Although she didn’t ‘invent’ the jazz harp – that distinction probably belongs to Casper Reardon (1907-41) or Adele Girard (1913–1993) – Detroit native Dorothy Ashby has a good claim as the key innovator of the instrument in jazz. Always overshadowed by her near-contemporary, the better-known Alice Coltrane, Ashby had been unfairly forgotten in the music’s history until fairly recently; but it was she who established the jazz harp as a serious improvising instrument, elevating it from a mere novelty accompaniment to lead status. Although best-known for the classic Cadet albums Afro-harping (1968) and The Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby (1970), her earlier career has been largely neglected, which is where New Land comes in. For the past couple of years, this UK-based label has been winning over jazz lovers with its beautifully-packaged and curated reissues from the likes of Mingus and Gerry Mulligan, and this spectacular limited-edition box set is their most outstanding release yet.

It collects her first six albums – The Jazz Harpist, Hip Harp, In A Minor Groove, Soft Winds, Dorothy Ashby and The Fantastic Jazz Harp of Dorothy Ashby – released on various labels between 1957 and 1965. It is, essentially, both the story of the harp’s establishment as an expressive instrument in jazz, and Ashby’s development as a player, bandleader and composer. On the first album, The Jazz Harpist (1957), her presence is tentative, overshadowed perhaps by the presence of flautist Frank Wess, a stalwart of the Basie band; however, by the following year’s Hip Harp, she begins to assert herself with some dazzlingly expressive improvised runs, partnering Wess and contributing strong original compositions. On Minor Groove…, her harp takes on a luminous elegance, weaving and bobbing beautifully with the ever-loyal Wess, but by now she is in full control. By the time we get to the final album, 1965’s landmark The Fantastic Jazz Harp… her, and her instrument’s, status is secure; it’s a deeply spiritual album, with Eastern overtones and Ashby’s political consciousness finding its first full expression.

Presented in stunning sound (Kevin Gray remastered the albums from the original analogue tapes), beautifully packaged and annotated, With Strings Attached is an exemplary example of jazz scholarship. The lavishly-illustrated accompanying booklet, with extensive notes by jazz scholar Shannon J Effinger and enlightening contributions from musicians such as Brandee Younger and Patricia Terry-Ross, is simply superb; we get to learn a great deal about this extraordinary and pioneering musician. At £200, this box is not cheap, but given that a mint original of just one of these albums could set you back twice that; the quality of the music and presentation; the compelling narrative; and the importance of these unfairly overlooked albums and the artist who created them, it’s great value for money, and you owe it to yourself to dive in.