London pianist Ashley Henry has made significant steps forward over the last five years or so by holding down several invaluable gigs as a sideman with fine British and American bandleaders – Theo Croker, Keyon Harrold, Jean Toussaint among others – as well as developing his own music. This debut long player is very much a consolidation of his progress to date and the presence of the aforementioned as well as some of the young Turks of UK jazz – Binker & Moses, Daniel Casimir, Eddie Hick – makes this a transatlantic affair with a contemporary edge. As he made clear on last year's Easter EP, Henry is plugged into the populist source of black music and the marked hip-hop and soul sensibilities of the material reflect the inspiration drawn from the likes of Robert Glasper among others. A confident yet measured soloist, Henry is also a producer who is concerned with the challenge of both songwriting and beatmaking, and some of the most accomplished pieces on the record see him balance these skills with guests such as Mancunian rapper Sparkz and London-based American vocalist Judi Jackson. An auspicious account-opener from a talented player whose commercial appeal does not come at the expense of his artistic integrity.