JAZZ REVIEW : Bassist Bromberg Shows He Has Room for Multiple Personalities

There’s none of this acoustic/electric identity conflict stuff for bassist Brian Bromberg. For a guy who broke into the ranks playing upright for Stan Getz yet who is better known for a series of watt-sucking fusion albums--but whose latest album is an acoustic project--the transformation is no more difficult than putting down one instrument and picking up another.

He made that very switch three times during a show with keyboardist Jeff Lorber at the Coach House Monday night, and each one signaled an abrupt change in the music’s personality; the quartet seemed to transfigure. Whenever acoustics were opted for, saxophonist Art Porter and drummer Joel Taylor seemed to relish the chance to show some technique via material that was vastly different from the accessibly rhythmic electrified pieces.

True to his reputation, Bromberg showed plenty of technique on both his axes. On upright, he was particularly lyrical, sprinkling his improvisations with tasteful double stops and well-spaced breaks. His tone ranged from tough (during Wayne Shorter’s “Yes or No”) to tender (Lorber’s “No Regrets”) and included pops and deep sliding tones that sounded as if they’d been pulled from the electric instrument. He followed long, winding lines with fleet bursts of exclamation, all accurately pitched and cleanly hit. Only occasionally did his technical display overshadow the musical content.

Still, he probably was most impressive on electric. He utilized the “taps” style of guitarist Stanley Jordan at times, in essence playing the neck of his bass with both hands as if it were a keyboard. He contrasted these transparent, guitar-like tones with resounding, in-the-basement statements. Even during the most furious improvisations, he never lost sight of the beat, rocking steady despite the searing pace.

While Bromberg developed separate acoustic-electric identities, Lorber blurred the lines between the two, carrying similar attacks to both. During Porter’s “KGB,” he played synthesizer in support of the theme, then switched to grand piano for his solo, in which he pushed sweeping lines with chordal muscle. He painted his solo on “No Regrets” blue, giving the ballad an almost angry, minor-key feel at times. And he showed he could charge things up when called to, as he did during Porter’s funky “Pocket City.”

Taylor also was strong in both settings, laying down solid backbeats with plenty of variation on the up-tempo numbers, loosening up on the acoustic tunes to show smart snare play and insistent double-time on ride cymbal.

It was saxophonist Porter who underwent the biggest personality changes between styles. At times during “Yes or No,” his alto recalled Cannonball Adderley in its blend of soul and intellect.

But on the upbeat electric numbers, especially when playing soprano, he adopted the pose of pop-chart saxophonists whose names we can’t bare to mention. Though he played the same instruments in both settings, even his tone seemed to change--rounded and shiny on acoustic numbers, one-dimensional and with a bandsaw quality on the electrics. At one point, he took to the aisles to play an unending circle of notes (thanks to rotary breathing). Judging by the audience response, Porter might just be the next big thing.

While the Bromberg-Lorber quartet stuck to predictable plugged-in selections, opening group Minimum 3 explored the more involved side of the fusion genre.

Guitarist Gannin Arnold’s ambitious charts and crystalline electric tones made for a chamber-like quality at times, anchored with solid rhythm section work by drummer Evan Stone, bassist Bill Urmson and keyboardist John Opfenkuch. Stone was especially impressive, playing tight, enthusiastic combinations of snares and toms while setting the pace with bass drum and cymbals.

Though there were a few tedious moments when its material seemed forced, this still-youthful group has developed a serious, often tantalizing style that bodes well for its future.