Lynn Cassiers on voice and electronics, Bo Van de Werf on bartone sax, Erick Vermeulen on piano, Jozef Dumoulin on fender rhodes and keyboard, Manolo Cabras on double bass and Marek on drums. CD

Jason Scott on tenor and alto saxophone and clarinet, JC Kuhl on tenor saxophone and clarinet, John Lilley on tenor saxophone, Steven Bernstein on trumpet and slide trumpet, Bob Miller on trumpet, Bryan Hooten and Reggie Pace on trombone, Matt White on guitar, Cameron Ralston and Eddie Prendergast on bass, Pinson Chanselle on drums, and Brian Jones on percussion. CD

An incredible solo record from Rob Mazurek – a wonderful change from some of his larger group and collaborative projects – even though we love those a heck of a lot too! This set's a great reminder of the core improvisational genius that Rob's always had, but which sometimes is overshadowed by the group activity on his other records. Here, Mazurek blows cornet alone, and also plays both standard and prepared piano – and colors things with just a dash of his great electronics – often used in more sparing and subtle ways than some of his group efforts. A really beautiful set from a musician who continues to reward us over the years – with titles that include "Twombly At New Church", "Gazing Through Walls", "King Of Rome", and "Sweet Life In Disrepair". CD

These guys already had our attention the moment we looked at the back cover – and noted that they were playing songs by Phil Cohran, Sun Ra, and Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre – then they really won us over once we heard the very first few notes of the set! The group's only a quartet on most tracks, but they've got a sense of majesty to really live up to the music – definitely making magic with the roots they refer to in their name – in a lineup that features Alberto Popolla on clarinet and bass clarinet, Errico De Fabritiis on alto and baritone sax, Gianfranco Tedeschi on bass, and Fabrizio Spera on drums and percussion. There's some nice surprises along the way – harmonica, zither, and "objects" used in the performances – and there's a way of reworking avant traditions that remind us of some of the most innovative sides of the Italian scene at the end of the 80s – on titles that include "When There Is No Sun", "Karen On Monday", "Frankiphone Blues", "Devil Got My Woman", "Humility In The Light Of The Creator", and "A Girl Named Rainbow". CD

Features Tony Malaby on saxophones, Wadada Leo Smith on trumpet, William Parker on bass and Nasheet Waits on drums. CD

Mark O'Leary on guitars, Jeff Kaiser and John Fumo on trumpet, and Alex Cline on drums, percussion, and small objects. CD

Martin Kuchen's Trespass Trio meets free jazz legend Joe McPhee for an album that collects the best tracks from a three day residency in Salao Brazil jazzbar. CD

Kris Davis on piano, Ingrid Laubrock on tenor saxophone, and Tyshawn Sorey on drums. CD

With Michael Foster on reeds. CD

The title really gets things right here – as Joe McPhee is in some of his most sonic territory – really working sometimes at a level that's way beyond music, yet still managing to bring a strong sense of soul to the set too! The album begins with "Episode One", dedicated to Don Cherry – and really featuring some incredible pocket trumpet work from McPhee – blown at a level that's very subtle in shape and texture, but which gains power as the track moves on. "Episode Two" is dedicated to Ornette Coleman, and features much more dynamic alto sax – handled at a level that's more tenor-like than Coleman ever would have done – with a free-flowing vibe that's really wonderful! CD

Guitarist Joe Morris works here with frequent partner Mat Maneri on viola – a duo who've been making music for many years together – and who find this really special way of combining their two instruments together – at a level that's almost its own sort of space between a viola and guitar! Sounds come from either musician at a level that's always very inventive, and spontaneously creative – and the pair get rhythmic assistance from Chris Lightcap on bass and Gerald Cleaver on drums – both of whom are as loose and free as Morris and Maneri, so that the instruments shade in the sound more than direct the propulsion of performance. Titles include "Thought", "Effort", "Trust", "Purpose", "Substance", and "Meaning". CD

Features Roy Campbell Jr. on trumpet, Mark Whitcage on alto sax, Joe Fonda on bass, and Lou Grassi on drums. CD

Aruan Ortiz on piano and vocals, Don Bryon on clarinets, Pheeroan Aklaff on drums, and Lester St. Louis and Yves Dhar on cello – interwoven with passages by Martin Luther King Jr, performed by Mtume Gant. CD

Kris Davis on piano, Ingrid Laubrock on tenor and soprano saxophone, and Tyshawn Sorey on drums, melodia and trombone. CD

Reedman John Butcher joins the Red Trio for this sweet little set – adding some amazingly-crafted lines that really deepen their sound, and maybe give the group a bit more soul than usual! Butcher's still as eccentric and offbeat in his style as the trio – but there's a raspy quality to his work on tenor especially, which has maybe an even more human sort of "voice" than the starker sounds from Rodrigo Pinheiro on piano, Hernani Faustino on bass, and Gabriel Ferrandini on drums and percussion. The core trio are still wonderful – as much so as on previous records – but the presence of Butcher is very marked, and really adds a lot. Titles include "Track 1.1", "Track 1.2", "Track 1.3", and "Track 2". CD

Eric Revis on double bass, Kris Davis on piano, and Andrew Cyrille on drums. CD

Three long solo piano pieces. CD

Eve Risser and Kaja Draksler on piano. CD

An album inspired by the legendary John Coltrane album Live At The Village Vanguard Again – but a set that takes off in very individual directions, thanks to the spirit of the players! The group's led by pianist Jamie Saft – who's drawing strong energy from Alice Coltrane on the record – especially in the way he effortlessly lays out these dark lines that have a calming presence amidst the more ferocious horn work from Joe McPhee on alto and tenor – that balance that both Mr and Mrs Coltrane could share at their best. Joe Morris provides some of the rounded, most soulful bass we've heard in years – and drums are by Charles Downs, who easily leaps between free moments and bolder rhythmic progressions. Titles include "Beyond Days", "Simplicity Of Man", "Leaves Of Certain", and "A Backward King". CD

A beautiful group with a really bold feel – not the famous electric Cortez of the 70s – but a contemporary Norwegian ensemble with a wonderful sense of interplay! The quartet features Thomas Johansson on cornet, Kristoffer Alberts on reeds, Ola Hoyer on bass, and Gard Nilssen on drums – and they work together in this very fluid, well-hewn sort of style – expressively rich in sort of a post-Ornette Coleman sort of mode, but with especially strong individual moments from both Johansson and Alberts! The music builds wonderfully – moving with these confident shapes that take form quickly – at a level that's far from the mainstream, but also hardly free improvisation either. The four musicians really know each other perfectly – and have a richness of vision that's instantly apparent – on tracks that include "Cerebrum", "Endorphin", "Gray Matter", "Interlude", and "Crossing". CD