Meinhart is Bavarian, but settled in New York following his jazz studies. This is his sixth album; even so, he's a new name to me. He's working here with local Big Apple friends, supplemented by Jensen, a former tutor, on two tracks. His album is largely devoted to his compositional responses to various visual or social stimuli. He cites local landmarks or the artistic vision of his painter friend Igor Sokol or indeed, the world beyond, not least, the basketball legend Michael Jordan as providing the impetus for his writing.

Much of his music is far removed from conventional song structures, suffused with thoughtful voicings and thematic patterns. If it's fair to say that Meinhart is a fluent improviser with a light, balanced tenor sound, it's also true that his companions have bought into his concepts most ably, not least pianist Ladin, a spirited player, his duo with Meinhart on ‘Estate’ quite the most evocative performance on the album.

Jensen is her exploratory self on ‘Oak Tree’, a solemn piece, her improvisation verging on the abstract, as Meinhart follows in serpentine style. They collaborate, too, on ‘Bird Song’, Meinhart on alto flute and tenor, this opening over heavy chords as a repetitive harmonised line emerges, the rhythm patterns turbulent, Jensen's trumpet recalling late period Miles.

Overall, this is complex, hard-to-define music, the writing often oblique, and the outcomes well away from the routine. I suspect Wayne Shorter might be impressed.