Digital

AALY Trio + Ken Vandermark

1998

"Stumble is an incredibly vibrant concert recording of the AALY Trio with Ken Vandermark which took place January, 1998 at Chicago's Unity Temple. "Unlike their flat-out free jazz encounter as 1/2 of FJF on Blow Horn (Okka Disc), neo-tough tenors Mats Gustafsson and Ken Vandermark downshift into the realm of compositional structure and thematic development for much of Stumble. In addition to a righteous reading of Charlie Haden’s “Song for Che,” the program includes two other simmering dirges, bassist Peter Janson’s “Umea” and Vandermark’s “Why I Don’t Go Back.” The program is rounded out by Vandermark’s woozy, bluesy title piece and “Hommage a Lillen,” a high-torque motif by Gustafsson and drummer Kjell Nordeson. While there is plenty of wide-open blowing space for the two saxophonists (Vandermark also plays a good amount of pungent clarinets), and the flexible, fluent Janson and Nordeson, there is an overarching ensemble cohesion that holds this album together." -JazzTimes"

Yannis Kyriakides

2016

"SUBVOICE is a collection of nine recent works by composer Yannis Kyriakides for various ensembles ranging from single instrument to large orchestra, that represent an investigation into ideas of voice and language. The music is built on traces of voices and texts that seem to speak or sing in an intimate form of dialogue, either as text that is directly encoded into music, or in traces of voice that are embedded and dissolved into the musical fabric. -Unsounds"

The Rempis Percussion Quartet

2021

"Only a band with a history this long – that of a family – can get into some wrangling like this live onstage, and still produce something that’s both coherent and compelling. This is a straight up circus feat – a train engineer who reconstructs the locomotive as the train rockets down the line. "

Tim Daisy, Terrie Hessels & Dave Rempis

2019

"Proceeds raised from sales of this recording will go toward a cause recommended by Dave, the "Keep Fendika Grooving" GoFundMe campaign, which is raising donations to help support the Fendika Cultural Center (fendika.org). "

Joe Morris

1990

"One most engaged with the soul/funk/R&B axis of his four areas of exploration post-Hendrix, new jazz, solo acoustic, extended techniques. Of all Morris' records, this is perhaps his most accessible and his weirdest. Accompanied by Sebastian Steinberg on bass and Jerry Deupree on drums, Morris comes up with nine tunes, all of them collective improvisations that showcase the soloing of the entire band, often simultaneously. -Thom Jurek, All Music"

Peter Brötzmann & Paal Nilssen-Love

2008

"Brotzmann and drummer Paal Nilssen-Love seem like a perfect pairing: Brotzmann's saxophones, clarinets and tarogato—a Hungarian single-reed instrument with a deeper, louder and woodier timbre—are underscored by Nilssen-Love's relentless, fast-paced cymbal work. -Ted Gordon, All About Jazz"

Platform 1

2012

Mohammed

2006

"Mohammed 'Jimmy' Mohammed is a phenomenal blind singer from Ethiopia. He has appeared on the Ethiopiques series and this is his debut album. The songs are about love, politics, and the social life of the poor. But there is also wit and charm and plenty of 'Wax & Gold', the typical Ethiopian double meaning. He is accompanied by Mesele Asmamaw on the krar, a 5-string harp and Asnake Gebreyes on the traditional drums."

Elisabeth Harnik & Paal Nilssen-Love

2019

"All sales of Tangram will go to Stand by Me Lesvos (standbymelesvos.gr), an organization recommended by Elisabeth and Paal that was "founded in 2017 by local Greek citizens of Lesvos Island, Stand By Me Lesvos is a different type of Non Profit. With little funds they have created a safe, positive space, where local Greeks, refugees and international team members are all working side by side, just in walking distance from the overcrowded Moria. While international NGOs come and go, they live in Lesvos. Their commitment is for the long term, focusing on three main targets: Education, Empowerment and Integration. We collaborate with Greek locals, Moria camp residents and international team members, because we can only face this situation standing together.""

Mats Gustafsson / Barry Guy / Raymond Strid

2008

"The energy swells and recesses, popping circuits off the listeners receptors even in the quietest moments. -Mark Corroto, All About Jazz"

The Vandermark 5

1998

Cameron / Carter / Håker Flaten

2020

"The young Astral Spirits label continues to punch above its weight with yet another outstanding release. - Mike, Avant Music News"

Rodrigo Amado / Kent Kessler / Paal Nilssen-Love

2006

"The drummer has en endless supply of accents, taps and pops. Likewise Kessler plays in waves of energy on the opener that make you believe that certainly this band has a long working history. -Mark Corroto, All About Jazz"

Joelle Leandre / Elisabeth Harnik

2018

"Harnik and Léandre continue to perform as a duo but even on this early phase of their collaboration they already established a profound bond. As Ken Vandermark notes in his liner notes, both bring to this setting their “unique personal creative histories - applying techniques and melodic/textual territories that are distinctly their own, developed in other ensembles and field of endeavors, and brought together through the parallel lines of expression”. -Eyal Hareuveni, Free Jazz Blog"

Rodrigo Amado / Kent Kessler / Paal Nilssen-Love

2009

"Nilssen-Love is a master of propulsion. Be it with his tom-toms or simple sticks on metal, he is always driving, commenting, and chiding his mates. The music, although not scripted, is structured and organized, but not just Kessler's time-keeping bass but all three players. -Mark Corroto, All About Jazz"

Günter Christmann, Mats Gustafsson

2017

"limited edition of 214 copies, each numbered, each cover is a unique one with "rubber stamp art" by Günter Christmann. many thanks to Stiftung Niedersachsen and Kulturbüro der Landeshauptstadt Hannover for their support"

Günter Christmann, Mats Gustafsson

2018

"no. 1-9 recorded april 20th 2017 at Atelier Grammophon, Hannover. no. 10 recorded jan.2012 at Studio Börnestr. 43, Berlin. no 11, 12, 13 recorded may 9th 2017 at Kino im Sprengel, Hannover. no. 15 recorded aug. 20th 2014 at explico, Langenhagen. Track 15 also available on Stratum (track 11). Limited edition of 150 copies, each numbered, each cover is a unique one with "rubber stamp art" by Günter Christmann."

Ballister

2014

""The three men work very well together, with Rempis' naked and vulnerable saxophone going from a whisper to a full throated scream at will, and Nilssen-Love, who has seemingly played on 1,000 LP's this year, has pummeling rhythm. Lonberg-Holm is the wild card, almost the trickster as compared to the other more instruments. whether sawing away at his cello or blasting jolts of pure electricity into the proceedings, he has a pivotal role." - Tim Niland, Jazz and Blues"

Joe McPhee & Jeb Bishop

1999

"A wonderful meeting between the great multi-horn master from Poughkeepsie NY (Joe McPhee) and up and coming trombone star of the Vandermark 5, Jeb Bishop."

Joe McPhee & Daunik Lazro

2016

"Joe McPhee plays the pocket trumpet, alto sax, and sings. Daunik Lazro plays the baritone sax except from one piece where he plays the tenor sax. The six improvisations and a McPhee only composition, “Voices for Alto and Tenor” all highlight the rich, resourceful language that these masters share. Both enjoy the intimacy of the duo format, exploring sounds and shifting dynamics. McPhee and Lazro let their breaths converse and sing gently, blossom organically, and fly away, patiently gravitating into an abstract theme, even a subtle melody, or a light swinging rhythmic pattern. The set reaches its emotional climax with “Remembering Ornette Coleman and Albert Ayler (in a caravan of dreams given form)”, this last piece not only pays homage to these great forefathers of free jazz but demonstrates how their ideas are still relevant and invigorating with a brilliant quote of Ayler’s “Ghosts”. Beauty is a rare thing and The Cerkno Concert is the real thing."