Jazz Reviews : Pianist Michel Camilo Smokes at Catalina

Following Michel Camilo’s hourlong opening set at Catalina Bar and Grill in Hollywood Tuesday evening, it was difficult to tell whether the pianist or the piano needed a rest more.

From his opening rendition of John Coltrane’s “Impressions” to his closing “On Fire,” the Dominican Republic-born Camilo brought his firebrand style of jazz to exuberant life. One could easily imagine smoke pouring from the piano in response to the demands Camilo made of it.

Camilo, a pleasant young man with an ingratiating, gap-toothed smile, rarely relaxed his formidable chops during the six-tune opening set. Even during solo moments by bassist Michael Bowie and drummer Cliff Almond, the pianist could not resist the urge to noodle--his poking at inventive melody, his sudden blasts of richly voiced chords lending additional urgency and fury to the proceedings.

Though a certain spontaneity was lost due to the tightly arranged repertoire of the band, there was no shortage of individual expression within the rigid formatting of each tune. Bassist Bowie, whose support role was performed meticulously, had particularly fine outings on Dizzy Gillespie’s “Birk’s Works,” a bluesy, easygoing tune that had Camilo at his most economical, and on the leader’s own “This Way Out.”

Drummer Almond showed himself a masterful technician who managed effortlessly to support the rhythmic rage of his leader. His solos came in the form of short bursts of descending rhythm patterns that lent a welcome musicality.

Camilo’s talents as a composer are considerable. “Uptown Manhattan,” “This Way Out” and “On Fire,” each with a hint of his Latin roots, proved to be pieces worthy of jazz exploration, their harmonic structures quite capable of supporting melodic invention.

The only real disappointment of the evening came from Camilo’s too few inclusions of songs that made fewer demands on energy. Though “Uptown Manhattan” was an easily paced swing tune--but only after a blast-off intro--there were no ballads. Jaco Pastorius’ “City of the Angels” came closest, with its sense of tranquility, but not close enough. Camilo’s technique and musicality are significant and it would have been curious to have heard him play something a bit more relaxed.