Ernie Royer isn’t among the assortment of musicians who performed on Brent McPike’s album “Smooth Landing.”

But his sound permeates every song.

Royer could play almost any instrument by ear, and had entertained crowds at square dances around Terre Haute and Clay County as far back as the 1930s. Then in 1980, his 14-year-old grandson, Brent, took an interest in the music Royer could make with the 1955 cherry-red Fender Stratocaster sitting in his front room.

Royer broke in Brent on old standards like “Little Brown Jug” and “Tea for Two.” Once Brent’s cousins showed him how to play the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic “Freebird,” his grandfather knew the teen was ready for headier material. He introduced him to jazz and recordings by innovative gypsy-style guitarist Django Reinhardt. They’d play for hours in that front room, while Brent’s grandmother cooked supper. She’d clap from the kitchen after each song. Sometimes, Royer would take a break to work on a car in his garage, and then come back inside to rejoin Brent, who had never stopped playing that Fender Strat. An age divide of two generations melted in music.

“That was a beautiful time,” McPike recalled.

McPike used a similar bridge between the musicians to, at last, record his first album at age 41. He gathered a smorgasbord of players, ranging from college students such as percussionist Jason Hammond, trumpeter Peter Allison and bassist Eric Schatz to Indiana icons John Spicknall on piano and Carolyn Dutton on violin. Spicknall’s jazz career covers five decades, and Dutton recorded in the 1960s with rock legends The Band and Lovin’ Spoonful.

“That’s about a 45-year span, and you don’t even notice it,” McPike said, spinning a cup of coffee with his fingers. “When you’re playing with them, age means nothing. It’s the musical energy between you.”

The songs by this group, which is called “B.G. McPike and the Haute Club” on the CD’s jacket, have some age differences, too. McPike wrote one, “Darkness of the Night,” as long ago as 1991. In writing all 12 songs on “Smooth Landing,” McPike dug up old tunes, riffs and lyrics from as far back as his college days at Butler University.