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Tbone Paxton & the RJ Spangler Quartet

Back In Your Own Backyard

DMF2020

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Back In Your Own Backyard

John “Tbone” Paxton’s discography spans dozens and dozens of recording projects, but his 2020 release on Detroit Music Factory,

Back in Your Own Backyard marks the first time he’s the featured artist on a full-length CD. He’s joined on the record by his longtime musical partner and fellow Detroit Music Factory recording artist, drummer RJ Spangler, as well as the RJ Spangler Quartet,

and a number of guest artists.

Tbone’s performance throughout the record is much like his live performances. Behind the trombone, he connects with his audience through his soulful phrasing and sense of swing. When he steps out as a singer, he breaks down the distance between the music and the listener with a vocal delivery that imbues the lyrics with personal meaning. When he sings, he feels it, and so do you.

“My perspective is from live performance,” he says. “It’s what I’ve done my whole life. My main concern as an artist is to be emotionally honest and authentic. When you do that, people get it. They understand the music.”

While the music of Back in Your Own Backyard was written nearly a hundred years ago, Tbone finds energy in a growing number of younger listeners. He points out that the live music scene in New Orleans is filled with enthusiasts in their 20s and 30s that are fully engaged, from a deep cultural understanding, with pre-war jazz.

“Young people are really digging reaching back in time,” says Tbone. “Because it’s jazz, there’s still freshness and spontaneity in the

experience. It’s still being performed live so they’re able to appreciate it for the artistry that it is.”

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Feature Spotlight

Milesbrown-3939 5x7

Evidence of Soul and Body - Miles Brown

Bassist Miles Brown comes from a musical family that runs generationally deep. His father is an accomplished jazz guitarist, and was the director of the Jazz Studies program at Ithaca College; his uncle played trumpet in Stan Kenton’s band in the 70s; and his grandfather was a high school band director and a vibes and marimba player for the Latin bandleader Xavier Cugat.

“There were always musicians coming through our house,” remembers Brown. “Mostly jazz musicians, staying the night, eating dinner, rehearsing.”

The format of Evidence of Soul and Body is traditional. The sound world is the acoustic jazz quintet, and there are about an equal number of standards as there are originals. But the arrangements and performances reflect the distinct influences of Brown and the other musicians: drummer Sean Dobbins, pianist Xavier Davis, saxophonist Diego Rivera, and his father, guitarist Steve Brown. The mood of the record is joyful throughout, which Brown attributes to his appreciation for the players.

“The album…is a tribute to music and family,” says Brown. “We created something that grew from the family that surrounds us, supports us and inspires us.”

Latest News

27 | Feb

John T-Bone Paxton & RJ Spangler Quartet to host release party for new album

John T-Bone Paxton and the RJ Spangler Quartet will host an release party for their new album, “Back in Your Own Backyard.”

It’ll be held on Sunday, March 1, at Cliff Bell’s in downtown Detroit. The start time is set for 7 p.m.

26 | Feb

John ‘Tbone’ Paxton and RJ Spangler release album of pre-WWII standards at Cliff Bell’s in Detroit

For local jazzheads, the name John “Tbone” Paxton is a familiar one. Not only as a celebrated trombone soloist and rotating bandleader for Planet D Nonet, the Sun Messengers, and others, but also as a jazz and rhythm vocalist.

03 | Oct