It is easy to be caught in a cleft stick releasing a single track ahead of release. That is because that track doesn't always but can be by default seen to represent the album as its essence even if it isn't really. Not every track serves such a purpose. Jazz is often regarded as a long-player listen after all and some tracks function as interludes in that album context and aren't meant to do anything else but contribute to the whole.

What we do know about these short fairly introverted three-and-a-half minutes here on the worthwhile 'Thar' from Earth and Bones is that this duo recording has a brooding middle-eastern feel and atmosphere. Album titles riff somewhat on a desert theme including 'Rub' al Khali' the Arabian desert, 'Negev,' a desert in Israel as is 'Al-Ḥajarah' but in Iraq – you get the drift, pun intended. 'Thar' itself is a wasteland in Rajasthan.

English-Bengali reedist Idris Rahman is the brother of pianist Zoe Rahman and is known for his work with Israel-born bassist Donin in Ill Considered and excellent recently with Unknown to Known. Donin bizarrely is also composer of TV chef Gordon Ramsay's game show Bank Balance. The bassist, whose shimmering arco input is a strong feature of the track, performed with Rahman at St Mary's church in Walthamstow where this album to be released on 28 January was recorded. Liran Donin, above. Link to the album's Bandcamp page. Photo: lirandonin.com