Equal Interest Scans Undefined Territory

The performance by the ensemble Equal Interest at the Skirball Cultural Center on Tuesday night explored a largely undefined musical territory. Appealing to avant-jazzers as well as edgy classicists, it is a creative land in which musical definitions are determined on the spot by individual practitioners.

Appearing as part of CalArts’ Musical Explorations Series 2002, Equal Interest consisted of violinist Leroy Jenkins, woodwind player Joseph Jarman and pianist Myra Melford, artists with considerable experience in traversing new musical domains. But in this case, their performance suffered from one of the more mundane musical failings: an apparent lack of sufficient rehearsal time to do justice to the often-thorny selections. Nor was the program aided by the fact that many of the pieces were filled with darkly static passages, only rarely energized by rhythmic excitement.

In those moments when the music did suddenly come alive--a work apparently titled “Various Mirrors” (the printed program was changed at the last minute) was a good example--Jenkins displayed some of the flash and fire he has revealed in other programs. And Melford, making a rare Los Angeles appearance, affirmed the many laudatory reviews she has received for her capacity to combine a strikingly facile technique with a passionate, imaginative improvisational ability.

Jarman, moving back and forth from alto saxophone to flute, bass flute and frame drum, played a largely supportive role; a larger sampling of the sort of work he has done with Chicago’s Assn. for the Advancement of Creative Musicians would have provided the performance with a much needed asset.

The more intriguing segments aside, however, Equal Interest never fully lived up to expectations, never quite offered the sort of new territory adventurousness one hoped for from these three fine artists.