JAZZ REVIEW : Kubis’ Big Band Gets Down to the Brass and Sax : * His group, playing at Golden West College, offers material that has modern flair while maintaining a rhythmic pulse.

Tom Kubis isn’t the most impenetrable of big-band writers. In fact, if you can’t figure out when to tap your foot during a Kubis arrangement, you’re in trouble. The guy comes up with stuff that, plain and simple, swings like a pendulum.

That’s not to say that the Huntington Beach resident is a retro man, fronting a Swing Era-styled ensemble that peddles nostalgia and nothing else. Heard Tuesday at the Fine Arts Theater of Golden West College as part of the college’s 25th anniversary Celebration of the Arts, Kubis’ 17-man crew offered material arranged, orchestrated and often composed by the leader that had a modern flair while maintaining a bubbling, snap-your-fingers rhythmic pulse.

Kubis’ approach revealed smidgens of Thad Jones and Sammy Nestico--two writers known for their work for Count Basie--in making his melodies tight and succinct and getting his band to emanate a glow. He mixed various elements together like an alchemist, exacting proportions of high and low brass and saxes, so that almost-tangible clouds of sound wafted through the intimate auditorium.

On the opening “Marie’s Shuffle,” a crisp medium-tempo blues, he tossed the melody back and forth between the brass sections and the saxes. Behind Jeff Bunnell’s crafty, darting-this-way-and-that trumpet solo, he gave the saxes stretch-like-putty sustained chords to play, creating a nice contrast with Bunnell’s agile lines. Trombone ace Andy Martin employed a burnished tone and ideas that moved around like a giant-slalom skier going in and out of the gates at breakneck speed.

Kubis, who also played tenor saxophone, also enjoyed using different-sized units within a single piece, as on Thelonious Monk’s “Well, You Needn’t.” Here a trio of bass, tenor sax and trumpet played the initial phrases, after which they were joined by the saxes, who played brief “bomp-bomp” accents, and on the bridge, the entire ensemble was heard. A sky-high trumpet-section screech tagged the melody section and led into Bill Liston’s solid tenor sax solo and an impressive improvisation by trombonist Alex Iles. The tune, which is not essentially blues, turned bluesy toward the end as Kubis favored funky figures in both a percolating sax soli and the closing ensemble line.

A particular highlight was Kubis’ arrangement of Charlie Parker’s be-bop opus, “Anthropology,” which began with the entire band rendering the twisting, stop-and-start melody in unison--including pianist Jack Riedling, bassist Eric Messershmidt and drummer Matt Johnson. Trombonist Charlie Morillas’ solo was subtly captivating, as he played rhythmically punchy ideas that were chock-full of pretty notes.

Trumpeter, singer and comedian Jack Sheldon appeared as the evening’s guest soloist. It’s interesting how his concept has changed over the years: In the ‘50s he was a crack be-bop specialist who rarely sang; now he concentrates on vocals and offers Louis Armstrong-Harry James-styled trumpet solos that echo the melody as much as they abandon it.

One thing’s for sure: Sheldon is a terrific singer. His part wail, part moan, part little-boy crying voice and his unerring sense of swing made “That Old Black Magic,” “Hello, Dolly!” and “Mack the Knife” sound as if they were written for him. His trumpet choruses exhibited his gleaming tone, which enhances whatever he plays. His relaxed, sotto-voce melody reading of “I Can’t Get Started” was a welcome quiet moment that contrasted with his usual exuberance.

Leslie Lewis, Kubis’ regular singer, came on after Sheldon and nervously uttered a most unnecessary self-deprecation: “I know I’m not as entertaining as Jack Sheldon.” Perhaps a case of jitters was behind her disheveled version of “My Foolish Heart,” where she engaged in histrionics rather than telling that song’s sweet story. She more than redeemed herself, however, in the second set with a telling, emotive version of “Guess Who I Saw Today,” sending chills down at least one listener’s spine.

* Golden West College’s Celebration of the Arts, which runs through March 29, continues Sunday with Gerry Shroeder and Whizzard, and Tuesday with Kubis, his wife, Carol, and Johnson leading Swing Savant in tunes of ‘20s, ‘30s and ‘40s. Both shows at 8 p.m. in the college’s Fine Arts Theater, 15744 Golden West St., Huntington Beach. $8. Information: (714) 895-8378.