Last year’s outstanding live quartet release Life, at the Village Vanguard by the singular Israeli-born, New York-residing guitarist Gilad Hekselman is a tough one to follow. But hot on its heels comes a new studio recording Downhill From Here – the title is unlikely to be a reference to his peak showing on the live recording.

Although the guitarist-composer is in his element here in an intimate trio setting – check out guitar-sax-drums Trio Grande – with Brad Mehldau’s long-time sparring partner Larry Grenadier and himself effectively dipping into a colourful harmonic palette alongside impactful drummer Marcus Gilmore. Hekselman’s succinct, effortlessly lyrical phrasing owes as much to 1970s singer-songwriter electric and acoustic rock as it does to the classic jazz lineage.

He doesn’t forget about memorable song-like melody in the compositions. The opening title track has a 1970s psych-rock edge about it and in direct tribute to one of his inspirations he’s both crunchy and blues-funky on ‘Scoville’. But there’s also an understatedly dreamy take on Bacharach ballad ‘Alfie’ and an original ‘Seeing You’ on which he feeds a gentle fire. Hekselsman might leave certain boxes unticked with current jazz agenda-setters, but he’s arguably one of the most wittily accessible contemporary jazz guitarists around and demonstrates as much on this enjoyably expressive new record.