European tour

Claudia Figueroa

As a rock ‘n’ roll guitarist, Jesse Ballard has traveled far on his

talent. Last month, for instance, he toured the club circuit in Poland

and Czechoslovakia, where the crowds not only knew his name but the

lyrics to his songs too.

“Jesse is very popular all over Europe,” said Hans Hartmann, a record

executive in Berlin. “When Jesse and his band go on tour, their CDs sell

by the hundreds each night.”

That’s not surprising considering Ballard--who was born and grew up in

Corona del Mar--spent almost 20 years playing his brand of hard-knocking

blues and rock music across Europe, primarily in Berlin.

Ballard’s backup group, The Paradise Island Band, features Joe Kucera on

saxophone, Nick Jones on bass and Tommy Goldschmidt on percussion.

Together, they’ve built a loyal fan base in cities throughout Europe and

recorded several albums for Ordung and Hartmann, a Berlin-based recording

company.

Hartmann said the band’s first album, “Livin’ Like Fire,” sold out within

weeks of being released. The band’s second album, “Return to Paradise”

did the same.

In his senior year at Corona del Mar High School, Ballard, who now lives

in Santa Barbara, won an award as outstanding male vocalist. But friends

close to Ballard say he was just like any other normal teenager in the

mid-1960s: He liked surfing and he loved playing his guitar.

Schoolmate Bob Patterson, who played with Ballard in the bands The Del

Mars and The Newport Breeds, said his pal was always passionate about his

music.

“When Jesse went to Europe he discovered he could play in the clubs and

make enough money to support his travels. After he played in Berlin for a

few years, he woke up one morning and realized his band was a major part

of the club scene,” said Patterson, who visited Ballard regularly in

Germany throughout the 1970s and ‘80s.

Interestingly, Ballard said, for a short while he, like Jimi Hendrix,

bought into the idea that he would have to leave the states to get

recognition.

“European audiences aren’t as jaded as American audiences are. They’re

more open to different kinds of music,” Ballard said. “Another difference

between audiences in the U.S. and Europe is that American audiences don’t

stop to listen to bands play music. If they didn’t pay to hear it, then

why bother? But in Europe, it’s the opposite.”

The self-taught guitarist said writing music is his life. And he’s also

written a few dozen songs since he picked up the guitar at age 12. His

early influences came from listening to music his mother liked, including

Harry Belafonte, Ray Charles and Frank Sinatra.

Jesse’s mother, Jackie Ballard, is his No. 1 fan.

“His music isn’t hard rock, it’s rock ‘n’ roll,’ said the 74-year-old

Costa Mesa resident. “He’s not Mick Jagger, but he’s up there.

“Apparently people want to hear him play. He has the kind of charisma

people respond to, but I appreciate the poet in him,” she said.