JAZZ REVIEW : Sax Player Sonny Fortune Playing a Different Tune

Sax player Sonny Fortune, making his first local appearance in years with a Tuesday show at Catalina Bar & Grill, was not exactly the Sonny Fortune many listeners expected to hear.

The long-winded, Coltranish solo extravaganzas once identified with him were seldom in evidence. Moreover, despite his expressed affinity for the alto saxophone, Fortune made the best impression on flute, which he played on all but the first and last tunes.

On an original composition entitled “Mind Games,” he brought out the attractive melodic essence of the work in what was nominally a 3/4 pulse, though at times the drumming of Ronnie Burrage tended to muddy the beat.

George Cables, a pianist who invariably distinguishes himself whatever the setting, maintained the groove established by Fortune, as did the bassist David Williams.

Another flute feature, Billy Strayhorn’s “Day Dream” was ironically written as a vehicle for a saxophonist--Johnny Hodges. But Fortune’s undulant melodic lines were so well-designed that the tune seemed written with flute in mind.

Less impressive was “Love for Sale,” with Fortune exploring the upper and lower extremities of the alto and trading eights with the drummer, leading the latter into a solo barrage. The set ended with Kenny Barron’s “Sun Shower,” a Latin-oriented work with a long, superbly delineated solo by Cables, and a slightly chaotic finale by the leader.

Fortune is appearing through Sunday.