Jim Rattigan, Thomas Gould, Liam Noble: Triplicity review – french horn, violin and piano? Just try it…

The french horn is rare in jazz. Apart from being very hard to play, it doesn’t have an obvious “jazz voice”, and a trio of horn (Jim Rattigan), violin (Thomas Gould) and piano (Liam Noble) might seem a daunting prospect. Indeed, I found the long, abstract-sounding opening number more than a little offputting. But I’m glad I stuck with it because there are some charming pieces among these 12 tracks. The catchy Sweet Tamarind and pastoral Barton Glebe are especially delicious. The combination of instruments may seem strange at first, but give it a chance and it grows on you.