Such are the superlatives surrounding Neset that's it's hard to place him: precocious yoof? Harbinger of a new generation? Or, as the more cynical suggest, a sturdy player over-hyped by an industry desperate to discover new heroes? Fortunately Neset has wisdom beyond his years, and like Joshua Redman, he'll carve his own niche whatever the scribes utter. Pinball emphasises for the first time Neset the composer, creating a release with a real band feel. Neset draws deeply, and understandably, on his mentor Django Bates. The title track has the knotty tempos, quirky figures, sense of detail and ultimately a song and dance about it that would make his old Prof grin. ‘Police’ and especially ‘Summer Dance’ likewise echo StoRMChaser's world with their skittish rhythms and exuberant joys. As with Bates' best bands, there's a sense of ensemble, yet each individual is free to find his own voice. The twinning of spontaneity and detail is a rare gift, underwritten by damned hard work. Neset knows his collaborators intimately from various line ups, so there is a natural progression to this band's sound. But Hart's presence in particular has freshened the mix, adding a rhythmic texture that gives Neset's increasingly rounded sound (and ability to play expressively at low volumes) a further wall to lean upon. Branteild's colourings are telling too, and he chases Neset splendidly on the accurately monikered ‘Music For Cello And Saxophone’. So no need for superlatives: listeners around the world can provide them.