The dawn of a new era for the piano trio in jazz was emphatically ushered in last night at Ronnie Scott’s as US pianist Robert Glasper tore the roof off the club in two explosive sets. Joined by sure-footed bassist Alan Hampton and incendiary hip-hop informed drummer Chris ‘Daddy’ Dave, Glasper’s unfurling way with melody and improvisational prowess set a mesmerising atmosphere in the club, the band responding to a rapt audience with incredible levels of interactivity and dynamic drama. Sounding akin to a 21st century incarnation of Thelonious Monk, that has absorbed the neo-classical elements of Brad Mehldau via the immediacy of hip-hop’s love of sampling (manifested in many looped then extended phrases), Glasper held court with unstinting focus.

His between song banter was self-deprecating and playfully silly from the off – sometimes a tad too much – but this was a perfect counterpoint to the serious rhythmic interplay between himself and Dave – who surely ranks among the most influential and exciting new drummers on the planet today. The latter’s cascading avalanche of rhythmic ideas was nothing short of astonishing, with liquid metric modulations spilling across every bar line, Dave using every nook and cranny of Glasper’s melodic lines to extract maximum drama and excitement – with drum and bass, swing, funk, hip-hop and rock rhythms coalescing in the blur of his sticks.

With a beautiful reading of Björk’s haunting song ‘Yoga’ and a fiery new Fender Rhodes-led arrangement of Herbie Hancock’s ‘Butterfly’ Glasper and his extraordinary trio sealed an utterly compelling set that points to a very bright post-EST future for the jazz piano trio indeed.

Mike Flynn