The pianist-composer Ethan Iverson, since parting company with The Bad Plus in 2017, has been maintaining a steady profile with a number of high quality collaborations as well as some insightful essay writing for his Do The Math blog. Among these projects are a reunion with the Mark Morris dance ensemble, touring with Billy Hart and recordings for the ECM label in chamber duo with saxophonist Mark Turner and quartet with Tom Harrell through to 2022’s contemporary-angled orchestral tribute to Bud Powell.

Iverson favours an approach to jazz within a broad tradition and in 2022 he also made his Blue Note Records debut album Every Note is True and the succinct originals he had written for the recording were a nice reminder of his work with The Bad Plus when he occupied the piano stool. Disappointingly though, there was also a quite plodding, unstructured feel to that album, which suggested Iverson might have hired the wrong men for the job - which is saying something considering they were none other than Jack DeJohnette and Larry Grenadier.

Technically Acceptable is the follow-up and this time he switches between two piano-bass-drum trio combinations alongside Thomas Morgan and Kush Abade/Simon Wilson and Vinnie Seperazza. Significantly, both ensembles play to Iverson’s strengths as a composer as well as pianist. Iverson bangs out some very good themes but his partners are also architects in their success.

The many highlights include the bluesy-cool swing of the title track and its nods to Ahmad Jamal and post-minimalism; a touching latin-inflected reading of Roberta Flack’s ‘Killing me Softly’ that arguably sounds more Bad Plus than the current Bad Plus itself; the band have since the pianist’s departure had a new lease of life, though perhaps still missed something of their ex’s dryly playful wit and rhythmic lop-sidedness. The other non-original, Monk’s ‘Round Midnight’ has mutated into a sci-fi TV theme for jazz trio with one of jazz’s most memorable themes played on Theremin by Rob Schwimmer.

That Iverson sets up a counterpoint makes it a playful if eccentric diversion that works well in context. Not everyone can be a Milhaud, Bernstein or Gershwin when fusing together ‘concert’ music and elements of jazz but Iverson with his through-composed three-movement piano sonata that closes the album – has done an excellent job. It’s an enjoyably colourful work that’s seamless in its joins between European and American art music. And already we have a contender for 2024’s 'Album of the Year' charts.