Reopening the Jazz Cafe, Camden Town, London, on Thursday night are PYJÆN who showed a lot of promise on the singles issued last year leaning towards prog jazz-rock (Polar Bear at the jazziest end, Dream Theater the proggiest) on their latest sounds, but with a very individual and fresh attitude. The five-piece: Dani Diodato, guitar; Dylan Jones, trumpet; Ben Vize, saxophone; Charlie Hutchinson, drums; Benjamin Crane, bass; arrived first on the marlbank new band radar in 2018 when they were touring. As mentioned back then they can do hard blowing Brecker-esque tenor, Byron Wallen-like trumpet, wiry guitar, rapport, flow, ladlings of Afrobeat, an energetic pulsing undertow to boot: these guys are not afraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves. A London five-piece formed via friendship and study at the Trinity Laban conservatoire in Greenwich. Vize is a new star in the making. Surely his and their profile will soar given a bit of luck and a bit of time. There is also a lot of stimulating heat rising from the drums. Hutchinson makes me want to listen to a bunch of Gregg Bissonette solos. While the band can do all the above the direction is clearly more in a unique prog-jazz space and moves that style on a bit since the last innovations were made by World Service Project. Could PYJÆN be a 21st century Colosseum? Tremble at the prospect. Click for details