Uninhibited Improvisation from Laws Quintet

It’s beginning to look as though Ronnie Laws has been getting a bad rap. Viewed by many within the jazz community as the rhythm & blues-oriented younger brother of saxophonist-flutist Hubert Laws, he has contributed to that perception by rarely doing much to display his jazz credentials.

But listeners who avoid his booking at the Jazz Bakery this week, anticipating a superficial evening of groove-styled music, will be missing a bet. On Wednesday, in the opening set of his four-night run, Laws--playing soprano and tenor saxophones--improvised with the kind of uninhibited bravura that demanded a more careful consideration of his jazz skills.

Laws’ program of tunes remained, for the most part, within a groove-oriented musical environment--Eddie Harris’ “Boogie Woogie Bossa Nova,” Bobby Lyle’s “Fever”--with a loping romp through Thelonious Monk’s “Well You Needn’t” for good measure. But, although the rhythm frequently churned through the numbers with the repetitive qualities of funk, he used its foundation as a framework for uninhibited soloing, his lines bursting with streams of notes--bright swaths of musical color across a patterned landscape of sound.

Laws was especially effective on soprano saxophone. Although his initial forays were a bit close to the vest, he quickly became more expansive as the set unfolded. And on “Boogie Woogie Bossa Nova” and “Well You Needn’t,” in particular, the combination of his focused sound and his rubbery, flexible phrasing were the stuff of solid jazz improvising.

A good deal of the credit for the music’s success traced to Laws’ talented musical companions. Pianist Vernell Brown Jr., in particular, revealed the qualities of an emerging young star, finding ways--within the groove framework--to generate uninhibited, Cecil Taylor-like romps into the musical stratosphere. Guitarist Craig T. Cooper successfully revisited the potent qualities of the wah-wah pedal; bassist Del Atkins overcame a somewhat thunky sound with his in-the-pocket drive; and drummer William Bryant (until a set-closing solo filled with showoff digital gymnastics) laid down a consistently dependable surge of rhythm.

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* The Ronnie Laws Quintet at the Jazz Bakery through Saturday. 3233 Helms Ave., Culver City. (310) 271-9039. $18 admission tonight and Saturday at 8 and 9:30 p.m.