Tim Garland's impressive debut on the Edition label is marked by this two CD set, neatly split between a musical update on the Lighthouse Trio on one album and the ‘Songs to the North Sky’ suite on the other, featuring 15 tracks with Garland on tenor and soprano sax and The Royal Northern Sinfonia Strings plus John Patitucci on bass and Asaf Sirkis' wondrous percussion. The latest update on the Lighthouse Trio comes flying out the blocks with ‘Uplift!’ featuring guest Geoff Keezer on piano, whose staccato, quick fire energy gives way to four tracks with Jason Rebello on piano, eloquently featured on ‘Lammas Days’, and an impressive showing from John Turville on piano on three tracks, especially ‘Yes To This’. Ant Law and Kevin Glasgow individually swell the ranks to a quartet on some tracks but it is on the final track of the first CD, ‘She's Out Of My Life’, the trio with Rebello on piano, that suggests the original trio concept holds good with Rebello bringing a fresh new slant on what had previously been a 10-year association with Gwylim Simcock. However, the most lasting impression is made by the ‘Songs to the North Sky’ suite, where Garland's penchant for melodic expressivity is writ large across the broader canvas of a string ensemble. While there are moments that are evocative of Eddie Sauter's writing for Stan Getz on Focus (for example pizzicato strings doubled an octave lower on pizzicato bass) this is altogether more ambitious album in scope, realising the potential suggested by the Sauter's small string ensemble back in 1961 in a way that has not been done since. The feeling may be more contemporary, more richly orchestrated and the compositions more finely wrought, but by framing his improvisations in this way, Garland has the kind of expressive space that allows him to realise his great talent as a jazz improvisor.