Pablo Held, Buoyancy, Hopalit ***1/2

A German and English affair Buoyancy - album of the week on German radio station NDR at the moment - you won't be surprised to know demonstrates the dazzling resource and consistency all over the record of pianist/keyboardist Pablo Held.

There are three other massive plus points at least here on a release of eight tracks, including five pieces written by Held himself. Firstly and most significantly (and ironically given this isn't overall a vocals album) is an instant classic in both the precarious and unsettling melody and the post-modern almost E. E. Cummings'- like lyrics and very spooky vocal of Norma Winstone on the stunning 'Underwater Rendezvous'.

Secondly and more quirkily Buoyancy factors in an ingenious and engrossing - despite the massive familiarity of the melody - take on John Williams' 'Star Wars' which unfolds ahem without getting ahead of ourselves at all or spoiling any plot like a phantom menace particularly the opening minutes. Thirdly, what about the fun version of the Jan Johansson classic children's song 'Here Comes Pippi Longstocking'? Covered in more recent years in a far more middle of the road version by Jan Lundgren this provides an excellent if less usual reminder of how significant an influence on a distinctly European jazz aesthetic the dreamy Swede remains decades after he left us in 1968.

Englishman Percy Pursglove who works in the NDR Big Band in Hamburg is Kenny Wheeler-like on flugel and given Winstone's presence however fleetingly works from a curatorial level. Kit Downes - quite ubiquitous lately on a rash of fine records especially Lucia Cadotsch release AKI - plays less of an obvious role than usual but roogalates away when he needs to purring contentedly on (non-pipe) organ and Buoyancy is an opportunity for audiences beyond Germany to discover the lower profile drummer Leif Berger. Held, who was taught by Winstone's former husband, the revered English pianist and composer John Taylor (in the classic mainly 1970s & 80s ECM band Azimuth with Winstone and Wheeler), on the Winstone track on mellotron is miraculous at times as a colourist and so much more. As for that eerie vocal dance to the music of time - the effect is occult. SG

The Buoyancy band l-r: Leif Berger, Pablo Held, Kit Downes and Percy Pursglove photo: Steven Haberland. Norma Winstone, photo: press

Pablo Held, Buoyancy, Hopalit ***1/2

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