Randy Napoleon - Puppets: The Music of Gregg Hill (2022)

While staying true to his roots as a guitarist deep in gratitude to Wes Montgomery and Grant Green, Randy Napoleon aspires to find new routes through the music and refine his already fully evolved voice. On Puppets, he teams with the prolific composer Gregg Hill, finding energy in Hill's quirky, out of the box melodies, and arranging them to keep the spirit of the tunes while amplifying Hill's intentions. He joins with longtime compatriots - three of the hardest swinging and creative voices in jazz, Rick Roe, Rodney Whitaker, and Quincy Davis - and features New York vocalist Aubrey Johnson on several Napoleon-penned lyrics. As his former employer Freddie Cole reminded him often, "It's not only how good you play, it's about how you present the music." Napoleon takes the advice to heart, continually swinging while looking to keep his audience surprised and inspired.