Please lend Jorge Moreno an ear -- or more

Jorge Moreno, Miami’s most promising singer-songwriter, seems to have it all -- looks, personality, talent, an acclaimed 2001 debut album and a Latin Grammy as best new artist.

So why can’t he find an audience?

The lamentably small group that turned out Friday for Moreno’s show at the Conga Room discovered that the slender, shaggy-haired guitarist also has a compelling stage presence. This was his first L.A. appearance as a headliner with his own band, a sharp six-man outfit that brought a hard, aggressive edge to Moreno’s enormously appealing pop material.

But it didn’t always work, compared to the richly produced studio versions with their textured blends of salsa, ballads and ‘60s Brit-pop. It’s a bicultural fusion that’s hard to categorize on record.

On stage, Moreno made it unmistakably rock, for better or worse, depending on the tune.

His 13-song set stuck mostly to numbers from his 2-year-old album.

That disturbed one fan, who stepped to the stage, grabbed the printed song list at the singer’s feet and tossed it on the floor before walking away without a word. It wasn’t a gesture of contempt, the fan later told a reporter. It was an attempt to get Moreno to “forget about the past and come into the here and now.”

Not entirely fair, considering the four excellent new songs Moreno unveiled during the show. The band ignored the critic and instead made his protest moot by bringing the show to life. By the climactic encore, a riveting, rumbling rendition of “Babalu,” Moreno was giving his all, down on his knees, sweating and straddling a conga drum in a modern, irreverent twist on tradition.

Too bad more people weren’t there to see it.