Saxophonist Cooks Up Stylistic Experiments

Alto saxophonist Greg Osby has never hesitated to dip into eclectic areas of music to enhance his already adventurous jazz explorations. Hip-hop, funk and free jazz have all attracted him at one point or another since his involvement with Manhattan’s edgy M-Base musical collective in the late ‘80s.

On Wednesday night at the Jazz Bakery, however, Osby’s playing sounded well integrated and thoughtful--a level up from the sometimes stylistically scattered performances he has offered in the past.

Working with longtime associate Jason Moran on piano, the dependable Robert Hurst on bass and the supportive Damion Reid on percussion, Osby typically moved in seamless fashion from one selection to another. At one point, a long, modally driven cadenza, alternating dark, low-register sounds with sudden bursts of melodic filigree, was followed by a lyrical rendering of the standard “Here’s That Rainy Day,” which then gave way to a brutally high-speed boppish line.

Despite the differences in style and substance, Osby’s front-and-center playing pulled everything together with impressive ease. His most immediately accessible characteristic--a warm, engaging sound--was essential, providing the listener with a comfortable passageway into the most fiery improvisational passages. Equally important, the clarity of Osby’s lines in the faster-paced segments was enormously enhanced by his virtuosic ability to articulate every note with clarity and focus.

Although Moran claimed only a modest amount of solo space, he made the most of it, usually relying upon a vigorously two-handed, rhapsodic style, enriching the fundamental harmonies of various songs with lush chordal clusters spiced with unexpected but appealing dissonance. As he so often does, Hurst, who seems capable of finding precisely the right backing for any style and any upfront soloist, made his most striking contributions as an accompanist. And Reid--a bit clattery on his soloing (not surprising in the Bakery’s acoustically challenged space)--made a good fit with Hurst in terms of swing and rhythmic drive.

The Greg Osby Quartet at the Jazz Bakery, 3233 Helms Ave., Culver City. Tonight through Sunday at 8 and 9:30 p.m. $25. (310) 271- 9039.