No Bowl, but Quartet Still Serves Up Its Best

If things had turned out differently, the L.A. Jazz Quartet would have appeared Sunday at the Playboy Jazz Festival before 18,000 people at the Hollywood Bowl. The quartet had come just this close to winning the 1996 Cognac Hennessey Jazz Search, with a first prize of the opening spot at the fest.

Instead, the quartet had to be content playing to a less-than-capacity crowd Friday at Steamers Cafe here. (Winners of the jazz search, pianist Mike Holober’s quartet from New York, tuned up for their Bowl appearance by playing Steamers on Saturday.)

If the group harbored any disappointment about their near-win, it didn’t show from the Steamers bandstand. The guitar, sax, bass and drums combo proved their worth during a first set of finely tuned original material.

The L.A. Jazz Quartet is a composer’s band and all of its members contribute. Their sound is out of the West Coast cool tradition, with the guitar of Larry Koonse giving the band its laid-back feel.

But the relaxed moods can be deceiving. The lush, sometimes unusual harmonic support Koonse creates behind saxophonist Chuck Manning’s detail-oriented improvisations lends the music an inviting depth. And Manning’s quiet way with the tenor doesn’t keep him from expressing passion or intelligence.

Even drummer Kevin Tullius metes out polyrhythms with distinct understatement. Bassist Darek Oles, now frequently on tour with pianist Brad Mehldau’s trio, is a particularly responsive player who solos with an attractively lyrical style. In short, the sounds and styles of the members make for a tailor-made fit.

Manning’s tenor seemed to float above Koonse’s atmospheric chords during the introduction of Tullius’ “Session With Garrin,” before drums and bass jumped in to swing. The mid-tempo cool of Oles’ “Ze Bonita Blues” featured Manning improvising in sophisticated style without backing from the guitar.

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More frequently, guitarist Koonse served as Manning’s foil, pushing him to more detailed statements with offbeat harmonies or unexpected rhythmic placement. Koonse’s own solos sparkled with brisk runs and frequent chordal passages that rocked back and forth inside Tullius’ persistent beat.

Oles’ “Maru’s Dream,” a sleepy little ballad which featured fine mallet shading from Tullius, was almost too reserved, despite Oles melodic improvisation. But the next tune, Koonse’s “Look to the East” (the title track from the quartet’s second album, scheduled for release later this summer on the Naxos label) was the set’s most aggressive, featuring a hot-licks guitar solo from its composer.

Between sets, all the quartet’s members said they had no regrets about their finish in the Hennessey competition, a musical showdown held in September at New York’s Blue Note club. But they really wanted to talk about the new material they’re gathering for a third recording, how they’re opening up the group’s sound with more free improvisation . . . and so on. It’s obvious that a contest won’t define the Los Angeles Jazz Quartet’s success.