New Sounds, Old Town

Smooth jazz, fusion, adult contemporary, crossover, Wave music. The names may be different, but the music moves to similar beats. And, whatever label one chooses to use, it will be the dominant sound this weekend at the Old Pasadena Summer Fest.

The three days of music at the free Playboy Jazz Festival-sponsored event will range from blues and funk to mainstream, with a bit of something for every taste. But the headliners play the music and the rhythms that have become the best-selling jazz sounds of the ‘90s.

Saturday’s program features trumpeter Rick Braun, who, aside from his many commercial successes, may be most notable for having returned his instrument to pop-world consciousness. In 1997 Braun was chosen artist of the year and his CD “Beat Street” was selected album of the year by smooth jazz radio programmers voting for Gavin magazine’s annual awards.

But Braun, who prefers to cite his influence from such legendary jazz artists as Clifford Brown, Miles Davis and Lee Morgan, is not particularly in love with the “smooth jazz” appellation.

“Smooth jazz?” he says. “It’s not what it is. It’s really adult instrumental music. Smooth jazz sounds good, but it’s not an accurate description of what it is. It’s not always jazz and it’s definitely not always smooth in our live concerts, because we take the energy level way up.”

Which is precisely what he expects to do when he performs on Saturday afternoon’s program with his quintet. Balancing out the bill will be the veteran violinist-bassist Johnny Frigo (with pianist Frank Collett’s Trio), trumpeter Jimmy Owens’ Jazz Ensemble, singer-guitarist Ray Brooks, bassist Leslie Baker and vocalist Ilyana with the group Habaney.

Drummer Stix Hooper and his new group Viewpoint spotlight Sunday’s program. Hooper has spent most of his time in recent years producing recordings for artists such as Ernestine Anderson, Ravi Coltrane and others. But, as the drummer in the ‘70s and ‘80s for the influential group the Crusaders (originally the Jazz Crusaders), he was one of the founders of the groove-oriented beats so vital to ‘90s contemporary jazz.

“When I turn on stations like the Wave [KTWV-FM (94.7)], I think, all those rhythms that are being played, the Dave Kozs and the grooves and all that stuff--that’s what the Crusaders formulated after we stopped swinging hard in 4/4. And now it’s become the thing.”

Hooper and Viewpoint will render some of the pieces he composed for the Crusaders, as well as works that explore his interest in what he describes as his “international attitude” about music. And, like Braun, he sees little definition in labels.

“Fusion, adult contemporary, I wonder what does it all mean?” Hooper says. “Because when you talk about fusion, that word should have been used back in the ‘40s to refer to Chano Pozo, Dizzy Gillespie and all that Afro-Cuban stuff. If fusion means a combining of rhythms and genres from every possible source, well, we’ve been doing that for a long time.”

Sunday’s program also includes guitarist Richard Smith, pianist Bill Cunliffe and flutist Holly Hofmann, trumpeter Leslie Drayton, vibraphonist Bob DeSena and the Eagle Rock High School Jazz Band (directed by Greg Samuel).

Dutch alto saxophonist Candy Dulfer, with her nine-piece band, Funky Stuff, headlines Monday’s festival program. Dulfer’s glamorous image tends to obscure the fact that she also is a fine, contemporary-style instrumentalist. At 28, she already has had a sparkling career, working in the band of the Artist Formerly Known as Prince, and appearing on bills with Madonna and Aretha Franklin.

Despite her pop successes, Dulfer cites saxophonists Maceo Parker and David Sanborn as primary influences, and prefers to view her music in a jazz context.

“In my heart,” Dulfer says, “I feel I’m a jazz musician because I improvise all the time.”

Monday’s program also features the Matt Catingub Big Band, bassist Art Davis, blues singer B.J. Sharp, drummer Long John Oliva, and the Spotlight Award Jazz Ensemble.

BE THERE

Playboy Jazz at the Old Pasadena Summer Fest, Central Park, Fair Oaks Avenue and Del Mar Boulevard, Pasadena. Saturday through Monday, from 11 a.m. Admission free. (818) 797-6803.