The Optimist is Gerard Presencer's follow up to Platypus, hailed by The Observer as "a brilliant debut". This album shows why he was voted best trumpeter at the British Jazz Awards in 1995, 1997 and 1999.

This brand new album from the UK's most exciting and innovative jazz trumpeter/composer and his band effortlessly epitomizes retro-cool. In Gerard's own words: "the main issue was to make it groove". It certainly does.

Though still only in his twenties, Gerard Presencer has performed as a soloist with some of the biggest names in pop and jazz, including Sting, James Brown, Chick Corea and The Brand New Heavies, and he has recorded five albums and toured worldwide with the Charlie Watts Quintet and John Parricelli.

The Platypus band line-up includes John Parricelli, Jeremy Stacey and Laurence Cottle; the album also features Jacqui Dankworth on vocals.

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