Fred Lonberg-Holm Trio

Fred Lonberg-Holm has a niche not likely to be overtaken anytime soon. He is a cellist; he can play both extreme-energy jazz as well as listless indie rock (dig his distortion pedals); and he can write John Cage–inspired pieces of chance as easily as childlike lullabies.

Prior to moving to Chicago in 1995, the Delaware native briefly studied with famed minimalist composer Morton Feldman in New York, and he’s arguably as much a product of that city’s thriving ’80s downtown jazz scene as this city’s Vandermark/Russell–led renaissance. Since then he’s become indispensable to ensembles like the Vandermark 5 and Keefe Jackson’s Fast Citizens, as well as spearheading ambitious groups of his own, including the Lightbox Orchestra and Boxhead Ensemble.

While Lonberg-Holm’s trio (alternately called the Valentine Trio) is the most threadbare of his projects, it also affords his fans an unadorned glimpse into his craft. Jason Roebke’s responsive bass lines and Frank Rosaly’s restless drumming evoke a sloppy charm that’s smart, but not concerned as much with precision as passion. The opening “Three Note Song” uses those notes in shifting orders and creates a gnawing, unmoored swing. Although it’s in the tradition of Duke Ellington’s “C Jam Blues,” or, better yet, early Ramones, its spirit of finding grist for an ecstatic jazz workout in such a deceptively simple idea is quintessentially Lonberg-Holm. A foggy mix and poor drum recording do a disservice to the album, but it’s not terminal: The voice of this multifaceted artist shines through.— Matthew Lurie

The Fred Lonberg-Holm Trio plays Velvet Lounge Thursday 10.