" data-original-title="" title="">Sam Newbould's quintet, presents half a dozen of the leader's forward-leaning compositions and arrangements whose general point of view may be subdued, at times veering toward melancholy, but is never less than engaging. One of Newbould's strengths, even when the music is leisurely and pensive, lies in his ability to fully engage every member of the quintet in the ardent expression of its finer points. In other words, the group dynamic is superb, allowing Newbould's music to breathe, and underscoring its inherent charm on every number, even those whose perspective is less than upbeat.

To carry out his plan, Newbould assembled an international crew of topnotch sidemen from Spain, Israel, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany, who first met in 2017 at the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, every one of whom is on the same page musically. Newbould's writing, influenced by the likes of