Craig Taborn Is at the Apex of Contemporary Jazz
In 2026, Craig Taborn and other improvisers of his generation are at the peak of their creativity. This music has rarely been more elevated, refined, and exciting.
improvisation
Matthew Ryals’ Modular Synthesizer Exploration Is Brilliant
New York experimentalist Matthew Ryals teams up with violist effe effe on the wildly engaging Exalge, highlighting experimentation and improvisation.
Chad Kouri Experiments with Blissful Spiritual Jazz
Chicago’s Chad Kouri is a curious, mesmerizing explorer of genres and identities. Mixed is a unique and hypnotic take on jazz improvisation.
Holden & Zimpel Explore the Emancipatory Power of Technology
Electronic music’s Holden & Zimpel give us hope that perhaps science and technology might just liberate us from some of life’s unnecessary struggles and strife, after all.
Alabaster Deplume’s Spirital Jazz Meditates on a Blade
As much as jazz saxophonist Alabaster Deplume’s record documents his journey towards relief, it encourages others to seek their own. A Blade is also a salve.
Tashi Dorji’s Guitar Eradicates Western Notions of Authenticity
Experimentalist Tashi Dorji sometimes sounds like a kid discovering their first couple of chords on a guitar and ultimately heading for the fire pit.
Ivo Perelman and Nate Wooley Go Berserk on ‘Polarity 2’
Tenor saxophonist Ivo Perelman and trumpeter Nate Wooley explore the limits of free jazz on this welcome sequel with its power of boundless musical interplay.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ Brian Chase Joins Pianist/Composer Anthony Coleman for ‘Arcades’
Anthony Coleman and Brian Chase’s Arcades is a celebration of sound, sound reacting to sound, and the effect of two musicians constantly upping the ante.
Cinema Cinema and Matt Darriau Test the Limits on ‘CCXMDII’
Woodwind specialist Matt Darriau joins Cinema Cinema for CCXMDII, an album blending improvisational free jazz, chilled-out ambience, and experimental urges.
Typical Sisters Show Off an Irreverent Swagger on the Delightful ‘Love Beam’
Celebrated jazz trio Typical Sisters move into refreshingly unexplored territory on their third LP, Love Beam.
TALsounds Offers Controlled Bliss on ’Acquiesce’
TALsounds' Acquiesce reminds us that it's important to notice how brief moments of confidence or peace can unfurl in real-time, forming solid ground for us to walk forward.
Jim White and Marisa Anderson’s ‘The Quickening’ Takes an Experimental Journey
Avant-garde drummer Jim White and folk guitarist Marisa Anderson get together without rehearsing to see what happens on The Quickening.