Album Review: Puppets, The Music of Gregg Hill from Randy Napoleon

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Album: Puppets, The Music Of Gregg Hill
Artist: Randy Napoleon
Label: Origin Arts/OA2
Website: randynapoleon.com

A musical depiction of imaginary figures coursing along a continuous journey is expressed in Greg Hill's assortment of hot-bop, country folk and sonic pop fusions presented by guitarist Randy Napoleon on his 2022 release Puppets, The Music of Gregg Hill.  Accompanied by the stirring vocals of Aubrey Johnson and woodwind player Seth Ebersole, the recording has a rhythm section consisting of Rick Roe on piano, Rodney Whitake and Brandon Rose on bass, and drummers Quincey Davis and Will Crandell.  The outcome is a joyful ride, overflowing with uplifting sensations.

Opening with “Andy’s Lament,” Johnson's soft vocal tones enhance the cheery mood created by the playful ringlets of Napoleon's guitar strings in conjunction with the bowing lines of Whitaker's bass.  “Fan-O-Gram” boasts a hot-bop frenzy that enlivens the recording with Aubrey's scatting, then recedes to a gentle billow along “The Jazzdiddy Waltz."

“Lyrica” is an uplifting piece that showcases the calmly flutter of Napoleon's chord arrangement, while “Moonscape” bolsters a bopping beat in the undertow.  The title track "Puppets" changes the dynamics to a dewy sonic-pop ripple that merges jazz with idyllic ethers and atmospheric passages.  The soulful embers of Aubrey's vocals stoke a rush of soothing sensations.

“Tone Colors” wields a jazz folk synthesis that recalls of the eloquent voicing of guitarist Django Rheinhardt while Aubrey shines brightly in a country western tone along “Truck Driver’s Blues," drawing out a Jimmie Rodgers-like lamenting in her delivery of the lyrics.  Her yodeling is gorgeous and her versing displays a tenderness that seeps into the listener reminiscent of Jimmie Rodgers.  Closing with “Wide River," a Randy/Aubrey duet, the melody is a sonic pop creation that ripples softly, heightening the aural senses.

Puppets, the latest collaboration with Randy Napoleon and jazz composer Gregg Hill demonstrates a genuine affection for hot-bop, country folk, and atmospheric pop fusions. Recorded at Troubadour Recording Studios in Lansing, Michigan, the tracks move along a continuous stream with a single objective, to create a joyful ride, overflowing with uplifting sensations.

Musicians:
Randy Napoleon - guitar, arrangements and lyrics
Aubrey Johnson - vocals
Rodney Whitaker - bass
Quincy Davis - drums
Rick Roe - piano
Seth Ebersole - bass clarinet and flute
Brandon Rose - bass on "Fan-O-Gram"
Will Crandell - drums on "Fan-O-Gram"
Greg Hill - lyrics on "Truck Driver’s Blues"

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