JAZZ REVIEW : Kenny Burrell’s Mettle Is Even More Awesome

Guitarist Kenny Burrell gave his attentive audience a special bonus during a recent show: He closed the first set with an extended series of songs on acoustic guitar.

Burrell, in the midst of a three-week run at Elario’s in La Jolla, is proving again why he is regarded as one of the heroes of jazz guitar. Throughout the nine-song set, he used the guitar to create an orchestra worth of sounds.

Clearly a man possessed by his jazz muse, Burrell frequently closed his eyes and hummed under his breath as inspirations came. Each tune was full of surprises. The guitarist mixed single-note strings and inventive chordal embellishments with amazing dexterity.

His trio format is ideal, leaving Burrell plenty of room and making his virtuoso guitar the spotlight.

Los Angeles drummer Sherman Ferguson was in excellent form. He claims each tune for his own with punchy combinations, driving the music with crisp cymbal and snare work, but never overpowering Burrell’s guitar.

San Diego bassist Bob Magnusson does more than just anchor the rhythmic bottom. In his hands, the bass turns out complex melodic inventions.

Selections tended toward slow- and medium-tempo standards, but Burrell tossed in a burner or two, proving that today’s heavy-metal speed demons have nothing on him.

“How Could You Do a Thing Like That to Me?” and “Love for Sale” quickly established the rapport between the musicians.

Ferguson, who has played often with Burrell, was right on, neatly improvising during short, spontaneous breaks Burrell designated with a casual nod. No matter how far out these drum excursions went, the heat was always close at hand, bubbling just below the surface.

Burrell opened “Another Kind of Love” alone, adding his own inventions to this familiar melody, twisting the tune in new, refreshing ways. Magnusson soloed confidently, breaking short strings of notes with smooth slides up and down the neck, swinging nicely.

Burrell’s technical prowess was showcased on his own “Midnight Blue.” Unlike guitarists who lose clarity as tempos increase and complicated chord changes come faster, this master is always in control. Every note, every chord is produced with amazing accuracy as Burrell’s fingers work the frets with the consistency of small pistons.

Midway through the set, he swapped his full-bodied electric jazz guitar for an acoustic model. He requested quiet and was obviously pleased with the response.

“There are certain pieces we play when we have such an attentive audience,” he said, and, as a reward, he added Harold Arlen’s “Last Night When We Were Young” before Alec Wilder’s Brazilian-flavored “Moon and Sand.”

Ferguson’s work was especially fine on “Moon and Sand.” He gently pushed the tune, working his snare with a brush in one hand and a stick in the other, alternating soft swishing with wood-block-like sounds.

Not only is Burrell’s left hand incredibly dexterous, but his right is amazingly versatile. He combines a pick with finger picking and strumming to achieve a tremendous tonal and dynamic range.

Burrell stayed with his acoustic guitar for the up-tempo number that closed the set, proving that, even on this more technically demanding instrument, he can play whatever he darn well pleases.

Burrell is at Elario’s Wednesday through Sunday nights through Feb. 18.