Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra - two albums
Paul Whiteman may have been the first superstar of the 20th century. Erroneously called The King of Jazz, his enormously popular orchestra of the early 1920s set the standards for all the dance bands to follow and for most of early pop music. His orchestra was also the training ground for a number of later stars like Bing Crosby, Tommy Dorsey, and Bix Beiderbecke. The Internet Archives has two sets of public domain music from Whiteman simply titled 1924 and 1925 featuring his music from those years. I believe these were the first recordings made by the band which was to reach its peak in 1927-1928. Perhaps the most important track comes from the 1924; The original recording of George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. This is a delectable blast from the past.
Here is some really choice modern jazz. 
Here’s some free jazz that actually swings. Neuroleptic Trio is a collection of musicians with over twenty years of experience in various ensembles throughout Serbia. The albums titled Heroic Improvisations gives them a chance to flex their improvisational muscles and, believe me, their muscles have very little flab. All five tracks exhibit both good individual talents and an exceptional ability to listen to each other, a skill that is often missing in lots of free improvisation. Give this album a listen.
Pasqualino Ubaldini is a guitarist that mixes the traditional with the modern. Two af the three creative commons licensed albums available on
Mystic Morrison Visions is a Russian jazz trio consisting of Dmitry Smolentsev on keyboards, Aleksej Esin on bass and Garegin Benglyants on drums. Some may call this jazz fusion but I am reminded more of the jazz funk experiments in the 70s by musicians such as 
This was a post from earlier in 2010, but was mysteriously deleted. Here it is back in its entirety.
Eighth Whale is an excellent jazz/rock fusion ensemble out of Pittsburgh. The band includes Aaron Mayers on bass, DJ Zaccari on drums and percussion (and veggie tray?), Jesse Spillane on keyboards and Trevor Richards on guitar. Their all-too short at 17 minutes EP titled Basement exhibits a strong sound reminiscent of the fusion of Al Dimeola or Pat Metheny but with an harder edge. Richards and Spillane are especially good on these four tracks. On some songs, it calms down and Spillane can show his delicate touch on keyboards. If I have any complaint, it is that I wish there were more times that happened, but their intense interplay is quite outstanding and worth the download.
If you are looking for tasty down-tempo style electronics and sampling. there is no better place to search than the 
Seattle’s improv ensemble 
One of the best jazz trios on a net label, Plaistow already has two albums of jazz that straddles mainstream and avant-garde sensibilities. Their newest The Crow on the excellent
When I think of regions that abound in musical creativity and cities that welcome musicians that push boundary and encourage artistry in sound I always think of…Sacramento?. The same city in which the guvernator dreams of changing the constitution and running for prez while The Kings dream of being a basketball team? Antennas Erupts! is described by the WFMU Free Music Archive as a “free jazz/art punk combo who died much too young”. Perhaps if they weren’t in Sacramento…
This live album recorded in Vilius, appropriately titled Live at Vilnius, is a good example of avant-garde improvisation. The four tracks are titled by the mode of instruments or ensemble that is featured. Therefore the first three tracks are improvisations by alto saxophone, piano and baritone saxophone respectively. Pianist Roman Stolyar and saxophonist Ilia Belorukov play together in “Duo”. Finally the two are joined by trombonist Skirmantas Sasnauskas and drummer Arkadij Gotesmanas for a 13 minute quartet improvisation. All in all, a fascinating excursion into the outer reaches of improvisation.
Jazz trio Gepel’s earlier netlabel release titled 
Group member Bill Altice described The Karen Cooper Complex as “a band that played loosely structured, improvisational rock that was more Bitches Brew than Grateful Dead”. The album Shinjuku Birdwalk was released in 1981 but has made its way unto the Free Music Archive as a legal creative commons licensed download. This is a rare look at a very creative band that I doubt any of my readers have ever heard of. At least I have never heard of them until now. Yet Shinjuku Birdwalk reveals a group of musicians that were ahead of their time. The tracks show traces of Zappa, The Residents and Furious Pig in a cross between 60s Beat generation poetry and 80s No-Wave. Karen Cooper practically chants over jazz and rock riffs.. The music is eerily magnetic and should appeal to those who like to stray off the safe path. This is a must-download.
Clinical Anthology (2006-2009) is an massive survey of the first three years of what may be the finest net label around. 
Guitarist Rick Zunigar can lay out some really smooth jazz fusion. Twilight is his legally free album from 
The Italian experimental collective Frames has been releasing a number of albums on the 
This is hip-hop? Never mind that I can’t understand a word he is saying. True, he is rapping in Spanish. I understand Spanish when it is spoken very slowly but this guy goes so fast it might as well be Mandarin. But should hip-hop be loaded with walking bass lines, boogie keyboards, tap dancing turntablism and jazz horn riffs?
