The Posi-Tone label's Marc Free is probably the most prolific producer in jazz today and he kindly keeps this writer in the loop about who he's working with, most of whom are largely unknown here. One of his musicians made a particularly strong impression on me – the pianist-composer Noah Haidu, now 44, with two albums, 2011's Slipstream and 2013's Momentum. This new recording for Cellar Live centres around a conversation he heard with Branford Marsalis about relationships and which emerges here as a suite with six movements. Haidu's ability to express deep feelings is striking and the section's solos are split between himself and the two extremely talented saxophonists – Cassity's strong alto and Irabagon, whose soprano solos on the record are outstanding. Of the other tracks, three (‘Momentum’, ‘Juicy’ and Joe Henderson's ‘Serenity’) were on his Posi-Tone sessions, but take on a quite different character with the added horns. In his very personal liner notes, Haidu tells of his longing to be able to swing like his idols Wynton Kelly and Kenny Barron (and a Philadelphian club version of ‘There is No Greater Love’ that “gave him shivers and made his hair stand up!”). He's since learned he can't swing like that – but he does swing… in his own satisfyingly soulful way.