Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

1993 release **

2006 release ** "Harris Eisenstadt's fifth album as a leader features a sextet of young Chicago players and all-star names. The lesser-known names are vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, gracefully waltzing through the drummer's complex compositions, and reeds player Jason Mears, who seems too busy keeping up with the score to truly shine. Bassist Jason Roebke has previously proved his worth (in Tigersmilk and the Scott Fields Ensemble, among other projects). Vandermark 5 trombonist Jeb Bishop and To…

2004 release **

1990 release ** "A classic of '90s avant garde jazz, True Live Walnuts features Italian percussionist Mauro Orselli joined by British saxophonist Evan Parker and keyboardist Antonello Salis for some of the most fascinating free music of recent years. Performing just two pieces live at the Europa Jazz Festival in Noci, Italy, the three bring about an extraordinary union of disparate voices in a coherent whole. Orselli is stupendous on percussion, where he interacts with Parker as a second horn. T…

1996 release ** "The thing to do would be to get all misty-eyed about what a great bassist the late David Izenson was and how he brought in the whole deep-bowing technique to jazz with Ornette Coleman in the early '60s. It would also be summarily reasonable to note the student-teacher relationship between Lindberg and Izenson, as well as their friendship, and then discuss the influence of the object of this CD on the subject in terms befitting a jazz record. But forget it. The deal is clear: Joh…

1994 release **

2006 release ** Ten pieces of free-improv-folk-jazz from Finland, with a distinctive foundation of playful vigor and heartening spirit. Some of the tracks take on a higher timbre and slightly more tongue-in-cheek feel as the quartet splinters into the duo Lauhkeat Lamaat.

1993 release **

1989 release ** "For his recording debut, Ivo Perelman performs seven folk melodies, five of which are traditional Brazilian children's songs. A powerful tenor player whose style and sound at times recalls Albert Ayler (without the vibrato), Gato Barbieri, and Clifford Jordan, Perelman uses the simple melodies as points of departure and places to land after his intense and fairly free but melodic improvisations. The first three songs co-feature vocalist Flora Purim, who is at the top of her game…

2004 release ** "The percussionist as poet, the drummer as sound painter, the composer as storyteller, and the improviser as artist of survival. What Pierre Favre writes for the Arte Quartet is like a choral fantasy, a suite for individualists with a strong collective spirit. Four singers, each with their own utterly unique timbre, a chamber choir with a highly developed sonic sensuality. The percussionist runs his threads between the voices, becomes one himself, creates space, provides the beat…

One of the most electrifying records we've ever encountered from the power of the Nobuo Tsukahara's Sharps & Flats – a collection that infuses fantastic keyboards into the group's signature horn-heavy sound! The set features an incredible mix of Fender Rhodes and organ, frequently taking the spotlight as the lead solo instrument over the rich backings, creating a particularly delightful experience on the tracks with Rhodes! The tunes are absolutely fantastic, bringing a fresh and funky vibe that…

A 20th Century Renaissance man, cartoonist, film director, author, radio personality, record company owner, German guitarist Volker Kriegel played an important role in the European jazz-rock and fusion movements. Co-founder of the United Jazz and Rock Ensemble, Kriegel’s own groups and collaborations with American vibraphonist Dave Pike gained him a world-wide audience, as his 14 albums for MPS as leader and 15 as sideman can attest. Volker Kriegel assembled a band of some of the leading musical…

Black Rhythm Revolution! Is the first solo album from the jazz-funk legend Idris Muhammad, a New Orleans-bred rhythm king who successfully made the leap from the finest soulful jazz records of the ’60s to the nastiest fusion funk of the ’70s. Here we catch him literally on the cusp of the two in 1970, with one good foot in the get-down of “Express Yourself” and “Super Bad,” and the other in his own heady excursions into modal rhythm and melody, accompanied by virtuosos Kenny Barron, Ron Carter, …

American Vibraphonist Dave Pike may not be as well-known as contemporaries Gary Burton and Bobby Hutcherson, but recordings with Bill Evans, Herbie Mann, and Paul Bley evince Pike’s pedigree. His MPS albums from 1969 through the early 70s have become minor classics. Underpinned by funk and fusion, Infra-Red ventures into country rock on Suspicious Child and trips through fractured iridescent landscapes on Attack of the Green Misers. Raga Jeeva Swara is a rock meditation and Send Me the Yellow Gu…

Delivering a career-defining statement from the Italian electroacoustic composer and saxophone player, Laura Agnusdei, Maple Death returns with “Flowers are Blooming in Antarctica” - a startling, multifaceted journey through imagistic sonorous worlds resting at the juncture of spiritual jazz, fourth-world minimalism, tropical electronics, tribal futurism, and rigorous electroacoustic experimentalism - rooted in thrilling ecological ideas, that marks the launch of Opale, a new suite of releases c…

This is the first ‘lost’ album Jazz In Britain has discovered. We’ve released albums that were only previously released on vinyl, or even cassette tape, ie never on CD, or albums produced from sessions by groups that never made a record, or we’ve included unreleased tracks that never made it only albums… but this is a real first for us. In 1979 Tony Coe and Bob Cornford composed pieces for an unusual, and unrepeated, combination of a six-piece jazz ensemble (two reeds, bass trombone, piano, perc…

After Chick Corea’s Piano Improvisations, and Keith Jarrett’s Facing You, Paul Bley’s Open, To Love was the third fabulous chapter in ECM’s quietly revolutionary solo piano manifesto, whose impact endures and continues to influence improvisers today.  In the liner notes to this Luminessence vinyl edition, Bley biographer Greg Buium writes, “After more than fifty years, Open, To Love remains an imperishable gem, lodged forever in the present tense, and among the great masterpieces in ECM’s vast c…

For Lullaby, Norwegian trumpeter Mathias Eick draws on the quartet formation in a programme that includes some of his most exploratory and improvisatory qualities, with a cast of ECM familiars Kristjan Randalu and Ole Morten Vågan on piano and bass, and new arrival Hans Hulbækmo on drums. There’s a sense of abandon within these melodic songs, as the musicians flow smoothly between harmonies, collectively building momentum from within the forms. Eick’s immediately recognizable and soothing tone i…

Julia Hülsmann’s quartet resurfaces with a fresh Norwegian voice on horn in tow and presents an attractive batch of originals that finds the group thoughtfully exploring common ground with a knack for adventure. As on past outings, each quartet member contributes music to the session, the leader herself being responsible for half the programme. Saxophonist Uli Kempendorff’s introduction to Julia’s trio on 2019’s Not Far From Here already brought a new dimension to the group’s interplay – this se…

Eight years after Blue Maqams, Anouar Brahem returns with a poignant project, titled after a line of verse by poet Mahmoud Darwish, which asks “Where should the birds fly, after the last sky?” Graceful chamber pieces for oud, cello, piano and bass subtly address the metaphysical question and its broad resonances in a troubled time. While drawing upon the traditional modes of Arab music, Brahem has consistently sought to engage with the wider world, too, and found inspiration in many sources from…

*200 copies limited edition* Technicolor Band is a revolving-cast, cross-genre improv unit based in Bloomington, IN. The group, initially instigated by multi-instrumentalists David Brown and Caleb Hickman as a regular gathering to explore improvisation behind closed doors, eventually made its way into public via a residency at a 50 cap bar called Orbit Room. Over the next two years a core lineup formed around the quintet of Brown (keys, percussion, tape manipulation), Hickman (alto sax, electron…

2025 stock We would like to introduce a new Polish- Austrian quartet led by the trumpeter and composer Piotr Damasiewicz and his Viennese connections- the meticulously passionate saxophonist Krzysztof Kasprzyk, Viennese-to-the-bone, versatile bassist Thomas Stempkowski, and the jazz and electronica drummer Alex Yannilos.The music of the quartet is best described as “(…) expressive, free though very rhythmic and melodic, manic at times, always lovingly passionate.” It goes back to dear to our hea…

2002 release ** "Long before the Italian Instabile Orchestra, Andrea Centazzo was organizing and leading his Mitteleuropa Orchestra that focused on free improvisation, complex arrangements, and outstanding soloists. Most, although not all, of the musicians of the orchestra were Italians, and the all-star nature of the groups on this live recording make this a must-have for anyone immersed in its genre. The first four tracks -- with Enrico Rava, Franz Koglmann, Giancarlo Trovesi, and Carlos Zinga…

1990 release **

2003 release ** "Since the beginning of the 21st century, David S. Ware's recordings have moved more toward the notion of composition than free-blowing improvisation. The album Threads is the most fully realized of his scoring attempts yet, and stands out from his catalog as a work of great innovation and emotional power. The David S. Ware String Ensemble is comprised of his quartet with William Parker, Guillermo Brown, and Matthew Shipp, and is augmented by microtonal violist Mat Maneri and cla…

And just like that, you’ll never think of improvisation the same way again. GPS is the emerging trio raising the bar for improvised music, and 577 Records is elated to present its debut album, Directions + Destinations. The group includes clarinet wizard Guillermo Gregorio, Yamaha Performance Artist Charley Sabatino on the double bass, and flourishing saxophonist Jeff Pearring. What they make isn’t just music; it’s an unforgettable experience.  Recorded in two sessions a year apart, Directions +…

*2025 stock*  The first release in 24 year from Korea's foremost artist in jazz-tinged experimental / ambient music, Kim Byoung Duk!’ Kim Byong-duk is a Korean experimental / ambient musician who has paved his own artistic path by drawing on various musical styles as well as his roots in jazz and modern music. The 2018 anthology, "Experiment No. X", reaffirmed Kim’s status as one of the most progressive and unique musicians in Korea’s experimental music scene. After 24 since his 4th album "New T…

*2025 stock* The carrot root of the live music world, Sometimes a health food that young children reject,The peak of live music that becomes sweeter the more you chew, Kim Oki's [Giant Root]. Kim Okie's new album, ‘Giant Root,’ is a story of human love beyond struggle, revolution and freedom. Kim Oki is a South Korean saxophonist, and former breakdancer. He debuted in 2013 with his studio album Cherubim's Wrath (천사의 분노), and has since released numerous projects and albums. He collaborated with v…

*2025 stock*  Kim Sung-bae is a jazz bassist and the leader of Ilil Sound, a collective of jazz experimentalists. In addition to his activities with the free jazz ensemble, the Avant Trio, and as a member of saxophonist Kim Oki’s group, he has also pursued his solo work. "Ritual", recorded in 2016, is Kim Sung-bae’s second solo effort. After encountering a gut ritual performed by the manshin Kim Geum-hwa, he stayed with her in Incheon for six months preparing for this album. Recorded with a six-…

*2025 stock*  Kim Oki is a South Korean saxophonist, and former breakdancer. He debuted in 2013 with his studio album Cherubim's Wrath (천사의 분노), and has since released numerous projects and albums. He collaborated with various artists including Park Jiha, Lowdown 30, Hippy Was Gipsy, Say Sue Me, and Bek Hyunjin. He won the Musician of the Year at the 2020 Korean Music Awards. He was also active under the stage names of Kim Oki Oriental Youth (김오키 동양청년), Kim Oki Fucking Madness (김오키뻐킹매드니스), and K…

William Hooker is a musician, composer, and poet with over 70 recordings as a leader, encompassing jazz, new music, experimental music and multi-disciplinary forms of expression (e.g. dance, silent film and spoken word). He has been recognized as “an iconoclast, and one of the most innovative musicians and drummers of his generation”  - The Wire,  which is evident nowhere more than on his latest album, Jubilation. The new work features collaborators Matt LaVelle on trumpet, Sarah Manning on alto…

When Jacobo Vega-Albela left New Mexico for upstate New York to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a performer and composer, he knew it would change him forever. Ready to expand his potential, he soon found himself on a path that some only fantasize about. He has since transformed his extraordinary journey and its captivating highs and lows into his first album with 577 Records.   “Un-Belonging is a record underpinned by tremendous joy, optimism, and love for the world counterbalanced by a pers…

Many have been taken by the works of New Orleans’s Byron Asher and NYC’s Tomas Majcherski, but few have heard them as the Sonic Chambers Quartet. Joined by rising bassist (and frequent collaborator) Matt Booth from North Carolina and NOLA’s beloved avant-garde drummer Doug Garrison, the new group has teamed up with 577 Records to release its debut album, Kiss Of The Earth. It’s a beautiful, thought-provoking arrangement of emotion, creativity, and freedom that soothes your soul.  Though not offi…

There is something intensely alluring, almost addictive, about Kansas City-based artist Jackie Myers. Known for her innovation and fluidity on the keys and her sultry, bluesy vocals that could spark warmth in even the iciest of souls, she has a way of leaving all your flabbers ghasted and with a voracious appetite for more. Now, 577 Records is ecstatic to present her latest work of art, What About the Butterfly, a technical masterpiece born from the depths of this vocalist/pianist/composer’s bea…

2010 release ** "This part of Martin Vognsen’s SCATAW project features a trio with Yasuhiro Yoshigaki (drummer in Altered States, Otomo Yoshihide’s New Jazz Orchestra, ROVO) and Kumiko Takara (percussionist in Bondage Fruit, P.O.N., Warehouse). Spontaneously created on miscellaneous percussion, semi-acoustic dobro and sparse electronics the music takes improvisation through a fresh mix of crisp sounds, meticulous rhythms and enigmatic melodies. Together the 10 distinctive tracks compose a highly…

2010 release **

2011 release ** "Canadian drummer André Michel Arraiz-Rivas is a versatile guy, one who you find grinding out prog with Quasiviri and post-folk ghosts with Ronin, just to name a few. Then he happens to be seized by the urge for jazz, and here he is, whipping together a made in Italy quartet, calling it Mondongo – like a traditional hypercaloric South American soup – and releasing an album that will make your ears prick up. Transparent Skin – this is the title – is eight tracks plus one (ghost) i…

2010 release ** ""Giovanni Maier is an architect. No, not the traditional brick and mortar sense but a true architect of sound. With his latest CD "The talking bass" he is building musical bridges all over the map. The quartet he has assembled for the recording doesn't just glow, they shine! Crossing and blurring the boundaries of music are what these guys do best and together they seem unstoppable. There is a deep beauty and rawness in the sound of Giovanni's compositions. The bass gives us the…

1991 release ** "Along with its sister recording, Pangaea, Agharta was recorded live in February of 1975 at the Osaka Festival Hall in Japan. Amazingly enough, given that these are arguably Miles Davis' two greatest electric live records, they were recorded the same day. Agharta was performed in the afternoon and Pangaea in the evening. Of the two, Agharta is superior. The band with Davis -- saxophonist Sonny Fortune, guitarists Pete Cosey (lead) and Reggie Lucas (rhythm), bassist Michael Hender…

Friedrich Gulda (16 May 1930 – 27 January 2000) was an Austrian pianist, composer and musical crossover artist. Coming from a classical background, he began playing the piano at the age of seven. At the age of 12, he began his musical education with Bruno Seidlhofer (piano) and Joseph Marx (music theory and composition) at the Vienna Academy of Music, now the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna. At the age of 16, he won the Geneva International Music Competition and quickly rose to…