JAZZ REVIEW : Music Falters at Long Beach Fest

What a pleasure it was Saturday afternoon and evening at the second annual Long Beach Jazz Festival. With a cool breeze blowing across the harbor, the sound properly balanced for jazz, and brisk, no-delay stage work, the setting left little to be desired.

The music, however, was not quite so flawless. After typically energetic opening sets by Kevin Eubanks, Ernie Andrews & the Capp-Pierce Juggernaut and Fattburger, vibist Roy Ayers finally brought the crowd to its feet with a non-stop tour through his uniquely entertaining approach to jazz.

Ayers is one of perhaps four or five vibes players in the world who can almost instantly be recognized on the basis of style alone. The brisk, dancing lines of his improvisations were brilliant examples of contemporary improvisation. But Ayers clearly enjoyed contrasting his pure jazz with several long funk tunes--”Poo-Poo La-La Means I Love You” was one--that he sang and performed with theatrical fervor (he climbed on top of his vibes to make one story point). The high-energy flashpoint came during a mock argument between Ayers and percussionist/vibist Dwight Gassoway that turned into a whirlwind duel across the bars of the vibes.

Ayers’ long set traced in part to the typically late arrival of Freddie Hubbard. The trumpeter’s fabled undependability didn’t sit well with at least one member of the audience. When Hubbard tried to explain away his lateness by announcing that he’d just gotten off a plane from Japan, a voice rang out of the darkness shouting, “Yeah, man, and the check’s in the mail!”

Whatever the real circumstances, the music which followed was disjointed and unsteady. Hubbard, of course, can rip off a powerful solo almost any time he wants to, and there were indeed moments of sheer brilliance. But they were only moments, with the bulk of his efforts coming across with the fatigue of recycled glory. The real Hubbard essence must have been left behind on the plane from Japan.

Singer Diane Schuur worked more effectively with her own piano accompaniment than she has in recent outings as a stand-up singer. The addition of keyboardist Rob Mullins--who provided an enormous array of synthesized sounds and crackerjack solos--also helped balance Schuur’s frequently monochromatic style.

Sticking mostly to standards like “You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To” and “Teach Me Tonight,” along with an occasional blues, she flashed occasional moments of excellence. But Schuur continued to mistake shrillness for energy and shouting for intensity.

Tenor saxophonist Stanley Turrentine, closing the evening, brought things back into equilibrium with just the right mix. Winging comfortably through such pop-based pieces as Marvin Gaye’s “Don’t Mess With Mr. T.,” he contrasted strong, blues-based improvising with easily accessible funk rhythms. It was, finally, the perfect ending for a beautifully staged, but musically unsteady festival performance.

The festival was scheduled to continue through Sunday with performances by Alphonse Mouzon, Chick Corea, Dianne Reeves and others.