A hip stroll with Berlin, Porter.

Byline: FRED CRAFTS The Register-Guard

PUTTING ON THE RITZ

Emerald City Jazz Kings

THE NEW YORKERS

Emerald City Jazz Kings

(American Notes Jazz)

One sure way to start an argument is to pose the question: Who is America's greatest songwriter?

George Gershwin's supporters can certainly stake a strong claim for their tuneful titan, while Richard Rodgers' fans gleefully line up for their musical maven and Harry Warren's advocates wave the flag for their comely contender.

But there are others - Jerome Kern, Duke Ellington, Harold Arlen and Hoagy Carmichael come to mind, as do Irving Berlin and Cole Porter, for whom a convincing case is advanced in compelling new releases by the Oregon Festival of American Music's stylish Emerald City Jazz Kings.

The sophisticated Porter, whose lyrics are just as inviting as his music, is celebrated in the good-humored "The New Yorkers: Broadway Jazz With Cole Porter and Friends." Refusing to be limited by the standard 32-bar tune, Porter stretched the form to astounding lengths in elongated "tapeworm songs" (the tune of "Begin the Beguine" is 108 measures long, perhaps a record).

Porter wrote hit after hit, as did the nimble Berlin, who in fact had more hits in his hefty songbag (more than 1,000 songs).

Indeed, Berlin was a songwriting machine, cranking out one gem after another in all manner of styles. His songs are easily singable, with lyrics that fit them like a glove. Culling the Berlin catalog down to a representative few (19) is a daunting task, but that is just what has been achieved in the fetching "Puttin' on the Ritz: An Evening With Irving Berlin."

Releasing these recordings simultaneously emphasizes the similarities between the men - both were among the few major composers who wrote their own words and music; both wrote with equal skill for the Broadway stage, films and recordings; and both refined the trick of shifting between major and minor tonalities (think of Porter's trademark "Love for Sale") that has endeared them to generations of jazz musicians.

In fact, so many of their songs have become such an integral part of the standard jazz repertoire that it is hard to think of them now just as songs. That's where the Emerald City Jazz Kings shine.

The facile Eugene retro jazz band massages music (primarily) of the 1930s with convincing authority and in a manner that provides a glimmer of how these merry melodies might have sounded when they first appeared.

It's a hip stroll down memory lane. Included are all the signature tunes, plus old favorites and forgotten beauties (for example, Porter's "Night and Day," "Let's Do It" and "Triplets;" Berlin's "Alexander's Ragtime Band," "Marie" and "That International Rag").

Led by trombonist and vocalist Steve Stone, the all-star aggregation lays it down authentically, with plenty of swing. The band is loaded with skillful soloists who approach their material with respect and exuberance.

On display are all of the band's stalwarts, with tenor saxophonist Frank Kenney, alto saxophonist Steve Owen, trumpeter Tim Clarke and pianist Vicki Brabham getting the most attention. Time and again, they nail compelling solos, while the band rocks gently in the background.

Revealed here is a depth of artistry that wasn't always apparent in the concerts (in Eugene, Corvallis and Roseburg in February and May 2001) where these recordings were made. And since these were live events, not every vocal and instrumental solo was flawless, which is exactly the way it was back then.

The Emerald City Jazz Kings' CDs sell for $16.50 each through the Oregon Festival of American Music, 687-6526.