Formed in 1995, saxophonist Andy Scott's Manchester-based SaxAssault has recently changed its name to Group S to reflect the less kickass approach on their new release. That doesn't mean though that Ruby and All Things Purple is taking the chill-out route. Far from it; there's an intense drive and energy to the performances even if there's more nuance and contrapuntal detail to the arrangements than previously was the case. By utilising pastoral, classical chamber textures and looping horn vamps, Scott draws from his experience as a long serving member of the acclaimed Apollo Saxophone Quartet. But the more exciting pieces tend to echo such 1970s fusion big bands as Gil Evans, David Shire and Jaco Pastorius, with a disciple of the latter, the bassist Laurence Cottle, in particular making his funkily swaggering presence felt. As does the pianist Gwylim Simcock, who helps to divert the music away from a purely ‘sax summit’ approach, contributing two of his own compositions plus a classy if unmemorable arrangement of the Tom Jones hit ‘Sex Bomb’. The royal jazz fusion couple of drummer Jon Hiseman and saxophonist Barbara Thompson (the CD is recorded at their home studio) are special guests, the latter bringing her expressive tenor sound to a sax duo exchange on the dreamy Pink Floyd-ish closing number ‘La Grande Image’. It's not going to get many marks for originality and perhaps would sound more natural in a ‘live’ situation than on a CD. Nevertheless, the collective exuberance and honest musicianship are something to be appreciated.