The first new studio recording by tenorist Fred Anderson since 1980 – and a set that shows just how much he'd grown in the intervening years! Here, Fred's newly alive with a younger Chicago group – a great quartet with Jim Baker on piano, Harrison Baker on bass, and Hamid Drake on drums – all players openly fluid to move with Anderson from swinging passages to freer ones – a beautiful balance of soul and experimentation, captured in a way that maybe links Fred more closely to Von Freeman than any other record in his career – yet which still captures all the AACM vitality in his music too. Titles include "Birdhouse", "Bernice", "Like Sonny", and "Waiting For Me". CD

A hell of a trio from the Chicago scene of the 90s – and one of the best showcases we can think of for the mighty skills of trombonist Jeb Bishop! Bishop emerged as one of the freshest voices on his instrument in years – a player who grew up during the full exposure of the free jazz generation, but who also had a great ear for earlier, especially overlooked talents on his instrument – so that Jeb is able to move back and forth between structure and freedom, notes and noise, with an imaginative capability that's maybe heard best in a trio setting like this – with bassist Kent Kessler and drummer Tim Mulvenna. The record's got a voice and power that makes us wish that Bishop was still making waves this great on the Chicago scene – and titles include "Nomads", "Pyramid", "Duress Duress", and "Big Stubby". CD

One of the boldest statements on record from trombonist Jeb Bishop – and a really great reminder of his key contributions to the Chicago avant scene at the start of the century! Jeb's a master of subtle shape and sound on his instrument, but he can also play with a fiercer frenzy – which is definitely the case here, and he moves between a trio and quartet lineup – alongside Kent Kessler on bass, Tim Mulvenna on drums, and Jeff Parker on guitar! The match of Parker and Bishop happens on four of the album's seven tracks, and has an especially strong resonance – tuneful at times, fuzzier at others – although the trio tracks are pretty darn incredible, and have us really remembering the greatness of Kessler and Mulvenna too. Titles include "Mirror Image", "The Umbrella", "Piggly Wiggly", "Pond", and "Flex Time". CD

A record that seemed to open the music of Peter Brotzmann up for a whole new generation of listeners – in part because it features the European legend on an American label that got him some of the widest circulation he'd enjoyed here in years – and also in part because drummer Hamid Drake provides a very different foil for his music! The sound is almost an imaginary 70s meeting between the FMP and loft jazz scenes – with Hamid offering up these beautifully rich tones on standard drums, frame drum, and tablas – while Brotzmann blows tenor, alto, tarogato, and e flat clarinet – often with a sound that's searing, but more soulful than usual too – especially on some of the more spacious, open moments on the record. Titles include "It's An Angel On The Door", "Trees Have Roots In The Earth", "The Uninvited Entertainer", and "Dark Wings Carry Off The Sky". CD

A double-disc set that documents the live efforts of the Free Music Ensemble – a power trio featuring Ken Vandermark on reeds, Nat McBride on bass, and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums! The style here is very much in the legacy of Vandermark's trio work of years past, especially in association with Scandinavian players – a mix of searingly intense numbers and other more introspective ones – often performances that are focused strongly around sound textures. One CD here features a 2005 Boston show, and the other includes a concert the next day, recorded up in Montreal (some travel schedule there!). Titles include "Exit The Republic", "Drift", "But Only Almost", "False Rabbit", "On A Wire", "Looking At Dutch Stairs", "New Reference", "Ottica", and "Montage". CD

A very unusual work from the Territory Band – one of the more avant-oriented projects of Chicago's sax powerhouse Ken Vandermark. The group's much more spatially and compositionally oriented than any of Ken's other projects, and the feel of the set is in an ambitious mode – almost like some of the work of the London Jazz Composer's Orchestra from the 80s. The group on the set is much larger than on the first Territory Band album – with a mixture of Chicago and European players that include Kevin Drumm, Paul Lytton, Fred Lonberg-Holm, Kent Kessler, Tim Mulvenna, Jim Baker, Jeb Bishop, and Axel Doerner. Tracks are all tributes, in the Vandermark mode – and titles include "Now", "Add & Subtract", "Neiger", and "Catalog". CD

The greatest album to date from Ken Vandermark's Territory Band – and a record that firmly places the group in a lineage of experimental jazz orchestrations that runs from Duke Ellington through Charles Mingus and the later work of the London Jazz Composers Orchestra! There's a strength here that goes beyond any of the group's earlier efforts – and although some numbers continue their freely improvised moments, others fall into a straighter, even more focused sound – one that's got the boldness of Mingus at its best, with lots of powerful passages that give way to even more personal solo moments. Players include Ken Vandermark, Fredrik Ljungkvist, and Dave Rempis on reeds; Axel Dorner on trumpet, Johannes Bauer on trombone, Paul Lytton and Paal Nilssen-Love on percussion, Jim Baker on piano, Kent Kessler on bass, and Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello. 3CD set features 2 studio discs and 1 live radio performance – with titles that include "Fall With A Vengeance", "Untitled Fiction", "Corrosion", "Cards", and live performances of all numbers on disc 3. CD

Ken Vandermark and a host of hip bassists – Kent Kessler, Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, Nate McBride, and Wilbert De Joode – each of whom take turns working with Ken in a set of spare bass/reed duets! The approach is wonderful – and each different player really unlocks a new sort of sound from Vandermark – reedplay that's almost more sensitive than other recent work, somewhere between FMP sessions of this nature, and early duet experiments between Charles Mingus and Shafi Hadi! Once again, we're stunned at the depths of Ken's talents – and for our money, he's one of the few jazzment of our generation who always keeps on delighting us. Titles include "Contour I", "Ellipse III", "Curve I", "Torque", "Spline", "Arc", "Torus IV", and "Prop II". CD

One of the most striking albums we've heard in years from Ken Vandermark – an album of solo tracks, recorded in the living room of his home, with a wonderfully introspective and exploratory quality! The album instantly achieves a place in a legacy of solo reed work that includes seminal albums by Evan Parker and Steve Lacy – and the set features Vandermark blowing on baritone, tenor, clarinet, and bass clarinet. The set features 13 titles recorded in the living room, plus 5 more recorded live in the studio (how's that for a switch?) – with titles that include "Panels", "So Is This", "Lines", "Resistance", "Horizontal Weight", "Beck & Fall", and "Leaves". CD

Ken Vandermark works here in musical modes first proposed by Joe McPhee – his famous concept of Po Music – performed here by a group that also features Joe, and a whole host of great players from the Chicago scene! Vandermark and McPhee have influenced each other a lot in the past few decades – but the approach here is to return to Joe's early Hat Art use of the Po concept – especially the way it presents ideas as provocation – which are then turned into improvisational fire by a group that includes Jason Adasiewicz on vibes, Josh Berman on cornet, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Kent Kessler on bass, Dave Rempis on saxes, Tim Daisy on drums, and Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and electronics. Both Vandermark and McPhee play tenor – and the music has an intensity that's amazing for such a large group of improvisers – further proof that all players are very well-matched. Titles include "Impressions Of Eroc Tinu", "Impressions Of Knox", "Impressions Of Astral Spirits/Age", and "Impressions Of Sweet Dragon". CD

A set that's a bit of a companion to the Brotzmann Chicago Tentet album Broken English – as it was recorded with the same lineup, on the same days – but a record that's also got a very different vibe of its own, thanks to the never-ending imagination of all the members of the group! As on the afore-mentioned record, the group here is expanded by two key guests – bassist William Parker and trumpeter Roy Campbell – east coast heavyweights brought in to an already great lineup that features reeds from Peter Brotzmann, Mars Williams, Mats Gustafsson, and Ken Vandermark – plus Joe McPhee on trumpet and valve trombone, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Kent Kessler on bass, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and violin, and both Michael Zerang and Hamid Drake on drums. Yet even with the two guests musicians, the Tentet manages to really feel the space around each individual musician in the lineup – working with amazing sensitivity, instead of overdone bombastic energy – creating sounds of chance and change on titles that include "Lightbox", "Short Visit To Nowhere", "Ellington", and "Hold That Thought". CD

A wonderful live performance by this killer Chicago quartet – a group that features Jeb Bishop on trombone, Dave Rempis on saxes, Nate McBride on bass, and Tim Daisy on drums – all really well-matched players who definitely know how to bring out the best in each other! Bishop is fantastic here, and Rempis is really coming into his own – and as strong as the work of Daisy and McBride might be, the long tracks really sparkle with the work of the trombone and sax – stretching out in long solos, but also finding these amazing ways to interact with each other too! Titles include "Next Question", "Four Feet Of Slush", "Free Range", and "Trouble Distribution". CD

A late 90s record, but one that we might easily put next to similar spiritual improv albums from the 70s – a fantastic meeting of both artists at Chicago's Empty Bottle – with Joe McPhee on pocket trumpet and tenor, and Hamid Drake on some amazing drums and percussion! Drake's wonderfully open, fluid sense of sound is a great match for McPhee here – really opening up a side of Joe's music in a way that's a bit different than some of his other recordings of the time, including his Okka Disk material – spirited, but never stressed – exploratory, yet always with a strong sense of direction. Titles include "Hate Crime Cries", "Cries & Whispers", "Mother Africa", and "Emancipation Proclamation". Very spare, but very moving – in the manner of some of the early work by the Art Ensemble of Chicago! CD

The mighty DKV trio is expanded here by the presence of Joe Morris on guitar – a fourth fantastic sonic element, alongside the bass of Kent Kessler, drums of Hamid Drake, and tenor of Ken Vandermark! The quartet begins the record with a great deal of energy, then things split off into various formations – a few trio and duo tracks which shift the mood and stylistic improvisations in a great way, and really show the open imaginations of all players as they creatively reassemble. Titles include the long "Telling Suite", plus "Standing Here", "Bit Tenet", "Infix", "Breathe Easily", and "Hollow Curve". CD

A sharp-edged Chicago quartet – made up of key players of the underground scene of the past decade or so – including Jeb Bishop on trombone, Dave Rempis on saxes, Nate McBride on bass, and Tim Daisy on drums! The sound here is forceful, but nicely restrained – not nearly as free as some of the other work by the players, and with a strongly compositional sensibility that often makes the most of dark notes and moody rhythms. Titles are all originals by members of the group, and tracks include "Riser", "Jet Lag", "Rewind", "Mish Mumkin", "Backend Cover", and "Four Broken Plates". CD

Peter Brotzmann's on clarinet this time around, and working here in an extended studio piece with his Chicago Tentet combo – one of his greatest groups of later years, featuring both Mats Gustafsson and Ken Vandermark on reeds, as well as Joe McPhee on both trumpet and alto sax! The work builds slowly, almost tentatively – the fills in strongly as the piece goes on – with a sound that's almost like the Jazz Composers Orchestra style at the end of the 60s, but not as dynamic overall. The reeds are almost strongest in shaping the tune – although other contributions include trombone from Hannes Bauer, tuba from Per Ake Holmlander, and cello from Fred Lonberg-Holm. CD 1 features the first part of the work – which is quite long, and stands strongly as an album on its own! CD

Peter Brotzmann's on clarinet this time around, and working here in an extended studio piece with his Chicago Tentet combo – one of his greatest groups of later years, featuring both Mats Gustafsson and Ken Vandermark on reeds, as well as Joe McPhee on both trumpet and alto sax! The work builds slowly, almost tentatively – the fills in strongly as the piece goes on – with a sound that's almost like the Jazz Composers Orchestra style at the end of the 60s, but not as dynamic overall. The reeds are almost strongest in shaping the tune – although other contributions include trombone from Hannes Bauer, tuba from Per Ake Holmlander, and cello from Fred Lonberg-Holm. CD 1 features the first part of the work – which is quite long, and stands strongly as an album on its own! CD

Peter Brotzmann's on clarinet this time around, and working here in an extended studio piece with his Chicago Tentet combo – one of his greatest groups of later years, featuring both Mats Gustafsson and Ken Vandermark on reeds, as well as Joe McPhee on both trumpet and alto sax! The work builds slowly, almost tentatively – the fills in strongly as the piece goes on – with a sound that's almost like the Jazz Composers Orchestra style at the end of the 60s, but not as dynamic overall. The reeds are almost strongest in shaping the tune – although other contributions include trombone from Hannes Bauer, tuba from Per Ake Holmlander, and cello from Fred Lonberg-Holm. CD 2 features the second half of the work – returned to a tentative beginning, then stepping out more strongly as things move on! CD

Fantastic live material from a very unique group – the instantly-legendary meeting of reedman Peter Brotzmann with the leading lights of the Chicago avant jazz scene in the 90s – brought together into a tremendous tentet that's maybe even better than the sum of its parts! The group features Brotzmann on tenor and clarinet, Ken Vandermark on tenor and bass clarinet, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Fred Lomberg-Holm on cello and violin, Michael Zerang and Hamid Drake on drums, Kent Kessler on bass – and "honorary Chicagoan" Mats Gustafsson on tenor and flutophone, plus Toshinori Kondo on trumpet and electronics, and William Parker on bass. Phew, that's one heck of a lineup – the kind that rivals some of the European or British improvising ensembles of decades past – but one that has its own very specific flavor, and a sound that's brimming over with youth – so much so that the non-Chicago guests really seem to gain inspiration from the core. This Okka disc set captures the band live at the 16th Victoriaville Festival in 1999. LP, Vinyl record album

One of the most unusual Peter Brotzmann records we've ever heard – and we mean that in the best way possible! The live improvisation features Brotzmann on tenor, alto, tarogato, and e-flat clarinet – working with Hamid Drake on drums, tablas, and percussion – but alongside Moroccan gnawa musician Mahmoud Gania (or Guinia), whose music is a really different addition to the Brotzmann sound! Hamid Drake provides a great bridge between both players – still working as a free jazz musician, but also bringing a wider range of sounds to his percussion, which blends perfectly with Gania's creations on the warm-toned strings of the guembri, and his occasional vocalizations too. The whole thing is amazing – and the balance of avant reeds, percussion, and regional sounds rivals some of the best of the MPS jazz-meets-world titles from years back. The improvisation is 70 minutes in length – and breathtaking throughout! CD

A record of free-thinking jazz – recorded by a trio from Chicago, featuring drummer Paul Wertico, reedman Rich Corpolongo, and bassist Doug Loftstrom. There's a frenetic, choppy sound here that at one level seems to take off from European fusion groups of the 70s – yet also point the way towards the later Chicago experiments of the NRG Ensemble, and some of the better improvisations to emerge in the Vandermark years (and if we had to be honest, we'd say that this one has much more the quality level of the Okka Disk era than the overdone modes of the NRG years.) Many tunes are quite subtle, and along with the core instrumentation of the trio, players also bring in a lot of added percussion and effects. Titles include "Flutter Wings", "Bird Dirge", "Chinese New Year", "No Survivors", and "March Of The Schnatskis". LP, Vinyl record album

Boneshaking music from this mighty bold trio – a lineup that features lots of stunning reedwork from the late Mars Williams, alongside bass from Kent Kessler and drums from Paal Nilssen-Love – both artists who do a great job of coming on strong when needed, then laying back to allow for more sensitive sonic interplay! The vibe's a bit like some of the classic Okka Disk performances from all players, but also shows how much they've evolved as well – especially Williams, whose later work is always so amazing. Mars also plays some toy instruments as well – and titles include "Preantepenultimate", "Oculoplania", "Mallemaroking", and "Brontide". CD

Boneshaking music from this mighty bold trio – a lineup that features lots of stunning reedwork from the late Mars Williams, alongside bass from Kent Kessler and drums from Paal Nilssen-Love – both artists who do a great job of coming on strong when needed, then laying back to allow for more sensitive sonic interplay! The vibe's a bit like some of the classic Okka Disk performances from all players, but also shows how much they've evolved as well – especially Williams, whose later work is always so amazing. Mars also plays some toy instruments as well – and titles include "Preantepenultimate", "Oculoplania", "Mallemaroking", and "Brontide". CD