John Gunther Trio “Painting the Dream”

Saxophonist and multi-instrumentalist John Gunther brings his trio with pianist Dawn Clement and drummer Dru Heller to Dazzle, performing music from his Origin Records release Painting the Dream. Dedicated to two artists—Gunther’s longtime friend and collaborator, trumpeter Ron Miles, and his mother, painter Judy Gunther—the project explores the connections between sound, color, memory, and imagination. Judy’s sense of color and balance, and Miles’ lyrical, spacious approach to music, inspired a collection that moves between quiet beauty, rhythmic play, open improvisation, and cinematic sweep. Gunther’s soprano and tenor saxophones, flute, bass clarinet, and electronics combine with Clement’s piano, Fender Rhodes, voice, and electronics and Heller’s richly colored drumming. The trio paints with a remarkably broad palette while preserving the intimacy of three improvisers listening and responding in the moment. Their music is lyrical yet exploratory, spacious yet deeply grooving—an evolving conversation shaped by patience, trust, and surprise. John Gunther - Saxophones, Bass Clarinet, Flute, Electronics Dawn Clement - Piano, Voicals Dru Heller - Drums and Percussion Photo (Credit Seth Beamer)