JAZZ REVIEW : Party Features All the Standard Favors

Bring 16 top musicians together for unrehearsed mix-andmatch jam sessions and you should expect massive ego clashes and a fair amount of chaos, not to mention uncountable versions of “Body and Soul.”

Yet Friday’s opening night of the West Coast Jazz Party at the Irvine Marriott saw none of that.

The 16 participating musicians, plus headliners Terry Gibbs and Buddy DeFranco’s Kings of Swing band, made for a harmonious gathering that was rooted in the common language of jazz: the standard.

By the time Gibbs and DeFranco took the stage to pay tribute to Benny Goodman just before midnight, the audience of 250 or so had been treated to more than a few war horses, including “I Remember April,” “You Don’t Know What Love Is,” “On Green Dolphin Street,” and “My One and Only Love.” But the five-hour show was not as predictable as those titles suggest. Ambitious solos, spurred perhaps by the competitive presence of so many established players, kept the party jumping.

While discerning ears usually prefer working bands, whose ongoing associations help them develop tightness and interplay, the five jam sessions that made up the bulk of the evening showed the value of spontaneity and the collective consciousness shared by jazz musicians. Here, the standard becomes like the much-told tale of an oral tradition. The soloist, like the storyteller, deals within familiar frameworks, yet injects his own individual style. The success of Friday’s jazz party underscored the role of standard material and just how important the jam session is to an art form based on improvisation.

Opening the show, trumpeter Jack Sheldon and saxophonist Red Holloway made quick impressions with confidently supple play. Holloway was especially fluid, racing through be-bop-flavored lines with assured ease, adding bluesy touches and occasional tonal color for good measure. He filled “You Don’t Know What Love Is” with crying, R & B-styled lines, the kind of earthy approach that contrasted nicely with his more sophisticated bop stylings.

Sheldon, though not as smooth as Holloway, played with fleet flourishes and melodic grace, capitalizing on the same fine sense of timing that distinguishes his vocals.

But the real heroes of the first set were in the rhythm section. Keyboardist Tom Ranier, bassist John Leitham and drummer Grady Tate came together in a way that carried tunes, notably “Stella,” on broad-shouldered support. Leitham was especially muscular, his sound deep, resonant and sometimes filled with modulation.

The group danced through Sonny Rollins’ “St. Thomas,” bringing both urban swing and a Caribbean feel to the popular number. Tate put down his sticks to solo with his bare hands, leading Holloway to call for a rim shot from the bare-knuckled percussionist.

A septet led by flutist Holly Hofmann that included trombonist Bill Watrous, tenor saxophonist Rickey Woodard and guitarist Ron Eschete brought orchestral interest to “Perdido,” among others. Hofmann’s swirling flute sounds blended well with Watrous’ burnished tone, though he was somewhat hampered by less-than-revealing amplification.

Eschete’s rhythmic pulse opened doors for pianist Paul Smith, who turned in playful references and clever embellishments, all delivered in a thoughtful, spare manner.

Eschete stuck around to play with fellow guitarist George Van Eps, the 82-year-old seven-string guitar pioneer and Huntington Beach resident who rarely performs in public these days. Van Eps’ wise chordal ways, supported by Eschete, bassist Luther Hughes and drummer Jake Hanna, developed both melodic and harmonic interest as he coaxed an almost orchestral sound from his instrument. Following his chord progressions in such numbers as “A Foggy Day in London Town” made for the evening’s most enjoyable, yet quiet, pleasures.

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A sextet led by fluegelhornist Stacy Rowles was also of interest, with a front line that included Holloway and trombonist Urbie Green. Pianist Roger Kellaway played a central role in this ensemble’s sound, adding asides and harmonic twists behind the soloists, making his own improvisation romp with playful abandon. Rowles sang Ray Noble’s “Do You Know Why the Stars Come Out at Night?” in cool, expressive tones that provided a needed break in the instrumental deluge.

Trombonist Watrous returned to lead a promising band with Sheldon, Woodard and Kellaway, but the excitement they had each generated earlier failed to materialize during the set. Maybe it was the lateness of the hour, but most of the fun here came between tunes in the form of quips exchanged by Sheldon and Watrous before the two split vocal duties on Victor Herbert’s “Indian Summer.”

The only working band to appear, the Gibbs-DeFranco collaboration dubbed The Kings of Swing, paid tribute to Benny Goodman with a selection of songs made popular by the late clarinetist. Their closing set, Gibbs pointed out, also paid homage to the work of vibist Lionel Hampton, who defined the vibraphone as a swing instrument beginning in the ‘40s.

But while Gibbs and DeFranco focused on Goodman’s music, their play, especially during improvisation, reflected their ties to be-bop rather than swing. “Seven Comes Eleven” featured DeFranco’s soaring clarinet in a style that more recalled saxophonist Charlie Parker than Goodman. Even during the ballad “Memories of You,” DeFranco filled his solo with the kind of insistent runs and long phrasing that reflects his bop leanings.

Gibbs too played from his own roots. His rippling solo on “After You’ve Gone” was a sprint through the changes that rang in the mind long after the concert was over.

* The West Coast Jazz Party continues today, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Irvine Marriott, 18000 Von Karman Ave., Irvine. Reserved seating, $30-$50. (714) 798-3320 .