Franklin Kiermyer, Pascal Niggenkemper & Lao Dan

Follow the bouncing geographic ball in this episode as it lands on disparate places in the jazz universe, starting with ferocious yet spiritual drummer Franklin Kiermyer and his startling new release Scatter The Atoms That Remain. Kiermyer has long been associated with the spiritualism of the Coltranes, Pharoah Sanders, etc. and he's been spending much time living and studying under the guidance of a Tibetan master. Despite the thunderous drums, Kiermyer's spirit is front and center like a ride cymbal. Speaking of the Far East, Chinese saxophonist/flautist Lao Dan is considered the pre-eminent free jazz player from Asia, and he's on full display on Klotski Live, recorded in Chicago with some of that city's top improvisers. The partner track to Lao Dan's comes from Korean komungo master Jin Hi Kim playing in her Quagmire Trio with William Parker & Oliver Lake. German bassist Pascal Niggenkemper has just released the very abstract yet pulsing The Ocean Within Us, and fellow countryman, saxophonist Fabian Dudek, debuts the very first recording of his quartet. Bassist Ilaria Capalbo from Sweden makes her own debut on One Man's Jazz, Ben Goldberg plays music from two more of his eight-release collection, and fractious guitarist Brandon Seabrook sets free a preview track from his upcoming Utility Modern with Bill Frisell. It never gets boring around here.