Saxman Osby Plays It Straight With Style

Greg Osby got through an entire set Wednesday night at the Club Brasserie in the Bel Age Hotel without adding any rap or hip-hop to his performance. Which was all to the good. Despite the occasionally intriguing use of urban pop styles on some of his recordings, it was a pleasure to hear the talented alto saxophonist performing in the aurally uncluttered landscape of a jazz quartet.

Despite the fact that Osby has appeared with Dizzy Gillespie, Jack DeJohnette, Andrew Hill and New York City’s M-Base Collective, he has not exactly been one of the more visible young jazz artists of the ‘90s. But his playing Wednesday night before an enthusiastic audience convincingly demonstrated that he is an imaginative, cutting-edge improviser whose skills as a soloist have been somewhat clouded by the rap and hip-hop elements in some of his recordings.

Working with a first-rate ensemble that included Jason Moran on piano, Azshi Osada on bass and Rodney Green on drums, Osby cruised through a mixed program of originals, with a few bop specials thrown in for good measure. Tune flowed into tune, with Osby’s probing saxophone lines juxtaposed against Moran’s floating, atmospheric piano chording.

In one extended solo that lasted 10 minutes or so, Osby toured the outer limits of his instrument, quickly building to a high level of intensity and managing, remarkably, to sustain it for the entire chorus. Although he is a certifiable original, traces of Eric Dolphy and a smidgen or two of Ornette Coleman crept into Osby’s playing. But, influences aside, the consistently high level of his work decisively identified him as a player who deserves more attention.

One hopes that Osby’s appearance at the Brasserie--one of the most visually attractive jazz rooms in town--also means that this appealing venue, with its striking, window-wall view of the night lights of Los Angeles, will add more nationally known acts to its booking schedule. The enhanced visibility of a comfortable jazz room in the Sunset Strip area could do a lot to attract younger audiences and encourage the Brasserie to blend more national acts into its already rich schedule of local performers.

* The Greg Osby Quartet at the Club Brasserie in the Bel Age Hotel, 1020 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood, (310) 854-1111. Tonight and Saturday. Sets begin at 9 p.m.