While most of the Eastern European countries may flirt with socialism, Lithuania is filled with freedom, at least musically via the label NoBusiness Records. Here is a bucket load of their latest releases, some old, and some new.
From a 1977 concert in Berlin Germany, Sam Rivers plays tenor sax, flute, soprano sax and piano on a 53 minute “Universal Message” with 
Joe Daley/tuba-euph, Dave Holland/b-cel and the two drumming team of Barry Altschul and Charlie Persip. The opus has Rivers opening with a frenzied tenor mood, changing to a thoughtful atmosphere on flute before some bass and drum work, and a reflective cellos. Rivers gets frisky on piano and hands the baton to Daley for some deep brass. Explorations of unknown lands.
Steve Swell plays trombone, Robert Boston is on piano and organ with drummer Michael Vatcher during this 2018 mix of melody and mayhem of eleven intuitive originals. The organ creates a haunted mood for “See Our Ad” and gasps alongside Swell on “Psychopath In A Church Pew” with Dracula coming out of his coffin on the squeezy toned “New use For Old Neurons.” Swell 
gurgles with Vatcher on “No Heavy Perfumes” and is playful to the clippetty clop of “Tastier Than Oranges.” Splashy sounds.
Pianist Anthony Coleman goes solo for this 2018 pieces. He is rich and spacious interpreting Ellington on “Something To Live For” and elliptical on a prismatic “I’m Beginning To See The Light.” His grip is wide on “Funeral Xylophone Music” and the lyrically long stride of “Her Cerotic Dip.” A tradition feel is rich for “Just Friends” and he shows his chops on the rapidly flowing “For Roscoe Mitchell”. Thoughtful expressions.
Pianist Masahiko Satch teams up with drummer Sabu Toyozumi for a 1997 concert in Yamaguchi City, Japan. The 37 minute “The Move For The Quiet” includes back and forth parlaying as well as some prancing fingers on the ivories, with a mix of flailing digits and thrashing sticks. For almost 20 minutes, “The Quiet For The Move” as some full fisted work by Satch and some crackling sticks that seemingly send Morse Code musical messages. Subliminal compositions.
Evan Parker plays soprano and tenor sax, with the rhythm team of bassist Barry Guy and drummer Paul Lytton for a four part concert at the 2017 Vilnius Jazz Festival in Lithuania. Parker has fun with harmonics over Lytton’s soft brushes for “Part I” with some rustling, fluttering and circular breathing for a tensile “Part II”. Guy takes the lead with bowing and picking with some reed and cymbal screeching, with rats scurrying in the basement for the rustling “Part IV”. Music lead by the moment of inspiration.
Legendary cornetist Bobby Bradford joins with Frode Gjerstad/as, Kent Carter/b and John Stevens/dr back in 1991 for a UK concert. The three part “Blue Cat” suite has a part one with a loose bluesy and bop feel, with warm and bright horn work. Carter is featured on the laconic “Part Two” that has Gjerstad giving hints of the standard “Angel Eyes” with the closing “Part III” spacious and luminous as Bradford and Gjerstad puff like nimbus clouds. A wide girth of intuition.
The trio of bass clarinetist Ziv Taubenfeld, bassist Shay Hazan and drummer Nir Fir got together in 2017 for a Netherlands gig. Deep reeds and bass lurk in lonely moods for a loopy deep groove on “Moondoctor” with some high pitched tones on the tensile “Drops.” Each artists gets a moment of soloing, with Hazan picking and bowing on “Reptiles A”, Taubenfeld gurgling on “Reptiles B” and Sabag going tribal on “Reptiles C” before Taubenfeld slap tongues out a closer on “Water.” Stretching like Gumby.
Four saxists get together for this album in the name of Arminas Bizys/as-bs, Algirdas Janonis/as-el, Danielius Pancerovas/b-as and Kazimieras Jusinskas/ss-as for 15 mostly concise collections. The reeds puff out “06:57AM’ and gurgle for “Leo Minor.” Pops and jabs on “LIII” and a honking “Date” bookend the pretty “IIII” . A mix of velvety harmonies and wide ranging excursions create a contrast of the soft “II” or the fluttering fog of “SMC”. A deep walk in the reeds.
Tenor saxist Juan Vinuesa joins with Josh Berman/ct, Jason Roebke/b and Mikel Patrick Avery/dr for eight loose and bluesy themes. The Vinuesa to Avery’s rich sticks on “Red Line Ballad” with some lonely horns getting elliptical on “The Alibi” Roebke is featured on the throbbing “La Lola” while he brews a deep opening on “In Paul’s Mirror”. Deep hues on “Ghost Town Studio” and a soft landing on “Luther’s Mood” make for a wide breath of tones.