QUEEN MARY FEST : CONFUSION, GREED MAR ‘JAZZ SUITE’

Confusion and avarice had a brisk tussle for control of the stage Monday on the closing evening of the Queen Mary Jazz Festival. Confusion won, but not by much.

Described as the “Queen Mary Jazz Suite,” the program starred trumpeter/composer Buddy Childers leading a 19-piece band, with featured performances by flutist Dave Valentin, singers Frank Sinatra Jr., Kenny James, “Drag Queen” Big Ed, and an overcostumed, underskilled company of Las Vegas-style dancers. Not exactly an awe-inspiring lineup for a “jazz suite.”

To make things worse, the performance unfolded in a series of herky-jerky, disconnected episodes aimed primarily at a team of TV cameramen taping the show for a future album release. On several occasions, Childers simply stopped pieces in the middle for unannounced arcane technical purposes. It was a disturbing and cavalier way to treat an audience that had paid to see a jazz performance, not a television taping.

Composition titles and performers were virtually unidentified by announcements from the stage, but James had a few pleasant, funk-drenched moments in his appearances (especially “Hot Monkey Love”), and Valentin demonstrated that he can do a little more than play repetitious Latin Montunas. Sinatra was less appealing, with his generally warm tone sounding harsh and edgy.

The true stars of the evening were the brilliantly precise (and largely unidentified) members of the Childers Band. But good as they were, most of their yeoman’s service on a set of demanding arrangements virtually was inaudible because of an unbalanced rock music sound mix.

They deserved better treatment--as did the hardy group of jazz fans who endured a program better suited to the glitter of Las Vegas.