Chestnut delights with swinging set of new, old

If the future of jazz depends on the incorporation of world-music textures, hip-hop rhythms, and electronic programming, someone forgot to tell Cyrus Chestnut. The 40-year-old Brooklyn native and Berklee grad has recorded a string of albums over the past decade that are squarely in the jazz tradition, whether working within a trio context or expanding the sound via other instrumentation.

Though his recent albums have featured such collaborators as vibraphonist Stefon Harris, saxophonist James Carter, and vocalist Anita Baker, Chestnut's new recording, his first for Warner Bros., titled "You Are My Sunshine," returns him to the trio setting.

In the publicity surrounding the release of "Sunshine," Chestnut is quoted as saying of his jazz predecessors, "The best of them were always about swinging and making people feel good. This trio aims to continue that tradition." That aim is evident throughout the CD and was front and center during Wednesday night's first set at Scullers. As the three-quarters-full house braced for the season's first snowfall, the trio wasted no time heating things up with "Lighthearted Intelligence," a Chestnut original from the CD. The tune displayed Chestnut's formidable technique and the trio's ability to intuit each other's moves, most apparent in their ability to radically change the volume or rhythm without warning.

The set's highlight was "For the Saints," Chestnut's original blues from the new album. Despite the spiritual overtones of the title, the tune revels in a smoky, after-hours club feel. The leader's solo seemed to give voice to an inner monologue, a feeling reinforced by Chestnut's technique of repeating a short passage and adding a different note or emphasis with each new take, not unlike a preacher's use of repetition to alert the congregation to a particular point.

Departing from the recording, this live rendition made use of the trio's considerable power as drummer Neal Smith switched from brushes to sticks, bassist Michael Hawkins ramped up the volume, and Chestnut used his characteristic tremolo to build to a thunderous crescendo. A moment or two later the trio had downshifted into the moody quietness that began the piece.

Chestnut's playful side was most in evidence during a solo that may have been composed on the spot. He took what sounded like a young piano student's recital piece, used pauses to bring a humorous touch, and eventually inserted a rhythm and blues feel.

Bassist Hawkins, whose body language and head-bobbing seemed to indicate his enjoyment with every note he played, delivered an impressive solo during "Precious Lord," letting loose with what he seemed to be dying to get out all night.

Whether Chestnut remains in the trio vein or records again with small groups, there's little doubt he'll continue to make jazz's traditional affinity to swing a mainstay of his approach. One gets the feeling that if the future of jazz were left up to Cyrus Chestnut, it wouldn't look much different than its past, and that would be all right with him -- and his audience.