Vocals take a welcome back seat at Bowl finale

The 2005 season of jazz at the Hollywood Bowl came to a close Wednesday in a concert titled “Jazz Sophistication.”

Unfortunately, the program lacked a key element that was part of the planning when the title was first announced -- the headlining presence of singer Shirley Horn. Seriously ill and hospitalized, the veteran artist was replaced by the woman who has been the Philharmonic’s creative chair for jazz for the last three years, Dianne Reeves.

As it turned out, Reeves’ presence was appropriate, because the event was the final Bowl program of her tenure, providing the opportunity for a duet on “I Wish You Love” with her newly appointed successor, bassist Christian McBride. Reeves also offered a touching -- and equally appropriate -- rendering of “Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans?”

For once, however, in a summer in which jazz at the Bowl has been dominated by vocal lineups, it was an instrumental ensemble -- an all-star group led by pianist George Duke -- that brought the evening to life. And listening to alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett, trumpeter Roy Hargrove and vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson solo in free-flying, musically inventive fashion, experiencing the rhythmic surge of Duke, bassist McBride, drummer Billy Cobham and percussionist Airto Moreira, provided potent reminders of the pleasures of full-blooded jazz played by its finest practitioners. Sadly, it was also a reminder of how rarely such jazz has been experienced at the Bowl over the last two months.

The program featured two other worthy jazz aspects: a tribute medley of engaging tunes written by Freddie Hubbard (the trumpeter took a bow from the stage but unfortunately did not play) and the guest-star presence of pianist Joe Sample, whose high-spirited rendering of “Caravan” with Duke was a further example of jazz at its best.