Zacc Harris is a Minneapolis-based guitarist with a clean, soft-edged sound, that refers back to Metheny and before him to Jim Hall. This album presents him fronting a quintet of eminently sympathetic players: Brandon Wozniak has a highly compatible mellow and rounded tone on sax, pianist Bryan Nichols adds an appealing light touch and melodic sensibility, and the rhythm section are precise and supportive throughout, with drummer Pete James Johnson adding dashes of fire and excitement when required.

The compositions, all by Harris, explore the kind of big-sky generous melodicism pioneered by artists such as Metheny and Gary Burton: solos are concise and beautifully structured, and there’s an emphasis on accurate presentation of the carefully arranged themes. ‘Catalyst’ introduces some adroit metric manipulation, ‘Fleeting Moments’ is a jauntily delivered swing 4/4 with room for longer solos, but with none of the heaviness of the hard bop from which it ultimately derives. ‘Worlds Apart’ gives the leader more range to stretch out and show what he can do, which is plenty - his timing and articulation are beyond reproach and his imagination extensive. The band are truly superb and the execution flawless, but despite the players’ formidable chops and impeccable taste there’s an aura of polite restraint that makes the finished product rather anonymous at times.