Jazz Reviews : Study in Contrasts at Catalina’s

The rare double bill at Catalina’s, which continues through Sunday, works well, mainly because of the striking contrasts between the two groups, alto saxophonist Christopher Hollyday’s quartet and guitarist Mark Whitfield’s trio.

Hollyday, who began his recording career seven years ago at age 14, has evidently made a thorough study of jazz history, going through a Charlie Parker phase before establishing a more direct link with Jackie McLean.

For his opening set, starting with a furious assault on “Scorpio Rising”--a composition by the late pianist Walter Davis Jr.--Hollyday showed signs of moving away from the McLean image toward a more personal identity. His ballad mood was well displayed in McCoy Tyner’s “Twilight Mist.” He was excellently served by the sympathetic single note lines of pianist Brad Mehldau, the supple bass of John Webber and the support of a fiery drummer who, when it was called for, lived up to his name, Ron Savage.

The drums played an even more central role in Mark Whitfield’s set. Actually, it seemed that drummer Troy Davis was the leader, so extensively was he featured both in solos and in sometimes excessive support of the guitarist.

Whitfield, who turns 25 next week, is capable of technically impressive devices. On the first of his several original tunes he kept a tremolo going with his left hand while playing an independent melody line with his right.

His other sideman, Roland Guerin, came up with a surprise in the form of an old-fashioned slap-bass solo. The group saved its best moments for last: “Freddie Freeloader,” the old Miles Davis blues, began and ended with the three men singing in harmony.