Sullivan Fortner pays homage to the greats at Monterey Jazz Festival gig.

Virtuosic pianist Sullivan Fortner did not disappoint in his Saturday night gig at the Monterey Jazz Festival’s Pacific Jazz Cafe (co-sponsored this year with SFJAZZ), which has become the premiere venue for serious fans who often eschew the showmanship of the Arena.

Starting with “Detroit Red," an emphatic tribute to Malcolm X from fellow Michigander Bob Hurst, Fortner slid effortlessly between different genres, his hands often a blur as he swayed to and fro looking a bit like Thelonious Monk, as he dug the collaborative synergy with his trio on Sept. 27.

He covered a Thad Jones tune, “Less,” and a delightfully light-fingered ragtime, “Davidson County Blues,” composed by DeFord Bailey whom, he noted, was the first Black artist to play the Grand Old Opry.

A mashup of “Baby Man,” arranged by Mary Lou Williams, and Fortner’s original composition, “Mr. Presutainer,” was pointedly inspired by “He Who Shall Not Be Named in the White House” —whose depredations were obliquely noted by various artists, including John and Gerald Clayton, at various venues across the three-day festival. And a rendition of the standard, “Everything Happens To Me,” moved from a glissando introduction to a lyrical treatment demonstrating why the Great American Songbook remains in good hands—as long as Sullivan Fortner is at the wheel.