Imaginative Fusions From Tin Hat Trio

Trying to describe the Tin Hat Trio is reminiscent of the fable about the manner in which a group of blind men characterize an elephant. Is the trio a jazz ensemble? Sometimes. Does it occasionally drift through passages that resonate with classical music? Sure. Are there echoes of Gypsy rhythms, the blues and flamenco in its style? All of that, and more, from time to time.

On Wednesday night, in the pleasantly intimate environment of the Knitting Factory’s AlterKnit Lounge, the Tin Hat Trio played a set that embraced most of those elements without ever settling into any single area. That’s an approach that could be a recipe for little more than random musical grazing, but in the hands of violinist Carla Kihlstedt, accordionist Rob Burger and guitarist Mark Orton, the results blended into a smoothly integrated, utterly original creative concoction.

Performing a pair of new pieces, including the whimsically titled “Maxim’s Plunge” (dedicated to a vaudevillian diving dog) and some material from its current album, “Helium,” the trio offered an amiable set of musically contrasting material.

Much of the focus was on Kihlstedt, whose soloing emphasized long, vibratoless, held notes suspended above ostinato accompaniment from Burger and Orton. Occasionally, she dramatically contrasted her smooth tones with whipped arpeggios rapidly executed across the strings of her instrument. Not jazz, not classical, it was an improvisational vehicle of her own devising.

Orton’s solid, dependable guitar playing and blues-drenched Dobro work interlaced perfectly with the sinuous sounds of Burger’s accordion. And the phrasing between the three players--back and forth and in combination--was delivered with a loose-limbed flow that seamlessly linked written and improvised passages.

So forget the definitions, and simply think of the music of the Tin Hat Trio as compelling entertainment, rich with whimsy, imagination and intelligence. No wonder the crowd in the AlterKnit, close enough to shake hands with the players, responded so enthusiastically.