Bassist Daniel Casimir has been omnipresent across many of the current generation of jazz stars’ projects – namely playing countless tours with the likes of Nubya Garcia, Binker Golding and Cassie Kinoshi – always demonstrating supportive versatility but with a strength of tone and character that frequently uplifts a concert or recording. And while he’s already won praise for 2021’s Boxed In, little can prepare you for the power and scope of the wall of Technicolour sound that bursts forth from the minute the opening riffs of Balance jump out the speakers.

Casimir’s aforementioned former bosses swell the ranks here of this A-list powerhouse cast of some of London’s leading lights, to which the London Contemporary Orchestra adds lustrous layers of strings to futher extend the harmonic range of Casimir’s chordal palette. While some large ensemble projects can lack groove or feel like the strings are a bit of an afterthought, the key to Balance’s success is the deep integration of both brass and orchestra, which the bassist cleverly uses to bring together traditional big band sounds with rhythm section heft and lush cinematic epicness.

Blasting off with the ever-rising riffs of ‘Music Not Numbers’ – an angry repost to today’s ‘Spotify-ed’ numbers-obsessed music industry – it’s the following title track’s half-time feel that allows drummer Jamie Murray to hammer out some feisty drum’n’bass beats behind an unravelling James Beckwith piano solo. Then strings and brass dance around each other in a swirling crescendo – it’s compelling, powerful stuff. The addition of vocals, particularly on the emotive ‘I’ll Take My Chances’ with the husky soul voice of Ria Moran given space to breathe, before a searching Binker Golding solo, further demonstrates the ensemble’s canny ability to shapeshift with poise and sophistication.

Balancing accessibility, artfulness and ambition is no mean feat, but Daniel Casimir has done it here on one of the year’s most forward looking and stylistically thrilling albums.