Vibraphonist Dave Pike has worked in a number of different settings over the years. As the guy who hooked up his rig to an amplifier in the early ‘60s, it should come as no surprise that Pike was interested in the possibilities of a jazz band that was plugged in. Released in 1970, Infra-Red is certainly ripe with trippy arrangements and some out-there jazz and rock playing from electric guitarist Volker Kriegel, as well as electric bassist J.A. Rettenbacher and drummer Peter Baumeister. While jazz fusion would soon be codified into complex arrangements performed by technically gifted players, this is more open-ended, with jams that ebb and flow over a few simple parts. Highlights include the sitar-driven “Raga Jeeva Swara,” the soul-jazz of “Soul-Eggs,” and the uptempo and grooving “But Anyway.” Interestingly, this is listed as a live album—but there's no crowd noise, and there’s actually some backward post-production shenanigans on “Send Me the Yellow Guys,” so take that with a grain of salt. It's now available for the first time digitally, with a fresh mastering job as well.