Jazz Reviews : Newport Stars Travel Yet Are Stuck in Time

The much-vaunted cross-generational appeal of the Newport Jazz Festival on Tour--11 musicians with a 50-year age gap between the oldest and the youngest--only went so far Sunday when it rolled into the Irvine Barclay Theatre.

Despite the relative youth of its rhythm section, the band seemed unable to pursue the history of jazz beyond 1960.

But that left plenty of history to explore, and the group, carrying the name of the celebrated 40-year-old Rhode Island event, did just that in mix-and-match sessions that stretched from the entire lineup down to a guitar-trumpet duo.

With tunes dedicated to several of the greats whom the festival has hosted over the years, including Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Thelonious Monk and Duke Ellington, the show concentrated on music from the be-bop, post-bop and late swing periods, and did so in excellent fashion.

The tone of the performance was established with the group’s opening number--Clifford Brown’s “Blues Walk.” Considering the caliber of the participating musicians, all with established solo careers, you might expect some ego battles and at least a bit of instrumental one-upmanship.

But as the seven front-line players traded solos, it became apparent that rather than trying to outdo one another, each would use his improvisational space to establish his own voice and style.

After the tightly executed theme, each member was given time to make his mark. Trombonist Urbie Green slipped and slid through burnished tones. Saxophonist Red Holloway provided a little raunch ‘n’ roll in his R&B-flavored; attack. Harry (Sweets) Edison cooed and waxed melodic on the trumpet. Band director Jon Faddis hit ear-splitting high notes at volumes that required no additional amplification for his trumpet. And so on.

Edison was the apparent favorite of the capacity crowd, playing muted trumpet on “I Wish I Knew Someone to Love Me” and later swinging with aplomb through “Moten Swing” with saxophonist Lew Tabackin. As the oldest member of the band, Edison had no trouble fitting in with the young rhythm section, giving credence to the notion that jazz truly is a common language.

Trombonist Green, clarinetist Bill Easley and cornetist Warren Vache combined to honor Louis Armstrong on “Struttin’ With Some Barbecue.” Vache and guitarist Howard Alden paired for two Cole Porter tunes from the film “High Society” (the 1956 movie that featured Armstrong), in one of the afternoon’s most sensitive presentations. Holloway, on alto, recalled Charlie Parker with his reading of “Lover Man.” The entire group gathered again for Ellington’s “Take the ‘A’ Train.”

The quieter numbers were the most winning. Green reminisced about Billie Holiday before playing a touching rendition of “You’ve Changed.” Guitarist Alden teamed with drummer Lewis Nash and bassist Peter Washington for two Billy Strayhorn tunes--”Blood Count” and “Upper Manhattan Medical Group”--both done in revealing though sometimes plodding fashion. Faddis and Alden got cheers for their duo presentation of Thad Jones’ “A Child Is Born.”

*

The most modern tunes weren’t really modern at all, dating back as they did some 30 and 40 years. Pianist Mike LeDonne gave a very un-Thelonious-like presentation of Monk’s “Pannonica” and “Rhythm-A-Ning.” Smoothing out Monk’s histrionics, LeDonne gave a winning lyrical treatment to the tunes, one that brought out their timeliness rather than the eclectic personality of its composer.

The seamless feel of the program, despite the variety of styles and tempos, can be credited to the ensemble’s rhythm section, which was able to provide sterling support no matter the format.

Surprisingly, Washington, Nash, LeDonne and Alden marked the lower end of the group’s age spread yet played with the most utility. Nash was particularly astounding, adding beautifully inventive drum solos to both ballads and swingers.

Although there was little revelatory during the two-hour show, the Newport Jazz Festival on Tour served as a reminder that jazz transcends time and style. But it also is a living, evolving art form, and it is that aspect that this band seemed to overlook.