This is Tippett’s finest album in a while. Think of it as a Minipede perhaps rather than something of the epic grandeur of Centipede’s Septober Energy or Tapestry’s Live at Le Mans. Yet it shares that same sense of adventure and capacity to weave diverse strands into a seamless whole. Written as a single suite with five movements, form is at the heart of this work but within that form the improvising spirit reigns. There are some utterly sublime moments – at one point a latin motif is infiltrated by what sounds like a Celtic melody, at others free improvisation gives way to near-swing or bebop passages. It recalls – as a listener’s impression – Sun Ra in its fusion of styles and commitment to extemporisation. There are four amazing solos from the horn players and Julie Tippetts’ voice and excellent lyrics add additional coherence to the writing. Like Sun Ra, Tippett uses historical styles not as pastiche but as reference points, as a kind of commentary within the music. It makes for jazz that is simultaneously challenging and accessible. This is one of the year’s best.