The co-operative quintet's second album seethes and surges through tricky harmonies, zips from hard-boiled swing to soulful beats, and gives modernism a contemporary tweak. All the players are New York A-listers, have their own projects and are often spotted with touring heavyweights – Boris Kozlov has long held down the bass chair in the Mingus Big Band, and fellow Russian Alex Sipiagin plays with Dave Holland – but this project comes across as something of a labour of love. Opening track ‘Saboteur’ is an up-tempo marauder that shifts rhythm and cadence; ‘The Little Dancer’ is a tricky-themed pirouette with warm harmonies; and ‘Danny’ a soulful meander over gospel chords – with Seamus Blake deep-toned and hard edged on tenor sax. The two covers reference roots and current concerns in equal measure. Trumpeter Sipiagin follows the Freddie Hubbard/Woody Shaw axis, but Kozlov's arrangement of Hubbard's ‘Red Clay’ comes with Donald Edwards' brittle beats and a 5/4 time signature; Parker's ‘Charlie’s Wig', arranged by David Kikoski, re-vamps the straight ahead by sharing the theme with the always excellent Boris Kozlov, here on bowed bass.