“Dunoon Jazz Festival returns. Must be 20 years (or more) since the last one. It was always good fun,” Herald Scotland’s Rob Adams says.

Appearing in the line-up just announced is pianist Alan Benzie, first winner of the BBC Scottish Young Jazz Musician competition back in 2007, subsequently a Berklee College of Music student and recipient of a Billboard award.

The pianist’s album titles on Traveller’s Tales are mostly naturalistic: full of dawns, mists and shores matched by the gentle painterly wash of the sky and the sea in the cover art.

Benzie’s imagistic style recalls John Taylor’s a little, perhaps Bobo Stenson or in certain parts inescapably, Bill Evans, and there’s a romantic tug to the best part of his melodies and a drama too as the solo unwinds say on ‘From A to B’. The bass and drums keep a discreet presence initially although bassist Robb takes up more of the initiative on the dynamic ‘Frog Town on the Hill’ a dialogue between bass and piano injecting extra energy to the politely respectful atmosphere that marks the early part of the album and where the trio show just what they can do.

Benzie’s rhapsodic side is given space at the beginning of ‘Old Haunts’ Juhasz moving into a Paul Motian-like space Bill Evans trio fans will recognise and by the climax of the piece there is so much personality peeking through. 

Appearing in Dunoon on 17 August with singer Luca Manning. Full festival details.
Updated, corrected, 13.06pm.