Previn Cuts First Jazz Record in 20 Years; Lineup for Paul Bullock Scholarship Gig

Andre Previn, music director of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, made his first jazz piano recording in more than two decades last Wednesday when he joined bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Joe Pass for a session of standards at a local soundstage.

Previn, whom jazz critic Leonard Feather has called “an astonishing musician whose technique is comparable to Oscar Peterson’s,” gained renown as a pianist with his 1957 trio version of “My Fair Lady” (Contemporary). He later won Grammys for best jazz performance solo or small group in 1960 (“West Side Story”-Contemporary) and 1961 (“Andre Previn Plays Harold Arlen”-Contemporary).

“It was pretty good, actually,” says bass great Brown of Previn’s playing. “He’s still got some chops, though we didn’t play anything really uptempo, like he used to. Still, I think he was happy with the way it turned out.” The date will be released on the Telarc label later this year.

HELPING YOUNG PLAYERS: The Steve Elliot-Roger Ingram Big Band, singer Dee Dee McNeil and small groups led by Karl Carrasco and Myron McKinley play the fourth annual Paul Bullock Memorial Concert, tonight at Marla’s Memory Lane in Los Angeles. The proceeds will be used to provide Paul Bullock Scholarships, named after the former UCLA professor and local jazz buff who died four years ago. The scholarships, administered by the Jazz Heritage Foundation, go to young, aspiring jazz musicians. Information: (213) 653-4791 or 294-8430.

AROUND TOWN THIS WEEK: Even though he might sound like one, don’t call guitarist Doug MacDonald a “be-bop” guitarist. “I don’t like the word be-bop ; it doesn’t mean anything to me,” he says. “Yes, I play some jazz tunes and standards that are not overplayed, so maybe mainstream is what I do.”

Or even better, just a jazz musician. “Jazz is a music with roots, where you have the opportunity to improvise on material that’s really well written,” he says. “And there’s that vocal approach, in that a good solo sounds like singing, almost like hearing a human voice.”

MacDonald, who has been in town about four years, works regularly. His trio, with Richard Simon, bass and Nick Martines, drums, is at Sardo’s in Burbank, Sundays through Tuesdays, and he leads a quartet at Linda’s in West Hollywood, featuring violinist Karen Briggs, all Saturday afternoons save the first one of the month. He thinks the owner of the latter room, singer Linda Keegan, is a rare bird.

“Linda’s cool. For a change, there’s somebody who doesn’t worry about counting the cash register,” said MacDonald, who’s recorded with Bob Cooper and Snooky Young (“In a Mellotone”-Contemporary) and Jack Sheldon (“Hollywood Heroes”-Concord Jazz). “(The turnout) might not justify a quartet but she wants it anyway.”

MacDonald believes, as do many jazz players, that it’s necessary to work jazz jobs to remain a fresh and inventive improviser. “You have to play (jazz) full time,” he said. “I think if you play once in a while, it doesn’t become as refined. I don’t mean you’ll lose your chops, because even a show is music. It’s more a question of developing your style, and being able to present something.”

The guitarist, who was born in Philadelphia but raised in Honolulu, said his main influences were guitarists Herb Ellis--”I like the sound he gets”--and Wes Montgomery--”He had a very musical concept in the way he used space so that it was like he was breathing on the passages. But I never really tried to copy anybody’s guitar style, although it’s a good way to start out. I’ve learned more just watching guys play live. It’s like a free lesson via osmosis.”

Like many others, MacDonald is looking for a record deal and believes he’ll get one. “There are enough people out there that like this kind of music,” he said, “so they won’t stop recording it. I have a positive attitude, so it’ll happen.”

*** 1/2 Guitarist Rick Zunigar’s “New Frontier” (Head First) is a sound contemporary offering featuring reedman Bob Sheppard and pianist Kei Akagi where each selection is a musical happening. “Hussong’s,” which has a dandy rhythmic lope, finds Zunigar exhibiting plenty of chops while “The Way You Look Tonight” dances along at a medium-fast clip and is enlivened by a classy solo from guest fluegelhornist Freddie Hubbard.

Recordings are graded on a five-star system. Five stars ( ***** ) means all but indispensable for your jazz library, one star ( * ) means forget it.