JAZZ REVIEW : East, West, Home’s Best for Marienthal and Sax

There was a big difference between Eric Marienthal’s appearance at Restaurant Kikuya on Saturday and other performances he’s done this year in South America, Europe, Asia and across the U.S.: There wasn’t much travel involved. “I live just down the road from here,” the saxophonist announced to an overflow crowd.

Though Marienthal plays on the international stage with his own groups and bands led by others, he still takes time to work small clubs when he’s back home in Orange County.

Saturday’s show with a quickly assembled backing trio was a relaxed, even loose affair that, despite its pickup-band nature, gave a fine accounting of the saxophonist’s skills.

Marienthal used a combination of standards, pop numbers and seasonal music to mirror his sound, a blend of bebop sensibility and contemporary jazz smarts.

The alto saxophonist moved through pop-oriented material such as Joe Zawinul’s “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy” at a bop-inspired, bump-along pace that made the most of the tunes’ simple themes and development.

On the other hand, even straight-ahead jazz material like Thelonious Monk’s “Straight, No Chaser” contained soulful pop-appeal.

Marienthal integrates these dual characteristics into a single, natural feel. He’ll grab you with an attractive pop riff then take you on a wild ride. Soulful, upper-register exclamations are followed by a cascade of notes in the style of Cannonball Adderley. A long, rhythmic line of the kind that Charlie Parker might admire climaxes with a blues twist or a tortured cry reminiscent of Hank Crawford.

Unlike many contemporary saxophonists, Marienthal has a good sense of his own sound. Where so many alto players have adopted the wheezing tone of David Sanborn, Marienthal manipulates his sound, adding gruffness here, round mellowness there.

He played with bright pointed tones on Sonny Rollins’ “St. Thomas.” But moments later, his sound was rich, full and glowing for “Body and Soul.” In between those tunes, he played “Feel Like Making Love” with sensual warmth.

Pianist Tom McMorran, working with Marienthal for the first time, also blended contemporary and mainstream styles. Despite the presence of a synthesizer atop his piano, McMorran stuck to the acoustic instrument during the first set, flying easily through a tune based on the changes of the bebop anthem “Confirmation,” adding a strong clave feel to his solo on a samba-paced “Fly Me to the Moon.” In the second set, during “Mercy, Mercy, Mercy,” he used the synthesizer only to provide atmospherics and a bit of rhythm play during the theme. But the electric keyboard stood center stage during McMorran’s get-down improvisation.

Drummer Bob Harson added strong, direct drumming of the sort more associated with rock than jazz. Still, he rolled heartily across the changes, often backed by heavy bass drum flourishes.

Despite a Buddy Miles-like attack, Harson didn’t ignore dynamics. He followed one particularly aggressive chorus exchange with a subtle combination of ticks and taps against rims, stands and cymbals.

Bassist Don Velasquez, who between sets recalled hearing a teenage Marienthal play, was an emergency substitute, sitting in on the first show until the saxophonist’s regular bassist, Vail Johnson, could make it in from a job playing for a Christmas pageant at a Downey church.

Vail, who toured earlier this year with Herbie Hancock and Lalah Hathaway, turned up the funk a good notch during the second set, even adding heavy thumb pounds and bottom-hugging riffs to a beat-minded version of “Silent Night.”