Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

Creole poetry, folk mysticism and heavy-grooving cosmic synths combine on this unprecedented survey of spiritual Martinique polymath Gratien Midonet’s first four albums. “I always broke free from the rules, from codes being too narrow,” says poet, mu…

This is a hitherto unknown recording of the influential Danish composer, pianist, and bandleader Jeppe Zeeberg, dated November 9, 1963. On this recording, Zeeberg is accompanied by a band comprised of several of his generation’s finest musicians. Ins…

Feelings marks Jake Henry’s long-awaited return as a leader, more than a decade after his debut with Sweet Talk Glitterbomb. This album is a deeply personal exploration of the intricate harmonic language and angular counterpoint Henry developed durin…

"In the early 1990s, trombonist Jeb Bishop became an essential part of Chicago’s musically and geographically outward-looking jazz community. His mastery of the full spectrum of trombone language, from earthy melody to abstract sound effects, made hi…

First meetings are always a risk, but if the vibrations are right and the doors are open, magic will be made. When the members of Look Both Days (brought together by Chicago pianist Erez Dessel) took the stage on the opening night of the 2023 Catalyt…

*2025 stock* Emerging from the fertile ground where language meets rhythm, Groppler Zorn proudly announces the release of their highly anticipated debut album. Conceived in the transition from spoken word to music, the project embodies the belief tha…

*2025 stock* The acclaimed ensemble Double Helix Quartet proudly announces the release of their highly anticipated new album, an adventurous collection that redefines the boundaries between contemporary classical music, improvisation, and experimenta…

*2025 stock* Fear is Heavy, I've Got Plans ... is the debut recording by Turtle Boat, a free-jazz outfit led by Abhilasha Chebolu (Null Copula, Princsex, Gault, Ryan Jewell Quintet) featuring her compositions with additional contributions from saxoph…

*2025 stock* Ism highlights the distinct qualities of each member. Fred's methodical approach to melody, Ed Wilkerson’s relentless dynamism, Jim’s uncanny ability to subvert expectations, and Avreeayl's inescapable rhythm, which weaves through the mu…

Chicago Underground Duo is the long-running collaborative project of composer/trumpeter/electronicist Rob Mazurek (Exploding Star Orchestra, Isotope 217, New Future City Radio with Damon Locks) and composer/drummer/mbiraist Chad Taylor (jaimie branch…

Tip! Tip! Tip! On their self-titled second album, The Cosmic Tones Research Trio—featuring Roman Norfleet, Harlan Silverman, and Kennedy Verrett—dives deeper into the spiritual soundscapes that first defined their genre-defying approach. Based in Por…

Maya Recordings  presents "Harmos – Kraków" a breathtaking new release by Barry Guy with the London Jazz Composers Orchestra. Capturing the creative spirit and electrifying artistry that has defined Guy’s decades-long career as a composer, director, …

Polish label Fundacja Słuchaj is thrilled to announce the release of "A Modicum Of Blues," an electrifying new album by five powerhouse improvisers: Ivo Perelman (tenor sax), Nate Wooley (trumpet), Matt Moran (vibraphone), Mark Helias (bass), and Tom…

Almost two decades have passed since Martin Kuchen, one of the brightest figures in European improvised music, founded the band Angles. Over the years, the band has evolved in terms of its membership and personnel. The Portuguese label Clean Feed has…

“The Dialogues” recalls the early jazz journeys of its creators, blending decades of musical growth into intimate conversations between violin and double bass. Drawing from jazz, classical, and contemporary influences, the album captures pure, wordle…

In the verdant countryside of Seine-et-Marne, within the exposed beams of an 18th-century farmhouse, a collection of unreleased treasures lay dormant for over two decades. Now, Trad Vibe Records presents Inedit, a remarkable testament to the creative…

One of the great enigmatic figures of jazz, Sun Ra's persona as philosopher, showman and space enthusiast often overshadowed his purely musical accomplishments as one of the most prolific and creative composers and big band leaders in the business. T…

Tip! This new acoustic trio is consisting of three of the most iconic players of todays European jazz, improvisation and experimental music scene. This line-up took a long birth phase, but was a logical step and basically came out of juggling the pos…

“Extrapolation,” the debut solo album by visionary guitarist John McLaughlin, continues to stand as a landmark in the evolution of jazz fusion. Recorded in London before McLaughlin’s legendary collaborations with Miles Davis and the formation of the …

Originally released in 1972, bassist Miroslav Vitouš’s acclaimed album Mountain in the Clouds returns to the spotlight as a remixed, expanded edition of his influential 1970 debut, Infinite Search. Widely celebrated as a seminal document in the birth…

Orbits, the sophomore LP from The Circling Sun, channels the cosmic energy of '70s spiritual jazz, filtered through synths, layered percussion, and ethereal choirs. The Aotearoa collective expand their sonic universe with nods to Rahsaan Roland Kirk,…

For their second album Hi Res Heart expand from being a trio to a performing quintet with the addition of the two string players. In contrast to the first album - a very carefully conceived studio construct - Move Fast And Mend Things finds the group…

A senior figure on the scene whose output shows no sign of letting up as he enters his eighth decade. As well as groups alongside his established peers, he increasingly provides great experience and opportunity for his younger colleagues. Paul Dunmal…

Two decades ago, an all-star assembly of Chicago improvisers started a new band, drawing its name from an 1841 book by Charles Mackay: Extraordinary Popular Delusions. With weekly gigs at a spot in Chicago called Hotti Biscotti, Jim Baker, Mars Willi…

2003 release ** "This really might be the best sax-bass-drums trio of the last decade. It's that good. Tony Malaby is consistently engaging and adventurous, and Paul Motian is at his best. If I could write the Penguin Guide review of this, I just mig…

"Hotmosphere" is a 1976 album by iconic Brazilian percussionist and composer Dom Um Romão. Renowned for his contributions to Weather Report and collaborations with legends in the jazz fusion world, Romão brings together the best of Brazilian rhythms,…

An Introspective Masterpiece Featuring Bill Evans, Gary Peacock, and Paul Motian.

Kaleidoscopic Visions showcases Tom Skinner drawing together the many threads of his career as one of the UK’s most versatile and free-thinking contemporary musicians. Performing and recording with Sons of Kemet, The Smile, David Byrne, Meshell Ndege…

The Ethio Jazz album by Mulatu Astatatke is a jewel of the modern Ethiopian music. Essential. An incredibly groovy Ethiopian record, originally from 1969-1972. Amazing orchestral 'Ethio-groove' filled with US soul, jazz, sometimes Latin and the deepe…

The 1971 entry point into Herbie Hancock's celebrated Mwandishi trilogy, returning here on vinyl. Mwandishi opens what would become the most adventurous and freely exploratory chapter of Hancock's discography, the first record to officially document …

Impulse! Records is proud to announce the release of “The John Coltrane Quartet Plays,” an evocative and boundary-pushing album from one of jazz’s most celebrated ensembles. Recorded in 1965, just months after the landmark “A Love Supreme,” this albu…

Concord is proud to unveil Miles ’55: The Prestige Recordings, a definitive retrospective shining a spotlight on a transformative year in jazz legend Miles Davis’ career. This collection celebrates the birth of Davis’ First Great Quintet and the crea…

Blue Note Records proudly presents the reissue of Wayne Shorter’s legendary album, The Soothsayer—a vital chapter in the evolution of modern jazz and a showcase of Shorter’s compositional brilliance. Though recorded on March 4, 1965, at the iconic Va…

Blue Note Records is proud to spotlight one of jazz trumpet legend Lee Morgan’s most exhilarating works, "The Procrastinator." Originally recorded in 1967 but first released posthumously in 1978, "The Procrastinator" captures Morgan at the height of …

2001 release ** Cardboard sleeve. "On his third album Pelikanismus (ICP) the brawny tenor saxophonist Tobias Delius proceeds from the edge of his seat. Over the last few years he's developed a telepathic rapport with his excellent quartet-bassist Joe…

2012 release ** Recorded in Rome in 2005 for the Controindicazioni Festival, the album offers a testament to the magical inventiveness and instrumental mastery of these undisputed protagonists of contemporary music.

2007 release ** ""Echoes," a 2006 live quintet featuring Olivieri alongside Innarella on saxophone, Battiston on piano, and the prodigious rhythm section of Parker and Drake. A pulsating energy that free avant-garde revisits with a distinctive, moder…

2025 stock ** "Russian-born percussionist Vladimir Tarasov is sort of the “old man” of jazz in Lithuania – he’s called Vilnius home since 1968, and achieved international renown as an improviser with the Ganelin Trio (1971-1986). In addition to work …

2014 release ** ""Coincidence" features a blend of world music, ambient, and jazz elements, with the duo using instruments like church organ and bagpipe. The album explores the space between composition and improvisation, creating meditative and inte…

2006 release ** ""Remember Now" is the second release of trombonist's Steve Swell Slammin' The Infinite band, and they now sound more like a unit. Rather than two front line soloists with a rhythm section, on this release they seem like a group of fo…