Alyn Cosker: Lyn’s Une

The Ayrshire drum maestro’s current high-power trio with guitarist David Dunsmuir and bass guitarist Ross Hamilton provides the foundation for his debut album. The energised music foregrounds the funk and groove elements of Cosker’s playing to great effect, both in trio formation and augmented by a selection of eminent jazz players, including saxophonists Tommy Smith and Paul Towndrow, trumpeter Ryan Quigley and pianist Jason Rebello.

The full ensemble is heard in glorious flight on ‘Twitter and Bisted’, and the guests also make characteristically inventive contributions in various combinations on other tracks. Cosker’s power and flexibility is always evident, and he steps forward as a composer as well – with the exception of singer Maureen McMullan’s slightly out-of-context soul ballad, ‘When Autumn Comes’, and their collusion on the introduction to ‘Smiling Down’, the music is all his own. The odd title is the result of a printing error – intended to be ‘Alyn’s Tune’ – that he rather liked.

(Linn Records)