Gordon Tribute Conjures Spirit of Satchmo

Celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Louis Armstrong--which, because of disputed birth dates, have been occurring since the start of 2000--have taken many forms. Some have been large, some small; some have attempted simulations of the original performances, others have positioned the Armstrong style in contemporary settings.

Trombonist Wycliffe Gordon’s “A Tribute to Satchmo,” at Pepperdine University’s Smothers Theatre Saturday night, was pleasantly different from all the above.

For starters, there was no trumpet present, and no effort to duplicate an Armstrong ensemble. Wycliffe’s basic jazz quartet also included pianist Ray Gallon, drummer Rob Rucker and bassist Zachary Pride. In addition, the program was both spontaneous and basic, touching many numbers closely associated with Satchmo, others only marginally within his orbit, all strung together in casual, conversational fashion.

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Nevertheless, the Armstrong linkage was strong. Gordon has played in every imaginable setting--as a regular with Wynton Marsalis’ small groups as well as the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, and he serves as a faculty member in the Juilliard School’s new Jazz Studies Program. But his understanding of Armstrong revealed none of the ivory tower separateness occasionally found in the Lincoln Center view, nor the superficiality of the common pop world perceptions.

Working through a long list of songs ranging from “Basin Street Blues” and “I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead, You Rascal You” to “Up a Lazy River” and “All of Me,” Gordon’s trombone work recalled Armstrong with a warmth and compassion rarely found even in trumpet-based tributes. A bit reminiscent of a longtime Satchmo musical associate, trombonist Jack Teagarden, he played with a brawny, deeply expressive sound, occasionally adding plunger mute for a more vocalized delivery (especially effective in a stirring version of “Amazing Grace”).

As a final touch, Gordon’s vocals managed to capture the wit, spirit and humor of Armstrong without attempting an utterly impossible, artificial simulation. One suspects that Satchmo himself would have enjoyed every minute of this delightful evening.