Young Players Learn From All-Stars at Mancini Launch

The fourth season of the Henry Mancini Institute’s annual free concert series kicked off with an all-star bash Saturday night at Royce Hall. Always one of the highlights of the summer music season, the opening event showcased the series’ most attractive qualities: an impressive lineup of guest performers and the spirited performances of a gifted, 80-piece orchestra of young musicians.

The guests were trumpeter-composer Terence Blanchard and saxophonist David Sanchez. And, although their appearances were relatively brief, they were filled with the kind of world-class jazz artistry that had the orchestra members watching with mesmerized fascination. Sanchez played a pair of numbers drawn from his “Obsesion” album, his big, ravishing tone on full display in the lyrical melodic passages, his fast-fingered technique driving the up-tempo passages with inexorable swing.

Blanchard’s rendering of Jerry Goldsmith’s theme from the film “Chinatown” was the work of an artist who matches his jazz skills with a thorough understanding of the dramatic requirements of effective film music. Playing with a sensuous, vocalized sound, occasionally manipulating his line using a sizzling, half-valve technique, he fully captured the theme’s dark intensity. And, climaxing the concert, Blanchard teamed up with Sanchez for a romp through Elmer Bernstein’s “Man With the Golden Arm.”

The HMI Orchestra’s portion of the program started a bit unevenly--not surprising, given the fact that the 80 young players, from 10 different countries, had been performing together for only a few days. The rough spots were fairly well smoothed out, however, by the time they grappled with William Swindler’s “Vantages,” the most compelling orchestral work on the program.

A composition student from Texas, Swindler handled the orchestra with surprising fluency. Although his piece had a few passages that smacked of film scoring, it was, for the most part, a mature and intelligent composition, providing a first-class workout for the ensemble.

Mitchell Glickman, Charles Floyd and HMI music director Jack Elliott conducted the various works with brisk efficiency.

* The HMI concerts continue with programs Friday and Saturday, 8 p.m., at Royce Hall, featuring guest artists Bud Shank, alto saxophone, and Michael Lang, piano. The programs are free, but tickets are required. They can be reserved by calling the Royce ticket office: (310) 825-2101.