PARTISANS - Nit De Nit (Sealed) (CD)

Partisans’ first live album: there is undeniably a real snap of excitement about this, recorded in intimate circumstances in the Vortex, clean lines, lots of meaty soloing, and Gene Calderazzo sounding as up for it as you will ever hear him. Journeying through nods to Charlie Parker, Steely Dan and David Bowie the tunes ring out, Julian Siegel sounding like a British Michael Brecker and Phil Robson steady and astute as his front line partner, this is one of the best albums of the year to date: no doubt about it.