Jango Moves From Back of Stage to Front

The members of smooth-jazz group Jango have earned their livings and reputations playing behind some big names in rock, pop and jazz, from Melissa Etheridge, Joan Osborne, Paula Cole, Jewel, Smokey Robinson and Dave Mason to Billy Childs, Ronnie Laws, Dave Koz, Stephanie Mills, Abraham Laboriel and Jeff Lorber.

So why would these six crack musicians, who play Thursday at a Laguna Niguel shopping center, risk putting themselves in the spotlight without the big names to guarantee big crowds?

For lead singer-saxophonist-percussionist Steve Nieves, it’s all about ownership.

“Jango is our band . . . it’s our creation,” he said by phone from his home in Riverside. “There’s a certain sense of possession--and pride--that we just don’t get working on someone else’s projects. So far, we’re enjoying what’s developed.

“It’s the most ideal situation you can have, really,” he added. “We are a full-fledged band. . . . We write, rehearse, record and tour together. We’ve gradually developed a rapport with each other, and as time goes by, I expect the chemistry to just get better and better.”

Helping fuel Nieves’ enthusiasm is the public’s interest in both Jango’s debut release, “Dreamtown,” and its first single, the Victor Feldman-penned “With Your Love.” The album is currently No. 12 and the song is No. 2 on Billboard’s Smooth Jazz charts.

Chart success is vital, Nieves said, “because we’re new. We need to be heard--and establish a presence where the public has something to identify us with. . . . [And] if your first release is successful, it opens other doors for you.”

A mix of instrumental and vocal numbers, the concept-oriented “Dreamtown” offers contrasting views of the Southern California lifestyle, intertwining fact with fiction in themes ranging from fame and glamour to dreams dashed by the area’s dark underbelly.

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The film noir-ish title track is filled with mystery, murder and money; “Message to Ramona” offers a lover’s plea to clean up a drug addiction; and the plaintive “Too Much Time” reflects on a lost love. Some of Jango’s work recalls the fluid, pop-jazz stylings of Steely Dan, and it’s no accident.

They pay homage to Steely Dan founders Walter Becker and Donald Fagen in both “Sunset to the Sea” (the title quoting the opening line of the Dan’s “Babylon Sisters”) and “City of 2nd Chance,” which has the familiar-sounding line: “Here at the Western world’s end.”

“They’re a very good role model for us, both thematically and musically,” Nieves said. “Their soloing, arrangements and lyrics are so sophisticated. The way they mixed up pop, rock and jazz is ultimately what we’re after. But we’ve got a long way to go.”

For Jango, which formed last year, the challenge over the long haul will be to carve out a distinctive identity. With a range of influences to draw from, the group’s musical palette is more expansive than the typical contemporary pop-jazz outfit.

Keyboardist Steve Le Gassick’s pop background includes working alongside Tommy Tutone (“867-5309”) in the ‘80s; Nick Kirgo’s jazz-rock riffs recall Larry Carlton and Pat Martino; bassist Leon Johnson is grounded in funk and R&B; acoustic guitarist Annas Allaf adds an international, flamenco-based touch; drummer Dave Beyer has roots in rock; and Nieves, while growing up in San Diego, was reared on pop, jazz and fusion.

“There is a lot of nondescript, sleepy, smooth jazz out there,” said Nieves, who cites the Jazz Crusaders, Seawind and the Brecker Brothers as his primary influences. “Kind of by definition, the music is meant to be soothing, but we’re not interested in limiting ourselves to that.

“We’re hoping to the bury the myth that smooth jazz is instrumental only, background-type music. The vocals on ‘Dreamtown’ weren’t done as an afterthought. . . . It’s an integral part of what Jango is all about.”

“We all share a strong affinity for the pop form,” he adds, “which I think is unfairly maligned whenever it’s linked to jazz. We feel that memorable hooks and bridges sound good in any musical form.”

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* Jango performs Thursday as part of the Smooth Jazz Summer Series, Ocean Ranch II Shopping Center, Street of the Golden Lantern and Camino del Avion, Laguna Niguel. 6:30-8:30 p.m. Free. (714) 505-3676.