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Inspired by one of the purest and sublime
of American inventions: Jazz, Baron’s
has created a series of special Collector’s
Edition Hats, in honor of all those wonderfully
unorthodox toppers worn by some of the
most famous and influential jazz musicians
in history. With the American Jazz phenomena
in a never ending love-fest around the
world, this collection is already enjoying
a massive international appeal. 
Among the
greats who have inspired our hats are Lestor Young, Thelonious
Monk, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Marcus Miller, Fats Waller,
Jack Sheldon, Count Basie, Louie Armstrong, and Phil Woods, to name
just a few! And besides the Jazz Greats, Baron's will also be
making hats inspired by their instruments as well!
Barons has made a name for itself in the
Jazz community for years, recently making
hats for such international super-Jazz
artists as Al Jarreau, along with many
of the top jazz groups in the birthplace
of the sound: New Orleans. (Read article
below).
The Jazz Series begins with four specially
designed Baron originals: “The Capital”,
inspired by Sinatra’s signature hat during
his formative recording years; the “Tycoon”,
the classic syncopated Fedora; the “Delta
Diddley”, a fur felt porkpie that just
shouts the blues; the “Fusion”, a Parasisol
straw stingy brim right out of the streets
of Chicago and the modern Jazz era; and
the "Trill" inspired by one
of the great "instruments" of
the Jazzman: the trumpet!
Each and every hat is hand made to order
in our studio in Burbank, California,
under the expert supervision of Master
Hat Maker and Owner, Mark Mejia, and is
specially priced for the “artist” in all
of us.
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FROM GAMBIT
WEEKLY - NEW ORLEANS |
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The Cat in the Hat
Whether in the studio or on the
stage, Jon Cleary strives to keep
the balance between polish and grit.
By
David Lee Simmons
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Cleary with his back-up
band, the Absolute Monster
Gentlemen: guitarist Derwin
"Big D' Perkins, bassist
Cornell Williams, and
drummer Jellybean Alexander,
who left the band last
summer. |
The voice pipes into the studio from
the control room: "That sounds a bit
weird this time." It's a Wednesday
afternoon in November, and Jon
Cleary is working with his back-up
band, the Absolute Monster
Gentlemen, on an instrumental inside
Piety Street Recording studio in
Bywater. The song, co-written by
Cleary and guitarist Derwin "Big D"
Perkins, is called "Ain't Nuttin'
Nice," from one of the burly
guitarist's cachet of favorite
phrases.
The song is moving along nicely
enough, introduced by bassist
Cornell Williams' insinuating
phrasing, and kicked into gear by
drummer Raymond Weber thumping
underneath Cleary's Roland XV-88
keyboard and Big D's stinging guitar
phrasings. Guest percussionist
Daniel Sadownick's congas further
fuel the rhythm.
As good as it sounds, something's
not quite right, hence the "weird"
comment from Cleary's longtime
producer, John Porter. The band
finishes the version and returns to
the control room, where Porter and
engineer Erik Flettrich are manning
the boards. "It sounded great, man!"
blurts Weber, who punctuates almost
every comment with one of those
jolly, "heh, heh, heh" chuckles that
sound like they came from a
department-store Santa. "Yeah,"
Porter agrees, scratching his
salt-and-pepper beard. "Just like
Grover Washington."
Cleary is wearing one of his many
trademark hats. He buys them from
Baron Hats in Burbank, which
manufactures hats for many a Jazz,
Rock, Country Western, Soul, and
Hip-Hop greats, along with the
personal toppers of many a
celebrity, and special hats for some
of the most famous motion
pictures, television shows, and
music videos in history. He nods to Porter,
the front of the brim popping up and
exposing Cleary's scruffy beard and
prodigious British nose.
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