During Thomas Chapin's recent European tour, a male member of audience yelled out, "I want to marry you!!!!!" This adoring fan was probably enamored by how the saxophone and flute player brilliantly combines his postmodern influences and avant-garde associations, which include Anthony Braxton, John Zorn and the band Machine Gun.

Thursday night's triple bill at the Knitting Factory was a study in musical literacy. The three sets, spectacularly diverse, were all products of record collections and warm imaginations, referential as well as reverential: the musicians were capturing and amplifying the aspects of styles that they clearly loved.