There was outrage in some quarters when Leonard Cohen's ‘Hallelujah’ was chosen as the Christmas release for the X Factor winner a few years ago. In his version here Cuban pianist Ramón Valle dispenses with the words but still manages to locate the mystical ‘secret chord’ that so ‘pleased the Lord’ and deliver the ‘minor fall, the major lift’ (I'm quoting from that missing lyric in case you're wondering) that gives the song its ineffable soul. On Take Off Valle and his trio take on the work of three other great songwriters (Jerome Kern, Stevie Wonder, Michel Legrand) with matching aplomb, infusing the likes of ‘All the Things You Are’ and ‘What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life’ with a Cuban flavour without losing the shape or spirit of the originals. Seven tracks by Valle make up the balance of this persuasive, charming set. (The twin-disc edition also includes a DVD of Valle and his group performing in front of an audience.)