Vaché has an inherent flair for the bon mot, the apposite phrase or approach to a piece, and understands when to hold back or when to let rip. His quintet opens this programme of Carter compositions with ‘A Walking Thing’, a pleasantly louche blues groover, with Warren and Houston sharing the bridge, the cornetist soloing in relaxed fashion over Parrot's bass and Hammer's chordal interjections before Person offers his own soulful take on the theme, ahead of Hammer's crisp runs. Carter's famous ‘When Lights Are Low’ has Parrot handling the lyric, momentarily echoing Blossom Dearie's wistfulness, this one of her four vocals on the album. Vaché is muted here, his cornet solo unfolding carefully. ‘Doozy’ is a straight 12-bar, a riff that each player tackles with a kind of restrained gusto, the nimble Hammer using his bopper's harmonic command to find interesting variations before Person enters, his solo marked by high-note shouts. ‘Key Largo’ comes in at ballad tempo, Vaché muted again, his reading impeccably judged before he sits out on ‘Evening Star’ and lets the majesty of Houston's tone, husky yet gentle, work its magic. Nothing over-stated just a master-class in how to enhance a melody before Warren lets his solo go on the jaunty ‘Boulevard Bounce’, the underrated Hammer taking a wry look at the tune, Williams and Parrot pacing him admirably. All 13 tracks offer their own delights, Vaché's team doffing their collective cap to Carter's compositional genius in the best possible way. Definitely one of my Top 10 for this year.