Steve Beresford, John Butcher, Max Eastley - Some Uncharted Evening (scatterArchive, 2025)

By Martin Schray

I’ve been listening to a lot of John Butcher’s music lately, his entire repertoire. But when I heard this trio with Steve Beresford (piano and objects) and Max Eastley (electro-acoustic monochord, friction drum, percussion, piston flute), I was reminded of the discourse launched by Wynton Marsalis and the late musician and critic Stanley Crouch, who described free jazz as a dead end, whose experiments had damaged real jazz because the musicians simply weren’t virtuosic enough to carry on the jazz legacy. Especially Crouch claimed that free jazz was actually more European new classical music, mixed with a few bits and pieces of Ellington, Monk, and Bud Powell (he mentioned that as to Cecil Taylor’s music). He probably wouldn’t have been able to relate to this trio’s music, but the musicians wouldn’t have cared about his restrictive attitude either, because they simply are not interested in how their music is labeled. A certain beat might be foreign to them, but improvisation is not, because its spirit - along with all kinds of sound explorations - defines this album, recorded on September, 22nd in 2023 at Ferme-Asile in Sion/Switzerland, as part of the first edition of the Biennale Son.

“Part 1“ is indeed an excursion in new sounds; advanced, angular ambient music, so to say. Eastley’s flute hints a melody, the sounds from inside the piano rumble away, Butcher’s distorted saxophone tries to find its way. The music is more oriented towards the sounds of nature than jazz. However, when jazz does shine through, it’s as a distant echo in a piano line or a saxophone lick. And even then, only perhaps. In general, the use of silence and contrasts seems to be more important: the counterpoint of glockenspiel sounds and extreme bass noises, or the abrupt stopping of the briefly accelerated tempo.

“Part 2“ in particular exudes this spirit even more: power, accentuation, tumbling sequences of notes, dark monochrome drones, creaking noises, birdsong. One gets the impression that each of the three is at peace with himself, close to the others and yet distant at the same time. Changes in tempo, a wide range of dynamics out of nowhere - these accompany the progression of the music without becoming nervous or even affected. Max Eastley seems to capture the babble of voices from the piano and saxophone, especially when he lets his instrument (the aforementioned two-metre long electroacoustic monochord arc, which he developed from an Aeolian harp in the 1970s) howl like a monstrous animal in the middle section of the piece, before the trio almost lapses into a small folkloric passage. In general, the three comb through their material, freely and spontaneously, while at the same time being sensitive to all clichés, especially those of free jazz and new music. Throughout the set, it becomes increasingly clear that three kindred spirits are throwing themselves into the creative process of momentary music with enormous enthusiasm. Spurred on by bursts of energy, formulated with a striking sound language and - of course - with the utmost ability to listen to each other. In this trio, there is no single effervescent source of initiative; it is a collective process of the highest order that structures the discharges, the contrasts, the originality.

 An Uncharted Eveningis full of seething, mercurial layers of sound and highly differentiated ramifications. Perhaps the evening began “uncharted,” but after an hour, the sonic research has progressed very far. Jazz purists may not know what to make of it; for them, it will perhaps always remain uncharted territory. For open ears, it’s a feast.

Steve Beresford, John Butcher, Max Eastley: An Uncharted Evening is available as a download. You can listen to it and buy it here: https://scatterarchive.bandcamp.com/album/some-uncharted-evening

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Anthony Braxton Quartet - Quartet (England) 1985 (Burning Ambulance, 2025)

Roundtable conversation with Gary Chapin, Andrew Choate, and Lee Rice Epstein

We join our trio of intrepids in the middle of a conversation about the new Burning Ambulance release of Anthony Braxton Quartet “bootlegs,” Quartet (England) 1985. The release presents music recorded by Graham Lock, who traveled with the quartet to write his book,Forces in Motion . Adding to the original Leo recordings of the tour, we now get sets from Sheffield, Bristol, Leicester, and Southampton, in addition to sound check recordings from throughout the tour. If you are into this kind of thing, the set amounts to 6+ hours of manna from Heaven.

Gary Chapin
Let's start with the magnitude that we talked about because it seems like this has always been an iconic tour. Partly based on the Leo recordings—which are great—but also because of Graham Locke's book. This is probably the most well documented tour in this kind of music. So, is this an iconic tour because of the documentation or because of the performances themselves?

Andrew Choate
I think that's a great question. The music definitely stands on its own and listening to all of these further recordings made me think this is the heart of Braxton's music for me, It's where I discovered his music, you know, the first time somebody played me some of his music. 16 years old. They showed me Forces in Motion and I was instantly intrigued and wanted to get to know more.

Graham's book helps a lot, but his book also talks about other aspects of Braxton's music. For me personally, this quartet was the height of when Braxton had a working band, and could do stuff on a really regular basis. They have this concentrated tour opportunity and I think it allowed a certain essence of his music to really get strong.

Lee Rice Epstein
Maybe before hearing these additional recordings, I might have said it was the book that helped cement these recordings. That tour is critical, but hearing more performances by the group—

You know what Andrew's getting at? It's a really transformational time for Braxton. He had already hit a bunch of highs, like his whole Arista run.

Andrew Choate
Yeah.

Lee Rice Epstein
Like Montreaux/Berlin (1976), I go back to that a ton. That's a classic live Braxton. But in a way—listening to it in 2025—it’still just kind of like, yeah, they're really really out there in the compositional structure, but they're also still doing a lot of head, solo, solo, solo, head, right? And England (1985) is like something else entirely. He's got three very brave musicians who are pushing as hard against expectations as he is. Marilyn Crispell's probably one of his most important all time partners in music.

Gary Chapin
I actually saw this quartet in New York City, and that was amazing. One of the things that I loved about this period was that Braxton was moving into his own universe. But he was still drawing from those compositions around the 40s and the thirty-threes and the twenty-threes. I saw them do 23G, which—I love that piece very much

Andrew Choate
There're a couple of sort of paradoxical things that I wrote down while I was listening. I kept thinking about Braxton's humbleness. Like he's writing these compositions and getting people to play them and push back. But I heard a sort of fundamental humility in the music, which I had never heard before. Like he's really excited about the music, but it's notFor Alto. The structures that he's created, and the young musicians with him pushing and pulling, emphasize that sense.

Lee Rice Epstein14:08
I for sure hear it. I've never met him. I only know people who know him, but he seems like one of the great humility engines in music.

[...]

Lee Rice Epstein
So what did you guys think [of the new set]? Even when you first heard they were coming out like, were you, “Oh yeah, that's gonna be all gold” or a little bit like, “I don't know.” They were very upfront about the fact that these were not professional recordings.

Gary Chapin
My first thought was that this is going to be extremely interesting. My second thought was that I am no longer the kind of person who listens to every archival recording recorded in the club bathroom with a mic snaked out to the bandstand. That kind of stuff just doesn't get me anymore. Since they warned us that it might not be great production, I said, “I'll manage my expectations.”

But there was nothing about the production that detracts from the music! For me it's just astounding that in 19—I don't know, what was that—80? 81? That they were able to get that quality from like a hand recording that Graham did.

Andrew Choate
Yeah, my first thought was also, “I bet the production is just not going to be very good.” But, I'm interested in the music and I can filter that out. But listening to it: these are absolutely acceptable recordings, really. The balance: you hear the differences in the halls. It's like, “Wow, this is, this is what a live concert feels like.

Gary Chapin
You can even hear the bass very clearly, which is so rare.

Lee Rice Epstein
One of them—I think it's the Bristol set—sounds like you're in a small room. And you’ve got all four instruments—I wasn’t ready for the quality of the playing. In a way it’s like the Leo sets were the safer ones because there is some very, very out playing here.

Gary Chapin
The opening of Sheffield, which is the first cut of the whole set, was such a blistering statement of purpose. It was just amazing, like a supernova of sound right from the start, so much energy. And it didn’t calm down for nearly 10 minutes.

Andrew Choate
A supernova of sound is a great way to put it because it is. It is really dense, it is really lively and it just grabs you right from the start.

Lee Rice Epstein
So, because I can't help myself. I made a playlist of the whole tour in order. I was looking at Graham's book a little bit online. Sheffield kicks off this set and is the first, yeah, but it's like the third, the third stop on their tour. By that point, they've really warmed up. And they sound it. They sound right. They don't let up for a minute. There's no coasting.

Gary Chapin
They're always interesting. There's a lot of emotional energy being spent.

Lee Rice Epstein
Additional thoughts? I don't know if we want to get into individual sets. We've talked about the whole of it, but are there specific highs? Listeners who haven't dipped into this yet, can get the set or you can get the individual concerts.

Andrew Choate
I mean, I would say if you're interested in this music, just get the whole thing. There's so much. I think the one show I came back to the most often though was Leicester, partly because in the first set there's just an extraordinary Mark Dresser solo.
There's also an extraordinary Gerry Hemingway solo, and they go on for more significant lengths of time than I think I would have guessed from reading Graham's book or from thinking about Braxton's compositions. They're significant.

Lee Rice Epstein
It's funny. This is exactly why I like the round table format for something like this, because I have my own favorite set that I've been going back to most, which is Bristol. So we each named a different one, right? Which is very fun, but I concur 100%. I think like anyone who's interested, there's no reason not to hear all, all, all the music. There's delight in every set.

Andrew Choate
We're really lucky that there's enough interest to have this stuff out there. It’s on a different level. There's no way not to be rewarded.

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Angelica Sanchez, Barry Guy & Ramon Lopez - Live at Jazzdor (Maya Recordings, 2024)

By Stef Gijssels

The question why some albums never get reviewed is as baffling for a seasoned reviewer as it can be for the regular reader. This is one of them. A great trio with three excellent musicians: Angelica Sanchez on piano, Barry Guy on bass and Ramón López on drums and percussion. 

The performance was recorded at the JAZZDOR Festival in Strasbourg on the 15th November 2023. 

From the very beginning, the trio is full of sparkling energy, crisp playing and symbiotic improvisation. The music is so intense that it almost becomes tangible. It is full of surprises, as it alternates between uptempo driven passion and controlled calmer moments, and remains at all times fresh and memorable. It's suprising how the format of the piano trio can still be inventive, captivating and at times even overwhelming. Sanchez is brilliant in her capacity to lead improvisations to unexpected and rounded closures, as if she planned it from the start. And Guy's resonating bass is as good and creative as can be expected, as is López's percussion, astonishing, unpredictable and accurate. 

Barry Guy and Ramón López have performed many times before, and released dozens of albums on which both perform, notably in Barry Guy's "Blue Shroud Band". It's the first time Angelica Sanchez performs with either of the other musicians, something which surprises Barry Guy in his liner notes: "Jazz Festivals have often provide the opportunity for a first encounter with musicians that are “on the radar”, so to speak , but for various reasons (often geographical) never came to fruition." 

This one is in any case a winner. 

The happy shouts of the audience and the fun of the performers at the end says it all. 

Listen and download from Bandcamp. 

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Ivo Perelman and Ray Anderson - 12 Stages of Spiritual Alchemy (Fundacja Słuchaj Records, 2025)

By Sammy Stein

An unusual pairing – that of sax and trombone makes for a worthy listen on this impressive recording. Saxophone player Ivo Perelman and trombone player Ray Anderson create some wonderful sounds, exploring the mystical depths of musical interaction.

The recording was made in 2022 by longtime Perelman engineer Jim Clouse at Park West Studios (Brooklyn). Fundacja Słuchaj's edition frames twelve concise movements named for stages of alchemy (Separation, Calcination, Coagulation, etc.), resulting in 56 minutes of magical chemistry. Perelman has a long relationship with Park West/Clouse. Perelman and Anderson recorded together on the 2-CD quartet set ‘Molten Gold’ with Joe Morris and Reggie Nicholson, released by Fundacja Słuchaj in 2023, although this is the first duo recording by the pair.

From the opening announcement of the trombone, this album is a musical delight, and the connection between the musicians is palpable. Across the twelve tracks here, the explorative nature of Perelman is tempered somewhat at times and matched by the astounding agility of Anderson on trombone. ‘Separation’, the opening track, sees the heavy, brassy nature of the trombone outshout the grainy, lower register of Perelman’s tenor at times, then pull back, leaving the sax to sing. The track develops as an intimate conversation, from opposing phrases to the final minute where the duo extends their phrasing and forms a beautiful, harmonic close.

‘Calcination’ is edgy, sharp, and prosaic in its essence, as the trombone skilfully weaves around the sax’s melodic phrasing. The character of both players emerges in the playful nature of the final section, where Perelman casually drops a line from a nursery rhyme into the continuing improvisation of the trombone.

‘Putrefaction’ is short, harmonious in parts, and very intense, while ‘Dissolution’ is laid back, swingy in places, and a dextrous exhibition of register-switching combines with acrobatic rises and falls from both players.

‘Coagulation’ sees both instruments creating short phrases which are swapped, extended, and moulded, the passages woven around each other and rhythmic changes that happen simultaneously yet spontaneously with that slight pause from one player, then the other, as they first lead, then follow – pure improvisational cooperation.

‘Conjunction’ begins with a funereal opening, reminiscent perhaps of a New Orleans death march, before the mood lightens and evolves into a triumphal procession of sound with a flourish to finish.

‘Sublimation’ is warpy, guttural, and both players work to create something sounding like a nest of hornets, so intense is the sound, while ‘Exaltation’ sees the growling, guttural sounds of the trombone pitted against Perelman’s cheekiness with his sax, swinging between lyrical melodies. As the track develops, a playfulness enters the music and staccato notes are exchanged, and a sharp, crackling melody develops between the instruments.

‘Projection’ is just over nine minutes of profound exploration with both musicians finding the extremes of their instruments’ range as well as introducing a variety of different musical phrasing and technique, while ‘Multiplication’ is a short romp across octaves and registers.

‘Fermentation’ is buzzy, fever-pitched in places and features blasts from the trombone, rivulets of sound from the sax, and some beautifully tempered harmonics before ‘Cibation’, the closing track, which sees both musicians finding melodies of their own, weaving towards and away from each other in glorious disharmony, yet using notation closely related so it makes sense.

This is a wonderful recording and sees Anderson’s exuberance infecting the music throughout. Paired with Perelman’s ability to switch mood, tempo, and his unerring musicality, the music is at times intense and always accessible for listeners preferring improvisation or harmony. The pairing of trombone and tenor sax creates a wealth of sound possibilities, none of which pass either musician by. The result is free improvisation that fuses the timbre of both instruments and creates character and a simple, but profound beauty.

For an experimental album, with all processes explored and gone through, the result is a discovery of new sounds and a well-tempered album.

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Ivo Perelman and Nate Wooley - Polarity 4 (Burning Ambulance, 2025)

By Sammy Stein

Tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman and trumpet player Nate Wooley continue their long-running musical partnership with the release of Polarity 4. It is released digitally and as a limited edition of 500 CDs on Burning Ambulance Music.

Polarity 4 sees different directions explored as the duo find yet more ways to investigate musical possibilities between their individuality and shared musical imaginations.

Perelman has already amassed a varied and wide-ranging discography, with releases on numerous labels including Enja, Clean Feed, Leo, Homestead, and Cadence, to name a few. It might seem there are few ways still open to explore for Perelman yet, here with Wooley, Polarity 4 proves this is not the case. Its nine tracks include the first overdubbing in Perelman’s catalogue, with the opening track, Polarity 1, featuring ‘two’ of Perelman and Wooley improvising with each other and themselves. Perelman and Wooley prove themselves improvisers willing to seek and explore different thoroughfares among the much-travelled experimental landscape they inhabit. Perelman is always finding new ways to play with others, even those he has worked with many times before.

The Polarity 4 CDs are heavy-duty gatefold mini-LP sleeves printed on textured paper, with artwork by Burning Ambulance Music co-founder I.A. Freeman.

As ever, where Perelman is involved, the tracks on Polarity 4 serve as part of the continuing conversation Perelman is involved in with music and fellow musicians. Track 1 is busy, with the aforementioned overdubbing serving to create a textured sound with the musicians responding to each other and their own phrasing. The contrast in Track 2 is apparent because now we have ‘just’ two musicians, yet somehow they work a sound that is almost as busy as the opening track. Fast runs are echoed and tossed back and forth between the instruments, each return featuring a variation, however minuscule. Perelman regularly picks up the note that Wooley finishes on to create a continuum of sound. The lack of harmonics and the clarity of the streams of sound mean each note is crystal clear.

Track 3 sees more overlapping of individual phrasing, creating interesting conjectures of harmonies – sometimes jarring, but at other times gloriously developed as the staccato section sees each musician responding harmonically to the notation that goes before. Track 4 has a playful, yet competitive air as the musicians trade short, punchy lines and phrases. The middle section involves a back and forth of slurry, schmaltzy phrases, ranging from the depths of the sax to the highest trills of the trumpet.

Track 5 is wonderfully layered as trumpet and sax weave around each other, overlap, and work their individual lines, coming together for an almost classical duet format towards the end, while Track 6 has a gentle start, with hushed phrasing from both players before it slowly builds towards a tuneful end. Track 7 is an exploration of harmonics, while Track 8 is perhaps the stand-out track in terms of musical interaction, involving some brilliant register switching and changes between melodies and counterpoint. Track 9 sees the musicians finding yet more ways for sax and trumpet to interact, with full measure taken of the brassy tones of the trumpet, cutting across the timbre of the sax.

Polarity 4 features creative and explorative musicianship, as you might expect from players of this calibre. There is harmony, contrast, and above all, a sense of competitive, yet enjoyable and controlled mastery of sound.

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Jack DeJohnette (1942-2025) - a personal impression

Photo by Jeff Forman

By Stef Gijssels

Sad news about Jack DeJohnette, one of the most acclaimed and influential drummers ever. I will not go into his biography or enumerate his achievements: they are many and others have already done it better than I ever could. Suffice to say that he appears on 1154 album credits according to Discogs, and he performed with almost any jazz musician that mattered, from Bill Evans, over Charles Lloyd, Miles Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Sonny Rollins, John Surman to Wadada Leo Smith. He was part in many of the historical junctures in jazz music, and contributed to shaping it. 

Here is the story of my life with Jack DeJohnette as a musical guide. 

Jack DeJohnette New Directions (ECM, 1978)

I was not yet twenty when I bought this album by mistake. I knew Abercrombie from his previous fusion album "Timeless" (with Jan Hammer and Jack DeJohnette), and I loved fusion (please forgive me, I was in my teens then). When I heard this album, I was devastated to have spent my limited resources on music I did not like. So to teach myself a lesson, I punished myself to listen to it twenty times. Yet lo and behold: what I found unlistenable at the beginning, started opening up like a beautiful flower the more I listened to it. Its sense of freedom, the musicianship, its unpredictability and overall tone became even more appealing and enjoyable with each listen. I knew that this was it! This was absolutely brilliant. Today, this old vinyl is still within arm's reach. It has lost nothing of its power. Lester Bowie, John Abercrombie, Eddie Gomez ... and a bluesy and lyrical Jack DeJohnette.

John Abercrombie, Dave Holland, Jack DeJohnette – Gateway (ECM, 1975)

DeJohnette also teamed up with Dave Holland and John Abercrombie on what has become "Gateway", the trio named after their first album together. In this small guitar trio format, DeJohnette's drumming plays an absolutely essential part of the music. It's a strange, mysterious and wonderfully appealing album. Abercrombie is a very unusual guitarist, yet his style matches very well with DeJohnette's unique and subtle drumming. He's a lyricist as much as the other two.

Kenny Wheeler – Gnu High (ECM, 1976)

Canadian trumpeter Kenny Wheeler's 'Gnu High' is one of ECM's iconic albums, with Keith Jarrett, Dave Holland and Jack DeJohnette as members of the ensemble. ECM has always had the incredible value of bringing musicians together to create music that would otherwise not have seen the light of day. This is one of those examples. “What you hear,” says Jack DeJohnette, “is the spontaneity of the moment.” The band is stellar and lifts Wheeler to a truly high level of music. 

Terje Rypdal / Miroslav Vitous / Jack DeJohnette (ECM, 1979)

This album was also one of my favourites for many years. Rypdal's icey guitar pierces through the wonderful foundations laid by the other two virtuosi. Listen to the exquisite and subtle drums intro to "Sunrise"! Its atmosphere is chilling yet deeply emotional. All three musicians are excellent, yet DeJohnette's drumming is exceptional and already his signature sound: playing around the rhythm in a loose and flexible style with lots of little touches on his cymbals. He creates a percussive atmosphere, a percussive environment, co-creating the overall sound instead of keeping the pace. 

Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette - Inside Out (ECM, 2011)

And then there are of course the numerous albums with Keith Jarrett and Gary Peacock. This is very much Jarrett's musical concept, yet the absolutely flawless interaction and fluidity of the three artists is exceptional and not a surprise that Jarrett kept asking them again and again to perform. Not all of it is good, and I'm less a fan of their take on jazz standards, but some are truly outstanding improvised piano trios, regardless of the genre. 

Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden, Jack DeJohnette, Dewey Redman, Mike Brecker – 80/81 (ECM, 1980)

I am not a Pat Metheny fan - a little too mellow to my taste - although I can appreciate this excellent album with a stellar cast of some of the luminaries in jazz. It has a great rendition of Ornette Coleman's "Turnaround", my favourite track on the double vinyl, ending with one of the musicians (I guess Dewey Redman) shouting enthusiastically: “Yooohoooo, boy!, Jack DeJohnette, man!” in praise of the drummer's exceptional contribution. 

A reviewer on CD Universe writes: "And perhaps the highlight of the recording is the intricate yet effortless drumming of Jack DeJohnette. It stands out throughout the recordings."

John Surman & Jack DeJohnette - Invisible Nature (ECM, 2002)

When I just started with this blog so many years ago, I reviewed this album succinctly. It is an exceptional co-created live duo recording between the British saxophonist and the American drummer. The result is an astonishing musical feast, an ode to life. It is in the most subtle moments, such as on "Mysterium" that it is fascinating to hear how DeJohnette captures the essence of the saxophonist's sonic vision and co-creates the perfect and nuanced sound to complete it. 

Wadada Leo Smith & Jack DeJohnette - America (Tzadik, 2009)

The same joy of interaction can be found on this stellar duo album with Wadada Leo Smith. Both men are at the absolute top of their skills and the interplay is stellar as can be expected. From beginning to end this music. I reviewed it then in 2009 and the full text can be read here. I wrote it is "An absolute "must have" for anyone interested in music." I have not changed my opinion.

Miles Davis - Bitches Brew (Columbia, 1970)

And then of course there is "Bitches Brew", on which DeJohnette is one of the drummers next to Lenny White and Charles Alias. A genuine jazz masterpiece, it breaks stylistic boundaries while highlighting DeJohnette’s extraordinary versatility and his talent for adapting his unique sound to any jazz style.

Other albums with Davis include "At Filmore" (1970), "Jack Johnson" (1971), "Live-Evil" (1971). "On The Corner" (1972) "Black Beauty" (1973), and "Big Fun" (1974).

Michael Mantler - The Hapless Child (Watt, 1976)

One more memorable album is this utterly bizarre production with "inscrutable stories" by Edward Gorey, sung by Robert Wyatt, and with the brilliant music of Michael Mantler performed by Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Jack DeJohnette and Terje Rypdal. The album defies classification. It's a kind of gothic prog rock album, with utterly dark horror stories, and hair-raising dramatic compositions and performance. No doubt one of the weirdest production ever, requiring some getting into, yet I can only suggest to keep listening, and preferably repeatedly. It's different, yet again, with DeJohnette adding a lot to the overall sound. This is actually the first album I ever heard with Jack DeJohnette, still in my teenage rock period and without being aware of his participation. 

Amidst all this fantastic and creative work, Jack DeJohnette also participated in the Blues Brothers movie, also not taking himself too seriously as the drummer of the Louisiana Gator Boys, an all-star bluesband with B.B.King, Bo Diddley, Eric Clapton, Dr. John,  Steve Winwood and many more, performing "How Blue Can You Get".

We will miss him dearly but his art is here to stay and to be cherished forever. 

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Jack DeJohnette (1942 - 2025)

Jack DeJohnette.photo from the ECM website

By Martin Schray

When Jack DeJohnette played the drums, it sounded as if James Brown was singing the music of Miles Davis. Or the one of Albert Ayler. Admittedly, it takes a certain amount of imagination to hear the intricate percussion patterns of the jazz drummer from Chicago, the soulful ballads of the king of funk and R&B, and the specific timbres of the great jazz revolutionaries together.

For DeJohnette, this meant natural expression of vocal and instrumental leadership, an uninterrupted sequence of colors, rhythms, and moods, and perfect technique whose flawlessness was not flaunted. Musical natural phenomena, in other words.

Jack DeJohnette’s vocal sensibility apparently enabled him to transform robust rhythms into smooth melodies and textures, making not only the cymbals sing, but the entire drum set. When he played the drums, a big, powerfully intensifying sound always came out, a unique, free groove.

Jack DeJohnette had the best teachers one could have: Muhal Richard Abrams, Roscoe Mitchel, and Joseph Jarman, the musical social workers from the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians in his hometown, and later the hardcore avant-garde around John Coltrane, Rashied Ali, Elvin Jones, Ornette Coleman, and Miles Davis in New York. He first took piano lessons from the age of four to fourteen and switched to drums in high school; his musical role model at the time was Max Roach. He then studied at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. In his early years in Chicago, he played a wide range of music, from rhythm and blues to free jazz. In 1966, he moved to New York and accompanied organist John Patton on drums, worked with Jackie McLean, and accompanied singers Betty Carter and Abbey Lincoln. From 1966 to 1969, he was a member of the Charles Lloyd Quartet alongside the young Keith Jarrett, the first “psychedelic jazz group”, which made him internationally famous, as Lloyd’s group was the first jazz band to also play in front of a rock audience, e.g. together with Grateful Dead. After playing with Miles Davis in several sessions in November 1968, he joined the Miles Davis band in the summer of 1969, replacing Tony Williams and participating in the recordings for Bitches Brew. DeJohnette remained in the Davis band, with interruptions, until June 1972 (during the recording of On the Corner), when he was replaced by Al Foster. By this time at the latest, he was one of the most influential jazz drummers.

His aesthetic openness, alertly picking up on his fellow musicians’ ideas, supporting and developing them, has probably made Jack DeJohnette the jazz drummer with the most and most diverse recordings in the recent history of jazz. Like Keith Jarrett, he benefited from his early collaboration with the Munich-based ECM label.

It is almost impossible to count the number of Jack DeJohnette’s recordings that have become milestones in jazz music. These include the live recording with the wonderful pianist Bill Evans from the 1968 Montreux Jazz Festival and basically all eight recordings with Miles Davis’ band.

Additionally, there is the serene musical artistry with his own groups Direction with saxophonist Alex Foster, John Abercrombie on guitar, and Peter Warren on bass; New Direction again with John Abercrombie, Lester Bowie on trumpet, and Eddie Gomez on bass; Special Edition with saxophonists Arthur Blythe and David Murray and again with Peter Warren (the eponymous album is perhaps the one record you need from DeJohnette when it comes to recordings under his name). These are just the most notable ones. And finally, there are all the fantastic recordings with Keith Jarrett and Gary Peacock, who subjected the standard repertoire of the piano trio to a test of modern jazz counterpoint. They began touring in the early 1980s and released over 20 albums as a trio under Jarrett’s name over the next three decades. They deliberately took a step back, playing standards, that canon of jazz that is so successful because even the masses know the pieces, but so difficult because everything has already been said in this repertoire. But that’s where the three of them shone with their knack for discovering new depths even in well-worn tracks. The CD box set Keith Jarrett at the Blue Note - The Complete Recordings is a recording for the ages.

The list of projects Jack DeJohnette has worked on in the studio and on stage over the past few decades is long. His own trio with John Coltrane’s son Ravi and Matthew Garrison, son of Coltrane bassist Jimmy, once again explored the entire spectrum of African-American culture, from Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Serpentine Fire“ to Coltrane’s “Alabama“ (on In Movement, ECM, 2016). It was a statement of support for the revolution in the era of the Black Lives Matter movement, which showed that civil rights in the US have been against stake again. DeJohnette returned to his roots in Chicago, when jazz was not music for its own sake, but a manifesto for liberation and progress. It was his last battle. On Sunday, Jack DeJohnette died at home in Woodstock, surrounded by his family and friends.

Watch the recording sessions for In Movement, recorded at New York’s Avatar Studios in October 2015, produced by Manfred Eicher.

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Jazz & Experimental in Berlin 2025

By Paul Acquaro

The small, intimate Panda Platform, a performance space nestled located in the inner courtyard of the inner courtyard of Berlin's Kulturebrauerei, an expansive cultural center retrofitted into 19th century brewery buildings in the cities chic Prenzlauer Berg neighborhood, is the perfect spot for a small, intimate experimental music festival. Celebrating the 10th anniversary of the artist run label "Trouble in the East" label, the appropriately named "Jazz & Experimental" festival showcased a dozen label based and associated bands and musicians over the span of October weekends.

 

Hosted by label runners and Berlin based musicians, trombonist Gerhard Gschlößl and guitarist Alberto Cavenati, the festival brought together groups with current releases on the label and some label affiliates' active projects. Spread over two weekends in October, the compact but lively schedule offered a rich variety of imaginative music. I am only able to offer a first hand report of the second weekend, but this second weekend of concerts has provided plenty to discuss (and I trust my eye-and-ear witnesses attestations to the superb quality of the first one.)

 

The label, "Trouble in the East," is named after a track from Ornette Coleman's 1972 release Crisis. The album itself had a cover featuring the US Bill of Rights going up in flames. A blasphemous and prophetic statement. Fortunately, the festival itself was a peaceful and smooth running event featuring a capacity audience full of dedicated listeners and musicians. During the first evening I attended, it seemed as if the festival had even cracked the most vexing nut of all - getting young listeners interested, as a entire row of 20-somethings from Denmark somewhat brought the average age of attendance of the typical free-jazz crowd down.

 

Friday, Oct 17th

 

 

Peepholes

The festival's second weekend began with the quartet Peepholes, which provided an vivacious lift-off. Vocalist and electronicist Mat Pogo and trumpeter Liz Allbee interlocked in a spritely and energetic conversation from the opening moments, while drummer Steve Heather and bassist Antonio Borghini provided a solid, flowing pulse. Pogo seemed animated and in a excited conversation with cartoonish word-like sounds and gestures, while Allbee was just as visually engaging with her extended techniques that included the technique of extending her trumpet with a woodwind mouthpiece or pitch-pipe tuner, sometimes sounding like a burping bassoon in the process. The combination of instruments and voice was surprising, the rhythmic mayhem arresting, and overall a mesmerizing set. The group has a recent release on the label called Temporal Relief Keepers.

 

Antii Virtaranta

 Following the programming pattern, the second set was a solo, this time from bassist Antii Virtaranta. Seated in the middle of the stage with the electronic devices arrayed by his feet and  double bass in hand, Virtaranta employed a percussive approach, bouncing his bow off the strings of the highly amplified bass. Slight electronic sounds percolated through the syncopated drone, live sampling the bass and remixing them in real-time. Tapping out the notes and harmonics, overtones emerged from the acoustic instrument and merged with the electronic ones. 

Brad Henkel Quartet

The final set of the night was the adventurous and flowing music of the Brad Henkel Quartet. Comprised of trumpeter Henkel, pianist Rieko Okuda, bassist Isabel Roessler and drummer Samuel Hall, the quartet engaged in quickly passing hour of complex, syncopated and melodic compositions. Starting with Okuda's quite 'jazzy' introduction, the group joined in an accessible, uptempo manner before splitting up into a searching passage. Then, sliding into an easy, but by no means simple, groove, the group seemed to fold time upon itself as the groove grew uneasy and the playing clenched and intense. It was a truly rich set, the moments of exploratory sound segueing effortlessly into meticulously crafted melodies, laced with inspired improvisation. The group was celebrating the release of their record Overstory, which on first listen is as excellent as the live set.

Saturday, Oct 18th

 

Dead Leaf Butterfly

The following night found the age average climbing a bit - no Danes this time - but nevertheless, there were still faces in the crowd providing an encouraging hint of future audiences. The evening began with the wonderful flutterings of Dead Leaf Butterfly, a group featuring the expertise of trumpeter Lina Allemano, vibraphonist Els Vandeweyer, bassist Maike Hilbig and drummer Lucia Martinez. Playing a set of recent compositions, Vandeweyer's vibes seemed to ring loudest - she kicked off the set with a long vibrating drone with Hilbig's bass right beside her offering a long staccato note. A tinkle of percussion and a slow build of tension from Allemano then set the group going. Attention pivoted back to the vibraphone as an uptempo and vibrant solo passage ensued. Lithe and accessible, the tune set the stage for the rest of the zesty set. The second tune began with a deceptively melodic head that suddenly scattered into a polyrhythmic playing field. At times explorative, and quite often thrilling, the vibes often lent an air of mystery to their sound and a sense of enjoyment was carried in their music.

 

Dan Peter Sundland

The second set of the evening was another solo bass, though this time with the electric bass work of Dan Peter Sundland. Playing a well worn Gretsch, Sundland has extended the instrument with a contact mic that picks up percussive sounds from his hands and overtones from the strings. Using a bow, he played a repetitive figure for the duration, slowly moving up and down the instruments neck. The result was a minimalist techno, meditative but demanding.

 

Gordoa, Dörner and Pöschl

The final set was a mind-blower. The trio with drummer Sunk Pöschl, trumpeter Axel Dörner and vibraphonist Emlio Gordoa started with what was possibly a soundtrack to an alien abduction. Dörner's trumpet had an electronic controller attached and a laptop open before him, from which he seemed to be wirelessly communicating directly with the musical minds of his bandmates. Together they created a a tense, agitated atmosphere, pulling tighter and tighter until the sky cracked open. Dörner then dropped the electronics and broke out the slide-trumpet. Gordoa launched into an animated assault and Poeschl gave it a thriving pulse, but it was the trumpeter who seemed to be be pushing the energy the most. The success of the rest was a given - even through a long, exploratory section, they never lost the seething edginess of the opening moments. The trio has an album called Native Acts that seems to be coming out on soon.

 

Although this was only half the story of the Jazz & Experimental festival, it is one worth telling - and exploring more. Be sure to check out their 10 year's of activity here: https://www.troubleintheeast-records.com/.

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FIRE! LIVE IN TORINO@MAGAZZINO SUL PO 22 OCT 2025

From Ferruccio Martinotti:

Last year in Milano, this time in our hometown: Fire! galore. Magazzino sul Po, the ancient boatmen’s warehouse, right on the river bank, with its brick arcades is the perfect host for our favorite trio and the packed venue goes wild. The ingredients of the blast are as usual: Ayler and Brotzmann played by Black Flag in a jam with Toni Iommi. Berthling and Werliin are the terrific power unit that boosts the Primal Scream of Gustafsson saxes (and flute) for a flood wave that will run towards the delta of the river Po. Foot note: Mats t-shirt is from the US hardcore legend NoMeansNo and t-shirts don't lie…

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Skopje Jazz Festival 2025 (16.10 – 19.10)

By Irena Stevanovska and Filip Bukrshliev

Introduction (by Filip)

Lets face it, right off the gate – Skopje Jazz Festival is one of those miraculous misfires of civilisation. In a country bent on slow and methodical self-destruction, a place where the State's grand machinery of subsidized mediocrity hums day-in-day-out, fueling the Orgy of Bad Taste that keeps the whole place from simply disintegrating – every October, like some shaggy cosmic loophole, something beautiful happens. A Rupture. A few nights of celebration and unhindered insight into the Realm of Sound. It's as if the universe itself briefly comes to its senses and says: "Alright... there you go, you can have this one good thing."

As a jazz musician – or, to make things even worse, as a jazz musician with a predominant affinity for improvised music – I've never paid a single denar to enter this festival. None of my fellow colleagues have. All. These. Years. And not only that: while the local emissaries of criminal power, the countless shady ambassadors, opportunistic benefactors of the fine arts, overly enthusiastic owners of used-car lots and the few misplaced ornaments of the jet-set stay put in their regular, paid-for seats, the festival always ushers us, the penniless free-jazz weirdoes, into the VIP lounge. You know, they've got us Covered. There we get to witness the festival from a superior, elevated perspective – meet Wadada Leo-Smith, Hamid Drake or Mary Halvorson – while some cultural attaché stands outside in the drizzle, chain-smoking in quiet diplomatic despair. It's a total inversion of the natural order. A small rebellion.

Exactly this is the biggest virtue of Skopje Jazz Festival: the educational value that it has for everyone who wants to produce sound with an instrument. Every year you get to hear and meet someone like Anthony Braxton or Ken Vandermark, and when you come home after that, something fundamental in you refuses to obey. You will not play as they instructed you in school, as you were taught that there is only one, the right way to do this. It is so liberating, so vital to have that on a regular basis, and it is no wonder why Skopje now has such a strong core of musicians who dabble in jazz and improvisational music.

This year it was the 44th edition of the festival, with a wildly eclectic but masterfully curated line up that ebbed and flowed across its four nights. The first night was opened with the piano trio of Andrzej Jagodziński; the second night paired the ecstatic genious of Marc Ribot in a solo format with the Kahir El'Zabar's Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. The third night we got to witness the scandinavian pairing of After the Wildfire Quarter with Arve Henriksen and Jan Bang, followed by Goran Kajfeš Tropiques. The closing night, the explosive ending was reserved for the duet of Sylvie Courvoisier and Wadada Leo-Smith, followed by the fiery James Brandon Lewis Molecular Quartet.

Together with Irena we'll try to bring the impressions, sounds and ghosts of this year's festival.

Day One (16.10.25) (Irena)

The first day of the Jazz Festival in Skopje is always a great delight to be part of, the familiar excitement of knowing that you will enjoy four days of great music. For many of us jazz lovers, it means listening to some of our favorite artists live, and even discovering new ones. The atmosphere before the concerts is always special. We are a nation that loves to drink and talk outside before concerts. But also, for some reason, one that loves openings of events, everyone treats it as some sort of ceremony. The program on the first day often tries to please a broader audience, which is understandable. The opening night usually feels more mainstream, more accessible, before things start to unfold toward the avant-garde side of the Skopje Jazz Festival as we know it. 

Andrzej Jagodzinski Trio. Photo by Zdenko Zdepe Petrovski 

 The performance of Andrzej Jagodzinski Trio was exactly that, a calm, respectful opening carried by the brilliance of all three musicians. They played jazz interpretations of Bach, Chopin, and other classical composers, and it was clear that Andrzej’s piano was part of him. The way he played was so fluid, so natural, that it looked almost effortless, the kind of ease that only comes from years of becoming one with your instrument. The younger crowd seemed less impressed, maybe because it didn’t feel fully new or experimental. We’re always craving sounds that twist things, that surprise us, that bring energy. But a big part of the audience loved it, and I can understand why. It was beautiful in its own way — elegant and calm. As an opening act, it worked perfectly. It slowly eased us into the rhythm of the festival. No madness yet, just a soft, confident sound. 

National Jazz Orchestra. Photo by Zdenko Zdepe Petrovski

The second concert of the first night was the National Jazz Orchestra, joined by the great trombone player Luis Bonilla and conducted by Sigi Fiegl. The National Orchestra is still pretty new on the scene, but they’ve already played a number of concerts with musicians from different countries. Every year, the Jazz Festival gives an award for the best young jazz musician in Macedonia, and this year it went to the orchestra’s pianist, Gordan Spasovski. 

When all nineteen musicians came out on stage, the atmosphere completely shifted from the previous concert. They started with an orchestral piece (of course), gradually building up the energy. Having so many people on stage completely changed the setup from what we’re used to seeing at the festival. I’m not so much into big bands, for me personally, it often just feels like too much. But the audience seemed to enjoy it, because, as I mentioned, the first night usually carries the more “normal” kind of music.
There was one track led by Luis Bonilla that stood out. Slow and atmospheric, with that Scandinavian jazz vibe in the brass section. At moments, the trombone even sounded like something out of Japanese jazz. The slowness of the piece felt right, connecting back a bit to the calmness of the previous concert, giving a sense of peace and a very autumn-like mood. After that, they continued with orchestral jazz. It seemed like Sigi Fiegl truly enjoyed working with the orchestra, and it’s not his first time collaborating with them, after all.

Day Two (17.10.25) (Filip) 

Marc Ribot. Photo by Zdenko Zdepe Petrovski

The second evening started with Mr. Marc Ribot, planted dead center of the stage, looking like a man who, against his will, was dragged through the back door, mumbling an apology to the audience for being new to the sensitive-white-male-with-guitar shtick. I'll be honest, I’m not a big fan of his latest record – the reason he is hopping around the continent and playing in front of us. Let’s just say that I was a bit skeptical about the possibility for a particularly high level of aural enjoyment on my behalf. But this kind of entrance flipped the script right away and ensured me that I was in good hands, that I was going to be expertly handled by a seasoned albeit reluctant troubadour. He started the concert with a slightly overgrown ukulele that in the hands of Mr. Ribot convulsed, yelped and shimmered – from cowboy chords to fractured Derek Bailey spasms. And this was the modus operandi of the whole concert. No matter if he picked up the acoustic guitar, the perversely oversaturated electric one or the strange uke – the gospel of the evening was in this unusual dichotomy: the Folk Singer meets the Free Jazz Exorcist. Borrowing few Ginsberg poems here and there, some dry-humored story for the audience, the usual laughs about the current administration – I’ve never enjoyed being serenaded by a "sensitive white male" this much. Marc Ribot has a future as a troubadour. 

Kahil El’Zabar and his Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. Photo by Zdenko Zdepe Petrovski

Then – BOOM! – part two. Kahil El’Zabar and his Ethnic Heritage Ensemble appear on the stage like some elemental force conjured by the collective unconscious. You could feel the tectonic shift, and how the empty platitudes from their promo material, those usually barren marketing buzzwords like Hypnotic and Spiritual - suddenly begin to bite you. El'Zabar plays the Mbira and occasionally the drums, Corey Wilkes on trumpet, Alex Harding on baritone sax and Ishmael Ali on cello. They didn't perform compositions, they summoned weather. The air changed viscosity to something glue-like, sound flew like a tired bird through a heat haze. Every hit on the various percussions, every moan on the baritone sax, every vail of the trumpet – felt ancient and deliberate. I could swear that the mics were turned off, but the fairly large hall belonged just to them. The stage seemed like a diorama of four suave alley cats expertly wagging their tails and busking in their collective banter. At one time Lonely Woman was intonated. Maybe one Wayne Shorter composition. Couple of originals. Who knows? That is unimportant. What is important is that this is how jazz performances that dabble with the tradition should be - after they are done the listener is left to mumble like a deranged tik-tok mystic, alone into the void. Exceptional concert.

Day Three (18.10.25) (Irena) 

After the Wildfire Quartet. Photo by Zdenko Zdepe Petrovski

The third night opened with After the Wildfire Quartet. The Scandinavian quartet stepped on stage and immediately dissolved into the sound. Even the name hinted at what was to come, music that feels like the quiet after destruction. 

It began with a slow, melancholic piece — the air heavy and hollow. Arve Henriksen’s trumpet carried all the weight of sadness, every tone soaked in silence. The opening felt like the death of nature itself: everything stripped bare, emptied out.  

But as the concert unfolded, something subtle began to shift. Little by little, sounds returned, like nature learning to breathe again after the burn. Fragments of life reemerged, tentative but alive. In the middle of the set, it all opened into a landscape that felt like the steppes, vast, empty, but awakening. The music moved through that space with a strange kind of tenderness, as if the healing of nature was happening inside the listener too. When it ended, many said they had never heard anything like it live. It was one of those rare experiences that touches something deep — the soul’s quiet renewal after a storm. 

Goran Kajfeš Tropiques. Photo by Zdenko Zdepe Petrovski

And then, a bigger band — Goran Kajfeš Tropiques, a nine-piece ensemble stepping onto the stage. The setup looked beautiful: two violins, a viola, a cello, drums, bass, piano, a mysterious synth I couldn’t quite see, and Kajfeš himself on trumpet and Moog. At first, the music felt a bit scholarly, precise, almost academic. But then the Moog came in, and everything shifted. Its tone was mesmerizing, adding a vivid color that lifted the whole performance to another level. The string section at times echoed Steve Reich, repetitive but alive, while the bass held a steady, rich line underneath. The pianist might have been my favorite, fluid and intuitive, shaping beautiful textures both on piano and synth. It was a genuinely strong performance. The violinists were local Macedonian artists joining the band for the first time, they added a special warmth to the sound. A fitting way to close the third night, letting the energy dissolve naturally into the mood of what was to come the next day.

Day five (19.10.25) (Filip)

The final evening of the festival was... something else entirely. Sunday, the day of the local elections in Macedonia. Out in front of the hall the air crackled with the sound of cheap fireworks and the various meaty thuds of gunshot-adjacent KAPOWs ricocheting out in the distance – the feral soundtrack of miscellaneous criminal gangs celebrating another 4 years of free range demoncracy – a fitting aural prelude to the historic night this festival is about to experience. 

Sylvie Courvoisie and Wadada Leo-Smith. Photo by Zdenko Zdepe Petrovski

And then – they appear. Sylvie Courvoisie and Wadada Leo-Smith, two familiar figures emerging from the dim lights on the stage, ready to baptize everyone in attendance. Their latest duo album, Angel Falls [Intakt] quickly established as the favourite holy scripture for me this year. There is an interesting sensation with this pairing: even though they play in many similar formats, and Wadada has those exceptional ECM releases with Vijay Iyer – they somehow manage to bring out their definitive form when they play together, as if I've never heard of a better Wadada or better Sylvie than this combination. Live, they are a completely different creature. More kinetic... shifting, stirring, elbows flying, hitting the piano, various devices rumble in his insights, the trumpet soars, glides and floats, a sudden stop, and we are off again – then a brief intermission because the election celebration outside intensifies and pierces the hall sound insulation, a huge BANG! BANG! briefly rattles the object – Sylvie starts an unusually delicate and melodic motif, Wadada slides in, the unbearable poignancy of the moment grows, expands, swells, almost like an out-of-body experience, maybe they will replicate the explosion indoors, then they share a sudden nod – tiny, wordless – and they are done. Exquisite! 

James Brandon Lewis Molecular Quintet. Photo by Zdenko Zdepe Petrovski

The last concert will be the shortest impression. James Brandon Lewis Molecular Quintet. You know them. I know them. Everyone within a radius of 2 km felt them. Not much left to add. The man doesn't just blow the horn, he moves air and re-arranges atoms into an instantly commanding presence. You just... surrender. And then, there is Aruán Ortiz on the piano with his ability to carve intricate geometry out of the craziest combinations of sounds imaginable. There is something in that Brandon Lewis/Ortiz axis thar instantly evokes the legendary chemistry and aura of the Coltrane/Tyner two-headed screaming monster. We are, nonetheless, groomed through the years like pavlovian dogs to drool on such stimulus. Drool I say. And yes, the concert was Fantastic. They played mostly the material from their latest album, Abstraction is Deliverance [Intakt], but the live setting annuled the only-ballads mission statement of the record. No gentle meditation, only absolution through combustion. James screamed and burned through the set, everyone took extended solos, the intensity was beyond MAX... I just really hope that someone recorded the performance, so in 50 years from now some kid would sit in front of the music stand, trying to chase those impossible transcriptions, with the teacher standing next to him, desperately screaming: "No, no... this is the right way to do it!"

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Dietrichs - No Badhu (Relative Pitch, 2025)

By Hrayr Attarian

For decades, saxophonist Don Dietrich, with his trio Borbetomagus, has crafted a distinctive sound through unbridled improvisation that embraces dissonance and has little tolerance for silence. His daughter, Camille, is a classically trained cellist with her father’s penchant for fiery spontaneity. Together, they perform and record as the Dietrichs. No Badhu is their third release.

Consisting of four free improvisations, the set showcases the pair’s adventurous creativity and their seamless synergy. Even when they unleash a relentless flood of jarring melodic shards, they exhibit perfect camaraderie. On the title track, Don Dietrich lets loose screeching wails while Camille Dietrich weaves a dense, percussive sonic backdrop. As this riotous repartee continues, the music ebbs and flows with fury. It then transforms into an exploration of the harmonic limits of the instruments. The duo, individually and together, push the boundaries of extemporization to an exhilarating effect and conclude on a relatively quiet note.

Throughout the recording, in addition to the dynamically changing sonic structure, there are also vibrant emotional shifts. On “No Cones” there is a mix of melancholy and angst that Camille Dietrich expresses with her mournful and fervent bowing. Don Dietrich’s distorted saxophone squawks add a sense of foreboding to the piece. The distorted din of the duet laden with a melange of sorrow and unease spills into “No Bones” and becomes significantly more piqued and more passionate. Although the latter is a hard task to achieve, the performances throughout are quite intense and vehement. So much so that one can almost visualize the bell of the saxophone glowing like an ember and the strings of cello smoking.

No Badhu is definitely for open-minded listeners. Like all art, it may cause some discomfort among its audience, yet those who surrender to its storm will find much reward in its gusts of rage and crackling electricity.

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