Samuel Hällkvist Center @ Voodoo Rooms, 31 Jul

Joe Zawinul once said of his band Weather Report, "We never solo, and we always solo", and this gnomic remark could be usefully applied to Hällkvist's Scandinavian quartet who bring a studied magic to the Voodoo Rooms tonight. Imagine listening to the freest of free jazz with all its attendant skronks and honks, then suddenly realising that every note was written down the way a classical composer writes for string quartet.

Improvisation being at the heart of jazz, there are some passages of chance, frontliners Hällkvist (guitar) and Joel Westberg (sax) solo to great effect, but within strict structures. This is music of discipline, power, and only occasionally abandon. The mid-tempo, sinuous Sable could be called beautiful; other songs are stamped with sections more befitting bands like Slayer. With a show this thrilling and fulfilling, you never know what you're going to hear next, but are sure you're in safe hands. [David McNally]