Ron Escheté, jazz guitar

Ron Escheté (pronounced ESH-tay) is the consummate master of the seven-string guitar. Whether he is playing bebop, ballads or blues he is a musically sophisticated guitarist who plays with grace and dignity. "Escheté is one of the finest jazz guitarists in L.A. – no small achievement in a region dense with superb players," says Jim Ferguson of JazzTimes.

Escheté is currently performing and recording with the Ron Escheté Trio, featuring Todd Johnson on six-string bass and Kendall Kay on drums. While he has long been regarded as one of the finest guitarists in mainstream jazz, now Escheté ranks as an innovative leader for his work with this ensemble.

Escheté was born in 1948 in Houma, Louisiana, and not surprisingly his early influences were jazz masters Jim Hall, Howard Roberts and Wes Montgomery. He attended Loyola University where he majored in classical guitar and minored in flute. While there he studied with classical guitarist Paul Guma.

Shortly after leaving Loyola he was tapped to tour with Buddy Greco. While on tour, he set his sites on the Los Angeles music scene. Over the decades Escheté has worked with the greatest artists in jazz including: Ella Fitzgerald; Sarah Vaughn; Diana Krall; Dizzy Gillespie; Milt Jackson; Ray Brown and many more. He has also appeared on the Tonight Show, played nearly every notable jazz venue in the southern California, and toured extensively, playing major venues from New York to San Francisco.

While his career has been primarily focussed on performance, Escheté has dedicated nearly twenty five years to teaching music at many colleges and universities. He has also authored three books for guitarists.