Talent that crosses generations

Los Angeles isn’t lacking in multigenerational show business families -- mostly in the film world. Think Fondas, Douglases, etc. But jazz has its own examples, and two of them were on full display Saturday night in a Pasadena Jazz Institute program appropriately titled “Fathers and Sons.”

The concert, presented on the patio of the Pasadena Museum of California Art, featured the father and son duos of guitarists Dave and Larry Koonse and bassist John Clayton with his son, pianist Gerald Clayton.

The performance by the Koonses was a fascinating display of generational compatibility. For the most part, Dave Koonse played a supporting role, laying down an elegantly articulate flow of rhythmic chording to propel his son’s improvisations.

In the two men’s individual soloing, on selections ranging from Benny Golson’s “Whisper Not” to standards such as “Young and Foolish,” the contrasts revealed the ease with which artistic invention crosses stylistic boundaries. The father’s choruses, for example, were solidly based on a loose and easygoing mainstream swing. Larry Koonse’s solos, filled with melodies reaching teasingly across bar lines, explored more distant musical territories.

Like Dave Koonse, John Clayton seemed primarily concerned with facilitating his son’s remarkable efforts. At 19, Gerald Clayton has already earned praise as a bright star on the horizon. And his playing -- on a program including tunes such as “My Heart Stood Still” and “Groove Merchant” -- was the work of a confident, mature musical imagination.

It was no wonder that both older musicians so frequently smiled approvingly at the inspired flights of their gifted progeny.