POP MUSIC REVIEWS : Guitarist Wood Steps Into Spotlight

The late Marvin Gaye once discussed an affliction he labeled “second banana-itis,” which afflicts musicians who labor in the shadows of superstars. Part of the disease, Gaye explained, is that these musicians are driven to be solo performers, but don’t have nearly enough talent or charisma.

That’s a perfect description of English singer-guitarist Ron Wood, who has labored in the shadows of some of the best since the mid-’60s, including Jeff Beck, Rod Stewart and Mick Jagger.

A member of the Rolling Stones since 1974, Wood is currently on tour with a new band promoting his first solo album in 10 years. Predictably, the highlights of his show at the Palace on Wednesday were songs that belong to Wood’s second-banana past, like the Stones’ bluesy “Red Rooster” and the finale, Rod Stewart’s “Stay With Me.”

But there weren’t many highlights in this barely passable set. Wood, who hasn’t formulated a distinctive musical style, drifted in and out of mainstream hard-rock and the old-fashioned bluesy rock of the Stones and Stewart. As a guitarist, he’s a good sideman. Given the opportunity, he was neither a dazzling nor inventive soloist. Singing isn’t his strength either. Besides having a tiny range and little sense of vocal dynamics, he has no strong frontman moves.

The sextet’s primary singer, Bernard Fowler, wasn’t particularly effective either, partly because his R&B;/rock style is too derivative. The best parts of the show were the jams, but they weren’t riveting enough to hold your interest for an entire set.