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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...

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...

Following on the heels of 2015's captivating Inflamed Rides, the members of the powerful collective O.R.k. - lead singer Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari, Porcupine Tree bassist Colin Edwin, Marta Sui Tubi guitarist Carmelo Pipitone and King Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto - were primed to deliver an even more potent statement for their sophomore offering.
Coming off of a triumphant tour of Europe and South America, they were charged to take things up a notch. And so it was with Soul of an...

“Avant jazz from Marshall Allen, Fred Frith, Terry Riley, & schoolkids! The Saga Of Padani presents the odyssey of 4th, 5th & 6th grade students from novice musicians into an avant garde ensemble. An ensemble that engenders an array of sonic textures which never remain static or stagnant, but flow in a way that it's always surprising, often starling and astonishing.”

“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...

Composer/keyboardist/vocalist MatsOberg (of Mats/Morgan) G.U.B.B. (the Gavlelborgs Youth Big Band) - a 21 piece band made up of young musicians aged 15-22. Pretty stupidly well played, considering the age of the musicians. The music sounds like Mats' m...

"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...

This is a solo piano album (recorded on a beautiful grand piano) by the fairly amazing keyboardist in the Mats/Morgan Band. His typical sense of melodies is showcased here and it definitely sounds like him, but the instrument gives it a softer edge and...

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

Two women and two men form this quartet – all distinctive individualists, ranking among the most distinguished musicians on the Swis

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

"Space has no limit! Obskuria is hungry for the ultimate satisfaction and will hit you like an asteroid storm straight into the face. The international project started in 2006 with Tom Brehm, the legendary guitar player from the '60s U.S. group...

"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...

"L’ocelle Mare consists solely of Thomas Bonvalet, of Cheval de Frise fame. His compositions as L’ocelle Mare are just as, if not more, complicated than they were during the Cheval de Frise years. The main difference is the obvious lack of song...

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

"Founding member of the Rova Sax Quartet, Larry Ochs has worked with many of the greatest musicians in Creative Music—Steve Lacy, Fred Frith, Wadada Leo Smith, Terry Riley, George Lewis, John Zorn, Derek Bailey and countless others. His newest ensemble is an update on the classic New York Contemporary Five and features Larry’s Shepp-tinged tenor sax along with some of the best young players out of New York’s Downtown scene. Ochs is particularly excited by both the ensemble sound and the music here, a...

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..

Larry Ochs: tenor and sopranino saxophones
Natsuki Tamura: trumpet
Satoko Fujii: piano, synthesizer
Scott Amendola: drums, percussion, electronics
Matthias Bossi: thunder drum, Chinese gongs, shaky flotsam, percussion
William Winant: timpani, roto-toms, percussion

"Despite a well-documented incident where Larry Ochs was legally challenged for inflicting psychological damage on a festival goer who’d been expecting “jazz” (it’s a great modern parable), he doesn’t have quite t

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
Joan Jeanrenaud: Cello
Miya Masaoka: Koto

"Three San Francisco Bay Area masters come together here to play music composed by Larry Ochs for the unusual trio of saxophone, cello, and Japanese..

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”...

"By most accounts, 1973 was not a good time for Phil Ochs; it had been three years since his last album arrived to indifferent reviews and dismal sales, and his drinking and creative lethargy took a heavy toll as the great protest singer of the '60s was trying to find a new voice in the '70s. But you wouldn't guess any of that to listen to this recording of Ochs playing a club date that year in the Midwest; Live Again! captures Ochs on a night when he was in good voice and good spirits, playing songs...

"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...

Ocrilim is the nom-de-plume of guitarist Mick Barr, who has performed mightily with Orthrelm and with the Flying Luttenbachers, among others.

"Mick Barr is described in Wikipedia as "an American avant-garde metal guitarist", which is probably...

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!

As regular readers know, I really like this Spanish band and I was disappointed to read some comments of people whose opinions I trust saying that they didn't think it was a particularly great performance. Now that I've heard this (and also since I...

New Spanish band making their debut recording here, and a really good one it is. This is dark, but not overbearingly so, and heavy all instrumental avant-progressive rock, performed on guitar, keyboards, bass and drums. I can hear touches of some of...

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...

"The second album of German band Octopus. A strong prog rock album with long solos on keyboards and guitar. The Mediterranean lyrics make this CD almost a concept album. Originally released in 1978. Released on cd for the very first time."

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...

Warren Walker-Saxophone/Synths/Effects (The Kandinsky Effect)
Federico Casagrande-Guitar (The Drops, Federico Casagrande Trio, Vincent Peirani)
Sam Minaie-Electric Bass/Effects (Melody Gardot, Yaron Herman) Caleb Dolister-Drums (The Kandinsky Effect, Dr. Mint)

“Saxophonist Warren Walker and Guitarist Federico Casagrande are longtime friends in the Paris music scene. Together they form OddAtlas along with drummer Caleb Dolister and bassist Sam Minaie from New York. The project began...

“A great return for the Italian prog band ODESSA, expected for thirteen years from the previous “The final day - Judgment day”, twenty-three years after the acclaimed “Getsemani Station”.
"The dawn of the civilization" brings into play all the best qualities already expressed by the Marches band: extraordinary versatility in its hard-progressive dynamics of Italian seventies matrix , forays into "purple" hues , jazz disgressions from the Area shore , romantic traits, but especially notable...

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..

The German/Dutch band Odin are best known for their one release on German Vertigo. This archival release is actually probably better than the album on Vertigo! Excellent quality radio tapes of 2 originals and 2 (17') of Frank Zappa covers!...

“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...

"This self-titled album was the only one that Icelandic '70s progressive rock trio Ódmenn ever released. It was made at a critical point in Ódmenn's history, when the band members had agreed to take a sabbatical year while the guitarist studied law...

“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,...

The excellent, psychedelic precursor band to the classic progressive outfit Cathedral!

"Once upon a time, when the music business was more music than business (but only just), there was a lean, mean, and super tight band who created a...

"Pi Recordings is pleased to present Back In Time, the latest release from Odyssey, the Band featuring James “Blood” Ulmer (G), Charles Burnham (V) and Warren Benbow (D). Back In Time marks the band’s first return to the recording studio since 1983...

Far from the stroboscopic effervescence of the golden eigthies, the British musician Alig (alias John Pearce), former instigator of a funny pop music mixed nv-dub combo called Family Fodder, comes back as Johnny Kash with a new muse : the superb Norweg...

“OF NEW TROLLS ‘highly anticipated double album is out today! ‘The Roots And The Journey Continues’ contains eleven previously unreleased tracks accompanied by six original historical tracks by the New Trolls. Nico di Palo and Gianni Belleno continue the journey.

The statement of the band
“‘The roots and the journey continues’ officially comes out today. It took more than a year of work, between pandemics, restrictions and lock-downs. In the end we succeeded and we are proud to let you...

"Who in 1973 would have thought that the recordings on the just-released soundtrack was the genesis of one of Quebec's favorite bands as we know it? In fact, this album (one of the least promoted of Offenbach's discography, with none of its tracks...

Offenbach were a long lived Quebeçois progressive / progressive hard band whose history reaches back into the early 60s. This is their fourth album and was originally a double and is included here with tons of bonus live material...