It is unclear whether the star of this show is Billy Cobham or his drum kit. A huge gold-sparkled beast, it looks more suited to the bashings of Keith Moon than one of jazz's all-time great percussionists. Cobham, enthroned behind it, has clearly lost none of his flair: his left hand shuffles the hi-hats so quickly you feel as if you're watching a sped-up film, while the bass drums regularly produce seemingly impossible cross-rhythms.

Cobham is not the only flash virtuoso on stage this evening. The Art of Five's pianist is Julian Joseph, who tears up the keyboard as if wreaking bloody revenge on it. Meanwhile, ex-Jazz Messenger saxophonist Donald Harrison and British trumpet star Guy Barker whirl and burn through a tangle of scales and arpeggios. Only bassist Mark Hodgson seems content to play a supporting role, although you suspect that beneath all the pyrotechnics he, too, is performing remarkable instrumental feats.

Most of the band's music is composed by Joseph. In its post-bop and jazz-rock fusion clamour, it is often rather impenetrable. The set opener, Live to Fight Another Day, changes metre every four bars while its composer finds a million ways to tie short rhythmic phrases together. Given that Joseph can probably play this kind of thing while making breakfast, you soon start to hanker after something a little more meaningful.

Fortunately, there are a couple of melodic jewels to come. A slow and bluesy Guy Barker ballad allows the trumpeter to coax some lyrical magic from his horn. His exquisite downward swoops and muted cries have the audience cheering.

It's a shame that much of the rest of the gig is simply fast and furious jazz-by-numbers, endless choruses flying by while soloists line up for the spotlight. You'd never want to cast aspersions on this band's instrumental muscle, but you might wonder why they don't spend more time doing something genuinely affecting with it.

· At St Andrew's Hall, Norwich (01603 766400), tonight.