Jammin’ with jazz pizazz

When Jimmy Spencer strolls onto the stage at Mr. B’s restaurant in

Burbank impeccably dressed in a gray tailored suit, satin tie,

handkerchief and silver cufflinks, he looks like a member of the Rat

Pack.

But once the room fills with the sound of his rich, velvety

baritone voice, it’s clear he sings with the intimacy of Nat King

Cole. Spencer is a versatile singer who courts his audience with

smooth and gentle phrasing and a warm, vibrant delivery.

Karen Hernandez, his longtime pianist and musical partner, backs

him on piano along with the other members who make up her trio, Lou

Shoch (bass) and Jack LeCompte (drums) as they perform a mixture of

finger-snapping jazz, blues and ballads at the restaurant every

Thursday night.

Among the broad repertoire of standards they regularly cover are

“All of Me,” “At Last” and “Once in Awhile.”

Spencer has also sung with numerous professional musicians, who

have played with jazz greats such as Frank Sinatra and Dizzy

Gillespie. The Long Beach resident primarily considers himself a

balladeer whose style is soft and easy.

“I’m protective of ballads,” said Spencer, who has also appeared

in several TV movies. “I stay as close to the original as I can. I

like to phrase it and tell a story. I want to hear the pretty chord

changes.”

J.A. Preston, who became a fan after seeing him perform 15 years

ago, said Spencer’s confident stage presence makes him so appealing.

“Jimmy’s a storyteller,” Preston said. “He makes contact with the

audience. That’s a craft. A good ballad singer makes love to the

audience and he’s a wonderful ballad singer.”

“That was nice,” Spencer purrs into the microphone after singing

“Deed I Do,” before dedicating the next song “If You Ever Leave Me,”

to one of the waitresses. Such impromptu dedications are a frequent

occurrence throughout the show.

After 40 years of working together, Spencer and Hernandez are so

comfortable together, they work without a set list. Spencer calls out

his song of choice and Hernandez immediately begins playing. She even

knows what key Spencer will start a song in.

Marguaret Love, a vocalist who has worked with Hernandez since the

1980s, said her musical talent is inborn.

“Karen can play anything from rock to jazz,” Love said. “It’s all

in her head. She doesn’t need sheet music.”

The duo performs gigs together as well as on their own, Hernandez

with her trio. Hernandez, a Burbank resident, is a sought-after

pianist in jazz circles. She performs several times a month at Jax

Bar & Grill in Glendale.

She also contributed an original composition to “Pretty Woman,”

the film starring Julia Roberts, and played on the soundtrack of the

film “The Fabulous Baker Boys.” She likes playing a variety of genres

from jazz and blues to Latin and gospel, but said playing with

Spencer is her favorite gig.

“He’s got the sound that matches well with a jazz group behind

him,” said Hernandez, who began playing the piano at 4 in her Utah

church. “He commands the audience. He holds people’s attention. And

he’s got a nice bluesy sound to his voice.”

The two met shortly after Hernandez moved to Los Angeles in the

late 1960s at a club in the Crenshaw district. After hearing her

play, Spencer asked Hernandez to do some arranging for him. They’ve

been inseparable ever since.

They’re close offstage and refer to each other as “brother and

sister.” Over the years, they’ve played virtually every jazz club in

Los Angeles. Hernandez even wrote a song, “Riverside Drive,” about

the heyday of their favorite stomping grounds when there were half a

dozen jazz clubs throughout the San Fernando Valley.

The song is featured on their newly released CD “Shades of Blue,”

a collection of standards. Hernandez wrote and recorded the song,

which has a Latin feel to it, 15 years ago but Spencer is the first

to sing and record the song with lyrics.

“Riverside” is a fast frenetic song about the joy of hearing live

music. Don Fraser, president of the California Boxing Hall of Fame,

was so impressed with the duo’s onstage rapport when he first saw

them three years ago that he hires them regularly to play corporate

events.

“They cover for each other if one makes a mistake,” Fraser said.

“Karen knows every song he’s going to sing backward and forward. They

work in concert. They blend together beautifully.”

Spencer said he hopes to translate some of that harmonious energy

to the audience.

“I like to make people feel good,” Spencer said. “Life can be such

a scramble. I hope to make at least one person in the audience happy.

If one couple comes up to me and says they enjoyed the show, that’s

my whole night right there.”

FYI

WHAT: Jimmy Spencer and the Karen Hernandez Trio

WHEN: 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Thursdays

WHERE: Mr. B’s, 1333 N. Hollywood Way, Burbank

ADMISSION: No cover

CONTACT: (818) 845-1800

WHEN: 8:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. second Saturday of every month

WHERE: Smoke House Restaurant, 4420 W. Lakeside Drive, Burbank

ADMISSION: No cover

CONTACT: (818) 845-3731

WHEN: 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Oct. 14

WHERE: Jax Bar & Grill, 339 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale

ADMISSION: No cover, no minimum

CONTACT: (818) 500-1604

MORE INFORMATION: jimmyspencer-nightspen.com CD: “Shades of Blue”

available at cdbaby.com or Tower Records