Herbie Hancock performing Monday night at Wolf Trap. Photo by Andrew Propp, courtesy of Wolf Trap

Superlatives run free when describing Herbie Hancock's nearly 50 years on the music scene. A consummate artist, he has been a pioneer throughout his career, breaking ground in genres ranging from straight-ahead jazz to electronic music. Despite his status as a jazz legend, it was still somewhat of a shock to all when his latest album, River: The Joni Letters, won 2008's Grammy for Album of the Year, beating out the likes of Kanye West. The album, a warm tribute to another artistic treasure, Joni Mitchell, features a selection of her songs, some done as instrumentals, and others featuring the vocal talents of Tina Turner, Corinne Bailey Rae, Norah Jones, and Mitchell herself. This new material is what separated Monday night's performance at Wolf Trap from last year's stellar show at the Birchmere, as Hancock & Co. delivered a performance that proved a jazz musician need not sacrifice integrity or artistry by choosing to play commercial music.

An aggressive funk groove courtesy of master drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, who played with Joni Mitchell in the 80s, opened the show and served as the bedrock for "Actual Proof", a fusion workout that showcased the instrumental prowess of the band. After the warmup, Hancock welcomed guest vocalists Amy Keys and Sonya Kitchell for the Joni classic, "River". With Keyes providing harmonies, Kitchell's airy tone proved a worthy vehicle for the song's wistful lyric, while Beninese guitarist Lionel Loueke's chirping comp style provided a surprisingly effective lilt to not only this song, but the entire set.

Guitarist Lionel Loueke with vocalists Amy Keys and Sonya Kitchell. Photo by Andrew Propp, courtesy of Wolf Trap

In addition to Hancock on keys and Loueke on guitar, the remainder of the ensemble included English bassist Dave Holland, with whom Hancock has been collaborating since Miles Davis's early electric groups, and saxophonist Chris Potter. As Hancock noted, all of these men are respected bandleaders in their own right, so those present were privileged to see a bona fide jazz super group.

The highlights of the night were the songs in which the ensemble applied its formidable musicianship to supporting the vocalists. The evening's most memorable performance was the band's interpretation of the U2/B.B. King collaboration, "When Love Comes to Town". Hancock set his keyboard to mimic a slide guitar for an improvised intro with Keys that transported the audience straight to the Mississippi Delta. Keys, with Kitchell backing her up, showcased her powerful and soulful voice over the band's train-like groove. A cover of Leon Russell's "A Song For You" also had pleasing results.

The well-balanced set list also included plenty of room for the players to stretch out. Loueke's odd-metered composition "17s" recalled the complexity of classic jazz fusion with a global twist, and featured an expectedly polyrhythmic Colaiuta drum solo. Hancock's jazz-funk classic "Cantaloupe Island" served as a vehicle for saxophonist Potter. Loueke and Holland each got their moment in the spotlight with extended breaks, with Loueke's African inspired chant winning the award for "most original," and Holland taking the cake for the evening's overall best solo. Of course, the night would not have been complete without a closing extended jam on "Chameleon". But as the house lights went on, despite all the instrumental fireworks, we wondered why more jazz musicians don't embrace this type of concert, which elevates the commercial elements to a higher plane while making the intricacies of jazz a little less mysterious to the broader audience.