‘Theory’ that works in practice

A project as complicated as Stefon Harris’ “Grand Unification Theory” is difficult to implement, even in the friendly surroundings of a recording studio. Nonetheless, the large-scale, 11-movement work for 12 musicians was superbly produced on a Blue Note album -- one of this year’s first four-star collections.

A live outing is a very different challenge, however. So there were real doubts about how the talented young vibist and composer’s work would fare on the small stage and in the acoustically tricky environs of the Jazz Bakery. Tuesday’s opening-night performance laid most of those doubts to rest while revealing the strengths as well as the weaknesses of Harris’ ambitious composition.

The work’s title traces to Harris’ fascination with the physics theory that all the major forces in the universe are part of a single, all-encompassing entity. The suite musically juxtaposes experiences in Harris’ life against the progression of the universe via segments such as “The Birth of Time,” “Rebirth” and “The Grand Unification Theory.”

Pretentious as the titles may sound, the juxtaposition represents one of the work’s great strengths as the segments move through a range of emotions and a panorama of jazz styles. In performance, more emphasis was placed on improvisation than was the case with the recorded version. But there was nothing wrong with that approach when it produced such sterling playing.

The only real flaw in the evening (and in the recording) was a tendency to rely on soloing over rotating vamps.

*

Stefon Harris and ‘The Grand Unification Theory’

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

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

Price: $25-$35.

Info: (310) 271-9039.