QUEEN MARY JAZZ FESTIVAL : ECLECTIC PERFORMERS SURVIVE A ROCKY SOUND MIX

It would be difficult to find a more appealing locale for a jazz festival than that provided by the fresh breezes of the Long Beach harbor and the bright lights of the Queen Mary. But sound is at least as important as sight, and for this year, at least, the Queen Mary Jazz Festival nearly turned from a well-planned event into a disaster, as an eclectic group of performers barely managed to survive continuing sound system problems Saturday and Sunday nights.

Ranging from the jazz-tinged but soul-based vocals of Perri’s four female singers to the “Classic Guitars” of Charlie Byrd, Barney Kessel and Howard Roberts and the romping big band of Louis Bellson, the two evenings’ carefully planned schedules of events also managed to include Poncho Sanchez’s Latin jazz and the crossover fusion of Lee Ritenour, Spyro Gyra and the Yellowjackets.

However, the decision to use a sound engineer who clearly had rock music on the mind made for an uneven and sometimes outright irritating listening experience. A high volume level was understandable, given the extended rows of seats required for the capacity audiences of 10,200 on both nights. But for a sound engineer to make the essentially creative decision of continually balancing bass, drums and guitar at levels that buried solo horns and vocals was simply unforgivable.

In set after set, musician after musician played their hearts out, oblivious to the fact that their best efforts were virtually unheard by anyone more than 30 feet from the stage. This at a time when every drummer’s bass drum could probably have been heard as far away as the beach at La Jolla.

Perhaps because his music is so strongly rhythm-based, conga drummer Poncho Sanchez’s vibrant Latin ensemble escaped some of the sound problems Saturday with energetic, surprisingly fresh-sounding interpretations of “Manteca” and “Jumping With Symphony Sid.”

The “Classic Guitars” were less fortunate, as Monty Budwig’s walking bass lines overpowered many of the poorly heard but beautifully played guitar solos. Kessel, in particular, was gorgeous on a harmonically moving, guitar etude version of “Manha De Carnival.”

Ritenour, a quite different brand of guitarist and the show’s co-headliner, played a by-the-numbers set of his familiar brand of fast-fingered funk-fusion. But the presence of superb Vinnie Colaiuta at the drums for once made the overbalanced sound mix tolerable.

The other headliner, soprano saxophonist George Howard, was unheard for most of his first number. When the sound of his instrument finally emerged, his relentless, filigree-style improvisations soon passed the point of any real interest.

The Sunday show had the right elements, but the wrong programming. The placement of the Bellson band in the final, 11 p.m. position virtually guaranteed that this crisp-playing collection of studio professionals would play before a diminished audience--as they did.

One suspects that both performers and audience would have benefited if the Bellson ensemble had been used to provide much-needed contrast in a five-hour pop jazz/fusion stretch that included Alphonse Mouzon, Larry Carlton, the Yellowjackets and Spyro Gyra.

Mouzon’s music was rhythmically energetic--he is, after all, a brilliant drummer--but characterless. His group is in sore need of a musical identity.

Carlton’s blues-based guitar helped bring more focus to his performance. But, as with so many of the younger players, his repertoire lacked substance, the kind of challenge that might urge him to stretch his limits.

The Yellowjackets and Spyro Gyra, despite their alto saxophone-oriented sounds, were only superficially similar. Of the two, the Yellowjackets seemed willing to risk a bit more, with Russell Ferrante’s keyboards and Marc Russo’s saxophone providing a few of the evening’s most provocative improvisations.

Spyro Gyra sounded a bit too much like a hit machine. Their well-crafted, Latin-tinged numbers were undeniably foot-tapping, but only occasionally--”Del Corazone” was a good example--did they move beyond craft into moments of creativity.

Among the opening acts--the Billy Mitchell Group, Perri, Wishful Thinking, Al Williams and Pauline Wilson--most of the memorable moments were provided by the everenthusiastic Perri and the refreshing fusion sounds of Wishful Thinking.