free jazz – Warmth Highest

Live in Oslo by Trespass Trio feat. Susana Santos Silva

https://cleanfeedrecords.bandcamp.com/album/live-in-oslo Free Jazz released October 20, 2023 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ First things first, Susana Santos Silva does not miss. When you see her name pay attention because the champ is here. A great place to start is with the 42 minute solo piece, All the Rivers, which is one of the greatest triumphs in the entire historyContinue reading “Live in Oslo by Trespass Trio feat. Susana Santos Silva”

Pas de Deux by Fritz Hauser & Pedro Carneiro

https://cleanfeedrecords.bandcamp.com/album/pas-de-deux Free Jazz Adjacent Rating: Highly Recommended released October 20, 2023 Fritz Hauser drums and percussionPedro Carneiro marimba impressive bio here: https://www.innovativepercussion.com/artists/pedro_carneiro Two world class percussionists get together in Lisbon and record a subtle and almost egoless album. This is truly music that’s only about the music. It’s challenging without being harsh, existing in theContinue reading “Pas de Deux by Fritz Hauser & Pedro Carneiro”

Earthbound Monochrome by Stian Westerhus – Teun Verbruggen

https://teunverbruggen.bandcamp.com/album/earthbound-monochrome Experimental Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ released May 5, 2023 The end of 23 is approaching and there are at least dozens of records I intended on reviewing this year that I’m just not going to be able to get around to. About two months ago I simply grew weary of writing reviews and let the blogContinue reading “Earthbound Monochrome by Stian Westerhus – Teun Verbruggen”

No Brake by Dom Bouffard+Simon Rose

https://scatterarchive.bandcamp.com/album/no-brake free jazz ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ released July 9, 2023 My narcissism about being an authority on music and my belief that my opinions should start trends is beaten down regularly by the nobody gives a fuck reality of this blog with hundreds of reviews at this point. What’s even more absurd is fucking aroundContinue reading “No Brake by Dom Bouffard+Simon Rose”

CIRCUMSTELLAR by Álvaro Domene & Álvaro Pérez

https://ilusorecords.bandcamp.com/album/circumstellar Jazz Fusion ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ released July 7, 2023 This is great music. Without a doubt one of the best releases so far this year. CIRCUMSTELLAR blends prog jazz and ambient and successfully pushes the boundaries of all of it. I’ll admit that when I go through the prog archives recommendations sometimesContinue reading “CIRCUMSTELLAR by Álvaro Domene & Álvaro Pérez”

Brötzmann – Bekkas – Drake Catching Ghosts

https://actrecords.bandcamp.com/album/catching-ghosts-1 Jazz Rating: World Treasure released April 28, 2023 It’s with a heavy heart that I’m writing this so soon after Brötzmann’s passing at 82 years old. He’s obviously one of the great voices and in some cases one of the most brutal in jazz. If you don’t know about him and his music theContinue reading “Brötzmann – Bekkas – Drake Catching Ghosts”

Joe Lovano, Trio Tapestry, Marilyn Crispell, Carmen Castaldi – Our Daily Bread

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Spiritual Jazz released may 5 2023 Lovano (sax) and Crispell (piano) are both in their 70’s and Castaldi (percussion) graduated Berklee in the seventies so he’s gotta be up there, too. Lovano is taking the lead here but Crispell is a actually quite considerably superior as a jazz musician andContinue reading “Joe Lovano, Trio Tapestry, Marilyn Crispell, Carmen Castaldi – Our Daily Bread”

Pre-Exist /Joe Morris/Raf Vertessen/Joe Morris

https://glacialerratic.bandcamp.com/album/pre-exist-joe-morris-raf-vertessen-joe-morris ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Free Jazz released June 7, 2023 Morris decides to play bass instead of guitar on the third recording he appears on so far in 2023. I copy and paste the names of the recordings from the bandcamp page but I figure it’s actually supposed to be Pre-Exist /Joe Morris/Raf Vertessen/Will GreeneContinue reading “Pre-Exist /Joe Morris/Raf Vertessen/Joe Morris”

Mostly Happy Endings by Greg Segal

https://gregsegal.bandcamp.com/album/mostly-happy-endings Genre: Experimental Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ released January 22, 2023 Recently, it came into my Bandcamp feed that Segal has re-released several recordings of his band from the 80’s Paperbag. I bought their album Ticket to Trauma when it came out on SST and I’ve had a fondness for it for several decadesContinue reading “Mostly Happy Endings by Greg Segal”

Drogi Krajowe w Polsceby Drogi Krajowe – Michał Giżycki, Dawid Dąbrowski, Maciej Karmiński, Ostap Mańko, Hubert Karmiński

https://multikultiproject.bandcamp.com/album/drogi-krajowe-w-polsce Genre: Free Jazz Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ The last track with a hypnotic descending bass line saved the day. One good track is a very valuable thing but I found the rest of this release lackluster and uninspired. The tracks are named after polish roads and they say a picture is worth a thousandContinue reading “Drogi Krajowe w Polsceby Drogi Krajowe – Michał Giżycki, Dawid Dąbrowski, Maciej Karmiński, Ostap Mańko, Hubert Karmiński”

Lockdown by Aaron Leaney feat. Guy Thouin

https://aaronleaneyguythouin.bandcamp.com/album/lockdown Free Jazz Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ released March 17, 2023 Wow! What an unexpected gem seeming sent from the heavens. One of the first things I want to mention is that this was recorded by Radwan Ghazi Moumneh of the fantastic Jerusalem In My Heart. If you’re unfamiliar with this band IContinue reading “Lockdown by Aaron Leaney feat. Guy Thouin”

Out Of Nowhereby John Edwards / Andrew Lisle / Dirk Serries / Colin Webster

https://rawtonkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/out-of-nowhere Genre: Improvised Music Rating: ⭐️⭐️ 2/5 Stars Dirk Serries is my favorite musician on this record and I wish he was the only one. I respect what the musicians are doing but at some point when there’s a 1000 records of a 1000 other people doing it as well or better it’s time forContinue reading “Out Of Nowhereby John Edwards / Andrew Lisle / Dirk Serries / Colin Webster”

Tiga Bilangan by Rizky Argadipradja, Wahono

https://divisi62.bandcamp.com/album/tiga-bilangan Genre: Experimental Avant-Garde Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 Release Date: January 19, 2023 The sound on this one is like 1940’s serial compositions but with a looser improvised feel rather than the austere feel of the written music from that era. The artists are a duo from Indonesia. The three stars are pretty much obligatory basedContinue reading “Tiga Bilangan by Rizky Argadipradja, Wahono”

Clear water: No front / No back by Ada Rave solo

https://doekraw.bandcamp.com/album/clear-water-no-front-no-back Genre: Free Jazz Rating: Recommended released November 14, 2022 A woman alone with her saxophone. Her tenor calling out to the universe. Rave is an Argentine out of Buenos Aires. The music here isn’t flashy or showy. It’s calm contemplative avant-garde free jazz. Usually, anstract music like this strikes me as emotionally ambiguous butContinue reading “Clear water: No front / No back by Ada Rave solo”

Heart Of The Ghost – Summons

https://heartoftheghost.bandcamp.com/album/summons Genre: Free Jazz Rating: 🎷 🎷 🎷 🎷 🎷 5/5 Released in July 2022 I think if all the jazz gods in the late sixties could hear what we got going on today it would blow their minds. I know as a “critc” (although I like to point out I’m really just fan) there’sContinue reading “Heart Of The Ghost – Summons”

A Muted Reality by Angles

https://cleanfeedrecords.bandcamp.com/album/a-muted-reality Genre: Free Jazz Rating: Highly Recommended Released June 2022 This band’s 2008 release Every Woman Is A Tree is a big favorite of mine. It’s been in rotation since it came out and might be the first record to make me realize how fantastic Clean Feed is. There’s nothing better than Liberation Music OrchestraContinue reading “A Muted Reality by Angles”

No. 1 by 100-nka Gralak

Genre: Free Jazz Rating: Very Highly Recommended released July 30, 2022 Everyone and everything about this record is powerful and effective. My heart is warmed by this continuation of the greatest musical tradition ever. Honestly, I just want to say thank you for being so fucking awesome. The tracks range from mournful and spiritual toContinue reading “No. 1 by 100-nka Gralak”

Teufelskeller by Teufelskeller

https://wvsorcerer.bandcamp.com/album/teufelskeller Genre: Free Jazz Rating: 🎷 🎷 🎷 🎷 🎷 5/5 Highest Recommendations Released Oct 7 2022 This harkens back the early days of Russian and other Eastern Europe free jazz (not that it went anywhere). I don’t know if this is really a problem or not but I worry that Russian artists are sufferingContinue reading “Teufelskeller by Teufelskeller”

I tell you everything, just not out loud.by .Sue Ann Harkey

https://sueannharkey.bandcamp.com/album/i-tell-you-everything-just-not-out-loud Genre: Freak Folk Rating: World Treasure I wish I were a better writer so I could really give this the review it deserves. My first exposure to this was in 1987. It came along with an issue of the cassette culture zine Sound Choice. It soon became one of my favorite records of allContinue reading “I tell you everything, just not out loud.by .Sue Ann Harkey”

Bhakti by Zoh Amba

https://mahakalamusic.bandcamp.com/album/bhakti Genre: Free Jazz Raing: Beyond Ratings – World Treasure released on bandcamp September 27, 2022 Although Amba plays tenor saxophone this album is most closely related to Cecil Taylor. Especially Dark to Themselves which was recorded at the Ljubljana Jazz Festival which puts out the best stuff. Micah Thomas absolutely fucking slays on theContinue reading “Bhakti by Zoh Amba”

Transient Signalling At A Distance by Tom Ward

https://rawtonkrecords.bandcamp.com/album/transient-signalling-at-a-distance Genre: Free Jazz Rating: 🎷 🎷 🎷 🎷 🎷 When and Where: Track 1 recorded by Tom Ward at Two Ships, The Nest, Hastings on 16th July 2022 Tracks 2,4,5 recorded by Tom Ward at SET Lewisham on 1st August 2022 Tracks 3,6 recorded by Tom Ward at SET Lewisham on 20th June 2022Continue reading “Transient Signalling At A Distance by Tom Ward”

Good To Be Back In Reality by Colin Webster / Matthew Grigg

https://colinwebster.bandcamp.com/album/good-to-be-back-in-reality Genre: Free Jazz Rating: 🎷 🎷 🎷 🎷 🎷 released on bandcamp August 20, 2022 Webster and Grigg have released a free jazz record that pushes into the realm experimental noise. Resting somewhere on the horizon bringing to mind earlier pioneers like Borbetomagus and Keith Rowe. The tracks bubble with abstract unfolding sounds. TheContinue reading “Good To Be Back In Reality by Colin Webster / Matthew Grigg”

Preserves by Street Tentacle

https://balancepointacoustics.bandcamp.com/album/preserves Genre: Free Jazz Rating: 🎷🎷🎷🎷🎷 Released on Bandcamp August 8, 2022 It’s been a minute since I’ve heard any new free jazz releases banging like this one. There’s the joke about jazz is anything with a saxophone. While that may not be true, it is true that saxophonist Jeff Chan is actually the onlyContinue reading “Preserves by Street Tentacle”

Khimaira by Child of Illusion

https://susanasantossilva.bandcamp.com/album/khimaira Genre: Free Jazz Rating: 5/5 releases May 13, 2022 Chris Pitsiokos – alto saxophone Susana Santos Silva – trumpet Torbjörn Zetterberg – double bass To me, Silva is golden. I treat everything she does with awe and respect. Put it this way, I get as excited about her releases as I do anyone’s inContinue reading “Khimaira by Child of Illusion”