JAZZ REVIEW : NEWSOM & CO. KICK INTO PLEASING GEAR

Happy Hour jazz is not a common concept; consequently, the policy launched Monday in the Grand Avenue Bar of the Biltmore Hotel may be something of a gamble. Nevertheless, the large and enthusiastic crowd on hand for the first session augured well for this venture.

The music, scheduled from 5 to 9, five evenings a week, will consist of the Tommy Newsom Quintet on Mondays, John Leitham’s Trio with flutist Sam Most on Tuesdays, and trios led by Jack Sheldon, Gerald Wiggins and Vicki Von Eps on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays respectively.

Newsom, whose regular gig as associate conductor of “The Tonight Show” band has never prevented him from getting his jazz kicks away from his regular working hours, has three of his Carson companions with him at the Biltmore. It is no surprise to find the piano manned by Ross Tompkins, who seems to have first refusal rights on every job in town; nor is Conte Candoli’s trumpet an unexpected presence.

Less frequently seen away from his nightly TV chore is drummer Ed Shaughnessy, who derived obvious pleasure from the ability to keep this unpretentious mainstream group on the move. Completing the fivesome is another sturdy rhythm section component, bassist John Heard.

Don’t expect the unexpected from the music offered here. Just hope to find as much pleasure as the participants show in purveying it. The tunes are part of a long-honored repertoire: Sonny Rollins’ “Doxy,” Dizzy Gillespie’s “Con Alma,” played as a duet by Tompkins and the muted Candoli horn, and an old Al Cohn favorite, “Red Door.”

Newsom’s tenor saxophone, with its well-rounded sound and eclectic fountain of ideas, is the highlight of most numbers. He still ranks among the more underrated Southland jazz virtuosos.

The Biltmore venture will reach a wider audience starting March 3, when a live broadcast will emanate from the room every Tuesday at 8 p.m. on KKGO, with host Chuck Niles introducing guest soloists.

The sound quality in the room has been noticeably improved since the hotel inaugurated its jazz policy on a more modest basis last summer. With the Joe Parnello Trio also on hand (at the Rendezvous Court, Tuesdays through Saturdays), the junction of Fifth and Olive streets can now be officially certified the hippest corner downtown.