Bi-PolarSelf-released ***

Hard-working Cork trombonist Paul Dunlea is a fixture in various Irish horn sections, notably those of the Dublin City Jazz Orchestra and singer-songwriter Mick Flannery, not to mention to band of the 1st Southern Brigade of the Irish Army, but this assured debut release as a civilian will get him mentioned in dispatches in his own right. A funky horns-and-keyboards set of his own compositions, Bi-Polar is short and to the point – and the point is to groove. The leader's intelligent arrangements for his six-piece ensemble get the best out of an excellent horn section that includes saxophonist Nick Roth and trumpeter Danny Healy, with producer Michael Buckley guesting on flute on one track, and the well-drilled rhythm section of keyboardist Phillip Collins, bassist Eoin Walsh and drummer Davie Ryan. pauldunleamusic.com