The Door is Open: The Music of Gregg Hill Randy Napoleon

• 1 The Lost Tune 07:33
• 2 The Door is Open 06:28
• 3 Escape to Cat Island 05:01
• 4 Motel Blues.wav 05:52
• 5 Spa-Taneity.wav 06:20
• 6 April Song 07:35
• 7 The Last Pop Tune 04:44
• 8 Skyline 05:34
• 9 Triple Play 04:08
• Total Runtime 53:15

Info for The Door is Open: The Music of Gregg Hill

Guitarist Randy Napoleon soars on this new collection of tunes by the prolific jazz composer Gregg Hill. The core of his ongoing band intact, their freedom to expand boundaries, surprise, or just lock into an unassailable swing is readily available to enjoy. In 2014, after more than a decade in New York City, and traveling the world with Freddie Cole, Michael Bublé and others, he found himself in the middle of the thriving jazz center that Lansing, Michigan had become since bassist Rodney Whitaker's arrival almost 25 years ago. Along with his bandmates, pianist Rick Roe, Whitaker, and drummer Quincy Davis, composer Gregg Hill has added an energized compositional voice to the scene, enticing Napoleon, Whitaker, Michael Dease, and others into inspired collaborations. Here, Napoleon is free to stretch, bend and expand on Hill's central themes, and the musical rapport he shares with visiting NY vocalist Aubrey Johnson over his last two albums has added a whole new dimension to his repertoire that will undoubtedly also seep into Hill's future works.

"...Johnson's often wordless vocalastics turn many of these songs into elliptical, unpredictable magical offerings that open out gloriously in dramatic episodes..." (Jazz Da Gama)

"Best known for his work with the late Freddie Cole, guitarist Randy Napoleon has created a sound and style for himself by eschewing jazz standards and, for the second time, has delved into the songbook of composer Gregg Hill. The genius of this idea is that Hill's material is clever enough to pique the ears of jazz fans, but accessible enough to en ..." (Jazz Weekly, George W Harris)

"4-STARS In and around the formidable jazz studies program at Michigan State University is a plethora of jazz talent devoted to instrumental and compositional excellence. Most of this talent is young, benefiting from a wide array of world-class instructors that includes program director Rodney Whitaker and veteran guitarist Randy Napoleon, among ot ..." (All About Jazz, Paul Rauch)

"Guitarist Randy Napoleon, originally from Michigan, who migrated to New York in 1999, is not the only artist interested in Gregg Hill's compositions. It has become increasingly common in recent years for an album to pay tribute to this composer, with the important point to note being the unique perspective that each musician brings to Gregg Hill's ..." (Paris Move, Thierry De Clemensat)

"Randy Napoleon has brought another excellent album to the verdant landscape of today's jazz, The Door is Open: The Music of Gregg Hill. The nine-song set emerges like a meticulously cultivated garden, with each of Hill's compositions blossoming under the care of Randy Napoleon and his ensemble of virtuosic musicians." (The Jazz Word, Nolan DeBuke)

Randy Napoleon, guitar
Aubrey Johnson, vocals
Rick Roe, piano
Rodney Whitaker, bass (tracks 2, 3, 6, 8, 9)
Lucas Lafave, bass (tracks 1, 4, 5, 7)
Quincy Davis, drums
Anthony Stanco, trumpet (tracks 2, 3, 4, 8, 9)
Walter Blanding, tenor saxophone (tracks 2, 3, 4, 8, 9)
Andrew Kim, trombone (tracks 2, 3, 4, 8, 9)

Recorded June 27 & 28th, 2023 at Troubadour Recording Studios
Engineered, mixed and mastered by Corey DeRushia
Produced by Gregg Hill & Randy Napoleon

Randy Napoleon
Known as a forward-thinking musician with a passion for the jazz tradition, guitarist Randy Napoleon is an Associate Professor at Michigan State University. He is currently touring as a leader after twenty years of road apprenticeship with some of the most celebrated musicians and groups of our time.

Napoleon cut his teeth touring with pianist Benny Green, The Clayton-Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Michael Bublé, and a thirteen year tenure with Freddy Cole. He has also performed with artists across the jazz spectrum such as Bill Charlap, Natalie Cole, Monty Alexander, Rodney Whitaker and John Pizzarelli.

Napoleon has performed or arranged on over seventy records. He arranged as well as performed on Freddy Cole's seven most recent records including the Grammy-nominated releases, Freddy Cole Sings Mr. B and My Mood Is You. He performed on The Clayton Hamilton Orchestra: Live at MCG. Napoleon is featured on Bublé's Grammy-nominated CD/DVD Caught in the Act.

Napoleon has played on The Tonight Show, Late Night With David Letterman, The View, The Today Show, and The Ellen DeGeneres show as well as TV shows in South America, Europe and Asia. He has performed across the globe at notable venues including Royal Albert Hall, The Sydney Opera House, The Hollywood Bowl, and Lincoln Center.

Guitarist George Benson calls Napoleon "sensational." Detroit Free Press critic Mark Stryker says Napoleon "plays with a gentle, purring tone that makes you lean in close to hear its range of color and articulation." Washington Post critic Mike Joyce praises his "exceptionally nimble finger-style technique." Comparing him to Wes Montgomery, music critic Michael G. Nastos says, "he displays an even balance of swing, soul, and single-line or chord elements that mark an emerging voice dedicated to tradition and universally accessible jazz values."

Napoleon has four records as a band leader with a fifth, Common Tones, released Oct 4, 2019 on the Detroit Music Factory label.

This album contains no booklet.