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Ron Escheté | |
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| Born | Ronald Patrick Escheté August 19, 1948 Houma, Louisiana, U.S. |
| Died | May 20, 2026 (aged 77) |
| Genre | Jazz |
| Occupation | Musician |
| Instrument | Guitar |
| Years active | 1970–2026 |
| Labels | Muse, Concord Jazz |
| Website | www |
Ronald Patrick Escheté (August 19, 1948 – May 20, 2026) was an American seven-string jazz guitarist. He was the first person to record a cover version of "Christmas Time Is Here", which Vince Guaraldi wrote for the 1965 television special A Charlie Brown Christmas.
When Escheté was 14, he began playing guitar. During the late 1960s, he studied classical guitar and flute at Loyola University in New Orleans. From 1969 to 1970, he worked in Las Vegas supporting singer Buddy Greco. He moved to Los Angeles, where he played with Dave Pike and Gene Harris.
Escheté was an educator from the early 1970s when he taught at community colleges in southern California. In the mid-1970s, he became one of the original instructors at the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT) in Los Angeles, alongside Don Mock and Joe Diorio. The school later became part of the Musicians Institute. In the 1990s, he taught at California State University, Long Beach. He has written several instruction books, such as The Jazz Guitar Soloist and Melodic Chord Phrases.
His early influences were jazz guitarists Wes Montgomery, Jim Hall, and Howard Roberts. He has played with Ray Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson, and Diana Krall.
Escheté died suddenly on May 20, 2026, at the age of 77.
With Gene Harris
With Stix Hooper
With Dave Pike
With others
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