The last time Ade was in town, at The Egg in March 2005, he was still playing a prolific amount of guitar. But because of what his road manager described as residual pain from a shoulder injury, he played only one song on the instrument in Schenectady.

That's too bad, because Ade built so much of his sound on his unique, skittering guitar style.

His tone and tenor were immediately evident Sunday when he strapped on a six-string for "Botiwu Kodun Kope."

His dancers erupted under his notes, and the show -- already at a high pitch -- went to an even higher level.

The remainder of the evening's performance focused on the classic ensemble singing and dancing that have so long been a part of both Juju in general and Ade's music in particular. Impossibly complex rhythms and harmonies sounded effortless.

Often enough, the band would alternate between chanted vocal sections and instrumental breaks driven by drummer Taiwo Ogunjimi and guitarist Segun Kalajaiye.

"Melese," for example, in structure resembled a jump blues tune from the 1940s, something that Cab Calloway might have commanded. But in sound, it was pure Ade.

Later, the leader also echoed Calloway by engaging the crowd in some spirited call-and-response.

Midway through the show, members of the audience made their way to the stage for the ritual spraying of the constantly shimmying star. In Nigeria, listeners spray the musicians with money. Ade certainly added to his guarantee for the gig with fan's contributions.

If the leader was always in motion, so was the band. At one point, he and vocalists Eniola Adebayo and Olushina Omoroga even mimicked the pulling of a rope, but it was as graceful as Balanchine.

Keyboardist Charles Adesanmi also shone with a handful of bright, brief solos -- some executed in harmony with Kalajaiye's guitar. Talking drummer Nojeem Ayangoke made ancient Yoruba traditions come to life with his mallet and goatskin.

Ade may not have played much guitar, but in Schenectady he proved that a musician doesn't even need an instrument to make a joyful sound. Local troupe Umoja Drummers & Dancers opened the show with a well-received display of, what else, drumming and dancing.