Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

BBE Music continues its highly acclaimed J Jazz Masterclass Series with Kemo Sabe, the debut album from pianist Masao Nakajima. Recorded in 1979 on Yupiteru Records, it’s an elusive beast in the field of J Jazz and balances delicate and refined playing with power and vigour. The Kemo Sabe album features bassist Osamu Kawakami, who has performed and recorded with such J Jazz figureheads as Sadao Watanabe, Isao Suzuki, and Kunihiko Sugano. Sax duty is by Toshiyuki Honda, leader of the popular fusi…

A private press rarity that few know of, ‘Song of Island’ was the third album from pianist Yasuhiro Kohno’s trio, recorded live at the jazz club and live house (gig venue) ‘Again’ in August 1985. Pressed up in small numbers, ‘Song for Island’ was issued on the private ASCAP Records, set up by pianist and band leader Yasuhiro Kohno. The album is a follow up to Kohno-san’s previous two albums, ‘Peace’ and ‘Roma in the Rain’, released on the cult Aketa’s Disk label. However, unlike the ‘Peace’ and …

Since 2018, BBE Music has been leading the field in reissuing rare modern jazz from Japan’s golden period spanning the late 60s to the early 80s. The J Jazz Masterclass Series continues to present the finest in Japanese jazz with 'Planets' by Masaru Imada Trio + 1. Originally released in 1977 as a private press album, 'Planets' showcases the refined playing and sophisticated compositions of one of Japan’s leading pianists, Masaru Imada. In a fifty- plus year career he has released over 40 albums…

The ninth album in BBE Music's J Jazz Masterclass Series presents ‘At the Room 427’ by Koichi Matsukaze Trio Featuring Ryojiro Furusawa, a rarely heard exemplar of post-modal power bop and free jazz. Delivered by a trio playing with an intensity and energy that draws on classic Eric Dolphy and mid-era Coltrane but definitely with its own particular vibe, At the Room 427 is an exemplar of febrile improvised jazz that could only come from Japan. This deluxe reissue sees a welcome return to the J J…

As part of its continuing exploration of Detroit’s Strata label with DJ Amir’s 180 Proof Records, BBE Music reissues the 1974 rare jazz classic ‘Inside Ourselves’ by Sphere. Recorded live on June 28th, 1970 at the Detroit Institute of Arts, ‘Inside Ourselves’ features John Dana on bass, Jimmy Peluso on Drums, Keith Vreeland on, Electric Piano, Eddie Nuccilli on Trumpet and Flügelhorn, plus bandleader Larry Nozero on tenor and soprano Saxophone. The album comprises seven captivating original comp…

BBE Music presents J Jazz volume 3, the latest in its definitive compilation series exploring the finest modern jazz from Japan. Since the first volume in February 2018, the J Jazz compilation series has showcased some of the most creative, inspired, and sought-after jazz recorded in Japan during a golden period spanning the 1960s to the 1980s. Illustrating the richness and versatility of the composers and musicians on this collection, the music spans a wide yet coherent range of styles: samba, …

*Much needed repress* BBE Music present the latest in the acclaimed J Jazz Masterclass Series: Kohsuke Mine ‘First’, the debut album by one of the leading artists in the new wave of modern jazz that swept Japan in the late 60s and early 70s. ‘First’ epitomises the shifting sound of the Japanese modern jazz scene of the time, characterised by rich textures and tones, kinetic rhythms, punctuated by urgent, angular melody lines. Reissued for the first time since original 1970 release, Mine is joine…

*Much needed repress* As part of the widely respected BBE J Jazz Masterclass Series, Koichi Matsukaze‘s incredibly rare and much sought after album Earth Mother sees a deluxe repress on BBE Music. This is the third highly anticipated release in the series. Regarded as one of the most sought-after yet elusive albums from a pivotal era in Japanese jazz, Earth Mother was originally issued in 1978 on ALM, a private label home to some of the most innovative jazz, contemporary classical and free impro…

*2023 stock* The fifth release in the BBE Music J Jazz Masterclass Series has the perfect combination of rarity and exceptional musicality that inspires seasoned collectors to break out in a sweat. Animals Garden by Miyasaka + 5 was originally issued in 1979 on the cult private Japanese label ALM and is reissued for the first time in a 180Gram 2LP edition.Animals Garden was a one-off project led by master drummer Takashi ‘Bear’ Miyasaka and features a powerful and progressive jazz group includin…

The desire to discover and delve into new and unexplored areas of music has turned attention on the Japanese jazz scene of the 1970s, often regarded as its gilded age. The recent ground-breaking sell-out BBE compilation J Jazz: Deep Modern Jazz from Japan 1969-1984 threw much needed light on this fascinating era and presented a range of artists and music that surprised and delighted all who heard it. A key track on the compilation was one of the rarest and least known: Dead Letter by the Tohru A…

*2023 repress* BBE Music is proud to present another instalment in the J Jazz Masterclass Series: East Plants by Takeo Moriyama, one of Japan’s finest jazz drummers. A genuine ‘under the radar’ album known only to a handful of Japanese jazz collectors, East Plants is now available again, reissued for the first time as a double 180g LP, with exact reproductions of the original artwork, obi strip and insert. It also comes with the original notes fully translated. This reissue is fully endorsed by …

Earthly Delights is a forgotten 1978 free-jazz masterpiece by bass player, composer and improviser David Wertman, alongside his Sun Ensemble. Born in 1952 and raised in Queens NY, Wertman’s distinctive upright playing style was entirely self-taught. He cut his teeth in the notorious New York Jazz lofts, jamming for hours and hours with the likes of Billy Bang, Arthur Blythe, Marion Brown, Steve Reid, Dave Pike, William Parker, Brandon Ross and Charles Tyler to name but a few. Earthly Delights is…

"Blue Notes for Mongezi", one of the most passionate celebrations of a life in music ever laid to tape. Recorded in late 1975 by Blue Notes, then reduced to a quartet - Dudu Pukwana on  alto sax, whistle, percussion, and vocals; Johnny Dyani on bass, bells, and vocals; Louis Moholo-Moholo on drums, percussion, and vocals; and Chris McGregor on piano, and percussion - and issued the following year by Ogun, the album is a kairos; the first commercial release by one of free jazz’s seminal ensembles…

The End is near - after two albums on the now defunct UK label Rare Noise, the powerful project of Sofia Jernberg (vocals), Kjetil Møster (clarinet and tenor saxophone), Mats Gustafsson (flutes, baritone saxophone and electronics), Anders Hana (baritone and bass guitar) and Børge Fjordheim (drums) release their third album on Trost. They combine Avantrock, Jazz and a haunting beautiful voice to a seethe mix of emotions, noise, music - a sonic landscape, dynamic and captivating. This album is a t…

As with Directstep (recorded one week previously), this album was recorded, and originally only released, in Japan. It was one of Hancock's most successful albums in Japan, perhaps because it was entirely solo piano. Hancock tackles jazz standards such as "My Funny Valentine", "On Green Dolphin Street" and "Some Day My Prince Will Come" while also performing four original compositions.

Super rare 1970s British jazz from Joy: Chris Francis, James Dvorak, Frank Roberts, Ernest Mothle, Keith Bailey reflecting the young, multicultural, vibrant flavours of mid-70s London. Funky, hip, committed, Joy is one of the forgotten gems of London jazz. Originally released in 1976, Cadillac and Joy are delighted to offer the first CD/Digital reissue of this great album - remastered by Keith Bailey and including extra, previously unissued, material and a vinyl reissue of the original release i…

Those lucky enough to have been exposed to Dudu Pukwana's music will forever be in the grip of of a rare and beautiful musical spirit. More than 20 years after his death, his uniquely original music lives in a powerful and inspirational way. This album is a tribute to Dudu helmed by American musician/producer Andrew Scott, who first heard the Blue Notes in 1966 at Leeds University - the genesis of a personal musical journey leading up to this special project. Duduvudu has been a family affair - …

Recorded live at the 100 Club, London, on 16 April 1977, by Ron Barron. Some of this music was originally available on LP as OG 220 (Ogun, 1978). This expanded CD edition - previously only available as part of the long out of print "Blue Notes - The Ogun Collection" box set - now receives a first release as a stand alone title.

A vital artefact in the recorded history of the Blue Notes, being a live recording (Durban, 1964) of one the the group's last performances in their homeland prior to flying to France to appear by invitation at the Juan-Les-Pins Jazz Festival and then on to expatriation in England. The album was first released by Ogun in 1995 and then featured as part of the "Blue Notes - The Ogun Collection" box set in 2008, itself now long out of print. At long last this exceptional document is available again

"Blue Notes for Johnny" - a defining statement by one of the greatest ensembles in the history of jazz. Recorded in mid-1987 by Blue Notes - then reduced to the trio of Dudu Pukwana on alto sax, Louis Moholo-Moholo on drums and Chris McGregor on piano - it encounters the band 25 years after their founding embarking on an inward meditation through collective music making dedicated to Johnny Dyani, their former bandmate and friend.  Blue Notes were founded in Cape Town in 1962, and stand among the…

Temporary offer A long-lost live recording featuring one of John Coltrane and Eric Dolphy's 1961 sets at New York's Village Gate has been unearthed for release this summer. Evenings at the Village Gate was recorded in the summer before Coltrane's legendary slate of November 1961 dates at the Village Vanguard, with a similar quintet lineup: the short-lived tandem of Coltrane and Dolphy alongside drummer Elvin Jones, pianist McCoy Tyner and bassist Reggie Workman. While the trailblazing Village Va…

Written and recorded with the goal of creating a one-movement suite in the least amount of time possible, "Succo di formiche" reflects the archetypal joy of music making, the spontaneous impulses underlying its formation, and a love of the record album form.

Dark moon music. If you are interested in the moon. Music concentrated in the process of discovering music, taking any risk. Extreme.How extreme is the exploration of one’s instruments, body, memories and stories. Vibrant, fast but at the same time calm music; slow.In search of the sound. Of movement that becomes sound. Of sound that becomes voice. That becomes movement.We dedicate this music to Coleman Hawkins, master improviser.

The live performance recorded in the ancient Church of S. Giuliano, in Vercelli, encompasses some of the music conceived and written over the last few years, which Francesco Aroni Vigone spent in Valle d’Aosta. The recording location was chosen for its particular acoustics, perfect for a saxophone ‘solo’ and its aptitude for meditation. The performance took place during worship hours to have an unusual ‘audience’ in an unusual ‘liturgy’. The pieces are monodic songs that can be traced back mainl…

"This is the whole improvisation session we had on the evening of 25 April 2014, after a day spent recording some duets for Enrico’s project “Girotondo”. In the afternoon I had recorded with Mario Arcari “La prostituta e il soldato”, one of his compositions. The next day I was going to record my song “Il soldato e la cameriera” with Alberto Mandarini. So, during the evening break, after years of not playing together anymore, a little bit on my insistence, because Enrico seemed to want it too, we…

Born in 2012 when the three were living in the same apartment building in Cairo's Agouza district, the trio's instrumental improvisation-based explorations are propelled by Louca's North African percussion loops and shimmering keys, Shalabi's West African tinged free jazz guitar and grounded by Bishop's driving Krautrock-style acoustic bass. High Tide in the Lowlands was recorded in Brussels at Les Ateliers Claus on September 5, 2017 and is quite an intense experience. Most performances and reco…

Release on Raw Tonk Records. Colin Webster - alto saxRachel Musson - tenor saxCath Roberts - baritone saxCharlotte Keeffe - trumpet / flugelhornGraham Dunning - electronicsDirk Serries - guitarJohn Edwards - bassAndrew Lisle - drumsRecorded live at Cafe Oto, London on 21st August 2022. Recorded by Pedro Subtil. Mixed and mastered by Dirk SerriesArtwork by Colin Webster. Layout by Rutger Zuydervelt

*300 copies limited edition* Disc One: Charlotte Keeffe (trumpet, flugelhorn) & Andrew Lisle (drums). A New Wave of Jazz live event : in concert at PlusEtage (Baarle- Nassau, The Netherlands) on April 29th, 2022. Recorded by Dirk Serries. Mixed and Mastered at the Sunny Side Inc. Studio, Anderlecht (Belgium). Disc Two: Stefan Keune (sopranino, alto sax) / Dirk Serries (archtop guitar) / Benedict Taylor (viola). A New Wave of Jazz live event: in concert at PlusEtage (Baarle- Nassau, The Netherlan…

*300 copies limited edition* With three studio albums, four live releases and a number of tours, the Belgian-British Kodian Trio has built up quite a reputation within the European improvisation scene. The trio unites the attention to texture and detail often associated with the 'English school' with the fierce urgency of the 'fire music' of the sixties and seventies. The result is a wringing cocktail on the seesaw between European free improvisation and witty free jazz. Dirk Serries' disordered…

Next up on Africa Seven is the second edition of our "African Funk Experimentals" LPs. With these we took some of our favourite African artists, choose the most funky we can find and then put together a compilation of their choicest and funkiest tracks. Of course that may not be their most popular or best selling tracks… but that's just fine. We are digging for the funk.

Jazz Funk Masterpiece reissued for the first time Worldwide. For every celebrated record in jazz, soul, and related music, there are probably thousands more with all the genius for which widespread recognition never came or was delayed. In 1976 Dana Kaproff released one of the most wanted jazz-funk albums recorded in Los Angeles. A jazz fusion record for the discerning connoisseur. Tight drums and well-programmed synths. Excellent production and recording. Fans of 70s Herbie Hancock, George Duke…

Second edition. 300 copies, all parts identical to the first edition For the past decade, Mats Gustafsson has fastidiously produced and compiled the most thorough and comprehensive collection of archival solo recordings of the late legendary Swedish saxophonist and eccentric archivist of free music activity in Sweden, Bengt “Frippe” Nordström (1936–2000). Bringing together rare and unreleased recordings taken from an extensive collection of home-recorded solo sax improvisations, it documents his…

Killer! Reissue, originally released in 1969. An iconic French free jazz record recorded at Pathé Marconi Studios. On June 27th, 1969, Michel Portal pushed the door of the Pathé Marconi studios. With him were drummers Jacques Thollot and Aldo Romano, bassist Jean-François Jenny-Clark, and pianist Joachim Kühn. They hadn't rehearsed anything, as if entering the studio to record an album without any plan was something normal. The musicians were obviously very used to playing with each other, as th…

Remont Pomp (repair of pumps) is a band playing ethnic, avant-garde and improvised music, which was founded in 2003 at the Polish Association for People with Intellectual Disabilities Koło in Gdańsk, created by the association's charges. The band's inspiration is ethnic music with an emphasis on the richness of African music. Remont Pomp also discovers the space of experimental music by playing unusual instruments and objects not usually associated with music. The band uses a variety of instrume…

3xCD set of Anthropology Band live in 2022 at the Newcastle Festival Of Jazz And Improvised Music and at Café Oto, London. The band's current 8 piece line up was on fiery form for both gigs, playing a mixture of both old and new material to full houses. With the electric 70s music of Miles Davis as its starting point and the improvised abstraction of AACM as its end point, these recording show a band growing out of the studio and going from strength to strength as it hits the stage.

Includes an eight-page booklet with a summary of an interview with Yuji Takahashi (in Japanese; interviewer, Masahiko Sato) and photos. Recorded at Hall Egg Farm, Fukaya, on July 31, 1988.

Third volume of Masahiko Togashi archives features a concert by a trio consisting of Masahiko Togashi, Haruna Miyake, and Yuji Takahashi held on July 8, 1989 at Fukaya Egg Farm. Supervised by Masahiko Satoh.

This is the long-awaited new CD release of percussionist Masahiko Togashi's previously unreleased recordings, supervised by Mitsuhiko Sato. In this ultimate performance, Yuji Takahashi steps away from playing computer and synthesizer and randomly utters texts he has written (mostly from his own book "Kafka"), while Togashi responds with perfectly tuned percussion. This is the ultimate performance, a century-old discovery that shines brilliantly in the history of free music.

Long-awaited re-release at a middle price of this classic and popular album, the last collaboration of Steve Lacy, Masahiko Togashi, and Masahiko Sato. Year of recording: October 15, 2000 / Location: Fukaya Hall Egg Farm

2023 repress. 180-gram black vinyl. The astonishing sessions that went light years beyond "free jazz" improvisation to create a music of deeply felt, explosive and gentle gesture made from sound itself without reference to previous notions of melody or harmony are now reissued on 180 gram vinyl with Sun Ra's original, self-created cover art. Recorded by Richard Alderson on April 20, 1965, this set of tunes finds Sun Ra breaking ground by using synthesizers and having the Arkestra musicians doubl…