Ron Gill: Singing Billy Strayhorn at the MFA

Jazz repertory concerts can lapse into predictability and routine or, worse, fail to live up to the honored artist's highest standards. Then there are pairings of master and interpreter that illuminate the best qualities of each, like singer Ron Gill's marvelous tribute to Billy Strayhorn at the Museum of Fine Arts a week ago Wednesday. Gill and his accompanists displayed genuine insight in fresh interpretations of songs that ranged from Strayhorn chestnuts like "Lush Life" and "Something To Live For" to less frequently heard gems like "Grievin' " and "Multi-Colored Blue."

The lasting appeal of Strayhorn's music owes to both its musical sophistication and its democratic appeal. His tunes are tricky -- "Lush Life" is as complex as any art song -- yet they sound at home in a concert hall, a dance hall, or a singles bar. The tone of his lyrics -- rueful, yet tempered with optimism and ironic humor -- needs a light touch.

Over the course of an on-again off-again 25-year career, Gill has played all those venues, as well as spending a short time with the Ellington Orchestra under the direction of Mercer Ellington, so he knows how to put Strayhorn across. With his light tenor mixing youth and experience, and showing impeccable insight into Strayhorn's world, this true jazz singer made these songs live and their message matter. He phrases like a horn, but never at the expense of the meaning of the words. He can also toy with a melody without harming its original beauty. On "Something To Live For" the way he sang the words "bear skin rug" was practically tactile; you could feel its soft warmth in his voice. And his deliberate phrasing of "one I could care for" seemed to call the image of the hoped-for lover before your eyes. On "Maybe," a song that must balance the expectation of romance with the fear of rejection, he underplayed, let the implication of strong feelings do all the work.

Gill was backed by his long-standing trio of pianist Manny Williams, bassist Ron Mahdi and drummer Reid Jorgensen, who were joined by guitarist John Stein and saxophonist Billy Thompson. The trio were a model of self-effacing support, offering the kind of tasteful, imaginative accompaniment singers must dream of. Williams provided rich harmonies behind Gill for their duet on "My Little Brown Book." Mahdi, who was given the melody of "Star-Crossed Lovers," has flawless time, and his rich, woody tone is honest and strong. Jorgensen listens carefully and never plays too loud. Thompson and Stein were likewise equally accomplished in their roles as accompanists and soloists, especially on the trio arrangement of "Lush Life" that featured Thompson on flute. Thompson stuck primarily to tenor, but his alto playing on "Multi-Colored Blue" gave a nod to Ellingtonian Johnny Hodges without stooping to imitation. Stein's sweet tone and sophisticated harmonic sense were a nice match for the material.

An obvious labor of love that has been years in the gestation, the concert was marvelously paced and produced. The program opened with a recording of Ellington reading from his eulogy of Strayhorn. The second half opened with David Hajdu, author of Lush Life, the excellent Strayhorn biography published last year, talking about Strayhorn and reading from the book. With a representative of the Strayhorn estate in attendance and a sold-out auditorium, the concert, recorded for later broadcast on WGBH, was a fitting tribute to and celebration of a giant of American music.

-- Ed Hazell