Geoffrey Paterson, the classical conductor steering this 2022 live recording of a Proms concert for Norwegian reeds star Marius Neset's quintet and the London Sinfonietta chamber orchestra, wrote a revealing piece for The Guardian newspaper at the time, focusing on the spontaneity of Neset and his quintet, coupled with the leader's prodigious grasp of advanced classical-composing techniques. “We had to learn how to listen differently”, Paterson wrote - notably marvelling at Neset drummer Anton Eger's “ability to play simultaneously in two or more distantly related tempi, syncopating all the while in each and never playing quite the same thing twice”, obliging the classical players to find “the right frame of mind to hear subliminally the fundamental pulse his playing always implies”.

The Sinfonietta's Neset connection is now eight years old, and the eight-movement Geyser reiterates how creative the relationship has become. The opening ‘Waterfall’ and subsequent ‘On Fire’ develop from quiet metallic tickings, through icy strings and flute sounds, to dancing reeds figures, and eventually long soprano sax and tenor curls amid skipping strings patterns.

The rapturous ‘Out of Sight’ is led by Neame's piano and enveloped by strings before the leader's exultant soprano soars up; ‘Under the Surface’ is a spooky dreamworld of shimmering reeds sounds; ‘Lava’ is a seesawing call-and-response exchange that precedes a graceful Jim Hart vibes solo; and ‘Meeting Magma’ is a folksy strings dance peppered with percussive tenor sax improv. With each new crossover project like this, the multi-skilled Marius Neset seems to make the precarious relationship of improvisation and challengingly intricate composition sound more natural, fruitful, and exhilarating for performers and listeners alike.