Take a few jazz standards, a few original songs and a few pop covers, put them in the hands of a small, no-frills ensemble, and you’re likely to get something that sounds like Live at Lucy’s Place (Volume 1) (JoySpring Music, 2015) by the Peak Experience Jazz Ensemble.

The leader is bassist Mike Peak. With him are Ron Kobayashi, piano; Ann Patterson, flute, alto and tenor saxophones; Andrea Miller, vocals; Rickey Woodard, tenor saxophone; and Kendall Key, drums. The title is derived from a special room in Peak’s Laguna Hills, California, home, named for his wife, Lucy Peak.

Patterson and Woodard are first to shine on the opener, a lively rendition of Sonny Rollins’ “Tenor Madness.” It’s a toe-tapping, finger-snapping, put a smile on your face arrangement. The ensemble introduces the piece, but the saxophones are the focal points, playing together at first then successive solos. Piano and drums also get their turns, but one cannot overlook the bass groove that Peak lays down throughout.

Miller steps in on the slow, dreamy “Angel Eyes.” Her delivery is reminiscent of some of the iconic jazz divas, like Nancy Wilson, Dinah Washington and Anita O’Day. Peak, Kobayashi and Kay are solid. And Woodard offers a smoky, sultry solo.

One track that has a different vibe from the rest is “Lucy,” a Peak composition. It’s a delightful, cruising down the boulevard kind of song. The saxes take a break, leaving it to the trio of Peak, Kobayashi and Key. Kobayashi plays with a combination of symphonic elegance and free-spirited joy. Peak and Key are more than mere accompanists. Each plays with fervor, complementing the piano without competing.

Peak Experience has been together about 20 years. Live at Lucy’s Place is the first of a planned series of live recordings at that location. The room is designed as a relaxed, “house party” environment, and hosts fund-raising events for charities dear to Mike and Lucy Peak. The ensemble also performs at corporate events and jazz festivals in Orange County.

If this first release is a template, Volume 2 is anxiously awaited.