Digital

Sten Sandell Trio

2009

"Released on drummer Paal Nilssen-Love's own PNL label, the trio further consists of Sten Sandell on piano and Johan Berthling on bass. Recorded live in Japan in 2008, the album consists of two tracks: "Face Up", and "Face Down", for twice more than half an hour of quite intense musical explorations. The first track is a high energy work-out, the second starts with counter-rhythmic percussion, full of explosive power and creativity, Berthling joins on bass, first plucked, and when Sandell joins he moves to arco, while the pianist plays some eery chords, gradually driving up the tempo and energy level for again a dense improvisation, that suddenly collapses for some minimalist interaction, with all three musicians exploring the more uncommon aspects of their instruments. In stark contrast to some of the other albums below, the album demonstrates that technical mastery and musical vision make it possible to bring depth and emotional drive even with the most common of all jazz line-ups."

Chalachew Ashenati & Ililta Band

2013

"Chalachew Ashenafi, the legendary Gondar azmari (1966-2012) did some tours with The Ex in recent years. A traditional player, but also forward, funny and stubborn. These are his last recordings ever. Astonishing strong music. -Terp Records"

Ig Henneman Sextet & Guus Janssen

2020

"All funds from the sales of FERVID will be donated PEN International (pen-international.org), an organization that Ig has recommended. PEN International stands for "helping to promote cultural understanding and fight for persecuted writers, safeguard civil society and education programs worldwide, defend freedom of expression, protect writers at risk, defend linguistic rights, and promote literature across frontiers. For PEN International a writer can be a novelist, poet, journalist, academic, publisher, translator, blogger, biographer, playwright, etc.– in short, it refers to anyone involved with the written or spoken word. This broad definition is what truly makes them the worldwide movement that they are.""

Joe Morris / Mike Pride / Chris Pitsiokos

2019

"All funds raised from the sales of "Field of Materials," will be donated to an organization that Joe has suggested, the Jazz Coalition (www.jazzcoalition.org/coalition), which "aims to unite the global jazz community by welcoming all industry professionals, musicians, and supporters into an inclusive network. In an effort to boost collective morale during the COVID-19 pandemic, Jazz Coalition is mobilizing to support artists by commissioning the creation of new works. These commissions will become a new canon of music representing our collective resilience moving us all forward.""

Rozemarie Heggen & Terrie Ex

2017

"Openness, intuition, intensity, joy are a few of the basic elements which made the special connection that have taken them both to a different level of music-making. Exploring new territory can definitely be heard in their playing. The eleven improvisations on "Fiets" are little stories, experiences you might have while doing a very Dutch thing; making a ride on your bicycle (fiets). Have a good listen!... -Terrie Hessels"

Joe McPhee & Michael Bisio

1997

Joe McPhee Trio

2012

"One of the most amazing discoveries is how the band's sound was already well-established from this very first recorded performance, not that they haven't evolved, but the core elements of total freedom, authentic feeling and reverence for tradition are already present. Quiet moments with lots of open space and room for interpretation and excursion by the individual soloists alternate by great moments of energetic explosivity. -Stef, Free Jazz Blog"

Jaap Blonk, Fred Lonberg-Holm and Michael Zerang

1998

"Cellist Fred Lonberg-Holm and percussionist Michael Zerang have collaboratively joined forces before, but the addition of Dutch vocalist Jaap Blonk is a wonderful complement to the Chicago duo. Blonk, of course, is much more than your usual "singer, " as the sounds he caresses from his vocal chords are utterly unconventional and strikingly unique. He is literally a one-man band, reaching into a bag of bizarre blips and pops, wonderfully complementing his colleagues. Lonberg-Holm and Zerang have mastered their crafts so well that they almost sound as one. Transforming the cello into a wildly, freestyle machine, Lonberg-Holm creates a unique blend of noise and scratches into which Zerang holds on and digs. The results are totally satisfying, and each of the ten tracks glows with highlights. ~Steven A. Loewy"

Fish & Steel

2019

"While Nilssen-Love was never a man of restraint, with two of the world’s most versatile brass improvisers going at it he able to be completely free in his approach. And this playfulness is certainly what makes Fish & Steel’s debut album such an exciting release."

Jaap Blonk, Koichi Makigami, Paul Dutton, Phil Minton & David Moss

""You may call them sound poets, vocalists, or even singers, but when you gather all five of them on-stage they become pure entertainers. Five Men Singing is the genuine avant-garde voice summit. Recorded live at the 2003 Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville, this performance is a delightful demonstration of what the human voice is capable of, what level of excitement group improvisation can provide, and what creative singing is all about. The performance is spontaneous, mischievous, occasionally deviant, often humorous, and extremely physical." -François Couture"

Joe Morris Trio

1992

Joe McPhee

2016

"McPhee is a master at inventing figures and melodies as the foundation for his excursions which take in more extreme elements of the sound spectrum. It's that fascination as to how McPhee will plot a course on the continuum between form and abstraction in any given piece which forms a large part of his enduring intrigue and appeal. -John Sharpe, All About Jazz"

Large Unit

2017

"Fluku is a superb album, dynamic, adventurous, colorful and innovative. If you have the chance to see the band live, don’t miss it."

Andy Moor & Yannis Kyriakides

2010

""Folia" is the third CD collaboration of Andy Moor (guitar) and Yannis Kyriakides (computer) created in 2009 and performed in numerous festivals and concerts that year. It is an epic reworking of the famous tune from the 16th and 17th centuries called "La Folia". Fusing influences from this and South American folk music, they create a unique sound world of slowly evolving soundscapes, fluctuating beats, and rich oscillating harmonies. -Unsounds"

Mats Gustafsson & Hamid Drake

1995

""Rhythmic virtuoso Hamid Drake and reeds innovator Mats Gustafsson deliver a jaw-dropping and all-too-brief set recorded in Chicago on Oct. 19, 1995, the day of Don Cherry’s death and recorded by Jim O'Rourke. One of the few live records to make this listener earnestly wish she’d been in attendance, Drake and Gustafsson’s meeting is a perfect example of the phenomenal synergy possible between two musicians. The two in question are an ideal match; both temper the muscularity of their playing with sensitivity and musical sophistication. Neither artist allows the other the option of sitting on his heels at any point; this recording is challenging, intense, and enjoyable from start to finish." –Susie Jae, ON AIR magazine, WKCR 89.9 FM (New York)"

A.M.I.S. Quartet

1993

"A rare live recording at CCAM, Vandoeuvre - Lés - Nancy, on May 6, 1992. Hard to find this one anywhere else!"

Ken Vandermark & Pandelis Karayorgis

2007

Frode Gjerstad Trio + 1

2020

"With the release of “Forgotten City” Norway’s premier free-jazz trio sounds as fresh and exciting as when they started."

Ab Baars Trio + Rosewell Rudd

2001

"...If you are accustomed to the eclectic, dissonant and perhaps even sometimes bullying Baars language, then you’ll find some true gems on the album Four. The group interaction and the improvisations are of an exceptionally high level. Rudd fits perfectly with the trio; together they form a real quartet.” Kees Stevens Parool 31/7/2001"

Joe Morris & Anthony Braxton

2008

"Morris's soft-toned parlando style little guitar sounds seem to have an incredible effect on Braxton who is lyrical as I've seldom heard him. Both musicians listen extremely closely and actually compose on the spot, moving these long improvisations through different moods and musical landscapes, but then of the low and hilly kind, without high peaks or deep chasms. The music is fragile, sensitive, deeply emotional and vibrating with life and musical joy. -Stef, Free Jazz Blog"