On his 2008 debut on the Act label, Haffner created a minor classic of European jazz with Acoustic Shapes, which was deservedly awarded the German Jazz Award. For an album of such rich potential it is perhaps surprising that he did not seek to develop and refine his trio with Herbert Nuss and Lars Danielsson, but instead diversify into a series of ‘projects’ that failed to achieve the depth, empathy and drama of his ACT debut. In 2014 came Kind of Cool, a studio jam that gave a nod of approbation in turn to Miles' Kind of Blue moods, the MJQ and the Great American Songbook. The album's unpretentious ambition saw some of European jazz's elite serving up fine wine from old bottles. It was a neat trick, but whether such a masterful feat of prestidigitation could be repeated was moot. But you can hardly blame Hafner for trying with Kind of Spain. Spreading itself a little thin over 13 selections, it lacks the gravitas and depth that made Kind of Cool so compelling.