Mahogany in blues: confident and swinging

Kevin Mahogany started his career as an instrumentalist, playing clarinet and baritone saxophone. Although he had switched to singing by the time he was out of college, his strengths as a singer are firmly rooted in his background as a horn player.

On Tuesday at the Jazz Bakery, Mahogany’s opening set revealed both the pluses and the minuses implicit in the duality of his musical training. In the vocal area of that training, there’s never been any question about the fact that he has a sweet-toned voice, a useful range and an articulate delivery.

But those qualities alone are not sufficient in jazz singing. Equally important is the ability to tell a story, to deliver lyrics in a convincing fashion. And the few ballads Mahogany chose to present -- “Our Love Is Here to Stay” and “My Romance” among them -- were uneven at best. Occasional effective phrases were too often surpassed by bigger-than-life high notes and shaky intonation.

Mahogany’s instrumental background served him far better when he turned to the blues. On numbers such as “All Blues” and “Route 66” he seemed a different singer -- confident, musical, imaginative and swinging. And in duets with bassist John B. Williams and drummer Ralph Penland, he was even better, matching their improvised phrases with sterling inventiveness of his own.

Those moments in the set, further enhanced by Corey Allen’s supportive piano and the gutsy, blues-drenched guitar of Grant Geissman, affirmed some of the critical accolades Mahogany has received, while underscoring his need to find similarly appealing expressiveness in other areas of his art.

*

Kevin Mahogany

Where: The Jazz Bakery, 3233 Helms Ave., Culver City

When: Tonight through Sunday, 8 and 9:30 p.m.

Price: $25

Info: (310) 271-9039