JAZZ REVIEW : Wynton Marsalis: Fire and Ice

Has Wynton Marsalis ever suffered a broken heart?

It might be strange question, but there was something emotionally distant about his playing Thursday night at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano that made it seem appropriate.

Romance was clearly in the air as the acclaimed trumpeter’s septet opened a brief Southern California swing (the schedule ends with an appearance tonight at UCLA’s Royce Hall).

Marsalis has long had an infatuation with love standards--his last two albums are filled with pop-jazz classics--and his use of them, from “Star Dust” to “I’ll Remember April,” set an intimate mood for his performance.

Ignoring the aggressive, neo-bop approach that marked his early career didn’t, however, keep the trumpeter from showing off his technical mastery. In the standards as well as in two be-bop numbers and a few tunes that acknowledged the musical heritage of his native New Orleans, Marsalis’ usual arsenal of fiery runs, tonal high jinks and big-chested displays of breath were fully on display.

But often Marsalis’ improvisations were little more than a cascade of clever ideas that failed to make a narrative statement. His solo during Monk’s “Green Chimneys,” spiced with Cootie Williams-like growls and coos, seemed to evaporate before it was finished. His “Star Dust” improvisation ended abruptly, as if he suddenly found his bag of tricks empty.