Larsen, a well-qualified US baritone saxophonist and educator, has the music of Gerry Mulligan in his sights for his upcoming PhD. He's immersed himself in his great predecessor's compositions and more to the point, selected thirteen of them to be worked on here by a hand-picked ensemble whose remaining members all performed with Mulligan.

Hitting the familiar straightaway, he opens with ‘Walkin' Shoes’, one's aural memory adjusting to the presence of the piano and the absence of the trumpet, this making the point that Larsen is keen to put his own stamp on these pieces. He's a relaxed soloist, with a nicely rounded sound, momentarily reminiscent of his hero but never slavishly so. His ideas unfold well and Mays also excels, intricate and clear­eyed, with bassist Johnson an eager companion.

‘Festive Minor’ resembles the polyphonic empathy developed between Mulligan and Bob Brookmeyer and is a delight to hear, Larsen calm and considered even if Glenn is no ground-breaker in his solos. If these are pieces that we all know, others selected by Larsen date from later Mulligan enterprises, the likeable ‘Good Neighbour Thelonious’ notable for a rippling sequence by Mays without any Monk-ian references at all, and ‘Lonesome Boulevard’, even­paced and quite lovely. Larsen and Glenn share the melody on ‘Idol Gossip’, Larsen buzzing along in this jaunty zig-zag piece. ‘Open Country’ was always a joy and is no less here with Mays in fast-paced, boppish mode even if Glenn is rather more restrained. While Larsen is clearly a name to watch, with a shapely, highly musical approach to improvisation, it's Mulligan's compositions that compel admiration too.