Album: Matthew Halsall, Colour Yes (Gondwana)

Rain-streaked spiritual jazz from Manchester.

What's striking is the unusual combination of Halsall's lyrical, Chet Baker-ish trumpet (and his emblematically English, rather melancholy writing for quintet), with the cosmically inclined modal mood.

The soprano saxophone of Manchester's great Coltrane disciple, Nat Birchall, adds distinction while there's a nod to Alice Coltrane in the lovely harp playing of Rachael Gladwin on the best two tracks, "Together" and "I've Been Here Before".