High Spirits (British Jazz Explosion)

Available on vinyl for the first time in over 60 years

Mastered from the original stereo analogue tapes

Package includes images of the original master tapes and new sleeve notes written by noted author, Tony Higgins, Executive Producer for Decca's 'British Jazz Explosion' series.

On 16 October 2026 Fontana Records are making Jamaican/British jazz saxophonist Joe Harriott's album High Spirits available again for the first time since it was released in 1965.

This new edition was mastered at Abbey Road using high definition 24bit/192kHz audio files, copied directly from the original stereo analogue master tapes (previously only the mono version has been on vinyl). Images of those tapes are included in the package alongside new sleeve notes written by author, compiler, and documentary maker Tony Higgins, who also acts as Executive Producer for Universal Music's 'British Jazz Explosion' series.

Recorded in September 1964, High Spirits was originally released as part of the Lansdowne Series, overseen by the influential Denis Preston, one of the UK's first independent record producers. In a departure from the radical concepts Harriott explored across his most recent albums, High Spirits features eight arrangements of songs originally written for the musical High Spirits, composed by Hugh Martin and Timothy Gray, and based on Noël Coward’s 1941 play Blithe Spirit.

All the pieces were arranged by pianist Pat Smythe (b. Scotland 1923, d. 1983), a leading force behind several innovative shifts in British jazz in the '60s and '70s, appearing not just on Harriott's more typical output, but also on the ground breaking Indo-Jazz Fusion projects.

Completing the quintet were bassist Coleridge Goode (b. 1914 Jamaica, d. 2015 London), drummer Bobby Orr (b. Scotland 1928, d. 2020), and trumpet/flugelhorn player Ellsworth 'Shake' Keane (b. Saint Vincent 1927, d. 1997).

Reviews from the time focused on the skill of this ensemble, with Melody Maker describing Harriott's quintet as "probably the finest group of the British scene at the moment", while Record Mirror offered, "That it works at all is surprising; that it works so well is astonishing."

Born in Jamaica in 1928, Joseph Arthurlin Harriott was a pupil at the Alpha Boys School (alma mater to Harold McNair, Dizzy Reece, and a myriad of Ska greats). He arrived in Britain in the early '50s, initially touring with the Ozzie Da Costa Band, followed by a brief spell with the Ronnie Scott Big Band, and sessions backing the likes of George Chisholm, and Lita Roza.

By the mid '50s Joe was a big enough draw to release records under his own name, and whilst these early recordings conform to the then popular bop style, the following decade would see him release albums whose titles chart his development; 'Free Form' in 1960, 'Abstract' in 1963, and 'Movement' in 1964.

Initial sales of High Spirits were disappointing, and Harriott would return to his more innovative work, on albums like Michael Garrick's 1966 'Black Marigolds', and the landmark 'Hum Dono' album in 1969, with Goan guitarist Amancio D’Silva. However, with its inventive arrangements and accomplished playing, High Spirits has stood the test of time, and remains an essential listen, not only for fans of British jazz, but jazz fans in general.

Tracklist

Side A
A1. Home Sweet Heaven (03:37)
A2. If I Gave You (05:56)
A3. Go Into Your Trance (04:18)
A4. You'd Better Love Me (04:20)
 
Side B
B1. I Know Your Heart (03:40)
B2. Was She Prettier Than I? (05:30)
B3. Forever And A Day (05:28)
B4. Something Tells Me (05:13)