In High Style

Normally, the cries of delight in the pop world after a winning concert debut are in the form of “A Star Is Born.”

After Thursday’s classy “Stormy Weather ‘98” benefit at the Wiltern Theatre, the hopeful exclamation was more along the lines of “A Tradition Is Born.”

The true star of the evening was the wonderfully ambitious program concept itself, and organizer Don Henley hinted at the end of the evening that he would consider trying to come up with a sequel next year.

Thus, it was fitting that Henley and musical director Larry Klein joined the 10-woman cast, led by Joni Mitchell and Stevie Nicks, for a curtain call.

Though neither man performed a note during the 90-minute show, they were the guiding spirits behind the evening, which raised nearly $1 million for Henley’s Walden Woods Project, according to an event spokesman.

There was a touch of imagination at virtually every turn in an evening that drew a big celebrity audience, from Tiger Woods to Sting, whose elegant Rainforest Foundation benefits in New York were credited by Henley for helping inspire “Stormy Weather ’98.”

Best of all, Henley and Klein demanded something special of each artist Thursday.

For most benefits, performers are required only to devote their time. They show up, do a couple of signature tunes, get roundly cheered and head for the reception. Nice work if you can get it.

On Thursday, the participants also needed a lot of . . . nerve.

The challenge for the singers, who ranged from country star Trisha Yearwood to the one-of-a-kind Sandra Bernhard, was to forgo their own material in favor of interpreting two pop standards each, most of them drawn from the pre-World War II era.

The difficulty of that task was reflected in the songs that were selected, a healthy percentage of which were recorded by Billie Holiday, one of music’s greatest vocal stylists.

Holiday, who died in 1959 at the age of 44, was a star in both the jazz and pop worlds, due to her captivating and sophisticated vocals that managed to be smoldering yet restrained--a singer of simply unforgettable feeling.

To assist them at Thursday’s black-tie affair, the singers--who dressed in vintage gowns to match the vintage tunes--had the backing of some five dozen musicians, who were conducted by Vince Mendoza and dubbed, in honor of the season, the El Nin~o Orchestra.

Not all the singers delivered with equal command, but all responded gamely to the challenge and tried to either faithfully re-create classic versions of the songs or bend the material to their own styles.

No Doubt’s Gwen Stefani opened by delivering slightly teasing renditions of

Irving Kahal and Sammy Fain’s “I Can Dream, Can’t I?,” which was a hit for the Andrews Sisters, as well as Elvis Costello’s “Almost Blue,” a marvelous early-’80s tune that seemed tailored for Frank Sinatra.

Paula Cole then ventured boldly into prime Holiday territory--as Sheryl Crow, Natalie Cole and Bjork would later--turning in a creditable rendering of Bill Carey and Carl Fischer’s lovesick ballad “You’ve Changed.”

Of the interpretations that followed, Bjork’s stark rendition of Rezso Seress and Sam M. Lewis’ suicide tale, “Gloomy Sunday,” had the most distinctive and compelling edge. Nicks also stepped strongly into torch song territory with Mack Gordon and Harry Warren’s “At Last,” while Bernhard delivered a surprisingly forceful and full-bodied take on George Gershwin and DuBose Heyward’s “Summertime.”

The evening’s centerpiece, however, was Mitchell, who teamed good-naturedly with Bjork on Cole Porter’s “What Is This Thing Called Love?” before singing the evening’s theme song, which was written by Harold Arlen and Ted Koehler. Mitchell’s phrasing was so free and soulful, it demonstrated that her singing skills alone would make the master songwriter one of the most honored artists in all of contemporary pop.

By challenging the artists to stretch, singer-songwriter Henley, who has gone from Eagles fame to equal acclaim as a solo artist, also set a high standard for himself. If he can match the ambition and stature of this year’s show, the Walden Wood benefits could, indeed, become the Southern California equivalent of Sting’s Rainforest shows in New York or Neil Young’s Bridge concerts in Mountain View, Calif.

The only sour note Thursday was emcee Ed Begley Jr.’s tasteless George Michael jokes. That fare may work on late-night television, but it was way out of place on a night devoted to the legacy of a man, “Walden” author Henry David Thoreau, who stressed the importance of mutual respect and dignity.