Jazz Reviews : Magnificent Seven Perform at La Mirada

Though the concert Friday at the La Mirada Civic Theatre was billed as “The Magnificent Seven,” the way swing era-styled musicians tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton, pianist Dave McKenna, drummer Jake Hanna and their cohorts played, the name “The Lackluster Seven” would have been more appropriate.

It wasn’t so much that the septet--cornetist Bill Berry, clarinetist Russ Reinberg, bassist Dave Stone and guitarist Doug MacDonald rounded out the cast--played poorly. Actually, there were many fine moments, mostly provided by Hamilton, who was first-rate throughout, MacDonald and McKenna. But overall, the event lacked the very thing small group jazz can so splendidly provide--inspired abandon.

The event had the feeling of a leader-less, spark-less jam session. Tunes like “A Smooth One,” “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be,” “I Remember You” and “East of the Sun” were given casual, workmanlike readings, following the melody-solos-melody format with no structured arrangements to add color. Most of the soloists focused on rephrasings of the melody which were embellished by blues tinges and augmented by occasional rhythmic bursts.

Rarely did the players take a tune to a dynamic level other than the one at which it began. Exemplifying the show’s low-end dramatic range was the fact that a ballad--Hamilton’s warm and vital version of “Body and Soul”--received the crowd’s strongest ovation.

Among the highlights: McKenna’s “Moon” medley, where he played “I Wished on the Moon,” “Moon Song” and “What A Little Moonlight Can Do,” hunched over the keys and picking his notes like a jeweler inspecting diamonds; MacDonald hitting fluid, bluesy chords followed by ringing lines on “Besame Mucho;” Berry’s brassy sound on “I Thought About You”; and a dandy interchange between Hanna and Stone, who both did their best to bring things to life, on “There’ll Be Some Changes Made.”