Four American musicians get together in London, where two of them live, and demonstrate the spontaneous nature of jazz.

These are players of different generations - Lee Konitz, who was 82 at the time (2010), can give pianist Tepfer and bassist Janisch 50 years - but all are tuned into the tradition that uses well-known themes as launching pads for adventures that can take any direction. Konitz is known in jazz circles for an oblique approach that can leave audiences and even colleagues on the bandstand guessing what tune he's playing, but what comes across most clearly in the tracks that feature him here, which include a fascinating dialogue between him and Tepfer on Body & Soul, are the robustness of his ideas on both alto and soprano saxophones and his lively wit. Drummer Williams is a master of tone and rhythm, Janisch a consistently rugged presence on a set that requires but ultimately rewards patient listening.

Rob Adams