Jazz : A Provocative, Forceful, Set From Allen

From the first four bars of her first composition at the CalArts Modular Theatre on Friday, Geri Allen let it be known that she meant business. The 32-year-old composer and pianist has brought into focus her extensive musical education and a devotion to the swinging roots of jazz.

Rhythmically subtle and provocative, her original works wove in and out of the fringes of chords, modality, atonality--you never know quite where she is going, but the journey takes you into constantly adventurous areas. Here and there one can discern Monk-like touches, but basically she is her own person.

On one flaming, driving piece, “Dolphy’s Dance,” she played the theme in unison with both hands. More often, her left hand stayed within a relatively narrow range, opting neither for stride nor for simple be-bop punctuations but always seeking out new avenues.

Even her ballads, such as “Prayer for Peace,” find challenging new approaches in the limning of a chord or the turning of a phrase. Allen is as true an original as this decade has yet produced. Her present trio, with Dwayne Dolphin on bass and Tani Tabbal on drums, seemed familiar with the material, though she stopped one time in mid-solo when Dolphin seemed to be losing his way.

Preceding Allen was a set by the Charles Mingus Scholarship winners and finalists. Their music, rooted in hard bop, brought some promising talents into play, most notably pianist-composer Greg Kurstin and trombonist Tom Ralls.