The Hollywood Reporter

Monday, Nov. 11- Concert Review: John Leitham: Catalina's Hollywood

“ … John Leitham, Mel Tormé's bass player, has had a little time off with the maestro on sick call, and so he brought a jolly little band of his own out to play--just in time to support the new CD on which it is featured. Lefty Leaps In is the title track--which refers to the fact that Leitham is a left-handed bass player who loves Lester Young--and the six-piece band played it righteously. Written by Leitham, it was a bit more complex than Lester Leaps In, but it could easily have taken a place in the Count Basie book alongside charts by Neal Hefti or Quincy Jones. The fiery big band tenorman Pete Christlieb dug into it as though he were Al Cohn, Zoot Sims and Johnny Griffin rolled into one. That's because he had to follow the trombonist Bill Watrous, a clear and present soloist who played just as bluesy and with just as many agile feats as Christlieb. The pair of them brought out the team spirit in drummer Joe Labarbera and a smile to the playing and the face of Leitham, who of course had made it all happen. When Tom Ranier had his turn--why does the pianist always go last?--he proved himself the rocking equal, at least for the moment, of Oscar Peterson. This was a helluva number with which to end the set, bringing cheers from the full house. Guitarist Barry Zweig, basking in the afterglow of the two delightful solos he had just player on Antonio Carlos Jobim's subtle and lovelyZingaro and on another Leitham flagon of groove juice called Studio City Stomp, sat out the finale. The way Zweig and Watrous blended on the latter tune, guitar and trombone in just the right portions, was another outcome that reflected credit on the leader. The baby-faced Leitham is the guy who in his pop life must hold together those long big band medleys that Tormé favors. He opened the set with and Oscar Pettiford classic, Tricotism,in an intimate trio format that gave him plenty of solo space. He needed it; he could hardly contain himself, his imagination trying to outrun his fingers and vice versa . . .”