The Sant’Anna Arresi Quintet was put together for a one-off performance at a festival in Sardinia – as captured on this CD – but it stands as an utterly convincing snapshot of the intersections between American free-jazz and European improv in the 21st century. What’s striking is how each member of this inter-generational, trans-continental cast of characters so completely embodies a particular approach. Evan Parker, of course, is the fierce old lion of Brit-improv, here sticking to tenor with the loose, garrulous mutter he has come to inhabit, while young American trumpeter Peter Evans is a compendium of gimmicks and tricks, essaying raspberries, trills and whinnies with obsessive precision. John Edwards is constant energy and invention on double bass, as happy dealing in rough arco and percussive slaps as he is delivering bullish, bouncing lines – and Alexander Hawkins does an admirable job of finding chinks in the group sound and dropping perfectly shaped chords into the gaps. Hamid Drake is the engine, driving the hour-long extemporisation forward with a powerfully roiling undertow that’s always deeply connected to the heart of jazz. Combined, these five musicians create a living, endlessly renewing music of pure spontaneity and joy.