MUSIC : Blend of 2 Worlds : It’s been a rewarding year for guitarist-composer Ricardo Silveira, whose instrumentals mix popular sounds from his native Brazil with a variety of American jazz.

Ricardo Silveira says that by living in Southern California and returning for regular visits to his native Brazil, he has the best of both worlds.

Silveira has developed a musical ap proach that mirrors his international lifestyle: The guitarist-composer plays instrumental music that colorfully blends popular Brazilian sounds and a variety of American jazz.

“I play basically from a Brazilian point of view, but not traditional Brazilian music,” he said in a phone conversation from his home in Sherman Oaks, where he has lived since February. “There are elements of funk and jazz, but I don’t like to say that I play fusion. I’m just a musician that likes a lot of different kinds of music, and I feel it’s great to have those music worlds” to explore.

As heard on “Small World,” his fourth and most recent Verve Records release, Silveira--who leads an all-star quartet tonight and Saturday at Le Cafe in Sherman Oaks--plays with a light, buoyant sound. Some songs have as sweet and hummable melodies as pop tunes; others have more bite. An undulating Brazilian-based rhythm underpins some of them; others are shored by a crackling rock beat.

“Will my songs stand the test of time? Probably not,” Silveira said, then laughed loudly. In a softer voice, he added, “I hope so.”

When making albums, Silveira said he mostly seeks a musical atmosphere that feels comfortable for improvising, but sometimes selects songs that don’t lend themselves to this aspect of his musicality. “Still, these are compositions that I like, so I record them,” he said. “I try to go by how I feel at the time, use the music that feels right.”

And the result? “Like a lot of artists, it’s hard for me to listen to my albums,” he said. “Some things are OK, but the more I listen, the more I lose perspective. Yes, there are always things I’d change, but I like the contexts of my recordings. They’re to my musical taste. Basically, I guess, yes, I’m happy with them.”

In a live setting, the guitarist, who has performed with such Brazilian greats as Elis Regina, Milton Nascimento, Joao Bosco, Gilberto Gil and Hermeto Pascoal, said he likes things to be a little looser than in the studio. “The tunes sound basically the same, but I like to stretch them out, so that we can go different places.”

Silveira’s quartet this weekend will include drummer Dave Weckl, noted for his work with Chick Corea; bassist Armand Sabal-Lecco, who was a part of singer-songwriter Paul Simon’s “Graceland” tour, and pianist Lou Pardini. The guitarist has never played with Weckl before, but has recorded with Pardini and performed with Sabal-Lecco earlier this year during a European tour with Bosco. Silveira believes the foursome will make a “hot band.”

“We’re playing tunes from my albums, including ‘Long Distance,’ ‘Amazon Secrets’ and ‘Small World,’ ” he said. “We’ll rehearse, but not too much. That’s not the idea. The idea is to go and play” and see what happens. Something good usually does happen, said Le Cafe owner Dale Jaffe, who has presented Silveira on numerous occasions.

Born in Rio de Janeiro 36 years ago, Silveira was first attracted to American rock guitarists such as Eric Clapton, and later discovered such jazzmen as George Benson and Wes Montgomery. From 1975 to 1977, he studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, then toured with jazz flutist Herbie Mann before returning to Brazil to work with Regina, Nascimento and others. This year has been a rewarding one for Silveira, who has traveled to Europe four times, Japan twice and made albums with L.A.-area artists Don Grusin, Justo Almario and Bobby Lyle.

He said music has treated him wonderfully.

“I’m not sure I could do anything else,” he said, then broke into a laugh. “The good part is that you can always get better at it. I enjoy having the privilege of being able to write and get my music heard, even by me. I get a great feeling from doing it.”

Where and When Who: Ricardo Silveira. Location: The Room Upstairs at Le Cafe, 14633 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks. Hours: 9 and 11 tonight and Saturday. Price: $8 cover, two-drink minimum. Call: (818) 986-2662.