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An album of dark and subtle beauty – and still one of our favorite Miles Davis albums of all time! The set's not as earth-shattering as some of Davis' other work of the 60s, but that's why we like it so much – because the emerging genius of the group with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, and Tony Williams is held in a really special place here – one that ruminates quietly on space and soul, while Davis majestically directs tones and colors that he'd never gotten in a small group format before! Titles include the amazing "Iris", one of Miles' most haunting themes – plus "Little One", "RJ", "ESP", "Mood", and "Agitation".

An explosion of music from the legendary ESP Records label – a 50th Anniversary tribute to all the genius that made the imprint so wonderful back in the day – and easily one of the most important jazz labels in America! The set here focuses heavily on ESP's contribution to avant jazz – and the tracks feature the cream of the crop of the east coast scene at the time – particularly the groundbreaking New York players who were running forward with the experiments of the "new thing" generation, and starting to forge the first space for free jazz in the US! Titles include "Burn Baby Burn" by Norman Howard, "No 6" by New York Art Quartet, "The Lady" by Frank Wright, "Cocktail Piece" by Don Cherry, "Metamorphosis" by Sonny Simmons, "Other Worlds" by Sun Ra, and "Batterie" by Paul Bley.

One of those Howie Tee records that sounds a lot like the stuff he did for other groups on Select, like UTFO.

One of those Howie Tee records that sounds a lot like the stuff he did for other groups on Select, like UTFO.

A 2CD collection that features both of Frank Wright's albums for ESP, plus a selection of additional interview material! 1965's Frank Wright Trio is a freewheeling workout in the classic ESP mode – tenor saxophonist Wright's first album as a leader, and a majestic little session that easily stands alongside the best from Albert Ayler and Archie Shepp at the time! The format here is a bit like that of Ayler's ESP work – as Wright's hard tenor is set against the bass of Henry Grimes and the drums of Tom Price – but the difference here is that Wright's sharply-bitten, angular lines on tenor are at the forefront of the record – leaping ahead from the rest of the group and almost standing on their own as if Frank were recording solo! Titles include "The Moon", "Jerry", and "The Earth". Your Prayer is a bit more of a group effort than his first – recorded with an expanded lineup that points the way towards some of the French scene on BYG a few years later – with Jacques Coursil on trumpet, Arthur Jones on alto, Steve Tintweiss on bass, and Muhammad Ali on drums. There's a tight formation at the head of some of the tracks, with freer breakout solos as the tunes go on – very much in the BYG/Actuel mode. Titles include "Fire of Spirits", "No End", and "Your Prayer".

Beautifully free alto work from Byron Allen – a player who really shines brightly on this rare session for ESP Records – one of the few ever cut under his own name! Allen's got a style that's right up there with the 60s best from Ornette Coleman or Marion Brown – able to move with a fluidity that's breathless, even amidst rhythms that are very loose and open – as the trio here works in a style that almost echoes some of the harmelodic modes of Coleman, but which eventually pushes farther towards the freedoms of other artists on ESP! The set has some wonderful bass from Maceo Gilchrist, whose round, rolling tones really make the album sparkle – as do the punctuated drums of Ted Robinson. Titles include "Today's Blues Tomorrow", "Time Is Past", "Three Steps In The Right Direction", and "Decision For The Cole-Man".

A spare and folksy set on ESP – the only record for the label by Ed Askew, an extremely poetic singer with an approach that's somewhat in the mode of labelmates Pears Before Swine! Ed's work is more stripped-down, though – as the record only features his vocals with accompaniment on "tiple", a stringed instrument that's somewhere between a guitar and mandolin, but played with a strongly rhythmic style. Given a fuller backing, perhaps a bit of shading by strings, these tunes could easily stand with the best of the late 60s acid folk generation from the UK – but we also love Ed's simple charms on the album, and perhaps these songs are better left untouched. Titles include "Fancy That", "Peter & David", "Marigolds", "Ask The Unicorn", "Red Woman Letter To England", "The Garden", and "Mr Dream".

A beautifully packaged reissue of this rare set from 1964 – an early example of the genius of Albert Ayler, recorded in The Netherlands for a small audience in a Dutch radio studio! The setting is a wonderful one – a mix of the live freedoms that would really let Ayler stretch out – especially when playing overseas – but recorded with the clarity of some of his studio albums for ESP – that sharp-edged sound that really highlights the groundbreaking style of his playing! The rest of the group here is equally great – and the quartet features Don Cherry on cornet, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums – the latter of whom is almost completely freed up from rhythm at some points. Titles include "Angels", "CAC", "Infant Happiness", and "No Name". Also includes a bonus fold-out poster with a painting of Ayler!

The complete recordings from Albert Ayler's 1966 ESP set at Slugs Nightclub – located in his home turf of the East Village, a very fervent setting for avant jazz at the time! The material has a feel that's a lot like Ayler's studio recordings for ESP, but the tracks are longer overall, and feature a bit more interplay between the group members at times – individual solo space that's occasionally a bit more pronounced, running back into some tighter energies from the rest of the group. Ayler's blowing with a lineup that includes his brother Donald Ayler on trumpet, Lewis Worrell on bass, Michel Sampson on violin, and a very young Ronald Shannon Jackson on drums and percussion. This expanded version features better sound and more tracks than previous versions – plus a great cover image too! Titles include "Truth Is Marching On", "Bells", "Ghosts", "Initiation", and "Our Prayer".

A seminal Albert Ayler session from the 60s – recorded at the legendary Judson Hall with an incredible sound! There's a bold, righteous feel to this record that possibly even tops other Ayler classics for ESP – and the spacious setting makes the notes echo, rebound, and come back together with searing intensity throughout. The group features Ayler on tenor, brother Don on trumpet, Charles Tyler on alto, Sunny Murray on drums, and both Henry Grimes and Gary Peacock on basses – using a unique two-bass approach that only further emphasizes the unique qualities of the record. Call Cobbs plays a bit of harpsichord too – and tracks include "Sprits Rejoice", "Holy Family", "Angels", and "Prophet".

A landmark recording – Albert Ayler's first album for the ESP label, and a record that hit the jazz world like a bullet! Spiritual Unity sets the stage for a format that would become huge in the European avant scene of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and even today – the sax-driven power-trio, tenor against bass and drums, working freely with less rhythmic constraints than before, searching for new sounds and new modes of expression, working through changes in a style first proposed by Sonny Rollins, but taken to new intensity by the New York underground of the 60s. That sound is summed up here perfectly by Ayler, Gary Peacock, and Sunny Murray – working together with an edgey brilliance, on classic tracks that include "Ghosts: First Variation", "Ghosts: Second Variation", "The Wizard", and "Spirits".

A landmark recording – Albert Ayler's first album for the ESP label, and a record that hit the jazz world like a bullet! Spiritual Unity sets the stage for a format that would become huge in the European avant scene of the 70s, 80s, 90s, and even today – the sax-driven power-trio, tenor against bass and drums, working freely with less rhythmic constraints than before, searching for new sounds and new modes of expression, working through changes in a style first proposed by Sonny Rollins, but taken to new intensity by the New York underground of the 60s. That sound is summed up here perfectly by Ayler, Gary Peacock, and Sunny Murray – working together with an edgey brilliance, on classic tracks that include "Ghosts: First Variation", "Ghosts: Second Variation", "The Wizard", and "Spirits".

One of the first albums ever cut as a leader by reedman Gato Barbieri – and a very sharp-edged session that's quite different than his better-known work in the 70s! Barbieri's tenor here has an incredible tone – as deeply soulful as Pharoah Sanders or late John Coltrane, and blown with a great sense of freedom – really stretching out on the album's long tracks. Gato never lets himself get too unfocused, though – and the album's an illustration of a side of his talents that was perhaps only shown this well on his recordings with Don Cherry. Players include Calo Scott on cello, Sirone on bass, and Bobby Kapp on drums – and the album's got a vibe that easily matches other ESP sets from the time by Charles Tyler or Sonny Simmons. Titles include "In Search Of The Mystery", "Obsession No 2", "Michelle", and "Cinematheque".

A blasting barrage of sound from Paul Bley – a fierce session that's right up there with the most dynamic ESP work of the 60s – and quite different from some of Bley's more introspective music! The group here is a quintet – with bold work from Marshall Allen on alto sax and Dewey Johnson on trumpet – both working in the frontline with almost Ayler-like energy. Remaining players include the great Eddie Gomez on bass and Milford Graves on drums – romping together through a set of compelling Carla Bley compositions, including "And Now The Queen", "Walking Woman", "Ictus", "Barrage", and "Batterie".

One of the last albums ever from the legendary Oscar Brown Jr – a set that features the famous vocalist working with daughter Maggie Brown – in a setting that's one of the most jazz-based that Oscar's used in years! Backing us by a hip small combo – and Oscar brings a hell of a lot of personality to the tunes – those soulful inflections we've always loved in his lyrics, augmented by some spoken bits from time to time – and matched with a very deep, spiritual jazz approach from Maggie! The set's a great one – filled with great memories from Brown's many years in music – and many numbers feature this really great creative interplay, as other singers come into the group with the spirit of instrumental voices in a small combo. Titles include "Bird Chase", "Midnight", "All Blues", "Strongman", "Insight", "Young Jazz", "My Little Maggie", and "Brown Baby".

A rare slice of work from trumpeter Don Cherry – music that's every bit as forward-thinking as his three classic 60s albums on Blue Note! The session is a live one, but the sound is quite strong – recorded up-close, and with great focus on Cherry's incredible horn work – as well as the efforts of the rest of the group, which includes Gato Barbieri on tenor, Karl Berger on vibes, Bo Stief on bass, and Aldo Romano on drums. There's a definite "new thing" vibe going on here – a style that's similar to some of Archie Shepp's work of the period, or that of some of Cherry's Blue Note contemporaries. Tracks are all long, and titles include "Complete Communion", "Neopolitan Suite", "Cocktail Piece", and "Free Improvisation Music Now".

Incredible work from Don Cherry – a previously unreleased live date from the 60s, but every bit as great as any of his better-known records from the decade! The sound here is really amazing – a hip blend of Cherry's trumpet with tenor from Gato Barbieri and vibes from Karl Berger – working here in a piano-less setting that has all three players snaking together beautifully as the tunes unfold – freed up a bit to explore some really bold new territory, yet always held together with the same sense of inherent rhythm you'd find on Cherry's Blue Note albums from the late 60s. Rhythm is by Bo Stief on bass and Aldo Romano on drums – both players who really help the tunes take on some great structures – especially during the group's extended take on "Orfeu Negro", a number taken in very similar ways to Archie Shepp's Fire Music version of "Girl From Ipanema"! Other numbers are great too – and include "Remembrance", "Spring Is Here", "Suite For Albert Ayler", and "Complete Communion", done in a 22 minute take.

A really unique chapter in the career of Ornette Coleman – an album that he produced by himself in 1962, away from any other label – as an effort to showcase the newly freer sounds of his music! The recording's the first in a really groundbreaking stretch for the 60s – and it was fortunately finally issued by ESP Records a few years after the recording – providing a nice link between Coleman's earlier experiments and the sound of the younger generation usually showcased by the label. The group's a trio, with a sound that's quite different than the more rhythmic modes of Coleman on Atlantic Records – a freer, less structured lineup that features percussion from Charles Moffett and bass from David Izenzon. One track also adds in a string quartet – making the record one of Coleman's first experiments with this format – and titles include a 23 minute recording of "The Ark", plus "Doughnut", "Sadness", and "Dedication To Poets and Writers".

Crazy psyche era wierdness from Cromagnon – the band name and album title may reference prehistory, but this stuff is actually way ahead of it's time – if we didn't see the date on this thing, we'd have sworn it to be from the art damaged post punk early 80s! The group is credited to Austin Grasmere, Brian Elliot and "The Connecticut Tribe" – and the instrumentation is billed as vocals, music and sounds – you figure out the rest. The set opens with some soundbites of Hollywood fan fare that segues into a mix of bagpipes, thundering percussion and vocals that sound like screams and whispers at the same time. The following track "Ritual Fest Of The Libido" rivals "LA Blues" by the Stooges in gutteral grunted nightmare soundscapes, but later tracks mix in more laidback grooves that are just as freaky. A total mindfrack of a record, and a pretty amazing one, if not for everybody! Other titles include "Organic Sundown", "Fantasy", "Crow Of The Black Tree", "Genitalia", "Toth, Scribe I" and "First World Of Bronze".

One of the most obscure 60s jazz sessions on ESP – a really free outing from pianist Lowell Davidson, working here in a trio that includes Gary Peacock on bass and Milford Graves on drums! Davidson's approach to the keys is quite far out, especially for the time – very much in the mode of Cecil Taylor, but possibly even more open-ended than Taylor's work up to this point. He doesn't get lost in the open spaces, though, thanks in no small part to the intuitiveness of his players. Really wonderful stuff that's loose, angular and engrossing all the way! Tracks are all longish originals – and titles include "L", "Ad Hoc", "Strong Tears", "Stately 1", and "Dunce".

A really raw set from reedman Charles Gayle – a 90s recording, but done with the ferocity of some of the hardest-hitting 60s sides from ESP Records! Gayle is completely unbridled – stretching out on very long tracks with tremendous free runs on tenor and bass clarinet – driven by bold energy from Michael Bisio on bass and Michael Wimberly on drums – both players who can come on strong, yet really seem to be there to let Gayle lead the way! Charles has a sharp edge and hard tone that's definitely a legacy of Albert Ayler – obviously heard on the album's "Homage To Albert Ayler" – as well as on other tracks that include "Alpha", "I Remember Dolphy", "In The Name Of The Father", and "Book Of Revelation".

A classic album of avant percussion – even if the title's a bit misleading! The Milford Graves Percussion Ensemble is mostly just Milford Graves himself, playing on drums, bells, gongs, and shakers – joined on this early album by Sunny Morgan, who also plays drums and bells on the set – working with Graves in a spiritual exploration of space and sound that predates some of the AACM recordings by a few years, and which shows ESP to be one of the most groundbreaking jazz imprints of the 60s! Tracks have a fairly hard hitting approach, and titles include "Nothing", "Nothing 13", "Nothing 5-7", and "Nothing 19".

One of the only albums as a leader from bassist Henry Grimes – a hell of a great player who'd made his name working with Sonny Rollins, but who steps out here into much freer territory! The group features Grimes at the helm on bass, but also features killer contributions from Perry Robinson – playing outside clarinet here at a level that's even more farther reaching that Jimmy Giuffre at his 60s heights. The group's completed by drummer Tom Price, who really spurs the combo on strongly – as they work with a very raw, free sound that features tremendous interplay between all three instruments. One of our favorites on ESP – with titles that include "Fish Story", "Walk On", "The Call", and "Son Of Alfalfa".

Early work by Gunter Hampel and one of his greatest records! – Music From Europe has a sound that's free and propulsive, but not nearly as indulgent as on later albums. Recorded in 1966 in Holland, it tows the line incredibly well between abrasive soundscapes and a more controlled energy. Alternatingly tight bursts of alto & sorprano sax, clarinet and bass clarinet give it some real muscle and more easygoing moments. The group's a quartet – with Willem Breuker on saxes, Pierre Courbois on percussion, and Piet Veening on bass. Hampel plays vibes, flute, and bass clarinet – and titles include the 21+ minute suite "Assemblage", "Heriocredolphysiognomystery" (dedicated to Eric Dolphy) and "Make Love Not War To Everybody".

A legendary bit of Latin from the New York scene of the 60s – recorded by a host of youthful players working under the direction of percussionist Montego Joe! The group's name is a contraction of "Harlem Youth" – a program in which all players participated, as part of an effort to get kids involved in music uptown – spearheaded by Montego Joe, whose guidance in the set is greatly appreciated! There's a strong Latin Soul vibe running through the set – but one that's different than Joe's other work, a bit more rootsy at times, given all the percussion in the lineup – but warmed up nicely with bits of guitar, trumpet, and alto sax. The album's filled with great groovers – including the classic "Welcome To The Party", and the amazing "Oua-Train" jazz cut, which has a slightly spiritual feel. Other tracks include "Feed Me Good", "Barrets Bag", "Tico", "Ngoma", and "Santa Cruz".

A legendary bit of Latin from the New York scene of the 60s – recorded by a host of youthful players working under the direction of percussionist Montego Joe! The group's name is a contraction of "Harlem Youth" – a program in which all players participated, as part of an effort to get kids involved in music uptown – spearheaded by Montego Joe, whose guidance in the set is greatly appreciated! There's a strong Latin Soul vibe running through the set – but one that's different than Joe's other work, a bit more rootsy at times, given all the percussion in the lineup – but warmed up nicely with bits of guitar, trumpet, and alto sax. The album's filled with great groovers – including the classic "Welcome To The Party Jam", and the amazing "Oua-Train" jazz cut, which has a slightly spiritual feel. Other tracks include "Feed Me Good", "Barrets Bag", "Tico", "Har-You Theme", "Ngoma", and "Santa Cruz". CD features a bonus track – "Montego Joe's Har-You Postscript 2008".

Some of the most tripped-out music ever from The Holy Modal Rounders – and that's saying a lot, given the nature of the group! This unique early album on ESP features two side-long tracks – both of which are mini-suites of sort, and filled with odd sounds, weird themes, and a strange mixture of hippie instrumentation and sci-fi experimentation! The group for the record is a quartet – with the core combo of Peter Stampfel on violin and vocals and Steve Weber on guitar, augmented by playwright Sam Shephard on drums and Lee Crabtree on piano and organ – plus extra vocals from the trio of Antonia, Barbara, & Wendy. The music is in the best free-thinking style of other rock on the ESP label in the 60s – and titles include "Jimmy & Crash Survey The Universe" and "The Second-Hand Watch".

An overlooked early session from multi-instrumentalist Michael Gregory Jackson, recording here with a trio of great horn players in a wonderfully sensitive sound! The record's approach is a perfect illustration of the maturity on the New York avant scene in the late 70s – a real change from the more frenetic modes that ESP was recording a decade before, with some thoughtful, almost pensive points that really round out the record beautifully. Jackson plays mostly guitar, but also vocalizes a bit and plays marimba, percussion, wood flute and other instruments – and he's joined by Oliver Lake on flute and saxes, Wadada Leo Smith on trumpets, and David Murray on tenor sax. Some tracks get nice and bold, while others hold back wonderfully – and titles include "Oliver Lake", "Clarity", "A View Of This Life", "Prelueoionti" and "Iomi".

Steve Lacy's legendary Argentinean recording – one of his boldest moments of the early years, and the start of a long history of superb work away from the American scene! The group here is quite unusual – as players include Enrico Rava on trumpet, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums – one budding European improviser, and two key members of the Blue Notes – who'd left South Africa for the UK by the time of this release. The live performance features only two long tracks – "Forest" and "Zoo" – both played with a sense of freedom not heard before in Lacy's music, at a level that really points the way towards his explosive presence in the French and Italian scenes in years to come!

One of the weirdest records ever on ESP – a dreamy mix of vocals from this family-based group – set to jazz-based instrumentation, over rhythms that range from funky to bossa! The singing's a bit rough at times, but that's part of the charm – as The Leavitts have an earnest, honest approach to their music – a bit of a message in some of the lyrics, and a fair bit of poetic imagery too – done with an approach that's somewhere in the territory of The Free Design, but not nearly as polished! Music is handled by a very hip batch of players – including Chick Corea on piano, Pete Yellin on flute, and Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax – all musicians who add great sounds to the group's own work on guitar, and give the record a solid instrumental grounding. Pretty amazing stuff, and a lot more charming than you might expect – with tracks that include "The Saints Of My City Are Children", "Fun City", "Notes So High", "Candy", "Once I Had A Little Duck", "Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most", and "O Amor Em Paz".

Freely improvised work from a very unusual group – one that features multi-instrumentalist Giuseppi Logan on a host of reeds, Milford Graves on drums and tabla, Don Pullen on piano, and Eddie Gomez on bass – stepping out here in a rare avant session! The album's a real standout in the ESP catalog – not only because it marks the recording debut of both Logan and Pullen, and the rare appearance of Gomez on such a session – but also because it's got a freewheeling quality that's even more outside and open-ended than some of the other work on the label! Logan plays alto, tenor, Pakistani oboe, bass clarinet, and flute – all with sounds that often veer towards the East, and which show a bit of an Indian music influence in the way the tunes are put together. Titles include "Dance of Satan", "Tabla Suite", "Dialogue", "Bleecker Partita", and "Taneous".

A much-needed second slice of work from reedman Giuseppi Logan from the 60s – especially since his talents were hardly ever recorded apart from two albums for ESP! This set may well be the most compelling of the pair – as side one features tracks from a landmark Town Hall concert in the early days of the label – a 1965 performance in which Logan shared the bill with Albert Ayler. Logan's group here features Don Pullen on piano, Reggie Johnson on bass, and Milford Graves on drums during the long live tracks – "Mantu" and "Shebar" – on which Logan plays alto, flute, and bass clarinet. The set then moves to feature Giuseppi on an extended solo piano piece titled "Curve Eleven" – then brings back a trio with Don Pullen on piano and Eddie Gomez on bass, for the track "Wretched Saturday". Special bonus for this edition – the set features 10 added minutes of "Shebar" which were not on the original album!

One of our favorite records ever from ESP – a set that's got even more soul and spirit than we usually hear from the label! The album's one of the first (and few) from saxophonist Frank Lowe as a leader – and it's a unique date that also features alto and soprano sax from Joseph Jarman, who's really blowing beautifully here away from the Art Ensemble of Chicago! The set's got a vibe that's almost like the shift towards the loft jazz years the New York scene took after the initial avant wave documented by ESP in the 60s – informed with some of the spiritualism of the post-Coltrane generation on Impulse Records. Other players include a young William Parker on bass, Joseph Jarman on soprano and alto, and The Wizard (aka Raymond Lee Cheng) on violin, and Rashid Sinan on drums. This great CD version features the previously-unreleased full versions of "In Trane's Name" and "Thulani" – plus the shorter track "Brother Joseph".

Never-heard music from the legendary Frank Lowe – but pulled from the same sessions that produced the classic Black Beings album on ESP! The group here features wonderful interplay between Frank's tenor and the soprano and alto sax of Joseph Jarman – both of whom get plenty of space to work together on the album-length performance. Lowe's tone has that raspy brilliance that always moves us – a sense of soul that's somewhere between Albert Ayler and Archie Shepp – and Jarman really knocks it out of the park as things get moving, hitting these frenzied sounds that are way more intense than anything we heard him record with the Art Ensemble! Other players in the group include Raymond Lee Cheng (The Wizard) on violin, William Parker on bass, and Rashid Sinan on drums – all working with the same sort of brooding depth we love on the Black Beings album. The album features one long tune – "The Loweski" – in five parts.

If Terry Melcher hadn't given Charles Manson the brush off, this album may well have come out on Columbia in the late 60s, and made Manson the rock and roll star he wanted to be! And while we're as disturbed as everyone else by the history of Charlie's violence, we also have to admit that we're kind of taken by this album – and find it a surprisingly good little record in a 60s folksy mode. There's really none of the creepiness that you might expect, and Manson's got a naivete that kind of transforms a Dylan-esque style into one that's overflowing with the raw emotion and personality of Jonathan Richman (but none of the silliness, of course.) CD features 26 tracks in all – the most expansive version we've seen – and also includes a few alternate takes. Most of the music is recorded in a spare style, with acoustic guitar backing and a bit of additional vocals – and titles include "Ego", "Look At Your Game Girl", "I'll Never Say Never To Always", "Home Is Where You're Happy", "Big Iron Door", "I Once Knew A Man", "Garbage Dump", "True Love You Will Find", "Who To Blame", "Don't Do Anything Illegal", and "Sick City".

A wonderful little record – one that's much richer and more compelling than you might expect from ESP Record's billing of Mij as a "Yodeling Astrologer"! The album's very heavy on reverb – used to really wonderful effect to expand and abstract the sounds created by Mij on vocals and guitar – recorded here without any other instrumentation at all, but spilling out wonderfully in the wide space of the studio with a tremendous sort of force. There's a flowing brilliance to the record that recalls the sound of Tim Buckley's music – but with some of the darker elements of Tom Rapp – although in the end, Mij's music sounds nothing like either – but would sit equally well in a collection that included both. Titles include "Little Boy", "Door Keys", "Planet Of A Flower", "Never Be Free", "Look Into The Knight", "Two Stars", "Grok", and "Romeo & Juliet".

A wonderful little record – one that's much richer and more compelling than you might expect from ESP Record's billing of Mij as a "Yodeling Astrologer"! The album's very heavy on reverb – used to really wonderful effect to expand and abstract the sounds created by Mij on vocals and guitar – recorded here without any other instrumentation at all, but spilling out wonderfully in the wide space of the studio with a tremendous sort of force. There's a flowing brilliance to the record that recalls the sound of Tim Buckley's music – but with some of the darker elements of Tom Rapp – although in the end, Mij's music sounds nothing like either – but would sit equally well in a collection that included both. Titles include "Little Boy", "Door Keys", "Planet Of A Flower", "Never Be Free", "Look Into The Knight", "Two Stars", "Grok", and "Romeo & Juliet".

An amazingly soulful set of folk tunes from the late 60s – the only album we've ever seen from singer Jerry Moore, and a real rarity from the ESP label! Moore's got a style that's somewhere between Terry Callier and Tim Buckley – earthy and acoustic one minute, but stepping out with some hipper rock-influenced touches the next – in a style that makes the album way more than just a conventional folk set. There's a strong political undercurrent to many of the tunes – and Moore is backed by a quartet that includes Eric Gale on electric guitar and Ralph McDonald on percussion. Titles include "Ballad Of Birmingham", "Drugged", "This Is My Time", "Let Go Reach Out", and "Anti Bellum Sermon".

One of our favorite albums ever on the legendary ESP label – and a key session in the best "new thing" mode of the 60s! The New York Art Quartet were a short live collaboration between trombonist Roswell Rudd, saxophonist John Tchicai, bassist Lewis Worrell, and percussionist Milford Graves – but their legacy in this one album is almost greater than that of other combos who recorded more frequently at the time. The sound is similar to the best "spacious" groups of the new thing years – such as the Archie Shepp/Bill Dixon work, or some of the looser sides by the New York Contemporary Five – a group that featured Shepp and Tchicai. Leroi Jones (Amiri Baraka) makes a key guest appearance on the title "Black Dada Nihilismus" – reciting his writings alongside the group's somber instrumental musings – and other titles include "Short", "Rosmosis", and "No 6".

Genius work from Pearls Before Swine – the haunting folk rock combo that was headed by singer/songwriter Tom Rapp! We'd place Rapp in a unique category with Tim Hardin, Leonard Cohen, Nick Drake, and a rare few other talents who could mix together styles and come up with a sound that transcended their generation. There's a wonderfully dark quality to this album that gives it a timeless feel – strains of avant instrumentation underneath the gentler sound of Rapp's voice, and an undying sadness that's matched by the feel of songs like "Another Time", "Playmate", and "Morning Song".

An expanded version of the material that originally appeared on the Nothing Is album – stretched out here into a 2CD set that features loads of extra unreleased cuts from the recordings! The core album is one of the best non-Saturn Sun Ra albums of the 60s – material recorded live on a tour of New York colleges in 1966, and very much in a spirit that captures the Arkestra at their best! Longer tracks are juxtaposed nicely with shorter ones – in a way that has the group running very outside one minute, yet stepping soulfully back to the center the next – never schizophrenicly, but in a mode that really displays the full range of energy pulsing in the group. Interesting instrumentation on the set includes Ra on clavoline, plus Carl Nimrod on the beautiful-sounding "sun horn" – and other players include Marshall Allen on alto, John Gilmore on tenor, Pat Patrick on baritone, and James Jacson on log drum and flute. This 2CD version features both a first and second set, with even a bit of material from a soundcheck, too – a total of 25 titles that include "Theme Of The Star Gazers #2", "Is Is Eternal", "The Exotic Forest #2", "Space Aura", "Velvet", "Dancing Shadows", "Next Stop Mars", "Outerspaceways", "Shadow World", and "Sun Ra and His Band From Outer Space".

Previously unissued work by Sun Ra – tracks recorded during the sessions for his Heliocentric Worlds 2 album for ESP, but lost to the sands of time for nearly 40 years! Like that previous album, this one features a smaller version of the Arkestra than usual – an octet that has Ra working with core hornmen Pat Patrick, John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Walter Miller, and Robert Cummings – supported by a rhythm section that includes Ronnie Boykins on bass and Roger Blank on percussion. Apart from a lot of added percussion by various members of the group, the instrumentation overall is relatively straightforward – even if Ra's compositions are not. The set kicks off with the 17 minute "Intercosmosis" – a relatively free, stretched-out tune – then is followed by shorter numbers that travel along darker, more introspective pathways. These titles include "World Worlds", "Interplanetary Travelers", "Mythology Metamorphosis", and "Heliocentric Worlds".

Landmark work from Sun Ra – a rare 1964 performance that features some very early work from Pharoah Sanders, a good deal of which is appearing here for the first time ever! The material was recorded at Judson Hall, and only half the tracks came out on a rare Saturn LP – making this CD collection that first time that all 11 titles appear in their entirety. Ra and the group recorded the set on New Year's Eve, 1964 – at a time when John Gilmore had left the Arkestra to work with Art Blakey – leaving Pharoah Sanders to come and take his place on tenor. Also noteworthy is the presence of Black Harold (Harold Murray) on flute – blowing with a dark edge alongside other group members who include Al Evans on trumpet, Teddy Nance on trombone, Marshal Allen on alto sax, Pat Patrick on baritone sax, and both Alan Silva and Ronnie Boykins on bass. The performance starts with a relatively fierce sound, but then moves into some beautifully lyrical moments – and titles include "Gods On A Safari", "The New Tomorrow", "The Second Stop Is Jupiter", "Cosmic Interpretation", "The Other World", "Dawn Over Israel", and "Space Mates".

An amazing look at the earliest years of one of our favorite jazz musicians ever – a massive 4CD set that goes way beyond Pharoah Sanders' famous first album for ESP! The box is filled with great music, but is also an historical document too – as it offers up some interview snippets, alongside material that has Sanders working in the Don Cherry Quintet, the Sun Ra Arkestra, the Paul Bley Quartet, and his own group as well! CD 1 features material from January 1, 1963 – recorded with a Don Cherry group that features Sanders on tenor, Joe Scianni on piano, David Izenzon on bass, and JC Moses on drums – plus a May, 1964 date with a Paul Bley group that features Sanders, Izenzon, and Paul Motian on drums! CD 2 features a famous group led by Sanders – with Jane Getz on piano, Stan Foster on trumpet, William Bennett on bass, and Marvin Patillo on drums – on the titles "Bethera" and "Seven By Seven". CDs 3 and 4 feature material from December 30 and 31st, 1964 – a famous performance with Sun Ra and Black Harold – one that seems to be expanded from the previous release, presented with both mono and stereo tracks. Titles include "The Second Stop Is Jupiter", "We Travel The Spaceways", "Dawn Over Israel", "Gods On Safari", "Space Mates", and "The Voice Of Pan". And yes, some of this stuff's been on the market before – but the package also features interviews with Sun Ra, Pharoah Sanders, and Don Cherry – plus a nice booklet too!

If you think that Pharaoh Sanders' genius as a leader first blossomed during his post-Coltrane years on Impulse, you owe it to yourself to check out this early album for ESP – a startlingly great session that offers a whole new side of his talents! The album features 2 side-long tracks – each of them great in their own ways, both in ways that are far different from the later Sanders sound on Impulse! Pharoah's tone here isn't nearly as raspy as on his more famous sides – it's more straightforward, almost Coltrane-esque – and as the long tracks unfold, there's almost a Sonny Rollins-like sense of spontaneous invention, especially on "Bethera", which takes up all of side two. And while we love the spiritual sensibilities of Sanders' classic albums, we also really like the pointedness of this one – not just because it shows a young Pharoah already possessed of greatness not infused by Coltrane, but also because the album's a mostly-inside session that's a real standout in the ESP catalog! The group's unusual too – and features Stan Foster on trumpet, Jane Getz on piano, William Bennett on bass, and Marvin Patillo on percussion. Tracks include "Bethera" and "Seven by Seven".

If you think that Pharaoh Sanders' genius as a leader first blossomed during his post-Coltrane years on Impulse, you owe it to yourself to check out this early album for ESP – a startlingly great session that offers a whole new side of his talents! The album features 2 side-long tracks – each of them great in their own ways, both in ways that are far different from the later Sanders sound on Impulse! Pharoah's tone here isn't nearly as raspy as on his more famous sides – it's more straightforward, almost Coltrane-esque – and as the long tracks unfold, there's almost a Sonny Rollins-like sense of spontaneous invention, especially on "Bethera", which takes up all of side two. And while we love the spiritual sensibilities of Sanders' classic albums, we also really like the pointedness of this one – not just because it shows a young Pharoah already possessed of greatness not infused by Coltrane, but also because the album's a mostly-inside session that's a real standout in the ESP catalog! The group's unusual too – and features Stan Foster on trumpet, Jane Getz on piano, William Bennett on bass, and Marvin Patillo on percussion. Tracks include "Bethera" and "Seven by Seven". CD also features bonus interview tracks!

Yma Sumac on ESP Records – a unexpected meeting that's given us a rare concert performance from 1961! The CD features Yma singing live in Romania – working with backings from longtime partner Moises Vivanco, on a set of tracks that mixes older Peruvian roots with some newer, jazzier modes. Sumac's vocals are wonderful – really covering an amazing range of sound, and losing little in this live setting that she had in the Capitol studios. The backings often feature a bit of strings, plus lighter instrumentation – and titles include "Fuego Sobre Los Andes", "Ataypura", "Goomba Boomba", "Cueca Chileana", "Taita Inti", and "Wambra".

An incredible album by avant saxophonist Charles Tyler – and one of his most unique albums ever! Tyler's playing here in a wild setting – alto sax mixed with three stringed instruments, one cello and two basses – which makes for a very unusual sound. The album's got a deep, dark soul – very different sounding than other records on ESP at the time – and it also stretches out with some cosmic influences that don't always show up in Tyler's later work. The whole thing's brilliantly beautiful – with a blend of sounds that's unlike anything else we can describe, and which has always made the album one of our favorites in the ESP catalog. Cuts include "Le-Roi", "Cha-Lacy's Out East", and "Eastern".

One of the best ESP sessions from the mid 60s – and a startling album of avant tracks from Charles Tyler and his group that included Henry Grimes, Charles Moffet, Joe Friedman, and a young Ronald Jackson. Moffet plays vibes on the session, and combined with Friedman's cello and Grimes' bass, the overall sound is extremely dark and compelling – made even more so by Tyler's edgey work on alto sax. All told, the album's probably the greatest that Tyler ever recorded, and features a soulfulness that didn't always emerge on ESP sessions. Titles include "Lacy's Out East", "Three Spirits", "Black Mysticism", and "Strange Uhuru".

One of the only American releases from Eastern European jazzman Karel Valebny – the force behind some great albums on MPS and other overseas labels, sounding equally great here on a late 60s set for ESP! The music is as bizarre as the cover – modern jazz overall, but done with a great deal of sensitivity – a very poetic approach to the performance that's quite different than the usual ESP bag, and which really shows some of the best steps forward the European scene was taking at the time. There's echoes here of mid 60s "new thing" jazz – especially in the way Velebny's vibes come into play – and instrumentation on the record include vibes, tenor, and bass clarinet from Karel, plus alto and flute from Jiri Stivin, piano from Ludek Svabensky, bass from Karel Vejvoda, and drums from Josef Vejvoda. Titles include "The Uhu Sleeps Only During The Day", "Andulko Safarova", "Beetles On The Head", and "Joachim Is Our Friend".

One of a rare few albums ever from singer Patty Waters – an extremely experimental vocalist who was part of the mid 60s ESP Records scene! Patty was one of the first to ever go way past conventional singing – and work more in a vocalizing style that had just begun in avant classical – often more concerned with sounds and shapes than melody and music! Sometimes, though, she hits a surprisingly soulful note – almost a touch of Nina Simone's righteousness, before moving into more experimental territory once again. Waters is almost the Cathy Berberian of the jazz vocal world – and works here with a hip ESP lineup that features either Dave Burrell, Burton Greene, or Ran Blake on piano – depending on the track – plus Giuseppi Logan on flute, Perry Lind on bass, and Scobe Stroman on drums. The set was recorded live, but with great fidelity that really respects the subtle moments of Waters' vocals – and titles include "Wild Is The Wind", "Song Of Clifford", "Song Of The One I Love" and "Song Of Life With Hush Little Baby".

One of 2 ESP sessions by Patty Waters – one of the most groundbreaking vocalists of the 60s, and a singer with a style that mixed equal parts jazz and folk! In a way, Patty's got a sound that's somewhat like Nina Simone at her best – in that she dominates a tune completely, singing as if she's speaking – and infusing it with a raspily personal mode that goes far deeper than simple interpretation. The difference, of course, is that most of Waters' material is all original, so the themes aren't nearly as restrictive as some of the covers that Simone had to re-interpret – but there's certainly a mode here that explores freedoms within limits, and which should have made Waters a much bigger influence in her generation. All material on the set was recorded during a 1966 tour of the state colleges of New York – with backings by Burton Greene on piano, Steve Tintweiss on bass, and Tom Price on percussion – and titles include "Moon Don't Come Up Tonight", "Why Can't I Come To You", "You Thrill Me", "Sad Am I Glad Am I", and "Black Is The Color Of My True Love's Hair".

A vision of the future of avant garde jazz – recorded in 1966, and one of the most groundbreaking titles on the legendary ESP label! Saxophonist Marzette Watts is a player who hardly ever gets his due – but was part of the key new wave of younger players on the east coast scene of the 60s – fitting well in a lineage of Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp, and other important forces in avant jazz at the time. This album's one of the few he ever recorded – along with an important session for Savoy – and is mindblowing right from the start – a fresh blend of new thing ideas with the freer, looser modes of the ESP scene – handled perfectly by a well-chosen group that features Byard Lancaster on alto and flute, Clifford Thornton on trombone and cornet, Sonny Sharrock on guitar, Karl Berger on vibes, Juni Booth and Henry Grimes on bass, and JC Moses on drums. Watts plays tenor, soprano, and bass clarinet – and titles include "Backdrop For Urban Revolution", "Ia", and "Geno".

A lost gem from the legendary Frank Wright – a previously-unissued live date from 1974, and one of his most hard-burning albums of the 70s! The group here is a quartet – driven by heavy drum work from Rashied Ali, who hosted the performance – plus incredible guitar from James Blood Ulmer, who's really coming into his own here – and bass from Benny Wilson. There's a freewheeling energy to the record that definitely shows the bolder sounds that Wright had picked up on the French scene – yet the whole thing also has that grounded sense of soul that we love in older ESP recordings too – a quality that seems to help Ulmer's guitar find all the right notes! Six long tracks, all part of an longer live performance.

One of the only albums we've ever seen from drummer James Zitro – a player who'd worked as a percussionist for one of the Sonny Simmons' albums on ESP Records, then was invited to cut his own date for the label! There's a really groundbreaking sound here – an approach to percussion that's almost melodic at times, and which prefaces some of the more famous experiments in those modes to come both from the Chicago AACM and the New York loft jazz scene of the 70s. Zitro's really got a way around the kit, leaping around with a style that reminds us of Andrew Cyrille at his best – yet in ways that often go in other directions. The rest of the group here is relatively obscure too – and players include Allan Praskin on alto, Bert Wilson on tenor, Warren Gale on trumpet, Michael Cohen on piano, and Bruce Cale on bass. Titles include "Freeken", "Happy Pretty", and "Sweet".

A treasure trove of rare spoken word material, plus a few songs as well – all pulled together with the same Civil Rights vibe as the first volume in the series! The package is an amazing historical document – and features a lot of key parts from 60s speeches, plus earlier political moments, righteous religious messages, and a few songs that help put the whole thing in perspective! The audio presentation works strongly almost as a sound collage – although each passage is very discreet – and titles include "The Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison, "Brown V Board Of Education" by Thurgood Marshall, "Sticks & Stones" by Sugarchile Robinson, "Black Pilots Mission To Italy" by William Campbell, "Don't Let Me Be Wrong" by Eloise Wilson, "Address To Congress 1939" by Mary McLeod Bethune, "Father I Stretch Forth My Hands" by Rev CL Franklin, "Blacks Vote In South Carolina 1948", "These New York Neighbors" by Babs Gonzalez, and "The Day Of Registration" by Fannie Lou Hamer.

A well-done documentary on "the music known as free jazz" – one that features interviews and performances from some key avant jazz figures of the 60s and 70s! The ESP association with the movie is no coincidence – as the film features interviews with old ESP stalwarts such as Marion Brown, Roswell Rudd, John Tchicai, Alan Silva, and Burton Greene – as well as Joseph Jarman, Baikida Carroll, William Parker, and Matthew Ship. Performers include Denis Charls, Joseph Jarman, Wilber Morris, Peter Brotzmann, John Tchicai, and the Sun Ra Arkestra – and the film also features some great incidental music too. Directed by Alan Roth, in color.

One of our favorite records ever from ESP – a set that's got even more soul and spirit than we usually hear from the label! The album's one of the first (and few) from saxophonist Frank Lowe as a leader – and it's a unique date that also features alto and soprano sax from Joseph Jarman, who's really blowing beautifully here away from the Art Ensemble of Chicago! The set's got a vibe that's almost like the shift towards the loft jazz years the New York scene took after the initial avant wave documented by ESP in the 60s – informed with some of the spiritualism of the post-Coltrane generation on Impulse Records. Other players include a young William Parker on bass, Joseph Jarman on soprano and alto, and The Wizard (aka Raymond Lee Cheng) on violin, and Rashid Sinan on drums. Side one's got a beautiful long track called "In Trane's Name", and side two has "Brother Joseph" and "Thulani".

Brilliant work – and one of the rare few albums to feature the genius alto of Sonny Simmons from the 60s! The session has the fierceness of other ESP sessions from the time, but it's also tempered with a bit of spiritualism, too – somewhat more introspective in the heavy moments than other albums on the label, due in part to Simmons' personal style of playing, and the presence of John Hicks on piano and Barbara Donald on trumpet – put together in a way that's almost a bridge between the ESP and Impulse Records scenes of the 60s, with perhaps a nod towards the direction the jazz underground would take in the 70s! Other players include Teddy Smith on bass and Marvin Pattillo on drums – and tracks include "City of David", "Metamorphosis", and "Interplanetary Travelers".

Seminal ESP work from Albert Ayler – a unique session done as a soundtrack to a short (and weird!) film from experimental director Michael Snow! The lineup is a bit different than some of Ayler's other ESP albums – and features Don Cherry on trumpet and cornet, John Tchicai on alto, Roswell Rudd on trombone, Gary Peacock on bass, and Sunny Murray on drums. At times, the record's got a bit of a "new thing" vibe – a bit more spacious and sonic than some of Ayler's other material – but at other times, it burns with an intensity that's almost harder and freer than any of Albert's trio dates of the 60s. The album features 2 long tracks – "AY" and "ITT" – plus the shorter "Don's Dawn".

One of the most far-reaching sets of UK jazz we've heard from the mid 60s – the recording debut of pianist Peter Lemer, working here in a quintet that also features a young John Surman! The leadoff track is a version of Carla Bley's great "Ictus" – and the style of the work definitely echoes that early 60s generation that Bley was a part of – a darker, more angular approach to modernism than previous years – yet still without the completely unbridled freedoms to come. Most titles are fairly elliptical – circling around a specific territory of tones and rhythms at the core, while some of the other players open up in freer solos – and other players in the group include Nisar Ahmad Khan on tenor, Tony Reeves on bass, and John Hiseman on drums. Surman plays baritone, soprano sax, and bass clarinet – and titles include "Carmen", "In The Out", "Enahenado", "Flowville", "City", and "Ictus".

Never-heard music from the legendary Frank Lowe – but pulled from the same sessions that produced the classic Black Beings album on ESP! The group here features wonderful interplay between Frank's tenor and the soprano and alto sax of Joseph Jarman – both of whom get plenty of space to work together on the album-length performance. Lowe's tone has that raspy brilliance that always moves us – a sense of soul that's somewhere between Albert Ayler and Archie Shepp – and Jarman really knocks it out of the park as things get moving, hitting these frenzied sounds that are way more intense than anything we heard him record with the Art Ensemble! Other players in the group include Raymond Lee Cheng (The Wizard) on violin, William Parker on bass, and Rashid Sinan on drums – all working with the same sort of brooding depth we love on the Black Beings album. The album features one long tune – "The Loweski" – in five parts.

A vision of the future of avant garde jazz – recorded in 1966, and one of the most groundbreaking titles on the legendary ESP label! Saxophonist Marzette Watts is a player who hardly ever gets his due – but was part of the key new wave of younger players on the east coast scene of the 60s – fitting well in a lineage of Albert Ayler, Archie Shepp, and other important forces in avant jazz at the time. This album's one of the few he ever recorded – along with an important session for Savoy – and is mindblowing right from the start – a fresh blend of new thing ideas with the freer, looser modes of the ESP scene – handled perfectly by a well-chosen group that features Byard Lancaster on alto and flute, Clifford Thornton on trombone and cornet, Sonny Sharrock on guitar, Karl Berger on vibes, Juni Booth and Henry Grimes on bass, and JC Moses on drums. Watts plays tenor, soprano, and bass clarinet – and titles include "Backdrop For Urban Revolution", "Ia", and "Geno".

Possibly the first true moment of genius from Paul Bley – a key indie standout after a few years working for bigger American labels! By the time of this early ESP album, Paul Bley was no stranger to the American scene – having recorded a few records for different labels in the 50s, and making some surprise appearances on other sessions in the early part of the 60s. But by the time of this mid 60s set, Bley was really coming into his own – working in a style that would have a huge influence on the style of jazz piano for the next few decades, and which was one of the first strong statements of modernism from the Canadian scene. Here, he's working with Steve Swallow on bass and Barry Altschul on percussion in a trio format, working through a great batch of tracks by then wife Carla – like "Ida", "Start", "Closer", "Batterie", and "Sideways In Mexico" – as well as versions of Ornette Coleman's "Crossroads", Annette Peacock's "Cartoon", and his own "Figfoot".

Dark-edged, folk-tinged, and blues-drenched sounds from The Godz – one of the earthiest acts to record for the legendary ESP label – and one who had the same East Village power as The Fugs! The overall sound is nice and spare – rougher edged than some of the west coast work of this nature – kind of a folk blues aesthetic, filtered through trippier ideas – and recorded with the same haunting, moody elements as the first Pearls Before Swine album, but a lot more loose in the construction of the tunes – which almost feel improvised at times. Instrumentation includes acoustic guitar, violin, harmonica, maracas, and plastic flute – and titles include "Eleven", "Na Na Naa", "Turn On", "White Cat Heat", "1 + 1", and "Lay In The Sun".

One of the weirdest recordings we've ever heard from Timothy Leary – a 1966 set that features mostly shorter spoken bits on a variety of topics – done by Tim in a very odd sort of style – almost like he's a bit shy in the recording studio! There's a slightly self-conscious feel to the record that's actually kind of nice – Leary kind of mumbling, as if he's getting up the courage to share his ideas – or maybe he was just stoned at the time of the session! Titles include "My Problem", "Elevation Of Human Consciousness", "Sensory Paradise", "The Taking Of LSD", "The Oldest Law", "One Final Word", "Every Baby That Is Born", "Lesson Number One", and "A Message To Young People".

One of the weirdest records on the ESP label from the 60s – and that's saying a lot, given the oddness of the legendary label! The set's essentially a free jazz one, but it's also got some unusual instrumentation too – assorted guitars, koto, clarinet, xylophone, and lots of odd percussion – often used in ways that are more exotic than some of the more bombastic styles of other ESP players. At times, there's almost a Moondog sensibility to the record – but at others, there's a more forceful presentation as well. There's just a bit of vocals on the album – sung by Ruth Ann Hutchinson – but most of the set is instrumentally focused. Titles include "770", "771", "772", and "June".

Early work by Bob James – recorded way before he became one of the funky talents of the 70s, when he was a budding young modernist on the New York scene, with clear influences from the work of Paul Bley. This set is a trio recording – and it features James playing with Barre Phillips on bass and Robert Pozar on drums. Phillips' work is especially amazing, as he gets sounds out of the bass that are just incredible – working the whole instrument into wild tones and sounds that far surpass conventional work on the strings. The whole session's amazingly dark – and it makes us love James' funky work even more to know that he started out this way! Titles include "Explosions", "An On", "Wolfman", and "Peasant Boy".

One of the greatest albums on ESP – and a darkly-tinged document that points strongly towards the future of jazz at the end of the 60s! The album's one of the most focused of the early ESP years – and it features drummer Sunny Murray stepping out strongly as a leader – working with players who include Jacques Coursil on trumpet, Byard Lancaster and Jack Graham on alto saxes, and Alan Silva on bass – all with an intensity that prefaces some of the players' later freedoms on the French scene at the end of the decade, and modes to come during the loft jazz years of the 70s! The horns are never too free, and they come together in a flurry of sharp edges that reminds us a bit of sound structures in Archie Shepp's work at the time – but almost more organic and open overall. Titles include "Phase 1234", "Hilariously", "Angels & Devils", and "Giblet". Plus, the CD also features over 30 minutes of bonus interview material!

Pure genius from The Revolutionary Ensemble – and one of the records that really helped set the stage for the New York loft jazz sound of the 70s! The lineup is quite unique – percussion from Jerome Cooper, violin from Leroy Jenkins, and bass from Sirone – a much more subtle lineup of instruments than you'd hear on previous avant sides from ESP – with a resultantly different sound as well – one that's got more subtle colors and tones, and a slow-building, organic approach to improvisation that definitely shows an influence from the experiments of the AACM in Chicago. The album features one long track – "Vietnam (parts 1 & 2)" – but it's got a heck of a lot of variety over its nearly 50 minutes of music!

One of the greatest albums so far from mighty Chicago reedman David Boykin – and easily a set that lives up to the rich legacy of avant jazz in the Windy City! There's a depth to the record that comes through right from the very first note – a sense of history and feeling that shows just how much Boykin's developed as a player over the past decade or so – a tenorist with a done that's right up there with Archie Shepp or David Murray at their creative best – really stretching out on some wonderful solos that never fail to dim in imagination or new ideas. The group's a trio – with Alex Wing on bass and James Woodley on drums – which gives the recording an almost ESP Records sort of vibe – and Boykin's the shining star throughout, really knocking us over with his solos on the well-recorded set! Titles include "Blast Off For Love", "Walk Turn Bat Shimmy", "Try Harder", "Blue Lotus", "Star Book", and "Late Night With The David Boykin Trio Theme".

One of the greatest albums so far from mighty Chicago reedman David Boykin – and easily a set that lives up to the rich legacy of avant jazz in the Windy City! There's a depth to the record that comes through right from the very first note – a sense of history and feeling that shows just how much Boykin's developed as a player over the past decade or so – a tenorist with a done that's right up there with Archie Shepp or David Murray at their creative best – really stretching out on some wonderful solos that never fail to dim in imagination or new ideas. The group's a trio – with Alex Wing on bass and James Woodley on drums – which gives the recording an almost ESP Records sort of vibe – and Boykin's the shining star throughout, really knocking us over with his solos on the well-recorded set! Titles include "Blast Off For Love", "Walk Turn Bat Shimmy", "Try Harder", "Blue Lotus", "Star Book", and "Late Night With The David Boykin Trio Theme".

A raw, live set from Chicago saxophonist David Boykin – but a great little record that really reminds us of a classic 60s session on ESP! Boykin's reeds are wonderful throughout – filled with the depth of soul we might expect from Kalaparusha or Albert Ayler – and set up here in an open-ended trio with Josh Abrams on bass and Andre Beasley on drums. The tracks are all quite longish and free – but never sloppy or overindulgent – held together with a tremendous focus and presence in Boykin's horn! Titles include "Victory Honor & Glory", "Conundrum", "Big & Fine", "The King", and "Meditation For Momma Long".

Amazing live documents of Miles Davis and his incredible mid-to-late 60s quintet – Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – complete concert recordings from Antwerp, Copenhagen and Paris on 3CDs seeing release for the first time ever, plus a DVD featuring the only known video footage of this group from the period! CD 1 features material from 10/28/68 in Antwerp, CD 2 on 11/2/67 in Copenhagen and 11/6/67 in Paris, with the latter concert continued on CD 3. This is landmark stuff here – a surprisingly rare opportunity to hear first rate live recordings of legendary material from the ESP, Miles Smiles, Sorcerer and Nefertiti albums – as well as brilliant revisits of vital earlier material. Includes live takes on "Agitation", "Foot Prints", "No Blues", "Gingerbread Boy", "On Green Dolphin Street", "The Theme", "Footprints", "Masqualero", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "Walkin'" and more. The DVD starts with five numbers recorded on 11/7/67 in Karlzruhe, Germany: "Agitation", "Footprints", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "Gingerbread Boy" and "The Theme". It concludes with material in Stockholm on 10/31/67: "Agitation", "Footprints", "'Round Midnight", "Gingerbread Boy" and "The Theme".

Major sounds here from the group of Nobuyasu Furuya – a reedman who plays some mighty fierce tenor – plus a bit of flute and clarinet as well! The set's got some very old school free jazz energy – almost ESP in execution, especially in the way the players seem to find some of their strongest direction when they're really pushing things to the limit – not just Furuya, but also Eduardo Lala on trombone, Rodrigo Pinheiro on piano, Hernani Faustino on bass, and Gabriel Ferrandini on drums and percussion. Titles include "Jap Agitator Caught Again", "To The Valley Of Paradise", "When No Saints Go Marching In", and "Colored To Cell Japs To Hell".

An overlooked early session from multi-instrumentalist Michael Gregory Jackson, recording here with a trio of great horn players in a wonderfully sensitive sound! The record's approach is a perfect illustration of the maturity on the New York avant scene in the late 70s – a real change from the more frenetic modes that ESP was recording a decade before, with some thoughtful, almost pensive points that really round out the record beautifully. Jackson plays mostly guitar, but also vocalizes a bit and plays marimba, percussion, wood flute and other instruments – and he's joined by Oliver Lake on flute and saxes, Wadada Leo Smith on trumpets, and David Murray on tenor sax. Some tracks get nice and bold, while others hold back wonderfully – and titles include "Oliver Lake", "Clarity", "A View Of This Life", "Prelueoionti" and "Iomi".

One of the first bold statements to come from Chicago's AACM underground of the 60s – a tremendous debut effort from the young Roscoe Mitchell! The album's got a "sense of the new" feel that's as gripping as anything recorded by ESP or Impulse around the same time – a rule-breaking, freely-creative approach to jazz that builds strongly off the changes already wrought by Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, and Archie Shepp! The format is somewhat like the Art Ensemble Of Chicago at times – with measured horn work from Mitchell on alto, clarinet, and recorder, Maurice McIntyre on tenor, Lester Bowie on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Lester Lashley on trombone (as well as a bit of cello). Some tracks – like the brilliant "Sound" – offer a slow-building exploration of tones and textures – while others, like the blues-joke "Little Suite", or the harmelodic "Ornette", show a wry sense of humor that would become a Chicago avant hallmark as the years went on! CD also features bonus alternate takes of "Sound" and "Ornette".

Great late psychedelia from the UK – the only album ever issued by Octopus (not to be confused with the ESP group of the same name) – packaged here with a wealth of bonus tracks from the group's previous incarnation as The Cortinas! The core style of the main record is really great – nicely compressed, but still pretty trippy – in a way that's never too overindulgent, and which shows a great ear for creatively poppy tunes. There's almost a post-Creation style going on here – and checking out the group's earlier work as The Cortinas, you can really hear how much they grew in the few short years before the Octopus album. As usual with Rev-Ola, the whole thing's put together with a wealth of information on the band – and the set features a whopping 22 tracks that include "The River", "Summer", "Council Plans", "Orchard Bloom", "John's Rock", "Rainchild", "Girlfriend", "Laugh At The Poor Man", "Sagittarius", "In The Park", and "Phoebe's Flower Shop".

One of the last great albums that Rudd played on before going into retirement! The group features Rudd on trombone, Enrico Rava on trumpet, Dve Burrell on piano, Stafford James on bass, and Harold White on drums – and the overall feel is similar to some of the best ESP work of the 60s. The band is very nicely matched, and changed moods and modes together as one unit. Tracks include "Inside Job", "Mysterioso", and "Sacred Song".

A rough-edged batch of spiritual jazz tracks from trumpeter Charles "Cha Cha" Shaw (not to be confused with Charles "Bo Bo" Shaw) – recorded in an open-ended loft jazz mode with a really open, echoey feel! The album's a rare 70s jazz date on the Folkways label, and it's almost got the freer, open sound of an ESP session from a decade before – experimental jazz that's very much at the fringes, but also played with some of the spirituality of the post-Coltrane generation. Shaw's trumpet has a really earthy sort of feel – blown with a great sense of personality, and a sound that's almost heart-wrenching at times – especially on some of the more modal numbers. Other players include Brian Ross on tenor, Billy Lyes on piano and guitar, and Ronnie Boykins on bass. Boykins is really the only player we know here from other records – and titles include the nicely grooving "KZ", plus "Juggety", "Super Slik", and "Eternal".

A rough-edged batch of spiritual jazz tracks from trumpeter Charles "Cha Cha" Shaw (not to be confused with Charles "Bo Bo" Shaw) – recorded in an open-ended loft jazz mode with a really open, echoey feel! The album's a rare 70s jazz date on the Folkways label, and it's almost got the freer, open sound of an ESP session from a decade before – experimental jazz that's very much at the fringes, but also played with some of the spirituality of the post-Coltrane generation. Shaw's trumpet has a really earthy sort of feel – blown with a great sense of personality, and a sound that's almost heart-wrenching at times – especially on some of the more modal numbers. Other players include Brian Ross on tenor, Billy Lyes on piano and guitar, and Ronnie Boykins on bass. Boykins is really the only player we know here from other records – and titles include the nicely grooving "KZ", plus "Juggety", "Super Slik", and "Eternal".

An incredible companion to the book Enjoy The Experience – and like that volume, a set that's filled with gems from the obscure sides of the American recording industry – vanity and privately pressed records that are plenty darn groovy, and pretty darn funky in all the right spots! The book is a painstakingly researched collection – and this soundtrack is just as carefully put together – with a great range of styles – heavily steeped in freaky funk, upbeat boogie, acid folk, offbeat psych, and trippy jazz! The range of sounds is really wonderful – with a feel that's somewhere between a Trunk Records or Finders Keepers compilation – and titles include "Intro (Excerpt)" by The Muzzy Band, "Spacing Out" by The Invaders, Diska Limba Man" by Medico Doktor Vibes, "Music Slave" by Jade, "White Panther" by Arcesia, "Never Come Back" by Boa, "ESP Switch" by Michael Farneti, "6.4 = Makeout" by Gary Wilson, "Just To Say Goodbye" by Russ Saul, "Cadillac Woman" by Stephen David Heitkotter, "Piledriver" by Dennis The Fox, "Old Time Feeling" by Circuit Rider, and "666" by Ray Torske.

An incredible companion to the book Enjoy The Experience – and like that volume, a set that's filled with gems from the obscure sides of the American recording industry – vanity and privately pressed records that are plenty darn groovy, and pretty darn funky in all the right spots! The book is a painstakingly researched collection – and this soundtrack is just as carefully put together – with a great range of styles – heavily steeped in freaky funk, upbeat boogie, acid folk, offbeat psych, and trippy jazz! The range of sounds is really wonderful – with a feel that's somewhere between a Trunk Records or Finders Keepers compilation – and titles include "Intro (Excerpt)" by The Muzzy Band, "Spacing Out" by The Invaders, Diska Limba Man" by Medico Doktor Vibes, "Music Slave" by Jade, "White Panther" by Arcesia, "Never Come Back" by Boa, "ESP Switch" by Michael Farneti, "6.4 = Makeout" by Gary Wilson, "Just To Say Goodbye" by Russ Saul, "Cadillac Woman" by Stephen David Heitkotter, "Piledriver" by Dennis The Fox, "Old Time Feeling" by Circuit Rider, and "666" by Ray Torske.

An astounding collection of Japanese jazz from the end of the 60s – some of the hippest, most vibrant music in the Tokyo scene – and some of the most far-reaching too! The tracks here rival the best Impulse or ESP Records work of the time – really stretching out to find a new voice in jazz – using all the new freedoms of the time to craft tremendously creative solos – yet often still finding a way to make things swing, too! Each track is very long – and the players represent the cream of the crop of the Japanese underground at the time – including some players caught right at the start of very rich careers. Titles include "Mijimasu" by the trio of pianist Masahiko Sato with tenorist Akira Miyazawa, "Mina's Second Theme" by the trio of pianist Yosuke Yamashita, "My Favorite Things" by the quartet of tenorist Akira Nishimura, "On Green Dolphin Street" by tenorist Hidehiko Matsumoto, "Hey Jude" by pianist Takehiro Honda, "Passion Dance" by altoist Kosuke Mine, "Memphis Underground" by drummer Takeshi Inmata, and a long jam session track with Fumio Nanri on trumpet, Junko Mizuno on clarinet, Yuzuru Sera on piano, and George Kawaguchi on drums.

A previously unreleased live performance by Albert Ayler – recorded in France in 1970 for the Maeght Foundation, but not the same material that was issued on the better-known Shandar albums! This concert predates those, and is a unique later outing that's strongly in the spirit of some of Ayler's earliest work for ESP – with longer tracks that serve mostly as a vehicle for Albert's own exploratory passages on tenor and soprano sax! The group's a quartet, with Steve Tintweiss on bass, Allen Blairman on drums, and Mary Maria on soprano sax and a bit of voice – but the way the concert's recorded, Ayler's tone is most strongly upfront in the mix, and seems to dominate most numbers. Titles include "Music Is The Healing Force Of The Universe", "Birth Of Mirth", "Masonic Inborn", "Oh Love Of Life", "Heart Love", and "Island Harvest".

This is one of Mort Garson's craziest moog records ever, or as the label says: "Moog Goes Supernatural with Eerie Electronics". Ostensibly a satanic sort of thing, this is actually a wild cool mix of moog and early synthesizer effects, over a bunch of original compositions with no sorts of "hokey" arrangments. Very noisy in parts, and pretty growly with cool cool sounds. Did you expect anything less from Mr. Mort? Titles include "Exorcism", "ESP", "Witch Trial", "Solomon's Ring", and "Black Mass".

A hard-jamming bit of jazz rock – with lots of free solo work on alto and soprano sax by Ron Aspery, and a pretty strong power-trio instrumental format from Tony Hicks on drums and Colin Hodgkinson on bass. The album's more jamming than it is funky, but there's some pretty great playing on the set – and overall, the whole thing sounds better than most albums of its type because the group never use vocals, just stick in a tight instrumental format – one that almost sounds like a rock take on the ESP sound at times! Titles include "Back Door", "Jive Grind", "Askin The Way", "Vienna Breakdown", "Plantagenet", and the Beastie Boys' sample track "Slivadiv"!

An amazing package – one that's almost as essential to Albert Ayler's catalog as his classic albums on ESP from the 60s! The 9CD set is filled with rare material from Ayler – early recordings from Scandinavia, a smattering of American sides from the mid 60s, later work in France from the end of his life, and even a performance at John Coltrane's funeral! Other players include brother Don Ayler, trumpeter Don Cherry, pianist Cecil Tayler, and Burton Greene – and the package is filled with amazing sounds that really show Ayler's inventive approach to jazz. The box itself is beautiful – sculpted like some hand-carved treasure chest – and filled with 9CDS, plus a 208 page full-color hardcover book that features essays by Amiri Baraka and Val Wilmer, photos and memorabilia, and a chronology of Ayler's performances. Amazing stuff – and a true tribute to this legend!

Nice session from Frank Lowe, recorded with a quintet that includes Leo Smith and Olu Dara, plus Philip Wilson on drums and Fred Williams on bass. All tracks are originals – except for a version of Lester Bowie's "Crush" – and titles include "Structuralism", "Future Memories", and "Parts". Nice stuff, and in keeping with the tradition laid down on Lowe's early ESP recordings.

A genius group from the glory days of the New York avant scene of the 70s – yet one who haven't been nearly as well-documented as some of their contemporaries! The lineup here is legendary – a quintet with Charles Brackeen on tenor, flute, and soprano sax, Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, William Parker on bass, Roger Blank on drums, and Tony Waters on percussion – working in ways that are really a bridge between the starker sounds of the ESP generation, and some of the looser, more collaborative energies of the loft jazz scene that was on the rise! This recording from 1974 is some of the only surviving work by the group – a well-recorded radio performance that has the group working through a number of compositions in sequence, often with very spiritual results. The package features rich recollections on the quintet by Ahmed Abdullah, and some great vintage images as well – and titles include "Face Of The Deep", "Redemption/Consecration", "Above The Cross/My Divine", and "Time & Money".

One of the first bold statements to come from Chicago's AACM underground of the 60s – a tremendous debut effort from the young Roscoe Mitchell! The album's got a "sense of the new" feel that's as gripping as anything recorded by ESP or Impulse around the same time – a rule-breaking, freely-creative approach to jazz that builds strongly off the changes already wrought by Cecil Taylor, Ornette Coleman, and Archie Shepp! The format is somewhat like the Art Ensemble Of Chicago at times – with measured horn work from Mitchell on alto, clarinet, and recorder, Maurice McIntyre on tenor, Lester Bowie on trumpet and flugelhorn, and Lester Lashley on trombone (as well as a bit of cello). Some tracks – like the brilliant "Sound" – offer a slow-building exploration of tones and textures – while others, like the blues-joke "Little Suite", or the harmelodic "Ornette", show a wry sense of humor that would become a Chicago avant hallmark as the years went on!

Easily one of the most powerful albums ever cut by Don Cherry – a searing set of tracks done for Blue Note in the late 60s – and featuring some tremendous tenor work by Pharoah Sanders! There's a tightness and level of energy here that surpasses even Cherry's other excellent Blue Note sessions – a rawness that recalls the style forged often on key ESP albums of the 60s, but honed here into a slightly tighter mode. Sanders' horn is especially well-placed in the set – and pushes Cherry past the spacier notes of other recordings, in a way that unlocks fire from the years with Ornette – but which opens up into a much freer groove. The rest of the group includes Henry Grimes on bass and Ed Blackwell on drums – both a perfect match for the quartet – and titles include the 17 minute "Unite", plus "There Is A Bomb", "Awake Nu", "Taste Maker", and "The Thing".

Amazing live documents of Miles Davis and his incredible mid-to-late 60s quintet – Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – complete concert recordings from Antwerp, Copenhagen and Paris on 3CDs seeing release for the first time ever, plus a DVD featuring the only known video footage of this group from the period! CD 1 features material from 10/28/68 in Antwerp, CD 2 on 11/2/67 in Copenhagen and 11/6/67 in Paris, with the latter concert continued on CD 3. This is landmark stuff here – a surprisingly rare opportunity to hear first rate live recordings of legendary material from the ESP, Miles Smiles, Sorcerer and Nefertiti albums – as well as brilliant revisits of vital earlier material. Includes live takes on "Agitation", "Foot Prints", "No Blues", "Gingerbread Boy", "On Green Dolphin Street", "The Theme", "Footprints", "Masqualero", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "Walkin'" and more. The DVD starts with five numbers recorded on 11/7/67 in Karlzruhe, Germany: "Agitation", "Footprints", "I Fall In Love Too Easily", "Gingerbread Boy" and "The Theme". It concludes with material in Stockholm on 10/31/67: "Agitation", "Footprints", "'Round Midnight", "Gingerbread Boy" and "The Theme".

An evocative name for this hard-driving group – a trio that features Mikolaj Trzaska on alto and bass clarinet, Olie Brice on bass, and Mark Sanders on drums – all stretching out with very freewheeling energy over the space of this double-length set – often with tones that remind us of the sound of ESP Records in the 60s! The bass and drums definitely kick the power trio into action – but Trzaska's reed lines have this grounding depth that's wonderful – almost a spiritual feel at points, in ways that take us back to Sonny Simmons or Charles Tyler – both players who really knew how to find their space in a setting like this. Tracks are all quite long – and titles include "Kornic", "Riverloam", "Ostrich Season", and "Carnival Of Shapes".

An incredible collection of revolutionary jazz album cover art from the 60s & 70s – bold, vivid and unforgettable art for bold, vivid and unforgettable jazz – compiled and edited by Gilles Peterson and Stuart Baker! It's a snapshot of an era in jazz music when cultural and stylistic boundaries were besting wide open – and many of the ones documented are the holy grails of the era – pressed in small quantities and firing up the rare crate diggers since! Iconic art for labels such asa BYG/Actuel, Strata East, Nimbus, ESP and many more, and artists including Sun Ra, Phil Cohran, Pharoah Sanders, Prince Lasha, Hannibal Marvin Peterson, and Marcus Belgrave to name just a few. Gilles Peterson, Stuart Baker and Soul Jazz have done an exceptionally great job with the notes and text, too – much better than other books of its kind! Heavy duty, large format hardcover, to give you true-to-life-size cover art – as it was meant to be seen! 179 pages.

A classic bit of avant garde work from the west coast scene of the late 60s – one of a small number of important "out" records from that part of the country at the time, standing in bold contrast to work from the more-vocal New York scene! The set was put together by Huey "Sonny" Simmons – and has a loosely collective feel that's almost spiritual, but which has a lot more edges than the usual soul jazz session of its type. Simmons is clearly inspired by the free work of the ESP crowd, but he also takes that sound in a whole new direction – working with a group that includes his frequent collaborator, trumpeter Barbara Donald, plus Cecil McBee, Lonnie Liston Smith, Clifford Jarvis, and Richard Davis. All titles are long, and tracks include "New Newk", "E=MC2", "Healing Rays", "Burning Spirits", and "Things & Beings".

Vintage work from this overlooked group from the New York scene of the 80s – an all-star lineup that features Ahmed Abdullah on trumpet, Marion Brown on alto sax, Billy Bang on violin, Sirone and Fred Hopkins on bass, and Andrew Cyrille on drums! The tracks are long, and there's a loose, open feel that recalls the loft jazz generation – but an overall sound that shows the new strength and focus that some of these players were really hitting at the time – that sharper vision that you'd get during the early years of Black Saint/Soul Note – yet presented here in a style that's much more spontaneous overall! Brown and Bang are especially nice – some of the sharpest corners of this sextet – and titles include a great reading of "Goodbye Porkpie Hate", plus "Joann's Green Satin Dress" and "Amanpondo".

Some of our favorite albums ever from pianist Muhal Richard Abrams – an amazing run of eight records for the Black Saint/Soul Note label – rich in fresh colors, tones, and new musical ideas! There's a sensitivity to some of these records that you don't always get with Abrams – a personal feeling that brings in a much-needed warmth to his complex compositional forms – often in collaboration with other players on the Chicago scene, but also with a wider range of avant players, especially from New York – where Abrams would have a great influence in the 80s. The lineup of musicians here is wonderful – a virtual who's-who of the jazz left at the time, at least from an American perspective – with performances from George Lewis, Roscoe Mitchell, Amina Myers, Thurman Barker, Baikida Carroll, Andrew Cyrille, Craig Harris, Stanton Davis, Marty Erlich, Dick Griffin, Cecil Bridgewater, Fred Hopkins, Dierdre Murray, and so many others. The set features 8 full albums, each in a tiny LP-styled sleeve – and titles include Siphumonesty, Mama & Daddy, Blues Forever, Rejoicing With The Light, View From Within, Hearinga Suite, Blu Blu Blu, and Think All Focus One.

Wonderful work from Idris Ackamoor – a great indie set that we'd rank right up there with some of his best recordings of the 70s! The group here is only a quartet, but there's a richness to the sound that's really amazing – a soaringly soulful style that often feels like Idris is working with a larger group – especially given the bold, righteous sound of the music! The rhythm trio is wonderful – Fred Harris on piano, Mark Anthony Williams on bass, and Al Marshall on drums – and Idris plays alto sax throughout, with a sharp edge and fluid tone that shows lots of growth since the 70s. Daria Nile and Rhodessa Jones sing on a few tracks – bringing a nice sort of Strata East vibe to the record – and titles include "Idrissa's Dream", "Topanga", "You", "A Child's Lament", "Spiritual Rebirth", and "A Prayer For Changing Times".