Composer and saxophonist Nicholas Russoniello’s Air Mass is crafted as a light hour-long recital. He talks through the instruments (soprano, alto and baritone sax all in the wings), shows off the capability of his powerful loop pedal, and gives a run-down of each piece before he performs them.

Spanning Telemann and Debussy to Daft Punk, Outkast and original compositions, it’s a wide range of shorter pieces, each with their own interesting hook.

Nothing too heady, Air Mass is light, afternoon aperitif: bop along to the pop hits, join in on the original compositions, and marvel at the rest. It makes for a short, sweet, and engaging showcase that shows off the huge sonic capacity of the saxophone and the talent of its own performer.

Air Mass‘s highlights are Russoniello’s own compositions, which weave sound worlds that  best put his standout skills to use. They also feature his hallmark penchant for audience participation. Hold the groan – he makes it fun, and it digs out this new way of listening that’s rare for a recital context.

In Rain Song, the audience’s vocalisations and body percussion becomes an incoming storm; in Bird...