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Photo by Ertch BoeHelhetde
Latarski is currentlly laying down tracks in a local recording studio
Latarski plays mean guitar
By Jonathan Siegle
Of the Emerald
Don Latarski is making tracks — the direction,
however, may defy classification.
The nationally recognized local guitarist is in
the middle of 140 hours of studio work on his
second album, "Lifeline
He's playing the Hult Center for the Perform
ing Arts Saturday at 7:30 p m with nationally
acclaimed classical guitarist Neil Archer Roan
Although Latarski is known as a jazz per
former, he doesn’t see himself that way
"People call what I do jazz fusion,' but it's
not that jazzy," he says "When I think of jazz I
think of swing or bebop."
He doesn't know how to classify what he
does. "Lifeline," originally titled Midnight Heat,"
is "rhythmically like what you hear on a Motown
album.”
He accepts a "pop" label with a shrug "I just
try to write music which makes me feel great and
other people too
"The music is pretty optimistic."
This summer he plans to do a solo guitar
album in a "classical style " The music is already
written
Latarski, the composer, is responsible for all
the charts He writes most of his songs on a
classical guitar
"The classical guitar is really my piano — I
don't play the piano On the classical guitar I hear
the voices moving "
Latarski admits he's strongly influenced by
the Baroque and Classical styles He writes with
"counter melodies going all the time
"In the Baroque forms, each part must stand
on its own — complete In the song Midnight
Heat he plays the melody in a style developed in
the 16th century with first inversion chords with
the harmonies underneath
It gives a very noble sound '
On "Lifeline.' Latarski plays a new Fender
Stratocaster for what he calls its percussive
sound ’
"I like that raspy, gritty-growly sound, but I
also like the clarity I don't like the distortion — the
rock and roll sound "
He says he's heavily influenced by early
George Benson, whom he calls the best guitarist
I've ever seen in my life," and the late Wes
Montgomery "I've got a lot of Wes Montgomery
albums "
In the early years his influences were B B
King. Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck
The album. Latarski’s second, is scheduled
for release in April by Pausa. an independent label
in Los Angeles
His first album appeared on the Inner City
label, but that company has filed for bankruptcy
The arrangement Latarski has with Pausa is a
unique one
Latarski is leasing the album to Pausa for three
years And because he is also paying for the
production himself, the royalty rate is three times
as high
"Essentially they're a distribution and
promotion company," he says
Latarski has been playing the guitar 19 years,
since he was 10 He came to Eugene from Detroit
nine and a half years ago to finish school He
holds political science and music degrees from
the University He makes his living teaching at
Lane Community College and the University.
Although he acknowledges that he may have
to leave Eugene someday, for now Latarski says
I don't want to go somewhere else."
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