JAZZ REVIEW : Bob Florence Band Overcome by Craftsmanship

The 18-man behemoth known as Bob Florence’s Limited Edition took to the stand Monday in the latest of promoter Diane Varga’s weekly big band events at the Biltmore’s Grand Avenue Bar in downtown Los Angeles.

An eclectic composer and arranger, Florence proudly informed his listeners that “We have no subs in the band tonight.” That this was his basic personnel was reflected in the infallible accuracy with which his six saxes, five trumpets and four trombones interpreted the demandingly intricate music.

For all the ingenuity of his writing, though, there were times when craftsmanship took precedence over creativity. Although Florence is a writer of sufficient skill to avoid derivative tricks, his tendency to borrow from familiar sources was often in evidence.

A reworking of Johnny Mandel’s “Emily” vacillated between piano solo and orchestral passages, with Florence showing respect for the original Bill Evans waltz treatment before the band jazzed it up, complete with pointless quotes from “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be.” This patchwork chart, despite ingenious use of everything from flutes to contrabass clarinet, never settled into a firm indentity.

Deliberately secondhand was Florence’s “Big Band Treasure Chest,” packed with references, some obvious and others obscure, to Ellington, Goodman, Basie and Herman among others. But his version of the Harold Arlen standard “Out of This World” was truly original, showing that he does not need to rely on gimmicks.

Much of the band’s warmth lies less in the writing than in several strong soloists, notably Steve Huffsteter on fluegelhorn, Lanny Morgan on alto sax and Charlie Loper on trombone. The ensemble was driven by drummer Peter Donald, whose power and precision kept the rhythmic pulse in flawless shape.

The skill Florence has shown over the years leaves no doubt that he can tackle just about any orchestrational challenge. The proof was present again on Monday, but along with it came reminders that a first-rate talent can be qualified by reliance on secondhand ideas.