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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 both albums on the set – a really timeless feel that blends together strains of avant instrumentation underneath the gentler sound of Rapp's voice, and an undying sadness that resonates throughout. Both albums are tremendous, and titles include "Another Time", "Playmate", "I Shall Not Care", "The Surrealist Waltz", "Trumpeter Landfrey", "There Was A Man", "Guardian Angel", "Ring Thing", "Lepers & Roses", "Florence Nightingale", and "Morning Song".

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.

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 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!

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".

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".

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".

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.

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".

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 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".

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".

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".

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".

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".

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!

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".

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".

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".

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 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".

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".

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".

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 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".

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 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".

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".

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".

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".

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".

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 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".

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".

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".

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".

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!

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".

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!

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!

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.

A rare non-Sun Ra session from bassist Ronnie Boykins! Boykins was one of Ra's most long-term players – a key part of the Arkestra for many years – but on this album, he hits a totally different sound –and one that's somewhat spiritual as well! The group's got a great sax-heavy sound that comes from a trio of reedmen – Monty Waters, Joe Ferguson, and James Vass – handling alto, tenor, soprano, and flute between them – often in a tight line at the head, then breaking out into some wonderfully personal solos – played with such feeling that almost makes us think that Boykins was a much more sensitive musician than he ever got the chance to be with Sun Ra. The tunes have a really beautiful sense of structure and soul – and the reedmen explode beautifully with their work, alongside a remaining lineup that features Daoud Haroom on trombone, Art Lewis on percussion, and George Avaloz on congas. Titles include "Tipping On Heels", "The Third I", "The Will Come, Is Now", "Starlight At The Wonder Inn", and "Demon's Dance".

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 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 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".

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".

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".

A bold statement from the Free Music Ensemble – a power trio featuring Ken Vandermark on reeds, Nate McBride on bass, and Paal Nilssen-Love on drums! The group work in a full-on mode that recalls the early power of the FMP scene, or some of the most striking work on ESP from the 60s – but given Vandermark's influence, they've also got a more open sensibility – clear in the shift from passage to passage of the album's numbered tracks, dedicated to influential heroes that include Peter Brotzmann, Paul Lytton, Joe Morris, and Joe McPhee.

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".

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".

Mingus live is always a treat – especially in these later years, when the fire seemed to go out of most of his studio recordings. Live, though, he always managed to kick it hard - with the sort of emotion that graced his strong early albums. And despite the fact that this one's conducted by Teo Macero, and features some remarks from Bill Cosby – the affair's still pretty hip, and the soloists go to town nicely. Gene Ammons, Charles McPherson, Lonnie Hillyer, Jon Faddis, and Lee Konitz are some of the best soloists – and Honey Gordon sings a lovely vocal on the track "Eclipse". Other titles include "Jump Monk", "Us Is Two", "ESP", and "Ecclusiastics".

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".

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 second Logan LP for ESP, one of the very few recordings of his work available at all. Heplays reeds alongside Don Pullen, Milford Graves, Reggie Johnson and Eddie Gomez, with 4 lengthy pieces, all very much in the ESP mode: "Mantu", "Shebar", "Curve Eleven" – actually a piano solo by Logan, and "Wretched Saturday".

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 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".

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".

An amazing document of the California underground scene of the 70s – four volumes worth of material from the Los Angeles Free Music Society – recorded by a range of different artists who were all invited to contribute cheaply to a series of Blorp Esette albums! The range of work here is really massive – and in a way, the whole thing comes together more as a sound collage than anything else – some highly arty music mixed with trippier rock sounds, bits of roots, avant sound experimentation, and more – all coming across with a style that's incredibly fierce, kind of post-hippie, pre-CA hardcore – a slice of the west coast that's really been lost to time. There's definitely strains here of some of the SF scene that you'll find in the Ralph Records world – but much of it is a lot more obscure too, and there's almost a west coast version of the East Village/ESP sound going down too. 4CDs worth of work, and way too much to list here – but we can say that contributors include The Doo Dooettes, Ju Suk Reet Meate, Anne Harney, Reverend Marty Nation, Smegma, Nopar King, South Pasedena Free Music Ensemble, Ace & Duce, Bix Flent, Christian Death, Dennis Duck, Henry Kaiser, Mr Foon, Electric Willy Trio, The Patients, Ed Barger, and many others.

A beautiful date from bassist Josh Abrams – a player who's lent his soulful talents to so many great Chicago sessions over the past decade or two – really coming into his own as a leader! Josh has this deeply spiritual approach to his instrument – a style that, back when he first started making waves in Chicago in the 90s, nobody else was really handling that well – a mode that goes back to older players like Malachi Favors, Larry Ridley, or even Bill Lee – all of whose 70s work would be a good comparison for Abrams' energy. Here, he really shows his rich vision, and unfolds some excellent original compositions – tunes that have an airy spirituality, and which are played beautifully with like-minded Chicagoans – a quartet with David Boykin on tenor, Jason Adasiewicz on vibes, and Frank Rosaly on drums. The vibes and bass are especially wonderful together – and titles include "Bottom Goes The Moon", "Unknown Known", "Settle Down", "Look Through It", and "Leavening".

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".

Finally – the complete story of The Ad Libs – a group known for their classic singles of the 60s, but one who never issued a full-length album of their own! This great little set more than corrects that fact – by bringing together 9 rare singles for the Blue Cat label, plus another 14 previously unissued tracks – including some rare acapella demos, alternate versions, and tracks that never made it onto vinyl back in the 60s! The issued singles alone are great – a beautiful blend of one gal and four guy singers, handled with a style that's on the rougher edge of the New York style of soul at the time. And when you hit the demo material, the vocals really take off – since there's no studio instrumentation at all, and the harmonies are left to handle all the rhythm and melody chores as well. These demo tracks are really wonderful, with a feel that's almost like old school vocal harmony soul – and have us respecting the group even more than ever. Titles include "Kicked Around", "Ask Anybody", "On The Corner", "The Slime", "Johnny My Boy", "I'm Just A Down Home Girl", and "The Boy From New York City" – plus "You'll Always Be In Style", and demo versions of "Strange Things", "The Tide Has Turned", "Santa's On His Way", "Oo Wee Oh Me Oh My", "Come On & Help Me", and "Kicked Around".

A jazzy portrait of Cannonball Adderley in his early soul jazz prime – oddly one that doesn't feature his regular quintet lineup, but which more than makes up for that lack with a batch of players that includes Blue Mitchell on trumpet, Bill Evans on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums! Given the personnel, the record's almost kind of a transition from Cannon's brief time with Miles Davis into his tighter more soul-inflected group to come – and Evans' piano provides an especially spacious sensibility here, one that marks the time spent with Miles nicely. Titles include "Nardis", "A Little Taste", "Minority", and "Blue Funk". CD features 3 bonus tracks!

A strong showcase for young Nat Adderley's talents on cornet – and an album that's got a different feel that his work with his more famous brother's combo at the same time! The style here is simple – Nat blowing with 2 different quartets – one with Joe Zawinul on piano, Sam Jones on bass, and Louis Hayes on drums (all from Cannonball's group) – the other with the rhythm section of Wynton Kelly on piano, Paul Chambers on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums. Despite's Nat's reputation as a gutbuckety soul jazz player, he actually gets in some nicely lyrical licks in this set – blowing in a soulful modern style that almost recalls the work of Carmell Jones at times! Titles include "Chloe", "Images", "Scotch & Water", and "Naturally".

One of the best-ever Nat Adderley albums, and a damn funky set of tracks that has a tight soulful feel! The session's got a similar feel to some of the other rare late 60s Milestone albums (like the 2 killers by Bobby Timmons!) – especially in that it's got a group that plays with the fullness of a larger ensemble, and who race in and out nicely, to support the funky solos of the leader. Of course, some of the other players are pretty darn nice in the solo department too – like Joe Henderson on tenor, Jeremy Steig on fluge, and Joe Zawinu on piano – and they also manage to keep a tight rhythmic groove throughout. Titles include "The Scavenger", "Sweet Emma", "Rise Sally Rise", and "Menlat".

A great step forward for the Afro Latin Vintage Orchestra – even better than their previous album, and a set that beautifully mixes together jazz, Latin, and African elements into one seamless groove! Percussionist Masta Conga is at the head of the group – leading the ensemble with a unique vision that's less of the overdone Afro Funk you might know from other contemporary combos – and more of a classic 60s blend of elements – especially that unique hybrid of Latin modes you'd get from west coast groups – like the Afro Latin Soultet or Afro Blues Quintet – both clear choices of inspiration, given this group's name! Yet there's also some 70s elements moving through the grooves too – thanks to great Fender Rhodes lines, and bits of other keyboards too – often used in these cool spare ways that work perfectly with the mix of funk and Latin in the rhythms, and occasional bits of strings as well. Most tracks are instrumental, although there are a bit of vocals on the set – and titles include "Requiem Pour Un Grooveur", "Petrof Sublimination", "Onze De France", "Gibbon's Dub", and "Dimension 7".

Toshiko Akioshi makes a trip back to the Japanese jazz scene in the early 60s – for this great little session that has her meeting up with "old pals" from previous years – including Sadao Watanabe on alto sax, Akira Miyazawa on tenor, and Hideo Shiraki on drums! The reunion is a really great one – just the kind of session that stands out as special in the careers of all artists involved – especially Toshiko, who seems to have hit a new level of maturity in her work! The style here is essentially hardbop, but brought together with some well-penned head arrangements that hint at the more sophisticated directions Akikoshi would take in her later years – yet still preserve all the boppish spontaneity of her youth. The set's on a par with the best on Blue Note or Impulse in the US at the time – and is key proof that at the right moments, the Japanese jazz scene of the early 60s was really something to rave about! Titles include "Quebec", "Old Pals", "Watasu No Biethovin", "So What", and "The Night Has A Thousand Eyes".

A wonderful album from the team of Toshiko Akioshi and Charlie Mariano – a set that was only ever issued in Japan, and which we like a fair bit more than their better-known US album for Candid! The group here is the same as that one – with Charlie Mariano on alto sax, Toshiko Akioshi on piano, Eugene Chirico on bass, and Albert Heath on drums – but the sound is a lot more focused, and often a bit more swinging – with some especially great emphasis on Mariano's magnificent tone – nicely rough-edged at this point in his career, but still strongly inside – with none of the overindulgence of later years. Charlie cuts through the tunes brilliantly – and Toshiko's got a great mix of bop and modern tones in her piano work. And even though the first half of the set list is tunes from West Side Story, the quartet make them cook like you've never heard before – really taking off with a new sort of energy that's totally great! Titles include "Tonight", "America", "Cool", "Plaisir D'Amour", "Malaguena", and "Oleo".

Eric Alexander in a perfect setting – working here with a rock-solid group of familiar players who are perfect for his soulful tenor sound! The album's got a gentle, ballad-heavy approach – but even so, the groove is superb, and right in the pocket right from the start – with Harold Mabern on piano, John Webber on bass, and Joe Farnsworth on drums – a trio who've worked often with Alexander over the years, and really know the right sort of modes to bring out the fullest feeling in his horn! Eric himself just gets better and better with age – a player who was already great in the early years, but who seems to get an even deeper sense of feeling as he matures – doing more with less, and shading in some especially great sounds on the ballads in the set. Titles include "Dinner For One Please James", "I'm Glad There Is You", "Oh Girl", "Touching", "Gone Too Soon", and "September Of My Years".

Incredible early work from Lorez Alexandria – the kind of albums that instantly set her apart from other singers of the 50s, reissued here properly for the first time in years! On This Is Lorez, the singer is working with sublime small combo backings from the group of pianist King Fleming – an unusual Chicago ensemble that includes Wilber Wynn on guitar, Ronald Wilson on flute and oboe, Vernel Fournier on drums, and Audrey Jones on bongos – a musical lineup that brings in a different sort of sophistication to the record, shading tunes with moody colors on flute and oboe that perfectly support Alexandria's soulful and sensitive interpretations of the tunes. The whole thing is pure genius, and a key look at the new levels of sophistication that were bubbling everywhere on the Chicago scene during the years of Jamal and Sun Ra. Lorez Sings Pres follows in a very similar mode – with backing by a Chicago group that again includes King Fleming piano, plus Charles Stepney on vibes, Paul Serrano on trumpet, and Vernel Fournier on drums – an extremely hip lineup that makes the record far more than just the Lester Young tribute promised in the title! But despite the instrumentalists, the real star on all sides is Alexandria – who sings with dark tones and deep colors that go far beyond conventional jazz vocals – all carried off with that slightly breathy mode that was one more unique aspect of her work! CD features all tracks from both albums – a total of 22 titles that include "Snowstorm", "I'm Glad There Is You", "The Sky Is Crying", "I'm Making Believe", "Necessity", "Penthouse Serenade", "DB Blues", "This Year's Kisses", "Easy Living", "No Eyes Blues", "Jumping With Symphony Sid", and a key early reading of "Baltimore Oriole".

A massive amount of early work by The Animals – brought together in one overstuffed package with some unreleased tracks as well! The group here have a great rough sound – much more bluesy than in later years, which turns out to be a perfect setting for the young Eric Burdon – whose vocals soar out wonderfully over a mix of original tunes and remakes of American classics by folks like Ray Charles, John Lee Hooker, Sam Cooke, Bo Diddley, and others! Producer Mickie Most really knows how to keep the right sort of edge on the tunes – lots of raw power in the instrumentation, especially the Hammond and guitar – and a stark, dark quality to Eric's vocals that went onto become the stuff of legend. Package features 40 tracks in all – with titles that include "I Believe To My Soul", "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood", "Club A Go Go", "For Miss Caulker", "Feel", "Boom Boom", "Don't Want Much", "It's My Life", "House Of The Rising Sun", "We've Gotta Get Out Of This Place", and "I'm Gonna Change The World".

Soprano voice and four different saxophones – a really unusual combination, with sparkling musical results! The title's a bit hokey, but the record's got a wonderfully fresh feel – angular lines from this Dutch sax quartet – very much in the best spirit of 80s experiments in the style – but mixed with wonderful lead vocals from Claron McFadden – a singer with an amazing range, and one who sings both lyrics and wordless passages on the record! The voice is often used as a fifth instrument on the record – combining beautifully with the sounds of the reed players, in a mode that works especially well without any piano, bass, or drums. The record's unlike anything we've heard before – and titles include "Aux Anges", "Burns Blues", "Beyonzz", "Breathe In Breathe Out", "Ode To A Mouse", "Karpuz", and "Claron's Song".

Fantastic dreamy pop! Despite the fact that this one yielded the super-huge hits "Windy" and "Never My Love", the album's also filled with great 60s pop tunes that you've probably never heard before – all as fantastically well-crafted and delicately strung-out as the big hits. The Association were truly one of the greatest 60s pop harmony groups to come out of the LA scene – and even a big hit album like this is the kind of gem that you'd spend years digging through rare vinyl to hope to find! Other titles include "Happiness Is", "On A Quiet Night", "We Love Us", "Reputation", and "Requiem For The Masses". This great expanded mono edition has 10 bonus tracks (!!!): "Autumn Afternoon", "Windy (Mono 45)", "Requiem For The Masses (Mono 45)", "Sometime (Instrumental)", "We Love Us (Instrumental)" and more.

The title's certainly right on this one – because Atlantic Starr serve up a really brilliant blend of electro funk and mainstream soul – balanced with that near-perfect sound that made them one of the best groups of their generation! Despite the size of the combo, the sound is relatively lean – a very focused balance of basslines, keyboards, and some tightly snapping 80s groove rhythms – served up with vocals that warmly cascade over the tops of the tunes, but usually take a second seat to the extremely compelling instrumentation. The sound is polished, but never too slick – and the group are a great example of how well soul from this time could sound when done just the right way! Titles include "Love Me Down", "Sexy Dancer", "Circles", "Love Moves", "Your Love Finally Ran Out", and "You're The One".

An incredible album by Roy Ayers – but one that's often overlooked because it was a rare indie effort issued between Roy's years at Polydor and Columbia! The session's Roy's only full album for Uno Melodic – the label he formed to showcase the talents of Sylvia Striplin, Ladies Of The Eighties, and others – and it's done in a snapping, boogie-styled groove that's very similar to the work by other Uno acts at the time. There's still plenty of the late Polydor Roy in the mix too – especially on the album's mellower numbers, which glide along nicely with all the right jazzy touches we love in a classic Ayers groove! Highlights include the excellent "Chicago", a really dark funk track with a mad descending groove; the Fela-styled "Black Family"; the warmly jazzy "Lots Of Love", an instrumental with vibes along strings; and the bass bumping "Everybody", a wicked later funk number! Other tracks include "And Then We Were One", "DC City", "Drive", and "Fast Money" – all great too!

Roy Ayers in a tight mid 80s funk mode – commanding a modern vibe really well, especially with his vibes so prominent in the sound! Although the sound's a step or two more modern than the Polydor years, Roy still sounds great – and he grooves nicely on this batch of tracks that mix his older jazz funk style with an 80s groove sound that has slight touches of electro. This mix of modes is really unique for the time, with Roy embracing the new school without completely letting go of his trailblazing personal approach. Jean Carn sings lead vocals on the cut "Can I See You", and the album also includes the nice stepper "Programmed For Love", plus "Virgo", "Night Flyte", and "For You", a smooth mellow cut that's got great vocals by Roy! This 2012 FTG edition features the rare single versions as bonus tracks – 6 in all, including "Programmed For Love (12" Extended Version)", "Hot (12" Version)", "Hot (Dub Mix)", "Slip N' Slide (7" Version) and more.

Warm, wonderful, and incredibly far-reaching in scope – possibly the most ambitious record cut by Azymuth in recent years – a perfect blend of jazzy fusion, Brazilian rhythms, and some of the London broken beat culture that the group have come into contact with through their label, Far Out. The sound is clean and spare – a dance between percussion and keyboards that reminds us how great Azymuth can sound when they keep things simple. A few cuts have vocals, but the overall approach is instrumental – and the record features production and programming by Roc Hunter, and was recorded by Kirk Degiorgio. Titles include "Tempo Classico", "Em Marica", "Partido Novo", "Sudade Do Doutor", "Nome Dele E Joan", "Algoado Doce", and "Rede De Espera". CD has 12 tracks in all.

A mid 60s spy soundtrack by Luis Bacalov – and a mighty one it is! OSS-77 Operazione Fior Di Loto has sequences ranging from a heavy, dramatic sweep, to strings & keys-spun tension, loungey jazz, eerie organ, bits of bossa and beyond – in other words, a pitch perfect and full scale Euro espionage adventure soundtrack! Fine, fine work from soundtrack master Bacalov! Include the opening and closing themes, with 20 sequences on the title "Oss-77 Operazione Fior Di Loto" in between.

A dark little western soundtrack from Luis Bacalov – one that's quite brooding overall, despite a rather catchy vocal tune on the title! There's some very odd instrumentation here – watery piano lines, floating bits of guitar, off-tuned strings – all used at different intervals, and in different ways – without as strongly of a unified feel as other albums of this nature. But it's those shifting sounds that make the record great – always creating an unsettling sort of mood, and one that's almost always in the darker, starker side of the spectrum. CD features a whopping 37 tracks in all – including 2 vocal renditions of the "Django" theme by Rocky Roberts, and 2 more by Roberto Fia – plus loads of instrumentals from the film!

An Italian film set in the US – also released under the title Black Is Beautiful, with some sweet funky sounds to match! Half the record's got the usual bag from Luiz Bacalov – numbers that echo his Italian soundtrack roots, especially the comedic side – but these cuts are mixed with sharper, funkier numbers that clearly represent some of the American scenes of action – all scored nicely in a way that's not exactly blacksploitation funk, but which has some of the best Italian sound library grooves in place! The set features 24 tracks from the film – and also features some sweet harmonica lines from Franco De Gemini!

A Brazilian underground classic from the early 70s – mindblowing work that mixes heavy percussion with lots of guitar – in a style that's samba soul one minute, but heavier rock the next! There's a bit of a Jorge Ben influence going on at times – particularly in the way the record uses quickly-strummed acoustic guitar next to the earthy rhythms – but the overall sound is also a bit more fragile at times, and rougher around the edges, especially at its most expressive moments. But that quality only serves to make the album more striking – an instantly captivating set that needs no previous cultural knowledge at all! Really tremendous stuff – the kind of lost treasure that will have you scratching your head, but loving it at the same time! Titles include "Apelo", "Grinfa Louca", "A Mente", "Tramba", "Madalena", "Mensageiro", "Cristina", "Olhar Animal", and "Microfones Metalicos".

Blistering sounds from Ballister – quite possibly the fiercest album so far from this key Chicago group – and that's saying a lot, given the intensity of their previous work! The trio really seem to know each other intimately by this point – so that they can really let loose, and explore a great range of sounds from the saxes of Dave Rempis, drums of Paal Nilssen-Love, and the cello, guitar, and electronics of Fred Lonberg-Holm! The album's an especially great illustration of the way that Fred's really opened up his energy level in recent years – and become a much more organic player, with a confidence in his sounds we never would have expected a decade ago. Rempis is masterful on alto, tenor, and baritone – blowing with a boldness that puts him firmly in line with a range of Chicago improvisers – and Paal's visiting drum work really pushes the whole thing forward strongly. Titles include "Cockloft", "Smolder", and "Phantom Box System".

A Syd Barrett treasure trove – and an essential compilation of unreleased work that's a much-needed companion to Barrett's classic albums for EMI! The material here is all from the years 1968 to 1970 – tracks recorded before, during, and around the sessions that later became The Madcap Laughs and Barrett – but which often also show a wider-ranging side of Syd's talents, especially on the few demo recordings – which offer an even more personal glimpse of the artist trying to find his way. Instrumentation is a bit more acoustic than on Barrett's full albums, but even the acoustic guitar is played with these dark tones that have the same sinister quality as the chords he brought to Pink Floyd – maybe even more striking here without any fuzz, as they resonate alongside Syd's offbeat lyrics. Titles include "Rats", "Golden Hair", "Opel", "Clowns & Jugglers", "Birdie Hop", "Let's Spilt", and "Swan Lee". Features a number of bonus alternate takes – added to the original core lineup of 14 tracks from the 1988 release of Opel.