Abdullah Ibrahim, Musical Tour Guide

Pianist Abdullah Ibrahim is offering a rare experience at the Jazz Bakery this week, which became immediately evident Tuesday night, when his opening set avoided the familiar jazz gig pattern of playing a sequence of tunes, liberally sprinkled with improvisations.

Ibrahim’s presentation took a different path. Leading his audience through a long, nonstop series of musical passages, the South African pianist once known as Dollar Brand offered the opportunity to share a spontaneous creative journey. The result was an almost cinematic sequence of musical settings: melodically flowing American spirituals, traditional African themes delivered in pristine chorale harmonies, occasional funk-driven rhythms, floating harmonies and unexpected musical twists and turns.

By assembling the music into a seamless, multicolored musical quilt, Ibrahim maintained an intense connection with his moderate-sized audience--a mesmerizing interaction rarely found in jazz performances that simply move from one applause-generating solo to another. He enhanced that connection with a series of piano interludes in which his capacity to employ a delicate touch combined brilliantly with his precise harmonic expression. In Ibrahim’s hands, there were no excess notes, no unnecessary technical displays--only the spare, precisely voiced notes required for the illumination of a given passage.

When his path led in more expansive directions, however, his piano expression became transformed, suddenly seeming to attain orchestral qualities, building to powerful, tremolo-filled emotional climaxes.

Ibrahim made no announcements to identify the material, although passages from tunes such as “In a Sentimental Mood” were occasionally heard, and much of it presumably traced to his new Enja album, “African Suite.” Assisting this remarkable performance were bassist Belden Bullock and drummer George Gray. Perfect accompanists, they were both supportive and responsive to the subtle threads of Ibrahim’s music.

BE THERE

The Abdullah Ibrahim Trio at the Jazz Bakery through Sunday. 3233 Helms Ave., Culver City. (310) 271-9039. $20 admission tonight; $22 admission Friday and Saturday at 8 and 9:30 p.m., and Sunday at 7 and 8:30 p.m.