Virtuosi is a profoundly radical, telepathic, and historically monumental avant-garde masterpiece documenting a legendary June 1967 studio session, released on compact disc by the visionary label Improvising Artists Inc. Spanning 33 minutes across two monumental, side-long structural improvisations, this high-fidelity document captures the historic summit of three absolute vanguard titans who fundamentally redefined the architecture of the modern jazz piano trio. Spearheaded by the legendary Canadian keyboard pioneer Paul Bley, the trio completely shatters the traditional boundaries of time, meter, and soloist-plus-accompaniment frameworks. Bley is flanked by his definitive, world-class rhythm counterparts: double bass icon Gary Peacock and the masterfully inventive, polyrhythmic drumming virtuoso Barry Altschul. Operating as a single, ultra-sensitive democratic organism, the musicians communicate with unparalleled structural empathy and intense spatial clarity, trading complex non-linear ideas over vast stretches of open air and microtonal nuance. The tracklist is comprised of Annette Peacock's sprawling, multi-movement masterpiece Butterflies and Bley's own deeply exploratory homage Gary, delivering an absolute clinic in spontaneous group dialogue. Exceptionally preserved in pristine dual-format lossless and high-bitrate audio with full booklet artwork scans, this rare collector's archive stands as an absolute mandatory cornerstone and a prized holy grail for global purists of advanced avant-garde piano trios, free jazz history, and elite creative music evolution.

Japan Suite is a spectacularly explosive, telepathic, and historically monumental avant-garde masterpiece documenting a legendary July 1976 live performance at the Yamaha Music Festival in Tokyo, released on compact disc in 1992 by the visionary label Improvising Artists Inc. Spanning nearly 32 minutes across two monumental, uninterrupted collective improvisations, this high-fidelity document captures one of the most important piano trios in modern jazz history operating at the absolute peak of their creative power. Spearheaded by the radical Canadian keyboard pioneer Paul Bley, who brilliant contrasts the woody resonance of a Yamaha acoustic grand with the sleek, metallic textures of an electric grand piano, the trio completely rewrites the rules of acoustic interaction. Bley is flanked by his definitive rhythm vanguard: double bass icon Gary Peacock and the masterfully inventive, polyrhythmic drumming master Barry Altschul. Moving entirely outside the constraints of fixed chord changes or steady meters, the three masters communicate with profound structural empathy, shifting instantly from quiet, microtonal silence to thunderous, interlocking free-jazz currents. The tracklist comprises the monumental 19-minute Japan Suite I and its fiery, 12-minute counterpart Japan Suite II, delivering a masterclass in spontaneous architecture. Exceptionally preserved in pristine dual-format lossless and high-bitrate audio with full booklet artwork scans, this definitive historical archive stands as an absolute mandatory cornerstone and a prized collector's holy grail for global purists of advanced avant-garde piano trios, Japanese concert history, and elite creative music evolution.

This recording features the legendary trio of pianist Paul Bley, bassist Steve Swallow, and drummer Barry Altschul from near the beginning of Bley's most innovative and creatively fertile period. For ESP-Disk's 50th Anniversary, they have remastered from the original tape.

This LP features pianist Chick Corea, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Barry Altschul during the brief period that, along with Anthony Braxton, they were members of the fine avant-garde quartet Circle. The music heard on this set is not quite as free as Circle's but often very explorative. Four of the six songs are Corea originals which, in addition to Holland's "Vedana" and Wayne Shorter's "Nefertiti," form a very viable set of adventurous jazz, recorded just a few months before Corea changed direction.