As will be apparent elsewhere in these pages, young trumpeter Copus is currently making a name for himself, hitherto with bands led by Clark Tracey or Nikki Iles, but here strikes out on his own. All eight pieces are by him and he's chosen a top trio to work on them, sparked by visiting US drummer Brown. ‘Early Hours’ opens with a repeated chordal figure, Copus calm on flugel, before Brown and Cawley build the intensity, Copus continuing to solo over the increasingly vibrant backdrop. ‘The Line’ is calmer, flugel again, Cawley's synth sounding lush in the background, before he, as resourceful as ever, builds strongly and Brown cuts across. ‘Dusk’ is shorter, sweeter almost, with a vocal background by Copus, Brown as the finisher. Copus’ perfect, clear sound opens ‘From The Source’, synth fading ahead of Cawley's open-minded solo, Chaplin and Brown handling the broken rhythm with brio, Copus solemn on Hubbardlike flugel.

Copus has chosen his companions ably, their enterprise and his leadership moving this light years away from the conventional trumpet quartet album, although the sprightly ‘Straight Ahead’ with its engaging theme comes near, Chaplin masterly and Cawley swinging hard, as Copus gets into his stride. ‘Yearning’ is quite lovely, lyrical indeed, Copus exploratory and boasts a superb Chaplin solo. Each of these pieces has multiple aspects, their thoughtful routines highlighted by Cawley's use of keyboard variations and Brown's often tumultuous drumming.

This is a rewarding debut album for James Copus, well away from the routine.