Although released as a band recording, this is very much a vehicle for Peter Jones' talents: as well as his smoothsome vox, Jones wrote all the material with Trevor Lever and produced it. Jones himself is steeped in respect for vocalists like Mark Murphy and Jon Hendricks, both of whom he's written biographies about, with the latter to be published later this year. That said, the alliance of recruited musicians aren't here just to big up Jones. The ‘Goddess of Groove’ (blame Jazz FM for such soubriquets, not me!), Alloway, has her own soul funk roots with Wild Card, while it's harder not to find a song without London Horns' man Graeme Flowers on. His sessions with Simply Red will have stood him in good stead for the smoothly trowelled pop jazz privileged here. But the surprise package is Luft whose signature sounds lift ‘Olive, Butterfly and Stalk’ and notably the cosmic grooviness of ‘What's Your Favourite Planet’.

If you are hankering for dinner jazz with some stellar details, Signs of Life may sign your card.