Leader Spirit

Whereas space rock pioneers Pink Floyd soon turned their back on the style they helped invent (and created another musical style: prog rock), fellow space rock pioneers Hawkwind have stayed put on their spaceship throughout the years. And they continue to do so, as evidenced by their 2005 release, Take Me to Your Leader, which manages to combine a modern edge with the all trippiness that abounds. The band - still led by mustachioed singer/guitarist/songwriter Dave Brock - continues to have a soft spot for soundscape detours ("Spirit of the Age"), isn't afraid to crank up the old Marshalls ("To Love a Machine"), and can morph into Radiohead-esque shapes in the blink of an eye ("Digital Nation"). While the majority of their space rock comrades have gone the way of the Death Star, Hawkwind continues to lean heavily on the hyperspace button all these years later.

Curated by the band’s current label, Cherry Red Records, this three disc box set was released in 2008 to herald a complete overhaul of the band’s catalogue from 1976 to 1997. Cherry Red acquired the rights to these albums, and rolled out a reissue programme that saw each album get a dramatic upgrade in sound quality, accompanied by bonus discs of previously unreleased songs or live takes. However, while Hawkwind’s legacy is impressive, it’s fair to say that not every album is a winner, and certainly in the later years the albums suffered from a lot of filler, and leader Dave Brock tended to recycle and re-record older tracks and simply badge them with new titles. This set manages to filter out a lot of the weaker material, and concentrates on the tracks that define Hawkwind at their best…

When Spirit River was recorded in 1990, a decade had passed since the electric bassist's departure from the Metheny Group; but Metheny's influence remained. Nonetheless, the album makes it clear that Egan and drummer Danny Gottlieb (Elements' other leader) have a collective vision of their own. This charming jazz/pop date isn't about intense or aggressive swinging, and tends to have an introspective, floating quality. Saxman Bill Evans (not to be confused with the late piano legend) is characteristically expressive and soulful on soprano, and Brazilian greats Flora Purim (vocals) and Airto Moreira (percussion) make some valuable, heartfelt contributions to the engaging CD.

Spirit Dance and Pneuma were jazz violinist Michael White's first two albums as a leader. Both were originally issued by Impulse in 1972. They'd been available previously only as Japanese imports, but this two-fer in Universal's Impulse! 2 on 1 series marks their first issue on the format in the West. Before recording Spirit Dance in 1971, White had worked with Pharoah Sanders on Thembi, and with Alice Coltrane when she overdubbed the strings on John Coltrane's infamous Infinity album. Previous to this, he'd recorded with John Handy, and with the early fusion group Fourth Way, which also included percussionist Kenneth Nash and pianist Mike Nock. Spirit Dance reveals White's arrival as a fully formed - and very democratic - bandleader, with a specific, uplifting vision…