Here's an album with an international flavour, the Russian-born Sipiagin and Kozlov, both now 53 and each domiciled in New York since the early 1990s, flanked by Japanese-American pianist Hirahara and local-ite Royston, the trio effectively Posi-tone's New York rhythm section of choice. Sipiagin already has a score of ‘name’ albums to his credit and he's used on a myriad of sideman recordings; in other words he's no stranger to the role of session front-man. He's also, as many readers will know from his regular appearances here with the Mingus Big Band, a stalwart soloist who fuses hard-bop mannerisms with the more exploratory approach of someone like Woody Shaw.

In other words, he's aligned to contemporary approaches to the music, this first evident on his ‘Call’ which moves into and out of conventional methodology. In contrast, his flugelhorn reading of Hirahara's lovely ‘Echo Canyon’ is simply masterful, his sound quite perfect, as the pianist builds tension before Sipiagin re-enters purposefully. He's similarly enterprising on his jaunty ‘Sight’, almost Miles-ian at first but again opens up, Hirahara nimble on the electric instrument, Royston breaking up the line, Sipiagin exultant at the finish. The fast-moving ‘Sipa Tham’ [don't ask] is animated, the trumpeter pushing hard, extending his range, ahead of Hirahara's Tyner-like effusions. He's muted for Kozlov's funky ‘Magic Square’, the composer playing bass guitar and Hirahara again electronically inclined and is pleasingly inspired on Wayne Shorter's ethereal ‘Miyako’. So, no easy licks, no coasting, Sipiagin showing his worth throughout as a soloist of consequence, the balance between fire and filigree just right.