This evening of key UK improvisers began with a set of solo piano from Keith Tippett.

His creations displayed intense playing which was rewarded with close listening from the audience, excepting seat M25 and his large bag of crisps.

Tippett often works on extremely large-scale works, on the piano his playing is symphonic.

His main motifs here included ringing bell-like chords which recalled the sound world of Stravinsky's Les Noces.

The full quartet enjoyed a group sensitivity beyond intuition in its spontaneous free improvisation, each player is a master of extended techniques so when the four were brought together, something special was to be expected.

They ranged widely in their approach, the first impression was akin to the later Coltrane quartet at its most impactful.

Paul Dunamll's soprano saxophone provided the sheets of sound, while Tony Levin's drumming was a fine example of the Elvin Jones' influence.

After a short, bluesy exchange between piano and Paul Rogers' double bass, Dunmall produced Northumbrian pipes, taking things in yet another direction.

Much as they avoided jazz cliches, the emphasis was not on folk forms, over a bass pattern the others improvised rippling, interlocking figures. They returned to the opening format with tenor sax upfront, another high-octane free assault, with each player subtly shifting the collective flow.