Miles Davis once commented that the most inspiring music is played by people who attempt to go beyond the confines of their usual idioms and techniques. Brian Kellock and Tommy Smith make the most accomplished sounding jazz that it is possible to imagine, but for this gig they chose to remain within the most urbane and sophisticated musical territory.
The repertoire was conservative. There were tunes by Cole Porter, Duke Ellington and songs made famous by Doris Day, and these became the foundation for displays of ultra-slick virtuosity. Once you accepted that nothing shocking was going to happen, there was nothing to do but sit back and be amazed.
Unlike some eager-to-impress virtuosos, Kellock does not rampage across the keyboard. His touch remained light, even when he used his fists. He developed flamboyantly contrapuntal ideas at staggering speed, merging classical brilliance with a sassy sense of swing.
On the other side of the stage, Smith's saxophone managed to combine the silky sound of Stan Getz with the sheer joie de vivre of the earliest New Orleans improvisers. His breath and tonal control in the upper registers made for some passages of almost preternatural beauty, and he switched with confidence between punchy blues riffs and piercingly long, lyrical phrases.
A version of Chick Corea's Bud demonstrated the duo's lack of reliance on a supporting rhythm section. Smith's saxophone sounded sharp and lethal, and Kellock beat his foot against the floor as his fingers scrambled audaciously up the keyboard and descended again in a blur of closed knuckles.
A rendition of Night and Day found him rolling the piano styles of Oscar Peterson, James P Johnson and Fats Waller into one blazing attack, the barrel-house and stride elements delivered with theatrical panache.
Then, a generous dose of sustain pedal and some cross-handed keyboard gymnastics found him imitating a classical recitalist in the middle of a Rachmaninov cadenza. It was a performance so spectacular that you would be forgiven for thinking witchcraft was at work.
Both men proved exceptional listeners, exchanging musical ideas at telepathic speed. The only problem with this kind of intense duo performance is the lack of space, the unbelievable number of notes that finally becomes a little oppressive. But when the fireworks are this stunning, you cannot claim you are not getting value for money.
