This Dublin Jazz Society concert was one of those events in which the whole was less than the sum of its very considerable parts. On paper, combining the talents of saxophonist and clarinettist Wilber with the even more gifted Stewart seemed like a recipe for exciting music, especially as the guitarist had his own trio, completed by Michael Coady (bass) and Kieran Phillips (drums), with him.

Unfortunately, it didn't work out like that. Undoubtedly, lack of rehearsal was a contributory factor, and there was also some unfamiliar material, but Wilber's rhythmic values belong to a much earlier jazz era than that of the more flexible approach of the trio and it was this, perhaps, more than anything else, which contributed to the feeling of unease that fatally undermined the concert.

Apart from the rhythm problems, there were moments of harmonic uncertainty which particularly affected the bass. And Wilber, a virtuoso on both the curved and straight soprano saxophones especially, seems to have lost some of that drive that gave his playing warmth, force and focus to go with his abundant technique. In combination, it meant there were few moments when the group's playing took wing.

A taste of what was missing, however, was supplied by the trio's nicely reharmonised, rhythmically unusual version of I Can't Get Started; minus Wilber, the trio sounded immediately more comfortable and swinging and the guitar playing was sumptuous. It was a rare moment in a concert which, although improving marginally in the second set, was dominated by caution and cliche, epitomised by such as Love Walked In, Don't Get Around Much Any More and a particularly tired Petite Fleur and Lady Be Good.