NEW YORK — Chick Corea's fluid piano coupled with Avishai Cohen's deep-toned bass expertise and Jeff

Ballard's masterful polyrhythmic drumming enabled

COLOR="#003163">Origin to deliver a textbook example of ensemble playing, the backbone of jazz, at Town Hall on Sunday. It was a riveting way to close out the 11-day New York Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival.

Performing a mixture of standards and originals, Origin displayed a level of interplay that is too often lacking in the pick-up bands and short-lived groups so common in today's jazz market.

Opening with an extended version of pianist Bud Powell's "Tempus Fugit," the performance contained solos and group improvisations of the highest order. Steve Davis (trombone), Steve Wilson (soprano sax, alto sax) and Bob Sheppard (tenor sax, bass clarinet) alternated solos throughout the evening. Cohen's bass playing — which was always interesting and, at times, remarkable — signaled the emergence of a major new talent.

Although Origin's set lasted over 90 minutes and concluded with a

well-deserved encore, the joy with which the group delivered the music made the time fly. Groups this good never seem to play long enough. Corea, who has always been regarded by his musical peers as one of the finest musicians in jazz, has with Origin assembled a group fully capable of showcasing his genius. The group's CD Change features the song "LittleFlamenco" (RealAudio excerpt).

Starting With The Microscopic

Opening the show, the seven men in suits and neckties who form

COLOR="#003163">Microscopic Septet played their rollicking blend of swing and off-kilter rhythms to a delighted crowd. In addition to providing witty between-song banter, leader Phillip Johnston added his soprano sax to the four-sax front line that is the heart of the septet's signature sound.

Don Davis' alto,

COLOR="#003163">Paul Shapiro's tenor and

COLOR="#003163">Dave Sewelson's baritone completed the reed

section that was backed by the rhythm section of pianist

COLOR="#003163">Joel Forrester, bassist

COLOR="#003163">David Hofstra and drummer

COLOR="#003163">Richard Dworkin.

Drawing on compositions from their regrettably out-of-print albums, the

septet's quirky rhythms and hard, free-wheeling blowing had several audience members dancing with abandon. The seven know how to play music that's tailored to please, without sacrificing their sophisticated jazz chops.

Down With Douglas

On Saturday, the Knitting Factory — spawning ground and ground zero for the Bell Atlantic Festival — was packed with fans eager to hear the latest that trumpeter Dave Douglas had to offer.

"Dave Douglas is a master player with a unique approach," Peter Smith, 19, of New Jersey said. "Soul on Soul ensemble is a good way to launch the 21st century."

Douglas, whose seemingly limitless musical imagination is constantly

expanding, was presenting music from his recent RCA release, Soul on

Soul.

The sextet — featuring Douglas on trumpet, along with

COLOR="#003163">Greg Tardy (tenor sax, clarinet),

COLOR="#003163">Josh Roseman (trombone),

COLOR="#003163">Uri Caine (piano), Brad Jones (bass) and Joey Baron (drums) — played finely woven ensemble jazz inspired by and dedicated to the late pianist Mary Lou Williams.

Douglas, a marvelous trumpet player, always manages to surround himself with equally talented musicians and drive them to the upper limits of their abilities. In such rarified company it is often difficult for an individual to stand out, and Saturday night was no exception, even though Baron's uplifting drumming and Caine's flawless piano work are always a pleasure to hear.

To open the show, bassist Mario Pavone and his NU Trio — which includes Matt Wilson (drums) and Peter Madsen (piano) — performed a mixture of compositions from Pavone and the late reed player Thomas Chapin, with whom Pavone played for years. The Knitting Factory stage is familiar ground for this group, and the ease which with they worked together was readily apparent.

Before his show at the Angel Orensanz Center on Friday, saxophonist John Zorn was busy setting up the stage configurations for the various chamber ensembles that were about to perform his music.

"Thanks for coming downtown to hear my uptown music," Zorn quipped.

Not Exactly Zorny Weather

On a temperate night, the converted synagogue is a wonderful place to

experience music. Friday was sweltering, however, and the space's lack of air conditioning made for a sticky and difficult evening of listening.

Zorn's compositions, which can be quite challenging in the best of

circumstances, also were poorly served by the conditions. The ensembles

performed the various pieces for trio, string quartet and solo cello with panache, and the audience was extremely attentive. But Zorn's complex atonal music ultimately wilted in the heat.

Perhaps uptown music does belong uptown.

The Bell Atlantic Jazz Festival, despite a few missteps — such as

presenting brilliant saxophonist Ornette

Coleman against a background of horrible street-construction noise — managed to offer a wide array of cutting-edge music in a variety of well-picked venues.

The festival organizers used a series of inspired free concerts along with fearless and inventive programs to bring the future of music to a wider audience. Throughout the festival, the events attracted a healthy mix of not only longtime fans but also newcomers and younger listeners, thus nurturing the vitality and future of creative, improvised music.

The JVC Jazz Festival, beginning this week in New York, has a tough act to follow