The 41-year-old Bronx trumpeter fronted a previous album called Beginnings (Posi-Tone) with a group including pianist Michael Weiss, and he comes with a promising pedigree. Taught by Jon Faddis and a follower of educator Barry Harris, he's done time with the Lincoln Center band and the current Basie ensemble. Now produced by fellow trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, he shows a convincing modern-mainstream approach, and a repertoire to match.

Along with a couple of originals such as the Latinate title-track, he does classic but not overdone tunes by Gigi Gryce, Hank Mobley and Randy Weston, and lesser-known 1930s songs done respectively by young Louis Armstrong and young Billie Holiday (the latter one of two tracks with the pleasantly unflamboyant Samara Joy). The biggest surprise is a nine-minute medley of early Ellington, dovetailing three tunes from a post-stride ‘Black Beauty’ to an almost-free ‘Echoes Of Harlem’. Bruce's actual playing has the virtues of impressive technique over all the registers (mostly held in reserve), sensitivity to the material and, like Wynton Marsalis, an annoying vibrato (not held back enough). Naturally, there are bright moments from pianist Fortner, and the lesser-known Wong and Kimmel are excellent.