A spirited memorial for Ray Brown

Ray Brown last performed at Catalina Bar & Grill in February. But there was an almost palpable sense of his presence at the club on Tuesday, when the Killer Trio All Stars Plus One opened a weeklong tribute to the great bassist, who died in July.

Guitarist Russell Malone, pianist Monty Alexander, bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton were logical choices for the musical salute. Malone and Alexander appeared with Brown on his final recording, and Clayton and Hamilton were his frequent musical companions. Adding more authenticity to the program, much of the music was either written by or closely associated with Brown.

Interestingly, it was Alexander, who had the longest musical relationship with Brown, and Malone, who had the shortest, who best captured the ebullient musicality that characterized Brown’s every note.

Alexander’s soloing, accompanied by his fervent grunting and humming, reached from soulful, gospel-tinged blues and sweetly lyrical balladry to the buoyant rhythms of his Jamaican homeland.

Malone could do no wrong. His improvising had the quality, as it always does, of instant composition, with his fascinating melody lines filled with inner thematic relationships, driven by his powerful rhythmic drive.

Clayton, with the unenviable task of following in the footsteps of his mentor and friend, played some of the familiar Brown lines with a deep understanding of their musical source. But he would be the first to note that there was only one Ray Brown.

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Brown Tribute

Where: Catalina Bar & Grill, 1640 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood

When: Through Sunday, 8:30 and 10:30 p.m.

Ends: Sunday

Price: $20 to $25 cover, two-drink minimum

Info: (323) 466-2210.