It all begins with the sultry, sumptuous sound of a melodic alto sax joining forces with a gently bowed violin. Amidst a growing urgency in this developing conversation, comes an urgent message from the drummers: We are with you! This meeting of musical minds clearly transfixed the audience at the Four Bars Inn, Cardiff, during this Original Drum Orchestra performance recorded in 1989. The group, created by saxophonist Trevor Watts, played without any rehearsal and, it is claimed, ‘without any previous discussion’ (fully explained in a detailed 20-page essay by Julian Cowley included in this package, which also has photos by Jak Kilby and further notes from Watts).

The results are audibly remarkable from the outset: they quickly achieve a unity which is due to the mutual respect of the musicians involved in a project that had its roots in Trevor’s earlier experiments with free jazz alongside John Stevens and Paul Rutherford in the Spontaneous Music Ensemble and Rutherford’s subsequent group Amalgam.

The second disc opens with an encore saved from the Cardiff gig, while extra tracks were recorded at the Southampton Musician’s Collective. The music draws upon influences from Ghana and South Africa, but also closer to its home in Ireland and England with its intriguing mix of folk tunes.

Classically-trained Peter Knight plays violin with a blend of dexterity and melodic sensitivity often lacking among rock-fusion fiddlers. And Trevor is happy to play jazz ‘improv’ without resort to neurotic honking, although there are moments when notes are held indefinitely, closer perhaps to Scottish piping than Parker-esque bebop; and Tsiboe and Adu are at risk of drawing blood on their hands while Liam uses his sticks to whip up percussive excitement.

But the main dish is undoubtedly Trevor’s beautifully bluesy alto solo followed by Genockey’s attacking snare drumming alongside Ernest Mothle’s bass solo as the meal hots up. More than two hours’ worth of feverish experimentation climaxing with funky forays into flights of artful African drumming.