Young Star Sets the Pace for Mancini Institute

There was a fascinating moment at Royce Hall on Saturday night when bassist Christian McBride played his feature number with the Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra and Big Band. As the virtuosic McBride whipped his fingers up and down the keyboard of his instrument, the young members of the ensemble were transfixed, smiling in awe at this display of extraordinary musicianship.

But what gave the moment its real cachet was the fact that McBride, at 27, is well within the age range of the 80 young musicians in the ensemble who are spending a month at UCLA as participants in the third annual Mancini Institute summer student residency program. And the presence of a youthful all-star, interacting in creative and mutually supportive fashion with a collection of talented musicians from the U.S. and other countries, underscored the institute’s artistic goals.

The program before a packed house began with a set by the Mancini Institute Big Band. Together for only a week or so, the players nonetheless performed with a collective ensemble sound that belied the relative briefness of their association. And saxophonists Michael Seropyan, from the Ukraine, and Luke Batson, from Tennessee, played--especially in their feature number, Billy Byers’ “Doodle-Oodle”--with imagination and swing.

The Big Band was joined by clarinetist Richard Stoltzman and his pianist son, Peter, for Duke Ellington’s “Come Sunday” and a suite based on Leonard Bernstein’s music for “West Side Story.” Stoltzman’s lush clarinet tone was particularly appropriate for the gospel phrases of “Come Sunday” and Bernstein’s soaring lyrical melodies.

McBride’s rendering of a piece originally associated with bassist Ray Brown was the highlight of the concert’s second half. Although his finger-busting, rapid technique was the most visible aspect of his soloing, McBride was equally skillful in slower, bowed passages. And his amiable, easygoing manner extended into his performance, which brought a sense of spirit and energy to a relatively lightweight piece.

The Stoltzmans returned to conclude the program with a pair of works by Bill Douglas. Both placed considerable technical demands upon Richard Stoltzman, and he delivered with characteristic verve. Given his classical credentials, his improvising was impressive, if a bit too strongly oriented toward riff patterns and virtuosic displays. But his presence provided an appropriate ending for a program underscoring the broad stylistic ambitions of the Mancini Institute’s summer residency.

* The Henry Mancini Institute 1999 Summer Concert Series at UCLA’s Royce Hall. Featuring Ernie Watts, Tamir Hendelman and Richard Greene, Friday; Ernie Watts and Lincoln Mayorga, Saturday; Randy Brecker and the Turtle Island Quartet, Aug. 20-21; Anthony Wilson and Isaac Smith, Aug. 27. Concerts are free to the public, but tickets must be reserved in advance: (310) 825-2101.