A CLASSICALLY JAZZY THING BILLY CHILDS TELLS MELODICALLY DETAILED, TALES WITHOUT WORDS.

Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer

The lyrical jazz pianist Billy Childs is such a gent that in our conversation, he never even mentioned the fact that he was recently nominated for four Grammy awards.

And, to be honest, neither did we.

That's because Childs' categories are those below-the-radar ones where musicians without stylists and bail bondsmen (sounds like a support group) reside: jazz.

Childs' music falls under the chamber-jazz genre, a loose-fitting label that often equals exquisite, melodic improvisations played with the utmost delicacy and detail, burnished as much as recorded.

``I've always believed music should tell stories,'' Childs, 48, said. ``The music that always affected me told stories, with peaks and valleys and drama. Life was illustrated in the music. That's what I try and do. I never cared what the music was filed under, and I still don't believe in musical borders.''

This weekend, the Los Angeles-based Childs and his Jazz-Chamber Ensemble (an all-star group featuring drummer Brian Blade, saxophonist Bob Sheppard, guitarist Larry Koonse, bassist Jimmy Johnson and harpist Carol Robbins) appears at the Jazz Bakery in Culver City.

``We allow a lot of room for each other,'' said Childs, a USC grad who spent six years with trumpeter Freddie Hubbard. ``My ideal, most rewarding experience as a listener is to be active rather than passive. I want to inspire the imagination. I want the audience to bring something to the music.''

Each track on the Grammy-nominated album, ``Lyric,'' subtitled ``Jazz-Chamber Music Vol. 1,'' references classical, jazz and even fusion elements. The one piece on the disc not penned by Childs is a remake of the English folk song ``Scarborough Faire,'' also Grammy-nominated, in which keyboard arpeggios make way for a lilting harp solo from Robbins.

It's not Simon and Garfunkel, but it works.

The Irish Times said ``Lyric'' - available only online at billychilds.com, not in retail stores or other online outlets - was ``superbly executed throughout,'' while the All About Jazz Web site named Childs ``one of the most talented, committed musicians in the jazz world today.''

Along with his Grammy nod for jazz instrumental album, individual or group (``Lyric''), Childs is up for instrumental composition (``Into the Light''), instrumental arrangement (``Scarborough Faire''), and instrumental arrangement accompanying a vocalist (Chris Botti's ``What Are You Doing the Rest of Your Life?''). Awards are announced Feb. 8.

A first-call arranger who has orchestrated and conducted for Dianne Reeves, Claudia Acuna and the acclaimed Botti, Childs is also working in the classical field. Last April, his 45-minute cantata for the Los Angeles Master Chorale, titled ``The Voices of Angels,'' was premiered at Disney Hall. That night, Childs, along with soloist Luciana Souza and chorale conductor Grant Gershon, received a 10-minute standing ovation and three curtain calls for the moving large-scale piece composed for chorus, orchestra and soloist, with text based on poetry written by children during the Holocaust.

Currently, the pianist is working on a piece for Souza and the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet.

``The Gershon thing was the best musical experience I've ever had,'' Childs said. ``It took me almost a year, but it was one of the most satisfying, rewarding things I've ever done. I really loved it.''

Fred Shuster, [phone]

fred.shuster(at)dailynews.com

BILLY CHILDS JAZZ-CHAMBER ENSEMBLE

Where: Jazz Bakery, 3233 Helms Ave., Culver City.

When: 8 and 9:30 p.m. today through Sunday.

Tickets: $25. [phone], jazzbakery.com or billychilds.com.

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Billy Childs, nominated for four Grammys this year, sells his ``Lyric'' album exclusively at the billychilds.com Web site.