JAZZ REVIEWS : LEHMAN-MOSES

Some musicians are born leaders, while some seem better qualified to spend their careers working for others. The latter destiny would seem to be a suitable option for Sydney Lehman and Kathryn Moses, whose attempt to co-lead a quartet Friday at the Hyatt Sunset fell far short of the essential requirements.

Moses, an experienced artist with impressive credentials, is a woman of many parts, most of which just don’t work well enough to justify the versatility.

She succeeds best as a flutist, particularly when playing an original melody by Lehman or a standard such as “Emily.” As an improvising soloist she displays little harmonic or melodic imagination. Her tenor sax work barely gets a passing grade in four areas: tone, time, conception and execution.

Moses played alto sax on a tune by Mike Mainieri that simply sounded dreary. She also attempted a vocal, including a scat chorus, on “Without a Song.” For the present, she would be well advised to stay with the flute. Too many axes spoil the act.

Lehman was not helped by the absence of a piano microphone, though it was clear that she too is a less-than-exceptional soloist who might fit very well into a big band but is diminished by the merciless glare of small combo prominence. Her original pieces, such as “Arroz Con Pollo” and “Then We Said Goodby,” showed a nice flair for melody.

Luther Hughes, the bassist, also suffered from lack of miking. During his “Emily” solo, with the rest of the group offering no support, it was torpor time in the sparsely inhabited room. Because Sherman Ferguson showed his familiarity with the arrangements, his expert drumming supplied what little fire the group could occasionally generate.