The initial inspiration for Tineke Postma’s eighth own-name release was the expressive singing of singer Maria Callas. Hence the explorations of operatic form, lean arrangements and lyrical melodies that all infuse the set with a sense of space. Counterpoint rhythms, Ben Monder’s sparse guitar voicings, and the Dutch saxophonist’s airy tone confirm the third-stream slant. Free-flowing improvisation, distortion and discordancy reveal other influences in play.

The set begins with the firm Robert Landfermann bass riff and brittle theme of ‘Sankalpa’ – the title means ‘setting an intention’ in Sanskrit; the piece juxtaposes light-touch alto sax with full-on guitar distortion and unfolds over a loose aria form. ‘Frede’ comes next, a mix of elegiac lyricism and sombre lines, and then ‘Sky is Everywhere’ and Postma referencing Greg Osby’s harmonic probing and twist-and-turn lines.

Elsewhere, bassist Landfermann and drummer Tristran Renfrow interweave a spacious pulse, ‘The Lion’s Roar’ delivers slow-burn distortion and a fusion vibe and there are two lovely ballads built on Monder’s backward-facing chords. ‘Hymn for Hestia’, a peon to the virgin goddess of the hearth, is a carefully constructed juxtaposition of lyricism and discordancy – the piece references the isolation of lockdown rather than a perfect alignment of family and state. ‘Loft’ is the closer, a moody free-jazz ballad with flutters of sax twinkling over sober bowed bass.