Album of the week beginning 5 June is The Glass Hours that precedes the upcoming Linda May Han Oh and Fabian Almazan Irish tour

Scroll down for upcoming Linda May Han Oh and Fabian Almazan Irish tour dates and ticket links.

The significant thing about The Glass Hours (Biophilia, just released) is the way vocals are intertwined with tenor saxophone, piano, bass and drums. The process is not like a band backing the voice or the other way round when the voice acts as a bolt-on to an album whose spiritual core is largely instrumental. In other words this is a fully knitted together vocal-instrumental weaving of dreams. The tunes are often audaciously knotty and not standard shape at all in their construction. You glean what you are hearing is experimental and not built out of tough to click together cellular blocks. And yet certainly in the saxophone passages there is a connection with a strong post-bop tradition. But in ethos it is not generic or orthodox at all and is avant-garde in the sense of the Oh compositional mind trying to launch the sound into a new stratosphere. Linda May Han Oh is one of the very best jazz bassists.

Thriving on a riff - Oh dazzles from the get-go on 2020 Pat Metheny quartet release From This Place's 'Same River'

We say that of the Malaysian-Australian who lives in the United States because of the bassist's formidable role primarily on Uneasy with Vijay Iyer; with Pat Metheny heard on the great Missourian's From This Place and above all on her own Walk Against Wind - a classic of the 2010s.

On The Glass Hours issued on Oh's husband Cuban pianist Fabian Almazan's Biophilia label and on which Almazan also figures strongly, the ''new cool school'' tenor icon Mark Turner best here - and check him too on recently reviewed Jochen Rueckert album With Best Intentions - in his scrabbling intensity on 'The Imperative' and on the title track.

Experimental Portugal-born singer Sara Serpa is very significant on the record especially on the moving and compelling stark anti-war meditation 'Jus ad bellum' that is incredible. Dave Holland drummer Obed Calvaire completing the quintet is a steadying and highly responsive presence.

THE SATURDAY MORNING LISTEN

Recorded at Michele Catri's Master Chord studio in North Finchley's Woodside Park area close to Totteridge Lane - where Paul Edis recorded The Still Point Of The Turning World a couple of years ago. The place has an amazing piano and the sound on both albums is excellent. Comprised of originals by pianist composer Zoe Rahman, the Chichester born English player of Bengali and Irish descent known in recent years for her acclaimed work with Courtney Pine on his Spirituality and Ballads: The Songbook albums, who is no stranger to awards and fan appreciation. Rahman, 52, has been Mercury nominated, Parliamentary Jazz Award winning and most recently an Ivors Composer Awards impact winner in 2021.

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Zoe Rahman above at the Ivors in 2021 with fellow pianist Julian Joseph.

What a track record. And all completely deserved. A dynamic thinker it isn't a surprise at all that Colour of Sound is one of the best albums of the year so far. At just over three quarters of an hour in length brevity is the soul of wit in an otherwise maximalist world of infinite doom scrolling. And there is nothing at all woe-is-me here. Quite the reverse but neither is it a Pollyanna statement, the intricate arrangements and cross rhythmical intersections do not allow triteness or self-indulgent tristesse although there are tender moments.

An archived live stream version, watch above, of trio track 'Roots' with Colour of Sound double bassist Alec Dankworth and drummer Gene Calderazzo in the Zoe Rahman trio broadcast online from Dalston's Vortex in east London last year. In the 7 and a half minute-plus album version there is a transcendental solo piano introduction that lasts until the 2 mins and 22 second mark going into the riff familiar at the beginning of the live trio version above

Tracks are: 'Dance of Time,' 'For Love,' 'Little Ones,' 'Sweet Jasmine,' 'Go With the Flow,' 'Roots,' (a piece commissioned by the London Jazz Festival) 'Unity' and 'Peace Garden'. Zoe's brother the fine Soothsayers and Julia Biel collaborator saxophonist Idris Rahman who has appeared on some of sis' albums over the years and co-produces is on tenor, alto and clarinet and also in the horn section are trumpeters Byron Wallen on 1 track, actually that one 'Sweet Jasmine' is easily the best on the whole album, and Alexandra Ridout plus, slider with Rosie, trombonist Rosie Turton. Beyond Ron Burgundy appreciatingly flautist Rowland Sutherland known for his work with Orphy Robinson on the vibist's Astral Weeks homage is also among the ensemble personnel with the bassist here UK bass icon Alex Dankworth superb recently with Hummus Crisis on Banks of the River. Expat US London scene former Partisans legend Gene Calderazzo last heard at the Louche a few months ago in good form with the Mobley loving Alex Harper and certainly ditto here completes the collective personnel. McCoy Tyner and Joanne Brackeen influenced as ever Colour of Sound is simply a pleasure from beginning to end.