Back in the 90s heyday of Britain’s acid-jazz movement, a hot young saxophonist called Ed Jones shared pole position with new horn heroes Courtney Pine and Andy Sheppard – but Jones preferred the creative sidelines (enhancing rap/soul/jazz outfits such as Us3 and Incognito, among others) and has flourished ever since in settings from free-improv to swing. This is the album debut of his fine, seven-year-old quartet – creatively related to mid-period Coltrane, 70s McCoy Tyner and the pensively penetrating work of his biggest inspiration, Wayne Shorter. He’s tersely telling on soprano sax on the Tyneresque Latin groove Nomadology, granite-firm on the mid-tempo tenor swinger Pandora’s Box, and close to Shorter’s cryptic tenor-sax poetry and wriggly evasions on the smoky, pulsing Marielyst. Starbright – an exquisite vapour-trail for delicate singer Brigitte Beraha – is at times harmonically reminiscent of the Stan Tracey classic Starless and Bible Black. A largely post-boppish set ends with free-improv, a bold turnaround only to be anticipated from a freewheeling band such as this.
