Rodrigo Amado & Chris Corsano —
No Place To Fall ... CD Astral Spirits, 2019. New Copy ...
$8.99
Searing sounds from this excellent duo – Rodrigo Amado on tenor and Chris Corsano on drums – both musicians that have such a clear, tight understanding of each other that they're able to improvised freely in fantastic ways – whether moving at top speed as a duo, or stepping ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(Limited edition.)
Artifacts (Nicole Mitchell/Tomeka Reid/Mike Reed) —
And Then There's This ... CD Astral Spirits, 2021. New Copy ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
Three really fantastic musicians – working together to turn out one the best records we've ever heard from any of them in years! Make no mistake, we love these guys in all sorts of other settings – but here, there's something really special, and definitely a cut above – this warm ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Artifacts (Nicole Mitchell, Tomeka Reid, Mike Reed) —
And Then There's This ... LP Astral Spirits, 2022. New Copy ...
Just Sold Out!
Three really fantastic musicians – working together to turn out one the best records we've ever heard from any of them in years! Make no mistake, we love these guys in all sorts of other settings – but here, there's something really special, and definitely a cut above – this warm ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Chicago Underground Quartet —
Good Days ... CD Astral Spirits, 2020. New Copy ...
$8.99
A fantastic step in the continuing evolution of the "Chicago Underground" project of trumpeter Rob Mazurek and drummer Chad Taylor – soaring out here in a set that's full of spiritual energy and a level of imagination that even surpasses their classic recordings from years ago! ... (Jazz) read moreCD
There's definitely a sense of concentric orbits taking place here – these long-spun lines that have a nicely cyclical quality – not always as straight in terms of rhythms, but with a pulsating energy that really has both players in constellation with each other! Rob Clearfield plays ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Slow-building sonic interplay between the clarinets of Jeremiah Cymerman and the guitars and piano of Charlie Looker – used in very open space that really lets both musicians find each others' sound, then unfold with a mode that's quite beautiful overall! There's certainly a nod here to the ... (Jazz) read moreCD
(First pressing limited to 500 copies!)
Karl Evangelista/Alexander Hawkins/Louis Moholo-Moholo/Trevor Watts —
Apura ... CD Astral Spirits, 2020. New Copy 2 CDs ...
$13.9916.99
Maybe the first album we've ever heard from guitarist Karl Evangelista as a leader – and a set that marks a very strong statement, right from the very first note! The set is done in tribute to an older British generation of free jazz – the period which included The Blue Notes and ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Alvin Fielder/David Dove/Jason Jackson/Damon Smith —
Very Cup of Trembling ... CD Astral Spirits, 2021. New Copy ...
$8.9914.00
Beautifully resonant improvisations, recorded in a cathedral in Houston, with a sonic power that's really wonderful – given the space and the depth of the room! The quartet often start out in relatively subtle territory – with the drums of Alvin Fielder or bass of Damon Smith staking ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Gordon Grdina & Jim Black —
Martian Kitties ... CD Astral Spirits, 2021. New Copy ...
$8.9914.00
There's a sound here that's a lot more fierce than the "kitties" in the title might make you expect – some nicely freewheeling interplay between the drums of Jim Black and the guitar of Gordon Grdina, who also plays some excellent oud at a few moments too! The tracks are relatively ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Burton Greene/Damon Smith/Ra Kalam Bob Moses —
Life's Intense Mystery ... CD Astral Spirits, 2019. New Copy ...
$8.9912.00
Amazing sounds from pianist Burton Greene – a modernist who's been quietly continuing a great legacy of creative music he started in the 60s – still sounding distinct and full of imagination in this well-recorded recent trio performance! The set has Greene working with Damon Smith on ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Wild sounds from Mats Gustafsson and Joachim Nordwall – a mix of unusual reed elements and electronics – almost always coming together with these earthy, crispy tones that are really amazing – and quite far beyond the territory of music! Mats is at his most sonic – odd ... (Funky 45's) read more7-inch, Vinyl record
Icepick (Nate Wooley/Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten/Chris Corsano) —
Hellraiser ... LP Astral Spirits, 2020. New Copy ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
A group that comes on with the sharply pointed force of their name – a really powerful presentation of sounds from Nate Wooley on trumpet, Chris Corsano on drums, and Ingebrigt Haker-Flaten on bass! All three players are fantastic here – leaping right out of the box with an energy that ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Sven Ake Johansson/Niklas Fite/Joel Grip —
Swinging At Topsi's ... CD Astral Spirits, 2021. New Copy ...
$8.9914.00
Legendary drummer Sven Ake Johansson is still swinging hard here – but in a way that's very much up to his own legacy in jazz! The set features two very long improvisations, plus two more numbers with more of a song structure – played by Johansson on drums, Niklas Fite on acoustic ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Quin Kirchner —
Other Side Of Time ... LP Astral Spirits, 2018. New Copy 2LP Gatefold ...
Out Of Stock
A mighty debut from Quin Kirchner – a drummer who's poised to become a key figure on the Chicago scene! Quin works here with help from some more familiar names – including Jason Stein on bass clarinet, Matt Ulery on bass, Nate Lepine on tenor and flute, and Nick Broste on trombone ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Kuzu is fast becoming one of the more compelling settings for the saxophone talents of the great Dave Rempis – as the blend of sounds here really sets things apart from other improvised combos, even though the elements are all very familiar! Tashi Dorji has a way of handling the guitar that ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
KVL (Quin Kirchner/Daniel Van Duerm/Matthew Lux) —
KVL Volume 1 ... LP Astral Spirits, 2019. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
The debut album from a very hip trio – one that features Quin Kirchner on drums and percussion, Daniel Van Duerm on organ and electric piano, and Matt Lux on bass – plus all three members on some sort of electronics! The tunes are instrumental and experimental, but almost always have ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
A really wonderful trio, and working here with results that are even better than we might have guessed from just the names on the date! The alto sax work of Nick Mazzarella is set up beautifully here next to the bass of Ingebrigt Haker Flaten and drums of Avreeayl Ra – as all three players ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A fantastic pairing of players – two Chicago legends, both in the sort of setting that really suits them best! Roscoe Mitchell works here on two long improvisations with drummer Mike Reed – blowing a variety of reed instruments, and really taking us back to the groundbreaking work he ... (Jazz) read moreCD
J Pavone String Ensemble —
Lost & Found ... CD Astral Spirits, 2020. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
Jessica Pavone plays viola and handles the compositions here – with a group that's less an ensemble than a well-matched trio – with Abby Swidler on viola, and Erica Dicker and Angela Morris on violins! The group's a bit like a string quartet, but with an extra viola instead of a cello ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Jessica Pavone —
Of Late ... CD Astral Spirits, 2022. New Copy ...
$8.9912.99
Viola player Jessica Pavone leads a string trio here – but the result is very different than you might expect, if you're only thinking of music in terms of jazz or more traditional elements – as there's a blend of strings, textures, and tones here that's completely wonderful! In ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Phicus (Fages/Revirego/Trilla) —
Solid ... CD Astral Spirits, 2020. Used ...
Out Of Stock
This Spanish trio has a really amazing blend of guitar, bass, and drums – used in ways that are very different from a conventional jazz combo, and which has this real focus on bottom-end sounds on most of the tracks! The guitar of Ferran Fages has all these unusual tones – not just ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Charles Rumback/Jim Baker/John Tate —
June Holiday ... CD Astral Spirits, 2020. New Copy ...
Out Of Stock
A sublime trio set from drummer Charles Rumback – a record that has us really appreciating the special touch the leader can bring to a date, as this album may also be one of the best that we've heard from pianist Jim Baker in years! Baker has this great way of sounding soulful and lyrical, ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Charlie Rumback —
Seven Bridges ... LP Astral Spirits, 2022. New Copy ...
$15.9920.00
Charlie Rumback once again proves himself to be one of the most enigmatic talents around – working here with a great group of musicians, in a set of tracks that push far beyond the currents of standard jazz – both avant and mainstream! Rumback's the drummer and composer – but the ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Brandon Seabrook Trio —
Exultations ... CD Astral Spirits, 2020. New Copy ...
$8.99
A record that really comes on with a hell of a lot of power – tight, fast drums from Gerald Cleaver – matched with fuzzy, chromatic work on guitar from Brandon Seabrook – all punctuated with work from Cooper Moore on the diddley bow! The drums and guitar are the driving engine of ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Three giants of the Chicago improvised scene, coming together here in an album that recalls the best early recordings from the AACM! There's this open, collaborative spirit going on here – music that moves between structure and freedom, and which stands as a testament to the instant rapport ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Three giants of the Chicago improvised scene, coming together here in an album that recalls the best early recordings from the AACM! There's this open, collaborative spirit going on here – music that moves between structure and freedom, and which stands as a testament to the instant rapport ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Luke Stewart is the bassist and the composer here – but the quintet is a powerhouse at every level – with reed work from Ken Vandermark and Ed Wilkerson, piano from Jim Baker, and drums from Avreeayl Ra – a lineup who do tremendous things with Luke's music! The tracks are all ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Over the past few years, the Astral Spirits label has quietly been staging a sonic revolution – really breaking down expectations in the world of avant jazz, and turning our albums that go way past familiar free jazz and improvisation! That's definitely the case here, with a really unique ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Survival Unit III (Joe McPhee/Fred Longberg-Holm/Michael Zerang) —
Art Of Flight – For Alvin Fielder ... LP Astral Spirits, 2022. New Copy ...
Temporarily Out Of Stock
Bold sounds from Survival Unit – an improvising trio who really know each other tremendously well – a quality that comes through immediately on this well-done set! All three players have been playing with each other for decades, in various forms – Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello, ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album
Thollem's recorded a number of collaborative albums in recent years, but this record of solo live recordings may well be the best demonstration of his talents – completely fantastic work on piano, sometimes augmented by electronics and samples – with a mixture of freedom and tunefulness ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Two different sessions from the landmark series of recordings that make up the Astral Traveling Sessions of pianist Thollem – part of a series of 25 albums in all! The first half of the set features a recording in Chicago with bassist Matt Lux and drummer Avreeayl Ra – very long, ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A set that's billed as "a sonic Palette of eight re-tuned pitches for piano and saxophone" – and which comes across as a series of beautiful duets between Thollem on piano, and Hafez Modirzadeh on alto and tenor sax! The work often feels more compositional than improvisational ... (Jazz) read moreCD
A pair of Thollem collaborations – back to back on a single CD! First up is a beautiful duet with Susan Alcorn – with a fantastic sound that has Alcorn's groundbreaking work on pedal steel mixing with the well-crafted electronics of Thollem – lines that really seem to find the ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Thollem on piano and synthesizer, Alex Cline on drums and percussion, and Susan Alcorn on pedal steel guitar. (Jazz) CD
Pat Thomas/John Butcher/Stale Liavik Solberg —
Fictional Souvenirs ... CD Astral Spirits, 2019. New Copy ...
$8.9912.00
One of the most unusual settings we've ever heard for the always-sharp saxophone work of John Butcher – a set that features lots of moogy moments from Pat Thomas, who uses both a theremini and electronics – alongside much more organic sounds on percussion from Stale Liavik Solberg! ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Lina Tullgren & Alec Toku Whiting —
Unfamiliar Ceilings ... CD Astral Spirits, 2022. New Copy ...
$8.9912.99
"Unfamiliar" is a good word to use here – as the sounds within are definitely that – some very different elements than you might expect from the violin of Lina Tullgren and koto work of Alec Toku Whiting! There's a lot of resonance in the recording, so that no matter how the ... (Jazz) read moreCD
Brodie West Quintet —
Meadow of Dreams ... LP Astral Spirits, 2022. New Copy ...
$15.9920.00
Leader Brodie West plays alto sax here, but he does so in a setting that's rich with textures from all the other members of the group – this sublime blend of bass, drums, piano, and guitar that comes across in a way that's different than anything else we can think of! The group has both a ... (Jazz) read moreLP, Vinyl record album