Jazz /
Pendulum
The jazz world is set to celebrate one of its most intriguing and visionary figures with the reissue of Pendulum, the groundbreaking album by the Mike Taylor Quartet. Originally released in 1966 on Columbia Records, Pendulum captures the restless creativity and uncompromising spirit of pianist and composer Mike Taylor, whose brief but influential career left an enduring mark on modern jazz in Britain.
Featuring an exceptional lineup with Mike Taylor (piano), Dave Tomlin (soprano saxophone), To…
Trio
The long-overlooked brilliance of pianist and composer Mike Taylor comes back into the spotlight with the reissue of Trio, the seminal 1967 recording from the Mike Taylor Trio. Originally released on Columbia, this album represents one of the most adventurous statements in British jazz of the 1960s—a work of striking originality that still resonates powerfully today.
Featuring Mike Taylor on piano, Jackie Dougan on drums, and Dave Tomlin on bass, Trio captured an incendiary moment of creativit…
Space Walk
Heralded as one of the defining moments in British modern jazz, the Don Rendell Quintet’s 1972 recording Space Walk returns to the spotlight, reaffirming its place as a stunning document of both bold creativity and refined craftsmanship. Saxophonist Don Rendell, already celebrated for his collaborations with Ian Carr in the groundbreaking Rendell/Carr Quintet, took a daring step forward with this album. *Space Walk* captures a group at a creative peak, fusing modal explorations, post-bop energy,…
Flare Up
London, 1970 saw the release of one of the most distinctive and enduring albums in the history of British jazz: Flare Up, the debut LP from visionary trumpeter and flugelhorn player Harry Beckett. Now widely recognized as a classic, the record remains a defining statement from an artist whose lyrical phrasing, inventiveness, and subtle command of mood set him apart on the vibrant UK scene.
Born in Barbados and arriving in London in the 1950s, Harry Beckett quickly became a central figure in th…
Movement
Originally released during one of the most fertile periods of post-war British jazz, Movement by the Joe Harriott Quintet stands as a bold statement of artistic independence and innovation. Showcasing Harriott’s unique vision, the album bridges the lyricism of modern jazz with an avant-garde sensibility that still resonates today.
Harriott, an alto saxophonist of Jamaican origin who established himself as a pioneer of the British scene, leads a stellar ensemble through a set of forward-looking…
The Endangered Species
In 1980 Bobby Wellins was commissioned to write a suite of music, which he called ‘The Endangered Species’ because, in his words: “Some years ago there was an oil spillage which washed ashore in Bognar Regis where I live. The guillemots were being pulled out in a dreadful state. One reads about such things, but to see for oneself a bird's life being taken away from it is quite horrific. Their lives are short enough anyway. It brought home to me very directly the damage we are inflicting on ourse…
A Symphony of Amaranths
**2025 Repress. Clear Vinyl. Limited to only 150 copies in textured art paper. Included inner sheet with liner notes and pictures. Newly mastered sound from the original tapes and will include one bonus track recorded in the same sessions.** First ever vinyl reissue of this 1972 masterpiece by another of the big names in UK Jazz. Neil Ardley was offered the leadership of the seminal New Jazz Orchestra in 1964. Under his direction the Orchestra moved though different styles and changes of personn…
Off Centre
Reissue, Remastered, Stereo, 180g. on British Jazz Explosion series. Off Centre, the 1969 debut from The John Cameron Quartet, stands as a vivid and essential snapshot of late 60s British jazz, now reissued on vinyl for the first time in decades by Decca. Led by renowned pianist, arranger, and composer John Cameron, the quartet features an all-star lineup: Harold McNair (flute, tenor sax), Danny Thompson (bass), and Tony Carr (percussion). Originally released on Decca’s progressive Deram imprint…
Live at BBC 1970
Live at BBC 1970 captures the raw energy and innovation of Nucleus in their formative year, presenting a selection of live sessions recorded for the BBC just as the group was redefining British jazz-rock. Founded by trumpeter Ian Carr, Nucleus emerged from London’s vibrant late-60s scene and quickly established themselves at the forefront of jazz fusion, inspired by the electric revolution of Miles Davis.
This LP features standout performances of key tracks from their groundbreaking debut Elasti…
Antibes '62
Jazz in Britain are pleased to announce the forthcoming release of a stunning previously unissued live recording of the legendary saxophonist Tubby Hayes and his quintet live at the Antibes Jazz Festival in July 1962. Hayes' band including trumpeter Jimmy Deuchar, pianist Gordon Beck, bassist Freddy Logan and drummer Allan Ganley were the UK's representative on a starry festival bill also featuring US stars Jimmy Smith, Dizzy Gillespie and Fats Domino, drawing rave press reviews and the admirati…
The Kenny Wheeler Big Band & Friends, Vol. 2
Previously unreleased. Stereophonic sound.
1-4 recorded 11th November 1973.5-8 recorded 22nd December 1974.
Lineup:Kenny Wheeler - flugelhornGreg Bowen, Ian Hamer, Dave Hancock (1-4), Alan Downey (5-8), Henry Lowther - trumpetsBobby Lamb (1-4), Keith Christie (1-4), Dave Horler (1-4), Chris Pyne, Malcolm Griffith, Cliff Hardy (5-8), Jim Wilson (5-8), Pete Smith (5-8) - trombonesAlfie Reece (1-4), Cliff Bevan (5-8) - tubaDuncan Lamont (1-4), Stan Sulzmann (5-8) - tenor/soprano saxophoneNorma Wins…
Le Déjeuner Sur L'Herbe
Tip! By the 1960s, the popularity of big bands had waned considerably. The heyday of the 30s and 40s big bands had been superseded in the 1950s by smaller modern and traditional jazz units, skif e and, ultimately, rock and roll, and the prominence they once enjoyed were a fading memory. Although there were still several very ne big bands playing and recording during this time, the economics of the big band in the age of the pop group always put it at a disadvantage. There was, of course, the lea…
The Buds of Time
This is the first ‘lost’ album Jazz In Britain has discovered. We’ve released albums that were only previously released on vinyl, or even cassette tape, ie never on CD, or albums produced from sessions by groups that never made a record, or we’ve included unreleased tracks that never made it only albums… but this is a real first for us. In 1979 Tony Coe and Bob Cornford composed pieces for an unusual, and unrepeated, combination of a six-piece jazz ensemble (two reeds, bass trombone, piano, perc…
Greek Variations & Other Aegean Exercises
*2025 much needed repress!!!* Recorded in '69, Greek Variations & Other Aegean Exercises is irresistible on two counts. First, for its daringly conceived and brilliantly performed music, inspired by Greek folk songs and instrumental textures and deep enough to reveal all its treasures only after many repeated listenings. Second, for being recorded at the moment when the Don Rendell/Ian Carr Quintet, a major force in British straight-ahead jazz since '62, had broken up and Carr's equally influent…
Near And Far East
*2025 repress* Made with the intention of exploring and experiencing the various musical and cultural perspectives of a territory as vast as that of Persia, "Near And Far East" is a significant historical document that transcends the restrictive concept of territory but rather inhabits a space of absolute time. The album's content is not just window into faraway places, but a leap into the times and cultures that have now been swallowed up by the incessant movement of globalization and capitalis…
How Many Clouds Can You See?
How Many Clouds Can You See? is the second album by English saxophonist John Surman featuring Alto Saxophone – Mike Osborne; Baritone Saxophone, Flute – John Warren; Baritone Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Bass Clarinet – John Surman; Bass – Barre Phillips, Harry Miller; Drums – Alan Jackson, Tony Oxley; Piano – John Taylor; Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Alan Skidmore; Trombone – Chris Pyne, Malcolm Griffiths; Trumpet – Dave Holdsworth; Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Harold Beckett; Tuba – George Smith. John …
Flashpoints and Undercurrents
Recently celebrating his 80th birthday and one of Europe’s foremost jazz musicians, John Surman is a masterful improvisor, composer, and multi-instrumentalist (baritone and soprano sax, bass clarinet, and synthesizers/electronics). For nearly 60 years, he has been a major force, producing a prodigious and creative body of work that expands beyond jazz. Surman’s extensive discography as a leader and a side man numbers more than 100 recordings to date and has featured dozens of prominent artists w…
Progress
On download, streaming and CD for the first time ever, the only Gyroscope album ‘One, Two, Three… Go!’ ever released, expanded with live and studio recordings from the archives plus a wealth of first-hand information about the band and many previously unseen images. Produced with the support of Gordon Beck’s sister Jude and the approval of the band members or their families.
Compiled from studio, live and rehearsal session recordings, made in 1973 and 1974, from the tape archives of Ron Mathewso…
Tubby The Tenor
2024 Stock The arrival of English tenor saxophonist Tubby Hayes in New York during the autumn of 1961 caused a sensation in American jazz circles. The first British jazz soloist to ever make a guest appearance in a US club, his opening night at the Half Note was attended by figures including Miles Davis, Al Cohn and Zoot Sims, with Metronome describing Hayes as a swinging ambassador from Britain who definitely can hold his own in fast company. At the end of his visit Hayes recorded the album Tu…
Prayer for peace
** 2024 restock, long out of print - few copies avaialble ** Reissue of the legendary Amalgam recording with Trevor Watts, Jeff Clyne, John Stevens and Barry Guy. This recording received the highest rating by The Penguin Guide to Jazz. It was re-mastered from the original reel to reel tapes. : In the late 60s, British jazz was in a state of flux, pulling itself into strange new shapes influenced by the U.S. avant garde, European improvisation and rock and giving birth to bands such as Keith Tip…