JAZZ REVIEW : Echoes of Ellington at Hollywood Bowl

The Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, headlining Wednesday at the Hollywood Bowl, offered an opportunity to hear some of New York’s outstanding musicians in a program dedicated to the music of Duke Ellington.

The concept of a repertory ensemble, given over to the preservation of classic jazz works, is a logical one. However, this group’s ongoing use of Ellingtonia belies the fact that the Ellington band itself is still very much around. The Lincoln Center unit even includes a few men who worked for Duke and/or Mercer Ellington as well as others still with Mercer.

In any event, what this orchestra re-creates best is the ensemble sound. Conducted by David Berger, the readings of “Harlem Airshaft,” “Echoes of Harlem” and other works of the 1930s and 1940s showed commendable accuracy.

As for the solos, the best we could hope for was a reasonable simulation of the work of great Ellington band members. Sometimes it happened, with Lew Soloff in the Cootie Williams role on trumpet, Joe Temperley reminding us of Harry Carney’s baritone sax and Art Baron reliving the growl trombone of Tricky Sam Nanton. All offered reasonable reflections of their role models.

But Norris Tourney on alto left it painfully clear that there will never be another Johnny Hodges. Also, Marcus Roberts, playing the Ellington piano movement in “Deep South Suite,” didn’t quite capture the Duke’s unique keyboard personality. Earlier, Roberts also played a stiff salute to Jelly Roll Morton.

In his fine opening set, saxophonist Joe Henderson played the best improvised music of the evening, involving no attempts at reinterpretation, supported by the brilliant, gently persuasive Renee Rosnes q on piano, George Mraz on bass and Al Foster on drums.

The Dave Brubeck Quartet keeps rolling along with the same sidemen and repertoire it has used for years--with one bright exception, the blues-leaning “River Stay Away From My Door.” The set featured echoplex multiphonic effects by clarinetist Bill Smith and a guest appearance by Brubeck’s youngest son Matthew, who played bowed cello in a pleasantly formal style.