The personnel includes several alumni of Birmingham Conservatoire, where Clark has taught for some time, and the result is a shared sense of purpose, but also conveying the feeling that these are musicians with a point to prove. Saxophonist Maddock has, as Jazzwise readers will know, won a Yamaha Jazz Scholarship, not to mention the Mike Gibbs/BBC Big Band Award for composition and arranging. He extends his solo skills here on Clark Terry's "A Pint Of Bitter", a gentle bluesy rambling number. On piano, Harry Bolt, back from leading the band on the Queen Mary 2, also makes his mark, notably on Cedar Walton's composition "Ojos De Rojo", where he nods in the composer's direction but remains his own man. Daniel Casimir's bass lines lock on to the drums, and add to the tight feel of the rhythm section.
The outstanding soloist however is Henry Armburg Jennings, who is as at home on a poised flugelhorn ballad as he is playing more fiery trumpet excursions. His playing on "What's New" is the highlight of a very accomplished disc. The record has brought off that rare double - enticing a listener to want to hear the band live, and providing a perfect memento of how it sounds to those who have experienced it in concert."

The programme is a nice mixture of familiar compositions from the pens of Tony Williams and Cedar Walton, along with some cracking originals from the leader. The opener, Williams' 'Lawra' finds the two horns in a marvellously controlled duet with their lines flowing imaginatively with and around each other without ever clashing.

What is truly staggering is the tender age of the young turks that Tracey has surrounded himself with. All are under twenty five and all demonstrate an understanding of their chosen that belies their years. Of the front line, Trumpeter Armburg Jennings plays with real grace and maturity, whilst saxophonist Chris Maddock wields both alto and tenor with equal authority. Also, hear how the two horn men make short work of the breakneck tempo of 'Suddenly Last Tuesday', both playing solos that are alive with imaginative ideas that still permit the music to breathe and not simply a barrage of notes.

Not to be outdone, bassist Casimir and pianist Harry Bolt, the youngest member of the quintet at just twenty two, both get in fine solos as well as being the clue that hold the fabric of this invigorating music together. Casimir's solo on 'Rim Clicker' is absolutely top drawer, and if Bolt's comping skills also deserve a mention listen out for the intro to his solo on 'Ojos De Rojo'.

A timely reminder then of just what good jazz should be, from one of the most dynamic outfits on the scene. And if it gives some of our emerging young talent the opportunity to flex their muscles and gain some valuable playing experience then more power to them.

Here, he has recruited yet another lively, vigorous set of players whose poise and professionalism belie their relatively tender years: from the big band Pendulum, he's taken the bright, surefooted trumpeter Paul Jordanous and the agile altoist Piers Green; as a result of a brief encounter in the vibist's teens he's enlisted the extravagantly talented Lewis Wright; pianist Kit Downes, despite being only in his earliest twenties, needs no introduction to Vortex patrons, having delighted a packed club on numerous occasions in various outfits over the past couple of years; and bassist Ryan Trebilcock was originally recommended by his tutor Arnie Somogyi. The album begins with a suitably bright, peppy Cedar Walton composition, 'Bolivia', which puts the whole band enjoyably through its paces, then intersperses originals (Tracey's own moody title track; an intriguing Downes tune, 'Export', also to be found on Jake Goss's new album; Trebilcock's perky '5 Bellies' and Tracey's rollingly rhythmic 'Devil's Chair', from the Stiperstones suite first aired in the 1980s) with a couple of jazz classics: Monk's 'Bemsha Swing' and Wayne Shorter's Messengers staple, 'One by One'. Whatever their material, though, the sextet is an archetypal Clark Tracey band, breezily informal yet whip-smart, powerful in the soloing department yet mutually sensitive and perfectly cohesive, the whole flawlessly propelled by one of Europe's most accomplished drummers. Warmly recommended.

In particular the inclusion of vibraphonist Lewis Wright adds a new dimension to the ensemble. The Cedar Walton piece ‘Bolivia’ is an ideal vehicle for the sextet which sounds like Bobby Hutcherson circa 1965 on Blue Note. Altoist Piers Green impresses with a restrained yet soulful solo. A Jazz Messengers staple ‘One by One’ from the pen of Wayne Shorter receives a light Latin vamp intro on piano from Kit Downes before various band members engage in solos. Most impressive of all the covers is a reworking of Monk’s ‘Bemsha Swing’ taken at a slightly slower pace than per usual and where the use of space both from vibes and bass solos offer a wholly different version from the original. However, this is by no means a covers only album, with four out of the seven lengthy pieces being originals, and various band members including the leader contribute some excellent compositions. Pianist Kit Downes offers the reflective ballad ‘Export’ with trumpet and vibes solos. New directions are hinted at on ‘Devil’s chair’, a reworking of a Clark Tracey original first heard on a previous album from the 1980s. The piece begins conventionally enough, but a third way through becomes somewhat freer in format and it is in this context that Wright on vibes plays a pivotal role before Tracey leads the sextet back into the theme. Overall this new sextet appears to have a whole variety of musical options at its disposal and it will it be fascinating to see in which of these directions they will head over subsequent albums and live settings.