More of my favourite releases of 2020 get the spotlight this week, but there are also some new recordings sprinkled throughout. Three of the giants of the New York scene – Ben Monder, Tony Malaby and Tom Rainey – are releasing “Live At The 55 Bar” next month, and you’ll hear part one of that wholly improvised set. The fine bassist Michael Formanek teams up with his saxophone playing son, Peter, for “Dyads”, while Austria’s Interzone led by trumpeter Mario Rom contribute a couple of their fiery tunes. Two of the finest improvisers in France joined up for “Unsui” – Alexandra Grimal and Edward Perraud, while a taste of another improv get-together happens with Finnish saxophonist Pauli Lyytinen and a great Polish rhythm section. Enjoy!
00:00 Mario Rom’s Interzone * Eternal Fiction – Traumton * Matala * Austria
05:41 Host speaks
08:02 Ben Monder, Tony Malaby & Tom Rainey * Live At The 55 Bar – Sunnyside * Part 1 Suite 3320 * USA
24:48 De Beren Gieren * Less Is Endless – Sdban * Guggenheim House * Belgium
30:08 Host speaks
31:45 Satoko Fujii Orchestra New York * Entity – Libra * Flashback * Japan
44:57 Kevin Sun Trio * (Un) Seaworthy – Endectomorph * Facsmiliate (Unlike You) * USA
52:22 Host speaks
52:56 Otis Rush * Lost Blues – Alligator * Gotta Be Some Changes Made * USA
1:00:41 Jon Irabagon & Sylvain Rifflet * Rebellions – BMC * America: Daybreak * USA/France
1:06:08 Host speaks
1:08:01 Michael & Peter Formanek * Dyads – Out Of Your Head * DNA * USA
1:15:56 Ambrose Akinmusire * On The Tender Spot Of Every Calloused Moment – Blue Note * Moon * USA
1:18:20 Ambrose Akinmusire * On The Tender Spot Of Every Calloused Moment – Blue Note * Reset * USA
1:22:57 Host speaks
1:24:08 Mat Walerian’s Okuden Quartet * Every Dog Has Its Day But It Doesn’t Matter Because Fat Cat Is Getting Fatter – ESP-Disk * Magic World Part 3 – Life * USA
1:34:56 Angelica Sanchez Trio * Float The Edge – Clean Feed * Hypnogogia * USA 1:39:38 Anna Högberg Attack * Lena – Omlott * Antigen * Sweden
1:44:04 Pia Hernandez Quinteto * Relicario – Irazu * Che * Argentina
1:49:02 Host speaks
1:51:03 Pauli Lyytinen, Maciej Garbowski & Krzysztof Gradziuk * Swords – Fundacja Sluchaj * Durendai * Finland/Poland
2:00:09 Mario Rom’s Interzone * Eternal Fiction – Traumton * What You Say? * Austria 2:06:34 Host speaks
2:07:18 Alexandra Grimal & Edward Perraud * Unsui – Self-released * Petits Cailloux * France
2:15:10 Sebastien Ammann’s Colorwheel * Resilience – Skirl * Yayoi * USA
2:23:02 Raoul Bjorkenheim * Solar Winds – Long Song * Joy * Finland
2:31:12 Host speaks
2:33:46 Tim Berne’s Snakeoil * The Fantastic Mrs. 10 – Intakt * Surface Noise * USA
2:45:16 Eric Revis * Sing Me Some Cry – Clean Feed * Sing Me Some Cry * USA
2:49:10 Host speaks
2:50:58 Samuel Blaser Quartet * Moods – Blaser Music * Lonesome Road Blues * Germany