Saxman Sanders, at Elario’s, Still Seeks the Cutting Edge

Pharoah Sanders first made his name with John Coltrane’s groups in the mid-1960s when the pair of saxophonists experimented with new harmonic structures and fresh, raw sounds. After Coltrane died in 1967, Sanders continued to stretch the boundaries of jazz with music that continued the meditative aura of Coltrane’s work but with a more frantic, searing edge.

In recent years, Sanders, who opened five nights at Elario’s Wednesday, has recorded a series of albums for tiny Theresa Records in El Cerrito, Calif. Though he has tempered the shrill sound that characterized some of his work with Coltrane, he continues to approach music with a religious fervor and exploratory zeal. He doesn’t even like to label the music jazz.

“We play all kinds of music. What I do is more a worldwide type of music. I just do my own thing, that’s what I really do.”

His “thing” might consist of a Sanders’ original stretched--through the miracle of extended improvisation--to cover an entire set. Or he might interject his reading of a standard jazz ballad or two, the kinds of things he plays on an album tentatively titled “Welcome to Love,” due early next year.

While Sanders’ older music enjoys a revival on CDs, his sound continues to evolve--he’s on a constant mission to find a new and better sound.

“I think my tone changes every day,” he said. “I always experiment and try to invent different sounds. I switch mouthpieces every day, all day.”

At Elario’s, Sanders is concentrating on tenor sax, but has his soprano at hand, too. He said that what he plays will depend to some extent on his audiences. Since he hasn’t played here in at least 15 years, he doesn’t quite know what to expect.

“California audiences are hard to play for. I feel more comfortable when I’m back East playing. Here, it seems sort of commercial.”

Sanders’ groups includes longtime associate William Henderson on piano, plus bassist Richard Reed and drummer Ralph Penland.

The all-star group known as The Meeting has played together off and on since the early 1980s, but only got around to releasing its first album this year. Tonight at 9, the group takes the stage at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach.

Occasionally, their music has the energy and imagination of the best mid-’70s, but more often, the players mark time with simple jazz/pop songs that don’t tax their substantial abilities.

Saxophonist Ernie Watts--a veteran of jazz, pop and rock with Diana Ross, Quincy Jones, Thelonious Monk, Frank Zappa, Cannonball Adderley, Sergio Mendes, the Yellowjackets, Bill Withers and Johnny Mathis--is the group’s senior member. But he doesn’t consider himself the leader.

“This is an equal partnership,” said Watts, who has also worked during the past year with bassist Charlie Haden’s Quartet West and guitarist Lee Ritenour.

Other group members have equally impressive resumes. Percussionist Ndugu Chancler has recorded with Herbie Hancock, Weather Report, Michael Jackson, the Crusaders and Frank Sinatra as well as touring with such greats as Miles Davis. Keyboardist Patrice Rushen has recorded with Prince, Jean-Luc Ponty, Peabo Bryson, Stanley Turrentine, Hancock and the Temptations. Bassist Alphonso Johnson has recorded or toured with Weather Report, Santana, Phil Collins, Woody Herman and Chuck Mangione, to name a few.

Since taking over as talent coordinator at Elario’s last April, Rob Hagey, a veteran San Diego jazz promoter, has shifted the emphasis at the club from safe, established players to a blend of mainstream veterans and young rising stars.

Acts playing Elario’s for the first time under Hagey have included Sun Ra, Bill Frisell, Marcus Roberts and Michel Camilo. Coming in December and January are talented young bassist John Patitucci and trumpeter Roy Hargrove.

While Hagey’s more progressive policy has injected fresh life into the local music scene, it has created a side effect for such local musicians as bassist Bob Magnusson and drummer Jim Plank, who used to work almost every week backing the established legends who came to town: Joe Pass, Kenny Barron, Benny Carter, Herb Ellis, Art Farmer and others. Musicians such as Camilo and Frisell bring their own bands, eliminating the need for a local rhythm section.

“Obviously, when you don’t work someplace, you work someplace else,” said Magnusson. He has found plenty of other work, playing the Horton Grand downtown, in Tucson earlier this month with singer Diane Schuur, at a South Carolina jazz festival last month with San Diego flutist Holly Hofmann and on a recording session with the Franciscan String Quartet in San Francisco. Magnusson also teaches two days a week at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood.

RIFFS: The San Diego jazz community heard about drummer Art Blakey’s death shortly after the legendary drummer died Tuesday morning in a Manhattan hospital at the age of 71. Bryan Lynch, a trumpeter in the current edition of Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, phoned KSDS-FM (88.3) and other local aficionados with the news. KSDS featured Blakey’s music Tuesday afternoon, and on Monday at 3 on the “Percussive Profiles” program, the station will rerun an earlier interview with Blakey done by local drummer and on-air personality Barry Farrar. . . .

Eclectic electric jazz band Curlew plays two shows at Elario’s Tuesday night at 8 and 10. Saxophonist George Cartwright writes most of the material, blending avant-garde jazz with blues, funk and rock.