Claude Posted June 29, 2005 Report Share Posted June 29, 2005 (edited) Gary Thomas is one of my favourite tenor saxophonists from the 90's. According to All Music Guide, his last album as a leader appeared in 1999 (Pariah's Pariah), and his last sideman appearance on a recording was in 2001 (Grainger - Phase II, a blues album). I found with Google that his is director of jazz studies at Peabody Institute, Baltimore (not Washington ) (also read this), was backing singer Chris McNulty at a concert this June and will play in the Charles Tolliver Big Band in September. Has anyone seen him play at concerts in the recent years or know more about his current activities as a performer? Edited June 29, 2005 by Claude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesForBartok Posted June 29, 2005 Report Share Posted June 29, 2005 A beautiful player and one I'd like to hear more from. I saw him last summer with Terri Lynne Carrington's group at the Charlie Parker Festival in Tompkins Square Park. An excellent set btw! The only record I have him on is the Greg Osby recording The Invisible Hand. Could you recommend others? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gslade Posted June 29, 2005 Report Share Posted June 29, 2005 (edited) Gary Thomas is one of my favourite tenor saxophonists from the 90's. Has anyone seen him play at concerts in the recent years or know more about his current activities as a performer? ← I did see him, but that was 2003 with H.Hancock, Terri Lynne Carrington and Scott Colley. The show was excellent. Thomas suprised me, someone I had been aware of but not really listened to, a big rich sound and very intricate solo's. I too would like to know more about his current activities. Edited June 29, 2005 by gslade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guy Berger Posted June 29, 2005 Report Share Posted June 29, 2005 I did see him, with Mike Stern's fusion group, in 2000. Any recommendations for this guy? Guy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted June 29, 2005 Report Share Posted June 29, 2005 I like "While The Gate Is Open" on JMT. Not sure if it's had a reissue on Winter and Winter yet. Nice set of standards, played with a twist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Posted June 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2005 (edited) The best Gary Thomas leader albums albums are (IMHO): - Exile's Gate - The Seventh Quadrant - Till We have faces The other albums are in the same vein but a notch below, still very good. Absolutely avoid "Overkill", which is a rap album, and a poor one at that AMG discography Edited June 29, 2005 by Claude Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertrand Posted June 29, 2005 Report Share Posted June 29, 2005 (edited) Claude, Unless I missed some mention in the bio which I only skimmed over, the Peabody Institute is in Baltimore. I don't believe they have a D.C. campus. Of course, the two cities are close enough (in the next 50 years, they will be suburbs of one another!), so as a result, Gary plays frequently down here, usually at Twins, often with the group Supernova. I admit I have not caught him in a while, and it sounds like I should consider myself lucky to have the opportunity to see him so often. Shame on me for passing up on this opportunity; based on your recommendation, I will make a point to go see him next time. In fact, I might make it a D.C.-chapter of the organissimo forum get-together. We haven't had one in eons. Bertrand. Edited June 29, 2005 by bertrand Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertrand Posted June 29, 2005 Report Share Posted June 29, 2005 A footnote: Drummer William Murphy often plays with these guys, but I have to admit I think his playing is below par. Somehow, the musicians don't seem to mind him, which is odd. Just last week-end, I passed on a Larry Willis gig because he was on it. Bertrand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Claude Posted June 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2005 Bertrand, You are right about Baltimore. Don't know where I got the Washington bit. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted June 29, 2005 Report Share Posted June 29, 2005 I saw Thomas on that same Hancock tour... Herbie inadvertently dissed him at the beginning of the show, and he seemed a bit peeved for the rest of the night. I really like PARIAH'S PARIAH... hope he comes out with another leader date soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted June 29, 2005 Report Share Posted June 29, 2005 .Absolutely avoid "Overkill", which is a rap album, and a poor one at that Mmmmm... Yes, it is a rap album, and yes, by "commercial" standards, it's poor. And it's not something I'd listen to more than once every very so often, mainly because the lyrics are too predictably "in your face" w/o an offsetting poetic sensibility to elevate them up to that next level that the best rappers go to. It's definitely not aimed for any kind of a "jazz" audience, that's for sure. But it's got the most interesting music of any gangsta-type rap album I've heard, so I can't recommend avoiding it altogether. I can, however, recommend not paying too much over five bucks for it, and then only as a "throw in". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertrand Posted June 29, 2005 Report Share Posted June 29, 2005 Ghost, What did Herbie say? Bertrand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted July 1, 2005 Report Share Posted July 1, 2005 Ghost, What did Herbie say? Bertrand. ← He made some joke about Thomas trying to raise money for the Peabody Institute... said, "I thought Gary was going to come out with a tin cup and wander up and down the aisles, asking for money." The audience gave a surprised laugh, and GT looked p#%#ed. I think--or want to think--that Herbie realized as soon as he said it that it had come out pretty bad. He said some nice things about GT throughout the rest of the show, but GT seemed to be off at the side throughout the evening, rather disengaged. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted February 18, 2016 Report Share Posted February 18, 2016 (edited) Bringing up an old thread to mention that I've had the good fortune to hear Gary Thomas play live here in the DC/Baltimore area four (4) times since I moved out here about 4-5 years ago. He was never the leader on any of the dates (always a sideman), but a really fantastic player. Can't remember the order of the times I heard him, but here's the leaders on whose dates I heard him with: Helen Sung (piano) - at Blues Alley, with Gary and Alex Norris (t) on the front line, and I've forgotten the rest of the band. Very advanced straight-ahead stuff, all Sung's originals. Norris is a fellow instructor at the Peabody Institute (where Gary is the Director of the jazz program, in Baltimore). Alex Norris (trumpet) - concert at The Peabody promoting a REALLY nice album that Norris put out (with Gary), including Gary, George Colligan (B3), and Rudy Royston (d). Ingrid Jenson (trumpet) - a concert at Johns Hopkins, with Gary plus guitar, bass, and drums (not remembering a piano on this gig). The entire 2nd set was all Kenny Wheeler tunes (as he'd passed away less than two weeks before). Todd Marcus (bass clarinet) and his Tentet - at Bohemian Caverns, forget who all was in the band other than Gary (obviously), and also Greg Tardy (also on tenor). Anyway, Gary is as fantastic live as he is on record, and I could go listen to him every other month and never get tired of his playing. Oh, BTW, I also got to hear Gary for the very first time in Columbia, MO as part of Herbie Hancock's acoustic quartet -- probably around 2006-2008 or so. Talked with him (Gary) backstage a fair bit, and learned he actually *started* on flute, and only later switched to sax. Gary is one of the only woodwind doublers who I can hear stylistic traits in his flute-playing that seem related to his sax playing. Also, for my money, Gary is the best and most interesting modern jazz flute-player I think I've ever heard (live, or on record). Edited February 18, 2016 by Rooster_Ties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CJ Shearn Posted March 6, 2016 Report Share Posted March 6, 2016 "Till We Have Faces" is an undisputed classic, IMO. The playing is so smoking, Pat Metheny comes close to the level of unhinged playing on the new Logan Richardson as he does on the Thomas. The Alex Norris "Extension Deadline" is great as well, was glad to hear new Thomas, and if you love "Unity", the album is right up your alley Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnS Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 I saw Thomas along with Benny Maupin in 1993 in Jack Dejohnette's quintet. Both saxophonists generated a lot of energy but as I recall neither made a very big impression on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
relyles Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 On 2/18/2016 at 4:45 PM, Rooster_Ties said: Bringing up an old thread to mention that I've had the good fortune to hear Gary Thomas play live here in the DC/Baltimore area four (4) times since I moved out here about 4-5 years ago. He was never the leader on any of the dates (always a sideman), but a really fantastic player. Can't remember the order of the times I heard him, but here's the leaders on whose dates I heard him with: Helen Sung (piano) - at Blues Alley, with Gary and Alex Norris (t) on the front line, and I've forgotten the rest of the band. Very advanced straight-ahead stuff, all Sung's originals. Norris is a fellow instructor at the Peabody Institute (where Gary is the Director of the jazz program, in Baltimore). Alex Norris (trumpet) - concert at The Peabody promoting a REALLY nice album that Norris put out (with Gary), including Gary, George Colligan (B3), and Rudy Royston (d). Ingrid Jenson (trumpet) - a concert at Johns Hopkins, with Gary plus guitar, bass, and drums (not remembering a piano on this gig). The entire 2nd set was all Kenny Wheeler tunes (as he'd passed away less than two weeks before). Todd Marcus (bass clarinet) and his Tentet - at Bohemian Caverns, forget who all was in the band other than Gary (obviously), and also Greg Tardy (also on tenor). Anyway, Gary is as fantastic live as he is on record, and I could go listen to him every other month and never get tired of his playing. Oh, BTW, I also got to hear Gary for the very first time in Columbia, MO as part of Herbie Hancock's acoustic quartet -- probably around 2006-2008 or so. Talked with him (Gary) backstage a fair bit, and learned he actually *started* on flute, and only later switched to sax. Gary is one of the only woodwind doublers who I can hear stylistic traits in his flute-playing that seem related to his sax playing. Also, for my money, Gary is the best and most interesting modern jazz flute-player I think I've ever heard (live, or on record). You omitted the Ralph Peterson sextet date we caught together at Bohemian Caverns. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted March 7, 2016 Report Share Posted March 7, 2016 7 hours ago, relyles said: You omitted the Ralph Peterson sextet date we caught together at Bohemian Caverns. Was Gary on that too? I don't think so, but can't swear to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertrand Posted March 8, 2016 Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 Absolutely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
relyles Posted March 8, 2016 Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 15 hours ago, Rooster_Ties said: Was Gary on that too? I don't think so, but can't swear to it. He was. Here is the personnel from that night: Ralph Peterson (d, tp), Tom Williams (tp, d), Gary Thomas (ts, fl), Antonio Parker (as), Allyn Johnson (p), Blake Meister (b). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kh1958 Posted March 8, 2016 Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 I saw him with Jack DeJohnette in 1987 (paired with Greg Osby) at the Caravan of Dreams, and in 2007 with Paul Bollenback at the University of Texas at Dallas. Looking forward to next concert in 2027. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted March 8, 2016 Report Share Posted March 8, 2016 53 minutes ago, relyles said: He was. Here is the personnel from that night: Ralph Peterson (d, tp), Tom Williams (tp, d), Gary Thomas (ts, fl), Antonio Parker (as), Allyn Johnson (p), Blake Meister (b). Guess he was then. Gosh, I guess I've see him 5 times then since I've moved to DC. Every chance I could! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster_Ties Posted April 17, 2018 Report Share Posted April 17, 2018 I did not realize until I just noticed in his Wikipedia bio, that Gary is no longer at the Peabody in Baltimore... Peabody Institute’s Gary Thomas resigns – and fans and students lament Questions about the future of Peabody’s jazz program swirl as its celebrated saxophonist founder leaves... https://baltimorebrew.com/2017/10/16/peabody-institutes-gary-thomas-resigns-and-fans-and-students-lament/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gheorghe Posted April 18, 2018 Report Share Posted April 18, 2018 I think I remember his name. The 90´s was a strange period. I think many very good players came around, but years later you must ask what ever happened to them ? Wasn´t Gary Thomas on saxophone on Miles´s last group in the last year of his live 1991 ? Didn´t know about Herbie Hancock dissing musicians like that. I always had the impressions Hancock is one of the most articulate and nicest guys in jazz history..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bertrand Posted April 18, 2018 Report Share Posted April 18, 2018 They revamped the jazz program. Sadly, this cost Thomas, Michael Formanek, Alex Norris and a couple of others their jobs. Michael and Alex are good friends of mine and it is a shame. Only Nasar Abadey was retained. On the plus side, they brought in New faculty, including a number of Baltimore natives such as Tim Green, Warren Wolf, Kris Funn and Quincy Phillips. All are friends of mine as well. It is a shame there seems to be some underlying ugliness to the whole story, but I have not gotten to the bottom of it yet. Not sure I want to. I do want to say that Gary was not helpful to one friend of mine, an aspiring alto, and she dropped out. He was not cool. Not sure why he chose to put roadblocks in her path. Bertrand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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