Henderson Trio Beats the Drums--and the Eardrums

There was a distinct quality of deja vu in the air Wednesday nigt at La Ve Lee in Studio City. That, and a painful number of decibels, as the Scott Henderson Trio offered a set in the small, cozy venue at a sound level that probably could have reached the back seats of the Greek Theatre.

Although Henderson may be best known for his work with the energetic fusion group Tribal Tech, in this appearance his high-flying, extremely articulate guitar playing filled most of the spotlight. And his interaction with drummer Kirk Covington called up recollections of groups such as Cream, Ginger Baker’s Air Force, Tony Williams’ Lifetime and John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra.

Unfortunately, the recollections had more to do with the intensity level of the music rather than its explorative creativity, largely as the result of Covington’s failure to adapt the size and scope of his drumming to the parameters of the room. And Henderson didn’t help matters by focusing his playing on guitar and drum interactivity, with the resulting effect being an emphasis on power rather than persuasiveness.

That was a shame, because Henderson’s history--on recordings and in performance--is filled with some first-rate, musically adventurous playing, often in the company of other gifted jazz artists.

During the set, which was played without announcement or comments to the audience, there were times when Henderson used his vocalized guitar sounds to skim through intriguing musical areas, slipping and sliding around blues phrases, using feedback to counter brisk, bop-like phrases and resorting to high-density sounds only for dramatic purposes. And there was the convincing sense that, in his hands, fusion as a melding of rock, jazz and blues had the potential to emerge as a vital musical expression.

But those moments were too few and far between. And, given the morass of sound that engulfed the room, one emerged from La Ve Lee into the now velvety sounds of Ventura Boulevard (the damage to the eardrums already having been done) with the distinct feeling that--on this night--the primary appeal of experiencing the Henderson Trio’s set was analogous to that of the guy who hits his head against a wall because if feels so good when he stops.