Chaise Lounge, photo by Elliot Berlin.

In the late ’50s and early ’60s, before The Beatles changed the face of music, there existed a highly stylized form of pop jazz that was quite popular amongst the hip and urbane at coffee shops and college campuses around the country. This sound came largely from recordings made at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, and is epitomized by the recordings of artists like Frank Sinatra and June Christy. Local ensemble Chaise Lounge aims to capture the essence of that genre.

“I think I was born a couple decades out of sync, I maybe should have been somebody else,” said Chaise Lounge band leader Charlie Barnett during a recent interview with DCist. “Specifically, Henry Mancini, that’s who I was actually supposed to be and I just missed it by, I don’t know, 40 or 50 years.”

Barnett is an award-winning composer whose work has appeared in over four hundred films and television shows. He has scored music for PBS, Saturday Night Live, The Cosby Show, Third Rock from the Sun and Weeds. For Chaise Lounge, Barnett assembled some of the area’s most experienced players, many of whom have recorded for him as session musicians. The band includes Gary Gregg on woodwinds, bassist Pete Ostle, drummer Tommy Barrick and trombonist John Jensen. While this is lineup is extremely talented, the signature piece of Chaise Lounge’s sound comes from vocalist Marilyn Older. The collaboration between Barnett and Older started just after Older graduated from American University.

“Her voice is really something special, and nobody really knows how to characterize it,” Barnett said, describing Older’s style. “But it’s also the most inviting voice. She invites you into the song, whatever the world is that she’s singing about for those four minutes. It will be the most heartfelt four minutes you’ll have in your day.”

Chaise Lounge’s music has a lush sound that has an almost orchestral feel. This vibe was enhanced on the group’s most recent release, Symphony Lounge. The album is a live recording of a collaboration between Chaise Lounge and the Capitol City Symphony, whose Artistic Director, Victoria Gau, has long been a proponent of Barnett’s music.

“Not only did she program it, but the orchestra flipped over it,” Barnett said of the experience. “That was the concert we recorded and it came out sparklingly well.”

Though it has a classic sound, the band does not depend on standards for its set list. Its original material would probably be filed under jazz, but the label is not wholly applicable to Chaise Lounge. The songs are precisely crafted, impeccably arranged and very melodic. This is vintage style pop music, written and played by jazz musicians.

“It’s a really, dare I say, sophisticated show. Is that off-putting for young people?,” Barnett joked. “Really, I would like to use that word. It’s sophisticated music.”

Chaise Lounge will perform at IOTA Club & Cafe (2832 Wilson Blvd., Arlington) on Sunday, April 3, 2011. 7:30 p.m. $15.