Saxophonist Jeff Clayton: Downsized Is King-Size

Saxophonist Jeff Clayton’s robust solos on behalf of the Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, the big band he leads with his brother John Clayton, always raise the question: What would the alto man sound like left to his own devices in a small group setting?

An enthusiastic audience had the chance to find out Friday at Steamers Cafe in Fullerton, where Clayton fronted a quartet rounded out by pianist Donald Vega, bassist Christoph Luty and drummer Lorca Hart. The saxophonist not only played with exceptional enthusiasm, but also, like his brother, showed himself to be an arranger of note.

Clayton is not new to jazz writing--a number of his tunes grace the 1992 Capri album “The Clayton Brothers”--but his work is generally overshadowed by what John, the Jazz Orchestra’s bassist, musical arranger and conductor, does for that ensemble.

At Steamers, Clayton introduced one of his arrangements by telling audience members it was a tune they knew but wouldn’t recognize. Sure enough, the ever-changing array of tempos and melodic variations made “A Night in Tunisia” nearly impossible to recognize. Only when the foursome moved into the song’s bridge did it give up a hint of its identity.

It began with a splashy, free-floating introduction that gave way to a minor-key ballad line. The tempo shifted to swing, then a driving walk and back to ballad as Hart--the son of drummer Billy Hart--switched between sticks and brushes. The varying dynamics and Clayton’s Middle Eastern touches during the slower tempos gave the only clues to what was being played.

Even the more predictable standards held arranged flourishes. “Love for Sale” moved to an unexpected shuffle. “Here’s That Rainy Day” featured a dramatic break at its close. “Misty” was given the ultra-ballad treatment: smooth, lush and languidly slow.

Clayton’s ballad play was more in focus during this combo session. He declared his allegiance to alto saxophonist Cannonball Adderley from the bandstand, then applied Adderley’s relaxed, golden ways to his play. Smoothly crafted runs often ended with blues touches made to vibrate grittily against the ballad’s melancholy mood.

During up-tempo numbers, his play variously boasted the compactness of Charlie Parker, the economy of tenor man Lester Young or the sophisticated confidence of Johnny Hodges.

Clayton’s quartet contains some of the Southland’s best emerging musicians. Bassist Luty, who periodically leads his own band at Steamers, is articulate and responsive, able to provide harmonic counterpoints even as drummer Hart pushed the music at a gallop. Pianist Vega, a product of the Liemert Park, World Stage scene in L.A., worked with a firm rhythmic attack on fast numbers while showing a lyrical side on slow tunes.

The quartet got a late start, then took its time coming together on the Adderley-Sergio Mendes collaboration “Groovy Samba.” But things tightened considerably from there, and by the time the first set ended with Clayton’s “Preach” (a verb that describes the saxophonist’s soulful play as well as any), Clayton and company, Jazz Orchestra aside, were making a name for themselves on their terms.