I wish I knew why the crowd responded so strongly to “I Wish I Knew.” Were they simply responding to what was obviously a superior piece of songwriting? Or that the trio played it so beautifully? Or that the three frontliners were even more terse, tight, and together than they had been up to then?

This was Tuesday night, the opening set of what has come to be an annual event at the Village Vanguard, the late August appearance of the remarkable trio led by drummer Paul Motian; costarring tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano and guitarist Bill Frissell. For all the years this trio has been together, it continues to grow tighter and tighter.

It’s a most untraditional group, usually not so much a trio but a series of intertwined duets: tenor and guitar, drums and guitar, drums and tenor. Mr. Frissell and Mr. Motian do not remain within the confines of the rhythm section: The former uses his guitar as a springboard to launch electronic effects; the latter’s playing seems more a swirling field of energy than anything in standard time. Mr. Lovano’s tone is one of the great sounds in contemporary music, and he modifies it according to the music: His articulation is clear and sharp when he plays bebop, but blurry when he plays free.

The trio had begun its set with three longish pieces, all of which were apparently original compositions (at least I didn’t recognize any of them). Mr. Motian, who wears pitch-black sunglasses even though the Vanguard is the most dimly lit club in New York, made no announcements. The only time he spoke, in fact, was to curse at a gentleman in the front row who had apparently smuggled in a video or audio recorder.

The first piece seemed to be a freeform improvisation, with no predetermined shape or structure; it was impossible to tell whether any of it was precomposed. The second piece was faster and more decisively bluesy, like one of the variations on that traditional form that Ornette Coleman would have written. There seemed to be no pre-set harmony, but a very simple and direct blues-like line, phrased by Mr. Lovano and Mr. Frissell in very tight unison.

Their third piece was much longer – a gentle, meandering kind of tune that suggested a lullaby. Mr. Lovano can play like Sonny Rollins when he wants, as he showed with a quasi-calypso-like piece later in the evening. Sometimes, though, the contrast between his harsh yet ecstatic up-tempo playing and the gentle, soothing nature of his ballads suggests Ben Webster. He can coax both anxiety and sheer beauty from the tenor.

Then came “I Wish I Knew.” This is a 1945 movie song by Harry Warren that was originally a hit for Dick Haymes (who introduced it in “Billy Rose’s Diamond Horseshoe”). But it has never been all that widely performed, either by singers or musicians. The best-known jazz versions are probably those of Chet Baker and John Coltrane. Mr. Motian included it on his 1993 album “On Broadway, Volume 3,” which has just been reissued. Still, I can’t believe anybody in the house recognized it – especially since the Vanguard was mostly packed with college kids (as well as one mysterious little girl with pigtails).

The hipness of the crowd was confirmed by the next number, Thelonious Monk’s “Mysterioso.” Monk wrote it to sound dark and moody, but following Mr. Lovano’s bouncy lead, Mr. Frissell and Mr. Motian played it upbeat, even exuberantly. The crowd once again registered its pleasure as well.