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Jazzmatazz

 ((House of Blues; 999 seats; $ 20))

By DAVID WOLLOCK

Presented inhouse. Performers: Guru, Donald Byrd, Big Shug, Seanski, Reuban Wilson, Zachary Breaux, Derrick Davis, Willie McNeil, Cindy Loving, Stephanie Cooke. Reviewed Sept. 30, 1995. While the Jazzmatazz ensemble made painstaking attempts to mesh the worlds of hip-hop and jazz, it was rapper Guru who almost singlehandedly kept the crowd alive and pumping at the unit's L.A. show. Despite its technical virtuosity, his band -- featuring jazz luminary Donald Byrd, a mix of local and noteworthy jazzmen, a pair of vocalists, a live DJ and a second rapper -- simply created a fresh context for the charismatic MC. Guru led his entourage through jazz-rap material from "Jazzmatazz" and "Jazzmatazz Volume II: The New Reality" (both on Chrysalis/EMI), which pair the Gang Starr rapper with a bevy of jazz and R&B notaries, including Byrd and Reuben Wilson. Armed with clever, socially conscious rhymes and a commanding yet ever-suave microphone style, Guru kept a mixed, near-capacity audience nodding their heads and waving outstretched arms for more than 75 minutes.
 

Byrd, 63, who received top-billing with Guru, added some spice but many of his solos were less than memorable. Each player took turns in the spotlight, most notably nimble-fingered guitarist Zachary Breaux.

The self-conscious solos, as well as countless reintroductions of band members, were designed to point out the "jazziness" of what essentially was a hip-hop show. Similarly, Guru made frequent references to crossing musical boundaries, to "bringing generations together" and to the intertwined histories of rap and jazz. While Guru's seriousness is admirable, the end result is a familiar acid jazz sound.