JAZZ REVIEW : Farlow, Jolly Make Timeless Match, Music

Something funny happened on the road to common ground Friday at the Hyatt Newporter as guitarist Tal Farlow, in from New Jersey for a rare Southern California appearance, sought to meld his sound with that of Los Angeles-based pianist Pete Jolly’s trio. Their differences became complimentary.

Though it took a couple of numbers, Farlow’s rapid-fire, devil-may-care execution began to meld with Jolly’s rich, accurate articulation in a way that accented both. The keyboardist matched plump, precise accompaniment to the guitarist’s inventive, sometimes dissonant chordal voicings. It wasn’t long before the two were engaged in an unlikely symbiotic relationship.

Farlow, who turned 70 earlier this month, retains the quick-witted, fast-fingered attack that brought him to attention in the 1950s. Though every note in a line may not have been as precisely hit as its neighbors, the lines kept coming, often sporting subtle twists and turns on the ones that preceded them.

The guitarist interspersed snappy chordal play between runs, or added percussive sounds tapped from the neck of his hollow-bodied Gibson electric. His tonal quality varied from the familiar amplified ring in the middle range to charged, high-end plinks that carried all the immediacy of a spark.

Jolly, who, like Farlow, spent time with Red Norvo early in his career, brought rich harmonics and warm, considered solo skills to the performance.

Before Farlow joined the trio, the keyboardist wove a hypnotic spell during “Should I Care” by using a lush right hand that he counterpointed with depth from his left (the tune appears on Jolly’s new recording “Gems” from the San Juan Capistrano-based Holt Recordings). Astute backing from bassist Monty Budwig and drummer Nick Marinis, who extracted a wide range of colors from his traps while keeping impeccable time, made the trio’s playing alone worth the price of admission.

As one expects with pick-up bands, the foursome stuck to the most familiar of standards (“Just Friends,” “Misty”). But Farlow’s flowing, often unaccompanied introductions to these well-known pieces stretched melodies into complex, not easily recognizable delicacies that were often salted with references to other tunes.

The guitarist kept mum between numbers, acknowledging applause with smiles, relying on glances and a muffled word here and there to communicate with the rhythm section. He left the talking to his guitar.