POP AND JAZZ REVIEWS : L.A. Society Tribute a Show of Excellence

Dedicated to the memory of Teri Merrill Aarons, the Los Angeles Jazz Society’s founder and president who died last month, the Society’s 11th annual tribute and awards concert at the Biltmore Bowl provided an evening of jazz and entertainment Sunday that showed how effectively her associates are carrying on the tradition she established.

The principal honoree was bassist Ray Brown, who not only won the Jazz Tribute Award, but was also inducted by the French government as a Chevalier des arts et des Lettres. Brown was introduced by emcee Chuck Niles, who was an award recipient himself this year as Jazz Communicator.

The most surprising and encouraging performance appeared early in the evening when pianist Linda Martinez accepted the Shelly Manne Memorial New Talent Award. Only 17, the USC School of Music student displayed an astonishing maturity in three numbers that span mainstream, bop and blues.

Woody James, winner of the Jazz Educator Award, is well known locally as a teacher and leader of bands at L.A. City College and Valley College. The composer-arranger award was presented by Gerald Wilson to Billy Byers. Singer Bill Henderson tendered the jazz vocalist prize to Lorez Alexandria.

Dorothy Donegan, after receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award, celebrated with a wild set that began at the piano but soon found her dancing around the room, leaving her bemused bassist, Nedra Wheeler, to take over the musical load.

The concert reached a heady climax when bassist John Clayton brought 25 other bass players to the stage to play one of his own compositions and one by Brown, who added his own long influential sound for this stunning finale.

Will this rate a place in the Guinness Book of World Records?