For their central inspiration the Brooklyn-based trio Ember, formed in 2017, draw on both the post-1970s Chicago and New York downtown scenes exploring the blues-based and alt. rock as well as the free jazz aspects of the sounds coming from those highly significant jazz niches. No One is Any One is the sax-bass-drums trio’s second recording thus far. There’s a direct approach to writing, with credits shared out among an ensemble that aims at keeping the texture sparse and harmonic rules reduced to a minimum. The very impressive young bassist Noah Garabedian’s irresistibly slinky, grinding grooves shine in this respect. Alongside drummer Vinnie Sperrazza, they gel superbly well with Caleb Wheeler Curtis’ alto sax playing that’s intensely focussed and garrulously inventive, digging deep into progressive bop through to post-Coltrane/Ornette free jazz and R&B-funk traditions.

Pianist Orrin Evans makes a guest appearance and his contributions on nearly half the tracks are for him unusually enigmatic, although he would occasionally venture this way during his short tenure recently as part of The Bad Plus. It’s a grower that becomes pretty irresistible after a few listens.