Gardner, Kirk MacDonald (clarinettist Virginia is his daughter) and Lofsky came together at the behest of manager Judith Humenick to celebrate the virtues and achievements of Canadian jazz. Posited as a ‘Canadian Super-group’, they toured Europe last year, finishing up at Ronnie Scott's, having taken time out to record at the prestigious MPS Studios in Villingen, Germany, famed as a location for Oscar Peterson's recordings. Lofsky, a former Peterson sideman, especially moved to be there.

All eight pieces are by the co-leaders, most of whom knew each other well from various playing associations. On this listening, Lofsky's compositions stand up best, the stop-start opening to ‘The Waltz You Needn't‘ and the ensemble harmonies quite captivating. He's easily the most intriguing soloist too, with Gardner not quite the full-throttle player I remembered from his Basie days, and the two MacDonald's cooler than expected. That said, the ensembles are fine, the voicings often cleverly achieved and the rhythm section is superb, the vastly experienced Swainson simply perfect in his support and pianist Dickinson full of surprises.

MacDonald's ‘Silent Voices’ for lost friends is suitably elegiac, the mood sombre, Swainson's solo quite magisterial, with some nice clarinet-tenor interplay. Transplanted Chicagoan Gardner contributed ‘Terre de DuSable’ as a paean to his old high school. His muted trumpet is its main embellishment, reaching out over Swainson's fast-moving bass lines. Lofsky is again impressive here, bubbling over with ideas, as is pianist Dickinson. I might have expected something earthier but overall, that's not quite this group's intention. A work in progress, I’d say.