Ray Russell Quartet - The Complete Spontaneous Event: Live 1967-1969 (2024)

This tracks on this album were recorded between 1967 and 1969 and include all the tracks on the five sessions Ray Russell’s Quartet recorded ‘live’ for Jazz Club in that period. Those sessions included compositions from Ray’s first two albums he made as leader for CBS – Turn Circle and Dragon Hill. Just six tracks from these sessions were previously released on very limited edition vinyl as Spontaneous Event by Jazz In Britain in 2000. That album attracted particular interest on its release, it received great reviews and quite high prices are now being asked for second-hand copies… if you can find one! We have regularly been asked if we plan to re-press that album or re-issue it on CD. So, in response to those requests, we have decided to release all the music on a double CD and download as ‘The Complete’ Spontaneous Event.

This tracks on this album were recorded between 1967 and 1969 and include all the tracks on the five sessions Ray Russell’s Quartet recorded ‘live’ for Jazz Club in that period. Those sessions included compositions from Ray’s first two albums he made as leader for CBS – Turn Circle and Dragon Hill. Just six tracks from these sessions were previously released on very limited edition soon sold-out vinyl album 'Spontaneous Event' by Jazz In Britain in 2000. That album attracted particular interest on its release, it received great reviews and quite high prices are now being asked for second-hand copies… that's if you can find one! We have regularly been asked if we plan to re-press that album or re-issue it on CD. So, in response to those requests, we decided to release all the music on a double CD and download as The 'Complete’ Spontaneous Event.

These recordings were transferred from reel tapes from the archives of Ray Russell and Ron Mathewson. Can I Have My Paper-back Back, Peruvian Triangle, Spontaneous Event, Dragon Hill, Spring Flower and First Sighting were previously released on Jazz In Britain in 2000 in mono on vinyl as Spontaneous Event (JIB-02-M-LP). Bonita, The Fry and I and Spinning Disc were released at the same time as download only bonus tracks. The remaining tracks have never been released before.