JAZZ REVIEW : Rollins’ Sax Always Has Its Moments

Like Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and Ella Fitzgerald, tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins is a musical giant, and he’s been accepted as such by the jazz public at large. So even when he has what is, for him, a ho-hum night, it has aspects of something special.

Take Saturday evening, when the 61-year-old artist--a master of melodic and rhythmic improvisation who has been in the jazz limelight for more than 40 years--appeared with his band at the Orange County Performing Arts Center. The performance was not particularly noteworthy. But it had its share of moments.

The hirsute, stocky Rollins--ever natty in a long-sleeved, dark-red shirt worn with the tails out, dark slacks and dark glasses--led his ensemble through seven numbers. He played with his usual high level of energy, digging in with gusto as he soloed. Unfortunately, his forays were not that electrifying. Some sparks flew, but not many.

Still, it was a generally satisfying performance for all but those Rollins devotees who have heard the musician at one of his peaks, when he plays with a creativity that is simply stunning.

It’s hard not to like the saxophonist, for not only is he usually a captivating player, he’s also enjoyable to watch. Saturday, he was in almost constant motion. He often strode about the stage, but even when he stood in one spot, he moved while he played, bending forward or backward, holding his horn over his head as he extemporized.

Rollins began with Jerome Kern’s “Why Was I Born,” taking the normally slow song at a crisp up-tempo, with trombonist Clifton Anderson sharing the melody line. As Rollins improvised, he repeatedly returned to that melody, playing a fragment of it and then launching off into a swirling stream-of-consciousness passage, or a more deliberate, be-bop based idea.

Behind Rollins, Mark Soskin (piano), Jerome Harris (guitar), Bob Cranshaw (bass) and Al Foster (drums) worked with dexterity and empathy, providing the horn man with solid support.

Next up was an untitled calypso original, where Cranshaw’s smooth, flowing solo led to an outing by Soskin. The pianist’s use of locked-hands block chording was tantalizing, particularly when he contrasted low rumbling bass notes with sparkling treble notes as he danced up and down the keyboard.

Rollins closed the number with a brief solo, climaxing by attacking a single low note with a grainy, guttural tone, making that note a blend of a grunt and a shout.

The leader’s short unaccompanied cadenza to the subsequent “Someone to Watch Over Me” was one of the evening’s creative high points. The absence of the rhythm section allowed Rollins to let his tone sing more fully, and he painted a multicolored portrait, mixing melody snatches with fluid asides that were enchanting.

Also heard were “Tennessee Waltz,” a vehicle that even Rollins’ estimable powers could not salvage, and the rollicking “Don’t Stop the Carnival,” where the leader roamed the stage, barking out tagged bottom notes that were more apropos of an R&B; showman than a jazz great.

The closing “Tenor Madness,” however, where Rollins played with awesome authority, made one forget any of the evening’s indulgences.

Guitarist Mark Whitfield, about 40 years Rollins’ junior, opened the show, backed by bassist Roland Guerin and drummer Brian Blade. The highly touted musician, who has been on the jazz scene for a couple of years, showed that while he’s growing as an artist, he’s got more to learn.

He gets points for his tone, a ringing, glowing sound that, while highly influenced by Wes Montgomery, is not completely derivative. And he can cook, at times playing with a swaggering bluesiness and good-time feel. But Whitfield too often repeated his ideas--he offered extended strummed chords passages on several occasions--and his playing on a closing blues number was riddled with cliches.

Still, his “David’s Theme,” a 64-bar bossa nova in a minor mode, was a dandy showcase, revealing the 24-year-old as a musician with a rich melodic imagination and a spirited rhythmic sense.