Jazz : Abundant Riches by Flanagan Trio

Employing the majestic lyrical sense and not-one-note-wasted fluid style of improvisation that has been mesmerizing audiences for years, pianist Tommy Flanagan stole into town over the weekend. The premier living exponent of be-bop piano and his sidemen--bassist George Mraz and drummer Larance Marable--made a much-too-brief three-night stand at the Vine Street Bar & Grill in Hollywood.

Riches were in abundance during Friday’s opening set. Flanagan, a Balzac at the piano who can make anything sing, started with silence--or the closest thing one could find to it in a packed nightclub--and wove marvelous tales. Using line after enchanting line for his dramas, he took the audience on a journey to another world, prestidigitally describing a land of beauty, grace, strength and humor.

The wonderful writer and arranger Tadd Dameron was represented by “Our Delight,” Charlie Parker was heard in his lovely “Quasimodo” (also heard was Gershwin’s “Embraceable You,” on which Bird’s opus was based), and Thelonious Monk was present in a medley of four of his memorable melodies, “Ruby, My Dear” and “ ‘Round Midnight,” among them.

Dizzy Gillespie’s “Tin Tin Deo” was Flanagan with the heat turned way up. A series of exchanges between the leader and his bandmates led to a melody reading replete with energized, chordal movement, ideas that twisted and curved and stopped on a dime. The performance wouldn’t have been what it was without the extraordinary Mraz, Flanagan’s partner for nearly a decade and a musician with a gorgeous, full sound and the keenest of ears. One example of their teamwork was on J. J. Johnson’s “Lament,” where a Flanagan ascending left-hand line was suddenly picked by the bassist, who extended it another six tones as the pianist enriched the proceedings with dulcet chords.

Marable proved to be a worthy replacement for the trio’s regular drummer, Louis Nash, crackling throughout while not falling victim to the Drummers’ Curse: playing too loudly.