JAZZ & POP REVIEWS : Fluegelhornist Mark Isham Blows Hot and Cold at Le Cafe

Are simultaneous careers as a soundtrack composer and jazz trumpeter-fluegelhornist incompatible? If we use Mark Isham’s performance Sunday night at Le Cafe as a yardstick, the answer is the affirmative.

Isham, who’s been writing soundtracks since 1984 and is currently nominated for an Oscar for his score for Robert Redford’s “A River Runs Through It,” entered the music business as a jazz musician in the ‘70s. The problem with maintaining the dual careers is that both composing and performing take equal dedication and work. But it was clear Sunday that Isham has been putting the lion’s share of his energy into his writing.

For his first set with his quintet, the compact, ponytailed Isham played only fluegelhorn, delivering mostly contemporary jazz originals that ranged from pretty to unremarkable--often with a ‘50s and ‘60s flavor. While his playing certainly was not bad, it was, for the most part, neither brilliant nor emotionally fiery. He was at his best on a lyrical ballad, playing warmly and appealingly.

The evening’s heat came from the rhythm section, notably pianist David Goldblatt, who hammered out some gritty single-note lines and sumptuous chords.

Drummer Kurt Wortman and bassist Rick Shaw also aided. Saxman Steve Tavaglione, who sounds much too much like fellow tenorman Joe Henderson, offered statements that ran from cohesion to chaos.

Isham returns to Le Cafe on March 28.