One of the last truly outside albums recorded by Archie Shepp in the 70s – a French performance that's very similar to the open-ended, freely-blown recordings he did for the BYG/Actuel label a few years before! The record captures Shepp in territory that's different than some of the more structured recordings and sets of standard material he'd soon be giving the world – and he blows tenor with unbridled energy on long live tracks – working with a very cool group that includes the great Charles Greenlee on trombone, plus Dave Burrell on piano, Cameron Brown on bass, and Beaver Harris on drums!

The Theory of Constraints (TOC) is a framework of interdisciplinary knowledge, methods, and management tools for organizations. It starts from the premise that imbalance is inevitable but also desirable. The flow management method of the Theory of Constraints, called Drum – Buffer – Rope, involves pacing the release of manufacturing orders to the pace of the bottleneck to avoid excess work in progress and reduce cycle times, while ensuring that parts arrive sufficiently early to never stop the same bottleneck. The five key implementation steps of the theory of constraints are: 1, identify the constraint; 2, exploit the constraint (increase its utilization and efficiency); 3, subordinate all processes to the constrained process; 4, elevate the performance of the constraint (if necessary); 5, repeat from step 1.

In the past four years, Fabian Dudek received a lot of attention, especially with his quartet (with Felix Hauptmann, Fabian Arends, David Helm). Already their debut release in 2019 and the subsequent tour, sponsored by the Musikfonds, were met with enthusiastic responses.

This second volume of solo piano from Grew comes hot on the heels of his 2023 Discus Music release “Chasm”, also for solo piano. For all the brilliance of that earlier work, Grew was keen to push himself even further and engage with a piano and a space with which he was already very familiar – at Lancaster Baptist Church, close to his home in the North West.

"Intermediate tones are only cramps in class struggle," the folksinger/songwriter with left-wing politics Franz-Josef Degenhardt once criticized.

Monophonic is the name of the new album by Maria Bertel. As the title hints the album is a study of music played with 'one voice'. The amplification of the trombone mimics the effect of a magnifying glass, that let otherwise inaudible sounds be heard and brought forward. The compositions are long swathes of sound slowly developing, heavily inspired by drone and noise.

The ensemble is all powerhouse performers but, like a stream is one stream with one name below the confluence, though they may lend their distinctive voices, this is a singularly cohesive unit that subsumes individual style.

Distant Skies, We Dream is an enchanting album by Fabian Dudek, released by Traumton / Indigo. This mesmerizing collection of music takes listeners on a journey through dreamy landscapes and distant horizons.

This Is British Progressive Jazz (Remastered) is a captivating album released by British Progressive Jazz. Featuring a collection of tracks from various artists, this remastered edition offers a unique blend of jazz influences with progressive elements. Listeners can expect to be taken on a musical journey filled with intricate melodies, complex rhythms, and innovative improvisations. The album showcases the diverse talent within the British jazz scene, highlighting the creativity and skill of the musicians involved.

Jonathan Bäckström Quartet is an acoustic improvising quartet based in Helsinki with members from Finland and Sweden. Bassist/composer Jonathan Bäckström leads the quartet and they are set on a mission to navigate and discover the music that is being created in the moment. The quartet's expression consists of minimalistic landscapes and explosive, multi-layered free improvisation and is the result of each musician bringing their individual voices to create a strong, collective statement. The group consists of Bäckström, saxophonists Adele Sauros (of Superposition) and Marcus Wärnheim, and drummer Benjamin Nylund – each an active member of the vibrant Nordic scene.

Everything is connected. Not just in the grand scheme of things, but also in the colorful universe of Karen Willems. A lifelong quest for profound experiences through organizing sound led to the crucial Terre Sol-series of tapes in 2020. Out of that fertile well, Grichte (2022) was born. A double LP that presented Willems as an original explorer as well as a committed bandleader, it was her boldest statement to date.

William Soovik Grand Finale plays Rustic Music. What is it, one might ask? Partly it is the name of the band's first album but it is also a whole philosophy around the band's music and what expressions it can take one. Think of that heavy cast iron pan that sits in the back of a cupboard in a summer cottage somewhere. Long since replaced by a sophisticated non-stick pan with nano-ceramic coating. An old wooden beer tray that has become storage for old nails or half-empty glue bottles in a carpenter's shed in a forest.

In 1975, the New York City alto saxophonist Alan Braufman released his debut album, Valley of Search on the India Navigation label. Recorded at the now legendary 501 Canal St. loft, the album was heralded by Village Voice jazz critic Gray Giddins, who wrote, "These are the musicians who are taking the chances today and their gifts and commitment ought to be attended." Braufman went on to record and tour with everyone from Carla Bley to The Psychedelic Furs, and didn't release another album under his name until 2020's The Fire Still Burns. Fire featured Braufman's longtime collaborator, Cooper-Moore, and a then up-and-coming James Brandon Lewis, and received rave reviews from The WIRE, Downbeat, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, NPR, and many others.

The relationship between Alex Harding and Lucian Ban has been long and fruitful. Their combination of elements of improvisational music have helped the pair develop a unique musical language that transcends the expectations of the jazz genre. Their new recording, Blutopia, highlights their attuned rapport while allowing their music to unfold with their own singular ensemble, propelled by the tuba stylings of the great Bob Stewart.

Naked Bass II is a captivating album by Peter Herbert, released by Unit Records. This album showcases Herbert's exceptional talent as a bassist and composer, offering a unique blend of jazz, world music, and contemporary sounds.