The German saxophonist's first album, 2007's Keep on Rollin', was a piano-free tribute to Sonny Rollins and his second, released six years later, a set of rocking grooves and twisty fusion themes called Neon Sounds. This one finds him in New York with a top rhythm section unpicking a set of 11 well-constructed originals that draw on Coltrane's spiritual jazz, post-bop swing and more besides. Gäbel delivers clear lines with a clean, fluent technique and a strong sense of swing. And he is confident enough to sound at home with on-form pianist Kevin Hays, the sparkle of Clarence Penn's drumming and the heft of Scott Colley's underpinning bass. Though wearing his influences on his sleeve, the German consolidates them into a personal voice. The album opens with the lyrical theme and modal incantations of the title-track. Gäbel's tone lacks the resonance to capture the full weight of the Coltrane aesthetic, but there are hints of the bittersweet bite of late period Stan Getz that compensate. These Getzian touches are clearest on ‘Core’ and deliver a highlight on the Mehldau-esque ballad ‘Slow’, while also resurfacing as Gäbel threads his way through the awkward harmonies of Mingus’ ‘East Coasting’, the album's only cover. Elsewhere, the piano-less ‘Shimmy’ hints at Sonny Rollins, ‘Insomnia’ rides restless angles and ‘Scoop’ has traces of secondline strut. Gabel's compositions maintain their pleasing personal edge through to ‘Everyone Leaves’, the downbeat final track.