Mahanthappa brings his Hero Trio, uncostumed but accustomed, back to the Jazz Kitchen
Rudresh Mahanthappa in his shiny blazer on Election Day Between his first visit here and his recorded Hero Trio outing, which was nearly buried by the pandemic, Rudresh Mahanthappa had plenty of repertoire to draw upon when he brought the Hero Trio back to town Tuesday for a vigorous set at the Jazz Kitchen. We heard some new things on this visit, but it was fitting to have him and his men revisit a favorite Charlie Parker original, "Red Cross," to start the set. He unloaded his forceful sound and returned unpredictably to the theme again and again, releasing florid episodes of improvisation in between, along with his bandmates' soloing in the same spirit. The alto saxophonist of Indian-American heritage, who directs the jazz program at Princeton University as his home base, is known for his breadth of material upon which to put his own stamp. For many years, his assistants in this long-range project have been bassist Francois Moutin and drummer Rudy Royston — both his...