Robson aims for trio triumph: versatile British guitarist releases his second album.(Jazz)

The 2000 Yvaskala jazz festival in Finland highlighted two very different sides to the fine British guitarist Phil Robson. As a member of the Partisans, the sparky London-based ensemble which has given electric fusion a playful, puckish twist, Derby-born Robson showed a rhythmic drive that effectively supported and stimulated his bandmates in a noisy bar in the centre of town. As the duet partner of singer Christine Tobin, he brought a highly lyrical and sensitive backdrop to a heart-warming performance in a freezing cold church the day after.

A player who can construct eloquent and edgy single note lines with great harmonic intelligence, Robson confirmed his talent with his 2002 debut Impish, a record that made Jazz On Three's End Of Year selection. In the interim, he strengthened his relationship with Tobin by doing an excellent job as sideman and producer on her 2003 album You Draw The Line.

This month, the adventurous London independent Babel will release Robson's second set Screenwash, a trio album in which the guitarist enters into dialogue with bassist James Genus, the man favoured by anybody from Michael Breaker to John Scofeld and the legendary American drummer Billy Hart, the common denominator between such icons as Betty Carter and Herbie Hancock.

"Billy is a piece of living history," says Robson. "But he's also one of the musicians with the most enquiring minds that I've ever met, he really wants to know ...