The Owl trio seems to have come about almost by accident. Producer Jimmy Katz found an abandoned church in Brooklyn and thought it would make a good recording space. So he called up three up-and-coming European musicians now based in New York and asked them if they wanted to try it out. The result is this breezy, almost casual stroll through a mix of standards (including Jerome Kern's Yesterdays, Duke Ellington's Morning Glory and Cole Porter's From This Moment On) and spontaneous compositions by the trio. Birmingham-born bassist Orlando le Fleming holds down the bottom end with calm authority, Norwegian guitarist Lage Lund lays down some lush chords and supple lines, and Londoner Will Vinson's alto saxophone floats dreamily over the top. Light and accessible, but with hidden depths. owltrio.com