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Rob Parton's Ensemble 9+: Relentless

by Jack Bowers
Rob Parton, who once led the Chicago area's marvelous JazzTech big band, has since moved on to other pursuits, namely mentoring the next generation of jazz trumpeters at the stellar University of North Texas Jazz Lab in Denton. Having released eleven widely acclaimed albums with the JazzTech band, Parton has pared the lineup to nine (plus) on Relentless, enlisting the skills and talents of colleagues at UNT and drawing on the large talent pool of first-call musicians in the Dallas-Fort ...
Continue ReadingRob Parton's Ensemble 9+: Relentless

by Troy Dostert
After many years in the Windy City, most notably as the leader of the JazzTech Big Band, trumpeter Rob Parton wanted a change of scenery, which brought him to the University of North Texas, where he joined the faculty in 2019. And of course, that meant he now had the opportunity to work with lots of premium large-ensemble talent, as the college has been an incubator for big-band jazz for decades. Many of Parton's colleagues from UNT and other stalwarts ...
Continue ReadingWill St Peter - Steven Heffner - Steve Barnes: Honestly

by Jack Bowers
Smooth can be charming. Mellow likewise. And the same can be said for easygoing. On Honestly, guitarist Will St Peter's trio presents an hour of smooth, mellow, easygoing jazz that is both charming and tasteful. There are few fireworks here, simply three accomplished musicians calmly yet firmly expressing their collaborative point of view. While St Peter (he uses no punctuation after St") sets the melodic tone, he leans heavily on bassist Steven Heffner and drummer Steve Barnes ...
Continue ReadingWill St Peter: Honestly

by Dan McClenaghan
Henry Mancini's song Days Of Wine and Roses" is a classy bit of music. Written for the 1962 movie of the same name, it was much recorded, most successfully by vocalist Andy Williams. And, for jazz aficionados, guitarist Wes Montgomery served up a superb version on his Boss Guitar (Riverside Records, 1963). The album Honestly, by guitarist Will St. Peter, bassist Steven Heffner and drummer Steve Barnes, opens with the Mancini gem, in a fashion more understated than ...
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Recordings: As Leader | As Sideperson
Windsor
From: HonestlyBy Steve Barnes