Thomas Marriott - Crazy: The Music Of Willie Nelson

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2008
File: MP3@256K/s
Time: 57:37
Size: 106,0 MB
Art: Front

(6:05)  1. Phases And Stages, Circles And Cycles
(4:38)  2. Everywhere I Go
(4:37)  3. Write Your Own Songs
(8:43) 4. You Wouldn't Cross The Street to Say Goodbye
(3:08)  5. Blame It On The Times
(2:52)  6. I'm Building Heartaches
(7:08)  7. The Great Divide
(3:41)  8. Crazy
(4:57)  9. Time Slips Away
(7:04) 10. One In A Row
(4:39) 11. On The Road Again

If you want to put your music into compartments, it might be hard to cozy up to a "jazz" CD getting tight with the tunes of "country" icon Willie Nelson. But smart music lovers throw the labels down the man hole, and maybe remember that none other than Miles Davis counted himself a Nelson fan check out the six takes of the tune "Willie Nelson" on The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions (Columbia Records, 2003) boxed set. Enter trumpeter/flugelhornist Thomas Marriott, with Crazy: The Music of Willie Nelson. Marriott and the band take on a couple of Nelson's best known compositions the 1961 Patsy Cline hit "Crazy," and the Nelson-recorded "On the Road Again" (is there a person alive who hasn't heard those tunes?), along with a bunch of lesser-known gems. But if you're expecting understated, subtle country flavors, think again. The sound has a distinctly modern and often brash tone, thanks in no small part to the three members of the under-recorded Matt Jorgensen + 451 ensemble: drummer Jorgensen, saxophonist Mark Taylor, and keyboardist Ryan Burns. Especially Burns, who switches from the acoustic piano mode of his Tree-O (Odd Bird Records, 2007) in favor of some serious musical adventurousness with his Fender Rhodes and Moog synthesizer. The opener, "Phases & Stages, Circles and Cycles" pulses to life on Geoff Harper's slow bass throb leading into a rhythm that sizzles behind Marriott's echoing horn, giving way to Taylor's cool, sweet nuances on soprano sax before Ryan Burns splashes neon colors and gleaming metallic sounds around. 

The disc closes with "On the Road Again," probably Nelson's most familiar melody. Marriott and company change the original's quiet country charm into an expansive, lush, electric wash of sound that seems as if it could have been issued from the underbelly of an alien spacecraft that has picked up an errant Willie broadcast out in space, and is now hovering in a starry sky, broadcasting its otherworldly renditions down to an awe-struck earthly crowd. And of course there's "Crazy." The band begins simply, gently, reverently, before things fall apart the horns and keys sounding like misfiring neurons crazy. This set of eleven Willie Nelson songs done up in a quite adventurous jazz mode is an unusually fine and original listening experience. ~ Dam McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/crazy-the-music-of-willie-nelson-thomas-marriott-origin-records-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Thomas Marriott: trumpet, flugelhorn; Mark Taylor: saxophone; Ryan Burns: Moog synthesizer, Fender Rhodes; Geoff Harper: bass; Matt Jorgensen: drums; Wayne Horwitz: keyboards (3); Rick Mandyck: guitar (10), vocal (11); Cecil Young: gong (11).

Crazy: The Music Of Willie Nelson

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Ray Vega & Thomas Marriott - East West Trumpet Summit: Coast to Coast

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2023
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 48:44
Size: 112,3 MB
Art: Front

(5:18) 1. One Day At A Time
(4:31) 2. I Told You So
(5:54) 3. You've Changed
(5:14) 4. Broadway
(6:10) 5. Art Deco
(5:36) 6. Girl Talk
(4:14) 7. Quarter Nelson
(5:54) 8. Front Row Family
(5:49) 9. So Long Eric

Coast to Coast is the third East West Trumpet Summit recorded by Ray Vega and Thomas Marriott in a musical partnership that has spanned nearly three decades. The years have been kind, and when it comes to playing persuasive jazz, neither Vega nor Marriott appears to have lost a step. Marriott, a native of Seattle, and Vega, New York-born and bred, first met in 1995, and the mutual admiration and respect was immediate. Their first two albums as co-leaders were exceptional, and Coast to Coast is no less so, with the front-liners in superior form and backed by a blue-chip rhythm section anchored by celebrated drummer Roy McCurdy with the always-dependable Orrin Evans on piano and rock-solid Michael Glynn on bass.

In sum, the quintet plays engaging and listenable music that swings in the finest tradition of such renowned trumpet duos as Fats Navarro and Howard McGhee or Freddie Hubbard and Woody Shaw. For the listener, that is about as good as it gets. The material is first-class too, with a trio of bright original compositions by Marriott interspersed among as many standards and good-natured themes by George Cables, Don Cherry and Charles Mingus. The standards were penned by Carl Fischer ("You've Changed"), Wilbur Bird ("Broadway") and Neal Hefti ("Girl Talk").

Vega and Marriott give each of them a cheerful ride while Evans, Glynn and McCurdy make sure the rhythmic pulse never wavers. For listening purposes, the notes say that Marriott is heard stereo-left, Vega stereo-right, but that's largely irrelevant, as there is not much to choose between two masters whose approach to the music is by and large synchronous and complementary. No matter who is playing, the sound is luminous and clear, the ad-libs sharp and clever. The trumpets are open most of the way, muted on Marriott's charming, samba-like "Front Row Family."

Marriott's other compositions, "One Day at a Time" and "Quarter Nelson," are old-school swingers whose hustle and bustle brings out the best in everyone, as do the high-spirited "Broadway" and even Charles Mingus' "So Long Eric," which closes the album on a luminous and even-tempered note. The quintet has more fun on Cables' melodious "I Told You So" (nimble solo by Evans), Cherry's frisky "Art Deco" and Hefti's syrupy nod to idle chit-chat, "Girl Talk." "You've Changed," the only true ballad on the menu, is simply more grist for the quintet's efficiently run mill.

From start to finish, the third edition of East West Trumpet Summit is delightful to hear and appreciate, not only for Vega and Marriott's singular artistry but for the splendid choice of music and the indispensable support provided by an astute and responsive rhythm section. Notwithstanding the music's many detours, when placed in the best of hands straight-ahead jazz can be as inventive and pleasing as ever.By Jack Bowers
https://www.allaboutjazz.com/coast-to-coast-ray-vega-and-thomas-marriott-east-west-trumpet-summit-origin-records__19180

Personnel: Trumpet – Ray Vega, Thomas Marriott; Acoustic Bass – Michael Glynn; Drums – Roy McCurdy; Piano – Orrin Evans

East West Trumpet Summit: Coast to Coast

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Ray Vega & Thomas Marriott - East-West Trumpet Summit

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 49:53
Size: 136,5 MB
Art: Front

(7:39)  1. It's You or No One
(6:22)  2. Juicy Lucy
(5:27)  3. Pelham Gardens
(6:20)  4. Bishop Island
(6:08)  5. Only of a Season
(4:49)  6. It's A New York Thing
(5:54)  7. Round Midnight / In A Sentimental Mood
(7:12)  8. Big Brother

Working the two coasts of jazz theory together, but using the Northwest as representative of modern West Coast jazz rather than the L.A. area, trumpeters Ray Vega and Thomas Marriott combine their formidable powers for good in a massive set. The two trumpeters have played together over the years, and have become stalwarts of the local scenes in their respective cities (Marriott winning numerous awards and recording numerous exceptional albums in Seattle, Vega in New York). Here, they trade riffs and solos, follow paired melodic lines, and explore both energetic urban forms and more pastoral compositions. The album opens with Sammy Cahn's "It's You or No One," which makes a good first showing of the two styles and also introduces pianist Travis Shook and a hidden propensity to invoke Bud Powell as he courses through a massive solo. Horace Silver's "Juicy Lucy" uses the trumpets in tandem in a relaxed form reminiscent of some of the Dizzy Gillespie/Sonny Stitt sessions.

A couple of compositions from Marriott show off both urban energy (in a musical ode to New York in "Pelham Gardens") and contemplative balladry (in a musical ode to Seattle's Lake Washington in "Bishop Island"). Both provide excellent showcases of the trumpets, and Jeff Johnson's bass solo in "Bishop Island" additionally shows off some excellence. Vega's compositions take the opposite approach, building from a more pensive "Only of a Season" to the nearly hyperactive "It's a New York Thing," showing off some blazing horn techniques along the way. A medley of ballads lets both of the players show off their softer side, and the album finishes on Marriott's tribute to Vega. Musical summits rarely turn out as perfectly as one would hope, given the egos and/or deference of players to one another. This one lets both players respect one another, work together, and show off their own styles all at once. And it's all excellent.By Adam Greenberg
https://www.allmusic.com/album/east-west-trumpet-summit-mw0001991574

Personnel: Ray Vega (trumpet); Thomas Marriott (trumpet); Travis Shook (piano); Matt Jorgensen (drums).

East-West Trumpet Summit

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Thomas Marriott - Live from the Heat Dome

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 56:37
Size: 130,0 MB
Art: Front

(10:49) 1. Angel Of Sunlight
( 5:16) 2. Front Row Family
( 7:57) 3. The Joint Chiefs
( 4:44) 4. Chick's Lullaby
( 9:47) 5. How It Works
( 7:44) 6. H.A.L.T.
(10:19) 7. Anything Helps

Night after night, week after week, jazz performances take place in the city of Seattle that inspire the local jazz community. They take place in clubs, dive bars, theaters and concert halls, featuring national and international jazz artists as well as prominent resident artists from the dynamic Seattle jazz scene. On occasion, an individual jazz performance serves as a signpost of things to come. The September 26 performance of the Thomas Marriott Quartet at Jazz Alley was all of the above. Marriott had assembled a stellar quartet to celebrate the release of his fourteenth album as a leader, Live From the Heatdome (Imani, 2022).

The stage at Jazz Alley has seen the best of the best since its opening in 1980 as an intimate bistro in the University District. For the first six years of the club, it was common to see an artist of international prominence perform with a supporting cast of Seattle jazzers such as Chuck Deardorf, Dean Hodges, Marc Seales and Jerry Granelli among others. After moving to its more spacious digs downtown in 1986, full touring bands were and are featured, with Seattle based performances becoming less common. Over the years, there have been periods when Monday nights were reserved for the local scene, either in the form of an individual artist’s show, or a jam session that featured top Seattle players such as Hadley Caliman and Don Lanphere. Taking on Marriott’s album release was a rarity that needed support from the Seattle jazz community. That support was received in abundance with the club nearly full house.

Marriott has had a musical connection with Philadelphia based pianist Orrin Evans since a chance meeting at a jazz festival in Idaho over a decade ago. Live From the Heat Dome is the fourth release from the trumpeter that features Evans. His appearance, along with legendary bassist Essiet Essiet and sensational drummer Mark Whitfield, Jr., gave the performance a huge kickstart, with Marriott delivering a top flight performance of original tunes and a triad of well chosen standards.

The quartet started with Marriott’s “Tale of Debauchery,” extracted from his Urban Folklore (Origin, 2014) album that featured Evans on piano. On this evening, it served as a vehicle for Marriott to find his sound and cadence, serving up a long solo that began with longer tones and finished with a flurry of rapid fire runs. Evans, Essiet and Whitfield were immediately playful with the tune, something that would continue throughout the ninety minute set in plenitud.

“Front Row Family,” an ode to Marriott’s uber-supportive family over the years, was a mood changer that featured his ultra refined trumpet tonality that served as a warm invite for the audience to join in the intimacy of the moment. Essiet’s solo was a telltale sign of his unique artistry, his exquisite sound framing intricate passages and chordal brilliance. Marriott for his part appeared to be just getting started, not quite unleashing the hounds, so to speak.

“Mo-Joe,” Marriott’s homage to vibraphonist Joe Locke pushed the set forward into an uptempo, swinging foray into his post-bop, modernist leanings. His solo and that of Evans were telltale statements of their deep connection to the blues and the swing rhythm that defines the Black American art form they so ably express. Just as strongly, Evans launched into a quiet, beautifully harmonic intro to Marriott’s “Chick’s Lullaby,” serving as a beautiful interlude of quiet focus and meditative thought. In a tune dedicated to his wife, Marriott’s muted soliloquy was embracingly romantic and had a magical impact on the audience, roping them into the emotional aspect of the performance.

Essiet’s thunderous intro to Wayne Shorter’s “General Assembly,” served as a passageway to melodic freedom for the quartet, with Marriott’s searing solo setting the bar high for his positively respondent bandmates. Evans has always had a percussive aspect to his playing that has supplied a degree of separation between him and the majority of pianists in modern jazz. His solo seemed to ignite Whitfield on drums, whose focused intensity and supportive dynamics were unabashedly a highlight of the entire performance. In essence, Shorter’s thunderous composition seemed to light the fuse for the next few tunes. Easing into Vernon Duke’s classic, “I Can’t Get Started,” the quartet seemed to settle into a comfortable place with Evan’s playfully daring solo and Essiet’s beautifully pensive offering leading the way.

“The Joint Chiefs,” which appears on Live From the Heatdome, and “Both Sides of the Fence,” the title track from Marriott’s 2007 release, operated at an elevated degree of intensity and featured Whitfield’s spirited playing. Marriott and Evans exchanged glancing blows back and forth with the young drummer, the spirited response of the near capacity crowd seemingly lifting the roof off the place. The finale, Duke Ellington’s “Things Ain’t What They Used to Be,” was a fitting ending for the band, wrapping up their fourth consecutive night on a high. The foursome had spent two nights at Frankie’s in Vancouver, followed by a night in Bellingham. They had earned their repose.

Jazz Alley has never been much of a “hang” spot after a gig since the U District days when it was all of that. This evening was an exception, with an audience that represented a broad cross-section of the Seattle jazz community. It seemed everyone wanted a piece of the trumpeter, a prime indicator of the love and respect that Marriott inspires in his home town. With community elders like Julian Priester, Jim Wilkie and Marvin Thomas in the room and many of the city’s prominent jazz musicians as well, the respect factor was plainly evident. As far as the love factor, that was something felt upon entering the room, was elevated by the performance, and expressed with warm embraces post-show. For anyone that has spent any amount of time on the Seattle jazz scene, and at Jazz Alley in particular, this was a beautiful and welcoming sight. Let’s hope it portends to a re-ignited relationship between Seattle’s best jazz musicians, and its city’s most renowned stage.

By Paul Rauch https://seattlejazzscene.com/2022/09/thomas-marriott-album-release-live-from-the-heatdome/

Personnel: Thomas Marriott - Trumpet; Orrin Evans - Piano; Essiet Essiet - Bass ; Mark Whitfield Jr. - Drums

Greta Matassa - Favorites From A Long Walk

Styles: Vocal Jazz
Year: 2005
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 62:22
Size: 143,9 MB
Art: Front

(4:42)  1. Double Rainbow
(4:46)  2. Inside A Silent Tear
(3:04)  3. Sweet And Lovely
(4:08)  4. He's Gone Again
(3:27)  5. If I Love Again
(6:23)  6. Listen Little Girl
(5:55)  7. I Will Wait For You
(4:55)  8. Look At That Face
(3:55)  9. Late, Late Show
(6:31) 10. Speak Low
(6:20) 11. Never Never Land
(4:44) 12. The Man With A Horn
(3:25) 13. There'll Be Another Spring

A nice album of relatively unknown songs originally done by the great female vocalists of yesteryear. Greta Matassa has a nice way with the music, alternately whispering softly and belting out cadences as the compositions require. Matassa doesn't quite mimic the classic singers, but she does have hints of their styles slyly embedded in her delivery. Ella comes out just a bit when she starts to scat. Carmen McRae comes through a bit on a Jobim number. Sarah Vaughan comes out when she needs to purr a little. Ultimately, there isn't much new to be found here, if one has already heard Matassa's formidable prowess. However, it's a nice round of songs whether it's new or not. Perfect for a slow weekend afternoon. ~ Adam Greenberg  http://www.allmusic.com/album/favorites-from-a-long-walk-mw0000263030

Personnel: Greta Matassa (vocals); Darin Clendenin & Friends, Darin Clendenin (piano); Clipper Anderson (electric bass); Richard Cole (saxophone); Thomas Marriott (trumpet); Mark Ivester (drums).

Favorites From A Long Walk

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Thomas Marriott - Constraints & Liberations

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2010
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 54:12
Size: 124,4 MB
Art: Front

( 4:14)  1. Diagram
(10:46)  2. Up From Under
( 7:33)  3. Constraints and Liberations
( 6:56)  4. Waking Dream
( 9:35)  5. Early Riser
(10:43)  6. Clues
( 4:22)  7. Treadstone

Trumpeter Thomas Marriott keeps growing as an artist. He has released CDs at a healthy pace since 2005: an introduction for many perhaps unwary jazz fans to some warped country western flavor on Crazy: The Music of Willie Nelson (Origin Records, 2008); cranking an all-star quintet up in a modern mainstream mode on Flexicon (Origin Records, 2009); and letting it rip on a two-trumpet blow fest with fellow brass man Ray Vega on East-West Trumpet Summit (Origin Records, 2010). Constraints and Liberations ups his output to two releases in 2010. Spontaneity has always been a big part of Marriott's jazz game, but with Constraints and Liberations, it seems he has gone deeper into that mode. The set opens with his original "Diagram." A bright splendor of two-horn harmony introduces the tune with a teaming of the leader's open horn and Hans Teuber's haunting tenor saxophone, leading to a shift into brass/reed conversation, with Teuber telepathically finishing Marriott's opening statement. Here, and throughout the set, the rhythm team pianist Gary Versace; bassist Jeff Johnson, and drummer John Bishop maintains a low key tumult that keeps things on edge.

The sound of Constraints and Liberations is often moody and atmospheric, giving the impression of a soundtrack from a movie dealing with impending danger. Marriott is in excellent form, his tone by turns bright or dark, clean or murky, and sometimes anguished, always telling an eloquent story. Teuber's tenor has a distinctive sound, cool and hollow, and somehow diaphanous, like a saxophone played by a disconcerted ghost, while the versatile Versace who has contributed brilliantly to Maria Schneider's orchestra on accordion, and on organ, piano and accordion on numerous sideman dates including drummers John Hollenbeck and Matt Wilson, well as his own discs as leader slips into any accompanist/soloist task at hand, with a fluid sparkle on the title tune, or a quirky solo aside on "Diagram." "Waking Dream" opens with piano teardrops accompanied by a gorgeously introspective muted trumpet. Johnson's bass looms in and lies low, adding, with Bishop's whispering drums, a foundation to the abstraction. "Clues" introduces, in its inception, a late night, foreboding dark alley feeling, bass and drums lurking in the shadows, Marriott and Versace trying to shine a light. Thomas Marriott keeps moving the art forward. Constraints and Liberations may be his best so far. ~ Dan McClenaghan https://www.allaboutjazz.com/constraints-and-liberations-thomas-marriott-origin-records-review-by-dan-mcclenaghan.php

Personnel: Thomas Marriott: trumpet;  Hans Teuber: tenor saxophone;  Gary Versace: piano;  Jeff Johnson: bass;  John Bishop: drums.

Constraints & Liberations

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Thomas Marriott - Urban Folklore

Styles: Trumpet Jazz
Year: 2014
File: MP3@320K/s
Time: 43:07
Size: 99,5 MB
Art: Front

(4:15)  1. Apophis
(4:03)  2. The Tale of Debauchery
(5:27)  3. Room 547
(3:32)  4. Mo-Joe
(6:23)  5. What Emptiness Can Do
(3:23)  6. Locked Up (Theme From "The Shot Caller")
(6:01)  7. Living on the Minimum
(3:44)  8. I'm Vibing You
(6:14)  9. Washington Generals

Nothing has hit quite as hard as recent music from the trio of pianist Orrin Evans, bassist Eric Revis and Drummer Donald Edwards. The three musicians seek out (or probably are sought by) collaborators of equal weight and energy. It is not surprising that this recording of nine compositions, led by trumpeter and Seattle native Thomas Marriott, is a knockout from the opening number. Urban Folklore is Marriott's ninth as leader, and follows Dialogue (Origin Records, 2012) a live date in which Evans was a guest artist. "Apophis" whirls with the trumpeter's gentle yet passionate tone, drawing the trio into the mix, only to open into a blistering post-bop run. Marriott draws upon the shared language the three exhibited on Evans' trio disc ..."It was beauty" (Criss Cross, 2013) and also Edwards Evolution Of An Influenced Mind (Criss Cross, 2014), which included saxophonist Walter Smith III and guitarist David Gilmore.  Fans of Evans' Captain Black and Tarbaby bands will have much to celebrate here. Marriott stands toe-to-toe on the burners, including the funk-laid foundation of "The Tale Of Debauchery," a Freddie Hubbard mid-sixties inspired "Mo-Joe," and the ever-so-hip bouncing of "Living On The Minimum." He also delivers on the tender ballad "What Emptiness Can Do," with a benevolent trumpet sound that could easily be mistaken for a flugelhorn. Marriott's trumpet pulls from both the classic Blue Note hard bop sound and the modern textures heard from Dave Douglas and Ron Miles. With Urban Folklore the West Coast-meets-East Coast sound is the new cool. ~ Mark Corroto https://www.allaboutjazz.com/urban-folklore-thomas-marriott-origin-records-review-by-mark-corroto.php
 

Personnel: Thomas Marriott: trumpet; Orrin Evans: piano; Eric Revis: bass; Donald Edwards: drums.

Urban Folklore

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