Another illuminating, warm, life-affirming side to the musical personality of Jasper Høiby, the popular Phronesis bassist, here with a new band on Fellow Creatures further comprised of Polar Bear saxophonist and fellow Malija member Mark Lockheart, Dinosaur trumpeter Laura Jurd, newcomer Will Barry, a Royal Academy of Music student, on piano, and Corrie Dick on drums.

There’s uncanny playing empathy here, a conversation certainly, the sound built from the ground up, thriving on little acoustic rhythmic ripples that cascade effortlessly from the shudder of the bass to the sizzle of snare and right up though to the horn section, Lockheart at his most natural, Jurd gradually weaving in and out adding insight and passion, the idiomatic grasp the band have is startling in both its complexity and ability to shape an improvisation hard wired for both the head and the heart.

Look out for CD release in mid-July. Watch a video accompanying ‘Little Song For Mankind,’ from the album top, and listen to ‘Suddenly, Everyone,’ above