A partnership based on seductive balladry

The partnership of harmonica virtuoso Toots Thielemans and pianist Kenny Werner is one of the great pleasures of contemporary jazz.

Focused on the same musical vision, tapped into similar rhythmic, harmonic, melodic and interpretive approaches, they perform together with symbiotic creative intimacy.

On Monday at Vibrato in Bel-Air, the pair offered a program of mostly quiet ballads, occasionally dipping into Brazilian rhythms and a jazz standard, emphasizing the wistful sound of Thielemans’ harmonica and the rich harmonies of Werner’s piano and string synthesizer.

The whimsical Thielemans made an occasional comment between numbers, but the material unfolded for the most part in an irresistibly embracing flow.

One seductive combination blended Bill Evans’ “Time Remembered” and “Very Early.” Another merged Michel Legrand’s “You Must Believe in Spring” with “I Will Wait for You” and “The Windmills of Your Mind,” and a third moved from the sweeping melody of Ivan Lins’ “Comecar de Novo” to a samba-driven rendering of Luiz Bonfa’s “Manha de Carnaval.” In each, the music was shaped by Thielemans’ tender melodic statements, followed by Werner’s improvised variations -- all of it delivered with a spontaneous ease belying the complex subtleties of the pair’s interaction.

Vibrato is one of the Southland’s most visually attractive venues, but it can also be one of the noisiest -- a difficult performing environment for musicians. And it was a tribute to the sheer magic of the Thielemans/Werner combination that the capacity crowd listened to the music in quiet, utterly absorbed enchantment.

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Toots Thielemans and Kenny Werner

Where: Vibrato Grill & Jazz, 2930 Beverly Glen Circle, Bel-Air

When: Today, 9:30 p.m.

Price: $50 cover charge with $45 minimum purchase.

Contact: (310) 474-9400