POP MUSIC REVIEW : STING KICKS OFF FIRST SOLO TOUR : Ambitious Opener Establishes Police Lead Singer as One of Rock’s Top Figures, but the Show’s Heavy Jazz Emphasis Detracts From His Style

Sting kicked off his first U.S. solo tour Tuesday night at the Open Air Theatre here with an ambitious, frequently electric performance that left little doubt about his place--with or without the Police--among rock’s most arresting figures.

But the two-hour show was a struggle. Until Sting and the band loosened up in the second half, the arrangements were so heavily jazz-accented that the British rock star seemed more interested in being on the cover of Down Beat magazine than Rolling Stone.

While that news should encourage those fans who enjoy the jazz influences on Sting’s new “The Dream of Blue Turtles” album, it may raise justifiable apprehension among fans who prefer the more mainstream--yet graceful and sophisticated--rock and reggae elements of his work with the Police.

The issue isn’t whether jazz or rock is a superior musical form, but which best serves Sting. On the best-selling album, he uses some respected jazz musicians--including saxophonist Branford Marsalis--to create some wonderfully tailored punctuation for his purposeful songs about social and personal issues.

On stage, however, the four musicians from the album tended to suffocate Sting vocally. This gave an ironic ring to the title of his latest single, “If You Love Somebody Set Them Free.” At times Tuesday, you felt tempted to shout to the musicians--especially Marsalis, whose touches ranged from exquisite to distracting--to set Sting free.

Sting’s subsequent shows--including a five-night engagement that begins tonight at the Greek Theatre and a stop Wednesday at the Pacific Amphitheatre--should tell us whether the jazz imbalance was simply a matter of opening-night raggedness or part of the tour’s musical design.

There’s a raspy, character-rich edge to Sting’s voice that is reminiscent of Rod Stewart, but Sting, in his understated way, also has an enigmatic quality that reminds you, strangely enough, of David Bowie. Sting exhibits both a disarming charm that makes his audience think of him as just one of the guys, and an independent, elitist side.

Unlike Bowie, however, Sting doesn’t make an issue of his personality on stage. There are no elaborate special effects in the show and the atmosphere was so informal that he felt free enough to read lyrics to some songs from a stand--as if this were an open rehearsal.

The problem early in the show, however, was that there was no focus. Sting wrote some terrific songs for the new album, including the warmly optimistic “Love Is the Seventh Wave” and a socially conscious battle cry that is as graceful as some of Bob Dylan’s most enlightening works.

The latter tune, “We Work the Black Seam,” includes the lines: “One day in a nuclear age/They may understand our rage/They build machines that they can’t control/And bury the waste in a great big hole.”

But the message of the songs was frequently lost amid labored arrangements. After starting the concert strongly with a forceful version of “Shadows in the Rain,” a nicely abstract expression of emotional disorientation, Sting and the band seemed to slowly drift as they mixed Police tunes with material from the new album. (Besides Marsalis, the musicians were drummer Omar Hakim, bassist Darryl Jones and keyboardist Kenny Kirkwood.)

Sting also seemed too retiring until he stepped--physically--away from the band for a slow, unsettling version of “Moon Over Bourbon Street.” The song, with its stark European cabaret feel, is the unlikely tale of a vampire “with a conscience,” and it shows an interesting willingness on Sting’s part to move into unconventional pop areas.

Sting, who played guitar rather than his customary bass during most of the show, assumed--without any props or special costuming--the eerie presence of the character, much the way Bowie took the part of his despairing “Cracked Actor,” one of the most memorable of his many stage characters.

Once in the spotlight, Sting held it, giving the second half of the show much more personality and life. The musicians, who were augmented by two female vocalists, also eased into more of a supportive--as opposed to competing--role.

Still, the highlights of the evening were mostly contained in the series of encores, as Sting moved from the full-band format to sing the delicate “Roxanne” with just Marsalis’ saxophone for support, and to go totally solo on the gentle, moving “Message in a Bottle.”

But the band came together effectively on an elegant version of the Grammy-winning “Every Breath You Take” and on a forceful yet good-natured version of an old Little Willie John blues tune.

In these moments, Sting and the band reflected the fluid, seductive style that has made the Police one of the most popular bands of the last decade. Whatever musical tone this tour finally settles on, Sting has shown dramatic growth as an artist and makes one eagerly anticipate his next musical step--whether it is another solo move or a reunion with the Police.