The precocious and prodigious drummer and composer Tony Williams had already participated in numerous landmark Blue Note recordings including Herbie Hancock's Empyrean Isles, Eric Dolphy's Out To Lunch, Andrew Hill's Point Of Departure, Jackie McLean's One Step Beyond, and Grachan Moncur III's Evolution by the time he recorded his own adventurous debut album Life Time in 1964. The following year Williams convened a stellar line-up with saxophonists Wayne Shorter and Sam Rivers, pianist Herbie Hancock, and bassist Gary Peacock and returned to Van Gelder Studio to record the follow-up: Spring. The five Williams originals presented here—“Extras,” “Echo,” “From Before,” Love Song,” and “Tee”— each offer the musicians spacious realms in which to go exploring.

This Blue Note Classic Vinyl Edition is stereo, all-analog, mastered by Kevin Gray from the original master tapes, and pressed on 180g vinyl at Optimal.