Hamilton’s Feeling Spontaneous

Pianist Paul Bley once said that “the sound you hear is the sound you get,” implying that what comes out through a jazz artist’s instrument is the external manifestation of an inner perspective. It’s an intriguing viewpoint, and one that seems to accurately describe a great deal of what has happened in jazz.

But lately the sounds that a lot of players are offering appear to have more to do with exteriors than interiors--with emulating favorite models rather than attempting to hear and express one’s own personal voice.

Fortunately, a few musicians such as tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton are still on the scene. Surrounded by a plethora of second-and third-generation Coltrane clones, he goes merrily on his own way, playing whatever music appeals to him--whether it be old jazz, new jazz or pop music--via a sound and improvisational style that are utterly his own.

On Thursday night at Catalina Bar & Grill, Hamilton--working with pianist John Campbell, bassist Bob Maize and drummer Paul Kreibich--offered one of the more appealing club sets of the year. And he did so in completely spontaneous fashion, selecting tunes on the spot, interacting casually with his musicians as well as the full-house audience.

The material ranged from the old standard “Love Letters” to the Woody Herman jump tune “Apple Honey,” gathering Fats Waller’s “Jitterbug Waltz” and another standard, “My Foolish Heart,” along the way.

Hamilton approached the ballads with a warm, sensual sound, frequently remaining in the instrument’s darker low register rather than the high-note harmonics currently favored by so many young players. On the faster-paced numbers, his solos bristled with rhythmic drive and forward movement enlivened by riff-filled instant melodies, occasionally tossing in a few crowd-pleasing honks and repeated notes.

Hamilton’s playing was jazz as invention, as personal expression, jazz as entertainment, embracing all those qualities without diminishing any of them--the product of a masterful artist at work.

He was brilliantly aided by the presence of Campbell, a not particularly well-known pianist who deserves far wider attention. His soloing, especially on the ballads, was a stunning example of the extraordinary results that can accrue when a player allows air and space for his improvisations to breathe freely. Maize and Kreibich, superb accompanists, were up to their usual high standards, with Kreibich making the most of several rare solo opportunities.

*

The Scott Hamilton Quartet at Catalina Bar & Grill, 1640 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. Tonight at 8:30, admission $20, and 10:30, admission $18. Two-drink minimum purchase. (323) 466-2210.