Irène Schweizer, Piano
"With both these records, Wilde Señoritas and Hexensabbat, the young pianist from Switzerland presented her first solo recordings, in 1977 and 1978 respectively: a firework of modern jazz piano music. The first solo records.

"When Schweizer and Drake play together, they have impeccable communication. It is such an elegant interaction, so close and intimate and loving, that the thought of adding another player is at first off-putting. But then Fred Anderson is not just...

Han Bennink: Drums
Irène Schweizer: Piano
"Irène Schweizer and Han Bennink like to play together – you can hear it in every note. After a tour of Switzerland, the two went straight in the recording studio. The result is a stunning second album: "Welcome Back“. The music moves between freely improvised pieces, beautiful jazz standards, and songs influenced by South-African melodies which are a trademark of Irène Schweizer (such as her classics 'Rag“ and 'Bleu Foncé“). Schweizer says: “Han and I...

Jürg Wickihalder: Soprano and Tenor Saxophone
Irène Schweizer: Piano

"Unintentionally, spontaneously, amusingly, most Monkish," writes American Jazzcritik Art Lange about the music of Jürg Wickihalder and Irène Schweizer.

After year

Irène Schweizer Piano / Pierre Favre Drums, Percussion

"Irène Schweizer and Pierre Favre are two likeminded spirits. Since 1966 they play together on a regular bases. With their creative mind, artistic virtuosity and open attitude these two...

Irène Schweizer: Piano
Han Bennink: Drums

"Schweizer has a special affinity for piano/percussion duets, having previously recorded with Louis Moholo, Günter Sommer, Andrew Cyrille an Pierre Favre. The Intakt catalogue number seems to have...

Irène Schweizer: Piano
Pierre Favre: Drums

"Here Irène Schweizer teams up with countryman and frequent collaborator Pierre Favre in a per-formance recorded live in Bern. Cecil Taylor looms large as an influence in Schweizer's style (as he...

Stephan Crump: Acoustic Bass
Mary Halvorson: Guitar
"From the very first notes they played together, Secret Keeper, the innovative duo of "NYC's least-predictable improviser" (City Arts) Mary Halvorson and Grammy-nominated Stephan Crump had a...

Elliott Sharp: Guitar
Sally Gates: Guitar
Tashi Dorji: Guitar

“In August 2023, guitarist Elliott Sharp met with fellow guitarists Sally Gates and Tashi Dorji in his Manhattan recording studio. Ere Guitar celebrates the great art of the guitar, played by musicians who seek new paths and create the current sound of the day.
“The line-up of the album Ere Guitar initially ties in with its predecessor Err Guitar with Mary Halvorson and Marc Ribot. Here, too, we meet a trio chosen by...

Elliott Sharp: Guitars / Melvin Gibbs: Bass / Lance Carter: Drums

"With the bassist Melvin Gibbs and the drummer Lance Carter, Elliott Sharp has formed a trio that cultivates the pleasure of playing, of sound, drive and expression. At the...

Elliott Sharp: Guitar
Mary Halvorson: Guitar
Marc Ribot: Guitar
"Last summer in Elliott Sharp's recording studio in Manhattan, New York guitarist Sharp spent a day with guitar colleague Mary Halvorson and another with Marc Ribot, legendary guitarist of Tom Waits, The Lounge Lizards and Marianne Faithful. The result was a series of recordings that could only be created by friends. They represent the great art of guitar playing by three exceptional musicians looking for new sonic adventures in.

"The Age of Carbon covers the period from the first full Elliott Sharp Carbon LP in 1984 through the Tocsin CD of 1991. This 3-disc collection gives a sonic overview of the band in its different iterations in those hot, dense, and fast years in New...

Günter Baby Sommer Drums, Percussion, Voice

"Günter 'Baby' Sommer is at the height of his musical career. After 'Song for Kommeno' (Intakt CD 190) Sommer, one of the architects of European jazz drumming, now presents his Solo masterpiece...

Günter Baby Sommer: Drums, Percussion
Till Brönner: Trumpet, Flügelhorn, Electronics

"Baby Sommer is at the height of his musical career. After 'Song for Kommeno', his Solo masterpiece 'Dedications' and the duo with American trumpet player Wadada Leo Smith 'Wisdom In Time', he presents at his 75th birthday a duo recording with German trumpet player Till Brönner. The listeners will notice quite quickly how relaxed Till Brönner and Baby Sommer correspond, the chosen musical material included...

Savina Yannatou: Voice / Floros Floridis: Soprano Sax, Clarinet, Bassclarinet / Evgenios Voulgaris: Yayli Tanbur, Oud / Spilios Kastanis: Bass / Günter Baby Sommer: Drums, Percussion.

"A homage to the Greek village of Kommeno where, in 1943

Chris Speed: clarinet

“Chris Speed, a driving force of modern jazz for decades, presents Light Line, an impressive solo statement on the clarinet. The repertoire of this musical legacy includes his own pieces and short improvisations, as well as compositions by inspiring luminaries such as John Coltrane, Julius Hemphill, Eric Dolphy and Paul Motion. In addition, there are compositions by friends and long-time musical companions such as Andrew D'Angelo, Skúli Sverrisson and Hilmar Jensson....

Chris Speed: Tenor Saxophone
Chris Tordini: Acoustic Bass
Dave King: Drums

“Since arriving in New York in the early 1990s, Chris Speed has become one of the most vital improvising musicians on the scene through work that has always varied widely, moving from a jazz base out through various forms of folk, classical and rock music.
Over the last six years the reedist has been sorting through the varied strands of his circuitous, decades-long career, using his versatile trio with...

Elias Stemeseder: Composition, Producing, Lautenwerk, Synthesizer, Electronics, Una Corda
Christian Lillinger: Composition, Producing, Drums, Sampler, Synthesizer
Peter Evans: Piccolo trumpet
Russell Hall: Bass
DoYeon Kim: Gayageum
Brandon Seabrook: Banjo, Guitar

“Umbra is the new album by pianist, composer, and electronic musician Elias Stemeseder and drummer, composer, and producer Christian Lillinger. As a core duo, they are planning a long-term series of releases, each.

Co Streiff: Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone
Tommy Meier: Tenor Saxophone, Bass Clarinet
Christof Gantert: Trumpet
Ben Jeger: Piano, Accordion
Christian Weber: Bass
Fredi Flükiger: Drums

"After her successful duo album

Co Streiff: Alto saxophone, Soprano saxophone / Russ Johnson: Trumpet / Christian Weber: Bass / Julian Sartorius: Drums.

"What cements the relationship of Swiss saxophonist Co Streiff and American trumpeter Russ Johnson, is a shared aesthetic,...

AKI TAKASE Piano
CHRISTIAN WEBER Bass
MICHAEL GRIENER Drums

"I really love the piano trio," says Aki Takase, with a passion that mirrors her playing. "But not the old idea, where the pianist is king, and the bassist and the drummer are just sidemen. We are equal."
Indeed, all three musicians are in focus in the trio AUGE: bassist Christian Weber and drummer Michael Griener are among the most original virtuosos of their instruments. On Intakt they have presented brilliant albums...

"Aki Takase's phenomenal technique and her talent for improvisation is well known, as is her love for the jazz classics. She has already paid tribute to Fats Waller and recorded with saxophonist Silke Eberhard an "Ornette Coleman Anthology". Now she....

Aki Takase: Piano
Ayumi Paul: Violin

"The project 'Hotel Zauberberg' arose out of Aki Takase's and Yumi Paul's shared admiration for the writer Thomas Mann. It mostly consists of notated compositions, with some improvised parts as well...

Aki Takase: Piano / Han Bennink: Drums.

"It's hard to imagine anyone new to Takase's music not being instantly won over by Two for Two. She likes the playful composer pianists, performing Monk here, and Fats Waller and Carla Bley elsewhere....

"Two grand pianos, quasi two orchestras, driven by two of the most distinguished personalities of contemporary jazz: Aki Takase and Alexander von Schlippenbach – they are having a conversation within the medium of sound. But they complement one anothe