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Jon Dalton “Carousel”

Jon Dalton is a British born jazz guitarist of Native American descent. Prior to moving back to the US in 1999 Jon enjoyed a diverse career, firstly in Hard Rock & Heavy Metal and then working for ten years as a touring session musician playing everything from Top Forty to Disco, Classic Rock, Latin Jazz and Country Music.

Jon’s first American release “The Gift” from 2003 enjoys both critical and commercial success. It reached #1 on New York’s CIM Jazz Chart and continues, to this day, in rotation and sync worldwide.

In 2009 The Jon Dalton Trio released “Warm Ghosts (in a) Cold World” a Hammond Organ and guitar based recording hailed as a classic of the genre and held dear internationally by fans of the music. Vintage Guitar Magazine said: “…he continues to write the book for organ-trio jazz”. John Vincent Barron for jazzreview.com called the release: “a fine example of strong group interaction from three exceptional performers”.

For his 2024 release “Carousel” Jon has looked to both his past and our future. Taking seven years to realize Jon, and a wide-ranging cast of musical collaborators have, on the encouragement of producer Richard E., pushed past boundaries of genre and influence. Although fundamentally still a jazz recording, the album delves into the lessons of a near 50 year career to present a suite of music that is as much musically diverse as it is singular in purpose; to offer the listener a thrilling and yet sensitive journey of musical discovery, skill and creativity.

Guitarist Jon Dalton Talks to JGT About His New Album, “Carousel”

Jon Dalton “Twice Removed”

From Ben Williams, musicologist and soon to be national jazz reviewer on Twice Removed… “Beautiful! Now *that* there has a style all of your own – first of all I dig the ‘wall of sound’ approach of layering the guitars and letting the harmonies (plural!) lead the journey – not only are there four (at least) territories – from gumshoe on sunset boulevard, to rodeo drive, to polynesia, to the twighlight zone – but each section is a different ‘species’ of harmony – including the ‘outside’ second guitar part in the second half of part 4 – which is as challenging as the bridge in Jimmy Rowles ‘The Peacocks’ – but like that, makes its own perfect kind of sense – and then it picks on at least two bi-chordal outtakes (ahem!) from the voluminous form for the solo sections, which (the ad libs) are collective rather than linear – which is something a lot more new jazz should do but doesn’t. People will cite Metheny or Frisell, but that would be a superficial analysis – I think this has a lot more JD in it than either of those luminaries … I appreciate you sharing it with me. One Love!”

New Jon Dalton Release “Spaceship Orion”

Back in the late 70s early 80s when we were still mostly teenagers back in the UK, I knew a large group of people. Probably numbering well past the 100 if you count the ripple effect. We would often hangout in each others’ places having music parties. Hard rock and heavy metal along with a little prog, some jazz funk and even a little southern rock (shout out to Staple Hill crew there  ) were mostly the order of the day. Country Rock bands got a feature from time to time and the Ozark Mountain Daredevils were always a favorite. They seemed to be able to elicit a smile from even the most case-hardened biker! Their music ran the gamut from languid and reflective to manic and, often, very funny.

I’ve always wanted to cover one of their tunes and thanks, in no small part, to the tenacity of my friend and co-producer Richard E, who has been driving me to finish my current album project, I finally got it done.

The track is called Spaceship Orion from The Ozarks’, self-titled, first album. Fans often refer to that as the “quilt” album due to the depiction on the cover. I played the guitar and sang the vocal but I could not have done this without this spectacular group of players who not only were able to record the song 90% live in the studio (as I often prefer to work) they also nailed it on the very first take!

Eric Klerks: 12 string guitar

Brad Morrison: Vocals & fiddle 

Scott Rankie: Vocals & slide guitar

Kahlil Sabbagh: Vibraphone

Jonathan Sindelman: Organ & keyboards 

Oliver Steinberg: Acoustic bass

Dave Tull: Drums

A video is in the works but the audio is available for you to listen to now.

Published by Dj Aja from Jazz Syndicate Magazine & Promotions, Sept. 2022