Out-of-the-Way Spot for No-Hassle Jazz

The jazz room at Chadney’s is a dark cul-de-sac of a space, well-ventilated, with evenly spaced tables and half a dozen Naugahyde booths. At 8 p.m. on a recent Saturday, about four patrons sip cocktails and watch a television, ignoring the rat-tat-tatting of a drummer, who is warming up, his head hidden behind a large cymbal.

A few couples also arrive early to enjoy steak dinners and get the booths, which offer the best vantage point. At 9 p.m., the room is nearly full, and the drummer, face still obscured by his set, gets going. He is joined by a bassist and a keyboardist / vocalist, but all three are just part of the act to come. They play a 30-minute set of good, light jazz.

THE SCENE: There is nothing trendy, nouveau or neo here. The decor is simple; walls are paneled, with a stained-glass window next to the bar. Burgundy booths reflect soft stage lights, casting a reddish glow around the room. This is a place, Tuesday through Saturday, to listen to jazz, and enjoy a cocktail or two. There is no Gospel Brunch, no hype, no grungy kids, no hassle.

THE CROWD: The booths are occupied by couples in their 30s and 40s. Several tables in front of the stage are filled by a group of old friends. A pair of spoon-tapping young guys sit near the stage.

THE ENTERTAINMENT: Following the warm-up, a sequined, smiling woman named B. J. Sharp takes stage, and takes over. “I hope you brought your heart pills, Myrtle, because I’m feeling very RANDY tonight!” she shouts in the general direction of a middle-aged, single woman, energizing the crowd and kicking off a bluesy set, peppered with saucy jokes, R-rated tales of midnight rendezvous with much younger men and derisive references to her seven ex-husbands.

THE GOOD: Catch B. J. Sharp on a Saturday night. Her voice is as good as her jokes, and she’ll leave you laughing hard--at her, and probably at yourself. Her backup band is talented and creative. With luck, band members from “The Tonight Show,” filmed nearby, will drop in.

THE BAD: Chadney’s, in “Beautiful Downtown Burbank,” as Johnny Carson used to say, might be a little out of the way for those who like night life, well, in a swinging part of town.

THE WORD: “We’d never been here before, but it’s a real good time,” says one 40ish man sitting with his wife. He’d heard about Chadney’s from a friend. Just then, B. J. Sharp lets out a roar and begins singing again: “ YOOUU can HAVE MY husband, just don’t be messin’ with my MAN . . . .”

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Chadney’s Restaurant & Bar, 3000 W. Olive Ave., Burbank. Hours: 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday to Saturday. Live jazz Tuesday to Saturday; music show times 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Dinner served until 9:30 p.m. Mondays, until 10:30 p.m. the rest of the week. No cover; one-drink minimum per set. Information: (818) 843-5333.