An important early record from the Thing trio of reedman Mats Gustafsson – and one that already has the group taking off from their initial mandate of working with Don Cherry material, as Joe McPhee joins the group and really opens up their sound! McPhee echoes a bit of Cherry on pocket trumpet, but the performance is definitely in his own mode, and that special sonic space of Gustafsson at the turn of the century – as Mats plays tenor and baritone saxes, alongside Ingebrigt Haker Flaten on bass and Paal Nilssen Love on drums! The core trio would go onto greatness in years to come, and this is one of their key early statements – with titles that include versions of Don Cherry's "The Thing", Ornette Coleman's "Kathelin Gray", and Frank Lowe's "For Real" – plus the tracks "To Bring You My Love", "Going Home", and "Old Eyes". CD

A mindblowingly beautiful set of solo tenor tracks by Joe McPhee – a record that's almost as important to that instrument as Anthony Braxton's For Alto set was for the alto sax! The record features just Joe blowing, and nothing else – stretching out in open space, and slowly exploring his tone and sound with a confidence and creative energy that's totally great. The sound is never too far out, and one thing we really appreciate is Joe's sense of timing here – almost a bit of a swing in some of the tracks, even though there's no other instrumentation backing him up. Yet that quality also doesn't hold him back from really reaching out, either – and there's a tonal quality to the solos that's really beautiful – like Sonny Rollins at his 60s creative best, but even more unfettered. Titles include "Knox", "Sweet Drago", "Good Bye Tom B", and "Tenor". CD adds in the bonus track "Fallen Angels" – also solo, but much rawer, and recorded a year after the main album. CD

The title here is very apt – as this fantastic quartet seem to set a different kind of fire on every one of the CDs in the set – six different performances, recorded over the space of two months – in Paris, Chicago, Milwaukee, and Poland! The group should be well-known to lovers of improvised music from earlier Okka Disk recordings in the 90s – and the passage of two decades has only made them sharper and more intense – especially when the tenor and pocket trumpet of Joe McPhee joins the lineup of Ken Vandermark on reeds, Kent Kessler on bass, and Hamid Drake on drums. The set of recordings is dedicated to James Baldwin – which you might have guessed from the title – and the whole thing is a fitting tribute to the transformation of ideas about freedom and identity over the passage of time. CD

The first-ever album of studio duets between Joe McPhee and Mats Gustafsson – quite a surprise, given how often their paths have crossed over the years! The set was recorded in 2007, but only issued many years later – and it's a key document of the power that both improvisers have at this point in their career – each receiving strong global attention and facing new discovery by audiences nobody would have expected to be there for free jazz in the new millennium – but also able to completely put aside their egos and work together with the kind of sensitive interplay that only comes when you've got two masters in a rare moment like this. Sonically, the whole thing is very textural – maybe initially informed by that style that Gustafsson has of exploring all the outer reaches of a saxophone, from the tip of the reed right down to the surface of the pads – as he blows baritone, slide sax, and alto fluteophone – and McPhee works on pocket trumpet, alto, and alto clarinet. Titles include "Suicide Chicken Wings Over Nickelsdorf", "Bat Cave Feast", "Just Blue", "Just Green", "Race Matters", and "Blame Game". CD

An amazing document of a unique musical moment – an entire jazz festival, virtually dedicated to Peter Brotzmann himself! The legendary Brotzmann not only curated the festival – filling it with some of his key collaborators and musical contemporaries – but he also plays on a fair bit of the titles here, too – in different groupings that reflect not only his long history in the European avant scene, but also his ties to Chicago, and his work with Japanese improvisers too! The package is wonderful – the next best thing to being at this exclusive event in person – and the set features 5CDs worth of music from the festival, with performances by Sonore (with Brotzmann, Ken Vandermark, & Mats Gustafsson), Chicago Tentet with John Tchicai, solo work by Jeiji Haino, the Hairy Bones quartet with Brotzmann and Toshinori Kondo, the Full Blast Trio, the DKV Trio, Caspar Brotzmann Massaker, and various other groupings with players who include Jeb Bishop, Joe McPhee, Mars Williams, Jason Adasiewicz, Nasheet Waits, Masahiko Satoh, Bill Laswell, and many others. CD

Excellent work from the trio of Ken Vandermark, Hamid Drake, and Kent Kessler! The 2CD set features tracks from two different live shows – one recorded in Rochester, the other in Kalamazoo, both during the group's 2001 tour of the US. Vandermark is ever-brilliant – still growing mightily as a player, and in a perfect power trio format here, working with Kessler's strong bass lines, and Drake's assorted percussion techniques. Includes a huge amount of Don Cherry tunes – such as "Brown Rice", "Awake Nu", "The Thing", and "Elephantasy" – plus readings of Sonny Rollins' "East Broadway Rundown", Joe McPhee's "Goodbye Tom B", and Ayler's "Love Cry". CD

The name of Kirk Knuffke on a record is always an indication of something fresh and special – and this time around, its presence is almost doubled by that of the great Joe McPhee – an artist we always keep an ear out for! The record is maybe more in the Knuffke side of the spectrum, but McPhee adapts beautifully – with that sensitivity that's always made him such an incredible improvising partner for a variety of different players – on sessions like this, which only continue to demonstrate that after many decades in jazz, Joe is still a creative powerhouse and one of the most versatile musicians of his generation. In addition to Kirk on cornet and McPhee on tenor, the group also features superb bass clarinet from Christof Knoche, plus bass from Michael Bisio and drums from Jay Rosen – on titles that include "The Essence Vibrates Love", "Keep The Dream Up", "They Will Say", "Take Me To The Spring", "Cracks Into Burning", and "Use Of Clay". CD

The title's a reference to place once referenced by Edgar Allan Poe – but the music is very firmly grounded in reality, and comes from an improvised performance in Chicago by this very all-star ensemble! The album features one long track – "Quaanaq" – served up with really creative interplay between a quintet that features Joe McPhee on tenor and pocket trumpet, Dave Rempis on alto and baritone, Tomeka Reid on cello, Brandon Lopez on bass, and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums – all coming together in the best tradition of Windy City free jazz players working with key out of town talent! The blend of bass and cello at the heart of the music is really wonderful, and Paal makes sure to only step forward boldly when McPhee and Rempis are ready to let loose themselves – and the trio really balance the power of their expressions to make sure that Reid and Lopez get a chance to shape some more sensitive moments. LP, Vinyl record album

There's nothing broken about this set – as the album's one of the strongest, most spiritual sessions we've ever heard from the Chicago Tentet of Peter Brotzmann – a really great group who gave us some amazing albums on the Okka Disk label! The set features two great guests – trumpeter Roy Campell and bassist William Parker – and at some level, the rest of the lineup seem to be opening up into modes that welcome the territory of both jazz giants – especially on the long first track, which is a very different reworking of a composition the group explored on another album! As usual, reedman Peter Brotzmann is at the helm – on tenor, alto clarinet, and tarogato – with Ken Vandermark, Mars Williams, and Mats Gustafsson on other reeds – plus Joe McPhee on trumpet and valve trombone, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and violin, Kent Kessler on bass, Michael Zerang on drums, and Hamid Drake on drums and frame drum, plus some great vocalizations. Titles include "Stonewater" and "Broken English". CD

There's nothing broken about this set – as the album's one of the strongest, most spiritual sessions we've ever heard from the Chicago Tentet of Peter Brotzmann – a really great group who gave us some amazing albums on the Okka Disk label! The set features two great guests – trumpeter Roy Campell and bassist William Parker – and at some level, the rest of the lineup seem to be opening up into modes that welcome the territory of both jazz giants – especially on the long first track, which is a very different reworking of a composition the group explored on another album! As usual, reedman Peter Brotzmann is at the helm – on tenor, alto clarinet, and tarogato – with Ken Vandermark, Mars Williams, and Mats Gustafsson on other reeds – plus Joe McPhee on trumpet and valve trombone, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello and violin, Kent Kessler on bass, Michael Zerang on drums, and Hamid Drake on drums and frame drum, plus some great vocalizations. Titles include "Stonewater" and "Broken English". CD

The second Folkways album from trumpeter Charles Shaw – and even more wonderful than the first! This one changes up the groove a bit – still sticking in Shaw's spiritual jazz vein at times, but also tripping things out a bit more with use of electric guitar and the ultra-cool "bag flute" – which is almost like a wah-wah sort of reed instrument, and which makes for some really funky moments! The electric touches are totally great – and mix with rougher acoustic jazz elements in ways that remind us of earlier 70s work from Luther Thomas and Joe McPhee – also both avant players who could show a funky side like this at times. Shaw plays trumpet, flugelhorn, and the bag flute – and other instrumentation includes guitar from James Greggo and Tom Lee Harris, alto from Brian Ross, tenor from Glenn Spears, bass from Ronnie Boykins, and drums from Art Blakey Jr. Titles include "Kid Zorro", "Postage Paid", "Mr Zip", "Chain Reaction", and "Melted Soul". CD

Two versions of a great track by Joe McPhee – both of which have the saxophonist laying out some surprisingly soulful sounds! If you only know Joe from his later avant years, you'll be stunned to hear McPhee here – as "Cosmic Love" has Joe spinning out this soulful saxophone lead over organ, which burns very slowly in the background – as McPhee starts out first straight, then surprisingly outside once things get going – but with a vibe that's somewhere between Kalaparusha on Delmark, and Arthur Doyle a few years later. The second version of the tune really turns up the echo on the organ, which makes things even more cosmic – as McPhee's solo follows a similar way-out path! 7-inch, Vinyl record

Two reed geniuses, working together in sublime formation – an extended, open live performance setting – which makes for incredible interplay throughout! There's a beautiful balance between unity and conflict going on here – Evan Parker and Joe McPhee both blowing soprano and tenor, with McPhee on a small bit of pocket cornet as well – crafting lines that sometimes snake out alongside each other, flowering in the open space of improvisation – sometimes chafe next to each other, but in ways that create a magical tension of sonic possibilities – growing to a sound that's way more than the sum of its parts. The set features seven live improvisations – all recorded in the space of the Chicago Cultural Center in 2003. CD

Breathily-blown brilliance from tenor saxophonist Rodrigo Amado – working here in a very well-matched frontline that features the mighty Joe McPhee on pocket trumpet and soprano sax – both instruments he uses with a deftness that takes us back to is early albums on Hat Hut! Both musicians have this great sense of texture – an almost-earthy vibe at times, which is certainly echoed by the deep-toned bass work of Kent Kessler – a player we don't hear from as much as we used to, but who makes a really strong appearance here, especially when balancing out some of the freer moments on drums from Chris Corsano. Both McPhee and Amado sometimes have very close-up, almost mouthy elements to their music at points – and titles include "Wild Flowers", "The Hiddend Desert", "Legacies", and "A History Of Nothing". CD features the bonus track "Theory Of Mind II". CD

Joe McPhee plays here with a Hammond organ trio – a setting that partially gets him back to the soulful sound of his roots, but which still keeps things in the freer mode of later years too! Joe starts out the performance with some wonderful solo work on pocket trumpet – played with these offbeat notes and inventive phrasing that might only be matched by Don Cherry's work on the instrument. The drums from Steve Noble come into the mix slowly, while the Hammond from Alexander Hawkins rolls in on these bold waves of sound – almost more forceful than any organ player of the headiest 70s years – spurred on by some rolling bass from John Edwards. Hammond dominates for the rest of side one – but then Joe switches to tenor, and gets some intimate, soulful space – before the organ comes rolling into the mix again! The 2CD set includes the 37+ minute "Spontaneous Combustion" on Disc One and the more than twice as long (77+ minutes) "Spontaneous Combustion 2" on Disc Two! CD

The title really gets things right here – as Joe McPhee is in some of his most sonic territory – really working sometimes at a level that's way beyond music, yet still managing to bring a strong sense of soul to the set too! The album begins with "Episode One", dedicated to Don Cherry – and really featuring some incredible pocket trumpet work from McPhee – blown at a level that's very subtle in shape and texture, but which gains power as the track moves on. "Episode Two" is dedicated to Ornette Coleman, and features much more dynamic alto sax – handled at a level that's more tenor-like than Coleman ever would have done – with a free-flowing vibe that's really wonderful! CD

The title's a reference to place once referenced by Edgar Allan Poe – but the music is very firmly grounded in reality, and comes from an improvised performance in Chicago by this very all-star ensemble! The album features really creative interplay between a quintet that features Joe McPhee on tenor and pocket trumpet, Dave Rempis on alto, tenor, and baritone, Tomeka Reid on cello, Brandon Lopez on bass, and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums – all coming together in the best tradition of Windy City free jazz players working with key out of town talent! The blend of bass and cello at the heart of the music is really wonderful, and Paal makes sure to only step forward boldly when McPhee and Rempis are ready to let loose themselves – and the trio really balance the power of their expressions to make sure that Reid and Lopez get a chance to shape some more sensitive moments. McPhee and Rempis are a great pair – very sympathetic to each other, yet very distinct too – as you'll hear on the long improvised tracks, "Osel", "Kaali", "Smola", and "Hekla". CD

Some of the hippest jazz ever played at Vassar College – and previously-unreleased work from avant legend Joe McPhee, recorded right around the same time as his classic Nation Time record! One CD features a smoking performance by McPhee on tenor – working with a group that also includes Byron Morris on alto sax – really stretching out on a mixture of original tunes and some surprisingly free takes on standards – familiar songs blown openly, almost with a Coltrane Quartet sort of approach! But the other CD is even more amazing – and even more obscure – as it features a group with vibist Ernie Bostic, alto saxophonist Otis Greene, and Hammond player Herbie Leaman – all musicians we really don't know at all – but who sound wonderful together! The mix of organ and vibes is completely sublime – and tracks are very long and airy, with a haunting feel that's unlike anything we've ever heard before. The Bostic group plays "Flowers For Mattie B", "Bag's Groove", and "Resolution" – and McPhee's combo takes on "Green Dolphin Street", "Spring Street", "Muntu", "Maybell's Blues", "Softly As In A Morning Sunrise", and "Stella By Starlight". CD

Wild early work from avant jazz genius Joe McPhee – and a set that's actually pretty darn funky too! This rare indie release features 3 long tracks – two of which were recorded live, with a tight combo that includes a very funky drummer! The album kicks off with the hard wailing "Nation Time", which begins with a shout from Joe, and which rolls into a vamping modal groove (almost Pharoah Sanders-ish) filled with spiritual tenor work from McPhee, and some nice electric piano that sounds very off-kilter – funky, but unusual too. Next up is "Shakey Jake", an excellent 13 minute funk number – with bubbling organ, vamping rhythms, and a nice extended jazz dance groove – one of the rare tunes that has kept the album at the top of collectors' lists for years! And last up is "Scorpio's Dance", a pretty raw and somber track, with a nice open-ended loft jazz quality – balancing things out with a bit of avant energy. LP, Vinyl record album

A 10th Anniversary performance by the Chicago Tentet – a wonderful group that's become the fruitful union of saxophonist Peter Brotzmann with a younger generation of players who were working heavily on the Chicago scene at the time! Back when the group first started, it was something of an experiment – but over the following decade, the ensemble won great attention for their playing, and for good reason too – considering the solo contributions of players like Ken Vandermark and Mats Gustafsson on reeds, Joe McPhee on trumpet and tenor, Johannes Bauer on trombone, Kent Kessler on bass, and Paal Nilssen Love on drums – all working under the visionary leadership of Peter Brotzmann! The tracks are all somewhat long and open-ended – almost more spacious than on other Chicago Tentet records, with a freely improvised feel. Titles include "Ten By Ten", "Little By Little", and "Step By Step". CD

A fantastic testament to the genius of the transatlantic meeting that is the Peter Brotzmann Chicago Tentet – a group that manages to bridge the sometimes-unwieldy modes of the improvising orchestra, and the energy of a smaller free jazz combo! All the players seem tied together perfectly – both at an emotional level, and a musical one – so that the combination of energy is way more than the sum of its mighty parts – a real accomplishment, given that the "parts" include Ken Vandermark, Peter Brotzmann, Marts Gustafsson, and Mars Williams on reeds – plus Joe McPhee on trumpet, Jeb Bishop on trombone, Fred Lonberg-Holm on cello, Kent Kessler on bass, and both Michael Zerang and Hamid Drake on drums. The set begins with a searing 37 minute piece dedicated to Robert Rauschenberg – Vandermark's "All Things Being Equal", which almost has a Mingus-like combination of structure and solo. "Images" follows, and is a more freewheeling piece – but completely wonderful too! CD

A 10th Anniversary performance by the Chicago Tentet – a wonderful group that's become the fruitful union of saxophonist Peter Brotzmann with a younger generation of players who were working heavily on the Chicago scene at the time! Back when the group first started, it was something of an experiment – but over the following decade, the ensemble won great attention for their playing, and for good reason too – considering the solo contributions of players like Ken Vandermark and Mats Gustafsson on reeds, Joe McPhee on trumpet and tenor, Johannes Bauer on trombone, Kent Kessler on bass, and Paal Nilssen Love on drums – all working under the visionary leadership of Peter Brotzmann! The tracks are all somewhat long and open-ended – almost more spacious than on other Chicago Tentet records, with a freely improvised feel. Titles include "Ten By Ten", "Little By Little", and "Step By Step". CD