JAZZ REVIEW : Aged-in-Oak Sound of Phil Woods Quintet

Familiarity in the jazz world breeds contentment. It can produce--among gifted artists long aware of one another’s personalities--a rare level of collective invention. So it is with the Phil Woods Quintet, playing for a week at Catalina Bar & Grill in Hollywood.

When the alto saxophonist organized this group in 1975, he had a solid rhythmic foundation in the persons of drummer Bill Goodwin and bassist Steve Gilmore, both of whom are still with him. Also aged in the Woods are pianist Hal Galper, who joined up in 1981, and the visionary trumpet and fluegelhorn soloist Tom Harrell, added in 1983 to what had previously been a quartet.

Of course, there is more to the story than the group’s longevity. Woods and his sidemen, particularly Harrell and Galper, are composers whose contributions lend the unit much of its character as a latter-day mainstream-modern ensemble. Galper’s tune “Just Us,” which opened the first set Tuesday, was in fact a variation on the long familiar chord pattern of “Just Friends.”

It was intriguing to hear how the quality of Harrell’s contributions varied as he switched horns throughout the set. Though his imagination never flags, it was on fluegel, which more and more is becoming the horn of choice for jazzmen, that he produced his most consistent solos.

Woods by now is the source of inspiration to thousands of alto players, even as Charlie Parker was to him. His fire-breathing work on the samba-like “Repetition” was balanced by a more reflective approach on “Autumn Nocturn.”

Gilmore became a virtual prototype of a new breed of bassists in the late 1960s, pointing the way to a peak of melodic creativity on this cumbersome instrument. As for Goodwin, he has set a standard in sensitive small combo drumming that has inspired countless younger players.

All five men pulled their weight in the grand finale, a riotous workout in which “Willow Weep for Me,” played mainly as a breakneck waltz, was somehow intertwined with “All Blues” and even a quote by Woods from “I Feel Pretty.” This was a head arrangement, and as such a telling example of how delightfully these men can stir up what the Spanish called an olla podrida --a highly seasoned soup or stew. With musicians of this caliber, the cooking is easy, and the pot will be boiling through Sunday.