar quintet, again with Puma on guitar, but this time with Dick Hyman on organ, contributing some solid, meaty playing. Trumpeter Ernie Royal was assured and warm, while George Duvivier on bass and Charlie Persip on drums provided fine rhythm support.
Benny Carter: Jazz Giant Complete Sessions. FSR 2256. April 10. Recorded at Contemporary's Studio, Los Angeles in 1957 & 58. The music in these sessions is unpretentious; bright, relaxed and buoyant, with an infectious swing. Everyone gets a chance to blow and show their worth. Carter plays with his characteristic lyricism, technical facility, and beauty of sound on alto, and - on two tracks -flawlessly on trumpet, his first love. Also, much like Ben Webster - another giant - he demonstrates his extraordinary melodic imagination. Frank Rosolino shows his inventive individuality, Barney Kessel plays with his usual lithe phrasing, laconic wit and consummate ease, and the rhythm section is never less than superior (Leroy Vinnegar is on bass and Shelly Manne on drums.
Eddie Chamblee: Chamblee Special. FSRCD394. This CD brings together two excellent sessions that Chamblee made in Chicago in 1957 and 1958, fronting a septet of outstanding category that had previously served as a very efficient backing group on some of the recordings made by his wife Dinah Washington. Among other musicians present here, we'll find trumpetists Johnny Coles & Joe Newman, trombonist Julian Priester and drummer Charlie Persip.
Teddy Charles: Adventures in California. FSRCD 413. The fortunate combination of Charles' experience with the talents of Shorty Rogers, Shelly Manne, and Curtis Counce produced very effective, swinging jazz within a strikingly different medium.
Kenny Clarke: Plays the Arrangements of André Hodeir, Pierre Michelot, Christian Chevallier & Francy Boland (FSR 864). Sept. 2015. Recorded during 1956-1960, the initial years of drummer Kenny Clarke's permanently settling in Europe, these four sessions display his versatility and consistently commanding musicianship over richly varied settings, some graced, among others, by the stellar presence of US tenor giants Lucky Thompson and Don Byas.
Tenorman James Clay: The Kid From Dallas. FSR 437. Digipack. Recorded in Los Angeles, 1956-1957. This CD contains all James Clay studio performances on tenor sax while the young kid from Dallas was living in Los Angeles in the mid 50's. The personal include some great names: Bobby Timmons, Sonny Clark, Lorraine Geller (p), Jimmy Bond, Red Mitchell (b), Peter Littman, Lawrence Marable, Frank Capp, Billy Higgins (d)
Arnett Cobb: "Party Time" + "More Party Time" + "Movin' Right Along" (FSR 726). Jan. 2013. 3 LPs on 2CDs. With the first album recorded in 1959 and the two other the following year, we're reaching here sessions by a tenor saxophonist who has come roaring out of Lionel Hampton's band. They are unpretentious sessions amid congenial, inventive company, including some of the most accomplished and soulful pianists around, Ray Bryant, Tommy Flanagan and Bobby Timmons
Al Cohn: And His "Charlie's Tavern" Ensemble. FSR484. Feb. 08. Two Lps on 1 CD: East Coast - West Coast Scene + Mr. Music. The time is 1954, the place New York City. Besides Cohn, there is a host of great arrangers, from John Carisi to Manny Albam and Ralph Burns. Stellar line-up as well with Joe Newman (tp), Billy Byers, Eddie Bert, Frank Rehak (tb), Hal McKusick, Gene Quill (as), Al Cohn (ts), Sol Schlinger (bars), Sanford Gold (p), Billy Bauer, Jimmy Raney (g), Milt Hinton, Buddy Jones (b), Osie Johnson (d)
Ornette Coleman Quintet & Quartet: Too Much, Too Soon! FSR569. Feb. 2010. Except a 40-page booklet with recording details,extensive notes and rare photos, there is nothing new here but a double digipack repackaging of the following albums: "Something Else!", "Tomorrow Is the Question", "The Shape of Jazz to Come"
A host of Buddy Colette's related releases are ready in January 2009. Buddy Collette And His West Coast Friends (FSR 2248) are Hollywood recordings from 1956, featuring among other guitarist Jim Hall and drummer Chico Hamilton (covering the album Tanganyka and Mood for Max, a Max Albright's drummer date); Buddy Collette and His Quartet: Calm, Cool & Collette - Complete Sessions Featuring Dick Shreve (FSR 2249) are sessions from the ABC studios in 1956 and 1957. Bassist Eugene Wright is featured here. Buddy Collette Quartet & Quintet sessions 1956-1957 - An Original Westcoaster (FSR 2250) covers 5 sessions and features among celebrities guitarist Barney Kessel, drummer Shelly Manne
FSR-CD 379 Jack Costanzo and His Orchestra. Plays Jazz, Afro & Latin. Recorded: Hollywood, December 1954 + June 8 and July 3, 1956
Hank Crawford: More Soul & The Soul Clinic. FSR 685. Feb. 2012. This inspired and talented group under the leadership of altoist/arranger Hank Crawford, was the Ray Charles band, minus Ray. But it was also a striking unit in its own right. The big-little-band sound on these two exciting albums, "More Soul" and "The Soul Clinic", is compellingly arranged and orchestrated, equally arresting on incendiary, swinging up-tempo performances as it is on blues-drenched ballads. And it provides a frame for notably lyrical and melodic soloists, among whom saxophonist David "Fathead" Newman can be listed as an example
King Curtis Quintet: "The New Scene of King Curtis" and "Soul Meeting" (FSR 714). July 2012. Tenorman King Curtis is best known as a rhythm and blues star. But, as he shows here, fronting two coruscating rhythm sections graced by pianist Wynton Kelly, and sharing the front line with the sparkling trumpet and cornet of Nat Adderley, there was much more to him than that! Confident, fluent and agile, he builds his solos with care and economy, his big, warm, wraparound tone recalling the blues-drenched power and authority of Gene Ammons. And with bass players like Sam Jones or Paul Chambers, we nearly have all the elements needed for the success of those sessions, recorded in 1960 at the famous studios located in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis: Count Basie Presents The Tenor of Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis featuring Joe Newman and Shirley Scott. FSR 553. June 09. This CD is special for several reasons. The first part is a session that Count Basie produced in 1957 for "Lockjaw" with another Basie alumnus, the great trumpeter Joe Newman. What makes this album unusually interesting is that Basie plays the piano while Shirley Scott plays the organ. To complete this CD, a special compilation has been added - eight little-known recordings of tunes when Basie was featuring "Lockjaw" in his big band (1952-1957) which show that the pair were simply destined for each other musically in one of the historic comings-together in jazz
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis & Johnny Griffin Quintet: Griff and Lock + Tough Tenors + Lookin' at Monk! FSR 690. 2CD. Feb. 2012. The three studio albums recorded for Jazzland (in 1960 & 61) by the aptly named Tough Tenors, Johnny Griffin and Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, and their calorific Junior Mance-Larry Gales-Ben Riley rhythm section epitomize what this incendiary group was about. It's hearty, full-blowing jazz of the kind now associated with the partnership of contrasting tenor styles. Here at the height of their game together, Griff and Lock stand as two swaggering swingers in a take-no-prisoners quintet greatly enhanced by the down-home soulfulness of Mance's piano. Brusquely disposed of by the leaders, the tunes are jumping off points for combative improvisations in which both tenors display a sinewy, elastic muscularity that enables them to create roaring, vital, driving jazz.
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis & Johnny Griffin Quintet: "Live" at Minton's Playhouse in New York City - Complete Recordings (FSR 680). Jan. 2012. This live recording from the night of January 6, 1961 epitomises the kind of hearty, full-blowing jazz associated with such a partnership of contrasting tenor styles. Over its strong, relentless pulse the two tenors perform with the take-no-prisoners urgency that characterized the team in its finest hours. Now, these great performances - originally issued on four Riverside albums - are gathered together on CD for the first time, digitally remastered at a 24-bit resolution.
Paul Desmond Quintet & Quartet: Desmond: Here I Am (FSR873). 2 LPs on 1 CD, 24 bit digitally remastered. Sept. 2015. Paul Desmond recorded his first two albums as leader in 1954 and 1956, and they emphasized what fans of the Dave Brubeck Quartet already knew: his lyrical alto saxophone work made him one of the great individualists in jazz. The first albums shows him in quintet, the second half of the album adding The Bill Bates Singers - a vocal sextet - and guitarist Barney Kessel. The second album presents his quartet and features Don Elliott on mellophone in a pianoless quartet that follows the soft-styled approach they both favored.
Walt Dickerson: Vibes In Motion. FSRCD 407. For the first time ever on CD and presented in Digipack. Contains the complete albums: Jazz Impressions: Lawrence of Arabia (Dauntless, 1963) and Plays Unity (Audio Fidelity, 1964). Features Walt Dickerson (vb), Walter Davis Jr., Austin Crowe (p), George Tucker, Henry Grimes (b), Edgar Bateman, Andrew Cyrille (dms).
Eric Dolphy: Iron Man (FSRCD-1628) + Conversations (FSRCD-1627). These two CDs document the most innovative studio work in Eric Dolphy's musical career (1963). Both appear for the first time with their original LP covers and digitally re-mastered from the original stereo tapes.
FSR-CD 352 Kenny Dorham: The Arrival of Kenny Dorham. With Charlie Davis (baritone sax), Tommy Flanagan (piano), Edward "Butch" Warren (bass) and Arnold "Buddy" Enlow (drums)
Down Home Reunion: Young Men from Memphis. FSR 1642. April 10. Recorded at Olmsted Studios, New York City, on April 15th, 1959. This gathering of musicians hailing from Memphis count its load of great names: Booker Little, Louis Smith (tp), Frank Strozier (as), George Coleman (ts), Phineas Newborn Jr. (p), Calvin Newborn (g), George Joyner (b), Charles Crosby (dms)!
Kenny Drew Trio: Complete Recordings 1953-1954. FSRCD416. Contains the two albums: New Faces / New Sounds (Blue Note) and "The Ideation of Kenny Drew" (Norgran Records). Feat: Kenny Drew (p), Curley Russell or Eugene Wright (b), Art Blakey or Charles Wright or Lawrence Marable (dms).
Duke Ellington: Meets John Coltrane & Coleman Hawkins (FSR 749). Feb. 2013. Another twofer whose reason to be can be discussed; this CD gathers the two albums "Duke Ellington & John Coltrane" + "Duke Ellington Meets Coleman Hawkins", both recorded in 1962. The meeting with Coltrane was with in quartet while the one with Hawkins involved Ellington's octet
Duke Ellington & His Orchestra: The Duke's D.J. Special. FSRCD 410. N.Y. 1959.
Duke Ellington & Johnny Hodges: Back To Back Complete Recordings. FSR 575. Feb. 2010. This is just the gathering on one CD of the albums "Back To Back" and "Side By Side", both recorded in 1959.
Mercer Ellington And His Orchestra: Stepping Into Swing Society. FSR 531. Oct. 08. Recorded in New York in 1958 and 1959, this CD gathers the two albums "Stepping Into Swing Society" and "Colors in Rhythm". The playing is by nearly all of Duke's then-current stalwart sidemen, including Johnny Hodges, Clark Terry and Harry Carney, but also a few of his legendary ex band members, such as saxophonist Ben Webster
Herb Ellis: Softly... But with That Feeling + Thank You Charlie Christian (FSR 676). Jan. 2012. Those two albums from 61 & 60 are gathered on one CD, digitally remastered at a 24-bit resolution. Recorded in L.A. with the pick of the crop of West Coast jazz musicians, amonmg other pianist and vibist Victor Feldman
Herb Ellis: Nothing but the Blues. FSR 1648. Oct. 10. Recorded in Hollywood, Radio Recorders, on October 11th, 1957. Newly remastered. Better sound than ever before! This piano-less recording featured saxophonist Stan Getz and trumpetist Roy Eldridge. Bassist Ray Brown and drummer Stan Levey formed the rhythm section.
Rolf Ericson: And His American Allstars. FSR 464. August 07. In the spring of 1956, Swedish trumpeter Rolf Ericson, who, except for a Swedish sojourn 1950-1952, had been working in the United States since 1947, returned to tour his homeland with a small group of prominent jazzmen, to play the Scandinavian national parks circuit through the end of August. This had a profound impact on the development of Swedish jazz. Among the American players are pianist Duke Jordan, drummer Art Taylor, bassist Tommy Potter and a few more; noteworthy is the presence of the Swedish cult figure, baritone saxophonist Lars Gullin, who joined the combo towards the end.
Booker Ervin: Sextet, Quintet and Quartet (FSR 703). June 2012. This is the 24-bit remastered digipack edition of the three albums "The Book Cooks" (New York 1960), "Cookin?" (Medallion Studios, Newark, NJ., November 26, 1960) and "That's It!" (Nola Penthouse Sound Studios, New York City, January 6, 1961). The saxophonist's stint in Mingus' band led to his recordings as leader. In his three earliest, collected here, his sheer force of personality and ideas refreshed the hard bop genre. "The Book Cooks" and "Cookin?" are solidly swinging dates, full of Ervin's strong soloing, with excellent contributions from Zoot Sims and Tommy Flanagan on the first, Horace Parlan and Richard Williams on the second; both include bassist George Tucker and Mingus drummer Dannie Richmond. Best of all is "That's It!" with Parlan, Tucker and drummer Al Harewood, and a leader in such sublimely powerful form that the hard bop boundaries hardly contained him.
Bill Evans: The Sideman Years. FSR 456 Deluxe Digipack. August 07. This CD presents Evans work from 1956 in the quartet of the acclaimed clarinetist Tony Scott, originally released on RCA-Victor as "The Touch of Tony Scott", his '55 collaboration with the Dick Garcia Quartet (originally released on Dawn under the title "A Message From Garcia"), the album "Idol of the Flies", recorded on Betlehem in NYC in 57 by the Jimmy Knepper Quintet (featuring drummer Dannie Richmond) and finally the album released in late summer 57 by the Joe Puma Quartet, featuring drummer Paul Motian and bassist Oscar Pettiford. This album was originally released on the Jubilee US label under the title "Joe Puma Trio & Quartet". A nice addition for Evans completists!
Bill Evans Trio: The Legendary Bill Evans Trio - The 1960 Birdland Sessions. FSRCD390. Recorded Live at Birdland Club, New York City, March 12 & 19 and April 30, 1960. The legendary recordings on this CD precede the same trio's live performances at the Village Vanguard in 1961 by more than a year. Incomplete versions of these tracks have been previously issued on LP but appear here on CD in their entirety.
Maynard Ferguson and Chris Connor: "Double Exposure" + "Two's Company" (FSR 702). June 2012. This is the 24-bit remastered digipack edition of two albums recorded in New York in 1960 and 1961. Though the arrangements, all by Don Sebesky except for two by Willie Maiden, place the main focus on the singer, Ferguson's ebullient, stratospheric playing is liberally featured, along with the full low register forays that were part of his phenomenal range, making an effective contrast to Miss Connor's understated, almost ironic approach.
Maynard Ferguson: And His Birdland Dream Band Orchestra. FSR 470. October 07. Recorded at the Webster Hall, New York City, 1956, this was one of the most exciting bands Maynard Ferguson ever led. The charts, especially commissioned by Ferguson, came from some of the finest writers in contemporary jazz, including Bill Holman, Jimmy Giuffre, Marty Paich, Manny Albam, Ernie Wilkins and Johnny Mandel.
Maynard Ferguson: Boy with lots of... BRASS. FSR 462. August 07. Recorded in New York City, 1957. Arrangements by Willie Maiden, Al Cohn, Ernie Wilkins and Bill Holman.
Maynard Ferguson Orchestra & Octet: Band ain't Draggin? - 1950-1954. FSRCD2204. The music on these sides is the product of different sessions that represent, between them, a veritable Blue Book of West Coast jazz. At the head of each ensemble, enjoying himself to the full, is trumpeter extraordinary Maynard Ferguson. Most of the men heard in this CD were old friends, either colleagues from the Stan Kenton band or Californians with whom he had worked on and off for several years.
Maynard Ferguson: Hollywood Jam Sessions. FSR-CD 383. Memorable jam sessions from 1954.
FSR-CD 346 Maynard Ferguson and His Swingin' Dream Band Orchestra: Live at Peacock Lane Hollywood 1956-1957. Featuring: Maynard Ferguson (tp) with Ed Leddy, Joe Burnett, Tom Slaney (tp), Bob Fitzpatrick, Bob Burgess (tb), Herb Geller (as), Richie Kamuca, Nino Tempo (ts), Willie Maiden (bars), Paul Moer (p), Red Kelly (b), Mel Lewis (d) Recorded live at Peacock Lane Jazz Room, Hollywood, December 1956 and January 6, 1957.
The Don Friedman Trio: "A Day in the City - Six Jazz Variations on a Theme" + "Circle Waltz" (FSR 760). Feb. 2013. Recorded respectively at Bell Sound Studios, New York City, June 12, 1961 and at Plaza Sound Studios, N.Y.C., May 14, 1962. The trio included bass player Chuck Israels and drummer Joe Hunt, the latter being replaced on the sencond album by Pete La Roca.
Red Garland / Ray Bryant: "Alone" - "Blues & Ballads" (FSR 658). Sept. 2011. 2CD reissue of three albums recorded in 1960 & 1961, featuring solo piano playing from the two protagonists
Erroll Garner: Afternoon of an Elf. FSR 579. April 10. This solo piano 2CD gathers recordings from 1955, previously released separately as "Afternoon of an Elf", "Solitaire" and "Erroll".
The Herb Geller Quartet: Birdland Stomp. FSR5046. May 08. The well-balanced selection of tunes chosen for this, Geller's first album as leader for some time, is a first-class example of his all-round abilities as arranger, soloist and leader. This studio set was originally recorded in Barcelona in 1990, featuring pianist Kenny Drew, bass player Niels Henning Ørsted Pedersen and drummer Mark Taylor
Herb Geller: Herb Geller & His All Atars play selections from Jule Styne & Stephen Sondheim's Music for Gypsy. FSR 1644. 29/06/10. Recorded in New York City in June 1959, this album presents one of the best jazz versions of Jule Styne's score from the Broadway musical Gypsy and reveals a very young Scott LaFaro on bass as well as outstanding contributions from Thad Jones and Geller's arrangements that carry off the difficult feat of not only reflecting the emotional essence of the original show, but also creating the climate where good jazz can flourish.
The Gellers: Herb & Lorraine Geller's Complete Recordings 1954-1955. FSRCD 412. These are the only recordings Herb did with Lorraine. They formed an exceptional tandem and their playing carried a distinct sound, a harmonic quality that was neither his or hers.
Stan Getz: "Jazz Samba" + "Big Band Bossa Nova" (FSR 753). Feb. 2013. The usual 24-bit remastered 2LPs on 1 CD ... To "Jazz Samba", the classic album featuring guitarist Charlie Byrd, has been added the single version of Desafinado. On top of the two albums is also one bonus track: Theme from "Dr. Kildare" (Three Stars Will Shine Tonight), where Getz is accompanied by an unidentified orchestra.
Stan Getz Quartet: at Birdland 1961 (FSR 741). Feb. 2013. Recorded at Birdland in 1961 with Steve Khun on piano, Roy Haynes on drums and Jimmy Garrison on bass. With Getz then at a sublime peak of emotional and intellectual balance allied to unfailingly melodic inventiveness, the quartet explored a stimulating program of jazz standards and ballads with a gripping blend of strength, delicacy and subtly nuanced dynamics.
Stan Getz - Chet Baker Quartet: Live at the Haig 1953 (FSR 870). 24 bit digitally remastered digipak reissue. Sept. 2015. Recorded at the Haig club, Los Angeles, June 16, 1953.
Stan Getz Meets Gerry Mulligan (FSR518). June 08. Directed by Ernie Wilkins, this album from 1957 is a reissue of the album originally titled "Getz Meets Mulligan In Hi-Fi"
FSR-CD 367 Stan Getz Quintet: Birdland Sessions 1952. With Jimmy Raney (g), Horace Silver, Duke Jordan (p), Charlie Mingus, Nelson Boyd, Gene Ramey (b) and Connie Kay, Phil Brown (d).
Terry Gibbs Big Band!: The Exciting Terry Gibbs Big Band! + Explosion! (FSR 742). Feb. 2013. 2 LPs recorded live at The Summit, Hollywood, in January and April 1961. The big band featured mostly West Coast players and the album represents indisputably one of the best big band efforts in Terry Gibbs' illustrious history as a top jazzman and band leader.
Terry Gibbs: Launching A New Sound In Music / Swing Is Here!. FSR 583. April 10. Two albums recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, on February 17 & 18, 1959 and February 23 & 24, 1960. Featuring many known musicians from the West Coast scene: Conte Candoli, Frank Rosolino, Bill Perkins, Bill Holman, Lou Levy, Mel Lewis, etc...
Terry Gibbs Quartet FSR 450. July 07. These mid 50's recordings of the Terry Gibbs Quartet reveal, among other virtues, the extraordinary degree of sympathy between Terry and his partner, Miss Terry Pollard, the wonderful pianist of his group. The mental picture of a typical Gibbs performance involves flying mallets, racing thoughts and impulsive improvisation at their most dazzling. There is an essential percussive feel in what most of his fans have come to regard as a typical Gibbs performance; yet there are many occasions when he also offers a discreet and tasteful approach toward slow ballad numbers.
Dizzy Gillespie & His Big Band: Complete Studio Sessions 1956-1957. FSR 585. 29/06/10. Besides the 3 LPs - World Statement, Dizzy in Greece, Birks'Works (recorded in 1956 & 1957)- this 2CD contains 8 additional tunes + 1 bonus track. Newly remastered. Better sound than ever before! 36-page booklet with rare photos, the original liner notes and comprehensive additional information.
Dizzy Gillespie Quintet: Have Trumpet, Will Excite! & The Ebullient Mr. Gillespie. FSR 580. 2CD. April 10. Recorded at Columbia 30th Street Studio, New York City, on February 17, 18 and 20, 1959. Dizzy's front line partner here was Les Spann; doubling on guitar and flute, he proved to be a fine guitarist with laconic tone and manner of execution, while his flute playing was assured and skilful. The distinctive, soul-tinged piano of Junior Mance, with Lex Humphries on drums, and Sam Jones on bass, formed a strong, responsive rhythm section. This quintet was for the most part a working band on the club and concert circuit, offering a neat mixture of Gillespie's entertaining songs, established repertoire, and some Latin and African-influenced pieces. With this quintet, Dizzy found a middle ground in his music that gave his bebop legacy room to breathe, but with much more rhythmic variety and accessibility.
Dizzy Gillespie And His Octet: The Greatest Trumpet of Them All. FSR1641. Feb. 2010. Recorded in NYC in 1957. When Gillespie told Benny Golson of his desire to record something with a new instrumentation, Benny suggested the octet pattern and called Gigi Gryce to share the writing chores. The results achieve their goal, presenting excellent voicing and accompaniment to a straightforward Gillespie in a refreshingly new framework for "the greatest trumpet of them all".
Dizzy Gillespie: The Eternal Triangles. Freshsound FSR 558. Sept. 09. This 2CD gathers 3 three classic LPs on which Dizzy is joined by Sonny Rollins, Sonny Stitt & Stan Getz in different settings. On the 1957 sessions, which produced the albums Duets and "Sonny Side Up", Dizzy, in prime form, shares an uncannily empathetic relationship with Rollins and Stitt (both on tenor), agilely supported by the Bryant brothers, Ray and Tommy, and drummer Charlie Persip. On the 1956 "For Musicians Only" album, Stitt is playing only alto because Stan Getz did not want to have two tenors on the session. The rhythm section is fabulous with John Lewis on piano, Herb Ellis on guitar, Ray Brown on bass and finally drummer Stan Levey
FSR-CD 354 The Jimmy Giuffre 3:Hollywood & Newport 1957-1958. Live at Hollywood's Stars of Jazz KABC TV Show 1957-1958 with: Jimmy Giuffre (clarinet, tenor sax, baritone sax), Jim Hall (guitar), Bob Brookmeyer (vtb) and Ralph Pena (bass) and Live at The Newport Jazz Festival 1958 with: Jimmy Giuffre (clarinet, tenor sax, baritone sax), Bob Brookmeyer (vtb, piano) and Jim Hall (guitar).
Benny Golson Quartet: "Turning Point" + "Free" (FSR 750). Feb. 2013. The usual 24-bit remastered 2LPs on 1 CD ... both albums recorded in 1962 with two differenet quartets (Kelly/Chambers/Cobb or Flanagan/Carter/Taylor).
FSR-CD 380 Joe Gordon: Early Sessions. Featuring Joe Gordon (tp) with Gigi Gryce (as), Charlie Rouse (ts), Junior Mance, Walter Bishop (p), Jimmy Schenck, Bernie Griggs (b), Art Blakey (d) and Sabu Martínez (cg). Recorded: New York City 1954
FSR-CD370 Joe Gordon & Scott LaFaro: West Coast Days. Recorded at the Lighthouse, July 31, 1960.
Norman Granz Presents Jazz At The Philharmonic - Hamburg, Germany, February 29, 1956. FSRCD441 2CD Boxset. This is the only unreleased and undocumented Jazz At The Philharmonic show to see the light of day in recent years. What makes this extraordinary discovery so special is the consistently high level of invention, musicality, inspiration, excitement, sense of swing, and the relaxed spirit of happiness that pervades virtually every moment of this Hamburg concert that took place during JATP's fifth annual tour of Europe. There is no arguing that Norman Granz made, with the JATP concerts, his most spectacular contribution to the history of jazz. This 2CD-set of previously unissued live recordings, also includes a 16-page booklet plus a reproduction of the original German program that was handed during JATP's 1956 European tour. CD1 presents an all-star line-up featuring: Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge (tp), Flip Phillips, Illinois Jacquet (ts), Oscar Peterson (p), Herb Ellis (g), Ray Brown (b), and Gene Krupa (d). CD2 includes the Oscar Peterson trio with Herb Ellis and Ray Brown and an Ella Fitzgerald set with the same trio + drummer Gene Krupa.
Urbie Green: Septet & Octet. FSR 451. July 07. On these early recordings from 53 to 55, Urbie shows every indication that he was well on his way up the musical stairway to stardom. Personnel: Ruby Braff (tp), Doug Mettome (tp, barh, mellp), Urbie Green (tb), John Murtaugh (ts), Al Cohn (cl, ts, bcl), Med Flory (as), Frank Wess (fl, ts), Danny Bank (fl, cl, bars), Sam Staff (bars), Freddie Greene (g), Jimmy Lyon, Sir Charles Thompson (p), Jimmy Lyon (p, cel), Dante Martucci, Aaron Bell, Oscar Pettiford (b), Jimmy Campbell, Bobby Donaldson, Osie Johnson (d)
Urbie Green Quintet & Big Band : All About Urbie Green. FSR 436. This CD presents Urbie Green, one of the most versatile of all top-ranking trombonists in two facets. On the first quintet recordings we hear him playing relaxed, modern mainstream jazz with strong roots in the blues. Urbie's role on the remaining tracks is that of the leader of a big band. Johnny Carisi is here his chief arranger and unofficial musical director
Al Grey and the Basie Wing: The Last of the Big Plungers. FSR 590. 29/06/10. Recorded in Chicago in 1959 and 1960, here are two albums (one with the title track, the other being "The Thinking Man's Trombone") under the leadership of trombonist Al Grey, recorded while he was a member of Count Basie's band. With the exception of the pianists, the men assembled to play in these sessions were all well known Basie-ites. All the charts share a spare, functional approach ideal for the three brass-two saxes instrumentation. The arrangements delve cleanly and right to the heart of swinging. Grey, famed for his plunger mute work, plays vigorously and inventively. Both groups - an octet and a nonet - display that warm, moving blues feeling that characterized the Basie band, with all the soloists blowing with sure-footed intensity alongside the tastefully swinging leader.
Johnny Griffin Orchestra: "The Big Soul-Band" + "White Gardenia" (FSR 723). Jan. 2013. Recorded in 1960 & 61, those two albums were recordings for large ensembles and features arrangements byNorman Simmons and Melba Liston. The list of great names would be too long to write but let's pick the unusual presence of Pat Patrick (from Sun Ra's Arkestra).
Johnny Griffin & Wilbur Ware: The Chicago Sound. FSR 548. June 09. Recorded in 1956 and 1957 in Chicago, here are two albums gathered on one CD (originally released on Riverside and Argo). Among other players is the seldom met New Orleans drummerBuddy Smith
Gigi Gryce Quartet: Gigi Gryce. Freshsound FSR1637. Oct. 08. Until this album from 1958, Gryce was only known for his alto playing but here for the first time, he recorded on flute, clarinet, tenor and baritone sax - in addition to alto -, playing several of these instruments in the same tune through multiple tracking. Gryce also provided his group with provocative arrangements of some well known jazz standards and some originals. The rhythm section offers strong support, with pianist Hank Jones , bassist Milt Hinton contributing
Gigi Gryce Quintet 1960-1961: Saying Somethin'! + The Hap'nin's + The Rat Race Blues + Reminiscin' (FSR 697). May 2012. 24-bit digitally remastered 2CD of recordings from 1960 & 1961. In the line up can be noted among other bass players Reggie Workman & George Duvivier, drummer Walter Perkins and vibraphonist Eddie Costa
Friedrich Gulda: Friedrich Gulda and his sextet at Birdland, complete recordings (FSR 648). Sept. 2011. Friedrich Gulda, the world-renowned classical piano virtuoso, was booked into a jazz club in 1956 when he led a jazz unit on a two-week engagement at the famous Birdland. He was 26. Jazz aficionado and producer John Hammond helped him put together an excellent group with a first-rate front line of the superb Birdinspired alto of Phil Woods, the supple, full-toned swing of tenor Seldon Powell, the virtuosic eloquence of trombonist Jimmy Cleveland and, in fine form, the veteran modernist Idrees Sulieman on trumpet. Bassist Aaron Bell and drummer Nick Stabulas were solidly effective rhythm section partners for Gulda and the group's collective empathy was remarkable on a programme of standards and the pianist's originals.
Lars Gullin: Complete 1956-1960 Studio Recordings (FSR 841). Nov. 2014. 4-CD set with 36-page booklet, 24-bit digitally remastered. Covering the period 1956-1960 and featuring an incredible roster of outstanding members of that Scandinavian golden generation, including Rolf Billberg, ke Persson, Arne DomnÚrus, Jan Allan, Rune Ífwermann and Bengt-Arne Wallin
FSR 1621 Al Haig Trio: Al Haig Today! The Great Piano of a Piano Great. With Al Haig (p) with Ed DeHaas (b) and Jim Kappes (d). Recorded in New York City, 1965.
Al Haig Trio: 03/13/54 One-Day Session Vogue & Esoteric Recordings. FSR 432. This long one-day session was originally produced by Henri Renaud, the French jazz pianist, when he visited New York in the very early part of 1954. Al's melodic improvisations get firm, unobtrusive support from drummer Lee Abrams and bassist Bill Crow.
Hersh Hamel: Hersh Hamel's Songbook featuring Art Pepper. FSRCD395. Recorded in Hollywood, summer 1975. Hersh formed this group in 1974 as an experimental group of jazz improvisation. Art Pepper at this point was interested in the different approaches of music as, at the time, the rock and soul influences were marked and strong outside jazz. This recording documents a particular time in the development of Pepper and Hersh, perhaps one in which Pepper has not been heard before. Hamel plays here electric bass and there are also vocals, keyboards and synthesizer - played by Pete Robinson.
Chico Hamilton Quintet: Plays South Pacific & Ellington Suite. FSR 2257. 29/06/10. Jazz Cities Series. The Chico Hamilton Quintet - in the first of the two albums included - reshapes eleven pieces of the popular Broadway show "South Pacific" into new patterns of sound and rhythm. On the 2nd album, the original Hamilton quintet, plus Paul Horn, reunited to play a fine collection of Ellington originals with the understanding and rare perspicacity only they could provide. The group operates entirely within a flexible framework, provided by Carson Smith's arrangements. The men are all highly capable, and the solo work is very good. Buddy Collette's tenor and Jim Hall's lucid guitar are great assets to this set. Ellington's subject matter, combined with Hamilton's brilliant colors, produced a set that is as delightful as it is intriguing.
Chico Hamilton Quintet 1958-1959: Complete Studio Sessions. FSR 522. August 08. Double CD featuring among other Eric Dolphy and a 15-piece string orchestra. Recorded in 1958-1959 in Hollywood
The Original Chico Hamilton Quintet: Complete Studio Recordings. FSR512. May 08. With Chico on drums, Buddy Collette on flute, clarinet and saxes, Fred Katz on cello, Jim Hall on guitar and Carson Smith on bass, the quintet presented an innovative sound. Never did they overpower or use high decibels as a substitute for inventiveness. In a little more than a year on the road Chico's quintet established itself as one of the best-drawing small jazz units in the field. Complete Studio Sessions 1956-1957 (FSR513) present the new quintet, one that maintained the high standard set by the original formation, reedman Paul Horn and guitarist John Pisano replacing Buddy Collette and Jim Hall.
FSR 351 Jimmy Hamilton and His Orchestra: Swing Low, Sweet Clarinet.With Jimmy Hamilton (cl) with John Anderson (tp) Paul Gonsalves (ts), Mitchell Wood, Britt Woodman, Dave Wells (bsr horns), Jimmy Rowles (p), Aaron Bell (b), Sam Woodyard (d). Recorded in Los Angeles, 1960.
Lionel Hampton and His All-Stars: Complete Jazztone Recordings. FSR446 (2CD). Hampton is surrounded here by some established jazz masters such as tenor saxophonist Lucky Thompson, bassist Oscar Pettiford, trombonist Jimmy Cleveland, drummer Gus Johnson, and by two then-newcomers to the scene: pianist Oscar Dennard and trumpeter Ray Copeland. The music is full of rhythmic and blowing excitement thanks to the talents of the jazzmen involved, and comes close to stomping in several places.
The Slide Hampton Octet: Sister Salvation + Somethin' Sanctified + Live at Birdland (FSR 674). Jan. 2012. While the two first albums - New York sessions from 1960 gathered on one CD - are now available as stereo 24-bit digitally remastered CD, the 2nd CD offers a series of broadcast octet performances recorded live at Birdland in 1961, with great soloists such as Freddie Hubbard or saxophonist George Coleman.
FSR 349 Slide Hampton Octet: Two Sides of Slide Hampton. Arranged and Conducted by Slide Hampton. With Freddie Hubbard, Booker Little, Burt Collins (tp) Slide Hampton (tb, trombonium, p), Bernard McKinney (bar horn), George Coleman (ts, cl), Jay Cameron (bars, bcl) George Tucker (b), Pete LaRocca, Kenny Dennis, Charlie Persip (d). Recorded in New York City, 1959.
John Handy: "In the Vernacular" & "No Coast Jazz" (FSR 647). July 2011. The two albums on this CD were the first John Handy recorded as a leader in 1959 and 1960. They featured among other Roy Haynes on drums, pianist Sir Roland Hanna and bass player George Tucker
FSR-CD369 Hampton Hawes: Trio and Quartet 1951-1956. Live & studio sessions recorded at "The Haig" club, Hollywood, 22/09/51, 09/09/52 - "Surf Club", 12/02/52 & 23/12/52 - Hollywood: Spring + 10/09/52 + December 1952. Hollywood, May 2, 1955. "Embers" Club, New York, May 15, 1956.
Coleman Hawkins: Alive! At the Village Gate 1962. 2CD (FSR 756). Feb. 2013. Recorded at the Village Gate, New York, August 13 & 15, 1962. 2 LPs on one CD. On the second Hawkins shared the front line with trumpetist Roy Eldridge and saxophonist Johnny Hodges
Coleman Hawkins Quintet: The Crown Sessions - Coleman Hawkins and His Orchestra & "The Hawk Swings" (FSR 743). Feb. 2013. Two albums recorded in New York City in 1960 and featuring trumpetist Thad Jones as counterpart to Hawkins in the horn section.
Coleman Hawkins & Tommy Flanagan: Featuring Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Joe Thomas, Vic Dickenson, Wendell Marshall, Osie Johnson (FSR 659). Sept. 2011. This double CD gathers three albums made in 1960 (Coleman Hawkins All Stars / At Ease with ... / Night Hawk) with some of the finest musicians of the swing, bop and mainstream eras - including the gilt-edged piano of the late, great Tommy Flanagan, an ever-present on all these sessions. Hawkins shows here again that he remained a master able to work well within any framework and still was the boss tenor of jazz.
Coleman Hawkins: And His Confrères. FSR 592. 29/06/10. Recorded in New York in 1958, here is a CD reissue taken from two LPs "And Confrères" + "The High and Mighty Hawk". With Roy Eldridge & Buck Clayton on trumpet, either George Duvivier or Ray Brown on bass, Hank Jones on piano and finally drummer Mickey Sheen
Coleman Hawkins & Roy Eldridge: Live at The Opera House. Freshsound FSR 556. Sept. 09. This CD contains the two complete sets by the Coleman Hawkins/Roy Eldridge quintet recorded it the fall of 1957 at the "Civic Opera House" in Chicago (stereo) and at the "Shrine Auditorium" in Los Angeles (mono). An astonishing surprise is the rhythm section, which consists of three quarters of the Modern Jazz Quartet: John Lewis, Percy Heath and Connie Kay. They swing hard, proving they were versatile enough to change their style when accompanying their two elders.
FSR 347 Coleman Hawkins and His All-Stars: The Complete Jazztone Recordings 1954. With Coleman Hawkins (ts) , Billy Taylor (p), Milt Hinton (b), Jo Jones (d) plus Emmett Berry (tp), Eddie Bert (tb. Recorded in New York, 1954.
FSR 1620 Tubby Hayes / Ronnie Scott: The Couriers of Jazz. England¹s greatest combo. With Tubby Hayes, Ronnie Scott (ts), Terry Shannon (p), Jeff Clyne (b), Bil Eyden (d. Recorded in London, 1958.
Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra: Not So Dukish. FSR 574. Feb. 2010. This 2CD gathers the following albums: "Blues A-Plenty" / "Side BY Side" / "Not So Dukish". This set also contains, as a bonus, three of the most consistently rewarding small Hodges units featuring Ben Webster, recorded between 1952-1954 and roughly patterned after "Rabbit" Hodges' classic combos of the 40's.
Johnny Hodges & His Orchestra: Perdido. FSR 572. Feb. 2010. These 1955 Johnny Hodges sessions feature two remarkable units including mostly musicians who had been long associated with Duke Ellington. Originally coming from the two albums "Perdido" and "Creamy"
Johnny Hodges: Johnny Hodges & The Eliington Men 1956-1957. FSR 573. Feb. 2010. This 2CD is the gathering of the following albums: "Ellingtonia '56" / "Duke's in Bed" / "The Big Sound". The formations range from large combo units to the full-fledged Ellington band (without Duke). Rich, rocking, blue-boned relaxation is the mood, and this set of Hodges-guided numbers is full of his inimitable swing and everpresent touches of warmth and humor.
Elmo Hope Trio: Plays His Own Compositions. FSR-CD 411. April 06. NY 1961 with Paul Chambers or Edward Warren on bass, Philly Joe Jones or Granville Hogan on drums.
Paul Horn: Plenty Of Horn. FSR 523. August 08. Hollywood, 1957-1958. Exceptional musicianship, fluidness, sensitivity and a thoughtful approach made these, Paul Horn's first recordings as a leader, a showcase of the range and the technical prowess of his playing.
Lena Horne: Sings Your Requests & Like Latin. FSR 525. August 08. Recorded in Hollywood in 1963 and with arrangements by Marty Paich, Bob Florence & Shorty Rogers
Milt Jackson: Quintet & Sextet with Lucky Thompson (FSR 730). Jan. 2013. Recorded in 1956 and 1957, featuring The Savoy "house" rhythm section of Hank Jones, Wendell Marshall and Kenny Clarke, one of the best integrated teams in the history of recorded jazz, and in action on most of these performances.
The Jazz Crusaders: "Freedom Sound" + "Lookin' Ahead" (FSR 751). Feb. 2013. The usual 24-bit remastered 2LPs on 1 CD ... both albums respectively recorded on May 24, 1961 and January 7 & 19, 1962. The bass player on both albums was at that time Jimmy Bond. Freedom Sound also featured on two tracks guitarist the rather unknown Roy Gaines
Jazzmen: Detroit (FSR 645). July 2011. The complete sessions that produced this classic 1950s Motor City album, gathered here for the first time, are living proof of what a great spawning ground Detroit was for modern jazz: The rhythm section is a finely-knit unit, flowing, full-sounding but not overbearing, with Paul Chambers and his full, resonant sound, associated to Kenny Clarke, the doyen of contemporary bop drummers. Tommy Flanagan is on piano, with his customary unhurried, functional taste and sensitive touch. The stellar quintet is completed by two of the best young jazzmen then around in guitarist Kenny Burrell and baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams. Eloquent, dynamic and inventive, this is Detroit jazz at its finest!
Art Farmer Benny Golson's Jazztet: "Here & Now" + "Another Git Together" + "Plays John Lewis" (FSR 755). Feb. 2013. This 2CD gathers the entire output of this successful cult band, including as bonus the takes made for their singles!
Joe Harriott Quintet, The: Southern Horizons / Free Form / Abstract. 3 LPs on 2 CDs (FSR 826). Sept. 2014. Recorded between 1959 and 1962. On those albums, pianist Pat Smythe is a huge asset to the group in an exceptional rhythm section with Coleridge Goode and the brilliant drummer Phil Seamen, later replaced by a returning Bobby Orr.
FSR-CD371Hank Jones: The New York Rhythm Section. New York City, 1956. With special guest Jimmy Cleveland on trombone.
J.J. Johnson Quintet: Complete Recordings Featuring Bobby Jaspar (FSR 538). Jan.09. CD1: New York, 1956-1957 and CD2: New York and Live "Cafe Bohemia" New York, 1957. With Elvin Jones on drums, brother Hank or Tommy Flanagan on piano, Percy Heath or Wilbur Little on bass.
Hank Jones: Piano Solo. FSR483. Feb.08. Jones is a complete jazz pianist in that he can be his own rhythm section if he has to. Underneath the flowing gentleness of his lines is a firm, two-handed beat that sometimes distils stride traces of his early influences - Waller, Tatum, Wilson, and Nat King Cole. And because of the intelligence and emotional acumen of his musicianship, he can make even the venerable standards included here sound freshly minted and personal again.
Hank Jones: The Trio. FSR480. Feb.08. Recorded in Hackensack, New Jersey, in 1955. This features bassist Wendell Marshall and the always swinging drummer Kenny Clarke plus Jerome Richardson on flute and tenor sax.
FSR-CD371Hank Jones: The New York Rhythm Section. New York City, 1956. With special guest Jimmy Cleveland on trombone.
FSR-CD371Hank Jones: The New York Rhythm Section. New York City, 1956. With special guest Jimmy Cleveland on trombone.
Joe Jones: The Joe Jones Special. FSR1635. June 08. New York City, 1955. This was the drummer's first album as a leader. On 4 of the album's 7 tracks he fronted a septet with Nat Pierce on piano. One hornman especially excels here: tenor saxophonist Lucky Thompson. On two tracks, the special guest star is no one else than Count Basie!
Quincy Jones and His Orchestra: Around the World + I Dig Dancers. FSR 689. Feb. 2012. The two albums included in this set - respectively recorded at Fine Recording Studios, New York City, January 24, February 21, 23 & 27, 1961 and at Barclay's Hoche Studio, Paris, February 27 & 29, and April 21, 1960 - are tremendously effective performances, brilliantly recorded. Around the World was aimed at fans who like their quality big band music easy on the ear, for though there is some nice soloing by Clark Terry, Phil Woods, Sahib Shihab and Benny Bailey, these are primarily lushly voiced atmospheric arrangements delivered by a brilliant, airy and swinging band. I Dig Dancers was, as the title indicates, aimed at attracting dancers and securing an identity for the band as a dance organization.
Richie Kamuca Quartet & Octet : Tenor Ahead. FSR2255 (Jazz City Series). April 10. Recorded in L.A. in 56 & 57, this CD set aims to revive an essential part of the musical legacy of a rare and unforgettable talent, a superb tenor saxophonist who deserved better recognition in his lifetime. He led a fine well-rounded career in big bands and his gifts as a soloist made him much in demand in small groups. If, initially, his languid, laid-back swing, light tone and lithe phrasing marked him as a Lester Young alumnus, over the years he developed into a hard-driving soloist with a distinctive style of his own.
The Music of Fred Katz. FSR 521. August 08. Fred Katz was a concert cellist who found recognition through Chico Hamilton's quintet (featured here), and full-blown, open-minded freedom from his jazz transfusion. Part of this double CD is the music of the film "Sweet Smell of Success" from 1957.
Lee Konitz: Lee Konitz Meets Jimmy Giuffre. FSR 565. Jan. 10. Two collaboration albums are here gathered on one CD. The album giving the title was recorded in 1959 and featured Giuffre as soloist and arranger of a five-piece saxophone section. It also features pianist Bill Evans.On the other album "You and Lee", Jimmy employed only a brass section and rhythm to back the altoist. He chose to keep the brass tightly muted, working always as a section, with no individual solos. In all, these sessions are a skillful, fascinating mixture of tonal beauty and emotional improvising.
FSRCD-364 Steve Lacy: Early Years 1954 - 1956. Complete studio recordings (2CD).
FSR-CD 1631 Pete La Roca: Turkish Women At The Bath. With John Gilmore (ts), Chick Corea (p) and Walter Booker (b). Recorded: New York, May 25, 1967 (Alan Douglas sessions).
FSR 348 Yusef Lateef: Lost in sound. With Yusef Lateef (ts), Vincent Pitts (tp) John Hormon (p), Ray McKinny (b) George Scott, Cliff Jarvis (d. Recorded in New York City, 1961.
Yussef Lateef: Complete 1957 Sessions with Hugh Lawson. FSR492. April 08. 4CD boxset with 32p. booklet. 24-bit remastered. Lateef plays here tenor and flute with a compelling directness and overpowering honesty, surrounded by a nucleus of Detroiters like Curtis Fuller, Ernie Farrow, Louis Hayes, Oliver Jackson, Wilbur Harden and, especially, Hugh Lawson, whose rolling, two-handed piano is as exciting in solo as it is in his intelligent comping.
Yusef Lateef Quintet: "The Dreamer" & "The Fabric of Jazz" (FSR 872). 2 LPs on 1 CD, 24 bit digitally remastered. Sept. 2015. 1959 session produced for Savoy and originally issued on two albums, showing the versatility of Lateef as instrumentalist and composer.
Teo Macero & Wally Cirillo Jazz Composers Workshop: Explorations. FSRCD 409. April 06. New York City, 1953. Hackensack, N.J., 1955 and featuring among others bassist Charles Mingus, drummer Kenny Clarke. When these pioneering efforts in the evolution of modern music were released, most critics considered them too complex; they were defined as controversial, abstract and absurdly avant-garde. Now, fifty years later, these early Jazz Composers Workshop recordings have become not only accessible, but widely accepted; they have contributed to open up all kind of musical doors.
The Junior Mance Trio: FSR 684. Feb. 2012. This 2CD gathers material from the following albums: The Soulful Piano of Junior Mance (Plaza Sound Studios, NYC, October 25, 1960) / Big Chief! (same place, August 1, 1961) / Junior Mance Trio At the Village Vanguard (recorded Live at the Village Vanguard, NYC, February 22 & 23, 1961) and finally some Broadcast Performances Live at Birdland, NYC, June 25, October 21 & November 25, 1961.
The Junior Mance Trio: Junior. FSR 582. April 10. Recorded in New York City on April 9th, 1959 with Lex Humphries on drums and Ray Brown on bass. Two bonus tracks are coming from a 1954 session in Chicago, this time with Israel Crosby on bass and Buddy Smith on drums.
Henry Mancini & His Orchestra & Chorus: Something for Audrey and Other Lovely Movie Sounds. All these pieces belong to movies from the Sixties, his most prolific years and the ones in which Mancini won the most awards of his brilliant career.
The Mangione Brothers Sextet & Quintet: The Jazz Brothers (60) + Hey Baby! (61) + Spring Fever (61). FSR 675. Three albums on two CDs, 24-bit digitally remastered in stereo. Jan. 2012. The Jazz Brothers was an amazing band considering it was formed by a group of youngsters that Cannonball Adderley introduced on Riverside Records in 1960. Just how amazing can be gauged from the fact that several subsequently became major figures in their own right. The band's youthful brashness was combined with considerable sensitivity in its search for a group sound, reminiscent in some ways of the Jazz Messengers or the Horace Silver quintet. The group used a powerful approach and sustained it remarkably well, with clean, crisp ensembles, vigorous and brightly voiced. Trumpeter Chuck Mangione, at only 19, already possessed a lovely tone and an innate, relaxed sense of phrasing. Sal Nistico, 20, already a very forceful musician, contributes consistenly interesting solos. Brother Gap Mangione, 22, is a strong, prodding accompanist and arranger
Herbie Mann: Do the Bossa Nova with Herbie Mann - Complete Brazilian Sessions (FSR 752). Feb. 2013. The main body of this CD set consists of the 8 tracks recorded in 1962 with Sergio Mendes & Bossa Rio, to which have been added 5 more tracks from the same period but other meetings: 3 tracks with Baden Powell, one with Bossa Tres, with drummer Edison Machado and finally one track conceived for the occasion, with a 17-piece percussion group recruited from the "Escola de Samba".
Herbie Mann's Afro-Jazz Sextet: African Suite plus The Herbie Mann Nonet - Flute, Brass,Vibes & Percussion (FSR 654). Sept. 2011. Reissue of two albums from 1959, featuring many first class percussionists, from Carlos "Patato" Valdés to 2 x Ray (Mantilla + Barretto); also present on three tracks is drummer Philly Joe Jones
Shelly Manne & His Men: Septet and Quintet Sessions 1951-1958 - Here's That Manne. FSR2251. July 09. 3CD Set + 60-page booklet illustrated. Opening with his first recordings as a leader for Dee Gee Records in 1951 (Chicago) and 1952 (Los Angeles), this collection covers both these septet sessions and the great series of all-star septet and quintet recordings made for Contemporary
Charlie Mariano: Plays Alto and Tenor. FSRCD 396. On these 1955 quartet sessions, recorded on July 11, 1955, whether on alto or tenor saxophone, we hear Charlie Mariano play some of the strongest and most impressive sides he had recorded until then. He was backed by a solid rhythm section, featuring the stabbing and leanly imaginative pianist John Williams, the striding beat of Max Bennett and the always tasteful drumming of Mel Lewis
FSR-CD 5042 Jon Mayer Trio: Strictly Confidential. Features bassist Chuck Israels and drummer Arnie Wise alongside leader and pianist Jon Mayer. Recorded in Hollywood, California on February 6, 2003, 45 years after their first *come together* in the fall of 1959 when they were engaged to perform in Madrid and in Barcelona.
The Charlie Mariano / Jerry Dodgion Sextet: The Vamp's Blues. FSR 520. August 08. Hollywood session from 1957 with drummer Shelly Manne, vibist Vic Feldman, pianist Jimmy Rowles and bass player Monty Budwig
Les Mccann: "Sings" + "Pretty Lady"(FSR 757). Feb. 2013. The first album revealed the pianist as a vocalist with something to say and mixed trio tracks with other for large ensemble, distinguished by the musicality and presence arranger and conductor Gerald Wilson. On "Pretty Lady", we're back to trio and the prevailing mood is a quiet, late-night, reflective one. Both albums were recorded in 1961.
Les Mccann Ltd.: "Plays The Shampoo at the Village Gate" + "In New York" (FSR 754). Feb. 2013. The usual 24-bit remastered 2LPs on 1 CD ... both albums recorded live at the Village Gate in 1961. Both are a testimony of the tightly-knit trio McCann had forged with bass player Herbie Lewis and drummer Ron Jefferson. The second album had the serendipitous addition of blowers Blue Mitchell (trumpet) and Stanley Turrentine (saxophone)
Les McCann Ltd. In San Francisco: Recorded Live at the Jazz Workshop Complete Recordings. FSR 682. March 2012. Trio recordings live at the Jazz Workshop, San Francisco, December 1960; tracks culled from the album with the same title and another one tiled "From the Top of the Barrel"
Les McCann Ltd.: Plays the Shout (FSR 656). Sept. 2011. Recorded live at The Bit, Hollywood, July 16 & 17th, 1960. Same trio as below.
Les McCann Ltd.: Plays the Truth (FSR 646). July 2011. This was the pianist's first trio record, recorded in February 1960, in which the walking bass of Leroy Vinnegar and direct swing of drummer Ron Jefferson were the perfect esthetic compliment to his music. This release also includes two rare tracks by the original trio, only issued on a Pacific Jazz single, plus a complete session recorded that same year (originally released as "A Bag of Gold"), with bassist Herbie Lewis replacing Vinnegar and two newcomers, vibist Bobby Hutcherson and tenor saxophonist Curtis Amy.
Howard McGhee: Maggie's Back in Town!! + Together Again!!!! + Dusty Blue (FSR 679). Three albums on two CDs, 24-bit digitally remastered in stereo. Jan. 2012. After falling into a decline that kept him in almost total obscurity through the 50's, this contemporary of Dizzy Gillespie recorded, as leader, the three albums included here, one for Bethlehem and the other two for Contemporary. The passage of time has somewhat dimmed the luster of his name, but his vital, imaginative work on these dates is that of a truly great player, not an obscure talent deserving of wider recognition. Add a plethora of great players: Phineas Newborn Jr., Shelly Manne, Ray Brown, Ed Thigpen, Pepper Adams, Ron Carter, Tommy Flanagan and more ...
Ken Mcintyre: Stone Blues / Looking Ahead / Honi Gordon Sings. 3LPs on 2 CDs (FSR 827). Sept. 2014. Recorded between 1960 & 1962, with Eric Dolphy on the 2nd album (together with Sam Jones, Walter Bishop and Art Taylor, evidently the most well furnished from the three albums!)
Dave McKenna: Blues Up. FSR 463. August 07. Piano solo debut album from 1955, completed with another solo album he cut almost eight years later for the label Realm.
Jackie McLean: Presenting ... Jackie McLean. FSRCD 1634. This digipack Deluxe Edition features the original cover art. Altoist Jackie McLean made his recording debut as a leader in 1955 with this album when he was 24. He is here in full command of his musical gifts and plays with a lot of guts, drive, heated emotion, and a good beat. On these early days Jackie's concept and playing still reflected a strong Bird-influence, but he was not far from finding his own style and voice. This set is certainly worth hearing, and the presence of trumpeter Donald Byrd, another young lion, is definitely a plus. Listening to these sides we can understand why Byrd and McLean later became major jazz voices. Completing the line-up are pianist Mal Waldron, bassist Doug Watkins and the surely lesser known drummer Ronald Tucker
Carmen Mcrae: Sings "Lover Man" and other Billie Holiday Classics & Dave Brubeck's Compositions (FSR 740). Feb. 2013. 2 LPs are gathered here, recorded in New York in 1961. The "Billie Holliday" album features among other cornetist Nat Adderley, the other session the Dave Brubeck Quartet, with the guesting visit on one track of trimpeter & vocalist Louis Armstrong
Carmen McRae: Carmen For Cool Ones & Mad About The Man (FSR 670). Jan. 2012. 2 LPs on 1 CD (58 & 57), 24-bit digitally remastered. On "For Cool Ones", the singer is backed by various studio groups, all directed by cellist Fred Katz, on which she sings a dozen tunes with a mature, natural style that epitomized her approach. On "Mad About the Man", she explores a dozen Coward tunes - some romantic, some touchingly perceptive and all sophisticated - this time backed by three studio groups directed by Jack Pleis, with with her own rhythm section (Ray Bryant, piano; Ike Isaacs, bass; Specs Wright, drums) in place throughout.
Carmen McRae: The Complete Kapp Recordings (FSR 677). Jan. 2012. Three albums on two CDs, 24-bit digitally remastered in stereo: Book of Ballads (58) + When You're Away (59) + Something to Swing About (59). If the two first albums present the singer accompanied by an orchestra arranged and conducted by Frank Hunter, the last one has Ernie Wilkins as arranger and conductor.
Carmen McRae: Woman Talk - Live at the Village Gate & the Half Note. FSR 603. Oct. 10. Reissue on 1 CD of the LPs "Woman Talk" (Village Gate 1965) and "Live & Hailing" (Half Note 1966)
Helen Merrill: Dream Of You. FSR489. Feb. 08. This new digipack CD gathers actually not only "Dream Of You", an album made in 1956-57 in New York with the excelling arranger skills of Gil Evans but also "At Midnight", recorded six monthes after and featuring another arranger: Hal Mooney
Nando Michelin Trio: Duende (FSR 271). Reissue of this album, featuring the new star of acoustic bass Esperanza Spalding. The album has been grammy award winner in 2011.
Charles Mingus: Jazz Workshop 1957-1958 East Coasting & A Modern Jazz Symposium of Music and Poetry (FSR 535). Jan. 09. Reissue of two early albums on a double CD
Charles Mingus and his Jazz Composers Workshop: The Complete Savoy and Period Master Takes (Digipack Limited Edition). FSRCD391. Recorded In New Jersey and New York City, 1954. These 1954 recordings represent the grass roots from where all the innovative forms and expressions of "tomorrow's" jazz conceived by Mingus really began. 12 Tracks: Purple Heart / Gregarian Chant / Eulogy for Rudy Williams / Tea for Two / Getting Together / What is This Thing Called Love? / Stormy Weather / Minor Intrusion / Abstractions / Thrice Upon a Theme / Four Hands / The Spur of the Moments - Echonitus
The Modern Jazz Quartet: At Music Inn (FSR 630). April 2011. Recorded on August 28th 1958 and with special guest Sonny Rollins on saxophone, this session took place while the MJQ was the Inn's "jazz group in residence" during the annual three-week workshop course under John Lewis' direction.
Thelonious Monk Quartet: "Two Hours with Thelonious" European Concerts (FSR 745). Feb. 2013. 24 Bit digitally remastered, 2 Lps On 2 Cds. This double CD covers the entire concerts at L'Olympia, Paris, April 18, 1961 (CD 1 #1-10 & CD 2 #1 & 2) and at Teatro Lirico, Milan, April 21, 1961 (CD 2 #3-10). If Charlie Rouse seems the pianist's alter ego, bass player John Ore and druummer Frankie Dunlop reacted beautifully and supplied a solid rhythm support throughout.
Wes, Buddy & Monk Montgomery: The Montgomeryland Sessions plus Horns & Strings by Gerald Wilson (FSR 651). Sept. 2011. The celebrated performances here, among the first that Wes Montgomery recorded, come from 1958 and 1959 and feature his brothers, the skillful Buddy at the piano and the steady, driving Monk on electric bass; Harold Land, whose robustly inventive tenor sax contrasts beautifully with the guitarist's more gentle conception, is second only to him in solo honors. After Wes Montgomery died in 1968, producer Dick Bock reissued some of the tracks from these sessions, in some cases edited with overdubs within the framework of a brass or a string section to add colour to the proceedings. They were created and arranged by Gerald Wilson, who did his best to support Montgomery, whose guitar wends like a golden thread through the music.
The Montgomery Brothers: The Montgomery Brothers (60) + Groove Yard (61). FSR 671. Jan. 2012. 2 LPs on 1 CD 24-bit digitally remastered. On Groove Yard, drummer Bobby Thomas replaces Lawrence Marable
Tete Montoliu Trio: A Tot Jazz!. FSR448. May 2007. Originally released on two albums and taken from 1965 sessions in Barcelona with bassist Eric Peter and drummer Billy Brooks, the music is now gathered on one CD!
Brew Moore in Europe: Svingtet 14 (FSR 840). Sept. 2014. This CD reissues the album "Svingtet 14", recorded in Copenhagen, September 26th, 1962 and featuring among other bass player Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen and Swedish saxophonist Lars Gullin. The CD is completed with 5 bonus tracks (4 recorded in 1962 in Denmark and one coming from a Swedish radio broadcast)
Brew Moore: Quartet & Quintet Sessions 1955-1958 (FSR 705). June 2012. Lesterian tenor saxophonist Brew Moore spent much of his career like an archetypal Fifties counterculture icon, always on the move, turning up in New York or San Francisco, Copenhagen or Stockholm for a year or so, playing beautifully and then disappearing. Unsurprisingly, he left very few recordings, particularly of his early US career, which makes this collection, recorded on the West Coast, particularly valuable. Among the capable West Coasters surrounding him are guitarist Eddie Duran and the Latin influenced vibraphonist Cal Tjader
FSR-CD 357 Lee Morgan: Unforgettable Lee! Live at Birdland featured with Art Blakey¹s Jazz Messengers. Lee Morgan (tp) with Wayne Shorter (ts), Bobby Timmons, Walter Davis Jr. (p), Jymie Merrit (b) and Art Blakey (d). Recorded Live at Birdland Club, New York City, 1960.
Lee Morgan / Clifford Jordan Quintet: Live in Baltimore 1968. 24-bit digitally remastered (FSR 824). Sept. 2014. Recorded live at the Royal Arms, Baltimore, Maryland, July 1968, with Ed Blackwell on drums, John Hicks on piano and Reggie Workman on bass
Gerrry Mulligan: And the Concert Jazz Band Santa Monica 1960 (FSR 710). July 2012. The complete concert is presented for the first time ever in its entirety - the previously released Mosaic box set included only six of the 19 performances recorded at Santa Monica - as a double digipack (2cds) with an excellent stereo sound quality; it includes a 12-page illustrated booklet with extended notes. Though studded with stellar names, it was a close-knit team, with Zoot Sims as the featured guest soloist.
Gerry Mulligan / Paul Desmond Quartet: Blues In Time. FSR 519. June 08. Hollywood 1957. Despite a couple of planned unison lines, arrangement was kept to a minimum. And, as befits such a spectacularly happy union, it produced spontaneous creative combustion of the first order, full of excitement and felicitous surprises.
Gerry Mulligan Sextet: The San Diego Concert 1954 (The Beginning!) and the Complete Studio Sessions 1955-1956. FSRCD417. This 3-CD set features the complete recordings by one of the most exciting ensembles Gerry Mulligan ever led; including a 16-page booklet with photos and liner notes by Alun Morgan especially written for this project.
Oliver Nelson: "Meet Oliver Nelson" + "Main Stem" (FSR 732). Jan. 2013. Recorded in Englewood Cliffs, NJ, October 30, 1959, the first album featured trumpetist Kenny Dorham as battle partner on the first line, while on the second album Joe Newman had this privilege; "Meet Oliver Nelson" marked the leader recording debut of Oliver Nelson as tenor saxophonist.
Phineas Newborn Jr. Trio: Piano Portraits. FSR 578. Feb. 2010. This is the gathering of the two albums "Piano Portraits" and "I Love A Piano", both recorded in New York in 1959 with Roy Haynes on drums and the lesser known bass player John Simmons
Joe Newman: The Complete Swingville Sessions (FSR 672). Jan. 2012. Three albums on two CDs, 24-bit digitally remastered in stereo. "Jive at Five" (60), "Good 'n' Groovy" (61), "Joe's Hap?nin's" (61). All recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, with pianist Tommy Flanagan present on all three albums
Joe Newman and His Band: The 1954-1955 Vanguard, Storyville & Jazztone Sessions. FSR 586. 29/06/10. On these sides recorded in 1955 and presented on a 2CD, Joe Newman (the ideal example of the merger of two jazz generations) leads groups partly composed of Basie sidemen
Cecil Payne & Duke Jordan: 1956-1962 Sessions featuring Kenny Dorham & Johnny Coles. FSR481. Feb. 08. This CD is the gathering on one CD of two LPs: Patterns of Jazz (1956) and "East And West of Jazz" (1962). It contains some of the most successful encounters recorded in the early years of the two musicians' relationship. On the 1962 session, the muted work and warm sound of another trumpeter - Johnny Coles - is in evidence. In the rhythm section, Wendell Marshall on bass and drummer Walter Bolden tie the time down with taste and complete assurance.
Duke Pearson Trio: Profile & Tender Feelin's. Fresh Sound Records (FSR 638). June 2011. Two albums on 1 CD, 24-bit digitally remastered. Recorded in 1959 in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. This brilliant pianist was not afraid of unabashed romanticism, a quality very much in evidence throughout his improvisations on these trio performances and expressed through his gentle, warm, almost sensuous touch. Alongside him, bassist Gene Taylor's work is unfailingly impeccable, and Lex Humphries provides ample confirmation of his reputation as a sensitive, thoroughly reliable drummer.
FSR-CD 344 The Pepper-Knepper Quintet. Pepper Adams (bars), Jimmy Knepper (tb) with Wynton Kelly (p, organ), Doug Watkins (b) and Elvin Jones (d). Recorded in New York City, March 25, 1958.
Art Pepper: The Art of Pepper. FSRCD378. This CD presents the complete master takes from the legendary 1957 "Omega Sessions". The first twelve tracks were originally marketed on two 7 1/2 i.p.s. reel-to-reel stereophonic tapes by the Omegatape label, between 1957 and 1958. Since then, these recordings have been reissued on both LP and CD on different labels, but appear here for the first time in their entirety with two previously unreleased tracks.
FSR-CD 358 Art Pepper Quintet: Live at Donte's 1968. This 2CD is maybe the only document available of Art Pepper in this period, away from the Buddy Rich band.
Charles Persip And The Jazz Statesmen (FSR 687). Feb. 2012. Recorded in New York City, June 17, 1961 and featuring among other Ron Carter and trumpetist Freddie Hubbard, this CD also benefits of the addition of another album: "Pleasure Bent" (61) by saxophonist Roland Alexander, also present on the first, as well as trumpetist Marcus Belgrave who on this very rare follow-up quintet recording with Alexander as leader, replaces Hubbard
Oscar Peterson Trio: Swinging Brass with the Oscar Peterson Trio + The Jazz Soul. Fresh Sound Records (FSR 636). June 2011. Two albums on 1 CD, 24-bit digitally remastered. Recorded in Hollywood on November 5th, 1959 and Chicago between July 21st and August 1st, 1959. The trio itself included bassist Ray Brown and drummer Ed Thigpen; On "Swinging Brass with Oscar Peterson" a fresh setting is added to the vitality of the trio work by the imaginative writing of versatile arranger Russ Garcia.
Oscar Peterson Trio: Plays My Fair Lady, Porgy And Bess and Fiorello! Fresh Sound Records (FSR 637). June 2011. This set is a thoroughly engaging collection of performances from three albums the Oscar Peterson Trio devoted to three well-known Broadway shows. My Fair Lady was recorded in 1958, in the interval between the departure of guitarist Herb Ellis and the arrival of drummer Ed Thigpen. Occupying the drum chair for this date is Gene Gammage, who fits in seamlessly with the peerless Ray Brown. Thigpen comes in for the remaining albums, Porgy and Bess (1959) and Fiorello! (1960) and locks into place one of the greatest of all the Peterson trios.
The Oscat Peterson Trio: Live at The Opera House and at The Shrine Auditorium. FSR 564. Nov. 09. This superb CD contains two Oscar Peterson Trio concerts taped during JATP's last American tour in 1957. With Herb Ellis & Ray Brown
Oscar Pettiford: Nonet & Octet. FSR 453. July 07. This tasteful album features a highly seasoned mixture of skilled associates. The presence of Ellington sidemen all point to Duke's influence that pervades the nonet date on this CD, highlighting top-rate arrangements by Quincy Jones and Gigi Gryce. Both solo and ensemble work throughout are sharply exciting. On the octet session, the varied program consists of originals arranged by Ernie Wilkins, Tommy Talbert, Tom Whaley, and Gryce again. Maintaining an all-important vigor in execution, Oscar Pettiford and his groups add life and depth to their arrangers' ideas with their individual and collective unity of feeling.
Oscar Pettiford Quartet, Quintet & Sextet: In A Cello Mood. FSR 452. July 07. Recorded in NYC in the period 1952 to 1954. In the early 50's Oscar Pettiford was internationally acclaimed not only as a phenomenal bassist, but also as the first man to have made extensive use of the cello as a jazz solo vehicle. His work on cello with the various small groups he led since 1950 is now a matter of music history.
Herb Pomeroy & His Orchestra: Band in Boston. FSR571. Feb. 2010. The Herb Pomeroy big band was already a Boston institution when it stood New York's Birdland on its ear for two weeks in May 1957. It was a brassy, exciting and swinging 16-piece powerhouse, strong on ensembles and admirably disciplined. The band sought variety, rather than being a prisoner to any one style, which was all to the good, considering its fine writing and even better playing precision; its book was wholly its own, including scores by the leader and members of the band. A stunning roster of soloists included besides the leader Joe Gordon and Charlie Mariano among other. And a further plus was the fact that Zoot Sims was featured as a guest tenor soloist on the band's first album. Any big band fan is sure to enjoy this set tremendously. Originally coming from 2 LPs: "Life Is A Many Splendored Gig" and "Band in Boston".
Julian Priester Quintet & Sextet: "Keep Swingin'" & "Spiritsville" (FSR 643). July 2011. Recorded in N.Y.C. in 1960, those two albums marked the leader debut of trombonist Julian Priester on record. Blessed with a fluent technique, a stirringly deep-down sound and a light, sure tone, he was a commanding soloist with unfailing swing and ideas. But he also stood out as a jazz composer with the intriguing ability to always bring fresh ideas to his compositions and an earthy command of the blues. Among the players are pianists Tommy Flanagan or McCoy Tyner, the great bass player Sam Jones, drummers Art Taylor & Elvin Jones, tenor saxophonist Jimmy Heath and a few more ....
Joe Puma: The Jazz Guitar of Joe Puma - Featuring Bill Evans, Eddie Costa & Don Elliott. FSR 435. Recorded in New York City, 1954-1957. This CD is a swinging, warm set of well-thought out sessions, that manage to retain essential spontaneity meaningfully throughout the solos. Puma's approach is tasteful, gentle and unpretentious, and his finely-etched, sensitive guitar playing garnered the respect of his fellow musicians and such critical acclaim as the 1957 New Star award for his instrument in the poll conducted by Metronome magazine.
Paul Quinichette / Charlie Rouse: The Chase Is On + Taylor's Tenors (FSR 669). Jan. 2012. 2 LPs on 1 CD, 24-bit digitally remastered. While the first album comes from a New York session from 1957, the second album was done under the name of drummer Art Taylor two years later. On both albums, the two tenors tested the old idea of a tenor battle, instigated by Lester Young and Herschel Evans in the original Count Basie band, where they were the alpha males competing for supremacy. The music that emerged from both encounters, mature, powerful and swinging, redolent of its era while somehow transcending it, has stood the test of time remarkably well.
JImmy Raney: In Three Attitudes + Featuring Bob Brookmeyer (FSR 625). April 2011. Two albums recorded in New York in 1956. The performances on the first feature Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn and Red Mitchell and their presence adds to the tonal palette and avoids the similarity in tonal color of most guitar records. Brookmeyer is also on the second album, as well as pianist Hank Jones and other players
Jimmy Raney Quintet: Complete Recordings 1954-1956. FSR 423 (Digipack Deluxe Edition). These recordings established Jimmy Raney (1927-1995) as a leading modern jazz guitarist and introduced two potentially major young jazz talents: trumpeter John Wilson and altoist Phil Woods. The recordings also feature drummer Joe Morello
Sonny Red: Breezing + A Story Tale + The Mode + Images. FSR 691. Feb. 2012. Those four albums gathered on this double CD (24-bit stereo digitally remastered) were mostly recorded at the Plaza Sound Studios in 1960-61 and present the widely experienced, Detroit-born altoist Sonny Red, inspired by Charlie Parker and then Jackie McLean; he was an archetypal Motor City bopper, who, like many of his confreres there, also absorbed the blues-drenched lines of pianist Bud Powell. Forthright, direct, unpretentious, a skilled soloist with a strong feeling for the blues, he played and recorded with some of the finest jazzmen around. The presence here of such luminous talents as, most notably, pianist Barry Harris, along with fellow pianist Tommy Flanagan, trumpeter Blue Mitchell, saxophonists Clifford Jordan and Yusef Lateef, and guitarist Grant Green left no doubt about his stature among them. Despite this and the fact that he also worked with plenty of reknowned musicians, he never quite made the breakthrough his skills suggested he would and his recordings have been difficult to find. This collection of quartet, quintet and sextet settings brings together four albums he made for the Jazzland label during one of the most productive spells of his career and shows why he was held in such esteem by his contemporaries.
Don Redman and His Orchestra feat. Coleman Hawkins: At The Swing Cats Ball. FSRCD393. The music in this CD is a compilation of two sessions recorded in New York in 1957 (April 1957 + July 22 & 26, 1957). On the first one, you may be surprised to hear Hank Jones on organ (and also on piano of course).
Buddy Rich and His Buddies: Playtime (FRS 724). Jan. 2013. This 2CD set includes the album, recorded in Chicago in 1960 but also an unissued Argo album recorded at Ter-Mar Studios, Chicago, around January 1961. It also includes eight bonus tracks from a NBC radio broadcast in October 1961. Let's note the presence (on Playtime and the NBC broadcast) of a young vibist who later would achieve fame: Mike Mainieri!
The Swinging Buddy Rich: West Coast All-Star Sessions. Arrangements by Johnny Mandel & Marty Paich. FSR 552. June 09. The two albums "The Swinging Buddy Rich" and "This One's For Basie" are gathered on this CD and presents several formations (Buddy Rich's All-star / nonet / orchestra) recorded in Hollywood between 1953 and 1956.
Max Roach + Four: Complete 1959-1960 Studio Recordings (FSR 666). Jan. 2012. 4 LPs on 2 CDs, 24-bit digitally remastered. After overcoming the creative crisis brought about by the death of his trumpeter and co-leader Clifford Brown in 1956, and having disbanded his new quintet with Booker Little and George Coleman, Max Roach kept his faith in the strength of hard bop and reformed his piano-less group Max Roach Plus Four in 1959. This time he put his trust in a band of young jazzmen that included the Turrentine brothers Stanley and Tommy, on tenor sax and trumpet respectively, trombonist Julian Priester, bassist Bob Boswell and, occasionally, pianists Ray Bryant or Cedar Walton. This 2-CD set gathers the complete studio recordings this group made - Moon Faced and Starry Eyed, Quiet as It's Kept (both from 1960), Abbey Is Blue (from 59, with his back then wife Abbey Lincoln) and Parisian Sketches, recorded on March 1st, 1960 - thus giving new life to one of the least known periods in Max Roach's intense jazz career.
FSR-CD 377 Max Roach / Clifford Brown Quintet: The Historic California Concerts 1954. Including previously unedited material. These historic concerts are now issued in their most complete versions for the first time as a digipack special edition. The recordings took place at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, April 1954 and the Shrine Auditorium, Hollywood, August 30, 1954.
Red Rodney: Quintets 1955-1959 Borrowed Times. FSR 554. June 09. The 3 albums "Modern Music From Chicago" (on Fantasy), "Red Rodney" (on Signal) and "Red Rodney Returns" (on Argo) are gathered on this 2CD, presenting music recorded in Chicago (1955), Hackensack (1957) and Philadelphia (1959). Several first class drummers are to be found: Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones, Philly Joe Jones alongside bass player Oscar Pettiford, pianist Tommy Flanagan and many other
Sonny Rollins & Co.: "The Bridge" featuring Jim Hall - Complete 1962 Sessions (FSR 748). Feb. 2013. This packaging is a bit awkward, as it couples on top of the entire Bridge album only 4 of the 6 tunes making the album What's Next, recorded a few monthes later.
Sonny Rollins: and The Big Brass, Trio & Quintet (FSR 649). Sept. 2011. CD reissue of two albums made in 57 & 58. The Big Brass session, with arrangements penned by Ernie Wilkins, were featuring a golden rythm section, with Henry Grimes on bass and legendary drummer Roy Haynes.
Charlie Rouse Quartet & Quintet (FSR 700). May 2012. Impossible to find a short title, as this 2CD (24-bit digitally remastered) gathers four albums:
Yeah! + We Paid Our Dues! present the quartet, featuring among other Reggie Workman & Art Taylor, recorded in 1960 & 61
Takin' Care Of Business! is recorded in New York City on May 11th, 1960. It features the quintet, with Blue Mitchell on trumpet
Gettin' Into Somethin' is instead attributed to the Dave Bailey Sextet, featuring among other Clark Terry, Horace Parlan, Curtis Fuller.
Ernie Royal: Accent On Trumpet. FSRCD 403. In the first eight tracks, recorded on November 26, 1955, we can hear him during a session in New York fronting an All-Star Mainstream sextet, featuring Oscar PettifordBilly Taylor as highlighted soloists beside him. This compilation also contains the recordings he made in Paris in 1950 when he was on a European tour with Duke Ellington's band. The line up included some of the best Ellington sidemen, three famous French musicians - among others bassist Pierre Michelot - and two outstanding American boppers who were then living in Paris: tenorist James Moody and drummer Kenny Clarke. For the first time on CD, and despite his extensive and brilliant career, here are the only recordings Ernie Royal did as leader of a jazz ensemble.
Bill Russo & His Orchestra: School of Rebellion & Seven Deadly Sins. FSR 609. Oct. 10. Recorded at the Bell Sound Studio in New York City, March 7, 1960. 2LPs on 1 CD. The music from these two albums moves smoothly in an inevitable progression of organic growth, in a genuine "third stream" fusion of classical and jazz principles. It makes for richly rewarding listening.
Bill Russo: Portrait of an Intellectual Jazzman. FSR 527. Oct. 08. This CD compiles the most important of his early works (between 1951 and 1956), including "The World of Alcina", a ballet score in five dances which Russo defined as "a piece written in terms of my background in jazz".
Tony Scott Septet: Fingerpoppin': Complete Recordings 1954-1955. FSRCD415. The seven piece band assembled for these recordings - two saxes, trumpet, trombone, bass and drums - contributed a solid, haunting backdrop which bids fair to keep the aural arguments permanently in the forefront of the cool music league. The absence of guitar and piano helped configure the very special sound we hear - a solid groundwork over which Tony blows at his impressive best.
Bud Shank Quintet & Sextet: New Groove + Barefoot Adventure (FSR 678). Jan. 2012. Those sessions were recorded in L.A. in 1961, the first album having a rhythm section consisting of Mel Lewis on drums and a young Gary Peacock on bass; Lewis is replaced by Shelly Manne on the 2nd album; to complete the blowing section, Shank had among other hired the young and talented trumpeter Carmell Jones, just arrived to the L.A. scene from Kansas City, whose warmth and enthusiasm on both sides are contagious.
Bud Shank: Slippery When Wet. FSR 606. Oct. 10. Recorded at the World Pacific Studios, Hollywood, on April 18th, 1959. This was the original soundtrack of a film about surfboarders cavorting in Hawaii and featured among other Gary Peacock on bass.
Zoot Sims / Al Cohn / Phil Woods: Jazz Alive! A Night at The Half Note. FSR 1643. Recorded in February 1959, here is improvised modern jazz at its best, just as it was presented nightly at the Half Note, one of New York's top jazz spots! The recording took place during a successful Zoot Sims-Al Cohn quintet engagement early in 1959, with altoist Phil Woods joining in on two tunes. These performances give the listener ample opportunity to enjoy the solo improvisations and interplay of the saxophonists. The rhythm section is devoted primarily to back the hornmen, but Mose Allison's solo piano is not to be dismissed; neither is the presence of a young drummer .... Paul Motian!
Zoot Sims: Plays Tenor & 4 Altos. FSR 447 digipack. May 2007. This CD is another wholly swinging and moving recital by Zoot Sims on tenor and alto sax. All the charts feature attractive harmonic patterns and inventive melodic lines by George Handy, who is also part of the rhythm section for both sessions.
Zoot Sims: Plays Alto, Tenor and Baritone. FSR 434. The music is taken from 2 distinct albums. On the second album (tracks 9-16), through multiple taping, Zoot blows alto, tenor and baritone saxophones in unison, opening and closing passages, soloing individually on each horn on the body of George Handy's inventive compositions.
George Wein presents... Zoot Sims / Bob Brookmeyer Quintet: Tonite's Music Today. FSR 549. New York 1956. Theses fine sessions demonstrate not only the considerable solo jazz capacities of Zoot Sims and Bob Brookmeyer, but also the stimulation they enjoyed in each other's musical company, which inspired skillful, bracing and deceptively casual interplay. They remain among the most relaxed and informal small combo sessions produced by George Wein's Storyville Records. The rhythm sections are flexible and swinging, with pianist Hank Jones soloing with his usual refreshing combination of clear, flowing articulation, swinging taste, and structural sense.
"Something New, Something Blue" and Swinging "Guys And Dolls" are two albums conceived in 1959 to showcase the talents of 4 composer-arrangers: Manny Albam, Teddy Charles, Bill Russo and Teo Macero, working in that still undefined area of modern music in which jazz meets the more traditional "concert" forms. To perform the arrangements, an orchestra was set up: The Manhattan Jazz All-Stars, featuring the cream of jazz musicians back then, just look: Art Farmer, Donald Byrd, (tp), Frank Rehak, Bob Brookmeyer (tb), Phil Woods, Hal McKusick (as), Teo Macero, Zoot Sims, Al Cohn (ts), Julius Watkins (Frh), Bill Evans, Eddie Costa, Mal Waldron (p), George Duvivier, Aaron Bell (b), Jimmy Raney (g) ...
Sonny Stitt: Blows the Blues. FSR 591. 29/06/10. Gathering of the two LPs "Blows the Blues" and "The Hard Swing", recorded in 1959.
Sonny Stitt: Plays Jimmy Giuffre Arrangements. FSR 1640. Jan. 10. Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, 1959. Giuffre attains an effect of a larger group by his imaginative use of contrary motion and dissonance. His writing for bass and tuba adds much to the fullness and novelty of the arrangements. In contrast to the arranged sides, Giuffre joins Stitt and the rhythm section for two blues but even on these, the basic difference in conception of the two men is an evident tension vs. relaxation. This album achieves this contrast to a remarkable degree.
Sonny Stitt: Burnin' (FSR 536). Jan. 09. Recorded in Chicago in 1958 and showing Stitt both on alto and tenor saxes. Barry Harris is at the piano
Sonny Stitt: Plays Arrangements from the Pen of Johnny Richards and Quincy Jones (FSR 624). April 2011. This CD set contains two of Sonny Stitt's earliest albums. Backing his superb work on alto and tenor are bands conducted by two of the finest jazz arrangers: Johnny Richards and Quincy Jones in one of his first - and best - efforts in the field. On the two sessions from 1953, Richards provides interestingly harmonized ensemble colours, and though Stitt gets most of the solo space, Kai Winding, Don Elliott and the rhythm section also deliver some of the set's most memorable moments. The 1955 sessions are, if anything, even better. Quincy Jones's writing is crystal clear; clean, swinging, and beautifully constructed. Stitt is again the main soloist, playing alto - his best instrument - but there are significant contributions from among other Hank Jones, Oscar Pettiford
Sonny Stitt Quartet: The Sonny Side Of Stitt (FSR 640). July 2011. This 2CD gathers the following albums recorded in N.Y.C. in 1959 & 1960: "A Little Bit of Stitt" / The Sonny Side Of Stitt / Stittsville / Sonny Side Up. Add two bonus tracks from "Stitt in Orbit". Among the players who took part in those sessions are drummers Roy Haynes & Charlie Persip
Sonny Stitt Quartet: Don't Call Me Bird! FSR 467. October 07. Cushioned by a solidly swinging West Coast rhythm section led by the sensitive piano of Lou Levy, completed by Mel Lewis on drums and Leroy Vinnegar on bass. Stitt is a powerful, melodic, superlatively thoughtful and intense performer. He is here at the top of his form, playing with slashing authority and a piledriver beat.
Sonny Stitt Sextet and Quintet: Only The Blues. FSR 563. Nov. 09. Hollywood, Los Angeles, 1957. With Roy Eldridge (tp), Oscar Peterson (p), Ray Brown (b), Herb Ellis (g), Stan Levey (dms).
Sun Ra and His Arkestra: New Horizons. FSR495. Feb. 08. Chicago pianist Sun Ra emerged as a leader on the jazz scene early in 1956, when he assembled a group of neo-boppers that contributed to the original and exciting jazz sound offered by his new Sun Ra Arkestra, a medium-sized group that swung like a giant locomotive, an effect primarily due to an interesting use of two basses playing simultaneously. They featured the power of big band ensemble along with the excitement of combo blowing by fine soloists, among them the driving saxes of John Gilmore & Pat Patrick, trombonist Julian Priester and the well-directed trumpet of Art Hoyle. Rediscover the first Arkestra with this digipack edition of an album previously known as "Jazz By Sun Ra"
Buddy Tate: Swingville Sessions (FSR 835). Sept. 2014. 3LPs on 2 CDs, grouping the albums "Tate's Date" (59),"Tate-A-Tate"(60) and "Groovin' with Buddy Tate" (61).
Cecil Taylor Trio & Quartet: Jazz Advance. FSR485. Feb. 08. Recorded in Boston 1956 (#1-7) and at Newport Jazz Festival 1957 (#8-10), the trio included bass player Buell Neidlinger and drummer Dennis Charles . With the addition of Steve Lacy on sopran sax, the trio becomes a quartet and Lacy - who made a stylistic leap in joining Taylor's quartet in their embrace of free jazz - is heard here also blowing a new sound through the horn. His soprano had the virility of a tenor and the maneuverability of an alto!
Toots Thielemans: The Amazing Sound of Toots Thielemans. FSR 526. August 08. Reissue of two albums recorded between 1955 and 1958: "The Amazing Jean "Toots" Thielemans" and "Time Out For Toots". They feature a plethora of great jazz musicians like Hank Jones, Ray Bryant, Zoot Sims, Urbie Green, Al Cohn, Oscar Pettiford and more yet.
FSR-CD 355 Lucky Thompson: Accent On Tenor Sax. With Ernie Royal (trumpet), Jimmy Hamilton (clarinet), Sidney Gross (guitar), Billy Taylor/Earl Knight (piano), Oscar Pettiford (bass) and Osie Johnson (drums). Recorded in New York City in 1954.
Lucky Thompson: Lucky Is Back! "Then, So Is Love". FSR 455. July 07. Recorded in NYC in the mid 60's, this release gathers two albums Thompson did in partnership with the independent label Rivoli. With him are pianist Tommy Flanagan, drummers Walter Perkins & Oliver Jackson, organist Frank Anderson and guitarist Wally Richardson. While at that time most tenorists were aping Coltrane, Lucky was playing Thompson with unceasing invention and drive!
Lucky Thompson Meets Oscar Pettiford. FSR 424. Digipack Deluxe Edition. A hard-swinging set from 1956 powered by Lucky's big tone and beautifully built ideas, featuring the strength and driving pulse of Oscar Pettiford's bass.
FSR-CD 365Claude Thornhill and His Orchestra: Play the Great Jazz Arrangements of Gil Evans Gerry Mulligan and Ralph Aldridge. Finally a testimony of this arranger's musical production, a man ahead of its time who remains today one of the biggest influences for many contemporary big band jazz arrangers. Those New York recordings span from 1942 to 1953.
Bobby Timmons Trio: This Here Is Bobby Timmons + Easy Does It (FSR 698). May 2012. 24-bit digitally remastered CD presenting two albums from 1960 & 61. With Sam Jones on bass and Jimmy Cobb on drums. There is also one bonus track from a Los Angeles session at the Forum Theatre, going back to 1956.
Frank Wess & Thad Jones Septets: Opus De Blues (FSR 727). Jan. 2013. Recorded at Englewood Cliffs, N.J., December 8, 1959. Also featuring trombone player Curtis Fuller
Frank Wess: Wess Point. FSR 469. October 07. Recorded in New York in 1954, this compilation collects Frank Wess' complete sessions for Commodore, his first as a leader. It features great names like Charles Mingus, Hank & Thad Jones, Kenny Clarke, Oscar Pettiford, among others
Frank Wess Septet featuring Frank Foster: "North, South, East...Wess" + "No Count" (FSR 704). June 2012. Aided by guitarist Kenny Burrell and drummer Kenny Clarke, with arrangements that offer plenty of space for soloists, this is a typically accomplished, unpretentious Basie-type small group blowing session, recorded in Hackesack, New Jersey, in 1956. The piano-less rhythm section is buttressed by the solid bass of Eddie Jones and a cooking Kenny Clarke.
Randy Weston: Destry Rides Again + Little Niles. FSR 605. Oct. 10. A 2 LPs/1CD package, recorded in New York in 1959 and 1958, with arrangements made by Melba Liston. Both as performer and composer, Randy Weston is a considerable figure in modern jazz piano, with a highly distinctive style: percussive, decidedly rhythmic, full of charm and encompassing a wide variety of moods. Throughout, his playing shows a rare combination of strength and gentleness, in an ebb and flow of sound as fluid and natural as the waves of the sea.
Randy Weston: Live at The Five Spot. FSR 1645. 29/06/10. Recorded in New York City in October 1959, this live performance recording was in fact done without any rehearsal, the arrangements by a sick Melba Liston having reached the stage at the last minute! But with people like Coleman Hawkins, Kenny Dorham, Wilbur Little and Roy Haynes, the musicianship level is set high
Randy Weston Trio & Sextet: From 52nd Street to Africa. FSR 433. Live at the Newport Jazz Festival, July 5, 1958. Live at Both/And, San Francisco, October 1966. Featuring among other trumpetist Ray Copeland
The Swingin' Ernie Wilkins Orchestra: The Big New Band of the 60's. FSRCD 398. These recordings were originally produced and released by Everest Records on two stereo LPs, SDBR 1077, entitled "Here Comes The Swingin' Mr. Wilkins", and SDBR 1104, entitled "The Big New Band Of The 60's". Both albums have now been compiled for the first time on this Fresh Sound Records release. Recorded in New York between 1959 and 1960
Top Brass And Trumpets All Out (FSR517). June 08. Directed by Ernie Wilkins, this album is a recap of two old Savoy recordings ("Top Brass" & Trumpets All Out") from 1956. Savoy presented 5 trumpetists (Ernie Royal, Idrees Sulieman, Joe Wilder, Ray Copeland, and Donald Byrd) blowing score and solo in various Ernie Wilkins settings, flawlessly backed by the famous trio made up by Hank Jones, Wendell Marshall, and Kenny Clarke. The success of the first date allowed the producer to do another try, this time with 5 new trumpetists (Art Farmer, Emmett Berry, Charlie Shavers, and Harold Baker) and a rhythm section with two changes: pianist Don Abney, and drummer Bobby Donaldson.
Richard Williams Leo Wright Quintets: "New Horn In Town" + "Blues Shout" (FSR 729). Jan. 2013. Those two albums on one CD were recorded in 1960 and feature the leader recording premieres of trumpeter Richard Williams and reedman Leo Wright, whose emergence created quite a stir on the late Fifties jazz scene. Both played on each other's debuts. Williams, whose power, range and ideas had impressed hugely with the Oliver Nelson and Gigi Gryce groups, made his expected appearance as leader with "New Horn in Town", while Wright, whose direct, exciting alto and flute were showcased when he joined Dizzy Gillespie's quintet in 1959, debuted with "Blues Shout".
Gerald Wilson Big Band: "You Better Believe It!" + "Moment of Truth" (FSR 759). Feb. 2013. Both albums were recorded in Los Angeles in 1962. The orchestra, made up of top West Coast men, generates a strong drive, plays cleanly and precisely, and was blessed with fine soloists, with amongst them guitarist Joe Pass

The Larry Young Trio: "Testifying", "Young Blues", "Groove Street", plus "Forrest Fire" (FSR 871). 4LPs on 2 CDs Stereo 24 bit digitally remastered. Sept. 2015. The three first albums are Young's first as a leader. Recorded in 1960 and 1962 for the New Jazz/Prestige label, they document a period when the 20 year-old organist was starting to establish a name for himself on the jazz scene. As a bonus, this set includes five tracks from "Forrest Fire", another 1960 record date with Young and his trio act as backing for the solid blowing of the full-bodied tenor of Jimmy Forrest. These sessions, relaxed and unpretentious, are the epitome of swing-rooted, soulful jazz.

Jazz Connections Series

The Jazz Connections label is a new branch of the Blue Moon Records family, conceived to reissue some of the finest recording moments of the exciting jazz scene from the 50s. Both Mainstream Jazz and Modern Jazz schools are represented in this series, which also include Piano Moods, a new line dedicated to the piano in jazz. Here are the first releases:

+ Max Roach: Complete 1958-1959 "Plus Four" Sessions (3-CD Box Set). Featuring Booker Little & George Coleman (JC1010). July 08. This 3-CD edition was originally released in 7 LPs: Max on the Chicago Scene (EmArcy), Max Roach + 4 At Newport (Mercury), Deeds, Not Words (Riverside), Award-Winning Drummer (Stereo Time), The Many Sides of Max (Mercury), Sessions, Live (Calliope), and The Defiant Ones (United Artists), an album recorded under the leadership of Booker Little.
+ Tommy Potter: Hard Funk In Sweden (JC1008). September 07. One of the best-respected bop bass players, Tommy Potter (1918-1988) was well-know as a member of the classic Charlie Parker quintet during the 1947-1950 period. This edition contains the only tracks Tommy Potter recorded as a leader. They were originally issued on various EPs by the Swedish label Metronome, and later reissued on a rare LP (Hard Funk) by the American label East-West, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records. Recorded in 1956 during a Sweden two monthes tour by an All-American Bop All-Stars, it presented now reknown Swedish players like among other trumpetist Rolf Ericson or trombonist Ake Persson. This CD also includes the only eight titles recorded on the July 1956 concert that took place during the same tour by trumpeter Ericson, baritone sax Lars Gullin, pianist Freddie Redd, bassist Potter, and drummer Joe Harris.
+ Jackie Mclean & Miles Davis: Complete Studio Sessions. Jazz Connections JC 1006CD. March 07. At the time Miles Davis recorded these three 1951-1955 sessions, the trumpet player had just begun his soon-to-be spectacular career. As part of five milestone Prestige and Blue Note albums, these tracks features some of the most representative young lions of its time, including Sonny Rollins, Milt Jackson, J.J. Johnson, Ray Bryant, Oscar Pettiford, Charles Mingus and Art Blakey among others. This complete collection of studio recordings under the leadership of Davis, is dedicated to the memory of Jackie McLean, a tribute to one of the most misunderstood jazzmen in the history of modern jazz whose cohesive, solid phrasing and distinct, harsh-like sonority would make him into one of the most representative jazzmen of a blues-full hard bop style. Recorded at Rudy Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, NJ, on August 5, 1955 and in New York, between October 5, 1951 and May 9, 1952.
+ Jackie McLean: Complete 1955-1957 Quartet, Quintet & Sextet Sessions. Jazz Connections JC 1001 6CD Box Set. All the sessions represented here took place in the famous studio that legendary sound engineer Rudy Van Gelder had in Hackensack, New Jersey, appearing in a sequence of eight exciting albums originally cut for the Ad Lib, Prestige, New Jazz, and Jubilee labels. This box set is a comprehensive and chronological collection of the altoist-composer first recordings as a leader, illustrated by a 20-page book let full of historic pictures and detailed sessionography.
The label Skye was an eclectic recording company set up in 1968 by Gary McFarland, Cal Tjader and Gabor Szabo as an outlet for their non-major label projects. In the 2 short years it lasted (1968-1970), Skye released twenty amazing jazz, pop and latin albums. The unfortunate demise of the label saw most of the magnificent albums relegated to jazz history and largely forgotten. Here we present the first albums from this wonderful label for you so you too can appreciate the rich diversity that was Skye.

- Gary Mcfarland & Co.: America the Beautiful. Skye Records SK 1004. Digipack. Composed and Conducted by Gary McFarland. Orchestra Assembled by Jerome Richardson. Recorded in New York, in 1968. This big band has in his ranks a host of well known and praised musicians: Marvin Stamm, Snooky Young, Ernie Royal, Bernie Glow, Richard Williams, Randy Brecker (tp), Garnett Brown (tb), Harvey Phillips (tuba), Ray Alonge, Jim Buffington, Earl Chapin (flh), Jerome Richardson, Romeo Penque, Wally Caine, Danny Bank, Joe Farrell (reeds), Warren Bernhardt (p), Eric Gale (g), Aaron Rosand, Gene Orloff or David Nadien (violins), George Ricci, Harvey Shapiro (cello), Al Brown (viola), Jerry Jemmott, Chuck Rainey, Chuck Rainey (b), Bill Lavorgna, Bernard Purdie (d), Warren Smith (perc).
- Gary Mcfarland & Co.: Does the Sun Really Shine on the Moon? Skye Records SK 1003. Recorded in New York, in 1968. Gary McFarland (vibes, whistling, vcl, arranger), Marvin Stamm (flh), Jerome Richardson (fl, ss), Warren Bernhardt (org), Sam Brown (g), Chuck Rainey, Richard Davis (b), Donald MacDonald or Grady Tate (d).
- Gabor Szabo: Bachanal. Skye Records SK 1002 Digipack Edition. Originally recorded in February 1968, this CD version has the same tracks listed in the same order as in the original release (out of print since the early 80s) and with a tasteful digipack sleeve and original artwork. Szabo's 60s quintet, featuring guitarist Jimmy Stewart, is on top form here with another of his unique collections of both jazz and pop hits. His restrained use of feedback at just the right moments shows Szabo was willing to open up to new sounds yet he keeps a tight grip on his signature sound throughout these eight cuts.
- Gabor Szabo: Dreams. Skye Records SK 1001 Digipack Edition. The set features a nice selection of originals and pop covers. The warm tones and Eastern influences of "Dreams" makes this one of Gabor Szabo's best albums.

From the Fresh Sound Jazz City series!
Bob Cooper: Group Activity. FSR2239. Recorded in Hollywood, between 1954 to 1955. With Stu Williamson (tp, vtb), Bob Enevoldsen (vtb, ts, bcl), Bob Cooper (ts), Bud Shank (as, ts, bars), Jimmy Giuffre (cl, ts, basr), John Graas (frh), Howard Roberts (g), Claude Williamson (p), Joe Mondragon, Curtis Counce or Max Bennett (b), and Shelly Manne or Stan Levey (d)
Terry Gibbs: Swingin' with Terry Gibbs' Orchestra & Quartet. FSR2244. August 07. This CD presents recordings with big band dating from 1956 and 1957, NYC or LA, and Gibbs leading a fine quartet on a tasteful session far more substantial than a simple "blowing date", taken from the Los Angeles ABC- TV show "Stars of Jazz" in 1958.
Jimmy Giuffre: New Forms In Jazz: Complete Capitol Recordings 1954-1955. FSRCD2225. May 06. On these recordings, his first as a leader, Giuffre shows a fine versatility, a communicative emotion and the ability to swing that made him a respected soloist on tenor, baritone and clarinet.
Woody Herman: His Octet and His Band: Blues & Swing Groove. FSR2238. Recorded in Hollywood, 1955; and Chicago, 1956. In the summer of 1955 Woody Herman broke up his big band and put together a small, eight-piece group to hit Las Vegas. The unusual instrumentation of this octet - two trumpets, bass trumpet, tenor, clarinet and rhythm - gave it a big, almost full orchestral sound.
Jack Montrose & Bob Gordon: Two Can Play. COMPLETE CAPITOL RECORDINGS 1954-1955 (2CD set). FSR 2226. Montrose died recently in 2006. This recording is part of the new series from Freshsound called Jazz City and dedicated to the jazz scene from the fifties and onwards.
Shorty Rogers and His Giants: Complete Quintet Sessions 1954-1956. FSR2233. It was in 1953 Rogers formed his quintet to play the Hollywood Jazz club circuit, and it turned out as an amazing and innovative unit. This massive 3CD boxset presents us with:
CD1: their recording debut, four tracks cut for RCA Victor in September 1954 + a session from March 1, 1955
CD2: Hollywood sessions from March, October and November 1955
CD3: the last tracks Shorty Rogers recorded with his quintet during his Atlantic interim before he returned to RCA Victor + the album "Wherever the Five Winds Blow", recorded in 1956

Shorty Rogers and His Orchestra: Feat. The Giants 1950-1956 - West Coast Sounds. FSR2231. This 2-CD set truly demonstrates what was defined as the "West Coast style of jazz" but, in fact, was the Shorty Rogers style. We can hear arrangements of a loose variety, played by the most outstanding group of musicians of the Los Angeles jazz scene.
Shorty Rogers & André Previn: In Collaboration. FSR2227. It presents two of the most celebrated and creative personalities of the Hollywood jazz and studio fields in collaboration between 1954 and 1955. Plenty of West Coast musicians are present here: Frank Rosolino, bud Shank, Jimmy Giuffre, Shelly Manne, Barney Kessel, etc...
The Swingin' Nat Pierce Band: Kansas City Memories (2 CD-Set). FSR2232. In the mid Fifties jazz finally seemed to be emerging from its post-war confusion. A swinging beat was returning, and with it the interest of an ever-larger public. Nat Pierce, unhappy with the choppy, uncertain beat of the 'cool' rhythm section as many other fellow musicians, was able to fuse the advanced harmonies of the new with the rhythmic propulsion of the old.
Mel Tormé an the Marty Paich Dek-tette: The 1956 Tormé-Paich Legendary Sessions. FSR2230. Fascinated by the sound of the original Gerry Mulligan Ten-tette on Capitol, Mel Tormé had always felt that these same patterns, reworked for the proper vocalist, could blend voice and instrument to the mutual satisfaction of both. In 1956, this idea became a reality. The task of selecting musicians who could produce this sound was given to the versatile pianist-arranger Marty Paich who, in fact, co-featured with Mel on these recordings.

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ITALIAN JAZZ LABELS .... GET BACK ... FRUIT TREE ... WATER ... AKARMA

Two nice releases on the Italian label Fruit Tree!
+ Eric Dolphy Quintet with Herbie Hancock: Left Alone. CD digipak (FT856CD). This rare set of four tracks was recorded on October 7, 1962 at the Gaslight, New York. Features Eric Dolphy on alto saxophone, bass clarinet and flute; Ed Armour: trumpet; Herbie Hancock: piano; Richard Davis: bass; Edgar Bateman: drums; Joe Carrol: vocals on track 4.
+ Ornette Coleman: Rock The Clock. CD digipak (FT857CD). Recorded live in Berlin in 1971, this set features Charlie Haden on bass, the prominent solos of Dewey Redman on tenor, and Ed Blackwell's delightful drumming. But the real stars are the compositions themselves, which are wonderful vehicles for inspired improvisation.
Jelly Roll Morton: Wild Man Blues. Fruit Tree FT847CD. Although the man didn't exactly invent jazz in 1902 as he often claimed, his musical innovations are so many that he never really needed to stretch the truth. This collection contains 17 of his best sides
Leadbelly: The Boll Weevil. Fruit Tree. CD digipack FT855CD. This collection begins with 1886 classic African American sharecropper song "Goodnight Irene" and winds through 10 of Leadbelly's best song desperate, but filled with immeasurable love for life.
New from the Get Back-Jazz Series!
- GET2013LP John Mc Laughlin "Where Fortune Smiles". Originally released in March 1971 by the Dawn label... 5 great free jazz improvisation tracks recorded at Apostolic Studios in New York City during May 1970 with John Surman (sax), Karl Berger (piano), Stu Martin (drums) and Dave Holland (bass)... original artwork... gatefold sleeve... 180 gram HQ vinyl...
- GET 2021LP Max Roach: Again. This 180g 2LP offers live recordings from 1960-61, the political period of Roach.
- GET 2022LP Nina Simone: Sings Billie Holiday's Blues. These eight amazing Billie Holiday classics, including "Tell Me More & Then Some", "This Year's Kisses" and "Give Me A Pigfoot And A Bottle Of Beer" are given the full Nina Simone treatment - a rare opportunity to enjoy two legends in one sitting!.

Releases from UNIVERSE!

+ UV157CD. Chet Atkins: In Three Dimensions? Plus 21 bonus tracks. This is one of his most characteristic albums of the fifties and Atkins ranges over a variety of genres ( folk or pop inflected tunes, country and jazz) while always maintaining a style all his own. Also includes 21 bonus tracks all recorded in the mid fifties.
+ UV 090LP Chet Baker: My Foolish Heart. Pressed on a 180 Gr. vinyl and recorded in Dallas, Texas in January 1985, this album was originally released by the well-known Italian label Appaloosa Records.
+ UV158CD Harry Belafonte: Calypso + 6 bonus tracks. Also includes 6 bonus tracks recorded in '55-'56.
+ UV155CD Chuck Berry: Live Goode. This historic live recording made in Toronto in 1969, shows a Chuck Berry in full form
+ UV 074 Stan Getz Quintet: Empty Shells (The Entire Cannes Concert). Recorded at the MIDEM in 1980, this live recording is one of the rare testimonies left behind by this particular Stan Getz line-up, featuring the excellent Chuck Loeb (guitar), Andy La Verne (piano), Victor Jones (drums) and Brian Bromberg.
+ UV109-3-4CD Les Paul: Isle Of Golden Dreams (The Capitol Years 1948-54). Second double CD from the original issue as a 4 CD box. This mid-price release features the remaining years (1948-54) of this amazing retrospective of the guitar virtuoso through 47 tracks.
+ UV 056 Mingus: Lionel Sessions. This 1977 session, produced and coordinated by the late vibraphonist Lionel Hampton (who also plays on the album) is a proof of the state of jazz in the late '70s from one of its masterminds, and is a statement of Hampton's artistic "rebirth". Previously released as "His Final Work".
+ UV141/2CD Charlie Parker: The Yardbird Sessions. An incredible double CD set which collects a series of awesome performances by Parker, with Dizzy Gillespie's ensemble and his own quintet and sextet. All the tracks here included were recorded between 1946 and 1953 with some live tunes from the Rockland Palace Concert and prove once again the genius of this great musician and his ability to work with every giant of jazz.
+ UV171CD Charlie Parker & Dizzy Gillespie: Town Hall Concert, NYC 1945 ... Plus. An amazing gem discovered by Universe in the lost archives of contemporary jazz, something that will catch by surprise even the craziest fans and collectors of these 2 true legends of be-bop. In these live tunes, Parker and Gillespie, backed by the great Max Roach on drums, fly high, offering the listener all the power of their intuitive geniuses. This version features ten bonus tracks, including live-in-studio and radio sessions from some of the rarest acetate of the period.
+ Frank Sinatra: The Legendary Standards (The Columbia Years). 2CD. Recordings between 1943 and 1952 with lots of bonus tracks and alternate versions of the famous standards
+ UV127-3CD Frank Sinatra: Frankie Goes To Hollywood Vol.3: From Here To Eternity. Third CD taken from Sinatra's Hollywood triple box on Universe. Vol. 2 "The Kissing Bandit" (UV127-2CD) and Vol. 1 "The Sinatra Show" (UV127-1CD) are also available separately, now at midprice.
+ UV 070 Sun Ra: It's After The End Of The World. This is recorded live at the Donaueschingen Music Festival on Oct. 17, 1970 and at the Berlin Jazz Festival on Nov. 7, 1970, at a time when Sun Ra's Arkestra (featuring Alan Silva, Leroy Taylor, Lex Humphries, etc.) was one of the most innovative things happening the already innovative avant-garde jazz scene. Available as CD and 180 Gr. LP
+ UV 075 Sun Ra & His Arkestra: Live At Montreux. The music of this 2CD was recorded in 1976.
+ UV 079 Sun Ra: Live In Paris At The Gibus. From 1973. As usual, Sun Ra never forgets the roots of jazz music and among his original pieces, we find Jelly Roll Morton's classic "King Porter Stomp".
+ UV 080/081 Sun Ra: Nuits de la Fondation Maeght Vol.1 & Vol.2. Those magical moments from 1970 have many goodies. Opening with "Enlightment", sung by Sun Ra and June Tyson, and followed by "The Star Gazers", a keyboard piece that introduces "Shadow World", characterized by Marshall Allen's chilling sax solo. However, the apex is reached by "The Cosmic Explorer", a 20 min "multiple keyboards freakout". +Teddy Wilson & Lionel Hampton: One O'Clock Jump. Recorded October 7, 1977 at Sound Book Studios, New York City, these studio sessions see pianist Teddy Wilson in a high quality sextet line up performing Gershwin standards and other classic jazz authors' tunes. Includes an impressive version of Count Basie's "One O'Clock Jump"
More from Universe!
In the mid seventies Lionel Hampton recorded and produced a series of jazz sessions in an attempt to prove that the jazz well had not run dry. Many of them are now again available.
- Chick Corea & Lionel Hampton: "Sea Breeze". Live concert of piano/vibraphone duets recorded in Cannes in 1978. Gayle Moran sings too on "Come Rain Or Come Shine"and there are solo pieces played by Chick (La Fiesta).
- Gerry Mulligan "Gerry's blues" was recorded on October 29, 1977. Mulligan is accompanied by Hank Jones, George Duvivier and Bucky Pizzarelli.
- Buddy Rich's "Cherokee", also from 77 and featuring no less than 3 tenor saxophonists (Steve Marcus, Paul Moen and Gary Pribeck).

Released on WATER!
+ Edison Electric Band: Bless You, Dr. Woodward. WATER 155. Originally released on Atlantic/Cotillion in 1970, the only album by this puffy-haired Philadelphia combo is a lost nugget which exemplifies the musical freedom of the late 60's, but looks toward the groovy and funky melodicism that would dominate the 70's. Co-produced by legendary jazz producer Joel Dorn. First time on CD. Detailed liner notes.
+ Roland Kirk: Here Comes The Whistleman.
+ The Walter Norris Trio: Lush Life. Water (WATER258CD). April 2014. Lush Life was originally released in 1990. Walter reinvents some classic standards and gives them new life by reharmonizing the chord structures and altering the melodies, his rearranged version of "Lush Life" is a spectacular example. Long out of print, now reissued by Water. Besides Norris on piano, Neil Swainson is on bass, Harold Jones on drums.
+ Sonny Sharrock: Black Woman. WATER 152 CD. Originally released on Atlantic/Vortex Records and produced by the great Herbie Mann, Sharrock's uncompromising avant garde jazz guitar stylings literally jump out of the grooves, but there are also soul, gospel, and pop elements that add a nice counterpoint. Recorded with a who's who of New York free jazz players including Dave Burell, Norris Jones, Ted Daniels, and Milford Graves as well as his wife Linda who contributes her Yoko Ono-esque vocals. Detailed liner notes by Byron Coley and Ted Drozdowski.
+ Betty Wright: My First Time Around. WATER 151 CD. This, her very first album released in 1968, was recorded when the singer was just 14 years old, but she was already performing with the fiery soul she would be known for throughout her career. Includes her first chart single, "Girls Can't Do What The Guys Do," and features detailed liner notes. First time on CD!
+ Leo Wright: Soul Talk. Water. WATER146CD. By the time he released "Soul Talk" in 1970 for Atlantic/Vortex Records, Wright already had several "soul jazz" albums under his own name. Features Blue Note guitarist Kenny Burrell, B-3 organ maverick Gloria Coleman and rounding out this soulful quartet is drummer Frankie Dunlop, best known for playing on many classic Thelonious Monk albums.

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TCB RECORDS ... TCB RECORDS ... TCB RECORDS ... TCB RECORDS ... TCB

TCB Records is a part of Challenge Records concentrating on radio recorded jazz performances. Here are the latest releases:
Clark Terry / Chris Woods Quintet: Lucerne 78. Swiss Radio Days Jazz Series Vol. 8.
Art Blakey & Jazz Messengers: Lausanne 1960 Vol.1 Swiss Radio Days Jazz Series Vol. 2.
Cannonball Adderley Sextet: Lugano 1963 Swiss Radio Days Jazz Series Vol. 3.
Ben Webster/Dexter Gordon: Baden 1972 Swiss Radio Days Jazz Series Vol. 10.
Louis Hayes/Woody Shaw Quintet: Lausanne 1977 Swiss Radio Days Jazz Series Vol. 5.
Ella Fitzgerald and Oscar Peterson: Swiss Radio Days Jazz Series Vol. 15. TCB 2006 (TCB 02152). Two sessions recorded by the Swiss Radio in 1953 during Philarmonic Jazz. This is maybe the rarest recording in this series, featuring guitarist Barney Kessel, bassist Ray Brown, trumpetist Charlie Shavers, drummer J. C. Heard and partially saxophonist Lester Young.
George Gruntz Concert Jazz Band: Tiger By The Tail. TCB 2006 TCB 26702. This band is a reference and an institution inside European jazz and features so many reknown players like Dave Liebman, Franco Ambrosetti, Gary Valente (to name just a few) driven by a specialist of big band drumming, the great Danny Gottlieb

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JAZZ-ROCK, FUNK, FUSION, ACID & OTHER GROOVES

3rd World Electric: Kilimanjaro Secret Brew. 2009. The idea started in the summer of 2008 when bassist Jonas Reingold and guitarist Roine Stolt (from The Flower Kings) got together with the idea of revamping the old beast called "Fusion", with in mind the obligatory heroes Weather Report, Mahavishnu & Return To Forever. In 2009 drummer Dave Weckl was recruited to play on some tracks as well as several other musicians; we'll keep the names out so you get curious!
Alta Forma: Spatium & Tempus. Timeless Momentum (TM20221A). Digipak with 20 page booklet. December 2022. New album by Spaced Out's bass player Antoine Fafard, this time in collaboration with drummer Todd Sucherman (Styx) and L.A. based keyboard player KJ Harrison (he played several instruments, and/or did vocals on award winning albums for Brian Wilson, The Flaming Lips, Liz Phair, Greg Duli, Drake Bell and many others). All the themes covered in the album's lyrics are dealing with universal subjects matters. The album will also be released on vinyl.
Amethyst: Naissance. GW 3111. September 06. French jazz fusion band with a trio formula (keyboards/bass/drums). The band's first album is composed of seven mid-long instrumental pieces, with intense and often festive atmospheres. The music is in a vein near Weather Report, Pat Metheny Group, Brand X, Spyro Gyra ... Nice melodies, latin rythms, lively bass parts and some progressive influences on keyboards.
AndersonPonty Band: Better Late Than Never. Ear Music (0210652EMU). CD+DVD. 25-09-15. A surprising collaborative work that indeeds gives meaning and unexpected results, Ponty's tunes seeing the addition of vocals by Anderson or Yes tunes being kind of jazzified, all this through an obvious positive and contagious energy and joy of sharing music together on stage.
Emili Baleriola: Jazz-Rock Trio. Picap. 25/07/11. After years of silence, the Spanish veteran is back with a new recording! Far from being over-produced, the album favours instead a direct and nearly raw approach, with six own compositions and five interpretations of classic themes. If you've never heard the guitarist, it's time to catch up and discover a player at ease as much in jazz as in rock contexts, this album having the right balance to judge him!
Banda Hermetica: El Canlendario De Los Sonidos - (2006) - Argentina - {Jazz Fusion/ Hermeto Pascoal}
Baraka: Trinity. Musea Parallèle (MP 3255). October 2012.
Baraka: Resonance. Musiques Parallèles (MP3202). April 2010. 9nth album by this Japanese outfit and still going strong, exploiting in depth all the aspects that contributed to their success: melodic approach, fierce guitar playing with a metal edge, complex jazz-rock fusion elements, elegance and efficiency in the playing. This time, they even move deeper towards quiet and atmospheric passages with great sound textures.
Baraka: Shade Of Evolution. Musea Parallèle (MP 3077). Oct. 08. This japanese trio has received an enthusiastic public acclaim during its European tour this spring. Working as a power trio with guitar AND guitar synth. at the center offers Baraka a complete musical freedom, strengthened by their influences: Jimi Hendrix for the wild guitar playing, Led Zeppelin as a *heavy* trademark, etc... All along the album diverse musical territories are visited, from jazz-rock to progressive music, with power and enthusiasm, including some more peaceful sequences, as convincing and entertaining as the others.
BBI: BBI. Soleil Zeuhl SZ 15. 2008. This was recorded in 1996 but never released before. BBI is a power trio that mixes the rockiest side of One Shot - it has also bassist Philippe Bussonet in its ranks - with the raw electric power of King Crimson, period Red. Besides Bussonet, the band includes Jean-Claude Buire on drums (ex Offering) and guitarist Laurent Imperato (founding member of Xaal but never recorded with them). A smokin' music with a massive bass sound and solid drumming!
Beledo : Dreamland Mechanism. Moonjune Records (MJR077). Feb. 2016. Supported by a cast of modern progressive jazz-fusion luminaries (featuring the likes of Gary Husband, Lincoln Goines and special guest Dewa Budjana, for starters), the Uruguayan-born, NYC transplant guitar maestro puts not only his virtuosic guitar playing on display, but also his enormous talents on a variety of instruments (acoustic guitar, acoustic piano, violin, accordion, Fender Rhodes, Mini Moog, fretless bass guitar), in a session with more twists, turns and surprises than an Agatha Christie novel! From intimate jazz, to blazing fusion, world music, and thematic prog at its most sublime and majestic, the album scales great sonic heights, while never idling in one place for very long. In his most ambitious undertaking to date, Beledo pulls out all the stops - giving guitar aficionados plenty to rejoice over - while appealing to a much broader, diverse audience.
Toto Blanke: Electric Circus. Chickadisc. Street date: 26-10-16. New label focusing primarily on reissues of albums, which were not previously released on CD or out of print since long. All albums will be remastered, and booklets (in English) will be rich in information and photos. The first output presents guitarist Toto Blanke in company of - among other - Dutch pianist Jasper van't Hof. These cuts from 1976 are a staggering blend of fusion, avant-garde, krautrock and even ethnic influences - great stuff!
Paul Bley. Reissue on the label Improvising Artists of the album "Jaco" (INV 1976) by the famous quartet of Jaco Pastorius (elb), Pat Metheny (elg), Bruce Ditmas (dms) & Paul Bley (elp).
Brand X! Three new live recordings released on CD by Gonzo Multimedia!
+ Live From Chicago 1978 (HST307CD). Street date: 20-11-15
+ Live in San Francisco (HST284CD). Live from the Old Waldorf Theatre on November 28th, 1977. The sound quality of this one shows a bit of flutter, especially on the guitar. Street date: 20-07-15
+ Ronnie Scotts Live 1976 (HST341CD). Short duration but excellent sound! Street date: 18-09-15
Reissue on the Gozo label of two Brand X albums: Missing Period (HST184CD) on September 23rd, 2013 + Is There Anything About? (HST168CD) on November 18th.
Brand X: Live at the Roxy, LA 1979. Gonzo (HST193CD). Street date: 7th October 2013. Recorded at the Roxy Theatre, Los Angeles, California on Sunday, 23rd September 1979 11:30 pm to 1:00 am. This recording has never been previously *officially* issued but had circulated a lot as semi-bootleg amongst the band's afficionados because of its great audio quality. Good to see it at last officially released!
The Brecker Brothers: Live and Unreleased. 2CD or 2LP. Street date: 20-03-20. Recorded at Hamburg´s Onkel Pö club on July 2nd, 1980. Except guitarist Barry Finnerty and bass player Neil Jason, who both had played on the album "Heavy Metal Bebop", the rest of the band was at that time new. The keyboard chair was held by the late great Mark Gray and the drummer at work was no less than Richie Morales, later to become member of the fusion cult band Spyro Gyra. Both musicians would also be featured on the '81 studio album "Straphangin'".
Dean Brown: Unfinished Business. Abstract Logix. Sept. 2012. Veteran guitarist Dean Brown, whose scintillating six-string work can be heard on over 200 recordings, steps out here with his fourth dynamic outing as a leader. Joining him on this eclectic offering, which ranges from hard-hitting funk to lovely ballads, soothing samba flavored grooves, Latin-tinged jams, greasy organ-fueled blues and cool jazz, are longstanding colleagues Marvin "Smitty" Smith on drums and Gerry Etkins on keyboards. Their intuitive sense of simpatico blends nicely on this highly interactive session with bassists Hadrien Feraud, Jimmy Earl, Schuyler Deale and Rene Camacho, Hammond B-3 organist Bobby Sparks, percussionist Joey DeLeon, trumpeter Lee Thornburg, vibraphonist Bernard Maseli and tenor saxophonists Doug Webb and Kirk Whalum. Santana drummer Dennis Chambers, who played on Brown's powerhouse trio recording from 2009, appears on one track.
Budjana, Dewa: Naurora. Moonjune Records (Progressive, fresh, engaging, technically brilliant. Budjana's tunes consistently clasp his listeners in a drape of gorgeous melodies, showpiece guitar parts and astounding ensemble passages that have a spacious air. Naurora, has is an exhilarating mix of styles, it delivers a succession of memorable motifs. It melds East Asian music with progressive jazz fusion and some occasional elements of rock. As usual, guest musicians are featured and this time we're talking of Gary Husband (piano & sýnth), drummers Dave Weckl and Simon Phillips, Oregon's member, reedman Paul McCandless, bass player Jimmy Johnson and more yet. Also available on 150 gram vinyl!
Budjana, Dewa: Mahandini. Moonjune Recordings (MJR097). Dec. 2018. For his 11th solo recording, the Indonesian guitarist and composer of Balinese origin brings his trademark melodic sound imbued of mystic and delicate South-east Asian music through even harder edged-progressive flights and raw contemporary rock stirrings. The album was recorded in a one-day session in Los Angeles and features several top players like among other keyboard wizzard Jordan Rudess (Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment) or the widely recognized drummer Marco Minnemann but is also gifted by the guest appearances of rock legend John Frusciante (Red Hot Chilli Peppers) - his first ever guesting on someone's else album since he left RHCP -, fusion guitar veteran Mike Stern and by the haunting voice of Javanese singer Soimah Pancawati (one of the most famous actresses and singers in Indonesia). The band shows a powerful balance of technical precision mixed with a delicate sense of playfulness on Mahandini.
Budjana, Dewa: Zentuary. 2CD. Favored Nations Entertainment. October 2016. Steve Vai's Favored Nations label, this time in association with MoonJune Music, continues its long hit streak of discovering and presenting great new six-string talents from across the globe, with the release of the Indonesian jazz and rock guitar icon, Dewa Budjana's sizzling double studio album "Zentuary", his 10th solo release. Boasting a core lineup huge in stature, of undeniable 'beyond legendary' status, Dewa Budjana is joined by the incomparable drummer and occasional pianist Jack DeJohnette, bassist / stickman Tony Levin, keyboardist & drummer Gary Husband. Augmenting this incredible lineup in spectacular fashion are Dewa's special guests: guitar virtuoso Guthrie Govan (The Aristocrats; Steven Wilson; GPS); UK sax great Tim Garland (Chick Corea; Bill Bruford); the monstrously talented Israeli-born Chicago-based saxman, Danny Markovich (Marbin); as well as cameos from the Czech Symphony Orchestra directed by Michaela Ruzicková, the extraordinary Indonesian flutist/vocalist Saat Syah, and Indonesian female singers Ubiet and Risa Saraswati.
Budjana, Dewa: Hasta Karma. Moonjune (MJR070). 2015. This new album by the Indonesian guitarist sets a new benchmark for modern progressive jazz excellence in the 21st century. With a vibe and feel more akin to that of a band with decades of experience together, Dewa Budjana and his stellar session-mates - the legendary NYC vibraphonist Joe Locke, and Pat Metheny Unity Group's rhythm core: the fabulous, articulate young upright bassist Ben Williams, and the extraordinary maestro drummer Antonio Sanchez - create superlative atmospheric textures that transport listeners to destinations of soaring altitude. Augmenting proceedings further is the glowing work of the legendary Indonesian keyboardist Indra Lesmana.
Budjana, Dewa with Jimmy Johnson & Vinnie Colaiuta: Surya Namaskar. Moonjune Records (MJR063). Street date: April 15, 2014. Recorded in Los Angeles during two sessions in 2013 and full of twists and turns you could never see coming, this new album provides ample evidence that Dewa is just as much at home in moments of pure spontaneity, ripping over a killer groove, as he is in denser, more orchestrated settings. It also highlights a more instinctive, unhibited approach to both his guitar playing and music making. Add an inspired guest performance on keyboards by the great Gary Husband and a memorable electric guitar solo by Michael Landau and you're ready for an album displaying an expansive palette of styles, brimming with playful abandon, but never at the expense of either emotion or cohesion. Dewa's visibility as a jazz guitarist is slowly but surely on the ascendance, as more and more international progressive jazz fans discover the depth, the heart and the profound spirituality of Dewa Budjana, at fifty a new guitar hero of strength, creativity and significance.
Budjana, Dewa: Joged Kahyangan. Moonjune Records (MJR059). Fusing elements of Dewa's Indonesian roots with advanced melodic and harmonic sensibilities and intricate-yet-subtle organic arrangements, Joged Kahyangan, once again, showcases the multifaceted character of Budjana's extraordinary talents as a composer and arranger, as well as a world-class guitarist; and the album is boasting a stellar lineup of modern jazz icons: Larry Goldings (Hammond organ, acoustic piano), Bob Mintzer (tenor & soprano sax, bass clarinet), Jimmy Johnson (bass guitar), Peter Erskine (drums) and vocalist Janis Siegel on one track.
Budjana, Dewa: Dawai In Paradise. Moonjune Records (MJR052). 2013. Dewa Budjana's fifth solo album, Dawai In Paradise, explores his vast, diverse array of guitar stylings in a host of fresh, powerful, intriguing musical settings. A showcase of astounding, brilliant music is performed by a host of great musicians - including drummer Peter Erskine (Weather Report, Steps Ahead) and multi-instrumentalist Howard Levy (Bela Fleck & The Flectones), the renowned Indonesian jazz keyboardist and producer Indra Lesmana, celebrated pianist Ade Irawan, one of the most talented Indonesian jazz drummers Sandy Winarta, and the late legendary jazz bassist, Dave Carpenter - with proceedings decorated beautifully by the Bali native's masterful strokes and deft touch.
Arnold Cheatham: Thing. Porter Records (POR 1507). March 09. First CD edition of an album originally released on LP in 1972 and unfortunaly unnoticed! Close to an electric Miles or an early Weather Report, it presents a band led by a saxophonist and flutist whose expression is not unlike Dave Liebman.
Chicago: VI Decades Live - This Is What We Do. Rhino. 4 CD + DVD. Street date: 06-04-18. The songs in the collection were recorded between 1969 and 2014, including the band's entire performance at the Isle of Wight Festival in 1970. The DVD features a concert that was originally broadcast on the German music television show Rockpalast (a WDR production) in 1977. The set comes with a 24-page booklet illustrated with rare images selected from the band's vast archive. The first two discs are dedicated to Chicago's headlining performance at the Isle of Wight Festival on August 28, 1970. It's a snapshot of the band on the verge of superstardom and captures them in top form, playing songs from their first two albums. The remaining discs include live performances selected from six decades, starting with a trio of songs recorded in Paris in 1969: "Poem For The People," "25 Or 6 To 4" and "Liberation." Other highlights include deep tracks like "A Hit By Varèse" (1973), "Takin' It On Uptown" (1977) and "Forever" (1987), in addition to songs from Chicago's 1994 big band tour: "In The Mood" and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore". A nice package for fans and collectors of this unique band!
Chicago: II. Steve Wilson remix. Street date: 27-01-17. The man who never sleeps has again placed his remix fingers on a new patient. For the first time, a stereo remix from the 16-track multi-track tapes made it possible for Steven Wilson to bring out elements that were muffled or submerged in the mix. The result is a new stereo version of the album that boasts clearness, punch and definition that it didn't have before.
Citriniti: Citriniti Featuring Fabrizio Leo. 2nd album by this fusion band formed by two Italian brothers playing bass and drums. This time helped by guitarist Fabrizio Leo and with keyboards on a few tracks, they move towards a more metal fusion, still keeping a high level of complexity in the compositions, soul and passion in the playing. An album that will not reveal all on a first listening (too much to grab!) but will slowly grow on you!
Billy Cobham: Live at Leverkursen. BHM Productions (BHM 1060-2). 2011. At the age of 67, Cobham is still on top of his game and his drumming is just superb, propelling the music to new heights that you can hear on this live performance from 2010 at the famous German jazz festival. Cobham's new band is top-notch, delivering an outstanding concert full of classic fusion and jazz-funk. It features guitarist Jean-Marie Ecay, often heard previously together with violinist Didier Lockwood. On keyboards and violin is Christophe Cravero, on bass bringing in an ethnic touch is Fifi Chayeb and the line up ic completed by Junior Gill on steel pans and percussion, Camelia Ben Naceur on keyboards.
Billy Cobham. Nicolisi Productions, an Italian label focusing on smooth jazz and ethno-jazz, releases Billy Cobham's Drum'N'Voice #2. It follows the usual formula and again is offering a great list of guests like: Brian Auger, Buddy Miles, Frank Gambale, Novecento, Mike Lindup, Dominic Miller, Jan Hammer, Jeff Berlin, John Patitucci, Airto Moreira inside a panorama of pop, electric jazz, funky from the 70's, blues, smooth and ethno music.
Larry Coryell & the Eleventh House: January 1975. Promising Music (441202 CD). 2014. Open air concert recorded by Radio Bremen on January 18, 1975 at Post-Aula, Bremen, Germany. With Mike Lawrence (tp, flghn), John Lee (bass), Mike Mandel (keyboards) and Alphonse Mouzon (drums).
Counter-World Experience: Music for Kings. 13/04/12. New studio album and fifth release by this band hailing from Berlin, maybe the symbols of jazz-metal par excellence! Excellent complex grooves and sound textures, a sharp melodic sense displayed with proficient chops, with no doubt a band to follow or check out if you don't know them yet!
Counter-World Experience: Metronomicon. New album by the German metal prog outfit, opening up to new elements such as electro beats, Latin percussion or string quartet. Recorded in Berlin and extremely well produced (mastered at the famous Studio Pauler Acoustics)
Cytrus: Trzecia Lza Od Slonca. GAD Records (GAD CD 074). Street date: 30-03-18. Heaving sounding guitar, feisty flute, violin soaring above the rest .... this album contains the band's all instrumental studio recordings, the drummer chair being the one shifted most (three drummers perform here).
Ted Daniel: Tapestry. Porter Records (POR 1503). March 09. This concert from 1974, recorded at Soho's Artist House, presents a band led by pianist (on Fender Rhodes) Ted Daniel, then musical partner of Dewey Redman and Andrew Cyrille; with Khan Jamal on vibes, Jerome Cooper on drums and Tim Ingles on electric bass, the music can be placed alongside albums like Hancock's "Sextant" or "Crossings" or the Tony Williams Lifetime
Datrebil: Noise rpO - (2006) - Argentina - {Experimental/Jazz/Rock/Improvisation}
Miles Davis: Sun Palace, Fukuoka, Japan, October 1981. Hi Hat (HHCD3020). Street date: 30-10-15. Explosive performance at the Sun Palace, Fukuoka, Japan on October 11th 1981. Following a six-year absence from music while he rebuilt his health, Miles Davis erupted back onto the live scene in 1981 with a new, young band comprising Bill Evans (sax, flute), Mike Stern (guitar), Marcus Miller (bass), Al Foster (drums) and Mino Cinelu (percussion). This incendiary set was taped in Japan for FM radio broadcast and is presented here with background notes and images.
Miles Davis: April 11, 1970 Fillmore West. Gatefold 2LP / CD. BRR4015 (2LP) / BRR5015 (CD). Shipping date: 08/06/15. This incredible recording at the Fillmore West capture Miles and his sextet shortly after a major crossroads in his career, when he first began performing in rock music venues after years of performing in jazz club settings. From all accounts, this era was an eye opening experience for the audience, as well as for Miles himself. Never one to stand still, these concerts find Miles fully entrenched in a new musical direction that would blur the lines between rock and jazz forever. Bonus tracks taken from April 9th.
Jerry De Villiers Jr.: The Turning Point Archives. Timeless Momentum (TM20141). 10/12/14. The music on this album consists of seven studio tracks recorded by the Canadian guitarist and composer during 1995 - but never released yet - and another seven pieces captured live in 1994. On the live tracks, Jerry is supported by Magella Cormier on drums, Mathieu Cormier on bass and Gerry Etkins on keyboards, while the studio pieces include a collection of various collaborators.
Derviche: El Ekeko Cósimico Y Su Taragato Musical (2007) - Argentina - {Jazz / Improvisation}
Derviche: Urania (2005) - Argentina - {Jazz / Improvisation}
Dharmawan, Dwiki: Pasar Klewer. Moonjune (MJR081). Steet date: 07-09-16. This second and double CD album for Moonjune by the Indonesian pianist largely confirms the talent and width of his music! This vibrant, acoustic piano-driven two-CD set features the cream of Britain's younger expat crop, blending with Indonesian musicians to create a passionate, seamless cultural cross-pollination. Bassist Yaron Stavi and drummer/percussionist Asaf Sirkis form the core trio with Dharmawan, while reed multi-instrumentalist Gilad Atzmon (met before on Robert Wyatt's albums), Gamelan musical virtuoso Aris Daryono, guitarists Nicolas Meier and Mark Wingfield all make significant contributions to several tracks. Italian singer Boris Savoldelli also guests on two tunes, including a reinvention of the afore-mentioned Robert Wyatt's "Forest". The Jegog Gamelan Orchestra and singer Peni Candra Rini bring an extra touch and colours of cultural ethnicity, contributing to an ambitious and remarkable album!
Dharmawan, Dwiki: So Far So Close. Moonjune (MJR075). Nov. 2015. On his debut for MoonJune Records, the Indonesian iconic keyboardist, composer and producer, Dwiki Dharmawan, treats listeners to an exotic musical mélange of the highest order. Featuring fusion and progressive rock luminaries, Chad Wackerman, Jimmy Haslip, (and fellow MoonJune artists and Indonesian giants) Dewa Budjana and Tohpati, and as well the legendary violinist Jerry Goodman. "So Far, So Close" features adventurous compositions, arrangements and performances.
Doctor Gradus: S/T. Musea Parallèle (MP 3294). Feb. 2015. Doctor Gradus are a British jazz-rock quartet. Their eponymous debut album freely reworks the music of the French impressionists, moulding melodic, rhythmic and harmonic fragments of the original tunes into new works. The ten tracks here range from intimate solo pieces to cascading rhythmic fantasies, all blending strict form with improvisation. The band record live to capture the interaction and dynamism between the four players and this infectious collaborative energy permeates the entire album. Featuring Pete Whinnett on piano, Andy Philip on guitar, Rob Levy on bass and Dave Bryant on drums.
Urszula Dudziak / Walk Away: Magic Lady. In+Out (IOR 77008). June 2011. CD reissue of one of the best records made by the Polish vocalist, backed by a great band led by vibraphonist Bernard Maseli.
Elephant9: Arrival Of The New Elders. Rune Grammofon (RCD2218). Street date: 19-02-21. New album by the Norwegian supergroup, this time offering shorter compositions in a more structured and reflective context.
Elephant9 with Reine Fiske: Silver Mountain. Rune Grammofon (RCD2174). 21-08-15. Here is an epic album containing five tracks between 10 and 22 minutes, four tracks being originals in addition to the most spaced out version of "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life" you're likely to encounter. Needless to say, this comes highly recommended!
Elephant9: Live at the BBC. Rune Grammofon (RLP2118). 09/11/11. Vinyl only release in a numbered, limited edition of only 500 copies on white vinyl. Widely considered to be one of Norway´s best live bands, this album shows the high degree of musicianship in this trio, all tracks being first takes and without any editing whatsoever. Elephant9 is as always Ståle Storløkken (Supersilent, Humcrush) on Hammond organ and Fender Rhodes, Nikolai Eilertsen on bass and Torstein Lofthus (Shining) on drums.
Elephant9: Dodovoodoo (Rune Grammofon RCD 2075). 2008. Excellent new Norwegian trio consisting of Ståle Storløkken (Supersilent, Humcrush) on keyboards, Nikolai Eilertsen (The National Bank, Lester) on bass and Torstein Lofthus (Shining) on drums. Storløkken mostly concentrating on organ and electric piano gives the album an early 70's flavour with traces of an electric Miles jazz-rock, but also prog and psychedelia. Two tracks are homages to the late great Joe Zawinul (Directions and a long version of Dr. Honoris Causa). Also released in a limited (500) white vinyl edition with a fantastic gatefold sleeve! If you're fond of distorded Rhodes, gritty Hammond, vocoder synths and tight energetic rhythm sections, don't miss this one!
Jørgen Emborg: Statements. Gateway Music. 2008. The Danish composer, pianist and keyboardist is back with a team of experienced top musicians from the Danish scene, from drummer Morten Lund to saxophonist Hans Ulrik and more yet! Emborg has always been a devoted melodist and the new album is no exception with 10 tracks that will bring you through various moods and styles, from the reflective to the festive, from brassy hard bop to synth fusion in a homage to the late Joe Zawinul. All in all a colourful and positive minded album!
Henrik Engqvist is a Danish drummer whose musical projects and many visits to USA have led to collaborations with such great names as bassist Jimmy Haslip and guitarist Robben Ford, both being or having been members of the reknown fusion group Yellowjackets. Music By Mail will carry Henrik's two more recent CD releases
+ Engqvist Orkester: Optimism, featuring guest performances by Jimmy Haslip, Frank Gambale & Robben Ford
+ Funk This!: Size Matters (2005), a Danish-American funk project presenting both studio and live tracks and featuring the great drummer and percussionist Alex Acuña.
Esqueixada Sniff: Ocells + En Concert. Picap 910829. 2010. Fine jazz-rock outfit also coming out of the Catalonian Rock Laietana scene in the mid-70's. Their complete recordings are included here: both 1979 albums "Ocells" and "En concert" as well as two unreleased bonus tracks
Fafard, Antoine: Borromean Odyssey. Timeless Momentum (TM20191). Street date: 30-08-19. This is Antoine Fafard's sixth studio album, featuring Todd Sucherman on drums (he has been playing with Styx for over 20 years and has built a strong reputation as a rock drummer) and legendary Gary Husband on keyboards, who joins here Fafard on a fourth album in a row. This time, he was given a large presence on lead keyboards, showcasing his skillful ability at the Fender Rhodes on "ProgRation" and "The Seventh Extinction", and executing stellar improvised synth solos on the other key songs of the record. Todd brought the powerful and precise playing he is now known for, and applied it into an instrumental music that features a wide range of dynamics, intricate arrangements and odd time signatures. As well as writing and arranging the music, Fafard recorded all the bass and guitar part on the project, a conceptual album by the way!
Antoine Fafard: Sphere. Timeless Momentum (TM20161A / TM20161B). July 2016. New solo album by Spaced Out's bass player! Also introducing this time his playing on 12-string guitar, Fafard delivers here a power trio album with long-time partner Jerry De Villiers Jr. as main guitarist and the excellent Gary Husband, both on drums, synth and piano. Fluid and very melodic, the music displays a sonic richness backed by true instrumental virtuosity, without any showing-off but certainly with bite and a strong self-confidence, especially noticeable in the soloing moments. The album is released both as digipak and in a more luxurious digibook edition, including a 30-page booklet with many photos and a CD sleeve attached.
Antoine Fafard: Ad Perpetuum. Unicorn Digital (UNCR-5092). 15/11/14. Third album by Spaced Out's bassist! It features Vinnie Colaiuta and Jerry De Villiers Jr. throughout the collection. Colaiuta's extraordinary performances show why he is a true drum legend, while De Villiers Jr's beautiful tone and inspired guitar work will prove irresistible to all fans of jazz fusion. Additional guests include keyboardist Gerry Etkins on three songs and saxophonist Jean-Pierre Zanella on another three tracks. Another significant contribution comes from Gary Husband, who features on the intense drum duet D-Day.
Nicola Fassi: In Blue. Macrorec (MRC 06-01-004). May 2012. CD reissue of a recording from 2006. This all-round guitarist, today teaching in the best Italian schools, is heard here in trio with bass and drums or quartet (add a keyboardist). The music shows muscles and at times flirt with metal. Some of you may remember Nicola from his 2001 album with the group Birds of Fire, of course a direct reference to guitarist John McLaughlin and his band Mahavishnu Orchestra.
New releases by New York guitarist extraordinaire David Fiuczynski!
+ Screaming Headless Torsos: 2005. New album. The band doesn't show many changes and still provides us with the smoking rythm section of drummer Gene Lake and bass player Fima Ephron plus the funky voice of Dean Bowman, reminding me quite a lot of Leon Thomas (warmth, power, yodling vibrato, etc ...)
+ Screaming Headless Torsos: Live In New York & Paris. This is THE real gift. This double DVD presents two historic concerts: one from 1996 at the Knitting Factory of New York City and the other from 2004 at the Parisian club "The New Morning". The DVD is all areas. The New York concert is also available on CD alone.
The Flock: Truth - The Columbia Recordings 1969-1970 (2CD Remastered Anthology). Esoteric Recordings (ECLEC22606). Street date: 29-09-17. This new 2CD anthology celebrating the fine American jazz-rock band comes remastered with six rare single tracks previously unissued on CD and six rare non-album session recordings from 1969 & 1970, including a re-recording of their early single "What Would You Do If the Sun Died". The anthology features an illustrated booklet that includes a new essay with an exclusive interview with Flock guitarist Fred Glickstein.
Flu-Band: Fly. Svart Records. Street date: 28-04-23. First ever reissue of the debut and only album by Finnish fusion jazz group Flu-Band. Originally released on vinyl in 1981, this is the first time the album Fly is available on CD.
Mitchell Forman: Perspectives. The new album, released in August 2006 on his own label Marsis Jazz, includes signature songs by such jazz legends as John McLaughlin, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett, Ron Carter and Russell Ferrante. In a career that has spanned two decades and made him much famous on the jazz-rock/fusion scene, Forman has performed with many of the artists whose compositions are featured on "Perspectives". In this album Forman performs in a variety of settings. Joining him are an impressive set of players, including Trey Henry (Tierney Sutton, the Gerald Wilson Orchestra) on bass, Ray Brinker (Ray Charles, Pat Benatar) on drums, and Munyungo Jackson (Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock) on percussion.
Freak Kitchen: Land of the Freaks. Street date: 22/05/12. Land of the Freaks, the seventh Freak Kitchen album, shows a band hungry, energetic and determined to break new ground! With vivid South Indian carnatic influences, Swedish guitarist Mattias Eklundh and his rhythm section go where no metal band has gone before, combining breathtaking rhythm structures with top-notch song-writing over tonality unheard of in metal music. Featuring Radhakrishna on double-violin and V. Selvaganesh on kanjeera, it's a milestone in the band's recording history.
Funk This: Diggin'Existential Current Records (ECR72022). 2009. 2nd album by the funk unit led by Danish drummer Henrik EngQvist. Again this time, international star guests make their appearance on the record and highly lift the music: Alex Acuña on congas and percussions, Jimmy Haslip on bass.
Great Jazz-Rock Reissues from France!
Coming from the label Dare-Dare and such nice forgotten items ...
+ Synthesis: S/T. Reissue CD or LP. DD030. 76. Brassy jazz-rock led by trumpetist Ivan Jullien and featuring the cream of the French jazz scene: Ceccarelli, Lockwood, Jeanneau, Bolognesi, etc... Produced by drummer Claude Delcloo, the man who started the famous BYG label!
+ Cortex: Troupeau Bleu. DD005. Only the LP reissue is still available.
+ Jacky Giordano: Pop in ...Devil's train. Reissue CD or LP. DD016. Released in 76 by a man who also composed musics for the Alcazar cabaret and produced more than 300 albums. A tribute to funk and soul music!
Gong Expresso: Decadence. This new project could be seen as Hansford Rowe's HRIII merged with Gong Expresso. Gong alumni François Causse, Benoît Moerlen and Hansford Rowe join HRIII guitarist Julien Sandiford for the recording of the new album!
New record by Gongzilla ! The "East Village Sessions" feature drummer Gary Husband (Holdsworth, Level 42) and Benoît Moerlen (ex-Gong) as well as guitarist David Fiuczynski as special guest.
Gongzilla: Five Even. LoLo Records (LoLo 021). Street date: 05/09/08. Already 5 years have passed since the much acclaimed album "East Village Sessions" from 2003. The new studio album announces a change of direction and a move towards pop music with more emphasis on vocals, crafting songs which fuse with improvisational rock. At the same time, guitar is once again highly displayed with two new guest Gongzillians, guitarists Chuck Garvey & Jake Cinninger plus the return on fretless guitar of New York guitar hero David Fiuczynski and a new guitarist member, apparently seconding leader Bon Lozaga. His name is Mike Miz, not much heard of yet. Not enough? What about Kai Eckhardt (John McLaughlin trio, Garaj Mahal) on bass? The new drummer of the band is by the way Nate Laguzza.
Finally released on CD! "Like Children" by Jerry Goodman & Jan Hammer (1974) and "Oh Yeah" by the Jan Hammer Group (1976). The first was recorded with Jan's Mahavishnu Orchestra bandmate Jerry Goodman, three months after the band broke up, and was the first release on the famed Nemperor Records label. "Oh Yeah" was the first album recorded by the Jan Hammer Group. The music from these two albums was performed for hundreds of thousands of people when the Jan Hammer Group joined forces with Jeff Beck in 1976 and 1977. The albums have been specially remastered for CD by Jan himself!
Al Green: You Ought To Be With Me: Live At Soul In New York City - January 13, 1973. green color vinyl LP / CD. BRR4022 (LP) / BRR5022 (CD). May 2015. A full show with the great Al Green recorded during the legendary SOUL! radio show in 1973!
Harmonized Records is a label based in the USA and has about 15 records on catalog. Here's a first overview:
+ Garaj Mahal. One studio record and nothing less than 3 live recordings for this band featuring great players such chicagoian guitarist Fareed Haque and bass virtuoso Kai Eckhardt. The music presents a mix of studied jazz, eclectic world rhythms, focused funk, and spontaneous creation. Some of the live recordings are closer to some kind of Shakti with the guesting of great tabla player Zakir Hussain.
+ Ulu: Nerve. This keyboards, sax/flute, bass & dms band is really cool, groovy and sounding with .... well you maybe already guessed it ..... nerve!
+ Lotus: Germination. This band from Philly could be presented as an organic ambient trance-funk band. The music is heavily tempered by electronica driven drum and bass, trance, and house beats but also at the same time an infusion of jazz, funk, and ethnic elements flows forth seamlessly. Somehow in the same vein as their friends from Quarkspace.
+ Perpetual Groove: Sweet Oblivious Antidote. Another relaxed and groovy band, this time from Savannah. The result is a passionate reworking of the improv-rock genre that is cerebral and epic.
+ Motet: Live! Combining funk, latin-jazz, R&B, House, West African, Brazilian, New Orleans and Cuban styles (to name a few), this CD will lift your spirits and make you move.
+ Modereko: Solar Ignitor. A gathering of talented musicians having experience in multiple fields such as jazz, rock, TV and film, sound engineering. The result of their collaboration is a unique band that values the unknown areas of improvisation as much as it does the construction of towering compositions.

Gavin Harrison / Antoine Fafard: Chemical Reactions. Harmonic Heresy (HH20201). Digipak. Street date: 11-12-20. Chemical Reactions is a joint album project presented by Gavin Harrison and Antoine Fafard. The original music on this album features a hybrid between the progressive-fusion approach and the world of chamber and orchestral music. Fafard's compositions highlight Harrison's innovative drumming through this intense and unique journey of epic proportions. About half of the album consists of tracks where drums and electric bass interact with a string quartet, while Harrison provides occasional marimba parts to the music. One track - Singular Quartz - showcases a different orchestration where drums and bass play alongside violin, cello, marimba and vibraphone. On this track, Jerry Goodman who has been a frequent collaborator on Fafard's music, performs the acoustic and electric violin parts. The album concludes with "Holding Back the Clock" and the title track - Chemical Reactions - two pieces where Harrison and Fafard perform with the Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra, recorded in March 2016 and conducted by Anthony Armore. The new album offers a true fusion of musical styles and tones. It was created to expand artistic possibilities and open up new horizons.
Scott Henderson is actual now with a trio live 2CD featuring Kirk Covington and John Humphrey. Scott wil be on tour in March 2005.
Hiromi: Move. SHM CD with Bonus DVD. Sept. 2012. Available only as a Japanese Import. New album from the world renowned Hiromi and her Trio Project, with legendary Anthony Jackson on bass and Simon Phillips on drums. The material consists of 9 new songs, all written by Hiromi. The limited edition comes with a DVD containing interviews, behind the scenes footage shot during their recording session, as well as their December 2011 live performance in Tokyo. To be released early in Japan in advance to the worldwide release. Region-2 encoded (Japan, Europe, and Middle East), no subtitles.
Holdsworth/Pasqua/Haslip/Wackerman: Blues For Tony. Moonjune MJR029 (2cd). Following the previous release on DVD from the "Yoshi's" club in Oakland, Moonjune offers here more fantastic music with our four heroes, gathered on a double CD and picked from several live dates during the 2007 tour. If the original idea behind thie reuniting was to pay a tribute to the legendary band Lifetime and its creator, drummer Tony Williams, it quickly became an autonomous entity; fusion at its best, it combines all the prerequisite energy and virtuosity with a deeper language and freer approach, as Holdsworth, Pasqua, Haslip and Wackerman deliver the goods on what will certainly be one of 2009's hottest jazz and fusion releases.
Holdsworth, Allan! 2012. The two albums "Hard Hat Area" (93) and "None to Soon" (96) are now reissued as digipacks in a remastered edition by the US label Moonjune Records (respectively MJR044 & MJR 043).
Holdsworth, Allan: The sixteen Men Of Tain. Now available as a special 10 track edition (the original issue had 8).
HR3: HR3. Vera Musique. Available worldwide on Nov. 26th, 2013. Based in Montréal, HR3 is a jazz power trio set up by US bass player Hansford Rowe, previously known from Gongzilla . He teams up here with two prodigious young Canadians: Julien Sandiford on guitar and Max Lazich (drums). A new form of jazz power trio!
Sami Hurmerinta: S/T. Svart Records. Street date: 28-04-23. Combining elements of fusion jazz, progressive rock, blues and funk, this self titled album was originally released on vinyl and cassette tape in 1978. With its guitarist as leader, the band falled in the waters of the soul-jazz fusion type that dominated the 70's. This is the first time the album is available on CD.
Jasper van´t Hof HotLips: Live At Quasimodo. JARO 4285-2. Van't Hof's new sextet promised a stronger focus on jazz and fusion formats. The band does not copy historic jazz styles, however, preferring a far more contemporary fusion sound. Combining jazz with rock does go back three decades now, but the potential still seems to be far from exhausted. Jasper van't Hof brings all of the experience he has gained during the course of his musical career to his arrangements, combining the jazz idiom with minimalist repetition and harmonious recurring melodies reminiscent of Erik Satie; indeed, some of the phrases he has composed for the winds sound almost baroque. To this he adds his own excellent fusion keyboard, indulging in the pleasantly rich rhythmical force of Funk Rock, introducing much of the versatility of his ethno-jazz experience, but also allowing his musicians plenty of elbow room for brilliant excursions into improvisation. Recorded at Quasimodo, Berlin January 2007. Recorded from Deutschlandradio Kultur
Jasper Van't Hof Hot Lips: NeverNeverLand. JARO 4260-2. After twenty years of Pili Pili, Jasper van't Hof embarked on his new band project "Hot Lips," which featured 3 wind instruments and no African musicians.The music looks back and ahead simultaneously, and is based on the experience of his band projects such as Pork Pie or Catherine-Mariano-Van't Hof (connected to the latter is the Belgian bass player Nicolas Fizman). But composing for three wind instruments (Tony Lakatos on sax, trombonist Annie Whitehead and trumpetist Christian Kappe) was an entirely new experience as well as a challenge. "Hot Lips" provide a convincing mix of varied and inspired compositions, attractive tunes, improvisations, sonic surprises and European chamber jazz; not American (though drummer Jean-Philippe Fanfant may be geographically the musician who's closest to this country), not Scandinavian, and inspired throughout by Jasper van't Hof. The attractiveness of the new ensemble lies in the electro-acoustic concept, which features powerful and sophisticated wind writing alongside lyrical sections, with solos that are sometimes funky, sometimes deeply expressive and complex. They also fall back on elements of jazz-rock-funk, all the way to the modern and garish use of sound colours.
Jazz Q: Elegie. Gad Records (GAD CD 045). Street date: 16-09-16. One of the greatest albums bordering on jazz and rock ever to have been recorded behind the Iron Curtain. Eight tracks filled with variety, surprising arrangements and brilliant solos. Bonus CD featuring the recordings from the two "Jazzrocková Dílna" compilations (1975, 1977), as well as the previously unreleased radio session with JOCR big band (1976), and the soundtrack from the movie "Hriste." Newly remastered, the release comes with a lavish booklet with an in-depth essay, band photos and press cuttings.
Dusan Jevtovic: Am I Walking Wrong? Moonjune Records (MJR 058). Oct. 2013. Guitarist of Serbian origin living in Spain, Dusan Jevtovic is an edge-of-your-seat thrill ride, full of twists and turns that you never see coming. This session cooks on high heat, providing fans of stellar guitar work (especially the die-hard "tone freaks" out there!), plenty of choice morsels into which to sink their teeth. Continually pushing the envelope throughout a set which features a stream of unique, intriguing compositions, Jevtovic delivers the sonic goods with style and flair and his technique is flawless; the album showcases moments of immense raw, explosive power, interspersed with swatches of playful dissonance, contemplative ambiance, riveting r'n'b-tinged grooves, authoritative rock vamps, and more. The tight, abundantly-capable trio confidently stride through an engaging set of original barn-burners that are as catchy and accessible as they are spellbinding and unpredictable.
Percy Jones: Cape Catastrophe. Gonzo (HST183CD). Release date: 25th November 2013. This is the reissue of an early album the bass player did record in 1988 and 1989 at a studio in East Harlem, after he left the UK for the USA. Using an array of the era's available hardware (including, as the product-placing liners indicate, a Casio synthesizer, Roland sequencer, Yamaha drum machine, and Korg digital delay), Jones laid down tracks ranging from two-and-a-half minutes to over 23 minutes in length, and then accompanied the tracks live on his five-string (Wal V, for those interested in brands) bass as the direct-to-digital recording was made. The results were generally quite impressive, and stand the test of time well over a decade later.
Stanley Jordan: Dreams Of Peaces (Nicolisi Production. Do you remember the asteroid Stanley Jordan? Well he's back, deeper, more biting and showing a great musicianship in the compositions and arrangements. The guests present on the recording have something to say too: Dave Liebman, Dan Gottlieb, Randy Brecker ...

Scott Kinsey: Near Life Experience. Near Life Experience is Keyboard whiz Scott Kinsey's sophomore solo album after Kinesthetics, released almost 10 years ago in 2006. Considered by many to be Tribal Tech's secret weapon, Scott either penned or co-wrote nine out of the twelve tunes on the record. The album features a long list of A-Listers who bring their best to the game; Michael Landau, Kirk Fletcher on guitar, Gary Novak, Danny Carey, Kirk Covington, Gergo Borlai, Karim Ziad on the drums, long time collaborator Matthew Garrison, Jimmy Earl, and Hadrein Feraud on bass along with Arto Tuncoboyacian among others on percussion.
Kneebody: S/T. Greenleaf GR02. Sept. 07. This quintet from L.A. was founded in 2000 and follows closely the steps left by Martin. Medeski & Wood. This is their debut album

Eero Koivistoinen: 3rd Version. Porter Records. Jan. 2011. Reissue of the 7th album coming from the Finnish saxophonist, a true pearl of fusion jazz from the golden 70's, featuring Finnish guitar hero Jukka Tolonen, mostly known by those familiar of the prog-rock scene. The other players are more connected to the Scandinavian jazz scene and among them is pianist Heikki Sarmanto
Wayne Krantz: Howie 61. Street date: 13/04/12. New album by the guitarist! Though Krantz has utilized vocals in his music before - most notably on Krantz Carlock Lefebvre - on Howie 61 Krantz pushes this aspect of his artistry a step further by incorporating vocal content in his music in a manner that is more complete and tightly integrated than anything he has done in the past. The line-up used is varied and impressive: no less than seven drummers, among them Vinnie Colaiuta and long-time partner Keith Carlock; five bass players, including John Patitucci, James Genus; a pair of keyboardists, the most known being John Beasley; Wayne's singing will probably intrigue or directly put off fans of instrumental music (and of his previous trios) but pay attention to the lyrics anyway, they'll tell you some!
La Sangre Caliente: "La Sangre Caliente + Vol. 2" (Orfeon, CSM-201). Amazing Mexican Latin Funk from Mexico early-mid 70s!!! There's funk, mambo, bossa and soul influence here, with every track a winner. Features the well-known and so many times comped "La Culebra" too! The band released two albums on the GAS label, here you get them both on one CD. Gatefold cover, and with insert.
Bill Laswell Special! Reissues, rediscoveries, take a look!
+ City Of Light. Sub Rosa(SR114), a shamanistic project recorded in India in 97, featuring Trilok Gurtu's tablas, the Japanese laptop and electronic wizzard Tetsue Inoue, the sensual whispers of Lori Carson and more guests yet!
+ Final Oscillations (Quatermass QS 137). This 2CD, released in 2003, is the last part of a trilogy which started the drum 'n' bass odyssey in 1996. Done in collaboration with Robert Musso. Also available as 2LP!
+ Lo-def Pressure Sub Rosa (SR 150). This record mixes samples from the two other albums mentioned above with jazz fusion keyboard riffs and psychedelic electrifying trip-hop jungle grooves

Ligro: Dictionary 3. Moonjune (MRJ072). Indonesian jazz & fusion guitarist extraordinaire Agam Hamzah and his power trio Ligro featuring Adi Darmawan (bass) and Gusti Hendy (drums) make a powerful return to the spotlight, with guns blazing! Featuring a special guest appearance by the young Indonesian jazz keyboard prodigy Ade Irawan, the album ventures to domains which highlight the amazing versatility, depth and unbridled sense of adventure that has become this multifaceted group's trademark.
Ligro: Dictionary 2. Moonjune Records (MJR047). 2012. After Tohpati, Moonjune keeps on presenting us new guitarists from the remote Indonesia. This time, we're talking of guitarist Agam Hamzah and his Jakarta's celebrated jazz-rock power trio Ligro, founded in 2004. On the present album, the trio blazes through eight volcanic studio performances of highly creative collective compositions, including an inventive arrangement of Stravinski's "An Easy Piece Using Five Notes". Compared to SimakDialog (Tohpati's band), Ligro manage to be both impressively tight and appealingly loose in their execution, combining the energy and enthusiasm of a basement jam session with the assured technique of players thoroughly grounded in the best of contemporary instrumental music, with echoes of Hendrix, McLaughlin, Fripp, Fiuczynski or even early Rypdal. Ligro? An arresting combination of the raunchy and the sophisticated that delivers an electrifying jolt to the field of global fusion!
Lionel Loueke: Heritage. Blue Note. Street date: 28/08/2012. Third Blue Note album, co-produced by label mate Robert Glasper who also contributes piano and keyboards to six tracks. Heritage finds Loueke - hailed by The New York Times as "a gentle virtuoso" - exploring a more electric sound with a new trio featuring Derrick Hodge on electric bass and Mark Guiliana on drums. The album presents seven new compositions by Loueke, two by Glasper, and one co-written by the two, while singer Gretchen Parlato provides background vocals on two tracks.
Alex Machacek, Raphael Preuschl, Herbert Pirker: FAT. Abstract Logix. Street date: 18/09/2012. FAT or in its entirety the Fabulous Austrian Trio is the new album by the extraordinary Austrian native and current California resident guitarist. He is here ably accompanied on his sophomore outing as a leader by superb drummer Herbert Pirker and outstanding bassist Raphael Preuschl. Combining mindboggling fluidity, daredevil string-skipping technique and audacious intervallic leaps on the guitar, also featured on baritone guitar, he wanted with this album to head towards more improvisation, with "more emphasis on interplay ... just like a band", as he says himself.
Mahavishnu Orchestra: Whiskey a Go-Go 1972. Red River. Dec. 2014. A CD release of a performance from March 27th, 1972.
The Mahavishnu Orchestra: Dawn: Live At Century Theatre, Buffalo, NY - January 27, 1973. White vinyl gatefold 2LP / 2CD. BRR4023 (2LP) / BRR5023 (2CD). May 2015.
Mahavishnu Project: Phase 2. Aggregate. This 2 ½ hours long double CD is a tribute and revisits the quasi totality of Inner Mounting Flame, Birds of Fire and Visions Of Emerald Beyond. The project is led by drummer Gregg Bendian and also features keyboardist Steve Hunt, known for his stay in Alan Holdsworth's band.
Brand new release from the canadian Unicorn: Martin Maheux's first recording "Physics Of Light". Martin is drummer in the prog/fusion band Spaced Out.
Marien, Evan: Between Worlds. Art of Life Records (AL1039-2 CD). Oct. 09. This album is the recording debut of a bass player recently voted one of 2009's "Most Exciting New Players" in the July 2009 issue of Bass Player Magazine by their Readers' Choice Awards. All songs are penned by him and some great contributors are part of the line-up, like the one and only David Fiuczynski on fretted and fretless guitars and a lot more other ...
John McLaughlin: Black Light. Abstract Logix. Sept. 2015. Third studio album to feature his band, the 4th Dimension and conceptually related to a previous album made some years ago and called "Industrial Zen", this new shot by the guitarist represents a daring cross-section of his remarkable career. Throughout, elements of different traditions and styles McLaughlin has been inspired by (and, in some cases, helped to create) are juxtaposed and interwoven into startling new designs, in a most tasteful, musical fashion. Helping to cohere the sonic landscape of Black Light is the artful use of electronic elements - both in terms of programmed rhythm tracks, guitar synthesis, and Husband's uniquely human touch on synthesizers. The results achieved by integration of the band's powerful yet nuanced performances with textured electronic backdrops both haunting and urgent is startling. Witness Ranjit Barot going head-to-head with a propulsive, roiling synthetic rhythm track on "Kiki",or how the band weaves in and out of "360 Flip"'s stark, unpredictable electro-underpinnings. "360 Flip" is also one of several Black Light tracks to feature Barot's mastery of konokol - an Indian tradition of vocalized percussion.
John McLaughlin & the 4th Dimension: Now Here This. Abstract Logix. October 2012. New album by the guitarist, with a slightly altered band, in form of the recruitment of powerhouse Indian drummer Ranjit Barot, first heard on the guitarist's "Floating Point" album. Cameroon-born and Paris-resident bassist Etienne M'Bappe is back from "To the One", as is keyboardist/drummer Gary Husband, The 4th Dimension's only other founding member.
Meat Beat Manifesto: Ruok. Quatermass QS 140. This is the 7th album by this outfit whose brain is a certain Jack Dangers, known for his many collaborations with various illustrious actors of the international pop rock scene (Public Enemy, David Bowie, Orbital, Nine Inch Nails, David Byrne, Bush, Depeche Mode and Tower Of Power). Samples, breakbeats, recording made with a special and rare model of EMS Synthi 100, together with the DJ Z-Trip and Alex Paterson from the band The Orb. Another release titled "Ruok in dub" is also available (QS155). The title says it all but expect anyway some real changes in the final product! Hey ... about the title, Ruok ----> Are You OK? ;-)
Mindflowers: 3rd. Periferic Records (BGCD 230). March 2017. As the title implies, this is the third album by this Hungarian fusion jazz quartet, keyboards & guitars, no blowers but two drummers on shift, Péter Szendöfi - the original member - and Ábel Mihalik, the newcomer, present on 8 of the 12 album tracks. There is a science fiction concept on the album, starting with this: It's 4017. Humanity has been extinct for centuries leaving behind a community of droids on Earth. Get the CD to hear the rest ;-)
The production of the french label Soleil Zeuhl (Soleil Groove 12) will certainly please those who are fond of Martin, Medeski & Woods. the name is: Mix City . Hammond, contrabass, drums and samplers are parts of the fest!
Mörglbl: The Story Of Scott Rötti. Street date: 01-02-19. With this new album - their previous goes back to 2015 - the iconoclastic French trio of Christophe Godin (guitar), Ivan Rougny (bass), and Aurelian Ouzoulias (drums) continue to change the rules of jazz and metal, spicing their fusion and crushing metal riffs with tongue and cheek humor.
Mörglbl: Tea Time For Punks. Free Electric Sound (FES4012). 2015. New album by the French trio after a long break!
Morglbl: Toons Tunes From The Past (EX 27173). Guitar player Christophe Godin, reknown as one of the best French guitarists of the moment, presents his new project: MORGLBL Trio, a kind of small experimental laboratory founded in 1998 in order to mix without any limitation Metal, Funk, Jazz and ... anything else! The two first albums are gathered on this 2CD while a third - Grotesk (EX 17244) - is available on its own
Mushroom's "Analog Hi-Fi Surprise" has been newly remastered with 4 unreleased bonus tracks. This space rock/psychedelic jazz classic now has 25 minutes of new music (for a total of 80 min.), plus photos and detailed liner notes inside of a deluxe 8 panel digipack.
My 3 Sons: Who's We?. My 3 Sons, led by guitarist/composer Pete Petty, is a high energy fusion trio with strong roots in rock and funk. On bass is Bobby Patterson (DAG, Go There). On drums is Kenny Soule. The addition of Mark Wells on organ adds a new dimension to My 3 Sons well-developed sound.
Nadavati: Le vent de l'Esprit souffle où il veut. Soleil Mutant 44. March 2015. CD reissue of an album recorded in 1977, a project led by guitarist Jacques Liot featuring many "notorious-to-become" jazz musicians like Mico Nissim, Richard Raux, Jean-François Canape ... and percussionist Aiyb Dieng.
Natural Food: S/T. Porter Records (POR 1501). March 09. A hot R&B played with muscles, tending to funk and fusion, this band from Boston was founded in 1972 and gathered musicians from this area. Released for the first time on CD, it will give you the possibility of diving again into Würlitzer, fuzz bass, syncopated drums and 70's guitars, one of which being played by the great John Abercrombie!
Mark Nauseef: Personal Note. GAD Records. October 2017. Reissue of an album originally released in 1981 on the CMP label. Incredible cross of jazz and rock. Another level of fusion with great musicians like Joachim Kuhn, Jan Akkerman ...
Network: Refusal To Comply. Wenlock (WEN004). Network has attracted a great many rock and more importantly jazz players over the last fifteen years including such notable jazz and fusion musicians as Jan Hammer, Hugh Hopper, Ted Emmett and Larry Coryell. Refusal To Comply once again features band leader Steve Clarke leading a stripped down version of Network including Algy Ward and Tim Crowther through some solid instrumental playing. Those interested in steve's drumming can also check this other release: Drum Solos (WEN 020). It is an incredibly listenable album consisting of two drum solos. The album was recorded and released in early 2000 and has been re mastered for this re issue.

New Tokyo International Jazz Airport. Whatmusic.com. WMCD-0090. This rather special album is in fact a compilation of the label's best tracks, remixed by Masanori Morito, a much sought-after Japanese DJ and accomplished remixer, known for his remix works for the soundtrack of "Oduru-dai-sousasen", a smash hit Japanese movie, as well as his work for Japan's top artists including Puffy and Boo.

OM: S/T. Picap )10827. Rare Catalan experimental progressive jazz-rock. Their sole album, though this was the group backing Pau Riba in his "Dioptria" album.
OPA: Back Home. This reissue on Lion Productions (LION 617) is a little gem to rediscover! OPA was the jazz-rock outfit created by the Fattoruso brothers and lately became the backing band for Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira . Drummer and producer Larry Rosen (later founder of GRP) invited Opa to record in his small home studio. They recorded nine demos with him on a 4-track TEAC 3440 during 1975 and included are versions of songs which would be re-recorded the following year for Opa's debut album for Milestone Records. Rhythm-laden tracks that range from the heavily funkified to chilled out, shimmering, and trance-inducing. This reissue supersedes the previously one released on the Vampisoul label. It adds one bonus track, which is OPA's first demo from 1972. It comes with a luxurious 16-page booklet including band history and photos. Don't miss it this time!
Orrenmaa Band: Make My Day. To Records (TOCD3). 2009. Tuomo "Tuppu" Orrenmaa is a guitar player from Finland and this album is is 3rd output. Recorded during Spring and Summer 2008, it is probably one of the last recordings featuring the late bass wizzard Pekka Pohjola. Completing the rhythm section is no one else than the great Billy Cobham! OK you say, this is some kind of Funk´n fusion, jazz-rock? Well, if I now tell you that the horn section of Tower of Power is featured on half of the record, there's no doubt left, right?
Paolo Ricca Group: Mumble. Electromantic (TJRS1351). Feb. 2018. Third album by pianist, keyboardist and composer Paolo Ricca, after "Batik" in 2006 and "Volcano" in 2009. The current line up for this new album includes Diego Mascherpa on clarinet, Maurizio Plancher on drums and Andrea Manzo on bass. The cherry on the cake will with no doubt be the presence of English guitarist and ex-Soft Machine member John Etheridge! The music is typical of 70's jazz-rock and will attract in particular lovers of Perigeo, Agorà, Soft Machine and Weather Report. The decision to record this new album as a live in the studio, meant that the CD was recorded in a single session, with only one version for each song; this certainly contributed to give the music an authentic and right feel! Ricca explains that his goal for the album was to create a sound that was electric but above all typically Italian, with this "melodic-Mediterranean vein in the musical themes that naturally distinguishes us".
The Pat Metheny Group: Phase Dancer Live '77. Hi Hat. Street date: 30-10-15. The complete broadcast on KJAZ-FM is presented here in digitally remastered sound with background notes and images. "Phase Dancer", "Watercolors" and "Wrong Is Right" were recorded at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco on August 31, 1977; "San Lorenzo" was recorded at the Seattle Opera House on September 4, 1977. All are material from Watercolors and the Pat Metheny Group album (which would be released in 1978)
Nicholas Payton: Bitches. In+Out (IOR 77111). After Payton's infectious, groove-heavy album Bitches was rejected by Concord Records in 2010, the trumpetist leaked it online for free download in November that year. In early 2011 it appeared again, and began making waves not only with Payton's longtime jazz fans, but with funk lovers enamored with its synth- and drum machine-laden textures that put Payton closer in sound to Dam-Funk than Terence Blanchard. Now, Bitches is finally available for purchase on the German record label In+Out. According to JazzTimes, the new, commercial version of the album has been remastered and remixed by Tom Soares. Oh by the way, the album features singer Cassandra Wilson and the new comet Esperanza Spalding. Did I read bitches as title?
Pegasus: Standby ... ON! Pegasus Records. 06/03/14. Pegasus is the legendary band formed in 1981 in Barcelona and the follower of Iceberg. After a 17-years hiatus, the band has just released a new studio record, the 10th in their discography, made of 11 new compositions that keep alive the fusion-jazz style that has always been the Pegasus trademark. The new generation is also represented, with Dan Arisa on percussion, son of the much respected drummer Santi Arisa. And yes, Sunyer, Kitflus, Escoté ... the very same line up from the 80's still going on, respect!
Performart: The Art of Falling In and Out The Circle of Time. Electromantic (TJRS1314). May 2014. New incredible duo formed by guitarist Andrea Guariso and double bass player Claudio Nicola. Their music is so free and open that it is really hard to attempt describing it with words, as every song moves in different and peculiar directions led by improvisation and the guiding lines of the producer Bepe Crovella, whose artistic direction had a great importance for shaping and fixing the sound of the record.
Pierre Moerlen's Gong! Esoteric is re-issueing some key albums by this band who in the late 70's drifted away from psychedelic space rock and moved towards a jazz-rock direction.
+ Downwind (ECLEC 2235). Street date: 29/11/10. With guesting from Mike Oldfield & Steve Winwood, it also introduced the line-up to come, with Hansford Rowe on bass, ex Zao member and percussionist François Causse, Moerlen's cousin Benoît on vibes, etc...
+ Time Is the Key (ECLEC 2236). Street date: 29/11/10. Following Downwind, Moerlen assembled a new band featuring again Hansford Rowe on bass and Bon Lozaga on guitar (those two would later found in turn Gongzilla). This band entered The Kinks' Konk studios to record "Time Is the Key", a fine album that featured guest appearances by guitarist Allan Holdsworth and Curved Air violinist Darryl Way.
Those Esoteric Recordings editions have been remastered from the original analogue master tapes and fully restore the original albums artwork

Pomo: Primario. 2010. Hector "Pomo" Lorenzo is a brilliant drummer and former member of known Argentinean bands, Invisible, Spinetta Jade, amongst others. This is his very first solo outing, and consists of a series of instrumental and sung compositions, all comfortably categorized within a fusion jazz-rock framework, yet featuring an undeniable tendency towards funk.
Post Image: Fragile. Cristal Records. Street date: 10-03-17. The French group celebrates its 10 years career with this new album, their tenth since their creation in 1987. Again this time old friends are guesting, from Sixun's saxophonist Alain Debiossat - who took part in the band's third album - and up to the legendary Welsh singer and musician John Greaves, already present on the previous album "In an English Garden". Shared emotions and collective strength, groove and ethnicity, discrete electro touches and a nomadic-like approach, here are some of the elements that the band keeps polishing and working on with success.
Prasanna: Be The Change. Carbon 7. This guitarist from India delivers a fusion music (maybe sometimes close to easy listening) inspired by such groups as Weather Report or Shakti. Note the presence on the record of legendary bassist Alphonso Johnson
Prince: Flesh For Fantasy: Live At The Carrier Dome, Syracuse, 30 March 1985 - FM Broadcast. 2CD Egg Raid (RAID-345). Street date: 02-02-17. Covering songs spanning a wide swath of his career with a focus on The Revolution era, along with some great early cuts and irresistible b-sides, "Flesh For Fantasy" is an essential document of Prince's amazing live prowess in the mid 80's.
Xavi Reija: Resolution. Moonjune (MJR062). Street date: April 15, 2014. With this new trio, the Catalan drummer from Barcelona has chosen to construct a leaner sound machine that, through careful sharpening of the remaining weapons in the arsenal, has produced some of the finest post-rock avant jazz out there today. Muscular polyrhythmic grooves of propulsive drumming and Bernat Hernandez' funk bass riffing lay the solid foundation for innovative guitar phrasings by Dusan Jevtovic which consider the space between the notes as significant as the notes themselves. And the notes? Elegantly played melodic jazz riffing and subtle volume pedalwork may ultimately yield to feedback and dissonance if the track calls for it. But the drum also waltzes. Delicate and thoughtful kit-work with deft guitar loops add texture and ambience to the sonic pallet making this trio feel more akin to a small orchestra scoring for some incredible film. There is an intelligence at work here - a painterly approach that enthusiastically seeks to redefine the sonic possibilities that the trio format can bring to the table.
Relocator: S/T (2010). Powerful German instrumental band playing a heavy sustained music between jazz-rock and metal prog. Featuring Derek Sherinian on keyboards and an excellent violin to cool down a bit the hammering! To be discovered!
Renegades, The: Duncannon Shenanigan (2007). This is the third release by this Chicago-based fusion group, who I discovered only lately. As per usual, complex harmony & arrangements, odd time-signatures, virtuosity, and improvisation are utilized to help create a distinguishable, high-energy sound. This particular record goes one step further via the introduction of the "mini-kit" - an undersized set of drums and cymbals - played simply, recorded dryly, and ultimately saturated with effects to produce the illusion of an electronic drum loop, as played by human hands. The musicians appearing on the album are the usual trio of Paul Mutzabaugh (keyboards, 12-string acoustic guitar, percussion), Frank Alongi (drums, mini-kit, percussion and Jon Wegge (electric and acoustic basses). They are joined by two guesting guitarists (Jeremy Bieber & Chris Siebold
Return To Forever: Stockholm Live. BRR (BRR6037). Street date: 16-06-16. This historic recording took place soon after the release of Chick Corea's Return To Forever LP and just before the recording of their second album, Light As A Feather. A classic live recording from the group, remastered in audiophile quality and presented beautifully in a digifile case.
Richard Hallebeek Project: S/T. The very tight Dutch jazz-rock / fusion trio teaming with Hallebeek - his bass & dms mates + keyboardist Lale Larson - is augmented here with the guesting of two other guitar players, the late Shawn Lane and Brett Garsed. Very well performed hi-tech fusion, kicking and inspiring.
David Sancious: Forest of Feelings. Esoteric Recordings (ECLEC2457). Street date: 28/07/14. This album enjoyed a fleeting appearance on CD and has long been unavailable since. This Esoteric Recordings release has been newly re-mastered and includes the bonus track Promise of Light.
David Sancious & Tone: Transformation (The Speed of Love). Esoteric Recordings (ECLEC2458). Street date: 28/07/14. Reissue of a newly re-mastered edition of the classic 1976 jazz rock album!
Iñaki Sandoval / Carles Benavent / Roger Blàvia: Electric Trio Live. Bebyne Records (CDB016). CD + DVD. April 2015. Released in double format, audio CD and DVD, the album presents the live concert recorded in Barcelona in May 2014. The album electric concept - Sandoval only plays here electric pianos and synthesizers - and the mixture with Benavent's flamenco rhythms, give the music a real fresh and original approach, even with the older songs. The music could be described as a combination of jazz, Mediterranean rhythms and flamenco, all under Sandoval's distinctive personal style of writing.
Santana: Live At The Bottom Line, New York, 1978. FM Broadcast Boiling Point (BOIL003). 2CD. Street date: 10-05-18. Recorded at The Bottom Line and broadcast on the King Biscuit Flower Hour.
Santana: Santana IV. Also available as 2LP, this new album is also a return to the very first line up, therefore the number used for the title! Released as 4-panel digipak with 8-page booklet and a few marchandise extras like stickers, or a 180 gr. vinyl with gatefold cover and download code.
Santana: Live At The Cow Palace, Daly City, December 31, 1977. BRR (BRR6034). Street date: 16-06-16. This 1977 show is one of their most historic, a ripping set that blends the Latin-rock of Santana's early years with the spiritually tinged jazz-fusion Carlos became knowing for in the mid-70s. Blistering guitar work as always, and a great live set remastered in audiophile quality in a digifile case.
Santana: Going Home: Live at Dillon Stadium, Hartford, Connecticut - August 17th, 1973. BRR4016 (3LP) / BRR5016 (2CD). May 2015. Great live performance by Santana, recorded during the 1973 tour after the release of Caravanserai and Welcome. Available on remastered 2CD and audiophile quality 3LP box.
Heikki Sarmanto: Counterbalance. Porter 1506. Jan. 09. Winner of many prices, a major figure of finnish jazz in the early 70's, partner of Sonny Rollins, Art Farmer or George Russel, Heikki Sarmanto is nevertheless still much unknown; this album from 1971 can easily be technically compared to Tony William's Lifetime and decidedly for fans of jazz-rock of that period!
Morten Schantz: Godspeed. Edition Records. 27-01-17. Godspeed is the hi-octane, heavyweight new album from Danish keyboardist Morten Schantz. This a 21st Century Weather Report in its most original and creative form, featuring Phronesis' drummer Anton Eger and Norwegian saxophonist Marius Neset.
SimakDialog: The 6th Story. Moonjune Records (MJR056). Street date: 10/08/13. New album from the Indonesian band, still mixing their gamelan roots with modern Western fusion jazz; the band continues to push the musical envelope, leaping boldly into places progressive music has never ventured, and few would be brave - or skilled enough - to even consider attempting. From the flowing, sensitive, unpredictable-yet-wonderfully-articulate passages due to keyboardist Riza Arshad to the world-class guitar stylings of phenomena Tohpati, and without forgetting the solid foundation beneath their dense, weaving foreground musings, provided by three seasoned percussionists, SimakDialog keeps revealing a spirit of pioneering excellence!
SimakDialog: Demi Masa. Moonjune (MJR024). 2009. This is the fifth album (2nd for Moonjune) by Indonesian progressive jazz ensemble simakDialog, led by keyboardist and composer Riza Arshad. His Fender Rhodes is as much at home with the jazz-rock idioms as with the Indonesian gamelans, his percussive playing being more than a proof of the latter. Twin guitars and twin percussions keep you tight under their skins, charming you with melodic solos or pushing you in ever increasing rhythmic climaxes, dense, hot, repeated, festive. More than a fusion band, simakDialog are an organic and living kaleidoscope cleverly showing you in shifting ways the very best of any musical style their hands, feet and hearts may touch!
Simak Dialog: Patahan. Moonjune MJR 015. This live performance recorded at Goethe Haus, Jakarta, Indonesia on April 16, 2005, will delight and surprise you with a compelling Indonesian electro-acoustic progressive jazz-fusion with a distinctive cultural bent. The 14 year-old group is innovatively propelled by two percussionists rather than a conventional drummer, but the result is no less powerful. Keyboardist/composer Riza Arshad, guitarist Tohpati and bassist Adhhitya join vocalist Nyak Ina Raseuki and percussionists Endang Ramdam and Emy Tata for five lengthy, episodic and finely detailed compositions that create a unique nexus of jazz and less-traveled ethnicity. Expansive solos, rich harmonies, telling interplay and propulsive rhythms make Patahan a genre-busting album that demands to be heard.
www.slaraffenland.net
This Danish band of 5 young musicians, Bjørn, Christian, Jeppe, Mike and Niklas, has released their first record in february. The music presented has definitely one foot in the nu-jazz Norwegian scene represented by groups like Supersilent. It privileges long musical sequences, slowly evolving and ear-foodprocessing concepts like dynamics, tone colours, blurred borders between written and improvised. The music has another foot in some kind of modern rock style-shuffling where drums, bass, guitar, saxophone and trombone are fully set to work. And finally it has another foot in .... hey, wait a minute ... 3 feet? Huum .... Yeah, that's actually what Slaraffenland is about and you'd better check their site before the group morphes into a multimembered monster!
Julie Slick: S/T. Street date: 31/05/10. Debut album by the bassplayer of Adrian Belew Power Trio ! An adventurous combination of progressive rock, jazz-fusion, funk, electronica, post-rock, and world music influences. Featuring an inspired ensemble, including King Crimson members Robert Fripp and Pat Mastelotto, the album is an impressive statement from a musician described by Guitar Player's Anil Prasad as being "One of the best bassists in the world."
Snake Oil: Uppercut Attitude Vol 1 & 2. 12 Prod. This band is the baby of One Shot's drummer Daniel Jeand'heur. The new record, their second opus, is a double CD, one studio / one live. The live set adds another One Shot member, guitarist James McGaw. Very close to the music of One Shot, the main difference being the presence of a saxophonist (Boris Basset), adding a jazz colour to the eitherway fusionish Zeuhl with plenty of growling bass (Greg Théveniau) and dirty distorded Rhodes (Romain Nassini).
Snarky Puppy: Empire Central. GroundUP Music LLC. On this new album, the eclectic 19-piece electric ensemble is big and bold, chill and laid back, rooted in its native culture while reaching outward, forward-bound. Their sound now rises like a skyscraper from a 21st century orchestra comprising three guitarists, at least four keyboardists, two brass, two reeds, a violinist, multiple percussionists and drummers and the accomplished yet modest Michael League, keeping it all together with his bass. Also available as triple vinyl!
Snarky Puppy: Culcha Vulcha. GroundUP Music. May 2016. After Family Dinner Vol. 2, focusing on guest vocalists and popular tastes, the US band comes back to a fully instrumental album, closer to what started their success at the debut of their musical career. The typical flash and bombastic moments that they are known for have been replaced by a more patient, restrained, and sonically creative approach to both composition and performance. The melodies are intricate, the counterpoint is fluid, and groove reigns supreme in mixes that are bass and percussion-heavy. Released both on CD and vinyl!
Soft Machine Legacy: Live Adventures. Moonjune MJR036. With this live album recorded in Austria and Germany in October 2009, Soft Machine Legacy makes a forceful case that the music of Soft Machine is as relevant and ripe with possibility today as it was in the band's heyday. Longtime fans and new converts alike can take heart in the knowledge that the Soft Machine family tree, with its deep roots in the musical revolution of the 60's, continues to sprout new limbs in the new century and shows no signs of slowing. The legacy is in very good hands indeed! Bassist Roy Babbington couldn't be a better choice to replace the hardly missed Hugh Hopper and woodwind player extraordinaire Theo Travis, while the only SML member not being a Soft Machine alumnus, clearly has fully internalized the SM ethos. If the line-ups change, so does the repertoire too, a living proof of the band's strongest quality: refusing stagnancy and remaining in continual metamorphosis in terms of both personnel and musical approach; with the inclusion now of some compositions by Karl Jenkins (The Nodder, Song of Aeolus), we're slowly drifting away from the band's early classics and with new compositions that do not have a past in Soft Machine, signed either by Etheridge or Travis, we're reminded of the meanings of the word legacy; it can also be seen as a spirit filtering in the present! Now turn the kaleidoscope on and tell me what's next!
Special Providence: Essence Of Change. Giant Electric Pea (GEPCD1047). 2015. New album and a surprise on the keyboards chair, now taken by the great Szolt Kaltenecker! The music also shows more muscles and takes distance from previous techno flirts, coming closer to heavy metal fusion this time!
Spectrum Road: S/T. 08/06/12. Named after a composition in the debut album of Tony Williams Lifetime, this project is of course an homage to the late drummer, led by his younger peer Cindy Blackman. To come closer to the spirit of the original band, bass player and also Lifetime member Jack Bruce has been enrolled, alongside Living Colour's guitarist Vernon Reid and the astounding pianist and keyboardist John Medeski. Together, they revitalize some of Williams' most prominent compositions as well as a few of their own vintage
John Sund & Acoustic Sense: New Gems. This is the first all acoustic CD ever done by John Sund, a danish guitarist and composer usually more associated to some kind of ethnic fusion music. The ethnic thread is still noticeable here since the CD features the fantastic serbian accordion player (and Zawinul protégé) Lelo Nika as well as the percussions and vocals of Ayi Solomon, a long time collaborator of John Sund. More on www.johnsund.dk.

Max Sunyer: Secrets. Released on the Quadrant label (Q00006J) and recorded in 2005, here is a new great piece of Mediterranean jazz fusion with the wonderful female voice of Czech girl Lenka Maresova, sung in Catalan language. A 12 page full color booklet follows. Sunyer is a super guitarist, known for his leadership of two prominent Catalan jazz-rock groups, Iceberg in the 70's and Pegasus in the 80's. He also released a few trio albums in between with the great bass player Carlos Benavent.
Swiadectwo Dojrzalosci: Hulaj Dusza. GAD Records. Forgotten, yet important link in the history of the Polish jazz-rock! The band followed in the footsteps of such formations as the German Passport, presenting amazing fusion, pleasant for the ear, splendidly arranged and played with bravado, with numerous guitar and sax solo parts. The record presents a complete set of the band's recorded output. Five radio recordings are supplemented, taken from a complete festival performance (including booing!). The booklet offers the history of that extremely interesting band and rare photos.
The Syndicate: File Under Zawinul. Hunnia Records (HRCD1201). May 2012. Evolved from the keyboardist's band The Zawinul Syndicate, recorded in view of Joe's 80th birthday, the band just called today The Syndicate features alumni and long-time partners like drummer Paco Sery or - as special guest - singer Sabine Kabongo, alongside players from the jazz or fusion scene like keyboardist Thierry Eliez or the raising star on saxophone Emile Parisien. Keeping up with Joe's long tradition of showcasing an international ethnicity, the band also features Alune Wade on bass, percussionists Aziz Sahmaoui and Jorge Bezerra, the first also acting as vocalist. On guitar: Munir Hossn
Chris Taylor: Nocturnal. 2011. Official Street Date: 20/05/11. Seemingly from out of nowhere, New York-based guitarist-composer Chris Taylor has emerged after nearly 30 years on the scene with a brilliant, fully-realized first album as a leader. And though it's been a long time in coming, Taylor's compelling album does stake out strikingly original territory. From cinematic offerings and dreamy soundscapes to super-charged jams, Nocturnal resonates with audacious energy and ideas. Taylor is ably supported on his maiden voyage by a stellar crew featuring drummers Gary Novak, Dave Weckl, Joel Rosenblatt and Kirk Covington, keyboardists George Whitty and Scott Kinsey, bassists Ric Fierabracci and Gary Haase, and saxophonist Steve Tavaglione.
Technical Info: Danger. 2008. (SKU23585). This is a project led by a Greek musician and keyboardist: Stratos Diamantis. Danger is the debut album by his Greek jazz-rock fusion band. It features Achilleas Diamantis on guitars, Panagiotis Haramis on bass and Takis Intas on drums. Let's note the special guest appearances from drummer Dave Weckl and bass player Tom Kennedy, no less ! The style of the music can be described as electric jazz-rock fusion and includes progressive rock sounds mixed with funk, jazz, rock, screaming Hammond organ, distorted guitars and intellectual compositions. This is a must-have CD for any die-hard jazz-rock fusion fan.
Teddy Rok Seven: Universal Four (Whatmusic WMCD or LP 0050). A blend of organic deep groove funk and the highest quality new soul revival, complemented generously with fine jazz horns and smart hip-hop experimentation!
Tesla Manaf: S/T. Moonjune Records (MJR069). Jan. 2015. Behind the eponymous title are to be found in fact two albums made by the young and gifted Indonesian guitarist (another one picked by Moonjune) from the city of Bandung. "A Man's Relationship with His Fragile Area" (his last album recorded in 2014 - first 8 compositions on the CD) is all about movement! You'll find yourself taking the journey with Tesla Manaf (guitar), Hadis "Hulhul" Hendarisman (clarinet, tarompet pencak, Indonesian flute), Rudy Zulkarnaen (upright bass) and Desal Sembada (drums). Your route is paved with gorgeous arpeggiated guitar lines intertwined with sinuous dancing clarinet and fueled by subtle yet insistent basslines, underlined by the most delicate use of drumkit. The effortless performance of these idiosyncratic songs belies their complexity. The second half of this cd includes Tesla's earlier album "It's All Yours" (recorded in 2011), featuring the Balinese ensemble Mahagotra Ganesha. Tesla's guitar work on this recording possesses the playful melodicism of King Sunny Ade and is perfectly complemented by the resonant metallic voices of the Mahagotra Ganesha ensemble's Gamelan, Gangsa, Ceng Ceng, Kantil, Gong and Kemplug.
Luther Thomas & Dizzazz / Gangsta' Jazz: Dial 911. Creative Consciousness Music. Saxophonist Luther Thomas has been many places around, from St Louis Creative Ensemble in the US along with among others trombonist Joseph Bowie to the avant garde label Moers Music in Germany, without forgetting a short stay with Art Blakey´s Jazz Messengers with Olu Dara on trumpet. Now living in Denmark, he is presenting us "Dial 911", a record of jazz funk mixed with soul, blues and a touch of avant garde extravagance, acid covers of tunes by Monk, Rollins, Cole Porter, T. Bone Walker and groovy earthy own compositions. The longer a tune gets, the hotter it becomes, funky sweat and gospel chills guaranteed!

Tohpati: Tribal Dance. Moonjune Records (MJR064). Street date: 20/05/14. New album - third on Moonjune - by the Indonesian guitarist, this time in trio with no less than Jimmy Haslip on bass and drummer Chad Wackerman. Power chords, distorded spare note leads, chugging rhythmic grooves face Haslip's dubmaster bass lines and the rubber-limbed kitwork of Wackerman, creating tracks of infectious syncopation, of sufficient complexity to warrant a player recount!
Tohpati Bertiga: Riot. Moonjune Records MJR 045. 2012. You surely remember him! SimakDialog, Tohpati Ethnomission, the Indonesian guitarist is back with a new album, this time fully dedicated to the guitar power trio; if the new album may lack in compositional complexity or sonic experiments, it nails down at the opposite a hot fusion jam playing, where chops, power and speed are key elements, all played with great empathy!
Tohpati Ethnomission: Save the Planet. Moonjune Records (MJR035). 2010. New project led by SimakDialog's guitarist Topathi! Here he ventures out on his own with his crackshot unit Ethnomission, setting new standards to the surprisingly fertile Indonesian jazz-rock fusion scene; teaming again with two young percussionists (one of them also member of SimakDialog), bass guitarist Indro Hardjodikoro, suling (Indonesian wooden flute) player Diki Suwarjiki and a vocalist on one track, Tohpati will certainly blow your mind with this original program of instrumental compositions that set a new high-water mark for Indonesian fusion.
Trio 3PO: Cheat. Periferic Records (BGCD200). 2009. This brand new jazz trio was brought to life by After Crying's drummer Zsolt Madai in 2008. He recruited the internationally recognized bass player and composer Viktor Hárs alongside keyboardist Mirkó Milosevits (Dr. Jeff A. Matrix), a fan of Fender Rhodes and Moog and a musician known on the Hungarian pop music scene. The album also features several guests to have a more colourful sounding. The music has a fusionish edge but maintains a strong personal identity reflecting the long experience of the actors.
Trío Fattoruso: En Vivo En Medio Y Medio. Digipack (2005). Los Años Luz. I am really excited by this 100% Fattoruso release! If Hugo (keyboards) and Osvaldo (drums) have seen plenty of spotlights with OPA or their participation in Airto's bands, bassist Francisco Fattoruso has been unfortunately less visible but what a great player he is! This trio is just pure dynamite mounted on a full-speed running Pastorius stallion!
A few releases on the Vampisoul label!
+ Sexteto Electronico Moderno: Sounds From The Elegant World. VAMI 036 (LP or CD). An anthology of this band from Uruguay, collecting the best of their discography composed of four albums recorded between 1968-1972. Their sound, unique and special, is rooted on key elements of their times such as jazz, muzak, soul, bossa nova and "nightclub music" with a definite Uruguay flavour. Released worldwide on CD for the FIRST TIME, they will be a revelation to every adept of easy-listening and jazzy soul. With extensive liner notes and pictures. LP is on heavy vinyl.
+ Bernard Purdie: "Touch Me Again" + "Hapnin' ". 7" (VAMPI 45027). Two gems taken from the soundtrack to LIALEH (also available on CD on another label), the first major black porn movie and the ultimate word in soulful shagging music.
+ Celofunk: S/T (VAMPI 068 CD or LP). Celofunk, born in 2002 in Madrid, admit having diverse soul-funk influences like The Meters, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Betty Davis, Lyn Collins, Bill Withers but still have their very personal approach to the sounds of the legends, and a contemporary sound and feel. With a tight and solid line-up of eight members, Celofunk combine the Soul intensity and emotion with the raw energy of Funk. Here they are with their electrifying first record. Funk from C to K. Loud and proud.

Vasil Hadzimanov Band featuring David Binney: Alive. Moonjune Records (MJR076). Recorded live during their Serbian Tour in October 2014, this album contains bold, adventurous music that pays homage to a variety of styles and influences - jazz, ethno-fusion, progressive rock, avant garde, and many other genres - while remaining free, spry and elusive in its own right. It also adds another name to the label's ethno-roster, Moonjune being pleased to offer the musical stylings of the Serbian keyboardist, pianist and composer.
Vasil Hadzimanov Band: Lines in Sand. Moonjune Records (MJR095). Cultivating a passion for jazz and other creative forms of music, contemporary pianist, composer, arranger, and educator Vasil Hadzimanov from Serbia has achieved here a sound defined by its sheer ambitious, adventurous nature and stylistic diversity, as well as multiple elements and influences which greatly eclipse the jazz genre.
Weather Report: The Legendary Live Tapes: 1978-1981. 4CD boxset. Nov. 2015. Sourced from never-before-heard soundboard tapes recorded by longtime live mixing engineer Brian Risner, produced by Peter Erskine and curated by Joe Zawinul's son Anthony, this package uniquely showcases Weather Report's extensive prowess as a band, opting not to replicate the ebb and flow of a standard Weather Report set at the time, instead offering a uniquely curated experience that captures the dazzling directions the group took at the arguable height of their powers.
Weather Report: Live in Hamburg 1971. Gonzo (HST001DVD). 2010. Not long after the release of the band's debut album, Mouzon and Moreira departed and were replaced by Eric Gravatt on drums and Dom Um Romao on percussion. It is this line up that went on to record the band's sophomore release, "I Sing The Body Electric", and are here featured performing a set for groundbreaking German TV show Beat Club, made commercially available for the first time on this DVD!
Weather Report: Live at Montreux 1976 (Eagle Vision EREDV629). 84 minutes of sheer enjoyment with the line-up (Zawinul, Shorter, Pastorius, Acuña & Badrena) that would go on to make the band's all-time classic album "Heavy Weather" the following year!
Xadu: Random Abstract. Moonjune (MJR073). 2015. Pushing the minimalist approach way beyond all established bounds, XaDu, a power duo featuring Xavi Reija (drums) and Dusan Jevtovic (guitar) joyfully discards the rulebook in favor of pursuing new forms of expression. In choosing to work as a two-man configuration called XaDu, Xavi and Dusan establish each composition with its intrinsic melodic and rhythmic components, then allow it to partially deconstruct as they explore the vast sonic palette of guitar and drumkit. Dusan's guitar and pedalwork conjure a soundscape that can range from the introspective and almost ambient/atmospheric to the urgency of careening snowblind through a maelstrom of sound. Xavi is right in the vortex, coaxing riffs into life, laying chase to Dusan's frenetic runs with his supremely musical tom work, or just falling away in a wash of cymbals when the wave of energy has crashed on the shore.
Yellowjackets: Cohearance. Street date: 22-04-16. New album and again a change at the bass chair; after Felix Pastorius, the new bass player is Dane Alderson, hailing from Australia. Ferrante and Mintzer are the main composers on this new album (with Pastorius and Will Kennedy signing one tune each).
Y.O.U. : Italian guitarists pay homage to Allan Holdsworth. Lizard CD 0185. April 2023. Remembering the famous words from the guitarist during an interview - "always be yourself, at any cost" - a bunch of Italian guitarists decided to pay homage to the guitarist's genius, not by playing covers but by creating new compositions dedicated to his memory, thus deepening the metaphysical aspect of the musical matter and, therefore, encouraging interaction with the creative aspect.
Joe Zawinul: Midnight Jam (ESC 3687-2). Release date not clearly announced yet. This recording is a double CD featuring the WDR Big Band Köln and many present and past members of the Syndicate: Paco Sery, Etienne Mbappé, Alex Acuña, Maria João, Manolo Badrena, Sabine Kabongo. Also noteworthy are the special guests from the Weather Report fame: drummer Peter Erskine and bassist Victor Bailey. As so the repertoire also spans from Weather Report to the Zawinul's Syndicate as well as a short version of "In A Silent Way".
Music By Mail will be now able to distribute the VHS "Two Years With the Zawinul Syndicate" - NTSC or PAL - as well as the CDs of the Syndicate (we have "Faces And Places" on stock). The video is a documentary following the Syndicate on tour but there are great musical excerpts as well.

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LATIN & WORLD JAZZ

Orquestra Mirasol. The Catalan label Picap has just reissued the 3 albums made by this band from the Zeleste era in the mid 70's! Orquesta Mirasol (later Mirasol Colores) were blending jazz-rock with salsa and Catalan rumba. The 3 albums are: "Salsa Catalana", the double live "D'oca A Oca I Tira Que Et Toca" and - under the name of Mirasol Colores - "La Boqueria".
Alain Pérez: Hablando Con Juana. AYVA (AV220). Digipak. Dec. 2014. The 4th album in Alain's career is a set of contemporary Latin music and blazes new trails in Cuban music. The album was recorded in Madrid and mastered in Orlando; there are elements of contemporary salsa and other from more restful traditions like Son and Bolero.
Santiago Vázquez & Puente Celeste: S/T. Musical Antiatlas Producciones. It is exactly with this release (97) that Puente Celeste's career took off under the leadership of percussionist Santiago Vazquez. Their eclectic cocktail comprises different genres and trends, changing sometimes dramatically from one track to the next. They transit through fusion concoctions of Latin, Oriental, klezmer, jazz and Avant Garde rhythm phases.
Some Latin Jazz releases on the Blue Moon / Caney / Alma Latina / Ayva / Cayuco labels:

+ BMCD 1610 Luis Barreiro and The Peanut Vendors: Swinging Latin Nights. Featuring Charlie Palmieri, Johnny Pacheco & Eddie Costa. Recorded in NYC, June 1958.

+ Ray Barretto: Señor 007. Blue Moon BMCD 1627. Jan. 10. All the excitement of the dauntless Ian Fleming hero is here musically brought to the fore through Ray Barretto's very distinctive treatments! + Alain Pérez: En El Aire. Ayva Musica (AYVA 039). Street date 27/01/07. Pérez is forging a new direction in modern Cuban jazz, building on the contributions of several generations of world class artists who preceded him and putting his distinctive stamp on a sound, THAT sound, which has seduced millions around the globe since the 1920s. With the release of En El Aire for the Barcelona-based Ayva Musica label, Pérez's multiple talents are on full display and are dazzling fans from Cuba to Spain and beyond. Whether playing electric bass, keyboard or percussion, singing, or contributing compositions and arrangements, Pérez's combination of natural abilities and finely honed skills have set the stage for a new revolution in contemporary Cuban music.

+ BMCD 1624. Ray Barretto: Mysterious Instinct (Akannaginnagi). Release date: 09/05. For the first time available on CD, this obscure and extremely rare album of Ray Barretto with the sensational voice of Brook Peters was originally issued on Charlie Parker Records and is considered as a gem by Exotica / African / Latin Jazz music lovers.

+ Richie Barshay: Homework. Ayva Musica (AYVA 041). As a young New York City based musician 23-year-old Richie Barshay holds down the drum chair for an incredibly diverse roster of bands. Barshay has played with Herbie Hancock's Quartet since 2003 (beginning with the Gershwin's World project) - Herbie is playing on this record too -, is a member of the U.S. State Department sponsored Afro-Caribbean group, Insight, works regularly with Argentine vocalist Sofia Koutsovitis and has recently added tradition exploding ensemble, The Klezmatics to his list of employers. Straight-ahead, Afro Cuban, pop and Klezmer would be enough for most any ambitious musician, but Barshay is anything but typical. And like the great drummers who have influenced him - Tony Williams, Roy Haynes, Jack DeJohnette - Barshay brings something entirely new, fresh and inspiring to bear in what can loosely be called a jazz recording. Homework erases borders, creates new paradigms, and poses new questions. By merging various traditional styles - both rhythmic and melodic - under the umbrella of North Indian compositional tradition, Barshay bridges the past and present with his own version/vision of future.

+ Guillermo Calliero: Barcelona Hora Cero. Ayva Musica (AYVA 050). Sept. 2010. Born in Santa Fe, Argentina, in 1973, this young trumpetist living today in Barcelona comes here with an album described by saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera as a "sensational jazz and tango fusion"! The album features among other Perico Sambeat on alt sax.
+ BMCD1622. Betty Carter: Out There with Betty Carter. Recorded In New York City, February, 1958. Featuring: Kenny Dorham, Ray Copeland (tp), Melba Liston (tb), Tommy Gryce, Jimmy Powell (as), Benny Golston, Jerome Richardson (ts), Sahib Shihab (bars), Wynton Kelly (p), Sam Jones, Peck Morrison (b), Specs Wright (d), Betty Carter (vcl). Arrangements by Gigi Gryce, Melba Liston, Ray Copeland, Benny Golson and Tommy Gryce.

+ ALCD 073 Carmen De Veracruz: La Voz Que Acaricia. With orchestra and accompanied by the orchestra of the Albéniz theatre in Madrid, with Morenito de Hellín and his band of guitars of Seville. Recorded: Spain, 1950 - 1957

+ Gillespie, Dizzy: En vivo en el Vº Festival Latino Jazz Plaza 1985 (2 CD Set). CAYCD2001. Accompanied by Sayyd Abdul Al-Khabbyr, Walter Davis Jr., John G. Lee, Nasyr Al-Khabbyr, and Big Black, Dizzy was eager to discover the young generation of Cuban jazzmen and to play again with trumpet player Arturo Sandoval, whom he had met in 1977. He also invited the then 22 years old pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba to join him on stage after having heard him during a jam session at the Nacional Hotel's bar. Those two night performances at the Karl Marx theatre with Gillespie and his band and the young Cuban jazzmen are a MUST for jazz and latin jazz lovers.

+ Tensy Krismant & Iñaki Etxepare: El Cant dels Ocells. Av 038. Digipack Edition. Tensy Krismant (piano), Iñaki Etxepare (cello). The Cuban pianist and the Basque cellist give here their own interpretation of classical masterpieces composed by Heitor Villa-Lobos, Miguel de Falla, Debussy, Brahms and of the popular Catalonian piece El Cant del Ocells.

+ AV 032 Laietana Jazz Project: Selva. The Laietana Jazz Project is a new big band directed by Miguel Blanco, made up of 25 excellent and renowned jazz and Latin jazz musicians from País Vasco, Madrid, Barcelona and Valencia

+ BMCD859 Machito and his Afro-Cuban Jazz Ensemble: Kenya. Blue Moon. June 2015. Newly remastered, stereo, 24-bit digitally remastered digipack. Afro-Cuban jazz recorded in 1957 & 1958, gathering the two albums "Kenya" (conducted by Mario Bauzá and featuring saxophonist Cannonball Adderley, percussionist Carlos "Patato" Valdés) and "With Flute to Boot", also known as "Afro-Jazziac" and featuring Herbie Mann.

+ Tete Montoliu & Pilar Morales: Historia De Un Amor (BMCD 3505). Various recordings from Spain between 1955 and 1964, featuring the Catalan pianist in different orchestras: Orquesta Tropical de Lorenzo Gonzalez, Tete Montoliu y su Conjunto Tropical (with singers Pilar Morales & Jorge Candela), Pilar Morales with Tete Montoliu y su Conjunto, Pilar Morales with Fernando Orteu y su Conjunto, Pilar Morales with Alcibíades Agüero

+ BMCD 1609 Charlie Palmieri Quartet: Easy Does It. Latin jazz recorded in New York, April 1959 and featuring percussionist Johnny Pacheco

+ Alain Pérez: En El Aire. AYVA 039. March 06. Bassist, singer and multi-instrumentalist, Alain Pérez was part of the original Chucho Valdés Quartet that recorded on Blue Note Records. At the age of 28, he is the bassist of the renowned Paco de Lucia sextet. He is also part of the new Jerry Gonzalez quartet.

+ ALCD 074 Andy Russell: Soy Un Extraño. Various orchestras: Chucho Zarzosa, Paul Weston, Al Sack, Pablo Bertrán Ruíz, Sid Bass, Sid Feller & Chico O'Farrill. Recorded: 1956 & 1961

+ Iñaki Sandoval Trio: Sausolito. Av 035. Digipack Edition. First personal work of the young and talented pianist Iñaki Sandoval, accompanied by Horacio Fumero (bass) and Peer Wyboris (dms), musicians who formed part of the great Tete Montoliu Trio

+ ALCD 075 Lydia Scotty: Piel Canela. Recorded: Buenos Aires & Madrid, 1957-1958.

+ Sonic Liberation Front: Ashé A Go-go. HT 002. Post bop mixed with Afro-Cuban Yoruba rythms. A strong declaration of tightly interlaced Africa and America. Group led by percussionist Kevin Diehl, a protégé of drummer Sunny Murray.

+ Esperanza Spalding: Junjo. AYVA 036. March 06. Trio piano, drums, bass & vocals. Esperanza Spalding is here to stay. Bassist, singer and composer, she began playing in small jazz and blues venues around her hometown of Portland, Oregon. She has worked with such notable artists as Michel Camilo, Dave Samuels, Regina Carter, The Boston Pops Orchestra, Pat Metheny, Terri Lyne Carrington and Patti Austin, and recently toured Mexico with Joe Lovano. In this CD, her first and the first musical production under her direction, Esperanza gives her touch to pieces that range from the modern jazz trio to contemporary Brazilian music, to Argentine folk music.

+ CCD 904 Bebo Valdés: The Best Of Bebo Valdés. 2CD digipack edition. Recorded: Port-au-Prince, Haiti, ca.1958. Havana, Cuba, 1952-1961, Havana, Cuba, 1952-1960 and in México, 1962. This is the best of the great pianist, orchestra director, arranger of popular Cuban music and legendary figure of Latin jazz. His knowledge of the art of Cuban music, both popular and classical, African and jazz rhythms is incommensurable.

+ Chucho Valdés Y Su Combo: Cuban Jazz Revolution. CAYCD2002. This CD, recorded in La Habana between 63 and 66, is a recollection of the first years of Chucho Valdés as a band-leader, little after his father Bebo Valdés, left Cuba. The young pianist had, by then formed a combo composed by Paquito D' Rivera, Julio A. Vento, Alberto "l Men" Giral, Carlos Emilio Morales, Kike Hernández and Emilio Del Monte.

Freshsound World Jazz

Nacho Arimany World-Flamenco Septet: Silence-Light. Fresh Sound World FSWJ 034. This is the first release of the flamenco percussionist and composer Nacho Arimany. "World-Flamenco Septet" is the way to explore the different influences that comes through him, to offer an experience of sharing and flowing with the musicians he has around inspiring him. The great creativity and power of Javier Vercher in saxophones and percussions atmospheres, Lionel Loueke on amazing guitars that comes from Africa to others galaxies, joined with his personal and unique voice, Pablo Suarez supporting with the piano the flamenco harmony and going further his own gipsy soul, the great voice and talent of the flamenco gipsy singer Antonio Campos, the superb jazz bass sound of Massimo Biocalti, which works in real union with the flamenco dancer Concha Jareño, etc... The real compromise with Music as an experience to share in freedom!
Avishai, Yonathan / Mouhali, Bachir : Soledad. Freshsound World Jazz FSWJ043. 14/09/10. Duo piano and percussions (congas, darbouka, bendir, daf)
Rocio Faks: Everness. Fresh Sound World Jazz FSWJ039. Feb. 08. 2nd album for the label by this Spanish singer. This time she gives us a beautifully produced and conceived collection of Brazilian songs by Jobim, Djavan, Ary Barroso, and Hermeto Pascoal, which also includes two musically arranged poems by Jorge Luis Borges. The smooth atmosphere of this CD is part of the identity of every song and helps to establish a nostalgic feel.
Fernando Huergo: Jazz Argentino. Live at The Regattabar. With Fernando Huergo (b) with Chris Cheek (ts, ss), Mika Pohjola (p), Jeff Ballard (d) and Franco Pinna (bombo and cajón). Recorded Live at The Regattabar on September 25, 2002. FSWJ 028
Klaresque Ensemble: Approachable Perspectives, the music of Ernesto Klar. Ernesto Klar (conductor) with Hiro Honshuku (fl, afl, piccolo), Jim Hobbs (as), Jason Hunter (ts, ss), Taylor Ho Bynum (tp, flgh), Dan ShauD (horn), Tucker Dulin (ts), Stephen Cooley (btb), Massimo Biolcati (double b) and Eric Thompson (d, percussion) + Jonathan Baker (btb), Mike Bullock (double b), Jonathan LaMaster (violin), Vic Rawlings (prepared cello) and Chiara Civello (recitation). Recorded in Boston 1998-2000 FSWJ 026. (released feb. 2004). The Klaresque Ensemble was founded in 1996 by NYC-based composer Ernesto Klar out of the desire to concentrate his creative work in a chamber ensemble setting. Ernesto Klar's music approaches different perspectives, and avoids definitions such as jazz, classical, popular or ethnic. "Composer Ernesto Klar's band is an example of the uniquely personal and promising units that can emerge from the ranks of creative young musicians. [They] have both the interpretative and improvisational skills needed to realize Klar's blend of chamber music delicacy and coherent free-form collage... where concepts like classical and jazz really do coexist", according jazz critic Bob Blumenthal, from the Boston Globe.
Jason Lindner: Ab Aeterno. Fresh Sound World Jazz FSWJ 033. The seed of this project rooted in jazz, Middle-Eastern music and Afro-Cuban or South American rhythms - was my desire to record with my musical brother Omer Avital in a setting that would focus on the detail of the piano and the bass. I wanted to share the way in which the two of us vibe together on our instruments, and what I feel is one of my closest musical relationships. Since that idea, and with the addition of Luisito Quintero, it has become so much more. To me, it's reveals timeless threads connecting three musicians of different cultures in beautiful harmony. As Malian musician Cheick-Tidiane Seck once told me with a big smile: Musicians are all from the same country. - Jason Lindner.
Featuring: Jason Lindner (piano, melodica, mbira), Omer Avital (contrabass, oud), Luisito Quintero (congas, African brush, bells, bongos, frame drum, maracas, cabash, darbuka, finger cymbals, cajon)
Arúan Ortiz Trio - Vol.1. With Arúan Ortiz (p), Peter Slavov (b), Francisco Mela (d). This new CD is a pure jazz gem with influences by Ornette Coleman, Chick Corea and Federico Mompou. Special Digipack Deluxe Edition. On the label AYVA, AV 033
Emilio Solla y Afines: Sentido. Emilio Solla (p) with Gorka Benítez (fl, ts), Carlos Morera (bandoneon), Patrice Caratini (double-bass) & David Xirgu (d). Guest Musicians: Aldo Caviglia (d), David Ballesteros (violin), "Niño" Chiringo (cajón peruano) plus Eli Raspall (p) Alexis Cuadrado (b) and Pau Bombardó (d). Recorded in Barcelona, 2004. FSWJ 027

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