JAZZ REVIEWS : At OCPAC, Haden Misses, Hargrove Hits : Both look to the past for material and reveal the different vistas a historical view can take.

For inspiration these days, jazz seems to look back rather than forward. Saturday’s pairing at the Orange County Performing Arts Center of bassist Charlie Haden’s Quartet West and trumpeter Roy Hargrove’s quintet was typical of this hindsight, and revealed the different vistas a historical view can take in.

While thoroughly modern in its presentation, Haden’s quartet (with pianist Alan Broadbent, saxophonist Ernie Watts and drummer Larance Marable) seeks to evoke the romance of bygone Los Angeles with romantic ballads, be-bop tunes and numbers influenced by Hollywood film noir and the writings of Raymond Chandler.

In a set that closely followed those they played last summer at the Hyatt Newporter-KLON-FM Jazz at the Hyatt series (when saxophonist Bennie Maupin substituted for Watts) and last fall at Pasadena’s Ambassador Auditorium, Haden and company succeeded in creating the aura of the period but failed to generate much excitement inside that context.

After opening with Charlie Parker’s upbeat exercise “Passport,” the group turned to a trio of Haden’s own tunes designed to cast the gray shadows of black-and-white films, embellished with audible touches of art deco. The lyricism of “Hello My Lovely” (and as a craftsman of simple beauty, composer Haden has few peers) was embraced by Broadbent, who spun an unaccompanied introduction rich in classically detailed lines and ascending flourishes before moving into a warm improvisational excursion backed by bass and drums.

Watts’ high-strung tenor statements stood, as they did all night, in energetic contrast to Broadbent’s lush, relaxed sound. The saxophonist mixed sheets tightly packed 16th notes with exclamatory squeals and pointed, high-end bursts that brought an edge to the Chandler-inspired number. This contrast in personalities--Broadbent’s romance and Watts’ on-the-edge rants--is one of the quartet’s strongest features.

During Haden’s Latin-flavored romp “Child’s Play,” drummer Marable proved once again that he is a master of shade and color, coaxing a galaxy of sound from his three cymbals while working strongly on the beat with snare and tom-toms. At one point he generated a pair of deep pitches from his single bass drum, creating a call-and-response exchange perfect in its simplicity.

Haden--set far back from the rest of the group, behind tall plastic shields designed to protect his hearing--soloed less frequently than in previous performances, and to less advantage.

His usual folk-song-based improvisations, though melodic as ever, seemed uninspired, and during the solo on his signature “First Song,” he plodded heavily behind the beat. But his walking pace in accompaniment was, as always, firm, active and filled with imaginative twists.

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In the opening set, trumpeter Hargrove’s quintet concentrated on the post-bop heydays of the ‘60s, bringing all the drive and excitement of the period but a thoroughly modern improvisational stance.

Hargrove, who looks to the entire history of jazz for fodder, avoided too wide a view here, foregoing New Orleans-influenced material of the type he aired last summer at the Playboy Jazz Festival. The narrower focus paid off in high excitement.

Re-creating the classic Blue Note period blend of trumpet and sax with tenor player Ron Blake, Hargrove’s own material added quirks and twists to the tradition of Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, Kenny Dorham and Horace Silver.

During his new “Soppin’ the Biscuit,” a paean to the jazz-funk tradition established by pianist Silver, Hargrove took full advantage of the infectious rhythm with hard-bop lines that threatened to take the roof off staid Segerstrom Hall. His attack was insistent and pointed in the style of ‘60s-edition Miles Davis but was delivered with a strength and polish that Davis eschewed.

He showed his warm side playing fluegelhorn on “Once Forgotten” by Pamela Watson (wife of saxophonist Bobby Watson), a thoughtful ballad that moved to a rhythmic sashay. Hargrove’s strongest statement on fluegel came during “Never Let Me Go” when he explored the standard’s melody in an unaccompanied introduction. The number also found bassist Rodney Whitaker--a standout throughout the performance--using his bow to hone melodic phrases that barely touched at the familiar theme.

While Haden’s group emphasized individual performers, Hargrove’s quintet looked to interplay for its strength. Bassist Whitaker and drummer Gregory Hutchinson seemed particularly attuned, echoing each other’s lines while buttressing the work of the horns. Pianist Peter Martin shone both in accompaniment and while improvising. His sinister left-hand boogie during “The Biscuit” made for one of the evening’s most intense moments.