On a crisp Saturday night in Fullerton, many people warmed themselves under heat lamps in the outdoor area of Les Amis to listen to the jazz stylings of The Ron Kobayashi Trio. The Trio regularly plays in this intimate setting in downtown Fullerton at a place locals call the Walk on Wilshire. 

The Trio consists of composer and pianist Ron Kobayashi, bassist Baba Elefante, and drummer Steve Dixon, all accomplished musicians in their own right. All three also give private lessons. 

The Ron Kobayashi Trio has been performing together consistently for nearly 30 years. Each musician brings with him years of diverse musical experiences. Ron Kobayashi has performed with Mel Torme, Margaret Whiting, Kenny Burrell, Peter White, Tom Scott, and Peter Frampton. He was a featured performer on the “Johnny Yune” television show, the TVONE series “Life After” with actress Jackee’, the 2002 Jerry Lewis Telethon on the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather, and the Netflix Series “Brother’s Sun” airing in 2024. In 1992, Ron performed for President Bill Clinton. 

Bassist and composer Baba Elefante was voted one of the nation’s top bass players in a Bass Player Magazine poll. He also performed on the 1995 Universal movie “The Hunted,” with jazz trumpeter Roy Hargrove, saxophonists Tom Scott and Justo Almario, rocker Frank Stallone, and “Kansas” lead vocalist John Elefante. 

Drummer Steve Dixon has done numerous recording sessions as a drummer and percussionist. He has worked with “War” harmonica legend Lee Oskar, saxophonists Tom Scott and Richie Cole, trombonist Bill Watrous, vocalist Tierney Sutton, and Warner Brothers recording artists “The Untouchables.” 

The Trio has played numerous music festivals and concert halls, including the Playboy Jazz Festival in Pasadena, The Long Beach Jazz Festival, the San Bernardino Music Festival, the Orange County Art and Jazz Festival, Dana Point Jazz Festival, Yorba Linda Arts Festival, Mission Viejo Music Festival, the Yuma, Arizona Jazz Series, the Cerritos Performing Arts Center, the Segerstrom Center of the Arts, the Barclay Theater in Irvine and at the Colorado Belle in Laughlin, Nevada. The musicians have worked throughout California, in New York, Florida, Arizona, and Nevada, sharing the stage with such notable artists as David Benoit, Eddie Palmieri, Cirque Du Soleil, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, and the Pacific Symphony. The Trio has been the house band for the Annual Hollywood Diversity Awards, where such stars as Chris Rock, Rosario Dawson, and George Lopez were honored.

The Los Angeles Times says the Trio are “superb jazz stylists.” The Ron Kobayashi Trio’s latest CD, “No Preservatives” (Carpet Cat Records), was described as a “five-star session from three of the Southland’s finest…” by the LA Jazz Scene. The Orange County Register wrote: “If you define jazz, at least partly, as spontaneity, emotional expression and communication among musicians, you won’t find anything better than “No Preservatives.” You can also read a great review in the online magazine All About Jazz. 

The Trio’s current CD is being played on nearly 100 radio stations throughout the U.S. and Canada and reached the “Top 10 Playlist” on KAWC in Arizona. The motion picture “Sam and Janet,” starring Gary Busey, uses several cuts. In 2012, the Trio was voted “Best Jazz” at the Orange County Music Awards.

The members answered some questions in their own words:

Q: What is the process you go through to create a composition?

Kobayashi: When I write, I usually start with the groove, then add a chord progression, and finally, the melody. No lyrics are required because I write almost exclusively instrumental music for the Trio.

Elefante: As a composer, I compose every day as a practice. Not everything is a gem, But they are ideas that I could use later on to complete the composition. I write them down or record them and keep them in a file. Ideas can come from anywhere – Dreams, situations you’re in, listening to other music, rhythms you hear, etc.

Q: Tell me about your first paid gig and what you learned from the experience. What kind of music did you play?

Kobayashi: I believe my first paid gig was at the Hotel Laguna in the late 1980s. I learned to play a variety of styles at that gig, as well as play what is called key bass (where I play basslines with my left hand while I play standard piano in my right hand).

Elefante: The first gig I played was at a junior high dance, and it paid $25 for a 5-piece band. I thought that was incredible, making $5 to do what I love. We played dance music. Beatles, Stones, whatever was popular at the time. I learned from that experience that you can get out of class early, and all of a sudden, girls were paying attention to me.

Dixon: I was about 16 or 17 years old, playing in Newark, New Jersey, and all my friends and family came out to support me and the group. The band was called Mission (which was a jazz and funk band). I was so nervous (I still wasn’t old enough to drink ), but it was a lot of fun, and I got paid!

Q: What goals and achievements do you want to have happen in the next 5 to 10 years?

Kobayashi: I plan to record another album with the Trio (we just released a new CD a couple of years ago). Regarding performances, I’d like to do a little tour with the Trio up the West Coast. There are just a lot of logistical things that need to fall into place.

Q: Which famous musician do you admire and why?

Kobayashi: I listened to Jazz pianist Oscar Peterson incessantly as a kid. His mastery of the piano and deep swinging style are very attractive to me as a listener.

Dixon: There are so many musical influences, but the one who sticks out the most would be the late great jazz drummer Art Blakey.

Elefante: I admire any musician who has put the work in and continues to work and learn every day – any genre.

Q: What is the most memorable performance you ever saw?

Kobayashi: Seeing the Count Basie Orchestra with my Dad at Disneyland when I was a kid (Disneyland used to have the legendary Big Bands play in Carnation Plaza).

Dixon: I heard and saw the late great drummer Tony Williams with bassist Alphonse Johnsons and guitarist Alan Holdsworth @ the Bottom Line in New York City back in the day (it’s no longer there).

Elefante: This was back in the 70s, and It Was a Weather Report and Return to Forever. I think Weather Report opened if I remember. Then Stevie Wonder sat in with Chick Corea and Return to Forever.

Q: What do you like most about playing music?

Kobayashi: The thing I love about playing music is the ability to express myself in the moment, especially in Jazz because of its improvisational element.

Dixon: Having a musical experience with your fellow musicians.

Elefante: Probably the fact that it interacts with everyday life. I love how it affects people around you. When you improvise in Jazz, you’re pretty much telling a story about your day. That’s good therapy.

Q: Which qualities do you think make a musician great?

Kobayashi: I always think a musician’s ability to groove and play with good time is a must. Technical ability on one’s instrument is also important. Finally, playing with feeling and soul is very important.

Elefante: You have to have a work ethic, discipline, tough skin, and be ok with failure. Being able to accept your weaknesses and your strengths.

Q: What is the best advice for young musicians just starting?

Kobayashi: Teaching at the Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana, I’m around young musicians all the time. The first thing I tell them about is the need to be well-versed in music theory and have the technical ability to play a wide variety of music. Secondly, upon graduating from school, they need to be heard by and nurture relationships with professional musicians who are currently playing regularly. Personal connections with fellow musicians are an especially important building block for getting professional work in music.

Elefante: Seek out a good teacher who teaches you music, not your favorite songs. Always remember why you started because it is fun! Keep it fun!

Dixon: Be on time and prepare. Listen and serve the music you’re playing.

Q: How do you feel the internet has changed the music industry?

Dixon: The internet is an excellent tool for the music industry in motivation and learning music, but it’s nothing like having a private lesson from a music teacher.

Q: Do you have any upcoming shows?

Kobayashi: Our Trio plays at Les Amis in Fullerton on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of every month at 7 p.m. I play at Bistango in Irvine every Wednesday at 6 p.m., at Bayside in Newport Beach every Thursday and Friday at 6 p.m., and at The Drake in Laguna Beach, usually every other Sunday of the month at 5:30 p.m. Outside of that, we play Jazz and music festivals throughout the year. We all play as freelance musicians in other people’s bands. I also do solo piano performances, mostly for weddings and private parties. During the days, I teach at the Orange County School of the Arts and privately out of my home.

Learn more at  http://rkobamusic.wix.com/ron-kobayashi