MUSIC REVIEW : AFFECTION FOR MUSIC SHINES THROUGH

John Dankworth showcased his versatility during Wednesday evening’s San Diego Pops concert at Hospitality Point. The composer, conductor and saxophone soloist proved to be relaxed and mellow as he slid through his shy, almost apologetic introductions and eagerly picked up his horn to let loose his laid-back jazz improvisations.

In the performer’s role, Dankworth was no flashy virtuoso. His elaborations on such standards as “Misty” and “The Shadow of Your Smile” were languid and unmannered, but stylish in their rhythmic subtleties. Although the alto sax was his favored instrument, he nevertheless coaxed a plangent sound from his soprano sax.

As a conductor, he treated the orchestra as if it were his own familiar swing band, accustomed to his sketchy, baton-less beat and casual body language. But because he had the players’ confidence and respect, they played with the smart ensemble usually the result of far more meticulous conducting.

The evening’s fare displayed a generous amount of Dankworth’s own compositions, running the gamut from his serious homage to Edward Elgar--the “Fantasy Enigma”--to a P.D.Q. Bach-like quodlibet that superimposed “Three Blind Mice” over the instantly recognized styles of Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Bizet, et. al.

If his opening sally, a set of orchestral variations on “London Bridge Is Falling Down” was complacent and overly facile, his “Paganini Perpetuo” turned out to be a sophisticated jazz expansion of Paganini’s oft-quoted Caprice theme, fusing solo improvisations with adroit counterpoint. Cadenzas by Dankworth’s guitarist Larry Koonz and symphony percussionist James Plank added to the work’s ingratiating spontaneity.

Another bonus of hearing the Dankworth show was the high caliber of his arrangements, a craft one might expect from the musical director of the London Symphony Orchestra Pops. While he favored a hefty brass section, which he used for a rich breadth of sonority rather than sheer decibels, he nevertheless scored the strings economically and deftly.

Dankworth’s programming comfortably balanced lighter classical fare, sprightly readings of Bernstein’s Overture to “Candide” and Dvorak’s “Carnival Overture,” with an easy-listening arrangement of “We’ve Only Just Begun” and the traditional jazz energy of Duke Ellington’s “Caravan.” What made this unexceptional mix so appealing was his modesty and sincere affection for the music. He indulged in not a shred of hype or vulgar pops podium comedy of the sort that would make even a Phil Silvers blush. And it’s a safe bet that the only sequined garments in the family closet belong to Cleo Laine.

The program will be repeated tonight and Saturday night at 7:30.