Rightful wearers of a diva crown

“Tales From the Diva Den” delivered even more than the title implied at the Vibe in Van Nuys’ Airtel Plaza Hotel. Although at first glimpse, the “Diva Den” singers -- Kristin Korb, Inga Swearingen and Kathleen Grace -- might also have been labeled (paraphrasing the well-known theater piece) “Three White Chicks Standing Around and Swinging,” the performances, individually and collectively, were the stuff of imaginative talent on the rise.

Korb, who assembled the group, is a first-rate jazz bassist and an exceptional singer. Everything she touched Saturday night -- including “You Stepped Out of a Dream” and “I Got It Bad (and That Ain’t Good)” -- seamlessly blended voice, instrument and arrangement. Often framing her vocals in utterly unexpected settings, accompanying herself with propulsive bass lines, she consistently found transformative elements in each interpretation.

The tall, willowy Grace brought warmth, inventiveness and humor to her offerings. Swinging gently on “This Nearly Was Mine,” she insisted that the capacity crowd join her on “Leaving on a Jet Plane.” And when they responded enthusiastically, she used the collective vocal textures as a launching pad for her own free-flying improvisations.

Swearingen applied compositional insights to soaring vocals, with her original “April” -- a duet with Grace -- a compelling blend of lyrical melody and dark harmonies. She spontaneously led an irresistibly swinging duet with Korb on “All of Me,” rendered “Stompin’ at the Savoy” with fast-paced flexibility and illuminated the standard “Skylark” with a bass line from Chick Corea’s “Children’s Song.”

As if all that wasn’t enough, the trio was equally intriguing as a vocal ensemble, their similar timbres blending perfectly on a briskly swinging “Route 66,” a whimsical “I Feel Pretty” and a beautifully harmonized a cappella version of Tom Waits’ “The Briar and the Rose.”

The Divas have the potential to become one of the jazz world’s breakout acts. Record execs should listen closely to this fascinating trio of gifted performers.