From Varied Traditions, Perez Creates Aural Mosaics

Add Danilo Perez to the list of talented pianists emerging from locations south of the U.S. border. Like Cuba’s Chucho Valdes and Gonzalo Rubalcaba and Jamaica’s Monty Alexander, among others, the Panama-born Perez has enriched the dialogue of jazz by adding material from his own cultural background.

On Tuesday, however, in the opening set of a six-night run at the Jazz Bakery, that enrichment was only one of the reasons why Perez’s performance was so consistently compelling from start to finish.

Certainly, there’s no question that the surging rhythmic undercurrent created by Perez and his two associates--bassist John Benitez and drummer Antonio Sanchez--added, in very subtle fashion, an attractive Latin subtext to the music.

But in addition, and equally important, it immediately became apparent that Perez’s approach to the piano jazz trio is more expansive than most, especially in the sense that he seemed to consider each piece to be a complete, interrelated composition. In virtually every case, Perez avoided the more common procedure of simply playing themes with improvised variations. Instead, he devised mosaics of sounds and silences, interconnecting bits and pieces of solo passages with counter-melodies and counter-rhythms, contrasting written passages with improvised episodes.

At one point, Perez summed up the essence of his musical intentions by pointing out that his goal was to “try to find common grounds between different cultures.” He then offered an illustration, first playing the blues, then noting, whimsically, “but if you put some rice and beans to that . . . “ and adding some brisk, offbeat, funk-drenched Latin elements. Summing it up, he said, “and you bring it all together with a little folkloric melody,” topping the rhythm with an immediately memorable theme.

It was a brief but fascinating insight into the musical thinking of a gifted young artist (Perez turns 33 later this month). His new Impulse! recording, “Central Avenue,” also offers attractive views of his music, but this is a performer who should be heard in live performance--especially now, at a time when his creative powers are expanding dramatically and he has the opportunity to express them in such an empathetic musical environment.

* The Danilo Perez Trio at the Jazz Bakery through Sunday. 3233 Helms Ave., Culver City. (310) 271-9039. $18 admission tonight at 8 and 9:30, and Sunday at 7 and 8:30 p.m. $20 admission Friday and Saturday at 8 and 9:30 p.m.