Even when he was still in his early teens, Joey Alexander’s touch was delicate and mature, and he played with a technique that many much older players could only hope to develop. From the very first notes of the opening ‘Remembering’ on this new album, which consists entirely of his own compositions, his playing seems to have developed even more sensitivity. Which is not to say he’s a shrinking violet – he works well with the probing, energetic drumming of Kendrick Scott, and the (as ever) beautifully placed basslines of Larry Grenadier. He’s no slouch, either, when it comes to backing a horn player, and the quartet version of ‘On The Horizon’ with some beautiful soprano playing from Chris Potter, is equally beautifully played. Of the trio tracks, ‘Dear Autumn’ shows off Alexander’s keyboard work best, moving from strongly played lines to moments of reflection and pianistic comment, meanwhile displaying an overall dynamic range as impressive as the nuances of his touch. Gilad Hekselman sets the scene on ‘Rise Up’, which balances guitar with the acoustic piano, and works better than two other tracks ‘Winter Blues’ and ‘Summer Rising’ where Alexander moves to Fender Rhodes. Although his note placement and timing on these are still well-judged, he misses the expressive range of the Steinway, and the tracks lack the personality and immediacy of the all-acoustic selections. Although it may not be the done thing to listen to an album in order, the latter point is made dramatically when the full ensemble ‘Winter Blues’ gives way to the beauty of the piano trio on ‘Promise of Spring’ that follows. For these acoustic tracks alone, the album not only deserves its four star rating, but, recorded during the two days before his 18th birthday, it charts Alexander’s continuing progress to becoming one of the finest of all jazz pianists.