JAZZ REVIEWS : Russell Malone Leaves Lasting Impression

The only problem with Russell Malone’s visit to the Southland was its brevity.

After an appearance with Branford Marsalis on the “Tonight Show,” the young Atlanta-based guitarist played Tuesday at Lunaria’s, then left town. He also left a lasting impression.

Malone, 29, boasting credits as a member of the Jimmy Smith and Harry Connick Jr. groups, is a self-taught musician who seems to have acquired a thorough knowledge of jazz-guitar history. His technical proficiency enables him to cover a broad span of styles with a full sound, frequent rich chording and complex be-bop lines, as he demonstrated in a blistering treatment of an early Miles Davis piece, “Half Nelson.”

Malone leans predominantly on pop standards such as Richard Rodgers’ “Falling in Love With Love” and Cole Porter’s “Dream Dancing.” For his only vocal of the set he sang, in an unpretentiously pleasant voice, the old Peggy Lee song “I Don’t Know Enough About You.” Malone’s colleagues were consistently successful in meeting the challenge of keeping up with him. Paul Keller, a steady and supportive bassist, contributed several well-structured solos. Eric Vaughn on drums traded some spirited fours with the leader.

The personable Malone, who has an album on Columbia Records, is a sure bet to rise to the jazz forefront in the next couple of years.