As well as the various small improvisation group sessions that drummer John Stevens directed under his Spontaneous Music Ensemble moniker, he was also interested in bringing together larger groups of musicians to form a kind of experimental big band, or orchestra. Eventually this idea was realised with the formation of the Spontaneous Music Orchestra in 1973, a large group made up of SME regulars such as Trevor Watts, Evan Parker and Paul Rutherford, together with new members who were eager to be a part of Stevens' musical adventure. This 2CD collection of recordings reveals that expanded sound where the assembled players were urged to listen to each other and respond in a way that would allow the music to become a living entity. Here Stevens' unorthodox take on the big band sound successfully ushers in a more elaborate approach to playing improvisation, where the only star to shine is the music itself.