feature photo: Pete O’Hare
The lamentable death of Chicago’s reedist Walter Parazaider marks the end of the band’s incomparable saxophone/trombone/trumpet core, and there’s something about that group’s mix of horns that sounds so appealing to me.
But there’s another band from the Midwest who also boast that sax/trombone/trumpet horn section — Dan White, Chris Ott and Jon Lampley, respectively — and they go by the name The Huntertones. This band’s specialty is instrumental funk-soul with a jazzy flair. It was founded by the White/Ott/Lampley nucleus, along with guitarist Joshua Hill, bassist Adam DeAscentis and drummer John Hubbell. The group had since moved from Columbus, Ohio to NYC but the lineup has stayed the same.
We’ve enjoyed covering some of their soul-satisfyin’ music in this space and just did so back in …oops…2016. Yeah, it’s been a minute.
It’s a good time to check in on them again, because they’ve got something new brewing. Their upcoming album Transmission promises to be more of the same soul goodness, with guest vocal turns from Rachael Price and Kurt Elling. Showing that they have lost none of their grit and unfiltered musicianship, the whole album was recorded live in one room, with no overdubs or isolation.
Though this album won’t drop until August 21 2026, an advance single has already appeared. The Ott-penned “Melodian,” played in the video above, is a reggae-inflected track that doesn’t dwell on two chord riffs. There’s a real melody with choruses and bridges that you get to enjoy alongside the feel-good groove. Guest percussionist Nêgah Santos gets in her own feature and frankly, the song just wouldn’t have the same ‘oomph’ without her contribution. Above all else, that horn section is so smooth and obviously comfortable together.
Download the Huntertones’ “Melodican” from Bandcamp. Pre-order/order the vinyl of Transmission here and the CD from here.
- Huntertones, “Melodian” from ‘Transmission’ (2026): Sneak Peek - June 20, 2026
- OM – ‘Südpol’ (2026) - June 18, 2026
- Peter Hum – ‘Steps To Redemption’ (2026) - June 15, 2026
