Click here for the Jazz News of 2019December 2018:
Matchless releases two Eddie Prevost albums. The Whole Moon Rests In A Dewdrop On The Grass documents a collaboration of the percussionist along with Ken Ikeda (electronics), a Japanese musician who composed and recorded for David Lynch. Their CD features the namesake 42-minute suite sporting abstract and experimental sounds, plenty of improvisations. Recorded in January 2018. The CD Instead, Darkened, Yet Shone (recorded in August 2017) gathers four pieces (notably the 22-minute Let's Leave Rene Descartes Out Of This) performed with guitarist Nathan O. Moore and well known bassist John Edwards, free improvised. In A Convex Mirror (Tzadik, 2018) features John Zorn playing sax and electric piano, along with drummer Ches Smith and special guest Ikue Mori on electronic soundscapes. Zorn composed three lenghty pieces. He also comes back with the second release by his project Insurrection. After the december 2017 self-titled, he presents now Salem, 1692, that sports a ten-part suite inspired by the tragic events in Massachusetts Bay Colony, i.e. the Salem Witch Trials. The music has ben perfomed by Trervor Dun (bass), Kenny Grohowski (drums), Julian Lage and Matt Hollenberg (both on guitar). Furthermore, Tzadik just released the 10-CD boxset The Book Beriah, that gathers the final 92 compositions that complete the 25-year Masada legacy. The Complete Lansdowne Recordings, 1965-1969 (Jazzman, 2018) is a five-LP box set released as the first-ever official re-issue of all five recording sessions by a quintet founded by saxophonist Don Rendell and trumpetist Ian Carr. Before his experience with Nucleus, Carr began playing since 1964 in a sextet, co-led with Rendell and comprising of bassist Dave Green, drummer Trevor Tomkins and pianist Colin Purbrook. Shades Of Blue, their first album here reissued, was studio recorded in October 1964, featuring eight original postbop pieces; Dusk Fire (March 1966) featured seven pieces more bluesy and contemporary; Phase III (February 1967) collected five pieces with the new pianist Michael Garrick; Change Is (March and April 1969) added well known bassist Jeff Clyne, reedist Stan Robinson and pianist Mike Pyne, for an album more on jazz-rock; Live (March 1968), was though a studio session, mostly bluesy and postbop. Their discography is completed by Live In London, issued in 2003 and featuring a November 1965 session (six pieces). Carr, lets remember, died in 2009. Rendell died in October 2015. Uplift - Twelve Pieces For Positive Action (Greenleaf, 2018) documents trumpetist Dave Douglas in a lineup along with Bill Laswell (bass), Ian Chang (drums and electronics), Julian Lage and Mary Halvorson (both on guitars) and Joe Lovano (saxes, clarinet and flute) in twelve picess studio recorded in december 2017. Still by Douglas, the same label also released Metamorphosis, other twelve pieces studio recorded in december 2016, as, say credits, improvised music from graphic scores based on the constellations from Greek mythology. At The Hill Of James Magee features an old studio session by Joe McPhee (alto sax) and John Butcher (tenor sax), comprising of six pieces recorded in April 2010, extensively presented here. Free Radicals At DOM (Fundacja, 2018) documents Peter Evans (trumpet), Agusti Fernandez (piano) and Barry Guy (bass) in a November 2017 concert, from which were extracted seven pieces. The DoLP Mad Skillet (Indirecto, 2018) features John Medeski leading on piano and keyboards a lineup, created in 2015, comprising of Will Bernard (guitar), Kirk Joseph (sousaphone), Terence Higgins (drums), Gilbert Elorreaga (trumpet), Dan Bechdolt (tenor sax), Mark V. Gonzales (trombone, horn arrangment), Josh Levy (baritone sax) and Jonathan Doyle (bass sax). The vinyl ZWOLF (Bocian, 2018) documents a solo Burkhard Stangl album, performed on guitar; the twelve pieces, featuring minimalisms and noises, were recorded in february 2017. The 3CD boxset Essays (Hunnia, 2018) documents three CD-long suites by Stevan Tickmayer, comprising of: 1) Waiting, a 44-minute composition (recorded in august 2017) he performed on electric piano], samplers and electronics, along with Hungarian Istvan Grencso (saxes, clarinets and flute) and Barnabas Dukay (piano); Ritual Music (november 2016), another 44-minute work performed by Dukay on organ and Grencso on saxes; Two Visions Heard (another session in november 2016), a 56-minute composition performed again by Dukay and Grencso along with Aurel Hollo (percussion). Mostly improvised. Rosa Parks: Pure Love - An Oratorio Of Seven Songs (TUM, 2018) is the latest Wadada Leo Smith album, inspired by the civil rights movement in the US. This new work was performed by three vocalists, a double-quartet and a drummer with electronics. Featuring: Wadada Leo Smith - composer, trumpet, Diamond Voices, Red Koral Quartet, Blue Trumpet Quartet (Ted Daniel, Graham Haynes, Hugh Ragin and Leo Smith himself), Janus Duo (Pheeroan akLaff and Hardedge, aka Velibor Pedevski). Texts by Wadada Leo Smith, except text for No Fear by Rosa Parks. Recorded in two sessions, September 2016 and May 2017. Still Dreaming (Nonesuch, 2018) features a quartet led by Joshua Redman (tenor sax), comprising of Brian Blade (drums), Scott Colley (bass) and Ron Miles (cornet). They recorded in april 2017 eight pieces (among which two covers, By Charlie Haden and Ornette Coleman), developping themes compsed collectively. Colley worked with Chris Potter and nels Cline; Blade instead started his career in various lineups, with Charlie Haden, Chick Corea and Wayne Shorter. Curses (Ugexplode, 2018) documents a solo work by Weasel Walter he composed in 2015 and recorded in January 2016, consisting of four long movements in 99 tracks, for almost 80 minutes. After having recorded in May 1998 Gravitational System, their first duo album, Mat Maneri (viola) and Matthew Shipp (piano) come back with Conference Of The Mat/ts (Rogueart, 2018). The two improvised thirteen new pieces, recorded in November 2017. Fred Frith (electric guitar), Philip Greenlief (alto and tenor saxes) and Evelyn Davis (pipe organ) formed in 2013 the project Drone Trio, releasing only now their first album, Lantskap Logic (Clean Feed, 2018), after having recorded it in February 2013. Phillip Greenlief, lets remember, worked with Wadada Leo Smith and Meredith Monk. The trio presents two 26-minute works, plenty of drones free improvised. Satoko Fujiis Orchestra Tokyo just released Kikoeru (Libra, 2018), the 12th and final Satoko Fujii release for her 60th birthday celebration of 2018. Quite all reeds, the lineup presents six new pieces composed by the pianist, who though conducts without playing. Recorded in August 2018. Furthermore, Libra just re-released Vulcan, the first album of Satokos Quartet, recorded in April 2001. This lineup was comprising of her husband trumpetist Natsuki Tamura, and rhythm section of Takeharu Hayawaka (bass) and well known drummer Tatsuya Yoshida. The quartet played a sort of original jazz-rock, as shown on the following recordings: Minerva (April 2002), Zephyros (September 2003), Angelona (November 2004), Bacchus (December 2006), and the latest Live At Jazz Room Cortez (December 2016), performed without the bassist, a new drummer (Takashi Itani), and the violinist Keisuke Ohta, and featuring two long pieces, notably the 31-minute Looking Out The Window. Wild Courses (Iluso, 2018) features Henry Kaiser & Max Kutner on 12 string guitars & 8 string bass. The eleven pieces (notably the 20-minute More Court Music) were recorded in April 2017. Lutner, lets remember, is presently the lead guitarist of the Magic Band (John French) which performs the music of Captain Beefheart around the world. He debuted his solo career with Disaffection Finds Its Pure Form, a work released by Silber, that features the musician on 30 electric guitars simultaneously. Explicit (Amirani, 2018) documents Vinny Golia (soprillo and sopranino saxophones, Bb and A Basset clarinets, piccolo and alto flutes) and Gianni Mimmo (soprano sax) in a studio October 2014 session, during which the two performed nine pieces mixing textures, rare melodic themes and many improvisations. Syllogistic Moments (Maya, 2018) documents Barry Guy (double bass) and Peter Evans (trumpet) in five tracks extracted from a November 2016 concert, alternating solos and collective improvisations. Luminous (NoBusiness, 2018) documents Simon Nabatov on piano, Barry Guy on contrabass and Gerry Hemingway on drums. Recorded live in October 2015, it sports twelve pieces collectively improvised. Martin Archers Orchestra Of The Upper Atmosphere returned with ?4 (recorded in 2017-2018) is the follow-up to their previous ?3. The lineup is now a sextet, with the leader on keyboards, electronics, saxophones, clarinets, flutes, recorders, melodica, voice, Steve Dinsdale on electronic drum kit, synth, Jan Todd on vocals, lyrics, electronics, celtic harp, lute harp, korg wave drum, keyboards, bowed electroacoustic bass, idiopan, Yvonna Magda on violin, electronics, Walt Shaw on acoustic percussion, electronics, voice, and Terry Todd on bass and electroacoustic bass guitars. The music blends electronica, jazz and rock, reminiscent of Terry Riley. November 2018: US trumpetist Roy Hargrove died in New York for a cardiac arrest on november 2, at 49. The 2CD set Flower In A Stained-Glass Window & The Blinking Of The Ear (Centering, 2018) collects 17 compositions bassist William Parker recorded (CD1 in March 2017, CD2 in June 2018) and performed (here also on drum set) along with Steve Swell (trombone), Abraham Mennen (tenor sax), Leena Conquest (vocals), Isaiah Parker and Eri Yamamoto (piano), Kesivan Naidoo and Leonid Galaganov (drums), Dave Sewelson and Nick Lyons (alto sax), Daniel, Carter (trumpet) and mezzosoprano Ann Marie Sandy. This work (presented here) is dedicated to Martin Luther King. The Balance (Aum Fidelity, 2018) features a David S. Ware June 2010 concert, performed on tenor sax, stritch and saxello in trio with William Parker (bass) and Warren Smith (percussion). During the concert, they performed the 3-part 42-minute Vision Suite 2010. Jazz Journey (Sounds of Yesteryear, 2018) collects unissued material recorded by Stan Kenton and his Orchestra between 1953 and 1960. The twenty pieces collected also feature several guest stars, as saxtenorist Bill Holman, vocalist June Christy, and, each of them in two tracks, Charlie Mariano, Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. Kenton plays piano in two pieces, and leads in the others the orchestra. Blood (True Sound, 2018) features Jason Kao Hwangs project Burning Bridge in their second release, after the february 2011 self-titled. The leader, on violin & compositions, reunited Steve Swell on trombone, Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet & flugelhorn, Joseph Daley on tuba, Sun Li on pipa, Wang Guowei on erhu (a Chinese violin), Ken Filiano on contrabass and Andrew Drury on concert percussion. This work consists of an continuous five part suite, mixing ethnic, funky blues and avantgarde jazz. Premiered in October 2016 and then recorded in studio in March 2018. Dark Energy (FMR, 2018), documents an old studio session (April 2013) released just now. It features saxophonist Paul Dunmall along with Alan Niblock on bass and Mark Sanders on drums. The trio presents five improvisations. The cassette Speckled Stones And Dissonant Green Dots (Notice, 2018) documents a foray of Okkyung Lee in electronic. She recorded in studio in 2017 two pieces (both of 15 minutes) using her cello and also computer and synthesizer, creating dissonances and minimalisms. Presented as two works for orchestra with soloists, Contemporary Chaos Practices (Intakt, 2018) features the 24-minute title-track and the 18-minute Vogelfrei credited to the quartet of Mary Halvorson (electric guitar), Kris Davis (piano), Nate Wooley (trumpet) and Ingrid Laubrock (soprano and tenor saxes), with an orchestra led by two conductors: American emergent composer and pianist Eric Wubbels and the well known Taylor Ho Bynum, who conducted two basses, two bassoons, a cello trio, three clarinets two flutes and piccolos, three French horns, two oboes, two percussionists, two trombones, two trumpets, one tuba, a viola trio, a violin nonet, eight vocalists. Both of pieces were composed by Ingrid Laubrock. Studio recorded in December 2017. Three new CDs by Leo. Dream Libretto documents Marilyn Crispell (piano), Tanya Kalmanovitch (violin) and Richard Teitelbaum (electronics). This CD is a very personal statement from Marilyn Crispell, recorded at a date in 2018. The five-movement Memoria/For Pessa Malka was composed as a memorial to her relatives who died in the Second World War, and to her parents, husband, and close friends who have passed on during the past several years. First half of the CD is a trio with Tanya Kalmanovitch (violin) and Richard Teitelbaum (electronics), while the second half is a duo with Tanya. Instead, Strings 1 (march 2018) and Strings 2 (august 2018) are two CDs performed by two quartets. Each of them features Ivo Perelman and Mat Maneri. The first also sports Mark Feldman and Jason Hwang (both on violin). The second features Hank Roberts and Ned Rothenberg. Each of these two CDs features nine untitled pieces. But Perelman is more and more prolific. Spiritual Players (Leo, 2018) documents the saxtenorist with Jason Stein on bass clarinet. Recorded in June 2018, it features eight untitled pieces. Another duet is Kindred Spirits, by the same label, performed with Rudi Mahall, he on bass clarinet too. This is a 2CD set, recorded in June 2018, collecting twelve untitled pieces. Snowy Egret, the Myra Melford project she debuted recording in december 2013 their self-titled, comes back with The Other Side Of Air (Firehouse12, 2018). The lineup is still the same: the leader on piano, Ron Miles on cornet, Liberty Ellman on guitar, Stomu Takeishi on bass, Tyshawn Sorey on drums. The ten new pieces were recorded in studio in October 2017. AMU, a new project by Satoko Fujii, debuted with Weave (Libra, 2018), an album featuring the leader pianist along with Mizuki Wildenhahn on percussive dance, Natsuki Tamura on trumpet & percussion, and Takashi Itani on percussion. Recorded in July 2018, this CD+DVD sports a music mostly improvised. Still by Fujii and the same label, Diary 2005-2015 is a 2CD set she composed for piano, but performed by the pianist Yuko Yamaoka (the two already recorded together in June 1997 the Leos album South Wind). All the tracks are very short: 62 on Disk 1 and 56 on Disk 2, entitled with dates of their composition. Recorded in June 2018. Credited to Andrew Cyrille (drums), and performed along with Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet) and Bill Frisell (guitar), Lebroba (ECM, 2018) was recorded in July 2017 in a studio session during which the trio performed five pieces in pure free jazz. Lebroba is a contraction of Leland, Brooklyn and Baltimore, birthplaces of the musicians. Among the tracks, the 17-minute Turiya is a Wadadas dedication to Alice Coltrane. Better Than Gold And Silver (L&H, 2018) is the latest Yelema Eckemoff's album, on which she presents her new ten pieces in vocal version (disk 1) and instrumental version (disk 2). The pianist is accompanied by tenor Tomas Cruz, mezzosoprano Kim Mayo (on disk 1), Ralph Alessi (trumpet), Ben Monder (gvuitar), Christian Howes (violin), Drew Gress (bass) and Joey Baron (drums). This is the first work of a prejected series of recordings inspired by Biblical psalms. The music, however, is on her standard melodic jazz, counterpointed by collective improvisations. Studio recorded in April 2018, the work has been premiered the last October. The Flow Of Spirit/Live Concert Tokyo (Metacompany, 2018) features Evan Parker on tenor & soprano saxes, William Parker on bass & gimbri and Toshi Tsuchitori on drums. The four improvisations collected were recorded in April 2015 in Japan. You Have Options (Songlines, 2018) features Canadian clarinetist Franois Houle, British pianist Alexander Hawkins, and NY-based Canadian drummer Harris Eisenstadt. Their ten pieces, among which three reworkings by Steve Lacy, Andrew Hill and Charles Ives, were recorded in studio in July 2016. Verve restores Nows The Time, a vinyl the label firstly released in 1957, that collected two studio sessions (December 1952 and July 1953) by Charlie Parker Quartet, on which the famous altoist led Percy Heath (bass), Max Roach (drums) and pianists Al Haig and Hank Jones. The vinyl sports two covers and six originals by Parker, with alternate takes. But now Dreyfus presents another album with the same title, whose content is very different. This Nows The Time indeed collects 23 pieces featuring Parkers Quintet, All Stars, New Stares his Septete and the Ree-Boppers. Among the musicians, lets mention Miles Davis, John Lewis, Max Roach, Bud Powell, Dizzy Gillespie, etc. The album is plenty of versions of famous titles: A Night In Tunisia (session of March 1946 with Miles Davis), Ornithology (same session again with Davis), Parkers Mood (September 1948 with Max Roach), the title-track (November 1945 with Davis and Gillespie), Ko-Ko (September 1947 with Gillespie), Billie's Bounce (November 1945, with Davis, Gillespie and Roach), Ornithology (March 1946, with Davis), A Night In Tunisia (March 1946, with Davis), etc. The vinyl Hence (Mego, 2018) documents the third collaboration between Oren Ambarchi and Jim O'Rourke. The duo presents two side-long pieces playing synthesizers, prepared guitars, plus tabla rhythms played by special guest U-zhaan. Recorded between 2015 and 2016, this album alternates melodic line, chaotic and atonal moments and minimalisms. French label Swarming restores Metro Pre Saint-Gervais, an album originally released by Chloe in 2002, documenting a July 2001 session with Jean Luc Guionnet (alto sax), Dan Warburton (violin) and Eric La Casa (microphones). The two untitled pieces (20 and 43 minutes) ferature an unusual acoustic approach tried in the subway station in Paris, where the performance was recorded. Their improvisations merge with the rumors and sounds by metro amplified by microphones. Italian label Down at Dawn restores Indeed!, a very old and forgotten experience by trumpeter Lee Morgan, originally released by Blue Note in 1957. Recorded in November 1956, when he was 18, Indeed! features an hard bop session sporting also compositions by Benny Golson, Donald Byrd and Horace Silver. The quintet features alto sax player Clarence Sharpe, Horace Silver on piano and the rhythm section of Wilbur Ware (bass), and Philly Joe Jones (drums). 2CD set Eight Improvisations (Trio) 2014 (Tubapede, 2018) documents Anthony Braxton on alto, baritone, sopranino & soprano saxes, Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet, flugelhorn & bass trumpet and Bob Bresnan on piano. The trio recorded in October 2014 a studio session from which were extracted eight performances, mostly over 10 minutes. Joe Morris (guitar) and Do Yeon Kim (gayagaum, a Korean instrument also known as kayagum, a kind of 12-string zither) recorded (september 2018) Macrocosm, a CD that collects five lenghty pieces (notably the 19-minute Orchard) that alternate themes, improvisations, solos and quiet moments. Live In Japan (Impulse, 2018) features a live broadcast recorded in July 1966 by John Coltrane, originally released only in Japan under the name Coltrane In Japan. Coltrane (on tenor, soprano, and alto) played with Pharoah Sanders (tenor, alto, and bass clarinet), his wife Alice (piano), Jimmy Garrison (bass), and Rashied Ali (drums). Very long the versions of Mongo Santamarias Afro Blue (39 minutes), Peace On Earth (26 min.), Crescent (55 min.), Leo (45 min.) and My Favorite Things (57 minutes!). LOreille Electrique (Cuneiform, 2018) is the sixth work of drummer Patrick Forgas anf his Band Phenomena. The lineup is comprising of a new guitarist: Pierre Schmidt, who made his debut with the band in a 20-minute live in the studio segment filmed for the Romantic Warriors 3 - Canterbury Tales documentary. Also, bassist Kengo Mochizuki left the group, and was replaced by veteran Grard Prvost, on stage since 1975. Recorded in studio in late 2017, the album collects five new pieces composed by the leader. Risk (Cuneiform, 2018) is the new Far Corners album in twelve years, the third after the self-titled and Endangered. After their second work, Far Corner continued to perform only live, and the new material was a long time in the making, mostly between 2008 and 2011, with additional recordings between 2013-2015. The final product gathers thirteen new tracks. October 2018: US saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett, cofounder in 1976 of the World Saxophone Quartet and sessionman with many jazz giants, died on october 4 at St. Louis University Hospital after a long illness, at the age of 78. Don Byron (clarinet and saxophone) and Aruan Ortiz (piano) released for Intakt Random Dances and (A)tonalities. Recorded in december 2017, it sports ten pieces of chamber jazz, some of which are reworkings. Combo 66 (Verve, 2018) features the latest John Scofields work. The guitarist led a new lineup: Bill Stewart (drums), Gerald Clayton ( piano, organ) and Vicente Archer (double bass). Scofield composed new nine pieces, recorded in studio in april 2018. Speaking about this release, the leader states that guitar and keyboard is not always the easiest match. Because of its percussive nature, piano is very similar to the guitar. But Gerald has a beautiful touch and though he is quite modern, his touch reminds me of Hank Jones or Tommy Flanagan. And that really is a beautiful legato sound that works well with guitar. Even though hes got super roots in traditional jazz, he can do everything. Im just thrilled to play with Gerald. Elusion Quartet is the new project by Michael Formanek. The bassist reunited Tony Malaby (tenor and soprano saxes), Kris Davis (piano) and Ches Smith (drums, vibraphone, Haitian tanbou) and they released for Intakt Time Like This, that gathers seven pieces (all composed by the leader) recorded in february 2018. Meanwhile, Back In Sheffield... (Discus, 2018) documents an unissued studio session by Derek Bailey. The guitarist, in trio with Mick Beck (tenor sax, bassoon and whistles) and Paul Hession (drums set) recorded in august 2004 three pieces (notably the 33-minute After The Red Deer), free improvised. The Matchless 2CD set Uncertain Outcomes features two suites (53 and 50-minute) by Eddie Prevost and Christian Wolff, recorded in september 2015 (CD 1) and july 2016 (CD 2). Wolff on keyboards and Prevost on various percussive instruments, created an experimental work, presented here. Sparrow Nights (Trost, 2018) documents the first studio album (after three recorded live) by Peter Broetzmann (b-flat/bass/contra-alto clarinet, alto/tenor/bass saxophone) and Heather Leigh Murray (pedal steel guitar). Recorded this year and released as LP (six tracks) and CD (ten tracks), this work is extensively presented by the label. Burning Meditation (NoBusiness, 2018) documents Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet, koto, bamboo-flute, voice and percussion) along with Japan drummer Sabu Toyozumi in an unissued live performance dating back to march 1994. The 3CD set Pillars (Firehouse12, 2018) documents a new Tyshawn Soreys work, performed by the drummer also on trombone and dungchen. The leader reunited Stephen Haynes (trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet, alto horn, small percussion), Ben Gerstein (trombone, melodica), Todd Neufeld (electric and acoustic guitars), Joe Morris (electric guitar, double-bass), Carl Testa (double-bass, electronics), Mark Helias (double-bass) and Zach Rowden (double-bass). Inspired by Tibetan ceremonial music, the music features experimentalisms and improvisations, alternating acoustic and electric, drones and silences. The leader so explains the concept: This isnt goal-oriented music, it has a gradually evolving, flowing quality. Different players lay out and join in as the piece evolves, and listeners can dip in and out of the record similarly, say, one disc at a time. I dont necessarily expect someone to listen to all three parts in a go. Actually, I see the ideal experience as meditative, akin to how it works with ambient music, so that youre almost listening without listening - a Zen way of experiencing music. Each CD contains a single 75-minute track. Recorded in july 2017. Recorded in december 1955 and released in 1956 by Prestige, Worktime, re-released now by Italian label Down At Dawn, documents the Sonny Rollins Quartet, on which the saxtenorist led Ray Bryant (piano), Max Roach (drums) and George Morrow (bass). But Rollins composed only one piece, the other four being reworkings by Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, Billy Strayhorn and Stanley Adams. Ayler delivers Chez Helene, a collaboration between Joelle Leandre (double bass) and Marc Ducret (electric guitar), recorded in studio in may 2018, when the two performed four lenghty improvisations, inspired by an Edgar Allan Poe's poem. Traversing Orbits (Rogueart, 2018) documents the guitar duo of Mary Halvorson and Joe Morris, who recorded in studio in april 2018 nine pieces mostly improvised. Halvorson also recorded in april 2018 another CD for Tzadik, The Maid With The Flaxen Hair, a guitar duo with Bill Frisell that sports ten soulful ballads paying tribute to guitarist Johnny Smith. Recorded in april 2018. Visionary Fantasies (Matchless, 2018) documents John Butcher (tenor and soprano saxes) and Eddie Prevost (percussion) in a studio april 2018 session, during which they recorded four pieces, especially the three-part 35-minute suite, alternating solos and duos. Firstly released by Atlantic in 1967 and now restored by Pure Pleasure, Love-In documents a concert by the Charles Lloyds Quartet, from which were extracted seven tracks recorded in january 1967. In the lineup, the leader on tenor sax and flute led Jack De Johnette (drums), Keith Jarrett (piano) and veteran bassist Ron McClure, who replaced Cecil McBee. Looks Of A Lot (Yes, 2018) documents a collaboration between Jason Moran (piano) and Ken Vandermark (tenor sax and clarinet). The two reunited a very large ensemble, led by two directors: seven saxes, five trombones, seven trumpets, two pianists and six-member drumline, plus two basses, drums and a vocalist, and recorded in june 2017 eleven pieces, in pure avantagarde jazz. Corbett vs Dempsey released two new albums by Joe McPhee. The first, Keep Going, on which he plays alto sax, and trumpet, gathers eight pieces recorded in february 2018 along with drummer Hamid Drake. The second, Brace For Impact, documents an unissued old studio performance (december 2007) with Mats Gustafsson (on sax, flute and live electronics). Music historian Amir Abdullah discovered in 2017 five 2-track master tapes documenting the Charles Mingus Quintet recorded in a concert dating back to february 1973. The 5CD boxset Jazz In Detroit /Strata Concert Gallery/ 46 Selden has been released now by BBE. The leader led the concert along with Roy Brooks (drums), John Stubblefield (tenor sax), Joe Gardner (trumpet) and Don Pullen (piano). Among the pieces there are some rare unissued compositions, and reworkings of famous Pithecanthropus Erectus and Peggys Blue Skylight. Prolific Elliott Sharp released two new albums. Dispersion (Mode, 2018) was recorded in july 2015 with student slovak ensemble Veni Academy, founded in 2010. Sharp choses three previously composed works, based on well-defined processes that made use of instant decision-making on the part of both the players and the conductor: The Dispersion of Seeds, composed in 2003, using an algorithm of arpeggiation of nine chords throughout the arc; Flexagons, based on permutations of fragments ordered in time; The Hidden Variable, a suite originally conceived for solo guitar. Instead, Calling All Earthlings (Cavity Search, 2018) is a solo album that gathers 19 pieces mostly brief, conceived as a soundtrack for the namesake documentary film by Jonathan Berman. Sharp played acoustic & electric guitars, tenor & bari guitars, steel guitar, mandocello, bass, synths, processing and voice. Wandering The Sounds (Listen Foundation, 2018) documents Guillermo Gregorio (clarinet), Rafal Mazur (acoustic bass guitar) and Ramon Lopez (drums) in a studio session recorded in june 2018, during which th trio performed nine tracks composed by the reedist, whose themes were quickly evolved in improvisations. The DVD Live At Redcat Los Angeles (pfMENTUM, 2018) features an april 2014 concert held by Vinny Golia with his New Music Orchestra, a large ensemble with 16 strings, 11 woodwinds, 11 brass, piano, guitar, 3 percussionists & voices. Golia, on various woodwinds, led is sextet comprising of trumpeter Daniel Rosenboom, saxophonist Gavin Templeton, guitarist Alex Noice, bassist Jon Armstrong and drummer Andrew Lessman. The music was dedicated to a friend recently died and to the bassist Henry Grimes. The DVD gathers two sets. First released as a very limited edition by BAG in 1973, and now restored by Aguirre, In Paris, Aries 1973 documents the only recording ever known by the Black Artists Group, founded in 1968. The four pieces gathered on the vinyl were performed by Charles Bobo Shaw (drums, gong, xylophoine), Oliver Lake ( saxes, flute, marimbas, drums), Joseph Bowie (trombone and congas), Baikida Carroll (trumpet, flugelhorn and drums) and Floyd LeFlore (trumpet). September 2018: New York pianist Randy Weston, pioneer of "african jazz", died at his home in Brooklyn on september 1, at 92. Mudang Rock (Fractal, 2018) features Henry Kaiser in guitar, Rudresh Mahanthappa on alto sax, Bill Laswell on electric bass, Simon Barker on drums (who also worked in Scott Tinkler trio), Soo-Yeon Lyuh on haegum (a Korean fiddle), Tania Chen on piano and Danielle DeGruttola on cello. Their seven pieces, recorded in studio in july 2017, sports free improvisations, mostly inspired by Korean music, especially the 19-minute Yongari vs. Bulgasari. Aerophonic released two new Dare Rempis albums. Ithra features the reedist on alto & tenor saxes, Tomeka Reid on cello and Joshua Abrams on double bass. Recorded in december 2017, it sports eight pieces, starting from slow harmonies quickly evolved in improvisations. Instead, Icoci catches a live concert held in december 2017, comprising of the leader always on alto & tenor saxes, Jasper Stadhouders on guitar & electric bass and Frank Rosaly on drums. The music alternates quiet and intense moments, a bit rock-oriented by the guitarist. Rempis also created the project Spectral, along with Larry Ochs (tenor and sopranino saxes) and Darren Johnston (trumpet). The trio recorded in studio in june 2017 their first disc, Empty Castle, released by Aerophonic and featuring nine mostly brief pieces, free jazz oriented. The Fred Frith Trio, comprising of the leader guitarist (here also on organ) along with Jason Hoopes (electric and double basses) and Jordan Glenn (drums and percussion), after having debuted for Intakt with the january 2016 Another Day In Fucking Paradise, comes back for the same label with Closer To The Ground, nine studio pieces recorded in january 2018, featuring intimate improvisations. The same label released Noise Of Our Time, again nine pieces recorded in studio in august 2017 by the quartet of Ken Vandermark (saxophone and clarinet), Nate Wooley (trumpet), Sylvie Courvoisier (piano) and Tom Rainey (drums). Each of first three composed three pieces, performed by the quartet almost collectively, with many improvisations on starting themes. Studio 105, Paris 1967 (Hi Hat, 2018) features the Don Cherry Trio in a broadcast on French radio station (march 1967). The leader, on cornet, piano, bamboo flute, gong, led Karl Berger (vibes, marimba, piano, celeste, percussion) and French Jacques Thollot (drums, bells, timbales), who died in 2014. From that concert were extracted three tracks, for 54 minutes. Firstly delivered in small edition by El Saturn in 1985, and now re-released by ReR, Cosmo Sun Connection features Sun Ra and his Arkestra in six experimental studio/rehearsal pieces recorded at a date in 1984. The leader, on synthesizer, piano and organ, led Eloe Omoe (sax and clarinet), Marshall Allen (flute and sax), Danny Ray Thompson (bass and flute), John Gilmore (tenor sax and timbales), Tyrone Hill (trombone) and the rhythm section. End To End (ECM, 2018) is the latest Barre Phillips' work. Its three multi-part suites were recorded in studio in march 2017, featuring another of his "solo double bass" performances, with melodic textures and improvisations. The vinyl Seed Triangular (New Amsterdam, 2018) features Mary Halvorson on various guitars and multi-instrumentalist Robbie Lee, playing flutes, clarinet, sax, melodica and bells. They recorded in studio fifteen pieces that "defies genre, floating in a space between early music, folk, free jazz and more... they are edited versions of the improvisation session, composed in a way that tells the story of the duo's discovery". Raising Our Voice (Mack Avenue, 2018) is the latest Yellowjackets' album. Russell Ferrante (piano, synths), Will Kennedy (drums, synths), Dane Alderson (electric bass), who replaced Felix Pastorius, and Bob Mintzer (saxophones, bass clarinet, EWI, flute) recorded thirteen new pieces, seven of which also sport Brazilian vocalist Luciana Souza. Recorded in february 2018, this album is the follow-up of their previous Cohearence, whose music was toured in summer 2015 and later released by the same label, that featured ten pieces of "fusion" and contemporary jazz performed by the same lineup. The ten pieces of Dreamstruck (Not Two, 2018) feature Marilyn Crispell on piano, Joe Fonda on contrabass and Harvey Sorgen on drums. Recorded between january and march 2018, six of their tracks are collective improvisations, and four are variations from themes composed. The Rain Sessions (FMR, 2018) reunited the sax duo of Paul Dunmall and Jon Irabagon, and the drums duo of Mark Sanders and Jim Bashford. The quartet recorded in studio in april 2018 the namesake three part suite (36 minutes) plus the 15-minute It Four Closes. Speaking about the session, Dunmall states that it was "all improvised, no fuss, just playing". Intelsat (Alister Spence, 2018) is a collaboration between Satoko Fujii (piano) and Alister Spence (prepared and electric pianos and effects). Recorded in concert in september 2017, this is the monthly Fujii's release, a collaboration with Australian keyboardist on stage since 2011. The seven pieces extracted from the concert (among which the 22-minute Narvi) feature a mixing of noise, melodisms and textures. The Snowghost Sessions (Songlines, 2018) features the first Wayne Horvitz trio since '80s, recorded in spring 2015 by the leader (here on piano, amplified piano, live processing, Wurlitzer electric piano, Hammond B-3, Nord Lead, TX-7, and mellotron) along with his longtime collaborators Geoff Harper (contrabass) and US Eric Eagle (drums and percussion). Horvitz composed fifteen new pieces "textural and contemplative", as he says in credits. The 2CD+2DVD boxset Overview: 1996-2006 (Nine Winds, 2018) documents Vinny Golia's Large Ensemble, featuring three performances from 1996, 2000 and 2006. The large ensembles range from some 22 to 45 musicians, among which Rob Blakeslee, Ken Filiano, Alex Cline, Jeff Gauthier, Peggy Lee, John Fumo, Michael Vlatkovich and Steve Adams. There Are Actions Which We Have Neglected And Which Never Cease To Call Us (Bureau B, 2018) is the latest work by Kammerflimmer Kollektief. The avantgarde jazz combo started the career in 1996, when recorded their first sessions, later gathered in Maander. Their sessionography continued with Incommunicado (april 1999), Hysteria (june/july 2000), Cicadidae, that collected live recorded in studio between 2001 and 2002, Absencen (fall 2004), Jinx (2007), Im Erwachten Garten (2008), with the collaboration of Dietmar Dath, Wildling (recorded between 2007 and 2009), Teufelskamin (recorded between september 2010 and june 2011) and Dsarroi (recorded between 2013 and 2014). Their latest long-titled work above sees always the leader Thomas Weber (electric guitars and drones) along with Heike Aumller (harmonium) and Johannes Frisch (double bass). The seven pieces recorded feature an atypical work, mostly improvised. August 2018: Astral Plane Crash (Balance Point Acoustics, 2018) documents an april 2018 session along with Vinny Golia (flute, sopranino, soprano, baritone saxes, saxello, Bb clarinet, piccolo), Henry Kaiser (guitar), Bob Moses and Weasel Walter (both on drums, percussion) and Damon Smith (amplified double bass), during which they performed two long pieces: the 44-minute Fountain of Dreams and the 35:30-minute Mysterious Journey, quite totally improvised. Again by Golia, Hunter's Moon (Castor&Pollux, 2018) documents the multiinstrumentist (here on alto flute, alto, sopranino & mezzo soprano saxes, tubax (i.e. a contrabass sax), clarinets & basset horn) paired with Nathan Hubbard (on percussion, field recordings, samples) in a 70-minute composition, titled What Are You Looking For? Oh, Two Doors Down and recorded in studio in october 2016 (but field recordings were sessioned since 2011). Still Golia. Trio Music (pfMENTUM, 2018) reunited Vinny Golia (various woodwinds and ethnic aerophones), emergent American Stephanie Richards (trumpet and flugelhorn) and veteran American Bertram Turetzky (contrabass), on stage since early '60 and longtime Golia's partner. Their twelve studio pieces, almost brief, recorded in april 2017, feature an avantgarde and cerebral jazz. Music For A Free World (FMR, 2018) features Dave Sewelson on baritone & sopranino saxes, Steve Swell on trombone, William Parker on contrabass and Marvin Bugaloo Smith on drums. Dave Sewelson worked with Wayne Horvitz, Robin Holcomb and the Microscopic Septet in the early 1980's. Marvin Bugaloo' Smith worked with Sun Ra and Archie Shepp. Recorded in september 2017, this album, mostly free, sports among the six pieces the 21-minute Tensiana. Italian label Wax Love restores At Newport 1958, originally released by Columbia and documenting a Miles Davis' concert held in july 1958 in a very notable lineup led by the trumpetist: John Coltrane (tenor sax), Bill Evans (piano), Cannonball Adderley (alto sax), Paul Chambers (bass) and Jimmy Cobb (drums). The pieces were: Charlie Parker's Ah-Leu-Cha, Thelonius Monk's Straight, No Chaser, Davis' Fran-Dance, Dizzy Gillespie Two Bass Hit, Ray Henderson's Bye Bye Blackbird and Davis' The Theme. Under the moniker of Curha, Curtis Hasselbring produced I, his new album released by Chant. The eleven tracks, quite brief, were recorded along with his brother Jack on tenor sax, featuring electronic experimental, tropicalia and surf, that he describes as "groove music representing various stages of human evolution". Live At Big Apple In Kobe (Libra, 2018) features Mahobin, a new project created by Satoko Fujii (piano), Ikue Mori (electronics), Lotte Anker (alto and soprano saxes) and Natsuki Tamura (trumpet). Live recorded in february 2018 and later studio edited, the performance gathers Yellow Sky (7 minutes) and the 42-minute suite Rainbow Elephant, plenty of duets, trios and quartets improvisations. Canadian label WhirrbooM releases Are We in Diego?, an album featuring Paul Rutherford on trombone, Ken Vandermark on reeds, Torsten Muller on contrabass and Dylan Van Der Schyff on drums, in a concert recorded in december 2004. The six pieces extracted are mostly improvised, particularly the 20-minute Morning Star. Three Charlemagne Palestine's vinyls were released this month by under "impossible" titles coming from his huge archive: Aa Sschmmeettrrrrroossppeeccccctivve (Audiomer, 2018) documents a 33-minute work on piano recorded in 1974; Ttuunneesszz Duh Rruunneesszz and Interrvallissphereee have been released by Moog, and feature, the former a 50-minute suite, and the latter the namesake 80-minute composition, both plenty of experimental drones and minimalisms. No Exit Corner (Not Two, 2018) documents the trio of Ken Vandermark (tenor sax and clarinet), Klaus Kugel (drums, percussion) and Mark Tokar (double bass) in five pieces recorded in studio in december 2016, mostly free improvised. Body (ReR Megacorp, 2018) features the latest Necks' album. Chris Abrahams (piano and keyboards), Tony Buck (drums, percussion and guitar) and Lloyd Swanton (acoustic bass) composed a the 57-minute suite sporting an hypnotic jazz album plenty of minimalisms and improvisations. Dancing With Penguins (Bug Incision, 2018) documents six lenghty studio improvisations performed in april 2017 by Joe Morris (electric guitar) along with professor and double bassist Rob Oxoby. The same label released another Joe Morris' album, Rural Optimism, recorded in studio in march 2017 by the guitarist along with Chris Dadge (percussion) and Jonathon Wilcke (tenor sax), collecting two improvisations, notably the first, 25-minute long. AAMM (Al Maslakh, 2018) features AMM, i.e. the duo of Eddie Prevost (percussion) and John Tilbury (piano), along with the "A" trio, comprising of Mazen Kerbaj (trumpet), Sharif Sehnaoui (acoustic guitar) and Raed Yassin (double bass) in a live august 2015 performance, during which they recorded the unreleased suite Unholy Elisabeth, 51-minute long, performed without overdubs and left uncutted on the disc. Six Encomiums For Cecil Taylor (Tzadik, 2018) pays tribute to later lamented pianist, with six improvisations performed by the lineup Winged Serpents, which consists of six quite improvised "solos" by pianists Sylvie Courvoisier, Kris Davis, Craig Taborn, American Brian Marsella, Cuban Aruan Ortiz, and Anthony Coleman. produced by John Zorn. Sissel (Sofa, 2018) features the namesake 48-minute suite recorded in studio in january 2017 by John Tilbury (piano), Keith Rowe (guitar and electronics) and Kjell Bjorgeengen (live video). The trio composed an experimental work, plenty of electronics and improvisations. Stone (Rudi, 2018) features Rob Mazurek (cornet) along with the Porta Palace Collective, an Italian lineup created in 2014 by Johnny Lapio (trumpet, conduction, composition), Pasquale Innarella (tenor sax), Giuseppe Ricupero (baritone sax), Lino Mei (piano) and Donato Stolfi (drums). After having debuted with a self-titled recorded in april 2014, they returned in november 2015 with Neuroplastic Groove. Stone his their third album, recorded in october 2016 and featuring five pieces, mostly free-jazz. The vinyl Hear/Here is the latest Roland Young's work. Recorded at his home studio and released for EM, it sports ten new tracks, performed on various electrified winds, a follow-up of his previous Confluences, another solo album featuring eight tracks played on for clarinet, bass clarinet, kalimba, NAF flute, keyboard, voice and electronic accoutrements, recorded in 2015 always for EM. Brass Tactics features a collaboration between Michael Jefry Stevens (piano), Dave Taylor and Steve Swell (both on trombone) and Dave Ballou and Ed Sarath (both on trumpet). The twelve tracks, quite brief, were recorded in january 2008 but released only eight years later by label Konnex. A long time in the making, and finally recorded in january 2016, Jason Robinson released Resonant Geographies (pfMENTUM, 2018), a seven movement suite performed with his very notable Ensemble, including: J.D. Parran and (both on sax, clarinet and flute), Drew Gress (bass), Bill Lowe (trombone and tuba), Oscar Noriega (clarinets and sax), George Schuller and Ches Smith (both on drums, but Smith alson glockenspiel), Liberty Ellman (guitar), Michael Dessen (trombone), and Marcus Rojas (tuba). The leader plays saxes and flute. Blue Note delivers the 3CD set Emanon, featuring the Wayne Shorter Quartet (Danilo Perez, John Patitucci and Brian Blade) and the 34-piece Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. First CD sports a four-part suite composed by Shorter and recorded with the Orchestra in february 2013, Shorter's first studio session since 2003's Alegria. The other two CDs feature live performances. Shorter, on tenor and soprano saxes, led Perez on piano, Patitucci on bass and Blade on drums. As for the title, Shorter explains: "When Dizzy Gillespie had a piece of music in the late '40s called Emanon, it hit me way back then as a teenager: No name means a whole lot. The connection with Emanon and artists and other heroes is the quest to find originality, which is probably the closest thing you can get to creation.". Marker, the Ken Vandermark's project debuted with Wired For Sound, comes back with the 3CD set Roadwork 1/Roadwork2/Homework1 (Audiographic, 2018), whose ten long pieces (between 13 and 23 minutes) were recorded in january 2018 (firdst two CDs) and february 2018 (third CD), all compositions by the leader who, on various reeds, led Andrew Clinkman on guitar (left), Steve Marquette on guitar (right), Macie Stewart on keyboard and violin, and Phil Sudderberg on drums. Recorded in april 2018, Utter (Relative Pitch 2018) features Ingrid Laubrock on soprano & tenor sax and Tom Rainey on drums in their third duo disc (let's remember that's they are married). Differently from their previous works, mainly improvised, this time they decides to start from themes composed in studio, although free parts in these seven new pieces are always quite large. Leo just released two works by the more and more prolific Ivo Perelman. Spiritual Prayers features the saxtenorist in a duet with Chicago-based Jason Stein (bass clarinet); they recorded in june 2018 eight untitled pieces, free improvised. Instead, the 2CD set Kindred Spirits gathers twelve tracks, long and brief, recorded always in june 2018 in another session with the more known Rudi Mahall (who worked in many ensembles, among which the Globe Unity Orchestra), he too on bass clarinet. July 2018: Polish composer and trumpetist Tomasz Stanko died in Warsaw, after a very long career, and after a lung cancer, on july 29, at 76. In The Realm Of (Fractal, 2018) features Henry Kaiser on 6-string bass guitar, Joshua Marshall & Joshua Allen on tenor saxes and Spirit on drums. Kaiser says that this release is a rarely documented sub genre of improvisation, particular to the Bay Area he describes as "a combination of Cecil Taylor's cell strategies plus interaction strategies quite similar to those developed by John Stevens and the SME". The seven track were live improvised in studio in march 2018. Pillars... At The Portal (Mulatta, 2018) features Jon Irabagon on tenor & soprano saxes, James Brandon Lewis on tenor sax, Anthony Pirog on guitar, Luke Stewart on bass and William Hooker on drums. These 71 minutes of jazz-rock (notably the 19-minute Proving Ground) are almost improvised. The 2CD set Live At The Village Vanguard, Vol. 1 (The Embedded Sets) (PI, 2018) documents Steve Coleman's Elements, along with the leader on alto sax, Anthony Tidd on bass, Sean Rickman on drums, Miles Okazaki on guitar and Jonathan Finlayson on trumpet, in their first live album in 15 years. The 17 tracks were recorded in may 2017. German-born (1935) veteran pianist, vibraphonist, arranger, conductor and composer Karl Berger, also founder and director in 1972 of the Creative Music Studio, started his career in first '60s, playing also with several jazz giants, as in the live Copenhagen 1963 & Hilversum 1966, with Don Cherry, Archie Shepp and Gato Barbieri. His first studio album was Jazz Da Camera, an EP recorded in july 1963 on piano, in a quartet with flute, bass and drums. Before Transfiguration (january 1967), a collaborative album played on vibraphone with the Rolf + Joachim Khn Quintet, and the session in Don Cherry's Symphony For Improvisers (september 1966), he came to his first full credited album, From Now On (december 1966), seven tracks free improvised on vibraphone along with Carlos Ward (alto sax), Henry Grimes (bass) and Ed Blackwell (drums). In the same lineup Dave Holland replaced Henry Grimes for Tune In (july and august 1969), an experience more post-bop influenced. Previously, he played in Don Cherry's Eternal Rhythm session (november 1968). After having collaborated in John McLaughlin's Where Fortune Smiles (may 1970), he recorded We Are You (november 1971), playing vibraphone, piano and marimba, along with Peter Kowald (bass), Allen Blairman (drums) and his wife Ingrid Sertso (vocals), particulrly the 18-minute Easy Suite. With Silence (june 1972) was composed and played on vibes and marimba in a quartet along with Japan pianist Masahiko Satoh. The DoLP The Peace Church Concerts gathers two long (the 38-minute Space In Time and the 45-minute Silence In Sound) compositions live performed on piano and vibraphone in may 1974 along with Dave Holland (bass), Richard Teitelbaum (sinthesizer), Ilene Marder (flute), Bob Moses (percussion), Garrett List (trombone) and Betty McDonald (violin), and his wife Ingrid (vocals). Just Play (march 1976) is a duo album along with drummer Ed Blackwell, two long (30 and 27 minutes) suites free improvised on vibraphone and balafon. All Kinds Of Time (april 1976) documents five tracks on piano, vibraphone and balafon in another duo, with bassist Dave Holland. With the same instruments, Interludes (may 1977), his first solo album, gathers ten pieces basically improvised. The DoLP Changing The Time (november 1977 and january 1978) is a collaboration with his wife Ingrid, who, on vocals and percussion, accompanies the husband on piano, vibraphone, hafrmonium and balaphone. The rare DoLP United Patchwork (november 1977), credited to Musica Elettronica Viva, gathered a notable lineup with Berger on piano, electric piano and vibraphone, Garrett List (trombone), Richard Teitelbaum (synthesizer), who composed the 23-minute Via della Luce, Steve Lacy (soprano sax), who composed the 10-minute Fox, and Alvin Curran (synthesizer, piano, vocals and flugelhorn), who composed the 14-minute Psalm. Another duo collaboration, with altoist Lee Konitz, yielded Seasons Change (october 1979). The ensemble Woodstock Workshop Orchestra, comprising of, among others, Tom Cora (cello), Lee Konitz (alto sax), Oliver Lake (sax and flute), Trilok Gurtu (percussion), James Harvey (trombone) and Leroy Jenkins (violin), produced two live albums: New Moon (july 1979), that gathered five pieces, notably the 17-minute Smile, and Live At The Donaueschingen Music Festival (october 1979), that added Don Cherry on trumpet and flute. After a hiatus, Again And Again (march 1985) was produced in Japan, documenting a collaboration of shakuhachi player Hozan Yamamoto, a foray in jazz fusion. The soul funky Jazz Dance (may 1986), was cocredited with his wife, and played on vibraphone and various keyboards. The rare Transit, released by Italian label Black Saint (august 1986) was a trio on vibraphone with Dave Holland and Ed Blackwell. After another hiatus, Transparencies (january 1989) documents a collective experience played on piano, vibraphone and balafon with american bassist Anthony Cox, drummer Tom Tedesco and guitarist Jack De Salvo. The trio with Blackwell and Holland returned in Crystal Fire (april 1991), featuring notably the namesake 31-minute suite, basically free. The DoLP Conversations (march 1994) sports a collective experience with James Blood Ulmer (guitar), Carlos Ward (sax and flute), Dave Holland (bass), Mark Feldman (violin), Ray Anderson (trombone) and the wife Ingrid (vocals). The twelve pieces gathered documented a mixing of post-bop and contemporary jazz. His Orchestra is documented in No Man Is An Island (october 1995), a nine movement suite free improvised. His Friends are a project comprising of John Lindberg (bass), Tani Tabbal (drums), Frank Moebius and Peter Einhorn (guitars), Ray Spiegel (tabla), Peter Apfelbaum (tenor sax), Annemarie Roelofs (violin) and his wife Ingrid, documented in Around (may 1990) and Stillpoint (november 2001). 2 X 2 gathers three different studio sessions (march 1991, june 1992 and may 2000) recorded on piano and vibraphone along with John Tchicai (saxes and clarinet) and Vitold Rek (bass). Strangely Familiar (february 2010) collects 17 "piano solo" miniatures mixing jazz and classical. After The Storm (november 2012) documents a collaboration with guitarist Philip Gibbs and vocalist Mossa Bildner, that yielded the 20-minute title-track. The seven-movement suite Gently Unfamiliar (november 2013) was a piano trio along with Joe Fonda (bass) and Harvey Sorgen (drums). Latest years were dedicated to collaborative albums: Reverie (march 2014), The Art Of The Improv Trio Volume 1 (may 2016) and The Hitchhiker (july 2015) with Ivo Perelman; Moon (december 2013 and january 2014), with Kirk Knuffke. Berger also was arranger for rock artists, particularly Bill Laswell. Armadillo World Headquarters Austin Texas March 27 1978 (Hi Hat , 2018) documents Carla Bley on piano and organ in a live performance recorded at title date along with Mike Mantler (trumpet), Gary Windo (tenor sax), Alan Braufman (alto sax), John Clark (French horn), George Lewis (trombone), Bob Stewart (tuba), Blue Gene Tyranny (keyboards), Patty Price (bass) and Phillip Wilson (drums). From that concert were extracted six pieces. Peggy (ReR Megacorp, 2018) documents a collaboration between Jon Rose (violins) and Chris Abrahams (Steinway Grand Piano). The two composed six pieces all entitled Peggy (notably the 22-minute Peggy6) starting from cerebral themes and evolved in not easy listening improvisations. Studio recorded in november 2017. Rose played various violins, especially that one named bird, sort of tenor hardanger fiddle with sympathetic strings. The nine tracks of the free studio improvised Wandering The Sounds, by the trio of Guillermo Gregorio (clarinet), Rafal Mazur (bass) and Ramon Lopez (drums) were recorded in june 2018 and quickly released by FSR. Vanished Gardens (Blue Note, 2018) is the third album by Charles Lloyd's project The Marvels. Recorded in four session in march and september 2017, it also features vocalist Lucinda Williams in five of its ten pieces, among which two covers, by Thelonius Monk and Jimi Hendrix. After their november 2015 Duet, the duo of Satoko Fujii (piano and prepared piano) and Joe Fonda (bass and flute) returns with Mizu (Long Song, 2018), a Japan word meaning "water", faturing three long compositions, with many improvisationss, duets and solos, recorded in october 2017, just some days after the sessions for Triad, the trio experience along with Gianni Mimmo. Tools Of Imagination (FSR, 2018) features the namesake 1-hour suite recorded in studio in september 2017 by Eddie Prevost (drums and percussion) and Evan Parker (tenor sax). A work quite totally improvised. Studio recorded in march 2017, A History Of Nothing (Trost, 2018) documents the quartet of Rodrigo Amado (tenor sax), Joe McPhee (pocket trumpet and soprano sax), Kent Kessler (double bass) and Chris Corsano (drums). The five lenghty pieces feature an avantgarde jazz album, plenty of improvisations. Throes Are The Only Trouble (FSLW, 2018) features Steve Swell on trombone, Weasel Walter on drums, Michael Foster on tenor & soprano saxes, and Brandon Lopez on bass. Recorded in june 2017, it sports four lenghty pieces, mostly improvised. "Have You Heard?" (Pet Mantis, 2017) collects sixteen tracks performed by David Mott and Vinny Golia both on baritone saxes. The two, as say credits, explore the full, extended baritone sax universe, each of them appearing on a dedicated audio channel. Recorded at a date in 2017, their music is quite melodic and almost "world". Canadian composer and educator David Mott is on stage since late '70s, and worked with Noah Creshevsky, Mark Dresser, Gerry Hemingway. He's known for having composed music for the Pope and the Dalai Lama. 144 Strings For A Broken Chord (Between the Lines, 2018) documents an 1-hour suite in seven parts composed in 2015 by Christy Doran and played by twenty guitarists, four bassists and a drummer, conducted by John Voirol. The work was recorded in september 2016. Presented here by the label. Firstly delivered in France only in 1985 and quickly forgotten, Home Boy, Sister Out was an old Don Cherry's album now restored by WeWantSounds. Studio recorded in may and june 1985, it sees the leader on vocals, ngoni, trumpet, piano, synthesizer and melodica, along with Jannick Top (bass), Uruguayan Negrito Trasante-Crocco (bongos, congas, talking drum and drum machine), Claude Salmieri (drums) and Ramuntcho Matta (guitar) in nine pieces of jazz fusion. Paris '64 (Hi Hat, 2018) documents an unreleased concert by Eric Dolphy Septet, recorded in june 1964, just a few weeks before his death. The septet was comprising of Donald Byrd on trumpet, Nathan Davis on tenor sax, Jack Dieval on piano, Jacques Hess on bass, Franco Manzecchi on drums and Jacky Bambou on congas. The six tracks extracted from that concert include selections from Outward Bound, Out There and Far Cry, and a remake of John Coltrane's Naima. Consuelo (Mikroton, 2018) documents the project Chesterfield, i.e. Burkhard Stangl (guitars, piano) and Mexican composer Angelica Consuelo Velazquez (paetzold, recorders, tapes, electronics, cello, viola) in seven pieces inspired by a solo 2014 concert by Stangl, starting from Consuel's song Besame Mucho; the duo recomposed it, mixing new pieces with old plus home recordings, accidental recordings and live performances. Chesterfield project, let's remember, was born when the two live recorded (december 2010) their first album, On Ear. By the same label, Ground features the trio of Guenter Mueller (iPods, electronics), Kurt Liedwart (electronics) and Norbert Moslang (cracked everyday electronics) in a live september 2017 session, during which they recorded two long pieces: Above Ground (27:30 min.) and Below Ground (28:30 min.), plenty of electronic improvisations. Again by Mikroton, L'Or (august 2017) is another live session by Keith Rowe (guitar, electronics), along with Kurt Liedwart (modular synthesizer, cracked everyday homemade electronics) and Julien Ottavi (computer) during which they recorded the 40-minute Aurum and an untitled 16-minute piece, featuring improvisations, noise, minimal electronics and contemporary music. June 2018: Both Directions At Once documents a lost studio performance by the classic John Coltarnes lineup (Garrison/Jones/McCoy Tyner), just now released by Impulse! In march 1963, the saxophonist led his quartet in a session whose master tape was lost, but happily his wife Naima conserved a reference tape she finally delivered to the label for this first edition, after 55 years. Two are the originals completely unknown and never-before-heard: Untitled Original 11383 and Untitled Original 11386, with Coltrane on soprano sax. The track One Up, One Down, until now released on bootleg only, was performed as a recorded in studio for the first and only time. The famous Impressions is instead presented in a piano-less trio. The session also sports the first recording of Nature Boy, later re-recorded very differently in 1965. Deluxe edition features a number of alternative takes. Float The Edge (Clean Feed, 2017) documents the Angelica Sanchez Trio, a new lineup the pianist created and comprising of bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Tyshawn Sorey. They debuted with a studio session recorded in july 2016, gathering eight pieces collectively composed, plenty of improvisations. Polydor re-released Springboard, firstly delivered in 1969 and documenting the Jeff Clyne/Ian Carr Quartet, a lineup comprising of the bassist and the trumpetist along with John Stevens (drums) and Trevor Watts (alto sax). The seven pieces (two composed by each of them, but Clyne only one) were recorded in june and august 1966, featuring an album of free jazz. Jon Hassells Listening To Pictures (Pentimento Volume one) (released now by the label Ndeya he recently created) is the new album in 9 years by the trumpetist. The eight pieces were performed by the leader on trumpet, keyboards, synthesisers, percussion, voice, programming, along with Christian Jacob, Christoph Harbonnier and Peter Freeman (all three on bass), Rick Cox (guitar, synth and electronics), Hugh Marsh (violin and electronics), Ralph Cumbers (drum programming), Michel Redolfi (electronics), Eivind Aarset and Kheir Eddine M'Kachiche (samplers). The music comes mostly from old sessions, collaged, edited and overdubbed, inspired by the concept of vertical listening, or listening to yourself listening, as Hassell says in the press release. As for Pentimento, its a painting term, describing hints of earlier work reappearing in newer or updated versions. The Haunt (NoBusiness, 2018) features the trio of Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet), Bobby Naughton (Vibraharp) and Perry Robinson (clarinet) in five pieces. The label restores this recorded in studio, recorded in april 1976, delivered by Otic and quickly forgotten. An album of pure free jazz, whose re-release features an alternate take. Journey To Parazzar (Not Two, 2018) documents Joe McPhee (trumpet and tenor sax), John Edwards (double bass) and Klaus Kugel drums) in four studio performances free improvised in september 2017, especially the 29-minute Re-Hairing In Zaporozhye and the 19-minute To Rush At The Wind. Tender Music (Trost, 2018) documents Joelle Leandre (double bass) and Elisabeth Harnik (piano) in a live april 2016 performance, from which were extracted 51 minutes as a six-movement suite, entitled Ear Area. An Austrian pianist born in 1970, Harnik is on stage since 2004, and recorded above all collaborative albums, with, among others, Dave Rempis and Ken Vandermark. The 3CD set (accompanied by a 70-page booklet) An Unintended Legacy (Matchless, 2018) credited to AMM, documents three full concerts (december 2015, april and june 2016) performed by John Tilbury (piano), Eddie Prevost (percussion) and Keith Rowe (guitar). Quite totally improvised. Elliott Sharps project Carbon comes back with Transmigration At The Solar Max (Intakt, 2018). The leader, on 8-string guitarbass, soprano sax, electronics, samples & textures, led Zeena Parkins (electric harp) and Bobby Previte (drums) in a live august 2009 jazz festival session, later studio edited. The five lenghty pieces sport a funky electro-acoustic jazz, plenty of drones. Studio recorded in april 2017, Still Dreaming (Nonesuch, 2018) documents the Joshua Redmans last album, performed by the reedist on tenor sax, along with Scott Colley (bass), Ron Miles (cornet) and Brian Blade (drums). The eight pieces, among which two covers (Japan edition features an extra bonus by the leader) sport a contemporary jazz, balanced between melodic themes and improvisations. After their march 2003 collaboration in Dinosaur Dances, the drums duo of Joey Baron and Robyn Schulkowsky repeats that experience with Now You Hear Me (Intakt, 2018). They recorded in studio in march 2016 four pieces (notably the 32-minute Passage) balancing between avantagarde and experimental sounds. Studio recorded in january 2018, Poisonous (ugEXPLODE, 2018) features six lenghty pieces performed by Peter Evans on trumpet and Weasel Walter on drums. The drummer explains some of the ideas/techniques which were utilized on this disc, whose music mixes noises, drones and metal sounds. By Walter, the same label also releases Skhiizm, a solo album performed on vocals, guitar, bass, electronics and drums. Composed and recorded between july 2014 and september 2017, its seven pieces (among which the 20-minute The Hangover Heart Attack Variations) feature a mix of electronic, rock, improvisations, noise and no wave. Awakening (Eclipse, 2018) features Juhani Aaltonen on flute and Raoul Bjorkenheim on 6 & 12 strings guitars & viol da gamba. Finnish reeds player Juhani Aaltonen started his career in 1969, with Finnish progressive rock band Tasavallan Presidentti, and later as member of the UMO Jazz Orchestra. Awakening features six tracks collectively composed and live recorded in november 2016. Negocito label releases Butterfly Garden, an album by 1000+1, a new project by Eugene Chadbourne, who plays guitar and fretless banjo along with Jan Klare on alto sax & flute, Bart Maris on trumpet, veteran Dutch Wilbert De Joode on bass and Michael Vatcher on drums & percussion. 1000+1 is an extension of 1000, a Dutch quartet formed in 2007 by the other partners of Chadbourne. Recorded in april 2014, it features eight pieces of avant-garde jazz. Credited to the trio of Denny Zeitlin (piano), Buster William (bass) and Matt Wilson (drums), Wishing On The Moon (Sunnyside, 2018) documents a live concert held in march 2009, from which were extracted eleven tracks, mostly composed by the pianist. Recorded between december 2017 and january 2018, the 3CD set Voices Fall From The Sky (Centering, 2018) features a large ensemble led by bassist William Parker, with 17 singers and a lot of musicians, among which lets mention Rob Brown and Dave Sewelson (alto sax), Eri Yamamoto, Yuko Fujiyama and Cooper-Moore (all on piano), Gerald Cleaver (drums), Karen Borca (bassoon), Masahiko Kono (trombone, electronics), Dario Acosta Teich and Angelo Branford (guitars). Half of the material are new, and half are selections of previously released material, either long unavailable or reworked. Credited to the oud player Gordon Grdina, Ejdeha (Songlines, 2018) also features Mark Helias (bass), Hank Roberts (cello) and Hamin Honari on Persian percussion. The quartet, known as The Marrow, performed seven Grdina's compositions, mostly based on classical Arabic and Persian musical traditions, transformed in a jazz context. Extensively presented by the label and also by the leader. Head Under Water (FMR, 2018) features Rob Burke and Tony Malaby both on tenor & soprano saxes and Mark Helias on contrabass. Recorded in july 2017, it sports sixteen tracks. The 2CD set Uncharted Territories (Dare2, 2018) documents the quartet of Dave Holland (bass), Evan Parker (tenor sax), Craig Taborn (piano, organ, keyboards, electronics) and Ches Smith (percussion) in a studio may 2017 session, during which they recorded twenty-three pieces, often broken in trios and duos combinations, mostly improvised. The 2CD set Interstellar Transmissions (Split Rock, 2018) documents two interesting sessions studio performed, the first (on which each musician improvised alone to NASA recordings from the Voyager spacecraft, the results mixed together over the Voyager track), by Henry Kaiser (18 string harp guitar), Martin Kchen and Jeff Coffin (saxes), Damon Smith (acoustic bass), Tanya Chen (piano), Jordan Muscatello (electric bass), Roger Turner (drums) and Ed Pettersen (guitar); the second (on which three improvisers play together in response to Voyager tracks) by Martin Kchen (sax), Roger Turner (drums) and Ed Pettersen (guitar). Their live improvisations were left alone, with no edits nor overdubs. FMR restores Detail 83, a studio february 1983 sessions left unreleased by the lineup featuring Frode Gjerstad on alto sax & clarinet, Johnny Mbizo Dyani on contrabass and John Stevens on drums. The disc consists of four long pieces, in pure free jazz. FMR also delivers two new Paul Dunmall albums. Seascapes features the leader on tenor & soprano saxes, Philip Gibbs on guitar, Neil Metcalfe on flute and Ashley John Long on bass. The six pieces, recorded in studio in november 2017, are mostly improvised. Instead, Freedom Music sees Dunmall on tenor sax, along with John OGallagher on alto sax, John Edwards on contrabass and Mark Sanders on drums. The three long pieces, in the same musical context, were recorded in january 2018. The vinyl Hackney Road (Treader, 2018) documents Spring Heel Jack duo of John Coxon (guitars, kalimba, harmonica, piano and samples) and Ashley Wales (samples, loops, electronics) along with Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet), Steve Noble (drums) and Pat Thomas (piano and synthesizer), in a six part suite recorded in studio between march and october 2016. Thumbscrew, the trio project of Mary Halvorson (guitar), Michael Formanek (double bass) and Tomas Fujiwara (drums), comes back after their starting self-titled, with other two CDs, out by Cuneiform. Ours, recorded in studio in june 2017, features nine pieces (each of members composed three tracks), whereas Theirs, recorded the same month, collects ten pieces, as reworkings of famous musicians (Benny Golson, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Nichols, Stanley Cowell, Misha Mengelberg, etc.). In A Convex Mirror (Tzadik, 2018) features the latest John Zorns album, on which he plays alto sax and Fender Rrhodes piano, along with Ikue Mori (electronics) and Ches Smith (Haitian tanbou, bell and cymbals). The three pieces recorded sport a voodoo music counterpointed by electronic soundscapes and improvisations. May 2018: PI just released two new Henry Threadgill albums. The first, Double Up, Plays Double Up Plus, was already premiered in december 2015, and collects five tracks (notably the 23-minute Game Is Up) performed with the Double Up Ensemble (that already released Old Locks And Irregular Verbs), by the leader on sax, Roman Filiu (alto flute and alto sax), Curtis Macdonald (alto sax), Christopher Hoffman (cello), Craig Weinrib (percussion), David Bryant and Luis Perdomo (both on piano), David Virelles (piano and harmonium) and Jose Davila (tuba). The second, Dirt... And More Dirt, documents his "14 or 15 Kestra: Agg", featuring two long suites: the six-part Dirt (34 minutes), and the four-part And More Dirt (12 minutes). The lineup is comprising of the leader on alto sax and flutes, Chris Hoffman (cello), Liberty Ellman (guitar), Jose Davila (tuba), Ben Gerstein and Jacob Garchik (trombone), Jonathan Finlayson and Stephanie Richards (trumpet), Curtis Robert Macdonald (alto sax), Roman Filiu (alto sax, alto flute), David Bryant and David Virelles (piano), Thomas Morgan (bass) and Craig Weinrib (drums, percussion). Both these albums were recorded in september 2017, although in different sessions. Life Of (ECM, 2018) is the new Steve Tibbetts album in ten years, after Natural Causes (released in 2010, but recorded in 2008). Extensively presented by the musician in a press page, after several years in the making, it features thirteen pieces (all brief, but the 9-minute Start Again) composed and performed on guitar and piano by the leader, along with Michelle Kinney on cello and electronics and Marc Anderson on percussion.
Angel Dusk (Screwgun, 2018) documents the duo of Matt Mitchell (piano) and Tim Berne (alto sax) in a studio november 2017 session, during which they recorded eight new pieces, basically improvised. Mitchell, let's remember, already worked in Berne's project Snakeoil.
Another similar duo is Ken Vandermark (reeds) and Canadian visual and sound artist Michael Snow (piano), who recorded in june 2015 Duol, a studio session now out for Corbett vs Dempsey, collecting three improvisations.
Timeless , another duo studio session (october 2017) by the same label, documents instead Mats Gustafsson (alto, tenor and baritone saxes) and Jason Adasiewicz (vibraphone and balafon), who started from themes composed and developped in a static and melodic approach, as documented for instance in the title-track, dedicated to the recently disappeared John Abercrombie.
Clean Feed delivers Trio Exaltation, a new studio album by Marty Ehrlich, recorded in april 2017. The reedist, on alto sax, clarinets and wooden flutes, led bassist John hebert and drummer Nasheet Waits in ten pieces of pure free jazz (among which an Andrew Hill's cover).
Again by Corbett vs Dempsey, Bow Hard At The Frog features Fred Lonberg Holm (cello) and Gustavo Matamoros (field recording). The two, also with the "concrete" noise background of amphibians of the Everglades, passing cars, water noises, mosquitoes, performed six compositions recorded in january and february 2016 at the Everglades, the label presents as outdoor interspecies improvisations.
Seymour Reads The Constitution! (Nonesuch, 2018) documents the Brad Mehldau Trio in a studio session recorded in an unspecified date by the leader on piano, Larry Grenadier on bass and Jeff Ballard on drums. The eight pieces feature four originals by Mehladu and four reworked covers. Japan editoin, though, sports another tracks composed by the pianist.
Rhapsody (Rare Noise, 2018) documents the latest Bobby Previte's work, performed with a notable lineup. Studio recorded in april 2017, the album sees the drummer (who composed all the nine pieces) playing also percussion, autoharp, guitar, and harmonica, accompanied by Nels Cline (acoustic, slide and 12-string guitars), Fabian Rucker (alto sax), Zeena Parkins (harp), John Medeski (piano) and vocalist Jen Shyu (on piano too).
The last Corbett vs Dempsey album of this month is a re-release: the forgotten A Well Kept Secret was firstly released by Shemp in 1984, and documents the drummer Beaver Harris and pianist Don Pullen in their notable 360 Degree Music Experience project, also featuring Hamiet Bluiett (baritone sax), Ricky Ford (tenor sax), Buster Williams (bass), Francis Haynes (steel drums), Candido (percussion), and the french horn quartet of Sharon Freeman, Willie Ruff, Bill Warnick and Greg Williams. Recorded at a date in 1980, the album is the final issue of the project; its five pieces (notably the 17:30-minute Goree) document a mix of jazz, folk and world music. The project by Harris and Pullen, let's remember, was born in 1974, when the two decided to found the namesake label, gathering a lineup to perform just music at 360 degrees, mixing various musical contexts. The sessionography: From Rag Time To No Time (recorded between december 1974 and february 1975), on which also played Ron Carter, Cecil McBee, Jimmy Garrison and pianist Dave Burrell, among others; the DoLP In:Sanity (march 1976), with the new entry of Hamiet Bluiett, that featured a more free-oriented jazz, notably the 21:30-minute Open; Beautiful Africa (june 1979), five pieces performed with Ken McIntyre on alto sax, bassoon and flute; the four pieces of Safe (same session and same lineup); the live At Nyon (june 1979), that presented two 19-minute tracks by McIntyre, and basically free; Negcaumongus (december 1979), featuring the namesake two-sided suite.
Discus delivers two new albums by Martin Archer. Safety Signal From A Target Town is the third disc credited to his project Engine Room Favourites. Composed at the end of 2016 and recorded in studio in march 2017, it features the leader on saxes along with Mick Beck (tenor sax and bassoon), Seth Bennett (bass), Graham Clark (violin), Laura Cole (piano), Steve Dinsdale and Walt Shaw (both on percussion), Peter Fairclough and Johnny Hunter (both on drums), Kim Macari (trumpet), George Murray (trombone), Corey Mwamba (vibraphone) and Riley Stone Lonergan (tenor sax and clarinet). The five pieces (three of them near to 20 minutes) sport an eclectic approach, balancing with progressive rock, free jazz and folk, with a compromise between melodic themes and improvisations, always influenced, as states Archer, by AACM music. Instead, The Sincerity Of Light is also cocredited to Chris Meloche (guitar, electronics), Gino Robair (percussion, electronics) and Lyn Hodnett (voice) . Archer, on woodwind and electronics, composed a three-part 50-minute suite plenty of minimalisms, loops, drones and soundscapes.
More Fun, Please! (PNL, 2018) Documents the Paal Nilssen-Love new project Extra Large Unit, a large ensemble conducted by Tommi Keranen (also on electroncis), and comprising of three accordions, four basses, alto sax, two cellos, two drummers, euphonium, flute, french horn, guitar, three pianos, tenor sax, two trombones, trumpet, violin and two tubas. Recorded live in may 2017, the CD features the namesake 33-minute piece Nilssen-Love organized, composed and rehearsed for the concert. Still by Nilssen-Love, the self-produced Levontin 7 documents a march 2015 performance co-produced along with Peter Broetzmann, an untitled 44-minute composition poorly presented by the credits. The trio of Agusti Fernandez (piano), Barry Guy (bass) and Norwegian Torben Snekkestad (sax and trumpet) presents Louisiana Variations (FSR, 2018), documenting a six-part 50-minute suite live recorded in july 2017. The performance starts with quiet and spaced sounds, slowly becoming more and more complicated and intense.
By the same label, Of Echoing Bronze features the same Norwegian reedist Snekkestad along with Nate Wooley on trumpet. Recorded live in july 2015, the three pieces collected (two of them are 20-minute long) document a slow approach, plenty of pauses and silences, although quite totally improvised.
The 14-part Futura Spartan Suite (Chap Chap, 2018) is credited to the trio of Guillermo Gregorio (clarinet), Nicolas Letman-Burtinovic (contrabass & effects) and Todd Capp (drums).
The until now unissued Carnegie Hall '71 (Hi Hat, 2018) documents a live february 1971 concert performed by Alice Coltrane (piano and harp), Pharoah Sanders and Archie Shepp (both on saxes and flute), Jimmy Garrison (bass), Kumar Kramer (harmonium), Cecil McBee (bass), Clifford Jarvis and Ed Blackwell (drums). Among the pieces, a 29-minute version of Africa.
By the same label, Bremen '66 documents Paul Bley Trio in another unissued live performance (september 1966). The leader pianist led Mark Levinson (bass) and Barry Altschul (drums) in five long reworkings by him and his wife Carla.
The L & H album Desert is the new album of Yelena Eckemoff (piano & compositions), recorded in december 2015 with Paul McCandless (oboe, English horn, soprano sax and bass clarinet), Arild Andersen (double bass) and Peter Erskine (drums, percussion). The eleven pieces of this album are plenty of arabian influences.
Are There? (Mulatta, 2017) collects ten pieces performed by Robert Dick on piccolo, alto & bass flutes & flute with glissando headjoint (a new instrument created by Dick and presented here) and German Ulrike Lentz on piccolo, flutes & flute-tubes.
The vinyl Whatever Will Happen That Will Also Be (No Business, 2018) documents drummer and composer Harris Eisenstadt in a four movement suite performed by the Mivos String Quartet; recorded in september 2015, the suite sports melodic and textural Eisenstandt's works. The leader, however, doesn't play. By the same label and composer, the vinyl Woodblock Prints, restored after the first 2010 release, documents the drummer with his nonet (acoustic bass, alto sax, bassoon, clarinet, electric guitar, French Horn, trombone and tuba) in a studio january 2010 session, mostly free improvised, inspired, as title suggests, by Japanese woodblock prints.
Recorded live in april 2017, Seraphic Light (Aum Fidelity, 2018) features a 45-minute collective improvisation between Daniel Carter (saxes, trumpet, flute and clarinet), William Parker (bass) and Matthew Shipp (piano).
Two new albums by Satoko Fujii (she promised this year an album every month). Her trio This is It! features the leader on piano & compositions, her husband Natsuki Tamura on trumpet and Takashi Itani on drums. 1538 (Libra, 2018), their first album, was recorded in january 2018, featuring six new pieces. Instead, Triad (Long Song, 2018) features the leader on piano, Joe Fonda on contrabass & flute and Gianni Mimmo on soprano sax. Recorded in a one-day studio session of october 2017, the album sports five picees, among which the 42-minute Birthday Girl , totally improvised.
Mats Gustafsson' The Thing comes back with the CD/LP Again (Trost, 2018). The leader saxophonist, on baritone and tenor, the drummer Paal Nilssen-Love and the bassist Ingebrigt Haker Flaten recorded in studio in july 2017 three long pieces, as always with large improvisations.
Geometry Of Caves (Relative Pitch, 2018) features Tomeka Reid on cello, Joe Morris on guitar, Kyoko Kitamura on voice and Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet, piccolo and bass trumpets. Studio recorded in december 2016, this album gathers seven tracks of free improvisation.
After the "solo" Dahl?-?Tah?-?Ghi (Pica, 2018), documenting the 42-minute namesake suite recorded in studio in june 2013, Okkyung Lee comes back with Cheol-Kkot-Sae, released now by Tzadik after having been commissioned by a German Festival and live recorded in october 2016. Lee played her cello along with John Butcher (saxes), Jae-Hyo Chang (korean traditional percussion), John Edwards (bass), Song-Hee Kwon (pansori singing), Lasse Marhaug (electronics) and ches smith (percussion and vibes). The namesake suite (38 minutes) combines electronics, improvisation, melodies and noise with Korean traditional music. The album is completed by another piece (6 minutes). Norbert Mslang (cracked everyday-electronics), Jason Kahn (analog synthesizer, radio) and Guenter Muller (ipods, electronics), who formed in 2006 th MKM Trio, come back with Teplo_Dom, their sixth album out now for Mikroton after having been recorded in studio in september 2017. The three pieces (among which the 27-minute Teplo) feature an abstract sound, with complicated and improvised drones. April 2018: US pianist Cecil Taylor, one of the fathers of free jazz (also a poet), died at his home in Brooklyn on april 5, at the age of 89. Studio recorded in january 2001, but released only now by Relative Pitch, All In All In All documents an album credited to percussionist Mark Nauseef. Also on electronics, he led a notable ensemble: Arthur Jarvinen (glockenspiel, chromatic harmonica, analogue electronics), Sylvie Courvoisier (piano, prepared piano), Tony Oxley (percussion), Pat Thomas (cassette player, electronics, electric keyboard), Miroslav Tadic (guitars), Walter Quintus (real time processing, conducting) and Bill Laswell (bass, field recordings, electronics). The eleven pieces performed sport a large variety of styles: rock, jazz, gamelan, avant-garde and world music. Clifford Thornton Memorial Quartet is a project comprising of Joe McPhee (tenor sax and valve trombone), Daunik Lazro (baritone and tenor saxes), Jean-Marc Foussat (analogue synthesizer and voice) and Makoto Sato (drums). Not Two releases now their first album, Sweet Oranges, live recorded in july 2017 and featuring the 44-minute title-track, free improvised. The vinyl Currents, Constellations (Blue Note, 2018) documents The Nels Cline 4, a new project by the guitarist, who led bassist Scott Colley, drummer Tom Rainey and the other guitarist Julian Lage in eight studio pieces recorded in may 2017, all written by Clien but a Carla Bley's cover. The music is a compromise between jazz, blues and rock. Spectral, the trio created by Dave Rempis (alto and baritone saxes), Darren Johnston (trumpet) and Larry Ochs (sopranino and tenor saxes), after having debuted in may 2012 with their self-titled CD, comes back with Empty Castles (Aerophonic, 2018), another studio experience recorded in june 2017. The approach of these new eight tracks is, as the previous session, a free improvisation. However, the trio recorded before (may 2015) another performance, Neutral Nation, two long pieces (29 and 21 minutes) extracted from a concert. But this album, until now, is available only digitally, always by Aerophonic. The label, furthermore, delivers another Rempis' album, the 2CD set Dodecahedron, co-credited to "Tim Daisy & Guests", i.e. the drummer along with Jason Adasiewicz (vibes), Jim Baker (piano, electronics), Fred Lonberg Holm (cello), Steve Swell (trombone), Katie Young (bassoon, electronics) and Aaron Zarzutzki (electronics). Rempis and Daisy play together since 20 years. The first CD, live recorded in october 2017, documents the 28-minute Eikosi; the second CD was recorded in studio in august and september 2017, collecting nine pieces with a massive use of electronics. The vinyl Interweaving (Not Two, 2018) documents a studio album recorded in july 2016, comprising of five tracks performed by Alexander von Schlippenbach (grand piano) and Dag Magnus Narvesen (drums). Scandal (Greenleaf, 2018) documents the second release by Sound Prints, a lineup founded in 2013 by Joe Lovano (saxes) and Dave Douglas (trumpet), also featuring Lawrence Fields (piano), Linda May Han Oh (bass) and Joey Baron (drums). After having debuted with a Blue Note self-titled, recorded live at Monterey Jazz festival in september 2013, the quintet comes to the first studio album, eleven pieces (five by Douglas, four by Lovano plus two Wayne Shorter reworkings) recorded in september 2017 presented here by the label. Both these albums were inspired by the music of Shorter. Bright Force (Libra, 2018) documents Kira Kira, a new Satoko Fujii project documenting the pianist along with trumpetist Natsuki Tamura, Alister Spence on Fender Rhodes electric piano, pedals & preparations, and Ittetsu Takemura on drums. The three pieces, among which the 35-minute suite Luna Lionfish, were recorded in september 2017. In the meantime, the label Bakamo restores Maru, an album originally released in 2006 and documenting Orchestra Nagoya, another Fujii's project created in 2003 by the pianist featuring an all-japan acoustic lineup: bass, drums, guitar, six saxes, two trombones, five trumpet and tuba. The ensembel debuted with Nagoyanian, five pieces recorded in two sessions (may 2003 and march 2004). Maru, with the same lineup, documented six pieces (notably the 16-minute Sakuradori Sen) recorded in march 2006. Third and until now latest album is Sanrei, seven pieces live recorded in september 2007. The sound of these album is a mixing of jazz-rock, with many improvisations, and Fujii just conducts, but doesn't play. The ltd ed. vinyl Ouroboros (Astral Spirits, 2018), by Peter Brotzmann (reeds) and Fred Lonberg Holm (strings, electronics), is their second collaboration after the november 2007 The Brain Of The Dog In Section. Recorded in january 2011, but out only now, it features four lenghty pieces, starting from cerebral themes and rare melodies, quickly evolved in improvised violent drones. Recorded between april and july 2016, Comment C'est/How It Is (ECM, 2018) features ten pieces composed by Michael Mantler (trumpet) with the Max Brand Ensemble, a lineup directed by Richard Graf and comprising of bass, two clarinets, cello, two pianos, flute, French horn, oboe, tuba, vibraphone, viola, violin and the vocalist Himiko Paganotti. The music mixes contemporary jazz along with classical. God Is More Than Love Can Ever Be (Cosmic Myth, 2018) is the re-release of Days Of Happiness, an El Saturn album by Sun Ra Trio recorded in studio in july 1979 and documenting the leader on piano along with drummer Samarai Celestial (aka Eric Walker) and bassist Hayes Burnett. Sun Ra composed five pieces performed in pure free jazz, never released until now. But it's also worthing to mention two important Sun Ra's re-releases: Modern Harmonic restores Astro Black, originally delivered by Impulse! in 1973. Recorded in may 1972, the vinyl also documents the 11-minute title-track and a 18-minute suite, performed by the leader on various keyboards along with Danny Davis, Marshall Allen, Danny Thompson, John Gilmore, etc. Instead, the 2CD set The Cymbals/Symbols Sessions: New York City 1973 (always by Modern Harmonic) gathers the first legal version of Cymbals, already unofficially delivered in 2000 by Troglosound and documenting a 1973 session planned for an Impulse! release: the leader was always on keyboards along with a septet (notably the 16-minute Thoughts Under A Dark Blue Light). The second disc documents unreleased material by the same lineup. Switzerland composer and pianist Sylvie Courvoisier (1968), New-York based since 1998 and married with violinist Mark Feldman, started her career in early 1994, performing several live experiences. For her "Quintetto", along with Guglielmo Pagnozzi (saxes), Lauro Rossi (trombone), Baenz Oester (bass) and Pascal Portner (drums), she wrote eight pieces live recorded in march 1994 on Sauvagerie Courtoise; paired on piano and clavier with Swiss pianist Jacques Demierre and his project TST, she recorded Le Tout Sur Le Tout, her first studio album (april 1995); Una Mora (november 1995) is another studio album, recorded with the Michel Godard Quartet (the leader on tuba, and the rhythm section of Tony Overwater and Mark Nauseef). Birds Of A Feather (june 1996) was written and performed along with Mark Nauseef (she on piano and prepared piano and Nauseef on percussion and electronics), as a work of massive improvisations conceived as a suite. The same month she began the collaboration along with her husband: that session, and another in december 1998, were gathered on Music For Violin And Piano. The august 1996 Ocre is her first all-credited album, performed with Nauseef, Pierre Charial (barrel organ), Michel Godard (tuba, serpent) and Tony Overwater (bass). This album mixes jazz, classical and also a bit of rock. The same lineup returned in march 1999 with the nine pieces of Y2K. Deux Pianos (february 1999), documents, as title suggests, a work along pianist Jacques Demierre, twenty pieces almost brief and free improvised. Passaggio (april 2001) is a trio along with Joelle Leandre (bass) and Susie Ibarra (drums), who recorded twelve pieces quite totally improvised. Mephista is her project created along with Susie Ibarra and Ikue Mori (electronics). They recorded two albums: Black Narcissus (november 2001), nine pieces that combines abstract jazz with electronics, and Entomological Reflections (november 2003), other fifteen pieces that continue the same experimental approach. After having collaborated to John Zorn's Cobra Volume Two (january 2002), she recorded her first album for ECM, the 2CD set Abaton (september 2002), a trio along with her husband Mark Feldman on violin and Eric Friedlander on cello (notably the 20-minute Ianicum). Albert (august 2005) marked another experimental recording, along with Nauseef Mori. Lonelyville (april 2006) also mixed classical and avant-garde (particularly the 22-minute Texturologie) in a notable lineup: Feldman (violin), Mori (electronics), Gerald Cleaver (drums) and French celloist Vincent Courtois. Signs And Epigrams (Tzadik, 2007), recorded in december 2006, is her first piano solo, a very atypical work whose intent, as she describes, "is to make it sound as though the piano has become an orchestra unto itself". The ten pieces are a sort of "study" on the piano sound possibilities, switching from moments of avant-garde to atonal, from quite non-music to pizzicatos and glissandos. To the same month dates back Alien Huddle, a free experience along with Ikue Mori and Lotte Anker (various saxes). As Soon As Possible (september 2007) was a totally free experience along with Ellery Eskeline (sax) and again Courtois. Eskeline and Courvoisier came back with Every So Often (september 2008), nine pieces free improvised. Oblivia (september 2009) documents a duet piano-violin with Feldman, eleven pieces composed together, a mixing of classical and jazz. Previously, the two recorded in july 2009 the seven pieces of To Fly To Steal, along with Thomas Morgan (bass) and Gerry Hemingway (drums), more jazz-oriented. The same quartet came back with Hotel Du Nord (january 2011). On Birdies For Lulu (november 2013) the rhythm section was replaced by Scott Colley (bass) and Billy Mintz (drums). Credited as leader, Double Windsor (january 2014) was a trio along with Kenny Wollesen (drums) and Drew Gress (bass), nine tracks of avant-garde jazz. Miller's Tale (september 2015) was a notable quartet with Feldman, Ikue Mori (electronics) and Evan Parker (saxes), nine pieces mostly improvised. D'Agala (june 2017) is her latest album as leader, the same trio of Double Windsor in other nine pieces dedicated to recently disappeared famous musicians. Also numerous her collaborations, above all in several John Zorn's projects, but also Nate Wooley, Ikue Mori, etc. Credited to Ken Vandermark and Nate Wooley, The 2CD set Momentum 2: Brullt/Momentum 3: Monster Roster (Audiographic, 2018) is the follow-up to the 6CD boxset Momentum 1: Stone, that was recorded in january 2016. The new performance features two sets (respectively recorded in april and in august 2016). Momentum 2: Brult features a ten-part suite performed by Nate Wooley on trumpet, C. Spencer Yeh on violin & electronics, Jasper Stadhouders on bass and guitar, Christof Kurzmann on ppooll (loops vis synth or sampler), Vandermark on reeds and Tim Daisy on drums. Momentum 3: Monster Roster features a two-part suite along with Ken Vandermark and Mars Williams on reeds, Lou Mallozzi on turntables, Nick Macri on acoustic bass and Tim Barnes on drums. Both discs start from written sections quickly improvised. To Vandermark is also co-credited Wired For Sound (Audiographic, 2018), a studio album recorded in september 2017 and also featuring Andrew Clinkman & Steve Marquette on guitars, Macie Stewart on keyboard & violin and Phil Sudderberg on drums. The three long pieces here are extensively presented by the label. Insurrection (Tzadik, 2018) documents a new instrumental John Zorn project featuring guitarists Julian Lage and Matt Hollenberg with the rhythm section of Trevor Dunn and Kenny Grohowski. The ten pieces combines rock, funk, blues, jazz and classical. Recorded in december 2017. Crescent Moon Waning (American Clave, 2017) is the latest Kip Hanrahan's work. Many years in the making, it features the leader on percussion accompanied by Robbie Ameen (trap drums and percussion) Milton Cardona and Lusito Quintero (congas), Fernando Saunders (bass and vocals), Michael Chambers (guitar) Brandon Ross (guitar and vocals), Charles Neville (the Neville Brothers' reedist, just died on april 26), Craig Handy and Chico Freeman all guest on sax, Steve Swallow and Jack Bruce (who obviously recorded many years ago his parts) on electric bass, Jennifer Hernandez, Roberto Poveda and Lucia Ameen (singers). The album collects twenty brief pieces, mixing afro-cuban and avant-garde jazz. Meredith Monk premiered in march 2018 Cellular Songs, her latest work commissioned by Brooklyn Academy of Music and performed by her Vocal Ensemble. The six performers sing, move, dance, lie on the floor and play the piano together, but a "solo" by Meredith. No infos until now about a disc release for these 75 minutes. March 2018: Ride The Wind (Nessa, 2018) features a collaboration between Roscoe Mitchell and the Montreal-Toronto Art Orchestra, an ensemble of 6 woodwinds, piano, vibraphone, tuba, 2 each of trumpet, trombone, viola, string bass and drums, conducted by Gregory Oh. Among them, the most known are Jean Derome (woodwinds) and Craig Pedersen (trumpets). The ensemble recorded in studio the seven pieces in october 2016. After the november 2006 40 Years, Alexander Von Schlippenbach's Globe Unity Orchestra comes back with... 50 Years, juste recorded ten years after, in november 2016 at Jazzfest Berlin. The pianist led his ensemble (currently a 14-reeds lineup plus two drummers: Evan Parker, Rudi Mahall, Axel Drner, Manfred Schoof, Jean-Luc Cappozzo, Tomasz Stanko, Paul Lovens, Paul Lytton, etc.). The namesake performance is 44-minute long. A Day Hanging Dead Between Heaven And Earth (Klanggalerie, 2018) documents a collaboration between Fred Frith (here on piano, violin, guitar and vocals) and Residents' Hardy Fox. After Frith's first solo albums for Residents' label Ralph, the two decided to record an album together. But, after the 1991 recording session, when they created few tunes, the project was shelved, and then rediscovered in september 2017, when they added piano and voice parts. The fourteen pieces here collected are quiet brief. Live recorded in a theather in september 2017, Undercurrent (Intuition, 2018) featuring Christy Doran trio, on which the guitarist led the Swiss Lukas Mantel (electric bass) and the Argentinean Franco Fontanarrosa (drums) in a concert from which were extracted seven pieces, collectively composed. Bop Stop (Clean Feed, 2018) documents the Frode Gjerstad Trio accompanied by Steve Swell in a live september 2017 concert. The leader on alto sax, Jon Rune Strom on double bass, Paal Nilssen-Love on drums and Swell on trombone performed four pieces (notably the 18-minute title-track) in a collective free jazz. Met restores Spirits, an album firstly released in 2000 and documenting a summer 1998 concert with Pharoah Sanders (flute, sax, percussion and vocals), Hamid Drake (drums) and Adam Rudolph (flute, piano and percussion). The ten pieces act as a suite in three basic parts, sporting a multi-ethnic approach, as documented in liner notes. Mary Halvorson expanded her trio (along with drummer Tomas Fujiwara and bassist Michael Formanek) with Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet) and Amirtha Kidambi (voice) to release Code Girl (Firehouse 12, 2018), a 2CD set collecting fourteen tracks recorded in studio in december 2016 she presents here. Raise The River (Rogue Art, 2018) features Robert Dick on flute with glissando head joint and the Bay Area raised Tiffany Chang on drums & thumb piano. The two composed together nine pieces recorded in studio in february 2015, featuring an avant-garde free jazz. Vista (Meta, 2018), documents Sam Rivers on tenor & soprano saxes & flute, Adam Rudolph on hand drums & percussion and Harris Eisenstadt on drumset. Recorded in september 2003, the album gathers seven studio pieces, with many improvisations. Rivers, let's remember, died in december 2011. Restored now by Gazell and already released in 1975 by Sonet, The Bop Session documents a studio two-days may 1975 session gathering the stellar cast of Dizzy Gillespie (trumpet) Sonny Stitt (alto and tenor saxes), John Lewis and Hank Jones (piano), Percy Heath (bass) and Max Roach (drums). They reworked six classic bop standards, among which two by Gillespie (Blues 'n Boogie and Groovin' High), plus Charlie Parker's Confirmation and Tadd Dameron's Lady Bird. The vinyl Sun Embassy (Roaratorio, 2018) documents unreleased studio performances by Sun Ra Astro-Ihnfinity Arkestra, collecting recordings dating back to 1968-1969, the album features nine tracks, among which the 16-minute Thoughts Under A Dark Blue Light and the 20-minute Sunrise In The Western Sky. The 2CD set Trajectory (Nine Winds, 2018) features the Vinny Golia sextet, with the leader on sopranino, soprano, tenor & baritone saxes, flutes, clarinets & ethnic percussion; Gavin Templeton on alto sax; Daniel Rosenboom on trumpet & flugel; Alexander Noice on electric guitar & pedals; Miller Wren on basses; Andrew Lessman on drums. The session, recorded at a date in 2017, features sixteen pieces written over ten years, mixing of jazz/rock and experimental, with several solos. The duets of We Call All Times Soon (Split Rock, 2018) feature Henry Kaiser and Ed Pettersen on guitars, respectively a 18 string harp guitar and an 8 string Weissenborn. Recorded with no overdubs and no edits, ity collects four pieces all 10-minute long, with many improvisations. Inexplicable Hours (Sonoris, 2018) collects seven tracks composed and recorded between 2014-2017 by Kevin Drumm. The material sports electroacoustic experimentations, audio generators, field recordings, and various electronic devices, plenty of ambient music and drones. In Transverse Time (Victo, 2018) documents the Rova Saxophone Quartet (Bruce Ackley on soprano, Steve Adams on alto and sopranino, Jon Raskin on baritone and Larry Ochs on tenor) who composed between 2013 and 2017 The Dark Forest, a nine part suite recorded in studio between september and november 2017. Another notable pieces on this album is the 24-minute Hidden in Ochre. The four tracks of Intervivos (Empty, 2018) were recorded on alto sax by Jean-Luc Guionnet along with microphone and feedback player Daichi Yoshikawa. The album presents very experimental structures and layers, feedbacks, drones and sounds of metallic percussion. Co-commissioned in 2015 by Carnegie Hall, Wigmore Hall and organizations in Canada, Switzerland, and Ireland, Brad Mehldau's solo piano After Bach (Nonesuch, 2018) consists of performances of four preludes and one fugue from J.S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier, each followed by an "After Bach" interpretation by Mehldau. The album originated in a commissioned work that Mehldau first performed in 2015 and then recorded in april 2017 for the CD release. OKeh presents here Music Is, the new Bill Frisell solo album, on which the guitarist plays electric & acoustic guitars, loops, bass, ukelele and music boxes in fifteen pieces, some brand new, others as reworkings of his own. Studio recorded in august 2017. The five pieces of Ninety-Nine Years (Libra, 2018) document Satoko Fujii Orchestra Berlin in their second album. The pianist led Matthias Schubert and Gebhard Ullmann (both on tenor sax), Paulina Owczarek (baritone sax), Natsuki Tamura, Richard Koch and Lina Allemano (all on trumpet), Matthias Mller (trombone), Kazuhisa Uchihashi (guitar), Jan Roder (bass), Michael Griener and Peter Orins (both on drums). Recorded in april 2017. Recorded in november 1998 but only now released by ECM, the 2CD set After The Fall documents Keith Jarrett (piano), Gary Peacock (double bass) and Jack DeJohnette (drums) in a live performance collecting twelve pieces among which reworkings of classics of the Great American Songbook including the 16-minute of The Masquerade Is Over, the 13-minute of Autumn Leaves, When I Fall In Love and I'll See You Again, plus free reinterpretations of Charlie Parker's Scrapple From The Apple, Bud Powell's Bouncin' With Bud, John Coltrane's Moment's Notice and Sonny Rollins's Doxy. The Unknowable (Rare Noise, 2018) features Dave Liebman on tenor & soprano saxes, C flute, native american flute, recorder, piri & Fender Rhodes, plus Tatsuya Nakatani on drum kit, gongs & percussion and Adam Rudolph on hand drumset, thumb piano, assorted ethnic percussion & processing. Studio recorded in july 2016, it documents thirteen brief pieces collectively composed, starting from world music themes evolved in improvisations. Live recorded in august 2000, the 2CD set Klinker (Confront, 2018) documents guitarist Derek Bailey in a quartet along with Simon H. Fell (double bass), Will Gaines (tap dance) and Mark Wastell (violoncello). The album is extensively presented by Simon H. Fell. Italian label New Tone restores Real Time Two, already released by Ictus in 1998 and documenting two 21 and 22-minute improvisations extracted by a december 1977 concert performed by Andrea Centazzo (percussion), Evan Parker (tenor and soprano saxes) and Alvin Curran (piano, trumpet and synthesizer). The album is so entitled as a follow-up of another live session from the same concert, issued as Real Time by Ictus, collecting other four improvisation by the trio (particularly the 20-minute title-track). Treader restores Brooklyn Duos, already released in 2007 as a collaboration between John Coxon (harmonica, 12 atring acoustic and electric guitar) and Wadada Leo Smith (trumpet). The seven pieces were recorded in studio in december 2005. February 2018: Nothing In Stone (FMR, 2017) documents a trio led by Paul Dunmall (tenor, alto and soprano saxes) along with Percy Pursglove (bass and trumpet) and Tony Orrell (drums). They recorded in september 2017 three long pieces (notably the 38-minute Blue India), with many solos and improvisations. By the same label, Sign Of The Times features again Paul Dunmall with Frank Paul Schubert (both on various saxes), accompanied by the rhytm section of Sebastiano Dessanay (bass) and Jim Bashford (drums). The quartet recorded in october 2017 other three long tracks (among which the 32-minute title-track). Always mostly improvised. The 3CD set Oneness (Leo, 2018) features a five-days studio session between Ivo Perelman and Matthew Shipp. The reedist and the pianist decided to put on disc the all of sessions: "The idea was to get just one CD, the best of the very best; but when we listened back to the recordings, we can't choose. So, we have to release these three CDs". Recorded in september 2017. And ESP just released two Matthew Shipp new albums. Zer0 (with a zero number, not the vocal) is a piano solo recorded in may 2017, collecting 11 pieces starting from themes written, and quickly improvised. Sonic Fiction, instead, was performed with his quartet: Mat Walerian (alto sax and clarinets), Michael Bisio (bass) and Whit Dickey (drums). The ten pieces feature melodic solos, bebop and improvisations. Recorded in december 2015. Moons Of Saturn (Dimensional, 2017) features Frode Gjerstad on alto sax, clarinet & flute, Itzam Cano on bass and Gabriel Lauber on drums. Recorded in may 2017, the album collects ten pieces. The trio o f Evan Parker (sax), Barry Guy (bass) and Paul Lytton (drums) started a long collaboration since 1980 recording the vinyl Tracks, and is still alive now with Music For David Mossman (Intakt, 2018), live recorded in july 2016 at Vortex Jazz Club in London (whose founder is just David Mossman) and featuring four long performances (notably the 24-minute III improvisation). The three long untitled pieces on the self-released Idiomatic feature almost 80 minutes of studio improvised music by Sandy Ewen (guitar) and Weasel Walter (drums & live electronics). Sandy Ewen, on stage since 2004, plays effects pedals and a prepared guitar with ordinary objects. Recorded in september 2017. Recorded in two sessions (january and december 1958), firstly released in 1964 by Prestige, and now restored by Italian label Wax Love, The Believer documents three recorded in studio by John Coltrane. The tenorist led Red Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), three different drummers (Arthur Taylor, Larry Ritchie and Louis Hayes) and trumpetists Donald Byrd and Freddie Hubbard, performing three pieces: the 14-minute title track, originally composed by McCoy Tyner, the 11-minute Nakatini Serenade, composed by veteran trumpeter Cal Massey (who recorded in january 1961 Blues To Coltrane), and the 5-minute Do I Love You Because You're Beautiful? (from Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's Cinderella). The re-release adds other two recorded in studio: the 7-minute Filidia, composed by Ray Draper, and the 7-minute reworking of Sonny Rollins' Paul's Pal. These bonus tracks see Draper on tuba and Gil Coggins on piano, and were recorded before (december 1957). Mats Gustafsson's Fire! comes back with The Hands (Rune Grammofon, 2018), on which the reedist, on various saxes and electronics, leads drummer Andreas Werlin and bassist Johan Berthling in seven new pieces, featuring a compromise between heavy rock and jazz improvisations. Recorded in may 2017. Premiered in may 2015 at the opening of the Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville (FIMAV) and then presented in a march 2017 concert, the solo album Rsistances (Ambiances Magntiques, 2018) features sixteen Jean Derome's compositions, mostly improvised and performed mixing voice and acoustic, drums sets, double bass, strings, synthesizer, trumpet, piano, harp and also invented instruments. Claudia Quintet's drummer John Hollenbeck formed in 2003 a Large Ensemble comprising of thirteen reedists, piano, vibraphone and vocalist Theo Bleckmann. Hollenbeck composed for the ensemble material for three album. For Omnitone he released A Blessing (august 2003), that featured six pieces of contemporary jazz. Eternal Interlude (Sunnyside, 2009), recorded in march 2009, was more avantgarde and free, sporting other six pieces (among which the 19-minute title-track), commissioned by various orchestras. The latest album, All Can Work (New Amsterdam, 2018), recorded in june 2017, pays tribute to disappeared trumpetist member Laurie Frink, and is largely presented here by the label. Real Gone restored in 2017 on CD Ornette At 12/Crisis!, that gathers, as title suggest, the july 1968 session put on vinyl by Impulse, plus a forgotten live session released in 1972 by the same label and recorded in march 1969. Coleman, who played also drums and violin, led a stellar cast: Charlie Haden on bass, Dewey Redman on clarinet and tenor sax, Don Cherry on flute and trumpet. Among the five pieces collected, a reworking of Haden's Song For Che. Still by Coleman, Live in Paris 1971 (Domino, 2018) restores the old 1977 release by Jan label Trio, featuring seven pieces from a concert held with, again, Haden and Redman, plus drummer Ed Blackwell. Let's mention also the 2CD set The Love Revolution (Gambit, 2018), restoring a february 1968 Italian tour along in a quartet with Haden and Blackwell, plus the other bassist David Izenzon. Plan B, the new Joe McPhee project comprising of James Keepnews on guitar and laptop and David Berger on drums, released From Outer Space (Roaratorio, 2018), a soundtrack to an imaginary science fiction movie. The vinyl collects ten pieces recorded in studio in december 2015, mostly improvised. The leader was on saxes and trumpet. January 2018: Muhal Richard Abrams died at his home in october 2017 at the age of 87. In 2012 and 2016, Black Saint & Sound Note released two boxsets, of 8 and 9 CDs respectively, that collect his complete remastered recordings. South African trumpetist Hugh Masekela, pioneer of jazz music in Africa and apartheid activist, died of cancer in Johannesburg on january 23, at the age of 78. The Urmuz Epigrams (Tzadik, 2018) documents John Zorn's latest recording studio, a suite of compositions, say credits, "in the style of his legendary File Card compositions and Zoetropes". Dedicated to the visionary Romanian writer Urmuz, gathers, say credits, "pieces presented in two iterations, as a set of rare 78rpm records complete with surface scratches and limited dynamic range, and as a modern reconstruction of same with the full blown studio sound presented in all its perplexing glory". The DoLP Discussions (Wide Hive, 2017) features Discussion Orchestra, a new project by Roscoe Mitchell, born from improvisations found on Roscoe Mitchell's Conversations with Kikanju Baku and Craig Taborn. Mitchell arranged the eight songs, among which the 22-minute Who Dat, and on sopranino sax played in a 20-piece orchestra led by Steed Cowart. Mostly of musicians debuted just with this release, or are quite unknown, but percussionist William Winant. Again by Mitchell, Accelerated Projection (Rogue Art, 2018) documents the reedist on alto & soprano saxes & flute and Matthew Shipp on piano. The set was recorded live in Italy in august 2005. The seven pieces alternate solos and duets, with themes quickly developped in improvisations. After its first release as cassette, Alvin Curran's Natural History has been finally re-released on vinyl by Black Truffle. The two-part suite, a solo album by the artist, collects field recordings extracted from his archive, without additional processing, recorded over nearly 20 years, starting from 1968, at Curran's home in Rome or while traveling. John Butcher's project Stray, with the leader on saxes, Dominic Lash on bass, John Russell on electric guitar and Stale Liavik Solberg on drums, debuted with Into Darkness (Iluso, 2017) featuring the namesake 51-minute suite recorded in december 2015, extensively presented by the label. The 3CD set Ceci N'est Pas (Sono Sordo, 2016) documents latest Klaxon Gueules release, celebrating their 20th anniversary with 33 unreleased tracks, recorded in studio between 1998 and 2014. The lineup featured, over the time, Michel F. Cote (drums, percussion, electronics), Alexandre St-Onge (basses, electronics), Bernard Falaise (electric and acoustic guitars, banjo, keyboards), Jean Derome (alto sax, flute), Ellwood Epps (trumpets), Philippe Lauzier (bass clarinet) and both on electronics Christof Migone and Sam Shalabi. All pieces are under 6 minutes. Bernard Falaise also released for Ambiances Magnetiques Lezardes Et Zebrures, a solo electric guitar album collecting nine pieces recorded in studio in 2017. The Deep Unreal (Metalanguage, 2017) features a solo electric guitar album by Henry Kaiser, recorded in december 2017 in one session. All improvised, no overdubs or looping, and long delays. Octopus (Pyroclastic, 2018) features a piano duo by Kris Davis and Craig Taborn, recorded on concerts from which were extracted six pieces, among which two reworkings by Sun Ra and Carla Bley, also played on prepared pianos. Read here for liner notes.
Chansons Du Crepuscule (Public Eyesore, 2017) features a collaboration between guitarist Elliott Sharp and French harpist and vocalist Helene Breschand. The eleven pieces, recorded in studio in may 2014, mix several musical genres: jazz, folk, rock, world and country. Extensively presented here by the label.
Invisible Threads (ECM, 2018) documents the new John Surman album recorded in studio in july 2017. On saxews and clarinet, the reedist is accompanied by Brazilian pianist Nelson Ayres and Rob Waring on vibraphone and marimba. Twelve pieces.
D'Agala (Intakt, 2018) documents the Sylvie Courvoisier Trio led by the pianist along with Kenny Wollesen (drums & wollesonic) and Drew Gress (bass). Studio recorded in june 2017, the nine pieces feature compositions the pianist dedicated to several musicians recently dead (Ornette Coleman, Geri Allen, John Abercrombie, etc.). Live At The Century City Playhouse (Dark Tree, 2017) features the Vinny Golia Wind Quartet with the leader on various woodwinds, John Carter on clarinet, Bobby Bradford on cornet and Glenn Ferris on trombone. The four recorded in may 1979 a concert from which were extracted five lenghty pieces, particularly the two-part 30-minute suite Chronos. Italian label Wax Love delivers the vinyl Bye Bye Blackbird: Live At Penn State University, January 19th, 1963, featuring a John Coltrane's concert performed with his most famous lineup (McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, Elvin Jones on drums). Not to be confused with the namesake album firstly released on 1981, and featuring a november 1962 concert, Satoko Fujii planned to release in 2018 twelve albums, one for month, to celebrate her 60th birthday. The first is Solo (Libra, 2018) that documents seven pieces (among which a Jimmy Giuffre's cover) performed in concert on a Steinway D274 by the pianist, recorded in july 2017. The second, will be out in february by her project KAZE, on which the pianist led the unchanged lineup (trumpetists Christian Pruvost and Natsuki Tamura, and drummer Peter Orins) for their fourth album, Atody Man (Libra, 2018), that collects six new pieces, keeping to sport the project's sound, a mix of noise, melodic and improvisations. The label Phono just released Plays Sphere Jazz/Jazz Epistles - Verse 1, a CD that restores two rare albums by Dollar Brand. The latter features a september 1959 session led by trumpetist Hugh Masakela and his Jazz Epistles lineup, along with Jonas Gwangwa on trombone, Kippie Moetketsi on alto sax and Dollar Brand on piano. The former, Plays Sphere Jazz, recorded in february 1960 and firstly released in 1962 by Continental, is the first credited Dollar Brand album of ever, in his trio, along with Johnny Gertze on bass and Makaya Ntshoko on drums. Ultra (Fundacja Sluchaj, 2017) features guitarist Joe Morris in seven studio improvisations dating back to july 2011, with Junko Fujiwara (cello), Agusti Fernandez (piano), Yasmine Azaiez (violin) and Tanya Kalmanowitch (violin and viola). Morris wrote the liner notes, stating: "Combining guitar with bowed instruments is not as simple as it might seem. The short sustain of the guitar can easily be overwhelmed by the bow. My first goal with Ultra was to have the strings key off of the guitar and interact using percussive sounds, harmonics, and proportional expressions of time (pulse) in addition to melodic ideas. The first tries on Ultra used a mix of strings, flute and trumpet with some notated parts. But the composed parts restricted the flow of the music, and so I abandoned the idea of this group". The 8CD boxset New Jazz Festival Balver Hoehle (Be! Jazz, 2017) collects live recording dating back to 1976 and 1977 by several notable musicians and lineups. Let's mention: two Mal Waldron Trios' improvisations (june 1976, 40 and 16 min.); other two improvisations (39 and 18 min.) by Archie Shepp Group, along with Dave Burrell on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, Beaver Harris on drums and Richard Greenslee on trombone (june 1976); a 54-minute improvisation by pianist Yosuke Yamashita, along with Akira Sakata (sax) and Shota Koyama (drums), from the same previous session; an one-hour performance of solo piano by Joachim Kuhn (june 1977); another hour improvisation (same session) by the Willem Breuker Kollektief. Recorded in july 2017, So Far (Relative Pitch, 2018) features Alexander von Schlippenbach (piano) and Rudi Mahall: (clarinets) in new eleven studio pieces collectively composed, presented here by the label. The project Racehorse Names was created in 2017 by drummer Ben Hall and guitarist Joe Morris along with Mick Dobday (electric piano and organ), Anthony Levin-Decanini (electronics), Ronnie Zawadi (percussion), veteran John Dierker (reeds) and Mike Khoury (viola and violin). The lineup detuted for Relative Pitch with New Favorite Thing Called Breathing, a studio album collecting six pieces, mostly improvised, alternating collective and solos. Shifting Sands (Terp, 2016) documents a studio album recorded in september 2015 by well known reedist Ab Baars (here on tenor and soprano saxes, clarinet and shakuhachi) and guitarist Terrie Ex. Not Two delivers Celebrating William Parker @ 65, credited to Bobby Zankel & The Wonderful Sound 6. The project created by the reedist (here on alto sax) gathers a notable lineup: William Parker (bass), Steve Swell (trombone), veteran drummer Muhammad Ali (the brother of Rashied Ali), Dave Burrel (piano) and Diane Monroe (violin). The namesake suite was recorded in january 2017, developping melodic themes quickly evolved in free jazz, with solos, duets and collective.
The 2CD set City Fall (Fundacja Sluchaj, 2016) features Evan Parker on tenor sax, Mikolaj Trzaska on alto sax & bass clarinet, John Edwards on double bass and Mark Sanders on drums. The three pieces (partiucularly the 43-minute Hunting Moon and the 34-minute In Case Of Fire) were recorded in september 2014. The music is obviously a mixing of improvisations, often evolved in complicated drones.
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