This spiritual jazz classic is a sonic island: far out, nothing nearby, with vast, stunning panoramas. Do you know the part in 2001: A Space Odyssey when Bowman encounters the monolith? That's what will happen to you on the first listen.

Grand spiritual jazz. Nothing else sounds quite like this album, which is bookended by re-imaginings of two John Coltrane tracks awash in psychedelic vibes. A true standout in 70s jazz for its unique instrumentation, vision, and beauty.

Very good album. Reminds me of old times. I recommend a lot. Sound is also very good and great to listen.

The Water Is Wide finds Lloyd applying his low-key tenor and lovely unassuming tonality to serene melody making for the most part. The warmth that permeates this disc is palpable and real.

Technically daunting, these recordings are uncannily accessible and there is something new to be discovered with each listen. Guitar virtuosity at it’s zenith.

This extraordinary recording foreshadows Rosenwinkel’s now legendary fourth album The Next Step, released in 2001. A recording will never quite catch the drama of a truly great live performance, but Next Step Band Live at Smalls 1996 gets about as close to that dramatic fire as you could hope for. Both dyed-in-the-wool Rosenwinkel aficionados and those new to his work will appreciate an engaging and enveloping set that transports the listener back to a particular time for jazz in New York and to a legendary club on a Tuesday night – for what was clearly a magical evening.

Wonderful packaging love the 7”inch sleeves. Sounds wonderful on my Yamaha cd2100 both the stereo and the mono SACDs.

Outstanding live jazz release. Sounds amazing on SACD. Happy to add this to my collection. Highly recommended.

Outstanding live jazz release. Sounds amazing on SACD. Happy to add this to my collection. Highly recommended.

Outstanding classic jazz album release. Sounds amazing on SACD. Happy to add this to my collection. Highly recommended.

Wayne Shorter was a phenom in the 60s and he's supported here by some jazz titans. This is a seriously good album that explores a range of moods with fevered energy and tight musicianship.

This is a really fantastic album by one of my favourite jazz musicians. An essential spiritual jazz album that pairs astral jazz and free jazz. This album explores a more varied musical terrain compared to some of Sanders' other albums at the time since the tracks are shorter and there are more of them. It pairs nicely with other essential spiritual jazz of the time like his album Karma and bandmate Lonnie Liston Smith's Astral Travelling. Recommended if you like astral vibes and polyrhythmic grooves even if you're not normally a jazz person.

This is really joyous music. The sound imaging is stellar, with rich layers. The album is two extended tracks: the first cycles through catchy variations of a single motif, while the second is chaotically free but ends calmly meditative --I find Pharoah Sanders' forays into free jazz more accessible than other artists. The positive vibes are like sunshine. Classic black and orange Impulse! disc.

The lineup on this album is full of titans so you know you can expect quality. This may not sound like what first comes to mind when you think of spiritual jazz, it has a more subtle touch and doesn't sound as far out from other strands of jazz, but don't be fooled this is a beautiful, meditative spiritual jazz album. The shade of blue of these Blue Note discs is gorgeous.

You can't go wrong with any Donald Byrd album from the first half of the 70s and this is another strong outing. Another jazz-funk cornerstone produced by the Mizell brothers. If you enjoy a bit more of an upbeat, funky sound, this Byrd's for you.

You can't go wrong with any Donald Byrd album from the first half of the 70s but this is a favourite. A jazz-funk classic produced by the Mizell brothers. If you enjoy a bit more of a laidback, soulful, groovy sound, don't "think twice".

This quartet's ability to interconnect at the deepest level that makes Live at Birdland a new benchmark for standards interpretation. Konitz, Mehldau, Haden and Motian may have done absolutely nothing to prepare for this specific gig at the legendary New York venue near the end of 2009, but they've been preparing for moments like these their entire lives.

It's musically all over the map. Sanders romps through a tremendous variety of instruments, including tenor, soprano, alto flute, fifes, the African bailophone, assorted small percussion, and even a cow horn. It's rare to have this many different sides of Sanders coexisting in one place, and that's what makes the album such an interesting listen.

Dedicated to the memory of John Coltrane, the album is a brave deviation from just playing Coltrane tunes the way the man did. No, this album is totally different and it works miracles. For starters, there is no sax featured in a tribute to the great sax player! Undoubtedly, a most unexpected star of this trio is Joey DeFrancesco on Hammond B3. Actually, it's not a Hammond, but a Yamaha B3, built to fill the gap after Hammond stopped production and it's a superb machine with a rich sound that any purist would take to without reservations. In the hands of DeFrancesco it practically steals the show. Not that it would leave McLaughlin idle, who plays in a tastefully modest and elegant manner. Add Coltrane's former drummer Elvin Jones to the mix and you have a sensational album. From the first note to the last, it is pure delight, short of nectar to the ears.

Having listened to several Japanese pressings of this landmark recording, I can say without hesitation that this hybrid SACD two-disc edition ranks among the finest. Presented in a prefect reproduced 7-inch cardboard sleeve, the package reflects the meticulous attention to detail for which Japanese reissues are renowned. Sonically, the mono mix offers remarkable presence, tonal richness, and coherence. It is, quite simply, one of the most satisfying version of this album currently available. As a limited edition release, however, it is unlikely to remain available for long.