Henry Mancini Institute Puts Young Players in Spotlight

Many of the young jazz-oriented players in attendance at this summer’s Henry Mancini Institute had an opportunity to display their wares on Thursday night at UCLA’s Schoenberg Hall.

Performing in a variety of settings ranging from a piano trio to a 15-piece strings and percussion ensemble, they worked their way through a mixed bag of original works by composers such as Billy Childs, Bill Cunliffe and Dan Weinstein, as well as such well-known jazz items as Charles Mingus’ “Nostalgia in Times Square” and Herbie Hancock’s “Tell Me a Bedtime Story.”

Some of the players--especially the violinists and cellists--were clearly in the early stages of exploring their improvisational skills. Most deserve an “A” for their determined efforts. Others, such as tenor saxophonist Jeff Ellwood and pianist Mahesh Balasooriya, displayed inventive imaginations already functioning at high professional levels. They’re ready to dive into the demanding musical currents of the contemporary jazz world.

There were two particularly intriguing compositions on the bill. Childs’ “The Old Man Tells a Story” was an atmospheric study for string quartet, woodwind quintet and rhythm section, overflowing with the appealing melodies that Childs delivers with such seeming ease. Cunliffe’s “Reunion,” for strings and percussion, attempted to blend African rhythms with a lush sounding classical instrumentation.

Other high points in the evening included a high-spirited romp through Bix Beiderbecke’s “Three Blind Mice,” arranged by Ken Kugler for brass quintet; a jazz trio rendering (featuring pianist Balasooriya) of John Kibler’s “Dimi’s Song”; and a set of numbers by a jazz sextet.

Interestingly, the numbers that drew the greatest response from the full-house audience were the Mingus work and “El Agua del Clavelito” by Miguel Angel Pozo, arranged by violinist Lesa Terry--undoubtedly because of the valiant improvisational efforts of the string players and the sturdy support of a Latin percussion section.

Both performances, however, underscored the tendency at HMI to skim the surface of musical styles rather than dig deeply into the content. In the case of the Latin numbers, in particular, one couldn’t help but wonder why, despite her considerable talents, they were directed by Terry. HMI takes place, after all, in a city literally overflowing with genre-defining Latin musical artists, any one of whom could have brought authenticity and insight to the program.