Album: The Live New Departures Jazz Poetry Septet, Blues for the Hichhiking Dead (Gearbox)

Vinyl specialists Gearbox have done poet Michael Horovitz proud with this beautiful two-LP box-set of an epic live recording from 1962. English beats Horovitz and Pete Brown declaim verse to the often inspired – and very off the cuff – music of a band including Stan Tracey, Bobby Wellins and Jeff Clyne. A new LP and single of Horovitz with Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon and Paul Weller have already sold out but may reprint.