Maisha brings together some of the stars of the young London jazz scene under the leadership of drummer and composer Jake Long. There Is A Place is their debut album and it's one hell of an opening statement – echoing the work of spiritual jazz greats, including Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane, and working in the infectious rhythms of West Africa. ‘Osiris’ is a dazzling start – a sonic Big Bang that unleashes the album's lush, richly-textured soundworld. ‘Azure’ and the title-track evoke the tranquility of a Japanese garden, with Garcia adding wisps of flute; while ‘Eaglehurst/The Palace’ and ‘Kaa’ are swaggering and edgy. Here the band's percussionists and the ticking guitar riffs and jabbing chord work of Shirley Tetteh come to the fore – bringing insinuations of Afro-beat, highlife and funk. Long has also written some superb arrangements for a guest chamber ensemble, which make the album sound vast. The strings add folky sighs and shimmering clouds of dissonant notes, building beneath the soloists and carrying them higher. There will be inevitable comparisons with Kamasi Washington. Personally, I find Long's writing more interesting and every bit as cosmic. One of my albums of the year.