Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

*2024 stock* Brooklyn-based pianist Eva Novoa delivers a masterfully executed trio album of melodic themes replete with touches of swing, grooves and exquisite electronic landscapes. Novoa’s articulated playing flows with plenty of room gifting the band full freedom of improvisation. On the track ‘Rocket Man’ you can hear the possibilities of the traditional jazz trio format as it projects into the future, combining the acoustic beauty of the piano with the electronic tapestry of modular synthes…

*2024 stock. 300 copies limited edition* Silenced is a project by Donald Sturge Anthony McKenzie II playing improvised/one take duos with legendary musicians. This second volume features duets with Elliott Sharp, Vernon Reid, and Bill Laswell. “Ramarley Graham is the first tune of Silenced II, and it features Elliott Sharp. It is one of those performances that, when I listen back, I think someone else is playing drums. That’s how great it sounds, to me. It sounds so good; it just has to be someo…

*2024 stock* "Look: one take is all it took - nothing fake or by the book. "Silenced" giving voice to choice. A cookbook for the now, shaking and shook.’ -Nels Cline "In Silenced Don McKenzie has reconnected contemporary improvisational music to one of the most crucial & controversial issues facing us today- the misuse of lethal force by those sworn to Serve & Protect all of us. I am proud to be amongst the artists participating in this remarkable project" - Vernon Reid

*2024 stock* Matthew Putman and Michael Sarian found a home in a makeshift studio, using a borrowed 20-year-old keyboard, a good microphone, and in cramped apartment acoustics, to improvise throughout the pandemic. What they called their “weekly pilgrimages” gave them a sense of much-needed sanity, grounding their friendship and keeping them afloat, as Sarian describes, “much like a lifeboat.” The resultant project was an exploration of cadences, rhythms, and full of searching and synchronicity.…

*2024 stock* In the first lockdown, Matthew Putman (on keyboard) and Michael Sarian (on trumpet and flugelhorn) began to meet up (with precautions) for semi-regular sessions in Sarian’s makeshift home studio. The conditions were less-than-ideal—a borrowed 20-year-old keyboard, an inadequate microphone, and cramped NYC apartment acoustics—but they continued their “weekly pilgrimages, searching for [their] cadences, rhythms and melodies through the Fall.” The sessions gave them much-needed sanity,…

7 years since its release; the iconic debut from Godtet gets a repress. The self-titled LP marked the inception of La Sape Records along with the genesis of Godtet. Stitched together more like a beat tape. 12 movements recorded live with no overdubs; "This record came about with no preconceived ideas of what we were making or what it would sound like". A crystallisation of Godtet which aided to form the sound of La Sape. Traversing across spiritual jazz, dub and experimental gestures. It caught …

‘Harlesden Sessions’ is a collection of duo recordings between versatile saxophonist David Bitelli and gifted drummer Ollie Usiskin, whose imaginative improvisations take us on a journey through post-bop, jazz-funk and free jazz landscapes. The two North West London natives would meet up on occasional Thursdays to play improvised sax and drums duo sessions. As their understanding grew, they decided to start recording them and ‘Harlesden Sessions’ presents the best of these concise improvised exc…

*300 copies limited edition* The first duo recording between towering free jazz saxophonist Paul Dunmall and the highly creative saxophonist Kevin Figes, sees them perform ten improvised pieces using an assortment of instruments, including various saxophones, clarinets and flutes. With no pre-composed themes or motifs, what you hear are two master musicians in the moment of creativity. The wholly improvised conversations seem to encompass and distil the history of jazz, moving between free and c…

*300 copies limited edition* 'Happy Apples’ presents a collection of improvised duo exchanges between legendary free jazz vocalist Julie Tippetts, whose spell-binding vocals intermingle perfectly with saxophonist Kevin Figes’ atmospheric playing. Both musicians supplement the recording with an array of percussive devices, including the quirky tinkling 1970s toy that lends the album its name. The epic opening track “The Third Harmony” sets the mood for the recording as Tippetts displays a dazzlin…

Legend of e’Boi (The Hypervigilant Eye) is the powerful new work by composer & alto saxophonist Darius Jones. Both of his tremendous artistic strengths are to the fore here in a fully committed trio communion with longtime collaborator Gerald Cleaver (drums) & Chris Lightcap (bass). Five potent new Jones compositions, and a striking arrangement of “No More My Lord” (a prison song rec. by Alan Lomax at Parchman Farm). Legend of e’Boi is the 7th chapter (of 9 on completion) in Jones’ expansive Man…

Tropical is Jorge Ben's fifteenth album, a “muscular” mix of previously unreleased material and rearranged covers such as “Taj Mahal” and “País tropical”. The openness to more Pop, more Western arrangements, foreshadows his future work oriented towards the stereotypical World-Dance of the 1980s. Tropical was originally intended for the market outside Brazil, and was not distributed there until 1977. A very fine confirming his immense talent and ability to adapt to the zeitgeist by intelligently …

Jobim is the eighth studio album by Antônio Carlos Jobim recorded on December 1972 at New York City. Though this is one of the more obscure Jobim albums, it did introduce what some believe is Jobim's masterpiece, the hypnotically revolving song "Aguas de Março" (heard here in Portuguese and English versions).

Foster, Wick and Bennett each subvert the traditional expectations of their instruments in favor of a timbrally rich palette of unconventional sounds. The interplay on these improvisations is sympathetic; they communicate fluently in their own collective language.

Composer/Performer Zeena Parkins announces the release of two multi-part compositions, inspired by discoveries she made combing through the Walter Benjamin archives in Berlin. “Past Turned Space” features virtuoso players William Winant/percussion and Brett Carson/keyboards navigating a set of vignettes, flickering in response to Benjamin’s intimate descriptions of childhood memories. “Dam Against the Spring Tide” is graced with an all-star band of composer/performers, including: Zeena Parkins/a…

Horizons Held Close is the first unadorned Trance Map release featuring only Evan Parker and Matthew Wright since their 2011 debut. The sounds are strange but utterly compelling. Parker's soprano snakes its way through Wright's turntables, software, and processing/sampling.

Living on different continents, the possibilities of linking up were few and far between but we did keep in touch and perform when the occasion presented itself. The software SonoBus solved the problem of distance and we recorded, Mark on the edge of a desert in San Diego and me in the middle of three Australian deserts at Alice Springs. A selection from these sessions you hear on this CD.The duos were recorded direct to stereo live.On the last track you will hear our most recent guest Vladimir …

Recorded seven years before their only duo release, Ornery People (1998), in Parlour Games we can hear the beginnings of all that would follow in the work of Tim Berne and Michael Formanek.

Edition of 50 copies. Recorded on shitty 70s consumer tape decks, Fair Enough is a lo-fi experience you can play at your stoner parties. In an age where the dance floor is no longer the place to hook up, Fair Enough will calm your emotions, it will lower your libido, it will keep you out of trouble. This is a mixtape that features different music improvised and played by a trio already known as "The Blue Men". Nicolò Masetto on keys, Simone Coppiello on drums and A.M. Davì on bass. Working with …

Camila Nebbia and Angelica Sanchez form a remarkable duo with an immediate affinity that is truly striking. Sanchez's austere lyricism beautifully complements Nebbia's highly expressive language, resulting in duets that showcase their creative and profoundly interactive nature.

This foursome is resolute in its acceptance of communal responsibility and creation. Vocalist Kyoko Kitamura sings and speaks in wordless flurries, matching and Taylor Ho Bynum’s brassy exhortations on cornet. Cellist Tomeka Reid and guitarist Joe Morris worry and pluck their respective strings, applying speed and torque in the loosing of spidery cascades of crinkled and crenelated tones. Pitch and timbre differentials are a big part of the interplay with instruments juxtaposed in bursts of acti…

Using 'everyday' objects to prepare the instrument in a simple way structures this  "Prose Métallique", in which each piece offers a poetic approach to language and textual references. Recorded in one day, these close-miked solo pieces for alto saxophone explore the area where voice and instrument converge.

"These three artists don’t need volume or soloing to get their message across. Their message is inscribed in elegant lower-case and rarely used aural fonts. You will find yourself leaning forward because not a note or whisper should be missed..." - Brian Morton

Edition of 33 copies. The Jooklo Duo has transformed into an electrifying quintet, featuring Virginia Genta on saxophone, Michele Guglielmi on keyboards, Otto Willberg on bass, David Vanzan on drums, and Andrea Davì on percussion. Spontaneous tunes bursting with vibrant jazz vibes, mind-bending fusion discoveries. Recorded in Italy between october 31st and november 2nd 2023

Federico Ughi Together with Leo Genovese and Brandon Lopez Explores the Spaceways in the New Multidimensional CD ‘Infinite Cosmos Calling You You You, Vol. 1’

In January of 2016, Jaimie Branch launched a monthly free jazz series with a new ensemble at Brooklyn’s now debunked Manhattan Inn. Sharing the first night of her series with a trio on tour from Chicago (Nick Mazzarella, Anton Hatwich and Frank Rosaly), the trumpeter Branch assembled a quartet to match: cellist Tomeka Reid, bassist Jason Ajemian, and drummer Chad Taylor. Between visitors and expats, it was a night of performers exclusively from The Windy City. “I wanted New York to hear what Chi…

2024 stock Previously unreleased recording from the legendary multi- instrumentalist Roland Kirk, cut direct from tape and issued as a 200g premium pressing with Gearbox’s famous production values. Kirk’s influence and following reaches far beyond Jazz. Hendrix idolized him and it’s easy to see why. His appetite for ripping up the rulebook has brought kudos and admirers from all sides, giving him a status and respect that ensures an unearthed, never before released recording such as this added i…

January 2nd, 2023. Aside from being the second of a new year, it was a pretty ordinary night at ETA in Los Angeles, where guitarist Jeff Parker - alongside his ETA IVtet with saxophonist Josh Johnson, bassist Anna Butterss, and drummer Jay Bellerose - had been holding down a regular Monday gig since 2016. At the time, nobody knew it was the first gig of the last year that ETA would be open for business. Over seven years of holding down that residency, Parker’s ETA ensemble evolved from a band th…

Dunmall continues his run of very special releases on Discus Music. Working with a nine piece group centered around his Birmingham based colleagues, and which includes double keys and electronics, Dunmall delivers a swirling mix of spacey big band music which breaks down into atmospheric and exciting open ended improvisations from time to time. Paul considers this to be a milestone release, and one which is unlike anything else in his extensive discography. Edited and produced with respect, love…

“For me this music felt like coming home. Or perhaps I should say this feels where I should really be; proud to be associated with it.” - Sam Richards

What Happens Has Become Now is Jessica Pavone's fifth solo viola album and her fourth for Relative Pitch Records. Over the past twenty years, Pavone has been developing solo music based on the pitches of the open strings intended to accentuate the natural sympathetic resonances of her particularly loud viola. Over the years, she has incorporated and experimented with electronic effects to give herself a "partner" to play with and more texture to her compositions. This album features a track perf…

"This recording of solo improvisations was initiated and realized by my longtime friend and collaborator David Bailey. We recorded nearly all of these pieces on the evening of a lunar eclipse, after David brought his vintage reel-to-reel tape machine to my old warehouse living room. The process and timing created an energy of focused intensity and stark intimacy, which is apparent in the music. I am grateful for the support, diligence and patience of my friend, whose unending faith in the myster…

ONCEIM (Orchestre de Nouvelles Créations, Expérimentations et Improvisations Musicales) is a French new music ensemble, established in 2012 by pianist Frédéric Blondy, and comprising over 30 European improvisers and members of prominent jazz, free jazz, free improv and contemporary classical groups. Through the in-depth exploration of improvisational practices, the Onceim musicians have developed a rich and unique panel of know-how. It’s as if each musician were one tool within a toolbox, all at…

At the crossroad of different worlds, Hubbub comprises five musicians with activities in various fields. Together, they work on the sound matter to create a moving electro-acoustic space inhabited by layers, distensions, imbrications, pulsations, dots and lines. Thanks to the longevity of the group, Hubbub has developed its own universe, which is more than just the sum of its parts.

SORBD brings together 5 musicians from the European improvised music and free jazz scene who have distinguished themselves as strong artistic personalities. The five instrumentalists and composers are characterized by their own sound language and the development of contemporary concepts of ensemble playing. The improvisation in various constellations, as well as conceptual composition sketches, lead to a high degree of interactive playfulness, surprising moments of noise and sensual sound images…

Tobias Klein, Marta Warelis and Frank Rosaly have been playing trio since 2020. Right from the start there was a remarkable chemistry between them — intense and relaxed at the same time — and very personal.

It Was Always Time, the debut duo release from Berke Can Özcan & Jonah Parzen-Johnson out November 1 on We Jazz Records, is a refreshing and full-throated expression of joy and curiosity. In a year when 76 countries hold national elections and we find ourselves in an existential battle against apathy and cynicism, this effortlessly authentic album offers an innocent reminder that the antidote to stagnation is curiosity and the fuel for change is the joy of building something transformative toget…

Mysterious quartet Oaagaada has for some years been one of the best-kept secrets in the vibrant Finnish scene. Now, the band is ready to share their eagerly-awaited debut album on We Jazz Records, 15 November, just ahead of their performance at Helsinki's We Jazz Festival. Oaagaada's music is "togetherness music" in the lineage and spirit of the great acoustic free jazz innovators, but always moving forward and developing on its own path. This music is far-removed from the sterile "contemporary …

Unionen is a new quartet of four star-level Norwegian and Swedish jazz musicians. The group takes its name from the United Kingdoms of Sweden and Norway under a common monarch 1814-1905 and brings together Ståle Størlokken (Supersilent), Per "Texas" Johansson, Petter Eldh (Koma Saxo) and Gard Nilssen (Supersonic Orchestra). It's not hip to say "supergroup" but this sure is one super of a group, with each member contributing to the band sound that is unique in all the best possible ways. From mis…

Peter Evans makes his We Jazz Records debut with Extra, a new album out 25th October. The band formation includes Evans on trumpet, Petter Eldh (Koma Saxo / Post Koma) on bass and Jim Black on drums. Peter Evans, an acclaimed trumpet player, improvisor, and composer based in New York City presents a gutsy new band that gets right to work with his eight new compositions. Extra was recorded at the iconic Namouche Studio in Lisbon and it has a feeling of a session where all musicians are pushing fo…

*300 copies limited edition* Excited to unveil the self-titled debut record from a new duo of Rob Mazurek & Nick Terry - C6Fe2RN6! The Marfa-based duo's music sprouted from a mutual admiration for each other's visual art (Nick Terry primarily being known for his visual art, but get ready to hear more of his musical work) and eventually turned into regular get togethers to chat and play music. What you hear in C6Fe2RN6 is what happened in Mazurek's Marfa Experimental Studio, haunting and ephemera…