"Bloom", the ACT debut of pianist and composer Bill Laurance as leader, marks a shift from the smallest possible form of musical interaction to a widescreen format. After the highly acclaimed ACT album "Where You Wish You Were" in duo with Snarky Puppy band colleague Michael League, Bill Laurance now meets the young, 18-piece string orchestra The Untold Orchestra. The result is a work with an enormous range of emotions and moods. "The starting point of my career is my classical piano training," says Bill Laurance, "and this album is certainly the most 'classical' I've ever made." The opening track, which gives the album its title, shows how naturally he manages the balancing act between a classically influenced, orchestral sound, the playing style of jazz and the catchiness of popular music: a series of dark, warm string chords opens the curtain, soon followed by an intense rhythm, simultaneously light and driving. And finally, a crystalline piano melody develops over everything, leading into an imaginative, hypnotically intensifying improvisation. In just a few minutes, the essence of a music becomes audible which, despite the multitude of its components and twists, flows completely naturally, can be felt immediately and at the same time does not reveal all its secrets on first hearing. The music on the album was particularly inspired by the childlike ability to create new worlds in the imagination. Bill Laurance says: "Every decision we make has its origin in our imagination. And what we can achieve is limited only by our ability to dream. Watching my own child pull back the curtain of reality has given me great inspiration to expand my own possibilities." The basic idea for Bloom was to create limitless music of great intensity. After a period of experimentation, Bill Laurance set about composing and realizing the music from his London studio. The Untold Orchestra quickly proved to be the perfect counterpart: Founded in 2019, the ensemble from England's new musical hotbed Manchester focuses on collaborations in a wide variety of genres. The young orchestra masters the groove and directness of modern pop music as well as the sophistication and nuance of classical and contemporary music. Played by this extraordinary ensemble and arranged by Joshua Poole, Bill Laurance's compositions evoke associations with Italian Baroque, Vivaldi, Shostakovich and Philip Glass. "Bloom" thrives on its contrasts. And from Bill Laurance's ability to create a coherent whole from these, which captivates the listener, regardless of which music they normally feel at home with. In this way, the album builds on its predecessor "Where You Wish You Were", albeit with completely different means: It is music that creates imaginary worlds in which you are only too happy to lose yourself.