Guitarist Randy Napoleon cut his teeth in the clubs of Detroit and throughout the Midwest in the mid-nineties, only realizing after his move to New York how much his musical identity and values were forged by that scene. The jazz masters that still populate the region swing with uncompromising commitment, deeply steeped in the Blues and the language of Bebop. His years touring and recording with Freddie Cole, Benny Green, Michael Bubl' and the Clayton Hamilton Orchestra only solidified his own position in that rich legacy, and with "Rust Belt Roots," anchors that position through this celebration of the musical voices who led his way.