Notes Catch Fire at the ‘Sax Spectacular!’

Put three world-class jazz saxophonists on the same stage, and you can expect fireworks. So it was no surprise Tuesday night at the Jazz Bakery when George Coleman, on tenor, and Antonio Hart and Donald Harrison on alto--working together on a bill accurately titled “Sax Spectacular!”--generated a stream of nonstop musical pyrotechnics.

Given the stellar individual qualities of the players, the performance might easily have turned into an I-can-do-anything-better-than-you sort of jam session. But Coleman, the senior saxophonist and former Miles Davis sideman, exercised a mature but loose control, sometimes kicking off tempos, sometimes simply digging in to a tune himself to start a number. The results were surprisingly effective--more than a casual get-together, less than an organized ensemble, but jazz of the highest order.

Although there were distinct differences in style, there seemed to be a common effort to push the soloing into highly adventurous areas of expression. Coleman’s big-toned sound may have appeared to have the most direct link to the bop mainstream, but he consistently--especially during one astoundingly rapid, unaccompanied solo--enhanced his expressive palette with the use of honks, shrieks and multi-phonic sounds.

Harrison, recovering from the flu, produced somewhat lower-keyed results--his solos were models of classic bebop spiced with traces of blues. And, like Coleman, he did not hesitate to wring decidedly untraditional sounds from his instrument.

Despite the high quality of playing from Coleman and Harrison, however, Hart’s work was a level beyond. Hitherto known as a fine young talent with considerable potential, he was--on this night--little short of astonishing. In solo after solo, ranging from the blues and “I Got Rhythm” to pieces with less familiar chord changes, he broke through the ceiling of contemporary jazz improvising.

Playing with fluent instrumental mastery, Hart blended Parker-style bebop, Coltrane-esque harmonic extensions and Coleman-like free style with the articulation of Eric Dolphy and the blues accessibility of Earl Bostic to come up with a holistic personal expression that somehow made all the elements come together perfectly. And he did so with quick-witted musical intelligence, devising appealing melodies, creating structure via the use of contrasting phrases, and tossing in bits of paraphrase for seasoning. By any definition, it was one of the best individual performances heard this year, and clearly an announcement that Hart has emerged as one of the very top performers on his instrument.

The saxophonists were supported by the rhythm team of pianist Danny Grissett, bassist Jeff Littleton and drummer Sherman Ferguson, who accomplished their task superbly, handling the program’s consistently swift tempos and sudden shifts of pace with ease and inventiveness.

* “Sax Spectacular!” with Antonio Hart, George Coleman and Donald Harrison at the Jazz Bakery through Sunday. 3233 Helms Ave., Culver City. (310) 271-9039. $22 admission tonight and Friday at 8 and 9:30 p.m. and Sunday at 7 and 8:30 p.m.; $25 admission Saturday at 8 and 9:30 p.m.