Jazz & Improvisation / Jazz-Rock

Here comes an incredible Fusion Jazz-Funk discovery on vinyl for the first time. From the vaults of mastermind Günther Fischer came this unreleased outstanding Rare Groove material with breathtaking international high class Jazz from 1974. It bears no comparison with absolute international most wanted sounds from Marc Moulin's Placebo, Masaru Imada´s Green Caterpillar, the german ensemble Catch up, UK´s Nucleus or the US jazz milesstones from Catalyst. It is unbelievable that an East German band…

*2026 stock* The first duo work by Koichi Makigami and Masataka Fujikake. It contains 9 songs recorded live, all improvised. An improvised sound scroll made up of titles full of mysterious sounds with fantastical and unique ideas. The title song, "Meteor Driver", begins with a reading of a poem from Koichi Makigami's poetry collection "Suprematism" (2019).

The 1971 entry point into Herbie Hancock's celebrated Mwandishi trilogy, returning here on vinyl. Mwandishi opens what would become the most adventurous and freely exploratory chapter of Hancock's discography, the first record to officially document the sextet that the pianist would shape into one of the great working bands of early seventies jazz. Recorded at Wally Heider Studios in San Francisco on New Year's Eve 1970 and released in March 1971 on Warner Bros, the album marked Hancock's decisi…

*2026 much needed repress!!* "Written and arranged by Hiromasa Suzuki, and originally released in 1975 on Nippon Columbia, this album is incredible, and truly well-named - funky stuff, indeed! Fat bass, a great variety of guitar sounds, horns and organ, and crisp drums: this is an instant favorite! From the end of the 1960s, saxophonist Jiro Inagaki led groups such as The Soul Mates, and His Black Rhythm Machine, blasting down the jazz rock road before forming Soul Media in 1969. The album Funky…

With Ça commence par la marche (It Begins with the Walk), Jérémie Ternoy presents an immersive work in which repetition becomes movement and movement becomes sonic architecture. Building on a career shaped by major collaborations — notably with Magma — as well as his own projects (Organik Orkeztra, his trio, and TOC), he delivers here a fully realized synthesis of his artistic explorations. The album makes walking its founding principle: moving forward slowly, perceiving the world in its finest …

Pioneering, magisterial compilation, which turned many of us here onto Mustafa Ozkent, Fikret Kizilok, Erkin Koray, Temiz and co, a decade ago. Still dazzling, fresh, essential.

This album is a masterpiece in which the three core pillars of Akira Ishikawa’s musical vision—jazz, rock, and African music—are fused in a sublime and thrilling balance. One arresting track follows another: the solemn and majestic “Prayer”, evoking the eternal land; the clear yet subtly psychedelic “Dawn”; the serene and beautiful “Love”; and the highly dynamic, explosive “Jumbo”. The brilliance of Hirmasa Suzuki’s arrangements deserves special mention—simple yet profoundly deep, they give vivi…

Tip! Despite the title of the album, it is the Tullio De Piscopo's third work, recorded in 1976. Comprising nine tracks in total across its two sides, “Vol. 2” falls somewhere between fusion and prog, straddling darker, brooding temperaments with joyous, funky lines. Predictably, as is nearly the case with music of this sort, the playing and artistry is top-notch, the band locked together with remarkable precision, but the journey that “Vol. 2” takes is far from expected. Interspersed throughout…

"The music on this recording definitely has a mainly Jazz slant, so I thought it a good idea to dedicate it to other Jazz players (Charlie Parker and Eric Dolphy), that represent the best of that music and were an inspiration to us and many more players. I felt a recording that represented this very important project, and what we achieved together, was long overdue. So here we offer you some music we played in 1989. But still sounds, to me, as fresh as the day we first played it." I felt a recor…

*2026 stock* Deep within the heart of an ancient forest, The Wolf, The Jaguar, The Bull, The Bear, and The Raven resided. They were guardians of the woodland, protectors of balance and harmony. But one fateful night, a foreboding darkness seeped into their sacred realm, whispering tales of corruption that had plagued the planet beyond the trees. Driven by an unnerving curiosity, they made a pact to venture beyond the borders of their lush abodes and uncover the source of this malevolence. Togeth…

This top-notch spiritual jazz album from Argentina will leave fans of Pharoah Sanders and John Coltrane astonished. Recorded in 1975 and still surprisingly off the radar, this is one of the deepest jazz albums from South America. Inspiración is the meeting of two generations united by music: Ara Tokatlian and Guillermo Bordarampé, members of the influential 70s rock band Arco Iris (which Tokatlian cofounded with the now Oscar award-winning composer Gustavo Santaolalla), join forces with Enrique …

Widely regarded as one of Pat Metheny's most inspired recordings and now considered a classic of instrumental and improvised music, *80/81* unveiled a bold new dimension of the then-26-year-old guitarist's sonic world. Released in 1980, this groundbreaking album marked Metheny's first collaboration with jazz luminaries from multiple generations, including bassist Charlie Haden, saxophonists Dewey Redman and Michael Brecker, and drummer Jack DeJohnette. Drawing equally from the freewheeling spiri…

Les Poumons Gonflés finds Etron Fou Leloublan at their most joyously unhinged: jagged rhythms, rasping horns and yelped vocals tumbling through songs that splice punk urgency, free improvisation and absurdist theatre into something uniquely volatile.

An electrifying 1st-time meeting between guitarist Keiji Haino and trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, captured live at Tokyo's Shinjuku Pit Inn, where the duo shape an unpredictable set that veers from reflective stillness to wildly passionate outbursts, their extended techniques and visceral vocals — sometimes urgent, sometimes outrageous — fueling an exhilarating and uncompromising sonic adventure.

*100 copies limited edition* First ever reissue, remastered by the band. Long recognized as a one-off gem among Europrog collectors, Coma’s debut Financial Tycoon reflects the proclivity of Danish peers such as Secret Oyster and Burnin’ Red Ivanhoe for producing outstanding jazz-fusion, albeit uniquely blended with prog textures, and a sardonic sensitivity that was engraved across Europe in the releases of the likes of Kandahar, Supersister, Banzai, Brainstorm, Plastic People of the Universe, Pa…

** original copy ** "...Of course, they are all just 'grains of sand' in the universe of world music - and yet, a grain of sand, a drop of water, can be a symbol of the entire universe.  In this way, the title given to his composition by German composer and saxophone player Berndt Konrad - 'To Listen To The World In A Grain Of Sand' - so beautifully expresses what this concert stands for."  (from the CD liner notes by Joachim-Ernst Berendt). Live Recorded at the Donaueschingen Musiktage (Contemp…

Their previous album Arrival of The New Elders presented a more varied and reflective trio, still as groovy as ever, but more structured and less jam oriented, earning them a 9/10 review in Uncut and a spot in their albums of the year list, noting their telepathic communion and concluding with “this is an Elephant9 you´ll never forget”. Reviews in Jazzwise, Shindig, Prog, Electronic Sound, The Quietus and several others followed in the same fashion. We´re delighted to confirm that Mythical River…

LP version. After a solid run of five studio albums and 2019's two double live albums, Psychedelic Backfire I and II, Elephant9 had taken their groovy mix of high energy rock and power jazz as far as they could. In this respect, Arrival Of The New Elders comes as a welcome and most timely addition to their recorded output. More varied, mature and reflective, don't let the self-ironic (?) title mislead you, they are as groovy as ever, but more structured and less jam oriented, with the longest tr…

2024 Stock. On their fourth album, counting the limited vinyl-only Live At The BBC (RLP 2118LP), Elephant9 join forces with Reine Fiske, the quite excellent Swedish guitarist from Dungen, The Amazing and Träd, Gräs och Stenar, for yet another heavy slice of mindblowing modern rock'n'jazz psychedelia. Writers have called upon names like Tony Williams´ Lifetime, Deep Purple, Brian Auger and early '70s Miles Davis to describe Elephant9's music, pointing to the fact that they are comfortable in both…

Black vinyl reissue limited to 300 copies. Gatefold sleeve. Already a firm live favorite on the Norwegian scene for a couple of years due to a handful of highly energetic and very enthusiastically received concerts, the trio of Ståle Storløkken (Supersilent, Humcrush), Nikolai Eilertsen (The National Bank) and Torstein Lofthus (Shining) on drums finally deliver their debut album. Ståle Storløkken is widely considered to be the most inventive and musically creative keyboard player to spring out o…

Centipede’s Septober Energy (1971), released on RCA and produced by jazz pianist Keith Tippett, is a sprawling double-album manifesto of British avant-garde jazz-rock that brings together an enormous ensemble of more than fifty musicians, including members of King Crimson, Soft Machine, and other key figures of the Canterbury and progressive scenes. Conceived as a large-scale orchestral jazz composition, the record blends free improvisation, electric jazz fusion, progressive rock dynamics, and c…

The South African response to Chick Corea’s Return to Forever and Miles’ On the Corner. A defining musical statement in South Africa’s jazz canon – pinpointing the moment of social and musical ferment in which the country’s terms of engagement with jazz were irreversibly changed. Forged when township kids were facing down bullets, this is an electric mulberry funk – slick, intense and complex.

Placebo's debut LP "Ball of Eyes" is a remarkably focused Soul Jazz record, without the experimentation or Free Jazz moments which were still in vogue during the first half of the '70s. Excellent covers of Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues" and Sam & Dave's "You Got Me Hummin'" as well as his own compositions make "Ball of Eyes" a perfect example of the genius of Marc Moulin and his incredible band.

The Tokyo Sessions, the dazzling new album project by Dutch alt sax icon Benjamin Herman, oozes a deep affinity for the Land of the Rising Sun. In 2024 and 2025,  Herman – along with bassist Thomas Pol and drummer and The Tokyo Sessions album producer Jimmi Jo Hueting – found themselves knee-deep in Tokyo’s hyper-eclectic musical underbelly – districts like Shimokitazawa and Koenji where underground scenes in the city continue to flourish. Minds were ceaselessly and consistently blown: noise art…

"These are not musicians trading licks or showing off individual virtuosity - they are six voices engaged in genuine conversation, responding to each other with the kind of intuitive understanding that only comes from years of shared musical history. The music breathes, shifts, transforms. Moments of delicate interplay give way to passages of ferocious intensity; dense textures dissolve into sudden clarity. Nothing is predictable, yet everything feels inevitable." - Mark T., Third Millennium

Originally released in 1972, bassist Miroslav Vitouš’s acclaimed album Mountain in the Clouds returns to the spotlight as a remixed, expanded edition of his influential 1970 debut, Infinite Search. Widely celebrated as a seminal document in the birth of jazz-fusion, this recording chronicles the early, creative explosion of a new musical era. With Mountain in the Clouds, Vitouš pushes the limits of jazz bass, blending lyrical improvisation and experimental technique to striking effect. The album…

*300 copies limited edition. In process of stocking* Small band featuring brass and percussion. Argentinian artist born in Buenos Aires in 1941. In 1975 he moved to Gran Canaria, Spain, where he created the first jazz school of the island.

*300 copies limited edition. In process of stocking* Nick Ingman has had a long career - as a composer, arranger and conductor. Big Beat is just one nugget from his legacy, but it's certainly a big one. Was involved in the Eurovision Song Contest on several occasions, leading the orchestra for Olivia Newton John (1974) and writing the live arrangements to 'Making Your Mind Up' (1981) and 'One Step Further' (1982).

Head’s Blackpool Cool was self-released in 1977 on the band’s own Head Records, marking the Scottish group’s third and final album. Long prized by collectors, it stands as a distinctive entry in UK jazz-rock and fusion, driven by an inventive interplay of trumpet and keyboards and a sharp, forward-moving sense of rhythm. Influenced by the exploratory edge of groups such as Nucleus, the album showcases the band’s creative confidence and the multi-instrumental talents of John Davies. The sound is …

"With J Jazz volume 4, the BBE J Jazz Bullet Train continues its journey traversing the expansive landscape of modern Japanese jazz. Volume 4 is the latest in the universally praised compilation series exploring the best, rarest and most innovative jazz to emerge from the Far East. Please take your seats for a first-class ticket to J Jazz central. This latest station stop off is with the famed Nippon Columbia label, one of the biggest labels in Japan, whose jazz output embraces every possible st…

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…

*250 copies limited edition* Mozaik began its journey under the oppressive aura of the 1980 coup in Turkey, singing songs of freedom from all around the world, eventually stepping into the more controversial areas of jazz, progressive rock and fusion with their own compositions. Whilst the post-coup music scene was dominated by apolitical pop music, Mozaik produced sophisticated lyrics and composed songs in unusual structures. With a dynamic crew and a rotating list of songwriters in the band, M…

Witchess is an experimental concept album by drummer and composer Francesca Remigi, which blends music, spoken words, and political concepts together to explore themes of feminism, social justice, and historical memory. Drawing on the radical voices of Angela Davis and Silvia Federici, the album confronts the intersections of gender, race, and capitalism, tracing the roots of gender violence from witch-hunt to today’s systemic economic inequalities. Through edgy compositions and spoken excerpts,…

2005 release ** Cardboard sleeve. All 4 tracks are electro-acoustic improvisations that delight the ear through their unorthodox tones and unexpected turns. Noisy and mystifying sounds develop into subtle compositions while playful rhythms and dynamic drones invite the listener on a 45 minute journey into the extreme.

*2024 stock* A group of musicians invited by Devin Brahja Waldman and Ziad Qoulaii for a recording session in Montreal, QC. This music speaks about freedom and evolution of consciousness. The album could be categorized as improvised Gnawa Jazz Krautrock: a combination of sounds we are able to discover for the first time thanks to the artists involved.

Soul Media, led by Jiro Inagaki, played a part in the development of jazz rock in Japan. This work, "Memory Lane" recorded in 1980, was the final work under the same name. Inagaki said about this work, "We tried to create this work while predicting the fate of fusion music" and it is true that the sound is completely different from ordinary fusion. The mellow and emotional "Memory Lane" the stormy and refreshing "I Will Give You Samba" and the groovy and edgy "Take My Hand". The sound that was c…

Norbert Eisbrenner (1935–2022) was a German improvising painter and musician. During the 1960s, he became involved with the West Berlin underground music scene and has played in the free-form group Human Being that evolved around the Zodiak Free Arts Lab, as well as in the trio MND (Moderne Nordeuropäische Dorfmusik), with Sven-Åke Johansson and Werner Götz, and in Schlangenfeuer, MND's later incarnation that was covered previously on Edition Telemark (cat. no. 903.07). After having started out …

**300 copies** The Kollektiv für Kommunikative und Ästhetische Forschung was an artist commune that existed for about two years around 1970 in a former monastery in Mariental (Lower Saxony), West Germany, close to the then inner-German border. It was founded by members of the West Berlin free art and music scene, many of them having been part of the scene based around the short-lived Zodiak Free Arts Lab. Among the residents were drummer Sven-Åke Johansson, guitarist Norbert Eisbrenner and bassi…

Unchained—a name which at the project’s inception or on earlier recordings spoke perhaps to the ecstatic saturation of high gain guitar—has over the past three albums (N.D. Visitor, Pic, and Gabbeh) come to represent more and more an acknowledgement of and sensitive remove from a crashing world. An excuse of oneself from trend towards a siloed artistic development.  On Frontalier, Nate Davis crosses further into this patient personal lexicon of guitar composition, presenting a new set of richly …

* 200 copies.* The final chapter of Giovanni Di Domenico's mind-expanding trilogy arrives with the force of a philosophical manifesto encoded in sound! After The Ear Cannot Be Filled With Hearing (2017) and Reflection Is Circular (2019), Wesen completes this remarkable journey through funk music filtered through German existentialist philosophy and Gestalt psychology. This is deep, layered, uncompromising music that demands your full attention! Recorded between 2019-2021 in The Nest Cellar, Brus…