Henry Threadgill, Shipp/Parker, Glass Triangle & Rich Halley

Congratulations to saxophonist / composer / innovator Henry Threadgill & his Zooid band on their 25th anniversary, well-celebrated with the releases of Cut You Where You Was. This is one of Zooid's best. Props also to the tied-at-the-improvisational—hip duo, pianist Matthew Shipp & bassist William Parker for the re-release of Zo, on vinyl for the first time. Oregon saxophonist Rich Halley is back with a new album, A Distant Land; as always, Halley's bands are eminently listenable. Speaking of distant land—from other lands come new releases by Glass Triangle featuring Mette Rasmussen, the Stateless Trio of Rick Countryman—on flute this time, drummer Steve Hirsh & bassist Richard Allan Bates, Argentinean bassist Santiago Lamisovski, Swiss trio Mingbauset, Portugal's Marcelo Dos Reis on guitar with bassist Gonçalo Almeida, trombonist Samuel Blaser's preview of Rosina, and from Denmark, guitarist Jakob Bro's Eight and the trio of trumpeter Kirk Knuffke, bassist Thommy Andersson & pianist Marilyn Crispell. Plus, a taste of upstate New York's Bright Dog Red's improvised jazz/funk/rap/poetry from their new Luck Would Have It. A full house indeed!