Pianist Bill Laurance was a highlight of the 2021 EFG London Jazz Festival, as a soloist at a masked-up Cadogan Hall; and, even more notably, at the Union Chapel with Manchester-based string ensemble The Untold Orchestra – whose massed cello, viola and violins lent celestial ballast to Laurance’s trio while showcasing his skills as an arranger. An erstwhile member of Grammy-winning modern jazz-rock darlings Snarky Puppy, Laurance is used to sparkling in a large format environment. But here – variously reworking the title track of 2019’s Cables, bringing in saxophonist Tim Garland on ‘Mr Elevator’, showcasing new cuts including ‘Balm’ and freshening old favourites such as ‘Flint’ – he shines as a bandleader and a composer.

His playing chops are similarly impressive, more so for the palpable joi de vivre that comes with being onstage after months of enforced isolation. Melodies build and wind before being deconstructed and reconfigured. Darkness prompts contemplation and expression, gives way to light. Emotion is heightened by the nuanced patterns of drummer Marijus Aleksa and expressions of bassist Max Luthert, while conductor Sammy Singh helps keep the ensemble playing faultlessly tight. All of it buoyed the Union Chapel’s cathedral-like acoustics, which lift this recording into must-have status. Superb.