Long in the offing we first wrote about the prospect of Clouded Lines in 2019 and now out, a lot has happened since in Scott Flanigan's career. The pianist and composer runs a weekly club in Belfast on Fridays which has quickly added profile to the local scene. Flanigan, as we have commented before we see as a James Pearson like player meaning specifically he is essentially a modern mainstreamer with a prodigious technique like the Oscar Peterson and George Shearing loving Pearson crucially grounded in swing, bebop and the art of the ballad. Flanigan is also soaked in the blues having toured earlier in his career a lot with Lisburn blues icon of the Northern Ireland scene the formidable Ronnie Greer.

As for records Clouded Lines arrives eight years after Point of Departure which was a trio album with bassist Neil Ó'Lochlainn and drummer Steve Davis and which included standards such as ‘Moonlight Serenade’, ‘I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face’ and ‘Stars Fell On Alabama’ proving a very mature and compelling start.

His best work we think even bearing in mind this latest album is in a different role when he plays organ with His Royal Higness on 2019's fabulous O’Higgins & Luft Play Monk & Trane.

Clouded Lines is a co-commission from Belfast promoter Moving On Music working with the PRS Foundation and has London based guitarist Ant Law and the pianist-leader's fellow Irish players bassist Dave Redmond and drummer Kevin Brady from down south on it and begins almost with a quasi-Romantic 'Prelude' (the piece topping and tailing the album) and is formed mainly by a Flanigan suite. Law is an incredible, world class, player and steals the show - as he did live in trumpeter Henry Spencer's band Juncture last year reviewed here. Flanigan's writing proves darker than his debut album and just as ingeniously conceived possibly showing some Brad Mehldau influence in touches here and there.

But generally speaking the cheerful, sentimental side of his approach is never far away and he happily swings particularly on the third part of the suite. 'I've Got A Crush On You' is an old fashioned sort of piece which seems a bit dated. Much preferable is 'If It's Not Yourself' with its bebopified scurrying dash. Brady - excellent live with Seamus Blake, Redmond and Bill Carrothers a couple of years ago as Ireland emerged out of Lockdown reviewed here - comes into his own on 'She Has Music'. Overall, easy on the ear, venturing straightahead and beyond, there is plenty to dive into and Flanigan launches the album tonight with Law, Redmond and Brady in Belfast - click for further details. Scott Flanigan, above, photo: press