JAZZ REVIEW : Benny Carter Is His Own Best Birthday Present at Bash

Listen to saxophonist Benny Carter on recordings made some 65 years ago and you’ll recognize the seeds of his sound. The lithe and graceful phrasing that marks his work is there to be heard, as well as the elegant sophistication that has been at the heart of his play for more than half a century.

Carter’s style, always bright and shining, is more polished today. Before a sold-out house Wednesday at the Jazz Bakery, the beginning of a five-day stint that marks his 88th birthday, Carter played alto with all the smart, stylish qualities for which he is treasured in the jazz community. Anyone who thought his presentation may have diminished with age was quickly proven wrong. Indeed, there were moments when his performance was surprisingly muscular.

The saxophonist brought playful touches to every song. He rushed ahead of the theme to “Misty,” tagging each line with fluttering embellishment. Playing “On Green Dolphin Street,” he characteristically slid sustained tones into perfect position as he increased their volume, then applied an accelerating vibrato. On “Just Friends,” his phrases resembled dance moves, with long gliding strides followed by light-footed steps on tip-toe or soaring leaps.

Above all, Carter enjoyed himself, nodding and smiling to the detailed, heavily flourished improvisations from pianist Roger Kellaway, the solid bass walk from John Heard and the percussive embellishments from drummer Sherman Ferguson. He joked with the audience, occasionally mugging wide-eyed at the end of a solo or a humorous echo sounded on the piano.

The second set was turned over to reminiscences and visits from friends. Phil Sobel’s saxophone quartet opened with a performance that recalled Carter’s innovative arranging for sax sections (although the group offered none of the honoree’s music). Buddy Collette was called from the audience to play flute with Carter and company, as were saxophonist Mel Martin and vocalists Joe Williams and Bill Henderson. Ruth Price sang Carter’s “Only Trust Your Heart,” a tune the quartet had performed in the first set.

But that was the only Carter composition aired during the evening, albeit twice. More of his compositions, such as “When Lights Are Low,” “Easy Money” or a host of others, would have been highly appropriate. That shortcoming aside, Carter’s appearance, a fund-raiser for the Jazz Bakery and radio station KLON-FM, was a memorable one, a look back through time that served to remind us of the timelessness of jazz.

* Benny Carter appears tonight through Sunday at the Jazz Bakery, 3233 Helms Ave., Culver City, 8.30 p.m. $20. Information: (310) 271-9039).