The jazz standards of yesteryear were pop songs of their time.  With this in mind, bassist and vocalist Billy Thornton combines his love of playing in the jazz style with the pop and rock songs he grew up listening to. Billy and his band mates enjoy inventing new harmonic and rhythmic backdrops for songs by artists such as The Beatles, Taylor Swift, Jimi Hendrix, Blondie, and Britney Spears. With the spirit of play and creativity at the forefront, these songs become vehicles for exploration and musical joy.

Billy Thornton is no stranger to jazz lovers in the southeast as a bassist. He is based in Atlanta, Georgia and has been a member of bands in many musical styles from jazz to R&B and from top-40 pop to Celtic Rock. As a vocalist, Billy expresses himself with honesty.  He sings songs that he loves and finds something new in each song every night.  The spirit of playing jazz music is in group improvisation, and this isn’t limited to songs from a certain era. The Billy Thornton Quartet plays the songs of today knowing they will become jazz standards.