Courtney Pine: Black Notes from the Deep

Freestyle Records This ballad-rich recording by the Courtney Pine sees him accompanied by the sterling trio of double-bassist Alec Dankworth, pianist Robert Mitchell and drummer Rod Youngs. Guest singer Omar’s creamy, souljazz vocals feature on the opening track, Rules, which also sees Pine forsake soprano saxophone and bass clarinet to forcibly declare his return to the tenor sax. He switches between sax and quavering wind synth in the elegant glide of You Know

Who You Are and blows delectably murmuring flutes in A Change is Sure

to Come – a counter, perhaps, to the dark-toned though still surprisingly mellow Rivers of Blood, its title echoing Enoch Powell’s infamous speech. The sole cover sees Omar give lithe voice to Herbie Hancock’s

Butterfly while the measured languor of How Many More? intensifies as Mitchell delicately paves the way and Pine takes off in arguably his most powerful solo on the album. ■