Norman Meehan: Modigliani (Ode)

Pianist/composer Meehan may well be a scholar (he teaches jazz history and composition at the New Zealand School of Music, and is working on a biography of pianist Mike Nock) but there is nothing academic in his approach here.

These angular, spacious compositions can be gutsy and deep or spry and flighty, and with bassist Nick Tipping (from Wellington pianist Charmaine Ford's award-winning band), drummer Reuben Bradley and guitarist Daniel Ryland (from Odessa), they essay orginals which have a soft drift (Voices/Angels where Ryland's warm and fluid tone comes to the fore) or exude a finger-popping cool (Did I Black Out?)

Meehan's previous outing, the excellent The Bells (with a different quintet which included sax and trumpet) has a very worthy successor in this one.