Deadlines being what they are, it was possible to hear only the first set of the opening concert of Lynne Arriale's three-night residency at Renards last night. But that was enough; this jazz pianist is one of the loveliest players around and, with local bassist Dave Fleming and her regular drummer, the marvellous Steve Davis, she offered plenty of evidence that this will be a series of concerts to savour.

The opening Beautiful Love, taken medium-up, was sufficient confirmation. Arriale's solo, coherently developed and with splendid control of dynamics, was a constant joy, as she examined various figures and extended them with almost compositional aplomb. The rapport between herself and Davis - a great and markedly individual drummer - was further underlined by their funky treatment of Thelonious Monk's Bye-Ya, whose linear and rhythmic eccentricities were meat and drink to both, as Fleming provided the underpinning for their adventurous dialogue. There was similar joy on the highly-personalised arrangement of Night In Tunisia, by now a bop war horse, which emerged refreshed from their approach.

So gifted is this pianist that it seems a trifle misleading to single out her ballad-playing, but on her own The Forgotten Ones and, above all, on But Beautiful, the performances were exquisite, full of delightful use of space, consistency of line and sensitive control of dynamics, both individual and collective. Other things to remember with pleasure included the inexorable logic of the piano solo on Turning, the effervescence of Dance, both Arriale compositions, and the fine piano and bass solos on the closing It Ain't Necessarily So. Above all, however, was the privilege of hearing piano-playing of this calibre, a truly remarkable drummer, and the sheer empathy they enjoy - an empathy in no way lessened by the fine performance from Fleming - as well as the kind of group dynamics that are rarer than might be realised.

The Lynne Arriale Trio continues at Renards tonight and tomorrow night.