Kirk Whalum, Union Chapel, London

The boundaries between jazz, soul and gospel music are far from clear-cut. Too much jazz, and the result is pastiche; not enough, and you end up with drive-time cheese. But among those who negotiate the difficulties successfully, as with saxophonist Kirk Whalum, there is as much technical facility, soul-searching and risk-taking commitment on display as there is with perhaps more art-conscious contemporaries.

At this gig, part of BluesFest London, Whalum was supported by a specially convened UK backing band featuring the excellent Troy Miller on drums and Mark Edwards on keyboards. From the off, Whalum bent time and tone, rattled well-timed runs into a whooping shout, and worried essential phrases into complex structures. A free-flowing flourish of final cadenzas revealed an arsenal of split notes, harmonics and circular breathing, played perfectly on pulse while he named the chords to his band – they coped brilliantly.

For the next two hours...

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