Danish saxophonist Koppel is joined by players from Sweden and the USA, recorded live at the RSI Television Studio 2 in Lugano, Switzerland, with what was probably an invited audience, only audible at applause-time. This situation doubtless invests the set with a potent tension, a buzz of excitement running through this often calm mood of collective melancholia. A marbling of ambulatory optimism is also present, particularly as the extended compositions progress, often with interludes of substantial duration, creating a seamless 75 minutes of considered music.

A stately moroseness pervades, with gradual revelations, low skin vibrations and bowed strings crafting a sonorous spread. Koppel’s life-force darts above this foundation, determinedly untethered, as Karlzon unleashes dignified progressions. As the tracks flow by, mild funk is possible, with recurring patterns, as Koppel solos up in the soulful higher ranges. This performance (and album) has a highly controlled arc of development, with ‘Atheist Breakfast’ having a beseeching alto solo at its centre, with the closing ‘Quatre-Trois-Deux-Un’ lashed by spring-drums, brushed to propel a skating Koppel solo, as the piano places strategic rhythmic emphases. This digital-only album prioritises the long journey, its sustained high quality prompting compact disc nostalgia in these days of the 32-minute vinyl LP.