The geezer's Playdate is special whether landing on the strings-soaked 'Bebah' and 'Refuge' or Geoffrey Keezer's iridescent take on The Brothers Johnson's Look Out For #1 title 'Tomorrow' (1976) - Keezer (Ray Brown, Art Blakey, Art Farmer) caresses and cajoles throughout. Along with on organ Shedrick Mitchell, the great tenor saxist Ron Blake burstingly vivid on 'Tomorrow,' bassist Richie Goods and drummer Kendrick Scott - album guests include percussion icon Munyungo Jackson who was so dynamic ''speaking like a Childs'' in recent years on Acceptance, it is obvious that Mitchell tune 'Her Look Her Touch' is the album's biggest achievement compositionally (Mitchell also wrote 'Bebah'). A ballad that allows Keezer to display his concert hall rigour and sensitivity in tandem without being at all overly slick a certain looseness is also in easy evidence best of all on Keezer's 'I. L. B. D.' ('I Love You But Damn') a tune that represents the spirit of Keezer's last-period Jazz Messengers days time travelling. Playdate balances the formal with the casual so immaculately. You won't be forgetting to head bob along the way but beyond losing yourself in the top Scott groove there's time for thoughtfulness in the sounds around too. Out on Friday

Geoffrey Keezer, top - photo: John Abbot