Ann Hampton Callaway Delights at Cinegrill

Ann Hampton Callaway’s name probably won’t ring bells for too many jazz fans. She may, in fact, be better known for her perky theme song for the sitcom “The Nanny.”

But Callaway is also an impressive jazz vocalist. And that was only one element in the range of skills she revealed Thursday night at the Cinegrill in Hollywood.

Accompanied by the supportive trio of pianist Christian Jacob, bassist Trey Henry and drummer Ray Brinker, Callaway started the evening somewhat hesitantly, focusing so strongly upon her musical interpretations that she seemed disengaged from her usually strong storytelling qualities. But when she sat down at the piano to accompany herself in an entrancing, utterly spontaneous invention of a song she called “I Want to Be Like Spring,” her performance came alive.

The balance of the program unfolded beautifully, with all of Callaway’s special talents coming to bear on the music. Her version of “ ‘Round Midnight” brilliantly captured and combined mood, music and words; she swung mightily on Toots Thielemans’ “Bluesette” and came up with a rhythmically textured, transformative arrangement of “You Don’t Know What Love Is.”

She closed her set with her classic musical tour de force, in which she asks for words and phrases from the audience, and instantly converts them into a song.

* Ann Hampton Callaway at the Cinegrill in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. Tonight, $20 cover. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, $15 cover. March 27-28, $20 cover. Shows at 8 p.m.