El Pueblo Nuevo - After the two-part introduction; a short unaccompanied bass solo followed by a wind quartet of flute, clarinet, flugelhorn and tenor saxophone (the latter written by Rob Leake), this piece is based on a very simple four-note melodic 'hook ' over a repeated, five-note bass figure in 12/8 time. This version alternates between G minor and C minor throughout. I wrote the hook many years ago, and have recycled it several times (most recently on 'Underbelly' the debut album by Full Circle, a trio in which I play with pianist Joss Peach and drummer Jim Whyte). The players on this version are myself on double bass, Enzo Zirilli on kit, djembe and shakers, Simon Webster on congas and darbouka, Mark Edwards on piano, Rachel Munro, Jim Whyte and I on v ocals, James McMillan on trumpet and flugel and Rob Leake on flute, clarinet and tenor saxophone. The rhythm and vocal arrangements are mine and the horn arrangement is Rob's. The syncopated phrases at the end were Enzo's idea. The soloists are me on bass, Rob on tenor and James on trumpet in that order.

Seven Sisters - This is a sixteen-bar ballad which begins in C major, but which modulates several times and ends in D minor. John Donaldson helped me with the harmonic movement in the last four bars when I got stuck! Thanks John. This version is played by a trio of Mark, Enzo and I. It features Mark, who plays a beautiful unaccompanied introduction before Enzo and I join him for the theme and his solo. I play a sixteen-bar solo before the final theme. The Seven Sisters are chalk cliffs on the Sussex coast.

All Blues - A Miles Davis tune from 'Kind of Blue'. This version is played with a straighteight feel. I adapted the bass figure to make the tune less jazzy and more rocky. It features solos from Mark on piano and Rob on alto. The other players are me on ba ss, Enzo, who gives a storming performance, on drums (and shakers), Simon on congas. The soloists are me first, then Mark and then Rob.

Fragilidade - This is a version of Sting's song 'Fragile', sung beautifully in Portuguese by Barbara Raimondi. She and I used to sing this together when I was living in Italy during the 1990s. The lyrics are as powerful in Portuguese as they are in English . The song begins in A minor, but modulates up a semi-tone to Bb minor for the piano solo and back to A minor again for the vocal. Mark plays the piano, Enzo the drums (and more shakers) and I play the bass. The change to 6/8 for the outro was Enzo's idea and the outro chord changes are Mark's. The solos are by Mark on piano and James on muted trumpet.

Pulse - I wrote this tune with Rob in mind. It is a modal piece, another of my four-note melodies over a bass riff in D minor. The players are Mark, Enzo and I, plus Rob and James on horns, with vocals by Rachel, Jim and I. Special thanks to Rob, who wrote such a beautiful arrangement for the horns and played a great solo on tenor.

Waltz for TC - This is a sixteen bar jazz waltz in G minor with a sixteen bar interlude section on Ab suspended, which was suggested by John Donaldson when we recorded a demo of this tune in January 2008. Thanks again, John. It features the trio again. Mar k solos, with Enzo on drums and me on bass. The title is a dedication to my friend, trumpeter Tony Cameron.

Blue In Green - Another tune from 'Kind Of Blue' and one of my favourite pieces, though not originally planned as a vehicle for the trio. I had thought about doing it as an unaccompanied bass feature, but of course, as soon as Mark and Enzo joined in, I wa nted to hear what they would play on it. As it is, I play a solo introduction, and then refer to the melody before Mark and Enzo join me for a fuller statement of the theme on the bass. Mark takes the first solo, followed by me. Mark takes the theme at the end.

Louis Borenius - This piece is a dedication to my friend Louis Borenius, who died in January 2009. He was a charming man and a fine musician; a drummer, vibraphonist and composer with whom I played many times, and who I miss very much. Louis loved playing a shuffle, and one of his favourite tunes to play was 'Killer Joe'. I wrote this tune to honour his memory. It's a 32 bar, AABA form in F with a vamp between F7 and Bb7 at the beginning and end of the tenor solo. The band is the trio, plus Bobby, Rob and J ames on horns. The horns were arranged by Rob and I. The featured soloist is Bobby on tenor.

Pentacle - Another tune in D minor, but up-tempo this time. After the introduction, an unaccompanied bass solo, the structure is a 32-bar AABA 'standard' form, with the bass and piano playing the tune in unison in the A sections, while the B sections are o pen on a dominant A7th chord, allowing space for Enzo to play. The soloists are Mark and Enzo.

Palimpsest/Insensatez - This piece features Enzo, and was born of a conversation between Mark and I. This became a jam in the studio, a single take which was recorded as a trio performance. The bass intro and outro riff is Mark's and the overall feel of th e tune was his idea. I wanted to create a musical palimpsest, like a multi-layered text, so the tenor, flugel, guitar, keyboards, electric bass, voice and extra percussion were over dubbed to this end. The players are me on acoustic bass, fretless electric bass and voice, Mark on piano and keyboards, Enzo on drums and djembe (and more shakers, I'm pretty sure), Simon on congas and darbouka, and features Bobby Wellins on tenor, James on flugel and 'Thoughtful' Phil Hudson on guitar.

Amazing Grace - Mark, drummer Dil Davies and I played Mark's 6/8 arrangement of this song at Louis Borenius' funeral service. I kept the harmony simple and played the tune on the bass in A major over a straight-eight groove in 4/4. Enzo played the opening theme on cajon and shaker and the rest of the tune on drums (though I suspect that there's also a shaker in there somewhere). Mark played piano and added the organ later. The extended outro is over two chords; D major to A major, the sound of a plagal cade nce or an 'Amen'. It felt like a good way to end the record.

Technical notes -The album was engineered by James McMillan (and by Julian Wilmott on one session) at Quiet Money Studio between February and September 2009. The Hammond organ on 'All Blues' and 'Amazing Grace' and the keyboards on 'Palimpsest/Insensatez' were recorded by Mark Edwards at Orange Room Studio in July 2009. The album was mixed and mastered by James McMillan at Quiet Money Studio and was co-produced by James McMillan and Terry Pack. Thanks are due to the wonderful musicians who played and sang so beautifully on the album. Thanks also to pianist John Donaldson and drummer Dave Cottrell, who helped me to record demos of some of the tunes, and to Will Thomson, who recorded that session at his Dynamic Audio Studio in January 2008. Thanks to Jim Bunk er for the cover design and to Antony Durrant for his input and photos. Thanks to luthier Paul Bryant, whose beautiful 5-string double basses I played throughout. Thanks also to Ibanez for the two beautiful SGR 5-strings I've been playing since the early 1 990s, and to Mark Bass for the Mini Mark amp I've been using for the last few years.

Mark Edwards - Mark is a great piano player to play with. His time and groove are so strong, and he is both sensitive and decisive. He is also a generous, spiritual man and a good friend, with whom I have played a lot and shared a lot of laughs over the la st couple of years. His playing is endlessly inventive, and his choices are always perfect, either when soloing or comping. It has been a pleasure to make this record with you, Mark. Thank you.

Enzo Zirilli - Enzo and I have been friends for many years since we met in Italy to record some material with guitarist Enrico Pinna and singer Barbara Raimondi. (Come to think of it, I wonder what became of that session? I never received a copy of the res ults.) Like all really great improvisers, he always makes great choices. He is a joy to play with and it is a thrill to have him play on this album. He played Jim Whyte's vintage Slingerland drum kit, my djembe, his cajon and a large selection of shakers ( so many shakers!!!). Grazie, Ziri. Sei un grande.

James McMillan - James has become a good friend, with whom I have played a lot in the last couple of years. He is a very fine musician and an expert producer, whose contribution to this album has been enormous, both musically and technically. He engineered and coproduced the album, played the trumpet solo on 'El Pueblo Nuevo', the beautiful muted solo on 'Fragilidade' and the flugelhorn solo on 'Palimpsest/Insensatez'. He also played the trumpet, flugelhorn and tenor horn (!) in the horn sections on 'All Bl ues', 'Pulse', 'LouisB' and 'El Pueblo Nuevo'. I've had a great time making this record, James, which is largely down to you. Thanks for everything.

Rob Leake - Rob is another fine musician and a great friend, whose work on this record has been fantastic, both as player and arranger. He arranged the horns on 'El Pueblo Nuevo', 'Pulse', and co-arranged on 'Louis B' and 'All Blues'. I love his voicings f or woodwind and brass, particularly on 'El Pueblo Nuevo' and 'Pulse'; his writing adds such a lot to both pieces. I love his playing, too, of course. He played the storming alto saxophone solo on 'All Blues', and the beautiful, searching tenor solos on 'El Pueblo Nuevo' and 'Pulse'. He also played saxophones, clarinet and flute in the sections. Great work again, Rob. Thank you

Bobby Wellins - Bobby's presence on the album was Mark's idea. When we first played 'Louis Borenius', he said that he could hear Bobby's sound on it. Mark was right, as ever, and I added the vamp sections to the chart to allow more space for Bobby to stret ch out. As well as his great solo on 'Louis Borenius', Bobby's tenor saxophone added another layer to 'Palimpsest/Insensatez'. It was a great pleasure to work with such a great player, and to hear his stories. Thanks, Bobby.

Barbara Raimondi - Barbara and I have been friends since the early 1990s, and I have always loved her singing. From 1994, I had a trio with Enrico Pinna and drummer Piergiorgio Marchesini, which used to play at her club, Movida, on the Italian Riviera. Bar bara often sang with the band, and one of the songs we often did together was 'Fragile' by Sting. I decided to record a version with her for this album, and Barbara suggested singing it in Portuguese. 'Fragilidade' is the result, which she sings beautifull y, as ever. Grazie, carissima.

Rachel Munro - Rachel and I have been working together for about three years. She sang the high harmonies on 'Pulse' and 'El Pueblo Nuevo'. She is a great friend with a great voice. Gracias, Raquel.

Jim Whyte - Jim plays drums and sings with Full Circle and his own band, Sonic Butterfly. He's a great musician and a lovely guy, but not to be trusted with cheese (ask John Donaldson). He sang the middle harmonies on 'El Pueblo Nuevo' and 'Pulse'. He also very kindly lent Enzo his vintage Slingerland kit for this recording. Thanks, Jim.

Simon Webster - Simon was introduced to me by fellow percussionist, Will Fry. We became friends instantly and formed a band playing latin jazz. Simon played congas on 'All Blues', 'Palimpsest/Insensatez' and 'El Pueblo Nuevo'. He also played darbouka on 'E l Pueblo Nuevo' and 'Palimpsest/Insensatez'. Thanks, Simon.

Phil Hudson - Phil is of one my favourite guitarists and another great friend. One reviewer of my first album on Symbol Records, 'What Happens Now', descibed him as 'a thoughtful soloist'. Phil threatened to kill me if I ever referred to him as such. He pl ayed the guitar as thoughtfully as only he can on 'Palimpsest/Insensatez'. Thanks, Phil.