This is the debut disc as leader from Simon Oslender. At just 21 years of age, the rising German jazz keyboard star already has a very impressive CV. He performs with Bill Evans & The Spy Killers and Wolfgang Haffner’s band, and those two mature masters both make guest appearances here: former Miles Davis saxophonist Evans blows up a storm on the silkily sunny ‘Rooftop Party’, which has a great groove. Randy Brecker does lovely things on ‘Summer in Berlin’, which also has a dreamy groove. Indeed, groove is a quality that’s present in abundance here. The cover of Sting’s ‘Fragile’, with vocals from Peter Fessler, breaks the mood somewhat, and is, despite its light touch, still rather heavy-handed. Oslender impresses throughout: he’s got a great instinct for fusion. The album is not quite essential but thanks to the top-notch musicianship it would make a fine soundtrack to a funk-fuelled summer party – or to have on at that imaginary party in your head if we’re all still in self-isolating, social-distancing lockdown.