Two reed geniuses, working together in sublime formation – an extended, open live performance setting – which makes for incredible interplay throughout! There's a beautiful balance between unity and conflict going on here – Evan Parker and Joe McPhee both blowing soprano and tenor, with McPhee on a small bit of pocket cornet as well – crafting lines that sometimes snake out alongside each other, flowering in the open space of improvisation – sometimes chafe next to each other, but in ways that create a magical tension of sonic possibilities – growing to a sound that's way more than the sum of its parts. The set features seven live improvisations – all recorded in the space of the Chicago Cultural Center in 2003. CD

Lee Morgan on the hippest side of his 60s talents – working here in a style that's really stretching out, and in the same territory as similar unreleased gems from the time – like Tom Cat or Sonic Boom! The group here is very inventive – Jackie McLean on alto, Larry Willis on piano, Reggie Workman on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – players who really represent the left side of Blue Note, but not as out as the "new thing" crowd – with a really creative approach to both the rhythms and the solos, commanded by Morgan's rich imagination at this point in his career. All tunes are great, and titles include "Zip Code", "Infinity", "Miss Nettie B", "Growing Pains", and McLean's fantastic "Portrait of a Doll". CD

The group's just a trio, but they've got a wonderfully full sound – a rich funky groove that comes from just drums, bass, and keyboards – yet which has this soaring reach that almost takes us back to the 70s genius of work on labels like Fantasy or Prestige! Drummer Toshiyuki Sasaki is a monster on the kit – snapping things into the groove from the very first note, and driven on strongly by the basslines of Shigeki Umezawa – while Mariko Nakabayashi warms things up in a wonderful way with all sorts of great keyboard solos – often in an electric piano mode, but sometimes with a wider sonic reach as well! The approach is a bit like the Indigo Jam Unit from years back, but maybe has some more classic touches as well – thanks to versions of cuts by Weldon Irvine, Manzel, and Deodato, all mixed in with the group's own music too. Titles include "Another World", "Space Funk", "Looking Back", "Inner Space", "La Ritournelle", "Skyscrapers", "Caught Up", "Nautical Table", and "We Getting Down". (Deep Funk, Jazz) CD

Percussion duets between Tony Oxley and Stefan Holker – with electronics by the latter – all served up at a level that reminds us why Oxley has been such an important improvising talent on the drums over the course of his many decades in music! As with the best improvisers, Tony is able to shift into a mode that's very resonant with his partner on a date – which in this case means work on drums that's often more spacious and textural than some of his other recordings – very aware of all the sonic possibilities of his instrument, and served up in ways that are often far from conventional sounds and rhythm! The CD features six improvisations, of varying lengths – but with a nicely unified vibe. CD

A record with a very careful approach to sound – very slow-building work on soprano sax from Evan Parker, matched with equally thoughtful electronics from Matthew Wright – both players coming together in one of the most subtle executions of this mode we've ever heard! And that quality is only heightened by the fact that the group's a quartet – Peter Evans on trumpet and piccolo trumpet, and Mark Naussef on percussion – players who share the sensitivity of the dual leaders, as they build things up over long improvisations that really showcase that thoughtful sonic sensitivity that's always made Parker such a distinct reedman on the European scene. The whole thing is definitely a free jazz expression of electro/acoustic ideals first forged in the middle of the 20th Century – and titles include "At Altitude", "Drawing Breath", and "Engaged In Seeking". CD

Maybe one of the most beautiful records we've ever heard from the mesmerizing Zeena Parkins – a set of solo work, mostly done on her electric harp – an instrument that she hasn't used in awhile, but which is wonderfully reawakened here! There's a sonic sensitivity to the record that really brings us back to why we first fell in love with Parkins so many years ago – and the electric harp sounds hardly like you might guess from an instrument of such a name – as Zeena turns it into a conveyor of all sorts of sounds and tones, with extra help from percussion, assorted pedals,a nd some found objects! The album features ten tracks, all really beautiful – making this one of the real standouts in this Black Cross series. CD

Trumpeter Jeremy Pelt is always a player who finds a way to bring a little something extra to a record – shifting his sound, changing his tone, and always finding a way to offer us a fresh approach – but all while really holding strong to his core principles! Here, Plet's a sonic master – blowing both muted and unmuted, in a very cool lineup that includes excellent work on vibes from Jalen Baker and guitar from Alex Wintz – players whose combinations come across wonderfully – augmented at a few spots by Fender Rhodes and piano from Frank LoCrasto. Leighton McKinley Harrell plays both acoustic and electric bass, drums are by Allan Mednard or Deantoni Parks, and titles include "No AI", "Earl J", "Ante Meridiem", "Basquiat", "Milocraft", and "Amma Is Here". CD

Ivo Perelman's got a mighty great group here – a quartet with Matthew Shipp on piano, Mark Helias on bass, and Tom Rainey on drums – all of whom really set fire to the music! Ivo's still got that sense of careful tones and textures that you'll know from other records – but at times, things really take off with some bolder, quicker, freer passages that really make for a great contrast – like the whole band's been shaken up like a can of soda, then cracked open with a really bold sort of sonic spray! The balance between careful contemplation and full-on frenzy is great – and titles include "Entrainment", "Life Force", "Water Music", "Fluidity", "Flow", and "Boundless". CD

An album of rich textures and subtle sonic moments – the bass of Barre Phillips in duet with the clarinets of Giancarlo Locatelli – a player who uses his reed instruments with this very spare, careful sort of approach – really taking his time to find out the properties of the horns that go far beyond music! Locatelli plays both b flat and bass clarinet – in a mode that's on the farther side of the free jazz use of those instruments from years back – on a set of very long improvisations dedicated to Coleman Hawkins – maybe initially an odd choice, until you realize that Hawk might well have approved of the inventive phrasing on the spot. Titles include "Dance Of The Scorpions No 1", "Dark Moon Dance One", and "Dark Moon Dance Two". CD

Pure acoustic genius from Hans Reichel – an improvising musician who rose up in the same generation as Derek Bailey and Fred Frith, but who's got a sound that's maybe much more in the experimental style of American artists like John Fahey or Robbie Basho! We're not saying that Reichel sounds exactly like either of them, but there is a similar love of overall sonic possibilities, and finding tunefulness far from the norm – continually coming up with breathless beauty at a level that's really unexpected, and definitely different than the usual session of free jazz on the FMP label. Titles include "Could Be Nice", "Two Small Pieces Announced By Cigar Box", "Bonobo Beach 1", "Southern Monologue", and "Bonobo Beach 2". CD

A killer combination of sounds served up by a group led by a tenor saxophonist – but one who chooses to make music that's very different than the norm! Otis Sandsjo has a way of phrasing that's very fresh, and almost electronic at times – which blends in perfectly with the chunky sounds from his trio-mates Petter Eldh on bass and Dan Nicholls on keyboards – players who all have a way of letting loose, cutting things up, and allowing production to layer in all these other sonic and rhythmic elements along the way! The mix of live performance and altered recording is a bit like some of the Makaya McCraven experiments – but more tenor-focused, in a great way – on tunes that include "Loomy", "Orkaneon", "Pluralregn", "Clicks 2023", and "Earrings". CD

An unreleased set of solo performances from trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith – one that we'd rank right up there with his most adventurous work of the 70s! Smith comes across wonderfully on the record – full of soul and imagination, and easily as impressive on his solo instruments as scenemate Roscoe Mitchell could be in a similar setting – always moving around with thoughtful shifts in timing and purpose, in ways that always make the whole performance feel very organic, especially as Smith moves between other instruments that include flute, percussion, gongs, and steelophone. Titles include "Jupiter's Astro Waves", "Blue Green Gardens Of The Indigenous People", and "Pan Sonic Fire Rhythms/Red Chrysanthemums/Dark Purple Night On Crater Lake With A Clear View Of Saturn's Rings & Moons". CD

A cinematic blend of electronics and percussion – served up in a way that every bit as evocative as a vintage soundtrack, especially work from the 80s action years – yet handled with a sonic richness that often surpasses music from that generation too! The group's a duo – and features Latarnik on keyboards and piano, an artist you may know from other great titles on the Astigmatic label – working in collaboration here with drummer Cancer G, who also plays some keyboards as well – as the pair craft these tracks that open up with all sorts of subtle shifts in tone, color, action, and life. Titles include "Minus 10 Celsius", "Nadeszia Zima", "Zamrozenie", "Zamiec", "Roztopy", "Ostatnia Taka Zima", and "Lawina". (New Grooves, Jazz) CD

A tremendous 70s album from Charles Tyler – one recorded with a rich, raw tone that's simply mindblowing! Tyler here has all of the deep soul we first came to love during his ESP years, but also a sound that's a bit more focused too – one that's extremely powerful, and boldly righteous – not exactly spiritual jazz, but also not loft jazz either. The sound is wonderful – Tyler's sharp-edged alto out front, in a group with trumpeter Earl Cross – a player who's a really great match in spirit and tone. Other group members include Steve Reid on drums, and bassist Ronnie Boykins and John Ore – players who each play in a different channel of the record! The set is billed as "a polyphonic sonic drama performed live by the Charles Tyler Ensemble" – which is a wonderful summation of the music. CD

A really great combo from the contemporary London scene – one who work with jazz instrumentation, but in ways that echo a variety of rhythmic styles – elements of North and West African modes, and touches of Caribbean as well – but all done with a lean, instrumental style! The group's led by drummer Ben Brown, who plays some equally great percussion next to Ernesto Maricholes – in rhythms that also get plenty of action from the guitar of Tal Jones and bass of Joe Downard. Tenor from Sam Rapley really sets the tunes on fire – often providing a raspy edge that's in a nice contrast to the rhythms, adding a real current of soul, and also opening up the sonic palette of the grooves! Titles include "Grown", "Wassoulou", "Time's Got A Hold", "Rollando", "Moleman", and "Listening Glasses". CD

Maybe one of the coolest volumes ever in this long-running series from John Zorn – but maybe that's also because the album's dedicated to the great Terry Riley, and features Zorn improvising on organ, on two long tracks that definitely echo the minimalist legacy in Riley's music! The organ is a pipe organ, which has a much fuller sound and larger presence than some of the electric keyboards that Riley used in the past – and while Zorn echoes that sense of song progression that you'll know from the composer/performer's famous recordings, he also lets loose with his own sonic tendencies too – and explores some of the farther reaches of the pipes with very heavy sounds! The album features two long tracks – "A New Door Opens" and "Elissa's Tears" – both improvised. CD

A wonderful pairing of sounds from these two giants of the New York downtown scene – John Zorn on alto and Bill Laswell on bass, both players who've really evolved a hell of a lot over the decades – and who come together here with a maturity that really marks the sound of the set! There's less in your face type energy going on here – as the tracks stretch out, and both players feel a sense of sonic freeplay more than overwrought improvisation – spinning out long, almost poetic tributes to three key musical inspirations – "Wayne Shorter", "Milford Graves", and "Pharoah Sanders". CD

A set with an unusual sort of flavor – one that looks at the influence of Spanish culture on modern music during the postwar years – brought together here in a mix of jazz and classical recordings with some very different styles! CD1 is all jazz – and showcases some key Spanish-themed projects – most notably the famous Miles Davis/Gil Evans collaborations, but also work by John Coltrane and Django Reinhardt too – music that maybe adapts Spanish classical themes for the modern idiom. CD2 dives more into the realm of classical – and features work by both French and Spanish composers with very vivid sonic imagery – longer pieces by Ravel, Debussy, and De Falla – heard here in classic recordings. CD3 is a bit more intimate, and features a range of classical themes, but with more up-close performance – often classical guitar, played by Sabicas, Julian Bream, and others – but sometimes with piano, and in one case a woodwind quintet. 37 tracks in all – with a detailed booklet of notes! (Global Grooves, Jazz) CD

Seminal ESP work from Albert Ayler – a unique session done as a soundtrack to a short (and weird!) film from experimental director Michael Snow! The lineup is a bit different than some of Ayler's other ESP albums – and features Don Cherry on trumpet and cornet, John Tchicai on alto, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums. At times, the record's got a bit of a "new thing" vibe – a bit more spacious and sonic than some of Ayler's other material – but at other times, it burns with an intensity that's almost harder and freer than any of Albert's trio dates of the 60s. The album features 2 long tracks – "AY" and "ITT" – plus the shorter "Don's Dawn". CD

A really incredible meeting of these two important players – and an album that's done in a different mode than some of their other recordings! The set features one long improvisation – stretching out in ways that still echo some of the spiritual qualities of Isaiah Collier's recordings, but with a vibe that's also more spacious and geared towards the overall sonic vibe of the performance – thanks in part to Jaimie Branch's use of electronics next to her trumpet, which are augmented by the shimmering guitar work of Gilles Coronado as well! Isaiah Collier blows soprano and tenor, but in lines that are also sometimes more open – and augmented by his work on percussion next to the drums of Tim Daisy – as the quartet makes their way through the well-titled, album-length track "Hmmmmm". CD

The alto and tenor of Peter Brotzmann get some fantastic accompaniment here – work from Heather Leigh on pedal steel and Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello – two instruments that really create this amazing sonic space next to the saxophones! Although Brotzmann recorded these performances as part of a series of 80th birthday concerts, he's got an incredibly powerful, youthful sound throughout – really barreling past the more spacious sounds of the other two instruments – not in a way that shrugs them aside, but which instead seems to use them for sonic springboards as new inspiration. Titles include the very long title track, "Naked Nudes" – plus "Flower Flaps" and "Johnny Anaconda". CD

A stunning setting for the guitar of Bill Frisell – and an album that's maybe even more beautiful than we might have expected! The record features Bill's core trio – with Rudy Royston on drums and Thomas Morgan on bass – but the real genius of the set may well come from the great Michael Gibbs – the British jazz musician and arranger who created some groundbreaking records in the late 60s and early 70s, and brings a commanding sense of tone and timing to the album! The whole thing has a vibe that's very different than other work from Frissell – and two larger ensembles provide the backings for arrangements crafted by Gibbs – sublime sonic energy on titles that include "Sweet Rain", "Electricity", "Nocturne Volgaire", "We Shall Overcome", "Monica Jane", and "Lookout For Hope". CD

The sonic intensity of saxophonist Mats Gustafsson gets a perfect foil here in the electronics of Joachim Norwall – a musician who really helps Gustafsson to reach some of the most powerful sounds we've heard from his horns in years! Mats can have a way of blowing his instruments as if they're almost modular electronics – not in a cold sort of approach, but one that works the reeds and pads with a pulsating sort of energy – waves of sonic activity shifting in pace, as he creates this incredible magic on baritone sax, slide saxophone, bass saxophone, alto fluteophone, and flute – while Norwall delivers work on analogue electronics in a range of different styles. Sometimes the electronics are more in the background of the saxophone improvisations, sometimes more actively upfront – and titles on the set include "There Are Some Worlds Where All Dreams Die", "Their New Life Was Their Final Life", "Birdbrain", "His Fingers Moving In The Air Produced A Soft Organ Like Music", "Here Eyes Were Like Cold Fires", and "The Day Of Days Was There". CD

The music of Carlos Nino has just gotten more and more spiritual as the years go on – and that's really saying a lot, given how spiritual he was right at the start! But with recent records, Nino has transformed from a jazz-inspired musician to maybe more of a sonic astronaut – able to take organic moments of expression and weave them into a rich tapestry of tone, color, and life – almost as if he's reworking the plane of existence, and trying to find the door to greater enlightenment in the process! That approach definitely comes through here, as Nino opens up in the company of contributors who include Jamael Dean on piano and keyboards, Devin Daniels on alto, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson on strings, Jesse Peterson on guitar, Sam Gendel on alto, and Jamire Wiliams on drums – as well all players whose work appears in different ways on a variety of tracks – all helmed by the sonic exploration of Carlos, with a bit of help from veteran travelers Iasos and Laraaji. Titles include "Explorations 7", "Actually", "For The Shapalaceer", "Luis' Special Shells", "Jamirelandflight", "Waterwavesarrival", "In The Moment", "Youwillgetthroughthis I Promise", "Dreamsishappening", and "Recurrent Reiki Dreams". CD

A really compelling blend of sounds – the trumpet and flugelhorn of Susana Santos and the bass of Torbjorn Zetterberg – all coming together in ways we really wouldn't expect! The tracks each seem to have a very different flavor – not just a trumpet solo over a bassline, but instead a completely re-conceived pairing of both instruments – at a level that's especially a surprise when compared to some of Zetterberg's other, straighter work. Torbjorn still has that round, warm, really deep sound we love so much – but he also manages to shift into other sonic ranges in the company of Susana – who herself is very free in trying out a number of different voices on the set. Titles include "Feet Machine Song", "Cow Safari", "Flocos De Mel", "Falling & Falling & Falling", and "Head Distortion Machine". CD

A hell of a document of what Cecil Taylor could do when he was at his best – just one man and one piano, but a universe of sonic exploration and non-stop energy throughout! The set features a rare 1968 live performance in Poland – done at the nation's famous Jazz Jamboree festival – and Taylor is completely unbound during the 43 minute "Respiration" which takes up the entire album – even more so than on some of his better-known records from a few years before – and solo, without even having to pay attention to other group members on the stage – so that he can just focus his frenzied attack on the piano, which must have been reduced to splinters by the time the set was over! Yet this isn't just bombast, as the whole thing has that intrinsic logic that makes a Taylor solo set like this so brilliant – a complete understanding of all the possibilities of the instrument, really pushing them to the limits, but also with a cohesive mission that makes the whole thing come together in a fantastic way. CD

A collection of Ornette Coleman albums from the end of the 60s – work from two key albums, plus some interesting bonus material too! First up is the album Ornette At 12 – a set that features two generations of Ornette Coleman – making incredible music here together! The album's a freewheeling late 60s outing from the senior Ornette – who plays alto, violin, and trumpet here – working with his young son Ornette D Coleman on drums, just 12 years old at the time – but a surprisingly strong free jazz player overall! Heavyweight help comes from Dewey Redman on tenor – really tremendous here, with energy that's up there with Albert Ayler or Archie Shepp at their 60s best – plus Charlie Haden on bass, really coming strongly back into the music at this point in his career. The album's quite free overall – similar to some of Coleman's Blue Note work of the period – and titles include "COD", "Rainbows", "New York", and "Bells and Chimes". Next is Crisis – a record that bursts out with a sound that definitely lives up to its striking title – as Ornette Coleman explores the new frontiers of experimental jazz with one of his great groups from the end of the 60s! The album's got the intensity of the best ESP sessions of the period, but also shows the richer sonic elements that Coleman can bring to the proceedings – that way of mixing sharp edges with surprising currents – delivered by an all-star group that features Ornette on alto and violin, Don Cherry on trumpet and flute, Dewey Redman on tenor and clarinet, Charlie Haden on bass, and the young Ornette D Coleman on drums. It's especially amazing to hear Haden and Cherry take on such different roles than in the Ornette material of the early 60s – and also realize a wider vision for the music, on tunes that include a great version of Haden's "Song For Che", plus "Broken Shadows", "Trouble In The East", and "Space Jungle". The last two tracks are maybe the most unusual – originally issued only as a promo 7" single by Impulse Records, with the tunes "Man On The Moon" and "Growing Up" – recorded with a group that features Cherry on trumpet, Redman on tenor, Haden on bass, and Ed Blackwell on drums – plus electronics from Emmanuel Ghent on one track! CD

Overlooked work by one of the true guitar geniuses of the 70s – an artist who should be right up there with Derek Bailey and Fred Frith – especially with groundbreaking work of this nature! Hans Reichel has a very unique approach to the electric – one that's both very deft on the strings, but also has a sonic sensibility that almost seems to use the instrument to trigger sounds as much as to create notes – moments that are often quite melodic, even when free – shifting between the infinite tonal possibilities of the guitar and some of its textural elements too. Some of Reichel's later work wasn't as great as his 70s output – but this album's a tremendous and well-lauded classic! Titles include "Lupi", "Shaved Guitar", "Krampfhandlugen", and "Alfons Al Piepenbrink & His Lonely Wah Wah Pedal". CD

Sonic exploration by three players who really know how to find the right path forward together – Tomeka Reid on cello, Joshua Abrams on bass, and Dave Rempis on alto and tenor saxes – a trio who resonate with that crisp, consistent sense of improvisation that has made the Chicago scene so wonderful in recent decades! The blend of the two stringed instruments with the reedwork by Rempis is wonderful – both Abrams and Reid are at the top of their league, and have a way of finding all these textures and soundshapes that are more than magical enough on their own – but which get really triangulated beautifully with the always-amazing sounds created by Dave on his saxes. There's nothing too heavy or too overdone here – brilliantly balanced performance throughout, on titles that include "Scape", "Stolon", "Umbel", "Anther", "Petiole", "Butomissa", and "Bulbil". CD

Maybe the most striking set in this ever-shifting series of releases from Matana Roberts – and one that shows his more advanced sonic sensibilities, in a mix of improvised jazz and more compositional settings! There's a vibe here that's almost like the more "serious" work of Roscoe Mitchell – at least in the way that reeds and strings interweave – yet Roberts, as always, brings a deeply personal approach to the music, with lots of shorter songs that weave more soulful elements amidst the avant expressions – which are served up by a lineup that includes Mike Pride on drums, Cory Smythe on piano, Darius Jones on alto, Mazz Swift on violin, and Mat Lavelle on alto clarinet and pocket trumpet. Kyp Malone brings in a bit of electronics, and there are vocalizations at points – on titles that include "A Caged Dance", "No Way Chastened", "Away Is Not An Option", "Shake My Bones", "Enthralled Not By Her Curious Blend", "Different Rings", "Predestined Confessions", and "We Said". CD

A really revelatory recording – material recorded by German trumpeter Manfred Schoof in 1966, and easily some of the most avant material set to tape on the scene at the time! The timing and presentation is similar to Schoof's better-known session for Hans Wewerke, but the overall sound here is even more groundbreaking – free sonic interplay within an incredible lineup that features Schoof on cornet and flugelhorn, Gerd Dudek on tenor, Alexander Von Schlippenbach on piano, Buschi Niebergall on bass, and Jacky Liebeziet on drums – heard here years before his work in Can! There's a great balance here between loose structure and free improvisation – very much at the top of the class for the European scene at the moment – and titles include "Voices", "Tropi", "Roots & Collage", "Adjustment", and "Rhythm Change". CD

An unusual project from the team of tenorist Binker Golding and drummer Moses Boyd – and one that really represents the compelling directions they've taken in recent years! The group here is a trio, with key contributions from Simon Ratcliffe of Basement Jaxx – who provides all these extra sonic touches and additional live instrumentation to create a rich tapestry of different elements, which are still grounded strongly by the acoustic performances of Binker and Moses! Golding is especially great in the setting – almost set free a bit more than usual, which creates some wonderfully soulful passages on his tenor – on titles that include "First Light", "The Spanish Master", "Tigris", "Ted", and "Cesca". CD

A brilliant solo effort from drummer Jim White – a musician who's provided support to a wide range of rock greats – including Nick Cave, PJ Harvey, and Bill Callahan – but one who's also a secret master of the drum kit, with a command of his instrument that's really breathtaking! In some ways, the set's a record of solo drums – maybe not as improvised as on a free jazz album, but pretty open overall – yet Jim also mixes in some other sounds too, mostly just to fill up the background space so that the drums are in the lead – a gentle sonic palette that still emphasizes all the live, spontaneous action on the acoustic drum kit at the core! Titles include "Names Make The Name", "Here Comes", "Soft Material", "Curtains", "Percussion Build", "Marketplace", and "Walking The Block". (Rock, Jazz) CD

Maybe one of the most striking examples of the genius of reedman Mars Williams we've ever heard – a set of live improvisations with drummer Hamid Drake – done in this really open, unadorned style that also has Drake really moving at the height of his power too! Williams effortlessly moves between sonic intensity and tunefulness, shifting instruments throughout the set – while Hamid delivers some of his more sensitive work on the kit at just a few points, but mostly responds to the raw energy of Mars by really letting loose in a way you don't always hear! The whole set was recorded in very friendly Chicago territory – and titles include "The Worm", "But What Am I", "I Know", and "You Are". CD

Improvisations between two very playful artists here – each of whom do a great job of balancing between their core instruments and sounds from some other slight sources as well! Mars Williams handles saxes, and Vasco Trilla plays drums – but the latter opens up all these other percussion instruments too, while Williams uses toy instruments in very inventive ways – all with results that make the record very different than just a standard set of improvisations between drums and saxes! There's a sonic quality to the record that's very much its own – as you'll hear on long tracks that include "Fogo", "The Tongue Set Free", "Thin Air", "Critical Mass", and "The Shaking Hand That Leaves A Mark". CD

The keyboards of Greg Foat have a really great setting here in a collaboration with Gigi Masin – served up in a style that's maybe more laidback and spacious than before, yet in a way that makes us fall in love with Greg's electric piano lines all over again! Masin's got roots in more ambient sounds, but the record definitely has a jazz approach at the core – plenty of the increasingly sensitive styles that Foat has developed as the years moved on – shifting from an initial role as a guy who could handle vintage keys, to a point where he's really emerged as a more fully-fledged jazz player overall! The blend of keyboards and a larger sonic palette still has plenty of live instrumentation in the mix – different than a project of this sort by an artist like Bugge Wesseltoft – and titles include "London Nights", "Viento Calido", "Your Move", "Sabena", "Leo Theo", "Love Theme", and "Dolphin". CD

Heady work from this supergroup on the London jazz scene – a moody electric ensemble that was initially put together to explore the music of Miles Davis, but who have a soaring sound that's very much all their own! If you know the work of some of the players in the lineup, you'll instantly recognize that you're in very genre-breaking territory – a world past conventional jazz, served up with contributions from Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings on saxes and flute, Theon Cross on tuba, Nikolaj Torp Larsen on electronics and melodica, Raven Bush on violin and electronics, Dave Okumu on guitar, Benji B on turntables and "sonic recycling", and Tom Skinner and Dan See on drums and percussion. The set was put together by Martin Terefe, who also plays guitar in the group – and the whole thing really takes off from early 70s Miles electric territory, on titles that include "Raven Flies Low", "Morning Prayers", "Bassics", "Miles Chases New Voodoo In The Church", and "London Brew". CD

A beautiful juxtaposition of sounds from this ultra-hip group led by pianist Myra Melford – a combo that's filled with sonic delights, thanks to work from Mary Halvorson on guitar, Ingrid Laubrock on tenor and soprano, Tomeka Reid on cello, and Lesley Mok on drums! The players with with a subtlety that's really wonderful – improvising, but with a very unified approach, and a thoughtful ear for sound that really resonates with some of Halvorson's own work as a leader – a balance that maybe makes Melford come across at her most delightful too – although Reid, as always, is a joy to hear, and the presence of Laubrock adds just the right edges at times. Titles include "Insertion 5", "Insertion 3 A + B", "Insertion One", and "Insertion Two". CD

Wonderful trio material from guitarist Jeff Parker – a lean, clear demonstration of his fantastic command of the instrument – in ways that are very different than the larger sonic palette of some of his other recent albums! In truth, the session is a three-pointed star, not just Parker's own – as it features some perfect work on drums from Nasheet Waits, whose sense of space and open touch on the kit really fits the mode here – as does the bass of Eric Revis, who's maybe the most subtle force on the record, but a tremendously powerful one too. Parker's guitar is illuminated with amazing color and tone throughout – and titles include "Between Nothingness & Infinity", "Similar Limits", "Drunkard's Lullaby", "That Eastside Romp", "Room For VG", and "Watusi". CD

Saxophonist Dave Rempis and drummer Tim Daisy are no musical strangers to each other, having played together often on many different recordings – yet here, the duo seem almost reborn – opening up all sorts of amazing sounds in the company of violinist Mark Feldman – whose sense of sound throughout is really incredible! This isn't jazz violin, ala Jean-Luc Ponty or Stephane Grappelli – as Feldman uses his instrument more as a sonic engine, to generate unusual sounds of all different types – which are then amplified and echoed by Daisy and Rempis on their instruments, which includes added percussion from Tim, and a mixture of alto, tenor, and baritone from Dave! The set features two long, mindblowing improvisations, both recorded at Elastic Arts – "Ostro" and "Bora". CD

Rudy Royston's a drummer, but also one with a wonderfully sensitive ear for sound – as you'll hear in this well-crafted second album from his Flatbed Buggy group – combo with a sound that's all their own! The drums are often gently used alongside a very special instrumental lineup that includes John Ellis on bass clarinet, Joe Martin on bass, Hank Roberts on cello, and Gary Versace on accordion – all players who use their instruments with a sense of unified sonic possibility that really takes them from their familiar roles! We've always loved Royston's work on sessions as a sideman, but as a leader it's clear that he's just at the start of a great musical journey – as you'll hear on titles that include "Limeni Village", "Look To The Hills", "The Mokes", "Five Thirty Strut", "Missing You", "It's Time To Sleep", and "AM Hours". CD

The pairing of Steve Swell's trombone and Joe McPhee's tenor here is pure genius – as both horns almost feel like creatures born from the same parent – working with these earthy, breathy elements that are totally great – very organic, and just another illustration of the very rich improvising talents of both musicians! Chris Corsano adds in just the right sort of work on drums and percussion – often furthering the earthiness of the sound – and the tunes build with an understated energy that has the sonic elements all coming together in these really thoughtful ways, while still communicating all the best energy of improvised music at its best. Titles include "Cosmic Passage", "Ardent Disruptor", "Open That Other Can Of Worms", "Every Edge Of Every Fold", and "Welcome To The Dancing Notes". CD

Three albums from this great reedman! Gibraltar features a killer Dutch duo from the end of the 70s – tenorist Harry Verbeke, who's got a bold, clear sound – and pianist Rob Agerbeek, who's been making soulful sides from the 60s onwards! The pair get great accompaniment here from drummer Billy Higgins and bassist Herbie Lewis – the last of whom may be at his best here – with these well-placed, well-rounded lines that help the record groove right from the start – and which give the record a nice bounce, even in gentler moments – followed up strongly by Agerbeek and his strong sense of chord progressions. Most tunes are familiar, but get nice readings by the group – and titles include "Gibraltar, "Holy Land", "Soul Sister", "No Me Esqueca", and "No Problem". It's You Or No One is a gem, as Harry Verbeke's a tenor player we grow to love more and more over the years – especially as we discover more of his obscure Dutch recordings like this album from the 70s! Verbeke's a tenorist who's completely fully-formed and strong-voiced right from the very first note – maybe indicated by his choice of a Barney Wilen tune to lead off the set – as, like Wilen, Harry's one of these great under-discovered European talents who really helped move his instrument forward, but away from recognition on our side of the Atlantic. The rest of the group is top-shelf too – the great Irv Rochlin on piano, Harry Emmery on bass, and Max Bollerman on drums – on titles that include "Blue Bossa", "Prelude In Blue", "Mariette", "Sugar", and "Chelsea Bridge". As for Harry Verbeke Plays Romantic Ballads, the title's no lie, but it can't even begin to get at the very special sound of the record – as there's a lot more going on here than just a saxophonist taking on American standards! Harry Verbeke's got this sense of tone and phrasing that are very much his own – a quality that we love on his harder-swinging records from the 70s, but which opens up with even more individuality here – a raspy sort of charm that's hard to describe in words, but which makes the album very different than so many other tenor outings of this type. Another strong element is the use of organ instead of piano – an instrument played here by Carlo De Wijs, who mostly shades in things under Harry's lead, rather than try to challenge him to a sonic battle – as the core get gentle support from Hein Van De Geyn on bass and Arnoud Gerritse on drums. Titles include "Stella By Starlight", "A Child Is Born", "Chelsea Bridge", "Spring Fever", and "Everything Happens To Me". CD

Pianist David Ake works here at a level that maybe lives up to the slightly rural image on the cover – still jazz, but with a quality that's almost pastoral at times – as he allows the tunes to open up and build slowly, almost as sonic landscapes – but with a sense of warmth and tone that's very different than use of the word "landscape" might imply from a label like ECM! There's almost an Americanist vision here that echoes some of the quiet experiments of Bill Frisell – but with Ake's piano in the lead, beautifully balanced next to the tenor of Tony Malaby, who's at his warmest in the setting – in a quartet that also features Boris Kozlov on bass and Rudy Royston on drums and percussion. All titles are originals by Ake – and tunes include "Walker Evans", "Stu's News", "John Prine", "Green Thumb", "Street Food", and "Kendee". CD