Fattburger Has Several Tasty Deals on the Grill

Fattburger has become one of San Diego’s sizzling success stories.

Overcoming the near-breakup of the band in the mid-’80s because of internal conflict, the remaining members could be on the verge of their best-selling album yet.

Two years ago, “Good News,” their first project for the Intima label, went to No. 4 on Billboard’s contemporary jazz chart, eventually selling 45,000 copies. Last year’s “Living in Paradise” made it to No. 6, and has sold more than 50,000. By all indications, the new “Time Will Tell” could top them both.

“It’s really taken off,” said drummer Tommy Aros. The band expects the album to enter Billboard’s chart next week, and Intima has told band members that radio stations are adding it to play lists at an impressive rate. This week, it made impressive showings on two charts published in Radio & Records magazine. The album moved from 17 to 13 on the new adult contemporary chart, and debuted at 21 on the contemporary jazz list, with favorable showings on other industry lists as well.

Last weekend, the band completed its first video, a remake of the Chi-Lites song “Oh, Girl,” which features a guest sax appearance by Gerald Albright. It also features local sax man Mark Lessman faking Albright’s solo, since Albright was unavailable. BET, the Black Entertainment Channel (Cox Cable Channel 4), has said it is interested in it, and Fattburger hopes it has a good shot at VH-1.

During the next few days, the band will play in Manhattan, New Jersey and Miami before returing to San Diego for a Nov. 29 appearance at the Catamaran’s “Jazz Trax Nite.”

In light of the new album’s promise, and the strength of the two earlier releases, Intima has signed Fattburger to a four-record deal. If “Time Will Tell” performs as expected, selling more than 100,000, the band’s advance payment for a fourth album could climb into six figures.

From 1986 until a few months ago, Bruce Cameron, the talented San Diego horn player (fluegelhorn, trumpet, cornet) virtually disappeared from the local scene. But, since last summer, the new band Algo Caliente, which includes Cameron, has built a local following.

Ten years ago, Cameron was one of San Diego’s most promising players. He signed with the Discovery label and made two albums. A promising producer convinced him to break the contract, but the new relationship didn’t last, and Cameron was left without a label.

He and local sax man Hollis Gentry brought together the players who continue today as Fattburger in the early ‘80s. But internal friction and a direction too much in the Lites Out jazz format put out the lights for Cameron, who left shortly after the band played at the first game of the 1984 World Series in San Diego.

He formed a number of promising bands over the years, but nothing seemed to gel. In the meantime, Cameron developed a second career custom-painting model trains.

Then, last summer, he and several other local musicians, experienced players in their 40s and 50s, came together at the behest of conga player Armando Rosas, who wanted a band he could work with at the Cultural Center in Tijuana, where he was booking shows.

At their debut concert, even the headliners, another impromptu group, including local sax man Charles McPherson, Chet Baker, pianist Frank Strazzeri and L.A. session drummer John Guerin, thought the locals were hot. So they decided to stick together as Algo Caliente.

Although the band plays an occasional fusion tune, the emphasis is on percussion-based Latin sounds, including spicy new takes on old standards such as “ ‘Round Midnight” and newer numbers such as David Benoit’s “Santa Barbara.”

Algo Caliente is considering a more marketable name, Cameron said, perhaps Hot Vasquez, borrowed from the group’s percussionist and drummer Carlos Vasquez. Besides Cameron and Vasquez, Algo Caliente includes Mel Goot on keyboards, Russ Caldwell on percussion, Esteban Favela on saxes and Chuck Shiele on bass, with occasional guest percussionists.

This Friday and Saturday nights, it will be at Diego’s Loft in Pacific Beach, and it will play Croce’s in downtown San Diego most Friday nights during December.

Today, Thanksgiving Day, KSDS-FM (88.3) is celebrating the 50th anniversary of Blue Note, the influential jazz label.

From 9 to 9, they will run down a virtual history of jazz, from boogie to bop and into the future. Don’t miss the special Blue Note history segment, a company documentary, airing at 9 a.m.

John Coltrane, Jackie McLean, Dexter Gordon, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Lee Morgan, Horace Silver and Lou Donaldson are among the featured artists. Along with playing Blue Note’s CD reissues of great albums, KSDS will air a few rarities, such as “Money Jungle,” a 1962 piano trio album, Duke Ellington’s only project for the label. It features four previously unheard Ellington tunes discovered when the original tapes were pulled to remix them for reissue.

RIFFS: Tonight at 7, the 10th annual San Diego Thanksgiving Dixieland Jazz Festival opens at the Town & Country Hotel in Mission Valley. Among the bands making their first festival appearance are the Paramount Jazz Band from Boston, the Frisco Syncopators from New Orleans and the Norwegian Magnolia Jazz Band. The festival continues through Sunday. Tickets good for all four days of music are $55; day passes are also available. . . . This Friday and Saturday nights at Croce’s in downtown San Diego, it’s sax man Joe Marillo, who just made a digital demo recording at Diego’s Loft.