Unlike the UK, the French see jazz as part of the essence of their culture. Orchestre National de Jazz (ONJ) is a case in point, funded by the Ministry of Culture since 1986. With a new artistic director, Frédéric Maurin (the 12th), at the helm, ONJ releases a pair of albums offering diverse, ambitious yet accessible music. The first, Dancing in Your Head(s), recorded live at last year's Jazzdor Festival in Strasbourg­Berlin, is a celebration of Ornette Coleman and his legacy. Track selections are largely from his electric Prime Time period, with a few from the early free-jazz pioneering period and one from the Pat Metheny collaboration Song X.

The concept opens up by the inclusion of compositions by artists within Ornette's galaxy: contemporary Eric Dolphy and heir Julius Hemphill while the guest appearance of saxophonistTim Berne, a contemporary disciple of both Coleman and Hemphill, adds to the excitement.

The recording superbly captures the avant-world dance energy and multi-layered textural approach of Ornette's electric era. ‘Jump Street’ is party time big band funk with Jean-Michel Couchet blowing an Emile Parisien-type storm on soprano. The swinging ‘Feet Music’ theme is a highlight with its finely orchestrated backdrop of woozy guitars, deep brass growls and brass-wind punches. The Orchestra's electric brew continues with some trippy late 1960s Miles and colliding tonalities through the band's take on Ornette's early acoustic compositions, ‘The Good Old Days’ and ’Lonely Woman’. Tim Berne rises to the occasion on both the latter, spurred on by a noir-ish monster riffing Hemphill's ‘Dogon AD’ and a tenderly evocative rendition of ‘Kathelin Gray’ from Song X. It's exhilarating listening.

Although they share stylishly illustrated CD artwork, Rituels complements Dancing in Your Head(s) in that it's all-acoustic and vocal-led. It's headed by a highly creative choir of four key French vocalists all with genre- blurring approaches. It's also made up of original material written by orchestra members and inspired by ancient texts from Indian, Egyptian to Hawaiian and Siberian origins that have been translated to French. Influences from spoken word, onomatopoeic, contemporary classical choral and minimalism are engaged with alongside those from cosmopolitan roots and homeward chanson traditions.

But the arrangements always demonstrate a sense of African- American as well as newer European-influenced jazz traditions; it's brimming with syncopation, groove and an electrifying improvisatory spirit.