It says something about the sweep of John Martyn’s appeal that this sprawling tribute record brings together Phil Collins, The Cure’s Robert Smith, Paolo Nutini and Beck. Far from a tawdry cash-in, the project is a labour of devotion for American producers Jim Tullio and Pete Mason, who began work on it shortly after the singer passed away in January 2009 (Tullio also wrangled Martyn’s post-humous Heaven And Earth into releasable form). What all the contributors share is a reverence for Martyn’s songwriting that at times verges on the awestruck – this is one of those tribute albums where artists approach the subject matter on bended knee rather than with a mischievous glimmer in the eye. And for the most part, the results are stunning.

Tackling ‘Tearing And Breaking’ Phil Collins – didn’t he retire? – captures the quicksilver lilt of the original whilst staying clear of mere pastiche; The Swell Season’s rendering of ‘I Don’t Want To Know’ conveys a tingle-down-the-spine intimacy. Stepping confidently outsize his comfort area, Smith, meanwhile, tackles the potentially tricky ‘Small Hours’, a song which Martyn recorded to such perfection it is difficult to see where another artist could take it. But by raising the tempo a tad and making the arrangements more complex, The Cure man carries the day. As the album title suggests, somewhere up there, the big man would surely approve.