With two acclaimed albums already behind her, Joy Ellis has established herself well in the niche of jazz singer-songwriters. Reviews stressed the quality of her voice and lyrical creativity. With Peaceful Place, however, she reminds us that she is also a jazz pianist and composer who deserves no little attention in that regard. In fact the purely instrumental album has as strong a sense of identity as a piano trio debut as her first vocal-led collection Life On Land.

Opening with 'My Peaceful Place' the set comes into focus, establishing the strong partnership between Ellis’ lyrical piano and Henrik Jensen’s propulsively melodic double bass over Adam Osmianski’s insinuating percussion. The track is a model of the restrained clarity that runs through the album’s seven tracks, and you sense that Ellis’ peaceful place is at the piano, playing this music. One standout is the elegiac 'Losing', which begins with a Sati-esque simplicity, passing the melodic elegance between piano and bass with just enough implied emotion to avoid the risk of schmaltz. Jensen’s harmonic underpinning is always where it needs to be, Osmianski’s percussion leaving the space required.

The album’s toe-tapper, as such, is 'Cascade', an uncomplicated melodic structure rippling with energy from all three players and leading into final track 'Begin Again'. This one girds up its loins with a metronomic drum and bass engine under fluid piano that moves from tentative to a distinctly optimistic coda before drifting to a halt. It’s a clear statement from Ms Ellis that discovering herself as a pianist represents a fresh start after the murky times we recently endured. The stylish maturity of composition and playing on Peaceful Place suggests it’s a very bright start indeed.