Kenny Burrell Brings His Delicate Touch to Elario’s

Kenny Burrell may not set his guitars on fire or dish up screaming electronic licks, but his playing burns in its own mellow way.

Burrell, who opened three weeks at Elario’s last night, is one of jazz’s finest technicians, using a delicate style honed by his experiences in jazz, blues and classical music.

Although Burrell plays most tunes with a pick, he also uses finger style to soften his sound.

“My classical training certainly helped me with that,” he said. “I can use my pick or my fingers or a combination.”

He has worked with giants ranging from John Coltrane to Yusef Lateef and Tommy Flanagan, but Burrell is especially partial to the music of Duke Ellington, having taught a course in Ellington’s music at UCLA. Most sets include at least one Ellington number.

“I’m really very fond of his music and the music of those associated with him, Billy Strayhorn and the rest,” Burrell said.

During the course of a year, Burrell keeps busy in a variety of musical settings. He toured Japan last fall with a trio that included drummer Sherman Ferguson, who will back Burrell with local bassist Bob Magnusson. He recently recorded with a quartet including Jay Hoggard on vibes, an instrument not featured often these days. Burrell met Hoggard during a session in a Manhattan church two years ago, and the two hit it off. The album, titled “Guiding Spirit,” is due out later this month.

One of his pet projects is his Jazz Guitar Band, which includes up-and-coming guitarists Rodney Jones and Bobby Broom.

Besides his lyrical work on guitar, Burrell has a good set of pipes, and usually sings a tune or two at his live dates. He is good friends with fellow guitarists Mundell Lowe and Barney Kessel, both of whom have relocated to San Diego. Burrell doesn’t rule out the possibility of an impromptu jam if they’re in town and happen to show up at Elario’s.

San Diego pianist Mike Wofford, who works regularly with Ella Fitzgerald and other jazz legends, reportedly jumps at each chance he gets to play with local clarinet man Bobby Gordon. Though his name is not known to many San Diegans, Gordon is a force on the local and national jazz scenes. Every Friday night, he plays the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach with the Chicago 6. Sunday and Wednesday nights, the band is at the Mission Inn in San Marcos.

Gordon is also a charismatic front man. Until a few weeks ago, he and veteran Big Band trumpeter John Best had a loyal audience for their Sunday afternoon sets at Diego’s disco in Pacific Beach. The club is closed for remodeling, but this Sunday night from 6 to 10 at the Salmon House on Mission Bay, Gordon will play with Wofford, bassist Bob Haggart and drummer Barry Farrar.

Gordon came up under the guidance of clarinet master Joe Marsala in Chicago. He played around the Windy City for several years in the ‘60s, moved to New York, then back to Chicago, where he had his closest brush with fame. Trumpeter Louis Armstrong’s “Hello, Dolly!” was riding high when Armstrong’s clarinet man passed away and Gordon got the call to replace him. Before he got to play, though, Armstrong became ill, was hospitalized and eventually retired.

Nowadays, Gordon still prefers traditional jazz, the kind with a logical, linear melody. He plays at jazz festivals across the country, and has a new CD out with Hal Smith’s Rhythm Makers, available by mail (Jazzology Records, 1206 Decatur St., New Orleans, La., 70116). You can also hear his horn on the sound track for the new movie “Everybody Wins,” starring Nick Nolte and Debra Winger. Expect this Sunday’s live performance to lean on his favorite tunes, the stuff of Bix Beiderbecke, Pee Wee Russell, Eddie Condon and Eubie Blake.

KiFM’s (98.1) new “Straight Ahead Jazz” show, the successor to “Mainly Mainstream,” had a disappointing debut last Sunday night. Hosts Steve Satkowski and Jim Merod, who together replaced Paul Lavoie, need work on content and comments.

Merod’s interview with pianist Kenny Barron (who, not coincidentally, just finished a run at Elario’s, the show’s sponsor) came off like some lost lines from a Charles Bukowski novel.

Merod: I did not even realize that “Phantoms” could go in the direction with that degree of power that you and Benny (Golson) took it to.

Barron: “Phantoms” is the kind of tune that can go many different directions. When I play it with my quintet, it goes even further.

Merod: I don’t see how it can go any further than that.

Some insights into the music and where, exactly, it went, would have helped.

Satkowski’s “Straight From the Hip,” intended as a Michael Tuck-like opinion piece, seemed more like an extended pat on the back for Elario’s, where Satkowski is musical director. After describing the admirable successes and growth of KPBS’ “Club Date” TV program, produced in conjunction with Elario’s with Satkowski as associate producer, Satkowski played up the show even more: “Why didn’t New York think of this concept first?” he asked.

To succeed, the 10-to-midnight show needs more on-air personality from its hosts and more meaningful content. It should also be made less of a commercial for Elario’s, even if the club is the sponsor.

RIFFS: Nearly 300 people--a record house--packed the Salmon House Jan. 14 to hear Padres pitcher/jazz guitarist Eric Show trade licks with saxophonist Gary Lefebvre. If the audience was loaded with baseball fans out for a glimpse of their idol, they also seemed to know his music, requesting several tunes from Show’s newest album. . . . Mike Wofford plays solo piano from 8 to 11 Friday night at the Beach House restaurant in Mission Beach. He’ll also man the piano during happy hour Thursday and Friday and from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday at the new Hyatt Regency on La Jolla Village Drive.