Jorge Mário da Silva, aka Seu ("Mr") Jorge, may be the only man in the world who looks cool playing a flute. Back in London after a two-year absence to herald the release of both a new album, América Brasil, and a film, The Escapist, in which he stars alongside Joseph Fiennes, the Brazilian musician and actor did much to retain his reputation, first mooted by Brazilian Vogue, as "the coolest man on the planet".

Jorge leapt to international recognition in the 2002 film City of God, while a turn in Wes Anderson's The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou and its soundtrack - featuring his Portuguese cover versions of David Bowie tracks - kept him in the public eye.

Loping on stage in a slim-fitting velvet jacket and checked yellow tie, his dreads pulled into a ponytail, Jorge began on semi-acoustic guitar. His covers of Bowie's Rebel Rebel and Life on Mars were intense and impassioned, proving that his laidback style does not rob him of emotional conviction.

Backed by a seven-piece band - tight-knit, funky and beaming - came América do Norte, a track from the new album: a rolling, blues-tinged hoedown featuring both violin and squeaky Brazilian culca drum. Jorge took up the flute for Mina do Condomínio, a slice of exuberant samba-funk, and a reggae-tinged rendition of Mas Que Nada soon had the predominantly Brazilian audience on their feet.

Jorge then disappeared while two of his drummers kept the audience entertained with a virtuosic percussion display. On his return, he never quite regained that Mas Que Nada high. Some sexy, louche samba kept the Brazilians whooping and shimmying, but Mariana edged too close to middle-of-the-road. For tonight's audience, to whom he gave three ecstatic encores, he could do no wrong, but the world's coolest flute-player may have to work a little harder to win new fans.