Jazz Reviews : Richard Elliot Lets His Moves Upstage His Music

Tenor sax player Richard Elliot, who performed with his band Saturday night at the Strand, may not sit on top of the pop instrumental sax heap, but he’s close.

A crowd pleaser, he tours about 120 days a year and sells lots of albums. But popularity and the ability to excite an audience don’t necessarily translate into a musical experience that has impact.

The energetic, ingratiating saxophonist kept the Strand audience happy with his mix of slow, pop ballads and driving pieces composed of short, punchy riffs. But much of that fan response had nothing to do with the music.

As he played, Elliot was constantly mobile--moving around and bending, leaning, bouncing. Sometimes, he got down on his knees. Once, at the end of “When a Man Loves a Woman,” he mock-collapsed on the stage, issuing whiny tones as he lay crouched.

Elsewhere during the show, he made two romps through the crowd, both greeted with rousing applause.

But all this extra-musical stuff seemed so silly. Elliot can really play and doesn’t need to pander to the crowd with “show biz” tactics. When he wanted to, he engaged the audience with his big sound, smooth technique and rhythmic, appealing lines.

All the flashiness, and subsequent lack of focus on music, undermined many of the numbers, from an overblown “Over the Rainbow” to “When a Man Loves a Woman.” “The Christmas Song” and a mellow groover, “Sweat,” were more listenable.

He was given strong support by his band: Dave Reinhardt (drums), Naoki Yanai (bass), Richard Smith (guitar) and Ron Reinhardt (keyboards).