JAZZ REVIEW : Harris Quintet Has No-Nonsense Sizzle

It was a bit of a shock walking out of the bright noonday sun into the comfortable, dimly lit confines of the Cafe Lido on Sunday to hear drummer Chiz Harris’ quintet play the kind of inspired, no-nonsense jazz that’s more associated with the midnight hour. But by the time the eyes had adjusted to the darkness, it was already apparent that Harris’ combo could sizzle as well as the sunlight on the sidewalks outside.

The brunch-time affair, competing with college basketball tournaments and gorgeous weather, was attended by a small but enthusiastic audience. That fact, though, didn’t deter Harris and company from turning on the heat with a program of ballads, be-bop and modal numbers.

The drummer, who gained experience working with the bands of Harry James and Les Brown and who has worked with any number of singers over the years including Johnny Mathis and Rosemary Clooney, may be best known for his appearances on Jerry Lewis’ annual Labor Day telethons. But Harris is no mere showroom beat-keeper. A long-term gig at the Studio Cafe in Costa Mesa and a 1989 recording, “Confirmation,” on Santa Ana-based Cexton Records (with this very quintet) have both shown him to be an experienced percussionist with a strong sense of time who likes to keep the rhythmic proceedings churned up.

The quintet has worked a lot together and this familiarity was apparent in almost everything they played. The session had that loose, late-night feel despite the time of day, with the members exchanging nods, smiles of encouragement and the odd bit of coaching. Support for soloists was both able and considered, and the group moved easily through a variety of material, ranging from Duke Ellington’s “I’ve Got It Bad and That Ain’t Good” to McCoy Tyner’s “Inception.”

Take Miles Davis’ “All-Blues,” which provided a good example of the kind of interplay Harris’ band seems to enjoy. Pianist Joe Lettieri placed spare chording behind trumpeter Conte Candoli’s slippery, middle-register excursion, sometimes adding tinkling embellishment between Candoli’s thoughtful lines. Bassist Isla Eckinger strolled smartly beneath the proceedings, occasionally adding a hop or a skip to his walk. Harris, unwilling to simply ride the rhythm from behind, accented the tempo with clacks drawn from the rim of his snare and slashes across his hi-hat.

A hard-driving “The Eternal Triangle,” which was attributed to Sonny Stitt after some discussion on the bandstand, gave Candoli and tenor saxophonist Jay Migliori a chance to work the chord changes while the rhythm section pushed on at a good clip. Migliori used a comfortable, unaggressive tone to make melodic statements. Candoli paced his involved lines with bursts of single notes and the occasional dramatic pause.

The trumpeter, featured on “Lover Man,” made a reserved, seductive statement above Harris’ brush work. Lettieri used the classic for his most expressive improvisation, balancing long, right-hand runs with rich chords from the left hand. Eckinger’s lyrical solo sustained the tune’s warmth, while Harris brought the tune to a romantic close with his mallets.

Despite the day’s alternatives, there wasn’t a better way to spend Sunday afternoon.