Since the 1990s alto saxophonist Martin Speake has explored puretoned cool school aesthetics through to more bluesy Ornette-infl uenced settings. But he's in no way immune to more contemporary jazz developments such as ECM-type contexts and Steve Coleman-like phrasing. This album though focuses on what could be his first love: it's a look back at the Lennie Tristano-mentored branch of 1950s West Coast cool school, an often ignored sect of jazz, especially in terms of its invention and expressive qualities. Speake has been one of its best exponents for a long time now in the UK and on this CD he showcases its moods very successfully. Tristano's ‘Ablution’ and ‘Two Not One’ frame the set, with Speake's alto indebted to Warne Marsh and early Lee Konitz, with some Paul Desmond thrown into the mix. Standards are mixed with originals, written with duo partner Colin Oxley, an unjustly low profile guitarist who's toured extensively with Stacey Kent and played in the best of UK's mainstream groups. Oxley's exquisite touch, gently understated swing and ghost-note nuances make very pleasant ear candy and, as the album title suggests, the pair have a natural confl uence. It's a specialised area of jazz's back pages these days, but in Speake's hands always worth a revisit.