Until now, one of the best releases on the excellent Jazz In Britain label has been 2020’s Spontaneous Event, containing six tracks recorded by guitarist Ray Russell for the BBC radio show Jazz Club between 1967 and 1969. That LP is now a rare item with copies selling for inflated amounts – so give thanks for this expanded double CD, which gazumps that previous offering by including all 20 tracks recorded across five radio sessions.

Russell’s fans will surely cherish this welcome addition to his infuriatingly scant discography – and it’s also an excellent introduction for those unfamiliar with his pin-sharp sound. Most of the tracks are from Russell’s essential first two albums, Turn Circle and Dragon Hill, with a few tasty covers thrown in including ‘Trane’s ‘Mr PC’ and Charles Lloyd’s ‘Sombrero Sam.’ The level of musicianship is astoundingly high, especially considering that Russell et al were still in their early twenties – with bassist Dave Holland here making some of his earliest known recordings.

The most obvious stylistic influence is the fluid genius of Miles Davis’ mid-1960s quintet, but Russell can already be heard straining to make the leap boldly into free improvisation that would come with 1971’s Rites & Rituals.