POP AND JAZZ REVIEWS : Coltrane’s Guitar Debut Falls Short

Oran Coltrane should have known better. Though most know him as an up-and-coming saxophonist, Oran chose this year’s edition of the John Coltrane Festival for the Creative Arts to debut as a guitar player.

He led a six-piece, beat-minded ensemble in a trio of tunes that were well-received despite themeless meanderings heavy with the aspiring guitarist’s hesitant, Vernon Reid-inspired noodling. Twice Saturday at the Wiltern Theatre, he was badly upstaged by the group’s second guitarist, Cesar Mateus.

So when headliner Carlos Santana invited him back on the stage to jam, the son of the revered saxophonist should have demurred. Instead, he invited unfavorable comparisons.

Working on a funk-based number that Michel Legrand and Miles Davis concocted for the soundtrack to the 1991 film “Dingo,” Coltrane seemed unable to get his guitar in tune. Then, when Santana graciously handed over his own instrument, Coltrane showed a brief flash of command before dribbling away into silence.

Other members of the family fared better. Alice Coltrane, the widow of the festival’s namesake, presented a moody, heavily ornamented solo piano piece that moved hypnotically from one emotion to the next. Vocalist Miki Coltrane sang her father’s “Moment’s Notice” with direct, sometimes complex tones that often lagged a tantalizing step behind the beat.

Her supporting crew--pianist Kenny Kirkland, bassist Nedra Wheeler, drummer Jeff (Tain) Watts and trumpeter Sal Marquez--provided the evening’s most engaging musical moments, both in support of the vocalist and during an instrumental.

Bombay, India-based Sairam Iyer added this year’s eclectic touch, singing devotional Hindi tunes, one a rich tenor, the other a feminine-styled falsetto that was startling in its clarity.

Boptet, winners of this year’s Young Musicians and Artist competition, featured drummer Trevor Lawrence and saxophonist Phil Vieux in a strong neo-bop outing, while the winner of the young adult division, 13-year-old pianist Tunu Hood, showed admirable command of the basics with selections from Charlie Parker and Scott Joplin.