JAZZ REVIEW : Fresh Approach to the Standards : Fine individual efforts kept staleness from well-worn tunes as Conte Candoli and Shelley Moore joined Les Czimber’s trio.

Standards, the common language of jazz, allow musicians thoroughly unacquainted with each other to tap a shared consciousness, no matter how little rehearsal they’ve had. They also provide a touchstone for the listener, something familiar that invites comparison against past performances. Giving them a fresh face isn’t very easy.

There were standards aplenty Sunday afternoon at Gustaf Anders restaurant as trumpeter Conte Candoli and singer Shelley Moore joined keyboardist Les Czimber’s trio for an afternoon of familiar melodies. “All the Things You Are,” “Fascinating Rhythm,” “Yesterdays” and “There Will Never Be Another You” were aired along with a number of tunes from the Charlie Parker songbook. And for the most part, the spontaneity of the performances, coupled with fine individual efforts, kept the staleness from the well-worn numbers.

Central to the day’s success was trumpeter Candoli, whose enthusiasm and pushy way with rhythms turned his solos into fascinating stories spoken in jive. In the manner of Miles Davis, he worked muted trumpet on “Someday My Prince Will Come,” his phrasing showing more polish than Davis’ 1961 version, and--despite the 30 intervening years--more allegiance to the bebop-style attack of Clifford Brown than Davis ever cared to demonstrate. Candoli also showed a playful sense of wit, dropping the theme of “Fascinating Rhythm,” a tune heard earlier in the set, into his “Lover Man” improvisation.

The trumpeter jumped into a bossa nova-paced “Fly Me to the Moon” on a note already sky-high, then proceeded to work a series of ascending lines that climbed to their upscale finish in a slightly different way each time. Later in the number, Candoli, trumpet put aside, added an extra percussion effect during bassist Dave Carpenter’s long, melodic solo by clapping his cupped hands in front of his open mouth while drummer Nick Martinis clacked away on his rims.

Vocalist Moore, who hails from England but has lived in Orange County in recent years, opened appropriately enough with “A Foggy Day in London Town.” Her sprightly way with the lyric added some shake to the relaxed swing-pace the band sustained behind her, and her seductive style on “You Don’t Know What Love Is” was more an invitation, rather than the indictment that Billie Holiday’s mournful renditions suggested. An up-tempo “I Want to Be Happy” let the singer cut loose with some bouncy scat that she punctuated with wordplay from the lyrics.

The Hungarian-born Czimber, who cites Bill Evans as a major influence, showed some of Evans’ sensitivity on the keyboard as well as a healthy dose of inventiveness. He treated improvisational lines like modeling clay, rolling and stretching them out. His unaccompanied intro to “Someday My Prince Will Come” was bright with the promise contained in the tune’s title, and he added some funky, Horace Silver-like chording during a barrelhouse blues vocal by Moore.

Though often a bit difficult to hear further back in the room, Carpenter’s solo bass work was nicely lyrical and not confined to any particular register. Drummer Martinis seemed content to stick to timekeeping during ensemble work, but fired at will across his snare when trading fours or taking solos.