It’s amazing to think that Lee Konitz, with his distinctively questioning, interior sound, played with Miles and Mulligan at the Birth of the Cool sessions in 1949 and was still going in 2014, when these sessions were recorded. Aside from his longevity, Konitz forms a direct link with the style of Euro-jazz embodied by Jakob Bro and the ECM label on this gorgeous and life-affirming album from a decade ago. We’re fortunate that it’s finally seen the light of day.

So diffuse and drifting is Taking Turns that it’s difficult to think of the music as the compositional work of Bro alone, rather than a spontaneous collaboration sparked by the guitarist’s ideas. And what great ideas they are too.

Likewise, at first listen, you might be fooled into thinking – in the absence of conventional structure – that these are just studio jams. On the opening track, ‘Black Is All Colors At Once’, and ‘Peninsula’, abstraction is to the fore: the rhythm section doesn’t keep time, merely adds colour to the soundscape. But to a greater or lesser extent, most of the tracks develop from simple melodic or harmonic themes. Bro sings while he composes, and this is most obvious on the gentle lullaby-like ‘Mar del Plata’ with its sweet shimmering guitar melody.

On the appropriately meandering ‘Pearl River’, meanwhile, the chiming guitars are supported by Konitz’s slightly offset alto melody, ending with a dramatic, slightly ominous descending chord sequence, as Cyrille rat-tat-tats on the snare in a crescendo style reminiscent of Bernard Herrmann’s theme to Taxi Driver.

Taking Turns requires close listening. These musicians are certainly listening to each other. Call it a conspiracy of beauty.