Jazz Reviews : ‘Celebration of Swing’ at La Mirada Civic Theatre

With an exhilarating performance by Louie Bellson’s top-drawer orchestra and guest vibist Terry Gibbs, Thursday’s “Celebration of Swing” at the La Mirada Civic Theatre was indeed a celebration.

Restrained enthusiasm remains the trademark of the agile Bellson. In his choice of material--some of which he composed and arranged--and in his solos and accompaniment, delivered with a deft, tasteful hand, he offered a crackling thunder that neither blasted nor overwhelmed.

The opening set was full of highlights. The leader’s “Carnaby Street” was a showcase for his crisp drumming, and he ended his solo with a display of his four-limbed dexterity, playing a snare drum roll while his feet feverishly pounded out similar sprints on double bass drums. “Walking With Buddy,” a tribute to Buddy Rich, swung simply, and the three-part “East Side Suite” concluded with a bristling blues, where trombonist Andy Martin’s fleet lines stood out.

Tenor saxophonist Pete Christlieb had several strong solos, particularly on Billy Strayhorn’s “Intimacy of the Blues,” where he took on the role of a blues shouter (later trumpeter Walt Johnson added climactic high note shrieks), and on “Body and Soul,” which had everything--poignant slow statements, bright swing over the rousing, double-timed middle section and an expressionistic, fluid cadenza. Fellow tenorman Don Menza’s arrangement/feature on “My One and Only Love,”’ where his horn roamed from foggy bottom tones to gleaming quicksilver runs over subdued reed and brass figures, was evocative.

Gibbs took over during the second set, playing arrangements written for big bands he led locally in the late ‘50s-early ‘60s. A brisk “Opus 1,” with Gibbs banging out swirling, ringing lines, led to a mellow “Softly as in a Morning’s Sunrise,” where the dusky backgrounds were in delicious contrast to Gibbs’ percussive statements. On “I Got Rhythm,” Gibbs played so fast, his white-tipped mallets were just a blur.

The leader’s daughter, Dee Dee Bellson, was the spotlighted vocalist and her rendition of Ellington’s “I’m Beginning to See the Light” was relaxed and appealing.