There's nothing deceptive about this quartet – as the group work here live, completely unfettered – with the kind of honest, open interaction that have made Snakeoil one of the greatest musical contributions from reedman Tim Berne! The lineup has a special sort of edge – no bass, and lots of interplay between Berne's alto and the clarinets of Oscar Noriega – reed lines that on their own would be enough, but which get exactly the kind of right support from the piano of Matt Michell and drums of Ches Smith – all four members often working together in these sonic clusters that really reflect their long-running understanding of each others strengths and talents! The tracks here are all nice and long – performed live at Firehouse – and titles include "OCDC", "Moornoats", "Perception", "Deception", "Seven", "Scanners", and "Hemphill". CD

Really beautiful solo piano work from Marie Kruttli – her first session of this type, and one that may well set a tone for other sessions of this nature in years to come! Marie's got this way of handling the keys of the piano with this resonantingly introspective quality – almost as if she's dipping her hand gently into the still water of a pond before exploring more – with all the many-fingered qualities such an image might imply. The approach is completely unique, and sends out ripples of sound, both dark and light – flowing out, coming back, and creating a listening experience that's complex, yet completely organic too. Titles include "Torrent To Lagoon", "Song", "Flow Of Irrational Thoughts", "The Hope Of Light & Shadow On Your Skin", "Exploration", and "Insomnia". CD

Saxophonist James Brandon Lewis just keeps getting deeper and deeper with each new release – very different than the artist who first emerged a number of records back, and one with a strong ability to explore the farther sides of the jazz spectrum! That's definitely the case here – as Lewis plays tenor at the head of a quartet with Aruan Ortiz on piano, Brad Jones on bass, and Chad Taylor on drums – a lineup who are more than fluid enough to move with the ideas that flow effortlessly both from the compositional pen of the leader, and his well-crafted, very personal lines on tenor sax! The tunes vary in length, which further deepens the individuality of the set – and titles include "Helix", "Per 1", "Breaking Code", "An Anguish Departed", "Loverly", "Molecular", "Cesaire", and "A Lotus Speaks". CD

An intimate set of duets between these two top-shelf improvisers – both of whom work together in the Snakeoil band of Tim Berne, but who sound even better here in more airy, open territory! Berne blows alto, Mitchell handles piano, and the results are wonderful – introspective, but very human and open too – never too "arch" to let a moment of feeling or two into the mix – as the pair have a way of expanding the space between them with just a few simple turns of phrase or moments of action! Titles include "Middle Seat Blues/Chicken Salad Blues", "Motian Sickness", "Rolled Oats/Curls", "Oddly Enough/Squidz", "Rose Colored Missive", "Purdy", and "Number 2". CD

We love saxophonist David Murray in many settings, but one of our favorites is often a more stripped-down mode – which, with the right approach, lets Murray really open up and show us some of the more rhythmic sides of his playing! That's definitely the case here, as Murray blows tenor and bass clarinet with Brad Jones on bass and Hamid Drake on drums – both great players for such a session, especially Drake – who seems to bring as much melody to his drum work as David brings rhythm to his horns! The whole thing's a great reminder of how wonderful Murray can still be when he's got the right showcase – and the set's filled with long original titles that include "Necktar", "Anita Et Annita", "Rainbows For Julia", "Switchin In The Kitchen", "Am Gone Get Some", and "Seriana Promethea". CD

A set that does a fantastic job of blending Cuban roots and modern jazz – but at a level that's completely unlike any other project of this nature! Aruan Ortiz doesn't just take direct inspiration from Cuban music – and instead, he clearly drinks deep, absorbs the right aspects, then puts them back on the planet with a fresh new sound that's all his own – often blocky and rhythmic, and given superb drive here from the bass of Brad Jones and drums of John Betsch – but free sometimes too, with a very open vibe that's completely wonderful, and richly expressive! Titles include "Los Tres Golpes", "Like A Changui", "Canto De Tambores Y Caracoles", "Memorias Del Monte", and "En Forma De Guajira". CD

A record that moves far beyond familiar piano trio format – so much so, that it's probably wrong to even call it a piano trio record at all – as the keyboard work of Alexander Hawkins is equally wrapped around the bass of Neil Charles and drums of Stephen Davis, as all three rise and soar together on these freewheeling waves of sound! Hawkins plays a bit of keyboards at times, and all three musicians add in percussion as well – and throughout the set, there's a very fresh vibe that has all three players linked together in sound and spirit, on titles that include "Puzzle Canon", "Rupture", "Rapture", "Counterpoint Celestial", "Canon Celestial", and "Unlimited Growth Increases The Divide". CD

Christoph Irniger on tenor saxophone, Rdave Gisler on guitar, Stefan Aeby on piano, Raffaele Bossard on bass, and Michael Stulz on drums. CD

An album that feels even more spiritual and soulful than anything we've heard before from tenorist James Brandon Lewis – and that's really saying a lot, given the records he's given us before! There's a lean, open energy to the record – a laidback group that features some especially nice drum work from Chad Taylor, who we always love in such a setting – alongside Aruan Ortiz on piano and Brad Jones on bass – all players who clearly recognize that Lewis needs plenty of space to stretch out, and make these magical notes on his instrument – voicing things in a way that's wonderfully fresh – never too far out, but always with an edge – a great reminder that in the right hands, the tenor continues to be one of the strongest modes of individual expression in jazz. Titles include "A Lotus Speaks", "Of First Importance", "Helix", "An Anguish Departed", "Cesaire", and "Neosho". CD

Tom Rainey on drums, Ingrid Laubrock on saxophone and Mary Halvorson on guitar. CD

Oliver Lake on alto and sopranino saxophone, Reggie Workman on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums! CD

Sarah Buechi on vocals – accompanied by Franz Hellmuller on guitar and Rafael Jerjen on bass. CD

Christoph Irniger on tenor sax, Stefan Aeby on piano, Dave Gisler on guitar, Raffaele Bossard on bass, and Michi Stulz on drums. CD

Sublime solo bass work from Joelle Leandre – and a set that's brimming over with the sorts of qualities that first made us fall in love with her music so many decades ago! Leandre's an improviser, and she can play quite freely – but she also never seems to lose a sense of warmth that holds her music together – this special sort of spirit that always makes us feel that, especially in the world of solo bass, Leandre's maybe got more heart and soul than others in her field – linking free improvisation with an inherent sense of tunefulness, yet never in a way that ever feels song-based or precomposed. The set features five selections, all improvised at a performance in Zurich in 2022. CD

George Lewis on trombone and synthesizer, Jeff Parker on electric guitar, Ulrich Muller on guitar, Miya Masaoka on koto, Siegfried Rossert on bass, Guillermo E Brown on drums, Kaffe Matthews on electronics, and DJ Mutamassik on turntables. CD

Lucas Niggli on drums and percussion and Matthias Loibner on hurdy-gurdy and electronics. CD

Features Oliver Lake on saxophones, Reggie Workman on bass, Andrew Cyrille on drums, and special guest Jason Moran on piano! CD

Conrad Bauer on trombone, Ulrich Gumpert on piano, Ernst-Ludwig Petrowsky on alto saxophone, clarinet and flute, and Gunter Sommer on drums and percussion. CD

Anthony Braxton on alto saxophone. CD

Anthony Braxton on redds and Andrew Cyrille on drums. CD

A hip Swedish jazz set from the early 70s – a set of warmly soulful numbers from the quintet of trombonist Bertil Strandberg – a player with some strong modal sensibilities! The group here features tenor, piano, bass, and drums – in addition to Bertil's trombone – and the album's got a sound that's a bit more laidback and righteous than other European jazz sessions of the time – a bit more like some American indie jazz session from the period, with a really nice balance of sounds. The frontline of trombone and tenor comes off wonderfully on the bolder cuts in the set – especially the tunes "Cirrus" and "Intakt" – which burst out beautifully, yet without ever going too far out! Other titles include "Glir", "Relik", "Cambodia", and "Elegi". LP, Vinyl record album