Maybe it's his name, but the British vibraphonist Roger Beaujolais has trouble shaking off a frivolous, party-on jazz image with the more sober of enthusiasts. Beaujolais has been a club success from the acid-jazz era onwards. Elements of pop and R&B are powerful features of his work, he has close links with Ray Gelato and the Chevalier Brothers and he still makes acid-jazz albums today.

But this set represents straightahead Beaujolais with a superb jazz rhythm ensemble including saxophonist Mark Lockheart and drummer Winston Clifford, and it supports American vibes-guru Gary Burton's contention that the Briton could now frighten any vibes virtuoso on either side of the Atlantic. Beaujolais' glassy-toned, vibes-playing is agile, fresh and inventive, but the arrangements - as well as the Beaujolais originals - are also very distinctive.

The upshot is an album of considerable panache. The delicacy of the vibes is a very effective contrast to Mark Lockheart's rather sombre tenor-sax sound and a complementary partner to his brittle soprano, and there's a tempting choice of contemporary jazz standards including Jobim's Dindi, Wayne Shorter's Night Dreamer, and Joe Henderson's Black Narcissus. The soulful version of Carl Perkins' Grooveyard will bring a tear to the eye of those who remember the decades-earlier account by guitarist Wes Montgomery and his brothers.