First, let’s get this out of the way: The Dan White Sextet is now the Huntertones. Luckily, that’s all that’s changed, because there’s nothing broke about this crisp, fresh hard bop band, a New York-based six piece ensemble out of Ohio.
The more democratic name of the band reflects a democratic reality. Saxophonist White and trumpeter Jon Lampley have shared songwriting chores, while trombone player Chris Ott does a masterful job taking any old song and turning into a punchy, knock-you-on-your ass rendition of a ditty you might not have even liked before.
For the newly-minted Huntertones, Ott is working his arranging magic again. We saw earlier what this crew did with an unlikely Disney movie source from the animated classic Mulan, and heck, even a 19th century minstrel song. Now they take on John Williams’ lush strain composed as the theme for the blockbuster movie Jurassic Park.
It’s documented in the video above, which, as you can see, is performed live. But the absence of that studio safety net matters none. They charge up the thematic pattern and soon, the electric rhythm section of John Hubbell (drums), Adam DeAscentis (bass) and Tim Basom (guitar) get their groove going. Ott, White and Lampley take turns slipping in short quips in-between interplay where the dynamics among them are fluid and constantly changing to push the melody to its limit. The best parts come when the front three in unison place the notes of theme just slightly ahead and behind the beat.
White and his crew take the rechristened band on the road later this fall. Visit their Facebook page for details.
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- David Torn – ‘Adityahridayam 321’ (2024) - May 5, 2024
