Past the opening title track, there is a certain Nordic melancholy to Turning Point, as pianist Adam Forkelid contemplates the inevitable turning points in life’s cycle with which we are all confronted, the choices we make, for better or worse, and how they ultimately define us. It is of course the eternal head scratcher that has occupied novelists, poets and movie makers but how does this perennial philosophical Gordian Knot unravel in this jazz interpretation?

Well, as often is the case, the grandeur of aspiration is not met by the music, which is often best encountered free from programmatic baggage. What we are left with then is a nice little set of eight numbers, which if you wandered into a jazz club or performance space anywhere in Europe, would add up to a satisfying evening. Nothing pretentious, outré, strained or forced, and while you would not be scrambling to be first in the queue to get the bandleader’s autograph, you’d probably come back and support the band next time they were in town.

It’s music that returns the social function to jazz, where you sit down with friends have a chat, tune in and tune out of the music, which conveys an agreeable contemporary feel. Paul Motian, referring to his time with the Bill Evans Trio, said that "what people don’t realise today was how loud the audience were" at the Village Vanguard, a true jazz club ambience he loved, people relaxing and enjoying the vibe. Nothing wrong with that. Count me in!