All-Stars Make ‘30s Sounds Come Alive

The House of Blues appearance Thursday by the Kansas City All-Stars, a 13-piece band composed mainly of musicians seen and heard in Robert Altman’s recent jazz-rooted movie “Kansas City,” was a remarkable event on two counts.

It astounding to see a group of players, many still in their 20s and 30s, come together to wholeheartedly embrace music written more than 60 years ago. Equally astounding was the incredible reception that the 1930s music received from an audience every bit as youthful as its players.

The ensemble’s appearance as part of the three-group Verve JazzFest proved just how durable, and attractive, tunes written during jazz’s adolescence by Bennie and Buster Moten, Mary Lou Williams, William “Count” Basie and others continue to be. And the All-Stars, directed by trumpeter Steven Bernstein (who was associate producer under Hal Willner for the movie’s soundtrack), brought an unusual amount of freshness to the grandfatherly material, injecting their own strong personalities into each improvisation while playing ensemble passages with swinging enthusiasm.

Though a handful of the group’s headliners--saxophonist James Carter, bassist Christian McBride and vocalist Kevin Mahogany--were not present at the House of Blues (they’re scheduled to join the 19-city tour later), the band was still packed with standouts.

Alto saxophonist David (Fathead) Newman, at 63 the most senior member of the ensemble, developed deep bluesy emotion as he soloed, contrasting starkly with the post-bop style of fellow alto player Jesse Davis. Tenor saxophonist Craig Handy, seen recently in Southern California with the Mingus Big Band, echoed the intriguing play of Joe Henderson, whose trio preceded the Kansas City ensemble. The most roots-minded of the players were 23-year-old trumpeter and New Orleans product Nicholas Payton, whose sheer exuberance made his every solo soar, and rollicking pianist Henry Butler, who matched moments of barrelhouse slapstick with passages of technical brilliance.

Don Byron, whose free-thinking explorations of the klezmer tradition and the music of Mickey Katz have shown him willing to transcend musical time and space, played clarinet with his characteristic quirks and voicings. Guitarist Kevin Whitfield, who accompanied with a fine, Charlie Christan pulse, soloed on “Froggy Bottom” in thoroughly modern style. Only San Francisco-based saxophonist Peter Apfelbaum (who was sitting in for Carter) seemed uncomfortable retro-fitting his ‘90s musical style into selections from the ‘30s.

The most modern-sounding piece presented was Coleman Hawkins’ “Queer Notion” (arranged by Handy), with its muted trumpet harmonies and aggressive solos from Byron and Butler. Without the predictable beat and period feel of the other pieces, “Queer Notion” sounded as if it could have been written only yesterday.