This is basically a band within a band. All five are regular members of the Mingus Big Band and do European tours as a unit, which is where Criss Cross boss Gerry Teekens saw them. It's a sort of Russian-American-British mix, Sipiagin and Koslov being Russian-born New York natives and Blake, one tends to forget, was born in Britain. The group already has the beginnings of a sound of its own, albeit somewhat sombre at times and, possibly because of the incredibly high standard of musicianship, its members' original compositions tend to set themselves difficult and challenging time meters. Kikoski's ‘Bakers Dozen’, for example, is in 11/8. The opening track (‘Think Of Me’) by Art Pepper's favourite pianist, George Cables, is in 9/4 and is, for me, one of two tracks that alone are worth the price of the record. Seamus Blake really states his case here, as he does throughout, and especially on his 3/4 ballad feature (drummer Edwards' ‘Asame Playland’). The moods vary from tune to tune, ending with a very free interpretation of a Russian folk song, ‘Sokol’. A promising debut recording, but, even after half a dozen plays, there's still a slightly tentative air at times. So, good, but the next one may well be better still.