Don Latarski, Instructor
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(541) 343-8184 | don@donlatarski.com
Don Latarski is an instructor of jazz guitar. He has been on the UO music faculty since 1981, where he is one of the primary teachers in the studio guitar program. He also teaches courses in jazz and blues guitar performance as well as a theory course for guitarists. Latarski also teaches a popular course in audio recording technique which is conducted at his recording facility, Crescent Studio.
Latarski received bachelor's degrees in both music and political science from the University of Oregon. His versatile background as both a composer, performer, and author have made him one of the premier jazz guitar educators in the Northwest.
As leader of the Don Latarski Group, he has performed at the Mt. Hood Jazz Festival, Salem Arts Festival, Portland Art Museum, Oregon Bach Festival, and the University of Idaho. He has been a featured artist at the Hinman Winery Jazz Festival, the Zoo Jazz Series, Art in the Vineyard, Hult Center for the Performing Arts, and at various community colleges and jazz festivals throughout the West. Latarski has also been a featured artist with Mason Williams and the Eugene Symphony Orchestra on the Mason Williams Christmas Concerts in 2000 and 2001. In 2002 he was the featured artist with the Eugene Symphony Orchestra on the Valentine's Day pops concert, and made guest appearances with the Eugene Concert Choir in 2000 and 2003.
As a session musician, Latarski has recorded with Mason Williams, Dan Siegel, Gary Parks, Mark Alan, and others. His recordings include: Haven, Lifeline, How Many Ways, Private Affair, NorthWest of December, Rue Two, Deep Play, Natural Instincts, and Eden Hall Sessions. He currently leads a jazz group (The Don Latarski Group with Marilyn Keller) a blues group (Don Latarski and Rue de Blues) and his latest acoustic trio (Don Latarski and Rue d'Acoustic). He performs more than 100 gigs per year and has had a steady engagement at the Oregon Electric Station since 1993.
Latarski is also the author of a popular series of guitar instruction books: An Introduction to Chord Theory, Arpeggios, Chord Embellishments, Chord Orbits, Movable Chords, Scale Patterns, Practical Theory for Guitar, The Ultimate Guitar Chord Big Book, Blues Chords, Barre Chords, First Chords, and Jazz Chords. A companion video to Practical Theory for Guitar, called Guitar Theory Basics, is also available (Warner Bros. Publications). His latest Warner Bros. publication is Blues Guitar.
His recordings include works for solo guitar (Natural Instincts, NorthWest of December, Fab 4 on 6, and Fab 4 on 6, vol.2). His group recordings encompass both blues and jazz outings: (Eden Hall Sessions, Deep Play, Rue 2, How Many Ways, Lifeline, and Haven.) In 2005 Latarski released his first acoustic guitar chamber recording, Guitars on Holiday.
