One of the heaviest electric sets from UK trumpeter Ian Carr – and that's really saying a lot, given how much heavy work he cut with his group Nucleus! The sound here is a groundbreaking mix of acoustic horns and keyboards – trumpet from Carr, and a mix of tenor, soprano, alto, and flute from Brian Smith – coming into contact with the Fender Rhodes of Dave MacRae and the Hohner electric of Gordon Beck! The pairing of keys is wonderful – and the whole thing is sewn together by the guitar of a young Allan Holdsworth, who's very much in the sway of Carr's sound here, instead of the later directions he'd take as a leader. The set might be worth it alone for the massive "Summer Rain" – a slow funk track that trips along beautifully – but the whole thing's great, and other titles include "Belladonna", "Mayday", "Suspension", and "Hector's House". LP, Vinyl record album

Miles Davis makes the electric transition – in this groundbreaking set from the late 60s! The classic mid 60s quintet is still in place here – Wayne Shorter on tenor, Herbie Hancock on piano, Ron Carter on bass, and Tony Williams on drums – but the sound is looser, freer, and more spacious – often echoing some of the rhythmic concerns that would dominate Miles' music in a few more years, but without as much of a bombastic sound. Williams' drums are amazing – fierce one minute, then fading the next – and Herbie Hancock's use of both electric and acoustic piano really points at his own directions in coming years. George Benson plays one one track – "Paraphernalia" – introducing electric guitar to the Miles Davis sound – and other long tracks on the set include "Stuff", "Black Comedy", and "Country Son". LP, Vinyl record album

The group's listed here as the Double Quintet of trumpeter Ian Carr, but the sound is right next to the best work of his Nucleus group for Vertigo Records – a groundbreaking blend of jazz and electric elements, served up in a style that's very different from American work of the time! At one level, Carr and his group mates have this sophisticated style that's awash in complicated colors and very rich tones – but at another, they're able to open up and really let things fly – not really in prog directions, or avant improvisation either – but with a very freewheeling spirit that has Ian and the group exploding with new ideas all the way through! Other players include Harry Beckett on trumpet, Brian Smith on tenor and soprano, Tony Roberts on tenor and bass clarinet, and the electric core of Chris Spedding on guitar, Ron Matthewson on electric bass, and Karl Jenkins on electric piano – on long takes of tracks that include "Element 1", "Bedrock Deadlock", "Torso", "Snakehips Dream", and "Spirit Level". First-ever release – pulled from a well-recorded radio session in 1970! LP, Vinyl record album

An early gem from trumpeter Tom Browne – a set that not only firmly established Browne as one of the best young players of his generation, but which also paved the way for a whole new direction for jazz funk in the 80s! The record is a perfect example of how great the mix of R&B rhythms and jazz fusion instrumentation could be – groovy enough to capture a whole new audience from the soul market, but still more than respectful of the solo talents of the leader – but all without any attempt at smooth jazz commercialism at all! There's some great hard funk moments on the set – and Browne approaches the music in a way that's nicely different than Donald Byrd or Freddie Hubbard, two older players who first helped forge this sound in the 70s – and whose path Tom's clearly taking, but with new directions of his own. There's almost more of a street-worthy vibe to the set – quite a surprise if you only know later records on the GRP label – and the arrangements are by Tom, Weldon Irvine, Lesette Wilson, and Dave Grusin. Titles include the funky classic "Funkin' For Jamaica", plus "Her Silent Smile", "Moon Rise", "Nocturne", "Forever More", and "Weak In The Knees". LP, Vinyl record album

There's nothing "silent" here – as the album's a bold entry in the electric years of Miles Davis – one that still features contributions from Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Tony Williams – but which also expands the lineup considerably – really reaching out towards the sound of Bitches Brew! Herbie's on electric keys here, working alongside Chick Corea and Joe Zawinul, who really help increase the flow of the tunes and enforce the "directions in music" stated on the cover of the set! Shorter's on soprano sax, playing in an even more angular way – and Dave Holland is on bass, replacing the sound of Ron Carter, getting some rhythmic assistance at times from John McLaughlin, whose sound really helps to shape the record! Titles include 2 side-long tracks – "Shhh/Peaceful" and "In A Silent Way/It's About Time" – both long, and both beautiful! LP, Vinyl record album

A nice late Blue Note change from Herbie Hancock – a very different album than his previous sets for the label – in that it features a slightly larger group, and a sound that really points the way towards his directions in the 70s! There's a slightly ambitious feel to some of these cuts – not in a way that's over-arranged, but just a new sort of thinking for Herbie's kind of groove – a mode that's partially informed by the seriousness of 60s jazz soundtracks, but which also has the beginnings of some more righteous modes of expression too. Players are all great – and include Joe Henderson on tenor and flute, Johnny Coles on flugelhorn, Garnett Brown on trombone, Hubert Laws on flute, Jerome Richardson on bass clarinet, Buster Williams on bass, and Tootie Heath on drums. Herbie plays both acoustic and electric piano – using the latter here in one of his first recordings on the instrument – and titles include "Firewater", "I Have A Dream", "The Prisoner", and "He Who Lives In Fear". LP, Vinyl record album

Sun Ra's first album as a leader – originally issued on the Transition label, but presented here in its better-known incarnation by Delmark Records! Even at this early point, Ra had a sound unlike any of his contemporaries – large group and modern, but not in a way that showed any similarities to work going on in New York or LA – a voice that was all his own, and already quite boldly stated, even in these early years! The format might be somewhat familiar – an ensemble with horns and rhythm – but the overall execution really starts to open up as the album moves on – with odd phrasings, timings, and unusual moments that live up to all the promise you might expect from Ra. Even Mingus and some of his better-known contemporaries weren't heading in these directions in the mid 50s – and the record is a proud showcase of the freedoms that players were often accorded in the less-trafficked Chicago scene of the time. Horns include Art Hoyle & Dave Young on trumpets, John Gilmore on tenor sax, Pat Patrick on baritone, Julian Priester on trombone, and James Scales on alto sax – and rhythm includes Jim Herndon on tympani, Robert Barry on drums, Wilbur Green on electric bass, and a young Richard Evans on acoustic bass! Titles include "Brainville", "Call For All Demons", "Transition", "Lullaby For Realville", "Street Named Hell", "New Horizons", "Fall Off The Long", "Possession", and "Future". LP, Vinyl record album

An amazing live performance from Sonny Rollins – one we'd rank right up there with his legendary Village Vanguard recordings on Blue Note – thanks to its stripped-down trio presentation, and its ability to let Rollins open up in some wonderfully modern tones! As with the Vanguard sides, these tracks feature a superb trio – Henry Grimes on bass and Pete LaRoca on drums – both wonderfully loose players, at the start of a budding legacy of creativity – and well-matched with Rollins, whose really changing his sound and style, and using the open space of the performance to move in directions that nobody would have expected at the start of the decade. Most tracks are standards, but really transformed – and titles include "Paul's Pal", "St Thomas", "There Will Never Be Another You", "Stay As Sweet As You Are", "How High The Moon", "Oleo", and "I've Told Every Little Star". LP, Vinyl record album

A set that not only features an amazing and well-recorded live set by the early version of Weather Report – but one that also features them joined by a few great European jazz musicians as well! The core of the album has the quintet at their finest – playing in the TV studio featured on the cover, with incredible sound that's captured beautifully – as the group stretch out on really long takes that move past their studio genius of the time – served up by Wayne Shorter on soprano sax and tenor, Joe Zawinul on electric and acoustic piano, Miroslav Vitous on bass, Alphonse Mouzon on drums, and Dom Um Romao on percussion. And on one very long track, the group are joined by some amazing additional players – John Surman on soprano sax and bass clarinet, Alan Skidmore on flute and tenor, and Eje Thelin on trombone – really helping the group open up the tune "Directions". Other titles include "Eurydice", "Morning Lake", "Orange Lady", "Dr Honoris Causa", "I Would Like To Tell", and "Early Minor". LP, Vinyl record album

There's nothing "silent" here – as the album's a bold entry in the electric years of Miles Davis – one that still features contributions from Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, and Tony Williams – but which also expands the lineup considerably – really reaching out towards the sound of Bitches Brew! Herbie's on electric keys here, working alongside Chick Corea and Joe Zawinul, who really help increase the flow of the tunes and enforce the "directions in music" stated on the cover of the set! Shorter's on soprano sax, playing in an even more angular way – and Dave Holland is on bass, replacing the sound of Ron Carter, getting some rhythmic assistance at times from John McLaughlin, whose sound really helps to shape the record! Titles include 2 side-long tracks – "Shhh/Peaceful" and "In A Silent Way/It's About Time" – both long, and both beautiful! LP, Vinyl record album

A rare gem that's worth all the attention it's bound to get over the years – never-issued material from the legendary John Coltrane Quartet – an instrumental session recorded at Rudy Van Gelder's studio on the day before his famous record with singer Johnny Hartman – completely fantastic throughout! The material here shows the group really starting to stretch out – Impressions would be their next record to follow, and its spirit is certainly in place here – as Coltrane blows magnificently on tenor and soprano sax, alongside McCoy Tyner on piano, Jimmy Garrison on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. There's a few tunes that the group would fix on later, but which sound very different in this context – and there's even a few excellent numbers that didn't even receive titles at the time of recording. Tracks include "Untitled Original 11383", "Untitled Original 11386", "Slow Blues", "One Up One Down", "Vilia", "Impressions", and a short version of "Nature Boy". 2LP version features 7 more alternate takes – some very different! LP, Vinyl record album

Nicely complicated work from Scottish jazz composer David Mack and one of the original Lansdowne Series recordings – a set that almost has some of the same sharp changes and breakout solos of the best Mingus music from the time! The ensemble here is a British one – with some great trumpet and flugelhorn from the legendary Shake Keane, plus tenor from Gordon Lewin, alto from Al Baum, and soprano sax from Ralph Bruce – all of whom come together beautifully in some well-crafted sound patterns. All tunes are originals, and titles include "Ralph's Mead", "Cameo", "Chiquita Moderne", "Altona", and "Johnnie's Door". LP, Vinyl record album

A group who really live up to their name, as they have a way of reaching back in time and space with this very righteous vibe – blending the sorts of horns you might hear in Sun Ra's Arkestra with more majestic strings that might come from a Carlos Nino/Miguel Atwood Ferguson project – but all with a style that's got a lighter, more cosmic approach! There's strong use of harp on the albums at times, echoing a bit of Alice Coltrane – but the group definitely take off in all their own directions too, especially as they shift the focus on key instruments from track to track – in a lineup that includes flute, alto, oboe, tenor, bass clarinet, and baritone – next to light strings, piano, percussion, and bass. All the music was composed by Ozzy Moysey, and a few tracks feature a vocal group to help lift up the spirits of the tunes – equally cosmic and righteous, and a great addition to the sound of the set. If you've dug the Matthew Halsall recordings on the Gondwana label, you'll find plenty to love here – on titles that include "Rejoicing", "Niyama", "Equanimity", "Arc Of The Sun", "River Of Light", and "Pharoah Sings". LP, Vinyl record album

Nicely sharp sounds from the great JJ Johnson – a set that has the trombonist really honing his edge on a host of tight, short tracks – with a vibe that almost recalls his initial bop recordings on Blue Note and Prestige! The style here is a bit more sophisticated – definitely with an ear towards the modern directions that JJ was exploring in the 50s – but the sound is also nicely spontaneous, with more focus on improvisation between group members than larger arrangements – quite nice, given that the group features excellent tenor from Bobby Jaspar on tenor – and either Tommy Flanagan or Hank Jones on piano, Percy Heath or Wilbur Little on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums. Tracks are short, and titles include "Overdrive", "Cube Steak", "Chasin The Bird", and "Solar". LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal set from Max Roach – the start of his more righteous stretch in jazz, as you might guess from the title of the album! At some level, the record's got a bit of the feel of the post-Clifford Brown Mercury years from Roach – but at another, it's stretching out towards the directions Max would explore fully on the Candid, Impulse, and Fantasy labels in the 60s – an approach to hardbop that often really pushes its limits – not content to simply set up solos for the players, and instead moving with a much more forceful energy overall! Group members include Booker Little on trumpet, George Coleman on tenor, Ray Draper on tuba, and Art Davis on bass – and the lack of a piano makes for a very exciting sound! The album's got 2 great originals by Bill Lee – "Jodie's Cha-Cha" and "Deeds Not Words" – plus Draper's classic "Filide", and the groundbreaking "Conversation" – a very cool solo by Roach on the drums! LP, Vinyl record album

A wonderfully wide-ranging tribute to the great John Coltrane – served up here in a whole host of tracks recorded after his too-early death, each of which take his musical message in different directions! The sound is certainly spiritual – in keeping with the different volumes in this long-running series – but there's a nice mix of expressions and instrumentation, offering up a journey into John Coltrane's important influence on so many different spheres of jazz – far more than you might expect! And this isn't just a set of Coltrane remakes or covers, either, as new songs are mixed with familiar ones – in a well-chosen batch of tracks that includes "Trane" by Carmelo Garcia, "Transition" by Malachi Thompson, "John Coltrane" by Clifford Jordan, "Naima" by Darwin Strickland Trio, "Terre Engloutie" by Gilles Torrent Jazztet, "To Trane" by Carsten Meinert Kvartet, "Welcome" by Norman Connors, "Ole" by Sonny Fortune, and "Naima" by Jack McDuff. (Funky Compilations, Jazz) LP, Vinyl record album

A record that's as trippy as its cover – crisp modern jazz at the core, but served up in ways that often have the waves of sonic activity flowing nicely in all these criss-crossing directions – which makes for a sound that's surprisingly dense, but never too dark or murky at all! The core group features Sam Shalabi on guitar, Morgan Moore on basses, Liam O'Neill on drums, and Devin Brahja Waldman on alto, keyboards, and piano – the latter of whom has a style that shifts up throughout the performance, really keeping things interesting in terms of the palette of sounds! The alto lines are especially nice, and carve some deeply soulful lines on the set – and on one track, Janice Lowe joins the group on flute and voice, and on another, Ala Dehghan joins on voice. Titles include "Jitters", "Care", "Medicine Woman Meets Father Sky", "Apollo-gy", and "Nooo". LP, Vinyl record album

The groundbreaking first album from Weather Report – a massive session that took fusion to a whole new level for the 70s! Most of the players here had been associated with Miles Davis at some point in the year or two beforehand – and Miles' electric work is definitely a starting point for this group – but they quickly flow off in whole new directions, thanks to the mighty legacy of their own talents on previous records! The group features an intense lineup with Wayne Shorter on saxes, Joe Zawinul on keyboards, Miroslav Vitous on bass, Alphonse Mouzon on drums, and Airto on percussion – all coming together in a groove that's often incredibly raw and free – with plenty of sharp electronic bits from Zawinul crackling under the acoustic elements in the music. The sound is still quite revolutionary all these years later – and titles include "Tears", "Eurydice", "Orange Lady", "Umbrellas", and "Milky Way". LP, Vinyl record album

Like Dave Brubeck's legendary Time Out set? Try this one – a great record that takes off from the concept of the first, but which goes in some very fresh new directions – using the same great group with Paul Desmond on alto, Eugene Wright on bass, and Joe Morello on drums! Dave's still working out some nutty time signatures here – but apart from the science, the thing that really makes the record cook is Desmond's alto – icy, edgey, floating, and always a treat – almost even more amazing in the space of some of these offbeat numbers. Titles include "Maori Blues", "Far More Drums", "Bluetee", "Far More Blue", and "It's A Raggy Waltz". LP, Vinyl record album

An album of explosive power and imagination from Don Ellis – a set that shows him very firmly shaking off the more academic mode of earlier years, and heading into hipper, more youth-oriented directions! The group's still a bit band on most numbers – but it's one with a lean, well-crafted sound that's not really big band jazz, and which also features some elements of later soundtrack scoring. Players on the date are all great – and include Frank Strozier, John Klemmer, and Ira Schulman on saxes – plus Pete Robinson on clavinet, piano, and electric piano! The set begins with the beautiful extended "Variations For Trumpet" – a suite-type number that has plenty of great colors from Ellis, plus loads of other horn work too. Other titles include "Indian Lady", "Pussy Wiggle Stomp", "Scratt & Fluggs", and "Child Of Ecstasy". LP, Vinyl record album

Reissue of a rare Teddy Charles album that also featured Booker Little and Booker Ervin. The album features the inventive vibist caught live in New York at a Metronome sponsored gig featuring Mingus alums Mal Waldron, Booker Ervin and Booker Little. The set includes one expansive Charles original, "Take Three Parts Jazz", a Little original "The Confined Few", Ervin's "Scoochie" and Waldron's "Cycles", along with a few standards. The music is fantastic, and is a mix of modernist modal themes with rich soul jazz playing. Ervin and Little are fantastic, and their sharp edgey sounds are a perfect contrast with Charles' moody vibes. Very little of Teddy Charles' work, which ranged from introspective avant garde pieces with Jimmy Giuffre to more swing based collaborations with Mingus, has been documented, this piece showcases his New Directions Quartet in a unique setting, with inspired guests. LP, Vinyl record album

A dream of a record from Gary McFarland – lightly jazzy instrumentals with a warm bossa nova undercurrent! The style is incredible – a sweet blend of vibes, guitar, and even some light whistling – often also featuring wordless jazz vocals – scatting along with the groove in a melodic and lovely kind of way! The whole thing's incredibly charming, and even familiar tunes come across sounding quite different in McFarlands hands. Titles include "From Russia With Love", "More", "Emily", "La Vie En Rose", "The Love Goddess", and even a groovy take on "I Want To Hold Your Hand". For you true swingers, the cover includes directions for mixing a "Soft Samba Cocktail" (courtesy Spanish Sherry Institute)! LP, Vinyl record album

A seminal statement from drummer Jack DeJohnette – a musician who'd already made a pretty big impact in the years before this set – but who really seemed to take off with his New Directions group on ECM! Every player in the lineup is a key sonic pioneer on their instrument – John Abercrombie on guitar, with his great sense of color and tone – Eddie Gomez on bass, with that soundshaping ability he developed with Bill Evans – trumpeter Lester Bowie, really finding a voice here away from the Art Ensemble Of Chicago – and drummer DeJohnette, beautifully set free in territory far beyond standard rhythm! The mix of all four musicians is wonderful – and still quite fresh after all these years, despite how many folks might have tried to copy the approach – on titles that include "Dream Stalker", "Where Or Wayne", "Silver Hollow", "One Handed Woman", and "Bayou Fever". LP, Vinyl record album

The sticks are up, and Bobby Hutcherson is at the top of his game – hitting a whole new groove here in this sublime session of modal numbers for Blue Note – a slightly warmer set than his more modern albums of the "new thing" years, and a great indication of the directions he'd take in the 70s! Bobby's vibes are set up wonderfully here in a quintet that includes Joe Henderson on tenor sax, McCoy Tyner on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all players who bring key elements to the groove. Tyner's got an obvious ear for the modal rhythms that Hutcherson's heading for; Higgins' drum work is freely lyrical in all the best ways; and Henderson's horn sharpens the edges of the tunes a bit, bringing in some nice darker sounds. The kickoff track is an amazing modal reading of Ornette's "Una Muy Bonita", and the rest tracks are all Hutcherson originals, including "Summer Nights", "8/4 Beat", "Black Circle", "Verse", and "Blues Mind Matter". LP, Vinyl record album

The sticks are up, and Bobby Hutcherson is at the top of his game – hitting a whole new groove here in this sublime session of modal numbers for Blue Note – a slightly warmer set than his more modern albums of the "new thing" years, and a great indication of the directions he'd take in the 70s! Bobby's vibes are set up wonderfully here in a quintet that includes Joe Henderson on tenor sax, McCoy Tyner on piano, Herbie Lewis on bass, and Billy Higgins on drums – all players who bring key elements to the groove. Tyner's got an obvious ear for the modal rhythms that Hutcherson's heading for; Higgins' drum work is freely lyrical in all the best ways; and Henderson's horn sharpens the edges of the tunes a bit, bringing in some nice darker sounds. The kickoff track is an amazing modal reading of Ornette's "Una Muy Bonita", and the rest tracks are all Hutcherson originals, including "Summer Nights", "8/4 Beat", "Black Circle", "Verse", and "Blues Mind Matter". LP, Vinyl record album