Illegal Crowns’ new album ‘Unclosing’ is maximal jazz from a band full of advanced composers and prodigious improvisers.

Here are a pair of streaming premieres of songs from Matt Mitchell’s upcoming piano/drums double-disc album ‘Oblong Aplomb.’

We often hear about recordings ostensibly made without regard to rules, preconceptions and guidelines in pursuit of a mode of expression that’s pure and original. Marc Ducret’s ‘Palm Sweat’ actually sounds exactly like it was made that way.

Here is the streaming premiere of “Spider Season,” the dauntless title track from bassist Nick Dunston’s upcoming second album of the same name.

‘KRAFT’ is the stimulating debut release by Baltimore-area improvisation specialists Mike Kuhl, Dave Ballou, John Dierker and Luke Stewart.

Only by being so open-minded and outside the box leads to truly original art, and guitar/banjo virtuoso Wendy Eisenberg has just made more of that kind of art again with the latest release, ‘Bloodletting.’

Here is the streaming premiere of “Philosophy Series” from bass giant Mario Pavone’s final act album, ‘Blue Vertical.’

Here is the streaming premiere of cellist/composer Christopher Hoffman’s “Dylan George” from his upcoming album ‘Asp Nimbus.’

Tim Berne’s sax/piano duet with Matt Mitchell has a certain intimacy not quite felt on other projects.

Anna Webber builds a talented band around an idea from years earlier, and her deeper dive into that idea is well justified, judging from this galvanized performance.