The Neil Cowley Trio, the breakthrough piano-led band which was such a refreshing presence when it debuted with Displaced four years ago, played the second of the first ever ”in the round” performances at Ronnie Scott’s club in London’s Soho last night.

What this meant in practice was the band set up down in front of the regular stage allowing patrons at tables to sit behind the band, in effect, to be sitting onstage at Ronnie’s. In terms of intimacy it works and does not seem as if wholescale changes have been made, however temporary.

The trio is currently touring its war bunker-themed Radio Silence album, the follow-up to Loud…Louder…. Stop, the release that confirmed the promise of the trio’s debut. Cowley opened the set last night by saying this “is not from the new album” although he did play the delightful pen portrait ‘Gerald’ and choppy ‘Hug The Greyhound’ among other tracks as well as ‘She Eats Flies’ from Displaced and ‘His Nibs’ from Loud…Louder.

The NCT has become more of a communicating trio with the passage of time. Bassist Richard Sadler anchors the group in a fairly unobtrusive way which contrasts, say, with one of the group’s great inspirations, EST, while drummer Evan Jenkins and Cowley have a fine rapport, and the band’s overall telepathy-like instincts have increased ten fold since the early days, the product partly of steady touring and studio work together as well as the strength of the material.

Cowley has a very natural direct way with the audience partly adopting the role of amused observer of the nuances of potting-shed suburbia. Yet more importantly he has an individual piano approach which distinguishes the group from the myriad of other piano trios.

– Stephen Graham

The Neil Cowley Trio are at the Norwich Arts Centre tomorrow. For tickets go to www.norwichartscentre.co.uk/neil-cowley-trio