Paal Nilssen-Love: Drums, Percussion
Peter Brötzmann: Saxophone, Clarinet
Steve Swell: Trombone
Recorded February 24, 2015 @ Alchemia Club, Kraków, Poland
Recorded, mixed and mastered by DTS Studio
All music by Peter Brötzmann [GEMA/FMP Publishing], Steve Swell [Steve Swell Music, BMI] and Paal Nilssen-Love [TONO, Cien Fuegos]
“This was a fine album, an excellent snapshot of working band at the peak of their not inconsiderable powers.” – Tim Niland
The working trio of New York trumpeter & saxophonist Joe McPhee, London double bassist John Edwards, and German drummer Klaus Kugel, actively touring through Europe since 2017, are heard live at Alchemia in Krakow, Poland in 2018, for four monumental examples of free improvisation in superlative playing with intense rhythmic interaction and deeply expressive soloing.
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Joe McPhee – trumpet, saxophones
John Edwards – double bass
Klaus Kugel – drums
Recorded at Alchemia, in Krakow, Poland, on October 20th, 2018, by Ralf Drewiany.
“Epic” is a word that seems appropriate to describe the music on this two-disc offering by saxophonist and trumpeter Joe McPhee. Accompanied by four double-bassists, the veteran free-jazzer from upstate New York has concocted a tribute to the spirit of one of the genre’s early patron saints and called it, appropriately enough The Albert Ayler 2000 Project.” -Paul Serralheiro, Squid’s Ear
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Claude Tchamitian: Bass
Dominic Duval: Bass
Michael Bisio: Bass
Paul Rogers: Bass
Joe McPhee: Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Trumpet [Pocket]
Volume One recorded at Europa Jazz Festival, Le Mans, France, May 1, 2000.
Volume Two recorded at Action Jazz, Pannonica, Nantes, France, May 18, 2000.
Producer: Joe McPhee
Co-producer: Craig Johnson
Recording Engineer: Jean-Marc Foussat
Mastering Engineer: Ted Orr, Sertso Studio, Woodstock NY
Cover Design: Jerry Starpoli
Cover Layout: Karen Caropepe
Photos: Roger Parry
Special Thanks to Emouvance, Francoise Bastianelli, Armand Meignan and the Europa Jazz Festival Crew, Nante Action Jazz, Pannonica, Jean Marc Foussart, Jerry Starpoli, Karen Caropepe, Roger Parry and the bassists for their efforts and support.
On this striking new CD, Joe Morris wields his guitar with deliberate restraint, building deep layers that breathe around Brad Barrett’s cello — its bowed lines resonating with both plaintive lyricism and edgy percussive accents. Beth Ann Jones anchors the trio with a sculptural bass, her tone rich and propulsive, providing an essential counterpoint to Morris’ explorations. It’s a beautifully measured session—each player deep-listening, unfolding subtle dialogues, and seamlessly shifting between spacious intimacy and taut collective momentum. An immersive statement from three gifted improvisers in powerful synergy.
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Joe Morris – guitar, effects
Brad Barrett – cello
Beth Ann Jones – bass
Recorded in January 11th, 2025 at Dimension Sound Jamaica Plain, Massachusets, USA.
Engineered, mixed and mastered by Joe Stewart
Produced by Joe Morris
Photo and cover by Joe Morris
Layout by Anne Marcotty
Chris Brown: piano and live electronic signal processing
Tim Daisy: drums and percussion
Recorded at Experimental Sound Studios, Chicago, Illinois, by Alex Inglizian; June 13, 2025
Mixed and mastered by Chris Brown
Titles by Johanna Poethig, from “Random Ruminations”
Artwork licensed by Wirestock Creators
With Drops, bassist and composer Ingebrigt Håker Flaten leads his powerhouse ensemble (Exit) Knarr into new terrain—using graphic scores as a springboard for improvisation and sonic exploration. It’s the third studio release from the group and perhaps its most personal statement yet.
“I used to love painting and drawing as a kid,” says Håker Flaten. “Now, that re-connection to shape and color helps me communicate musical ideas to my bandmates more easily. It helps me share the core of my music without needing to explain it all in notes.”
Drawing on influences from Wassily Kandinsky to Hilma af Klint, as well as musical pioneers like Anthony Braxton and Mats Gustafsson, Håker Flaten blends visual art, free jazz, mythology, and electronic music into a unified whole. The band uses electronic tools both live and in the studio—not only to enhance the sound but to expand the textures and moods, reflecting Håker Flaten’s inspiration from the possibilities of electronic music.
The band—featuring Amalie Dahl (alto), Karl Hjalmar Nyberg (tenor, electronics), Marta Warelis (piano, electronics), Jonathan F. Horne (guitar), Olaf Olsen (drums), and Håker Flaten himself—brings a rare intensity and cohesion after several years of touring and growth. On the opening track, “Deluge,” an electrifying live-in-studio reimagining of Wayne Shorter’s JuJu classic, they’re joined by Mette Rasmussen and Veslemøy Narvesen for a bold, extended lineup.
The album will be released August 22 at Saalfelden Jazz Festival, followed by performances at Willisau, Cologne Jazzweek, and an extensive European tour in September 2025.
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Amalie Dahl – alto*
Karl Hjalmar Nyberg – tenor, electronics
Marta Warelis – piano, electronics
Jonathan F. Horne – guitar
Ingebrigt Håker Flaten – bass
Olaf Olsen – drums
Mette Rasmussen – alto**
Veslemøy Narvesen – drums**
*track 2, 3 & 4
**track 1
2, 3 & 4 by Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (TONO/NcB).
Deluge by Wayne Shorter, an excerpt from a performance by (Exit) Knarr Extended playing JuJu Deconstructed by Ingebrigt Håker Flaten, recorded live at Børsen Kulturhus on December 3rd.
Recorded by Håvard Skaset at Børsen Kulturhus, Tangen, Norway Dec 2 & 3 ’24
Mixed by Kyrre Laastad
Mastered by Karl Klaseie
Produced by Ingebrigt Håker Flaten
Cover design by Juliane Schútz
Supported by Norsk Kulturfond, NOPA and Komponistenes Vederlagsfond.
The more complete (although not full..) album title is:
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evilevilevilevilevilevilevilevilevilevilevilevile
vilevilevilevilevilevilevilevilevilevil
evilevilevilevilevilevilevilevilevilevilevilevilevilevilevilevi
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On moving to NYC a little over a decade ago, López began making himself indispensable within many creative music scenes, from the New York Philharmonic to the DIY basements of Brooklyn.
As with all bass players of great skill & commitment, López has been prolifically active because he has been in high demand & has made himself available.
The Cleveland Review of Books noted: “This is virtuosity as vocabulary, a total command of texture, subtlety, and a depth that can be reached into.”
López is also an improvising composer of estimable gifts. A recent example is his duo work with equally gifted drummer Gerald Cleaver; recently incorporated into a trio with Fred Moten, the inimitable poet, theorist, and 2020 MacArthur Fellow. Among the attention paid to their 2022 debut was an “8.0” review in Pitchfork & a “Best Jazz Albums of 2022” notice by the New York Times.
The brawn which Brandon plays the bass bigger than he is abundantly clear when see/hearing him live on stage, and can be felt as a force coming out of his recordings. The strings & wood frame are wholly resonant when called forth, by muscles well-developed for the purpose by a longtime gravedigger, which was his earning gig before moving to the city of eternal future Now.
Hearing his work on four long strings and in welcome conversation – it becomes clear that brains over brawn are a key differential. A Puerto Rican kid growing up working class in North Jersey doesn’t rock with the NYC Phil without ’em.
Always Question Perceptions. Always Question what Any “news” source presents to you. Sound & vibration; truth shall reveal.
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Brandon López – bass
All compositions by Brandon López
Recorded by Brandon López
Mixed and Mastered by John Lipscomb
Artwork by Maria Farré
The work of each of these powerfully creative & exceptionally perceptive artists concerns itself with navigating the ascending reign of long-institutionalized madness while simultaneously keeping humanity and sanity intact.
Their synergistic mesh in Duo is here presented on record for the first time (following two acclaimed works on the Reading Group label in trio with Gerald Cleaver).
The Quietus, Album of the Week: thequietus.com/quietus-reviews/album-of-the-week/revision-fred-moten-brandon-lopez-review/
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Inimitable poet, cultural theorist, author, 2020 MacArthur Fellow, Fred Moten creates new conceptual spaces that accommodate emergent forms of Black cultural production, aesthetics, and social life. Moten is a professor of performance studies and comparative literature at New York University concerned with social movement, aesthetic experiment, and Black study. He is also a United States Artists Rockefeller Fellow and was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
Puerto Rican-American bassist Brandon López is the son of a gravedigger who himself put time in doing the same, developing muscles that serve him well in his thorough command of the upright bass. On moving to NYC, López made himself indispensable within numerous realms of creative music. As the Cleveland Review of Books noted, “This is virtuosity as vocabulary, a total command of texture, subtlety, and a depth that can be reached into.”
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Fred Moten: texts, voice
Brandon López: bass
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Joseph Branciforte at Greyfade Studios.
Produced by Moten/López & TAO Forms
Cover photograph courtesy of TONE Festival (June 13, 2024)
“These cats set up and go. Both disorienting and elevating, this set of improv guitar is likely to rattle your mind.” – J.M. Hart
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“While the hypothetical range of what the listener might expect from a record of free-improvised guitar playing is understandably gigantic, it’s not very often that what is heard so easily navigates across such a vast terrain. In their most often observed environments (Dorji’s relentlessly frequent solo and collaborative releases, Dieterich in the untamable and uniquely enchanting Deerhoof), both artists regularly redefine both themselves and what “guitar” playing may or may not be. On “Midden”, there is communication and expression that transcends the notion that two people can simply cross paths and play guitar together. Plenty of people do this, but few intersect so naturally and comfortably in this abstract of a context. While captured in the live setting, Midden is not the result of weeks of touring, fine tuning ideas and patterns. Instead, the LP is merely a document which archives the final of three chance meetings, in which two people engage in a natural dialog that at times is jagged and jarring while at others is mesmerizing and beautiful. Unpredictable yet completely organic, such a language is a joy to hear.” -Klemen Breznikar, It’s Psychedelic Baby Magazine
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Electric Guitar – Tashi Dorji
Electric Guitar – John Dieterich
Title of release on back is “Witches And Devils At The Empty Bottle”, subtitled Chicago, 27 August 1997 Set 2.
Recorded by Malachi Ritscher with Savage Sound Syndicate.
Bass – Kent Kessler
Cello – Fred Lonberg-holm
Drums – Steve Hunt
Keyboards – Jim Baker
Reeds – Ken Vandermark, Mars Williams
Design [Cover Design], Photography – Sandy Sager
Executive-Producer – Michael Dorf
Liner Notes – John Corbett
Produced by Savage Sound Syndicate
Recorded by Malachi Ritscher
” I Wonder If I Was Screaming continued AALY’s string of excellent releases and helped cement their reputation as one of the very best working ensembles at the turn of the century.” -Brian Olewnick, AllMusic
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Double Bass – Peter Janson
Drums – Kjell Nordeson
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone [Right Channel] – Mats Gustafsson
Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet [Left Channel] – Ken Vandermark
Artwork – Åke Hodell
Design – Conny Lindström
Engineer – Ian Agate
Executive-Producer – Conny Charles Lindström
Liner Notes – Joe Morris
Mastered By – Christofer “Hoffe” Stannow
Mixed by Kjell Nordeson, Leif Allansson, Olof Madsen
Photography – Håkan Lindell
Producer – Christian Falk, Mats Gustafsson
Recorded at Soundtrade Studios, Stockholm, March 30 & 31, 2000.
Mixed at Nordstudios in Stockholm, September 18 & 19, 2000.
Mastered at Cosmos Studios in Stockholm, September 20, 2000.
This music is dedicated to Bengt “Frippe” Nordström (1937-2000) and Åke Hodell (1919-2000), two great Swedish pioneers and innovators.
R.I.P.
Mars Williams – tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone
Ken Vandermark – tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet
Brian Sandstrom – bass, trumpet, electric guitar
Kent Kessler – bass, bass guitar, didgeridoo
Steve Hunt — drums, vibraphone, marimba, didgeridoo
Recorded in November 1993 at Streetville Studios, Chicago
Double Bass, Bass Guitar [Left Channel] – Kent Kessler
Double Bass, Guitar, Trumpet [Right Channel] – Brian Sandstrom
Drums, Vibraphone, Marimba, Percussion [Right Channel] – Steve Hunt
Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute [Wood], Toys [Left Channel] – Mars Williams
Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet [Right Channel] – Ken Vandermark
Producer, Mixed – Mars Williams
Recorded, Mixed – Brendan Burke
Design – Steve Anderson
Recorded at The UberStudio, Chicago.
Drums – Paal Nilssen-Love
Guitar [Left] – Terrie Ex
Guitar [Right] – Andy Moor
Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet [Bb] – Ken Vandermark
Recorded live in Concert on March 19th 2008 at Bimhuis, Amsterdam
Produced by Lean Left and Joakim Haugland
Mixed by Andy Moor
Recorded and Mastered by Colin McLean
Design [Cover] by Rune Mortensen
Drums – Paal Nilssen-Love
Guitar [Left] – Terrie Ex
Guitar [Right] – Andy Moor
Tenor Saxophone, Clarinet [Bb] – Ken Vandermark
Recorded live in Concert on March 19th 2008 at Bimhuis, Amsterdam
Produced by Lean Left and Joakim Haugland
Mixed by Andy Moor
Recorded and Mastered by Colin McLean
Design [Cover] by Rune Mortensen
“… Her compositions inspire performances which are anything but ordinary, the collective improvising often breathtaking. The balance between melody and abstraction, rhythmic drive and ballad tones, keep it all sounding brilliantly right. In Grassetto feautures exciting bass clarinet Hein Pijnenburg, with Bart van der Putten’s alto, Wilbert de Joode’s bass, and Fred van Duynhoven’s drums. They execute Henneman’s turns magnificently. The leader has an original touch on viola.”
-Doug Lang, CODA Magazine, 1999
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Ig Henneman – viola
Hein Pijnenburg – bass clarinet
Bart van der Putten – alto saxophone
Wilbert de Joode – bass
Fred van Duynhoven – drums
All compositions Ig Henneman (BUMA | STEMRA)
Recorded by Dick Lucas, May 1990, Vredenburg Utrecht the Netherlands.
Editing Dick Lucas, Ig Henneman
Photography Camilla van Zuylen
Graphic design Greetje Hopmans
A co-production between Audiographic Records and Pleasure of the Text Records, East by Northwest finds two of the most prolific improvisers working today in a new, open context channeling the work of Bobby Bradford and John Carter through their own singular approaches and compositions.
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Nate Wooley: trumpet
Ken Vandermark: clarinet, tenor and baritone saxophone
Recorded by Dave Zuchowski at Okka Fest 6, at The Sugar Maple in Milwaukee on June 22, 2013; and at The Sugar Maple on June 23, 2013.
Mixed and Mastered by Dave Zuchowski at One Room Studio.
Produced by Nate Wooley for Pleasure of the Text Records and Ken Vandermark for Audiographic Records.
Album design by Federico Peñalva
“As if the language of human beings was adopted and enhanced by aliens who charged any basic articulation with tons of information, employing vocals as one but not the dominant practical in a chain of sounds, keeping its expressiveness and emotional delivery neutral. Now, after this radical alteration, only a margin of this intriguing form of communication can be deciphered by us humans, but all—earthlings and other forms of beings in the greater universe—can get a glimpse of its infinite options.” -Eyal Hareuveni, All About Jazz
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“For Traces of Speech I made drawings that derive from my functional sound poetry scores, but are somewhat emancipated from that, so they live somehow half-way between score and visual poetry.
By offering these drawings to optical character recognition software I created texts in English and German. They are of course nonsense texts with a large amount of punctuation signs and the like. I took up the challenge to recite these texts, finding different forms of interpretation: percussive sounds, glissandi, whispering etc.
The electronic sounds were generated by importing the same drawings as raw data files into audio software, and then treated algorithmically.
This material I reworked into a tightly knit musical statement with no intention of personal expression.” -Jaap Blonk
“Human Encore is full of fiery brilliance, which is not surprising given the strength of the players involved. It’s also further proof of Clean Feed’s fine work, as well as the veritable explosion of music emanating from Portugal.” -Florence Wetzel, All About Jazz
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Alto Saxophone (tracks: 2, 3, 5) and Baritone Saxophone (tracks: 1, 4, 6 to 8) – Martin Küchen
Double Bass – Per Zanussi
Drums – Raymond Strid
Tenor Saxophone (tracks: 1, 2, 4, 6 to 8) and Pocket Trumpet (tracks: 2, 3, 5, 7 – Joe McPhee
Recorded at Jazz Ao Centro at Salão Brazil, May 31st, June 1st and 2nd, 2013.
Mixed, Mastered by Jakob Riis
Recorded by João Miranda
Design by Travassos
“The album was recorded at Cankarjew Dom, a concert hall in Ljubljana/Slovenia in 2012. It is one of the most fabulous recent solo recordings and we highly recommend it, because being Joe McPhee is most of all being pure joy for all the listeners.” -Janus And Karl, Free Jazz Blog
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Recorded at Cankarjev Dom for the 53rd Ljubljana Jazz Festival on June 29th, 2012
The 9th title in the Kontrans ‘improvisors’ series.
Jaap Blonk: voice and electronics
Damon Smith: double bass
Michael Zerang: percussion
Recorded live in concert by Bill Harris at Hungry Brain, Chicago, April 6, 2025
Mixed and mastered by Weasel Walter
Photo by Michael Jackson, Chicago, taken right after the concert
Sleeve design by Melle Hammer
Produced by Jaap Blonk for Kontrans
“From chirps to caterwauling, brushes to beatings, the debut recording from the duo of saxophonist Mette Rasmussen and drummer Chris Corsano is a dynamic and diverse affair. In a sense, Corsano’s name on the credits is, to me, a stamp of quality assurance, and if you have not heard of Rasmussen yet, acquaint yourself now, she’s a force of nature on the sax.
Though it starts with atmospheric jitters from the sax and the whale-song of the cymbals, the duo’s output quickly picks up in intensity. Rasmussen’s lines become explosive and powerful wails while Corsano’s favors the low end rumble of the floor tom and kick drum. There is space between these lines too, and as the track progresses the two maneuver in concert, never overshadowing, never stepping on each other’s toes.
‘_‘s Lament’ parts 1 and 2 (you get to fill in who is lamenting, I suppose) begins quietly. Corsano’s snare suggesting a pulse and Rasmussen’s sax a forlorn cry, the two short tracks show off the atmospheric side of the duo. But not for long. ‘Contester’ snaps back into fulminating form and the following ‘How Many of These Things Do We Need’ is almost like a series of musical questions. ‘Dots (for Paul Flathery)’ references one of Corsano’s long term duetting partners.
What else is there to say? Put two fierce musicians together in a small room with good acoustics with bassist Max Johnson at the recording console and this is what you get – a mix of the beatific and the bombast, texture and trauma. Excellent.” -Paul Acquaro
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Alto Saxophone – Mette Rasmussen
Drums – Chris Corsano
Cover, Layout – Chris Corsano
Executive-Producer – Kevin Reilly, Mike Panico
Mixed by Jim Clouse
Photography By [Front Cover And Mette Rasmussen Photo] – Peter Gannushkin
Recorded by Max Johnson
Recorded at Ibeam, Brooklyn, NY, October 2013.
Mixed at Park West Studios, Brooklyn,NY, June 2014.
Acoustic Guitar – Joe Morris
Recorded October 18th 2013 and October 2nd 2014 Live in Amsterdam at the Bimhuis.
Tracks 1, 4, 5 and 6 recorded October 18th, 2013 – Engineered by Marc Schots
Tracks 2 and 3 recorded October 2nd, 2014 – Engineered by Micha De Kanter
Mastered and Edited by Jamie Saft, Potterville International Sound, Kerhonkson, NY
Front Cover by Rob Miller
Back Cover by Francesca Patella
Design by Anne Marcotty
Thanks to Huub Van Riel and everyone at the Bimhuis, Rob Miller, Francesca Patella, Pedro Gomes
“DROPPING STUFF AND OTHER FOLK SONGS is dedicated to Mike Panico, who asked me to propose a project to be released at RPR in the summer of 2019. Mike is sadly missed.” -Ig Henneman
“… Three eccentric sketching women who succeeded in converting the concert hall into a spectacle with a drowned diesel engine on a race track, although it did not turn into a crazy fair. No, it was primarily an ode to the ingenious freedom, an intensely varied and colorful performance that was permeated by fun and games, but one of the kind that made your feelers and imagination run wild by its fresh originality, abrasive delicacy and unpredictable coherence.” – Guy Peters, Enola Magazine
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Flute – Anne La Berge
Trumpet – Jaimie Branch
Viola – Ig Henneman
Recorded December 2, 2018 at Splendor, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Recording: Micha de Kanter / Mideka Music Recording
Mixing & editing: Micha de Kanter, Ig Henneman, Anne La Berge
Mastering: Micha de Kanter / Mideka Music Recording
Produced by Ig Henneman in collaboration with Wig Records #Wig 29
Executive producer: Kevin Reilly
Cover photo: Philip ten Brink
Package design: Spl@T!
Thanks to Christina Stern, Michael Ramey and Wig Records
“Battle Pieces sprouted from a 2014 commission for Anthony Braxton’s Tri-Centric Music Festival. Given free reigh to work with new ideas, Wooley picked three improvisers who embodied grace and power within the jazz world, but also displayed a profound desire to question and to push their own abilities without fear: Ingrid Laubrock on saxophones, Sylvie Couvoisier on piano, and Matt Moran on vibraphone.
The music written for Battle Pieces was the first within a system Wooley calls “social music” (of which the new quartet knknighgh and the upcoming Deeply Discounted series are a continuance). Each piece is constructed for a single soloist, who improvises with no score. The remaining members of the group perform an ever changing kaleidoscope of short and long pieces without verbal recourse with each other or the soloist. The result is four improvisers constantly on the knife’s edge and creating sometimes gorgeous and sometimes uncomfortable new pathways through music that is never the same twice. Different than freely improvising, this structure — now each player freely chooses from over 75 distinct compositions to combine with each other under the soloist — forces these great improvisers to confront new ways of making music away and expands their personal musical language.
After a group of concerts in Europe and the US, Battle Pieces has released Battle Pieces 4, their third (figure that) disc of new concepts. From a live concert at Brooklyn’s Roulette Intermedium space, the group is shuffling new ideas in with some recognizable (barely) from the first two discs.”-Nate Wooley
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Recorded Live at Roulette NYC by Stephen Cooper, 12/3/2018
Mixed and Mastered by Jeremiah Cymerman
Nate Wooley: trumpet
Ingrid Laubrock: saxophone
Sylvie Courvoisier: piano
Matt Moran: vibraphone
