Jazz & Improvisation / All styles

2025 Stock. Instant Composers Pool presents Goede Reis !. All music composed by Oscar Jan Hoogland and Han Bennink except Hornin’ In, Epistrophy and Ugly Beauty by Thelonious Monk, Peer’s Counting Song by Misha Mengelberg, Aanhanghuis by Oscar Jan Hoogland, Rhythm Three by Cor Fuhler and Fleruette Africaine by Duke Ellington.  Recorded & Mixed by Marc Schots at Bimhuis, Amsterdam August 13th 2020. Artwork by Han Bennink. Photo artwork by Pieter Boersma. Graphic Design by Emma Fischer.

There is no doubt that Misha Mengelberg was an excellent, even a great, jazz pianist.  He was already close to that when he recorded with Eric Dolphy at the end of the latter’s career and he certainly was there by the mid ‘60s, when he was leading a quartet with alto saxophonist Piet Noordijk and drummer Han Bennink. But Mengelberg, like Bennink, was a musical maverick rarely content as a performer to play ‘just’ jazz and this is reflected on the solo record Pech Onderweg, recorded 40 years ago …

Norway’s Grand Old Lady of jazz, Karin Krog turned 80 in May 2017, and the Odin label honoured her with a superb 6CD box set overviewing her outstanding career. Karin Krog is one of the great jazz singers. Few others worked within so many different areas of the music and fewer still could have done so with the same assurance, commitment and elegance. Like her peers such as Jan Garbarek, Arild Andersen, Jon Christensen and Terje Rypdal, she is a figurehead for that explosion of Norwegian jazz tal…

Launching into the new year with some serious heat, the seminal Italian free jazz imprint ICTUS Records returns with their Reissue Series dedicated to archival unreleased gems and back catalogue releases, with three of their most exciting and exhilarating reissues to date: Evan Parker & Andrea Centazzo's "Bullfighting On Ice", and Alvin Curran, Evan Parker, & Andrea Centazzo's “Real Time” and “Real Time Two”. Capturing three of avant-garde music's most visionary voices in rare collaborations at …

**300 copies** Traditional Noise, the final instalment in Holidays’ latest batch, is a collaboration between two up and coming stars of experimental music - Mette Rassmussen and Pak Yan Lau - and possibly the most exciting of them all, offering glimpses of probable futures of improvisation across its brilliant two sides.Mette Rasmussen is a Danish saxophone player based in Trondheim, Norway, who first gained attention as a member of Trio Riot, before increasingly branching out as solo artist, wo…

2015 release  ** "Mexican composer and vibraphonist based in Berlin since 2012, Emilio Gordoa in a duo with guitarist Nicola L. Hein, using preparations to their vibraphones, percussion, and guitar, in an 8 part composition of diverse approaches to improvisation, from exuberant interaction to Reich-like minimalism to cantankerous experimentation, a well-rounded and interesting album."

Previously unreleased. Stereophonic sound. 1-4 recorded 11th November 1973.5-8 recorded 22nd December 1974. Lineup:Kenny Wheeler - flugelhornGreg Bowen, Ian Hamer, Dave Hancock (1-4), Alan Downey (5-8), Henry Lowther - trumpetsBobby Lamb (1-4), Keith Christie (1-4), Dave Horler (1-4), Chris Pyne, Malcolm Griffith, Cliff Hardy (5-8), Jim Wilson (5-8), Pete Smith (5-8) - trombonesAlfie Reece (1-4), Cliff Bevan (5-8) - tubaDuncan Lamont (1-4), Stan Sulzmann (5-8) - tenor/soprano saxophoneNorma Wins…

Reissue on 180-gram opaque white vinyl. Originally released in 1965. The transitional "Bells" was just under 20 minutes, released originally as one side of a clear vinyl LP with the other side empty of music. It was recorded at a May 1, 1965, Town Hall concert of ESP artists, displaying Albert Ayler's new group, which added Albert's brother Donald and Charles Tyler. The denser sound of "Bells" shows Ayler moving towards the bigger sonic statement made on Spirits Rejoice (ESPDISK 1020CD/LP), h…

Part of Rashied Ali’s artistic strength involved turning improbable sound combinations into unchallenged masterpieces. After the pattern established by John Coltrane’s Interstellar Space, and Duo Exchange with Frank Lowe, the drummer stepped into a rather unlikely duet with violinist Leroy Jenkins for Swift are the Winds of Life. Five years with the Revolutionary Ensemble had established Jenkins as a composer; he designed all the pieces played on these 1975 duets with Ali. That record is issued …

** 2020 restock, nice price** Albert Ayler's trio with Gary Peacock and Sunny Murray is best known for the July 10, 1964, recording of Spiritual Unity (ESPDISK 1002CD), the album that made both Ayler and ESP-Disk' famous when it was released in 1965. A decade after that, in 1975, ESP-Disk' also released, as Prophecy(ESP-3030), the first documentation of the group, recorded a month before Spiritual Unity by Canadian poet Paul Haines at a concert at a 91st Street club. These Cellar Café recordings…

Live recording of Albert Ayler's large septet configuration, featuring brother Donald, Charles Tyler, Sunny Murray and both Henry Grimesand Gary Peacock on bass. Compared to the bare trio of Spiritual Unity, this nearly big band of two bass players and a strong horn section allows Ayler's expressive vision depth from the joyous to the aggressive in Ayler's five original compositions. The digitally remastered recording was originally made at 30 ips instead of the usual 15 giving it excellent fide…

2013 reissue, originally released in 1966. Patty Waters is internationally recognized as one of the first major avant-garde vocalists, cited as an influence by Yoko Ono, Diamanda Galás, and Patti Smith. Waters's first two LPs, both on ESP-Disk', had the most impact. In 1966, the year after her groundbreaking debut, Sings, appeared, the New York State Council on the Arts gave ESP-Disk' a grant to tour the five state colleges with music departments. Artists on this tour included the Sun Ra Arkestr…

**A labor of love, this marvelous self-produced six-disc set collects trumpeter Bill Dixon's previously unreleased solo recordings since the 1970s.** 2001 release. Odyssey is the definitive compendium of solo trumpet music by Bill Dixon, as compiled by the artist. Dixon (1925-2010) was known primarily for his small and large ensemble masterpieces of the decades between Intents and Purposes (1967) and Tapestries (2009). While he appeared infrequently in solo performances, he was continually evolv…

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.

Jim Hobbs and Timo Shanko were founding members of the Fully Celebrated Orchestra in 1989. This is their first duo record. Their decades of playing together can be heard in these pieces.

Brandon Lopez leads his septet through an electrifying set recorded live at the Vision Festival. Mixed and mastered by David Torn and polished into a gem.

Exceptionally virtuosic and sensitive, South African harpist Jacqueline Kerrod is perfectly at home across multiple genres. This is her first recording with American guitar maverick Joe Morris. These are sublimely adventurous improvisations for pedal harp and guitar.

2025 stock A composed improvisation, or possibly the other way around – this is one way of describing the music played by Mats Gustafsson and the Nu Ensemble, a multinational group of improvisational musicians. The saxophonist Mats Gustafsson, born in 1964, became interested in improvisational music at an early age, inspired by among others the German Peter Brötzmann and the Britt Evan Parker. The Nu Ensemble was a loosely structured, irregularly convened radio and concert project built around …

2009 release (RARE) **  Giorgio Buratti: acoustic bass, synth, record engineer & leaderDavide Regazzoni: drumsSante Palumbo: pianoBruno Marini: sax baritono

**English edition. 272 pp., Large format. Hardcover**  Some think Eric Dolphy was an otherworldly apparition. His stellar career lasted little more than 5 years. He was one of the most important pioneers of the jazz avant-garde of the 1960s. As a multi-instrumentalist, Dolphy played flute, bass clarinet, alto saxophone and clarinet. He also composed and arranged. His brilliant solos in performances with the Mingus Band, among others, are milestones in jazz and music history. Guillaume Belhomme t…

After nearly two years, Okonski returns with Entrance Music — an album that finds the trio at the height of their improvisational prowess and celebrating the spontaneous and meditative. On the heels of 2023’s debut Magnolia, pianist and leader Steve Okonski has reconvened long-time musical collaborators (Durand Jones and the Indications bandmate Aaron Frazer on drums and bassist Michael Isvara “Ish” Montgomery) for another session in the spirit of artists like the Bad Plus, Gerald Clayton, and T…

2009 release ** "When an improvised recording presents itself as a meteor, some foreign object from another civilization, like Days Are Not Days does, we should rejoice that it has entered our atmosphere and like a bolide, exploded upon contact. Okay, this recording by Portuguese saxophonist and flutist Paulo Chagas, and guitarists Samuel Hällkvist, from Sweden, and Stephan Sieben, from Denmark, isn't a bomb. It is, though, an improvised explosive device, pieced together from chamber music debri…

*300 copies limited edition* Tucked away in a corner of northwestern Europe and so small you could drive through it in minutes without noticing you were ever there, Luxembourg is often overlooked. This is also true for Luxembourg’s music scene, and even more so in the early 1980s. Aside from a string of victories at the annual Eurovision song contest or the mighty Radio Luxembourg that had for decades been blasting jazz, rock and other modern music into stolid Western European ears, very little …

Wah Wah 45s are proud to present the full debut album from Afrobeat supergroup Eparapo. Having come together during the unprecedented events of the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter movement, and despite being a project born from the privations of lockdown, their music is ultimately an expression of hope, resilience & resurgence.

Temporary Super Offer!  When on January 20 1969 Mike Taylor was pulled from the River Thames – shoeless, alone, confused, ultimately drowned by his own hand – the young pianist and composer was only 31. A cynic might say that hindsight is a wonderful thing and that it was only years later, when fans began to speculate on the fatal glamour of an artist who died so young, that fellow musicians began to recollect him as a genius of modern music. At the time, they might well have thought of him – an…

** Edition of 400 ** NoBusiness Records presents Creation Series by Joel Futterman. All compositions by Joel Futterman. Recording engineer Dr. Benjamin Tomassetti. Recorded at the Paradise Studio, Virginia Beach, Virginia. Each track is complete unedited first-take and is in the orderi n which it was recorded. Photos by Michael Wilderman. Mastered by Arūnas Zujus at MAMAstudios. Design by Oskaras Anosovas. Producer - Danas Mikailionis. Co-producer - Valerij Anosov. CD 1 - Recorded 16th June, 200…

Lou Donaldson had been a Blue Note stalwart since his earliest recordings in 1952 and over the following 15 years produced numerous classic dates spanning bebop, hard bop, and soul jazz. But when the alto saxophonist hooked up with the funky drummer Leo Morris (aka Idris Muhammad) for 1967’s Alligator Bogaloo it began a run of great groove-oriented albums including Mr. Shing-A-Ling, Midnight Creeper, and 1968’s Say It Loud. Filling out the band were Donaldson’s fellow Blue Note labelmate trumpet…

2025 stock B.F.A.M. (Brothers From Another Mother) was founded by drummer Spyros Panagiotopoulos. The band consists of Philippos Pappas on tenor saxophone, Panagiotis Kapsabeli on guitar, Rafael Meleta on piano, Pericles Trivolis on bass, Spyros Panagiotopoulos on drums and Dimitris Papadopoulos on trumpet.

2025 stock “Diary of Dreams” began as a journal of musical ideas. Like dreams that are forgotten soon after we wake up, that’s how I felt my melodies, like memories from dreams that I didn’t want to be forgotten. My wish, was to be moved by the musical outcome which in turn I hoped to move the musicians and ultimately you, the listeners! - Stavros Lantias

2025 stock The Sonny Clark Project is a jazz ensemble dedicated to interpreting and celebrating the works of the renowned American hard bop pianist and composer, Sonny Clark. The project aims to honor Clark's legacy by performing his compositions and bringing his music to contemporary audiences.Sonny Clark, born in 1931, was a significant figure in the hard bop movement of the 1950s and 1960s. He collaborated with notable artists such as John Coltrane, Art Farmer, and Grant Green, contributing t…

The George Kontrafouris Trio, led by Greek jazz pianist George Kontrafouris, features Dinos Manos on double bass and Thanos Hatzianagnostou on drums. Known for their dynamic interpretations and contributions to the jazz scene, they have collaborated with French chromatic harmonica player Laurent Maur, celebrated for his mastery and improvisational skills. Their collaborative album, "Vin Doux," released in 2023, showcases a blend of mainstream jazz with unique harmonic and rhythmic explorations. …

Colorblind…having a decreased ability to see color or differences in color. But…what if colorblind-ness becomes an intention? A conscious choice to not pin a colored distinction on ideas, people, music or life-philosophies? A clean palette of initial curiosity and acceptance, rather than a rigidity of prejudging (prejudice) and labeling. Why pretend to know before witnessing, before engaging, before allowing perception to focus?Doesn’t life ask us to enter, without tinting the supreme arts of kn…

Across eight tracks that combine music from acoustic instruments with electronic and processed sounds, one of Athens' most prolific jazz figures, Mihalis Kalkanis, sketches a new European sound with melodic motifs that sometimes "touch" the West and others leave a Greek and Balkan scent. The resulting album "Emotions" was recorded live at the Megaron Music Hall and it is the first recorded documentation of Mihalis Kalkanis Group. "Emotions" is a landmark of the three year journey of the group, a…

Georgios Tsolis is a greek jazz pianist, arranger, and composer that was born and raised in the island of Kefalonia western Greece, currently living in the Hague the Netherlands. He is an active jazz performer since 2005 both in the Greek and Dutch jazz scene. He studied at the royal conservatory of the Hague and he holds a bachelors and masters diploma in jazz piano performance. He is mainly performing with small groups and most of his personal work refers to jazz piano trios. As a bandleader, …

The album features a collection of jazz compositions that blend traditional Greek musical elements with contemporary jazz influences, reflecting Trantalidis's rich musical heritage and innovative approach. "Looking Back" marks Trantalidis's return to discography after a 20-year hiatus since his previous album "am:pm," showcasing his enduring influence on the Greek jazz scene. George Trantalidis is a prominent figure in Greek jazz, known for his work with the band Sphinx and his contributions to …

The concept for this album was born during a rehearsal with my friends and musical partners, Alex and Kimon, as we explored the themes of composition, performance, and creativity in Greece. Through our discussions, I realized that “Conversation Helps.” Thank you both for your incredible musicianship, interaction, and support. This album wouldn’t have been possible without you. A special thank you to Theodore Bafaloukas and Dimitris Fytas for helping me bring this album to life. Special thanks to…

2010 release ** "Firehouse 12 Records welcomes esteemed pianist/composer Myra Melford to its roster with the release of The Whole Tree Gone (FH12-04-01-012), her first recording as a bandleader since 2006. Recorded in the label's own state-of-the-art studio, this is Ms. Melford's second release featuring her eclectic ensemble, Be Bread, a longstanding collection of frequent collaborators that currently performs as an all-acoustic sextet. The Whole Tree Gone documents the latest evolution of eigh…

It was a magical Autumn day in Vilnius - Mr. Howard Riley was giving his rare solo performance at St. Catherine’s Church.The outcome is this two LP set of deep musical contemplation, freedom and lyricism. After the concert Howard Riley said that this was his best solo performance in many years.

Edition of 300. Featuring Alexander von Schlippenbach and Aki Takase both on piano, recorded at Cafe Amores in Yamaguchi. Japan in August of 1995. Although Ms. Takase and Mr. Schlippenbach have been married for many years (she moved to Berlin in 1987), it seems as if their music collaborations began in the early 1990’s. There are some half dozen or so discs of duos (1993, ’94 & 2014), a trio/quartet (from 2005), the Berlin Contemporary Jazz Orchestra (BCJO) (1993 & 1996), collaborations with Sve…

This is the first recording of Szilard Mezei released on LP. Synthesis of free jazz with some elements of folk music makes it an intrigue and challenging recording."Februári Fadöntés documents a fairly rare appearance on wax of Serbian-Hungarian violist / composer Szilárd Mezei, who's worked in formats ranging from string trio to orchestra, mostly in situations that allow a commingling of Hungarian folk forms (he also plays traditional music) and free improvisation. He's joined here on three sui…