Improvised Music here refers to various forms of free improvisation, in which music is made spontaneously, with no predetermined structure or plan; instruments are often played in unorthodox ways or electronically altered to achieve unusual sounds. Jazz is by now an almost meaningless term. The emphasis here is primarily on artists working at the more “out there” edges of jazz: Free Jazz, Third Stream, the pioneering work by members of the AACM and Creative Music Studio, and the various avant-garde styles that have developed since. This list does not include artists who only play standards, or those working in mainstream styles like smooth jazz, fusion, Latin jazz, bossa nova, etc.

A

Susanne Abbuehl (Switzerland/Netherlands) | Christine Abdelnour (France) | Irène Aebi (Switzerland) | Sophie Agnel (France) | Toshiko Akiyoshi (Japan/US) | Ximena Alarcon (Colombia/UK) | Susan Alcorn (US) | Liz Allbee (US) | Susan Allen (US) | Efrat Alony (Israel/Germany) | Martine Altenburger (France) | Marisa Anderson (US) | Lotte Anker (Denmark) | Ellen Arkbro (Sweden)

B

Katheen Baird/Sapropelic Pycnic (US) | Jen Baker (US) | Angelina Baldoz (US) | Jenny Ruth Barnes (Australia) | Shannon Barnett (Australia) | Luciana Bass (UK) | Meredith Bates (Canada) | Jamie Baum (US) | Franziska Baumann (Switzerland) | Sarah Bernstein (US) | Lea Bertucci (US) | Pernille Bévort (Denmark) | Greetje Bijma (Netherlands) | Iva Bittová (Czech Rep./US) | Carla Bley (US) | Jane Ira Bloom (US) | China Blue (US) | Alison Blunt (Kenya/UK) | Laura Boland/Elska (US) | Silvia Bolognesi (Italy) | Lynn Book (US) | Leila Bordreuil (France/US) | Georgina Born (UK) | Samantha Boshnack (US) | Cordula Bösze (Austria) | Nadia Botello (US) | Anne Bourne (Canada) | DB Boyko (Canada) | Joanne Brackeen (US) | Polly Bradfield (US) | Kitty Brazelton (US) | Shelley Burgon (US) | Rose Hammer Burt (US) | Jill Burton (US)

C

Allison Cameron (Canada) | Raylene Campbell (Canada) | Susan Campos-Fonseca (Costa Rica/Spain) | Valerie Capers (US) | Alexandra Cárdenas (Colombia/Germany) | Regina Carter (US) | Joan Cartwright (US) | Angélica Castelló (Mexico/Austria) | Jessica Catron (US) | Claudia Cervenka (Romania/Austria) | Natalie Chami/TALsounds (Canada/US) | Alice Hui-Sheng Chang (Taiwan/Australia) | Amanda Chaudhary (US) | Audrey Chen (Germany/China) | Tania Chen (UK) | Jennifer Choi (US) | Ellen Christi (US) | Amy Cimini (US) | Martina Cizek (Austria) | Jay Clayton (US) | Dawn Clement (US) | Crys Cole (Canada) | Renée T. Coulombe (US) | Alice Coltrane (US; 1937-2007) | Abbie Conant (US/Germany) | India Cooke (US) | Lindsay Cooper (UK; 1951-2013) | Viv Corringham (UK/US) | I’lana Sandra Cotton (US) | Sylvie Courvoisier (Switzerland/US) | Ellen C. Covito (Argentina) | Marilyn Crispell (US) | Connie Crothers (US) | Beth Custer (US)

D

Signe Dahlgreen (Sweden/Denmark) | Lesli Dalaba (US) | Moniek Darge (Belgium) | Maria da Rocha (Portugal) | Kris Davis (Canada/US) | Clara de Asis (Spain/France) | Nina de Heney (Switzerland/Sweden) | Amy Denio (US) | Gianna de Toni (Italy/Portugal) | Erika Dohi (US) | Barbara Donald (US; 1942-2013) | Kui Dong (China/US) | Delphine Dora (France) | Shayna Dulberger (US) | Judy Dunaway (US) | Christine Duncan (Canada) | Nava Dunkelman (US/Japan) | Isabelle Duthoit (France)

E

Silke Eberhard (Germany) | Yelena Eckemoff (Russia/US) | Iris Ederer (Austria) | Eve Egoyan (Canada) | Jewlia Eisenberg (US) | Nadah El Shazly (Egypt) | Sidsel Endresen (Norway) | Helena Espvall (Sweden/US)

F

Elizabeth Falconer (US) | Thea Farhadian (US/Armenia) | Kali Z. Fasteau (France/US) | Janet Feder (US) | Xu Fengxia (China/Germany) | Beth Fleenor (US) | Birgitta Flick (Germany) | Elizabeth Flunger (Italy/Luxemburg) | Lori Freedman (Canada) | Christina Fuchs (Germany) | Satoko Fujii (Japan/Germany)

G

Sharon Gal (Israel/UK) | Diamanda Galás (US) | Margarida Garcia (Portugal) | Maria Norseth Garli (Sweden) | Iris Garrelfs (Germany) | Carol Genetti (US) | Annette Giesriegl (Austria) | Jen Gilleran (US) | Evelyn Glennie (Scotland) | Lori Goldston (US) | Annie Gosfield (US) | Ayelet Rose Gottlieb (US) | Gunda Gottschalk (Germany) | Lene Grenager (Norway)

H

Natalie Mai Hall (US) | Rosalind Hall (Australia) | Sylvia Hallett (UK) | Mary Halvorson (USA) | Mei Han (China/Canada) | Sue Ann Harkey (US) | Elisabeth Harnik (Austria) | Emily Hay (US) | Lauren Sarah Hayes (Scotland) | Barbara Held (US/Spain) | Mara Helmuth (US) | Jane Henry (US) | Katt Hernandez (US/Sweden) | Rosi Hertlein (Germany/US) | Joane Hétu (Canada) | Shoko Hikage (Japan/US) | Sylvia Hinz (Germany) | Shelley Hirsch (US) | Anna Högberg (Sweden) | Robin Holcomb (US) | Motoko Honda (Japan/US) | Cat Hope (Australia) | Viviane Houle (Canada) | Charlotte Hug (Switzerland) | Paris Hurley (US) | Anita Hustas (Australia)

I

Susie Ibarra (US) | Amanda Irarrázabal (Chile) | Adina Izarra (Venezuela)

J

Catherine Jauniaux (Belgium/France) | Barbara Jazwinski (Poland/US) | Clarice Jensen (US) | Sofia Jernberg (Ethiopia/Sweden) | Hermione Johnson (New Zealand) | Victoria Jordanova (Serbia)

K

Lindha Kallerdahl (Sweden) | Moe Kamura (Japan) | Terri Kapsalis (US) | Edita Karkoschka (Poland/Germany) | Silvia Kastel (Italy) | Géraldine Keller (France) | Jessika Kenney (US) | Amirtha Kidambi (US) | Carla Kihlstedt (US) | Jin Hi Kim (S. Korea/US) | Mari Kimura (Japan/US) | k. kipperman (US) | Ronit Kirchman (US) | Kyoko Kitamura (US) | Rebecca Kleinmann (US) | Katharina Klement (Austria) | Amy Knoles (US) | Liz Kosack (US/Germany) | Susie Kozawa (US) | Caroline Kraabel (US/UK) | Annette Krebs (Germany) | Pamelia Kurstin-Stickney (US/Austria)

L

Anne La Berge (US/Netherlands) | Kathryn Ladano (Canada) | Catherine Lamb (US/Germany) | Jeanette Lambert (Netherlands/Canada) | Rosie Langabeer (New Zealand/US) | Juniana Lanning (US) | Lina Lapelyte (Lithuania/UK) | Ingrid Laubrock (Germany/US) | Hazel Leach (UK/Germany) | Joëlle Léandre (France) | Anne LeBaron (US) | Catherine Lee (US) | Charmaine Lee (Australia/US) | Jeanne Lee (US; 1939-2000) | Dohee Lee (Korea/US) | Okkyung Lee (S. Korea/US) | Peggy Lee (Canada) | Lee Pui Ming (China/Canada) | Heather Leigh (US/Scotland) | Gina Leishman (UK/US) | Cheryl Leonard (US) | Janel Leppin (US) | Marilyn Lerner (Canada) | Carol Levin (US) | Annie Lewandowski (US) | Ligia Liberatori (Argentina/Germany) | Michelle Lou (US) | Jessica Lurie (US) | Dana Lyn (US)

M

Sachiko M (Japan) | Eden MacAdam-Somer (US) | Michelle Agnes Magalhaes (Brazil/France) | Kali Malone (US/Sweden) | Sarah Manning (US) | Karen Mantler (US) | Svetlana Maras (Serbia) | Hannah Marshall (UK) | Belma Martín (Italy) | Miya Masaoka (US) | Kaffe Matthews (UK) | Magda Mayas (Germany) | Marilyn Mazur (US/Denmark) | Myra Melford (US) | Friederike Merz (Germany) | Lisa Mezzacappa (US) | Cristin Miller/Stella Haze (US) | Lisa Cay Miller (Canada) | Nicole Mitchell (US) | Ryuko Mizutani (Japan) | Shani Mohini-Holmes (Australia) | Polly Moller (US) | Martha Mooke (US) | Pat Moonchy (Italy) | Moor Mother (US) | Ikue Mori (Japan/US) | Diedre Murray (US) | Amina Claudine Myers (US)

N

Shoko Nagai (Japan/US) | Rie Nakajima (Japan/UK) | Sainkho Namtchylak (Tuva/Austria) | Candace Natvig-English (US/Germany) | Aurora Nealand (US) | Tari Nelson-Zagar (US) | Sara Neufeld (Canada) | Andrea Neumann (Germany) | Maggie Nicols (UK) | Odeya Nini (US) | Haruko Crow Nishimura (Japan/US) | Kristin Norderval (Norway/US) | Anne Norman (Australia) | Olga Nosova (Russia/Germany) | Lina Nyberg (Sweden)

O

Mary Oliver (US/Netherlands) | Pauline Oliveros (US) | Katie O’Looney (Ireland) | Kate Olson (US) | Suki O’Kane (US) | Tara Jane O’Neil (US) | Yoko Ono (Japan/US) | Kaori Osawa (Japan)

P

Cléo Palacio-Quintin (Canada) | Elizabeth Panzer (US) | Ivonne Paredes (Peru/US) | Caroline Park (US) | Andrea Parkins (US) | Zeena Parkins (US) | Jessica Pavone (US) | Annette Peacock (US) | Sarah Peebles (US/Canada) | Andrea Pensado (Argentina/US) | Cecilia Persson (Sweden) | Ellen Phan (US) | Cathleen Pineda (US) | Marina Poleukhina (Russia/Austria) | Diana Policarpo (Portugal/UK) | Kerry Politzer (US) | Karen Power (Ireland) | Cheryl Pyle (US)

Q

Cecilia Quinteros (Argentina)

R

Maja Ratkje (Norway) | Ada Rave (Argentina/Netherlands) | Susan Rawcliffe (US) | Saira Raza (US) | Dana Reason (Canada/US) | Tomeka Reid (US) | Ana Cordeiro Reis/Hyaena Fierling (Portugal/UK) | Stephanie Richards (Canada/US) | Jane Rigler (US) | Sarah J. Ritch (US) | Matana Roberts (US) | Carol Robinson (US/France) | Janet Roddick (New Zealand) | Leslie Ross (Canada/US) | Vanessa Rossetto (US) | Carmen Rothwell (US) | Julie Rousse (France) | Katharina von Rütte (Switzerland) | Elena Rykova (Russia/US)

S

Adriana Sá (Portugal) | Joana Sá (Portugal) | Marta Sainz (Spain) | Diana Salazar (UK) | Angelica Sanchez (US) | Tomoko Sauvage (Japan/France) | Carol Sawyer (Canada) | Jenny Scheinman (US) | Monica Schley (US) | Almut Schlichting (Germany) | Sara Schoenbeck (US) | Irene Schweizer (Switzerland) | Angelicka Sheridan (Germany) | Mieko Shiomi (Japan) | Lisa Shonberg (US) | Jen Shyu (Taiwan/US) | Naomi Siegel (US) | Sabrina Siegel (US) | Gian Slater (Australia) | LaDonna Smith (US) | Lisa Sokolav (US) | Astrid Sonne (Denmark) | Alexandra Spence (Canada/Australia) | Karen Stackpole (US) | Amanda Stewart (Australia) | Tobi Stone (US) | Erika Stucky (US) | Molly Sturges (US) | Esther Sugai (US) | Mazz Swift (US)

T

Hild Sophie Tafjord (Norway) | Tanya Tagaq (Inuk/Canada) | Aki Takase (Japan/Germany) | Jeanie Aprille Tang/Amma Ateria (Hong Kong/US) | Rhonda Taylor (US) | Molly Thompson (US) | Suzanne Thorpe (US) | Nguyen Thanh Thuy (Vietnam/Sweden) | Serena Tideman (US) | Micaela Tobin (US) | Barbara Togander (Argentina) | Gunilla Törnfeldt (Sweden) | Liz Tonne (US) | Sumi Tonooka (US) | Ushio Torikai (Japan/US) | Saadet Turkoz (Turkey/Switzerland) | Stephanie Lavon Trotter (US) | Maayan Tsadka (US/Israel)

U

Keiko Uenishi/o.blaat (Japan) | Tenko Ueno (Japan) | Frances-Marie Uitti (US/Netherlands) | Birgit Ulher (Germany) | Lisa Ullén (Sweden)

V

Elisabeth Valletti (France) | Stella Veloce (Italy/Germany) | Hathor Vergotis (US) | Fay Victor (US) | Lucie Vítková (Czech Rep./Germany) | Kira Vollman (US)

W

Jennifer Walshe (Ireland) | Kristina Warren (US) | Patty Waters (US) | Laura Kahle Watts (US) | Sarah Weaver (US) | Anna Webber (Canada/US) | Franziska Welti (Switzerland) | Cecilia Wennerström (Sweden) | Bettina Wenzel (Germany) | Nusch Werchowska (France) | Felisia Westberg (Sweden) | Bonnie Whiting (US) | Betty Widursky (US) | Emily Williams (Australia) | Mary Lou Williams (US; 1910-1981) | Jennifer Wilsey (US) | Laura Winkler (Austria/Germany) | Stevie Wishart (Australia) | Christine Wodrascka (France) | Patricia Wolf (US) | Theresa Wong (US) | Wu Fei (China/US)

X

Y

Ai Yamamoto (Japan/Australia) | Beth Yip (US) | Bora Yoon (US/South Korea) | Ami Yoshida (Japan) | Katherine Young (US)

Z

Pamela Z (US) |  Anna Zaradny (Poland) | Cristina Zavalloni (Italy) | Cynthia Zaven (Lebanon) | Jenny Ziefel (US) |