UK trumpet legend Harry Beckett makes a surprising appearance here for the On-U Sound label – although maybe that's not much of a surprise, given all the diversely creative moments Beckett has had in his decades-long career! The format is very much in the best On-U Sound mode, but with a bit more bite too – as although Harry blows trumpet over grooves that feature plenty of dark-tinged production from Adrian Sherwood and work from likely studio talents – there's a greater presence to his solos than some of the other instrumental On-U sessions – much more up in the mix, which gives Beckett the prominence he deserves! The set features guest vocals from Junior Delgado on one track, and Orphy Robinson plays vibes throughout - on titles that include "Ultimate Tribute", "The Forgotten Man", "Switch Up", "Out Of The Blue", "The Storyteller", "Fantastic Things", and "Facing It". LP, Vinyl record album

A crowning moment of genius from trumpeter Harry Beckett – a musician who's graced a heck of a lot of records over the years, but who really knocks it out of the park with this amazing early session as a leader! Harry's work on flugelhorn is worth the price of admission alone – bold, focused, and full of all these sharp edges that really mark a new moment of expression on the instrument, equally matched by his work on trumpet too. Yet the overall vibe of the group is what really sends the record home – sounds on piano from John Taylor, vibes from Frank Ricotti, soprano and tenor from Alan Skidmore, and baritone and soprano from John Surman – all key players on Beckett's scene, really hitting their heights here. Arrangements are by Surman, Beckett, and Graham Collier – all of whom wrote material too – and titles include "Flare Up", "Where Fortune Smiles", "Flow Stream Flow", "The Other Side", "Rolli's Tune", "Fools Play", and "Third Road". LP, Vinyl record album

A never-issued live set from the legendary Brit leader Neil Ardley – recorded right during his classic years, and featuring a host of leading jazz luminaries of his scene! The material features both original compositions by Neil, plus some surprising other inclusions as well – all wrapped together in some of the most creative jazz orchestra modes of the UK scene of the time, and played by a cast that includes Henry Lowther and Harry Beckett on trumpet, Mike Gibbs on trombone, Dick Heckstall-Smith on tenor and soprano sax, Barbara Thompson on alto and flute, Frank Jellett on vibes, and Dave Greenslade on Hammond and electric piano. The horns are mighty heavy – blowing both with a nice sense of force on the heads, but also allowing some good space for players to really stretch out and do their thing – and although Ardley's got a definite modern bent to his vision here, there's also plenty of stone groovy moments too. Titles include "Rope Ladder To The Moon", "Tanglewood", "Stratusfunk", "Dusk Fire", "Naima", "Rebirth", "Study", "Ballad", and "Le Dejeuner Sur L'Herbe". CD

Roger Dean leads a group that features Harry Beckett, among others,performing pieces by Lyell Cresswell, Colin Bright, and Iannis Xenakis – plus original compostions by Dean and violinist Hazel Smith. CD

A stunning solo debut from Jack Bruce – and a record that shows just how much more he had to offer the world than his work in Cream! Right from the start, the album's a thing of brilliance – with very offbeat lyrics penned by Pete Brown, but in ways that are a bit more down to earth than some of his own records – set to music arranged by Bruce, with all sorts of jazzy elements that come from the work of Harry Beckett and Henry Lower on trumpets, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Art Themen on tenor and soprano, and Jon Hiseman and John Marshall on drums – all key players who were in that special space between jazz and rock on the UK scene of the time! Bruce himself delivers lots of great work on bass, piano, and organ – and the great Chris Spedding brings in lots of guitar as well – on titles that include "Rope Ladder To The Moon", "The Ministry Of Bag", "Tickets To Waterfalls", "Boston Ball Game 1967", "To Isengard", "Theme For An Imaginary Western", and "Never Tell Your Mother She's Out Of Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning solo debut from Jack Bruce – and a record that shows just how much more he had to offer the world than his work in Cream! Right from the start, the album's a thing of brilliance – with very offbeat lyrics penned by Pete Brown, but in ways that are a bit more down to earth than some of his own records – set to music arranged by Bruce, with all sorts of jazzy elements that come from the work of Harry Beckett and Henry Lower on trumpets, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Art Themen on tenor and soprano, and Jon Hiseman and John Marshall on drums – all key players who were in that special space between jazz and rock on the UK scene of the time! Bruce himself delivers lots of great work on bass, piano, and organ – and the great Chris Spedding brings in lots of guitar as well – on titles that include "Rope Ladder To The Moon", "The Ministry Of Bag", "Tickets To Waterfalls", "Boston Ball Game 1967", "To Isengard", "Theme For An Imaginary Western", and "Never Tell Your Mother She's Out Of Tune". LP, Vinyl record album

A stunning solo debut from Jack Bruce – and a record that shows just how much more he had to offer the world than his work in Cream! Right from the start, the album's a thing of brilliance – with very offbeat lyrics penned by Pete Brown, but in ways that are a bit more down to earth than some of his own records – set to music arranged by Bruce, with all sorts of jazzy elements that come from the work of Harry Beckett and Henry Lower on trumpets, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Art Themen on tenor and soprano, and Jon Hiseman and John Marshall on drums – all key players who were in that special space between jazz and rock on the UK scene of the time! Bruce himself delivers lots of great work on bass, piano, and organ – and the great Chris Spedding brings in lots of guitar as well – on titles that include "Rope Ladder To The Moon", "The Ministry Of Bag", "Tickets To Waterfalls", "Boston Ball Game 1967", "To Isengard", "Theme For An Imaginary Western", and "Never Tell Your Mother She's Out Of Tune". 2CD package features bonus tracks – "Ministry Of Bag (demo)", "The Clearout (alt)", "Ministry Of Bag (alt)", "Weird Of Hermison (alt)", "Escapoe To Royal Wood (inst demo)", "Vikings (first attempt)", "Rope Ladder To The Moon (second attempt)", "You Burned The Tables On Me (inst demo)", and "Rope Ladder To The Moon (first demo)" – plus a remastered version of the original mix, and a new stereo mix. Blu-ray 3 features 96 kHz/24-bit new 5.1 Surround Sound and stereo mixes by Stephen W Taylor and remastered original stereo mix. Blu-ray 4 features the 1970 documentary film – Rope Ladder To The Moon. CD

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

Never-issued live work from British jazz legend Graham Collier – a performance that follows hot on the heels of his classic Down Another Road album, and which continues with a very similar vibe! That album is a modal masterpiece that stands as one of the key moments in British jazz at the end of the 60s – and here, bassist Collier furthers the magic of that wonderful album, but with a freer, more spontaneous sort of live energy – leading a very cool group that features Nick Evans on trombone, Harry Beckett on trumpet and flugelhorn, Stan Sulzman on tenor and alto, Karl Jenkins on piano and oboe, and John Marshall on drums. Collier's basslines alone are worth the price of admission – but there's so many other wonderful touches too – even the oboe work by Jenkins, which echoes some of the exotic tones of Yusef Lateef a few years earlier. Titles include "Molewrenceh", "The Barley Mow", "Aberdeen Angus", "Down Another Road", "Lullaby For A Lonely Child", and "Burblings For Bob". LP, Vinyl record album

A never-issued gem from British jazz giant Graham Collier – a set that follows strongly in his larger projects of the period, but also comes across with even more of an edge than some of those famous records! The work was a special commission done for an arts festival – but the lineup features some very familiar players from more famous records – Harry Beckett on trumpet and flugelhorn, Geoff Castle on piano, Alan Wakeman on tenor and soprano, and Bob Sydor on tenor and alto – all players who get a fair bit of room for individual expression throughout! Perhaps most unusual is the presence of narrator John Carberry, who does a really great job of uniting the music from track to track – on titles that include "The Good Companions", "In A Manufacturing Town", "Old Established Bradford Mill Owners", "Wind", and "Pennies In April". The set also features one more bonus track that runs for 26 minutes in length – with work from Derek Wadsworth on trombone, and Art Themen on soprano and tenor – on "Where Will They Put The Blue Plaque Now". CD

A tremendous run of music from the great Keef Hartley – a British drummer who was maybe not the biggest name on the scene, but who created some wonderfully groovy music on the albums in this set! The records are a brilliant blend of jazz and rock elements, but in ways that are so different from so many other jazz rock records of the time – maybe in part because Hartley could always bring a lot of soul and a bit of funk to his drums, while still also keeping things in more of the rock side of the spectrum overall – yet opening the door to let in some key jazz musicians from session to session – including trumpeters Harry Beckett and Henry Lowther, reedmen Johnny Almond and Jimmy Jewell, and organist Wynder K Frog – just a few of the players who really give these records a special sort of vibe! It's a bit hard to peg the sound of the records in just a few words – in part because they each have their own flavor – but they're all great, not a weak one in the bunch – and the package features the full albums Halfbreed, Battle Of North West Six, Overdug, Time Is Near, Little Big Band, Seventy Second Brave, and Lancashire Hustler. PLUS, there's also 15 bonus tracks added to the set – mostly live, and some live in studio! CD

A record with a strange mix of elements on the outside – a confusing title, a proggy-cover image – but one that's got a sound that's a perfect maturation of the fantastic sound of Alexis Korner in the 60s! Korner's one of the overlooked heroes in British music – a strong devotee of American blues, and maybe so much so that sounds more like his inspirations than most – but never in a slavish way, as Alexis is always able to full absorb the sound, and make you feel like it's coming from his own deep soul – and over the years, he really shifted things in these slight, but powerful ways – making his music a huge influence on a big generation of UK rock acts to come. Here, the double-length set is almost a "thanks back" affair – as Korner records with a huge all-star array that includes folks like Robert Plant, Jack Bruce, Charlie Watts, Ginger Baker, Graham Bond, Lol Coxhill, Dick Heckstall-Smith, Ray Warleigh, Harry Beckett, and many more – a fantastic crossroads of all that's hip in British rock, blues, and jazz at the start of the 70s. Titles include "I Got A Woman", "Rockin", "She Foold Me", "I Wonder Who", "Dee", "Love Is Gonna Go", "Clay House Inn", "Evil Hearted Woman", "Mighty Mighty", "Sunrise", and "Hellhound On My Tail". CD

In the early 70s, pianist Chris McGregor was one of the leading lights of the British jazz scene – an expatriot South African living in London, whose work with the legendary group The Blue Notes was steeped in an African rhythmic traditions! This seminal work from 1971 shows how much McGregor's style evolved in the late 60's, and how fiercely it had become intertwined with the British avant styles of the time – in a groove that comes across here with an earthy, rootsy bottom – but also features plenty of far-reaching solos that go out, yet never too far – the best balance of modes from players that include fellow Blue Notes Mongezi Feza, Dudu Pukwana, and Louis Moholo – as well as British jazz luminaries who include Harry Beckett, Alan Skidmore, and John Surman. Titles include "Andromeda", "Union Special", "Night Poem", "MRA", "The Bride", and "Davashe's Dream". CD

A previously unissued performance by the Brotherhood Of Breath – recorded at a time when the group was at the height of their early powers! Some of the styles here are in the straighter, South African-inspired jazz of pianist Chris McGregor's roots – but other tracks get far more experimental, and show the new ideas and levels of expression that some of the players were adopting at the time – a great criss-crossing of cultural modes as the London jazz scene absorbed ex-colonial artists from South Africa and the West Indies. The lineup here includes Dudu Puckwana and Mike Osborne on altos, Alan Skidmore and Gary Windo on tenor, Harry Beckett and Marc Charig on trumpet, Nick Evans and Malcolm Griffiths on trombone, Harry Miller on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums – all coming together with a sense of magical creativity that we'd reserve for a rare few groups – like the Sun Ra Arkestra! Titles include "Nick Tete", "Restless", "Do It", "Eclipse At Dawn", "The Bride", and "Funky Boots March". CD

Classic material by McGregor, recorded in the post-Blue Notes years, but featuring old bandmates Dudu Pukwana, Mongezi Feza, and Louis Moholo. The group also includes some great Brit avant players – like Evan Parker, Radu Malfatti, Harry Miller, and Harry Beckett – and the whole performance was recorded live in Switzerland in 1974. The music is a mix of free out playing, yet still has traces of McGregor's roots in the South African jazz scene. Titles include "Tungis' Song", "The Serpents Kindly Eye", "Ismite Is Might", and "Kongi's Theme". CD

Amazing music from Chris McGregor and his legendary Brotherhood Of Breath ensemble – easily one of the most exciting forces in British jazz in the 70s, and one fo the few who was still sounding their best in the latter half of the decade! McGregor's got as much bite and burn here as with his famous earlier combo, The Blue Notes – and the lineup here boasts ex-members of that group – Dudu Pukwana on alto, Johnny Dyani on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums – all joining together perfectly with McGregor's long-spun piano lines. The ensemble also features other key British players – Mike Osborne on alto, Evan Parker on tenor, Harry Beckett and Mark Charig on trumpets, and Radu Malfatti on trombone – creating this bold horn section that stretches to the skies on waves of soul! Two lengthy pieces "Sunrise On The Sun" and "Kwaholo" bookend the shorter piece "Sonia". CD features three more tracks not on the original album – "TBS", "Andromeda", and "You Ain't Gonna Know Me Cos You Think You Know Me". CD

A seminal bit of work from Mike Westbrook – recorded back in the early years of his career, when he still had a pretty sharp edge! Like Westbrook's first few albums on Decca, this set features the British avant jazz maestro playing piano with a large ensemble of some of England's finest jazzmen – including Ray Warleigh, Alan Skidmore, Harry Beckett, Kenny Wheeler, Paul Rutehrford, and Harry Miller. Norma Winstone sings on a few tracks, bringing in her lovely voice in the way that she does on Westbrook's best albums – but overall, the set's a bit more out there and more avant than some of his earlier work, but still has the majestic cohesiveness that makes his work of the time so great. The work is one long piece, split into 9 segments. CD

Features Steve Hillage, Carla Bley, Harry Beckett, Julie Tippetts, Robert Wyatt, Nick Mason, and others! CD

A stunning solo debut from Jack Bruce – and a record that shows just how much more he had to offer the world than his work in Cream! Right from the start, the album's a thing of brilliance – with very offbeat lyrics penned by Pete Brown, but in ways that are a bit more down to earth than some of his own records – set to music arranged by Bruce, with all sorts of jazzy elements that come from the work of Harry Beckett and Henry Lower on trumpets, Dick Heckstall-Smith and Art Themen on tenor and soprano, and Jon Hiseman and John Marshall on drums – all key players who were in that special space between jazz and rock on the UK scene of the time! Bruce himself delivers lots of great work on bass, piano, and organ – and the great Chris Spedding brings in lots of guitar as well – on titles that include "Rope Ladder To The Moon", "The Ministry Of Bag", "Tickets To Waterfalls", "Boston Ball Game 1967", "To Isengard", "Theme For An Imaginary Western", and "Never Tell Your Mother She's Out Of Tune". Plus, CD features 4 bonus tracks – "Ministry Of Bag (demo)", "Weird Of Hermiston (alt mix)", "The Clearout (alt mix)", and "Ministry of Bag (alt mix)". CD

A trio of amazing records from the UK jazz scene at the start of the 70s – all seminal sides from the legendary avant Turtle Records label! First up is Outback,early genius from British saxophonist Mike Osborne – his first session as a leader, recorded in the company of some of the greatest players on his scene! Osborne's got a strong vision here that's apparent from the first note of the set – a mixture of freedom and cohesive energy that resonates with the best modes of the ESP albums cut a few years before this one – stretching out with the new imagination that was setting the London jazz scene on fire at the start of the 70s. Osborne's alto is at the lead of a quintet that also includes Harry Beckett on trumpet, Chris McGregor on piano, Harry Miller on bass, and Louis Moholo on drums – and the sound is a mixture of some of the post-Blue Notes work of McGregor with bolder-blown trumpet/sax lines from Beckett and Osborne. The album features 2 long tracks – the stark, angular "So It Is", and the slower-building "Outback", which features some especially nice solos from Beckett. Next up is Flight – a complete classic from British pianist Howard Riley – exactly the sort of record that made him as important a new voice on the piano as Cecil Taylor in the US or Alexander Schlippenbach and Martial Solal on the European scene! The set's got the free, fiery vibe of some of Taylor's best work – but with even more inventive sounds from the whole trio – which also includes Barry Guy on bass and Tony Oxley on drums and amplified percussion – a tremendous lineup that's equally matched, and brilliant throughout! Riley is as wonderful as on his solo sessions – but he's almost even more incredible here for the way he balances things between all the players, and gives both Oxley and Guy some key space to make themselves known. Titles include "Cirrus", "Motion", "Flight", "For Lesley/For Sue", and "Forgotten Game". Last is Pause & Think Again – marvelous work from pianist Mike Taylor – maybe the greatest album we've ever heard from this under-recognized British genius, and a set that's got some of Taylor's most inventive writing and arrangements! The group's larger than some of Taylor's usual settings – and features John Surman on soprano sax, Stan Sulzmann on alto, Chris Pyne on trombone, and Kenny Wheeler on trumpet – all players who are arranged in this style that lets them break free in strongly voiced solos, while still also hewing to Mike's wonderful sense of color and tone – a mix of structure and individual creativity that's a bit like some of the early Surman work on Deram, or that label's music with some of his contemporaries. The group also features Chris Laurence on bass and Tony Levin on drums – and Norma Winstone adds in some heavenly vocalizations at points. Titles include "And Think Again", "White Magic", "Pause", "Interlude/Soft Winds", and "Awakening/Eye To Eye". Great package – a box with all three records in album-style covers, and a huge booklet of notes! CD

A fantastic little record – far more so than you'd guess from the stodgy looking cover – and a real lost late 70s cooker from the hipper side of the UK scene! Kathy Stobart plays soprano, tenor, and flute on the set – with a soaring, soulful dexterity that's quite similar to Barbara Thompson – another contemporary who also recorded for the Spotlite label around the same time – and she works here in a great mix of searching-styled numbers, and a few more down to earth tracks that feature vocals from Marion Williams – a nice mix of modes that really keeps things fresh throughout! The instrumental tracks are definitely our favorites, though – and sparkle with help from Harry Beckett on fluegelhorn and trumpet, Martin Blackwell on piano, Harvey Weston on bass, and Tony Mann on drums and congas – on cuts that include "As Is", "Arbeia", "Enchanted Into", "2HS", and "Cry Of Triumph (parts 1 & 2)". Vocal numbers with Williams include "Pieces Of Dreams", "Detour Ahead", and "If I Thought You'd Ever Change Your Mind". CD

Not the earliest work of pianist Stan Tracey – but two wonderful albums from the 70s, both of which show his mighty talents in the space of a larger group! The Bracknell Connection is one of the greatest post-Landsdowne recordings by British pianist Stan Tracey – a killer large group session that's cut in the best tradition of his best 60s work! Unlike some of Tracey's other 70s sides, which can get a bit too free, this one still has a tight, sharp jazz focus – one that makes Tracey's off-beat playing sound far better than it does in a structure-less setting. The other players in the group are all quite strong too – and soloists include Harry Beckett on trumpet, Peter King on alto, and Art Themin on tenor and soprano. Titles include "Timespring", "Cuddly", and "Agitato Sympatico". Also features a previously unissued track – "Chiffik". Salisbury Suite is another great octet session from Tracey – one that's strongly graced by his tremendous work on piano – forceful, angular, and modern – yet without any of the excesses of some of his solo or trio work of the time! Tracey really seems to come into his own in a larger group recording – keeping his cool enough as a leader, and really setting the tone for the other players – pushing them into hip formation, but always getting them to swing as well. Players include Art Themen on tenor and soprano, Don Weller on tenor, Jeff Daly on alto, Harry Beckett on trumpet, and Malcolm Griffiths on trombone – and titles include "Peg Leg Bates", "Miff", and "Ballad For St Ed". CD