Ron Kobayashi

Ron Kobayashi's career connects several kinds of musical work: leading a band, supporting a vocalist, writing music, recording and teaching. His collaborators have included Mel Tormé, Kenny Burrell, Margaret Whiting, Tom Scott and Peter White. That breadth is part of what makes his Campus JAX history worth exploring. The Ron Kobayashi Trio began in 1994. With Baba Elefante on bass and Steve Dixon on drums, its long partnership has carried the group from Southern California clubs to festival and concert stages. Its itinerary has included the Long Beach Jazz Festival, Irvine Barclay Theatre, 54 Below in New York and Segerstrom Center for the Arts. Ron also spent five years as music director of the Hollywood Diversity Awards. At Campus JAX, the archive makes those relationships tangible. His trio shares the stage with Debbi Ebert and Andrea Miller. Other Miller dates place Ron alongside Luther Hughes and Paul Kreibich. With the Irvine Barclay Theatre Jazz Band, the trio joins Jerry Mandel and Craig Springer, with guest voices that have included Lia Booth, Mel Collins and Denean Dyson. A 2026 recording adds Ralph Opacic, Elena Gilliam and guitarist Ken Song. The Dante Set offers another configuration, with Dave Murdy, Greg Vail, Baba Elefante and Tom Dante. There is a parallel life in education. A Cal State Fullerton graduate, Ron has spent more than three decades teaching, with work at Orange County School of the Arts and Vanguard University as well as private lessons, clinics and public lectures. The recordings below let you follow the performer across settings; his teaching history shows how that experience reaches another generation.