Live Jazz Fridays at the Hanohano Room's Cobalt Lounge has a simple formula.

Take some of the most talented jazz musicians in Honolulu and offer them one of the best and (Skyline notwithstanding) most underused post-sunset lounges with a view. Mix well with apropos libations, upscale appetizers and low-key mod mood accents.

Then watch the incoming stream of jazzheads who'd likely view an hour standing in line for Skyline (the space's bimonthly dance party for the nubile) with as much relish as they would paying for a VIP booth.

Tables, loungers and couches in the Hanohano Room's raised, centrally situated Cobalt Lounge were already filling up when we arrived shortly before Honolulu Jazz Quartet's 9 p.m. set. Casually dressed forty- to sixtysomethings dominated the crowd, with a handful of younger patrons.

Much of the Hanohano's dinner crowd stuck around to listen, creating a brief standing-room-only period 'round 10 p.m. The quartet moved stylishly through an opening set of standards ("Bye Bye Blackbird"), little-heard jazz jewels (John Coltrane's "Syeeda's Song Flute") and original works.

Jazz vocalist Ginai briefly joined the quartet for sultry takes on "Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me," "All of Me" and "Night and Day."

Cobalt-tinted votives and overhead lighting mixed smoothly with the quartet's very cool repertoire, as did the Hanohano's famed city-after-dark views. The large wine and spirits menu was accented by a handful of mildly interesting designer martinis. The somewhat pricey appetizers included escargots, Miyagi oysters, seared beef tataki and grilled prime rib.

The 2-month-old jazz weekly hit quickly, boosting what was once a slow evening for the lounge.

"There just aren't many places in town that give jazz musicians and people that love jazz the environment they deserve," said fiftysomething jazz junkie Myron Nakatani. "I like getting dressed up a bit and having a place to go to that's classy.

"Jazz is a lot better for the soul than sitting at home with the TV."

Z-TRIP AT NEXTDOOR

Go to www.djztrip.com right now and download all 75 minutes of DJ Z-Trip's and DJ P's mad inventive 2001 mash-up classic "Uneasy Listening, Vol. 1." Burn it to CD and turn it up in your ride.

Marvel at how pieces of music as wack as Glen Campbell's "Rhinestone Cowboy" and funky propulsive as Pink Floyd's "Run Like Hell" fit as comfortably as an old pair of Adidas over a hip-hop/techno beat. Make sure you count your change at the McDonald's drive-through when Chuck D's snarling "Bring The Noise" flow rides flawlessly over long-forgotten '80s synth-pop duo Naked Eyes' "Promises Promises."

When "Uneasy" ends with you somewhere in La'ie, you'll have experienced the Eagles, Beatles, Who, Eurythmics, Rush, Kansas, Madonna and even the Imperial March from "Star Wars" put down, flipped and reversed with more sweet old-school hip-hop beats than an Afrika Bambaataa disc.

After that, I'll see you at DJ Z-Trip's sure-to-crumble-the-brick-walls-at-NextDoor set Saturday between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m.

Z-Trip (aka Los Angeles-based Zach Sciacca) knocked out the OK "Shifting Gears," his first nonmusic-copyright-infringing "producer/mixer" disc and major label debut earlier this year. He's sure to pull generously from it at NextDoor. But keep listening for the kind of truly ingenious live mixing the legendary mash-up master pulled off at this spring's Coachella Valley Music & Arts Fest, such as riding Janis Joplin's "Mercedes Benz" over DJ Shadow's "Walkie Talkie," or "Uneasy's" marrying of piano man Bruce Hornsby with Run-D.M.C.

Visit www.whoisnextdoor.com.

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com.