Saxophonist Rob Wagner, bassist Nobu Ozaki and drummer Hamid Drake recorded a superb CD of smart, modern jazz in December, 2005. Perhaps because the sessions occurred in the first months after Katrina, the new compositions’ titles express the disgust and anger with the U.S. government that pervaded New Orleans at the time (and that still does today).

From the first bars the opening track “Desoparia (They handed out 12 billion cash in Iraq and couldn’t even give New Orleans drinking water),” the group is locked in tight and playing like a single unit. The song harkens back to the 1960s avant-garde, a time when this sort of jazz was a political statement. Still, with an almost Middle Eastern sound, the track is less angry than the title might suggest. Drake, one of the top drummers of modern jazz, plays with a heightened melodic sense, and Wagner has the restraint to step back, such as on “A Search for Home,” and let him take center stage. The range of both Wagner and the group is impressive. “Plutino” is a simple, bluesy ballad. On “Freedumb (Aren’t you glad to vote in America?),” the group makes a seamlessly transition from slow, solid beat to a funky fanfare at the end.

Rob Wagner Trio feat. Hamid Drake and Nobu Ozaki is an album of serious, searching music. Wagner has teamed up with top-notch players, and the results demand a listen. It’s harder to say how effective it is as a political statement, despite the pointed titles. At this point, a scream seems like the only adequate aural representation of the frustration and disillusionment in the city. That such dire circumstance could produce art as impressive as Rob Wagner Trio feat. Hamid Drake and Nobu Ozaki, however, is a reason for hope.

The Rob Wagner Trio with Hamid Drake and Nobu Ozaki will perform June 3 at the Blue Nile.