A lot of avant-garde bands will toss a bunch of disparate stuff together in hopes that they come up with exotic combinations that work. The Gunnelpumpers do that, too You May Also Like: The Smudges [Jeff Gauthier + Maggie Parkins], “The Gigue Is Up” (2022): Something Else! video premiere JaimieRead More
Whenever Peter Brötzmann brings his reeds, he brings the wood, too. That’s the case today just as much as it was the case during his career-defining Machine Gun days. You May Also Like: Peter Brotzmann, Majid Bekkas + Hamid Drake – ‘Catching Ghosts’ (2023) Peter Van Huffel’s Gorilla Mask –Read More
A trombone/keyboards/drums trio doesn’t guarantee that the music will be progressive, exciting or unique, but Brainkiller offers no such letdown. You May Also Like: Chicago + Al Green, “Tired of Being Alone” (1973): Saturdays in the Park
In years past, I’ve called this the “whack jazz” list and this time we’re going to call it “avant garde and experimental jazz,” but any music that goes too far outside the bounds of convention gets lumped into its own category. You May Also Like: Marc Ribot’s Ceramic Dog –Read More
Once in a while a major act known for creating some of the most melodious, listenable songs will shock us all and uncork a track that’s the polar opposite. The Beatles had their “Revolution 9,” Lou Reed had his Metal Machine Music and Pat Metheny his Zero Tolerance for Silence.Read More
When Billy Bang walked into a Helsinki studio in February of 2011 with trombonist Dick Griffin, pianist Andrew Bemkey, bassist Hilliard Greene and drummer Newman Taylor-Baker, he would be recording for the last time. You May Also Like: Matthew Shipp Trio – ‘World Construct’ (2022)
As members of Seattle’s vibrant, underrated improvised music scene, Kate Olsen and Naomi Siegel are rising stars there who have pooled their creative talents into the project Syrinx Effect. Olson plays soprano sax and Siegel the trombone, but there’s more to this duo than just two horns. You May AlsoRead More
Reut Regev’s ‘exploRing the vibe’ is a record that truly lives up to the title, as each song has a vibe.
Cavity Fang sprung from the fertile mind of keyboardist and composer Michael Coleman. You May Also Like: Michael Coleman + Ben Goldberg – Practitioner (2018)
Trombonists don’t typically have the audacity to be featured with no chordal help like a piano or guitar, but I can’t imagine Mike Vlatkovich performing any other way. You May Also Like: Rich Halley 5 – The Outlier (2016)
