There is a glorious moment that occurs two or three times in every Bobby Hutcherson set when all heck seems about to break loose. Right after the last chorus of a given song, as the quintet heads for the coda, each member of the group starts going off in his own direction, the melody begins imploding on itself, the chords become increasingly dissonant, and you wonder if the ensemble will just fall apart. But this is controlled chaos: The group is being held together by the musicianship and force of personality of its remarkable vibraphone-playing leader, and the moment passes just as quickly as it arrives.

Mr. Hutcherson, who kicked off a week at Dizzy’s Club Cola-Cola on Tuesday night, keenly knows how to get the most musical mileage out of such moments. Like other major players of the jazz vibes – from Red Norvo and Lionel Hampton to Gary Burton – he combines musical artistry with a sense of showmanship harkening back to the instrument’s roots in vaudeville and novelty shows. If you were to watch silent film clips of Mr. Hutcherson in action, he would still be entertaining – fairly beaming on the bandstand, directing the quintet with samba-style choreography, waving his mallets about.

Mr. Hutcherson played Rose Hall in March as a member of the San Francisco Jazz Collective, but this is his first extended engagement as a leader in New York in several years. In 1998, he did a week at Birdland and also recorded his most recent album, “Skyline,” which reprised the instrumentation he had introduced on the classic albums “The Kicker” (1963) and “Stick Up!” (1966): vibes, saxophone, and three rhythm instruments. He is employing the same lineup at Dizzy’s, co-starring saxophonist Kenny Garrett, along with pianist Renee Rosnes, bassist Dwayne Burno, and drummer Willie Jones. The band is notable for its high level of interplay among instruments and its superb use of group dynamics.

The high point of Wednesday night’s set, as on “Skyline,” was “Delilah,” a 1949 movie theme by Victor Young that was introduced to jazz by Nat King Cole and Clifford Brown. Here is a gorgeous minor-key melody that Mr. Hutcherson imbued with a sublime sensuality that was positively biblical. Although Mr. Hutcherson’s album version was strictly a quartet number, at Dizzy’s Mr. Garrett surprised us by contributing a warm though aggressive solo.

Mr. Hutcherson also treated the audience to two other tracks from “Skyline”: “Who’s Got You,” a fast modal bopper equally inspired by the 1978 “Superman” movie and the Superman of jazz, John Coltrane; and “Pomponio,” a bright and bouncy blues with a strong samba beat. Another highlight was a simple and spare rendition of James Van Heusen’s ballad “I Thought About You,” in which Mr. Hutcherson’s decisive use of dynamics proved that he’s the Tony Bennett of the vibes.

It was revealing to hear Mr. Garrett outside his customary avant-garde context; throughout, his alto tone was so dark and deep that he almost sounded like he was playing tenor. As for Ms. Rosnes, her piano playing seemed to get more percussively vibraphonic as the evening wore on (or was that just my imagination?). Whether you’re in the audience or lucky enough to be up on the bandstand with Bobby Hutcherson, his charm and enthusiasm – not to mention sheer talent – are impossible to resist.

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The pianist Bill Charlap was present at Dizzy’s for Wednesday’s opening set, which was only fair – Ms. Rosnes had been at the Oak Room the previous night to see Mr. Charlap perform with his mother, Sandy Stewart. Like Tony Bennett, who was also in the Oak Room Tuesday night (sitting next to Diana Krall and Elvis Costello, if it’s okay to drop names), Ms. Stewart, 68, is one of the major living interpreters of the American Songbook. Her show is the absolute lack of a show; she barely takes the time to announce that her collaborator is also her son. Likewise, her singing is so pure that she extracts the musical and emotional essence of every song without unnecessary decoration.

When Ms. Stewart performs, every phrase, every word, and every note sparkle with meaning. On “Where Do You Start?” by Johnny Mandel and Marilyn and Alan Bergman – a song about a divorce – I actually found myself crying. As on the mother-son duo’s new album together, “Love Is Here To Stay” (Blue Note/EMI 60340), Ms. Stewart’s singing and Mr. Charlap’s playing were so purposeful, so clearly focused, so sacrosanct, that the Oak Room became less of a cabaret than a recital hall.

Bobby Hutcherson Quartet will perform again November 11, 12 & 13 at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola (Broadway at 60th Street, Fifth Floor, 212-258-9595); Sandy Stewart and Bill Charlap will perform again at the Algonquin Hotel on November 11, 12, 15, 16, 17, 18 & 19 (59 W. 44th Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, 212-840-6800).