JAZZ / DIRK SUTRO : Jaki Byard Syncopates From Lecture Hall to Nitty-Gritty

Debate has raged for years about whether great jazz musicians can be created in colleges, or whether the best players develop through the old school of hard knocks. Many jazz greats perfected their art in small, smoky clubs in the years before formal jazz education.

Musicians such as Jaki Byard bring aspiring jazz players the best of both worlds. Byard, who plays several instruments but favors the piano, splits his time between coaching and clubbing. His active career as a working musician makes him a more credible academic.

Today at noon, Byard will give a free music seminar in UC San Diego’s Erickson Hall, in the Mandeville Center. This Saturday at 8 p.m., he will perform in the campus’ new Faculty Club.

Byard’s lecture and demonstrations today will cover the history of piano music, not only jazz.

“I refuse to give a history of jazz piano,” said Byard, who has played with Maynard Ferguson, Charles Mingus, Rahsaan Roland Kirk, Phil Woods and Zoot Sims. “We incorporate European harmonies, along with African, Indian and Chinese rhythms. It’s all in the art of improvisation.”

Byard’s views on other aspects of jazz are similarly broad. Asked about pianists who have influenced his own playing, he answered, “All of them.”

He named Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, McCoy Tyner, George Shearing and others, but also mentioned Baroque and classical music as sources of inspiration. He even finds some rock ‘n’ roll to be decent.

“Lots of students were Beatles fans, Rolling Stones fans. Now they want to play jazz,” he said. Regardless of what type of music it is, it’s still good, it’s music.”

Byard, known for a style that crosses musical lines freely, from ragtime to mainstream to abstract, has recorded his most recent albums for the Italian Soul Note label.

His last album was “Phantasies,” and he has two others--with a trio and a big band--scheduled for release early next year.

Byard brings a sax, and you can expect to hear him play piano and alto sax simultaneously at the end of a set that will include many jazz standards. Byard gives one or two songs a special twist: He uses his left hand only, a stunt inspired by classical composers who wrote music for one-handed monarchs.

Byard teaches at two music schools in New York City, and this is his first visit to San Diego.

The last time you might have heard local saxophonist John Rekevics at Diego’s Loft in Pacific Beach, it was with the straight-ahead Joy of Sax, a pun-full bunch of heavyweight local sax players. Friday and Saturday night, Rekevics is back for a rare public appearance with Windows, a fusion band he formed two years ago with drummer Duncan Moore.

Although Windows is geared toward lighter, commercial jazz, Rekevics said the group will play several mainstream tunes too, plus a few of its own Latin and fusion originals. (The band is not to be confused with the nationally known group of the same name.)

Rekevics is a career musician who makes a living playing with several bands, but Windows is a favorite.

“I consider myself lucky to play with the likes of Duncan and (keyboard man) Rob Whitlock. I feel they’re world-class, no matter what style they play.”

SHORT RIFFS: Guitarist Peter Sprague will appear with flutist Holly Hofmann on Friday night at the Horton Grand Hotel’s Palace Bar in downtown San Diego. . . . Gypsy guitarists Boulou and Elios Ferre, whose musical roots go back to fathers who performed with Django Reinhardt, are featured this Sunday from 7 to 8 p.m. on KSDS-FM’s (88.3) “Le Jazz Club.” . . . This Friday night at Croce’s in downtown San Diego, it’s Latin jazz with Algo Caliente; saxophonist Daniel Jackson plays Saturday brunch from 10:30 to 1:30, and the Joe Marillo Quartet takes the Saturday night shift beginning at 8:30. . . .

Flutist Holly Burke and pianist Nancy Rees play originals and jazz standards this Sunday afternoon at 3 at Words & Music Book Gallery in Hillcrest, with guest musicians Lori Bell and Greg Auld. . . . Internationally known sax man Charles McPherson fronts the San Diego Diego State University Jazz Ensemble this Tuesday night at 7 in Smith Recital Hall on the university campus. . . . The electric jazz of the Aubrey Fay Band is on tap Friday and Saturday night at the B Street Cafe & Bar in downtown San Diego. . . .

Hollis Gentry’s Neon has been replaced by Fattburger to wrap up the five-part “Champagne Jazz” series at the John Culbertson Winery in Temecula this Sunday afternoon from from 4 to 6. Gentry is on tour. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster (278-TIXS) or at the door.