Jazz Reviews : Guitarist Forman at Loa--Technique to Burn

It’s the rare jazz performer who fails to go through a phase in which most of what he or she knows doesn’t go into every improvisation. San Francisco guitarist Bruce Forman, playing at the Loa Club Thursday night, was a case in point. A prodigious technician and a passionate improviser, Forman filled every solo virtually to the breaking point.

For example, his opening dash through the standard, “I Hear a Rhapsody,” came off as a virtual be-bop extravaganza, replete with long, single-note lines contrasting with short, explosive bursts of harmony. Two originals, “Circular” and “River Journey,” were equally bountiful, overflowing with colorful harvests of notes.

Forman’s playing in all three pieces was a remarkable feat of pure mechanical dexterity, but one curiously lacking in personality. It wasn’t until he moved into two laid-back, understated solo choruses of “Polka Dots and Moonbeams,” that the guitarist revealed any sense of the character and individuality of the music which lay beneath his virtuosity.

The difficulty in hearing that character and individuality may be the only thing that’s standing in the way of Forman’s continued creative growth. One felt, in this performance at least, a stronger contact with his skills than with his heart. When Forman takes the risk of augmenting his technical vocabulary with a richer sense of internal expression, he may become a very important jazz guitarist.

Bassist John Clayton and drummer Peter Donald provided solid support for Forman, despite an obvious unfamiliarity with his original material. He continues at the Loa Club through Sunday night, with shows at 8:30 and 10:30.