Doesn’t sound too promising on paper: someone rapping in French on a jazz musical inspired by Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland does it?

However, listening to snippets of Au Pays d'Alice already released in France, any such pre-release jitters subside quickly enough. This ultra-clubby treatment couldn’t be further away from the mood of Bill Evans’ take on the title song of 1950s Disney film Alice in Wonderland. Or even, come to think of it, Chick Corea’s later latinate Carroll-inspired The Mad Hatter.

Quarter-tone trumpet wiz Ibrahim Maalouf definitely moves into a new stylistic area in the company of rapper Oxmo Puccino, who narrates Au pays d’Alice, a 30-piece orchestra and children’s choir also on board.Très cool. Look out for a 12 January release.