Live & Local: Randy Napoleon’s New Kind of Guitar Ensemble

Five guitarists walk into a studio…It’s not a joke!

It’s Randy Napoleon’s latest album on OA2 Records, “Waking Dream.”

“Sometimes it’s hard to book a trio, so I figured, why not make it impossible and form an octet with five guitars?” The large band includes four of Napoleon’s former students, including the celebrated Jocelyn Gould.

In conversation with The Morning Set, Napoleon shares credit with co-composer/co-producer Gregg Hill, and he also discusses the creative energy emanating from Lansing and the music program at Michigan State University.