JAZZ REVIEW : Bopsicle Offers Blend of Musical Flair, Fun : Vocalists complement each other and are supported by resourceful musicians in engaging show at El Matador.

Bopsicle is a dandy little band led by bassist-singer-songwriter Jack Prather and his fiance, singer Stephanie Haynes, that’s loaded with musicality.

The engaging material is almost all by Prather, whose vocals bear a resemblance to, without being derivative of, those of songwriter-singer Dave Frishberg. Both men rely on scratchy yet not unappealing voices, a feel for comedic lyrics set to swinging rhythms and their paeans to jazz greats.

In a performance Sunday before a packed house at El Matador, Prather shared the singing duties with Haynes, one of Southern California’s premier jazz vocalists. His gravelly tenor provided both a sharp contrast to, and a deft blend with, his gifted cohort’s luxuriant alto. Prather held his own in terms of tonal quality and pitch, and stayed on course when maneuvering through the occasional harmony part. He also enunciated clearly, so that listeners could discern his words. Has he been taking lessons from his partner?

Bopsicle is, however, far from just a jazz vocal group. Prather, a bassist who works with a reverberating tone, was complemented to a tee by drummer Charlie Landis, who knew just what to play and when. Filling out the ensemble were trumpeter Ron Stout, a marvelous be-bop-based soloist, and guitarist Tom Bevan, himself no slouch when it came to extemporizing.

The opener, “New York, New York,” was not the John Kander-Fred Ebb movie-theme warhorse but an original that portrayed the vibrant jazz scene in Gotham City. The tune closed with Prather and Haynes singing the title three times in rapid succession, followed by “be-bop, be-bop, be-bop.”

“Table by the Band,” a humorous, medium-tempo tale of a couple that wants to be close to the music, spotlighted the meld of the singers’ distinctive voices. It led to “Midnight Trane,” a slow blues in tribute to John Coltrane that included a guest tenor sax soloist, Bill Baker.

Baker stayed on the stand for the speedy “Ben and Bean,” Prather’s tip of the hat to saxophone giants Ben Webster and Coleman Hawkins, of whom the author lyricized, “if you like your saxophone hungry, hard and lean, stay away from Ben and Bean.”

Prather’s adaptation of Sonny Rollins’ “Pent-Up House,” which the bassist described as a musical “Diary of a Mad Housewife,” was decidedly invigorating. Haynes sang this one solo, offering such lyrics as “Am I a maid? Am I a mouse? It’s time to flee this pent-up house.” She also sang one chorus, outfitted with lyrics, of the solo from the saxophonist-composer’s original recording from 1956.

Both Stout and Bevan soloed here, as they did on almost every number, Stout revealing a warm, visceral sound and a dazzling melodic approach. Demonstrating a fondness for such masters as Clifford Brown and Fats Navarro, Stout leaned slightly forward and then stood stock still as he offered one carefully crafted idea after another, all strung together in entrancing chains of sound.

Stout was particularly impressive for his rhythmic control, completing either a complex, whirling thought or a leap to a higher note or a descending cascade, then stopping suddenly. He’d wait for a moment, leaving the space of a breath, and then dart off again. Every effort of this unheralded musician, who is certainly among the finest be-bop soloists in Southern California and deserves to be better known, made for rewarding listening.

The guitarist also proved resourceful, sending forth his own sonorous stories and building these aural tales around a shining tone and an ability to subtly shift between gleaming, single-note lines and denser chordal passages that moved fluidly. He was adept at the use of octaves made famous by Wes Montgomery, a device Bevan employed with discretion.

Prather and Haynes are onto something with Bopsicle. The group has musical flair and certainly is fun--not a bad combination at all.