JAZZ REVIEW : A Capable Trio but a Noisy Bar

There seemed to be some good jazz reverberating around the Biltmore Hotel’s Grand Avenue Bar early Friday night. “Seemed” because the clattering cacophony of an end-of-the-week audience made the work of pianist Tom Vaughn, bassist Art Davis and drummer Larance Marable nearly impossible to hear above the din.

Vaughn’s soul-styled lines and repeated pedal notes were converted to aural mush by the nonstop roar of the crowd during an opening solo set before he was joined by the other musicians. A particularly attentive listener might have picked out strains of “MacArthur Park” and “Young and Foolish” but, sadly, there were few attentive listeners.

The situation improved somewhat with the addition of bass and drums, in part because they provided a larger, more effective weapon against the noise. Vaughn is an enthusiastic blues player, and was at his funk-drenched, hard-cooking best on two romping originals. As the set continued, Davis’ crisply articulated solos and Marable’s offensive-minded drums actually managed to slowly urge some of the crowd out of their celebration and into the music.

Curiously, the best playing took place on two low-keyed Johnny Mandel ballads. Traces of Vaughn’s elegant harmonic textures and two-handed rhythmic patterns offered tempting hints of how good his playing might sound in easier circumstances.

To the credit of Vaughn, Davis and Marable, they made the best they could of a performing environment that provided little musical support. Too bad so many of their listeners didn’t realize what they were missing.