Atlas Frugs

Though the sepia-toned lighting and ornate decor of the Atlas Bar & Grill underscore the elegant dining ambience of this well-appointed restaurant, the new Saturday night series of Latin-jazz hybrid bands transforms the space into a free-for-all groovathon, invoking the spirit of an old school juke joint.

A neighbor of the Wiltern Theater, the Mid-Wilshire district club borrows from Greek mythology for its interior. Starburst chandeliers and crystals hang over the dining room, suspended from lightning bolts sculpted from sheet metal. Gilded sketches of Atlas and Hercules balancing the world on their shoulders line the area’s perimeter and dramatically set off the tables and booths of feasting patrons. Two huge smiling suns gleam from the wall flanking the stage.

But the accouterments are only the gold wrapping to an attitude-free experience that begins with chilled-out hepcat vibes and crescendos into a free-form dance session where sweaty party-goers keep the club alive until its 2 a.m. closing.

Projected black-and-white images of jazz giants such as Billie, Monk and Trane flash and flicker across the movie screen behind the stage, and a colorful, psychedelic hologram ebbs and morphs on the wall above the open kitchen. An energy that is at once cerebral yet slouching toward things cool pulsates through the crowd of young hipsters.

One Saturday night, legendary acid-jazz keyboardist Brian Auger opened the evening’s festivities as a last-minute addition. The jam session had the crowd bobbing heads, tapping toes and snapping fingers to the buoyant grooves.

Next to his pixie-thin, blond date, a supremely afro-ed man reclined on the velveteen leopard-print seating that lines the small lounge area and nodded almost imperceptibly to the rhythms of the three-man combo.

“We try to bring progressive music and a progressive crowd who appreciates good jazz-based music,” said Jed Wexler of Ritual Events, who promotes the month-old weekly party known as “Sessions.”

“It’s very L.A. in that the music reflects the Latin influences of the city,” Wexler added.

Starting at about 10 p.m., cosmopolitan sippers perched on stools take their final gulp, check their coifs in the enormous mirror behind the bar, and head to the small dance floor to bump, grind and even salsa to bands from San Diego and Los Angeles. Favorites such as the B-Side Players, 00Soul, Bobby Matos, and 5 Degrees of Soul can be found blowing their blends of brassy jazz standards and soul-funk instrumentals while resident DJ’s Sesqui and Soulcat spin their danceable blends of hip-hop and rare groove between the live sets.

Though the restaurant doesn’t have professional dancers who offer salsa or swing lessons, stylish women in slinky dresses and strappy heels and their equally fashion-conscious male counterparts, some wearing Cuban guayabera shirts, crowd the dance floor in an informal mating ritual, bouncing to the rhythm of the night.

“Everybody just gets up there and starts dancing,” said Johnny Tamayo, the Atlas general manager. “Nothing too formal here.”

Tamayo said he began his business relationship with Ritual Events last summer when Wexler approached him about throwing parties and fashion shows at the supper club. The inaugural “Sessions” event on July 4 welcomed Stylus, the Breakestra and the Blues Experiment.

“Jed had a strong base of friends and a good reputation as a promoter and great connections to many local bands,” he said.

And the Atlas menu of foods from the Caribbean (Jamaican jerk chicken), Latin America (Brazilian chicken roulade with nutmeg mashed potatoes) and even Thailand (Thai duck taquitos with a mango sauce) punctuates the vibrant yet relaxed atmosphere where a multihued crowd predominates.

“That’s what the Atlas is all about,” Tamayo said. “We emphasize the global essence of music, cuisine and ambience.”

BE THERE

“Sessions” at Atlas Bar & Grill, 3760 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 380-8400. Over 21. $10; $5 with dinner reservations. Ritual Events info line: (310) 764-0763.