The Necks @ Tron Theatre, Glasgow, 22 Jun

Although piano trios are ten a penny in jazz, these guys are special. But don't come expecting something your milkman can whistle; the Necks don't play tunes, they play music.

Indeed this gig can be defined by its absences: melodic structure, chord progressions, rhythm. Rather there's rhythm, but not the driving beat that propels most music - what keeps tonight afloat is the aural telepathy between these 3 unassuming guys. There is some harmonic movement underpinning their improvised set, in the stormy first half it's set by the pianist and in the more oceanic second half by the bassist.

The music's formlessness is not meaningless, it's the auditory equivalent of Tarkovsky's long 'stare till you care' takes, in that it effortlessly forces you to really listen. Engage with the Necks' music on this level and it can take you unexpected places. Some tribal music aspires to the condition of magic, and tonight in the Tron a secular spell was certainly cast. [David McNally]