Trumpeter Masekela’s Far-Reaching Eclecticism

South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela has always been hard to categorize. A fine jazz trumpeter, an imaginative composer, he also has never hesitated to diversify his creative activities with elements of American pop and African rhythms.

Monday night at the House of Blues, Masekela, who celebrated his 60th birthday in April, arrived with a sextet, performing music that once again eluded any sort of pigeon-holing. Much of the material traced to his just-released album, “Black to the Future” (Shanachie Records), a collection of vocal-heavy tunes that he likes to refer to as “Afro-Soul.”

And, in Masekela’s hands, the music came alive, its disparate elements coming together in highly compatible fashion. His charismatic presence dominated the stage, powerfully effective in his vocals and in his capacity to electrify a packed-house, enthusiastically interactive crowd. Even when he was doing nothing more than energizing the rhythm with a drumstick and a cowbell, his impact upon his musicians had a palpable effect, stirring the sounds, underscoring its body-moving dance rhythms.

But Masekela’s fascination with pop elements, and his focus upon the communicability of his tunes, couldn’t disguise the fact that his horn playing (a fluegelhorn rather than a trumpet for this performance) is still first-rate. Although most of his soloing occurred in the middle of vocal-oriented pieces, usually over dance-style rhythms, it was nonetheless consistently well-done.

With a style that owes something to both Miles Davis and Dizzy Gillespie, Masekela gave every indication of being an improviser who still has much to say. And if there was any problem with his entertaining set, it was the minimal emphasis placed upon his jazz skills. Masekela long ago made his commitment to a far-reaching eclecticism, but it’s hard not to wonder where his music might have taken him had he made a similar dedication to jazz.