Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » The Ron Eschete Trio: In The Middle

128

The Ron Eschete Trio: In The Middle

By

Sign in to view read count
The Ron Eschete Trio: In The Middle
I've been listening to Ron Eschete since the late '70s, but I was surprised to learn that the guitarist has so few albums available (of the thirteen under his own name, only six are still in print). Up to a certain point in time, Eschete was the consummate LA sideman; he has appeared on a gazillion dates and worked with artists like Dave Pike and Gene Harris for long stretches. In the latter case, Eschete joined Harris for the last six years of his recording career and appeared with his quartet on thirteen albums. During the 1990s, Eschete appeared on a multitude of records on Concord. I've never heard him on an album that was less than good.

Ron Eschete is from Houma, Louisiana, a suburb of New Orleans, and he worked the clubs there before graduating from high school. After leaving Loyola, he toured with Buddy Greco, and he decided to relocate to Los Angeles in 1970. As he gathered experience working with the greatest names in jazz, Eschete decided to lead a group in the late 1980s.

This trio date was recorded live at Spazio in September, 2003 with Eschete's current partners: Todd Johnson (six-string electric bass) and Kendall Kay (drums). In The Middle is a very comfortable album to spend some relaxing time with. Ron Eschete appears to be "Kenny Burrell without the celebrity status." Starting with a loping version of Victor Herbert's "Indian Summer," followed by such familiar tunes as "Taking A Chance on Love," "Bye Bye Blackbird" and "Lady Be Good," Eschete burnishes each of these venerable tunes with his lyricism and swing. Only the final tune, the bluesy "Mama's Home Cookin'," is an Eschete original.

Track Listing

Indian Summer; Taking A Chance on Love; Oh;Lady Be Good; Bluesette; Autumn Leaves; MAma's Home Cookin'.

Personnel

Ron Eschete
guitar, electric

Ron Eschete: 7-string electric guitar; Todd Johnson: 6-string electric bass; Kendall Kay: drums.

Album information

Title: In The Middle | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: RevJazz Music

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris
Candid
Sunny Five
Inside Colours Live
Julie Sassoon

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.