Actuel -- All Categories (LPs, CDs, Vinyl Record Albums) -- Dusty Groove is Chicago's Online Record Store
Skip navigation
Scripting is disabled or not working. dustygroove.com requires JavaScript to function correctly.
Style sheets are disabled or not working. dustygroove.com requires style sheets to function correctly.

All Categories

$




Items/page

Actuel Edit search

 
Sort by
Exact matches: 2
Exact matches1
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ VariousJazz Actuel – A Collection Of Avant Garde/Free Jazz/Psychedelia From The BYG/Actuel Catalog Of 1969-1971 (3CD version) ... CD
BYG/Charly (UK), 1969/1970/1971. New Copy 3 CDs ... $14.99 23.99 About November 25, 2024
A fantastic package that explores the full range of genius on the legendary avant label BYG/Actuel – one of the most important European imprints at the end of the 60s! Actuel was home to some of the best avant garde jazz coming out of Paris in the late 60s and early 70s – an especially important document of the post-68 revolution in European music – at a time when so many American players where showing up in France, and finding great opportunities in the new freedoms of the scene! The package features seminal sides from US avant musicians – like Steve Lacy, Anthony Braxton, Clifford Thornton, Don Cherry, Jimmy Lyons, Archie Shepp, Sonny Sharrock, Sunny Murray, Grachan Moncur III, and The Art Ensemble Of Chicago – and it also features work by European musicians like Claude Delcloo and Jacques Coursil, plus genre-busting work by MEV and Gong as well. The 3CD box features a 48 page book – with lots of great illustrations, and notes from Thurston Moore and Byron Coley – and the set features 26 long tracks in all! CD

Exact matches2
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ VariousJazz Actuel – A Collection Of Avant Garde/Free Jazz/Psychedelia From The BYG/Actuel Catalog Of 1969-1971 (3CD version) ... CD
BYG/Charly (UK), 1969/1970/1971. Used 3 CDs ... Out Of Stock
A fantastic package that explores the full range of genius on the legendary avant label BYG/Actuel – one of the most important European imprints at the end of the 60s! Actuel was home to some of the best avant garde jazz coming out of Paris in the late 60s and early 70s – an especially important document of the post-68 revolution in European music – at a time when so many American players where showing up in France, and finding great opportunities in the new freedoms of the scene! The package features seminal sides from US avant musicians – like Steve Lacy, Anthony Braxton, Clifford Thornton, Don Cherry, Jimmy Lyons, Archie Shepp, Sonny Sharrock, Sunny Murray, Grachan Moncur III, and The Art Ensemble Of Chicago – and it also features work by European musicians like Claude Delcloo and Jacques Coursil, plus genre-busting work by MEV and Gong as well. The 3CD box features a 48 page book – with lots of great illustrations, and notes from Thurston Moore and Byron Coley – and the set features 26 long tracks in all! CD
 
Close matches: 13
Close matches3
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Art Ensemble Of ChicagoGreat Black Music – Message To Our Folks ... CD
BYG/Actuel (UK), 1969. New Copy Gatefold ... $18.99 23.99
One of the key records that helped establish the genius of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago at the end of the 60s – a session that was recorded on the Paris scene, where the early quartet were really starting to rub shoulders with, and influence a range of different European players – maybe no surprise, when you hear the brilliance of an album like this! There's a bit more bite here than on some of the more spacious AEC performances overseas – really bold energy that comes across on the first few minutes of the record, which have this wonderfully righteous quality – augmented by shouts and calls – on tunes that maybe also have a bit more structure than some other material from the period too. The session was recorded at the Saravah studios, and seems to echo some of the criss-crossing experiments of that famous spot – heard on the Ensemble's classic album with Brigitte Fontaine – and the set features a magnificent mish-mash of sounds from Lester Bowie on trumpet, Malachi Favors on bass, both Joseph Jarman and Roscoe Mitchell on a variety of saxes and reeds, and the whole group on percussion! The set features the tracks "Old Time Religion", "Dexterity", "Rock Out", and the side-long "A Brain For The Seine" – which covers the whole second half of the record, and really sets the tone for the group's experiments to come. CD
Also available Great Black Music – Message To Our Folks (180 gram pressing) ... LP 31.99

Close matches4
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Art Ensemble Of ChicagoGreat Black Music – Message To Our Folks (180 gram pressing) ... LP
BYG/Actuel (UK), 1969. New Copy Gatefold (reissue)... $31.99 38.99
One of the key records that helped establish the genius of the Art Ensemble Of Chicago at the end of the 60s – a session that was recorded on the Paris scene, where the early quartet were really starting to rub shoulders with, and influence a range of different European players – maybe no surprise, when you hear the brilliance of an album like this! There's a bit more bite here than on some of the more spacious AEC performances overseas – really bold energy that comes across on the first few minutes of the record, which have this wonderfully righteous quality – augmented by shouts and calls – on tunes that maybe also have a bit more structure than some other material from the period too. The session was recorded at the Saravah studios, and seems to echo some of the criss-crossing experiments of that famous spot – heard on the Ensemble's classic album with Brigitte Fontaine – and the set features a magnificent mish-mash of sounds from Lester Bowie on trumpet, Malachi Favors on bass, both Joseph Jarman and Roscoe Mitchell on a variety of saxes and reeds, and the whole group on percussion! The set features the tracks "Old Time Religion", "Dexterity", "Rock Out", and the side-long "A Brain For The Seine" – which covers the whole second half of the record, and really sets the tone for the group's experiments to come. LP, Vinyl record album
(New remastering!)
Also available Great Black Music – Message To Our Folks ... CD 18.99

Close matches5
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Don CherryMu First Part (180 gram pressing) ... LP
BYG/Actuel, 1969. New Copy Gatefold (reissue)... $33.99 39.99
Don Cherry really breaks out here on his classic Mu sessions from France – using the new freedoms of post-68 Paris to explore themes at a level that would set the tone for generations to come! The album's very spare, and very improvised – with Cherry on pocket trumpet, piano, and wooden flute – plus a bit of percussion too – alongside drummer Ed Blackwell, who's equally unbridled – showing a huge evolution since the time both he and Don spent in the group of Ornette Coleman! There's a few echoes of the global elements that Cherry would later embrace more strongly in the 70s – but the core energy here is mostly improvised jazz, handled at a level that really makes a lot better use of the freedom than some of Don's contemporaries. First part of the sessions feature the tracks "Total Vibration", "Sun Of The East", "Brilliant Action", and "Terrestrial Beings". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches6
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Don CherryMu Second Part (180 gram pressing) ... LP
BYG/Actuel (UK), 1969. New Copy Gatefold (reissue)... $33.99 39.99
Don Cherry really breaks out here on his classic Mu sessions from France – using the new freedoms of post-68 Paris to explore themes at a level that would set the tone for generations to come! The album's very spare, and very improvised – with Cherry on pocket trumpet, piano, and wooden flute – plus a bit of percussion too – alongside drummer Ed Blackwell, who's equally unbridled – showing a huge evolution since the time both he and Don spent in the group of Ornette Coleman! There's a few echoes of the global elements that Cherry would later embrace more strongly in the 70s – but the core energy here is mostly improvised jazz, handled at a level that really makes a lot better use of the freedom than some of Don's contemporaries. Titles on this second part include "Bamboo Night", "The Mysticism Of My Sound", "Psycho Drama", "Smiling Faces Going Places", "Teo Teo Can", and "Dollar Brand/Spontaneous Composing/Exert Man On The Moon". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches7
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Gong (Daevid Allen/Gilli Smyth)Magick Brother ... CD
Actuel/Charly (UK), 1969. Used ... $13.99
One of the most striking early albums from Daevid Allen and Gong – and very well-placed on the BYG label, given that it features contributions from avant jazz musicians – including Burton Greene on piano, Didier Malherbe on flute and soprano, and Barre Phillips on bass! Gilly Smyth contributes vocals next to Allen – and also provides a "space whisper too" – on titles that include "Ego", "Gongsong", "Mystic Sister", "Pretty Miss Titty", and "Cos You Got Green Hair". CD
(Out of print.)

Close matches8
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Sonny SharrockMonkey-Pockie-Boo ... LP
BYG/Actuel (France), 1969. Sealed Gatefold ... $19.99 24.99
Wow! This is one of Sonny Sharrock's rare early recordings, recorded in France shortly after he had been playing with Herbie Mann. The groove's kind of crazy, and it's amazing that Sonny jumped out so soon after leaving the sort of pop-jazz environs he was in with Herbie – but hey, lots of players got to France in the 60s, and completely let their bag open up – so why not Sonny? Wife Linda's on vocals on the session, and they're backed up by Beb Guerin on bass and Jacques Thollot on drums. Titles include "27th Day", "Soon", and "Monkey Pockie Boo". LP, Vinyl record album
(180 gram reissue.)

Close matches9
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Jacques Coursil UnitWay Ahead ... LP
BYG/Actuel (France), 1969. Very Good+ Gatefold ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
Long free French avant tracks – recorded in that golden year of 1969, and featuring Coursil on trumpet, Arthur Jones on alto, Beb Guerin on bass, and Claude Delcloo on drums. The record's perhaps not as focused as some of the best efforts on BYG/Actuel – but it does have a strong degree of energy, and shows that the spirit that was pervading the sessions stretched past the big names on the label. Titles include "Duke", "Fidel", and "Paper". LP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing! In a cover with the title listed as "Way Head". Cover has light wear and a cut corner.)

Close matches10
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Grachan Moncur IIINew Africa ... LP
BYG/Actuel (France), 1969. Very Good- Gatefold ... Out Of Stock
Excellent work from trombonist Grachan Moncur III – famous for his 60s work on Blue Note and with Archie Shepp, sounding as great here as he did on those recordings! The session features Moncur hitting an Archie Shepp-ish, spiritual vein in his playing – recorded in Paris with a group that includes Shepp, Roscoe Mitchell, Dave Burrell, and Andrew Cyrille. Side one's mostly the long suite "New Africa", but it also includes the great composition "Space Spy" – and side two features the tracks "When" and "Exploration". The whole album's incredible – much more soulful than some of Moncur's "new thing" recordings, and equally compelling! LP, Vinyl record album
(Original pressing. Cover has aging & surface wear, and is lightly wavy along the opening & lower corner.)

Close matches11
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Archie SheppBlase ... CD
BYG/Actuel/Giants Of Jazz (Italy), 1969. Used ... Out Of Stock
A crucial album from Archie Shepp – one that finds him enjoying new freedoms on the French scene at the end of the 60s – which then helps him take off from his earlier Impulse Records modes, at a level he'd then bring back to the label in the early 70s! There's a very free-thinking sense of combination here – as Shepp is breaking down from his idea of a more unified sound in the material – and opens the door at points to work from Jeanne Lee on voice and Chicago Beau and Julio Finn on harmonicas – in a lineup that also includes Malachi Favors on bass, Dave Burrell on piano, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. These are long, spiritual tracks that comprise some of his best European recordings of the time, and the titles include "There is a Balm in Gilead", "Touareg", "Blase", and "My Angel" – plus a strong reading of "Sophisticated Lady" – which maybe points the way towards some of the Shepp experiments in the late 70s. CD
(2002 Giants Of Jazz pressing, still sealed!)

Close matches12
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Art Ensemble Of ChicagoReese & The Smooth Ones ... CD
BYG/Actuel/Fuel 2000, 1969. Used ... Out Of Stock
Beautiful work from the Art Ensemble – and one of their undisputed classics! The record features some of the most perfectly realized moments the band ever cut to wax, with a blend of whimsical multi-instrumental improvisation, and a strong sense of the spiritual tradition in jazz. The album features one long piece – "Reese & The Smooth Ones" – and it's a stunning array of spontanteous instrumentation, with a jagged sound that never stops reinventing itself! CD

Close matches13
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Don CherryMu First Part/Mu Second Part ... CD
BYG/Actuel (France), 1969. New Copy 2CDs ... Out Of Stock
Don Cherry really breaks out here on his classic Mu sessions from France – using the new freedoms of post-68 Paris to explore themes at a level that would set the tone for generations to come! The album's very spare, and very improvised – with Cherry on pocket trumpet, piano, and wooden flute – plus a bit of percussion too – alongside drummer Ed Blackwell, who's equally unbridled – showing a huge evolution since the time both he and Don spent in the group of Ornette Coleman! There's a few echoes of the global elements that Cherry would later embrace more strongly in the 70s – but the core energy here is mostly improvised jazz, handled at a level that really makes a lot better use of the freedom than some of Don's contemporaries. Titles include "Total Vibration", "Sun Of The East", "Brilliant Action", "Terrestrial Beings", "Bamboo Night", "The Mysticism Of My Sound", "Psycho Drama", "Smiling Faces Going Places", "Teo Teo Can", and "Dollar Brand/Spontaneous Composing/Exert Man On The Moon". CD

Close matches14
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Steve LacyMoon ... LP
BYG/Actuel (France), 1969. Very Good+ Gatefold ... Out Of Stock
A seminal early work in Lacy's European career! The album was recorded in Rome in 1969 – one of the few BYG albums not to be done in Paris – and it features Lacy in a grup with cello by Irene Aebi (one of her first appearances on record with him!), plus drumming by Jacques Thollot, clarinet by Claudio Volonte, and trombone by Italo Toni. The record follows up in the spirit of The Forest & The Zoo – but also points the way more towards the Lacy sound of the 70s. Tracks include "Hit", "Note", "Laugh", and "The Breath". LP, Vinyl record album

Close matches15
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Art Ensemble Of ChicagoReese & The Smooth Ones (LP sleeve edition) ... CD
BYG/Actuel/Sunspots (Italy), 1969. Used Gatefold ... Out Of Stock
Beautiful work from the Art Ensemble – and one of their undisputed classics! The record features some of the most perfectly realized moments the band ever cut to wax, with a blend of whimsical multi-instrumental improvisation, and a strong sense of the spiritual tradition in jazz. The album features one long piece – "Reese & The Smooth Ones" – and it's a stunning array of spontanteous instrumentation, with a jagged sound that never stops reinventing itself! CD
 
Possible matches: 30
Possible matches16
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Art Ensemble Of ChicagoLive In Paris ... CD
BYG/Fuel 2000, 1969. Used 2 CDs ... Just Sold Out!
Seminal work from the Art Ensemble of Chicago – recorded during their most creative period ever! The album was recorded live in October of 1969 – at a time when the group had pulled up roots and moved to France for a few years, bursting on the European scene with unique creativity that was not getting the recognition it deserved in their hometown of Chicago. The studio sets from this time are already the stuff of legend, and have thankfully made it back on reissue heavily the past few years – and this brilliant live set stands perfectly next to them – matching any of the LPs in the Great Black Music series on BYG/Actuel for sheer creative brilliance and soulful energy! Fontella Bass joins the group for a bit of vocals, and the 2CD set features 2 long tracks – "Bon Voyage" and "Oh Strange". CD
(Out of print and sealed.)

Possible matches17
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Burton Greene EnsembleAquariana ... CD
BYG/Solid (Japan), 1969. New Copy ... $14.99 19.99 About December 4, 2024
One of the more obscure sessions on BYG/Actuel – recorded in the heyday of 1969, with a free spirit and a transatlantic sense of energy from the mixture of French players and American expatriots. Burton Greene leads the group on piano, and the other players include Arthur Jones on alto, Jacques Coursil on trumpet, Beb Guerin and Dieter Gewissler on basses, Didier Malherb on flute and shenai, and Claude Delcloo on drums. Side one's a long extended "Aquarius Suite", and side two includes "From Out Of Bartok" and "Two One Two Vibrations". CD

Possible matches18
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Steve KuhnChildhood Is Forever ... LP
BYG (France), 1969. Near Mint- ... $49.99
An unusual early session from the great pianist Steve Kuhn – recorded in Paris in 1969, but with a much more structured vibe than some of the Actuel sessions at the time! Steve's definitely got an edge, though – as do group members Steve Swallow on bass and Alto Romano on drums – and titles include "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes", "Spring Can Really Hang You The Most", "Baubles, Bangles & Beads", "The Meaning Of The Blues", "All That's Left", "I Waited For You", and "Eiderdown". LP, Vinyl record album
(Cover has a few very light bends on the edges, but looks great overall.)

Possible matches19
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Jimmy LyonsOther Afternoons ... CD
BYG/Solid (Japan), 1969. New Copy ... $14.99 19.99 About December 4, 2024
Jimmy Lyons' recordings for BYG/Actuel are among some of the best for the label, and this one from 1969 is a stellar session that features Lester Bowie on trumpet, Alan Silva on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums. All players are excellent, and they play together in a set of free tracks in which Cyrille drives everyone onto new heights with a steady singing pulse. Bowie and Lyons trade beautiful lines back and forth, and the set includes the tracks "Other Afternoons", "My You", "Premonitions", and "However". CD

Possible matches20
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Machi Oul Big BandQuetzalcoatl ... CD
Palm/Souffle Continu (France), 1975. New Copy ... $13.99 16.99
One of the most obscure albums issued on the Palm Records label of French jazz genius Jef Gilson – a large ensemble session that ties together both spiritual and avant styles of the early 70s, and which really demonstrates the overlooked power of the French scene at the time! The group's led by Chilean pianist Manuel Villarroel which might explain the title reference – and the lineup is filled with a range of excellent and obscure French musicians – including Jean Quarlier, Hugh Levick, Jef Sicard, and Gerard Coppere on reeds – plus Alain Brunet and JF Cannape on trumpets, Alphonse Leboucher and Josef Traindl on trombones, and Keno Speller, Claudio Bertoni, and Ana-Maria Villarroel on percussion. The tunes are as loose and open as the free jazz material recorded by BYG/Actuel a few years before – but also have more inherent structure and soul, and a really great balance between the contributions of the individual members as they space out the sound nicely. Titles include "Bolerito", "Leyendas De Nahuelbuta", and "Quetzalcoatl". CD
Also available Quetzalcoatl ... LP 31.99

Possible matches21
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Machi Oul Big BandQuetzalcoatl ... LP
Palm/Souffle Continu (France), 1975. New Copy ... $31.99 34.99
One of the most obscure albums issued on the Palm Records label of French jazz genius Jef Gilson – a large ensemble session that ties together both spiritual and avant styles of the early 70s, and which really demonstrates the overlooked power of the French scene at the time! The group's led by Chilean pianist Manuel Villarroel which might explain the title reference – and the lineup is filled with a range of excellent and obscure French musicians – including Jean Quarlier, Hugh Levick, Jef Sicard, and Gerard Coppere on reeds – plus Alain Brunet and JF Cannape on trumpets, Alphonse Leboucher and Josef Traindl on trombones, and Keno Speller, Claudio Bertoni, and Ana-Maria Villarroel on percussion. The tunes are as loose and open as the free jazz material recorded by BYG/Actuel a few years before – but also have more inherent structure and soul, and a really great balance between the contributions of the individual members as they space out the sound nicely. Titles include "Bolerito", "Leyendas De Nahuelbuta", and "Quetzalcoatl". LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Quetzalcoatl ... CD 13.99

Possible matches22
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Sun RaSolar-Myth Approach Vol 1 (180 gram pressing) ... LP
BYG/Charly (UK), 1971. New Copy (reissue)... $25.99 32.99 About November 25, 2024
Really unique material from Sun Ra – a pair of recordings that were initially circulated much more strongly than some of his Saturn Records material, thanks to the power of the BYG/Actuel label in the early 70s – but tracks that actually come from a variety of different sessions that Ra himself did with the Arkestra in the late 60s! Tracks are shortish, but very inventive – a well-chosen snapshot of all the new ideas that the group were cooking up during the end of the 60s in New York, with an increased mission to explore the outer reaches of space, and use more electronics than ever before! Ra plays some killer keyboards – moog, spacemaster, and acoustic piano – often with these really eerie tones – and other players include Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Akh Tal Ebah on space dimension mellophone, Ali Hassan on trombone, Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, John Gilmore on tenor, and Pat Patrick on baritone – and the whole group vocalizes at points, joined by other singers who include June Tyson and Art Jenkins. There's also some great use of "strange strings" on the sessions, not to mention a bit of reverb – and tracks on this first volume include "Spectrum", "The Satellites Are Spinning", "Seen III Took 4", "Adventures Of Bugs Hunter", "Legend", and "The Realm Of Lightning". LP, Vinyl record album

Possible matches23
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Sun RaSolar-Myth Approach Vol 2 ... LP
BYG/Charly (UK), 1970. New Copy (reissue)... $25.99 32.99 About November 25, 2024
Really unique material from Sun Ra – a pair of recordings that were initially circulated much more strongly than some of his Saturn Records material, thanks to the power of the BYG/Actuel label in the early 70s – but tracks that actually come from a variety of different sessions that Ra himself did with the Arkestra in the late 60s! Tracks are shortish, but very inventive – a well-chosen snapshot of all the new ideas that the group were cooking up during the end of the 60s in New York, with an increased mission to explore the outer reaches of space, and use more electronics than ever before! Ra plays some killer keyboards – moog, spacemaster, and acoustic piano – often with these really eerie tones – and other players include Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Akh Tal Ebah on space dimension mellophone, Ali Hassan on trombone, Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, John Gilmore on tenor, and Pat Patrick on baritone – and the whole group vocalizes at points, joined by other singers who include June Tyson and Art Jenkins. There's also some great use of "strange strings" on the sessions, not to mention a bit of reverb – and tracks on this second volume include "The Utter Nots", "Outer Spaceways Inc", "Scene 1 Take 1", "Strange Worlds", "Ancient Ethiopia", "Pyramids", and "Interpretation". LP, Vinyl record album

Possible matches24
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Sun Ra & His Solar-Myth ArkestraSolar-Myth Approach Vols 1 & 2 ... CD
BYG/Charly, Late 60s. New Copy 2CD ... $16.99 18.99
Really unique material from Sun Ra – a pair of recordings that were initially circulated much more strongly than some of his Saturn Records material, thanks to the power of the BYG/Actuel label in the early 70s – but tracks that actually come from a variety of different sessions that Ra himself did with the Arkestra in the late 60s! Tracks are shortish, but very inventive – a well-chosen snapshot of all the new ideas that the group were cooking up during the end of the 60s in New York, with an increased mission to explore the outer reaches of space, and use more electronics than ever before! Ra plays some killer keyboards – moog, spacemaster, and acoustic piano – often with these really eerie tones – and other players include Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Akh Tal Ebah on space dimension mellophone, Ali Hassan on trombone, Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, John Gilmore on tenor, and Pat Patrick on baritone – and the whole group vocalizes at points, joined by other singers who include June Tyson and Art Jenkins. There's also some great use of "strange strings" on the sessions, not to mention a bit of reverb – and tracks titles include "Spectrum", "The Satellites Are Spinning", "Seen III Took 4", "Adventures Of Bugs Hunter", "Legend", "The Realm Of Lightning", "The Utter Nots", "Outer Spaceways Inc", "Scene 1 Take 1", "Strange Worlds", "Ancient Ethiopia", "Pyramids", and "Interpretation". CD

Possible matches25
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Septet Matchi-OulTerremoto ... CD
Futura/Souffle Continu (France), 1971. New Copy ... $13.99 15.99
A very heady combo from the French scene at the start of the 70s – one who seem to have really been inspired by the free jazz experiments of the BYG/Actuel scene right at the end of the 60s! The group's a septet, as you'd guess from their name – and they shift between unified expressions and very frenzied moments when each individual player is doing their own thing – yet somehow managing to make a sense of the sound as it rises together! Players include Sonny Grey on trumpet – a surprise if you know his straighter work from earlier years – plus William Treve on trombone, Jean-Francoise Sicard on alto sax and flute, Gerard Coppere on tenor and flute, Jean-Louis Mechali on vibes and drums, Francois Mechali on bass, and Manuel Villarroel on piano. Titles include "Parisionophobie", "Theme Z", "Relaxin", "Terronesia", "Brack", and "Amma". CD

Possible matches26
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Archie SheppPoem For Malcolm ... CD
BYG/Solid (Japan), 1969. New Copy ... $14.99 19.99 About December 4, 2024
Beautiful work from Archie Shepp – a record that's filled with meaning and power, and which really stands out as a freer expression of his ideals while working on the European scene! The players here are an array of other BYG/Actuel luminaries – including Burton Greene on piano, Grachan Moncur on trombone, Malachi Favors and Alan Silva on bass, and Philly Joe Jones and Claude Delcloo on drums. Hank Mobley makes a surprising appearance on a version of "Oleo" – joining Shepp's tenor after the first half of the track, which is titled "Rain Forrest". That side-long track is complemented by another long number on the flip – "Mamarose/Poem For Malcolm" – a very spiritual track with some nice vocalizations too. CD
Also available Poem For Malcolm ... LP 31.99

Possible matches27
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Archie SheppPoem For Malcolm ... LP
BYG/Charly (France), 1969. New Copy Gatefold (reissue)... $31.99 33.99
Beautiful work from Archie Shepp – a record that's filled with meaning and power, and which really stands out as a freer expression of his ideals while working on the European scene! The players here are an array of other BYG/Actuel luminaries – including Burton Green on piano, Grachan Moncur on trombone, Malachi Favors and Alan Silva on bass, and Philly Joe Jones and Claude Delcloo on drums. Hank Mobley makes a surprising appearance on a version of "Oleo" – joining Shepp's tenor after the first half of the track, which is titled "Rain Forrest". That side-long track is complemented by another long number on the flip – "Mamarose/Poem For Malcolm" – a very spiritual track with some nice vocalizations too. LP, Vinyl record album

Possible matches28
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Alan Silva & Celestial Communications OrchestraLuna Surface ... CD
BYG/Solid (France), 1969. New Copy ... $14.99 19.99 About December 4, 2024
Alan Silva never gave the world many records as a leader, but he was certainly on fire at the time of this date – leading a very hip array of the top-shelf improvisers who'd recorded on other sessions for the BYG/Actuel label – stepping out here in one long performance as Silva's Communiation Orchestra! The mix of large group and improvisation follows strongly in the traditions of similar projects from Ornette Coleman and John Coltrane, and also paves the way for later European improvising orchestras – and in addition to Silva on violin, the lineup includes Grachan Moncur on trombone, Archie Shepp on soprano sax, Anthony Braxton on alto and soprano, Kenneth Terroade on tenor, Bernard Vitet on trumpet, Dave Burrell on piano, Leroy Jenkins on violin and viola, Beb Guerin and Malachi Favors on basses, and Claude Delcloo on drums! The album features one long track, "Luna Surface". CD

Possible matches29
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
Cecil TaylorUnit Structures (UHQCD pressing) ... CD
Blue Note (Japan), 1966. New Copy ... $18.99 23.99
One of a rare few albums done by pianist Cecil Taylor for the Blue Note label in the 60s – some of the most outside work recorded for the imprint at the time! The word "structures" here is perhaps a bit misplaced – as the work has a strong sense of freedom with the soloists – who operate based on a system of energy and impulses described by Taylor in the notes, at a level that's maybe one of his most inventive, ambitious expressions of the decade! The whole lineup is great – with especially strong horn work from Eddie Gale on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, and Ken McIntyre on alto, oboe, and bass clarinet – and Taylor's piano gets accompaniment from two groundbreaking bassists – Henry Grimes and Alan Silva – plus drums from Andrew Cyrille. Given the lineup, and the format, the whole thing almost feels more like one of the BYG/Actuel avant sessions than Blue Note in the 60s – and titles include "Steps", "Enter Evening (Soft Line Structure)", "Unit Structure/As Of A Now/Section", and "Tales (8 Whisps)". CD

Possible matches30
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ VariousBYG – Beautiful Young Generation – Special Sampler (180 gram white vinyl pressing) ... LP
BYG (France), Late 60s/Early 70s. New Copy Gatefold ... $24.99 38.99 About November 25, 2024
A really great collection of work from the legendary BYG/Actuel label – home not just to the famous avant jazz recordings that have made the company a legend, but also a host of other unusual sounds that don't often get the exposure they deserve! This collection finally gives that full range of BYG sounds their due – as it mixes some of the avant classics from Paris at the end of the 60s with other freely creative work from the French scene – including some great contributions from British artists who were as unbridled at BYG as the American musicians were with their jazz material! The set features tracks from the key years of the catalog – titles that include "Le Nouveau Monde" by Alice, "Terrestrial Beings" by Don Cherry, "Ancient Ethiopia" by Sun Ra, "Ragalia" by Areski & Brigitte Fontaine, "Le Cocotier (part 2)" by Coeur Magique, "Dexterity" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Time Of Your Life" by Daevid Allen, "Change The World" by Gong, and "Willing To Fight" by Aynsley Dunbar. LP, Vinyl record album

Possible matches31
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ VariousBYG – Beautiful Young Generation – Special Sampler (with bonus tracks) ... CD
BYG (France), Late 60s/Early 70s. New Copy ... $11.99 19.99 About November 25, 2024
A really great collection of work from the legendary BYG/Actuel label – home not just to the famous avant jazz recordings that have made the company a legend, but also a host of other unusual sounds that don't often get the exposure they deserve! This collection finally gives that full range of BYG sounds their due – as it mixes some of the avant classics from Paris at the end of the 60s with other freely creative work from the French scene – including some great contributions from British artists who were as unbridled at BYG as the American musicians were with their jazz material! The set features 15 tracks from the key years of the catalog – titles that include "Le Nouveau Monde" by Alice, "Terrestrial Beings" by Don Cherry, "Seventh Time Key" by Ame Son, "Duke" by Jacques Coursil, "Enchanted Wood" by Freedom, "Ancient Ethiopia" by Sun Ra, "Ragalia" by Areski & Brigitte Fontaine, "Le Cocotier (part 2)" by Coeur Magique, "Dexterity" by Art Ensemble Of Chicago, "Sound Pool (part 1)" by MEV, "Time Of Your Life" by Daevid Allen, "Pan African Festival" by Clifford Thornton, and "Willing To Fight" by Aynsley Dunbar. CD

Possible matches32
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Sun Ra & His Solar-Myth OrchestraSolar-Myth Approach Vol 1 & 2 (UK pressing) ... CD
BYG/Charly (UK), 1970/1971. Used 2CD ... Temporarily Out Of Stock
Really unique material from Sun Ra – a pair of recordings that were initially circulated much more strongly than some of his Saturn Records material, thanks to the power of the BYG/Actuel label in the early 70s – but tracks that actually come from a variety of different sessions that Ra himself did with the Arkestra in the late 60s! Tracks are shortish, but very inventive – a well-chosen snapshot of all the new ideas that the group were cooking up during the end of the 60s in New York, with an increased mission to explore the outer reaches of space, and use more electronics than ever before! Ra plays some killer keyboards – moog, spacemaster, and acoustic piano – often with these really eerie tones – and other players include Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Akh Tal Ebah on space dimension mellophone, Ali Hassan on trombone, Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, John Gilmore on tenor, and Pat Patrick on baritone – and the whole group vocalizes at points, joined by other singers who include June Tyson and Art Jenkins. There's also some great use of "strange strings" on the sessions, not to mention a bit of reverb – and tracks titles include "Spectrum", "The Satellites Are Spinning", "Seen III Took 4", "Adventures Of Bugs Hunter", "Legend", "The Realm Of Lightning", "The Utter Nots", "Outer Spaceways Inc", "Scene 1 Take 1", "Strange Worlds", "Ancient Ethiopia", "Pyramids", and "Interpretation". CD
(2004 UK pressing.)

Possible matches33
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Art Ensemble Of ChicagoSpiritual (Japanese paper sleeve edition – with bonus track) ... CD
Freedom/Muzak (Japan), 1969. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
A tremendous recording from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – done during the same Paris stretch as their Great Black Music classics on the BYG/Actuel label – and a set that easily matches, if not tops, those classics! You can really hear the group finding their own space here – taking some of the free jazz explorations of the Chicago scene in the late 60s, and forging them with an even earthier use of both percussion, and the more offbeat sonic possibilities of their own instruments – often with a sense of surprise that you don't always get from some of their later albums. Titles include the side-long "The Spiritual" – plus "Toro", "Lori Song", and "That The Evening Sky Fell Through the Glass Wall and We Stood Alone Somewhere?" (And they wondered why they never got their songs on the radio!) CD features the bonus track – "Tthintthedalen (parts 1 & 2)" – and also include the full 18 minute version of "Tutankhamun". CD

Possible matches34
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Don CherryCool ... CD
Dressed To Kill (UK), Late 1960s. Used ... Out Of Stock
A package without much in the way of notes, but which includes some really killer work from the great Don Cherry – some of his famous French recordings done for the BYG/Actuel label at the end of the 60s, and which really helped point the way towards all the directions he'd take in the 70s! The music is a strong bridge between the more avant styles he was recording at Blue Note, and some of the global experiments he was beginning to do overseas – served up here with help from Ed Blackwell and Okay Temiz on percussion, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Cherry on pocket trumpet, flute, piano, and other instruments. Titles include "Bamboo Night", "Blue Lake", "Amejelo", "East (parts 1 & 2)", "Orient (Part 1)", and "Smiling Faces Going Places". CD
(Sealed with a thin cutout through the case spine.)

Possible matches35
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Cecil TaylorStructures Revisited (Into The Hot/Unit Structures) ... CD
Hat Art (Switzerland), 1961/1966. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
A pair of crucial Cecil Taylor sessions from the 60s – both of which show the free-thinking pianist working amidst some larger arrangements! First up are three tracks from the Gil Evans album Into The Hot – all tunes written by Cecil Taylor – a very bold move for Evans, given Taylor's strongly out reputation even at this point in his career – and possibly even more bold, given that Taylor's on the tracks playing piano, alongside players who include Archie Shepp on tenor, Jimmy Lyons on alto, Henry Grimes on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums – plus work on one track from Ted Curson on trumpet and Roswell Rudd on trombone. The material's fantastic, and is a key part of Taylor's work at the time, and shows a very different setting for his piano – a bit of tension with the larger Evans group, in a way that's almost more compelling than his own early dates as a leader – on the titles "Pots", "Bulbs", and "Mixed". Next is the Unit Structures album – one of a rare few albums done by pianist Cecil Taylor for the Blue Note label in the 60s – some of the most outside work recorded for the imprint at the time! The word "structures" here is perhaps a bit misplaced – as the work has a strong sense of freedom with the soloists – who operate based on a system of energy and impulses described by Taylor in the notes, at a level that's maybe one of his most inventive, ambitious expressions of the decade! The whole lineup is great – with especially strong horn work from Eddie Gale on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, and Ken McIntyre on alto, oboe, and bass clarinet – and Taylor's piano gets accompaniment from two groundbreaking bassists – Henry Grimes and Alan Silva – plus drums from Andrew Cyrille. Given the lineup, and the format, the whole thing almost feels more like one of the BYG/Actuel avant sessions than Blue Note in the 60s – and titles include "Steps", "Enter Evening (Soft Line Structure)", "Unit Structure/As Of A Now/Section", and "Tales (8 Whisps)". CD

Possible matches36
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Cecil TaylorUnit Structures ... CD
Blue Note, 1966. Used ... Out Of Stock
One of a rare few albums done by pianist Cecil Taylor for the Blue Note label in the 60s – some of the most outside work recorded for the imprint at the time! The word "structures" here is perhaps a bit misplaced – as the work has a strong sense of freedom with the soloists – who operate based on a system of energy and impulses described by Taylor in the notes, at a level that's maybe one of his most inventive, ambitious expressions of the decade! The whole lineup is great – with especially strong horn work from Eddie Gale on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, and Ken McIntyre on alto, oboe, and bass clarinet – and Taylor's piano gets accompaniment from two groundbreaking bassists – Henry Grimes and Alan Silva – plus drums from Andrew Cyrille. Given the lineup, and the format, the whole thing almost feels more like one of the BYG/Actuel avant sessions than Blue Note in the 60s – and titles include "Steps", "Enter Evening (Soft Line Structure)", "Unit Structure/As Of A Now/Section", and "Tales (8 Whisps)". CD
(1987 US pressing.)
Also available Unit Structures (UHQCD pressing) ... CD 18.99

Possible matches37
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Clifford Thornton/Arthur JonesKetchaoua Revisited/Scorpio ... CD
BYG/Hat Art (Switzerland), 1969. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
Two classic albums from the big free jazz explosion in Paris in 1969! First up is Ketchaoua, an early gem from the great Clifford Thornton – maybe his best-known album over the years, thanks to its placement on the post-68 series of French free jazz releases on the BYG/Actuel label – but a set that's got a much more New York vibe overall, and stands as a key precursor to so many loft jazz recordings of the 70s! The style is very open and organic – not nearly as bombastic as some of the other Actuel sets of the period – with an earthy energy that really allows the players to come together naturally, collaboratively, and not combatively. The lineup of players shifts from track to track – again echoing some loftish modes – and the lineup includes Thornton on cornet and percussion, with Grachan Moncur on trombone, Archie Shepp on soprano sax, Arthur Jones on alto, Beb Guerin and Earl Freeman on bass, Sunny Murray on drums, and Dave Burrell on piano. Titles include "Pan African Festival", "Brotherhood", and "Ketchaoua" – plus "Speak With Your Echo", a cool track that has Clifford's cornet playing in a spare setting with only 2 basses! Next up is Scorpio, one of our favorite albums in the legendary run of BYG/Actuel free jazz sessions from 1969, and one of the most obscure as well – one of the few albums as a leader from alto player Arthur Jones, a musician who's really incredible throughout this freewheeling set! The vibe is almost more ESP than BYG – as there's a rhythmic pulse to most of the tracks, provided by Beb Guerin on bass and Claude Delcloo on drums – working with Jones in a mode that really evolves past the saxophone trio style first pushed by Sonny Rollins, with incredible solos from the leader throughout the whole set – which also seem to open up new territory for the alto sax as well! Titles include "CRM", "BT", "Sad Eyes", and "Brother B". CD

Possible matches38
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Kidd Jordan/Joel Futterman/William Parker/Hamid DrakeTribute To Alvin Fielder – Live At Vision Festival 24 ... CD
Mahakala, 2020. Used ... Out Of Stock
A mighty heavy group – paying tribute to the late drummer Alvin Fiedler – working with the kind of fierce improvisation that Fiedler would have really loved! Tenorist Kidd Jordan was a frequent musical partner of Alvin on record – and the group here really recreates some of the intensity they could deliver together – with Hamid Drake on drums and percussion, Joel Futterman on piano, and William Parker on bass – soaring out beautifully on one extended improvisation that takes up the entire record! Futterman is ferocious on piano, really matching the searing sounds that come from Jordan's horn – as he blows with a legacy of bold, spontaneous creation that almost takes us back to the years of ESP Records or BYG/Actuel. CD

Possible matches39
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Sunny MurraySunshine/An Even Break (Never Give A Sucker) ... CD
BYG/Fuel 2000, 1969. Used ... Out Of Stock
2 of Sunny Murray's classic sides for the BYG label, on one CD! Sunshine is one of Sunny's rarest from the time – and a full-on session that features Lester Bowie, Arthur Jones, Roscoe Mitchell, Archie Shepp, Kenneth Terroade, Dave Burrell, and Malachi Favors. The large group wails mightily, with a spiritual edge that's a bridge between Murray's New York avant roots and some of the late 60s work of the AACM. Side one features the extended "Flower Trane", and side two contains "Real" and "Red Cross". Even Break is one of the best-ever BYG/Actuel sessions, and one that has the unlikely pairing of east coast avant players Sonny Murray and Byard Lancaster, with Art Ensemble Of Chicago bassist Malachi Favors! Murray plays drums, and reads a bit of poetry, while the band wails behind him in powerful turgid lines of hard free jazz that represent all there is to say about the freedom of the Paris jazz scene in 1969. 4 long tracks – "Invisible Blues", "Complete Affection", "Giblets – Part 12", and "An Even Break". CD

Possible matches40
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Sun RaSolar-Myth Approach Vol 2 (LP style sleeve) ... CD
BYG/Actual/Sunspots (Italy), 1970. Used Gatefold ... Out Of Stock
Really unique material from Sun Ra – a pair of recordings that were initially circulated much more strongly than some of his Saturn Records material, thanks to the power of the BYG/Actuel label in the early 70s – but tracks that actually come from a variety of different sessions that Ra himself did with the Arkestra in the late 60s! Tracks are shortish, but very inventive – a well-chosen snapshot of all the new ideas that the group were cooking up during the end of the 60s in New York, with an increased mission to explore the outer reaches of space, and use more electronics than ever before! Ra plays some killer keyboards – moog, spacemaster, and acoustic piano – often with these really eerie tones – and other players include Kwame Hadi on trumpet, Akh Tal Ebah on space dimension mellophone, Ali Hassan on trombone, Marshal Allen and Danny Davis on alto and flute, John Gilmore on tenor, and Pat Patrick on baritone – and the whole group vocalizes at points, joined by other singers who include June Tyson and Art Jenkins. There's also some great use of "strange strings" on the sessions, not to mention a bit of reverb – and tracks on this second volume include "The Utter Nots", "Outer Spaceways Inc", "Scene 1 Take 1", "Strange Worlds", "Ancient Ethiopia", "Pyramids", and "Interpretation". CD

Possible matches41
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Archie SheppPoem For Malcolm ... CD
BYG/Charly (UK), 1969. New Copy ... Out Of Stock
Beautiful work from Archie Shepp – a record that's filled with meaning and power, and which really stands out as a freer expression of his ideals while working on the European scene! The players here are an array of other BYG/Actuel luminaries – including Burton Green on piano, Grachan Moncur on trombone, Malachi Favors and Alan Silva on bass, and Philly Joe Jones and Claude Delcloo on drums. Hank Mobley makes a surprising appearance on a version of "Oleo" – joining Shepp's tenor after the first half of the track, which is titled "Rain Forrest". That side-long track is complemented by another long number on the flip – "Mamarose/Poem For Malcolm" – a very spiritual track with some nice vocalizations too. CD
Also available Poem For Malcolm ... LP 31.99

Possible matches42
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Don CherryMusic Wisdom Love ... LP
Cacophonic (UK), 1969. New Copy (reissue)... Out Of Stock
One of the weirdest Don Cherry albums you'll ever hope to hear – and that's saying a lot, given the range of incredible albums the man has given us over the years! The music here was recorded for a French film based on the music, poetry, and "antics" of Cherry – done in the Saravah Records studios in 1969, around the same time as Cherry's albums for the BYG/Actuel label on the Paris scene – but with a much looser, more freewheeling vibe overall! The first side of the record features music done with Karl Berger – in a mix of piano, percussion, wood flutes, electronics, and pocket trumpet – shifting many times in terms of tone and spirit, with Cherry at his most organic. Side two features most of the same music, but with Anthony Braxton joining in – as well as poetry at some parts – in the complete edit that was used in the film. A fantastic document in so many ways – of the musicians, of post-68 Paris, and even of European avant cinema! LP, Vinyl record album

Possible matches43
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Septet Matchi-OulTerremoto ... LP
Futura/Souffle Continu (France), 1971. New Copy (reissue)... Out Of Stock
A very heady combo from the French scene at the start of the 70s – one who seem to have really been inspired by the free jazz experiments of the BYG/Actuel scene right at the end of the 60s! The group's a septet, as you'd guess from their name – and they shift between unified expressions and very frenzied moments when each individual player is doing their own thing – yet somehow managing to make a sense of the sound as it rises together! Players include Sonny Grey on trumpet – a surprise if you know his straighter work from earlier years – plus William Treve on trombone, Jean-Francoise Sicard on alto sax and flute, Gerard Coppere on tenor and flute, Jean-Louis Mechali on vibes and drums, Francois Mechali on bass, and Manuel Villarroel on piano. Titles include "Parisionophobie", "Theme Z", "Relaxin", "Terronesia", "Brack", and "Amma". LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Terremoto ... CD 13.99

Possible matches44
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Archie SheppShepp A Massy – U Jaama (Unite) – Live At Massey (pink & white vinyl pressing) ... LP
Uniteledis/LMLR (France), 1975. New Copy 2LP ... Out Of Stock
One of the last truly outside albums recorded by Archie Shepp in the 70s – a French performance that's very similar to the open-ended, freely-blown recordings he did for the BYG/Actuel label a few years before! The record captures Shepp in territory that's different than some of the more structured recordings and sets of standard material he'd soon be giving the world – and he blows tenor with unbridled energy on long live tracks – working with a very cool group that includes the great Charles Greenlee on trombone, plus Dave Burrell on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums! The band plays with a perfect style that matches freer soloing with soulful modal rhythms – and as a French-only release, it's one of the more obscure Archie Shepp sessions from the period. Titles include "Hipnosis", "U-Jaama", "African Drum Suite", and the amazing "Blues For Don L Duck". LP, Vinyl record album

Possible matches45
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Cecil TaylorUnit Structures (180 gram pressing) ... LP
Blue Note, 1966. New Copy (reissue)... Out Of Stock
One of a rare few albums done by pianist Cecil Taylor for the Blue Note label in the 60s – some of the most outside work recorded for the imprint at the time! The word "structures" here is perhaps a bit misplaced – as the work has a strong sense of freedom with the soloists – who operate based on a system of energy and impulses described by Taylor in the notes, at a level that's maybe one of his most inventive, ambitious expressions of the decade! The whole lineup is great – with especially strong horn work from Eddie Gale on trumpet, Jimmy Lyons on alto, and Ken McIntyre on alto, oboe, and bass clarinet – and Taylor's piano gets accompaniment from two groundbreaking bassists – Henry Grimes and Alan Silva – plus drums from Andrew Cyrille. Given the lineup, and the format, the whole thing almost feels more like one of the BYG/Actuel avant sessions than Blue Note in the 60s – and titles include "Steps", "Enter Evening (Soft Line Structure)", "Unit Structure/As Of A Now/Section", and "Tales (8 Whisps)". LP, Vinyl record album
Also available Unit Structures (UHQCD pressing) ... CD 18.99
 
Partial matches: 1
Partial matches46
CD, LP, Vinyl record album cover art
✨✧ Seven Black Dots/Lanin's Southern SerenadersWang Wang Blues/Shake It And Break It ... 78 RPM
Actuelle, 1921. Very Good ... Out Of Stock
... 78 RPM, Vinyl record
 
 
! Didn't find what you're looking for? You can set a product alert and we'll notify you of new matches.
 



⇑ Top