Raised in New Orleans but resident in London since 2002, trumpeter Abram Wilson’s relaxed fluency and tonal control recall other alumni of the Crescent City such as Wynton Marsalis and Terence Blanchard. He has the same ability to switch from the broad and brassy to the smooth and focused and deliver long-held notes with a real swagger.

His latest album, Life Paintings, confirms that he is also a jazz composer of growing stature. Using a stripped-down acoustic quartet, he unfussily reconfigures traditional jazz elements such as swing and clearly signposted harmonic structures into unfolding linear landscapes rich with tension and resolution. Simple melodies collapse into brief asymmetric riffs, a babble of voices resolves into sustained improvisations on a minor blues and there are hints of samba and dub reggae.

At this album-launch gig he showed that, as well as putting his musical skills under a harsh spotlight, he is prepared to bare his soul. All the compositions on Life Paintings reference Wilson’s personal life, and here each one was given a quite charming explanation – “Chasing Mosquito Hawks” a childhood memory of pursuing dragonflies in New Orleans; “Breaking Point” recalled a heated discussion of logistics for a theatre production.

And, importantly, there were clear connections between music and theme that were unsentimental and avoided the obvious. A celebration of Barack Obama’s election victory captured the palpable jubilation felt by many at the time, “Rush Hour” moved from bustle to contemplative calm – as he said, “you have to escape the madness” – and depictions of personal relationships probed beneath surface veneers.

The album is very much a showcase for Wilson the musician, but at this gig the rhythm section stepped to the fore. As on the record, they know their roles, keep their places and add a bit of sparkle. And they sound good. But here, locked in after a slightly nervous early waltz, they seemed more willing to search for their own voice. Pianist Peter Edwards traded sparse, pause-for-thought tinklings, but it was upright bassist Karl Rasheed-Abel who was the supporting standout, with his beefy tone, forceful attack and unerring choice of notes.