Spring

Tony Williams recorded his second album, “Spring,” at Rudy Van Gelder’s celebrated Englewood Cliffs studio in August 1965, just weeks after John Coltrane’s landmark “Ascension.” Taking a more open, exploratory approach to jazz, Williams brought together Miles Davis Quintet members Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter with bassist Gary Peacock and saxophonist Sam Rivers. At just 19, Williams wrote all five compositions, which unfold with a striking sense of freedom and space. From the restless interplay of “Extras” to the extended drum feature on “Echo” and the memorable closing bass solo on “Tee,” the album captures the adventurous, improvisation-led spirit of mid-1960s jazz.