Search - Gary Thomas :: Found on Sordid Streets

Scary Streets.

M. Sommers | Athens Greece | 12/14/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Gary Thomas is a tenor sax player from Baltimore. Before hearing his work, I never realised what a scary town Baltimore must be! This is music to make you sleep with the light on! These are mean streets indeed, and Thomas patrols them with the safety catch on his sax in the off position! Highly cerebral but accessible music, this confirms Thomas as one of the most original players and composers since Ornette Coleman. This is not warm music, and there is nothing cosy or comfortable about Thomas' vision, but it comes as a breath of fresh air to those of us becoming increasingly tired of neo-classicism in jazz. Organ player George Colligan and guitarist Paul Bollenback are on top form, and Colligan's compositional skills are also well developed (check out the opening to "Hyper Space"). The use of Rappers Pork Chop and No Name is also highly effective; a good deal more so than the efforts of Thomas' close musical relative, Steve Coleman, probably because there is no attempt to be "worthy" or "positive". Re-workings of tracks from previous Thomas albums ("Exile's Gate" and "Peace of the Korridor") show how strong Thomas' compositions are, and the new material is of the same high standard, particularly the almost Latin flavoured "Treason". This album is a fine addition to an already outstanding body of work. When is the jazz world going to wake up to the true worth of Gary Thomas?"

Saxophone Master

Orlando José Da Flores | Caldas da Rainha, Portugal | 02/08/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Gary Thomas is a great saxophone player one of the best that sometimes play flute an instrument not very common in jazz.

besides this I must tell that I notice the quality of sound rec is uncommonly very good, and this is the same with all the Gary Thomas Records"