Jeff Beck last played in the UK more than three years ago - his first gig since 1990 - so the run of five nights at Ronnie Scott's is one of the most sought-after tickets in town.

He may not have hit the big time as consistently as fellow Yardbirds Eric Clapton or Jimmy Page, but his trail through rock 'n' roll is mythic enough - this the man who invented heavy metal, for God's sake.

And unlike many of his contemporaries, he has never stuck to the template, and as a player and a personality, he's contrary enough to stay permanently interesting.

Once you've got past seeing a rock legend in the kind of high-definition close-up that a place like Ronnie Scott's can afford, the impact of his playing, its sheer energy and imagination and freshness, is remarkable.

These are no reheated moves; this is the real thing. Backed by a cracking three-piece band (including an almost prepubescent looking bass player, Tal Wilkenfeld) Beck is a commanding and still charismatic presence.

Aside from the evening's guest Imogen Heap performing her song Blanket, he let his guitar do the talking, kicking off all manner of tightly structured riffs that open out into the kind of visceral, fluid music-making that other guitarists can only dream of.

From the raw hard-rock riffing and complex, angular jazz structures to the keening, animal-like cries he taps out from the neck of his guitar, Beck's performance exceeds expectations.

The evening's highlight comes as he closes the set with an instrumental version of Day In The Life by The Beatles, and by the end even the man himself seems taken aback and utterly delighted by how well it has all turned out.