JAZZ REVIEW : Saxman Moody Shakes Off the Jet Lag at Elario’s

Wednesday could have been a night of mere recuperation for saxophonist James Moody. After all, he had barely slept the night before, flying back home to San Diego from New York City after playing Carnegie Hall as part of a tribute to singer Sarah Vaughan.

But Moody’s ever-present charisma and sense of humor arrived intact for his first show at Elario’s, where he appears nightly through Sunday. He introduced “Melancholy Baby,” his opening tune, with a silly anecdote about a collie that likes watermelon. Really silly.

Whether from jet lag or opening night nerves from working with a band of musicians (bassist Chris Conner, drummer Ralph Penland, and Moody’s regular keyboard player, Marc Copland) who don’t regularly play together, the first set was emotionally flat.

The second set, however, was a much different story. Musical pals such as Jimmy and Jeannie Cheatham and Chico Hamilton joined the audience during the break, and they seemed to inspire Moody to move to higher ground. As the set unfolded, he shifted with ease between tenor, alto and soprano saxes, proving his awesome mastery of all three horns.

Clearly, Moody, 66, is in the prime of his career. His chops have never been better, and the creative fires still burn--Moody is not content to rest on past laurels, no matter how impressive they may be (his career spans six decades and includes collaborations with Dizzy Gillespie, Dexter Gordon, Eddie Jefferson and Charles Mingus).

Moody’s new album, “Honey,” includes some of his most inspired and romantic songwriting. And Moody has added synthesized sounds to his music through the playing and writing of frequent collaborator Copland (who also goes by Marc Cohen). The synthesizer brings an intriguing dimension to Moody’s basic be-bop and pre-bop roots.

Wednesday night’s sets mixed new material with fresh readings of jazz standards such as “On Green Dolphin Street” and a pair of appropriately moody Gershwin staples: “Summertime” (George Gershwin) and “Someone to Watch Over Me” (George and Ira Gershwin).

Of course, Moody also included his wildly entertaining vocal on the silly, sexy “Moody’s Mood for Love”--not just once, but in both sets. The song has become his signature, and he doesn’t like to disappoint his fans. And for good measure, he tossed a version of the “Beer Barrel Polka” into the first set, fracturing the melody to pieces during a languid prelude, then delivering it in more recognizable form, at breakneck speed.

Other than Copland, these musicians don’t work regularly with Moody, but they were soon in synch. The second set opened with Cohen/Copland’s “Mutt & Jeff,” a tribute to Jimmy and Percy Heath, and Conner’s bass perfectly shadowed Moody’s tenor through the jaunty, difficult melody.

Moody’s version of “Summertime” continued the second set, proving just how fitting a synthesizer can be as a jazz tool, when utilized under the guidance of a seasoned master like Moody. Copland opened the song with a slow, melancholy orchestral introduction, but the tune soon blasted into near-funk territory, with Conner and Penland laying down a body-whomping bottom while Copland’s organ-like chord bursts drenched Moody’s searing soprano.

Next came “I Can’t Get Started,” and Moody showed another side of his mastery: his use of dynamic contrast. His improvised introduction of razor’s-edge alto bursts dramatically set off the sensuous melody, which he delivered in velvety lows and whispery highs. The set wound down with “Honey” and “Moody’s Mood for Love.”

San Diego is Moody’s home base, but he spends much of his time on the road. After this gig, he leaves July 4 for a tour of Europe. Moody only plays locally one week a year, so this is the only chance this year to catch this Living Legend in San Diego.

James Moody plays Elario’s through Sunday, show times are 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.