The only pianist ever to be a perfect match in every way for Israeli bass colossus Avishai Cohen, the most demanding jazz trio gig on the planet, Shai ''Seven Seas'' Maestro as a leader is a significant player in the new chamber-jazz of the 21st century and builds the Dream Thief sound up raising the bar higher than ever.

Enhanced spectacularly in the compositional voicings by trumpeter Philip Dizack who joins the dots between say the historic avant innovations of Don Ellis and the fragile bluesy ache of Enrico Rava, a deepening ''new melodicism'' operates imaginatively at the throbbing avant tinged heart of the record. If an artist really has not connected fully with me I play the standards and leave their originals to one side for mulling over later. Here it is the opposite: it is the generous stock of fine originals all the way for pleasure ('Hank and Charlie' most of all) and a quickly derived feeling of deep satisfaction and sense of better insight gained. SG.

Out now on ECM. Shai Maestro, top