Six new pieces by Stan, inspired by World War One and played with vigour and verve, that might have come from almost any period during the last 50 of his 70-year professional career. The quintet format and the writing of the heads has obvious tonal similarities with the classic Blue Note era of the early Messengers or the Monk quintet with George Taitt and Sahib Shihab. Occasionally (such as on Stan’s opening ‘Bouncing Bertha’) wry quotes in his own solos suggest he’s deliberately emphasising these connections. However, the moving ‘Ballad for Loos’ delves deep into the emotional reservoir of Stan’s father’s memories of the Great War, and there’s a bitter sweet humour (mirroring the attitude of men in the trenches) about several of the other pieces. The one that sticks in the mind most is the jaunty ‘Narpoo Rum’, as original and quirky a piece as Stan has ever produced and given an exemplary performance here. His own piano solo (which comes in straight after the head) is a masterpiece of building tension, and he’s ably followed by Messrs Armstrong and Allen. The long-established trio with Cleyndert and Tracey Jr provides the ideal support, but the star of the piece and the album as a whole is the pianist, prodding, probing, and exploring his own new compositions with energy and commitment.