Recorded at La Buissonne in France and as you'd expect from such a premier studio the sound quality is excellent. More importantly the playing from the Simon Below Quartet is too. From Germany, led by pianist Simon Below in an acoustic piano-sax-bass-drums formation, the mood the quartet conjure is a little like a 1970s ECM release with plenty of room for rigorous improvisation and a quasi-classical feel.

Below is inspired by among others Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock and John Coltrane, Sylvie Courvoisier, Tyshawn Sorey, Bela Bartók and Frédéric Mompou according to the label. That is actually pretty meaningless a list when you listen as you'll gain a sense of his own style here rather than be struck by the nearness in approach of anyone on the list. Featuring the pianist's own compositions that favour a free-bop into avant location, the adventurous saxophone playing of altoist Fabian Dudek often pushes the sound into an even freer direction (Yannik Tiemann on double bass and Jan Philipp on drums complete the line-up). The album also includes a lovely version of John Taylor's 'Windfall'. Austere in places but ultimately rewarding. Out on the Traumton label.