Drummer Tony Williams had a long, fruitful relationship with Blue Note Records starting in the 1960s when he appeared on numerous post bop classics (Herbie Hancock Maiden Voyage, Eric Dolphy Out to Lunch, Andrew Hill Point of Departure) and made his first two albums as a leader: Life Time (1964) and Spring (1965). After Blue Note relaunched in 1984, Williams returned to the label eager to form a new acoustic band as a vehicle to perform his compositions.