JAZZ REVIEW : Dave Wells’ 7 Trombones Let It Slide : The band offers well-constructed arrangements, performed with a fair amount of precision, in an infrequent public outing at El Matador restaurant in Huntington Beach.

You wouldn’t think there’d be much call for a band with seven trombones. And you’d be right. The appearance Wednesday of Dave Wells’ Trombone City at El Matador restaurant was only its third public outing in the last two years, only its fourth in the last seven.

And that’s a cryin’ shame. Wells, a longtime studio musician and former member of the Baja Marimba Band, rehearses the 11-piece group frequently and continues writing for seven slides. It’s these well-constructed arrangements, performed with a fair amount of precision, that make the bone-heavy ensemble such a pleasure.

What does an arranger do with such an abundance of trombones? Wells keeps up the interest by assigning them to sections, letting the two bass trombones establish a foundation for the others to build upon, or by having a soloist work against muffled, dissonant chords from the other six. There were times during the band’s performance when Wells’ blend of muted and open instruments started sounding like the mixed brass section of, say, the Kenton band.

Wells’ arrangement of “Lush Life,” performed here for the first time, was especially well-orchestrated. The standard opened slowly with Bob Cooper’s melody statement framed by three muted trombones while the remaining brass, playing unmuted, added accents. Harmony from second bass trombonist John Leys led to an acceleration of the rhythm before the soloists jumped in.

Wells himself showed determination during his improv on the opener “Goin’ All Out,” an uptempo number with plenty of slippery ensemble passages. His puffy, provocative solo was done with only minimal backing from drummer Jack Le Compte before the rest of the group came swirling back into play.

But the band’s most exciting soloist was Charlie Morillas, an agile craftsman with a seemingly inexhaustible air supply. He took the title of “Goin’ All Out” to heart, turning out blistering phrases punctuated by choppy exclamations. He worked a warmer mood on Wells’ arrangement of “Song for My Lady.”

Though it favored tight, uptempo numbers, the band touched a variety of styles. “Jazz Bone Samba” showcased a rhythmic statement from Alex Iles, again backed by only Le Compte. “Trombone City Blues” developed out of a unison theme statement from all seven slides and featured a pleasant chordal solo from guitarist Paul Murphy. Wells’ arrangement of Bob Florence’s “Carmelo’s By the Freeway” was a driving neo-bop workout.

Keyboardist Paul Moer contributed a pair of compositions: “Song of the Centzontles,” a soft swinger with a gliding horn statement that jumped into the keyboardist’s upbeat solo, and “Ecossaise in 3/4,” a dynamic dance figure that provided another vehicle for Morillas.

Rounding out the band were trombonists Roy Main and Roy Wiegand and string bassist Neils Johnson.

Wells has even written a five-movement suite for his ensemble, portions of which were heard here during the second set. Won’t some wise concert promoter out there give Trombone City a chance to perform it in its entirety? They could bill the event “The Magnificent Seven.”