FREE JAZZ - recommendations & reviews

[Rubby]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Paul Flaherty, so I will. Paul Motherfucking Flaherty! He has several duo albums with drummer Chris Corsano that give Brotzmann a run for his money. "The Hated Music" is a good starting point. To hear the breadth of his abilities, not just saw intensity, seek out any of his recordings with drummer Randall Colbourne. Easily my favorite free jazz saxist.

[Bruitiste]

Paul's a good one and another great drummer he's associated with is Weasel Walter, probably my favorite torch-bearer of high-intensity, skronking free jazz in these modern times.
Most people know him for his band The Flying Luttenbachers, but he's led a ton of fantastic improvisation dates, like "Ominous Telepathic Mayhem", "Mechanical Malfunction" with Mary Halvorson and Peter Evans, "Plane Crash" with Henry Kaiser, "Flayed" with Alex Ward and Jed Bishop, and "Idiomatic" with Sandy Ewen. 

[PuddysJacket]

Globe Unity 67 by Globe Unity Orchestra
and
European Echoes by Manfred Schoof

Both are extremely dense and as dense as I've heard free jazz wise.

European Echoes is awesome.
I recommend Milford Graves "Bäbi" and "Nommo" too. No sax skronk but great albums. Bäbi was recently re-issued on cd, Nommo is damn hard to find & expensive.

Saw brotzmann play a trio set w milford graves and william parker in 2000 or 2001. To this day probably the best musical experience of my life. Graves wasn't even using drumsticks most of the time. I remember reading somewhere that graves used to jam w hendrix back in the day...it's a nice thought to consider there may be tapes buried somewhere.

[Fistfuck Masonanie]

I've never worked through Archie Shepp's discography before today, and really enjoying the variety of sounds across albums. I love the balance between more traditional soul music and freak out free jazz. Particularly like these so far:

Four for Trane - more straight ahead bop but reaches out at moments, solid.
Fire Music - I know this one is already considered a classic and I see why. Will being re-spinning this frequently.
Magic of Ju-Ju - Great cover and equally good music. The percussion on the opening track is mesmerizing, great long form song with direction.
Blase - blues based jazz with harmonica and vocals. Description sounds exactly like something I would hate but it works so well here. Dark and brooding sounding, sometimes melancholic. Excellent vision and execution.

Also been listening to Marion Brown who I'm not familiar enough with yet to discuss, but I'm digging it.

[impulse manslaughter]

Today i visited a friend and we talked about the works of Charlie Nothing from the late 60’s/70’s. Free jazz and psychedelic stuff that might be of interest to those posting in this topic. 2nd lp was reissued a few years ago.

[magnus]

Yeah, Charlie Nothing... I also have a tape from him, it´s something about a "Dingulator" - i believe this is the name of some kind of homemade instrument, possibly made out of old car parts... Recorded in 85 apparently, so much later than the lps. Been years since i listened to any of them, but thanks to this reminder it may be something for the weekend!

I can also recommend the new LP from Joe McPhee And Lasse Marhaug - "Harmonia Macrocosmica", really nice!