A textbook case of a gathering of a lot of seriously great players and even a big star or two as featured guests. And yet somehow the album just does not work.

Perhaps it is simply a matter of taste. Don't get me wrong: you can pass the time quite happily listening funkily along to the excellent instrumentalism. But if you are looking for something to touch you deeply, no that is not going to happen.

The vocal tracks featuring Peter Fessler and Cosmo Klein navigate more from the jazz-rock base into a soul-funky stew that just seems reheated. If you were to take those tracks ('Fragile' and 'Edge of Life') out or just listen to individual tracks elsewhere then that's one solution and certainly blotting out the vocals makes me think more favourably of the album.

Randy Brecker is superb, fluent and passionate, on 'Summer in Berlin' and as for Simon Oslender, the young keyboardist whose name is on the cover and who is in ex-Miles Davis saxophonist Bill Evans' band (Evans features on 'Rooftop Party') he is a significant talent, playing organ and synths as well as piano. I enjoyed listening to him a lot. His tunes are less exhilarating but perfectly OK (the vibes-flavoured 'Warehouse' at the beginning is the pick).

The choice of Sting's 'Fragile' as one of the covers could have been better given how often it has been covered. More positively drummer Wolfgang Haffner again shows how much of a world class player he is but Oslender needs a producer other than himself because About Time is just a bit too muso and pleased with itself. As a debut however this is a good enough statement of intent and certainly cements his sideman credentials if not his leader ones just yet. If you want to party a bit then go for it: knock yourself out. But you might have a hell of a hangover in the morning. SG

To be released on Friday.