Expectation is rewarded by the New York-based German Jochen Rueckert who leads a stellar quartet, the drummer joined by tenor of our times Mark Turner, guitarist Lage Lund, and highly-rated James Farm bassist Matt Penman.

Recorded inside the space of just eight hours, the tunes are Rueckert’s, all overwhelmingly virile, fairly combustible and engrossing hard bop. Turner is a strongly engaged presence throughout, while Lund has plenty of Abercrombie-like aplomb to his elegant runs and mastery of the turnaround. The title track you’d swear finds Lund unfolding the changes of ‘A Night in Tunisia’ over a few tiny bars before the band sets off for a destination unknown at quite a clip, Turner painting a picture you won’t see in any gallery. 

Rueckert plays a Thursday night gig at the Pizza Express Jazz Club in London on 9 October four days before the UK/Ireland release