JAZZ REVIEW : Collette Makes His Own ‘Whoopee’ : Alto Saxophonist, Appearing at Maxwell’s, Gives Same, Playful Reading to Tune He Recorded in 1956

It was during “Makin’ Whoopee” when Buddy Collette’s alto saxophone seemed to transcend time.

Collette recorded that popular ditty back in 1956--for his “Man of Many Parts” album--in a way that characterized his lively, yet considered manner. On Friday, at Maxwell’s, he jumped across the years to state the tune’s theme in the same, playful way that he had some 35 years previously. Even his improvisational work featured similar, wheedling lines and smart uses of silence.

But Collette didn’t stay stuck in the past. His strong, up-tempo clarinet work during “Blues in the Closet” had the immediacy of a live news broadcast, with optimistic assertions sharing space with mournful minor-key statements that swirled away into dissonance or passages of great beauty. His tone on the instrument remains uniquely his, with strong doses of warmth and wood and an almost flute-like purity in the upper range.

Likewise, his sound on flute was strong and full of character. Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Wave” gave him a chance to work the instrument’s mid-range with breathy suggestion and cool, rhythmic patter. He played in a direct, conversational style, using long lines that contrasted with his alto’s pithy phrasing.

As satisfying as Collette was, this was not an example of his strongest playing. Especially during the first set, he struck the occasional tentative note on his newly acquired alto and infrequent high-note squeaks from his clarinet on “Mood Indigo” that marred an otherwise fine performance. But as the evening wore on, Collette seemed to overcome these difficulties.

The search for common ground between the saxophonist and bassist Jim DeJulio’s trio also made for a few uncomfortable moments. While Collette looked to open up such standards as “There Will Never Be Another You” and “Perdido” with off-tempo play, the rhythm section--driven by DeJulio’s son and drummer, Jimmy D--was most comfortable working a groove with plenty of embellishment, but little in the way of variation. This resulted in tug-and-pull exchanges during the first set that never seemed to come together. But by the second set, the four men had reached an understanding and the music took off.

Without piano and drums, Collette, this time on clarinet, and bassist DeJulio wove a detailed series of lines into a colorful fabric on “Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise.” They did much the same on a more upbeat “Scrapple From the Apple,” with Collette, now on alto, embracing broken be-bop statements and references to such tunes as “Stranger in Paradise,” while DeJulio’s trio struck a streamlined foundation. Pianist Wally Minko, who favors a rich chordal sound when improvising, polished the tune further with flowing combinations that reached to the tune’s “Honeysuckle Rose” origins for inspiration.

By the time the group got to “Makin’ Whoopee,” Collette could be himself. Minko set up a sharp, spare accompaniment while Collette pried the familiar theme apart with to-the-point phrases and a spare, almost innocent run of statements. By the time the DeJulios joined in, the saxophonist was making whoopee of his own.

One missing ingredient: any of Collette’s own tunes. Not only is the saxophonist a fine clarinetist and flutist, he’s also a composer of some wit with strong traditional ties. Though the unrehearsed, jam-session nature of these trio-plus-guest shows makes the performance of original material difficult, maybe the folks at Maxwell’s should encourage their guests to do it anyway. At least one or two of Collette’s tunes--maybe one of the handful that are named for his children and grandchildren, or a swinger such as “Sunset Drive”--would have really rounded-out this show.