on Escheté, the consummate master of the 7-string guitar, joins 6-string bass pioneer Todd Johnson to lay the formidable foundation of the Ron Escheté Trio.  With the addition of such fine drummers as Kendall Kay, Joe LaBarbera or Paul Humphrey, this trio renders mainstream jazz with a refreshing new texture.  

 Having worked with the greatest artists in jazz including Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Diana Krall, Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, Ray Brown and many more, Escheté has long been regarded as one of the finest guitarists in mainstream jazz.  And now, his work with this ensemble has earned him the reputation of an innovative leader.  “The Escheté trio is as polished as the classic Modern Jazz Quartet. …This is a unit that speaks with a single voice.  It is a voice of brilliant musical reason.” – Jim Merod, Jazz News.  What is most unique about the sound of this trio is the depth and texture created by the coupling of Escheté’s seven strings with Johnson’s six strings.  The outcome is “a rich tapestry of melody, harmony and teamwork,” says Hal Howland for Modern Drummer Magazine.

 In 1990 Escheté teamed with a bright and daring young bass player named Todd Johnson.  Johnson is now recognized as a pioneer of the six-string bass.  With his custom Yamaha six-string bass, equipped with a midi pick-up, Johnson uses a unique approach where he plays chord changes and bass lines simultaneously.  Additionally, his use of the midi interface, a technology that allows his instrument to sound like many instruments at the same time, adds both harmonic color and texture that further defines his unique sound.  His instrument can, quite literally, sound like an organ and a bass at the same time.  20^th Century Guitar Magazine’s Jim Fisch calls it “a delight to witness the telepathic communication between Todd and Ron seamlessly dovetailing their carefully crafted improvisation.”  The group is repeatedly hailed as the trio that sounds like a quartet.

 The Ron Escheté Trio has recorded three CDs (“Softwinds”, CCD-4737; “Rain Or Shine”, CCD-4665; and “Mo’ Strings Attached”, TJA-10020) and is currently working on a fourth recording to be titled “Live at Rocco”.  The group tours extensively throughout California and the United States.