Jazz Reviews : Welcome Mat Is a Bit Rumpled for Steve Lacy

It was not what you might call an auspicious opening for Steve Lacy. Returning to Catalina Bar and Grill on Friday night for his second booking in less than a year, the Paris-based soprano saxophonist was immediately confronted by the late flight-caused absence of bassist Jean-Jacques Avinel and the unavoidable presence of a sound system that couldn’t quite seem to deal with the delicate balances of the Lacy sextet’s music.

Still, the promise was there. After 30 years of toiling in the rich, but highly specialized vineyards of the jazz vanguard, Lacy’s first recording for a major American label in 25 years (“Momentum,” Novus/RCA) was released a few months ago. And his unique Sextet, featured on the recording, and which he has led in virtually its present form for 17 years, was finally making its local debut.

To his credit, Lacy made no excuses other than to note the reason for Avinel’s absence, and simply got down to business. The set flowed seamlessly from one piece to the next. Although none were identified, “The Bath,” from a Lacy film score, and “The Gaze” (dedicated to Marvin Gaye) were the most noticeable inclusions from the recording.

Even allowing for the non-presence of the low tones normally provided by the bass, the music had a flinty, hard-edged quality that was not particularly easy to access. At its best, the Sextet blended an appealing, Monk-like whimsy with some heated free improvisations (especially from Lacy and pianist Bobby Few) and a cool European objectivism.

But there were problems: Steve Potts’ alto saxophone ran far too many diatonic scales, often with awkward rhythmic accents, and frequently at odds with Few’s chording. Singer/violinist Irene Aebi presumably personified Lacy’s stated desire to return “the word” to jazz. It’s a bit difficult to imagine, however, just why her European art song stylings would accomplish that goal more effectively than the more traditional singing of any number of new young jazz performers.

In the long run, however, Lacy deserves to be heard at every opportunity. Even amid the mixed blessings of his opening night at Catalina’s, his improvisations repeatedly confirmed that Steve Lacy’s soprano saxophone playing is one of the true treasures of contemporary jazz.