JAZZ REVIEW : Redman Shows the Father Can Play as Well as the Son

Dewey Redman, the tenor saxophonist who opened Tuesday at Catalina Bar & Grill, exemplifies a phenomenon very rare in jazz: a first-generation musician who finds renewed prominence on the strength of his son’s accomplishments.

Though it is most unlikely that the senior Redman would have been booked for this engagement had his 24-year-old son Joshua not scored a surprise hit in the same venue a few months ago, Dewey Redman has a splendid track record of his own. It includes seven years with Ornette Coleman and stints with Charlie Haden as well as with his own group Old and New Dreams.

Redman’s power lies in his versatility. During a set composed of ultra-long excursions, he moved from an early be-bop tune, “Half Nelson,” to a pop standard, “Everything Happens to Me,” followed by a ferocious examination of what sounded like the avant-garde scene circa 1960. It was typical of Redman’s unpredictability that he shifted gears from this experimental foray into “Take the A-Train.”

Redman’s ability to idiom-hop might be characterized as a two-edged sword, since the fits and starts of his Ornettish interludes seem somewhat out of kilter with his warmer moments, in which his sound evokes memories of such pioneers as Don Byas.

In fact, it is an ironic truth that Joshua Redman, at this early stage of his career, displays more consistent maturity than his father. Of course, consistency is not what Dewey Redman has in mind.

The accompanying group meets the challenge of his daring moods, with Kenny Kirkland outstanding on piano, Cameron Brown a fiery bass virtuoso, and the ubiquitous Ralph Penland on drums.

* Dewey Redman Quartet at Catalina Bar & Grill, 1640 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. (213) 466-2210. 9 p.m. and 11 p.m. through Sunday. $12 door charge ($15 Saturday), plus two drink minimum.