The Sunday Crossword No 2953, Sunday 23 Jul 2017

ACROSS
1   Polish enthusiast (4) BUFF [DD]
3   Trained spy to dance in jazzy style? (10) SYNCOPATED*
9   Cocktail in company in small club (11) SCREWDRIVER {CREW} in {S}{DRIVER} My favourite cocktail

11 Silent majority's leader with hesitant expression (3) MUM {Ma...y}{UM}
12 Goes round with religious books in classes (7) ROTATES {R{OT}ATES}
13 Linger, keeping quiet, and capture bird (7) LAPWING {LA{P}{WIN}G}

14 Last of riddles pixie had composed (4-9) SELF-POSSESSED {r...eS}{ELF}-{POSSESSED}
18 Ace vendor not normally keeping a cake surplus (13) OVERABUNDANCE {A}{BUN} in {ACE+VENDOR}*
20 Comic fool endlessly next to Laurel? (5-2) STAND-UP {STAN}{D-UPe}
22 Old man, character without right range (7) PALETTE {PA}{LETTEr}
23 Rower in love with a river (3) OAR {O}{A}{R}
24 Song with an epic air newly enthralling me (8,3) AMERICAN PIE {ME} in {AN+EPIC+AIR}*

25 One with reserve retiring amid strain, delaying procedure (10) FILIBUSTER {FIL{1}{SUB<=}TER}
26 Man considered attractive item of jewellery (4) STUD [DD]

DOWN
1   Restaurant's tips for sorbet written in pen (6) BISTRO {BI{So..eT}RO}
2   Strong point about Spielberg film for instance in trailer? (9) FORETASTE {FOR{ET}{AS}TE}
4   Measures areas adjoining buildings (5) YARDS [DD]
5   Sophisticated evil is badly disrupting police department (9) CIVILISED {CI{EVIL+IS}*D}
6   Equipment that's ruined a plan, I hear, below standard (13) PARAPHERNALIA {PAR}{A+PLAN+I+HEAR}*
7   Rhythms in music from ancient empire (5) TEMPI [T]
8   Soldier rising in protest starts to denounce some revered figures (8) DEMIGODS {DEM{GI<=}O}{De...e}{Some}
10 Building material a lad wanted but wasted (6,3,4) WATTLE AND DAUB*

15 Feathers covering extremities of pigeon with singular corpulence (9) PLUMPNESS {PLUM{Pi..oN}ES}{S}
16 First worries raised about electronic part of racket? (5,4) SWEET SPOT {TOP}{ST{E}EWS} What's the role of raised? <= See comments
17 Poorer force enemies line up (5,3) WORSE OFF {F}{FO ES}{ROW}<=
19 Famous person's stage tip (6) LEGEND {LEG}{END}
21 Learner overcome by atmosphere of hearing (5) AURAL {AURA}{L}
22 Prepare for cardinal (5) PRIME [DD]

GRID