For my (rapidly falling off the perch) generation, the British trumpet player was unquestionably Jimmy Deuchar. And for those who dug a little deeper: Dizzy Reece. The next special one, Kenny Wheeler, sadly left us some months ago. Who currently wears the crown? For this writer, no one can compare with Manchester-born Steve Fishwick. He is an absolutely world-class player and already highly respected in the States. As a follow-up to a very contemporary solo leader album, he’s heard here with his original Hard Bop partners: the early Rollins-toned Osian Roberts, Steve’s equally outstanding drummer brother, Matt, and their new-found New York associates, the long-lined Pepper Adams live baritonist, Frank Basile, the constantly fresh-sounding Heath Brothers’ pianist Jeb Patton and rock-solid bassist Mike Karn (who apparently is also an excellent tenor player). Brought to New York by Jeremy Pelt to participate in Dave Douglas’ Festival of New Trumpet Music, they scored five nights of gigs at Dizzy’s Coca Cola Club and one at Small’s. They then went straight into the studios. The result? A five-star collaboration by UK and US jazzmen of the highest order and further proof of the long-lasting harm the MU did to British jazz by banning them from playing with foreign musicians for so long. The up-tempo opener ‘Jymie’ (for Blakey’s bassist) is really (no other word for it!) smoking. Terrific solos all round, and on every track without exception. There’s a reharmonised ‘My Blue Heaven’, an up-tempo ‘How Deep is the Ocean’ with a superb Steve Fishwick extended coda, plus challengingly arranged originals including Roberts’ waltz ‘Enid’, his ballad ‘Lullaby for Eira’ and dedication to McLean called ‘Dial J for Jackie’, Steve’s hat-doff to Warne Marsh and Basile’s blow-out (‘Morse Code’). As Steve says, “There is no place on earth like New York and for a jazz musician, there is no place on earth like New York to play jazz!” A really terrific record.