There is no music more relaxing than live jazz, especially when it is accompanied by a drink and a dark room. To lean back and be enveloped by the soothing sounds of guitar, bass and drums tapped out in mellow rhythms is a simple pleasure, indeed, and one that should be enjoyed more often around Los Angeles.

Such was the scene last week when I caught The Brian Green Trio at Room 5 on La Brea. As far as jazz goes, the axiom that recorded is good but live is better certainly holds true. Led by guitarist Brian Green, who was backed by bassist Dominic Thiroux and drummer Gavin Salmon, the Trio performed an hour of original tunes in front of an intimate crowd.

"I always prefer playing live shows," says Green, who cites Brad Mehldau as an influence. "Something can be lost in jazz that is too studied. Sometimes it's better to create a vibe for the audience, an aesthetic. That's what I try to do with my music." After a year studying jazz guitar at USC's prestigious Thornton School of Music, Green became the guitarist for acclaimed singer Michael Bublé, a gig which took him around the world. Green later returned to USC to finish his degree and further hone his skills.

Now, he's focused on his solo career, beginning with his debut independent album, Scenic Route. The disc is fantastic for relaxing at home but the music is at its best live, where, in the tradition of jazz, Green and his band create plenty of improvised solos and experimental melodies. His is a modern jazz, often eschewing the piano but making use of other tools such as looping pedals to lay down melodies live and solo over them.

The Brian Green Trio performs all over Los Angeles, but Green prefers smaller bars and clubs where the crowds might not be jazz-obsessed. "I want to make a fun environment for everyone so that they can relate to me, the performer, without needing extensive knowledge of the history of jazz," he says. Listening to his work, the mind can go many places; that individual wandering is as much the journey of the music as any syncopating bass solo.

With the clinking of glassware as a backdrop, the seemingly effortless and truly original music created on stage is a welcome change of pace from noisy nightclubs and crowded stadium shows. It's music at its purest, just performer and listener with little distance between them. Ultimately, live jazz is also music at its rarest, where people can watch the practice of craft and the crafting of music that's never been heard, and will never be heard again.

To hear The Brian Green Trio, check out myspace.com/briandgreen

By Chris Boyd