For his third CD to date, the London-based Austrian born guitarist Hannes Riepler employs his quartet as opposed to the quintet line-up that featured on his previous 2012 release The Brave. The absence of a pianist in this configuration allows for a warmer, roomier ambience and the close chemistry between Riepler and one of New York’s highest quality contemporary jazz saxophonists Chris Cheek, an ex-sideman of the late Paul Motian, is a big plus factor. Although he studied in an Amsterdam conservatoire, Riepler has an old fashioned grassroots ethos when it comes to playing jazz. In the CD sleeve notes he dedicates his composition ‘Gillett Square Blues’ to the ‘unique real life stage’ of Dalston, home of the Vortex where Riepler runs regular jams every Sunday downstairs and where some of his significant future collaborations have been initiated. All tracks are Riepler’s engaging originals – aside from ‘Modern Guilt’, a 2008 song by the artist Beck that’s slightly reminiscent of Cheek’s renowned rock-influenced band Bloomdaddies – and they mostly contrast the guitarist’s mellow alt. rock riffs/vamps with the tenor saxophonist’s searching melody lines. Cheek solos imaginatively and the grittier urban side to Riepler’s character is softened up by the breezy cool school tone of his playing. In the end it’s perhaps Riepler’s ‘Nothing New Just Beautiful’ that says more about the recording than the album title itself.