BLACKSBURG -- "Oh, that's right. We were supposed to talk about jazz today. Shame on me!"

With a playful wink, the singer seamlessly interrupts herself in the middle of a sentence.

Her conversation style is just as versatile as her singing voice, which has weaved effortlessly from country to jazz, from gospel to blues, from rock to 1940s three-part harmony in seven recorded albums of music during her career.

She is in constant motion, gesturing not just with her hands but her entire body as she playfully impersonates friends and family or feels the rhythm of a high-energy track blaring from her stereo system.

Even her dog, Bella, an Australian shepherd wickedly accurate when catching a Frisbee, is attuned to her owner's frenetic energy.

Everything about Leslie Brooks implies that she hardly ever misses a beat.

"I'm so excited to be here," she said with her usual contagious excitement as she gestured at the rolling hills that make up the landscape of her back yard in Blacksburg.

"I appreciate the beauty of the mountains so much. I feel both secure and free, which is sort of funny, since those are two things that are complete opposites," she said.

"I like to write songs about where I am, and that's what I want to do in Virginia."

Brooks made the move to Blacksburg after her pilot husband, Ray Roberts, was transferred.

It was a special homecoming for Roberts, who grew up in Blacksburg and did odd jobs at local businesses such as The Cellar Restaurant in his younger years.

Although Virginia is uncharted territory for Brooks and her 6-year-old daughter, Lauren, a budding songstress in her own right, the strong presence of Roberts' family immediately made her feel instantly at home.

"It's the first time we've been able to get family support," she explained. "I can just call a relative to keep an eye out for Lauren when I have a gig."

Brooks is definitely making use of her built-in baby-sitting network.

She's found herself in high demand in her new home, with her musical shift to jazz and blues reflecting her physical move to Blacksburg.

She has a standing gig on the first Saturday of every month at Burruss Square Tavern in Blacksburg and brings a 250-song "music menu" to distribute at performances for patrons who want to request something special.

The selections on her makeshift playlist range from contemporary artists such as Alanis Morrisette and Jack Johnson to her older favorites such as Dolly Parton and Paul Simon, and it adds a personal touch that allows her to feel closer to her audience.

"I like the rooms in jazz clubs. You find the people who truly appreciate music there," she explained of her affinity for performing in places such as The Cellar and Burruss Square Tavern, where she has a Valentine's Day performance set for Tuesday.

Although she doesn't have annual traditions she celebrates with her loved ones every year -- "You can keep the candy, honey! I don't need the acne!" she said with a laugh -- she enjoys creating a soothing and romantic atmosphere for couples who attend her Valentine's Day gigs.

"I like to sing to my husband, and I like to make people feel good about their love and their relationships," she said.

While she's getting plenty of personal exposure in the area with her local performances, Brooks stresses the importance of forging mutually beneficial relationships with the businesses that help promote her music.

"That's the thing about performing at different places; I can help bring in business," she said.

Although she notes that plenty of college students will flock to Burruss Square Tavern for "beer after 10 p.m.," Brooks laments the small number of diners who come to the establishment for dinner.

She has a particularly vested interest in the smoke-free atmosphere at the Tavern because it is significantly easier on her voice than less-ventilated venues.

"I can't sing if I can't breathe," she said with a mischievous smirk. "I like to support businesses that invest in good ventilation systems."

Brooks is trying to avoid saturating the local music scene with her presence, but her increasingly high profile has helped her meet and collaborate with local celebrities like jazz guitarist Flip Shoemaker, with whom she will perform on Valentine's Day. She already has big plans for future collaborations.

On Feb. 24, she will be one of several musicians performing for the Mardi Gras Celebration at the Hotel Roanoke.

Sponsored by Habitat for Humanity, the Interfaith Council of Churches and MusiCares, a subsidiary of the Grammy Awards, the concert was organized by Hotel Roanoke mainstay and former New Orleans resident Jimmie Landry.

All proceeds of the concert will go to the musicians whose instruments were destroyed when Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast last summer.

"It's going to be all high-energy, upbeat music," Brooks said. "We just want to celebrate New Orleans and Mardi Gras."

While maintaining her busy performance schedule, Brooks is also forming an all-female band called Ms. Behavin' with other Blacksburg musicians, including Kayla Bancroft, who is Brooks' agent, and Virginia Tech professors Ann Kilkelly, who plays ukelele and tap dances, and Carol Burch-Brown, a frequent co-performer with Brooks at the Tavern who plays a mean upright bass.

"We just want to do all our favorite songs in the 1940s three-part harmony style, like Emmylou Harris and Dolly Parton. We're at a stage of rehearsal, and we're enjoying every minute of it." Brooks said excitedly.

Although she notes with some chagrin that she's still earning roughly the same amount for her performances today that she was when she started performing professionally in the 1980s, Brooks knows she could never be happy doing anything else.

"I've grown and now I can't get out of this business. When my music can take me to new places, it makes me want to stick with it even more," she explained.

Besides, Blacksburg is suiting her just fine.

"It's such a cute little town," Brooks enthused.

"If I can be instrumental in promoting this place, then that's perfect. That's important to me. I'm not taking the beauty of these mountains for granted."