JAZZ REVIEW : Acoustic Alchemy Falls Short of Magic at Coach House Show

What’s in a name? Plenty, when the group is the instrumental outfit Acoustic Alchemy that appeared Friday at the Coach House.

It’s easy to figure how the word “acoustic” got into the title. Led by British acoustic guitarists Nick Webb and Greg Carmichael (Webb plays steel strings, Carmichael plays nylon--makes it easy to tell them apart), the band anchors its sound on the clean tones and warm interplay the men produce from their instruments. It’s their mix of personal styles that suggests the word “alchemy.”

But there’s more to it than that. With backing from keyboardist Terry Disley, who manned a rack of synthesizers; electric bassist Klaus Sperber; Chilean percussionist Mario Argandona and rock-steady drummer Bert Smaak, the group’s sound forged old and new, as well as a number of ethnic influences, into its acoustic-electric blend.

“Alchemy” also suggests magic, the mysterious search for a way to turn common materials into gold. But despite the chemistry between Webb and Carmichael, the magic was missing, and there were few glittering moments in the program of mostly original material taken from the group’s latest recording, “Reference Point,” to be released in early August.

The opening number, “Homecoming,” began with a duet of the guitarists that pretty much defined their roles for the evening, with Carmichael taking the bulk of the solo responsibilities while Webb provided rhythmic impetus. The tune, via a dramatic chorus break, segued into “Casino,” with Carmichael taking a Spanish-flavored improvisation above keyboardist Disley’s chiming accompaniment.

Webb took the lead on “Chinese Takeaway,” with Disley creating koto-like effects and percussionist Argandona adding Asian touches on blocks and bells. Like most of the improvisations heard during the show, this one was short and to the point, favoring melodic simplicity over flashy displays of technique.

A lazy, reggae-influenced version of Paul Desmond’s “Take Five” (made popular in the ‘50s by Desmond’s boss Dave Brubeck) featured a strong beat from drummer Smaak and was a vast improvement from the tepid, almost lullaby-paced version that appears on the forthcoming album. Disley pulled a string effect from his synthesizer to re-create Brubeck’s well-known chordal background.

Highlights from the evening included Webb’s “Caravan of Dreams,” a relaxed tribute to the forward-looking performance center located in Fort Worth, and a jam to “Sweet Georgia Brown” that, with a minimum of backing, gave the guitarists a chance to shine. Also providing needed diversity was the rambling, on-the-road rhythms of “Overnight Sleep” and the thoughtful “Ariane,” a showcase for Webb, from their earlier “Blue Chip” album.

But as the evening progressed, variety of this sort was in short supply and it wasn’t long before much of the material began to sound alike.

Carmichael’s unaccompanied encore showed what he was capable of, but it’s too bad it came so late in the show. The group needs to open up the rhythmic diversity of its music and allow Webb and Carmichael to do more improvising, something that would help avoid the contrived sound of each solo. Acoustic Alchemy seems to have all the right ingredients. Now they just need to inject some magic.

Show opener Linda Roth, backed by a five-piece band, put her pleasant, middle-register voice to good use on original R&B-influenced; pop material and ballads. What Roth’s ensemble lacked in rhythmic tightness was more than made up for by the enthusiasm of its members.