Recorded live at The Loft Koln, Germany January 27th, 2016
Mixed and mastered by Jeremiah Cymerman
Layout by design&grime
Executive producers – Mike Panico and Kevin Reilly
Many thanks to Kevin Reilly, Danielle Oosterop, Jeremiah Cymerman, design&grime, and all those that helped and supported the 2016 Battle Pieces tour.
Piano – Sylvie Courvoisier
Saxophone – Ingrid Laubrock
Trumpet – Nate Wooley
Vibraphone – Matt Moran
“The set up and sequencing of the album, featuring the four distinct voices, makes for a captivating listen. Battle Pieces is a thoughtful and unusually constructed album that offers the patient listener a fine musical experience.” -Paul Acquaro, The Free Jazz Collective
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Piano – Sylvie Courvoisier
Saxophone – Ingrid Laubrock
Trumpet – Nate Wooley
Vibraphone – Matt Moran
Brandon Lopez leads his septet through an electrifying set recorded live at the Vision Festival. Mixed and mastered by David Torn and polished into a gem.
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Brandon Lopez – Bass
Zeena Parkins – Electric Harp
Mat Maneri – Viola
Cecilia Lopez – Electronics
DoYeon Kim – Gayageum
Gerald Cleaver – Drums
Tom Rainey – Drums
“I want to thank Nate, Ron, and Mary for putting their trust in me. The arrangements I contributed were songs I’d wanted to play for a long time, if only I could find the right situation. Getting to know these three strangers was such a thrill and playing together and mixing the results made me feel that I knew them even more. Maybe the songbook idea fulfilled its purpose after all, since this LP is the sound of three personalities getting to know each other through shared music.”
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Recorded January 12th by Greg DiCrosta Firehouse 12 Studio New Haven, CT.
Mixed and Mastered by Greg Saunier.
Produced by Nate Wooley for Sound American Productions.
Graphic design and cover illustrations by Lasse Marhaug.
“Produced by Nate Wooley, New American Songbooks, Volume 2 brings together solo piano tracks from four distinguished modern jazz players, guided by a challenge to use selections that expand the idea of the “American Songbook” canon beyond familiar jazz-standard territory.” -Ernie, Paik, Chatanooga Pulse
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Last year’s release found three distinctive voices—Mary Halvorson, Ron Miles, and Greg Saunier—working together to arrange works from mass media. Their collaboration, only a few days in total, culminated in a recording that felt equal parts wild and warm; intimate and revolutionary.
Volume 2 goes in another direction. While the warmth and intimacy is still very present, thanks in large part to the expert sound at Ryan Streber’s Oktaven Studios, the experience is one-on-one, as the listener is the recipient of four mini-recitals from four of the most profound interpreters on the piano today: Kris Davis, Matt Mitchell, Aruán Ortiz, and Matthew Shipp.
Each player took on the challenge of suggesting a new direction of expansion for the time-worn concept of the American Songbook. And, while Volume 1 dealt with pop culture, Volume 2 looks more toward the ways in which we build smaller communities. Beginning with Shipp’s ecstatic takes on the hymnal and moving directly into the beautiful music from the corners of self-produced singer-songwriters as envisioned by Mitchell, a quick and timbrally rich stop at the music of Carla Bley by Davis, and ending with the forgotten music of Ed Bland as performed by Ortiz.
This LP contains music made by some of the modern masters of the piano. In these performances you can hear what has made each of them a major voice in modern jazz, but there are surprises here, as well, as each player took the opportunity to make a statement that is much more than just another solo performance. The album is about four distinct voices using the conceptual constraints of the project to push themselves to new heights. If you are a fan of solo piano or modern jazz in general, this is a must-have.
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Kris Davis: Piano
Matt Mitchell: Piano
Aruán Ortiz: Piano
Matthew Shipp: Piano
Produced by Nate Wooley
Recorded June 22 and July 22, 2018 by Ryan Streber, engineer at Oktaven Studio, Mount Vernon, NY.
Graphic design and cover illustration by Lasse Marhaug.
While Elisabeth Harnik, Milana Zarić and Richard Barrett have worked together in various formations for some years, the concert at which this recording was made marked the first appearance of all three together.
The three instruments might seem at first glance so disparate as to be difficult to hear together as a unified body of sound, but the stringed instruments are expanded through the use of preparations and a great diversity of playing modes, and the electronic instrument through sound materials based on struck and plucked strings, so that the sonic landscape traversed by the trio involves many unexpected overlaps, to the point where they often seem to combine into a single hybrid instrument.
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Richard Barrett: electronics
Elisabeth Harnik: prepared piano
Milana Zarić: harp
Recorded 30 November 2023 by Oliver Brunbauer at the free music forum concert series at Celeste, Vienna, as part of the 2023 Wien Modern festival.
Thanks to Bernhard Günther, Corinne Studer and Tina Žerdin.
Raymond Strid: Drums
Sten Sandell: Piano, Voice
Mats Gustafsson: Soprano, Tenor & Baritone Saxophones
Recorded on 5 May 2003 at Crescendo, Norrköping, Sweden.
Ozeki mikito: Kirie
Mats Gustafsson: Baritone Saxophone
Otomo Yoshihide: Turntables
Released to commemorate the exhibition “Ensembles ’09: With Records” at Gallery 45-8, Tokyo, October 11-November 8, 2009
Mastered By – Jun Numata
“Much of the time it’s a three way enterprise, illuminated by inventive passages like the knotty interplay between circular-breathed alto, clanking percussion and scuttling guitar on “IIOII.” -John Sharpe, All About Jazz
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This transatlantic trio combines musical sensibilities derived from their experiences in two world capitals of improvised music, Chicago and Amsterdam. Rempis and Rosaly, both longtime staples of the Chicago scene, have partnered for more than 15 years, most significantly in the Rempis Percussion Quartet and Rempis/Rosaly Duo. The two met guitarist/bassist Jasper Stadhouders at the Moers Festival in 2009 where the three shared a stage on the legendary “morning sessions.” Despite being only 18 years old, Stadhouders was a presence to be dealt with, his energy and aesthetic already developed into a cohesive whole.
Since that time, the three have kept in touch, and furthered their musical relationships in multiple ways. With Rosaly’s move to Amsterdam in early 2016, he and Stadhouders have become regular collaborators in a number of different contexts including the experimental multi-media collective o k a p i, and Stadhouders group Polyband. Stadhouders and Rempis have shared the stage in various ad hoc contexts in both of their hometowns, and during some guest stints that Rempis made with Stadhouders’ collaborative trio Cactus Truck. All three also worked together in a version of Ingebrigt Håker Flaten’s Sextet for a lengthy tour in the fall of 2014.
With these experiences under their belts, the three knew that a trio collaboration needed to happen, and worked together on a short European tour in April 2017. They followed up quickly with two Amsterdam concerts in December 2017, including the OCCII performance where this disc was recorded. This first outing finds a band comfortable in it own skin – happy to leave space, and patiently allow each other to develop ideas, as individual members step to the fore to take the lead. This music is both driving and melodic, as Stadhouders raw sound combines seamlessly with Rempis’ tunefulness, pushing the action forward while Rosaly colors the proceedings gracefully.
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Dave Rempis – alto/tenor saxophone
Jasper Stadhouders – guitar/electric bass
Frank Rosaly – drums
Recorded December 1st, 2017
Live @ OCCII Amsterdam
Recorded by Daniel Goldaracena
Mixed/Mastered by Dave Zuchowski
Design by Johnathan Crawford
Produced by Dave Rempis
“One suspects that Daisy sees the composer’s task as very close that that of a good drummer — to set up opportunities for other people to sound good and to keep the music moving. He hands the other two guests, alto saxophonist Nick Mazzarella and guitarist Steve Marquette, material that brings out their respective bests. Taking the point a bit further, Daisy seems to be spending this phase of his career listening closely to what Chicago has to offer and reflecting the best parts for others to hear.” —Bill Meyer, Dusted Magazine
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Relay Records is proud to present the third volume in it’s October Music catalog: “Tim Daisy October Music (vol 3) 7 Compositions For Duet” (relay 024) documents a set of new compositions written by Chicago based percussionist and composer Tim Daisy; each work performed in a duo format and written specifically for these seven Chicago based musicians.
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All compositions by Tim Daisy (ASCAP)
Recorded on October 27th and 28th 2018 @ Experimental Sound Studio Chicago
Recorded and mixed by Alex Inglizian
Cover art by Federico Peñalva
Special thanks to the musicians, The Experimental Sound Studio, Alex Inglizian & Emma Daisy.
Eight electro-acoustic improvisations recorded by two creative minds in one afternoon. Performed in studio A at Experimental Sound Studio Chicago, IL
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Alex Inglizian: electronics
Tim Daisy: drums and percussion
Recorded January 2019 at Experimental Sound Studio, Chicago IL
Recorded by Ralph Loza
Mixed/Mastered by Alex Inglizian
Artwork by Jamie Breiwick
Udo Schindler – reeds & brass
Jaap Blonk – voice & computer
Recorded by Udo Schindler on April 26, 2020 at Kurparkschlösschen, Herrsching am Ammersee, Germany
Mixed and mastered by Wolfgang Obrecht/Tonstudio RichArt, Munich
Cover image by Jaap Blonk
Photos by Udo Schindler
Thanks to Wolfgang Obreht (Tonstudio RichArt), Heinz Hellerer (Kulturverein Herrsching e.V.), Robert Tucci.
Released August 1, 2017
Carlo Costa – Percussion
Alejandro Florez – Guitar
Brandon Lopez – Composition, Bass, Editing
Andrew Barker – Recording, mixing & mastering
Alexandra Desipris – Album Art
Peter Brötzmann: Alto / Tenor Saxophone, Bb Clarinet, Tarogato
Toshinori Kondo: Electric Trumpet
Massimo Pupillo: Electric Bass
Paal Nilssen Love: Drums
Recorded live in concert by Micha DeKanter on September 6th, 2008 at Bimhuis, Amsterdam.
“The trio goes nuclear on the opening piece, the 30-minute “Copenhagen Maneuvers”. Brötzmann, in top fiery form, outlines the urgent, angry theme, sets the trio dynamics on a volcanic course that gains more volume and more momentum… The other, shorter pieces highlight further the rich and profound vocabulary of this trio.” -Eyal Hareuveni, Free Jazz Blog
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Recorded at Jazzhouse, Copenhagen, Denmark April 14, 2016
Peter Brötzmann: Saxophone & Clarinet
Steve Swell: Trombone
Paal Nilssen-Love: Drums & Percussion
“This is one ear-cleansing ride. One to play loud and one to play on repeat for a couple of time. Excellent recording of an excellent concert.” -Vital Weekly, number 935.
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Otomo Yoshihide: Guitar
Paal Nilssen-Love: Drums
Recorded at Copenhagen Jazzhouse, 4 May, 2013.
Design – Martin Vognsen
House Engineer – Michael Gunther
Recording Engineer, mixed and mastered by Martin Vognsen
Photography by Katsura Yamauchi
Photography by – Lasse Marhaug
Produced by Martin Vognsen & Paal Nilssen-Love
“Since last year, Slovenian violinist/violist/vocalist Ana Kravanja and pianist Elisabeth Harnik, based in Graz, Austria, have been playing together as a duo. Vrtinci Minljivosti (Vortices of Impermanence), recorded in October 2022 in Slovenia, is their debut album; although it documents their collaboration at a relatively early stage, it gives evidence of a chemistry that already feels well-developed.
Kravanja is an experimental artist with a broad range of interests; in addition to her work with Harnik both in duet and as a trio with the addition of Margarethe Maierhofer-Lischka, plays in the folk-rooted, acoustic-improvised trio Širom. On Vortices of Impermanence her folk and traditional influences move to the background in favor of a highly contemporary sound crafted from extended string techniques and a late modern sensibility of tightly coiled emotional dynamics. Harnik, for her part, complements and amplifies this side of Kravanja’s playing by contributing a pianism informed by the more experimental currents of contemporary composition and free improvisation.
The album contains nine tracks jointly credited to both Kravanja and Harnik. The first track, Zavito v skrivnost (Veiled in Mystery) introduces the set with the skitterings of percussion and prepared piano played directly on the strings, eventually joined by pressure-bowed and pizzicato violin. This piece, with its blend of pitched and unpitched sounds, captures in microcosm much of what follows. Prebivalci z druge strani (Dwellers of the Other Side) opens with sparsely played piano notes and chords allowed to linger and fade before seguing into more assertive, repeated motifs layered over tapped and rattled metal percussion. The tentatively paced Sledi pušcavnika (Hermit Footsteps) features Kravanja’s violin heard from a variety of angles: through tremolo bowing, harmonics, and brittle overtones. The album culminates in Semena resnice (Seeds of Truth), a suspenseful, minimal soundscape of fragmentary piano and harshly elemental violin.” -Daniel Barbiero, Percorsi Musicali
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Ana Kravanja – violin, viola, voice, frame drums, objects
Elisabeth Harnik – piano, objects, ringing stones
Recorded in Cankarjev dom Vrhnika, Slovenia, October 2022
Recording, mixing and mastering: Jernej Babnik Romaniuk
Cover design: Jernej Babnik Romaniuk
Cover artwork: Ana Kravanja
All music by Ana Kravanja (Sazas) & Elisabeth Harnik (AKM)
All rights reserved. Copyright held by composers.
The release is supported by Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia
The interplay between the cello, harp and piano has been a long standing fascination and invokes further research – the intersection between plucked, bowed and hammered strings seems to result in ambiguous percussiveness in co/relation with the sounds of the extended strings. This album investigates the mysterious space inhabited by and evolving from subtle lines in conjunction with dense textures and innate rhythms borne out of this imaginary landscape.
I am grateful to Bojan Djordjević and his Ring Ring festival – one of the long standing beacons of improvised music in the Balkans – who put his trust in me and gave me carte blanche to invite the incredible artists Frances Marie Uitti and Elisabeth Harnik to Belgrade in November 2021. The trio got together for the first time as a group for a live broadcast of their collaborative imagination, in Studio 6 of Radio Belgrade. The resulting pieces can be heard on this album.
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Frances-Marie Uitti: Cello
Milana Zarić: Harp
Elisabeth Harnik: Piano
Recorded by Zoran Marić at Radio Belgrade
Mixing and mastering by Richard Barrett
“Recorded in an excellent Stockholm studio during December 1996, AALY TRIO + KEN VANDERMARK features Mats Gustafsson and Ken Vandermark on reeds, together with bassist Peter Janson and drummer Kjell Nordeson. AALY TRIO has been in existence for a number of years, consistently playing exciting music. This is their debut on disc and it is quite a major event, particularly since they are joined by another significant contributor to new jazz improvisation in the shape of Ken Vandermark. The music played by the quartet is free improvisation but their control is no empathic and cohesive that the music almost sounds arranged. Extraordinary.”
“Paul Valéry said poetry is hidden in the stomach, you’re obsessed by it, never quite sure of it, but know it’s there and want to bring it out.” -William Baziotes
John Corbett, Chicago, August 1997
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Mats Gustafsson tenor sax, baritone sax (right channel)
Ken Vandermark tenor sax, clarinet, bass-clarinet (left channel)
Peter Janson bass
Kjell Nordeson drums, percussion
Recorded December 18, 1996, at Europa Studios, Stockholm.
The digital master was edited at Europa Studios, Stockholm on August 18th, 1997.
Mastering was carried out September 2nd, 1997 with an Apogee UV-22 super CD-encoder.
Design, Layout – Jörgen Renhorn
Executive-Producer [For Silkheart Records] – FSMAB, Keith Knox
Liner Notes – John Corbett
Mastered – Rune Persson
Painting [Front Cover] – Håkan Rehnberg
Producer – Keith Knox
Recorded, Edited – Leif Allansson
“There is an absolutely overwhelming treatment of Albert Ayler’s ‘Ghosts’ and a vibrant version of Joe Harriott’s ‘Idioms’, which sounds better than anything on Vandermark’s own Joe Harriott Project record.” -The Penguin Guide to Jazz
“Gustafsson and Vandermark perform wide open during most of the album, honking, screaming, rasping and playing as rapidly as possible.” -Harvey Pekar, The JazzTimes
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Mats Gustafsson: Reeds
Peter Janson: Bass
Kjell Nordeson: Drums
Ken Vandermark: Reeds
Roland Aalto: Layout Design
The AALY Trio: Producer
Olof Madsen: Engineer
Mac McCaughan: Layout Design, Producer
John McCortney: Editing, Mastering
Recorded in March 10, 1999 at the Glenn Miller Café, Stockholm
“This is complex composed music delivered with the passion of free playing, never losing control, but delivering a satisfying punch. The recording was made for the lucky audience of the Artacts Festival for Jazz and Improvised Music in Austria in, 2018.” -Paul Acquaro, Free Jazz Blog
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Ken Vandermark’s first large ensemble recording in more than four years. The band is called Entr’acte and is a veritable “who’s who” of the most interesting and important musicians currently working in the field of experimental music: Dieb13, Elisabeth Harnik, Steve Heather, Terrie Hessels, Didi Kern, Mette Rasmussen, Jasper Stadhouders, Joe Williamson, and Nate Wooley.
The material was recorded in March of 2018 at the Artacts Festival for Jazz and Improvised Music in St. Johann, Austria, during a performance that garnered a standing ovation from the audience. Soigne Ta Droite includes all the music performed on that occasion, three long-form compositions that highlight the innovative characteristics of the musicians involved and which focus on large scale group interplay.
The release of Soigne Ta Droite coincides with the appearance of Entr’acte during Ken Vandermark’s residency at the Krakow Jazz Autumn in October. This new group builds on the knowledge Vandermark has gained through his long term passion for large ensembles and composing for them. It’s a thread of creative activity that goes back for more than two decades and includes performances and recordings by the Peter Brötzmann Chicago Tentet, the Territory band, the Resonance Ensemble, and Audio One.
HORNS
Nate Wooley (trumpet)
Mette Rasmussen (alto)
Ken Vandermark (reeds)
STRINGS
Jasper Stadhouders (electric bass & guitar)
Terrie Hessels (guitar)
Joe Williamson (acoustic and electric bass)
PERCUSSION
Elisabeth Harnik (piano)
Steve Heather (drums)
Didi Kern (drums)
TURNTABLES/ELECTRONICS
Dieb13 (Dieter Kovačič)
Music recorded live in concert by Karl Wienand and Markus Massinger at the Artacts Festival for Jazz and Improvised Music, March 11, 2018. Mixed and mastered by Dave Zuchowski, One Room Studio.
Thanks to to the musicians; Hans Oberlechner, Karin Girkinger, and the entire crew who worked at the 2018 Artacts Festival for Jazz and Improvised Music; Žiga Koritnik and Petra Cvelbar; Sam Clapp, Fede Peñalva, and Joel Villafañe for their assistance at Audiographic Records; and to the listeners.
Special thanks to Karl Wienand and Markus Massinger for their extraordinary sound assistance during a week of rehearsals, throughout the Artacts Festival, and in recording the Entr’acte performance.
Photo by Žiga Koritnik
Design by Federico Peñalva
Produced by Ken Vandermark for Audiographic Records
Recorded during live concert on Aug. 15 & 16, 1997 at the Kesselhaus in Hanover, Germany.
Cello, Trombone – Günter Christmann
Saxophones – Mats Gustafsson
“The key sequence consists of three tracks, “Org,” “Ghast,” “Orghast,” which seem to explore a carefully delimited range of ideas, except that Crispell is never content to remain within narrow harmonic or rhythmic bounds. It works, despite her overblown expressionism.” -The Penguin Guide
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Double Bass – Barry Guy
Drums – Raymond Strid
Piano – Marilyn Crispell
Soprano Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Baritone Saxophone – Mats Gustafsson
Recorded January 22, 1996 by P2 Sveriges Radio (The Swedish Broadcasting Corporation) at the Radio House, Studio 2, in Stockholm.
“The two pair up on English Suites with fine results. Disc one of this two disc set is a January 11, 1999 studio recording done in Evanston, Illinois. Vandermark alternates between the more groove based playing that he has made a name for and slightly more abstract and in a “freer” fashion. Lytton runs with these moods through busy work that is attuned to what Vandermark, heard mostly on saxophone, is playing. The second disc is fruits of the duo live in concert in Hassle, Belgium on November 20, 1999. Whereas the first disc was more or less one extend performance, there are two sections here. Also, Vandermark is heard doing some slow paced shrieking here which stands in contrast to the first disc. Both sections have a meditative quality that is perhaps more of a natural element for Lytton. The percussionist seems more comfortable as he throws in clashing pieces of metal and strikes cymbals in a way designed to produce something other than the most aesthetically pleasing outcome. Vandermark recorded this disc himself and did an excellent job. Listeners with a good stereo system or headphones are likely to almost feel that Lytton is going at it live in the room.” -MICAH HOLMQUIST, All About Jazz
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Ken Vandermark: Reeds
Paul Lytton: Drums
Disc One: Chicago, USA on January 11, 1999
Disc Two: Hasselt, Belgium on November 20, 1999
“McPhee at times anticipates and complements the limited wave forms of his playing partner, but the two don’t try to mimic or play on top of each other. Rather, they assume, shift, meld and counter roles. McPhee at times plays marvelously jazzy in alien vistas and if Snyder’s synthesizer sounds a bit dated at times it never comes off as quaint. With the renewed popularity of analogue electronics of late, ‘dated’ is not much of an issue. In fact, if anything dates this as an ‘electroacoustic’ meeting, it’s the pair’s willingness to be musical. ” -Kurt Gottschalk, All About Jazz
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Synthesizer – John Snyder
Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Saxophone [Tenor], Flute, Harp [Modified Nagoya], Chimes [Ceramic Wind, Bamboo Wind], Voice – Joe McPhee
Recorded at CRJ studios, West Park, NYC, April 1974 by Craig Johnson.
Cover Painting – Craig Johnson
Mastered – David Crawford
