Solid Mainstream Jazz Fills the Bill : Chadney’s has become the main musicians’ hangout in the San Fernando Valley

Larry Gales’ show in the lounge of Chadney’s in Burbank on a recent Friday was billed as “A Message From Monk.” And in his second set, Gales offered some well-known and some out-of-the-ordinary Monk material.

But even in his quartet’s first set, when Gales, a bassist who played with Thelonious Monk from 1964 to 1969, didn’t play a single tune from that jazz pianist’s estimable songbook, there was no need to complain.

Such tunes as “So What?” and “How Deep Is the Ocean?” as done by Gales and his cohorts--tenor saxophonist Wilbur Brown, pianist Lanny Hartley and drummer Roy McCurdy--were warm and invigorating reminders of the kind of solid mainstream jazz that proliferated in nightspots around the country several decades ago.

“I feel like I’m in a jazz club in New York in the ‘60s,” said a smiling Chuck Niles, the KLON-FM jazz announcer, who was seated at one of the many small cocktail tables in Chadney’s long, narrow lounge.

Chadney’s, where jazz has been on tap up to seven nights a week (now it’s six) since June, 1989, has become the main musicians’ hangout in the San Fernando Valley. This evening, the lineup included singers Jay Salerno and Jimmy Spencer, pianists Arlette McCoy and Rose Gales (the leader’s spouse), drummer Jake Hanna, Latin percussionist Ray Armando and bassist Leslie Baker.

But most of the folks who are regulars at Chadney’s are non-players, like Dotty Woodward, an area manager for a temp service who also manages saxophonist Rickey Woodard.

“I come here a lot,” she said. “They have great music, and they treat you well.”

Cheryl Harriman, a 42-year-old yoga teacher from Palms, was chatting with her friend John, a lawyer from North Hollywood. Harriman liked the clientele as much as the music. “The people are warm and friendly. It’s like family.”

Larry Gales, whose latest Candid records release is “A Message From Monk,” has performed at Chadney’s several times as a sideman. But this particular Friday, he was making his debut as a leader. “The room is great,” he said. “I dig the people.”

Chadney’s used to be the Carriage House, where for many years the splendid duo of pianist Jimmy Rowles and bassist Monty Budwig were the regular attraction. The name was changed 18 years ago when Bob Hoeller and Bill Chadney bought the establishment. Hoeller is now sole owner.

A jazz policy was instigated because Steve Hoeller, Bob Hoeller’s son, knew the lounge was ideally suited for it, according to Dennis Duke, who has handled the music bookings since 1986.

Before that, interestingly, country pop bands were the call at Chadney’s. “And we were doing quite well,” said Duke, who was sports editor of the South Bay Daily Breeze when he was 19 and was later editor-manager of the Burbank Daily Review. Duke opened a public relations agency in 1979.

“But jazz was more compatible with the lifestyle of our dinner patrons, so we changed,” he said. “Gradually, it started to work.”

Almost exclusively, Duke has stuck to mainstream acoustic jazz artists who deliver a solid swing feeling. Artists who have worked the lounge include singers Rebecca Parris, Jimmy Spencer and Jay Salerno; trumpeter Jack Sheldon; pianists Ross Tompkins, Billy Mitchell, Frank Collett and Tom Ranier; saxophonists John Bolivar, Rickey Woodard and Benn Clatworthy, and guitarist Barry Zweig.

Upcoming artists include Mitchell, who leads a jam session every Sunday; Bolivar, who will play New Year’s Eve as well as Jan. 17 and 18, and singer Sonny Craver, who will play Friday.

Gales, 55, a New York native who has lived in Los Angeles since leaving Monk, began his second set with a spoken tribute he had written to the jazz giant, but it was hard to hear him over the din of talkative patrons filling the lounge. When he headed into his original composition, “T. Monk,” the bassist got a little more attention.

Then came Monk’s classic “Eronel,” which Thelonious first recorded on Blue Note Records in 1951 with a quintet featuring vibist Milt Jackson and drummer Art Blakey. Like many of his tunes, this one was lyrical, outfitted with a hummable melody. Brown--a veteran Los Angeles musician and jazz improviser--did a solo, keeping the mood of the song in mind as he created interesting, appealing phrases.

After Hartley played, capturing Monk’s nuances--particularly his manner of voicing chords--Gales soloed with the bow.

The bassist is a master of this technique, achieving a rich, purring tone in fluid, be-bop-based ideas. (Along with fellow bassman Paul Chambers, Gales studied with Fred Zimmerman, the principal bassist with the New York Philharmonic.) Next, Gales sang the evergreen “ ‘Round Midnight” and did a nice job.

“Shuffle Boil,” a selection with an angular, jerky melody, closed the set. Here, Brown, never more than a step away from a blues phrase, concocted several choruses of ear-pleasing improvisation.

Despite the recession, business at Chadney’s remains fairly brisk, due in part to the fact that it has no cover or minimum. “It’s tough to keep businesses going in the Valley,” Duke said. “If we charged a cover, we’d lose a lot of our local clientele and then we’d really have to draw people from Los Angeles. On the plus side, we could bring in bigger-name entertainment.” There are no plans to change the policy.

In its 26-booth restaurant section, as well as in the lounge, Chadney’s offers a variety of continental cuisine. The establishment specializes in prime rib at $14.95 and tournedos of beef at $17.95. A shrimp and steak combination is $19.95. Fresh fish is always available, such as sauteed sand dabs at $12.95. Veal, chicken and pasta dishes are served. In addition, 27 entrees are offered on discounted “sunset” dinners, from 4:30 to 7 nightly. For example, a slightly smaller standard cut of prime rib is $10.95 and the shrimp and steak $15.95.

A moderately extensive wine list includes such offerings as Chandon Blanc de Noir champagne at $26, Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon at $16 and a Chateau St. Michelle Chardonnay at $20.

Bar drinks at Chadney’s range from $3.75 for well brands to $5 for premium brands. Domestic beers are $3.50 and imported beers $3.75. The room’s house wine costs $3.50 a glass, $6.50 a liter.

What jazz fans will like most is Chadney’s music policy. There aren’t that many clubs that offer good foot-tapping sounds six days a week with no cover.