This meeting of London-resident Austrian guitarist Hannes Riepler with New York saxist Chris Cheek (a cool partner of Bill Frisell and the late Paul Motian) and local rhythm-section stars Oli Hayhurst and James Maddren sprang from a chance encounter on Riepler’s weekly jam session at London’s Vortex jazz club. Riepler’s improvisations attractively juxtapose traditional jazz-guitar mellowness and snappily metallic accents, and it’s a regular delight to hear Cheek unfold tenor solos that expand themes in floating long tones and casually skipping, Stan Getzian runs. Despite drummer Maddren’s bustling empathy and bassist Hayhurst’s decisiveness, the set has a faintly languid air at times, but Riepler’s tunes – from the piping, bass-prodded One Shot to the spikier Gillett Square Blues and the inquisitive, repeating motif of Nothing New … Just Beautiful – release their implications gradually. Still, a live recording of this classy group might have been an interesting alternative, and it’s Cheek’s busy Sailing Ships and the jauntily rocking Beck cover, Modern Guilt, that catch the ear first.
