Cafe Noir Instrumentalists Shine in Display of Musical Maturity

Trying to define Cafe Noir recalls the fable of the elephant and the blind men. As with the elephant, the view depends upon one’s perspective, since the Texas-based group has so many different facets--a bit of jazz here, some Gypsy music there, a smidgen of classical music laced with some flat-out rock ‘n’ roll rhythms.

But the current installment of Cafe Noir has lost at least one of its diverse musical qualities. In its appearance at Veterans Wadsworth Theater on Saturday night, the ensemble was missing singer-yodeler Randy Erwin, who in the group’s most recent Southern California appearance two years ago provided some of the most entertaining musical moments.

Without Erwin, the focus centered on violinist-clarinetist Gale Hess and guitarist Jason Bucklin. The instrumentalists have been Cafe Noir’s stalwart stars for a decade, but the shift to a nonvocal format clearly has placed them in the spotlight full time.

Fortunately, neither revealed any difficulties in dealing with the enhanced attention. Hess is a simply astounding player--equally proficient on two completely dissimilar instruments. Easily the most volatile performer on stage, she played her violin with a ravishing tone, whipping out one fiery sequence after another of rapid-fire, virtuosic melodies, playing tangos, Gypsy themes, Stephane Grappelli-like jazz passages and folk melodies. Then, with barely a second thought, she moved to the clarinet. On that instrument, she produced a classically focused sound and precisely articulated phrasing, as individually distinctive as her violin playing.

Bucklin was similarly versatile. He is a first-rate improvising artist, and his soloing--whether in pieces like “Tango #1,” the placid “American Hymn” or the group’s other, whimsically titled originals--was founded upon a brisk, driving Django Reinhardt style. Like Hess, he was a strong ensemble participant who moved quickly and easily into the solo spotlight.

Viola player Norbert Gerl, with Hess a co-founder of the group, and bassist Lyles West played important supportive roles, aided by the additional participation of accordionist Vladimir Kaliazine and drummer Dennis Durick.

But what really mattered with Cafe Noir--beyond the versatility, the individual soloists and the ensemble work--was the group’s musical maturity, its capacity to move through a variety of creative expressions with poise, insight and the sheer joy of making music.