To Cy & Lee: Instrumentals Vol. 1 is the first full-length release by a British artist to appear on International Anthem, but even a single listen makes it clear why the Chicago-based label was drawn to it: however much these eleven pieces by Manchester-born, London-based tenor saxophonist Alabaster DePlume (real name Angus Fairbairn) might sit comfortably within a certain sub-genre of jazz, they sound like little else currently available. Much of that has to do with the generally hushed pitch of the performances but even more the fragile quiver of his saxophone.
Interestingly, while the album is cohesive, it couples instrumentals that appeared on three earlier releases — Copernicus (2012), The Jester (2013), and Peach (2015) — with two new pieces…