Melody Maker

Vibraphonist Eldad Tarmu’s latest CD, “Get Up Close,” contains 10 engaging compositions by the talented leader, ranging from the lickety-split opener “The Nooze” and the equally rapid “Minor Burns,” to more reflective, rhapsodic fare, such as “Her Story” done as a come-hither bolero.

For jazzman Tarmu, writing his own material is just as important as his desire to be a melodically compelling, solidly swinging improviser.

“I want to come up with new stuff, things that sound different,” said Tarmu, 39, a Los Angeles native who lives near Los Feliz.

“Composing is one way for me to be myself, where even if what I write might have a familiar influence, there should be something that’s brand new, that hasn’t been done before.”

Tarmu, who appears this and every Thursday with his quartet at the Money Tree in Toluca Lake, strives to make his themes memorable and accessible, which to him means ear-friendly, not commercial.

“A song’s melody should be understood when first heard and not boring the fifth or sixth time you hear it,” said the musician whose first name is pronounced “El-dahd” and who estimates he has written 200 numbers. “That’s a challenge and that’s why you throw away a lot of tunes.”

At the Money Tree, Tarmu and his partners--pianist Cengiz Yaltkaya, bassist Mike Flick and drummer Steve Sykes--investigate a number of standards alongside his originals. Standards allow the vibraphonist to test himself while giving his audience members something they feel comfortable with.

“It’s impractical to think people want to listen to only things they’ve never heard before,” he said.

“And it’s not easy to put your own personality on a piece of music that’s been played a lot of times.”

Tarmu, a graduate of the University of Tel Aviv who has played at numerous venues around Southern California, likes to play fast, but feels his heart is in more emotive statements.

“A good melodic passage--that’s what I’m really trying for.”

BE THERE

Eldad Tarmu plays Thursdays, 9 p.m.-1 a.m., at the Money Tree, 10149 Riverside Drive, Toluca Lake. No cover, two-drink minimum. Call (818) 752-8383.

In Brief: Liquid-voiced singer Cathy Segal-Garcia is also at the Money Tree, hosting an open-mike for singers and instrumentalists Sundays from 8 p.m. to midnight. Affable saxophonist-flutist Harold Bennett, working with his friend, drummer Jack Rinelli, arrives at the Money Tree on Mondays from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.

*

Zan Stewart writes about jazz for the Valley Edition. He can be reached at Zansky@AOL.com.