Leron Thomas’ musical journey began in his hometown of Houston Texas, always inspired by family rich with respect and understanding of quality music. After graduating from Houston’s distinguished High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, he ventured to New York City to develop as a trumpet player. Enrolling at Manhattan’s New School Leron further explored himself as a jazz trumpet player and progressed within his composition writing. As he was studying, he was performing professionally with various artists including Bilal and Billy Harper while his own music was evolving and maturing. The quality of his original compositions was enhanced when he played live alongside his talented peers including Robert Glasper, Damion Reid, Vicente Archer, Marcus Strickland, Harold O’Neal, Isaac Smith, Reggie Quinerly and Omer Avital. Leron graduated from the New School in 2003 with an identifiable personal sound within his jazz trumpet playing, which was recognized by The New York Times, amongst others.
Leron stayed in Manhattan and persued his professional career as a writer and trumpet player. He performed live with Roy Hargrove, Lauryn Hill, Mos Def, Bobby Watson and continues to play alongside Bilal. Leron also recorded with Bilal, Tiombe Lockhart, Bobby Watson, Wajeed, 88Keys, Carl Thomas, Faith Evans, Fantasia Barrino, Jadakiss, among many more. Leron continued to stay focused on his progress as a jazz writer and trumpet player, performing his compositions with band around Manhattan. He grew tired of the politics and lack of quality music within the New York jazz scene and felt it was time to not be afraid of his understanding of music, and grow out of a scene in which he did not have to be.
His clear love of music from all genres, alongside the lack of support from the New York jazz scene took its toll on Leron. Subsequently he found ways to liberate himself through a natural, fluid progression into writing and performing ‘other music’. He would not only write these compositions, he would play his individual personal tone through his trumpet and offer his unique vocals to emphasize the diverse sound. This genre-less music incorporated jazz, rock, pop, country, electro-pop, blues and would be developed from 2004 onwards. With three independently released albums, reviews in The New York Times and countless gigs at rock and indie venues from Brooklyn and throughout Manhattan, Leron remained dedicated to his art.
Known for the ability to write and have a musical ear with an ever increasing amount of unrecorded and never before performed music, Leron is respected on various levels from his unique vocals, his band leadership skills, his diverse writing abilities and his highly personal trumpet sound. His live music and recordings have been enhanced by the belief and passion for ‘real music’ by many of his talented musician friends who have offered their time and support when the ‘scene’ seemed wavering. Independently released in 2009; 'Improvsensation' (www.cdbaby.com/cd/leronthomas3) and the 'Dodenhoff Session' (http://amiestreet.com/music/leron-thomas/the-dodenhoff-session/). Leron continues to stay focused on his objective of bringing real music to the people and is open minded in seeking new opportunities at every corner.
”This one is over the map stylistically, which is actually a strong point for Houston-born trumpeter/composer Leron Thomas since he so defiantly resists categorization. The hilarious rant on the cd booklet’s liner notes is worth the price of the cd by itself, Thomas railing knowingly and aptly against the incompetence and shortsightedness of the dying major labels, band managers who are no more than glorified groupies, and the rigid groupthink that pervades so many of the various New York music scenes, from jazz to pop. As with the liner notes, there’s a lot of anger here, tempered with a disquieting sense of humor that nonetheless is often laugh-out-loud funny. There are a couple of indie rock songs here, the best being the opening cut, an insistent indie rock song with raw, eerie harmonies on the chorus by Thomas’ frequent collaborator Michael Severson. Another, Cut & Paste shares a sarcasm with much of the rest of the album: “I just cut and paste my life.”
Sandmen is sardonically minimalist hip-hop, obviously dating from the days of the Bush regime: “When you see that girl’s ass what you thinking about? Oil, baby!” The next cut, Sanitation Truck is more hip-hop, a bizarre early-morning urban tableau. The inscrutable Kitchen blends an early 80s Midnight Starr proto-hiphop feel with Kool Keith-style weirdness. A couple of instrumentals, When Zelda Replaced GI Joe and In the Silence match lo-fi, clangy guitar with Thomas’ balmy, pensive trumpet. Pearly Whites is sarcastic, Beatlesque pop that grows unabashedly menacing toward the end, a feel echoed earlier by the completely bizarre What’s Done Happen.
Time Travelin’ Love is a funny funk/rap number, a broke guy trying to pick up a girl; EnVino is a drinking song • if Bob Marley’s drug of choice was wine instead of weed, he would have sounded like this. The cd winds up with Fashion, lo-fi Prince-inflected funk bemoaning shallowness all around him; the wee-hours rant 2:34 AM and the sly empowerment anthem Spoils. This is a very strange yet a very honest and straightforwardly compelling album. Whatever direction Thomas wants to go in • he may want to bounce between all of these, which is perfectly ok • this cd is a very entertaining way to get to know him.”
- From the article 'CD Review: Leron Thomas•Improvsensation' lucidculture.com (7/3/2009)
“Take the opener Wilkes BBQ, where the ensemble near the end takes fire from the horns and [Warren] Wolf's stirring vibes after Thomas's burnished notes have empowered the sound with their purity and ringing tone. Purple Flowers shows [Bobby] Watson at his most rhapsodic and Hodges-like. He alternately embeds himself within and skims the melody, achieving a singing, winsome tone before Thomas enters with another pellucid chorus.”
- From the article: ‘Hard Act to Follow’ by Chris Searle, morningstaronline.co.uk (May 2009)
“'Dirty Draws Vol. 1' (A.D.D. Music), rawly self-produced, seems as if it started as a jazz musician's way to channel his artistic frustrations. Leron Thomas is a young trumpeter in New York, originally from Houston, who like everyone else is having a hard time trying to figure out where jazz is going next and who wants to listen. (Lately he's been heard in some of Roy Hargrove's and Charles Tolliver's large ensembles.) But he turned his frustrations into something new. Instead of spraying considerable trumpet-playing skills all over yet another basic post-bop jazz quartet record, Mr. Thomas took a hard left turn. Many of the tracks here are minimalist voice-and-bass daydreams with jazz changes, raps, a country song, a vocal ballad with bass and piano but no drums (he's a so-so singer but with musical smarts), scabrous jokes about sex and race (some involving a character he names Token) and scandalous put-downs of neo-soul singers he lambastes as trying to impress ''a father they never had'' (Marvin Gaye or whoever). The serious jazz stuff finally arrives on the last few tracks, with a quintet that includes the saxophonist Marcus Strickland and the drummer Eric Harland along with Mr. Thomas on trumpet. All in all, Mr. Thomas seems to have no fear. It's intelligent, casual, a little nuts and completely entertaining. (Available at cdbaby.com.)”
- from the article: 'PLAYLIST; A Drummer's Tricky Funk And a Trumpeter's Left Turn' by Ben Ratliff, New York Times (6/4/06)
“Friday's show featured LeRon Thomas from Houston, who dwarfed his instrument with his large frame and played beautifully, with a lighthearted, dancing disposition. Tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland, pianist Robert Glasper, bassist Brandon Owens, and drummer Kendrick Scott completed the lineup. This clique has become loosely known as “the class of 2001”; they're a powerful, rambunctious lot, playing with remarkable advancement for their age. As Thomas and Hargrove went toe to toe, with yet another trumpeter, Keyon Harold, sitting in on a fast “Straight, No Chaser,” the combative but good-natured ethos of the cutting session filled the air. And by no means was Hargrove pulling any punches. The strong players to his left and right were raising the stakes and pushing him to the limit. “Play your horn!” implored someone in the audience, and Hargrove responded with biting phrases, deep in the pocket and drenched in soul.”
- From the aricle: 'The Trumpet Shall Sound' by David Adler, All About Jazz (October 2002)
“And then came 'All For Love' and professions of genius. “I don't do this all on my own,” he [Bilal] said in hat tip to opener and sometimes songwriting partner the gifted Leron Thomas”
- by Jalylah Burrell, blogs.vibe.com (2/3/09)
“Recently released Volume 2 of his Dirty Draws series; a collection marked by his wry sense of humor and restless sense of musical exploration”
- by Egie Ighile, Objectiff Magazine (3/28/07)
“Versitile and talanted, he [Leron] brings trumpet, vocal, songwriting and beat-making skills together on tunes from jazz to soul to blues..”
- by Ennio Styles, straightup.com.au (3RRR FM) Melbourne, Australia (6/17/07)
“Improvsensation is Leron Thomas' latest album and will be promoted at the official CD Release Party March 27. He will be performing 2 live sets featuring guest artists; Mike Severson, Mike Moreno, Tom Roslak, Justin Brown, Jamire Williams and Mark Kelly. The range of notable musicians reflect the diversity of genre, from Indie Rock to Jazz, making for a great night of incredible music.”
- by nypress.com (3/19/09)
“Leron Thomas is a young jazz trumpeter from Houston, with chops and power. He has rethought his music lately changing his band and adding rhythmic and harmonic complexities”
- by Ben Ratliff, New York Times (10/8/04)
“What first caught my attention was Tiombe Lockhart on the bill as well as Antibalas trumpter Eric Biondo's side band Beyondo, but after hearing Leron Thomas, he may be the name to keep a heads up for tonight. Houston native Thomas has a really innovative sound that sounds like a crossblend of jazz with indie rock…really worth giving a listen”
- by deadlymelody.com (2/1/08)
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