The word is already out on Henry Spencer for those who've witnessed him live. I Winner of the Best Newcomer Award at Marlborough Jazz Festival in 2011, the young trumpeter-composer formed his band Juncture with fellow students from the Guildhall School of Music. The Reasons Don't Change is an ambitious venture for a studio debut and it's clear that Spencer is someone that demands to be heard. His fiery, soaring tone and succinct phrasing is balanced by his instinct for pure melody. The introductory ‘Hindsight Can Wait’ is a strong opener that's in a similar ballpark to Christian Scott's previous rock-fuelled guitar-led recordings. The ‘rock anthem’ vibe continues with ‘On the Bridge’ while ‘Eulogy (Goodbye Old Chap)’ could well be a tribute to Kenny Wheeler, with Spencer's playing echoing what is one of his major influences as well as boasting a meaty Pat Metheny Group-ish solo from guitarist Nick Costley-White. Matt Robinson's minimalist piano lines underlie an Avishai Cohen-like eastern folk melody on ‘Knock Back, Knocked Forward’; while ‘Remember Why’ sounds closer to atmospheric post-rock than contemporary jazz, the lush string quartet arrangement on ‘Hopeless Heartless’ sets up an epic widescreen context, somewhat reminiscent of the exquisite title theme to the Roman Polanski film Chinatown. An impressively bold opening statement from a trumpet newcomer who stands out from the crowd.