JAZZ REVIEW : Basie and ‘Tonight Show’ Bands at the Bowl

The two halves of the “Jazz at the Bowl” concert Wednesday had more in common than might have been expected.

Obviously the main attractions were the two name bands, the Count Basie Orchestra directed by Frank Foster and Doc Severinsen with “The Tonight Show” Band, plus Joe Williams. Surprisingly, Williams sang with both. His set with the Basie ensemble was primarily blues-oriented; with Severinsen he leaned more toward pop and ballads, with an affecting nod to his church origins in “Down by the Riverside.”

Both bands featured one of the saxophonists playing his own arrangement of Duke Ellington’s “Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me.” Eric Dixon performed it with the Basie Band; later Tommy Newsom played it with Severinsen, at a slightly faster tempo but with equal grace and assurance.

Both orchestras also featured some first-rate trumpet work, but with a touch too much of the flashy and florid, as in a brilliant but somewhat overheated version of “Night in Tunisia” by Basie’s Byron Stripling, and Severinsen’s generally admirable but slightly too melodramatic interpretation of “Star Dust” arranged by Newsom.

The Basie Band was only two numbers into its show when Carmen Bradford appeared for her three customary vocals, a throwaway “Foggy Day,” a pleasing “Young and Foolish” and a lightweight blues. Of the instrumentals, Ernie Wilkins’ old “Good Times Blues” came off best, though it’s doubtful that the Count would have approved of that comedy bass routine by Cleveland Eaton.

Severinsen’s “Three Shades of Blue,” a suite written in collaboration with Newsom, provided a well-tailored showcase for the leader and Snooky Young on trumpets, Ross Tompkins on piano and Gil Falco on trombone.

Ironically, the best solo work of the evening was offered by the bristling, indomitable tenor saxophone of Pete Christlieb playing a Basie number--Tommy Newsom’s arrangement of “Jumpin’ at the Woodside.” Another top-grade tenor man, Frank Foster, who should have featured himself more, came out for the finale to join Williams and Severinsen in a rousing roundup on “All Right, Okay, You Win.”

Attendance was a healthy 15,133.