Years before his big bands and electronics — the trumpeter on Pacific Jazz LP from 1962, more experimental than usual for the label, with Paul Bley and Gary Peacock — bracing, often free-form.

‘How Time Passes and Essence were issued at a time when jazz history was being made practically on a monthly basis. There are a few reasons why they became submerged in the tsunami of groundbreaking albums released in the first years of the 1960s. For starters, Candid and Pacific Jazz simply did not have the market clout of Atlantic, Impulse, and other labels. Furthermore, Don Ellis’ music differed significantly from that of the avatars of free jazz, occupying a space between contemporary jazz and mid-century chamber music. However, the times eventually caught up. More than sixty years after their initial release, these recordings were as prescient as they are brilliant.’

With Jaki Byard, Ron Carter and Charlie Persip, in the earlier group; then Paul Bley, Gary Peacock and Gene Stone / Nick Martinis.

Japanese issue, including exclusives and obscurities alongside Mark Ernestus’ remix of Gigantes; also three films.

‘With Touch, the Tortoise bandmembers — Jeff Parker, Dan Bitney, Douglas McCombs, John Herndon, and John McEntire — harness their collectivist songwriting approach, a slightly anarchistic but resolutely egalitarian process where ideas triumph over ego towards an abstracted muscularity. While there are still excursions into the dusky, elegantly gnarled jazz ambience that flourished on landmark works like Millions Now Living Will Never Die and TNT, Touch is perhaps most remarkable for Tortoise’s unapologetic embrace of grand gesture. Aerodynamically re-engineered Krautrock, hand-cranked techno rave-ups, and pointillist spaghetti western fanfares are all imbued with Tortoise’s now-signature internal logic — equally alluring and confounding, a puzzle to be savored rather than solved.’

With Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette, live in 2001 — this trio at its peak — kicking off with a Cole Porter and closing with a heart-rending solo piano reading of It’s All In The Game.

A quartet session, with Jan Garbarek.

Live in Brazil, April, 2011. ‘At his most exuberant… it’s a must’ (The Guardian). ‘Beautifully structured, jazzy, serious, sweet, playful, warm, economical, energetic, passionate’ (KJ. His mum likes it, too).

With Jan Garbarek, Palle Danielsson and Jon Christensen at Tokyo’s Nakano Sun Plaza in April 1979.

Live in Juan-les-Pins, 2002, with Peacock and DeJohnette, with two Miles’ and Autumn Leaves magnificently revisited.

With Gary Peacock, Jack DeJohnette.

Enjoyably odd, wrong folk rock with baroque touches, from 1968. Jarrett plays everything — guitar, harmonica, soprano saxophone, recorder, piano, organ, electric bass, drums, tambourine and sistra — adding a string quartet here and there. He also sings, though it’s better when he doesn’t. Nearly all the tracks are two to three minutes.

‘A spontaneous solo suite interspersing touches of the blues and folksong lyricism between pieces of polyrhythmic and harmonic complexity… one of his very finest performances. An attentive and appreciative audience hangs on every note, every nuance, and is rewarded with some tender encores including a magical version of It’s A Lonesome Old Town.’