MUSIC : Sharp Shift in Careers : After trying to burn the candle at both ends, jazz sax player Spike Robinson is now doing what he truly loves after abandoning his life as an engineer.

Spike Robinson’s life has had two alternating themes, in terms of occupations and places.

Now 62, Robinson focused entirely on music from ages 8 to 22, and has done the same for the past 12 years.

But from 1952 to 1981, the tenor saxophonist--who was born in Kenosha, Wis., and plays at Chadney’s tonight--directed most of his energies toward engineering, and only played part-time.

He earned a degree in engineering from the University of Colorado and worked in Denver, Detroit and Cape Canaveral, Fla., for such firms as Martin Marrieta and Honeywell.

Robinson made the decision to leave music after a stint in the Navy from 1948 to 1952. During that time, he was stationed with the Navy band in England, made several 78 r.p.m. recordings and was a founder of the first be-bop jazz club in London.

“Before I left, the jazz scene in the U. S. was great and in Kenosha, home of Pratt-Whitney engines and American Motors, you could play seven nights a week,” Robinson said. “But when I came back, it was horrible, and I decided I’d better do something different.”

Robinson, who also plays Saturday at the Jazz Bakery in Culver City, never liked engineering much. “It’s nice to be out of it, but it did what it was supposed to do, put bread on the table,” said Robinson, who has two children by his first marriage, which ended in divorce. “And it allowed me to play only the things I wanted to play. It was paying dues of a different sort.”

Two factors persuaded Robinson to resume his life in music: His children had finished college, and he found that he was burning the candle at both ends, trying to be an engineer during the day and a jazzman at night. He was living in Boulder, Colo., working in Littleton, about 50 miles away, and playing gigs up to five nights a week in Denver. All the hours and the constant driving were taking their toll.

“I found myself falling asleep at quality-control meetings,” he quipped. “So I decided to get back into music and have some fun the rest of my life, and it has been that.”

The musician and his present wife, Susan Mays, who is involved in the music business as a booking agent and tour producer, live in Colorado about three months out of the year and spend the remainder of their time in Writtle, England, a small town 45 minutes outside London.

“After you’ve been there two weeks, you know everybody in the bloody place,” he cracked.

England pleased Robinson when he was first there, and he still believes: “Living there is delightful. The pace is different, very casual and comfortable. And very convenient, since I work so much in Europe. There’s a lot of jazz, and the audiences are knowledgeable. And there are great musicians. I never have to worry about musicians at all. So I have the best of both worlds.” He has been granted “temporary permanent residence” status by the British government.

Robinson started playing clarinet when he was 8, but turned to the saxophone at 10, and was playing in dance bands a year later. He cites Lester Young and Charlie Parker as major influences.

His style is fluid and smooth, his tone open and speech-like, and he sometimes recalls the wonders of Stan Getz and Zoot Sims.

Fellow tenor saxophonist Lew Tabackin agrees. “Spike plays very well in that genre,” said Tabackin, who has performed with Robinson at the annual Colorado Jazz Party in Denver.

During his Southern California engagements, Robinson, who can be heard on “Groovin’ High” on Concord Jazz Records, will do his best not to repeat any material--not only from night to night, but from previous appearances here as well. He does this by keeping notebooks of his performance repertoires.

“I myself hate to hear the same tunes every night, and there are so many beautiful tunes in the American popular songbook that an audience ought to be given something new to hear every time,” he said. “I’ll only play a piece I’ve done previously if someone requests it.”

Where and When Who: Spike Robinson. Location: Chadney’s, 3000 W. Olive St., Burbank. Hours: 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. tonight. Price: No cover, no minimum. Call: (818) 843-5333.