CD

Ingebrigt Håker Flaten New York Quartet

2012

"Together, this drummer-less quartet floats differing pulses, favoring interactions such as the conversation between Morris and Flaten on "Pent," and Wooley's fluttering notes against bowed bass on "Knicks." The startling speed of "Giants" represents a heart-pounding four minutes of spontaneous felicity, while Wooley and Flaten open "As If" by setting the table for the quartet's harmonies. McPhee and Morris slide inside this and other pieces, working each track and maintaining the originator's framework. -Mark Corroto, All About Jazz"

Atomic / School Days

2004

"The 3rd release by Ken Vandermark's School Days is a double CD of studio material recorded with the Oslo quintet Atomic. Both bands have the same rhythm section of Paal Nilssen-Love on drums and Ingebrigt HÂker Flaten on bass. The group includes Magnus Broo: trumpet, Jeb Bishop: trombone, Fredrik Liungkvist: reeds, Ken Vandermark: reeds, Hevard Wiik: piano & Kjell Nordeson: vibraphone. 9 new compositions 1 each by all the members (2 by Mr. Liungkvist)."

Ken Vandermark & Barry Guy

2015

"For British bassist Barry Guy the concert that produced this fine double disc package occurred at the end of a four day intensive residency in Krakow culminating in the premier of an ambitious new work by his Blue Shroud Band. While for Chicago reedman Ken Vandermark, the event was the final episode in two months on the road. But whether relief or exhaustion were the dominant feelings, neither resulted in any lowering of standards or resting on laurels. Occasional Poems captures in unvarnished fidelity both sets in their entirety from the storied Alchemia club before a packed and enthusiastic audience."

Tim Daisy

2014

"The length of these pieces is just right. No solo overstays its welcome. No theme becomes cumbersome. In fact, they're downright lovely; perfectly suited for each duet. The track sequencing is brilliant, encouraging many repeated listening sessions. And for you audiophiles, Alex Inglizian not only captured some amazing sessions; he also managed to record and mix acoustic piano and drums perfectly. Perfectly, I say! —Tom Burris, Free Jazz Blog"

Tim Daisy

2018

"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"

McPhee / Rempis / Reid / Lopez / Nilssen-Love

2020

"A must-own for fans of these musicians – a telling insight into the give and take of five individuals asserting themselves as forces to be reckoned with, while never losing sight of their collective mission. A genuine understanding of how to be responsible to and for one another."

David Grubbs / Mats Gustafsson

2002

"Their second duo recording, the follow-up to 1999's Apertura. Off-Road finds the two of them forsaking their earlier, glacially meditative m.o. for a shower of digitally recomposed slivers, the metal-on-metal timbre of a saxophone equipped with contact mics, Grubbs's chiming electric guitar, and Gustafsson's pro rhythm analog synthesizer clipped to the bell of his horn."

Jeb Bishop & Tim Daisy

2012

"Daisy and Bishop eschew the groove-oriented nature of some of their larger groups, namely The Engines and Vandermark 5. Old Shoulders is heavy on smart and playful extended investigations of textures and tones, of atmosphere and mood more than rhythm, aggression or melody. —Patrick Wall, freeTimes"

Joe McPhee Po Music

2004

Günter Christmann / Mats Gustafsson

1997

"this is music that challenges as it subverts, its highly esoteric, yet disarmingly attractive lines an attractive hook. Highly ambitious, subtly exciting, and always formidable, Christmann and Gustafsson make a delightfully revolutionary pair. Not easy listening, but rewarding listening, and continuously challenging listening, these guys shake the heavens with heartfelt cries of mercy. There are no liner notes but what could be said? Powerful stuff, but you have to look below the surface."

Powerhouse Sound

2007

"Vandermark conceived Powerhouse Sound in the summer of 2005 to explore composition focusing on the bass, rather than writing from the proverbial "top down." Inspired by the rhythms of James Brown, the dub experiments of Lee Perry, and the textural collages of Public Enemy, Vandermark arrived at a concept more funky, electronic and rockin' than anything he's done before."

ADA

2013

"The quartet plays four untitled pieces, each of around ten minutes, and on the whole, it’s high-octane stuff. -Collin Green, Free Jazz Blog"

ADA

2013

"On occasions, what we have is Brötzmann and Lonberg-Holm in the one corner, and a wave of percussion in the other; sometimes Lonberg-Holm supports the barrage with low regular throbs; sometimes he’s pitted against it. The result is two unnamed pieces, the first lasting almost forty minutes - epic in its emotional span – and a short coda of some five minutes. -Collin Green, Free Jazz Blog"

Otomo Yoshihide & Paal Nilssen-Love

2014

Joe Morris / Mat Maneri / Joe Maneri

2001

"The musicians' animated approach and spurious interplay is akin to some sort of domino effect, where the respective soloist's trigger responses from one another. Throughout, the trio expounds upon an abundance of emotionally driven mini-themes, consisting of Morris' articulately executed, fluttering single note lines, Mat Maneri's interrogation of all sonic registers and the band's overall propensity to pursue verbose dialogue amid various odd-metered rhythmic foundations. Hence, the music portrayed here often elicits notions of three scientists delving into a complex mathematical formula."

Double Tandem

2012

"Double Tandem has build up music whose real expression lies below the surface. It injects an unsettling sleaziness into a funny, occasionally wild and boastful collection of tracks that walk the line between postmodernism and sincerity. The tracks are all living, breathing entities, not blank slates to project my plain ideas and desires of how to review music on. This is music about honesty and truthfulness."

Joe Morris Instantiation

2019

"My goal with Instantiation is to create unique and rewarding experiences for listeners by synthesizing the meta-properties of Free music in new and creative ways. I rely on the attention to the material and the individual and collective artistry of the ensemble of players to realize a unique result with each performance."-Joe Morris, June 2019"

Angles 3

2018

"it's an invigorating performance and designed with great focus, as the musicians don't blow matters out of proportion or engage in long-winded soloing sprees. —Glenn Astarita"

Mats Gustafsson

1994

"Recorded in Chicago in 1994, Parrot Fish Eye presents Mats Gustafsson in two lineups: a duo with percussionist Michael Zerang, and a trio with Gene Coleman on bass clarinet and Jim O'Rourke, who moves between guitar, accordion, and percussion. Gustafsson and Zerang incorporate their vast vocabularies as they improvise through the eighth track, "Shut Up!"; the remainder of Parrot Fish Eye is improvised by the trio. An interesting and exciting listen for big fans of Mats Gustafsson."

Ab Baars Trio & Guests

2003

""Concision and concentrated emotion commingle with technical proficiency at a quite rarefied level throughout. Discipline and definitude are combined with a sometimes-dizzying willingness to explore uncharted territory in a thoroughly engaging fashion. Baars can be bracingly abstract at times - particularly on clarinet - then turn around and prod your viscera with tenor playing nakedly ardent enough to give Gene Ammons a run for his money. … Discipline and definitude are combined with a sometimes-dizzying willingness to explore uncharted territory in a thoroughly engaging fashion. ... Party at the Bimhuis is a brilliant recording." Bill Barton, Sudden Thoughts CD Reviews credits "