Tzadik

Kang is a Seattle violinist/composer who has performed and/or recorded with Bill Frisell, John Zorn, The Sun City Girls & Joe McPhee. ''One of the quirkiest and most indescribable ofsound sculptures from a new generation of experimentalists. A composi...

"World traveler, nomad, mystic and violist, Eyvind Kang has created several of the most wildly creative CDs on Tzadik. Here he turns his hand to ten tunes from Zorn’s remarkable Book of Angels. Featuring spectacular orchestral arrangements and...

"Eyvind Kang’s newest CD collects quiet new compositions spanning the past five years, which he considers to be among his truly breakthrough works. Music for solo piano, string quintet and more take the unique sonic environments of Morton Feldman to an...

''An avid fan of underground esoterica and a generous collaboratorwith the likes of Bill Frisell, Marc Ribot, Arto Lindsay, Ikue Mori and many others, Kang is at his best in the studio, creating incredibly complex sound sculptures filled with meticulou...

''NADE: (Sanskrit): Channels of the subtle body/also: sound/also:nothingness. Eyvind Kang has one of the strangest musical minds on the scene today, and this second installment of his 'NADEs' series is, as one would expect, something completely differe...

Kayo Dot used to be known as Maudlin of the Well, who were a avant-garde/classical leaning metal outfit. Wanting to move beyond that, they changed their name and direction and became Kayo Dot. This lists 10 musicians on guitars, cello, flute/clarinet/a...

"A burning CD of improvisations by these two instrumental masters, who have been involved in some of the most exciting bands out of the Japanese underground scene of the past twenty years. Yoshida is in a particulary inspired mode, as Uchihashi outdoes...

''Enigmatic'' noise-making musician/guitarist Haino is the man of the moment in certain circles. This is performed mostly on hand percussion & ''impassioned'' vocals. I dunno; I thought this was pretty much a big wank! [Tzadik]

Haino Keiji is a mysterious psychedelic minstrel who has been performing his peculiar blend of rock, medieval music and improvisation since the early 1970s. Incredibly prolific, he has headed dozens of bands and released hundreds of CDs on a variety of...

Rodd Keith is known as one of the wildest and most creative of the send us your lyrics" composers, but Ecstacy to Frenzy shows us a hitherto unknown side of this twisted genius. Two versions of a recently unearthed extended studio composition featuring...

Rodd Keith was the musical auteur of MSR's send-us-your-lyrics record label (aspiring songwriters send in their poems [& their $] & get back their poems put to ''music''). America's most wretched lyrics transformed by a churn-'em-out sensibility. Total...

"Dora Juarez is a brilliant young vocalist whose first CD on Tzadik with the trio Muna Zul was released to great acclaim in 2003. Here she steps out on her own to create a fascinating musical journey exploring her own Jewish identity. Tracing her...

Carla is the violinist and vocalist for Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, was previously in Charming Hostess and the Tin Hat Trio, and has also performed improvisationally based music with a wide range of artists. "Carla Kihlstedt is one of the most versatile...

"Ha-Yang Kim is a cellist and composer of striking originality whose musical influences draw equally from a range of western classical music, American experimentalism, rock, noise, and improvised music, to non-western musical sources from Bali, Korea...

"John King has composed for orchestra, chamber ensembles, rock bands, dance, film and theater. He has written three operas to texts by Heiner Müller, Robbe-Grillet and Mallarmé, and worked closely with Merce Cunningham for many years. In his second CD...

"Omer Klein is an exciting young pianist out of the Israeli-New York jazz scene. Born in Israel, he studied at New England Conservatory and now tours extensively with his own ensembles. Exotic and lyrical, his work blends Middle Eastern sounds with...

"Tzadik is proud to present the cutting edge music of the legendary avant garde pianist/composer Burton Greene. A pioneer of free jazz in the 1960’s and mastermind of the creative Klezmer band Klezmokum, his newest project Klez-Edge brings together...

"A remarkable band out of Mexico City taking the Jewish tradition to some fresh and uncharted new places! Charanga, rock, norteño, cha cha, son, searing electronics, klezmer clarinet and driving rock beats are never out of place in their dynamic mix....

"Get ready to be blown out of your seat! Klezmerson has created one of the most astonishing installments of the entire Angels series—a spectacular reading of Masada material drawing upon the rich tradition of Mexican music from Oaxaca to Veracruz...

"Composer/accordionist Guy Klucevsek is one of the few musicians alive who is as comfortable working with Laurie Anderson, John Zorn or Bang on a Can as he is at Lincoln Center, in a Broadway pit or at Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. His second CD for...

A really great disc from Guy, who has been featured at Lincoln Center, the Berlin Jazz Festival and on the TV show Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. A lovely, quiet composed record - nicely composed & performed by Guy & ensemble. Highly recommended! ''I've hea...

A second CD of astounding vocal acrobatics by one of the most original singers in the world. A master of every conceivable vocal technique both imaginable and unimaginable, Makigami fuses the avant garde with Tuuvan throat singing, cartoon music, Japan...

''Makigami Koichi is an incredible vocalist and performer, employing creative and versatile techniques blending Japanese traditions and Tuvan throat-singing with rock and avant garde. Kuchinoha, his first album for solo voice, contains 9 improvisations...

"Composer/producer/actor/director/vocalist extraordinaire Makigami Koichi is one of Japan’s most charismatic performers. His solo vocal pyrotechnics and dynamic band Hikashu have thrilled audiences the world over. Combining extended vocal techniques...

One of the most important musicians in Japan, who has collaborated with just about every major music maker in the avant garde since the early 1970s, Kondo has been splitting his time between Tokyo and Amsterdam for the past ten years. A master of trump...

This is the 3rd release from this this excellent instrumental Japanese band featuring drummer Yoshida Tatsuya, leader of Ruins and Koenjihyakkei, & also featuring guitarist Kido Natsuki [Bondage Fruit] and bassist Nasuno Mitsuru [Altered States]. This ...

A new band from Yoshida Tatsuya, leader of Ruins, & featuring guitarist Kido Natsuki [Bondage Fruit]. ''...a burning instrumental trio mixing the raw power of rock music, the wild edge of improvisation and the complex stop on a dime compositional struc...

Every Sunday at Tonic since 1998, Klezmer Brunch has been presenting some of the most exciting Jewish Music on the planet. Curated by David Krakauer, one of the masters of contemporary Jewish Music, this special compilation pulls together some of the v...

"David Krakauer is one of the greatest of all modern Klezmer clarinetists. A veteran of countless bands and ensembles and a founding member of the Klezmatics, his ensemble Klezmer Madness has been forging new roads in the world of Jewish music since...

''With a profound knowledge of Yiddish music heritage,the virtuosic Krakhauer Trio combines the traditions of klezmer with innovative composition, arrangement and improvisation to create a style with reverence, imagination and a sense of humor. Klezmer...

''This second CD for Tzadik pays tribute to one of the greatest clarinet soloists in jazz: pioneer Sidney Bechet. In this extended, multi-faceted suite, the Krakauer trio explores the hidden connections between Bechet and Klezmer giant Naftule Brandwei...

''A unique fusion of traditional Yiddish song with country blues, rock and reggae by Kerouac-inspired cult hero Wolf Krakowski.'' [Tzadik]

In his dramatic follow-up to Transmigrations:Gilgul, Wolf Krakowski weaves unique and heartfelt world-beat soul stylings with Yiddish folk, theatre and pop songs to create a compelling international downtown sound rooted in the blues, country-rock, tan...

A really nice, thoughtful record that combines very uncharacteristic minimalism ala Soft Verdict/Terry Rileyfrom Kramer on keyboards, sequencers & bass, with violin & taped voices of two seniors recorded by David Greenberger. Three long tracks that are...

"Seven years in the making, Kramer has conjured what just might be his greatest CD ever—a brilliant tribute to the Jewish composers who made the legendary Brill Building in Times Square one of the centers of popular music songwriting for decades...

After what seems like a very, very long lay-off musically, it's great to see the uniquely eccentric music force of Kramer back again! And with Bill Frisell!

"Everyone’s favorite guitarist and American Song aficionado Bill Frisell joins forces with producer/arranger Kramer for a brilliant and soulful exploration of the classic songwriting teams that were born and flourished in the legendary Brill Building. Picking up where 2012’s “The Brill Building, Book One” left off, this collection includes...

The mastermind behind Shimmy Disc and co-conspirator of Bongwater, Shockabilly and countless other twisted indie bands, Kramer is finally coming into his own as a composer in the Twenty-first Century. His first solo project in five years is a delightfu...

"Featuring the velvety vocals of Jennifer Charles and the imaginative arrangements of Oren Bloedow, this is an original blend of pop, funk and rock. Their first Tzadik CD, La Mar Enfortuna is a sensuous and lyrical interpretation of traditional Sephardic

Solo soprano sax works. ''Recorded at his home in Paris from February to April 1998, Sands is Steve Lacy's most personal and remarkable solo document, and explores a wide variety of musical and dramatic subjects. Portraits of close friends Barney Wilen...

“The duo of Julian Lage and Gyan Riley is now legendary. Featuring a high level of virtuosity tempered by elegance, love, respect and impeccable taste, their work with Zorn has produced a variety of masterpieces—a magical set of Bagatelles, the sweet midnight music of Midsummer Moons and the rocking new band Insurrection. Here they pour their soulful mastery into ten compositions from The Book Beri’ah and their magical interplay is at its most telepathic as they work every possible variation out of these...

''Bun-Ching Lam's extended composition '...Like Water' is an evocative and imaginative work, as sensuous as its title. A native of Macau, now living in NYC, Lam has studied composition with Roger Reynolds, Pauline Oliveros, and Robert Erickson, and has...

''For her second Tzadik CD, Lam has assembled some of the greatest traditional music performers of China and matched them with some of NY's most creative instrumentalists in creating a beautiful and lyrical meeting of western art music and Chinese trou...

Fine, overlooked jazz musician who made a few great records in the 90s and hasn't been heard from enough since then until now.

"Composer, clarinetist/saxophonist Andy Laster has been involved in the downtown jazz scene since the mid-’80s. His...

''Featuring a wonderful array of Laswell regulars and many special guests, this fascinating disc of recent soundtrack work is one of the few collections that showcase the full range Laswells vast, seemingly all-encompassing musical vision. Drum n bass,...

''Laswell steps out here as a composer with eight tracks showcasing his virtuosic bass playing, radical studio techniques and musical obsessions.'' [Tzadik]

"In addition to being one of the most unique producers in contemporary music, (Iggy Pop, Herbie Hancock, George Clinton, the Rolling Stones, Laurie Anderson), Bill Laswell is also one of the world’s most original and creative bassists. Here he brings...

"Okkyung Lee’s newest project has her delving deep into her Korean roots to create an amazing long-form piece combining electronics, improvisation, composed melodies and noise with Korean traditional music. The piece unfolds like a ritual, making these disparate and unusual pairings seem totally organic and natural. Performed by an all-star international ensemble of musicians from Korea, Norway, Britain and the United States, this is one of the most compelling fusions of Korean traditional and...

With Tim Barnes, Shelley Burgon, Sylvie Courvoisier, Trevor Dunn, John Hollenbeck, Ikue Mori, Doug Wieselman. "Born in Taejon, Korea, Okkyung Lee moved to Boston in 1996, where she received degrees in film scoring and improvisation. A ubiquitous figure...

"An important member of the downtown scene since 2000, Okkyung Lee has worked with Laurie Anderson, Evan Parker, Vijay Iyer, Thurston Moore, Butch Morris, Larry Ochs, Christian Marclay and John Zorn, among others. Her new project for Tzadik features...

Devon Hoff: Bass
Yuka C. Honda: Electronics
Sean Ono Lennon: Guitar, Mini Moog
Johnny Mathar: Drums
Joao Nogueira: Wurlitzer
Ches Smith: Drums
Michael Leonhart: Trumpet
Mauro Refosco: Percussion

I thought that this was (a) quite good and (b) dare I say it? Obviously a prog inspired album!

“Tzadik is proud to present Asterisms, a beautiful and exploratory instrumental project by Sean Ono Lennon, one of the most creative and versatile musician/composer/ pro