Nicole Mitchell is in very different territory here than on some of her more spiritual albums – something you might have guessed from the cover, which signals another great chapter in Mitchell's shift into science fiction territory on some of her other projects! At some level, Nicole's working more here almost as a writer of speculative soundscapes instead of a jazz musician – blowing a variety of flutes, and adding in some vocalizations – next to the original Vivo electronic system employed by Fabio Paolizzo – whose dark tones and dystopic elements really shape the sound of the set! Titles include "Perils To Beauty", "A Baby Jellyfish", "Replicas", "The Birth", "Transformation Of A Simple Life Form", "Make Fertile", "Wings", and "Apotropaic". CD

One of our favorite-ever Lee Konitz albums – a really unique session with a wonderful kind of sound! The record is one that might not please all Konitz purists – as Lee plays a bit of Varitone sax and flute in addition to his usual acoustic alto. However, the set's got an amazing edge that you don't really hear in his other work – and was recorded in Italy in 1968 with a hip group that's working in a tight modal soul jazz mode. The other players include Italian luminaries Enrico Rava on trumpet, Franco D'Andrea on piano, and Giovanni Tomasso on bass – and the group grooves in a way that Konitz ensembles never do, pushing Lee to do these solos that actually open up a bit more than usual, almost even showing a bit of the spiritual jazz influences of the time. Titles include "Komonia", "Midnight Mood", "Take Seven", "Tune Down", and "Terre Lontane". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the best of the Schema/Rearward reissues of lost Italian jazz – and a sparkling session that features the work of a young Gato Barbieri, plus trumpeter Franco Ambrosetti, pianist Franco D'Andrea, and bassist Giovanni Tommaso. Drummer Franco Tonani leads the session – but the best work is by Ambrosetti, who's got a lot of Miles Davis in his horn at this point, and by D'Andrea, who's warm and lyrical, with none of the self-indulgence of later years. Barbieri lacks the fire of his great recordings, but his tenor's also nice and strong – and he adds some of the rougher edges to the session, in a nice counterpoint to Ambrosetti's sweeter horn. Titles include "Solar", "Vamos", "U Boat", "Drum Ding", and "Hard Mode", done in 2 takes. Great package, with a nice cover, and excellent attention to good sound! CD