British bassist Alec Dankworth is a Berklee graduate who is much sought after by visiting Americans (Mose Allison and Clark Terry to name but two), as well as British musicians the calibre of Pete King and Guy Barker. His latest trio consists of saxophonist Julian Arguelles and guitarist Mike Walker, and in Sheffield they delivered pieces by such diverse composers as Dave Brubeck and Abdullah Ibrahim.

From the opening canter through Bobby Troup's Route 66 it was clear they were not going to miss having a drummer. Indeed, it was hard to imagine what a nasty old ride cymbal could have added to their intricate weave of swinging melodies. Arguelles uncoiled his first shapely sax solo of the evening, Walker's guitar was bossa nova sweet and Dankworth's bass had its customary woody intimacy.

Then they turned on the bluesy charm in Duke Ellington's Cotton Tail. Arguelles grooved on one note with a tone thick enough to suggest an entire horn section, before plunging into some big-hearted lower register honking, each note and phrase meticulously sculptured.

Throughout the set the trio masterfully avoided getting under each other's feet. Slipping seamlessly in and out of the roles of soloist and accompanist, they turned Brubeck's The Duke and Thelonious Monk's Blue Monk into glistening exercises in contrapuntalism. If anything, the mood became a little samey in the second half, although there was a welcome injection of African township vibe on the final Abdullah Ibrahim-composed tune.

Dankworth's bass remained unstintingly melodic, with the tone and definition of a piano or horn. With his bandmates in cool, sophisticated mode, it occasionally sounded as if he was being accompanied by Martin Taylor and Stan Getz. Not an overabundance of visceral excitement then, but the audience seemed happy to be treated to the musical equivalent of a silk pillow.

· Alec Dankworth Trio play Blue Jay's, London W12 (020-8222 6597), tonight and tomorrow. Then touring.