One of the first progressive bands from Brazil, O Terço (meaning rosary beads) first formed in 1968, but didn't hit its stride until the mid '70s. Personnel changes would become part of the bands dynamic, with Sergio Hinds assuming the role of band...

“After current Italian progrock sensations Andrea Orlando and DAAL here's another stunning new Italian progrock effort, named O.A.K. (Oscillazioni Alchemico Kreative). The prime mover, composer and musical brainchild is multi-instrumentalist Jerry Cutillo. In the early Seventies he witnessed Genesis, Gentle Giant, King Crimson, Yes and Frank Zappa in the legendary Roman venue PalaEUR, as a young adolescent. This inspired him to learn to play organ, acoustic guitar and flute, his first bands was Albergo...

“Pianist, composer, arranger, and bandleader Arturo O'Farrill hasn't cut a piano trio album since 2005's Live in Brooklyn. All told, he's released only two and the solo piano album The Noguchi Sessions in 2012. Writing, leading, and arranging for two big bands is not only time consuming, but for most, a musical mindset removed from the piano trio. O'Farrill will tell you he is a jazz pianist first, and everything else emerges from that. Legacies for Blue Note showcases his playing and interpretive skills...

“Obake is a word which refers to a class of Yokai, Japanese preternatural creatures, and whose strict translation is “A Thing That Changes” or “Shapeshifter” but is often also loosely taken to mean “Ghost” or “Ghost of a deceased human being”.
Obake are back with ‘Draugr’, which signals both a return to the origins of the band and a purification of its sound.
This shift is immediately apparent in the choice of title: while the Japanese term Obake signifies ‘that which changes’ or ‘shapeshifter’ or...

"The musical genius of Mats Öberg has delivered to us this masterpiece of work inspired by the late Cornelis Vreeswijk, with jazz-improvised songs. What sets this apart to me (with my untrained ears) is how Mats effortlessly flows over the ivories, not...

If you ever wanted to hear Mats Öberg, of Mats/Morgan really dig in on solo piano, this is your chance!

"Before recording the second album in the Improvisational series, Mats Öberg’s headstrong interpretations of the songs of Cornelis...

Gabriela Friedli: Piano / Co Streiff: Alt & Soprano Saxophone / Jan Schlegel: E-Bass / Dieter Ulrich: Drums

"Gabriela Friedli, Co Streiff, Jan Schlegel and Dieter Ulrich have created a work of astonishing freshness and beauty,» writes the N

Gabriela Friedli: Piano Co Streiff: Alt- & Soprano Saxophone Jan Schlegel: E-Bass Dieter Ulrich: Drums

"For ten years four of the most willful musicians from Zurich are working together in the Quartett Objets Trouvés: Gabriela Friedli, Co Strei

Mali Obomsawin - bass, lead vocals, hand drum
Savannah Harris - drums, vocals

Miriam Elhajli - acoustic and electric guitars, lead vocals
Allison Burik - bass clarinet, alto saxophone, vocals
Noah Campbell - tenor, soprano, alto saxophones
Taylor Ho Bynum - cornet, flugelhorn

“A suite for Indigenous resistance, the new album from Wabanaki bassist, composer, and songwriter Mali Obomsawin flies in the face of Western tropes that insist Indigenous cultures are monolithic

"Following their acclaimed breakthrough debut album that caught the ears of critics and fans worldwide, and became Important's highest selling album, Ocean has returned with their forward-thinking, brutally heavy and purely minimalist sophomore album...

Aram Shelton alto saxophone
Larry Ochs tenor and sopranino saxophones
Kjell Nordeson drums
Mark Dresser double bass (tracks 1-3 and 5 -7)
Scott Walton double bass (tracks 4 + 8)

“Can musicians of different generations be like-minded companions? Yes they can, at least when their names are Larry Ochs and Aram Shelton, the two composers and bandleaders of this quartet. As they themselves acknowledge, “Continental Drift” is a kinetic meeting of sorts, with compositions that are

Larry Ochs – saxophones
Donald Robinson – drums

“Ochs is a founding member of the great ROVA Saxophone Quartet, one of the Bay Area's avant-garde treasures since 1978. Robinson -- "a percussive dervish", according to Coda -- was the drummer of choice for ROVA's revivification of John Coltrane's Ascension. The East Bay Express has said of the saxophonist's sound, "Ochs' full-bodied tenor is out of the John Coltrane/Albert Ayler 'free' tradition: forceful, passionate," while the Chicago Reader..

Gerald Cleaver: drums, percussion
Larry Ochs: tenor & sopranino saxophones

“Recorded by Vincent Mahey (assistant: Morgan Beaulieu) on October 1st 2016 in the southwest of France, in a wild cave in absolute silence and darkness. Fall 2016, southwest France. Guided by its owner, Larry Ochs and Gerald Cleaver visit the Portel cave, a Magdalenian painted cave. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, given how few visits are allowed so as not to endanger the parietal works.
The cave paintings’...

Larry Ochs tenor and sopranino saxophones
Nels Cline electric guitar, effects
Gerald Cleaver drums

“The most fulfilling encounters are also the most improbable ones – those we never imagined possible, either due to the many miles separating the circuits usually frequented by the individual participants in a music project or to the aesthetic differences they have. The trio with Gerald Cleaver, Nels Cline and Larry Ochs is one of those cases and the pieces inside “What is to Be Done”...

"This 1985 recording was made on the heels of O'Connor's experience touring and recording with the Dixie Dregs. Some of the high energy compositions like My Celebration, and Court Suite reflect the influence of Dregs guitarist and leader Steve Morse. Dregs drummer Rod Morganstein guest on a few tracks.

I've always enjoyed this album and I find it to be an exhilarating listening experience. The album is chock full of great melodies and incredible musicianship. Not unlike his earlier Rounder...

Ivano Abetini - Bass
Wieland Braunschweiger - Drums
Raimund Gitsels - Violin
Frank Messmer - Synthesizer
Heiner Willers - Guitar

This is the fifth album by this fine German group, who refer to themselves as ‘fake jazz’ and you can hear them as a cross between jazz/rock, Frank Zappa / Mahavishnu Orchestra, and the 80s NYC experimental / Knitting Factory scene.
For me this is their best one yet!

John Falcone - bassoon
Víctor Rodríguez - keyboards
Avelino Saavedra - drums
Ángel Ontalva - guitar, bass

“This album includes one long composition written by me and five shorter compositions written by Víctor Rodríguez.
My long suite was going to be the centerpiece of our second album but it was unreleased then to make way for the compositions that integrated Charybdis. I had been toying with the idea of recording the material that we eventually referred to as "the lost...

This is the latest (2013) release by this excellent & increasingly prolific Spanish band who play a very complex, instrumental rock music, which I suppose fits into the 'modern R.I.O.' style. The current lineup here is: Angel Ontalva-guitar, Victor...

The third release from this Spanish 'modern R.I.O.' styled group and definitely their most assured so far. While most of the characters from their previous releases remain Angel Ontalva (guitar and compositions), Victor Rodriguez (keyboards and...

First-ever reissue for this extremely obscure, ‘one and done’ [well, almost – see below] Norwegian prog band.

“This Octopus came from Haugensund and comprised of keyboardist Tore Aarnes, guitarist/singer Henry Holden and drummer Roar Søderlind.
The band was born in late-70's and recorded a private-pressed album in 1981, ''Thærie wiighen'' (Octocon Records), with the help of Olav Dale and Morten Andersen on bass, Ole Gloesen on acoustic guitar and Yngve Slettholm on flute. For the most of...

Adeline Gurtner – vocals
Carina Taurer – keyboards
Matthieu Rossi – flutes
Oliver Orlando – bass, guitar
Clement Curaudeau - drums

A new French symphonic rock band making their debut here. The singing is strong and flute and keyboards dominate! “Comfortingly retro, but refreshingly modern and inventive as well. Well done!”

“With their debut studio album Where Ideal and Denial Collide, Oddleaf makes a noteworthy entrance into the French progressive music scene. Their ric

The German/Dutch band Odin are best known for their one release on German Vertigo. This is an interesting release of mostly cover tunes (Neil Young! Frank Zappa, King Crimson) from early in their career. More than decent sound considering the age of the recordings, but definitely on the 'good bootleg' side of sonics.

"This live concert is an impressive documentation of Odin, captured at the birth of the band’s search for its individual identity. The four musicians had agreed to cast in their lots..

“Many moons ago, Heather Findlay & Angela Gordon met in their late teens as band mates in the up and coming progressive rock group Mostly Autumn.
Cutting their rock and roll teeth together, they toured the world and wrote songs that naturally featured parts for one another to play and sing, as each tune penned its way to life on the road the two women shared.
Lovingly crafting away behind dressing room doors, in hotel rooms, tour bus and airport lounges whilst they whiled away the spare hours...

“Alison O'Donnell is an Irish musician, singer and songwriter. At the age of 11 she co-founded the progressive folk rock band Mellow Candle with school friends Clodagh Simonds and Maria White. They released their first single, Feeling High in 1968 and lived and worked in Ireland and England between 1969 and 1973 releasing their first album, the highly acclaimed Swaddling Songs on Deram in 1972.
O'Donnell has released a number of albums over the years including The Virgin Prophet, an album of...

Odyssey by this time had turned into a progressive rock-styled band and broke up shortly after this performance, with some of the members going on to become Cathedral. The sound quality is quite bad. "A live recording that was never really meant to be,...