Randy Napoleon

Detroit-bred trumpeter & composer Anthony Stanco is a 5th generation Italian-American, steeped in the tenets of Black American Music: blues, bebop, and the progressive fire that fuels modern jazz. In his sound, the guidance of Dizzy Gillespie, Lee Morgan, Clifford Brown, and Miles Davis, as well as his close mentors Marcus Belgrave and Rodney Whitaker, is evident and clearly celebated. Full of joyous, vibrant discoveries, "Stanco's Time" announces not only a trumpeter entering his primetime, but also suggests the idea of traveling back to New York's 52nd Street circa 1955, with fresh, fiery sounds billowing out of clubs, marking a monumental cultural revolution. Along with his quintet - guitarist Randy Napoleon, pianist Xavier Davis, Rodney Whitaker on bass and drummer Joe Farnsworth - Stanco deftly avoids the trap of repertory imitation and hero worship by imbuing his originals and arrangements with life, fire and relevancy. "… The emotional source of each of Stanco's tracks is always something incredible that speaks to places we've all been, a place we've all shared."

Detroit-bred trumpeter & composer Anthony Stanco is a 5th generation Italian-American, steeped in the tenets of Black American Music: blues, bebop, and the progressive fire that fuels modern jazz. In his sound, the guidance of Dizzy Gillespie, Lee Morgan, Clifford Brown, and Miles Davis, as well as his close mentors Marcus Belgrave and Rodney Whitaker, is evident and clearly celebated. Full of joyous, vibrant discoveries, "Stanco's Time" announces not only a trumpeter entering his primetime, but also suggests the idea of traveling back to New York's 52nd Street circa 1955, with fresh, fiery sounds billowing out of clubs, marking a monumental cultural revolution. Along with his quintet - guitarist Randy Napoleon, pianist Xavier Davis, Rodney Whitaker on bass and drummer Joe Farnsworth - Stanco deftly avoids the trap of repertory imitation and hero worship by imbuing his originals and arrangements with life, fire and relevancy. "… The emotional source of each of Stanco's tracks is always something incredible that speaks to places we've all been, a place we've all shared."

Known as a forward-thinking musician with a passion for the jazz tradition, guitarist Randy Napoleon tours with the legendary singer/pianist Freddy Cole and leads his own trios, quartet, and three-horn sextet. He is an assistant professor at Michigan State University, where he teaches jazz guitar…