Gary Thomas (musician)
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Gary Thomas (born June 10, 1961) is an American
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
saxophonist The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed on a mouthpiece vibrates to pro ...
and flautist, born in Baltimore, Maryland. He was a member of
Jack DeJohnette Jack DeJohnette (born August 9, 1942) is an American jazz drummer, pianist, and composer. Known for his extensive work as leader and sideman for musicians including Charles Lloyd, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, John Abercrombie ...
's Special Edition band and has worked with John McLaughlin,
Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he hel ...
,
Pat Metheny Patrick Bruce Metheny ( ; born August 12, 1954) is an American jazz guitarist and composer. He is the leader of the Pat Metheny Group and is also involved in duets, solo works, and other side projects. His style incorporates elements of progr ...
,
John Scofield John Scofield (born December 26, 1951), sometimes referred to as "Sco", is an American guitarist and composer whose music over a long career has blended jazz, jazz fusion, funk, blues, soul and rock. He first came to mainstream attention in th ...
, Jim Hall,
Dave Holland David “Dave” Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English jazz double bassist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has lived in the United States for over 40 years. His extensive discography r ...
,
Greg Osby Greg Osby (born August 3, 1960) is an American saxophonist and composer. Biography Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Osby studied at Howard University, then at the Berklee College of Music. He moved to New York City in 1982, where he played with J ...
,
Wayne Shorter Wayne Shorter (born August 25, 1933) is an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Shorter came to prominence in the late 1950s as a member of, and eventually primary composer for, Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. In the 1960s, he joined Miles D ...
,
Ravi Coltrane Ravi Coltrane (born August 6, 1965) is an American jazz saxophonist. Co-owner of the record label RKM Music, he has produced pianist Luis Perdomo, guitarist David Gilmore, and trumpeter Ralph Alessi. Biography Ravi Coltrane is the son of sa ...
, Cassandra Wilson,
Wallace Roney Wallace Roney (May 25, 1960 – March 31, 2020) was an American jazz ( hard bop and post-bop) trumpeter. He has won 1 Grammy award and has two nominations. Roney took lessons from Clark Terry and Dizzy Gillespie and studied with Miles Davis fr ...
,
Steve Coleman Steve Coleman (born September 20, 1956) is an American saxophonist, composer, bandleader and music theorist. In 2014, he was named a MacArthur Fellow. Early life Steve Coleman was born and grew up in South Side, Chicago. He started playing ...
, and
Miles Davis Miles Dewey Davis III (May 26, 1926September 28, 1991) was an American trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. He is among the most influential and acclaimed figures in the history of jazz and 20th-century music. Davis adopted a variety of music ...
. Thomas was the Director and Chair of Jazz Studies at
Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hemisphere. It consi ...
in Baltimore.


Discography


As leader

* ''The Seventh Quadrant'' ( Enja,1987) * ''Code Violations'' (Enja, 1988) * ''
By Any Means Necessary By any means necessary is a translation of a phrase used by Martinican intellectual Frantz Fanon in his 1960 Address to the Accra Positive Action Conference, "Why we use violence". The phrase had also been used by French intellectual Jean-Paul S ...
'' ( JMT, 1989) * '' While the Gate Is Open'' (JMT, 1990) * ''
The Kold Kage ''The Kold Kage'' is the fifth album by saxophonist Gary Thomas recorded in 1991 and released on the JMT label.Shimada, T.JMT label discography accessed September 26, 2014 Reception The AllMusic review by Thom Jurek states, "Far from academic, ...
'' (JMT, 1991) * ''Corporate Art'' (JMT, 1991) * ''
Till We Have Faces ''Till We Have Faces: A Myth Retold'' is a 1956 novel by C. S. Lewis. It is a retelling of Cupid and Psyche, based on its telling in a chapter of ''The Golden Ass'' of Apuleius. This story had haunted Lewis all his life, because he realized th ...
'' (JMT, 1992) * '' Exile's Gate'' (JMT, 1993) * '' Overkill'' (JMT, 1995) * ''
Found on Sordid Streets ''Found on Sodid Streets'' is the ninth album by saxophonist Gary Thomas recorded in 1996 and released on the Winter & Winter label.Winter & Winter Winter & Winter is a record label in Munich, Germany that specializes in jazz, classical and improvised music. It was founded by Stefan Winter following the demise of his JMT Records label. Since 1997 Winter & Winter has released records by ...
, 1997) * ''
Pariah's Pariah ''Pariah's Pariah'' is the tenth album by saxophonist Gary Thomas recorded in 1997 and released on the Winter & Winter label. Reception AllMusic awarded the album 4 stars stating it "maintains a consistently high level of musical quality from ...
'' (Winter & Winter, 1998)


As sideman

With Cecil Brooks III *'' The Collective'' (Muse, 1989) With
Uri Caine Uri Caine (born June 8, 1956, Philadelphia, United States) is an American classical and jazz pianist and composer. Biography Early years The son of Burton Caine, a professor at Temple Law School, and poet Shulamith Wechter Caine, Caine began ...
*'' Sphere Music'' (JMT, 1993) *''
Toys A toy or plaything is an object that is used primarily to provide entertainment. Simple examples include toy blocks, board games, and dolls. Toys are often designed for use by children, although many are designed specifically for adults and pe ...
'' (JMT, 1996) With
George Colligan George Colligan (born December 29, 1969) is an American jazz pianist, organist, drummer, trumpeter, educator, composer, and bandleader. Early life and education Colligan was born in New Jersey and raised in Columbia, Maryland. He attended the P ...
*''Ultimatum'' ( Criss Cross, 2002) *''Mad Science'' (Sunny Sky, 2003) With Corpulent (Joel Grip & Devin Gray) *''Wolfwalk'' (Umlaut, 2005) With
Jack DeJohnette Jack DeJohnette (born August 9, 1942) is an American jazz drummer, pianist, and composer. Known for his extensive work as leader and sideman for musicians including Charles Lloyd, Freddie Hubbard, Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, John Abercrombie ...
*''
Irresistible Forces ''Irresistible Forces'' is an album by Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition, with Greg Osby, Gary Thomas, Mick Goodrick, Lonnie Plaxico and Naná Vasconcelos. It was recorded in 1987 and released on the MCA label.Impulse!/
MCA MCA may refer to: Astronomy * Mars-crossing asteroid, an asteroid whose orbit crosses that of Mars Aviation * Minimum crossing altitude, a minimum obstacle crossing altitude for fixes on published airways * Medium Combat Aircraft, a 5th gen ...
, 1987) *''
Audio-Visualscapes ''Audio-Visualscapes'' is an album by Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition, featuring Greg Osby, Gary Thomas (musician), Gary Thomas, Mick Goodrick, and Lonnie Plaxico, recorded in 1988 and released on the MCA Records, MCA/Impulse! Records, Impulse! l ...
'' (Impulse!/MCA, 1988) *''
Earthwalk ''Earthwalk'' is an album by drummer Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition, featuring alto saxophonist Greg Osby, tenor saxophonist Gary Thomas, pianist Michael Cain and bassist Lonnie Plaxico, recorded in 1991 and released on the Blue Note label. ...
'' (
Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical c ...
, 1991) *''
Extra Special Edition ''Extra Special'' is an album by drummer Jack DeJohnette's Special Edition, featuring saxophonist Gary Thomas, pianist Michael Cain and bassist Lonnie Plaxico, with vocalist Bobby McFerrin, percussionist Paul Grassi and guitarist Marvin Sewell ...
'' (
Blue Note In jazz and blues, a blue note is a note that—for expressive purposes—is sung or played at a slightly different pitch from standard. Typically the alteration is between a quartertone and a semitone, but this varies depending on the musical c ...
, 1994) With
Herbie Hancock Herbert Jeffrey Hancock (born April 12, 1940) is an American jazz pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and composer. Hancock started his career with trumpeter Donald Byrd's group. He shortly thereafter joined the Miles Davis Quintet, where he hel ...
and John McLaughlin *''Carnegie Hall Salutes The Jazz Masters'' compilation (Verve, 1994) (Thomas appears on the track ''It's About That Time'') With
Wallace Roney Wallace Roney (May 25, 1960 – March 31, 2020) was an American jazz ( hard bop and post-bop) trumpeter. He has won 1 Grammy award and has two nominations. Roney took lessons from Clark Terry and Dizzy Gillespie and studied with Miles Davis fr ...
*'' Verses'' (
Muse In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in ...
, 1987) *''
Intuition Intuition is the ability to acquire knowledge without recourse to conscious reasoning. Different fields use the word "intuition" in very different ways, including but not limited to: direct access to unconscious knowledge; unconscious cognition; ...
'' (Muse, 1988) *''
The Standard Bearer The Standard Bearer may refer to: * ''The Standard Bearer'' (album), 1989 album by Wallace Roney * ''The Standard Bearer'' (Rembrandt, 1636) * ''The Standard Bearer'' (Lanzinger painting), portrait of Adolf Hitler * ''The Standard Bearer'' (ma ...
'' (Muse, 1989) *'' Obsession'' (Muse, 1990) *''No Job Too Big Or Small'' (Savoy Jazz, 1999) With Tony Reedus *''Incognito'' (Enja, 1989) With
Paul Bollenback Paul Norris Bollenback (born June 6, 1959) is a jazz guitarist who has appeared on '' Entertainment Tonight'', '' The Tonight Show'', ''The Today Show'', ''Joan Rivers'', and '' Good Morning America''. He has performed with Scott Ambush, Charlie ...
*''Brightness of Being'' (Elefant Dreams, 2006) With
Jacek Kochan Jacek Kochan (born 1955) is a Polish-born drummer, composer, arranger and music producer. After having started his adventures in music in Poland in the seventies, he moved in the early eighties first to New York City and then to Canada. There he ...
*''Man of No Words'' (Gowi, 2008) With
John B. Arnold John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Seco ...
*''Logorhythms'' (La Frontiera, 2004) With Cassandra Wilson *''
Jumpworld ''Jumpworld'' is the fourth studio album by American jazz singer Cassandra Wilson. It was released in 1990 by JMT label. Track listing # "Woman on the Edge" (Cassandra Wilson) – 5:02 # "Domination Switch" (Steve Coleman, Wilson) – ...
'' (JMT, 1990) With Christy Doran, Mark Helias and
Bobby Previte Bobby Previte (born July 16, 1951 in Niagara Falls, New York) is a drummer, composer, and bandleader. He earned a degree in economics from the University at Buffalo, where he also studied percussion. He moved to New York City in 1979 and began ...
*''Corporate Art'' (JMT, 1991) With Peter Herborn *''Traces of Trane'' (JMT, 1992) *''Large One'' (1997) *''Large Two'' (2002) With
Gabrielle Goodman Gabrielle Goodman (born 1964 in Baltimore, Maryland) is an American jazz singer, composer, author, and associate professor of voice at Berklee College of Music.Symkus, Ed. (August 1, 2007)Goodman will jazz up the Fort ''Roslindale Transcript''. S ...
*''Travelin' Light'' (JMT, 1993) *''Until We Love'' (JMT, 1994) With
Sam Rivers Sam Rivers may refer to: * Sam Rivers (jazz musician) Samuel Carthorne Rivers (September 25, 1923 – December 26, 2011) was an American jazz musician and composer. Though most famously a tenor saxophonist, he also performed on soprano saxophone ...
' Rivbea All-star Orchestra *''Inspiration'' ( BMG France, 1999) *''
Culmination In observational astronomy, culmination is the passage of a celestial object (such as the Sun, the Moon, a planet, a star, constellation or a deep-sky object) across the observer's local meridian. These events were also known as meridian tran ...
'' (BMG France, 1999) With
Greg Osby Greg Osby (born August 3, 1960) is an American saxophonist and composer. Biography Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Osby studied at Howard University, then at the Berklee College of Music. He moved to New York City in 1982, where he played with J ...
*''The Invisible Hand'' (Blue Note, 1999) With
Stefon Harris Stefon DeLeon Harris (born March 23, 1973) is an American jazz vibraphonist. Biography A native of Albany, New York, Harris intended to work for the New York Philharmonic until he heard the music of Charlie Parker. During the 1990s he recorded ...
*''Black Action Figure'' (Blue Note, 1999) With Peter Herborn *''Large 2'' (Jazzline, 2002) With
Ingrid Jensen Ingrid Jensen (born January 12, 1966) is a Canadian jazz trumpeter. Music career Jensen was born in North Vancouver and grew up in Nanaimo. She received a scholarship to the Berklee College of Music in Boston. After graduating from Berklee, she ...
*''Higher Grounds'' (Enja, 1999) With
Terri Lyne Carrington Terri Lyne Carrington (born August 4, 1965) is an American jazz drummer, composer, producer, and educator. She has played with Dizzy Gillespie, Stan Getz, Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Joe Sample, Al Jarreau, Yellowjackets, and ma ...
*''
Jazz Is a Spirit ''Jazz Is a Spirit'' is an album by drummer Terri Lyne Carrington. It was recorded before an audience at Master Control Studio in Burbank, California during February 2001, and was released in 2002 by the German label ACT Music. On the album, Carri ...
'' (ACT, 2002) With
Lonnie Plaxico Lonnie Plaxico (born September 4, 1960) is an American jazz double bassist. Biography Plaxico was born in Chicago, Illinois, into a musical family, and started playing the bass at the age of twelve, turning professional at fourteen (playing bot ...
*''So Alive'' (Eighty-Eight's, 2004) *''West Side Stories'' (Plaxmusic, 2006) With John McLaughlin *''
The Heart of Things ''The Heart of Things'' is an electric jazz fusion album released by guitarist John McLaughlin on Verve in 1997. Musicians include saxophonist Gary Thomas, keyboardist Jim Beard, bassist Matthew Garrison and drummer Dennis Chambers. All composi ...
'' (Verve, 1997) *'' The Heart of Things: Live in Paris'' (Verve, 2000) With
Steve Coleman Steve Coleman (born September 20, 1956) is an American saxophonist, composer, bandleader and music theorist. In 2014, he was named a MacArthur Fellow. Early life Steve Coleman was born and grew up in South Side, Chicago. He started playing ...
*''Sine Die'' (Pangaea, 1988) With Tom Williams *''Introducing Tom Williams'' (Criss Cross, 1991) With Adam Pierończyk *''Digivooco'' (PAO, 2001) With Andrzej Cudzich * ''Able To Listen'' (Polonia, 1996)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Gary 1960 births American jazz saxophonists American male saxophonists African-American saxophonists African-American jazz musicians Avant-garde jazz saxophonists Post-bop saxophonists Enja Records artists Free funk saxophonists Johns Hopkins University faculty Living people Jazz saxophonists Miles Davis Musicians from Baltimore 21st-century saxophonists Jazz musicians from Maryland American male jazz musicians Winter & Winter Records artists JMT Records artists