Jan. 15--The music of Rahsaan Roland Kirk came forth like a torrent, often through the three horns he played at once.
Few jazz musicians have matched the tumultuous outpouring of sound he produced, his penchant for also featuring novelty instruments and referencing vast swaths of jazz history in a single performance further distinguishing his art.
Kirk, who was blind, died in 1977 at age 41, but he long ago earned a singular place in jazz, thanks to reissues of his recordings, the brilliance of his work and the lore of his story.
Which is what prompted Chicago saxophonist Juli Wood to come up with an intriguing idea: feature three saxophonist/flutists conjuring what Kirk did alone. For if no one really can play modified instruments simultaneously with Kirk's fervor and virtuosity, perhaps a trio of musicians at least could capture the spirit of his unusual art.
Thus Wood last year formed Natalies Wood Plays Roland Kirk, a band devoted to the compositions and legacy of a musician revered by jazz aficionados but largely forgotten by the world at large. On Thursday night, Wood and friends convened at the Jazz Showcase, hoping to remind listeners of the considerable and lasting value of Kirk's music. For this task she engaged the nascent Chicago saxophonists Natalie Lande and Natalie Scharf (hence the band name Natalies Wood), plus an ace Chicago rhythm section, with pianist Brian O'Hern, bassist Matt Ferguson and drummer Mike Schlick.
The concept was welcome, but, alas, the music only began to catch fire when Wood herself was leading the charge or playing a characteristically rambunctious solo. While saxophonists Lande and Scharf showed plenty of potential and seriousness, for the most part the restrained, polite, soft-spoken nature of their work did not suit the occasion. Nor did it give Wood the hefty front-line support she needed.
So whenever Wood was holding forth, the music showed a larger-than-life presence and a degree of excitement worthy of the cause, even if Lande and Scharf's accompanying passages sounded mostly meek and bland by comparison. Had Wood shared the stage with reedists of comparable sonic heft and musical elan, her mission of evoking the majesty of Kirk's music might have been achieved. Instead, one heard a heroic attempt that took flight solely when she put reed to lips.
Only in the last composition of the evening's first set, Kirk's "No Tonic Press," did saxophonists Lande and Scharf begin to assert themselves. With all three musicians playing tenor saxophone, the band at last achieved some of the fire that should have been crackling from the outset. Lande turned in a formidable solo here, and Scharf held her own, but, alas, this was way too little, way too late.
Yet there still was some value in this experiment, starting with the nature of Wood's work. Whether she was playing solo or leading three-horn counterpoint, Wood proved imposing. The sheer size of her sound, the complexity of her solos and the pervasive musicality of everything she played were quite gripping on their own. Had she been accompanied simply by piano, bass and drums, this set would have been well worth hearing -- and lacking some of its frustrations.
But that wasn't the only draw here, for Wood's venture cast a welcome light on Kirk's compositions. The melodic allure of "Bright Moments" (with a three-flute introduction), the soulful expressions Wood offered in "The Inflated Tear" and the vibrancy of Wood's tone on soprano saxophone in "Black Diamond" -- with a profound solo from bassist Ferguson -- spoke to the high craft of Kirk's writing and the caliber of improvisations it can inspire.
If Natalies Wood Plays Roland Kirk didn't provide what one had hoped for, it surely brought Kirk's oeuvre to the fore and, perhaps, might encourage the band's two emerging saxophonists to step up their efforts.
hreich@tribpub.com
When: 8 and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 4 and 8 p.m. Sunday
Where: Jazz Showcase, 806 S. Plymouth Court
Tickets: $20-$35; 312-360-0234 or www.jazzshowcase.com
