Tootie keeps time, gives band spotlight

A band led by a drummer can sometimes turn out to be little more than a loose framework for the bashing and banging of a stage-full of cymbals and percussion instruments. But not so with Tootie Heath. In fact, the veteran drummer’s performance at the Marjorie Branson Performance Space in Pasadena’s Boston Court on Saturday was a study in musical modesty.

Heath allotted most of the musical space to lengthy solos from his associates, pianist William Henderson and bassist Dr. Art Davis. And they used the opportunities well. Henderson’s piano work on tunes such as “Speak Low,” “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square” and “Naima” was filled with rhapsodic touches -- thick, two-handed chording alternating with melodic flourishes, trills and rapid arpeggios. In the second half of the program, he occasionally got up to play soprano saxophone in a set of improvisations echoing the drama of his piano style.

Davis, always a stalwart rhythm team expert, added a series of solos highlighted by an atmospheric rendering of “Nature Boy,” and climaxing with a set of blues choruses in which he deftly alternated plucked and bowed passages.

Heath supported all these excursions with his characteristic rhythmic subtlety. His brushwork on the ballads was masterful, elegantly driven by flowing shifts of accent and emphasis. On the faster tunes, he generated a powerful sense of swing without relying on high-decibel bashing. And as an added touch, he began the program with a brief, virtuosic display of tambourine artistry.

The Branson venue is one of two impressive performance spaces in the new Boston Court. Its chamber-music size and excellent acoustics make it an excellent listening arena for jazz and cabaret.

The next jazz event on the schedule: an appearance by bassist Roberto Miranda’s trio on July 25 and 26. (For information, call [626] 683-6883.)