Fantastic interplay between a very free trio – Josh Berman on cornet, Jason Roebke on bass, and Paul Lytton on percussion – really opening up on two side-long improvisations! Berman can work in more arranged settings, but he's very free here – and expressing himself with this amazingly bold sense of phrasing on the cornet – with energy that just builds and builds as the music goes on! Lytton's a joy, as always – with percussive elements that have a crackle that almost reminds us of some of his electronics, too – clearly a sonic sensibility inspired by that side of the spectrum – rounded out by deeper, more soulful sounds from the bass of Roebke. The set features two improvisations – "Padova" and "Trondheim" – one recorded in Italy, the other in Norway. LP, Vinyl record album

A great large group recording from bassist Jason Roebke – and maybe one of his best records so far! Roebke's working here with a crack assortment of Chicago musicians – all players who have been rising in the same wave of creativity that's also held Jason up in recent years, and who seem to hit even greater heights here working under his leadership! The album's got that mix of composition and freedom that's really marked Chicago for the past decade or so – but there's also some richer ideas bubbling up, and a sense of tone and color that makes each musician resonate individually in a very strong way, while continuing to contribute a lot to the sound of the group. Players include Greg Ward on alto, Keefe Jackson on tenor and sopranino, Jason Stein on bass clarinet, Josh Berman on trumpet, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Mike Reed on drums, and Jason Adasiewicz on vibes – and titles include "Looking Directly Into The Camera", "L'Acme", "Waiting", "People Laughing", "Getting High", and "For A Moment". CD

A great second meeting of a really fantastic group – the kind of combo that shows just the right sort of magic that can happen when you bring together improvisers who really have a strong sense of sympathy for each other! The music here is already way more than the sum of its parts – and it has some really incredible parts – Harris Eisenstadt in the lead on drums, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Tony Malaby on tenor and soprano sax, and Jason Roebke on bass – all musicians who really get each other's strengths, and find a way to make music that's mindblowing, but in surprisingly subtle ways. Roebke's an especially powerful force here – and titles include "Biomass", "Shaded Canopy", "Song With Owen", "Pit & Mound", "Nurse Logs", and "Needles/Seedlings". CD