JAZZ : Blows His Own Horn, Throws His Own Party

It’s the Christmas season again, and you know what that means: Santa Claus, mistletoe and Tony Guerrero.

Tony Guerrero? You bet. Friday night, the fluegelhornist, trumpeter and composer from Costa Mesa will host his second annual Christmas concert at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano. It’s an observance he hopes to continue for many years.

“There are a lot of annual Christmas shows but not many jazz Christmas shows,” he noted during a recent phone conversation. “Christmas is the most spiritual of the holidays, and music is my main spiritual outlet. It’s how I express myself. It makes for a great emotional tie-in.”

As he did last year, Guerrero will gather his extended musical family to party with him on stage. Along with regular band members Dave Enos on bass, Joel Taylor on drums and Gannin Arnold on guitar, he’ll be joined by such notables as saxophonist Everette Harp, who is riding high with the success of his recent album for the Manhattan label. Harp and Guerrero first met a couple of years ago working with Arsenio Hall’s drummer Chuck Morris and Morris’ band at the UCLA Jazz Festival.

Other guests include bassist Brian Bromberg, saxophonist Greg Vail, keyboard player Freddie Ravel (replacing regular Guerrero band mate Bill Cantos, currently touring with singer Diane Schuur) and guitarist Dave Murdy, who will open the show in a duo with singer Michael Martin.

Frank Giebels, a pianist from Holland who, Guerrero says, is out of the Bill Evans school and who recently recorded with drummer Chiz Harris, also will be on hand.

Last year’s show featured an unusual (for Guerrero) emphasis on pop-styled vocals; this year’s will take another twist with country singer Kelly Rae Alcott.

“It’s one of the best parties I go to,” Guerrero said, “seeing all my musician friends backstage and all my other friends out in the audience. It gives the whole affair a real family feel.”