In the long list of European jazz pianists deserving of wider recognition, Baptiste Trotignon has to be close to the top. In terms of technique this French pianist is virtually unrivalled, particularly in the way he uses both hands so independently and, apparently, with so little effort. During his quintet’s gig at Charlie Wright’s last July - one of my personal highlights of last year - several of London’s leading young pianists watched and listened with their jaws practically on the floor. However, Trotignon is much more than a master technician, always putting his virtuosity at the service of the music. At this gig, he was joined by a musician who shares these virtues - the gentle giant of tenor saxophone, Mark Turner. (Turner had also played with Trotignon in London last year as part of his quintet).

It is something of a miracle that Turner is even playing his instrument after he severely injured two fingers in a power saw accident less than two years ago. That accident has, thankfully, had no discernible impact on Turner’s playing. He showed on this outing that he has fully retained his instantly recognizable sound, delivering fleeting, angular lines which spanned the full range of his instrument from its lower reedy depths to its endearingly fragile upper reaches. His classic tone is ideally suited to the duo setting: just rich enough to be affectingly expressive but without smothering the piano at all. The excellent Kings Place acoustic further helped, marrying the sounds of Turner and Trotignon perfectly.

The pair began the set diving headlong into Trotignon’s ?Flow’, from his 2008 album, ?Share’. Turner showed a few hints of reticence as he tackled the tricky theme in unison with Trotignon, but by the end of the piece both musicians had settled comfortably, establishing a beautifully poised equilibrium that endured until the end of the set. An untitled composition by Turner brought to mind some of the recent duos between Joshua Redman and Brad Mehldau (as on Mehldau’s album ?Highway Rider’), with its song-like theme, alternative rock-influenced chord changes and a percussive accompaniment from Trotignon marking out a strong backbeat.

On the waltz that followed, Trotignon showed off the full extent of his technique, crossing hands to deliver an eloquent solo deep among the bass notes with his right hand while his left hand continued to propel the piece along in the mid register. Next, it was Turner who impressed on a Wayne Shorter-like ballad. Here, not a single note was thrown away - each one of his phrases was delivered with purpose and meaning. By the final number, ?Lennie’s Groove’, the duo had hit a rich creative seam. Turner negotiated his vertiginous theme with conviction while, underneath him, Trotignon somehow managed to make the piano sound like a full rhythm section. The pianist’s solo excursion on this piece again stood out, showcasing the breadth of his vocabulary (even offering the briefest glimpse back in time to the old stride masters at one point). But as with all the evening’s music, it was the empathy between these two that left the strongest impression. A sublime coalition of like-minded musicians.