BYG Records

10/10/2025

Alan Silva and His Celestial Communication Orchestra – Luna Surface is out now!
Deluxe LP and CD editions featuring brand-new liner notes by Kevin Le Gendre.

Originally released in 1969, this explosive, large-scale work by Silva’s Celestial Communication Orchestra remains a towering achievement in free jazz and avant-garde composition. Born in Bermuda and raised in Harlem, Alan Silva was a key figure in the New York avant-garde scene, performing with visionaries such as Albert Ayler, Sun Ra, and Cecil Taylor.

With Luna Surface, he reached new creative heights, leading a transatlantic ensemble of American and European improvisers. Together, these musicians create a sound that is richly layered — uproarious, torrid, and intensely moving.

Comprising two lengthy pieces, From the Luna Surface (Parts 1 & 2), the album unfolds like a constantly shifting landscape of sound, full of the boundless originality one would expect from such a talented group under Silva’s skilled direction.

Rooted in the legacy of Charles Mingus yet boldly forward- looking, Silva’s music reflects not just the unrest of the late '60s, but a yearning for unity, transcendence, and deeper cosmic understanding.

Luna Surface was — and remains — a radical proposition: music not just to entertain, but to transform. This deluxe reissue offers a timely rediscovery of a work that still feels futuristic — a sonic reminder that the search for new worlds, whether musical or metaphysical, remains as urgent as ever.

Listen and buy now: https://charlyrecords.lnk.to/CzJCJMyV

12/09/2025

New Release! Grachan Moncur III – New Africa [LP & CD]

A vital document of artistic resistance and spiritual searching, New Africa captures a transformative moment in jazz and global Black consciousness. Recorded in Paris in 1969 by BYG Records, the album stands as a deeply personal and boldly experimental statement from American trombonist and composer Grachan Moncur III — one of the most compelling figures of the avant-garde movement.

Driven by a sense of urgency and vision, New Africa channels the energy of a world in flux. Moncur, deeply moved by his journey to Algiers during a pivotal cultural gathering, poured that experience into a work that is at once avant-garde and grounded in ancestral memory. The music does not seek comfort — it provokes, interrogates, and ultimately uplifts. Across its four tracks, Moncur challenges structure, tone, and expectation. The album’s movements shift fluidly between tension and resolution, melody and abstraction, lament and celebration. It is jazz as prophecy — rooted in Black radical thought and extended through fearless improvisation.

More than 50 years on, New Africa remains a resonant artistic cry: urgent, unresolved, and unafraid to imagine what liberation might sound like. This reissue gives the album the treatment it has long deserved, offering listeners a renewed opportunity to engage with one of the most potent recordings of its time - and of ours.

Listen to the album and buy it here: https://charlyrecords.lnk.to/OLqi5y5Q

25/07/2025

Out now! Art Ensemble of Chicago – Reese and The Smooth Ones [LP & CD] ✨

The Art Ensemble’s daring finale to their BYG Actuel trilogy, captured in the heart of Paris, 1969—a seismic moment in free jazz history, now reborn in its ultimate remastered edition, lovingly restored from the original tapes, wrapped in deluxe packaging, and enriched with fresh insights from acclaimed writer John Masouri.

Reese and the Smooth Ones was captured during the same revolutionary Paris session as Message to Our Folks, but stands apart as a two-part, 40-minute odyssey of unchained invention.

Arriving in Paris just days before recording, the Ensemble— Lester Bowie, Roscoe Mitchell, Malachi Favors, and Joseph Jarman—landed with nothing but their instruments, ideas, and a fierce determination to create. Funded by the proceeds of Bowie’s personal sacrifice, their journey from New York was a leap of faith that sparked an artistic revolution. Their Paris performances stunned audiences with a bold fusion of free jazz, spoken word, Dadaist theatre, and Afrocentric consciousness, setting a new precedent for what music could be.

This deluxe reissue celebrates a defining moment in the Art Ensemble’s legacy—raw, urgent, and uncompromising. It’s an essential document for longtime fans, collectors, and anyone interested in the outer edges of jazz, politics, and sound.

Available to listen and buy here: https://charlyrecords.lnk.to/96GvvMye

16/05/2025

Out now: Anthony Braxton - B-X0 NO-47A [LP & CD] 🎷

Celebrate Anthony Braxton’s forthcoming 80th birthday with the Definitive Remastered Edition of his groundbreaking second studio album — a pivotal AACM recording featuring avant-garde legends Leo Smith, Steve McCall, and Leroy Jenkins, now available in a deluxe package with a new essay by jazz specialist Kevin Le Gendre.

The birth of the Association for The Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) was a significant cultural event at the tail end of the 60s. As the name suggests, it was a grouping of artists who prioritised originality, and multi-instrumentalist composer Anthony Braxton was one of the most significant individuals in its ranks.

For the subsequent 50 years, Braxton would prove daringly adventurous in both concept and performance, and B-X0 NO-47A remains a classic title in his vast discography. The album saw him lead a group that included fellow AACM members — trumpeter Leo Smith (before he took the name Wadada), drummer Steve McCall, and violinist Leroy Jenkins. Despite the group’s small size, the session featured such a wide array of instruments — from chimes and logs to harmonica and darbuka, as well as the intriguingly named ‘sound machine’ — that the sound was expansive and richly textured.

Braxton and his colleagues would go on to become pivotal figures in the avant-garde or ‘New Thing’ movement, breaking away from the prevailing conventions of the jazz industry.

🔊 Now restored & remastered from the original master tapes, this premium edition of B-X0 NO-47A offers the chance to hear the unique nature of Braxton’s vision as never before, along with the priceless chemistry between Smith, Jenkins, McCall, and Braxton himself — a group whose music has truly stood the test of time.

Available to buy and more info here https://charlyrecords.lnk.to/2ecv5kzo

30/04/2025

🎷 International Jazz Day – 15% OFF All Jazz Albums 🎶

Today, we join the global celebration of International Jazz Day — honouring jazz not just as music, but as a force for peace, dialogue, and mutual understanding.

To mark the occasion, enjoy 15% off our full selection of timeless jazz records, featuring icons like Archie Shepp, Art Ensemble of Chicago, Don Cherry, John Coltrane, Sun Ra, Clifford Thornton, Paul Bley, and more.

And fittingly, we’re excited to announce the reissue of Anthony Braxton’s landmark album B-X0 NO-47A — a celebration of the visionary composer and multi-instrumentalist. Pre-orders are now open.

Hit the link — discount’s auto-applied at checkout.

https://charlydirect.com/collections/jazz

Let the music speak. Listen deeply. Live freely.

25/04/2025

NEW RELEASE: Catalyse by Ame Son [Deluxe LP & CD] 🔥

Out of print for decades, Catalyse has become a total holy grail for psych rock heads — rare, wild, and way ahead of its time.

This is the album that kickstarted French psychedelic rock. Now it’s back — louder, weirder, and better than ever, restored and remastered to its highest form.
Originally dropped in 1970 by Ame Son — founded by Marc Blanc and Patrick Fontaine (ex-Banana Moon, with ties to Soft Machine and Gong) — Catalyse is a trip: part English psych, part French poetry, part free jazz, part full-on freak-out. No rules, just raw energy and endless shifts in vibe — think longform jams, cosmic noise, and pure underground spirit.

DELUXE VINYL EDITION
The fullest version of Catalyse ever released on vinyl — includes bonus improvs that never made it onto the original pressing. Comes in a heavyweight gatefold with exclusive artwork and a double-sided insert featuring new liner notes + an exclusive Marc Blanc interview.

DELUXE CD EXPANDED EDITION
Includes Ame Son’s first single ‘Je Veux Juste Dire’ / ‘Unity’ (originally released on BYG in ’70). Housed in a deluxe digisleeve with a printed inner bag and a 16-page booklet packed with photos, new liner notes, and a deep-dive interview with Marc Blanc.

Find out more and buy here: https://charlyrecords.lnk.to/ba1AjrJM

28/03/2025

New Release: Ramblin’ by Paul Bley 🎹 ✨ [LP & CD]

An essential jazz masterpiece by celebrated Canadian pianist Paul Bley.

BYG Records and Charly Records proudly announce the reissue of Ramblin’, the seminal jazz album by visionary pianist Paul Bley. Originally released in 1969 as part of the iconic Actuel series, this definitive remastered edition invites listeners to experience the unparalleled artistry of Bley’s groundbreaking 1966 Rome session in unprecedented clarity.

This session brims with vitality and innovation, featuring original compositions such as the introspective ‘Touching’ and ‘Albert’s Love Theme’, a heartfelt tribute to Albert Ayler. Carla Bley’s tender and evocative ‘Ida Lupino’, written in honour of the trailblazing filmmaker, resonates with even greater poignancy following her passing in October 2023. Meanwhile, the album’s title track, Ornette Coleman’s exuberant ‘Ramblin’’ showcases a joyous yet rebellious spirit emblematic of this groundbreaking trio.

➡️ Restored and remastered from the original tapes to reveal every nuanced detail

➡️ CD edition presented in a deluxe digi-sleeve, complete with a 16-page booklet and inner printed wallet

➡️ Both LP and CD include an exclusive essay on Paul Bley’s influence and the album’s lasting significance written by author and jazz specialist Kevin Le Gendre

For more info and to buy, click here: https://charlyrecords.lnk.to/dN08eI7W

21/02/2025

31/01/2025

New release! Daevid Allen: Now Is the Happiest Time of Your Life [LP & CD]

A long-awaited reissue of the classic solo album by visionary Gong founder Daevid Allen, capturing the whimsical yet profound spirit of his music.

Originally released in 1977, Now Is the Happiest Time of Your Life invites listeners to join Allen's musical journey alongside his imaginary green hero, Zero, a character familiar to fans of the Gong trilogy.

With its lush instrumentation, including the use of tabla, harp, and Allen’s signature glissando guitar, the album creates a peaceful, meditative atmosphere that meanders gracefully across its tracks.

This first-ever vinyl reissue features remastered audio, restoring the warmth and clarity of Daevid Allen’s sound to its analog roots.

The CD digi-sleeve includes a full-sized collector poster showcasing Allen’s hand-drawn artwork ✨

Available now 👉 https://charlyrecords.lnk.to/0kG1SMCl

24/01/2025

Pre-Order Now: Clifford Thornton’s first studio album Ketchaoua 🎺

A timeless call for unity and long-lost classic in avant-garde jazz inspired by Algiers and the Pan-African movement.

Now meticulously restored and remastered from the original BYG tapes, this reissue presents Clifford Thornton’s bold vision in breathtaking clarity.

Featuring a stellar lineup of musicians—including Archie Shepp, Arthur Jones, Sunny Murray, Grachan Moncur III, Dave Burrell, Earl Freeman, and Beb Guerin—this recording is a vibrant exploration of unity, culture, and faith.

Ketchaoua will be available on February 21, 2025, as deluxe LP and CD editions. Pre-order & more info hit the link here 👉 https://fcmg.lnk.to/4Lan5mUT

25/10/2024

We’re thrilled to announce the 55th Anniversary remastered edition of Archie Shepp’s iconic Live at the Panafrican Festival — now available for pre-order on Vinyl & CD! 🎷

Recorded live in Algiers in 1969, this album captures the powerful union of African and African-American artists, bringing together jazz legends and Touareg musicians in an unforgettable, trance-inducing performance.

More info & secure your copy: link in comment

23/10/2024

Nouvel article sur BYG Records dans le magazine BEST ! 🎶

Dans la section BEST ALBUMS, Jack Lalli vous plonge dans les récentes réeditions des albums cultes prog rock et psyché de notre catalogue : 'Alice', 'Freedom at Last' et 'Camembert Electrique'. 📀

Découvrez l'article complet dans le lien en commentaire ! 👇

[English]
BYG Records is featured in the latest "BEST ALBUMS" section of BEST magazine! 🎶
Written by Jack Lalli, this article dives into the albums 'Alice', 'Freedom at Last', and 'Camembert Electrique'.
Check out the full article [French speaking] via the link in the comments! 👇