The BJO was formed by trumpeter Sean Gibbs two years ago to play his Burns suite. The band's sophomore release is another set of linked pieces, this time written by pianist Jacky Naylor and comprising musical portraits of five cities. ‘Moscow’ emerges out of an initial fog of tuning instruments, its grandeur barely concealing a dangerous underworld; ‘Bilbao’ is sunnier with a more equitable tension between cobbled old town and chromium new; ‘Stockholm’, ‘Reykjavik’ and ‘Marrakech’ are similarly evoked in multi-layered, atmospheric arrangements and strong, characterful solos. This is a really important band, not only for its role as a vehicle for extended original compositions and arrangements, but also as a showcase for the ever-expanding and increasingly exciting jazz talent pool in this central English city.

Rough Boundaries confirms what Burns first suggested: vibrant and hugely talented young musicians who can read sophisticated charts and swing like the blazes being given the chance to do both in equal measure by writers of remarkable maturity. This disc not only ticks all kinds of ‘good thing’ boxes, it's also a joyful, heart-swelling listen.