Pop & Jazz : A Most Compatible Pairing at Tra Fiori

Jazz and dinner music may seem like irreconcilable opposites; yet the sounds emanating from the group playing weekends at Tra Fiori leave no doubt that they are compatible, providing an elegant obligato to graceful dining.

The music policy at this Pasadena restaurant began almost two years ago with Phil Wright playing understated but engaging solo piano. A bass player was soon added, and the further addition of Herman Riley, playing tenor and soprano saxophones, established the trio that now plays from 8 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays, and from 6 to 10 p.m. on Sundays.

New Orleans-born but a longtime Southland resident, Riley has shown his adaptable talent in every setting from the Count Basie Band to the Jimmy Smith Trio. The intimate Tra Fiori setting finds him stretching out boldly, his tone full but controlled on tenor, warmly affecting on soprano. The latter horn was used in a slow, emotional version of Johnny Mandel’s “Emily” and in the jazz standard “Star Eyes.”

Wright’s piano, perhaps due to the presence of two stimulating companions, seemed to grow in strength during Friday’s set. His choice of material was imaginative, ranging from Benny Golson’s “Along Came Betty” to Irving Berlin’s “Cheek to Cheek.”

The regular bassist, John Heard, was replaced by the no-less-estimable rhythm foundation of Andy Simpkins, who proved equally valuable in supportive and solo roles. The same trio will return Friday.