JAZZ REVIEW : A Version of Sarah Vaughan

Friday was a big day for Sarah Vaughan. Mayor Tom Bradley presented her with a proclamation citing the date as “Sarah Vaughan Day” in Los Angeles, and she opened a two-day stint with Marty Paich and the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl.

The honor was well-deserved. Vaughan has been a major jazz performer for most of her 45 years in the business. But her reputation was not made in summer pops performances with symphony orchestras, and the 11,878 listeners at Friday’s program heard only a mild, pastel version of Vaughan’s once bold and colorful style.

Repeatedly confessing to nervousness, she brought little sense of focus or continuity to her set--a problem compounded by programming that inevitably followed a slow number with a fast one.

There were times, however, when the Vaughan artistry flashed with its old glory: on “Sweet Georgia Brown” she conjured up a hard-rocking groove; “From This Moment On” swung even harder; “In a Mellow Tone” was just mellow enough; “So Many Stars,” with its wide-ranging melody, was a perfect vehicle for her still-gorgeous sound.

The finest moments came, for the most part, during the up-tempo songs, in part because Vaughan’s rhythmic energy was in fine fettle, perhaps even better than in her earliest recordings. But the soaring, lyric soprano tones of her youth--among the most emblematic aspects of her style--rarely rose above contralto range, at best.

Occasional diamond-bright sparks of brilliance, usually occurring when she was accompanied only by her trio of pianist George Gaffney, bassist Andy Simpkins and drummer Cal Jones, led one to wish for a Vaughan performance uncluttered by the busy distractions of such a grand setting.

Pianist Ramsey Lewis opened the evening with a surprisingly lethargic collection of material. The crisp rhythms usually associated with his playing made only fleeting appearances. His best moments, in fact, came during several dreamily romantic pieces in which arranger/conductor James Mack took full advantage of the Philharmonic’s lush-sounding strings. Guitarist Henry Johnson provided some much-needed vigor, especially during a brisk solo on “Since I Fell for You.”