A great double-length set by the Vandermark 5 – and a prime example of the ever-growing strength of the ensemble in recent years! Although headed by saxophonist Ken Vandermark, the ensemble's a very equally-matched batch of players – and really works as a unit on the session, crafting angular sound poems dedicated to inspirations and influences as diverse as Merce Cunningham, Art Pepper, Nino Rota, Steve Lacy, Magnus Broo, and the Volcano Suns! Titles include "That Was Now", "Road Work", "Burn Nostalgia", "Chance", "Vehicle", and "Camera". CD

The title's a great one for a number of reasons – first because there's some nicely muted trumpet on the session, played both by Magnus Broo and Goran Kajfes, both players we really love – and secondly, because the energy of the session is nicely muted too – like a fire that's kept slow-burning and under control, but which ends up delivering a lot more heat over a lot more distance – and that's saying a lot from a lineup of players who could easily go off like a firecracker! There's a strong sense of composition and individual identity here – kind of an evolution of a Charles Mingus spirit, but taken to territory that's perfect for the contemporary Scandinavian lineup – which also features Mats Aleklint on trombone, Mattias Stahl on vibes, Alexander Zethson on piano, Johan Berthling on bass, Konrad Agnas on drums, and Martin Kuchen on alto sax – the last of whom composed the three long titles on the set – "A Muted Reality", "The Hidden Balcony", and "Fkk Down Fkk Off". CD

A fantastic group that just seems to get better and better each time we hear them – one comprised of some of our favorite Swedish avant players of the past decade or two – coming together here in a way that's even greater than the sum of its parts! There's a bold energy to the group that seems to take off from the Charles Mingus ensembles of the late 50s and early 60s – that balance of unified message and individual voices – painterly sometimes, swinging at others – with work from Johan Berthling on bass, Magnus Broo on trumpet, Eirik Hegdal on baritone, Goran Kajfes on cornet, Martin Kuchen on alto and tenor, Mattias Stahl on vibes, Andreas Werliin on drums, Alexander Zethson on piano, and Mats Aleklint on trombone. There's a richness here that's undeniable, and which puts these guys in instant-classic territory – at least for avant jazz – on titles that include "Beyond Us", "Mali", "Against The Permanent Revolution", "Samar & The Egyptian Winter", and "U(n)happiez Marriages". CD

The most truly jazz-based group on Norway's hip Jazzland label – a quintet of players that know how to push an avant garde solo into a groove, and vice versa! The album's free-thinking and quite striking – as some tracks crackle with the energy of an early Mingus record, filtered through the colder cooler approaches of the recent Norwegian scene. The lineup features lead tenor and soprano by Fredrik Ljungkvist, plus trumpet by Magnus Broo, piano by Havard Wiik, bass by Ingebrit Haker Flaten, and drums by Paal Nilssen Love. Titles include "Longing For Martin", "Do It", "Psalm", "Fifth Circle", "Krilons Resa", "Prayer", and "El Coto". CD

Quite possibly the greatest album to date from Atomic – a set that steps out with a bold, rich sound right from the start – giving the whole thing the feel of some lost classic slice of avant jazz, but with a freshness that definitely marks the set with plenty of Atomic energy too! The horns are amazing – fierce interplay between the trumpet of Magnus Broo and reeds of Fredrik Ljungvist – locking together at times with these raging lines that have almost an ESP sort of feel – then breaking out with soul-drenching solos on their own – especially when Ljungvist handles the tenor. Paal Nilssen-Love's drums are on fire throughout – Havard Wilk barrels away on piano – and Ingebrigt Haker Flaten rolls things along strongly on bass. Titles include "Morphemes", "HCE", "Milano", "Kreuzberg Variations", "Panama", and "Unity Toccata". CD

The title's a great one, as the album may well be the clearest musical vision we've heard from Atomic so far – a wonderful record that has the group at a level that's slightly more tuneful and straightforward, but all without losing any of their previous edge! There's still some key free moments here, but they're also mixed in with some tighter, more structured songs that really show off the jazz chops of the whole group – the quintet that includes Magnus Broo on trumpet, Frederik Ljungkvist on tenor and b flat clarinet, Havard Wiik on piano, Ingebriget Haker Flaten on bass, and Hans Hulboekmo on drums. Wiik and Ljungkvist wrote all of the songs on the album, separately – and between them, they've got a balanced musical vision that really shapes the entire record. Titles include "A New Junction", "Laterna Interfruit", "Start/Stop", "Major", "December", and "A MacGuffin's Tale". CD

A brilliant pairing of free jazz forces – the Chicago-based School Days group of Ken Vandermark, and the groundbreaking Atomic combo from the Nordic jazz underground! The players here are all very like-minded, and fold together beautifully – in an octet lineup that features reeds from Ken Vandermark and Frekerik Ljungkvist, trumpet from Magnus Broo, trombone from Jeb Bishop, piano from Havard Wiik, vibes from Kjell Nordeson, bass from Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, and drums from Paal-Nilssen Love! Both Flaten and Love would become frequent collaborators in Chicago over the years – but this set captures the meeting of the groups in a very fresh way – a double-length set that's all original material – with titles that include "W Meets A", "Transparent Taylor", "Ink Worm", "Kerosene", "Conjugations" and "Dog Days". CD

Magnificent music from Atomic – a set that begins with a set of variations on the "Pet Sounds" theme from Brian Wilson – then takes off into some great directions inspired by the music of Steve Lacy, Jimmy Giuffre, Paul Bley, and Edgar Varese! Atomic are always fantastic – way more than the sum of their parts, which is a top-shelf quintet lineup that includes Fredrik Ljungkvist on saxes and clarinet, Magnus Broo on trumpet, Havard Wilk on piano, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on bass, and Hans Hulbaekmo on drums – mostly players you'll know from our rave reviews of their other music here on these pages, but who always seem to really reach new heights together as a group! There's a sense of energy here that's wonderful – structure balanced with freedom, group performance balanced with individualism – spread out over inventive performances of "Pet Sounds", "Karin's Mode", "Art", "Walking Woman", "Cry Want", "Un Grand Sommeil Noir", and "Inri". CD

Bold, brilliant work from Atomic – some of their most striking material ever, and surely a performance that must have tilted the theater they recorded it in! The live set features the group wrapped together tighter than ever – mixing free improv energy with a deeper sensitivity to sound – swinging wonderfully between the poles of free jazz and more sonic-directed pursuits, often within the space of a single burst of music! Fredrik Ljungvist plays tenor, baritone, and clarinet, with Magnus Broo on trumpet, Havard Wilk on piano, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on bass, and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums. Titles include "Green Mill Tilter", "Andersonville", "Fissures", "Murmansk", "Two Boxes", "Barylite", "Edit", "Roma", and "Sanguine". CD

An explosive meeting between Atomic and Ken Vandermark's School Days combo – proof that the Chicago/Scandinavia connection is stronger than ever! The double-length performance was recorded at Chicago's Green Mill nightclub, and it features an impressive lineup with Ken Vandermark on baritone sax and bass clarinet, Havard Wiik on piano, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Magnus Broo on trumpet, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on bass, Fredrik Ljungkvist on tenor, Kjell Nordeson on vibes, and Paal Nilssen-Love – all working on very long, open tracks that almost have the feel of some of the best improvising orchestra work from years back. The vibes add a nicely chromatic quality to the work amidst some of the fiercer horn passages – and titles include "Deadline", "Irrational Ceremony", "Visitors", "Andersonville", "Dark Easter", "Fort Funston", "Bunuel At The Cocktail Party", and "Closing Stages". CD

A great large group performance – with Ken Vandermark and Dave Rempis on reeds, Steve Swell on trombone, Magnus Broo on trumpet, and Michael Zerang and Tim Daisy on drums! CD