NEWPORT, R. I. -- Chevy Chase ended up improvising a bit while hosting the Newport Jazz Festival. But instead of his trademark pratfalls and buffoonery, the comedian was all business when he sat down at the piano to entertain the audience when pianist Dave Brubeck’s entrance was unexpectedly delayed.

As the festival crew scrambled to prepare the main stage, Chase gave a respectable performance of jazz pianist Bill Evans’ tune, “Waltz for Debby.” However, Chase demurred when Brubeck invited him to sit in with his quartet, which opened its Saturday afternoon set with “St. Louis Blues.”

“Dave said, ‘Hey, I didn’t know you could play that well, so that made me feel real good,” said Chase, 63, an accomplished amateur jazz pianist, at a backstage news conference on Sunday before the festival concluded with rousing performances by Al Green and B.B. King.

Chase was invited to be the host after a chance encounter at a party earlier this year with some of the festival’s producers, who discovered that the Emmy-winning comedian, film and TV actor is also a devoted jazz fan.

“This is my first time (at the Newport festival),” said Chase.

“It’s a dream for me. ... I’ve been a jazz aficionado all my life.  ... One of my daughters, Caley, is here with me and she’s a jazz pianist and soaking it up.”

In college, Chase played drums in a jazz band with Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, who later became famous as Steely Dan. Before his star turn on the opening 1975 season of “Saturday Night Live,” a then unknown Chase frequented the Village Vanguard and other New York clubs where he became friendly with many jazz legends. Miles Davis even invited him to sit in one night in place of his drummer Tony Williams.

“Miles said, ‘Hey Tony, let Chevy sit in,”’ Chase said, imitating the trumpeter’s scratchy voice. “I was scared to death.  I sat in for a song and, thank God, I didn’t trade fours or have any solos. It was just fun.”

Chase credits Thelonious Monk and Evans in particular with inspiring him to switch to piano.

“Bill Evans became a very good friend of mine,” said Chase.  “I once said to Bill, ‘I’d give anything to play like you.’ I was driving him home from the Vanguard in an old ‘57 De Soto I had. He was saying, ‘It’s easy, chap. Eight hours a day.’

“I said I think I’m writing comedy and doing other things but maybe I’ll get to it someday. ... Now when I have time, I’ll put in four or five hours a day and play. ... I’ve been able to put in some time in the last 10 years and I’m getting better.”

Chase says Richard Pryor, with whom he performed the daring “racist word association” skit on SNL’s first season, epitomized why jazz and comedy go together.

“He’s probably the last of the great jazz comics,” Chase said.  “When he performed it was jazz. ... I love improvising in film. I loved doing ‘Fletch,’ which is a total example of winging a movie and enjoying it, and that’s what jazz is about. It’s about improvising and being extemporaneous.”

Chase, the original anchor of “SNL’s” “Weekend Update” segment, says he recently had some preliminary talks with creator-producer Lorne Michaels about appearing on the show in 2008.

“It’s a perfect political year for me to get in there and raise a little heck,” joked Chase.