Sideman becomes leader, a familiar but challenging progression in a jazz musician’s career trajectory.

Phil Donkin, who hails from Sunderland and who has lived in London and New York in his career so far, has earnt a considerable word-of-mouth reputation as a sideman over the years. He’s made his mark on such high profile albums as Dhafer Youssef’s 2013 album Birds Requiem for instance and is a player clearly on the up, his playing credits also including apppearances with heavyweights Kurt Rosenwinkel and John Abercrombie.

Joined on The Gate by Canadian saxophonist Ben Wendel, US pianist Glenn Zaleski, and the German drummer Jochen Rueckert this debut of the double bassist’s, like the proverbial curate’s egg, is ‘good in places’. A powerfully riff-fuelled acoustic modern mainstream/straighahead album studded with Donkin’s own compositions plus Monk’s ‘Introspection’ and a Shostakovich Prelude thrown in ever so tastefully. Plenty of skill dotted about for sure, but that all important wow factor is doggedly absent. On the plus side Donkin has an attractive rich tone and there’s a warmth from him from the get go that’s more than clear. And the ensemble can move too but maybe don’t always fire on all cylinders quite as intended. Stephen Graham

Released on 9 March