Zawinul Pushes Syndicate to an Eclectic Mode of Perfection

To paraphrase an old line: When it comes to jazz, fusion is easy, doing it right is hard. And few musicians have done it better than keyboardist-composer Joe Zawinul, a veteran of the Cannonball Adderley and Miles Davis bands, a co-founder (with Wayne Shorter) of Weather Report and one of the music’s most persistent creative explorers.

The Zawinul Syndicate, a quintet, has been his vehicle of musical choice for a few years now, and he continues to use it in a fashion that is both creatively adventurous and musically entertaining. It is a group that manages to use most of Zawinul’s extensive experience as an artist--bringing together straight-ahead improvisation, electronics, rhythms and timbre from a variety of world music--and filter them through his own utterly unique vision.

On Tuesday, in the opening of a six-night run at Catalina Bar & Grill, Zawinul was in a perfectionist mode. Despite the Syndicate’s surprising vitality and drive in the first set, he wasn’t pleased with the dynamic level. Occasionally frowning, often shaking his head or gesturing, he kept trying to bring a greater range of sounds and silences to the group’s performance.

It was an admirable effort to produce music at the highest quality level. But the fine levels of distinction may have been more apparent to Zawinul than they were to an enthusiastic overflow audience, because the performance was generally superb, with a few particular high points.

Percussionist Manolo Badrena, like bassist Victor Bailey a veteran of Weather Report, was an astonishing rhythmic jack-of-all-trades--singing, drumming, bringing musical joy to everything he did. His fascinating duet with North African drummer Karim Ziad defined the concept of swing well beyond its American roots. Guitarist Gary Paulson, generally playing a supporting role, burst through with one or two fiery solos. And Zawinul added powerful improvising to the force of his magisterial presence behind a phalanx of keyboards.

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* The Zawinul Syndicate at Catalina Bar & Grill through Sunday. 1640 N. Cahuenga Blvd., (213) 466-2210. $18 cover tonight at 8:30 and 10:30; $20 cover Friday and Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m.; $18 cover Friday and Saturday at 10:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9 p.m. Two drink minimum.