You're definitely not at the opera with a set like this – a batch of well-crafted improvisations between drummer Sunny Murray and reedman Sabir Mateen – who plays alto, tenor sax, and flute throughout the course of the record! Like most of the best Eremite releases, this one is a live date – but has a sense of focus that's way more than just loose improvisation – a wonderful document of two very like-minded players, coming together with an openly creative vibe that recalls the soulfulness of the loft jazz generation. Titles include "Rejoicing New Dreams", "Clandestine Giant", "Too Many Drummers Not Enough Time", and "Musically Correct". CD

One of our favorite Jemeel Moodoc recordings of recent years – a sublime set of duets with bassist William Parker, and a record that's got a vibe that's even more spiritual than usual from both players! There's a sense of timelessness to the music we really love – a sense of improvisation that encompasses avant traditions in Chicago, Detroit, New York, and St Louis – but which also has a deeply personal spirit, too – as those rare moments when Parker really gets the chance to shape a session with his sense of soul – and here brings out a bold focus in Moondoc's alto that's really breathtaking. Titles include "Huey Sees A Rainbow", "Another Angel Goes Home", "Encore", "Theme For Pelikan", and "New World Pygmies". CD

Jemeel Moondoc on alto saxophone, Nathan Breedlove on trumpet, Khan Jamal on vibraphone, John Voigt on bass, and Codaryl Moffet on drums. CD

Bold and brilliant duets from altoist Jemeel Moondoc and drummer Dennis Charles – the latter of whom is in tremendous form in this very free setting! There's a sense of soul and spirit that grabs us right from the start – these surprisingly deep notes from Moondoc, making us keep checking the notes to see if he's handling another horn besides alto sax – given a rumbling, brooding sensibility through Charles' work on drums – which never bombastically dominates, but always ruminates with a power that drives Jemeel on. Titles include "We Don't", "We Do", "Judy's Bounce", and "Home". CD

A really fantastic album from bassist Joshua Abrams – a set that may well be his greatest to date – and that's saying a lot, given all the other work he's given us in recent years! The double-length set has Abrams working with this lineup of improvising jazz talents, but in a way that's very rhythmic, and very organic – slow-building songs that almost seem to mix jazz with inspiration from gamelan music, but with very spiritual currents overall – music that builds slowly and flows to the cosmos – almost in a way that reminds us of the seminal "On The Beach" by Phil Cohran & The Artistic Heritage Ensemble! Yet Abrams is very much in his own territory here – working with a lineup that features the leader on guimbri, Lisa Alvarado on harmonium and gongs, Mikel Avery on tam-tam and gongs, Ben Boye on electric autoharp and piano, Hamid Drake on tabla and tar, Ben Lamar Gay on cornet, Nick Mazzarella on alto saxophone, and Jason Stein on bass clarinet – with every member of the ensemble also performing on flutes. The sound is incredible – music to build a bridge to the heavens – and titles include "In Memory's Prism", "Finite", "Shadow Conductor", and "Agree". CD

The title definitely gets it right – as the quintet's an all-star lineup that features Marshall Allen on alto sax, Kidd Jordan on tenor, Hamid Drake on drums, and both Alan Silva and William Parker on bass! The twin basses are really wonderful – and have this deep texture that really shapes the performance – a sense of tone and timing that brings urgency to the record in a way that either player on their own wouldn't have been able to achieve – often with a sense of soul that really adds a lot to the reeds! CD features six long live tracks – all improvised by the group. CD

A beautiful tribute to the strengths of these players working together in a trio – the sense of respect and patience they each have for each other – letting the sound come at just the right moment in just the right way, as things build together in this amazing way – then leap forth with a power that's even more incredible when all three musicians fall into step! Anderson's tenor gets lots of rich open space to roam around – with these deep tones that strongly echo a Coltrane legacy, almost more soulfully than other albums of this vintage – and Parker's bass is wonderful, as always, in a setting like this – and Drake's drums are a masterpiece of understatement. The set features four long improvisations – recorded live in a very warm space. CD

Natural Information Society have been a key force on the Chicago underground for a number of years – and here, they go back even further, to open the door to the legendary saxophonist Ari Brown – who joins the group on tenor! You might know Brown's music as a member of 70s spiritual group The Awakening, or his later solo albums – and his time-schooled spirit is a perfect match for the ensemble led by bassist Joshua Abrams, who also plays some guimbri on the set. Other players include Ben Lamar Gay and Josh Berman on cornets, Jason Stein on bass clarinet, Lisa Alvarado on harmonium, Kara Bershad on harp, Nick Mazzarella on alto, and Hamid Drake on congas and tablas – a group who work together with the richly organic vibe we always love in projects from Abrams. Titles include "Moontide Chorus", "Is", "Murmuration", "Wane", "Wax", "Immemorial", and "Stigmergy". CD