In an ideal world the American tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts would be gracing the Soho bandstand in the company of Quartet West, the Carlie Haden supergroup that, over the past quarter of a century, has recorded such stylish re-creations of the era of Charlie Parker, Raymond Chandler and film noir. Sadly, the outfit has made relatively few appearances on these shores, but there was compensation to be had in the visit from Watts's European-based group.

The results were actually more dynamic than some of Quartet West's recent outings. Watts - a cultured, slightly stooped played who spent much of his early career in the studio system, working with Marvin Gaye, among many others - has made no secret of his admiration for John Coltrane. Unlike the Coltrane clones, though, he has kept his own personality intact, his timbre taking on a slightly tart quality often associated with the alto rather than the tenor. He can match the late Michael Brecker in terms of pure muscle, but there is a rare element of tenderness to his soloing.

He celebrates his 65th birthday this month, yet there was no sign of his holding back in To The Point, a tune that started off his opening set at a daunting pace. This was state-of-the-art neo-bop. The drummer Heinrich Koebberling hustled and harried, while the pianist Christof Saegner - who spent much of the set reading from charts - seemed entirely unfazed by Watt's abrupt changes of pace or his sudden surges into a falsetto-like tone. The bassist Rudi Engel was immaculate too.

The leader's new album, Four by Four - which features both his American and German line-ups - is sometimes too introverted and lyrical for its own good. The idea of splicing together both groups on one track sounds intriguing in theory although the reality proves slightly meandering. In the flesh, the Europeans proved much spikier. On the bebop classic Shaw Nuff, there was no mistaking the joyousness of the ensemble work, the musicians evoking the mischievous spirit of Dizzy Gillespie.

Watts switched to his handmade wooden flute for the introduction to the restful Spirit Song, his spare phrases taking on a Celtic tinge at times. The serene mood continued on an expansive reading of The Ballad of the San Young Men, one of the highlights of the new album. It has taken Watts a long time to reach a wider audience. We should make the most of him. - by Clive Davis