Chance Hayden goes low with new album featuring baritone guitar

Portland guitarist Chance Hayden is a versatile guitarist, a busy sideman and bandleader in Portland, Oregon. His new album Baritone Gold imagines a world where the hardworking musicians behind soul, blues and surf hits of the 1960s got the spotlight they deserved.

Tuned down halfway between a standard guitar and a bass guitar, Hayden’s baritone guitar recalls the instrument’s key role in surf music and spaghetti westerns. There’s more heft to the sound, evoking a darker nighttime atmosphere.

Hayden also employs a pair of soulful vocalists, moving his guitar to a supporting role on “Bank on Me” with Sean Holmes and “Don’t You Wanna Give Me a Call” with Dante Zapata.

While both the sunny, soulful vocal features sound like radio hits, jazz fans will appreciate the instrumental tracks that put Hayden in the forefront.

“Clean Break” and “Sand Stars” bookend the album with sounds of surf music, marking the first waves of the day and a moonlit beach at night.

On " Carolina Summers, " a second-line rhythm meets Bo Diddley guitar chords, while “One Last Rose” is a border town cooker that recalls guitarist Marc Ribot’s Latin styles.

Film score influences range from the western noir of “No Sign” to the groovy rock energy of “Desert Drag” and “Open Back Cab” with jabs of cinematic European crime flicks.

Hayden’s key collaborator on Baritone Gold is organist Clay Giberson, who makes the most of the angular organ trio groove in “Talkin’ It Over.” Here’s a song that would sound at home in a set by the legendary Seattle organ trio McTuff – fun, soulful and dynamic.

Importantly, these thematic shifts are strictly jumping-off points for the musicians to do their own thing. Hayden has a knack for a strong melody, and many of the songs on Baritone Gold are bound to get stuck in listeners’ heads for hours.

In demand as a sideman with national touring acts like Marc Broussard, John Primer, The Drifters, Booker T Jones, Hayden has established himself as an integral part of Portland’s music scene.

Look for Hayden playing in Portland with regional stars Lloyd Jones, Ms. Vee, and the great jazz drummer Mel Brown, as well as leading a few of his own projects. Hayden’s own "Baritone Gold Band" will be at the White Eagle Saloon in Portland October 4.

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