Unknowns’ Expert Players Make Forceful Impression

Alex Acun~a may call his group the Unknowns, but there was nothing unfamiliar about the hard-hitting fusion jazz he brought to Catalina Bar & Grill on Wednesday for the opening of a two-night run.

Acun~a is widely considered to be one of the finest drummers in the Southland, fully capable of touching all the bases among straight-ahead, Latin jazz, fusion and funk. And that is exactly what he did in his first set. Many of the numbers--most unidentified--were essentially brief, written passages embracing long, open-ended solos. To Acun~a’s credit as a leader, he allowed each of his players to take as much time as needed to make their musical points.

And that was a good decision on all counts. Bassist John Pen~a played a lengthy solo on one tune that gradually built over surging percussion to a startlingly energetic climax. Guitarist Ramon Stagnaro took a similar set of choruses, framing them with a passionate, flamenco-tinged introduction. And Otmaro Ruiz, who seems capable of adapting to any musical situation, demonstrated once again--as he did last week with Dianne Reeves at the Orange County Performing Arts Center--his remarkably multifaceted skills in a solo filled with roaring multilayered audio textures.

Woodwind player Pedro Eustache was no less versatile, moving easily from tenor saxophone to flute, playing the latter with particularly impressive musical urgency. On one number--a setting of the carol “Emmanuel”--he played the double-reed, Middle Eastern dudek, producing sounds filled with the instrument’s familiar intensity, underscored by a less frequently heard rhythmic swing.

Holding everything together, Acun~a--with percussionist Richie Garcia--was a tempest of sounds. Never playing more than was required to express his points, Acun~a generated an implacable flow of rhythm, sometimes colored by Afro-Cuban accents, sometimes driving ahead with the high voltage of jazz fusion.

Individually and collectively, it was a first-rate performance. If the names of the Unknowns are not overly familiar, they should be. Far from being a no-name ensemble, this is a collection of musical artists who deserve a wider hearing.

* Alex Acun~a and the Unknowns also perform at La Ve Lee, 12514 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, on Thursday. (818) 980-8158.