Jazz Reviews : Celebration at Jax Is Showcase for Sax

The tenor saxophones were out in force in Glendale. A sixth anniversary celebration of jazz at Jax Bar & Grill became a virtual showcase for some of the Southland’s talented, if lesser known players.

The parade began Wednesday night with Maury Gainen, who opened the evening with a brisk, efficient set of attractive improvisations. Bill Perkins followed--a crusty veteran of the jazz wars who once again demonstrated his continuing determination to expand the envelope of his playing.

The program shifted gears somewhat with the arrival of Cece Worrall, the only female saxophonist in an otherwise all-male lineup. Starting slowly, but building momentum quickly, Worrall was at her best when she abandoned standard licks and pushed into more adventuresome areas.

Trumpeter Steve Huffsteter, working with John Newsome, provided a brief break in the all-saxophone line-up. The duo’s set featured a surprisingly bright reading of “Laura.”

Jim Honeyman, with an amiable, craftsmanlike series of variations on “Out of Nowhere,” and Chris Greco--full of energy and drive on “The Night Has a Thousand Eyes”--followed, keeping the music moving at a brisk, no-nonsense pace.

The appearance of Benn Clatworthy was the highlight of the program. Hitting the ground running, the English saxophonist pushed the music up to a higher level of performance, clearly confirming that he is one of the Southland’s important emerging jazz talents.

Laboring courageously to support this cornucopia of different styles were George Gaffney on piano, Monty Budwig on bass and Sherman Ferguson on drums.