Nothing In-Between About Wilson Nonet’s Sound

There are jazz big bands and there are jazz small groups. And each has a fairly standard instrumentation and a historical musical persona. Then there are the in-betweens--the groups that are neither big bands nor small groups. And it is here, in the relatively unfamiliar territory of the eight- to 12-piece jazz ensembles, that creative opportunity and musical booby-traps can exist side by side.

Few have traversed that tricky terrain more effectively than guitarist-composer Anthony Wilson. And on Tuesday, in the opening set of a six-night run at Catalina Bar & Grill, the performance of his Nonet--nine-piece band--revealed how well he has found his own voice via the in-between instrumentation of five horns, piano, guitar, bass and drums.

Concentrating for the most part on material from his just-released album, “Adult Themes” (MAMA Records), Wilson--who is the son of veteran jazz bandleader Gerald Wilson--crafted his pieces in a number of textural fashions. At times, he simply used all five horns as a block, paralleling both melody and harmony to provide a propulsive wave of hard-swinging sound.

In other sections, he used his ensemble as a mini-big band, with the three saxophones (Jeff Clayton, Pete Christlieb and Jack Nimitz) and the two brass (Carl Saunders on trumpet and Ira Nepus on trombone) performing as contrasting instrumental sections. And often, as a kind of musical wild card, he employed his own guitar in various combinations with both the horns and the rhythm section (pianist Donald Vega, bassist Darek Oles and drummer Mark Ferber) to add unexpected and always colorful timbres to the collective sound.

Wilson contrasted his well-organized textures with some stirring solo work. His own guitar playing seems to get better with every performance, and Vega--also emerging as a unique talent--added a few Latin-jazz touches, including the whisper of a rocking tumbao, to one or two of his exceptional solos. Saunders played a series of impressive choruses filled with breathlessly long lines, Nepus--as always--explored the full range of his instrument’s sounds and the saxophone section (especially Clayton) added a series of swinging individual efforts.

* The Anthony Wilson Nonet at Catalina Bar & Grill through Sunday. 1640 N. Cahuenga Blvd., (213) 466-2210. $12 cover tonight at 8:30 and 10:30; $15 cover Friday, Saturday at 8:30 p.m. and Sunday at 7 p.m.; $12 cover Friday, Saturday at 10:30 p.m. and Sunday at 9 p.m. Two-drink minimum.