JAZZ REVIEW : Mike Wofford in Three Formats

Mike Wofford, whose delicate touch and harmonic originality have established him as the preferred pianist of many singers, is the first to work under a newly revised regimen at Lunaria, the restaurant and music room on Santa Monica Boulevard at Beverly Glen.

The San Diego-based jazzman was heard Tuesday with bassist John Leitham from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Ruth Price, who books the talent for the room, joins the duo Wednesdays and Thursdays. A drummer is added Fridays and Saturdays, when the schedule is shifted forward (9 p.m. to 1 a.m.). Sundays are reserved for Brazilian jazz.

Though the association with Price offers him a chance to display his sensitivity as an accompaniest (he is currently employed by Ella Fitzgerald on her occasional jobs), Wofford has strong possibilities as a potential concert soloist. Capable of impressive technical finesse (one tune heard Tuesday was appropriately called “Dexterity”), he nevertheless shows respect for such traditions as the blues, represented by an early Monk piece, and the ballad mood, superbly evoked in what might be called a thinking man’s medley: “The Very Thought of You” and “I Thought About You.” The latter was mainly a showcase for the ever-agile work of the left-handed Leitham.

Wofford deserves special mention for his avoidance of overworked songs; he prefers such semi-obscure compositions as Carl Perkins’ “Grooveyard,” and Oscar Pettiford’s “Bohemia After Dark,” for which he and Leitham introduced the fast, tricky theme in unison.

Yet another advantage is the grand piano itself, its brilliant sound helpful in projecting the wealth of ideas brimming in Wofford’s fertile imagination.

He closes Saturday but will return Aug. 21.