JAZZ REVIEW : Czimber’s Gadgets Lack His Electricity

Walk up the short flight of stairs that leads to the first level of the 21 Oceanfront restaurant any Sunday, Tuesday or Wednesday evening and you’ll hear the sounds of a solid piano trio coming from inside.

But when you go in, turn left and pass through the bar, you’ll be surprised to find Les Czimber at the shiny black spinet, all by himself.

The bass and drum sounds--and others--that accompany Czimber’s lithe pianistic forays actually are provided via an electronic music program that uses Macintosh computer floppy discs, programmed by Czimber at home and played back through two sound modules about the same size as a pair of CD players.

“I prefer playing with live musicians,” Czimber said between sets last Tuesday, “but when the club says play solo, I reach for these guys.” He fondly patted his electronic buddies, stacked by the right side of his piano. “These guys are great. They dress well, they play with good time, they always show up.”

Actually, the gadgets sound OK most of the time. During the third set opener Tuesday, a Shearing Quintet-esque version of “I’ll Remember April,” a vibes-like electronic sample could be heard alongside the melody line from the piano. So far so good, but when it came time for Czimber’s solo, the vibes sound disappeared, leaving just the bass and a drum sound dominated by a steady, ting-ting-a-ting from the “cymbal”--an effect that ended up sounding corny.

And when Czimber tackled the slow, emotional “Spring Can Really Hang You Up the Most,” his electronic appendages really sounded out of place. Though his own solo was replete with feeling, the piece was dragged down by plodding bass and drum parts. Maybe Czimber should flick off the electronics once in a while and let his own considerable spirit take care of all the business.

Though his setup can handle anything from pop to country, he sticks to jazz, his favorite music since his teen-age years in his native Hungary. A resident of Westminster since 1971, he cites the late Bill Evans as his chief influence, and you can hear it in his own rich harmonies and fluid improvisational manner.

Evans isn’t all you hear, though. When Czimber plopped in a floppy disk that delivered the approximation of a hip-hop beat, he revealed his fondness for McCoy Tyner with a touch that was darker and expressive ideas a bit more expansive and modern.

The lilting “Someday My Prince Will Come” found Czimber running into his instrument’s upper range, tinkling some high notes for a moment, then offering some colorful lines that seemed to turn around on themselves, like bows on holiday packages. Later chords struck with firmness that had a bell-like chime about them.

* Les Czimber plays Sundays from 5 to 10 p.m. and Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. at 21 Oceanfront, 2100 W. Oceanfront, Newport Beach. No cover. (714) 673-2100.