...a whispered, three-way conversation, each instrumental part distinctly executed in service to the group dynamic..."Authenticity" could be used to describe their unpretentious, straightforward style...
Individually developing their musical voices and pursuing careers from the far corners of the country, Maine guitarist Will St. Peter, Washington State bassist Steve Heffner and the Los Angeles-based drummer Steve Barnes each found their way to the creatively fertile grounds of the University of North Texas's expansive music program over the last decade. "Honestly" documents the chance meeting of kindred spirits and the development of their shared aesthetic as a trio through spacious, conversational readings of standards such as Mancini's "Days of Wine and Roses" and Sammy Fain's "I'll Be Seeing You," compositions by St. Peter, and modern jazz classics such as Ornette Coleman's "Turnaround" and Steve Swallow's "Falling Grace."
1. Days of Wine and Roses 6:22
2. Driftwood 6:47
3. I'll Be Seeing You 7:20
4. Windsor 6:40
5. Blackberry Winter 6:42
6. Falling Grace 4:36
7. Authenticity 6:54
8. Tangerine 7:25
9. Turnaround 5:56
Will St Peter - Guitar
Steven Heffner - Bass
Steve Barnes - Drums
Produced by Will St Peter & Steven Heffner
Recorded, Mixed & Mastered by Eric Delegard at Reeltime Audio, Denton, TX
Recorded on July 22-23, 2020
Art work by T30 Gallery
Cover design & layout by John Bishop
All About Jazz (Dan McClenaghan)
Henry Mancini's song "Days Of Wine and Roses" is a classy bit of music. Written for the 1962 movie of the same name, it was much recorded, most successfully by vocalist Andy Williams. And, for jazz aficionados, guitarist Wes Montgomery served up a superb version on his Boss Guitar (Riverside Records, 1963).
The album Honestly, by guitarist Will ...
Midwest Record (Chris Spector)
A Wes inspired guitar trio that came together at North Texas proves that far flung spirits can unite in a non-disparate way. And they dare you to tell them what standards they are disassembling in their flights of fancy. A tasty crew that knows how to make it sound deceptively simple, these are some easy going jazzbos that just like to make it lo ...
Jazz Weekly (George W Harris)
Guitarist Will St. Peter brings his #2 pencil toned guitar together with Steven Heffner/b and Steve Barnes/dr for a mix of originals and overlooked originals. The focus here is on pastel tones, with a gentle coolness of mood on "Days of Wine and Roses" and the sleekly polished "Tangerine". Barnes and Heffner do some rich interplay during Ornette C ...