“8-Hour Jazz Marathon: 2 songs will be played”. Not the best Simpsons joke in the world, but you know what they’re driving at.That is, that most normal human beings see jazz as esoteric, indulgent and elitist. Cropredy four-piece, The Colins of Paradise (no relation) are none of these things, although their brand of smooth jazz-pop is intimidatingly slick.

‘139’, which opens this EP, highlights the classy tenor playing of Jon Seagroatt and the summery vocal nuances of Bobbie Watson, the latter combining the coolness of Sade, the effervesence of Cyndi Lauper and an airiness seemingly all her own.The tune itself is functional funk, anchored by an icily solid rhythm section, and is full of scary modulations, apparently designed to overburden the humble rock donkey.On repeated listening it becomes more enjoyable, but I must warn that there is a bass solo at the end.Did I hear someone say “Commercial Death?”

‘Be Still’, a syrupy Rhodes piano-led confection, is a little glutinous for my taste, but provides balm to soothe the senses of bolshie girlfriends, so it has a place in the world, I reckon. I like the chord changes in the chorus, but there is more lyrical repetition than in an eighteenth-century opera aria.

The closing ‘Pearls’ bears a significant resemblance to Lauper’s ‘Time after Time’, before loping cheerfully into periods of jazz-disco. Come again? Yes, it’s a double tenor-sax solo, but you can dance to it! Genius. Bobbie’s singing is urgent and thrilling, and although the song itself is an unwieldy beast, it is essentially loveable. Think the aardavark or duck-billed platypus of jazz-funk.

The Colins have plenty of lively ideas, strong musicianship and an excellent lead singer. I’m not sure many folk on the Oxford scene will get what they are doing-sometimes they seem to playing Channel 5 shag-music and sometimes elevator muzak. But in between the cheesy bits, there are some cool tunes. Perhaps Jazz isn’t a four-letter word after all.