Many chords tie Larry Goldings’ trio

Organist Larry Goldings, guitarist Peter Bernstein and drummer Bill Stewart have been working together, on and off, for nearly a decade. So it was no surprise that the trio’s opening set at the Jazz Bakery Wednesday was a study in musical empathy.

Goldings’ organ playing revealed his roots, a rich melange of sources embracing the blues intensity of Jimmy Smith and the innovative harmonic textures of Larry Young.

The most fascinating aspect of his performance was the manner in which he blended the influences of his idols with his own imaginative approach to the instrument, juxtaposing foot-tapping blues segments with ear-grabbing chordal dissonances.

Bernstein was the perfect counter, his long, arching lines moving freely through and above the complex organ sounds, his cool harmonies balancing Goldings’ dissonant excursions.

With Goldings seated at one end of the stage, Bernstein at the other, Stewart was the fulcrum for the action, his head often turning from side to side as he responded to the darting, back-and-forth improvisational passages from his companions.

The music, most of it chosen on the spot, further underscored the trio’s easygoing togetherness. An emotionally layered rendering of the classic Cahn/Stordahl/Weston ballad “I Should Care” was followed by several attractive Goldings originals and a romp through the old Zombies hit “Time of the Season.” The set peaked with Bernstein’s “Jive Coffee,” a 5/4 variation on “Tea for Two” featuring an astounding solo from Stewart -- an appropriate climax to this defining example of jazz compatibility.

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Larry Goldings B3 Organ Trio

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Where: The Jazz Bakery, 3233 Helms Ave., Culver City

When: Tonight-Sunday, 8 and 9:30 p.m.

Price: $25

Contact: (310) 271-9039