POP MUSIC REVIEW : Finely Tuned Packaging Carries Tesh at the Greek

John Tesh’s program at the Greek Theatre on Sunday was a coolly calculated example of entertainment packaging. Precisely focused on the “Entertainment Tonight” anchor’s easygoing, warm-voiced television persona, the show was designed to draw maximum value from his high visibility.

And since the pianist-composer is almost as immobile on stage as he is on television, the production was choreographed to surround him with the illusion of activity and excitement. With a bank of strings and percussion as backdrop, two guitarists, a bassist, a saxophonist and assorted others were constantly trotting across the stage, striking poses with each other and Tesh, and generally providing energy and color for the headliner’s wooden movements.

As entertainment, it worked brilliantly, and the full-house crowd loved every minute.

As music, it was as fascinating as a noisy freeway. Tesh has two principal methods of composition. The first is to establish a rhythmic pattern, lay a simple melody over it, and mercilessly repeat both at high volume until the listener’s brain turns into submissive jelly. The second is to build rudimentary “tunes” out of repetitious four-bar phrases and thickly chorded riffs--and produce more brain jelly.

Tesh’s piano playing, based on the apparent belief that every note must be struck like a hammer, was no better. Fortunately, he left most of the improvisations to such excellent side players as violinist Charlie Bisharat and guitarist Wayne Johnson.