Royal Academy-schooled bassist Le Fleming was already an in-demand UK-based sideman before taking off in 2003 for New York where he quickly made his mark playing in the bands of Jimmy Cobb, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Joey Calderazzo, Antonio Sanchez and others. He's since made his presence felt as a leader­composer, gaining plaudits for his drum-less OWL trio but turns a different corner with his Romantic Funk band formed in 2017, revealing a new interest in an electric bass-led fusion that steers clear of all the clichés.

The new edition has only saxophonist Will Vinson remaining from the debut CD line-up, and this second instalment includes compositions developed from the band's extended residency at Greenwich Village's 55 bar. Le Fleming's bubbling funk bass invigorates the opener ‘I'll Tell you What it is Later’ with its Miles' 1980s comeback era-influenced groove. Next up ‘Waynes’ is the one you want to keep coming back to especially for the wiggly Donald Fagen-ish earworm theme. Cited as a tribute to both Shorter and Krantz (Le Fleming starred in one of the guitarist's 55 bar residences), the catchy pop-funk Weather Report-like bounce and full-bloodied Jaco-ish flair prove infectious. Le Fleming goes full-on pulsating Jaco on ‘FOMO Blues’, the impressive Sean Wayland straight out of the Zawinul school of trippy synth-jazz. The contrastingly chilled impressionism of tunes such as ‘The Myth of Progress’ and ‘The Inexpressible’ with Vinson's persuasively lyrical solos on alto sax highlight another side to the Romantic Funk project. The main inspiration in this case being perhaps 1960s Herbie Hancock rather than the later post-Headhunters phase. Long may Orlando Le Fleming's very own electric jazz renaissance continue.