Here’s the premier male jazz vocalist of his day in assertive form in front of an octet taken from the Francy Boland-Kenny Clarke Big Band, then in the middle of a three-day recording session of their own. If he is over-strident on ‘Jump For Joy’, the extended solo from Deuchar is the best antidote. Then again, Murphy is supremely relaxed on Clarke and Woode’s ‘I Don’t Want Nothin’, the band solid behind him, riffing in Basie style. Deuchar’s ‘Why and How’ is punchier and Scott weaves in rewardingly, as Murphy applies his sometimes astringent sound to its quasi-hip lyrics.

He’s good on ‘Alone Together’ with muted Deuchar and more positive tenor. Nothing here is over-long and his lighter touch on ‘You Fascinate Me So’ is engaging, with Persson’s glorious trombone alongside, Murphy curling his way around the theme and taking liberties with the lay of the lyrics, Clarke breaking up the beat for the out chorus. Murphy is the co-author with Boland of ‘Hopeless’ and gives it an impressive, heavy-shouldered presentation, the band chording softly behind, Boland’s spare piano well heard. Murphy had an extensive discography and this mid-period European reissue has value as an indicator of his worth as a creative improvisor; the quality of Boland’s charts and the playing of the octet are an added plus.