On the GoGandwana ****

Trumpeter Matthew Halsall's follow-up to last year's Colour Yesuses the same quintet of himself, Nat Birchall (tenor/ soprano), Adam Fairhall (piano) Gavin Barras (bass) and Gaz Hughes (drums), with Rachael Gladwin (harp) added on one track. Like its predecessor, the music's incantatory, essentially modal feel recalls John and Alice Coltrane. But if this sounds like taking the pitcher to that particular well yet again, it must be said that Halsall – whose distinctive, elegiac manner and acute appreciation of the expressiveness of space are matched by the bare-bones simplicity of his compositions – and Birchall and Gladwin, in particular, bring something very personal to it. There's an undeniably eloquent lyricism behind the calm beauty of Samathaand Song for Charlieand the elegant groove of The Journey Homethat goes well beyond the sterility of imitation. See gondwanarecords.com