Sometimes, unlikely combinations reveal qualities in musicians, and in their material, that more conventional line-ups leave unexplored.

This meeting between mercurial Irish jazz guitarist Tommy Halferty and meticulous Japanese contemporary classical pianist Izumi Kimura is unusual territory for both, but in reaching out, these two colleagues at Newpark Music School have converged on a thoroughly engrossing, sui generis chamber music.

Tunes by Ralph Towner and John McLaughlin point to some of Halferty's key influences, but the most successful tracks are Halferty's own Step, a bitter-sweet, medium-tempo ballad, and the jointly-credited title track, in which piano and guitar intertwine, suggesting there may be more under the hood from this unusual duo. izumikimura.com