JAZZ REVIEW : Turre-Eubanks: On Cutting Edge

The Vine St. Bar & Grill took a daring and commendable chance in booking the Steve Turre-Robin Eubanks Quintet for a four-day run that began Wednesday.

Nothing about this group is conventional. The leaders both play trombone, an instrument not generally in favor on the jazz front in recent years; their material consists of adventurous original works.

Well known for his several stints with the late Woody Shaw, Turre was at his most eloquent in a ballad dedicated to the trumpeter, “Specially for You,” played on an open horn. In other numbers he resorted to several variations, among them the use of a mute and plunger. On one tune, he doubled on three conch shells of different sizes and shapes, producing an odd variety of sounds. Eubanks blended effectively with Turre in the ensembles. As a soloist, he was somewhat the more extroverted of the two, playing with a wild abandon that extended the tradition of the instrument as he took it into uncharted areas.

The true scene stealer was Charnett Moffett. This 22-year-old is a phenomenally gifted master of the upright bass. Playing in the ensembles, he was a virtual one-man rhythm section, although pianist Kei Akagi and drummer Gene Jackson were potently supportive.

Moffett’s solos generally told a cohesive melodic story. Only in one number, when he switched to electric bass and Akagi played synthesizer, was the tension suspended as the band reached the border of boredom.

Turre and Eubanks, both on the cutting edge in the evolution of their instrument, have found a logical partnership in this spirited unit. They close Saturday.