JAZZ REVIEW : A Music Party That Can’t Wait to Start

Though it got off to a slow start attendance-wise, Saturday’s edition of the Dana Point Jazz Festival, held on the patio of Renaissance at the Dana Point Cafe, turned out to be one great party before the afternoon was over. And while the crowd showed up fashionably late, the music, led by Jeff Gonzales’ trio, was right on time.

Blame the early starting hour (11 a.m.) or the weather (cool and overcast) for the sparse audience during Gonzales’ opening sets. Whatever the reason, it didn’t prevent the soprano saxophonist from making his own good time.

Gonzales, a onetime Laguna Beach resident who recently relocated to Hollywood, is a tonally astute player who works with a rich, round sound. There was nothing too ambitious about the material he played, but hey, this was a party, and Gonzales’ contemporary-slanted, R&B-influenced; tunes were just the ticket.

The relaxed beat of Grover Washington’s “Let It Float,” from Washington’s big-selling “Winelight” album, gave Gonzales a chance to demonstrate what he does best: construct simple, lyrical statements from golden, airy tones. An admirer of Wayne Shorter’s soprano sound, Gonzales let each note hang gently over the glossy support from keyboardist Hans Zermuehlen and drummer Jim Loftus. His phrases were smooth and unhurried, letting each note make an impression.

The pace picked up with Gonzales’ own “This Summer,” but the emphasis remained on tonal quality, even as the saxophonist moved through flurries of notes. The threesome took a more aggressive posture on an untitled blues, with Gonzales bending tones and applying a rough edge to notes struck in the upper register. The saxophonist’s sound was particularly soft and airy during Zermuehlen’s “If You Say Yes,” a romantic exercise that brought out Gonzales’ melodic side.

Zermuehlen, whose credits include guitarist Frank Gambale, the band Air Supply and a 1993 tour with Cher, filled both keyboard and bass roles, adding bottom end with his left hand and ringing, electric accompaniment with his right. Loftus played it straight, keeping even times without the distraction of flashy embellishment.

By the time saxophonist Greg Vail and his band TBA came on at 3:30 p.m., the crowd had swelled to decent size and was ready to get down with the animated saxophonist, whose new album “E-Motion” is already breaking into Top 20 radio charts. Vail gave a decidedly more assertive performance than Gonzales, with strong beats, dynamic saxophone solos and funky, thumb-pounded bass solos.

Again there was little demanding music here. Instead, Vail and his backing trio, with keyboardist Rob Mullins, provided the kind of tunes that get people clapping their hands in time and moving to the groove.

Vail mixed up his program with a funky rendition of Herbie Hancock’s “Cantaloupe Island” and a beat-minded version of the standard “Fly Me to the Moon” before moving into material from the new album. The saxophonist, though not as demonstrative as Dave Koz or Richard Elliot, paced and strutted, playing in a direct cocky style. During Stevie Wonder’s “Isn’t She Lovely?” he jumped off the stage with his alto and moved through the crowd, disappearing for a time into the restaurant as he continued to play.

Vail’s soprano sound may not be as full as Gonzales’, but his tenor tones are hearty and robust, the perfect match for the pop-minded sound he embraces. Mullins accompanied perfectly with funky riffs and asides, and contributed solos filled with dynamic blues and shout touches.

Bassist Larry Antonino, currently working with the Crusaders, delivered strong backbeat and tough, double-time soloing. The most musical member of the group was Boz Scaggs’ veteran Brian Zsupnik, whose involved time-keeping and exchanges brought the music up a solid notch.

The Dana Point Jazz Festival, which opened Friday with an appearance from guitarist Bobby Redfield and vocalist Stephanie Haynes, was scheduled to continue Saturday evening with bassist Max Bennett and the Maxx Band, and Sunday with violinist Jammi Szmadzinski, Native Vibe with Nee Sackey and Bill MacPherson, and vocalist Dee Dee McNeil.