Rubalcaba Balances Sounds, Silences

If anyone in jazz is worthy of Muhammad Ali’s classic line, “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee,” it surely is pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba. The capacity to improvise in a fashion that soars freely above the rhythm, while darting in and out with bursts of sudden energy, is a hallmark of the Cuban-born pianist’s work, apparent since his first American recordings were released a decade ago.

If there has been any criticism of Rubalcaba’s playing, it has centered upon a tendency to overuse his prodigious technique, darting and stinging more often than floating freely. And in his most recent Southland appearance in the summer of 1998, he worked in a somewhat odd duet combination with saxophonist Joe Lovano, a performing environment that didn’t provide much perspective on the evolution of his style.

But Tuesday at Catalina Bar & Grill, in the opening set of a five-night run, Rubalcaba made it clear that his playing has moved decisively up to a higher level. Working in an especially felicitous setting with two gifted partners--bassist Jeff Chambers and drummer Ignacio Berroa--his performance managed to be both intellectually compelling and emotionally exhilarating. Immediately enthralled by the sheer musical fascination of a piece, one could then marvel at the ingenuity and intelligence of its spontaneous creation.

Rubalcaba’s performance of “Caravan”--a piece he has done with great frequency--shifted comfortably from Afro-Cuban rhythms to a surging, straight-ahead, bebop-oriented swing. On another piece, its title unannounced, the rhythm danced through various, often complex permutations of a difficult 5/4 meter, performed with consummate ease by each member of the trio.

And his rendering of “Here’s That Rainy Day” (aside from Berroa’s too-omnipresent brush work) was a musical cameo, Chopin as jazz balladeer. Like the balance of the program, it was the product of a young master at work, floating and stinging with the grace of a musical champion.

* The Gonzalo Rubalcaba Trio at Catalina Bar & Grill through Sunday. 1640 N. Cahuenga Blvd., (213) 466-2210. $20 cover today, Saturday at 8:30 p.m.; $17 cover today, Saturday at 10:30 p.m. Two drink minimum.