A tricky time to release records with no prospect of touring. Will the autumn be any better? Let's hope so. Looking ahead to a record coming out this autumn, the release date is 23 October, make a note to check out 557799 from the prog-jazz outfit Eyot, a band who have been around a while and have a firm reputation behind them already. Innate from a couple of years back for instance was excellent. They will probably get more exposure this time around given that the new record is on Ropeadope, a leading American jazz indie. From Serbia they have a big brooding sound courtesy of Dejan Ilijic on piano and moog who has written all the tunes in collaboration with the band, and even more to the point the majestic Marko Stojiljkovic on bass guitar with Sladjan Milenovic on guitar, Milos Vojvodic on drums and two guests on the new record from the band Get the Blessing, Pete Judge on trumpet and Jake McMurchie on sax appearing on one of the seven tracks. Jim Barr from the Bristol band also recorded the LP. The tunes, some of them containing a flavour of folk and a neat way with metre, have a real swagger to them and almost a baroque sense of dark sadness that hooks you in. They don't use any obvious jazz style to achieve their effects but the band certainly has appeal to jazz fans, probably more on the jazz-rock side. There is a real power to these guys as well. I haven't anything to share at the moment (will update when I can) but going on what I've heard their reputation when this is released will deepen that bit more and this record is certainly from a must-hear outfit who have an original and fresh approach that once heard lingers long.