Laura Jurd: Human Spirit | Album Review

Rising UK trumpeter Laura Jurd has garnered an armful of awards in her relatively brief career, including the Dankworth Prize for Composition. Landing Ground, Jurd's 2012 debut, a suite of her own compositions for string quartet and jazz group, announced her as one of the most promising newcomers on the London scene. Her follow-up, with a more conventional jazz septet line-up, delivers on the promise with a set of new tunes straight from the heart of the tradition, along with plenty of fresh ideas and contemporary twists. The group features Jurd's sometime teacher, Loose Tubes trumpeter Chris Batchelor, as well as two fast-rising Irish improvisers: vocalist Lauren Kinsella of Blue Eyed Hawk and trombonist Colm O'Hara. laurajurd.com