The pianist Jim Blomfield has been a fixture on the creative music scene in Bristol since 1991, and has also been a commissioned composer primarily for larger ensembles in both the jazz and New Music worlds. Here though he downsizes to a trio taking a bassist and drummer from the Bristol scene’s new generation along for the ride. Blomfield’s sound often has a widescreen orchestral feel about it, a cross between the post-bop folkiness of someone like Scottish pianist Dave Milligan and the audience-friendly, lyrically classical yet fiery rock staccato of high flier Neil Cowley. It’s a recording that doesn’t stay still for long. This is not only due to Blomfield’s incessant energy and rhythmic fluidity but the range of influences from McCoy Tyner, Ramsey Lewis and Chucho Valdés through to the rhapsodic, trance-y melody writing of Esbjörn Svensson and Brad Mehldau. Although it can be too much on the declamatory side at times (when you hardly realise he has a rhythm section behind him), Blomfield has an attractive tone and plays melodically, and expressively, without leaning towards over-sentimentality. For fans of current post-EST piano trio jazz who might be looking for that little bit extra from a now heavily subscribed format, Jim Blomfield could well be the answer.