Paul Edis moved to London just in time for lockdown, after industrious years of classical commissions and club nights in his native Northeast. A clear and philosophical thinker on the vicissitudes of artistic careers, this trio debut (following sextet, duo and solo records) is a similarly lucid expression of bop verities, offering precise yet easeful comfort. ‘It Ain't Broke’ characterises his approach in its title and stately stride playing, making the Tyne a Mississippi tributary for the duration, and ending in a happy swagger with hints of Nina Simone. ‘Snakes and Ladders’ is romantically introspective, with Edis' characteristic mix of quicksilver right-hand runs and something more bluesily lugubrious. ‘Of Mice and Men’ introduces a second mode on Rhodes, switching the scene to sun-struck, bankrupt 1970s New York, and the sort of languidly uplifting funk Mike Post pastiched into tender TV themes. ‘The Long Way Round’ essays bossa nova beats and tap-dance drums, then ‘Lucky Eleven’ offers nocturnal barroom reflection. Edis's classical skills perhaps help the rarely slackening construction of these airy, swinging pieces, which stand out less for their straightahead virtues than for their writer's clearly good heart.