Huntertones – Transmission (Vinyl)

In an era where audiences crave authenticity, Huntertones delivers. True believers in the power of direct communication, saxophonist Dan White, trumpeter/sousaphone player Jon Lampley, trombonist Chris Ott, guitarist Joshua Hill, bassist Adam DeAscentis and drummer John Hubbell consistently bring genuine artistry straight to the people. Demonstrating commitment to what’s real, this outfit reaches new heights with Transmission.

Recorded in a single room without isolation, and documenting the results on video for all to see and hear, Huntertones leaves no doubt as to why its following is loyal, large and growing. “This is the opposite of AI music,” White proudly notes. “This is six or seven people playing live in a room, together. This is human music, certified organic.” Lampley concurs: “In this world, everything is becoming automated and people are talking about how technology can push music forward, but really it’s just kind of making a lot of things sound the same. We’re getting back to the idea of getting in a room and doing the thing that literally will only sound like us.”
Adding to Huntertones’ uniquely forward social and sonic dynamic is the presence of a few key guests and frequent collaborators. Percussionist Nêgah Santos, known for her work in the house band on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, appears in several places, providing another layer of invention in the mix. Rachael Price, of Lake Street Dive and Rachael & Vilray renown, brings her soulful voice into the equation on an early ‘70s classic. And jazz icon Kurt Elling powers a wonderfully expressive take on a Glen Campbell-associated favorite, with keyboardist Justin Stanton, of Snarky Puppy, serving as an indispensable ingredient in the arrangement.

Opening on White’s “Valley Bee,” Huntertones immediately hits a grooving stride. An inviting jaunt that nods in name to the street where the composer grew up, it keeps things “light and tight” while spreading joy and solos around. Ott’s “Melodian,” namechecking the melodica used in its composition and winking at one of the trombonist’s first big band pieces, brings island influences to the fore. Crossing tides speak to multiple cultures while Santos’ percussive coloring offers Brazil-liant accents.

Literally placing Price in the center of the frame, Huntertones puts its own stamp on Bonnie Raitt’s “Thank You.” Creating a controlled atmosphere for the incomparable singer to shine while enhancing the beauty of the songwriting with a heightened horn presence, the collective conjures three minutes of magic while relaying an attitude for gratitude. Ott’s “Efoa,” with West African flavors and flow, reflects on the band’s world travels while giving its creator a chance to display his skill(s) on conch shells. The titular phrase—a greeting in Togo—is indicative of the welcoming wonders at hand in this showstopper.

Switching gears, Huntertones gets delightfully dirty on “Snaggletooth.” A slow slammer with White holding down the fort on baritone saxophone and Lampley bringing the heat on trumpet, its staunch raunch owes as much to Parliament-style punch as it does to anything else. Not surprisingly, it leaves the listener wanting more. “And that’s why you come to the show,” Lampley shares with a smile.

“Messenger” serves as a winning example of musical morphing through personality input. Ott initially drew inspirations from Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers, but Hill added southwestern sensibilities, bettering the results in the process. “Josh has this country grit,” the trombonist notes, “and he can really get there. So, to not use that would be a disservice to the music.” White’s “Saturday Spin,” which teased the album’s arrival via video, builds around the rhythm section, with Santos coming on like a “freight train of groove.” Lampley moves to sousaphone here, adding serious width and weight to energize this pass-the-baton party.

Suffused with spiritualism, Hill’s “Transmission of the Lamps” stretches the dimensions of the band. With Lampley’s trumpet lighting the way, Huntertones presents an arced quest that stands apart and beyond. And in doing so, a throughline is illuminated. “A theme that is played with a lot on this album is using polar opposites to pull more out of the music and each other,” White explains. “Rough and smooth textures, loud and soft, short and long, tension and release.” Juxtaposing one against the other, either within a single song or in contrasting numbers, Huntertones accentuates both sides of each coin.

Jimmy Webb’s “Wichita Lineman,” lingering in the hearts and minds of listeners of all stripes, proves to be a perfectly pliant vehicle for Ott’s writing and Elling’s lyrical devotion. With tastefully creative reharmonization, evolving and overlapping rhythmic currents, perfectly complementary lines from Stanton, and a characteristically powerful interpretation from one of jazz’s greatest modern voices, this performance retains the original’s mystery while containing its own secrets and profound truths.

Lampley’s “Fixins,” a train-beat triumph focusing on downhome life, closes out the album in countrified style. Eyeing rural roots, it’s a number that demonstrates two essentials in the Huntertones playbook—a keen focus on writing for the specific members of the band and allowing the music to evolve. Lampley readily admits to leveraging Hill’s back porch bona fides and Ott’s virtuosic plunger mute work; and White, acknowledges that the sweet spot for a Huntertones arrangement comes after a few years of touring it, creating a lived-in understanding of its virtues. With that, Huntertones notes excitement about bringing Transmission’s material on the road. It’s music that’s most certainly ripe and ready for fans’ ears.

Huntertones consistently turns heads and grabs ears with distinctive, horns-of plenty happenings. Having established a versatile rhythmic foundation on their early records, documented world travels with Passport, and highlighted different sides of the studio’s potential with the live-tracked Engine Co. and production-oriented Motionation, Huntertones is always broadening horizons. In parallel to full-group pursuits—appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and performing with Lawrence, Lake Street Dive, Louis Cato, Kurt Elling and Charlie Hunter, and Cory Wong—Huntertones’ horns operate both in the pocket and outside the box. In every way, shape and form, Huntertones captivates with a connective energy like no other.