Prairiewolf is on the loose. The dream team of Stefan Beck (Golden Brown) on guitar and steel, Tyler Wilcox (Aquarium Drunkard) on bass and Jeremy Erwin (Heat Warps) on keys and synth, has finally released their first proper studio album, and it was very much worth the wait. The trio creates dreamy lounge soundscapes thatContinue reading “Prairiewolf – s/t”
Category Archives: free jazz
Elkhorn – On The Whole Universe In All Directions
With the use of a vibraphone, Elkhorn has once again changed the name of the game. Available today on Centripetal Force and Cardinal Fuzz, On The Whole Universe In All Directions finds the Philly/NYC guitar duo expanding their sound and transforming their entire dynamic by placing Drew Gardner on vibraphones and drums, instead of behindContinue reading “Elkhorn – On The Whole Universe In All Directions”
Emergency Group – Inspection Of Cruelty
Fresh out of the Island House Recordings stable, Emergency Group’s debut record is a dizzying display of cosmic jazz fusion that any electric Miles Davis fan would obsess over. Hailing from Brooklyn, Emergency Group is made up of Robert Boston on keyboards, Dave Mandl on bass, Andreas Brade on drums and Jonathan Byerley on guitar.Continue reading “Emergency Group – Inspection Of Cruelty”
Aaron Dooley – Trapped in Purgatory
All kosmische and jazz fusion fans need to check out Aaron Dooley’s first official album on Island House Recordings, Trapped in Purgatory. Dooley, of whom RCU regulars may also know from being a member of Osmium House, gathered together a crack team of ace improvisers, armed with a disparate collection of instruments. Then he allowedContinue reading “Aaron Dooley – Trapped in Purgatory”
Seventh Shadow of the Sun – s/t
Every free jazz head out there should get to know the stellar new self-titled album by Seventh Shadow of the Sun. Seventh Shadow of the Sun is a western Maryland-based astral jazz project that defies categorization at every turn. On this record, they combine the mystical presence of spiritual jazz with the cosmic freedom ofContinue reading “Seventh Shadow of the Sun – s/t”
W.BI – III
For a jazz record that is as shadowy as it is mystical, you must seek out III by W.BI. Available now through the wondrous Ramble Records, III is Riccardo Canta (tenor saxophone), Daniele Veronese (drums and percussion) and Alessandro Denti (12 string guitar) blending the ethereal qualities of spiritual jazz with the murky and moreContinue reading “W.BI – III”
Heikki Ruokangas and Simo Laihonen – Joulupuu on rakennettu: Finnish Christmas Songs
For those who want to feel festive, but are tired of hearing the same old Christmas songs that jam the air waves every December, may I suggest the ethereal folk-jazz stylings of Heikki Ruokangas and Sio Laihonen’s Joulupuu on rakennettu: Finnish Christmas Songs. While there are no vocals on this EP, guitarist Ruokangasand percussionist LaihonenContinue reading “Heikki Ruokangas and Simo Laihonen – Joulupuu on rakennettu: Finnish Christmas Songs”
Wendy Eisenberg – Bent Ring
Unquestionably, one of the most most ingenious and bold records of 2021 is Wendy Eisenberg’s peerless Bent Ring. Over the last decade, Eisenberg proved themselves to be one of today’s most innovative guitarists, so it’s endlessly fascinating to hear them take up the challenge to compose an entire album on a completely different instrument—a tenorContinue reading “Wendy Eisenberg – Bent Ring”
Luke Stewart & Jarvis Earnshaw Quartet – s/t
If you like your jazz to be mystical, highly atmospheric and transportive, then Luke Stewart and Jarvis Earnshaw Quartet’s self-titled record on No Quarter is the album for you. Recorded in the winter of this year, this record features dense landscapes of unpredictable sounds. The quartet plays as vibrantly and free as possible, utilizing everyContinue reading “Luke Stewart & Jarvis Earnshaw Quartet – s/t”
Tashi Dorji / Ian McColm / Frank Meadows – The Power of Water
Uncompromising, raw and beyond otherworldly, The Power of Water is without a doubt one of the most essential free improv records of 2021. Tashi Dorji (of Kuzu), Ian McColm (of Heart of The Ghost) and Frank Meadows (of The Library of Babel), are each veterans of the DIY avant-garde and free jazz worlds, but thisContinue reading “Tashi Dorji / Ian McColm / Frank Meadows – The Power of Water”
Record Crates United 