JAZZ REVIEW : Music Jumps All Over the Place

Any time two or more musicians get together, there’s a party. So imagine the mood Sunday when an estimated 300 musicians gathered at the Red Lion Inn for this year’s Orange County Musicians’ Festival, “Bash ’93.” With continuous music at five different locations in the hotel, the place, as they say, was jumping.

A crowd estimated by festival officials at 1,200 (in addition to the performers, all of whom donated their time) attended the 23rd annual Bash presented by the Orange County Musicians’ Club, an offshoot of Local No. 7 of the American Federation of Musicians. The event is a fund-raiser for the club’s financial assistance and scholarship programs. But it also gives a telling glimpse into the vitality of the local music scene.

This year’s Bash offered a diverse sampling of styles: big band jazz, mainstream jazz, fusion, Latin, Dixieland and even a room for classically minded brass quintets and string ensembles. Throw in some R & B groups, a slew of vocalists and a steel-drum orchestra and one could have gone dizzy trying to see it all.

The event also reflected the professionalism of the participants and organizers. With up to 11 different groups appearing in one of five locations over a 10-hour period, the festival ran surprisingly smoothly, with only minor variations from the detailed printed program.

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The busiest participants had plenty of opportunity to demonstrate their versatility.

Trombonist Mike Fahn, after working with trumpeter Joe Nappa’s contemporary-styled band in the lobby lounge, stuck around to lead his own hard bop combo, then jumped downstairs to play with Jack Sheldon’s Orchestra.

Ernie Nunez played electric bass with Nappa, then upright with the swing big band led by Tracy Wells. Saxophonist Kim Richmond, who took a nice soprano solo with the Wells band on Charlie Barnet’s “Pompton’s Turnpike,” then went across the hall to play alto in guitarist Bobby Redfield’s Latin combo. Not surprisingly, the bassist in Redfield’s band was Nunez.

The largest crowds were drawn to the big-band room, where groups alternated between two stages while dancers filled the floor. Trumpeter Sheldon, honored as this year’s grand marshal, drew the largest audience, with fans pressing close to the stage just as in the great days of swing.

Sheldon and his orchestra, directed by saxophonist Tom Kubis, didn’t disappoint. The trumpeter seems to revel in the big-band setting and his playing in this milieu is some of the most exuberant to be heard.

Even though his voice is not the kind of warm instrument possessed by Mathis or Sinatra, Sheldon is an engaging vocalist, masterly in his control and pacing.

He opened in upbeat style with his own “Yo Mama,” a slightly ribald blues, that featured an attractively swinging introduction from pianist Brian O’Rourke and an insistent tenor solo from Kubis. Switching to fluegelhorn for “The Girl I Love,” Sheldon showed sensitivity and melodic skills with a warm, breathy tone.

Other highlights, culled from the late afternoon, early evening sessions: Nappa’s quintet with saxophonist Rick Boyer explored Tadd Dameron’s “Hot House” in the spacious lobby lounge, marked by its leader’s aggressive fluegelhorn work.

Local No. 7 President Frank Amoss worked up strong rhythms on piano while introducing “Sweet Georgia Brown” as a pair of Generation X bobby-soxers cleared the dance floor with their athletic jitter-bugging.

Pianist Jack Reidling, teaming with bassist Putter Smith and drummer Gordon Peeke showed chordal smarts and a serious sense of depth as he played from the Billy Strayhorn book.

Vocalist Karen Gallinger, certainly the most vivacious performer of the day, joined the trio for a theatrical treatment of “Makin’ Whoopee” before singing the bossa nova-paced “In Summer” with deep tones reminiscent of Sarah Vaughan.

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Singer Yve Evans pulled a long stint at the keyboard in the lobby lounge, putting her clear, clean tones to such standards as “Here’s That Rainy Day” and “I’m Beginning to See the Light.” Evans, a pleasantly spontaneous performer with a sense of humor, cleared her voice coyly each time she came to the last word in the title of “The Lady Is a Tramp.”

Also in the lobby lounge, Tom Bevan’s guitar work with the Nappa band during his own “Blues for Wes” and Montgomery’s “Road Song” honored the late-great guitarist without aping him. Alternating between slide and valve trombone, Mike Fahn delivered beautiful improvisations notable for their tone and wealth of ideas.

In the nearby Dixieland Room, pocket trumpeter Al Reiman of the Dixie Six worked up Louis Armstrong’s gravelly tones while singing “What a Wonderful World.”

The day’s most pleasantly rhythmic set came from guitarist Redfield, whose Latin-minded combo was buttressed by beat-minded pianist Liz Kinnon and saxophonist Richmond. Redfield’s own sound was a mix of quickly cut strings of notes, emphasized with percussive-like chording. The group appealed equally to the libido and intellect on “The Orange St. Mambo.”

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Pianist Mark Davidson’s set had some of the feel of a rehearsal session, while revealing Davidson as in-touch composer with an introspective style that, at times, recalls Bill Evans. The pianist varied his play on “The Shadow of Your Smile “ with passages from Santana’s “Evil Ways.”

Bopsicle, bassist Jack Prather’s group that pays tribute to the jazz styles and personalities of the last 45 years, added Supersax tenor man Jay Migliori to an already strong lineup including guitarist Mark Waggoner, trumpeter Ron Stout, drummer Paul Kreibich and vocalist Stephanie Haynes.

Fittingly, the group’s attention was on Dizzy Gillespie this night, with a medley of Gillespie favorites and Prather’s “Dizzy’s So Dizzy.” Stout and Migliori worked well together, while Haynes’ vocal combinations with Prather and, at one point, Stout, were particularly pleasing.