Local Guitarist Recruits Top Players for Demo Recording

When Pacific Beach guitarist Dave Hatherill set out to record a demo last summer, he didn’t mess around. Enlisting the help of old pal Carl Evans Jr., the well-connected Fattburger keyboardist, Hatherill recorded a 10-song collection with a stellar cast including Evans, Freddie Hubbard, Ernie Watts and top Los Angeles studio players.

Hatherill is just starting to promote his magnetic calling card. Elario’s talent coordinator Rob Hagey heard Hatherill and his demo on KIFM’s “San Diego Jazz Spotlight” program earlier this month and promptly booked the guitarist into Elario’s. Hatherill makes his debut performance at the club tonight with his new band.

Hatherill names straight-ahead jazz guitarist Wes Montgomery as a hero, but his aspirations are mostly along lighter, more accessible lines. Hatherill wrote seven of the demo’s 10 tunes, and his material holds its own with some of KIFM’s best.

The demo is a polished effort, but one that often finds Hatherill overshadowed by his stellar studio-mates. When it comes to rendering songs in a warm personal way or improvising around his melodies, Hatherill is a solid journeyman, but he doesn’t yet possess the confident facility of a Larry Carlton.

When he attended Monte Vista High School in Spring Valley, Hatherill’s guitar heroes were mostly rock musicians, but only Carlos Santana left a lasting mark, according to Hatherill, who names George Benson as his other guiding light.

Hatherill will be familiar to some San Diegans for his work with top local acts as Flight 7 and Aubrey Fay, but this is his first club date as a leader. His band consists of keyboardist Larry Logan, drummer Ronnie Stewart, bassist Chris Willis and saxophonists Bill Shreeves and Christopher Klich. Show times tonight are 8 and 10. There is no cover.

As with many, many jazz legends, fluegelhorn player Art Farmer finds the most enthusiastic responses to his art come from outside his American homeland.

Iowa-born Farmer, 63, who plays the Jazz Note (above Diego’s restaurant) in Pacific Beach this week, has lived in Vienna since 1968.

“I have a house in the city,” Farmer said. “It’s quiet and peaceful and people treat you with respect. And there’s a lot of music going on.” Over the years, Farmer has adopted a local club called Jazzland, where he plays several times a year.

Farmer’s next album will probably be another foreign affair. He recorded live last year at all three Blue Note jazz clubs in Japan, and is shopping for a label deal for the music he made at the Fukuoka club.

Farmer’s last release was the 1990 “Central Avenue Revisited.” He also plays on several cuts on singer Helen Merrill’s new album, released earlier this year.

The last time he was in San Diego, Farmer appeared at Elario’s. His move over to the Jazz Note may be another sign of programming changes at Elario’s, toward a broader and more economical entertainment lineup.

“Elario’s had contacted me, but I didn’t hear from them, I heard from Steve (Jazz Note operator Steve Satkowski),” said Farmer’s manager, Helen Keane. “He made us an offer, and Art is playing there. I don’t think there was any competition to speak of.”

At the Jazz Note, Farmer will be backed by San Diegans Mike Wofford on piano and Jim Plank on drums, plus bassist Putter Smith from Los Angeles. Show times are 7 and 9 on Sunday, 8 and 10 all other nights.

RIFFS: Rob Hagey, organizer of the wildly successful Michelob Street Scene and talent coordinator for Elario’s, will move his office in January to the Gaslamp Quarter downtown to be closer to the many organizations and people he deals with in putting together the fall Street Scenes. Hagey and company will occupy space in the Brunswig Building at Fifth Avenue and J Street. . . .

San Diego light jazz band Reel to Real plays its first-ever dates at Elario’s this Friday through Sunday. “This kind of makes us feel like we’re in the ball game along the same lines as other national acts,” said keyboardist Steve Kocherhans. “We’re gonna play good those nights.” With a push from the band’s new distribution deal with San Diego-based Time Is Records, the band’s CD, “Through That Door,” has gained radio play in a few markets across the country, Kocherhans added. . . .

UC San Diego’s Jazz Ensemble breaks into small group formats for a concert this Wednesday night at 8 in Mandeville Auditorium on the campus. One featured performer will be keyboard man Steve McQuarry, who has played with Stevie Wonder and Dizzy Gillespie. McQuarry’s sets will include music by John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Pat Metheny and others. All told, eight small bands will perform, along with the jazz program’s saxophone and guitar ensembles. . . .

One-two local punch at Jazz by the Way this weekend: Murray Davison’s North County All-Stars on Friday night and Hollis Gentry & Neon on Saturday night. . . .

Schedule shuffle at KSDS-FM (88.3): T’s “Guitar Hour” has moved from Wednesday to Sunday night at 7; Thursday “Big Band Lunch” has become Sunday “Big Band Brunch,” hosted by Bob Gibb from 10 to noon; “Original Jazz Classics” has moved back three hours on Saturday nights, into the 6-to-9 slot. Ron Galon’s Jazz Program switched from Saturday nights to Wednesday nights from 6 to 9. . . .

Take a shot at winning a guest deejay slot on KSDS-FM at Wednesday night’s drawing at the Catamaran between sets by Reel to Real. The winner will play deejay from noon to 1 on Monday.