JAZZ REVIEW : Saxophonists of Different Times and Tones Play in Perfect Sync

More separates tenor saxophonists Pete Christlieb and Bob Cooper than the 20-year difference in their ages. The 64-year-old Cooper has a warm, mellow tone while the younger Christlieb’s sound has a sharper edge. Cooper’s solos are pithy and to the point, while Christlieb is slippery and liable to let his solos slide into high emotion.

But when the two men are on the same bandstand, they’re in perfect sync. This was apparent at the latest installment of the Friday evening concert series sponsored by KLON-FM at the Hyatt Newporter. Whether playing in unison, in harmony, or chasing one another around the chord changes of a song in a free-form exchange, the two musicians showed an empathy that would be hard to match.

As the evening’s first set opened, Christlieb, long a member of “The Tonight Show” band, was still on the freeway, traveling down from Burbank where the show is taped. No matter. Cooper and the fine supporting trio--Tom Ranier on piano, John Leitham on bass and Michael Whited on drums--warmed up with a lively Cooper original called “Faagen” (named for a pet cat) and “Kissin’ Bug,” a number credited to Billy Strayhorn as well as a good number of other Ellington band members, which began with Cooper suspending especially thoughtful lines over Leitham’s smart walk.

Christlieb arrived sometime during Ranier’s engaging solo on “Stella by Starlight,” and the stage was set. Minus the rhythm section, the two sax men jumped into “All the Things You Are,” Christlieb stating the theme while Cooper danced above it. “The Days of Wine and Roses” featured a long break where the two men, again without the rhythm section, exchanged taunts and compliments, with Christlieb providing most of the up-top needling while Cooper, playing off Christlieb’s sharp ideas, injected swinging lines. It was the kind of wide-open yet empathetic exchange one expects to hear from such brass-only groups as the World Saxophone Quartet.

The second set (broadcast live over KLON) opened with Ray Noble’s “Cherokee,” played at a pace that Christlieb described in mangled Italian as “tempo de learno” (or, we assume, learner’s tempo). The relaxed approach brought new life to the old be-bop warhorse while highlighting Cooper’s considered, swing-influenced attack. A blues written by Cooper entitled “Bit O’ Sweets” (dedicated to Harry (Sweets) Edison) opened with a spirited exchange between the two saxes supported only by Leitham. The tune gave both sax men a chance to play dirty behind the predictable beat and chord changes.

Christlieb was left alone on a barely recognizable arrangement of “You’ve Changed,” and his sensuous solo was one of the program’s highlights. He deepened his tone on the ballad-paced, emotionally charged standard, adding a richness and warmth.

Keyboardist Ranier’s clean, uncluttered accompaniment and melodic soloing were well attuned to the style and material in the program. Drummer Whited, who appears with the Harry James Orchestra, added sufficient sizzle, if not snap, to the rhythmic proceedings.

But it was Leitham who grabbed the spotlight in the rhythm section. The young bassist didn’t limit himself to any particular range of his instrument, popping out high-end embellishments to contrast with his loaded low-end. He’s also an intriguing soloist whose melodic sweetness, accented with double-stops and rib-tickling strums in the upper register, garnered loud ovations from the crowd.

The series continues next week with pianist Horace Tapscott and his trio.