Giulia's ThursdaysCamJazz ****

Often underrated – and frequently a harmonic foil for others, in particular trumpeter Kenny Wheeler, for whom he has been a regular sideman – Manchester-born pianist John Taylor is, in his own quiet way, the finest jazz pianist Britain has produced since George Shearing. A rare combination of melodic lyricism and rhythmic adventure, his playing is virtuosic but never verbose, and he has an uncanny ability to get under the skin of a tune. Though he has recorded in many formats over the years, he returns again and again to the trio, and his current trio, with the great Palle Danielsson on bass and heavyweight English drummer Martin France, is a finely honed unit. Giulia's Thursdays is a collection of melodies by the prolific Italian film composer Carlo Rustichelli which the trio have reconfigured like a suite, the composer's charmingly romantic themes setting up some taut group interplay from three masters of the art. johntaylorjazz.com