One of Alison Balsom’s prime interests is to bring notoriety to solo trumpet music from within mainstream repertoire, not just through commissioning new work. This was exemplified in much of her “Bach for Trumpet” disc (EMI, 5/06) where her instrument’s sinewy lines, intimate dialogues and developing expressive armoury brought fresh perspective to some previously “off-limits” genres. With every esoteric idea comes the need to shore up the sales and so here we have the inevitable “pops” disc, though the claim of the title is quite bold for a programme comprising arguably only one original trumpet piece.

Not that it matters (and maybe these naturally persuasive arrangements justify a deliberate misnomer) because Balsom plays to her strengths: beautifully arched lines in Oskar Lindberg’s Gammal Fäbodspalm and the ubiquitous Rachmaninov Vocalise, and a striking personal identity with the slow movement of Bach’s A minor Violin Concerto, where playing of exquisite control is only slightly marred by occasional low intonation. In the Latin-inspired pieces, Balsom’s awareness of the choreographic suggestiveness in the raunchy Piazzolla and smouldering Falla brings exhilarating freedom and colour. It does, however, take something more than a bright piccolo sound to bring Mozart’s second Queen of the Night aria to life. As a “rage” aria in the time-honoured Baroque tradition, it requires greater characterisation than this tame representation of revenge. If Paganini’s 24th Caprice reveals Balsom’s commanding facility, Debussy’s Syrinx for flute provides the most unlikely transformation in a remarkably refined, wispy and elastic reading.

With such a wide range of styles, the programme occasionally feels cobbled together and yet this is another infectious performance from a dazzling young British talent in fine form, one whose programming ideas and emerging musical personality go from strength to strength.