An Eclectic Array of Sounds to Celebrate Monterey’s 40th

Selective grazing is the only way to really experience the Monterey Jazz Festival. Last weekend’s 40th installment of the three-day event--which now insists upon its corporate-supported, official title of the Monterey Jazz Festival Presented by MCI--was a characteristically rich menu, filled with music for every imaginable taste.

And it probably was appropriate that the principal highlights were a cross-generational blend provided by veterans Sonny Rollins and Jim Hall, and the more youthful Diana Krall and Don Byron. (Sadly, no one seemed to consider the possibility of a reunion between Rollins and Hall, whose ‘60s partnership provided some of the finest jazz of the decade.)

Rollins has become a highly idiosyncratic performer in recent years--his level of performance often unpredictable. But on Sunday night, despite starting slowly, he revealed why he is not yet content to rest on his laurels. Although his once-gorgeous sound was a bit pinched and narrow, his improvisatory excursions--both on the Caribbean rhythms he currently favors, as well as on straight-ahead up-tempos--were remarkable examples of a masterful jazz artist at work.

Hall’s compositions for brass ensemble were interesting, if a bit uneven. When he moved into one of the smaller venues for a late-night appearance with his quartet, however, his guitar playing came alive. Always lyrical, his solos filled with arching, melodic lines, Hall underscored everything with his familiar, subtle but urgent sense of swing.

Byron may be best known for his reworking of klezmer music, but--more significantly--he is rewriting the book on contemporary jazz clarinet playing. In solo after solo, he afforded new insights into how the instrument’s multi-timbres and quick technique can be molded and shaped into a startlingly effective contemporary jazz image.

Krall is accomplishing a similar task with jazz singing. More than almost any other vocalist on the current jazz scene--Shirley Horn may be the only exception--Krall sings with the sound, the phrasing and the flow of a jazz instrumentalist. Her rendering of “Ghost of a Chance,” already an instant classic, was one of the highlights of the festival, transforming the noisy Jimmy Lyons arena crowd into hushed, attentive silence.

Other major names were appealing for the novel approaches they brought to their performances: Trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, as aggressively virtuosic as ever on his horn, added a startling new slant to his presentation with a musically exuberant, wildly humorous set of scat singing; the Gerald Wilson Orchestra performed the veteran bandleader-composer’s “Themes for Monterey,” a colorful new set of variations-on-a-theme, composed as a commission celebrating the festival’s 40th birthday; and Dave Grusin, with an East Coast-West Coast all-star big band, showcased his novel, jazz-based rendering of music from “West Side Story” (also celebrating a 40th anniversary).

And further musical perspective was supplied by the sensual rhythms of Brazilian singer-songwriter Ivan Lins (leading one of the festival’s most dynamic ensembles) and the roaring blues of Otis and Buddy Guy.

Aside from the major acts, the real fun of grazing the festival came from the unexpected--often unknown--delights that frequently appeared on the musical plate. The best were provided by the unfamiliar, by the sudden, ear-grabbing music of performers who arrived with little fanfare.

Sometimes it was in the form of unusual sounds: Miya Masaoka’s revelatory performance of jazz on the koto (including a startling reading of “ ‘Round Midnight”); the extraordinary ambidexterity of Charlie Hunter’s eight-string guitar playing; the bouncy cartoon-sounding rhythms of Byron’s “Bug Music”; the clamorous, aggressively avant-garde piano playing of Myra Melford.

At other times, the fun came from performers willing to try new methods of presentation: the dancers who streamed on stage with the groups Moving Pictures and Mingus Amungus; the film noir music of Charlie Haden’s Quartet West, accompanied by Alan Broadbent’s moody orchestrations for string orchestra; the full evening devoted to pianist Marcus Roberts, performing solo, with a trio, and with a 10-piece ensemble.

Perhaps best of all, there were the individual musicians--some unfamiliar, some better-known--who stood out from the crowd, even when they were simply functioning as members of an ensemble: talented young drummer Kenny Wolleson, effectively playing with Harvey Wainapel’s group as well as Melford’s trio; veteran percussionist Helcio Milito, with flutist Ali Ryerson’s trio; the still too-little known tenor saxophonists Chris Potter and Dave Ellis; brilliant guitarist Russell Malone, laying down a lush carpet of sound for Krall; and trumpeter Dave Scott (also with Wainapel’s band).

All in all, it was a pleasant way for Monterey to celebrate its 40th anniversary. The parking continued to be a mess, and the audio engineers couldn’t seem to figure out a way to properly amplify large jazz ensembles. But the music was intriguing and varied enough to satisfy the most discriminating musical palate.