While most music performers fall easily into one category of music or another, a select few are too diverse to pigeonhole.
Adept at classical, rock, blues and jazz, guitarist Hank Easton revels in this fact. In August, he released three albums in as many distinct musical styles.
“I definitely have an eclectic style,” he said. “I just write and play what I feel at the time I’m writing. I never really chose a style. It’s just what comes out of me.”
Easton performs an acoustic set during brunch at Humphrey’s Backstage Lounge on Dec. 30. Born in 1963 in Mt. Vernon, N.Y., Easton knew by the age of 5 he wanted to play guitar.
Encouraged by his family, he quickly became adept on the instrument, practicing on a diet of Bob Dylan and John Denver tunes. By the age of 10, he was studying classical guitar.
However, his love of performance came from an unexpected source.
“When I was about 12 years old I went to my youngest sister’s elementary school play,” he said.
At the end of the show, the school janitor picked up an electric guitar and started playing some blues with his band. Earlier that year, Easton had made his own performance debut, playing a classical guitar piece at The Cleveland Institute of Music. But amplified music was a whole new world to him.
“It was something I’d never heard before, and I immediately loved it,” he said. “The sound of his guitar cut right to my soul. Music had never made me feel that way before. And I liked it a lot.”
From that moment on, Easton decided to become an electric guitar player. His diverse playing styles stem from his intensive studying of the instrument’s main genres. Starting off with the blues, he worked his way to progressive rock and eventually mastered jazz.
“I spent countless hours in front of my turntable painstakingly listening and learning my favorite solos,” he said.
Easton arrived in San Diego in 1985, founding The Hank Easton Group for bigger shows and honing his acoustic skills at venues around San Diego.
Though he is known for his solo work, Easton is also part of a Steely Dan tribute group, The Steely Damned.
“I had heard that this guy, Bob Tedde (of Rockola), was putting together a Steely Dan tribute band,” he said. “I knew that I was the guy that should be playing lead for that. After all, I had been dissecting Steely Dan solos since I was 12 years old.”
He cites “Kid Charlamegne” and “Peg” as favorites but concedes “it’s hard to pick one. Some nights I like playing certain songs more than others.”
In his down time, Easton works on TV and commercials. His music can be heard on “Entertainment Tonight,” “E: True Hollywood Story” and Byron Allen’s syndicated talk show, “Kickin’ It.” He’s even been the soundtrack to a Blue Cross-Blue sShield commercial. Upcoming plans include more filmwork and the possible reissue of his album “Snapshots” in Japan.
Easton enjoys playing music live, but he admits it’s that occasional shift into studio work that helps him keep his enthusiasm high.
“Music is what I do, and I still enjoy it,” he said. “But for shows, it takes more for me to get the same enjoyment now as I used to. I’m also more picky about the way the band sounds live as a whole.”
He considers himself fortunate to make his living in music and sees the minor inconveniences of business as an aspect of music.
“The hard part? It’s the marketing and promotion, that’s what I don’t really enjoy,” Easton said.
After nearly 30 years of performing, he sees those small negatives as a trade-off.
“I get a lot of satisfaction writing and working on music in my studio,” he said.
Easton performs at Humphrey’s Backstage Lounge, 2241 Shelter Island Dr., Shelter Island, on Sunday, Dec. 30. 10 a.m.
For more information, visit www.humphreysbythebay.com.
