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Early sounds from the Spontaneous Music Ensemble – in this case mostly the duo of John Stevens on percussion and Evan Parker on soprano and tenor – with the bass of Peter Kowald added in on two tracks! The material is quite striking, especially given the vintage – and the interplay between Stevens and Parker is fantastic – with Evan blowing some surprisingly soulful lines at times, almost in a way that echoes some of the AACM reed work of the time from Chicago. Peter Kowald darkens the sound nicely on the two tracks in which he appears – and titles include "First Cousins", "Listening Together 1", "Listening Together 2", "Echo Chamber Music 1", and "Second Cousins".

Possibly the best document you could ever hope to find of the inventive guitar skills of Derek Bailey – a CD that brings together his seminal In Whose Tradition album with rare bonus tracks and unreleased numbers too! The core of the record features Bailey playing solo – both acoustic and electric – using the guitar less like an instrument than as a tool for exploring sound – both those coming from his own hands, and those which echo forth in the space around him! Two more tracks feature Anthony Braxton on flute and sopranino sax, and two others have Bailey in a trio with Kent Carter on bass and John Stevens on drums – and the long CD features tracks that include "Tunnel Hearing", "Rehearsal Extract (area 7)", "Six Fairly Early Pieces", "In Whose Tradition", "Postscript", "A Bit Of The Crust", and "The Last Post (morning)".

Extremely heady work from the French scene of the early 70s – and hardly the Latin Rock album you might guess from the title! Ergo Sum have a sound that's as contemplative as their name – a slow-building, almost brooding blend of jamming, jazzy work on flute, Fender Rhodes, organ, guitar, violin, bass, and drums – all topped by the distinctive vocals of Lionel Ledissez, who's got a raspy, rough-edged appeal that almost sounds like Cat Stevens gone to seed! The lyrics are all in English, which adds to the appeal of the record – and the flute and keyboard parts are handled by Jean Guerin. Titles include "Night Road", "John's Nightmare", "Faces", "Second Rebirth", and "Albdion Impressions". As with all Lion reissues, the production is wonderful – lots of notes and photos on the music, plus bonus tracks that include "Mexico (inst)", "It's Me", "Tijuana", and "All's So Comic".

Two different sets of "saxophone special" recordings from Steve Lacy – each representing a key shift in his style on the European scene of the early 70s, and capturing him before he'd stratified things into the more standard Lacy modes that would come! The first half of the set has Lacy working with a great lineup that features lots of offbeat guitar from Derek Bailey – really sounding wonderfully here next to Steve's soprano sax – plus Steve Potts on alto and soprano, Kent Carter on amplified bass, and John Stevens on percussion. Sounds are sharp and short, often with the energy of some of Lacy's solo performances – but sonically expanded in a quintet setting – and titles include "38", "Flakes", and "Revolutionary Suicide". The second half features a performance from the following year – again with great guitar from Bailey and saxes from Potts – plus additional saxes from Trevor Watts and Evan Parker, and some electronics from Michel Waisvisz, which is a very nice touch. Titles include "Staples", "Dreams", "Swishes", "Sops", and "Snaps". CD features two album's worth of material – and also features the bonus alternate version of "Snaps".

A definite set of bare essentials from the Spontaneous Music Ensemble – especially given that at this point, the group was stripped down to just the duo of John Stevens on percussion and cornet, and Trevor Watts on soprano sax! The material was all recorded live, and the double-length set is an amazing illustration of the genius that Stevens brought to the group – a way of working and reworking a very simple concept – such that the freedom of improvisation was also given a structure, yet one with a logic that would often defy more simplistic conceptions of jazz! The package features a massive 16 previously unissued tracks – a great look at this unique chapter of the group – with titles that include "In The Midlands", "For Phil", "Three Extracts", "Newcastle 72", "Open Flower", and "Opening The Set".

The title here is an apt one – as the SME is a trio on most of these recordings, but augmented by a nice range of players on two of the album's five tracks! The core group features John Stevens on cornet and percussion, Nigel Coombes on violin, and Roger Smith on guitar – working in some relatively subtle sonic space together on their own tracks – but really hitting their stride as the group expands! Added players include Jon Corbett on trumpet, Paul Rutherford on trombone, Trevor Watts and Lol Coxhill on soprano saxes, Howard Riley on piano, and Maggie Nicols on voice – and titles include "Triangle", "Reciprocal", "A Fragment Of Static", and "Newcastle 78A".

Unreleased recordings from that amazing moment when British jazz was really coming into its own – exploring the farther reaches of the avant garde, but in ways that were quite different than American sounds at the time! The lineup here features some of the most inventive London players of the generation– Kenny Wheeler on trumpet and flugelhorn, Paul Rutherford on trombone, Trevor Watts on alto and flute, Evan Parker on soprano and tenor, Barry Guy on bass and piano, and John Stevens on drums and percussion – plus some especially mesmerizing guitar from Derek Bailey on two thirds of the album's tracks. Given the 1966 and 1967 dates, the music is years ahead of its time – and titles include unused tracks for a film soundtrack – "Withdrawal" – plus other Withdrawal tracks, and the longer "Seeing Sounds & Hearing Colours".

The title's a bit confusing, but it'll make a bit more sense once we get through telling you about all the great music on this CD! The core of the disc features the album 4444 – a 1978 London performance from the quartet of John Stevens on drums, Paul Rutherford on tormbone, Evan Parker on soprano and tenor sax, and Barry Guy on bass and electronics – all really feeling their energy strongly together, and working at a level that's some of the fiercest we've heard from this time – clearly all confident enough to improvise at a very frenetic level on most of these numbers. Added to this material are three more tracks that feature the duet of Rutherford and Guy – although this time Rutherford's handling the electronics at points, which really sound great next to Guy's bass – and which, oddly, often have some of the same offbeat tones as his trombone! Last up are two more duet tracks that feature Stevens' drums and Parker's soprano sax – both recorded in London in 1992, and issued here for the first time ever! So essentially, you've got 5 improvised tracks from the original 4444 album, 3 more tracks with Rutherford and Guy, and 2 more with Stevens and Parker – a heck of a lot of music!

Seminal sounds from cornet player Bobby Bradford – a date recorded in the UK in the early 70s, but with all the free-thinking and imaginative energy as his best sessions in LA! The group pits Bobby's horn against three young modernists – Trevor Watts on alto and soprano sax, Kent Carter on bass, and John Stevens on drums – all working in these long-flowing, very rhythmic numbers that lie somewhere between Bradford's work with John Carter, and the early 60s sound of Ornette Coleman. The alto/cornet interplay is especially nice – very mesmerizing over the course of the album's very long tracks – and Watts turns out to be a great musical partner for Bobby. Titles include "Love's Dream", "Coming On", and "Roswita's Dance". CD features bonus tracks ""She", "HM Louis 1", and an alternate take of "Coming On".

Early jazz rock from Bob Downes Open Music – composed and arranged by Downes and not a far cry stylistically as the Electric City LP that came out just a bit earlier – a mix of charged, drum heavy movements and airier flute led tapestries! The mood shifting dynamic makes the record pretty exciting, as does the stellar musicianship and imaginative compositions that fearlessly resist categorization. Downes plays different flutes plus sax, bels and tam tam, with Dennis Smith and John Stevens on drums, Harry Miller on bass and Chris Spedding on guitar. Titles include "Dream Journey: "A Score For Blind Sight By The Ballet Rambert", "Integration", "Contact", "Ghosts In Space", "Sesert Haze" and "Electric City".

A classic statement from the Spontaneous Music duo of John Stevens on percussion and cornet and Trevor Watts on soprano sax – music that definitely lives up to the "spontaneous" name, and which is clearly improvised throughout! The material was all recorded live, but with a sensitivity that really lets the more subtle moments come through – although given the sometime frenzy between the drums and soprano, the larger appeal here is almost the more intense moments! Tracks are all titled "Face To Face" – and the set features seven numbers in all – plus three bonus tracks not on the original album.

Way more than the trad jazz and bebop you might guess from the title – as the set's an incredible compilation of unreleased British jazz treasures – mostly from the 60s, and showing the London scene in the grip of some very formative years! In the immediate postwar years, UK jazz was a pretty straight and tight thing – but as the 60s approached, the sound of London really opened up – not just because of a huge influx of key post-colonial players, but also because the locals were really gaining confidence, and trying out a wealth of new styles on their own – styles that explode wonderfully here, in a mix of 60s modern styles that's really incredible. All tracks here are pulled from the archives of the artists, and many capture key players at periods we haven't heard this strongly before – with work by a quintet with Mike Taylor on piano and Dave Tomlin on tenor; a quintet with Henry Lowther on trumpet, Lyn Dobson on tenor, Tony Hymas on piano, and Harry Miller on bass; a septet with John Stevens on drums, Kenny Wheeler on flugelhorn, Alan Skidmore on tenor, and Ray Warleigh on alto; a quintet with Joe Harriott on alto and Kenny Wheeler on flugelhorn; a quartet with Mike Osborne on alto and John Surman on baritone; Amancio D'Silva on guitar with the quintet of Don Rendell and Ian Carr; a quartet with Lol Coxhill on soprano sax and Steve Miller on piano, and work by groups that include Elton Dean's Just Us, Gary Windo's Symbiosis, and Graham Collier Music.

Lovely work from singer Michael Johnson – an obscure American vocalist from the mid 70s, with a sweetly folksy style that recalls the work of Cat Stevens, Paul Simon, or James Taylor, but which has a sense of depth that's all its own! The set is done in a lightly folksy style that also has some jazzy overtones – with Johnson on acoustic guitar alongside his vocals, and working with some nicely fuller arrangements. Titles include "OB Glad", "Our Snowflake Dreams", "Ain't Dis Da Life", "High On The Border", and "Mr Arthur's Place".

Early work, and one of the hardest to find albums by Johnny Hammond Smith – a sweet set of easy-going grooves, with a wonderful late night soul jazz approach! The feel here is very much in the mode of work by Jimmy Smith from the time – grooving by a rhythm group that includes Thornel Schwartz on guitar and Leo Stevens on drums, and freely styled solos by Johnny over the top! Titles include "Easy Like", "All Soul", "Secret Love", and "Sweet Cookies".

A pair of great Nancy Wilson albums from the mid 70s in a single set! All In Love Is Far is a sophisticated album of soul tracks arranged and produced by Gene Page, in a string-heavy, slightly-funky style that reminds us of Gene's work with Barry White at the time. The tracks are all pretty hip – and include titles written by Stevie Wonder, Johnny Guitar Watson, Thom Bell & Linda Creed, Billy Page, and Tennyson Stevens. No standout singles, but plenty of nice moments, and a good side of Nancy's career that isn't always given that much exposure. Titles include "Tell The Truth", "Try It, You'll Like It", "All In Love Is Fair", "There'll Always Be Forever", and "You're As Right As Rain". Come Get To This is a real sweet soul gem from '75. It also has arrangements and production by Gene and Billy Page – who give the record a great smooth 70s soul finish, and a feel that's a lot more unified than some of her other efforts from the decade. Nancy sings some great versions of "If I Ever Lose This Heaven" and "Come Get To This", plus the original tracks "Houdini Of The Midnight Hour", "Like A Circle Never Stops", "Boogeyin All The Way", and "Happy Tears".

Sublime Hammond from Johnny Smith – a pair of early albums for Riverside, back to back on a single CD! Black Coffee is one of Johnny Hammond's first albums – and a cooking little live set that really has the organist working with some early raw power! The group's a trio, but they seem to burn differently than some of the other organ combos of the time – maybe with that fluid sensibility that Johnny brought to his keys, and which would later open up in even more famous ways. The core group features Eddie McFadden on guitar and Leo Stevens on drums – but they're joined by Seldon Powell on tenor for more than half the album, who really opens things up with his tremendous playing – and shows at an early state that Johnny Hammond always knows the right way to use a horn player. Titles include "Monterey Theme", "Far Away Places", "I Remember Clifford", "He's A Real Gone Guy", and "Rufus Toofus". Mr Wonderful is a record that definitely lives up to its title – reminding us not only that Johnny Hammond Smith is one hell of an organist, but also a great leader with a really unique feel for a groove! The set's noteworthy not just for Johnny's own work on Hammond, but also for the presence of a young Houston Person – blowing tenor here in a way that's breathtaking right from the start – a bold, soulful tone that's a perfect fit for the group – which also includes trumpet from Johnny Williams and guitar from Eddie McFadden. The set includes a lot of tasty originals by Johnny – like "Cyra", "Lambert's Lounge", "Departure", and "Opus 2" – and already shows the way that Hammond was complicating his groove from that of other players of the time!

A sweet double-header from Johnny Hammond Smith – 2 early albums on a single CD! All Soul is one of the hardest to find albums by Johnny Hammond Smith – a sweet set of easy-going grooves, with a wonderful late night soul jazz approach! The feel here is very much in the mode of work by Jimmy Smith from the time – grooving by a rhythm group that includes Thornel Schwartz on guitar and Leo Stevens on drums, and freely styled solos by Johnny over the top! Titles include "Easy Like", "All Soul", "Secret Love", and "Sweet Cookies". That Good Feelin features some very early work as a leader from Hammond hero Johnny Hammond Smith! There's a slight R&B undercurrent on some of the cuts – that formative organ sound before the smoother styles of the 60s soul jazz years – and Smith's got help from Thornel Schwartz on guitar, who'd played famously with another Smith – Jimmy – plus George Tucker on bass and Leo Stevens on drums. Titles include the originals "Puddin" and "That Good Feelin" – plus "My Funny Valentine", "I'll Remember April", and "Billie's Bounce".