Duets featuring Ornette Coleman on alto saxophone, trumpet, and violin – and Joachim Kuhn on piano! CD

Features Chick Corea on electric piano, Rolf Kuhn on clarinet, Joachim Kuhn on piano and organ, John Surman on baritone & soprano sax, Alan Skidmore on tenor sax, Peter Warren on bass and Tony Oxley on drums. CD

A rare early slice of work by the quartet of Rolf & Joachim Kuhn – a set originally intended for release on Atlantic Records in the 60s, but unissued until now! The album's far more modern than most of the group's other work from the time – very angular and exploratory – with tracks that have a stop/start sort of quality, letting Rolf stretch out sparely on clarinet lines that are arguably as revolutionary as Jimmy Giuffre's work on the instrument – as Joachim's piano strikes out in bold colors that clearly mark him as one of the best mainstream modernists of the 60s. Titles include "The Sound Of Cats", "Turning Point", "Golem", "Don't Run", and "Flowers In The Dark". CD

Titles include "Situation", "Delicate Pain", "Sensitive Detail", "Refuge", "Lunch In The Rain", and "Hauswoman Song". CD

Some of the hippest work we've ever heard from German clarinetist Rolf Kuhn – a beautiful set from the 60s, and one that's filled with modern touches, but never goes too far out! Rolf's clarinet is definitely sharper here than in the decade before – informed by much of the modern jazz changes around him, and stretching out in space that's nicely open, and often moved along with some modal rhythms on the bottom. As with some of his other European contemporaries, Kuhn manages to use the instrument in completely new ways than before – no trad jazz clarinet lines that echo Benny Goodman's generation – and instead, an extremely evocative sound that often carries some nicely exotic overtones. The rest of the group's great too – and includes brother Joachim Kuhn on piano, Michal Urbaniak on tenor and soprano sax, and Czeslaw Bartkowski on drums. Titles include "Lady Orsina", "Mountain Jump", "Minor Impressions", "Solarius", and "Soldat Tadeusz". CD

Jan Akkerman on guitars and synths, Jasper Van't Hoff and Joachim Kuhn on keys, Jim Campagnola on tenor sax, Pablo Nahar on bass guitar, and others. CD

A really great later effort from Helen Merrill – one recorded in Paris at the end of the 80s with some excellent tenor sax work from Stan Getz! The mode of the record is similar to other Merrill records from the time – spare, gentle, and moody – sometimes threatening to lapse into its own blueness, but wonderfully redeemed by Stan's solo lines – which push a boldness and raspy edge into the tunes that really livens things up. The album's a great demonstration of the Getz power on a vocal session – a sound that never overtakes the presence of the singer, but really brings in something fresh – a voice of its own that helps redefine the tunes and create some of the most exciting moments on the record. Other players include Joachim Kuhn and Torrie Zito on piano, JF Jenny-Clark on bass, and Daniel Humair on drums – and titles include "Music Makers", "Cavatina", "It's Not Easy Being Green", "Yesterdays", "If You Go Away", and "Just Friends". CD

A legendary moment in European free jazz – performances all recorded on a single Sunday in 1969 – but which stand as some of the most powerful music of the time! The vibe here is often in the best spirit of early FMP, or maybe the most outside work of MPS – and the recording quality equals the best avant jazz on both labels – with very long performances on each track that represent the pinnacle of all players involved! One side alone is worth the price of admission – a searing track titled "Finally", performed by an octet with Peter Brotzmann at the helm, alongside Evan Parker on tenor and soprano sax, Fred Van Hove on piano, Paul Rutherford on trombone, Peter Kowald on bass, and Pierre Favre on drums. Favre returns on "Let's Talk About The Weather" – played by a trio with Kowad on bass and Irene Schweizer on piano. Other tracks include "Five To Five" and "Gluga Gluga Blues" by the Joki Freund Quintet, "In Memory Of John Coltrane" by Marion Brown, "Vibration" by the group of saxophonist Joe Fiera and trombonist Ed Kroger, and "Circus Live" by a quartet led by Rolf Kuhn on electric clarinet, with Joachim Kuhn on piano and Stu Martin on drums. CD

One of Don Cherry's most hypnotic albums ever – a full album-length performance that features one of his first experiments with mixing jazz and global elements! The set was captured at the 1968 Berlin Jazz Festival – and mixes Cherry's amazing work on cornet, flute, and a myriad of world instruments with key contributions from European improvisers who include Eje Thelin on trombone, Bernt Rosengren on tenor and oboe, Karl Berger on vibes, Joachim Kuhn on piano and prepared piano, and Albert Mangelsdorf on trombone! There's even a bit of gamelon elements in some of the music, and Sonny Sharrock plays guitar too – and although free at times, the music comes together with an amazing sense of cohesion by the end – a vision that would inspire others to move into new territory in the decade to come. CD

A quintessential MPS session – a tribute to the psychedelic influences of Timothy Leary, put together by the famous French tenor player Barney Wilen in an amazing mix of funk, jazz, and jamming! The sound is incredible – a perfect illustration of the mindblowing genre-blurring sound going on at the MPS label during these key years – recorded with top-shelf production that really makes the whole thing explode! Wilen plays here with his "Free Rock Band" – an electrified collective that features Aldo Romano on drums, Joachim Kuhn on organ, Mimi Lorenzini on guitar, and Gunter Lenz on bass – all working in a similar vein to some of Dave Pike's wilder albums, or the legendary Oimels album by Wolfgang Dauner! The band performs an incredible stoner funk version of "Ode To Billy Joe", a wildly spacey take on "The Fool On The Hill", the tight funky jammer "Dur Dur Dur", and a haunting moody electric version of Ornette Coleman's "Lonely Woman". The whole thing caps off with a wild avant funky version of Otis Redding's "Respect" – and the record's a stone winner all the way through! CD

With Jukka Tolonen, Coste Apetrea, Christer Eklund, Harri Merilahti, Bill Carson and special guest Joachim Kuhn. CD