Gary Bartz, Ronnie Scott’s, London

Gary Bartz’s reputation is founded on playing alto saxophone with Miles Davis on some of the trumpeter’s more raucous fusion excursions and some airy, slightly meditative jazz-funk recordings in the 1970s. Tracks such as “Music is my Sanctuary”, which projects music as a cleansing force in an impure world, became iconic in club culture. Bartz succeeded because he never let the well-organised dance grooves drown his own jazz musicianship and he remained a free spirit, later recording excellent straight-ahead albums such as 1992’s West 42nd Street.

Although this short Ronnie Scott’s season presented him with his excellent acoustic piano trio, he still projects a slightly otherworldly bohemian stage persona. The opening mantric blues, a chant along the lines of “sadness leave this place, evil leave this room” found the band wearing theatrical masks. The bass player James King – introduced by Bartz with “See, good things can come out of Texas” – had a striking, wizened wizard number with a waist-length, snow-white beard.

It was soon clear, though, that behind the hokum was a serious jazz intelligence that has forged an individual voice by mixing different pieces of the jazz tradition into something personal. His warm tone has a slightly fruity edge, but is laced with split harmonics and impassioned cries. He captures the passion of modal jazz but eschews multi-noted pyrotechnics for a more measured, melodic approach.

The repertoire is also a mix, with Michael Jackson and Curtis Mayfield snuggling alongside a tribute that welds snippets of Coltrane themes into something new. A fresh composition for New Orleans with the vocal refrain “You Can’t Stop the Party” comes complete with rolling barrelhouse piano. Throw in a duet with the drummer Greg Bandy, foot-stomping modal piano and thumping walking bass, and even a lukewarm Ronnie’s audience finally succumbed.

Tel +44 (0)20 7439 0747