While Sunderland-born tenor saxophonist George Crowley's 2011 debut Paper Universe was a fairly orthodox slice of energetic post-bop, the new one Can of Worms looks at a freer approach towards form and tonality. New addition Tom Challenger from the LOOP Collective joins Crowley in a spirited, conversational tenor horn front line that has a sharp cohesiveness derived from what sounds like a high level of understanding between the pair, and a palpable sense of direction. Pianist and keyboardist Dan Nichols is a mesmerising presence throughout; his hypnotic solos and comping generate plenty of rhythmic excitement as well as avoiding idiomatic familiarities and overstatement. It's really impressive stuff from start to finish, from the strongly lyrical, latin-charged ‘Ubiquitous Up Tune in 3’ that has something of the Israeli bassist Avishai Cohen's writing about it, through to ‘I'm Not Here to Reinvent the Wheel’ that comes closest to bebop with its snaking early period Ornette-like theme.