JAZZ REVIEW : Watrous Performs Skillfully at Loa

Bill Watrous, who played at the Loa in Santa Monica Friday and Saturday, is a trombonist whose stature in the jazz world cannot quite measure up to his exceptional talent.

The reasons could be that the trombone is not an instrument greatly in favor at the moment and that it requires some sort of companionship beyond a mere rhythm section. Working on his own, without a saxophone or other horn for counter balance, Watrous did his valiant best to bring cohesion and creativity to what was clearly an ad hoc quartet.

Along with his masterful control of the instrument, Watrous has a mind that constantly explores new improvisational avenues. His opening number, “Just in Time,” was an astonishing demonstration of this facility as he ad-libbed no less than four choruses, building up the tension and excitement as every sedulously crafted phrase led logically into the next.

Even more engaging was a similarly extended ballad treatment of “Nancy,” ending with a series of high notes, each dazzling in its purity.

Watrous has mastered the art of circular breathing, which enabled him to sustain several notes almost indefinitely toward the end of “Change Partners.” He has also delved into multiphonics, as was demonstrated in a long a cappella introduction to “Seven Come Eleven,” replete with what sounded like perfectly blended chords.

His accompaniment was less than perfect. Frank Strazzeri, an excellent pianist, seemed to be having trouble hearing himself. Jim DiJulio, though a technically adroit bassist, achieved an amplified sound more notable for quantity than quality. Sherman Ferguson, that most dependable of drummers, completed the group for this regrettably short-lived gig.