In July of 1960, in protest against what they considered the failings of the jazz scene and the accelerating commercialization of the annual Newport Jazz Festival, Charles Mingus and Max Roach staged their own rebel festival at nearby Cliff Walk Manner, RI. The rebellion united a broad range of musicians of different ages and styles - Older more traditional artists Jo Jones, Roy Eldridge and Coleman Hawkins, alongside younger more avant-garde players Eric Dolphy, Jimmy Knepper, and Booker Little. Galvanized by the event, the musicians formed the Jazz Artists Guild, and the collective headed into the studio in November of that year to capture the magic on record.

Despite the fact that these sessions were held in the studio, the music reflects the high-spirited freedom of the best jazz played at the original setting with nearly all of it improvised during the recording. Of particular note is the Booker Little track Cliff Walk, which features both Max Roach and Jo Jones, two of the greatest jazz drummers ever, trading off.

Though the intention of the Jazz Artists Guild was to produce more concerts and more recordings, for one reason or another, this would prove to be the short lived movements one and only result.

Recorded by Candid A&R man and Producer Nat Hentoff at the Nola Penthouse Studios in New York, the LP includes extraordinary liner notes giving a context and insight that adds to the experience of hearing these magnificent performances.

Remastered by legendary mastering engineer, Bernie Grundman.