Jazz & Improvisation / Avant-Garde Jazz

**Limited to 240 hand-numbered copies** "Fantoom is a quartet that feature Dirk Serries, his wife, autodidact double bass player Martina Verhoeven (who is also a gifted photographer), drummer René Aquarius, and sax player Otto Kokke, both from the Dutch group Dead Neanderthals, with whom Serries played in their Endless Voids project on the 2014 edition of the Incubate festival in Tilburg, Netherlands.  The quartet debut album, is a free-improvisation affair that was recorded in studio in Decembe…

Third album by the Jérémie Ternoy Trio, Survol à basse altitude (“Low-Altitude Flight”) extends the story of a group that, for over twenty years, has moved beyond the well-trodden paths. Away from noise, effects, and speed, the trio continues its quest for clarity, balance, and meaning. Around Jérémie Ternoy (piano, compositions), Nicolas Mahieux (double bass), and Charles Duytschaever (drums), an open space for dialogue takes shape — one where listening drives everything, where each sound finds…

** 2021 Stock. High quality vinyl, with original insert and new liner notes on printed innersleeve ** More than 40 years after its original release, the recording of the Marc Levin Ensemble’s Songs Dances and Prayers will be reissued, both on vinyl and digitally. Until now it has only existed in the original vinyl form, making it difficult to obtain, which is why we decided to make this magnificent recording easily available again. Though Marc Levin is often characterized as a Free Jazz musician…

2024 Stock. Minor signs of wear from long-time storage. ** "Futterman's restless churning lines are countered by the questing trumpet of former Cecil Taylor associate Raphé Malik, who, along with drummer Robert Adkins makes The World Watched and Ask The Price enticing, thought provoking experiences. The collection's closing title, There Is Peace, provides the listener with a intensely swirling, though decidedly less harrowing, aural imagery."

2024 Stock. Minor signs of wear from long-time storage. ** "These "Ends to Slavery" Eugene Chadbourne refers to in his title are just that: the pieces he played to end his own cultural and musical slavery. To this end, in the liner notes, he discusses -- sometimes at length -- what happens in particular works, or, more interestingly, what they're about and who they're for. The opening track, "Amber," is about a family cocker spaniel who had to be gassed because of her age -- and the fact that sh…

jaimie branch’s FLY or DIE II: bird dogs of paradise, originally released in the fall of 2019, was hugely anticipated in its time.

HobbyHouse is the self-titled debut album by the Berlin-based duo featuring Mia Dyberg (DK) on saxophone and Axel Filip (ARG) on drums. Rooted in avant-garde improvised jazz, HobbyHouse explores diverse musical structures and sonic playgrounds, crafting spontaneous compositions with a strong focus on timbral nuance and authenticity. The duo weaves these elements into vivid, evolving sound narratives that reflect their commitment to exploratory expression and creative immediacy.

Asked to create a solo album, Adia started looking for a creative way to re-invent her solo saxophone music. Her new improvisations are inventive pieces which take advantage of the full range of her instrument and different playing techniques, but also the sounds of her surroundings in the unusual locations where she recorded – the echo of a silo, the clucking of a chicken coop, or passing cars. These sounds inspired the music, creating a dialogue with the environment.

Christoph Gallio unveils his latest album, Yet Dish, a compelling journey through sonic textures and emotional landscapes. This record showcases Gallio’s ability to fuse experimental soundscapes with intricate rhythms, crafting an immersive listening experience that defies genre boundaries. The album beautifully balances elemental rawness with refined compositions, inviting listeners to explore themes of transformation, fragility, and resilience. Each track offers a distinct narrative, woven tog…

"In times like ours, such an absence of the ordinary, of the real, may not exactly be a political statement. But as a social concept, this kind of music might be a beginning—a step toward a different, perhaps better, perception of the world around us. And that’s precisely what “The Art of Sound(s)“ is: Because as soon as the molecules start dancing in this chamber of reflections, art is becoming a true and selfless act of existentialism." - Rudolf Amstutz

"Although alto saxophonist Noah Howard never quite managed to garner the reputation that several of his more well-known playing partners did, to those 'in the know', he was every bit as essential and extraordinary as Archie Shepp and Albert Ayler. A player and composer of direct and emotionally charged music, Howard's career saw him bear witness to some of the most tumultuous periods in jazz, giving voice to the cry for freedom – both musical and political – that characterised the late 1960s and…

In times of infobesity and doomscrolling, maintaining a sense of wonder can be hard - especially for those who depend on it for their work. For all those involved in the arts, but also for anyone else who likes to be inspired by previously unimagined combinations of ideas, here is the perfect album: a sung conversation between artists, a voyage through the sonic multiverse, a musical invitation to re-widen those eyes. On ‘Holding on to Wonder’, contemporary jazz corresponds with 70s cop show sou…

Essential jazz from Argentina, originally released in 1971. Bronca Buenos Aires is one of the highlights in the career of Jorge López Ruiz, alongside El Grito and the much-acclaimed Viejas Raíces project. The album is jazz poem by López Ruiz to the city he loved, not just for its virtues but also its faults, and the recording was an ambitious project that gathered many of the prominent jazz musicians of Buenos Aires. However, due to the repressive political context of the time, Bronca Buenos Air…

Over the past 15 years, Hanna Paulsberg has established herself as one of the most vital and heartfelt voices on the Norwegian jazz scene. A highly sought-after saxophonist, Paulsberg moves effortlessly between musical genres in her many projects — from the pop/soul/jazz trio Gurls, which she co-founded and writes for, to the quartet Flukten, whose sound blends free jazz and folk influences. She’s also part of a Dexter Gordon tribute with Karin Krog, and has contributed to numerous projects with…

*100 copies limited edition* This Molar record was created in a few stages. First it was substantial to find creative means which would spark the new material. The Polyend Tracker was perfect for that as it is both simple and surprisingly fresh. Only after that I applied my favourite environment and comfortably sat in my digital domain. The next stage was to find kindred spirits who share the same mental and musical sensibility. Michał Fetler and Jacek Prościński seemed to fit like a custom-made…

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

This is Mr. Mat Walerian's fourth album as a leader, all on ESP-Disk'. He also appears in the Matthew Shipp Quartet on the album Sonic Fiction (ESPDISK 5018CD, 2018). Credits: Mat Walerian - alto saxophone, bass clarinet, soprano clarinet, flute; Matthew Shipp - piano; William Parker - double bass, shakuhachi; Hamid Drake - drums, percussion. Recorded May 21, 2018 at Parkwest Studios, Brooklyn, New York. Produced by Steve Holtje.

Selections from the Empty Bottle Jazz and Improvised Music Series (1996-2005) is a six-CD anthology that captures the vibrant, unpredictable pulse of Chicago’s improvisational scene. Meticulously compiled from over 500 performances curated by John Corbett and Ken Vandermark, this box set chronicles a crucial era with recordings from nearly 100 international artists, immersing listeners in the fearless experimentation that defined the Empty Bottle’s celebrated Wednesday nights.​

2023 reprint. Together for the first time, ESP-Disk' is proud to present all three volumes of The Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra in a gorgeous fold out digipack. Originally released as two volumes in 1966, and with a third volume uncovered in 2005, the landmark sessions recorded by Richard Alderson on April 20th and November 16, 1965, have been hailed as a ?...masterpiece of free jazz.? To further delve into the Heliocentric Worlds of Sun Ra and his Orkestra, each enhanced disc in the set contain…

Strut proudly presents a new edition of one of Sun Ra's most celebrated albums, Sleeping Beauty, reissued in its original artwork for the first time. Originally released in 1979 on his independent Saturn label, Sleeping Beauty captures Sun Ra and his Arkestra at their most soulful and serene. A masterclass in cosmic jazz, the album blends lush grooves, celestial soul, and meditative funk with Ra’s singular spiritual vision — a sound both grounded and otherworldly. The album emerged during an ext…

For the very first time on double vinyl, one of the most amazing musical adventures of influential singer & songwriter Julie Tippetts. Originally released on cd in 1999, Shadow Puppeteer is the result of a long running career, a devotional solo album fulfilling her royal artistic vision. Surely one of the foremost European vocalists in the field of contemporary jazz and improvised music, she started out with The Brian Auger band in the 60’s fusing soul  jazz and r&b with amazing results.  Moving…

A legendary recording by tenor saxophonist Albert Ayler with his amazing working band, recorded in Holland for radio play, here digitally remastered with new artwork. Personnel Albert Ayler: tenor saxophoneDon Cherry: cornetGary Peacock: bassSunny Murray: drums

Joe Morris's recording career began in 1983 and has made him one of the most revered avant-garde jazz guitarists. Down Beat magazine dubbed him "the preeminent free music guitarist of his generation," while The Wire magazine called him "one of the most profound improvisers at work in the U.S." His revelatory 2012 book Perpetual Frontier/The Properties of Free Music (Riti Publishing) is a detailed and rewarding accounting of his approach to improvisation. He has been on the faculty in the Jazz an…

It has occasionally been assumed that Henry Grimes got this recording date as a reward for his long service in the avant-garde of jazz. Having already honed his musical conception with a varied range of players, from Benny Goodman and Arnett Cobb to Lee Morgan, Gerry Mulligan, and Sonny Rollins to McCoy Tyner, Steve Lacy, Albert Ayler(including ESP 1020, Spirits Rejoice), Don Cherry, and Cecil Taylor (to name just a few), the service was certainly there, but he got this gig fully on his merits. …

At last, the trade edition of Schiamachy has appeared, following the test-press/tour version by more than a couple of months. The album's title is a term used to describe mock battles between warriors. It's a fair description of the music on this record, although it's safe to say the battle was a friendly one. Michael Zerang is a very well-known percussionist, composer and improviser from Chicago, with an amazing jazz-based discography. He previously appeared on the Illinois Glossalia LP (FTR 28…

“A blissfully ecstatic sprawl of spiritual-jazz explorations of the most transcendent order” – Brooklyn Rail

Big Tip! David Murray emerged in mid-1970s New York at a pivotal moment for jazz. As cultural shifts and urban decay created vacant buildings and low rents, aspiring artists converged on the city from Chicago, California, and St. Louis, drawing inspiration less from the mainstream than from the first thrusts of free jazz—John Coltrane, Cecil Taylor, Sun Ra, Albert Ayler. They established performance spaces in lofts and apartments, downtown storefronts, art galleries, and abandoned warehouses. Mu…

Super groups are always risky—the potential for disappointing fans or warring musical styles is high—but when longtime friends and masterful improvisers come together, they usually work. Evident in their first collaboration, simply titled Volume 1, John Dikeman (Saxophone; When The Time Is Right, 577 Records, 2021) joined musicians Pat Thomas (Piano; Shifa Live at Cafe Oto 2019, BleySchool 2019, Shifa Live in Oslo 2020, Educated Guess 2021), John Edwards (Bass; EMPoWered. 577 Records, 2021), and…

3d and final repress. In the intimate confines of a Kortedala apartment just outside Gothenburg, Gustav Horneij has quietly assembled one of 2024's most compelling statements in spiritual jazz composition. Organic Pulse Ensemble's fifth album, Zither Suite, represents the culmination of a decade-long creative process that transforms modal meditation and ancient Swedish melodies into transcendent chamber folk with deep connections to the spiritual jazz tradition pioneered by Pharoah Sanders and h…

Mega Tip! Purple Trap, the powerful trio of Keiji Haino (voice, guitar), Bill Laswell on bass, and Rashied Ali (drums), recorded live on stage at The Stone. Recorded in December 2005, this furious live album by what can easily be called a super group remained unreleased till in 2023 Bill Laswell made it accessible in a rough-mixed digital version for his bandcamp subscribers program exclusively. For this vinyl version, the music has been newly mixed by Dirk Dresselhaus (SchneiderTM) and mastered…

West and East Baying by Oakland Reductionist Orchestra investigates the porous boundaries between acoustic improvisation and electronic sound, favoring the subtle friction and microdynamics of “lowercase” performance practice. Across two extended pieces—one live, one studio-crafted—this Bay Area supergroup reveals the intricate textures, restrained intensity and deep listening that define the West Coast reductionist scene.

Seeing the Way the Mole Tunnels by James McKain, Damon Smith and Weasel Walter immerses listeners in an unmediated environment of spontaneous improvisation, where baritone saxophone, double bass and percussion fuse into a dense lattice of collision, momentum and subterranean drift. Their interplay balances volatility, swift exchange and the elusive logic of movement beneath the surface.

New Conference Call brings together Gebhard Ullmann, Uwe Oberg, Joe Fonda and Dieter Ulrich for an engaging session rooted in deep listening, spirited interplay and exploratory textures. Their varied compositional voices and dynamic rapport yield music that stretches from reflective lyricism to intricate rhythmic conversations, underscoring their ability to blend innovation with ensemble empathy.​

*200 copies limited edition. 2024 stock* On Fathom, we hear the sound of the world mirrored back to us. An improvisational collaboration from legendary British multi-instrumentalist John Butcher, Pat Thomas on piano, Dominic Lash on Double Bass, and Steve Noble on Drums, the four artists play generously together. Fathom is an impressive work of avant-garde jazz that’s reminiscent of the non-musical world: squeaky wheels, growing tension, a babbling brook, all winding into lush harmonies. This ma…

The inspiration for 'Album l' and 'Album Il' began with a performance by Japanese musician Eiko Ishibashi at Cologne's Week-End Fest in 2019. For this appearance the renowned experimental musician and composer of the Oscar-winning film „Drive My Car" was joined on drums by Tatsuhisa Yamamoto and Joe Talia; both integral members of the top-level improvisational/ experimental scene in Tokyo. While in town for the festival, Ishibashi met up with the members of the Cologne-Berlin based group Von Spa…

The inspiration for 'Album l' and 'Album Il' began with a performance by Japanese musician Eiko Ishibashi at Cologne's Week-End Fest in 2019. For this appearance the renowned experimental musician and composer of the Oscar-winning film „Drive My Car" was joined on drums by Tatsuhisa Yamamoto and Joe Talia; both integral members of the top-level improvisational/ experimental scene in Tokyo. While in town for the festival, Ishibashi met up with the members of the Cologne-Berlin based group Von Spa…

Two days after his 100th birthday, Marshall Allen started recording New Dawn, his debut solo album. A member of Sun Ra’s Arkestra since 1958, Allen assumed leadership of the band in 1995. Throughout his nearly seventy-year career, Allen has never released a solo album under his own name, and yet, instead of capping such a legendary output, New Dawn seems to herald a new beginning. A love letter to spacetime, it channels a century of musical intelligence into seven tracks, showing Allen at his mo…

** With a 12-page 11x11" insert booklet (new for IA11, with unpublished photos and new liner notes by Alabaster DePlume), IARC 2025 obi strip and printed poly-lined printed inner-sleeve. ** In the words of Emma Warren:  Alabaster DePlume is not doing things properly, and this makes him very happy.  DePlume is a Manchester-born, London-based bandleader, composer, saxophonist, activist and orator. He’s a resident at the legendary London creative hub Total Refreshment Centre, a recording artist for…

"Hungarian guitarist Gabor Szabo (1936-82) issued only three live recordings during his lifetime. Significantly, the first of these, The Sorcerer (1967), remains the most popular album in the guitarist’s all-too abbreviated discography. But there were also More Sorcery (1968) and Gabor Szabo Live with Charles Lloyd (1974), offering Szabo totally in his element and at his bewitching best. Several more of Szabo’s concert recordings have surfaced in the intervening years, including this one, superb…