If you prefer novels to short stories you’ll probably prefer albums to EPs. Digital technology has done both the skimpy short story in paper form and the wallflower-like EP a favour by making them more easily digestible and somehow more substantial these days. But the fact remains that EPs can be like a starter and no main course. But there’s always an exception. Drummer Richard Kass from the Discordian Trio whose highly satisfying album Hazlos Manzanos was reviewed in these pages towards the end of 2012 has teamed up with pianist Richard Harrold and guitarist David Series to release a debut self titled EP Trio HSK featuring a muscular, drastically reconfigured new arrangement of Wayne Shorter’s ‘ESP’ and an uncloying take on Jerome Kern’s ‘The Way You Look Tonight' plus a third tune, an original of Harrold’s, ‘Stabfest’. Based in Edinburgh with HSK, Kass says, “the aim with this material has always been to create pieces of music that have direction and development from start to finish, and incorporate ideas from many different idioms whilst still being cohesive.” And it’s certainly hit the bull’s eye. Out now.

Available via triohsk.com