Tracks 1. Emerald City Blues 2. Pass The Port 3. My Bittersweet Heart 4. L'Epoca Special 5. Sackville Stomp 6. Rush 7. Café Au Lee 8. Jo-Jo 9. Sackville Reprise

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Simon Sweeney - a fellow too young to get the joke if you called him The Sweeney - is one of the lead trumpeters of choice in musical productions around the country. He has the lead trumpet attributes of big, clear sound, accuracy and range. Yet he is an unusual lead player.

Asked to play an ad lib solo, many lead trumpeters sound overbearing, stilted and even clumsy - like an opera singer attempting a popular ballad. Not so the young Simon, whose solo work is so pleasing that I keep playing this disc just to hear his lines and his fantastic sound flashing about the room. But there are many satisfactions here.

The tunes and arrangements are all Sweeney's. While they are basically a young man's take on the modern mainstream of the late 1950s and early 1960s, the freshness, enthusiasm and sheer musicianship that permeates everything mean you can play it alongside the classics of that period and still feel that something strong is being contributed.

The arrangements frame solos by a brilliant caste of local characters, mostly quite young. Two veterans, trombonist Dave Panichi and bassist Craig Scott, add depth of experience and youthful vitality. Young drummer Craig Simon is a key player, his loose, punching accents and beautiful timing combine to keep the music up off the ground.

There is not a track here on which a soloist plays beyond the point where his sound, ideas and rhythmic flow engage the ear. The contrast between alto saxophonist Richard Maegraith and tenor saxophonist Roger Manins is a particular feature. Pianist Greg Coffin (too young to get the joke when I called him Coffin Ed) is thoughtful, consistent, and shows touches of real originality.

But the Sweeney is a long way from being diminished in this company. With all the technique - the beautiful, clean speed and execution - at his command, he plays with the perfect combination of economy and brief touches of complexity. His line sometimes arcs glassily through the high reaches of his range. This is a thrill in itself, but there is always a melodic shape, a rhythmic point guiding that truly delectable sound.

And speaking of sound, engineer Ross A'hern has excelled himself here.