Welcome to the site of Will Patton
multi-instrumentalist and composer. Will has been playing all kinds of
music for over 30 years now, including celtic, jazz, rock and roll,
bluegrass and Brazilian choro.
He
is in demand as a jazz bass player and session mandolinist in his home
state of Vermont and has of late been traveling to NYC, Paris,
California and Grenada for gigs and recordings dates.
During
the last 12 years he has been leading his own quintet comprised of
mandolin/octave mandolin, violin, guitar, flute, clarinet and string
bass. The group has been focusing on Gypsy jazz and Brazilian styles
and perform many original compositions in their repertoire.
Their 2000 CD release, Latitudes and Departures received high critical acclaim and national recognition. This was followed by Priphrique, released in 2002 and featuring legendary Gypsy guitarist Ninine Garcia.
Will
and Ninine teamed up again to record 3 tracks on the 2005 release
String Theory. This recording features solid playing and inspired
soloing from Will's long time Ensemble, as well as stellar
contributions from accordion wizard Jeremiah McLane, clarinetist Anna
Patton, jazz flautist Patricia Julien and members of Vermont's
Sambatucada, the Brazilian samba school of the north on a no-holds
barred samba. String Theory took the mandolin into whole new worlds.
The 2008
CD 6th Street Runaround puts the emphasis on straight ahead jazz
and group improvisation, along with some gypsy tunes and a beautiful
waltz, "Tournez a Trois". The Ensemble is joined by Paul Glasse,
master jazz mandolinist (Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin) on Charlie
Christian's Breakfast Feud, by Dono Schabner, master manouche style
player, and by Anna Patton, Will's daughter and respected clarinet
player in her own right. Lar Duggan adds his soulful distinctive
piano sound to a few cuts as well. This new CD showcases the
energy and empathy developed from the Ensembles' 12 years of performing
and recording together.
May 2011 saw the release of the group's 5th CD, Flow,
featuring some torrid bebop, gentle acoustic waltzes and even a charango. Jazzmando.com says ". . . we're enchanted with the swing and ethnic rhythms and the
contagious melodies of this masterpiece project.
We've been expecting this for a couple years, and it's everything we could have expected and more."
Guests include Will Galison, New York City chromatic harmonica ace, Tom Cleary
of Mike Gordon's band and Jim Pitman on dobro.
For an interview with Will at Mandolincafe.com visit www.mandolincafe.com/news/publish/mandolins_001346.shtml