Among the artists Jordi Pujol's Barcelona-based indie label, Fresh Sound New Talent, has been quietly introducing to the jazz world over the last couple of decades are The Bad Plus, Brad Mehldau, Robert Glasper and Avishai Cohen no less. With that track record in mind it's worth cocking an ear to the debut studio recording by the saxophonist-composer Alex Hitchcock (rarely does the label release anything by a UK-based jazz artist). Hitchcock started to turn heads with last year's Live at the London and Cambridge Jazz Festivals EP, which placed him alongside a London-based quintet that initially got together to perform for his post-graduate Royal Academy performance in 2016. The same line-up performs the saxophonist's enigmatic, sparingly-textured yet elegant and harmonically intriguing compositions. Balanced on the side of free bop/groove-jazz traditions, but engaging also with more leftfield contemporary New York investigations, the quintet's instrumental solos are no less impressive, especially the leader's eloquent, cohesive zigzagging tenor lines, reminiscent of key influences Joshua Redman and Wayne Shorter. Keyboardist Barry and impressive trumpeter James Copus seem tuned into the same frequency as Hitchcock, and emphasise collective cohesiveness above individualism. Bassist Downard and drummer Davis hit some feel-y grooves and avoid youthful tendencies to overplay. It's definitely one of the picks from this year's UK jazz debuts.