Jazz Review : Ron Eschete: A Show That’s Out of the Blue

HUNTINGTON BEACH — 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. He developed his own harmonic support, filling in the space between theme and solo lines with chords designed to give foundation and, at times, a little kick in the pants to his own improvisational train of thought.

The richness of his delivery brought an impact to the music not usually carried by guitar trios. But Eschete, using pick, thumb-plucks and finger-sounded chords, is able to create an almost orchestral effect, one that’s not only technically amazing but also extremely musical.

Backed by bassist Todd Johnson and drummer Denny Dennis, Eschete opened with a little-heard tune by pianist Victor Feldman, “Azule Serape,” that found him accompanying his inventive solo with well-chosen chords as bassist Johnson laid the foundation with an insistently paced walk. As Johnson soloed on his six-string electric bass, Eschete stuck his pick between his lips, freeing his fingers to provide pulsing support for the bassist’s melodic improvisation.

Eschete’s skills were most visible when he played solo, as he did to introduce “But Beautiful.” Then, with backing from Dennis and Johnson, he created a series of whirling lines against the mid-tempo rhythm. At one point, a host of sharp, prickly notes accented a series of softly delivered chords before they dissolved back into the warm flow.

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Eschete seems particularly adept at this kind of fast-slow, hot-cool contrast. As he entered his solo to a fast-paced “Loads of Love,” he sounded single long tones, spaced with plenty of dead air against the up-tempo pulse from Johnson and Dennis. On “The Girl Next Door,” he used dissonant chords that rubbed against the song’s somewhat melancholy feel.

Bassist Johnson was also impressive during his improvisations, working in the upper registers to get a sound with a guitar-like presence. Dennis provided even-tempered timekeeping while restricting his attack to dynamic levels suitable to the lounge’s size and mirrored walls.

When joined by singer Wood, Eschete fell back into the role of accompanist, filling the spaces between the vocalist’s lines with embellishments that stood out strongly next to Wood’s somewhat colorless delivery. The guitarist was particularly rhythmic during a samba-paced “ ‘S Wonderful,” complementing Wood, whose phrasing often lay seductively behind the beat.

Despite the ballads and show tunes, Eschete didn’t completely ignore the blues in his play, adding bent tones and blue notes during an up-tempo version of “When I Fall in Love,” tagging the close of “Time After Time” with a line from “I’ll Take Manhattan” before sounding very bluesy, closing chords.

These references served to remind those who know him only as a member of Harris’ quartet that, whether it’s blues, ballads or be-bop, Ron Eschete is very much his own man.