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A trio of Anthony Braxton alumni take on some of the master's amazing compositions – played here in free-flowing modes by the group of Marilyn Crispell on piano, Marc Dresser on bass, and Gerry Hemmingway on drums! The compositions are all Braxton numbered formulas – those incredibly difficult math-based modes that initially seem intimidating, but which, to the right set of eyes, can become beautiful platforms for improvisation and musical expression – as you'll hear in the riveting performances on the set! Titles include "Composition 116", "Composition 23C", "Composition 69B", "Composition 40N/40B", and "Composition 108C/110/69Q".

A really wonderful little record – one headed up by John Zorn, but actually featuring instrumentation from the trio of Bill Frisell on guitar, Kenny Wollesen on vibes, and Carol Emanuel on harp! The mix of instruments is wonderful – and rings out here with gentle progressions that almost remind us of some Terry Riley projects in the 70s, but a bit more intimate and less minimal too – lots of gentle colors from the vibes and guitar ringing next to some more subtle progressions from the harp – all at a level that's way beyond jazz or familiar compositional music! Zorn composed, arranged, and produced – and titles include "The Nymphs", "Sacred Oracle", "Dance Of Sappho", "The Bacchanalia", "Ode To The Cathars", and "Apollo".

Zorn's work with Bill Frisell, Fred Frith, Joey Baron, and Wayne Horvitz compiled and remastered under his Tzadik label. Includes the releases, Radio, Naked City, Heretic, Grand Guignol, Absinthe, and Torture Garden.

A pretty amazing little record – not only one of the greatest things that Kramer's ever done, but a wonderful tribute to the music of the New York scene in the 60s! As you'd guess from the title, most tracks here come from the Brill Building scene – yet Kramer transforms them with a Shimmy Disc sort of approach – playfully dynamic from the perspective of sounds and instrumentation, yet oddly faithful to the heart of the original tunes – a style that gives the record a bit more sincerity than most of his work – while still delivering the same sort of creative punch! Titles include "Save The Last Dance For Me", "I Want Candy", "He Hit Me", "Baby It's You", "I Love How You Love Me", "Paradise", and "Spanish Harlem".

A suite of tracks inspired by the poetry of Rimbaud – but carried off with sounds that are light years from his words on paper! The music is some of John Zorn's most hard-hitting in recent years – very different than the lyrical, poetic style you might expect – and done in with a fair bit of noise and electronics at times, mixed alongside acoustic instrumentation with offbeat phrasing and tuning. Titles include "Bateau Ivre", played by the Talea Ensemble with flute, clarinet, vibes, and strings; "A Season In Hell", which features both Zorn and Ikue Mori on electronics; "Illuminations", a loose free jazz piece from the trio of Stephen Gosling on piano, Trevor Dunn on bass, and Kenny Wollesen on drums; and "Conneries", which has insane vocalizations from Mathiew Almaric, plus alto, piano, organ, and guitar from Zorn!

John Zorn, inspired by the work of William Blake – on an album that's one of his most beautiful in years! There's a really lovely sound going on here – bright, and filled with hope – in ways we never thought we'd be hearing from Zorn many years back – music that's made not by John's own instrumentation, but by a group that features John Medeski on piano and organ, Kenny Wollesen on vibes, Carol Emanuel on harp, Trevor Dunn on bass, Joey Baron on drums, and Cyro Baptista on percussion! The sound is warm and very organic – a shade towards a Terry Riley minimal mode, but more lyrical overall – with an open, flowering quality that's wonderful right from the start. Zorn arranges and conducts – and titles include "An Island In The Moon", "The Hammer Of Los", "The Prophecy", "Marriage Of Heaven & Hell", "Night Thoughts", and "When The Morning Stars Sang Together".