Everybody Else But Me Foghorn Records***

For many, free music was just a phase that jazz went through in the 1960s, the natural conclusion of an arc that began in the be-bop era. But while most American musicians drew back from the precipice, the English jazz scene has always found room for this defiantly pure form of modernism. Music entirely improvised in the moment can be challenging for listeners, particularly on record, where there isn't the theatre of a live performance. However, when played by musicians of this quality it can be like a recalibration of the eardrums, liberating and invigorating. Everybody Else But Mehas its longueurs but, at their best, saxophonist Tony Bevan and his group achieve a freshness that can only come from experienced musicians abandoning themselves entirely to the moment. Intending listeners – and, let's face it, there won't be many – should do the same. See foghornrecords.co.uk