Notable Journey

Carol Kaye’s lengthy career has been a musical odyssey.

The Everett, Wash., native raised in Long Beach, started out as a jazz guitarist in the ‘50s, playing L.A. clubs with such notables as saxophonist Teddy Edwards, trumpeter Jack Sheldon and pianist Hampton Hawes.

“But you didn’t make any money at that,” said Kaye, who plays with John and Jeanne Pisano on Saturday at Papashon Encino. So at the urging of Bumps Blackwell, the well-known rock producer, she made a studio date with Sam Cooke in 1957. “I can’t remember the song but it was a hit,” she said.

Suddenly, she was playing rhythm guitar on such hits as Ritchie Valens’ “La Bamba” and the Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.” Then, by accident, Kaye became a bassist.

“I was on a session and the bass player didn’t show up, and they put me on bass,” she said. She’d never played electric bass, yet she felt comfortable. Soon, she was making hit records as a bassist. “As a bass player, I could make up my parts, and that was a little more fun,” she said.

Among the hits Kaye made as a bassist were Joe Cocker’s “Feelin’ Allright,” Stevie Wonder’s “I Was Made to Love Her” and Barbra Streisand’s “The Way We Were.”

“We made that one on the 33rd take, when drummer Paul Humphrey and I started to play around a bit with the parts. We knew that was the take,” she said.

These days, Kaye is back doing a little studio work but mainly playing jazz in clubs, usually on bass but also as a guitarist. She’ll appear as a bassist with the Pisanos--guitarist John and singer Jeanne--and saxophonist and flutist Ray Pizzi at Papashon. Fun is the main idea of the get-together.

“I like it because it’s friendly and you’re not uptight,” said Kaye, who lives in Canyon Country and has a Web site: www.carolkaye.com. “You don’t have to put on Hollywood smiles. John is an old friend of mine and a wonderful guitarist. He can really play and he makes you play. It’s a challenge for me.”

Kaye is up to it, said Pisano in a separate conversation.

“She’s played with Jeanne and I a few times,” he said. “She’s a good musician with a great sense of time. We’ll do some funky things, and some ballads, too.”

The show at Papashon is part of a bash that starts tonight and celebrates the restaurant-lounge’s one-year anniversary of presenting jazz. Others taking part are singer Lori Jenaire, tonight; bassist Jennifer York’s quartet with special guests George Shelby, Mark Winkler, Lori Lacy and Rosanne Limeras, Friday; and Mike Barone’s big band, Sunday.

A highlight of the Papashon jazz week is Tuesday, when Pisano hosts his guitar showcase with John Stowell.

Kaye said giving up jazz for studio work was ultimately a good move. “I had kids to take care of, so I was lucky to have made the money in the studios,” she said. “There were times I wished I’d stayed in jazz, but it was the right thing at the right time.”

Carol Kaye plays with John and Jeanne Pisano on Saturday, 7:30-11 p.m., at Papashon, 15910 Ventura Blvd., Encino; $5 cover, no minimum. Call (818) 783-6664. Other show times: tonight and Friday, 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m., $5 cover; Sunday, 7-11 p.m., $10 cover; Tuesday, 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m., no cover.

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Chance Taker: When guitarist Jeff Miley plays with the Common Grounds Jazz Ensemble tonight at Northridge coffeehouse Common Grounds, he and his partners will be flying blind, playing together for the first time as a group--though they have worked together individually. But that’s the kind of experience the Van Nuys resident relishes because, with the right people, the results can be exhilarating.

“Jazz musicians have a knack of listening to what others are doing, and making it sound pretty good pretty quick,” said Miley, a 1988 CSUN graduate. “I enjoy that challenge.”

Tonight, Miley plays with saxophonist Patrick Boone, trumpeter Paul Solomon, bassist Joe Plutshow and drummer John Casebier. The band will play some straight-ahead jazz, and then back poet Big Al Gaines.

Jeff Miley plays with the Common Grounds Jazz Ensemble, tonight, 8 p.m., at Common Grounds, 9250 Reseda Blvd., Northridge. No cover, $2.50 minimum. (818) 882-3666.