In his own projects and his collaborations with others, tenor saxophonist and clarinetist Chris Speed often makes music with a compounded quality, as though he and his associates are trying to concentrate as much information as possible into the available space. Human Feel packed the divergent aesthetics of four strong players into each tune; Pachora combined jazz with the hurtling velocity and idiosyncratic rhythms of Balkan folk; and Tim Berne’s Bloodcount used open-ended, contrapuntal epics to test the limits of the performers’ stamina and imaginations. But the Chris Speed Trio, which has been extant for ten years, distills jazz to its essentials. Speed’s vision of the genre is inclusive: the group’s 2017 release, Platinum on Tap, features compositions by Tin Pan Alley songwriter Hoagy Carmichael and free-jazz titan Albert Ayler. But no matter where the tune comes from, it has to be clear and emotionally communicative. Speed is patient; witness his painstakingly tender treatment of the original ballad “Sunset Park in July” on the trio’s new album, Despite Obstacles (Intakt). But he’s also pithy, prioritizing the integrity of a melody over whatever exploratory opportunities it might present. And no matter what contrary elements bassist Chris Tordini (who’s also worked with Lee Konitz and Angelika Niescier) and drummer Dave King (who also plays with Speed in the Bad Plus) sneak into their accompaniment, the trio sustains a graceful, swinging rhythmic foundation.
Chris Speed Trio Fri 9/15, 8:30 PM, Constellation, 3111 N. Western, $20, 18+