POP MUSIC REVIEW : Mishaps Plague Watts Prophets Show

Otis O’Solomon of the Watts Prophets hit the nail on the head at the Ivar Theatre Wednesday when he called it “one of those nights.” A series of technical mishaps plagued the trio’s presentation benefiting the Inner City Cultural Center, disrupting the set’s momentum and failing to stir the sparse crowd in the 200-seat theater.

The Prophets are veterans of the mid-’60s Watts Writers Workshop, and their pointed words were adroitly supported by a backing trio that split the difference between jazz swinging and funk riffing. The hourlong set was closer in tone to Gil Scott-Heron than hard-core rap, but mike problems meant that Don Cherry’s muted pocket trumpet was inaudible during two mid-set pieces.

Cherry was heard playing doussn’ gouni, a Malian guitar, on “Soothsayer Player” and on trumpet during a blues-drenched duet with pianist Horace Tapscott. It was gorgeous, but it never jibed with the Prophets’ vocals on “Breed What You Need.” The Prophets’ best moments came early in the set when Richard Deadeaux took the lead role and projected a sage-like neighborhood-elder presence.

But the technical problems kept interfering with the musical message. Ideally, the kinks will be ironed out when the three-night Ivar stand ends tonight. The L.A. quartet Freestyle Fellowship’s 20-minute opening set supported its claim of jazz influences and an improvisatory approach to rap.