The idea behind alto saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa’s Hero Trio is simple but expansive. For repertoire, he’s drawing on music by the artists that shaped and sustained him, with a particular focus on his childhood years and material largely neglected by other jazz artists. With little concern for subtlety or tenderness, the athletic ensemble mostly stays in third and fourth gear, blasting through songs with hurtling agility.
Featuring powerhouse French-born bassist François Moutin and drum great Rudy Royston, the group released a stellar eponymous album in 2020 that unfortunately got buried by COVID-19. An equally impressive follow up, the 2022 EP Animal Crossing, gained wider attention with an incendiary version of George Michael’s “Faith.”
During a two-night run at the SFJAZZ Center’s intimate Joe Henderson Lab, the trio opened its late set on May 21 with a fervid take on that 1988 chart-topper. Introduced with a solo saxophone passage marked by Carnatic microtonality, the piece snapped to sudden attention as the trio shifted into the familiar melody. This was faith on fire.
There’s no ironic distance or snarky commentary in Mahanthappa’s interpretations. He plays music he clearly loves, with Moutin often serving as a melodic foil over Royston’s cascading stick work. His extended version of Chuck Mangione’s theme for the 1980 Olympics, “Give It All You Got,” was full of disquieting foreboding.
The set’s high point was a medley seamlessly melding Charlie Parker’s bebop anthem “Barbados” with John Coltrane’s “26-2,” taken at a ferocious tempo. During an extended bass passage, Mahanthappa’s pianissimo accompaniment provided a different kind of drama, with his steely tone taking on a softer edge.
The change in dynamics was welcome, while also showing that a ballad would have provided some welcome breathing space in a set that felt like a headlong steeplechase. Mahanthappa closed the show with another rip-snorting piece, blasting through Keith Jarrett’s “The Windup” with such force that the piece almost derailed in the first few bars. Circling the trio back to the opening theme, Mahanthappa delivered it like a fastball right down the center.
