UCSD Jazz Guitar Teacher Presents Proteges at Concert

Since Bob Boss was hired to teach jazz guitar at UC San Diego 18 months ago, he has stoked an explosion of student interest. The Oceanside guitarist recalls that at a concert by jazz students shortly after his arrival, only one student guitarist was good enough to perform. The quintet was rounded out by Boss and other professionals.

Contrast that apathetic showing with this Thursday’s 8 p.m. program at Mandeville Auditorium: Boss has seven guitar students ready to perform. In two quintets, they will play a pair of tunes (“Rose Room” and “I Surrender Dear”) that feature the solos of jazz guitar godhead Charlie Christian--transcribed for five guitars by L.A. guitarist Tony Rizzi.

According to Boss, a new generation of jazz players is on the rise.

“These are guys 18 to 24. Some have a background in classical music, which helps because they tend to be better (music) readers. Others have background in rock, and this is their first experience trying to improvise over chord changes. I’ve got some promising players. They put in lots of hard work to learn these things. Charlie Christian’s solos are not easy to play.”

Christian pioneered the electric jazz guitar, playing his signature, melodic strings of notes with Benny Goodman’s Big Band beginning in 1939. Boss sees real merit for his students in learning Christian’s solos, even though jazz is ultimately about individual expression through original improvisation.

“They can investigate how he was thinking harmonically and rhythmically,” Boss said. “If something is already good, you want to take it apart and find out why. At first, you are drawn to it emotionally. But it’s like studying history. You want to find out what’s been done before. Jim Hall, Barney Kessel, Wes Montgomery--all the guitarists that are interviewed say they started out by copying Charlie Christian, learning his solos.”

Boss, 39, grew up in Los Angeles playing rock ‘n’ roll, but a high school friend turned him onto Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Jimmy Smith and Wes Montgomery. Boss went on to study with guitarist Jerry Hahn, sideman to Gary Burton and John Handy. Boss’ own jazz career hopes rest, at the moment, with a band that also includes Idyllwild bassist Marshall Hawkins.

Thursday’s concert, besides the Christian improvs to be tackled by Boss’ young charges, holds the promise of several other intriguing performances.

Los Angeles saxman Buddy Collette, a veteran of the Big Bands of Louis Jordan, Gerald Wilson and Benny Carter, will be a special guest, performing in a quartet with San Diego pianist/vocalist Jeannie Cheatham, drummer John (Ironman) Harris and bassist Tom Azarello. Other musicians to be featured are the trio Interplay, consisting of UCSD alums including Joey Carano on guitar, and several student groups.

San Diego jazzman Jimmy Cheatham, who directs the jazz program at UCSD, is dedicating the Thursday night show to African-American History Month.

Boss won’t be performing at UCSD this Thursday, but you can hear him around town as a member of singer A.J. Croce’s band, and, all next month, playing solo guitar during Sunday brunches from 10 to 2 at Croce’s downtown.

Tickets for this Thursday night’s program at UCSD are $5, or $3 for students. Call 534-3230 for more information.

Paparazzi, the restaurant at the Hyatt Hotel on La Jolla Village Drive, continues to present a full menu of top straight-ahead jazz--all local. The restaurant eased into jazz by enclosing its 160-seat patio for Sunday jazz brunches early last fall, and moved into Wednesday-through-Saturday-night jazz in November. Among regularly featured players are Bobby Gordon, Mitch Manker and Joe Marillo.

“Jazz has been surprisingly successful considering that most of the people who frequent the place are young, a crowd that might listen to other types of music,” said San Diego singer Peggy Claire, who books the talent and sometimes appears herself. This week’s schedule includes pianist Forrest Westbrook’s trio Wednesday night; drummer Tony Marillo’s trio with pianist Alfredo Cardim Thursday night; Marillo and saxman Rod Cradit’s quartet Friday night; clarinetist Bobby Gordon’s quintet with Claire on vocals Saturday night; and the Cradit/Marillo unit during Sunday brunch from 11:30 to 2:30.

RIFFS: Having missed a 500-ticket sellout by a mere 20 tickets, San Diego Jazz Party organizer Beverly Muchnic declared the early February event a success and vowed to continue next year. This year, fans came from as far away as England and Canada. Muchnic had threatened to retire from the event if she lost money, but a last-minute burst of ticket sales put her in the black. She said this year’s party was a success in other ways, as well. Notable fans on hand included Tommy Dorsey Jr., veteran Big Band bassist Chubby Jackson, San Diego pianist and former Patti Page accompanist Rocky Cole, and George Fenneman, who announced Grouch Marx’s 1950s TV game show, “You Bet Your Life.” . . .

San Diego-based pop jazz band Reel to Real’s “Through That Door” is enjoying new life since being picked up last fall for distribution by Time Is, the San Diego jazz label. Music from the album has been added to more than 20 contemporary jazz radio playlists across the country, including San Diego’s KIFM (98.1). Reel to Real plays the Catamaran Resort Hotel in Mission Beach this Wednesday night (Feb. 19) and next Wednesday night (Feb. 26). . . .

Pianist/vocalist Les McCann taped a new “Club Date” show in the KPBS-TV studios last Saturday while in town for three nights at the Jazz Note. With Elario’s concentrating on local jazz, the Jazz Note appears to have the lock on supplying big-time talent for “Club Date.” McCann’s taping marked the first new show recorded since a taping last June that featured the Larry Vuckovich/Tom Harrell Quintet. . . .

Trumpeter Don Rader will talk about his new release, “A Foreign Affair,” at 12:30 Friday on KSDS-FM (88.3). Rader has played in the bands of Woody Herman, Count Basie and Maynard Ferguson, among others. The new recording is his fifth as a leader.

CRITIC’S CHOICE: SUNDAY JAZZ JAM

Through the late 1980s, Sunday jazz jams proliferated at San Diego venues including the Salmon House restaurant and the now-defunct Jazz Mine Records and Jazz Loft club.

With those jams gone, there have been many dry Sunday afternoons for jazz fans. To the rescue comes the Jazz Note in Pacific Beach (above Diego’s restaurant), which started a new jam Feb. 2. Every Sunday afternoon, a group featuring pianist Forrest Westbrook, bassist Marshall Hawkins, drummer Tim Shea and vibraphonist/percussionist J.J. McBop will appear with a special guest. This week’s headliner is Peter Sprague. Music lasts from 2 to 6, and there is a $5 cover charge.