JAZZ REVIEW : Harpers Salute Blakey Spirit

The Harper Brothers--Winard, 28, on drums and Philip, 25, on trumpet--have grown in stature and size since their appearance here a year ago at Catalina Bar & Grill, Hollywood.

A return trip there Tuesday revealed their current personnel, with the alto sax of Justin Robinson now fortified by the tenor sax of Javon Jackson. Also new to the group are the adaptable and supportive Ray Gallon on piano and Harry Anderson on bass.

The brothers’ new album, “Artistry,” is dedicated to Art Blakey, whose unified and dynamic approach the group resembles even more closely with this fortified front line. Jackson’s muscular tenor reflects the perennial Blakey spirit, while the two leaders suggest a slightly toned-down yet consistently energetic counterpart to their source of inspiration.

Philip Harper displayed his most lyrical side in “Beulah,” a song written by older brother Danny and named for their mother. A Wilbur Campbell original, “Sticks Tricks,” infused the feeling of early bop as Justin Robinson suggested neo-Bird-like lines on alto while Winard Harper moved seamlessly from sticks to brushes to mallets.

Philip Harper’s lightly Latinized “Dakini,” named for his daughter, and Winard’s “Artistry,” involving an ingenious duo passage by trumpet and bass, emphasized the family-like closeness of this solid ensemble, to which the new pianist has adjusted himself expertly. Winard’s muted horn on his own “In God We Trust,” a gentle waltz, offered yet another aspect of the sextet’s versatility. The set ended in a clap-along-inducing atmosphere of near-chaos before subsiding into a neat fade-out on a bass vamp.

Truth seekers who believe in the durability of acoustic jazz can hardly fail to react with joy to the values these artists embrace. Their slogan could well be Post-Bop, Ergo Propter Bop . They close Sunday.