Thollem made something entirely new using used parts created by various trios and mold them into a genuine piece of aural art made by a six performers using the intuition of one.

The electric-jazz foray ‘Fire Illuminations,’ like most Wadada Leo Smith albums, is not just another record. It’s another chapter in his fascinating, ongoing story.

Extraordinary music usually results when extraordinary musicians like Nels Cline and Ben Monder step out of their comfort zones and put themselves in challenging situations that gives them no other out but to lean on their innate sense of creativity.

‘The Art Spirit’ does a pretty good job showing what Ben Goldberg, Nels Cline and Tom Rainey are capable of individually and a great job showing what they can do collectively with no premeditation.

These ain’t traditional Christmas carols, but Mars Williams has started a new tradition in line with a year that has broken all semblance of normalcy.

Whatever expectations you can make about a new Nels Cline Singers release, ‘Share the Wealth’ exceeds them all.

Bobby Previte, Jamie Saft and Nels Cline’s ‘Music From the Early 21st Century’ is, thankfully, not typical of music from the era in which we are living in.

Satoko Fujii doesn’t play an instrument in her orchestra; she conducts it. Still, there is hardly a more accurate manifestation of her genius artistry.

‘Gowanus Sessions II’ is the long-awaited second part of an epic improv recording session from Thollem McDonas, William Parker and Nels Cline.

As the Radical Empathy Trio, Thollem McDonas, Nels Cline and Michael Wimberly brew up two extended 20-minute performances that liberally mix acoustic with electronics.