The Brooklyn-based British expat John Escreet, who currently plays keys in drummer Antonio Sanchez’ excellent high-octane ensemble, has been consistently attracting a high pedigree of jazz musician in his own work as leader over the past decade. New release Learn to Live is the keyboardist-composer’s eighth album to date and features the bassist Matt Brewer, saxophonist Greg Osby and regular drummer Eric Harland, a quartet line-up that originally surfaced for a one-off gig last year, Escreet later adding trumpeter Nicolas Payton and drummer Justin Brown to the mix. There’s more of a focus on structural elements and ensemble textures as opposed to the pure improv of previous 2016 trio album The Unknown that featured distinguished guest saxophonist Evan Parker. He also road tests a broader range of keyboard gear than previously with vintage synth and electronica sounds a key part of his set-up this time round. There’s no idiomatic thread as such with Escreet’s music and it’s intensified this time by a rhythmically penetrative barrage of drums from both Harland and Brown doubling-up on nearly half the album. ‘Opening’ is more jazz-rock than anything else and its mercurial Frank Zappa-ish hooks are catchy as hell while the engagingly challenging ‘Broken Justice (Kalief)’ has Escreet looking more to sonic experimentation. At the other end, ‘Lady T’s Vibe’ with Matt Brewer’s popping jazz-funk bassline, hip-hop groove and trumpeter Payton’s soul-funk tones captures a rare mellow side to Escreet’s oeuvre. Normal service though is resumed with saxophonist Greg Osby’s Tim Berne-ish angular logic and the leader’s feverishly percussive acoustic piano on ‘Test Run’, and the freer jazz-ish ‘Smokescreen’ is a little reminiscent of Polish 1960s era Krzysztof Komeda and Tomasz Sta§ko. Escreet’s recordings are a dizzy high-octane ride in the main, and this is no exception.