Ohad Talmor trio, Mixo Mode 19, Intakt ****

Preparation is written into the title of Mise en place from which this track is drawn and not lost in translation. It's part of a modus operandi and there is yet another MO at work here significantly, the greatest jazz guitarist who is not yet globally ''jazz famous'' enough, Miles Okazaki. Remember his take on Monk a few years ago, the MO certainly ingenious harmonic innovation that does not sound too geek-like based on metrical subdivision and close attention to the actual compositional integrity of his Spherical onenesses. And you will know the US player again if you are a long time Steve Coleman or Vijay Iyer anorak. Sometimes a track leaps at you and that leaping and lopin' is US/Swiss/Israeli saxist Ohad Talmor's track 'Mixo Mode 19' that unfolds to Adam Nussbaum-like lines from Dan Weiss on the new Mise en Place, an album that includes their take on Coltrane's tender 'Wise One'. Ohad is close to the aforementioned Sco-legend Nussbaum and was good on the Impossible Gent's The Lead Belly Project and is here too although Miles steals the show because the tune (which has an ''overlapping'' method chordally) emphasises the changes and he happens to be the changes-karma-chameleon-in-chief. Mighty cheffing from Intakt and Patrik Landolt putting the record out as preparation moved to action and ultimately contemplation for all our greater edification. Ohad Talmor, photo: via Intakt's Bandcamp

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Kurt Elling's position and deserved reputation in the firmament of the jazz singer pantheon as one, to some even the greatest, of the very finest male exponents of the art today in the same superstar league as Gregory Porter, is unassailable and won't be altered by whether I or anyone else writing a review loves or does not appreciate this middling record made with guitarist Charlie Hunter and the Fonville and Harrison Butcher Brown sound. Elling is one of the greatest of all time given the long since proven infinite resource of his ability as an improviser and the richness of his classic voice. Little connects with me however on SuperBlue beyond the playfulness of Sarah Vaughan homage 'Sassy' and certainly even more interestingly the elegance of 'Endless Lawns'. Not nearly as compelling as the brilliant Secrets are the Best Stories with Danilo Pérez and a long way off the impact achieved when Don Was produced Elling on 2011 release The Gate I'm puzzled as to why this does not light me up inside as Elling usually does. Recording remotely, perhaps that's part of it (but that happens a lot these days and usually isn't a factor at all so I'm not putting much store on that element of the process). However, nonetheless while disappointed I still can't but admire this marvellous singer whatever he does and realise it's just one of those things this time around. Stephen Graham

Kurt Elling, photo: Cory Dewald

Ohad Talmor trio, Mixo Mode 19, Intakt ****

Kurt Elling, SuperBlue, Edition ***