In 2008, clarinetist Ben Goldberg assembled a conventional ensemble to record music with unconventional underpinnings. In 2012, Goldberg again assembled an ensemble to record music with unconventional underpinnings, but this time, the structure of the group for these later sessions is unconventional to match. You May Also Like: Ben GoldbergRead More

Clarinetist Ben Goldberg sometimes gets so out front with his musical vision, it takes years to catch up with him.

The competing tubas heard on the opening seconds of Jason Robinson’s new big project Tiresian Symmetry made me instinctively utter three words: Very Very Circus. You May Also Like: Henry Threadgill Zooid – ‘Poof’ (2021) Liberty Ellman – ‘Last Desert’ (2020)

“Bending Bridges,” reveals Mary Halvorson, “is a title I came up with in a semi-conscious state”, the same as how most of the titles in her songs come about. You May Also Like: Mary Halvorson Octet – Away With You (2016) Tomas Fujiwara, Ben Goldberg + Mary Halvorson – TheRead More

What might sound to the casual ear like goofing around in the studio is actually a drumming genius at work. You May Also Like: Ches Smith – ‘Laugh Ash’ (2024) Sun of Goldfinger [David Torn, Tim Berne, Ches Smith] – ‘(Congratulations to You)’ (2020) David Torn with Tim Berne +Read More

The Book Of Mæ’bul (Another Kind Of Sunrise) is the third in a series of what saxophonist Darius Jones calls the “sonic tone poem” in his life. You May Also Like: Trevor Dunn’s Trio-Convulsant – ‘Séances’ (2022) Chris Potter Circuits Trio – ‘Sunrise Reprise’ (2021)

Tim Berne has been such an imposing figure in New York’s improvised music scene since the 80s, it’s impossible to avoid his presence on significant recordings from that scene for too long. You May Also Like: Tim Berne’s Snakeoil – ‘The Fantastic Mrs. 10’ (2020) Tim Berne’s Snakeoil – ‘TheRead More

by Mark Saleski Too bad that the clarinet was the instrument guys were embarrassed to be stuck with in band. You May Also Like: Michael Coleman + Ben Goldberg – Practitioner (2018) Ben Goldberg School – Vol 1: The Humanities (2017)

by Mark Saleski See, I just knew I was going to like this album. About twenty seconds into the first listen and the whole “Is it jazz?/Is it rock?/What the hell is it?” issue popped up — almost always a recipe for a good time. Heck, I knew even beforeRead More