Review: In its first year , Todd Gordon�s Jazz International has given the Scottish jazz scene a breath of fresh air, bringing overdue attention to several neglected artists and introducing new � at least to local audiences � talents.

Star rating: ****

In its first year , Todd Gordon's Jazz International has given the Scottish jazz scene a breath of fresh air, bringing overdue attention to several neglected artists and introducing new - at least to local audiences - talents. Gordon's latest deserving cause may turn out to be the most significant so far, however.

Thirtysomething guitarist Jonathan Kreisberg has been making waves in New York for some time now - his latest CD is his sixth since he arrived back there from Florida - and it's easy to hear why guitar heroes including John Scofield have been raving about him.

With his eyes closed and his head pulled back in concentration, Kreisberg has the quality of appearing to play at 10 times the speed of thought.

Every line is clearly and cleanly articulated and imbued with feeling, purpose and excitement.

His chordal invention allows him to map out tunes and improvisations melodically and harmonically at the same time.

An obvious influence is Pat Metheny but Kreisberg has also gone back deep into jazz guitar history - and the jazz tradition in general as well as others, including Greek music - to create his own voice, as the one standard in a set of imaginatively developed original compositions, the ballad Spring is Here, emphatically underlined.

His quartet comprised young Scottish bassist Euan Burton, doing a fine supportive job with discretion and sureness of touch, London-born New York-based alto saxophonist (and occasional pianist) Will Vinson, and drummer Mark Ferber, who has that very New York discipline of driving the music along at near-zero decibels. The only thing missing was an audience but next time, the word on Kreisberg should be out.