Avant-garde jazz is a style of music and improvisation that combines avant-garde art music and composition with jazz. It originated in the early 1950s and developed through to the late 1960s. Originally synonymous with free jazz, much avant-garde jazz was distinct from that style.
Perry Morris Robinson was an American jazz clarinetist and composer. He was the son of composer Earl Robinson.
European free jazz is a part of the global free jazz scene with its own development and characteristics. It is hard to establish who are the founders of European free jazz because of the different developments in different European countries. One can, however, be certain that European free jazz took its development from American free jazz, where musicians such as Ornette Coleman revolutionised the way of playing.
The Avant-Garde is an album credited to jazz musicians John Coltrane and Don Cherry that was released in 1966 by Atlantic Records. It features Coltrane playing several compositions by Ornette Coleman accompanied by the members of Coleman's quartet: Cherry, Charlie Haden, and Ed Blackwell. The album was assembled from two unissued recording sessions at Atlantic Studios in New York City in 1960.
Harras is an album of improvised music by Derek Bailey, John Zorn & William Parker. The album was released by the Japanese Avant label in 1996. Towards the end of the track "Evening Harras" there is 10 minutes of silence followed by a Bailey solo. "According to Derek Bailey, the abrupt cutoff was planned. Derek wanted to end it "on a high". The Bailey solo material appended after the silence was apparently Zorn's idea."
Evolution is the debut album led by the American trombonist Grachan Moncur III, recorded in 1963 and released on the Blue Note label. Featuring alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, trumpeter Lee Morgan, vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Tony Williams, Evolution is considered a significant contribution to the jazz avant-garde. Two McLean albums also recorded for Blue Note in 1963 featured Moncur and his compositions, and explored the same "inside/outside" musical approach.
Vibing Up the Senile Man (Part One) is the second studio album by English rock band Alternative TV, released in March 1979 by record label Deptford Fun City. On this album, the band followed an even more experimental and avant-garde approach than on The Image Has Cracked (1978).
Tenor is a live solo album by multi-instrumentalist and composer Joe McPhee, recorded in 1976 it was the third album released on the Swiss HatHut label and was rereleased on CD in 2000 as Tenor & Fallen Angels with a bonus track.
Live at Okuden is a live double album by avant-garde jazz trio Jungle, featuring alto saxophonist Mat Walerian, pianist Matthew Shipp and drummer Hamid Drake. It was recorded in 2012 at the Okuden Music Concert Series, and was released in 2016 on the Brooklyn-based avant-garde record label ESP-Disk'.
Dewey Bernard Johnson was an American free jazz trumpeter best known for his appearance on John Coltrane's historic recording Ascension.
Sunny Murray, also known as Sunny Murray Quintet, is an album by American free jazz drummer Sunny Murray, his second as a leader. It was recorded in New York City in January, 1966, and released on the ESP-Disk label. The album features Murray on drums along with alto saxophonists Byard Lancaster and Jack Graham, trumpeter Jacques Coursil, and bassist Alan Silva. A remastered version, which includes an interview between Murray and ESP founder Bernard Stollman, was issued by ESP-Disk in 2007.
Your Prayer is the second album by saxophonist Frank Wright. It was recorded in May 1967 in New York City and was released by ESP-Disk later that year. On the album, Wright is joined by saxophonist Arthur Jones, trumpeter Jacques Coursil, bassist Steve Tintweiss, and drummer Muhammad Ali. The tracks were reissued in 2005 on the Frank Wright compilation The Complete ESP-Disk Recordings.
Jacques Coursil was a composer, jazz trumpeter, scholar, and professor of literature, linguistics, and philosophy.
Way Ahead is an album by trumpeter and composer Jacques Coursil. It was recorded at Studio Saravah in Paris in July 1969, and was released later that year by BYG Records as part of their Actuel series. On the album, Coursil is joined by saxophonist Arthur Jones, bassist Beb Guérin, and drummer Claude Delcloo.
Black Suite is an album by trumpeter and composer Jacques Coursil. It was recorded in Paris in June 1969, and was released in 1971 by BYG Records as part of their Actuel series. On the album, Coursil is joined by saxophonist Arthur Jones, contrabass clarinetist Anthony Braxton, pianist Burton Greene, bassist Beb Guérin, and drummer Claude Delcloo.
Minimal Brass is an album by trumpeter and composer Jacques Coursil. It was recorded at Fingerlakes Recording in Ithaca, New York in November 2004, and was released in 2005 by Tzadik Records. On the album, Coursil performs fanfares composed of multiple overdubbed parts that employ circular breathing.
Clameurs (Clamors) is an album by trumpeter and composer Jacques Coursil. It was recorded at Fort-de-France in Martinique in the spring and summer of 2006, with additional percussion tracks recorded in Paris and New York City, and was released in 2007 by Universal Music France.
Trails of Tears is an album by trumpeter and composer Jacques Coursil. It was recorded during 2007–2009 in Martinique, France, and the United States, and was released in 2010 by Sunnyside Records and Universal Jazz.
The Complete ESP-Disk Recordings is a two-CD compilation album by saxophonist Frank Wright. Issued by ESP-Disk in 2005, it contains two studio albums released by the label during the 1960s: Frank Wright Trio, recorded in 1965 and issued in 1966, featuring bassist Henry Grimes and drummer Tom Price, and Your Prayer, recorded and released in 1967, featuring saxophone Arthur Jones, trumpeter Jacques Coursil, bassist Steve Tintweiss, and drummer Muhammad Ali. The compilation also features a twelve-part interview with Wright, conducted by ESP-Disk founder Bernard Stollman.
Free Jam is a double-CD live album by trumpeter Mongezi Feza. It was recorded during November and December 1972, and was released in 2004 by Ayler Records. On the album, Feza is accompanied by members of the Bernt Rosengren quartet, featuring Rosengren and Tommy Koverhult on saxophone, Torbjörn Hultcrantz on bass, and Leif Wennerström on drums. The group is also joined by percussionist Okay Temiz.
