Album: Paul Clarvis & Liam Noble, Starry Starry Night, (Village Life)

An interesting, thoughtful and very charming album of piano/drum duets by a couple of Brit-jazzers who fall short of household-name status.

What's not to be charmed by? Part of the charm lies in the selection of tunes, which ranges from Gillian Welch ("Dear Someone") and the titular Don McLean to jazz standards ("Embraceable You"), but also in the unusualness of the piano/drum voicing, which is not nearly as dry as you might fear. But that's empathetic musicianship for you. Hooray.

Pick of the album: 'Mood Indigo': an exercise in Duking it