JAZZ REVIEW : Frank Morgan Revs Up Be-Bop

Frank Morgan, the alto saxophonist who began a three-night stint at Catalina on Thursday night, plays like a man making up for lost time.

Indeed, Morgan, who spent the majority of his adulthood imprisoned by both heroin and the state, is both clean and free now and is possessed only by the less demonic spirit of be-bop.

During his opening set at the Hollywood nightclub, Morgan, who was accompanied by pianist Tom Garvin, bassist John Heard and drummer Tootie Heath, approached each of his six song selections with an appropriately vigorous urgency. (Even when he wasn’t playing, Morgan paced the tiny stage, occasionally bleeding out a note or two as an indication of his eagerness to get back into the game.)

Morgan, a disciple of Charlie Parker who has developed his own distinctive style, stuck with the be-bop repertoire and chose, unwisely perhaps, to include no ballads in his six-tune opening set. “Now’s the Time” and “Scrapple From the Apple” were both Parker tunes that perfectly showcased Morgan’s hard-edged, yet soulful sound.

But during “On Green Dolphin Street” and “All the Things You Are” Morgan was able to find his best grooves. The tempos were more relaxed from the frenetic pace of his other inclusions and Morgan found the time to be more fully musical. His improvisations were more carefully constructed and his performance more compelling.

In those same outings, pianist Garvin and bassist Heard were each heard to their best advantage. Garvin’s comping style flattered both the soloist and the tune, while his own solos were jaunty displays of inventiveness. Heard, always a rock in his backup role, offered brief solos of great merit. Drummer Heath was admirably steadfast throughout.

Morgan, though mired in the be-bop past, has managed to make his music a viable statement in the ‘80s.