The 606 played host to an evening’s entertainment at an unusual pace last night, with special guest Bill Bruford taking to the stage – in conjunction with the Earl’s Court Literary Festival – to be quizzed on his autobiography and career in music, which preceded a disciplined set by Tim Garland’s intriguing Lighthouse Project.

Bruford held court for nearly an hour in conversation with Garland, with the audience hanging on his every word. For those who had already read his excellent autobiography, there was little fresh ground covered, but it was still a worthy listen from a man who’s been there, done it many times over and doesn’t particularly want to do it again, thank you. The list of topics ranged from the nostalgia of Bruford’s tenure in progressive rock to more serious discussion about the differences between rock and jazz in terms of product/process – an area in which, understandably, Bruford’s opinion is highly sought.

The set which followed from Garland’s band – with mightily talented backup in Asaf Sirkis on drums, Mike Outram on guitar and Pat Bettison on bass – had a few minor stutters, but otherwise came through very well. The material from Garland’s latest album Libra seemed to hit the spot best, with opener ‘Break in the Weather’ featuring the first of many fine solos. Garland’s soprano, frequently hitting climax, was well supported by the unconventional kit of Sirkis, even moving defiantly into a rock time signature towards the tune’s end.

Garland’s instrumentation was suitably varied, moving from tenor to soprano and then to bass clarinet in an effortless display of virtuosity. Guitarist Outram was just as good as the main man once he got going with some fiery solo spots, as well as wonderful, precise sweeping and echoey effects adding much-needed texture to the more pastoral numbers.

Occasionally the three-piece sounded slightly bereft without Garland, but this was high risk and high quality improvisation. The odd casualty was to be expected, if only to magnify the moments when the band truly nailed it, as with the mellifluous call and response on ‘Black Elk’ – also on Libra – with Garland calling the shots on bass clarinet and the versatile Bettison responding on harmonica. The set closed on a relatively subdued note with a lengthy version of the Beatles’ ‘Blackbird’, the highlight of which being Sirkis’ use of a hang drum, including an early solo spot in which he tested the drum’s many capabilities, putting forward an almost gamelan-like figure into the rhythm section.

– James Bourne