Moody and Shaw Share a Stylish Bill

As he opened his first set at Catalina Bar & Grill Wednesday, saxophonist James Moody gave a perfunctory nod to his new Frank Sinatra-inspired album by playing--and singing--its title tune “Young at Heart.” That out of the way, he got down to more serious musical business.

The recent recording of Sinatra covers, featuring strings and a horn section, emphasizes only one of Moody’s great strengths: his beautiful yet unsentimental way with a ballad. But it entirely overlooks his skill as a bebop-weaned player of wit and fire. Luckily for the enthusiastic nearly full house at Catalina, Moody chose to put the emphasis on the latter.

After dispensing with “Young at Heart,” the 71-year-old Moody jumped into Sonny Stitt’s “The Eternal Triangle,” playing what seemed to be one unending bop-powered line against the driving tempo set by drummer Terri Lyne Carrington. Later, he played bump and run against Sonny Rollins’ “St. Thomas,” showing plenty of rhythmic smarts, breath control and improvisational resourcefulness.

Even Moody’s ballad treatments carried a heat not heard on the recording. Playing flute on Antonio Carlos Jobim’s “Wave,” Moody worked up a long, detailed introduction before swaying his way through the familiar theme. Before closing the piece, he swirled in a few lines from Nat Adderley’s “Work Song.”

Moody got sympathetic backing from pianist Mitch Forman and bassist Jeffrey Littleton. But the prime motivator here was Carrington, who continually drove the music with pops and clicks from her rims and splashy punctuation on the cymbals.

While Moody gave only a passing nod to his current recording, vocalist Marlena Shaw, who alternated sets with the saxophonist, emphasized hers. But then “Dangerous,” unlike “Young at Heart,” is much more true to Shaw’s vibrant, sometimes theatrical style.

Shaw lit up the crowd (which included keyboardist Les McCann and singer Dianne Reeves) with fine narrative versions of “My Old Flame,” “All the Things You Are” and “Close Enough for Love.” Though her often comic readings were a hit with the audience, her best moments were more serious ones, notably Alec Wilder’s sentimental ballad “Blackberry Winter.”

* The James Moody Quartet and the Marlena Shaw Quartet appear through Sunday at Catalina Bar & Grill, 1640 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood, 8:30 and 10:30 p.m. Cover today-Saturday, $16; Sunday, $14. (213) 466-2210.