Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

*In process of stocking* "Ballister is a transatlantic powerhouse. This free-wheeling trio first came together at a closed session in 2009, and as any fan of improvised music can imagine, the band hit hard from the first note and hasn't looked back since. The unabashed energy of Rempis and PNL, coupled with the electrified cello antics of Lonberg-Holm, make for a powerful listening experience that combines driving grooves with noisy textures and occasional melodic interjections. These sliding an…

*In process of stocking* Produced by Jimmy Curtiss, who is best remembered as lead singer of the great psychedelic folk rock band the Hobbits, Century Expanded’s “Concerto For Wah Wah” was released in 1971 but staged very little impact at the time. Finding original copies of the disc is a real chore, so how cool it is the Gear Fab label will soon reissue this super rare album, which features all instrumentals duly drenched in wah wah guitar action. The opening track of “Concerto Wah Wah” measure…

*2022 stock* Futura Marge presents Chloé by Ray Mauger trio. Ray Mauger (guitar), Alain Raman (electric bass) & Chris Dailey McCraven (drums) - guest on two tracks: Félix Perron (curved soprano saxophone). Recorded in Paris on 12 January 2007 at Studio Mesa, and on 8 June and 16 July 2007 at Studio Border.

*2022 stock* Futura Marge presents Terronès - Suite andalouse pour Odile, Gérard & Eric Terronès by Raymond Boni Fortuna 21 octet. Raymond Boni (guitar & musical direction), Laure Donnat (voice), Joe McPhee (soprano saxophone & pocket trumpet), Anna Startseva (violin), Emmanuel Cremer (cello), Bastien Boni (double bass), Rémi Charmasson (guitar) & Jean-Marc Foussat (sound report). Recorded on 16 and 20 June 2003 in Paris, and on 25 June 2003 in Marseille (France)

*2022 stock* Futura Marge presents Crosscurrent / Live at Jazz Unité by Sam Rivers quartet. Sam Rivers (tenor & soprano saxophones, flute, piano & voice), Jerry Byrd (guitar), Rael Wesley Grant (electric bass) & Steve Ellington (drums). Recorded live on 4 April 1981 at Jazz Unité (Paris-La Défense)

*2022 stock* Blue Marge presents In Paris / Live at the Sunside by Ted Curson ensemble.Ted Curson (trumpet, piccolo trumpet, flugelhorn & vocals), with Alain Jean-Marie (piano), Gilles Naturel (double bass), Philippe Soirat (drums), Pierrick Pédron (alto saxophone), Guillaume Naturel (flute), Julie Saury (percussion), Ferhat Öz, Evrim Özsuca, Daiva Starinskaite, Jaanika Ventsel (vocals & backing vocals), and guest on one track (Blues Medley): Sylvia Howard (vocals). Recorded live on 30 and 31 Au…

*2022 stock* The American vocalist and actress Abbey Lincoln made a name for herself in the 1950s under the name of Gaby Lee as a variety singer and film actress (The Blonde and I). At the end of the 1950s, married to drummer Max Roach, she participated with him in several important recordings with Sonny Rollins, Coleman Hawkins, Benny Golson... It was the fabulous "Freedom Now Suite", recorded in 1960 with Max Roach, that made her famous to the general public. Twenty years later, associated in …

*In process of stocking* Tribe Records' activities over the past five years, from its sophisticated jazz-based funkiness to its self-produced magazine, have remained influential and unfading even today. Through their various activities including sound, words, and visuals, they have been sending out their message locally, hoping for "a society where Black Americans are respected," while maintaining their seriousness and conviction. What We Need" is a soulful jazz-funk song with cool electric pian…

Phil Ranelin's first record as a leader is worlds away from his later 1976 offering, Vibes From the Tribe. The Time Is Now is a vanguard jazz record, full of the spirit, determination, and innovation inspired by John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Cecil Taylor, Pharoah Sanders, and Archie Shepp. Recorded in 1973 and 1974 and released at the end of 1974, the set shows Ranelin to be an imposing composer and frightfully good trombonist. The original album contained six compositions that are a deep musical …

'Genius work from the Detroit underground of the 70s - one of the greatest records ever on the now-famous Tribe Records label, and a masterpiece of soul, jazz, and righteous spirit! The session's headed by tenor player Wendell Harrison - and it's got an all-star Motor City lineup that includes Marcus Belgrave on trumpet, Phil Ranelin on trombone, Jeamel Lee on vocals, Charles Eubanks on electric piano, and Charles Moore on flugel horn. The tracks have a spacious spiritual approach that recalls s…

CD edition, comes in mini LP replica with obi & Japanese insert. Media Dream is a live recording of the Sun Ra Quartet, from January of 1978 in Italy (all the quartet recordings were done that month). It's a mostly free date, with "Constellation" and "Media Dreams" being the only tunes that seem to have been pre-composed (they are also the longest tracks on the album). The album starts with a keyboard showcase, with Ra supplying some super low tones along with some very queasy sounding organ. Th…

'Ra to the Rescue was initially pressed in limited quantities in 1983, but several of its tracks subsequently were reissued with incongruous tracks on the albums (commonly referred to as) When Spaceships Appear, Cosmo-Party Blues, Somewhere There, and Children of the Sun. Those album "titles" are in many cases simply the names of the first track on a particular side (these were scribbled in pen on otherwise blank labels). To complicate matters, some tracks were retitled for reasons that shall fo…

Tip! They say that if you’re a friend to everyone you’re a friend to no one. Well, in the case of Tarika Blue, here is an album that roundly disproves that maxim. A record that delivers to fusion, soul, jazz and disco aficionados alike, Tarika Blue’s ability to cover all these bases with equal skill is quite an achievement. The balance locked in its grooves are testament to the astonishing musical range found in the artists who perform with such aplomb. Tarika Blue was formed in 1973 by Phil Cle…

Sdban Records is delighted to announce the reissue of this genre-defying jazz album originally released on library label Selection Records in 1972. A surreal blend of genres, hard to pin down. It's highly imaginative jazz, that much is sure.

First time release on vinyl of the breathtaking songs Patty Waters recorded with engineer Steve Atkins in 1970 at the Coast Recordings studio, together with the unreleased single 'My One And Only Love' and a recorded live session at Lone Mountain College in 1974.The album 'You Loved Me' is the missing link between her two groundbreaking pioneering and highly acclaimed ESP-Disk records from the end of the 60's and her post 90's releases. The missing link between the radical ingenue of the 1960s a…

Brooklyn based drummer/producer Jason Nazary (of Anteloper) makes his We Jazz Records debut with "Spring Collection", released on 25 June. The album sees Nazary crafting some deliciously sparkly solo cuts plus working long distance with choice collaborators Jaimie Branch, David Leon, Ramon Landolt, Matt Mitchell, Grey McMurray and Michael Coleman. This is essentially a collection of home recordings and the whole operation has an infectious feeling of immediacy to it. The result is improv adjacen…

Koma Saxo, the explosive quintet led by Berlin-based Swedish bassist/producer Petter Eldh, returns on We Jazz Records with their new album, cut live at We Jazz Festival in Helsinki, December 2019. Whereas their lauded debut was a triumph of remapping the goal posts for an acoustic jazz combo for the 2020's, "LIVE" takes you right to the heart of the actual ensemble sound, with 5 musicians tearing the place down, no post production. From the fiery opening sequence kicking off with "Euro Koma", on…

We Jazz Records presents "Pu:", the boundary-breaking solo debut of bass player Ville Herrala. Herrala utilises only the double bass but approaches the instrument from various different perspectives. The end result is an inspired set of 14 miniatures, each pushing the concept forward in a highly personal way. The first single "Pu: 12" presents a rhythmic approach with echoes of from the world of minimal classical music and electronic music. Bowed tracks such as "Pu: 2" offer another perspective,…

US sax player Stanley J. Zappa and Finnish drummer Simo Laihonen come together on the new album "Muster Point" on We Jazz Records. The two students of Milford Graves add bassist Ville Rauhala on a couple of tracks to make a bold and adventurous album captured both live and in the studio while Zappa was touring in Finland with the Black Motor musicians. This is a set full of fire and thunder, but also features some more meditative spiritual jazz. RIYL: Milford Graves, ESP-Disk', spiritual jazz  "…

We Jazz Records presents the debut album of AINON, a Helsinki-based ensemble founded by cellist-composer Aino Juutilainen, released 4 September. On "Drought", the four-piece plays music influenced by jazz, contemporary music and classical music, all morphed together into a highly inspired musical vision. The music of AINON might be best described as "spiritual avantgarde jazz", with original compositions and the individual voices of the four players both playing an integral part in the music. In…

Gothenburg trio Dark Horse present their new album "Listen", released by We Jazz Records. The band, comprising of John Holmström (piano), Alfred Lorinius (bass) and Mårten Magnefors (drums) recorded their second album in a remote cabin by the ocean in Norway, owned by Holmström's family. The natural sound of the album owes a lot to the relaxed surroundings and the result is some high degree of improvised music turning into collective composition as the music unfolds.  The album recording took pl…

Big Tip! It is widely accepted that the recorded musical output of Indian-born British guitarist Amancio D'Silva came to a premature closure with the landmark 1972 albums, Cosmic Eye and the unreleased masterpiece Konkan Dance. The Roundtable are here to prove otherwise, announcing the discovery of an extraordinary lost recording. Forty years after it was recorded we proudly present Sapana, the forgotten piece of a remarkable musical legacy, the final recording from one the most singular artists…

From Jean-Marc Foussat own Fou Records, comes one of the most striking archival releases of the year, “Concert 2009”, capturing a meeting between the French electroacoustic free improv trio, Marteau Rouge, and Japanese noise giant Keiji Haino. Pushing far beyond expectations of free improvisation, the group weaves blistering passages that incorporate touchstones from prog, punk, metal, noise, and drone, into more intricate movements of dystopian avant-gardism, culminating as a strikingly forward…

*50 copies limited edition* Unlearned free jazz recorded to magnetic tape in an oblong, steel box. Storage Music Unit is: Derek Dunn - guitar, contact mics Zachary Hickerson - alto saxophone, game calls Syoma Klochko - drums, percussion, miscellaneous instruments. Recorded on reel-to-reel tape by Derek Dunn in October 2020

*2022 stock* Futura Marge presents Challenge by Hal Singer (tenor saxophone), David Murray (tenor saxophone), Lafayette Gilchrist (piano), Jaribu Shahid (double bass) & Hamid Drake (drums) - guest on two tracks: Rasul Siddik (trumpet). Recorded on 9 and 10 April 2010 at the EGP studio in Paris

*2022 stock* Futura Marge presents Alice's Evidence by Sophia Domancich Quintet . Recorded live on 24 and 25 May 2016 at La Dynamo in Pantin (France).Ray Anderson (trombone), Géraldine Laurent (alto saxophone), Sophia Domancich (piano), Hélène Labarrière (double bass), Nasheet Waits (drums)

*2022 stock* Futura Marge presents Noel McGhie Afro-Caribbean Project's Re-Masters. Recorded on 16, 18 April and 30 November 2015 at Studio du Sous Sol in Argenteuil (France).Rasul Siddik (trumpet), Daniele Vigilucci (alto saxophone), Patrick Sedoc (guitar), Simon Teboul (double bass), Noel McGhie (drums), Awa Timbo (vocals) on one track

*2022 stock* Futura Marge presents Warrior. Recorded october 13th, 2013 at John Kilgore Sound and Recording, New York. All music by Richard Bonnet Richard Bonnet / guitar Tony Malaby / saxophones Antonin Rayon / Hammond organ Tom Rainey / drums

*2022 stock* Futura Marge presents Flying Eagle by Claudine François (piano), Hubert Dupont (double bass) & Hamid Drake (drums). Recorded on 11 July 2013 at the EGP studio in Paris

*2022 stock* Futura Marge presents Open Loose: Mark Helias (double bass), Tony Malaby (tenor saxophone) & Tom Rainey (drums). Recorded live on 11 April 2011 at the Sunset in Paris.

"Garden of Secrets is a very successful and varied disc with electronic-folk-jazz-progressive soundscapes, and thus another remarkable album from the Discus, which is highly recommended for friends of electronic sound journeys around the world." – Achim Breiling An electroacoustic work by Hervé Perez taking the form of a suite of compositions which combine Hervé's software based sounds with a host of beautiful and unusual sounds from a wide range of instruments played by Hervé and collaborator …

Dirar Kalash is an improvising musician currently based in his native Ramallah, in the state of Palestine. Opportunities to perform are non-existent. Even access to an instrument is impossible at the current time. On a rare visit to the UK early in 2020, we are fortunate that Dirar found an opportunity to record with the master sound engineer Simon Reynell, on a fine instrument in the beautiful acoustic of St Paul’s Hall at the University Of Huddersfield. The plan had been to record some compos…

"The group plays a ground breaking mix of psychedelic progressive rock, mesmerizing electronics, avant-garde classical and jazz improvisation. Effortlessly combines acoustic and electric instruments along with captivating vocals to deliver a fascinating set of adventurous musical pieces." - Progressive Rock Central The fifth album by this adventurous improvising rock group. This time round an expanded 8 piece version of the band improvised in the studio for two days in October 2019. These live r…

An exciting live performance recorded at the festival Konfrontationen Nickelsdorf in 2006, featuring six early compositions by Anthony Braxton arranged for the band by Pat Thomas. When Discus Music asked Pat what recording he had in his personal archive that he would most like to see released, this one was the first choice. Pat’s arrangements of these angular melodies allow Alex Ward’s stratospheric clarinet to fly over the band’s churning grooves, and much excitement was generated in the proces…

"This is a delight. Treppenwitz are a jazz trio for the new age, but with an intimacy and skill that is just perfect." - Mr Olivetti

Never released outside South Africa, and out of print even there since its original release in 1974, Outernational Sounds presents one of the most sought-after international jazz exclusives ever to appear on South Africa’s famous Gallo imprint – the funky, spiritual and outward bound Habiba. As the archives of South Africa’s premier record labels steadily give up the treasures that were hidden in the darkness of the apartheid era, the incredible heritage of South African jazz is gradually findin…

The paths of Steve Potts and Jobic Le Masson have crossed frequently since the beginning of the 21st century, through collaborations with many artists. They have performed together regularly for the past ten years, namely in a quartet with John Betsch and Peter Giron. The album “Song”, released on the Enja label in 2016, offers a document of the current career of the quartet. “Indispensable” in Jazz News and Jazz Hot, “Oui!” for Culture Jazz, **** for Jazz Magazine… The lockdown was an advantag…

* 45th Timeless Records anniversary edition. 180 grams audiophile black vinyl * To celebrate the 45th anniversary of iconic Dutch jazz label Timeless Records, Music On Vinyl is releasing a series that features albums that are part of the Timeless Records legacy and will be released mainly throughout 2022.Part of this series is Pharoah Sanders’ Moon Child from 1990, which bookended a decade of musical soul searching for Sanders. The acclaimed free jazz player is known to have a raw and abrasive s…

* Gatefold LP, 180 grams quality reissue * It’s incredible to witness this resurgence of Strata-East’s recordings over the last few years – an appreciation for the label’s ground-breaking approach to music-making, backed by a phenomenal catalogue, continues to attract listeners both new as well as its devoted faithful once again giving rise to its revered and cult-like status. The label’s return to prominence and its subsequent reintroduction to new audiences has been aided, in no small part, by…

Tip! In the first years of its existence, starting in 1997, the Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet worked as a collective, inviting all and any of its participants to contribute compositions to the band's repertoire.  Eventually, the Tentet would jettison scores and pre-planned structures altogether, opting for free improvisation, but on their early tours and initial recordings they played pieces written by the various band members.  A marathon set of summer studio sessions in 2002, just off a U.S. …