Aug 26, 2025 1:53 PM
Blindfold Test: Buster Williams
Buster Williams, who at the age of 83 has been on the scene for 65 years, had never done a Blindfold Test. The first…
Bandleader John Raymond is set for a short run of dates beginning Oct. 1 in Detroit.
(Photo: Matthew Johnson)Flugelhornist John Raymond knows not to overwhelm folks with a flurry of notes—or a flurry of recordings.
During the past several years, the assistant professor at Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music has issued a steady stream of bucolically tinged, deeply personal recordings with his Real Feels ensemble. It’s a band with a ruthlessly unique make-up and an equally distinctive sound.
“Where We Grew Up,” a tune being released ahead of Raymond’s upcoming live dates, is perhaps his most pastoral effort, something that solders together Bill Frisell’s sonic ideal with the hint of a Milsean tone. But Raymond’s band—which includes Gilad Hekselman on electric guitar, Jesse Lewis on acoustic guitar and Ben Lester on pedal steel—dashes the proceedings with the character of a 21st-century troupe steeped in as much contemporary music as in the history of jazz.
“I wrote the song years ago, thinking nostalgically about the people, places and things that were a part of my formative ‘coming of age’ years,” Raymond said in a recent email. “For me, these were spent in Eau Claire, [Wisconsin], which is now a booming arts city ... and home of the band Bon Iver, among others.”
Live dates are below. But for additional information about Raymond, visit the bandleader’s website. DB
Oct. 1: Cliff Bell’s, Detroit
Oct. 2: Bop Stop, Cleveland
Oct. 3: An Die Musik, Baltimore
Oct. 4: Nublu, New York, NY
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