JAZZ REVIEW : The Original Approach Pays Off : Orange County-based keyboardist Peggy Duquesnel takes the path less traveled in her Spaghettini show, providing a well-deserved showcase for her compositional skills.

SEAL BEACH —  There was a coming out party of sorts at Spaghettini Rotisserie and Grill here Thursday. The occasion, an appearance by Orange County-based keyboardist Peggy Duquesnel, marked the first night of the restaurant’s new five-day-a-week jazz policy in its adjoining lounge. In addition, it was also a well-deserved showcase for Duquesnel’s compositional skills.

The pianist, who’s worked for such notables as Leslie Uggams, the Platters and guitarist Phil Upchurch, is familiar to O.C. jazz buffs through her appearances at the Cafe Lido in Newport Beach and other venues. Thursday’s program concentrated on her original tunes, a collection that proved to be impressive for both its variety and as a format for solid, emotional expression.

The material ranged from rhythmic, Latin-flavored excursions (“Rainbow Bridge”) through relaxed, comfortable ballads (“Old Friends”), introspective numbers with classical touches (“Kiwi Friends”) and rock-steady exercises with plenty of verve (“Trottin’ ”).

In all of them, Duquesnel displayed inventive improvisational ways as well as compositional smarts, tearing off glistening runs, flirting with dissonance and leaving provocative moments of empty space at off-beat moments.

The keyboardist got sympathetic support from bassist John Carpenter and drummer John Perett, who managed to pull of some satisfying moments of their own. Carpenter showed his potential on the show’s opening tune, an uptempo “Hotel Blues,” with a frankly lyrical solo peppered with doublestops.

In deference to the format and the size of the room, Perett, often using one of his drums as a music stand, kept his dynamics reserved while working with one or both of the trio members. Given time to himself, the drummer turned upped his sound with tom-tom bombs and stinging cymbal hits before dropping back into the trio’s fold.

A parade of Duquesnel associates came up to join the keyboardist, adding a wealth of tonal variety and improvisational styles to the performance. Cellist Melissa Hasin balanced the pianist’s thoughtful chordal construction on “Kiwi Friends” with mellow, carmel-colored tones. Fluegelhornist Tony Guerrero brought his usual intimate sound and melodic touches to “Old Friends” and “The Joy Inside My Heart.” Guitarist Dave Murdy beefed up the trio on his own “Song For Peg” (dedicated to Duquesnel) with well-delivered, narrative lines and snappy chording.

Things heated up significantly in the second set when saxophonist Wayne Wayne brought some fire to “Waltz For Diana” with long, expressive lines and an impeccable sense of timing. Wayne, a saxophonist who deserves wider recognition, doesn’t rely on cheap appeals to emotion nor does he clutter his work with overly busy solos. He showed both wit and technique during a pair of improvs, as well as enough breath to get the job done.

The fact that the ensemble play wasn’t consistently tight was easily overlooked due to the participants’ unfamiliarity with some of the keyboardist’s material. Duquesnel could have played it safe and stuck to standards. But the program was the better for her decision to play originals.

Booked by bassist Luther Hughes, the KLON-FM deejay who also organizes the jazz shows at El Matador in Huntington Beach, Spaghettini will offer an ambitious array of musicians. The schedule for coming weeks includes Brazilian-flavored keyboardist-vocalist Freddie Ravel, saxophonist Eric Marienthal and Thelonious Monk Piano Competition winner Bill Cunliffe.

Though the restaurant’s well-appointed bar is not the ideal place to hear music, it holds promise. There are more distractions here than just the alluring smell of garlic, grilled meats and marinara, and a number of moments were marred by overly loud and boisterous patrons, a problem common to many such establishments that offer music. Best bet is to arrive early and grab a table near the space that serves as bandstand. There, an up-close and personal experience with the musicians is guaranteed.