A Markov chain, Wikipedia tells us, ‘is a mathematical system that undergoes transitions from one state to another on a state space. It is a random process usually characterised as memoryless: the next state depends only on the current state and not on the sequence of events that preceded it.’ I'll be frank with you and confess that I'm not mathmo enough to make much sense of that. But, in a musical context, words and phrases like ‘random process’ and ‘memoryless’ might make you think of free improv – and that's precisely what new piano trio The Markov Chain play. You might have guessed that, too, from their label, Bruce's Fingers (such a great name), which has been associated with the more experimental end of the musical spectrum for several decades now. And then there's the presence of Paul Hession (credited not just with drums but ‘drum set’ on the credits), who's worked with the likes of Peter Brötzmann and Evan Parker. The trio is rounded out by the Fairhill brothers, Adam (piano) and Tim (double bass). There's a lot of technical know-how here, and the anagram track titles are great: ‘Martian Chekhov’, ‘Mr Kovach In Heat’, ‘Ham or Chive, Kant?’ The music's sweatily inventive and engaging too, although the trio's work is probably best enjoyed in a live setting, where the physicality of the music's making can be witnessed properly and the audience experience is more fully immersive.