Columbia Icefield’s ‘A Silence Opens’ teaches twice over that the soul of an artist never dies, it’s simply transferred to the art they make.

The all-percussion ensemble might have been around a while, but there’s probably no one better today than Tomas Fujiwara for taking this idea further, with ‘Dream Up.’

Joe Morris and Elliott Sharp are among the only guitarists who can make a guitarist improvisation duet session with electronics sound alien while staying coherent and insightful. They thrive doing so on ‘Realism.’

With their third collaboration ‘Bone Bells,’ Sylvie Courvoisier and Mary Halvorson have become a entity that’s a major force unto itself.

The concept of making creative music solely with four reeded horns isn’t a new one but under Ivo Perelman’s direction, the concept has been thoroughly refreshed.

On ‘Breaking the Shell,’ Bill Frisell, Andrew Cyrille & Kit Downes get to expand their home base of creatively improvised music using the stately yet otherworldly sounds of the pipe organ.

When Brandon Seabrook does a solo banjo and guitar project as he did with ‘Object of Unknown Function,’ there’s even more of his uniqueness to ponder, appreciate and – yes – enjoy.

The sounds made by Dave Harrington, Max Jaffe and Patrick Shiroishi on ‘Speak, Moment’ are the sounds of discovery, surprise and uncommon communion.

In the end, the Sunny Five’s ‘Candid’ is a jam record but in this case, the jams expose just how scary talented this assemblage truly is.

Kate Gentile held back no ambition in making the vast, unencumbered ‘Find Letter X,’ as her band carried out thoroughly conceived, nonconformist concepts.