THE core for Stan Tracey’s various groups for nearly 20 years has been his trio, with Clark Tracey on drums and Andrew Cleyndert on double bass, and their performance in the second half of this concert was an ideal opportunity to hear what a perfectly-tuned and balanced group they have become in their own right.

A typical mix started with Duke Ellington’s Great times and ended with Thelonious Monk’s Blue Monk with, in between, standards like I cover the waterfront and Autumn leaves as well as more Monk.

Having sat out the first set, Cleyndert then featured generously, with several tuneful and well-structured solos, but the abiding impression is of a perfectly balanced trio with all three players contributing equally, the perfect conclusion to a concert which had begun with a revelatory performance by Stan and Clark Tracey on piano and drums.

The combination is unusual in itself, and I can recall only one such previous performance when pianist John Williams and drummer Pete Cater filled in when the rest of their band was delayed by traffic.

That ad hoc performance was not really comparable because here you had two players completely familiar with each other’s styles and possibly even thoughts.

The music confounded one’s expectations because, though created spontaneously, much of it sounded structured and balanced, reflecting, I think, the compositional talents of both musicians.

The tuneful drums and rhythmic piano complemented each other perfectly, not so much prompting each other as simply working together as one.

With a variety of moods and tempos, a fine sound balance, and especially with Stan Tracey making the most of the Arts Centre’s lovely Steinway, this was as good a jazz performance as I’ve ever heard.

Peter Bevan