A wiser man than I on the Jazzwise crew has already named this as one of his top archive releases of last year: but this is a collection that shouldn't just be on lists, it should be on shelves everywhere. This is music that is as alive and vital now as when it was first recorded. The beautifully boxed (and gorgeously remixed – the sound is pristine) five CDs here chart Douglas' first recordings – but don't necessarily feature him as ‘leader’. Also on board are Mark Dresser's Force Green and the Lindberg Ensemble's Bounce as well as gems like Douglas' debut Parallel Worlds and a live (and extraordinary) take on Coltrane's ‘Ascension’. Each recording is individual but Douglas brings to them all a fierce intellect mixed with a fiery passion; he can bring tough modern music alive (Webern and Stravinsky pieces with strings on Parallel Worlds), yet also play with torrential swing and a bluesy passion. Douglas has a rare gift, and rightly deserves this handsome (and reasonably priced) box.