JAZZ REVIEW : SOLID SHOWS BY HOLLOWAY FOUR

At Catalina’s Bar & Grill on Cahuenga Boulevard, the jazz policy is being gradually upgraded both in quantity and quality. Instead of solo or duo attractions, trios and quartets are now the order.

Typical of the new policy was the Red Holloway Quartet, heard Tuesday and Wednesday. Holloway, an ingratiatingly good-humored performer, opened with a lazily paced “Here’s That Rainy Day.” Switching from alto to tenor sax, he dispensed with the somewhat hackneyed theme of “Caravan,” then got into some serious bop-directed blowing.

Because this is not a regularly working group, Holloway played none of his original compositions, confining himself to tunes with which his men were all familiar. Within these limitations he made out handily, particularly in a “Love for Sale” that moved from an out-of-tempo introduction to a brief waltz passage and onward to some powerful upbeat cooking. The long routine ended with liberal quotes from Dizzy Gillespie’s “Manteca,” which somehow made sense.

The unspectacularly pleasant backing was provided by Richard Reid on bass, Bruno Carr on drums and pianist Dwight Dickerson, whose solo number, “For Heaven’s Sake,” reminded us that such aging popular songs are worth lifting from obscurity.

It all added up to solid if not earthshaking music. Holloway is one of the Southland’s proud possessions, an uncompromising artist whose personality shines through clearly on his horns.