Jazz Reviews : Hicks’ Hot Licks Inspire Sidemen

Pianist John Hicks, whose quintet opened Thursday at Catalina Bar & Grill, is not an advocate of the artistic theory that less is more.

Hicks, a modernist who has been strongly influenced by McCoy Tyner, seems to favors density over space, and power over subtlety. Most of his improvisations, while ultimately musical, were tumults, distinguished by thunderous chords that served as springboards for multi-noted, right-hand flurries. His compositions, too, bore an intensity that could either excite or overwhelm, sometimes both.

The New York-based pianist’s crew--Chico Freeman (saxophone), Elise Woods (flute), Walter Booker (bass) and the great Jimmy Cobb (drums)--matched the leader’s vigor. Freeman was strong but unbalanced on “Yemenja,” which went from a swaying 3/4 mood to a charging, 4/4 swing section, but on “Avotcja,” he ripped out a concoction of mumble-like passages, low whelps and rocketing lines that pleased the ear. He was even better on the purely mainstream “Straighten Up and Fly Right.”

During the trio version of “Book’s Bossa” and the unaccompanied ballad, “Some Other Spring,” Hicks relinquished his fever pitch and sang, and on “Bossa,” Booker and Cobb’s remarkable interaction could be fully appreciated. Woods, over her head on the fast tempos, was at her best on another slow tune, “Ghosts of Yesterday.”

The crowd embraced the energy of Hicks and company, who close Sunday, showering the group’s outpourings with generous applause.