Sipiagin has been a mainstay of the New York scene since moving from Russia in 1990, and has been a long-standing member of the Mingus Big Band, among many other associations. He has also made a large number of albums, this being his second for the Posi-Tone label (hence the presence of Kozlov and Royston, which is clearly no bad thing). At one level, it’s a standard post-bop quintet with the emphasis on horn and keyboard solos – the aforementioned rhythm section players being rarely featured – and the leader’s wide-ranging improvisations by far the most appealing aspect.

His quartet version of Shorter’s ‘Infant Eyes’ is only one of the standout items, but the majority of the tracks are initially complex-seeming originals that don’t exactly stick in the mind. The longest and perhaps most impressive performance is the version of a traditional melody ‘Novgorod Bells’, which Alex has recorded a couple of times before and, with its out-of-tempo intro and slow build-up to the climactic collective improv, carries the listener along all the way.