Jazz trio Whirlpool performs at Merrimans' Playhouse

The saxophone-guitar-drums jazz trio Whirlpool named itself after a song by drummer Paul Motian’s trio with saxophonist Joe Lovano and guitarist Bill Frisell.

But Whirlpool has never been anything like a tribute act to its predecessor. Its debut album, “This World and One More,” was evidence that the trio has a sound of its own, and Whirlpool is becoming a much talked-about act in its Chicago headquarters and beyond.

Nevertheless, it was a boon when the stellar cornet player Ron Miles joined the trio on stage at a 2013 gig in Denver. That jam session led to a lasting collaboration, which has resulted in the sophomore Whirlpool album, “Dancing on the Inside,” released this year.

Whirlpool performs Friday at Merrimans’ Playhouse in South Bend. Miles can’t make that concert. So it will be the core lineup of Caroline Davis (alto sax), Jeff Swanson (guitar) and Charles Rumback (drums).

Saxophonist Davis explains that Whirlpool has become equally adept at playing its new pieces both with and without the famous cornet player. All three musicians make adjustments to make up for the missing horn parts.

“There are harmony parts written for Ron and me to play together, so when he’s not there, I’ll just play the melody, and sometimes Jeff will double that with me,” Davis says by telephone from New York City. “We also tend to reduce the total number of solos, or maybe Jeff will take Ron’s solo or I’ll take Ron’s solo. Sometimes we’ll just leave the open space there.”

It’s a little unconventional, but Whirlpool’s modus operandi is a bit unusual across the board. Most jazz ensembles have both bass and piano; Whirlpool has neither. One might expect that to mean that the guitarist takes up low-end duties as well as thick chord responsibilities. In fact, it’s just the opposite: Swanson favors sparse lines, and veers to the treble side of the spectrum.

With Swanson’s guitar leaving so much room in the sound, drummer Rumback ends up in more of a color-and-shape role. Whirlpool songs rarely feature any propulsive “bomb-dropping” drumming in the style of Art Blakey and Roy Haynes. Rumback is more likely to provide thoughtful percussive effects with his cymbals, with a lively pitter-patter from his snare being all the agitating he needs to do to bring out the best in Davis’ and Swanson’s soloing.

All three musicians compose for Whirlpool, and one of the Davis originals is titled, “The Crew.” She says the specific crew she has in mind is the roster of musicians in the sphere of the brilliant West Coast pianist Lennie Tristano in the 1950s, particularly saxophonists Warne Marsh and Lee Konitz.

Davis says she logged a lot of scholarly hours transcribing pieces such as Marsh’s “Marshmallow” and Konitz’s “Subconscious-Lee.” Davis recently relocated to Brooklyn, and Konitz, who is now 87, lives on the Upper West Side and the two have become friends.

“I’ve been to his house a couple of times,” she says. “I’ll talk with him and pick his brain. I’ve been fortunate to spend a lot of time with him lately.”

Swanson is a South Bend native, so Merrimans’ Playhouse has become a semi-regular tour stop for Whirlpool as a welcome break from the road’s rigors.

“It’s always nice,” Davis says. “Jeff’s mom always provides the best food for us.”