Sanford

Eagle-eyed followers of John Hollenbeck’s Large Ensemble might have spotted the name of conductor JC Sanford, the trombonist and composer, whose 15-piece orchestra makes its debut here. Busy, complicated music with Sanford making his Brookmeyer-esque presence felt just enough, the “Brooklyn vignette” element of the record, meaty episodic fragments that lie at the heart of an album where accordion and reeds often flavour the ensemble textures just enough to humanise the bustling horns. The title track is a collaboration with a choreographer, and dance is an abiding inspiration of Sanford’s here on what remains a thought-provoking album that poses as many questions surrounding the way ahead for a progressive jazz ensemble as it answers. Stephen Graham
Released on 20 May