Few more lists from the same source:
Phil Z's Top 20 for 2015:
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18842" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18842" rel="nofollow - Ajemian, Jason Folklords (Delmark) Referencing
Sun Ra, Thelonius Monk, Mingus, and modern pop culture, bassist Ajemian
leads a quartet with saxophonist Kid Blissh, guitarist Owen
Stewart-Robertson amd drummer Jason Nazary through 5 cathartic pieces
that combine jazz and poetry in ecstatic ways.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19092" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19092" rel="nofollow - Angles 9 Injuries (Clean Feed) Now
a nine-piece, Martin Kuchen leads the magnificently powerful Angles
band through 7 demanding compositions, with trumpeter Magnus Broo back
in the band alongside Alexander Zethson, Mattias Stahl, Jonan Berthling,
Andreas Werlin, Eirik Hegdal, Mats Aleklint & Goran Kajfes.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18597" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18597" rel="nofollow - Cloud Becomes Your Hand Rocks Or Cakes (Northern Spy) Drawing
on personnel from the Downtown NY scene, both improv and rock,
including CACAW, Sunshine Soldier, and VaVatican, Cloud Becomes Your
Hand plays exuberant and complex music that focuses as much on
instrumental as vocal music while surprising and delighting.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19594" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19594" rel="nofollow - Cymerman, Jeremiah / Evan Parker / Nate Wooley World of Objects (5049 Records) The
trio of Evan Parker on tenor & soprano sax, Jeremiah Cymerman on
clarinet & electronics, and Nate Wooley on trumpet, performing live
at The Stone, NYC in 2013 in a remarkable concert intensified by
Cymerman's studio processing to emphasize aspects of the performance.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=17565" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=17565" rel="nofollow - Digital Primitives Lipsomuch & Soul Searchin' [2 CDs] (Hopscotch Records) The
trio of saxophonist Assif Tsahar, drummer Chad Taylor and
multi-instrumentalist Cooper-Moore in the 3rd Digital Primitives
release, rhythmic and soulful improvisation with an inventive New York
attitude.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19484" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19484" rel="nofollow - Dijkstra, Jorrit Music for Reeds and Electronics: Oakland (Driff Records) A
curious and remarkably enjoyable collection of works from Jorrit
Dijkstra (sax, lyricon and electronics) in a quintet with Phillip
Greenlief (reeds), Kyle Bruckman (double reeds & electronics), Frank
Gratkowski (reeds), and Jon Raskin (sax & electronics).
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19708" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19708" rel="nofollow - Evans, Peter Quintet Destination: Void (More Is More) The
second release from NY trumpeter Peter Evans Quintet with Ron Stabinsky
on piano, Tom Blancarte on bass, Sam Pluta on live electronics, and Jim
Black on drums, an epic and amazingly sophisticated album based on
Frank Herbert's novel of the same name.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19754" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19754" rel="nofollow - Halvorson, Mary Reverse Blue (Relative Pitch) Guitarist
Mary Halvorson's project with Chris Speed on sax & clarinet, Eivind
Opsvik on bass, and Tomas Fuijwara on drums, a band formed for a
one-off concert at the Blue Note in NYC, that continued on based on the
strength of the bond between them, as heard on this superb release.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18695" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18695" rel="nofollow - Hemingway, Gerry Kernelings [CD + DVD] (Auricle) Drummer
Gerry Hemingway in a CD & DVD release, 15 audio tracks and
accompanying video and interview, dividing the program into "mist, dust,
light, and sex", highlighting aspects of this prominent percussionist
that expand our understanding of his prodigious abilities.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19965" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19965" rel="nofollow - International Nothing, The The Dark Side of Success (Ftarri) The
duo of Berlin clarinetists Kai Fagaschinski and Michael Thieke (The
Magic I.D.) create rich, evolving soundscapes using tones and odd
interjections in unison and in dissonance, dark works of subtle beauty
in unique sound oriented compositions.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19110" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19110" rel="nofollow - Lehman, Steve Octet Mise En Abime (Pi Recordings) NY
saxophonist Steve Lehman builds on his work with spectral harmony,
expanding the harmonic palette with live electronics & a
custom-built vibraphone, in an octet with Jonathan Finlayson, Mark Shim,
Tim Albright, Chris Dingman, Jose Davila, Drew Gress & Tyshawn
Sorey.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19118" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19118" rel="nofollow - Mitchell, Nicole Sonic Projections (Mitchell / Taborn / Boykin / Taylor) The Secret Escapades Of Velvet Andersen (RogueArt) Chicago
flutist Nicole Mitchell's NY band with Craig Taborn (piano &
wurlitzer), David Boykin (sax), Chad Taylor (drums & guitar) in a
tribute to her mentor, the late saxophonist Fred Anderson and his Velvet
Lounge club, in an excellent mix of free and melodic playing.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19441" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19441" rel="nofollow - Mitchell's, Nicole Black Earth Intergalactic Beings [VINYL 2 LPs] (For Practically) Nicole
Mitchell explores the work of African-American writer Octavia Butler in
a science fiction concept of intergalactic integration, achieved
through 9 detailed pieces that balance improvisation, composition and
song in unique and sophisticated ways.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19577" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19577" rel="nofollow - Mostly Other People Do The Killing Blue (Hot Cup Records) New
York's brilliant band takes on Miles Davis' classic "Kind of Blue" in a
note-for-note recreation, a head-scratching anomaly that is as close to
performing a perfect replica as is imaginable.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18668" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18668" rel="nofollow - Motorpsycho Behind the Sun (Rune Grammofon) Extended
and complex songs, guitar histrionics, dramatic lyrics, and the heart
of 70s prog rock fuels Norways's excellent Motorpsycho, who have
developed their powerful sound over 25 years of making serious, high
integrity rock music.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19076" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19076" rel="nofollow - Officer! Dead Unique (Blackest Ever Black) Recorded
in the 90s, Mick Hobb's Officer! inexplicably shelved this mid-90s
masterpiece of RIO inspired songs, asides, instrumentals and
inexplicables, which Blackest Ever Black thankfully unearthed while
searching Hobb's archive - highly recommended!
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18980" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18980" rel="nofollow - People (Halvorson / Shea / Forester) 3xaWoman (Telegraph Harp) A
beautifully balanced Downtown NY album mixing rock forms with
improvisation from some of NY's finest improvisers: the trio of Mary
Halvorson (guitar, voice, compositions), Kyle Forester (bass), and Kevin
Shea (drums) with guests Peter Evans, Sam Kulik, and Dan Peck.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19212" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19212" rel="nofollow - Phantom Orchard Ensemble (Parkins / Mori With Ratkje / Courvoisier / Parkins / Parkins) Through The Looking-Glass (Tzadik) Expanding
their duo into a sextet with the addition of strings (Sara Parkins,
Maggie Parkins), piano (Sylvie Courvoisier) and voice (Maja Ratkje),
Ikue Mori and Zeena Parkins have created a compelling and varied
soundscape inspired by fairy stories the world over.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19841" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19841" rel="nofollow - Wollesen / Haffner / Naujo Rasa Rasa (Tzadik) Rasa
Rasa members Kenny Wollesen, Dalius Naujo, Jonathon Haffner and Sean
Francis Conway present the ancient polyphonic vocal music of Lithuania
using a mix of ensembles, reviving the infectious grooves and ancient
vocal rounds, aided by new instruments devised by Wollesen.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19429" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19429" rel="nofollow - Zorn, John On Leaves Of Grass (Tzadik) Zorn's
"Nova Express" quartet (Joey Baron-drums, Trevor Dunn-bass, John
Medeski-piano, Kenny Wollesen-vibes) dedicates an album of lyrical
contemporary jazz to poet Walt Whitman, a rich and beautiful album from
some of Downtown NY's finest.
Carl Kruger's Top 20 for 2015:
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19607" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19607" rel="nofollow - Abrams, Joshua Natural Information (Eremite) Joshua
Abrams (Town & Country, Matana Roberts & Chad Taylor, &c)
in an infectious groove-based album built around the guimbri, a
3-stringed animal hide bass used by the Gnawa of North Africa, with a
bonus 20 minutes of material not included in the LP.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19963" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19963" rel="nofollow - Banabila, Michel / Oene Van Geel Music For Viola And Electronics (Tapu Record) An
electro-acoustic narrative for viola and electronics from the
collaboration of Michel Banabila (electronics) and Oene van Geel (viola
and violin), blending modular electronics with acoustic instrumentation
for five lush, texturally complex and excursive works.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18982" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18982" rel="nofollow - Baron, Marc Hidden Tapes (Potlatch) Five
fascinating works composed from old cassette tapes accelerated or
slowed down, layered and transformed with analog devices, with the
addition of sources from movies soundtracks and classical or liturgical
music extracts.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18453" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18453" rel="nofollow - Chadbourne, Eugene / John Zorn Great Duo Live, 1977-'80 Volume II (Chadula) Historic
recordings from 1977-1980 of guitarist Eugene Chadbourne and John Zorn
on sax, clarinet and game calls, performing together or solo in New
York, San Francisco, Woodstock, NY, Toronton, ON, and New Orleans, LA.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18649" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18649" rel="nofollow - Derome, Jean / Malcolm Goldstein / Rainer Wiens 6 Improvisations (Ambiances Magnetiques) Having
worked together in many projects for many years, this is the 1st trio
record from Montreal improvisers Jean Derome, Malcolm Goldstein &
Rainer Wiens, six free studio improvisations showing the subtle and
sophisticated dialog that such long association yields.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19819" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19819" rel="nofollow - Harrison, Duncan / Dylan Nyoukis The Many Great Necked / Jeer Sabbath [CASSETTE] (Banned Productions) A
split cassette, the first side presenting two live sets of vocals and
tapes from Duncan Harrison; the second presenting Jeer Sabbath on
vocals, tapes, trumpets, piano, clarinet, guitar, violin & other
assorted instruments; both recording in the UK and reworking at Wino
Lodge.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18785" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18785" rel="nofollow - Koch / Badrutt / Babel Species-Appropriate Animal Husbandry (Creative Sources) Three
Swiss improvisers - Hans Koch on bass clarinet, Alexandre Bable on
percussion, and Gaudenz Badrutt on electronics - in an inventive and
exceptionally well-balanced 7 part suite of tonal work, quick interplay,
and extended techniques.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18995" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18995" rel="nofollow - Kuchen, Martin ...And Everything Inside Came Down As Dust (Confront) During
his residency in Vienna as part of Johannes Heuer's "Vor Anker", Kuchen
recorded these curious solo works using saxophone and preparations, 6
pieces of understated intent using unconventional approaches rewarding
the active listener.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18952" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18952" rel="nofollow - Lazro, Daunik / Benjamin Duboc / Didier Lasserre Sens Radiants (Dark Tree Records) The
superb trio of Daunik Lazro on baritone sax, Benjamin Duboc on bass,
and Didier Lasserre on drum & cymbals, in a live recording from
Ecouter pour l'instant festival, a long open work inspired by poet Henri
Michaux's writings on emptiness & tranquility.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18811" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18811" rel="nofollow - McDonas, Thollem / Gino Robair Trio Music Minus One (For Dennis Palmer) (Setola Di Maiale) Remembering
Shaking Ray Levis' Dennis Palmer in a duo between percussionist Gino
Robair and pianist Thollem McDonas on Rhodes and analog effects, a
mind-bending display of technical brilliance and unexpected twists and
turns, a fitting tribute to the late SRL keyboardist.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19675" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19675" rel="nofollow - Morris, Joe / Chris Cretella Storms (Glacial Erratic) Intense
acoustic guitar interactions from frequent collaborators Joe Morris
(NY) and Chris Cretella (New Haven, CT) in a remarkable display of free
fingerstyle guitar improvisations presented in a limited hand-assembled
package.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19907" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19907" rel="nofollow - Nichols, Don / Bryce Beverlin II Fortments [3-inch CD] (Bicephalic)
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18840" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18840" rel="nofollow - Ortmann, Andy Phantasmargoria [CASSETTE] (Banned Productions) Three
works recorded in Germany and the US from sound artist Ortmann, who has
recordings on Pan, Gameboy, Nihilist, and duo releases with Ben Vida,
Weasel Walter, John Wiese, &c.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19755" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19755" rel="nofollow - Parker, Evan ElectroAcoustic Septet Seven (Victo) UK
multi-reed master Evan Parker brings an all-star electroacoustic septet
to the 2014 Victoriaville Festival for the massive and wonderfully
detailed two part composition "Seven", performed with Peter Evans,
Okkyung Lee, George Lewis, Ikue Mori, Sam Pluta, and Ned Rothenberg.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19318" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19318" rel="nofollow - Pascal Nihilist Chakai House [VINYL] (Discombobulate) An
album of solo drumming from Pascal Nichols, who is part of the duo
"Part Wild Horses Mane On Both Sides", here in a diverse set of
approaches performed on drums, djembe, goblet bowls, cowbells, blocks,
&c. &c... an album that's become an in-store favorite.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18863" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18863" rel="nofollow - Shipp, Matthew Trio Root Of Things (Relative Pitch) Pianist
Shipp's long-standing trio with bassist Michael Bisio and drummer Whit
Dickey, complex and inspired compositions that makes modern creative
approaches to jazz beautifully accessible and essential.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19691" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19691" rel="nofollow - Volkov, Ilan conducts Ana-Maria Avram / Iancu Dumitrescu Hyperion International Ensemble (Edition Modern) Ilan
Volkov directs the Bucharest based chamber group Hyperion Ensemble
merging the history of Romanian music with moder avant-garde music, here
performing the music of Ana-Maria Avram & Iancu Dumitrescu with
guest guitarist Stephan O'Malley.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18813" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=18813" rel="nofollow - Ward, Jason Euphoric Nightmares (Ten Speed Records) Guitarist Jason Ward takes the listener on a journey in sound through dark looping structures and hypnotic approach.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19724" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19724" rel="nofollow - WHO Trio (Hemingway / Wintsch / Oester) Zoo [2 CDS] (Auricle) Percussionist
Gerry Hemingway's Who Trio with Michel Wintsch on piano and synth, and
Banz Oester on double bass and lamp, in an outstanding 2 CD release
contrasting their work in acoustic improvisation with "electric" improv,
albeit an unusual take on the latter.
http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19103" rel="nofollow"> http://www.squidco.com/r.cgi?p=19103" rel="nofollow - Wright, Jack / Ben Bennett Tangle (Public Eyesore) Legendary
free improvising saxophonist Jack Wright in a duo with new generation
free improvising drummer Ben Bennett, both part of the touring band
Wrest Trio, in an album of interactive interchanges informed by unusual
technique and masterful playing.
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