Third is a live and studio album by the English rock band Soft Machine, released as their third overall in June 1970 by CBS Records. It is a double album with a single composition on each of the four sides, and was the first of two albums recorded with a four-piece line-up of keyboardist Mike Ratledge, drummer and vocalist Robert Wyatt, saxophonist Elton Dean, and bass guitarist Hugh Hopper. Third marks a shift in the group's sound from their psychedelic origins towards jazz rock and electronic music. "Facelift" is a live recording by the previous line-up of the band, a five-piece with Lyn Dobson on saxophone and flute alongside Ratledge, Wyatt, Hopper and Dean. The remaining tracks are studio recordings by the four-piece line-up, augmented by a few session musicians.

Bruce Hornsby laid out details of Spirit Trail 25th Anniversary Edition, a reissue of his famed 1998 double album set to arrive via Zappo Productions/Thirty Tigers on October 27.

Trey Anastasio Since co-founding the seminal improv rock outfit Phish in 1983, guitarist, composer, and songwriter Trey Anastasio has explored a wide variety of musical pathways ranging from atonal fugues and elaborate charts with Phish to adventurous free jazz on his first solo project, Surrender to the Air (1996), to collaborations with the likes of Tom Marshall, Les Claypool, Philip Glass, Stewart Copeland, and others. Anastasio pursued many of these projects during the 2000s, a period when Phish embarked on several extended hiatuses and breakups. After releasing a shiny, pop-oriented eponymous solo album in 2002, the guitarist formed Oysterhead – a group featuring Claypool and Copeland – and instituted a large solo band that supported him both on record and in the studio.

Tomato Kiss is a spectacularly vibrant, historically monumental, and masterfully synchronized jazz fusion studio masterpiece by the elite German avant-electronic jazz collective Tomato Kiss, released in 1986 by the premier European independent jazz preservation imprint Nabel Records. Spanning over 40 minutes of intricate, high-energy instrumental chemistry across 8 dense tracks, this high-fidelity restoration serves as an absolute pinnacle monument in mid-1980s Euro-fusion and progressive jazz-rock archaeology. Spearheaded by acclaimed trumpet virtuoso Uli Beckerhoff and synthesizer wizard Rainer Schnelle, the group utilizes this brilliant self-titled ledger to execute a fierce, forward-thinking sonic blueprint that seamlessly marries complex acoustic horn expressions with the cutting-edge digital synthesizer matrices, sequencers, and crisp rhythmic pockets typical of the decade's fusion avant-garde.

Live At The Baked Potato is a spectacularly explosive, historically monumental, and masterfully synchronized live jazz fusion masterpiece by the elite power trio of guitarist Keith Howland, legendary drummer Tris Imboden, and bassist Lance Morrison, released in 2004 by the independent musical preservation imprint GraceNote Records. Spanning over 72 minutes of staggering technical execution across 11 high-energy tracks, this high-fidelity document serves as an absolute peak monument in early-2004s progressive jazz-rock live archaeology. Captured in the sweat-soaked, legendary confines of Studio City’s premier fusion temple—The Baked Potato—the trio completely shatters studio constraints, executing a fierce sonic blueprint defined by blistering, unhinged guitar improvisations, intricate odd-meter displacements, and deep, infectious heavy-rock grooves.

The Howland-Imboden Project is a spectacularly explosive, historically monumental, and masterfully synchronized jazz fusion studio masterpiece by the elite instrumental partnership of guitarist Chris Howland and legendary drummer Tris Imboden, released in 2001 by the independent musical preservation imprint GraceNote Records. Spanning nearly an hour of staggering technical execution across 10 dense, high-energy compositions, this high-fidelity document serves as an absolute peak monument in turn-of-the-century progressive jazz-rock archaeology. Spearheaded by Howland's sophisticated harmonic vision and Imboden's legendary, world-class rhythmic engine (renowned for his historic tenures with Chicago, Kenny Loggins, and Chaka Khan), the duo completely shatters standard fusion boundaries to execute a fierce sonic blueprint that seamlessly marries complex progressive architectures with infectious, deep-pocket grooves.

Notes is a spectacularly kinetic, deeply melodic, and masterfully synchronized studio masterpiece by the legendary Italian jazz drummer, composer, and bandleader Roberto Gatto, released in 1987 by the premier independent regional imprint Gala Records. Spanning 40 minutes of intricate instrumental music across 8 brilliant tracks, this high-fidelity document serves as an absolute peak monument in late-1980s European contemporary jazz and jazz-rock fusion archaeology. Widely celebrated for his impeccable timekeeping, explosive polyrhythmic drive, and sharp compositional vision, Gatto uses this landmark solo effort to execute a fierce sonic blueprint that beautifully balances the technical precision of electric fusion with the deep harmonic sensibilities of modern post-bop.

Eric Gales was hailed as the second coming of Jimi Hendrix when he first hit the blues circuit, an anointment that carries with it impossible pressures, and while Gales is a wonderful guitarist (naturally right-handed, he was taught to play the guitar left-handed, an odd thing, but again, Hendrix-like), he isn't Hendrix, nor will he or anyone ever be. Working out of the power trio format, Gales has more than proven he can play on his many albums, but his voice is average at best, and his songs tend toward the generic, often more like vehicles for guitar leads than actual songs that are crying out to be sung. That's why Ghost Notes is so intriguing, because it's Gales' first all-instrumental album, and therefore it bypasses his weaknesses as a performer and plays to his strengths – the man sure can play guitar.

Smile A While is a spectacularly complex, historically monumental, and masterfully irreverent progressive jazz-rock masterpiece by the legendary Baden-Baden-based ensemble Brainstorm, originally released in 1972 on Spiegelei and beautifully reissued in 1996 with vital bonus material by the premier French historical archival imprint Musea Records. Spanning nearly 63 minutes across 11 definitive tracks, this high-fidelity document serves as an essential monument to the highly specialized Canterbury-inflected sector of German Krautrock. While many of their national peers focused on cosmic electronic drones or heavy blues jamming, Brainstorm carved out a fiercely intelligent, completely distinct sub-genre niche, combining the complex, shifting time signatures of Soft Machine and Caravan with sharp avant-garde humor, complex harmonic counterpoint, and relentless woodwind-driven jazz-fusion.

Tomorrow's Gift is a spectacularly raw, historically monumental, and masterfully chaotic progressive jazz-rock masterpiece by the legendary Hamburg-based ensemble Tomorrow's Gift, originally released in 1970 as a rare double-album on Plus Records and beautifully reissued in 2016 by the premier historical archival imprint Long Hair. Spanning over 63 minutes across 13 definitive tracks, this high-fidelity studio archive serves as an essential monument to the foundational golden era of German Krautrock. Long before guitarist Carlo Karges gained international fame with the 80s pop phenomenon Nena, he and keyboardist Manfred Rürup helmed this ultra-creative, uncompromising collective, crafting a wildly adventurous sonic blueprint that completely bypasses predictable pop patterns in favor of avant-garde improvisation, heavy psychedelic blues, and explosive progressive fusion.

Iconic drummer Simon Phillips is known worldwide for appearances with Toto, The Who, Jeff Beck, Al Di Meola, Hiromi, Stanley Clarke and his own group, Protocol. Simon continues to evolve as a composer on the exciting new Protocol 6 album. As he says, "The material is actually quite different from Protocol V. With the band now in it's sixth year, I was able to write specifically for each player. It's my rock 'n' roll side that dictates the form of each tune, even though the style is definitely jazz-rock. I like to call it progressive jazz." The lineup in this road-tested outfit remains constant except that Phillip Whack now holds down the saxophone chair, playing tenor, alto and soprano with great authority.

Prince had a prolific output, releasing 39 albums during his life, with a vast array of unreleased projects left in a vault at his home after his death. It is believed that the vault contains dozens of fully produced albums and over 50 music videos that have never been released, along with various other media. He released hundreds of songs both under his own name and multiple pseudonyms during his life, as well as writing songs that were made famous by other musicians, such as "Nothing Compares 2 U" and "Manic Monday".

Cut from the original master tapes by Kevin Gray and pressed on 180-gram black vinyl at Optimal in Germany, these releases feature glossy gatefold packaging with “tip-on” jackets and newly written liner notes. They are limited to 5,000 individually numbered copies and available today exclusively at Rhino.com and select Warner Music Group stores internationally.

Colosseum One of the most influential of the early British progressive rock bands, Colosseum fused an adventurous approach to rock with strong jazz and blues influences and classical keyboard accents; they earned a loyal and lasting following though they never scored a major breakthrough hit. Colosseum were founded in 1968 by saxophonist Dick Heckstall-Smith, bassist Tony Reeves, and drummer Jon Hiseman; the three had previously worked with John Mayall, playing on his album Bare Wires, and Heckstall-Smith and Hiseman were formerly members of the Graham Bond Organisation. The first lineup was completed with the addition of Dave Greenslade on keyboards, Jim Roche on guitar, and vocalist James Litherland, who took over on guitar when Roche soon departed. After making their live debut in Scarborough, Colosseum earned a valuable ally in legendary BBC disc jockey John Peel, who featured the band on his Top Gear radio show. Fontana Records signed the band, and their first album, Those Who Are About to Die Salute You, was released in 1969; it fared well in the charts, and the leadoff track, "Walking in the Park," was issued as a single, though it proved to be the only 7" from the group.

Springfever is a spectacularly explosive, high-octane, and historically monumental jazz-rock fusion masterpiece masterminded by the legendary German keyboard pioneer Joachim Kühn, beautifully preserved on compact disc in 2008 by the acclaimed archival label Wounded Bird Records. Originally recorded in 1976 at the iconic Union Studios in Munich, this high-fidelity document captures Kühn at an absolute creative zenith, fully embracing the heavy, electric instrumentation of the mid-70s transatlantic fusion explosion. Shifting seamlessly between acoustic grand piano, Fender Rhodes, and blistering synthesizer attacks, Kühn leads an absolute powerhouse, cross-continental dream-team vanguard. Fronting the session alongside him are the soaring, lyrical guitar lines of Belgian maestro Philip Catherine and the revolutionary, scorching electric violin work of Polish jazz titan Zbigniew Seifert. Anchored by the heavy, funk-driven bass architecture of John Lee and the thunderous, driving syncopation of drummers Gerald Brown and Curt Cress, the ensemble operates at a staggering level of energy and technical precision. The tracklist is an absolute tour de force of electric creative music, highlighted by the sprawling, 10-minute multi-movement opening epic Lady Amber, the relentless rhythmic velocity of Two Whips, and the deeply atmospheric, fusion-drenched grooves of California Woman. Exceptionally preserved in pristine lossless audio quality with full artwork scans, this rare electric treasure stands as a mandatory cornerstone and a prized collector's holy grail for global purists of classic 1970s jazz-rock history and elite Euro-American fusion heritage.