Blythe and Tapscott Trio Merge Strengths

You know what they say about old friends getting back together again. They often have some catching up to do.

But little catching up was required Thursday at the Jazz Bakery when alto saxophonist Arthur Blythe reunited with pianist Horace Tapscott’s trio. The two men, both noted for their distinctive styles, carried on as if they’d never been apart.

In the 1960s, Tapscott and Blythe were frequent collaborators. Born in Los Angeles and raised in San Diego, the saxophonist was a member of the Tapscott’s Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra as well as the pianist’s guild of improvisers known as the Union of God’s Musicians and Artists Ascension. Blythe moved on to New York in the early ‘70s, and worked stints with Chico Hamilton, Gil Evans, Lester Bowie and Jack DeJohnette.

Beginning in 1979, he recorded a fine series of albums for the Columbia label that bridged the free jazz movement of the day with the musical traditions of days gone by. Through it all, Blythe and Tapscott remained in touch. As recently as 1995, the saxophonist rejoined Tapscott’s Arkestra for a tour of Europe.

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Now Tapscott has returned the favor, as his trio, with bassist Roberto Miranda and drummer Donald Dean, backs the saxophonist on this four-day run. Thursday’s nearly two-hour opening set before a rapt audience combined Blythe and Tapscott originals with thinly disguised standards (a variation of “Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise” that Blythe labeled “Hardly as an Evening Sunset”) in a program that played up both musicians’ strengths.

Blythe’s characteristic sound and enthusiasm was apparent from the first notes of the opening tune, his “Faceless Woman.” The waltz-like movement of the piece allowed the saxophonist to dance grandly through the scales, before injecting a touch of minor-key pathos on the bridge. His tone, immediately recognizable as his, contains a bit of grit in the lower register, but is hard and gleaming in the upper. On sustained notes, he adds a slow vibrato that lends an air of vulnerability to his sound.

His agility shone through Thelonious Monk’s “Rhythm-A-Ning,” while his tendency to inject mischief, a trait he shares with the pianist, surfaced during Erroll Garner’s “Misty.” Tapscott’s free-ranging attack proved the perfect foil to Blythe’s bouncy, carefree style.

At rare times, notably during Blythe’s “As of Yet,” Dean and Miranda seemed to crash the party as they acquainted themselves with the material. But overall their combined, to-the-beat approach and quirky solo styles made strong contributions to this rousing night of music.

* Arthur Blythe and the Horace Tapscott Trio play the Jazz Bakery, 3233 Helms Ave., Culver City, tonight, 8 and 10:15 p.m.; Sunday, 6 and 8 p.m. Early shows $20, late shows $18. (310) 271-9039.