Jim Rattigan, who leads the A-list cast of experienced Brit-based jazzers that make up Pavillon, was a former principal French horn of the Royal Philharmonic from 1989-95 before he left to take up jazz-playing full-time. The horn is perhaps associated most in jazz with Gil Evans and Rattigan's stint in Evans disciple Mike Gibbs' orchestra paved the way for his airily inventive originals and arrangements for this 12-piece contemporary jazz ensemble on new CD Strong Tea. Originally recorded in 2010 for his 50th birthday, Rattigan has been practical in waiting until now to release it to coincide with an Arts Council funded ‘live’ tour. Although the album title might suggest an interest in veteran Jazzwise scribe The Colonel's quaint brand of Englishness, the definition of Pavillon here is more cosmopolitan; it's the French term for the bell of his horn. The same goes for the music; Rattigan writes excellent themes and along the way there are shades of Miles Davis' modal-rock impressionism, the aforementioned Gil Evans and George Russell mixed with a more rugged bluesy Mingus-ness approach via Ellington. The horn-brass arrangements have that feeling of having grown organically out of the compositions, with airily serpentine punctuations giving shape to some creative soloing from all concerned including the unusual, playful sound of Rattigan's French horn.