THERE MUST be a lesson here: cheer the men on stage loudly enough and you can coax the line-up into the studio. McCoy Tyner’s Land of Giants (Telarc) was recorded hard on the heels of a triumphant show at the Barbican in London last year. The pianist is joined by a sparring partner of similar vintage, Bobby Hutcherson on vibes, plus the highly fluent rhythm section of Charnett Moffett, bass, and Eric Harland, drums.

The set mixes Tyner originals with some well-worn standards (If I Had a Bell, In a Mellow Tone) but the improvisations are ingenious and inspired. Hutcherson and Tyner may not be the fearless innovators of old, but this is an exceptional straightahead set.

Talking of mellow tones, a compilation usefully gathers up 13 of the quieter pieces by Barbara Thompson. The saxophonist is no longer performing because of Parkinson’s disease but is still writing and arranging. In the Eye of the Storm (Intuition) is a does-what- it-says-on-the-tin release. “This is music for relaxing . . . so pull over from the fast lane for a few moments,” Thompson purrs on the sleevenotes. Twenty years of tracks show how good she is at creating atmosphere. Her TV theme for A Touch of Frost should attract a listenership beyond the jazzerati, though the violin-fuelled Little Annie-Oh is the loveliest moment. The jagged-edged Bad Blues ensures that we don’t sink too deeply into soft focus.

Which is a bit of a problem on Kenny Burrell’s Blue Muse (Concord). This revered guitarist, famous for his Blue Note albums of the early Sixties, is fast approaching his hundredth album as leader and here his now rather old- fashioned style still inspires creative playing.

The opener, Mark 1, takes off in sprightly fashion over walking bass, Blue in Green is a tender duet with piano and Blue Guitar Blues is something of a masterclass. The less good news is that Burrell is singing again (on four tunes). His crooning may be fairly harmless, but, overall, too much of the material here slips in and out of the ears without much trace.

JOHN BUNGEY