A case can be made for ‘delayed recognition’ of a lot of artists in jazz, and Caine is a more than deserving candidate in this respect. That he has one of the longest-running tenures on a notable independent label is important but no less so than the consistently high quality of his work. Caine's voluminous output has highlighted his ability as an arranger, particularly of strings, and this solo session, with its 11 relatively short pieces, has an orchestral richness despite the absence of violin, viola and cello. The album's tour de force, ‘Chanson De Johnson’, is possibly a re-imagining of the venerable James P in a virtual alliance with Stravinsky whereby the dizzying attack of the right hand and jumpiness of the bass puts jazz boogie history through an intense adrenalin rush. Caine's ability to retain the essential feeling of the blues as he fractures and fragments structures is one of his great strengths, and his barbed lyricism is a pleasing response to the smoke and mirrors of the modern world. Calling a piece ‘Everything Is Bullshit’ puts cynicism on the right side of realism, and there is a hard edge as well as a compassionate fragility to this very impressive programme.