John Coltrane certainly upped the expressive ante for saxophone players, but in doing so he inadvertently encouraged some of them to blather on endlessly. So for sax fans seeking relief from horn-players who harangue them without mercy for hours, Manu Dibango might be the answer.

African saxophone star Dibango is at Ronnie Scott's with his Soul Makossa Gang, a reference to the funk, jazz and hi-life mix that fuelled his biggest commercial hit in the 70s. Dibango has a strong, sinewy sound and plays with fierce conviction but, unlike postbop saxophonists, operates more like a conductor and section player rolled into one, flagging the turns with cryptic exclamations, sax epithets that are almost spat out, and fragmentary riffs that stoke the whole band. Dibango's personal impact is easy to discern by the way the group plays when he's onstage and when he isn't. Before his arrival the group sleepwalks through some fairly bland jazz-funk. Then the leader's introductory phrases open spaces in the music and bring down the volume, making the whole exercise conversational.

The fundamentals of the band's unquestionably infectious sound then become Dibango's shrewdly paced interventions, counterpointing a crackle of percussive punctuation from the excellent Nicolas Filiatreau on drums. The repertoire takes in riff-heavy soul-jazz vehicles, a bizarrely engaging kind of Africanised country-and-western vibe featuring singer Mimi Felixine, and suggestions of the kind of tumbling calypso feel that Sonny Rollins favours. Two electric keyboard players might seem to be tilting the balance too far, but they make a better job of mimicking a punchy horn section than usual. No musical revolution in progress, but it's hard to keep the feet still - and Dibango's impenetrable verbals are almost as attractive as his saxophone playing.

***** Unmissable
**** Recommended
*** Enjoyable
** Mediocre
* Terrible