The sleeve notes of Haste relate this music to ritual and even shamanistic activity. And there is a truth in that; free improvisation is, after all, an experience shared by performers and audience and has the power to cleanse and restore. Here, its emotional world is – primarily – introspective and multivalent, albeit peppered with brief moments of more passionate release. Long a fan of Ingrid Laubrock and Hannah Marshall, I am less familiar with pianist Veryan Weston. My loss, for he plays with real poise and elegance, with each note or phrase given just the right weight. Such qualities, borne of experience, support and foster engagement with both his fellow musicians and his audience. But there are no junior partners here. Laubrock grows in stature and her soprano on ‘Leaning Up’ has a rare beauty to it. As for Hannah Marshall on cello, one wonders just how she can leave so strong an impression without either grandstanding or ostentation. Her performance here runs threadlike through the music, weaving it together like a tapestry. Music for the shaman in us all.