The first Captain Black Big Band record, an exhilarating live recording, was one of this writer's favourite releases of 2011. This new studio set is obviously a trifle more disciplined, but the same shouting pizzazz of the band is still there for all to hear. Some reviewers said they found the band a bit too old school. But that's the beauty of it. There's all the blues-based swinging emotion of every great black big band in the history of jazz in its concept. Evans, surely one of the most creative musicians anywhere on today's scene, wrote five of the tunes (the short, tender title track is a two-parter), but farmed them out to various arrangers including Gibson and Bashore. Greenblatt contributes a spirited score of Wayne Shorter's ‘Water Babies’ and a major highlight is Branford Marsalis bassist Eric Revis' ‘Maestra’, which has deep under-and-overtones and a great arrangement by Laura Khale-Watts. Equally exciting is the seven-minute gospel-based opener, Evans' ‘In My Soul’ scored by Gianluca Ranzi with terrific tenor by Marcus Strickland. Stacy Dillard's tenor solos on Donald Edwards' ‘Tickle’ and ‘Water Babies’ are equally robust. In fact, all the solos – and the arrangers really share them out – are of a very high standard. Another major feather in Orrin Evans' hat. I hope loads of young people will hear this and feel its indomitable spirit.