Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

“From the moment he played one note you knew that was Freddie Hubbard. He had a sound that was as distinctive as Miles Davis, as Louis Armstrong, as Clifford Brown. I mean, he’s one of those trumpet players.” – Stanley Crouch

“Sonny Clark’s music, in one of jazz’s truly magical periods, provides as good an example as any of both the music’s most lasting qualities and its transcendent nature.”

Don Byas Takes His Place Among the Greats A historical document of jazz at a time when the musicians, steeped in the swing tradition, were creating and setting the mold for the modern sounds of bebop.

It Was The Sixties. Blue Note Was Where It Was At. And Bobby Hutcherson Was At The Center Of It."

One of the Most Distinctive Voices in Jazz Finally Gets His Due. When you get your copy of Mosaic’s new five-CD collector’s set, “The Complete Joe Henderson Blue Note Studio Sessions,” you’ll be holding a master key to unlocking 1960s jazz.

"We are very proud of adding to our artists log such a great musician, immense composer, poet: Michael Mantler. I always admired his work since I was a kid and I think all of his records are in my collection. In a way it was quite natural for two other great artists to be involved in this brilliant project: long time Mantler collaborator John Greaves and the amazing Annie Barbazza. I hope you enjoy this live recording as much as I do and appreciate the care we all put in making this stunning alb…

Limited edition first press 300 copies only in audiophile gold cd. "Luca Formentini and Markus Stockhausen began playing together in 2005, when Markus formed an international ensemble to play at the Suoni delle Dolomiti festival. One year later they performed as a quintet in St. Maternus in Cologne, Germany, where they recorded a live album, which initiated the project called “Flowers of Now”. (Intuitive Music in Cologne, Horus Label, 2008). Later on Markus played on two tracks of Luca’s Tacet (…

Composer, trumpeter, and educator Frank London has been a central figure of the Downtown Scene since the mid 1980s. A founding member of the Klezmatics, the Klezmer Conservatory Band, and Hasidic New Wave, he has worked with everyone from LaMonte Young, Itzhak Perlman, John Cale, and Allen Ginsberg to Gal Costa, Lester Bowie, and Iggy Pop. This exciting project is a startling new take on the deep tradition of music for brass and percussion and is informed by Latin, New Orleans, Soundtrack, Ragti…

Volume Two documenting Barbara Hannigan’s collaboration with Downtown alchemist John Zorn presents four dramatic pieces for voice and ensemble—three composed expressly for Hannigan! Liber Loagaeth, a meditative composition for voice and string quartet that lies somewhere between a spell and a prayer—Star Catcher, a powerful tour-de-force for voice, piano, and rhythm section—Ab Eo, Quod, scored for voice, cello, vibes, electronics, and drums—and a Zorn classic, Pandora’s Box, his dramatic take on…

A remarkable meeting of two musical forces of nature finally available on recording!

This third CD from the dynamic piano trio of Brian Marsella, Jorge Roeder, and Ches Smith is a delightful surprise--and one of Zorn's greatest achievements. Exploring a wide variety of tempi, moods, and feelings the compositions dive deeply into the parameters of melody, harmony, hythm, and texture, stretching the ballade format to its limits and beyond. The trio, three essential members of Zorn's inner circle, performs with passion, imagination, virtuosity, and a telepathic improvisational inte…

Julian Lage and Gyan Riley have a magical rapport, a deep mutual respect, and have recorded some of Zorn’s most melodious and intimate compositions. In addition to the many books of music written for their trio with Bill Frisell, they have also worked together as a duo on The Bagatelles (2015), Midsummer Moons (2017), Book Beri’ah (2019), and Quatrain (2023). For this fifth duo CD Zorn turns again to William Shakespeare for inspiration and has composed a varied collection of ballads, dances, lul…

Zorn's first appearance at the world renowned Venice Biennale was a spectacular one. Invited to perform The Hermetic Organ at the famed 17th century Palazzo Pisano, he was surprised to find two small antique organs opposite one another on the small stage of its intimate concert hall. His performance that day was one of the very best Offices of The Hermetic Organ—a wild, acoustic affair that takes full advantage of the rich reeds, flutes, and horns of these two outstanding instruments. Zorn ran b…

Zorn's lush and seductive compositions for the magical trio of Frisell-Lage-Riley are some of his most beautiful 21st century creations, and this seventh CD in their ever-expanding series is their best yet. A dramatic and colorful tribute to the expressive Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, Lamentations contains four extended pieces that unfold like exotic flowers—gorgeous music with a dark philosophical edge. These master musicians—three of the greatest guitarists in the world—work together with a profou…

Tip! The second album from the high-caliber improvising trio Fictional Souvenirs captures a visceral meeting between three of improvised music’s most idiosyncratic, elusive figures. On Volatile Object Pat Thomas (piano and electronics), John Butcher (saxophones), and Ståle Liavik Solberg (durms) were recorded live at London’s Café Oto in January of 2023.

After many supporting appearances on IARC across the years (including Makaya McCraven's Universal Beings in 2018, Daniel Villareal's Panamá 77 in 2022 and Lados B in 2023, Bex Burch's There is only love and fear also in 2023, and earlier this Summer as a core member of SML on Small Medium Large) we could not be more ecstatic to announce our first lead artist release with Anna Butterss!!!The Adelaide, Australia-born bassist and composer "has built their career around unshakable rhythm, blinding c…

The Last Temple is a live recording of this extraordinary trio at the Alchemia in Krakow. Since the concert was quite long, we divided it into 3 formats: 1) The Last Temple vol. 1 - vinyl 9" EP 2) (this one) The Last Temple vol. 2 CD 3)The Last Temple vol. 3 vinyl 12" LP (180g black vinyl) The Trzaska, Haker Flaten, Nilsen Love trio played a concert tour in Poland in March 2024. A combination of one of the most famous sections of the world's intuitive jazz (e.g. The Thing) and one of the most fa…

Deluxe reissue edition. Restoration and digital transfer from original analogue tapes. 2LP - gatefold sleeve with LP size insert - 180g premium vinyl cut and pressed at Pallas in Germany. In recent times, a search of the Red Records archive led to the discovery of two quarter-inch tapes, believed to be blank. Upon closer examination, a single Sphere track was discovered on each of the reels. A remarkable discovery since, incredibly for such an important jazz group, the official recording legacy …

Deluxe reissue edition. Restoration and digital transfer from original analogue tapes. Reissue of a 1976 duo recording. The Quest is a live album by Sam Rivers on which he is accompanied by double bassist Dave Holland and drummer Barry Altschul. It was recorded on March 12 and 13, 1976, during the Rassegna Internazionale Jazz at the Palazzo dello Sport in Milan, Italy, and was initially released later that year by Red Records.  The trio was active from 1972 until 1978,[and was influential in the…

"Ken Field’s triumphal music enables listeners to see with their mind’s eye what the dancers are performing on stage, helping us to contain loss, survive sorrow, live through grief, and ultimately transform us via this journey." - Mark Corroto, AllAboutJazz.com

Beautiful new live document from interdisciplinary artist, composer and bandleader Rob Mazurek and a nine-piece iteration of his long-running Exploding Star Orchestra (ESO). Live at the Adler Planetarium will be released on LP, CD and DD on September 27th.

Masaru Imada's debut album, "Maki," is where it all began. Known as one of Japan's most influential pianists, Imada's career has spanned seven decades, from hard bop to fusion, with over 30 albums under his belt. "Maki" captures the essence of his powerful, emotive touch, blending fresh rhythms with beautiful melodies. The album showcases a mix of standards and originals, like the dynamic "On Green Dolphin Street," the tender "Maki" dedicated to his daughter, and the vibrant "Sea Horse." Release…

The Last Temple is a live recording of this extraordinary trio at the Alchemia in Krakow. Since the concert was quite long, we divided it into 3 formats: 1) The Last Temple vol. 1 - vinyl 9" EP 2) The Last Temple vol. 2 CD 3) (this one) The Last Temple vol. 3 vinyl 12" LP (180g black vinyl) The Trzaska, Haker Flaten, Nilsen Love trio played a concert tour in Poland in March 2024. A combination of one of the most famous sections of the world's intuitive jazz (e.g. The Thing) and one of the most f…

One for the ages here.  Unearthed from the ESS archives and officially released for the first time ever, a previously unknown half-hour from cosmic mythologist and sound scientist Sun Ra's 1971 U.C. Berkeley course "The Black Man in the Cosmos." Ra's soft-spoken intensity is underscored by the sound of chalk on the board as he ambles effortlessly through his potent and prescient ideas. The class session closes with two musical tracks, a piano version of "Love In Outer Space" and a blistering Moo…

Wewantsounds is delighted to announce the release of one of Japan's most coveted albums of the 70s, "Mangekyou" by singer-songwriter Yoshiko Sai. Produced in 1975 by Master musician Yuji Ohno, the album features Yoshiko Sai's superbly crafted songs and crystal clear voice over Ohno's lush, funky sound and breezy arrangements. A strong buzz has been growing around the album over the years and original copies now change hands for large sums of money. This is the first time "Mangekyou" is available…

Originally released on Roulette Records in 1960, this is a unique and yet often overlooked document in the form of a split album featuring early, little known works by John Coltrane and Lee Morgan. Coltrane, already in full modal flight, is featured with an unusual quartet that includes McCoy Tyner on piano, Steven Davis on bass and the great Billy Higgins on drums. Lee Morgan's straight ahead hard bop set sees the young trumpet genius leading a hard swinging group that includes a fabulous Wayne…

"...How Time Passes... and Essence were issued at a time when jazz history was being made practically on a monthly basis. There are a few reasons why they became submerged in the tsunami of groundbreaking  albums released in the first years of the 1960s. For starters, Candid and Pacific Jazz simply did not have the  market clout of Atlantic, Impulse, and other labels. Furthermore, Don Ellis’ music differed significantly from that of the avatars of free jazz, occupying a space between contemporar…

"Kontakte makes contacts between acoustic instrumental sounds and electronic music, its multidimensionality and its invitation to time travel, all promised a future in which humanity might transcend the limitations of material reality. In Spiegelung and Geschichte der Gewalt the electronic sounds emerge as transformations of this reality." – Christopher Fox

Propulsion is the debut album by a stellar quartet of journeymen Chicago improvisers assembled by saxophonist and Aerophonic Records founder Dave Rempis. Vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz is known for his extensive work with the late Peter Brötzmann, Hamid Drake, Mike Reed, and his own trio Sun Rooms. Bassist Joshua Abrams is the leader of Natural Information Society, perhaps the best-known group internationally to emerge from Chicago over the last decade. He also maintains longstanding relationship…

*200 copies limited edition* Akira Sakata is a treasure of Japan’s free jazz/improvised music world. Rie Nakajima is a London-based sound artist with an international career in Europe and beyond. Sakata and Nakajima have performed together in Japan and other countries since the mid-2010s. When Nakajima came to Japan for a time in 2023, the two appeared at Ftarri, Tokyo, on December 4, performing two duo sets. Sakata, on alto sax and clarinet, forgoes ferocious sound-making and plays with calm el…

Helsinki funk legends Kuja Orchestra is back with a new line-up and new set of tight grooves. Latin, soul, blues and disco-funk melt with african and oriental influences.

It's been a little over ten years since Hailu Mergia reemerged on the international music scene. Following the first in a series of his classic recordings reissued in collaboration with Awesome Tapes From Africa, Mergia assembled a band and began performing live again after many years driving a cab in Washington, DC. His first show back appeared on the front page of the New York Times along with a stellar review and he took off from there performing his flavor of Ethiopian jazz all over the worl…

Biggest Tip!  180 gram Vinyl Edition. Gatefold Cover. Recorded in New York City and Los Angeles, California, and was released in 1973 by Impulse! Records. Wisdom Through Music, with its smaller line-up - Sanders is joined by flutist James Branch, pianist Joe Bonner, bassist Cecil McBee, drummer Norman Connors, and percussionists Badal Roy, James Mtume, and Lawrence Killian. - consists of five tracks. Most notable is "High Life," on which Sanders emulates the West African style of music with roil…

Featuring Roland Kirk, Elvin Jones, Jaki Byard, and Richard Davis. This incredible line-up strengthens 'Rip, Rig and Panic' as another indispensable Roland Kirk album.

Limited Edition 180 Gram Gatefold LP Reissue. From the early 1960s to the late '80s, A&M was one of the most eclectic and powerful independent record labels in the world. The roster of artists who recorded there includes The Carpenters, Captain Beefheart, The Police, Joe Cocker, Suzanne Vega, Procol Harum and Janet Jackson, among others. Founded as an independent company by Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss in 1962, soon the label garnered interest and success, and was acquired by PolyGram in 1989. Thr…

LP version.If cellist/composer Janel Leppin’s wonderful and widely celebrated 2022 solo debut album Ensemble Volcanic Ash was a creative eruption, her follow up To March Is to Love is a glowing magma flow that greatly expands her singular band’s sonic terrain. The project thrums with immediacy as Leppin and her all-star sextet honor their musical ancestors and reflect on disquieting times.  Bandcamp Daily declared “There’s no end to the melodic intensity of Ensemble Volcanic Ash. Even at its lus…

Building on the back of their recent, stellar reissue of Eddie Gale's “Ghetto Music”, Elemental Music continues their long-standing initiative to make important works from the history of jazz available to a new generation of listeners with the much needed and long overdue, first ever vinyl reissue of Pharoah Sanders’ towering 1973 classic “Village of the Pharoahs”. Easily some of Sanders’ most radical music ever laid to tape, unfolding as a bristling hybrid of modal, spiritual jazz and driving f…

Big Tip!  180 gram Vinyl Edition. Gatefold Cover. One of the last records made by avant sax legend Albert Ayler – a really mind-expanding album that's unlike anything else he ever did! By the time of the record, Ayler had made a full round trip between the New York and European jazz scenes – leaving important influences wherever he went, and trying desperately to pick up new ones the further he moved on. Here, he's working in a style that's a bit like that of Archie Shepp at the time – still ste…

Killer youth jazz from Finland’s new tenor sensation Jimi Ahlroos - energetic rhythmical trio jazz recorded at studio Pelto

Killer youth jazz from Finland’s new tenor sensation Jimi Ahlroos - energetic rhythmical trio jazz recorded at studio Pelto