"Found in the archives of FMP! The very first -- never released -- recordings of the Schlippenbach Trio: Alexander von Schlippenbach (piano); Evan Parker (tenor and soprano saxophone); Paul Lovens (drums). Recorded by an unknown engineer on April 2nd...

While this saxophone trio lasted for several years and played a lot of gigs in Europe, I believe that this is the only release that the band actually put out. It's been a real rarity until this new reissue. "It is wonderful to have this album available...

For some reason, I think Four has always been the overlooked Soft Machine album. There's probably several reasons for this but that doesn't change the fact that I think that this is tied with Volume Two as their greatest album ever!

The tunes were getting more and more complex and astonishing: Mike Ratledge contributed what I consider the band's greatest work ever in the 10 minute long Teeth, while Hugh Hopper was also reaching a peak compositionally. Elton Dean showed the direction that he...

By this time (1974), the band were pretty much a straight-forward fusion ensemble with many of their biggest quirks and oddities excised. And all the quirky old personnel too, with only Mike Ratledge remaining (for the time being at least). Hugh...

Soft Machine were one of the greatest UK avant/jazz-rock bands of all time and their work, whether their earliest performances as a psychedelic band, who were contemporaries of, and shared stages with Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, all the way to being one of Europe's best known 'fusion' bands, their work continues to be name-checked by today's hip experimentalists.

By mid 1973, Soft Machine had gone through a tremendous amount of personnel turnover and a...

"Originally issued on the legendary Harvest label in October 1970, the album saw Spedding record in his own right at Abbey Road studios soon after the demise of his previous group, The Battered Ornaments. “Backwood Progression” featured Chris Spedding backed by guest musicians Paul Abrahams (Organ), Roy Babbington (Bass), Laurie Allan (Drums), Royston Mitchell (Piano, Harmonium) and Frank Ricotti (Congas).
This Esoteric Recordings release has been newly remastered from the original Harvest master...

A great performance. Last time ever on this wonderful release from the wonderful, now gone, Reel Recordings label.

Latest archival treasure from Reel Recordings was a short-lived, little known (but based on this release 37 years later, quite...

This is a real treat. Drummer John Stevens is best known for his pioneering work performing and championing non-idiomatic free music.

But he was an excellent drummer with voracious musical interests and he worked in many types of ensembles.

Away was his electric, somewhat harmolodic-style band that he led throughout the 70s in addition to his free work.

The band made three excellent albums of thorny, unique electric jazz for Vertigo between 1975-1977. None of the three albums...

For nearly 45 years, John Surman has been one of England's best known modern jazz musicians. His career began in the late 60s as both a sideman and a leader with such notable greats as John McLaughlin, Chris McGregor's Brotherhood of Breath...

Here's a tiny label release of John Surman and John Warren composing and arranging for this band of Norwegian players. Fact you didn't know: legendary ECM engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug is a guitarist as well as an engineer and he appears here, as part of...

Many of you will remember this one from its original lp release on the budget HELP subsidiary of Island, now very happily on CD, as the original lp had a simply awful pressing, which was anathema to the quiet music. This was Surman's first truely solo album, charming pieces for simple synth patterns and a number of reed instruments, recorded through overdubs. Some of it is similar to his later ECM discs.

"Westering Home was originally released in 1972. John Surman plays everything on the album...

John Taylor-Piano
Chris Lawrence-Bass
Tony Levin-Drums

A very nice, rather hip piano trio session from three Brit-jazz masters from MPS. It was recorded in 1972 and 1973 and released in 1973. This was John's second album, after the fantastic "Pause And Think Again".
There was one previous CD version, only in Japan, in 2006 but this is the first time it's been on CD at a reasonable price!

Other than the very famous Centipede, this is the largest ensemble that Keith has ever led, with 22 musicians involved. The sound is very full & lyrical, & does bear resemblence to a smaller version of Centipede. Tippett (piano, harmonium), Stan Tracey...

Limited initial pressing of 999 individually hand-numbered copies!

Recorded live in Piacenza, Italy, this is a 47' improvisation on a Steinway Grand piano by one of the most individualistic and recognizable pianists working today.

"Featuring two of the undoubted leaders of European free music, Howard Riley and Keith Tippett have groomed a long running partnership from the '60's to produce a stunning recording of great clarity and sensitivity. Recorded in Bern by Swiss Radio on 12/8/93, the recording quality is the highest possible and perfectly focuses the inspired playing of the two on two wonderful Steinway grand pianos."

Recorded live at Ruvo Di Puglia, Italy on September 5, 2004, this exuberant live recording features Keith Tippett conducting and playing piano, Julie Tippetts (vocals), Louis Moholo-Moholo (drums) with Canto General, a 23 piece big band performing...

"In mid-October, 1969, I left the UK to meet up with bassist Barre Phillips and drummer Stu Martin to begin working with them as "The Trio".-John Surman (notes to “Way Back When”)
This was the band that Surman joined in the fall of 1969 that led to him becoming an early Brit-jazz expatriate for about 3 years but that also led to him becoming internationally known, especially on the European continent.
Their first release was a pretty powerful blast then as it still is today.
Due to his...

The roots of 'Brit-jazz' are right here. Conditionally recommended!

"First released in May 1961 as a (slightly premature) 10th Anniversary celebration of the famous Soho jazz venue. Founded in 1952, the Flamingo in Wardour Street played host to..

Composer John Warren is one of the greatest yet completely unheralded, Brit-jazz composers! Anything from him is a treat!

"A previously unrecorded suite of compositions by JOHN WARREN, recorded live by the JOHN SURMAN led BRASS PROJECT.
In the early 1980s John Surman and John Warren realized a long-held ambition and formed the Brass Project. The ensemble was conceived as a brass led group focusing on new compositions from Surman and Warren. The large group ‘had to survive without grant or...

When I went to London in 1977, I saw the Mike Westbrook Brass Band play on the street and they were amazing. I came back from that trip a huge fan and tried to find as much as I could by this great British composer and musician - one of the original...

This album is rooted in the personal. Mike Westbrooks enduring creative partnership with his wife, the singer, lyricist and painter Kate Westbrook is represented by two songs they wrote together. Starcross is a rail station nearby the Westbrook home in Devon, near Plymouth where his creative life began all those years ago. His title track is dedicated to the tenor saxophonist Lou Gare, whose death in 2017 was a particular wrench. Starcross Bridge is an intricately woven network of musical and personal...

Kate Westbrook & Martine Waltier voices
Billy Bottle voice & bass guitar
Sarah Dean alto saxophone and clarinet
Roz Harding alto saxophone
Alan Wakeman tenor & soprano saxophones
Gary Bayley tenor saxophone
Ian Wellens baritone saxophone
Mike Brewer & Sam Massey trumpets & flugelhorns
Dave Holdsworth sousaphone & pocket trumpet
Stewart Stunell, Andy Dore & Joe Carnell trombones
Ken Cassidy bass trombone
Jesse Molins & Matthew North guitars
...