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It’s true that Randy Napoleon’s latest release is called Rust Belt Roots: Randy Napoleon plays Wes Montgomery, Grant Green & Kenny Burrell, and the masterful recording is certainly a tribute to those three giants of jazz guitar. Five of the fourteen tracks are composed by Napoleon, however, and they are strong enough that he may have listeners confused as to when the work of his idols ends and where his begins.

“My wife told me that all poetry is a continued dialogue with past writers,” Napoleon said. “Music is the same way. We learn by saturating ourselves in our influences, and hopefully, as we continue to practice and play, our heroes become blended into our personality and life experiences.”

Released on OA2 records, Napoleon, who is associate professor of jazz guitar in the Michigan State University College of Music, uses his compositions to advance the style of his heroes.  Though he has toured the world and recorded with Freddie Cole, Benny Green, Michael Bublé, and many others, Napoleon has held on to his deep connection to Detroit and the Midwest where all three of the guitar greats honored on this latest album were born and raised.

“’Wes Like’ is the only composition that was a direct homage, but certainly all of my songs are affected by their aesthetic,” Napoleon explained. “Grant, Kenny, and Wes all write highly melodic tunes with a strong blues element. The first thing I do when I ‘finish’ writing something is pull out my eraser to take out the extraneous information. These guys write the same way they play: directly and to the point.”

Two quartets of mentors and long-time colleagues anchor the recording with solid rhythm and piano interplay, making every track a joy to hear. Rodney Whitaker (bass), Xavier Davis (piano), and Quincy Davis (drums) appear on four tracks, and Paul Keller (bass), Rick Roe (piano), and Sean Dobbins (drums) appear on nine tracks. Napoleon brings together the spirit and tunes of a region, offering another chapter to a story that is still being written.

In his review in All About Jazz, writer Jack Bowers says that the new release is “a radiant tribute to a trio of jazz luminaries, adeptly performed by Napoleon and his talented colleagues.” And while the pandemic lengthened the amount of time it took to get this project from planning to recording to releasing, it plays like an album that was meant to get past the obstacles and become a gift to the listener.

“In a way, I've been preparing for this my whole life, but I never felt ready to record music from my favorite guitarists,” Napoleon said. “Frankly, I still don't, but at a certain point you say ‘what the heck.’ I love this music and want to celebrate and highlight the contributions of Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, and Kenny Burrell.”

He does so with great aplomb, adding his own songwriting skill along the way.