This could be seen as a mini satellite of the Spatial AKA Orchestra, as it is essentially one of its primary horn heroes joined by members of its mighty rhythm section. But while Jerry Dammers’ exploratory Sun Ra vehicle is noteworthy, the re-emergence of saxophonist Larry Stabbins as a bandleader in his own right, in the slipstream of the 2009 Stonephace jazz-meets-beats project, is the real story. The all-acoustic small group setting is perfect for a player of Stabbins’ pedigree, as the depth of his tone is more effective than ever, and from the opening reprise of Coltrane's ‘Africa’, the leader and his accompanists lay down what is an imposing, weighty ensemble sound where the low end – by way of the dark moorings of drums, bass and piano – is well to the fore. Trane and his trustiest, surviving disciple Pharoah Sanders, loom large over proceedings but while modal arrangements are a key part of the compositional strategy they do not subside into the derivative or tedious, primarily because Stabbins knows how to shift gear at just the right moment. A good example of this is ‘Yellow Brick Road’, whose bold key change is underscored by an astute switch from flute to tenor sax, which then gives way to rhapsodic glissando effects on the piano. Equally engaging is the new spin on ‘Soul Train’, one of the best of the latin-inflected items in the Working Week songbook that thrives in the hands of an accomplished small group like this. While this is an impressive opening salvo, it's hard to shake the impression that better is to come from a strong band that should grow even stronger over time.

Jazzwise talks to Larry ‘Stonephace’ Stabbins about the album

The record marks the debut of a new band. Has it been a long time since you led a small group like this?

We did a few gigs with the previous electronic incarnation of Stonephace before Adrian Utley became too busy with Portishead again and I decided I didn't like playing with so much stuff coming off computers. But other than that the last time was the jazz/rap project QRZ? in the early-1990s.

The music takes its cue from Trane/Pharoah's modalism. Why is that vocabulary so timeless?

Maybe because it's very open and you can do lots of different things with it. It tends to produce simple, strong melodies, in contrast to the bebop it was reacting against, and when the blowing starts you can take things completely out or play very simple lines and both work equally well. I suppose I like music that's powerful and maybe quite intense! The left hand figures give weight to the grooves and structure and a contrast to the sections where things get frenetic. I've always liked the way bass and piano double lines in a lot of latin music and I guess I just like that McCoy Tyner heavy left hand. Zoe is fantastic at that – she really goes for it in this band.

Your tone has always been strong and piercing, but it has a real edge to it these days. Is that just maturity or sustained hard work?

Probably a bit of both. But also I mixed this myself for the first time. Ben ‘Nostalgia 77’ Lamdin recorded it at the Fish Factory on to a Studer 16-track two-inch tape machine in a very live room – so what you hear is very live – nearly all first take and unedited. I wanted to do something very much like an Impulse or Atlantic album from the early-1960s with that sound and look.