With a fat, warm tone threading through the jazz cymbal groove with poetic patience, guitarist Nathan Borton celebrates his Midwest musical inspirations - particularly Grant Green & Wes Montgomery - with blues-drenched lines & rhythms on this, his debut recording. Along with jazz masters Xavier Davis on piano, bassist Rodney Whitaker, drummer Keith Hall, and the front line of saxophonist Diego Rivera & bass trombonist Chris Glassman, we don't just hear a tribute to evergreen jazz guitar purism, but rather a complete, satisfying journey through the rich tradition of straight-ahead jazz. From the hard swinging "Milestones," or Tin Pan Alley classics such as "Just One of Those Things," through five originals from Borton and his mentor/producer Randy Napoleon, we discover a young talent with a deep wellspring of ideas and a penchant for surprising musical moments. TRACK LISTING: 1 Each Step (Nathan Borton) 5:482 Just One of Those Things (Cole Porter) 5:343 The More I See You (Harry Warren and Mack Gordon) 5:244 Milestones (Miles Davis) 4:375 What Now? (Nathan Borton) 4:376 These Are the Things We Throw Away (Randy Napoleon) 5:107 Change (Nathan Borton) 6:568 Grantstand (Grant Green) 3:519 Grant's Groove (Nathan Borton) 4:22 –January 2022Produced by Randy NapoleonRecorded by Corey DeRushia atTroubadour Recording Studios, Lansing, MIRecorded on June 2-3 2021Assistant Engineer: Jim AlfredsonMixed by Nathan Borton, Lansing, MIMastered by JJ Golden Mastering, Ventura, CAPhotos by Jessica D. CowelsCover design & layout by John Bishop
