Ron Eschete

As a member of pianist Gene Harris' globe-trotting quartet, guitarist Ron Eschete plays blues, blues and more blues. But left to his own devices, as he was Thursday night at Kikuya Restaurant, Eschete showed a taste for standards and other jazz numbers that belies his very visible work with the Harris band. As the guest this night at Kikuya's weekly jazz party, hosted by singer Jack Wood, Eschete displayed an almost pianistic way with his beautiful, seven-string electric instrument.

I've called guitarist Ron Eschete a "model sideman" in these pages, and with good cause: He's backed so many fine artists, most recently the hard-swinging, blues-drenched pianist Gene Harris, with whom he's appeared off and on for 20 years. But these days, the renowned Eschete, a Louisianian who moved to Southern California in 1970, has shifted his focus.

Ron Eschete, the splendid jazz guitarist who has recorded and performed with bassist Ray Brown, vibist Milt Jackson and pianist Gene Harris, figures it has been three years since he worked a job he didn't like. That kind of good fortune, he said, has followed him all his life. "I kind of feel like I've got an angel on my shoulder," said the Houma, La., native, who currently lives in Norwalk, in a recent interview.

"Model sideman." That's the phrase that guitarist Ron Eschete thinks best characterizes his career in the jazz business. "I fit with everybody. Whatever's there, I play it," said Eschete. "I pride myself on that. My versatility has served me well." Eschete--pronounced "Esh-tay"--often displays his talents with renowned blues/jazz pianist Gene Harris, as he did on the albums "Like a Lover" and "Black and Blue."

"Model sideman." That's the phrase that guitarist Ron Eschete thinks best characterizes his career in the jazz business. "I fit with everybody. Whatever's there, I play it," said Eschete. "I pride myself on that. My versatility has served me well." Eschete--pronounced "Esh-tay"--often displays his talents with renowned blues/jazz pianist Gene Harris, as he did on the albums "Like a Lover" and "Black and Blue."

Looking for a way to burn those excess holiday calories? The Orange County Musicians' Bash '94 at the Red Lion Hotel in Costa Mesa on Sunday will provide plenty of opportunity for exercise. With music scattered over five different venues inside the hotel, as well as dancing in the big-band and Dixieland rooms, you could run yourself crazy trying to see it all. With some 300 musicians scheduled to take part over 10 hours, Bash '94 takes on marathon proportions.

When two guitarists of the caliber of Ron Eschete and Joe Diorio get together, you expect sparks to fly. That's exactly what happened at El Matador on Thursday, when the pair, backed by bassist Luther Hughes and drummer Ted Hawk, compared and contrasted styles in a charged set of jazz standards. The show was a reunion of sorts for Eschete, Hughes and Hawk, who now lives in Paris.

I've called guitarist Ron Eschete a "model sideman" in these pages, and with good cause: He's backed so many fine artists, most recently the hard-swinging, blues-drenched pianist Gene Harris, with whom he's appeared off and on for 20 years. But these days, the renowned Eschete, a Louisianian who moved to Southern California in 1970, has shifted his focus.

As a member of pianist Gene Harris' globe-trotting quartet, guitarist Ron Eschete plays blues, blues and more blues. But left to his own devices, as he was Thursday night at Kikuya Restaurant, Eschete showed a taste for standards and other jazz numbers that belies his very visible work with the Harris band. As the guest this night at Kikuya's weekly jazz party, hosted by singer Jack Wood, Eschete displayed an almost pianistic way with his beautiful, seven-string electric instrument.

Looking for a way to burn those excess holiday calories? The Orange County Musicians' Bash '94 at the Red Lion Hotel in Costa Mesa on Sunday will provide plenty of opportunity for exercise. With music scattered over five different venues inside the hotel, as well as dancing in the big-band and Dixieland rooms, you could run yourself crazy trying to see it all. With some 300 musicians scheduled to take part over 10 hours, Bash '94 takes on marathon proportions.

When two guitarists of the caliber of Ron Eschete and Joe Diorio get together, you expect sparks to fly. That's exactly what happened at El Matador on Thursday, when the pair, backed by bassist Luther Hughes and drummer Ted Hawk, compared and contrasted styles in a charged set of jazz standards. The show was a reunion of sorts for Eschete, Hughes and Hawk, who now lives in Paris.

Ron Eschete, the splendid jazz guitarist who has recorded and performed with bassist Ray Brown, vibist Milt Jackson and pianist Gene Harris, figures it has been three years since he worked a job he didn't like. That kind of good fortune, he said, has followed him all his life. "I kind of feel like I've got an angel on my shoulder," said the Houma, La., native, who currently lives in Norwalk, in a recent interview.

* * * 1/2 GENE HARRIS QUARTET, "Funky Gene's," Concord Jazz. Here are four master chefs who cook as one. Blessed with a long collective track record, pianist Harris works tightly with the admirable guitarist Ron Eschete, Luther Hughes on bass and Paul Humphrey. There are a couple of agreeable ballads, but the accent is on blues: a blues for Basie, a blues by Basie, "Ahmad's Blues." Harris always knows the exact tempo for each tune: "Nice and Easy" could well have been the title track.

On Monday night, a group of seasoned jazz musicians will perform to help one of their own, jazz singer Stephanie Haynes. Haynes, who has no health insurance, was hit with big medical bills after an undisclosed illness last month. "[Being uninsured] is a common thing with musicians," said Jack Prather, who organized the event to help cover her expenses. Because she is recovering from surgery, Haynes will not attend.