Jazz saxophonist and St. Louis native Greg Osby has made a career out of taking chances. Unlike artists who give listeners exactly what they expect, Osby lives up to the late jazz critic Whitney Balliett's definition of jazz as "the sound of surprise."

As good as his studio albums are, Osby sounds even more inspired on his live discs, "Banned in New York" and "Public." So jazz fans should brace themselves for brilliance when he performs next week at Jazz at the Bistro.

"There is a fine line between pandering to the tastes of audiences and being an entertainer," says Osby, 51, whose most recent disc is "9 Levels" (2008). "A lot of jazz musicians scoff at the very idea of being entertainers. They want to be artists. It's a tough call."

At the Bistro, Osby's band will include pianist Frank LoCrasto, guitarist Nir Felder, bassist Joseph Lepore and drummer John Davis.

"This is pretty much the working ensemble, and I'll be very proud to present them to the St. Louis audience," Osby says.

The quintet will perform selections from his songbook "as well as some variations and stylizations of standard material," he says.

"I don't want to be too self-indulgent," Osby says. "You have to meet people halfway, and I think that's going to be the saving grace of jazz and improvisational music in days to come. Musicians are going to have to pop the bubble that they've built around themselves and figure out how to appeal to people."

Osby's discography includes a number of fine albums on the prestigious Blue Note label, such as "Art Forum," "Zero" and "Channel Three." In his book "Jazz Encyclopedia," Richard Cook describes Osby as "perhaps the master musician of his generation and an outstanding thinker, group leader and organizing force in jazz's continuing progress."

The saxophonist was a key participant in the Brooklyn jazz collective of the 1980s that came to be known as M-Base (short for "macro-basic array of structured extemporization") and sought to bring a hip-hop sensibility into modern jazz. His colleagues included pianist Geri Allen and saxophonist Steve Coleman, who are among the most esteemed artists in jazz, and singer Cassandra Wilson, who has achieved crossover success.

Osby says he would welcome a reunion. But he also doubts it'll happen anytime soon.

"Somebody gets a tour, somebody gets a record date — it's very difficult to schedule things."

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Greg Osby

When 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Wednesday through Dec. 17 • Where Jazz at the Bistro, 3536 Washington Boulevard • How much $25-$30 • More info 314-534-1111 or metrotix.com; 314-289-4030 or jazzstl.org