JAZZ REVIEWS : A Fusion Fix From Ex-Crusader Stix Hooper

Former Crusaders drummer Stix Hooper is right out of the “What ever happened to . . . ?” category. Once a highly visible presence in the jazz-funk world, Hooper has been a stranger to U.S. stages, let alone the Southern California scene.

But Hooper is alive and well--writing, producing (such performers as Ernestine Anderson) and playing in Japan and Europe, if not often here on his home turf. His first set Saturday at Randell’s with his new band was vintage Hooper, filled with involved ballads and funky beats, inventive drumming and a willingness to let the spotlight shine on his sidemen. Anyone who thought the 56-year-old drummer would rest on his laurels was proved decidedly wrong.

Hooper delivered an energetic performance that touched upon his Crusaders days as well as highlighting his composing skills.

Working with bassist Del Atkins, guitarist Jim Hershman and Russian-born keyboardist Eugene Maslov, he delivered a varied yet accessible set that didn’t overly rely on backbeat to keep the audience interested.

The drummer made a point of highlighting Maslov, and for good reason. The keyboardist moved easily between electric and acoustic instruments (Hooper brought in a grand piano especially for this performance), adding color and tonal interest. Maslov imparted both funk and sensitivity to the set, while keeping the harmonic interest high.

During Phil Upchurch’s “The Name of the Game,” he played the electric keys in a straight-ahead style, then switched to the grand for percussive effects. He played the theme of Hooper’s ballad “Elegant Evening” with bell-like synthesizer tones before weaving strings of glistening notes on the acoustic.

All this switching back and forth on keyboards gave the set harmonic depth while creating a sound that seemed to come from more than four men. Hershman and Atkins contributed to this palette, playing different guitars and basses as appropriate to the feel of the music.

On Hooper’s “Rum or Tequila,” Atkins broke out what appeared to be an oversized guitar, actually the Ovation acoustic bass, which he used to solo melodically and with a slight Spanish flare. On his own ballad, “And So It Is,” Atkins delivered a funky, thumb-plucked electric solo that wasn’t overly dependent on the usual finger snap and thumb pounds.

Hershman gave a moody, acoustic improvisation on Hooper’s “Sweet, Gentle Love” and an impressive electric display on an up-tempo rendition of the standard “I Get a Kick Out of You.” That Cole Porter tune, played furiously, was a surprising showcase for Hooper, whose reputation is that of a funk drummer.

Burning away on his ride cymbal behind the other band members, he added splashy accents and detailed tom-tom runs over the changes. While trading measures with Maslov near the tune’s close, Hooper developed snare and cymbal passages that cleverly suggested the tune’s melody before dissolving into a flurry of tom-tom phrases.

A long, unaccompanied improvisation at the end of the set found Hooper developing color from his drum kit while playing with mallets. Shimmering cymbal rolls and tribal tom-tom passages developed around a single snare strike coming at regular intervals. Then, switching to sticks, he flashed across his hi-hat cymbal in lightning-like style before closing with a thunderclap from the skins.

The attraction of Hooper’s set was its variety: funky yet tasteful, accessible here, challenging there and dressed with constant shifts between electric and acoustic sounds.

Hooper’s is a true crossover band, one that should attract both fusion and mainstream jazz fans. Some record company would do well to catch this band and bring Hooper back to the light of day here in his own country.